Total Immersion

Yes there is a swim-instruction company with that same name, but I'm referring of course to my brand spanking new IMMERSION BLENDER!

Isn't she beautiful? I love the aqua color, it contrasts so nicely with that amazing carrot soup that I made. Here are some reasons you need an immersion blender:

• You love soup - who doesn't?!
• You hate washing out a blender
• You don't want to scald yourself by pouring hot soup into a blender or deal with the mess when your gazpacho overflows in your mini-prep blender (true story)
• You want to be able to put the end of the blender in the dishwasher and not have to deal with it
• You like seeing things blend in front of your eyes
• You crave creamy soups or sauces but don't want the calories that come along with them when someone else makes them

I made this Carrot Soup from the 101 Cookbooks blog the other night and it turned out super well (thanks Angie for making this for me when I was in DC!). It's crazy how few ingredients are in it, yet how complex and creamy it tastes. Literally the only ingredients are carrots, onion, garlic, veggie stock, and lemon juice. Totally vegan and nutritious, and totally delicious.

I'm just itching to try out other recipes with my new toy. If you're interested in buying one I would of course suggest that you visit your locally-owned kitchenware store. However, if you don't happen to have a locally-owned kitchenware store nearby or don't like to leave your house/apartment, here's a link for you: Immersion Blender in Turquoise or if you want it in pink: Immersion Blender in Pink or in boring white: Immersion Blender in White.

Here's the finished product from the soup-making night:

Post in the comments section if you have a favorite immersion-blended recipe that you think we should all try!

Body Mass = Body Fat?

A reader made a comment after I posted the Motivation Station blog in which "Andy" is inspired to lower his BMI that the BMI is not a good representation of whether or not a person is healthy. As this was how the health and wellness program at Andy's office was measuring health, I didn't get into it then. However, now's the time to talk about (everyone's favorite subject...) BODY FAT!

So, as many of you may know, what the BMI (Body Mass Index) takes into account is two things: your height and your weight. That means that two people could have very similar BMIs but one of them could look skinny and muscular and the other could look flabby and out of shape. This is because it does not take into account the weight, or mass, of muscle. I still believe that for some people in the general population, the BMI can be a useful tool to help gauge whether or not they need to lose weight, but it is definitely not good for athletes to use.

Well, if the BMI is not going to work, how are you going to find out your body fat percentage? Good question. I realize that not everyone is enrolled in a nutrition class where they get to pinch their classmate's fat with a caliper (fun!). There are several ways that you can find out your body fat percentage. The most accessible way to people who don't have a caliper (and a person to skillfully utilize the caliper) is a bioelectrical impedance scale. Many scales on the market these days have this added feature; you need to stand on the scale with bare feet so that it can send a totally painless electrical current through your body to figure out how much fat is there versus water. Yes, there is a margin of error, and it does depend on how recently you have peed or had any water, but it can be a good way to figure out if you're carrying excess body fat. (You can also find a hand-held version that does not give your weight.)

How much is too much? It's different for men and women, but it is essential for men to have 3% body fat and for women to have 12% (essential meaning that health issues arise if it drops below). Women need more due to the whole child bearing thing. An athletic man should have 6-10% and an athletic female 10-15%. An ideal man, 11-14% and an ideal female, 16-23%. If a male has over 21% body fat he is overweight, for a woman it is 31%. Obese is over 25% for a man and 37% for a woman. Yes this skips over some numbers and no I'm not sure what it means if you're a woman and have between 23 and 31% body fat (like me!). I guess it means you should monitor your fat intake, get plenty of exercise, and aim to bring it down into the ideal range.

Remember, muscle burns fat. Don't let the number on a scale dictate what you eat or how much you exercise - that number is not taking into account your awesome, heavy muscles. Instead of being a slave to the scale, do plenty of strength-training to build those muscles, eat a healthy diet, and watch your percent body fat in order to gauge results.

Would You Rather...

There was a multisport expo this past weekend in Boston. It's the third year that I've gone and I always come away from it feeling very inspired; to train more, sign up for races, eat healthier. This time was no exception!

On Saturday morning I went to a seminar put on by a local triathlon coach and he talked about questions that he is asked the most frequently. Of course a lot of people ask about the best food to eat before, during, and after a race because we all know how important nutrition is to performance. He had a great way of phrasing the importance of the post-workout meal. He said: "Think about it, would you rather rebuild your muscles with a twinkie or with salmon?" When you consider the 'you are what you eat' aspect of life, it should help inspire you to put healthier things in your body. Food is constantly rebuilding in your body, so make smart choices about what those building blocks are made out of.

TIps For First T(r)imers

First and foremost, if you haven't seen the video of my brother proposing to his girlfriend last weekend (complete with robots), make sure to check it out here.

I got another topic suggestion from a reader - love those! Keep them coming. He suggested that I post tips for people who are thinking of doing their first triathlon. A couple of my very best friends have decided to compete in their first tri this summer so I decided to go back and find an e-mail that I had sent to someone prior to one of their first races. I recall that I wrote it by just thinking through random aspects of race day so it's a bit scattered:

Chris,

It's OK (and sometimes even a good idea) to eat what you would normally eat for breakfast. A lot of people think that they need to pack in the protein and carbs the morning of a race but if your body isn't used to having that much that early then it can react in a negative way. Which leads me to another tip: get in line for the porta potties well before the race start, even if you don't think you have to go. The lines can take FOREVER and you don't want to figure out 5 min before the start that you need to go wait in the 10 min long line of spectators who need to pee.

Also, if you are going to have any shot bloks or bars or anything in your transition area, you might want to open them ahead of time. Make sure that your sneakers are untied. I personally like to have an extra water bottle in transition that I use to squirt my feet clean with (you'll see people filling up buckets and dishes and stuff for this purpose but I think that just sort of gets in the way). You'll want to have a small towel to wipe them off with then.

If you're using spray sunscreen put it on before they write with sharpy on your body.

If you're worried about getting kicked, start towards the back of your swim wave. If you close your eyes when your head is under water then you can't see the monsters/sharks even if they're there! If you freak out at all, try flipping onto your back for a few seconds. Don't forget to sight so you don't end up way off course. Take the top half of your wet suit off while you're running to the transition area, then worry about the bottom half (usually easier if you're sitting down, but that depends on personal preference) when you get to the transition area.

Shift before you coast. I couldn't really remember what I do when you asked this the other day, but I find that it's a lot easier to get to a harder gear, then do any coasting. This should also help you build more momentum for your coasting.

If it's really hot during the run and you feel like you need to take a walking break, wait to do it when you're in the shade.

Most importantly, just have fun and be prepared to laugh at yourself when you swallow salt water, get passed by old women on the bike, and feel like your legs are going to give out when you start running.

:)

Kat

I always love re-reading advice I give, just to make sure that I would still give it today. Good news! I would. Those are some time-honored tips that will hold true as long as triathlon remains a sport that people enjoy! 

Protein POWER - right?

A reader recently asked me to write a post about protein, especially ways to get enough protein when you're vegetarian or vegan. Since we just learned about this in class, I figured it might be good to start out with a quick summary of what protein actually does for you...

The Point of Protein
Before studying nutrition I thought that protein gave you energy. If I was particularly tired on a given day I would think back to how much protein I'd eaten that day or make sure that my next meal had some meat in it. However, protein as energy is actually the last thing that we want it to do. Protein's main jobs in the body are growth, maintenance, and repair, NOT energy. That would be carbohydrate's main job. So just keep that in mind as you're deciding whether or not you're getting enough protein; you do need it and it provides several very valuable functions, but if you look at a bowl of brown rice and a bowl of tofu, it's the rice that will give you the energy. Also good to keep in mind: protein plus fiber equals fullness, so if you're constantly hungry you might not be getting enough protein.

How much do I need?
Depending on your age, gender, and activity level, you should be getting around 46-56 grams of protein per day according to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). Bump that up a bit if you're particularly athletic (more on that in future posts).

Good Vegetarian Ways to Get Protein
Some people think that if they don't eat meat they won't get enough protein in their diet. However, chances are that if they typed their daily food intake into a calculation program but left out all of the meat, they'd still be getting enough. Try it! You don't have to eat meat substitutes or boatloads of soy to get enough protein. It's in a lot more foods than you might expect.

Here is the protein value for some non-meat foods that I have kicking around my kitchen - see how fast 46 grams can add up just by eating things like grains?

1 cup of fat free milk: 8 grams	1 oz reduced fat cheddar: 8 grams
1/2 cup of cooked brown rice: 3 grams	1/2 cup cooked spinach: 2 grams
1/2 cup of classic granola (no nuts): 6 grams	2 oz spaghetti: 7 grams
1/2 cup of cooked quinoa: 5 grams	1 wedge laughing cow cheese: 2 grams
1 cup Amy's Tuscan bean and rice soup: 5 grams	1 bagel: 10 grams
1 package of ramen noodles: 10 grams (I know, right?!)	1/2 cup white kidney beans: 6 grams
1 oz Primal Strips vegan jerky: 11 grams	1 Luna bar: 9 grams

Motivation Station: SIBLING CHALLENGE!

I've talked in the past about what motivates each of us to eat healthy and be active. One of those things is signing up for a race of some sort, whether it's walking a 5K, jogging a half marathon, or attempting to live through an ultramarathon. No matter what the race is, it's a great way to challenge yourself and have an end goal to work towards! On that note...

My brother recently mentioned that he'd like us to sign up for a race so that he has something to work towards. Probably what he meant was that he'd like to do a race together where we get to support each other and race against other people in our respective age groups, like when we raced the Lobsterman Olypmic Triathlon last summer in Maine (see photo). However, I think it might be more motivational for both of us if we were racing against each other, which is why I challenge him to the first ever

SCHROEDER

SIBLING

SWIM OFF

MADISON. MEMORIAL DAY.

The rules: whoever swims the most laps in 25:00 minutes wins. No flip turns, flippers, or flotation devices. Loser buys breakfast at Mickey's Dairy Bar, including but not limited to a scramble and a malted milk shake. The exact date, time, and location are TBD but if you'll be in Madison around that time feel free to come support your favorite Schroeder sibling!