This Week’s Ingredient: Chickpeas

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are often very low in price and are great to have in the pantry as they keep very well. They have a wonderfully nutty, smooth flavor and are the primary ingredient in hummus. (Editor’s Note: Mmmmmmm hummus.) In addition to being a great source of fiber (which keeps you fuller for longer), chickpeas are high in molybdenum, a mineral necessary for the production of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which breaks down sulfites–preservatives found in deli meats. Oh yeah, and they’re a lean source of protein, with 15 grams per cup.

Easy meals:

1. Toss over a salad for extra protein and flavor.
2. Roast for 35 mins at 350 degrees in a pan with diced eggplant, curry powder, tumeric, and pepper for a spicy, hearty, low-calorie side dish.
3. Mix with black- and kidney beans, basil, olive oil, and feta cheese for a light three-bean salad.

The Recipe: Chana Saag

Did you know that eating spicy food in the summer helps you stay cool? By doing so, your body starts to sweat and cool down, without actually raising your internal body temperature. No wonder hot-n-humid India has such a spicy cuisine! Try this easy version of a vegetarian favorite, chana saag, which is named for the two primary ingredients, chickpeas and spinach.

Ingredients
1 lb fresh baby spinach
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas
1 inch piece ginger, grated
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cardamom
1 inch stick cinnamon (or 2 tsp. ground)
5-6 cloves garlic chopped
1 cup onions finely chopped
1 can tomatoes chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions
1. Rinse chickpeas and roughly chop baby spinach.
2. Heat oil over medium heat. Add cardamom and cinnamon. Wait for a minute.
3. Increase heat to medium-high. Add garlic and cook till it starts to change color. Then add onions and sauté until golden.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add turmeric powder, ground coriander, chili powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well for a minute.
5. Add ginger. Stir for a few seconds. Add tomatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes till well blended.
6. Add chickpeas. Stir fry for 4-5 minutes. Cook covered for 10 minutes until chickpeas turn slightly soft.
7. Add half of the spinach, stir, and put lid on saucepan for 1 minute. Remove lid and add the other half of the spinach and repeat the covering process.
8. Remove lid and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Try incorporating any of these five foods into your diet and you will see and feel the positive health benefits. Seems daunting? I’ve even included some ways to sneak these foods into your everyday meals, so now you’ve got no excuses not to get healthy.

1. Fruit: Raspberries
These cute lil’ red things are a great source of fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C. As translation, eating just a cup of berries a day will reduce cholesterol levels, maintain organ balance, and improve your immune system. In fact, studies have shown that these great tasting berries even diminish risks for cancer. Snack on them in between classes, top them on your breakfast parfaits, or cool down in the summer heat with a raspberry-peach smoothie!

2. Nuts: Raw Almonds
Yes, that says RAW. That means no added sugar, salt, “honey-roasted”, or “dipped in chocolate”. If you snack on 20-23 of these organic nuts, you can be guaranteed some heart-healthy fats, 6 grams of protein, and over 35% of your daily need of Vitamin E. Okay, so “raw” and “nuts” doesn’t sound tempting for your belly? Slather some almond-rich, homemade beauty products on your face! Almonds have been proven to create an awesome complexion and soft skin.

3. Vegetable: Broccoli
Personally, I absolutely love broccoli. Not only does it taste good, but it can also be added to any dish! Put it in pasta, salad, soup; have it sautéed, broiled, eaten raw. Whatever you do, it’s a guaranteed yum. Imagine my great surprise when I learned that this super food was rich in fiber for a healthy digestive system, and abundant with calcium for my bones that endure so much shock from my daily runs. Oh and get this: adding this green healing machine to your diet may even reduce risks of Alzheimer’s. So don’t forget it!

4. Grain: Brown Rice
This replacement for white long grain rice may be difficult to adjust to at first, but the benefits are amazing. Brown rice contains a great source of manganese and magnesium, which can reduce the severity of headaches and migraines (goodbye boy drama!). In fact, studies have shown that when you replace white rice with the brown alternative, you lower not only your blood pressure, but your risk for atherosclerosis, too. Yay for long, healthy lives.

5. Fish: Salmon
Salmon is great because it has low mercury levels (if that’s what you were worried about), few calories (only 127 calories for 3 ounces), and good levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (necessary for proper brain development, and more). Bake it, grill it, eat with the above brown rice, make Salmon burgers, put it on top of your sushi…the possibilities are endless.

Let me know what your other favorite super foods are. Better yet, share some of your favorite recipes with me! Body blog cook off, anyone?

Well not talk to you personally, but he did spend a long time on the phone with CollegeCandy telling us about the importance of switching up our workouts, why it’s crucial to stay hydrated and all the other tips and tricks he uses to get his clients into tip-top shape. Although be forewarned; this man is serious business when it comes to seeing results (i.e. opting for apples and green tea for dessert), so getting in shape his way is no easy task.

And there’s more! (I know!) His new website www.murphyfitness.com is launching today, July 1st, and members can download workouts, videos and keep a food diary where Patrick will give personal feedback to ensure success! And he’s giving away a FREE membership to one very lucky CollegeCandy reader. You (yes, YOU!) can look like Olivia Wilde for FREE. Get to know Patrick a bit and then find out how you can be one step closer to that banging bod…

5 Questions We Ask Everyone:

1.    What is your most ridiculous college memory/most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
I disappeared with a bunch of friends to Mexico without telling my family for like, almost a week. I just disappeared for like five days, that was really bad. I was just starting college so I was just experimenting and partying my ass off.

2.   What are five things you can’t live without?

Exercise, my wife,  my eyesight, contacting my mother every week, and I can’t live without staying hydrated… You’re gonna find out in this phone call that I’m kind of a fitness fanatic. I live and breath my job. I love it.

3.    What’s your motto/advice you live by?
Well, I say many things, but one of the things I like to say is that the root of all evil is the lack of circulation. So, everything – every problem that we have, mentally and physically with our bodies – is a lack of circulation.  That is the cause and root of all evil. That’s why cancer happens, why we have eye problems, why we have skin problems, why we have all types of problems. So,we gotta keep moving.

4.    What is your favorite song to belt out at the bar/in the car/for karaoke?
I have like 9,800 songs in my iPod and I listen to so much music, so I don’t know if I have, like, one specific song. I do listen to music a lot, especially on my runs and stuff like that. I like 80′s music!

5.    Ten years from now you will be….
My platform will be large enough that I will be reaching the masses and teaching people the latest fitness and health advice and tips.  Just reaching the masses and helping people stay healthy and become healthy.

5 Questions Just for Patrick Murphy:

1) You train Olivia Wilde, who landed at #1 on this years Maxim Hot 100. Give us your secret!
Well with Olivia Wilde I do full body workouts. Some of the full body workouts are super setting workouts and then the other type of full body workouts I’ll do with her are mini circuits within the hour. So I’ll do five exercises in a row without rest.  And then we’ll repeat it again and then we’ll repeat that little mini circuit again and then I’ll do that four to five times, like four to five different five-exercise circuits. So very high intensity – her heart rate is way up.  And the good news is, every time I train her, I never do the same thing. I force her body to constantly adapt to different modes of resistance, to different environments.

2) Bikini season is here and I know every girl wants your help. If we could make two changes starting today to see the most results the fastest, what would you recommend?
1. Starting right away, you want to definitely start drinking.  I tell all my clients a minimum of 100 ounces of water daily. The reason why that is, is because you want your internal organs, especially your liver, to operate efficiently. If you are dehydrated and your kidneys aren’t operating efficiently, then your liver has to help out your kidneys do their job, and therefore your liver can’t metabolize fat as energy. So, staying hydrated is gonna help you metabolize fat off your body. Also, part of that is getting rid of water retention. If you give your body water all the time, then it’s not gonna hold on to excess water. It’s like this little game you play with your brain.

2. You want to avoid daily sugar spikes. To do so, you want to eat the right carbohydrates. Those are the carbohydrates that absorb slower and those are the ones that are high in fiber. So you want to eat carbohydrates that absorb slowly.  A good example that I tell my clients for good carbohydrates to remember are any fruits with skins: granny smith apples, pears, all berries are recommended. Carbohydrates high in fiber like beans, and brown rice, quinoa, and some great oatmeal products are high in fiber, too.

3) Can you give us a quick, ideal sample daily meal plan? Just, you know, kind of a suggestion.

A good breakfast would be egg white and a fruit, any piece of fruit of your liking.
A snack after breakfast would be 10-20 almonds and maybe even a pear an hour before that.
Lunch would be something like fields of green, like a good salad with different colors in it: Red peppers, orange peppers, or yellow peppers and maybe some type of beans in there, or quinoa or a whole grain.
Another snack an hour or two later would be another type of fruit, maybe just a peach.
Dinner is going to be a good fish, like a halibut or salmon. And you’re going to have a good carbohydrate and fat with that. You’re going to have a good whole grain, either a wild rice or a brown rice or quinoa again, with avocado.

4) Drinking… how much damage?
Basically, the fact of the matter is, the more you put into fitness, the more you’re going to get out of it. So if you want to really maximize full potential, then you have to not indulge as much, you know? Drinking spikes your blood sugar, causing body-fat 100%. Let me give you the safest cocktail, ‘cause if you have a problem, you have to have a cocktail. It would be a vodka soda. It’s 60 calories. All these other drinks, you know, for example, a margarita is 350 calories! Big difference!

5) So what are the best types of cardio that we can do to drop pounds fast?
When someone asks me about cardio, it should have variety, it should be different. You don’t want to do the same interval workout every single time. Most people just do the same thing for an hour or 45 minutes. They’ll do 65-75% of their max heart rate. Once you establish that and you’re able to do that every time and it’s no problem, that’s when you want to get into the interval training.

You can do two different types of interval training, you can do the “hard easy”: three minute/one minute hard. Or you can do another interval that’s called power. You do an interval within an interval.  So if you’re cruising at 3 minutes, for one minute you’re going for the sprint and then for another 30 seconds to another minute you go maximal velocity.  You just try to do as much as you can. And after the interval, then you go down. Then you do it again.

Like what Patrick had to say? Think he’s the guy to get your body where you want it to be? Tell us why you need Patrick’s help to reach your goals in the comments section below. We’ll randomly choose a winner on Monday, July 6th to “take home” the free membership to MurphyFitness.com. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be #1 on Maxim’s Hot 100 list next year!

While shopping at the mall with friends last weekend, my breakfast of Kashi Go Lean Crunch! came back to haunt me. And by “me,” I mean “everyone within a 10 foot radius.” Yeah, it’s true – I had a horrible case of the farts. So bad that I couldn’t even stand myself. I tried to hold it in – really, really hard – but they just kept coming and it was impossible for me to walk around a giant mall with my ass cheeks clenched together.

So I did what any normal woman would do: I walked away from my friends and left some smelly bombs in store corners and mall walkways. Poor shoppers didn’t know what was coming.

The entire ordeal was mortifying (especially when the guy bringing my shoes walked through an exceptionally offensive gas cloud and got a very sour look on his face) and could have been completely avoided had someone informed me about these special panties. Now, I am not one for granny panties (especially of the Hefty variety), but a pair of panties that could mask my gas?

Where do I sign up?

I’m not sure how they work, but as long as they don’t create a virtual dutch oven in my pants thus releasing the foul odor of a day’s worth of farts and knocking me out the moment I take them off, I don’t really care.  The mere thought of enjoying a fiberous breakfast and then flatulating all day without anyone knowing (I’m a master of the SBD) is enough to lure me in.

You could pack chips, sandwiches and candy to get you through those grueling hours of sunbathing, but why not bring along some yummy nutrition bars that help your figure and make your taste buds happy?

Here are my recommended top 5:

Gnu Flavor and Fiber Bars

Does your mouth water every time you smell the cinnabons at the mall? Do you have a hard time not finishing the whole bag of raisins once you start? If either of those apply to you, then you’ll love the Cinnamon Raisin bar. It’s only 130 calories and gives you 12g of fiber, already half of what you need per day! It is definitely my favorite, with Chocolate Brownie coming in second. The Banana Walnut is good for all you nut-lovers out there, and the Peanut Butter is a great substitute for everyone’s favorite (and surprisingly high calorie) PB&J sandwich. Plus, your heart will be thanking you for the lack of added sugar and artificial ingredients. All-natural, all the way.

Pros: flavor, fiber, and filling!

Cons: The price. And the Orange Cranberry bar. It was very… citrusy.

YouBar

If you like taking the lead and doing things yourself, this bar is perfect for you because you get to be the bar-creator! Just go to their website and pick out the ingredients you want, and voila! A pack of your very own specially-designed bars (or protein shakes too) will arrive on your doorstep. It seems to be the latest new trend in Hollywood, with celebrities like Fergie, AnnaLynne McCord, and even a G.W.W.E. spotted with ‘TheirBars’. Be careful, though, because the wrong mix of ingredients could be disastrous.

Pros: Customized to your own dietary needs, and you are able to pretend you’re a real chef for a few minutes.

Cons: Personalized anything gets pretty expensive. (But, with this CC Exclusive, for the entire month of March you can get 10% off when you enter “collegecandy” during checkout!)

Zone Perfect Bars

Getting your protein has never been easier with these bars, since one of them gives you 15 grams. That’s 30% of your RDI right there! Plus, they are chock full of other antioxidants and vitamins that I didn’t find as much in the other bars, and with more than a dozen different flavors, you’re sure to love at least one of them (I know I’ve found my match: Fudge Graham- mmm…). They’re all-natural too, and actually guarantee that you’ll love their bars; if you don’t, you can ask for a refund! They wouldn’t make that big of a promise if they weren’t really that good. And they are (the Dark Chocolate Strawberry speaks for itself).

Pros: Protein-packed, 19 vitamins & minerals, lots of yummy flavors.

Cons: Not the best choice for the calorie/carb-conscious.

Kashi TLC Bars

We love our friends over at Kashi. They’ve given us all sorts of must-have packaged foods, like their cereal (GoLean!) and dinner entrees. What I didn’t know was they’ve also given us a slew of snack bars! And just like their other products, these were both affordable AND amazingly-good (Pumpkin Pie = heaven). Too bad the bars on the small side; they are so tasty you will want to eat 10. The Crunchy! line (no, I didn’t add that ! there) is a little bigger and the calorie count it a little higher, but the Cinnamon Coffee Cake is so worth it.

Pros: Big in taste, small in price

Cons: Also small in size

Luna Bars

There’s a reason why almost every girl has eaten a Luna Bar at some point in her life. And why it’s sad if you haven’t yet. Because they are so…freaking…good…(*Ellipses required to simulate drooling effect.) These bars are made especially for us women and are tailored to our specificneeds. 35% calcium, 30% iron, and 100% vitamins C, E, AND B in my favorite Iced Oatmeal Raisin? What more could you ask for? Actually, I would ask for a more reduced calorie count, since some flavors are almost 200 calories. I do give them props for coming out with the Mini line, so we can at least try to limit ourselves (because trust me, once I let loose on those Lunas, there’s no turning back).

Pros: Every flavor is yummy plus calcium for stronger bones!

Cons: The calories.

Last year in my Intro to Nutrition Class I learned a little secret: pizza doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure. Now, I am not telling you to go on an all pizza diet. But, like most things, if you make good pizza choices, it is totally fine to enjoy in moderation. And letting yourself have it means you won’t feel deprived and go crazy (read: eat 12 pieces) when it’s put in front of you.

Here’s what you need to know:

1) Thin crust is best- Always go with thin crust over deep dish or pan. It has fewer calories, less fat and is deliciously crunchy!

2) If possible, go whole grain- My dining hall always offers a whole grain crust option. Although I was initially scared of the darker, healthier crust, I actually really like it. Don’t have whole grain pizza in your d-hall? Order in! Pizza chains like Domino’s and Papa John’s are now offering this healthier option.

3) Skip the meat- Piling on pepperoni = added fat and calories.

4) Go for veggies- Do you love green peppers? Maybe you’re a tomato type of girl. Perfect! Adding vegetables is a great way to add flavor without tons of calories. Plus, you can enjoy the benefits of added fiber (fills you longer) and vitamins (obviously good for you).

5) Lighten up on the cheese- Cheese is great, but asking for light cheese will cut the calories considerably…and still taste great.

Want to see how many calories your slice of pizza contains? Check out this awesome Website where you can build your own pizza from crust to toppings! It’ll help you think twice before ordering that deep dish, sausage pizza!

Need a little motivation? Well, if you improve the way you eat, you can cut calories, shed pounds, and create a whole new relationship with food for 2009 and beyond. Here is a great place to start:

- Make Little Changes: Instead of having your normal omelette every morning, switch to egg whites; they are the most nutritious and healthy parts of eggs. Individuals do not realize that an entire whole egg contains 210 milligrams of Cholesterol, 7 grams of fat, and 90 calories. Egg whites have only 17 calories and ZERO milligrams of Cholesterol. See the difference? Other healthy swaps include wheat bread instead of white, lower calorie dressings instead of the full fat ones, and less or no cheese on sandwiches and salads.

- Drink the Right Liquids: Switching to water or seltzer versus regular Coke can elimiate calories and sugar intake, which ultimately turns to fat – something we’re all trying to avoid!

- Snacking: If you’re going to snack, make conscious choices and do it in a healthy way. Opt for handfuls of almonds or sliced vegetables versus chips and French fries, which are full of fats and lacking in the nutrition department. Fruits, vegetables and proteins (peanut butter, beans) will fill you up longer and keep you healthier.

- Limit Sweets: We all love chocolate cake, but all chocolate cake loves to do is add cellulite and extra pounds to your thighs. If you want something sweet, have a cup of frozen yogurt or Italian ice; it’s lower in calories and will satisfy that sweet tooth.

- Eat Your Vegetables! I may sound like your mother, but it’s true. Vegetables are the backbone of a healthy diet.

- Get it Frozen: Fresh produce is pricey, but that is no excuse to avoid it. Frozen fruits are great to pop into a bowl of cereal and frozen vegetables are fantastic to steam for a healthy side dish (or snack!) for every meal.

- Eat Your (Good) Carbs: Carbohydrates fuel our body, but the fine line between the good and bad carbs is a bit fuzzy. Don’t avoid carbs, just choose the right carbs to give you all the health benefits instead of the added weight around your midsection.

If you stick with these healthy eating habits, you’ll look better, feel better and live better. Happy 2009!

[Exercise, health and fitness are an important part of every woman’s life. But how do you know if you’re doing it right? And what new findings, tips and advice will help you reach your health fitness goals? Kelly, our fitness guru, will keep you updated every Monday with the latest and most beneficial news and advice for your health and body. Like the story with carbs..]

Carbs. Whether you realize it or not, everyone eats some type of carb. You hear about all these crazy diets that call for no carbs, when in reality, it’s the most unrealistic way to diet. Your body needs carbs; they are another fuel that keeps a body up and running at a healthy balance. Carbohydrates, by definition, are sugars that provide the body with energy. However, people often mistake the amounts and, more importantly, types of carbohydrates that are good for them.

I’m here to clear up the confusion.

The Good Carbs:

Carbohydrates, which are generally high in fiber (a great nutrient for your body, gives you energy and keeps your regular), are best eaten when they’re not processed (i.e., in the rawest, naturalist state). Good carbs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that provide your body with energy over extensive periods of time.

Below is a list (thanks to Mama’s Health) of good carbs to eat when you’re craving a fix:

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Beans

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas (see – you can eat bread, just the whole grain ones!)

The good carbs will provide you with energy and nutrients without damaging your figure!

The Bad Carbs:

Bad carbs are generally processed foods, which means all of the nutrients (i.e., the good carb stuff) are removed. While they taste delicious (think McDonalds French Fries), they are incredibly useless to your daily life, as they provide no nutritional value and are jacked up in fats and calories. Below is a list of BAD carbs. Stay away from these badboys.

• White Flour

• White Pasta

• White Bread

• Soda

• Beer

• French Fries

• Potato Chips

• Pizza

These bad carbs generally turn into one thing in your body, something we all worry about: fat. Now, I know it’s unrealistic to say NEVER eat or drink these things, but do so in teeny, tiny doses. You want some fries? Order a small and make it your only bad carb for the week. You want some beer? Drink Michelob Ultra, a beer dedicated to its low carb and low calorie count.

Just keep these things in mind the next time you need to make a meal decision. You don’t have to cut out all of the carbs, just choose the right ones.

(Photo courtesy of nycc.org)

1. My Dropbox – Does your friend have all the good pictures from last night on her camera? Did she just buy the new Britney album that you want but are too embarrassed to purchase? We all know how annoying it is to transfer files via email – that stuff takes forever – and now you don’t have to. My Dropbox is a program you and your friends download. Wanna share some pics with eachother? Just drag em into your box (that’s what she said) and – voila! – any friends who are linked up with you now have the files too. It’s technology at its finest.

2. Healthy Mac & Cheese? 18 grams of fiber in one serving, and it’s GOOD. My late night munching self is in LOVE with this idea.

3. Eco Friendly organization. We all know we are supposed to hold on to every exam all semester long, along with our bank statements, our shopping reciepts, and a plethora of other junk that just ends up splattered all over our desks, and floors, and cars… and the list goes on. So check out these great, eco friendly ways to divide up your important documents and tuck them away in a neat, safe place. I don’t really love these, but my roommates love seeing the kitchen table, so I guess that’s good enough.

4. Laura Mercier ‘Almond Coconut Milk’ Hand Crème - It fits in your purse, makes your hands baby soft, and makes you think you are sipping pina coladas on spring break instead of cramming for your econ final.

5. Frustration Free Packaging. How many times do you spend 25 mintues trying to open up your new phone/Bluetooth/Barbie Doll and you just end up with a missing tooth, a bloody lip and the urge to scream and stomp on the product? Whoever designed that hard plastic packaging should work for national security. But, thankfully, Amazon.com is ready to do away with “Wrap Rage”; they are introducing a line of “frustration free packaging,” in recyclable cardboard boxes. Perfect for those of us with a need for instant gratification. Easy to open AND eco-friendly? Now that I L-O-V-E.