January 21, 2013
Three weeks down, 49 to go. Oh boy...The good news is that I feel good and I am confident I should be able to get through at least the first quarter. After that when I increase the minutes...well, I'll let you know. Really, the hardest part so far is writing this blog. I have to find something interesting (interesting to whom, you ask?) to write about every day.
Today, I'm going to introduce you to Chia seeds. Don't roll your eyes at me, I promise, it is interesting! So sit back, and learn something, and stop complaining. What else are you going to do? Read your friend's Facebook post where he talks about his cat, or the person who takes pictures of everything she eats, or even better, the person who tells you every damn thing they do of every minute of every damn day including when they go to the bathroom! REALLY!!!
Sorry...I got a bit carried away. I have annoying friends, apparently...back to Chia seeds...
So Chia seeds are a kind of super food (and yes, these are the same seeds from the Chia Pet...ch..ch..ch..Chia Pet!!) If you are a vegetarian, you probably already know about them, and if you don't, just eat a steak already because you are doing it all wrong! First, they have very little taste and no smell, so you can add them to almost any food, so they are very versatile. Here are some other characteristics of Chia seeds:
- Two tablespoons (1 serving) provide 4000mg of Omega-3
- 8.25 grams of fiber per serving
- Over 4 grams of protein per serving, including all essential amino acids, so they can substitute for meat
- Six times the calcium of milk
- Chia can absorb a whopping 12+ times its weight in water. Chia´s insoluble fiber reduces digestive transit time and removes toxins as it passes through the digestive tract.
- The most important antioxidants contained in Chia seeds are chlorgenic acid and caffeic acid, and coumaric acid and caffeic acid in Chia oil; these are antioxidants that play a major role in cancer prevention
You can learn all about them and buy a one pound bag for about $15. Since you are using only a few teaspoons at a time, they last for a while.
You may be wondering where I heard about these amazing seeds? Well, I have previously spoken about the book "Born to Run" and this is where I read about them. The Tarahumara Indians eat Chia seeds before they go on their long 50+ mile runs. Another benefit of these seeds is that they give you a lot of energy. Of course, being that they contain a lot of fiber, you have to be careful about how much you eat.
The Tarahumara Indians make a drink called Iskiate which contains sugar, lime, water and Chia seeds. I have made it a few times myself and I have used it on longer runs. I actually drank some today before my run, but it wasn't long enough to need extra energy. I did drink it before my last race, and based on the outcome of the race, I will certainly use them again.
Honey and I add the seeds to tuna sandwiches, salads, smoothies, PB&J and whatever else we can get away with adding them to. I highly recommend them!
Today, due to a lack of childcare, I went for a 30 min run by myself, then about 30 minutes later, Honey joined me for another 15 minutes. Here are my solo numbers:
Time: 30:00
Distance: 3.14 miles
Pace: 9:34/m
Max Pace: 6:58/m
Calories: 401
Avg HR: 135
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