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Water – The Key to Staying Healthy

As summer comes into full swing and you embark on your beach vacations and outdoor barbeques for 4^th of July celebrations, it’s easy to forget about one important thing: water.
Even though your focus might be on pool activities, what to throw on the grill, and if you have enough sunscreen, make sure you and your family stay hydrated!
Why? Water affects so many different parts of your body – after all, the human body is around 60% water. Here’s a breakdown of how water impacts your body:
Skin: Did you know that water can affect your body inside AND out? One of the many ways skin protects your body is by preventing excessive fluid loss. We usually don’t even think about it, but we are constantly losing water through the day. The obvious reason for losing water is through sweating, but normal bodily functions like breathing and digestion use up water too! And all of that can show up in your skin. When you’re dehydrated, your skin looks more dry and wrinkly so drink up to keep that youthful glow!
Energy: Water can energize your muscles. We all know it’s important to drink water during exercise and working out, but the lack of water can actually make your muscles more tired. Not only does that slow you down, but it puts an unnecessary burden on your muscles. Remember to start drinking water before you work out! If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated!
Kidney Health: Your kidneys help you clean out toxins and flush out waste products from your body – but they only work well if you’re hydrated! The more water you drink, the happier your kidneys will be, and the better they’ll function. People who continuously don’t drink enough water are at higher risk for kidney stones.
If you’re well hydrated, your urine should be a clear or pale yellow color. If you’re dehydrated, your urine will be a dark yellow.
Digestion: We don’t normally think about digestion unless we have a stomachache but the process of breaking down food uses a surprisingly high amount of water! Ever experience constipation? It could be due to dehydration! If your intestines don’t have enough water, they’ll pull water out of the stool to help keep itself hydrated. Make sure to drink plenty of water to stay regular!
But drinking a lot of water can be easier said than done, so here are a few tips on how to get in the habit of staying hydrated:

• Drink a glass of water with each meal
• Drink fluids that you like the taste of – all beverages are a source of water, just make sure you also pay attention to other factors like sugar or calories
• If you feel like snacking, try drinking some water first! Sometimes your body tricks you into thinking thirst is actually hunger.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables – about 20% of all fluid intake comes from food
• Keep a bottle of water with you at your desk, in your bag, or in your car

http://www.humanhealthproject.org/blog/water-key-to-staying-healthy/

Chicken with pearl barley

Amazing dish for increasing mileage

The recipe I have developed for you this week is very high in protein, using both chicken and eggs. Protein is just essential for runners and athletes for muscle repair and recovery. The carbs element comes from the pearl barley which I love to cook with as it's got a lovely texture.  It is relatively foolproof to cook and by cooking the barley in chicken stock, you are increasing the protein in the dish. Some fresh herbs, two soft poached eggs and sprouting broccoli, will finish off a hearty but very healthy and nutritious training meal.

Written by Alan Murchison

Alan is a Michelin chef, restaurateur and cookery author who has appeared regularly on the Great British Menu, both as a competitor and a mentor. He currently runs a string of Michelin-starred restaurants.

Ingredients

Serves 2
2 free range chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
200g pearl barley
1 large carrot finely diced
350ml chicken stock
2/3 large shallots or small onions
1 bunch sprouting broccoli
2 poached eggs
Mixed chopped herbs, parsley, chervil, tarragon & chives

Method

Start by pan-frying the chicken breast in the olive oil until golden brown, for around 2/3 minutes. Then add the halved shallots and place into a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees for 15/20 minutes.

Cook the pearl barely by simmering in the chicken stock with the diced carrot for 15/18 minutes until tender. When soft, cook over a higher temperature until the stock has reduced. Set aside. Poach eggs and broccoli as standard. Re-heat the pearl barley and stir in a mix of fresh chopped herbs.
 

Ingredients

2 free range chicken breasts 2 tbsp olive oil 200g pearl barley 1 large carrot finely diced 350ml chicken stock 2/3 large shallots or small onions 1 bunch sprouting broccoli 2 poached eggs Mixed chopped herbs, parsley, chervil, tarragon & chives

Vital Statistics

Serves: 2
Preparation: 20
Cooking: 20
Difficulty: Easy
Good for: Increased mileage
Calories (kcal): 650
Protein (g): 80
Carbs (g): 55
Fat (g): 37
Fiber (g): 55

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/chicken-with-pearl-barley/
 

Roast chicken breast, spiced potato & cauliflower

Perfect protein-filled training dish

This is proper hearty training food. This week I am doing my take on a classic Indian side dish of Sag Aloo. Cheap and easy to find, the potato, cauliflower and spinach form the base of this tasty dish. It is packed full of vitamins and nutrients and makes the most of easily found vegetables. I have used my favourite form of protein in chicken, although this dish works brilliantly if you use sea bream as well.

Written by Alan Murchison

Alan is a Michelin chef, restaurateur and cookery author who has appeared regularly on the Great British Menu, both as a competitor and a mentor. He currently runs a string of Michelin-starred restaurants.

 

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 medium chicken breasts
Marinade, 1 tsp curry powder & one dash of oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
250g diced raw potatoes
150g chopped raw cauliflower
Large handful of fresh raw spinach
Fresh coriander to finish

 

Method

Mix together the curry powder and olive oil to form a paste, rub over the chicken breasts and allow to marinade at room temperature for 15 minutes. To cook the chicken breasts, colour in a medium sauté pan and then bake in the oven at 190c for 15-20 minutes.
To make the Sag Aloo, gently cook the onion in the olive oil for 3/4 minutes until soft, add the curry powder & turmeric and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, ensuring it doesn't catch. Add the potato and cauliflower and cook for 15 minutes until both the potato and cauliflower are soft. Before serving add the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes. Correct the seasoning and add the fresh coriander at the last minute.

Ingredients

2 medium chicken breasts Marinade, 1 tsp curry powder & one dash of oil 1 large onion, finely diced 1 tsp olive oil 1 tbsp Curry powder 1 tsp turmeric 250g diced raw potatoes 150g chopped raw cauliflower Large handful of fresh raw spinach Fresh coriander to finish

Vital Statistics

Serves: 2
Preparation: 15
Cooking: 20
Difficulty: Easy
Good for: After a long cold run, hearty training food
Calories (kcal): 379
Protein (g): 17
Carbs (g): 29
Fat (g): 7
Fiber (g): 10

 

Make your core stronger and your times faster

How core work can improve your running

The more you run in training the more benefit you are going to see in your fitness. Running is a straightforward sport and there is no getting away from the fact that simply by running you will become a better runner. However there are certain things that you can introduce into your training that will supplement your running and make you a better athlete. One of those extra elements is core stability. 

Why core stability matters
Most people would think having good core stability just means to have a six pack or amazing abs. Runners tend to be less vain and just focus on building strength without the 'glamour abs'. Having a strong core is going to help your stride because this is where most of the power comes from. I'm talking about your core, and also the gluts and that whole trunk area. Making sure these areas are strong enough to handle the amount of mileage you're running is definitely going to help prevent injury. It can also help correct a bad posture that can in turn also lead to an injury.
There are many exercises out there for your core but there are some that are more beneficial than others. For runners it is important you don't just focus on one side. If your stomach is stronger than your back, then this will create an imbalance and that is definitely not good!
Russian twists
A weight ball for resistance training using your core is one type of training I would really recommend. Having someone throw the ball to each side of you and controlling your core is an excellent exercise for strengthening. Another exercise using the medicine ball is 'Russian Twists'. You do these by simply holding the ball, making sure your back is straight and moving from one side to the other. This will activate the core on both sides and the ball will act as resistance.
As I said there are many exercises out there for you to research, but do keep in mind that you mustn’t just focus on one area. A lot of people only think about strengthening their trunk and abs and as a result the back is often neglected. A lot of the gym work that I do is mainly for injury prevention, to make sure that my body is strong enough for the amount of miles that I will be running. That said I usually do 2/3 different gym sessions a week to maintain my strength. For the enthusiastic runner I would think that starting off by doing some light core work once a week is a good way to get into it.
Experiment with exercises
You will need to experiment which day to do these sessions, because ideally you wouldn't want to do them before one of your harder run days. If you do, you might find that your long run is a painful affair because you are sore from doing the core routines the day before. But don’t panic, as time goes by your body will adapt to the core sessions. Any exercises that mimic the running action and include some resistance are going to be the best ones for you, and these are often the hardest too.

With all the exercises there will be a lot of development you can do with each one, for example using more weight or changing the movement slightly to make it more difficult. It is a learning process and you will need to find out what works for you. Good luck with those abs!

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/make-your-core-stronger-and-your-times-faster/