Recipe

Perfect for recovering after training, or just cooling down – my recipe of the week packs healthy ingredients and our Healthy Fuel of the week: Blueberries. 

Frozen Blueberry Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (about 1 pound)

3 Tbsp lemon juice

½ cup honey (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups Greek yogurt

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients except for the cinnamon in a medium saucepan.  Heat on medium heat and stir continuously until the honey is dissolved and mixed thoroughly.  While heating, mash blueberries to your desired consistency using a fork or potato masher.  Or, you can also use a food processor for a smoother finished product.

Once mashed and mixed, stir in the Greek and mix well. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours until completely cold and then move to the freezer and cover.  Freeze several hours, stirring every hour or so, until reached desired consistency.  If it gets too hard, add milk and mix well and place in the blender with a little milk.

Or, take the easy road and just make a smoothie out of the ingredients – add ice as needed for desired consistency.

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

Like I said, I really love grapes.  Use them as a part of your healthy fuel this week…

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Chicken with Grape Glaze

Ingredients:

Glaze:

• 3 cups seedless red grapes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Chicken:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/2 pounds), skinned, organic & free-range if possible
• 6 chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), skinned, organic & free-range if possible
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Cooking spray
• Fresh rosemary leaves (optional)

Instructions:

First, prepare glaze, place grapes in a blender; process until smooth. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Then, add chopped onion; cover and cook 10 minutes. Add garlic; cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, stir in pureed grapes, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and 1 teaspoon rosemary; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thick. Cool slightly. Place grape mixture in blender; process until smooth. Set aside.

Prepare grill.

To prepare chicken, brush 1 tablespoon oil over chicken; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons rosemary, pepper, and salt. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 25 minutes or until done, turning and basting frequently with grape glaze. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.  (adapted from http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-with-fresh-grape-glaze-10000001065491/).

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 is one of my all-time favorites.  My “go-to” meal when company’s coming over.  The one I freeze and take to a friend who needs an extra meal.  The one that gets rave reviews, but only takes a few minutes to prepare.  It tastes good, freezes well, and provides some flavor variety.  And, it delivers the spicy nutrients healthy athletes can use for overall health and a fiery metabolism:

Recipe of the week:  Thai Chicken or Thai Tofu

Ingredients:

8 Organic Chicken Thighs OR 1.5 lbs firm tofu, cut into chunks

¾ Cup fresh or jarred Salsa

1/3 Cup natural Peanut Butter

3 Tbsp Lime Juice

1 ½ Tbsp Lite Soy Sauce

1 ½ tsp Fresh Ginger Root, minced or grated

¼ cup water

½ Cup Peanuts, chopped

2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro

    Fresh Chili Peppers, chopped (optional)

Instructions: (prep: 10 minutes, cook in Crockpot: 8-9 hours)

1. Place chicken or tofu in 3 ½ to 6 quart crock pot.  Mix remaining ingredients except peanuts, cilantro, and optional chili peppers; pour over chicken or tofu.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8-9 hours or until juice of chicken is no longer pink in thickest part of centers.  Remove chicken or tofu from cooker, using slotted spoon, place on serving platter or individual plates.
3. Spoon sauce over chicken or tofu.  Sprinkle with peanuts, cilantro, and optional chili peppers.
4. Serve with Sautéed Vegetables.

Spices are the spice of life?!?

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.

Chocolate Raspberry Yogurt Ice Pops

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• 2 cups Greek-style yogurt
• 3-4 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips ( 60%+ cocoa – you can also chop a 60% cocoa dark chocolate bar)

Instructions:

Puree raspberries, yogurt and sugar to taste in a food processor until smooth.

Divide the mixture among freezer-pop molds, stopping about 1 inch from the top. Evenly divide chocolate chips among the molds. Stir the chips into the raspberry mixture, stirring out any air pockets at the same time. Insert the sticks and freeze until completely firm, about 6 hours. Dip the molds briefly in hot water before unmolding.  Should make about 10 pops.  Freeze for up to 3 weeks.

If you’ve got kids, this is a great recipe to use with them.  And, to help them understand, let them know that this week it’s all about what we should skip, and what we should choose when it comes to yogurt.

First, let’s do some skipping.  By avoiding many of the popular non-organic, “sweet” yogurts, you’ll:

Skip the high fructose corn syrup, added sugars, and artificial sweeteners.  Some yogurts have more added sugar than candy bars.  Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, they are masked as health foods, but are anything but healthy.  There are 12 grams of natural sugar in 8 oz. of plain yogurt.  Any more than that and it’s added.

Skip the added artificial colorings.  In many countries, these colorings aren’t even allowed to be used in foods because there has been some research that links them to brain function issues and conditions (attention deficit disorders), allergies, and intolerances.  What’s more, the same food manufacturers will actually manufacture and sell the same exact foods in those countries as they do in the United States, but without the colors.  It’s all about consumer demand and voicing the opinion that we don’t need potentially harmful chemicals in our foods just so they can look more “colorful and cool.”

Skip the chemical flavorings – for all the same reasons as the chemical colorings.  Fruits, honey, natural vanilla, cinnamon, and other whole foods and natural flavors are delicious and offer so much more than chemicals!

Skip all the ingredients and fillers that take the place of nutrition.  Typically, the more ingredients you see on a label, the less protein, calcium, and Vitamin D you’ll find in the yogurt.

Skip artificial hormones and antibiotics – many yogurts come from dairy cows that are routinely injected with artificial hormones and antibiotics…these have no place in our bodies!  By selecting organic conventional or Greek yogurt, you’ll know that the milk was free of both.

Then, when choose organic Greek Yogurt, you’ll:

Choose more protein.  Greek yogurt has more protein, ounce for ounce, than conventional yogurt.

Choose less sugar –Greek yogurt even contains fewer natural sugars than conventional yogurt.

Choose natural ingredients: Yogurt should only have Live and Healthy bacteria cultures, milk, and maybe one or two other natural ingredients depending on if it’s flavored.

Choose healthy bacteria.  Maybe you shouldn’t eat mud, but you should definitely eat some bugs – healthy bacteria, that is!  Yogurt has natural healthy bacteria that promotes a healthy immune system, healthy digestion, and a reduction in yeasts and other “bad” bugs that cause issues in our bodies.

Especially if you want to be frugal, choose to make healthy foods at home: With Greek Yogurt, you’ve got 2 options:

1. Simply buy plain organic regular yogurt and strain it in a coffee filter for a few hours.
2. Use our High-Probiotic Homemade Yogurt Recipe from yesterday (strain this yogurt in a coffee filter to make it “Greek”). By making your own yogurt, and allowing it to ferment for 24+ hours, you’ll get a delicious, fresh, creamy yogurt that has exponentially more healthy bacteria than commercial yogurt which are only fermented for ~4 hours.

These pops actually make a decent recovery snack as they have everything except the fluid that you need to replenish your body with fuel.  They have healthy carbohydrates (honey and fruit), protein (yogurt), and healthy components like healthy bacteria, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants (all promote healthy digestion/metabolism of the recovery components). 

Keep it cool!

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.

Really, there’s no end to the ways you can use avocados in recipes.  They make most anything taste better, and, as we discussed yesterday (see below), they pack a huge nutrition punch.  Here’s 2 ways to incorporate avocados into your diet:

Awesome Guacamole:

 Ingredients:

• 3 avocados – peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately with vegetables, (kale) chips, on burgers and chicken, or however else you can imagine.

 Avocado Smoothie:

Ingredients:

• 1/3 medium  avocado
•  2 Tbsp almonds
•  1 cup berries, any kind
•  1 scoop whey protein
•  1 Tbsp flaxseeds or Chia seeds
•  1 cup Spinach

Stevia or honey (optional)

Instructions:

Mix all in a blender. Process until smooth.

How do you include avocados in your Daily diet?

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.

Your Perfect Recovery…

Wanna improve as a athlete?  You can gain an edge if you consistently consume a recovery meal or snack.  To recover well after a hard workout, you simply must use fluids, carbs, and protein to replenish hydration and glycogen stores while reducing muscle wasting and damage from free radicals.  Sound tough?  It can be.  Sometimes, you simply don’t feel like eating or drinking.  Other times, you don’t have anything ready or available.  Or, maybe you still just don’t believe it’s important.

Take it from me, as a professional Sports Nutritionist & an avid athlete, it is.  Want more energy the rest of the day instead of dragging yourself to bed at 8:00pm?  Want to train hard again tomorrow and actually see improvements rather than defeat?  Make recovery a priority.  You’ll replenish your body best if you get something in within 30 minutes of finishing any hard training – this is when enzymes are most desperate to replenish glycogen (stored energy in muscles).  To make it easier, use our “Perfect Recovery Smoothie:”

Recipe of the week:  Almond Butter Smoothie – Your Perfect Recovery.

 First, let’s skip the $8 per jar almond butter the store and make our own.  Simply place your almonds in a food processor and process until smooth.  It may take some time.  I know, it’s loud.  You may have to scrape the sides a bit.  If it seems to dry, add some oil (peanut oil, olive oil, almond oil, etc).  Keep going.  It will usually form a “ball” of almond butter and then suddenly appear as smooth and perfect.  If you like crunchy nut butters, add more almonds to your smooth butter and process until it’s perfect for you.  To make Super Butter, add ground flaxseeds, about 1/4-1/2 cup per 1 lb almonds.  You’re kids will never know it…but they’ll be eating nut-and-flax butter & jelly.

Then, take your almond butter and make your Perfect Recovery Smoothie:

Place the following in a blender or food processer:

1 cup strawberries

1 cup milk (or, if you have undenatured whey protein, use ½ cup milk & ½ scoop undentaured whey)

½ Tbsp coconut oil

1 Tbsp honey

1Tbsp almond butter

Process until at your desired consistency.  Add ice cubes and/or water as needed.  For convenience, many several batches at once and freeze in individual servings.  Then, just thaw in the refrigerator 1 day before you need it.  If you begin from home, it will be setting there in your refrigerator ready to go.  If from your car, simply put it in a small cooler with an ice-pack. 

Serves 1: Approximately 370 calories, 42 gm carbs, 14 gm protein

Comments:

Why is this perfect recovery?

Strawberries & honey provide carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores & antioxidants to reduce any exercise-induced damage.  And, the antioxidants from both actually provide post-recovery protection to your cells and an improvement in utilizing other nutrients after a hard workout.

Milk offers both whey and casein proteins.  Whey is a “quick acting” protein that reduces muscle wasting immediately.  Casein is a “slow acting” protein that reduces muscle wasting for hours to come. And this is not just speculation.  Whey and casein have been studied extensively in nitrogen balance studies (nitrogen balance is an indication of protein breakdown).

Coconut oil is a recovery wonder-food sending energy directly to cells’ mitochondria (energy producers), thereby reducing muscle wasting after exercise.  Read all about it here.

And, almonds….

 Well, most everyone has heard that almonds are good for you.  However, I often still run into resistance among clients who aren’t sure if they should eat such a high-fat food.  And, many don’t realize that almonds are not only good, but great.  They are nutrient-packed, extremely heart healthy, full of antioxidants, and may be a whole food alternative for cyclists that suffer from leg cramps at night.  Really, I believe they round-out my perfect recovery smoothie.  Here’s why:

First, we find even more evidence that whole foods will always win out against supplements for promoting overall health (this is not to say that supplements don’t have their place).  The flavonoids found in almond skins team up with the vitamin E found in their meat to more than double the antioxidant punch either delivers when administered separately.  When the nutrients are combined in a “whole food,” they deliver a one, two, punch. 

Almonds are uniquely positioned to reduce risk of both Diabetes and Cardiovascular disease.  You see, LDL “bad” cholesterol is actually damaged, or oxidized due to free radicals and elevated blood sugar after we exercise and eat.  It’s this damaged LDL that’s able to enter the walls of our arteries and form plaques.  Since almonds reduce blood sugar surges after meals AND provide flavanoid antioxidants and Vitamin E to “quench” free radicals, they reduce this damaging reaction.  And, not just a little, but significantly.  In studies, isolated almond flavanoids alone increase LDL’s resistance to oxidation by 18%.  When you add the skin of the almond, and use the “whole food,” the resistance is increased to over 50%!   It’s much easier to push up a big climb when your blood flows efficiently through your arteries rather than squeezing through plague-narrowed ones!

Almonds’ appeal goes beyond supplements to medications.  They actually are as potent as statins in reducing C-reactive protein, a marker of artery-damaging inflammation.   In fact, twenty potent antioxidant flavonoids were identified in almond skins in one study, some of which are well known as major contributors to the health benefits derived from other foods.  For two, catechins found in green tea, and naringenin, which is found in grapefruit. Then, almonds also contain resveratrol, the anti-inflammatory agent found in red wines.  For non-wine drinkers, this is great news.  For those of us who like wine, even better.  We can enjoy our almonds and drink our wine, too!

Well, that takes care of our hearts, but what about our legs?  If you’ve ever suffered from leg cramps after training, due to fatigue and/or electrolyte imbalance, this one’s for you.  In addition to healthy fats and vitamin E, a quarter-cup of almonds contains almost 99 mg of magnesium, 257 mg of potassium, and 75 mg calcium.  These are the exact minerals usually needed to relieve leg cramps.  In fact, potassium is an important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles including the heart and those used in exercise.  While many athletes may need supplementation as well, this is a great whole-food start. In my opinion, almonds have a leg-up on many recovery foods.

It may sound a little nuts, but I think almonds should be a part of your everyday diet.  And, anytime you can include them in recovery, do it.  Since many athletes have a hard time actually eating after training hard, it can be much easier to drink.  You’ll get a cold, nutrient-packed, glycogen-replenishing, muscle-saving, energy-producing treat.  Smooth.

Give your body what it needs everyday 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.  My coaching clients receive new recipes, tips, and ongoing support.  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.

Now that it’s Tuesday, let’s put our Monday Energy Ingredient (Coconut Oil) into action. 

Recipe of the week:  Curry Coconut Shrimp or Chicken

Ingredients (per serving):

6 oz. shrimp or organic Chicken (skinless)

1 Tbsp organic extra virgin coconut oil

salt/pepper

2 Tbsp chopped onion

2 Tbsp chopped red bell pepper

1 mince garlic clove

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp coriander

¼ tsp curry powder

¼ cup coconut milk

1 tsp honey

1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

½ Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp cilantro

2 Tbsp raw coconut flakes/meat

Instructions:  

Per serving, heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in large, nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Sauté 2 Tablespoon chopped onion, 2 Tablespoon chopped red bell pepper, and ½ minced garlic clove until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.  Season with ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, and ¼ teaspoon curry powder. Cook for 1 additional minute. Stir in ¼ cup coconut milk, 1 tsp honey (or 1 pinch) and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 2 minutes.  Stir in 6 oz. shrimp, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir until shrimp is cooked through, about 4 minutes. In a small bowl, combine ½ Tablespoon cornstarch with ½ Tablespoon water. Stir into shrimp mixture, and cook until sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 Tablespoon cilantro and 2 Tablespoon raw coconut flakes, and remove from heat.  If you’re not a shrimp lover, or want to mix it up, try the same recipe with chicken, veggies, and/or tofu.  Enjoy!

Comments:

You’re never too old to learn something new – during the last 15 months, I stripped my education down to the bare bones to study metabolism, fat loss, and sports nutrition with a clean slate and new, open-minded perspective.  Along the way, I found one saturated fat that should be incorporated into most every athlete’s diet…

To learn about the incredible health benefits of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil both for wellness and Sports Nutrition, see yesterday’s Monday Energy Food.  You’ll learn how some saturated fats benefit the body, and how to use this extraordinary ingredient in daily eating and recovery. 

Fuel Your Adventure.  Nourish Your Body.

Grilled Cedar-Planked Salmon

 

It’s officially grilling season, right?  While I’m sure that many of you have been using your grill year round, I’m talking about the official season, when you don’t have to put on gloves and a beanie just to take the a peek at your dinner.  This year, mostly because my oven died, I’ve mastered the grill.  Once only my husband’s domain, I can now long-tong flip things with the best of them.  I’m ready.  And, you know what they say, “Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish (or how to go to the grocery store, pick out a fish, and then grill it) and I eat for a lifetime.”  Which leads me to:

Recipe of the week: Cedar-Planked Salmon

Ingredients:

• 3 (12 inch) untreated cedar planks
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 (2 pound) salmon fillets, skin removed

Directions:

1. Soak the cedar planks for at least 1 hour in warm water. Soak longer if you have time.
2. In a shallow dish, stir together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and garlic. Place the salmon fillets in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to one hour.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat. Place the planks on the grate. The boards are ready when they start to smoke and crackle just a little.
4. Place the salmon fillets onto the planks and discard the marinade. Cover, and grill for about 20 minutes. Fish is done when you can flake it with a fork. It will continue to cook after you remove it from the grill.

Comments:

So, I chose an easy one this week.  It’s easy to go on and on about the benefits of salmon.  Except for the fact that our polluted planet has made this otherwise almost-perfect food slightly tainted with small amounts of mercury (it’s a low-mercury fish relative to others, but not completely mercury-free), it’s a no-brainer.  Here’s why I love Salmon:

 First, the omega-3s found in salmon, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are extremely heart healthy.  They are well researched and have repeatedly been proven to reduce triglycerides (the type of fat found in your blood that has huge impact on plagues that form in arteries) and reduce risk of stroke.  Next, these fats are anti-inflammatory.  This means that they reduce risk of chronic diseases that are promoted by inflammation, such as heart disease and diabetes.  Then, they help us maintain healthy blood sugars.  How? They make our cells more sensitive to insulin.  Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar from our blood stream into our cells.  When our cells are resistant to insulin, the sugar stays in the blood, where it can do a lot of damage, such as making our arteries hard instead of elastic.  And fourth, DHA is a type of fat that is stored in, and used by our brains.  Most of the storage does in fact take place when babies are in the womb and up to 2 years after birth, but it never hurts to keep trying to pack it in, right?

But, I bet you already knew all of this.

On the other hand, you may not have realized that the DHA and EPA from salmon actually increases the amount of calories and fat your body burns while decreasing your fat storage!!!  Sound like a fishy story too good to be true?  It’s not.  Recent studies show an increase in calorie output with approximately 2000 mg DHA/EPA per day (you’ll average 1000 mg per day by eating 12 oz. salmon per week, so consider supplementing another 1000 mg per day).  Furthermore, since the fats make your cells more sensitive to insulin, they reduce fat storage.  You see, the more your cells resist insulin, the more your body has to pump it out.  The more insulin pumped out, the more fat stored.  The more insulin sent out, the less fat metabolized and burned.  The more insulin sent out over and over, the less sensitive cells become to insulin, so they begin to require more and more insulin sent out, and you’ve guessed it, more fat is stored.  This is a vicious, ugly cycle, especially for an athlete who has to pull his or her weight up a hill.  But, thankfully, it’s no match for salmon.

As if that weren’t enough, salmon packs a lot of other nutrients beside healthy fats.  The B-vitamins may have as much to do with the heart-healthy effects as the fats.  And, the protein found in salmon, ~7 grams per ounce, helps you stay full longer, again burn more calories, and enjoy long-lasting steady energy.

I promised to feed you for a lifetime… So, when you go to the store, make sure to pick Wild-Caught salmon – this way it has less agriculture pesticide run-off and no artificial colorings.  Then, make sure there is no fishy smell to it.  It should be a bright orangy-pinkish color, no graying.  Take it from someone who is land-locked in Colorado, you have to be picky when picking your fish.

Now you know everything needed for buying and enjoying salmon.  What athlete couldn’t use a great dinner, more energy, and better fat burn?!?

 Fuel your Adventure.  Nourish your Body.