Caffeine Test

The foods you eat before and after a good workout, and the fluids you drink during your workout go a long way towards making sure your exercise has the best impact on your health as possible. Whether youre staying hydrated with a bottle of water while youre out on a run, or debating what to munch on for a little post-workout energy, Eating Well magazine has some tips to help maximize your workout and keep you satisfied in the process.

First of all, they mentionas we do in our exercise myths postthat water is probably your best bet during exercise to stay hydrated, even over something like a sports energy drink that could be loaded with sugar and calories. They suggest adding a little flavor to your water to keep things interestingmaybe with a little lemon, lime, or cucumberand note that people who drink flavored water tend to drink more during their workouts than people with straight water do.

They suggest a nice, low-glycemic-index meal (food that causes your blood sugar to spike less after eating) before you start your exercise, like those higher in protein and fiber rather than complex carbohydrates. After your workout, a tall glass of milk (or even chocolate milk) is a great way to recover, or even a banana or peanut butteressentially, after your workout is where the carbs should come into play.

Weve tackled the topic of what to eat before and after your workout before, but this piece addresses the importance of protein in your diet, and asserts that instead of carbs before your workout, theyre better afterward instead. What do you think? What do you eat before and after your workouts, and what do you prefer to drink while you work out? Share your experiences in the comments below.

The Best Fitness Foods: What to Eat Before, During, and After a Workout | Eating Well

Photo by malouette (Shutterstock).

Googles food program is often cited as one of the companys greatest perks. The search giant has 28 cafes in the Bay Area — most of them at the companys Mountain View campus — serving just about any style of food imaginable.

In addition to the cafes, there are snack stations stocked with prepackaged eats and bottled drinks, as well as open kitchens sporadically placed around campus, making it convenient for Googlers to grab a bite whenever they get the urge.

To the cynical outsider, it might appear to be a ploy to keep employees at work around the clock, but according to two of the companys chiefs of chow, it is about much more. Through its food program, Google aims to help employees eat healthy and sustainable products, support local farmers, give back to the needy and foster innovation.

Healthy choices

Theres not a day that goes by where you dont hear someone on campus say that the biggest part of their day was lunch, says Scott Giambastiani.

As an executive chef at Google, Giambastiani is always elated to hear when a fellow employee speaks highly of the food on campus. And he is especially happy that he can feel good about the dishes he helps curate at the cafes he oversees.

As the food program has developed, Giambastiani says, more and more of what is served comes from local, organic sources, is cooked fresh each day and is served to employees with a color-coding system. Foods labeled with a green tag are healthiest, such as leafy greens, fruit and veggies; red items are indulgent and high in sugar, salt and fat; while yellow dishes lie somewhere in between. The color codes — which follow a food pyramid designed by the Harvard School of Public Health — give Googlers the ability to make healthy decisions really quickly, he says.

The plates are also shrinking at Google, says Marvin Tse, head of purchasing and food services. Originally, Googlers ate on 10.5-inch plates, but these days, they have the option of choosing a smaller, 9-inch dish. Youre not losing that much surface area, he says, before rattling off the equation for the area of a circle — but its a little more reasonable.

Another small, but significant, step the company is making toward reining in portions, Tse says he orders prepackaged snack foods in single-serving sizes whenever possible. A few years ago, he explains, many of the snack items served around the campus came with two or more servings per package. And while the company still serves junk food items, they also offer options such as Grown Up Soda and Hint flavored water — sodas and drinks that have far less sugar than their mainstream competition.

Green and local

Being healthy often also means being green — and vice-versa.

All of the cafes we have here are built as boutique, small-style cafes, Giambastiani says. Even though the cafes are cooking for a large population, they make an effort to use the freshest possible ingredients and produce dishes in small batches. Were only producing a small amount of food each day, relatively speaking, and the food is fresh.

Cafe 150 is an example of Googles commitment to keeping its food program green, Giambastiani says. With the exception of a few items, such as coffee and tea (which arent grown in the United States), Cafe 150 brings in the majority of the food it cooks from farms and ranches within 150 miles of Googles campus in Mountain View.

And though not nearly enough can be produced on site, fruit, herbs, leafy greens and honey are all raised on the Google campus, Giambastiani says.

Community

Though the company tries to reduce waste upstream, with 10 million lunches served globally each year, there are always leftovers.

In an effort to make sure as little food goes to waste as possible, Tse coordinates with three Bay Area agencies — Second Harvest, the Homeless Veterans Emergency Housing Shelter and the Shelter Network — arranging pickups uo to three times each week of untouched Google leftovers.

If food cannot be donated to local shelters, Google has a robust composting program, Giambastiani says.

Creativity

Some of the most important aspects of Googles food program have less to do with the food, and more to do with where that food is consumed.

Great ideas come when you least expect them. It is said that the Greek thinker Archimedes discovered displacement while stepping into the bathtub and that Newton had his gravitational epiphany after being struck by a falling apple. Whether history or legend, these tales illustrate the fact that seemingly insignificant events can provide the spark for massive brainstorms.

Tse is well aware of this. After all, he says, his companys massively successful email service, Gmail, was initially thought up over lunch.

The food team has taken a great deal of time in designing the seating arrangements in all of the companys cafes. Some of the cafes have outdoor seating suitable for a small team meeting, while others have large conference tables that can accommodate a larger group. They have even studied how loud music ought to be in the cafes. The idea is to make lunch fun and enjoyable, but also allow for ideas to be exchanged. Tse says the food team is constantly asking, Whats the best way to foster innovation?

The collaboration part is key, Giambastiani says. The food program really breaks down the barriers between teams.

There are so many offices working on so many different projects on the Mountain View campus. Ultimately, though, all of these projects are a part of the whole Google picture. With Googles food program, the way we have these open cafes, you will see groups of people that normally would not meet with one another, sitting together and eating together, Giambastiani says. Its not just the collaboration you hope for within a team, its the collaboration you never expected.

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Food and Flavor goes international

On the Food and Flavor front, world regional cuisine is on the radar, according to Badaracco. Cuban, Peruvian Ceviche (seafood dish), Brazilian, Malaysian, Korean, Eastern European, Northern Africa, American southern food such as soul food, foods birthed in Scandinavia, Middle East (including Pakistan and Afghanistan). Even dairy is more international with farm cheeses, and yogurts from Lebanon. World BBQ, global sandwiches, street food, pie (sweet and savory) and fun this year are round foods anything from Asian dumplings to falafel sliders. In the dessert category, no one mentioned cupcakes, but alcoholic ice cream, marshmallows, and taro and sweet potato pies are notable.

Seasonings to watch include coconut oil, nut butter, pickles and hot extremes of peppers, Korean Kimchi, pollen, and hibiscus flowers. Grains and Seeds take center stage with ancient hemp, quinoa, fallow, steel cut oats, Bao, and rice cakes. Seaweed, heirloom tomatoes, cupuacu, yuzu, cherries, and berries will whet your appetite, while proteins encompass heritage breeds, innards, bone-in meat, more exotic fish fin to tail, and goat. Non-alcoholic beverage standouts include coconut water, coffees and teas (more global such as Thai Iced Tea), lemonade, handcrafted sodas and nut milks. We added ancient healing teas, sipping vinegars, flavored water, and muscle drinks to support health, she adds.

All-day breakfast, eating together as a family, slow fast food, miniaturization in food and drinks, chefs to airports, drug and convenience stores as food providers are also notable, and she points out one fun prediction, Miami will be the new Las Vegas.

Last week I told you about giving my family raw organic vegan foods, and this week I wanted to continue that with some more healthy finds that I’ve been serving my kids.

I’m a mom on the go, so it seems like I’m always getting in and out of the Suburban. My kids are coming and going, either out to play or out to run errands with me, and there are some foods you just cannot serve in the car — at least, not in the conventional way. For instance, my kids love Cheerios in milk, but I’m not crazy enough to give them a bowl of cereal in the car, so I give them a sippy cup of milk and a bag of cereal. It’ll mix on the way down.

The same thing is true of meals on the go. I want them to eat healthy, but sometimes we’re in a rush, so I need something neat and fast as well as healthy. It seems like a hard bill to fill, but there are ways to achieve it.

Carrot sticks are a must-have in our house. My kids like the crunch and the sweetness. They also love grapes, raisins and cucumbers. These are all great ways to feed them healthy food without making a huge, crumbly, sticky mess.

Another great on-the-go snack I’ve found is GoGo squeeZ applesauce. I’ve purchased it at Target a few times, but recently I received a sampler pack in the mail for free and my kids got to try all the flavors. They love it. It’s super easy to carry and eat. Plus, since it’s 100 percent fruit, with no gluten, dairy or nuts, that means it has all the goodness of applesauce minus the sugar rush and inevitable crash.

Another thing I like to do is take bottles of water with me in the car. The kids have their sippy cups, and I can refill them with water or mix in Country Time lemonade or other juice packets and have instant flavored water in a moment’s notice.

Sometimes we do need to stop at Chic-fil-A for dinner when we’re out and about. When we do, we like to get the grilled chicken nuggets and water.

If you take some time to plan ahead, you can really save yourself some money when it comes to feeding your little ones and yourself when you are on the go. In our house, we have a little collapsible cooler that’s insulated, and it’s great to carry out food for car trips, picnics or afternoon outings.

A Hardy specialty is the peanut butter burrito. We use whole-wheat tortillas, peanut butter and sometimes bananas and/or raisins. The kids love it, and it’s virtually mess-free. We also have found that they like vegetable chips — like dehydrated vegetables. They are crunchy, a little sweet and a little salty. You won’t see this momma complaining about my kids eating vegetables.

I just discovered a new way to get my vegetables. I found a great product at Sprout’s. It’s a packet of Super Food Greens. It’s dehydrated greens and a variety of other good-for-you stuff. It doesn’t taste that great, but I put it into orange or apple juice and it’s tolerable. The main thing is that it gives me energy.

My husband and I like to keep an arsenal of string cheese on hand. It’s really travel friendly, and the kids love it. (I’m pretty fond of it, too). The only drawback is you can’t keep it in a warm or hot car, so it’s usually the first thing they eat when we are on the go. But, if you buy the Chuck E. Cheese’s brand at Wal-Mart, it comes with 12 free tokens for Chuck E. Cheese’s on the back. We like to save those token coupons and use them on birthdays for our kiddos. That’s one of the ways we cut costs at birthday time.

We are a big yogurt family, too. My 3-year-old can put away some strawberry yogurt. I love Yoplait GoGurt, but they have so much sugar. However, if you shop at Wal-Mart and United you can often find the Simple version without all the added sugars and dyes. That’s what I buy. Granted, it’s not the cotton candy explosion flavor, but my kids love it anyway.

Get healthy while saving money

You’d be surprised what they will eat if you feed it to them. When my oldest was a baby, we fed her steamed broccoli and lima beans. She ate it up. She still loves it. It’s all about training their taste buds. If you feed kids sugary drinks, snacks and fatty fried chips, that’s what they will want to eat. Their mouths and brains will tell them that the fresh vegetables you are serving them aren’t as good as the junk they’ve been eating and they will turn their noses up to it. But, the good news is you can retrain their brains.

Do you want to get your family to eat better? There are some steps you, as the leader, have got to take to make that happen. First of all, prepare yourself for what could be an intense and emotional battle. You’ve got to know that what you are doing is what’s best for their bodies and their lives as a whole. Their temporary unhappiness will be far outlived by their healthy habits if you take control of the situation and do what’s best for them.

Secondly, you’re going to have to go through the pantry and fridge and open and pour out all of the unhealthy items. No cheating here. Make sure you get it all. Yes, even the kids’ Easter candy. Easter is over. Trash it. Don’t skip the sodas, even diet drinks.

After a purge like this, your house is probably sorely lacking in supplies. This is where we come in, the Savvy Shoppers, I mean. Sean and I do deal breakdowns twice a week so you’ll know where to buy when it’s on sale and how to match the sales with coupons. Use our deal breakdowns to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat meats and dairy products, and whole wheat bread products. Drink water instead of juices and sodas. Splurge a little on a powdered drink mix like lemonade or Crystal Light. Get your pantry and fridge stocked up for the next couple of weeks, and then relax.

You’re going to need this chill time to look up healthy recipes or to prepare your explanation to the junk foodies that will be presented a healthy dinner.

Be ready to stand strong when you serve up whole, healthy meals, wherever you are — at home, in the car or at a park. If the kids don’t like it, that’s fine. They can pass on it. But, don’t cave and feed them something unhealthy just to get them to eat. They’ll eventually come around and eat what you serve.

You’ve got to be consistent and brave. Sometimes being a good parent is standing strong through the tears in order to provide them with the best possible option. Trust me, I know, it is hard. But, I have confidence you can do it. Sean and I are here to help you do it in a financially savvy way.

Have a happy and healthy week!

RACHEL HARDY is one of The A-J’s Savvy Shoppers. Read her columns Sundays, and catch Sean Fields on Wednesday.

Forty years ago this week, on April 7, 1972, Vermont legislators passed the Bottle Bill — innovative legislation to add a redeemable deposit on soda and beer bottles and cans. Vermont was only the second state in the nation, after Oregon, to enact a bottle redemption program. The idea was originally conceived as a way to fight litter, a problem marring Vermont’s scenic roadsides, parks and other areas. The law gave people a monetary incentive to collect and return their bottles and cans, rather than tossing them out their car windows or into the garbage can.

The Bottle Bill proved successful beyond expectations, and today Vermont’s redemption program is by far our most successful recycling program. Over the past 40 years, so many bottles and cans have been recycled through the Bottle Bill that they would fill up more than three Empire State Buildings. Imagine if the Bottle Bill hadn’t been enacted and all that waste was choking our landfills and littering our roadsides. In fact, even with the expansion of curbside and drop-off recycling programs, studies show that bottles and cans covered under the Bottle Bill are recycled at more than double the rate of containers not covered under the program.

On the 40th anniversary of the Bottle Bill, it seems an appropriate time to both celebrate its incredible success and to think about its future. We know the Bottle Bill works better than any recycling program we have. We also know that Vermont is running out of landfill space and legislators are working on legislation to mandate recycling. What better way to immediately improve our recycling rate than by expanding our most successful recycling program, the Bottle Bill, to cover additional beverage containers?

In 1972 when the Bottle Bill was passed, we simply didn’t have the beverage choices we do today. These days, more people are drinking beverages such as bottled water, flavored waters, iced teas and sports drinks. It doesn’t make sense that carbonated flavored water has a deposit but non carbonated flavored water does not. Since our consumption patterns have changed, we should update the Bottle Bill to reflect this reality.

Ever since the Nationals came to town I have made a holiday out of Opening Day.  Theres something about the combination of a gorgeous spring day and the return of the baseball season that makes the perfect excuse to play hooky.  I was there for the first pitch when baseball returned to RFK (and the last pitch), and I was there for the first pitch at Nationals Park, and I really hope to one day see the first pitch of a post-season game with the Nationals.

If youre going to Opening Day, here are a few helpful links and tips, from me to you:

Getting there:

• Metro: If youre coming from somewhere other than the Hill and taking Metro, avoid the crowds transferring at LEnfant Plaza and just walk from Capitol South.
• Circulator: It runs from Union Station to the Navy Yard Metro Weekdays 6am 9pm; Saturdays 7am 9p; and extended hours during Nationals events.
• Bikeshare: Another good option, if there are bikes and docks available.  In addition to the station right next to the stadium (1st amp; N Streets, SE), there is another across from the Metro at M Street and New Jersey Avenue.
• Bike: The bike valet is awesome, try it some time if you havent already.  The entrance is just inside the entrance to the parking garage on 1st Street.
• Dont drive in thinking you can find parking on the street unless you have a parking pass for the neighborhood.

Food:

• One of my favorite things about this stadium is that you can bring in bottled water from outside.  But no flavored water, sodas or other drinks.  And it needs to be an unopened bottle.
• I have never had the patience to wait in line at Bens Chili Bowl or Shake Shack. I just cant imagine they are worth the wait at the stadium since the food is made so quickly and for so many people.  Box Frites, however, has excellent fries and rarely had a wait last year.  The bacon dip was artery-clogging deliciousness.  Skip Flippin Pizza.
• The ballpark also offers gluten free and vegetarian options.
• EaterDC guide to the ballparks food options: What to Eat at Nationals Park, Home of the Nationals

Pre and Post Game:

• The Fairgrounds are officially open (Washington Post) and JDLand is reporting that while only 2/3rds of the footprint is being used, there will be a bunch of food trucks.
• Stop through Yards Park and walk up through the Navy Yard on the Anacostia Riverwalk.
• Walk up to the stores and restaurants on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Barracks Row and Eastern Market.

Volunteers for Hospice of the Plains line up for some sweet treats and flavored water at a reception Monday to honor them for their service. (Callie Jones/Journal-Advocate)

The first time eating at El Cazador was a bit too perfect. From the swordfish on the wall to the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe blessing the food from a nearby shelf, there was barely a flaw to be found. Yes, the table by the entrance didn’t quite fit the entire menu, but far worse tragedies have afflicted humankind throughout its history. I ordered a beef enchilada, which was delivered in less than 10 minutes.

“Be careful,” the waitress said. “The plate’s hot.”

Biting into the enchilada produced sensations between Christmas and Disneyland, with multiple sweet, spicy and zesty flavors culminating into a final product exceeding the sum of its parts. The rice seemed to have been mixed with the same type of broth used in chicken-flavored Ramen noodles, which, if one likes food salty and flavorful, may be one of the best combinations to grace the plates of a Mexican restaurant. The refried beans were, well, refried beans. A bit bland, but they got the job done.

As I left, waiters were leisurely stacking chairs on the tables to prepare for the restaurant’s 9 pm closing. The waitress smiled and told me to have a nice night.

“You, too,” I said, taking a mint with a Mexican flag logo on the way out.

I left the downtown Missoula restaurant with a new appreciation for Mexican food, a sense of gratification and a schmaltzy attitude that would not stand. To salvage my sense of journalistic cynicism, I decided to go on the Internet.

A quick search for El Cazador produced several reveals from commenters who had experienced a much less satisfying meal at El Cazador, criticizing the food, cleanliness and service. MontanaMexican, at tripadvisor.com thought the horchata, a rice drink, was tasteless, while Jan K., at yelp.com, found his nostrils assailed by his main course.

“Had the chili verde enchiladas there tonight,” Jan K. wrote. “This led me directly to the Internet to determine what the chemical composition of ‘wet dog smell’ is.”

So the next day, I returned to El Cazador and ordered the chili verde with a glass of horchata. This time, I brought along University of Montana student Sarah Olafson, a self-described “foodie,” who cheerfully talks about going to restaurants such as El Diablo and Taco Del Sol to compare flavors and lists different ingredients used in the preparation of New Mexican food versus regular Mexican food. Apparently, El Cazador cooks use a regular Mexican template.

Olafson said going to the restaurant has become a family tradition.

“I ate at El Cazador as a joke, originally,” she said. “My family was living in Taos, NM, and they came up and visited. They just decided that even though they live within really easy driving distance of Mexico, they wanted Mexican food.

“Whenever my parents visit, we go to El Cazador now.”

Unfortunately, Jan K. and MontanaMexican’s criticisms weren’t entirely without merit. The horchata, while presented nicely, with a golden layer of cinnamon atop the rice milk, resembled lukewarm, cinnamon-flavored water. The chili verde enchilada had the look of a mutated, green casserole one might hide in the back of a refrigerator for an extended amount of time. I thought it also sort of smelled like dog food. Olafson tried the dish and agreed. I finished all of both, however, so that has to count for something.

“Usually, I’m not used to it looking and tasting kind of like dog food,” Olafson, whose mother often ordered chili verde, said. “It was okay. It just wasn’t the best dish ever.” She added that it was actually less salty than cat food, a fact she knows from personal experience.

The next day, I returned to the restaurant for dessert and a margarita, a combination that led to writing a significant portion of this article on a sugar high and mildly intoxicated. While a margarita made with wine will always taste like a glass of wine with fruit flavoring, the dessert, a small custard pie called flan, reminded me of a sweeter version of a syrup-soaked pancake.

For this outing, UM student Evan Cummings, who has worked as a chef in approximately 30 different restaurants from 1997-2008, decided to temporarily forgo his vegetarian ways to try a chicken burrito. According to Cummings, El Cazador got the most important aspect of its franchise right: sauces.

“They put some definite time into making their sauces taste very good,” he said. “And that’s the key to the whole thing. I mean, the chicken — obviously it’s been marinated. Marination — that’s a big trick to it. But the sauce that you put into the thing — that gives it its character.”

Edward Hernandez, manager of the restaurant, is a friendly man on the medium side of hefty, with thickly framed glasses. An eight-year veteran of the restaurant, he takes his work seriously. As a member of the owners’ family, he says he’s going to be put in charge of El Cazador in a few years. He believes the restaurant has found its niche in Missoula.

“Working in Missoula is great,” Hernandez said. “It’s definitely a lot better than working in a big city.”

El Cazador is a restaurant of hits and misses, and one may need to try several dishes before finding something that really clicks. Regardless, I suggest giving the restaurant a try, if only to discover the culinary wonder that is the beef enchilada.

andrew.turck@umontana.edu

Mandatory labeling of control marks of a number of products (coffee, tea, mate, vegetable oil, caviar and caviar substitutes, fruit and vegetable juices, flavored water, beer, alcoholic beverages, motor oil, detergents, antifreeze, shoes, printers, computers, monitors, mobile phones, recording media, TV, watchew) is also seen as an obstacle to the Russian imports.

By Carolyn ONeil

For the AJC

How would you like to lose 5 pounds in six months? That may not sound like much, but you could potentially lose 10 pounds in a year.

The real news is that you have to do only one thing — give up drinking sugary soft drinks and replace those beverages with water or diet sodas. According to findings reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the single act of ditching soda and drinking water or other calorie-free beverages can slowly but surely help fight the battle of the bulge.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tested that theory on a group of 318 overweight adults who, on average, had been consuming nearly 300 calories in liquids per day. Twenty percent of the participants shed 5 percent of their starting weight, which is considered clinically significant because other health indicators such as blood pressure improved.

Dietitian Toby Smithson, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) and founder of the website www.diabeteseveryday.com, said people often ignore the impact of liquid calories. We always say lsquo;dont drink your calories, and when I have clients keep a diet record, they often forget to write down the beverages, Smithson said.

Whats a few sips of sweet tea or cola to quench your thirst throughout the day?

Dr. Richard Mattes, a Purdue University professor of nutrition, said it can add up quickly: Government surveys reveal that beverages make up nearly 20 percent of daily caloric intake. And that percentage does not even include alcoholic beverages, so its wise to think before you drink to control calorie intake.

Making matters even murkier: New research by Mattes published in the same issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that liquids arent as satisfying as solid foods. Subjects given 300-calorie servings of apple juice and fresh whole apple reported that the apples were more filling than the juice.

Mattes said, We dont know if drinking your calories will prompt you to consume more to feel more satisfied, but its clear that the act of chewing on the apples contributed more to satiety.

Think about your drink

Waters the winner: Water is, of course, calorie-free. If the lack of flavor is a bit boring, add a slice of lemon or splash of fruit juice to make your own flavored water. Bottled flavored waters are a good choice in carbonated or still varieties. Make sure to read the nutrition facts label to choose one with less than 20 calories per 8-ounce serving.

Coffee or tea? Calorie-free all by themselves, coffee and tea gain weight when you add sugar and cream. Choose nonfat or low-fat milk and watch the sugar and honey factor. And even though pitchers of free-flowing super-sugary sweet tea are a Southern institution, why not update tradition and ask for a customized mix? Try 90 percent unsweetened and 10 percent sweet tea in your glass. Youll save hundreds of calories, and you still get a hit of sweet tea taste. Most servers come to the table holding both pitchers anyway. At fast-food places where they send you with your empty cup to the beverage station, I add a splash of lemonade to the unsweetened ice tea.

Soft drinks: Count about 150 calories (depending on brand) for a 12-ounce can of soda. Diet drinks are calorie-free. There are no nutrients in either choice. If youre a soft drink fan and drink more than three cans a day — or drive around with a 36-ounce jumbo soda in your car — you can cut 450 calories a day when substituting the diet version.

Carolyn ONeil is a registered dietitian and co-author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous! Email her at carolyn@carolynoneil.com.