Health — Old Recipes — Sanaa's Gourmet

I've found the perfect incentive to keep up my exercising -a family reunion.As Jackie Gleason used to say in his "Honeymooners" TV show, "I've got a biiiiggg mouth.!" I say that, too, because every time I talk to my family members I give each a serious lecture on eating healthy and watching his or her weight. I am planning to see my family sometime soon so, I have to put my money where my mouth has been all this time.I' ve known the benefits of exercise for a long time, so I've recently started setting y alarm for 5:00 a.m. so I can exercise before I go to work. But what happens is I wake up on my own at 4:45 a.m. to turn off the alarm so no one else is awakened. Then, I remain in bed, debating with myself about whether to get up to exercise. The result is I neither exercise nor sleep after 4:45 a.m.Then, I decided to visualize what the exercise would be like if I ever got up to exercise. Since then, I've been visualizing morning exercises, tightening all the muscles throughout my body. It hasn't worked.I decided to set aside one hour in the evening to exercise. I thought 9 p.m., right after my daughter goes to bed, would be a good time to run to my treadmill. When the time came, I discovered my brain cells refused to move, let alone my muscles.As a last, desperate resort, I asked my 16 years old daughter to nag me about exercising. Nagging is something she is extremely good at. But alas it worked.Now, we exercise together after school. She counts my repetitions, and we dance together to her favorite music --I do understand some of the lyrics-. It works for both of us. I am actually exercising and we are having fun. I would say that she is having more fun imitating my moves and dance style.Bulgur and Mint Saladserves 42 cups coarse bulgur or #31 cup chopped fresh mint1 cup cooked garbanzo beans1 tomato, diced1 small cucumber, diced1 small sweet onion, dicedzest of one lemon1/2 cup lemon juice6 tablespoons olive oilsalt to taste-Wash and soak the bulgur in water for one hour. The bulgur should be soft. Squeeze excess water and place in salad bowl.-Add the mint and all the vegetables. Toss well.-Whisk the lemon juice with the olive oil and the lemon zest. Drizzle the lemon dressing over the bulgur vegetables mix and toss until well coated.