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During those months when the temperature drops, more people start to suffer from the common cold. While catching a cold is more of an annoyance than anything else, when you're living in the midst of a pandemic, you want to make sure you're staying as healthy as possible. So that means doing all you can to avoid a pesky cold. And that starts in your kitchen.

The foods you eat can play a big role, as you want to make sure your diet is filled with immune-boosting foods.

"Eating a healthy diet helps ensure that your immune system is strong enough to fight off infections," says Cedrina Calder, MD MSPH, a preventive medicine doctor in Nashville, Tennessee. "Certain nutrients play an important role in a healthy immune response."

So one food isn't just going to magically prevent you from ever getting sick again, but loading up on foods with essential nutrients will keep you on the right path, hopefully away from catching any colds.

"If you want to boost your immune system's resilience, you need to move from a stress eating diet, to an acid-kicking strength eating diet," says Dr. Daryl Gioffre, nutritionist and author of Get Off Your Acid and Get Off Your Sugar. "A strength eating lifestyle is based on adding low acid, high alkaline plant-based foods that help you gain energy, lose weight, and lower the inflammation levels in your body."

To help you out, here's a full list of the best types of nutrients and foods that best prevent you from catching a cold. While you're making healthier choices, be sure to try out any of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

"Vitamin A plays a significant role in fighting infections," says Calder. "Great sources of vitamin A include foods with orange-colored flesh like sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash. In addition, vegetables like spinach and broccoli are also packed with vitamin A."

"Sprouts are baby versions of the vegetables they grow into, and they are undeniable superfoods," says Gioffre. "Sprouts are also jam-packed with nutrients, particularly sulforaphane and isothiocyanatetwo compounds that have demonstrated immune-boosting anti-cancer properties. Along with boosting immune function, broccoli sprouts are also loaded with antioxidants, such as glucoraphanin, that help your body fight off illnesses. In fact, these sprouts are the number one cancer-fighting food you can put into your body, because of their ability to boost immune function and strengthen your resilience. A general rule of thumb is that sprouts have thirty times the nutrition of the fully grown version of that vegetable."

Go ahead and pile them on top of your salad! Gioffre suggests "using them in lieu of lettuce altogether" if you're feeling adventurous.

"Vitamin C serves as an antioxidant and stimulates immune cells," explains Calder. "Some of the best sources of vitamin C include bell peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, and berries."

"Because watercress is an extremely low-calorie yet vitamin- and mineral-rich food, it is highly nutrient-dense. In fact, it ranks as the most nutrient-dense food on the CDC's Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables list, in part thanks to its concentration of minerals, including magnesium, calcium, manganese, and potassium, along with vitamins A, C, and K," Gioffre explains. "Like the other cruciferous vegetables, it's rich in free radicalneutralizing antioxidants that strengthen your cells and protect your immune system."

Treat it as you would any other leafy greentoss it "in salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and sauts," Gioffre says.

"Vitamin D serves an important role in immune function but [a] deficiency in vitamin D is very common," Calder explains. "To help meet your vitamin D needs, incorporate foods like fatty fish including salmon, tuna, and mackerel into your diet."

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"Celery is mostly water and incredibly hydrating, yet high in soluble and insoluble fiber and mineral content," Gioffre says. "Indeed, it contains an array of minerals essential to a healthy immune system, that also help neutralize acids and toxins that make you more vulnerable. Celery also contains anti-inflammatory compounds that can help dampen that internal fire throughout the body that ultimately suppresses immune function, thus reducing risk of infection and disease."

"Vitamin E is another antioxidant that helps regulate the immune system," Calder says. "Nuts, seeds, and oils like almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower oil, and sunflower seeds provide a good amount of vitamin E."

"Avocados are a good source of Glutathionea powerful antioxidant associated with immune system health, needed for the lymphoid cells," Gioffre says. "Avocados also contain vitamins A, C, and E, which are antioxidants that strengthen your immune system. It literally is the perfect immune-boosting and protecting food."

"Zinc is a mineral that is necessary for the development and function of immune cells," Calder says. "If you're a seafood lover you're in luck because oysters contain more zinc than any other food. Crab and lobster are also good sources."

Any excuse to eat more lobster, right?

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Best Foods to Prevent a Cold, According to Doctors - Eat This, Not That

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When you want to eat healthy, packing in as much fruit into your diet seems like a smart move. According to the Mayo Clinic, a wide variety of fruit contains a ton of fiber, keeping you full through the day and staves off cravings. While fruit in moderation can do some wondrous things for anyone's overall health, overconsumption can lead to a world of problems. High levels of naturally occurring sugar make fruit particularly tricky to navigate and eating too many bananas stand out as a particularly dangerous fruit.

While you might assume all bananas come with equal health benefits and risks, you have to factor in levels of ripeness, varieties of bananas, and more before you can jump to any health conclusions. While bananas in moderation can help deliver key vitamins and minerals, overeating can land you in a world of hurt.

Find out what dangerous side effects lurk under the surface of a banana's healthy public image, and for more healthy tips, be sure to check out our list of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

You might believe that bananas' fiber content could help you stay full and lose weight, but if you overeat these fruits, say goodbye to any weight loss goals.

According to Penn Medicine, bananas come packed with considerable amounts of carbohydrates and calories, and when eaten in moderation, can potentially help you lose some weight. When eaten in excess, the opposite couldn't hold more true. According to Cleveland Clinic, the higher amount of sugar found in bananas encourages weight gain, and if you plan on eating a ton of this fruit, expect to see your waistline gain a few inches.

For a slimming diet, hold back on downing too many bananas in order to keep to your weight loss goals.

While those of us with diabetes can have a banana every now and then, eating too many can pose some serious health problems. According to the University of Sydney, an overripe banana's glycemic index (GI) clocks in at 62, pushing it into a moderate GI position. According to a study published through the U.S. National Library of Medicine, anyone who wants to watch their blood sugar needs to stay away from large amounts of food and drinks that fall into moderate or high GI levels. High blood sugar in those of us who can't properly regulate insulin levels can result in diabetic comas and even death, making this fruit a particularly deadly option to overeat.

If you love eating bananas but need to keep your blood sugar levels consistent, make sure to go easy, or at least switch to starchier, less ripe bananas that clock in with a low GI level.

To learn even more about the effects of banana consumption, check out these 11 Side Effects of Eating Bananas Every Day.

Everyone has heard that bananas provide a great source of potassium, but even a great nutrient in the wrong quantities can do some real damage. If you really love eating bananas, you can develop hyperkalemia, a condition that impairs the function of nerve and muscle cells, landing you in the hospital. According to the USDA, the fruit has 358 milligrams of potassium, and according to the Cleveland Clinic, anyone who pursues a high-potassium diet can fall prey to this side effect.

To keep your health safe, limit your banana consumption, or else you might face some serious potassium-related problems down the line.

When you indulge in sugary fruits, you can easily risk your dental health. According to the Orlando Sentinel, studies have shown that bananas can do more damage to your teeth than chocolate and sugary gum. When these figures only account for moderate banana consumption, imagine the damage overeating bananas can do to your mouth!

Make your teeth and your dentist happy and avoid overindulging in too many of these sugary fruits next time the craving strikes. Instead, why not concentrate on one of these 25 Foods You Had No Idea Are Good for Your Teeth?

According to Makerere University, bananas have a considerable amount of tannic acid stored inside each serving. While this chemical won't do much in small doses, anyone who loves to eat several bananas in one sitting might find a dangerous side effect waiting for them. According to a study published in the journal of Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, high levels of ingested tannic acid can cause some serious constipation.

While everyone might have experienced constipation in some form, chronic constipation can do terrible damage on our GI tract and can warrant a trip to the doctor. Avoid this seemingly benign effect and put down the bananas!

Nothing can derail a perfect, productive day like suddenly doubling over in pain from a sudden-onset migraine. Science has proven that certain chemicals and nutrients can trigger this medical condition, and unfortunately, bananas carry one of these harmful compounds. According to a study published through the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the chemical tyramine has been proven to affect the ways in which migraines develop, and unfortunately, bananas contain a ton of this chemical. Don't risk crippling yourself with the pain of a migraine if you can avoid it and limit your banana consumption to avoid any unnecessary pain.

Here'sWhat Happens To Your Body When You Eat a Banana Every Day.

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Dangerous Side Effects of Eating Too Many Bananas, According to Science - Eat This, Not That

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From Men's Health

Like most people trying to lose weight and get in shape, British entrepreneur and reality TV star Spencer Matthews was aware of what healthy eating looks like. But simply avoiding junk food and maintaining the requisite calorie deficit to hit 5 percent body fat are very different beasts.

The simplest way to do this is to hand things over to the professionals. In this case, they were the nutritionists and chefs at UK-based Mens Health Fuel. Throughout the transformation, Matthews took delivery of four meals from the Lean plan, three days a week. (If you happen to be stateside, here are 8 US-based services that will make your meal prep even easier.)

But to prove it can also be done with a little elbow grease in the kitchen, he was left to fend for himself for the rest of the weekrelying on the simple, healthful meals below to get him through. There was still room for clean G&Ts after work and weekend takeaways, too.

To reign in his portion control, Stafford cut him a dealhe could pile his plate as high as he liked, as long as it was a side plate. Really it all came down to discipline. In the run-up to the photoshoot Id finished three of my four Fuel boxes by 11 am, recounts Matthews with a grimace. I messaged my trainer Shaun Stafford to plead for an extra meal. His response was tough luck!, making room only for extra celery sticks, watermelon fingers or Diet Coke. It paid off though, and made the two burgers from Five Guys after the final photo all the more satisfying. Here's a look at the meal plan that helped him get there.

Oats, 50gOat milk, 100mlRaspberries, handfulBanana, 1/2Agave syrup, drizzlePlus1 medium egg, friedLightly-buttered seeded toast

MethodSoak the oats in the milk overnight then top with fresh fruit and syrup before eating. Fry the egg in butter on a medium heat and serve sunny-side up on toast. The eggs protein and oats fibre combine to stop you feeling hungry even on a calorie deficit.

Story continues

Lamb loin, 1Cauliflower, headChicken stock, cupButter, knobTenderstem broccoli, 100gLemon,

MethodSeason then seared the lamb loin in a pan before roasting at 350 degrees for 8 mins until medium rare. Cut and cook the cauliflower in a pan with the chicken stock for 10 mins then puree in a blender with a knob of butter. Sautee the broccoli in a frying pan for 5 mins then finish with a drizzle of lemon.

MethodOrder, open the door to the delivery man and then get stuck in. By cutting out his usual hummus and halloumi sides, Matthews saved calories without having to give-up takeaways for 10 weeks.

Clean Co. Gin, 50mlTonic water, 100mlIce, lotsLemon, wedgeMint, sprig

MethodPour the gin and tonic over ice, garnish and relax.

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During this harrowing time, I have been preoccupied with losing weight. I havent talked about it much, preferring to shed in isolation. For those who have noticed the clues my slimmer face on video calls, occasional pictures from my wife on social media, a few text-message references the reaction always includes the same question.

I tell them, Ill let you know when Im done.

When youre winning on the scale, losing can be a tease. Over the past 10 months, I have felt lighter and lighter. I have acted out my favorite athlete clich, the one in which a player emerges from the offseason claiming to be in the best shape of his life. Discarding pounds has been a method of control, a way to corral the chaos and make lemons into sugar-free lemonade. This pursuit seems so right for 2020. Were all wanting to feel light again.

But as we have been reminded in a year of illness, death and strife, loss can be heavy, too. There is a poignant multiplicity to loss. At present, that poignancy keeps thwacking me in the heart, the same heart I thought this skinny me would protect.

How much have I lost? I will let you know but not in celebration. This is surrender. Im not quite done shaving pounds off my body. However, I cannot bear losing anything else.

Gone are 123 pounds since Feb. 7, heft dismissed via low-intensity exercise and a keto-based diet. But also gone are my paternal grandparents and a maternal great uncle, all of whom were buried in Louisville during a two-week span around Thanksgiving. Im light, finally. Yet heavy, again.

The devastating part is that so many of my actions in 2020 have been to avoid suffering. The motivation to drop weight? A dizzy spell that prevented me from covering an NFL playoff game in January. During the pandemic, most of our family has kept at least one foot in lockdown mode. We live in bubbles throughout the country, and for as difficult and mentally taxing as it has been, we had delighted in being healthy, in fending off the physical agony of covid-19.

Still, suffering found us. My three loved ones endured well past 80, for which we are grateful, but as usual, the ailments of aging won.

I did not travel from Seattle to attend any of the funerals. My brother, who had a bout with pneumonia in the past year, did not leave Boston. In our bubbles, we watched live streams of funerals sparsely attended. My wife and I watched them during breaks in our oldest sons virtual school day. Nothing is sadder than sitting at a table of computers unable to comfort my devastated father and attempting to reinvent rites taken for granted.

I am not writing just to expose loss, though. I dont want to wallow in grief. Its the meaning of it that matters to me. I feel this ambiguous connection to strangers I have had to avoid, and my soul demands exploration. There is pain and confusion and anger in the losses of 2020. There is community, too.

How much have you lost? So much can be revealed: Weight lost, people lost, innocence lost, ignorance lost, patience lost, apathy lost. Shock lost. Seriously, can life ever be considered surprising again?

A better question: Will we turn this wretched experience into something meaningful?

Grandpa loved to joke. Give him a compliment, and he would still send a quip boomeranging back. I used to hug his thinning body and declare, You look like youve lost weight. He would counter, And it looks like you found it.

He wasnt being mean, just real. His affable delivery kept me from turning sensitive. It was far more bothersome when people I didnt know would refer to me as big man. They werent being mean, either. And there was no use lying to myself just to disagree.

When I said enough and stepped on that scale Feb. 7, it flashed a terrifying number: 327.2. It was at least 30 pounds more than I had anticipated. And while the 327 was most troubling, it was the point two I couldnt get past. Point two. It was the most taunting two fastened to the end of a big number since Alex Rodriguez signed that contract for a stunning $252 million two decades ago.

I weigh 204 pounds now. So make that 123 point two pounds down. I am 6-foot-1 and hope to lose 10 more pounds, but my goal is not to lower the number as much as it is to maintain good health and stifle obesity for the rest of my life. Our boys, 5 and 8, often begin sentences with, Dad, when you can eat sweets again ... I think to myself, Jerry, when you can start drinking again ...

There is no intentional inspiration in these words, no declaration of, I lost 123 (point two!) pounds, and so can you! I did not swear off carbs, sugar and liquor for praise. I did not fall in love with celery root, fennel and jicama to satisfy vanity. I did it to breathe better, to stop the peculiar aches, to chase the kids longer and play basketball without needing aspirin.

My doctor said something that made me think of it this way: My body still wanted to be a great team. It was resilient. It still had potential. But with my indulgences and mindless behavior, I was being a lazy ball hog. Or just pigging out.

Many times over the past 10 months, I debated whether to share, how to share and when to share the news. In my mind, this despicable year kept demanding that I wait, for a better time, until the right moment.

This year, however, is numb to right.

Besides, there is no established way to reveal that you have lost more than the combined weight of your children. Is that worthy of bragging? Can it make me forget how the scale used to inspire fear, then anger, then sadness? Excessive pride in this accomplishment this salvation of my health feels inappropriate. After being heavy for the better part of 20 years, it also feels wrong to risk coming across like I am better than someone else just because I followed through on a commitment to get lean again.

My grandfathers witty retort kept coming to mind this year. One afternoon, I researched what happens to lost weight. I had to make sure nobody found mine.

In a philosophical sense, to live is to lose. Losing is an inevitable part of the experience. To find is more elusive. Finding is no joke.

In sports, there is noticeable tension between how participants and viewers perceive winning and losing. The public and media are consumed with the overwrought judgement of every result. The greatest athletes and coaches care mostly about discovery along the journey. Their obsession is to find themselves to find their best and use every triumph and failure to get there.

Heather Tarr, the magnificent softball coach at the University of Washington, told me once at the end of a regular season, I hope the year has taught us enough about ourselves. Her team was 45-6. What else was there to know? But she wanted to achieve something greater than a gaudy record. The best in sports are purists that way. Some wins frustrate them. Some losses reassure them. They look beyond what they are going through and prioritize where they want to go.

Thats where I want to be, mentally, emotionally. I am not there yet. But thats my aim.

Grandma died first, leaving this world feeling excruciating pain in her hips, pain that turned her beautiful soprano singing voice into screams with even the slightest movement. Hours after her funeral, my grandpa started to let go. He had barely survived surgery last year to remove cancer from his lung. He suffered from dementia. It seemed as if, after she died, his mind forced him to keep losing her again. He was ready to stop losing, and his lungs were eager to assist.

The timing concluded the sweetest cannot-live-without-you love story. James and Barbara Hightower grew up together in Warren, Ohio, built a life together through military travels and settled in Louisville together as a churchgoing, community-fabric couple. Their marriage spanned 63 years, not always wonderful and rosy but undoubtedly persistent and engaged.

We have done a lot of tallying of loss this year. The tracking of these numbers feels like a morbid version of sports. Our dissimilar reactions to some of them the covid-19 deaths and infections, the jobs erased, the economic devastation, the senseless killings by police, the baseless attacks on the outcome of a presidential election decided by a 7 million-vote margin fuel mistrust and resentment at a time in which pandemic-dictated caution limits the type of connection we need to heal. So much has been lost. So little has been found.

Every day, in the quiet moments at home, I stare out a living-room picture window, waiting and wondering, gazing at people roaming the neighborhood in small clusters and staying politely apart. I daydream about normal living, good living, robust living. I imagine my friends being able to joke in person about Skinny Brew. I dont hear anyone calling me big man.

If weight loss is my good loss for the year, the maintenance of this new body tasks me with an unending responsibility, one that mirrors the challenge to soothe all of this 2020 pain.

In the last phone conversation with my grandfather, the day before his wifes funeral, I told him I weighed the same as he did, only Im five inches taller, so my frame holds it better. He laughed. Then he forgot. So I made the joke one more time.

He didnt have a good comeback. His mind had lost its reserve of lighthearted banter.

In his absence, I have yet to find it. But I will keep searching.

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Whether you prefer spreading it on toast, tossing it onto a salad, slicing it on an Instagram-worthy sandwich, or mashing it up into guacamole, there's no denying that avocado has become a bona fide culinary craze in recent years. And even though avocado does boast so-called "healthy" fats, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. So, what exactly happens when you eat too much avocado? Well, experts say that consistently overdoing it could potentially negate some of the benefits of eating too much avocado over the long term.

"The fat in avocado is primarily monounsaturated, which lowers 'bad' LDL cholesterol, and may increase 'good' HDL cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease," says Andres Ayesta, a registered dietitian and founder of Vive Nutrition. "It's also a powerhouse source of nutrients, with high levels of vitamin K, folate, potassium, and many B vitamins."

According to the National Institutes of Health, monounsaturated fats also contain vitamin E, which helps to support your vision as well as a healthy immune system. The American Heart Associationnotes that by lowering your LDL cholesterol, these fats can also reduce your risk of stroke.

Let's get one thing clear. Fat is not something to be fearedand in fact, is an essential substance that protects your organs, gives you energy, and helps your body better absorb certain vitamins. That said, Ayesta says one medium avocado contains 240 calories and 24 grams of fatwhich is pretty eye-opening when you consider that the daily recommended intake for fatis about 44 to 77 grams if you eat 2,000 calories a day.

With that in mind, you might want to reconsider your portionsbecause these are just some of the side effects you may experience by eating too much avocado. Here's what you should know, and for more healthy tips, be sure to check out our list of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

According to Ayesta, avocado can be a super easy food to overeat because it has a high energy density, meaning that it has a high number of calories in a very small portion.

"Since avocados are a great source of nutrients and healthy fats, there are definitely worse foods to overeat," he explains. "However, as with any food, eating avocados in excess will lead to weight gain. If eating large amounts of avocado in a day results in taking in more calories than an individual burns, the excess energy will be stored as fat. More than the recommended amounts of fats in a day does not add any additional nutritional benefit, even if these are considered 'good' fats."

Whether or not you gain weight will depend on just how frequently you're eating too much avocado, how much fat you're consuming from other foods, and your physical activity level, among other factors. The bottom line, though, is that if you're not burning off those extra calories from fat, your body is going to hang onto it. So, if you're aiming to maintain or lose weight, it may be wise to measure out a portion of avocado so you don't accidentally overload on it. Shena Jaramillo, MS, RD, advises sticking to about 2 ounce-servings, or about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup.

Here's What Happens to Your Body When You Eat an Avocado.

Another issue with loading on the avocado? It can be almost too satiating. When too high of a percentage of your calorie intake comes from fat, you're probably neglecting other key nutrients.

"The fat content may displace other nutrients in the meal because you might not feel as hungry to complete your full meal," explains Jaramillo.

In other words, due to the high fat and fiber content in avocado, you may not want to eat other foodsmeaning you'll then miss out on the additional nutrients they have to offer.

"Variety is key," says Ayesta. "It's best to have a balance of protein, carbs, and fats at each meal to reach the acceptable ranges for each macronutrient and get all the micronutrients you need in a day."

Speaking of nutrients, This Is Why You Should Get Nutrients From Food, Not Supplements.

Just because you aren't allergic to avocados doesn't mean it won't cause an adverse reaction. Avocados contain small-chain carbohydrates called polyolsthat can have a laxative-like effect when consumed in large quantities. And if you have an avocado intolerance or sensitivity to these natural sugars, you may also experience bloating, gas, or an upset stomach up to 48 hours after eating it.

"Avocados are a significant source of fiber, with a single avocado providing about half of the daily recommended fiber intake," explains Jaramillo. "While fiber is incredibly important for health (and most Americans aren't getting enough), having too much at one meal can lead to bloating, abdominal pain, and constipation, especially if you're not used to a high fiber diet."

Overloading on fiber can be especially problematic for those with irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal disorders.

Although the majority of the fat in an avocado is the monounsaturated kind, this fruit does contain about 3.2 grams of saturated fat per 1-cup serving. That means that roughly 15% of the fat in avocados is saturated. This is worth noting given that consuming too much saturated fat can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

"Saturated fat has been shown to increase inflammation in the arteries after a single meal and lead to heart disease over time," says Ayesta. "However, this isn't a big concern unless you're eating multiple avocados each day."

The bottom line is that the fat provided by avocados is significantly healthier than the kind you'll find in processed or fried foodsbut that doesn't mean you're off the hook in terms of minding your portion sizes.

"As with any food choice, it's important to look at avocado intake within the context of someone's overall diet," says Ayesta. "Although the FDA suggests a serving size of 1/3 of a medium avocado, this can't be used as a standard rule that applies to everyone. Someone who needs more calories in a day (based on greater body size, more lean muscle, more physical activity, etc.) will naturally require more fat in a day."

The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) is a suggested percentage of an individual's daily calories that should come from carbohydrates, fats, and protein. According to Ayesta, that range is 20 to 35% for fat. For example, someone who eats 2,500 calories a day needs 56 to 97 grams of fat dailywhereas someone who only requires 1,600 calories a day should stick to 36 to 62 grams of fat daily. Ideally, though, you also want to be nourishing your body with other healthy fat sources as well in order to reap the widest range of benefits.

"I'd recommend 1/3 to 1/2 an avocado daily, to leave room for fat from other sources, such as nuts, fatty fish, and olive oil," says Ayesta.

And don't forget to space out your fat intake throughout the day, tooAyesta says this strategy can increase satiety and promote the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Now that you know how much avocado is good to actually have on a daily basis, here are18 Things You Had No Idea You Could Do with Avocados.

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Deborah Cabral| Guest Columnist

The new year is here, filled with hope and promise that well all have a much better year than the last.Rather than make New Years resolutions, which studies show most of us do not keep, consider committing to making small changes. Whether you want to lose weight, exercise more, save money, be happier, or get more organized, making small changes over time can produce significant results.Here are some ideas to consider:

Save a certain amount of money per week (start with $5 or $10) -How many times a week do you stop to get a coffee or tea? Most of us do it often because its easy, we love it, and especially so we can see our friends at Utica Roasters and Wisk! We cant give it up all together, why would we want to? If your budget is struggling this month, try making coffee or tea at home once or twice a week. The same goes for eating out at lunchtime. We really enjoy it when someone else makes our meal and we just get to chow down - I know I do. Maybe try limiting the amount of times you eat out weekly. We all can save $5-$10 a weekif we really try. What can you do to save money? Even if you only save all of your change on a weekly basis, it really adds up. Give it a try.

Commit to working out 10-15 minutes a day -We all can find time to move our bodies more. Pick an exercise or activity that you enjoy and do it for 15 minutes each day. I wear a Fitbit and make it my goal to get 10,000 steps a day. On days that I feel more energetic or have more time, I increase my goal. Go for a walk, do stretching exercises while watching TV, stand and walk while youre working or talking on the phone. The possibilities are endless. Be creative.

Quit one bad habit -Most of us have bad habits that we want to quit and have wanted to do so for awhile. Try focusing on just one. Have you always wanted to stop smoking or biting your nails? Do you over spend and now want to create and follow a budget? While changing habits can be hard, the rewards are great. Make a commitment to stop one bad habit. Keep in mind, when you have rough days, dont worry, re-start the next day.

Eat healthier -We cant give up everything we love to eat to lose weight, because it just doesnt work. If we feel deprived, we wont stick to whatever plan were following. Instead, decide to make small changes such as adding more vegetables to your meals or reducing your fat or sugar intake. Try makingthe switch from white bread to whole wheat or soda to water -you get the picture. Change doesnt need to be drastic to produce results.

Declutter one area of your home -What areas of your home cause you the most stress? Make a commitment to declutter one area of your home for 15 minutes a day, every day until your home is how youd like it. Spending a little bit of time each day decluttering can be refreshing!

Small changes can make a big difference in your life. You dont need to make major, drastic changes (unless you want to) to feel a sense of accomplishment and success.

Happy New Year and heres to a happy, healthy, safe and successful 2021.

Look for more organizing tips from Deb in the Observer-Dispatch every Sunday and on her websites decluttercoachdeb. com anddceffconsult.com. You can follow her on social media and watch her TV show Organization Motivation!organizationmotivation.com.

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A 29-year-old mum who lost 21 kilograms through meal prepping has revealed how she prepared a week's worth of food for her family of four for only $170.

Kaitie Purssell, fromLake Macquarie, New South Wales, has been dubbed the 'queen of meal prepping' thanks to her impressive efforts in the kitchen, and she used her skills to lose weightwhen she needed to after giving birth.

The budget grocery buys included food for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as healthy homemade snacks.

'Meal prep is all about saving time and money,' Kaitie told the Australian weight loss program, the Healthy Mummy.

By being organised and meal prepping once a week, she said there are 'no excuses' for skipping meals, reaching for unhealthy snacks or grabbing takeaway food.

Kaitie Purssell, from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, has been dubbed the 'queen of meal prepping' thanks to her impressive efforts in the kitchen, and she used her skills to lose weight when she needed to after giving birth (pictured before and after)

Prior to buying groceries, Kaitie checked all the produce she had in her pantry, fridge and freezer to reduce the cost as much as possible.

While the meal prep took a whole day to complete, she made eight serves of stovetop lasagne, six serves of honey soy chicken for salad, 12 serves of sausage and veggie pasta bake as well as eight serves of cheesy chicken meatloaf and 'healthy' chicken nuggets.

But she didn't stop there, as she also made lamb, sticky Asian-style chicken meatballs, chicken parmigiana and fried rice with spring onion and corn.

The snacks included 12 serves of chocolate rice crisps, 18 serves of 'healthy' chocolate coconut brownies 12 serves of strawberry cheesecake ice blocks and 18 serves of puff pizza bites.

For after school snacks, she also prepared chocolate chip banana bread, Spring onion dip and vegetable sticks.

All the food was placed into portion-sized meal prep containers and stored away.

Kaitie made a wide variety of meals that took a day to complete

INGREDIENTS

400g premium beef mince

410g can of salt reduced red kidney beans drained and rinsed well

Two medium carrots grated

Two medium onions finely diced

One red capsicum finely chopped

400g can salt reduced diced tomatoes

35g sachet salt reduced taco seasoning

Five wholegrain wraps/tortillas

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 180C.

2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.

3. Saut onion for a couple of minutes, then add one tbsp water (this takes away the need for any added oil) and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, and water has evaporated.

4. Increase the heat to high and add the mince.

5. Cook, stirring, until there are no lumps and mince is brown.

6. Add grated carrot, chopped capsicum, red kidney beans, diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Stir and then simmer for 10-15 minutes until mixture has thickened.

7. Lightly spray an oven safe dish with cooking spray.

8. Layer the dish with 2 x tortillas, then half of the meat mixture, 1 x tortilla, the remaining meat mixture, 2 more tortillas, then sour cream. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

9. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Source: Healthy Mummy

The 29-year-old said the key to meal prepping is to prepare the food, keep the plan simple and dedicate one day of the week for it.

Gallery: 33 Amazing Gluten-Free Recipes to Serve the Whole Family (Better Homes and Gardens)

'If Sunday doesn't work for you find a time that does!' she said.

'I often spend less than an hour in the kitchen preparing a whole week of food for my family.

'It doesn't have to be hard or take all day!'

INGREDIENTS

1 small sweet potato

1tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 spring onion, chopped

1/2 clove garlic, minced

60g dinner red kidney beans

1/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or tinned

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 medium avocado, diced

METHOD

1. Drain and rinse the beans.

2. Pierce holes in the sweet potato with a fork or skewer. Place in a microwave steamer, with a small amount of water and microwave on high for 7-10 minutes (the time will depend on. microwave and size of sweet potato), or until the sweet potato is lightly tender.

3. Set the sweet potato aside to cool slightly. Once cool to touch, cut in half lengthways and scoop pit the flesh so there is only a thin layer of flesh remaining lining the edges. Set aside.

4. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add beans, corn and chilli powder and cook until warmed through. Add sweet potato flesh and stir through.

5. Divide bean mixture into each sweet potato, approximately 160g, then use a larger one and serve only had per person, rather than a whole sweet potato per serve.

Source: Healthy Mummy

The busy working mum also said she always thinks it's easier to cook in bulk and freeze at least one portion.

'It's so much cheaper to make most things from scratch, it doesn't take much longer and you are cutting out a lot of sugar and other nasties by doing so,' Kaitie said.

Kaitie has shed an impressive 21 kilograms with meal prepping and said shopping online is another one of her invaluable tips to stop you from over-shopping.

'Always get the ingredients for and make double, triple or quadruple amounts of the dinner you're making each night and freeze it,' she said.

'That's how I started. If I was making one banana bread, I'd make two, cut one up and freeze it.'

INGREDIENTS

4 wholemeal tortillas

1 can diced tomatoes 200g

1 cup red and green capsicum diced

1 cup sweet corn

1 cup salt reduced refried beans

1/2 cup grated reduced fat cheese

1 tsp paprika

1 avocado

2 tbsp low fat Greek yoghurt

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Cut tortillas into triangles, spread onto two baking trays and place in the oven.

3. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until golden then remove and set aside.

4. In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes, capsicum, corn, paprika and beans.

5. Stir over a medium heat until ingredients begin to meld together.

6. Separate tortilla chips into four bowls, top with bean mixture then sprinkle over cheese.

7. Place under a hot grill for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

8. Top with avocado and Greek yoghurt to taste.

Source: Healthy Mummy

If you want to make sure your meal prep is cheap, Kaitie said one of the best things you can do is bulk up all your mince dishes with lentils and grated vegetables.

She also freezes leftover ingredients - from curry paste and tomato paste to pasta and liquid stock.

'Pop them in ice cube trays and transfer into labeled ziplock bags for the freezer to reduce wastage,' she said.

Finally, she said you should always check supermarket catalogues for weekly specials.

'Meal plan according to the sales and then shop online so you can see your total before you check out,' Kaitie said.

All recipes come from the Healthy Mummy app.

Read this article:
Mum shares how she prepped $170 worth of food for a family of four - msnNOW

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Life Time's Lindsay Ogden recommends easing back into a routine with consistency and accountability.

We all know that 2020 has been a challenging year on multiple fronts, but turning the page to a new year gives all of us a chance to review, tweak, and renew our health and fitness goals.

"This has been a tough year for a lot of people when it comes to staying in shape," said Lindsay Ogden, personal trainer and Small Group Training Program Experience Manager at Life Time. "Spending more time sitting while working from home or watching the kids has made us more sedentary. Recent studies have shown that theres been a 32% reduction in physical activity this year and another poll says 53% of people have struggled with their mental health due to the pandemic. At Life Time, were firm believers in the power of movement. Exercise can reduce stress, boost your immune system and benefit your mental health right now, which a lot of us need!"

Ogden offered five tips for getting back on track with your fitness goals in the new year:

1. Revisit your goals and determine your why

"If you made a goal at the beginning of the year to lose 15 pounds, why did you want to do that?" Ogden said. "Once you find that why, write it down on a post it note and put it somewhere where youll see it each day for motivation."

"Find a personal trainer or exercise with a friend. This makes it much more likely youll follow through. We find this is very true with our group fitness and small group training offerings at Life Time," Ogden said. "There are also groups and communities online on Facebook, or on apps like Strava."

3. Ease back into your routine

"If youve been out of your health club for weeks or months, you can risk injury if you go straight back into what you were doing," Ogden said. "Do this by focusing on your breathing, form, and control of movements you havent done in a while. If its been several weeks since youve done barbell movements, approach your first session with reduced loads and renewed attention to technique."

4. Let consistency reign over intensity

"Decide how many days per week youre going to exercise, and then do it even if its only 10 to 15 minutes or four to five sets," Ogden said. "Something is better than nothing. Were creatures of habit, so if you can get yourself into the routine first, you can then build the intensity over time."

5. Make one change at a time vs. doing too much at once

"Instead of big and vague goals, aim for something more specific. 'Work out three times a week' or 'meditate for five minutes a day' those are much more helpful and achievable," Ogden said.

Learn more about setting and maintaining fitness goals on Life Time's website.

Link:
5 tips to get your fitness back on track in 2021 - KARE11.com

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Health and Fitness by Mollee Tscholl

Theimmune systemis defined as a complex network of biological structures andprocesseswithin anorganismthat protects it againstdisease.As human beings, having a healthy immune system is critical to our ability to combat illness and fight off diseases. Right now, caught in the middle of a pandemic, in which our bodies are waging war against a brand new adversary COVID-19 the need for strong immune systems is more important than ever. The CDC and MDH continue to promote mask-wearing and social distancing as a means of warring off COVID-19, but while these things help protect us from exposure, they dont help strengthen the immune system. What, then, can we be doing to prepare our bodies to put up a good fight, should the virus or another illness or disease find us and want to do battle?

Mollee Tscholl

Believe it or not, one of the best things we can do is get regular exercise! As a gym owner, trainer and long-time exercise enthusiast, this is perhaps one of the biggest reasons it was hard to stomach Governor Walzs most recent executive order, again, closing down fitness centers in Minnesota, at the start of the winter season no less. Looking specifically at COVID-19, its estimated that 20% to 42% of hospitalized patients will develop Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS); for patients admitted to intensive care, this range increases to 67% to 85%. A recent review, however, by Zhen Yan of the University of Virginia School of Medicine found medical researchfindings to strongly support the possibility that exercise can prevent or at least reduce the severity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. The production of an antioxidant called Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase (EcSoD), which is naturally produced in our muscles, and works by hunting down harmful free radicals, is known to increase with cardiovascular exercise. EcSoD, has been found to be deficient in patients who have not only acute lung disease, but also those who have ischemic heart disease, kidney failure and osteoarthritis. So, in short, regular exercise, can help our bodies fight off or at the least, reduce the severity of COVID-19 and other various illnesses and diseases.

Stress, a common cause of a weakened immune system, is high right now due to all of the changes and restrictions we are facing from this pandemic. The good news is stress can also be combated through exercise! Chemicals called endorphins, which are produced by the body to combat stress and pain, are released into the body during exercise. At the same time, cortisol, the bodys stress hormone, is lowered through exercise. So, remember, during stressful times, exercise can be a game-changer in keeping you physically and mentally strong. Get that sweat on! Move that body!

A few other things you can do to strengthen your immune system are getting an adequate nights sleep, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and/or taking a multi-vitamin, and maintaining social connection with others. So, in a time where social gatherings are discouraged, make those phone calls, schedule those Zoom meetings, write that long put-off letter youve been meaning to send!

We at SNAP Fitness wish you all a happy and healthy 2021, one in which we can soon get back to doing the things and seeing the people we love!

Mollee Tscholl is co-owner of Albert Leas SNAP Fitness and TMJ Elite Fitness.

See the rest here:
Health and Fitness: Exercise is one of the best ways to boost immunity - Albert Lea Tribune - Albert Lea Tribune

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Hockey in 2020 is a lot different from when the Broad Street Bullies were winning Stanley Cups in the 1970s.

Back then, players used training camp to get in shape after an offseason that wasnt known for conditioning drills unless you count lifting a beer as an arm curl.

Today, there is too much money at stake for players to come into training camp out of shape, especially this season, when teams will have just nine on-ice sessions (starting Jan. 4) before the opener is played.

Youre signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox once a week during the offseason, and twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday) when the season starts. If you like what youre reading, tell your friends its free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email (scarchidi@inquirer.com) or on Twitter (@broadstbull). Thank you for reading.

Sam Carchidi (flyers@inquirer.com)

When camp sessions start Monday, teams are allowed to have 36 skaters and an unlimited number of goaltenders. During the season, which will begin Jan. 13, rosters can have a maximum of 23 players, and a four- to six-player taxi squad, created because the coronavirus can play havoc with teams.

A maximum of 29 players will travel and practice with the team during the 56-game season.

If you arrive at camp out of shape, theres a good chance you wont be on the 23-man roster.

General manager Chuck Fletcher has casually observed players who have arrived early to skate and work out at the teams Voorhees practice facility.

First thing is you have to hope everybodys put in the time and effort to come to into camp in great shape, he said. If players are behind the eight ball in conditioning, its going to be difficult to get them where you want them to be by the start of the season.

Thats the first part. At this stage, theres not much we can do about that, he added last week. Weve obviously been checking in with players and giving them detailed programs. The ones that Ive seen around here look like theyve put a lot of time and effort in. Well hope for the best in that regard. Well hope that were healthy.

Fitness and medical tests will be held Jan. 3, one day before drills begin.

The most important thing you can do is have as many game-like situations as possible in practice, whether thats scrimmaging or drills, working on the shootout, whatever that may be, Fletcher said. You want to make things as game-like as possible and get as ready as you can be without playing a game.

There will not be any exhibition games, which is why the Flyers will scrimmage at most training-camp sessions.

The fact the Flyers made few offseason moves and have their entire coaching staff back for their second year should help the team make a smooth transition into the season, center Sean Couturier said.

At the same time, I think every team is in the same situation, Couturier said. Its going to be up to each guy to show up to camp in great shape and go from there.

One of the biggest questions that will be answered in training camp: Who will replace retired Matt Niskanen and be Ivan Provorovs partner on the top pairing?

From here, Phil Myers makes the most sense. Hes right-handed, and he has the skills and size to complement Provorov nicely.

That said, its worth noting that Fletcher last week said he liked the chemistry Myers and Travis Sanheim developed on the second pairing last season. Maybe it was an innocent comment. Or maybe in discussions with head coach Alain Vigneault, they are against breaking up the No. 2 duo.

If the second-pairing defenders remain together, that would make Erik Gustafsson and Justin Braun the only defensemen who could be paired with Provorov if Vigneault decides he wants a right-hander on that unit.

These would be my pairings: Provorov-Myers; Sanheim-Gustafsson; and Robert Hagg or Shayne Gostisbehere and Braun.

Tuesday: USA, whose team includes Flyers prospects Cam York and Bobby Brink, vs. the Czech Republic in the World Juniors at 2 p.m. (NHL Network).

Thursday: USA vs. Sweden in the World Juniors at 9:30 p.m. on the NHL Network. Besides Brink and York, Flyers prospect Emil Andrae, a defenseman for Sweden, will compete in this matchup.

Saturday: World Juniors quarterfinals at noon, 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. all on the NHL Network.

Sunday: Flyers fitness and medical testing at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. Of particular interest: How center Nolan Patrick fares in his medical exam. He missed all of last season because of a migraine disorder but has been skating in Voorhees and, from all reports, feeling better.

Monday: Flyers open training camp in Voorhees.

Monday: World Juniors semifinals at 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., both on NHL Network.

Jan. 5: Championship game of the World Juniors at 9:30 p.m. on the NHL Network.

Jan. 13: Flyers host Pittsburgh Penguins in an NHL opener for both teams.

Question: Which Flyer do you think will be the next to win an end-of-the-year trophy like our boy Coots as the Selke winner? Brian Wert, @brianwert13, on Twitter

Answer: Thanks for the question, Brian. I think unflappable Carter Hart will be the next one. He might not win the Vezina Trophy as the NHLs best goalie this season, but I believe there is one in his future. The last Flyer to win the award? Ron Hextall in 1987. Pelle Lindbergh (1985) and Bernie Parent (1974 and 1975) were other Flyers goalies who were Vezina winners.

Send questions by email (scarchidi@inquirer.com) or on Twitter (@broadstbull), and they could be answered in a future edition.

Here is the original post:
Offseason fitness will play a bigger role for Flyers this season | On the Fly - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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