SUSTAINABLE SNACKS: Natural Energy Boosters

It's 3p.m., and you're feeling less than peppy.  Instead of grabbing a cup of joe or a caffeinated soda, why not try one of these natural, low-to no-calorie energy boosters? Almonds (preferably raw): Almonds are a terrific source of protein that helps stabilize blood sugar and increase energy.  Almonds also contain potassium, which aids in regulating glucose metabolism.  Eat a dozen, and chew well, for a healthy snack under 100 calories.

Peppermint:  Perk up with peppermint essential oil or peppermint tea.  Research suggests that the smell of peppermint can boost energy and alertness.  It has been found to stimulate an area of the brain that wakes us up in the morning.

Chocolate:  Not all chocolate is created equal.  Add to your daily diet IsaDelights.  It's a unique healthy, happy, quilt free dark chocolate.  If you love chocolate or crave junk food, just pop one of these 50 calorie treats in your mouth.  They satisfy the part of the brain that triggers cravings, leaving you feeling satisfied.  I enjoy an Isadelight every day, often it's the first thing I eat.

Water:  For the purposes of energizing your body, the colder, the better.  The sensation of cold helps stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (aka the fight-or-flight response) and trigger an adrenaline release.  When you need a quick boost, it gets the energy flowing.  Plus just about everyone could use more water daily.

Spicy Asian Stir-Fry with Whole-Wheat Linguine

This recipe is a good way to make the switch from white pasta to whole-grain varieties that offer more fiber and protein.  If your diet requires additional protein you can add chicken or salmon.  The dish also tastes great as a cold noodle salad which you can easily transport to work.  If you do not have hoisin or garlic-chile sauce just substitute another sweet and spicy combo. Serves 4 (2 cups/serving) Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients: 8 oz whole-wheat linguine noodles 1 Tbs. peanut oil 1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup) 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 tsp) 1 small head bok choy, chopped into 2-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups) 1 1/2 cups broccoli floret 1/2 cup frozen or fresh snow peas (thawed) 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 2 Tbs hoisin sauce 1 Tbs garlic-chili sauce 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water, and set pasta aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, and saute 5 to 7 minutes, or until onion is golden.

Add bok choy, broccoli, snow peas, and bell pepper.  Stir continuously for 5 minutes.  Add a 1/2 cup of water, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in hoisin and garlic-chili sauces.  Stir in noodles, adding 1/2 cup reserved cooking water.  Add more water if mixture seems too dry.  Garnish each serving with 1 Tbs. chopped peanuts.

Per 2-cup serving: 330 calories; 19g protein; 9g fat (1g saturated); 55g carb; 10g fiber; 205mg sodium; 7g sugars

compliments of vegetarian times magazine

Sustainable Meals: 4 Energy Boosters

When you are planning your midday meal, make sure it includes these nutrients for sustained energy throughout the afternoon. Complex Carbohydrates: Think of them as superpremium fuel for you body.  Complex carbs deliver more energy per bite than processed carbs or sugary sweets because they are digested more slowly and prevent spikes and subsequent dips in blood sugar.  A few good lunch sources include brown rice, bulgur, wheat berries, millet, hulled barley, whole grain pasta, beans, artichokes, pea pods, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, sweet potatoes, and zucchini.

Iron: This essential mineral helps the body produce hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to the muscles and brain.  Combine iron-rich foods with foods high in vitamin C for increased absorption.  Try watercress, arugula, spinach, collard greens, kale, chard, mustard greens, kidney beans, wheat bran, raisins, and blackstrap molasses.

Protein: Feel fuller longer!  Protein fulfills this promise by slowing digestion of other foods and regulating the energy release they provide.  Aside from lean meats try adding nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu, tempeh, and eggs.

Good Fats: A little goes a long way when using these concentrated sources of energy that add flavor and make food more satisfying.  Use olive, coconut, flax and other plant-based oils, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, avocado, and natural nut butters.

Loose Weight by Writing

Now that the New Year is here, how about jump-starting those stalled weight-loss plans?  To help make extra pounds of fat history, try this proven strategy: track you food intake in a diary.  Applying this strategy can double your weight loss success. I've begun a food log for myself.  Yes, I did succumb to too many sweets and excess food between vacation and the holidays.  I'm using a on-line program that allows me to log my daily food intake and in return I receive a interactive report card indicating whether I am taking in the correct amount of carbs, fats and proteins, as well as essential vitamins and minerals based upon the goal of loosing 1-2 pounds per week.  It even offers suggestions of foods that I should consume in order to bring my daily nutrient intake to FDA guidelines.

The "My Body" meal planner is so comprehensive that I'm using it with all my clients to assist them with making healthier meal and snack choices.  If you are interested in learning more about it click here and go to the tab "meal planner".  If you would like me to provide you with a sample report card for a typical daily meal plan for yourself make an appointment by clicking here. Now, keeping a diary does not have to be a formal thing to be beneficial.  Just the act of scribbling down what you eat on a post-it-note, sending yourself e-mails tallying each meal, or sending yourself a text message will help you be more aware of your consumption patterns.

Food Log - Week 6 Paris Marathon

I'm down only 1 pound from last week.  Problem is i've been snacking too frequently and eating too close to bedtime either desserts or additional shakes.  This week I cooked one meal with leftovers to last until vacation on Thursday.  Plan on cleansiing during most of the travel as it's going to take about a whole day to get to Fiji and i dispise dealing with food while flying. Monday- Had a chcolate Isalean shake around 9 am before my 10  mile run.  Had a chocolate and want more energy around 12:30 to get me through a 45 in weight training session.  Had my second shake at 2pm.  this one was 1/2 isalean and 1/2 pro, so less carbs and more protein, along with isacalcium and isafruits for antioxidants.  Having dinner at 6:30 at a Thai restaurant with a client and hope that's it for the day.

Tuesday- Started early today with two ounces of cleanse for life.  Had a client then put in a short weight training session.  Had my chcolate isalean pudding with a banana around 8:30.  Ran around 10 and had a hard boiled egg shortly after.  Had my second shake, a low carb version around 1pm.  Ended up in a health food store around 3:30 and had an odwalla bar.  Dinner was all vegetarian meal of spaghetti squash and veggies around 6:30.  Had a little yogurt with agave nectar and dried fruit around 9:30.  Feel good today except for sore low back.  Tomorrow is last day to eat my regular meals, then i'm off for vacation.

Food Log- week 5 Paris Marathon

I'm about 10 days away from vacation and would like to loose a couple of pounds so i can leave town without guilt next Thursday.  So on Monday weighed in at 118 (115 is my ideal weight).  Need to pay close attention to unnecessary processed foods.  Simple as that. Monday- Combined cleanse for life, isa fruits and want more energy in my morning watter bottle.  First client was at 5:30 and drank this combo throughout the early moring.  I had a isdelight chocolate to keep me going around 7.  I finished my 2nd client at 8:15 and sat down for my morning shake in pudding form along with a banana.  Just before my run at noon I had another isadelight chocolate which helped get me started in the run but could have used another one half way through.   After showering i had some edemame as i commuted back home.  As soon as possible, which was 3:30 i had lunch which was one scoop of isalean soup and about a cup of the beef vegebtable stew I made over the weekend (about 400 calories).  Am going out to dinner tonight with a friend and hope to eat by 8pm.  We ate at a Greek restaurant.  A large appetiser platter of really tasty spreads and pita.  Ate lots of spread and not too much pita.  Then there was a bean dish, then there were the entrees.  Lets just say that i ddn't eat everything.  My fish dish was really well prepared with tomatoes and a little butter.  I split that with David who had prok tenderloin and potatoes.  The side dish of mixed veetables was honestly the best veg side dish I've had.  A great mix of sauteed greens, root vegs, all cooked to perfection.  Kinda wish i just ordered two of that and skipped everything else.  Also had about 4 glases of wne throughout the evening.

Tuesday- a light traiing day.  Weights only and my schedule really allows for 2 meals finishing by 7pm so can get in a naturala fast during the night.  I started with 2 ounces of cleanse when i left home at 7am.  Had a isadelight before my workout (50cal) and then had breakfast with a friend at 11:30.  A omelette with salmon, some potatoes and whole wheat toast.  Had edemame as a snack around 5 and dinner was a scoop of isalean soup with beef and veg stew around 7:30.  Was craving chocolate before bed and had about 1/2 cup of soy ice cream along with 1 scoop of isalean chocolate shake.

Wednesday- Did not eat anything when i woke up.  Have short list of clients today and just had a chocolate to get me through until 8:30.  Made a shake with just one scoop or protein, had a handfull of raw pumpkin seeds and set our for my run with want more energy in my water pack.  Lunch is out with a friend arount 2pm and had a salad at Chipotle's.  Greens, beans, corn, salsa, no dressing.  Very satisfying.   Around 6 I had some edemame and Dinner with David at 8pm.  We had leftovers of a vegetarian curry dish over quinoa.  Big serving but only about 500 calories.  We had dessert which was a parfait of pumpkin, oatmeal, and yogurt.  Will keep this one on my dessert menu for next week.  Really like it and only about 300 calories, low sugar.  Better option than icecream or my favorite which is baked goods.

Thursday- Got a late start today and just had some cleanse for life in the morning.  Had a piece of isadelight chocolate before my easy run,  then a shake of one scoop isalean with some pumpkin purree before i finished my training with cycling one hour on the indoor trainer and weights.  Had my first real meal at 1:30.  I full serving of my beef and veg stew and a scoop of isalean soup.   I combined the two to make a nice big bowl of soup and had a slice of flax seed bread.  Also had a small bowl of plain fat free organic yogurt with a little agave nectar.   (about 600 cal).  I leave at 5pm for a meeting in the city and had an chocolate isalean shake   (325cal). Wanted more chocolate when i got home so had small scppos of the chocolate isalean, mashed banana, and some coconut milk.

Friday- I had early clients today and didn't eat until I was finished with them.  This worked well because I wanted to fast 12 hours overnight.  First meal was at 10am.  I prepared my isalean shake mix and added greens and ionix supreme along with an extra scoop of Pro protein.  Divided that into two servings and had half at 10 and the other half at 1.  Will have another shake around 4 which will be vanilla isalean, coconut milk and pumpkin puree.  Going out to dinner tonight around 7:30 for thai food and will allow myself some carbs.  Pad thai maybe.  Tomorrow is my long run and will be first thing in the morning so a carb dense meal would be fine but will be sure to also have vegetables.

Saturday- I had a fairly large dinner last night.  Thai food and David and I shared our dishes.  I had noodles, rice, chicken, seafood, vegetables.  Around midnight David and i shared a really good dessert.  It was cheesecake layered with chocolate mouse.  This morning I had a cup of coffee (to help me eliminate) and a isalean vanilla shake with some pumpkin puree and a dollop of plain yogurt.  Stomach felt great on the run.  Port workout I had half a bagel with tofu cream cheese.  About 3 hours later I had another shake, this one chocolate.  We went out for dinner again with a friend.  David and I shared again.  We all shared the pumpkin ravioli (about 2 ravioli's per person), a cheeseburger and my dish wa the best which was red snapper over risotto and sautéed greens.  Again we had dessert before bed.  No dessert tomorrow!

Sunday- today's training is to go to the pool and get in a run, all in the AM.  Had a isalean chocolate shake in pudding form on my commute to the pool. I smacked  an apple, about 1oz of cheese and about 1/4 cup pumpking seeds during the 2 hours between my swim and my run.  About 2 hours following the run I had 1/2 a bagel with tofu cream cheese (left over from yesterday) and a bowl of isalean soup.  Dinner is really light.  The recipe calls for spaghetti but i'm making spaghetti squash and topping it with mushrooms, scallion and escarole  I bet this is all under 300 cal.  So all my meals were small today.  Did have dessert though.  It was a parfait of pumpkin puree, yogurt and crunchy oatmeal.  Should add this to my recipes.  Really good and satisfying for this time of year.  Uses natural sweeteners and is a good diversion from my usual decadent chocolate desserts.

Moderate Training day. 7 mile run and weight training

My day started at 5 am and didn't feel hungry at all until around 8:00 but i was with a client so had an isadelight chocolate to hold me over.  Didn't sleep too well last night again because of the construction lights outside, but basically got 7 hours of sleep.  My body feels tight today, i didn't stretch after my run yesterday nor did I do any yoga and i'm feeling particularly tight in my hips today. After clients I had half a shake around 9:30 and waited a half hour before the run.  Another nice crisp, sunny day and i'm going over the brooklyn bridge, around city hall park, back to brooklyn and a few laps around Cadman park.   Not feeling as light or upright as i have been on other recent runs, mostly due to the tension is in my hips.  Heart rate was a bit high for the hill portion today.  My goal was to run a bit faster than 9:00.  I warmed up 1 mile to the bridge and the main set was 5.3 miles at 8:44mm and 167ave bpm.  Cool down was an easy jog for 1/2 mie.

I had the other half of my shake around noon, about 45 minutes after the run.  Had some other work to do and my energy, mental clarity and desire to get work done was very high.  Had a productive afternoon and then went to the basement at 3pm to get in an hour workout.  Needed a little treat before my workout.  Had an isadelight and put want more energy in my water bottle for the workout.  Worked lower body and chest in supersets.  Some exercises were strength and some were more stability.  Did 4 exercises for each and kept moving primarily in the rep range of 10-15.  Used the TRX quite a bit and kept it out for a good abs session.  Spent 15 min on abs followed by 15 min yoga.  Think it works best to do my yoga work right after either a weight training session or after cardio.  If I plan to do it later in the evening I tend to run out of time.  Had lunch immediately after the workout at 4:30.  I lined a plate with fresh spinach, topped with a lentil mixture including some fresh asparagys and finally added the smoked trout.  Was not hungry, but this is my main meal for the day and don't want it to be later than 5pm.

I made a soup that I will post.  Had about a cup of that and that was it for the day.  Tomorrow is a light day.  No running, just weights and cycling.

Easy Light Day with a Delicious Ending

I woke up feeling pretty energized and looking forward to seeing clients, one of which has been away for about 10 days.  At 8am i had an hour break so went off again to have my breakfast.  I packed my usual chocolate shake combo in a tupperwear and this time with cocoa nubs again plus some dried cranberries.  For some reason I didn't think that was enough and indulged in a poppy seed muffin as well.  I like geting out of the gym for a break but need to find a little something extra to add to my breakfast that isn't so "baked". Around 11:30 I went for my run.  My energy is OK, not as good as yesterday.  Today is an easy 5 mile run up the east side.  Have not run this route in a long time, very flat and as i remembered it the air quality is worse then on west side.  I think the air quality is worse here because there tends to be lesss wind on the East river compared to the Hudson.  But wasn't too bothered by it becaus it's a beautiful sunny day, about 60 degrees out and although the run felt fine was anxious to get on with my day and not focusing on the run, but hey it's just an easy run.  Heart rate stayed pretty low at 150bpm throught much of the run.  Did a short warm up then did a main set of 4.45 miles at 8:42 pace (goal was 9:00) and AV hr 152.  Found it annoying that GPS was lost while i was running underneith the FDR.  Had to run on the sidewalk on the other side of the road instead of along the river to get a connection.

I had a good afternoon working on the computer and on a training call for awhile.  Had another shake at 2:00.  Was hungry at that point, but energy was still good.  Had to leave for a bit while our realator showed the apartment and then went down to the gym in my building for a quick workout.  Im not ffeling motivated at all to do weights and figure an energy boost would help so had 2 Isa Delight Chocolates and two glasses of water.  The weight training session was not too energetic.  My mind is on all the work I didn't get done today and on getting on with dinner as David will be home tonight.  Short workout in basement was rushed to start dinner.  For 30 minutes I  did  back and shoulders in supersets.  3 exercises each and 1 extra for shoulders.  Rep range was 12-15 and light intensity.  No time for yoga today, so will put more focus on that tomorrow.

For dinner we had some leftovers but I added some wild rice.  It was chicken and asparagus in a creamy sauce topped with a little gryuere.   I get so bored with chicken, but this one is saucy yet still very low in calories.  Total calories was probably around 500 including the rice, low in fat, moderate carbs and high in protein.  Unfortunately I made the mistake of picking up dessert again, so looks like I'm committed to eating a pumpkn spice cake with David this evening.

A new application for blogging- diet and exercise

I was thinking about how now that tri season is over and i'm not accumulating as many training hours a week how my food intake, mood, and hunger levels have changed so I will attempt to include food log along with my daily training. Today is Monday,  first training day of the week and I woke up not feeling very rested.  It doesn't help that it's 4:45am but i did get almost 7 hours of restful sleep.  Last night I had wine with dinner and had dessert about 30 minutes before bed and that didn't help.  So i started my morning with 2 ounces of cleanse for life along with my regular shot of Ionix Supreme which will give me the morning boost i need.  I had two clients before i had time to eat and now it's 8:15.  I had the intention to just  have an Isalean Shake in pudding form but was quite hungry and have about 35 minutes to kill so I went to a favorite spot across the street from the fitness center.  I saw a bran muffin that was fat free and had peaches in it so I ordered that and a cup of tea.  After consuming the pudding and the muffin I was completely satisfied.  Breakfast was probably about 700 calories.

Finally we have a sunny day after 3 days of dreary cold.  I'm in a good mood and ready for a run after finishing with clients.  It's about 1.5 hours since i ate that big breakfast and i'm feeling really satisfied and energized.  Today i'm running 7 miles downtown from John street around battery park and up the west side briefly.  Very little wind today which is a nice change.  Started with a one mile warm up a little slower than 9mm.  Main set was 5.25 miles at 8:35 (goal pace was a bit faster than 9:00) and average hr was at 159.  Feeling really tall and wondering if the yoga and stretching work is having an effect or if it has to do with not running yesterday and having a moderate short bike workout instead.  Finished with a 1 mile cool down.  I really enjoyed the run and think the heavy carb breakfast helped with that plus i didn't stop moving after eating it.  If I had sat instead of busying myself with clients I may not have been so energetic.

David and I are only eating one dinner together this week.  Either he is out every night or I am so that got me thinking about consuming the majority of my calories before dinner and having just a shake, soup, salad or something else light for dinner every day this week.  Also to not eat because it's a specific time, but because i'm hungry.  Since i had so many calories before the run there was no reason to refuel after.  I wasn't hungry again until 3pm, that's 6 1/2 hours after breakfast which is really unusual for me.  For lunch I had some leftovers from Saturday but served it a little differently.  I lined a plate with fresh baby spinach and topped it with a lentil mixture that i made on Saturday.  Basically it's lentils, leak, carrot and bean sprouts.  Then i heated up some smoked trout and topped the meal with that.  Although it was a lot of food it was only about 500 calories.  Was really satisfying and i took my time eating it at the dinner table with some water.  I bet i wont get hungry again until about 8pm.  Heres a quick link to the trout recipe.

That's the other thing.  I'm going to be very conscious of my water consumption.  In the summer i was drinking a lot more and have noticed i'm not drinking as much and need to be more conscious of drinking plenty during the day and not waiting till evening to catch up.

Around 8:30 I had my last meal which was another shake, but half Isalean and half Pro leaving me with a higher protein, lower carb meal.  I included isafruits and calcium for the antioxidants.  While relaxing with David I indulged in a new treat I found which was a rice crispy bar topped with a glaze of peanut butter and chocolate.  Very decidant.  Almost wish I had not found it because they are a regular dessert I can pick up anytime on the way home from the subway.

Long Run- Is this a mistake?

I put together my program for the half iron i want to race in October and have to start building up my long runs.  So i started with today, only 5 days after the NYC triathlon.  Why today?  Well i have a long bike ride planned for Saturday or Sunday depending on weather.  Preferrably Sunday.   I felt good leaving for the run and planned to keep it very slow.  It's just gotten so humid and hot suddenly that i can't tell if my resulting run times and HR are due to needing more rest or the humidity. I set out to Prospect Park for an 11 mile run.  My last long-ish run was 9 miles a week before the race.  I really have not been runing more than 10 miles at a time, but generally I can set off for a long easy run without really building up for ittoo much and i feel 11 is a reasonable goal.  This summer I have not done anything longer than 11 because I'be been putting more time in to biking and swimmiing.  My intention is to take it really easy, like marathon training pace.  That part went well.  Never felt the need to go faster than 9:30 mmexcept downhill and that's what concerns me.

Warmed up easy the 2 miles mostly up hill to the park and continued at a consistant 80-82% Max HR to  5.5 miles and turned around.  Although i was enjoying the run ( I lucked out, the rain stopped just before my run) I feel no urge to go any faster and this is really slow for me.  Turned around and continued home at the same slow pace.

I'm leaving later today to head out to the North Fork.  Taking my bike and am planning a 3 hour ride, fairly flat and really easy.  Going to have David ride with me which will keep me from pushing harder.  We usually only warm up together and then I push ahead.  Also plan to get in some open water swimming.

Nutrition wise i had an Isalean shake before the run, a hammer gel at turn around, drank Want More Energy electrolyte replacement immediately returning home.  Had a half of another shake and will eat a chicken wrap in the car driving out.  Hope traffic isnt too bad and can arrive in time to join our family at a Greek restaurant.  My sights are on a big salad, stuffed grape leaves and NO SWEETS.