Month: February 2012

Planning Ahead and Supporting Soundtracks

So much of life seems random. We all encounter unexpected challenges. Planning what we can is a way of keeping a grasp on the reins of life, even if it is just our meal planning.

A few days ago, I made Herb-Crusted Chicken Thighs with a Feta Sauce and Mexican Corn as a side dish. It was a great meal. But although I knew that I would only need 4 pieces of chicken for the meal, I prepare eight pieces.  “Planned overproduction” is a nicer way of saying “I made leftovers.”  When you plan for this, it makes meals later in the week much easier and quicker to prepare.

Today’s lunch is a salad based on that earlier meal. I made a base of Napa cabbage, baby spinach and mixed greens. I topped it with one portion of Mexican corn, one Roma tomato diced, and 1/4 cup fresh blueberries. I topped that with one chicken thigh, cubed. For a dressing, I used one portion (1 tablespoon) of the feta sauce and thinned it with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Nutritional data for this meal:
Calories:    523
Fat:        35.3g
Sat fat:     8.1g
Chol:     89.8mg
Sodium:  729mg (almost from the Mexican corn)
Carbs:    33.5g
Fiber:       9.1g
Protein:  24.1g

My running is improving daily.  Today I broke the 10 minute mark (jogged for 10:02, which is 0.87 miles at 5.2 mph) and felt really good about it.  My knee started to hurt a little at about the 3 minute mark, but I pushed through it and the pain resolved.  I think I need to make sure I am warmed up better next time.

It helps to have music to help me push through the discomfort. I am not close to the point where jogging is “fun” yet. It is still work, but with the right music on my iPod it becomes less work and more of a achievable goal.  Here is one piece of music that has helped me make progress:

I like the insistent and pervasive nature of the brass and bass line, combined with the bright choral voices that seem to be locked in a chase with the heavier tone underneath. It seems to be a musical interpretation of death’s implacable assault, and the realization that death is part of life at the end of the piece.
Note:  Out of curiosity, I just Googled the piece. It is based on a 13th century Latin hymn, Dies Irae (Day of Wrath). It is pretty much as I interpreted it. Huh.  I honestly did not know that until I Googled it. 

Protein Breakfast Bake, Apple and Spice Variety

Mix ingredients together, pour into greased loaf pan (approximately 4”x8”).  All version bake at 350F for 14-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.  Do not overbake.  Serve warm (or cold) with whipped cream, Greek yogurt, or maple syrup.  Can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week.   (The flaxseed is optional, and is a great way to boost your Omega-3 fatty acid level.  When you use the flaxseed, one portion has 1.3 grams of O-3 fatty acids, which is approximately the same as 4 fish oil capsules!)

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium apple, cored, skin on, chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ c dried rolled oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon (or apple pie spice blend)
1 scoop (4 Tbsp) vanilla protein powder
2 Tbspn milled flax seeds
½ tsp baking powder
Nutritional Data:
Cal:            263
Fat:             5.2g
Sat Fat:       1.0g
Chol:           27mg
Sodium:     140mg
Carb:          34.g
Fiber:          6.2g
Protein:     17.9g

My transition into maintenance (oh, I just cringe at that word) is getting smoother. I have found a few new goals to work toward and that is what will keep me going.

And, for the record, I am not going to refer to it as that word anymore. In my mind, that is a stagnant word, descriptive of keeping status quo, of suggesting no further growth. Instead, I am actively pursuing a new balance point in my life. My weight is no longer the key issue (although, the reality is that my weight always be a point of consideration) but now I am focusing on greater physical fitness.

I remember back in my elementary school days, working toward the President’s Physical Fitness Test (or something like that) which involved running, jumping, throwing a softball, pull-ups (or more accurately described by my demonstrations, “hang-time”), and the worst, the rope climb. I was never an exemplar of physical fitness. I hated phy ed. And of course, I was terrible in all those tests.

Fast forward four decades. Now I have a different perspective. I no longer am comparing myself to classmates like  Jeff Dellenbach (who later played center for the NFL Dolphins, Patriots, Packers and Eagles), nor to any of the other faster and stronger kids of my school. I am competing against myself. I am comparing what I do today with what I did yesterday.

I started training for my 10K. When I was running earlier, before I really started training, I would just go outside and run. And would get winded immediately. Now I am working on a treadmill, at a set pace (5.2 mph, no incline at this time) and am timing myself. I guess that rather than jogging outside, I was sprinting. No wonder I was winded after one block.

My progress so far is that on Friday, I jogged 4:21 (min:sec) at 5.5 mph for 0.4 miles.  (A little too fast.)
Saturday, I jogged 6:25 at 5.0 mph for 0.52 miles. (A little too slow.)
Sunday, I was able to jog continuously for 6:45 at 5.2 mph, which was 0.59 miles. (A nice pace.)
This morning, I completed 7:30, at 5.2mph, for 0.65 miles. I was also able to get my breathing back to normal in 60 seconds today after finishing the jog. That suggests that I am increasing my endurance.

My goal is to add 0.05 miles (or more) each day. That will get me to 6.2 miles about 2.5 weeks before the race.

I also bought a bike. It’s nothing fancy, but it will get me back on the road riding, for another form of exercise. And I am using my weight machine. (I’ll have to get photos of each of those tools soon.) A variety of exercise types will keep things fresh and prevent stagnation.

I have my iPod up and running, with fast-paced music of a wide variety for inspiration. I will start listing my jogging play lists (as soon as I have proper play lists) which should be good for a chuckle or two, because I listen to diverse music. I will soon add a C25K program (or more like a program for 10K races) but first I want to teach myself a good jogging pace, so I will use the treadmill for another week or so.

Bottom line: Get off your bottom. Jog. Bike. Swim. Zumba. Yoga. Pilates. P90X. Find something that gets you motivated and get moving. I used to hate running. Now … well, let’s just say that “hate” is not the correct word anymore. It’s a long way from “love”. Sort of at the “tolerating” stage. But it is another tool that I need to keep me healthy. 

Herb-Crusted Chicken Thighs with Mexican Corn

This recipe could be made using boneless/skinless chicken breasts, but thighs stand up to the heat of frying much better, have more flavor and are juicier.  They have a bit more fat, but I think it is worth it.

Herb-Crusted Chicken Thighs

8 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of your preferred herb/herb blend (I used Penzey’s Tuscan Sunset.)

5 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1.  Mix panko crumbs and herbs.  Press chicken thighs into this, coating both sides.
2.  Heat large non-stick skillet.  Spray with cooking spray.
3.  Place chicken thigh in skillet.  You may need to make two separate batches.
4.  Pan fry over medium heat, approximately 5 minutes.  Turn over and fry another 5 minutes.
5.  Remove from skillet and finish remaining thighs.
6.  While thighs are cooking, combine cheese, oil and lemon juice, stirring to make a thick sauce.

Serve 1 tablespoon sauce on each thigh.

Nutritional data, per thigh:
Calories: 168
Fat:         9.2g
Sat fat:    2.5g
Chol:       75mg
Sodium: 241mg
Carbs:       5g
Fiber:     0.2g
Protein:   17g

Nutritional data, per tablespoon of sauce:
Calories:  65
Fat:           5.9g
Sat fat:      2.8g
Chol:      14.8mg
Sodium:185.9mg
Carbs:      1.1g
Fiber:          0g
Protein:    2.4g

Mexican Corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 jalapeno, diced (more if desired)
1-2 avocadoes, diced

Makes 4 serving, approximately 1/2 cup of corn/tomato mixture each, with 1/4 avocado on top

1.  Heat non-stick skillet.  Add drained corn, tomatoes and jalapeno.  Cook over medium heat until heated through and the tomatoes start losing their shape.
2. When ready, serve on a plate, and top with avocado.

Nutritional data:
Calories:   115
Fat:             5.8g
Sat fat:        0.7g
Chol:             0mg
Sodium:  262.8mg
Carbs:       15.1g
Fiber:          4.9g
Protein:       2.2g

Grilled Chicken Wings

3 pounds chicken wings, single joint
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
6 Tablespoons olive oil
8 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp onion powder (not onion salt)
1 tsp ground black pepper

1.  Dry wings. Place in gallon-sized Ziplock bag.
2.  Combine the next 5 ingredients, pour over wings.
3.  Seal the bag.  “Massage” the wings so that the marinade covers everything.
4.  Place in refrigerator overnight.
5.  Preheat grill on high for 5 minutes.  Clean the grate. Rub the clean grate with a paper towel dipped in canola oil to help prevent the wings from sticking.
6.  Grill wings directly on the grate, in a single layer, over medium heat.  Have an aluminum pan to one side, not over heat, that can be used as a “rescue zone” when the grill flares up. It WILL flare up.

(Much of the butter/oil mixture will drip off.  Based on a pre-weight/post-weight, I calculate that approximately half of the butter/oil mix is lost to the cooking process.  The nutritional data reflects that calculation.)

7.  While the wings grill, you can sprinkle them with the spice blend of your choice. I am using a mild Penzey salt-free blend, 33rd and Galena. You could instead use a hot pepper powder (cayenne, chipotle or habanero), or a milder spice (paprika or ancho peppers). You can also use a salt-based spice blend (Old Bay Seasoning or Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, I like both of these).  Try new flavors and find what you like.
8.  Serve warm or cold. No dressing or dip is needed with my version, but they would taste great with a honey-mustard salad dressing as a dip.

Nutritional data (approximate, as noted above), per piece:
Calories:   112
Fat:            9.4g
Sat fat:       2.7g
Chol:          36mg
Sodium:      98mg
Carbs:        0.3g
Fiber:         0.0g
Protein:      7.6g

Superbowl (but not “or bust”!)

Today is the Superbowl. The Packers are not playing in it, so my interest lies more in watching the unique and hopefully entertaining TV commercials than in the results of the game. I’ll be at a neighbor’s house for a party, and am getting my head set for another event with food and drink at the center stage.  This mental preparation is another type of party planning, and has long term consequences far beyond the actual party.

The planning starts with breakfast. I want to have a good breakfast, with protein, fiber and fats, to make sure that I am never really hungry today. When I start with a hearty breakfast, the rest of the day is easier to control.  Today’s breakfast was four of my protein pancakes topped with strawberry Greek yogurt, two eggs fried up, and three ounces of leftover pork loin, pan fried with a bit of olive oil.

Total numbers for the breakfast:
Calories:     604
Fat:             18.1g    (23%)
Sat fat:             5g
Chol:           491mg
Sodium:       778mg
Carb:         70.7g     (40%)
Fiber:           18g
Protein:        65g     (37%)

Now I need to consider tonight’s party. What to eat? What to drink? I can’t really bring a scale along (well, I could, but I won’t) so I need to think of foods that are easily portioned. And I need to choose foods that won’t trigger a binge. That means I need to avoid chips. I LOVE chips. Any chips. All chips. They are my one true food weakness, my Frito Lay kryptonite.

I am bringing chicken wings. Not with hot sauce or Buffalo-style. The hot sauces are all heavily salted, and I generally avoid salt in my diet. This recipe is full of garlic, onion, and black pepper, with a combination of butter and olive oil. Just before grilling them, I will hit them with some Penzey’s 33rd and Galena salt-free spice blend.

I am also making two loaves of rye bread. It is hearty, thick, and chewy. It will fill me up faster and more rewarding than a handful of pretzels. It will also work well as a base for the one thing I purchased (pickled herring, sour cream style and vinegar style.) Yeah, I need some weird fish dish once in a while. 

I am bringing several large bottles of water, and two bottles of good beer. (Wisconsin’s Sprecher Brewing Company’s Seasonal Offering, Abbey Trippel.) That will be my way of limiting how my beer I will drink. If it’s not there, it is harder to drink. Of course, the fact that their house and ours share a common lot line means that I still need to exercise control, but I can do it.  (Note:  I only drank one bottle.)

I know there will be snack items that I will eat that are not on the “generally approved” list. I will still log them. And I will enjoy them. It is okay to eat unhealthy foods occasionally, but I believe that you must accept ownership of the foods. You stomach does not know that you are at a Superbowl party, and that those calories “don’t count”. If you want success, you need to follow the path every day. Log everything. Think before eating. And eat only what you really want.

Pan-Fried Fish with Spinach and Quinoa

Fish:
Season with your preferred spices. I do not use breading (it keeps the calories down and showcases the fish).  Heat a non-stick skillet and use cooking spray (or 1 tsp olive oil). Lay fish in skillet, turning once. The fish is done when it begins to flake. The time will depend on the type of fish and the thickness. These catfish fillets were 4 ounces, about 3/4 inch thick and took a total of about 6 minutes.

Nutritional data will vary with the species of fish.

Quinoa:
Make 3 servings, 1/2 cup each

1/2 cup dried quinoa
1 cup water

1.  Put quinoa in water.  Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer until the water is absorbed (approximately 15 minutes.)

Nutritional data:
Calories:   111
Fat:            1.8g
Sat fat:       0.0g
Chol:          0.0mg
Sodium:    6.5mg
Carbs:      19.7g
Fiber:         2.6g
Protein:      4.1g

Garlicky Sauteed Spinach:
Serves 2-4, depending on how much everyone likes spinach.  In our case, this made three servings.

15 ounces baby spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, sliced thin

1.  Heat your non-stick skillet (large, 11-12 inches).  Add olive oil.
2.  Add garlic, stir until it begins to brown (1-2 minutes.)
3.  Add half the spinach, tossing frequently for 1 minute. It will begin to wilt.
4.  Add remaining spinach, tossing constantly until the spinach is uniformly wilted (another 60-90 seconds.)  Serve immediately.

Nutritional data:
Calories:  83
Fat:          5.3g
Sat fat:     0.8g
Chol:          0mg
Sodium:  119mg
Carbs:      7.4g
Fiber:       3.4g
Protein:    4.7g

Cod, Catfish and Jogging

When we looked through the cookbook, we saw a recipe that was based on cod. We haven’t had cod in a while, so we put it on the menu. But I was in the mood for something different. When I went to the grocery store, I saw fresh catfish fillets. I bought some of each.

The side dishes were simple (steamed red quinoa, and a garlicky sauteed spinach.) I made a quick and easy pesto (2 Tablespoons dried basil, 1 clove garlic crushed, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons water.  Microwave for 1 minute and let it rest for 3-4 minutes.)

I rubbed the pesto on the cod and sprinkled a salt-free seasoning on the catfish (Penzey’s Forward).  I heated my skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and fried the fish about 4 minutes on a side.

It was an easy meal.  Everything was finished in the 15 minutes it took to make the quinoa.

Pesto Cod

Pan-Fried Catfish

That was the meal. But what about the jogging in the title of this post?  I am learning how to jog. Sounds crazy, right? What’s to learn? Just go out and run low. It is as simple as that.

But for the longest time, I thought that I had no stamina to run. Signing up for the Bellin Run was an act of faith, because I wasn’t able to run far at all. How was ever going to make 6.2 miles?

I was basing that opinion on faulty information. When I would take Ozzy for a walk, sometimes I woujld challenge him. We would run. Believe it or not, pugs can run pretty fast, and I was trying to keep up with him. I couldn’t. I failed at it.

Then I tried to jog alone. Same result. Failed before I made it to the end of the block. Wow. The Bellin Run was going to be a fiasco. But yesterday I tried our treadmill. I set the speed at 5.5 mph and was able to stay on it for 0.4 miles. Today, at 5 mph I lasted 0.52 miles. My earlier problem was that I didn’t know how fast I should be jogging. I was sprinting instead of jogging.

My point is if you want to extend your abilities, sometimes you need guidance and help. In my case, a simple treadmill was the answer. But don’t assume that just because you can’t do something right now, you will never be able to accomplish it. Time, practice, effort and learning the proper techniques will result in success!

“Part of Your Balanced Breakfast!”

I remember watching Saturday morning cartoons as a child (back when they really were cartoons, with  anvils being dropped on many characters, booby traps exploding in their faces, and steamrollers making the “bad guys” as flat as a my laptop screen). Now THAT was good Saturday morning TV!  Sitting in the living room eating apple wedges and Skippy peanut butter, I would also watch all the commercials in the old black and white TV. It seems like kid’s cereals paid for everything on Saturday morning. Lucky Charms (“They’re magically delicious!”).  Cocoa Puffs (“I’m cuckoo for cocoa!”). Trix (“Silly Rabbit. Trix are for kids!”) And they all came with a special toy inside! I know that I pestered my mom to buy me cereal solely for that little diving submarine that came inside.

I also remember a line in every commercial: “Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs! Part of your balanced breakfast!” And they would show a bowl of their cereal with milk and a strawberry, a piece of white bread toast and a glass of orange juice.  (Translated to nutritional values, that was carbs in a bowl with milk, carbs on a plate, and carbs in a glass.)

Things have changed since then. Saturday morning TV has few animated cartoons (Bugs Bunny and Road Runner, et al. are long since retired in favor of Japanese-style anime.) And I no longer buy cereal based on secret toy surprises. Now I buy it based on nutritional labels. But what do I look for? I like a cereal with fiber, low sodium, and some protein. Up until this week, my cereal of choice has been Kellogg’s All Bran Original. It meets all my requirements.

Last weekend I was shopping at Aldi (my preferred grocery store) and found a new option. It’s their store brand (“Millville”) and the cereal is called Fiber Now. I bought a box. It is great. I will show you the numbers and let you compare them for yourself.

The Aldi cereal has 50% more fiber and 25% fewer calories. However, it is not perfect. It does contain 25% more sodium, 50% less protein, and 40% less potassium. But personally, I am not worried about getting enough protein, because I have a protein smoothie almost every day, and I get about 1000mg of potassium in my coffee (I add 1 tablespoon of black strap molasses to my 20 ounce coffee mug every day.)  I am always concerned about fiber and calories, so Aldi’s choice hit my target.
One other comparison. Kellogg’s All Bran costs $3.50-4.00, while Aldi’s Fiber Now costs $1.89.  (Financial budgets are as important as calorie budgets.)
So, what does MY balanced breakfast look like? Today’s was this:

That is 1 cup of Fiber Now, topped with 1/4 cup fresh blueberries. I added 4 ounces milk (2% milk fat). Then I fried two large eggs and warmed up two slices of pork (leftover from a meal last weekend, saved for this purpose.) The pork totaled 3 ounces. The eggs were seasoned with Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming (salt-free) and topped with a total of 1/4 of mashed avocado.

The nutritional numbers for the entire breakfast:

Calories:            523           20% of the day’s calories

Fat    25.2g   35.4%
Saturated Fat     6.8g
Cholesterol    474mg
Sodium 558.7mg
Carbohydrates   64.3g   40.1%
Fiber   34.3g
Protein   39.1g   24.4%

This breakfast is a VERY balance meal, and net carbs of only 30g!  Cholesterol is higher than what is generally suggested to consume, but I have never had a problem with serum cholesterol so I don’t really consider that to be a number of concern (however, if you have cholesterol issues, then maybe only use one egg, or two egg whites only.)

(Full disclosure: I have no financial interest in Aldi, Penzey’s or any other company or product I mention. If I talk about it, it is only because I am a very satisfied consumer. That being said, if anyone who reads my blog is the CEO of any of these companies and wants to talk with me further, I am always open to negotiations!)

Disruptions to a schedule

It happens to everyone. We get in a routine, we develop a pattern. We get comfortable.

And then something happens. Maybe it’s the road construction that requires an unfamiliar detour. Maybe it’s an unexpected illness in you or a loved one. It could be unbudgeted expenses, such as car repairs or a broken hot water heater.

Disruptions come in many varieties, but they all have the same immediate result: a change in our plans, in our way of thinking. I’m thinking of two disruption right now. One is minor and the other rather major. The minor disruption is working my clinical schedule into my daily meal plans. My clinical rotation results in me being out of the house from 10am to 9:30pm. And when I am in the clinical site, there are no guarantees of a times to eat. I eat when I have a moment and when my student’s needs, and their patient’s needs, are all met. That means I eat quick and simple food and at random times. I can work around it, but it requires some planning. It also generally does not allow me to make nice meals, worthy of photos on the blog. 

Fortunately, today’s breakfast is a nice one:

That is a mini whole wheat bagel (toasted with a tablespoon olive oil), with two fried eggs, fresh avocado, and some random berries.  Simple. Delicious. Fast. Healthy. So at least my breakfast is starting off right. Nutritional data (excluding the berries):
Calories: 487
Fat: 35.4g
Sat fat: 6.5g
Chol: 423mg
Sodium: 325mg
Carbs: 28.7g
Fiber: 7.6g
Protein: 18.9g

Obviously, you can reduce the calories by eliminating the olive oil, or using less avocado, or only one egg, or no bagel. But this is a well-balanced breakfast, with a lot of healthy fats (62.6% of the calories come from fat) as well as proteins and fiber. This breakfast will keep me fuller for longer.

The other disruption is something that I’ve discussed on LoseIt. I achieved my weight loss goal, and now I began to founder. The enthusiasm of “Wow, I’m losing weight” was replaced by “Huh. I’m done losing weight.” Intellectually, I knew that at the end of this goal, there would be a transition, but I never expected it to be so visceral. I accomplished a great goal. And it felt almost empty. Many of my LoseIt friends reminded me (but Tracy especially) reminded me that Olympians often experience depression after participating in the Olympics. After all the energy and focus, after their event is done, their raison d’etre (cool, I’ve never had the chance to use that phrase!) is gone.

I feel the same way, but thanks to everyone on LoseIt, I think this phase will pass quickly. And I already had other goals in mind (the Bellin 10K Run) but to be honest, that seems so far away that it isn’t real. I’m able to run/jog almost a half mile without stopping. I have about 16 weeks before the Bellin. If I increase my ability by only 0.4 miles per week, I will be at 6.5 miles of running capacity in time for the run. So now I have a new, immediate and attainable goal. I believe that with a goal like this, I will break out of this minor funk and get back in the groove.

By the way, if you need to search for the meaning of raison d’etre, there are other definitions beside “purpose, the reason for existing, the rationalization”.  It is the name of a Swedish band, and the name of many songs. And the link goes to a fantastic beer from Dogfish Head Brewing. That beer is not your average Miller or Bud! If you can find it, and if you like big, bold and robust foods/beverages, I encourage you to give it a try. In fact, I can recommend any Dogfish Head beer without reservation (other than the caloric content.) Sam Calagione and his brewers are fantastic. (No, I am not a shareholder in the company.)