Two Watermelons Are Better Than One

Oh my, the weather is just awesome today. It’s supposed to be 85 degrees and sunny. I would love nothing more than to be home laying out by the pool eating watermelon, but there is work to be done as always.

After my morning run, I munched on a little breakfast…

English muffin

I made a 100 calorie Thomas’ Multigrain English muffin and topped it with all-natural raspberry preserves and all-natural creamy peanut butter. I love peanut butter in the morning. It’s a great source of protein and I can’t get enough of the creamy texture and taste. I’m tempted to buy freshly-made peanut butter from Whole Foods or Fresh Market….hmmm, maybe I’ll pick some up on the next trip to the store.

I also had a bowl of super juicy seedless watermelon that I bought yesterday for only $2.50!! I was so excited a the deal that I bought two watermelons!

Watermelon2

I realize that two watermelons may be a little overkill, but in our case, two watermelons are better than one. Whenever we’ve bought two watermelons in the past, my husband and I have eaten ALL of it in about 10 days. The trick is to only cut up as much as you are going to eat in the first few days (such as 1/2 of a watermelon) and leave the rest uncut on the rind. Put the uncut melon in a huge bowl or just put foil over the top and stick it in the fridge. This method seems to keep the uncut melon fresh, so when you do want more, it still tastes great.

And, I never feel bad about eating more than my share of watermelon. A full cup only has about 50 calories and is a great source of both vitamins A and C.

Alright, I’m off to get some tea, then it’s back to work for me!

Heat and Humidity Can Zap a Runner's Energy

Good morning all. I ran a 5-miler today and it was rough. I was really tired and it was warm and muggy – not a good combination for a runner. Heat and humidity can really zap a distance runner’s energy and cause dehydration. To fend off dehydration, runners should really take water with them on a run, or at least know where they can quickly get a drink of water on their route. In my case, my route is so close to the house, that I can return anytime and grab a few drinks.

I always know when I’m dehydrated because I start getting a headache. If I don’t drink a ton of water immediately, then my headache will change into a migraine – not fun. So, I was sure to drink at least a bottle and a half of water when I returned home. I was also super hungry when I returned from running, so I quickly made breakfast…

Cereal bowl

As my mom used to say, I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach because I made a huge cereal bowl with homemade RWC Tropical Granola, Cheerios, and fresh blueberries. It was so good and helped me recharge after my calorie-burning run. Yes, I ate the whole thing.

Cereal spoon

I also had a little all-natural OJ. And I do mean little – it was just more than a double shot glass full! But it was enough to give me a little taste and replace some of the sugar I lost during my run.

Juice

I was still really tired after breakfast, so I just hung around the house, picking up a few odds and ends. I actually have to work this afternoon, reviewing more video footage and revising a project strategy for a meeting I have this week. So, before I headed out, I had a little sandwich to carry me through my long afternoon…

Sandwich2

I made a 1/2  low-fat salami sandwich with aged white cheddar from Vermont, and dijon mustard, all on one piece of 12-grain bread. I also threw in a few grape tomatoes and bright orange carrots.

Ok, I’m off to work at my office away from the office – Barnes and Noble. I just hope I can find a plug to keep my batteries charged. And as for my own tired battery, I’m predicting a little frozen coffee for an afternoon pick-me-up.

Chocolate-filled Breakfast

Afternoon everyone! I’ve had a very busy day so far. I’ve already been to yoga, went grocery shopping (yeah Trader Joe’s!), and just finished lunch about  an hour ago.

I started out with an unusually sweet treat for breakfast and was so happy that I did!

Coffee Cake2

Hmm…a chocolate coffee cake, courtesy of my father-in-law, who came over today to help us with some house repairs. I typically do not have coffee cake or high starch foods for breakfast, just because they don’t seem to give me the energy that I need to last until lunch. But I was so wanting this cake this morning! Having a pastry or piece of coffee cake for breakfast isn’t a bad thing, as long as you don’t do it all the time. When I do have a special breakfast treat, I always try to balance out my day with healthier foods.

The cake was from a very popular local bakery – so popular that if you don’t get there by 9:30 AM on a Saturday, you’ll be lucky if even see crumbs from your favorite coffee cake. I enjoyed my chocolate-layered coffee cake with some yummy Harney and Sons English Breakfast loose leaf tea, outside on the porch. The sun was shining and the breeze was blowing. A great way to start the day!

Tea and cup

After a very unsatisfying yoga class (see my additional post about how yoga instructors can affect your practice), I headed to the local grocery store and then to Trader Joe’s. I just love browsing TJ’s and similar natural food stores. It sounds so corny but you can just feel the love whenever you walk into one of those stores.

Greek Yogurt Display

I purchased my usual TJ’s Greek yogurt in vanilla, plain, and blueberry. I also bought something new…

Three-layer hummus

TJ’s three layer hummus dip! My husband and I LOVE hummus. TJ’s hummus is made with all-natural ingredients, like all of their products. And, we’ve always had good luck with TJ’s basic flavor hummus, so I thought I’d give this one a whirl. I personally love trying new flavors. So, this version is perfect for me because it gives me three yummy flavors to try all at once – zesty cilantro, traditional, and red pepper. Can’t wait to dig into these layers!

Hummus Layers

After a couple  hours of grocery shopping, I was ready for lunch. I didn’t want to eat too much, though, because I’m heading over to my sister-in-law’s tonight, along with a couple other girlfriends, to have pizza and chat about a potential couples cruise in 2010.

Sandwich

I opted for a 1/2 sandwich made with low-fat salami and lean ham-off-the-bone, topped with lettuce and dijon mustard on whole-grain bread. I also had a few grape tomatoes on the side. Just enough to satisfy my hunger and give me extra room for this evening’s pizza!

Have to get a few more things done before heading out tonight. Chat with you all later.

Oatmeal: A Healthy and Inexpensive Breakfast

It’s going to be a hot one today. Even at 6:00 AM, when I started my morning run, it was already hot and humid. Weather like this makes for quite the sticky run.

After losing a ton of water from sweating, I made sure to drink plenty of H2O to replenish. I then made a breakfast that I hadn’t make in quite a while:Oatmeal1

Oatmeal made with old-fashioned whole-grain oats. Today, I made tropical-style oatmeal which had:

Tropical Oatmeal

  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup skim milk
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp fresh coconut flakes
  • 2 tsp dried pineapple
  • 2 tbs dried banana chips
  • Handful of walnuts
  • Handful of fresh blueberries

Combine the first three ingredients and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, watching it carefully so it doesn’t bubble over. Top with remaining ingredients.

Oatmeal2

The oatmeal tasted awesome – even without added sugar – and it was so filling. It was also a nice change from yogurt and cereal. Oatmeal also has a ton of health benefits. It’s an excellent source of fiber – and who couldn’t use for fiber in her diet! – as well as antioxidants that help slow the process of aging by helping protect the skin. Not to mention, it’s very inexpensive and fills you up with just one serving. So many reasons to eat oatmeal – why not try it? Plus, when you add fruit and nuts to it like I did, you get additional fiber, protein, and other important nutrients.

Oatmeal Bowl

I enjoyed my awesome oatmeal outside on our huge front porch. I even had a little Tazo calm tea, which has chamomile, rose petals, and other soothing herbs. Just the thing I needed after a long hard week at work.

Have a great day everyone!

There's Always Time for Breakfast

Good morning! I was back on schedule today with a 4 mile run. It was kind of hazy and humid outside today although it was really not all that hot. You couldn’t tell though by the way I was sweating – uck!

Have another meeting to prepare for today so I was rushing out the door. But, even in a harried state, I always make  time for breakfast – no matter how small or simple it may be.

Peanut butter-Kracker

Today, I had a quick, yet nutritious breakfast – a Dr. Kracker flatbread with a smear of all natural peanut butter. The ultimate peanut butter and crackers! This may sound like more of a snack but both the peanut butter and Kracker are loaded with protein, not to mention good fat. And after a long, sweaty run, protein and good fat are just the things a girl needs to refuel. 

Tazo Chai Tea

I also added some spice to my breakfast with Tazo Organic Chai tea. It’s not my favorite flavor – a little too exotic for me – but it was very smooth and satisfied my tea urge. I usually prefer Tazo’s Awak tea – it really gets a girl moving in the morning (or anytime really). Although I don’t mind the spicy flavor of Chai on most days, combining the spice with peanut butter and a cheesy cracker was probably not the best combination. Oh well, what can you expect from a girl on the run. 

Overall, my light breakfast gave me about 200 calories to start my day. I just hope it holds me through lunch. If not, I brought another juice Granny Smith apple, just in case.

Have a great morning everyone!

Not a Tea Snob…Yet.

Good morning friends! Today was my off day from running so I slept in until…6:00 AM! I know, that’s not really sleeping in, but when you’re used to getting up at 5:30 AM, an extra half hour is a nice change. Because I did get up so early and had not planned on running, I had some extra time on my hands. I also have a doc appointment this morning so I’m going into work a little later. With all of this extra time, I decided take an hour or so just for me. First things first, breakfast…

Granola Bowl

I had more of my awesome RWC Tropical Granola on top of Trader Joe’s vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt. I also topped my creation with a ton of blueberries (still trying to make a dent in my jumbo size Costco blueberries!), and a few raspberries for color. I enjoyed my breakfast outside on the front porch on a little bistro table. It was so peaceful sitting there on a Wednesday morning knowing I didn’t have to rush to get anywhere.

My slow breakfast also included, what else? Tea.

Tea pot

Because I’m usually running late in the morning, I typically just make tea using a tea bag. But today, I was able to slow it down a bit and actually make tea in my very sunny teapot from Origins. I know, isn’t that strange to hear – a teapot from Origins? I walked in there one day to check out their new products and bing – a bunch of little teapots caught my eye. I ended up buying this daisy yellow tea pot for only $6 and it came with it’s own loose leaf tea strainer.

HS English Breakfast

For today, I enjoyed Harney and Sons English Breakfast loose leaf tea. A well-deserved treat during my very hectic work week. I prefer specific brands of tea, like Taylors of Harrogate, Harney and Sons, and Yogi tea. I also like some of the flavors from the Trader Joe’s line – not bad for a store brand. I can honestly say that I am not a tea snob, but I’m well on my way to becoming one. Maybe a closet tea snob? There’s just something a little more refined about drinking tea, especially in a lovely tea cup. Besides, there are so many benefits to drinking tea, there’s really no reason not to drink it.

Have to run now…chat with you all soon.

Starbucks bait and switch pastry promo

Good morning everyone! It was another great morning and another great run. I was feeling extra strong today so I added a few intervals, alternating my normal pace with sprinting. After that, I was super charged and ready to start my day. But then, I had a big let down.

I headed to Starbucks and was VERY disappointed that they were out of their pastry supplies for the buy a drink get a pastry free day. I was actually quite irritated at the whole thing.

Starbucks heart

Yes, you just about broke my heart Starbucks. And, it really wasn’t about the pastry, because I don’t usually eat pastries for breakfast (or at all). It was that I felt like they ran a bait and switch promo, which is very unlike Starbucks. I arrived at 8:35 AM and the manager said that the pastries that were designated for the promotion were all gone, even though my voucher did not specify that there would be designated pastries for this promotion. There were plenty of pastries in the window but she said that those were designated for sale only and that all of the designated free pastries were gone by 8:30, just 5 minutes before I arrived. Sounds fishy, hmm a bait and switch? I was not happy and neither were the 10 other customers in the store.

But I’m not going to let it that hiccup ruin my day. I had packed an amazing lunch for today, which included a super juicy green apple, so I had it for breakfast instead. Definitely healthier than a Starbucks pastry, so maybe it was fate!

Green Apple

The apple was a mix of sweet/sour juiciness with quite a bit of crunch. But, because of my power run this morning, my light breakfast left me feeling hungry, probably because there was no protein in site. Even now I’m thinking about lunch. I guess this teaches me a lesson – not to rely on Starbucks for my breakfast.

Homemade Granola Adds Crunch to Breakfast

Good morning all! What a great day for a run! The sun was shining and the air was so crisp – I was even a little chilly in my shorts and long-sleeve t-shirt. I was up and out the door by 5:45 AM, which is pretty typical for me. I usually don’t see many people that early in the morning, especially on Mondays. But today, due to the beautiful weather no doubt, there were a few new faces outside at the crack of dawn. I just give a friendly wave or head nod and keep on moving.

I spent a little too much time lollygagging (inside and outside) this morning so  I had to make a quick breakfast of cheerios. But, I livened it up a bit with 3 tablespoons of homemade granola and a handful of blueberries. Crunch!

Cereal-blueberries

That’s the great thing about granola – you can throw it on top a variety of foods to liven things up a bit. I’ve put it on ice cream, oatmeal, pudding, and, of course, yogurt. You can even eat it straight like cereal which is fantastic, although you don’t need much to fill you up.

Granola Jar

My husband is working in the city all week, which means he will be home later than normal each day. This makes dinner quite a challenge. In the past, during our not-so-healthy times, we would simply go out to eat, grab a pizza, or eat prepared food. As we are trying to save money, going out to eat has become less of an option. But, we’ve also become much better at managing his unpredictable work schedule and our dinners have improved because of this. 

We try to prepare things ahead of time, such as chop veggies the night before or thaw chicken, which saves us time when we get home from work. This week, we’re having a few of our old standbys to get us through. Although these meals are relatively easy to prepare, they are all homemade and balance protein with veggies and carbs. Take a look….

  • Sunday – Fajitas (hmmm…they were gooood!)
  • Monday – Chicken Stir-fry with homemade sauce
  • Tuesday – Chicken soup with rice
  • Wednesday – Grilled Italian sausage with spinach risotto
  • Thursday – Turkey burgers, steamed carrots, orzo with spinach and feta
  • Friday – leftovers

Have a great morning everyone!

Fresh Granola Is A Tropical Treat

Good morning everyone! My Sunday started off great with a 5 mile run followed by some strengthening exercises. I felt so energized after my workout and was super hungry. I decided to nosh on some Greek yogurt with homemade granola and fresh blueberries.

TJ's Greek Yogurt with RWC Pina Colada granola mix.

I started with a base of Trader Joe’s (or TJ’s) Organic Greek Yogurt in vanilla. If you’re a yogurt lover and have never tried Greek yogurt, you sooo need to try it. Whether it’s TJ’s or Fage, Greek yogurt is so thick and creamy, you may never want to go back to regular yogurt again. It also has a ton more protein than regular yogurt. Just be sure to buy the nonfat or lower fat kind because the full fat is just that – FULL of fat! The only downer is that it’s about 3 times the cost of regular yogurt – but it is well worth every penny!

To my creamy Greek yogurt, I added about 1/4 cup of Running with Cake granola – this time I used the RWC Pina Colada mix and it was unbelievable. It was almost a little too sweet, so I think next time, I’ll cut out the some of the brown sugar when making the base granola. I added about a cup (big handful) of fresh blueberries – my husband and I bought the industrial size blueberries from Costco so I’m adding blueberries to everything!

Trader Joe's Organic Greek Yogurt in Vanilla

The thick cream cheese-like yogurt (not watery like many regular yogurts) helps keep the granola crunchy. Although the yogurt already has plenty of protein (which is very important for breakfast) my granola mix included a few walnuts, which gave each bite an added crunch.

Super crunchy granola - yum!

And the dried pineapple and banana pieces really rounded out the taste. So yummy and super filling. Overall, breakfast came out to be about 250-275 calories (1/4 cup RWC granola only has 75 calories!) and I washed it all down with some of my favorite tea – Harney and Sons English Breakfast loose leaf tea. My husband bought the tea for me for Christmas and I’ve been savoring each cup!

My husband and I headed out to do a little shopping. I checked out Lucy – an awesome women’s yoga/running store near our house. I can honestly say I love Lucy – although she’s quite expensive so I try to only shop during the sales. Ha!

My yogurt-granola bowl can only keep me full for so long – especially when shopping. We headed into the nearby Go Roma for a little lunch.

Veggie pizza a la Go Roma

I am usually a pepperoni and cheese kind of a girl, but I’ve been trying to add more veggies to each meal. I decided to change it up by order the vegetable pizza with spinach, red peppers, mushrooms, pesto, and goat cheese. Holy yum! I’ve never had a veggie pizza taste this good – way to go Go Roma! Although the pizza was only the equivalent of two regular slices, I am so full from it. I didn’t even eat the whole thing. Now that’s good food.

I’m hoping I do not slip into a post-pizza coma because I have a ton to do today. I’m also hoping my pizza wears off in the next few hours (it’s already been 2 hours since I ate) because we’re making chicken fajitas tonight. Fajitas are one of my favorite dishes, especially in the summer when they’re made on the grill. I just can’t resist the grilled vegetables and the char-grilled chicken. Come to think of it, the only time I don’t like fajitas is when I’m too full to eat them – like now – ha!