Salmon, Brown Rice & Roasted Vegetables

Here is a very basic yet very tasty dinner with very little ingredients. Not a salmon lover? try it with Halibut.

Salmon, Brown Rice & Roasted Vegetables

4 Salmon Fillet (3.5 oz each)
Brown Rice (made according to package)
1 Zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Yellow Squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Small Onion, cut in large chunks
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice (optional)
Parsley (optional)

1) Set oven to 350 degrees

2) On a cookie sheet (foil lined), sprinkle Salmon with salt, pepper, lemon juice & parsley

3) In a baking dish, place cut zucchini, yellow squash and onion - drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper (hint: you want the amount of each vege and onion to all be proportionate to each other)

4) Cook Salmon & Vegetables for about 30 mins or until done (Salmon will be flakey & veges will be soft) - stiring veges half way through cooking.

5) Cook Brown Rice according to package directions (I use a rice maker and it takes aprox. 20 mins) - after cooking, lightly sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Serving size: 4


MIX IT UP: Want a change in flavor for the Salmon? Substitute the salt with Truffle Salt! This adds a very unique and yummy flavor. Truffle Salt also works well on Halibut!

Truffles are wild mushrooms (not chocolate. sorry!) and can be very rare/hard to find, which adds to its hefty price tag. Truffle salt can be found in specialty health food stores such as Whole Foods and costs about $10 for a small 3.5 oz jar. However, a little goes a long way so the jar will last you a while! P.s. truffle salt can be used in many other recipes.


NUTRI-TIPS: Why am I eating that?

Salmon: contains heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, is high in protein, helps promote healthy skin, joints & eyes, and helps prevent diseases like heart disease and cancer. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least one serving (3.5 oz) of salmon at least 2 times a week.

Brown Rice: contains Fiber! Brown rice is simply white rice that has not been removed of all of its nutrients (think of white rice as simply 'bleached' brown rice).

Zucchini & Yellow Squash: high in vitamin C

Olive oil: helps in heart health (controlling cholesterol levels), contains Vitamin E and antioxidants. There are a few varieties of olive oil you can use (I belive the variety you want to use is based on the temperature of what you will be cooking). If you are just starting to use olive oil I would just stick with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (it has the most nutrients). I use extra virgin olive oil for almost all of my cooking.

When did gray sweat pants go out of style?

I’ve never been accused of having much fashion sense. I’m not proud of this and I blame it, at least in part, on having grown up in a tiny Podunk town in Eastern Montana, where Kmart was the only department store within 50 miles(I’m not knocking Kmart or small towns, I’m just not entirely sure they did me much justice in the style department. In fact, it might be an interesting study to see if there is a correlation between the effects of a flashing blue light on the overall development of one’s ability to make a good fashion choice). Anyway, with that being said, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that I also possess an all-encompassing lack of “running fashion sense.” Oh yes, "running fashion sense" is an actual thing (I was surprised, too!). People actually dress the part of “getting sweaty.” In fact, I believe this is a serious trend that is sweeping the nation, in case you hadn’t noticed all those cute runners on the road these days dressed to the “T”. As for me, I usually just throw on whatever clothes are handy and ‘comfortable’ and it is almost always a very last minute decision. My lack of style while exercising doesn’t really bother me and I know it is not a necessity to becoming a good runner; but, sometimes I wonder if it might be a good idea for me to leave my house for a run having put a little more thought into my overall attire. If I were to do this, maybe my husband would wave goodbye to me and shake his head out of pride and disbelief at the incredible, self-motivated woman he married, who, in his opinion, looks really good in yoga pants (that’s HIS hypothetical opinion, people! Not mine!). As of now, he usually shakes his head due to the fact that I don’t match, I’m wearing his sweat pants… a few sizes too baggy, and the Nike swoosh on my headband is upside down.

So, what do you think about “running fashion sense?” Are we buying into corporations that tell us that we need to look a certain way while working out? Or are the corporations actually trying to make us feel better about ourselves, so we’ll want to work out (in turn, spending $50 on running shorts)? I’m sort of guessing that the answer to these questions could quite possibly coincide with an individual’s own personal level of shame. And, I guess that’s fine, too.


The Italian Stallion wore Converse and gray sweats, why can't I?

BTW! Be sure to check the blog next Sunday. Running Buddies is having it's first giveaway!!

Finding My Motivation

I'm sitting here trying to motivate myself to go run on the treadmill. So, I decided that maybe writing about it will be motivating...so far, no luck!

Out of all the places to run the treadmill is the worse. Its the one place where you can run really far yet literally go nowhere! How discouraging!

Maybe, I'll try 'tricking' myself by finding reasons why I need to run:

1) I'm running a 15k in 2 months and don't want to be sucking wind at mile 3 (and have my sister, husband and friends leaving me in the dust!)

2) See #1 - it really should be the only motivation I should need!...but since its not, proceed to #3

3) I've been meaning to rediscover my 'power song' anyway. You know, that song that is suppose to pump you up and get you moving no matter how tired you become mid-run (or in my case, pre-run)

4) I just ate a HUGE Lunner (lunch/dinner) and maybe running will not make me feel so FULL

5) Its my opportunity to catch up on MTV's Real World. Afterall, seeing other peoples drama always makes me appreciate my life more!

To be honest, it's #5 that is making me look forward to my run! LOL. On Demand, here I come!

Clearly I need some motivation help!! MTV won't always be there for me but My Running Buddies will be, right!? How do you find your Motivation?

Cool it. You're NOT Ryan Hall!

I like to run and I love races (fun runs, road races, foot races, whatever you want to call them), but I am not what I would consider a very serious runner and under most circumstances, I am not really competitive with anyone other than myself. Maybe that is why I am so annoyed by the "totally serious" runner. You may know this guy! He elbows his way in front of you to get a little closer to the start of a 5K, dressed from head to toe in hi-tech running garb, ornamented with all the latest gadgets and enough power gel to fuel a small child for a week. As soon as he wiggles himself comfortably into his starting spot, he begins his stretching routine (rubbing everyone around him the wrong way, literally). After displaying both his flexibility and the fact that his running shorts are six inches too small, he begins to tell everyone around him about all his past races and corresponding finish times (this, btw, is my biggest pet peeve, ever!). Next, he eats a banana, informing you of all the places he has stashed bananas throughout the race course, going on to explain the importance of potassium in the process of a muscle contraction. Yawn! And, if there is enough time, he will also list off all the songs he has recently downloaded to his ipod, ranking them in the order of his favorites. The "totally serious" runner is so annoying to me! More annoying than the other guy standing next to me wearing hi-top basketball shoes, torn-off blue jeans and a turquoise blazer. For some reason, this guy doesn't bother me at all, even though he is already sweating profusely and is constantly asking me, "how much time do we have?" "Totally serious" runner, please explain yourself! I want to understand you, maybe even like you someday. But, as of now, all I can think about is the pleasure and utter enjoyment I would feel if I were to trip you the second the gun fires.

.........................Champion runner, Ryan Hall........................

What is Clean Eating?

Eating clean is eating food in its TRUEST form possible (think of items you'd find naturally in nature or grown on a farm!). These are foods that have not been chemically altered, processed or refined. Clean foods include vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fish, nuts, and whole grains. The drink of choice is good ol' water!

Clean Eating Magazine offers this list of things to steer clear of:
-Overly processed, refined foods
-Refined flour and sugar
-Saturated and trans fats
-Anything fried
-Sugar-laden colas and juices
-Alcohol

Think of processed foods as 'fake' food, stripped of its nutritional value and masked with sugar (often high frutose corn syrup), fats and other additives to make the food taste better, which may aid in consumer addiciton to the food, and to preserve the shelf life. Now that sounds yummy!

THE DOWNSIDE to eating clean? Clean food can spoil fast - but that speaks volumes to me. Food is not intended to sit on a shelf for months/years at a time without spoiling!! Eating clean can also be more expensive since organic food often costs more at the store (and with it spoiling fast you may waste food & money if you don't eat it in time.)

THE UPSIDE? Feeling better (physically & mentally), more energy, absorbing natural nutrients (may help reduce the need to take multiple pill supplements), stabilizing blood sugar, help fight diseases/cancers, reduce headaches and perhaps lose weight! For me, when I eat clean, I can't help but feel great physically and emotionally. Its hard not to feel your best when you know you did your best to feel good! Have you ever heard anyone say, 'I wish I never ate that vegetable'? The guilt of 'eating bad' is gone!

Combine clean eating with your exercise routine and you have a powerful combination to feel your best and perform your best!

My husband and I have made it our mission this year to eat as clean as possible. Throughout our journey I'll share any delicious recipes that I find. Do you have a clean recipe that you would like to see featured on this blog? If so, email it to me at caryndilks@gmail.com

Wonderful resources:
cleaneatingmag.com
eatcleandiet.com

Run with me.

Since I moved out of the city and into the county this fall, it has become painfully obvious that my running days as I have known them are gone. No more running through the park or around the street-light lit neighborhood at anytime of the morning, day or night. Nope! Now, the shortest loop I can find around my house is 6 miles and if I want to run during the week, I'm strapping on a head lamp and running in the dark, in complete silence, praying the entire time that I don't run into a coyote or any other nocturnal animal that might scare me awake. (Don't worry Sharon, my sweet Mom-in-law, I kid. I'm sure it is perfectly safe...and if I ever do stumble upon a creature of any kind, I'm very confident that the body alarm you gave me for Christmas will wake up half the county, while simultaneously deafening both the animal and myself. And, if that didn't scare him away, I'd shoot him with my police strength pepper spray!).

Anyway, I have really been missing my running buddies, lately! You know, those people throughout your life who have seen you at your best and worst (and perhaps ugliest) and still do everything they can to encourage you. If only my limited running schedule was conducive for a sane person; I might be inclined to ask said sane person.

Alas, I have conceded that probably the best way for me to feel more connected and less crazy is to start a blog where I have virtual workout buddies to chat with. I'll be posting every Sunday evening about all sorts of various topics (not necessarily exercise related) that have come up during my past workouts (which might be a little scary, since on one run in Kansas, I spent 5 miles talking with my friend Suzie about corn...I do have to say, in our defense, corn fields are all we had to look at!)

Is there anything better than a great conversation to make a workout fly by? Does anyone else out there love a good running/workout buddy as much as me? If you do, leave me a comment and help me to define "running/workout buddy" because my current ideas for a definition (to the left) are pretty lame.

Signed,
Your new running buddy

P.S. You do not have to be a runner or fitness fanatic to be a virtual running buddy of mine. You just have to have access to a computer and oxygen.