This week I have a bite(s) size edition of #whatiatewednesday for you. Snacking healthy can be difficult but with a little forethought, it can be a breeze. There are plenty of great healthy snack options like hard boiled eggs, olives or hard cheeses (if you can handle dairy). Take this snack I pack in my lunch everyday. A small Tupperware of walnuts (heathy fats + protein), raisins (glucose for immediate energy) and dark chocolate (caffeine + theobromine for a coffee like pick me up) is the perfect afternoon health snack. The fish oil supplement in the pic is not required to complete this snack but can be beneficial if you don’t eat enough fatty fish.
In my opinion, we have a lot of silly holidays in the United states, but Labor Day is not one of them. Labor Day is a celebration of the decades of hard work American laborers put forth to make the United States an economic powerhouse. Hopefully you get to enjoy a paid holiday thanks to all that manual labor, and what better way to spend your holiday than listening to a new episode of the Addicted to Fitness podcast. NOW THAT’S A SEGUE!
We kick off this week’s episode talking about the recent weather event we had to deal with. Hurricane Hermine screwed with several ETT personal training sessions, but luckily we were able to complete most of them without incident. We also discussed my new favorite Peloton cycle instructor Jessica King (pictured above) and get into a pair of nauseating smoothie stories. The smoothie stories are especially troubling because one deals with people catching Hepatitis A from contaminated fruit sold at a national smoothie chain. We go into more detail in the episode but if you’re looking for more information about this story check out this news article from the CDC.
Last but certainly not least, everyone’s favorite nutritional trivia game makes it’s long awaited return to the podcast. That’s right! The Macros Game is back, and we’ve got a special Labor Day edition for you. Shannon quizzes me on the macronutrient content of several Labor Day cookout staples. Make sure you play along at home and send us your scores. In addition to your scores, we would really appreciate you all giving us a rating and/or review on iTunes. Help us spread the good word of fitness and share the podcast with anyone and everyone. We appreciate the support and stay healthy this week peeps!
This week’s edition of #whatiatewednesday focuses on the importance of bacteria. I imagine that when most people think of bacteria, they think of something dirty like the bathroom door handle or the floor of a fast food restaurant. The strains of bacteria I’m referring to are contained within our bodies and our food. Maintaining the appropriate amounts and types of certain bacteria within our gut can affect our mood, cognitive function and longevity (source). One dietary source of “good” bacteria that I pack in my lunch everyday is greek yogurt. I combine 1 cup of full fat Greek yogurt (20g of protein + beneficial strains of bacteria) with blueberries (antioxidants + phytonutrients) and ground flaxseed (omega 3 fatty acids) to create a nutrient dense mini meal that satisfies all the macronutrient categories and helps me maintain a healthy gut.
Guess who’s back, back again. Shannon’s back, tell a friend.
Sorry about that blatant and tacky rip off of the great Marshall Mathers, I’m just excited about Shannon’s return to the Addicted to Fitness podcast. She returns just in time to help me review a pair of beef related food products. I try a cup of beef bone broth, procured from Growing Rootz (a Tampa natural & organic food purveyor), while Shannon sips on a fruit and veggie smoothie containing Great Lakes beef collagen protein powder. We analyze the nutritional benefits of both products and let you know whether or not they’d be a good addition to your daily diet. After talking a whole lot of bull (get it), we go to the other end of the spectrum and discuss our favorite plant based protein sources. In addition to our preferred plant proteins, we list off a ton of favs given to us by listeners on Facebook and Twitter. Last but not least, we dive into our weekly ritual of meal prep. Shannon describes what we do every Sunday to help us maintain our nutritious diet day in and day out and we recommend a company that will help eliminate some of the burden of meal planning & grocery shopping.
I’m happy to report that after only two episodes this month, we have already surpassed the download numbers for June and July. That means you’re listening and more importantly you’re sharing the podcast. You can’t imagine how much that means to us. We deeply appreciate your support. If you haven’t done so already, please leave us a rating and/or review on your preferred podcast app (an iTunes rating/review would be especially awesome). Thanks again and stay healthy this week peeps!
I’m back with another #whatiatewednesday post for you all. If you haven’t been living under a rock the last few years, someone has probably told you that avocados are good for you because they contain “healthy” fats (monounsaturated & polyunsaturated to be exact). But you may not know that 1 avocado has more potassium than a banana and 4g of protein with all 8 essential amino acids (source). They also include other important micronutrients like vitamin A, C, iron and calcium (source). These nutritional facts make them an important component of anyone’s diet, especially non-meat eaters. As you can see I like to dress mine up with a little red pepper & olive oil. I’m pretty fancy.
This week’s #whatiatewednesday post features a food sold at most grocery stores that has been found to be anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic superfood. The root, that looks a lot like a worm, I’m referring to is turmeric. Turmeric contains a compound known as curcumin that is believed to have the same pain relieving effect as medication like ibuprofen, but without the negative side effects. Curcumin inhibits the same enzyme ibuprofen does that causes inflamed areas of the body to become painful (source). I’m not quite sure the best way to unlock it’s beneficial properties, but for now I’m peeling, chopping and tossing several pieces into a seeping bag to create a powerful afternoon tea time. To get your daily dose of curcumin you can buy ground or whole turmeric and add it to food, or you can buy curcumin supplements. Supplemental forms of curcumin can contain mega doses, which is why you should consult your physician before taking them.
I have to admit, Shannon and I were not in the best physical condition while recording this week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast. We had just returned from the One Love. One Pulse. charity yoga event. As far as charity events go, this was the most intense one we had ever been to. Two other ETT members, Adrien and Casey, joined Shannon and I as we performed nearly two hours of continuous sun salutations, and if you don’t know what a sun salutation is, please check out the video below. As physically demanding as it was, I was extremely happy that ETT was able to contribute to such a worthy cause. I was also extremely happy that the majority of this week’s episode consisted of an interview with cookbook author Anna Vocino.
Anna has wide range of expertise. She’s and actress, stand-up comedian, podcaster and cookbook author. During the interview, she explains how her Celiac disease diagnosis in 2002 lead to her creating a multitude of delicious recipes that contain little to no sugar, grains and/or gluten. We also discuss the best way to influence others to eat healthy and Anna gives out one of her favorite recipes from her cookbook Eat Happy. You can hear more from Anna on the Celebrity Fitness Trainer podcast with Vinnie Tortorich and get more of her recipes at annavocino.com. The digital version of Eat Happy will be available for purchase August 16th, but you can pre-order it today on Amazon.
I really enjoy interviewing experts in the field of health and fitness and I hope you all enjoy listening to these interviews. If you do, please leave us a rating or review, and if you really love us, please share the Addicted to Fitness podcast with a friend. Here’s to a happy and healthy week!
This week’s menu item is not one particular food, but an entire meal I prepared for my wife and I. The salad is made of arugula, watermelon, grated cheddar and a balsamic reduction. Even though watermelon has a high glycemic index (72) it has a low glycemic load (5) due to the water and fiber it contains. Enjoying it with a protein, like the shrimp pictured below, will reduce the watermelon’s insulin response even further. While we’re on the topic of reducing insulin response, substituting zucchini noodles for any refined grain based pasta will do just that. Reducing your refined grain intake could lead to you avoiding troublesome health conditions like bloating and irritable bowel syndrome just to name a few. The real beauty of this meal is that it took about 15 minutes to make. Quick, healthy and delicious. Just the way I like it!
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