The Stupid Wagon

Hey Kids!  I'm back to regular posting before I get reported for some kind of child exploitation.  Yesterday I learned from Miss Eating Machine that it's acceptable to post pictures of cute kids who are related to you but I was starting to feel a little creepy.

The Food
Last night I ate Jessica's Crabmeat Stuffed Eggplant.  OMG.  Seriosly, OMG.  This was genius.  I love vegetables and this covered all my bases.  I made it several days ago and the recipe is definitely doable and worth the effort.  I had to pimp it out with some spicy sauce because I'm not happy unless I can't feel my face:

Today I had this fabulous chili that my coworker gave me (apparently it's a Weight Watchers recipe):

And some leftover fruit from a meeting I scrounged up in the fridge:

Dinner tonight was an eggwhite/hot sauce bomb with carrots for eggplant hummus dippage:

Falling Off el Wagon
Not to sound like Seinfeld, but what do people really mean when they fall off the wagon?  I have been around a little while (a quarter of a century, thank you much), and I don't think I like the wagon sometimes. You can't eat copious amounts of chocolate and cookies without the guilt.  The wagon also makes one feel bad for not going to the gym when he or she is simply too lazy or tired.  The wagon can suck, right?  It's hard work running after the damn wagon and sometimes the little bugger pushes me off and leaves me in its dust.


What I mean in my ramblings is that yesterday I had an extra snack, didn't feel like exercising on my bum knee, and ate mini brownies with almond butter and dates for dessert just because I felt like it.  Nobody noticed but me.  And guess what?  I'm still alive today.  I didn't melt, I didn't eat junk all day long, I just got back up and chased that stupid wagon.  Every day can't be perfect and I certainly can't aspire to be.  I think that's where balance comes in and I hate balance sometimes.

I've had a recurring knee injury (patellar tendonitis) that basically makes my knees hurt when I do high impact activities and it started acting up this week.  This means that running has to slow down.  It also means that my brain needs to adjust and wait for my body to heal itself.  Today I ellipticalized my little heart out and rocked out on the bike to some music but it was not nearly as rewarding as my runs.  Then I did 15 real pushups and used the foam roller for my legs and went back to feeling like a diva.  Balance. 

This dessert also helped me feel tons better:

(Cottage cheese, carob chips, cocoa powder, pumpkin butter, M&M's)

The plan of attack is to increase my stretching, dig up my physical therapy exercises, focus on strength training, and see a doctor in the near future if it doesn't feel better.  Last time this injury body slammed me off the wagon, but this time it's got no chance!  Happy Weekend!

What are your thoughts on falling of the wagon?

Favorite Food Blogger In Training

Today I seem to have placed myself on a sandwich diet and accidentally packed one for breakfast and one for lunch.  Since I have nothing stellar to show you, I interrupt regular programming with a tribute to my favorite little blogger, Ben.  Ben is my nephew and has brought countless laughs and joy into all of our lives. His pictures get more responses than puppies and kittens combined on my blog and if I was a dude, I would totally score because of him.

Ben is awesome because he eats sushi.

He also gets down with some sick beats in the kitchen.

He loves some fro yo as long as it's green:

He shops at TJ's- nuff said!

He also make the best pretend family photos ever (and is open with his emotions)!

Happy Birthday from your Tia!

Old Favorites

I loved hearing all of the foods that set off your alarms!  I think there is something about bloggers and our staples- don't mess with our crack, right?
Today was a great food day filled with new finds and old favorites.

Kashi does it right every time.  I got this bar in a free offer mailed to my home and I grabbed it on my way out of the door today.  This bar was a perfect granola bar- moist, yet crunchy and chunky enough.  For 140 cals, this made a great snack in between conference calls to hold me over until I could eat lunch at 1:00.

Lunch was amazing.  I found a place that has sushi and salads.  Score and score:

There were 5 pieces of sushi in my container with a sea of wasabi and soy sauce and some mixed greens with kale, a shrimp, and some wheatberries.  Oh lordy was this good!  I may have to forget my lunch for the rest of my life.
A coworker also gave me this sea salt caramel:

The only thing that could make me happier than seeing hubby after a long day was the present he got me:

This came back into my life and I anticipate a very happy reunion with my old friend.

As a gesture of gratitude I made espresso brownies using a new brownie mix from Trader Joe's:

I thought I had ruined it since I forgot to add an egg, didn't use any oil, and added some flax and coffee instead.  They still came out perfectly moist and deliciously mini.  People shouldn't let me bake, but I do just fine with packaged mixes!

And for a little less blurry shot:

I had to find something to do with my time since I was reuniting with another old flame:

My ketchup was delicious with butternut squash, beans, and guacamole on the side.  Obviously it takes a high ratio of butternut squash to condiments to make this girl happy!  I also loved eating in separated compartments at lunch so I continued the theme at home.
I'm kicking back on my couch and there is an episode of The Real World on TV.  I'm pretty sure I've passed the age of being able to participate in the show.  Another opportunity lost.

Have a great night!

A Rough Start

I hope your first week back to work has been great!  Mine has been a little rough so far, but as I'm used to being a lady of leisure the last week or so, this was expected.  I have been doing my best to act less stressed, be more assertive, and take time out of each day to step outside and get some fresh air.  It's really refreshing and feels great to get out of my cage!
Food
Yesterday for lunch I had a delightful 5-year-old's dream:

Sesame bread with a granny smith apple and almond butter with water on the side. Perfection.
Last night's dinner was a creation I made in about 10 minutes and it was awesome after a long day.

 
Sauteed organic zucchini, organic chicken tenders, and an odd carrot from a different stirfry! 
I used TJ's fajita spice mix and water it made a really tasty and spicy sauce.

I've been digging the breakfast cookies the last couple of days:

Yep, still 5 years old.  The M&M's were dark chocolate, therefore good for me.  I didn't eat all of the candy this morning, just wasn't feeling that naughty quite yet.  I saved them for later (gross) and ate them tonight as part of my dinner dessert.  I also had some dates for dessert:

This was good, but tragic because we are out of almond butter to enjoy these with, placing our security level at Level Orange.  I have been promised a trip to Trader Joe's to avoid getting to security Level Red by tomorrow.  Besides, hubby needs his olives, hummus and chocolate (foods he can't live without).

Do you have any foods that set off alarms if they are gone? 
Mine are almond butter, apples, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and eggs.  If we run out, I panic.

Exercise
Tonight I went to the gym and had lots of new friends!  I don't mind the resolution peeps; it makes me feel good that people are out to improve themselves and feel better about their health.  It did get really hot and the windows really steamed up- hot workout energy!  I did the following cardio ADD workout:

• 26 minutes on the treadmill for a total of 2.2 miles.  Kath would understand
• 10 minutes on the elliptical
• 15 minutes on the bike
• Pushups on the bosu ball and lots of stretching

I obviously didn't read my last two guest posts, but all I wanted to do was zone out and sweat!

rBST Dairy

I love hearing feedback and learning about nutrition and the food industry.  I received a comment about a post I made about Yoplait yogurt containing hormones.  I was talking about how it was important to buy organic dairy and it was my preference to switch my household to all organic animal products.  However, in the post, I generalized and did not realize that Yoplait yogurt is now made with milk not treated with rBST, as pointed out to me by a comment.  I explored the Yoplait site and found the following information:

"As of August 2009, General Mills has made the commitment to eliminate milk sourced from cows treated with rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin), a synthetic hormone also referred to as rBGH, in the production of its category-leading Yoplait® yogurts." 

Disclaimer: I am NOT being paid to write about this product.


I researched the difference between conventional (hormone-treated) organic milk and non-rBST treated milk because I was curious and wanted to learn more. A paper entitled Survey of Retail Milk Composition as Affected by Label Claims Regarding Farm-Management Practices published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (July 2008) did not find any biological difference between the three products.  The differences found were minor when it came to analyzing the nutrients.  Until I learn more, this is a personal and ethical decision and I will continue to buy organic dairy.  I believe everyone is entitled to an informed opinion and I will continue to try to learn more to formulate my own.

I would love to hear your feedback and your preference.  If you can school me, I would be grateful!
Hope to not take so long to post next time!  See you all soon!

Working out in 2010 – 10 commandments (Part 2)

Hope you are all having a good Sunday!  Hubby is back with his guest port on working out in 2010 and I think it kinda rocks!  If you missed Part 1, please give it a quick read to see what was covered in Commandments 1-5!  In my 'legal' voice, all of the guidelines below are based on personal experience as neither of us are certified health or fitness professionals.  Please consult your doctor if you are just starting an exercise program.


6. Exercise Substitutions: after you build an exercise routine to fit your fitness goals, it is easy to get caught up in repeating the same exercise either every workout or every cycle of workouts.  For example, if you come to the gym to do cardio and lift chest every Sunday, you might get comfortable to run on a treadmill and do bench press after.  However, your body also gets used to this routine and therefore every workout has less and less benefit.   I like substituting comparable exercises with several alternating options for each.   This keeps the body constantly challenged because it does not get used to any specific exercise or order of exercises.  Maybe when you come to the gym next Sunday, you could do the Stairmaster (instead of the treadmill) and an alternative bench machine for chest (instead of a dumbbell bench press).  I generally try to substitute 50 percent of exercises during each cycle. 

7. Cardio Fundamentals: although I believe in exercising as part of a lifestyle, if I were forced to identify only one key element, I would go with cardio.  From the literature I have come across, it has the most significant health benefits.  But how does one maximize the effect of cardio workouts? For one, it is important to push yourself and vary exercises (see commandment #4).  Generally, the recommendation for the average person is to do at least 30 minutes of cardio for health.  But most people can’t even do it for this long…  Some ways around it are to go from the most difficult to the easiest.  For example, if you can only do 20 minutes on a treadmill but find it easy to do bicycle, do the treadmill first, and then continue on a bicycle.  Since you are already tired, the bicycle probably won’t seem as easy with your heart rate already up.  Another approach is to do intervals.  On a treadmill, I like doing minute sprints followed by several minutes of jogging.  You could also play around with inclines, especially those of you looking for a serious challenge.  Intervals could be used effectively to push cardio boundaries and could be adapted to any cardio workout.  Also, even though I try not to pick favorites (it would make it more difficult to stay true to commandment #4) I should admit that I have a favorite cardio workout: the stair climber (the kind that looks like a rotating escalator).  Elements of stair workouts have been long utilized by Soviet athletes and have proven the most effective.  In addition to cardio, it really works and strengthens many leg muscles – just try it!

8. Strength Training Fundamentals: when working out with dumbbells or on machines, conventional wisdom suggests 3 sets per exercise of 8 to 15 repetitions per set for optimum results.  If your goal is to bulk up, your reps should range between 8 and 10, while if you try to get lean, your reps should range between 13 and 15.  I also try to vary my exercises for each muscle group to include a balance of free weights, machines, and cable exercises.  Each one has unique benefits.  You should also make sure you take deep breaths and don’t ever hyperextend your knees or elbows.  Proper breathing provides strength for an additional rep or 2 that would not be possible when breath is held (just remember your yoga fundamentals).  For all standing exercises, keep your knees just a bit bent.

9. Strength Training Muscle Groups: in creating a routine, it is important to understand that all upper body muscle groups could be broken into two categories: push and pull.  Muscles groups that are worked out through pushing movements include chest, shoulders, and triceps, while back and biceps are pulling groups.  What this means for forming a routine is more complex.  For example, if you are more of a cardio person, perhaps you could combine back and biceps into one workout after you have done your share of cardio for the day (if you only do a few exercise for each muscle group).  For people that try to grow muscle mass (and therefore do more exercises per muscle group), I recommend isolating the push and pull muscles.  Lifting back and biceps on the same day would not produce the best results as biceps would already be worked through lifting back.  The combinations of muscle groups that could be worked out on the same day are infinite and should also be changed around every several months to prevent the body from getting used to any particular combination.  I generally do 2 (no more than 3) muscles per workout with strength training limited to 90 minutes (it usually takes me 60 to 70 minutes).  The following is my current cycle of work outs every other day:

• Day 1: back (6-7 exercises), traps (2 exercises) and triceps (4 exercises)
• Day 2: legs (5 exercises) and biceps (4 exercises)
• Day 3: chest (5 exercises) and shoulders (5 exercises)

I also like doing abs at the end of a workout, maybe once or twice a week, regardless of the prior muscle groups.  I usually do 2 to 3 sets of 2 exercises.

10. Anaerobic: I should admit that I know the least about this fitness area, but I have discovered that working out back and legs is more important than other body groups.  They are both large muscle groups, which is why I do more exercises when I work them out.  I also noticed that when I work out legs combined with any other upper-body muscle group, I get a much harder workout with a lot more sweating and calorie burning.  The reason is that in addition to just strength training, combining upper and lower body workouts has an anaerobic effect which is a different workout dimension on its own.  It feels more like doing cardio than anything else.  Perhaps there are other combinations, but I have not experimented with them yet.  I would recommend trying this approach to people even mostly interested in cardio. 

Although these commandments are meant to provide guidance for improved results in 2010, they are not a substitute, but rather supplement the most vital ingredient of the healthy living formula: attitude.  Attitude is the drive and inspiration to invest time and effort into long-term health.  Healthy results are slow to see and take a tremendous amount of hard work and sweat and time to be invested.  This is why I don’t order anything from the infomercials that promise anything in 5 minutes a day or do any dieting.  Good luck in 2010 everybody!

Thanks again for your support and for the positive feedback on hubby's posts.  I am being hauled off for a bike ride and a training session at the gym shortly!  I'll be back soon with regular posting!

Working out in 2010 – 10 Commandments (Part 1)

Hi Kids!  As promised, hubby is back with a guest post on his philosophy on fitness.  Hubby is a gym stud and I love to learn from him and be motivated by him.  He is kinda like my own Jillian Michaels, but yells less and is a little less intimidating.  We obviously have different fitness goals, but I love hearing his perspectives.  Hope you enjoy this post!

Happy New Year Everyone! Given that many people have a New Year’s resolution to spend more time at the gym, while others (such as most of the already healthy readers of this blog) undoubtedly commit to continue working out, I thought it would be appropriate to share my knowledge.  The key to effective workouts is identifying specific fitness goals, such as weight loss, cardiovascular advancement, or muscle gain (my personal goal).  Of course, strategies vary widely depending on individual goals and could never be adequately addressed in just one post.  However, some general principles are prevalent in all work outs regardless of fitness goals.  I would like to call them the 10 commandments that apply to most gym rats.  These principles have kept me going for nearly 10 years, though I have yet to cross the Red Sea or have any religious revelation related to them.  This post covers the first half of the 10 commandments (part 2 is to follow).  The first 5 commandments described below are broad, while the remaining strategies are more specific

1. Lifestyle: many people think that the purchase of a gym membership is the key to getting in shape.  I think it’s only a start.  Exercising should be perceived as part of the broader dedication to a healthy lifestyle.  Any gym visit could be substituted for many other physical activities, such as swimming, hiking, or playing basketball.  BWE (best wife ever, otherwise known as Apple) and I try to walk everywhere and minimize the use of a car, especially on weekends.  We often walk to stores and restaurants, and even when we drive, we try to leave the car somewhere from where we can walk to multiple destinations.  Even gardening or cleaning the house are examples of activities that enable an active lifestyle (or at least this is what I tell myself when I need to motivate myself to clean up).
   
2. Mental balance: while it is important to commit to routine workouts, obsession and laziness are two of the worst enemies.  Many people do not come to the gym often enough, but even more people spend too much time at the gym.   I find that at least 3 work outs a week are necessary for effective results, while some rest days are also necessary.  Personally, I like going to the gym 3.5 times a week (every other day), which gives muscles enough recovery time.  Not to say that you can’t do anything else between workouts (see commandment #1).  Since fitness is more of a lifestyle than just going to the gym, other activities could be performed on “off” days.  For example, BWE and I often go hiking or bicycling.  
3. Physical balance: every workout routine should entail some ratio of cardiovascular and strength training, even for those with the most specific (and possibly one-sided) fitness goals.  The ratio will vary with individual fitness goals and objectives.  Generally, strength training, including lifting weights and machines, is more effective for people with a moderate or low body fat percentage, at least for cosmetic purposes.
4. Motivation: time and effort investment into working out is only as useful as one’s ability to push himself or herself.  For example, in strength training, the benefit of squeezing the last one or two repetitions in a set attributes to roughly 80 percent of the benefit (although I am an economist, don’t hold me accountable for this calculation).  Therefore, it is extremely important to be able to push yourself in every workout.  Perhaps this is one of the reasons why people hire personal trainers.  As an economist, this idea seems irrational to me because we are paying someone to force us to realize health benefits (but not that there’s anything wrong with that).  I never had this problem myself, but for those that do, I would recommend working out with friends.  Not only are you likely to have more fun doing it, but you can also have them push you free of cost.  The motivation that has been effective for me is that if I set aside an hour or 90 minutes out of my day for the gym, I might as well try to maximize the results and not waste this time by not being the most productive.  It seems to have worked so far.  I also don’t compare myself to others at the gym, but rather compare my performance against myself over time.  We are all blessed with different genetics and physical abilities, and I suspect that the top 10 percent of best-looking bodies at the gym did not get there through hard work.  Unfortunately, there are many shortcuts, although they generally jeopardize long-term health for short-term results.
5. Diet: “Healthy abs are born in the kitchen,” One Healthy Apple (sorry, I couldn’t not quote my wife).  I think she’s right.  A healthy diet is part of a healthy lifestyle and should supplement working out.  I consider it the easiest part of fitness since it does not require sweating or lifting heavy weights.  I usually have a smoothie after each workout with protein powder, yogurt, bananas, frozen fruit, and various juices.  Consuming protein within an hour after a workout yields the best results and is a good excuse to consume fruits in my diet.  Balanced meals with high nutritional value, protein, and vitamins are vital to any athlete (or an athlete wannabe).  I also try to eat more frequently and in smaller portions.

See you all for Part 2!

Celebrating 2010

New Year's Eats

I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year party, whatever you did!  This year we went to a friend's house and played twister (me), drank champagne and got ridiculously silly (me), and brought two things to share that have been on a 'must make' list for quite some time (also me)!

Piroshki

If anything reminds me of New Year, it is my mom's piroshki.  For those unfamiliar, Wiki describes the definition as "a generic word for individual-sized baked or fried buns stuffed with a variety of fillings."  

Mine were baked and prepared in a puff pastry and I had a lesson from the kitchen goddess herself in making them.  Like her mother, my mom has crazy skillz, but all recipes are communicated in measurements like 'a pinch of this' and 'enough to taste good.'  If you want exact measurements, please let me know and I'll try to get them for you!

Step 1: Make the filling of your choice(we used ground chicken breast browned with sauteed onions, salt and pepper)

Step 2: Defrost the puff pastry and roll it out flat on a cutting board

Step 3: After cutting the dough into the desired size, stuff each piece and fold it into the shape of your choice:

Step 4: Once you finish stuffing and shaping, brush them with an eggwash for maximum oven glowing:

Step 5: Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.  It bakes faster if you don't open the door to 'watch' every 3 minutes.  Here is the final product:

They are crispy and melt in your mouth. The End.

While these were baking, my mom also made a modified form of puff pastry wrapped salmon.  I thought they were pretty and took a picture.

She had also baked a cake. I love cake.

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I also wanted to bring a dessert and decided that I should make cupcakes, they had to be mini, and it was time to try red velvet.  I have never had it before and I was excited to find out what they were all about.  I used half of a package of mix (baby steps) and added applesauce, semisweet chocolate chips, an egg, and 1/4 cup of lowfat vanilla yogurt.  They were light and fluffy.  My unsuspecting audience had no idea they did not have oil.

I used storebought cream cheese frosting and topped them with white chocolate chips.  I never claim to be a gourmet baker!

 

Goals for 2010

I don't make resolutions because I don't really remember them and because I am of the belief that if you want something, do it right now.  I don't need Monday or a new year to start all over again.  That said, there is something great about a fresh start and I love the optimism it brings to a lot of people.  I have been promising some goals, but I decided to keep thinking about them.  I think the best goals can be measured and described, and like my personality, mine are still a little vague!  I wish you good luck in all of your endeavors and maybe I'll jump on and join you soon!

In celebration of the new year and new health resolutions, hubby will be doing a guest post on working out on the next post.  Get excited!