Salt Lake Running Company » Recipes

1st Video – Mixed Green Salad and Dressing

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:25:34 +0000

We are trying to add video clips of all kinds of things to our new website (launching March 1st). So for our first attempt at a video, we will put together this recipe that relates to a recent post on salads. Now, keep in mind that, this is a very rough copy, but we would love some feed back.

Tell us what you think!

Salad-the perfect carbohydrate

Deb — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:30:00 +0000

As Published in Jan/Feb 2010 Issue of Rocky Mountain Running and Triathlon Magazin

Salad? A perfect carbohydrate? When I first considered that idea, I though it was crazy! But, as time has passed and more knowledge has come my way, I realize the validity of that statement. Now, lets first set the record straight. The assumption here is that, as an endurance athlete, you are making BIG efforts in refueling post workout with recovery drinks, shakes and carbohydrate dense foods like fruit, potatoes and the occasional whole grain. As long as you do a good job at eating at least half your bodyweight in grams of carb within 30 minutes post workout in liquid form and that amount again(for workouts longer than 75 minutes) in a solid meal within another 60-90 minutes, then you won’t be starving later. Then you can progress to the idea that salad is a perfect carbohydrate later in the day.

Most of us think of a salad as a green lettuce type of creature. While this is mostly what I am referring to, in many places in the world, salad is actually any combination of raw cut up vegetables tossed in some type of dressing. So, there are times when I make a tomato and cucumber salad with a yogurt dressing or shredded carrot salad with nuts, Craisens and a lemon/orange olive oil dressing. But, it still is an essential part of an athletes diet to eat DARK GREEN salads with HOMEMADE dressings. A great salad will supply many needed undamaged and raw phytonutrients and enzymes as well as aid in alkalizing the body (See blog post on Ph). It will also not overwhelm the body with any high glycemic sugars that will disrupt your anabolic, health promoting hormone patterns. How perfect is that? So perfect that you should find a way to include 1 or 2 BIG salads a day! And when I say big, I mean carry it with a fork lift, spilling off your plate big. That is how much you need to build a better body.

Perry’s Popular Mixed Green Salad – Feeds 8-10.

20 oz. mixed baby greens,

2 cups diced cucumber,

2 cups sliced strawberries or grapes,

1 cup chopped or halved walnuts,

4 oz crumbled feta cheese.

Extra Virgin Olive oil,

Balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

In a BIG salad bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Sprinkle the top of the salad with the Olive oil and then the balsamic vinegar. Start with too little if you are nervous and then sprinkle more on if needed. The goal is to lightly coat the salad evenly without drenching it and making it soggy. Then add the salt and pepper.

This salad should take up about half of your plate and can be served with any lean meat, a steamed vegetable and if needed, some baked yam or sweet potato.

Going Gluten Free, Is it for you?

Deb — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:47:00 +0000

AS PRINTED IN TRIHIVE MAGAZINE OCT-DEC 2009

Not many people like the thought of giving up something they love to eat. But, what if what you are eating is making you sick, slowing you down or stopping the fat loss process. Ultimately, food should do the opposite. It should nourish, revitalize, invigorate, heal and speed up the metabolism. So, to anyone trying to be healthy and perform well, it is obvious that some foods are destructive by nature like sugar, white flour, fried foods, saturated fats, preservatives and etc. If you’re already eating healthy whole foods and still are not getting the results you’re after, some not-so-obvious dietary changes may be worth considering. One of these changes is the idea of going gluten free. Gluten is the protein found in wheat and other grass-based grains like spelt, barley, rye and triticale. Gluten can also appear in “non grain” foods where it is being used as a food additive to flavor, thicken or stabilize.

You don’t have to be diagnosed with full blown celiac disease to ponder the elimination of gluten. Some of the population unknowingly has gluten sensitivity. This sensitivity creates some minor health problems that are not usually associated with what they are eating. The health issues to look for after eating a meal containing gluten are: digestive problems, bloating, intestinal issues, headaches, skin rashes, itching, sleepiness, and/or increased heart rate. Additionally, gluten often interferes with a person’s immune system, which can include these systemic problems: mucous production when not sick, seasonal allergies, foggy thinking, fatigue, aching joints and recurring infections. In a nutshell, a gluten-sensitive person just doesn’t feel energized after eating gluten-containing meals and is plagued with some of the minor health problems listed. If you are suspicious of gluten intolerance, then eliminate it from your diet for three weeks. At that point, it should become more apparent if you are feeling better. Sometimes, after avoiding gluten for a period of time, symptoms will flare noticeably when reintroducing gluten food back into your diet. That is another indicator of gluten intolerance.

So what is a person to eat for carbohydrates after striking gluten off the list? Well, the good news is that maltodextrin, the main source of carbs in your high quality during and post event sports drinks, is filtered enough to remove the gluten even if wheat was used as the source of carbohydrate. Also, many U.S. companies use corn as the source of maltodextrin anyway, and corn is gluten free. So the during and post workout liquid replenishments stay intact, but what about whole food meals? Instead of bread, pasta, bagels and etc, try potatoes, brown rice, hard squashes, fruit and vegetables to meet dietary carb needs. As long as you refuel properly, you will meet your energy needs for the rest of the day without the gluten products. Strive to keep your meals balanced with lean proteins, healthy fats and produce based carbs (with occasional brown rice). This approach will help minimize the difficult adjustment away from your favorite gluten rich comfort foods. It is a tough adjustment for some, but feeling and performing at optimal levels is well worth the sacrifice. And serving your favorite meat sauce over baked winter squash instead of pasta is a yummy place to start. Or in place of your favorite warm, chewy and buttery sourdough dinner roll, you could try…

Chili Pepper Potatoes

4 medium sweet potatoes or yams diced

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. pwdrd garlic

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp red chili pepper

1 tsp yellow curry pwder (optional)

Sea salt/ground pepper

Dice potatoes to desired bite size pieces or cut into wedges. Peels optional. Place rest of ingredients in a Ziploc gallon bag. Mash bag to mix. Add in potatoes and mix until well coated. Pour all contents onto baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until done to desired tenderness.

Protein shakes for endurance athletes

Deb — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:58:00 +0000

BJ POWERS UP HIS OWN SHAKE. NOTHING LIKE WORKING OUT IN ORDER TO EAT YOUR FOOD!

If there is one thing that you should change about your current eating/post workout recovery habits, it would be the addition of protein shakes. A protein shake accomplishes many objectives at the same time.

First and foremost, it gives your body excellent building/recovery materials. Most people need to eat more raw fruit, more high quality protein and more Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s.) Shakes are an easy and tasty way to accomplish this. Also, by adding smoothies to your daily eating habits, you avoid the probable chemical laden/empty food that you would have eaten instead.

For post workout purposes, recovery shakes are a vital piece in the recovery puzzle. When your body finishes working out, the muscles have a 15-45 minute “glycogen window.” This window is your only chance to quickly restore your muscle’s glycogen levels quickly and easily. The whey protein combined with the fresh/frozen raw fruit will produce a slurry mixture that will hit the bloodstream much more quickly and restore the muscle and liver glycogen much more effectively than solid food choices that have no protein, ie..bagels, bananas. Adding the oil to the shake is extremely important in the area of reducing inflammation, supporting hormone chemistry and also repair work.

Make sure that after a workout your shake has about .5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. The optimal recovery drink ratio is 4 grams of carbs to 1 gram of protein, so add up what you’re putting in the blender. The protein is easy to measure, but you will have to think through the carbs you have added. After a workout, it is common to need to use not just fruit, but fresh juice and or carbo pro(pure maltodextrin) or honey in order to get enough in.

Food may still be eaten and should be eaten post workout. But, drink the recovery shake first and then eat a meal (more carbs + protein) about 30-60 minutes after that depending on how long you worked out for, how much you weigh and how hungry you are. As a general rule, when exercising an hour or more, make sure to have a meal after you have had your recovery shake. The whole food meal should have similar carb content as the shake for those longer/harder days. On the shorter and easier days, sometimes a good thick shake will hold you for a couple of hours.

If you have not done a workout, you can still have a protein shake for breakfast, lunch or snack (leave out the carbo pro/honey) as they are just great meal replacements. If you try to purchase a smoothie from a smoothie bar, make sure you request to add enough protein to equal at least 20 grams and go without the frozen yogurt varieties. If you want to use the smoothie as a snack/meal replacement, then go with 1 gram of carb(or less) per 1 gram of protein. So that is basically one scoop of protein per piece of whole fruit(or 1 cup berries) used.

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ESSENTIAL RECIPE:

1-1.25 cups fresh or frozen fruit (20-25 grams carb)

1-2 scoops (~20-40 grams) whey protein isolate

1 cup liquid— distilled water, fresh juice

1-2 tablespoons flax seed oil

½-1 tsp vit C powder (calcium ascorbate) or EmergenC packet

*0-2 scoops Carbo pro (0-50grams) or raw honey

*Only post workout

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

Creatine

Glutamine

Green food,

Super seed

INFORMATION ON SMOOTHIE INGREDIENTS

Fresh or frozen fruit: Fruit contains the sugar fructose. Fructose is the only carbohydrate that will restore liver glycogen and is therefore an important ingredient. In season, local fresh fruit is always a good choice. At other times, frozen fruit is a great option. The cheapest source is Costco’s frozen fruit selection. These bags of fruit are also very good quality as they have been selling some organic blueberries in addition to strawberries and mixed berries. Another option is to peel, break into pieces, and freeze bananas in little ziplock bags. Freeze ¾- 1 whole banana per person per bag or double that if you are always fixing smoothies for two and have a blender that can handle the load. Experiment with fruit combinations to find ones you like. Fresh mangoes, pears and strawberries are great.

Whey protein isolate: A high quality protein that is easier to digest and lower in fat than other forms of protein. Whey protein is also cheaper, non heat damaged and uncontaminated form of protein as well. In order to rebuild muscle and repair cellular damage sustained during prolonged or intense exercise, one must eat sufficient amounts of protein not only after exercise, but throughout the day. There are many places that one can purchase whey protein. The prices vary according to the type of whey protein. Whey protein isolate is the highest quality and can run a little more money. Other whey proteins are blends of hydrosolates, isolates and filtered whey protein. These are still high quality protein sources, but realize that you get what you pay for. Locally, a brand that is economical and pretty good, although not completely isolates is Optimum Nutrition. 1 scoop (about 23 grams) works for many endurance athletes less than 150 lbs (use more if you weigh more.) On occasion, after extremely hard or very long events, one would use more protein.

Liquids: Distilled water is the first choice for a liquid. Sometimes adding soy milk will give the smoothie more of a creamy texture. Plain yogurt will do the trick also. After long workouts, fresh squeezed juice is a must. After a short day, you may not need juice. The preferred juice would be fresh squeezed grapefruits or oranges. Adds great zing, helps alkalize the blood and rev the metabolism. Please avoid using cows milk.

Flax Seed Oil: This oil supplies the Essential Fatty Acids. The dominant fatty acid in flax seed is Omega 3. Our food is filled with tons of omega 6 fatty acids, which are not completely bad, but most people end up with too much of it and not enough omega 3. The human body functions far better with large amounts of omega 3 fatty acids. The right fatty acids will be used by the body to build and maintain healthy cells, shorten recovery time, enhance growth, develop the brain, reduce inflammation, protect joints, provide materials to make hormones and increase your metabolic rate. One should buy flax seed oil sold in dark containers in the refrigerated sections of most any health food store. Use 1 TBS per 50 lbs of body weight per day as a general rule. Double that if you have an injury or inflammation.

Carbo pro: A powdered complex carbohydrate. After a long endurance activity of over 60 minutes, one needs more than the fruit and juice in the smoothie. In this case, adding some Carbo-Pro would be a great idea. This complex carbohydrate will help restore the muscle glycogen used during the aerobic activity. If your body weight is less than about 130, then 1 scoop may be enough. The heavier you are and/or farther you go, the more you will need (up to 3 scoops.) make sure to boost protein accordingly. This product can be purchased at the Salt Lake Running Co. You may also use raw local honey as an excellent carb source.

EmergenC, Green Food, Super Seed: These are all fabulous additions to any smoothie. Any one can use more of these nutrients. EmergenC greatly aids in recovery. Besides the vitamin C it always has, there are good amounts of potassium in it too. Green foods and Super Seed add grundles of good stuff to the smoothie. These items will turn your normal smoothie into a serious super food that will nourish and rebuild your body like nothing else can. These items can be found at any health food store.

Creatine and Glutamine: Many people who have heard of these associate them with bodybuilding. However, they play a great role for endurance athletes as well. These supplements greatly add recovery, increase muscle strength and bolster the immune system. These can be added in powdered form, measured using a teaspoon. Use 1tsp of glutamine twice a day. Refer to a creatine chart for proper dosage.

A WORD ON BLENDERS

The blender is the most used tool in a healthy person’s kitchen. Investing in a good one is worth the money. Check for a blender that has metal teeth on the bottom of the jar that won’t strip out when blending frozen fruit. Hamilton Beach makes a decent one. The blender of all blenders is the Vitamix Super 5000. It is the same kind of blender used in the commercial smoothie business. The home models have a 7 year warranty and will not only blend anything, but last forever. You can also purchase a second dry blade jar to grind fresh grain into flour, or chop herbs. You must order this direct from Vitamix. You can also try the Blendtec blenders. Not too bad either although I still prefer the Vita mix.

Turkey Meatballs

Deb — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:47:00 +0000

It seems as though one of the challenges of eating lean protein is having it around and ready to eat. It is a great idea to have some recipes up your sleeve that are yummy and make great leftovers. This one fits both criteria. These were actually made for me by Tracy Holly and I fell in love with them right away. The night she made them, she served them with a whole grain spaghetti and a garlic dijon ceasar salad. Very good and I was hooked.

Since then, I have made the meatballs on my own and served them over all kinds of other things like wild rice blend, spaghetti squash, banana squash, yams or butternut squash. I actually prefer these other foods over pasta. I find that I, as well as many others, have a tough time with a lot of gluten and many grains. Additionally, if you have worked out earlier in the day, pasta is just too dense of a carb to have at night if you are trying to manage your body composition.

One of the bonuses of this dish is that the kids like to help make the meatballs. And since that part does my head in, I appreciate the willing help!

Turkey Meatballs

2 pounds ground lean turkey-but not too lean(~94%)

2 teaspoon powdered garlic

2 cups finely chopped onion

2 TBs Italian herb mix or basil/oregano

1 cup grated fresh romano or parmesean cheese

Salt/pepper

2 jars of no sugar added/fresh ingredients only spaghetti sauce

In a bowl, mix all the above with your hands except for the spaghetti sauce. Roll into whatever sized meatballs fits the occasion. Big ones for dinner or smaller ones for appetizers. Place on a baking sheet withe edges (there will be juice that bakes out) and place in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or more. When meatballs are done, they may be added, along with all the juices on the baking sheet, to a warmed up spaghetti sauce on the stove or a crockpot. It is best to let them simmer a bit before serving.

Remember to serve with a big green salad! Most of the volume of your dinner should be the salad and the meatballs. The pasta or alternative starch should be a smaller portion than you would get in a restaurant.

Deb’s Favorite Breakfast

Deb — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:18:00 +0000

THIS ARTICLE IS IN THE CURRENT JUNE 2009 ISSUE OF TRIHIVE

Long gone are the days of cold cereal. It was a step I had to take given that I discovered in my early thirties that I was having insulin problems and came from a family of diabetics with a lot of health problems. As an endurance athlete, trying to limit grain intake can really complicate a breakfast where oatmeal reigned supreme. My initial concerns were: how do you meet your carb needs when they are high? Is protein at breakfast really necessary? Should I have fat if I am trying to lose fat? After much research and study, I came to the conclusion that breakfast really is extremely important and if you do it right, your body will do a better job at performing well, feeling well, and looking well.

My first 2 changes were adding a full protein serving to my breakfast as well as using fruit as my main source of carbohydrate. Protein is just a must to give your body the amino acids it needs to repair and to create an even insulin pattern. Whole fruit is a perfect choice for a low to moderate glycemic carbs that will stick with you longer than you think when combined with whey protein or eggs and some fat. Even on my early swim days when I am really hungry by breakfast, I totally look forward to my fruit and protein breakfast. As long as I have had my recovery drink immediately following my swim, then I am cool with using fruit as my solid food choice. I do protein shakes quite often in the morning if I haven’t worked out yet. The recipe I use is on mysaltlakerunningco.com. And yes, I do use 2-3 tablespoons of flax oil a day in those shakes. But on those days when I want a “real” breakfast, my favorite breakfast by far is a scrambled egg omelet with TONS of onions (a great antiviral and blood clarifier,) spinach, tomatoes and feta cheese. I then add good sized pear to that and I am ready to rock. No headaches, no 10am crashes or energy swings, just feeling good, feeling full and properly fueled. To top it off, this is how all 5 of my kids eat too. The rare organic Shredded Wheat with no added sugar is a treat for them. Lucky kids, ehh?

Deb’s Favorite Scrambled Veggie Omelet Breakfast
½ onion chopped
1 cup baby spinach
¼ cup chopped tomato
1 TB feta cheese
3-5 egg whites–depending on body weight.
1-2 egg yolks
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

In a bowl, scramble eggs, salt, pepper and feta. Set aside. In a non-stick pan, cook onion until translucent and then add spinach and tomato. Cook for only 30 seconds or so. The spinach should still be unwilted. Make sure heat is now only on medium and then pour egg mixture over the top. Cook it slow enough so the eggs don’t ever brown. Stir every minute or two. It should take about 4-5 minutes to slowly cook the eggs. The spinach will wilt by the end. Dump onto a plate, add plenty of fruit and you are ready for a breakfast fit for a champion!

High Protein Banana Pancake recipe

Deb — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:55:00 +0000

One of the challenges of breakfast time for adults and kids is trying to get protein if you are tired of smooties and/or eggs. This recipes does still have eggs in it, but at least it is a pancake. I really like these and so do some people who won’t ordinarily eat cottage cheese. The kids can also help make them and I always double this batch in order to have some leftovers.

COTTAGE CHEESE AND BANANA PANCAKES

16 oz lowfat cottage cheese
2/3 cup whole wheat, oat, or spelt flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats or muesli
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
3 Tablespoons honey
½ tsp Vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon and nutmeg
2 bananas chopped

*A yummy option is throwing in some nuts and seeds as well.

Preheat griddle to 300-325 degrees or medium heat. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add a little more liquid if necessary,but the batter will be MUCH chunkier and thicker than normal pancake better so don’t stress about that. Cook pancakes using a full half cup measure of batter for each pancake. Cook on first side for about 5 minutes then turn for another 3 minutes. The pancake should be golden brown if the grill is at the right temperature. If it is too dark, then turn down the heat(or turn up if they are taking too long.) Serve with REAL maple syrup, fruit topping or eat plain.

Each half cup of batter will provide ABOUT 20-23 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbohydrate and 4 grams fat. If eating these after a workout, then make sure to add honey or maple syrup as a topping and/or 1-2 servings fruit on the side depending on how many carbs you need. Make sure you have a full and satifsfied belly post workout when you are done eating.

REMINDER: SLRUNNINGCO is starting our FREE year long monthly series on “going long” in the endurance world. Our first seminar is this Thursday May, 21th at 7:30 pm at the Highland Dr. location. I will be giving the first presentation on the basics of training in order to keep your volume down and what is means to really be fit before you start the longer journey towards half/full marathons and/or half/full ironman. Part of the discussion will also be about when to decide to do certain events and how they may impact your life. Lots of great stuff for sure and in the future we will have other really great topics and presenters including BJ Christenson. Oh and this is open to triathletes and runners. Keep in mind that some months will be geared towards tri stuff, but that will be obvious by the title of the seminar. see the website for more info. http://www.saltlakerunningco.com/ And if you will excuse me, I need to finish my power point presentation for Thursday’s seminar!

Kick That Cold Carrot Concoction

Deb — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:12:00 +0000

We all know that dreaded feeling of the winter blues invading your body and taking hold with it’s death grip around your head, chest, stomach and/or muscles. Such a drag to know that YOU are about to. get. SICK! But, if you are lucky, you just might beat the odds and kick it to curb before it arrives to camp out in some cozy corner of your body.

Seriously though, there are some real deal natural methods of fighting and/or lessening the blow of illness. The trick I would like to pull out of the hat this time is what we’ll call the Kick that Cold Carrot Concoction. The ingredients will go right into your body and start fighting viruses and bacterias like crazy. The big guns in the drink are raw garlic and raw ginger. Garlic has been used for thousands of years to fight of disease and infections. There is a lot of folklore that surround this bulb, but science has started to back up the medicinal uses to help people understand that it does more than just fight of Vampires. There have been many successful studies done on it’s capabilities to kill of virus, bacterias and fungal infections in the body. Garlic also has powerful cardiovascular protective and free radical properties. The more raw garlic you eat the better. Then, there is the ginger. This root is a superstar at helping the stomach and intestinal tract. It is a bit spicy so go easy on how much you use at first. Finally, there is the nutritionally powerful carrier liquid of carrot juice. Freshly juiced whole carrots are best for sure, but using a store bought organic 100% carrot juice will work if needed.

So here is the easy recipe for one person

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 cloves of garlic with skins off
A small ¼ inch chunk of ginger root peeled
Raw carrots—enough to make 4-6 oz of juice

IF YOU HAVE A JUICER:
Put garlic gloves and ginger root in tube first, but don’t turn on juicer. When you start adding carrots, then turn on juicer and juice until you get 4-6 oz of the carrot concoction.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A JUICER:
Use the store bought organic 100% carrot juice and pour 4-6 oz in a blender. Please do not puree carrots as that will be way to thick of a drink. Press the garlic through a garlic press into the blender and grate the ginger root into the blender also. Blend briefly.

WORD OF CAUTION:This drink should be taken on an empty stomach. Drink it all at once and drink it fast. It may be quite spicy and may make you sweat, chill, momentarily dizzy and burn in the stomach briefly. Drink water immediately and then eat a meal. However, you may have to sit for a second before eating. I am not kidding about this either. But, to resolve any concerns you may have, I have added this great little video of my 5 kids taking a shot of this drink and surviving.

So give this puppy a serious whirl when you are fighting an ailment. Take it once or for a couple of days if necessary. Remember to keep the drink to 4-6 oz and not put in too much ginger. So here is to your health…now, get back to training!

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Deb — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0000