This weekend Shannon and Matt tied the knot at a the appropriately awesome Allison Resort and Spa. It was great to be able to share the joy of this perfectly matched couple and their amazing families.
In a beautiful and form-fitting dress, Shannon stood as a stunning example of what can happen when you exercise regularly and augment your workouts with the proper supportive nutrition. Of course, the food at the Allison was so plentiful and delicious that even she made a few dinner choices she otherwise wouldn’t that particular evening. To do otherwise would have been mad.
Shannon’s dad stole the show for a few moments with a wonderful heart-felt toast that brought more than a few folks to tears (but not me because I’m too manly). Among the many great points he made was about how much her hard work and dedication to her job directly and positively impacts the lives of so many people. And he’s absolutely right.
It is important to have something in your belly before a hard morning workout, but some people have a hard time with it. Here’s a smoothie recipe you might want to try. It works for me.
Mix the following in a blender:
12 oz plain almond milk (I like the diamond brand, you can find it at most grocery stores by the regular milk)
It has been nearly six months since Shannon’s magnificent buffet of indoor cycling and group personal training started. In that time, many have come and gone, but there are three of us who have been there consistently. We’ve dropped weight and built strength — a lot of strength. My primary purpose for all of this was to maintain the cycling fitness I worked so hard last spring/summer/fall to achieve. It turns out I did more than maintain it. I’ve improved upon it — big time.
My expectations were that I’d be able to start the season feeling OK and that it would take less time to build back up. Instead, I discovered I’ve got a lot more power on tap, I can ride much faster and I can pedal at a higher sustained cadence. My form has also improved. All those lunges and squats and dead lifts with heavy kettle bells has paid off. So has all the core work. Pretty amazing gains considering how little time was involved (2x per week for 1.5 hours).
People in our riding group who weigh 100 – 150 pounds less than I do are having to work hard to keep up and I can now take the strongest cyclist in our group in short sprints. I know that once we add meaningful amounts of climbing back into the equation (and when the rest of the group gets back into shape) things will level out. But for now, I’m enjoying the mismatch.
Yesterday, one of the other folks from Shannon’s class joined us on a 43 mile ride. This was her first bike ride of any distance ever. She was riding a bike that probably weighed double that of some of the other rides in the pack and she had NO PROBLEM keeping up. I don’t think this would have been possible for her to do in October. At the end, she was nothing but smiles.
Update: We’ve kept going training with Shannon while also adding more miles the road. Last weekend I busted out my first century ride — no problem — and it is still May!
Healthy food that actually tastes good. Who could have known?
As an endurance cyclist, I’ve eaten a lot of energy bars and drinks and gels. Most of them are passable at best, which is why I’d also seek out PayDays and Bit-O-Honeys instead. With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps those weren’t the best choices.
The other day, I had my first Perfect Foods Bar. It tasted so good that I decided to read the package to see what is wrong with it because my mindset for the past 40 years has been if it tastes good, it must be bad for you. I couldn’t see any thing in the nutritional information on the back of the package that jumped out at me so I called Shannon to help me sniff out the hidden badness they must certainly possess.
To my utter surprise, she said these are great fuel and precisely the sort of thing I should be eating. In fact, she said that the only reason she doesn’t more proactively recommend them to people is because they are on the expensive side.
Obviously Shannon isn’t aware of what a Double Western Bacon Burger Meal (a.k.a. a #7) at Carl’s Junior or a few dozen buffalo wings costs these days. Well I am aware and I say $2.50 for one of these bars is a bargain — particularly when you consider a whole one can be used as an entire meal.
The peanut butter Perfect Food Bar looks kind of like a Power Bar but the flavor is much more similar to peanut butter fudge (albeit not as sweet or creamy). Seriously, it’s that good. I haven’t ventured out and tried the other flavors, but I’m optimistic.
You can get these at the local hippie-marts like New Seasons or Whole Foods. I can say for sure that I’ll be buying these by the case once cycling season gets into full swing.
Shannon has been cranking up the intensity of her indoor cycling classes since October and we’ve all gotten much stronger as a result. Today was no different — once again she turned it up to eleven. But today, it was much easier to attain that level of intensity. Why? She put away the techno (which is still pretty good for the purposes of spinning) and busted out the heavy artillery.
The last time I was in a spin class where three songs by the same “artist” were played, I nearly removed myself from class right then and there. Today she kicked things off with three from Rage Against the Machine. THAT, my friends, is how you get the old Evinrude cranking at 5:30 in the morning. From there, she played a few nice Beastie Boys selections and went into a respectable set of butt rock tracks. The techno she chose as a closer was unfamiliar to me, but was also good.
A friend and colleague of mine brought to my attention today in an email the health benefits and the nutritional value of beans…the food (which really is a fruit) that arguably gives you best bang for your buck in terms of nutrients per cost.
Here are some of the reasons why you should include beans in your healthy eating plan. Enjoy!
Beans really are “magical” for a lot of things, including reducing your risk of heart disease!
Beans are high up on the list for one of the greatest foods of all time.
Gram for gram, it would be harder to find a more nutrient dense food for the same cost.
Outside of fruits and vegetables (both carbs), beans are a winner in the carb category too (and, technically, they are a fruit anyhow) – super high in fiber, yet they offer a good amount of protein and other nutrients too.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2003 showed that black beans had antioxidants levels equivalent even to some fruits! The levels of the particular antioxidant, anthocyanin, which gives beans and dark fruits their color, were 10 times as high in black beans compared to oranges – and were equivalent to grapes, apples, and cranberries!
Now all beans are fantastic (pinto, garbanzo, kidney, cannellini, etc), but this particular antioxidant was particularly high in black beans.
Antioxidants fight something called free radicals; too many free radicals and low levels of antioxidants have been associated with heart disease and other diseases. Aside from antioxidants, we know fiber is fantastic for heart health, but beans also provide folate and magnesium, which both may be responsible for some of their heart health benefits too.
Check this out – in one study, researchers followed more than 16,000 middle-aged men from around the world for 25 years. One of their findings – the higher the consumption of beans, the lower the risk of death from heart disease. And not just a little lower – there was an 82% reduction in risk!
Another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine followed nearly 10,000 Americans for 19 years … people eating the most fiber, which they found to be 21 grams/day compared to those who ate the least (5 grams/day) had 11% less heart disease. The authors attributed this finding to the high fiber in the diet. This wasn’t just isolated to bean consumption, but since they provide around 10 grams per ½ cup, they’re surely an easy option.
And keep in mind even the “highest” intake of 21 grams/day is less than the recommended intake, which is upwards of 25g+ per day.
So how do you include more beans?
Add them to a salad
Use them in place of red meat in dishes like chili, quesadillas, or burritos
Add them to a wrap with mixed veggies (add avocado for an even better nutrient punch)
Add them to eggs with mixed veggies
Mix them with canned salmon and some balsamic vinaigrette (a personal favorite)
Find a black bean soup recipe or black bean burger recipe online for ideas.
Aim to include 1/2 cup of beans at least 4 times per week.
Will Smith is one inspirational dude. I had no idea, but I’m glad a friend of mine directed me to this video today. Want to be inspired? Then watch Will Smith…you’ll get a kick out of what he says about training on the treadmill.
Thank you all who commented about my post on Stevia. The information was in response to many questions not only about artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes, but also to provide an alternative to sugar and all of its nasty effects on your fitness and fat loss goals. I probably skipped an important step, and that is to explain exactly what sugar itself is.
For those of you who are uncomfortable with the idea of using artificial sweeteners or any form of sugar substitutes, let me go back and explain what sugar is, how to identify it in many common foods, and how to incorporate it into your healthy eating plan. Then, decide for yourself if you need to use a sweetener (sugar or otherwise) and which one you feel most comfortable with.
To start, it’s important to understand how to identify sugar. Did you know that there are over 30 names for sugar? Some of these are turbinado sugar, raw sugar, agave syrup, fruit paste, raw honey, malt syrup, and the list goes on and on. There are organic sugars too, and you might be wondering if these are any better if you are trying to lose weight.
The simple answer to this is that if fat loss is your primary goal, sugar (all forms) should be used in moderation if at all. I found an interesting statistic about teenagers showing that teens on average are eating 100 lbs of sugar per person each year. Obesity in kids and teens has skyrocketed in recent years and while sugar consumption may not be the reason why, it’s a great reason to revisit the effect sugar has on wellness and weight management-especially at an early age.
Enough depressing statistics, let’s talk about the positives. First, just because something is organic, it isn’t necessarily healthy. Organic sugar isn’t magical health food. It has the same effect on the body (as it relates to weight gain and increased body fat) as plain table sugar.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
This one was invented in the 1970’s. It’s in nearly every food and beverage in the super market — from breads to ketchup, fruit juice to cereals. Some have claimed it’s caused obesity saying, this one sweetener is preventing us from losing belly fat permanently. Interestingly, its use has skyrocketed the same way the obesity epidemic has over the last few decades. And research has suggested there is a correlation. This caused a negative spiral of media ads pointing the finger at this one ingredient.
And the Corn Refiners Association fought back. They created commercials saying that HFCS is no worse than sugar. What they didn’t say is both are junk, why eat them at all?
My first “problem’ with HFCS is that it was “invented.” I don’t want to eat anything that was “invented.”I want to eat foods as close to the ground as possible. You can avoid HFCS, just like you can avoid other sugars. Sure, it is metabolized a bit differently than sugar, but you know what, the foods that are loaded with HFCS are junk — regardless of the form of sugar. Soda = junk. Fruit juice cocktails = junk.Popsicles = junk. If you buy organic options of these same foods, they’re all junk and will prevent you from losing belly fat, put a halt to losing fat from your hips and thighs, or getting into your skinny jeans.
Agave Syrup
This natural sweetener recently became popular. Agave nectar is produced from a plant and is popular in organic markets and with vegans. It is touted for its low glycemic index, meaning it won’t cause much of a spike in blood sugar. But no studies are available showing how it compares to other sugars in terms of blood sugar control. It is primarily made up of fructose, which is in fact lower on the glycemic index. One important note – if you try this, look for USDA-certified organic products.Most agave comes from Mexico and there have been issues with recalls because of excessive pesticides in the products.
Raw Honey
Often sold at Farmer’s Markets, supporters of this sweetener love that it’s not processed. Me too. And because it’s not processed, it IS higher in a few nutrients (mainly B vitamins). With that said, honey wouldn’t be my first choice for getting in any vitamins and minerals. I DO like that you can use less of it than table sugar because teaspoon for teaspoon, it’s sweeter. There’s also some very interesting data showing eating local honey may reduce allergies, it can be used as an anticeptic, and much more. (NOTE: I don’t recommend pouring it on an open wound).
But in the end, will too much honey prevent you from getting the body of your dreams and burning fat? Sure, it’s still empty calories when you compare it side by side with fruit, for example (which also is high in a form of sugar, but nothing I’d worry about).
I could go on and on about sugar and its various forms, but the take away here should be that all sugars have relatively the same number of calories per gram. Organic sugars will slow your fat loss progress. Non-organic sugars will slow your fat loss progress. If you want to lose fat faster, sugar in all forms must be used in moderation.
If sugar substitutes aren’t for you, then opt for local honey and use it sparingly. I really believe that the best way to eat foods is in their natural state. Fruit is sweet and you will develop a sense for this when you stop using additional sweeteners on your food.
Please keep in mind that my post on Stevia was informational and was intended to teach you, not to tell you that you should use it or any of its substitutes. My blog is also from the perspective of a fitness professional which is why the information is geared toward fat loss and other common fitness/wellness goals. That said, my advice on the subject is this: avoid foods with ingredients that were “invented”-if it came from the ground or had a mother, you’re good.
If you have more questions or comments, please leave them, I love discussing these topics with you all.
I do admit, however, that there are a few situations where artificial sweeteners just won’t do
I am getting all sorts of questions lately about natural and artificial sweeteners, most of them asking about Stevia. 2009 was the year when non caloric sweeteners started popping up on store shelves everywhere… and these are made from an extract of Stevia rebaudiana.
Is it a safe alternative to Splenda and Equal?
OF COURSE — it’s natural!
Hope you didn’t fall for that, did you?
There a lot of “natural” herbs that we should probably stay away from, here’s why:
Stevia is a relatively new comer in terms of popularity, even though it’s been used for 100’s of years. It’s exploded in the last few years as consumers are looking for a “natural” calorie free alternative to artificial sweeteners.
Stevia fits that bill. Stevia’s real name is Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) and it is an herb native to Paraguay and Brazil.
But, while it has been used for 100’s of year now, it has always been labeled a “dietary supplement” since it didn’t have the OK from the FDA as a food ingredient.
There were some concerns with Stevia after early studies suggested there may be some issues with its use with fertility and reproductive development and even genetic mutations! More recent data submitted to the FDA regarding the safety of a Stevia extract, known as Reb A, granted this particular extract GRAS status (generally recognized as safe). This was in December 2008.
However, the FDA still maintained the position about calling Stevia at dietary supplement with this statement “Reb A is different than whole leaf stevia or other stevia extracts, which can only be sold as dietary supplements.” They continued “Nobody has provided the FDA with evidence that whole-leaf stevia is safe.”
In fact, one consumer advocacy group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) stands by their position that Reb A GRAS status was granted too early, suggesting not enough supportive safety data is available.
As usual, there are of course two sides to each story. Let’s look at the pros and cons of this ingredient.
Pros:
Stevia is about 250-300 times sweeter than sugar
Stevia is stable to heat, making it safe for cooking
Stevia is calorie free
Stevia doesn’t promote dental caries like sugar
Cons:
It has a bitter taste that some may not enjoy, also making it difficult to include in large quantities (in baking, for example).
It’s more expensive than most other sweeteners
Data is mixed here – some show DNA damage with high doses of stevia intake, others show no effect at all.
From what we know now, the FDA considers Reb A safe…
If searching for this in the store, look for either “Truvia” and “PureVia” — the consumer names for the Stevia extract.
Yesterday I posted the part one of the list of 13 of the Best Foods You Aren’t Eating. Here are the final 6 foods I think you should be eating on a fairly regular basis.
You’ll feel better, look better, and even reduce your risk of many diseases — and all you have to do is eat!
Black beans – Outside of fruits and veggies, beans are one of the top carbs in our book. They are loaded with fiber and protein, which both help keep you full. A study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry even showed they have the highest level of certain antioxidants among other beans, comparable to that of cranberries and grapes! Add then to salads, wraps, or soup.
Garlic – This stuff is not just powerful for your breath, but it is a powerful antioxidant and may have antibacterial properties. Research also shows it boosts immunity and may lower cholesterol. Slice, chop, or mince it at least 10 minutes before using, to get the most benefit. Add to soups, sauces, eggs, or when sauteing veggies.
Pistachios — In shell pistachios are often referred to as “the skinny nut” – taking the time to break open the shell slows how quickly they can be eaten. Combine that with the high fiber and protein content of this nut and you’ve got a win win! Since they also offer more nuts per serving than other nuts, you really get a lot of bang for your buck with these.
Wild blueberries — These tiny little nutrient powerhouses should be a regular part of the diet. One study showed eating 1 cup of blueberries per day improved mental function – the study was done in rats, but it’s a great start for further research in this area with humans. The compound that gives blueberries their dark color, anthocyanin, seems to be one of the major factors in their health benefits. Fortunately you can get them year round – pick up a bag of frozen berries and add them to smoothies, yogurt, or cottage cheese.
Greek yogurt — This product is fairly new on the scene – at least in terms of popularity. It is essentially strained yogurt, but that means it has double the protein and half the sugar! It’s a much thicker consistency than regular yogurt, but works really well in smoothies and even as a base instead of mayonnaise for chicken or egg salad. There are several fat free versions available.
Tea (green, black, and white) — Several cups each day may keep the doctor away! Research has shown drinking tea may boost immunity, reduce the risk of heart disease, and may even improve mental function. Brew your own, don’t fall for the sugary bottled stuff that barely has enough tea in it to even “qualify” as tea.
I love variety in the diet. Often times when I review clients’ food journals, I see the same foods, day in and day out…no wonder diet is a four letter word! The foods on this list are tasty and will help to add variety to any diet, even if you add only one item from the list to your menu each week.
If you have a great recipe that includes several of these foods, please feel free to share in the comment section.
