The Sunday Sampler - Health

Welcome to another installment of The Sunday Sampler.  This is the day where I share my insights, thoughts, and opinions with you about different things in three categories: fitness, parenthood, and health, rotating each category each week.  I hope that makes sense! :)  

My hope is that I will be able to help you along your adventure just like so many others have helped me. So, let me know what you think!  I'd love to read about your perspectives on these things as well!  :) 

Health:
Hemp protein:

O-kay, don't let the word "hemp" scare you.  I'm not talking about good ole' Cannibus, but rather a protein source that is considered to be the "gold standard of plant protein."  I was first introduced to hemp protein in Brendan Brazier's book, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life.  I was a little hesitant to eat it because of the whole "hemp" thing, but after doing further research, I realized that it is actually a wonderful product.
So, one thing I always got asked when I became a vegetarian was, "How do you get your protein?"  I soon realized that these people really didn't care how I got my protein, what they were really saying was that I was a fool for being a vegetarian and thinking I could still be an endurance athlete.  Turns out they were actually the fools.  It's interesting how much different information you can find about the protein requirements for athletes when you Google it.  Now, I am not a doctor or a sports dietitian, but I believe that how much protein you need is dependent on who you are, what you believe, what type of training you are doing, and what your goals are.  I think everyone is different and therefore requires different amounts of protein.  But, one thing is certain, we, as athletes, all need it in some amount or the other.  Why?  Here is some info. about protein from the book, Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes:

Protein plays an important role in the growth, repair, and muscle maintenance of muscles and other tissues in the body.  It is needed for the formation of hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen to the exercising muscles.  It can even serve as a fuel source during endurance exercise if your body's carbohydrate stores run low.  Protein is also crucial to controlling fluid volume in the body and maintaining water balance.  Insufficient protein can hinder muscle recovery in the hours after training because of protein's essential role in the building and repair of muscle tissue.   

Now, we all know that the best way to get protein is from whole foods, but sometimes it is nice to have easy access to it pre and post workout.  Here is where protein powder comes in, hence the reason for this post. :)

Why should we use hemp protein over other proteins out there?
*  It is a complete protein and contains all 10 essential amino acids
*  The proteins found in hemp are similar to the ones found in the human body
*  It provides the essential fatty acids Omega-6 and 3 in a healthy 3:1 ratio
*  Is a high source of fiber.  2Tbl. of hemp provides 8g of fiber, about 1/3 of our daily requirement
*  It has natural plant chlorophyll and alkalizes to maintain a Ph balance in your body
*  Since hemp protein is raw, the body is able to utilize it easily, reducing digestive strain
*  It is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, including calcium and iron
*  It is free of oligosaccharides, the component that can cause gas and upset stomach
*  It is gluten free, vegan, kosher, and non-genetically modified
*  It contains no sugar, saturated/trans fats, or cholesterol

How to incorporate hemp protein into your diet:

*  Add some protein powder to your smoothie, oatmeal, or yogurt
*  Add hemp seeds to salads, cereal, granola, soups, and stews.  They have a nice nutty flavor, kind of like sunflower seeds, and add a nice little crunch to food.
*  Sprinkle the seeds on steamed veggies (kind of like you would do with sesame seeds)
*  Use the seeds in baked goods (breads, muffins, cookies)
*  Add the powder or seeds to your favorite homemade granola bar recipe
*  Make hemp milk by blending 1C hemp seeds with 4C water
*  Use hemp oil as a salad dressing base (I have a great salad dressing recipe that uses hemp, flax, olive oil, and garlic! It is delicious! Let me know if you want the recipe)


Some things to be aware of:
*  Hemp seeds can easily turn rancid, so make sure to put them in the fridge or freezer to make them last longer
*  Store hemp protein powder and hemp oil in the fridge as well
*  If stored correctly, hemp products will last from 8-12 weeks.
*  Hemp products are free of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, so you can't get "high" from it
*  It's more expensive than other proteins out there, but I think it's worth it.
*  Check out this link for some FAQ about hemp products

Do any of you eat hemp products?  If so, what is your take on them?  
I hope you are all having a great weekend! :)

The Sunday Sampler - Health

Welcome to a new installment of The Sunday Sampler.  This is the day where I share my insights, thoughts, and opinions with you about different things in three categories: fitness (gear/clothing/accessories/etc.), parenthood, and health rotating each category each week.  I hope that makes sense! :)  

My hope is that I will be able to help you along your adventure just like so many others have helped me. So, let me know what you think!  I'd love to read about your perspectives on these things as well!  :) 

Health:
O-kay, so I know I'm supposed to be rotating my posts, so technically this should be about exercise.  But, I was asked to do a post about healthy breakfast options.  I don't know about you, but cereal just doesn't cut it for me when it comes to breakfast.  Yes, it's easy, but it lacks the substance to keep me going throughout the morning.  That being said however, I still eat cereal on occasion.  But, we are conscious about what cereal we buy, and we always load it up with berries, raisins/cherries, and sprinkle a little ground flaxseed on top.  This helps, but I'm still starving by 9 o'clock!   Now, I am far from perfect and there are days when we go to Starbucks and get a pumpkin loaf (yum) or Panera for a cinnamon roll, but for the most part, we make breakfast every morning and enjoy it as a family before heading off in different directions.  So, I thought I'd share with you some of my family's favorite things to eat for breakfast.  I would love to hear what you eat too, so please share! :)  


Breakfast Ideas:
We've all heard it before, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."  Well, whether you believe that or not, here is some quick info about the importance of eating breakfast:

*  This is probably my favorite analogy:  Imagine you're a car.  After a long night of sleeping, your fuel tank is empty.  Breakfast is the fuel that gets you going so you can hit the road.  

*  Breakfast gives us a much needed energy boost for the rest of the day.  

*  Studies show that those who eat a healthy breakfast not only snack less, are more focused, and have more energy throughout the day, but also tend to be thinner than those who eat an unhealthy breakfast, or skip it all together.  

*  Not making time for breakfast may lead to consuming high calorie/carb foods that even the most active person would have a hard time burning.  

* Kids who don't eat breakfast are less able to learn at school, get less iron in their diets, and are more likely to have a higher BMI, which is a sign they may be overweight. 

*  Kids who eat breakfast do better in school, are more likely to participate in physical activities, and tend to eat healthier overall.  

* Studies show that besides assuring optimal development and growth, positive effects on alertness, attention, and other skills important for academic success are enhanced for those who eat breakfast on a daily basis. 

*  Eating breakfast leads to steadier blood glucose, better concentration, and more success at reaching your healthy weight goals.  

* A six-year study compared the mental and physical efficiency of a group of adults throughout the day, some of whom ate healthy nutritious breakfasts while others did not.  When compared to those who ate breakfast, the people who did not became less efficient as the day went on.  Their productivity improved after eating lunch, but by the end of the day their work completion was slower than those who had eaten breakfast.  

So, here are some of our favorite breakfasts:

1.  Quinoa with cherries and walnuts

So, I know most of us don't have a lot of time in the morning for breakfast, especially if you have children who need to be shuffled to school.  But, this is really easy and doesn't take much time at all.  There's a little chopping involved, but really you just put the ingredients in the pot, let it cook, and eat it when it's done.  For me, I wake up, get it started, then go about getting myself and boys dressed and ready for the day.  This breakfast is full of healthy goodness and is a nice change from oatmeal.

Ingredients:

Makes about 4 servings

*  1 1/3C quinoa (make sure you rinse it really well first)
*  2 2/3C water
*  1 small apple, unpeeled, cored, and cut into small chunks
*  1/4C dried cherries
*  1/2C chopped walnut pieces
*  1/2tsp. ground cinnamon
*  2Tbl. honey or agave nectar
*  1/2C soymilk
*  ground flaxseed

Directions:
1.  Put the quinoa and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook 5 minutes.
2.  Add the apples and cherries and cook, covered over low heat, until water is absorbed, about 10minutes more.
3.   Stir in the cinnamon, honey, and milk.  Cook for 1 more minute, so the milk is heated through.
4.  Place into bowls and top with walnuts and ground flaxseed.  Feel free to add more honey and milk to taste.

2.  Smoothie and whole wheat toast with peanut/almond/cashew butter

Sorry, this isn't the best picture.  I forgot to take a pic before eating some of my smoothie...:)

For me, the options for smoothies are endless.  You can add fresh fruit, frozen fruit (Costco has amazing frozen blueberries and strawberries), hemp protein powder, hemp seeds, cacoa/carob powder, 100% fruit juices, milk,  yogurt, water, etc..  But, some of the basics that I almost always use are plain yogurt, soymilk, and ground flaxseed.  From there I put whatever I have inside the blender, blend it up, and serve it with some whole wheat toast covered with some peanut butter.  I also like to drizzle a little honey over the peanut butter (yum!).

Oh, and I love to add chopped spinach to my smoothies.  They add a great nutritional punch to the smoothie and you don't even taste it.  It turns the smoothie green, but I could care less what color it is! :)

3.  Steelcut Oatmeal with mix-ins

I love oatmeal and my boys absolutely love it too!  This takes some time to cook, so what I do is put everything in our rice cooker on the porridge setting before going to bed, set the timer, and it's ready when we wake up.  Easy peasy breakfast!  You could also use a crockpot on the low setting if you didn't have a rice cooker.

For all of the combos below, we just put all of the ingredients together and cook it.  When it's finished, you can top it with sliced almonds, hemp protein powder, peanut/almond/cashew butter, fresh fruit, or whatever your heart desires. Here are some of our favorite combos:

A)  Our version:  1 1/2C steelcut oats, 4C water, 1 1/2tsp. cinnamon, 2 1/2Tbl. br. sugar, 2 apples (unpeeled, cored, and cut into small chunks), 3 handfuls of raisins, 3Tbl. ground flaxseed.

B)  Maple & Brown Sugar:  1 1/2C steelcut oats, 4C water, 2Tbl. maple syrup/agave nectar, 2Tbl. br. sugar, 3Tbl. raisins, 3Tbl. ground flaxseed

C)  Cranberry-Date:  1C steelcut oats,  4C water, 1C dried cranberries, 1C chopped pitted dates, 3Tbl. ground flaxseed

D)  Almond-Date:  1C steelcut oats, 4C water, 2/3C chopped pitted dates, 1/3C almonds, 3Tbl. ground flaxseed, 1/4C brown sugar, 1/2tsp. cinnamon, 1/4tsp. salt

4.  Old fashioned Oats -quick and easy oatmeal
This is probably one of my favorite breakfasts.  It is super easy to make and is ready in less than 5minutes!

Here's what I use:  3/4C old-fashioned oatmeal (not the quick cooking kind), some raisins/dried cherries, 1/2 banana sliced, 1Tbl. ground flaxseed, 1Tbl. hemp protein powder, dash of cinnamon, little bit of raw sugar, 1Tbl. peanut/almond butter, and soymilk (enough to cover the oats).

Here's how I do it:  I mix everything in a microwave safe bowl, put it in the microwave, and cook it for 1 1/2 minutes on high.  Viola!  It's done and really yummy!  

5.  Yogurt with granola, berries, and lots of add-ons
This is another simple breakfast that's super easy to make.  I use plain soy yogurt, whatever fresh berries we have, 1/2 banana sliced, ground flaxseed, and granola.  You can then add dried cherries/raisins/cranberries, sliced almonds, hemp protein powder, hemp seeds, or whatever else you feel like adding.  

6.  My scones and breads of course! :)


Again, I would love to hear what your favorite breakfast is!  I'm always looking for new things to eat. 


I hope you all are having a great weekend.  :)

The Sunday Sampler - Health

Welcome to a new installment of The Sunday Sampler.  This is the day where I share my insights, thoughts, and opinions with you about different things in three categories: fitness (gear/clothing/accessories/etc.), parenthood, and health rotating each category each week.  I hope that makes sense! :)  

My hope is that I will be able to help you along your adventure just like so many others have helped me. So, let me know what you think!  I'd love to read about your perspectives on these things as well!  :) 

Health:

Flaxseeds

Originally I was supposed to post this last Sunday, but since I was in AZ I didn't have the opportunity to get it done.  But, I figured it's better late than never! 

Now, as runners and triathletes we all know about eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.  And, we definitely know about the importance of exercise (so much so that it can sometimes become obsessive!).  So, I'm not going to talk about diet and exercise.  I would, however, like to focus on something very simple that everyone can incorporate into their life that has some amazing benefits: flaxseeds.  

  

So, what are flaxseeds?  

Here is some info from www.whfoods.com: 

Flaxseeds are slightly larger than sesame seeds and have a hard shell that is smooth and shiny. Their color ranges from deep amber to reddish brown depending upon whether the flax is of the golden or brown variety.
Their flavor is warm and earthy with a subtly nutty edge. While unground flaxseeds feature a soft crunch, they are usually not consumed whole but rather ground since this allows for the enhancement of their nutrient absorption. Ground flaxseeds can have a relatively mealy texture with a potential hint of crunch depending upon how fine they are ground.

Why should we eat flaxseeds?  

Well, I'll tell you!  Here are some benefits:

• Flaxseeds are rich in alpha linolinic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat 

• They have anti-inflammatory benefits
• The Omega-3 fats are used by the body to produce prostaglandins, which are anti-inflammatory hormone-like molecules, which can help reduce the inflammation that is a significant factor in conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, and osteoporosis.

• They protect bone health
• The ALA found in flaxseeds promotes bone health by helping to prevent excessive bone turnover-when consumption of foods rich in this omega-3 fat results in a lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in the diet.

• They protect against Heart disease, Cancer, and Diabetes

• They help prevent and control high blood pressure

• They provide comparable cholesterol-lowering benefits as Statin drugs

• They are rich in beneficial fiber  

Some things to be aware of:

*  Flaxseeds can be bought whole or ground. However, if buy whole flaxseeds, always grind them first before eating them to enhance their digestibility and nutritional value

*  They need to be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place to keep them from spoiling.  I like to keep mine in the refrigerator.

*  If stored properly, ground flaxseeds can keep fresh for a few months.

*  If you add ground flaxseeds to meals when cooking, make sure to add them at the end of the process because they tend to thicken the liquids.

*  When you first begin to incorporate flaxseeds into your diet, make sure you start with a small amount such as 1 tsp.  Because flaxseeds are a great source of fiber, you can experience gas and bloating if you eat too much too soon!  

How to incorporate flaxseeds into your diet:

*  Add them to your smoothie

*  Add them to your cereal, oatmeal, cottage cheese, or yogurt

*  Add them when you bake muffins, cookies, scones, cakes, etc.

*  You can sprinkle them on veggies for a nutty flavor

*  Add them to pancake or waffle batter

*  You can use them instead of eggs in recipes (1egg = 1Tbl. flaxseed mixed with 3Tbl. water)

All in all, my family and I try to eat some flaxseeds every day.  I really think flaxseeds are something that everyone can incorporate into their diets.  And, with so many benefits why wouldn't you?  

So, do you eat flaxseeds?  If so, how do you eat them?  Do you have any favorite recipes to share?