Glutton for punishment

Since school has ended I have been searching for new ways to torture myself. I came up with two pretty good plans.

My first is to pick back up learning Spanish. This is actually more fun than torture-of course it may be torturous for those listening to my Spanish. My second plan is to start training for a marathon again. This is fun in a sadistic, painful sort of way but it's summer and a great time to get outside and exercise. I'm not implying everyone should go out and start sacrificing their weekends and obsessing over mile splits like I do but the warmer weather is a great excuse to get out and start moving. I put together a few tips that I make routine anytime I'm embarking on outdoor physical activity. Most of these come from the fact I have NOT done them at some point and ended up sunburned, dehydrated, in pain or a combo of all of any/all of the above.

1) Get some good shoes. I LOVE holabird sports shoe selection. They are so cheap and shipping is free. I prefer Saucony or Asics to run in but they have pretty much any shoe you could want and always for way less than you would pay at a retailer.

2) Sweatproof sunblock. Whenever I forget sunblock I end up looking like I tanned through a screen door because I freckle so easily but I used to forget it all the time. Living in San Diego has made me much better about applying it often. Seriously, who wants skin cancer??

3) Music. I don't know about you but I need tunes to distract me. I'm constantly updating my playlist.

4) Eat right. If you're going to be heading out for a long day of physical activity, you should start preparing the night before. Eat a diet of complex carbohydrate-whole wheat pasta, stir fry or meat/fish with brown rice- for dinner so you have a good glycogen reserve for the next day. If you're hiking, biking or something like that then pack some snacks to take with you. If you're running, I take a carbohydrate gel with me (I prefer GU gels) so I can replenish my glucose.

5) Water! Pretty much goes without saying but I can't tell you how many times I walk out of my house without my water bottle.

The marathon is September 18th. We'll see if these old bones have another race left in them. If not, look for me at the local cantina.

Sore no more

I'm going to deviate a bit today from my usual nutrition stuff to impart a bit of my exercise physiology knowledge upon you.

Sore muscles can be a real pain in the neck (get it)? We all know the feeling of overexerting ourselves and paying for it the next day. I call this workout remorse and sore muscles can really throw off your routine by rendering you worthless for a day or in some cases a few days.

What causes muscles to be sore? The answer is lactic acid build up in the muscles. Lactic acid is the by product of energy production in our bodies. Lactic acid can actually be used to produce more energy (or ATP) in our bodies via a process called the lactic acid shuttle but often what ends up happening is the acid settles in our muscles after a workout and causes us discomfort the next day.

Let me help you out a little here and give you two good tips to help get those legs, arms, abs, whatever back into the game. First-eat a banana or any food high in potassium. Potassium helps displace some of the lactic acid in the muscles and is an important electrolyte that gets lost during periods of intense activity. Second-move! I know the last thing you feel like doing when you can barely walk is, well walk, but just a small amount of movement-like a walk for 10 minutes or so-will get that lactic acid moving and will help relieve some of the soreness. After you've moved around a bit try some easy stretches and this will help as well.

To prevent sore muscles stretch before you work out but NEVER, ever stretch cold muscles. This can lead to injury very easily. First, walk a bit if you
are about to embark on a run, swim or bike ride and then stretch. If you are going to be engaging in strength training of some sort at the gym, warm up on the elliptical or treadmill, bike whatever and then do some light stretches. Don't bounce and don't stretch outside of your comfort zone.

Also remember to stretch after your workout-this part if extremely important. I'm as guilty as anyone of being glad to be finished working out and hitting the shower before I've stretched and I regret it every time. Again remember NO bouncing, hold each stretch for about 30 seconds, don't stretch beyond your comfort zone and remember to breathe. If you're going to be engaging in endurance training,give yourself time to cool down before your stretch. Walking at a brisk pace right after your endurance activity keeps that lactic acid in play for longer and will use more of it before it settles into muscles.

Stretching is really the key to preventing excessively sore muscles but keep in mind if you're beginning an exercise routine chances are you will be a little sore after since you'll be working muscles that may not be used to being worked-hey no one said getting in shape was painless!

For stretching ideas and guidelines, go here .

The debate continues....

Amongst my many dorky addictions is talk radio. While I'll admit to having more than a few pop songs on my i-pod for workout music (and I admit I heart Lady Gaga), I hardly find most of the drivel produced by the latest and greatest seventeen year old worth my time. I ask you, what does a kid who hasn't even graduated high school yet really know about unrequited love?

I mostly listen to sports and talk radio and National Public Radio is my favorite source for all things news. I really enjoyed their recent airing of a piece on organic farming which I found very interesting. I didn't have time to listen to the whole thing so I found it online and uploaded it to my i-pod.

Have a listen to the debate on organic food put on by Intelligence Squared. They put on many debates on a myriad of topics and I really like listening to the issues they cover. I find this debate well reasoned and think both sides make good, objective arguments and to my knowledge the information presented seemed to be factual. Did your opinions change after listening?

Cool Quinoa recipe

This recipe I pirated from my wellness website at work. Quinoa is a delicious little Incan grain taken from a reed. I would like to point out this recipe states quinoa contains "all eight essential amino acids" (amino acids you need to consume because your body does not make them). There are actually NINE essential amino acids and while quinoa contains all nine, it does not contain them in amounts that would make quinoa a complete protein. However, quinoa is still a delicious and nutritious food and incredibly versatile.

The Inca called quinoa the "mother grain," and North Americans are just beginning to explore its possibilities. The small, bead-shaped grains are high in protein and contain all eight essential amino acids. Look for quinoa at whole foods stores. If you like, add a little more sugar to the recipe to make a superb cold-weather dessert.

Takes Under 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (7 oz/210 g) quinoa
2 cups (16 fl oz/480 ml) water
1 teaspoon natural cane sugar
1 pinch sea salt
1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz/75 g) dried cranberries
1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz/75 g) currants
1 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/360 ml) 1% vanilla soy milk, warmed



PREPARATION

1. Rinse quinoa very well in a fine-mesh sieve and let drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the quinoa. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes more.
3. Gently toss the quinoa with the fruit and almonds. Serve with the warmed soy milk.

Source: Healthy Living Kitchens





NUTRITION BONUS
Contains at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving.





NUTRITIONAL INFO
PER SERVING
283 Calories
4.3g Fat
0.4g Saturated fat
8.0g Protein
55g Carbohydrate
4.0g Fiber
77mg Sodium

Ocean Beach Farmer's Market

If you have a farmer's market, I hope it is as awesome as the OB Farmer's Market. Last night I bought our whole dinner there:

freshly caught salmon
a bag of organic mixed greens including kale and Swiss chard
a box of strawberries
pumpkin seeds
lemons
hass avocados
tomatoes

I LOVE fresh tomatoes (I am attempting to grow some as we speak) and fresh produce in general and I love even more contributing to my local economy and farmers-these guys need us people! Food should always be bought and sold this way, in my opinion. Food should be local and fresh-not necessarily organic but hey if that's what you like, go for it. Food travels less distance (making it more nutritious) and is grown (or caught in my salmon's case) locally, making you a super amazing locavore by shopping at a farmer's market.

Check out your local chamber of commerce web page for a list of markets in your area.

Oh and a delish tip, I roasted the pumpkin seeds with olive oil and sea salt for a tasty and healthier alternative to croutons for our salads.

Tasty goodies:




Yummy salads:

20 worst drinks in America

I like the idea behind the book "Eat this, not that!" by David Zinczenko. Apparently Oprah endorses it too, and anyone who makes a doctor out of someone who is not actually a doctor certainly knows what they are talking about! Oprah's totally unmedically based opinion aside, however, I must say I like this guy's approach and there is also a handy-dandy eat this not that I-phone app as well for anyone more tech savvy than me,which is pretty much everyone.

The book doesn't seem to be a diet book as much as a lifestyle change book, which is the only way to see lasting results if you are trying to lose/maintain your weight. Fad diets are no bueno and often leave people feeling frustrated due to the hard work they put into losing weight and then gaining it back-this will happen 99% of the time with fad diets. I was especially impressed with his 20 worst drinks in America bit where he compares popular coffee, soda and energy drinks to their sugar equivalents in desserts. Check the list out to see if your favorite morning beverage may have you eating the equivalent of 9 apple pies from McDonald's!