The Tuesday Wrap Up

Tuesday is coming to an end and it’s been a busy day. First, I want to talk a little bit about this new, great book I got called Clean Plates NYC. It’s a guide to the “healthiest tastiest restaurants in Manhattan.” I seem to be eating out a little more than I would like, so I figured this might be a helpful tool in selecting where to go.

Besides providing a list of healthy restaurants, the book also delves into building the diet that’s right for you, and for once the author doesn’t tell you that you MUST become a vegetarian, like so many others I’ve read. In all fairness, he touts fruits and veggies a lot, but he allows for meat as well. It’s been very enlightening, especially his discussion on wheat…

“Wheat is the highest in gluten of all the grains. The majority of wheat crops are genetically modified. Given its ubiquity, wheat is not easy to avoid. That, plus the fact that it has addictive qualities, means that we tend to consume way too much of it. I suggest making an effort to steer clear – or at least cut down – in part because wheat’s high gluten level means it disrupts your digestive system, even if you’re not allergic. Reduce the percentage of wheat in your diet, and I suspect you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much better you feel day to day.”

Yikes – so my wheat bread sandwiches aren’t as great as I thought. I’ll have to figure out how to begin to limit my wheat intake (even wheat pasta should be eaten in moderation) and see how it affects me. I will have to start experimenting with other grains (stay tuned).

Lunch today was a mish-mash of food: carrots, yogurt, rasins & walnuts, and some new chips I picked up called Rice Works Salsa Fresca. I chose them because they are made from brown rice – No Wheat – and are Gluten Free! We’ll see how long this wheat moderation lasts.

Today was my day to get back into the swing of working out. I made it to the gym after work (it was soo dark so early) and this was my workout:

4.5 miles on the treadmill – increasing speed from 6.3 and finishing at 7.4
85 sit-ups, 50 side crunches, 20 leg lowers (abs)
25 squats with 5 pound weights

I need to start incorporating more strength training into my routine.

Question: What are some of your favorite strength-training moves or exercise?

After the gym, I stopped at the nearby school to cast my vote (yay for civic responsibility) and came home and made this recipe:

Fruited Brown Rice Pilaf

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups hot water
3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 red apple, chopped
2 tablespoons walnuts
2 chicken breast – cubed and cooked

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Stir in the water, rice and bouillon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50-55 minutes (less if using instant rice) or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from the heat; fold in apple, cooked chicken breast and walnuts.

It was good to finally eat something home-cooked! The apples in this recipe were a really nice surprise.

EVENT
I also wanted to share this article link to a book review in the New Yorker: Flesh of Your Flesh. I haven’t read Foer’s Book, Eating Animals, but am considering picking it up. I’ll be going to his book reading at Barnes & Noble in Union Square on November 16th.  Any NYCers or visitors should check it out! Thanks go out to my co-worker Tiffany for sharing the article and event info with me.

Have a nice night!