Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service Matagorda County FCS

04/04/2016

18 Keys to Healthy Weight Loss
Source: University of california, Berkeley

Fad diets tend to have lots of very restrictive or complex rules, which give the impression that they carry scientific heft, when, in reality, the reason they often work (at least in the short term) is that they simply eliminate entire food groups, so you automatically cut out calories. Moreover, the rules are almost always hard to stick to and, when you stop, you regain the lost weight.

Rather than rely on such gimmicks, here we present 18 evidence-based keys for successful weight management. You don’t have to follow all of them, but the more of them you incorporate into your daily life, the more likely you will be successful at losing weight and—more important—keeping the weight off long term.

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Fad diets often produce short-term weight loss, but they're hard to stick to, and once you stop, the weight returns. Here, we present a saner approach: 18 evidence-based strategies that, over time, can help you not only lose weight, but keep it off.

03/26/2016

Looking for a quick healthy side dish? Here is a great recipe for Cranberry Apple Coleslaw http://ow.ly/ZS1IJ

03/26/2016

Check out the food safety principles to help protect your family from

03/24/2016

Easter Egg Hunt

Join us this Friday for our annual Easter Egg Hunt in the Park at Le Tulle Park. There will be inflatable activities, games, and get pictures taken with the Easter Bunny.
- Egg Scrambles - for ages 4-10
- Continuous Egg Hunt for 3 years & younger (Sponsored by HEB)
- Special Beeping Bunnies Egg Hunt for Children with Special Needs

03/21/2016

Dinner Tonight!
Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients
1 medium eggplant
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped red, green or yellow bell peppers
1 cup canned unsalted tomatoes, drained except for 1/4 cup liquid
¼ cup chopped celery
½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
Trim the ends off the eggplant and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp, leaving a shell 1/4 inch thick. Place the shells in the baking dish and add the water to the bottom of the dish.
Chop the eggplant pulp into cubes. Set aside.
In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips and sauté until the chicken is lightly browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the diced eggplant, onion, peppers, tomatoes and reserved tomato juice, celery, and mushrooms to the chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the bread crumbs and black pepper. Scoop half the mixture into each eggplant shell.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the eggplant is softened and the stuffing is warmed through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to warmed individual plates and serve immediately

2 servings
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 346, Fat 10g, Cholesterol 49mg, Carbohydrates 37g, Sodium 200mg.

This week’s challenge is to “savor the flavor”. Take time to enjoy your food and celebrate the National Nutrition Month theme!

Source: Mayo Clinic, Http://www.mayoclinc.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/stuffed-eggplant

Hope you enjoy Dinner Tonight!

03/20/2016

Here is another great conversation starter for your !

03/12/2016

City of Bay City, TX USA
More tips, make it easy!

Walk Across Texas + Making an Activity Plan

03/08/2016

Dinner Tonight!
Chicken and Quinoa Soup
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
¾ cup water
1 medium carrot, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 medium dried bay leaf
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and sliced diagonally

Directions
In a large saucepan, stir together the chicken, broth, onion, water, carrot, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 5 minutes.
Stir in the quinoa. Cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the peas. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Discard the bay leaf before serving the soup.
Nutrition information per serving (1 cup): Calories 154, Protein 20g, Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 48mg, Carbohydrates 12g, Fiber 2g, Sodium 139mg.

Cook’s Tip
Look for quinoa near the rice and other grains in the supermarket. Unless you buy prewashed quinoa, rinse it in a fine strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear. This is done to remove the bitter coating called saponin.

Source: American Heart Association, www.goredforwomen.org

Hope you Enjoy Dinner Tonight!

Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association's national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. Learn more, get involved, and take action!

03/08/2016

More tips for daily activities City of Bay City, TX USA

Walk Across Texas + Daily Activity

03/01/2016

Reduce the amount of salt you use in foods by subbing spices! http://ow.ly/YTLRm

03/01/2016

Stroke: A Frequently Preventable Cause of Disability and Death?
Source: The Cooper Institute

Can Strokes be Prevented?

Risk factors are behaviors or characteristics that increase the likelihood of disease. Some risk factors cannot be changed, while others can be changed by lifestyle modification or medication. Among the risk factors for stroke that cannot be changed are age, gender, family history of stroke, ethnicity, previous stroke, previous heart attack, and low birth weight. However, there are many risk factors for stroke that can be significantly improved by lifestyle modification or medication.

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Stroke, which is also known as a cerebrovascular accident, is a form of cardiovascular disease that affects the arteries of the brain. A stroke occurs when an artery bringing oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by plaque and blood clots (ischemic stroke), or when an artery in the brain burs…