Popping the Protein.

[Nick]

I'm not, but hopefully it will.

I've found the acest gym ever, which helps. I might actually bother to go four times a week. I really should. I've got nothing else to do until I start the new job.

And my gym buddy's fantastic. Same height as me, but proper-shaped. And a personal trainer. So it's all looking good.

Is rocket the same thing as spinach? Or similar?

[Jen from the Olden Days]

I'm not sure about rocket. Isn't that some kind of salad leaf? I'm sure it's very fashionable or something, so we'll get it up here in about 3 years. We've only just discovered balsamic vinegar, you know.

I always cook spinach, although I'm not sure if you have to. I'm no masterchef, it would have to be said. But cooking spinach basically just involves putting it in a pot with a little bit of water and heating it up for a minute or two, so it's hardly complex. And then you can just eat it as it is, which is probably only advisable for hardcore spinach lovers like me, or you can add it to anything and everything. Although maybe not the porridge.

And yay! for finding a good gym. My (poor) excuse for doing no exercise is that every time I start at another gym I discover within days that it's full of men with no necks lifting very heavy things, and women who just wander around gazing at the men with no necks. I don't like being the only sweaty person, surely that's not right?

[Nick]

I don't sweat much, apart from my colossal feet. Little fact for you there.

This gym's very new, and at the wrong end of Deansgate, so it's never very busy. I hope it stays that way. It's well air-conditioned, full of decent weights, and has attractive-but-not-unapproachable staff. It's also only 20 minutes walk from my flat, and open from 6am - 10pm. And £25 a month for peak-time student membership. Hoorah!

It also isn't full of benders, like the last one was. Which is a relief. They sit around and gossip, and get in the way. Well, some of them do. ;D

[max]

Jen said:

I always cook spinach, although I'm not sure if you have to. I'm no masterchef, it would have to be said. But cooking spinach basically just involves putting it in a pot with a little bit of water and heating it up for a minute or two, so it's hardly complex. And then you can just eat it as it is, which is probably only advisable for hardcore spinach lovers like me, or you can add it to anything and everything.

i just stick a handful of leaves in a bowl and microwave it (30 secs at 750 W) - no water required. All the vitamins stay in then.
its good raw/chopped in sandwiches and salads too.

i found this
"Although it will not produce the magical effects that Popeye enjoyed, spinach is most definitely good for you. It is exceptionally rich in carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lutein, and also contains quercetin, a phytochemical with antioxidant properties. Spinach is rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly folate (folic acid), vitamin K, magnesium, and manganese; it also contains more protein than most vegetables. (Although the protein is incomplete--spinach and other leafy green vegetables are low in the amino acid methionine--it is complemented by the protein in rice and other grains.)

Raw spinach is a healthy addition to salads, but to get the full benefit from this leafy green, eat it cooked at least some of the time. Cooking makes the antioxidant carotenoids responsible for much of spinach's nutritional potency easier for the body to absorb.

Nutrition Chart

Spinach/2 cups raw chopped

Calories 13
Total fat (g) 0.2
Saturated fat (g) 0
Monounsaturated fat (g) 0
Polyunsaturated fat (g) 0.1
Dietary fiber (g) 1.6
Protein (g) 2
Carbohydrate (g) 2
Cholesterol (mg) 0
Sodium (mg) 47
Beta-carotene (mg) 2.4
Vitamin C (mg) 17
Folate (mcg) 116
Manganese (mg) 0.5
"

[Jen from the Olden Days]

Well there you go, if you are going to eat just one vegetable (that'd be me then), it appears that spinach is a good choice. Thanks for the cookery tips Max, I'll do that.

I sweat far too much at the gym. Although, being a lady, I should probably say I glow profusely. It probably has something to do with my extreme lack of fitness though, since the sweating tends to start at about the same time as the gasping for breath and the severe cramps.

Your gym does sound entirely excellent though Nick. I might even be tempted to go occasionally if there was a decent gym like that around here. But there isn't, so I can keep on making excuses. Hooray!

[Andrew*]

well i suggested spinach earlier!

i think its lovely raw! i can eat it like popcorn

am i weird?

[yorkpete]

yes, you're a man who likes spinach.

I just went swimming (good) but then ate a bugger king (bad).

I like to balance my ying and yang you see.

To be fair I exercise a lot more than I go to burger king.

[Jen from the Olden Days]

Andrew* said:

well i suggested spinach earlier!

i think its lovely raw! i can eat it like popcorn

am i weird?

No! You're not weird at all, and don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

You're just very healthy, obviously. I might try it raw, I don't think I ever have.

[max]

its good raw in sandwiches - turkey, spinach and mustard on wholemeal is wonderful.

[Pandarama]

max said:

its good raw in sandwiches - turkey, spinach and mustard on wholemeal is wonderful.

Ooh, that does sound good.

I'm cross because my flatmate threw half a bag of beansprouts in my lunch and now I have one stuck in my throat.

[Forgive Me Jenny Elly Moondial]

jamie said:

Those high-protein diets make you feel really bad and apparently you have lots of unpleasant side effects including wind and diarohea(sp)

Presumably the most unpleasant side-effect being that if you don't know this and get the first one, when the second one hits when you are expecting the first one it's a nasty shock.