FitFeat

Archive for May, 2010

My Belated Shout Out to Jay Robb

May 27

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 3 Comments

Hey hey blog buds!  It’s Friday-EVE!

The sun is shining today in Colorado and (for at least a few hours) we’ll have the weather I moved here for.  Mid-80s, gorgeous blue skies, light breeze.  A far cry from the weather that hit the northern part of the city yesterday – a hailstorm like one I’ve never SEEN!  Absolutely crazy!  I won’t even try to describe it in words, but if you live outside of Colorado, you have to go check out this set of photos of damaged cars, damaged homes, people shoveling hail like we’d just had a blizzard.  I feel very fortunate that it did not hit our end of the city, and feel terrible for those it did.  Not to mention the livestock and wildlife that had to endure the pounding.

So wherever you live, if it’s nice outside today try to pop your head out, smile, and give thanks!

***

Rewinding all the way prior to my San Diego / Vegas trip, I received a terrific package in the mail.

When they agreed to send me a ‘sample’ of their sprouted brown rice protein powder, I had no idea the treat I’d be in for!

I have two of Jay’s books from way back when.  And used to add his lactose-free hormone-free Vanilla Whey protein to my post-workout shakes regularly.  When I chose to remove as much dairy from my diet as possible, whey protein went along with it.

Their brown rice protein doesn’t have the sweetness of the mixed plant protein powder that I also use – which is OK by me because with the Jay Robb powder I know I can add it to things without a change to the flavor, like my green smoothies.

I tried Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla. 

I wasn’t as big a fan of the strawberry – I’m just not a berry flavored protein lover.  But if you blend it with a banana, it’s super tasty. :)

The chocolate flavored sample seemed very similar to the vanilla in taste to me, so when I wanted to boost the chocolate samples I added a few teaspoons of carob powder.

My favorite of the three is definitely the vanilla, both in flavor and versatility.  So much so, that I finally tracked down a canister locally.  (At my regular grocery store, can you believe it?  Go, King Soopers!  Yeah!)

Like other rice proteins I have tried, on its own it can be a little chalky in texture.  However, when I mixed it in a shaker cup with just some almond milk added in, the chalkiness was gone, so I wonder if that has something to do with the fat in the almond milk helping to emulsify the drink.

Because it blends so easily in a shaker cup, this is a great protein choice for when you are on-the-go or traveling.

You get 24g of protein per serving, 4g carbs, 2g fiber and only half a gram of fat.  Great to add to oatmeal or your smoothie when you are looking to boost your protein intake.  Personally, I supplement my green smoothies with a protein booster after weight training sessions.

green smoothie

If you are looking for a great protein powder that doesn’t break the bank and comes from a stand-up company, definitely give Jay Robb a try.

tank top from Jay Robb

And I totally dig my sparkling Jay Robb tank top!  :)

A BIG thanks to the generous folks over at Jay Robb for the allowing me the opportunity to sample their products before I buy!

***

I’ve tried some new recipes (yes, again with the trying recipes, apparently I haven’t learned my lesson!)  So on tap for a near-future post will be my thoughts on some Lentil Quinoa burgers I made from a magazine recipe.

My blog time has been very limited lately, as you’ve noticed with the schedule of posting about 3 times per week, in lieu of the 5-6 I used to aim for.  It’s in small part due to spring being here and trying to get outside whenever possible for some WOGGING ;) and YARDIO, but also because I have been working on a business-related project that has required a lot of reading, research and time.   Hope you guys don’t think I’ve fallen off the blogging wagon!

Any big plans for Memorial Day Weekend? I’m hoping to get a good hike in with my beautiful friend KERI, of “Om of the Rockies”.  And plenty of outdoor play time with our pups!  It’s looking like we might be blessed with a perfect weekend!

Have a beautiful Thursday!  Hope you can get outside this evening and play!  Now that most of the TV shows are over for the summer and there is still daylight at 8:00 pm we can all get off the couch and get moving!

– Shari B. =)

p.s. are you following me on Twitter yet?  Click “Feat Tweets” on the right side of this window to follow me!

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9 Tips to Ease the Pain of a Killer Workout

May 24

Posted by Shari B. in FitFeature, Keeping Fit | 12 Comments

Hi friends!

Oh boy am I sore today from Saturday’s leg workout.  After having been sporadically following the Insanity program over the last month, I have used my legs more for sports drill workouts and apparently they forgot what it was like to do a solid strength session!

THE WORKOUT:

Tabata Sets:

  • Smith Machine Squats (8 sets, 4 minutes)
  • Leg Extensions  (8 sets, 4 minutes)
  • Leg Curls (8 sets, 4 minutes)
  • Plyo Lunges (6 sets, 4 minutes)

Followed by:

  • High Step Ups (2 sets per leg)
  • Front Curtsy Squats (2 sets per leg)
  • 11 minutes of ‘dance cardio‘

And all I’ve been saying for the last 36 hours is “oh my legs, my legs!!!”  My hamstrings are so sore, that it is almost painful to stand up completely straight!  Yes, I like to be sore after a good workout.  But I’ll admit this is a step beyond that.  So I figured this would be a great time to share with you the tips I employ when DOMS sets in (DOMS: delayed onset muscle soreness).

1. Move the sore muscles:  blood flow to the muscles will help to speed the repair and move the toxins out faster.  By “move” the muscles, I don’t mean you should strength train those muscles again while they are sore but getting in some light to moderate aerobic activity will do the trick.

2. Light massage of the sore muscles: keyword here is light.  This is not the time to get a deep tissue massage – my massage therapist says at least 24 hours before a deep massage after a tough workout or you risk releasing toxins too quickly.  So I will lightly rub sore muscles by hand, or else I’ll do some easy foam rolling.

3. Light stretching of the sore muscles: again the keyword here is light. You don’t want to cause additional microtears to muscles that are already in the process of repairing.  The idea here is to just get some blood flow in there and keep them from stiffening up.

4. Ice up: I like to use frozen peas wrapped in a thin towel applied to the sore muscles for 10 to 20 minutes every few hours.  This also expedites blood flow to the area.

5. Soak: After (or between) ice applications, take this opportunity to pamper yourself with a hot bath with Epsom salts.  (I usually toss in 1/2 cup.)

6. Ginger root capsules: I got this great tip from Joan, who knows I won’t take ibuprofen.  She introduced me to ginger root capsules to fight inflammation when I had a stiff back and the stuff works!  It doesn’t have the ‘immediate’ relief you get from OTC drugs, but you don’t get the toxic liver either!  And I have noticed a difference when I take two in the morning and two in the evening.

7.  BioFreeze: I’ll use this as a last resort (because I aim to minimize products that contain paraben) but this stuff works wonders when I do choose to use it.  It’s like an extra strength IcyHot.  A chiropractor recommended this to me years ago and I’ve kept a bottle around ever since.  I’ve used it on sore joints, aching muscles, and it also clears the sinuses right out for you!

8. Water: the lactic acid and toxins need to go somewhere and if you aren’t hydrating they won’t move anywhere very quickly.  Be sure to increase your water intake (especially when muscles are sore) and minimize dehydrating beverages like coffee and soda.

9. REST: when you work out hard, rest is extremely important in order to allow the body to repair, adapt and grow stronger so that the next time you do that same workout, it won’t seem as hard and you can do a little more.

What favorite tips do you utilize? Drop a comment!

– Shari B. =)

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A Lightning Fast Snack to Keep the Chip Binge at Bay

May 23

Posted by Shari B. in Product Review, Recipes | 8 Comments

Hey there blog buds!

Have you seen this new “cheese” anywhere?  I just discovered it recently and had to share it with you.  It’s called “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese” by Wayfare. So far I’ve only tried the cheddar-style spread and I’m in love!

It is completely dairy free and there is no casein snuck into it either.  The main ingredient is OATMEAL!!!

I’ve been using it in wraps and on crackers mostly.  Here is my new favorite low-cal snack that has a nice little kick to it for when you feel the need to shove your face into a bag of salty chips.  ;) (Don’t do it!  Step away from the chips!)

Take one Wasa Cracker (I use Light Rye)

Smear with 1 tbsp (or less) “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese” and then sprinkle with some Mrs Dash Salt Free Fiesta Lime seasoning.

Nibble away!

One cracker snack is:

  • 60 calories
  • 8.5g carbs
  • 2g protein
  • 2g fiber
  • 2.5g fat

You could have 3 of them and still come in at only 180 calories.  This is one of my new favorites for when I’m craving something a little savory or salty.  Or when I just walk in the door from work and want something RIGHT NOW that will hold me over until dinner is ready.  The healthy fat and the fiber will fill you up in a jiffy.  (I make a similar snack using Tofutti ‘Better Than Cream Cheese’ spread and Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil seasoning too…. also very tasty!)

The Wayfare website talks about how they started their line of products because they were bothered by the fact that so many non-dairy products also included a lot of fake stuff.  And they didn’t want fake stuff in their food!  (Me either!)  So next time you are at the health food store, keep an eye out and give this brand a try.  Let me know what you think if you try it!

The more we purchase and support products that don’t have garbage (additives, chemicals, artificial sweeteners, carcinogens) in them, then more companies will hop on the bandwagon and continue to develop great things for us to use, making healthy eating even easier!

Hope you are having an amazing day!  Make it great!

– Shari B. =)

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Recipe, Schmecipe

May 19

Posted by Shari B. in Cooking | 5 Comments

Have you ever spent a ton of time in the kitchen with a handful of new recipes, only to be disappointed how they turned out and then feeling like you wasted all that time?  (Not to mention feeling like you wasted FOOD?)  That was my day yesterday.

I don’t want to slam the cookbook I used (fortunately borrowed from the library rather than purchased) because 1.) it’s a really well known franchise and 2.) it could very well be that I just happened to pick a few that weren’t total winners.  There are hundreds of recipes in the book, so I’m willing to bet some are really great.

I pulled out three and didn’t care for a single one.  A Chile Rubbed Tequila Seafood dish (too fishy and way too much tequila), a Southwest Cabbage Salad (very acidic and too salty) and a Chilled Cucumber Soup (again too salty).

I put the fish and the cabbage into a corn tortilla and made it into a Fish Taco. That made it a little better.  At least it LOOKED appetizing!

Two words:  Epic.  Fail.

The bright side? Reaffirming that I don’t necessarily need recipes to make something yummy.  Here are are few of this past week’s NON-RECIPE last minute creations:

Scrambled Organic Eggs with Goat Cheese Slivers, Tomato Slices and Grilled Sweet Pepper

Black Bean Burger on a half-bun (topped with sprouts and a ‘Veggie Slice’ uncheese), Sweet Potato Fries and Roasted Mixed Veggies

Pumpkin Brown Rice Breakfast with Cinnamon and Almond Milk

The “Bat Snack”:  Egg Salad (made with Nayonaisse and mustard) flanked by ‘avocado wings’ and garnished with some leftover lemon-infused salmon:

First attempt at homemade sushi rolls using leftovers of brown rice and mahi, adding in some cucumber, carrots, and avocado.  (And of course served on my “Shari’s Sushi” plate from Beth!)

I like simple, easy-to-build meals.  If you know what you like and you throw in a pinch of creativity, the options for healthy eating are endless!

So I say… Recipe Schmecipe!

Do you have a favorite “thrown together” meal or original creation?  How about recipes gone awry? Drop me a comment!

– Shari B. =)

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Healthy Eats = Healthy Teeth

May 18

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 6 Comments

Hi friends!

I hope your week is off to a fantastic start!  Mine is going great! :)   It’s been a “rain sandwich” kind of day.  Meaning that we started off with sunshine this morning, then thunderstorms and now sunshine again!  I’m hoping the sunshine lasts into the evening so that we can get the crazies out this evening for a walk.  And the dogs too… ha ha!

Did you try putting BEETS or some other fun veggie into your smoothie yet?

It was a perfect morning for an outdoor run with one of my clients – we did 3.61 miles of hills and valleys including 8 sets of hill repeats at the end (and I got to take my Vibram FiveFingers for a good spin too).  Yesterday I did a good old fashioned upper body strength workout:  no Tabata timer, no Insanity.

  • Smith Machine Bench Press – 5 sets
  • BB Bent Row – 5 sets
  • Pike Shoulder Presses – 2 sets
  • Overhead 1-Arm DB Presses – 2 sets
  • KB Side Lateral Swings – 1 set

It felt FAN-TAS-TIC!

***

So today was DENTAL DAY in the FitFeat household.  Rascal and I both had our teeth cleaned (fortunately mine was at the dentist!)  ;)   I take our dogs to an anesthesia-free practitioner so that they don’t have to be put under.  I know how terrible I feel after anesthesia so I don’t like the idea of the dogs having to do that unless it is for some sort of life-saving surgery.

You know your dogs need their teeth cleaned when they are riding in the back of an SUV and when they have a barking fit you can smell their breath all the way up in the front seat!

Now Rascal has fresh breath and is once again eligible to receive mommy-kisses.

While trying to snap a pic of these kisses, Rascal turned his head and I was left looking as if I am howling at the moon!

This was a little better…

Riley has her turn on the 27th.  I learned early on not to take them both at the same time.  If you want to see a visual representation of mass mayhem, that would be it.

And the great news of the day is NO CAVITIES for me!  Wahoo!

Back in 2005 in the middle of my high protein and competing days, I went from having great healthy teeth to a dental visit where I was told I had 5 cavities.  Three of which each took a downhill turn one at a time shortly after the fillings, resulting in 2 abscesses, 3 root canals and 3 (crazy expensive) crowns.   I truly believe that the high intake of protein (and low intake of fruits/veggies) leeched minerals from my teeth, resulting in their disintegration.  For a lot of my ‘dieting’ years I ate between 40% and 55% protein which came solely from animal sources.  Since switching to a primarily plant-based diet, I have had no cavities.

If you’ve followed FitFeat for any length of time,  you know I feel strongly about health from the INSIDE out.  Getting a “good grade” from the dentist deepens my resolve that I’ve been doing a good job of taking care of the inside of me!

How about you?  Have you found any changes to your diet that affect your teeth? Did you start/stop soda and see a difference?  Switch to more raw foods?  Cut back on sweets?

Also, does your dentist take your blood pressure before your cleaning?  This is something new at my dentist over the course of the last year.  I love that they do this, because I geek out on knowing my numbers like resting heart rate, blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, TSH, etc.   I was tickled today to see my blood pressure at 93/67.  Excellent!

Have a FIT and HEALTHY day, blog buds!

– Shari B. =)

»crosslinked«

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The Beet Smoothie

May 15

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 7 Comments

Hey there blog buds!  Happy Saturday!  I hope that you are having an wonderful weekend so far.  Mine has been delightful!  You know that Saturdays are my favorite day of the week!

I especially love when they start with a 4+ mile run outside in the sunshine.  It feels like FOREVER since I’ve gone for a sunny run!

Yesterday morning we were indoors doing an Insanity session, which left me red-faced and panting.

A little like this:

(Image Source)

I’d like to say I was kidding about that, but that’s pretty much how I look and feel during those workouts!  :)

***

In my previous blog post, The BEET of My Own Drum, I mentioned that one of my clients asked me if I had ever tried putting beets in my smoothies.  Which I hadn’t.  But I told you all that I would consider it.

Consider it done!

Into the blender went the following items:

  • 8 oz water + 4 small ice cubes
  • 2 cutie clementines
  • 3/4 roasted beet (without skin)
  • 1/2 small banana
  • large handful of spinach
  • 1 large kale leaf (stalk removed)
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • small handful of alfalfa sprouts
  • a squeeze of flaxseed oil (approx 1/2 TBS)

You just can’t BEET the color of this beautiful veggie!  Ha ha!  (Sorry, that was bad.  Couldn’t resist!)

Into the glass for taste testing (I must admit, I was a little nervous that it would taste like dirt and I’d have wasted all those veggies):

The verdict:  Actually quite good!  I could definitely taste the ‘earthiness’ of the beet from it being a root vegetable, but I get that same effect sometimes from the celery and sprouts in my regular green smoothies.

Probably the only downside to beet smoothies?  Teeth like Angela’s….

(Image Source)

I’m just kidding, it didn’t stain my teeth!  But if you didn’t catch The Office this week, click HERE and scroll to the 4:58 mark.  I thought it was funny that I’d just been talking about beets in smoothies earlier that day!

So your challenge is to throw something new into your next smoothie!  I dare you! ;)   Then come back and let me know how it was!

– Shari B. =)

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The BEET of My Own Drum

May 13

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 8 Comments

Hi friends!  It’s Friday-EVE!  Wahoo!

Ahhh I feel so relaxed at the moment.  I just got done with an hour-long yoga session and let me tell you … I have MISSED yoga.  (Gosh, a year ago I don’t think those words would have ever crossed my lips.)  I haven’t had a yoga sesh since before we left on vacation because when we got back we started into the Insanity routine (that I was lucky enough to borrow from a friend).  It’s definitely fun and different, and I sweat more doing this than I do in 100-degree Bikram studio.  However, 2 weeks in and I’m already a little bored.  Although you are changing DVDs daily, there is so much of each day’s routine that is just like the previous day, and the day before that, and the day before that, so all of a sudden I find myself not looking forward to the workouts.

So like everything else in my ‘fitness’ life, it will be mixed in when I need a good sweaty cardio/plyo routine or want to change things up. But it will no longer be a 6-day Insanity week.

This is one of the biggest reasons I think personal trainers can be a HUGE benefit (OK yes being a trainer, you may think I’m a bit biased ;) ) Because most of them will listen to your likes and dislikes.  I strive to find out what my clients really enjoy and incorporate it.  If you tell your trainer there are certain exercises you REALLY don’t like to do, they should adjust the program.  Because otherwise you may start to DREAD the session.  And that’s the fastest way to see your client list dropping like the stock market of 5-6-10!

This is also why you see on the blog that I’m always reading new fitness/nutrition books and trying new DVD workout programs.  Gotta keep it fresh for both MY workouts and my CLIENTS’ workouts!  I don’t like to be bored with exercise.  And I never give clients an exercise that I haven’t done myself so I am always trying my programs first, as I design them.  I want to know how much weight feels right, how sore it might make me afterward, if anything feels “off’ about a new movement.

One thing that I find myself NOT bored with still, after all this time is TABATA!!!  So quick, so intense, and then it’s done.  LOVE THAT!  Monday I did the following routine using my Tabata timer:

  • Straight-Arm Planks
  • Seated Row
  • Overhead Shoulder Presses (standing on one leg for increased balance work, alternate legs each set)
  • Tricep Kickback + Straight Arm Tricep Pulses
  • DB Bicep Curls
  • Boat Pose for Abs

I felt it for the 2 days following.  I really don’t think I will ever get bored with this style of training. It speaks to my short attention span. :D

On the food front, beets have also been speaking to me this week.  I roasted three of them on Sunday and have been adding them to a lot of my salads.  If you missed it, I talked about my salmon, beet and goat cheese salad earlier in the week.  This time I made a “deconstructed” salad with beets along one side, sauteed kale and a bit of herbed goat cheese in the middle and sliced pears on the other.  This was another flavor winner.  The sweetness of the pear and beets meshed perfectly with the lightly salted kale and goat cheese.

Beets are an amazing veggie health-wise.  Beets are very high in folate, manganese, potassium and rich in compounds that are found to help reduce inflammation, fight heart disease, and colon cancer.  While higher in natural sugars than other vegetables, they are still only 74 calories per cup, plus very high in fiber.

During a kitchen session with a client this week, she asked if I put beets in my smoothies.  I haven’t tried that yet.  But I’m considering it.  So I’ll keep you posted.  :)

Drop a comment on any one of the topics above!  Got any favorite ways to eat BEETS? Have you had a personal trainer that made you do exercises you hated?  Any workouts that you’ve been CRAVING lately, but just haven’t gotten to?

Have a TERRIFIC Thursday friends!

– Shari B. =)

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Salmon, Take Me Away!

May 11

Posted by Shari B. in Cooking | 3 Comments

Hi blog buds!

As I am sitting here in my home office getting some work done, I’m enjoying the last few rays of sunshine hitting my windowsill before the snow moves in. Yes folks, you read that right.  It is mid-May and we are expecting more SNOW!  We have the possibility for a LOT depending on what the temperature does.  I think I’ll be doing some SUN SALUTATIONS tonight in order to ward off the snow.  ;) Here’s the view from my window at the moment:

Remember the “good ol’ days” of September when I wrote about how the Colorado tourism board should pay me commission for all the gushing I was doing about hiking in our lovely mountains and sunny weather?  I miss those days!  :D Hopefully all my cold weather writing hasn’t turned any of you off from Colorado.  It’s USUALLY gorgeous.  We’ve just had a REALLY odd year of weather, unlike any winter I’ve seen in the 19 years I’ve lived here.

But I won’t think about it right now.

I’ll pretend snow doesn’t exist.

And imagine myself on a beachfront somewhere, kind of like I did when I was Summoning Summer with Salmon Cakes.  Salmon, I’m looking to you again for some help.

This time around, I decided to make Salmon en Papillote (“in paper”).  That feels a little “beachy”, don’t you think?  I’ll visualize myself on the patio of an oceanside restaurant, sipping some Riesling, with this on order:

The first time around I marinated two small salmon filets in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, ginger and lemon juice.  Then I placed them (skinside down) in my parchment paper, wrapped them up and baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.

The second time around, in lieu of marinade, I placed 3 slices of lemon UNDER the salmon and sliced tomatoes on top of the salmon while it was steaming away inside the papillote. That was even twice as delicious.  The lemon steamed into the salmon – the flavor was fantastic.

Filet #1 was plated with some roasted cherry tomatoes, corn, grilled portobello mushroom and a little basmati rice:

Mmmm DEEE-LISH!

But wait!  There’s more!

The leftovers were even better.  Filet #2 was used in this AHHHMAZING salad:

Salad ingredients (starting with the bottom layer in the bowl and building upward):

  • arugula
  • spinach
  • herbed goat cheese (sprinkled on)
  • sliced roasted beets
  • sliced hard-boiled egg
  • diced avocado (1/2 a fruit)
  • sauteed kale and beet greens (look at me using my WHOLE beet, leaves and all!)
  • sunflower seeds
  • Annie’s Light Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
  • Leftover salmon

OMG friends!  This was one of the best salads I’ve had in a long time, and the fact that I didn’t pay a restaurant $15.95 to make it for me was an excellent BONUS.  You have to try it yourself at home!

One of the things I’ve been doing with my salads a LOT over the last year is adding warm roasted veggies to the cool salad greens.  I love that combo.  I’ve mentioned it before here on the blog, but I’m just really loving making my salads that way.  My friend Keri sent me home from Girls’ Night fajita dinner with some leftover fajita veggies (peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, squash) and I reheated the veggies, added them to my cold spinach with a hard-boiled egg and roasted cherry tomatoes, dressed with some Annie’s Roasted Red Pepper Vinagrette.  Another lip-smacker to be sure!


Do you have a favorite combination of veggies to use in your salads?  Or a favorite restaurant salad that I should try to recreate at home?

***

Salmon Tip – Keep Your Skin On: I recently learned that a majority of the Omega 3 fatty acids in salmon are located between the skin and the flesh.  So if you don’t mind keeping the skin on during cooking and then eating down TO the skin after cooking, do so!

Have a great day friends!

– Shari B.  =)

http://fitfeat.com/blog/2010/03/24/summoning-summer-with-salmon-cakes/

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Happy Day to all the MOMS!

May 9

Posted by Shari B. in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Hi FitFeat Friends!

Happy Sunday!  I wanted to be sure to post today to say a big THANK YOU to all the moms out there!  Thanks for raising the future generation, since I haven’t contributed in that department.  ;)   I hope you are all enjoying your special day!

I don’t have “real” kids, but I do have two furry beasts that I love like they were my kids (and they went to the dog park this morning so now they are LAZY furry beasts)…

Riley

Rascal

And this morning there was a card hidden amongst my coffee mugs when I went down to the kitchen to make my cuppa joe:

Awww…. isn’t that sweet?  (Thank you MSP, you’re the best!)

This weekend has been a catch-up kind of weekend:  errand day yesterday and major house cleaning today.  We’ve had a lot going on during the weekdays these past few weeks (hence the sporadic blogging) so there will be no watching of movies or reading of books today!

I’m hoping to have some time during this week to try out some new foods or recipes to report back on!  I haven’t been posting a lot of my food lately because it’s all been pretty “standard Shari food”.  :D I’ll be sure to try and “spice” it up a bit this week.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend blog buds!

– Shari B. =)

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Can I Harness Some of that Excitement?

May 6

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 6 Comments

Hi friends!

Can someone tell me where the heck the weeks are disappearing to?  I can’t even believe it’s already Thursday and I haven’t had a post out here since Monday!  Spring is finally starting to act like it’s REALLY here for good so I’ve been trying to get outside whenever the weather (and job schedule) cooperate.

For example, a little off-leash dog park action:

I wish I’d captured on “film” the huge grin on Riley’s face as she scampered all over the place.   (If you have dogs, you know they SMILE!)  It’s been awhile since we’ve been to the BIG off-leash park over at the reservoir where there are acres and acres for them to run around in the woods and by the water.   The crazy beasts ran themselves silly and then came home and crashed out on the floor in the sunshine.

I admit that I enjoy running and hiking and other exercise, but I wish I could just be GIDDY with excitement to run around the way my dogs are!  I think kids are the same way.  Exercise is PLAY to them.  I try to make it that way by choosing things I like instead of things I dread, but I can’t say “giddy” is a word that describes it.  :D   However, if you are doing exercise that you don’t look forward to at least a little, then my friend you should look for other options!

I also got in a visit to the Bluffs this week for a 3.71 mile hilly run, which included 8 sets of 15 sec hill run repeats at the end of the session.

And I have to admit that as much as I love vacations, it’s still awesome to be home and eating MY OWN FOOD again!

Green smoothies:

Huge salads chock full of veggies:

Ezekial toast with coconut butter and raw honey:

Open-faced sandwiches:

Spinach salads topped with a some Chipotle vegetarian “burrito bowls” (because Chipotle is MSP’s all-time fave, and he could literally eat there everyday!)

Baked yams with vegan, soy-free Earth Balance:

And even a few new creation attempts here and there, like this roasted portobello mushroom topped with spinach and herbed goat cheese:

The mushroom was good, but not yet “GREAT”.  I think it needs some pre-cooking marinade.  When I get it feeling like it’s recipe worthy, I promise to share it!

How about you?  Any new food creations lately?  Any springtime outings to enjoy the weather?

– Shari B. =)

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