What is one of the best things about running a marathon on October 30? It’s followed up by October 31st …Halloween …the very next day! It’s Wednesday and I am still reveling in my no running, lounge-happy, soreness-fading, post-marathon “days off”. And it couldn’t be better timed with all the Halloween chocolate hanging around. I am a self-admitted sugar-head who finds my kids’ Halloween candy no matter how hard they try to hide it from me. Right now I am enjoying my new favorite, the Almond Snickers…so good. I am not concerning myself with the calories or sugar at the moment, but I do have to wonder…how much of a workout should someone do to recover from eating three- four (okay..five to six..but that’s the small size) Snickers bars?
I would guess about 30 minutes of high intensity exercise should do the trick. And if you are going to raid your kids candy stash…I do recommend the Snickers bar for its protein content. Searching to find out whether the Snickers is actually as healthy as I hope it may be, I found the following excerpt from Men’s Health magazine. So I’m taking their word for it, and indulging. How about you? What’s your favorite Halloween candy? [Read more…]
I realize I’m going to sound very contradictory with today’s recipe (not the slow carb way I wrote about Monday), but it is what it is. Our family is very fortunate this week to have my brother-in-law and his girlfriend (Carrie) visiting from Chicago. Of course we are just happy to see them, but there is another reason we are excited to have them here. Carrie graduated from the Johson and Wales Culinary Program. Her specialty is sauces and her favorite is Italian food…tonight she is making Alfredo. Although I am trying to eat healthy the next week before my marathon on Oct. 31, there is no way I’m passing up “Garlicky Alfredo” made by someone who really knows what she’s doing. Although I definitely know how to feed lots of people, my kids will never say that I am a chef… and I am OK with that. Needless to say, the whole family appreciates a real chef. 
I am always seeking good nutrition information and I found this article recently while searching the Web. While I know that the “no carb” way of eating is too limiting, and the “low-fat” way can be high in the wrong kinds of carbs, Shannon Clark explains the reasons the “slow carb” way is a smart way to go. Her website 
As I near the end of my marathon training I am mindful of healthy eating, and on the lookout for yummy, good-for-you meals that are high in carbohydrates. The weather is beginning to cool and for me that’s always a good excuse to make soup. Convincing my family that soup (and bread) is a complete meal is another story.
I was looking at a magazine lately and I had to put it down after a while because of the totally unrealistic figures of most of the women in it. I kept imagining my daughters flipping through it, and I was increasingly discouraged at the image it portrayed of skinny frail women “looking good”. Instead of thin or skinny, I think “lean” is a better ideal for women. This is because it can pertain to all body types; it simply means strong; but carrying less fat. Whether we are built “bigger” or “smaller”, we can all be lean because it has more to do with muscle mass than weight.
As a rule I don’t like those desserts that are touted as healthy. I mean, come on…dessert is dessert; that’s the whole point. But this apple cobbler is truly an exception to my rule. I think one of the keys in this recipe is to use flavorful apples like granny smith, gala, and fuji. They are tart, but sweet and so the sugar is less important in the recipe (although you still gotta have it). Although it calls for real butter and a little sugar, in my book that equals pure ingredients not necessarily unhealthy ones. But you can substitute with other ingredients too. As fall approaches and the days are a little cooler (it’s in the 60’s today in Charlotte), apples are all over the grocery stores. So grab some and enjoy this awesome cobbler recipe that I tweeked from one I found in 
When I was in college I did an Outward Bound expedition in the Pacific Crest mountains in Washington state. Every morning we had oatmeal…and by the end of the 22-day trek, we were connoisseurs of oatmeal. Fresh fruit was only a luxury at resupply, so we made do with dried apples and cranberries. We also had cashews, almonds and peanuts…and butter. I still love a good bowl of oatmeal, and since it’s September and apple season has begun, it’s a perfect time to pair the two for breakfast. I made a pot of 
Ever since reading about coconut oil (
One of my biggest pet-peeves is reading about foods that are good for me, but are so unappealing to my taste buds. I always imagine myself holding my nose and eating whatever it is, so that at least I get the health benefits. But I know I’m sacrificing taste for health. So I came up with the following list of my favorite (healthy) foods, which also happen to help boost the immune system… and I promise you won’t have to hold your nose! 
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