PUMPKIN...

My favorite time of the year!

Loaded with nutrients - In addition to fiber, there are many other nutrients packed into this gourd. Carotenoids like beta-carotene are plentiful, as is vitamin A (each 1/2-cup serving has 300% the daily value!). Muscle-fueling potassium? Yup, got that too. Yay, pumpkin!

Delicious yet neutral - The stuff is naturally yummy with a fantastic creamy texture, but it's not that sweet on its own. Its mild taste makes it an excellent base for all sorts of flavors: cheesy, spicy, maple-y... even chocolatey! This means you can use it in SO many different recipes.

Watch out farmers market - coming to get my gourd on!

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein!

Oregano...

Superstar levels of antioxidants mean that a half teaspoon of dried oregano has the benefits of a spinach salad. Oregano has the ability to act as an expectorant, clearing congestion, and can also improve digestion.

Working Out and Caffeine...

Coffee is my choice of caffeine and glad to know it has a place before, during and after workouts if you want to perform your best. For me it’s in the AM and glad to know that my cup of Java has it’s advantage as a booster!

Before A Workout

What it does: Caffeinated beverages like coffee or tea prior to a workout can help promote endurance and a lower rate of perceived exertion (RPE) during exercise. In events lasting two hours or less, caffeinatng beforehand may even help you have more strength at the end of your workout, so you may have extra kick to get across the finish line—or at least you won't feel so drained. Tip: Get the caffeine in 45 minutes to an hour before your workout so it has time to take effect.

How much it takes: About 3 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. That means a 150-pound person would want 210 to 400 mg caffeine. A 20-oz Starbucks coffee contains about 200 mg; iced tea has about 40 mg.

BTW - BLOG # 500

I MIGHT NEVER EAT COCONUT AGAIN...

The words written on food packaging are a contract between you and the manufacturer, as mandated by the federal government via the FDA. Many food producers hire lawyers that help them craft words to get you to buy their products while toeing the line of legality. Here is something very interesting, in a scary way, about coconut and flavoring!

Flavored

Both natural and artificial flavors are actually made in laboratories. But natural flavorings are isolated from a natural source, whereas artificial flavorings are not. However, natural flavors are not necessarily healthier than artificial. According to Scientific American, the natural flavor of coconut is not from an actual coconut, as one might expect, but from the bark of a tree in Malaysia. The process of extracting the bark kills the tree and drives up the price of the product when an artificial flavoring could be made more cheaply and more safely in a laboratory. 

Overview

Coconut serves as an important source of nutrition in many island cultures. However, shredded coconut is a processed food item most often used for baking or as a topping for your hot cereal or salad. Coconut is high in fat and calories, and knowing its nutrition information can help you adjust your intake!

POTASSIUM...

Without this essential mineral, your heart couldn't beat, your muscles wouldn't contract, and your brain couldn't comprehend this sentence. Why? Potassium helps your cells use glucose for energy.  

Half an avocado contains nearly 500 mg potassium, while one banana boasts roughly 400 mg. Not a fan of either fruit? Pick up some potatoes—a single large spud is packed with 1,600 mg. Most multivitamins have less than 100 mg of potassium, so eat your fruits and vegetables, folks! 

So glad to know there is more out there for potassium than bananas! The only time I eat a banana is after a race and if it is the only fruit being served!

Find a Veggie...

Dining out is always a challenge, and you owe it to yourself to go out and enjoy yourself! Depending on the nature of the establishment, this can be fairly easy or a bit tricky, but either way, it's a worthy pursuit. Whether it's a hamburger with lettuce and tomato or a plate of pasta with broccoli, choose meals that have some natural color, courtesy of Mother Natures best vegetables.  A burger with cheese, a bun and nothing else or a plate of pasta with cheese and cream sauce are missing the color of nutrition your body needs.  Even a pizza (if you must) loaded with veggies is a better choice!

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein!

TURKEY SANDWICH...

You've probably heard that when in doubt of what to order out, a turkey sandwich is always a safe bet, right? Well, it depends on where you're eating. Highly-processed deli meats can be high in nitrates and sodium, which is hard on the heart. Not to mention that turkey sandwiches are oftentimes loaded with full-fat mayo and include huge portions of bread (white or wheat, too much is too much). As always, check those nutritionals before you eat to know what kind of turkey sandwich you're really getting!

Toning Mistakes... 

You race through your reps!  Two things could be going on here: Either your weights are too light, which is often the case for women, or they're too heavy, and you're letting momentum or gravity take over. Either way, your muscles aren’t being sufficiently challenged, which is why they're not getting more toned.

The Solution: If you don't believe you've done just about all you can do by the end of a set, pick a heavier weight. You want there to be a bit of strain on the second-to-last and last reps.  Reach for a lighter dumbbell when you aren't moving the weight with steady control as you lift and lower.

TRAIL MIX...

Nuts and dried fruit trail mix is obviously a healthy choice, right? Wrong! While plain, natural mixes of unsalted nuts and unsweetened dried fruits can make for a good portion-controlled, high-energy snack, many mixes throw in chocolate chips, loads of salt, and added sugars. Since a small handful easily contains 300-plus calories, read your nutrition labels closely!  I stick to the raw, unsalted snack packs of almonds so I do not over indulge!

Fresh Figs...

Now in season - fresh figs put the "va voom" in fruit - the tender but toothsome skin gives way to a soft and sticky center, dotted with delicately popping seeds, the perfumed and honeyed flesh - you get the picture! In my humble opinion, figs are quite an experience. And beyond their drop-dead flavor is their profusion of life-boosting qualities.

Figs have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. With their standout source of potassium, figs may help to control blood pressure. Figs are high in calcium. And as fate would have it, their potassium may reduce the amount of calcium lost as a result of high-salt diets. Figs are also a good source of iron, vitamin B6, and the trace mineral manganese.

The fruit also has tremendous amounts of fiber, more than any other dried or fresh fruit. Insoluble fiber protects against colon and breast cancer - soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol, and figs provide both. (Which also makes them a mild laxative, just so you know.) They also are a good source of flavonoids and polyphenols!

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Edamame...

I really am not obsessed about aging!  I am embracing my 50‘s and loving it!  I just find these little anti-aging tips worthy of mentioning!

Newcastle University scientists recently reported that an antioxidant in soy called daidzein may activate a protein linked to the regulation of aging and longevity. And the levels that triggered this protective response can be achieved simply by eating whole soy foods, such as edamame, soy nuts (dried soy beans) and tofu. Experts say the long life expectancy and healthy aging observed among the inhabitants of Okinawa, Japan, who include soy as a staple, raises the possibility that they may be living proof of these effects.

Turn Back the Clock: Add edamame to a healthy stir fry, keep a stash of soy nuts in your desk drawer or bag, top a salad with grilled extra firm tofu, or add soy milk or silken tofu to a smoothie. Go with organic if you can and keep it at a few servings a day to make room for other healthy lean proteins.

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein!

DAILY NUTRIENTS...

Both women and men can use this infographic from the Healthy Times Blog as a daily reference to make sure they'e getting their appropriate daily intake of nutrients, such as vitamin K, calcium, vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, and more. It also provides tips on how to make those nutrients count and which foods have them. 

What we learned: Some of us are not getting the appropriate intake of some of these vitamins. Eek! Print this out and put it on your fridge as a reminder.

Again - Thank you Shape Magazine - another really helpful link!

Running by Pace Rather Than Feel...

I am working on this!  The easiest way to bonk during a long run is to run it by a pace. I need to try and remember that pace is only the outcome. It's not the target. When you run by feel (effort level) and stick with a conversation-pace effort, you'll always be in the right zone for race day. This is because there are a variety of things that affect performance and turn your normal easy 10:30 pace into a hard run.

Running on a very hot day will be much harder on the body. Lack of sleep, stress, training fatigue from other workouts and more can affect your performance. I really found this out over the weekend.  I overextended my social obligations and truly felt it on Saturday, when I really needed to do a long run and it just didn’t happen! If the goal is to train in the easy effort so you can cover the distance and recover efficiently, you can't pin this running goal on a specific pace. Doing so can lead you to over training and under training and will rarely keep you in the optimal zone. Listen to your body!

You'll teach your body how to utilize fat as the primary fuel source, get in quality time on your feet, and recover more quickly. As you develop your long-distance resume and your body adapts to running longer, you can weave in faster paced long runs to fine-tune race-day performances. But this is best left for those who are seasoned and have a solid base of miles behind them.

A Sip of Soda:  How Soft Drinks Impact Your Health...

This infographic via TermLifeInsurance.org (hmmm) points out all of the harmful effects of soft drinks, including asthma, heart disease, kidney issues, and reproductive problems. Yikes!

What we learned: Simply, don't drink soda because it's bad.

Thank you Shape Magazine - I think these facts on soda consumption is so important!  Please click on the site to really see this chart!

Ditch the Juice...

Have an apple instead. A glass of apple juice has the calories of almost three apples.  Studies also show that regular fruit juice intake may increase diabetes risk by 50% due to massive sugar hits. Also, the fiber - which is what helps you fill up faster - is left out of the juice. By making this one swap you'll save calories every day!  So glad that apple season is right around the corner, I just can’t wait for those fresh honey crisp apples!

SALT...

Besides being related to all sorts of heart disease - salt could also be the culprit making your tummy bloat!  If it is necessary  - use natural sea salt or kosher salt, which is lower in sodium teaspoon for teaspoon than traditional table salts. And stay away from soy sauce: Even low-sodium soy sauce is still high in sodium and will cause practically instant bloating.

Instead, flavor your food with a little fresh tomato salsa or a hint of cayenne pepper, which has an added benefit of boosting metabolism."

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein! 

The Problem: Signs of Aging...

Getting older is fine - wisdom, respect, all that good stuff. Looking older, not so much. Thankfully, we can help stall the process by eating some tasty and healthy foods.

The fix: Vitamin A
Of skin's several layers, the dermis—which lies right below the surface layer of skin (or epidermis)—contains all the collagen, a protein that gives skin plumpness and elasticity. Vitamin A helps increase collagen production and thickens the dermis.  The result: Skin looks fuller and bounces back more readily. And because it's an antioxidant, A also helps repair the free radical damage to skin cells that leads to wrinkling and sagging. The DV is 5,000 IUs.

Great sources: Sweet potatoes (28,000 IUs each); leafy greens such as spinach (23,000 IUs per chopped, cooked cup), kale (19,000 per cooked cup) and broccoli (2,400 IUs per cooked cup); bright red, yellow and orange produce such as carrots (27,000 IUs per cooked cup ), sweet red bell peppers (4,700 IUs per cup) and red chile peppers (428 IUs each); asparagus (600 IUs per four spears)

1/2 Marathon Training Update...

The training is going not as well as I expected!  I forgot to consider that  the times are changing.  It is darker in the mornings now and not as easy to roll out of bed, let alone the safety issues!  I now have to change my strategy!  I plan on doing short, fast runs during the week and concentrate on the longer runs over the weekend!  I did hit 11 miles already and I am hoping the next 2.1 will go well!  Until race day - Happy Trails!!!

(photo from 2010 10 miler)

The 1,690 calorie mac n' cheeseburger: delicious or disgusting???

OMG - this doesn’t even look good to me!  I go with DISGUSTING!!!

Denny's dastardly minds have done it again. The restaurant chain that fries mozzarella sticks between pieces of bread, have rolled out more gluttonously cheesy menu items.   

The most notable is the Mac n’ cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt:  A burger patty layered with slices of cheese, macaroni and cheese, another layer of cheese, some kind of tomato-based "frisco" sauce and two pieces of buttered-up potato bread. Still hungry? It comes with a side of fries. 

The 1,690 calorie count makes a lot more sense when you consider the sandwich is breakfast, lunch and dinner stacked on top of each other. It makes absolutely zero sense when you consider that it's got 500 more calories than a Carl's Jr. burger with fries, and large coke. It's about three times the calories of a KFC Double Down sandwich. And about 200 calories more than five (count 'em, five) Boston Market Mac and Cheese sides. 

That's without the super-size cheese option. Seriously, if your melt isn't ooze-y enough, you can pay Denny's 69 cents extra for more cheese. A better use of that 69 cents: pay the guy in the next booth to be your sober cheese counselor.

Our New Grill...

The grill is one off the most important and used appliance in our home!  (It was a very sad day when our old Weber gave out!)  Bob is the master griller!  I am excited about this new grill because I can actually turn it on and help out!  Bob can now call me now and ask me to turn on the grill because he knows I am a beast when I am hungry and this now gets dinner on the table sooner :).  Next - I will start learning how to actually grill!  The 10 days in between grills was quite an eye opener!  Going to the market and deciding what to eat was challenging - “that tuna looks great, but we can’t grill it”.  How dependent and how much do we rely on certain things!  Today is Labor day and we are going to be grilling a beautiful rack of pork!  Bob is surprising me with the preparation!

Happy Labor day and Happy Grilling!

Ha Ha - I am trying not to labor today!  If only there were more hours in a day!  Today marks the end of summer, I am in denial - where did the summer go?  Today will be a day to catch up with my husband and catch up on some household chores!  A great day to get in some cooking and portion out some protein for future lunches!  A great day to get in a few extra miles in along the lakefront.  And after all that - I am hoping to labor over my knitting needles and get some projects further along the way!

Celery, Cucumbers and Iceberg Lettuce Have Negative Calories...

The concept goes something like this: some veggies are so low in calories that they require more energy to digest than they contain. The result? Eating celery, cucumbers or iceberg lettuce can give you a “negative calorie balance.” Sounds great in theory, but “the calories you need for digestion won’t ever exceed the number of calories any type of food contains,” says Los Angeles-based nutritionist LeeAnn Smith Weintraub, RD.

Wow!  Kind of negative - don’t you think?  You might not be getting a great amount of nutritional value, however, these non-starchy, low-calorie veggies can still help you lose weight since their fiber and water content will keep you feeling full for longer. So go ahead and pile them on generously when you hit the salad bar for lunch.

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein! 

Cottage Cheese...

Promoting Greek yogurt AGAIN!  I love cottage cheese, but it is not easy finding the fat free, so I haven't had it in years!  When people eat cottage cheese, they are going for the protein. But Greek yogurt has more protein and about 10 times less sodium: One cup of cottage cheese contains 840 mg of sodium, while one cup of 0% Greek yogurt has just 85 mg. An ideal swap!