Saturday Scoops
Advertiser Staff
In a quandary over what to do as summer swings into full gear? Do not despair, because we have many great ideas for you and your family. Ever wondered if you could make your own refrigerator art magnets? We'll show you.
Or dig out those snazzy cross-trainers and hoof it around Honolulu for your health.
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| Walking 10,000 steps a day — about the distance between Diamond Head and Aloha Tower — can help you burn calories and stay fit.
Greg Taylor • The Honolulu Advertiser |
Keep Weight Off! Look Younger, Feel Better! Add Years to Your Life! Prevent Heart Disease!
All in 10,000 Easy Steps a Day!
So the packaging might go if someone could market the health benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day.
The pluses of going the distance daily have been validated by researchers, including those at the Cooper Institute, a Texas research and education center.
Problem is, lots of folks find that taking 10,000 steps a day isn't as easy as it sounds. A sedentary office worker typically takes only 3,500 steps all day, tops.
But here's some info that might lure you off the couch today: Lack of physical activity contributes to an estimated 300,000 deaths annually in the United States, from illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, says a National Center for Health Statistics report.
Seven in 10 Americans are not regularly active — and four in 10 aren't active at all.
What does it mean to take 10,000 steps a day? Depending on stride length, 10,000 steps is four to five miles. Walking that much helps the average 150-pound person burn about 400 calories a day.
Strap on a pedometer or step counter and get moving, and you'll see that walking little bits here and there add up.
Park your car at the far end of the mall instead of circling for a space up front. If you must have ice cream this evening, hoof it to the store instead of driving.
Make the doing enjoyable: Pile the kids in a stroller or wagon and take them along. Make the turnaround point of your walk a park where you toss Frisbees for half an hour.
An added plus to this exercise:
You'll be building a legacy of health for your kids as they learn from your example.
Sashay on over to Blaisdell to see hula competition
Here's a rich taste of island culture for your family or your house guests: Check out the 29th annual King Kamehameha Hula Competition at the Blaisdell Arena, which continues at 1 p.m. today. Dancers hail from all over, including O'ahu, Maui, California and Tokyo. Tickets are $8.50-$20, available at the box office. 536-6540.
Proper sealing keeps doors from warping
Summer is an ideal time to deal with the exterior doors on your home. To save you headaches, know this: Exterior doors have a tendency to warp and twist when the weather turns wet. That warping is a sign that the door hasn't been properly sealed on all six sides — outside, inside, hinge side, handle side, top and bottom. So, if you want to head off having to repair your doors next rainy stretch, be sure to seal all sides thoroughly now.
Kids get creative with refrigerator magnets
Here's an easy, low-budget activity for the kids to try today: Making refrigerator art magnets.
You'll need two or three half-used squeeze bottles of kid-safe glue, two or three colors of paint, plastic wrap and a strip of magnetic material (available in rolls in craft stores). Sequins, glitter and other embellishments are optional. Empty glue into small bowls and mix with enough paint to color the glue. Pour colored glue back into squeeze bottles. Have your little ones squeeze the colored glue in designs on plastic wrap, and add sequins and other embellishments. Let dry overnight. Carefully peel off plastic wrap. Cut magnetic strips into pieces and glue to back of dried-glue design.
Spice up entertaining with simple Latin-style recipes
You don't have days to spend in the kitchen. That's why Rafael Palomino's new book, "Viva La Vida: Festive Recipes for Entertaining Latin Style" (Chronicle, $24.95) may be worth a look. Ingredients are kept to a reasonable number, but the flavors are more than the sum of their parts.
Try Peruvian Potato Salad: Cook 2 pounds medium unpeeled Okinawan sweet potatoes or new potatoes in salted boiling water; drain, cool and cut into chunks. Blend some minced garlic with a little olive oil and rub over 6 medium shelled and deveined shrimp; grill shrimp, cool and dice. Toss potatoes and shrimp with 2 cups diced ripe mango, 6 thinly sliced green onions and the kernels from 4 ears roasted corn. Dress the salad with 3/4 cup chipotle mayonnaise. (Blend 1 cup mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of chipotle en adobo — smoked peppers preserved in sauce, available canned in Mexican markets). Make ahead, serve chilled.
You're thinking Fido could stand to make some friends. Try PetWalk 2002, the annual fund-raiser for the Hawaiian Humane Society, Sunday at Kapi'olani Park. Dressing to impress is optional. The two-mile walk begins at 8 a.m.; you can register 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the humane society on Wai'alae Avenue, or 6:45-7:30 a.m. Sunday. Refreshments, games, entertainment and more. 946-2187, ext. 370; www.hawaiianhumane.org.
