Another day and another delicious salad was consumed.
This was my salad for dinner last night. I chose to veg out and watch Jersey Shore (aka my new favorite show) instead of ramble about salad.
A little salad
I don’t usually buy boxed or bagged lettuce (they usually taste like chemicals to me – even the organic ones) but this was on sale. This lettuce didn’t taste too chemical-ly but it was a little funky. I also added fresh red romaine lettuce.
And then I dropped some heat.
At the grocery store on Sunday night my plan was to buy a raspberry-something to make a raspberry vinaigrette but then I saw hot sauce and thought, “I am bringin’ the heat to December.” And if you are wondering, it has been brought.
Bring it.
My dressing included:
- 1 teaspoon of hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
This salad was missing one thing: more hot sauce. I played it a little safe and this dressing was not spicy enough for me. More hot sauce experimenting to follow …
I read an interesting article in the NY Times this morning about our evolution towards distance running.
The article states that ,”on a hot day, a human could even outrun a horse in a 26.2-mile marathon.” I would like to see that!
Our bodies are designed for distance running:
- We cool by sweating instead of panting. We can stay cool at speeds and distances that would cause other animals to overheat.
- Unlike our close relatives the chimp and the ape, we have springlike ligaments and tendons in the feet and legs which are crucial for running.
- We have a narrow waist and a midsection that can turn allow us to swing our arms and prevent us from zigzagging on the trail.
- We have a very developed sense of balance that keeps the head stable as we run.
- The gluteus mazimus (the JLo) is the largest muscle in the human body. This muscle is mostly engaged during running and is hardly used during walking.
- The short toes of the human foot allow for more efficient running, compared with longer-toed animals. Our straight big toe is, rather than to the side, suggests that our feet evolved for running.
But why do runners often have injuries? The article mentions that many people don’t begin running until later in life but exercise early in life affects the development of muscles and tendons. Our bodies may not be developed enough to withstand distance running. Also, fancy shoes and artificial running surfaces, like treadmills, can increase the risk of injury.
Your thoughts: do you think our bodies are built to run?
Hey there! I am twenty something vegetarian with a passion for real food, cooking, and living a healthy, happy life.
Just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say hi!!
Looking forward to reading more – love your outlook
i didn tknow that treamdills make us more susceptible to injries- i thought the opposite! but very interesting article. when i’m healthy, a goal of mine is to get nito distance running and soi liked reading this
Interesting info! I think different people adapt differently to running. It seems some people are just built for it while other people cannot pick it up no matter how hard they try. I think in this case, as usual, it’s best to just listen to your body.
Wow… that’s so interesting! Hmm. I think our bodies ARE built to run, like “fight or flight”. But I think those who take advantage of our bodies’ ability reap the benefits.
)
I think out of any sport or exercise, running is probably the most “natural” thing our body can do (unlike spinning or gymnastics or something like that
Ooh! I like the idea of hot sauce dressing! I don’t know why I haven’t thought of that before. I have used salsa before – you know when you get out as much as you can at the end of the jar but there is still salsa in there? Then you add your oil, vinegar, lemon juice and shake – voila, yummy salsa dressing. But now I can have a little heat whenever – duh! Thanks for sharing!
Blessings!
Amy
Louisiana hot sauce is my fave!
i love hot sauce dressing! i love mixing it with hummus
hmmmmm Hot Sauce Dressing!! I am a little scared but I might try it!