Av Lise

Nå er julebordsesongen i full gang, og selv skal jeg på mitt første julebord lørdag kveld. Jeg er vel ikke alene om å ha god erfaring med å våkne opp dagen derpå, etter en strålende fest, med hodet fullt av tømmermenn og magen i ubalanse. Men nå finnes det gode råd.

Klikk.no skriver i dag om en vitenskapelig gjennomgang av hva man bør spise dagen derpå. Om vi kan stole på det som står der så er det kort oppsummert fire ting som har effekt når uhellet er ute.

• Egg
• Bananer
• Vann
• Juice

Hvorfor funker dette?

Egg gir deg energi i likhet med annen mat. Men egg har også store mengder cysteine. Det er et stoff som bryter ned en av giftene som forårsaker fyllesyken.

Bananer sørger i likhet med annen mat å tilføre kroppen elektrolytter, men de tilfører kroppen kalium – et stoff som alkoholen sørger for at kroppen tappes for. Kiwi er for øvrig også full av kalium og du finner det i mange sportsdrikker også.

Vann motvirker dehydrering. Det hjelper også å tynne ut biprodukter i magen. Når du drikker mister kroppen både natrium og glykogen. Det kan erstattes om du har litt sukker og litt salt i vannet du drikker. (Og dersom du ikke visste det: Det er svært preventivt å drikke vann ved siden av mens du drikker alkohol.)

Juice inneholder fruktose som gir kroppen energi. Men, den store fordelen er at det øker farten på kroppens nedbryting av giftstoffer. Den erstatter også vitaminer og mineraler som ble skyldt ut av systemet når kroppen jobbet med alkoholen.

Da vet jeg i alle fall hva jeg skal spise til frokost søndag morgen:

• Omelett med et glass juice til og en smoothies m/banan eller bananmilkshake.

Og når det gjelder selve festen så har jeg noen regler jeg sverger til (eller forsøker i alle fall…):

• Slutte å drikke alkohol klokken 12 (på kvelden altså…)
• Drikke 1/2 liter vann før jeg går og legger meg.

Til slutt så kan det være greit å huske tommelfingerregelen: Ett glass vin – ett glass vann

God helg og godt julebord!

One of the easiest ways of getting tons of nutrition while helping your chances of losing weight is through a liquid diet. Now I’m not talking about packaged protein shakes or low calorie drinks but rather whole food smoothies and juices that pack tons of fruits and vegetables into a single glass.

The recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables is 5-10 servings yet less than 20% of North Americans meet that requirement. The reasons are many but a very simple way to remedy this issue is to get a number of those servings by way of a single smoothie or juice.

This way not only will you get an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants but you also lessen the burden on your digestive system. I’m sure you can understand that anything liquid takes far less time to digest than a solid food. It just makes sense since the ingredients have already been “predigested” by the blending or juicing process.

This applies to weight loss in the following manner. When you eat foods, they are digested, broken down, and absorbed into the blood to go to their final destination. Much of the time, though, the meals many people eat are so heavy that it takes them hours to digest.

As a result, the body is required to divert huge amounts of energy to the digestion process. Fatigue and lethargy are usually the first signs that this is taking place. I’m sure you’ve experienced this after a big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Since most people have underactive digestive systems many of these solid meals don’t get properly digested. They place heavy demands on the stomach and digestive organs and ultimately don’t nourish the body as it needs to be. If foods come into your body and are not properly broken down they are more easily stored as fat (since they can’t be utilized) and have a tendency to clog up the intestinal tract, impeding proper elimination.

More foods being stored as fat (especially if they’re cooked foods) and an impaired ability to eliminate them can only mean that weight is being added (not lost) to your body. Food comes in but doesn’t go out – it’s got to go somewhere.

THE LIQUID SOLUTION

So if you want to lose weight and you can identify with the above scenarios, why not try a different approach?

Try incorporating more smoothies and fresh-pressed juices into your diet. Most of the smoothies and juices I make take no more than 5 minutes to prepare yet pack in about 4-8 servings of fruits and vegetables, and other superfoods!

This means that with just 2 smoothies or juices per day I can get more than my needed intake of fruits and vegetables. This has pretty obvious health benefits. It is also immensely beneficial for weight loss seekers.

Liquid meals reduce the load on your digestive system. It’s almost as if the nutrients bypass the entire process of digestion and get absorbed right to where they need to be.

The benefits to juicing and making your own smoothies are numerous, but needless to say you have to give them a shot to truly feel their full power.

Here are 2 recipes from Eating for Energy to get you started:

Spinach Pear Smoothie

Serves 1 to 2

3 cups spinach
1 pear
¼ cup parsley
1 cup celery juice
Juice of half a lemon

* Blend all ingredients into a blender until smooth.

Grape-Celery Cooler

Serves 1 to 2

1 cup sweet red grapes
3-4 celery stalks
Mint for garnish (optional)

* In a juicer, juice all ingredients and garnish with mint if desired.

Nutrition Expert, Yuri Elkaim and his groundbreaking book, Eating for Energy, have helped thousands of people in over 80 countries regain control of their health and weight. Watch his new You Tube Video and discover a delicious GREEN smoothie recipe that will keep you energized and nourished. For more on his revolutionary healthy eating book visit http://www.EatingforEnergy.ca

Hi everyone!!! I had a very busy day so far! I got up at 7:00am had a quick pre-run snack before heading out for a long run.

I had 8 oz. of Pacific iced coffee and one slice of Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread with Earth Balance.

I started out my run and decided I would challenge myself a little bit. The plan was to run 8 miles – which would be my longest distance yet, but instead I ran 9.53 miles in 1:27:06!!!! I felt really good, so I just kept running!!! After my run I felt great, it made me very confident that I will be able to complete my half marathon that I want to run

Splits:

• Mile 1- 8:51

• Mile 2- 8:53

• Mile 3- 8:45

• Mile 4- 9:10

• Mile 5 – 9:18

• Mile 6 – 9:13

• Mile 7 – 9:16

• Mile 8 – 9:08

• Mile 9 – 9:33

• Last .53 – 4:56

I was very pleased with my stats After my run, I refueled with a Green Monster!!!!

Ingredients:

• Spinach

• Chocolate Almond Milk

• PB2

• Chocolate PB2

• Bee Pollen

• Protein Powder

• Ice

I realized after it was blended that I forgot to add banana!!! So, I ate it separately…

I showered, got dressed and headed to Zumes to have coffee with my friend Casey who is home from Colorado for Thanksgiving. It was great to catch up with her, she is actually coming it with us tonight too!!! I have been friends with Case since I was 12 (I think ). I just love spending time with old friends!!!!

Here is a picture of us from a few years ago!!!

I got a medium, medium roast coffee with vanilla syrup with half and half. After coffee, I headed home and reheated a small bowl of my Pasta Fagioli from last night.

I actually ended up having two small bowls, I was HUNGRY…I guess that is normal when you burn close to 1,000 calories first thing in the morning! The soup was so good, I think it was every better than it was last night. I feel like every time I make any kind of homemade soup it tastes so much better the next day. Does anyone else notice that?

After lunch, my bestie May came over and we made a healthier version of pumpkin cheesecake, one for me to take to Adam’s sister’s tomorrow, and one for May to take to her sister’s. They are still in the oven, I will let you know how it comes out!! This is the recipe we used, if you are interested. It was pretty easy, and smells really yummy!!!

While cooking, I started feeling hungry again (today will be a bottomless pit day for sure). So I snacked on a serving of these crackers!

In other news:

1. As you all know, in Honor of Thanksgiving being right around the corner, I will be posting something I am thankful for in every post.PLEASE feel free to join in in the comments section! So for this post:

I AM THANKFUL FOR: Our Thanksgiving Eve Tradition!!!

Every year on Thanksgiving Eve, everyone is my neighborhood heads out to our local tavern and spends the night catching up and having drinks! It is always great to see people you haven’t seen in a while and hang out with good friends.

Here is a picture of my bestie May, her boyfriend Rick and myself from last years Thanksgiving Eve bash!!

Does anyone else have a Thanksgiving Eve Ritual?????

Well, I got to get ready for my night…see you guys in the am

Morning!

Yesterday’s eats were almost back to normal- no big meals out, so that was good! We have nooo food in the fridge because we won’t be spending much time at home for 4 days, so I had to scrounge a bit to find healthy, filling meals.

After doing Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred (killer!), I threw together a bowl of fridge-finds: the last of my cottage cheese, a chopped apple, some pumpkin granola, and some apricot preserve. It was pretty tasty if I do say so myself, and a great post-workout dish.With a Chai Black Tea (Yogi-tea brand).

Why does my almond milk always curdle in my tea?! The bizarre mysteries of the universe that I cannot unfold….

I had nothing to bring to work for lunch because we are  fresh out of all veggies and fruits. But, I got lucky!

I work in an adult education program, and the students were having a pre-Thanksgiving party in class. They all brought in the most amazing dishes from home. We have a lot of Mexican and Latin American students and they made the most delicious food!

As much as I would have loved to eat a bunch of rice and beans and tacos, I tried to make myself a healthy version of Mexican food. I plopped a lot of salad and guacamole onto my plate and a sprinkle of Oaxacan cheese. On the side, I had a few homemade blue corn chips (amazing!), some pureed black beans, and a little bit of potato salad.

It was soooo good! And I got my veggie-fix.

I also had a vegetarian flauta (a small rolled up tortilla, filled with potato -I think- and lightly fried) earlier in the morning. They were eating Mexican food at 9 am! I don’t know why that is always so surprising to me… I remember when I went to India thinking how weird it was that people at Indian food for breakfast. OBVIOUSLY, genius!

I was very snacky yesterday- wanted to much all day. My snacks included:

A bowl of popcorn at work (so easy to make in the microwave- pretty healthy!).

A smoothie when I got home (with frozen fruit, water, and almond milk- got my fruits in!):

And a string cheese:

I was so snacky, that even though I made this for dinner…

(Chicken sausage, spinach, garbanzos, and brown rice)

….All I wanted was this:

A PB and jelly on Exekial bread with a glass of almond milk.

Don’t worry, Loren ate up the good, healthy, real food!

Buzz was hamming it up during dinner, and wanted to be photographed, so I obliged.

And later, after a really hot bath, I was feeling faint/ exhausted, so I had some Tasti-Delight (from my freezer). Dulce de Leche with some chocolate chips. Miracle cure! I felt much better.

Now off to work. Today is all about getting out of work early, cleaning my apartment, and going to see my parents/ family for dinner. I might or might not exercise. My body (read: knees) kind of feels like it needs a day off! Maybe something light, like a long walk…

See you guys later!

• 3320 S. Westnedge Avenue
• Kalamazoo, MI 49008
• (269)342-0323
• Website
• Menu

McDonald’s twice in one week?  I know.  I apologize.  This was one of those unplanned stops. 

J and I left Waldo Stadium about halfway through the third quarter to avoid the incoming rain.  Somehow, I ended up back in Portage after leaving the stadium, so we came home I-94 to Westnedge.  About the time we were getting to our turn, J said she was still hungry.  I didn’t want to say anything, but I was too.  We had only eaten a slice of pizza and some popcorn at the game and didn’t have much of a lunch.

J was craving a smoothie and the only place we could think of at 10:00 at night that would have a smoothie was McDonald’s.  We knew there was one just a mile or so down the road, so we skipped our turn and headed to the golden arches. 

McDonald’s in the South Westnedge neighborhood is on South Westnedge near Elys Way.  Like I mentioned in my McDonald’s review earlier this week, I hate drive thrus, so we parked and headed in.  The restaurant is open 24 hours, but the lobby closes at 11:00.  We got there ahead of that, so I wasn’t forced to argue with a speaker because neither of us can understand each other. 

I was pretty predictable again.  Double 1/4lber meal with a Sprite.  I did not make it a large this time though.  I don’t need that many empty calories that late at night, but I needed something substantial. 

J ordered a small strawberry/banana smoothie and a Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap with crispy chicken.  Our bill was under $10.

We took it to go so we could get home.  We were both good and actually waited until we got home to eat….except for the few fries J stole from me.

My burger was what I expected and what I always enjoy from McDonald’s.  No surprises.

J said her chicken wrap was pretty spicy.  I didn’t take a bite, so you’ll just have to take her word on it.  I could smell the smoothie, but I don’t really like bananas or strawberries.  She enjoyed them both. 

I said it last time, I’ll say it again.  McDonald’s is what it is.  It’s cheap.  It’s quick.  It’s consistent. 

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap

Not everyone would salivate at the idea of a green smoothie. If your one of these people then you’re missing out on a fast track ticket to great health! This gloriously green smoothie is actually a simple blend of assorted fruits with green vegetables added to it. If your Mama never told you to eat your greens, then you’re in for a BIG surprise.

Greens are essentially nature’s most potent ingredient offered to heal our body.

Green smoothies are delicious, nutritious and by far the fastest and easiest way to jumpstart yourself to a whole new healthy revitalized YOU!

1) Fresh food

Problem:

We usually don’t consume the amount of greens we need on a daily basis. Normally, we cook or make them into salads. Heat kills a large amount of live nutrients so the more greens are cooked, the more nutritional value it has as a cardboard! The same way goes for the pasteurized 100% fruit juices seen on your store shelf and most green supplements which are both prepared in high temperature. Green supplements can give some added nutrients if you can’t cover the variety of greens, but it’s not enough to replace the real thing. Salad is a healthier option, but dark greens are not so palatable. Tendency is we cover it with oils and creamy dressing, but there is just so much you eat before you get tired of the flavors. Some only eat the sweet greens such as Romanian lettuce which contain fewer nutrients then the dark greens. The less delicious the taste the more vital nutrients it contains.

Solution:

Green smoothies; Blending your favorite fruits can easily cover the taste of quite a large amount of greens. The smooth texture is also a given benefit because it helps the body to absorb it quickly without exerting extra energy to digest it.

2) Virgin source of protein and nutrients

This power health drink can pass off as a meal on its own. Depending on your imagination with fruits and greens it can cover the A to Z of minerals and vitamins. You may ask “Don’t you need meat for protein?” Let me ask you, “Do powerful mammals like Oxen, Horses, Elephants and Gorillas eat meat to develop its muscles?” Green veges give us all the essential amino acids that our body turns into protein, just like any other animal. Meat is an overdose of second hand protein packed with high acids and animal toxins. Eating too much meat makes you fat easily and can lead to various liver and kidney diseases.

3) Alkalinity

As said earlier eating meat contaminates the body with acids. High acids deteriorates our blood cells, drains the body of energy, and pretty much is the route cause of our sicknesses. Greens and fruits are the strongest food sources of alkalinity and neutralize the acids in the blood. To give you an idea of how much alkaline food we should have each meal is around 80% alkaline based.

4) Antioxidants

Ever wonder why no matter how much you diet and exercise, you can’t seem to remove those extra folds? It’s because your body protects itself from excess toxins by wrapping fatty cells around it. Besides gaining weight, severe amount of toxins can lead to top silent killers such as heart diseases, diabetes and cancer. Let prevent ourselves from being part of these statistics!

Antioxidants in green smoothies such as Carotenoids – Lycopene, Lutein, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E and C, selenium, anthocyanins and many more are like magnets that collect toxins in our body and brings them down to our human sewage, the digestive tracks, where the fiber of the green sweeps it clean out of our system.

Being green helps you loose weight, boost the immune system, keep bones and muscles stronger, aid digestion, and have better mental clarity and high energy levels.

5) Increased Sex Drive

Reducing junk food and replacing it with healthy alternatives removes preservatives, refined salt and sugar, and other chemical downers that lower your sex drive. So far studies on this have shown that the majority of people that have replaced at least one of their meals a day with one of me green smoothie recipes have said that their libido has dramatically increased. A healthy body results to stronger cardiac and reproductive systems plus better regulations of hormones.  A healthier body, better moods, added confidence and great stamina in the sack is what you can expect from green smoothies.

Jumpstart to health

Adding a green smoothie to your diet is an easy way to jumpstart your health. Take that step and replace one coffee (or beer or wine) for something this natural and you’ll find your body slowly craving for more. You’ll eventually unfold to healthier habits instead and spare yourself those forced guilt techniques. Share it with your family and friends. Live a refreshing green life! Cheers!

Recipes

Here are some recipes to get you started. Enjoy!!!

Spango Tango
Ingredients:
2 cups spinach
2 mangos, peeled and chopped
1 banana

Peachy Green
Ingredients:
2 cups spinach
2 peaches, seeds removed
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water (optional)

Tropical Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 head romaine or any green leafy vegetable
2 cups water
1 banana
1/2 pineapple, skin and core removed

Blue & Green hit the Scene
Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce or any green leafy vegetable
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 apple, roughly chopped
1/4 lemon or lime
2 cups water

Grape Cooler Smoothie
Ingredients:
Large handful of red seedless grapes, stems removed
Basket of fresh or frozen strawberries, stems removed
1 banana, peeled
1/2 head romaine lettuce
Put grapes at the bottom of blender to create enough liquid to blend the other ingredients; add a little water, if needed.

Copyright 2009, Brendan McCarthy. All Rights Reserved.

125 ml (1/2 cup) frozen, chopped mango
125 ml (1/2 cup) frozen peach slices
2 frozen bananas
500 ml (2 cups) soy, rice or almond milk
5 ml (1 teaspoon) flax seed oil, or blended omega rich oils (for example: Udo’s 3-6-9 Oil Blend)
On high speed, process all ingredients till thick and creamy. Serve in chilled glasses. Makes 4 servings.

Tip: Buy mangoes and peaches in season when prices are most reasonable, then cut and freeze for later use.

I found this recipe and decided to try it. But I can’t find out if there is anything I should know about freezing fruit. How do I get them to not stick together and stuff?

I am really sad, and normally buy frozen fruit :/ waste of money.

I tried a Green Monster today for the first time ever. I’d been craving spinach (a first! Probably a good thing because it means I am eating healthy consistently enough that I am starting to crave the nutrients I need in those healthy foods. So I am craving the iron in spinach instead of a hamburger; it takes TIME to get there, though, so be patient!), so I figured it would be a good pre-workout lunch. I was right! I liked it! I put these ingredients in the blender (in this order):

• 1 Tbsp flax seed
• 1 Tbsp. protein powder
• 1 Tbsp. Cashew butter (you can use peanut butter or almond butter, or any kind of butter you want!)
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 banana
• 1 tray of ice cubes

It sounds disgusting, but it wasn’t! It was sweet and light and filling. Trust me, I’m a junk food addict! If I liked it, then it really is good! It doesn’t taste spinach-y. I think I might try it tomorrow with acai instead of ice and nut butter.

Cost: about $0.60, if that (the one with acai tomorrow will be a bit more expensive. Probably closer to $1.)

Time: About 3-5 minutes

After that, I went to the gym. I am probably just past the beginner stage of exercising and into intermediate. Here is what I did:

• Warm up: 10 minutes on a stationary bike
• 20 minutes on the treadmill, including running a mile in 11:55 (that is really good for me!)
• 10 minutes on a rowing machine
• 10 minute slow walk to cool down

Then cleaning, blogging, showering, and a post-workout lunch of a baked potato topped with kidney beans, bell pepper, and cheese (yes, it was Velveeta because Velveeta melts. It was  made with 2% milk, though, so it wasn’t quite as terrible) with a side of Tazo Passion tea to drink. Yummy and filling, but wouldn’t spoil my dinner.

After all that working out and running around, I fell asleep, goshdarnit. I woke up at 8:15 and Steve had already eaten. So I ate a banana, an Amy’s enchilada, and about half a cup of leftover pumpkin soup. Kind of a weird combination, but tasty nonetheless.

I am in a baking mood! But I think I will pass since I will be making treats on Thanksgiving.

Have leftover jars of opened fruit and veggie baby food in the fridge? Not sure what to do with them? Make a smoothie for yourself! Jarred baby food with fruits and veggies has only fruit and veggies and water in them. They are perfectly safe for adults to eat (in fact you should…if your baby sees that you eat it, than he/she might be more willing to try it).

This morning I made a smoothie with:

1 banana, a container of plain Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt, 1/2 c. of milk, honey, and 1/2 jar of Earth’s Best Organic Carrots and 1/2 jar of Full Circle Apples and Apricots.

It’s delicious! Note: if using greek yogurt in a smoothie, blend a little longer as it tends to take longer to break down into smoothie consistency.

Yummm!

When baby gets a little older and can have milk and yogurt, she can have some smoothie too. Smoothies are nutritious and can help alleviate sore gums because of the cold temperature. Here are some great recipes from Wholesome Baby.

See you tomorrow, buddy.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. KJV I Thessalonians 5:18

Laugh Trip=Happy Sunday Clicks

Hung out today by the beach in Santa Monica and Venice Beach.  Gorgeous sunset, great people watching…and that’s all to be expected from this place…although it’s not every day you are sitting in a cool raw food restaurant where Harvey Keitel’s getting takeout!

I only have time for a super fast update since I am staying with a friend and minus my laptop.  But let me say this…the raw food scene is insane here!  When I get back to Palm Springs I will give a full report on the delicious stuff I ate here and the cool people I met.

It’s a crying shame I can’t stay longer and check out some of the other raw eateries…but I have a girlfriend with Midnight movie tickets for New Moon and, oh yeah *&^%$ work!

What I ate today:

• a big juicy pineapple (yup, a whole pineapple)
• tangerines
• carrot/apple/orange juice
• LARA bar
• drank the juice out of a coconut
• watermelon juice (JUICE PLACES EVERYWHERE HERE! COULDN’T RESIST!
• Sampled some raw ice cream
• A big messy raw burger called a “BIG MATT”
• Sun dried durian dipped in chocolate
• tangerines

Start planning your raw vacation to Santa Monica!  You’re gonna wish your bags were already packed after you read about what I found here.  Good thing I only live 2 hrs away! Good night. Details coming soon…

CAVE HYDRATE

While even the most most advanced cave kitchens back in the day made some pretty good tools, we have a leg up on them with this one.  I don’t think blenders came around until the 1900s.

Anyway, here you are, quick and simple – the best remedy we can find to rebuild muscles after an intense workout (meaning – when you know you will be sore the next day).

• Milk, about a glass full
• One full banana
• 2 scoops peanut butter
• Fistful of raw oats
• Whey protein, if you are a guy

Dump it in, blend it up, drop some ice cubes if you have them, and drink it down – your muscles will recover nicely.

Cave Cook

Morning!!!! How is everyone this HUMP DAY? I am doing well! Yesterday after work I headed to class. We did a simulated exam question in groups today in class. I guess it was just like the ones on the final exam. It made me realize I have a lot of studying to do…A LOT! While freaking out, working with my group I snacked on a Kashi Dark Chocolate Coconut Bar.

This was my first time trying this flavor. OH.MY.GOSH!!! These taste like dessert!!! So, so chocolaty!!!!!

After class I headed home and made a quick dinner. Amy’s to the rescue!!!

I had this broccoli pot pie that I got with a coupon Amy’s sent me a few weeks ago.

I think it is one of their newer products, I really liked it. I reminded me of the Chicken Pot Pie my mom used to make growing up, but with a cheesy sauce rather than a  gravy. It had broccoli, carrots and potatoes too and I think that the crust was whole wheat! I recommend it, but then again I really love Amy’s so that is no surprise. On the side, I had some steamed green beans.

After dinner I went to my bestie May’s apt. to hang out. I brought some Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies with me for her, my friend Colin and their roommate, Gabe. They loved them!!! YAY! Of course, I had  to have one too

I crashed at 10:30 while talking to Adam in bed, so no blogging…sorry! This morning I hopped out of bed at 6:25am to head out for a run with a reader, Julia. Julia and I have been running together once a week for the last 5 or 6 weeks. She actually ran her first 1/2 marathon last weekend and I was so excited to hear about it. I got suited up and then went out to get in the car. When I got to my car, I realized there was ice on the windshield, it was cold out!!!! I had to do my first ice scrape of the season! UGH! Also, I realized about 1/4 of a mile into our run that my Garmin was set to the bike setting, so I changed it to running ans lost stats for the first 1/4 mile…oh well I guess.

We ran a little over 5 miles, my Garmin recorded 4.74 miles of it. Thanks to Caitlin who  helped me figure out how to get my mile splits on Sunday, after I spend the better part of Sunday afternoon trying to figure it out!

Stats: 4.74 miles (Really 5 miles, but not recorded due to wrong setting) in 43:03

• Mile 1: 8:59
• Mile 2: 8:44
• Mile 3: 9:13
• Mile 4: 905
• Last 3/4 of a mile: 7:00

When I got home from my run I felt great! I love running with Julia because as I said before, she is faster than me and I think running with her has made me faster and has really helped me push myself. Plus she is great company and I loving catching up about our weeks while we run, the time flies! Thanks, Julia for being such a great running partner!!!

Breakfast this morning was a Green Monster!

I made a lot…oops, I drank it all anyways!!!! I also had some coffee, but didn’t take a picture..sorry!

Ingredients:

• 1 Banana
• Two Handfuls of Spinach
• fat Free Milk
• Chocolate Almond Milk
• PB2
• Chocolate PB2
• Green Superfood
• Bee Pollen
• Ice

Here is today outfit…a little on the casual side:

Red V-Neck Sweater (Gap), Corduroys (American Eagle – that I have had since High School), Brown Tooled Danskos. This look is a lot more casual than you guys are used to, huh? When these pants fell out of the closet at me, I realized  I hadn’t worn them in a while and immediately wanted to wear them today, so I did!

I am super casual, I am not even wearing make-up today!

My face is a little dry from my change in meds. So, I want to give it a little breathing room!

In other News:

1. Caitlin’s dog Maggie sprained her hind leg. Even though Oscar and Maggie have never met, they are both wiener dogs and Caitlin and I like to pretend they are friends. So, here is a picture of Oscar sending Get Well Wishes to Maggie!

2. My good friend Wicked Bride has agreed to work with me on a top secret blog project with me I am so excited! Thanks, Erica! Once, this project is done I will let you guys know…Promise!

3. As you all know I am a huge fan of the Green Monster. I was so interested it trying it out once I saw it on Angela’s blog for the first time! Well, my friend Ibelis has been trying them out and sent me an e-mail with her thoughts about the Green Monster that I thought I would share with you guys:

“First,I have been going 2-3 weeks drinking the green monster 3-4 times a week!  I have def felt a difference in my energy and when I was sick…I recovered so much faster! I am obsessed with it and even though when you look at it (its green and looks kinda gross) it is sooooo tasty and so good for you.

And you can freeze any extra. Last night I got over zealous and had a bunch left over. I froze some and then took it out in the morning…about 5:30.  By 9am it had thawed out (the bottom was still a tad solid but i ran it under hot water and it melted in a jiffy!) I just left it on my desk and let it thaw and by 9am I was feeling the hunger so it was THE PERFECT SNACK! Of course everyone asked me what it was and how it looked gross but I responded with “don’t knock it till you try it!” And actually 2 girls in my clinical group are gonna start making it as I forwarded the recipe to them.  I love that you can freeze it because I get up at 4:30 am for school and often, even though its simple to make, don’t have the time to make it.  Plus I never realized how loud a blender is and I don’t want to wake up Dan.

So tonight when I got home from school, I made a large batch and am freezing 2 blender cups to take “to go” tomorrow.  One for around a 9am snack and the other for my drive home as I am staying late in school and wont be home till maybe 9pm.  Oh and I noticed that I don’t have the urge to snack anymore!!!  It really fills you for a long time and helps with my hypglycemia!! (yay complex carbs).

What I am most excited about is: Dan and I went to donate blood a few months back.  I was denied due to my iron level being to low.  We are going back to donate on Monday the 23rd and I am eager to see how my iron is doing since I’ve started drinking the GM.  Plus it would be great to be able to donate…donate life!  “

So glad you love it, Ibelis!!!! Thanks for sharing your experience:) YAY FOR GM’S!!!

4. As you all know, in Honor of Thanksgiving being right around the corner, I will be posting something I am thankful for in every post. PLEASE feel free to join in in the comments section! So for this post:

I AM THANKFUL FOR:The resiliency of my lungs!

A little History: I was a smoker for 11 years. I touch on this briefly on my Meet Ali page, as quitting smoking is a really important part of my journey to live a healthy lifestyle. So, let’s back up!!!

A few months after this picture was taken, I started smoking!

If I look like a baby here it is because I am…I started smoking when I was 14 years old!!! Why?! Well, for the same reason most teenagers do stupid stuff: everyone else was doing it and I wanted to fit in. I started High School at a school where I knew no one but my bestie May and we wanted to fit in, so we started smoking. The sadder thing is I remember not even liking it at first, but I kept forcing myself to smoke and after a few months I was hooked.

After a few months of dating Adam (about a year after I started smoking), he asked me to quit. I told him that he knew I smoked when we started dating and that I was not going to change for him. For years and years Adam would beg me to quit. When we got a little older his reasons changed from him hating the smell to the fact that he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and didn’t want to loose me to smoking in our 50’s or 60’s. I still was unwilling to do the work to quit. My dad would also beg me to quit. He constantly pointed out how odd it was that I smoked it was so out of character for me, and he was right too! But, I was addicted and also the idea of gaining weight was SCARY AS HELL TO ME (which is  a whole other issue that I touch on in this post).

I continued to smoke all through high school, college and post graduation!

That is my friend Keri and I…attractive picture huh?

I smoked even after Adam’s mom suffered a stroke that the doctors said was not helped by her smoking. She stopped after smoking for over 30 years and I still smoked. It was like I learned NOTHING from her experience or how scary the thought of loosing her was to me.

Finally, one morning, I woke up (2/23/07- to be exact)  and said to myself : “Today I change my life!” The threw out the Marlboro Lights and put on the running shoes and the rest is history!!!!

I have been smoke free for 1 year, 9 months and 18  days!!!!! So today I am thankful for my resilient lungs! I have abused them so bad, yet they still find a way to carry me through hard runs! My lungs are still very black, which makes breathing with running hard sometimes, the the more I work my lungs the better then get.

Here is a little information about the recovery process:

Whew!!!! That was a long post huh?!!!

Reminders:

1. Don’t forget about my blogger interviews!

For Bloggers: Please let me know if you are interested in being interviewed and highlighted in these interviews/ get ready for an e-mail from me asking you to be involved All of you that have contacted me so far have been added to the list.

For Readers and Bloggers: Let me know what questions you think should be asked it can be about their blog (for example: Why did you start blogging) or about them personally (For example: How do you take your coffee). If you want to submit a question(s) shoot me an e-mail (foodfitnessfashion@gmail.com) or comment on this post. I have already gotten some great questions!!! This is super important, if you want specific questions asked get them to me!!! You have until Thursday at 5pm!!!

2. Don’t forget about the Athena Cup. I donated 18 BRAS !!!! They are accepting bra and cash donations…it’s a great cause! .

3. Vote for me for the Wellsphere People’s HealthBlogger Awards 2009! Click here to Vote!!!

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Matthew 4 King James Version

So what do you do with 1/2 gallon of yogurt?

Make Smoothies, of course.

My favorite is strawberry/banana, but Dave makes all kinds of crazy concoctions. Sometimes I like to put this chocolate syrup in my smoothies. Shhh, don’t tell anyone.

• 1.5 Cups Yogurt
• 2 Bananas
• 4-6 Large Strawberries (yes, these were frozen. Strawberries are out of season, ok?)
• Ice or Milk to thicken or thin the smoothie to desired consistency

Blend it all up, and pat yourself on the back for being healthy. Slainte!

I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus. I have a headache because I haven’t had caffeine in48 hours. My arms feel like they are about to fall out of their sockets. It’s cloudy and I want to go back to bed!

So I am starting out my day with a cup of tea that will hopefully cure the headache (I drank decaf yesterday morning). I didn’t ever consider myself addicted to caffeine, but I love Diet Coke. I haven’t had any since Subway on Saturday, though. This makes me realize how much I drank it! Maybe that’s why I fell asleep for so long yesterday.

I made a cup of tea, and after scorching my tongue, decided a smoothie would be a good idea.

I used a packet of Sambazon Acai smoothie mix, a handful of blueberries, and about 1/2 cup of strawberries, a scoop of protein powder, and about 1/2 cup skim milk.

This is what the smoothie mix looks like. I have only ever found it in the freezer aisle at the health food store.

Between that and the tea, I feel much better. It’s still drizzling, so an indoor workout it is again today. I am going to work cardio and abs for a total of about 30 minutes.

I’ll write about lunch if I’m still alive.

Time: This wold only take about a minute if you put the fruit you want into the blender and set it in the refrigerator the night before. It’s a great get up and go breakfast, and you can drink it on the go. However, this morning it took me about 10 minutes because I couldn’t find my blender lid. I finally decided to use aluminum foil, but when I tried to pull it out, the whole thing fell out and unrolled down the kitchen floor. My blender looks like something out of There, I Fixed It, but there, I fixed it, and blended my ingredients.

Cost: about $1.25 give or take

Mess: Low. All you have to do is wash the blender. If I am in a hurry, I just pour water in it and let it soak until I come home. Don’t just leave it out on the counter all day, though, or else it will be hard to wash.

Energy: Low, unless you’re chasing tin foil and pulling the kitchen apart trying to find a lid!

Taste: Good, except the protein powder. I haven’t ever used it, and the directions said to use 3 Tbsp. I only used 2, but next time, I will only use 1. The taste is good, but the texture is a little gritty because of the powder. I can also taste it a little, so I think it will be better next time. It’s still pretty good, and I am drinking it, and it should keep me full until I get home for lunch (not until 2! I have a lab until then, so I need something to stick with me for several hours).

Subscribe and get the latest clips showing you how to make the yummiest, most nutritious protein smoothies in the world!

http://www.youtube.com/EggcelNZ

Hey everyone! If you guys follow me on Twitter, you noticed I got up and did Body Pump at 6am this morning! I had to squeeze in the Monday morning class class I will be in NYC this weekend (!!!!!!) and won’t be able to Body Pump Saturday or Sunday.  It looked like this when I left my apartment at 5:45 this morning!

While driving to the gym is complete darkness I thought, “Wow, this is commitment!” Body Pump was great as usual, I especially loved this instructor. It felt great to get in a workout before 7am Plus, I never get to work out on Monday’s due to my insane schedule. Getting up on Monday’s for BP may be a new tradition, we will see.

After BP, I hussled home, hopped in the shower, got ready and made breakfast.

Green Monster:

• 1 banana
• Ice
• Chocolate Green Superfood
• PB2
• Chocolate PB2
• Protein Powder
• Fat Free Milk
• Chocolate Almond Milk

I also had a mini whole wheat bagel with Barney Butter.

and some coffee with half and half.

Here is today’s outfit:

Brown and Tan Pinstripe Pants (GAP), White Cami (H&M), Tan Cardigan (Jacob), Boots (Nine West - from 6 years ago).

I love this necklace, my mom and dad bought it for me when they were on a cruise a few years ago.

Gorgeous!!!!

In Other News:

1. In Honor of Thanksgiving being right around the corner, I will be posting something I am thankful for in every post. PLEASE feel free to join in in the comments section! all too often, we get caught up in the daily grind and forget to pause and realize all the blessings we have! So for this post:

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

My Bestie May!!!! Her friendship means the world to me and I honestly don’t know where I would be without her! Love you May-May!

Reminders:

1. Don’t forget about my blogger interviews!

For Bloggers: Please let me know if you are interested in being interviewed and highlighted in these interviews/ get ready for an e-mail from me asking you to be involved;)

For Readers and Bloggers: Let me know what questions you think should be asked it can be about their blog (for example: Why did you start blogging) or about them personally (For example: How do you take your coffee). If you want to submit a question(s) shoot me an e-mail (foodfitnessfashion@gmail.com) or comment on this post. I have already gotten some great questions!!! This is super important, if you want specific questions asked get them to me!!! You have until Thursday at 5pm!!!

2. Don’t forget about the Athena Cup. I donated 18 BRAS Yesterday!!!!

3. Vote for me for the Wellsphere People’s HealthBlogger Awards 2009! Click here to Vote!!!

Well, I am off to a Dermatologist Appointment! Let’s see what Homeboy (aka Dr. Levins) can do about this girl’s acne!

Makes 4 cups :

3 kiwis, pealed

1 cup water

1 cup coriander

1 cup cornsalad

2 leaves swiss chard

1 lime, pealed

1 banana

½ avocado

Saviez-vous que le kiwi contient deux fois plus de vitamine C que l’orange! Cliquez sur ce lien pour connaître les bénéfices du Kiwi. vous serez surpris!

Ce smoothie hyper vitaminé, au goût légèrement piquant,  convient parfaitement comme petit déjeuner.

Voici la recette pour 1 litre :

3 kiwis pelés

1 tasse d’eau

1 tasse de coriandre

1 tasse de mâche

2 grosses feuilles de bette à carde verte

La chaire d’une lime

1 banane

½ avocat

I’ve been getting a ton of spam DMs on Twitter, and it’s annoying when everyone’s like, “my account got hacked!!1!!111!!!!”

No, it’s not that “oh, poor me, my account was viciously sought out by hackers and I’m totally the victim.” Actually, it’s “I was dumb enough to click a very convincing link I was not expecting and now I am reaping the consequences and placing the blame on everyone except myself.”

You know the site My Mom is a FOB (and the counterpart My Dad is a FOB)? It’s like my mom wrote the entire blog, but not the funny ones. Sometimes I just get so irritated by her. One of my friends from high school told me that I always get irritated easily. And I was like, “some things never change.” But really, you can’t control what people say/do, you can only control how you react to what they say/do. So if my mom keeps saying outrageous shit, I can a) get offended by it and start an argument b) do nothing, let it slide off and choose to not be offended by it c) write it all down and eventually make it into sitcom (much like Shit My Dad Says) OR d) b and c. Short story: I’m learning that it’s your choice to be offended by something.

Like UGGs, which I choose to not longer offend me. I see why they’re named “UGG” because ugg[h], I just bought these:

UGG Sundance II, via Nordstrom

They’re $243.00 of sheepskin, toasty goodness, but I could only wear them with jeans (no way in hell I am wearing them with a skirt, not how I roll) or if my personal style was boho-chic (which it is not).

I used to be a hater, but my feet and best friend convinced me otherwise. “You’ll never want to take them off your feet again,” she said. But I’m still torn on them. Somehow I still manage to have warm, yet cold feet.

In good news, as much as my interim job annoys me, the best part about working at a smoothie place is making up your own! I recently invented this delicious smoothie, which will take over the smoothie world. I call it the Wake up with Jess smoothie:

• 1/8 cup turbinado (raw cane sugar)
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1/4 cup granola
• 1/8 cup yogurt
• 1 banana
• 2 cups ice

It’s sweet, nutritious, wholesome and good for you (and your self-esteem). Come in sometime in the morning and I’ll make you a 24oz of goodness for $4.64.

Breakfast tacos are a culinary icon throughout South Texas.  Chorizo, bacon, eggs–yes, heart attack waiting to happen.  You truly can try a lighter version at home, camping, or traveling on a bus.  Capsaicin, the phytochemical found in hot peppers has shown promise for digestive health so load up on salsa! 

Ingredients:
4 eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute)

2 cups frozen potatoes with onions and peppers

1/2 cup chopped ham or pancetta

4 corn tortillas

minutes.  When your potatoes taste tender turn down to low and cover (stirring occasionally).  Heat up a skillet to heat up your corn tortillas–the fresher they are the easier the more pliable they are. Cook eggs in another skillet.  To assemble: place corn tortillas on a plate, top with eggs, pile on potatoes, a touch of cheese, and kiss it with salsa.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 cups carrot juice
2 apples, sliced
1 piece candied ginger
10 grapes
Directions:
Place all ingredients into blender and spin away!
Great for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner!!