Yet another reason we should love our fruits and veggies

Fruit and Vegetables May Help Smokers Kick the Habit
Eating more fruit and vegetables may help you quit smoking, University of Buffalo researchers say.
Smokers who up their fruit and vegetable intake wait longer to smoke their first cigarette, smoke fewer cigarettes per day, and have lower nicotine-dependence scores than smokers who eat fewer vegetables, the Toronto Sun reported June 6. More importantly, fruit and veggie eaters were three times more likely to be tobacco-free during a follow-up study than those who ate the fewest vegetables.
Fruit and vegetables may make cigarettes taste worse, decreasing smoking rates, earlier studies have shown.
In addition, “It is also possible that fruit and vegetables give people more of a feeling of satiety or fullness so that they feel less of a need to smoke, since smokers sometimes confuse hunger with an urge to smoke,” the study authors say.
The study appears online in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

Yoga in the Park

Here is the post made on the grinnell yoga blog concerning yoga in the park:

Hey Grinnell yogis! Summer is fast approaching, and with it: Yoga in the Park! Thanks to the Grinnell Parks and Recreation Department and your local yoga instructors, you will have the opportunity to take a free yoga class every Saturday morning (for 8 weeks) by the gazebo in Central Park! (If it's sprinkling, we'll just hop up into the gazebo.) Our first class will be June 9, same weekend as the Grinnell Games! It promises to be a fun day (and weekend) in Grinnell!!
What: Grinnell Yoga in the Park
When: Saturdays, 9 - 10am June 9 - July 28
Where: Gazebo, Central Park
How much: FREE
What do I need to bring: Just yourself in comfortable clothes! If you have a yoga mat you can bring it, but we will strive to make classes accessible without mats. You will also need to sign a Parks & Rec waiver the first time you attend.

Like www.facebook.com/GrinnellYogaInThePark for updates on weather and pertinent info!Questions? Email grinnellyoga@yahoo.com!

Yoga in the park is a community health initiative that will hopefully generate new interest in yoga. This is a great opportunity for our regular yoga participants to come try a new perspective on yoga in a beautiful outdoor space. Our instructors Jen and Kim will be in the rotation as well as instructors from other Grinnell venues. Jen Mavin, one of our former instructors is going to come back to town to teach one weekend. Come try it out! Sessions will count for attendance pays.

Memorial Day

Don't forget that we are closed on Monday, May 28th in honor of Memorial Day. We will reopen at our usual time of 5:30 am the following day.

Class today

Though they are small in numbers, my (Jen's) stalwart few that come to Powerflow Yoga are very faithful, even adjusting their schedule so they miss as little as possible. There's nothing wrong with small classes. It's nice sometimes to have an intimate setting. But it's better to have a strong base of folks you can count on for attendance.

Low and behold, tonight not one but two new people came to class. One was a fairly new member that has worked her way up to a higher fitness level. She branched out of her comfort zone and tried something new. I think the experience paid off and she was able to find another class she can come to when her schedule suits. The other was a guest of a member. I am so grateful to you all who invite people in. It is a great way to spend time with friends doing a new activity. I remember the team spirit that I felt with the girls on my athletic teams growing up and I find that sometimes there is that same sense in our classes as adults.

Thank you so much for bringing in new people and for trying to new things. You didn't even know it but you made my night!

RAGBRAI

The route is out, so let's get ready to ride! Whether you are a brand new RAGRBRAI rider this year or a seasoned veteran, it is good to prepare for the ride ahead. To help you in your training, the GRMC Wellness & Fitness Center will be providing extended rides during the noon hour. We have already had our first two rides, but there are still many to come. The next ride will be Friday, May 18th and will be 60 minutes. The following three weeks will consist of one 75 minute ride per week; followed by three weeks of one 90 minute ride per week. The next two weeks will have a 105 minute ride per week. The final ride will be 120 minutes. The instructors are going to make these rides as fun and realistic as possible; therefore, the elevation will be similar to what you can expect on the actual route and there will be breaks as we pass through towns. We understand that these rides are occurring during the work day for most, so rider are encouraged to come and go as they please. A detailed schedule is posted below or can be found in the PWA Fitness Center and the GRMC Wellness & Fitness Center. If you have additional questions, please contact the wellness staff at 236-2999.

Stir Fry Recipe

The rainy weather makes it tough to get out and grill.  Here's an alternative to you usual stir-fry fare.  Leave a comment after you try it out and let us know what you thought!


Spinach and chicken stir-fry with raspberries:
616 calories, 4.7 grams sugar, 25.8 grams fat, 38 grams carbohydrates, 54.8 grams protein
This light and refreshing meal is the perfect spring stir-fry. Every ingredient, from fiber-packed quinoa to antioxidant-rich spinach , is not only good for you, but also delicious when tossed with pomegranate vinaigrette and tart, juicy raspberries.
Ingredients:
1/2 c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 c. chicken broth
Dash garlic powder
1 tsp. canola oil
2 chicken breasts, sliced
Salt and pepper
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
1 6-oz. bag baby spinach
1/4 c. bottled pomegranate vinaigrette (or other fruity salad dressing)
1/2 c. fresh or frozen-then-thawed raspberries
2 tbsp. chevre or feta cheese
Directions:
Combine quinoa, chicken broth, and a dash of garlic powder in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then cover and turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer until quinoa is tender and all the broth has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season chicken slices with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add chicken and onion to the skillet and stir-fry until chicken is cooked all the way through. Add salad dressing and baby spinach to the skillet and toss until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Divide quinoa among plates, then top with the chicken stir-fry, raspberries and cheese.
Makes 2 servings

Grinnell Day

Something fun to do next Tuesday in honor of Grinnell:


Join the fun Tuesday as Grinnell College and the community of Grinnell team up to set the Guinness Book of World Records largest simultaneous flying disc throw.

5-01-12 equals 50112! At least that’s what Dan Hirsch, residence life coordinator, saw in the upcoming May 1 “Grinnell Day.”

“When I saw the date and zipcode correlation, I thought ‘that’s cool. We should do something with this.’” So he began working with the Student Government Association (SGA) and community members to set a Guinness World Record for the most people — College and community — to simultaneously throw Frisbees.
“We’re inviting townspeople to join us so we can break the record,” Hirsch said, which is now set at 853 people throwing a disc at the same time. All Frisbee throwers should plan to gather by 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 1, on MacEachron Field. Frisbees will be issued to all participants who will gather in a large circle around Mac Field, with music provided by campus FreeSound. Hirsch will document the number of participants for Guinness, based on the number of discs that will be given away that day.
“Following the toss, we are also encouraging all Frisbee participants to head downtown to support the local restaurants and other businesses,” Hirsch said. Premiere Printing will imprint the 2,500 Frisbees ordered for the record-breaking event.
The 50112 idea stems from Hirsch’s own experience at Carleton College, where each incoming class of approximately 500 first-year students perform a similar Frisbee-toss ceremony. “As a Carleton alum, I thought it would be funny if Grinnell held the World Record for a Carleton tradition, just to add some fuel to that rivalry.”
There is no rain date for Grinnell Day — because then it would be 5-02-12, not to be confused with Ogden, Iowa.