Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Brown Butter & Sage

Sweet potatoes are a staple in my house as they're lower on the glycemic index (54) compared to white potatoes (84). They also offer a greater nutritional bang for the buck over with less calories (128 vs 103), more fiber, calcium, a full days worth of vitamin C (beta carotene) as well as over half of your daily vitamin C requirement.

Last fall I ordered a very tasty version of the recipe below while dining out. I usually prefer to bake or steam the sweets for weekly lo-cal eating, but this is a very tasty occasional treat. As such I've been known to add roasted garlic and just a touch of honey when serving... Enjoy!

(Adapted from the Oct./Nov. 2010 issue of Fine Cooking)

2 sweet potatoes
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
fresh sage
butter (about 2 TBS)
splash of orange juice

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into bite-sized cubes. Toss with olive oil and salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven until tender.
Meanwhile, cook fresh sage and a pinch of salt in melted butter until butter browns.
Add a splash of orange juice (or a squeeze of lemon, if you have one) and toss with the potatoes.

7 More Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Workouts

In the previous post I offered some tips to help you get the most out of your workouts. The more you do to support your workouts, the more effective they'll be and the better the results.

You can check out that post here before reading on.



1. Use your body as your machine. Those workout machines at the gym may help to grow your muscles but they don't necessarily encourage "smart" muscles that function well outside of the gym environment. Body weight exercises can help your muscles learn how to work together in the most efficient manner so that you not only look good, you move and feel better as well. Exercises like pullups, pushups, burpees and lunges can be done most anywhere, require minimal space, don't need outside resistance and encourage bone density, which decreases the risk of osteoporosis. They're also great for getting a total body workout in a short period of time.

2. Schedule according to your taste. While research has suggested morning exercise encourages fat loss and favors the evening hours for optimal performance, the truly perfect time to workout is actually whenever you'll do it. For most people it's enough of a challenge just to make time each week to workout. No need to struggle to get up before the sun comes up if you're not a morning person, or miss your evening sessions because you continually get caught up at work. It's far more important to exercise consistently, so choose times that fit into your schedule.

3. Add a soundtrack. Most of our favorite movies and TV shows add music for a reason. It helps to set the mood and tone for what we're experiencing. You can enhance your own workout experience by doing the same. Research has shown that listening to music while you workout can help you to go harder, feel stronger and last longer. When I was a group exercise instructor I use music to create an atmosphere for success for the class using music; motivational music in the beginning, perhaps, driving music when the intensity got hard and soothing music during the recovery period at the end. Find music that you like and that makes you feel inspired and match it to your workouts to encourage your own atmosphere of success.

4. Be consistent. The effects of each workout are cumulative. You could have the best workout program in the world but you'll never experience the results you want if you don't do it regularly. For optimal results, strive to do cardiovascular exercise 3-6 times each week and resistance training for each body part twice per week.

5. Breathe. It may seem like a no brainer, but you'd be surprised how many people don't know how to breathe properly. Try this now: take a deep breath. Did you effectually "sniff" the air, or did you correctly draw air in slowly for 4-8 counts? During strenuous exercise, many people tend to hold their breath (during resistance training) or pant uncontrollably (during cardio). To function most efficiently, however, muscles require oxygen, so it's important to monitor your breathing throughout your workout. Strive to take full breaths periodically during cardio sessions and exhale during the toughest part of the exertion when weight training.

6. Eat a small snack about an hour before your workout. Proper fueling will help give you the energy you need to perform fully during the session. It'll also help ensure that your stomach is not too full, lessening the chance of cramping. Click here to view snack ideas.

7. Recovery. Exercise temporarily stresses the body causing it to remodel itself to be better in the future. It's during this time that you actually gain strength and ability. For best results, help your body recover well by getting at least 7 hours of sleep, drinking 8 cups of water, and eating at regular intervals. Body work, such as self myofascial release and massage, as well as stretching are also very beneficial.

6 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Workouts

Your time and energy are valuable. Setting aside some of that time and energy each week to get your workouts is an investment in your health and well being, and thus your life, so how can you get the most out of each one?

This great question is frequently asked by our Wildfire Fitness community members, so we thought we'd share some tips to help you succeed:


1. Increase your intensity. If you're a new exerciser or nursing an injury, it's ok to take it slow and easy to give your body a chance to adjust to exercise stressors. That usually means staying at a level where you can carry on a conversation while you're moving. If you're otherwise healthy, have been at it for a while and are still not seeing results, however, it's probably time to shake up the program and raise the intensity. That means moving in and out of moments where you are a bit out of breath. On a scale of 0 to 10 (with zero being getting out of bed and ten being running up several flights of stairs at full steam), you'd have moments where you hit an 8 or 9. Keep those moments short, though. Twenty to forty-five seconds is usually sufficient depending on the activity and the workout protocol.

2. Don't train longer than an hour. As a trainer, many of you know that when I send out a workout program I'm sure to ask how long it took to complete. Unless you're an competitive athlete or training for an endurance sport, there's generally no need for the average person to exercise longer than an hour at a time. Research has shown that extended workouts can increase the risk of injury due to fatigue, plus there's little added benefit. Instead, strive to get a bigger bang for your buck in a shorter period of time by increasing the overall intensity, as mentioned before. You can do interval training (e.g. 45 seconds work:15 seconds rest), add cardio elements like jumping jacks and burpees to your circuit training, or simply shorten your rest periods during resistance training (be sure to decrease the weight accordingly).

3. Hydrate. You've heard this one time and time again, but I can't stress enough the importance of drinking water! Your body is composed primarily of water. Your metabolic system requires water to function optimally and efficiently. Every time you workout, your body is taken out of it's desired homeostasis and put into a state of temporary chaos. While this is desired in order to get the training response (firmer/bigger muscles, stronger cardiovascular system, fat metabolism, etc), you must help your body prepare, perform and recover properly. So, don't just drink water during your workouts, hydrate throughout the day. Generally the recommended amount is 6-8 cups, but for optimal performance you can opt for as much as half your body weight in ounces.

4. Eat complex carbs and protein at every meal. While gastrointestinal issues may make this undesirable for a few people, many people find this to be an efficient way to make sure that their body has what it needs at the right time. Protein choices include: fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, dairy and quinoa.* Complex carb choices include fruit, vegetables, sweet potatoes and whole grains such as wheatberries, brown rice, barley and steel cut oats. Also keep in mind that the optimal time for protein intake after a workout is within 30 minutes and the optimal intake time for carbs after a workout is within 2 hours. As an added tip, be sure to eat regularly; don't skip meals!

5. Lift heavier weights. Now, here's a word of caution. You should never, ever sacrifice form and safety for more weight or advanced moves. If you're new to exercise or have poor form, back off on the weight until you've correctly mastered your exercise performance. If, however, you're experienced and injury-free, have been doing the same exercises, the same number of reps, in the same order for months or years... if this describes you, it may be time for a change. Do progress gradually and decrease the number of reps as necessary, but work on stepping it up. If you're unsure of anything, ask a fitness professional for help.

6. Avoid long, boring cardio sessions. Generally, there's no reason to plod along on the treadmill at one speed for extended periods of times, unless you're doing it as part of a periodic (and progressive) endurance program. Instead, add variety by doing hills, climbing stairs, adding plyometrics (fancy word for jumping) and varying the speed during your workouts. As mentioned before, you can also mix it up by pairing your resistance training with your cardio for heart pumping circuits and interval training. Again, be sure to adjust the weights and reps accordingly.

Do you have a question you'd like to see answered here? Just ask! We love answering questions. Contact us.

*Yes, technically quinoa is commonly considered a grain and thus a carb, but it also supplies all 9 amino acids (8 essential for adults but babies also require Histidine) so you can use it to get your protein as well! Read more on quinoa...