What's for dinner? Ask Google.

Monday is recipe of the week day here on the blog. But what happens in real life when you're trying to get inspired to make something for dinner and can't think of anything? Right. That's what happened to me today. Luckily, I have some things to fall back on. One of them is my computer where I have iGoogle as the default home page in my browser. iGoogle allows users to choose which "Gadgets" to display within its frame, including news, weather, stocks, sports, and recipes! I love looking for recipes online, but I love it even better when a good recipe greets me when I turn on my computer. One of my iGoogle gadgets is "The World's Healthiest Foods," which each week features a healthy food. This week's "healthiest food" is lamb, and there on my iGoogle page is a recipe for 10-minute Rosemary Lamb Chops. Yum!

To get started, go to igoogle.com. If you don't have a Google account or an iGoogle page, you can click on the Get Started link. Once you've created a page, you can click the "Add stuff" link on the upper right part of the page and find interesting "gadgets" to add to your page and they'll be there everytime you go to this page.

So what am I making for dinner tonight? I thought I'd save the lamb chops for the weekend when we can relax and really enjoy them, but tonight I'm going to try these Southwestern Turkeyburgers. I love anything with avocado in it, and it's under 350 calories, so it's sure to be a winner. Bon appetit!

Fitness and Technology Update: Podcasts!

Did you ever wish you could have a fitness coach in your pocket, or even better, right in your ear, telling you what to do? Well, you can. If you have an iPod or other device that plays MP3 files, you should check out podcasts. Podcasts are recorded programs and you can find one for just about any interest you might have. I download podcasts of my favorite NPR shows such as This American Life and Radiolab. But lately I've been letting my iPod guide me through my Pilates and Yoga practice.

Admittedly, using an audio podcast is probably not the best introduction to a new fitness program. To learn Yoga or any other technique, you probably want to start with classes, or at the very least, a DVD program. You need to learn proper technique by watching and doing, and ideally, getting corrections from a real instructor before doing any kind of exercise. I've been taking Yoga and Pilates for years, so I feel very comfortable, for example, when a voice in my ear prompts me to get in to the "plank" pose, or instructs me to do "the hundred." However, I don't always feel motivated or organized enough to put all those poses and exercises together to form a routine. That's when I pick up my iPod and get to work. I love this set of under-30 minute routines by Phoebe Kelly. Phoebe has a very successful practice in New York, especially with private clients whose complaint was only that they couldn't meet with her as much as they wanted. Her answer to them was this set of podcasts to keep them limber in between her visits. Her gentle (but firm!) voice flows through each exercise, reminding you when to breathe and other helpful hints. You might find it helpful to perform the exercises in front of a mirror so you can relate what she's saying to what your body is doing. I always feel strengthened, lengthened, and relaxed after doing these routines!

The website that hosts Phoebe Kelly's Pilates and Yoga podcasts has a plethora of exercise options. Do you have a stationary bike sitting idle in your house? Get that thing spinning by checking out one of the cycling  podcasts. Going out for a walk and you want to stay focused on your fitness? There are a ton of podcasts to keep your arms and legs swinging. The podcasts in iAmplify are reasonably priced, from $2.95, and there is no membership required.

You can find podcasts easily if you have iTunes. In iTunes, click the Store link, and use Search to find the type of exercise you're interested in (eg Strength training).  Then click the "Podcasts" link to filter your results to show only podcasts (rather than music or movies, etc) for that topic. Note that there are also video podcasts here; this would be great if you have an iPad or computer in your exercise space. Best of all, most of these podcasts are free. Once you subscribe to a podcast, depending on how you have iTunes set up, each time a new podcast is created, it will automatically download to your computer. Then you just sync them to your iPod or other device and it's all yours.

Podcasts are becoming a regular feature on some websites as well. Try using whatever search engine you like to find one. For example, I typed "workout podcast" into Google, and look what I found.

So don't just lie on your couch plugged in to your iPod! Find a podcast and start moving today.

Healthy for the planet=healthy for us ALL

So it's Thursday and I've completely missed my regular Monday-Wednesday columns. I'll write my fitness column (usually on Tuesdays) tomorrow. In honor of Earth month, I'm going to try to stay on track and feature earth-friendly practices on "random Thursdays". After all, if the planet we're living on is healthier, wouldn't you think it would be good for the beings that live on it?

There's a new kid in town. Haulin' Glass is offering a service that I've wanted since I moved from the DC area to Berkeley Springs: recycling pickup. When I first moved here in 2000, there wasn't any recycling at all. However, within a few years, we were able to gather up our recyclables and haul them to our closest school on a Saturday every month. Then a couple of years ago, the Charles Biggs recycling center opened on 522S, and we're able to bring them there anytime they're opened. That was a bit more convenient, but still, the recycling has a tendency to pile up on the weekends when we're not able to get there when they're open.  I recently discovered Haulin Glass on Facebook and, much to my delight, read that they were offering pickup service! I subscribed, and got in touch with Ashley Jones and got to ask her a few questions.


How has response been so far? We've been receiving really great feedback from residents and the community in general. Most of it is along the lines of "it's about time!" We gave a presentation to the town council and they are totally on board, Morgan Sanitation supports the idea, various publications and media avenues (such as yours) have offered free publicity. It's just been really great knowing that so many Berkeley Springians are happy to have this service and are as passionate as we are about doing some good.
What made you decide to offer this service? Just like many of our customers, our recyclables kept piling up and eventually took over the basement. Who knew it would be such a hassle to get them to the center? One day I (Ashley) called Adam and said, let's just start picking up recycling, there has got to be more people like us out there! Within a few weeks we sorted out details, advertised, and hoped people would respond. Thankfully they did.
Have you had a business like this before? Never. This was entirely new to us. I knew a bit about starting a business but that's where our experience ended. Needless to say it's been quite the learning experience, but a surprisingly smooth one.
Where are you from? Adam is from a little southern West Virginia town called Fraziers Bottom. Although I haven't always lived in Berkeley Springs, I've been here for most of my life and claim it as my hometown.
What's your background? I knew this question would get asked. One facebook friend sent us a message that simply said "who are you?" I'll admit I wanted that stuff to stay in the background, but realized it's good for people to be able to know the people behind the business. I - Ashley Jones - have been in Berkeley Springs most of my life and graduated from BSHS in 2006. Although I moved around a bit, I ended up attending Shepherd and graduating with a business degree in December 2010 and decided to stay in Berkeley. I currently take care of Haulin' Glass and work for Mountain View Solar & Wind here in Berkeley Springs. My boyfriend, Adam Keeling moved here in 2006 when he was offered the job of kindergarten teacher at Pleasant View Elementary School, where he continues to work today. He's the face of the company and does all of the collecting. He's a super friendly guy so if you see him emptying your bins feel free to start a conversation, I promise you'll be entertained. We have no kids, just a little dog named Belle.
Anything else you want to tell the people?: I really want to stress that our goal is to encourage recycling by making it easier. It's amazing to see how much trash can be saved from the landfill and reused in an unbelievable amount of ways. Although we do have a few guidelines, we want to work with anyone who is willing to work with us. Need different sized bins than what we offer? We'll work around that. Do you really want to recycle but can't afford our prices? Let us know. Wish we would do this instead of that? Tell us about it. We're absolutely open to suggestions, because you probably know as much about this business as we do, and may have some better ideas. We're aware that the relationship between collector and customer is a negative one, if you will. What makes things easier for the customer makes it harder for the collector and vice verse, so we're constantly looking for ways to find the best balance between the two.

I think it's great that these young people have found it in their guts and heart to start this business. You can get in touch with them via their website or give them a call at 304-258-6351 for more information.

Healthy hint of the week: Make the natural choice

Artificial dyes are in the news again. You've probably seen the pictures of the child's handwriting before and after he stopped eating foods with artificial colors by now (and by the way. How's this for irony: the news video linked above included an ad for Pillsbury Toaster Strudels. Yep, they have Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5.)
The FDA has decided not to ban these artificial colors, citing lack of evidence that there is a link between the dyes and hyperactivity in children. So it's up to us to decide whether or not to buy foods containing them.
I prefer not to purchase foods with artificial ingredients. Why would I want to eat something manufactured, when the real thing is so delicious, usually cheaper, and really, not that hard to prepare? I mean, am I really going to spend $2.99 on a 9 oz packet of Welch's "Fruit Snacks" which contain corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch, natural and artificial flavors, carnauba wax, red 40, yellow 5 and blue 1 when I can just buy the grapes for $2 a pound? It doesn't make economical sense, or healthy sense.
My rule at home is, if it's got more than 6 ingredients and I can't pronounce at least one of them, it stays on the grocery shelf for some other sucker.
Here's what's in my house right now for snacking:

• bananas
• apples
• oranges
• Nature's Choice (Martin's brand of "natural" and organic foods) tortilla chips, pretzels, and microwave popcorn
• OK, I'll admit to the two boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the freezer.
• Almonds (my favorite cheat food)

Now and then I absolutely crave those orange Doritos. And as far as I'm concerned, now and then is when those things should be eaten. I'm not going to be a nut about it. But I'm not going to fill up my grocery cart with boxes of "food" instead of bags of good, juicy produce, healthy cuts of meat and fish, and beans and rice. If you don't like to cook, or are too busy, there are plenty of books and online resources for easy to make recipes. I like the rule for grocery shopping: shop the outer aisles for the majority of your food (dairy, produce, meat) and skip entirely the snack aisle. And I pretty much stick to my 6 ingredient rule.

So that's my rant for the day! See you at the grocery store!

Random post of the week: Our patients are Royalty!

Dr. Hahn may think he's the King of Wellness, but our patients are the real Royals. Enjoy this picture of one of our wonderful patients, Herman Parks getting the royal treatment at one of his visits. We have a crown to fit you!

Fitness post of the week: Tech week!

Technology is wonderful and I am a nut when it comes to new gear. I'm now eagerly awaiting the arrival of my iPad! However, when you think of technology, it's not always something you associate with health and fitness. Video games, iPods, smartphones: images of people glued to their computer screens and their iPhones just make my mind reel with obesity statistics.

However, consider this. I've had a Wii for about a year now and I haven't played any video games where I sit still.  I bought it specifically to try out some of the fitness modules. After trying a few, I'm now using The Biggest Loser module.  I've been following this program at least loosely for about a month. (Note: I am not good at compulsive behaviour - has my family ever done anything exactly the same for the holidays, ever? No). I needed something new and different, because especially around this time of year, I get incredibly bored with exercise. Too nasty outside to hike. My exercise DVDs are all old. My Zumba class isn't happening tonight. And to top it off, this month has been incredibly, ridiculously busy. You know all the excuses!

So, I created my profile, weighed in, answered all the questions, and got started. It took me awhile to get used to the menu, but as I worked it, now I know what I'm doing. At first, I elected full body workouts at the "Challenging" level, 4 times a week for 60 minutes. I included the Fitness ball and exercise bands as options. As I scanned the workout calendar, I saw that I'd be doing various workouts ("Box-Fit", "Full body", and "Yoga) throughout the week. However, as I worked my way through, the workouts all seemed pretty much the same combination of exercises, with emphases on certain ones. For example, when doing the "Yoga" workout, I was doing more planks and downward facing dogs, but I was also doing side leg-raises and boxing. Box Fit included lots of strikes and punches, but also some bicep curls. Although I enjoy most of the exercises themselves, they became a bit repititious, and the fact that my "trainer" kept repeating the same encouraging words whether I was working my butt off, or sitting on it, was a bit un-encouraging. At the "Challenging" level, they're probably not as strenuous as what I'd get from a machine at the gym or from lifting free weights but I had to admit I felt pretty good when I was done. I also liked the weekly feedback of weighing in, and some of the Challenges were fun.

 I didn't participate in the recipe section, since we already eat very healthy meals. I liked most of the Health and Lifestyle hints, and even tried a few. However, after about 2 weeks, I realized I was getting bored, and I had to change things up a bit.

So, I went back into the profile information and changed my workouts to 30 minutes each. I decided since I did enjoy the exercises, I should keep doing them just to assure that I was working out all my muscle groups at least 4 times a week. But I needed to supplement those 30 minutes in order to get the 60 minutes I need in order to maintain my current weight. Also, I wanted to get more Pilates and Yoga workouts....

So I went back to my Wii's "Home" menu, where I can access all my Netflix watch-instantly videos to stream to the Wii. This is available to current members for no additional charge, or, if all you want are the instant movies, you can join for just $7.95 a month. I've found a plethora of exercise videos available there. Willa and I really like the videos that are divided into 10-minute sections such as "10 solution: Kickbox Boot Camp." I've found that mixing it up, either with these Netflix instant-watch videos, or videos in my current DVD library, keeps me interested enough to push myself a bit more than I might.

Next week I'm going to post about another technological option: podcasts! Stay tuned.

Recipe of the week from Hahn and Nelson Family Medicine: SPRING rolls!

When I was shopping at the Martin's in Hagerstown, I noticed that they're stocking the rice papers used for spring rolls. I was so happy to see this; I used to have to order them from an online Asian grocery.

Fresh spring rolls are so versatile and healthy. Unlike their fried cousins, fresh spring rolls are made by softening the rice paper in hot water. Then you wrap up whatever delectable filling you like. There are a lot of good recipes on the web for fresh spring rolls. Or get creative and take a look in your refrigerator; you'll surely find something to roll into a delightful appetizer.

Don't be afraid of the rice papers. They aren't quite as delicate as they look. You will want to take care of them when you get them home, because they can break easily.

When you're ready to make your rolls, first have all your ingredients ready to go. Rather than chopped, your ingredients should be very finely sliced. Aim for very fine matchsticks approximately 1/2" long. You know those carrot shreds you can buy in the grocery store? They're the perfect size. Don't use anything too wet. It might help if you give the wetter ingredients, such as cucumber, a light pat with a paper towel after chopping them. Here are some things I've wrapped: almost ripe avocados, cucumber, raw asparagus, the packaged coleslaw cabbage, shredded lettuce, spring onions, chopped, cooked shrimp, cilantro, the aforementioned carrot shreds, and peppers. You can also fill the rolls with those bean thread, or cellophane noodles after they've been soaked properly. They give your rolls a nice texture. I like to have each ingredient in a separate dish; some people just throw them all together.

When you're ready to roll (!), fill a pie pan or other shallow dish with very hot water. I also keep my tea pot full of hot water to refresh it if I'm making a big batch of spring rolls.

Then here's how it goes:

1. Dip one rice paper in the pie pan of hot water, count to five or six, flip it with tongs, count again, and then use the tongs to deftly lift it out and onto a large, clean plate.
2.  Smooth it out a bit, and then put in a few tablespoons of filling near the middle. Try to keep the filling so all the matchsticks are vertical -- otherwise they might poke through the rice paper.
3. Then fold in the ends and starting at the bottom, roll it up nice and tightly. There are numerous videos on Youtube that demonstrate this; here's one that doesn't have any smutty comments after it!

 As you wrap your rolls, occassionally you may rip the wrapper. Don't worry -- just keep rolling. If the roll falls apart, just cut it in half, or eat it! Just go slow. This is not something you're going to want to rush, so make these on a day you can relax and enjoy the experience.

You'll probably want to make a dip. The dip can be spicy, sour, or sweet. Try experimenting with combinations of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, chili garlic sauce, or sesame oil or just use one of the recipes in the link above.

Once you're done, you have the perfect picnic food, or party appetizer. I usually cut the spring rolls in half with a very sharp knife right before serving; otherwise they get eaten way too quickly! I've put a plateful of these down at a buffet, and by the time I got to them in the line, they were completely gone. So one final hint: If you want any for yourself, put some in the refrigerator!