Good Morning

This weeks topic is "Ten ways to de-junk your diet." The article looks at all the foods we regularly love to eat and gives us suggestions for healthy substitutions. Today’s food environment offers so many choices of foods that are easily accessible which makes it easy to eat foods that are not good for us. These foods also lead us down the wrong path to obesity, which leads to poor health and ultimately will leave you feeling sluggish and not mentally alert. In the following article nutrition experts share 10 ways to de-junk-ify your diet.

Follow this link to read the suggestions:http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1011328-10-ways-dejunkify-diet/#slide=2 

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Good Morning

I had to miss a week of working out and after working out the following week my muscles were sore, which led me to ask what is the cause of that stiffness and discomfort. I found some interesting answers when I began to research this topic.

I had always believed that sore muscles are a result of lactic acid build up, this is not in fact the cause. I found this explanation in a CNN reporthttp://www.cnn.com/2014/08/04/health/muscle-soreness-myths/.

"During exercise, your body needs energy, and it breaks down molecules to get that. As a result of this metabolic process, your cells naturally become more acidic which makes your muscles feel like they're burning. But this isn't caused by lactate. Lactate is actually a by-product of the metabolic process and serves as a buffer and slows down the rate at which the cells become acidic.

"People produce lactate all the time, even at rest. It clears your system 30-minutes to one-hour after working out," says Mike.

A study in Clinics in Sports Medicine found that DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is the result of microtrauma in the muscles and surrounding connective tissues, which causes inflammation. The reason that eccentric muscle contraction (think lowering a dumbbell back down in a biceps curl) is more likely to be the culprit is because it places a higher load on your muscles compared to concentric contraction.

"It's the active lengthening of muscle fibers under load. It's like you're pulling on a rope, and there's so much force that the rope starts to tear and pull apart," says Mike."

This sounds pain full but in fact some muscle trauma is needed to stimulate protein production and muscle growth.

To read more on this interesting subject follow this link:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/04/health/muscle-soreness-myths/

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Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey Filling

Good Morning

I want to start out by asking you all to submit one of your favorite healthy recipes, I would like to feature one recipe a month on our Tuesday Tidbits. Please send all recipes to thurl@absolutefitnessnc.com.

To get the ball rolling I am including a recipe from one of my favorite sources, this blog features tons of recipes designed for the South Beach Diet, so they are low on carbohydrates and I have not found a bad one yet. For more recipes follow this linkhttp://www.kalynskitchen.com/2009/03/recipe-for-asian-lettuce-cups-or-wraps.html. 

Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey Filling

(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe adapted from California Sol Food)

1 T peanut oil or vegetable oil (or slightly more, depending on the pan you have)
3 T minced red onion or shallots
2 T minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar but fresh garlic would be even better)
2 T grated ginger root
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
4 T soy sauce (I used Tamari)
1 T Chile Garlic Sauce (or slightly more if you like spicy foods)
1 tsp. fish sauce (probably optional, although I like fish sauce!)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (about 1/2 large bunch)
1/3 cup chopped peanuts (optional, especially for braces wearers!)
1 large head or 2 small heads Boston Lettuce or butter lettuce, or substitute 1 head iceberg lettuce

Chop onion and set aside. Peel ginger root, then grate with the large side of a cheese grater, and chop garlic if using fresh garlic. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add onion and saute about 2 minutes, then add garlic and ginger root and saute about one minute more.

Add ground turkey to frying pan (with a bit more oil if needed) and break apart and spread out with turner, then add soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and fish sauce. Cook until the turkey is brown and crumbling apart, and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

While turkey cooks, wash and chop fresh cilantro to make 1 cup. Remove the core end from lettuce, separate leaves, and wash in salad spinner and spin dry (or wash under running water and dry with paper towels.) Chop peanuts and put in small bowl to serve at the table.

When turkey is done, add chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes more. Serve filling and lettuce leaves in separate bowls, with chopped peanuts in another small bowl. Each person takes a lettuce leaf, fills with desired amount of turkey mixture, adds chopped peanuts, and then eats the mixture from the lettuce cup. I fold the lettuce cup over when I eat it, so it's kind of taco-shaped, but some people like to wrap the lettuce clear around the filling.

I hope you enjoy trying this recipe and please send me feedback, I would love to hear what you think.

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How to Live Longer

Good Afternoon

I hope that the title of this weeks tidbit caught your attention. The article in Fitness Magazine certainly caught my eye and not because I necessarily want to live to be 100, but I do want to feel good and be healthy for the rest of my remaining days.
The article is an interview of 92-year-old Deborah Szekely, who founded the first destination spa 74 years ago. Her tips are simple, eat fresh (keep it local and organic), make exercise a priority, manage your time well (she has a great system to do this) and make time for friends.
Simple right? Not necessarily, sometimes we got so caught up on the treadmill of life that we forget what is important and a gentle reminder can steer us back to where we need to be.

If you would like to read more follow this link:
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/energy-boosters/live-to-100-years-old/
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Good Morning

I thought I would include some smoothie recipes in today's Tuesday Tidbit, I found a good selection of recipes on the website listed bellow. The one I am featuring this week is an antioxidant-infused berry smoothie and incorporates vanilla protein powder.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar free fruit flavored yogurt
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 scoop vanilla flavored protein powder
  
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 ice cubes
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Pulse blend the ice cubes until crushed.
2. Next add in the yogurt, milk, vanilla extract and blend again.
3. Toss in frozen mixed berries and protein powder, blending a final time until desired consistency is reached.

For more recipes follow this link:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/healthy-smoothie-recipes.html 

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