Over the winter, I purchased my very first pair of Vibram Five Finger shoes.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/index.htm
You may have seen other people running, working out, or grocery shopping in these babies. Before I purchased them, I did a lot of research and reading (I'm sure you would expect nothing left from Nerdie McNerderson). I decided on the Bikila model.
I read a lot of information about taking it slow when starting out wearing them, but I'm not one to start anything slowly. I put them on the second the box arrived at my doorstep, wore them to Crossfit classes, ran in them, grocery shopped in them, and wore them to school. It has been love at first step. I miss them when I do not have them on my feet and have seriously debated wearing them out to the bar.
The truest test for me was wearing them for the Broad Street Run- a ten miler in Philadelphia. They were like butter. I had a couple of blisters, but no pain- none at all. This was miraculous considering last summer I had given up on running altogether because of the excruciating hip pain I was experiencing during my runs. The pain was the reason I started researching Vibrams in the first place. The shoes force you to run with correct form. Since I run for sport and have never had a trainer teach me correct form, my form was off and causing pain. My Vibrams helped me to achieve correct form. The second test was running them through the washing machine- they passed with flying colors. No shrinkage (get your mind out of the gutter) or color fade. Not only are they great for running, but I love them for lifting weights. I feel so grounded in them and I love that I can spread my toes to get extra stability when I am really lifting heavy. The price point for me was great- the Bikila's cost 100/pair- which for me is significantly less than what I usually spend on running shoes.
The downside I have found with the shoes is unwanted attention. If you don't want people to ask you about your shoes constantly, I would recommend purchasing a neutral color or black. I went hot pink which seems like the signal for everyone and their mother to ask about them. I'm a social animal, so it doesn't bother me, but if you are not so into random discussions with strangers, you may not like this attention grabbing shoe.
Vibrams may not be for everyone, but they sure are for me and have been the best running/work out shoe purchase I have ever made. I have been an Asics girl for YEARS and my poor, jealous million dollar Asics are collecting dust.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The Dream Team
I have some of the best friends a girl could ask for. I don't think a thousand blog entries could come close to covering the awesomeness of the Dream Team I have collected over the years. I have friends who challenge me, who make me laugh, who support me. They truly love me, and not just the surface me. They love the psycho, nitty gritty Jane that not everyone sees. They get me. And they have the innate ability to call or text exactly as I'm thinking about them. They are pretty much the Dionne Warwicks of friends. They know what they need to say to me in times of crisis. They know that I call sequins "big round glitters." They understand my psychotic obsession with wellness. They tell me I am beautiful, smart and call me a MILF on a regular basis. They tell me to knock it off when I need to be told. They make fun of me mercilessly and I love it.
I guess this is kind of a love letter to my friends. Our meeting and spending this life together was no accident. I am so blessed to have each and every one of you. Thank you for sharing yourselves with me.
I guess this is kind of a love letter to my friends. Our meeting and spending this life together was no accident. I am so blessed to have each and every one of you. Thank you for sharing yourselves with me.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Oh coffee- you currently taste like ass
Sorry I have been so slacktastic over the past couple of weeks with here in the bloggisphere. As many of you know, I started my internship last week and have spent 20 hours a week out of the home. Two of those hours probably would have been devoted to blogging. I am sorry, and I will try to be better, but no promises.
Something really interesting happened to me this weekend: I tried to drink decaf coffee and failed. TWICE.
After not drinking coffee for months, I have finally lost my taste for it! In the past, if I would sneak in a cup every once in awhile, I would be craving it for days afterward. I do have to be honest, my coffee was always 1/2 c. cream, 1/2 c. coffee. My favorite was that freaking French Vanilla Coffeemate which I am thoroughly convinced is laced with crack. I could drink a bottle of it chased with another bottle of it and a tablespoon of coffee.
I love being so "over" coffee. It's like finally being over an ex who had a bad attitude, horrendous breath, and gave you anxiety. It is one less substance on my "dirty list" that needed to go. But the best part of this process is, it went freely. I didn't have to kick and scream and throw a temper tantrum to get it out of my life. (meat, not so much- still tantruming on that one)
I wonder what the next stop is going to be on the detox train.
Something really interesting happened to me this weekend: I tried to drink decaf coffee and failed. TWICE.
After not drinking coffee for months, I have finally lost my taste for it! In the past, if I would sneak in a cup every once in awhile, I would be craving it for days afterward. I do have to be honest, my coffee was always 1/2 c. cream, 1/2 c. coffee. My favorite was that freaking French Vanilla Coffeemate which I am thoroughly convinced is laced with crack. I could drink a bottle of it chased with another bottle of it and a tablespoon of coffee.
I love being so "over" coffee. It's like finally being over an ex who had a bad attitude, horrendous breath, and gave you anxiety. It is one less substance on my "dirty list" that needed to go. But the best part of this process is, it went freely. I didn't have to kick and scream and throw a temper tantrum to get it out of my life. (meat, not so much- still tantruming on that one)
I wonder what the next stop is going to be on the detox train.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Paleo Friendly Spaghetti and Meatballs
Last night I whipped up this quick dinner when I finished my first wonderful day of internships:
1 package lean ground turkey
1 tbspn dried basil
1 tspn Himalayan Garlic Salt or sea salt
Preheat your oven to 350
Put the ground turkey and spices in a bowl and squish it around with your hands, form into meatballs. Place on a broiler pan and put in the oven
1 Spaghetti Squash
pinch of Himalayan salt or sea salt
1 tbspn olive oil
Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Place the squash face down on in an baking pan or casarole dish with a little bit of olive oil
Bake the meatballs and squash for about 30 minutes: take out the meatballs, poke the squash with a fork to see if it is soft. If it is still soft, leave it in the oven and check it every 10 minutes until the fork pokes through the skin. When it's done, take the squash out of the oven and scrape the meat of the squash out with a spoon. I hold the squash with a pot holder when it is hot. Place some of the squash with a little oil and salt on a plate, top with turkey meatballs- enjoy ;0)
1 package lean ground turkey
1 tbspn dried basil
1 tspn Himalayan Garlic Salt or sea salt
Preheat your oven to 350
Put the ground turkey and spices in a bowl and squish it around with your hands, form into meatballs. Place on a broiler pan and put in the oven
1 Spaghetti Squash
pinch of Himalayan salt or sea salt
1 tbspn olive oil
Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Place the squash face down on in an baking pan or casarole dish with a little bit of olive oil
Bake the meatballs and squash for about 30 minutes: take out the meatballs, poke the squash with a fork to see if it is soft. If it is still soft, leave it in the oven and check it every 10 minutes until the fork pokes through the skin. When it's done, take the squash out of the oven and scrape the meat of the squash out with a spoon. I hold the squash with a pot holder when it is hot. Place some of the squash with a little oil and salt on a plate, top with turkey meatballs- enjoy ;0)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Practicing what you Preach
So as much as I love the raw diet, the raw diet does not love me back. Sad but true. But like I said in my challenge a couple of weeks ago, you have to listen to your body and do what works for you.
After the holiday, I started doing raw and have been at it for the past 6 months with periodic meat benders. As psychotic PMS style symptoms, grain cravings that have caused me to eat cheese pizza, and PMS like mood swings started coming back into the picture, I had to reevaluate what was working for me and what was clearly not.
When I met with my nutritionist hero over a year ago, he told me that grains did not work for me. I shouldn't even eat the healthiest grains, like quinoa and brown rice. He also told me to keep my fruit intake to a minimum and NO sugar- not even agave or honey. This is due to blood sugar issues that I have. So what have I been doing? Not listening, of course! I have been eating a ton of fruit, lots of brown rice protein powder, buckwheat groats, agave, and honey. At first, I was okay, but then months and months of eating like this has sent my body back into horror furry.
So I decided to start eating my nutrition plan diet again. Meat, eggs, vegetables, some fruit (only low glycemic- berries, grapefruit, green apples), butter and olive oil, Greek yogurt, coconut milk and water, nuts and seeds. All of these products organic. My goal is to keep my raw balance at 60% raw- 40% cooked. So far, the change is working wonders on how I am feeling. I can't believe the shift in my cravings. A couple of weeks ago, I couldn't get enough fruit, raw chocolate, protein powder and wasn't really feeling veggies. Today, I shit you not, I ate two mixing bowls FULL of salad (and I will probably be shitting myself later). I didn't even put olive oil on the second salad! When I did get a mild sweet craving, I mixed a little bit of coconut water and plain, unsweetened coconut milk. It tasted like HEAVEN! So here is what my day looked like:
Breakfast-
1/2 c. blueberries
1 c. greek yogurt
8oz kefir water to drink
Lunch-
1 chicken breast
3-4 c. salad with 3 tbspn olive oil
1 whole avocado
1 c. radish sprouts
8oz coconut milk
1 oz coconut water
Dinner
5 c. salad with no dressing
1/4 c. blue cheese
1/4 c. walnuts
It was odd not to snack all day. I have been grazing and grazing on the raw diet. It seems like I am seeking food all day long. Since I started back on the old regime I had no desire to snack. I felt full. Some people thrive so beautifully on the raw diet. I am so jealous of them!!! I wish I could make it work. But from now on I am going to practice what I preach when it comes to listening to my body and doing what works for me.
p.s. I dropped a little more body fat!!! Thank you Crossfit!!!! I am very interested to see what happens to my body composition after making these changes. As of today, I am 19.5% body fat, getting closer and closer to my goal of 18% ;0) YAY!!! Hopefully this dietary change won't impede my progression.
After the holiday, I started doing raw and have been at it for the past 6 months with periodic meat benders. As psychotic PMS style symptoms, grain cravings that have caused me to eat cheese pizza, and PMS like mood swings started coming back into the picture, I had to reevaluate what was working for me and what was clearly not.
When I met with my nutritionist hero over a year ago, he told me that grains did not work for me. I shouldn't even eat the healthiest grains, like quinoa and brown rice. He also told me to keep my fruit intake to a minimum and NO sugar- not even agave or honey. This is due to blood sugar issues that I have. So what have I been doing? Not listening, of course! I have been eating a ton of fruit, lots of brown rice protein powder, buckwheat groats, agave, and honey. At first, I was okay, but then months and months of eating like this has sent my body back into horror furry.
So I decided to start eating my nutrition plan diet again. Meat, eggs, vegetables, some fruit (only low glycemic- berries, grapefruit, green apples), butter and olive oil, Greek yogurt, coconut milk and water, nuts and seeds. All of these products organic. My goal is to keep my raw balance at 60% raw- 40% cooked. So far, the change is working wonders on how I am feeling. I can't believe the shift in my cravings. A couple of weeks ago, I couldn't get enough fruit, raw chocolate, protein powder and wasn't really feeling veggies. Today, I shit you not, I ate two mixing bowls FULL of salad (and I will probably be shitting myself later). I didn't even put olive oil on the second salad! When I did get a mild sweet craving, I mixed a little bit of coconut water and plain, unsweetened coconut milk. It tasted like HEAVEN! So here is what my day looked like:
Breakfast-
1/2 c. blueberries
1 c. greek yogurt
8oz kefir water to drink
Lunch-
1 chicken breast
3-4 c. salad with 3 tbspn olive oil
1 whole avocado
1 c. radish sprouts
8oz coconut milk
1 oz coconut water
Dinner
5 c. salad with no dressing
1/4 c. blue cheese
1/4 c. walnuts
It was odd not to snack all day. I have been grazing and grazing on the raw diet. It seems like I am seeking food all day long. Since I started back on the old regime I had no desire to snack. I felt full. Some people thrive so beautifully on the raw diet. I am so jealous of them!!! I wish I could make it work. But from now on I am going to practice what I preach when it comes to listening to my body and doing what works for me.
p.s. I dropped a little more body fat!!! Thank you Crossfit!!!! I am very interested to see what happens to my body composition after making these changes. As of today, I am 19.5% body fat, getting closer and closer to my goal of 18% ;0) YAY!!! Hopefully this dietary change won't impede my progression.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
CHA CHA CHA CHANGES!
This morning I was sipping my wheat grass juice and I thought about how much my pallet has changed over the past few years. This question entered my mind:
If you could take a pill to make you your ideal weight, give you an amazing amount of energy, and would keep your illnesses, aches, and pains at a minimum- BUT- it made everything taste like shit. Would you do it?
I think a lot of us would say yes. That's our Western mentality working for us. Just pop a pill, just add water, INSTANT RESULTS. Sadly, as most of us who have purchased something off an infomercial have found, the world does not work this way.
Changing to the raw food diet is kind of like popping that shit pill. It changes your pallet completely. Not that your meals taste like turds or anything, but at first, your brain, your body, and you senses seem very underwhelmed. When you eat the Standard American Diet (acronym SAD, ironically and truthfully) you are constantly overwhelmed with stimulants, addictive substances, and other shit that makes food addicting and taste FABULOUS!!!! Frankly, a cheese pizza with pepperoni, cheese, extra cheese, and an extra helping of additives seems WAY more awesome than an apple.
When you begin to transition to a raw diet, your entire being has to relearn what real food tastes like and how it effects the body. You have to scrap everything you have been taught about nutrition from your doctors, the media, and the latest fad diets and LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. You cannot count protein grams and calories. The psychological adjustment is also very, very difficult and for me has proven to be the hardest thing to overcome. It really isn't that complicated. The key to moving yourself into a happier, healthier you is this:
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
MAKE CHANGES
STOP BITCHING AND EAT RIGHT
BRING YOUR OWN FOOD
Eating right has gives and takes. Let's be honest. It is so much more fun to eat pizza and beer, but it sucks shit when you can't zip your jeans and have no motivation to have sex because you feel like a fat ass loaf. If you eat right, yeah, your wheat grass juice is no Coca Cola, but you have energy to spare, your ass looks fantastic in your jeans, and your sexy self is dying to show off that hot bod. For me, it's worth the sacrifice. And eventually, guess what??? The feeling you get from eating healthy foods outweighs the pallet pleasing sensation you get from the shit food you are used to eating.
This feeling of eating healthy is similar to that feeling you get when you exercise. Sometimes you have to drag yourself to the gym, but you bet your ass, when you are finished, you are proud of yourself and are glad that you did it.
Last night, Nate hit his first raw food road block. Lucky for me, I am skilled at ball busting, and was able to assist him through his first "almost" psychotic break. At roughly 8:30 p.m. on the beautiful couch, in my perfectly pink living room, this dialogue took place:
N: Hey, do we have any peanut butter? I want to make apples and peanut butter."
J: No. Peanut Butter is not raw and Molly polished off the Almond Butter yesterday. There is a raw chocolate bar in the fridge if you want that.
N: Nah, I'm cool.
J: Can I tell you something funny?
N: Sure
J: I read somewhere that if you are TRULY hungry you will eat absolutely anything put in front of you, but things that are craving specific are purely psychological.
N: I am going to remember that and use it against you
J: Perfect. I'm sure you will have plenty of opportunities.
You cannot eat shit, not exercise, and expect to look like Jennifer Aniston. It just doesn't work that way. Sad, but true. So it's time to make some CHA CHA CHA CHANGES!!!!
If you could take a pill to make you your ideal weight, give you an amazing amount of energy, and would keep your illnesses, aches, and pains at a minimum- BUT- it made everything taste like shit. Would you do it?
I think a lot of us would say yes. That's our Western mentality working for us. Just pop a pill, just add water, INSTANT RESULTS. Sadly, as most of us who have purchased something off an infomercial have found, the world does not work this way.
Changing to the raw food diet is kind of like popping that shit pill. It changes your pallet completely. Not that your meals taste like turds or anything, but at first, your brain, your body, and you senses seem very underwhelmed. When you eat the Standard American Diet (acronym SAD, ironically and truthfully) you are constantly overwhelmed with stimulants, addictive substances, and other shit that makes food addicting and taste FABULOUS!!!! Frankly, a cheese pizza with pepperoni, cheese, extra cheese, and an extra helping of additives seems WAY more awesome than an apple.
When you begin to transition to a raw diet, your entire being has to relearn what real food tastes like and how it effects the body. You have to scrap everything you have been taught about nutrition from your doctors, the media, and the latest fad diets and LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. You cannot count protein grams and calories. The psychological adjustment is also very, very difficult and for me has proven to be the hardest thing to overcome. It really isn't that complicated. The key to moving yourself into a happier, healthier you is this:
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
MAKE CHANGES
STOP BITCHING AND EAT RIGHT
BRING YOUR OWN FOOD
Eating right has gives and takes. Let's be honest. It is so much more fun to eat pizza and beer, but it sucks shit when you can't zip your jeans and have no motivation to have sex because you feel like a fat ass loaf. If you eat right, yeah, your wheat grass juice is no Coca Cola, but you have energy to spare, your ass looks fantastic in your jeans, and your sexy self is dying to show off that hot bod. For me, it's worth the sacrifice. And eventually, guess what??? The feeling you get from eating healthy foods outweighs the pallet pleasing sensation you get from the shit food you are used to eating.
This feeling of eating healthy is similar to that feeling you get when you exercise. Sometimes you have to drag yourself to the gym, but you bet your ass, when you are finished, you are proud of yourself and are glad that you did it.
Last night, Nate hit his first raw food road block. Lucky for me, I am skilled at ball busting, and was able to assist him through his first "almost" psychotic break. At roughly 8:30 p.m. on the beautiful couch, in my perfectly pink living room, this dialogue took place:
N: Hey, do we have any peanut butter? I want to make apples and peanut butter."
J: No. Peanut Butter is not raw and Molly polished off the Almond Butter yesterday. There is a raw chocolate bar in the fridge if you want that.
N: Nah, I'm cool.
J: Can I tell you something funny?
N: Sure
J: I read somewhere that if you are TRULY hungry you will eat absolutely anything put in front of you, but things that are craving specific are purely psychological.
N: I am going to remember that and use it against you
J: Perfect. I'm sure you will have plenty of opportunities.
You cannot eat shit, not exercise, and expect to look like Jennifer Aniston. It just doesn't work that way. Sad, but true. So it's time to make some CHA CHA CHA CHANGES!!!!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Kickin' ass, takin' Nate
Nate made it through day 1 completely raw unscathed and ready for day 2. This week is going to be a "work out the kinks" week for me as far as figuring out his appetite cycles and what foods are working for him.
There is a sector of Raw Foodists called Fruititarians. They basically eat fruits and greens and keep their fat calories below 10% of their total caloric volume. I could never thrive like this. It totally works for Nate. He loves fruit and can go all day on fruit despite a heavy activity level. I noticed this last summer when Nate would only take oranges and grapefruits for his lunches. At the time, I called him manorexic, but in reality, he works better on lighter foods. He can go hours without eating and only drinking coffee for breakfast. This just reinforces my new revelation: EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT and DIFFERENT BODIES THRIVE IN DIFFERENT WAYS!!!
Replacing Nate's morning coffee with a green juice was perfect for him. He ate fruit for lunch, no Larabar as planned because he is tired of them and we were out of his favorite flavors. He did note that he was STARVING at three o'clock. So today's lunch included extra fruit. Dinner tonight is going to be a mango, pineapple, kiwi, green smoothie with an Asian/Avocado salad on the side.
He said that physically he feels no different. That's a good thing I guess. I would rather that than him having major detox symptoms. I will continue to keep you posted!
There is a sector of Raw Foodists called Fruititarians. They basically eat fruits and greens and keep their fat calories below 10% of their total caloric volume. I could never thrive like this. It totally works for Nate. He loves fruit and can go all day on fruit despite a heavy activity level. I noticed this last summer when Nate would only take oranges and grapefruits for his lunches. At the time, I called him manorexic, but in reality, he works better on lighter foods. He can go hours without eating and only drinking coffee for breakfast. This just reinforces my new revelation: EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT and DIFFERENT BODIES THRIVE IN DIFFERENT WAYS!!!
Replacing Nate's morning coffee with a green juice was perfect for him. He ate fruit for lunch, no Larabar as planned because he is tired of them and we were out of his favorite flavors. He did note that he was STARVING at three o'clock. So today's lunch included extra fruit. Dinner tonight is going to be a mango, pineapple, kiwi, green smoothie with an Asian/Avocado salad on the side.
He said that physically he feels no different. That's a good thing I guess. I would rather that than him having major detox symptoms. I will continue to keep you posted!
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