IN SEASON: Watermelon July 10, 2010

No other fruit says summer quite like thirst-quenching watermelon.  I had my first triathlon in Connecticut two weeks ago and at the end of the race there was plenty of food for the competitors to enjoy.  Unfortunately at this race there was nothing on the menu I wanted.  Then I saw a guy munching on a watermelon.  “Where did you get that”?  Man did those few wedges of sweet, juicy watermelon hit the spot.

Much of the watermelon’s health-giving powers, as well as its blush color, are due to an abundance of the phytochemical lycopene.  By helping counter oxidative stress, lycopene may play a role in taming, inflammation, certain cancers and maintaining healthy eyesight.  Watermelon is also rich in citrulline, an amino acid used to make arginine, which relaxes blood vessels to help maintain a healthy heart.  And the seeds that we tend to discard?  They are packed with magnesium, a mineral vital for nerve function, blood pressure regulation, immunity, and bone health.  No wonder I was craving watermelon after swimming a mile, biking 25 and running 6.2 miles.

Want to know the best ways to eat this health giving summer delight?  

• Juicy watermelon wedges are perfect fare for a picnic, beach day snack, or post exercise on a hot day.
• Lay ½ inch thick watermelon slices on the grill and heat both sides
• Puree extra watermelon and add to ice cube trays, freeze and add to your favorite beverage.
• Chop or puree and add to salsas, chutneys, compotes, and vinaigrettes.
• Add to a summer spinach salad.  A favorite of mine is spinach, watermelon, feta cheese, and mint leaves tossed with lime juice and olive oil.
• For backyard parties carve out the watermelon and fill with other seasonal fruits.

ESSENTIAL OILS: Greening Your Body And Your Home July 9, 2010

Essential oils are so named because they contain the essence, or unique scent, of plants.  Essential oils are used in everything from bath products to household cleaners to food products.  In recent years essential oils have experienced a resurgence of popularity through aromatherapy.

Essential oils such as lavender oil and rose oil are heralded for their calming properties.  But essential oils can also serve much more practical functions.  If you make your own household cleaners, which is much cheaper and much less toxic than buying conventional cleaners, you can add tree tea oil as a disinfectant and a scent-enhancer.  Orange, lemon, and pine oils, which are essential oils found in many conventional cleaners, also help remove stains and add shine.  Another disinfecting essential oil is eucalyptus, which can be added to laundry loads to kill dust mites.  Plus eucalyptus makes it easier to breather more deeply.  I once developed congestion the 24 hours prior to a triathlon and used eucalyptus oil on a tissue, which I lodged in a nostril overnight and awoke with 80% less congestion.

For more information on shopping for green products visit Greenzer

ANSWERS TO COMMON GROCERY SHOPPING QUESTIONS July 8, 2010

Here are answers for only a few questions I hear regarding shopping locally, reading labels, and shopping for organic foods.

Why do people need to use local farmers’ markets?

When you buy local you are choosing food that is closer to the date of picking and therefore higher in nutrients than foods that came from a greater distance.  Also, many organic farmers don’t want to or can’t afford to pay the fees for their produce to be certified organic, so you have to ask them.  Talk with them to find out about their farming practices and whether or not they use pesticides.  Most farmers will also advertise where their farms are located.

What should I look for on food labels?

This is a loaded question but here are a few answers.

Whole grains: look for the word “whole” in the ingredients list before grains like wheat and look for at least three grams of fiber per serving.

Fats: The nutrient list should say “0 trans fat,” the fat that raises the risk of heart disease.  Check the ingredient list as well for partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated fats, also forms of trans fat.  Take special care when purchasing “low fat” foods and look for artificial sweeteners.

Sugars: Aside from dairy products, aim for less than 10 grams per serving, the lower the better.  Take special care when shopping for “low fat” foods and check the label for artificial sweeteners.  Many manufacturers will add sugar or artificial sweeteners on reduced fat products.  These products should be avoided.  Go for the full fat versions instead, unless they contain trans fats.

Sodium: Avoid products with more than 480 milligrams per serving.

Which organic foods are most important to buy to avoid pesticides and additives like hormones?

Organic fruits and vegetables should top your list, particularly those where you eat the skin like berries, greens, and summer squash. Aim to buy organic dairy, meat, and chicken to avoid the added antibiotics and hormones.  Whenever possible buy locally; not only has a lot of energy been expended to get that organic apple from Ecuador to you, but the apple has also lost a lot more nutrients en route than a local organic one picked the same week you buy it.

INTERVAL TRAINING: BURN MORE FAT AND SLOW AGING July 7, 2010

Most everyone I know wants to look and feel younger.  While obviously you cannot stop the aging process, regular aerobic exercise can decrease your biological age by 10 years or more.  My extensive endurance training over the last 8 years has led to a decrease in my biological age to 18, and my chronological age is 41.

Interval training is an effective way to exercise at a high enough intensity to significantly increase oxygen demands and ultimately slow aging.  Interval training is defined as short bursts of going all out followed by brief periods of active recovery.  Interval training allows you to exercise briefly at a high intensity in order to force the body to adapt in ways that slow aging.

The best way to interval train is to keep it simple by changing only one variable at a time.  For example, increase the resistance on the elliptical trainer and maintain the speed, or increase the incline on a treadmill and maintain the speed.  It makes no difference to your body which variables change, all that matters is that the muscles work harder, oxygen demand increases and the heart rate goes up thereby aging slows.

Here are some variables to consider when creating your interval workouts:

Speed. Increasing speed is an obvious way to boost intensity, however, speed can cause injury and should be used to increase exercise intensity only if you are conditioned and free from musculoskeletal injuries.

Incline. Adding incline is an alternative way to increase intensity on most cardiovascular equipment.  A change in incline changes the mechanics of movement by recruiting additional muscles or increasing output, both of which increase how hard the heat works and maximal oxygen consumption.

Resistance. The greater the resistance, the harder the muscles work to move the bones.  This variable can be adjusted by increasing resistance on cardiovascular machines or by incorporating added weight.

Relationship to gravity.  One of the most effective ways to train is to use body weight against gravity.  For instance you can incorporate jump push-ups or jump squats into a workout.

Impact. Impact is most commonly associated with sustained, high-impact activities like jogging, but plyometrics (explosive movements such as hopping and jumping) are effective for adding impact moves in a non-sustained manner.  By including a plyometrics component to your workout you can increase the intensity of almost any exercise, but plyometrics calls for the same care that is needed when adding speed to an exercise.

Alternating lower with upper. A simple way to increase intensity and then recover is to alternate a lower-body exercise like a lunge with an upper-body exercise like a dumbbell chest press.  This strategy is particularly effective if you are out of shape.  The lower-body exercise in creases the heart rate, while the upper-body exercise allows for a brief recovery.

Call me during the month of July for a free 30-minute telephone consultation and get started on an interval training program today.

5 WAYS TO SPICE UP YOUR SUMMER SHOPPING LIST July 6, 2010

When I speak to people about dietary habits I find for the most part there are about 20 foods that consistently make up 80 percent of a persons diet throughout the year.  It’s summer now, time to switch things up again.   Look for these foods on your next shopping adventure.

Buffalo is grass-fed, which means you are getting a better balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.  Most often you will find it as ground meat or in patties but you may find steaks at quality butchers and farmers’ markets.  The meat is much leaner than beef but has many of the same characteristics.

100% pomegranate juice with its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonoids may slow aging and lower heart disease risk.  Adding small amounts to water is a refreshing way to enjoy the juice and may help you increase your water intake.

Bulgur Wheat is the spine of tabouli salad.  Follow package directions, and then toss with a little olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, and parsley.  It’s a great base for many fresh summer salads.  Add a variety of fresh chopped vegetables for a cooling side salad or snack.

Asian noodles like soba or buckwheat are high in fiber, and their rich stores of flavonoids may lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.  I love them in the summer because they make for great cold salads.

Fennel bulb is an aromatic vegetable high in vitamin C, fiber and potassium.  Slice it very thin and add to salads.