It’s Here! It’s Here!

It’s here! It’s here… It’s Friday!!!

I’m always happy when it’s Friday, but for some reason the end of this week is bringing me pure joy! I had an awesome yoga class this morning, today is jeans day at work and I’m going to Raleigh after work… it’s going to be a good day

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Yesterday was pretty boring, except for an office tour of the Levine Children’s Hospital here in Charlotte. My company is sponsor for their annual fundraising event – HopeBuilders 5k in October, so we all went on a tour of the hospital. I’m so happy it was possible for us to go and see the hospital. It really shows how much of an impact the children’s hospital has on the community and I’m so happy to be getting involved.

After work, I came home and did not feel like cooking in the least so I had a huge bowl of Ginger Carrot Soup from Earthfare along with some sweet potato fries and chicken salad… completely random, but I was trying to get rid of some of the food in my fridge before I headed out of town this weekend!!

See I told you… very uneventful, but I will leave you with a good little laugh…

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In hot yoga many people use Yogitoes to help them not slip on their mat. I just recently finally bought one as a reward to myself for completing the Feel the Love challenge over the summer. Anyways.. I washed it the other night and in the morning when I took it out of the dryer there were so many pieces of clothes stuck to it. I was half asleep on my way out the door and thought I had gotten them all, but… Do you see where this is going?

As I rolled out the Yogitoes over my mat there was a pair of underwear stuck to it.. bahaha!! Luckily I saw it before anyone else. well except for Mel. I was so embarrassed, but at the same time was laughing hysterically. There is nothing better than an early morning fit of hysteria!

O ps… I had to share this – NEW Twilight Breaking Dawn trailer. Ah… I’m beyond thrilled and can not wait until November 18th!

CLICK HERE TO SEE IT

Hope you all have a fantastic day and a fabulous weekend!! 

 

First Day!

Ah, I can’t believe today is my first day at my new job!

Even though I know everything will be fine, I can’t help but be a bit nervous this morning. I think whenever walking into a new situation most people’s nerves are running high. Not knowing exactly what to expect and meeting tons of new people can always be a bit overwhelming, but I know after my first day I will feel so much better. I just can’t wait to get into the groove and really get into my new position.

This morning I woke up bright and early for a fantastic 6am yoga class. The class this morning really helped curb my nerves and take a step back.

Luckily, I packed my lunches yesterday, so all I have to do this morning is get ready, eat breakfast and head out.

I ended up taking this weekend pretty easy and instead completed a list of to-do’s I needed to get done.

 

I went to yoga on Saturday and Sunday to work towards my 35 classes. My yoga studio, YogaOne, has had a summer challenge going on called Feel the Love. If you make 35 classes you get $35 in “Yogabucks”, a T-shirt and there is going to be a little yoga party for everyone to celebrate. I am at 34 classes after my class this morning, so once I complete tomorrow’s class I will make it! yay!!!

After class on Saturday Katie and I went to Luna’s Living Kitchen for lunch. After going to Cafe Gratitude in San Fran last week, raw food has seriously been on my mind. I ordered the Lunasagna and it was completely satisfying! Layers of Sun-dried tomato sauce, mushrooms, zucchini noodles, and a cashew/basil “cheese”… delish!!

Katie chose the Nasturtium Heaven. This was a “medley of salsa verde, sunflower “refried beans,” veggie rice and local greens.” Nom nom nom…

I love eating here because I always feel so healthy and great afterwards! If only there was one uptown near my new office.

I also went by the farmers market, cleaned and got my nails done! Much much needed. Katie and I tried out shellac which is supposed to be a new type of polish that is sturdy and doesn’t chip. This type of polish is supposed to last about 2 weeks. So we’ll see if it’s true!!

Yesterday, I also prepared a few salads and stir-frys to take for lunch this week. I put them all in the fridge so it would be easy to grab and go this week. Simple and fast is just what I need while I adjust to my new work schedule.

I also cut up and prepped tons of veggies, so when I get home all I have to do it throw them in the oven or steam them. It makes things so much easier when you prep and plan ahead. Then, after a long day when all I want is something fast and easy half the work is already done. It really keeps me away from frozen meals and fast food knowing there is something healthy waiting for me at home.

This morning for breakfast, I made myself a veggie scramble filled with peppers, tomatoes, greens, and cilantro. I love the extra zing from the cilantro. I don’t have to be there as early as I probably will need to be going forward, so I took the extra time this morning to make myself a breakfast full of eggs and veggies. Fantastic protein to push me through the morning

I’m off to work… hope you all have a fantastic Monday!!

 

Victory

I have great news!! You know how I’ve been talking about my hurt ankle these last few weeks, well last night I went on a long walk and tried to start running again. You see where I’m going with this don’t you? Yes… I couldn’t feel the pain nearly as much anymore!

I’m so happy it is finally getting better. I’m thinking this week will spent walking/ attempting to run and hopefully next week I will be back in the game! I know I’ll probably have to backtrack a little bit on the program I’m doing, but I’m just so happy that my ankle is recovering. For the last two weeks, I have kept all pressure off of it (even in yoga by altering poses) and have been icing it every night!

I had only been running a few weeks until I hurt my ankle, but I am very surprised at how much I have missed it. The combination of running and yoga has really been working for me!

One thing I have decided is my shoes were probably not the best option to be running in and I wonder if this led to me hurting my ankle somehow? So last week I went to a running store to check out some new kicks. Everyone was extremely helpful and we did some tests to see what kind of support I needed. I found out I needed shoes with neutral support. The other types of support are stability and cushioned which just has to do with how you land on your feet. Most of their shoes were pretty expensive, so instead I went online and picked some up at Zappos for much cheaper. Two days later these arrived…

They’re awesome right? The one thing I really don’t like about new shoes in general is how bright white they are. Especially these ones with the blue sole. It calls a lot of attention to them. I can’t wait to go outside and dirty them up a bit!!

Of course while taking my time off the last 2 weeks, I came across these articles from Women’s Health:

Avoid the 11 most common Running mistakes

6 Reasons to Start Running

How convenient of them! Seeing these, especially the 6 Reasons to Start Running, really made me want to get back running asap! I figured I would share, since I obviously got a kick out of them!

Last night when I arrived home from my experiment I was ravenous, so I threw together a quick dinner of Gnocchi.

I bought whole wheat gnocchi from Trader Joe’s last week, so I quickly put on a large pot of water to boil while I spread cherry tomatoes on a cookie sheet.

I drizzled them with olive oil, salt and pepper then put them under the broiler until they popped. This usually takes around 5-8 minutes.

Once the water came to a boil, I threw in the gnocchi. You know they are finished when the gnocchi starts floating. This is what I love about gnocchi! It literally takes 2-3 minutes for it to be finished. I want to attempt to make gnocchi from scratch, but this will have to be saved for another day.

Lastly, I chopped up some fresh basil. I swear fresh basil makes everything taste so flavorful and fresh.

I topped the gnocchi with olive oil, roasted tomatoes, chopped basil and a few sun-dried tomatoes. It was very filling and only took me about 10 minutes to put together! Plus, isn’t it just so pretty? I love it when my food has tons of color… delish!!

What is your go-to quick and healthy meal when your running a little bit behind schedule?

 

Groovin’

Hola Chicas… and Chicos!

It’s Monday and back to the daily grind we go…

I hope you had a fabulous weekend…. I know I did! I thoroughly enjoyed my swim on Friday and left feeling fantastic! After my two days of swimming last week I’m starting to think this needs to become part of my normal workout routine again even after I can get back running. It really is so relaxing and the minute I left I could feel how much I worked out my arms… those pull buoys are no joke!!

Yes… I wear a cap and goggles to swim. They are not flattering in the least… Aren’t you just lovin’ this look?? :)

I can’t wait to go again later on this afternoon!

Tip: If you’re a fan of swimming, but aren’t too keen on the damage it can do to your hair… hop in the shower before you head out to the pool and get your hair soaking wet. Brush through some conditioner and put your hair up. This will help prevent your hair from absorbing the chlorine and should help minimize damage!

After swimming on Friday I went by Harmony Farms cafe in Raleigh to get a smoothie. I love my green smoothies and the one thing I don’t understand is why can’t you find green smoothies at smoothie joints such as Smoothie King or Planet Smoothie?? I mean seriously they’re so good for you!!

So I went to Harmony Farms and made my own… it was delicioso. Orange juice, mango, pineapple, ginger, bee pollen, flax seeds, and spinach. The only item they did not have was Chia Seeds, so flax would have to do!

I also picked up a kale salad with mandarin oranges. To be honest I was kind of disappointed, while the smoothie was o so decadent and creamy, the kale salad did not live up to my expectations. I’ve had quite a few much better kale salads… hello SuperFood Salad from Whole Foods

On Saturday, while running errands we passed Umstead Park and decided to finally check it out. I’ve passed this park multiple times while living here, but never stopped! This park was gorgeous and is designed very well. There were tons of picnic tables, grills, fire pits, fields and trails. The car thermometer said 100 degrees, so while I was thinking a nice drive through and then coming back to really explore when it was cooler, my driver had other plans.

We walked down a trail to the lake and while it was completely worth it because the scenery was beautiful my ankle really starting hurting, so I was pushing to get back to the car. I’m telling you this whole ankle/heel pain is really not working out… it’s really putting a damper on some of my adventures, especially on un-level trails.

On a positive note, while running errands I did pick up one of these…

CamelBak Groove water bottle o yea! I have wanted one of these ever since they came out months ago. There is filter in the water bottle, so you  just pour tap water in the bottle and as you drink it filters the water. Pretty nifty huh?? I’m lovin’ it!

And… once I finally arrived back in Charlotte after a long rainy drive from Raleigh I had this awaiting me.

  

I love surprises! My Aunt Lisa sent this to me since a) she knows I love playing around in the kitchen and b) to remember our trip from 2 weeks ago! I love it and it’s the perfect gift since I misplaced my oven mitts during the move and have been using dish towels instead Thanks Aunt Lisa!!!

Now on to our agenda for this week. You all know how much I love my smoothies. They are a daily staple for me for many reasons…

• They are creamy and decadent   
• A necessity in this sweltering heat
• and the most important part… you can pack so much of your daily nutrients into this tasty treat!!!

If I go even one day without one of these monstrosities I start having some serious withdrawals. However, a reader did point out to me that she had no idea what some of the ingredients were and what they were good for. A valid question if you ask me! So everyday this week I am going to talk about a new ingredient!

But today we’ll just go over some basics. My base to every smoothie is:

Fruit

Yogurt (I usually use Soy) – added protein, probiotics and creaminess!

                                               

Almond Milk or Soy Milk

Protein Powder

It’s that easy. The rest are just supplements for some added nutrition!

Tip: Add in your liquids and fresh fruit first before adding frozen fruit. Depending on how strong your blade is, this combination will really help when blending!!

Stay tuned for more smoothie ingredients tomorrow… Can you guess which one we’ll dive into first??

 

I wanna go

Whew yesterday’s post was a doozy! I think on some days I really need to start writing two posts. I admire the “healthy living bloggers” who post 3 times a day, but to be honest I think you would all get a little bored with my daily eats… sometimes it can get a bit repetitive.

Of course yesterday consisted of another hot yoga class. I am really starting to get into a routine with these classes and they really calm me. I am one of those people whose mind is running a mile-a-minute, so even an hour of yoga is so beneficial for me. I always leave so stress-free which is a great added bonus. I really can’t imagine having a day without it!

After yoga I had my standard green smoothie, but lately these are getting a bit out of control. I made it extra-large and topped it with some granola, Multi-grain Puffins, and some Trader Joe’s O’s! O yea and some extra chia seeds. It was amazing!!

Later on in the afternoon, I packed some items up and drove to Raleigh! Luckily after a little bit of wall-to-wall traffic in Charlotte, the rest of the drive was smooth sailing. I think I listened to Britney Spears the whole way up here… lot’s of old school kickbacks and her new songs of course. “I wanna go” is my new fav! Confession: When I was younger I loved Britney Spears and I’ve been to all her concerts. I may have even learned the dances to some of her songs… maybe.

Once I arrived we picked up some food from Zoe’s Kitchen and took to relaxing on the couch for the rest of the night. I love Zoe’s Kitchen. Their food is fast and is always so fresh! I chose the Veggie Kabobs which came with a greek salad and braised white beans. Yum-O! We also picked up a side order of hummus as its so freakin’ good.

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and watching Unknown. Have y’all seen this? Some movies give you some clues along the way, but this was just twist after twist. I didn’t anticipate the outcome at all!

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A little update on the ankle sitch… it’s still sore, but only when I put pressure on it. I must have twisted it or something weird earlier in the week. I’m starting to think I need better shoes as I’ve heard that can make a huge difference. So today I will be heading to the Y to go swimming instead of running. As I am getting back into it I have to test my limitations since I can’t go all out like I used to.

The easiest ways to plan a workout are doing pyramids and it’s easier to keep track too! So today’s will look a little something like this:

100 warm-up (25 meter pool, so 4 laps)

50 x 3 (swim, kick, pull)

100 x 3 (swim, kick, pull)

150 x 3 (swim, kick, pull)

200 x 3 (swim, kick, pull)

150 x 3 (swim, kick, pull)

100 x 3 (swim, kick, pull)

50 x 3 (swim, kick, pull)

100 warm-down (4 laps)

Depending on how I’m feeling I might go higher, but I’ll test the waters and find out. For those not familiar with swimming: the first part of the pyramid is 50 x 3 (swim, kick, pull) which means 2 laps swimming, 2 laps kicking and 2 laps pull. Then, I move on to 100 x 3 (swim, kick, pull), etc.

Butterfly (source)

Since this is just on my own, swimming can be any stroke that suits you. I usually stick to freestyle and breast stroke, but sometime I’ll throw in backstroke. Butterfly used to my favorite when I was competing, but I need to work back into that one. Kicking is just using a kickboard. The easiest stroke for me on this is breaststroke, but freestyle is always great for your legs! I can always feel it.

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The last is pull. See that picture above, you put that Pull Buoy between your legs and only use your arms to move. Pull is my favorite, I always find it so relaxing for some reason. I love doing freestyle and backstroke with this one.

Time to go make a quick pre-workout snack and off to the Y I go!

Did you have a sport as a kid you loved, but got burned out? Do you occasionally go back to it now that you’re older?