WIAW #18 From Running to Lifting, Food Matters

Running created the foundation for my passion of cooking and eating all things healthy. After completing my first marathon with no regard to proper fueling, training, and recovery, I bought a book by Runner’s World called Performance Nutrition for Runners: How to Fuel Your Body for Stronger Workouts, Faster Recovery, and Your Best Race Times Ever. This book opened the door to the world of food and the way it affects our mind and body.

Each successive year I ran the same marathon with both better recovery and faster times. I eventually qualified for the Boston Marathon (twice) and ran it in 2009. The fact that I could see and feel my body change once I began preparing my own wholesome meals has turned me into the obsessive foodie I am today. Ask my Mom, Kelley, and others close to me; they’ll readily validate this judgment. 

Kelley and Me in Boston for the marathon

Even healthier cereals like Rice Chex or Heritage Bites have worked their way out of our pantry. I miss it every now and then, but Ezekiel 4:9 cereal or Arrowhead Mills Puffed Millet, Kamut, or Corn suit me just fine. And there’s always the numerous ways to make delicious overnight oats with pumpkin, whey protein, peanut butter/flour, and mashed banana to name a few.

After “running” a strict training program with little time off year after year, I became burned out on the monotony of running. Plus, I could tell my strength had diminished since I would hardly eat enough to support my 50 to 70 miles per week. To gain strength, you need resistance training and to eat more than you burn to assist muscle growth. This is referred to as "bulking" in the world of strength training.

Kelley and me after the San Antonio RnR Marathon. This was my PR at 2:53:17

I’m not good at “bulking” since it requires over 3k calories to support growth, but I’m trying my best. I know I could use it, or at least try, but since I was a fat kid up until high school, I have a fear of instantly ballooning up again. I'm getting better at eating more, but I will never try drinking a gallon of whole milk a day like the GOMAD diet used by many newbie lifters use to gain strength (as well as fat) fast. Craziness!


My current routine consists of either a 4 day upper/lower split or 3 day full body compound barbell movements. I focus on the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, and bent row. I make sure to do sprints, short runs, biking, and walking each week. I have a fear of losing the endurance I built up from running, so I feel I must do some form of cardio. I also keep active by mowing the lawn with a reel mower twice a week, doing jumping jacks first thing in the morning, always taking the stairs, and even heavy punching bag work.

I enjoy my increase in strength, and know I still have a ways to go. Keeping active is the main thing, and doing something you enjoy keeps you coming back for more. Please make sure you value to importance of food quality for recovery and fuel and choose something you like doing; you’re body will thank you!

Was this post long enough for you?  How about we have a look at my eats. I’m going to just post the pics in chronological order to keep it shorter. Let me know if you like this or what you want to know more about. As always, I’d like to send a big thanks to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting this ever-growing foodie event!


Happy WIAW and 4th of July!!






Breakfast

Homemade PB Protein Bread with homemade cherry chia protein jam....more than one slice was had.

No-cook peanut butter protein bars with puffed millet and corn.

Lunch

Tuna stuffed cremini mushrooms with mustard and cayenne make an awesome snack or salad topper!

Remake of my non-McGriddle I posted about the other day. Love the little honey with pepper!

Dinner

Cold Quinoa salad with beets and greens.

Homemade 3-pepper salsa. I didn't eat this whole thing, but it was the dressing on my big salad with steamed veggies and chicken. Forgot to take a picture...sorry.

Healthy Dessert that Doubles as 2nd Dinner

Overnight "Proats" with frozen blueberries, PB Crave CoCo Bananas, and CHO Greek yogurt

Green Protein Smoothie with spinach, pumpkin, and pineapple. Looks....green...but tastes great!!

Microwave Overnight Oat PB Muffin. The recipe (it's easy) is coming up soon!

Friday Foodie Favs: Picture Post

Ahhh, Friday; the symbolic day of crossing from the work week to the weekend!  Does it ever bother you that we get so excited about the last day of work for the week?  I know some people have other schedules, but for the most of us, Friday means the next two days are free.

But we'll probably spend part of Sunday stressing over the fact that the next day is Monday.  It's a vicious cycle I tell ya, vicious! Too bad this blog doesn't pay like my job. Oh well, one can dream can't they?

Enough of work talk.  Today should be a relaxing day to ease into an even more relaxing weekend.  But not too relaxing, there's still things to cook and exercise to...ummm...do?  So today I am just posting random pictures I've taken over the past few weeks and wanted to share with you.

Please stay to check these out and let me know what you think.  If you are interested in any of these pics, feel free to contact me for more info. I always enjoy food and health related talk!

Enjoy the pics and Happy Weekend!

Q:  Do you have a typical 5 day work week?  Do you enjoy your days or look forward to the end and count-down to the weekend?

Texas Shitake mushrooms at last week's SW Food Service Expo. Wish this was in my backyard!

Baby summer squash, figs, rambutans, kumquats, and a few other produce goodies I can't make out. Yum!

Simple scrambled eggs with fresh green onions and whole grain rye toast for Kelley. I like to make good food for my great wife!

Homemade toasted quinoa cereal with dry roasted cashews. Simplicity at it's finest!

My crazy attempt at a microwave chocolate protein mug cake.  It was good, but very misshaped.

No-bake Low-fat PB Protein Cookies

Just missing beets to complete this roasted mushroom, garlic, and Brussels sprouts medley.

Homemade salsa with a spicy peanut butter twist.  Makes the salsa extra creamy and delicious.  Sooo good on salad!

More Brussels braised with bay scallops and garlic.  Never gets old!

That's it for today.  Off to work, the store, and to work out to finish the week.  Then I'll chow on a tasty protein puree of frozen fruit and veggies with overnight oats.  Can't wait!

Thursday Rant: People's Lack of Healthy Food Knowledge

 I am bothered by general lack of knowledge on healthy food; something our bodies depend on every day. As mean as this soundss, it’s really because I care about the general health of friends, family, and other people around me. I know I have a lot to learn (you never stop, really), but it’s something I seek out as much as possible and feel others should do the same.

The media has butchered what is considered healthy and what’s not. Basically, “healthy” foods that are promoted by mainstream media are usually backed by big companies that sell their processed and packaged "healthy" foods….not the small, independent businesses and farmers selling whole unprocessed foods. I continually seek out information on my own and take what the labeling on packages say with a grain of salt.

My devotion to good health is why I started this blog and why I prepare most of the meals I eat. Seeing and hearing how ignorant people can be shouldn’t get to me like it does, but….it does. Why is this? I can only assume it has something to do with how passionate I am about an area that is important to all of humanity and feel everyone should be the same. I understand kids, if raised in a setting where nutrition is not discussed and food is just food, then they will not know better to question their food; they just eat what’s in front of them. But, with health being a main topic across all media sources, grown adults should try harder to teach their offspring to care more and seek information for what they don’t know.

Good health, after all, is directly related to a person’s diet as well as activity level. I am a huge advocate of daily exercise, but diet is the main contributor to health. If more of us cared to learn about nutrition, I bet there would be lower health care costs across the board and it wouldn’t be such a big issue as it is now. Yeah yeah, I know this is far fetched and can’t / won’t happen over night, but I can dream, right?

I consider this blog as a great way to help try and inform people on a healthier lifestyle that can still be enjoyed. I have a great time in the kitchen and it helps relieve stress while learning new things myself. I don’t have a kid now, but when I do, I want to make sure to pass on the importance of living healthily and how to do so. I try to teach others (sometimes without them wanting) about foods and their benefits or what to use instead of another, less healthy choice.

As mainstream as it is, you’d think some things are obvious, but many people are still clueless. Here are a few ways we can help educate people, please comment if you have more ideas and hopefully this can help all of us to educate the World on food and health

- Parents can and should get in the kitchen and cook healthy meals with their children (allowing them to help with what is appropriate). This increases bonding as a family and passes on healthy values to the next generation.

- As mentioned, blogging on healthy topics will help to increase any reader’s knowledge and hopefully they will enjoy the good read.

- Offer advice to people at the grocery store if they have a confused look or you hear them questioning something. Sometimes it’s well received, I’ve had good and bad experiences with this, but at least I tried

- If you’re into cooking healthy foods, make some for friends, family, and co-workers (hopefully they’re friends too) and let them taste how healthy food is good food. If they like it, you can show them how to prepare at home.

I took today’s post as day to rant (another great use for blogs!) about something I hold dear. Like I said, I know I can’t let how others feel about good health bother since it can’t be forced upon them; they have to want to know. But I remain persistent and will fill the ears of anyone who cares to listen.
I read a lot of blogs by other healthy foodies and can see many others who are as passionate about health as I am.

To all of you healthy foodies (bloggers and non-bloggers alike), do you ever feel this way? Besides blogging, how else do you try and get information across to others?