From Fine Cooking Magazine: "Create Your Own" Recipe Builder

If you’re a strict "recipe follower" in the kitchen, the "Create Your Own" Recipe Maker from Fine Cooking magazine is for you!

With this interactive tool, Fine Cooking does an amazing job of breaking down the structure of a recipe into distinct steps and ingredient groups, with tips and tricks to guide you along the way. From frittatas to salads, vegetable soups, stews -- and yes, even cheesecake, although I wouldn't recommend it -- choose your ingredients and create your own dish. The tool turns your selections into an easy-to-follow, printable recipe.

Have fun!

IBS and Digestive Health

An estimated 20% of the adult population lives with some level of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) on a daily basis. Triggers and symptoms can vary from person to person, and some people aren’t even aware that the bloating, gas, and cramps they feel are medically significant. There are a variety of dietary modifications you can experiment with to see what foods affect you, and learn ways to keep your days IBS-free!

April is national IBS Awareness Month, devoted to promoting this particular health concern and the health professionals who can help you battle it. If IBS is a concern for you, we recommend reading IBS: Free at Last! by Patsy Catsos, MS, RD, LD. It contains one of the most effective approaches to date -- the FODMAP elimination diet

For more great health information from the health coaches at Wellness Corporate Solutions, follow @WCSCoaches on Twitter!

Workout of the Day: Yoga!

Yoga is a great practice in flexibility, strength and stress relief. Try this basic beginner’s sequence to get a feel for the “flow” and stretch out the muscles that have been sitting all day! (Learn more and create your own flow sequence at www.yogajournal.com.)

Take a moment to center yourself. Breathe deeply and rhythmically. Pay attention to breath, moving on inhalations and exhalations.

1. Begin standing with hands at your heart in prayer position.
2. Reach arms up and bend slightly backwards.
3. Dive forward, hinging at the hips.
4. Step one foot back into a lunge. Start with right or left. You’ll switch in the next round.
5. Step second food back into a push-up position.
6. Bending arms, lower slowly down to hover just above the floor.
7. Straighten arms and lift your head and chest toward the ceiling for an abdominal stretch.
8. Press back into Downward Dog, stretching heels toward the floor.
9. Step the same foot (from Step 4) back up in between your hands to a lunge position.
10. Step the second foot back to meet it and fall into a forward fold at the hips.
11. Fly your arms upward toward the ceiling, arching back.
12. Return your hands to prayer position in front of your heart. Repeat using other foot first.
13. Complete 4-6 rounds. 

If all this doesn't quite make sense in words,

In the News: Calcium and Cardiovascular Disease Risks

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal looked at the impact of dietary calcium intake on cardiovascular disease. Results suggested that women consuming more than 1400mg of calcium per day were at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and death from all causes, when compared to women consuming 600-1000mg per day. Further, of those women consuming more than 1400mg per day, those who took a calcium supplement (as part of the 1400mg) had an even greater risk -- more than 2.5 times the risk of death from all causes.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance for Calcium from the US Food and Nutrition Board is 1000-1200mg per day for healthy adults.
 
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and is naturally found in the following foods:

• Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)
• Fish: salmon (bones in), sardines
• Soy milk (fortified)
• Orange Juice (fortified)
• Tofu
• Kale, Cabbage, Turnip Greens
• Broccoli
• Cereals (fortified)

It is essential for a variety of daily body processes:

• Bone health
• Vascular (blood vessel) contraction and dilation
• Muscle function
• Nerve transmission
• Hormonal secretion

The key take-away: More calcium is not necessarily better for your health. Aim to get your daily calcium needs from a varied diet with plenty of calcium-rich foods and refrain from taking a calcium supplement unless specifically prescribed by your primary care physician.

Read more about Calcium at the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

Try Cinnamon for Blood Sugar Control and More!

The pairing of cinnamon and sugar in so many classic desserts (think apple pie) may be more ancient wisdom than simply palate-pleaser.

While the research is still inconclusive, there is strong evidence to suggest that cinnamon may support blood sugar control -- potentially easing the impact of that sweet hit on your metabolism.  In the ancient healing traditions of Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine, cinnamon is valued for its energizing and warming qualities, in addition to anti-microbial properties.

With so much to gain and no safety concerns at standard food doses, why not expand the role of this delicious spice in your diet?  Experiment with adding cinnamon to soups, stews, meat spice-rubs and vegetable stir-fries. It’s not just for oatmeal anymore!