February is National Grapefruit Month!

I can't let February slip by without calling attention to it being National Grapefruit Month, especially since Ruby Reds, also known as "Texas Reds," are in season right now in my home state! 

Grapefruit is actually a hybrid fruit.  The grapefruit as we know it was developed sometime in the 1700s by cross breeding oranges with pomelos (which are also called "Chinese Grapefruit").  The varieties include white, pink, and red.  Grapefruits are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, lycopene, limonin, and fiber (particularly soluble fiber in the form of pectin).  Both lycopene and limonin are antioxidants that may help prevent certain types of cancer. 

Lots of people have tried "The Grapefruit Diet" in an effort to lose weight.  Historically people lost weight following this diet for the simple reason that they were eating very few calories.  However, there have been a couple of studies that show that grapefruit may help with weight loss, but the exact reason is unclear, and it is not rapid weight loss.  One study was conducted in 2006 at the Nutrition and Metabolic Center at Scripps Clinic in California.  They found that eating half a grapefruit or drinking a serving of grapefruit juice before each meal caused people to lose at least 3 pounds over a 12-week period.  Researchers at Louisiana State University conducted another study in 2009; they found that people eating half a grapefruit 3 times a day were able to lose 4 pounds (on average) in 12 weeks even though they had not altered the rest of their diet.       

So eating grapefruit can be healthy for you in more ways than one.  However, if you are taking certain medications, it is best to avoid grapefruit because it can significantly elevate the absorption rate of these medications in your body, which can cause negative side effects.  Examples of medications that may interact with grapefruit include those that lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as thyroid medications and some antihistamines. 

For more information and recipes visit Texas Sweet. 

Cherries: Tasty and Good for You!

You probably all have heard that February is American Heart Month.  There are several other monthly observances in February, including National Grapefruit Month, National Cherry Month, etc.  Since I’ve been neglecting my “food specific” blogs, I thought this would be a good time to get back into food by writing about cherries! 

Cherries not only taste good, but they have many health benefits as well.  For example, researchers have found that cherries are very high in a flavonoid called “quercetin” that has been shown to help prevent heart disease.  What are flavonoids?  They are plant pigments, also called phytochemicals, that have health benefits, including their “antioxidant” properties.  Antioxidants are substances that prevent or slow down damage caused by “free radicals” that are produced as a by-product when our bodies use oxygen. 

According to the California Cherry Advisory Board, cherries are also beneficial for cancer prevention, pain relief, and bone health.  A phenolic acid called “amygdalin” that is found in cherries (and other fruits) “has been shown to reduce tumor size and further spread of cancer, as well as to alleviate the pains of the cancerous process.” 

Anthocyanins are another flavonoid found in high amounts in cherries.  Anthocyanins block inflammatory enzymes, which reduces pain associated with arthritis, gout, as well as soreness and joint pain related to exercise.  In fact, the “Red Recovery Routine” was created by dietitian Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, LDN, CSSD to help athletes recover from exercise induced pain.

Cherries are grown in several regions in the US, but seventy percent come from four states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah). The 2 main types of cherries are sweet and sour (or “tart”).  “Montgomery” is the best-known tart cherry.  It is grown primarily in the Midwest and Eastern states and is mainly canned or frozen for use as pie filling or sauce. 

There are several varieties of sweet cherries on the market.  “Bing” is the most well known.  It is large, round, extra sweet, has a deep red skin that is almost black when completely ripe and the flesh is purple-red.  Lamberts are also sweet cherries; they are smaller than Bing cherries and are more heart-shaped.  Rainer is the variety of sweet cherry that is milder, has a yellow or pinkish skin, and is grown in much smaller quantities, and Royal Ann has a blush yellow skin and is often canned or made into Maraschino cherries.

Cherries are generally in season from May to August, but can be found dried, frozen, or canned year round.  When buying fresh cherries, choose those with the stem on.  They should be bright, shiny, and free from blemishes.  Sweet cherries should be firm and tart cherries should be medium-firm.  Avoid cherries with cuts, bruises, stale/dry stems, or that are soft. 

Store unwashed cherries in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or in a single layer in a pan covered with plastic wrap.  Good cherries should last for up to a week.  Wash cherries just before eating, and allow to come to room temperature for better flavor. 

You can also freeze cherries by rinsing and draining thoroughly.  To avoid having the cherries take on an “almond” flavor, remove the pits prior to freezing.  You can either place them in a plastic bag or spread on a cookie sheet and freeze “individually” prior to placing them in a plastic bag for storage. 

Recovering After the Marathon

First, I want to wish good luck to all my peeps running the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon this coming Sunday!  What a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!  You all will definitely deserve a celebration dinner afterward! Now, let’s talk about how to recover after running 26.2 miles.

Recovering properly means you need to take into account both nutrition and activity.  I remember when I ran my very first marathon; I ran way too many miles each week (and way too many “other” races!) and didn’t do enough cross training.  I also had some issues with my form (partially due to lack of core strength). As a result, I ended up with ITB Syndrome and had to walk a lot of the second half of the marathon because I was in so much pain and my right leg just would not bend.  I was so tired when I finished that I didn’t feel like eating initially and instead took a nap for about 6 hours! I knew that not eating enough within a couple of hours (max) was not good, but I had no idea how just laying around would make things so much worse.  I got up for a light snack, then went back to bed and didn’t get back up until the next day.  I had a lot of trouble walking the first couple of days; both of my legs were sore for at least a week!  Back then, I was not aware of the benefits of an ice water bath or a short walk later in the day.  

Now I know better!  The more marathons I have run, the less sore I am afterward.  At this point, within a few days I am back to running short mileage, and within 2 weeks, back up to 10+ miles for my weekend “long runs.”  Maintaining a high level of fitness year round and knowing all the little “tricks” to recovery have helped tremendously.  I have found that the single most important thing for my own personal recovery is how well I trained prior to the event.  Hopefully you have followed a training plan that included a good amount of base mileage as well as other exercises to keep your muscles in balance; that is the foundation for your recovery.  If you have not trained properly for your marathon, you will definitely feel more pain both during and after the event.

Some other “must do’s” to speed your recovery: 1. Eat the snacks provided at the finish line.  At the bare minimum drink some sports drink AND water, but ideally eat some solid carbs as well, such as fruit or bars.  Make sure you have a balanced meal that includes protein and some healthy fat a few hours later; 2.  Do an ice water bath for 20 minutes within a few hours of finishing.  You will be amazed at how well an ice bath will reduce inflammation and muscle soreness; and 3.  Go for an easy 10 – 20 minute walk later that evening to loosen up the leg muscles.

It is normal to start feeling muscle soreness after the event, which can last for a few days (and in some people up to 1 week) afterward.  The next day, it is not uncommon to feel a little “down,” especially if it is your first marathon and the soreness and fatigue start to settle in.  That’s o.k.; just try to take it easy.  If you want to go for a run, make sure you run on a nice flat surface, preferably something soft such as a track.  Make sure to take it easy and listen to your body!  Limit your self to just 10 – 15 minutes.  Try some light stretching.  Go to bed early as your body is still rebuilding and repairing tissue that was damaged the day before.  Also be sure to get a massage a couple of days after the race to help flush out any knots.

Even though it may seem like a lot of people run marathons, those of you who complete a marathon are still part of a relatively small percentage of the overall population.  After accomplishing such a big feat, most people experience an incredible high.  Sometimes it is hard to know what to do after meeting such a big goal.  The first week after, try not to make any specific plans.  Continue to eat well-balanced meals and do some light physical activity, but definitely do not push yourself.

If this is your first marathon, it may take you a full month to recover completely and feel like you are back to your pre-race level of fitness.  Don’t let this high level of fitness slip away!  If you don’t feel like you want to run a lot at first, try something else.  Consider cycling, swimming, or hiking.  Maybe try your hand at triathlon.  But please, do not stop exercising.  Your body is at a high level of fitness; keep building on it.  

Best wishes for a great race and a speedy recovery, and I will see you all at the race!

Countdown to the Austin Marathon

Well, it’s that time of year again!  The Austin Marathon is less than 2 weeks away!  At this point, you should be in taper mode, as there is nothing more you can do to get physically ready for this race.  You may remember last year I also wrote a blog post about what to do the week before the race.  If this is your first marathon, you may want to review that post for specifics on nutrition, hydration, preparing your race gear, etc.  In this post, I’d like to spend some time on the “mental preparation” that needs to happen for you to have a successful race. 

The marathon is not for wimps!  26.2 miles is a long way, and anything can happen.   Whether this is your first marathon or whether you have done several, no two race experiences are exactly the same.  If you tend to get nervous before events, or if you have had bad experiences in races in the past, it is important to be prepared mentally for whatever happens. 

Visualize your perfect race: how do you feel at the start?  Visualize yourself running the first few miles at an easy pace, getting your body warmed up.  You hit your water stops with ease, tolerate your nutrition with no stomach queasiness, and the miles just seem to click by.  Before you know it, you are at the halfway point and feeling great.  You feel so good that you start to pick up your pace a little bit.  Now you are at the 30K mark, having a great race.  You are remembering to drink your water, take your supplements, eat your snacks, and wave to the crowd.  Now you are entering the home stretch.  You only have 0.2 miles to go.  You wipe your face off, straighten up your shirt and bib, and smile for the cameras.  Now you have less than 0.1 miles to go; you pick up speed, starting to pass other runners as you cross the finish line, arms lifted in triumph!  The crowd goes wild!!!  You slow down, get your medal, and head into the finishers area to collect your goodies. 

Sounds great, doesn’t it?  But we all know that unexpected things can happen that can cause your race to be less than perfect.  Maybe it’s super windy that morning, or raining, or hot!  What will you do?  Having a mantra that you truly believe in, or some type of mental picture of someone (yourself or someone else) overcoming adversity is a powerful tool that you can use to get yourself through tough patches.  If you have run in my training group, you have already experienced all sorts of weather extremes, so you know you can handle it.  Draw on those positive past experiences and know that you can handle the weather. 

What if you start to cramp?  If it is a side stitch, push into the area where you are experiencing the tightness and breath slowly and deeply in and out. You may need to slow your pace down a little.  If you have had side stitches before, you know that they will pass.  Use your mantra or visual image.  

What if you start to experience pain in your knee/back/ankle, etc?  First, assess the pain level.  Is it so severe that you are starting to run with a limp?  Are you recovering from an injury?  If not, is this a “phantom” pain?  Often times if we have not had any injuries in training, as we start to feel fatigued during an event, our mind and body can start to play tricks on us.  Focus on keeping your form, remember to breathe, and continue to run for at least 2-3 more minutes (time yourself), then re-assess.  Again, use your mantra or your visual image.  Use the crowd for support! 

What if your stomach starts acting up?  If you tolerate some type of antacid (such as Tums, Rolaids, etc.), plan to carry some with you “just in case.”  Don’t be afraid to stop and use the port-o-potties because you’ll “lose too much time.” If you try to avoid stopping and run too long on an upset stomach, you will likely feel worse, slow down your pace significantly, and eventually end up having to stop at a port-o-potty anyway.  Once you start running after your “pit stop,” again re-assess how you feel and determine whether you can safely continue.  If you can safely continue, lean on your mantra.   

If you are recovering from injury, know your limitations and lower your expectations.  If you are already planning to finish “no matter what,” be prepared to have to walk. Take in the crowd, the bands, the volunteers and plan on just enjoying the fact that you are still physically able to walk in a marathon! 

Good luck to everyone!