Tag Archives: athlete

5 Meal Prep Tips for a Healthy New Year

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A healthier new year starts with building better nutrition habits. Cooking is one way to get yourself into a healthier groove, and adding a little bit of meal planning to make a significant difference! Making sure you have a well-balanced, varied diet can easily be achieved with meal prep. Here are 5 meal prep tips to give you a head start: 1. Less is more Begin meal prepping with recipes that are easy to prepare and require simple ingredients. I like to select recipes with no more than 10 ingredients (less is better!). Once you get the swing of preparing these recipes, you can expand to more robust dishes. 2. Batch cook Cook a large amount (double or triple the quantity of a recipe) so you can enjoy part of it that day, and then save or freeze the rest Continue reading →

Love Your Heart!

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

This Valentine’s Day, love your heart! Have you heard of phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants? Phenols and flavonoids are families of phytonutrients, nonessential nutrients found in plant foods that provide color, flavor, and health benefits, particularly as antioxidants. In the body, antioxidants inhibit molecules that cause damage to body cells. Because of these antioxidants and other nutrients, increased fruit and vegetable consumption has been linked to decreased risk for many chronic illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Does this mean pears are good for your heart? Well, a systematic review of pears and health published in the November/December 2015 issue of Nutrition Today supports what I’ve been saying all along. To be specific, pears contain many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C (an antioxidant!), potassium, and phytonutrients that act as antioxidants – in particular, pears provide between 27 and 41mg Continue reading →

USA Pears Hit the Slopes

Brittany By on

It may be summer, but there’s still snow on the mountains, and you can bet Olympic skier Torin Koos is there to enjoy it! From June 18–22, skiers of all ages joined Torin on the slopes of Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon to brush up on their skiing skills and have fun at Bend Camp. Bend Camp is a long-running tradition that invites Nordic skiers to train on snow and land with professional skiers. This year, skiers including Torin, Lars Flora, and Kristina Strandberg instructed campers, and Torin invited USA Pears to camp, too! As you can see, Perry was happy to join in the fun—he even made a new four-legged friend! It was a pear-fect start to the summer. Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Go for the Gold with Pears!

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

After the last few weeks of winter games, do you have the Olympic spirit? Are you itching to try a new sport? Maybe you’re thinking about hitting the slopes, trail, or the ice. Now, when you’re motivated, is the time to try something new! But just like in summer, safe and effective physical activity has a few requirements. Whichever activity you choose, you may want to play it safe by opting for a lesson, and always dress in layers to stay warm. Staying hydrated is crucial for regulating body temperature. In the winter you may not feel like you are losing as much moisture. But, you are still losing moisture through sweat and respiration, especially if you are active at higher altitudes (e.g., ski slopes). It’s also imperative to energize your body with proper nutrition! Your body needs carbohydrates, vitamins, Continue reading →

Go Torin!

Lynsey By on

The Leavenworth Junior Nordic Team from Torin Koos’s hometown shows their support for their local Olympic athlete.  Today he competes in the Men’s Individual Sprint in Vancouver.  “Go Torin,” indeed! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

The Olympian’s Quest: Part One

Jenny By on

In just four days, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games will commence.  You can be sure we’ll be pulling for U.S. Ski Team member Torin Koos, a cross-country skier we’re extremely proud to sponsor.  As a native of Leavenworth, Washington, Torin grew up in the heart of pear country.  He checks in with us regularly with postcards, photos, training videos, and his reflections on training and competing in the Olympics, a dream he’s had since he was a child.  In addition to his love for skiing, Torin also enjoys writing.  In fact, he’s in the process of getting a master’s degree in communications at Westminster College.  He recently sent us an article called “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters” which we’re very pleased to share with you. Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters It’s a quiet Sunday night as I begin Continue reading →

True to His Roots

Jenny By on

Here’s the first of several videos I’ll be posting of Torin Koos, the cross-country skier we proudly sponsor.  Torin grew up in running, skiing and working in the pear orchards near Leavenworth, Washington.  In less than two months he’ll be representing  U.S.A. in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and this short video gives you a peak at what it’s like to train for the winter games.  Stay tuned for some exciting things we’ll be doing to show our support for Torin as he goes for the gold! P.S.  Torin’s favorite pre-race breakfast includes a big bowl of oatmeal topped with brown sugar and slices of Green Anjou pears.  It’s no wonder we love him! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

100 Days ’til the XXI Olympic Winter Games!

Jenny By on

It’s tough to tell in this photo, but there’s a pear embroidered on this guy’s cap, and that’s because USA Pears is an official headgear sponsor of Olympic athlete Torin Koos.  In 100 days, he’ll be in Vancouver, B.C. to cross-country ski his heart out for the gold! Torin grew up in Leavenworth, Washington, which is located in the Wenatchee growing district that’s world famous for pears.  Click here to read an interview where Torin professes his love for skiing and pears, and here to read an article posted today on NBCOlympics.com, where Torin talks about his sport and the upcoming winter games. Check back for more updates on Torin’s quest for the gold! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Pack a Pear!

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

In Colorado, locals have a summer passion for climbing fourteeners, mountains taller than 14,000 feet. In fact, Colorado has more than 50 fourteeners! Over this past weekend, my husband and I thought we would be adventurous and give Mt. Elbert a shot; at 14,433 feet it is the tallest mountain in the Rockies. It was a strenuous climb that took us a total of seven and a half hours, but the summit view was well worth it! One of the necessities of taking on any strenuous activity is fueling the body. When hiking, biking, running, or partaking in any activity for an extended period, the body needs energy from carbohydrates to keep going. Glucose, the primary energy source used by the body, is stored in the liver and muscles and circulates in the blood to continually fuel the tissues. This Continue reading →

Pears + Olympic Skier Torin Koos

Jenny By on

USA Pears is proud sponsor of Torin Koos, a two-time Olympian who grew up in Leavenworth, Washington.   For those of you who aren’t familiar with the area, Leavenworth is located about 20 miles northwest of Wenatchee, in the heart of this major pear-producing region.  Check out some of Torin’s stats, and look for more about this pear-loving athlete as he trains for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn