Zinkes: New England Style » Nutrition and Wellness

Raw Carob Peanut Butter Bites

vanessa — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:32:19 +0000

As I was re-organizing the cupboard last night, I discovered my long lost bag of raw carob powder. Anxious to put it to use, I came up with a lil’ something sweet and nutty. I have been feeling overly sick of processed foods. (And here I sit, waiting for a pan of brownies to finish baking in the oven so I can make a “Black Forrest Trifle” for a get-together tomorrow.) The constant battle of balancing fresh foods with the rich and delicious confectionery concoctions (that I have a hard time resisting!) is ever vexing and a tease to the sweet tooth. Ah well. Eat these:

Raw Carob Peanut Butter Bites

1/2 cup pure peanut butter
1/2 cup pure honey
2 T. wheat germ
2 T. wheat bran
2 T. raw carob powder
2 cups whole oats
splash of pure vanilla extract

Mix the peanut butter, honey and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and then add to the honey and peanut butter mixture. Mix well. The mixture will be crumbly, no worries! Using a tablespoon, scoop out one spoonful and form into a ball with your hands. I keep mine in Tupperware in the fridge. The nutty flavor of the wheat germ melds wonderfully with the honey and carob!

Makes 18 bites

Rick likes ‘em. ‘Nuff said. (wait, I do too!)

So I am tickled pink that my sister had her baby on May 14th. I can’t stop thinking about Margot, and her delightful lip perfection!

“Green Drink”

vanessa — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:39:17 +0000

When people reach for their morning coffee or diet bubbly, the Zinkes reach for Green Drink! It’s a staple in the Zinke household. We drink it every morning. If I could, I would hook myself up and take it intravenously. From the looks of it, most folks wouldn’t touch this stuff. Don’t be fooled, this green goo is oozing with nutrients and a surprising flavor of pure delight. I’d call it magically delicious! I believe I heard Rick recently comment, “Our kids are going to be drinking this every morning!” (No doubt about it: our kids will each get their own shot of green drink before running out to the bus stop!)

So, here is what goes into our green drink:

1 orange, peeled

1 small apple

1 small raw carrot, chopped into smaller pieces

2 cups (two big hand fulls) raw spinach

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 Tbsp raw wheat germ*

1 Tbsp whole flax seed*

1 tsp vanilla

A couple handfuls of ice

Add to your vita-mix or blender, in this order: 1/2 cup of cold water, orange, spinach, apple, carrot, and strawberries. Puree. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Share with your neighbor. Serves 2 generously. The more frozen fruit you use, the less cold water you will need.

The main reason for green drink is to get our daily allowance of Fruits and Veggies, simply put. It’s easy and it’s tasty! The USDA recommends 5 cups total of fruit and vegetables a day, for adults.

There are many variations of green drink. Our favorite is the combination of fresh mixed berries, spinach and orange juice. It turns out different every time. Sometimes it’s brown, other times it’s a purple-reddish color. Our green drink changes everyday, depending on the fruit and vegetables we have on hand. Sometimes we add frozen peaches, fresh kiwi or banana. I like to toss in a tomato and cucumber. Whatever you decide to add, be sure to use spinach and an orange or orange juice. “Vitamin C in orange juice changes the iron (spinach) to its non-oxidised state (haem iron) – which is much more readily absorbed than the oxidised iron (non-haem iron).” The fat comes from the flax seeds and the wheat germ. It’s healthy, unsaturated fat, so drink up!

The food label for this green drink recipe:

*Wheat Germ is only 2.5% of the wheat kernel. It contains 23 nutrients, and has more nutrients per ounce than any other vegetable or grain! Seriously, this stuff is amazing! It contains around 28 percent protein and has more protein than can be found in most meat products. It contains more potassium and iron than any other food source. Also found in great quantities are riboflavin, calcium, zinc magnesium and vitamins A, B1 and B3. Another important vitamin found in wheat germ is vitamin E. Wheat germ has been found to be very beneficial in order to keep the body in tip top condition. I love the sweet nutty flavor of wheatgerm. It goes well with yogurt for an added boost of nutrients. It’s best stored in a glass jar in the refridgerator. Health Food stores carry wheat germ and flax seeds in the bulk section, for pennies.

*Flax seeds: Omega-3 fatty acids. What does this mean? I am glad you asked! In short, “They are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body.” Read this article that contains a great overview of the wonderful omega-3 fatty acid flax seed. Use ground flax seed “meal” for full benefits, as the body doesn’t breakdown a whole flax seed.

WATER

vanessa — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:56:31 +0000

I spoke in church yesterday. My mouth was SO dry, I had to pause for several seconds in a feeble attempt to rehydrate. It failed. Miserably. I have been thirsty ever since! In honor of delicious water, I leave you with some fun facts about h20:

Henry David Thoreau said, “Water is the only drink of the wise man.“

The fact that our bodies are made up of about 70% water alone
speaks of our organic connection to the source and our need to
consistently replenish that very source.

Water is vital to many body functions:

1. It keeps the body temperature regulated.

2. Water dissolves nutrients, then transports them, making them
available to the whole body

3. Water removes waste and toxins from the system

4. Prevents fatigue, dizziness, hunger, dry skin, dark urine and
general lethargy which are signs of dehydration

Water Yourself

Target Heart Rate

vanessa — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:40:31 +0000

Your Target Heart Rate (THR) allows you to determine your fitness level and allows you to monitor exercise intensity regardless of the exercise. To determine your THR, we need the Maximum Heart Rate and Resting Heart Rate.

Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) = The maximum beats per minute before your heart jumps out of your chest.

Resting Heart Rate (RHR)= your heart rate at rest. Your true resting heart rate can be determined before you set your feet on the floor in the morning, after a good night’s sleep. Find your pulse at your carotid artery (neck) and count the beats for 60 seconds. (Or count to 30 and then times by 2). The average person’s heart beats around 60-80 beats at rest. Physically fit individuals will have a lower heart rate. This number will also rise with age. This number can help you monitor your health and training.The lower your resting heart rate, the better. This means your heart has to work less and this means your heart will last longer. This is good news!

Let’s Determine Vanessa’s THR.

Calculate age predicted Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)
1. 220 – age = predicted max heart rate(MHR) 220 – 29 = 191 MHR
Calculate resting heart rate (RHR)
1. 29 x 2= 58 BPM
Subtract resting heart rate from maximum heart rate to get Heart Rate Reserve (HRR)
1. MHR – RHR = HRR191–58= 133 HHR
Multiply HRR by 60 – 80% of your maximum heart rate which will set your upper and lower range limits: Multiply your heart rate reserve (HHR) by 60% and 80% and add your resting heart rate back in:Low end of range is HRR X .60
133 X .60 = 78.8 + 58 (RHR) = 133 BPM
So when I get on a treadmill, I would adjust the speed to get my heart rate around 135 in order to burn fat. (aerobic)High end of range is HRR X .80
133 X .80 = 106 + 58 (RHR) = 164 BPM

To work my heart and muscles, I would engage in a more vigorous activity like weight training or basketball to raise my HR to the higher training zone. (Anaerobic)

Treadmills, ellipticals, stair masters often times have a chart that looks like the one posted here. This will help you train in different zones, depending on your goal. Working harder and faster doesn’t equate more fat loss. Working smarter does. Be patient!

RESULT: Vanessa’s beginning target heart rate training zone is:

137<———————-> 164

Healthy Heart Zone (Warm up) — 50 – 60% of maximum heart rate: The easiest zone and probably the best zone for people just starting a fitness program. It can also be used as a warm up for more serious walkers. This zone has been shown to help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also decreases the risk of degenerative diseases and has a low risk of injury. 85% of calories burned in this zone are fats! (THIS IS WHY WALKING WORKS!) Burning 400 calories on an elliptical machine may not be all fat calories. Just like the food calories that are consumed are not all fat calories.

Fitness Zone (Fat Burning) — 60 – 70% of maximum heart rate: This zone provides the same benefits as the healthy heart zone, but is more intense and burns more total calories. The percent of fat calories is still 85%.

Aerobic Zone (Endurance Training) — 70 – 80% of maximum heart rate: The aerobic zone will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system AND increase the size and strength of your heart. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. More calories are burned with 50% from fat.

Anaerobic Zone (Performance Training) — 80 – 90% of maximum heart rate: Benefits of this zone include an improved VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardiorespiratory system, and a higher lactate tolerance ability which means your endurance will improve and you’ll be able to fight fatigue better. This is a high intensity zone burning more calories, 15 % from fat.

Red Line (Maximum Effort) — 90 – 100% of maximum heart rate: Although this zone burns the highest number of calories, it is very intense. Most people can only stay in this zone for short periods. You should only train in this zone if you are in very good shape and have been cleared by a physician to do so.