A super fast and healthy summer appetizer.  Prep ingredients ahead of time, and let guests make their own!  A recipe I tested from Cabot Cheese, a cooperative group of farmers from Vermont.

Mix together for dressing:   1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce,2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger,1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 drops Asian sesame oil

Lettuce Wraps:  top each piece lettuce with the following

Shredded meat from 2 cooked chicken legs (bake at 450F, cool; remove skin, debone)

6 leaves Bibb lettuce

1/2 seedless cucumber, chopped

1 mango, pitted, peeled and diced

1/2 cup seedless grapes

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 ounces Cabot Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Nutrition Analysis – Per 1 appetizer serving     Recipe makes 6 servings.   Calories 156, Total Fat 15g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 314mg, Carbohydrates 4g, Dietary Fiber <1g, Protein 1g,  NOTE: to reduce fat, use 50% less fat cheddar and light mayonnaise

Losing weight can be the easiest way to improve race performance.  No athlete wants to drop  pounds at the expense of losing muscle, however,  which is the case when drastic calorie cuts are made.  But when calories are reduced by only 10% or so, weight loss progress feels like the last 2 minutes of a marathon.  Painful, and you just don’t seem to get to the finish line.

The fastest way to cut body fat still means capping calories at a slight deficit, but new research shows the focus needs to be on where they come from.  First, no question a higher protein diet of 30% of calories, vs the usual 15% is necessary.  Nix the beef and chicken, and instead, eat fish 5x per week in 3-oz portions to see a weight loss over an 8-week period by about 4 pounds more.  Fat loss can be increased by consuming  low fat dairy products as part of the daily protein intake.  Lastly, given the same calorie level, the consumption of whole grains in place of processed grain will give you the edge once again on reducing fat, instead of losing muscle.

So make it a grilled fish sandwich on a whole grain bun with low fat yogurt for dessert.  Fast lunch, and faster performance with super taste.

 ’Fat burners’ are the most popular supplement group on the market.   What exactly is a ‘fat burner” ?  Manufacturers apply this term to describe any supplement that  increases fat metabolism or energy expenditure for a short time period, increases weight loss, increases the use of fat as a fuel during exercise, or somehow causes metabolic  changes that promote the use of body fat over a long time period.  While there are thousands of fat burner supplements available for purchase on the market, few have any human studies to back up their claims.  Supplements that have been tested on humans include caffeine, carnitine, green tea, conjugated linoleic acid, forskokloin, chromium, kelp, and fucoxanthin.  Of this list, only caffeine and green tea have sufficient data to back up their claims, and the effects on fat metabolism are small.  The other supplements, while showing some promise, need further testing to warrant recommendation for use.

Athletes sometimes do need to cut some weight but they can’t afford to miss training days from getting sick.  Nor do they want to lose muscle!  It is easy to reduce the calorie count in a meal by about 15%.  That does not mean you won’t feel full.  Research by Barbara Rolls, PhD, at Penn State University showed that by decreasing the amount of grains and meat portions, and subsituting low calorie vegetables, subjects in the study consumed fewer calories.  Even better, they didn’t really notice the amount of calories was reduced.  The bonus of swapping out some greens for grains was a boost in anti-inflammatory nutrients.  If part of your dinner plate is sugar or grease, then replacing more veggies for these foods can have an even higher payback.

Marquette – NOV 19th.  Mary Connor and Donna Marlor  will be at the Marquette Yoga Center to introduce YOGA FOR A  LEAN LIFESTYLE to the Marquette communty.  Described as a yoga  approach to weight loss and maintenance,  Yoga Center owner, Mary Connor said,  “It is a unique  program for anyone and everyone who has ever struggled with body image, yo-yo dieting, eating disorders and of course excess weight.  Based on the 8 limbs of yoga, when combined with nutrition coaching, this program offers a peaceful approach that is effective for managing holiday stress and eating.  Yoga is an  essential part of the program since research studies have shown that so often overeating is not about food.

It is frustrating to have a great day training and then wake up the next morning too sore to workout again.  Many athletes avoid using NSAIDS because of the potential risk of bleeding, ulcers and kidney damage.  Natural anti-inflammatory supplements are regularly marketed as safer and effective, but do they really work?  The jury is still out, with some researchers getting positive results, and others not.  If you do chose to use a natural food based anti-inflammatory supplements, here are some guidelines. 

1)  Take a supplement that contains a mixture of ingredients. The concurrent ingestion of flavonoids increases their effectiveness.  2)  Use the supplement consistently for at least 2 weeks.  Popping a natural supplement the day of a race is not likely to be effective.  To date, two of the supplements that have shown effectiveness include black currant berries containing 240 mg anthocyanins, or and a combination of quercetin mixed with isoquercetin, EGCG, fish oil, vitamin C, and niacin.

Move aside mayo, this hearty salad is a hit with your gluten free friends as well as vegetarian.  Serve it as a side dish with a grilled fish or chicken, or as a main entrée for lunch. Don’t be afraid to add your own vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini or yellow squash.

 Serves 8                       Preparation time: 30 minutes                 Chill  30 minutes

 Ingredients:

1-1-/2 pounds whole tiny new potatoes, scrubbed

½ pound fresh red beets, scrubbed (*may omit and use all potatoes)

8 large California water-packed smoked sundried tomatoes

3-5 garlic cloves, minced (to taste)

1 medium red onion, chopped Read More

 If you were to wear your favorite pair of running shoes and run for 6 minutes at 6 minutes per mile, and then repeat the same course the next day using “barefoot” shoes at the same pace, which would burn more calories?  When a group of 10 recreational runners, 5 males and 5 females were asked to run at a 70%VO2max pace, heart rate and rating of perceived exertion were higher wearing regular shoes.  While the difference between barefoot vs. shoes was only 2% on a treadmill, when tested on ground, to run the same pace VO2max was 5.7% higher with shoes.  What does this mean?  If you want to use less effort and win a race, go barefoot.  For the calorie burn, work harder and wear shoes.   Think about it: would you ride a mountain bike during a road race?

No More Pyramids!  A welcome change,  the USDA finally has us back to the table, and eating from a plate.  Now up on the web, Choose My Plate  is a back-to-the-basics approach for healthy eating.  A great online tool, the plate method provides a simple, organized view of what foods to choose for balance and fuel.  You can personalize a calorie level and menu plan by entering your age, gender and activity level. Whether a recreational athlete or elite, this basic food guide can make it easier to reach your performance goals.

When the scale seems “stuck” despite doing regular aerobic exercise, it might be time to grab some barbells in the weight room.  What is the best routine to maximize the calorie burn?  That is what researchers at the University of Southern Maine decided to find out.  They compared the energy cost of performing a bench press exercise 2 ways: muscular endurance vs. strength routine.  Single-set bench press lifts of approximately 37%, 46%, and 56% (endurance-type) and 70%, 80%, and 90% (strength-type exercise) of 1 repetition maximum were performed.  Because a higher volume of reps could be done at the lowest weight (until failure), the best calorie burn was at 37% of maximum.  Subjects could perform 36 reps at the lowest weight and burned almost twice as many calories compared to the strength-type exercise routine, where only 8 reps or less could be completed.  Bottom line: for the most “burn”, go light and lift long.