Destination Spa Vacations

Healthy Recipe - Grilled Asparagus Salad - Cal-a-Vie

Are there fresh asparagus in your neighborhood right now? They are a wonderful spring treat and this salad from Cal-a-Vie allows them to shine at their brightest.

Grilled Asparagus Salad (6 servings)

• 42 large asparagus
• 2 heads radicchio, sliced
• 1 head romaine, sliced
• 1 basket of clover or alfalfa sprouts
• 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters

Peel bottoms of asparagus. Grill for several minutes until tender crisp. May also be steamed in place of grilling. Arrange asparagus on bed of lettuce and radicchio. Garnish with cherry tomato and sprouts. Drizzle top with Sherry Wine Vinaigrette.

Calories per 7.5 oz serving: 46 (without dressing)
Carbohydrate: 8 g: % calories from carbohydrate: 57%
Protein: 4.9 g protein: 35%; Fat: 0.5 g fat: 8%; Fiber: 3.6 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 11 mg

What is your defense against aging?

Do you see a slightly-different look to your face every time you look into the mirror? Some days my wrinkles are barely there. On other days, they look like I need an iron! Of course, this all depends on how I’m sleeping, eating, exercising and my stress level. Free Radicals also play a part. In fact, Myrna Beardshear, Red Mountain’s Director of Spa & Wellness says Free Radicals are the No. 1 cause of unnecessary aging and of several diseases.

What are Free Radicals? They are oxygen molecules that are incomplete because they are missing an electron. Beardshear says Free Radicals create more Free Radicals, thus inflicting damage on the components of ourhealthy cells, including their genetic information system (DNA).

Where do Free Radicals come from? Beardshear points to radiation, air pollution, pesticides, anesthetics, gasoline vapors, fried foods, drugs, solvents, alcohol, lead, and mercury. She adds that sunburn is caused by the Free Radicals formed by the UV light. The worst offenders are primary- and second-hand cigarette smoke.

How do you protect yourself? Antioxidants neutralize Free Radicals and make them harmless. Some antioxidants are proteins made by the body, while many are delivered to us in the food we eat. The most important of these are Vitamins C and E, Beta-Carotene, Selenium, Zinc, and some Amino Acids.

Let’s free those Free Radicals from our bodies! Debra

Healthy Recipe - Zesty Carrot Ginger Soup - New Life Hiking Spa

It's opening day for the season at Vermont's New Life Hiking Spa. It's a lovely place to get your hike on while dining on healthy, amazing food. The Zesty Carrot Ginger Soup is a sampling.

Zesty Carrot Ginger Soup

-2 qts carrot juice (or vegetable stock)
-2 cloves garlic, chopped.
-1 stalk of celery, chopped
-1 tbs minced ginger
-2 tbs minced shallot
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-1/2 large white onion, chopped
-1 orange, zested and juiced
-6 - 8 carrots, diced
-White pepper

Sauté garlic, onion, celery, ginger and shallots. Add carrot juice or vegetable stock and carrots. Boil, then puree. Add orange. Season to taste.

Love your Skin. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

Do you love the skin you’re in? Even more importantly, are you taking care of your skin? May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which brings to light, what have you done for your skin lately? Since I live in Florida, sunscreen is my friend. This was not always the case, so I do have moles, freckles, and gasp! – some wrinkles. They build character, right?!

The Centers for Disease Control reports nearly 60,000 U.S. adults are diagnosed with melanoma annually. There are preventable risk factors for skin cancer including your exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and a history of sunburn. Be sun safe! Destination Spas recommend several ways for you to protect yourself:

• During midday hours, seek shade or better yet, go inside for a spa treatment!
• Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck; wear sunglasses.
• Use sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher and has both UVA and UVB protection. New sun safety guidelines from the FDA go into effect in June. We’ll share those soon.
• For optimal protection, wear at least a shot-glass amount of sunscreen.
• This is obvious, but plenty of people do it - avoid indoor tanning.

A little Vitamin D is OK, but be careful not to overdo it. Debra

Healthy Recipe - Spinach Eggs Benedict - Canyon Ranch

Mother's Day is Sunday and it's not too late to plan an amazing and healthy breakfast in bed. We love this twist on the traditional Eggs Benedict from Canyon Ranch. At just 210 calories per serving, mom can have guilt-free seconds of the Spinach Eggs Benedict.

Spinach Eggs Benedict (8 servings)

• 8 cups washed fresh spinach leaves, well drained
• 1 1/2 teaspoons non-salt seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash®)
• 4 whole-wheat English muffins

Hollandaise Sauce:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch salt
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 egg whites
• Pinch cream of tartar
• Poached Eggs:
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 8 whole eggs

Instructions:
1. Lightly coat large sauté pan with canola oil and sauté spinach over medium-high heat until wilted. Season with Mrs. Dash. Cover and set aside.
2. Split English muffins in half and toast.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
4. In a medium stainless steel mixing bowl, combine yolk, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt. Place stainless steel bowl over (not touching) boiling water and whisk egg mixture with a wire whip until thickened. Place mixture in blender container and blend at high speed for 5 seconds. Reduce to medium speed and slowly add butter.
5. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until mixture forms stiff peaks. Fold yolk mixture into egg white mixture until blended.
6. To poach eggs, add vinegar to water in a large saucepan, bring to a boil again and reduce to a simmer. Gently crack each egg just above the surface and let egg slip into the water. As eggs cook, use a spoon to corral whites around the yolks. Cook until whites are firm and opaque, but yolk is still soft. Lift eggs from water with a slotted spoon and let drip for a few seconds before assembling plates.
7. Place 1/4 cup spinach on English muffin half. Top with one poached egg and 2 tablespoons Hollandaise Sauce

Per serving: 210 calories; 16 gm. Carbohydrate; 12 gm. Fat; 254 mg. cholesterol; 11 gm. Protein; 400 mg. sodium; 3 gm. Fiber

Celebrating Mom

Is your mom (or are you) a Goddess? I like to think so! Did you know that past celebrations of Mother’s Day had strong symbolic and spiritual overtones. Rather than actual moms, Goddesses and symbols, such as the “motherness" of the planet, were celebrated.

Today, the focus is placed on an actual person, making Mother’s Day a $16-billion industry says the National Retail Foundation. While the gifts are great, there are cost-effective ways to celebrate mom, including:

• Using your smart phone, capture video of people who know your mom and let them express how she is meaningful to them. I love this one! My adult kids live in other states, so I would love to receive messages like this from them.
• Leading up to Mother’s Day, let mom know specific things she has done to manifest positive change in your life.
• Surprising mom by helping her do something she has talked about for some time but hasn't taken action on.
• And, don’t forget the healthy breakfast-in-bed recipes from our spa members.

What are you doing to make this year extra special for mom? Debra

Healthy Recipe - Breakfast Burritos - Red Mountain Resort & Spa

Spice up Mother's Day with Breakfast Burritos in bed from Red Mountain. The burritos contain Cotija, which is a dry, crumbly Mexican cheese, sometimes referred to as the "Parmesan of Mexico." The cheese is strongly flavored, firm and perfect for grating or crumbling.

Breakfast Burritos (4 servings)
-12 oz. egg substitute or egg whites
-8 Tbsp. roma tomato, diced
-4 Tbsp. Cotija cheese*
-2 Tbsp. cilantro, stemmed, washed and chopped
-1 tsp olive oil (as needed to coat cooking surface)
-2 wraps Ezekiel sprouted wheat or other flavor tortilla wraps, 12" diameter

1. Using a minimal amount of olive oil, preheat non-stick pan over medium heat.
2. Gradually add the egg beaters and/or egg whites a little at a time (enough to just cover the cooking surface); soft scramble, then add more egg until all is soft scrambled.
3. Stir in the roma tomatoes and cilantro.
4. Remove from heat and add cotija cheese.
5. lightly pre-heat wraps on stove burner or grill; spoon in 1/4 of the scrambled egg mixture per wrap; roll up burrito style, tucking in the ends
6. Cut in half on the bias and serve with salsa fresca.

Serving Size: 4 oz - Recipe Nutrient Analysis, Single Serving: 110 calories, 29g carbohydrate, 0g protein, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 3g fiber

Have you "weighted" too long? Never!

Muffin top? Body shape not what it used to be? Jeans that fit last week, don’t fit this week? When hormones come into play with weight, it’s a game-changer.

I’m at that age when keeping the weight off and/or losing extra pounds is a constant commitment. I found myself agreeing with everything Christine Denney of Destination Spa The Oaks at Ojai wrote in a recent article. Some key excerpts:

• Eating irregularly and always having your body wonder when the next meal will arrive is a little like training your body to be a wild animal. Who knows what it will do to survive? 
• One of the things your body will do while waiting for an irregular meal is to go into stress mode.  Stress causes inflammation and inflammation causes heart disease.  It’s that simple. 
• We know that a calorie is a calorie, but 350 calories of a balanced meal is doing a lot more to nourish your body than a 350 calorie candy bar. The candy bar will drive you to eat more sugar to keep that little high going until you make yourself sick.  And your body is still not satisfied. 
• Routine:  My routine for a hunger cue was to go to my drawer in the cabinet or to the “snack area” of my refrigerator:  low fat dairy, pre-cut veggies from the Farmers Market, fruit, low fat cheese in appropriately sized portions. 
• Set up a conscious reward:  Respond to your routine with something positive on the outside.  Successfully complete your day with exercise and meals?  Instead of doing that last load of laundry, curl up and finish that book you’ve left on your bedside table too long. 

Tell me about your food routines and rewards! To a healthy month, Debra

The Healthy Way to Mom's Heart for Mother's Day

As a mom, I can honestly say that breakfast in bed is one of the best gifts for Mother’s Day. As the mom of two grown children, I’ve received an array of macaroni mosaics and hand-print paintings over the years. A healthy breakfast is the best of all worlds… it does not have to be stashed away in a closet and helps the whole family set a happy intention for the day.

On May 13, how about cooking up a spa-style breakfast in bed that keeps the whole family out of a crowded restaurant? Dads and kiddos, no need to stress, we found seven recipes from leading Destination Spas that make Mother’s Day a snap.

From Pumpkin Pancakes to Berry Nutty Quinoa, these health-conscious recipes will give mom a guilt-free smile:

1.     Red Mountain - Breakfast Burritos - The burritos contain Cotija, which is a dry, crumbly Mexican cheese, sometimes referred to as the "Parmesan of Mexico." This cheese is strongly flavored, firm and perfect for grating or crumbling.

2.     The Oaks at Ojai - Date Nut Muffins - At only 110 calories per muffin, the kids will enjoy helping dad combine flavorful ingredients including cinnamon, apple juice and honey.

3.     Green Mountain at Fox Run - Easy Breakfast Casserole - The casserole can be made a few hours ahead or even the night before. The recipe can be doubled easily and try experimenting with other vegetables such as sliced mushrooms or chopped tomatoes.

4.     Deerfield Spa - Berry Nutty Quinoa - Quinoa is a fast-cooking, protein-packed whole grain. Quinoa is also higher in protein and fiber than many other grains, making it a super nutritious - and delicious -- way to start the day.

5.     Rancho La Puerta - Orange Walnut Bread - this recipe makes two loaves, so share one with grandma.

6.     The Heartland Spa - Pumpkin Pancakes - pancakes are the classic breakfast meal and this recipe jazzes things up a bit. We think these would be great with some Nutella!

7.     Canyon Ranch - Spinach Eggs Benedict - another twist on a breakfast favorite and at 210 calories per serving, mom can have extra.

 

Healthy Recipe - Easy Breakfast Casserole - Green Mountain at Fox Run

This casserole from Green Mountain at Fox Run can be made a few hours ahead or even the night before. The recipe can be doubled easily and try experimenting with other vegetables such as sliced mushrooms or chopped tomatoes. Great for Mother's Day!

Easy Breakfast Casserole - (Makes 4 servings)

-2 cups crusty white bread, cubed
-3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
-4 eggs, lightly beaten
-11/2 cups fat free (skim) milk
-2 tablespoons chopped scallions (use both green and white parts)
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
-2 tablespoons diced roasted red bell pepper
-2 slices cooked bacon, chopped
-2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
-Pepper to taste

Grease 8 x 8 inch baking dish.* Arrange bread cubes on the bottom of dish and sprinkle with cheese. Mix together eggs, milk, scallions, salt and Worcestershire sauce. Pour mixture over bread and cheese. Sprinkle with red pepper, bacon and basil. Season with pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or over night. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake 50-60 minutes until top is golden and eggs are set. Cut in four squares and serve.*If doubling recipe, bake in a 9 x 12 inch dish