How Often Should I Replace My Running Shoes?

I was talking to my friend Sam last week and he told me that lately he’s been experiencing some knee pain after his morning runs. I know from experience that knee pain should be taken very seriously and it's not something you wanna mess up with so I sat him down and started asking him all kind of questions. Turns out he’s been running on a pair of shoes that are at least 2 years old and that he’s also been using for walking, working out, shooting hoops and a number of other activities.
So I told him that before having his knee checked, he should try buy a brand new pair of running shoes and give it shot. He called me last night saying that he did as I told him and that he no longer experienced knees pain after running.
His story gives me the opportunity to talk about one of the most important things in running: replacing running shoes.
 
 

Wanna Lose Weight? Keep A Food Journal, Don't Skip Meals And Eat Out Less Frequently

Losing weight is not a simple task. Even the most fit people may struggle when it comes to shed a couple of pounds. For instance, my target weight is 175 pounds, but in the last two weeks for some reason I have reached 178. It’s no big deal but in a triathlon race, when I push myself to the extreme those 3 extra pounds might make a difference. Thus I need to lose them. Now, I might be able to do it in just a couple of days but even I will need to stay focus and not indulge if I want to do it properly.
And that’s precisely what a recently published study claims: losing weight is no joke, and does not happen overnight. It takes focus, dedication and perfect planning.
In particular, researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have discovered that the recipe for success is faithfully keeping a food journal, avoid skipping meals and eat less out, especially at lunch time.


The above food journal can be downloaded from www.theprojectgirl.com

Have You Had Your Blueberries Today?

Let’s make a bet. If I win you’ll promise to eat only healthy foods for the remainder of the month. If I lose, I’ll do the same. But also if I win I’ll do the same. And also if you win you should do the same. It’s basically a win-win-win-win situation.
Anyway, I’ll bet that if you look around on the internet (or on magazines) for articles on the healthiest foods around (so-called “powerfoods”), blueberries will make the cut 9 times out of 10.
There’s a reason for that: blueberries are a health wonder; packed with vitamins, antioxidants and other precious nutrients.

An Ode To Greek Yogurt (The Perfect IronYou Food!)

Sometimes I wonder: “What my life would be without Greek yogurt?”
I’m one of the biggest consumer of Greek yogurt in the whole world. My fridge is constantly stacked with huge amounts of Greek yogurt: 0%, 2%, plain, you name it.
When I feel like having a snack there’s nothing else I’d rather have than Greek yogurt.
Funny thing is that I don’t like regular yogurt but I’m totally hooked on Greek yogurt.
With Greek yogurt the combination are endless: blueberries, raspberries, nuts, honey, etc..everything goes well with it. Plus, it is a great substitute for mayo in all the recipes that call for the latter ingredient (such as chicken salad).
Last, but not least, the fact that it’s low in fat and carbs and super high in protein makes it a perfect IronYou food. Are you convinced? If not keep reading...

Watermelon: A Perfect Weight Loss Food!

First question: who doesn’t love diving into a juicy, crisp, slice of watermelon when it’s toasty outside?
It’s probably the most refreshing fruit one can think of and a great friend when it comes to fight the heat. But watermelon does much more than that as it is one of the most recommended fruits when it comes to weight loss. To the point that some dietitians have created a “watermelon diet”.

Your Weight Is The End All, Be All! True or False?

When newbies hit the gym or start a new eating regimen they, most of the time, obsessively start to weigh themselves.
Day-after-day, if there’s no appreciable weight loss, they get easily frustrated.
This happens because there’s a common misconception on the importance of weight; as if skinny is healthy and fat is unhealthy.
In other words, becoming healthy is too often associated with weight loss.
But, weight has little to do with the fitness level. Or better, it’s just one of the factors that can help determine whether you’re an healthy person.

Carrot Orange Protein Smoothie

This is the quintessential summer smoothie. It's supercharged with vitamins A and ß-carotene (which converts into vitamin A in the body). As you probably already, know Vitamin A is not only essential for vision, it's THE nutrient for maintaining a healthy skin.
Carrot juice, orange juice and peaches. Three incredible sources of Vitamin A. What do you want more?

"Crowding Out" Instead Of "Cutting Out" When Dieting

When dieting, it’s pretty common to feel deprived (or hungry, at the least) as you parse out calories in order to lose weight.
It’s called “cutting out” and it’s the standard (and far too popular) approach to any form of dieting: cut your food intake, get into a calorie deficit and lose weight.
However, there’s an alternative way to just cut calories (and feeling miserable): it’s called “crowding out”, and it’s a different approach to the old “cutting out” method.
Crowding out involves adding more healthy food to your diet rather than cutting back on foods you enjoy.
Supporters of this method believe that over time, cravings for unhealthy foods are likely to disappear (or diminish), leaving you healthier and leaner.

Drinking Ice Cold Water Burns Fat! True or False?

I was at the gym earlier today and I overheard two girls chatting about tricks to lose weight. One told the other one: “You know that when you drink ice cold water your system burns a massive amount of calories to bring it to the body’s temperature!”
I shook my head in disappointment (and I think they noticed) because, unfortunately, this is a myth deeply rooted in people’s mind and not exactly on point.

Quinoa, Zucchini & Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata

I went ahead and make you a perfect post-workout dinner for tonight.

Except I ate it. All. It was too good to resist.
So eventually if you could make your own post-workout dinner...I think that it would definitely be best.
I’ll tell you what to use, how to cook it and the reasons why you should do it. But I won’t go as far as cooking it. Because I will eat it and it would be same story all over again.
First off, we’re talking frittatas here. They fill your belly. If done the right way and with the right ingredients they’re nutritious and good for you.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, it’s always the right time for a good frittata.
After a rad workout that’s when they are the best choice, as they provide all the nutrients necessary for a speedy recovery.
THIS FRITTATA is everything and all the above, in just one simple recipe.

Quinoa. Isn’t it THE PERFECT post-workout food? With zucchini. Very thinly sliced...AWESOME! Then some garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil chopped. ARE YOU JOKING? Plus egg whites (or eggs). PURE BLISS.
This dish has all the qualities an athlete holds dear: proteins (quinoa and eggs: hello?), complex carbs, vitamins and all kinds of nutrients.
All in all THE PERFECT POST-WORKOUT FOOD. And if you think I’m overusing ALL CAPS, wait until you’ll cook this. I’m positive you’ll become an ALL CAPS kind of person too.


Quinoa, Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata                                        Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 cup / 6.5 oz / 185 gr cooked quinoa (you’ll need around ½ cup uncooked quinoa)
10 egg whites (or 5 whole free-range eggs)
2 large zucchini (or 4 medium), very thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
handful fresh basil, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Heat a large skillet (or saute pan) over medium to high heat and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add garlic and saute’ for 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute’ for another minute. Add the zucchini, salt, pepper to taste and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the off heat and add the fresh basil.
In a medium bowl mix the eggs (or egg whites), the quinoa, the zucchini mixture and Parmesan cheese.
Deglaze the pan you used for the zucchini with 1/4 cup of water, scraping any brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Drizzle the pan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Now you have two options:
1) cook the frittata over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Turning the frittata upside-down halfway through with the aid of a lid.
2) Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cover the skillet with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You want the eggs to cook but not to bake all the moist out of your frittata.
You can serve it warm, at room temperature or cold.

Nutrition facts

This frittata yields 500 calories, 18 grams of fat, 36,5 grams of carbs and almost 60 grams of protein.
Meaning that one serving has 120 calories, with 4.5 grams of fat, 9.1 grams of carbs, and 15 grams of protein.
However, if you’re using whole eggs instead of egg whites the whole thing has around 700 calories, with 36.5 grams of carbs, 49 grams of protein and 43 grams of fats.