Bloomsday Fuel

Are you doing Bloomsday this year?! Good for you! I love Bloomsday because running or walking- 7.5 miles is a long distance, yet over 60,000+ people rise to the challenge and complete it. I also love it cause it means summer is coming :) 

This Bloomsday, make sure you are fueled right! No matter what pace you are going at, having the right fuel will help you feel better during the race. Here are my suggestions:

Saturday Night: make sure your dinner includes some sort of carbohydrate, and limit fiber if you tend to get GI distress while exercising. Some good carbohydrate choices to choose are:

• Sweet potatoes (avoid the skin)

• Brown rice

• Whole wheat bread

• Pasta, orzo

• Other grains: quinoa, millet, bulgur, etc.

Some easy meal ideas:

• Stir fry: brown rice, chicken, vegetables (don't overdue the vegetables)

• Sweet potatoes, eggs or ground turkey, guacamole, tomatoes, bell peppers

• Turkey sandwich with fruits and vegetables on side

Sunday Morning: Carbohydrates should be a main focus, but do include a protein too. Limit fiber and avoid dairy. Good and easy ideas include:

• Oatmeal + fruit + eggs, nut butter, or nuts (to add protein)

• Whole wheat English muffin or toast with peanut butter, banana, and cinnamon

• Sweet potato with eggs

• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

During race: Make sure you are drinking water!!

After: refuel with a carbohydrate and protein soon after finish. I like chocolate milk :) Then, get a balanced meal as soon as possible. Drink water too!

Good luck this Bloomsday! Hopefully I will see you out there!!

A healthy muffin?!

We are always searching for new snack ideas. We often find ourselves relying on bars as snacks, which is okay-especially if you find a bar made with whole ingredients and limited added sugar. On days that we aren't working out, I try to choose a non-bar option. In my search I came across a recipe for some pretty healthy looking blueberry muffins. I decided to play with it a little and decrease the added sugar and increase the protein to make it a healthier snack option. Here is what I came up with!

PS I suggest eating with a little bit of peanut butter or almond butter:-)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup ground flax seed
1 cup oats
1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 1/2 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup blueberries (I used frozen)

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, ground flax seed, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine maple syrup, yogurt, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix until combined and yogurt is dispersed.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. Add blueberries (if using frozen don't allow them time to thaw or they will turn everything blue!) Fill all 12 muffin containers with equal amounts of batter.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are golden brown.
6. Store in refrigerator if they will be eaten in about a week. If not, wrap individually in foil and store in the freezer.