The Juice That Makes Exercise Easier

I Know...most of you will say.... Ewww!!, must taste awful, but try it, it's actually good and good for you. Read on!

Think outside the sports-drink bottle when you're looking for a workout beverage. New research puts the "gives you an edge" spotlight on this vegetable drink: beet juice.

In a small study, people who drank the red juice daily for 6 days needed much less oxygen during a treadmill exercise test. Translation: Exercise actually felt easier to them.

A Fitness Elixir?
Beet juice's exercise-enhancing power likely comes from the nitrates in beets. This bears out in the study, where the participants were split into two groups -- one drinking regular beet juice each day and the other drinking beet juice stripped of its nitrate content. And exercise became easier only for the juice-with-nitrates group. Compared with the no-nitrates group, the nitrates group needed about 12 percent less oxygen during the treadmill exercise test. The nitrate group was also able to run longer at fast speeds before reaching exhaustion. 

Try this little mental game to help workouts feel like less work.

1. Picture it. Before your workout or during warm-ups, close your eyes and visualize yourself doing your thing with ease. Take a few deep breaths, and imagine the air filling your lungs and delivering oxygen to every muscle of your body. Exhale deeply.
   
2. Feel it. Think about how it feels to hold your spine straight and your head high during your workout, and imagine it all feeling effortless. Picture your workout environment, and imagine yourself moving powerfully, effortlessly, and confidently through your run, walk, hike, or exercise class.
   
3. Integrate it. Take these images, feelings, and thoughts with you as you step into your workout. 

Big Beet Benefits
Our bodies convert the nitrates in beet juice to nitrites -- helpful little compounds that help dilate blood vessels, increase blood flow, and help reduce the amount of oxygen muscles need to do work. So it's not surprising that the nitrates group in the study also experienced a dip in their blood pressure after drinking the juice regularly. Beets also contain quercetin and resveratrol -- two powerful antioxidants that may help protect against oxidative stress caused by exercise.

Here are a few more strategies for making your workouts feel easier:

• Give yourself a musical distraction. Right tunes can increase your endurance.
• Take a brain break first. Having a well-rested brain helps your workout.
• Fuel up for fitness. There are foods that put gas in your tank. On tomorrow's post I'll detail what foods are best for which exercise.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?!

Eggplant Parmesan

This Eggplant Parmesan is baked, not fried, and thanks to basil leaves and flavorful ricotta cheese, you'll never miss the breadcrumbs.

 Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for brushing pans
• 2 pounds eggplant, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2 cups whole milk or part-skim ricotta
• 4 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and pepper
• 14 large or 28 small fresh basil leaves
• 2 cups store-bought marinara sauce

 

Directions

Slice the eggplant into long strips, chopping off the stem and cutting off the fleshy sides as they will be too thick to roll.

Preheat broiler and lightly oil 2 large sheet pans.

Brush slices of eggplant with olive oil on both sides, then arrange in one layer on the bottom of each pan.

Broil eggplant in batches, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.

Let cool.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spoon 1 cup of tomato sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.

Add ricotta to a bowl for mixing. Beat one large egg and add to the ricotta. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan, garlic, and salt and pepper. Whisk ingredients until well-mixed.

Arrange a basil leaf on each slice of eggplant and top with 2 tablespoons of ricotta filling, spreading it evenly down the eggplant.

Starting at a short end, roll up eggplant and arrange seam side down in prepared baking dish.

Repeat with remaining eggplant, basil, and ricotta filling and arrange in one layer in dish. Spoon 1/2 cup more sauce over top of eggplant and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

Bake, uncovered in middle of oven, until sauce is bubbling and heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with remaining 1/2 cup sauce on side.