Health & Fitness

By Karen Seegobin: As the holidays are coming upon us and winter vegetables are in season, why not try a hearty, tasty, and most important, easy to make, meal. Butternut squash lasagna is simple, elegant, nutritious and no flambeing or deglazing involved.     Ingredients Roasted Squash 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces 2T extra virgin olive oil ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. black pepper   Béchamel Sauce 2 T butter 1/3 C all-purpose flour ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper 3 C milk ¼ C each of Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses   Lasagna 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 T extra virgin olive oil ¼ tsp. salt 1 lb. ground beef (or 10 oz. package of vegetarian beef crumbles) 1 C vegetable broth 12 no bake lasagna noodles Additional mozzarella cheese   Directions Heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss butternut squash with oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until tender. Remove from oven. While squash is roasting, melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Gradually stir in the flour with a whisk. Add salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in milk over med-high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Stir for 1 minute then add cheeses. Heat 2T oil over medium heat in another pan. Add onion and stir until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add ground beef (or crumbles) and cook, breaking up chunks. Add broth. When broth has absorbed and beef mixture has cooked, gently mix in squash. To prepare the lasagna, spray a 9×13-in baking dish with cooking spray. Spread a little bit of the béchamel sauce on bottom and arrange 4 lasagna noodles. Top with beef/squash mixture then another layer of béchamel sauce. Place 4 noodles on top and repeat 2 times or until mixtures run out. Top last layer with mozzarella cheese. Cover lasagna with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes until cheese browns.

By: Samantha D.         When I begin to experience the discomforting sensations triggered by an upset stomach, I immediately gulp down “the pink stuff.” Now, most of you will rightfully assume that I am referring to “Pepto-Bismol”, but I am not.  I am here to inform you of “the other pink stuff”, that I call Papaya. Those of you who suffer from indigestion, upset stomach, heartburn, or even difficulty regulating your IBS symptoms, will be relieved (literally). You can aid settling and soothing your stomach by treating yourself to a new kind of smoothie.  Soothing Smoothie – “the other pink stuff” 1 papaya (remove seeds and slice into cubes) ¾ cup papaya nectar 1/4 cup almond milk (or water) 1 tbsp of honey mint leaves for extra flavor (optional) Mix all of the ingredients in a blender and garnish with mint leaves! There is nothing more unappealing than a girl chugging down Pepto-Bismol while cringing, and holding her stomach. Now “the other pink stuff”, on the other hand, looks like a lot of fun! -Papayas is a good source of an enzyme called papain that helps to aid protein digestion -Papaya juice is often used by sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome after a meal to promote better digestion and reduce bloating and flatulence -A single serving of papaya provides a full day’s supply of vitamin C. It’s a good source of vitamin A and E, all of which are good anti-oxidants. According to the article “The Health Benefits of Eating Papaya” by Kristie Leong M.D.: Link: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1621075/the_health_benefits_of_eating_papaya.html?cat=68