Can I offer you a drink?

When I have company over these days, I am delighted to offer them a drink because I get to share with them my latest experiment: Iced Pomegranate Green tea with sliced lime. It's so refreshing and so excellent for you. Green tea is filled with disease fighting antioxidants as are pomegranates. And the limes add such a refreshing tang (think of the way that limes make your Corona actually taste good).

Here's how to make it. Bring a large teapot almost to a boil (green tea tastes better when the water isn't too hot. With piping-hot water, you will actually "overcook" the green tea, making it taste bitter). Pour water in a 2-quart pitcher. Add 4 tea bags. Let brew for an hour. Slice two limes. Toss limes and a tray of ice cubes in pitcher. Refrigerate for an hour and voila, it's ready to enjoy!

My First TRI in YEARS!!!

This past weekend I had the GREAT pleasure of competing in the Mini-Musselman Triathlon. This is a pretty big deal for me. I casually competed in tris years ago, and got the itch to do them again a couple of years ago. And obstacles kept creeping in the way of my ability to compete. An illness here, an injury there. You know how it goes. This year I was determined to recover from yet another injury (a herniated disc and torn hamstring) and I was GOING TO COMPETE in a triathlon.

I registered for the Mini Mussel in April; at that point I was still unable to run after my injury, which happened in December! In June, I began running again (on trails), and July 4, I ran a 4-mile race just to see if running was possible - and I didn't do all that bad - 32:40. My legs were killing for four days though b/c it was my first time running on pavement since the winter. I rolled them out on a foam roller and felt good to go when we left for Geneva, NY on July 10.

I had a wonderful fueling meal the night before the race (I BROUGHT MY RICE COOKER WITH ME). I had steamed asparagus on brown rice with rotisserie chicken (sans the skin). I also had a big salad with mixed baby greens, cucumbers, olives, and avocado.

In the morning, bright and early, I had some hearty granola with rice milk. And at 9:04 AM, I was OFF in Seneca Lake. I took the swim slow (500 yards in the water and about 100 yards into the transition area in just over 11 minutes). The bike was hard, but I passed quite a few people on the climbs, which made me feel strong. I did the 15.7 miles in 56 minutes. And the run was difficult - I haven't even done a brick workout this year so I totally forgot that jello-leg feeling. My 5K was 28:00. But I did it and placed pretty decently in my age group! Next year, I'm aiming for a total time of 1 hour 35 minutes, now that I know what to expect. There will be one or more tris this year. I'm just so psyched to be healthy and competing again!

I think everyone should TRY A TRI (even if it's just once). It's so much fun!

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love

As you are probably learning about me, I read A LOT. Isn't this a requirement for writers? And I don't particularly favor one genre over another, or one print form over another. I read magazines, the New York Times, academic journals, biographies, novels, and yes some chick lit. A woman needs to read some fluffy stuff every now and then!

You probably also realize that I'm not one to run out and get the latest NYT bestseller. I have far too many books on my "To Read" list to afford that luxury!

My latest read is Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love. Gilbert documents her incredible journey from depression and despair to self love and communion with God. Now, some of you may automatically think "chick-lit" but I assure you that it is not. The fact that this is a true story alone gives the book so much merit.

Gilbert's prose is witty, intelligent, and honest. Her journey starts on a bathroom floor crying in despair over her crumbling marriage, and moves through a divorce, an intense love affair, and onto the discovery that she needs a year to herself. And this is where the book comes in. She travels to Italy to delve into the joy of food, to an ashram in India to learn how to pray, and to Indonesia to learn from a medicine man, only to find the love of her life.

It's Gilbert's honesty that makes the book such a worthwhile read. Regardless of your religious beliefs or lack thereof, Gilbert's desire to connect to her God, and to live the life her God wants her to live is so powerfully revealed in her writing. My two favorite quotes in this book are:

"When you sense a faint potentiality for happiness after such dark times, you must grab onto the ankles of that happiness and not let it go until it drags you face first out of the dirt--this is not selfishness, but obligation. You were given life; it is your duty (and your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life no matter how slight."

"I want God to play in my bloodstream the way sunlight amuses itself on water."

This summer, I encourage you to read Eat, Pray, Love. I especially recommend this book for anyone who has recently experienced a painful divorce, or any form of despair. In addition to several nutrition articles from peer-reviewed journals, as well as Eating Well articles and my weekly New York magazine, I'm now reading Michael Cunningham's The Hours. Even though this book is fiction and has nothing to do with healthy living or nutrition, I may just have to write a review because the writing is brilliant.

Asparagus is in season!!!

The last time I was in New York City, I had to pick up some asparagus at the Union Square Green Market and I'm so glad that I did. All I did was simply steam it and it made the tastiest compliment to my grilled cajun catfish dinner.

I found some great asparagus recipes here. I intend to try them VERY soon. I encourage you to do the same!

Asparagus with Lemon olive oil and Parmesan

Asparagus Frittata with red bell peppers

Asparagus Bruschetta

Asparagus Casserole
(I'd lower the fat content in this by using 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup wheat germ instead of 1/2 cup Parmesan )

Okay, I'll stop spewing off recipes now. I'm starting to remind myself of Forrest Gump:

"There's, um, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp . . . "

Seriously, asparagus is a great great compliment to your spring and summer meals! I recently wrote an article about it. If you want to know more, keep reading:

Asparagus - Your Luxury Veggie

Asparagus is such a versatile vegetable—it’s tasty raw and steamed, it’s delicious in risottos and quiches, and it’s even a popular side at the most esteemed steakhouses in the world! In fact, asparagus has always been considered a luxury vegetable. It was highly prized in ancient Rome, Egypt, and Greece. In Europe, its status thrived under the reign of Louis XIV, who encouraged its production. Here are just some of the reasons why you should welcome this luxury vegetable into your diet:

- Asparagus is rich in iron, boasting about 15 percent of the daily-recommended value.

- Do you know that vegetarian forms of iron are much more absorbable when combined with foods rich in vitamin C? With asparagus, you have no need to worry about finding a food rich in vitamin C in order to absorb the iron because one cup of asparagus has more then 30 percent of the daily-recommended value of vitamin C.

- A rich source of folate (almost 70 percent of your daily recommended value), asparagus is EXCELLENT for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding as folate is essential for the production of new cells.

- Asparagus contains more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is great for the blood and your bones!

- Asparagus has a natural diuretic effect. This means that it can be effective in treating problems involving inflammation like arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, and PMS-related water retention. Inflammation is also involved in heart disease and cancer – so asparagus can help in prevention!

- Containing health-promoting “friendly” bacteria, asparagus is great for your intestines!

Though asparagus is grown throughout the spring here in Pennsylvania (and throughout most of the USA), it’s peaking these next couple of weeks! Stop by the Easton Farmer’s Market and pick up a bunch. There’s no better time than now to invite asparagus into your home. Buying it local is the way to go—it will stay fresher longer. To make it last close to a week, store it in your fridge, wrapped in a damp paper towel. If you’re feeling especially brave, try white asparagus (milder flavor than green asparagus) or purple asparagus (which has a fruity taste).

(Note: The photo of asparagus was taken by Maria Quiroga)

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.

BOOK REVIEW: THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA by MICHAEL POLLAN

While everyone is running out to grab Michael Pollan’s latest book In Defense of Food, I have just finished reading his copyrighted 2006 New York Times bestseller, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. What an incredibly thought-provoking account of the United States’ sad disconnect from the food that we eat.

As a holistic health counselor for the past six years, one of my goals has been to encourage people to ingest the most nourishing food as possible. I understand the reality of their situations and Pollan certainly confirms this reality in his book: we live in a culture of convenience. It’s hard to even find fresh food. Other concerns that people have is that organic or local food is expensive. Yes, it is, but you get what you pay for!

If you thought the truths exposed in Fast Food Nation or Supersize Me repulsed you wait until you read this book. Before reading the The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I already took ages to shop for groceries (I’m a manic label reader), but after reading this book, I don’t think anyone will ever want to step foot in a grocery store with me. For instance, did you know that the cyrystalline fuctose, ascorbic acid, dextrose, lactic acid, lysine, HFCS, xanthan gum, and modified or unmodified starch, are all derived from corn? I’ve strayed away from products with corn for years because I know that corn in this country is genetically modified and inauthentic. I feel as though we’re not meant to eat things that are artificial—it messes up the food chain! And up until reading this book, the only corn-derived “chemical” I knew of was high-fructose corn syrup. So, yes, you will learn a lot when you read this book.

I liked the structure of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It is broken into three parts: The first section discusses industrial farming; the second, organic food, both on the industrial level as well as the local level; and in the third section, Pollan experiments with hunting and gathering. Each section concludes with a meal representing the particular production of food-- a cheeseburger and fries from McDonald's; roast chicken, vegetables and a salad from Whole Foods; and grilled chicken, corn and a chocolate soufflé (made with fresh eggs) from a sustainable farm; and, finally, mushrooms and wild pig, from a forest near his home in California.

Pollan does an incredible job of submerging himself into the particular environments of each section. He visits industrial farms and even tries to follow the life of a particular cow from its birth two weeks prior to being shipped to an industrial farm to its death—steer 534, the poor fella. Pollan works on a small sustainable organic farm in Virginia and even participates in slaughtering the chickens (I certainly winced quite a bit here). Honestly though, Pollan reveals so many interesting facts about how unhealthy meat and processed food is in this country. For instance, when you read a label on chicken or beef that says “vegetarian-fed,” don’t let the marketing fool you. The vegetarian grains that these animals eat are highly processed granules of corn and soy. So unnatural!!!

Pollan has a sense of humor too. This book is satisfying on so many levels. After reading it, you will feel like an educated consumer and you will have had a few good laughs as well. Take for example Pollan’s first attempt at hunting—absolutely hysterical! All in all, this book only reaffirms my desire to bring health and wellness back to basics!!!

A Tasty Seasonal Salad

One of my favorite salads to make is an arugula salad with warm beets, goat cheese, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Last night, I made a delicious mushroom soup and planned to make this tasty arugula salad to accompany the soup, only to find out that I didn’t have goat cheese. So I improvised and came up with a beautiful red and green salad, perfect for the Christmas season!

Here’s the recipe!

Shannon’s Christmas Salad
Serves:2

Ingredients:
1 large beet, peeled, chopped into small cubes
4 cups of arugula rinsed
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup chopped pistachios
¼ cup pear-infused balsamic vinegar (or use regular balsamic vinegar)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Dash of sea salt

Directions: Boil chopped beets for 8 minutes. Toss beets, arugula, cherries, and pistachios. With a fork, mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, and salt. Pour dressing into salad and mix well. So tasty!