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Showing posts from May, 2012

You Are What You Eat

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I grew up eating fairly healthily.  My Mom was a Weight Watchers Lifetime Member, and we watched our servings of fruits and vegetables.   As a young adult, I did what most people do and tried to eat as cheaply as possible.  At that time, I could buy 10 Totinos Pizzas, a box of cereal and some frozen burritos for $20 - and that was good for the week.  I was thin, but inactive - unless you count 12oz arm curls. Fast forward to now when we are knee deep in milk drinking, produce munching, young people and struggle to  afford food that provides proper nutrition.  We buy 20lbs of apples per week.  Five gallons of milk.  Fifteen pounds of bananas.  Four loaves of bread.  I've tried to buy organic/free range/grass fed for our crew.  For years...I've price matched, couponed, shopped around, it's just too darn expensive. Good thing.  I don't want our kids growing up to be jerks. According to a new study entitled   Wholesome Foods and Wholesome Morals? Organic Food

Happy Memorial Day

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Memorial Day is a day we remember the men and women who died while serving in the  United States Armed Forces .   Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13 Thank you to the American servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure my freedom.   Memorial Day also serves as the somewhat official first day of Summer.  Most schools are let out, and a 3 day weekend ensues.  Folks travel to see family and have Bar-B-Ques, go boating, and flock to beaches and pools. Are you ready for "Swimsuit Season?" Well, I swim year round, so I'm as equally NOT ready as I have been all year.  I wear what's called a "competition" swimsuit so that there's no accidental reveals while I'm practicing my controlled drowning in the lap pool.  I do have a recreation suit.  It's a two piece.   It looks like this. I just love Tankinis...all the coverage of a one piece suit, but t

Health Food?

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What do you think about the health food industry? I know there is this big poo-poo about processed foods - and rightfully so.  But in our quest to try to eat better, we often end up eating a TON of processed foods.  Here's a list of things that I thought were good things to eat that really weren't: Weight Watchers Smart Ones / Healthy Choice Frozen dinners Protein Bars Health shakes & Protein powders Anything shelf stable, even if it says healthy, lowfat, etc Microwave popcorn  Granola bars Light Yogurt Margarine  Diet Soda Baked snack chips 100 Calorie Packs Sugar-Free ________ While most of this stuff gets billed as diet food it's certainly not health food.  The sodium content in the prepared and microwaveable items is astronomical.  Anything with an artificial sweetener is likely to cause a host of physical maladies.  The protein bars and shake mixes are so pulverized, cooked, powdered and packaged that they hardly qualify as food

Longest Ride & Longest Recipe Name Ever

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I love personal records for distance.  I think they mean just as much or more than PR's for speed.  I mean, you could potentially set a distance record every month if you so desired, not so for speed. Today I set a personal record for distance on my bicycle. Forty-five miles!  I was so happy and proud of myself when I was done.  The way out was so horrifically windy, that I was only doing about 10mph at times.  My legs were still a little roached from lifting for legs and back on Thursday, despite a total rest day on Friday.  Sustained winds were about 17mph, not to mention the gusts...  But on the way home I was S.A.I.L.I.N.G! Now for the Longest recipe name ever - and the recipe: Pinto, Black, and Red Bean Salad with Grilled Corn & Avocado (adapted from Cooking Light Magazine June 2012) 1c. cherry tomatoes (halved) 1tsp salt, divided 3 ears of corn, shucked 1 med. white onion, 1/4in thick slices 1 jalapeno pepper 1T olive oil (I used canola) 1/3c. fresh cila

WIAW

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It's time for What I Ate Wednesday! I've been on a quest to go veg again...yes, no meat, no dairy - no fun.  But it really reduced swelling and I definitely felt better the last time I did it for 30 days.  It's at least worth trying, even if I don't get it right all the time. Breakfast was a whole wheat bagel with smooth peanut butter and a banana.  I have found that if I by the fancy flavors of bagels, I never get one...but if i buy the 100% whole wheat ones...THEN I get my breakfast! I just LOVE peanut butter, don't you!?! I've managed to continue to cook once and eat twice at lunch time.  This recipe is a family favorite.  I've used THIS recipe for years.  The only thing I do differently is to use a whole package of pasta, versus the recommended 5oz.  Even our little ones will eat spinach when it's made like this. Easy, good, inexpensive, and good for you?  YES! I'm obliged to eat an apple a day, aren't you?  I usually have pean

Half Marathon Race Report

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Today we ran the 35th Annual Lincoln / National Guard Half Marathon! The weather forecast didn't look real good for today...but we tried to stay positive!  About 5:00 this morning, a storm rolled through complete with thunder and lightning.  Start time for the race was 7:00am - I counted my blessings that it rolled through prior! I was SUPER excited to see that our names were on our race bibs this year.  This is our home town race - but it sure has grown up.  Not only is it a Boston Qualifying course, but it's capped at 10,000 runners and sold out in about 10 days this year!  I just love living in such a fitness minded city. David and I rode our bikes down to the start.  We live about a mile away, and it works SO nice to ride down there and coast home!  We got there in plenty of time to line up with the 2:20 pacer. It was a wave start, so we didn't cross the start line until 7:30.  It was about 68 degrees and 90% humidity.  It was nearly raining...and later we

Three Things Thursday

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One:  I took our oldest son to register for High School.  I've home schooled him for the last 3 years.  It was hard - but he was cool with riding our bikes down there together - so I felt better. I promised not to wear a jersey or clip in shoes.  He even gave me a pat on the back a couple of times when I was filling out the paperwork.  Love that kid!  Go Links! Two: Grocery shopping takes on a new perspective when both children can play a video game while you shop.  Don't judge.   Three: I was working on a full 24 hours of a headache, today - so I ordered pizza for lunch.  Our children were SO happy that the girls made a "commercial."  Presenting: Alahnnah age 10, and Susan age 4.

WIAW

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Taking a cue from my friend, Amanda over at Diary of a Semi-Health Nut , today's post is: What I Ate Wednesday WIAW!! I will be posting pictures of what I ate on Wednesdays and sometimes, sharing recipes.  I am so inspired when others share what they are doing to properly fuel their bodies.  Sometimes we get stuck in a rut, nutritionally, and don't know how to get out!  Seeing what others eat helps me.  I hope that seeing what I'm eating helps you. I like to start my day with satueed veggies and scrambled eggs.  I don't eat breakfast if I'm not hungry - but normally - I'm so hungry that I was eating in a dream right before I woke up! Broccoli and onion start the scramble. Add a little cheese and toast, yum! I like the Earth Grains 100% Whole Wheat bread, toasted with a little REAL butter.  I drink my coffee with honey and soymilk...Mmmm... Today, I didn't get hungry for a mid-morning snack.  It sorta depends on my training schedule.