BANANAS

Pack a banana wherever you go and you will always have a quick and easy source of long-lasting energy to pick you up and keep you going!

Not only are bananas the best natural source of potassium, bananas are loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Bananas contain electrolytes that are essential for maintaining fluid levels in your body and avoiding dehydration.

Bananas are also helpful in the treatment of ulcers. Bananas act as an antacid by stimulating the stomach's production of protective mucus. In addition bananas seem to kill the bacteria that causes ulcers. You may notice that your belly feels better after eating a banana.

Bananas are best when stored at room temperature. Try bananas these creative ways:

-Sliced or chopped. Tasty on top of just about anything; try with cereal, yogurt or cottage cheese.

- Blended. Add to your smoothie or protein shake.

- Baked. Slice in half lengthwise and place in a lightly oiled pan. Bake @ 350° for 15 min - no sugar needed!

Nutritional Information for
1 medium banana:
Calories: 110
Calories From Fat: 6
Fat: 1g
Protein: 1g
Total Carbs: 29g
Fiber: 4g

Alden's Favorite: One-arm Superset Preacher Curl

This exercise works both short and long muscle fibers in the biceps. Add this intense bicep move to your workout once per week and you will feel a noticeable difference in your biceps.

One Full Set - Do 3 Sets of 10
- 10 reps left arm upper curl
- 10 reps right arm upper curl
- 10 reps left arm lower curl
- 10 reps right arm lower curl
- 10 reps left arm full curl
- 10 reps right arm full curl

Work seated or standing at the preacher curl bench. Your arms should feel like mush at the end - if not, up your weight so you are working to failure by the last set.

Pic 1: Starting position - Upper bicep curl
Pic 2: Ending position - Upper bicep curl
Pic 3: Starting position - Lower curl
Pic 4: Ending position - Lower curl
Pic 5: Starting position - Full Curl
Pic 6: Ending position - Full Curl

"Eat Seasonal and Locally Grown Foods"

Seasonal food is fresh and tends to be tastier and more nutritious. Eating seasonally is always the best choice when you want to take the environment into consideration.

Tastier food - Local produce is picked when it is ripe and ready for eating, rather than ready for shipping. Produce at farmers markets has usually been picked within one or two days.

Maximize freshness - Using locally grown foods and produce means that your food has not been hanging out in warehouses waiting for shipment.

Healthier food - Knowing where our food comes from and how it is grown enhances the eating experience. We can choose safer foods from farmers who avoid chemicals, pesticides and hormones.

Support the local economy - When we purchase products that are produced or grown locally or regionally, more of the money that we spend stays within our community.

Save the planet - Locally grown food does not burn up fossil fuels with long-distance shipping.

Fortunately in San Diego, due to the mild climate and the use of greenhouses, many fruits and vegetables are available year-round.

Also great for San Diegans are the many convenient places to get locally grown food. Henry's is a favorite, as well as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Explore some of the many farmers markets - the North Park Farmers Market is Thursdays in the CVS parking lot.

"Keep Your Head in the Game "

An often neglected, but very important aspect of your workout is your focus. An unfocused workout can lead to poor results and potential for injuries.

Planning - Your workout actually begins before you step foot into the gym. Decide what body parts you are training and start assembling what exercises you would like to do in your mind. Thinking about your workout ahead of time optimizes the time you spend in the gym.

Visualization - Visualizing the muscles being worked helps focus all of your senses on the exercise. This will increase your intensity and maximize your effort.

Concentration - During an exercise, concentrate on each muscle contraction. Pause at the peak of each repetition and squeeze for a second. Visualize recruiting every muscle fiber working to lift the weight before returning to starting position.

Distraction - Try not to get too distracted! Focus on keeping your workout moving forward and keeping your heart rate elevated.

This recipe is about a meaty pasta dish with fresh basil and whole cherry tomatoes; creating a light alternative to a traditional red sauce. Preparing the pasta after the sauce has been completed allows the tomatoes in the sauce just enough time to soften. They will melt in your mouth.

Ingredients
Pasta:
4 Servings of Dried Pasta of your choice – Bowtie, Angel Hair, Penne etc. all work great for this recipe

Sauce:
1 lb Ground Hamburger or Ground Turkey
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
4 Shallots roughly chopped
8 oz Button Mushrooms - sliced
1 T Italian Seasoning
1 t Oregano – dried
1 t Chili Powder (optional)
Black Pepper to taste
1 C Whole Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
½ C Fresh Basil Torn to bite size pieces
Parmesan Cheese shredded for garnish

Method:
1. In a medium sized skillet brown meat, drain fat and set aside
2. In a medium sized skillet heat olive oil to medium heat
3. Add garlic, shallots, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, oregano, chili powder (optional) and black pepper to pan and cook until mushrooms are brown - about 5 minutes
4. Recombine meat to pan and mix thoroughly
5. Sprinkle tomatoes and basil over sauce. Do not mix. Cover and reduce to low heat
6. Prepare pasta according to package recipe and drain
7. Serve 1 cup of sauce over 1 cup of pasta
8. Garnish with Parmesan cheese

Serves 4