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• eating turkey
• turkey recipe
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• Healthy turkey recipes

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

It’s that time again for Thanksgiving and while Americans eat it nearly every year to celebrate Thanksgiving, how much do you know about turkey?

• Turkey is very low in fat and high in protein. It is also a good source of iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, and B vitamins. 
• The fat and calorie amounts vary because white meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat and skin.
• Turkey is also naturally low in sodium. It typically contains less than 25 milligrams (mg) of sodium per ounce on average.

Recipe: Turkey Chili

• 2 cups chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 (35 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes, crushed
• 2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans, drained
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¾ cup chicken or turkey stock
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus more if desired to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 to 4 cups shredded, cooked turkey meat
• Sugar
• Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, sour cream for optional garnishes

In a large, 8-quart thick bottom pot, cook the onion and green pepper over medium heat, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, for a minute or two more.  Add a bit more olive oil if needed.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, beans, oregano, salt, pepper and cooked turkey meat.  Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low.  Simmer uncovered for an hour.

Recipe: Creamed Turkey

• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ½ cup hot chicken broth
• 1 small jar diced pimento, drained
• 4 cups diced cooked turkey
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter over medium-low heat. Sauté mushrooms until golden and tender. Add flour; stir until smooth. Slowly pour on milk and broth, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Add pimiento, turkey, salt, and pepper. Cook until heated through, but do not boil. Serve with rice or toast.

• 2018 Health Tips
• Living healthy
• Healthy living tips

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Follow these tips to live healthier and feel good about yourself.

• Avoid fad diets and opt for a healthy lifestyle. Fad diets are a quick fix, whereas overall good health will sustain you.
• Set goals. Give yourself a sensible time-period to cut fast food from your diet.
• Get active. Use the stairs instead of the elevator, use the furthest parking spot away from where you are going, and get moving daily in some way.
• Follow the five-a-day rule when it comes to fruits and vegetables.
• Eat fresh rather than processed foods.

• Doctor consultation tips
• Doctor consultations donts
• Doctor consultation dos

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

(Continued from Part I…) 

DON’T… 

Take cold medicine before a sick visit (if you can).  When you are sick, your doctor will want to evaluate your symptoms without the effects of any over-the-counter medications.  Some medications will raise your blood pressure, and your doctor will not know if it is the medicine or your illness causing the high blood pressure. If you do have to take an over-the-counter medicine, be sure to let your doctor know what you took and what symptoms you were having prior to taking the medicine. 

DON’T… 

Get a manicure or pedicure before seeing a dermatologist. Dermatologists look at your whole body, including your nails, so keep them polish-free. Subtle clues in your nails can indicate a bigger health issue like anemia, diabetes or heart issues.

DON’T… 

Drink alcohol before a cholesterol test. Avoid anything that alters your triglycerides, one of the four components measured in a cholesterol profile. You should also avoid sweets, high-fat foods, and general overeating before the test, too. 

DON’T… 

Wear deodorant to your mammogram. Many deodorants contain aluminum which looks like breast calcifications and could be read as a false positive. 

DO… 

Write down questions beforehand. No matter what appointment it is, you may be nervous. If you write down your questions ahead of time, you won’t forget the important things that you want to ask.

• Doctor consultation tips
• Doctor consultations donts
• Doctor consultation dos

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Just like brushing your teeth before going to see the dentist, there are some things that you want to do before you see your doctor. But there are some things that you DON’T want to do, as well. Here we highlight a few of those dos and don’ts.

DON’T…

Drink coffee or any caffeinated drink prior to going to your appointment. You will likely have your blood pressure taken (at any medical appointment) and having coffee or caffeine can affect your results. The same goes for tobacco and over-the-counter medicines.

DON’T…

Eat a high fat meal before getting blood drawn. Your doctor is likely ordering bloodwork to get an accurate picture of your overall health. If you eat a high-fat meal prior to bloodwork, the results may not be an accurate depiction. Stick to your normal diet as much as possible.

DO…

Drink lots of water prior to your appointment. In general, it is a good idea to hydrate before seeing any doctor.  Being well-hydrated will make your pulse and blood pressure at their best. If you are giving a urine sample, even being slightly dehydrated can cause artificial abnormalities that could confuse the results.

 DO…

Eat as you normally would before any check-up. You don’t need to change your eating habits in an effort to seem healthier at your annual appointment. Your doctor wants to get the best overall picture of your health to provide you with the best care possible. Plus, changing your eating habits over a few days isn’t going to change your overall health.

(Continued in Part II…)

• eating healthy
• healthy eating
• Eating healthy this fall
• Healthy eating this fall

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Fall can be a time of festivals, pumpkin patches, get togethers, football games and many more events where food plays a huge role in the activities of the day.  If you are like most people you want to watch what you eat during the fall season, as you know that the holidays are just around the corner – which means more overeating!

But even though fall is synonymous with fattening foods there are some fall food items that can help you to slim down. 

One of these foods is the apple.  Apples are low in calories and high in fiber (95 calories and 4 grams of fiber per medium fruit) and are great tasting!  In a recent study, dried apples have been found to help people lose weight and lower their cholesterol. 

Another great fall slimming food is the squash (and who doesn’t love squash from butternut to acorn?)  Just one cup of cooked squash packs 214 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin A and a third of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C.  Squash are also only 80 calories per cup –compared to its more fattening fall friend the sweet potato at 180 calories per cup. 

Broccoli is another great fall slimming food – a cup of broccoli is just 31 calories and 2.4 grams of fiber.  Plus, experts say that when you add fresh vegetables to any food you tend to eat fewer calories so you can add broccoli to virtually any meal to decrease your caloric intake.

Lastly, there is kale.  These days dark, leafy vegetables like kale is the go-to when you are talking about healthy foods.  Kale is packed with vitamin A, loads of fiber and isothiocyanates that help your body to detoxify.