Just wanted to update you all on the linguine and pesto. I said that it would be better today than it was yesterday, and I was not wrong! I had to eat kind of quickly because I was at work...I'm a server at a local brasserie...but it was still so yummy!
This reminded me of another tip that may be helpful for those who are busy like me:
If I do have time to cook something like my pasta dinner, I always make a large batch. I portion the large batch into individual sizes. Then, I either freeze it or put it in plastic containers to have for lunch or dinner the next few days. It's a great way to be able to eat healthy in a hurry.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
I love carb-loading!
Ok ok ok....I know what you all must be thinking....I'm a health nut, and I write to inspire others to be health nuts too, but carbohydrates are your friend!I'm running my 9th marathon this weekend. It is the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, and it will be the 5th time I've run this race. It's a beautiful course, lots of hills, wonderful spectators, an a finish on the 50-yard line of Neyland Stadium on UT's Campus....can't beat that!
I ran my first marathon 4 years ago, and I have learned so much since then. One of the most important things to remember about running is to maintain proper nutrition. This includes staying hydrated and yup, you guessed it, eating plenty of carbohydrates! That does not mean that you should cut out fats and protein, but in preparation for a marathon you should "carb load" the week before the race.
My week of carb loading began today. My favorite part was dinner...
Whole wheat linguine pesto sauce. In addition to carb loading, I make sure to get lots of vitamins and minerals throughout the week. They have many antioxidant properties that are necessary to maintain stamina during a race. To do this, I doctored up the pesto sauce with oven roasted carrots and brocolli, spinach, some grilled chicken (for those of you who know me as a non-meat eater, I've added a little bit back to my diet), and topped it with some parmesan cheese. It was DELICIOUS! I made enough to have for dinner for the next couple of days. I can't wait to eat it! I bet that by tomorrow all of the flavors will be melded together, and it will be even better than tonight.
Each day I will eat a few more carbs than the last. By Friday, my breakfast will be a bagel, lunch a sandwich, and dinner will either be pasta, sweet potatoes, or pizza. I can't decide! Saturday night will definitely be pizza-it is a "marathon eve" tradition that seems to always work well for me!
I'll let you know how the race goes! In the meantime, stay active and keep striving to be a health nut!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Think you can't eat healthy in a hurry?
Now that I am in the second semester of my Junior year at UT, I am super busy! Not only is this one of the most challenging semesters, but I am also working many hours, trying to keep up with my running and training, and trying to think of marketing techniques to get my house sold! It is mind-boggling sometimes, but I am trying to keep everything in perspective....I'm in the home stretch!
Sometimes it seems like it would be easier to just go buy a sandwish somewhere on campus. However, being on a tight budget does not allow that. Instead, I make lunch everyday. This has its benefits; I don't spend money frivolously, and I always have a healthy balanced lunch.
The way that I think about my eating throughout the day is to think about how I started my day. When I make breakfast I decide if I am in a carb mood or a protein mood. If it's a carb mood then I usually make oatmeal. My method of making oatmeal is a little different from ripping open a packet of instant oatmeal. Instead, I buy Fiber One cereal and a canister of plain quick cooking oats. I pour approximately 1/2 of a serving of each in a bowl, 1/2 banana sliced, 1/2 serving of raw walnut pieces, and a small handful of frozen blueberries. I sprinkle about 1 TBSP of flax seeds and a little bit of cinnamon on top, pour about 1/2 a serving of skim milk (I use organic...tastes so much better!) on top, and place in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. After a minute and a half I stir the ingredients, then put it in the microwave for another 2 minutes. I like my oatmeal not too dry, but not too runny....somewhere right in the middle. This keeps me full for a few hours, until I'm ready for my usual mid-morning snack...which I've already told you about in a previous blog entry.
If I am in a protein mood I scramble 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites, with frozen spinach, some dicded tomato, and just a bit of cheddar cheese. I usually eat this with a banana and just a small bit of natural peanut butter.
Both breakfast options are super fast and easy!
If I decide to have a carb meal, I usually eat a salad for lunch. I load my salad with a lot of veggies to add some excitement to the meal. I usually use green or red leaf lettuce, about 1/2 of a tomato, 1/2 stick of celery, 1/2 of an avocado, a little bit of crumbled blue cheese, and just a bit of light balsamic vinaigrette.
If I decide on a protein based breakfast, then I will eat a few more carbs for lunch. I spread about 1 TBSP of natural peanut butter or black bean hummus on 1 piece of sprouted grain bread. Ezekial bread is a great brand. If I use hummus, then I usually also add some lettuce and maybe tomato. I only use 1 piece of bread, but I do not fold the bread in half. I find that by keeping the bread flat, and not folded, I don't feel like I am eating only 1/2 a sandwich, and I've saved 80-100 calories. I usually eat an apple or some red grapes with this sandwich.
For my afternoon snack, I usually eat an apple, or some carrot and celery sticks with hummus.
As you can see, I'm a creature of habit. I do love to try new things, and encourage everyone to try new and exciting food. I definitely mix up my foods, but salads and sandwiches are a blank canvas. You can make them according to what you feel like eating or what you prefer.
I hope this encourages everyone to try ways of eating healthy on a budget and on the run! It is possible! Just remember to mix it up, eat what your body is saying you need...as long as it's good for you!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Stuck in a Rut???
Though I've tried to stay on track with my eating and have been exercising a lot over the holidays, I felt "stuck in a rut". After running my 4th marathon of the year in December, I did not recover as quickly as I thought I would. My hamstrings hurt, my toes hurt, and most of all my mind hurt. I just did not feel like I could get my legs to move, and began to get very frustrated. I kept thinking, "How am I going to run 2 marathons this spring like I want to?"
I'm writing this not to discourage those of you who may also be feeling fatigued or discouraged, rather I am writing this to let you know that it is OK to feel that way. Sometimes, it is best to listen to your body. Every now and again we do actually need....GASP!...rest! I allowed myself to spend the holidays doing easy runs, and cross training. I wanted to run faster and more miles, but my body would not allow it. After giving myself some time to rest and doing easy miles, I FINALLY was able to do a fast 17 mile run this past weekend. My friends and I went to a Knoxville Track Club marathon training run. We were standing around talking before the run began, and a woman came up and asked if she could tag along with us. We said "of course!", and she and I ended up running the whole thing together. She is from Denver, and was in town visiting some friends. She travels a lot for work, and is accustomed to finding local track clubs and joining their runs. We ran a great pace, around 7:40-7:45 for the entire time! I was rejuvenated! I was so excited that I had my legs back! I am now inspired to achieve my goals of 2 marathons this spring. In fact, I am running them 2 weekends in a row! The first one is the ING Marathon in Atlanta, GA. The second one is the Knoxville Marathon. For the ING in Atlanta, I will try to stay around my PR of 3:08. For Knoxville, I will be the pace leader of either the 3:30 or the 3:45 marathoners. This is the first time I have attempted something crazy like running 2 marathons this close together, but I like the idea of achieving my goals one week and then turning around and helping others achieve their goals the next week! If anyone who reads this has any hopes of running a marathon, I encourage you to come to Tennessee. We won't disappoint you in Knoxville!
Something else that helped me become rejuvenated is yoga! William gave me his P90X DVD's and I did the yoga video yesterday, and let me just say WOW! It was the most intense and painful yoga session I've ever had! 90 minutes of challenging, sweat-producing, muscle shaking fun! Doesn't sound very fun does it??? I promise, when you are finished with a tough 60-90 minutes of yoga or pilates, you've never felt better! Try it sometime!
I hope this post encourages anyone who has been stuck in a workout rut to go out and run, do some yoga, or simply lift a few weights! Whatever form of exercise you prefer, keep it up! However, do not forget to listen to what your body tells you. This does not mean that if your body says, "stay on the couch and drink soda all day", that you should do it. What I am encouraging, and even challenging, all of you to do is to remember how great you feel when you are in a regular exercise routine, understand the benefits of rest, and keep having fun while sweating!
I'm writing this not to discourage those of you who may also be feeling fatigued or discouraged, rather I am writing this to let you know that it is OK to feel that way. Sometimes, it is best to listen to your body. Every now and again we do actually need....GASP!...rest! I allowed myself to spend the holidays doing easy runs, and cross training. I wanted to run faster and more miles, but my body would not allow it. After giving myself some time to rest and doing easy miles, I FINALLY was able to do a fast 17 mile run this past weekend. My friends and I went to a Knoxville Track Club marathon training run. We were standing around talking before the run began, and a woman came up and asked if she could tag along with us. We said "of course!", and she and I ended up running the whole thing together. She is from Denver, and was in town visiting some friends. She travels a lot for work, and is accustomed to finding local track clubs and joining their runs. We ran a great pace, around 7:40-7:45 for the entire time! I was rejuvenated! I was so excited that I had my legs back! I am now inspired to achieve my goals of 2 marathons this spring. In fact, I am running them 2 weekends in a row! The first one is the ING Marathon in Atlanta, GA. The second one is the Knoxville Marathon. For the ING in Atlanta, I will try to stay around my PR of 3:08. For Knoxville, I will be the pace leader of either the 3:30 or the 3:45 marathoners. This is the first time I have attempted something crazy like running 2 marathons this close together, but I like the idea of achieving my goals one week and then turning around and helping others achieve their goals the next week! If anyone who reads this has any hopes of running a marathon, I encourage you to come to Tennessee. We won't disappoint you in Knoxville!
Something else that helped me become rejuvenated is yoga! William gave me his P90X DVD's and I did the yoga video yesterday, and let me just say WOW! It was the most intense and painful yoga session I've ever had! 90 minutes of challenging, sweat-producing, muscle shaking fun! Doesn't sound very fun does it??? I promise, when you are finished with a tough 60-90 minutes of yoga or pilates, you've never felt better! Try it sometime!
I hope this post encourages anyone who has been stuck in a workout rut to go out and run, do some yoga, or simply lift a few weights! Whatever form of exercise you prefer, keep it up! However, do not forget to listen to what your body tells you. This does not mean that if your body says, "stay on the couch and drink soda all day", that you should do it. What I am encouraging, and even challenging, all of you to do is to remember how great you feel when you are in a regular exercise routine, understand the benefits of rest, and keep having fun while sweating!
A Great Breakfast!
Wow, it has been a really long time since I've blogged! I promise to stay on top of my writing.....
Christmas break came and went in a flash! It seemed like there were not enough hours in the day to do anything. Between running a marathon on December 13, Christmas, New Year's, my friend's wedding in Atlanta, and trying to plan my own wedding, it was time to go back to school before I could say the word Nutrition! That being said, I still managed to eat relativeley healthfully.
Today I want to share with you one of my fiance, William's, favorite things I make. It is a simple fruit smoothie. This is something that is a bit high in sugar, but I use milk instead of fruit juice as the liquid to reduce the sugar content. Also, to give it a nicer texture (at least, I think so), I use frozen berries instead of ice cubes. This makes it the consistency of a healthy milkshake!
Fruit Smoothie:
In a blender add:
1 container of non-fat yogurt (whichever flavor you like. I usually use straw/banana or vanilla)
1 banana
4-7 frozen strawberries (depending on their size)
a small handful of frozen blueberries
1/2 scoop of protein powder
1/2 cup of skim milk
Place lid on blender, and turn on to liquify setting. Stream in a bit more milk if necessary. Blend until smooth.
Variations:
Sometimes I leave out the berries and instead place a spoonful of natural peanut butter (the sweetened kind has too much sugar, and tastes too sweet). If I do this, I add a few ice-cubes. It needs to be blended for a little bit longer to crush all of the ice.
Another variation is to use frozen peaches instead of berries. It tastes delicious with a very ripe banana!
This smoothie has quite a bit of sugar. The sugar comes from berries, which makes it healthier than refined sugars. Also, you are getting fiber from the fruit as well as protein from the milk, yogurt, and protein powder. ENJOY!!! :)
Christmas break came and went in a flash! It seemed like there were not enough hours in the day to do anything. Between running a marathon on December 13, Christmas, New Year's, my friend's wedding in Atlanta, and trying to plan my own wedding, it was time to go back to school before I could say the word Nutrition! That being said, I still managed to eat relativeley healthfully.
Today I want to share with you one of my fiance, William's, favorite things I make. It is a simple fruit smoothie. This is something that is a bit high in sugar, but I use milk instead of fruit juice as the liquid to reduce the sugar content. Also, to give it a nicer texture (at least, I think so), I use frozen berries instead of ice cubes. This makes it the consistency of a healthy milkshake!
Fruit Smoothie:
In a blender add:
1 container of non-fat yogurt (whichever flavor you like. I usually use straw/banana or vanilla)
1 banana
4-7 frozen strawberries (depending on their size)
a small handful of frozen blueberries
1/2 scoop of protein powder
1/2 cup of skim milk
Place lid on blender, and turn on to liquify setting. Stream in a bit more milk if necessary. Blend until smooth.
Variations:
Sometimes I leave out the berries and instead place a spoonful of natural peanut butter (the sweetened kind has too much sugar, and tastes too sweet). If I do this, I add a few ice-cubes. It needs to be blended for a little bit longer to crush all of the ice.
Another variation is to use frozen peaches instead of berries. It tastes delicious with a very ripe banana!
This smoothie has quite a bit of sugar. The sugar comes from berries, which makes it healthier than refined sugars. Also, you are getting fiber from the fruit as well as protein from the milk, yogurt, and protein powder. ENJOY!!! :)
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