Bob & I are now officially registered for the RNRAZ 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) in January... his first & my second. I read some great nutrition tips on Bob Greene's Best Life newsletter today:
By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., Best Life lead nutritionist
Got a minute? That's all it takes to improve the quality of your diet. For instance, these easy adjustments will help you slim down and get more vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients.
1. Bypass butter. Replace regular butter with nut butter or a healthy spread that contains no partially hydrogenated oil. Nut butters have the same amount of calories as butter, but because they're high in protein, they keep you feeling full longer. And a healthy spread, like Smart Balance Buttery Spread, offers healthy fats.
2. Choose whole over white. Opting for whole-grain products, such as bread, cereal, and rice, over white, will help you get your fiber fix. Hitting your daily fiber goal (at least 25 grams for women, 38 for men) will help keep you feeling satisfied and reduce your risk for cancer, heart disease, constipation and obesity.
3. Spice it up with salsa. If you think of salsa simply as a way to dress up nachos, it's time to rethink this flavorful fixing. Salsa is rich in lycopene, a powerful anti oxidant that's been shown to protect against heart disease and cancer. Add a cup to a pot of vegetable or bean soup or mix it into brown rice or scrambled eggs.
4. Don't forget the flax. Flax is the richest plant source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)--a type of omega-3 fatty acid. A tablespoon of ground flax seeds provides 1.8 grams of this healthful fat, nearly bringing you up to the recommended 2.2 grams per day.
5. Switch to sweet potatoes. Despite their sugary flavor and creamy texture, sweet potatoes and yams are actually lower in calories than regular potatoes. Plus, they're packed with more vitamins and minerals. For example, a six-ounce baked sweet potato offers nearly nine times your daily vitamin A requirement in the form of healthy carotenes, while a baked white potato of the same size has virtually no vitamin A.
For more tips on giving your diet a boost, join Bob Greene's The Best Life Diet. You'll get access to articles, videos, meal plans, a supportive community of members and experts, our healthy recipe database and so much more.
I'm really not that into potatoes, especially not sweet potatoes, but I was thinking that if they're really that good for you maybe I can come up with a way to make them more desirable? I found a great tasting organic ketchup (ie... no high fructose corn syrup) at Whole Foods. So maybe I could cut up some sweet potatoes, like fries, & bake them in the oven & then dip them in the ketchup?
Or maybe I'll just go back to my favorite training meal at Crazy Bowls & Wraps... the Chicken Fajita Bowl with brown rice & white meat chicken. Yummy. Haven't had that all summer & I guarantee they'll be seeing more of me once training starts at the beginning of October!
And a few more of Bob Greene's tips for cardio:
Change Up Your Cardio
Kick up your metabolism by changing your bike, treadmill or elliptical routine using these tips:
1. |
Increase resistance: Using the manual program, start with a low resistance. After 5 minutes, increase it a couple levels. After another 5 minutes, increase it a couple more levels and stay there for the remainder of your workout.
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2. |
Interval train: Start with a challenging yet comfortable resistance in manual mode. Note how fast you're able to go. After 5 minutes, double the resistance and maintain your speed for 30 seconds to a minute. Decrease the resistance for 2 minutes. Repeat cycle. |
3. |
Dare to be different: Experiment with other programs, such as race training or intervals. |
And on another note... I really like this dress for Fall, with tights
& maybe with some kind of platform like this
or this
I love Fall...