Healthy Food OBSESSION!!!

These are some of the top products and ingredients I am recently obsessing over, along with recipes for each, ENJOY!!! 



1. Arctic Zero Ice Cream
I'll say it again and again, sugar is the devil and is NOT a food group! However, we all love sweets once in a while and this ice cream is TO DIE FOR. Although it contains only 150 calories per pint, high quality whey concentrate, nearly 8 grams of fiber per pint, it does contain and cane juice in the ingredients, so limiting it to once a week or every few weeks is your best bet. In other words, don't go overboard with this just because it's only 150 calories...content is the most important aspect of choosing food products! The less ingredients, higher quality ingredients, the better!


Great Ball of Fiber + Ice Cream = Best Invention EVER
If you are lucky enough to be in LA and in my circle of people out here, you have probably tried one of my infamous cookies...at a low 63 calories, these chocolate little balls of heaven mixed with any of the Arctic Zero ice creams is the best dessert in the world, and will pack on the protein and fiber even more with again, very few calories!

2. Split Peas 
High in soluble fiber- our bodies can partially digest this type of fiber, helping lower cholesterol and aiding in digestion. Buy these little green guys at your local Whole Foods Grocery Store in the bulk section. Nearly 1 cup of split peas is 17 grams of protein and fiber and 230 calories. Though this is a lot, opt to split this amount up throughout the week, into 1/4 cup servings. 


To cook:
1 cup of split peas to 3 cups of low sodium vegetable stock or water. Cook for 1-1.5 hours or until soft and liquid is absorbed in the peas. These peas are flavorful enough to not require any salt or seasonings. Once cooked, I add about 1/4 cup to salads and wraps at least a few times a week, or combine with brown rice or quinoa for high nutrient, high protein, high fiber meals. 


Split Pea Soup
2 cups dried organic split peas
7.5 cups low sodium organic vegetable stock
2 Tsp sea salt
1 Tsp ground black pepper
3 chopped organic carrots
3 chopped organic celery sticks
1/2 tsp dried basil, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp dried parsley, chopped
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs minced garlic


Add all ingredients to crock pot and let cook 6-8 hours. 




3. GG Scandanavian 
These crackers are only 12 calories per piece and 5 grams of fiber, with 7 grams of carbohydrates, with 8 of them in one package. They also only contain 3 ingredients, which is incredible for any product...again, less is better...unprocessed wheat bran, rye flour, salt. 

Crackers with Guacamole Hummus Spread
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
1/2 avocado
1 Tsp chopped basil
1 Tsp minced garlic
1 Tsp lemon juice 
1 thinly sliced roma tomato 


Add garbanzo beans and avocado, puree for 30-60 seconds, adding chopped basil and 1 Tsp minced garlic and 1 Tsp lemon juice. Place tomato slice on crackers, spread mixture evenly over tomatoes and enjoy. 




4. Edward Brown and Sons Brown Rice Snaps 
Although these crackers only contain 1 gram of protein and fiber, they are only 60 calories per 9 crackers, and they are full of brown rice, tamari, and nori, making them adequate for vitamins and minerals. I typically eat them with hummus, guacamole, or another spread. 




5. Food For Life Brown Rice Tortillas
These tortillas are hands down my favorite, at only 120 calories per pieces, they are gluten free and low in ingredients, high in fiber, and high in quality. They are minimally processed and are made by the company Food for Life, which I am a huge fan of! Opt for these over any whole wheat flour or corn tortilla. 


INGREDIENTS: Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour, Filtered Water, Tapioca Flour, Safflower Oil, Rice Bran, Vegetable Gum (xanthan, cellulouse), Sea Salt.


Food For Life forbids the use of genetically altered ingredients in its products. Food For Life uses only natural ingredients from suppliers which are certified organic or have non-GMO verification. To that end, we make the following statement: “To the best of our knowledge, Food For Life products do not contain GMOs.”

Mediterranean Wrap
1 Brown Rice Tortilla
2 Tbs hummus
1 diced roma tomato 
2 romaine hearts
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 Tbs un-salted, raw sunflower seeds
salt and pepper to taste 


Warm tortilla in skillet for 30-60 seconds. Remove and add hummus, avocado slices, tomatoes, and romaine hearts down the center, sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Fold into a wrap and enjoy with a small mixed baby greens salad and balsamic. 




6. Ezekiel Gluten Free English Muffins
Again, Ezekiel is on the list! These gluten free english muffins are soft and excellent with Earth Balance Butter and an egg white scramble or by themselves. Granted, 1/2 of one of these is 80 calories, but keep in mind, the ingredients are higher in quality than other breads and are an excellent source of protein and fiber, keeping you full for a longer period of time. Also, they contain no wheat, which is a major food allergen and is in EVERYTHING! Nearly 1/7 people have a gluten or wheat intolerance and this is only going to continue to grow as the world uses wheat in products, as it is cheaper and easier to come by.


Raw Almond Butter and Banana English Muffin
1 English Muffin
2 tbs raw almond butter 
1/2 banana
1 Tbs honey or agave  
1 Tbs cinnamon


Warm English muffin in oven at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Cool and spread almond butter, top with sliced banana and honey and sprinkle on top with cinnamon. For 1/2, this is about 120 calories, for a full sandwich, it is about 340 calories. 




7. Ezekiel 4:9 Flourless Almond Cereal 
This cereal ROCKS!! Although it is flourless, if you have strong gluten allergies, this is not adequate for your diet, so stay away! Again, this is one of my favorite companies, as the products are so high in quality and very unprocessed and eco-friendly! 


INGREDIENTS:  Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Millet, Organic Sprouted Whole Barley, Organic Almonds, Organic Sprouted Whole Lentils, Organic Sprouted Whole Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Whole Spelt, Filtered Water, Sea Salt.


Cereal with Frozen Berries
1/2 Cup Ezekiel Almond Cereal
1/4 Cup frozen blueberries
1 Tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk




8. Garbanzo Beans 
Packing 5 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber, and 90 calories per 1/2 cup for the canned version, the bulk garbanzo beans that you can make on your stovetop are nearly double in nutrition values. Either way, these little tan beans are an excellent snack and can fuel your mind and body mid-day. At least two-thirds of the fiber in garbanzos is insoluble. This insoluble fiber typically passes all the way through our digestive tract unchanged, until it reaches the last part of our large intestine (the colon).  

To cook, add 3 cups of water to 1 cup of garbanzo beans. The beans must be soaked for at least 4-8 hours. I typically soak beans with enough water to cover them, overnight, and then cook them the following day, cleaning the beans before adding to the stovetop for at least 1-1.5 hours or until water is absorbed and beans are somewhat soft. 


Hummus
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice


Add all ingredients to food processor and pure until smooth texture. Eat with fresh baby carrots, peppers, celery, or spread onto brown rice snaps or GG crackers! 



9. Wayfare Vegan Cheese
America has a serious obsession with cheese...not good! This oat based cheese is the best I've seen yet. It's low in calories, high in protein, and tastes amazing! The cheese alternative is more like a spread, but melts like cheese and also is packaged in environmentally friendly containers by this eco-conscious company. 


Vegan Quesadilla
1 Food for Life Brown Rice Tortilla
1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup chopped peppers
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped onions 
2 Tbs Wayfare Vegan Mexi Cheddar Spread 


Heat tortilla in skillet on medium heat for 2 minutes each side until crispy. In another skillet, cook beans and vegetables thoroughly on medium heat for about 4-6 minutes, add sea salt and pepper if necessary. Add cheese on one side of tortilla once warmed and add vegetable and bean mixture on other side. Let cheese melt and fold tortilla in half. Let cook another 20-30 seconds. Cut into 3 pieces and serve with Whole Foods brand guacamole with only 3 grams of fat and 40 calories per serving or Trader Joes salsa verde.  


10. Lara Bars

Though not a huge fan of the typical protein bars many of us turn to when on the run, I do recommend Lara Bars for those who need a snack mid-day. These little bars have minimal ingredients and are completely allergen free, ranging from 200-230 calories. Favorites are cherry pie, lemon bar, cashew cookie, apple pie, and blueberry muffin.

No recipe here, these bars go great alone!

JUST DO IT

“We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves. The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable.”

So you took the first step in completing a race, you signed up! What next? Follow the guide below to help prepare you for the 13.1 challenge! This is not an easy task, but it is an excellent goal and along the way you WILL improve your health and fitness, stamina, strength, increase lean muscle mass, increase VO2, improve mental health, and aide in weight loss! Get excited, get prepared, and get focused…the journey to running a half marathon has just begun! 

Over the past 6 months, I have been lucky enough to meet some incredible people who have put their lives on hold to focus on getting healthy through proper exercise and nutrition, whom which I admire greatly! As a marathoner, I know the training process is grueling, and it takes extreme dedication. This post is dedicated to an astonishing, strong, driven woman, who walked the mountainous Malibu half marathon on November 14, 2010. I find myself telling my clients her story on a daily basis, providing them with motivation to work towards a race. Since this woman walked the half marathon, numerous people have come to me asking for a training guide and support. What to do after the race completion? Pick another one to train for, and keep up that exercise and nutrition regimen, because after all of that hard work of building muscle, endurance, and losing weight, why would you turn back to old habits and lose all that you've worked so hard for? Again, think of the legendary Malibu half marathon woman for motivation to keep up the lifestyle change, because YOU CAN ALL DO IT! 

Below is my 13.1 guide to running or walking a half marathon, which every single one of you can do! First things first, get your mind in the right place, filling it with positive affirmations, because at the end of the day, running, and all exercise for that matter is mental!

With proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, training, and positive mental thoughts, each and every one of you can do this! For those of you who have trained with me in the past, I am sure it does not surprise you when I say: keep that upper body relaxed with your shoulders down away from your ears, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, and focus!

10-Week Half Marathon Training Schedule

Week	M	T	W	Th	F	S	Sun	Total
1	3	Rest	3	3	Rest	4	Rest	13
2	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	5	Rest	15
3	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	6	Rest	16
4	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	8	Rest	19
5	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	10	Rest	21
6	4	Rest	5	4	Rest	11	Rest	24
7	4	Rest	6	4	Rest	12	Rest	26
8	4	Rest	5	4	Rest	9	Rest	22
9	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	8	Rest	18
10	3	Rest	3	Walk 2	Rest	13.1	Rest	21.1

Training: Before you start training, you should aim to run for 30 minutes straight without stopping. Running a half-marathon or marathon is based on endurance, and not as much speed. Focus on running for a longer period of time regardless of speed. You should run for 10 miles about 3 weeks before the race and taper down from there, giving enough time for muscle glycogen recovery and storage. Running/walking intervals are an excellent way to ease into the training program, getting your body used to the mileage and time you will be on your feet and can prevent injuries. Avoid injuries by icing and stretching on your rest days. Aim to ice for 20 minutes at least on rest days, usually on knees and shins. Recovery is just as important as the runs, giving time for muscle fibers to heal and re-build. Ensure proper hydration and nutrition between each run, which will help with building strength and stamina.

Nutrition: On longer runs, aim to consume 6-8 ounces of fluid for every 20 minutes of running. Also focus on drinking only water for shorter runs, and electrolyte enhanced drinks for longer runs, also incorporating Cytomax, Gatorade, or Ultima into runs greater than 6-8 miles. Complex carbohydrates provide fuel for runners, making up 65% of your total calories. Protein should account for about .5-.7 grams per pound of your body weight, or about 10% of your diet. 20-25% of your total calories should come from unsaturated fats.

           

            Sample day:

            Breakfast: 1 apple, 1 piece of Ezekiel toast with almond butter and honey

Lunch: 2 cups of steamed vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower), ½ cup brown   

            rice, ¼ cup black beans/kidney beans/adzuki beans

Snack Options: ½ cup dried or cooked edamame/1/2 cup garbanzo beans, 1 cup            

                         unsweetened almond milk with 1 banana, ½ cup Fage yogurt with 

                         ¼ cup frozen blueberries with 1 packet Stevia

Dinner: 2 cups mixed baby greens, 1/2 green pepper sliced, 1/2 cup chopped  

tomatoes, ½ avocado sliced, 1 grilled chicken breast/1 serving of grilled       tofu/shrimp/1 piece of salmon or ahi tuna, topped with balsamic or light dressing

Sleep: Getting efficient amounts of sleep is necessary for muscle recovery and to help you mentally rest after a long run. Make sure to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep a night. It is often more important to sleep in an extra hour than to get in a run, if the sleep that night is lacking.

Cross-Training: Hiking, stair running, yoga, pilates, elliptical/arc-trainer machine, weight lifting, boxing, cycling, walking, sprinting are all essential parts of cross-training and preparing for a race. Not only do you shock your muscles when mixing up workouts, you also strengthen your muscles and improve stability and core strength when incorporating other forms of exercise.

Stretching: An essential in race training, and adding in foam rolling on a daily basis, stretching will improve flexibility, running stance, and recovery/injury prevention. Preparing the muscles to be used, pre-runs should include some dynamic stretching- movements that mimic exercises to prepare the muscles, proven to lower injuries and increase performance, while warming up the body, defined as actively moving the joint through a range of motion. Post-runs should include static stretching once the muscles are warm, holding positions for extended periods of time, sometimes up to 2 minutes with no movement. Examples:

Ø    Dynamic stretches:

o      alternate toe touches

1.   Start by standing with your feet spread as far apart

2.   Lean forward toward one leg and try to reach your foot or until a       

      comfortable stretch is felt in your low back and hamstrings.

3.     Now try to touch the other foot with the opposite arm. This motion should

      be continuous alternately touching each foot (as close as possible) with the  

      opposite hand.

o      arm swings

1.   Stand tall and hold arms out to your side.

2.   Slowly swing your arms back and forth across the front of your body.

3.   Repeat this continuous motion for 30 seconds.

Ø    Actual workout

Ø    Static stretches: 

o      hamstring stretch

1.     Sit on the ground with both legs straight out in front of you

2.     Bend the left leg and place the sole of the left foot alongside the knee of the right leg. Allow the left leg to lie relaxed on the ground

3.     Bend forward keeping the back straight

4.     You will feel the stretch in the hamstring of the right leg

5.     Repeat with the other leg

o      biceps stretch

1.   Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees bent

      2.   Hold you arms out to the side parallel with the ground and the palms ofthe  

            hand facing forward

3.   Rotate the hands so the palms face to the rear, stretch the arms back as far

      as possible. You should feel the stretch across your chest and in the bicep

Half-Marathon Day: Tapering down in the final weeks of training is extremely important in recovery. Distance running is about endurance and pace is a critical component in completing the race successfully, so be sure to maintain a good pace throughout the race! Make sure to do a run-through each long run day during training and do exactly what you will do on race day. For instance, wake up early, eat the same thing you eat before each run, wear something you’ve work on a long run before so you know it will be comfortable, wear the same shoes you trained in, and mentally put yourself in the same spot you do before each run.

I could not be more proud of my past clients and those who have either completed a race or are training to run a half marathon. Please keep me posted to how you are doing and if you are feeling lack of motivation, just remember the woman who walked the Malibu half marathon in November. She changed my outlook on running, so hopefully she will change yours too! Dedication and focus is key, and each and every one of you can do it if you put your mind to it! 

You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.

Sugar=The Devil

Hiding in the foods you eat, sugar may be the culprit to not dropping excess weight and a reason why you may not be seeing the results you expect from those hard workout sessions!

Hidden sugar in common “healthy” foods:

Yogurt:

The pros, yogurt contains high amounts of calcium, is low in calories, and contains essential probiotics. On the flip side, yogurt is a major problem food in many people’s diets, as this food is actually full of sugar.

Although Danon, Yoplait, and other brands are said to be “light and fit”, “low fat”, etc, the majority of the ingredients making up this 90-110 calorie food is nearly 15 grams per cup. SILK soy yogurt contains nearly 18 grams of sugar per container. Consuming this much sugar in one small cup of yogurt a day is a disaster waiting to happen. Luckily, there are other options to get healthy bacteria- probiotics, calcium, and low calorie foods that can replace yogurt and it’s high sugar content.

Opt for: Fage Greek Yogurt 0%, for 7 ounces it contains 90 calories, 15 grams of protein, and the least of any yogurt- 7 grams of sugar. This is the best option as there is no added sugar or high fructose corn syrup, added preservatives or artificial sweeteners, which should be avoided at all times. 

Dried Fruit:

Water is removed during the drying process, making fruit extremely bitter tasting. This is where sugar comes into play, being added occasionally or simply being converted as glucose and fructose during that drying process. A cup of grapes has about 60 calories, where a cup of raisins is nearly 400 calories without adding any other ingredients and just from the drying process. This is simply due to the fact that the grapes shrink down during drying- ¼ cup of raisins contains 29 grams of sugar. Another high sugar dried fruit is apricots, containing almost 70 grams of sugar per ½ a cup. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1838/2

Opt for: Fresh fruit is a better option due to the high water content and larger size, which is easier to maintain fullness.

Cereal:

Always look for at least 3 grams of fiber and protein in cereal, and below 200 calories per serving, avoiding cereal containing “enriched wheat flour”. Often times, we think cereal is a healthy option. However, majority of cereals contain added sugar and high fructose corn syrup, adding more unnecessary calories into your diet, spiking your blood levels, and leaving you craving more. Cereals said to be “healthy”, which are not- Special K with a low calorie content, yet sugar and high fructose corn syrup are listed on the ingredients. Kashi cereal is often sweetened with evaporated cane juice or brown rice syrup, adding nearly 13 grams of sugar to 1 cup of  of GoLEAN Crunch Cereal 

Opt For: Puffins- Honey Rice, Ezekiel Cereals, containing 0 grams of sugar.

Bread:

Often times, we think of whole wheat bread as being healthy, when indeed sugar may be one of the top ingredients listed, which is the case for a ton of breads. 

Opt For: Ezekiel Bread and Ezekiel products in general- containing 0 grams of sugar, Food For Life has various bread that are gluten free as well.

Main Points:

Avoid products with “high fructose corn syrup” or “sugar”.

Opt for: fresh fruit, raw cocoa powder, unsweetened almond /rice milk. Items containing “evaporated cane juice” and “brown rice syrup” are sufficient in small quantities, as it has undergone less processing than refined sugar, therefore retaining more nutrients of the sugar cane plant, yet still adding high amounts of sugar to foods. Honey and agave nectar are two options that are natural and more beneficial to use than regular table sugar, although again, containing high amounts of sugar, so be sure to use in moderation and not everyday.

The USDA recommends no more than 6-10% of calories from sugar a day. I recommend cutting any added sugar to as little as possible each day, not including fruit. Consuming sugar only makes you crave more. Instead, see how many days you can go each week without eating products containing added sugars and artificial sweeteners and pay close attention to how you feel.

At the end of the day, SUGAR=DEVIL

…an aspect of food that is not a requirement and can reek havoc on your diet, preventing you from losing or maintaining weight, making you feel jittery, hungry, and most of the time just wanting more!!!