Physical play with fathers may help children control emotions, study finds

Research suggests father-child play at an early age could benefit children as they get older

Children whose fathers spend time playing with them at a very early age may find it easier to control their behaviour and emotions, which has a beneficial impact as they get older and start school, according to a new study.

Research carried out by Cambridge University's faculty of education and the LEGO Foundation looked at how mothers and fathers play with children aged 0 to 3 years and how it affects child development.

While there are many similarities, it found that fathers tend to engage in more physical play like tickling, chasing, and piggy-back rides, which researchers claim appears to help children to learn to control their feelings.

The research is based on a review of data from 78 studies, carried out mainly in Europe or the US between 1977 and 2017, which found a consistent correlation between father-child play and a child's ability later to control their feelings.

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Researchers found that on average most fathers play with their child every day, but even with the youngest children play tends to be more physical, with fathers enjoying boisterous rough-and-tumble play with toddlers.

Those children who benefited from "high-quality" playtime with their fathers were, according to the study, less likely to display hyperactivity, emotional or behavioural difficulties. They also appeared to be able to control their aggression, and were less likely to lash out at other children during disagreements at school.

Paul Ramchandani, professor of play in education, development and learning at the University of Cambridge and one of the authors of the study, said: "Physical play creates fun, exciting situations in which children have to apply self-regulation. You might have to control your strength, learn when things have gone too far - or maybe your father steps on your toe by accident and you feel cross."

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Recipe of the Week - Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties

Jamaican Beef Patties are filled with spicy beef and scotch bonnet peppers, seasoned with paprika and allspice and wrapped in a buttery, yellow crust flavored with turmeric.

Ingredients

• For the pastry:

  • 450 grams self-rising flour, plus more for dusting, about 3 cups plus 2 tbsp

  • 2 tsp sugar

  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

  • 3 tbsp ground turmeric

  • 2 tbsp chilled butter, diced small

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice or water, for brushing

• For the filling:

  • 1 pound 93% lean ground beef

  • 1 medium onion, minced

  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper, de-seeded and diced (wear gloves)

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

  • 1 2.32 oz beef stock cube

  • 2/3 cup boiling water

  • 1 tsp sweet paprika

  • 1/2 tsp allspice

  • 1 tsp breadcrumbs or flour

  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce or browning

Directions

• For the Pastry:

  • Sift the flour into a bowl then stir in the sugar, salt and turmeric. Add the butter and rub them into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly texture.

  • Gradually add ice water to create a dough. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in cling wrap and chill in the fridge 1 hour.

• For the filling:

  • Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the meat and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.

  • Add the onion and scotch bonnet and cook 3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic powder, salt and black pepper.

  • Dissolve beef cube in boiling water and add to the skillet with the paprika, allspice, breadcrumb or flour and the soy sauce or other sauce. Stir and simmer 20 minutes, then set aside to cool completely.

• When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350F.

• Take the chilled dough out of the fridge. Dust work surface and rolling pin with flour so the dough doesn't stick.

• Roll out the dough, when flat fold it into a square then roll again. Repeat 2 to 3 times to create a traditional patty crust.

• Roll the dough out to about 1/16th thickness.

• Place an upturned bowl or lid about 6 inches in diameter on top and carefully cut around it with a sharp knife. You should get 12 total, with a 6-inch size.

• Divide the meat mixture between each, about 3 tablespoons each and spoon it onto one side of the circle.

• Brush a little milk (or water) around the edge of the dough and carefully fold the patty over so the edges meet. Use your fingers to press and seal them, then use a fork and press around the edges.

• Poke a few holes on top with the fork to make steam holes and place on a baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes, until golden.

• Air Fryer Instructions:

  • Air fry 325F 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1 Patty

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 191

• Carbohydrates: 25g

• Protein: 11.5g

• Fat: 4.5g

• Saturated Fat: 2g

• Cholesterol: 29mg

• Sodium: 412mg

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar: 1g

The Definitive Guide to Cholesterol

Contrary to what we've been told, cholesterol didn't evolve to give us heart disease. It's not here to kill us. The actual roles of cholesterol in the body include insulating neurons, building and maintaining cellular membranes, participating in the immune response, metabolizing fat soluble vitamins, synthesizing vitamin D, producing bile, and kick-starting the body's synthesis of many hormones, including the sex hormones. Without cholesterol, it's true that we wouldn't have heart disease, but we also wouldn't be alive.

Given all the work cholesterol has to do, the liver is careful to ensure the body always has enough, producing some 1000-1400 milligrams of it each day. Dietary cholesterol is a relative drop in the bucket. And besides, the liver has sensitive feedback mechanisms that regulate cholesterol production in response to how much you get from your diet. Eat more cholesterol, make less in the liver. Eat less, make more in liver.

Now, if cholesterol is so important, why do we worry about it at all? How has it garnered such a bad reputation for giving us heart attacks?

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Recipe of the Week - Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos

Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos served in crunchy corn shells and filled with classic taco toppings are so good that you definitely won't miss the meat.

Ingredients

• For the beans:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • ½ small yellow onion, diced

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • ½ teaspoon cumin

  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon water

• For the tacos:

  • 8 hard corn taco shells, I like Old El Paso Stand 'n Stuff

  • 4 ounces Hass avocado

  • Juice from 1/2 small lime

  • Pinch kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1 plum tomato, diced

  • 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

Directions

• Preheat oven according to taco shell package directions. Lay taco shells on a sheet pan in an even layer. When hot, bake shells for 6-7 minutes.

• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the canola oil, swirl to cover pan then add the onion and sauté 2-3 minutes until onions have softened and become translucent.

• Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more. Add the beans, spices, tomato paste and water and mix until combined.

• Cook about 3 minutes to allow flavors to meld and beans to heat through.

• In a small bowl, mash avocado with a fork until smooth. Add lime juice, salt and pepper.

To assemble tacos:

• Place taco shells on a flat surface. Layer each shell with 1/8 of the bean mixture, then the cheese, mashed avocado, tomatoes and lettuce. Serve immediately.
  

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 2 Tacos

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 367

• Carbohydrates: 42g

• Protein: 13g

• Fat: 15.4g

• Saturated Fat: 5g

• Cholesterol: 10mg

• Sodium: 669mg

• Fiber: 12g

• Sugar: 2g

Invercargill woman 'addicted' to Coca-Cola

An Invercargill man says his partner, who died from an epileptic seizure in 2018, was addicted to Coca-Cola drinking up to two litres a day.

Coroner David Robinson has released his findings into the death of Amy Louise Thorpe, 34, who died on December 4, 2018.

She was found unresponsive at her Invercargill home.

Samples of blood and urine were taken and submitted to ESR, which found caffeine was present in the blood as well as nicotine.

Robinson's report says Thorpe was noted to be a heavy smoker, consuming about 80grams of tobacco a week.

Her partner advised police that she had a history of epilepsy, depression, anxiety and sleep apnoea. He said she suffered from seizures and her most recent was on December 1, 2018. But she was up to date with her medication.

Thorpe's partner described her as being "addicted to Coca-Cola, advising police that she consumed on average two litres a day. She also consumed "Mother" energy drinks, 500mls to one litre per day.

A friend, provided a statement to police and also commented on Thorpe's consumption of energy drinks, stating "Amy had more energy drinks a day than people have coffee. She enjoyed her V drinks and Coke".

A report from the medical practice says she had a raised body mass index and a history of gestational diabetes.

Coroner Robinson, in reviewing Thorpe's file noted some literature to the effect that high levels of caffeine in energy drinks had been associated with the onset of seizure activity in adults.

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Recipe of the Week - Boozy Watermelon Lime Granita

This Boozy Watermelon Lime Granita is part cocktail, part dessert. The perfect, frozen adult treat for hot summer days.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups cubed seedless watermelon

• 1 lime, juiced

• 2/3 cup white rum

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 6 small watermelon wedges, for garnish

• mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

• Place the watermelon, lime juice, rum and sugar in a blender and process until smooth, then pour the puree into a 9 x 9 metal baking pan.

• Freeze for about 1 1/2 hours, then using a fork, give it a good scrape to mix everything around.

• Return the pan to the freezer and freeze until almost set, for about 1 to 2 hours. Use a fork to scrape the granita to form chunky snow-like ice crystals.

• Freeze and repeat occasional scraping until the entire mixture is frozen and shaved.

• Serve in martini glasses and garnish with watermelon wedges and mint.

• Store, covered in plastic wrap, until ready to serve.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1 Cup

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 109

• Protein: 0.5g

• Fat: 0.5g

• Sodium: 2mg

• Fiber: 0.5g

• Sugar: 11.5g

Why Sleep Deprivation Kills

Going without sleep for too long kills animals but scientists haven't known why. Newly published work suggests that the answer lies in an unexpected part of the body.

Inside a series of tubes in a bright, warm room at Harvard Medical School, hundreds of fruit flies are staying up late. It has been days since any of them have slept: The constant vibrations that shake their homes preclude rest, cling as they might to the caps of the tubes for respite. Not too far away in their own tubes live other sleepless flies, animated with the calm persistence of those consigned to eternal day. A genetic tweak to certain neurons in their brains keeps them awake for as long as they live.

They do not live long. The shaken flies and the engineered flies both die swiftly - in fact, the engineered ones survive only half as long as well-rested controls. After days of sleeplessness, the flies' numbers tumble, then crash. The tubes empty out. The lights shine on.

We all know that we need sleep to be at our best. But profound sleep loss has more serious and immediate effects: Animals completely deprived of sleep die. Yet scientists have found it oddly hard to say exactly why sleep loss is lethal.

Sleep is primarily seen as a neurological phenomenon, and yet when deprived creatures die, they have a puzzlingly diverse set of failures in the body outside the nervous system. Insufficient sleep in humans and lab animals, if chronic, sets up health problems that surface over time, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. But those conditions are not what slays creatures that are 100% sleep deprived within days or weeks.

What does sleep do that makes it deadly to go without? Could answering that question explain why we need sleep in the first place? Under the pale light of the incubators in Dragana Rogulja's lab at Harvard Medical School, sleepless flies have been living and dying as she pursues the answers.

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Recipe of the Week - Easy Margarita Pizza

Easy Margherita Pizza made from scratch with my yeast-free, thin crust pizza dough topped with a simple raw tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and basil.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose or white whole wheat flour*, (5 oz ) plus more for dusting

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup 0% Stonyfield Greek yogurt, not regular, drained if there's any liquid

Sauce

• 1/3 cup canned san marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

• 1 small garlic clove, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• pinch dried oregano

• fresh black pepper to taste

• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin and torn by hand

• fresh basil, torn for topping

• extra virgin olive oil, optional for drizzling

Directions

• In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well.

• Add the yogurt and mix with a fork or spatula until well combined, it will look like small crumbles.

• Lightly dust flour on a work surface and remove dough from the bowl, knead the dough a few times until dough is tacky, but not sticky, about 20 turns (it should not leave dough on your hand when you pull away).

• Preheat oven to 450F. I like to use a pizza stone, and preheat the stone in the oven as well. If using a round pizza pan or sheet pan, spray with oil.

• Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with a little flour and roll the dough out into a large thin round or oval (or you can make 2 smaller pies).

• Lay the dough out onto the oiled nonstick pizza dish or sheet pan.

• Spread the sauce over the crust. Top with cheese and place the pan on the pizza stone, bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is cooked through.

• Transfer to a cutting board, top with basil and drizzle with olive oil, if desired. Slice the pie into 8 slices.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 2 Slices

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 236

• Carbohydrates: 27g

• Protein: 15g

• Fat: 6.5g

• Saturated Fat: 3.5g

• Cholesterol: 23.5mg

• Sodium: 636mg

• Fiber: 1g

• Sugar: 3.5g

Who's Most at Risk From Coronavirus?

As the coronavirus pandemic continues its relentless spread around the world, the greatest worry has been for older people. But experts stress that age is not the sole determinant of risk for severe illness or death.

"The elderly and people with chronic diseases have the highest risk. If you're not sure if you're at a higher risk, talk to your doctor," said Dr. Susan Bleasdale, a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Even then, not everyone within a high-risk category faces the same level of risk. Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association, said the risk exists on "a continuum."

For example, having heart disease is often cited as a risk factor. Heart disease encompasses a lot of conditions, including having a past history of heart attack, heart failure, irregular heart rhythms, peripheral artery disease, and even high blood pressure.

So, while people with any of those conditions has an elevated risk, typically, someone who's older and has severe heart failure is at a much higher risk of developing complications from a COVID-19 infection than a middle-aged person with high blood pressure.

Sanchez said he would even recommend that people who have conditions that increase the risk of heart and blood vessel disease -- such as high cholesterol, diabetes or even prediabetes -- "be more careful."

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Recipe of the Week - Baked Eggplant Sticks

These Baked Eggplant Sticks are breaded with Italian breadcrumbs and Parmesan, baked or air-fried until golden, and served with a quick marinara sauce.

Ingredients

• 10 oz eggplant, from 1 small or 1/2 large

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, (substitute with gluten bread crumbs if GF)

• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

• 1 large egg white

• oil spray

• 1 cup marinara for dipping, optional, extra

Directions

• Oven Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray with oil.

• Place eggplant strips in a bowl and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

• Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl, and egg whites in another.

• Dip a few strips of eggplant at a time into the egg whites, then into the breadcrumbs. Using a fork, remove eggplant from crumbs and place on the baking sheets. Spray with more oil and bake 10 minutes in the middle rack.

• Turn over and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot.

• Air Fryer Directions:

  • Cook in batches, putting the sticks in the basket in an even layer, careful not to overcrowd it. Spritz with olive oil spray. Air Fry at 350F for 10 minutes, turning halfway.
    

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 87

• Carbohydrates: 12g

• Protein: 4.5g

• Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g

• Cholesterol: 2mg

• Sodium: 441mg

• Fiber: 2.5g

• Sugar: 1g

New coronavirus stable for hours on surfaces

SARS-CoV-2 stability similar to original SARS virus

The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in The New England Journal of Medicine.The scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. The results provide key information about the stability of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease, and suggests that people may acquire the virus through the air and after touching contaminated objects. The study information was widely shared during the past two weeks after the researchers placed the contents on a preprint server to quickly share their data with colleagues.The NIH scientists, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Montana facility at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, compared how the environment affects SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1, which causes SARS. SARS-CoV-1, like its successor now circulating across the globe, emerged from China and infected more than 8,000 people in 2002 and 2003. SARS-CoV-1 was eradicated by intensive contact tracing and case isolation measures and no cases have been detected since 2004. SARS-CoV-1 is the human coronavirus most closely related to SARS-CoV-2. In the stability study the two viruses behaved similarly, which unfortunately fails to explain why COVID-19 has become a much larger outbreak.

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Recipe of the Week - Loaded Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato

• 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

• 2 strips bacon

• 1/4 small onion, diced

• 1 pound ground venison*1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 cup pickles, diced

• 1/4 tomato, diced

• 1/4 cup lettuce, shredded

• 1/4 avocado, sliced

• *you'll use about 1/3 cup cooked for 1 serving

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

• Wash the skin of the sweet potato. Prick sweet potato with a fork. Rub with 1 tablespoon avocado oil, and sprinkle the outside with coarse sea salt.Place sweet potato directly on the rack of the oven. Place a pan underneath the sweet potato to catch any drippings.Roast sweet potato for about 50 minutes, or until the thickest part of the potato has no resistance.Remove potato from oven, set aside, and turn off the oven.

• Dice bacon. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add bacon and cook until your desired crispness.

• Remove bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels.

• Add onion to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add ground venison to the skillet, breaking it up into small chunks. Venison is a leaner cut of meat, so if your skillet is too dry, add 1 tablespoon avocado oil, and stir.

• Cook venison until it's browned, stirring occasionally and continuing to break up large pieces. Once cooked, stir in pickles, then turn off the heat.

• Make a slit down the middle of the cooled sweet potato, taking care not to cut all the way through the bottom skin of the potato. Pull the halves apart carefully without tearing the potato in two.

• Spoon about 1/3 cup of the ground venison into the sweet potato pouch. Save the rest of the ground venison for leftovers or another recipe.

• Top the sweet potato with the cooked bacon, diced tomato, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, and Special Sauce. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

• Servings:  1 Loaded Potato

Amount Per Serving

• Calories: 609

• Total Carbs: 40 grams

• Net Carbs: 32 grams

• Fat: 37 grams

• Protein: 29 grams

Several Texas Schools Tripled Recess Time And It Has Been Helping The Growing ADHD Problem

The majority of us who attended public school probably have dreadful memories of enforced drudgery -  being forced to sit at our desks, listen to the teacher, memorize textbooks, and complete tests based on that rote memorization. As horrible as this sounds, it's actually been getting worse.

Physical education, art, and music classes are slowly being phased out of school curriculums, which inevitably means more desk time, memorization, and regurgitation.

Naturally, children are acting out more than ever before. Children aren't meant to be sitting for hours on end; they are meant to be playing, observing, and learning through experiences rather than through facts read in a book. Resistant to this type of education, children are being labelled with disorders such as ADHD at an alarming rate and then medicated to ensure their conformity.

But what if these children don't have a problem at all? What if it is the current school system that is the problem? Wouldn't that mean we are drugging our children unnecessarily, and to their detriment? There are much better solutions out there that should have been considered before we began diagnosing young children who simply don't want to sit at a desk all day.

I know there are some exceptions, and there are some extreme cases of ADHD where children absolutely do need assistance, but that does not encompass the general populous of school-aged children.

Recipe of the Week - Soba Noodle Veggie Stir-fry

This spicy Soba Noodle Veggie Stir Fry is a quick and easy meal for one, and perfect as a dairy-free, vegetarian dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces uncooked soba noodles

• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• ½ teaspoon minced garlic

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ cup chopped onion

• ¼ cup chopped bell pepper

• ¼ cup broccoli florets

• 1 large pasture-raised egg

• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos

• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce, or less if you don't like it too spicy

• 1 tablespoon creamy nut butter

Directions

• Fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook until tender, about 4 to 6 minutes.While the noodles cook, heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

• Add the garlic, ginger, onion, bell pepper, and broccoli. Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.

• Strain the soba noodles and add them to the vegetables in the skillet.

• Push everything to one side and crack the egg into the skillet and cook, breaking up the yolk and white until scrambled, then mix into the vegetables and noodles.

• Add the coconut aminos, Sriracha, and nut butter and mix well. Serve warm.

Nutrition

• Servings: 1 Bowl

Amount Per Serving

• Calories: 488

• Carbohydrates: 63.5g

• Protein: 18.5g

• Fat: 21g

• Saturated Fat: 3.5g

• Cholesterol: 186mg

• Sodium: 1102.5mg

• Fiber: 4g

• Sugar: 4g

Walking 10,000 steps a day won't help with weight loss, study claims

We may have been too foolish to believe that mere walking would be the answer to our weight problems.

A recent study from Brigham Young University suggests that the mere act of walking - specifically, walking between 10,000 and 15,000 steps per day - was not enough to prevent weight gain among the 120 freshman students who took part in the research.

Researchers determined the results by dividing the students into three groups, and instructing them to walk 10,000, 12,500 or 15,000 steps (respectively) for six days per week over the course of 24 weeks.

In the end, the study's authors observed that the increased step counts were not enough to prevent the students from gaining an average of 3.5 pounds over the 24-week period. (The researchers cited previous studies that suggested college students "commonly" gain between 2 and 9 pounds in their first year at school.)

"Exercise alone is not always the most effective way to lose weight," lead author Bruce Bailey, the professor of exercise science at BYU, said in a summary posted to the university's website. "If you track steps, it might have a benefit in increasing physical activity, but our study showed it won't translate into maintaining weight or preventing weight gain."

Recipe of the Week - Sesame Encrusted Chicken Tenders

If you like the taste of sesame seeds as much as I do, you'll love these Sesame Encrusted Chicken Tenders coated with sesame seeds, panko and a hint of soy sauce. Bake them or make them in the air fryer!

Ingredients

• 8 chicken tenderloins, 18 oz total

• 3/4 tsp kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

• 2 tsp sesame oil

• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

• 6 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 cup panko

• olive oil spray

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick oil spray.

• Combine the sesame oil and soy sauce in a bowl, and the sesame seeds, salt and panko in another.

• Place chicken in the bowl with the oil and soy sauce, then into the sesame seed mixture to coat well.

• Place on the baking sheet; lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly browned on the bottom.Turn over and cook another 4 - 5 minutes or until cooked through and the edges are crisp. Serve over rice with more soy sauce, if desired.

Air Fryer Cook Time

• Preheat the air fryer 400F. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway until cooked through, crispy and golden.

Nutrition

• Servings: 2 Chicken Tenders

Amount Per Serving

• Calories: 197

• Carbohydrates: 5.5g

• Protein: 23g

• Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g

• Cholesterol: 51mg

• Sodium: 400mg

• Fiber: 1.5g

• Sugar: 0.5g

Is Keto Bad For Cholesterol?

We've all heard the story. Maybe we've even been the protagonist.

Person goes full keto. They lose a bunch of weight, normalize their pre-diabetic glucose numbers, resolve their high blood pressure readings, have more energy, feel great, and have nothing but high praise for the new way of eating.

Except for one thing, everything seems perfect: their cholesterol is sky-high. It throws a wrench into the whole operation, installs a raincloud over the procession, spoils their confidence.

"Could I be killing myself?"

"Are my health improvements just a mirage?"

In other words, are the apparent benefits of keto merely superficial if your cholesterol skyrockets?

The evidence is pretty clear that for the majority of adults who go keto, their cholesterol numbers improve.

In obese adults with type 2 diabetes, a ketogenic diet improved blood lipids and boosted fat loss compared to a low-calorie diet.

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Recipe of the Week - Low-Carb Cacio e Pepe Brussel Sprouts

Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts swaps out pasta for shredded Brussels sprouts in this low-carb take on the Italian classic.

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- 14 ounces shredded Brussels sprouts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

Directions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the olive oil, pepper, and red pepper flakes together until toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, without stirring, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Season with the salt, and cook until the Brussels sprouts just begin to char, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the Parmesan, lemon zest, and hazelnuts.
- Serve warm, topped with more fresh Parmesan, if desired.

Nutrition
- Servings: 1/2 Cup

Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 204
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Protein: 12g
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 16.5mg
- Sodium: 591.5mg
- Fiber: 3.5g
- Sugar: 2g

6 Concrete Ways to Rewire Your Brain for Successful Habit Change

We all know the grim stats about how many New Year's resolutions fail. It's not because making resolutions is hokey or people are inherently lazy. It's because most resolutions come down to one of two things: adopting new (good) habits or breaking old (bad) habits, and habit change is hard.

People struggle at every step, from picking the right goals-ones that are motivating and achievable-through the implementation process.

The trick is to be strategic and intentional about changing your habits. Rather than relying on willpower and wishes, get good systems in place. As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

Successful habit change is the process of taking a behavior that currently requires cognitive effort and making it automatic. 

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Recipe of the Week - Easy 15-Minute Wonton Soup

This quick and easy wonton soup is super simple, loaded with veggies and takes under 15 minutes to make thanks to the frozen wontons.

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth low sodium

• 1- inch piece fresh ginger, sliced thin

• 1 clove minced garlic

• 20 mini frozen wontons

• 1 1/2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

• 4 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise and halved
  1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• scallions, sliced green parts only for garnish

Directions

• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pot.

• Smash the sliced ginger with the side of a knife to bring out the flavor and add to the pot with the garlic, cover and cook 5 minutes.

• Add the bok choy and partially cook 5 minutes, then add the frozen wontons and mushroom, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the wontons are heated through and bok choy is tender and wilted.

• Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil.

• Divide soup in four bowls. Garnish with fresh scallions.

Nutrition

• Servings: 1 1/2 Cups

Amount Per Serving

• Calories: 136

• Carbohydrates: 22.5g

• Protein: 9g

• Fat: 2g

• Saturated Fat: 0.5g

• Cholesterol: 6.5mg

• Sodium: 1218mg

• Fiber: 2.5g

• Sugar: 5g