Hoppin John

My husband, Robin, is famous for his Hoppin’ John Soup (the recipe is below),  and he was asked to make a huge pot of it for a local fundraiser.

He worked for hours chopping and stirring and simmering. When I entered the  kitchen last night he complained that his lower back was killing him.

I said, “Robin, are you holding in your stomach?”

He looked at me like I was crazy. But, just like women, men need to scoop  their tummy to strengthen their core, too.

Robin is 56 years old and does not make the time to exercise. And if you’ve  noticed, when men don’t work out, their bellies usually balloon out first.  That’s Robin. He’s not fat, but he has a belly.

Belly fat, also called visceral fat, is a danger for men in their fifties,  making them more prone to having a heart attack. Researchers have found that  exercise is a must to get rid of belly fat.

Our son, Ethan, recently told him, “Dad you have got to get yourself in  shape.” He took Robin outside and they began doing jumping jacks on the  driveway.

In a few minutes, Robin came upstairs and said, “No way.” Then he asked for  my senior exercise DVD, Strength Training for the Seasoned Soul .

He went into the bedroom, where we have a DVD player. Thirty minutes  later, he came out…wringing wet. I assured him that people who are 80 years and  older can do the workouts on my DVD, and he needed to stick with it.

Robin has been using Strength Training for the Seasoned Soul daily  for the last two weeks. He alternates between the 30-minute upper body workout  and the 30-minute lower body workout.

I have to admit—it’s quite odd to see myself instructing him on our bedroom  TV! But I’m glad he’s taking charge of his health.

Here’s the exercise I recommend to men who want to become more flexible.

 Pilates Saw Sit on a chair or on the floor, wherever you  are comfortable. Extend your legs in front of you, wider than hip width  apart.

Bend the knees slightly and contract your deep abdominal muscles as you focus  on your breathing during the stretch.

Lift both arms out to the side, shoulder height. Inhale and rotate your body  to the right, keeping your bottom on the bench.

Exhale and reach forward with your left hand past your right foot as you  extend your right arm behind you.

Inhale, roll back up and return to center. Repeat this exercise on the other  side. You can repeat this exercise up to 5-10 times on both sides.

Robin’s Hoppin’ John Soup

My family eats the traditional Southern black-eyed pea dish Hoppin’ John  on New Year‘s Day,  those great little peas are so rich in  nutrients (including minerals, Vitamins A and B, folic acid, pantothenic acid,  and niacin) that it makes sense to include them in our diets regularly.

Ingredients

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 Polish sausages (large smoked sausage cut up in pieces)

2 Italian sausage rolls

2-3 cups cubed ham

1 chopped onion

3 cups brown rice

4-6 cups of water—add more as needed

1 stick of unsalted butter

3 cans of black eyed peas undrained

1 tablespoon Cavender's Salt-Free All-Purpose Greek Seasoning

Preparation

1. Cook the Italian sausage with the stick of butter along with the chopped  onion in a skillet.

2. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon Cavander’s All-Purpose Greek Seasoning.

2. Cut up the Polish sausage and ham in bite size pieces and set aside. Cook  the rice.

3. Once the sausage is cooked; add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a  boil for a few minutes. Put on simmer for 2 hours and enjoy!

Serves 8-10

What does your family eat on New Years day?