KinkyShea’s Health and Fitness Tip of the Week

Barbecuing oysters is one of the easiest ways to enjoy them because it eliminates the need to shuck them. It’s a simple as putting the oysters right on the grill and cooking until the steam inside the oysters pops the shells open. Next drizzle with a little spicy Thai sauce and that’s it!



Nutrition Profile: Low calorie, low carbohydrate, low saturated fat, low cholesterol, heart healthy, healthy weight, diabetes appropriate, gluten free.

Ingredients:

½ cup lime juice

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons finely minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced fresh red chile, to taste

24 large oysters

Directions:

1. Combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, cilantro, garlic and chile in a small bowl stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to develop. Adjust flavors to taste.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high.

3. Bring oysters, along with sauce, a cutting board, an oven mitt, tongs and a small knife to the grill.

4. Place oysters flat-side up on the grill rack. Close the lid until the top sell pops open (about 3 to 5 minutes). Transfer the oysters to the cutting board with tongs, keeping them as level as possible so the liquid doesn’t spill out.

5. While wearing the oven mitt, hold the oyster and use the knife to remove the top sell, cutting the oyster away from the top shell and leaving it in the bottom shell. Periodically wipe the knife clean. Discard the top shells.

6. Spoon about 1 teaspoon sauce into each oyster. Return to grill, closing the lid and grill until sauce is bubbling about 2 to 4 minutes more. Serve with small forks.

Note: Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian condiment made from salted, fermented fish. It can be found in the Asian-food section of large supermarkets and in Asian specialty markets.

Nutrition Per Serving (4 oysters): 61 calories; 1 g fat; 27 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 4g added sugars; 4 g protein.

The top two reasons people give for not exercising are lack of time and lack of results once they do start exercising. Interval training is a great solution for both problems. Interval training involves alternating between short bursts of intense activity and a less intense form of the original activity, often called active recovery. The Swedes termed this type of training Fartlek, which literally means speed play. Fartlek training can help avoid injuries that may plague some of us in non-stop, repetitive activity. This type of training also provides the opportunity to increase your intensity without burning yourself out in a matter of minutes.

The difference between traditional interval training and Fartlek training is that Fartlek training does not involve specifically or accurately measured intervals. Instead the intervals in Fartlek training are based on the needs and perceptions of the participant. Basically, how you feel determines the length and speed or intensity of each interval.

One major physiological advantages of interval training as that it uses the body’s two energy-producing systems: the aerobic and anaerobic systems. The aerobic system is typically thought of as your endurance system. It allows you to walk, run, or bike for several miles. The aerobic system uses oxygen (hence the name) to convert carbohydrates to energy. The anaerobic system draws energy from the carbohydrates stored in muscles (glycogen) for short burst of activity, such as sprinting, jumping or lifting heavy objects. The anaerobic system does not require oxygen (anaerobic literally means without oxygen) and it provides just enough energy for brief activities. Interval training allows you to enjoy the benefits of using both systems without having to endure burning muscles.

In the most basic format, interval or Fartlek training might involve walking for two minutes, running for two, and alternating this pattern for the duration of the workout. The intensity of each interval is up to how you feel and what you’re trying to achieve. The same can be said about the length of each interval. A good example is, say your routine is to walk two miles a day for 30 minutes. You can easily increase the intensity of your walk (as well as boost calorie burning) by picking up the pace every few minutes and then returning to your usual speed repeating the cycle. An easy trick to use is to tell yourself that you’ll run a particular distance, like from the street corner to the blue truck, and then walk from the blue truck until the next street corner or stop sign or whatever marker you choose. When you first start Fartlek training, again each interval is dependent on how strong or energetic you happen to feel at that particular workout. This also helps to break up the boredom and drudgery that often comes from doing the same thing every day. It is also very possible to take a more advanced scientific approach to interval training by timing both the work and recovery intervals according to specific goals. To do so here are are a few things to keep in mind:

• Intensity (speed) of the work interval
• Duration (distance or time) of the work interval
• Duration of the rest or recovery interval
• Number of repetitions in each interval
  

Until next week…