October, Month of Candy

October, month of candy.

I love chocolate and caramel. LOVE IT! I bet a lot of you don’t know that, huh? I just happen to be a stubborn cuss and I want to look ripped (or as ripped as possible) year round so I generally refrain from it.

When I buy chocolate for myself I have a couple favorites (just in case you ere wondering):

Affordable and available:  Jo’s Dark Chocolate Salted Caramels. 2 come in a package at Peet’s Coffee and they cost $1.79.

Extravagant and not as easy to obtain: Recchiuti Confections Fleur de Sel Caramels. 16 to a box at the Ferry Plaza Market in San Francisco and they cost $23.00. (oh and each one is a ¼ the size of a Jo’s).

But it’s October and that means Halloween. Monica has a HUGE bowl of chocolates by her desk, and I really have no reason to even walk over by her desk, but I found myself there 6 times the other day.

6 friggin times. Here is the bowl and it’s not a small one!

Fun size

Who the hell came up with that stupid name? When you are feeling fat do think of yourself as “Fun Sized” ???!!

NO!

Sugar messes with me big time. Chocolate, alcohol, white processed foods, they are all sugar and they all make me look puffy, loose skinned and generally tired. Sugar is probably the most deadly thing you can put into your body (besides smoking).

Give me a big fatty steak, or a pile of yams or a bucket of vegetables and I look great the next day. Feed me sugar and all hell breaks loose- in a matter of hours. Not only do I feel awful but I start to look it too.

I think that I have a pretty good eye for health- I can look at someone and tell if they are a generally healthy person just by the state of their skin and eyes, (do they have big puffy bags or dark circles under their eyes?, is their skin red and blotchy or dry and flakey?); the way they carry themselves, how they sound, how they move.  

If you paid attention, you could probably do the same, but you probably don’t even look at people like that, I do all the time because it’s a quirky little habit of mine. 

Take a look at a heavy drinker, and by that I mean anyone who drinks alcohol on a daily basis. Or look at someone who is obese due to the garbage they ingest day in and day out, they cannot even move right. Someone who doesn’t drink much water, their skin is not springy and the color is off.

None of them look so hot do they? Pained is what I see.

Sugar makes me feel like that, so I try to avoid it, but it tastes so darn good!

I made this sign and posted it in my office door, I had to so I could keep the sugar out! There are a few well meaning people in my office who drop by with candy for me, they know what I like and they save it for me. Sometimes, if I don’t shut my door and leave, I come back to several on the desk…dammit!

I find that my biggest challenges are overcome when I keep them in the forefront of my mind, like writing down my food in a journal, recording my training, using my Gymboss on the spin bike to make sure I go long and hard enough.

So avoiding candy will be easier when I see my sign and others do too. it's on my door and here on the window next to the door, right below the football schedule for San Jose State University.

Wish me strength and willpower- and I will do the same for you.

I don’t have a program (or the knowledge) to make the red circle over the words, so my sign is not as sophisticated as it could be, but it does the trick and I have a link here if you want to print one out for your work area or home. If you happen to be a graphic whiz, I would love to have a proper one, send it my way!

Below is a little video about sugar (Email subscribers will need to navigate directly to the blog to view this video).

Nutella

We all know that nut butters are good for you, at least in moderation. They are calorie dense, so you need to be careful of the amount you eat unless you are a young active kid or trying to pack on weight.


Peanut butter provides a feeling of fullness, so when dieting a small amount on a rice cake can help you feel satisfied for a while.  It has fiber (about 8%); protein (about 24%); vitamins E and B3; copper, iron, calcium and potassium. Peanut butter contains monounsaturated fats, these are "good fats" that help to lower your LDL (bad cholesterol).


Almond butter has higher concentrations of vitamin E and antioxidants.


Both butters are best if freshly ground as studies have shown that nut (and legume) butters lose their vitamins in processing.


Your butters should never have added sugar or partially hydrogenated oil! Honey would be fine if you want it sweet, and there really is no need for any added oils, but some oils would be better than others.




Do you like Nutella? I can take it or leave it, it has always been too sweet for me. My son though, he loves it. Do you think Nutella is good for you?


Well apparently the maker of Nutella, Italy's Ferrero Group used to claim it was good for you. Now I would never fall for that, who on earth would? I mean taste the stuff it's sweet, sticky, rich, creamy, need I go on?  


Ferraro U.S.A. has just lost a class action suit for their marketing, labeling and advertising of the product, claiming it was healthy.


Just what is in Nutella? If you go online to their site they hide the ingredients, telling you that it is made from hazelnuts and cocoa. In fact, I couldn't even find the ingredients on their site. But I did find them elsewhere:

Sugar, vegetable oil, hazelnuts (13%), cocoa powder (7.4%), non-fat milk solids, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavour (vanillin).

So actually Nutella is 55% sugar and although they state there are over 50 hazelnuts in each jar, the hazelnuts only account for 13% of the ingredients. 

Nutella is a smooth and creamy chocolate bar, nothing more.

What's the deal with the class action suit? They have to pay out $3.05 million dollars. To be eligible you must have purchased Nutella between August 1, 2009 and January 23, 2012. The lawsuit is valid in the U.S. only.

You will receive $4.00 for each jar purchased, up to 5 jars, no receipts necessary. That's $20.00. I filled out my claim and timed how long it took me. One minute. 

Although I always knew Nutella was not a healthy choice, shame on them for marketing to fools like that. I guess people will believe whatever they want to believe.

Me? I am waiting for my $20.00 in the mail!

File a claim here

Spiced Fig Preserves

I had lots of ripe figs and I could not eat any fruit at the time (pre competition). Bleh!

Figs are my absolute favorite and I did not want to miss this crop, so I had to do something. I froze some to add them to oatmeal later in a week or so, but I ccould not do that with all of them. I decided to make my fig jam, it is wonderful on toast, on meats, on a spoon! David likes it on toasted whole wheat with goat cheese and the preserves on top.

This is easy to make and it keeps in the refrigerator for 2 months, no canning required!


1 1/2 pounds ripe figs, halved (about 4 cups)
1/2 a large lemon, thickly sliced, seeded (do not peel!)
1 cup Splenda, or other sweetener (or sugar if not concerned about calories)
1 3 inch piece cinnamon stick
1 1/4 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Finely chop the lemons in a food processor. Add figs. Using on/off turns, process until figs are coarsely pureed. Transfer mixture to a heavy saucepan. Add Splenda or sugar, cinnamon stick, ginger and cloves. Simmer until mixture thickens to jam consistency and candy thermometer registers 200 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring often, about 20 minutes. 

Discard cinnamon stick, divide hot jam into hot, clean jars. Cover tightly and refrigerate up t o 2 months.


Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

This is a stunning recipe for figs, all fig lovers must try this! It is from Bon Appetit magazine, October 1998.

Christmas Treats, Diet Wreakers

My Christmas gifts from my husband, you can see I am thrilled! In case you cannot see everything, it is two small bags of Doritos, two Jo's Salt Caramels and a book called My Horizontal Life, A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Chandler.

Oh what fun! Smut and junk food!

I will most likely end up saving it all for vacation, our real gift to each other. We go to Mexico every February for a week on the beach. While folks here at home are dealing with wind, rain and cold weather, I am wondering which of my 12 bikini's to wear in the 85 degree sun and what to drink as I lay on my chaise lounge on the beach.

The point of this is really the Doritos though. Some people eat a bag of chips every day. Every...Single....Day.

I eat a bag after every competition and I have two at Christmas. Five bags a year, tops.

In case you haven't looked at the nutritional facts (or lack of) on the bag, let me show you right here why you shouldn't be eating these "snacks"

1 3/4 ounce bag of Cool Ranch Doritos

260 Calories
13 grams fat
320 mg Sodium
31 grams Carbohydrate
2 grams Sugars
3 grams Fiber
3 grams Protein

This is practically a meal in itself, a very, very bad meal. I will put it into perspective for you.

Each of my meals ranges from 200 to 350 calories total.

Each of my meals (other than post training) has 20 to 25 grams carbohydrates total.

Might as well suck on a spoonful of mayonnaise with all the fat in these beauties.

If you are really serious about losing body fat, you should not be eating things like this.  Don't close your eyes and mind and pretend that one little bag won't hurt, it certainly will.

If you are at a place where you can afford it, like I am when I am at 4% bodyfat, then it's not a problem. If your bodyfat is over 20% (women) and 15% (men), get your hands outta the bag for good!

Oh and our vacation spot? Hacienda Eden, on the Pacific Coast. This will be our 15th year there, room #4! It is quiet, secluded, has no discos, few tourists, and great food surrounds us.

I am looking forward to walking down the road to Marta's, on the small cove in the neighboring town of Majahua where we will sit in plastic chairs with our feet in the sand and eat fresh lobster as we watch the fishermen.

The Doritos? I will probably eat them in the plane on the way down.

Post Exercise Eating Part II

Excuse the funny face, I wear a mouth guard when I lift.

You know, the kind football players wear? (sorta) I know, most people think that's overkill, but when my dentist looked at my teeth a couple years ago he said I was clenching my teeth and cracking them, along with causing the gums to recede, only on the eye teeth! That was the give away, the gums are only affected on the eye teeth.

SO, he made a custom made guard for me. It fits on the upper teeth only, it's not a pretty sight.

"R" took this picture a couple weeks ago. She is very patient with me.

So, what to eat after training? I am going to discuss what to eat when trying to gain lean mass. If you are trying to lose weight, it's  not the right ratio for you. The concept is the same, but oh that fat loss is a whole other world!

Carbohydrates:

You need high glycemic load carbohydrates , so they can quickly fill your empty stores. A smaller amount of lower glycemic carbs are also good, to provide a longer, steady release into the blood.

Glucose is good for the quick high glycemic carbs. What is glucose?

It is the sugar in starchy foods such as potatoes, rice or grains.

Fructose is good for the slow steady carbs. What is fructose?

It is the sugar in fruit and fruit juices.


Protein:

You need amino acids for resynthesis of protein that may have been damaged during exercise. In an intense 1 hour workout, it is possible to use 30 grams of muscle protein for fuel.

Protein, especially sources high in branched chain amino acids should be taken in with your carbs.

The ratio should be 4 to 1 ( carbs to protein).

Ideally, a liquid form is best, as it is absorbed more readily and it begins the re hydration process.

You can buy a recovery drink, you can make your own, or you can eat whole food. It's not critical for the average fitness enthusiast, just make sure you don't wait to refuel!

I personally aim for about 40 grams glucose, 10 grams fructose and 20 grams protein. You will find many thoughts about this, people have lots of opinions. I aim for this ratio because I try to ingest whole food instead of liquid as I need the food to satisfy my hunger. Liquid just doesn't do it for me.

What you should notice is that I am taking in about double the amount of carbs that I normally would at a meal.

There is a recovery drink that does this already:


Pacific Health Endurox R4

It's great tasting, I like the tangy orange. It's not cheap though. If you need the specific ratio and are not prepared to make it yourself, this is great.

This is not to be taken if you are not training really intensely though, you will gain weight! If your training is less intense, you can cut the servings or just calculate it yourself. Endurox R4 was developed for an endurance athlete, so if you haven't really busted your butt at the gym, its probably a bit too much for you.

One serving of Endorox R4 is:

270 calories
52 grams carbs
13 grams protein


But, I can eat this:

As soon as I am done, I fill up my water bottle with a homemade mixture (L- glutamine, beta-alanine, amino acids, L- leucine).

I get home then have 1 cup egg whites with 3/4 cup brown rice mixed in, and a half a grapefruit (or some fruit).

Or, 3/4 of a bagel, 1 Tablespoon low sugar jam, and 1 cup of microwaved egg whites

Or, oatmeal with a small amount of fruit and the egg whites.

Or, my homemade oat/egg white waffles.....all in one.


There are many choices, just take the time to figure out the carbs and protein and feed your body!

Be very careful with dried fruit, for instance, 1/4 cup of raisins is not an unusual amount to add to some oatmeal, yet look at the nutritional breakdown:

130 calories
31 grams carbs
29 grams sugars

So if you have one serving of oatmeal and 1/4 raisins, you are getting way too many calories and carbs, double the numbers above and that's what you have...opt for a heaping teaspoon of the raisins at most.

There are many theories about post training feeding, most people will agree that this meal "doesn't count" meaning don't worry too much about the higher calories and carbs as your body really needs it. I chose to be a bit more conservative, I increase but I don't go overboard.

When I am dieting for a competition, I change it completely, no fruit, no dairy, no bread, very little fat, very little sugar.

Related articles

• Post Exercise Eating Part I (readyin5weeks.blogspot.com)

Oats and Fruit

I am looking forward to changing my diet now that I am not preparing for a competition.  It's funny when I talk to people and tell them I am trying to add muscle, most believe that means you can "eat whatever you want, and as much of it as you want".

It really couldn't be further from the truth.

To gain lean muscle mass, and avoid gaining a great deal of fat, you still need to eat a clean diet of the same foods you eat during a competition prep, but just not as strict and a few more calories, but not much.

Above is the change I will make to my breakfast now. It is the same serving of steel cut oats and flax seed. I have added one thing though , on the left is cut up figs (still a few on my tree!) and on the right is currents.

Yup, that's it, I added some fruit. Fruit is typically removed from a competition diet as it is sugar, plain and simple. When you are trying to lose weight there are a few things you do, reduce caloric intake, and reduce saturated fats and sugars. 

One of the first things I ate after my competition was a banana and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I have also been hankering for some fruit on my oatmeal and now I get that too. 

I will strive to stay close to a very clean diet for the next few months, but will enjoy some meals out and meals with my family that I haven't been able to enjoy for the last couple months.

Fig Pop Tarts

I am really thinking about food, and I get to eat whatever I want in a week. This is really a big part of the fun, you never know how much you appreciate the "little things" till you cannot have them.

Many people may think I am a freak, 7 days from a competition and I am standing in the kitchen making a giant homemade pop tart! 

It really isn't a pop tart, it is called a fig-berry pastry tart.

The dough is butter, cream cheese, sugar, salt and flour.I made it the weekend prior and put it in the freezer.

Inside is a mess of figs from my tree, blueberries, orange juice, and brown sugar.

Here it is before it was cooked down so it could be spread on the bottom layer of the dough.

Then I rolled out another layer, pricked it all over and laid it on top and sealed the edges to make the giant pop tart!

A powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice glaze went on top, and now it is cooling. Then it will be cut into small square and sealed in an airtight container, waiting for ME! I promised Maegan Swain that she could try some too.

I have just one tiny concern, and that is the fact that it smells heavenly, and I just had three teenage boys and my husband file past on their way to a Sharks game, wondering when it will be done.

I will be in bed asleep when they get home, I said they could try it, but please remember it is a post competition treat for me. They would never intentionally eat it all, but when something is so good you cannot help yourself.....

I have a small can of Sofia sparkling wine in the fridge, it comes with a sippy straw. My girlfriend and I sometimes drink them and chat as we have pedicures. I plan to crack that little can open right after my competition, and drink it and eat a piece of this tart...

Eat Less, Move More

Don't these look stunning?  I went into this little shop, just to look and smell everything, I walked out and didn't buy a thing. It's not always that easy for me though, it's the deep, dark, rich, gooey chocolate that gets me every time.

I have had a few requests for diets lately, along with the usual, "how do I lose weight?", "what should I do?"

My answer is always the same. Eat less, move more. It's really quite simple.

You need to reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories everyday to lose one pound in a week. That really shouldn't be difficult. If you drink alcohol, drink less. If you drink soda, switch to sugar free. If you eat dessert everyday, stop.

Crackers, bread, butter, cream in your coffee, any and all snacks (packaged) are not your friend when you are trying to lose a bit of the jiggly stuff.

Then, if you start moving a little bit, that only doubles the calorie reduction! So if you start going for a walk every night after dinner AND reducing your daily calories by 500, you will lose even more weight!

Just think what will happen if you go to the gym and actually break a sweat, every single day?!

Start small, make easy changes that you can live with. Switch to no calorie sweeteners, eliminate soda and sugary drinks, use non fat milk, savor a piece of bread and not a loaf of bread, eat a portion of pasta and include vegetables and protein, instead of eating a bowl of pasta as a meal on its own. Use reduced calorie mayonnaise, or replace it with non-fat yogurt. Use low sugar ketchup. Avoid sugary jams, they have low sugar or even no sugar ones that taste fantastic.

Soon, you will really be able to enjoy the special treat you select at the bakery like the ones in my picture above, at least once in a while.   If you want to visit this bakery, it is in Santa Cruz, in the shopping center where The Cellar Door restaurant is located....