Winter workout......

Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder

Weight Watchers Recipe


6PointsPlus Value

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 4
Sweet corn soup can't be beat. Highlight it in this chowder along with buttery Yukon Gold potatoes and smoky Canadian bacon.

1 medium uncooked yukon gold potato(es)
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1/2 cup(s) uncooked celery, chopped
1/4 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s), chopped (or 1 large shallot)
2 cups corn

1 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), diced
4 oz uncooked Canadian-style bacon, diced
2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Instructions
Pierce potato in several places with a fork; microwave on high power until tender, turning over once, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool; peel and mash.
Meanwhile, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Add celery, onion, corn and red pepper; sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Stir bacon and milk into saucepan; stir in mashed potato and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; stir to combine. Cover and simmer 10 minutes (do not allow to boil). Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Notes
Feel free to substitute your favorite fresh vegetables like asparagus and broccoli for the red pepper. Or to save time, substitute 2 cups of frozen corn and 1 cup of frozen, diced bell pepper for the fresh corn and red pepper

In winter when temperatures drop and the streets fill up with rain or snow, getting out of bed for a trip to the gym may seem impossible. However, slacking off on any fitness regimen can lead to unwanted weight gain and stress. Design your winter home exercise program following some simple guidelines and using equipment you may already have.
Cardio
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends getting 30 minutes of moderate-intensity or 20 minutes of high-intensity cardiovascular activity 5 days a week. Cardio exercise increases heart rate and burns calories. When you can't go for a run outside, jump rope or run in place, up stairs or on a treadmill at home. Short bursts of cardio, 10 minutes at a time, can be as effective as 30 minutes of sustained activity.
Resistance Training
Resistance training helps you shed fat and increase lean body mass over time. Design your at-home program to work all the major muscle groups in the upper body, midsection and lower body. Strength training exercises include push-ups for the chest, sit-ups for abdominal muscles and squats and lunges for the lower body. The ACSM recommends performing 8 to 10 strength-training exercises with 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise 2 to 3 times per week.
Equipment
Exercise at home can be accomplished on any budget. With a bigger budget, you can invest in cardio equipment such as treadmills and stationary bikes. Resistance training equipment includes weight machines or dumbbells. With a more moderate budget, purchase exercise videos or books to learn proper form, or use equipment around your house. The "Men's Health Home Workout Bible" suggests using stairs for cardio and benches, chairs, sandbags and buckets and jugs filled with water for strength training.
Good news: There are ways to exercise in less time. First, studies indicate that you don’t need to stretch before exercising. Instead, just do a light warm-up—a few minutes of jogging before a run or five minutes of cardio before weight training. Second, you can get a quick, full-body workout without even leaving home. Try to do 15 repetitions each of crunches, push-ups, triceps dips (off a stable chair), squats, and lunges. Do each rep in a slow and controlled manner (count three seconds on the way up for a crunch and three seconds on the way down), and do three sets of each move. This will help strengthen your biggest muscles, including your abdominals, back, arms, and legs.