Neil and I spent the last weekend in July enjoying an outdoor concert, a trip to the pool and working. Yes, working. We have been gone almost every weekend this summer and August looks like it will be that way too so we tried to catch up on a number of different projects. I was going to take the weekend off from blogging but then I remembered that I needed to write my Thrive in 30 post, so that went up yesterday. Although we did work a bunch this weekend, we did find time to relax and enjoy ourselves since it was the weekend.
Friday: Coffee, Coffehouse Games & Live Music
Beautiful Coffee.
Game- Barista. Even though I worked a summer as a Barista, I failed horribly at this game.
Bright Eyes & The Mountain Goats at Shelburne Museum Concert on The Green
Saturday: Pool Party and A New Beverage
Relaxing by the Burlington Tennis Club Pool
New Beverage. It was meh okay, not great.
Sunday: Work Day, Raw Muesli & Iced Tea
Homemade Raw Muesli. It was good until I put a gross almond milk on it (different brand than I usually buy).
Yummy Iced Tea. I made two other flavors too.
How did you spend your last weekend of July 2011?
Now it’s August and I have been thinking about goals.
My August 2011 Goals:
1. Stick to Pre-Training Plan. Two 30-45 minute runs and one mileage run per week PLUS two-three days of strength training and at least one day of yoga.
2. Meal Plan. I have been really thrown off lately with our schedules and our CSA when it comes to meal planning and I want to get back on track. I do so much better when our meals are planned out ahead of time.
3. Organize my kitchen. I love to create recipes but lately it’s been difficult because I feel like our kitchen is so unorganized. It’s time to go through and reorganize and purge. I should rather say just get organized in general because I need to organize all the rooms in our house and my personal, blog and health coaching things.
4. Early to bed, Early to Rise. I would like to be in bed by 9pm to read and lights out by 10pm. I would like to be up and out of bed by 5am. I used to be in bed by 8:30p and up by 4:30/5a most mornings but since we have become more social I’ve been going to bed too late and getting up too late. I am so much more productive in the morning too.
5. Read two books. This one goes with goal number four.
Thirteen days ago I signed up for the Thrive in 30 program, a 30 day program with Brendan Brazier that provides you with the tips and tools to achieve optimum health and vitality. The Thrive in 30 program teaches you:
How to combat stress using whole, plant-based foods and high net-gain nutrition
The whole food truth about protein, fats and carbs— and how balancing your diet will help you build a younger body
How you can alkalize your body’s pH to combat disease, improve sleep and lose weight
What superfoods to use to balance hormones, detoxify body or lower cholesterol
How to identify common foods that cause unexplained, mystery illnesses
How to use nutrition to strategically fuel your body so you’ll have greater endurance, maximize the return from your workouts and recover faster
Why nutrition, exercise and sleep are the secret to empowered mental health
Long-term strategies that will help you transform your health for life
The first task is to Examine your current diet (I did wrote this on July 18, 2011- my start date) and write a list of all the things you eat that you think might be taking away from your energy or aren’t supporting your health and fitness goals. Mine are as follows:
Wheat/Gluten. I am a huge bread lover. I could easily sit and eat a whole loaf by myself (don’t worry I don’t) but I also know I don’t feel great after I do. This is a challenge for me but I know if I was to reduce the amount of bread, crackers, pasta, ect. that I eat I would feel better.
Soy. I actually don’t eat nearly as much soy as I once did but lately I find it sneaking into our grocery cart more often. As much as I love soy products and tofu my stomach doesn’t agree.
Alcohol. I am a huge beer lover. I notice a big difference in my energy and body in the morning even after only having one beer. I have been doing pretty well at staying at a two beer max, usually only having one beer, but still more per week than I’d like. My goal here is to not drink at all on nights before runs because that is when I feel like it effects me the most so that would limit consumption down to 3-5 alcoholic drinks max per week.
In addition to breaking these habits/crowding them out of my diet. Thrive in 30 suggests the following five tools to make the most of this program (I’m not going to reveal everything so you’ll have to sign up yourself to find out more):
Eat throughout the day
Drink a nutritious smoothie each day
Eat a big green salad every day
Eat a raw energy bar every day
Eat a substantial, balanced afternoon snack
As part of the Thrive in 30 you receive an email every few days with a lesson filled with important information, tips and tools on how to make achieve optimal health. I just received lesson 7 of 12 and so far I have found the lessons informative and helpful.
Each lesson has a specific topic that is covers and a short video clip featuring an informative video lesson by Brendan Brazier. Below the video there is information regarding the topic followed by take-away points and finally how you can take action. Since starting this program I have:
Lesson 1: Stress & Diet
I have reduced my intake of processed and convenience foods by eating more fruit and vegetable snacks.
I have reduced stimulants such as coffee by reducing the amount of coffee I drink to 3-5 cups per week.
Lesson 2: High Net-Gain Nutrition
I have added even more high net-gain foods (whole foods, raw foods, superfoods, alkaline forming foods) to my already highly nutritious diet by adding blueberries to my oatmeal, taking a chlorella supplement and adding sea vegetables to my salad.
Lesson 3: Myth-Busting
I didn’t get as much out of this lesson because I am vegan, I add flax to my oatmeal, I bake with natural sweeteners and whole wheat flours and I love to top by salad with hemp seeds and flax (all suggestions in lesson 3).
Lesson 4: Alkaline v. Acid
In this lesson you are to rate the amount of alkaline versus acidic foods that you are eating. I found that I regularly eat 25 out of the 32 alkaline-forming foods listed and 3 (coffee, peanuts, chocolate) out of the 21 acid-forming foods. The other suggestion is to be more active which I feel that I can always be a little more but I am fairly active running on average 8-12 miles per week as well as doing cross training 2-3 times per week.
Lesson 5: Digestion
In this lesson it is suggested that you regularly eat high fiber foods, which as a vegan I eat tons high fiber foods such as leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and legumes. The other action that is suggested is to take a probiotic. This I actually do not take a vegan-friendly probiotic supplement but I do often use brown rice miso (a whole food source probiotic) and Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer in my smoothies.
Lesson 6: Superfoods
I include a number of superfoods in my diet including maca, chlorella, hemp, flax, dark leafy greens, quinoa, sprouts and coconut.
Lesson 7: Food Sensitivities
I have reduced my soy, gluten and wheat intake after noticing the negative affects on my digestion. As a vegan I already don’t eat dairy so I can cross that allergen off my list. I have not yet removed corn or yeast but besides nutritional yeast I do not eat much else.
Overall I think that this program is great for those who are looking to jump start a healthy lifestyle. The tips and lessons are laid out in a way that is easy to follow. The program is great for different learners as well because it has a visual element, written and then action to help implement the tips and tools suggested. As a vegan who tries to live a healthy lifestyle already I found that many of the actions where things that I already do, however there is always room for improvement. As a health coach I found that most of the information is similar to what I discuss with my own clients and has provided me with some new ways of approaching various topics. So far I am finding Thrive in 30 to be a great resource filled with great tips and tools to jump start a healthy lifestyle.
Since I have basically not been around any weekend for the past 2 months it’s time to play catch up. I have Health Coaching work, Immersion, house cleaning, reading and a number of other things to do this weekend on top of the fact we (for some crazy reason) planned two concert outings for this weekend. So I’m taking the weekend off from blogging. I’ll be back Monday with a Weekend Wrap Up Post.
Nicole tagged me in the 7 Links post that has been a trending post on a number of blogs. Now it’s my turn to share with you posts from each category and then tag 5 other bloggers. I was really excited to get tagged to do this post but when it came down to actually doing it I was surprised at how hard it was to choose posts for each category. Here is what I came up with:
Tamales and a Sunset. Over the past few months this has been a really popular post, is it my most popular? I am not really sure. It is a yummy recipe that you should try and there is as beautiful sunset photo and a nice photo of Neil and I. Other popular posts: Vegan “Lobster” Roll and Bagel (no)Lox
Most Emotional:
Dealing with a loss. This post briefly discusses my husband and I’s experience with our second miscarriage. It was one of the most emotional posts to write and I honestly was unable to write everything I was feeling at the time because it was just too hard. Maybe one day.
Surprisingly Successful:
Kimchi Fried Brown Rice. I wrote this post a few years ago and yet it is still bringing people to the blog. I think it’s time to go back and remake this recipe and take a better photo because this two year old photo is awful.
Most Controversial:
Restaurant Review: The Pulse Café- Somerville MA. This post received a lot of backlash after I wrote it. I was really surprised but everyone is entitled to their own opinion and mine was based on my particularly horrible experience.
Not Enough Success:
Groove Yoga. I was a little disappointed that this post didn’t receive more action. I thought it might spark some discussion but oh well. I also don’t think my Italian Almond Tart got enough attention either; one of my favorite recipes I have ever made so check it out.
Most Helpful:
My About page. I know that it isn’t exactly a blog post but it I think it is one of the most helpful posts I have ever written. It took a lot for me to write my story from being overweight to where I am now and I hope that it was, is and will continue to be helpful for others.
Most Proud of:
Old Port 5k Recap. I am most proud of this because I am really proud of myself that I accomplished a long time goal.
I have always struggled to find the perfect sports headband to wear for running and other activities. I have always found ones that are okay but they end up slipping off after awhile, so when I Sweaty Bands offered to send me a sample of their product I jumped at the opportunity. Sweaty Bands are made to grip and hold your hair all without slipping or causing breakage. In addition to holding your hair back they soak up sweat without dripping and keep those wispy little hairs out of your face.
I was a little skeptical when I first took it out of the package because it looks like a few of the other active headbands I have but I was surprised by how well it worked. I first tried it out during my last training run and it worked well but the real test was going to be my 5k race. Since it’s been so hot out I have been wearing a bandana to help keep the sweat from dripping down my face but it’s bulky and tends to shift a lot during my run so I was hoping that the Sweaty Band would help with both keeping my hair out of my face and catch a bit of my sweat.
To my delight the Sweaty Band did indeed keep my hair out of my face and most of the sweat off too. The band did not shift at all during my run and I barely even noticed it was on my head. In addition to keeping my hair back and the sweat off my face it is super cute and comes in a number of styles; I want the 13.1 Sweaty Band when I finish my first half.
Well now that I’ve told you how great it is (and it really is) I am going to give you a chance to win one yourself.
To Enter:
Giveaway closes at 8pm EST on July 31, 2011.
Winner: Sabrina!
Mandatory: What activity do you get most sweaty at?
Additional Entries (YOU MUST LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY FOR IT TO COUNT):
Tweet about this “I want to win @cookveganlover @sweatybands giveaway http://wp.me/pFVWo-2pJ”
Disclaimer: Sweaty Bands provided me with a sample of their products to review and giveaway, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway.
Back on my 25th birthday I made a list of 25 things for my 25th year. Now there is only one month left to accomplish these goals and I still have a lot to do. I also noticed that I was pretty ambitious last year in setting goals to travel the world; this won’t happen again for next years 26 in 26.
I have been attempting to get myself back in the kitchen to cook up some new recipes from my pile of ideas. Finally last night I decided to try out one of my ideas for this wonderful and delicious tart filled with creamy white-bean cashew cheeze and sweet roasted tomatoes.
One medium summer squash, thinly sliced & sauteed in olive oil for 4-5 minutes
Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar
Greens, for garnish
For the Crust
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning (dried) or 1 TBSP fresh herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBSP water
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, mix together the almond meal, salt, and Italian seasoning. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil and water. Create a well in the almond meal mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until combined. Press the dough into a 9-inch tart pan.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter for about 30 minutes.
For the Cheeze
One 15-oz can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
In the bowl of a food processor, combine all of the ingredients; process until smooth. You may need to add a little water to help the mixture combine; start with 1/2 tablespoon at a time.
For the Tomatoes
One pint of cherry or grape tomatoes
1 TBSP olive oil
Preheat oven to 350F
Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and place on a sheet pan. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
— For the Tart
While the tomatoes are roasting, fill the cooled tart shell with the cashew-white bean cheeze. Place in the 350F oven to warm for 10 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and top with the slices of sauteed summer squash. Once the tomatoes have finished roasting remove them from the oven; place the oven roasted tomatoes on top of the tart. Garnish with a handful of greens, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
While I am gone Catch Up On my latest Posts:
To my delight the Sweaty Band did indeed keep my hair out of my face and most of the sweat off too. The band did not shift at all during my run and I barely even noticed it was on my head. In addition to keeping my hair back and the sweat off my face it is super cute and comes in a number of styles; I want the 13.1 
Well now that I’ve told you how great it is (and it really is) I am going to give you a chance to win one yourself.
