Monday, May 11, 2015

I Have Not Yets

I have spent most of my life saying "I could never."
I could never stand up for myself.
I could never be myself.
I could never leave.
I could never take care of myself.
I could never live alone.
I could never be healthy.
I could never wear that.
I could never be a single mom.
I could never run.
I could never run a mile.
I could never run a marathon.
I could never beat him in court.
I could never get a better job.
I could never live without him.
I could never start over.
I could never speak my heart.
I could never let anyone see my true self.

Those are now all past tense. I can. I have. I do.

Slowly my imagination is growing. My ideas about what I can and can't do are evolving.

I have not yet done so many things. But now I imagine I will.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

What's a Megaroon?

My trainer was reviewing my food diary to shame me try to help me fine tune my diet. He saw my snacks and said (with a rather disdainful look on his face) "what's a MEGAROON?" I tried to explain them. I tried to convince him they were healthy and yummy and good fuel and he just kept looking at me like I was trying to convince him that having an extra elbow on your face was the THING TO DO. So I brought him one this morning and made him eat it. I think he gets it now.



I can't really afford to give everyone I know a taste of these awesome, delicious little blobs of happy, I will instead BLOG about them, aren't you excited? I am.

I don't eat refined sugar in as much stuff as possible and certainly not in desserts or snacks. Since January. That's like 6 months. I'm amazing.
I try to eat honey, coconut nectar, or pure maple syrup to sweeten anything that is purposefully sweet. That doesn't leave many options when you want a treat. It also doesn't leave much to choose from for pre-workout fuel when you just want some carbs and you're tired, so so so tired of sweet potatoes, dried fruit and Larabars. Although I do love my Larabars...yum.


Enter RICKAROONS!! Thank you, dear, sweet, Baby Jesus, for inventing Rickaroons. They're amazeballs. Moist, sweet, delicious and flavorful. They work well for coping when your co-workers are having cake in the afternoon for someone's birthday for the 3rd time in a month and you just want to have SOMETHING in your hand to oooohhh and ahhhh about, even if it's just in your own head.


What is a Rickaroon? This dude named Rick (crazy coincidental name, eh?) was given the recipe straight from Jesus. They are made from coconut, coconut oil, coconut nectar, almond butter, vanilla and cacoa and then there are 4 flavors with other variations. Guess what? They're soy-free, gluten-free, dairy free, refined-sugar free and 100% organic. Oh ya and they don't taste like sawdust or absorb all the liquid from your mouth like many healthy snacks of this type do. HOW DO THEY DO THAT? I dunno. I don't care. They're magic as far as I'm concerned. Magic Rick. Magic Rick and Jesus.



I ordered their variety pack and tried all four flavors - Chocolate Blonde, Spicy Brunette, Mocha and Megaroon. My favorite is the Megaroon, which is what I have been indulging in every day since my latest box arrived in the mail. The Megaroon has chia seeds added for an extra punch of nutrients. I also like the little crunch they provide, not to mention chia expands when it gets in your tummy which keeps you fuller longer. They are so great for dessert but they are ultimately the best pre-workout fuel EVER. Check them out. Read about how Rick REALLY came up with these yummy blobs of fabulous and order some up. They sell them in stores but not in Minnesota so I order them online. They have free shipping for orders of $50 or more. They're $25 for a box of 12. You may think, OMG, that's like....*doing quick math in your head* $2.08 each! Let's compare though. The gourmet cupcakes my co-workers had today for a birthday celebration were $3.00 each. And they were pretty, yes. Tasty, it seemed to be so. Healthy, ummm....no. Oh, but they DID come with a free afternoon sugar-crash so.....



**Rickaroons didn't pay me for this blog. Although I would accept payment in the form of Megaroons. Just in case Rick is reading this.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Watermelon

I admit it, I boredom eat. Sometimes I sit down on my couch and open a book or watch tv and want to stuff my face for entertainment. I'm not proud. I'm always looking for snacks I can eat mindlessly and without guilt. Summer time makes this EASY.


WATERMELON, I charge thee: GET IN MY BELLY!! EN MASSE!!!


The biggest mystery and the first step in the quest to get watermelon in your belly is to pick out a good one. Thumping on them is SO 5 years ago. (Although a fully ripe melon does sound different than a less ripe one but hellz if I know how. I don't botha)

A good watermelon should have three qualities:

1: It should be heavy for it's size. Why? Cuz at full ripeness, a watermelon is 90% water. Water isn't light in case you were not aware.

2: It should have as large of a yellow spot as you can find. That spot is where it has sat in the dirt and when that spot is yellow it is ripe. Before that spot is yellow it is white or light green. It is like a turkey with an un-popped timer thingy. That melon did not cook long enough. Leave it for the poor soul behind you who is not fortunate enough to be reading this top secret data (that I read online somewhere once)

Here is a quiz. Which watermelon should you pick to be your watermelon? To have and to hold, to eat and to swallow?


If you picked the second melon then you have been paying attention.

I can personally attest to this being the most reliable way to choose. I always pick one with a big yellow spot and it's always super sweet. ALWAYS.

3: It should speak to you. "I am your watermelon. Pick me. Love me. Dice me up in to small squares and eat me."  You must listen carefully.




Now - the nitty gritty. Why is this such a great snack for mindless binge-eating? Well first of all it's delicious. Duh. Second of all, it has only 46 calories for a cup and it's super filling - a couple of watermelon wedges and I'm all buddha-belly happy. It also is right up there with tomatoes when it comes to being FULL of lycopene. Lycopene is great for your cardiovascular health. And oh ya, remember when I said it's 90% water? That means it is extremely hydrating so eat up on hot and humid days and you'll be getting both nutrition and hydration. It's also full of fiber and is a natural diuretic that does not strain your kidneys like caffeine does. It reduces inflammation and flushes toxins and fat out of your system in the process - who does not love that combination? People who love being all swollen and toxic probably shouldn't eat watermelon. But the rest of us should eat it. Now. All Day.

GUESS WHAT?? Trader Joe's currently has whole seedless gems of happy watermelon goodness for $3.99.

New Blog Purpose

I haven't blogged here in a long time, I kind of lost interest in posting about myself. But I decided I wanted to start blogging again so I have a place to post the things I am interested in and inspire me these days that most of my social media friends have no interest in.

This blog will focus mainly on three things: Food, Fitness, Cool Stuff

FOOD! (ummm...yummy!)

Since losing weight and pursuing a healthier lifestyle I have gradually woken up to more and more things that have been damaging to my health. I certainly don't eat well 100% of the time, but I'm trying! There is so much information out there that has been proven to be false regarding eating healthy and I am very passionate about the total crap in processed foods - dangerous ingredients, unnatural processes and allergens. This blog will be a place where I can post information that I have found to be informative and interesting.

I have been looking for "treats" recipes that do not use refined sugar. I have tried many. Many are YUMMY! Many are SOOOO nasty. Here I can post recipes and how MY version turned out. I won't be posting recipes I have not tried myself and I will always give credit to the recipe writer.

FITNESS! (ouch...ew....BEAST MODE!)

I absolutely love working out. Crazy, huh? It took a while but eventually I have gotten to the point where working out is something I crave. I love tough workouts that give me a challenge and make me stronger. I also LOVE variety. I started with running and worked up to running a full marathon. My intestines don't like distance running. I got tired of running to the bathroom or holding my guts in for MILES. So I hung up my running shoes and started having fun at the gym - trying all the classes, changing up my strength training routines and just doing things that looked and sounded fun. Here I will post fun workout tips and articles as well as info my trainers at my gym, Xperience Fitness, have given me that has worked for me.

COOL STUFF!

I love finding cool stuff online or through word of mouth and actually trying it. Sometimes I get burned. Badly. Sometimes I discover absolute gems that I want everyone to know about. Here I will be able to post those finds.


DISCLAIMER: My blog will be RIFE with MY OPINIONS. I'm not an expert in anything at all. Just trying things out and reporting back!
Follow me if you are interested and PLEASE leave your feedback! TTFN my peeps!