When you’re starving after a long run and searching for something to fill the gap, nuts do it quickly. They host a sweet and savoury balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, satisfying many a hungry runner’s vitamin and mineral needs. Each ounce of nuts also contains about 2 g of fibre, offering about 10 per cent of the daily need.
Despite being generally healthy, nuts should be chosen carefully and eaten wisely due to their fat content – about 15 g per ounce. Since fat has nine calories per gram and protein or carbohydrates have only four, nuts can easily lead to weight gain. Just one cup of nuts packs in 800 calories and translates into a quarter of a pound, but not all nuts are equal, calorie-wise. Chestnuts, for example, are high in protein, and relatively low in fat and calories (60 kcal/oz). Eat too many macadamias, on the other hand, and at 200 kcal/oz, you’ll have to run another ultra to burn them off.
The fat in nuts is polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, better known as “healthy fats.” Unlike saturated fat from animal and tropical plant sources, polyunsaturated fats don’t affect cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats actually help lower lousy (ldl) cholesterol without lowering healthy (hdl) cholesterol – especially when monounsaturates replace saturated fat. Found almost exclusively in plant oils, you should make an effort to include an ounce of nuts in one of your daily meals or snacks. There are other reasons to get moderately nutty.

Omega-3 fatty acids, a form of polyunsaturated fat, help to reduce inflammation and heart disease risk. One ounce of pecans has 25 per cent of the recommended intake per day (1.1 g for women and 1.6 g for men). Black walnuts meet half the requirement, while English walnuts have more than double your daily needs.

Selenium, a powerful antioxidant, reduces exercise-related oxidation and works closely with vitamins A and E. Most nuts have little selenium, but Brazil nuts have more than 500 micrograms per ounce – 10 times the recommended 55 micrograms per day. Don’t overindulge, though, as large amounts can be toxic.

Iron helps deliver oxygen to tissues as you breathe and move. Almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pine nuts and pistachios all have
1–2 mg per ounce. Women need 18 mg per day, and men
need 8 mg.

Zinc is a mineral used in hundreds of energy reactions, and also plays a role in immune support and healing. Women need 8 mg and men need 11 mg per day. Almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios and cashews all provide at least
1 mg per ounce.

Macronutrient Content of Common Nuts

To keep calories in check but still enjoy the goodness nuts have to offer:
• Make your own trail mix with nuts and dried fruit.
• Sprinkle baked squash, sweet potatoes or apples with chopped nuts.
• Stir into hot cereal or add them to pancake, waffle, cookie, cake, quick bread and muffin batters.
• Measure a quarter cup and toss them into salads or mix them into yogurt.
• Use nut butters on sandwiches.
• Mix them up and eat them often, but watch the portion size.

Bonnie Stern’s Roasted Beet, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad

One of Canada’s most famous foodies, Bonnie Stern has her own cooking school and cookware shop in Toronto, and is a columnist for The National Post and Readers Digest. Her new book, Friday Night Dinners, was published in October. Stern has received numerous awards, including the 2007 Premier’s Award, Stern’s 12 bestselling cookbooks include four published in conjunction with The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Her flair for healthy, delicious eating is shown in the recipe below, a salad loaded with vitamins, nutrients and heart-healthy walnuts.

Ingredients
1 kg (2 lb) baby beets (trimmed but not peeled)
1/2 cup shelled walnuts
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
250 g (1/2 lb) green beans, trimmed
A big handful of baby arugula
175 g mild blue cheese, broken or cut into chunks

Dressing
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp walnut oil, or additional olive oil

1. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, in a single layer and bake in a preheated 400 F / 200 C oven for an hour, or until tender. Cool slightly. Rub off skins and trim ends. Cut in half, quarters or wedges depending on size.
2. While beets are roasting, toss walnuts with olive oil and salt. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast until lightly browned.
3. Cook green beans in a deep skillet of boiling water for three minutes or until just tender. Drain, chill in cold water and pat dry.
4. For the dressing, combine lemon juice with salt, garlic, olive oil and walnut oil. In a large salad bowl toss dressing with arugula, beets and beans. Sprinkle with walnuts and dot with cheese.

Nutrients per Serving
12 g protein
34 g fat
26 g carbohydrates
5 mg sodium
25 mg calcium
7 g fibre
390 calories

Serves Six

Heart-healthy HALIBUT
Halibut with Zucchini and Tomatoes
By Bobbi BarbaricH MSc RD

Often battered and deep-fried as part of fish and chips, halibut sometimes gets a bad rap on the health front, but when not encased in an artery-clogging shell, it’s actually very nutritious. Halibut is packed with heart-saving omega-3 fatty acids, essential fats that we can’t live without. Omega-3s must be obtained from food, yet dietary sources of these healthy fats are limited. Canola oil, flax and walnuts contain some of the richest sources, but are rarely eaten in our standard North American diets. Cold-water fish like halibut are awash in omega-3 essential fats. Perhaps its name was a foreshadowing of what science would eventually teach us about halibut. It was once considered a sacred fish, especially during medieval days in Europe, and the English derivation of its name reflects the sacredness of this large flatfish, since “hali” is another form of holy.

It’s also important to consume enough omega-3s to counterbalance omega-6 fatty acids – another form of essential fats. Omega-6s eaten in excess – and especially when not balanced by adequate omega-3 intake – promote inflammation, which is a contributor to a vast array of chronic diseases. Since omega-6s are found in all commonly consumed oils such as corn and safflower oil, it is important to make the effort to include omega-3s in your diet. Put walnuts in salads and cereals, use canola oil for cooking, and eat omega-3-rich fish such as halibut.

One serving of cold-water fish packs in nearly 25 per cent of your daily-recommended intake of omega-3s. Two four-ounce servings of fish per week provide cardiovascular benefits, as omega-3s help prevent erratic heart rhythms and reduce the risks of clotting – the ultimate cause of most heart attacks. Omega-3s also improve the ratio of healthy (hdl) to lousy (ldl) cholesterol.
Halibut is also a good source of vitamins B12 and B6, which can lower levels of homocysteine, another factor in cardiovascular disease. In addition to B vitamins, halibut’s high magnesium content can lower heart-attack risk by helping to relax arteries and improve blood flow. For runners, magnesium may help reduce the risk of muscle cramping (page 66). Halibut also contains roughly 75 per cent of your daily requirement for selenium – a powerful antioxidant crucial for overall wellbeing.

Found mostly in northern seas, halibut is especially concentrated in the Pacific Ocean off B.C., but can also be found along the coasts of Newfoundland and Greenland. Halibut is the largest flatfish and one of the largest saltwater fish – catches may weigh as much as 300 kilograms. Despite the high omega-3 fat content, halibut is considered a lean fish, with fine-textured, snow-white flesh. With a whopping 30 g of protein per serving, heart-saving omega-3s and antioxidants to boot, your cardiovascular system will breathe a sigh of relief with every juicy bite of halibut you enjoy.

Jean Soulard, executive chef at Quebec City’s Chateau Frontenac, is one of the country’s most accomplished chefs, but he wears many other hats. Soulard is a gardener, radio show host, retailer of local food products and a sports nut. He’s a skier, snowboarder, triathlete and runner, having completed two Ironmans and several marathons. Running inspires Soulard to create new recipes, and offers a relief from the pressures of a busy kitchen. A proponent of balancing cuisine and lifestyle, Soulard avoids the extremes. “A healthy cuisine is not just salad and tofu,” he says. “A good fresh fish with a good olive oil, a little bit of basil, garlic and fresh tomatoes – it’s fabulous.”

Ingredients
600 g halibut fillet
50 mL (3 tbsp.) of olive oil
450 g of zucchini
Crushed tomatoes: 1 kg of mature tomatoes,
25 g of chopped shallots, 1 chopped garlic clove, 1 tbsp. of fresh chopped herbs, such as oregano and thyme, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Chopped chives
Salt and pepper
Vinaigrette: 1/4 of cup of olive oil, chopped basil and juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Wash the zucchini and cut them in
3 mm-thick slices. Blanch them into salted boiling water, then cool them and drain them.
2. Plunge tomatoes into boiling water for
30 seconds. Cool them under cold water and peel. Cut the tomatoes in half and press them in the hollow of the hand to remove the pips. Dice. Sauté the chopped chives and the garlic clove in olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for
15 minutes, until the juice has evaporated. Check the seasoning. Keep the crushed tomatoes hot.
3. Carve the halibut fillet, without bones and skin, into four equal pieces. Salt and pepper. Place them on a plate with a little bit of olive oil.
4. Arrange the zucchini slices like fish-scales on each fillet.
5. Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes at
175 C (350 F).
6. Prepare the vinaigrette by mixing olive oil, lemon juice, chopped basil, salt and pepper.
7. Arrange the halibut from the oven onto the tomatoes. Pour on the vinaigrette.
8. Garnish with chopped chives.

Blueberries - Antioxidant Power
Four Restaurant Blueberry Dessert
By Bobbi Barbarich MSc RD

For life-long health benefits, look no further than the pigments putting the blue in blueberries – they do double time as awesome antioxidants. Botanists estimate a relative of the blueberry plant is one of the oldest living things on earth, dating back 13,000 years. The fact that a plant can live for that long is testament to the power of antioxidants.

Free radicals are a natural byproduct of breathing. When you exercise you inhale huge amounts of oxygen, drastically increasing the number of free radicals in your body. In a process called oxidation, free radicals attack vulnerable cells. If left unchecked, oxidation bumps up your risk of cancer, heart disease and other conditions. The pigment in blueberries named anthocyanin – a polyphenolic compound – stops or slows oxidation reactions caused by free radicals.

We’ve learned that antioxidants reduce the risk of chronic disease, but they may also slow the aging process. Researchers are furiously trying to find ways to stem or reverse the deleterious effects of aging due to rising health care costs and reduced quality of life. Inflammation and oxidation are natural processes that intensify as we get older and greatly increase age-related mental decline. Impairments in cognitive and motor performance happen even without neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. In animal studies measuring mental performance, blueberries have actually reversed several markers of brain aging.

Population studies support the results of animal research. People who eat antioxidant-rich diets high in fruits and vegetables have lower risks of developing age-related neurodegenerative or chronic diseases. Our diets are therefore our first defense against age-related mental and physical decline.

Blueberries have some of the highest levels of antioxidants of all fruits and vegetables – not to mention that the little blue bombs pack four grams of fibre and deliver only 80 calories per cup. Put blueberries in muffin mix, into yogurt and cereal, or eat a handful when you come in from a run. Frozen blueberries will last in your freezer for up to two years – so buy them by the crate this summer and reap the health benefits for the rest of your life.

Blueberry Sauce
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp Malibu rum
1. Place water and blueberries in saucepan with sugar, bring to a boil.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes until it thickens into a syrup-like consistency.
3. Take off the heat and finish the sauce with rum and vanilla.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake
2/3 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup plus 2 tsp milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp Knox gelatin powder
2/3 cup 35 per cent cream
1. Soak powdered gelatin with the milk in a saucepot, and set aside.
2. Whip cream to soft peaks,
and set aside.
3. Beat the cream cheese and brown sugar together using a hand blender until smooth and creamy.
4. Heat the milk and gelatin mixture on medium until gelatin dissolves, but do not bring to a boil.
5. Add the hot milk to the cream cheese mixture and mix again
until smooth.
6. Fold half of the cream into
the cheese mixture, then add
the remaining cream.

Assembly
Pipe glass a third full of cheesecake mixture, then place a quarter of a ladyfinger in each glass. Next, place 1/2 tbsp of blueberry sauce in each glass, followed by a top layer of the cheesecake mixture. Garnish with fresh berries and mint. Makes 16, 2 oz shot glasses

Spice It Up - A Curry for Runners
Rapini and Potato Curry Stew
By Vij and Meeru Dhalwala

Along with kale, spinach and collard greens, rapini – also known as broccoli rabe and gai lan – is one of the dark green leafy vegetables that can provide runners with an astounding range of nutrients in a single, tasty, low-calorie vegetable. Like broccoli, rapini is high in iron, vitamins A and C, and is a good source of calcium. One cup has 112 per cent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin K, which prevents bones from thinning.

Slightly bitter, like all good greens, rapini partners well with less strongly flavoured foods like potatoes, but it also works well with strong spices. The potatoes in the following rapini dish offer runners an extra boost of carbohydrates, potassium and vitamin C, and contain calcium and iron. Despite an enduring popular misconception, the skins add more fibre, but most of the
nutrients are inside the potato.–DCS

Vij’s restaurant in Vancouver is one of the most progressive, new-school Indian restaurants in North America. Meeru and Vij Dhalwala prove that Indian cuisine can be less fatty and calorie-rich than most of us are used to, while sacrificing none of its complex and intriguing flavours. This is a hearty cumin-infused curry that can be served with brown rice or a multi-grain roll.

Chicken stock gives this curry an even heartier flavour, but you can use vegetable stock if you prefer. You need a total of eight cups of liquid.

Vij and Meeru offer this advice: “Measurements aren’t carved in stone. We use cumin seeds and cumin powder as two separate spices to give two different styles of cumin flavour. If you know your preferences for salt, or heat from chilies, are higher or lower, adjust accordingly. As for garlic or onion, it’s better to have more rather than less.”

Chicken stock
650 g chicken bones for stock
About 14 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine the chicken bones, water, onion, carrots, salt and pepper in a large pot with a lid. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for at least one-and-a-half hours, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and let the stock cool. Place a colander over a stainless steel mixing bowl or another pot. With a ladle, pour the chicken stock into the colander. Discard the contents in the colander and keep the stock for later use.

Rapini and Potato Curry
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 medium (or 1 very large) onions, thinly sliced
5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground red cayenne
1 tsp turmeric
6 cloves
2 cm cinnamon stick
7 dried figs, chopped
600 g Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and unpeeled
8 cups stock
1 bunch (About 425 g) rapini

Wash the rapini thoroughly. Cut off the bottom 6–10 cm (the tough part) of the stems and discard. Roughly chop the remaining stems and leaves. After washing, wipe the unpeeled potatoes dry and chop into 3 cm pieces.

Heat the canola oil on medium-high heat for one minute and add the cumin seeds. Cook them for thirty seconds or until they’re sizzling and have changed to a slightly darker colour. Add onions and sauté for five minutes or until light golden brown. Stir in the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute or two, or until the garlic is also a light golden brown. Add the turmeric, salt, cumin powder, cayenne, cloves and cinnamon stick. Reduce heat to medium, stir well and sauté the spice “masala” for five minutes. Add the figs and sauté for another minute. Stir in the chopped potatoes and cook for three to four minutes, stirring regularly. You may have to add a few tablespoons of water in case they stick to the bottom of the pan.

At this point, smell your curry for cinnamon. If it already has a strong aroma, take out the cinnamon stick; if not, leave it in. Add the chicken stock. Turn up the heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drop the heat to medium and cook, covered, for five minutes.

Remove lid and carefully stir in the rapini. Cover and cook for eight minutes. Turn off heat, stir well, and serve. Serves six

Swiss Chard with Sesame Dressing
Packed with Nutrients, Bursting with Colour
By Bobbi Barbarich

You’ve probably passed up Swiss chard, also known as silverbeet, perpetual spinach, or mangold, several times in the supermarket because you have no idea what it is. Many green, leafy vegetables suffer this fate, but Swiss chard is as easy to use as lettuce and packed with far more nutrients.

While it has been served by Mediterranean cooks for centuries, Swiss chard still isn’t popular in North America. And it’s not Swiss – it was named by a Swiss botanist. The lack of acceptance in Canadian cuisine may be due to its bitterness, so it’s critical to properly choose and prepare Swiss chard. Fresh chard has a buttery texture and an earthy flavour slightly stronger than spinach.
Chard is essentially a beet, but it’s grown for its leaves. Its stalks are white, yellow or red, with large, shiny, ribbed green leaves. Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young and tender, but we usually see it as a mature vegetable, when the leaves are large and have tougher stems. The young, colourful stems and shiny green leaves can really dress up a salad. Mature chard leaves and stalks are better cooked or sauteed, as the bitterness that comes with age fades with cooking.

As a leaf vegetable, Swiss chard is very low in calories (seven calories per cup), has no fat and contains fibre, iron, magnesium and calcium, although the fibre in vegetables reduces
absorption of minerals. The iron in leafy vegetables is bound in a matrix, so eating chard with vitamin C-rich foods will help you absorb it. Owing to its vibrant green colour, chard is high in phytochemicals such as lutein – non-essential nutrients that can reduce the risk of chronic disease. Chard is also a good source of vitamins A and C.

In addition to salads, try large chard leaves as an alternative to tortilla wraps. You can use Swisschard like collard greens, adding some southern flair to your dish. But don’t overcook it or it will get slimy. Chard can also be used to make saag, a curry dish eaten with naan or roti. Extra moisture will make the chard wilt, so don’t wash it until you’re ready to eat it. Keep it loose or in a paper bag in the fridge for no more than a couple of days.

RECIPE
1 large bunch of washed and chopped Swiss chard leaves and stalks
2 tbsp tahini (or peanut butter)
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp sesame oil
Juice from 1 lime
A dash of Sriracha, or your favourite hot sauce
Sesame seeds
1. Toss the chard and a big splash of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for a few minutes until the chard turns bright green and stems tender. It’s OK to peek.
2. Meanwhile, whisk all the other ingredients together into a smooth dressing.
3. When the chard is cooked, toss it with the dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Quinoa: The Mother of All Grains
By Bobbi Barbarich

Few people know how to say it, let alone use it, but quinoa is an extremely nutritious seed that deserves a spot in every runner’s pantry. Pronounced “keen-wah,” quinoa originated in the Andes some 6,000 years ago. and was considered sacred by the Incas, who called it “the mother of all grains.”

While carbohydrates such as wheat and rice are low in the amino acid lysine, quinoa is the only grain that contains all essential amino acids. It’s a fantastic recovery food after a hard run, packing in two to three times more protein than other starches and delivering a rich supply of fibre, magnesium and iron.

Despite its impressive nutritional profile, the Spanish Conquistadors deemed quinoa a peasant food and replaced the crop with European cereals. It has only recently begun to regain its well-deserved respect, with the United Nations classifying it as a “super-crop.” NASA is also testing quinoa for use for longer-term spaceflights because of its unusually high productivity, excellent protein profile and mineral concentrations.

Prepare quinoa as you would rice. Combine two parts water or stock to one part grain, cover and bring to boil. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. The grains will split into tiny spirals, with a texture similar to al dente pasta. Quinoa has a mild, slightly nutty flavour and is fluffy like rice when cooked.
Quinoa is a quick-and-easy side dish, but it can also be served cold as a breakfast cereal, or in soups and salads. It’s a great replacement for couscous or bulgur wheat. People with gluten intolerance will be happy to learn that it’s gluten-free.

RECIPE
Rose Reisman’s Quinoa with Charred Corn, Bell Pepper and Spinach

Few chefs are as qualified as Rose Reisman to offer runners tasty, nutritious recipes that meet their special dietary needs. Resiman has authored 16 books, the most recent of which is The Complete Light Kitchen by Whitecap. For more info, visit www.rosereisman.com.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 ½ cups canned corn kernels, drained
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
½ cup diced red bell pepper
2 tsp crushed fresh garlic
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp seeded minced jalapeño pepper (or
1 tsp hot chili sauce or paste)
4 cups chopped fresh spinach (or half a 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, cooked and squeezed dry)
1 tbsp water
¹/³ cup chopped green onion
¹/³ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
¹/³ cup crumbled light feta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Bring the quinoa and stock to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, just until the stock is absorbed and the quinoa tender. Remove from the heat and place in a serving bowl.
2. Spray a small non-stick skillet with cooking oil and place over medium heat. Sauté the corn for approximately eight minutes, just until browned, stirring constantly. Set aside.
3. Spray a medium non-stick skillet with cooking oil, add the vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin and jalapeño pepper and sauté until the onion begins to brown, about five minutes.
4. Add the spinach and water. Cook until the spinach wilts, approximately two minutes.
5. Remove from the heat. Stir in the green onion, cilantro, cheese, olive oil, lemon juice and sautéed corn. Add the mixture to the quinoa and mix well.

Nutritional Analysis
per Serving
Calories 379
Protein 14 g
Fat 13 g
Saturated Fat 2.4 g
Carbohydrates 53 g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Sodium 436 mg
Fibre 7 g

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
To make it ahead of time, prepare earlier in the day, refrigerate and bring
to room temperature before serving.

Serves four