Beat the Heat & Shepherds Pie

I am a winter runner. The cold air hitting my lungs creates a refreshing surge throughout my body, and keeps me going.

I am NOT a summer runner. Whereas in the winter I run up to eight miles a day, in the summer I struggle to break two miles. It's frustrating, and an activity that calms me quickly begins to stress me out. To combat this hurtle, I found some weird tricks to beat the heat; the tips are from runners world.

Miami Ice: Steve Brookner of the Bikila Athletic Club in Miami came up with this idea while running the marathon leg of Ironman Arizona. "They had thin sponges at each aid station," he says. "So I took one and grabbed a couple of ice cubes." He put the cubes on top of the sponge, then put his hat on over both. As the ice melted into the sponge, it created a cool spot on his head and a nice trickle of water running down his neck.

The Tucson Cold Cap: Randy Accetta, president of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners and a 1996 Olympic Trials marathoner, keeps his head cool in the extreme heat of Tucson with his "cold cap." "I'll soak a baseball cap in water and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight before a morning run," he says. "An old baseball cap retains the moisture longer than the new technical hats."

The Badwater Bandanna: For years, Denise Jones puzzled over the best way to keep the competitors in the Badwater Ultramarathon cool. Finally, Jones--considered the "dean" of Badwater aid-station volunteers--came up with the answer: Lay a bandanna out in a diamond shape. Place a row of ice cubes in a horizontal line, just below one tip of the bandanna. Then roll it up "like a burrito," and tie it around your neck. "We've found that this is the best way to keep runners cool," she says. "It feels wonderful."

I am considering the Badwater Bandanna. The other seems a little silly. I hate running with hats on.

This is an amazing article about a heat running experiment. It's definitely worth a read. Here are some highlights:

During the hot run, my heart rate soared to 175, about 96 percent of my max. My temperature spiked to 103.5, close to the edge of heatstroke, which can potentially occur when your core temperature reaches 104.0. My lactic acid climbed above 4.0, the point most physiologists define as the lactate threshold where the leg muscles no longer function efficiently. And my plasma volume contracted by more than 10 percent, which, coupled with a 2.6 percent total dehydration, forced my heart to work harder to push blood to my legs. All this at a pace I considered comfortable. If I had run much longer or harder at 90 degrees, it's possible that I could have staggered into heat illness, the precursor to the heatstroke hurt zone.

Now onto the good stuff:
Recipe of the day:
Turkey Shepherds Pie with Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Anytime a comfort food has a healthy option, I'm happy. This one is worth a try!

Banana Fosters French Toast

Bananas Foster French Toast (this is from Women's Health May 2009):



Makes 8 servings: (my comments are in parenthesis)
1/4 c chopped pecans (optional)
2 tbsp unsalted butter (you can use smart balance as a healthy substitute)
1/4 c brown sugar
2 large bananas peeled and cut into 1/2" rounds
1 1/2 c egg substitute (or egg whites, whatever you have on hand)
1 1/2 c low-fat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cinnamon
8 slices (1/2" thick) challah or Italian bread (I used whole wheat)

1. In a skillet over medium heat, toast pecans until lightly browned and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons water; stir until sugar dissolves. Continue stirring until mixture is foamy (about 2 minutes). Add bananas and cook for about 5 more minutes.
3. Spray a griddle (I used the foreman grill) with cooking spray and place over medium heat. In a large bowl mix together egg, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Dip bread in batter and thoroughly coat both sides. Place on hot griddle and cook until golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes each side).
4. Spoon equal amounts of banana mixture on 4 slices of French toast, and top each with another slice. Cut and serve halves garnished with nuts.

I did steps 2 and 3 at the same time, so I could keep the mixture warm. This was delicious. Is it the healthiest breakfast option? With the butter and brown sugar of course not, but it's a sweet treat without the post-crash sugar high and it's under 250 calories. If you want sweets and carbs, it's best to eat them in the morning than later on in the day.

Nutritional facts:
214 calories
8 g fat
30 g carbs
196 mg sodium
2 g fiber
8g protein

15 Worst Food Creations of 2010

For those of you who follow me, I apologize for the hiatus. But I'm back :)

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and before you even open the car door to leave your house, you are salivating with hunger. By the time you get to the restaurant, your eyes are far bigger than your stomach; you innocently order a side of cheese fries or mozzarella sticks. It's a small appetizer and you'll share it, so it won't be that bad, right? WRONG: Check out the 15 Worst Food Creations of 2010.

Topping the list are the:

Aussie Cheese Fries at Outback Steakhouse. These bad boys are 2,135 calories, 150 g of fat, and 2,344 milligrams of sodium.

To tackle the hunger drink lots of water before you leave your house, and when you get to the restaurant. If you can grab a handful of veggies or fruit before you leave, it will curb the hunger. Eating a handful of grapes is much better than eating over a days worth of calories in one sitting. The fries taste good going down, but the bloat and disgust after is not worth it. Plus, you are sabotaging your workout. It's like studying for a test, and then just filling in random "C" for ever entry. Why would you want to do that to your hard work?

Over the weekend, I picked up some old magazines from my parents house with great healthy brunch recipes. I'm going to test those out during the week. It's difficult to find the time to bake and work, especially since I do not have a dish washer! But if you find the time, bake a lot and freeze it. Microwaves are awesome for people on time crunches.

Tonight for dinner, I used ground turkey meat (I make 2 lbs because I can eat it over a salad, in a sandwich, pita, enchilada and so on). As you are browning the turkey, pour tomato sauce over it. I feel like Rachael Ray because I didn't measure it. Put enough over it that it's partially coated, but not drowning. Cook all the meat until it is brown and the sauce is boil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and cumin for flavor. Allow it to simmer. I built a taco of sorts by adding lettuce, salsa, tomato, and Greek yogurt on a whole wheat tortilla. Greek yogurt is one of my favorite food items. You can eat it as yogurt with some fruit or use it to replace sour cream/heavy cream in some recipes. It tastes great and is a good way to cut calories and fat.

Until tomorrow, enjoy!

Snacking Tips

When I look into the refrigerator I fell a true sense of accomplishment. Forgive me because I have a bad memory, but a month ago I have no idea what was in my fridge. I know what was not in it: veggies and fruits. Now, I laugh. The small drawer inside my refrigerator that says "produce" is stuffed to capacity, and a majority of the fridge is in fact produce. Not only that, but thanks to the wonderful farmers market near my house, I've managed to save a ton on my grocery bills. Right now we have, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, lettuce, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, lemon, and lime just to name a few items for under fifteen dollars.

My friend's father gave me a great anecdote, and so I'm passing it on: next to you feel like having a binge of junk food, look at the number of calories. Then, consider how many apples (or whatever healthy snack food you enjoy) you can eat to get the same calories. For some junk foods, I wouldn't be able or want to even eat the amount of apples needed to get those calories. When you think of it this way, it really makes you change your ideas on food.

I haven't been blogging because I've been in a diet rut, essentially recycling the same old recipes. But, I just got a great "yoga diet" that I'm going to dig through. New recipes to come soon, I promise...

Eat This, Not That Breakfast Edition

The word "diet" in our society is pejorative. But, a successful diet, this is my trying to reappropriate, is a change in lifestyle. People can have a poor or healthy (not to think in dichotomies, but it works) diet. A "diet" should not be strictly changing in a day, or taking out the joys of eating. Restrictions and strict changes are what make "diet" pejorative. I'd like to think of a diet as a way of living. Food should still be delicious and if you have a poor diet, gradually change or it is likely that you'll probably be unsuccessful. This is something I've learned. A great start is to cut out soda in you're life, if you're a soda drinker. It's easier to take baby steps than one giant leap. Here are some interesting ways to change your ideas on breakfast:

As I was researching breakfast ideas I found these foods under the 20 Worst Breakfasts:

Dunkin’ Donuts Plain Bagel with Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

430 calories
11 g fat (5.5 g saturated)
76 g carbohydrates

The reduced fat cream cheese will save you 50 calories over the regular stuff, but it won’t cut any of the refined carbs—and those are to blame for the high calorie count and the denigrated reputation of the bagel in this book series. A pile of chocolate doughnut holes is better for you than a bagel with light cream cheese in almost every major nutritional category. Still, don’t let your kids make a habit of it, since they are really just a glorified dessert.

They suggest swapping the bagel for:

Glazed Chocolate Cake Munchkins (4)

240 calories
12 g fat (6 g saturated)
32 g carbohydrates

Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Muffin

650 calories
29 g fat (5 g saturated)
520 mg sodium
91 g carbohydrates

Despite the healthy-sounding names—banana-walnut, blueberry, cran-orange—muffins are little more than glorified cake. Case in point: This one has more sugar than 3 ice cream sandwiches. With nearly half the calories and total fat and more than double the protein, the bacon-laced breakfast sandwich emerges as the surprising—and resounding—victor.

Swap this and choose:

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on an English Muffin

Quaker Natural Granola Oats & Honey & Raisins

420 calories
12 g fat (7 g saturated)
30 g sugars
6 g fiber

Thought the sweetest cereal in America would be one with a leprechaun or a rabbit on the box? Think again. Honey and brown sugar team up to cover these clusters with more sugar than you’d find in 3 Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts. Granola is basically dessert for breakfast. Sure, there’s a splash of fiber, but sugar accounts for more than a third of the calories in this bowl, and unfortunately, Quaker’s is the rule, not the exception. The only acceptable use for granola is to crumble a small handful into plain yogurt. Save your bowls for a cereal more wholesome.

Swap This for:
Post Shredded Wheat
170 calories
1 g fat
0 g sugars
6 g fiber

It's interesting how some foods seem okay, but upon closer examination they are not great. I also found this super interesting article about the 18 supermarket lies revealed. This article includes Healthy Choice brand, Tofutti, and Nutri Grain bars! Super interesting stuff. A really cool book and segment in Women's Health and Men's Health Magazine is "Eat This, Not That." It details what a person may traditionally eat, and shows the healthier option. It's a cool way to think about diet. Again, if we just change the way we eat the things we like, then diet is no longer pejorative.

Today is:

NATIONAL RUNNING DAY.

I found this awesome organization called Soles4Souls. As those of you who are runners know, running shoes do not go a long way. I have several pairs of running shoes that I can't run in because after awhile the shoes do not absorb shock and they start to negative effect hips, knees, and the list goes on. Well, I'm going to donate my old running shoes to this company, and I'm thinking about doing a shoe drive. This is such a great organization!

Anyway on with today's recipes:

When I was a kid, I loved when my mother made egg salad. So for breakfast, I had egg salad on a whole wheat roll.

For lunch, I had a veggie patty with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and a teeny bit of ranch dressing from subway. Not all subway's have the veggie patty option, but mine does and it's delicious. Next time you are there, I highly recommend eating it. I felt really full after.

Today, I made three dinner options because I like to do that when I know I have free time, and not so much free time later in the week. I made Turkey Gorgonzola Burgers. Brad said these were delicious. For my second dinner dish, I used the same recipe, but added breadcrumbs and a bit of sun dried tomato hummus to make meatballs. Lastly, I made Asian Salmon Sliders. These were beyond delicious. It is very important to use low sodium soy sauce in this recipe because it's very salty.

Happy Eating :)

Veggie Recipe Day

After all that weekend fun, it's time to get back to reality. Here are two recipes that I used today:

• Grilled Vegetables and hummus on a whole grain baguette Instead of a baguette, I used whole wheat rolls. I also used my own hummus and added a few sun dried tomatoes for a little extra flavor. This was super delicious. It's very light, but you feel full after only a couple of bites. I'm notorious for taking a huge unconscious sigh when I'm full, and I definitely did that after about four bites.

• Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with artichoke puree and roasted corn and tomato I loved the corn and tomato topping, but I felt it was a little bland. I don't think I'll be making this again. I also feel super duper hungry right now. This meal didn't sustain me at all. However, I would suggest putting this on a piece of grilled chicken for those meat lovers out there, or just eating the corn and tomato combo as a little side dish.

I'm looking for some really great snacks now because I'm getting tired of smoothies and fruits. I need something with a little more pizazz. Tomorrow I am making a ton of different burgers with mushrooms, salmon, and turkey. Should be interesting. Until then, "I'll see ya when I see ya."