RunBuzz Podcast

I haven't listened to it yet but I will very soon...

I cannot thank Steve enough for inviting me onto his show. I had an amazing time taping this. Steve is very easy to talk to. I really hope that somewhere in here is a nugget or snippet that you can relate to. I may not be the biggest loser or the fastest runner but I am a little of both things. And I only became the latter after I was able to lose a very substantial amount of weight...not saying you cannot run to lose weight or lose weight through running. I just couldn't. But we all are different.

Anyway, please if you have any interest at all in running or if you just want to hear me babble for 40ish minutes give the podcast a listen...

RunBuzz Episode 30

Thank you!

Happy Friday :)
Dacia

Veggie Q&A

My friend Willie over at Fueled by Running reached out to me with some questions. He wanted to know how to incorporate more veggies into his diet and since I am a vegan he knew I was a good person to ask ;) Ironically, I was listening to one of the wycwyc (what you can, when you can) podcasts in which they were talking about getting their kids to eat vegetables and I was deep in thought thinking about E and how he has changed from a super picky eater (especially in the veggie family) to someone that eats pretty much anything I cook up. It was perfect timing to have this discussion with Willie and he let me share it with you in order to maybe help some other struggling with their veggie intake and show you that there is hope….

W: So, I know that you are vegan. I, myself, have a hard time eating vegetables but it's something that I am working on. Why did you choose to become vegan or have you always been vegan?

I have not always been a vegan. I actually adopted a plant-based diet (which is all it was at first since being a vegan encompasses more than just what I eat- but that is a whole other story) in October of 2011. I was 8 months into my WLJ. I had lost about 60 pounds and was still wondering why I still felt crappy all the time. I was always tired, it took forever to recovery from activity, I was still suffering from IBS- I had all the same problems I had from before I had started losing weight. I decided to start food journaling- like tracking but with more detail. I would write down what I ate and how I felt afterwards, how I felt a few hours later, how I slept at night, how I felt during workouts, etc. What I found was that I felt much better when I ate plant-based meals and so I decided to conduct a week long experiment to see how I would feel if I cut out all animal protein. It didn’t take but maybe 2 or 3 days to feel completely different. I thought it might have just been a fluke, because I was eating different foods so after the week I decided to treat myself to some yogurt and that was it. All my intestinal issues came back and I knew I needed to cut animal protein out. Now, truth be told- I am pretty sure I am/was lactose intolerant (most humans are to some degree) so that probably attributed to all my digestion issues. But I decided that day that I wanted to eat plant-based because I felt so good and if I ever decided to stop that was ok- I wasn’t trying to force myself into something permanently. I never thought it would be permanent. Now, here I am almost 3.5 years later and I doubt I would ever change. But that is because it has since become more than just what I eat. Now it is about the animals and the environment too so I think it would be hard to make the switch. But that’s just me. Being a vegan has allowed me to sleep a solid 8 hours every night, have tons of energy throughout the day, I have no digestion issues whatsoever. I recover quickly. My labwork is always phenomenal. I am healthier than I ever have been. And I really enjoy what I eat. It’s just what has worked best for me and so I have been able to easily stick with it.

W: What tips do you have for someone who is trying to eat more veggies?

If there are vegetables you already like try preparing them different ways for variety. Like for me, I was already a huge broccoli fan but I usually ate it just steamed or maybe mixed in stir fry but then I roasted it- mind blown. So good.

Try new veggies…duh…LOL! I know for me, even though I was never a picky eater when it came to veggies, there were so many new to me veggies still out there. I would try to pick out one or two a week and find recipes to incorporate them into. Also, the internet is a great way to learn about a veggie before trying it- like what plant family is it from, how is it best prepared. So is the produce person at the store- I would always ask them for advice J Also, if you have a local CSA that is a great way to get veggies (usually pretty cheap) that are local, in season and it will ‘force’ you to try new things.

Hide them. I love to bulk up dishes by adding in veggies. I am a volume eater. I can’t eat teeny tiny portions. I need bigger meals and if I want to do so and not gain a million pounds I need to bulk up my meals with veggies. Examples:

• Fried rice/stir fry- these dishes for me are like 75-80% veg/protein and the rest is grain. With all the added veggies you really don’t feel like you are missing out on all the rice/noodles. Plus all the fiber from the vegetables really fill you up.

1. Burgers- I make veggie burgers but say you are making turkey or chicken burgers (which tend to need more moisture because of the reduced fat) grate in some raw onion, zucchini or carrots or add in some chopped cooked greens. This adds moisture and bulk- and of course vitamins and minerals J  

• Soups/stews/chili- I put any/every vegetable I have into a pot of stew or chili. I love to make these dishes heartier by adding veggies. My favorites are carrots, onion, celery, peppers, zucchini or yellow squash, peas, lima beans, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, any type of dark leafy green. Oh, I even like to add apple to my chili – not a veg but another good way to bulk it up. And obviously I eat a lot of beans and grains too so my soups/stews always feature at least one of each.

W: Cooking tips for preparing vegetables?

This could be a really long list but really any veg can be prepared any way; steamed, roasted, raw, sauteed, BBQ’d, etc. Although I love roasting, if you are trying to watch your fat intake be careful with the olive oil used for this process, same with sauteing. You actually can saute veggies pretty nicely in just some broth. I have a spiralizer that I use to make zoodles (the only way E will eat zucchini) which is a staple dish in our house. Zucchini really are a great vessel because their flavor is so mild and they have a high moisture content. Cabbage is one of the few vegetables that is better for you cooked than raw but I eat it both ways. Also- another veggie that seems to be all over the interwebs lately is cauliflower. I love cauliflower, especially roasted. But it is a great veggie to sub out all or some of potatoes in mashed potatoes. I see people now making rice out of it. I even have seen people make bread and noodles out of it- it’s really big with the low/lower carb people. For me, steamed or roasted is the way to go but there really are a million possibilities out there J

W: What are your favorite vegetables that you eat and how do you prepare them?

[Willie has been sharing some Asian inspired recipes on his blog so I shared with him some of my favorites] I love to make a cold dish with soba noodles that has chopped cucumbers, bell peppers, shredded carrots, cilantro, green onion, broccoli (I add the broccoli in with the noodles in the last few minutes of cooking-all other veggies are raw) and some steamed shelled edamame. I make a peanut sauce that coats it. It’s pretty tasty. It’s actually E’s (who is not a vegan) favorite thing to eat out of all the things, meat dishes included. We also make up a lot of different stir fry type meals. Yesterday I cooked up a half cup (dry) of jasmine rice. Then added it to a wok to ‘fry’ it. Added in broccoli, shredded carrots, snow peas, regular peas and shredded cabbage. It made a ton of food and it only had one serving or rice per person and it was super filling/satisfying because of the veggies. I served it as a side to teriyaki chicken (for Erick) and teriyaki tempeh (for me) which was just chicken/tempeh cooked in pineapple juice and some teriyaki sauce with green bell pepper and pineapple (canned) and for me I added mushrooms. It was really yummy.

I love lentils and so does Erick so we often make lentil taco meat or lentil sloppy joes- those are two vegan meals Erick also loves.

Honestly, I haven’t met a vegetable I didn’t like J

Additional comments I made to Willie in response to his questions: 

If you want to send me some of your favorite foods to eat I can tell you some suggestions as to what veggies to add to it or a good veggie alternative. (*you can do this too- message me or leave a comment)

I hope this helps. Honestly I could write forever about this stuff. (true story)

Oh, and smoothies- do you drink smoothies? That is a great way to sneak in some greens J

I can also recommend some blogs/websites if you would like. Let me know.

He did want some recommendations so I sent him this list:

No Meat Athlete has a whole recipe part to his blog. I love Oh She Glows (she has lot of tex-mex recipes I think you would like). Also, Texas native (in Austin) is Rip Esselstyn (have you watched Forks over Knives? He's in it) and his website Engine 2 diet has a ton or recipes- he does the no oil thing so they utilize a lot of cooking with broth. Happy Herbivore has a blog with recipes- her cookbook the HH Abroad is one of my favorites (that one and Oh She Glows cookbook). 

Also, when I started dating E he didn’t eat any vegetables except maybe corn and carrots and now he eats almost any veggie I make. It takes time trying new things and cooking different ways to find which he prefers but now he eats more veggies than most- so there is hope for you too :)

Then, like any good veggie crazed friend would do, I sent him a picture of my lunch...my interpretation (due to lack of proper sized jar) of the whole salad in a jar thing. Added to shredded cabbage. 

What about you- what is your favorite vegetable? What is your favorite veggie dish? Any advice or tips you'd like to share? 

Love and hugs, 

Dacia 

xoxoxox

I Lost It Over Some Miso Soup

I try to be pretty diligent when it comes to eating out. I always ask about ingredients and double and triple check allergen/ingredient info online (when I can) and yet sometimes I still get burned.

Case and point- miso soup. Seems harmless enough, right? Miso paste is just fermented soybeans and it is something I keep on hand for cooking. It is salty and yummy. In the soup (made from miso paste) you will find little pieces of tofu, seaweed and scallions. Seems harmless enough right? But yet I always ask because the broth, the broth is where I seem to always get burned. I should know better right? This same thing happened last year at a pho restaurant that swore to me their ginger broth was just veggie stock and ginger but in reality (I found out on the third or fourth visit) it was chicken stock. FYI restaurants- stop calling things vegetarian if they are made with chicken broth.  UGH!

But I digress…yesterday I ordered some miso soup. It was probably the third time I had ordered it at this restaurant (where I was told no animal in broth just miso paste) only to be informed by my vegan-ish friend that they were probably wrong. Most miso soup has bonito in it. Which is fish. Which bothers me because I bet she was right and I bet the woman (or even the kitchen staff) didn’t know it had fish in it. I am a vegan and I didn’t know that.  I mean just yesterday I had to tell a waiter that eel sauce was actually made from eel bones after he tried to tell me otherwise. 

The reality is I try really hard to not eat animals but sometimes I do on accident and there is nothing I can do but learn from it and move on.  But that’s not really the point of this post.

The point is what happened after I ate the miso soup.

 

I basically lost it.

Somehow I went from ‘whoops, I probably just ate some fish’ to bawling my eyes out because I don’t have any (local) friends, to how much I feel like an outcast (yes, being a vegan makes me feel like the oddball in pretty much every situation), to how much it sucks that my closest friends are 1000 miles away, to how much my life would be easier if I could just find someone like me, to how alone I felt. And I just cried and cried and cried. Sobbed really. Those big ugly tears. With snot all over my face. Just uttering nonsense.  It was pretty ;)

And it felt good.

For the last few weeks I have felt off. I have been all over the place, emotionally, and I didn’t really know what was going on. And when I would tell E that I didn’t feel great I wasn’t able to tell him why.  I didn’t know if it was work stuff, school stuff, life stuff, some combo or what.

But yesterday, as I was just letting the tears come, I realized something. I realized that I had missed my outlet for that cathartic release at fitbloggin and I think I really needed it.

I like to say the fitbloggin people are my people, they just get me. But that’s not really true. I mean yes, they get me but most people ‘get me’. I am not that complex. Anyone I talk to can understand my past and how I choose to live my life.

Fitbloggin isn't 'my people' they are me. Not saying everyone there is just like me but in a sense they kind of are. Everyone there attends because some area of their life is driven around health and wellness. And then yes, there is a smaller group of people who really are just like me- lost a whole lot of weight and are living in maintenance mode. Or are currently trying to lose a whole lot of weight, because I’ve been there too, they are me too. Oh, and there are always a bunch of vegans thrown in the mix too which is also awesome because I don’t know a single vegan here in Pensacola. Or, for that matter, a single person locally who struggled with obesity and lives in the mindset of actively trying to prevent obesity from taking over again.

And it sucks because these people that do, my blogging friends and support team, I only get to see once a year.

And knowing that I still have 11.5 months before I get to see them again hurts.

And it makes me feel alone.

E is great though, he takes on both roles (boyfriend and friend) well. And I commend him for knowing when to let me cry it out and when to try and talk it out.

And last night I cried it out.

And it helped.

But I think there is more crying that needs to be done. More work to get to the root of the problem.

Last night I also thought a lot about the times in the past when I felt alone. When I let my weight isolate me from others or when I would move somewhere new and struggle with making friends and I thought how at least back then I had two of the best friends in the world, my doggies, to help me through it. I miss them so. I know some of my tears last night were for them. I still miss them every day. In my opinion, dogs really are man’s best friend. I know mine were.

I don’t really know what else to say. I am emotionally beat this morning. I am in desperate need of that perspective shift where instead of being sad over not having friends nearby I should be thankful for the amazing friends I do have that make me feel like distance is never an issue in our relationship. I shouldn’t grieve over losing my dogs (who are happily living with a family in Alabama) I should be thankful for having many, many years of happy memories with them. And instead of crying over being alone I should realize that I am never alone when I have my love by my side.

I know all of this. I know how lucky I am to have such amazing friends and family and the world’s best boyfriend. I know how fortunate I have been to be able to have two loving doggies, to travel to see the friends I miss, to have people in my life (both near and far) that genuinely care.  And 95% of the time I feel exactly that- happy and grateful.

But I am human. And those other five percent….well, it happens. 

And sometimes you just need to cry it out, write about it, and move on.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxoxox

Changing It Up....Again

The key to my happiness and joy in life is balance.

This is something I continually work at.

Balancing work and school and relationships. Balancing exercise and socializing, relaxing and housework, home cooked meals and dinners out, spending and saving.

It’s all one big balancing act.

And I love it.

When my life is (somewhat) balanced I feel like I really can and do have it all. And that is a really amazing feeling.

However, keeping or even finding balance isn’t always easy. Especially when life and expectations change weekly, even daily.

I have learned I need to be adaptable while at the same time being rigid….it’s a balance. I plan out my week but I know that most weeks  things won’t go as planned. I just try to do the best I can and be happy with it. Some weeks (some days, some hours) are better than others. That is just life.

Yes, I truly believe that this is all just a part of life and I really shouldn’t be too hard on myself or beat myself up over’where I went wrong’ or ‘not doing enough’ or ‘not being good enough’ because I am me. And if I give each day my best (regardless of what my best looks like that day) then that is always going to be good enough. Period. End of sentence.

That being said, it is still smart (and necessary) for me to look for ways to set myself up for success. Meaning, I don’t just go blindly through life hoping for things. I know that if I want to stay healthy and be active and at the same time do well in school, at my job, and in my relationships then I have to work towards that. And I am always looking for ways that help me make the most out of my limited time.

Like going to the gym with E. We get to spend time together AND I get some activity in as well. Win-win.

Or prepping my meals in advance. I spend one day cooking/prepping and then have meals for at least a week in the fridge/freezer. Not only does this save me time during the week but it allows me to easily make good food choices.

But some weeks I just don’t have the time for all that cooking. I don’t want to give up a whole weekend day to spend it shopping and chopping and cooking and cleaning. Nowadays, mainly because I am in a relationship and love spending weekends out and about with E, there are other things I would much rather be doing.

So, this week I made a really quick, late night stop at the grocery store and grabbed a bunch of prepared foods (like salad kits and frozen items and soups) and my normal mix of fresh fruits and veggies I like to snack on and called it a day. I like how easy everything is and that I am still able to make all of my own meals however, I feel like I am bordering on the edge of too much processed foods and that doesn’t make me happy.

Then I remembered that Brendan Brazier (former professional IronMan and super vegan) started a food delivery service, Thrive Foods Direct, that seemed to me to be pretty reasonable costs for fresh foods loaded with real ingredients made specifically for vegans who lead an active lifestyle. I was looking over some sample menus and thought why not give it a try? One week won’t kill me. If anything, it will take pressure off of me (the pressure I put on myself, of course) to focus on my food intake and allow me more free time on the weekends and during the week. I think this will also makes me feel better knowing I am not eating a bunch of processed crap. Sounds pretty good to me.

My first delivery is this Friday and I will be sure to let you know how it goes. Right now I am signed up for the 5 day, 3 meals a day plan but they have a bunch of other options and you can change (or cancel) whenever you want.

This is a sample menu taken from the Thrive Foods Direct FB page, sounds yummy doesn't it?

So here it goes, time to try something new…again.

Because that is what life is, right? Changing and adapting and learning and growing and just trying to be the best version of yourself you can.

Oh, and also to not being afraid to try new things and taking help when you can get it ;)

Also, on a completely unrelated note: I will be in Anaheim 4/3 through 4/10 for a work conference. I would love to schedule a meet up or two (preferably 4/3 and 4/9- my non-conference days) to hang out with my west coast peeps. Let me know if you are interested and I will be sure to post details on the FB page.

Love and hugs,

Dacia

Do You Know What Today Is???

Today is my two year vegan-versary…that’s a thing right?

Two years ago I made a decision (based off of feedback I found from mindful eating and food journaling) to eliminate all animal products from my diet. At least temporarily…you know, to test it out.

My decision was made for health reasons.

After a few months it became clear to me that this was how I wanted to live and my choice to continue on as a vegan shifted more to ethical reasons as well.

Now, two years later, as a healthier and fitter version of the 2011 me I know that I could easily incorporate meat back into my diet (at least in small amounts)- but I honestly don’t want to.  

I love being a vegan.

It works for me.

It’s not for everyone. We are all different. I totally get that.

But for me, and my tree-hugging, animal-loving, let-me-check-barnivore-to-make-sure-my-beer-is-vegan self, it’s the best decision I ever made.

And so two years later I celebrate that choice.

With a nice big bowl of farro & bean stew and an ice cold New Belgium beer

 

This one is for you Erika! 

 

4, 3, 2, 1...10,000

Alternate titles for this post:

Variety is the Spice of Life… a bit too cliché

Yoga Saved My Life… a bit too dramatic

So I opted for 4, 3, 2, 1…10,000

Which is exactly what I did last week- activity wise

4 yoga classes~ 3 hot yoga classes, one dynamic yoga class

3 runs~14 miles

2 boot camp classes~ 9 trillion squats and far too many burpees

And 1 session on my spin bike~ one hour and about 22 miles of insane pyramids

Plus at least 10,000 steps every day from walking.

*On days when I run I still try to get in 10,000 walking steps in addition to whatever steps logged in my workout.

                Monday- 10,297

                Tuesday- 25,618

                Wednesday- 21,289

                Thursday- 17, 402

                Friday- 12,838

                Saturday- 16,575

                Sunday- 11,208

In case you were wondering that’s 115,227 steps. I figure that about 25K of those steps came from running so about 90K, give or take, is from walking. Woo hoo! That’s still an average of over 10K walking steps a day!

Last week I really tried to focus on a few things; the basics I have been working on- tracking and getting more movement in during the day, limiting processed foods, and getting in a healthy mix of activities and man did I have a great week! It’s been two weeks since I started to incorporate yoga back into my routine and it really has it made a huge difference! Now I am going to explain why and you may think it sounds like a bunch of hooey, and that’s cool, but for me I think it is totally legit.

1)      Yoga provides balance. It grounds me. It’s calming focus on body, mind and spirit is the yin to my normal, hectic yang of a life. I have been so caught up in just making it through every day that I was starting to get easily overwhelmed. I have noticed a huge change just in the past 2 weeks; I am much more relaxed, much more centered and much more at peace with the craziness around me.

2)      Yoga gives me a focus. I am not sure about you but I certainly don’t set an intention for any other activity I do. Like I don’t set a focus on clarity or healing or peace during boot camp or a run. I just go out and run or finish the class and that is it. For me, those types of activities are all about the aerobic, and sometimes anaerobic, and strengthening benefits. But with yoga I can focus my energy during my practice on an intention which helps take me from my physical body to my spiritual body. Although I do sometimes focus on intentions that are related to my physical body, like an intention on healing, but you get my point.

3)      The more I nourish my soul the more I am nourishing my body. I am about to get all hippie on you here but this is honestly how I feel.  My body is happy. Between the yoga and the fact that I am really working on limiting processed foods I just feel so much more satisfied. I am not thinking about food all the time. I eat when I am hungry (still of course following my hunger cues) and I eat nutrient dense foods so I feel satisfied and that is great. That’s what should be happening. But the times in between the food- well yoga is really helping to bring back a calmness and clarity that shuts up my monkey mind, especially my often times food obsessed monkey mind. And that is so amazing.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still love all the other active areas of my life and I don’t plan on giving them up. They provide me with so much enjoyment on top of the health benefits it would be silly to let them go. But after seeing/feeling the changes that have occurred in my life just in the past two weeks well it probably goes without saying that yoga is here to stay J

And it’s about time! Yeah, I’m totally kicking myself for waiting so long after the move to find a new place to practice but that’s water under the bridge, right? Better late than never!

For this week-I have a pretty similar plan to last week’s.

5 yoga classes- 2 hot yoga classes, 1 dynamic yoga class, 1 kundalini class and 1 aerial yoga class- this time I am going to ask my instructor to take some pictures for me during aerial to share with you. It is such a cool way to do yoga!

3 runs

2 boot camp classes (hopefully, I may have a conflict tomorrow evening)

1 spin bike session (already completed this morning. Woot!)

And my daily goal of 10,000 walking steps

I am also testing out a new recipe this week: Simple Farro& Bean Stew. I actually cooked it yesterday and it is sitting in my fridge waiting to be eaten for dinner tonight. I am pretty excited- it smelled fantastic while it was cooking.

Are you trying anything new this week? Maybe a new food or recipe?

Do you like to practice yoga? Do you think it is important to find balance within the various activities you do?

WDDW #1

Every Wednesday my blogroll is pretty much filled with WIAW (what I ate Wednesday) posts. I love them. However, I don’t think I will ever be joining in. The food I eat is neither exciting nor glamorous. I cook most of it ahead of time and rarely do I take any pictures of the foods I am eating. Well, rarely in comparison to people who are food bloggers. So today I am starting WDDW- What Dacia Does on Wednesday….for lack of a better name.  Not sure if I will do this weekly but today, with everything going on in remembrance of 9/11 and my uncle in a hospital having surgery, I kind of wanted to keep this post light.

Not to play down the events that are going on but because light is about all my mind can handle today.

So, today:

I went to the gym and tested my mental fortitude by trying to kill my already tired legs.

2.06 miles of hill intervals on the treadmill, 2.55 miles of the crosstraining 2 program on the crossramp machine. I always forget why I don’t like the crosstraining program until after I am a quarter of the way into my workout and it tells me to pedal backwards…ugh, 15 minutes of pedaling backwards- definitely not the highlight of my morning. Lol!

However, jamming out for an hour at the gym to my favorite music was a definite highlight. I told you about my yoga instructor that says ‘this is my jam’ when referring to her favorite poses, right? I think of her now every time one of my favorite songs comes on.  Some of my jams…

Simple Song- the Shins and Breezeblocks- Alt-J are my favorite warm up songs. The perfect way to ease into a workout/walk/run/waking up…

Pompeii- Bastille

Zombie- the Antique Toys (I love hearing Feed Me, I’m Cranky on a regular basis)

Miracle Mile- Cold War Kids

Ways to Go- Grouplove

Harlem- New Politics

If You Didn’t See Me (Then You Weren’t on the Dancefloor)- Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

Hurricane- MS MR

Royals- Lorde

THISKIDSNOTALRIGHT- AWOLNATION

Trying to be Cool- Phoenix

Do I Wanna Know?- Arctic Monkeys

Thunder Clatter- Wild Cub This is Paul’s jam so it always makes me think of him when I hear it

Best Day of My Life- American Authors This is my current theme song- I hear this song all the time and it always makes me smile and brightens my day. If you have 4 minutes you should give it a listen

 

Today I made (well, me and/or Paul made) all the meals I will be having. Even though I will be at work/school until 9p I am not using it as an excuse to eat crap. I took some extra time this morning, while I was eating some quinoa and steel cut oats, to pack up lunch AND dinner. Lunch is leftover quinoa chili (which Paul made for dinner Monday- thanks babe) and watermelon and dinner is a pb&j sammie, greek salad, and a plum. I also brought snacks with me too; a cripps pink apple, almonds, and some celery and carrots. I should be set for the day foodwise. It’s definitely not easy to sit through a 3 hour philosophy discussion on an empty stomach.

And speaking of school, today I get to conduct my first observation for my Qualitative Research class in between work and class (while I eat dinner…shhhh, don’t tell) in one of my favorite spots on campus- the second floor of the library. We have to conduct a series of documented observations for a project we are working on this semester. We were able to pick the location of our choice so I picked the library- busy yet quiet, air conditioned (a bonus when you live in FL) and it smells like books. Love!

After I complete my observation I get to mad dash across campus to make it to my 3 hour class/discussion for the other course I am taking; Educational Foundations: A Philosophical & Multicultural Analysis. Long title, lots of books, lots of discussions. Interesting topics which is a good thing for a 3 hour class on a Wednesday night.  Tonight we will be talking about two of the texts we are reading; Coming Apart: the State of White America, 1960-2010 by Charles Murray and Issues and Alternatives in Educational Philosophy by George R. Knight. I am really enjoying Coming Apart especially since Murray writes from the point of view that all of the major cultural and class changes in America, specifically white America, stemmed from the assassination of Kennedy.  I wasn’t alive in 1963 so learning more about the U.S. during that time, and really even the few decades after, is quite interesting.  My professor was deeply involved in the Civil Rights movement in the south in the 60’s which shows in the texts she has chosen for this class including her book Reflections of the 1965 Freedom March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

By the time I get home from school/work (one in the same) it will be 9p. Pretty much just enough time for me to get stuff together for Thursday morning (5:30a hot yoga), drink some kombucha, and give Paul and the furbabies a kiss goodnight. Looking over my day seems like I have/had a lot going on but it really doesn’t feel too bad. Lots of hours away from home but it goes by quickly which is a good thing. Plus I always feel like once I make it through today I’m in the home stretch- the rest of the week is smooth sailing.

What are you up to today? Happy the week is halfway over?

Wordless Wednesday...I Think Not!

So today won’t be a typical Wordless Wednesday post. I have no pictures to share because I moved all the pictures off my phone onto my computer last night – I needed to free up space for Fitbloggin! Instead I will just share with you some of the thoughts racing through my head right now.

Fitbloggin’- it’s pretty much the only thing I can think about right now. My flight leaves at 630a tomorrow and I don’t think it is possible to be more excited. I packed up the entire contents of my wardrobe my bags Sunday because I knew I wouldn’t have the time Monday-Wednesday to pack. But of course you know there are some things I can’t pack ahead of time (like my glasses, iPhone charger, etc.) so I have an ever growing list by my side of things that need to be packed tonight/tomorrow morning. I guess its times like these where being ridiculously organized pays off.

I am so super excited to be able to see ‘my people’ tomorrow and I expect there to be lots of hugs and laughs and probably a crap ton of pictures. That’s what we bloggers do….we take pictures of everything. So consider yourself warned- my FB and twitter will be overrun and I am sure next week I will be sharing my adventures with you here on the blog.

I am also super excited that there is an app for fitbloggin’! I went ahead and added all of the workouts and sessions I plan on attending to my calendar which is awesome. That will definitely help me not miss any of the ones I really want to attend. My plan this weekend is to squeeze as much of everything into my days as possible. There are so many places I want to go to in Portland so I plan on spending at least a few hours every day out in the city; drinking all of the beer and eating all of the vegan food.  

Yeah, I wish I had more time to spend in Portland. I don’t think 4 days will cut it. I will probably come back with a list of all the places I want to see the next time I go back…lol!

Hmmmm, what else?

As you can tell my mind is kind of consumed with this trip.

This week has gone pretty well so far. Yesterday I handed in my Stats midterm. It’s not due until Sunday but since I will be in OR I wanted to have it finished before I left. I also already handed in my two research assignments that are also due this Sunday so I can leave for fitbloggin without any stress of how to get schoolwork done while there. The stats exam was pretty tough- 10 essay questions. Blerg! Essay questions on a stats exam are no fun. But I think I did ok. We’ll see. Right now I have A's in both my classes but this midterm is really my first big grade for either course. Next week is my midterm for my research class so once I get back from Portland it will be a quick transition back into my focus on school.

This week has also gone pretty well training wise. I didn’t get to make it to the pool Monday after barre class though. I opted to meet friends for beers and hockey instead. I probably should have gone to the pool since Monday night was the only time I could have gone swimming but it was the Stanley Cup. I’m not a robot. I can’t always put my training schedule ahead of everything else. I need to have fun too.

And trust me, it’s not like I’ve been slacking. Friday was my last rest day. Since then I have went to; three barre classes (plus I have another one on the books tonight), 2 reformer sessions, got in one swimming session, 2 bike rides, and 2 runs. I’m feeling really good; very positive about where I am right now both mentally and physically in regards to training and my work-school-training-social life balance. So yay!

OK, I lied. I do have one picture on my phone, it's from this morning. Another post-workout (35 minute run) sweaty pic. If you look close enough you can see the sweat dripping off my nose. I am one classy lady ;)

 

That’s really all I have going on right now; nothing too extraordinary.

Oh, but I should also mention here some exciting Paul news. Weather permitting, Paul will have his solo flight tomorrow thus completing the second stage of his flight training. There are still many more stages ahead of him but I am happy he is progressing. Because of the whole sequestration thingy we didn’t think he would even start flight school at all this year and here he is about to finish up his second stage and move on to the next. Exciting!

What does that mean for us as far as moving goes? Nothing yet. His next phase of training will be at Whiting Field, about a half hour drive from where we currently live. So we know we will both be here in Pensacola for at least the duration of that phase which is 6 months. After that, who knows? But I will be sure to keep you posted.

What have you been up to this week? Will I be seeing you at Fitbloggin?

You Are Probably Going to Hate Me...

You are probably going to hate me for what I am about to post.

I may even lose some followers for it, but that’s life.

I don’t really talk much about my veganism on here because I feel like writing about it is offensive to some people. Which is stupid. I really don’t think what I choose to eat or not eat, wear or not wear should offend people. If it does, well then maybe you might want to evaluate why this bothers you.

When I first transitioned to a plant-based diet 18 months ago I did because that was what my body told me it wanted. After 7 months of somewhat steady weight loss, on an omnivore diet, withouy really noticeable changes in my energy levels, sleep patterns, recovery time, I turned to mindful eating to track how my body reacted to the foods I was eating. Long story short- what I found out was that plant-based was what worked for me. I thrive on a vegan diet. I have energy ALL THE TIME. Even if I can only get in 5 hours of sleep (or even 3 hours after a long night of drinking) I still wake up energized and ready to dominate life. I sleep like a log, once my eyes are closed I am out cold. It’s awesome. And when I exercise (or decide to run 27 additional miles over the 5 days after my half marathon) I don’t need much recovery time before I can do it again. Plant-based works really well for me so it was a super easy, seamless transition.

But after a few months of loving how I felt as a vegan I kind of wanted to know why. I read books, I watched documentaries, I followed online videos all about it and learned of the science behind why plant-based is such a great way to live. In the process of trying to educate myself to the workings of a plant-based diet I also learned about the tragedy which is our animal farming/raising/slaughtering for foods. And it breaks my heart.

Yes, I am now one of those people. Feel free to roll your eyes at me ;)

To me, I think being compassionate to all living creatures is a good thing, one that should not garner shame. However, I have encountered so many people that not only think I am strange (and wrong) because of my beliefs but the vehemently think there is nothing wrong with how animals raised for food (or fur) are treated. Maybe you don’t either. I know I am definitely in the minority when it comes to my beliefs in regards to animals for food and clothing and I get why. It’s not how we were raised. We don’t really know a lot about all the bad things that happen before/during slaughter. When we are shown videos or read articles most people shrug it off like “oh, there are those crazy PETA people again” maybe not really thinking about the legitimacy of their message and how it affects you.

No, I am not saying you should all become vegans (but that would make me very happy) but I would like it if we all learned a little bit more about the food we eat; where it comes from, how it’s treated, how it affects our bodies by eating it, and what are the benefits, or even repercussions, by doing so. I try to continually educate myself about food and am learning new things all the time. I am no expert but I certainly feel that we learn so little about nutrition and the importance of our food choices throughout life and I think a lot of the issues we have could be prevented with just a little education.

There is so much bad stuff going on in animal farms but today I will just share with you one thing. One of my least favorite images, although thinking on this I see so many images of the horrific torture and suffering animals endure at our hands flash through my mind, of one of the most ridiculous and tragic parts of the farming industry- chick culling. In the egg industry, male chicks serve no purpose (as they do not lay eggs) and so almost all are slaughtered after they hatch- by method of grinding, gassing, breaking the neck or electrocution. Sick, isn’t it.

Photo taken form facebook.com/VeganismIsTheFuture

Yeah, I said you might hate me after this. But sadly this is just the tip of the iceberg. The little tiny baby chick tip of the iceberg.

No matter what choices we make, whether it is vegan, ominvore, straight up carnivore, I just think we should know what's going on in our world and just try to make the best, and most educated, decisions we can. I think that's really the best we can do.

"I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man" ~Gandhi

One Year Down. Many, Many More to Come.

Yesterday I celebrated one year of following a healthy whole-foods based vegan diet. 

A year ago, when I made the decision to eat vegan it wasn’t for moral or ethical reasons and it wasn’t to help reduce my carbon footprint. Nope it was entirely selfish. It was only about me, about being healthy and feeling good; the two things that had eluded me up to that point in my weight loss journey.

Here I was, almost 8 months in, losing weight, following the Weight Watchers program to a T, being active and still feeling like shit. I thought to myself when would I ever feel good?  I was still lethargic. I was still not sleeping well. I didn’t have much energy. I was losing weight but I did not feel healthier, I did not feel good. And damnit, I wanted to feel good.

So I decided to take a closer look at my goals (being healthy and active) and what I needed to do to achieve them.  I adopted a practice of mindful eating. Changed my perception towards the food I ate and its purpose. If I wanted to be active then I needed to look at what I was eating as my fuel. But at this point I didn’t know much about food; about what was really good for MY body so I started to monitor my reactions to what I ate. As part of mindful eating I made sure to eat slowly in an environment without distractions and then document how I felt after everything I ate.

Did I have energy or did I feel lazy?

Did I have indigestion/upset stomach or did I feel normal?

Was the food I was eating making me want to be active or plop down on the couch and watch TV?

After time I realized which foods were making me feel good and which ones were making me feel bad.  The offenders- animal proteins/ animal products. So on a whim I said let’s try a week without any animal products and see how I feel.  

It didn’t take but two or three days for me to notice a change. I felt freaking phenomenal. My energy levels were through the roof. I slept like a freaking baby at night. I was regular for the first time like EVER which is huge deal for me. I had been battling IBS for years. I just wanted to be active and I felt like eating these foods would allow me to live an active lifestyle. It was great.

But could it really be that simple? Change the foods you eat and reset your body?

Not sure it was really possible, really that easy, so I decided to splurge and treat myself to some frozen yogurt. And guess what? That was all it took to show me how badly my body was affected by what I ate. I think it took 2 or 3 days before I was ‘regular’ again. Sorry if that is TMI but it’s the truth.

That was when I realized that there was no food out there that was worth sacrificing my body, my health, my wellness for and decided to live my life following a vegan diet.

Best. Decision. Ever.

I don’t just survive on a vegan diet, I thrive.

Is it always easy? No it’s not always easy; especially when I am traveling or at a friend’s house or I want to go out for a romantic dinner. I have to plan, I have to research, and I have to be prepared.

Did it get easier? Heck yeah. The first few weeks were rough trying to figure out what I could eat. Thankfully there are so many blogs and websites with recipes not to mention what seems like an infinite number of cookbooks. Whole Foods marks their products as vegan (I am pretty sure Trader Joe’s does as well) which makes life much easier. I actually a wider variety of foods now than ever before.

Today I feel like a seasoned pro when it comes to what I eat. I base my diet around whole foods and try to follow the 80/20 rule. It is easy to be a junk food vegan – I could eat French fries and drink Coke all day long if I wanted but then I would be back at square one. I could also fall back on vegan convenience foods and fake meats/cheeses but they are just as processed and preserved as there non-vegan counterparts so I really try to limit my intake of these products as well.

Ultimately I believe that if you limit the junk food and the processed crap and try to stick to more real, whole foods then you will be much, much healthier and happier- regardless if you are a vegan or not. Give your body what it really needs; vitamins, minerals, essential aminos, fats, protein and carbs and you will be kindly rewarded.

I am not trying to be preachy. I am just sharing my opinion and my story. Do with it what you will.

A year into this I have come to learn so much about veganism, animal rights, the health of the planet, the crazy shit in the foods we eat, and now I choose to be a vegan for health reasons as well as for animal rights and to help the environment.

 I listened to my body and gave it what it wanted and I am so thankful that decision has a positive impact on the world I live in. It’s really pretty cool.

"My refusing to eat meat occasioned inconveniency, and I have been frequently chided for my singularity. But my light repast allows for greater progress, for greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension." ~ Benjamin Franklin

This cracks me up. Just had to share. 

What's For Dinner??? Part 1

Finally I have a meal plan in place that I am able to share with you. Yay! Now you get to find out what I eat every day. I have been following a vegan diet for just over 11 months and I love it. I love the food that I eat, the way that I feel, and I love that as an added bonus I am saving animals and helping the environment. How cool is that?

As you know, last week was all about packing which was a necessity since we were moving but definitely made it difficult to prepare meals at home.  That was rough. I can only eat out so many days in a row before my body starts revolting against me. By Sunday I was ready for some home-cooked meals. I ran out to the grocery store in the morning with just a few meals for the week in mind and went from there. This is not how I typically shop. I usually make a meal plan and a grocery list from there but this week I didn’t have the time so I went to the store and planned the weekly meals out as I went.

Here is what I came up with:

Minnesota Winter Chili from Scott Jurek’s book “Eat and Run”. This is hands down my favorite chili recipe of all time. I make it once or twice a month even when it’s 100+ outside. It was the perfect dinner for a cold (for San Antonio) and rainy day.

Vegan sausages with sweet potatoes and green beans. I try to limit my intake of soy and fake meats as much as possible but I cannot help but indulge in these vegan sausages (smoked apple sage, YUM) from Field Roast made from vital wheat gluten. So dang tasty and the whole meal is on the table in under ten minutes.

From the Engine 2 Diet book- sweet potato bowls and black beans and rice; two of our favorites. Packed with fresh veggies, legumes, and grains these meals are super easy and super tasty.

Another quick dinner – grilled portobello mushrooms with baked potatoes and steamed broccoli

No dinner plans for Friday as of yet but now that I pass Whole Foods (and soon Trader Joe’s as well) on my way home I am open to the idea of picking up some ingredients day of and making a fun meal at home.

As for the rest of my day’s meals…

I have a Vega One shake for breakfast. I am pretty much obsessed with all Vega products. You will find their; energizing shakes, protein powder, pre-workout drink, recovery accelerator, electrolyte mix, gels, protein bars and endurance bars, along with the Vega One, in my kitchen.  All natural, plant-based, nothing artificial- I have yet to find a better product.

For my morning snack I have an apple and 17 almonds

I make a huge veggie salad from the salad bar in the cafeteria for lunch.  This week I brought a grain/seed mix from home to add to it; split peas, lentils, barley, bulgur wheat, red quinoa and sunflower seeds. Top the salad with WF no oil balsamic vinaigrette and a plum on the side- perfect lunch.

Hummus with carrots and pita and some grapes for my afternoon snack

Dinners are listed above

And I always have half a bottle of kombucha after dinner every night.

If I need a snack at night or even in the morning I usually grab a banana or some sprouted grain toast with almond butter. Actually one of my favorite snacks is toast with almond butter and banana smushed on top. Yum!

So there it is folks; that’s what’s for dinner….and breakfast…and lunch.

Oh, and before I go I wanted to share a quick recipe with you. Paul asked for me to pick up some prepared salads from the store to accompany his sandwiches at lunch time. I couldn't find anything I thought he would like so instead I grabbed a bag of the pre-shredded brocoli slaw mix and came up with this quick easy salad for him.

For the dressing I combined rice wine vinegar, Bragg's liquid aminos (soy sauce would work just fine here), agave, sesame oil and Sriracha sauce. I just eye-balled the amounts but if I had to guess I would say 2 teaspoons vinegar and Bragg's, 1/2 teaspoon agave, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of Sriracha. Mix to combine and then add in the brocoli slaw mix and toss it around until it is all mixed together.

My personal recommendation with this sauce- start with one teaspoon of Sriracha and go from there. Also, if you like your sauce sweeter or saltier or whatever taste it and then add more to make it suit your tastebuds. I keep all of these ingredients on hand in my pantry so when I decided to make up a salad/slaw for Paul I just pulled out what I thought sounded good. It turned out great.

What are you eating this week? Are there any foods you eat regularly to help with your training/recovery?

“It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.” ~Albert Einstein