It?s Freezing

It’s freeeeeeeeeeezing outside today! I’m not ready for winter yet! I’m always cold, so winter and I just don’t get along. (The lack of sunlight doesn’t help either. It gets me down.) Living in the northeast all of my life, I’ve learned to seriously bundle-up (no matter how ridiculous it looks), but even with all of those layers, some body part always ends up being cold! Plus, I take public transportation almost every day, so waiting outside for the T or a bus (in the wind and cold) is never fun! Meh. I’m in the market for new gloves and boots, so hopefully, I’ll deal with this winter better than last. At the end of last winter, I was ready to move down south! Just ask Kath about it!

Part of my breakfast was also freezing this morning! I used frozen strawberries in my oats, which were made with almond milk, ground flaxseed meal, and topped with sliced almonds.

Question: Is frozen fruit as healthy for you as fresh fruit?

Answer: For the most part, yes.

“With shipping and storage, fresh fruit can often sit around for as long as two weeks before it hits your supermarket,” says Suzanne Henson, RD, director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s EatRight Weight Management Program. “During that time, it can lose a lot of its nutrients, especially vitamin C.”

In contrast, frozen fruit is often picked and frozen at the peak of freshness. It’s also a better choice for concocting smoothies. But watch out for frozen fruits in syrup — it packs extra calories.”

Originally published in Fitness magazine, May 2006.

My pre-workout snack was half of a piece of TJ’s whole wheat bread with Barney Butter, so I nixed my typical spoonful(s) of BB in my oatmeal. However, mid-bowl, my breakfast didn’t seem as satisfying as usual, so I added a scoop of Barney Butter (not pictured). That wonderful almond butter full of fat and protein goodness definitely adds more “substance” and some serious staying-power to my breakfast.

At work, I used my big coffee mug for a double-serving of caffeine. It’s one of those days… I think I have a case of the Mondays.

Sets: 3

Reps: 15

Weight: Should feel challenging; I used 10 lb dumbbells

Rest: 5-10 seconds between sets

Equipment: Bosu (or Exercise Ball) and dumbbells

In the colder months, do your eating patterns and food selections change? If so, how?