Finally...my Sweet Potato, Quinoa Stew

Looking for a warming, healthy, delicious vegan recipe that even meat lovers will like? Try this! It calls for quinoa (keenwah), which you can find at any health food store and most chain grocery stores carry it now as well. It is the only grain that contains all essential amino acids, making it a phenomenal source of protein!


Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups cooked black beans (2 cans, drained & rinsed)
• 1 cup hominy (1 can, drained and rinsed)
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
(I use Pacific Organic)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled, chopped in bite size pieces
• 2 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 Tbsp (2 - 3 cloves) garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 can chopped green chilies (for spicier, use 1 chopped jalapeño)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• More Heat: Add more cayenne
• 1 tsp dried basil leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf
• 2 bay leafs
• 2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Peel & mince the garlic, jalapeno (if using) and ginger
2. Wash and trim the celery, slice lengthwise, then crosswise to dice
3. Seed and dice the bell pepper
4. Peel and chop the sweet potato in bite sized pieces
5. Heat the olive oil on medium low in a large dutch oven
6. Sauté the garlic, ginger, celery, & chilies/jalapeno 5 minutes
7. Add the sweet potatoes and bell pepper, sauté 5 minutes
8. Add the herbs and spices, stir for a minute
9. Add the beans, quinoa, soup stock or water, salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 30 minutes
10. Add Braggs or soy sauce, pepper, cilantro or parsley just before serving

Charlie Brown Smoothie (serves 2)

This recipe is PERFECT to recover from workouts. I also find it to be a very satisfying breakfast. Hey, it can even help you for those moments when you are craving Charlie Brown ice cream!

Ingredients:
- 1 chopped frozen banana
- 2 cups of Silk chocolate almond milk
- 2 Tablespoons of almond butter
- 1 scoop of LifeTime Chocolate Protein Powder
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed

Directions:
Place the banana in the blender on the ice chopping setting for about 10 seconds. Add the chocolate almond milk and almond butter and then blend for 10 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and blend for about 15 seconds! Enjoy!

An Awesome Use for Bruised Bananas

I have an affinity for bananas, but let me be more specific here: I have an affinity for barely ripe bananas . . . you know when they still have a hint of green? That’s how I love my bananas. When they start to freckle, I instantly become a banana hater. They’re way to sweet for my taste. I do love a mean banana bread, but this time of year banana bread doesn’t appeal to me. So I invented a new recipe . . . great for athletes . . . great for kids . . . great for people with diabetes. Why? Because the bananas replace the sugar in traditional cookie recipes. Try it out and let me know how you liked ‘em . . and I’m always interested in variations!

Ingredients:
- 3 freckled bananas blended into a liquid
- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 Tablespoons of olive oil (TRUST me, you won’t even taste the olive oil after they bake)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup tart dry cherries
- 3 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats

Directions.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Mix all dry ingredients except nuts and cherries. Add oil and toss to coat. Add banana liquid, nuts and cherries. Mix well. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop the cookie mixture on a non-stick baking sheet (I wound up using two baking sheets, with six mounds on each). Spray olive oil spray on a metal spatula and flatten each mound a bit. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until nice and golden.

Keep these refrigerated. They’ll last about 3 days this way, otherwise, they’ll go bad!

Book Review: The Paleo Diet for Athletes By Loren Cordain PhD and Joe Friel MS

I have to begin this review by saying, as I often do, that no one diet works for everyone. Some people may need the discipline that diets provide; however, as humans we’re constantly evolving and what worked for us one year may not work for us today.

With that said, I have had several athlete clients ask me what I think of the Paleo Diet for Athletes. I read through it with my reviewer’s eye. There are parts of this nutritional formula that I think are critical to follow and then there are parts that I think could potentially hinder an endurance athlete’s performance, and more importantly provoke cardiovascular disease later in life.

The Paleo Diet for Athletes is structured in five stages: what one should eat right before exercise (Stage 1), what one should eat during exercise (Stage 2), what one should eat immediately after exercise (Stage 3), what one should eat within a couple hours of exercise (Stage 4) and what one should continue eating the rest of the day (Stage 5).

For Stage 1, pre-race, Cordain and Friel argue that the athlete simply needs 200-300 calories of a simple sugar and fluids. They recommend 2 gel packs. They claim that this will satisfy hunger, replenish glycogen from an overnight fast, reestablish normal body fluid levels, optimize performance and prepare the body to quickly recover after the workout. For pre-exercise their formula is essentially the same with added protein. They say that lower glycemic index carbs are okay if you have time to spare between eating and racing/exercising. They recommend an apple because it’s fructose and digits slowly. This is not necessarily true. Basically they “ban” complex carbs like oats, or whole grain toast. I think it is WAY too much of a risk to neglect complex carbs before a race especially. The speed at which muscular glycogen is used depends on the person…consuming whole grains and other sources of complex carbs is the primary way for an athlete to assure he has fuel in his tank. I have known too many athletes to bonk in the middle of the race because they had only simple carbs for breakfast.

For Stage 2, eating during exercise, the authors emphasize hydration and electrolyte consumption. They also emphasize the need for some protein (4:1 carb to protein ratio) in ultra-distance events. I agree with the authors for the most part here as the protein will prevent muscle wasting. However, the authors only emphasize getting nutrition from liquids. I disagree here. I think having a healthy bar, some fig Newmans, bananas, etc. in ADDITION to electrolyte drinks are important especially for cyclists whereby eating will not hinder their performance by cramping. The authors’ advice may work well though for runners.

For Stage 3, the authors emphasize again a 4:1 or 5:1 carb to protein food choice to replace lost carb stores and to re-synthesize protein damaged during exercise. They suggest going for a high glycemic carb to get the glucose to the muscles quickly. They also emphasize hydrating. I totally agree with this stage and even like the “homemade brew” that they suggest.

For stage 4, the authors recommend fruits, veggies and lean protein (sample meal = 6 oz. turkey breast, apple, grape juice, coffee). Stage 5 are similar suggestions with added healthy fats (from fish, nuts, etc.) every couple of hours. These stages I agree partly with. The goals are to maintain glycogen stores, balance maintain a healthy PH, optimize weight, and prevent or reduce inflammation. These stages fluctuate a bit during different stages of periodization but the goals and food suggestions are similar. I agree that healthy fats in Stage 5 are important and WILL reduce inflammation. I also think eating every couple of hours is important for proper recovery. Other than that, I have some gripes that deserve their own paragraph.

The authors are suggesting the athletes have grape juice? I’m sorry but continuing to have simple sugars like that will prevent the athletes from being able to absorb nutrients as sugar robs the body of nutrients. Being unable to absorb nutrients = being unable to recover!!! And the acid-alkaline thing, yes I agree that it’s important to avoid having too acidic of an environment, otherwise, your kidneys rely on calcium from your bones to break down acids and athletes can not afford to have this happen to their bones. However, the authors again shun legumes and whole grains claiming they are acidic….but not all of them are!!! Buckwheat, bulgar, quinoa, lentils, spelt and lima beans are quite alkaline and oats aren’t that acidic either. Also, because the authors are pushing veggies and fruits, they fail to mention that some of these are very acidic (pomegranates, raspberries, and mandarin oranges to name a few). The authors make no mention of sprouted breads and seeds and how this is one great way to assure an alkaline environment.

I do like that Cordain and Friel advise consuming organic fruit and veggies as much as possible because you will get more nutrients form them than you will from conventional fruits and veggies. And veggies and fruits are ESSENTIAL for athletes as they need many antioxidants to stay healthy. Whole grains and legumes have antioxidants too though!!! Maybe the authors shun grains because many athletes go for the refined grains…breads, pastas, etc. I mean most race I go to still continue to have pasta dinners the night before (and I bring my rice cooker and make my own meal = ) ). So all in all, the main element that makes me not want to recommend this book is the shunning of legumes and whole grains. All the recent research on whole grains and legumes has found that the fiber and complex carbohydrate combination keeps your cholesterol and weight in check, and prevents cardiovascular disease. And I can tell you that ALL of my athlete clients will attest that whole grains have given them so much more energy in and outside of their sport.

I’ve found the ideal whey protein. . . now let’s just hope it tastes good!

As many of you know, not only am I a holistic nutritionist, but also, I’m a holistic sports nutritionist. Now, let me tell you, this can be one challenging profession!

Why? Well, first of all, I primarily work with endurance athletes: runners, cyclists, triathletes. I’ve been a competitive runner for 20 years myself. Endurance athletes need a lot of calories! They also need a way to get protein and nutrients into their body quickly after working out (within 45 minutes ideally)! As a proponent of wholesome nourishing foods, it’s difficult for me to endorse many sports nutrition products as they are extremely processed, which in the long run, I hate to say, will result in setbacks for these athletes.

However, I’m also a realist. I understand that it isn’t always possible to prepare a healthy meal after an intense endurance workout. There are only so many hours in a day. I do not promote soy protein (that’s another blog in and off itself – a lot of research has been conducted on the harmful effects of soy. In smalll quantities and especially if it is fermented (miso, tempeh, etc.), it can be a healthy add-on to any diet, but not in bulk quantities). Whey protein is an easy way to get in some healthy protein after a workout and will help your muscles to recover. Because of the naturally occurring branched chain amino acids in whey, you will also find that it will prevent you from becoming burnt out from your workouts.

A lot of whey protein mixes can be incredibly processed. Some harmful ingredients include malodextrin, yeast, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, or sweeteners like Acesulfame Potassium. You want to make sure that the whey is organic or at least from cows that have not been given the rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). Also avoid “texturized” whey protein (as it likely has MSG in it).

I believe that athletes shouldn’t have to spend a fortune to pursue their passion and goals (We already know how expensive equipment can be). So, when I research the ideal products for clients, I also bear in mind the cost. Happily, the Wegman’s generic whey protein meets my high standards. However, the ultimate winner of the best whey protein for me is the California Academy of Health’s Whey protein. They have research to back up their all-natural ingredient list. And the way that they process their whey provides for an extensive amount of amino acids that will support a healthy immune system and ultimate muscle recovery. Additionally, their whey actually has fiber (unlike Wegmans). I presume this is because the CAOH’s whey protein has more L-Glutamine, which is probably the most needed ingredient for great intestinal health. To order this product, or to read more about it, click here.