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• Abs Challenge
• Slimmer Abs
• Abs exercises
• August Abs

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Even though summer is almost over, there is still time to get those fabulous abs. 

Follow this 31-day workout to start building those abdominal muscles today!

Day 1: 20 crunches

Day 2: 25 crunches

Day 3: 30 crunches plus a 30-second plank

Day 4: 35 crunches

Day 5: 40 crunches

Day 6: 45 crunches plus 2- 30-second planks

Day 7: 50 crunches

Day 8: 55 crunches

Day 9: 60 crunches plus 3- 30-second planks

Day 10: REST

Day 11: 65 crunches

Day 12: 70 crunches plus 2- 45-second planks

Day 13: 75 crunches

Day 14: 80 crunches

Day 15: 85 crunches plus 3- 45-second planks

Day 16: 90 crunches

Day 17: 95 crunches

Day 18: 100 crunches plus 1- 60-second plank

Day 19: REST

Day 20: 85 crunches

Day 21: 80 crunches plus 2- 60-second planks

Day 22: 75 crunches

Day 23: 70 crunches

Day 24: 65 crunches plus 3- 60-second planks

Day 25: 80 crunches

Day 26: 85 crunches

Day 27: 80 crunches plus 2- 60-second planks

Day 28: 85 crunches

Day 29: 90 crunches

Day 30: 95 crunches plus 5- 60-second planks

Day 31: 105 crunches

• eating tomatoes
• Benefits of Tomatoes
• tomatoes in your diet
• tomatoes are beneficial

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

• Besides containing 40 percent of your daily value of vitamin C, it also contains 15 percent of your daily value of vitamin A, 8 percent of your daily value of potassium, and 7 percent of your recommended dietary allowance of iron for women and 10 percent for men.
• Lycopene, what gives tomatoes their red pigment, acts as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals that can damage cells in the body.

Recipe: Tomato Casserole with Sweet Onions

• 6 medium tomatoes, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
• 1 large Vidalia onion or other sweet onion
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill, or scant ½ teaspoon dried dillweed
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or scant ½ teaspoon dried leaf thyme
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil 

Place peeled tomato wedges on paper towels to drain.  Peel onions and slice into ¼-inch rings.  In separate bowl combine dill, thyme, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs.  Layer half of the tomatoes and onions in a lightly buttered baking dish and top with half of the minced garlic.  Sprinkle with half of the bread crumb and seasoning mixture, half of mozzarella cheese, and drizzle with half olive oil.  Repeat layers.  Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until bubbly.

Recipe: Corn and Black Bean Salsa

• 3 to 4 small ears of corn
• 1 can (15 to 16 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
• 1 large tomato, seeds removed, diced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup minced red onion
• 2 to 3 tablespoons finely minced jalapeno or poblano pepper
• Juice of one lime, about 3 tablespoons
• 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped cilantro
• Dash salt and pepper, to taste 

Grill or broil corn to char slightly; let cool.

Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl.  Cut corn from cobs and add to the mixture.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving time.

Great alternative to sauces, and is especially tasty on grilled fish, chicken, or pork!

• Grilling safety
• Grilling safety tips

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

The summer months and grilling always seem to go hand-in-hand. Because this is a popular cooking method in the summertime, experts remind us that there are ways to grill safely and to avoid cookout germs.

• When handling raw meat, make sure you separate it from other foods. Wash your hands immediately after handling raw meats.
• Throw out marinades/sauces that may have come in contact with raw meats.
• Clean your grill and check all tools before cooking with them.
• Use a food thermometer and check the temperatures that each meat should be cooked until (can be found using a Google search)
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.

• Vitamin D Deficiency
• Importance of Vitamin D

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

(Continued from Part I…)

Depression - If you’re familiar with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), you may not be surprised to hear that vitamin D deficiency may be linked to a higher risk of depression. After all, the nickname for vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin, and that’s not just because people may generate much of the vitamin D they need with sun exposure. There is research evidence that shows a relationship between mood and vitamin D levels, where deficient vitamin D levels are related to depression. 

Risk of Schizophrenia - Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that affects between 0.25 and 0.64 percent of American adults, according to the NIMH. Symptoms of schizophrenia, which commonly appear between ages 16 and 30, include hallucinations, incoherent speech, withdrawal from others, and trouble focusing or paying attention.People who are vitamin D deficient may be twice as likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia compared with people with sufficient vitamin D levels.

Dementia - A study in the journal Neurology found that moderate and severe vitamin D deficiency in older adults was associated with a doubled risk for some forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia involves a decline in thinking, behavior, and memory that negatively affects daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. 

Diabetes - Research found that when vitamin D is deficient, many cellular processes in the body begin to break down, and this sets the stage for the onset of diseases such as diabetes. 

Prostate cancer - There is some evidence that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in prostate health. One study found a link between low blood levels of vitamin D and aggressive prostate cancer in European American and African American men.

• Vitamin D Deficiency
• Importance of Vitamin D

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

It’s summertime and the primary source of vitamin D can be found if you step outside and look up into the sky – the sun! The sun helps synthesize vitamin D in the skin promoting the growth of strong bones and cognitive health.

As beneficial as vitamin D can be to our bodies, a lack of vitamin D can lead to many health issues.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include bone pain, muscle weakness, fatigue and mood changes. People with darker skin, those with certain underlying health conditions or who are taking medications, and those who live far away from the Equator, may be more prone to having low vitamin D.

Not getting enough vitamin D may raise your risk for other diseases and conditions – some of them life threatening.

Here are some potential complications linked to vitamin D deficiency.

Respiratory Illness – Research shows that vitamin D may help protect people from respiratory illness. One study examined the impact of vitamin D on respiratory infections including pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinusitis. Researchers found that people who took vitamin D were 12 percent less likely to develop respiratory illness compared with people who did not take the vitamin. 

Osteoperosis - One of vitamin D’s primary roles is to maintain bone health.  Low levels of vitamin D lead to low bone calcium stores, increasing the risk of fractures. A vitamin D deficiency may put people at risk for osteoporosis, which happens when new bone doesn’t generate at the same pace as the loss of old bone. Low vitamin D levels decrease calcium absorption, and calcium absorption is important for bone health.

(Continued in Part II…)