Friday Q&A and ... I Can FLY!

Happy Saturday! Your Friday Q&A follows...

I HAVE WINGS! I Can Fly! That's right I just picked up a fresh pair of Salomon 'Wings' from Valhalla Pure http://www.valhallapure.com/index.php to replace my old packed out training trail runners. And...BONUS they are on sale right now so I knocked $20 off!

I know I know - I winged about these wings alot last year. Me winging during training runs : "They are too squishy. They are to sloppy".

So why am I buying them again for the 09 season? Well, although they would never perform as a race or performance shoe their extra squishy cushy ride is great for decreasing impact during training runs. I have pretty sensitive legs and need more cush than most to avoid flare ups with the old compartment syndrome so the trade off between responsiveness and cushioning is an easy one for me. Squish squish. Running on clouds is great for training...but when I want to turn on the jets it is time to slip on my racing Salomons! Kinda like shaving your body before a swim meet...right? I am not a swimmer. So sorry if I offend. Next.

I HAVE MAGNETS! They are cool! As part of our revamped logo launch I had some super cool magnets printed off with the front of my new business cards...get them before their gone! I will be giving them out at next weeks classes...I bet you just can't wait.

I HAVE AN IDEA FOR US MOUNTAIN BIKERS. I was in my bike shop today- Mountain City Cycle http://mountaincitycycles.com/and John and Jason were fixing up my brakes for me so I am no longer torturing myself by riding with my front brake under 50% resistance and cursing on the climbs while I continue to mash my granny gear looking for JUST ONE MORE GEAR. Sorry about that but it has been a brutal 2 weeks and I should know better than try to change my own brake pads. So back to my great idea....

I asked the boys to put on a mini-workshop to teach us (me) how to fix our (my) bike on the trail! It is all fine and dandy to get your bike tuned up and tip top in the shop, but what do you do when the %$#@ hits the fan in the bush? So, they are going to put on a 'Macgiver your bike' night as soon as I can round up a crew to join me in the next couple of months. Perhaps we will learn some new uses for duct tape...email if interested: elmhealth@shaw.ca

FRIDAY Q&A

Q: How much protein should I be eating? And what else besides tofu can I eat for vegetarian protein? Thanks! Sarah (Ok I made this one up...I admit it...but it is a very interesting topic)

A: Such a great question Sarah! The current recommended daily caloric intake for healthy adults is 55-65% carbohydrates, 15-20% protein, 20-30% fat (with no more than 10% of this coming from saturated fat), 64-80 oz of water and specific amounts of vitamins and minerals. Athletes and individuals with specific health needs, however, may require different amounts of these nutrients.

WHAT ARE PROTEINS?
Macronutrient comprised of chains of “building blocks”, known as amino acids.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I EAT?

AVERAGE PERSON-NON ATHLETE: 12-20% of daily food value or 0.8grams of protein, per kilogram of body weight, per day.
ENDURANCE ATHLETES: 1.2-1.6 g/kg/day
POWER ATHLETES: 1.6-1.7g/kg/day

Proteins are essential for the development and repair of body tissues including tendons, ligaments, muscles, and skin. Protein is also imprortant for the synthesis of hormones, enzymes and antibodies that keep our body systems running smoothly. As well, proteins are digested more slowly than carbs and will leave you feeling full longer. Aim for 2-3 palm sized servings of lean protein per day.

Some examples of high protein foods are:
1 Egg 7 g
3 oz Tuna 24 g
3 oz Chicken Breast 30 g
2tbs Peanut Butter 9 g
½ C Cottage Cheese 12 g *scroll down for a BIG list of ideas for using cottage cheese*

Vegetarians need to consume foods that contain 'complimentary proteins' to ensure they are getting adequate amounts of ‘complete protein’ (all amino acids) every day. This is known as 'mutual supplementation'.

Did you know? Soy and Quinoa are the only 2 vegetable based protein sources that are 'complete proteins' with all the essential amino acids.

Examples of complimentary vegetarian proteins include:

Grains & Seeds: Bread with sesame seed spread, rice with sesame seeds
Grains & Milk: Cereal with milk, pasta with milk or cheese
Grains & Legumes: Rice and beans, legume soup with bread

100 WAYS WITH COTTAGE CHEESE

If you can do dairy, than cottage cheese is a great option: high in protein, low in fat (choose 1% or 2%), great source of calcium and very versatile. Here are some ideas that our Bootcamp recruits came up with to combine with cottage cheese:

• Combine with green peas, fresh grated parmesan cheese
• Atop a fresh green salad, with chickpeas and sunflower seeds
• As a dip for cut raw veggies
• Mixed with Pineapple
• In place of half the milk in pancakes
• Baked into lasagna or any recipe calling for cheese
• Mix with applesauce
• Mix with equal parts tuna and serve in a sandwich
• Mix equal parts CC and favourite flavour of yogurt, top with fruit.
• Mix equal parts CC and salsa, serve with tortilla chips
• Lay out deli style low fat ham or turkey, spoon CC on top, top with a slice of tomato or cucumber, season with s&p, roll and eat.
• Mix over med. heat for a few mins, 1/2c CC, chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, 1/2 clove of garlic crushed. Toss with hot pasta.
• CC pancakes. 2-3 eggs, 1c CC, honey or 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1c uncooked oatmeal. Place ingredients (in order) into a blender. once mixed, cook as you would pancakes. Optional ingredients, banana, cinnamon, vanilla. Eat plain or top with fruit or syrup
• Mix 1/2c CC, fresh herbs(basil, chives), s&p to taste, serve over a hot baked potato.
• Scoop potato out of baked potatoes and mix with equal parts CC, season with s&p, add chives. Fill potato skins, top with a spoonful of CC place under broiler for a few min.
• Use CC instead of meat for a vegetarian enchilada.
• With oatmeal and fruit for a breakfast bake-see the recipe below from a Bootcamp Survivor:
  'The recipe'2 eggs, beaten3/4 c milk or yogurt1 c oats1 small apple, diced (or other fruit)vanillacinnamonPreheat 350º, mix together, pour into buttered pie plate, bake 30-40 minutes, let cool a bit.
  

Perhaps you have another favorite use for cottage cheese? Send it my way and I will add it to our list...as we aim to reach 100 ways to use cottage cheese!

SS