Let the Marathon Training Begin!!!

Alright FitMePeeps! I'm getting a little tired of reading my old posts that begin with an apology for being away so long, so here I am saying that I. AM. BACK.

Before I officially start my long-windedness, however, I have to thank so many of you for your thoughts and concern for my sweet nephew, Baby Jack. The last time I posted, he was still in the hospital after his second surgery for Duodenal Atresia. Now he is home, he is gaining weight, and is doing great!!! Life is somewhat getting back to normal (is it ever normal?) for my family. Yay! If you want the full story of his traumatic beginnings, my sister is posting the details on her blog.

As for me, exciting things are happening in the fitness department! First of all, I am now an official Zumba instructor! I spent three years as a Cheerleader in High School, and when I graduated, I thought I left my booty-shaking ability behind. I guess it was just tucked away for future use, because I'm now spending some time three days a week with other women, teaching them the pure joy of shaking up a sweat! I don't consider this my "workout" per say (although the calorie burn is notably high), I consider this my fun break. Haven't Zumba'd before? Try it...you'll love it! And if you don't love it the first time, try it three more times...the more you Zumba, the more you love it!

As for eating meat, I'm still not (well...occasionally I am...but mostly not). In March, it will have been a year since I read The China Study. I have to say, I haven't had a hard time transitioning to a flexitarian lifestyle. BUT planning meals has been a bit of a challenge. My husband's biggest complaint with most of my experiments is that they're lacking in flavor. A few awesome blogs have helped lately, however! I would consider making these recipes even if I wasn't trying to limit animal protein! My favorite go-to-blog is now VeganYumYum. I even bought her cook book...her stuff is thatgood! (It helps that she's a great food photographer!) Another great (non-vegetarian) blog my friend told me about last week is Skinny Taste. For those of you Weight Watchers people, this blog is for you! With each recipe, she gives you the old points, and the new (points+) points! Yay for yummy, healthy, family friendly recipes!

A few months ago, I was featured on this post as one of 40 websites to motivate you to get healthy. I was classified in the "weight loss" blogs category with the description: "This blogger nearly serves as your personal cheerleader for getting and staying in shape..." Hopefully I'm thenon-annoying cheerleader type. Actually...I blog to motivate myself with the hopes that someone else will also find some inspiration! Yay team!

And speaking of inspiration, I need some quick! I am signed up to run the Ogden Marathon on May 21, 2011! So guess what that means?!?! My 16-week training schedule starts TOMORROW! Yikes! Actually...I'm really excited about it! I've been pretty nervous about this race, so I've been sort of "pre-training" all winter long. I'm up to 11-miles for my long runs, and I have to say that running has helped more than anything with the post-baby weight this time around! I never completely lost all my baby weight with #2, but am happy to say that third time's a charm!

And although I'm completely jealous of my husband's ability to wake up one day and just run a marathon, I'm definitely not following his example! A few months ago, I found a training schedule on the Boston Marathon's page, which I cannot for the life of me find again! Luckily, I programmed the ENTIRE SCHEDULE onto my phone's calendar so I'm going to stick to that plan as much as possible. However, if you're looking for a good training program, check this oneout. When selecting a marathon training program, you need to figure out what your goal is. Are you just trying to finish? Are you trying to improve your time? Are you trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon? (Eventually my goal...it's been over 6 years since my last marathon so while I'm trying to get a good time with this one, I'm not sure whether it will be that good). I don't think the program you choose is as important as just making sure you remember that 26.2 miles takes a long time to DRIVE! You're going to be RUNNING it! In order to run 26.2 miles, you need to run. Period. However, don't let yourself get so stressed out about running that you don't also plan adequate rest! Your body adapts to physical training during REST! For me, Sundays will be my guilt-free day of rest!

For other marathon training advice, check this out!

If any of you are training for a Spring Marathon, and want to follow along, here's my (somewhat brutal) plan for this week...with a disclaimer! Life is crazy, so as with everything, nothing ever goes completely as planned. If I miss a day (or two or three), I'm not going to stress about it! I'll do the best I can. A day missed is a day missed...I won't try to make up for it! That said, I'm going to try my darndest to do the following:

MONDAY: Interval (6 to 10 miles), 2 x (3 x 800 m) at 10K pace, 90 seconds recovery, 5 minutes recovery between sets. (+ Zumba)

TUESDAY: Distance--4 to 6 miles (+ Zumba)

WEDNESDAY: Tempo--4 to 6 miles (+ Body Pump)

THURSDAY: Distance--7 to 8 miles

FRIDAY: MLR--12 to 14 miles, steady, easy paced

SATURDAY: Long Distance--15 to 18 miles, steady, easy paced (+ Zumba)

Interval runs: Not an all-out sprint! The intervals should be run at a pace somewhere between your 10K pace and goal marathon pace. Mondays will be my interval days!

Distance runs: Your typical daily run...the most flexible in terms of distance and pace! Listen to your body, and run what "feels good."

Tempo runs: Try your best to simulate your marathon pace.

MLR: stands for "medium long run." This week, the difference between the MLR and the long distance run isn't much, but as the weeks go by, 12 miles really will just be medium!

Long Distance: Possibly the most important component of a marathon training plan! However, if done too long, too often, or too hard, it can also cause the most damage. I plan on running my long runs considerably slower than I hope to run on race day!

Cross Train: I teach Zumba 3 times a week, plan on hitting up Body Pump at the gym every Wednesday, and possibly a weekly Spin class.

Phew...it's going to be a crazy 4 months! If nothing else, my goal is to stand at the marathon starting line knowing that I've put in the work, and that I'm prepared. "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear," right? Come on legs and feet, here we go....

The China Study Survival Guide

Although most people I talk to about no longer eating meat think I'm crazy, I have a few friends who have jumped on the bandwagon with me! My husband's best friend (the one who brought him an envelope full of meat to their weekly basketball night to express his condolences for my new way of thinking) happens to be married to one of my best friends. His wife happened to read my library copy of The China Study, promptly went out and bought herself a copy, along with another copy to give to her mom, and is just as convinced as I am that meat, eggs, and dairy consumption really aren't good for us. Sorry, Colby :)

So, in attempt to change the nutritional habits of our families for the better (and to stop boring you with constant talk about my new mostly-vegan-but-we're-calling-it-flexitarian lifestyle), we've started a new blog. (http://chinastudysurvivalguide.blogspot.com/)

We'll post recipes we've tried, we'll let you in on how we modified the original recipes, what we would do differently next time (if there is a next time), and most importantly, what grade our husbands give the dish.

If there's something I really think you should try (whether or not you're living in the raw), I'll still post it here.

This weekend, I tried a dish called Israeli Moroccan Quinoa. My husband gave it a B! You can check it out here.

Kandis posted her version of black bean burgers (which did better than the ones I made that my husband called poop on toast) and a yummy strawberry-pear cobbler.

My sister-in-law is hoping to also post some experimental vegan recipes (hooray for another friend who doesn't think I'm crazy)! So check out The Great Vegan Experiment as we learn how the heck to live without meat!

Kid-Friendly Vegan Food: Hummus!

When it comes to feeding my kids, there are certain foods I've played around with quite a bit. They'll eat almost anything if it's in smoothie form, pancake form, dip form, or burger form (last week I made "black bean burgers" my husband lovingly compared to "poop on toast." They really weren't very good, but my kids unknowingly--and happily--gobbled up the pureed mixture of black beans, red peppers, onions, and whatever else I threw in those nasty nuggets). If my kids can dip a chip (or occasionally some raw veggies) in it, they'll probably eat it. I've been a long-time fan of hummus, but have never attempted making my own. Until this week. Maybe it's the fact that I'm in the stage of pregnancy where everything tastes amazing, but this hummus was good! And chock-full of FIBER and protein, hummus fills you up with nothing-but-goodness. I was feeling ambitious, so I photo-documented my first attempt at making this Middle-Eastern staple.

First, I rinsed and drained a (15 oz) can of chickpeas. I dumped them into my second true love: my Blendtec blender.Next, I peeled a few cloves of garlic, and threw them right in with the chickpeas.Before the first round of blending, I added 1/3 cup of lemon juice, and 1/3 cup of tahini. (I actually had no idea what this was...it's a paste made from sesame seeds...it looks a lot like peanut butter. I found it in the health food section at Harmons, for all of you local FitMePeeps.)I gave the blender a whirl, sort of (don't tell my husband) wished my blender had a tamper like the VitaMix so I could push the stuff down, but eventually had a nice, smooth paste to which I added 1/2 cup roasted red peppers,and 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil. I blended away until I got this:with which I promptly did this: (I obviously didn't document the actual first bite...sorry...no one likes "see-food").And I wondered why my house was so quiet until I saw this:What a nice surprise. Whether it was the quiet cooking time, the pregnancy-induced love of all things edible, or my determination to find non-meat-or-dairy items my entire family will consume, the hummus was a success. And yes--my kids and husband loved it!

We've been eating it with chips, raw veggies, as a spread on sandwiches (put some in a pita pocket with cucumbers and tomatoes--yum!), with rice crackers, etc. So versatile, so good, and SO EASY to make! (And so great that my funny husband didn't call it poop-on-a-cracker!)

Have a happy (and healthy) weekend!

It's All About The Poop

With small children around, it's hard not to get excited about the little things in life. Whenever I'm on a kid-free outing, I have to seriously fight back urges to point out every choo-choo train I see, every airplane in the sky, every bug on the ground, every dog with his owner, every motorcycle, truck, tractor, you name it. This has probably been the best part of being a mom for me. Taking pleasure in the little things. Stopping to smell the roses, instead of rushing past the beauties of this world without taking notice.

I love the excitement little ones experience when they see, or try new things for the first time. My two-year old thinks I'm the luckiest person in the world just because I get to push the buttons to turn the dishwasher on every day. And I get to pour the laundry detergent into the washer. I get to spread the peanut butter on the bread. When I hand these small tasks over to her, she is literally on top of the world. This is what being a "big girl" is all about. That, of course, and pooping in the potty.

Remember when I shared some of my potty-training woes with you? After a year-and-a-half of unsuccessful potty training, we put "P" back in diapers. A few glorious weeks ago, however, he finally decided on his own that he was ready to be a big boy. He'll turn four in May, and I am thrilled that I don't have to send him to college in diapers. And my two-year old? She jumped right on board, and decided on her own that she is out of diapers. I was too emotionally scarred from our first round of potty training to even consider her requests to use the potty, but she decided on her own, and is doing amazing. So within weeks, both children are out of diapers. I'm not holding my breath, but I am thrilled that I will actually only have ONE baby in diapers come June.

So added to the list of excitement over airplanes and bugs: poop! You know it...we all poop–and how horrible would life be if we didn't?!?! Trust me--I've had my own fair share of painful troubles in the poop department (I'm talking painful hemorrhoids that made pooping worse than childbirth), so good poops are a big deal for this mama! If you're like me, you analyze your eliminations on a daily basis. If you're like my sister's husband, you want to throw up just reading this post. But wherever you land on the poop scale--let’s be honest--the satisfaction of a great poop cannot be underestimated!

When my kids poop in the potty, they get terribly upset if I flush the toilet before they can admire their work. And my two-year old is so proud of me when I poop. Good job, mommy...that was a big one! Honestly, one of the main motivations for me to eat a healthy diet is just that...the very thought of hemorrhoids makes my spine tingle. I have to eat healthy. I need fiber. I freaked out during my last pregnancy when my husband brought home the wrong kind of bread. I literally can't handle unhealthy poops. In my mind, I am just one hard poop away from a bloody, feels-like-you're-pooping-glass, ouchy bum.

If you're not getting enough fiber, chances are, you're not having healthy BM's. So where do we get the fiber we need for a good poop? We get it from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. It's the indigestible (cellulose) part of these. Fiber is VITAL for not only a healthy poop, but a healthy body. The colon needs enough fiber to automatically contract and push the poop down the colon and out of the body (and into the POTTY! Not the diaper! Woo hoo!) Fiber IS the thigh master for the colon!

One last thing...if poop is ANY indication of whether I'm really on the right track with my new plant-based diet? Let me just say...hallelujah, and yes! In my little world where I take pleasure in the little things, pooping on a FLEXITARIAN diet is fabulously satisfying! (And I'm calling myself a flexitarian to take the pressure off...I'm mostly Vegan, and haven't had meat for a few weeks, but I won't beat myself up if I happen to take a bite of a nice, juicy burger...say after giving birth!)

How about you? Where do you fall on the poop scale? If you're still reading at this point, I'm guessing you're not totally embarrassed by the mere mention! As my husband likes to say, NEWSFLASH: EVERYONE POOPS! And thank goodness!

Transitioning to a Vegan Diet

Okay...let me preface this post by saying that I'm not going to start solely blogging about my new meat-free diet. But lots of you have had questions, so I'll try my best to answer a few! But first of all, I'm still feeling great about this new lifestyle change! However, in the last week, we were invited to eat out a few times. And the places we went? Famous Dave's BBQ and Tucano's Brazilian Grill. Probably the last two places I would've picked--they definitely cater to the carnivore's--but I survived! And I actually discovered how good the salad bar at Tucano's really is! I'm usually too full from eating all the meat to go back for more salad!

As for the questions I've gotten from countless skeptics, a few that keep popping up are "How will you get the protein you need?", "How will you substitute dairy?", and "What will you give your baby once she's weaned in place of whole milk?" Good, honest questions, right? Here are my answers...

The Protein Issue
As Americans, I think we've sort of become obsessed with protein. Protein is definitely essential in our diets, as it helps our bodies function properly, but we don't need HUGE AMOUNTS OF IT! Only about 10% of what we eat really needs to come from protein. But here's a newsflash: meat isn't the ONLY source of protein out there! Nearly all vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds contain some, and often a lot of protein. Fruits, sugars, fats, and alcohol don't really provide much protein, so if you were to eat a diet based only on these foods, it probably would be too low in protein.

Protein is made up of amino acids (sometimes described as building blocks). We have a biological requirement for these amino acids, not for protein itself. As humans, we can't make NINE of the TWENTY common amino acids, so these are considered essential in our diets.

Eggs, cow's milk, meat, and fish are usually considered high quality protein because they have large amounts of all the essential amino acids. However, soybeans, quinoa (a grain pronounced KEEN-WA), and spinach are also considered high quality protein. Other plant-based protein sources also have all of the essential amino acids, but the amounts of one or two of these may be low. But it's not something to stress about! As long as you are eating a variety of vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds, the protein issue really isn't an issue.

And here's a link to an AWESOME quinoa recipe (which you can buy at Costco, by the way) that my brother made for me when I first decided on my new eating plan...I LOVED it:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-and-Black-Beans/Detail.aspx

DAIRY SUBSTITUTIONS

So far, we've been drinking almond milk and rice milk. As for soy milk, there's a lot of controversy (about soy estrogens and the havoc they wreak on your hormones), so I'm sort of shying away from that one. My kids, and even husband (a HUGE milk drinker) love the almond milk (unsweetened) and the rice milk. Both are still fortified with vitamins and minerals. Almost all the fat in milk alternatives is heart-healthy, unsaturated fat. Milk, on the other hand, contains mostly undesirable saturated fat (which isn't the reason I'm giving it up, as you know).

I have a few recipes I'm going to try (and if I like them--I'll share) for homemade oat milk, almond milk, rice milk, pecan milk, and even coconut milk kefir (one of the best sources of healthy probiotics...to replace our yogurt). We'll see how it goes.

But to answer the underlying question, will I get enough calcium? Actually, calcium from plants is easier for our bodies to digest than calcium from animals, so yes! (Read The China Study for more reasons why cow's milk ISN'T really good for us!)

NOT GIVING MY BABY COW'S MILK
This is obviously controversial, but here's my plan. With my first two babies, I nursed them until they were about a year old, and eating the same solid foods we were. If all goes as hoped for, I'll do the same with this baby. The reason we're supposed to give our babies whole milk is for the FAT that helps with brain development, not for the MILK itself.

Here are a few sources of healthy fats:

Avocados (so easy to mash up for little mouths)

Coconut Milk

Almonds

Flax Seed

Olives and Olive Oil

Peanuts and Peanut Butter

Sunflower Seeds

Walnuts

My research isn't done, but I'm still feeling really good about my decision to eat a whole foods, plant-based diet. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the amazing things real Vegans such as this mother of five, and this one make for their families. But the good news is, it can be done! My menu for the next week is planned, and I'm excited to try lots of good-for-you stuff! Keep the advice and questions coming!

Still not eating meat...

Okay, so I've had a crazy week after posting about my decision to cut WAAAAAAAY back on the meat we eat here in this house. Saying that I'm switching over to a semi-Vegan diet apparently was like saying that I'm joining a new church. EVERYONE has an opinion, and let's face it...people in this country LOVE meat. It's a second religion.

My good friend's husband (who happens to be my husband's best friend) is not about to let me influence his wife (who is reading The China Study right now) to stop eating meat (or more importantly--to stop feeding him meat). Our food swapping days have come to an end. He brought some pork in an envelope to my husband for their weekly basketball night with a note attached that read "Always eat meat." I actually think it's pretty funny, and am glad I've gotten such a rise out of the most mild-tempered guy I've ever met!

If my only motivation to stop eating meat was to save the animals, I don't think I'd last very long. And I'm not doing it to lose weight (for obvious reasons...I'm steadily gaining more than I'd like to admit with only 3 months to go). I'm not doing it to mimic any celebrities, or because it's the "cool" thing to do. In my few short days of announcing my new meal plan, I've actually found it to be quite unpopular. I'm doing it because I really, honestly, truly feel like cutting back on animal products, and increasing my consumption of whole, plant-based foods is really the healthier way to live.

I know I will have uncomfortable moments at social gatherings, and I may still occasionally eat some meat. But I am an extremist when it comes to health, and I'm up for the challenge. My bigger challenge will be to not make anyone else uncomfortable. Don't be afraid to invite us over, or out to eat. I will not be scrutinizing what is on your plate, or what is going into your mouth. And I won't ask you to prepare any special dishes for me. I may eat before I come, or I may leave a bit hungry. That's my decision...not your worry. I'm okay with that.

Lucky for me, I love vegetables. And even the ones I don't love, I love. I'm the weird girl who will drink the nastiest concoction of vegetables, and like it just because it's good for me. But I'm also excited to experiment, and to find some super tasty, super healthy dishes. Last week, I had great luck with a vegetable soup, coconut beans and rice, and Vegan lasagna. My family hasn't starved, and my husband even said he would eat it all again.

Some people are leery of change, but I'm the type who makes up my mind, and jumps head first into the water. I don't mind a total life overhaul every once in a while. It's actually quite refreshing.

As for all of you readers, thanks for all the tips! A few more books I'm going to read (thanks to your input) are:

"Eat To Live" (Fuhrman)

"The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" (Michael Pollan)

"In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" (Michael Pollan)

"Food Rules: An Eater's Manual" (Michael Pollan)



I'm also visiting the following websites for much-needed help:



http://www.cancerproject.org/
http://www.vegweb.com/
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/

I would like to encourage those of you who are brave and willing to just give this lifestyle a try. You can dive in headfirst like me, or slowly add changes to your diet. Add an extra serving of vegetables to every meal. Just go meatless a few days a week. Find some good vegetarian recipes that don't leave you feeling like something was missing (and share them with me!) There are enormous benefits from eating a whole foods, plant-based diet. Try it out! Who's willing?