Little Green Powerhouse

Brussels sprouts seem to be the new "it" food, and I'm loving finding new ways to fit them into our family diet.  Why? Because brussels sprouts are little green nutrition powerhouses. They are high in fiber, and belong to the disease-fighting cabbage family and along with broccoli and cabbage, may protect against cancer with their indole, an important phytochemical. They are a good source of vitamins K and C, can help lower cholesterol and regulate inflammation.  But we all know that none of that matters if you can't make them taste good! 

Enter Chelsea Dinsmore, master Dailey Method teacher by day and master chef/blogger by night.  Chelsea has a blog that you must check out -- it's called Food.Life.Balance and is a fantastic resource for vegetable recipes. They've all been no fail for me.  Recently she posted a couple of great brussels sprouts recipes that made me look at them in a whole new light. When I make the recipes below my kids happily eat them--no arguing, just munching away on brussels sprouts! I love that.

--Jill

Brussels Sprout Chips

Average Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

3 Tbsp good olive oil

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut off the ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off outer leaves. (I save the remainder of the brussels sprout to saute or roast).

3. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

4. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside. Sprinkle with more kosher salt (I like these crisp and salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Avocado and Pumpkin Seeds

Average Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed, leaves separated

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted

1 avocado, sliced

Directions

1. Whisk lemon zest and juice and mustard in a small bowl. Gradually add oil, whisking to emulsify, and season with salt and pepper.

2. Toss dressing with brussels sprout leaves and pumpkin seeds. Gently stir in avocado and adjust seasoning.

Dailey Now

Dailey New. Dailey NOW!  You CAN take it with you! 

We are so excited about the recent the release of our new fitness video, Dailey Now!  We know that life gets busy and sometimes you can’t find an hour or even a half hour to workout at home.  With that in mind,  “Dailey Now” is designed to be broken down into 2 /15 minutes segments that can be done either alone or together-giving you a 15 minute and a 30 minute option.  You also have one full 60-minute segment in case you can close the doors and bust out a full session! 

The idea is: if you have only 15 minutes, the first segment highlights the most important exercises to hit.  If you then find you can squeeze in another 15 minutes, I have designed a second 15-minute segment that combines seamlessly with the first to give you a full body workout in 30 minutes.  The final segment also includes a full 60-minute class that emphasizes alignment, focused attention, fun and results--just like you would find at a TDM studio!

I’m so happy to be able to offer this additional option to our students for when they are traveling or just short on time and for anyone who doesn’t have the option of taking class at one of our Studios.  You can pick up at DVD at any of our Studios or purchase it online here.

- Jill

Let's Help Breast Cancer Services This Month

As you probably know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. There are exciting breakthroughs happening all the time that make us hopeful that there will be better treatment options available and eventually a cure for breast cancer. However, despite the progress being made, there are many women whom once diagnosed cannot afford the expensive treatments. That is why this year my mom and I have joined with To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation to help raise money for nonprofit organizations that provide services and support to people living with breast cancer. 

On Saturday, Sept. 29^th we walked in a fashion show for To Celebrate Life’s main fundraising event called “Stepping out to Celebrate Life.” It was an amazing and inspirational experience to walk the runway with 35 women that are all breast cancer survivors, to hear their stories, to get to know them and to see the transformation that can occur when women learn how to project confidence and beauty.  Each year, this event raises money to help organizations that provide a variety of individualized and necessary services for people living with breast cancer.  

In addition, TDM studios across the world will be offering a special donation class and selling limited edition TDM pink grip socks and pink ribbon t-shirts, the proceeds of which will go to two great organizations, To Celebrate Life and Bright Pink.  You can find times and dates of these classes at your local TDM Studio.  Come join us for a great class and help us support important Breast Cancer services!

- Jill