My Blog Log

Monday, February 20, 2012

Spice It Up

    " You are what you eat from your head down to your feet." Remember Time for Timer?  I've always believed in this statement and was lucky enough to learn this at an early age. Food provides us with nutrition, but did you know herbs have some wonderful benefits as well?
      Lately, I have been dealing with an injury, and part of healing that is taking some anti-inflammatory medicine. The problem with Advil or any of the over the counter meds is that they have side effects, which over time can wreak havoc on your insides. My biggest problem with Ibuprofen is that it is not easy on my already sensitive stomach. I started investigating some more natural approaches to battling inflammation and discovered that adding some herbs to my diet can help.
     Centuries ago herbs were used medicinally and for good reason. The seven best herbs to use, according to Dr. Wendy Bazilion, are oregano, rosemary, thyme, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, and curry. Most of us have at least a few of these, if not all, right in our pantries. The spices, when added to our favorite recipes, can provide an antioxidant boost to our diets. Bazilion who recently wrote, SuperFoods RX Diet, writes about the importance of adding herbs to get health benefits.
     Blueberries and pomegranate are," super foods," that are discussed in the book, but did you know that one half of a teaspoon of cinnamon added to your favorite fruit or coffee can give you the same amount of antioxidants as a half a cup of blueberries or pomegranate? Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals or unstable molecules linked to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's. While nothing beats a fresh cup of blueberries, sometimes it isn't readily available, so reach for some cinnamon to get some of the same benefits.
     Oregano is another herb that most of us have in our cupboards. Did you know that adding a half of a teaspoon of this to your favorite food can have as much of an antioxidant boost as three ounces of almonds, and a half a cup of asparagus?  Oregano contains rosmarinac acid, an antimicrobial property that has been shown to fight the growth of bacteria and  parasites. Again, I think that nothing beats the real thing, but adding herbs to your already favorite foods can really boost the nutrition and add flavor.
     Ginger is a spice that has many healing properties. With my recent injury, I was looking for something to aid my inflammation, and I read that ginger, contains gingerol, an anti-inflammatory. Research has shown that gingerol  can reduce muscle fatigue and soreness due to intense exercise. Ginger was used centuries ago as a natural way to aid distressed stomachs. Bingo, by adding ginger to your stir fry veggies or chicken dishes, could really make a difference in your recovery after a hard workout, or aid in repairing an injury.
     Turmeric is another great spice. Turmeric's deep yellow color is a result of a compound called curcumin. Curcumin has been linked to having anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric, which also has curry blended in it, has as many antioxidants in it as a cup of red grapes.
     I think it is worth adding more of these wonderful spices to your repertoire, if nothing else it will add color and flavor to your dishes, but think of the health benefits as well. As my mother-in-law has often said," I would rather pay the grocer than the doctor or pharmacist."Load up on fresh foods and herbs, and reap the benefits of a healthy waistline and good health.

Tri-On Friends,
Kelly   

For more info on spices check out http://www.mccormick.com/spicesforhealth


 Time for Timer: You are What You Eat via You Tube


Friday, February 10, 2012

Tri A Swim Workout

     About three weeks ago, I slipped down some wet stairs in my ski boots, and bruised my tailbone. The good news is that I had an x-ray last week and it is not broken, whew! The bad news is, that it's a bit sore. What's an injured triathlete to do that can't run or bike?  Practice what I preach about the power of water, and add more water workouts. I can still run in the water. The water is a perfect place to work out and rehab at the same time. In this post, I'll share one of my swim workouts.
    First tip, if you have an injured tailbone, is to not flip turn when doing laps. The motion from somersaulting on your back and pushing off the wall can cause excruciating pain.  A simple, two handed turn, off the wall will do. Ignore your inner swim coach and wait until the area is pain free.
     Second tip, again if you are experiencing this injury, is to go easy on the kicking sets. Depending on how bruised the area is, kicking freestyle with a board could aggravate the area further. The muscles around the tailbone area are over compensating for the injury. My first swim workout back, I did very little kick. This type of injury really requires you to listen to your body. A good rule- if something is causing pain while you do it, stop. Take it from me, I've had my share of injuries, and if you push too hard, too soon, you can increase the longevity of the injury.
     Otherwise, the doc said swimming is absolutely fine, even encouraged with something like a bruised tailbone, because swimming has no impact. Below is a swim work-out that I have done the last couple of weeks. Again, no flip turning, and you can add or take away from the kick sets, depending on if you are injured or not.

                   Warm Up
Easy 500 yards. Concentrate on long arm strokes and breathing every 3rd stroke.

                    Pull Set
These are done with a pull buoy- great if your back area is injured, and great if it is not too.This works your arms and your lung capacity. Hypoxic means training with little oxygen.
4x200 yds (800 yds.) Concentrate on elongating your stroke and hypoxic breathing- first 200 is every 3rd stroke you breathe, second 200 is every 5th stroke, 3rd 200 every 7th stroke, last 200 every 3rd.
         
                   Kick Set( if it is not causing pain from an injury)
   4x100(400 yds)
   100 free kick
   100 breast kick
   100 free
   100 breast

                 Main Set
4x100(400)
Alternate 100's with freestyle and breaststroke
Rest only 10 seconds in between each 100, breathing every 3rd bilateral( on both sides)

               Cool Down
Swim an easy 200 freestyle
Total yds=2300 yds.

     This is a great swim workout( injured or not). You can always tailor this to your needs, by adding more or taking some away. Also, be careful when doing the hypoxic part, if you are not used to little breathing then that needs to be built up. I don't want anyone passing out during a workout.

Tri- On Friends,
Kelly