Nutrition Bit: Oatmeal by Robert Esparza, Dietetic Student

Most days of the week, oatmeal is an important part of my breakfast meals. Let's revisit the goodness of oatmeal and be reminded why it is good for us. Here, one of my dietetic students, Robert Esparza, shares with us some nutrition bits about oatmeal.

Robert Esparza will be graduating with his MS in nutrition and dietetics a month from now.  Loma Linda University will be soon proud to call him an alumnus.  Robert has been an outstanding student with great work ethic and will make a wonderful contribution to the world of nutrition.



Enjoy the goodness of oatmeal and make it a part of your healthy lifestyle!

If you are interested in becoming a registered dietitian, please visit Loma Linda University's website. www.llu.edu/nutrition.

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What is your favorite morning cereal and why?



Product Review: Accel Gel

Variety is the spice of life and that includes changing up sports aids for my palate. Last year, I was really into using solely sports chews and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I'm the type that eating the same thing over and over can make my taste buds get into a state of burn-out.

For my long runs this year, I have put back in the gels. I still do not like them one hundred per cent, because of the "stickiness factor". However, I have been feeling really good on my long runs taking Accel Gel on a schedule. What I love about this product is that it has 5 gms of protein in every pouch. However, it is one of the lower ones in carbohydrate offering only 20 grams of carbohydrate. The recommendation is to take in 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate every hour of your run or ride. The supplemental protein in the gel certainly stabilizes blood sugars better, making me feel really good from start to finish.

This may not be the gel for you, but it is worth giving it a try. Your run or ride may be more enjoyable if you infuse your activity with a few grams of protein every hour. If "Accel Gel" is new for you, start slow and see how your digestive system handles it.

Cheers to your next long run or ride!

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What is your favorite sports gel, chew, or beans and why?

Flexible or Not to Be Flexible?

Did you think I was going to talk about yoga? Well, guess what? This is not a post about yoga.  I'm talking about work-out routines and plans.  Are you one that likes to have each day of the week planned out as to which days are allocated for cardio and which days are allocated for weight training and that it is the same schedule from week to week to week? This is where you don't want to deviate from your routine, because it helps you stay on track of your program.  If this is what works for you, then by all means, you have got to stick with this plan.

On the other hand, you might be like me.  I need to have variety or flexibility within my week from week to week to week; otherwise, if I stay with the same routine from week to week, then for my personality, this would lead to burn-out...again, for my type. When training for a marathon, I like to have the same day of the week-end for my long runs, but then I switch up my days during the week for my short runs, my mountain bike ride, weight training, and yoga and even switch up yoga instructors. This mix up routine from week to week keeps me refreshed in a sense and I don't get tired of training.  So, does this sound like you?  This certainly works for us who always needs variety in life.  If this is you, then either continue with this plan or try this plan out.

Being flexible in our work-out programs and routines or staying regimented from week to week is not wrong at all. We have to experiment and go with the flow that works best for our personality and make-up. If your current work-out routine hasn't worked well for you, try the other way, whichever way that may be for you.  See if it prevents burn-out and keeps you staying motivated to keep moving. The basic bottom line of all this is, don't ever stop exercising or working out. It's one of the several important elements to keep our bodies, the temple of God, in tip top shape so that we may be able to love and care for those around us.

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Please feel free to share your work-out schedule with us and what has worked best for you. 

Call 'Em On It!

When out on a training run or ride, many of us have learned to depend on gels, chews, or jelly beans for fuel. They come in extremely handy when it comes to taking in carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium during those longs rides and runs.  These important nutrition elements are crucial in helping us feel good and energetic from start to finish. 

Last week when I was about to purchase a few gels at our local bike shop, I looked at the expiration date on the gels.  I was so disappointed and in disbelief when I saw that the "use by" date on the gel packaging was over two months ago! I immedately went to one of the workers at the bike shop and called him on it. Needless to say, he was embarrassed and tried to brush off that "oversight".

This is not a matter to take lightly. Any food item with an expiration date should not be taken into the body, because who knows what kind of situation you could be placed in.  Food that is beyond an expiration date can possibly make any individual sick and not feel good.  Beyond the expiration date, food can get terribly spoiled even in a gel form.

Be an advocate for yourself.  Look at those expiration or "use by" dates.  Let the store manager know if there are any nutritional supplements that are expired. Call him or her on it! Don't think that just because you are in a reputable sports store you are safe purchasing any "food item" there.  Look out for yourself and for everyone else who will be purchasing those same nutritional sport aids as you.  We would all be doing ourselves a big favor when we are looking for each other's health and making sure we all have a good run or ride!

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What situation have you found yourself in looking at expired food items at a store?

Bottom Line...Make it Do

It was almost 6:00 earlier this evening and the weather cooled to a perfect temperature. I was getting excited that my mountain bike ride and running hill repeats afterwards was going to be so enjoyable in this cooler temp!  After putting my front tire on my bike and pumping up the tires, I proceeded to put on my helmet and gloves.  Last, but not least, I was about to switch to my mountain biking shoes...or so I thought.

Oh my heart sank when I realized I only brought my left shoe!!  I have clipless pedals, so I need my special cleats underneath my shoes.  I have no idea, in this whole wide world, why I was so absent-minded and only packed one shoe.  I thought...well, I should just only run then...but, no...I was really looking forward to riding too...I don't want to leave here disappointed...I better make this ride happen somehow some way my brain commanded!  I also thought...just like Nike says..."Just do it!".  I had also taken a picture and sent it to Tom of my shoes.  He replied with a text saying "Make it do or do without". 

Ever since I switched to clipless pedals, there instantaneously was no turning back!  It definitely makes me feel one with the bike with greater "power".:)  Not being connected to my pedals has been a foreign thought and feeling now.  However, I proceeded to ride with one mountain biking shoe and one running shoe.  If anyone was going to laugh or stare, I was going to not care one bit.

I'm so glad I went on with my wonderful ride looking "unique" at my feet.  If anyone noticed, maybe they thought I'm trying to start a new trend...so be it.  So, on the days you plan your work-out and you haven't brought all you need, just proceed...make it do or do without.  The workout/exercise can still happen somehow or some way.  Well, let me take that back...one exception.  If you forget your helmet, don't ride...and just run.  Never ever ride without a helmet.  However, back to my "message" here, nothing should stop you when you have plans to exercise regardless the situation.  Bottom line...Make it Do!

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What situation have you found yourself in which you didn't have all you need for your exercise and what did you do?

Recipe Redux: Spearmint Green Drink

This month's Recipe Redux's theme is fun!  It is "Green with Herb Envy".  We are to use a green herb in a non-traditional way.  Since I have gotten into making myself a green drink/smoothie most days of the week for the past three months, I thought...hey, why not add some spearmint into my green drink.  Now before I go on, I am NOT, NOT, NOT one of those that advocates for ONLY juicing diets or ONLY blended fruits and vegetable diets. I have added a blended green drink to my nutrition intake to add variety and a fun way of taking in fruits and vegetables, but NOT to replace eating fruits and vegetables in its natural form.

So, there are a ton of recipes out there for making "green drinks/smoothies" and basically, you don't need a recipe.  You just throw in whatever fruits and vegetables your heart desires. However, when I added a handful of spearmint leaves to my usual "mix", it sure added a nice different dimension to my already delicious green drink! Therefore, I present my non-recipe Spearmint Green Drink

Directions:
Have your blender ready to go.  I love using my decade old Vitamix.  This is what I added:

I cut up and cored an apple, unpeeled a banana and threw threw them into the Vitamix.

From Trader Joe's, I used the ready to go kale and threw in a handful of it in the blender.  Maybe it was about 1 cup or so.

Then I threw in some frozen mixed berries.

I added a couple tablespoons of the powdered green drink mix from Trader Joe's and about a cup of almond milk.

Last but not least, I threw in the spearmint leaves, which maybe might have been about 2 tablespoons or so.

I turned the Vitamix on high until a smooth texture was achieved.

After pouring the drink into a glass, I topped it off with a couple spearmint leaves.  

This turned out to be so cool and refreshing to the palate.  If you ever try this non-recipe one day, I hope you enjoy it!













Please take a look down below at the other wonderful recipes contributed by my fellow Recipe Reduxers!

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What is your favorite smoothie drink that you make at home?

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It's True What They Say..."Variety is the Spice of Life"!

When going out to eat, do you just stick to the usual? Maybe the usual for you might be American, Mexican, Italian, and Chinese over and over again. What about being adventurous and expand the experiences of your taste buds to other types of food like Soul food, Mediterranean, Vietnamese, Indian, Peruvian, Thai, or Filipino?  It's always exciting to try out other textures, flavors, herbs, and spices that are delivered in a wonderful dish.

There are various reasons why we don't like certain ethnic foods. There might have been times you tried other certain types of food, but was eaten around a bad experience or memory. Sometimes this may cause a person not to like that particular type of food and is not revisited. I'm sure not many people are like this next example, but one person I knew has a strong running streak of racisim in this individual's blood (I know...sad), so this kept this person from enjoying a certain type of food for many years. Another reason why we might think we don't like a particular type of food is because we were never introduced to it, so our taste buds never cared for it in the first place.

As we move forward in life, let's do our best with God's help to let go of the past. Moving forward with a loving, positive attitude in life can help us enjoy each day more and more, despite the challenges we face every day. This may sound a little silly, but don't deprive yourself of some good food out there just because it was eaten on a difficult day way back in the past. That negative experience is long gone. Give that particular type of ethnic food a try once again. Treating yourself to amazing ethnic food you haven't ever tried in life or will revisit once again might give you a surprising, pleasant palatable experience.

It might be boring eventually to stick to one type of exercise activity over and over again, not to mention over use and burn out. It's best for our muscles and brain to engage in different activities to keep things fresh. So, the parallel here is if we eat the same type of food over and over again, our taste buds might get burn out. Therefore, during those occassional times you go out to eat, venture out once in a while on an ethnic or type of food you normally don't eat or like and add some variety to spice up your life a bit through good food!

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What is an ethnic or type of food you are going to revisit or willing to try for the first time for 2013?