You’re probably not alone. The day after Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful that we can exercise!
Get out this weekend and enjoy something physical. You can’t change what you’ve eaten, but if you’ve consumed more than you wanted or planned to, put it behind you and move forward with vigor! As for leftovers…portion them out as you would your most healthful foods, and eat controllably.

Remember the holiday is one day, not several, so make December your healthiest month this year.

Earlier this year I made a few different snack bars for taking out and about:

Cashew Cookie Bars

Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Walnut, Coconut & Cinnamon Bars

They were a complete godsend at that stage of the GAPS diet and I couldn’t make enough of them! The most refreshing thing I found was that there is no actual ‘baking’ involved. When you have to spend so much time cooking I found this difference somehow motivating – and some days I need all the motivation I can muster to keep the pantry stocked.

This week I turned to these bars again but this time with roasted coconut and the results are delicious! My 3 year old adores them.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cup of dates

• 1 cup of almonds

• 2 cups of desiccated coconut

METHOD:

Soak the almonds for several hours and dehydrate until dry and ‘crispy’ (about 24 hours).

Roast the desiccated coconut spread out on a baking sheet in a hot oven for about 10 minutes (watch it carefully to prevent burning).

Place the dates in a food processor and work until they are completely mashed and form a ball. Place into a mixing bowl. Next pulse the almonds in the food processor until they become pretty fine but not a flour. Add this to the mixing bowl together with the cooled roasted coconut.

Working with your hands knead the ingredients together well. It takes a little while to work all the coconut in so don’t give up. Then divide the mixture into about 12 equal sized balls.

Mould each ball into the shape of a bar with with your hands. Then using a piece of non-stick paper on a flat surface press the bar against the surface on each of its edges to form a fabulous firm bar shape!

Repeat with each ball of mixture.

Wrap the bar in a piece of non-stick or greaseproof paper and seal with a little tape (I used masking tape because it was what I could lay my hands on!). Refrigerate.

This recipe makes about 12 bars.

As you know, dear readers, many of the most exciting children’s games began as a warnings against hanging out with ugly people, and foreigners. We need only look back to the nuclear age to discover one of your personal childhood favorites: “Ring Around the Rosey.”

“Wait,” you say, “doesn’t that have its origins in plague-stricken England.” Well, first of all, this is my blog and I wait for no one. If you can’t keep up, well, you’re an illiterate boob. Secondly, you are clearly Irish or something.

There'll be no "Ring Around the Rosey" for you mister...until you clean up your mess.

 With all the newly evacuated, so-called, “Brownfields” in Japan and places in the U.S. of A., like the New Mexican desert and Pittsburg, and the surplus of bland 1950’s children, entrepreneurs saw a way to make money by combining the two. They turned these toxic waste sites areas of low vegetation and non-potable water into Magical Learning-grounds!™

Teacher: “Look children, a three eyed fish!”

Ignorant Child: “Why does it have its intestines outside its body?”

Teacher: “How the hell do you know what ‘intestines’ means?!…I mean, here child, drink some water…”

"Ashes, ashes, we all play in a nuclear blast site!"

 Over the years, the lyrics to “Ring Around the Rosie” have changed, but children have always held hands while running around a glowing mudclod. Especially the dim ones.

This brings me to “Backgammon” (there’s no good segue to this), a game young children hate. Just as much as they hate dental visits, broccoli, and cleaning up after their alcoholic parents. There’s good news though; we can solve this problem with “information” (the Backgammon problem, not the alcoholic parents problem – sorry kids!).

Before the advent of nuclear war, people had trouble coming up with stuff to do. But after several thousand years of trial and error, they decided to stick with error.

The curious countenance, the bloodshot eyes, and the yellow mustard-stache. Notice the signs of genius? No, me neither.

Enter Hans Gammon, the inventor of “Triangles, Circles, Numbers, and Racoons.” It was wisely retitled after his death, against his wishes. Here’s how you play:

1.) Find an empty table. No empty table? Try the floor. No floor? Where are you? Outside? You heathen.

2.) Just add water! Just kidding – add 30 checkers, four die, a doubling die (you know…for kids), and a board covered with triangles and a bar in the middle.

3.) Oh! I almost forgot, you also need a caged rabies infected raccoon. If you don’t have a raccoon, a beaver with bad breath will work.

D.) Now, place all your checkers on the table, or “flatwood” as the Brits call it. Roll to see who goes first…then that person rolls the dice to determine the number of moves.

0.) I know what you’re thinking now, seems pretty intuitive. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong! Oh, dear Lord, you don’t know how wrong you are! Roll two sixes? Move 24 times. Roll a five and a six? Time to get the doubling die!

10.)Doubling die: using an unnecessarily obscure mathematical process (multiplication) a player “ups the odds” or, as I say, “increase the risk.” Player one rolls a five and six, and the first of the two players to grab the doubling die gets to roll it. The other player will use the rolled number to determine how many times he has to stick his hands in the raccoon cage.

Zucchini.) The first player to get all of his checkers off the board, and doesn’t have rabies, wins.

Final Analysis: I realize, however belatedly, that this was probably not very convincing. Also, using a beaver with bad breath is not actually an option in tournament play.

Well, it’s true…there’s an imminent crisis looming in the pumpkin patch, due to heavy rains and poor picking conditions, pumpkin is becoming scarce in the grocery isle. So what’s a cook to do?

Consider it’s close cousins – butternut, acorn, turban or kabocha squash of course! While not completely interchangeable in every recipe, hard winter squashes as a group have many of the same health and culinary properties. This provides us great comfort to us pumpkin fans, as we can make many alternatives to traditional pumpkin favorites by boiling down and pureeing a variety of winter squashes. My personal favorites are butternut and kabocha, which make delicious savory and sweet alternatives.

Rich in beta carotene, high in fiber, loaded with vitamin C – here’s a wonderful, SIMPLE recipe, that uses Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes or Yams that you might like to try:

Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 3/4 lbs. butternut squash (1 medium squash)
1 3/4 lbs. sweet potatoes or yams
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
dash white pepper
7 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth

1. Cut peel from squash; discard seeds. Peel potatoes. Cut squash and potatoes into 1-inch pieces and place in a 5- to 6-quart pan. Add broth, vinegar, sugar, and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat and simmer gently until squash and potatoes are soft enough to mash easily, about 30 minutes.
2. In a food processor or blender, whirl squash mixture, a portion at a time, until smoothly pureed. Return puree to pan and stir often over medium-high heat until steaming. Season with white pepper. Ladle soup into bowls.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Rain-may-put-pumpkin-pie-in-apf-1323181927.html?x=0&.v=7

There are so many different kinds of snack bars available that pretty soon they’re going to need their own aisle at the supermarket. Can any of them be considered a wholesome snack? Or are they basically glorified candy bars? Read my latest column on AOL’s ParentDish to find out.

Dr. Weil's Organic Goji Moji Pure Fruit and Nut Energy Bar

Crying out toward the heavens, I beg you not to eat this energy bar. 

Now, wait a minute.  I love organic food. I eat organic food. I am a 10-month-a-year sandal wearin’, granola eating, raw milk lovin’ mama. And I will happily empty my wallet for the next organic product that adds convenience and yummy-ness to my life. I have been known to purchase Organic Lollipops (the sugar in which defeats the purpose of it being organic), along with multiple boxes upon boxes of “Organic Toaster Pastries (which is basically a Pop Tart that you can feel good about when your kids consume them for almost every meal).  So, I know a thing or two about prepackaged organic food, thankyouverymuch.

But, please, for heaven’s sake, if you do not want to be completely and totally ruined from supporting organics, healthy living, and public figures that do so, then under no circumstances should you purchase this energy bar.

Now, before I go on, let me just say, that I can eat Just About Anything ™. No seriously. My mother, since my early teenage years, has stuffed more vile tasting tree-bark and herb-husks down my throat than any person on this planet should ever have to endure. Chinese Political Dissidents don’t get fed stuff like this. To concoct one of my mother’s potions and offer it to any prisoner in any prison would break, like, the Oslo Pact and probably a whole lot of Other Treaties that I’m unaware of. So, in the words of our Current Esteemed Leader, “Let me be clear:” if it has been grown, dried, ground up, put in a pill, and it claimed a particular level of health and well-being upon it’s digestion, then I have eaten, swallowed, drank or infused it through some bizarre poultice. 

(In fact, there was a point in my teenage years when I became like those ill-fated, restrained dogs that had been horribly shocked over and over and over again in that Really Unethical ™ experiment decades ago. My mother’s experimentation process resulted in similar behavior modification by the victim (“me”): I stopped resisting against the bindings and just accepted my fate (I’m pretty sure they call that effect “Learned Helplessness.”).  Consequently, if I was given a pill by my mother, I was to swallow it. No questions asked. If it was a green liquid and had chunks of Unknowns ® floating in it, stop arguing and whining and just drink it.  Actually, this brain washing has not served me well as an adult; I still feel compelled to take random pills I see lying around.)

Dr. Weil, The Guru of All Healthy Living

I digress. My point is that my desensitization to negative food or beverage interactions has progressed further than most. I’ve actually developed a taste for things most people would gag at the site of. So. When I saw good ole’ Dr. Andy Weil’s Energy Bars on s-a-l-e in Wally World for 75 cents a piece, I thought, hey that’s cheaper than most. I mean, CLIF bars will run you, like, almost a dollar per bar. And, if anyone can make a yummy granola bar, Dr. Weil, the guru of all healthy living can, right?

Real quick, lets get a run down on the ingredients, shall we? Organic dates, Organic fig paste, Organic cashews, Organic dried sweetened cranberries, Evaporated Organic cane juice, Organic Sunflower oil, Organic Goji berries, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Lemon juice concentrate, Organic Orange Oil. 

Okay. Ten Ingredients total. And all of them you can pronounce, presuming you don’t butcher the word “goji.”  And the ingredients look pretty healthy-ish, all of which is a good start for an organic product. The packaging is rather impressive, with Dr. Weil pictured… smiling happily into the bright blue sky…looking blissful… nourished… filthy rich… 

I’m fairly excited about these purchases and stash them in the snack drawer, where I immediatly forget about them. Until I happen to discover them at 6 AM right before I hop into the pickup truck to take a substantial load of my precious earthly possessions to be scattered about on a lawn and eyed by strangers (i.e., yard sale). OOOO! I cry aloud, seeing the energy bars, The awesome granola bars that I’ve never had! What a perfect breakfast/snack/lunch idea! I’ll take three! 

Fast forward to the yard sale. It is getting late in the morning and this yard sale is becoming lame.  No one is buying my crap for cheapcheap prices and it’s starting to rain.  And now, I really hungry and I am seriously looking forward to Dr. Weil’s granola bar.  It’s gonna be good.  It has to be, right?  I mean, he’s the doctor that gave us 8 Steps To Optimum Health! He has nutritional supplements! He has lots of clout and just incredibly awesome! 

 Well, let me just say, he doona know jack squat about making an energy bar.  Nothing that my mother has ever made me could touch this.  There may be ten ingredients, but there might as well be just one: crap in a wrapper.

And there is a reason why they put the “Goji” in there.  It distracts the reader into thinking that they’re getting something foreign, and therefore, getting something good and, quite bluntly, healthy.  But, no one in the United States of America actually knows what a “Goji” is.  It could mean Llama turds in Swahili and no one would know, but because it’s “Organic” we will quietly munch on it.  We will grit our teeth and smile as the Llama turd paste is washed down with our tepid Organic Kombucha Tea (another blog. believe me.) and we will love it for no other reason than it’s Organic.   And we will give these bars to our Granola Friends lauding the incredible fortune of such a nutritious find, and when their lips pucker and stomach turns upon the first bite, we will exclaim, “Isn’t it so YUMMY???? MMMmmmmmm!!!! And Dr. Weil makes it!!! YAY!!!”

So, if you’ve a weak palate, don’t purchase these energy bars.  On the other hand, if you can stand the taste, buy ‘em by the dozen.  And know as you unwrap Dr. Weil’s loveproduct, that somewhere, somehow, you continue to support a growing movement that enables local farmers and merchants to exchange good-hard-earned-money for a sustainable, fair market, fair trade, crappy-tasting product.  But, leave out that last part, because, you’re doing your part.  Pat yourself on the back.  YAY! Isn’t that YUMMY??? 

Why tofu?

Tofu (a soyfood) contains isoflavones (including genistein, daidzein, and glycitein) that “block the stimulation of cancer cells by sex hormones (such as estrogens and testosterone). They also intervene by blocking angiogenesis [formation of new blood vessels that nourish the cancer cells].”  (Anticancer by David Servan-Schreiber, page 122).

“However the protective action of soy against breast cancer has been formally demonstrated for women who have consumed it since adolescence. Its protective effect against cancer has not been proven when consumption begins in adulthood.” (Anticancer, page 103)

Since the publication of Anticancer in 2008, there has been new research on soy and breast cancer.  According to current research as summarized in Eating Well magazine (a reliable resource for the lay public), November/December 2009, page 37: “Studies are conflicting about the benefits of soyfood consumption later in life. Researchers hypothesize that in younger women, when the body’s estrogen levels are high, isoflavones in soy may compete with the body’s natural estrogen and reduce risk of breast cancer. After menopause, however, natural estrogen levels are much lower and so it’s thought that the isoflavones act like estrogen. Higher estrogen levels are linked with higher risk for breast cancer. That doesn’t mean that eating soyfoods like tofu and edamame – in moderation – after menopause is unsafe, says Zheng” (one of the authors of a recent study about soyfood consumption and breast cancer, published in April 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).  Furthermore, “’No data show that eating soyfoods increases breast-cancer risk in postmenopausal women.’” (Zheng)

So what do dietitians at the MD Anderson Center in Houston recommend? According to the Eating Well article, Sally Scroggs, M.S., R.D., says that “it’s best to eat soyfoods in moderation at any age – up to two servings daily, which is equivalent to ½ cup tofu or edamame and 1 cup soymilk.”

Note: The beneficial effects of soy relate to soyFOODs — not to soy supplements. “Concentrated extracts of isoflavones sold as dietary supplements for use during menopause have been suspected of promoting tumor growth and should be avoided.” (Anticancer, page 103).

But what about “soy protein isolate” which is found in many foods, such as granola bars, energy bars, and protein bars, as well as in protein powders that are to be mixed with milk or juice? According to Wikipedia, “Soy protein isolate is a highly refined or purified form of soy protein with a minimum protein content of 90% on a moisture-free basis.” From what I can deduce from the data (USDA-Iowa State U Database on Isoflavone Content of Foods), soy protein isolate has an isoflavone content that’s about four times as high as that of tofu  – and that’s a lot. So to my mind, soy protein isolate is a concentrated extract – and not a food.

But how much soy protein isolate do you get in a “granola” bar? Or in a scoop of a protein powder? I don’t know; it’s hard to tell.  So to be on the safe side, I think it’s best to choose the bars that do not have this ingredient – though there are not many on the market or to choose those that have less protein and therefore should have less of this ingredient – and not to make a habit of reaching for one of these bars. And I avoid all protein powders — unless they are whey based.

And…for more information on soy isoflavones and nutrition, here’s a good site to keep tabs on: Micronutrient Center of the Linus Pauling Institute.

So now let’s talk tofu!

SAUTED TOFU

This is the easiest recipe ever. And you can make this tofu taste exactly like you want it by topping it with your favorite vegetable medley or sauce.

Ingredients

Tofu (not extra firm or silken, but all other varieties work just fine)

Olive oil

Directions

Cut the tofu into ½-inch slices.  Pat each slice dry with a paper towel (preferably one that’s not bleached white).

Non-stick pan directions

Cover the bottom of a non-stick pan with a thin layer of olive oil and heat over medium heat.

• The directions for use and care of all the non-stick skillets I’ve ever had say that medium heat is the hottest heat that’s good for the pan.

Place the tofu slices into the hot oil. When the underside of each piece is light brown, turn each piece over and continue to cook until the other underside is light brown.

Optional step: Remove the nicely browned tofu from the pan and place on a paper towel to soak up the extra oil.

Regular pan directions

To saute tofu in a regular pan, you can use higher heat, but you also need to use more oil. See this video for a nice short demonstration of sauteing tofu in a regular pan.

What to do with plain sauted tofu

Serve Sauted  Tofu with one or more toppings or sauces:

• Sun Dried Tomato Flavor Cubes (Just defrost and serve with the tofu.)
• Tomato Onion Chutney Flavor Cubes (Just defrost and serve with the tofu.)
• Any other vegetable toppings you like (I’ll be offering some more recipe ideas for toppings soon! And if you have some ideas, please add a comment with your suggestion.)

Enjoy and be healthy,

-Leni

Here’s a good question, I bet quite a few of you wonder about too…“When I work out at the gym, I am there for a couple of hours and by the end of the first hour, I start getting hungry. I was wondering if you have any recommendations for any specific store bought nutrition or energy bars.”

To get the most bang for you buck, snacks should provide energy and “holding power” for the least number of calories. That’s why I don’t normally recommend popular snacks like energy bars, because they contain excess amounts of fats and sweeteners and add on empty calories.

 While a small amount of fat helps you to feel satisfied, excessive amounts of fat can slow down your digestion to the point where it takes too long for you to get that quick refill of energy we need. However, excessive amounts of simple sugars digest too quickly, leaving you hungry once again in a very short period of time.

There are other choices to carry around than just energy bars. My quick snack of choice is an apple with almond butter that I bring from home in Tupperware or a small baggie of nuts or homemade trail mix. I always have a small stash of nuts hidden somewhere in my gym bag (which comes with me everywhere). My personal favorites are almonds, pistachios, cashews and Brazil nuts. When I’m feeling ambitious I’ll combine a few different kinds together in a plastic zipper bag, along with some unsweetened dried fruit, just to mix things up.

One of the only drawbacks of snacking on nuts is if you are really hungry it is easy to eat too many. To avoid this I recommend getting into the habit of counting the nuts you eat, drinking water and waiting 20 minutes before eating more. The protein and fat in nuts can be very satisfying, but it takes awhile for the satiety signals to reach your brain.

Here are some serving size guidelines:

After some practice, eating the proper amount will come naturally to you. But at the beginning you should either count the nuts or measure them out in advance so it is easier to make good decisions.

There are a few other easily transportable foods that can serve as good substitutes for energy bars…

• Fruit is a great option, particularly filling fruits with lots of fiber like apples, grapefruit and oranges.
• Jerky is another. There are several varieties: beef, turkey, even have wild salmon jerky. Just be careful, the teriyaki flavor that is often high in added sugar.
• Cut up vegetables and bean dips are a great high fiber and high protein option.  Most stores now even offer precut, organic vegetable and premade dips.

The takeaway to remember is that just like your meals, snacks should provide a balance of nutrients…protein, fiber and fat. 

As a final thought, I wonder if you are maybe spending too much time in the gym? For weight loss and fat burning, more than an hour is really overkill and may actually work against you. If you are training for a specific athletic event, you’ve gotta do what you gotta do. But for the rest of us mortals one hour in the gym is more than enough to accomplish our goals. Maybe your hunger is a signal to you that it’s time to shower up and head home? Check out this article on how to get fit in 6 minutes…

One of the most essential aspects of a great healthy lifestyle is planning for moments of hunger throughout your day, but processed foods are hardly ever the answer–no matter how convenient.

What are your favorite post-workout snacks?

I usually do not advertise products on this blog, as I use it to vent, to motivate and to fill gaps within the interludes of time.  But this product caught my attention.  Native American Natural Food’s mission is to heal the people and our Mother Earth by building a company that innovates new food products based on the traditional values of Native American respect for all living things by living in balance with mind, body, and spirit.  What a goal.  The product which I wholeheartedly endorse is Tanka Bars.

TANKA BAR is a new nutrition bar that transcends the Dried Meat and Nutritional Bar categories, giving your taste buds a truly authentic Native American food.  Made from real buffalo meat and cranberries and based on a centuries-old recipe for using fruit to preserve dried meat,  all Tanka products are gluten- and dairy-free.

The Tanka Bar starts with prairie-raised buffalo and is then combined with antioxidant-rich cranberries.  Raised without the use of hormones or antibiotics, the buffalo meat is a healthy protein source that is low in fat, and cholesterol.  Buffalo meat contains polyunsaturated fat and Omega-3 fatty acids, and is low in saturated fat.

rv-visions.com

Despite the fact that I still have three semesters left at UNC-CH, I might as well be staring down the barrel of a December ‘09 graduation date. While the panic attacks about finding a job haven’t quite started to kick in yet, I have considered giving up my life-long dream of studying abroad in order to get more “real-world” experience . I have forgotten how to say “NO” when people ask me if I can take on something that I clearly do not have time for. I have convinced myself that despite the fact that I have major leadership roles in three different organizations, I still am not doing enough. I have gotten scared every time someone mentions the words “graduation,” “career,” “internship.” I have become addicted to  advising appointments (study abroad, career services, academic, I’ve seen them all multiple times this year).

I’m no expert, and I realize that the job market is not what it was 20 years ago, but I think there’s something wrong with this. As students, we tend to push ourselves too hard. We’ve become complacent with three hours of sleep a night. We’ve adapted to consuming Red Bull and energy bars instead of balanced meals. In the stress of trying to find a job in today’s non-existent job market, we have forgotten that we are college students. THAT is our job, at least until we graduate.

Now, I confess, I am just as bad as the rest of you over-achievers out there. I should buy stock in Starbucks and rarely sleep more than three hours at a time. But I’m starting to get worn-out, and I believe that there is a way to fix this.

So here’s my goal: once a week for the rest of the year (or however long it takes me to make my point), I am going to tell you how to have a life and be a normal college student, while STILL finding that dream job you want once you graduate. I know it doesn’t seem possible, but I believe that together, we can figure out a way to make it work.

So please, put down your energy drink. And get some sleep.

I made these to take on long rides. They don’t tempt me in a normal setting, but really give me energy when I’m exercising for a long time (so they’re safe to keep in the freezer)

In the food processor, grind 2 cups whole almonds, 1 cup oats, 1/4 cup coconut oil, and 2/3 honey. After it’s mixed, stir in 1 cup of craisins and/or other dried fruit.
Press into a square pan sprayed with Pam with wet fingers and bake @275 degrees for 1 hour. Allow bars to cool completely and then cut them into bars. Makes 10-20, depending on how small you cut them.

Bonk Breaker, the best tasting Energy Bar in the WORLD!

“They are really, really good!”
~ Laird

“Where homestyle baking meets sports nutrition.”

In endurance sports, particularly cycling and running, “BONK” describes a condition when the athlete suddenly loses energy and fatigue sets in, resulting in a major performance drop. BREAK the DREADED BONK!

*Bonk Breaker named 2008 Best of Competitor Magazine***3 years running!
*Men’s Health Magazine Calls Bonk Breaker “Best bar we’ve tasted”

3 Flavors:
Peanut Butter & Jelly, Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and Banana

Order your box today at Laird’s e-store!

Nutritional Info: Calories, Fat, Protein, Ingredients

The east branch of a rain-swollen Neversink River.

Let’s set the scene:

A low pressure storm system developed Friday off the Atlantic Coast, which spun like a wheel and lashed the Northeast region with rain storms. The Catskill mountains soaked just under an inch of rain between Friday and Saturday as members of the Appalachian Mountain Club hiked into the Slide Mountain Wilderness, N.Y.

Temps stayed in the 60s during the days and flirted with the upper 40s at night. Not much wind, but lots and lots and lots of water from hiking through the Neversink River and its tributaries to bushwacking through leafy trees and bushes spilling rain water on us, plus the actual rain falling on our heads.

With that setting in place, let’s take a look at what worked during the weekend:

MOUNTAIN HARDWARE SPRITE 1

The Mountain Hardware Sprite 1 withstands a pounding by a rain storm in the Catskills.

This economically priced single-person tent might as well have been a plastic shell. Not a drop of rain penetrated the rainfly, and it breathed so well that what condensation did appear inside the rainfly did not impact anything inside the tent, including the sleeping bag, the clothing and, yes, even me.

While it may weigh a few ounces more than those overhyped lightweight tents, this tent performs just fine and much less the price.

Compass Points says check it out.

Osprey Aether 70

Osprey’s Web site says the Aether 70, an internal frame backpack, can comfortably handle loads up to 50 pounds.

They’re right.

I packed some “luxury” items for the weekend – like more food and clothing than I would normally – because we were setting up a base camp just a few miles into the woods, then slack packing to the surrounding peaks. So my load was heavier than the usual; I’d say in the 35 to 40 pound range. And the Aether 70 didn’t feel much different than when I carry about 5 to 10 pounds less.

Hearty endorsement of the Aether 70.

Black Diamond Trail trekking poles

Another economy item, these three-section poles ring in at just $89, much less than those trekker poles made of space-age materials. The Trail’s basic material must be so embarrassingly simple compared to those high-tech carbon poles that Black Diamond doesn’t even say what the Trail material is on its Web site.

And how did the Trail hold up while ascending 1,200 feet through dense witch-hobble thickets and scratch-your-face balsam fir forests?

I stumbled about half a dozen times coming down as I was calorie depleted, trying to traverse through the woods, scrambling off small cliffs and plunging through free-flowing springs, and on a few of those falls, I saw those poles bend like the St. Louis Arch. But the poles never broke. BAM! Those are a keeper.

For those on a budget, consider these poles.

Food for the hungry

Backpacker Magazine in its September 2009 edition provided a recipe for Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal, which they described as “like a cookie in a bowl.”

I followed the recipe instructions – two packets of instant cinnamon oatmeal, peanut butter and chocolate (I used dark chocolate M&M’s, which you always find in my food stash during a backpack).

The result – the first few bites were divine, but this meal is soooo sweet I started to feel ill. Too sweet. Use in moderation.

I would like to recommend two food items for your next backpack. One is Maxwell House Coffee’s single packets, which make one cup of coffee. Great for backpacking if you need that morning caffeine fix. My other recommendation is Clif Bar’s apricot-flavored energy bar. Tastes like apricot candy. Excellent choice.

By Ray Salomone, Personal Trainer and Wellness Activist

This we already knew or you should’ve known. Compressed crap with slick marketing. MSNBC contributor writer Diane Mapes now details how these bars are also bad for your teeth.  (And please don’t consider this a minor issue, many diseases begin after bacteria enters the blood stream from the gums)

 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32765018/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

 But my favorite line of the article, in fact one of my favorite lines this year, comes from a 49 year old woman who was interviewed for the article. When she was told by her dentist that these bars were giving her cavities, she was quite dismayed and said,

 “…what am I going to eat now?”

  HOW ABOUT FOOD?  

Has real food become so far removed from our line of thinking that it isn’t a first option? Sadly, yes it has. So many of us are still searching for a shortcut, even a miracle. There are no short cuts. Never will be.

Eat real, unprocessed food that nourishes the body instead of decomposing it. Cut up vegetables, put them in a container and now you have a snack that is infinitely better for you  than a bar that promises to help you complete the Iron Man challenge.

 Ray Salomone   Personal Trainer and Wellness Activist

www.GrecoRomanWellness.com

Blog: www.GrecoRomanWellness.wordpress.com

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 Eat Fresh, Whole Foods. Exercise Intensely

PLAY ROUGH AND LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!!

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 Coming Soon to bookstores:

The Greco Roman Road to Wellness

by Ray Salomone and Dr. Katina Ioannidis

Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Greco-Roman-Road-Wellness-Old-World-Times/dp/0982139209/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243604904&sr=8-1

PVM has brought out a new bar, the iSnack. The 40g bars weigh in with 5.73g Protein, 22.46g Carbs, and 4.69g of Fat. There are 2 flavours-Yoghurt Strawberry, and Chocolate Cranberry, both are delicious

PVM are the makers of the original Energy Bar, and thankfully, one of my longest standing supporters! Thanks Petru and the gang at PVM for keeping me well-fueled and ready to train and race at my best.

I recently tried BumbleBars for the first time. They were on sale (two for CAD5 at the new Whole Foods in Vancouver) and I liked the simple ingredient list (this is one of the flavors I tried):

Organic sesame seeds, Organic almonds, Organic brown rice syrup, Organic evaporated cane juice, Organic flax seeds, Organic extract of vanilla, Organic cinnamon, Sea salt, Natural Vitamin E for freshness, Processing agents: Organic sunflower/safflower oil.

I wish I liked it more. The small company, based in Spokane Valley, WA, is family-run. They use organic ingredients and the bars are vegan and gluten free. (The only eco flaw is the mylar packaging.)

But, to me, the flavor is too sweet. The cinnamon and vanilla taste very artificial. I couldn’t taste almond at all. The sticky-seedy texture requires vigorous chewing (don’t try eating this during a conversation, unless you don’t mind being seen with seeds stuck between your teeth). I like sesame seeds but only in reasonable quantities, and these tasted raw rather than toasted.

The BumbleBar has about 230 calories, with a low-enough sugar content (9g per bar). While it’s not quite junk food, I would much prefer to eat plain nuts or a bar with more protein, typically added by way of soy or whey. Finally, this bar ain’t cheap. (Clif Bars, which I much prefer, taste better and cost less, especially if you shop at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.) If you are a sticky-sesame fan, your better bet in Canada is the CADo.99 Dan D Pak Sesame Crepe (granted, it is not organic and the seeds are imported from Vietnam): 

Regret the thumbs down but I would never buy this again.

Food’s central place in seasonal celebrations can prove difficult, especially with stress triggers from family or lonely feelings.

One of the best tools for “beating holiday binging” is both inexpensive and easy! Rather than overeating or binging, which is reactive, try these 3 proactive steps to managing holiday stress positively:

1. Rate your overall level of stress each day and record it on a a log (1=minimal; 10=maximal).
2. Log the hours that you sleep each night, and aim for a solid 7-8 hours (we tend to handle stress better if we’ve had enough sleep).
3. Identify a non-food reward that you can give yourself to unwind and relax without overeating, for example a luxurious bubble bath.

Try to be prepared for situations where you may be tempted to binge by planning ahead. Oftentimes, the eating behaviors are subconscious reactions to stressors that we know trigger behaviors, but don’t plan for. By arming yourself with tools that you can put in place for these events, you can circumvent the situation effectively.

Url: L.A. Times article source

With a name like Amazing Grass, I expected these energy bars to taste like dry lawn clippings pressed into the familiar rectangle I associate with flavorless meals-to-go. Luckily, I was wrong! These too-healthy-to-be-tasty sounding bars are amazingly good.

Read the rest here!