Sondra E. Z. Hines, AILT, is an adjunct professor of health & wellness and is certified to teach group fitness exercise and Zumba. Wednesday Wellness - Fitness News You Can Use is published weekly. Email: sondraezhines@yahoo.com.

For the ninth consecutive year, football is America’s most popular sport, according to Harris Interactive. Roughly 17.9 million viewers watched during the regular season, giving the NFL sky-high TV ratings. As viewership rises, your waistline doesn’t have to follow.

Here are some creative cooking tips, compliments of Men’s Fitness magazine, to keep you on your fitness journey:

• Substitute beans for ½ of the ground beef in your favorite chili recipe, or use 100 percent ground turkey breast.
   
• Instead of high-calorie dips, replace with ‘salsamole’-- 1 cup salsa, 4 smashed avocados and 2 tbsp lime and chopped cilantro.
   
• Replace fried chicken wings for coconut chicken tenders with apricot dipping sauce. Dip raw chicken into beaten eggs, coat with equal parts breadcrumbs and shredded coconut. Place on baking sheet (coated with nonstick cooking spray) and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown. To make dipping sauce, mix 1 cup apricot jam and 2 tbsp Dijon mustard.

For other lean, game-day foods, pick up the September issue of Men’s Fitness.
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If you’ve visited a grocery store lately, you know food prices have jumped. However, manufacturers continue to tout pricey organic foods, with the promise of optimum health. Is buying organic really better or mere hype? Read more at CharlotteObserver.com.

Can We Talk?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released disturbing statistics. The rate of HIV infection among African-American gay and bisexual men aged 18 to 29 increased 50 percent between 2006 and 2009. Speaking at a news conference on August 16, Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS at the CDC, said this segment of the population was the only group to experience a significant increase in new infections during that period. Dr. Fenton said the rise took place even as the overall number of new HIV infections in the U.S. held steady at 50,000 cases per year. Even more disturbing, the CDC estimated that nearly half of infected African Americans may be unaware of their HIV status. Further, it seems that only 55 percent of this high-risk group is receiving adequate care. To increase rates of HIV testing and awareness among African-American gay and bisexual men, the CDC is rolling out a new campaign - Testing Makes Us Stronger. The campaign will feature messages posted in ads as well as on social media and in outreach programs. Now that we’ve talked, let’s get tested!
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Knick Knack Give A Child A Whack

Is spanking a child healthy or abuse? In many households, particularly African-American, spankings are considered the norm. But does mama (and daddy) really know best as it relates to discipline? Not so, says child psychologist Kerby T. Alvy, Ph.D, author of The Positive Parent and Effective Black Parenting. Alvy says parents should consider these alternatives to hitting a child: time-out, parenting courses, removing privileges and signing a contract, to name a few. I’d like to hear your feedback. “All I know is mama tanned my behind good from time to time” said Glenn Burkins, Qcitymetro.com editor/publisher.
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That’s a lot of child support!

Speaking of children, I close with news that caused me to chuckle. It appears one super dude has donated enough of his super sperm to father a whopping 150 babies! To paraphrase the late singer/songwriter Isaac Hayes, ‘they say that father is a bad muther.” Read more at NewYorkTimes.com.

Until next time, I wish you good health and wellness!

Got news to share with Qcity readers? Email us at editor@qcitymetro.com.
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