Calorie Counter: Cayenne Quiche

Spice up your breakfast with this tasty protein-rich breakfast that reheats well.

Cayenne Quiche

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 2/3 cup low-fat milk
• 2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 cup bell peppers, sliced
• ½ red onion
• 2 Tbsp scallions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Oil a skillet and pour in egg mixture.
4. Cook in oven until lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes, then serve.

The Numbers: 581 Calories; 31g Protein; 30g Carb; 41g Fat; 7g Fiber.

Total Time: 37 minutes.

Recipe and photo courtesy Men's Ftness.

Tai Chi Gala: An Event You Don't Want to Miss

The annual Tai Chi Gala in Albany this year celebrated the Year of the Water Snake — and it was an intense weekend of study, learning, reflection and great opportunities to study with some of the most learned and well-known shifus and healers  in the nation.

If you are not familiar with the gala, it is a gathering of great Tai Chi instructors enjoying a chance to share their wealth of knowledge. This year's instructors such as Dr John Painter, Shifu William C. Phillips, Master Ken Lo, Master Donald Wong, Sigung Richard Clear and Shifu Shariff Bey — and others.

Credit for this great event rests on the shoulders of Shifu Loretta Wollering and her tireless efforts in organizing the Tai Chi Gala.

The workshops included Qi awareness, flat sword principles, push hands, Tai Chi ruler, freestyle Tai Chi fighting and Hung Ga tendon training. At the end of the weekend there is even a  Ba Gua week with Dr. John Painter.

These are just samples of activities from which participants could choose.

The festivities started Friday night with registration, dinner, and kung fu movies played on a big screen.

Saturday begins early with a stretching class or Qi Gong class to get you prepared for the day.

Participants choose from a large selection of classes: there are four time slots, and each offers as many as four different classes.

After dinner, the instructors give demonstrations of their prowess. This is always popular. It starts with a lion dance then proceeds to forms, sword forms — and this year there was even  a push hands demonstration.

The Best Western of Albany provided the venue and the menu. The hotel staff was amazing, totally professional and eager to serve. All meals were available at the hotel; unfortunately, the food this year did not match the quality of years past, but we hope it will be back on track next year.

If you want to take a Tai Chi vacation next June, keep an eye on the Tai Chi Gala website for details.

I almost forgot: if you do go, check out the tea ceremony with Master Ken Lo. It's incredible.

Hope to see you there next year.

Tai Chi Tuesday: Aiding Those Experiencing Parkinson Disease

Grandmaster Cheng Man Ching

Tai chi has yet another therapeutic application: for those who experience Parkinson Disease.

A study by Madeleine E. Hackney and Gammon M. Earhart published in Gait & Postures Journal in 2008  shows that tai chi can be helpful for balance and dexterity for those experiencing mild to mild-moderately severe Parkinson Disease.

According to the study's abstract, 33 people with the disease were randomly assigned to two groups. The Tai Chi group participated in 20 one-hour training sessions completed within 10–13 weeks; the control group had two testing sessions between 10 and 13 weeks apart without interposed training. 

The tai chi group improved more than the control group on six indicators of balance, gait and mobility — and all tai chi participants reported satisfaction with the program and improvements in well-being. Read about the study here.

Tai chi appears to be an appropriate, safe and effective form of exercise for some individuals with mild-moderately severe form of the disease.

Check back tomorrow for a tai chi bonus about the annual Tai Chi Gala in Albany.

Fitness Friday: Find a Way, or Find an Excuse

Step Up to the Calorie Counter: Banana-Stuffed Strawberries

Sate your sweet tooth with bananas and strawberries. Make it even healthier with some Greek yogurt.

Who knew you could get so much taste at less than 150 calories a serving?

Banana Stuffed Strawberries

INGREDIENTS

8 strawberries
2 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 small banana
1 tablespoon sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

1. Mash the banana in a bowl with a fork. Mix in the yogurt.
2. Using a knife, carve out the middle of each strawberry.
3. Fill the center of each strawberry with the banana-yogurt mixture and top with sliced almonds.

Now, the best part: the nutritional facts:

Recipe and images courtesy of Fit Sugar — check out more delicious ideas there!

Tai Chi Tuesday: Therapeutic Benefits of Tai Chi

You know tai chi is good for you. Now you can list the reasons to encourage your friends and cohorts to join you at your Tai Chi class. Kansas City's Golden Guide offers a handy list of how tai chi benefits your health.

I've already highlighted a few of the benefits, including:

• Heart health. In a National Institutes of Health study, Dr. Gloria Yu concluded, "Preliminary evidence suggests that meditative exercise may have benefits for patients with chronic systolic heart failure." 
• Improving bone density. Exercise is crucial to bone health, according to the Institute for Better Bone Health — and tai chi is an excellent source of exercise.
• Boosting brain power.  The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease did a study of 120 healthy older people in China. Those who practice this "moving meditation" techniques three times a week for 40 weeks shows increases in brain volume, as seen on MRI, as well as improvements on several tests of memory and learning, compared to those not doing the exercise who had normal age-related brain shrinkage.  (From the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, December 2012.)

Here's another:

• Tai Chi appears to be associated with improvements in psychological well-being — including reduced stress, anxiety, depression and mood disturbance, and increased self-esteem. A Tufts University study U.S. National Library of Medicine reviewed data on eight U.S. databases and three Chinese databases. Read the study to find out more.

Find a tai chi class near you — and invite a friend to join you. You'll be glad you did.

Protein Shake vs. Chocolate Milk: Which Rules for Post-Workout Protein?

There are plenty of opinions about protein shakes versus chocolate milk for a post-workout protein injection. The question is: which is best for you?

One of the things I pay attention to is the ingredient list.

Chocolate milk consists of lowfat milk and chocolate powder or syrup (chocolate and sweetener).

If you look at the ingredient list on most protein shakes, you likely will find sodium and cholesterol. This is not conducive to a lean diet, so check your labels carefully: protein shakes may not be the best choice for you.

Also, remember: the human body can't digest more than 25-30 grams of protein at one sitting. Any more than that and the body secretes it.

Another advantage to chocolate milk is that it aids in regulating blood sugar levels and has the proper carb-to-protein ratio.

So, if you have a choice and want to get the best bang for your buck on a post-workout supplement, try lowfat chocolate milk.