KinkyShea’s Health and Fitness Tip of the Week

Nutrition Profile:

Diabetes appropriate, low calorie, low cholesterol, low saturated fat, low sodium, heart healthy, high fiber, high potassium, gluten free, supports healthy weight.

Ingredients:

8 6-inch corn tortillas

Canola oil cooking spray

1 6- to 7-ounce can boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon, drained

1 avocado, diced

2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeños, plus 2 tablespoons pickling juice from the jar, divided

2 cups coleslaw mix (see Note) or shredded cabbage

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons prepared salsa

2 scallions, chopped

Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.

2. Coat tortillas on both sides with cooking spray. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until brown, about 12-14 minutes.

3. Combine salmon, avocado and jalapeños in a bowl. Combine cabbage, cilantro and the pickling juice in a separate bowl. Process black beans, sour cream, salsa and scallions in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on HIGH until hot (about 2 minutes).

4. To assemble tostadas, spread each tortilla with some bean mixture and some salmon mixture and top with the cabbage salad. Serve with lime wedges (optional).

Note:

Try looking for convenient preshredded cabbage and carrot “coleslaw mix” near other prepared vegetables in the produce section of your favorite supermarket.
Nutrition Per serving (2 tostadas): 319 calories; 11 g fat (2 g sat, 6 g mono); 16 mg cholesterol;
43 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 16 g protein; 12 g fiber; 352 mg sodium; 670 mg potassium.

Hula hooping, or simply hooping, has gained a lot of attention thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyonce and Marissa Tomei. Modern hooping started just as a form of dance expression using larger, weighted hula hoops but has now found itself back into the fitness world. So, how effective is this form of exercise? The American Council on Exercise conducted a study on the cardiovascular and calorie burning effects of hooping.

The Exercise and Health Program at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse recruited 16 female volunteers between the ages of 16 and 59, all of whom were immediate to advanced level hoopers. Each participant wore a portable oxygen analyzer and a Polar heart-rate monitor while they hooped along to an exercise video at their own pace using a weighted hoop. Researchers documented heart rate and oxygen consumption at one-minute intervals during the 30-minute workout. The participants were also surveyed every five minutes on their individual ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) using the Borg Scale.

After analyzing all collected data, researchers were able to determine that hooping burns an average of seven calories per minute for a total of about 210 calories in a 30-minute hooping workout. The average heart rate was determined to be 151 beats per minute (about 84% of the age-predicted heart rate max for the average subject). The average rate of perceived exertion for participates were rated as “somewhat hard” on the Borg Scale.

What does all this mean in plain and simple English? Researchers found that Hooping is an “excellent form of exercise”. In fact, researchers were surprised at how good of a workout one can get while hooping as well as the amount of calories burned (which will vary from person to person). Researchers also concluded that hooping can be considered to be a total-body workout thanks to the variety of body movements provided during a workout. Researchers did note that a proper long term study needs to be completed to determine the long term fitness benefits of hooping. So if you’re looking for a way to mix up your fitness routine, give hooping a whirl!

For more information on hooping check out www.hooping.org.

References:

“Hooping-Effective Workout or Child’s Play?” ACE Certified News. January 2011.