Research Junkie

OMG!  I’m addicted to research!  Whatever I’m interested in at the moment, but almost always including nutrition, exercise and general well-being.  I know, I know, there could be much worse things to be addicted to, but sometimes I feel like my brain is going to explode due to information overload…especially if I’m not writing.  It’s almost like over-eating and not working out.  I feel bloated with words but haven’t been releasing any.  Sometimes I get so busy that I don’t write much at all, but what I’m learning is that can no longer be an excuse…whether it’s journaling or Morning Pages, blogging or something else, I need that release.  My brain feels as full as my stomach would after a heavy Italian meal with red wine!

Making my normal research addiction that much worse, I’ve recently purchased (and been gifted!) some new books.  I’m about to begin a long-term training program (compiled from several I’ve reviewed) to prepare for a half-marathon and hopefully a full.  Along with that, I’ve been studying several works related to optimum recovery while training, specifically for vegans and vegetarians (most notably the website, No Meat Athlete, and the book Thrive by Brendan Brazier).  There’s some really exciting info “out there”!  And I’m so pumped to begin the training process (much more smartly than the last time I ran a half-mary), but I’m getting to the point where it’s time to stop (well slow down) reading and start doing!  My start date is October first, in which I’ll simply begin with a running assessment to see where I’m at…not terribly excited for the result, but I’ll accept whatever it is and focus on moving forward.  That’s the beauty of creating a long-term plan – no rush, take your time and train smart.

Along with the physical training, the time has come to get back to writing consistently…in any shape or form.  For me, it’s simply a necessity to sanity.  Creating a plan to incorporate all that I want to accomplish is a must…and I’ve been doing just that…the time has finally come to put it into action.  Let’s face it, my Virgo nature requires routine (at least to certain degree), not for every single moment of my life, but I tend to flail if I don’t have a schedule to follow.  I’m okay straying from time to time (after all, living is more important than consistency), but just knowing it’s there to return to is somehow comforting.  (Is it completely sick that I REALLY enjoy creating these schedules?!)

Admittedly, I sometimes overwhelm myself with planning because there’s so much I want to undertake, but this time I’m going to follow my map as best I can, allowing for life to interrupt when it feels like the right thing to do and enjoy the process of accomplishing my goals at my own pace.  I just know if I don’t have specific goals with deadlines, albeit somewhat flexible, I won’t make much progress and that leads to unhealthy emotions.  Been there, done that…got a helluva lot more than a t-shirt…

So, while I’ll continue a certain level of research because I truly enjoy it, I’m ready to balance it out with action – physical and mental.  Let the games begin!

Easy Veggie Ideas

Eat your veggies! 🙂

A woman I work with is giving vegetarianism a 21-day trial and asked me for some easy meal/snack ideas, as she is not terribly fond of cooking.  After sifting through the vegetarian rolodex in my mind, I came up with the following.  Let me know if you have any others you wouldn’t mind sharing!

Breakfast Ideas

Whole grain waffle (or toast) with organic nut butter (I prefer almond)

Apples (sliced) with almond butter

If you’re eating vegetarian (not vegan) and you want to grab something on the go, you can get all kinds of breakfast meals with egg, cheese, and potato possibilities.

Make tofu scramble on Sunday to have for breakfast burritos for the rest of the week

Juice, juice and more juice!  🙂

Juicing is a great way to get all these veggies into your beautiful bod!

Eating out (lunch or dinner) –

There are three vegetarian sandwich choices at Which Wich.  I can even eat vegan there with humus and veggies (no cheese)

Most Subway’s have a veggie patty sandwich.  If they don’t have the patty, you can build a “Veggie Delight” sandwich

There are two veggie sandwiches at Panera Bread, and Jason’s Deli has at least one

Several places have veggies burgers…I usually check their menu online before going (Locally, Snuffers has a great veggie burger!)

Chipotle – vegetarian bowl or burrito.  (Vegan if you don’t use cheese or sour cream)

Fadi’s buffet is perfect for vegetarians and vegans (most Mediterranean buffets are…)

Whole Foods’ salad bar!!!  There are a lot of quick and easy choices at Whole Foods – prepared and frozen foods both.  Amy’s brand has a lot of vegetarian and vegan options.

Most Mexican restaurants have vegetarian choices…I love the spinach enchiladas at Gloria’s

Italian restaurants usually have pasta options without meat (and don’t forget veggie pizzas!)

Asian food places have plenty of meatless options (check online first)

Easy homemade meals (lunch or dinner) —

I make quick tacos/nachos a lot at home with Seitan (a meat substitute with the consistency of ground beef).  I just mix it in the skillet with salsa, and put it in a warmed taco shell or on corn chips (I buy baked not fried when I can!)  and add guacamole, pico de gallo (both can be bought pre-made), lettuce, cheese (or vegan cheese), and fresh cilantro.  This is my go-to, easy, yummy and filling dinner.  These can also be created with black beans or re-fried beans instead of Seitan.  Nice with a little side salad.

Whole wheat angel hair pasta with olive oil with fresh garlic, sliced grape tomatoes, basil, a couple of squeezes of lemon, and topped off with lemon zest, Celtic sea salt and ground black pepper. For a beautiful, easy side, sauté red and green bell peppers and onion in a bit of olive oil and garlic.  Top with cracked pepper and a touch of sea salt.

Humus wrap or pita pockets – whole wheat tortillas (or pita bread, halved), add your favorite humus and veggies.  I use cucumber, tomato, bell peppers and red onion and either sprouts, romaine lettuce or spinach.

Big Salad with tons of colorful veggies and chickpeas (organic canned and drained is super easy).  I also use flax seeds and nutritional yeast as toppings.  Change up dressings to create variety.

Big Salad with tons of colorful veggies (or Leaf Wraps – posted in week 2 of the Vegan Culinary Challenge) alongside crackers dipped in humus or babaghanoush

Salad with a side of quinoa – there are many recipes available, but here’s one of my favorites – cook the quinoa (following package directions), add some olive oil then slice and add the following – grape tomatoes, leeks or green or red onions, capers and/or black olives, fresh garlic, squeeze of lemon and/or lemon zest, cracked pepper and a tiny bit of sea salt. Sometimes I add roasted pine nuts too.  So freakin’ good!!

Salad with miso or veggie soup and crackers

Veggie sandwich – toast some whole wheat/grain bread then add mayo (I use Veganaise), avocado, cucumber, tomato, red onion and sprouts.  Serve with (healthy) chips or baby carrots or fruit.

Homemade mini veggie pizzas (yummy and fun!) – whole wheat English muffins, pizza sauce, diced veggies (whatever you like) for toppings and shredded cheese (I use vegan cheese)…be a pizza artist and go crazy!  🙂  Pop it in the oven (or toaster oven) until it’s as crispy as you like it.  Great with a side salad.  You can also make these bigger by using pita bread cut in half – lengthwise, not across as with making pita pockets.

Easy Snacks –

Crackers, pita or raw veggies dipped in humus or babaghanoush

Baby carrots dipped in guacamole (the brand Wholly Guacamole makes 100 calorie packets)

Blue Diamond Nut Thin crackers (the ranch flavor is divine!!)

Trail mix – I make my own with raw nuts and gogi berries and cacao nibs

Raw nuts and fruit (apples or berries)

Quinoa leftovers

Tabouli (makes a great side dish as well)

Baked corn chips and salsa and/or guacamole

If you can’t tell, I’m a fan of dips! 🙂  I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I sometimes indulge in a small amount of organic, dark chocolate

Eating a vegetarian diet is really not difficult if it’s something you’re truly interested in (even if you just feel like flirting with the idea).  There are so many choices now as the veggie community continues to grow!  One thing I would caution against is not to use being a “vegetarian” as an excuse to indulge in starchy foods, cheese, eggs, greasy snacks and candy, with very little vegetables and fruits.  Aim for the majority of your food to come from real vegetables (with some fibrous fruit included), then whole grains, and beans/lentils, small amounts of meat substitutes (including soy products) and finally, use the less nutrient-dense choices sparingly.

Eat your veggies!  Your body will love you for it!

Much health and happiness,

Jenn

21-Day Adventure Cleanse

My first really creative challenge was the Crazy Sexy Adventure Cleanse, which was fully documented at http://redgoesgreen-jenn.blogspot.com/

Crazy Sexy Bitch

Two books that have recently changed my life (I know how dramatic that sounds but it’s absolutely true!) are – Crazy Sexy Diet and Skinny Bitch.

I did the 21-day Adventure Cleanse in CSD and was profoundly impacted by it.  (My blog about this is http://redgoesgreen-jenn.blogspot.com/)  The book is about so much more than a diet and it prompted me to completely rethink the way I treat my body.  I’ve adopted much of what I learned during the cleanse and am working on consistency with all my crazy, sexy, new habits.  Kris Carr, author of CSD is, by far, one of the most inspiring people I’ve stumbled across in this life of mine and I feel so blessed to have found her!

Skinny Bitch…what can I say – freakin’ awesome!  No-nonsense guidance that makes you want to get off your ass and take action.  (I love the tone of this book!)  Besides all that, I learned a lot!  It’s such a shame that so many Americans don’t really know where their food comes from and what it’s gone through to get to them.  The lack of regulations in the food industry is embarrassingly astonishing.  I could easily become an activist in this area…but I’ll save that for another day.  There’s also an amazing Skinny Bitch cookbook that I just picked up a couple of weeks ago and I’ll be writing about my adventures with some of those recipes soon.

These have basically become my bibles.  Seriously, I keep them both by my bed.  🙂  The combination of these two have sparked a flame in me that lay dormant for years.  They both have so much information to help you truly take charge of your life and create habits that make your mind, body and soul flourish!  If it isn’t obvious yet, I highly recommend checking out Crazy Sexy Diet and Skinny Bitch.  The knowledge these ladies drop could literally save your life!