Baby it's cold outside!

Winter is here. And this year, so far, it's a cold one. You might want to listen to our favorite version of "baby it's cold outside" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjYUzpdKMZs (no advertisement).

The holidays are over, resolutions have been made and now it is time to put some plans together. We talk to many people who like to plan athletic events in the future to keep motivation for training and good eating. Today, especially since it is so cold outside, we sat inside and we put together some targets throughout the year that involve a triathlon, half a marathon, a 10k and a weekend hiking trip. They're spread out through the year in order to always have something to "get ready" for. Intersperse that with a beach vacation or two and you should have plenty of motivation for your year.

The plans don't have to be big and complex to stay healthy. Yesterday we went Snowshoeing. This is a great way to get yourself out in the snow and enjoying amazing views and a good workout, even when it's cold. And when we say cold we are talking about 25F - with no wind and sunny clear sky it is the optimal day to go and play in the snow.

Snowshoe trail at Tahoe Donner.

Snowshoeing is a good moderate exercise which seems important based on a few health studies that have hit the news in the last few months. The news reports, which typically attempt to condense a scientific study to a 20 second summary of the most scintillating material seemed to imply that running was bad and running hard and long worse. One study "Cardiovascular Damage Resulting from Chronic Excessive Endurance Exercise" concluded among other things that a sweet spot for health was running less than 20 miles per week, in runs of 30 to 45 minutes over three or four days, at about an 8:30 to 10:00 pace. I read a summary of an editorial in the British journal Heart that summarizes it well including the nuances that are important to understand before you hang up your running shoes and hit the couch. The basic theme here is that the study finds the situation with excessive intense running analogous to increasing wear and tear on the heart instead of making it stronger. The link to the summary is http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2012/12/03/15625246-running-farther-faster-and-longer-can-kill-you?lite.



Sunday brunch over Sunday newspaper of course...

Sunday's breakfast, after waking up to another sub 10 degree morning in Reno, was warm, filling and Sunday worthy! This one is my take on an oatmeal casserole I make when we have company for breakfast. Quinoa and almonds pack this casserole with protein and the fruit adds fiber and sweetness. the recipe is here.

We did a lot of "test kitchen" experimentation through the week. Lots of interesting things, but not worthsharing. One meal did stick out because it is a vegetable that is often overlooked for anything but salads. The radish develops an amazing nutty flavor after cooking. We broiled them after slicing so thin you could see through on a mandolin. Broiled in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and it was a great accompaniment to a green salad.

















Stay warm out there, Yifat and Bob.