Eating Better-- tips from Runners World

Runner's World has this great article "On the Money".....How to save and when to splurge on healthy runner friendly foods.

A lot of the food discussed in this article agree with The Eat Clean Diet the program I follow, I am going to share a few of the items in article and others that I practice.

Splurge--Grass Fed Beef, (lean protein) Grass-fed beef comes from cattle raised in open patures , feeding on a steady diet of 100-percent organic grass. Grassfed beef is lower in saturated fat, Bison is my favorite, bison has a higher protein content and less fat than beef. I had my first Bison Burger this year, believe me it is one of the best burgers I have ever had. Also had very very lean beef (used in Chilli) I could tell the difference and my kids did to let's say the joke "fat is flavor" applied when it came to my kids, I didn't and don't agree.

Splurge--Greek Yogurt, Thick, creamy Greek yogurt, which is strained to remove excess liquid. , containes up to twice as much protein as less-expensive American-type. I love this yogurt just make sure you look at the fat and sugar content, some Greek yogurts can pack a lot of sugar, recommend buying low fat plain versions and adding fresh fruit to sweeten them. "A probiotic is a beneficial bateria usally from a plant source and found in the intestinal tract. Beware of what you are buying in the dairy case. Yogurt already has probiotics in it. Don't be duped by products that say the contain enhanced probiotic agents. They are all the same."

Save--Large Snack Bags, those 100-calorie snack sacks cost two to three times more per ounce than their bulkier counterparts, instead buy big and portion out an appropriate serving size yourself. While your at it, choose a big bag of popcorn over orange cheese puffs. "Despite the built-in portion control, most of these 100 calorie snacks come from nutritionally poor foods like chips and cookies--and they create extra waste".

Save--Regular Eggs, Why not spend extra money on "free-range" eggs? After all chickens that forage outside produce eggs higher in beta-carotene, omega-3, and vitamin D. The problem is the USDA allow producers to use the "free-range" term if their hens are uncaged with access to the outdoors--but the type of access and time outdoors can greatly vary. And "range" can mean anything from grassy field to a concrete slab. Unless you can talk directly to a farmer, stick to a regular eggs, which is still chock full of nutrients.

These are just a few items from the article and some things things that I have learned in the process, I hope you find them informative. Well I have to go run, I am behind the 8-ball again so hopefully I can catch up this week, I will keep you posted.

Uber Fiber

Well the weekend has begun and I have given the Diva and the Marshall more fiber than they know what to do with. A lot in and a lot out according to the Diva I have given them a "gazillion" fiber grams.LOL. You may not know this but not only am I doing the Gym and Run thing but I also "EAT CLEAN" I made a lifestyle change at the beginning of the year and have been pretty committed to The Eat Clean Diet what that means simply is that I do not eat "processed" foods. I eat lots of fiber (fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts seeds and OMG oatmeal), lean meats protein (meat, fish, tofu), Healthy Fats (olive oil avocado, flaxseed nuts) and drink more water than I thought was possible. It has been fun to share my lifestyle change with the Diva and the Fire Marshall, the Marshall thinks I am a "fiber fanatic" I am not a "fanatic" but the changes I have made in my eating and exercise have directly affected my hair, skin, nails and attitude all in a positive way. To prove to that they are healthy eaters the Diva made a roasted vegetable dish....HELLO it was really good. See not all healthy food has to taste like trees, twigs and bark. Any who......

The Diva and I have started our fitness weekend with a run last night as you are aware she has realized that she was/is able to run her race a little faster than she originally thought. Which is just fantastic, we went to the track to run, we did not really run together the Diva did her thing and I did mine. I was able to run a complete lap (5 times), what I normally do is run the straights and walk the curves. What I discovered or learned is that my pace was too fast to run a lap this early in training.

Yesterday, we went and found some running apparel I have been wanting a pair of running tights, (why? because). My training watch arrived and we got the thing set up and HELLO it is so cool and orange, it makes you want to work a little harder just so you can push yourself. The Diva was so green with envy that ..... well you will see. Anyway I have gotten 9 track miles in this week but if you add the bike and elliptical I have gotten 28 miles in this week, can you say HELLO.

The Diva and I went to the GYM today worked out for about an hour, then off to find a Dr. Scholl machine to find the perfect shoe inserts. That was in an interesting experience. lol

OMG, have I fallen off the training wagon?

I am not sure what is going on with me. I have not been out to run/walk since Thursday, I have worked out daily at the gym. I have planned for the past two nights to get the run in but have not. I have the (special) shoes to run in and ordered a special training watch (very excited about that), still not enough to get me out there to run/walk those 13 laps. (Let me say this if when the "watch" arrives I do not run I will scream). The Diva is due in on Friday, I have to get some time in on the track before she arrives. I spoke with her today and she plans to take lots and lots of pictures of the two of us working out. If you haven't noticed she can be a little competitive, I think she wants to take pictures of me out of breath and gasping for air and maybe sweating like a pig. She will get the picture of the sweating thing, but I really don't want any of those gasping for air photos posted in her blog with a caption that is less than flattering under it. The Diva comes in a few times a year with the FireMarshall, the FireMarshall is here on business and we visit. We plan for the visits with either a shopping weekend (fun) or a home improvement weekend (fun) and now we have added fitness weekend (fun?) to our visits. This is the first time for fitness, the plan is to get some running in, go to the gym to workout, if I had a swimsuit I would like to get some swimming in. Becca has gotten me interested in the swimming I think I would like to add that to my workouts. Thank goodness I don't own a bike. Well I think I will give the run a try again tomorrow, wish me luck.

Bobby pins and Running shoes

I see the Diva told of our daily "workout" conversation. Today's conversation was about my head according to the Diva "I said my head is "perfectly round" and thus the headbands she was using to keep her hair outta her face was falling off. Bandanna - a no go to! Everything was sliding of her "perfectly round" head". Well I literally look like a hot mess when I am at the gym, by the time I finish my lifting circuit and then the cardio workout I am dripping in sweat, red in the face and my hair is dripping and what does not fit into the ponytail hangs in my face. So I have purchased a few (many) no slip headbands hence the comment about my "perfectly round head". However I have Hope, I discovered little bobby pins these may work.

I had another discovery today----- new running shoes, I have been need of a new pair so I hit the jackpot today bobby pins and running shoes. Well now with the new shoes I had no excuse to night not to run/walk. The shoes are wonderful and they ran/walk 13 laps around the high school track. The weather here is great so I am running outside (I am not much for running on treadmill), I started late this evening and stuck with, in fact track complex had gone dark. You know going around so many times it is hard to keep track of what lap your on so I do 13 to be sure I don't want to cheat myself. I worked a little more on form this evening, keeping the arms moving, not making fists and breathing and stretching out my stride. I run the straights and walk the curves. The Diva will be surprised in the words of Becca BRING ITTT! Yesterday, I walked between 4 and 5 miles and felt pretty good about it. Until I read Becca's and Gladys' blog and felt like a lazy lady. (I work out everyday, lazy?????) But I need those things as motivation, keep up the good work ladies.

p.s. I am walking tomorow, it is cardio day at the gym, I don't care what Becca, Gladys or the Diva have planned.

OMG!! Really? Why?

I go to the gym on a regular basis, I see things that I don't understand and wonder why. Perhaps you can help me understand why, why, why you would come to the gym in a pair of sweatpants that are too big, roll down the waist band to just above the crack of your butt, wear your (way) too small camisole and red (sexy kitty) bra to run on the treadmill? Did you think I wouldn't notice that you didn't have on underwear or maybe it wasn't me that you were hoping would notice. The gym brings in all kinds of folks including me, but some of my personal favorites have to be the:

• "senior" men who come for social hour(s), they walk around in sweatsuits that are way too small pants pulled up to their chest and elastic around their ankles and look like they are 10 months pregnant and want to chat with anyone who will stand still,


• or the "senior" who comes in street clothes, hair gel and gold necklace(s) to work out with 20lb weights.


• OMG! did you really come to the gym to meet a man??? I guess I am so naive to believe that you may have come to the gym to work on your body, health. Help me understand, when I work out I sweat and I am not nearly as fresh as I was when I arrived at the gym, if you are working out how or why would you even consider getting close to someone? And if you aren't there to work out what about him? I guess he didn't either....boy I have been out of the game for a while.


• Probably the one that leaves me really confused is why when I walk into the locker must you stand there in all your glory displaying your tattoo's in all those very private places. Also help me understand why oh why do you wear flip flops in the shower and sit your naked bottom on the same bench that I am sure is not has not been clean in how long? People put their shoes on that bench, drop their sweaty towels on it, sit their sweaty bottoms on it and who knows what else and you just put your naked bottom on it REALLY???!!!!! you had on flip flops? What makes you feel so confident to stand in front of me and not wrap a towel around your body, please be a little modest. I see parts of you that even you can't see without a 360 degree mirror. I am not a prude (well maybe a little) but WHY????!!!!

Am I ready?????

I just completed another step in my quest to become a healthier me and compete in a 5k run this summer. I have been going to the gym on the regular for about 6 weeks and feel good about that I lift weights, row, bike and use the elliptical machine eat more fiber than my body knows what to do with, but have been afraid of this day for about 6 weeks. I can be very competitive and this has been one of the more humbling quests, things do not happen as quickly as I would like some folks think that I may be setting my expectations too high.... what is too high? The idea of just finishing the race does not motivate me, that may be all that happens is I just finish..... but I have to set lofty goals or it is just not any fun. Anyway Lisa will be here in about 2 weeks and I need to be able to run around the corner by the time she gets here. Otherwise those expectations will really make us laugh. So no time like the present to get started, I completed my first 3 mile run/walk this morning (it was 50/50). Did I do an 8 minute mile-no, would I have been able to win a race against a small child in a race-no, but I did finish it-yes. YAHOO!! The plan is to get in as many runs as possible before the arrival of the Diva.