Watermelon, Running & Hydration – Day 4 #LivingOnTheWedge

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

First of all, happy Independence Day! I’ll be celebrating the Fourth of July by running one of my favorite races in town, the Freedom 5000. All I’ll be thinking about while zooming through the forecasted 90 degree heat is grabbing a big slice (or two) of watermelon that is waiting at the finish line. There will be hundreds of cold, crisp watermelons served up for rehydrating refreshment – it’s pure heaven and perfect for the patriotic, post-race party. Check back tomorrow to find out if I won and how much watermelon I ate when I was done!

I will definitely run for watermelon, any time any place! The natural carbohydrates give me plenty of energy to hit the road, take on the trail or tackle the treadmill. Because watermelon is 92% water, it is also a super way to keep my hydration levels in check before, during and after a run.

Eating 8-ounces of watermelon is like drinking almost that same amount of water – but in addition, you get natural sugars, some electrolytes, vitamin A, vitamin C, and lycopene. Research has shown that drinking watermelon juice (simply pureed watermelon flesh) aids in athletic performance just as much as consuming a sports drink like Gatorade but you also get the benefits provided by powerful antioxidents. Also, as I mention on Day 2 of #LivingOnTheWedge, the L-citrulline amino acid found abundantly in watermelon juice can also lower an athlete’s heart rate and instance of delayed-onset muscle fatigue. So, drink up!

In the heat of summer, a runner can become dehydrated easily, losing quarts of water through sweat. If not replaced adequately, you’ll suffer from fatigue, decreased performance, muscle cramping and worse. However, it is just as dangerous to drink too much fluid as too little. Determining your personal fluid replacement rate is a proactive way to stay hydrated and healthy. Runner’s World has a Hydration Calculator that will give you a rough estimate based on weight, temperature and pace. However, I would also suggest performing a “sweat test” for a baseline personal estimate. Before a timed run, weigh yourself with the full water you plan to carry along. Afterward, note the length of time you ran and then get back on the scale with the remaining contents of the water bottle. The weight lost is how much MORE fluid needs to be consumed during runs of the same duration in similar conditions.

So, it’s time to get juicing – I think you’ll love these ways to incorporate watermelon juice into your running routine.

Watermelon Agua Fresca – Carry along some of this refreshing watermelon goodness in your water bottle! I’ve also done a version where I added a Nuun Hydration Electrolyte Tab (they make a watermelon flavor!) for an extra boost.

Watermelon Pomegranate Green Tea – This drink is perfect if you need a pick-me-up before or during your run. Swap the green tea for caffeinated black tea as a bit of caffeine can actually help improve sports performance. Plus, other research indicates that the bioactive compounds in pomegranate juice help reduce muscle soreness – just as watermelon juice does!

Come back tomorrow to check out my Creamy Watermelon Smoothie recipe, it’s so delicious and nutritious and perfect post-run or just hanging out by the pool. You don’t want to miss this one!

How are you celebrating the 4^th of July, will you run or eat watermelon? Please share in the comments below and/or join my group #LivingOnTheWedge Pinterest board to share your love for watermelon.

Also, check out all the other posts on watermelon I’m featuring all week and don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a great Watermelon Prize Pack!

The National Watermelon Promotion Board is providing me with compensation to share my love of watermelon. However, the opinions and content (unless otherwise noted) shared are my own and NWPB did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

Spicy Sweet Watermelon Shrimp Skewer Recipe – Day 3 #LivingOnTheWedge

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

During the summer, don’t knock on my front door during the dinner hour – just come on through the back gate! If you were an actual neighbor, the amazing aromas wafting over the fence would serve as your not-so-formal invitation to come join me for some fantastic food ready to be pulled off a sizzling grill. Tonight I’m making a mouthwatering meal that is as healthy as it is vibrantly hued – Grilled Watermelon Shrimp Kebabs with Sweet Spicy Glaze.

Grilling is my go-to way to prepare healthy recipes for my family and friends. The focus on lean proteins and fresh produce eliminates any need for buttery sauces, breadings and other diet-busters. You’d be surprised at how many foods are great on the grates – fruit is one of my favorite foods to grill! A good sear from the grill caramelizes the natural sugars found in fruit, taking the flavor experience to a “whole-nutha” level. Trust me, the watermelon chunks are insanely good on these fire-kissed kebabs! Yes, you CAN grill watermelon!

Grilled Watermelon Shrimp Kebabs with Sweet Spicy Glaze Recipe

6 cups 1” watermelon cubes (divided)
1 tablespoon red chili sauce (like Sriracha)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp, tails intact
1 large red onion, cut into 1” chunks
Sea salt & coarse black pepper, to taste
Garnish: fresh cilantro

In a blender, add 2 cups watermelon, honey, soy sauce, minced garlic and any watermelon juice that has pooled in the bowl of your watermelon prep bowl (or substitute a tablespoon of water to get blender going). Puree ingredients until smooth.
Transfer watermelon mixture to small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for approximately 15 minutes, or until mixture has reduced to about ½ remaining. Set aside.
Meanwhile, thread raw shrimp, onion pieces and remaining watermelon cubes onto four 12” metal or soaked bamboo skewers, alternating ingredients (may substitute eight 6” skewers). Season with salt and pepper.
Heat grill or stove-top grill pan to 400 F degrees. Place skewers on grill and cook for approximately 3 – 4 minutes per side, flipping once. Near the end of grilling, use a silicon brush to glaze skewers with the sauce. Remove from grill once shrimp is cooked through and no longer translucent. Watermelon and onions should also have some nice grate marks.
Drizzle with reserved sauce and serve alone, over cilantro rice (pictured) a salad or your choice of side. Serves 4.

Cooks tip: Double the sauce recipe and save the leftovers in the refrigerator (up to a week) for a salad dressing or to jazz up a milder fish like tilapia.

If this grilled watermelon recipe appeals to you, you’ll also love my Spicy Sesame Salmon on Seared Watermelon.

I also love this idea for Flash Grilled Watermelon Cheddar Burgers from Watermelon.org that replaces a juicy grilled watermelon wedge for the tomato slice. It’s a wonderful way to load up on lycopene. Although tomatoes are famous for having an abundance of this powerful antioxidant, bet you didn’t know that watermelon actually has the most concentrated levels of any fruit or veggie!

If you have a watermelon recipe or tip to share, please post it in the comments. Or, better yet, join my #LivingOnTheWedge Pinterest board.

Please come back to visit EVERY DAY this week as I talk about all things deliciously and nutritiously watermelon and don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a great Watermelon Prize Pack.

Watermelon Workout & Recovery – Day 2 #LivingOnTheWedge

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Even though it’s summer, I’m keeping up my fitness routine – in fact, I’m having a lot more fun with my workouts now that I my running season is finished until fall. The summer has always been a great time for me to cut back my mileage and focus on getting stronger – plus, I like to take my kids along to the gym for some family gym bonding time that features lots of barbells and burpees. But, it’s not always so fun to be stuck in a gym when the weather is wonderfully warm – so this week I’m grabbing a watermelon and heading outside. Yes, you heard me right – WATERMELON! Who needs fancy equipment when you can use a watermelon for exercise? I’m dishing up a Watermelon Workout, are you ready to get served?

exercises with watermelon as the wieght

A 35 pound watermelon! Glad I workout!

I dare you to do my Watermelon Workout, it will get your heart pumping and your muscles moving once you get into the rind, err . . . I mean, grind! Choose a seedless watermelon that you can handle comfortable, but is still a challenge. The one I’m using is about 18 pounds – but I’ve brought home watermelons as big as 35 pounds, but that bad boy was really too unwieldy to use in a workout.

Watermelon makes a great piece of impromptu workout equipment – as you can see from the Watermelon Workout photo, you can lift it, swing it, jump over it and more. Most importantly, you can eat it as a nutritious snack afterward! Made of 92% water, watermelon is obviously hydrating. But did you know the fruit can help you with workout recovery? A recent study in the Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry reports that drinking watermelon juice before a hard workout helps to reduce an athlete’s heart rate and next-day muscle soreness. Why? Well, watermelon has an abundance of an amino acid called L-citrulline, which the body converts to L-arginine, an essential amino acid that aids in blood vessel dilation and improved circulation.

I love this idea for Gluten-Free Watermelon Mozzarella Sandwiches from Watermelon.org. Just pop this grain-free recipe in a to-go container and you’ve got a protein-boosted, post-workout recovery snack that helps your taxed muscles repair themselves in time for the next session. Plus, the salty pickles sandwiched between the layers will help get your electrolytes back to a healthy balance. Remember, you should always eat a mini-meal with a 3:1 to 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio within a 30 minute window after intense workouts and runs.

Do you have any watermelon inspired workout ideas or a refreshing watermelon recipe to share? If so, post in the comments or join my group #LivingOnTheWedge Pinterest board.

Also, check out my all the other posts on watermelon I’m featuring all week and don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a great Watermelon Prize Pack!

The Hipster Berry | Blackberry Lemon Smoothie Recipe

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Did you know that professional “flavorists” have named the blackberry as a flavor that will be trending over the next year? That makes me pretty happy because I love sweet, juicy black berries and I’ve noticed my local grocery store doesn’t yet seem to know just how hip and happening these little brambling beauties have become. Despite the crescendoing cool factor, blackberries are often the cheapest berry in the produce section — shhhh!

You may be most familiar with blackberries in jam, syrup or baked up in a country cobbler or atop a pretty little dessert like my Lemon Chia Seed Tea Cakes with Blackberries. But blackberries also pair pleasingly well with unusual flavors such as pepper, ginger or balsamic vinegar. Of late, I’m seeing blackberries used as a feature ingredient with chefs and bartenders crafting delicious drinks, dinners and desserts everywhere from food trucks to fancy-schmancy venues, aren’t you?! It’s time to get creative making both sweet and savory dishes featuring blackberries – here’s a delicious and nutritious smoothie recipe to get you started:

Place ¼ cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup fresh or frozen blackberries, 8 ounces almond milk and ½ cup cottage cheese in a blender. Pulse on and off for about 1 minute, or until smooth and creamy. Serves 1.

Blackberries aren’t just the cool kids in the fruit basket, they are also super healthy — but you probably already knew that! The seeds of blackberries are rich in Omega-3s and the plump flesh is packed with vitamins and other nutrients including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.Serve them with other berries for a bonanza of healthy benefits — a side perk, the pairing will make strawberries, blueberries and other (ahem) less fashionable fruits seem suddenly much more interesting.

Blackberries make a sweet and simple snack during the summer — remember to hydrate too!

CookingLight.com has a Guide to Blackberries that will help you select the best basket (or bushel) at the market. While you’re there, check out the mouthwatering gallery for Blackberry Recipes for summer entertaining inspiration.

Don’t want to miss the Grilled Pork with Blackberry Sage Sauce:

Wash it down with a Blackberry Margarita! Yee-haw!

Nutritious Apricot + Almond Snack Ideas!

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Smoothie-making season is in full swing at my house now that the weather is warm (pushing the 90s) and here to stay! My family thinks I’m crazy, but I love the hot weather and the way the sun feels on my skin – I just have to remember to wear my sunscreen and hydrate!

One of my favorite smoothies for May (when fresh apricots start coming into season), is my Apricot Almond Smoothie. While it’s made with fresh slices of apricot that have been flash frozen, dried apricots can be substituted. For best results, soak the dried apricots in water for about 30 minutes before blending to make them plumper and easier to incorporate.

Apricot Almond Smoothie Recipe

Blend 1 cup almond milk. 2 tablespoons ground almonds, and ½ cup frozen apricot slices (about 3 – 4 whole apricots). Add ice as needed to achieve desired consistency. If fresh apricots are not available, substitute 8 dried apricot halves that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes.

While fresh apricot season is really short, it’s easy to enjoy dried apricot year-round. Due to their dehydrated nature, dried apricots are concentrated in vitamins, minerals and other healthy nutrients – especially iron, vitamins A and C, and dietary fiber. Stick a zip-top bag of dried apricots in your purse or gym bag to stave off candy bar cravings – toss in some almonds and dark chocolate chips and you can whip up one of these sensible snacks! By the way, one of these apricot, almond and chocolate chip “bites” has just 20 calories!

Check out CookingLight.com, they’ve got some great ideas on how to enjoy fresh apricots for the few short, glorious weeks they are in season. I especially like the idea of grilling apricots to intensify the sweet-tart flavor and totally give a thumbs up to putting these caramelized, grate-marked apricots on a salad or alongside beef, shellfish or poultry.

I love this Cooking Light idea for grilled apricots on my salad!

Talking about healthy snacks — don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a month’s supply of Harvest Snaps —- just click through to enter NOW!

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Category Archives: Nutrition & Wellness

Watermelon, Running & Hydration – Day 4 #LivingOnTheWedge

Spicy Sweet Watermelon Shrimp Skewer Recipe – Day 3 #LivingOnTheWedge

Watermelon Workout & Recovery – Day 2 #LivingOnTheWedge

The Hipster Berry | Blackberry Lemon Smoothie Recipe

Nutritious Apricot + Almond Snack Ideas!