December goal met

My challenge for December was the 3.5 mile "I Love Woodford" snowshoe race yeld yesterday in Woodford, VT. There was about 18 inches of snow on the ground, and it was fairly balmy with temperatures in the low 30's and no wind. 100 hardy people showed up to run the race through the woods of the state park.

Not only is Woodford a beautiful area, but running on snowshoes is a hoot. Once you get through the oxygen deprivation of trying to run (shuffle?) through snow on snowshoes, usually up hill, it becomes pure joy. When was the last time you went out in the woods to play? As I sped up near the finish, a photographer told me it looked like I was having a lot of fun. I couldn't stop smiling, because I was having a great time.

Of course, the knowledge that there was homemade, piping hot vegetable soup waiting at the finish helped enormously. Luckily I'm slow plus I stayed to help out at the finish line, so most of the cookies were gone by the time I got there.

That makes 7 monthly challenges I've completed since I turned 49 in June:

June: Vermont relay race

July: Rutland trail run

August: Olympic distance triathlon at Lake Dunmore

September: bike century in Saratoga, NY

October: Cape Code marathon

November: hike up Mt. Equinox with my husband

December: I love Woodford snowshoe race

Next up in January is the Houston marathon with my sister. Stay tuned!

What do you drink with meals?

I've noticed that whenever my teenagers have friends over for dinner, none of them drink milk. We offer milk or water, and 100% choose water - if they don't first ask for something else (the answer is no, you get milk or water - that's it).

I grew up in a family of milk drinkers, and no, we're not dairy farmers. I remember my parents drinking milk with meals as well, so it wasn't just a beverage for kids. Back then, we didn't even think about the calcium and vitamin D in milk promoting healthy bones - we just drank it.

I even continued to drink milk in college, where I was also one of the few who routinely ate breakfast. Old habits die hard. The only exception I make is when skim milk isn't available. I can't stand 2%, and don't even think about offering whole milk! Call me a skim milk purist. When I was in the Army we always had an option of skim milk, unless we were out in the field subsisting on C-rats, which would have been vastly improved with a glass of milk.

My teenage boys both drink milk, and even pour themselves a glass of milk when they fix their own lunch. It looks like I started another generation of milk-drinkers. Sure, I know some people don't believe adults should drink cow's milk, but I come from northern European ancestors who used everything they could from their cows - including drinking the milk. There's no osteoporosis in my family, thanks to good genes but also to a long history of drinking milk.

Milk or water - that's it for meals at our house.

Favorite run

Today I took advantage of a dentist appointment to run one of my very favorite routes, along River Road in Arlington, Vermont. River Road runs along - you guessed it - the Batten Kill River, and is a gorgeous dirt road filled with rolling hills. I saw only one car during the 40 minute run, and passed only one other runner.

Lots of people walk and/or run on River Road, but usually early in the morning. I started at 11am, just as a misting rain began to fall. I listened to the birds chirping, watched the river flowing swiftly along its course, and let my mind wander.

When I lived in Arlington I would often run this route, but since I moved 12 miles away to Manchester three years ago, I rarely run this way. During the summer and fall I biked along the highway on the other side of the Batten Kill at least once each week, but I haven't made the effort to run on the dirt road for quite some time.

It's amazing the difference it makes running on a quiet country road versus a paved town road. I ran right down the center of the road without worrying about traffic. Running is my outlet from a busy day, but running on a quiet dirt road along one of the most beautiful rivers in Vermont is something to savor.

The most fattening time of the year

I heard a great song on the radio last night, listening to a station that carries 'twisted Christmas' songs. If you have an irreverent sense of humor, definitely look for this one.

I found the entire lyrics, written by Bob Rivers, here: http://artists.letssingit.com/bob-rivers-its-the-most-fattening-time-of-the-year-tvj3chd

I bet each and every one of us can relate to this song. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

Marathon training update

I'm planning on running the Houston marathon witih my sister on January 13th, so yesterday was my last long run, the 20 miler. 20 miles is a long way - just measure it out the next time you're driving and you'll see what I mean. Running 20 miles also takes me a fairly long time, because I'm not a particularly fast runner. It takes me even longer in the winter, when I have to slow down to blow my nose, take off my mittens to get my Gu open, and walk around the icy spots.

Enough with the whining. While I don't look forward to running for 3 1/2 hours, I enjoy it once I get started. How often do we have 3 uninterrupted hours to think about whatever we want? To just let our mind wander? In my life, running is the only time this ever happens.

Yesterday I thought about Christmas when I was a kid, and when my teenagers were little (they used to kiss the Christmas tree goodnight). I thought about my sisters and parents, and what they were doing this year for Christmas, and how much fun it would be for all of to be together again for the holiday. The last time was 1992, and I'm hoping that in 2008 we'll be able to swing Christmas holidays together again. I thought about the More 1/2 marathon training group I'm putting together, and made a mental to-do list for our kickoff meeting on January 3rd. I ieven thought about the topics for various freelance articles I have in various stages of production.

Sure, I was interrupted: by a flock of geese that lives down by the Battenkill and were waiting to cross the road. What the heck they're doing here the end of December, I'm not sure. But that was the only interruption during the entire 3 1/2 hours.

I bet your life is as full of interruptions as mine. You don't have to run 20 miles to enjoy the freedom of your thoughts. Even 20-30 minutes on a regular basis will give you time to yourself. You don't even have to run, although I DO encourage you to get outside when you let your mind wander.

Cocktail parties

Cocktail parties can strike fear into the heart of anyone trying to lose weight, lower their cholesterol, or keep their blood sugar levels in control. We went to a gorgeous cocktail party last night, so the time is perfect for my top 5 ways to successfully navigate a party:

5. Alternate alcohol or calorie-containing beverages with water. I had one glass of pinot grigio, and then they were out of this wine, so I stuck with sparkling water for the rest of the evening. If if your favorite alcoholic beverage is flowing in abundance, be sure to space it out with water.

4. A taste is one bite. I tried some to-die-for brie baked with apricots, but snagged a piece from my husband instead of putting a big slab on my plate. One cracker with curried crab was a taste, so was one chicken pot-sticker with Thai dipping sauce. All were delicious - and a taste was plenty.

3. Evaluate before you eat. Look over everything offered before you decide which foods to try, and which to avoid. I dislike anything smoked or raw fish, so those appetizers, although they looked divine, were easy to avoid. I also skipped the selection of cheeses, because I can eat cheese at any time. Pot stickers I don't make myself, so that went on my plate.

2. Pick a spot away from the food. Luckily, the food was in a separate room so it was simple to stay out of arm's reach. Instead of hovering near the shrimp or chips and dip, find a cozy location far away from anything tempting.

1. Why are you there in the first place? If you go to cocktail parties simply to eat, then that's what you'll do. But if you go to the party to talk with old friends, meet new people, and socialize, then food and drink becomes secondary. It really is possible to enjoy a party without overeating or overdrinking.

Debunking the 'healthy cookie' myth

I'm tired of reading recipes for so-called 'healthy' cookies. Cookies aren't supposed to be healthy. They're dessert, or a sweet snack, or a late-night indulgence. Cookies are supposed to melt in your mouth because of the butter and/or chocolate content. Or they're supposed to be crispy and crunchy, thanks to the butter and nuts.

If I want to eat something healthy, I'll choose an apple, or a piece of string cheese, or my current favorite: fat-free plain Greek yogurt. Not a cookie.

Nobody ever said that every single morsel that goes into our mouths has to be healthy. There's room for choosing foods just because they taste absolutely wonderful, or the smell of the cookie baking brings you back to your grandmother's kitchen when you were too little to reach the mixing bowl without standing on the chair at the table, or just because you feel like a little down-home warmth and love.

Bring on the decadent cookies!

Looking for new recipes?

If you're like me, I'm always on the look out for new recipes. If you're searching for recipes designed for people with diabetes - and they're great-tasting, even if you don't have diabetes - check out the Diabetes Care and Education website for their recipe of the month at http://www.dce.org/recipe/month.htm

Previous months' recipes are archived at http://www.dce.org/recipe/archived.htm

Green apple appetizer, healthy bulgur salad, pork tenderloin scaloppini, peppermint mousse, or this month's recipe: butternut squash souffle, are easy to prepare, tasty, and contain all the nutrition info you crave.

Breakfast and body weight

A new study from the Netherlands shows that teens who skip breakfast are twice as likely to be overweight as their counterparts who routinely eat breakfast (Skipping breakfast, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity as risk factors for overweight and obesity in adolescents: results of the E-MOVO project") . This study confirms what numerous other researchers have also found: people who eat breakfast weigh less than breakfast skippers.

I grew up eating breakfast every day, along with my mom, dad, and sisters. I thought everybody ate breakfast, because everyone I knew DID eat first thing in the morning. When I stayed at my grandparents' farm I would wake up in the morning to the smell of bacon and eggs. When we traveled, my sisters and I loved acting grown up and going to breakfast in the motel dining room by oursevles while our parents slept in.

I even ate breakfast every day while I was in college. While most of my classmates were sleeping, I would get up early to go to breakfast. I just didn't feel right if I skipped that first meal of the day.

My kids, now teenagers, always eat breakfast as well. On mornings they say they don't have time for breakfast, I make them oatmeal or a Carnation Instant Breakfast smoothie (I add frozen fruit and/or a banana) that they can quickly eat before they head out the door. Neither one is overweight, but that's also due to genetics, a history of activity, and overall good eating habits. It will be interesting to see if they continue their breakfast habits once they leave home.

Breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast food. A peanut butter sandwich starts the morning just as well as a bowl of cereal. Experiment with different options and find the one that works best for you.

Conquer the treadmill

I hate running on the treadmill. I know it's more mental anguish rather than physical pain, but I still hate it. Unfortunately, it was either run on the treadmill or skip my workout the past two days due to bad weather.

I'm not a sissy when it comes to running outside, but I draw the line at running in sleet, freezing rain, or slippery roads. Hence, the treadmill.

The good news is that I conquered the treadmill and got in my workouts, even though I disliked it. Because I have a written training plan, and put my workouts into my daily planner, I almost always am able to check them off at the end of each day. If I left workouts up to chance, I'd end up skipping many of them.

Think about your workout plan, or your plan to achieve any other goals. Do you write down what you want to do, and the timeframe to accomplish it? Do you have a clear goal of where you want to be? Do you have a written plan of what you need to do each day to reach that end goal? Do you include time in your daily schedule to work on those specific goals?

Do all of these tasks, and you'll find yourself accomplishing any goal you set. Skip them, and you'll feel like a caged hamster on a treadmill: always moving, but never getting anywhere.

Women want MORE

What is it about women turning 40 that gets us jazzed up? I ran my first marathon 2 weeks before my 40th birthday as a way of thumbing my nose at age and reassuring myself that physically and mentally I still could set - and achieve - challenges.

MORE magazine, a magazine aimed at women over age 40, hosts a half-marathon and full marathon in New York City's Central Park each Spring. I thought about how cool it would be to gather a group of women in my area, train for the half-marathon, and run it together. Of course, I was thinking about this while out for a long training run :)

What to do when you have a brainstorm? Talk it over with a friend, right? My friend Kathryn has a fantastic history of exercise, but lately she's slowed down. When she heard the idea, she was jazzed! Another friend, Patty, actually ran both the New York City marathon and the MORE half-marathon in previous years, but like many women found herself bogged down with work and family issues that needed her attention. She heard the idea of a local training group, and got excited about running again.

Since the idea snowballed, we're moving forward with making it a reality. Even if you don't live in the Manchester, VT, area, you can set goals and challenges for yourself. Heck, you can even join our training group as a virtual partner! Look for more details soon, since we'll start training in early January.

If you're excited about the possibility of challenging yourself to complete a new goal, check out the MORE marathon website at http://www.nyrr.org/races/2008/more/index.asp

If running or walking a half marathon isn't your thing, brainstorm a challenge that suits you. Dream big dreams, set small goals, and realize significant success.

Snack bar

Being a dietitian definitely has its perks. I periodically receive samples of new foods and beverages in the mail from companies hoping I'll recommend their products to my clients.

Today I received Kellogg's new Special K Bliss snack bars. Since I'm hungry right now, I decided to try one. Here are my thoughts, using a rating system where 4 stars is perfect, 1 star is not worth my time, and two or three stars are OK.

- Texture is crucial. I detest bars that are so tough I feel like I'm going to chip a tooth biting through them. I also hate bars that crumble like dust when I bite into them, or are so chewy I feel like a cow chewing my cud. These bars rate **** because their texture is, as Goldilocks would say, just right.

- I may be a nutrition professional, but I'm not going to eat something that tastes nasty just because it's good for me. These bars appeal to women because they're either raspberry or orange dipped in - you guessed it - chocolate. I tried a raspberry bar, and it actually tastes like raspberry with just a touch of chocolate. ****

- On to the nutrition facts. Yeah, they have 90 calories to appeal to calorie-conscious women. I'm more interested in the ingredients. They get ** because the first ingredient is multigrain cereal and the second ingredient is whole oat flour. I'd rather see the word "whole" in the first ingredient, because then it's less processed. High fructose corn syrup has a bad rap, but there's only 9 grams of sugar total in each bar, and plain old sugar is the first sweetener listed. *** for sweeteners.

The bottom line: Kellogg's Special K Bliss bars taste good and won't break your teeth. If you're looking for a very low calorie snack, they're a good bet. However, I much prefer a snack with more protein and fiber for staying power. If I'm in a pinch, two of these might tide me over.

They'll be available in stores in January 2008. Give them a try, and leave your comments here.

Holiday desserts with fewer calories

Who doesn't enjoy dessert any time of the year, but especially at holiday time? Yesterday we went to a neighbor's holiday party, where they had a gorgeous selection of beautifully decorated cookies and cupcakes. Who can resist?

You don't have to give up dessert at holiday time in order to keep your calorie intake under control. Food and Health Communications has these suggestions:

- Fat-free whipped cream – Use portion control because it still contains whole milk and cream.

- Ground spices – These make a great garnishes for holiday beverages and desserts.
- Fat-free evaporated skim milk – This is a great substitution for heavy cream and whole milk.
- Fat-free half and half – This product is excellent because it’s heat stable. Use it in place of regular half and half, whole milk, cream or evaporated milk. It is also nice for coffee and other beverages.
- Fat-free or soy eggnog – These products really save a lot of fat and calories, and we think they taste great!
- Pasteurized egg whites or nonfat egg substitute – These are great for those who don’t want to have the mess of separating eggs. Use 1/4 cup of egg white in place of each egg.
- Sugar cookie dough – This product isn’t any lower in fat or calories than other cookies, but it does help people make a few smaller cookies and not have big batches of cookies sitting around.

I've followed most of these suggestions for years, and no one is the wiser. Shaving calories a little at a time can add up to big benefits - and smaller pants!

Snowshoeing!

I live in Vermont, where winter just isn't any fun unless we have snow. Lucky us - Sunday and Monday we had our first big snowstorm of the year, and we ended up with about 10 inches of fresh powder.

Today was the perfect winter day: sunny, cold, and snow! It was 7 degrees when I woke up, but by the time I met my friend Fern for snowshoeing, we had a heat wave: 25 degrees!

According to the calorie burn estimator at http://www.calorieking.com/, I burned 460 calories during my one-hour romp in the snow. That's about 100 more calories than I would burn running for the same amount of time, because snowshoeing is hard work! Of course, we walked primarily on snowmobile trails, so only had to "break trail" as we call it, for a short period of time. Nothing in Vermont is flat, so we went up and down hills the entire way.

I'm looking forward to our running club's snowshoe race later this month. It's really difficult to actually run wearing snowshoes, but going as fast as I can through the mountains in Woodford, Vermont, is a great way to spend the morning. Don't let this picture fool you; on most of my snowshoe jaunts I'm following a trail that's only wide enough for one person, with trees all around. If you live where there's snow, grab a pair of snowshoes and start walking!

Is high fructose corn syrup evil?

According to a report at seattlepi.com, some people believe that high fructose corn syrup is so potentially bad for our health that entire grocery store chains are banning it. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/341888_fructose01web.html

HFCS has a bad rap,because of early reports that showed an increase in obesity with an increased consumption of HFCS. It's used as a cheap and tasty sweetener in a wide variety of foods, and especially in beverages. But is it the cause of obesity or chronic disease?

Probably not. I think this is just another case of the media and consumers grabbing onto a simple idea - ban all HFCS - when the true remedy is much more complex. Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University and a top authority on the intersection of nutrition, science, politics and business, suggests that if we ban HFCS, we should just ban all sources of sugar because the body treats them all in a similar way.

She's right. Instead of looking for cookies, sweetened beverages, or breakfast cereal with HFCS, why not look for fresh fruit, drink plain tap water, and eat plain high-fiber cereal? The type of sweetener really isn't as important as the total calories and total sweetening, from whatever source, in the food.