Hot Food for Hot Weather Credit to Martie Jirovec, Deli, Meat and Cheese Manager at Just Food Co-op This recipe provides a complete meal and can easily be multiplied and adapted to your palate. The Salsa stores well but the heat will increase from the Jalapenos the longer it sits. Grilled Fruit Salsa 1 Red or Orange Bell Pepper (cut in half) 1 Green Bell Pepper (cut in half) 1-2 Jalapeno 1 Mango Cut into large slices or 2 peaches cut in half 2 limes (use organic) ¼ cup cilantro Salt & Pepper to taste Heat grill to medium high. Dip a clean coffee filter in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and coat grill racks. Place peppers and fruit on grill. Cook peppers until skin is slightly charred and fruit until it is slight softened with grill marks. This should take about 5 minutes per side. You still want a bit of crunch from peppers. Pull peppers and fruit off the grill and let cool, then chop fruit and bell peppers into ½ inch pieces. Remove stem and seeds from jalapeno. Depending on your heat tolerance, cut into preferred size. Place in mixing bowl. Zest and juice the limes and place in bowl, mix to combine flavors. Taste for seasoning and sourness. If needed add a teaspoon of sugar. Chop cilantro and mix in when ready to serve. Serve over grilled chicken, fish or veggie burger for a sandwich or tacos. Or make a green salad, place chicken and salsa on top. Serve with avocado on the side.
Back in Action
How to make the best of a bad situation: heavy backpacks By Brenda K.M. Ward
How to Help Prevent Injury
When it comes to lugging around a backpack that’s heavier than the average preschooler, kids don’t always have a choice, especially as they reach their high school years.
Conway says the most important thing a person can do to prevent injury is to stay fit. If a body is strong overall, especially the core, it has more stability and can better handle the weight of a heavy pack.
Too often, backpacks are filled with books and materials for every part of the day with no time for kids to trek to their locker between classes. Or, nightly homework requires the use of several texts, students schlepping the bulky pack home putting a heavy duty strain on their back, neck and shoulders. Until technology changes are set in place reducing the need to carry weighty textbooks, parents have to focus instead on ways to effectively reduce injury to their child’s back.
Using an exercise band or hand weight, raise your hand, arm straight, to the one o’clock position and pull it down, across the body to the opposite hip. Repeat several times on both sides.
What Happens
The spine is made up of 33 bones – the vertebrae – with shock absorbing discs in between each. When extra weight is taxing the back, the body has to find a way to compensate. “When backpacks are too heavy, it leans the posture forward and puts stress in the low back area,” said Dr. Jacob Conway, owner of Cannon Pointe Chiropractic in Northfield. “The neck also gets pulled forward and strain is put on the shoulders.” Not ideal posture for certain, but the reaction to strain doesn’t stop there. When the backpack is removed and the neck is naturally set back in place, muscle spasms can occur while inadequate shoulder straps can leave the pec muscles feeling sore. Leaning forward can also throw a child off balance, making it easier to slip and fall. “If you see a kid leaning forward while wearing a backpack, it’s kind of a ticking time bomb,” said Conway. “The body just can’t handle that for a long period of time.”
26 Girlfriends.mn Back To School 2012
Lunges are great for the core, pelvis and balance as are exercises involving a BOSU ball. This simple move recommended by Conway is also a great way to build core muscles:
Conway also shared these tips for preventing injury:
• Carry a backpack made with thick padded straps, padded backing and multiple compartments (for better weight distribution), keeping heavier books closer to the back. • Adjust straps so that the pack is closer to the back and no more than four inches below the beltline. A waist strap is also beneficial in balancing the weight between the back and pelvic area.