Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Bring On the Rain

"Another day has almost come and gone
Can't imagine what else could wrong
Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere and lock the door
A single battle lost but not the war ('cause)

Tomorrow's another day
And I'm thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain..." ~Jo Dee Messina/Tim McGraw

Today did not begin well. I have been sick the past few days (a rare and unwelcome occurrence in itself), so I was sniffling through my classes, all while trying not to completely gross out those unfortunate enough to be sitting next to me. Then, once my classes had ended for the day, I get ready to trek across campus for the gym--and it starts to rain. I did not bring my umbrella to campus today of course, so I sucked it up (snot and all) and walked through the rain to the indoor track. I had been looking forward to my run today, so I was determined to make it there.

Once I changed into my gym clothes and finished stretching, I got into the groove. In my experience, running always provides a temporary hiatus from cold symptoms, and today was no exception. My sniffles ceased, and my head was clear. Then "Bring on the Rain" came on my iPod. My mood improved by about 1000% at that point. I probably looked like a big dork running, because I was grinning and mouthing the words as I went along. For the rest of the day, I have been in a fantastic mood. The music and lyrics of that song definitely crashed my pity party.

Despite my morning glumness, my food was fortunately excluded from my temporary funk.

Monday
After I left you in my last post, I scampered off to a busy evening of activities. Free BBQ was provided at the dining committee meeting; I sampled their vegan option (simply grilled veggies in a spinach wrap), but it did nothing for my grumbling tummy. Plus, I wanted to get some mega-vitamins to fight off my developing cold. I grabbed a salad in between meetings, and it contained: mixed greens, snap peas, chickpeas, steamed broccoli, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, plus some pineapple. I chomped this down in about 10 minutes. Yeah. I definitely sprained a jaw muscle.
Smoothie was a repeat: strawberries. I need my Living Harvest!!!
Tuesday
Quite frankly this breakfast was amazing. I made a mango-soymilk smoothie in the MB and topped with wheat germ and a bit of shredded coconut. Continuing with the tropical theme, I also had a whole wheat mini bagel with cashew butter.
My pre-run snack consisted of a banana and half of a Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Clif bar. Check out my clever halfsies packaging. Thank you, Scotch tape.
Lunch was a simple campus salad (Romaine, carrots, tomatoes, dried cranberries, and walnuts) that I topped with leftover white beans. White beans, walnuts, and cranberries are meant to be together.
For dinner, I made Sloppy Joes! I used Boca crumbles and the sauce recipe from PPK as a rough guide; I didn't have all the ingredients on hand so I improvised a bit. Nevertheless, it was quite tasty. I also had cantaloupe, haricot verts, and a few of those Snacktrition smoked almonds.
Another boring smoothie last night: cherries. FYI: Cherries are not a significant source of vitamin C. One cup provides a measly 2% of the 60mg we need each day. I was hoping for more so that I could alleviate some of my cold symptoms. I still wanted cherries though, so cherries I had.
Wednesday
GORP (Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts) Overnight Oats today! I soaked oats and soymilk with cinnamon and stevia last night and added the GORP component this morning. I also had a sliced apple.
The pre-run fuel today was pretty awesome today. I had a banana and half of a waffle-wich: a toasted GoLean waffle with blackberry jam. My emotions might have had something to do with it, but I had quite the athletic performance on my run this afternoon.
When I came home, all I wanted was some soothing soup. I added spinach, white beans, and oregano to that Imagine tomato soup I bought last week. More smoked almonds on the side. This totally hit the spot, physiologically and emotionally.
More good news for this afternoon: my Living Harvest came! That's also a box of stevia packets for my tea.The folks at iHerb also threw in some complimentary vitamins and a packet of goji berry hand lotion. Cool.
I had a great snack today. Taking a cue from my fellow bloggers, I broke up a snack bar into plain yogurt. I opted for a chocolate brownie mini Clif, plus I added raw cashews. It tasted like a fabulous nutty brownie! On a side note, I never noticed how small these mini Clifs are. I find that they're just a little too small to support my running (when I go in the middle of the day--great for morning runs). It's almost the exact size of Nestor the Nano!
My dinner this evening was close to perfect. I whipped up a single serving batch of ED&BV's Peanut Passion Sauce and used some homemade baked tofu cubes for dipping. Couscous, haricot verts, and salad (with orange bell pepper and local tomatoes!) topped it off.
With that, I draw this epic post to a close. Happy Hump Day!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah this is the third time that I'm trying to leave a comment here, how do I post a comment if I'm using wordpress?!!

Anyway, Hi there Chickpea (your name is Caroline right?) I'm Celia here from healthycelia.wordpress.com

I want to begin by saying that I am absolutely amazed by your ability to whip out so many healthy eats in a dorm room! I guess you put those who gained the freshman college 15 to shame!! :)

Anyway, I'm here to ask you for a favor. If you visit my page, you can see how my day usually begins and ends, I am NOT proud of it, in fact I'm sick of this habit! :( Do you know how I can get out of this habit of mine? I almost lose all motivation to eat well (that may have something to do with depression) but visit your (and other bloggers') blog makes me wanna eat healthily again - but- the problem is I just could not do it - I find that I always crave for something sweet around 3-4pm, do you have any tips on that? Also, could I be eating too little? I'm trying to lose the weight that I gained from junk eating, and I guess this makes everything even more harder!!

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it tremendously - also GET WELL SOON!! :)

Ciao for now!

Unknown said...

You really whip up some of the most healthy stuff I have seen.. do you plan out your meals durig the week??

That last meal gave you plenty of Vit c and iron plus as I am sure YOU KNOW the vit c helps absorb the nonheme iron.
I am def going to make the boca crumbles/sammie, seems like you can make a lot and use it in all different ways... top a baked potato

Anonymous said...

Your meals are amazing!


What time of the day do you have your smoothie? Usually I have to have it for a snack because it fills me up so much.


Mmm I've never tried the white bean/walnut/cranberry mix but it sounds delish =)

Anonymous said...

Sorry you've been sick :o( But isn't it amazing what music can do for our moods? I'm glad that song made you feel better!

I love your Sloppy Joes with the Boca crumbles! They look like just the right amount of sloppy!

Mm, GORP looks Grand! I've actually never made overnight oats before, but since I always hear rave reviews, I think I'll have to once I get back to school.

Nestor the Nano - love it :o)

ChickPea said...

Celia: Congrats on starting your own blog!
Don't be too impressed with my meals--I actually have a full kitchen in an apartment--I've dealt with the dorm situation in the past though.
I read your blog post from yesterday, and I really think that you're being a little hard on yourself. Everyone deserves a little treat! I think you should just PLAN your sweet treat for every day at about 3. Decide on what you want to indulge in for the day, and select an appropriate portion size. Total deprivation almost always makes the tempting foods seem irresistible.
I really can't say whether you are eating too little without more information about you and your lifestyle, although you are consuming a very low number of kcalories. You might find that adding a few snacks into your day will eliminate your desire to munch on sweets.
I wish you the best of luck, and please let me know if you need any more advice!
SportsNutritionLiving: I don't really plan my meals, although on Sunday evenings I often pick out a few recipes I would like to try throughout the week. Otherwise, it's whatever works with my schedule.
Yes, I have been consciously trying to pair vitamin C and my nonheme iron for the past year or so due to a severe case of anemia that I had last year. Plus, I know those bell peppers are loaded with vitamin C to help me recover from my cold faster!
I recommend the Boca crumbles--they're quite versatile and protein-packed.
Shelby: Well, I sometimes eat more than one smoothie per day (I know, it's ridiculous!). I have one every night as a bed time snack, and sometimes I'll make a small one for breakfast.
EatingBender: I actually think I am getting better--I have been pushing the vitamins!
I know what you mean about the "right amount of sloppy." I am not a fan of the super drippy sloppy Joes--more of it ends up on the napkin (or your shirt) than in your mouth. But it's also no fun if it's too compact.
You should definitely try overnight oats--it's perfect for the school year because you just dump the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate. Instant breakfast!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Ahh, this saddens me that your day wasn't going well :0( Hang in there, and get well soon!!

GORP oats + peanut passion sauce + sloppy joes + all the shakes/smoothies (hooray for Living Harvest!) = DELISH!!!

Haha yes, thank goodness for Scotch tape! :0)

ChickPea said...

VeggieGirl: Thanks for your well wishes! I think they must be working, as I am feeling much better.
Scotch tape is great, almost as good as duct tape:)

Ruby Red said...

I know exactly how you're feeling now! I am sick too -- the sniffles are just no fun! I rarely get sick either, so hopefully this will pass for the both of us. But I firmly believe in the healing powers of lots of fruits and vegetables!

I agree that cranberries and walnuts are wonderful together -- I will have to try them with white beans. That sounds sooo good! The brownie clif bar + plain soy yogurt combo has been intriguing me too. Cashews sounds like an awesome addition!

And gotta love the peanut sauce!

Feel better soon! :)

Anonymous said...

Poor dear, please don't feel that you have to exercise even when it is rainy, and even when you are sick. The voice that is telling you that you must not deviate from your exercise schedule for anything is your eating disorder voice. Tell that voice to go to hell! I know it's hard, but you'll feel tons better every time you stand up to it by eating a piece of cake, not sticking religiously to an exercise routine, use some oil when cooking, etc. And if you keep standing up to it, someday the voice will go away completely. I know I am so much happier now that my own ed's voice has shut up for good.

P.S. I hope you were able to enjoy that scone from a few posts back, sans guilt!

ChickPea said...

Ruby: I totally agree about the fruits and veggies--I have been eating copious amounts (even more than I usually do!) these past few days. I would much rather chomp on those than swallow a bunch of meds.
I actually thought of you when I made the peanut sauce. I was thinking that I would totally invite you over for dinner if it were possible:)
Anonymous: I think you are misinterpreting my attitude toward exercise. Like I said in the post, I was actually looking forward to my run, as it provides a reprieve from my cold symptoms. Yes, I do exercise for my physical health but also for my mental health--it makes me feel better emotionally.
I agree that I should tell ED to "go to hell," as you say. For the most part I have, as I do not feel deprived. I really do crave the foods that I eat, and they are not mere "safe" substitutes for what I truly want. I appreciate your concern.
PS The scone was delicious!

Emma said...

Mmmm Yummy eats! I love the look of those colourful salads and the soup looks so scrummy! I wish I could buy waffles over here in the UK- I'd love to try a waflewich!

You should definitely have a go at a veggie carbonara using fake meat- really tasty and definitely healthier than the meat version!

ChickPea said...

Emma: Are frozen waffles not sold in the UK? That's a shame if not. If I could send you some I would--waffle-wiches are so easy and tasty! I bet you could achieve a similar effect with pancakes though.
I'll definitely put the veggie carbonara on my "must try" list.