Calling all runners, exercise enthusiasts, and everyone in between! Here is a quote we all need to remember by Alan Robinson- 56 years old and partially paralyzed marathon runner:

Don’t be concerned with what you can’t do. Work on what you can do – then count your blessings.

Tuesday, I did a tempo run slower than I wanted.  The above quote made me realize I should be grateful to do it at all.  Total miles Tuesday = 9.53.  Leg workout with weights before the run. Exhausting!

Wednesday, 8.04 road miles, preceded by a weight workout for back and shoulders.  Did you ask, “Where was Shane?”  Well, he didn’t go running with me today because we thought he was destined to have a nasty day ahead of him.

Shane had to fast because we thought the vet was going to remove a little growth from his chin. It’s about the size of a dime and looks like a little cluster of bumps.  They said it was “puppy acne” but it hadn’t gone away with topical ointment in 6 months.

When we saw the vet this morning to check him in, she wanted to look at the growth to make sure it was operable.  The result was that it’s an infection gone wild.  She prescribed an antibiotic and some cleanser.  We’ll see if that takes care of it and if not, in two weeks, we have to fast again. Poor baby.

This past weekend, Pam came for a visit.  Pam is a Health Coach and knows so much about living healthy, eating the right foods, and making positive changes for a balanced lifestyle.  She introduced me to a new grain:  Millet.  I really like it.  This morning, I made it as a substitute for oatmeal.

• 1/4 cup organic millet – rinsed
• about 3/4 cup water (maybe more, I didn’t measure)
• 1 TBS raisins
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBS peanut butter – stirred in at the end.

I let it boil, then simmered for 30 minutes. It had texture and offered a lighter taste than oatmeal.  It was just as filling and completely delicious with added blueberries and apple slices.

To go along with my new found grain, I had another product Pam introduced me to.

Juice Plus.  A new protein supplement, 15 grams worth.  It tastes great. I can’t wait to try the Dutch Chocolate.

More new products….

I was cruisin’ the internet the other day and came across some wonderful information on soy feta by Sunergia posted by Hannah of Bitter Sweet.  I so enjoy the taste of a good feta AND it was soy! I went crazy looking for a source to purchase the product and ended up joining a local food buying club. So far my experience with that has been less than enjoyable but I’ll let you know when I pick up my products later this week.  In any event, the company, Sunergia, offered to send me some tofu samples.

I had the Spicy Thai last night while everyone else enjoyed burgers.  Loved it!  It’s a tofu flavored with spicy Thai flavors, nuts, garlic, chilis, all sorts of delicious ingredients. 

Ted put it on the grill for me and the result was perfect.  I didn’t need to do anything to it, just press out some moisture.  No other flavors needed. Slice and grill.  I can’t wait to try the other samples!

Crab and Noodles

The box of this healthy pasta answers all your questions beginning with “how does it taste?” The company, Racconto, boasts over 30 years of experience cooking pasta and they didn’t get that experience by making BAD pasta. 

Next question:  “What makes it healthy?”  The Hi-Maize or “resistant starch” is slower to digest than other pastas.   It’s comparable to natural foods such as whole grains, beans, bananas and helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels to promote constant energy release.  In other words, no energy spikes as you might get in processed foods.

The next question and final one. “What’s the nutritional data?”  Total servings in a box is 6. One serving is about 2 oz.   Calories per serving:  170  Total Fat 1 gram.  Sodium is 10 mg.  Carbohydrates 42 gram, Fiber 11 grams Protein is 7 grams.   Looks pretty healthy to me.

The ingredients are all WHOLE grains: wheat, rye, buckwheat, kamut, spelt, millet, barley, brown rice…..HOLY WHOLE GRAINS BATMAN!!!  You can’t put many more grains into one product!

Crab Rotini  – Serves 6 – 8 *Based upon a recipe in Cookingclub.com

• 12 oz (1 box) Racconto Pasta (or use your favorite)
• 1/4 cup + 1 TBS Olive oil
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup sliced black olives
• 3 – 4 sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil – chopped
• 1 TBS Italian Seasoning
• 2 TBS fresh chopped basil
• 12 oz Premium Crab meat
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 to 6 0z Feta Cheese – crumbled

Cook the pasta according to the box directions, drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan and, when hot, add the tomatoes, olives, sun dried tomatoes, seasoning, and basil.  Cook for about 5 minutes over medium high heat.

Add the crab meat, lemon, salt and pepper and cook on SIMMER (reduce the heat) until hot.  This will take about  2 minutes. 

Put pasta into a serving bowl and pour the crab mixture with all the juices over the top. Top with the crumbled feta.

What do you think? Might this dish be good with Chicken for all you meat eaters? 

For more information on glycemic health, see my EXAMINER link.