Did you know National Apple Month is Here?

Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Apples

As Is! Crunch into a delicious whole apple at snack time, mealtime or anytime at all.

An Old Favorite. Enjoy the sweet tinge of apples in Raisin Waldorf Salad.
Eat as a side dish or on a sandwich.

Peanut Butter. Need We Say More? Slice and enjoy apples with our delicious Fruity Peanut Butter Dip. Add carrots and celery for more color and variety.

Dessert! The kids will love helping out with this one. Check out our Boatloads of Fruit recipe from the Cool Fuel Cookbook for Kids.

Apple Dipping Bar. Forget bobbing for apples, try dunking them! Kids will love helping out with this fun Dipping Bar! Watch Apple Dipping Bar Video

Delectable Décor. Always keep a bowl of the many different colors of apples on your kitchen counter, dining table or in the living room. Not only will it serve as a quick source for a healthy snack but it’s also the perfect room accent.

Bake ‘em! Remove the cores, leaving a 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples. Pour a small amount of brown sugar and butter into the hole. Place the filled apples in an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan then add 3/4 cup of water to the pan. Bake at 375°F for 30-40 minutes until tender, not mushy.

Toss ‘em into a Main Dish! Apple Chicken Stir-Fry is an unexpected way to enjoy apples
and it’s absolutely delicious!

Grab the Kids for an Apple Tasting! Buy a variety of apples and cut each into slices. Place each variety on its own plate and tag. Have each child eat a slice of each variety of apple and vote for her/his favorite.

Applesauce … Your Way. Smooth or chunky? Low sugar or sugar-free? With raisins … or cranberries? Just spice it up and make it your own. Watch Applesauce Video

See Videos About Apples

See Nutrition Information for Apples

Enjoy my friends!

P.S. If you would like a FREE Apple Recipe Book from Your Health & Fitness Expert Natalie Pyles call in today 1-888-568-4388 or email fitnesselementsexpress@yahoo.com or fax request at 623-399-4199 Have a healthy day!

Time to Face the Fats

Valuable facts from the American Heart Association

National Cholesterol Month Continues...

It's time to meet the Fats - some are bad and some are better.
According to a consumer survey conducted for the American Heart Association, fewer than half of Americans know that the "better" fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can help reduce their risk of heart disease.

Do you know everything you need to know to make healthy fat choices? Do you know:

• Which dietary fats you should limit or avoid?
• Which are better for you than others?
• Which foods contain which types of fat?
• How many calories – and how much fat – you should eat each day?
• If foods labeled "trans fat-free" are always healthy?

Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers. Most Americans are confused about fats. That’s why the American Heart Association created this Web site — to help you face the facts about fats.

To begin learning more about fat facts and eating sensibly, go to any of the links on this page.

Fats 101 Take our crash course on fats. It's everything you need to know, easy to read and all in one place.	My Fats Translator A cool calculator that translates our fat recommendations into daily limits just for you.	Live Fat-Sensibly Learn how you can be smart about dietary fats when eating out or cooking at home.

Effective Steps you can take to Lower your Cholesterol Now!

National Cholesterol Month is Here!

Cholesterol

Knowing the facts about cholesterol can reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke. But understanding what cholesterol is and how it affects your health are only the beginning.

To keep your cholesterol under control:

• schedule a screening
• eat foods low in cholesterol and saturated fat and free of trans fat
• maintain a healthy weight
• be physically active
• follow your healthcare professional's advice
  

How well do you know cholesterol? Take this brief quiz to test your cholesterol IQ.

Knowing the facts about cholesterol can help you improve your heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Be prepared with these tips for ordering low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol meals at any restaurant.

If Your not taking Advantage of National Cholesterol Month Now here is Your Chance!

National Cholesterol Education Month

September is National Cholesterol Education Month, a good time to get your blood cholesterol checked and take steps to lower it if it is high. National Cholesterol Education Month is also a good time to learn about lipid profiles and about food and lifestyle choices that help you reach personal cholesterol goals.

High blood cholesterol affects over 65 million Americans. It is a serious condition that increases your risk for heart disease. The higher your cholesterol level, the greater the risk. You can have high cholesterol and not know it. Lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens your risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of having a heart attack or dying of heart disease.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers helpful resources to use during National Cholesterol Education Month.

For Individuals

• High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know , (196 KB)
• On the Move to Better Heart Health for African Americans , (3.76 MB)
  (Be sure to see Section 4: Keep Your Cholesterol in Check)
• Your Choice for Change: Honoring the Gift of Heart Health for American Indians , (9.35 MB) NEW for 2009
  (Be sure to see Section 4: Be Heart Healthy! Learn Ways to Lower Your Blood Cholesterol)
• Do You Know Your Cholesterol Levels? / Cómo están sus nivels de cholesterol? , (6.01 MB) (bilingual Spanish/English) NEW for 2009
• Be Heart Smart: Keep Your Cholesterol in Check / Maging Matalino sa Pangangalaga ng Puso: Panatilihing Nasusuri ang lyong Kolesterol (bilingual Tagalog/English for Filipino Americans) NEW for 2009
  Available only in print

Get these public education booklets for yourself and share them with family and friends.

For Persons with High Blood Cholesterol Who Need to Lower It

• Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) , (1.74 MB)
  This booklet is a "must read." It offers lots of practical advice for steps you can take to reach a lower cholesterol and to improve your lipid profile.

Heart Healthy Recipes

• Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes
• Heart Healthy Home Cooking African American Style
• Delicious Heart Healthy Latino Recipes

For Community Group Education Programs

Offer an educational session for groups who may benefit from a better understanding of cholesterol. Use these teaching tools:

• With Every Heartbeat Is Life program for African Americans: Session 5: Be Heart Smart: Keep Your Cholesterol in Check, Available only in print
• With Every Heartbeat Is Life Picture Cards, Available only in print
• Your Heart, Your Life: Session 5: Be Heart Smart: Keep Your Cholesterol in Check, Available only in print
• Su corazón, su vida: Sesión 5: Sea bueno con su corazón: Mantenga su colesterol bajo control (Spanish), Available only in print
• Your Heart, Your Life/Su corazón, su vida Picture Cards, Available only in print
• Healthy Heart, Healthy Family: A Community Health Worker's Manual for the Filipino Community:
  Session 5: Be Heart Smart: Keep Your Cholesterol in Check. Available only in print. NEW for 2009
• Healthy Heart, Healthy Family: Picture Cards. Available only in print. NEW for 2009
• Your Heart, Your Drum: Strengthening the Heartbeat of American Indians and Alaska Natives, Available in VHS tape

Make cholesterol information booklets available at your worksite, health center, community center, or HMO. Have plenty of copies on hand for screening events.

• High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know
• On the Move to Better Heart Health for African Americans
  (Be sure to see Section 4: Keep Your Cholesterol in Check)
• Your Choice for Change: Honoring the Gift of Heart Health for American Indians NEW for 2009
  (Be sure to see Section 4: Be Heart Healthy! Learn Ways to Lower Your Blood Cholesterol)
• Do You Know Your Cholesterol Levels? / Cómo están sus nivels de cholesterol? (bilingual Spanish/English) NEW for 2009
• Be Heart Smart: Keep Your Cholesterol in Check / Maging Matalino sa Pangangalaga ng Puso: Panatilihing Nasusuri ang lyong Kolesterol (bilingual Tagalog/English for Filipino Americans), Available only in print NEW for 2009

For Clinicians

Refresh your skills in cholesterol assessment and management with:

• Summary Report: Third Report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III = ATP III)
• ATP III at a Glance: Physician's Quick Desk Reference
• ACC-AHA-NHLBI Clinical Advisory on the Use and Safety of Statins
• ATP III Update 2004: Implications of Recent Clinical Trials

For Everyone

• Online Heart Disease Risk Calculator Tool

For Bulletin Board Displays

Use pages from these resources to create an educational display in September:

• High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know
  
  
• Tables and Text from Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)
  • What's Your Heart Disease Risk? - p. 8
  • What's Your 10-Year Risk for a Heart Attack? - pp. 10-12
  • Drop Your Cholesterol with TLC - p. 16
  • Setting Your LDL Goal - p. 9
  • The TLC Diet: A Heart Healthy Eating Plan - p.19
  • Sample Saturated Fat Intakes - p. 22
  • Fiber Solutions - p. 28
  • Fiber Really Counts - p. 29
  • How to Make Heart Healthy Meals - pp. 39-40
  • Losing Weight and Gaining Heart Health - pp. 49-50
  • How to Lower Your Calories on TLC - p. 50
  • Choose the Foods That Help You Lose - pp. 51-52
  • A Handy Guide to Calories Burned in Common Activities - p. 46
  • Benefits of Regular Physical Activity - p. 42
  • Getting Active - p. 44

P.S. Get your FREE Health & Fitness Test today 480-212-1947 or 1-888-568-4388 or fax your request 623-399-4199 for your FREE spot!

Why More Matters Month-CDC is Here! Fruit of the Month

Fruit of the Month: Figs

Figs, one of mankind’s oldest fruits, is only now receiving its due attention in homes across the United States. Although considered a fruit, the fig is actually a flower inverted into itself. They are the only fruit to ripen on the tree. Originally native from Turkey to northern India, the fig fruit spread to many of the Mediterranean countries. The primary producers of dried figs today are the United States, Turkey, Greece, and Spain. This highly nutritious fruit arrived in the United States by Spanish missionaries settling in Southern California in 1759. Fig trees were soon planted throughout the state.

	Figs Serving Size 1/2 cup raw (74g) Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value Calories 90 Calories from Fat 0 Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 0mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 24g 8% Dietary Fiber 2g 7% Sugars 11g Protein 1g Vitamin A 15% Vitamin C 25% Calcium 0% Iron 2% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Varieties

There are hundreds of fig varieties but the following are most commonly found in today’s markets.

The Calimyrna Fig: Is known for its nut-like flavor and golden skin. This type is commonly eaten as is.

The Mission Fig: Was named for the mission fathers who planted the fruit along the California coast. This fig is a deep purple which darkens to a rich black when dried.

The Kadota Fig: Is the American version of the original Italian Dattato fig, that is thick-skinned with a creamy amber color when ripe. Practically seedless, this fig is often canned and dried.

The Brown Turkey Fig: has copper-colored skin, often with hints of purple, and white flesh that shades to pink in the center. This variety is used exclusively for the fresh fig market.

Fig varieties and photos courtesy of the California Fig Advisory Board

Availability

Fresh figs are available July through September. Dried figs are never out of season, and are available all year. You can find them in your favorite grocery store in the produce or dried fruit section.

Selection

Look for figs that are soft and smell sweet. Handle carefully because their fragile skins bruise easily.

Storage

Store fully ripened figs in the refrigerator up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

Using Dried Figs As a Replacement For Fat in Your Recipes

Dried figs are excellent replacement for fat in baked goods. Just remember when using dried figs to replace shortening or oil in baking do not overmix or overbake. Use only half of the normal amount of shortening, margarine, butter or oil, in a recipe when using dried puree. For instance, if 1 cup of margarine is called for, use only ½ cup. Then use ½ of the fig puree. Here’s a simple fig puree recipe to include in your baking recipes.

Fig Puree
Makes about 1½cups

Ingredients

2 cups dried figs
¾ cup water
2 tsp vanilla

Puree figs, water and vanilla in blender or food processor. Use as directed.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 178, Protein 2g, Fat 1g, Calories From Fat 4%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 44g, Fiber 9g, Sodium 9mg.

Recipes

Fig Banana Smoothie
Makes 4 servings
Each serving equals 1 cup of fruit or vegetables
Source: California Fig Advisory Board

Ingredients

1 cup chopped dried figs (stems removed)
1 cup 1-inch banana slices
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
3 cups crushed ice
1 Tbsp honey
mint leaf or berry garnish

Place all ingredients except garnish in a blender (not a food processor), and blend until smooth, approximately 2-3 minutes. Strain liquid and pour into tall, chilled glasses. Add garnish.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 200, Fat 1g, Calories From Fat 5, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 49g, Fiber 6g, Sodium 40mg, Sugars 36g.

Yummy!

Why More Matters Month-CDC is Here! Vegetable of the Month

Vegetable of the Month: Chili Peppers

Hot peppers (chilies) are often used to spice up dishes, and they are especially popular in ethnic cuisine including Mexican, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Arab and Spanish cooking. Chilies are an excellent source of vitamin C if you can withstand their powerful bite.

	Chili Peppers Serving Size 1/2 cup (75g) 46g Amount Per Serving % Daily Value Calories 30 Calories from Fat 0g Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 5mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 7g 2% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Sugars 4g Protein 1g Vitamin A 20% Vitamin C 300% Calcium 2% Iron 6% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Contrary to popular belief, the hottest part of the chili pepper is not the seeds but where the seed attaches to the white membrane inside the pepper. This area has the highest concentration of capsaicinoids. Capsaicinoids are flavorless, odorless substances that act on pain receptors in the mouth and throat. Capsaicin is the primary capsaicinoid. Capsaicinoids can be found throughout the flesh of chili peppers though their concentration varies in different areas so that one part of a pepper may be hot and another part of the same pepper quite mild.

The seeds are often hot because they are in such close contact with the white membrane.

There are several varieties of chili peppers (see box below) and each differs in flavor and heat intensity. Even within each variety, there may differences in how ‘hot’ each particular chili is. Typically, larger chilies are more mild because they contain less seeds and white membrane in proportion to their size. Most varieties can be found dried, canned, or fresh.

To view all the varieties follow this link...

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/chili_peppers.html

If you Want More Living Foods Knowledge then this Class is for You!

Saturday, September 26th

Raw Energy Snack Day

A Living Food Event

11:30 am - 12:30 pm Free

We will be meeting in the Community Room at Whole Foods Raintree location for this class. Natalie Pyles from Fitness Elements Associates will educate you about living food snacks. She will show you how to make an awesome energy bar and a quick energy smoothie to get your day started with an energy boost. RSVP IS REQUIRED. connie.nelson@wholefoods.com or fitnesselementsexpress@yahoo.com or 1-888-568-4388