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A Lovely Vacation Day Morning…

September 8, 2009 by

Good Morning All (or Good Afternoon for some!) I was up an out of bed early on my vacation day. I would have loved to have slept in but I have so many things that I need to cram in today before I head back to work tomorrow.

Before heading out for my run, I grabbed another Odwalla bar to give me a little extra energy.

9.8 Odwalla1

Unlike the one I had yesterday, this Banana Nut bar had a much better flavor. But, even with a better flavor plus 5g of fiber and 4g of protein, I can’t say that I really loved this bar.

9.8 Odwalla2

I ate 1/2 the bar and then put the rest in a bag to save for tomorrow. It wasn’t so bad that I would throw it away like yesterday!

Then, I headed out the door for my Tuesday morning run. I had so much energy and was able to run another 40-minute, 5 mile run with no problem. When I arrived home, I downed a bunch of water and had my daily shot of Zola’s juice. This juice shot is really starting to grow on me – not the taste but more because I feel like I have more energy throughout the day. Maybe that’s why my runs have been so good – he he!

The plan for today was to make an apple dessert since we still have 3 1/2 pecks of Gala apples to eat. I made yet another run to the grocery store to pick up a few things for the week and for the apple cake I had planned on making. 

At the store, I also picked up a little breakfast muffin. Ok, it was a HUGE chocolate chip breakfast muffin! But, after all, I am on vacation!

9.8 breakfast1

I only ate half and saved the rest for an after dinner treat. Then it was baking time! Yes – I really DID make a homemade apple cake today. It smells so good baking in the oven right now, and, from what I can tell, it looks like I did everything right! I really hope it turns out well because I don’t have the best track record when I bake brand new desserts.

Now, my husband and I are having a quick lunch before we head to our afternoon movie – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!

9.8 lunch1

I made a 1/2 sandwich with sliced deli ham and low-fat salami and a little veggie pasta salad on the side. I didn’t want to eat too much because I want to save room for popcorn!

See you all after the movie – have a great afternoon!

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New Diet Book in the Mail!

August 26, 2009 by

Hey All! Hope you had a great afternoon. I’m winding down for the evening, as I’m sure many of you are. Tonight, I had planned to read through the new book I received in the mail – The Full Plate Diet (January 2010), but am just too tired to read anything that I need to pay attention to. And, with all new health, fitness, or nutrition books – I want to give this my full attention.

Full Plate Diet

From my very brief look at the book, the diet – which is more of an eating plan rather than a restrictive eating regimen – focuses on adding fiber to your meals throughout the day. The pictures and layout look awesome! But, I’m really interested to see what tips the authors give on how to add daily fiber without feeling too full or bloated (a problem many people have). I’ll keep you posted on that one! Also, be on the lookout for my review in the next week or so.

As for my afternoon, my schedule was packed with more meetings and other desk work. I did manage to snag a few birthday cookies as an afternoon treat….

8.26 cookie2

Hmm, they were so yummy, it was hard to stop at just two.

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Per usual when I’m eating sweets, I enjoyed the cookies with a spot of hot tea – this time it was Bigelow Chamomile tea.

I didn’t arrive home until after 6:30 PM today. My days just keep getting later and later. Pretty soon, I’ll be driving home in the dark – ugh! Because I arrived home so late, I didn’t feel like making a big dinner, so I warmed up leftovers from Monday night…

8.26 dinner2

I had my husband’s pasta sauce over Trader Joe’s whole wheat penne with a side of fresh green beans. Honestly, the sauce even tastes better after it’s been sitting around for a few days. So, having leftover pasta and sauce is always a welcome meal for us.

8.26 dinner1

It’s really easy to overeat when it comes to this sauce, but I tried very hard not to tonight. 

Now, I am headed to bed. Tomorrow is an early run as long as it’s not raining too hard – blah. I shouldn’t complain though because we need the rain.

See you in the AM!

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A Pepper Trifecta and Stevia Review

August 23, 2009 by

Hey Everyone! It is an absolutely beautiful day here in Chicago! It’s about 70 degrees and sunny. The exceptionally cool weather really helped my long run this morning. I was able to do 6 miles (that’s long for me!) with no problem. I think I am ready for summer to be over – bring on the Fall!

8.23 breakfast

For breakfast, I had the new Oikos Greek yogurt I picked up from Whole Foods – it was strawberry flavor. It was a first for me and it was just yummy with a tablespoon or two of walnuts (for extra MUFA) sprinkled on top.

8.20 OIkos-strawberry

I also tried a new product that was sent to me in the mail – Stevia In the Raw 100% natural sweetener.

Stevia

I actually tried it a few weeks ago in homemade lemonade and thought there was a weird after taste to it. My husband just raved about it in his homemade iced tea, so I thought I’d give it another try in my hot tea this morning.

Tea with stevia

I brewed Harney and Sons whole leaf English Breakfast tea and added 1/2 a stevia packet. I’m sorry to report that the sweetener still has a weird taste and after taste that I just can’t get used to. I haven’t given up on it completely though – I may try using stevia as a replacement to sugar during baking. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.

After breakfast, I was just lounging around the house, checking emails, etc. I put on my comfy yoga pants from the Gap (my new favorite pants) and my brand new running/yoga shirt from LUCY.

Jen-shirt2

The shirt really describes how my life goes on most days – I’m up and running with the sun!

Lunch was leftovers – the other 1/2 of the chicken sandwich/burger that I ordered from Red Robin on Friday…

8.23 lunch3

I paired it with some fresh grilled red, green, and yellow bell peppers and grape tomatoes…

8.23 peppers

A perfect pepper trifecta!

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Finally, I had a few Cape Cod low-fat potato chips. My husband and I love Cape Cod chips because they are made from all-natural ingredients and have an awesome flavor.

8.23 Cape Cod chips1

As you can see, they are made with potatoes, oil, and salt – can’t get any more natural than that!

8.23 Cape Cod Chips2

Now, we’re both relaxing on our deck before heading off to our nephew’s birthday party.

See you all tonight everyone.

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Top 15 Foods Runner's Should Eat

August 20, 2009 by

Good morning! Yes – I’m actually at work right now and it’s only 8:15 AM! All the stars and planets seemed align this morning so that I could actually get to work early rather than late. It helped that it was raining this morning so I didn’t end up running. I’ll be out there tomorrow though – bright and early!

For breakfast, I changed things up a bit. I have been eating cereal quite a bit, mostly because we bought industrial size boxes of Cheerios and Kashi so I feel like once they’re open, I have to finish them before I open anything else. I decided to change things up today….

8.20 breakfast2

I had a Thomas Multi-grain English muffin. These little muffins only have 100 calories and are packed with fiber – 8 g, that’s a LOT for a bread product. I topped my muffin with the last of my all-natural raspberry preserves and a couple dollops of all-natural creamy peanut butter. Too bad I didn’t run this morning, because this would have make an excellent post-run breakfast.

8.20 Breakfast

This got me thinking…as a runner, what exactly are the foods I should be eating to stay healthy and increase my performance? After doing a little research, I found 15 superfoods that Runner’s World recommends runners eat, at least on a weekly basis to improve performance and maintan overall health. I then assessed these superfoods to see if I was incorporating them into my overall diet. Let’s see how I’m doing….

Top 15 Foods Runner’s Should Eat

  1. Almonds – I definitely eat these on a weekly basis.
  2. Eggs – Hmm, I’m not much of an egg person, but I can try to eat more.
  3. Sweet Potatoes – Love these! But I don’t find them as convenient to make as other side dishes.
  4. Whole-grain cereal with protein – This is practically a staple for me!
  5. Oranges – Could definitely eat more of this, but oranges are so expensive so I find it a challenge to eat them every day.
  6. Canned Black Beans – Not a big fan of these unless they are part of another dish.
  7. Mixed salad greens – No problem in this area.
  8. Salmon – I do not eat seafood – so this is a big dilemma. 
  9. Whole-grain Bread – Yes, this is an every day food for me.
  10. Vegetables – Are you kidding me? I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t eat at least one vegetable.
  11. Whole-grain pasta – At least weekly, but I try not to overload on carbs.
  12. Chicken – This is a no brainer, I will likely turn into a chicken soon.
  13. Mixed Berries – Hmm, I definitely eat these when they are on sale, but I could use more.
  14. Dark Chocolate – At least weekly, if not daily. Now that I think about it, I probably eat a little too much of this!
  15. Low-fat Yogurt – Oh my – how could I not eat this weekly?

As far as the ideal runner’s diet, it seems that I’m not doing too bad. Although I do need to increase my intake of eggs, sweet potatoes (actually have these in the pantry right now!), oranges, and seafood (not gonna happen).

Whew, now that that’s out of the way, I’m going to make some Tazo Awake tea – too bad that’s not on the Runner’s World list!

Have a great day everyone!

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Treat a Cold With Chicken Soup?

August 18, 2009 by

Hello All! I had another highly productive day today. I was so productive, that I gave myself a break this afternoon and had a nice big treat….

8.18 snack

A great big chocolate chip cookie from Panera Bread. It was a little dry, so I only ended up eating about 2/3 of the cookie. I also enjoyed some hot chamomile tea from Higgins and Burke while eating my cookie (forgot my Tazo at home)….

8.18 tea

I never did end up going to Whole Foods. I was on the conference call for longer than I had planned, then had another spontaneous meeting. I’m going to make a concerted effort to go tomorrow.

Tonight, Scott was working late so I decided to make dinner simple and have leftover chicken soup…

8.18 dinner

…which tasted mighty good!

The Healing Powers of Chicken Soup

Chicken soup may be very simple but it is simply amazing. It is low in calories and fat, is a great source of protein, vitamins A, C, and a whole host of others. But, what’s really amazing about chicken soup is its ability to heal. Nearly 10 years ago, a landmark study in the journal CHEST found that basic chicken soup really does help to prevent or treat a cold or the flu, because of its potential anti-inflammatory effect on the body. See, mom really was right when she told you’d feel better after eating your chicken soup! I wonder what else she was right about..hmm…

After dinner, I cleaned up the house a bunch because it was left in such disarray this morning – and I can’t stand a messy house!

Then, I was in the mood for something sweet so I topped off the night with a little dessert…

8.18 dessert

One scoop of Breyers all-natural chocolate and vanilla ice cream and 1 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips. Just enough.

Now, I need to get some work done before heading to bed. Have a great night everyone!

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Relieve Stress With Lemons and Lavender

August 17, 2009 by

I woke up extra early today for my Monday morning run. Come to find out, there was a huge thunderstorm passing through my area. So I opted NOT to run outside and hopped back into bed. NOT running on days I had planned on running tends to stress me out a little. So, although I went back to bed, I didn’t go to sleep. I just laid there thinking about not running and all of the work-related projects I have yet to accomplish before our big meeting at the end of the year. All of these racing thoughts can really stress a girl out. Maybe I need some lemons…

Lemons: www.flickr.com/photos/22829128@N08/2426112655

Why, you ask? Well, a new study shows that certain scents, like lemon, mango, and lavender, can actually help boost your mood and help reduce stress. The way I’m feeling right now, I think I need to combine all three scents to get the maximum relaxation effect – he he!

Well, I don’t have lemons, mango, or lavender in the house at the moment. So, rather than just laying there being stressed, I decided to get up and start getting ready for work. Then, I had a little breakfast..

Breakfast1

Breakfast was a nice bowl of mixed cereal, 1/2 Cheerios and 1/2 Kashi Go Lean Crunch. Then, I headed out the door to work, bypassing Starbucks. Instead, when I arrived at the office I made a huge cup of Tazo Awake Tea. I probably should have had chamomile to calm my nerves, but Awake helps me start my day with a clear head.

Now, I need to be heads down for the rest of the day – which, ironically, ends at 2:30 PM for me because I have a doctor’s appointment – and not for a stress test!

By the way, if you have a favorite, all-natural stress reduction tip, please give me a shout!

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Second Breakfast

August 15, 2009 by

Well, I’m feeling better today, but still not the greatest. I did not go to yoga because I just didn’t want to push it. Instead, I slept in until about 8 AM, although I didn’t sleep very well the whole night. When I did finally get up, I had more energy than the day before, which was a good sign. I was really hungry for some reason too, so I grabbed breakfast right away…

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I made a mix of cheerios and Kashi Go Lean Crunch with a few strawberries. It was a little rough on my sore throat but I managed. 

Then I had a very nice surprise. My father and mother-in-law came over and brought a chocolate covered coffee cake! So, of course, I had a second breakfast…

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Hmm…so incredibly yummy! I had this slice of cake with a cup of Tazo Awake tea, which my throat desperately needed.

My husband and his father worked on our front porch for most of the morning, and then we all broke for lunch. I ran up to a local and very popular diner for hot dogs and Chicago-style Italian beef.

8.15 lunch

I had an original all-beef hot dog with all the fixings – hot peppers, onions, tomatoes, relish, and a huge pickle. I also had a few crinkle-cut fries on the side. Very good – but again, not as good as it could have been if I wasn’t sick.

Now, I’m soo tired that I’m contemplating a nap. See you all tonight!

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Birthday breakfast at the office

August 13, 2009 by

Hello everyone! I had a great start to my morning. Just as I was getting ready to start my run, I ran into my dog-loving neighbor. She was walking a new puppy (she was just puppy sitting) and it was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – my absolute favorite dog! Oh, I just wanted to take him home, but then reality set in. With my husband’s and my schedule, we just can’t fit in a dog right now. 

After an awesome run I quickly got ready for work. I didn’t eat breakfast before I left because we were having a little b-day party for a coworker – breakfast included. Check out the goods…

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We had fresh pastries from a very popular local bakery. I’m only showing photos of the mini donuts because the other pics didn’t turn out. Aside from the donuts, there was also a lemon ring cake and a chocolate chip pecan coffee cake.

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I had a chocolate covered mini cake donut (about 2 1/2 inches) and a small piece of the chocolate coffee cake. I don’t normally eat donuts – I’ve just never been much of a donut fan, but these looked so cute and were just the right size for a taste. I had my pastries with a cup of steaming Tazo Awake – which really hit the spot!

After our little gathering, it was off to a nearly 2-hour meeting for me. It was a super productive meeting – a super productive morning all around. So productive that I decided to take the afternoon off to see Julie & Julia – yeah! I’m so excited to see it. 

But, before heading out for the day, I took the b-day girl out for lunch at a little Italian bistro near where I work.

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I had the veggie sandwich – full of grilled carrots, peppers, and mushrooms in a ciabatta roll. It also came with a small side salad and great-tasting seasoned French fries. Yum!

All right – I’m off to the movies. My husband is actually meeting me there. He said this is my one “girl movie” that he will see with me. Can’t wait!

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Bleary-eyed Morning

August 12, 2009 by

Good morning everyone. I don’t know about all of you but I am so tired this morning. Thank goodness Wednesday is my off day for running. I went to bed at 11 PM and woke up at 5 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. I think it’s because I’m stressed about work. This mid-summer/early fall is the busiest season for me. So right now, all I’m thinking about is work and blogging.

Today is no exception. I have a meeting that starts in about 20 minutes and lasts for the ENTIRE day. I’m hoping I can sneak away at lunch for a quick break and upload photos.

Although I was still very full from last night’s business dinner at the winery, I knew I needed to eat something for breakfast. I also needed to choose wisely – I needed something that would keep me going until lunch at 12:30 PM, because there was really no time for a break, or eating, before then.

8.12 Oikos

I decided on an RWC staple, Stoneyfield’s Oikos Greek yogurt, vanilla flavor.

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I wanted to give the  yogurt a little extra punch of nutrition so I added about a 1/2 cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal for more protein and fiber and watermelon chunks for vitamin C (I feel a cold coming on so I’m trying to stock up).

8.12 breakfast

This tasted awesome, although it was almost a little too filling for me.

Now, I’m heading into my meeting and plan to take a big cup of Tazo Awake tea – so I don’t fall asleep!

Catch you all later!

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A Family and Food-Focused Weekend

August 9, 2009 by

Hey all! Sorry I’m posting so late. I’m just now winding down from a full weekend of family and food-focused activities. To recap, we had dinner with my sis on Friday night, a family portrait and birthday bbq on Saturday, and today we had a family breakfast and huge family picnic at a park. Do you think that’s enough family and food for one weekend? Also, why is it that whenever I get around family, everything seems to center around food? I’m not even Italian! Does anyone else ever have that issue?

Anyway, my day began with a 5-mile run which felt GREAT, especially after all of the food I’ve been eating. Then it was on to another family breakfast at the Ritz Carlton. The food was, once again, fabulous and the service was top-notch. I decided that I wanted to take my breakfast in courses today. So, I started with a 4 tablespoons of strawberry yogurt with a few fresh berries and about 2 tbsp granola.

8.9 yogurt

Next, I tried something I’ve never eaten before….

8.9 muesli

A very small bowl of Muesli! I know it probably looks like yogurt, but it’s actually a cereal-based dish that’s very popular in Europe. It has a base of uncooked rolled oats (soaked in water or milk overnight) mixed with dried fruit and nuts. Mine had dried currants and figs (I think) and a mix of cashews, walnuts, and almonds. Once I got past the “cold oatmeal” taste, it was actually quite good. I think I’ll try whipping up my own version at home.

Next was a small plate of some other hot and cold breakfast items….

8.9 breakfast

I had one small slice of havarti cheese, sauteed peppers and a few potatoes, with one slice of bacon. It was just enough of the “hot” breakfast to keep me satisfied. 

I also had a very small portion of a blueberry muffin.8.9 muffin2

I seriously only had 2 bites of this because it was very dry and had a very strong “cake batter” taste, like it had too much flour.

Finally, I had my own pot of English Breakfast tea -Yeah! This time, I had Taylors of Harrogate tea and it was just lovely. 8.9 tea

Although that was the end to my very hearty but balanced breakfast, I did have a sip of some hot chocolate that someone else from my table ordered. Although the hot chocolate just tasted average, the presentation was so cool. Take a look…8.9 hot chocolate

It was brought out with little marshmallows and a silver spoon dipped in dark and white chocolate.

8.9 hot chocolate1

Way cool – makes me wish I had ordered it!

After our amazing breakfast, we headed out to pick up a few more picnic things. We arrived at the picnic around 12:30 PM and visited with all of our “lost lost” relatives, which was so fun! I was still full from breakfast so I only picked at some of the food that was there – had a little potato salad, a small scoop of cheesy potatoes, and a scoop of my cousin’s ramen noodle salad (my portions were not even enough to take a decent picture). All of it was very tasty, but it would have been even better if I was actually hungry. It was also about 95 degrees outside which didn’t help my appetite.

Now we’re heading home and I am sooo tired. After this weekend’s eating fest, it will be so nice to get back into my regular eating pattern and eating home-cooked meals!

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