Foodie Pen Pals Reveal Day!

Oh wait. 

I didn't get a foodie pen pal box this month.

 Bummer.

See, I sent one, but the person I was paired with didn't. Obviously in a program like this, there are going to be times when things just don't work out. Maybe the girl I was paired with had a family emergency or life just got too much in the way. And that's okay. I'll sign up again next month and see what happens.

And the other weird thing is the pen pal I was assigned to send to this month is the same one I sent to in March. All pen pals are paired randomly and with over 1,000 participants chances of that happening are pretty slim. But happen it did. And that's okay too. I have been reading Renia's blog and had fun putting together another box for her.

Click here to visit her blog and see what I sent!

If you'd like more info on the program or would like to sign up, just click on the Foodie Pen Pals stamp like this on the left.

It's a live link that takes you right to Lindsay's site, The Lean Green Bean, where you can learn all about the details, see what others have received, and sign up for the monthly program. And though this month wasn't exactly what I had hoped for, months past have been, and I will certainly be participating again. 

Re-post: The Basics of Nutrition

Protein

What is it?

• a caloric nutrient containing about 4 calories per gram
• after water, it's the most plentiful substance in the body
• made up of structural units or chains of amino acids 
• essential amino acids: cannot be made by the body, we need to get them from food sources
• nonessential amino acids: can be made by the body

What does it do?

• if not enough carbs, protein gets used as an energy source
• it is the primary component for building and repairing muscle, blood, skin, hair, and organs
• used to make hormones, enzymes, and antibodies
• helps with water balance in the body
• necessary for growth, maintenance, and repair of body tissue

Some sources of it:

• complete proteins (contain all 8 of the essential amino acids): animal products like beef, chicken, fish, milk, cheese, eggs; plant products like quinoa, buckwheat, hemp seed, and soybeans
• incomplete proteins (missing some of the 8 essential amino acids): grains, beans, seeds, cereals, and some starchy vegetables
• complementary proteins: combinations of proteins to provide all 8 essential amino acids when eaten at the same meal: nuts combined with grains, beans combined with rice, corn combined with wheat, etc.

Carbohydrates

What is it?

• a caloric nutrient containing about 4 calories per gram
• two types
• simple: has 1 or 2 sugar molecules that are quickly and easily absorbed into the body
• complex: has larger chains of sugars (starches) that must be broken down before being absorbed into the body

What does it do?

• carbohydrates (carbs) get converted to glucose (blood sugar) which is the body's primary source of energy - remember we use energy just living and breathing with your brain responsible for about 20% of your daily caloric expenditure!!
• glucose is used to help burn fat as fuel
• some complex carbs provide fiber which helps regulate water, shortens transit time through the intestinal tract, and may reduce the risks of some cancers

Some sources of it:

• simple: table sugar, honey, sweetened soft drinks, candy, cake, etc.
• complex: potatoes, pasta, bread, popcorn, cereal, grains, fruits, vegetables, etc.

Fat

What is it?

• a caloric nutrient containing about 9 calories per gram
• the types of fat are structurally different but have the same caloric value
• unsaturated fat: usually found in plant sources and liquid at room temperature 
• poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats: help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and help raise good cholesterol (HDL) -  good fat
• saturated fat: usually found in animal sources (exceptions-coconut and palm oil), solid at room temperature, and a source of cholesterol - bad fat
• transfat or hydrogenated fat: have been chemically engineered to change liquid oils into solid fats, raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower good cholesterol (HDL), manufacturers are required to list transfat on labels - ugly fat

What does it do?

• provides energy for sustained movement - walking, jogging, zumba
• helps membrane cell structure and function
• transports fat soluble vitamins in the body
• involved in cellular and nerve signals
• needed for the production of hormones
• helps us feel full

Some sources of it:

• unsaturated : corn oil, margarine, mayonnaise
• mono: olives, olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados (good)
• poly: safflower, sunflower, and soybean oils, nut butters (good)
• saturated (bad): found in beef, chicken with the skin, ribs, dairy foods, butter, most fast foods
• transfat (ugly): processed and packaged foods like cookies, cakes, crackers, fries, and donuts

Paw Partner Adventures: Benny

Meet Benny.

Benny is a 3 year old Cairn Terrier/mix. And to quote a little girl we passed in the parking lot, "that puppy is so hairy."

Once again, I called the shelter ahead of time and asked if they had any high energy dogs that could go out for a run. No. How about any dogs I could take out with my own dog? No. Okay. I changed out of my running clothes, apologized to the yellow dog, and headed to the shelter.

Today's Paw Partner pup was such a sweetie. I have found most of the shelter dogs seem almost indifferent at first. I mean, they're all happy to get out for a walk, but most don't seem to care so much about the human on the other end of the leash and take a little while to warm up. Not Benny. Benny was like this: "hi,ilikeyou,doyoulikeme,isthataleash,arewegoingforawalk,ilikewalks,ilikeyou,doyoulikeme" and not just his tail, but his whole body was a-wigglin and a-wagglin.

The 15 minute car ride to the metro park was interesting. When I first put him in the car, he sat right down on the floor like he had done this a million times and knew the plan. Silly me. Once we were on the road, it was a different story. First, he was up on the passenger seat, nose out the window, off the seat, in my lap, on the floor, in the back seat, on the floor, on my lap again, on the floor, in the passenger seat...you get the idea. So once he was still long enough for me to reach him, I used one hand to basically hold him in one spot until we arrived.

I would describe Benny as energy with fur on it. He didn't slow down even a little and we completed the 3 mile hilly loop in a record breaking 49 minutes. And that's with a couple of stops (so I could catch my breath). I was wishing I hadn't changed from running clothes to jeans and hiking boots because 1. I'm pretty sure Benny could have run the whole way and 2. I was getting overheated at our record breaking pace.

Benny kind of reminded me of a teddy bear hamster on an exercise wheel: he just put his little nose down and went. Fast. Don't let those short little legs fool you. Benny took this walking thing seriously. He meant business.

It was a beautiful day for a hike and we both a good time.

We took a quick break at the creek so Benny could get a drink.

And Benny loved all the new outdoor smells. 

Once we made it back to the car, I sat down in the grass and Benny promptly crawled into my lap and tried to lick my chin. I'm pretty sure he was saying: thankyou,thatwasfun,canwedoitagian,ilikeyou,doyoulikeme,yea,letsdothatagain.

More chocolate granola

This time, in the form of energy bites!

This creation was inspired by the mason jar full of chocolate granola still in the pantry (can you tell I made a truck-load of it?) and this recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie. I'm pretty sure this is the only time in my life I have wished I could fit my entire hand in my mouth  -- after rolling out a batch of these, I wanted to lick my whole hand clean. But don't worry, I didn't. That would be gross.

Because I already had the chocolate granola, it took a whopping 2 minutes to make the "dough" and another 2 minutes to roll them out. I could have probably devoured them all in 2 minutes as well. They are moist and chewy, and so sweet they may as well be candy. I quickly snapped some pictures, transferred them to an air tight container, and hid them in the back of the fridge. Then I made a solemn vow: I can only earn an energy bite (or 2) by running 3 miles. I have to make silly rules and promises like this because I have zero self control.

What you'll need:

1 10 oz container of pitted dates
1 1/2 cups chocolate granola
2 scoops chocolate protein powder

What you'll do:

Throw it all in the food processor and let her rip. Then turn it off and let it sit for a bit. It takes a few minutes for the moisture from the dates to do its thing. At first, you might think it's never going to work and you'll want to add some moisture. But don't. If you wait a bit, then turn on the food processor again, it will magically turn into a nice dough. Roll them out into bite sized balls and store them in the fridge.

__________________________________________

And now, let's be realistic. Energy can usually be translated to calorie.

A 10 oz container of dates is almost 1000 calories.

And I just added granola and protein powder - MORE calories. Yes, these are delicious. And yes, they are better for you than a candy bar, but calorically, they're not far from one. And just because there's not a lot of processed sugar and there is a little bit of protein and fiber, doesn't make them healthy. It just makes them less un-healthy. I made about 30 energy bites out my batch of ingredients. My best estimate is these are about 70 calories per energy bite, depending on the size. So think of these as fun-sized candy bars. Enjoy them one or two at a time, at most. And hide them in the back of your fridge.

Last week's activity (5/20 - 5/26)

Freedom is not free.

Monday
1 hour cardio interval class

Tuesday
3 mile run

Wednesday
1 hour bar bell class

Thursday
1 hour bar bell class
3 mile run

Friday 
1 hour kickboxing class
3 mile run

Saturday
1 hour bar bell class
5.5 mile hike

Sunday
6 mile run


Scheduled mileage goal: 15
Mileage: 15

Meal Plan (5/27 - 6/2)

Plan your meals. Shop your plan. Prep your food. Reach your goals.

Below is our meal plan for the next week. Again, I don't want to imply we don't eat anything else. This is just the plan. We use it as a guide and don't necessarily eat the listed meal on the listed day. This is a cross between the plan for a meat-eater and a vegetarian.

Happy Friday!

Kale: salad and more

Spinach and I have been friends for a long time and I have figured out ways to sneak it into breakfast, lunch, and dinner on almost a daily basis. But I am a spinach snob. I like baby spinach. In the bag. Washed and ready to go. So imagine my disappointment when the grocery store didn't have any!! What was I going to put in: my green smoothies? my veggie chop? my pasta sauce? my salads?

Enter kale. That curly, hardy looking cousin of cabbage.

I've known the nutritional benefits of kale for a long time. But it just seemed less versatile, and more trouble.  But it's cheap. What the heck. In the cart it went.

The chart below from Thinkstock compares spinach to kale, nutritionally.

	28 grams spinach (1 loosely packed cup) (%RDI)	28 grams kale     (1 loosely packed cup) (%RDI)
Calories	6	14
Total fat (g)	0	0
Sodium (mg)	22 (1%)	12 (1%)
Carbs (g)	1	3
Fiber (g)	1	1
Sugars (g)	0	0
Protein (g)	1	1
Calcium (g)	27.7 (3%)	37.8 (4%)
Folate (mcg)	54.3 (14%)	8.1 (2%)
Iron (mg)	.8 (4%)	.5 (3 %)
Magnesium (mg)	22.1 (6%)	9.5 (2%)
Manganese (mg)	.3 (13%)	.2 (11%)
Potassium (g)	156 (4%)	125 (4%)
Vitamin A (g)	2,625 (53%)	4,305 (86%)
Vitamin B6 (mg)	.1 (3%)	.1 (3%)
Vitamin C (mg)	7.9 (13%)	33.6 (56%)
Vitamin K (mcg)	135 (169%)	229 (286%)

As you can see, as far as fiber and protein, spinach and kale are pretty close. When it comes to folate, iron, and magnesium, spinach is much higher. For vitamins A, C, and K, and calcium, kale comes out on top. Maybe the best plan is to alternate kale with spinach, or eat both.

So this week, my green smoothies have been a little greener: maybe not as smooth, but really pretty. Kale was great in lentil soup. And it makes a beautiful salad.

What you'll need:

Salad:
1 bunch of kale
1 large tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp dried cranberries

Dressing:
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute (or Garlic & Herb Mrs Dash)
1/4 tsp salt

What you'll do:

Break the leaves off the stems in bite sized pieces, discarding any brown or bad leaves and the tough stems. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add 1/4 tsp of salt and stir. Then drop in the kale leaves, swish them around, and allow to sit in the water for about 5 minutes. Remove from water and arrange on multiple layers of paper toweling. Roll up the paper towels and kale and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the  ingredients for the dressing. Then add in cleaned and dried kale leaves. Using your hands, mix kale and dressing, messaging the leaves and dressing so each leaf is completely coated. This will start to break down the kale, making it a little softer. You can either eat it right away or allow the salad to marinate in the fridge for a of couple hours. Then toss in tomatoes, seeds, and cranberries just before serving. Serves 2-3. Enjoy.

Wednesday Workout

Today's workout is all about:

 upper body.

This workout is partially timed and partially counted. There are 2 moving exercises in which you complete the number of reps given, followed by a holding exercise for the specified amount of time (45 seconds).  Rest if you have to, but only of you have to -- moving quickly from one exercise to the next. As usual, moving quickly through muscle work (with good form) maximizes calorie burn. If you are doing this at the gym, grab weights that are challenging; weights that make your arms shake for the last few reps. If you are doing this at home, you will likely be limited to the weights you have. If they are light, you could always hold both weights in one hand (if you can still grip effectively) and just repeat equal number of reps on both arms. If you don't have weights, soup cans or filled water bottles would work too. Think about pulling the belly in and up the whole time so this upper body workout grabs those core muscles as well. Be sure to breath throughout each exercise, elongate the spine, and in all standing exercises, point the tailbone down (not back) and squeeze your bum to protect your low back. You'll need a set of weights, a chair, a timer set for 45 seconds, and as usual, shoes are recommended.

20 Push ups

20 Bicep curls

45 second Full front plank

20 Triceps dips

20 Side lateral raises

45 second Front hover

20 Bent over triceps kickbacks

20 Over head presses

45 second Side hover right

20 Overhead triceps extensions

20 Biceps curls (second set)

45 second Side hover left

Product Review and Give Away!!

But first -- heartfelt prayers go out to Oklahoma: prayers of blessings and peace - for those who lost loved ones, hope - more survivors will be found, perseverance and healing - for the injured, and strength and resilience - for what will be a very long recovery. May God's love shine through the darkness of this tragedy.

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As a sincere thank you for reading this silly blog, 
I'm having a give away.

Enter to win one of four:

Each Bonus Gift Set includes three full size products in the new Pond’s Luminous Clean line:

Pond’s Luminous Clean Cream Cleanser, 6 oz 

Pond’s Luminous Clean Wet Cleansing Towelettes (30-pack)

Pond’s Luminous Moisture Day Lotion with SPF 15, 1.7 oz 

       all in a cute pink chevron zippered travel bag.

After being hooked on Neutrogena for quite awhile with great results, I was hesitant to use something new. But I was given some products and decided to give them a try. I really like this new line. I have been using it for almost a month now and I'd like to share them with you.

All three products have the same scent. Pond’s describes it as having notes of bergamot, orange, peach and rose. It just seems floral and fruity to me, not over powering but definitely scented. 

I was hooked on the cleanser right away - it takes off make up, including mascara, quickly and easily and leaves my face feeling clean and soft. My skin is sensitive and breaks out easily, but I've had no problems at all with this gentle, non-drying, yet effective cleanser.

The towelettes are wonderful. They are very textured, almost quilted, yet really soft and a little thicker than the brand I was using. They also remove make up (including mascara) easily and thoroughly. They work so well and are so convenient, I'm tempted to use them all the time, but I try to use towelettes only when traveling.

We ALL should be wearing sunscreen every day and this one provides UVA/UVB protection. This SPF 15 day lotion isn't greasy. It feels light and absorbs quickly. I wear it under mineral powder foundation with no caking. Like the other two products, it is scented and at first I thought it would bother me. But once you apply it, the scent fades in a matter of minutes.

I am happily using all three of these products now. And have 4 of these
cute little sets to give away.

To enter:

 just leave a comment on this post saying you'd like one.
 I will randomly choose 4 winners on 
Friday, May 24 at 8:00pm EST
 and post the winners on Sat.

♥

Marathon Training

officially starts... now!

We've got 18 weeks until race day. I only ran 2 days this past week, iced, and took lots of Motrin. My knee pain is better though still a little swollen so I will be sticking to the training schedule and not running extra miles as I had originally planned.

We (mostly) follow a Hal Higdon training schedule. A schedule like this assumes you have a base training of at least 8-10 miles a week. Even though this will be marathon #6 for me, and #9 for my honey, we use his novice schedule because it allows for 2 rest days per week. We will also incorporate some speed work even though this novice schedule doesn't call for it. Hal Higdon has about 12 different training schedules from novice to elite, all free and available online here: marathon training guide. We are registered for the Virginia Beach Half Marathon on Sep. 1st, which is much later than the half marathon suggested in his schedule. We may try to find another between now and then as well.

Below is what we'll follow. The days of the week aren't carved in stone for us. My honey's work schedule and the weather will dictate which days of the week we run, and our long run may be on Sat or Sun. As the temperature and humidity climb over the summer months, many of these runs will be done at night using head lamps. Though the training plan allows for 2 rest days a week, my teaching schedule comes into play as well. It also calls for 1 cross training day a week. I will continue to lift weights 3 days a week but as our mileage increases, the amount of weight I use on my legs will decrease. My dog walks tend to get more leisurely as well.

September 21, 2013

WEEK	M	T	W	TH	F	S	SUN
1	May 20 Rest	3 m	3 m	3 m	Rest	6 m	Cross
2	May 27 Rest	3 m	3 m	3 m	Rest	7 m	Cross
3	Jun 3  Rest	3 m	4 m	3 m	Rest	5 m	Cross
4	Jun 10 Rest	3 m	4 m	3 m	Rest	9 m	Cross
5	Jun 17 Rest	3 m	5 m	3 m	Rest	10 m	Cross
6	Jun 24 Rest	3 m	5 m	3 m	Rest	7 m	Cross
7	Jul 1 Rest	3 m	6 m	3 m	Rest	12 m	Cross
8	Jul 8 Rest	3 m	6 m	3 m	Rest	14 m	Cross
9	Jul15 Rest	3 m	7 m	4 m	Rest	10 m	Cross
10	Jul 22 Rest	3 m	7 m	4 m	Rest	16 m	Cross
11	Jul 29 Rest	4 m	8 m	4 m	Rest	18 m	Cross
12	Aug 5 Rest	4 m	8 m	5 m	Rest	12 m	Cross
13	Aug 12 Rest	4 m	9 m	5 m	Rest	20 m	Cross
14	Aug 19 Rest	5 m	9 m	5 m	Rest	14 m	Cross
15	Aug 26 Rest	5 m	10 m	5 m	Rest	2 m	VA Beach  ½ Marathon Sep 1
16	Sep 2 Rest	5 m	8 m	4 m	Rest	16 m	Cross
17	Sep 9 Rest	4 m	6 m	3 m	Rest	8 m	Cross
18	Sep 16 Rest	3 m	4 m	2 m	Rest	Rest	AF Marathon Sep 21

My honey has compared the whole marathon experience to childbirth....

Him: The training and the race itself is like labor, and then, when it's all over they hand you your baby - a medal.

Me: Ummm.
    A. You've never had a baby.
    2. A baby is waayyy better than a dumb old medal.

But he's right: the training and race itself is hard and it hurts.
I'll give him that much.

Why does anyone run marathons?

Me: I'm not really sure. I keep registering for another just to try to figure it out...