BEETMODE | Why Athletes Need Beets & Recipes

Posted on by
13

Updated: I recently came across Beet Powder and I love it! So much more economical than buying bottled juice and waaaaay less messy than trying to use the juicer at home. 

If you want to perform to your highest abilities in a sport, you have to train right and eat right. While your diet can’t replace putting in the miles, the weight-training, or the drills, it can help support your ability to achieve peak performance. In addition to many other nutrients, our bodies require ample lean protein to aid in muscle growth and recovery, proper hydration to replace fluids lost during exercise, and quality carbohydrates to give us some get-up-and-go. When it comes to carbohydrates, the best choices are unprocessed, complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

beetsOne carb that has amazing health benefits is the beet. If you love this root vegetable, good for you! If you are not such a beet fan, there are easy ways to sneak some beet into your diet that you’ll hardly notice – see my recipes later in the post!   You can also drink beet juice;  Runner’s World explains the beet juice boost athletes can get in pretty good detail and can tell you how much and when to drink beet juice – basically about 500ml of beet juice a couple hours before a race. It’s the nitrates in the beet juice that do powerful stuff to your blood’s ability to transport oxygen; the more efficient you are at this, the better (in theory) you should perform.  Hmmm, can we call this “beet doping?”

Here are some other interesting facts from various research studies:

  • According to a 2010 study by researchers at the University of Exeter, drinking beet juice helped athletes achieve higher intensity exercise by allowing their muscles to perform the same work with less oxygen.
  • The International Journal of Sport, Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, reported in the February 2012 issue, that highly-trained cyclists were able to shave more than 10 seconds off their 10-kilometer race times after drinking beet juice in a study.
  • A 2102 study reported in the Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics reported that whole beetroot consumption acutely improves running performance.

beet eliteAnother great way to go “BeetMode” is by taking the BeetElite Neoshot – I picked up samples of this very interesting product at The Running Event back in December. What’s cool about BeetElite is that it is concentrated, so you don’t have to glug a lot of beet juice – even if you (ahem) like beet juice, you don’t want a sloshy stomach when the start gun goes off. This stuff actually tastes pretty good and each little serving has the nitrate power of 6 beets and delivers nitric oxide 3 times faster, according to the manufacturer Neogenis Sport.

Feel free to check all this out! But, in the meantime, here are some other pretty compelling facts on why you need to go “BeetMode!” – and don’t miss my recipes at the bottom of the post!

  • Beets can help your cardiovascular system. Research shows eating beets reduces the amount of homocysteine, a substance which can contribute to peripheral vascular disease, stroke and heart disease
  • Beets are a great source of natural complex carbohydrates, making them fabulous fuel for endurance athletes.
  • Beets are high in important minerals including sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosperous. Athletes need plenty of these nutrients to replace those lost through sweat, muscle use and other byproducts of exercise.
  • Beets are full of fiber and rich in vitamins including vitamin A, vitamin C, and niacin!
  • Beets have been shown to guard against cancer thanks to the pigment molecule, Betacyanin, which give beets that signature red color.

beet berry smoothie

Sweet Beet Smoothie Recipe

  • 12 ounces almond milk*
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder*
  • 4 ounces beet juice blend
  • ½ cup frozen strawberries
  • ½ cup frozen cherries
  • 1 Tbs freeze-dried acai powder

Mix all ingredients in the blender until smooth; add ice, if needed, and blend for desired consistency.  *Instead of almond milk and protein powder, you can substitute a 11 – 12 ounce bottle of ready-to-drink protein shake, like Core Power.

Can’t Be Beet Salad — I made this recipe several years back for Taste of Home magazine. Drizzled with balsamic dressing, the roasted potatoes and roasted beets make a healthy side for athletes . . . and everyone!

can't be beet salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Root Veggie Fries featuring Beets – A trio of root veggies, including beets, are sliced up, sprinkled with panko and herbs, and baked in the oven to crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside perfection.

carrot beet parsnip fires

 

Refuel & Recover – Easy Protein Snacks for Athletes

Posted on by
6
Yup, I’m a serious snacker. But, I try my best to stay away from the sugary, salty, highly-processed stuff. Instead, I recover from my workouts, give myself an afternoon energy boost, and treat my late-night sweet tooth with small, protein-rich meals. Compared to carb-only snacks, higher protein options offer longer-lasting energy, regulate blood sugar and moderate hunger. Protein snacks are also super important for athletes; a 4:1 to 3:1 ratio carbohydrate-to-protein snack is what most experts recommend consuming within a 30 minute window of intense exercise. That’s because the amino acids in protein help to rebuild damaged muscle tissue while encouraging the hormone activity needed to stimulate muscle growth. Aim for about 20 grams of protein at a time (or a little more depending on your size); anymore at one sitting and your body can’t really process it all.Jennifer Fisher thefitfork AFMI explain all this in more detail and share five portable protein-packed snacks in the March 2014 Issue of Austin Fit Magazine — pick it up on stands here in Austin or read it online.  As a preview, I’ll share one of these pumped-up protein snack that your mouth and your muscles will love.

greek yogurt with hemp and raspberries

Hemp Heart & Berry Greek Yogurt

This is a go-to snack for me, there is absolutely no cooking – just a little stirring! Take a 6-ounce cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt and stir in ¼ up of your favorite berries like blueberries, strawberries or raspberries. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of raw shelled hemp seeds on top for a nutty, crunch protein bonus. If you’ve never munched on hemp seeds, you should start now. Hemp seeds lend a nutty flavor and robust texture to foods and provide a plant-based, complete chain of amino acids. Each single serving of this yummy yogurt snack has 184 calories and 23 grams of protein.

Check out my other healthy snack recipes at AustinFitMagazine.com

  • Garlicky Chili Chickpeas
  • Chocolate Almond Java Truffles
  • Blueberry Flax Microwave Mug Muffin
  • Lucky Lime Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

So, seriously, I need a lot of protein to pull off stunts like this at my age. Every Thursday, my friends and I think of a new challenge for our weekly “fit, fearless and forty-something” photo.

yoga pyramid

What protein snacks have you munched on this week? What have you done this week to get outside your comfort zone (and yet still have fun) this week?

Quick Beef Kofta Kebabs & Global Kitchen #Giveaway

Posted on by
17

beef meatball kebobs

Winner, winner, lean beef dinner! My super-fast, super tasty meal tonight, Quick Beef Kofta with Smokey Paprika Yogurt Sauce, was inspired from a recipe from a new cookbook I was sent to review, Cooking Light’s Global Kitchen (giveaway at bottom of post). A keeper on so many levels — my boys gobbled up this healthy recipe (skewered meat, grunt) without any suspicious looks of me serving up something new, the lean protein really took care of my  own personal “hangry” mood, and the dish was so fast to make, I had it done well before it was time to take off to soccer practice.

jennifer fisher pullup

Fueled by lean beef, are you?

If you’ve never heard of Kofta before, it’s probably because it’s not a dish from ‘round these parts. The dish originates in the Middle East and is basically what us here  in ‘merica would call a meatball on a stick. What’s not to like, right?! The traditional recipe for Kofta is typically made with ground lamb, but certainly any ground meat will substitute. So, y’all that know me probably know where I’m heading with this . . . . . GROUND BEEF!  I’ts no secret my body RUNS on beef and another way to use lean ground beef makes me happy, happy, haller-lu-ya!

I was excited to try out the GreatO brand and, for full disclosure, the company sent me a free coupon for some ground beef to try out.  I’ve seen this product at the store and wondered what it was all about.  This red meat is marketed as “abundant in Omega-3 fatty acids” with “TWICE the Omega-3s of grass feed beef” and “up to 200x more than ordinary ground beef.”  When I read the corporate information online, I found it very interesting. This company actually works at the very front end of the cattle industry to create a more nutritionally sound food product.

GreatO actually has an aligned supply chain where producers feed their animals GreatO-Shelf-02-540x410following a proprietary feed mix and protocol that is specifically designed to maximize Omega-3 fatty acids – the whole process is literally farm to fork (uh, well, except you have to cook the ground beef yourself).  The GreatO brand of ground beef says their 80%/20% ground beef offers 200mg Omega-3 fatty acids per 4-oz serving compared to virtually none for traditional ground beef and 70mg for grass finished beef (assuming adequate access to quality fresh green grass).

Now, some things to note because I want to give an honest review. There are other dietary sources significantly more robust in Omega-3s; for example, a 4-oz serving of wild salmon has 2 full grams. Other choices like shrimp and soybeans and even cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and winter squash all have way, way more Omega-3s than this “omegafied” beef.  If I’m doing the math right, 200mg of Omega3 in a serving of greatO beef equates to just 0.2 grams.  I’m not knocking the good intentions; only suggesting that there are more efficient ways. Anyhow, I think the GreatO brand is a great choice for the consumer who feels he or she might not be getting enough of this important nutrient in their diet.  Plus, GreatO ground beef tastes gooooooooood and taste and flavor go a long way in my book. Also, this product is not “grass finished,” meaning animals DO spend time in a feed lot, albeit eating a special Omega3 rich diet.  This issue doesn’t bother me at all; I’ve been to feedlots before and seen how the animals are treated, the conditions, and so on. It’s not at all what is portrayed in the media and these industry glimpses definitely reassured my choice to (usually) buy a feedlot finished product.  So, to conclude, I would definitely buy the GreatO brand for myself and family, as my budget permits, it’s definitely not as expensive as wild salmon (but I’ll have to work harder to get my 4 gram recommended daily allowance of Omega-3s for the day).

Ground Beef Kebob and Moroccan salad

So, I’m finally getting to the meat of the post – my own special recipe for Quick Beef Kofta with Smokey Paprika Yogurt Sauce.  At the end of the recipe you’ll see the giveaway link for the awesome Cooking Light’s Global Kitchen cookbook.  By the way, Kofta is usually served the traditional way over some sort of fancified rice or wrapped in warm flatbread. Instead I plated it with a side of Moroccan Spinach Salad with Pistachios & Apricots — I’ll share the details on that another day.

Quick Beef Kofta with Smokey Paprika Yogurt Sauce Recipe

  • 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
  • 1/3 cup finely minced white onion
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoon smoky paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt

For sauce:

  • 6 oz cup of 0% fat plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon smoky paprika
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Add ground beef, onion, parsley, cilantro, cumin, paprika and salt to bowl. With spatula or clean hands work onions and spices into beef. From into 12 oblong, foot-ball shaped patties, approximately 2 ounces each.

Heat large, non-stick grill pan over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan, cooking approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side (only flip once to keep grill marks).  These may also be prepared on an outdoor grill using skewers.

While kofta is cooking, prepare yogurt sauce by combining yogurt, paprika, lemon juice Worcestershire, and cayenne pepper in a small dip dish.

To serve, skewer patties (if you haven’t already done so) for easy dipping into the sauce. Serve on a salad, over brown rice or in warmed flatbread.

Serves 6 (2 each).

Cold or rainy? Cook these ground beef kebabs indoors on a grill pan.

Cold or rainy? Cook these ground beef kebabs indoors on a grill pan.

globalDon’t miss out on entering to win a copy of Cooking Light’s Global Kitchen – The World’s Most Delicious Food Made Easy! As part of the Cooking Light Blogger’s Connection, I was sent a copy of this inspiring cookbook to review and another cookbook to giveaway. I seriously LOVE this cookbook, it has so many adventurous, flavorful ideas to get me out of my “what to make for dinner” rut. There are mouthwatering dishes from every continent and lots of drool-inducing photos.  Plus, each of the 120 recipes comes with complete nutritional info.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Vibrant & Vitamin-Packed | Mediterranean Carrot Fennel & Green Olive Salad

Posted on by
8

Yesterday morning’s run began mild and balmy; the thermometer read 71 degrees as I headed out the door for my 12 mile route around the neighborhood. At mile 8, as I rounded the corner, a startling blast of crisp air hit my body and by the time I made it home, the temperature had fallen 25+ degrees and the rain was falling. And, this morning, it is well below freezing – boy, how things can change and change fast!

salad with olive fennel carrot kale

However, one thing that never changes is my body’s need for healthy fuels to function optimally. Eating lean meats, an abundance of veggies plus fruit and whole grains keeps all my systems humming along and ready to face whatever the day (and weather) throws my way.  The menu at my house is a lot like the Mediterranean Diet I recently covered for Litehouse Food’s blog, Litehouse Living.

Instead of being a short-term “diet” in the “must lose weight” sense, the Mediterranean Diet is a healthy-eating lifestyle that promotes fresh and flavorful foods with long-term health benefits. A reduced risk for cardiovascular disease has long been touted as a perk of following this approach to eating, but new research, as reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine (2013), shows the Mediterranean diet can help middle-age women increase their lifespan, avoid physical and cognitive impairments, and reduce the risk for other chronic illness common in older age.

I created a vibrant and vitamin-packed recipe for Mediterranean Marinated Fennel, Carrot & Olive Salad that I know you will love  — grape tomatoes and kale are also part of the healthy mix.  Also, this fresh salad is topped with a red wine and olive oil dressing, two ingredients that are embraced by the long-living residents of Greece, southern Italy, Crete and other areas bordering along the Mediterranean sea. These wise folks would also suggest to sit back and enjoy your meal with family and friends — strong social connections help you to live longer, as well!

Mediterranean salad

 Fennel, Carrot and Olive Salad Recipe

  • 4 fennel bulbs sliced thinly
  • 8 large carrots sliced thinly
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into matchstick strips
  • 1 cup pitted whole green olives
  • 1 cup chopped kale
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped Basil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped Thyme
  • 2 teaspoon fresh chopped Parsley
  • 2 ounces olive oil
  • 1 ounce red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

1. Add fennel, carrots, tomatoes, red peppers, olives and kale into a large, non-reactive bowl; toss together.

2. Sprinkle vegetables with basil, thyme and parsley; lightly toss.

3. Make a red wine dressing by placing olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, lemon juice in a jar; shake until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to tastes. Pour over vegetables and stir until coated.

4. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight.

5. Serve as a side dish or on a bed of lettuce for a larger salad.

Serves 6

 

This salad is perfect served as a side, but you could also top it with the lean protein of your choice. I think grilled or oven-roasted shrimp would be fantastic.

roasting shrimp

It’s simple and speedy to roast shrimp in the oven. I do this frequently for entrée salads such as my Pomegranate Jicama Salad. First, preheat the oven to 400 F degree. Next, peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place shrimp on a sheet pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir shrimp around a little to coat them in oil and then spread in a single layer. Sprinkle with the herbs and spices of your choice. Finally, roast for approximately 8 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through.

Pie Power | Muscle-Making, Protein-Packed Pie Recipes

Posted on by
19

People mistakenly assume that I don’t eat pie because I’m so into running, fitness and nutrition. But for nearly every birthday celebration, I request an all-out, all-American, fully-loaded apple pie with buttery crust and mandatory homemade vanilla ice cream on the side. Not a no-sugar apple pie on some sort of faux crust, but the real 600 calorie, iconically indulgent  deal. And sometimes I take seconds, especially if it’s MY birthday. But other times I do like a “healthy” pie packed with protein from Greek yogurt, protein powder, tofu and / or nuts. On days when  I workout or run hard, I can simultaneously satisfy my sweet tooth and nourish my weary, run-down muscles with a slice of  protein-packed pie. Check out this great collection of protein-based pies that I created for a sponsored campaign for Foodie.com:

Will all this talk of pie, I forgot to mention that today is the last day of National Pie Month (every February). The burning question is . . . . how have you been celebrating? Has the counter stool at the pie shop been engraved with your name? Does the term ‘a la mode’ put you in the mood? Has your rolling pin been . . . err, on a roll? Or have you missed all the pie action this month and are feeling a little (tender and) flakey?

The Power of Pie

Well, any way you slice it, eating pie is a delicious and comforting treat. Sure, you could eat a whole pie, alone . . . in your room . . . in the dark, but how sad and depressing that would be! Behind every delicious pie is a talented baker who has not just rolled out some dough but also poured out her (or his) heart to create a tasty treat to be shared. Pies have special powers, the ability to bring about love, laughter and good family times. And, if you pick the right slice of protein pie, you’ll enjoy the perks of special hunger-squashing, muscle-making, speed-increasing powers too!

Will run for pie