by Leslie Myers

What to eat, what to eat what to eat????? Always a question, especially when you throw in some activity.  I am finally back on track and into the groove training for the upcoming triathlon season.  I am fortunate enough to live in North County, San Diego.  Today's workouts are a 35 minute easy run and an hour swim. I ran through the San Dieguito Lagoon and a pretty good clip. I love the lifestyle here.  Running down the Pacific Coast Highway with the crashing waves off to the right or through the lagoon trails is pretty amazing. It's hard to believe that only two years ago I was living in Vermont making special mixes for my ipod so i could endure yet another treadmill workout. It truly doesn't get much better that this!  Anyhoo, the dilema is what to eat between workouts that is quick to make, nutritious, contains that 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio which is key for muscle recovery;  tastes great and won't come back up in half an hour when I start my swim.  The answer? Yet another Green Smoothie. Bonus--extra calcium and vitamin k from the tangerines and spinach.

To see more Foodsense Now Smoothie recipes

The "In between Workouts On the Fly" Green Smoothie

• 1 Cup Plain Soy Yogurt (I use Silk as it has the least amounts of sugar)
• 4 Cups Organic Baby Spinach
• 1 Ripe Banana
• 2 Seedless Tangerine, Peeled and left whole
• 2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed

Combine in Blender until Smooth.  Makes about a 16 oz smoothie.

Enjoy!

-LM

by Leslie Myers

Greetings and Happy New Year!

The beginning of the New Year welcomes a time where most people reflect upon their lives and set goals for the weeks and months to come. As I am developing the Foodsense, Now! "Positive Eating Plan", I thought that I would share with you a few thoughts.  In my mind,  taking care of your health through mindful eating is the best thing you can do for yourself.  Of course you will be faced with a myriad of choices on how to do this.  One could say, off the cuff, that adopting the basic acronym "K.I.S.S" (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is the mantra you need. Eating well is not complicated!   It doesn't require elaborate concoctions of protein powder, micromanagement of nutrients and calories or "magic" pills. If you follow some basic guidelines, you will be successful in your endeavor. 

Welcome to the Foodsense, Now “Positive Eating plan”.   If you are making some changes within your diet (drastic or not) then this plan might present a new outlook on how to fuel you body on a daily basis. This is not about a diet of the conventional definition.  We find “diets” to be limiting and unrealistic. Diet is the proverbial four letter word.  Instead, the Positive Eating plan is about a lifestyle which embraces whole, unprocessed food while eating frequently enough (5 times a day) so that you don’t feel deprived and lethargic.

Whole, Unprocessed Food This is the cornerstone of the Positive Eating plan.  The Western diet has evolved into one that is laden with unhealthy fats, sugar and chemicals.  And look at most of us!  America is obese, unhealthy and lethargic.  We recommend that you eat food that is organic or naturally-raised whenever possible.  

Seasonality The Positive Eating Plan follows the seasons and celebrations in life. For example, in the spring you are more apt to see dishes which include asparagus and rhubarb; citrus and artichoke. Summer might find plans with more grilling preparations, berries and melons. Late summer will bring raspberries and corn. And you will see more stews, hearty greens and squashes in the winter. Our plans will also acknowledge holidays and provide you with ideas and recipes to stay on track

Breakfast It IS the most important meal of the day.  Some of my biggest “flops” (if you will) during my quest to eating well have been on days when I have skipped or skimped on breakfast (or have eaten something just downright unhealthy!).  A healthy, hearty, whole food breakfast will set you up for success for the rest of the day. As I write this, I have just finished a toasted sprouted whole-grain English muffin spread with a ripe avocado….  Conventional?  NO! (At least I’ve never seen that on any breakfast menu).  Tasted Great and Nutritious and Wholesome?  ABSOLUTELY!!! (not to mention the alkalizing, low glycemic benefits of such a meal).

Smoothies and Shakes Another cornerstone:  I’m a huge fan of smoothies and shakes.  Basically you let the blender do the first part of the digestive process for you (the chewing).  We list a few different kinds for mini meals, but if you are comfortable with one type, then by all means make the same one each day.  One of our clients wanted (and needed) to kick a processed sugar/office candy bowl habit and did so by drinking one 12-16 ounce  “Chocolate Antioxidant” shake a day (NOTE: in my opinion, it is not Chocolate that is bad for you, but all of the refined sugar and hydrogenated oils  found in commercial chocolate)  I’ve been on a “green smoothie” kick for the last year because I love the idea of eating raw kale but I find it difficult to get through the chewing phase—can you say bovine?  Problem solved: let the blender do the chewing and you will reap all of those exceptional vitamins and minerals housed within the cellular walls of the kale.  Can you say “Nutritional Powerhouse”??? HECK YEAH!!!!!

 At any rate, find the smoothie recipe you like the best, or vary them day to day.  Make it in the morning and put it into something portable.   Enjoy as your first or second mini meal. And, on one of those days where you are so busy, you can substitute a smoothie as a meal. 

 Salad  A quick, weekday meal is a 10 minute preparation of salad. The good thing about salads is that the cleanup is minimal.   You will see 3 large salad-based meals a week for dinner in the Positive Eating plan. The other 4 nights, you are provided with healthy versions of more conventional meals.  But if you are under any sort of time crunch, I recommend defaulting to some sort of crispy, crunchy salad.

The Best Easy Salad for dinner

I was preparing a salad for someone who came to my house for dinner.  I asked him if he made salad at home. His response was “no, they always seem like they take too much time to make”.  I’m thinking to myself …Hmmm….You chop some vegetables.  You really just have to make sure that your refrigerator is stocked hmmm….With the convenience of prewashed organic greens, making a salad is a snap.  Plus, there is a minimal amount of clean up.  I eat this probably 3 or 4 times a week. I do not measure, and if you are eating alone it is nice to catch up on reading while you slowly savor each bite.  Sometimes it takes me a half an hour to eat a big bowl.  While bottled salad dressing is convenient, and there are some well made ones out there, I prefer to make my own. You can keep it raw, you can keep it vegan.  Or you can add a bit of protein

Start with: Assorted Greens (Mesclun mix, spinach, Arugula or anything that seems interesting).

Add any combination of:

• Sprouts
• Purple Cabbage, thinly sliced
• Red Onion
• Fennel Bulb, thinly sliced
• Avocado
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Bell Peppers
• Radishes
• Celery
• Summer Squash

• Small amounts of:
• Raw nuts
• A small amount of crumbled cheese
• Nutritional Yeast
• Chopped Egg
• Dried Fruit

• Some Protein options
• 2-3 oz Grilled Fish or Chicken
• 2-3 oz Canned Wild Sockeye Salmon
• 2-3 oz Sardines or Smoked Oysters
• 2-3 Thinly sliced lean meat
• A quarter cup of leftover cooked grains such as Brown Rice or Quinoa

When you don’t have the time to shop, prepare and or cook…….

Stay ahead of the game by keeping your kitchen stocked! I always have on hand two or three ingredients for salad; sweet potatoes and avocados on the counter;  cans of wild sockeye salmon, smoked oysters and organic beans in the pantry;  nut butters and Ezekiel wraps in the refrigerator.  In a pinch, you can prepare a salad or a wrap.  I also will cook extra brown rice, quinoa or barley and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (it also freezes in portion sizes extremely well).  That way, if I want to make a quick stir-fry, sprinkle it on greens, or doctor it up with spices, herbs and fruit for a salad, it already cooked and ready to go. 

Be mindful, but not militant.  Sure, there  will always going to be a time during the week when you are faced with a not-so-healthy eating situation; the spontaneous office birthday cake; the holiday party; the barbeque at a friend’s house; a business dinner; you’re stuck in the airport; or “d*&% it, I just wanted that deep-fried twinkie…!” etc.   If you deviate from the plan, then just SAVER it!!!  Then accept your actions and get back on track as soon as you can and MOVE ON.  Life is a composite of senses and experiences. 

Habits …..If you are someone who “fuels” continuously throughout the day with coffee and and/or soda, we recommend that you curtail this habit as much as possible.  Switching first to Green Tea and then to Herb al Tea is a great way to transition.

Refrain from using artificial sweeteners.   (Stevia is a natural sweetener and a great alternative to Equal, Sweet and Low and Splenda…there is a reason those lab rats developed tumors…).  Savor your morning cup of coffee (or savor it in the afternoon).  Limit your coffee to one cup a day.  Believe me, you do not need to drink it all day.  If you are one of those people who keeps a coffee cup or soda can permanently attached to your hand, remember that it is just a habit you formed somewhere in life and you can break it.  But do so slowly. Incremental changes are the key to success.

Soda….I am convinced that we wouldn’t have the obesity problem (actually, epidemic) that we do today if people would cut soda out of their diets.  Soda and “Energy Drinks” are typically made from high fructose corn syrup, water, and other ingredients that are difficult to pronounce.  What is energetic about that?  So why would you want to put THAT into your body?  Diet soda??? Well, it is full of additives…. ‘nuf said!

Activity

To look and feel your best, you should exercise at least 4-5 times a week for at least 30 minutes a day.  There is no diet or eating plan in the world that produce the results which you get from exercising regularly.  If possible, make exercise the first thing you do each day if you find that it is a challenge for you to work it regularly into your day (if you are one of those “git ‘er done” structured people, then my hat’s off to you—you probably fit in your exercise regardless of the hour).  You will then start the rest of your day refreshed, relaxed and clear-minded.  And you won’t run the risk of running out of time to do it.  Again, MAKE THIS A PRIORITY.

Enjoy the Foodsense, Now Positive Eating plan.  We have had tremendous success with it in our own lives, and we hope that find that as well.

“Be mindful, not militant”

“Positive Eating for a Healthy Being”

by Leslie Myers

So I signed up for the Silver Strand half marathon a couple of weeks ago. My first real race since May. I haven't done any serious triathlon training since mid July and I have more or less only been running.  I have never taken a six month hiatus from racing before and jumped back into it with a long distance race.  Ugh. Half marathons are a persnickity distance. I usually start breaking down at the 9 mile mark and it is usually at that point i remind myself that I should never race longer than a 15k.  I typically suffer through the pain, lose a couple of places, finish. Then I wait a few days, forget about those last 4 miles, and start looking for another one to race.  

My coach and I had a discussion about pre-race food a week or so before the race.  Kurt is a renouned coach as well as an accomplished nordic skier, cyclecross and triathlon racer. And a closet chef. He convinced my that a high glycemic breakfast 24 hours before the race would be the best thing for topping off my glycogen stores.  Hmmmm, said the foodie in me. A white bagel? Bisquick pancakes?  Frosted Flakes?  Ugh.... 

Inspired by the autumn season (okay, I live in San Diego now, but there are flecks of gold and spots of russet admist the flora and fauna), I decided that Pumpkin Pancakes would be the day before-top-off-the-glycogen-stores meal that would carry me through this crazy race.  I was laughing inside because, given my non existent-to-light training over the last 4 months,  I don't know if I have actually done anything to deplete my glycogen stores.  But I went with the theory.

The day before the race, I rose at 5:00 a.m., went on my last short "shake out the legs" 25 minute run. Came back and fired up pumpkin pancakes with pepitas (pumpkin seeds-which contain alot of iron) real maple syrup (I probably don't really need to qualify that with "real") and sliced banana. It occured to me that pomegranite seeds would make a beautiful garnish as well as give a nod to the antioxidant bandwagon that we all seem to be on these days. Pancakes came out great--throughout the course of the day I also managed to eat a sesame bagel and a ciabatta roll (how's that for high glycemic fodder?), a GT Kombocha, 2 bananas, a large bowl of stirfried brown rice, tofu, egg and vegetables, a cup of tomato-based seafood stew, a clif builder bar, and probably a total of 8 oz of really good craft beer as I was sampling beers that day-my day job hazard). I chuckled at the thought of my mostly "brown and beige" food intake.

Race day came and started the day with green tea and soymilk, 1 cup of organic applesauce and a 2 piece of brown rice bread with raw almond butter and my best freind Jessica's homemade strawberry jam. I had a banana and a ginormous coffee with soymilk about 1 hour before the race.  Just before the 7:30 start, I lined up at the front of pack and waited for the gun to go off.

In typical fashion, I felt great but had a feeling I was going out too fast as I did not see another woman around me. Oh s*&@, here we go.  At mile 3, a bike rider positioned himself just in front of me and he told me that he was the "lead female escort". Pretty cool, I thought, I get an escort. Let's see how long this will last.  A pack of men passed me at the 5.5 mile point. I knew I was slowing down but was still in the lead. I hit mile 9 and felt like laying down on the side of the road but I didn't want to lose the lead. Or the cool escort!

This is where my Ironman experience paid off. At many points of long distance racing, especially triathlon, you hurt. But then you push through it and you feel better.  I knew that when I hit mile 11 there would be a slight downhill and a tailwind. But I was dying. At the turnaround I saw the second place female who was 40 seconds behind me. And THEN it was only 2 miles. I made a decision that I was going to dig deep and give it my all (not always the case with me late in a race). There was no way I was going to lose this one. I tend to draw alot of energy from a crowd, and knew that there would be alot of people on the last 1/2 mile of the course. So in my skewed calculations I called it "a mile and a half left".  I told myself "for 13 minutes you can do anything" and I ran as fast as I could. As I got closer to the finish, I repeated the mantra only dropping the number to 12. 11. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3....and then I saw the finish.  I crossed the line. In first place. Wow.

Was it the pumpkin pancakes? I'll take those over Frosted Flakes any day!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Note This recipe makes 12 to 15 pancakes. You can cut recipe in half or freeze any uneaten pancakes for an “on the fly” breakfast down the road


Ingredients
•    2 Cups Spelt or All Purpose Flour
•    1.5 tsp Baking Powder
•    ½ tsp Baking Soda
•    1 Tbsp Pumpkin Spice
•    3 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
•    ¼ tsp Sea Salt
•    1 Egg plus 2 Egg whites, lightly beaten
•    ¾ Cup Organic Canned Pumpkin
•    1.5  Cup Soy Milk (or any type)
•    1 tsp vanilla extract
•    6 Tbsp  Agave Nectar or Grade B Maple Syrup
•    Cooking Spray
•    Pepitas, Sliced Banana, Maple Syrup and Pomegranite Seeds

Preparation
In a large bowl, whisk together Flour, Baking Flour, Baking Soda, Flax Seed, Pumpkin Spice and Sea Salt.  In a medium bowl, beat Egg and Egg whites until frothy. Whisk in Yogurt, Milk, Vanilla Extract, Pumpkin  and Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup.
Coat griddle or skillet (preferable non stick) lightly with cooking spray.  Preheat griddle on medium heat and lower to medium-low heat. Combine the egg/milk mixture with flour mixture into large bowl.  Stir just enough to incorporate—batter will have lumps!  If you overmix the batter, the pancakes will be tough. Ladle 3-4 oz batter (about ¼ Cup) onto cooking surface.  Cook until bubbles formed on top of pancake just start to pop (about 1:15-1:30 minutes) Flip with Spatula and cook on other side until golden brown for about the same length of time.  You can hold pancakes in a warm oven (200-225 degrees) while you cook the rest.  

Serve with Pepitas, Banana, Maple Syrup and Pomegranite Seeds

by Leslie Myers

...am I doing here? :)  Friday afternoon before race day Sunday.  I say this slightly tongue in cheek because I would imagine most of us racing are asking ourselves the same question (some with a little more decorum!)

It's funny. I think I am fit. Correction....I think that I look pretty fit, but I get among a group of high test athletes and I feel like an oddity--there are women here with ripped, no, SHREDDED biceps and quads.  The energy level is high. The exicitment is deafening. For me I basically did the training for a short course race and am now trying to apply it to a long course race.  Will my experience and relatively healthy lifestyle (minus my "keep it real days") carry me through this at an acceptable (mine only) level?   

When I tell people that I race Ironman triathlons, they are mostly impressed and sometimes in awe. I quickly correct them. GIVING BIRTH is hard. SERVING YOUR COUNTRY is hard. We have basically been living in a narcissistic world of training and racing. We look good and feel great because of it.  And some of us talk too much about it any chance we get. I think that this is the only sport where you can actually BUY a big beautiful finisher's trophy for yourself (saw this today at the expo and just about peed in my pants laughing)--do we really take ourselves this seriously? Wouldn't that be like buying yourself an engagement ring?

Back to the food side of this, and the humor. Life can be very rich and the minute I landed in Burlington, Vermont after a red eye flight from Las Vegas. My great friend, Jessica, picked me up and we beelined for Healthy Living--an independent Whole Foods-esque type store owned by my friend Katie Lesser. I was ESTATIC to purchase beautiful, local produce from the farms that surround Burlington (farmer's markets are a bit of an anamoly in Las Vegas).  This is one of those simple pleasures in life that everyone should have the oppportunity and the means to do. We then ventured back to her house up a dirt road in Richmond.  Tooka run with her husband Chris (who is racing his first Ironman onSunday) and Bernie, their 10 year old Jack Russell. We shot the breeze about the mass swim start strategy and admonished people who post their entire training logs on facebook. It was a blast. It is one of the first runs this year where I did not use my ipod and instead took in the amazing bucolic summer scenery while enjoying the company during training. I could have run forever.  I missed the comraderie of training.

Made a big salad with all of the local produce and greens and Jess ordered some organic flatbread from the local bakery. Jim and Bob joined us and we had a wonderful, simple dinner with a bottle of wine, Corona beer for Bob (can't teach an old dog, right?) and plenty of insight and laughter. Couldn't have had a better first night in Vermont, except that Courtney and Marc weren't there...

Friday Morning July 24th

Breakfast 5:00 am.

• 1 Ezekiel English muffin
• 1/2 Avocado
  

We'll see how this race goes.  No expectations--just a fun day with a long workout

Cheers

Les