Whether you're just feeding yourself, or you're trying to impress company, stuffed squash makes for a fun and beautiful, yet simple meal. If you're cooking for yourself, it's great because you end up with easily portioned leftovers for lunches, which reheat really well.



Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash
1 pound ground turkey
1 leek, thinly sliced (white part only)
1 red pepper (diced)
1 cup wild rice (measured in uncooked form)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cut both acorn squash in half. Place, flesh side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until fork tender.
While squash is baking, prepare wild rice according to package instructions.
In a pan, over medium heat, cook red pepper, leek and ground turkey until turkey is cooked through.
Mix wild rice in with turkey mixture, season to taste, then spoon into cooked squash.
I added a little cheese into my turkey/rice mixture before spooning into the squash, for a little extra flavor (because what doesn't taste better with cheese?)

Enjoy!

When the heat of summer rolls around, there's nothing like the comfort of a refreshing, cold treat. When I was growing up, summer meant a freezer full of ice pops and lots of trips to the local ice cream joint. It's written into my family's history - with a grandpa that owned a place called The Dairy Depot and made homemade ice cream every time I visited him, I have a lot of positive memories and associations with sugary treats. But I also have a lot of negative associations in recent years with the way sugar makes me feel. So I've come up with a few go-to desserts, along with banana ice cream, that satisfy my desire for something cold and sweet, without any added sugar.

Dreamy Creamy Slush

Simple Freezer Pops

If you are looking for a way to break into strength training, but you're intimidated by equipment, or you don't have easy access to lots of equipment, look no further. Below, you'll find a total body strength training program to help you get started, with a resistance band as your only piece of equipment. You can find resistance bands at any big box stores, and they generally sell for anywhere between $5-15, depending what you pick up. It doesn't have to be fancy, and it goes a long way in building an exercise program.

If you would like any help establishing form or finding modifications, please contact me at ext. 2137 to schedule an appointment.

With the emergence of summer weather lately, I've had an urge for a refreshing, cold drink in my hand - something a little more exciting than water. But with a commitment to live sans sugar and alcohol, finding a drink to satisfy that craving has been tough. That is, until I had to buy some mint and lime for a recipe and thought, "I could come up with something resembling a Mojito with this."

And it's good. And all the more enjoyable knowing that it's contributing to my health in a positive way. The sparkling mineral water that serves as the base of this drink offers both an exciting change from tap or bottled water because of its carbonated kick, as well as a health benefit from the naturally occurring minerals, typically stripped from filtered water, that aid in muscle function, digestion, bone health and regulate blood pressure.

After viewing our resource on finding sugar on a nutrition label, you may have gone home and been able to identify which foods are off-limits during your 30 day Sugar Challenge. But what about when you're eating out or going to a party? What do you do when you don't have a label to check?

1. Check Out Your Options Before You Order

If you are going out to eat at a chain restaurant or fast food joint, you can typically find nutrition information, including ingredients, on their website. Restaurants that don't have this information on their website most likely have an ingredient list on-site. If you want to ensure that there is no sugar in your meal, request this list prior to ordering.



2. Assume Certain Things Have Sugar

When in doubt, you can generally assume that these foods contain sugar:

• Bacon and lunch meats
• Bread or bread crumbs 
• Flour tortillas/wraps
• Salsa
• Sauces (including marinara)
• Condiments (although yellow mustard is a safe bet)
• Salad dressing