Nutrition Nut on the Run

A Super[food] Saturday

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Hey hey. How was your Saturday?

I’ve had a relaxing, rainy October day full of cozy activities. This morning I rolled out of bed to volunteer with my nutrition club at Chico Preview Day, where we talked to prospective students about our program and degree options – yay, nutrition. Of course I sported my favorite tee at the event :) After a couple hours at school, I stopped at the local natural food store to pick up a few organic apples for a recipe. On my way out, this free magazine caught my eye.

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Real food. natural health. green planet.

Flipping though the pages, I stumbled upon a blurb about six superfoods for women; I thought I’d pass on the info to all my female readers.

6 Superfoods for Women

To reap the benefits of these six superfoods, include 2-3 servings of each of these foods in your weekly diet.

1. Flaxseeds

Rich in lignans, compounds that naturally modulate estrogen levels, flaxseeds help to protect against breast cancer and promote regular ovulation. They’re also full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and protein for lasting energy, plus fiber to help prevent constipation.

2. Blueberries

These sweet treats, whether fresh or frozen, burst with antioxidants that are especially important for focus and brain function; research indicates that the polyphenols in blueberries guard against Alzheimer’s, which strikes one in every six women. Blueberries’ anti-inflammorty properties also protect against cancer and heart disease.

3. Leafy Greens

Kale, chard, spinach, and their cousins offer calcium to build bones and reduce osteoporosis. They’re also high in folic acid, which is key for pregnant women and which also may help thwart cervical cancer.

4. Green Tea

Well-studied EGCG seems to be especially powerful in reducing breast cancer risk. Too much sun exposure over the years? EGCG may also reverse the effects of ultraviolet damage and fight skin caner. In addition, research indicates that green tea increases alertness, fends of fatigue, and aids in weight loss by boosting metabolism.

5. Pomegranates

These sweet-tart fruits and their juice help protect the heart by lowering blood pressure, increasing blood flow to the heart, and preventing hardening of the arteries. Because of it’s powerful anti-inflammatory effect, pomegranate juice also may help ward off osteoarthritis.

6. Sardines

These little fishes are a superb and eco-friendly source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help prevent menopause-related depression and mood changes. Omega-3s also reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and protect the arteries from damage, so they’re heart-healthy as well.

Source: Turner, Lisa . “6 Superfoods for Women.” Delicious Living. October 2010: 40.

Do you eat any of these foods regularly? I eat more than 2-3 servings of flaxseed, leafy greens, and green tea every week, and during the summer months, I load up on blueberries. Though as a current pescatarian, maybe I should give sardines a chance!?

Reading food magazines make ya hungry!

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Lunch.
  • 1 Dr. P burger sandwiched between a British Style Multigrain English Muffin – a TJ’s staple – with my mama’s basil pesto, avo, red onion & greens
  • 1 deliciously crunchy Fuyu persimmon

The rest of my Saturday included my first hot chai latte of the season – mmmm, shopping with my roommate for Halloween apparel, baking bread, and cooking dinner. There wasn’t any exercise today – poo.

I hope y’all are enjoying the cool, cozy weather. Stay tuned for my bread recipe, GIVEAWAY winner, and running reflections.

To delicious living!

Hillary

Looking Ahead

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If you haven’t already entered my giveaway for a free case of Chobani Greek yogurt, get to it! & check out the CHOBlog Featured Blogger of the week :)

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Hey there. Happy Thursday! I’m pretty excited about how fast this week is zooming by. I wouldn’t have been able to handle a repeat of last week. I am looking forward to a relaxing fall weekend of cool runs and warm baking. Oh, and I also need to figure out a couple of Halloween costumes. How is it that it’s nearly the end of October!?

Speaking of time flying, I registered for my Spring classes today. It seems a bit early to be signing up for classes that don’t start until the end of January, but I guess it doesn’t hurt to plan ahead sometimes.

Spring Schedule 2011

Biomedical Ethics [Philosophy]

An examination of moral issues arising in medical practice and biomedical research. Among the topics discussed are the responsibilities of health care professionals, the allocation of scarce medical resources, genetic engineering, and the harvesting of fetal tissue.

Health Education Techniques [Health & Community Service]

This course introduces health education theory, curricula, resources, and marketing techniques for use in school and community settings. Students plan, develop, implement, and evaluate effective health education and promotion programs. Students practice professional health education techniques while working with a local organization to implement a community health education.

Nutrition & Disease [Nutrition & Food Science]

This course is designed to develop skills in the use of clinical nutrition in the prevention and treatment of diet-related health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease.

Writing for Mass Media [Journalism]

Techniques of information gathering and writing for various audiences in the mass media.

This comes out to a solid 12 units. I think I am going to love my weekly schedule. FINALLY, I do not have any classes on Fridays [the only other time I didn’t was in Fall of ‘07]. Three day weekends – yes please. I also just have one class on Monday/Wednesday that isn’t until 3:00pm – sweet! I shouldn’t get too excited though because I will be trying to fill up some of my free space with an internship and/or a J.O.B.

Have you taken any similar classes? I am not looking forward to Biomedical Ethics. It doesn’t sound like my cup of tea, but it’s a requirement for my Upper Division GE Theme: Contemporary Health Issues.

Accident Update

I reported my accident to the managerial staff at the WREC today. They were very nice about the entire thing; I filed an accident/injury report, and we looked at the surveillance video from Tuesday to see if we could find my tragic fall along with any other evidence. We did! If I had a copy of the video, I would show y’all. It was exactly as I had it played out in my head to be. We even figured out who the idiotic culprit was that left the treadmill on. From the camera, we were able to tell the girl dismounted the machine almost 10 minutes beforehand – 10 minutes! If I could track her down to pay my medical bill, I would. All I can do now is allow my body to heal.

Food Footage

I don’t remember the last time I posted a picture of my eats. I’ve still been eating my usual diet: vegetables + dark chocolate.

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  • organic greens
  • tomato
  • cucumber
  • feta
  • sunflower seeds
  • 1 Dr. P burger
  • seasoned rice vinegar + olive oil

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Tonight’s salad was REAL… real food, real cooking, real darn delicious! I used Ashley’s salad challenge recipe for my inspiration.

Seasonal Salad for One

  • 1/2 butternut squash, peeled + cubed
  • olive oil, ~2 T
  • real maple syrup, ~2 tsp.
  • fresh thyme, ~1 tsp.
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • salt + fresh black pepper
  • 1/2 medium red onion, thickly sliced
  • 1/4 Granny Smith apple, cubed
  • lettuce, ~2 big handfuls
  • honey chevre
  • pepitas
  • balsamic vinegar

Toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil, maple syrup, thyme, cinnamon, salt + pepper. Roast on a baking sheet @ 400* for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the red onion to the squash and toss together gently. Continue to cook until squash is tender and onions are caramelized, about 20 minutes more. Meanwhile, wash and dry your greens – please! – and arrange on a plate. Then decorate it with the squash, onion, tart apple, crumbled goat cheese, and crunchy pumpkin seeds. Give it a slight drizzle of sweet balsamic and BAM!, you’ve got yourself a real, fall dinner for one.

 

Well, hope y’all are having a cozy Thursday evening. Have a wonderful weekend!

Hump Day Handstands

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I’m sort of embarrassed by the photographs you are about to see – the quality, not the content. I have no shame in the contents of my tasty breakfast and lunch… no shame at all.

FOOD.

Today was a winning Waffle Wednesday. I created this ‘recipe’ in my head before getting into bed last night. It made rolling out of bed @ 6:00am so much easier.

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Nutty Pumpkin Wafflewich
  • 2 Van’s multigrain light toaster waffles
  • smear of TJ’s flax almond butter on each waffle
  • 2-3 T organic pumpkin mixed with agave & cinnamon
  • 1/2 ripe banana, sliced

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Loved all the different components to this wafflewich. What would you add?

Lunch was almost an exact duplicate of yesterday. Why mess with a good thing?

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  • 1/2 sprouted wheat tortilla
  • smear of homemade pesto – all gone!
  • 1 Dr. Praeger’s Cali Burger – love the crispy edges
  • fresh romaine & red onion

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… with a side of lemon H20 in a mason for hydration.

RUNNING WEDNESDAY WORKOUT.

Now that there is NO more WRECPump the rest of the semester [tear], I have to reschedule my Monday/Wednesday exercise regimen. My body was sending me some signals last night after two days of fast running, so I promised I would treat it with a 75-minute yoga class tonight. For some reason, it’s always hard to get myself to go to yoga classes [especially if they cost $$$]. I don’t get the same cravings for yoga as I do for cardio; however, throughout the day today, I imagined myself at the gym doing yoga… not circling the indoor track again and again. Set your mind to something, and you can do it! It’s all mental, all mental. The class was challenging and fun [hello handstands!]. Almost every time I leave a class, I wonder why I don’t make myself practice it more often. I get such a different feeling from yoga than I do from running… but it is a wonderful feel, a feeling of zen. It’s a good possibility yoga may become the new BodyPump :)

Are you a yoga-goer? How often do you practice? Do you have a favorite type of yoga?

Oh… I guess I should mention I did run 1 mile around the indoor track afterwards. Sorry, I just can’t help myself!

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We’re over the hump! I must minimize my to-do list before Friday because I have a special guest visiting for the weekend :)

See ya!

Hillary

Running Tuesday + Reader Requests

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Happy Running Tuesday!

Hope y’all had a good day. It was a hot one, wasn’t it!?

School v. Home – I always get a kick outta this. [I live only 4 hours away!]

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In other words, there was no chance I was running outside today =[ So, after my morning class I was off to the g.y.m. Goodness, I practically live there. You may call me a gym junkie if you wish; I won’t be offended.

RUNNING

Here’s what my Running Tuesday consisted of:

  • 40-minute treadmill run [4.75 mi.]

5 minutes ea. @ 6.6 & 6.8mph [warm-up]

5 minutes ea. @ 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5mph – 1.0 incline

  • 1 mi. indoor track run @ 9:00
  • light strength & stretch

Since we’re on the topic of running… I have been thinking a good deal about my goals for my upcoming half-marathon. After surprising myself with an ~8-minute/mile pace at the Chico Ten, I’ve been reevaluating possible finishing times for SF. I do want to say that this is not what this race is about. Since when did I become such a competitive person anyway!? My main goal is to have a BLAST running my 3rd half with my BFF. However, I feel as though I’ve done some pretty solid training this time around, and squashing an old PR is always rewarding. I could cross something off my 10 in 2010 list, too =]

If you’re like me and don’t have a nifty Garmin Forerunner, you can find pace calculators, such as this one from Cool Running, that can calculate your pace, mile splits, and estimated finish time – awesome!

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Being curious, I entered in an 8:20/mile pace to see the estimated splits.

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What do ya think!? Am I nutzo? Hmmm… I should probably check out the course map.

FOOD

Alright, so after a solid indoor run, I came home and guzzled one whole serving of coconut water [as was the case last night, too]. I’ve most definitely acquired a taste for this stuff – love it!

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… and for lunch, a filling wrap of veggies:

  • 1/2 sprouted wheat tortilla
  • smear of homemade pesto
  • 1 Dr. Praeger’s Cali Burger
  • fresh spinach & red onion

I’m off to enjoy my semi-relaxing evening at home – seeing as I got my workout out of the way early today – but first, I want to get your feedback on a few things:

What would you like to see on NN on the Run?

    • More recipes? If so, get specific!
    • More on my exercise regimen? 
    • More on my daily diet/eats?
    • More from what I learn in class? Weekly nutrition quizzes?

You tell me… please! I really appreciate your input.

Have a great night,

Hillary

I Love You, Grains and Greens.

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I didn’t think I’d be hungry after eating the day away, but when 6 o’clock rolled around, I was hungry for dinner. Listening to my body, I headed into the kitchen and put together a meal that you probably wouldn’t see in any other ‘normal’ college kid’s kitchen.

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There are no words to describe how much I love healthy food. I do not forcefully make myself eat this healthy – I just L.O.V.E. vegetables so so so much. Call me nutty… but a very healthy nut, I am.

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Quinoa + fresh spinach, edamame, chevre and black pepper.

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Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger – nothing added.

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Organic Heirloom Tomato – sweet ‘n’ juicy.

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My mason jar got a lot of lovin’ today.

Not long after cleaning my dinner plate, I pulled the berry colander from the fridge, and the chocolate chips from the freezer.

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Yes, you bet that is a mug of melted semisweet chocolate chips… and you can bet some of those s-berries took a dunk in that swimming pool of rich, dark chocolate.

I just poured myself a second cup of green tea. I don’t know what was up with my hunger today, but I ate an awful lot of [healthy] food for only 32 minutes of physical activity. My Sunday is a bit busier than today was, and hopefully the eats will be a bit lighter too.

If the weather is suitable, I may go for another outdoor run in the morning. Speaking of running, I signed up for a race! I’m going to run the Chico Ten on September 18th at the park that’s just a few minutes away from my house. I used to run races rather regularly, but it’s been months since I’ve participated in one. I think this 10-mile run fits in nicely with my half-marathon training. Yay, I’m really looking forward to my fall races! : )

Reading, writing, online quizzes… such an eventful Saturday night.

Ta ta for now,

Hillary

 

Adora What You Do

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Howdy! I’m not as wordy as I was last night, so for those readers that appreciate less wordage, this is for you.

Breakfast.

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Free Raisin Bran courtesy of HLS, Granola, 1/2 Organic Peach, Organic 1% Milk

Hot mornings call for cold cereal.

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Today wasn’t as intense as yesterday in terms of my class load. I had one class this morning, and one later this afternoon, both of which were dismissed early.

My planned pre-heat, early morning run was slept through, so I hit up the gym after my lab. I love The Resort, so I’m not complaining.

  • 1 mi. indoor track run @ 9:03.
  • strength training.
  • 1/2 mi. indoor track run – intervals.
  • strength training.
  • 20-minute treadmill run.

4 minutes @ 6.8 / 1 minute @ 8.0 [repeat 2x] – 0 incline

4 minutes @ 6.8 / 1 minute @ 8.0 [repeat 2x] – 1.0 incline

  • 1/2 mi. indoor track run.
  • strength training.

Total Milage: 4.36 miles

My roommate and I did a killer 3-minute plank set tonight that I want to incorporate into my regular routine. Ab exercises are my least favorite, but what’s 3 minutes?

We both zoomed home and threw our dinners on the stove: turkey burger for her, veggie burger for me… Dr. Praeger’s always.

 

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Burger + Pesto, Chevre, Roasted Bell Peppers, Organic Farmers’ Market Arugula & Lettuce all wrapped UP in a Sprouted Wheat Tortilla – oh my!

 

After scraping my plate clean, I had a hankering for dessert; I quickly realized I had depleted my sweet reserve. I debated making a trip to the organic fro yo shop, but then I was reminded that I still had a couple of chocolate calcium supplements, also courtesy of my HLS swag. Two Adora + lots of ice water was all I needed – I’m stuffed. I’ve got to learn to wait out my ‘hunger’ for a bit before diving into dessert… such a tough habit to break.

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1 Milk. 1 Dark.

Each Adora disk contains:

  • 500 mg of calcium
  • 250 IU of Vitamin D3
  • 40 mg of magnesium
  • 30 calories. 2-3 g of sugar. 3 g of carbohydrates.

 

This lady has some reading to do. Gotta start off the semester right.

Toodles!

Hillary

Adora What You Do Q’s:

Did you enjoy your major in college? If you could go back to school, what would you want to study? How important do you think it is to have a job/career related to your degree? What’s your dream job?

Case of the Mondays

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I’ve got a bad case of the Mondays ya’ll, and I’m really stumped why that is. I woke up wanting banana pancakes; though too lazy to make them, I resorted to a banana mash waffle sandwich.

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2 Van’s All Natural Low-Fat Waffles + 1 small mashed banana + 1T toasted chopped pecans + 1 tsp. coconut + 1 tsp. agave-honey blend

It did nothing to my hunger. I’m missing protein obvi!

After my routine a.m. blogging, I put on a casual, yet cute outfit that screamed: “Hire me!” and picked up my huge stack of freshly printed resumes and list of prospective people that would increase my savings account. Then I got in my car and spent the next two hours stopping in places around town in hopes that the economy was actually allowing business to hire a poor college student. The verdict: s0-so. “We just did a big hire”. “We might hire in the middle of the summer”. That’s convenient – not! The job hunt ain’t over…

How have you successfully found jobs? Any winning resume/interview advice?

With just a couple resumes remaining in my stack, I headed home completely spent. I don’t know what was up, but my Monday morning drained me of all energy. I refilled my tank with a wrap, but unfortunately, it didn’t increase my Monday mojo. It sure was tasty though!

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1/2 whole wheat lavash + 1T organic hummus + 1/4 avocado + organic lettuce + Dr. P Cali Veggie Burger [again!]

I had to run downtown again after eating for a couple more errands. I made a pit stop at Starbucks for a caffeinated beverage – hoping that it would cut the yawning factor – but my soy latte only made me feel 10x worse. Something is surely up when I can not finish a latte. It’s a serious case of the Mondays.

I’ve spent the rest of the evening resting in my bed. I need a magical remedy stat because last night my BFF from high school texted me asking if she and her BF could come to visit. If you know me at all, spontaneity is my antonym, but I couldn’t turn down hanging out with my missed friend. Heck, it’s not like I have a job or anything… yet!

Now I need someone to put away the laundry on my floor, vacuum, and put a batch of cookies in the oven to make the house smell inviting. Anyone? Yeah, thought so… I better get busy.

Jr. Prom

Molly & Me

Junior Prom circa 2006

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Quick Q: Am I making my photos too large for easy viewing? Big or small, people?

Cooking 101: The Muffin Method

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I had a FUNday SUNday. You too? It started off early, around 8:00am – just like I like it – with a quiet house all to myself… perfect for muffin’ makin’! After drooling over Allie’s recent recipe, I made a special trip to the store yesterday to pick up a few ingredients so I could mimic her muffins. I’d been wanting to use the remaining bit of quinoa I had in my cupboard from the last time I cooked with it, and Allie’s recipe sounded right up my allie alley.

Coconut Carrot Quinoa Muffins

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I have always loved making muffins… mainly because the process is a piece of cake. It’s usually one of the first techniques you’re taught in an elementary foods course. If you do not know how to make muffins “properly”, I’ll show you the way…

Cooking 101: The Muffin Method

1. Whisk the dry ingredients together with salt, sugar, leavenings and any spices in a large bowl.

Dry Ingredients:

  • 2 c. any flour [I used 1 1/2 c. whole wheat + 1/2 c. all-purpose]
  • 1/3 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

2. In another bowl or a large liquid measure, combine all the wet ingredients – dairy, eggs, liquid fat, and any flavoring.

Wet Ingredients:

  • 3/4 c. shredded organic carrots
  • 1/2 c. unsweetened organic soy milk
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/3 c. agave-honey syrup
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2T oil
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla

3. Pour the wet on top of the dry and fold them gently together. Minimal mixing is key. Fold in any additional ingredients at this step (fruit, nuts, etc.).

Fold In:

  • 1 c. cooked quinoa
  • 1/3 c. toasted chopped pecans

4. Scoop your batter into well-greased (or paper-lined) muffin tins.  Fill the cavities 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Sprinkle with raw sugar.

5. Bake according to recipe directions.

This batch took approximately 26 minutes @ 350*.

  • A well-made muffin has a medium grain and is slightly moist, tender, and light. It has a somewhat pebbled appearance and rounded top.
  • An overstirred muffins has a peaked top and tunnels [excess air is beaten into the batter, stretching the gluten matrix].

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My muffins weren’t as moist as Allie claimed hers to be, but I liked them nonetheless. They’re just barely sweet and I love the added flavor of the quinoa. What’s your favorite type of muffin? Are you a hearty bran, apple cinnamon, or peach blueberry kind of person?

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After my a.m. baking, I washed + vacuumed my car, threw a load of laundry in the washer, and then my roommate treated me to a Starbucks iced coffee before we went shoppin’! My caffeine sensitivity resulted in a coffee buzz all day. Or perhaps it was also the afternoon mocha almond fudge gelato : ) I wish I had captured a photo of the dish of deliciousness, but alas, the camera missed the trip. I promise a picture of the Italian indulgence at some point, as I’m sure there will be many more visits to Powell’s Sweet Shoppe…

Sunday shopping was a success. Hello, watermelon birthday dress!

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Then it was time to exercise, so I can be looking fine on June One Nine ; )

Treadmill Time:
  • 10 minutes @ 6.4mph – 1.0 incline
  • 10 minutes @ 4.4mph – 6.0 incline

[repeat set]

  • 5 minutes @ 4.0mph – 3.0 incline

+ 15 minutes abs, arms & legs

Dinner

028Dr. P California Veggie Burger a la toasted English Muffin + Mustard, Avocado, and Organic Lettuce
Quinoa [Where’d you come from?] + Salt & Pepper

I declare quinoa my new favorite grain – mmm.

Dessert

037 2 Kiwis + 2 Strawberries + Agave-Honey Syrup

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Editing photos is entertaining.

This post has taken much too long to write/edit/design. I hope you enjoyed your muffin making lesson.

Night!

Chef Hillary

P.S. Inspirations are updated.
P.P.S. Remember, you may use the code NUT15 to receive 15% off a box of custom Element Bars!

Staying Sane

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GIVEAWAY: Don’t miss your chance to win a custom box of Element Bars. There are four easy ways to enter. Go get creative!

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Hey! Happy Saturday/almost Sunday! Wahoo…I can hardly believe I made it through my last week of classes alive. I’ve got four finals standing between me and the end of my 3rd year of college. I will be officially done Thursday morning – I can taste the finish. This week wasn’t as terrible as I had it panned out to be. My key to staying sane? Exercise! Between being under the weather and travelling, my workouts had been few and far apart. I knew getting my heart pumping would help reduce my stress – at least momentarily – which is why I made it a goal to exercise every day. As Saturday comes to a close, I can say I’ve done just that – I fit physical exercise into my schedule 6 days in a row… and it’s in tomorrow’s plans as well.

Saturday’s Sweat Session:

45-minutes treadmill intervals

  • 10 min. @ 4.4mph – 4.0 incline
  • 10 min. @ 7.0mph
  • 10 min. @ 4.0mph – 4.0 incline
  • 10 min. @ 7.4mph
  • 5 min. @ 4.0mph [cool down]

+ stretching and more stretching

Unfortunately, blogging didn’t make it to the top of my priority list amidst my mad dash to the finish, but I will share with you a few random eats from the latter half of the week…

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1/4 c. rolled oats, 1/4 c. oat bran, 1/2T flax, cinnamon, pear & almond butter

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whole wheat mac & cheese with peas please + a “green” monster [1 c. organic spinach, 1/2 c. very cherry frozen berries, 1/2 c. 2% Greek, 1/2 banana]

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Thursday I came home after a long day at school to a tub of Great Harvest cookie dough sitting on my shelf of the fridge with a “Happy Studying” note. Roomie love! These definitely made an appearance for Cookie Friday ; )

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So much real buttah!

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I think I could live off of Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burgers. I easily eat through a box a week.

1 beautiful burger atop organic baby lettuces, 1/4 avocado, raw sunflower seeds + olive oil & seasoned rice vinegar

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These slipped away faster than the shutter of my camera – oopsie!

I’ve tried to keep focused on Organic Chemistry, Food Safety, Statistics, and such… but sometimes I got a little sidetracked:

Do you have any excellent articles to share?

How do you stay sane when life gets stressful?

Whatcha up to this stunning weekend?

Catch ya later!

Hillary

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