A Taste of Sparkle

1. Here’s what was hiding in the corner of my grocery goods:

Gerbera daisies! Settled in their vase atop of my desk. Every Sunday when I go grocery shopping, I treat myself to a couple of flowers. They always sit on my desk and whenever I’m stressed and swamped with work, I can always look up at them and smile. They just make me happy.

Q: What are the small things in life that make you happy?

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2. Easy-peasy-yummy-vegan PASTA time!

Ingredients:

• pre-marinated tofu (I buy mine already marinated, but you can marinate your own too)
• whole wheat rotini pasta
• crushed garlic (1-2 cloves)
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 c broccoli or other vegetables
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• mozzarella cheese (I use SoySations)

1. Boil water on the stove with a touch of salt. When boiling, add the pasta and boil for 8-10 minutes until tender.

DORM TIP: If you don’t have a stove, but have a microwave, you can still make pasta! Using a ratio of 1 c pasta to 1 quart water, cook on high power for about 20 minutes, checking every 5 minutes. More information here. This would have been helpful to know when I was living in the dorms!

2. While pasta is boiling, cut tofu into cubes and saute in a pan until light brown.

3. After tofu cooks for about 4-5 minutes, add a big handful of spinach to the pan to wilt.

4. A huge handful shrinks to this!

5. When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse, then pour back in the pot you cooked it in. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1-2 cloves crushed garlic, then mix in the tofu/spinach mixture. Add broccoli/other veggies and stir mixture for 3-5 minutes until veggies warm. Serve on a plate topped with mozzarella cheese!

That was my yummy dinner for tonight. Before dinner I snacked on a gala apple and a handful of Mary’s cracker with hummus. After dinner I snacked on 1/2 c of my chocolate coconut milk ice cream with the other half of my Vegan Nirvana cookie.

Now it’s off to bed because I have to be up early tomorrow – I have an appointment with a new nutritionist! I’m very nervous about it because I haven’t seen a nutritionist in a few weeks and I’ve never seen this particular nutritionist, but I’m trying to keep an open mind and breathe through the stress. Adi of this week’s free YogaToday video would be proud!

Have a lovely Sunday night!

First, the results of grocery shopping Sunday: (I love going to the grocery store – it’s one of my favorite things to do. Is that sad? )

First I tried a Co-op that just opened in Lyme, NH. It was nice, but wasn’t big enough to have the variety I was looking for (plus I couldn’t find my coconut milk ice cream - big problem!). So I just went to my trusty Hanover Co-op.

• Organic WestSoy Lite Plain (I go through one of these every two days!)
• Once Again Organic Peanut Butter (I can see in the picture that I accidentally bought crunchy…so *NEW*)
• Once Again Organic Almond Butter
• WestSoy Pre-Marinated Tofu: Italian Garlic & Herb flavor
• Pavich Organic Jumbo Raisins (to have with cereal!)
• Flax Paks *NEW*
• Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream (chocolate flavor)

• Olivia’s Organic Baby Spinach
• SoySation “Mozzarella Cheese”
• Gardenburger GardenVegan Burgers *NEW*

• Pineapple
• Organic Carrots
• What are those in the back left? You’ll have to wait and see!

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Running and Hydration

As I’m sure we all know, it is so important to be hydrated when we run (or do any sort of exercise!). Two main ways we lose water are through breathing and sweating, which means that we lose more water during exercise (faster breathing, more sweating)

For 3 mile runs, it’s a breeze – chug a glass of water a little while before you leave, have a glass or two when you get back. However, for longer runs, this presents a problem. Going 60+ minutes without water can dehydrate the body, impacting running performance and causing symptoms such as increased fatigue, lightheadedness, and muscle cramps. So, of course, this means we need to hydrate not only after, but during our long runs!

Different Ways to Hydrate ($-$$$)

1. ($) Run repeats of a short route close to your home, for example three repeats of a three mile loop. Each time you pass your house, gulp down 4 – 8 oz. of water. An easy way to do this is to leave your water bottle in your mailbox!

2. ($$) Hand-held bottles like the Amphipod Hydraform provide a simple way to get in your H20, but may be cumbersome. I remember the time I ran with my regular iPod and had to hold it in one of my hands the entire way – all I wanted was to be done with my run so I didn’t have to hold it anymore! Also, carrying something in your hand can alter your running form, especially if you always hold it in the same hand.

3. ($-$$$) Water Belts fit around your waist and can hold anywhere from 1-4 bottles of water. Most of the ones I’ve seen have small zipper pockets to store an ID, a small cell phone, or gels. One downside of water belts is the excess weight, however this should not severely affect your running form. Also, some water belts can bounce up and down irritatingly. This Waterboy Aid Station by Brooks ($) has an elastic band designed to prevent this:

I also like the Delaney by Camelbak ($$$):

4. ($$ – $$$) Backpacks can hold a lot of water (1.5 – 3L) and have tubes that provide an easy access to water without having to pause or stop your run. They are generally more expensive than other methods of hydration, so make sure the one you buy has a comfortable fit. Improper fits can cause bouncing (imagine if you wore an incorrectly fitting sports bra!) and pain in the back and shoulders. Look for a snug fit and remember that it will be a lot heavier filled with water! Almost all have pockets for ID/gels. The Camelbak Annadel ($$) is designed especially for women and holds 1.5 L of fluid.

Personally, I think I’m going to try a water belt first. My long runs for the next few months will range from 6-12 miles, so I think a water belt should be able to carry an adequate amount of water for that. I will let you know which one I decide on

Sources:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Water-Bottle-Belt-For-Serious-Runners&id=2380125

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See you tonight for:

1. What was that in the corner of my grocery goods?

2. Easy-peasy-yummy-vegan PASTA!

Today was my scheduled 6 mile long run. Luckily, when I woke up this morning, the rain had cleared and it was sunny and breezy outside! By the time I finally got out to run, it was about 72 degrees – a bit warm for my taste, but the breeze helped keep me cool.

For pre-run fuel, I had a bowl of Nature’s Path Flax Plus Multibran Cereal with organic jumbo raisins and about a cup of soy milk.

I ate around 10 and went for my run around 12, and I was hungry! I thought about eating a small snack before heading out, but decided against it and I forgot to bring my Luna Sport Moons that I was going to try out. A lesson for next time. I think I’m going to look into getting one of those belts that holds water or a CamelBak, because as my long runs start increasing in miles, I know that I need to stay hydrated.

Running Stats:

• Time: 1:07:12
• Distance: 5.8 miles
• Pace: 11:35 per mile

Needless to say, when I got back, I was starving! I fixed up a green smoothie:

It contained:

• one leaf of organic-grown kale
• 2 cups organic spinach
• 5 frozen strawberries
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 c soy milk
• 2 c ice (I wanted it cold with lots of volume!)

Alongside, I had a cashew butter & strawberry jam sandwich on an Arnold’s sandwich thin and a side of honeydew melon.

For dessert, I had half of a “Vegan Nirvana” cookie from the bakery in town, Lou’s. They are made with pumpkin, dark chocolate chips, walnuts, and cranberries. Delicious! I had a spoonful of white chocolate pb on top.

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Later on today:

1. Results of grocery shopping Sunday!

2. Research on hydration methods during a run

3. An easy, yummy, vegan pasta recipe!