Sweatin' Like a Man

Typically, I am not a sweaty girl. Rather, I merely get "dew-faced." I've never had to deal with pit-stains; it's not a big deal if I happen to forget to apply deodorant. Then today happened.

I went to the gym this morning in my yoga pants and T-shirt, as per usual, and remarked to myself, "Geez, it's a little hot out herr." Then I went on my merry way. After my workout, I looked down only to discover that I had oh-so-attractive sweat spots all over my body--the pits, the neck, the back. Eww. Fortunately, I had brought my Puma jacket so I was able to hide the evidence on my walk back to the apartment. Lesson learned: March means it is time to retire the winter gym-wear.

On another note, thanks for all your comments on Wednesday's posts. Rather than endeavor on a potentially restrictive "crap-free week," I am merely going to be more aware of my sugar and sodium intakes for a while--no counting, just focusing on more whole foods. Besides, you know I could never give up my daily Z bar!

Keep those alphabet oatmeal ideas coming! I foresee "I" and "U" being challenges as well...

Now, here's what I've been nibbling as of late:

Wednesday
I had another campus eatery to evaluate for the dining committee--Subway. Call me picky, but I think it's a little absurd not to have a whole grain option for sandwiches. Yes, they have "wheat" and "multigrain," but neither of which is truly whole grain. Thus, I had to make do with a Veggie Delight salad. I didn't even get any apple dippers--the guy in front of me snatched the last pouch. Hmph. Anyway, I returned to my apartment to add a little sustenance to the meal: guacamole and sliced Tofurky, along with a whole grain bagel and an apple.
Snack-time! I had to collect some data for my research methods class, so I brought along a Cherry Pomegranate Nectar bar. It was quite cherry-licious...add another Clif product to my favorites list:) Are you all enjoying the posting of my snacks? I have found that it's motivating me to be more creative with my afternoon noshing.
For dinner, I just made a big pasta salad with whole grain wagon wheel pasta (Hodgson Mill), chickpeas, cucumbers, carrots, celery, steamed broccoli, reduced-fat cheddar, and balsamic vinaigrette. I had a bowl of peaches on the side.
The shake of the evening is a bit of a mystery...I don't quite recall what I put in it. I know raspberries and dark chocolate were involved. That's my Choco-Cherry granola on top.
Thursday
The next installment for Chobani Week: Strawberry Walnut Parfait! Strawberry Chobani, FRESH strawberries, TJ's High Fiber Cereal, and walnuts. Fabulous.
I had to hurry to meet a professor, so I kept lunch fuss-free. I put the rest of my roasted red pepper hummus in a wrap along with some guacamole--it achieved quite a tie-dye effect. On the side, I had a spinach salad and fresh cantaloupe which I cut up all by myself--a first for me. Yes, I am a big girl now.
Snack-time featured some of those Cinnamon Graham Sticks with applesauce and almonds...and a side of Faulkner;)
For dinner, I made my all-time fave comfort meal: Cashew Ginger Tofu. I swear, I could drink that sauce straight...cashew ginger milkshake, anyone? I had some awesome veggies and whole grain couscous on the side.
The shake last night included chocolate rice protein, dark cocoa, soymilk, TWO bananas, and raspberries.
Friday
Breakfast was heavenly today: Tofu-Banana French Toast, another old fave of mine. The best part was the topping: I combined almond butter with that agave-maple syrup--fantastic!
Whole Foods haul:

Highlights: coconut water, Flax & Fig Waffles, tempeh bacon, and Rachel's cottage cheese. Oh, how I do love grocery shopping.
I had another wrapped-up lunch: Goddess Garbanzos in a veggie-wheat wrap, salad, and a chopped pear with wheat germ.
I just finished up today's snack, which featured Crispy Green fruit: freeze-dried bananas! I received these samples so that I would review them for VegFamily...they will get a positive review, methinks. I enjoyed them mixed into plain Greek yogurt with Dark Chocolate Dreams PB.
Reminders!
-Erin is generously sharing her Newman's Own bounty. Enter by March 28th!
-Jenna from Eat, Live, Run is putting together a blogger dessert cookbook! Contribute your recipe to HelpJennaRun@gmail.com by April 1st at 5PM.

Alright, Alanna (future roomie!) is coming over in a bit for some What Not to Wear and toenail-painting action. Later!

The Beauty-Nutrition Connection

Last night, in one of my typical random AIM conversations with my dad, he sent me a link to this recipe: Smoothie for Your Skin. As both you and he are well-aware, I have a special place in my heart for smoothies and shakes, so this recipe quite piqued my interest. Looks like I should add a little flax to my smoothie routine:)

I am a firm believer that nutrition can cure most ills, including matters of physical appearance. As I've mentioned before, a diet rich in healthy fats can do wonders for hair.What foods do you eat that offer beauty benefits?

Perhaps I should take a closer look at my eats for any inadvertent beauty-boosting fare...

Wednesday
Just before heading out to my last few tutoring appointments, I whipped up a quick tofu salad, which I dressed with my homemade sweet dill dressing. I added some pecans and raisins for texture. The whole mess was place atop a bed of greens and accompanied by Corn Thins and kiwi.
That night, I watched a very disappointing Duke basketball game while simultaneously studying for my exam the next day. I also used making dinner as a procrastination tool...where is my motivation? Anyway, I made a grilled cheese with onions and tomato and served it with butternut squash fries, salad with Woodstock dressing, and peaches.
I kept the smoothie relative nutritious that night with blueberries, strawberries, soymilk, and vanilla Spirutein.
Thursday
My 8:30 AM class was cancelled again this week, so I once again seized the opportunity to make a leisurely breakfast. Vegan banana pancakes were on the menu this time, spread with Dark Chocolate Dreams PB. Let's face it. Bananas, chocolate, and PB were meant to be together.
After my exam, I made a simple wrap using a white bean spread from ED&BV which includes cashews and nutritional yeast. I added some spinach and served the wrap with a few peaches.
Then I received an e-mail alerting me of a package at my PO Box. What's this?! I didn't order anything...POM Wonderful!
Does anyone else find these little bottles incredibly appealing? Can't wait to try it--thanks, Janny!

For dinner, I kept it simple and made a pasta salad. I used whole wheat angel hair, sliced mozzarella, chickpeas, tomatoes, steamed asparagus, and carrots, all sprinkled with garlic salt and raspberry vinaigrette.
The shake last night featured strawberries, banana, soymilk, chocolate Spirutein, and dairy-free chocolate chips. Yum.

Friday
I had some leftover butternut squash lying around this morning, so I decided to use it up by making Hungry Girl's Butternut Squash Hash Browns. Basically, the only part of this recipe that tasted reminiscent of hash browns was the ketchup. Bummer. Anyway, I served the squash mess with some scrambled tofu, toast, and kiwi.
By the time I returned from Whole Foods, got my laundry done, and cleaned the apartment, I was famished. I made a quick version of ED&BV's Thai Chick-Un Pizza. I say "quick" because I cheated and used prepared peanut sauce for the base. I also left out a lot of the other suggested toppings, but I was still quite satisfied with just the bell peppers and chickpeas. On the side, I had some more asparagus, mixed greens, and, yes, another dish of peaches.
For dinner this evening, due to my position on the dining committee, I got to evaluate an on-campus eatery (the same one I evaluated here), this time evaluating the delivery service. I ordered steamed veggies with garlic sauce on the side and steamed rice (sadly, brown rice is not an option). I added my own cashews and supplemented the meal with a blood orange. I pulled my usual "prettifying" technique and took everything out of the containers for your viewing pleasure!
My sister and her husband arrive for a weekend visit tomorrow, and I am super-psyched; I love visitors! I think a basketball game and a trip to Trader Joe's may be on the agenda:) Anyway, I'll still try to put together my usual "feature post" on Sunday after their departure. Any topic requests?

Enjoy your weekend!