Your Health: Eat and Live a Better Life, With Morgan

It has come to my attention that The Critic is lacking a health section. We may be a small New England college but that does not mean we cannot be healthy, nor does it mean that we know everything about staying healthy. I am not an expert in health and exercise, but I see it as being an important part of one's life. When it comes down to it if you don't have your health, what do you have? It may be a cliché but it is true. If we don't focus on ourselves every once in a while, how can we be expected to accomplish all of our goals and achieve the success we desire? So, here is the beginning of a weekly column dedicated to you with tips on eating and exercise and an activity to take your mind off of school and work; something to make a break in your day and hopefully a fun way to spend that break.

Exercise of the Week: Stationary Lunge with Arm Raise

Courtesy of Brad Collins, Exercise Science

Standing straight with feet together, shoulders back and down arms at your side. Take a wide step forward keeping without twisting your body. Lower your body as if you are going to one knee but do not let your back knee drop to the floor. While lowering your body simultaneously raise your arms out straight to shoulder height. Repeat for other leg. Do 10 lunges each side.

Want a challenge? Add a small weight for the arm raises. You don't need dumbbells or expensive equipment, try bottled water or food cans. Any extra resistance helps.

Recipe of the Week: Easy Crock Pot Chili

Adapted from a recipe on freshlyminted.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 taco or chili seasoning packet

1 can beans (black or Kidney your preference)

pound Ground beef (if you do not have access to a kitchen to brown the beef in a skillet add an extra can of beans. You could also try browning the meat in a George Foreman Grill)

Directions:

1.Brown beef in a skillet. If this is not an option use extra beans making sure to drain them before adding to the crock pot.

2.Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and chili seasoning to crock pot with beans and beef.

3.Stir ingredients together over medium heat then reduce heat to low and cover.

4.Let cook for 30mins. to an hour depending on thickness preference.

5.Make sure meat has been thoroughly cooked before consuming

6.Enjoy!

Healthy Tip: use ground Turkey instead of Ground beef for a leaner meal.

Activity of the Week: Easy Wall Art

Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens DIY

A cheap way to brighten up your dorm. All materials can be found at the bookstore but you may be able to find more paint options that are less expensive at another location.

You will need:

A canvas-any size

Masking tape or painter tape if you have it

Paint brush

Different colors of paint or just one (depends on the look you want)

Newspaper

Directions:

1.            Clear a workspace for yourself and lay down newspaper to protect the surface you are working on.

2.            Decide if you want your background to be the white of the canvas. If not paint a base layer on the canvas. This will have to dry completely before you continue.

3.            Lay tape on canvas. This can be a pattern or design or entirely abstract, it's up to you.

4.            When you have finished, paint over the entire canvas with the color of your choice.

5.            Let the paint dry entirely before removing the tape from the canvas.

6.            Congratulations! You now have art.

Feeling Creative? Keep going and make more layers. Have fun with this and make it your own.