A word from Paula-
I have been asked on numerous occasions to convert Chamorro food into healthier versions, but altering foods so entwined with our cultural identity gives me butterflies.
If you want to improve your health, make fatty, sugary, and salty Chamorro dishes on occasion, eating nutritiously most of the time. More importantly, you must lift weights. Aerobic exercise is essential too, but weight training enables you to increase calorie-burning muscle tissue, reduce the rate of bone loss as you age and gives your body a more toned appearance. Weight training has been my saving grace since I was an overweight, 140 lbs.-13-year-old. It has helped me stay in decent shape over the past two decades. Exercise is a vital component of my daily schedule as I raise my family.
Visit my "Home Grown" page to see how you can eat healthier by growing even just a few plants in your back yard!
I've trained my kids to do push-ups since they were 2 years old - just for fun. Healthy eating and exercise habits must be enjoyable for kids so they develop a positive mental attitude toward both disciplines, attitudes which will carry over into their adult lives. It all begins in the kitchen and spills into the gym, the field or the court.
Though I do spend plenty of time in the kitchen working on books, recipes, and videos, I still train a few clients at Anytime Fitness in Holly Springs, NC.
Click here for more of PaulaQ on exercise and fitness.
Paula Lujan Quinene, B.S. Exercise & Movement Science, University of Oregon, 1997; ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist 2002-present; ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor 2001-2011; ACE certified personal trainer 1999-2011; NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist 2004-2008.
Enjoy your life with yummy food, improved health, applied knowledge and a positive mental outlook!
paulaq
NEW High Blood Cholesterol
Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Coming soon:
Chamorro Food
- A few things you can do to enhance the health of Guam food without obliterating a Chamorro meal:
- Decrease the oil in red rice by one-fourth of what is used in the recipe.
- Leave the chicken skin out of chicken kelaguen.
- Remove most of the chicken skin before making kado and estufao.
- Skim the fat floating to the top of your kado.
- Saute onions and garlic in olive oil, not pork fat or bacon.
- Use olive oil in your pancit recipes.
- Scoop your rice out with a half-cup measuring cup because you are putting more rice on your plate than you think!
Family Friendly Recipes
- Muffins - High in wheat bran, this batter keeps well in the fridge for two months.
- Waffles - Uses heart-healthy olive oil. Batter holds up great in the fridge for one week so your family can enjoy fresh waffles on busy mornings.
- Pancakes - Luscious! Make plenty of cakes for the week. Save half of the batter in the fridge to cook up another batch for the following week.
NEW Easy-Breezy & "Healthy" Recipes
Healthy Kids
