Swedish Meatballs and Ultra Creamy Eggnog Recipes, Spotlight on Black Peppercorns and Cinnamon, Digital Scales for Precise Measuring, Soft Drinks and Stroke Risk, and Benefits of Yoga

Are you getting into the holiday mindset and wondering how to cook up delicious dishes without relying on the same old same old? I’ve got two recipes you’ll want to try ASAP: sensational Swedish meatballs and an ultra-creamy eggnog. The flavors of both recipes are turbo-charged with spices in the latest collection from the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections—two  perennial favorites heirloom Vietnamese cinnamon and vine-ripened black peppercorns. 

I was fascinated by the research I’m detailing on how certain beverages can increase the risk for stroke, considered a disease of the brain—plenty of food (make that drink) for thought! And if the excitement of the holidays causes added stress for you as it does for so many, consider yoga for your next me-time activity. If you’ve never tried it before, this gentle practice could be impactful in many ways.

Swedish Meatballs

• Swedish Meatballs

  A rich cream sauce, enhanced with freshly ground black peppercorns and nutmeg, defines the Swedish take on meatballs. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes with a helping of lingonberry jam (whole cranberry sauce makes a tasty alternative). These meatballs also make a terrific passed hors d’oeuvre for holiday gatherings.

  Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 pound​ lean ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly groundnutmeg, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
  • 3 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought beef stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Optional: 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

  Directions

  Step 1

  In a very large bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in the half-and-half. When the breadcrumbs have fully absorbed the liquid, add in the ground meats, eggs, garlic powder, nutmeg, allspice, onions, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to completely mix all the ingredients, then form 1-inch meatballs. 

  Step 2

  Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and brown the meatballs on all sides (you may need to do this in batches to avoid cramming them). Transfer the meatballs to a clean dish. Add the butter to the skillet; when melted, sprinkle on the flour and whisk constantly until the roux browns, about 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the stock, about a cup at a time, bringing it back to a boil to thicken before adding the next cup. Stir in the heavy cream, then add back the meatballs. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F in a few meatballs. Top with more nutmeg and, if desired, the parsley.

  Yields 6 to 8 servings 

Ultra Creamy Eggnog

• Ultra Creamy Eggnog

  Rich and creamy, fresh eggnog makes you feel like you’re sipping on vanilla custard—so good that you’ll never go back to the premade versions in the grocery dairy case. Spike it with your favorite spirit, such as brandy, bourbon, rum, or whisky, if desired.

  Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs plus 4 yolks 
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar 
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream 
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, plus more for sprinkling 
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of fine sea salt

  Directions

  Step 1

  Whisk the eggs and yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until well blended; set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, slowly bring the milk and cream to a simmer. Ladle a small amount into the eggs to temper them, then slowly transfer the egg mixture back to the saucepan. Cook, whisking continuously, until it reaches 160°F on an instant read thermometer (the temperature it takes to “cook” the eggs); don’t let it reach a boil.

  Step 2

  Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. For the smoothest eggnog, strain it through a fine sieve into a heat-safe pitcher. When it comes to room temperature, cover and place in the fridge until cold and thickened (you can do this up to three days in advance). 

  Step 3

  To serve, pour into festive glasses, sprinkle on more cinnamon, and grate more nutmeg right over the top. 

  Yields 4 drinks

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Black Peppercorns and Cinnamon

Once the most coveted spice in the world, peppercorns were the original “black gold.” Grown in bunches like tiny grapes, they are the seeds of a plant and are considered a fruit. Enjoy freshly ground black pepper on favorite foods like eggs, mashed potatoes, and tuna salad, but also have fun finding new ways to appreciate its flavor. It makes a perfect “crust” for steak, duck breast, and tuna, and enlivens roasted sweet potatoes and winter squashes, vegetable slaws, cold pasta salads, the Italian classic cacio e pepe, mulled wine, and wine-poached pears. Ancient Indian and Egyptian cultures used peppercorns as an anti-inflammatory, an analgesic, and even a preservative. Contemporary research has found that there’s science to back up those early practices, thanks to the enzymes in piperine. 

Harvested for thousands of years, Vietnamese cinnamon is world renowned for its spicy sweetness. Reach for cinnamon to top your lattes and add sweet spice to smoothies and oatmeal. It will elevate fruit-based desserts, from a simple baked apple to wine-poached pears, as well as baked treats like all-American gingerbread cookies, spiced banana bread, a rich babka, and even richer baklava. It adds depth to both savory and sweet dishes, from dried-fruit-and-nut-laden Persian rice and Moroccan tagines to Mexican moles and churros to Vietnamese Pho to Greek moussaka. In ancient times, cinnamon was the go-to remedy for respiratory and digestive ills. We’re still learning about its benefits today. According to a review paper in Pharmacognosy Research, the phytochemicals in cinnamon could be good for brain health, boosting the brain’s ability to use glucose, the energy source that supplies every part of the body. They’re also being studied to help lower blood pressure, manage diabetes, and boost heart health, along with fighting off cell damage caused by toxins in our environment.

Quick Kitchen Nugget

A More Precise Measure

While measuring spoons are the tried-and-true way most people measure quantities, you might find more and more references to gram weights for ingredients in recipes. That’s because an ingredient’s weight is more precise, especially when you are measuring whole spices that don’t fit perfectly in a spoon. An electronic scale with a bright digital readout will be a great addition to your kitchen gadgets. 

For Your Best Health

New Concerns Over Popular Soft Drinks 

It’s no secret that drinking sugar-sweetened soda does nothing to boost health, but recent findings from the INTERSTROKE research project have expanded the list of concerns linked to these and other beverages with regard to stroke. Stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, damaging brain cells. Ischemic stroke, the predominant type, is when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked by a clot or plaque; hemorrhagic stroke is when a blood vessel in the brain breaks and bleeds into surrounding tissue.

INTERSTROKE is one of the largest international studies of risk factors for stroke. It includes almost 27,000 people, nearly half of whom experienced a first stroke; they come from 27 countries across North and South America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and represent a broad range of ethnic as well as geographical backgrounds and different cardiovascular risk profiles. 

Scientists from the University of Galway in Ireland, in collaboration with McMaster University in Canada and an international network of stroke researchers, conducted two analyses of INTERSTROKE data and published their findings on the effects of carbonated drinks, fruit juice/drinks, and water in the Journal of Strokeand those related to tea and coffee in the International Journal of Stroke. 

The study that focused on carbonated drinks and fruit juice found:

• Both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened (“diet” or “zero sugar” versions) carbonated or fizzy drinks were linked with a 22% increased chance of stroke, and the risk increased sharply with two or more of these drinks a day. This link was greatest among people in Eastern/Central Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America.
• Fruit juice drinks were correlated with a 37% increase in the chance of hemorrhagic stroke. With two of these drinks a day, the risk triples. Women were at a higher risk than men. 
• Drinking more than 7 cups of water a day was linked with reduced odds of an ischemic stroke.

“Not all fruit drinks are created equal: Freshly squeezed fruit juices are most likely to bring benefits, but fruit drinks made from concentrates, with lots of added sugars and preservatives, may be harmful,” explained lead researcher on both studies Professor Andrew Smyth, MSc, PhD, professor of clinical epidemiology at University of Galway and consultant physician at Galway University Hospitals. The team noted that many products marketed as fruit juice are made from concentrates and contain added sugars and preservatives, which may offset the benefits usually linked with fresh fruit and actually increase stroke risk. “Our research also shows that the chance of stroke increases the more often someone consumes fizzy drinks,” he added. “As a doctor and as someone who has researched the risk of stroke, we would encourage people to avoid or minimize their consumption of fizzy and fruit drinks and to consider switching to water instead.”

The study that focused on the consumption of coffee and tea found:

• Drinking more than four cups of coffee a day increased the chance of stroke by 37% but was not associated with stroke risk at lower intakes.
• Drinking tea was linked with an 18%-20% reduced chance of stroke.
• Drinking 3-4 cups per day of black tea, including Breakfast and Earl Grey teas, was linked with a 29% lower chance of stroke, while drinking 3-4 cups per day of green tea was linked with a 27% lower chance.
• Adding milk may reduce or block the beneficial effects of antioxidants that can be found in tea: The reduced chance of stroke from drinking tea was lost for those who added milk.

“A key goal of the INTERSTROKE study is to provide usable information on how to reduce one’s risk of stroke. While hypertension is the most important risk factor, stroke risk can also be lowered through healthy lifestyle choices in diet and physical activity. The current study adds further information on what constitutes healthy choices on daily intake of beverages,” said Professor Martin O’Donnell, MB, PhD, executive dean of College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Galway, consultant stroke physician at Galway University Hospitals, and co-leader of the INTERSTROKE study in partnership with Professor Salim Yusuf of McMaster University, Canada.

Fitness Flash

Do You Do Yoga?

With all of yoga’s benefits, it’s surprising that only about 15% of Americans take advantage of this mind-body practice. Far from the touchy-feely stereotype of twisting into a pretzel while chanting, there are many ways to tap into its many benefits.

It’s true that yoga began as a spiritual practice rooted in Indian philosophy thousands of years ago. Contemporary variations often focus more on its physical and mental well-being aspects. Through gentle yoga poses, breathing, and meditation, it’s possible to increase strength and flexibility while easing stress. There are also more challenging forms of yoga, such as hot yoga, that offer intense workouts (though these are not for everyone, especially if you’re pregnant).

According to NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), yoga has overall benefits like improved sleep and a better emotional outlook and may also play a positive role in managing specific health conditions, like neck, low back, and knee pain; headaches; symptoms of anxiety and depression; and even quitting smoking and losing weight. 

While yoga is considered a safe form of exercise, the way to get the most from it and avoid injury is to learn it from a credentialed teacher and, if you have any health conditions, one who has expertise adjusting yoga to your specific health needs. The NCCIH suggests asking about the training and experience of the yoga instructor you’re considering, as well as talking with your healthcare provider and the yoga instructor in advance to go over any poses and practices that you may need to avoid or modify. There are many poses for beginners, and many to learn as you progress.

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Jhinga Manchurian and All-American Gingerbread Cookies Recipes, Spotlight on Purple Garlic Powder and Ground Buffalo Ginger Root, Preserving Spices, Treating Metabolic Syndrome and Powerful Pilates

Get ready for two of my most richly spiced recipes yet: a succulent sautéed shrimp dish and zesty gingerbread cookies. They exemplify how you can achieve layers of flavor with the right blends of spices. In addition to turning the spotlight on two ground spices—ginger and garlic— this edition of the newsletter highlights a new approach to combating metabolic syndrome, which now affects one-third of American adults, and the exercise discipline Pilates, a unique approach to becoming stronger and more confident.

Jhinga Manchurian

• Jhinga Manchurian

  This Indian dish with Chinese influences has just enough spice for a nice kick and is a deliciously exotic prep for shrimp. 

  Ingredients

  For the shrimp:

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Vine-Ripened Black Peppercorns
  • 1/4 teaspoon Marash Red Chili Flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon Purple Garlic Powder
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • 1-1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined as needed

  For the sauce:

  • 1 teaspoon Purple Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Buffalo Ginger Root
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
  • 1 cup chopped scallion
  • 1 serrano chile, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish 
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch 
  • 1/2 cup water 
  • Optional: 2 cups of steamed broccoli florets

  Directions

  Step 1

  Prep the shrimp: In a bowl large enough to hold the shrimp, add the black pepper, chili flakes, garlic powder, and salt; whisk well. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and whisk again. Add the shrimp and toss to coat; set aside.

  Step 2

  Prep the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, ground ginger, ground tomatoes, rice vinegar, sugar, water, and chili garlic sauce; set aside.

  Step 3

  Heat a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté the shrimp for 2 minutes on each side or until pink and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a nearby bowl. Add the scallions, serrano, and cilantro to the hot wok and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved sauce and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with the water and add to the sauce; continue cooking until the sauce has thickened. Add back the shrimp and optional broccoli and toss to coat. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

  Yields 4 servings

All-American Gingerbread Cookies

• All-American Gingerbread Cookies

  The dough for these quintessential holiday cookies can be made a day in advance. After baking and cooling, glaze them with simple icing or use thicker royal icing to create fun patterns. 

  Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Ground Buffalo Ginger Root
  • 1 tablespoon ground Heirloom Vietnamese Cinnamon
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg 
  • 1 tablespoonallspice
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground Vine-Ripened Black Peppercorns
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard 
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, more if needed 
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour 
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature 
  • 1-1/4 cups dark brown sugar 
  • 2 large eggs 
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup molasses 

  Directions

  Step 1

  In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, and dry mustard. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then whisk in the spice mix (this helps to ensure even distribution).

  Step 2

  Cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth. Beat in the eggs, olive oil, and molasses. When fully incorporated, add the flour mixture at a very low speed, in two or three batches, and mix until a dough forms. If the dough is too wet, add more all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper and flatten it, then wrap it up in the paper and chill until firm, about 3 hours. 

  Step 3

  To make the cookies, heat your oven to 350°F. Working with half the dough at a time, roll it out on a large piece of parchment paper dusted with flour to about 1/4-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to make your desired shapes and a large metal spatula to transfer the cookies to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes depending on size. Cool for 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to racks to finish cooling. Ice as desired.

  Yields approximately 50 3-inch cookies 

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Purple Garlic Powder and Ground Buffalo Ginger Root

Garlic is a mainstay of nearly every cuisine and is grown around the world. But there’s garlic, and then there’s purple garlic, named for the purple striations on its papery skin. Different from garlic grown on a mass scale, my Purple Garlic Powder comes from an heirloom variety cultivated by local farmers in the mountainous Cao Bằng region in northern Vietnam. You’ll discern the difference on your first taste.

Garlic is the edible bulb of a plant in the lily family, along with other well-known alliums—onions, leeks, shallots, chives, and scallions. It has been enjoyed for 5,000 years, with the earliest uses traced back to Egyptian and Indian cultures. Garlic comes in two varieties, soft neck and hard neck. Hard-neck garlic, like my purple garlic, has a hard stalk, or neck, in the center. The bulbs that grow around a hard neck tend to be more succulent than white garlic. Sweeter and more balanced than run-of-the-mill garlic powder, it has delicious notes of brown butter and toasted hazelnuts. It is so intense that it takes just a 1/4 teaspoon to get the flavor of a garlic clove. Using it in addition to fresh garlic will ramp up the garlic taste. 

Garlic powder is a mainstay of dry rubs, marinades, vinaigrettes and other salad dressings, savory dips, tomato sauces, and stews. Perfect for easy peasy garlic bread and croutons and for sprinkling on pizza, it will also enhance chicken piccata, seared scallops, ground meat dishes from burgers to chili, and veggie dishes like mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. (You’ll get recipes for the bolded dishes and more in the Spice Report that comes with my collection.)

Garlic has been studied for its ability to prevent and treat many chronic conditions thanks to its organosulfur compounds that protect against oxidative stress, a cause of premature aging. Garlic may help reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and, thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal properties, boost the immune system. Because garlic’s compounds are relatively stable, it’s likely that garlic powder retains many of them, according to research published in Frontiers in Nutrition.

With origins in southern China, ginger root has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. Ginger was not only dried and ground into a rich powder but also preserved and candied. Like nutmeg and other exotic spices, it was a highly valuable commodity that was traded with the West. 

The ginger for my Ground Buffalo Ginger Root is also grown in Vietnam’s Cao Bằng region. Buffalo ginger is bigger than other varieties—its large knobs are reminiscent of a buffalo’s horns. It has a subtle spiciness with hints of sweetness, floral notes, and a nice amount of heat with a richness and a warmth missing in run-of-the-mill ginger powders. It is so flavorful it takes just a 1/2 teaspoon to substitute for a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger.

Thanks to centuries of international trade, ginger is part of many global cuisines, from Asia and India to Africa, Europe, and the Americas. It enhances dishes like West African peanut stew, apple crisp, pumpkin pie, and, of course, gingerbread. Add it to hot oatmeal along with diced apples and cinnamon. It pairs beautifully with honey in salad dressings, glazes, and BBQ sauces and in spice mixes like chai masala, baharat, curry blends, and jerk seasoning for chicken, salmon, and shrimp. Sprinkle it on roasted sweet potatoes and squashes and on pineapple carpaccio and sliced peaches. 

Ginger was—and still is—widely used as a medicinal to treat upset stomachs, nausea, colds, and even arthritis. Research credits ginger’s hundreds of bioactive compounds, like gingerols and shogaols, for its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. More research is needed, but ginger may one day play a role in lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease and diabetes.

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Preserving your spices

Be sure to close the lids securely on all your herbs and spices, especially those that have been ground into a powder. Moisture, in particular, affects flavor and texture, so make sure your hands and your measuring spoons are completely dry to keep moisture out of the jar and avoid clumping. If any clumps do occur, use the tines of a cocktail fork to break them up.

For Your Best Health

A new approach to treating metabolic syndrome

Health data has shown that over one-third of US adults have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels. In a new clinical trial called the TIMET study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers at the Salk Institute and University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that time-restricted eating—also known as intermittent fasting—could offer significant health benefits to adults with metabolic syndrome. 

“For many patients, metabolic syndrome is the tipping point that leads to serious and chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease,” said co-corresponding author Pam Taub, MD, professor of medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and a cardiologist at UC San Diego Health. “There is an urgent need for more effective lifestyle interventions that are accessible, affordable, and sustainable for the average American.”

Western diets high in sugar, salt, and fat, combined with increasingly sedentary lifestyles, are thought to have contributed to the rising rates of metabolic dysfunction. While the initial recommendation from doctors may be to “eat less and move more,” these lifestyle changes are difficult for most people to sustain long term, said the researchers. They suggest that time-restricted eating offers a more practical approach accessible to a wider range of people, including those already on medication for metabolic syndrome. TIMET is the first study to evaluate the benefits of a customized time-restricted eating schedule in people taking medication, a population group usually excluded from such trials, enabling researchers to measure the benefits of time-restricted eating in addition to existing standard-of-care medications. 

“Our bodies actually process sugars and fats very differently depending on the time of day,” said Salk Professor Satchidananda Panda, PhD, holder of the Rita and Richard Atkinson Chair, and co-corresponding author of the study. “In time-restricted eating, we are reengaging the body’s natural wisdom and harnessing its daily rhythms to restore metabolism and improve health.”

“Unlike expensive pharmaceuticals like Ozempic, which require lifetime use, time-restricted eating is a simple lifestyle change that doesn’t cause side effects and can be maintained indefinitely,” said first author Emily Manoogian, PhD, a staff scientist in Dr. Panda’s lab at Salk. “Patients appreciate that they don’t have to change what they eat, just when they eat.”

In the study, 108 adults with metabolic syndrome were randomly placed into either the time-restricted eating group or the control group. Time-restricted eating protocols were customized to each participant’s eating habits, sleep/wake schedules, and personal commitments. The resulting regimen had them reduce their eating window to a consistent 8-10 hours per day, beginning at least one hour after waking up and ending at least three hours before going to sleep. Dr. Manoogian said this personalized approach made the intervention easier for participants to complete, compared with other intermittent fasting studies, which typically assign the same strict time window to everyone. Both groups continued to receive standard-of-care treatments and underwent nutritional counseling on the Mediterranean diet. Participants also logged their meals using the myCircadianClock mobile app, developed at Salk.

After three months, patients who had completed the time-restricted eating regimen showed improvements in key markers of cardiometabolic health, including blood sugar and cholesterol. They also saw lower levels of hemoglobin A1c, a marker of long-term blood sugar control. This reduction was similar in scale to what is typically achieved through more intensive interventions by the National Diabetes Prevention Program. The time-restricted eating group also showed 3% to 4% greater decreases in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and abdominal trunk fat, a type of fat closely linked to metabolic disease. Importantly, these participants did not experience significant loss of lean muscle mass, which is often a concern with weight loss.

The TIMET trial adds to a growing body of evidence supporting the use of time-restricted eating as a practical, low-cost intervention to improve cardiometabolic health. The promising results suggest that healthcare providers could consider recommending the lifestyle intervention to people with metabolic syndrome as a complement to existing treatments, though additional long-term studies are needed to determine whether time-restricted eating can sustain these benefits and ultimately reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Fitness Flash

Adding power with Pilates 

Though it’s been about 100 years since fitness legend Joseph Pilates created his signature exercise practice, an aura of mystery still surrounds this unique fitness form. Considered a type of strength training, Pilates focuses more on muscle tone than muscle building, creating greater strength, stability and balance, mobility, coordination, range of motion, and endurance, according to Pilates expert Steven Fetherhuff, NCPT, a nationally certified Pilates teacher and coordinator of the Pilates program at HSS, the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. 

Pilates exercises are typically done in one of two ways: on an exercise mat or using unique, Pilates-designed machines like the famous Reformer. Many participants choose Pilates studio workouts so they can do both (you’d need a dedicated home space to accommodate the machines). The exercises can all be tailored to your needs and fitness level. 

At the top of the list of Pilates benefits is improving core strength (in the abdominal area and the back), which helps with posture, performing everyday activities, and reducing the risk of falls. Other benefits include better flexibility and mind-body awareness. The movements are easier on the joints than other types of workouts, which is important if you have any painful chronic conditions like arthritis or back pain. Taking private or small Pilates classes can be especially helpful if you’re rehabbing after an injury.

What’s key is finding a trained and experienced instructor who successfully completed the National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP). Pilates teachers with this certification have taken a comprehensive Pilates course and passed a standardized exam (the NPCP website has a directory of certified instructors searchable by zip code). In addition to getting your doctor’s OK before starting Pilates—good advice prior to any new fitness workout—talk with the Pilates instructor you’re considering about your health history and any physical limitations you might have so that exercises can be adapted to your abilities. 

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