Buy Local…Eat Fresh at the SoWa Market

I first heard of the SoWa market from Bon Me extraordinaire, Patrick Lynch, who sets up shop with his Banh Mi food truck  there every weekend.

I decided to check it out and I was thrilled to find a farmer’s market in Boston that sells high quality, low-cost, and locally grown produce. Aside from the delicious fresh fruits and veggies there’s also local vendors that sell everything from clothing to home made jam. If you haven’t been yet, check it out this Sunday.

Photo Courtesy of the SoWa market website

The market operates May 1, 2011 through October 30, 2011. It’s open every Sunday from 10AM-4PM.

Checkout the SoWa Market website HERE

Hot Wheels

Bon Me exploded on to the food truck seen after winning Boston’s first Food Truck Challenge during the winter of 2010-2011. I stopped by City Hall Plaza on a sunny Friday afternoon last week and the line for this truck was absurd.  Bon Me serves up toasty Banh Mi sandwiches on a baguette as well as other traditional Vietnamese fare.

Check out my coverage of this new and delicious food truck below. (I dare you not to salivate)

Train for Life with Justin Medeiros

There is much more to staying healthy than simply eating the right foods – exercise is also a crucial part of staying healthy and fit.

Personal trainer Justin Medeiros talks about what he teaches his clients about living a healthy lifestyle.

Fun and Fit Events Springing up in Boston this Season

Trying to stay healthy and fit can be a hassle – but these events can make eating and exercising fun!

Take a look at this time line to see when these events are held.

Click to view time line on dipity

Take a look at the map for event locations and places that provide year round services.

View Larger Map

Catching up with Kimberly Goozh

 

 

What did Kimberly reach for as soon as she completed the Boston Marathon this Monday? A can of soda of course. She muses, ” It’s weird, I always crave carbonation after a big race,”.

 

But she’ll be staying away from all of those carbs she tucked into before the marathon. So what will be her first real meal, “anything besides pasta,”.

 

Kimberly plans on relaxing with hot a hot shower. The hot water helps to relax muscles and prevent against soreness. She also plans on switching up running with swimming and biking in order to give her body a chance to recuperate. 

 

 

 

 

The 115th Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon was yesterday. The weather was great and world records were made. But the race wasn’t ideal for everyone.

This year, out of the 24338 runners only 23879 finished the race.
Kim Smith of New Zealand was one of those runners.

Kim led the race for 18 miles, holding a 30 second lead on the female runners for more than half of the race.

But suddenly she experienced a sudden cramp/pain in her right leg and began to stumble. She fell slowly behind and eventually dropped out of the race.

Click image to watch the unfortunate incident

Injuries are very common during and after marathons. Foot blisters, tendinitis, inflammation and wear and tear on tendons in the knee and hip, are all normal injuries associated with distance running.

If they can’t be avoided it is important to treat them properly. Although it may be painful, it is recommended that runners not ignore their symptoms and rest, like Smith, so as not to worsen the injury. After all, long term health is more important than finishing a race.

Here is some information on FREE post-marathon injury clinics at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

April 19 and 26, 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Department of Rehabilitation Services

“Athletes should consider coming if they have any pain, swelling or are suffering from blisters, cuts, abrasions and lacerations or from a fall while competing. Also, if an athlete feels ill or has excessive fatigue, they could have symptoms of dehydration and should be treated appropriately.”

Walk-ins are welcome.

Highlights from the Marathon

• Goeffrey Mutai of Kenya 2:03:02, finishes in record time. (Unfortunately, because the Boston Marathon is not a certified course and there was a 14 mph tail wind, this new world record does not qualify as a world record)
• Ryan Hall 2:04:58,  the fastest time ever by an American, placed 4th
• Desiree Davila 2:22:38, the fastest time by an American ever on this course, making her the third-fastest American woman in history, placed 2nd
• Caroline Kilel of Kenya 2:22:36, placed 1st in women’s division
• Wakako Tsuchida of Japan 1:34:06, women’s wheelchair winner for the fifth time and breaking the women’s wheelchair world record.
• Nine time men’s wheelchair race winner Ernst Van Dyke lost to Japanese athlete, Masazumi Soejima 1:18:50.

Prepping for the Boston Marathon with Kimberly Goozh

Kimberly Goozh is a Boston Marathon veteran.

With 10 consecutive Boston Marathons  under her belt (finishing in Top 100 Women) she knows a thing or two about making it past Heartbreak Hill relatively unscathed. Here are some of her pre-marathon tips:

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Kimberly Goozh

Food as Fuel

• Kimberly tries to load up on carbs and lean protein during the week leading up to the Marathon. (Think noodles etc.) What’s on the menu tonight for Kimberly? Pasta, (or course) but heavy on the salt. She also relies on salty foods to help her avoid fatigue. In the morning she plans to pop a salt tablet before the race.

Food to Avoid

• The night before the marathon Kimberly plans on skipping out on things like veggies, fish, and steak to avoid an upset stomach before the race. Sugar is also off limits.

Tone it Down

• Kimberly eases up on her training the week before the Marathon, but she doesn’t stop working out all together. She keeps running right until the day before, “Most people don’t, but I usually run like 20 minutes the day before the marathon,”. When it comes to stretching Kimberly says, keep it simple. She sticks to quad stretches and hamstrings to unwind the week before the marathon.

We’ll check in with Kimberly after the marathon to see how she recovers and what tips she has for anyone else out there with sore calves and tight quads!

Energy Gels: Good for you or just Goo?

What are Energy Gels?: They are carbohydrate gels that provide energy and promote recovery, usually in single serving plastic packets that are quick and easy to digest. It is a gooey substance, available in several different flavors, that is squeezed into the mouth for fast digestion.

How do they work?: The carbohydrates found in the gels are absorbed into the blood to supply the body with calories and nutrients to fuel the body and help delay muscular fatigue and enhance performance.

What are they made out of?: These gels are like a solid sports drinks. They don’t usually contain fat, fiber, or protien (for quick digestion). They’re mostly made of sugars and maltodextrins, and sometimes electrolytes, sodium, potassium, and caffeine.

When should they be consumed? :Energy gels are generally recommended 15 minutes before rigorous exercise and 30-45 minutes after starting. These can be substituted for a carbohydrate dense snack, but these gels are designed for convenience during exercise. How much they should be consumed during varies but to get the recommended 30-60 grams of carbohydrate an hour from energy gels requires a gel packet every 30-45 minutes for those in a marathon or other long and continuous activity.

The Problem: Eating a gel every 30-40 minutes during a four hour marathon would be 8 gels ny one food in excess isn’t very healthy.

The Verdict: It depends. If you choose to eat energy gels through out a marathon make sure you stay hydrated. While some runners swear by these gels other perfer to stick to water and sports drinks.

The Truth About Carbo Loading

 

photo courtesy of ex.libris

For all of you Boston Marathon participants (or admirers) we decided to look back at the history of carbo loading in all of its delicious glory. Cause who doesn’t want an excuse to eat mountainous heaps of pasta and gorge themselves on upper crust pizza?

The notion of carbo-loading has been around since the 1960s. Scandinavian researches discovered that when men ate a diet high in carbs over several days, the glycogen stores in their muscles skyrocketed. In layman’s terms- the subject’s endurance times were significantly extended.

Studies in the 1980s refined the original concept of carbohydrate loading to the idea we’re familiar with today: Three days prior to a competitive endurance event (lasting for 90 minutes or more) ease up on training regimens while simultaneously boosting carb intake. But don’t plan on binging on lasagna at 9 pm the night before the Boston Marathon. New studies show carbo loading less than 24 hours before the event decreases its effectiveness. Running 26 miles with a stomach full of half-digested mac and cheese? Not a great idea.

photo courtesy of shoothead

Does it really work? The answer is yes. Studies show that if you exercise at a steady pace, carbo loading will typically increase endurance by around 20%. So if you plan on running all 26. 22 miles of the Boston Marathon, carbo-loading can almost push you past the 20 mile mark. That means Heartbreak Hill. 

Dont forget, running a marathon doesn’t give you carte blance to eat junk food. So try and stick to whole grains for even more energy.

Restaurants That are Good for You and Your Wallet

 

Veggie Planet's Henry's Dinner Pizza and the Salad of the Week

Are you hungry? But you’re low on cash and in a hurry. Well here’s the good news- there are fast-food options all around boston that will keep your wallet fat and your derriere in shape!  Click HERE to view a slide show of all the restaurant we visited.

1. The OtherSide Cafe, 407 Newbury

St. Boston, MA

Want a quick lunch after a day of shopping on Newbury St.? The OtherSide Cafe offers healthy but filling foods that aren’t too pricey.  The menu runs the gamut from vegan BLT ($8.50) to the monsterous taco salad ($10.00).  There’s also a bountiful beer list to wash it all down.

2.  Veggie Planet, 47 Palmer St. Cambridge, MA

If you love pizza but hate the guilt, then you will fall head over heels for Veggie Planet. This small Harvard Square pizzeria serves up some of the best slices in the Boston area. All pizzas are served on whole-wheat bread and if you want to cut out even more calories then you can opt for your pie on rice. Therey serve up inspired combos like a Peanut Curry pizza, with coconut rice (even on pizza dough), broccoli and Thai peanut curry sauce topped with fried tofu croutons and peanuts (sm $6.85 lg $11.15). I tried Henry’s Dinner pizza and was not dissapointed. The pizza is topped with roasted butternit squash, caramelized onions, goat cheese and asiago cheese (sm $7.15 lg $11.35).    

3.  B. Good, 7 locations in the Boston Area

This local burger joint is popping up in every neighborhood in the Boston Area, and with good reason. B. Good serves up inexpensive, locally sourced burgers- fast. At B. Good you can get the traditional lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, but they also have more unique options. The Buffalo ($6.29) is smothered in Buffalo sauce and blue cheese and the El Guapo ($6.29)  features a spicy jalapeno ranch. Doesn’t sound healthy? You can switchout a beef in any burger for chicken, turkey, or a veggie patty.  If you want to go even further, you can exchange the bread for vegetables on any sandwich.