This classic Mediterranean combo is as simple and healthy as it is delicious. A green salad and a loaf of crusty bread is all you need to turn this 30-minute one-skillet meal into a company feast. Variations abound; this one is adapted from “Milk Street: Cook What You Have” by Christopher Kimball (Voracious, $35). Due to its minimal ingredients, it’s best to simmer this mixture in a wine of a quality high enough to sip along with it. Serves 4. RECIPE HERE. – Susan Puckett

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 2 (15 ½-ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• 1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined (thawed of frozen)
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh parsley or basil, or a combination, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Stir in the beans, then add the wine and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated.
3. Stir in the shrimp and spread out in an even layer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the shrimp are opaque throughout.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove and discard the rosemary sprig if used.  Stir in the herbs, ladle onto plates, and drizzle with a little more oil if desired. Serve warm or room temperature.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.

Thick, white fish fillets are great to have around in the fridge or freezer for healthy, low-maintenance feasts. They’re quick to cook, and mild and sturdy enough to take to any number of preparations and flavor combinations. This recipe, lightly adapted from Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything Fast” (Harvest, $40), is a case in point. Crusty bread is the only accompaniment you’ll need. Serves 4. – Susan Puckett

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1pound fresh spinach, trimmed of thick stems (bagged leaves are fine)
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 16 ounces halibut or other thick, white fish fillets such as grouper or cod, thawed if frozen
• Lemon wedges and chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the paprika; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the spinach in batches, stirring after each addition and allowing the leaves to wilt before adding the next batch so that it will all fit in the pan.
4. Stir in the chickpeas andseason with ½ teaspoon each of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Cook and stir just until the spinach softens, 2 or 3 minutes.
5. Add the stock, lay the fish fillets in a single layer on top of the spinach and chickpeas, and sprinkle with another ½ teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper.
6. Adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles steadily but not vigorously. Cover the skillet and cook until a thin-bladed knife inserted in the thickest part of the fish meets little resistance, 5 to 10 minutes. Take care not to overcook.
7. Break the fish into big chunks with a fork. Taste the spinach and adjust the seasoning if needed.
8. Ladle into wide bowls, garnish with parsley and lemon wedges, and serve.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.

We love this subject and never get tired of sharing the good news: Scientific evidence keeps showing the link between exercise and a lower risk of developing dementia.

Two of the latest studies are among the most dramatic we’ve seen in a while.

One paper published recently in Neurology looked at 38 studies that followed more than 2 million people over at least three years.

It found that people who exercised regularly had 17 percent less chance of getting dementia, compared to people who did not.

The paper included walking, running, working out at the gym, and other activities as exercise.

That covers just about everything, doesn’t it? The point is to move regularly and often – and to have fun doing it. Exercise must be fun if you’re going to make it a regular part of your life over time.

An earlier study in Neurology looked at about 500,000 people for 11 years. It found the dementia risk fell by 35 percent for people who worked out in a gym or participated in sports. It also found a 21 percent lower risk for people who reported regularly working around the house on common household chores.

The World Health Organization says we all need at least 150 hours a week of moderately vigorous cardio activity and two sessions of resistance training.

Let’s show you how to get it done, for your health and for your future.

Philip Rafshoon loves starting the day with a run through Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, above, or on its BeltLine trail.

“It feels so good to get outside!” he wrote recently on Facebook, with an early-morning photo. “Up with a three-mile run. Ready to enjoy the weekend.”

Philip, in his 60s, knows that getting outside regularly is good for us. Now, we’re learning how it helps us live longer, too.

That’s the conclusion of a new study of 8 million city dwellers around the world, published recently in the Lancet Planetary Health. It says greenery improves longevity for people who reside in urban areas.

• Parks, for instance, give us space to move our bodies and play, which is good for us in countless ways – from lower blood pressure to calmer moods.
• Trees reduce noise and improve air quality.
• A 2016 study reported that women near green spaces had lower rates of death from kidney disease, respiratory disease, and cancer.

New York and Paris are among the globe’s top metropolises adding greenery, at least partly to add years to residents’ lives. The French capital even wants to make a third of its public green spaces into sustainable farms, complete with chickens and beehives.

Many in cities everywhere can enjoy the benefits of grass and trees in parks or back yards. Some trails have activity stations that encourage calisthenics and stretching along the way.

Get outside with your grandkids, play fetch with the dog, enjoy golfing, jogging or gardening … The list goes on and on.

Fitness in the gym helps you enjoy fitness outdoors for all kinds of activities.

And that sunshine on your shoulder makes everything just a little bit easier.

Everyone wants a “magic bullet” about healthy living and staying fit.

But the truth is, there simply isn’t one.

Still, successful active agers do share a few traits, along with the basics of exercising regularly; eating well; sleeping enough; and managing stress.

Here are 5 truths among them:

1. Slow Progress Is Ideal. You’ve learned that consistent effort over time brings the best, results. If we want too much right away, we risk getting frustrated and quitting.
2. Success Is aJourney. Don’t focus on “results” as much as “doing.” Appreciate the activity you perform each day, knowing that you’re getting closer to your goal.
3. Compete with Only Yourself. You’ll always see people who seem to be doing better than you. They’re stronger, slimmer, more attractive… more WHATEVER. And we do not care! Focus on you.
4. Accept the Blahs. Sometimes you just won’t want to go work out. Sometimes you just won’t want to eat right. Sometimes you won’t have as much strength or energy as you’d like. DO IT ANYWAY.
5. Avoid Complaining about Aging. We’ve all lost too many people who would’ve liked the privilege of getting older. Instead, embrace gratitude for all your blessings, including your physical abilities and the wherewithal to improve them.

How do we know so much about what helps people get and stay fit after 50? Simple: We see plenty of them here every day, living life on their own terms and feeling good. Join us!