Archive for Workout Fuel

Thai Cilantro Burgers

March 11, 2013 Anti-Inflammatory Life, Eat Your Veggies!, Fertility Foods, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Super Snacks, Workout Fuel No comments

IMG_4704We had these chicken burgers two weekends in a row because Dan demanded them! This weekend, Dan had a great idea to make extra and freeze them for lunches this week; these burgers will be an excellent back-up dinner or lunch.

Since we take dinner leftovers for lunch the next day, it’s a good idea for us to have a back-up lunch option so that if dinner is not necessarily his favorite, he’s not stuck eating it two days in a row. Of course, I’m such a fantastic cook, this rarely happens (wink). But, on occasion, when there are just a few too many bean, fish or leafy green veggie dishes in a row, Dan starts to rebel. And that’s where these Thai Cilantro Burgers will save the day!

Make these your own-I used ground chicken, but ground skinless turkey, white beans, edamame, black beans or grass-fed (or organic) ground beef would work too. I’ve never made burgers with tofu…have you? Let me know.

Thai Cilantro Burgers with Avocado and Lime Slaw

  • 2 handfuls cilantro
  • 2 handfuls parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons green curry paste
  • 1 tablespoon non-GMO or organic canola oil mayo
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free tamari sauce)
  • 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 4 green onions
  • Juice of one 1 lime
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs (gluten-free panko)
  • 1 pound skinless chicken breast

Place all ingredients except chicken into Cuisenart. Process for about 30 seconds.

Cut chicken breast into peices. Place chicken into Cuisenart. Pulse for 2 seconds 8-10 times until you have ground the chicken and mixed all the ingredients together.

Make burgers. Let the burgers sit for about 15 minutes.

Cook in a skillet. I did these on the stove and they held their shape. I didn’t grill them though; if you do, please let me know how they hold up. The onions and herbs make the burger a bit soft before it’s cooked, and super juicy once it’s cooked through.

Serve with canola mayo and avocado slices. Appreciate the color on your plate! Those are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in these burgers and salad. Fresh herbs, ginger and green onions are some of nature’s gifts to us-they make food taste amazing AND they help support optimal physical and mental function.

Avocado Lime Slaw

  • 1/4 head green cabbage
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • Juice of one lime
  • Salt, to season
  • 1 avocado

Shred cabbage. Chop cilantro and onions. Season with sesame oil, lime juice and salt. Dice and mix in avocado.

Nutrition Details

Gluten-free, dairy-free, can be made vegetarian if you’d like to experiment!

Makes 10 burgers; Per burger:

114 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 1.2 grams saturated fat, 242 mg sodium, 3.1 grams carbohydrate, 14.3 grams protein

 

What’s Your 2013 Workout Goal?

January 3, 2013 A New You, Anti-Inflammatory Life, Exercise, Nutrition Notes, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes & Articles, Weight Loss, Workout Fuel No comments

 

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In the kitchen hangs our Runner’s World calendar with a pen tied on for easy access to track workouts.

My 2013 Workout Goal is to run 1000 miles. What’s your goal? Everyone should have one.

My Dad observed that there were a lot of people out at the park on New Year’s Day. He said every year he sees lots of people running, walking, and playing tennis on Jan 1, but as the year progresses the people stop showing up. If you are a regular exerciser, you’ve probably seen the same thing happen at your gym or running path. Whether you are the committed one or the one trying to stick with your workout routine, you need a goal.

Ideas for Your 2013 Workout Goal

While I was running yesterday, I thought of some cool ideas for your workout goal. Modify one of these to make it your own or come up with your own inspired goal.

  • 50 different trails (walk, run, mountain bike, whatever-but 50 different trails!)
  • 150 total workouts
  • 3,500,000 steps
  • Do a pull up unassisted or do 5 standing single leg squats or do 50 push ups without stopping
  • Identify a specific number of birds or plants while hiking
  • Swim 100 miles
  • Become proficient at tennis
  • Get a wall map, track your miles, put a pin for each run and run to India…I’m don’t know how many miles that is, but I think this would be a cool way of tracking mileage

Be Realistic

I had the goal to run 1000 miles a few years ago and accomplished it, so I know I can do it. Why am I not increasing my target? Well, now I have two kids and two jobs, so running MORE than 1000 miles this year is not all attainable! Also when I did it before, I had run a marathon and probably a half marathon too. With no plans for a full marathon in 2013, I know I’ll have to run consistently more than I currently am. 3 mile runs will now need to become 4-5 mile runs and I’ll have to be sure to do a longer 6+ mile run every week. Perfect! I can do that! This is just what I need to take it up a notch from where I currently am without setting myself up for disappointment.

Think your goal through and contemplate what it will take to reach your goal. Challenge yourself without setting your goal too high. You want to reach just enough to be inspired, but not so far that you fall.

If you are new to exercise, set a goal for the next 3 months rather than for the entire year, and evaluate your goal quarterly. Your goal could be related to mileage, minutes of exercise, or days that you exercised. I recommend that new exercisers work out every other day, so your goal could be 45 workouts before March 30.

Track It

Monitoring is essential. Track your progress in a very visible place so that you see your progression toward your goal on a daily basis. I like to write my miles on my wall calendar. My husband uses Strava. Whatever you do, make it accessible and easy to use.

If you begin to realize that your goal is not achievable, modify it, don’t abandon it! Review your progress every three months and adjust or revise your target if you need to.

Get Inspired!

What should your goal be? You could conquer your first half or full marathon. You could try a triathlon. You could learn to dance the tango. Indulge your passions and start birding! Whatever you do, make it something you enjoy. Don’t stop looking for a physical activity until you find one that you like.

I remember running the last 6 miles of my 1000 mile goal on a hotel treadmill. We were in Idaho for my cousin’s wedding and it was super snowy outside, so my sister and I ran in the hotel mini-gym. 6 miles is a decent run for me, and on a crummy hotel treadmill, and while on vacation? It took passion and dedication to to make me run those last miles. Plus my Sissy was with me and that makes everything easier. Which brings up another important point, my family knew about and supported my goal. The hour that I needed to reach my goal wasn’t looked down upon or complained about.

Be Flexible

Because I enjoy cycling, swimming and lifting weights in addition to running, I need to make my goal flexible. The last time I ran 1000 miles I literally didn’t do much else for exercise other than run. I don’t want this goal to detract from riding my bike or lifting weights to protect my bones. So, I will have to make my method of counting miles flexible. I am not willing to let go of the idea of 1000 miles, so I want to convert my other activities into miles. There is not a “right way” of doing this, I’m just making it up; the only person it has to make sense to is me. Here’s how I’ll do it:

  • 1 mile run = 1 mile
  • 4 miles on bike = 1 mile (I’ll adjust if I need to when I get back on the bike)
  • Full body strength workout = 3 miles
  • Shorter strength workout = 1 mile
  • 10 minutes any other activity = 1 mile

You can count just about anything. What counts to you?

 

Mmm, Warm Delicious Chili

December 14, 2012 Anti-Inflammatory Life, Beans and Lentils, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Recipes & Articles, Workout Fuel No comments
Leftover chili is perfect for lunch the next day!

Leftover chili is perfect for lunch the next day!

Last week a client mentioned she was trying to make a healthier version of chili. Then this morning a good friend asked for my White Chili Recipe. And last night I made chili in the slow cooker and my husband said, “Yah, this is pretty good!” So all signs point to warm delicious chili!

My White Turkey Chili uses turkey breast, white beans and green chilis. It is always a favorite, and friends and family frequently ask for the recipe.

The Chipolte Chili that we had last night was made pretty much on a whim. I threw it in the Crock Pot in about 5 minutes yesterday morning and viola! Delicious and ridiculously easy to make from staple pantry items.

Chipolte Chili (Crock-Pot)

  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1/4 tablespoon dried chipolte chilis (it is worth the effort to get chipolte chili; I LOVE its smokey flavor)chipolte chili
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans
  • 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, organic
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons flour (I used GF brown rice flour)
  1. Chop onion and mince garlic. I use pre-minced garlic that is stored in the refrigerator for occasions like this. It’s a super fast way to add a punch of flavor.
  2. Place onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chilis, black beans, pinto beans and diced tomatoes in the Crock Pot (or large saucepan). Don’t drain the beans.
  3. Measure 1 cup broth in a 2 cup measuring cup. Whisk 2 tablespoons flour into the broth.
  4. Pour broth into the Crockpot. Mix it all up. Cook on low heat for 6 hours. If cooking on the stove, bring chili to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

I added some leftover shredded chicken and 2 gluten-free nitrate-free chicken sausages to the chili after it was done cooking. If I didn’t have these precooked options, I could have added diced chicken before cooking. Add any type of protein you like-grass-fed ground beef, chicken, turkey, tempeh or keep it a bean chili.

Make Your Own Sport Drink

November 8, 2012 Anti-Inflammatory Life, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Recipes & Articles, Workout Fuel No comments

The endurance exercise season is here! El Tour de Tucson is in just a few weeks and the Tucson Marathon is coming up in December.

I’m speaking tonight with the kids participating in Junior El Tour. This group of kids have been training for the 30 mile ride in El Tour de Tucson. My talk tonight is all about what they should be eating and drinking before their ride.

Sport drinks are commonplace, and often they are over-used. Only when you are exercising longer than an hour, do you need to eat or drink during your workout. If you will exercise longer than 60 minutes plan on consuming fluids, carbohydrates and sodium in a sport drink or some type of sport product or food with fluids.

Hard on Your Pocketbook and Your Body

Sport drinks can be pretty expensive, plus they are often full of refined sugars and synthetic food dye. You can make your own sport drink with 100% fruit juice so that you get extra antioxidants that will help promote recovery from exercise and strengthen your immune system, rather than consuming empty calories in a traditional sport drink.

Tart Cherry Sport Drink

Tart cherries help to reduce inflammation associated with exercise.

  • 32 ounces water
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 24 ounces Knudsen Tart Cherry Juice
  • ¼ cup lemon juice

Makes seven 8-ounce servings
60 calories, 177 mg sodium, 186 mg potassium, 15 grams carbohydrate

Pina Colada Sport Drink

The coconut water gives a light flavor, a few carbohydrates and tons of potassium.

  • 12 ounces water
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 32 ounces O.N.E. Coconut water
  • 12 ounces 100% pineapple juice
  • ¼ cup lemon juice

Makes seven 8-ounce servings
60 calories, 194 mg sodium, 352 mg potassium, 15 grams carbohydrate

Directions for making your own sport drink:

Bring 32 ounces water to a boil. Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in the water. Mix in 24 ounces juice and coconut water (if using), and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Chill and consume.

10 Hour Crock Pot Chicken & Potato Soup

November 1, 2012 Eat Your Veggies!, Fertility Foods, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Recipes & Articles, Weight Loss, Workout Fuel No comments

Do you have long work days? The slow cooker is a great appliance but food left in the slow cooker too long can get dried out and ends up tasteless. A client questioned whether or not you can use frozen poultry in the slow cooker and leave it for a long, long time. So I decided to try this out.

Here are some tips for the slow cooker.

  • Soups and stews can be cooked for a long time because they have a lot of liquid.
  • Roasted or braised chicken or meat dishes can’t be left too long or they will get too dry and burn on the edges.
  • Skinless poultry on the bone tastes better than boneless poultry.
  • Pick a slow cooker that has a timer and a warm setting that allows you to stop cooking before you get home.
  • Make food in bulk. Here’s what it looked like at our house when I made this soup. A couple bowls for dinner and then the rest into glass containers for lunch the next day and some more for the freezer.

Crock Pot Chicken & Potato Soup

  • 3 pounds frozen skinless chicken on the bone, organic
  • 1 pound bright orange sweet potatoes and/or small new potatoes, organic
  • 5 stalks celery, organic
  • 5 carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 bunch parsley, organic
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 cups broth*, Imagine or Pacific brand
  1. Defrost the chicken just enough so that you can break up the pieces and place in the slow cooker.
  2. Cube the potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion into bite size pieces and put in the slow cooker. Add more veggies if needed so that you’ve got a bunch in there.
  3. Mince the garlic and parsley and put in the slow cooker.
  4. Sprinkle with black pepper.
  5. Top with broth. Add enough to cover the veggies and chicken with 1-2 inches of liquid on top.
  6. Cook on low for 8 hours. It can remain on warm for hours; I left it for 10 hours total.

*For those with celiac, ensure that this ingredient is gluten-free and preferably from a gluten-free facility

Nutrition Details:

Gluten-free, dairy-free

Makes 6 servings; per serving:

207 calories, 2.4 grams fat, 806 mg sodium (use low sodium broth to reduce this), 29 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 4 grams natural sugar, 18 grams protein

Want More Slow Cooker Recipes?

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