Roanne, France update

Two photos that illustrate two sides of Garrett's trip to France. Watch for more! Or, get them directly by following him on Twitter at G_WeberGale. [caption id="attachment_1307" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=""My Sanctuary" as Garrett calls this pool"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1308" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tasty food from street vendor in Roanne"][/caption]

Twitpics from Garrett at Maison de Troisgros in Roanne, France

Garrett reports that his back is killing him after hours and hours in the kitchen--the counters are too low and swimmers aren't used to standing for 10 or 12 hours. The work, however, is delighful. He's learning incredible things about food preparation. Here are a few twitpics from his first couple days: [caption id="attachment_1290" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Restaurant of Garrett's dreams"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1291" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day two started at the fish market"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1293" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=""Family" meals are provided for staff"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1294" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The best restaurants buy the freshest ingredients"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1296" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pigeon is a common item. This became pate."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1297" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Young chef at work on prep"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1298" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Local square outside of Garrett's "tiny room""][/caption]

Eggs…worried about salmonella? Try pasteurized instead!

(I put this post "in the can" before leaving for Europe not knowing when I could post again. Watch for more from Roanne, France, in coming weeks.) Almost every newscast for the past 10 days, or so, has had a story about the "largest egg recall" in history--over half a billion eggs. Nearly 1,400 people in 20 plus states have been confirmed ill, from salmonella poisoning. Did you know that according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, eggs are one of the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the FDA. In fact, they are #2. If you always cook your eggs to well done, maybe you don't need to worry about salmonella. However, if you bake brownies and love to eat the batter raw, or eat your eggs "over easy," you may be putting yourself and your family at risk. My mother always buys pasteurized eggs. She says, "it's better to be "safe rather than sorry." Unfortunately, it isn't always easy to find pasteurized eggs in most local grocery stores. Grocers may not want to take up shelf space with unproven items. You can probably find a dozen different variety of regular eggs... different sizes, brown and white, farm fresh, cage free, no anti-biotics added or omega 3 added, Pasteurized eggs mostly come in one type...pasturized and white. One of the largest producers of pasteurized eggs is Davidson's Safest Choice. They put a little P inside a circle on every egg, so there is no confusion about what you are eating. They do cost a little more. You need to decide if they are worth it. The egg companies who make pasteurized eggs claim there is no difference in taste or consistency. My dad thinks the consistency is a little different and they are harder to beat into egg whites. Regardless, this may be a good time to change your eating habits by buying and eating pasteurized eggs.

Cooking, traveling, swimming, who knows…Off to France

[caption id="attachment_1262" align="aligncenter" width="422" caption="Garrett is off to cook and swim in France"][/caption] His chef's knives are sharpened, and now Garrett is headed to the Culinary Capitol of the world. (Turns out it is just outside of Lyon.) More about his experiences in the kitchen and in the pool (Perhaps a few sprint sets with his French rivals from Beijing??) as they unfold. So stay tuned. We'll also post notes and links at the ATHLETICFOODIE blog.

Pan Pacs 100 Free–All in the Tweets

Garrett had a good day in the 100 meter freestyle. Lowered his time to 48.73, secured his spot as third on Team USA. Now on to the 4 X 100 relay and the all-important 50 meter freestyle tomorrow. His Thursday tweets concerning the racing in case you didn't see them on Twitter from @G_WeberGale 9:57 p.m.Fed now off to bed. 8:05 p.m. Happy with my 100 free tonight. Went in there and took the B final! Thnx for all the support y'all. Gotta keep the momentum rollin... 12:03pm Qualified as 3rd American this morning w a 48.9. Have another chance to swim faster tonight. Need to b out smoother and ratchet time down!

What the Heck is Wheat Germ? Better Yet, Is It Really Any Good For You?

[caption id="attachment_1208" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="A Nutritious Addition to Lots of Meals"][/caption] I've always known wheat germ must be good for me, because my mother used to sprinkle it over my cereal. (Even when I didn't want it as a kid.) I also always wondered, "What is it exactly? So I started doing a little research. I figured I am probably not the only person who isn't sure what those little nuggets really are. They are actually part of the wheat kernal and are high in nutritional value.

Wheat germ is super high in protein, which is important to those of you who exercise or are athletes in training (Olympics or not). In fact it is 28% protein which is more than most of the different types of meat in your diet. They are also packed with vitamins A, B-complex, Riboflavin, the all important anti-oxidant Vitamin E and rich in potassium. Unfortunately wheat germ is removed from whole wheat grain when it is processed to make white flour. So if you are still a fan of white flour products, try adding a little wheat germ to your baking to add nutritional value. (Better yet, use all or part whole wheat flour!) I still mix it in with breakfast cereal (thanks, mom). Have some...it's good!!!

Primed for Pan Pacs

I'm ready for it. I'm ready to swim fast. I've worked my tail off this year preparing for this time. The Pan Pacific Championships have arrived. My body is shaved down. My muscles are primed for performance. My mind is on a happy boat traveling to even happier times. The past week since the US Nationals has been a blast. My days have included swimming outside in the beautiful SoCal weather, reading, writing, practicing my French, laughing with my teammates, and resting. It's been awesome to spend some more time with my boy Lezak too. Although he probably doesn't even realize it, the guy is hilarious. Lezak laughs at everything and finds a way to bring how old he is into most jokes. Literally I'm always smiling and laughing around him. Life is truly incredible these days. Tomorrow is the 100 free. I'm pumped to start off with my favorite race. I'm ready to go. The entire year comes down to this. Let's do it baby:)

Funny Taste Test. Do You Know Where Bottled Water Really Comes From?

Funny Video from Penn and Teller on Bottled Water

I was feeling a little guilty at Nationals last week when I sent my parents out for the second time to buy a case of bottled water. Yikes, we swimmers drink gallons of that stuff. In Beijing, the U.S. Olympic team shipped over pallets and pallets of little plastic bottles. (We truly had to do that, of course.) Unfortunately, we athletes have no choice but to be careful about what we drink when traveling. Plus we have to have water when and where we need it. Bottled fits the bill Aside from competition, however, bottled water is a luxury most of us really don't need. So save yourself some money. Eliminate some garbage. Tap water in a refillable bottle is probably all you need.

I Want My Nachos!!!

[caption id="attachment_1154" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Gooey. Salty. Fatty. "][/caption] But I never eat them. All that gooey cheese, fatty meat, over-the-top salt is just not what I (or anyone really) should be eating, especially when training. It got me thinking. Maybe when I get home I'll try to make some healthy nachos... Do you ever make healthy nachos? What do you put on them? Let me know!

Irvine, Austin, France

Here's a pretty sweet article in the Austin American Statesman about my summer swimming...and my plans in France at Maison Troisgros in Roanne. Thanks to my swim coach, Eddie Reese and my cooking coach Daniel Boulud.