WIAW – Whole Foods and Hanukkah

 

Before we get to last night’s Hanukkah dinner, I have a few random foodie things to discuss.

We went to Whole Foods the other day and I was really excited to get both Stonyfield Organic Greek Yogurt and Organic Pink Lady apples on sale.

In my opinion, Stonyfield Organic makes the best greek yogurt, especially when it comes to the plain.

I don’t always buy it because it can be pricey but I think it may be worth it going forward, not just for the taste but for the quality.

Plain greek yogurt really does take on the color and sweetness of the fruit-flavored yogurts when you add real fruit.

I really like Pink Lady apples. When it comes to apples in general though, I get really annoyed when I can’t find super big ones.

I make do by cutting up more than one at a time but still, it annoys me.

My son decided he wanted to try one of the green juices at Whole Foods too while we were there. He is working on the vegetable thing.

The juice he selected involved spinach, green apple, cucumber and I forget exactly what else (he told them to leave out the celery).

He didn’t like it and neither did I. We brought it back and they tried to adjust the flavor (too much parsley!) but it didn’t work for either of us. So we returned it.

There was absolutely no way that I was going to throw the juice in the garbage when I paid over six dollars for the cup.

Last week I mentioned taking a bit of break from fresh roasted vegetables.

That doesn’t mean I stopped eating vegetables completely, I just made some minor changes.

Wilted spinach in place of lettuce works really nice for me as a salad base.

I also bought Portobello mushrooms caps this week for a change too. Love them in a salad with avocado.

Roasted brussels sprouts aren’t causing me an issue (thank goodness since they are the best!) so I have been sticking to those along with roasted asparagus.

I decided it was the fresh roasted broccoli causing me the most discomfort so for now, I have only been eating the frozen variety and notice a major difference in how I feel.

Oh and I can’t forget to mention my favorite mashed chickpeas with avocado on Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel toast. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really should.

On to Hanukkah dinner:

I will admit that I didn’t make the Matzo Ball soup.

But I did make the rest of the dinner, including lots of latkes (potato pancakes) of all sizes.

For the sweet potato latkes, I couldn’t find a new box of quinoa flakes so I bought this Quinoa & Flax blend instead.

I used a regular shredder and a mini food processor this year to make the latkes. I prefer the old-fashioned shredder even though it requires more work.

You must top your latkes off with apple sauce if you are going to do it right.

As luck would have it, yesterday was also National Chocolate Covered Anything Day.

I am a passive-aggressive hostess. I made chocolate-covered pineapple because my dad has arthritis in his knees and the bromelain in pineapple is a powerful anti-inflammatory known to help the pain and inflammation.

I served him the pineapple and told him the bromelain was his Hanukkah gift.

I made brownie mini muffins too.

I sent my dad home with the rest of the pineapple (we finished all of the chocolate-covered pieces) because he needs his antioxidants.

And because I am clearly allergic to pineapple (hurts my tongue so bad and left it bright red last night!) yet if it’s here, I will eat it anyway.

Don’t forget to enter my #NYTough P&G Prize Pack Giveaway and then check out what everyone else is eating today!

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Anyone else find pineapple to irritate their mouth? Or is this just another fruit I am allergic to?

If you celebrated Hanukkah last night, what kind of latkes did you have?

What are you having for breakfast today?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Tip Tuesday – Make It Through The Mile On Treadmill

 

Ever have a day where it suddenly hits you out of nowhere that you are exhausted? The kind of fatigue where you want to lay down and not move for a week?

After working through the morning yesterday, I broke for lunch and then suddenly, exhaustion set in. No, I did not have turkey or anything with tryptophan to make me sleepy.

I am the worst at giving in to rest and I don’t even know what I was so tired from. Sometimes I think it just sort of catches up with you.

Since I knew I couldn’t focus mentally on writing anymore and since the more I sat, the more tired I became, I decided to run my errands in order to keep moving.

I think I end up grocery shopping several times a week because the stores are always missing something I am looking for the first time around.

Anyway, yesterday’s Trader Joe’s haul:

• Bananas
• Apples
• Pineapple
• Sweet potatoes
• Sweet potato tots
• Very Cherry Blend
• Blueberries
• Farfalle with Spinach/Cheese – my son loves this pasta; at least he is obsessed with something containing spinach
• Organic American Cheese
• Whole Grain English Muffins

I bought the pineapple since I polished off the cantaloupe and felt like we needed more fresh fruit on hand.

And, well, the extra dose of bromelain can’t hurt anyone, especially anyone looking to run on the treadmill. If you recall, pineapple contains bromelain which is an anti-inflammatory terrific for muscle recovery.

The emails are flowing in this week and I love it. I love interacting with you guys and I love even more when you have questions for me to answer.

In addition to the oatmeal inquiries, I have been getting a lot of questions asking for more specifics on adjusting to running on the treadmill.

I know I have touched upon a couple of the coping mechanisms but I have a few more for you this morning.

1. Shoes

I cannot say enough about the importance of the right running shoes. I am IN LOVE with the Adidas Energy Boosts.

Full on, cloud nine, head over heels, sprinkles sunshine and unicorns perfect world, happily ever after love.

I do believe that these sneakers play a major role in my newfound treadmill ability. They are lighter than my past sneakers which I think helps to keep my feet and legs easily moving along.

I no longer get that heavy leg, heavy foot feeling that I recall from running on the treadmill in the past that I swear would not only slow me down, but make me want to hop off.

When was the last time you had your foot measured and evaluated to be fit for running shoes? Are you familiar with the terms Neutral, Neutral Plus, Stability, Motion Control etc.?

I bet you a cookie cake (edged in chocolate frosting) that most of us are running around in the wrong shoe.

Just like they say about bras, one needs to be measured and evaluated in order to narrow down the selection to the styles best made for your feet.

Even if you think your running shoes are good, there may be a shoe out there that is great.

Click here for an informative link from Runner’s World that helps you narrow down the right shoe for you. I do advise though that the best way to be fit for shoes is to pop into your local running store. And hope that the employees know what they are doing, which I do believe most of them do.

2. FOCUS ON DISTANCE, NOT TIME:

Running inside doesn’t allow for me to zone out as well or as often as I do outside. And, to make matters worse, you have your time plastered in your face on the display.

However, I stopped focusing on the time clock and only look at the distance display.

Once you learn to focus on the distance, you can make it go very fast. BY SPEEDING YOURSELF UP.

The faster you run, the faster you are done.

But how do you adjust to running faster, especially on the treadmill?

If you like these infographics, then please give mine a try.

There are so many fun and informative charts out there on the internet yet I have never used one as a guide.

How does one use it? Do you read it and memorize it or do you print it out and attach it to the treadmill or do you load it on your phone and hold it in front of you?

I am being serious here. Can you really follow the 20 steps listed in the graphic or do you just use it as a guide and hope you remember it all once you are running?

This graphic is a loose description of how I tackle each mile on the treadmill.

When I refer to “HOME PACE” I mean the pace at which you can run comfortably.

Then, kick it on up. But only for a short time. By playing around with your speed, you are constantly engaged, constantly going faster and then slower that you build up your ability, stamina and most importantly – accomplish your workout faster.

3. TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF

By this I mean, stop trying so hard. Stop beating yourself up if you can’t run 5 miles inside like you can outside. Don’t hold tight to following my “Make it through the mile” or anyone elses’ chart or plan.

Give yourself a break. Literally. If you need to slow down, walk or even stop, allow yourself.

PLENTY of times I run one mile and then stop to stretch, go to the bathroom or even jump on the elliptical instead to warm up my legs a bit before getting back to running.

And sometimes, I don’t get back on the treadmill. Sometimes my legs want no part of the treadmill and that is OK.

I find that taking the pressure off, makes you feel a bit more free. And when you feel free, you are more likely to do something.

This little concept applies in all areas of life. Don’t you want to do something more when you feel like it rather than feel the pressure to feel like it?

Just that feeling of “forced” makes whatever you are doing not so fun, not so welcome and not enjoyable.

It’s the whole push-pull theory. The more you feel pushed, the more you may want to pull away.

At any time on the treadmill, know that you can stop. There is even a big red button staring at you, just waiting for you to push yourself to a halt.

You don’t HAVE to run 1 mile or 2 miles or 10. It’s up to you. You are in control.

Have I motivated you to get on the treadmill this morning? Good. Now I all I need to do is reread this post and motivate myself.

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Which sneakers are you currently running in?

How often do you accidentally bump into the stop button on the treadmill and almost fly off? Yeah, it happens to me more than I care to admit.

Quick – Tater tots or French fries?

 

 

 

 

Ice Packs, Pineapple and Stretching

Good Morning! It is actually quite gloomy outside today – damp, chilly and rain in the forecast.

I, however, am in my usual sunshiny mood at this early hour…don’t hate me for being a morning person.

I am pleased to report to you that yesterday’s run was by far the best I have had in easily two weeks. When I say best, I mean that my pace seems to be returning to its normal range.

Thank goodness.

I have been trying to not let my pace bother me but the truth is, it was on my mind a lot. I know we discussed that my legs were aching and taking much longer to warm up than normal, and while I attributed it to the adjustment to the increase in weekly mileage and change in usual running route, I was becoming pretty frustrated. And concerned.

Lucky for me though, I was greeted with quite the surprise yesterday when I started out for my run and felt pretty loose and just about back to normal.

Perhaps the ice packs I have been sitting with attached to my knee/leg area has helped? I haven’t needed an ice pack in almost 6 months but they have been making a regular appearance over the last few days.

Although maybe I felt better because I bought a giant pineapple to cut up and eat in order to get a triple dose of bromelain.

Do you know what bromelain is? Don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask.

The only stupid question is the question not asked.

Bromelain, which is found in pineapple, is an extremely powerful enzyme with major anti-inflammatory properties.

Eating pineapple, thereby ingesting bromelain and a host of many other phytochemicals and antioxidants, has been linked to a decrease in swelling, bruising, healing time, reduction in arthritis symptoms and pain as well as a reduction in muscle soreness: BINGO!

I have also been trying to incorporate more stretching into my daily routine in order to loosen up the muscles.

My version of a stretching routine, as seen above,  is probably not something you should wish to imitate.

The only thing I am comfortable telling you I am an expert in is dessert. Proper stretching should be left to the pros.

I did purchase this stretching/core strengthening apparatus band thing to help with stretches and strength training. I haven’t quite gotten around to fully reviewing it but the little boy was happy to test it out.

He said, and I quote, “I feel the burn”.

So maybe this is a product worth purchasing? I will let you know my full opinion soon.

I will also be filling you in soon on winter workout apparel. I received so many emails yesterday regarding what I like to wear in addition to my favorite winter running accessories.

I am currently on a mission to locate some new layers that provide warmth and comfort in a sweat-wicking fabric that if possible, satisfies the cute factor – STAY TUNED.

Have a great Wednesday!

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I NEED TO KNOW:

 Do you get frustrated when your pace is off?

Are you a morning person?

Do you use any at-home stretching bands like the one I purchased?