Sometimes we need a kick in the pants to make our day-to-day nutritional routine a bit more thrilling. If you want to enhance your dining experience with quick, easy-to-prepare recipes, with the guarantee that you are eating some of the best foods available, this article is for you. Due to time and space constrains, today's article just covers the produce aisle. Rather than focus on the science behind the vegetables, I'll just tell you what they are and how to eat 'em.

1. Avocadoes

• Saute with black beans and serve over brown rice.
• Blend, then add to your favorite dressing for more flavor and texture.
• Mix chopped avocados, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and mangos for an awesome salsa.
• Blend, then use as a mayonnaise substitute.
• Chop, then combine with oranges, jicama, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice.

2. Bell Peppers

• Hollow out, steam five minutes, then stuff with wild rice and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes..
• Marinate with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and black pepper.
• Sautee with red onions and zucchini.
• Use as a tortilla chip substitute.

3. Eggplant

• Roast in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then puree with garlic, tahini or sesame oil, olive oil, and lemon juice. Use as a dip or filling.
• Mix roasted eggplant with grilled bell peppers, pinto beans, onions and garlic.
• Stuff with a mixture of feta cheese, pine nuts and roasted peppers, then roast for 20 minutes.

4. Winter Squash

• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, then puree with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a tablespoon of maple syrup.
• Steam as cubes, then mix with olive oil, ginger and pumpkin seeds.
• Use spaghetti squash in any recipe as a pasta substitute.

5. Sweet Potatoes

• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then mix with sliced bananas, chopped walnuts, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a tablespoon of honey, then bake for another 15 minutes.
• Steam cubed sweet potatoes with tofu, raisins, and broccoli.
• Baked and eat as snack before a workout, or recovery fuel after a workout.

6. Garlic

• Chop in blender or coffee grinder and mix with olive oil and lemon juice for quick and healthy dressing.
• Puree a clove of garlic with a can of garbanzo beans, tahini or sesame oil, olive oil and lemon juice for hummus.
• Saute steam spinach, garlic, sea salt, and fresh lemon juice.
• Puree roasted garlic, cooked sweet or regular potatoes and olive oil together to make healthy garlic mashed potatoes.

Lately, I've been doing quite a bit of research on eating properly based on your unique metabolism, and helping several clients reach new heights. If you want me to help you customized your diet, get started by visiting www.pacificfit.net/fitness.html, and choosing a program that fits your schedule and budget. You can also e-mail me to arrange a personal phone interview. This is especially important for endurance athletes, for whom proper fuel cannot be ignored. If you're fueling your body with sludge, you're going to perform far below capacity, and experience sub-par recovery. For a custom routine for endurance athletes, please e-mail me so I can arrange a phone interview with you.

Until next time, train smart,

Ben Greenfield

"When to Increase Your Weight."

No, I'm not talking about when to get fatter. I'm talking about when to increase the resistance in your weightlifting workout. Do you get comfortable with a certain weight, and avoid adding more, just in case you might injure yourself. Try this:

If you can complete 3 more than the prescribed number of repetitions, you need to increase the weight.

For upper body, add 5-10 pounds. For lower body, add 10-20 pounds.

Increase for the first set only. The next workout, increase for the second and third sets also.

Try to increase the weight for each exercise at least once every 4 weeks.

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