Summer Farmer's Markets

Happy Summer Break! Although you are not living the daily routine of the school year right now, that does not mean your nutrition takes a break. The summer is a great time to eat fresh produce when it is in season. Wherever you live, take advantage of local farmer's markets. Not only are you supporting local businesses, but you are also getting the best of your local fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Click here for a directory of farmer's markets in your area. 

Now here is a recipe that you can use with vegetables typically found at the market. It is from a food blog, The Kitchn, One-Pot Recipe: Easy French Ratatouille. 

Photo credit: thekitchn.com

Green Smoothie Recipes

Photo Credit: twopeasandtheirpod.com

I love green smoothies (I have mentioned that before on this blog!). I found this link that provides a great list of smoothies for you to try.

Click Here!

Sheep's hearts in plum sauce

This is a nice dish. I imagine the sauce would be quite good with other dark, gamy meats, like wild duck, wild goose or possibly wild boar.

To serve 6:
6 lamb's or sheep's hearts
100 g flour
butter for frying
salt and pepper
6 well ripe plums (it doesn't say which kind, but the photo with the recipe shows red plums with yellow flesh - BTW, don't expect to see any such thing when the dish is

Sheep's hearts cooked in red wine

This is a nice recipe for lamb's or sheep's hearts. Hearts from an adult sheep will need slightly longer cooking than lamb hearts.

To serve 4.

4 lamb or sheep hearts

Marinade:
100 ml table vinegar
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 laurel leaves
salt and pepper

For cooking:
100 g butter
100 g smoked bacon, finely chopped
10-15 shallots, sliced
1-2 tbsp

Thoughts on Supplements

I get asked about supplements a lot. In fact, I just gave a presentation about it last weekend. My take home message from that talk, which I would like to share with you, is this: 

“In the sports world, where millions of products with special ingredients are marketed with claims of enhanced performance, it is ironic that sports foods containing an everyday nutrient (carbohydrate) may be best able to deliver on these claims.”

 -British Journal of Sports Medicine

There are so many products that promise everything, literally! However, the best thing you can do (and most delicious!) is to make sure you are meeting your energy demands, or calorie, by eating enough carbohydrate. That is the fuel your body really needs. Consider adding sport drinks, gels, or other food products that are rich in carbohydrate to supplement your training and leave the other stuff alone. I think you will be happy with the results!

Reference:

BJSM reviews: A–Z of supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance Part 2Br J Sports Med 2009;43:10 807-810

Stress and Food Cravings

How well do you handle your stress? Stress is a part of life, but there are ways to help cope. Do you think that it causes you to choose unhealthy foods? Read this article from Food & Nutrition Magazine, "Does Stress Lead to Food Cravings and Weight Gain?" Follow the simple steps outlined:

1. Relax! Physical relaxation techniques.
2. Change your thoughts. Be positive!
3. Get out and move
4. Connect and confide
5. Think small. Small steps to big changes!

Sport Smoothies

I received a media request yesterday to talk about smoothies. That got me thinking about the infinite ways to make smoothies and how popular they are with athletes. Important points to consider while making your smoothie:

• Overall calorie content. It is easy to keep putting things in the blender, but if you take time to add up the calories, are you still keeping things in check? Some of you may have the goal to gain weight, but not everyone. Packing 1,000 calories into a smoothie will do just that! 
• Basic ingredients to include: 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1 cup mixed fruit and vegetables (don't be scared to make green smoothies!), and ice. My tip is to blend ingredients together BEFORE adding the ice. After that, then add the ice to blend into a smoothie. Adding the ice too soon may cause it to melt more quickly. 
• Other ingredients that can be good to add to a smoothie: protein powder, chia or flax seeds, and oatmeal.

What are your favorite smoothie combinations?