Shells with Salsa Cruda

Looking for a good, new, quick and easy healthy side dish for your family picnic?

Ingredients:

5 Cups seeded chopped tomatoes (about 2 pounds)

1/2 Cup chopped red onion

1/2 Cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1/2 Cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 Cup chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1garlic clove, minced

8 ounces medium shell pasta

1/2 Cup (2 oz) shredded sharp provolone cheese

**Add your favorite veggies and make it healthier and more colorful!

Preparation:
Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; let mixture marinate at room temperature. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add cooked pasta to bowl; toss gently to coat. Divide evenly among 4 plates. Top each serving with provolone.

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories: 407 (27% from fat)

Fat: 13 grams (sat 4g, mono 6g, poly 1g)

Protein: 14 grams

Carbohydrate: 61 grams

Fiber: 6 grams

Cholesterol: 10 mg

Iron: 4 mg

sodium: 741 mg

Calcium: 166mg

How to Cure 3 Top Running Aches

As the weather starts to become absolutely perfect outside, we should be getting off the treadmill and running outdoors. Plus I know many of you are training for the River Run in April. Contact us at randi@habit4health.com by March 26th to become part of the Habit 4 Health River Run team!

Running can be a pain if you're battling nagging injuries. Don't get sidelined: keep your training on track with these simple moves (but if the pain persists, call your doctor).

Where it hurts: The outside of your knee or hip
Either having weak hip abductor muscles or increasing your mileage too quickly can lead to pain in your iliotibial band, the tissue that runs down the side of your leg from butt to knee.

What to do: If you've recently amped up your mileage, decrease your total weekly distance by 30 to 40% for two weeks. For hip strength, do 12 to 15 side leg lifts. Still hurting? roll the side of your affected hip up and down on a foam roller.

Where it hurts: The sides of your rib cage
Sharp, stabbing side stitches make it difficult to breathe-and run. The culprits: running too soon after eating and/or taking shallow breaths at irregular intervals.

What to do: Feel a stitch? Slow down and take deep breaths, exhaling as the foot opposite the stitch hits the ground. Also, wait three hours after eating to run.

Where it hurts: the bottom of your foot
Plantar fasciitis-sharp heel pain or numbness caused by irritation of the tissue that runs the length of your sole-can result from drastic increases in mileage or lack of flexibility in the muscles in your calves, hamstrings, and hips.

What to do: If the pain wanes post-warm up, cut your mileage by 25% and alternate runs with a low-impact activity like cycling or swimming. If it persists or affects your gait, take a week off. Massages like rolling a tennis ball under each foot (from heel to toes), can help nix tightness and increase flexibility.

Boosting Vitamin D Can Do A Heart Good

Monday, March 15 (Health Day News)

New research suggests that extra Vitamin D could make a major difference in heart disease risk among people who have low levels of the nutrient.

Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah, report in two new studies that vitamin D supplementation may reduce the risk of other chronic diseases too.

'Vitamin D replacement therapy has long been associated with reducing the risk of fractures and diseases of the bones,' study author Dr. J. Brent Muhlestein, director of cardiovascular research, said in a center news release. But our findings show that Vitamin D could have far greater implications in the treatment and reduction of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions than we previously thought.

The researchers found that patients who boosted their Vitamin D levels to 43 nanograms per milliliter of blood or higher reduced their rates of diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure, and heart disease. They were also less likely to die during the study period.

According to the researchers, a level of 30 nanograms per milliliter of Vitamin D is considered normal.

'Although randomized trials would be useful and are coming, I feel there is enough information here for me to start treatment based on these findings,' Muhlestein said, adding that increasing Vitamin D intake by 1,000 to 5,000 international units a day may be a good idea in some cases.

Source: Intermountain Medical Center Press Release March 15, 2010

Mango-Curry Chicken Salad with Walnuts

Walnuts should be a part of everyone's diet. It's really as simple as that, unless of course you have a nut allergy.

Walnuts are a phenomenal source of omega-3 essential fatty acids; in fact a quarter cut of walnuts has nearly 95% of our daily value. In addition walnuts provide a good source of manganese and copper.

The potential health benefits of walnuts go even further to include cardiovascular protection, anti-inflammatory properties, improved cognitive function and antioxidant properties just to name a few. Walnuts are an easy, health snack and can be used in many dishes. Try adding this super food to your diet.

Mango-Curry Chicken Salad with walnuts

Makes 4 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups (1/2 inch pieces) grilled skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon curry
1/4 Cup cubed mango
1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup mozzarella, cut into small cubes


Directions:
Grill chicken breasts, cut into small pieces and set aside. In a medium bowl, blend yogurt and curry with a whisk and stir in chicken, mango, cranberries, walnuts, and mozzarella. Mix well and serve on lettuce leaves if desired.

Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 350
Total fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 90 mg
Sodium: 160 mg
Calcium: 20% daily value
Protein: 34 g
Carbohydrates: 32 g
Dietary fiber: 2 g