Connecting you with food

By Katherine MacPherson BS, ACSM HFS & UVAC Personal Trainer

Gluten Free, Farm Fresh, Organic Quiche, recipe at the end!

I am asked about healthy meal planning nearly every day as a trainer.  Whether it is fat loss or you’re just conquering a “healthy” life style the body needs to acquire the top possible items to do so.  In this blog post, you will learn about the BEST items of food to choose and the understanding of quality vs. quantity.

Let’s start with beverages. In weight-loss planning 101 you need to know the most important piece, “Don’t drink your calories!”  Tea and coffee may contain very little calories, but in the end it’s what you DO to the tea and coffee that eliminate the initial value and adds unwanted saturated fats and high volumes of sugar.  It is not just your cup-of-joe that can be adding on that extra pound or two of fat per week.   Many kinds of alcohol, juices, and sodas are packed with calories, food coloring, and sugar. Let say you add 2 tablespoons of sugar a day to your one cup of coffee, seven days a week for one month, that equals over 2/3 pound of fat a month! When in doubt, ask for a good old zero calorie ice water!

Where’s the beef?  Meat, fish and poultry are great sources of protein, iron, and essential fatty acids.    The major topic with purchasing these items widen from safety of animal welfare, environmental welfare, and consumer welfare.  This means choosing the “natural or organic” items.  A UK study on consumer perception of organic food from the British Food Journal found that consumers were more concerned with health and animal welfare, which greatly impacted individuals and their food choices (Harper & Makatouni,  2002).  Today many products contain harmful chemicals, hormones, and preservatives.  The preservative Monosodium (MSG) that is commonly found in cereals and meat have been known to cause weakness, difficulty breathing, nausea, headaches, chest pain, rapid heartbeat (FDA and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), USDA, 2006).  Purchasing certified organic items promise the consumer that there are no added chemicals, genetic engineering, preservatives, or hormones (United States Department of Agriculture).

Linking the last topic to this the next, choosing your veggies and fruits should be fun filled.  Every week it should be your goal to pack in as many colorful fruits and veggies as you can.  The nutrients, phytonutrients, and antioxidants that are in those products will make you strong, have lots of energy, and get you moving and feeling like a champion.  BUT: First, watch what you do to these items.  Buttering them up and adding salt will turn that delightful sweet-potato into a water absorbing fat bomb.  Love your veggies and fruits the way they are!  Second, remember just reading about certified organic products?  Well, the same applies to these choices too.  This can be difficult because prices for these higher quality items are a little more than the non-organic items.  But think about this, I used the word quality.  Items that were raised organic won’t contain harmful chemicals (USDA, National Organic Program). Walk into the grocery store today and compare the prices yourself.  Last week I purchased an organic cucumber for $1.99, the non-organic cucumber was $1.50.  Is that $.49 difference that chilling?

Dairy products are always an interesting topic for healthy meal planning.  When picking out your yogurts, milks, and other dairy products I highly recommend reading the ingredients label.  Some items can contain a great load of sugar!  For those who read my last blog “Dear Mary Poppins, a spoon full of sugar does not make the medicine go down, it makes the blood lipids go up,” you learned that over exposure to sugar can lead to obesity, high blood lipids and other unhappy health issues down the road like type two diabetes.  That delicious raspberry yogurt for lunch can be the same as eating 2 tablespoons of sugar!

Last but not least: your wheat products.  You need to be prudent when picking your products because it can affect you down the road.   Whole grain items are a major source of carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates fuel the body all day, but what happens when we have fueled up too much?  We store all leftovers in the adipose (fat) tissues in our bodies.  How come?  When carbohydrates are broken down in the body it will be converted to glucose, which is the simplest form of sugar.   Remember the sugar topic from earlier in this blog?  Exposure to long-term glucose (perhaps your toast for breakfast along with that PB&J you have with two slices of French bread at lunch) can increase your risk of high blood lipids (fat in your blood), heart disease, and many other health related issues.  This topic is raising and I’m sure hearing about those who are going wheat-free and gluten-free are not that uncommon.   What going wheat-free means is eliminating your bread and wheat sources from your diet.  A great read on this topic is Wheat Belly, written by William Davis, MD.  Your best items to avoid the bloating feeling and fat storing of either wheat and gluten are grains that contain flax, quinoa, rice, tapioca, soy, buckwheat, corn, and millet.

Quiche Recipe:

This meal can be a great choice for you and your family because you are cooking with REAL food!  This recipe includes minimal processed foods, a load of fresh veggies and protein, and will connect you with food!

You need:

1 small diced zucchini

½ cup of diced onions

6 Farm fresh sliced and grilled sausage links

1 cup of fresh diced spinach

6 egg whites

6 whole eggs

½ tbs. garlic power or optional seasoning

½ cup of diced tomatoes

Optional:

Cubed cheese

Crust:

2 cups of gluten free flour (of choose)

1 tbs. of coconut or olive oil

¼ - ½ cup of water

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 450° degrees.

2.     Mix the top portion ingredients in a separate bowl.

3.     Combined the crust ingredients and roll out on a clean floured area.

4.     Grease a pie pan and spread the crust fully over the pan. 

5.     Pour all the contents of the wet ingredients into the pie pan.

6.     Wrap tin foil over the top of the pie pan.

7.     Bake for 40-45 minutes (check the quiche to make sure the egg is fully cooked)

Resources:

Harper, G., & Makatouni, A. (2002). Consumer perception of organic food production and farm animal welfare. British Food Journal , 104(3/4/5), 287-299.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "FDA and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)," 31 August, 1995 (accessed July 28, 2006).

United States Department of Argriculture, Agriculture Marketing Service.  Organic Labeling and Marketing information.

United States Department of Agriculture. www.usda.gov

Broken Bike, Nor Poop at NYC Ironman Could NOT Deter This Champ!

Sunday night, and I just got home after sharing an incredible race NYC Ironman weekend, with David Sobel ..who.........really represented the "Go3 attitude" David just schooled us on positive attitude and optimism!

I got a call and text on Thursday morning..."bad news"  he said...and he went on to explain that during his  tapper ride, he realized that part of his bike frame was broken! BROKEN!

The NYC Ironman was two days away!!!!

So, with the incredible 911 help from Drummond's Cycles…Dick was able to take David's measurements and build another bike to David's specs. Drummonds puts Nascar's very best pit crew to shame. (A broken frame 2 days before an Ironman would put me right over the edge) I picked up the new bike off of Drummond's porch at 5:30 in the morning on Friday (and if you want to hear a great story about how I got out of my speeding ticket that morning- I can share that later) so, I got the bike and delivered it before noon to David in NYC. We find parking in the city..worse or harder than trying to find your bike in transition with a plastic bag on your head. We get to registration and it is announced that gallons of sewage has leaked into the Hudson (where David is supposed to swim in another day!!) Ok, that would do it right there for me! I would have pulled the plug.

The Ironman race directors informed us that they were testing the waters with the health dept. and would announce their decision dictating whether the swim would be cancelled, or might still  be on. The final decision would not be called until 4:00p.m the day before the race.

David's reaction- "I will be so bummed if the race were to be cancelled! My swim has gotten so much better after working with Nicola and Signe over this past year..if they canceled the swim it wouldn't really be an Ironman. I would feel like After I finished the bike and run I'd have to go find a pool and swim for 2.4 miles"

That's when everything was really confirmed something is tainted with our kool aid...something is wrong with us!

Friday, 4:00,..The swim is announced to be a go!

I am thinking about how much Purell should be added to David's water bottles, does Clorox make soap? Do they make antibacterial shot blocks? can he take the air mattress I had been sleeping on and use it during the swim?

I will try to rap this up-

If you know David, you know how even keeled he is and even when his boat starts to tip, he manages to stay focused on what it is that he actually  has control of. As Meghan put it, he might just be a "Super Hero"..because he  does a ton while training for an Ironman - Super Dad to 4 kids, wonderful Husband to Meghan, rescues animals and a kind, supportive friend to many of us and on top of that he keeps calm  while training for an Ironman and swimming in sewage! He also blows a HUGE PR (personal record) over an hour and a half off his other IM times!! SO COOL!

Before the race I heard David tell his parents that he would very happy if he could go under 15 hours. Last night, David finished strong through some very mentally and physically challenging conditions, he busted through with a 13:59! ! !! So many people and family were sending David energy last night and his parents were also there to share his day. HUGE thanks to Drummonds, who kept the wheels on the bus (or bike)

Cheers, 

Robin Asbury Go3 Coaching and Founder of Upper Valley Tri Tream

Dear Mary Poppins, a spoon full of sugar does not make the medicine go down. It makes your blood lipids go up.

By Katherine MacPherson BS, ACSM HFS & UVAC Personal Trainer

My sister’s great way of getting her 3 year old to enjoy watermelon

Growing up I can remember my great grandmother sprinkling sugar over fresh picked and sliced strawberries for us young kids to enjoy.  Sugar overload?  I’m sure I thought those strawberries were perfectly delicious!  Of the US population, we consume on average 25% or more of own DAILY diet in simple sugars (Thompson, Manroe 2009).  And yes, the rumors are true, simple sugars are not that ideal. Let’s sweetly recap:

Glucose: Generally combined with other sugars, it’s a preferred source of energy for the brain and for all cells.

Fructose: Sweet sugar found of veggies and fruit.

Lactose: Milk sugar

Maltose: A disaccharide that contains two molecules of glucose.

Sucrose: A disaccharide that contains one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule.   It’s sweeter than lactose or maltose.

Added Sugars: Brown sugar, dextrose, honey, corn sweeteners, raw sugar, maple sugar, high-fructose corn syrup (this list of added sugars can go on!).  

Sucralose (Splenda):  A man-made product that is not broken down by the body.  Known to be highly sweeter than table sugar, Sucralose is non-caloric.

WHY SHOULD WE SKIP THEM?

·         Large amounts of simple sugars leads to unhealthy levels of blood lipids.  Meaning an increased risk of triglycerides (lipids in our blood) and LDL’s (the bad cholesterol.) 

·         High sugar intakes contributes to obesity.  Obesity contributes to diabetes.  

·         Tooth decay!

 cravingsugar.net

DON’TS: 

·         It is clear today that soda would probably be the first additive sugar item to deduct from your diet. Two reasons for two kinds of sodas:

1.       Non-diet sodas contain over 2-8 tablespoons of sugar. Ouch, call the dentist ASAP?

2.       Diet sodas typically contain aspartame or sucralose, remember the words “man-made” from the recap section of this blog?  When the body tries to break down those ingredients, it will start to process them as if they were true glucose, increasing the rate of insulin production.  Once the body figures out it is not real glucose, your body will lower its blood pressure so that you’ll be hungry enough to soon ingest the real form of glucose so that the insulin can be successful stored. 

·         Avoid doubling up on sweets.  Fruit and veggies are naturally tasty and ready for you to eat.  Adding sugar, or honey for an example to them will only retrain your taste buds to think they aren’t sweet enough.

·         “I’ll take my coffee with two creams and 3 sugar packets please.” YIKES, biggest don’t!  What a terrible way to sneak in sugar.  Your taste buds WILL adapt to a deduction!

Example equation: If you put in 3 tablespoons of sugar in your one cup of coffee a day, that is 1,008 calories at the end of the week.  That is 1/3 of a pound of fat just from your one cup of coffee a day!

DO’S

·         Drink it, eat it, AS IS! Your fruits and veggies have the sugar already in it, why add to it?

·         Baking with sugar can be tricky, but my personal recommendation is that you use natural resources, like maple syrup, or sugar in the raw.   They are unbleached and readily digestible compared to many other resources.

·         One of my clients got me a bumper sticker saying “READ THE INGREDIENTS!” and it could not be more true.  Cereals, drinks, baked goods, pretty much ALL foods that come with a nutrition label, you should read before you buy it or consume it! Remember 14 grams of sugar = 1 TBS.

Resources from Nutrition; An Applied Approach.  Second Edition. J. Thompson, M. Manroe.
Second photo credit to cravingsugar.net

Have any cooking tips or tricks? Or maybe some sugar reduction success stories? Fill us readers in!

Love What You Do

Everyone knows that Andre Agassi hates tennis, and Keith Foulke hates baseball. And I hate both baseball and tennis. Now, the irony is I'm extremely talented tennis player. In a way, I kind of feel like Andre. Really really ridiculously good (looking) at tennis, but with no interest what-so-ever in the sport. Maybe I could get into it if people threw buckets of money at me. Maybe. But I'm no Scrooge McDuck. I can't even swim in water, let alone buckets of money. And seeing as I already have all of the things I need in life, adding hitting sessions with famous good looking country club people and collared shirts would be something akin to torture.

So I almost never play tennis. And I definitely don’t play baseball. I'll skip the Keith Foulke analogy I had planned because I'm guessing we're far enough removed from the last Red Sox world series win to have forgotten about him entirely. He wasn't integral to the point of this post anyway. Which is:

Why DO people insist on doing things that they're good at rather than things that they love to do?

8 Reasons YOU Should Become a Lifeguard

8 Reasons YOU Should Become a Lifeguard

by UVAC Head Lifeguard, Anthony Alvarenga

1.     Make a Difference  

Every day you go to work, you will actively make an impact.  Even just standing there,  you’re very existence promotes safety.  Your job makes the world a better, safer place.

2.     Help Others

From the Band-Aid you put on a child’s knee, to the door you open for an elderly patron, to the horrified swimmer you pull out of the water;  The kindness, care, and compassion you demonstrate is appreciated!

3.     The Chance to Save a Life

 Do I need to say more?

4.     The Challenge  

You don’t just fill out an application to become a lifeguard.  You have to take the course, you have to take the tests, and you have to pass them.  You have to be a good swimmer, and you have to want it!

5.     Experience a TEAM Like No Other

The toughest competition is the one to save somebody’s life.  Lifeguards work together in specific scenarios in an emergency.  They train in these scenarios together, they learn them together.  NOBODY is ever standing around.  Camaraderie, friendship, respect, loyalty is all part of the lifeguarding TEAM.

6.     Stay in Shape

Yeah lifeguards are in shape!  The job is physical and demanding.  Lifeguards are physically and mentally fit. Ready to act!

7.     Maturity

This is a serious job with serious consequences.  If you’re somebody that has these qualities, this is the job to showcase them!

8.     Something New  

 Get out of that restaurant for the summer, aren’t you sick of it by now?

How To Avoid Overuse Injuries

As I type this I have been informed that I have a torn posterior labrum in my shoulder.  The labrum is the cartilage that protects the glenoid fossa (the socket) from the humeral head (the ball).  I sustained this injury through years of throwing baseballs as a catcher all the way through college, and now as a college coach throwing batting practice.  I would put my total number of throws over my lifetime over 1,000,000 if I had to guess.  This is considered an overuse injury—one that isn’t caused by an acute incident or a traumatic accident.

Overuse injuries are one of the fastest growing injuries in sport, and can range from mild shin splints to rotator cuff tendonitis to IT Band Syndrome to plantar fasciitis.  All of these usually occur in people that do repetitive motions over and over again like running, cycling, swimming, tennis, or baseball.  Overuse injuries can sideline an athlete for a whole season, or even a year, if they are not treated soon enough. 

Overuse injuries usually can be controlled with rest, ice, and your favorite NSAIDs, but if they go untreated they can derail your training and leave you in pain on the couch.  So, what should you do?  It depends on what sport you participate in:

·        Swimming: The most common injury is deterioration of the rotator cuff tendons (tendinosis) and can usually be avoided by not swimming when tired, properly warming up, and resistance training.  Strengthening the muscles of the rotator cuff and the muscles supporting the scapula can help.

·        Running:  Running is great for overall health, but can be very hard on the legs—especially if you are starting from scratch.  The most common injuries are shin splints (strained anterior tibialis muscle, to the point where it starts to pull bone fragments off the tibia in severe cases), plantar fasciitis (inflammation and aggravation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot), and IT Band Syndrome (thickening and shortening of the connective tissue supporting the outside of the upper leg).

o   Shin Splints: RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation).  A good tip is to take Dixie cups, fill them with water and freeze them.  Once frozen, peel the paper off and apply the ice in a figure 8 motion over the affected area.  Another thing would be to mid foot or toe strike when running instead of heel striking.

o   Plantar Fasciitis:  RICE.  Foam rolling the muscles of the lower leg will help alleviate tension further down the kinetic chain.  You can also take a tennis ball, lacrosse ball, or golf ball and roll it, front to back, on the bottom of your foot.

o   IT Band Syndrome:  The IT band is a little trickier as it is usually very tender once it is aggravated.  Foam rolling of the TFL (Tensor Fascia Latae) and the IT band from the hip to the knee will help release tension.  NSAIDs can help with knee pain associated with the ITB Syndrome.  These stretches will also help stretch the TFL and the IT Band:

 

·        Cycling: The most common overuse injury in cycling is IT Band Syndrome and Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome related knee pain. For the IT Band see above, for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome resistance training will usually help alleviate pain associated with incorrect tracking of the patella.  Focusing on the glutes and hamstrings and less on the quadriceps will help the knee cap track correctly.

·        Overhead sports:  Sports like baseball, softball, volleyball, and tennis all have similar overhead throwing motions and also have similar modalities to keep you healthy.  Most importantly is making sure your shoulder and scapula work in harmony with each other.  If they don’t, you may be impinging your rotator cuff tendon between the humeral head and the inferior side of the acromion. Strengthening the muscle of the rotator cuff, the muscle supporting the scapula, and keeping proper posture will help keep you healthy!

If you have any questions about overuse injuries please leave them in the comments below!  If you would like to talk with me directly about how to keep you healthy, contact me at jgrainger@uvac-swim.org.

Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

As a 30 year old part time professional athlete with no children, no student loans, and a 9-5 job down at the button factory, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to fill the uncountable hours of free time I have every day.

If you're in the same boat (or, wish you could be), I've finally found the perfect way to kill all that free time your friends and family are always telling you you're wasting.

Why don't I get a real job Dad? I'll tell you why. Because I'm too busy

JUICING