Perfect Recipe For Healthy Living

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Celebrity couple Dr. Doug and Diane Clement are Olympians and members of the Order of Canada who have been an inspiration to staying fit for generations. 

Now in their 80s they are role models that workout 3-5 times per week, combining walking and strength training into their workout regime. 

The workout consists of walks from 30 minutes to 80 minutes. 

The gym workouts are the rowing machine/treadmill/cycle/ stair climber 30 minute total plus weight circuit 20 minutes. 

Plus they stay active]e by participating at the annual Vancouver Sun Run 10Km. 

Diane has also written several award-winning fitness cookbooks, including Start Fresh, Your Complete Guide to Midlife style Food and Fitness, which is co-written with Doug.  

They share valuable fitness and dietary tips, including great ways to work fitness into your schedule.

Here are some of their expert advice/tips to help get you started:

Choose an activity you love

Do lots of different activities: dance, climb, ski and walk

Find friends who like the same activity

Get up 30 minutes earlier and exercise first thing in the morning

Enroll in a fitness class or join a sports club

Exercise in 10-minute sessions several times throughout the day. They all add up

Expect that setbacks will be part of reaching your goal

Chef Diane also includes one of her favorite recipes from her book. 

If you like cold soup, here is a delicious one to try especially on hot days.

She says, “One of the food delights that I look forward to when summer rolls around is to make batches of Gazpacho, the traditional cold Spanish soup. 

It’s healthy and refreshing, and with only 63 calories a cup, it’s the perfect choice to ward off any hunger cravings at any time of day. 

Try taking it to work for lunch or serve it as a starter course at dinner. I call it my liquid salad with zing. 

Make a large batch days in advance because this soup improves with age, although around

our house, I must admit it disappears quickly.”

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (1 L) chopped ripe tomatoes (about 8 large)
• one 14-oz (398-mL) can tomatoes
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 English cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• 2 red peppers, seeded and chopped
• 4 sprigs of Italian parsley
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups (500 mL) vegetable juice
• 2 cups (500 mL) tomato juice
• 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) Heinz-10 chili sauce
• 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) chopped basil
• 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) chopped dill juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) white wine vinegar
• 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 mL) Spanish or Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1⁄2 tsp (2.5 mL) Worcestershire sauce freshly ground pepper to taste
• Croutons for garnish chopped green onions for garnish

At least 2 to 3 days before cutting the ripe tomatoes, canned tomatoes, onion, cucumber and peppers into chunks.

Put them through a food processor with the parsley, garlic, vegetable juice and tomato juice, processing a portion at a time, with on-off motions. 

Add the chili sauce, basil, dill, lemon juice, vinegar, paprika,

Worcestershire sauce and pepper and blend slightly. 

Do not over process, keep the mixture chunky. 

If you prefer a thinner soup, add more tomato juice and experiment with the herbs and seasonings until the soup is to your liking.  

Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 to 5 days.

To serve, ladle into small bowls and pass the croutons and green onions.

Also included in their book are fitness programs such as the Healthspan 10km Power Walk Program. 

The Clements note the benefits of walking, describing it as, “… an excellent form of exercise that improves cardiovascular and muscular fitness. 

The more direct and practical method for the beginner is to use your subjective sense of what is easy, brisk and fast for you. 

One important tip: work at a temp well below your subjective guess time. 

Don’t go too fast.  Slow down and enjoy the scenery!”

Our Fitness Friday feature is submitted and written by Christine Blanchette so please follow her on Twitter as well as her Run With It Youtube Channel.