Curry for Christmas

Christmas eve at our house will be highlighted with our traditional rice and curry dinner. This may not be the usual choice for many Canadians but my in-laws spent many years living in India and my mother-in-law always made the world’s best curry. She told me how to make it but it never tasted quite as good as hers. Perhaps this is because food always tastes better when it's made by someone else. In any event, I will pass on this recipe to you. There are no measurements, just approximations. And I always add different ingredients of my own and I encourage you to do the same.

Ingredients

Onions, chopped

Garam masala, or cloves, cumin, and coriander spices

Curry powder

Salt and pepper

Stewing beef (you can substitute lentils for meat)

Cauliflower (this is a must)

Carrots

Celery

White, red or sweet potato

Red pepper

Cabbage (red or green)

Spinach

Olive oil

Add onion and olive oil to a large pot over medium-low heat. Saute until onion is soft. Add spices. Cook for a few minutes and then add 3 cups of water. Add the meat and all the vegetables. Similar over medium heat until meat is brown and vegetables are cooked through. Add the spinach last. Allow the mixture to simmer over low heat to synthesize the spices.

Chutney

One fresh tomato, chopped

Flaked coconut

Vinegar (about a tablespoon)

Mix ingredients together to taste.

Serve curry over Basmati rice (mix in turmeric with the rice for colour and added nutrition) and add chutney on top. This chutney has a sweet, cooling flavour. You could try adding plain yogurt to offset the heat of the curry as well. Delicious! Enjoy!

Christmas is no time for excuses!

Do you find yourself saying, "Oh my goodness, I am so busy, I think I'm going to skip my workout; there's just too much to do!" It’s one week from Christmas and if you are like many people, you are feeling the crunch. Missing a workout might seem like a good option but think again. This time of year with the stress and all the holiday treats is the time when it is as important if not more important than ever to get in your regular workouts. Or, maybe you are travelling and you can't get to the gym or dojo. Let’s face it, the list of excuses for missing a workout is endless. 

One way to ensure you never miss a workout is to have a home program you can do if going to the gym or dojo is difficult, or impossible. Not sure what to do? Include a push, a pull, a squat, a hinge and a rotation or diagonal movement in the workout. Do each exercise for 10-12 repetitions. Repeat 3-4 times. Before starting, prepare the joints with mobility movements, warm up your circulatory system, and get started. Finish with at least 2-3 stretches where you feel you need it the most.

To make it even easier for you, the following is an example routine which can be made more or less difficult, depending on your level of fitness.

5-10 minutes joint prep

5 minute warm-up

    25 jumping jacks

    Straight-legged bear crawls

    Cross-overs

Exercises

1. Pushups with hands in close to ribs. Not there yet? Do pushups on a higher surface such as a stair or table.
2. Lying on your stomach, drag yourself along the floor using only your forearms
3. Ski jump squats: squat down with arms straight back toward the floor, stand up on the balls of your feet and raise your arms over head (keep your back flat and touch your belly to your thighs when you lower yourself in the squat). This exercise will work the legs, the hip hinge, and get your heart rate up.)
4. Tripod: From table position (feet and hands on the floor, facing up), reach left arm across right shoulder, then right arm across left shoulder
5. Leg throughs – squat down onto your hands and balls of feet, putting equal weight front and back; bring one leg through your opposite hand and leg to the opposite side; repeat on other side

Cool-down: Downward dog, upward dog (cobra), chest opener (place one arm parallel to the floor against the wall and rotate away from the wall).

That's it! Your holiday at-home workout routine. Thirty minutes and you’re done! Do this routine 3 times a week and cruise into the New Year feeling good and ready for your next phase of physical readiness. fitforeverottawa.com

Travelling by plane

I am flying to Nicaragua after Christmas, and so a recent article on ways to maintain optimal health while travelling caught my attention. This time of year, many people travel to different parts of the world to see family and friends or just to get away to a warmer climate. But the truth is travelling by air is hard on the body: radiation exposure, full body inflammation, production of free radicals, stalls in your recovery process, and an inhibition of important biological processes from muscle-building protein synthesis to muscle-repairing circadian rhythm are a few examples. Not to mention the biggest factor: losing our grounding from being separated from the earth’s gravitational field.

So what can be done about these symptoms?

"Grounding" is exposing your body to the natural magnetic frequencies released by the Earth. When you ground to the electron-rich earth, an improved balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system occurs. The best and easiest way to do this is by going outside barefoot, which is easy to do if you are visiting a warm destination.

Exercise - You probably won’t feel like it but exercise has been show to regulate circadian rhythms. Vigorous exercise shortly after landing will fend off jet lag and normalize your circadian rhythm that gets interrupted by travelling across time zones, and normalize sleep patterns.

Caffeine - Avoid stimulants, such as caffeine, as a way to manage jet lag because they overstimulate the central nervous system and the circadian rhythms even more.

Melatonin - Liquid melatonin or a melatonin patch may be advised before bed to adjust your internal clock, help you sleep and decrease post-travel inflammation.

Jet lag supplementation - There are effective, natural jet lag supplements available that work well to minimize feelings of jet lag. Active ingredients to look for in a supplement include: Arnica Montana, Bellis Perennis, Chamomilla, Ipecacuanha and Lycopodium. I used some when travelling to Ecuador in 2008. Although the time zones were not much different, you can still experience jet lag when travelling long distances in any direction of the globe.

Water - This one’s a no-brainer but can be a challenge to achieve when the water that is served on board most airlines is so limited. If you can, buy water after going through customs and before boarding the plane.

Cold showers – I am not a big fan of this one but apparently cold showers decrease inflammatory cytokines, assist with activation of brown adipose tissue for fat burning, and cause a rebound hormone response in the form of an adrenaline release. If the weather is hot enough, I may give this one a try on my upcoming trip to Nicaragua.

Curcumin - Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant which helps combat inflammation, especially when taken on an empty stomach before and after flying. Curcumin’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and to shut down inflammatory cytokines in neural tissue means it acts as a potent brain anti-inflammatory.  In addition, it is believed to boost testosterone and growth hormone.

Avoid all vegetable oils - Vegetable oils should be avoided while travelling to prevent flight-induced inflammation. This includes roasted or heated seeds and nuts, stir fries, packaged foods, and anything with canola, soybean, corn, sunflower or safflower oil in the ingredients.

Sulfur - Sulfur-containing foods are powerful antioxidant precursors (meaning your body will make antioxidants from the sulfur in foods), specifically helping to combat flight-induced inflammation. These foods include broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, onions and Brussels sprouts. Supplements containing glutathione, N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), MSM, or DMSO, are also effective but may cause nausea in some individuals. Consuming sautéed garlic and onions in the days leading up to your flight may be helpful to your well-being after landing.

Some of these tips I have used, others I have only recently discovered, and I will test them out on my upcoming trip. I would like to acknowledge Ben Greenfield for some of this nutritional and lifestyle information. I am confident that this advice will make for a healthier and more prosperous vacation for anyone travelling by plane.

Nuts about nuts

Many varieties of nuts are readily available to us this time of year. And we all know nuts are good for us: They provide protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins and minerals and polyunsaturated fats. But did you know that many nuts are also a good source of phytochemicals, nutrients that help prevent disease and keep your body working optimally?

Moderate consumption of nuts in the diet can add variety and nutrition and supply good plant-derived fats with no cholesterol. The fatty acids nuts contain are high in beneficial monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which form part of the molecules that move cholesterol through the bloodstream. That means that nuts can be very good for the heart. However, they should still be eaten in moderation due to their high caloric content. Similarly, butters made from nuts are very close in nutritive value and fat content to whole nuts, so nut butters should also be consumed in moderation.

In addition to making quick snacks, nuts can also be added to meals to increase satiety, supply crunch, chewiness, and flavour, especially for vegetarian meals. I usually add almonds or pecans to my salads and walnuts to my oatmeal. For snacks I like cashews and peanuts, mixed with dried fruit for a quick energy pick-up. Cashews, pine nuts and almonds are great in cooked dishes.

All nuts contain comparatively high levels of compounds called protease inhibitors, which are known to block cancer in tests in laboratory animals. A diet high in nuts could prove to be protective against some cancers. Studies show that those who eat nuts frequently (at least 5 times a week) have half the rate of heart attack and coronary death as those who rarely eat them. Even eating nuts less often have a 25 per cent lower incidence of heart disease than those who eat no nuts at all.

What is considered moderate in nut consumption? A recommended serving is ¼ cup. But not all nuts should be eaten by everyone. Peanuts (especially those used for commercially produced peanut butter) may be contaminated by a mold called Aspergillus flavus, which produces aflatoxin, a carcinogen.

Most nuts contain the amino acid arginine, which can lead to flare-ups of herpes in those already prone to herpes outbreaks. On the flip side, arginine plays a role in decreasing cholesterol levels, owing to its function as a biological precursor to nitric oxide. 

If you have been diagnosed with colitis, Crohn’s disease, or diverticulitis, you should not eat nuts without first consulting with your health care provider.

Roasted nuts are not recommended because the oils they contain turn rancid when exposed to heat. Use only raw nuts stored in a tightly sealed container. Do not use nuts that have been exposed to light and air, like those in bulk bins and heated showcases. The good oils in nuts can become rancid quickly in this environment, and rancid fats are a source of toxic free radicals. Avoid nuts that are processed with added sugar, or artificial flavours. 

If nuts agree with your constitution, enjoy a variety of them this holiday season.

Spicy pasta soup

For me, soup is the winter equivalent of the salad. Warm and nourishing with plenty of vegetables, soup is a great alternative to raw salad when the weather is cold. I found this recipe for spicy pasta soup that is great as is or you can add your own choice of vegetables. Best of all, it is easy to make!

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red chili, seeded and finely sliced
1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes, with juice
1 litre vegetable stock
4 ounces/28 g macaroni or bowtie pasta
1/4 cup basil

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and chili, and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Cover, bring to a boil, then remove the lid and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Add the pasta and simmer until just al dente, 6-8 minutes, depending on the pasta you use. Stir in the basil and remove from heat.

I added 4 hot chilies because I had plenty of chilies on hand and I like heat. I substituted rotini for macaroni pasta and I would put less in next time; it really expands as it absorbs the liquid and ends up being more pasta than soup. But it was very tasty regardless! I also added carrots and celery. You could also use olives, spinach and/or mushrooms, depending on your personal tastes. And of course, if you are gluten-free, omit the pasta entirely. Enjoy!

Strength training for endurance athletes

Last week I attended a luncheon for an athlete friend who had achieved an amazing accomplishment: she earned an award for completing 5 endurance events in one year: the Gatineau Loppet, the Winterlude Triathlon, Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour, an Ironman event and a marathon.  Her award was obviously hard-won and well-earned. As I sat in her friend’s living room I looked around at all these endurance athletes – cyclists, runner’s, triathletes and skiers – and they all had one thing in common: Despite their passion for physical activity, their upper bodies were lacking in muscle.

Having spent over two decades in the company of endurance athletes, mainly cyclists, I can tell you this is completely normal. Very few endurance athletes work their upper bodies; a few do off-season weight training for their lower bodies. These athletes spend hours and hours on their bikes, some also running and swimming; the thought of adding another 2-3 hours per week of strength training on top of that is probably not very appealing. 

Only recently have I noticed a shift in this mentality: in fact my friend who earned the award has begun doing strength training twice a week as part of her regular routine of swimming and running. As we get older, people are beginning to realize the importance of strength training. 

5 reasons strength training is important for endurance athletes

1. Injury prevention – strong muscles protect the body from injury in the event of an accident. Strength training not only builds muscle, done properly it can strengthen ligaments and tendons, making your joints more durable against wear and tear. You will also be less prone to repetitive stress injuries.
   
2. Balance – By balance, I don’t mean stability (although strength training will increase joint stability) so much as a balanced body, where upper and lower body are equally strong.
   
3. Improved body composition – a skinny athlete will usually have a higher body fat composition than a lean, well-muscled athlete
   
4. Build lean muscle – by increasing lean muscle mass, you increase your body’s ability to use oxygen and burn more calories. So if you are running or cycling to maintain a healthy weight, consider substituting some of your endurance activities for strength training, burn fat and be healthier.
   
5. Increase efficiency in your sport – although endurance activities primarily stress the aerobic system, increasing leg strength can enhance endurance, allowing you to run or bike longer. As efficiency is increased, so is your ability to recover faster because strength training makes your body more efficient at converting metabolic waste, such as lactic acid, into energy.
   
   It was previously thought that only endurance exercise could raise a person’s VO2 max. But weight training has been shown to affect cardiovascular fitness, as measured by changes in VO2 max – the maximal amount of oxygen that the heart and lungs can deliver to the muscles. Science is beginning to show us that weight training and endurance exercise are not as distinct as was once thought. Now we are seeing that there is overlap between the physiological effects that the two types of exercise produce. Weight/strength training is about more than building big muscles.
   
6. Longevity – strength training contributes to longevity, a fact that surely should encourage all of us to consider engaging in some type of strength training, regardless of our sport of choice.

It is undeniable that strength training is important for everyone, and endurance athletes are no exception. Strength training can include any type of resistance training: bodyweight, dumbbells, barbells, machines, kettlebells, clubbells, mace, sandbags, and the list goes on. Don't like any of these? Try training in a group; you might see a big difference.

Turmeric – the wonder spice!

Turmeric, the golden spice from India, has so many potential health benefits and medicinal properties it could be called a wonder spice. This well-known spice is derived from rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa, a member of the ginger family. It is responsible for the yellow colour of Indian curry and American mustard. Curcumin, which has powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is the most active constituent of turmeric.

In addition to its use as a spice, Turmeric has been used for millennia in Ayurvedic medicine, as an anti-inflammatory herb, as a treatment for laryngitis, bronchitis, and diabetes, and as a disinfectant. Its antibacterial action helps to slow down the spoilage of food and treat wounds. It helps blood flow, reduces cholesterol levels, and improves blood vessel health. Traditionally, turmeric has been used as a digestive aid and a liver stimulant. It is also good for people with artherosclerosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, gallstones, cataracts, tendonitis, eczema, endometriosis, and bursitis.

Scientistics have identified over 580 potential health benefits of which the following lists is just a few of the more amazing ones:

• Destroying cancer cells
• Destroying cancer stem cells (which are possibly the root of all cancer)
• Protecting against radiation-induced damage
• Reducing unhealthy levels of inflammation in the body
• Protecting against heavy metal toxicity
• Preventing and reversing Alzheimer’s Disease-associated pathologies

Elderly villagers in India appear to have the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s in the world. Alzheimer’s begins as an inflammatory process in the brain, and Indians eat turmeric with almost every meal.

For a healing drink, add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, and ½ tsp ground pepper to one cup of warm soy milk. Black pepper significantly increases the bioavailability of the curcumin. To make a batch of turmeric paste, add a ¼ cup of turmeric to ½ a cup of water. Simmer over medium heat on the stove for 7-9 minutes. 

Add one teaspoon of paste to about 2 cups of soy, almond or coconut or whole cow’s milk and heat on the stove. Add a drop of maple syrup or honey if you wish to sweeten it. Golden milk will keep up to three weeks in the fridge. Turmeric milk has been used as a powerful wintertime cold and flu remedy.

I like to add turmeric straight to egg salad, green salads, and most Indian dishes. In salads it is virtually tasteless; in Indian dishes turmeric enhances the flavour of the dish.

Turmeric may not be recommended for people who have clotting disorders, or who are taking anticoagulants. And, since it increases bile production, you should not use it in medicinal amounts if you have gallstones or obstructed bile ducts.

Considering the fact that turmeric grows freely on the Earth, it makes sense that turmeric is such a well-kept secret: as you can well imagine, its very existence threatens a trillion-dollar plus conventional medical establishment. But that is a story for another day. In the mean time, incorporate turmeric into your daily diet and reap the benefits!

Holiday eating tips

As the holiday season approaches, it seems like a good time to remind ourselves about the importance of balance when it comes to eating habits. Not necessarily denying yourself all the goodies, but keeping things in perspective, always seeking moderation. In the month of December, I usually buy a box of chocolates to put in the cupboard. I allow myself one per day. That’s it. Believe me, I savour it and make it last.

Here are my top 10 tips for maintaining your weight and health over the holiday season:

1. Going to a party? One suggestion is to have dinner before going to a party so that you will be less tempted to fill up on unhealthy munchies. See if this approach works for you. Take small portions of your favourite dishes, and skip the ones you can live without. Enjoy your favourite holiday treats, but keep the portions small and again, savour each bite.
2. Keep your distance from the food table.
3. Beware of calorie-laden beverages. Some are loaded with sugar, some have too much fat. Some have both. For example, Starbucks' Egg Nog Latte contains 460 calories, 21 grams of fat and 48 grams of sugar! A glass of water is a good way to start the evening.
4. When sitting down to a banquet-style meal, use a smaller plate and take a taste of each item. Eat slowly and concentrate on what you are eating while you are eating it and chew your food well.
5. At a cocktail party, hold your drink in your dominant hand (usually the right) so you will be less tempted to reach for food impulsively, with your free hand.
6. Balance out the heavy meals with healthy ones. Soups and salads are good choices on the non-partying days. Lighten up breakfast and lunch to help compensate for extra calories at other times.
7. Don't let yourself get too hungry to the point that you reach for the nearest cookie. Plan ahead and make sure you eat a balanced meal. Do this and the inclination to overindulge in sweets or unhealthy (but convenient) snacks will be greatly reduced.
8. Add more fiber to keep your blood sugar stable and your stomach feeling full.
9. Eat more protein to balance out the fats and sugars that abound this time of year. Like fiber, protein-rich foods will help you feel full longer. Choose beans and legumes, lean organic meats especially chicken, turkey and fish, and plain yogurt or kefir. Nuts are also great in moderation.
10. And don't miss a workout! Keep exercising daily; even increase the volume and/or the intensity. If you're not an exerciser, add extra physical activity of some kind into your daily routine. Walk more, take the stairs, play with the kids. Walk instead of driving whenever possible: to the shopping centre, around the neighbourhood to see the lights, to a friend's house.

Get out there and enjoy the season: enjoy the company of family, friends, and of course, your food. Balance indulgence with restraint. Take your time, relax, and soak up the holiday spirit. Happy holidays everyone and good health!