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!

Healthy Habits: Taste the Rainbow!

One of the simplest ways to ensure that you're getting adequate nutrition from the foods you eat is to reach for color. If a food boasts a vibrant hue, chances are good that it contains loads of valuable carotenoids, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals that promote overall health. In an effort to take advantage of all these nutrients (and experiment with some new foods!), I aim to include as much color in my diet as possible. As many of you know, I have chosen my oatmeal bowl as the conduit through which I may "taste the rainbow." Here are a few pictures of my kaleidoscopic breakfast adventures:

Raspberry oats with chopped almonds
Pumpkin oats with pecans, cinnamon, and ginger
Pineapple oats with coconut and cashew butter
"Amazing Grass" oats with chopped almonds
Blueberry oats with almond butter
Pomegranate oats with almond butter and wheat germ
For more information about colorful eating, click here.

Weekend Wrap Up

I had a full and enjoyable weekend. I kicked it off right by heading to the farmers' market with my mom on Saturday morning. We got some hefty tomatoes, mixed squash (including patty-pan!), rainbow chard, and oregano and mint plants (Sorry, no pictures!). Later, I went to the university gym with my sister and her husband (we are all attending the same university for our various degrees). I also went to a health food store with my dad that night, where I got a new flavor of Spirutein (Chai Latte), some roasted red pepper hummus, Ezekiel bread, and a few other goodies. Overall, Saturday could be summarized as a health nut's dream:)

Sunday was my mom's big day, of course, and our celebration was a success. We went over to the soon-to-be newlyweds' house for dinner, presents, and ice cream cake. Although my sister hasn't moved in yet, she has managed to get it looking picture-perfect. It seriously looks like a page out of Pottery Barn--Kudos, Katie! To cement her status as a domestic goddess, Katie made her favorite dish: macaroni and cheese. I didn't have any, but it was a beautiful dish that was enjoyed by all who indulged in it. I'll post pics of my plate later in this post, but for now here are a few of the family. No two people ever seem to be looking at the camera at the same time, but such is life:) My brother-in-law Ryan wanted his picture to be on the blog--he's the one staring into an abyss next to the cake.


Rewind: here's what I've been eating, starting with Friday night.

Friday
My evening smoothies have been a lot more healthful lately, mostly because I discovered that adding fruit makes them quite delicious. I'm not a big fan of fruit with chocolate (other than bananas), so I have kept them strictly fruity. Friday's included raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. You know the rest.
Saturday
Before heading out to the farmers' market on Saturday, I had a quick breakfast of whole wheat toast with sunflower seed butter and watermelon. This kept me full for a while.
Lunch consisted of some oven-roasted Tofurky I found in the freezer stuffed into an Ezekielpita with mushrooms and lettuce. I had a yummy salad on the side with chunks of avocado.
For dinner, I made my own lentil dip out of lentils, lemon juice, mushrooms, sauteed onion, fresh oregano, and garlic; I used whole wheat Pitettes as dippers. I had sliced tomatoes (from the farmers' market) with basil and a side salad as well.
The evening smoothie was blue all over, with blueberry Spirutein, frozen blueberries, nonfat organic plain yogurt, and granola--in a blue cup, of course.
Sunday
For lunch on Sunday, I finally tried kale chips! I got some strange looks from the fam when I whipped this one up. "You're eating what?!" I prepared mine with garlic salt and some steak seasoning (how ironic is that?). They were perfectly crunchy--thanks for the recipe, Kath! I enjoyed these as a side dish to homemade lentil-tomato soup, whole wheat toast, and a pear.

As I mentioned above, we were over at Katie's house for dinner. Since the family would be having steak, I picked up some Helen's Kitchen Tofu Steaks. My dad saw these featured on the Today Show on Saturday morning, and directed me to their website. These were a winner! Next time I might try one with marinara sauce though. I also had some of my sister's salad, which had romaine, feta, pecans, and strawberries. I elected to eat mostly strawberries and PECANS, however. I love that combination. We ordered a frozen yogurt cake from TCBY for my mom, as per her request. It was chocolate vanilla crunch flavor, I believe. I hadn't planned on having any, but my mom served me a sliver, so I ate it to make her happy. I was expecting it to be delicious, but it was actually kind of meh. I still managed to polish it off though:)

Monday
Today was another parfait day for breakfast. This one had plain soy yogurt, crumbled Weetabix, and mixed berries. Sunshine makes it taste even better.
Before heading to class, I had a roasted red pepper hummus sandwich and a salad with broccoli, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and walnuts. I spritzed the salad with balsamic vinegar (I keep it in a small spray bottle called a Misto). I also had some apple slices.
Tonight's dinner was inspired by what the family was having: paninis! My mom bought some frozen chicken-mozzarella flatbread paninis at Sam's the other day, so I decided to make my own version. Mine had farmers' market zucchini, organic mozzarella, and a Quorn cutlet in a whole wheat tortilla. I had some freezer burned green beans, a side salad, and a handful of cashews to balance the meal.
Whew! Marathon post again--sorry. If you're still reading (or even if you're not), have a great evening!