Spinach Really Did Help Popeye

• I read an interesting little tid bit today about spinach. It was out of “Food Processing’s Wellness Foods”, page W3 December 2008 issue.

“Boosting Biceps”  If you want bigger biceps like cartoon character Popeye, eat spinach, which contains phytoecdysteroids.  The leafy green vegetable boosts strength and increases the development of muscles, according to researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Extracts of phytoecdysteroids used on laboratory samples of human muscle speeded up growth by 20 percent, and injections in rats made them stronger in a month.  As well as being rich in vitamins, spinach helps prevent eye disease, teeth problems, gum disease and anemia.  It is also used in the fight against cancer and as a detox food.”

Speaking of spinach, this was lunch:

Baby Spinach Salad topped with brown rice and flounder in F/F Wasabi Dressing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How about some tips for Leafy Greens?  Check out the new “TIPS FOR LEAFY GREENS” on the “RECIPE” page.

Dinner Anyone? 

Dinner tonight was a combination of 2 recipe’s recently seen.  Served with Low Carb Tortilla’s, brushed with a mixture of melted SmartBalance, garlic and fresh crushed rosemary. 

 

The Sauce (Based on “How To Boil Water” on FoodNetwork. They made Bolonaise sauce today – but I don’t eat meat!).

• 1 TBS SMART BALANCE
• 1 TBS olive oil (flavored if you can)
• 6 baby carrots, finelychopped
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped.

Place a heavy stew pot on the stove, med-high. Add SB and when hot, add veg.  Saute until they begin to soften, about 8 minutes. 

• 1 can Black Beans – mash 1/2 of the beans
• 1 can Cannolini Beans (white beans) – mash 1/2 of the beans

Add the beans and the mashed beans and stir about 2 minutes.

• Add 1/2 cup white wine and let reduce for 4 minutes.
• Add 4 Plum tomatoes, chopped and let cook 5-6 minutes (canned works as well, but drain-you don’t want all that juice).
• Add 1/2 cup soy milk (or regular if you drink it).
• Add 1 tsp pepper + 1 tsp salt *I would had some crushed hot pepper flakes, but Ted doesn’t like spicy.
• Add 2 oz  herbed goat cheese (on the program this AM, they used Ricotta- I didn’t have any).

Stir all together, cheese will melt into sauce. It should be quite thick.  You can stop here and serve over pasta or vegetables. OR…. continue on to add the idea I took from a recipe called “Shakshuka” from http://www.notderbypie.com.    

Drop either 4 whole eggs if you eat them in the sauce and cover to cook the eggs about 4 minutes on medium high, turn to simmer for 3 more minutes OR/ raise temp. slightly for 1 minute, then drop 4 individual 1/4 cup measures of EggBeaters in sauce. Cover and cook for 4  minutes, med-hi, turn to simmer for 3 minutes -don’t forget where you dropped your Beaters because you’ll lose them.

 We had our dinner over steamed broccoli and parsnips.  The tortillas, after brushing with garlic-rosemary butter, were wrapped in foil and put in oven at 400 for 10 minutes.

My serving with EggBeaters and tortilla

 

 

 

Ted's portion with Whole Egg

 

 

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Eyes wide shut

As usual, I lumbered out of bed and down stairs I went to grab a get-me-going shake. I watched “How To Boil Water” while running 4 on the T/M.  They were making Bolonaise Sauce with Garlic-Parley Baguette and Arugula salad.  It inspired me to combine a recipe using red sauce yesterday with what I saw this morning. Come back tonight to see the results of this (hopefully) great inspiration.

As for the rest of the work out, you’d think running, if not watching something interesting on TV would’ve woken me up. Apparently not because I set up the hack squat for legs but then proceeded to sit into that hard, cold metal foot stand as if I were going to do leg presses. Ouch!   Turned my self around, stood up… I’m in the CORRECT position, BANG! the foot rest banged down to the next notch – I hadn’t locked it in place. Double OUCH!  Now I’m black and blue and haven’t even lifted a pound! 

Ignoring the pain, I managed to work my legs.  4 sets each 15 reps. minimum.  1.  Hack squat coupled with inner/outer thigh raises using the cable machine. 2.  Leg press coupled with walking lunges – 15 lb bar. 3. Leg curls coupled with seated calf raises. 4. Leg extensions coupled with ab work: leg lifts.

Shane and I managed 2.9 miles in 40 minutes. Better than yesterday. Tomorrow sounds like it is going to be worse than Monday, weather wise – bummer!

For breakfast:  

Banana-Raspberry Protein Shake & Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Cereal

1 scoop of Banana Flavored Whey Protein Isolate with 3 oz raspberries. 1/4 cup (dry) Bob’ Red Mill 10 Grain Cereal made with cinnamon and 1/4 cup soy milk. 1/2 grapefruit.

That’s all for now. Everyone have a super day.

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