No Pressure Run and Lea & Perrins Roasted Vegetables

I’m really enjoying this recovery stage.  No pressure running.  My weekly totals for the month have been 16.5, 36.17 (not sure how that one happened???), and so far this week, I’m just under 14. 

Today was my first speed workout of the month.  Interval miles for 4 1/2 .  I’m not sure I’ll have the energy for longer running tomorrow but I’m going to try since I’ve completed all weight workouts for the week.  Course I could ONE: Take a day off or TWO: Do another leg workout with weights.  I’ll check all body parts and enthusiasm at 4am tomorrow morning and let you know. 

The longer weight workouts are going well.  A little heavier and more repetitions, 15 reps x 4 sets. I’m looking into doing a certification course on personal training in November, just for my own working knowledge base.  Should be fun.

Have you ever taken a certification course just for yourself and not career development?

Nutrition Technology:  

New Bar in Town: The PRBar

Calories: 200  Calories from fat: 60 (total fat=7g, ZERO Trans fat)  Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 190 mg, Potassium: 130 mg, Carbohydrates: 22 g (Fiber 1g and Sugars 17 g), Protein: 15 g

According to “FASTBURN Nutrition Technology”:  A lot of runners ramp up the miles, eat low fat and high carbohydrate diets but their body fat remains the same.  The reason might be connected with the pasta and bagels which don’t contain much fat but don’t provide the proper balance of carbohydrates to proteins to fat. 

There is an interaction when the proper balance is reached between insulin and glucagon, those two hormones generated by the body which work with our food to create energy or fat.  Insulin stores the carbohydrates for the body to convert into glycogen and fat. Glycogen is stored in the muscles and liver and is the first source of energy for the runner.  Unfortunately, we can only store a small amount of glycogen and the rest is converted to fat.  The ratio of insulin to glucagon might be the determining factor whether what you’re eating will fuel your workout or be stored as fat. 

Now for the recipe!

A wonderful recipe so easily converted to a meat eaters favorite.  The following is all vegetarian but it’s based on a dish simply labeled “Sausage and Peppers”.  To give the veggies that “meaty” essence, I made a marinade simply using Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and olive oil.  There’s so much flavor in that combination plus the variety of vegetables, anything else would be over kill.

Serves 4

• 1/4 cup Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
• 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 4 Cubanelle peppers, washed, seeded and cut into 1” to 2” chunks

• 1 yellow squash, cut into 1” chunks
• 1 turnip, peeled and cut into 3/4” chunks*
• 1/2 yellow onion, large and rough chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

*Instead of the turnip, a nice white potato is really good.  Also, if you do have meat eaters in the family, omit the squash and add 1 lb of medium or sweet Italian sausage cut into chunks.  Replace the turnip with potato.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Mix the Worcestershire sauce with the olive oil.

Place all of the prepared vegetables in a large glass baking dish.  Pour the Worcestershire-oil mix on top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir to coat all the vegetables.

Cover with foil and bake for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes or at least half way through.  When there is 10 minutes left, remove the foil and let roast uncovered for the last 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley (fresh is best)

Enjoy!

Joanne