Healthy Recipe of the Month: Takeout Fake Out: Sesame Chicken

As school activities ramp up, life can get more hectic and your time becomes more and more valuable, pulled between homework and soccer, science projects and dance, finding the time to a healthy dinner can be tough.  Here's a recipe from Fitness Magazine that's a take on a Chinese takeout favorite - Sesame Chicken.

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 cup jicama, cut into matchsticks
1 package (6 ounces) frozen pea pods
2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions
1. Cut chicken into strips. Combine soy sauce, chicken broth, scallions, parsley, vinegar, sesame seeds, garlic, and ginger in bowl. Add chicken, stirring to coat; cover and chill for 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry carrots for 1 minute. Add jicama; stir-fry 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove veggies from wok.

3. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Add chicken to wok; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until no longer pink. Push chicken to outside edge of wok.

4. Add reserved marinade to center of wok. Heat until bubbly. Return vegetables to wok, adding frozen pea pods. Cook 1 minute more, or until heated through. Serve over brown rice.

Nutrition facts per serving: 309 calories, 25g protein, 35g carbohydrate, 6g fat (1g saturated), 4g fiber

Calorie Cutting Tips
Shake Salt
"Always use low-sodium soy sauce," says Sharon Richter, RD, a dietitian in New York City. "Two tablespoons of the regular kind contains almost a day's worth of sodium."

Chop To It
Swap your fork for chopsticks. You'll eat more slowly, because it's harder to shovel in food.

Oil Change
We swapped sesame oil for canola, which has less saturated fat and more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

The Perfect Cut
Carrots and jicama offer fresh flavor and crisp texture. Use a mandoline to cut them into perfect matchsticks.

Calorie Comparison
At a restaurant, this dish packs up to 1,000 calories. We ditched the deep fryer and used a wok to seal in flavor.

Cut Out Distractions - 5 Easy Steps to Better Focus

Ever had one of those days?  I'm talking about one of the days when you've got about a thousand things to do and it seems that everyone in the world knows it and is determined to keep you from your task(s).  Today was one of those days for me and it got me to thinking about ways to reduce distractions and give yourself an advantage when it comes to tackling the day's tasks.  We live in an age where communication is easier than ever and if you can't reach someone, you aren't trying.

But - sometimes this ease of communication turns into a roadblock for our productivity, preventing us from accomplishing the very thing that all of these tools are supposed to make easier.  I was having one of those days today when I stopped, pushed my chair back from my desk and tried to survey the scene and discover how I could overcome and cut out some of the distractions preventing me from being productive.  Here's what I came up with:

• Email Notifications - You know that little "ding" that comes from your computer every time you get a new email?  Turn it off.  It's in your outlook settings.  Just switch it off.  Hearing that bell every time you get an email is an incredible distraction.

• Keep a Schedule - Choose two times a day to check and respond to all emails, unless you are expecting an urgent one.  You'll give yourself more time to focus on the task at hand without the constant bells and whistles of your email.

• Become an Early Bird - No one likes to get to the office early.  Use that to your advantage.  Since no one else will be around, you'll get more done without phone calls, people stopping by, or an excuse to chat with your neighbor in the next office.

• Don't Be Afraid to Close Your Door - It seems that it is a universal sign of politeness to work with  your office door open, offering everyone the opportunity "come to me if you need anything."  That's sweet.  But the fact is, people are often distractions.  Regardless of what message you may be afraid it is sending, there are times when one of the best things you can i simply close the door.  Try it - you'll be surprised.

• Tell Everyone - Take the time to tell everyone your intentions.  No matter what plans you put in place, you'll want the support and cooperation of our co-workers and officemates if you want to be successful.  Visit each person that you interact with and take 15 minutes to explain your plans to them and your motives behind them.  You'll find that giving everyone the heads up will foster trust and earn you the space you need to be more productive.

Of course, don't forget exercise.  Keeping yourself fit and healthy all the time will help you focus more at key times.  And once you become more productive at work, you'll find yourself more calm, relaxed and centered at all times.  Now that's Spirt, Mind & Body.

There are tons of great sites with tips on how to work through distractions at work.  Here are a few:

The Blog of Tim Ferriss
Lifeclever
Life Organizers Blog
Studies of Office Escapology

Now, What did I miss?  What's your best trick to avoid office distractions?  How do you cope with the never-ending stream of information coming at us virtually minute-by-minute?  Share your tips, tricks and thoughts in the comments.

20 questions, or what I learned from our YMCA members

For about a year and a half now, we've been blogging here and trying to get the word out about the stuff going on at the YMCA. From post to post, our topics have ranged from updates about new programs to news about success stories and stories about lives we've touched. It's our hope that you've enjoyed the posts and that maybe you've learned a few things about your YMCA. However, we want more out of this post, and we want it to be even more useful to you.

Beginning today, we'll try to use the posts in this blog to engage you, our members and participants. We'll discuss topics and ask questions that we want you to answer. For over 150 years, the YMCA has been built on the idea of relationships, genuine and honest ones, with members and participants. Sure we have tons of programs and activities for kids and adults, and lots of opportunities for sports, fitness and service. But at the heart of it all, we're about relationships.

That's the reason we ask about grand kids or spouses. It's the reason we notice when you've been out for a couple of weeks. It's why we send flowers to new mothers or sick parents, and why we love celebrating birthdays.

With that in mind, going forward, I'm going to use this blog to pose questions to those of you who read it. The questions that I'll ask will sometimes be serious and sometimes be lighthearted, but they'll all have a purpose. As the Y moves forward we want to continue to be more connected to you, and so I want to find out things like:

-What you like most about what we're doing at the Y

-What's the most important part of your membership

-How we can do better to help you build a healthier spirit, mind and body

-What Y staff members are living our mission in their interactions with you

-When we're exceeding - and not living up to - your expectations

-Anything else you want to tell us

So as we go forward, let me invite you to come along, and help your Y reach it's full potential. We're prepared for honesty, as long as it's tempered with respect, and as long as it's focused on fairness and jives with our mission. We want to get better at what we do, and we need your help to get there.

With that in mind, let's start with an easy question, and you can leave your answers in the comments section or respond via email:

Q. What's the most important part of your YMCA membership? The part that brings you back, or that you couldn't live without? And why?

Thanks in advance for your honest, respectful answers and we'll get to work right not to make sure we learn from your answers.

-G