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Pumpkin Spice Protein Smoothie!

Fall weather is quickly approaching! Along with the cooler weather comes fall produce. When trying to choose healthier options, it's important to consider what is in season. By purchasing foods in season, you will not only save money but obtain fresh and nutrient dense food.

Foods lose flavor when they have to be shipped from another part of the world, just as they lose moisture when they are held. Fresh, locally harvested foods have their full, whole flavors intact, which they release to us when we eat them. Buying conventional foods means you are eating something produced with varying levels of chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth. This could include insecticides to reduce pests and disease, chemical herbicides to manage weeds, and possibly antibiotics, growth hormones and/or medications to animals (when looking at eggs, meat, etc) in an effort to prevent disease and spur quicker growth.

Many grocery stores have a section for locally grown produce or head to your local farmers' market. Here are some options around the Fort Bragg area:

Fayetteville - Reilly Road Farmer's Market offers fruits, vegetables, eggs, bedding plants and more. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is at 445 N. Reilly Road. Call 868-9509 or find the market on Facebook.

Southern Pines - Sandhills Farmers' Green Market operates three days a week at different locations April through Sept. 29. Hours and sites are: Homegrown on the Village Green in Pinehurst Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sanford - Sanford Farmers Market is open through September. The market is at Depot Park, 106 Charlotte Ave. in downtown Sanford. Hours are Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Call 919-356-3007 or go to downtownsanford.com.

Multiple pick-up locations: Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative: Local farms and bakeries sell their fruits, vegetables and bread to consumers who subscribe to a weekly service. There are 11 box pickup sites in Moore, Lee, Cumberland and Randolph counties. The cooperative also offers produce cooking lessons at Green Gate Gourmet in Southern Pines. Go to sandhillsfarm2table.com

You can download the app – EatLocal – for free on your phone. It gives you the local farmers’ market info, produce that’s in season and how to pick out/prepare that vegetable or fruit.

Pumpkin Protein smoothie

1 cup almond milk

½ can (~3/4 cup) pumpkin (winter squash – find in canned vegetable aisle or seasonal section)

2 bananas

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves to taste

Optional: add vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt instead of whey protein

Nutrition Facts

• Without yogurt: 450 calories, 6g fat, 75g carbohydrates, 28g protein
• Use as a post-workout snack for a weight maintenance athlete
• Use as a small meal for weight loss athlete (when eating 5 times per day)
• 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt instead of whey protein: 530 calories, 4g fat, 100g carbohydrates, 23g protein
• Use as a pre-workout meal for any athlete
• Increased carbohydrates & decreased fat

Sweet & Spicy Seasoning

How often do you eat fish? 
We've discussed the benefits of fish here, here and also here.
For the busy professional, coming home to cook dinner is the last thing you want to do. Recently, I discovered frozen fish from my local Sam's club that can be thawed while at work & whipped into a meal within 15 minutes.
When checking out the frozen fish section, look for: - Extremely short ingredient list ("Tilapia", "Flounder", "Salmon") - There are some fish that are already seasoned but make sure you understand the ingredients before purchasing. Don't purchase items with words you don't know or artificial ingredients. - Wild caught if possible
White fish does best with this seasoning. I love it so much that I make a big batch of it so I can store it in my cabinet for easy dinner prep. It's the perfect combination of sweet & spicy!
Favorite Fish Seasoning: 1 tbsp paprika 1 tbsp light brown sugar 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp sea salt
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on the stove (medium heat). Place fish in the pan & sprinkle seasoning on one side. After 3-4 minutes, flip the fish over and sprinkle with more seasoning. Allow fish to cook for 3-4 more minutes. Serve hot.
Pair with quinoa or brown rice as well as plenty of veggies (saute some on the stove or use an easy Steamfresh bag).

all-in-one lunch

How great would it be to make lunches for the entire week by prepping for a couple hours on Sunday? I can tell you firsthand that it's awesome. You can use the time as an excuse to catch up on the TiVo without feeling guilty for just sitting on the couch all day, too... you can be productive instead. That's the best.

The guys I work with are usually exercising first thing in the morning, which means our staff is waiting to exercise later in the day when we have downtime. 

This is where lunch can become really important essential to a successful workout later in the day. Many of us have experienced the day where we grab some leftovers, apple & PB, or something small hoping that it will give us the fuel to motivate a good workout... 3pm hits and we realize this was a bad idea.

Here is a lunch that is easy to assemble, takes 2 hours or less to prepare for the entire week, and lets you catch up on Property Brothers or Homeland. Yes, please.

This is the recipe I used, although any veggies in the fridge will work as a great add-on:
Spinach Kale 1 large tomato 1 cup goat cheese 1 can black beans 1 can white beans 1 cup dry quinoa *Add chicken, tuna, lean steak, etc for more protein (optional) Homemade balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below)
By using a variety of vegetables, you are incorporating many different antioxidants to naturally detox your body throughout the week. The goat cheese, beans & quinoa add in protein as well as some complex carbohydrates. The homemade dressing gives you flavor without the processed junk - hydrogenated oils, preservatives, etc.
Start with 4-5 empty containers based on how many days you need lunch this week.

Fill each one 1/2-3/4 way full with a spinach/kale mixture. If you have other dark leafy greens on hand, use those too! Next I added 1/4 cup cheese (REAL cheese), 3/4 cup black/white bean mixture (they were combined together in a bowl since I rinsed and drained previously), and 1/2 cup quinoa to each container. 
One of my favorite things about quinoa is that it can be paired with almost anything! It really doesn't have much of a flavor, so by adding it into this salad, you can add more texture & complex carbohydrates.

Quinoa is super easy to prep. For this specific lunch, I used 1 cup dry quinoa. Double the water (2 cups) & boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce to a simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all the water & easily fluffs with a fork (~10-12 minutes of simmering). 

  The dressing makes ~1 cup, which would give 1/4 cup dressing per salad. The dressing recipe was adapted from Oh She Glows (one of my favorite go-to blogs when needing a good recipe!).

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 clove garlic 1/4 cup olive oil
I put the dressing into a small magic bullet cup to keep for the week. While you can make this in a food processor, it's much easier to make with your magic bullet or other blender for easy clean up.
What will you have for snacks? Even with a nice veggie & protein-packed lunch, you may need something small pre-workout. 
This week is all about dips. I have hummus & avocado hummus ready in the fridge. Definitely use the suggested Tabasco in the hummus... so delish.

Boiled eggs with fruit is another perfect snack for the right combination of protein & carbohydrate while using zero processed food.
Within 2 hours, you are done with lunch & maybe even snacks for the week!

eggs for breakfast

Make this dish ahead of time for a quick & healthy breakfast during the week. By using 2 whole eggs, you can still get the benefits of the yolk without adding too much cholesterol and/or saturated fat. Egg yolk contains important nutrients including zinc, vitamin B6/B12, vitamin D, choline & protein.

Zinc: Important for growth, immune function & wound healing

Vitamin B6/B12: Critical for energy & protein metabolism, synthesis of red blood cells & immune function

Vitamin D: Promotes bone health, immune function & muscle recovery

Choline: Important for memory, brain development & functioning of all cells

Protein: While egg whites contain 3.5g protein per white, the whole egg will give you 6g protein

Pair with a carbohydrate source such as fruit, low-fat milk or whole grain toast for a complete meal.

Spinach and Feta Frittata

Servings: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1/4 of frittata 

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 whole eggs
8 large egg whites (or 2 cups liquid egg whites)
4 oz crumbled feta
salt and freshly ground pepper

Squeeze all water from spinach. In a 9 inch non-stick sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and scallions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add salt, pepper, cheese and spinach. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the skillet and cook until the bottom sets, about 5 minutes. Hold a large plate over the pan and invert the frittata onto the plate, then slide it back into the pan. Cook about 5 minutes longer. Serve hot. If reheating, place in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 140 Calories; 7g Fat; 5.5g Carbohydrate; 15g Protein

Spaghetti Squash Bake!

After seeing this spaghetti squash bake recipe on Pinterest... I changed it up a bit & tried it myself.
New Recipe:
1 large spaghetti squash 4 cloves garlic 4 Roma tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh basil 1 cup fresh baby spinach 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese salt & pepper to taste
Instructions Pierce squash several times with sharp knife (to avoid squash explosion). Bake on a cookie sheet for 1 hr 20 min at 375, flipping squash once halfway through.

Preheat your oven to 375. 

Once your squash is cooked, slice off the very end with the stem. Then, halve the squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and gooey bits and throw those away. Scrape the remaining flesh of the squash with a fork to get out all of the wonderful spaghetti noodles. Place noodles in a large bowl and set aside.

Mince garlic. Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Roughly cut basil and spinach leaves. Place all of these ingredients, along with the olive oil, into the large bowl with the spaghetti squash.

Mix well, then season with salt & pepper to taste. Then stir in 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella.

Add mixture to a baking dish & sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 230 calories, 15g fat, 13g carbohydrate, 12g protein.

This dish is perfect as a side/veggie since it contains healthy fat and a good amount of protein. For a bigger & complete meal, pair this dish with a protein source.

Cheese, please

When thinking about a healthy lifestyle, one of the main reasons people "fall off the wagon" is due to strict limitation... especially cutting out their favorite foods. The best thing you can do is learn how to include the foods you really like in the least processed way AND in the correct portion size.

Cheese… I used to refer to this food as "the devil". Cheese is full of fat, processed ingredients & can't possibly add nutrition to your diet, right? Actually… wrong.

Cheese can be part of a healthy lifestyle when it is unprocessed (look at the natural characteristics below), used in moderation & complementing the right foods. The most nutritious cheese is going to be more expensive, but in the end it's worth the extra cost.

Natural:

Starts as a "loaf"

You can slice, cube, shred

100% real

Wait for it to age: 60 days to 3 years

Needs refrigeration, not shelf stable

Processed:

Packaged: plastic, can, box

~51% real

Preservatives, artificial ingredients

2x salt as natural cheese

Shelf stable

The National Dairy Council has some great information about real cheese located on their "Did you know?" page:

Sixteen percent of teenagers and 26 percent of

adults are reducing or not eating meat in their

diets and both are looking for additional sources

of protein.

U.S. preteen and teenage girls 9 to 18 are at risk for

not getting enough calcium according to the Institute

of Medicine

Most cheeses are gluten-free

Natural cheese is made from four basic ingredients:

milk, salt, starter culture or “good bacteria” and an

enzyme called rennet. The nutrients found in cheese

(e.g., calcium, protein, phosphorus) are there because

milk is the main ingredient in cheese

If you are looking to lower the sodium in

your diet, one tip is to choose a cheese

based on firmness and age. In general,

softer, less-aged cheeses require less salt

than harder, aged varieties. Lower sodium

and lower-fat cheeses also are available.

(1 ounce)	Feta	Goat	Blue	Provolone	Gouda	Parmesan
Calories	75	100	100	100	100	110
Fat	6	8	8	7	8	7
Sat Fat	4	6	5	5	5	5
Protein	4	6	6	7	7	10

Pairing cheese:

Top triscuit/whole grain cracker: provolone

Salad topper: goat/feta/blue

With fruit: gouda

 With beer: cheddar

All About Sushi

Choosing sushi for a meal is usually a healthy choice when you order most sushi or sashimi (sushi means a piece of fish sitting on a rice pillow; sashimi is just the fish, totally naked) or even a sushi roll. As a general rule, the combination of rice (carbohydrate), seaweed (veggie), seafood (protein), and avocado (healthy fat) makes for a low-calorie, high-protein meal that will fill you up and hopefully provide a healthy dose of heart-helpful omega-3 fatty acids.

Sushi can be nutritionally tricky with all of the choices on the menu. Many sushi rolls labeled with the words "spicy", "crunchy", or "special" tend to be covered in sauces, mayo or cream cheese.

While fish is a healthy lean protein, not all the meat is actually "real" - imitation crab comes with only 40% of the protein of the real deal and offers almost no omega-3s.

For anyone who is looking to lean out or is having a low-intensity training day, naruto rolls are an excellent choice.  Ordering a sushi roll “naruto style” means the roll is wrapped in thin slices of cucumber instead of rice.  A typical sushi roll is prepared with one cup of rice, which means three servings of carbohydrates (~45g carbohydrates) and 240 calories.  While naruto rolls are not always listed on the menu, most restaurants will accommodate the request.

Below are some of the most popular sushi rolls & how they can fit into your daily meals depending on training & body composition goals:

Cucumber Roll

136 calories
0 g fat
6 g protein
3.5 g fiber
30 g carbohydrates

It's hard to go wrong with cucumbers and seaweed. Though not a nutritional powerhouse, cucumbers are a low-calorie delivery system for vitamins A and C, fiber, and silica, a compound that has been shown to foster healthy skin.

Good Snack for Easy Training: (1) Cucumber roll + 10-15 almonds

Good Snack for Moderate/Hard Training: (2) Cucumber rolls + ¼ avocado

Tuna Roll

184 calories
2 g fat
24 g protein
3.5 g fiber
27 g carbohydrates

More than half of the calories in this simple, classic roll come from protein, making it a great light meal or a snack with substance.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (2) Tuna Rolls

Meal for Moderate Training: (2) Tuna Rolls + Fruit

California Roll

255 calories
7 g fat
9 g protein (low if imitation crab)
6 g fiber
38 g carbohydrates

There is no raw fish in this roll which makes it good for first-time sushi eaters. There are also no real healthy fats either (aside from the avocado), since the fake crab (made from a variety of processed and compressed fish) has 1/15 the amount of omega-3s as the real stuff. Many places now serve real crab in their rolls so watch for this.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (1) California Roll + Edamame OR Miso Soup

Meal for Moderate/Hard Training: (2) California Rolls

Spicy Tuna

290 calories
11 g fat
24 g protein
3.5 g fiber
26 g carbohydrates

In the world of sushi, "spicy" means a spoonful of mayo spiked with an Asian chili sauce. The calorie counts can climb higher than this, depending on how heavy a hand the sushi chef has with the spicy stuff. For a healthier dose of spice, add extra wasabi to your soy sauce or on top of the roll.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (1) Spicy Tuna Roll + Edamame OR Miso Soup

Meal for Moderate Training: (2) Tuna Rolls + Fruit (No more added fats)

Salmon & Avocado Roll

304 calories
8.5 g fat
13 g protein
6 g fiber
42 g carbohydrates

High in calories, but nearly all of those calories come from the one-two punch of healthy fats found in the salmon and the avocado. This is a great balance for nutrients for a post-workout lunch.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (1) Salmon/Avocado Roll + Avocado Salad Roll (appetizer)

Meal for Moderate/Hard Training: (2) Salmon/Avocado Rolls

Shrimp Tempura Roll

508 calories
21 g fat
20 g protein
4.5 g fiber
64 g carbohydrates

The crunch is usually blocked by the moist rice, so this one doesn't make much sense from either a flavor or a nutritional perspective.

Rainbow Roll

476 calories
16 g fat
33 g protein
6 g fiber
50 g carbohydrates

This roll contains substantial portions of numerous raw fish, avocado & rice so most of the calories are the good kind. The balance of fat, carbohydrate and protein grams are portioned well for an active person.

Meal for Off Day/Easy Training: (1) Rainbow Roll

Meal for Moderate/Hard Training: (1) Rainbow Roll + (1) California Roll

Try sushi for a quick lunch or light dinner this week!

Sleep = Better Body Composition

Are you having trouble with changing body composition? Have you considered your sleeping patterns?

Recent research shows a strong link between weight and sleep. While the exact mechanism is not yet fully understood, researchers believe that how much you sleep and possibly the quality of your sleep may influence hormonal activity tied to your appetite. Recent studies show:

• Sleeping fewer than seven hours a night corresponded with a greater risk of weight gain and obesity, and the risk increased for every hour of lost sleep.

• Participants consumed more calories from snacks and carbohydrates after five and a half hours of sleep than after eight and a half hours.

• After the night of abbreviated sleep, adults consumed more than 500 extra calories (roughly 22 percent more) than they did after eight hours of sleep.

• In sleep-deprived individuals, energy intake—especially at night after dinner—was in excess of energy needed to maintain energy balance. Transitioning from an insufficient to adequate/recovery sleep schedule decreased energy intake, especially of fats and carbohydrates, and led to weight loss.

If you find yourself having trouble falling asleep or sleeping well, there are some nutrition deficiencies to consider:

• 1. Trouble falling asleep? Studies have shown that insomnia is one of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is actually used as a natural muscle relaxant. Good natural sources are dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, beans and lentils.

• 2. Trouble staying asleep?  Studies have shown that potassium supplements may boost sleeping through the night, but good food sources are apricots, sweet potatoes, salmon, beans, leafy greens, avocados, baked potatoes, and to a lesser degree, bananas.

• 3. Feeling excessive fatigue during the day? While this could be the result of many factors, namely stress, research has found a relationship between excessive drowsiness during the day and vitamin D deficiency, according to a study published last year in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Good vitamin D sources: the sun's rays, but you can find the mineral in food sources such as swordfish, salmon, tuna, and fortified dairy products.

RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance):

Magnesium: 300-400mg/day

Potassium: 4.7g/day

Vitamin D: 600-4000IU/day (4000IU is current upper limit)

Most multivitamins contain around 100mg Magnesium, ~50-100mg potassium & 1000IU vitamin D. When deficient in a certain vitamin/mineral, it may be beneficial to supplement beyond a multivitamin to see improvements.

To increase these deficiencies with real food:

• Try adding in salmon 2-3 times per week
• Adding side salads to meals made of dark leafy greens, mushrooms, bell pepper
• Incorporating tacos with beans
• Having a high protein snack of tuna and whole grain crackers
• Adding sweet potatoes to your entrée 

Increase Testosterone... Naturally!

Testosterone is the single most important androgen (steroid) in the human body. Not only does low testosterone affect muscle mass development, but it can also cause low energy, decreased immune function & bone health, and put an athlete at increased risk for diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease.

On average, in adult human males, the plasma concentration of testosterone is about 7–8 times as great as the concentration in adult human females' plasma. While women do have testosterone in the body, it's at much lower levels so there is no need to worry about becoming "manly" from lifting weights. In fact, the actual daily production is about 20 times greater in men than women.

There are definitely foods shown to help with increasing testosterone ("t"), so this post is focused on the pairing of foods to increase t, rather than one specific recipe.

What increases testosterone?

Omega-9 & Omega-6 fatty acids

Cholesterol: Precursor for testosterone

Cruciferous Vegetables: indole-3-carbinol: Phytochemical that reduces estrogen

Vitamin D

Boron

Adequate carbohydrates/whole grains – protein sparing

Healthy fats & cholesterol function as building blocks for t. Without adequate levels of these nutrients, t cannot be synthesized in the body. Indole-3-carbinol is a phytochemical in cruciferous vegetables that helps to reduce excess estrogen in males. For those that may be deficient in vitamin D, t can increase by 90% when the deficiency is corrected. Consuming adequate carbohydrates, whether it's from fruit/starchy veggies/whole grains, allows the body to use that carbohydrate for energy to burn and spare protein which can be used for building muscle in the body instead. Athletes with low carbohydrate intake will eventually dip into protein stores for energy.

An easy way to start increasing t is by eating breakfast post-workout! Foods that contain the nutrients listed above include:

Healthy Fats (Omega -9 & 6)

Salmon

Avocado

Olive/Canola oil

Almonds, pistachios, cashews

Walnuts

Flaxseed

Whole Grains (least processed)

Brown rice

Oatmeal

Quinoa

Legumes

Cholesterol

Egg yolk

Vegetables (cruciferous)

Cabbage

Celery

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cauliflower

Bok Choi

Radishes

Turnips

Collard greens

Kale

Decrease Cortisol

Garlic

Berries

Citrus Fruit

Ginger

Turmeric

Boron

Honey

Hazlenuts

Cashews

Almonds

Dried apricots

Peanut Butter

Raisins

Prunes

Red Wine

Vitamin D

Fortified cereals

Low-fat dairy

Salmon

Tuna

Eggs

Supplement

Look at the highlighted foods that can be combined for a t-boosting breakfast… an omelet with veggies, oatmeal topped with walnuts or peanut butter, fresh fruit (citrus if possible) & a glass of low-fat milk.