August 2012

This time of year, I start day-dreaming about our biannual Fall/Spring mountain bike trips in Moab, Utah.  Since I live just 5 hours away, it’s an easy trip for some desert fun and a great way to extend the mountain bike season.  And, in just a few weeks, the temperatures there will start to become tolerable enough for this cold-weather-loving athlete.

To get over the hump this week, I’m thinking back to one of my favorite springtime Moab Adventures, the Fueling plan I used, and how it all worked out.

The Ride: White Rim in Canyonlands National Park in one day (WRIAD).  It’s just over 100 miles total, about 6000-7000 feet elevation gain, jeep road (rough but no single track), beautiful canyon and desert scenery.   The road circumnavigates the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park.  If you ride in a day (which we’ve done both times I’ve ridden it so far), there’s a small fee but you don’t need a permit.  Many groups break it into a multiple-day trip with a sag car for support (it’s accessible with a 4-wheel drive vehicle), but we’ve preferred the light and fast option instead.

For this particular trip in May 2010, we rode for ~10-11 hours.  I rode with my awesome-moutain-biker-husband, Mike and our good friend, Chad (awesome mountain biker as well).  We got an early start and had great weather the entire day.  Since Chad’s ~6’4″, and I’m 5’0″, we started the ride using each other’s bikes for a laugh and photo op.  Then we switched back and got going!  The company was great and it was a moderate pace for us…never pushing too hard but keeping good time.  We had recently moved from Crested Butte, where Chad still lives, so there was a lot of talking and catching up.  Temps stayed mid-70s.

My FUEL: The main issue with riding this long in the desert is carrying enough fluid and keeping the pack light.  I carried 150 oz. of full strength Kelli’s Homebrew (recipe @ www.apexnutritionllc.com/freetools.html) on this trip, which is below the 16 oz. per hour mark, but just about the best I could do – 100 oz. camelbak, 2 -24 oz. bottles.  Then, I carried at least 1 gel per hour, a couple clif bars for every 3-4 hours, some candy (I like Mike & Ikes on long ride), some salty snacks (peanut butter sandwich & bacon rice burrito) and a Red Bull.  The last climb of several thousand feet is tough both physically and mentally, and it helps to have a little caffeine going into it.

My FUEL analysis: Worked out well.  I see fuel, for these types of adventures, in a very Utilitarian way.  It needs to be effective, give me as much carbs per ounce of weight as possible, and light as possible.  By using my Homebrew, I make sure I will get enough sodium and potassium – most commercial sports drinks provide too low electrolytes, especially sodium for endurance adventures.  I make sure to get at least 40 grams of carbs per hour and I’m willing to carry more weight in fluid than solids since it gives me hydration, lytes, and carbs.  I like Clif Bars, 1/2 sandwiches, and rice burritos for solids.

WRIAD is an excellent adventure, and I highly recommend it.  It takes some stamina and training going into it, but if you just keep putting one pedal in front of the other, give yourself plenty of fluid and fuel, and pick a good time of year (Spring or Fall, NOT mid-summer), it’s awesome.  If you want more info on this trip, you can start with http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/whiterimroad.htm.  If you’re interested in riding it in a day, you’ll find a lot of trip reports out there by searching “WRIAD.”  And, yes, people run it in a day as well!

Yep, it’s just about time to get back to Moab.  What adventure are you dreaming about this week?

Give your body what it needs everyday and during training with the right Foods, Drinks and Supplements.  If you would like my help with it, I offer comprehensive plans as Instant Downloads and as Custom Clients starting at just $20.  And, as a FuelRightBlog reader, get a further discount with coupon code:  password-frblog  username-reader.  I’d love to work with you!

Fuel Your Adventures.  Nourish Your Body.

Typical endurance athlete nutrition wish-list: Lose fat, gain muscle, improve strength to weight ratio, continue to improve on the bike/run/climb and feel strong while training/racing, no cramps, no bonking, no stomach issues, no starving.  Stay healthy throughout the season.  Recover quickly.  Train/race harder the next day.

A tall order, I know.  And, it’s the same list from pros and amatuers.  There are many factors that go into a nutrition plan to cover all daily nutrition and training nutrition.  In previous posts, we’ve dicussed a lot of options for hydration, lytes, and fuel during training.  This week, my Healthy Fuel recipe will provide some support for many of these other requests…and it’ll taste good doing it.

Recipe of the week:

Before-Bed Muscle-Sparing Chocolate Cherry Protein Shake

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• ½ cup water
• ½ Tbsp organic coconut oil
• ½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt (or, 1 scoop any protein powder at 80-100 calories)
• ½ cup pitted cherries or berries
• 1-2 Tbsp organic cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Place chia seeds and water in blender or food processor.  Allow to set for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from clumping up.
2. Add remaining ingredients.  Process/blend until smooth.
3. Don’t allow to set for long, or you’ll end up with pudding (the chia seeds will continue to “gel”).  Drink ~30-60 minutes before bed.

Why a pre-sleep protein shake?  There’s a few reasons to drink up:

First, here’s how it can help you lose fat:

• Many athletes, who are trying to lose fat, find that they are hungry, or eat out of habit, before bed.  This shake made with chia seeds, provides satiety to help fill you up, without a lot of extra “junk” dessert calories that you don’t need.
• Having a set portioned dessert can save a lot of calories compared to “grazing.” I often recommend that clients “close the kitchen” after dinner or after a small dessert, and not allow themselves to graze throughout the evening.  If you plan on this one shake after dinner, there’s not any gray area that allows extra calories to creep in.
• The healthy fats in the shake, including medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) from coconut oil and omega-3s from chia seeds promote healthy, steady hormone levels that discourage insulin resistance.  It’s a long story, but overall, the less insulin resistance (and more insulin sensitivity), the less fat accumulation.

How it helps you spare muscle:

• If you’re training hard, your body continues to burn extra calories long after you park the bike.  During the night, as you fast for several hours, your body will burn some muscle in the absence of food intake.  Long lasting proteins, like those found in Greek yogurt, provide a steady stream of available protein that can reduce overnight muscle catabolism.  In fact, the dairy proteins specifically contain branch chain amino acids and glutamine, which distinctly promote muscle recovery after training.  And, in case you’re wondering, it’s not just wishful thinking…studies show reduced catabolism and increased muscle gains when protein is consumed by athletes before bed.  Don’t eat dairy?  No worries, nut proteins, soy, or vegan mixed proteins are all good choices for a pre-bed muscle sparing shake.

How it improves overall health and wellness:

• This shake is simply loaded with health-promoting nutrients.  Cocoa and cherries/berries promote reduced bodily inflammation and provide loads of antioxidants,  chia seeds provide fiber and super healthy omega-3s fats, and organic coconut oil provides a good energy source in MCTs that are also anti-inflammatory.

When you’re ready for bed, you’re ready for my muscle-sparing shake.   By cutting down on evening snacking and filling up on protein, anti-inflammatories, and antioxidants, you can give your muscles an edge and keep them around for when you need them.

Give your body what it needs everyday and during training with the right Foods, Drinks and Supplements.  If you would like my help with it, I offer comprehensive plans as Instant Downloads and as Custom Clients starting at just $20.  And, as a FuelRightBlog reader, get a further discount with coupon code:  password-frblog  username-reader.  I’d love to work with you!

Post-script:  A Q&A that I’d like to share with everyone:

Q: Thanks for the recipe.  Will it also help me sleep better at night?  I don’t eat before bed and I am wondering how this will affect my sleep.

A: Good Morning, Thanks so much for your comment.  This is such a legitimate concern, and I’m happy for the chance to address it.  In my experience, 2 issues that can negatively affect sleep when actively trying to lose fat AND train hard are 1) a too-hollow-stomach feeling going to bed, and 2) too much liquids before bed.  Obviously, this shake should help anyone who’s keeping dinner intake light to have some satiety before going to bed – the whole food protein + fiber really helps.  For the latter, this is the exact reason I’ve kept the liquid to just 1/2 cup, which is quite a small amount for a shake, and makes for a very thick shake.  The total volume of it is just 1 cup when you’re all done, so the goal is to pack a lot of filling, muscle-sparing ingredients, without too much volume and liquid.  As always, I recommend “light” dinner of vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats, so you should still not be “stuffed” going to bed.  I hope this answers your question and I wish you many good nights of sleep (one of the most important aspects of wellness!).  Take care!  Kelli

Here in Colorado, it’s not hard to find endurance-sports inspiration this week…the Pro Cycling Challenge is rolling from town to town, and exciting the whole state with a great cycling tour!  Today’s the “queen stage” with 2 mountain pass climbs reaching over 12000 feet.

If you’re not already listening live, you can find a live stream @ http://radioshacktourtracker.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/ .

Woohoo!!!

Just in time for back-to-school: it’s a staple of most students’ lunches.  And, it also happens to be a staple of most athletes’ diets.  The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. Whether in daily nutrition, pre-training, during training, or recovery, I’m hard-pressed to think of an athlete who doesn’t rely on them, at least a little.  This week, our Healthy Fuel Recipe brings new, and yet homemade ease for this old favorite, using whole-food fresh ingredients.  It may just be the best sandwich you’ve tasted in a long time.  No joke…the PB & J’s going fresh.

Whole Food, Home-Made, Fresh PB & J

Step 1: Easiest-Ever (Really!), Fresh, Honey Fruit Jam (make 24 hours ahead of time)

Ingredients:

• 1 box or package low-sugar or no-sugar-added pectin (you can adjust amount so fruit and honey (substituted for sugar) using the instructions for your particular brand of pectin)
• 4 Cup strawberries (2 quarts) or any other jam fruit (I’ve used pears, plums, peaches, any berry, etc)
• 1-2 Cup raw and/or organic honey
• If using peaches, add ½-1 Tbsp lemon juice to preserve color

Instructions:

1. Clean 3 pint-size Mason jars. No need to sterilize.
2. Prepare the fruit by cutting off leaves, removing pits, etc.
3. Place the fruit in a large mixing bowl or food processor.  Add the honey to the fruit.  Mix well and crush with a potato masher OR process slightly in the food processor, leaving whole fruit chunks and not allowing it to get too thin.  Make sure the honey is mixed well.
4. Add the pectin mixture to the fruit.  If using peaches, add the lemon juice.  Stir for three minutes.
5. Pour the resulting mixture into prepared jars, leaving a half-inch of headspace at the top of each jar. Screw on lids.
6. Allow to stand at room temperature for 24 hours, or until thickened.
7. Serve, freeze or refrigerate immediately (this recipe won’t gel quite as thick as commercial or cooked jam – but, it’s plenty thick enough for sandwiches or over plain yogurt – at a fraction of the work).

Step 2: Delicious Fresh Nut Butter

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. peanuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, or any mixture of them
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, almond oil, flaxseed oil or peanut oil
• ¼-½ Cup ground flaxseeds

Instructions:

1. Place the nuts and flaxseeds in a food processor and beginning processing.  It may take some time.  And beware, it’s loud.
2. Scrape the sides, if needed.  If it seems to dry, add oil (small amounts as needed).
3. Keep processing until desired consistency.  If you like crunchy nut butters, add more nuts to the processed, smooth butter and process as needed.
4. Place nut butter in clean mason jars or containers and store in the refrigerator.

Step 3: World’s Best Fresh PB&J Instructions:

1. Spread fresh jam and fresh nut butter on almond flour bread, whole grain or sourdough bread, or any bread-alternative (paleo bread, gluten-free bread, almond or coconut waffles/pancakes, tortillas, etc).  Or, get creative and add to Greek yogurt (one of my go-to breakfasts).  My favorite combo is strawberry jam and cashew nut butter.
2. If using as recovery fuel, add 1 Tbsp softened coconut oil to the mix.  Your energy levels and retained muscle mass will thank you.

Comments:

With all the nourishing goodness offered by this sandwich, it’s hard to know where to start and where to end.  This week, I’ll keep it brief so you’ll have extra time to make your fresh jam & nut butter.

From the jam you’ll get antioxidants, fiber, slow, whole-food carbohydrates with a relatively low glycemic index, and enzymes from the whole fruit and honey.  These nutrients will combat free radicals and oxidative stress built up in your cells, promote healthy digestion and absorption of nutrients, and offer carbohydrates for fuel and energy without too high a level of sugar.

The nut butter provides healthy fats (monounsaturated and ALA omega-3s), protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber from nuts and flaxseeds.  As an athlete, you can count on these ingredients to promote healthy hormonal responses to food, heart health, muscle recovery and a reduction in muscle wasting after training, and a reduced cellular inflammation and oxidative stress.

Altogether, you’ll have a wonderful, fresh, whole-food sandwich in your hands that promotes overall health and offers a good fuel source for training.  And, you’ll never feel uncertain feeding yourself or your kids PB&Js again.

Give your body what it needs for great energy and health every day and during training with the right Foods, Drinks and Supplements.  If you would like my help with it, I offer comprehensive plans as Instant Downloads and as Custom Clients starting at just $20.  And, as a FuelRightBlog reader, get a further discount with coupon code:  password-frblog  username-reader.  I’d love to work with you!

Fuel Your Adventure.  Nourish Your Body.

This bar is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S.  And for good reason…athletes love bananas (sweeping generalization, I know).  Some are fanatical, as in 30-bananas-a-day (there’s a whole site about this).  Others simply consider them just a go-to for pre-training, during-the-ride, and recovery.  For Training Nutrition, my only issue with them is that they can get squashed in my pack, and they are big in volume for the amount of calories and carbs they provide – this comes from being a long-distance, no-support-car, pack-and-carry all your own stuff into the mountains athlete.  But this week, I’ve solved my problems, and hopefully yours too.  This energy bar recipe keeps the bananas compact, un-squashable, and tasty. Just 5 Ingredients.  Oh yeah….

Recipe of the Week:  Banana Energy Bar

Ingredients:

• 1 cup golden raisins, or 15 pitted, chopped dates
• 2 medium banana
• 1 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 2 Tsbp organic coconut oil
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Slice bananas into thin slices. Lay slices in single layer on greased baking sheet.
2. Cook banana in oven or dehydrator at 175F for 2-3 hours until dry. Allow to cool.
3. Place banana chips, raisins, almonds, and salt in food processor and process for 1-2 minutes, until almost smooth but still a little chunky, and not quite a paste (technical terms – obviously, this doesn’t need to be exact).
4. Press into a greased bread loaf pan (if it’s sticky, you can use wax paper to press).
5. Place in freezer 1 hour, or in refrigerator until firm. Cut into 8 equal bars or squares. Store in refrigerator – wrap in plastic wrap to take with you.

Nutrition Values: Calories: 266.4, Sodium: 74mg – 148.1 mg, Total Carbs: 26.5 g, Dietary Fiber: 4.5 g, Protein: 6.5 g, Potassium: 447 mg

Comments:

The humble banana has received lots of flack in the past several years.  Mostly, since it’s one of the sweeter tropical fruits, those wanting to minimize carbs and sugars have cast them aside.  And, it’s true…there’s lots of carbs in this natural energy food.  In fact, just ½ of a medium banana is one serving of carbs, the same as 1 whole orange.  And there’s very little fiber.  Problem?  Not so much…these aspects make bananas perfect for Training Nutrition.  Before, during, and after training, bananas offer quick absorbing carbs with very little fiber to slow it down.  And now that the smash-factor has been eliminated (with our bars), they travel well.  And, it’s more than just carbs, by using bananas as your Training Fuel, or a small portion as some whole-food carbs in Daily Nutrition, you’ll get:

• Potassium for Cardiovascular Health:  There’s a whopping 467 mg of potassium in just one banana.  This mineral is required for the normalization of blood pressure and protection against atherosclerosis (artery plagues). For athletes, it is also vital to replenish potassium during and after intense training.  What’s more, potassium can reduce the amount of calcium lost from bones year after year.
• Stomach Protection – Bananas are known as natural antacid remedies and protection against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage…this effect is appreciated during training. If you find that your stomach feels too acidic when working out, try bananas – they can decrease acid in the stomach and even help eliminate bacteria in the stomach that have been pinpointed as a primary cause of stomach ulcers.
• Protect Your Eyesight – While most all antioxidants are important to protecting cells year after year, it appears that fruits specifically, like bananas, are protective against macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults.  In fact, three servings of fruit per day seems to be a protective amount, and one easily obtained with bananas as a Fueling food.
• Lower Gut Health – Heard of fructooligosaccharide (FOS)? Your healthy gut bacteria has, as it’s a favorite food for them, keeping them healthy and growing so they can keep your gut and body healthy.  FOS are prebitotics that feed probiotics.  And, it just so happens bananas are full of FOS.
• Antioxidants – Bananas are a good source of vitamin C and vitamin B.  Furthermore, some banana types are also rich in provitamin A carotenoids.  These antioxidants protect against chronic disease, including certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Which bananas contain the most carotenoids? The brighter the color of the edible fruit, the more carotenoids.

Bonus Recipe: Chunky Monkey Recovery Smoothie

Mix ½ medium banana, 1 Tbsp peanut butter, ½ cup Greek yogurt (or ½ scoop protein powder), 1 Tbsp organic coconut oil, and 1 tsp honey in a blender or food processor.  Mix until desired consistency, adding water and/or ice as needed.

A couple more ways to enjoy some bananas: Banana Coconut Milk Ice-Cream and Dairy-Free Attune Probiotic Smoothie.

Are you bananas for bananas?  If you’re looking for some natural, whole food nutrition on-the-bike, you should be.  This week, a Banana Energy Bar will provide carbs, lytes, stomach relief, and much more!

Give your body what it needs for great energy and health every day and during training with the right Foods, Drinks and Supplements.  If you would like my help with it, I offer comprehensive plans as Instant Downloads and as Custom Clients starting at just $20.  And, as a FuelRightBlog reader, get a further discount with coupon code:  password-frblog  username-reader.  I’d love to work with you!

Fuel Your Adventure.  Nourish Your Body.

As if you didn’t already know, I tend to love all things coconut…especially organic coconut oil.  I use it for fuel, especially in recovery, for Daily Nutrition, for my kids’ nutrition, and in various ways around the house.  So recently, Casey Zaugg, the owner of Coconutz Fuel, contacted me after reading one of my posts on Coconut Milk Ice-Cream.  He simply asked if I’d like to sample Coconutz Fuel Energy Balls as an athlete and sports nutritionist.  He didn’t ask for a post or even a mention on my blog.

In his email, he described his fuel option as a “raw, all-natural energy ball with a fruit-based shell (dates, various other dried fruits) and a savory internal nut butter to be eaten during exercise. Most importantly, though, is the use of coconut oil infused throughout the product, providing quick energy for athletes as well as the host of other benefits found in coconut products.”  Although this sounded great to me as a sports nutritionist, the athlete is me was a little weary – I’d tried organic coconut oil in both pre-training and during-training nutrition, and came away both times with an “unsettled stomach”(eating it straight or mixed with peanut butter has always worked great for me in recovery).  But, I’m always up for new (and free) fuel, so I thought I’d give it a shot as I headed to Crested Butte, CO for a weekend of mountain biking.

I used the Coconutz Fuel Energy Balls on the Reno-Flag-Bear-Deadman Gulch Trail, riding from Crested Butte South.  With a name like that, you know it’s got to be good, and long.  And it is.  Three challenging climbs, and even more importantly, three fantastic descents culminating in 32 fun switchbacks down to the parking lot before riding back on Cement Creek Road (~34 mile lollipop loop from CB South, ~3500 ft. elevation gain, ~4.5 hours total).  And, although I wouldn’t consider it “race-pace,” we rode it steady and never allowed extra time for foods to digest…the perfect challenge for a new fuel option.

Product: Coconutz Fuel Energy Balls

Pros:

• Ingredients promote long lasting energy – dried fruits, agave, oats, chia seeds, organic coconut oil, nut butters…yet, still not hard on the stomach.
• High-quality ingredients: All natural, all pronounceable, non-GMO.  That’s nice.
• Vegan and gluten-free.  I don’t require this within my diet personally, but I coach many clients who do.
• Taste & Texture: Great!  Not too sweet.  Not sticky.  Easy to get down and really appetizing during the ride.
• Packaging: I appreciate the reusable tube packaging and refills.  Cuts down on waste and keeps your fuel from getting smashed in your pack.
• Organic coconut oil: Has the advantage of easy digestion, quick energy, and steady blood sugars.  And, unlike straight coconut oil, no stomach upset for me!

Cons (or more accurately, my personal and professional preferences/critique):

• I would like to see more sodium.  I know, in an age of anti-salt, it’s weird to say or hear from a dietitian.  But, when sweating buckets on a summer ride, athletes need upwards of 400-700 mg sodium per hour.  Some can come from a good electrolyte drink.  But, most athletes depend on their food sources as well, and Coconutz only provides ~50 mg (at most) per entire package.
• I think agave is a good choice for a sweetener, but with its natural enzymes, antioxidants, and steady energy provisions, my first choice would be organic honey (has provided steady energy similar to maltodextrin in research).  Although, it’s not vegan; and, may be why it was excluded.

Overall, I felt great on the ride and feel that Coconutz definitely contributed to good, steady energy throughout it.  I encourage any reader to give these a try!  They definitely have my stamp of approval and I look forward to using them in the future.  I’d love to see how they perform in sub-freezing temps…since they are bite-size, they may be perfect for cold-winter sports (back country and Nordic skiers deal with frozen, inedible fuel too often).

Thanks Casey for taking a chance, having confidence in your product, and sending them my way.  You’ve got at least one new customer!

Post-Script:  Since writing this review, Casey has provided this feedback:

• Agave was chosen as the sweetener due to the desire to have a vegan product (as you assumed)
• Regarding how the CocoNutz Fuel balls work in sub-freezing temperatures, they work great! We sponsored a frozen bike race and the balls performed wonderfully in 16 degree (Fahrenheit) temps. Additionally, we had an ice climber review the product and she loved them (http://www.examiner.com/review/coconutz-fuel-bite-size-superfood-energy-balls-review). They worked great for her in the cold temps as well.

Give your body what it needs for great energy and health every day and during training with the right Foods, Drinks and Supplements.  If you would like my help with it, I offer comprehensive plans as Instant Downloads and as Custom Clients starting at just $20.  And, as a FuelRightBlog reader, get a further discount with coupon code:  password-frblog  username-reader.  I’d love to work with you!

Fuel Your Adventure. Nourish Your Body

There they are, sitting in the produce department, daring you to pick one up.  And figure out what the heck to do with it.  Surely, they’re good for you, right?  They are vegetables after all, and vibrantly purple.  Eggplants.  It’s what’s for dinner this week.

Recipe of the Week:  Simple Grilled Eggplants

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt, plus more for serving
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Set eggplant slices out and spinkle with salt on both sides. Move slices to a colancer and set over a bowl…allow to drain for 1 hour.  Discard any liquid and rince eggplace slices under cold running water.  Place on a few layers of paper towels and press any remaining water out.
2. Preheat  grill over medium-high heat. Generously brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil.  Then, sprinkle both side with pepper.
3. Place on grill, and cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes on first side.  Flip eggplant slices, and cook until browned on opposite side.  Remove from heat, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle on salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve hot.

Comments:

Eggplants may not be everyone’s go-to vegetable.  But like other vibrantly colorful whole foods, they have a lot to offer nutritionally, especially in fighting free radicals.  And guess what – endurance athletes need free radical fighters.  Serve up eggplant this week, and you’ll get a Powerhouse of antioxidants:

• Anthocyanins: These phytonutrients are found in the eggplant’s skin, and are responsible for the dark purple color (similar to red grapes and red cabbage).  One specific anthocyanin, nasunin, is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage, especially the fats in brain cells. These fatty membranes are responsible for monitoring what comes in and out of these cells…a very important function, especially for a brainy athlete, like yourself.
• Whole Body Oxidative Stress Reduction: Beyond the brain, nasunin, Chlorogenic acid. and eggplant’s other antioxidants reduce free radical formation with numerous beneficial results, including protecting blood cholesterol (which is also a type of lipid or fat) from peroxidation; preventing cellular damage that can promote cancer; and lessening free radical damage in joints, which is a primary factor in rheumatoid arthritis.
• Cholesterol Reducers: If you’ve got high “bad” LDL cholesterol, there are good reasons to eat eggplants.  In animal studies, eggplant juice (sounds yummy, right?) has lowered bad cholesterol in the blood, in the artery walls (this is where it forms plagues), and in the aorta (you know, just the artery that returns blood from the heart back into cirulation).  I’ll take some eggplant, and blood and arteries free from oxidized cholesterol plagues.

Bonus: Reduce Free Radicals after Working Out

There’s no better time to pump up the antioxidant intake than immediately after a workout (you’ve got extra free radicals floating around looking to damage your cells after working out).  This is one reason I recommend whole-food recovery over processed bars, drinks, or convenience foods, when possible.  This week, try adding some raw eggplant to your perfect recovery smoothie.

Mix 1 cup berries or pitted cherries, 1/2 cup diced eggplant (skin-on), 1 cup plain yogurt (or ½ cup Greek yogurt or 1 scoop protein powder), ½ Tbsp organic coconut oil, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbps almond butter.  Blend until desired consistency, adding water and/or ice as needed.

Free radicals, beware!  This week, eggplant’s potent antioxidants are going to deliver a cellular smack-down.  That’s all.

Give your body what it needs for great energy and health every day and during training with the right Foods, Drinks and Supplements.  If you would like my help with it, I offer comprehensive plans as Instant Downloads and as Custom Clients starting at just $20.  And, as a FuelRightBlog reader, get a further discount with coupon code:  password-frblog  username-reader.  I’d love to work with you!

Fuel Your Adventure.  Nourish Your Body.