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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Vitamin D: THE Must have Vitamin

It seems like every week there is a new and improved supplement coming to the market to fix this, improve that, help you lose weight or reduce how fast your aging.  All these supplements seem to go away as quickly as they came to market and never quite produce the results they promised.

This is where we believe you have to come "Back to Basics" and look at what has been found to be one of the most vital vitamins to your general health and beyond.  Vitamin D is one of, if not the, most important vitamins that you will want to look into supplementing.  

This vitamin unfortunately isn't one that comes readily available in most of of our food (it is possible) and our main way of getting enough is to be out in the sun for a decent amount of time, and with plenty of skin exposure.  Skin exposure is essential as we create most of our vitamin D through the interaction of UV B light waves and a cholesterol derivative in the skin that then synthesizes vitamin D.  Recommendations for time outside of this synthesis to occur varies but upwards of 20-30 minutes is the baseline.  While having plenty of skin exposed amy not be difficult in the summer it has to be a daily process.  This can be hard with our indoor lifestyle of work and play and also because we wear clothes.  It gets especially difficult in the winter due to cooler temperatures and complete lack of skin exposure.

Vitamin D is a big component in general health as it modulates immune function and inflammation.  This can all result in your being sick less.  It also plays a huge role in health and performance by assisting in calcium metabolism and bone formation.  Most athletes tend to be vitamin D deficient and this can impair muscle function due to it's ability to assist in protein synthesis and muscle growth.  Mitochondrial function is also vastly assisted by vitamin D and if levels are low it can be a significant factor in fatigue in both athletes and non-athletes.

The importance of vitamin D stretches beyond general health and sports performance.  I recent research article has found the possibility that low serum levels of vitamin D are associated with significant symptoms of depression in otherwise healthy individuals.

Continue on the importance of Vitamin D below:

Monday, March 30, 2015

Mobility Monday: Open Up Your Hips for Better Squatting and Helping LBP

This is a Mobility Monday I can personally relate to.  After years of jumping, planting, rotating and everything in-between on my hips my range of motion (ROM) is ok at best.  Combine all these things with lifting, working out and then sitting for a majority of my day in class or at work it is a recipe for
loss in any rotation of the hips.

The video shows some great ways to help mobilize the "deep" tissues of your hips and find some ranges of motion that are hard to find when you traditionally stretch.  I've personally been able to get into a deep squat (not even close before) using some of these techniques and it has definitely helped my hips and back feel better just by restoring some lost ROM.  Still a long way to go.




Credit to Kelly Starrett

Friday, March 27, 2015

Friday Food: Oven Baked Fish N' Chips

I'm not sure how common the Friday Fish Fry are over the country but at least in Minnesota and Wisconsin they are a staple to start off the weekend.  So in honor of that we are putting our own spin on the Friday Fish Fry but in our case the Friday Fish Bake.  Enjoy this fantastic yet healthy recipe.
Oven Baked Fish N’ Chips

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup lowfat milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, divided
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Steamed spinach, for serving.

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet lined with foil with cooking spray.
Arrange potatoes on baking sheet and spray them with cooking spray. Season with salt and black pepper. Bake 25 minutes, or until golden brown and tender.
In a shallow dish, whisk together flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Whisk in milk and egg. Add cod fillets and turn to coat with batter. Add cod to a baking sheet that's been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and fork-tender.
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and honey to serve as a dipping sauce. Serve 1 pound of the fish and all of the potatoes with this meal. Reserve 1/2 pound fish for another recipe.
Serve with 4 cups steamed spinach. 

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Should Young Athletes Just Focus On One Sport?

A popular trend in youth sports these days appears to be the specialization of single-sport athletes.  A lot of young athletes feel that they can maximize their performance potential by just focusing on one sport and playing it all year long via travel teams, select teams, camps etc.

An article has been circulating around social media lately in which a figure represents the total number of recruits selected by Ohio State University's Head Football Coach, Urban Meyer. (which needless to say seems to know a thing or two about recruiting...particularly stud quarterbacks). In the figure it is very clear an overwhelming majority of the recruits were multi-sport athletes in high school.  A lot of other coaches in athletics tend to report similar trends within their own recruiting stating that multi-sport athletes seem to be better "all around" athletes and understand the concept of working together as a team better.


A lot of the times over-specializing in a certain sport may lead to overuse injuries, fatigue or mental burnout.  Different sports impose different training stimuli upon an athlete and therefore elicit multiple training adaptations which may improve overall athletic performance in addition to reducing the risk of injury. Below is an excerpt from the aforementioned article:

“The first questions I’ll ask about a kid are, “What other sports does he play? What does he do? What are his positions? Is he a big hitter in baseball? Is he a pitcher? Does he play hoops?” All of those things are important to me. I hate that kids don’t play three sports in high school. I think that they should play year-round and get every bit of it that they can through that experience. I really, really don’t favor kids having to specialize in one sport. Even here, I want to be the biggest proponent for two-sport athletes on the college level. I want guys that are so special athletically, and so competitive, that they can compete in more than one sport.” - Pete Carroll, USC football coach at the time of the quote, now head coach for the Seattle Seahawks

These opinions from coaches need to be disseminated to young athletes and their parents to help steer youth away from single sport careers and focus more so on the development of the overall athlete.  As a fellow multi-sport young athlete I remember being disappointed when some of our best baseball players had to miss half our games because they were away at hockey games or playing juniors in Canada during a portion of the summer.  It was frustrating as it severely depleted our talented athlete pool.  Moral of the story, encourage today's youth to play as many sports as they possibly can!

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Study Spotlight: Males vs. Females: Is One Sex at Greater Risk for Running Injuries

By: Joel Luedke

Running injury rates have been reported to be as high as 75-80% of runners being injured at some point during their training.  There has been plenty of discussion on why runners get injured and more specifically if there is a difference in injury rates between men and women.  It is often thought that women are set up to be injured more due to increased Q-angles (i.e. hip angle) and possibly decreased strength compared to men.

What They Did:
A study by Maha Elashi looked a injury rates between men and women who were going to be preparing for a 10K by utilizing a 12-week training program (for more details please click on the link below).  

What They Found:
They hypothesized they would see greater injury rates in women but what they found was that there was no difference at all.  Women had an injury rate of 3.66 (per 1000 training session) and men had an injury rate of 3.56 (per 1000 training sessions).


This was surprising even to myself an my experience in working with runners of all distances in track and field.  The general trend I saw in working with that population showed much higher injury rates for women than men including chronic injuries such as Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome and stress fractures just to name a few.  When working to correct these issues in that setting we found that working on general body strength greatly decreased injury rates and helped our female runners run with less injury.


Take Home Point:  
Now this study did not look at high level runners in their training and their injury rates, it looked at a recreational population training for a 10K.  The injury rates overall are very low in this study which is great to see but as they are so equal and not statistically significant I think this shows us a bigger picture that we need to focus on and that is teaching running as a skill and not something we just innately know how to do.  We practice every other sport with dedicated intensity to get better at it and refine technique but we do not do the same thing with running.  Dedication to this would help reduce injury rates overall and help prepare people's bodies for the stress of running.

Not only is focusing on running form most likely going to make a difference when it comes to injury rate but also looking at general training.  Often building a good base of strength (nothing crazy) can help your body absorb the stress of running and utilize the muscles to absorb more of that force and keeping it off just your bones as much as possible.  

Bottom line is running shouldn't be painful, at least not consistently so make sure you address potential problems early.

For a new running technique and how to build up to it check out "The Running Revolution" by Nikolas Romanov

Thanks to Runners World for the original article.

Source: Elashi, Maha. Males vs. Females: Is One Sex at Greater Risk for Running Injuries.  UBC Environmental Physiology Lab. Feb. 12, 2015.


Check out our article on Heel Striking HERE

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Back to Basics: "The 5 Pillars of Fitness"

The fitness world seems to be a never ending roller coaster of "do this", "don't do or eat that..."Sometimes it can be confusing to figure out what is your best option. Now, it should be noted that there is no one-size-fits-all program out there that will work for everyone. However if you follow the 5 pillars below and tailor them to your fitness level & goals, you are likely to achieve success.

1. Exercise
Gee, no shit right? Of course exercising should be a part of your regular fitness routine.  Well in this case, exercising just means breaking a sweat, lifting things up and putting them down, burpees, medicine ball throws, circuit training, the list could go on forever. Essentially anything that consists of multi-joint movements done a a relative high intensity; in other words, exercising to burn calories and maintain/improve basic strength & functional movement.

2. Train
Exercising is great and you should do it as often as possible but it is also important to incorporate a more structured training regimen. If you are lifting weights this means progressively overloading your musculoskeletal system by increasing the load (weight lifted) or volume (# of sets x reps) or some combination of the two during successive weeks in your program.  If you are performing more endurance-based training this means monitoring your work:rest ratios used during interval training or selecting a "target race pace/heart rate etc" to train at regularly; again making sure to progressively increase the difficulty of the training sessions. Training is a more structured "form" of exercise that utilizes more specific and individualized principles of training to help you achieve a goal or prepare for a competition of some sorts.

3. Physical Activity
Wait, didn't I talk about this in the first pillar? In my opinion, physical activity is a little different than exercise and constitutes as being generally active and performing sustained muscular contractions for extended periods of time (i.e. slower steady-state cardio). Go for bike rides or take your dog for a walk every night. Get out for hikes on the weekends or swim some laps in the pool.

4. Reduce Sedentary Time
MOVE MORE. I could just end it there as this pillar basically speaks for itself.  Try to reduce the amount of time spent sitting, lying on the coach, or even standing still. Get a stand-up desk (as sitting is terrible for your body), go for short walks throughout the work day, park at the back of the parking lot, take the stairs, cancel your cable TV...whatever it takes to get you up and moving around more (hopefully getting you to do more of #1, 2 and 3).

5. Food
If I were to select the most important pillar it would probably be this one. I cannot emphasize this one enough. Fitness goals cannot be met without considering what and how much you are putting into your body.  Check out these articles for suggestions on how to improve your daily nutrition:

Flexible "Dieting"

Diet Dating

How to implement below:

Monday, March 23, 2015

Monday Mobility: Athletic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)

The title of this mobilization is misleading because whole thoracic outlet syndrome is very common in athletes, particularly overhead athletes, it is also extremely common in the everyday desk jockey.  Constant overhead motion such as throwing, swinging in volleyball or consistent Olympic moments can cause TOS but your ability to maintain good posture can have a significant impact on it as well.  When we round forward and become short and tight in the front of our thorax it places extra stress on the upper ribs through the musculature and and cause that first (and second) rib to get out of place.  This can be the beginning of a lot of chronic pain both in the front and the back of your shoulder and possibly even some neurologic issues.

The video gives you an easy self mobilization for first rib involvement as well as a couple extra mobilizations to help reset your shoulder and return motion to it as well.


Credit to Kelly Starrett +MobilityWOD 




Friday, March 20, 2015

Tim Ferriss: CrossFit's Good, Bad and Ugly

CrossFit has taken a beating in the general health world as it's popularity has exploded onto the fitness scene in the past couple years.  People either seem to love or hate the Work Out of the Day (WOD) concept and think that the jumping, running, and olympic lifting combination can be too intense or even down right dangerous.

Tim Ferriss is a self proclaimed "body-hacker" and has written some incredible books (Check out The Four Hour Body") to improve your life and has done some great work in the health and performance world.  On his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, he has great interviews with top level people in each industry that provides great information.

He interviews Kelly Starrett who owns and operates San Francisco CrossFit (one of first 50 affiliates, now over 2500) and Mobility WOD.  They discuss the benefits and downfalls of CrossFit and where it has been, where it is and where it is going in the future.  This is a great discussion.  Check it out below.

CrossFit's Good, Bad and Ugly

Friday Food: Baked Honey Glazed Garlic Chicken

Not being a gourmet chef by any stretch of the imagination this is one I've made, didn't mess up and it tasted fantastic while also being a relatively healthy meal.

Some small tweaks to make it even more healthy for you.  When adding the honey try and pick some up from a local source.  Local honey can help you deal with allergies by allowing your immune system to deal with the allergens in the honey and build immunity to them.  Instead of shallots, salad onions would be another solid choice to add if going for a more "Bulletproof Diet".  Get the freshest pepper you can find that you can grind.  It saves on the processing and honestly just tastes that much better.

This is a great meal to add to a salad, any vegetable of your choice or my new personal favorite a cauliflower mash.

Enjoy.

Baked Honey Glazed Garlic Chicken
Ingredients

2 Raw Chicken Breasts (5oz)
1 Tbsp Natural Honey
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Chopped Shallot
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
1/2 Tsp Dried Basil
1/4 Tsp Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in a foil-lined baking pan. In a measuring cup add all of the ingredients and pour mixture onto the chicken and bake for 20-25 minutes.


Cooking Tip - The best type of chickens to buy are 'free range' chickens or "natural grain fed" chickens. Although a little pricier, these chickens are fed natural grains, and allowed to run free, unlike the 'conventional chicken' that are grown in cages and fed growth hormones.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

TED TALK: What Came First, the Chicken or Obesity?

Issues relating to obesity and fat-shaming have been the focus of a lot of media attention lately.  It is difficult to not judge a book by its cover sometimes and this video builds upon that and contains a powerful message about not jumping to conclusions before getting the full story. 

Dr. Peter Attia discusses how we may be looking at the obesity epidemic all wrong and may be Dr. Peter Attia's story on what he thinks and how he changed his stance on the topic: confused about what may actually cause obesity therefore influencing how we are/should treat the condition. Is it obesity that causes a long-list of negative health outcomes or are there underlying health conditions that lead to the onset of obesity over time? Check out


TED TALK

Monday, March 16, 2015

How Healthy Living Nearly Killed Me (TED Talk)

The world of getting healthy and staying healthy is massive, confusing and often times generally frustrating.  There an almost infinite amount of ways to get information about health (heck, even we are in on it) and this can lead to problems when trying to figure out what is best for you.

AJ Jacobs gives a great short talk on how it nearly killed him trying to follow every possible guideline there is to be safe and live a healthy life.  He does a tremendous job summarizing it all and talking about finding moderation and things that are effective for you and not for general masses.

This is something we talk about frequently at TAT in that things need to be individualized to you.  Eating preferences, workout habits and lifestyles vary and so should the program you use to get the results that you desire.  Here we talk about Flexible Dieting.



Enjoy the TED Talk.


Monday Mobility: Set the Knee Hinge Up to Actually Hinge

This is a good two for one video looking at the hinge mechanics at the knee and how it can affect your squat and also the freedom of rotation at you hip.  Looking at the knee it is as simple as a"hinge" joint but the small amount of motion that can occur with rotation of the tibia on the femur can lead to small amounts of restriction that can have a major impact.

Look to clean up some of these seemingly small motions to help you get the bigger ranges of motion that you are looking for.  There is almost always something more going on if you keep looking long enough.


Credit: Kelly Starrett at MobilityWOD

Friday, March 13, 2015

Friday Food: Chile Lime Tortilla Chips

It's finally warming up around here so here is an appetizing recipe that goes along with warmer weather and the hope of continuing increasing temperatures.

These tortilla chips are baked, not fried, and a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of chili powder add flavor without tons of calories. Plus with 5 grams less fat per serving than a packaged version, they deliver all the crunch without the guilt.

Makes 6 servings, 8 chips each

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes  TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes  EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
12 6-inch corn tortillas
Canola oil cooking spray
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Position oven racks in the middle and lower third of oven; preheat to 375°F.
2. Coat both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray and cut into quarters. Place tortilla wedges in an even layer on 2 large baking sheets. Combine lime juice and chili powder in a small bowl. Brush the mixture on each tortilla wedge and sprinkle with salt.
3. Bake the tortillas, switching the baking sheets halfway through, until golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of the tortillas).


NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 142 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 169 mg sodium; 10 mg potassium.
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 starch
To add further health benefits to these chips look to use unflavored coconut oil to coat the tortilla to get high quality medium chain triglycerides that are nothing but beneficial to your health.  Do not stress about the salt and actually embrace it.  It is a mineral our body needs to run on a daily basis and as long as you are hydrating well it will do nothing but help your body run efficiently.  Happy Eating.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

A Calories is a Calorie but a Calorie Isn't a Calorie

There seems to always be an ongoing debate on whether or not a calorie is or isn't just a calorie. One school of thought argues all that matters is total calorie intake and it doesn't matter what the make up of those calories are, as calories are just calories.
The opposed view is that calories are not just calories; as calories derived from sugar elicit a drastically different response within the body than calories derived from fat and therefore they believe a calorie is NOT just a calorie.

So who is right? Well, in my opinion both are correct. In the truest sense a calorie is always going to be equal to a calorie as a calorie is just a unit of energy, heat to be exact.  However, when we ingest calories, our bodies are dynamic systems made of very complex hormonal, physiological and metabolic inter workings that do not always respond the same way to different sources of food.

I like to use the comparison of money. Fifty cents is always going to be equal to fifty cents. However, fifty cents worth of pennies looks a whole lot different than fifty cents worth of nickels, or dimes.

Just as 50 calories of from sugar is technically the same amount of energy as 50 calories from fat however they are going to provoke different responses within the body, just ask a diabetic.

But didn't I say that both theories were correct? In a sense, they are. Weight management will always come down to overall energy balance. Meaning at the end of the day did you eat more calories than you burned or were you in a caloric deficit? Yet, that's not all of the story. The way the body responds to different "types" of calories may determine different hormonal patterns or fluctuations around feedings which may make it harder or easier to loose fat, build muscle or provide fuel for a marathon. Our body uses fuels differently which is why for most people it's important to eat a balanced diet including differing amounts of fats, carbohydrates and protein, depending on your goals.  It may also be beneficial to enhance your metabolic flexibility in order to improve your body's ability to utilize fuels more efficiently.

In addition, you need to keep your overall calorie intake in check or you will likely be adding on the pounds before you realize it.  So is a calorie just a calorie? Yes and No.

Pay attention to your state of energy balance but also choose optimal ratios of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to assist you with your specific dietary goals.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Study Spotlight: The Layer Concept in Evaluating Hip Pain


The Layer Concept-Utilization in Determining the Pain Generators Pathology and How Structure Determines Treatment

Injuries occurring in the hip have become more prominent in the sports medicine world as of late.  The debate occurs on if injuries to this area are more common or if our sensitivity to these injuries has been enhanced.  While diagnosing hip injuries has increased it is still a difficult area to asses due to the phenomenal amount of structures that surround this hip allowing for is superior stability while also allowing for an equally impressive range of motion when free from restriction and injury.

This article was written by Peter Draovitch who is considered a leader in hip rehabilitation.  He discusses in this article the Four Layers he uses when assessing a hip and following up with their rehab protocol.  Four layers are discussed: Layer I, the osseus layer, Layer II, the inert tissue layer, Layer III, the contractile layer and Layer IV, the neuromechanical layer.

Diagnostic testing for identifying osseous, inert and soft tissue hip pathology has included x-ray, MRI, CT Scan, delayed gadolinium enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGERMIC) studies, diagnostic injection and clinical special tests.  While effective these diagnostic tests aren't always perfect alone and may need to be used in combination to reach final diagnosis.


The Layer Concept

Mr. Draovitch discusses the greater scope of mechanics that are involved in hip function and cautions to not focus on the hip solely.  Understanding any compensatory movement patterns that might affect the ability of the hip to function in its full capacity is vital to the evaluation process as you try and establish the root cause of the issue.

See more for how to assess below:

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

"This Workout I Found Online Isn't Helping Me...."

Every person is different, everyone's anatomical structures and physiological capacities are different, everyone's goals are different. The list could go on forever however the important thing to understand is that people are different and therefore their exercise programs should be as well. This message is not only important for people hitting the gym every day searching for a magical workout online but also for the trainers, coaches, PT's or whomever is prescribing the program in the first place.  I have to admit, in my early years of personal training I was lacking this blatantly obvious concept in my program design.  I was guilty of writing programs for my clients that were similar to ones that I myself used in my own workouts and enjoyed doing until I realized that my 45 yr old female client probably didn't care if she had huge traps or could bench press 300 lbs. Therefore the theme for today is specificity!

 
 This concept of specificity is important to realize as you are planning your exercise routine so that your program is specific to you and only you.  It's not always as easy as cutting a routine out of a Muscle & Fitness magazine, following it and then hoping to look like the guy/girl on the cover in 12 weeks.  I often get asked to write a quick program for someone and send it to them without every seeing them in a gym before or knowing their training background.  I try to explain to people that it may not be the best program for them because I don't know what kind of experience they have with some of the exercises, whether or not they can physically do them and/or if the gym they workout at even has the required equipment.  Also, not all people call exercises by the same name, (some exercises don't even have name!) so it's tough to explain the exercises without physically being present to demonstrate them and make sure they are done properly.


Each person is different and responds differently to exercise.  For example a 20 yr old can handle a relatively higher training load and can workout/train multiple hours a day 5-7 days a week whereas a 70 yr old may need days in between workout sessions in order to recover.  Furthermore, some people may not be able to perform certain exercises whether it be from an old injury, lack of mobility or coordination, or they're 7 ft tall and a back squat is completely out of the picture.  Therefore it's necessary to modify workouts so that they not only fit your individual bodies but your goals as well.

Continue below for ideas on how to implement:


Monday, March 9, 2015

Monday Mobility: Wait....My Heel (Calcaneus) Moves?

The foot and ankle complex is an amazing complicated and beautiful set of structures that is so dynamic in it's contribution to our ability to move.  Most athletes, and basically every runner, has
experienced some problem with their plantar fascia, collapsed arch or an achilles issue. A lot of focus is placed on loosened the calf (as it should) and getting the structures on your plantar surface back to supple (also as you should) but the video below shows one more area what you might need to get moving to help fix your problem.

Your calcanues is your heel bone and takes a beating when using poor running form (We suggest the Pose Method) and it can get locked down in your foot/ankle complex and not be a significantly part of your problem with any foot/achilles problem.  Check out the video below for some at home fixes by MobilityWOD and give this one a try if nothing else has seemed to work.



Credit: MobilityWOD & Kelly Starrett



Friday, March 6, 2015

Food Friday: Chicken Salad

Here is a chicken salad recipe that will still keep you on track with your dietary goals.  Enjoy for the weekend.

Chicken Salad
Makes 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes  TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes  EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and poached (see Tip)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 large vine-ripened tomato or 2 plum tomatoes, cored and diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped scallions (3 scallions)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


1. Shred chicken and combine with black beans, tomatoes and corn in a salad bowl.
2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until just beginning to color, about 30 seconds. Add oregano and cumin; stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Remove from the heat; add vinegar and salt. Pour over the salad. Add scallions and parsley; gently toss to combine.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 250 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 47 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 24 g protein; 6 g fiber; 402 mg sodium; 415 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (20% daily value), Vitamin C (28% dv), Iron (16% dv), Selenium (23% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 vegetable


TIP: Tip: To poach chicken breasts: Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan and add lightly salted water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.