No turning back now...

Ok, I've officially done it.  I just registered for the Marine Corps Marathon - October 30, 2011.  Yikes!

I've always said I needed to redeem myself after my first (any only thus far) marathon back in 2000, yet life continues to get crazier by the minute so who can ever find the time to put in for proper training?  Well, after all these years, 3 kids later and a big new business venture just around the corner, aka, the busiest I've ever been, I'm going to JUST DO IT.

I'm really not a "runner" by any means.  I admire all those real "runners" who can make a race look like nothing but a walk in the park and are done even before I'm halfway to the finish line.  I don't believe I've been genetically blessed with a high VO2 max (cue the "I've got the low VO2" blues), where VO2 max is the "maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise" (or in other words, don't go past this point, or you'll poop out).  The average for a woman my age (non-athlete) is 30-38, but Lance Armstrong was tested to be at 85!  This isn't to say that one can't train to increase his/her VO2max, but I'm sure I'll never be one of those front-runners unless I'm one of only 10 entrants in a race and they are all elderly.  (Click here for a good article explaining VO2max)

Anyway, like I said, I'm only going to compete with myself, and hopefully I'll have no problem beating my old time.  There's so much more information out there regarding nutrition and training than there was 11 years ago - and I've got a wealth of information at my disposal with all my family and friends who have trained for endurance events.....Right, guys!??

So begins the training mentality even this far out...food matters!  Here's a good start (and what will sure to be a staple over the next several months):

Cuban Black Beans & Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup long grain brown rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the beans, oregano, and 1 cup water. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
6. Add the vinegar. Smash some of the beans with the back of a fork to thicken. Serve over the rice. Top with the radishes and cilantro.

By Sara Quessenberry,  March 2009

The Dirty Dozen

So, you may remember not too long ago I mentioned something regarding how my family manages to get sick sometime in February?  Last year the GI bug knocked on our door, but this year...let's just say that whatever it was that paid us a visit was driving a Mac truck going 80 miles per hour.  Chills, fever (whoo boy), body aches, headaches, malaise and an ear infection later, we're finally on the mend.  I had the chills so bad at one point, I had the heat cranked up in the car as high as it would go.  I realized how hot it must've been in there when my girls got out and were saying how awesome it felt outside....oops.

Anyway, long story short, you may be able to run, but you can't hide from the "yucky bugs".  You can, however do yourself a favor and avoid unnecessary pesticides and chemicals that seem to find their way into our food chain.  A few years ago, my sister told me about the "dirty dozen" - foods that have been shown to have the highest amounts of pesticide residue even after you wash them.  If you want to reduce your amount of exposure, buy organic varieties of the following:

1.  Celery
2.  Peaches
3.  Strawberries
4.  Apples
5.  Blueberries
6.  Nectarines
7.  Bell peppers
8.  Spinach
9.  Kale
10.  Cherries
11.  Potatoes
12.  Grapes

If you figure that thin skin = no barrier to pesticides/chemicals, you'll want an organic alternative.

Conversely, the following are considered the "least contaminated", so it's ok to purchase non-organic:

1.  Onions
2.  Avocado
3.  Sweet corn (frozen)
4.  Pineapples
5.  Mano
6.  Asparagus
7.  Sweet Peas (frozen)
8.  Kiwi
9.  Bananas
10.  Cabbage
11.  Broccoli
12.  Papaya

Bon Appetite!

Chicken Fajitas with Crunchy Lime Cabbage and Avocado Bon Appétit | March 2008

Tina Miller

Lime is a good match for red cabbage, and its acid keeps the color bright. Napa cabbage is a delicious alternative. Yield: Makes 6 servings 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus additional for griddle 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch-thick strips 1 large red onion, halved, sliced lengthwise 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel 6 to 8 fajita-size flour tortillas 1 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced Whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and chili powder in large bowl. Add chicken, bell pepper, and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature or chill up to 4 hours. Toss red cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, lime peel, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven until heated through, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place large griddle over 2 burners and heat over medium-high heat. Brush griddle with olive oil. Spread chicken on griddle and cook until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are browned, turning frequently with tongs, about 7 minutes Total. Divide chicken among warm tortillas; top with cabbage mixture and avocado slices. Per serving: 520 cal, 24g fat (3g sat), 87mg cholesterol, 373mg sodium, 36g carb, 4g fiber, 41g protein (analysis by Nutrition Data) ND's complete analysis › Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

If you plant a seed in clay, would you expect it to flourish?

I've seen a couple different articles lately that show the quality of food a child eats greatly affects them early on in life and possibly even throughout their entire lives.  According to information published last week,  the more mothers work during their child's lifetimes, the more likely their kids are to be overweight or obese.  BUT before you fellow working moms start grumbling, the researchers actually theorized the reason for their findings may be more attributable to the the fact that working moms may have little time to shop for healthy food and prepare meals, so the kids eat more fast and packaged foods which are higher in fat and calories. Click here for the full article

Another recent study published on Medline refers to the article, "Processed, Fatty Foods May Dumb Down Your Kids:  Study".  Those researchers saw an actual IQ reduction in kids who ate a diet high in fatty, sugary and processed foods!  Click here for the full Medline article

So the gist appears to be, "Reward your kids with crap, make them fat and stupid".

Alright, alright - that's a bit harsh, but almost true.  How many times have you or someone you know given candy, cookies, cake, soda, etc. to a kid as a reward or treat for something?  I'm guilty of it - if my kid behaves in the Dr. office (ie not screaming, minimal crying/whining, not biting the nurse's hand when getting a throat swab) she/he can pick out a lollipop.  Whenever dad goes on a business trip, we go to Panera's for dinner (but shhh, don't tell him that).  Got a birthday?  Celebrate at school with donuts, cupcakes or some other sugary treat!  Now multiply that by 28 classmates, and you've got at least 2 days/month of junk.  Add in the celebratory days of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day...well, you get the idea.  This, in addition to all the "treats" at home any other time.

So what's a conscientious parent to do?  I for one am not going the way of the super strict - I think there's more chance my kids will rebel and want to eat badly to make up for lost time.  Other than the Dr. office, we don't provide any "treat" rewards - so that junk food does not become an expectation for a job well done.  I try to keep an open dialogue with them - have those conversations as to why a lot of sugar and highly processed, fatty foods are bad for us (just add it to the checklist of "things" we need to talk with our kids about...peer pressure, drug & alcohol abuse, "THE" talk...).  I would like for them to WANT to make better choices for themselves, so that once they are away from home, out from under my care, they don't go nuts.  Let's shoot for, say, "Freshman 0.5", instead of "Freshman 15" or more.

Let's face it:  the way we are living our lives makes it that much harder to prepare whole food meals from scratch unless we want to eat dinner around 10pm.  The best things you can do are to research and plan out your meals for the week, so that you know exactly what to do once you walk in the door.  No one ever said your veggies have to be cooked - we eat raw peppers and carrots all the time!  Grilling some chicken doesn't take very long - throw some brown rice in the rice cooker (cooked in chicken broth for more flavor) while you are prepping everything else and it'll be done when you are ready.  Broil some fish, make whole wheat pasta with sauce...just put in the time now to save yourself later.  Running from activity to activity?  Pack some PBJ's on whole grain wheat bread with fruit & veggies...or some yogurt with granola...no one ever said you can't eat lunch for dinner!

Pasta w/Chickpeas (Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, 2 inches each
2 tsp. olive oil
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, or 3 cups canned (28 oz can, undrained)
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (two 15 or 16 oz. cans)
salt and ground pepper to taste
1 pound short chunky pasta such as ditalini, tubetti, or orecchiette

2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
chopped fresh tomatoes, optional

Combine the onions, garlic, rosemary and oil in a well-seasoned skillet or nonstick saucepan and saute on low heat for about 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden. Add the tomatoes and half of the chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the rosemary sprigs and discard. In a blender, puree the tomato-chickpea mixture until smooth. Return it to the skillet, stir in the remaining chickpeas, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a large covered pot of water to a boil. When the water boils, add the pasta, stir, cover the pot and return to a boil. Stir the pasta again and cook, uncovered until al dente. Drain the pasta. In a large serving bowl, toss the pasta with the chickpea sauce and serve immediately. Sprinkle with feta cheese, or pass the feta at the table and top with tomatoes, if desired.

Think spring, think spring, think spring, think spring...

Yahoo!  It's February!  Hooray!
I'm taking some sage advice to "look at the bright side" and in this case, as of today, there are only 46 days left until SPRING!

Forget that on average in NJ, February is the coldest, snowiest, and dreariest month (although it's going to be hard to top this past January).  Forget that there is a sheet of ice on my window thick enough to obscure the view outside.  Forget that the driveway is lined with a 3 foot high piles of snow on either side.  I'm not going to think about any of it - I'm only going to focus on visions of green grass, crocuses, tulips & daffodils.  Open windows and warm breezes warming my cold, stuffy house.  Three smallish children frolicking around the rich green backyard with flowers in their hair, never uttering one iota of whine, complaint or demand....

Ok, ok - back to reality.  Plus, my son would never go for the flowers-in-his-hair thing anyway.  Spider webs, maybe...flowers, definitely not.

So as we move into the home stretch, I'm thinking I'm going to also focus on ways to try and keep us as healthy as possible.  Every Feb. there's always - ALWAYS - some horrible affliction that hits the kids and then on up the food chain to ME (my husband seems to have a super-human immune system).  Last year was the most insanely horrendous GI bug.  The year prior was an upper respiratory doozy...So this year we're going to fight fire with FOOD!  The following foods will be part of breakfast, lunch and dinner every day this month, although not all at once or my kids will revolt (cue the science-geek part):

1.  Carrots, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers (red, green & yellow), kale and broccoli.  These all contain lots of Beta Carotene which is converted to Vitamin A once ingested.  Vitamin A is a potent antioxidant - stimulates and enhances the immune system and fights off free radicals.

2.  Cantaloupe, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, asparagus, avocados, kale, onions, green peas, sweet peppers (red, green & yellow), radishes, and tomatoes.  This group has loads of Vitamin C, which stimulates white blood cell production, which are the primary defense against foreign bacteria, virus and fungi infection.


3.  Vegetable oils: wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, and soybean oil.  Nuts, seeds, dark green leafy vegetables and sweet potatoes.  These all contain Vitamin E which is also a powerful antioxidant that stimulate B-cells (antibody production) and "natural killer cells" (yes, these are actual cells circulating around your body that seek out and destroy bacteria and cancer cells!).


4.   Oats, tuna, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, garlic, chicken (white meat), whole grains, eggs (specifically the yolks) and brown rice.  These foods are a good source of Selenium, an antioxidant proven to boost white blood cell function, fight cancer by stimulating cancer fighting cells.


5.  Poultry, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, pumpkin seeds, eggs, fish, lentils, soybeans, sunflower seeds, whole grains, soy lecithin, and mushrooms.  These all contain Zinc, which like Selenium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C boost the immune system by stimulating white blood cell production, specifically B and T cells.


This, by all means is non-inclusive of all the good stuff out there, but it's a good start of foods to choose from - and none that will make you gag (I deliberately left liver (Selenium) and Brussels sprouts (Vitamin C) off the list...feel free to indulge if that's your thing - ick!).

And don't forget that garlic (see my first post)!

The BEST Chicken Soup:
Time consuming, but oh-so-GOOD!
Approx 8 servings, 1.5 hours

For the broth:
1 smallish chicken - whole
Water
2 carrots, thickly sliced
1 yellow onion, cut in half and thickly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, mashed (you can either press with a garlic press or just press down on each clove to smoosh it a bit)
3 celery stalks, thickly sliced (with leaves)

For the soup:
3 large carrots, chopped into nice, bite-sized pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
Chicken meat from whole chicken (above), chopped or pulled into bite-sized pieces
1/4 lb dry pasta (such as farfalle, or bowtie)
Salt, to taste
Freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese

To prepare the broth:
Place whole chicken in large pot and fill with water to just cover the chicken.
Add carrots, onion, garlic and celery - cook on med-high until just boiling, reduce heat to simmer approx 30 mins until chicken is 90% cooked through.  Remove chicken to a bowl and let sit for a few minutes.  In the mean time, strain all vegetables from liquid in pot (you can strain the broth through a cheesecloth if you want the broth to be very clear) and return the broth to medium heat.

To prepare soup:
Add raw carrots, onion, celery and oregano to broth.  Cut up all meat from cooked chicken and return to pot, raising the heat to med-high until boiling.  Add pasta to soup and cook until pasta is al-dente.  Add salt to taste.  Ladle into a bowl and top with grated cheese...YUM!