Because it was so chilly I was able to wear my first pair of hand knit gloves! I knit these gloves for myself last winter when I started running distances in the cold weather. My long runs then were 7 to 8 miles. They are merino wool and fit me perfectly. I loved wearing the hot pink with my purple thermal running top today. Color is so important to me. Bright colors make me happy, and wearing bright colors when I run makes me happier!
Between clients today I'm knitting on my $5 in Paris. It is creeping along. I keep thinking I have to be close to the end of this ball of yarn. I have to be close to the ribbing for the waist. I have to be close! But I'm not, yet. Phew! It is a simple knit but I seem to be dragging, because, I must admit, I've not been able to do as much knitting this week as I'd like. It is hard to have length growing when you can't pick up the project and knit. Here is a progress shot for those of you who remember the project from an earlier post. The lighting in the gym is a bit odd today and makes the sweater look greener than it really is.
In between clients and knitting, I'm reminded of how hungry running makes me! Because strenuous exercise increases appetite and a desire for denser calories, sometimes it makes me crave foods that I know are not in my best interest. For me, cheese is one of those foods, and it makes me check in to the amount of healthy fat in my diet. When I start craving cheese, I add more avocado. Avocado is a healthy source of mono-saturated fat and has a creamy texture much like some cheeses do. Usually, avocado sliced with a little salt and pepper or guacamole with fresh carrot slices leaves me quite satisfied.
Feeling satisfied and enjoying rich flavors is part of being able to maintain a healthy lean lifestyle. The TLS Weight Loss Solution we teach at my personal training studio, and online, includes a variety of healthy fats in its "Rapid Results" and "Sure and Steady" menus. I love the tastes of raw nuts and seeds as snacks and as flavorful additions to salads and steamed vegetables. Tree nuts, like almonds and walnuts, are best used raw, and a total of 1 oz is all for the day. Nuts are easy to overeat, so be sure you measure the amount. I don't recommend roasted tree nuts, because though they taste wonderful the fragile healthy oils are denatured by the roasting process. Raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, coconut and the superfood chia seed are also helpful tasty additions (though chia doesn't have much taste!). In addition to 1 oz of nuts or seeds, 2 TBS of organic cold-pressed olive oil, or organic coconut oil are useful additions to cook with and create variety in your healthy eating lifestyle. Remember, when you use an oil to cook with getting it so hot it smokes changes the good fat to bad! So cook with steam, broth, or broil with a little oil. Use the raw unheated oil as a nutritious addition.
So, last but not least is PEANUT BUTTER! The best source of peanut butter in my opinion is the grinder in your grocery, especially if you have an organic choice. Fresh ground peanut butter is rich and "fluffy" and tastes completely different then a brand that has sat on the shelve for who knows how long. And the ingriedients are one: peanuts! Peanuts are actually more healthy roasted because they are a legume not a nut ~ however, they count as nuts and as I stated above, you can only have 1 ozs total of any type of nut. One other healthy fat is the yolk of a fresh free range egg. There are many nutrients in this type of yolk including vitamin D. There is some dispute on whether butter is healthy or not. In my opinion a little salt-free grass-fed butter on your veggies or to fry a "power egg" isn't going to make or break your health goals. However, if you are a person that prefers a little bread with your butter or eats it spread on crackers, or straight out of the paper, avoid it!
After an hour or two of early morning cardio-knitting or a long run just after sunrise, there is nothing better than a hot healthy breakfast with the healthy fat that satisfies!
The Power Egg Breakfast
One whole egg
One egg white
2 strips of all natural or organic nitrate free Turkey Bacon (look at ingredients: do you recognize them?)
1/4 pound of fresh asparagus spears
salt and pepper (optional)
hot sauce (optional)
Rinse asparagus and remove tough ends (don't cut delicate pointed end) Set aside.
Prepare Turkey bacon in a hot pan adding just 1/2 to 1 tsp of olive oil to prevent sticking (or use a "safe" non-stick pan).
When Turkey Bacon is cooked to preference, set aside and use turkey bacon dripping as seasoning for asparagus: add two TBS of water to pan and lightly steam asparagus spears until tender. (In a hurry? Steam spears night before.)
At the same time, pre-heat a skillet with a little butter: Break one free range egg on the skillet followed immediately by just the white of the next egg. (Discard yolk or cook it up for your pooch!) This is a power egg: 2 whites, one yolk! (one yolk vs two keeps the saturated fat and cholesterol in this meal to a minimum, and your pooch will love you for the treat!) Flip it or cook it sunny side up.
On a plate, layer the asparagus with the bacon and the hot power egg on top! Spice it up with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper or hot sauce; grab your fork and a sharp knife and enjoy! Yum!
Need a bigger breakfast than this? Add a honeycrisp apple and 2 TBS of peanut butter or a fist-sized baked sweet potato seasoned with cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. Go ahead, eat up! High quality whole foods fire up your metabolism! And feeling satisfied creates a love for life!
Thanks for the tip on cooking or not with olive oil. I love the taste, and it is often my go-to, but I will think more about steaming, and adding just a bit of the oil after.
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