The Beast Report: November 2019

Issue 24
November 2019

By Kim Collings

1. Beast Profiles

2. Seven Pillars

3. Nutrition

4. Looking Ahead

1. Beast Profiles

Articles and interviews dedicated to reporting on the amazing people and stories of Your Beast Team!

Meet Landy Bowers! Landy is an OCR athlete, runner, wife, mother, and friend to all. She completed her first Ragnar this year and continues to tackle races with skill, grace, and a great big smile!

What was your first OCR race and what made you decide to try it?

Slime Run 2014 – I had started running the previous year and thought this would be fun to do with the family. My son was only 9 at the time. It was short and slimy but we had fun.

How has OCR helped you overcome challenges?

I am a very quiet and shy person. OCR has made me a better leader in terms of my professional career.

What do you love most about the OCR Community?

I love the people that I have met and how complete strangers are willing to help when you’re out there on course. You are truly never alone.

Who inspires you?

Kelly Cole – she is a true Beast. Traveling all across the US racing, sometimes a quick 24 hour trip. A true inspiration.

What is your favorite OCR memory?

Running Washougal with my son this past summer. It was just the two of us. He conquered a lot of obstacles he couldn’t two years prior when we did Washougal.

Tell us something about yourself that few people know, whether OCR related or not.

I jumped out of an airplane to impress a boy. My jumpmaster pushed me out and my parachute didn’t open right away. I had to jump again to get the full experience.

What are your goals for 2019 and/or 2020?

2019 goals was running my first Ragnar. I couldn’t run it last year because of my car accident.

Photo credit: Spartan Race, Landy Bowers

2. Seven Pillars

Endurance Strength Athleticism Recovery Nutrition Mind Code

We work hard to improve our physical selves which is important in racing and a healthy life. I wanted to also focus on other aspects that can help us be well rounded in our racing and personal lives. Each month I’d like to choose a topic from the Spartan Seven Pillars above and then offer a challenge to you. You have an entire month to work on it. Research shows that lasting changes often occur when you take things slow and do one step at a time.

This month we are going to look at Recovery:

I read this article a while back and really wanted to share it. It’s titled, “The Science of Recovery”. It focuses on why It’s crucial to understand how post-exercise strategies can impact the body’s ability to heal. Really interesting read and information that can help make us all better athletes.
https://magazine.nasm.org/american-fitness-magazine/issues/american-fitness-magazine-winter-2017/exploring-the-science-of-recovery

Photo Credit: https://magazine.nasm.org/american-fitness-magazine/issues/american-fitness-magazine-winter-2017/exploring-the-science-of-recovery

3. Beast Nutrition

Chia Seeds

1) People have been eating chia seeds for hundreds of years. Even though chia seeds seem to have just gained popularity in American diets in the last few years, they’ve actually been a staple in Native American and Mexican diets for hundreds of years. They were used to make breads, porridges, and for medicinal uses.

2) Yes, chia pets were made with chia seeds. Prior to chia seeds making a resurgence in our smoothies, puddings, and desserts, they became popular as the star seed of chia pets!

3) 1 Tbsp of chia seeds packs in 5g of fiber. If you’re looking to add more fiber to your diet, chia seeds are an easy way to do that! Just make sure that you increase the amount of fiber you eat gradually… overloading your GI tract with fiber when you’re not used to eating lots of fiber can have some pretty uncomfortable side effects. Nearly 40% of chia seeds (by weight) is fiber.

4) Adding fiber to your diet, which chia seeds help you do, can improve symptoms and side effects of many common chronic conditions. Some of these conditions include: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and mental health conditions. Read more here.

5) Chia seeds can absorb up to 9 times their weight in liquid. “When soaked in water, plant milk, or any liquid, chia seeds form a gelatinous mix that works perfectly to create a creamy pudding or thick sauce. The added bonus is that the soluble fiber in chia can help lower cholesterol levels and stabilize blood glucose. A win-win with this pantry staple.” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN @bonnietaubdix on Instagram and founder of www.betterthandieting.com

6) They make a great snack bar! The chia bars from Health Warrior are loaded with fiber, and have very little sugar. I also love that they come in a smaller size than most other bars in their category, making them perfect for snack time.

7) You can enjoy them ground up too! “I love chia seeds for protein, fiber, and omega 3’s, but I don’t like them stuck in my teeth. Grind chia seeds in a coffee grinder and add them to pancakes, muffins, breads, smoothies and more!” recommends Betsy Ramirez, MEd, RDN, founder of betsyramirez.com.

8) Chia makes a great plant based substitute for eggs. “Chia seeds can be used as an egg replacer and make a wonderful nutrition booster,” says Tracee Yablon Brenner, RDN, CHHC, Culinary Director at www.triadtowellness.com.

9) Chia seeds offer “healthy” fats. 1 Tbsp of chia seeds has 5g of total fat, with over 80% of coming from unsaturated fat sources. They have high amounts of ALA, which can help your body make more DHA and EPA, fatty acids essential for good health.

10) They are loaded with antioxidants. And did you know that these antioxidants are what help the fats in chia seeds from going bad?

11) They’re a great quality protein source. One Tbsp of chia seeds provides 2g of high quality plant-based protein.

12) They’re like nature’s little sprinkles. “You can call chia seeds “sprinkles” to make them more fun for kids. I’ll ask, “do you want some sprinkles on your yogurt?” and I bring out the chia seeds with a little spoon. You could even put them in a spice shaker to shake them out just like real sprinkles!” recommends Kacie Barnes, MCN, RDN founder of Mamaknowsnutrition.com.

13) They may help your bones. Chia seeds are high in several minerals that help with bone health… calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium.

14) Chia seeds may help you control blood sugar levels. Some studies have shown that a higher carb meal that also contains chia seeds may be better tolerated by diabetics than a higher carb meal without chia seeds.1

REFERENCES:
1. https://milkandhoneynutrition.com/journal/14-fun-facts-about-chia-seeds

PHOTO CREDIT:
https://milkandhoneynutrition.com/journal/14-fun-facts-about-chia-seeds

Recipe:

Chia Pudding

This recipe is so versatile. You can use so many different add ins and toppings. It’s also great to do ahead the night before so it has plenty of time to thicken and it’s ready to go in the morning. It’s a satiating and healthy way to start your morning. Here is one I like. Note that this is full fat coconut milk from a can, not the coconut milk in a carton that resembles almond or soy milk. I used lemon juice and zest as an add in this version and strawberries and almonds to top it off. This recipe makes one serving:

Pudding Base:

3/4 Cup Chaokoh Coconut Milk

2 1/2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Mix all ingredients with a whisk and include any add ins you would like. Pour immediately into serving dishes. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Include your favorite toppings or eat it as is.

*Nutrition Facts for base (1 serving):
487 Calories
27g Carbs
38g fat
9g protein

*You can make this lower calorie by using milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk from the carton if you prefer. The richness and satiation in this base is worth the extra calories though.

Pudding add ins:
-Lemon juice and/or zest (just a small squeeze or about 1 tsp)
-Cocoa powder, unsweetened (adjust the maple syrup slightly if needed). Love this with strawberries or cherries on top
-Instant coffee, dry
-Cinnamon
-Pumpkin pie spice

Toppings:
-Strawberries and crushed almonds
-Flaked coconut
-Blueberries (really good with lemon combination)
-Bananas and walnuts with a little cinnamon
-Raspberries and lemon zest
-Cacao nibs and pistachios
-Honey and granola
-Diced peaches and cinnamon

PHOTO: Kim Collings

4. Looking Ahead