“Can’t Be Beet” Salad Recipe & Bounty of Beet Benefits

Posted on by
2

can't be beet salad

Do you fancy a beet? It seems like people either love this vegetable or despise it, often without even a fair taste. If you’re in the “yuck” camp, it’s time to give this purple-red root a second (or first) chance. Beets have amazing health advantages for athletes and all of us!  A tasty way to enjoy the benefits of beets is with my “Can’t Be Beet” Salad, a savory roasted potato salad dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. The recipe follows this laundry list of reasons to love beets.

By the way, if you cant get to fresh beets, I have been using Beet Powder in my smoothies and such to reap all the benefits below.

  • Beets have been shown to guard against cancer thanks to the pigment molecule, Betacyanin, which give beets that signature red color.
  • Beets can help your cardiovascular system. Research consuming beets reduces the amount of homocysteine, a substance which can contribute to peripheral vascular disease, stroke and heart disease
  • Beets are high in natural carbohydrates (not the processed kind), making them fabulous fuel for endurance sport enthusiasts.
  • 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 (drum roll) may actually help improve athletic performance. 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. In the same vein, 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.

“Can’t Be Beet” Salad Recipe

  • 1-1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
  • 2 medium red onions, cut into wedges
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-1/2 pounds fresh beets, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Place potatoes and onions in two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt; drizzle with oil and toss to coat.

Place beets in pans (do not stir). Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 35-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

For dressing, in a small saucepan, combine the broth, vinegar, brown sugar, thyme, pepper and remaining salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1/3 cup.

Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 9 servings.

Nutritional Facts3/4 cup equals 135 calories, 3 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 244 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.

Created by Jennifer Fisher and originally published as Can’t-Be-Beet Roasted Potato Salad in Light & Tasty October/November 2007, p41

beet

When You Can’t Run, Then Row Workout

Posted on by
3

If I can’t run (or don’t feel like it), the rowing machine is my cardio butt-kicker of choice.  Plus, I love it when a CrossFit WOD has rowing as one of the elements; I know I’ll have a chance of making up time lost on dead lifts, cleans, jerks and other such “more muscle, less hustle” maneuvers.

If you’re exclusively a runner, it’s a smart idea to mix up your cardio routine every once in a while. Take a break from running at least one or two days per week!  It’s beneficial to your overall fitness to use some new muscle groups in endurance training, it actually can make you faster . . . so, let me introduce the rower!  This mainstay of the gym is well worth your attention. A rowing workout gives you one of the best cardio workouts around, requiring effort from both your upper and lower body. I also feel it working my core! Plus, rowing doesn’t put as much impact on your joints which means you have higher odds of remaining injury-free.

So if your knees (or your mind) need a break from the daily pavement pounding, try out this rowing workout. It should take about 30 minutes, give or take. The three progressively challenging bursts of rowing for two kilometers each feature “active” breaks in between. Enjoy and row like the wind!

If you don’t have access to a rowing machine, but want to get some of the same muscle strengthening benefits, you can try this rowing band exercise at home.  I like to call it the “faux-row”!

Faux-Row Band Exercise

Step 1:  Lay out a mat, this exercise needs a little padding on the rear. Sit with your legs partially bent out in front of you.  Wrap a resistance band around each hand and stretch it around the balls of your feet, move legs out to create tension in band.

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - row drive

Step 2: (above) Drive backward, first with the legs, then lean back with the core, and finally follow through by pulling arms back to chest (like boat rowing) all while keeping back straight.

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - row recovery

Step 3:  (above) While bracing your legs with the band, recover by bringing the arms forward first, followed by leaning the core up, and then bending the knees upward a little bit. Repeat steps 2 and 3 seamlessly for 20 – 40 combined reps. Aim for 3 to 6 sets.

Happy National Almond Day! Munch on my Almond Lover Cookie Recipe

Posted on by
1

jennifer fisher- thefitfork- almond lover cookiesDid you know today, February 16th, is National Almond Day? Roasted, raw, spiced, salted, covered in chocolate; you probably don’t need any additional encouragement to snack on these delicious little nuggets from nature. But, just to bring more cred to the crunch, here are my top five reasons that eating almonds is good for you. Plus, I’ve also included my Almond Lover Cookie Recipe below.

  1. Almonds are a super source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that many runners and other athletes lack, primarily because there are so few good food sources of it. Plus, research has suggested the type of vitamin E, called gamma-tocopherol, found in nuts helps to fight cancer. And, apparently gamma-tocopherol isn’t found in supplements, you have to get it straight from the food source.
  2. Almonds are chock full of other nutrients (besides vitamin E) beneficial to runners and athletes including magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium. One handful of almonds can help reduce muscle damage, strengthen your bones, and boost energy to power through a workout.
  3. Other research has shown that munching on nuts several times per week reduces circulating cholesterol levels, particularly the artery-clogging LDL type, decreasing your risk for heart disease.
  4. Almonds are packed with both protein and fiber, meaning a snack incorporating almonds will keep you feeling fuller longer. A serving of almonds is one ounce (about 24 almonds) and has 170 calories, 3 grams of dietary fiber and 6 grams of protein.
  5. There are so many delicious things you can do with almonds. Gobble them straight from the bag, sprinkle in salads, mix with dried fruit or grind up and use as a coating of fish or chicken. Almond meal (a fancy way to say “ground almonds”) also makes a great substitute for flour in baking, especially if you are following a gluten-free, low-carb or Paleo diet. Check out this yummy Almond Lover Cookies Recipe I came up with that takes advantage of almonds in every way!

Almond Lover’s Cookie Recipe

  • 6 Tablespoons butter, softened
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ½ cup Splenda (or preferred sugar alternative)
  • ¼ cup egg white
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup almond flour
  • 24 chocolate covered almonds

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In medium mixing bowl, add butter, almond butter, Splenda and mix together until well-combined. Beat in egg white until mixture is fluffy. Next, mix in baking soda, salt and almond flour, stirring until incorporated.

Let mixture sit in refrigerator for a couple hours (or freezer for 30 minutes). With hands, shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate-covered almond into the top of each. Let cool on sheet for 1 minute and then spatula off to wire rack.

Makes 2 dozen.

Nutrition per cookie: Calories 103, fat 9g, sodium 24mg, potassium 96mg, total carbohydrate 2.8g, dietary fiber 1.5g, sugars 1.0g, protein 2.5g

Coconut, Acai Berry & Banana Smoothie Recipe with 3Fuel – EatSmart Scale Saves Day

Posted on by
1

P1000427

Are you one of those people who pride themselves on precision, accuracy, and exactness?  If your marathon training plan says run 20 miles, would you be okay running 19.5?  If you’re sharing a cookie, would you measure it down the middle or just snap it in half, risking one side might be bigger? I say, who cares about being perfectly precise, aren’t we just getting too hung up on the details and ruining the delight of the moment. If you scrutinize my blog, you might even find some typos – but I think you still enjoy what I’m saying. Or, so I hope.

But, in some instances, approximating, being imprecise or overly loose-goosey has unfortunate consequences. It don’t like to venture into unfortunate consequence territory, that’s why I’m precise about some things. Of course, I’m not going to weave out of my lane driving, I’m going to take any and all medications as prescribed and I’ll always pay my bills on time.

As far as watching what goes in my mouth, I’ve always been more of an eye-baller. Too much measuring might get in the way of the experience, so I’ve relied on “rules” that say a 3-ounce serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards and grains, potatoes and such should be limited to the size of your fist at each serving. However, there is a margin of error here and the consequences vary depending on the food. Obviously, guess-timating a portion of lettuce is much less risky nutrition-wise that scooping willy-nilly out of a Haagen-Dazs container.

That’s why it can be handy for an “eye-baller” like myself to check-in and set some visual baselines every now and then with a food scale. I really like the EatSmart Precision Digital Kitchen Scale to help me figure out my serving sizes.  I used it this morning to measure out the protein powder for my smoothie (recipe below). If you’ve ever used protein powder, you know how frustrating it can be to lose the scoop!  The instructions to use “one scoop” are never supported by what fraction of a cup that is or how many tablespoons. I’ve always just guessed how much that scoop should be, imagine that! Thankfully, my bag of 3Fuel protein powder did give the number of grams per serving and the EatSmart Scale measures in both pounds (up to 15) and grams (up to 7000) via the push of a button.

P1000423

Tip: If you are weighing your protein powder (or anything else) in another container on the scale, remember to weigh that container separately and then subtract it from the final weight!

Tip: Remember to wipe you scale after measuring each ingredient, especially if you are plopping down meats that might cross contaminate. The EatSmart Scale has a really nice big stainless-steel loading platform that can easily be cleaned up.

Tip: Use an EatSmart Scale to portion servings of nuts, spices, protein powder and even the perfect amount of coffee beans to grind for your morning cup of Joe.  Find out other tips to “eat smart” on the EatSmart Facebook Page or by following the EatSmart Blog

Coconut, Acai Berry and Banana Smoothie Recipe (with 3Fuel)

  • 3 cups almond coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 2 scoops protein powder of choice (I used 3Fuel Nutrition Shake)
  • 2 tablespoons dried acai powder
  • 1 tablespoon Stevia
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 2 cups ice

Easy to make, just pour all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Pour into tall glasses, serves 2.

Nutrition per serving: calories 199, protein 12g, fat 6g, carbs 24g, carbs from sugar 7g, fiber 3.5g, sodium 103mg, calcium 414mg (68% RDA).

Fact: Acai Berry is a macronutrient rich source of resveratrol, polyphenols and flavonoids for increased energy and health.

 Get your supplies here:

 

Save 10% on 3Fuel Nutritional Shake by using code 3FHUNT at checkout.

CrossFit “Cure Duchenne” Workout – Dash and Donate!

Posted on by
2
cureduchenne gang

The Cure Duchenne Benefit at Fit & Fearless CrossFit (don’t you love the Pizza Hut next door?!)

What a great morning spent at my friend Valerie’s CrossFit box, Fit and Fearless CrossFit in Austin, Texas. There were about 75 of us there to get our Saturday WOD in; but, more importantly we all had gathered to help support a little boy named Timothy with a rare disease called Duchenne. If you haven’t heard of it, Duchenne is a very rare muscle-wasting disease that has no cure and is ultimately 100% fatal. Only affecting males, the life expectancy for a boy with this disease is only about 25 years of age. But, through ongoing research, we all have hopes that discoveries will be made to improve this devastating prognosis

This is Timothy, he is 9 years old.

This is Timothy, he is 9 years old and has Duchenne.

For the second year, Valerie will be running the Austin Marathon on behalf of Timothy and the other 200,000 boys worldwide who cannot run because of this terrible form of muscular dystrophy. Through the marathon’s program, 26 Miles for 26 Charities, Valerie will run to raise money for the grassroots foundation CureDuchenne, a non-profit that supports cutting-edge research.  I hope you will please consider my plea to help cure Duchenne by making a donation of any amount.

You can donate here.

So, I’d also like to share the WOD we did today, it was lots of fun for me. Probably because it had a ton of running in it!

jennifer fisher thefitfork run-it-work-it WOD