ENDORPHIN EDGE EAT. PLAY. LIVE. Issue # 13

Endorphin Edge Eat. Play. Live.

January 2018

It’s that time of the year again. Every-

one is making New Years Resolutions.

Exercise machines are on sale. Fitness

clubs are offering special deals on

memberships and personal training.

Cookies and cakes are no longer cen-

ter stage at the supermarket to make

way for apples, bananas, and nuts.

One huge thing you can do is focus on

your heart. The heart is an amazing

organ. An average resting heart beats

between 60-100 beats per minute.

This adds up to over 100,000 beats

per day! It’s a wonder how our heart

keeps this up!

When we think of being heart healthy,

it is important to recognize that the

heart is a muscle. In order to strength-

en arm muscles, we lift weights and

do bicep curls. In order to strengthen

our legs, we run and do squat exercis-

es. In order to strengthen our heart

muscle, we perform cardiovascular

exercise. This includes running, cy-

cling, walking, playing basketball,

swimming, jumping rope and many

more.

Cardiovascular exercise needs to be at

an intensity that is specific to the indi-

vidual. You can gauge the intensity of

your cardiovascular exercise by taking

your heart rate. Your Maximum heart

rate can be found by taking the num-

ber 220 and subtracting your age.

Cardiovascular benefits come from

working within 70-80% of your maxi-

mum heart rate.

You can easily measure your heart

rate by locating your heart beat on

your wrist (radial artery,) neck,

(carotid artery) or heart itself. Take a

look at a clock and track the number

of beats for one minute or 30 seconds

and multiply by 2.

Have you ever wanted to learn about

how to maximize the benefits of your

workout? Next month we will share

the secret benefits of utilizing each

heart rate zone!

Understanding Your Heart 1

Don’t Hate, Meditate 2

Featured Playground:

Chicago Ninja Academy

2

#FunFamily

Find fun indoors

3

#FitFood

Turkey Lentil Chili

3

Mindful Color 4

Step up to 2018 5

YES We Can! IN THIS ISSUE

Understanding your Heart

PE teacher Mrs. Creager and her sister after a 14 mile run in –14 degree temperatures

ENDORPHIN EDGE EAT. PLAY. LIVE. Issue # 13

Don’t Hate, Meditate!

Have you ever been so busy

that you come home from

work, make dinner, sit down

and the next thing you know

you are eating. Eating at a rac-

ing pace and can’t seem to stop

because you have been moving

so quickly all day? We have to

take a moment to slow down,

relax, and be present in the

moment. Life is not about

getting from one point to the

next, but about the journey

that each day holds. A great

way to do this is to meditate.

Meditations allow us to take a

moment to slow down and be-

come more present in each

breath we take. When we are

more present, we are calmer,

less anxious, and happier in the

moment.

Try out some of these great

FREE apps this January!

Happiness is Here at Nerge!

31W041 North Avenue

West Chicago, IL 60185

630-447-9230

info@chicagoninjaacademy.com

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Need a place to run, jump, and challenge

your kiddos? Check out the Chicago Ninja

Academy. This gem is located in West

Chicago (About 20 minute drive) and

offers exactly what your thrill seeking

kiddo will enjoy.

Each class is an hour long and features

climbing, hanging, leaping and more!

They have dozens of obstacles for kids to

try and accommodate for all skill levels

and ages! (ages 5-12)

Classes are in demand! Reserve yours

now!

Featured Playground: Chicago Ninja Academy

All of these Apps are available on IOs and Adroid and Free to download.

ENDORPHIN EDGE EAT. PLAY. LIVE. Issue # 13

Have fun without ever leaving your

living room!

Picnic Time

Be sure to find a basket or tote and

take time to fill it with snacks, goodies,

sandwiches and your favorite treats.

Spread a blanket out and you are all

set for a fun afternoon picnic!

Beach Party!

Crank the heat (or the fireplace) and

make your favorite juicy beverage.

Throw on your swim suits, sunglasses,

and maybe even watch Pirates of the

Caribbean together!

Forts!

One of my favorite childhood memo-

ries was building blanket forts in my

bedroom. Why not take the experi-

ence up a notch and build your fort in

the family room! Once you are ready

to relax, cuddle up with some hot co-

coa and enjoy your hard work.

Instant Pot Version

1 lb ground turkey 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 minced garlic cloves 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup dry green lentils 2 cups water 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced to-matoes 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles 2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp pepper

Turn your Instant Pot onto “saute.” Brown the ground tur-key. Add in the diced onions, garlic, tomato paste and salt and cook until meat is browned and

onions are soft and translucent.

Add in the lentils, water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chili powder, cumin and

pepper.

Cover the Instant Pot and turn it to “manual,” set the timer to 13 minutes. Make sure the valve is

set to “sealing.”

When the timer beeps let it sit for 10 minutes and then slowly release the pressure by moving

the valve to “venting.”

Remove the lid and ladle the chili into bowls. We topped ours with a dollop of sour cream and some

diced green onions.

Slow Cooker Directions

(Follow ingredient list on left)

In a skillet over medium heat brown the ground tur-key. Add in the diced onions, garlic, tomato paste and salt and cook until meat is browned and onions are soft and translucent.

Add turkey mixture to the slow cooker. Add lentils, water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chili powder, cumin and pepper to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-6 hours, or until lentils are tender.

Endorphin

Edge

Eat. Play.

Live.

ENDORPHIN EDGE EAT. PLAY. LIVE. Issue # 13

MINDFUL COLOR

ENDORPHIN EDGE EAT. PLAY. LIVE. Issue # 13

Name: ______________________

Teacher: _____________________

January is all about starting fresh. This is it! This is your chance to try something new and make 2018 your best year yet! The Shoe below has 100 colorable number pieces. Your challenge is to complete as many tasks as you can to color in all 100 pieces by February 1st! Are you up to the challenge? Directions:

Print out this page Track the days your family walks by coloring in the gym shoe At the end of September, turn in your tracker to Mrs. Creager (PE) for the

chance to win a Schaumburg Park District prize pack! Winners will be announced in next month’s Endorphin Edge.

Color 3 Numbers: Walk around the block 20 Curl ups 10 Push ups Eat a protein, vegeta-

ble, dairy, grain, and fruit with dinner

Color 2 Numbers: Eat a vegetable Make your lunch Drink a glass of milk Choose milk over soda

Color 4 Numbers: Go Sledding Go Swimming Attend a sports practice Play outside for 30 minutes Exercise with Mom and Dad