Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Now that Thanksgiving Day is in the past, you’re probably saying, “What do I do with all of this leftover food?” It’s nice to enjoy Thanksgiving more than one day a year,  but plain turkey and mashed potatoes can get old quickly. We’ve come up with a few ways to get you excited about those leftovers. Ever had chicken and waffles? What about turkey and waffles? Here’s a recipe from Food Network. A comforting dish for the work week ahead: Turkey pot pie. This recipe combines leftover green bean casserole, turkey and any other vegetables you have around the house.Why…

Everyone loves regular mashed potatoes as a Thanksgiving side dish, so why not try mashing your sweet potatoes too. We love how this recipe requires a little juice and zest from an orange and are only 39 calories per serving. Happy Thanksgiving! Recipe courtesy of Chef Chris Crowley at St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

The ending to a great Thanksgiving meal is always the pumpkin pie piled high with whipped cream. This year, impress your guests with something a little different – pumpkin mousse. This silky soft alternative cuts out the crust meaning less calories. Enjoy!

We’ve all been told eating seasonal foods gives us the greatest nutritional punch. But, when you’re asked to name fall foods you may only be able to think of a few common favorites: pumpkin, apples, sweet potatoes. But you can enjoy plenty of other fruits and vegetables this fall. Women’s Health Magazine put together a list of The 18 Best Fall Foods to our attention and paired them with delicious recipes. We had to share our favorites: Apples: Baked Oatmeal with Apples and Pecans Beets: Roasted Beets Salad Brussels Sprouts: Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Radicchio Cabbage: Pork Chops with Sweet…

As we approach the giving season, it’s interesting to think about what drives people’s decisions to give. What resonates? What makes them feel good? A study from NPR describes how our feelings battle one another when making the decision to give. When the volunteers in the study were presented with a story of a little girl suffering from starvation they gave twice as much as the volunteers who were presented with the same story, but were also told about millions of other people who were starving. The psychologist who led the study found the volunteers lost their emotional connection to…

Maybe. The biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s is aging. As Americans live longer, that means more people are likely to develop the disease. Less than one percent of people with Alzheimer’s have a genetic mutation that leads to the development of the disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the best prevention for Alzheimer’s and some other forms of dementia is likely healthy aging ““ staying physically, emotionally and mentally healthy as the years go by. Their strategies for reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease: Keep your heart healthy. Some studies show that as many as 80 percent of people who…

It seems more people than ever before are going without gluten. Sometimes without mentioning it to a host! I have a friend who came to my home for dinner, and I didn’t have a gluten-free option on the table. She ate very little and only later did I recall she is gluten free. Rather than struggling with building an entire meal without gluten, I’ve developed some standard practices that accommodate my gluten-free guests. Offer at least one appetizer that does not include bread or crackers.   Consider using rice “crackers” and corn chips as companions for cheese and dips. Have…

Finding motivation to work out is difficult. I have struggled countless times to go for a run in the dark early hours of the morning or after dinner has already settled in my belly. Next time working out seems too difficult, find inspiration from a few amazing athletes, like local hero Lauren Hill. 1. Ben Comen In 2003, Ben Comen captured cross country fans’ hearts, even though he never won a race. Actually he never even beat other runners. Comen was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, which does not affect his mental abilities, only his muscles and coordination. Every…

Thanksgiving at my home looks like this ““ wake up early and put the turkey in the oven. Enclose the cats behind doors that curious nieces and nephews can’t open, then set the table. Begin preparing army-size portions of the family’s favorite high-carbohydrate side dishes and store them next to the high-calorie desserts prepared the night before. Greet the arriving family and friends who generously bring appetizers and adult beverages, then sit down together at the table to consume mass quantities of everything. Within 60 minutes of eating, a cacophony of snoring by both men and women is heard in…

What you sleep on can make or break the quality of sleep you get. If you’re sleeping on an old, small mattress, chances are you’re not getting the rest you need. Sleep is critically important to your overall health. It affects your productivity at work and your mood; and poor sleep can lead to weight gain, depression or other health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. I was recently shopping for a mattress and didn’t know where to look or how much to budget because I had no idea what a quality mattress costs. It can…