Friday Food Fact: Almond Butter Is Oh So Good!

PB&J, the classic lunch. Is there anything that has been more popular at the elementary school table than this tried and tested sammy? Personally I was never really a fan of PB&J, mainly because I hated the feel of the peanut butter sticking to the roof of my mouth. You all know what I'm talking about. The percentages of peanut butter to jelly have to come out just right, otherwise you end up having a cotton mouth straight from Mississippi...ughh! [caption id="attachment_1067" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Almonds are really seeds!"][/caption] For many years I stayed away from the gummy stuff in the Jiff jar. More recently I've made my way into the nut butter category, with almond butter. Well in reality almonds are the seeds of the fruits which come from the Almond tree...nonetheless we'll call it a nut butter for our purposes. So what's the deal with it? Surprisingly it is not quite as gummy (to me) and the nutrient levels are even higher. This makes almond butter a good choice compared to peanut butter. Let's check it out! Comparison of 2tbs of Peanut Butter (PB) vs. 2tbs 0f Almond Butter (AB) Calories: PB: 190  AB: 190 Total Fat: PB: 16  AB: 16 Carbohydrates: PB: 7  AB: 6 Fiber: PB: 3  AB: 4 Protein: PB: 8  AB: 7 Calcium: PB: 1%  AB: 7% Iron: PB: 3%  AB: 6% Vitamin E: PB: 14%  AB: 40% In addition Almonds are very high in manganese which keeps our bones strong and helps synthesize fatty acids and cholesterol. Get u some of that manganese baby! Almonds can give us up to 17% of our daily needs in vitamin B2 which promotes effective burning of fuel in our body that is then converted to energy. Wow! It's amazing how many things go into the functionality of our bodies. The more we learn about nutrition the better off we'll be. Keep up the good work y'all! Oh and if you're looking for a great topping for that AB&J sandwich try mashing up some fresh berries...I love it!

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Naked Pizza…Naked Goodness

[caption id="attachment_1072" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="This beauty was inspired by the folks at Naked Pizza"][/caption] Pizza! Pizza! I love the stuff. Actually I'm a freak for it. Last summer in Italy I ate slice after slice after slice. At the conclusion of my month long 'stage' at a restaurant in the countryside of Italy (Castello delle Regine) I even came back with a tried and tested, delicious recipe for dough. The recipe was based from a type of baker's yeast which is 'live', not dormant. Dormant yeast is the kind you find in the packets in stores...it becomes activated with warm water. Upon my return to Austin a local grocery store carried the yeast...I was in luck. Every week I was making a pizza or two loaded with veggies. Unfortunately my luck ran out. The grocery store stopped carrying my sacred yeast. I attempted many times to recreate the magic which was once my Umbrian pizza crust delight, but to no avail. I was sunk. The dormant yeast which comes in the tiny little balls just doesn't give the same end result. Trust me I was super bummed. After searching all over Austin for the 'live' yeast with no luck, I finally gave up. Recently I had the urge to try for a great pizza dough once more. I decided to message some guys who seem to really know what they're doing. @NakedPizza is out of New Orleans and has been serving up some healthy and down right delectable looking pizzas for a good bit of time now. You need to see some of their twitpics of the tasty creations their coming up with. This was @NakedPizzas response to me when I asked for some advice about making a pizza dough... @G_WeberGale min 6 flours. canola oil (not olive). no sugar. used flaked spices, not powder. let dough sit 3-4 days b4 use. The second response is very intriguing... @G_WeberGale we shud develop a pizza together - swim like the fishes kind of good for u. we r rolling national. engage ppl 4 btr health. What would I call it!? What would I put on it? What would you put on your ultimate pizza?

Friday Food Fact: Buckwheat Pancakes…Tasty and Good for You!!

So is food cooked with Buckwheat really healthier for you, or do people just like the quirky name?  If you're over 50, my mom says the name "Buckwheat" may remind you of  the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" TV show. [caption id="attachment_989" align="alignleft" width="450""300" caption="Buckwheat is a healthy alternative to more common grains and nuts"][/caption] Buckwheat is not a gluten or a wheat or grain of any kind. Buckwheat is actually a seed from the rhubarb family.  It's high in fiber, protein, iron and magnesium, yet low in calories. (Be sure to check with your doctor, though, if you have wheat allergies or Celiacs disease.) This versatile seed is brimming with antioxidants and has a  nutty flavor. You can find buckwheat two ways, "hulled" which is pale greenish/white in color and resembles tiny hearts, or toasted Buckwheat known as kashi which is dark brown with an earthy flavor.  They are fast cooking, don't require any soaking.  Just rinse and drain.  Organic Buckwheat is believed to be more nutritious and is best to store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. You might be surprised to learn you can substitute Buckwheat in pancakes or oatmeal, use it instead of rice, or mix in meat loaf or meatballs as a binder to help hold the ingredients together.  You can even use it to make a dessert topping. Try this recipe for a healthy breakfast, especially if you are on the go.  Make up a batch in advance....Enjoy. Meanwhile, you might get a kick out of this "Buckwheat cakes" video.

Getting Outside the Comfort Zone

Motivation. Sometimes I get motivated from random things. Recently I've been enamored and in awe of the riders of the Tour de France. Something about watching athletes absolutely put their bodies on the line and sacrifice themselves for something huge is utterly captivating. Although I can confidently say I've put myself through a great amount of pain in my training, I doubt my legs and stomach have ever felt the agony of the mountain stages the tour riders are putting themselves through. No doubt these guys are in a league of their own. In athletics you can train and train and train but when it comes down to the race what matters is putting your body and mind on the line. Eddie Reese says confidence comes in different ways and means something different to everyone. Many athletes get their confidence from training and from pushing their bodies to be fitter and stronger. Eddie admits the truth is that what sets most athletes apart is that some are willing to lay it down on race day and give it everything they've got, some are not. You've just got to do what's necessary. My career at Texas has been an incredible journey from college through the Beijing Olympics and beyond. I credit Eddie and Kris for much of my success. I entrust them with my swimming career and together we have done some great things. In classic Eddie Reese fashion, the other day this quote rolled off his tongue which I think is really quite impressive and true..."If you're comfortable and getting what you want you'll never be as good as you want to be." So let's take Eddie's advice. After all he's been the epitome of success for decades. Push outside the comfort zone...it may be the surest way to success!

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Dang Fruit Flies!!!

Pesky little fruit flies. No rotten fruit. No decaying carcass on my counter. So what's the deal? Why do these annoying little flies continue to invade my kitchen? I've even seen a couple upstairs and that got me riled up! After clearing my counters, putting things in the refrigerator and smashing as many as I possibly can in my fingers, I'd had enough. I did what anyone in the 21st century would do...when you don't know where to turn, ask your Twitter followers. I got an amazing number of responses on how to wipe out the population in my kitchen. A few of the best @Replies from the Twitterverse on fruit flies... @boblegault Fruit Flies. Cantaloupe in a small bowl, under plastic wrap, lift an edge. Flies can't escape. Take outside, or squish 'em. @breanne_d cup of vinegar, saran wrap the top & seal with an elastic, poke tiny holes in the top of saran wrap with a tooth pick :) @StretchChi sugar water in a jar. Cover with celophane and poke little holes. They crawl in but can't fly out. They die a very sweet death @Steffieflies Do you have any potted plants inside your house? They feed off fungus on the plants, so you might want to get a fungicide...

Friday Food Fact: Vegan Meat Alternatives – Do They Really Have Any Taste?

When you cook a hamburger or crab cake, a lot of the taste comes from seasonings you add. It is much the same for the variety of vegan selections. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that you can duplicate a "Filet Mignon" or a real "Maryland Crab Cake," but full body flavor is definitely possible. Remember that even though vegans don't eat any animal products and vegitarians omit meat but often eat some other animal products, they still want taste and texture. Getting it can be a heck of a lot tougher for them. So, what do you need in a meat substitute? Lots!!! Taste, pleasing texture, protein, flexibility and, of course, health benefits. You may also want to be able to saute, bake or grill it. Personally, I stay away from products that already call themselves a "meal." Pre-seasoned or sauce-packed products are often loaded with salt and other mysterious ingredients. Look for an option that lets YOU create the taste. Starting with the raw ingredients--beans, tofu, veggies--is one option. Sometimes, though, you might want to take a different route. One brand that is just plain waiting for your to add your own "touch," is "Match" It comes in beef, chicken, pork italian sausage and crab flavors (without a lot of salt and junk) and is packaged similarly to ground meat. I especially like the chicken and crab. Try the crab cakes in the video below. (I would add the bread crumbs with all the other ingredients to help bind it all together.) If you like Worceshire Sauce or Curry Powder, try adding one or both of those ingredients. (But watch the salt!) The key is to make them your way, whatever suits your taste buds. Be adventureous. The worst that will happen is you won't love it and you will try different ingredients next time. Just remember, you are trying one more way to help you eat healthy. Mange

Taper Tips

Things to make sure I do on taper:

• Minimize walking.
• Minimize standing.
• Get to bed early. Brendan Hansen always told me the most important sleep is before midnight.
• Continue to keep on my diet.
• Have a good working relationship with my coach so we are both on the same page with my swimming.
• Work on speed in the water at least three times a week.
• Stay hydrated.
• Smile...:)

Tuesday Tweet: My Favorite Movie, “The Man from Snowy River”

  [caption id="attachment_855" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="This was my favorite as a kid!"][/caption] My best friend growing up was a guy named Brian. He's now a fourth-year medical student and we still stay in close touch. Our absolute favorite movie was "The Man from Snowy River". We watched it over and over and still watch it. (My mom says watching it is the first test of compatibility for anyone I might date.) It's a film about wild horses, rough riding, a few tough fights and a little bit of love. I popped it on the other night while relaxing during a recent swim meet in Texas and then tweeted for other suggestions on good Westerns. (Since Snowy River is set in Australia, I guess it's not really a Western. Although you're not going to see better horseback riding anywhere.) I'm writing about this for two reasons: 1) I love the movie. 2) Sometimes when you race or train, you need to take your mind OFF of swimming. Pick a good movie, read a book, cook something, relax with friends...do whatever it takes to give your mind a rest. Oh yeah, this week's tweets are Western movie suggestions: From @austinfarm2tbl: @G_WeberGale old school: True Grit, The Good The Bad & The Ugly and The Sons of Katie Elder. New(er): The Unforgiven & 3:10 to Yuma. From @northstar99: @G_WeberGale Lonesome Dove. Epic :) From @shellastew: @G_WeberGale McClintock or Big Jake--the only J. Wayne movies I like. Or Young Guns...or Tombstone... From ozoellner: @G_WeberGale legends of the fall! From @ricoswim24: @G_WeberGale 3:10 to yuma. It's with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale From CSledge89: @G_WeberGale-- "The Alamo" by John Wayne. The full 3_hour uncut version. One of the best movies ever made! From @svik2582 : @G_WeberGale Blazing Saddles....ha...does that count? Maybe? From @Christybelle: @G_WeberGale How the West Was Won.. Well, that's a bunch of them at least. Sorry if I missed any...let me know of others. Now go enjoy!

Friday Food Fact: I Told You Too Much Salt Was Bad for You!! :)

Salt from Rob Rex Wallace on Vimeo.

Life’s Passions…How to Possibly Pursue Them All…???

As I slipped into a sleep filled night yesterday evening I dreamt of being a rancher. Since I was a young boy I've always had a love for horses, for ranches, for the cowboy way. My Grandpa was a cowboy. At one time he owned 100 horses with a friend. My Dad grew up with his own horses. I would definitely say horses are a passion of mine. One of my biggest dreams in life is to someday have horses and form a relationship with them. As you know food runs deep in my core. The satisfaction and delight I receive from making and consuming food is immense. There's no doubt I desire to help people live a better life through better nutrition, that's why I founded AthleticFoodie. But what about working in a kitchen for real? Some of the best times I've ever had in my life are working in kitchens. Should I become a chef? I wonder. Growing up on Lake Michigan and in Wisconsin I was always around and on lakes. My family had a sailboat on which we cruised all over Lake Michigan. Being on and in the water is one place I feel most at peace. A dream of mine is to cruise the world on a boat, to work on the water, even to live on the water. At one point I wanted to own a marina and have a custom boat building business. So what do I do with all my passions and dreams? There are so many more dreams and passions which I don't even have the time to explain here, much less pursue. Maybe some of you have felt a similar way...? What do you do with this feeling? Do you ever worry you won't be able to follow all of your dreams or pursue all of your passions? I do! Part of me thinks I should just spend my life bopping around from one passion to the next. Go work on a ranch for a while, for a summer, for a year, for five years...whatever it takes to fulfill that spot in my heart. Maybe I'll get stuck there and realize that is my true calling. What if I just decided to leave everything behind in America and go travel the world in search of food? Work in restaurants all over the world until my heart is content. Who knows what I'll do. What I decided last night before going to sleep is this: Swimming is still the most important thing in my life right now. My focus for the next month is preparing myself to swim fast in Irvine, CA. I still genuinely love swimming and the pursuit of perfection in what I do. Better yet, representing the United States of America is the greatest honor I could ever imagine and will continue to strive to do just that. In the back of my mind I will let all my passions mingle. What comes next I really have no idea. I know in reality, for now I don't have to know what's next...even though sometimes that uncertainty is hard for me to grasp. What I know, is in life, I want to follow my passions. I want to do something important. I want to make a difference.