Losing “weight” versus Losing “fat”

Suppose you weigh 150 pounds at the start of your weight loss program. Your weight loss goal is to lose 20 pounds (goal weight is thus 130 lbs). You join Weight Watchers and meticulously count your “points”.  Perhaps you go to the gym every day and run an hour on the treadmill.

Four months later you have reached your goal.  Congratulations!  Well Weight Watchers will certainly be congratulating you, but me, I will analyze your body fat before I commend you on reaching your goal.

Because of the food choices you may have made, you possibly lost mostly muscle and water – which yes, is “weight.”  You now weigh 130 but you may actually have increased your body fat percentage as compared to when you weighed 150. (this means you are literally “fatter” at 130 lbs than at 150 lbs) How can that be, you ask?

You started your weight loss journey at a body fat percentage of 26% fat. That is your body had 39 pounds of fat and 111 pounds of non-fat tissue (bones, muscle and water.) If you concentrated on dramatically cutting back your calories, without regard to WHAT you ate and without a goal oriented  physical activity program, your weight loss would more than likely be mostly muscle and water weight (your muscles hold water, so when you lose muscle you also lose water.) You might now weigh 130 but your body fat percentage is now 28%..

Your body fat percentage actually increased when you lost that muscle.  You lost that muscle mostly because your food choices were not optimal for the training you were doing, and possibly too, your training was not optimal for the amount of food you were eating.  This is what we call the “skinny fat”. And friends, it really does not look good, it is not healthy, and it is not sustainable.

A study in Hong Kong in 2001 noted the relatively high body fat percentages in Hong Kong women. Yet, a casual observer would surely not describe the general population of Hong Kong as “fat”. Again, the explanation boils down to “skinny fat”.

What amazes me, as a dietitian, is that even after hearing this explanation, our dieter will probably still be happy with the number on the scale. The scale was down after all so they believe to be at what they have claimed as their “goal weight”.   My challenge to that dieter is to see if they are able to maintain that goal weight for more than 2 or so months. I bet if we checked back with him/ her a few months later we would find they are right back where they started. Or worse, he/she is back to 150 pounds but their body fat percentage will probably have increased AGAIN. This is the sad and unhealthy situation of the all too familiar yo-yo dieting phenomenon that once and for all, I want to help you avoid.

In our Metabolic Boost program one of the first things we learn about is Body Composition.

Goal : Improve Your Body Composition

When you start your program, we are going to calculate your body fat percentage. Yes, you may hate me for this but… what gets measured gets improved. (Do you know how much improving your body composition will improve your marathon times?)

To analyze your body composition, we divide your body weight into two components: body fat and lean body mass. We measure your body fat and the rest is lean body mass.

Your total body weight is about 60-70% water. This is a fairly high amount of water, the reason is that muscle tissue itself has about 70-75% water and fat tissue has 10-15% water. When you lose muscle or fat, you also lose water weight.

When you are dehydrated, you can appear to lose “weight”, but you have not actually improved your body composition at all, you have just lost that weight in water. Conversely when you eat a bag of potato chips, you might appear to “gain weight” the next morning but all that has happened is that the salty chips have encouraged your body tissue to hold onto more water. Your body is determined to keep it’s supply of salt and water in balance. (Another lesson for another day, just know for now not to panic over a sudden increase in “weight”, particularly when eating salty foods.)

Ideal Body Fat Percentages

Having some body fat on your body is necessary. ,Approximately 3% of total body weight, is required to maintain normal body functioning. This is called “essential body fat”. Women have an additional 9-12% essential fat that is associated with normal sex hormone functioning.

What then is a healthy amount of body fat? This depends on who you are and what you do. Athletes on strict training and diet regimens may have as little as 6% – 10% body fat. The healthy, fit range is for women is around 18% – 20% and from 10 – 14% for men. Having over 30% body fat for women and 20% body fat for men increases the risk of disease and is considered obese.

Lean Body Mass

Lean body mass includes everything in your body but fat – muscle, bones, organs, fluids, etc.. Weight training can increase muscle mass, which increases your lean body mass. In fact, the only way to increase muscle mass is to physically exert your muscles and to eat enough for the muscle to grow.

Another benefit of building muscle is that muscle can help your body become a better calorie-burning machine! It is true – by increasing muscle mass, you will increase your metabolism (also known as your resting metabolic rate (RMR)) and a higher metabolism burns more calories continuously!

How does this work? Muscle tissue contains little organelles called mitochondria, which put simply, are little energy producing machines. The more muscle tissue you have, the more mitochondria you have. And the more mitochondria you have, the more calories you are able to burn!

Fat cells, on the other hand, have no ability to burn calories. In fact, body fat above the level of essential fat is considered storage fat. A certain amount of storage fat is important for cushioning and protecting the bones, muscles and organs, and for temperature regulation. But above that minimal amount of storage fat, your only gain is a larger size pair of pants.

Hopefully you now understand the 101 of about body composition. Understanding this concept is key to applying what I teach you in the Metabolic Boost program.

The Metabolic Boost program is designed to raise your metabolism, to train your body to keep itself lean. Nobody should be satisfied with merely dropping the number on the scale and I hope after reading this blog post, you won’t be either.

Body Composition is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.

As of today, 19 February, the USA is leading in medals. We currently have 18 and the closet rival is Germany with 11 medals total. I say “we” lightly, as many of you who know me personally know that I am very much American, but there is still a huge place in my heart for my Motherland, South Africa.  I watched the opening ceremonies last week, and even though there was only one athlete from “home”, I still have a tear in my eye, as I see the flag I feel most patriotic to (South Africa) go by. Let’s face it, for a country being so close to the equator, we don’t expect to be in contention for medals in the Winter Olympics, but wait for the track and field in 2012… or better yet, hosting the World Cup Soccer within the next few months, I have faith that my “we” will be referring to South Africa.

Anyway, that’s all besides my main point of this blog… I feel like a proud American when I can say that maybe, just maybe, I had some small role to play as part of the leading USA team.

Being on an expert panel as a resource to athletes and answering sports nutrition questions for them has been a highlight for me for this Winter Games. Many of these athletes are also blogging and so far, I have found my name twice in the blog on the NBC official Olympic site.

Here are those links…. Enjoy!! And feel free to send feedback!

http://www.nbcolympics.com/olympicpulse/blogs/blog=olympichealthandfitness/postid=407486.html#have+tabasco+will+travel

http://www.nbcolympics.com/olympicpulse/blogs/blog=olympichealthandfitness/index.html#olympic+health+fitness

Sports Nutrition for the Winter Olympics– Vancouver 2010 is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.

I feel privileged and excited to be chosen to answer questions on a panel for the Olympic Games. The panel provides a a platform for athletes from all over the world to ask a Sports Dietitian questions. Many of my answers to the athletes will be reviewed by a sports journalist and perhaps written up in her articles for circulation to the athletes.

You may remember my  article in Runner’s World (International),  April 2009 that brought lots of glory to Optimal Nutrition for Life (aka “me”, “Ilana”) … That article was so well received that the same journalist asked me to be on this panel.  I am extremely proud to report that she really admires and respects my work ethic with respect to answering her requests right away; my credentials; my sense of humour and candor for recreational journalism like this . She has used my expertize for many articles that make up my current portfolio.

This blog was thus inspired by some of the athletes’ questions I answered. Many questions had to do with being fed the same old food at the hostels where they were staying and the challenge of having access to sports appropriate food. Many of them gave me their typical breakfasts prior to long training days.  I was blown away by the lack of knowledge on sports nutrition at that elite level of athleticism.  I thus decided to post this article I wrote for my own traveling athletes (mmm… not too many of mine are in these Vancouver games, but can all relate to some extent to what a challenge traveling for sport can be) …

Hopefully this blog can in some way inspire the athlete in all of us. It is also meant for us to perhaps realize some of the “behind the scenes”  challenges  for Olympic athletes besides their intense level of training and competition. So enjoy, be inspired, and may some of these tips come in handy one day if you too have to travel, whether it be as an Olympic athlete , an elite athlete, a recreational athlete, or even just as a relaxing vacationer  who does not want to blow your  body composition goals just because you are traveling…

Here is the article: Sports Nutrition Tips for Travelling Athletes

Another article you might be interested in: What should I eat before each training run?

Surviving the Olympic Games as a Travelling Athlete is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Power muffins are great for a pre work out energy boost, with the perfect amount of carbs to get your metabolism revved up. They are simple, quick and delicious for the time strapped athlete – make a bunch at a time – they are freezable too!!

Take one out of the freezer and take it to work with you for your afternoon snack.

If you use them for recovery, remember to add an extra source of protein along with it, like perhaps a glass of milk, or some Greek yogurt – Yummy!!

Enjoy and feel free to offer me your feedback.

POWER MUFFINS

(Recipe Makes 12 Muffins)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½  cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 3 Tbsp vanilla whey protein
• ½ cup brown sugar**
• 1 tbsp truvia (natural sweetener)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp all spice
• 1 ¼ cup grated carrots
• 1 cup seedless raisins
• ¾ cup 1% milk (or whatever you have on hand, adjust calorie count)
• ½ cup low fat buttermilk
• ¼ cup light ricotta cheese
• ½ cup mashed (or canned) swt potato
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg white
• 1 large egg

** I use honey molasses crystals or evaporated cane juice.  Don’t be put off by the large size, they won’t go bad.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Combine all wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix well.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

5. Spray a muffin tin with Pam and fill to 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately

1 serving (1 muffin)

149 cals, 5g protein, 26g carbs,

3g fat, 179mg sodium

You can get more recipes and nutrition calculators .

Power Muffin Recipe – Ideal for Optimal Fuel or Recovery is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.

Whether you drink cranberry juice, blend cranberries in smoothies, add cranberries to stuffing or enjoy cranberries in salsa, salads or side dishes, they can keep you healthy any time of the year. They are loaded with Vitamin C and other antioxidants.
Their crimson color comes from a flavonoid that may help lower your LDL- (bad) cholesterol, help prevent blood clots that cause heart attacks and strokes-and so protect you from heart disease. Their other plant substances may protect from cancers, gum disease and stomach ulcers.
Another better known benefit, substances in cranberries help prevent bacteria in the urinary tract from causing bladder infections.

RECIPE USING CRANBERRIES

Power muffins are great for a pre work out energy boost, with the perfect amount of carbs to get your metabolism revved up. They are simple, quick and delicious for the time strapped athlete – make a bunch at a time – they are freezable too!!

Cranberries – A gift from Mother Nature is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.

ILANA KATZ, MS, RD, CSSD

The science of nutrition has so much to offer and when buzz words stick around for more than a few months, we know its worth investigating the empirical evidence behind the buzz. Flaxseeds is one of those that has been around for sometime now, and most people are getting them in some form or another if they are conscious of healthy eating by any measure. Studies show that flaxseed may help fight everything from heart disease and diabetes to even breast cancer.

The essential fats are the buzz words lately, and hence Flaxseed’s growing importance. It is very high in omega-3 essential fatty acids – yes, the good fats. Omega-3 fat is referred to as an “essential” fat because it is not produced by the body, and must thus be consumed. Essential fats aid in lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, lower the risk of certain cancers, and reduce the inflammation of arthritis, as well as the inflammation that accompanies certain illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease and asthma.

In addition to the omega-3s, the other components of flaxseed, namely lignans and fiber, are extremely beneficial on the health measuring stick, as well.. Both act as phytoestrogens and antioxidants, while the fiber contained in the flaxseed is of both the soluble and insoluble type.

Other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids other than flaxseed, include fatty fishes such as salmon and mackerel. The difference the fatty acids from fish are that although they are still vital for good health, they are not “essential” fatty acids, as the body does produce them. All the fatty acids, those from flaxseed (alpha-linolenic acid) and those from fish (EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA or docosahexaenoic acid) decrease inflammation. Inflammation itself is a known trigger for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis, thus by decreasing it, the risks of these major diseases is substantially lowered. Furthermore, the lignans and phytoestrogens in flax, having antioxidant qualities also reduce risk of cancer.  A rich source of fiber to boot, aids in lowering cholesterol and maintaining digestive health.

Although fish doesn’t have these benefits, it is also a good source of protein. Fish, particularly those that contain the Omega 3 fatty acids, are also prone to contain traces of mercury, and the FDA advises consumers to check the advisory boards for high mercury sources in fish, particularly women who are pregnant, nursing, or may become pregnant as well as parents of young children, to avoid these populations from eating certain fish or too much of the higher mercury fishes.

Sports dietitians are also including flaxseed as a daily recommendation to athletes because it has been found to improve the metabolism of fats, especially helpful with endurance sports. When glycogen stores run out (hitting the wall, or bonking), the body begins burning fats in which case, an efficiency of fat burning can make a difference in performance. Omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseed has been hypothesized to improve response time. Electrical impulses move from the brain to muscles across cell membranes are rich in these essential fats. Omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseeds are the most efficient fatty acids in allowing these electrical impulses to move from cell to cell. Furthermore, they aid in muscle repair at the cellular level, significantly improving the rate and quality of tissue repair.

Flaxseed is available in supermarkets and health food stores and comes in whole seeds, ground seeds, or oil. The ground seed is what has all the goodness – the fiber, the lignans, and the essential fatty acids, while whole seeds will pass through your system undigested.

The recommended daily amount of flaxseed is approximately 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, or 1 teaspoon of flax oil (which is best used cold, perhaps mixed in a vinaigrette salad dressing). Whole flax seed should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. Storing it in the refrigerator or freezer is a safe bet.

Using flaxseed effectively:

There is so much soluble fiber in flax that it is important to drink plenty of water when eating flax products, otherwise constipation may result A high fiber diet may take some time to get used to, so start to slowly introduce flax.

For vegans, or people with egg allergies, flaxseed can be used as an egg substitute in recipes for baked goods This is because of the soluble fiber, which adds structure to the food.

Some tips to incorporate flaxseed in your daily intake:

Sprinkle ground flax on cereal, yogurt, or salads. Mix flax into meatloaf or meatballs.
Add ground flax to pancake, muffin, or cookie batter, or other baked goods such as pie crust. Coat fish or homemade chicken nuggets in ground flaxseed and oven fry.
Toss salads with flax oil and vinegar.

Nutty Health Toast

Mix a Tbsp of the ground seeds with 2 Tpsps of honey, and then spread the mixture on toast. It has a nutty flavor, and is a great alternative to buttering your toast.

Flax Trail Snack

Per Serving ( ¼ cup ): : 160cals, 6g fat, 15g carbs, 2g fiber, 6 g protein.

1 cup sugar free maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mixed seeds (pumpkin, sesame, etc)      

½ cup sliced almonds & ½ cup pecan pieces
1 cup ground flax
4 cups of oats

Mix together the syrup, sugar and extract in a pot over low heat until melted and smooth. Add other ingredients to the pot and stir. Spray a baking tray with Pam. Toast at 300⁰ for an hour, mix around every 15 minutes.

ESSENTIAL FLAX – THE MIRACLE SEEDS is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.

The New York City health Department has decided to regulate another ingredient in packaged food and restaurant meals.  This time the city is going after salt.  The health department has asked for a 25% reduction in the amount of salt in packaged foods and restaurant meals over the next five years.  The reasoning behind this regulation is to prevent heart attacks and strokes by reducing the amount of salt in packaged and restaurant foods.

We consume roughly twice the recommended amount of salt every day and this overconsumption leads to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.  Research has shown that we are not getting that sodium in our diets because we are shaking salt on our own food.  Only 11% of the salt we ingest comes from salt we put in our own food; nearly 80% is added to foods before they are sold. So we are getting the sodium from restaurants and the freezer section of the grocery store.

As an example a half cup of Campbell’s low sodium soup contains 480 mg of sodium.  That 480 mg is the limit per serving for children.  When you get home tonight look at a 1/2 cup measuring cup and see just how small it is.

Of course the obvious answer is to eat more food at home. You know that is what I want you to do; I try to make it easy for you.  We don’t have much disagreement about the salt content of an apple. But I’m realistic and know many of you will eat “outside” food.  So..what do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Should the government regulate what we eat? is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.

Its been 10 years since I’ve done this familiar ritual in anticipation of my seventeen hour flight to South Africa. Packing and repacking, butterflies multiplying in my stomach, consistently reaching to ensure the sleep-induced hormone (melatonin) is still uncrushed in my pocket (yeah, it’s a long flight), first in line at the Delta Airlines International check in desk – three plus hours early, anxiously awaiting to board the gateway to my personal Paradise, “home”.

Besides South Africa being a gem to behold, travelling to city you grew up in as a child has a unique set of characteristics. There is a certain confidence of knowing your way around, yet simultaneously a daunting unfamiliarity. Besides activating the windscreen wipers instead of the indicators while driving, I seem to recognize what I am seeing but also realizing nothing is in focus. Emotions from both extremes of a continuum pump through my veins.   Like Bill Bryson in his book “I’m a stranger here myself”, I had to orient myself to things which should have been familiar. It is disconcerting to find yourself so simultaneously in your element and yet out of it. My coping mechanism for driving on the “wrong” side of the road is is a chant… oh yeah, I chant to myself “passenger on pavement, passenger on pavement”. Huh? No, its not meditation, an ancient yoga ritual or anything like that, – in avoidance of a head on collision, I developed this chant to ensure that as I turn a corner, the car lands up on the right side of the road, I mean “left” which in South Africa “left” is right, and the passenger side of the car should be closer to the pavement. It just dawned on me, in South Africa the pavement is the sidewalk, but in the US the pavement is the road, so now I am really confuzzled. Well, you know what I mean… “Driver in the middle, Driver in the middle”

My first week, I spent in Cape Town. I like to call it Africa’s Mother city, because Africa itself is the Mother continent (well at least that is so, in my biased opinion). Cape Town has such simple yet majestic beauty and is so rich in culture. The beaches of this stunning coastal region are almost as white as snow. Coming from Winter, I was anxious to catch up with the other South Africans in the tanning department, yet there was so much beauty to take in, I was thankful I have that natural olive skin and kind of blended in.  These silken shores are surrounded by magnificent cliffs and I made a point to drive along the mountain roads at every opportunity. At times I even envied the many cyclists out there training on the epitome of hill repeats. Chapman’s peak is easily the eighth wander of the world, whether you are riding it on a bike, driving it in a car, or tempting its rebellious twists and turns from a motorcycle.

Table Mountain is also one of the main attractions in Cape Town and I chose a gorgeous clear day to experience the rotating cable car to the top. All my tanning goals were accounted for in the few hours I spent on that mountain. Its almost a kilometer high off the ground, flat as a pancake on top, with a view to die for. This mountain, is so named because of its flat surface which amazingly attracts clouds to cover it more than oven has a unique tablecloth.

Some other highlights included a drive along the coast line to Cape Point, the southern most tip of Africa, the place where Indian meets Atlantic. Along the way to this magnificent spot on earth, I stopped at the most memorable beach of all -  Boulders. Memorable because it is a colony of African penguins.  “Oohing” and “ahhing” over such cute creatures for endless hours seemed so natural, as every human with in hearing distance was doing just that. How cool it is to share a beach with penguins.

I could go on forever about the magnificence of Cape Town. But I’ll wrap that up with the old cliché of a picture is worth a thousand words. I do have to add that each morning before 6am, I would go for a run along the seapoint waterfront, up to Clifton beaches and took a few of these pictures along the way.

To my tri club, Master’s Swimmers – How is this for a Masters Swim club you guys? This was taken at 6:30 am in the morning – compare this to our swim training in the pitch dark, at the same time in frozen over Atlanta.

After the memorable week in the most beautiful city in the world, I was excited to head to Joeys (Johannesburg) to visit with friends and family. Having caught up with some old friends on face book, there were many to see, places to go, things to do.

Johannesburg was more about family and friends, so again, pictures tell the story better than words. My highlight was driving up and down the streets of the neighbourhood I grew up in, checking out our old house, which has not changed at all (besides all these alarm company signs up on the outside wall)…

Not having enough time in the country, I did not get to go to a game reserve, so I settled for the Lion park to get my big Cat fix. The lions were posing for me that day and I nearly managed to steal a cub.

Pretty cute and cuddly at that size, but remembering they grow up and prefer to be in the wild. I won’t get in the way of those wishes, so I watched Simba jump out my arms with my heart strings still attached to his front paws.

I guess this being a blog on my NUTRITION website, I should take the opportunity to mention some typical struggles with food and what new year beginning could provide as a motivator in itself. The most difficult challenge is one is typically not in control of the food on offer. While travelling through Cape Town with my Mom, it was almost impossible to pass up the fabulous Cape Malay cuisine. Probably due to it’s location, Cape Town offers up the freshest seafood around, but South Africans are real carnivores, which means my diet was much heavier than normal. Furthermore, the tropical fruit, and it being very much the season for it, is phenomenal. Dried fruit, something I would never even consider as part of my normal diet, was irresistible. Experiencing the tempting pleasure of junk food, out of my regular routine, and limited access to usual gym equipment… (Sound familiar?)… my one saving grace is that the sun rises before 6am during South African Summers so getting in an early run, made up for some of these challenges.

My main coping mechanism was portion control. I didn’t pass up local specialties or treats friends and family had prepared for me. I kept my ultimate goal firmly in the forefront of my mind, took small bites and savoured each one. Keeping my goals in focus always aids in continuously being inspired by them. On the longgggg…. plane ride back to Atlanta, I had plenty of opportunity to make grand plans for 2010. I always stress to practice what I preach, so while I relaxed and enjoyed my holiday, I was able to get right back into my own program, and of course feel terrific about it. I guiltlessly took a break and being right back into my normal routine, my philosophy of living a lifestyle, rather than being on a “diet” lives on!!!

What about you? How was your Holiday season? What are some of your challenges? Where do you stand today relative to goals set? Goals set…. Goals met? Whether you may be celebrating a success or wondering what the heck happened, feel free to leave me a comment. Savour your accomplishments, set progressive goals, and have a healthy year.

MY TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.

But when do you get the best workout?

In this recent New York Times article – Ready to Exercise? Check Your Watch – the author stumbles on a startling fact: her heart rate is consistently higher during evening workouts.  Does that mean she gets a better workout in the morning? It certainly seems so, as she would be doing the same workout with a lower heart rate – i.e. more efficiently.

Michael H. Smolensky, an expert in chronobiology, the study of the body clock, says that according to exercise physiologists you should be able to perform at the same level with a heart rate of 140 in the morning as in the afternoon or early evening.  But chronobiologists say your capacity to generate and tolerate a higher heart rate is better later in the day.”

“In the afternoon and evening,” Dr. Smolensky said, “you are in a different biological state.”

Read the full article to figure out your best workout time.

When do you get a better workout? Morning or Evening is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.

Grilled Mango-Ginger Salsa Chicken

(4 servings)

Time saver tip: Peeled and cut up mango is probably available in the produce section of most grocery stores. (Nothing wrong with peeling and cutting up mango yourself as a money saver though).

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (~ 4oz each)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp brown sugar

½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

¼ tsp salt

1 lemon cut into 4 wedges

Olive or canola oil spray

Salsa:

2 cups finely chopped mango

3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

1 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Rinse chicken breast halves, pat dry and flatten to ~ ½ “ thick.
2. Combine 1 Tbsp olive oil, curry powder, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Brush over chicken and let marinade for ~ 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, stir together salsa ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Spray a pan with olive oil or canola oil spray and place over medium to hot stove plate. When oil is hot, add chicken breasts. Cook them for ~ 4 mins on each side or until they are no longer pink inside and juices run clear. Transfer breast halves to a larger platter. Squeeze lemon juice over chicken, serve with salsa.

Nutrition per serving (1 chicken breast half and ½ cup salsa):

Calories: 215                Cholesterol: 65 mg

Total fat: 7g                  sodium:  175 mg

Sat. fat 1g                     total carbs: 11g

Trans fat: 0g                     fiber 1.5g

Protein 25g                       sugar 9g

Mango Ginger Salsa Chicken – ILANA’s Recipe is another great bit of content from Optimal Nutrition For Optimal Energy. Your ideal marathon diet or triathlon diet is just a click away.