NEXT MONTH
Hard to believe, but we’re on our 4th week of February training! March training starts Sunday, Feb 26 and ends Sat April 1. If you’re not going to continue in March please return your key by Sat Feb 25. March will be a ‘long month’ 5 weeks, and so we take off an extra week of days scattered throughout the month. With your key, and by coming to other training sessions, you will get even more bang for your buck! I would really like to see everyone include some kind of daily activity, whether it’s a hike or some active recovery using the Echelon fitness mirror for a yoga class, or the IFIT and Peloton apps for stretching/Pilates. We really have more than you could ask for at AlamoShape, so please take advantage of it!
ROASTED SUGAR SNAP PEAS
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. sugar snap peas, strings removed and trimmed (if needed)
- ½ tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. sea salt or to taste
- ⅛ tsp. pepper or to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the sugar snap peas onto a large baking sheet, drizzle the oil, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Mix everything well and spread evenly. Bake at 450F for 15 minutes.
NOTES
Tips for best Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
- Don’t add extra oil. This recipe calls for a little bit of oil, and you might be tempted to add some extra. However, just a little is needed to get the beautiful color, and using extra will make them greasy.
- Use great-tasting snap peas. Mann’s brand has amazing sugar snap peas.
- Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. Arranging the snap peas in many layers causes them to stream instead of roast.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few ideas, how to change to try new flavors and never get bored with it:
- Add dried herbs. A pinch of dried Italian herbs, thyme, or basil, will make a great addition to this dish. Add the herbs together with the other ingredients before roasting.
- Add fresh herbs. Once the peas are roasted, sprinkle them with freshly chopped parsley, cilantro, or dill.
- Add Parmesan. Toss the roasted snap peas with ¼ cup of shredded Parmesan before serving.
- Make’em spicy. Toss ¼ teaspoon (or more) of crushed red pepper flakes with the snap peas before roasting.
- Add balsamic vinegar. Right before serving drizzle a little high-quality balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze on top.
NUTRITION
Calories: 66kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 244mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1233IUVitamin C: 68mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 2mg https://cooktoria.com/roasted-sugar-snap-peas/#recipe
 | Roasted Sugar Snap PeasThis Oven-Roasted Sugar Snap Peas recipe is easy and versatile. The sweet peas are delicious as a side dish or in other recipes!cooktoria.com |
COVID QUESTION FOR THE ELDERLY
(This was a comprehensive question/answer in The Washington Post. Those of you in this age bracket (or have loved ones who are) might want to read it.)
Your questions, answered
Whenever I see a report about covid deaths, it is along the lines of “only” people over 65, or with certain health conditions are dying — pretty dismissive sounding and unhelpful to an 80-year-old diabetic trying to decide whether to risk an indoor restaurant meal, or a visit with a grade school (fully vaccinated) grandchild. Could you break it down more? Is it mostly unvaccinated old people who are dying? What percentage at each age — 65-70, etc.? If you are old old, like me, with a “condition” (controlled diabetes), and fully vaccinated and having survived an early fall covid round (with the help of an antibody injection), who wears a mask when indoors in stores, how much risk am I at? There are a lot of us in that “only” description — please break it down more for us. — Sarah, N.Y.
Unfortunately for the reader, people over 65 remain at higher risk of contracting severe covid and dying from it. Post reporters Ariana Eunjung Cha and Dan Keating reported that during October 2022, nearly 9 in 10 covid deaths were in people 65 or older — the highest rate since the pandemic began. People 85 and older represented 41.4 percent of deaths that month, those 75 to 84 were 30 percent of deaths, and those 65 to 74 were 17.5 percent of deaths, according to a Post analysis of CDC data.
But that doesn’t mean older people have to remain homebound, experts say.
The reader who sent in the question has given herself “the best possible protection” by being vaccinated and boosted, says William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Yes, an 80-year-old with diabetes is in a higher-risk category than a younger person. But, Schaffner advises, the reader and others need to make their “own personal benefit-risk assessment.”
Wearing a mask while shopping and setting ground rules before a visit with the grandchildren are good ways to mitigate risk, he says. On the day of a visit with a grandkid or anyone else, take a rapid test to make sure you’re not sick with the coronavirus and request that those you’re going to visit do the same, Schaffner recommends. Negative tests on both sides mean the “risk is probably as low as we can make it.” Being vaccinated, masked and taking advantage of rapid tests provide the best protection, he says.
If an older person tests positive for covid despite taking precautions, Schaffner recommends that they obtain the antiviral drug Paxlovid as soon as possible to reduce the risk of ending up in the hospital. A study this month in the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported on Paxlovid’s effectiveness in preventing hospitalization. The study’s lead author recommended that anyone 60 or older or with an underlying health condition who tests positive for covid should call their doctor or pharmacy within five days to request it.
