Before I run off to class, I just wanted to make a quick update about the nutritionist’s appointment that I was so scared of last night. It went really well! I think that she will be very helpful. She met me where I was at, instead of treating me like someone who has no knowledge of food or nutrition.

Before I left, I had a quick breakfast of Flax Multibran with raisins and soymilk.

She had me give a run-down of what I ate yesterday, and complimented my overall healthy eating! When I told her about my Green Monsters, I said, “Ok, now this is going to sound weird, but…” She laughed and said she admired my commitment to health. It’s not such a hard commitment when they taste so good!

We did talk a bit about my vegetarianism/veganism and how she was concerned about my calcium/iron/protein intake. I am going to see my doctor soon to get my iron levels tested, just to make sure they’re ok, because she said that even a slight decrease in normal iron levels could highly impact my running and overall feeling of wellness.

She introduced me to the greatest calcium supplement I’ve ever seen! Stay tuned, I’ll share it with you all later today.

What I’m going to work on this week is decreasing my soy milk intake and replacing it with other sources, such as almond milk, protein powder, and (eek!) cow’s milk. This will be a challenge, but I want to be the healthiest I can be!

See you all after class!

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?

**********************************************

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!