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  1. This Could Work, Folks!

    Monday, January 31, 2011

    I gotta say, although Day 1 was not without minor challenges (I totally craved something, anything sweet), I do think I buy into this whole clean eating thing! During my boot camp workout, I didn't feel the same fatigue, soreness, and struggles that I usually do. Don't get me wrong, it was still a tough workout, it just didn't feel as mentally or physically draining as it did before. Maybe there really is something to eating to run. I'll let you know, hopefully before the end of 30 days. I would like to think there is more to this challenge than simply being able to complete it [without killing anyone for a piece of chocolate]. What follows is my food for the day.

     Breakfast:
    blueberries, raspberries, and slivered almonds in coconut milk with a side of coffee. Surprisingly satisfying and REALLY tasty. It is nearly prime berry season here in Florida. Strawberry Festival is next month!
     Lunch:
    Peppered canned tuna wrapped in red lettuce.
     Snacks:
    I've always been a grazer, so I ate most of what I brought to work over the course of the work day (generally from 10:30 AM through 3:30 PM). Today's choices included organic dried apricots, sugar snap peas, cashews, and an apple.
     Dinner:
    I made     chicken with onions, celery, and apples. I've got more than enough for a few servings. Thank goodness it was so packed with flavor and so filling.



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  2. Ol' Mother Hubbard

    Sunday, January 30, 2011


    So the food challenge begins tomorrow -- Monday morning. And lasts for 30 days. In preparation, I cleaned out all of my cupboards and my refrigerator today. A full bag of trash resulted. Half-eaten boxes of pasta, leftover boxes of crackers, and cereal -- gone. Out of fridge went leftover wine, creamer, old yogurt. Regardless of whether I am doing a food challenge, this exercise made it abundantly clear my food stocks needed a good clean out and organization. I'm surprised nothing was growing anywhere. After the jump, you will see some of the yummy things I plan on eating this week.

    I planned out much of my menu using the     Whole Life Eating blog because I have no idea what I'm doing...yet. The recipes are fairly simple, they just don't involve grains. Aack! Anyway, here's my plan, let's hope I can stick with it. For 30 days.

    Breakfast fortunately includes black coffee. I'll be eating berries with coconut milk and topped with slivered almonds most mornings. Otherwise, I'll have a banana. I was never one for a big breakfast anyway.

    Lunch will mostly be leftovers from dinner the night before, or I'll make lettuce wraps. The wrap filling will be things like tuna or waldorf salad.

    Dinner is where I'll be more creative -- cinnamon-spiced ribeye with carrots and squash, ground beef with baked sweet potato topped with pecans, chicken thighs with celery, onion, and apples. Sounds pretty delish, right? I'll let you know if any of them are here in reality.

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  3. Cleaning Up My Nutrition

    Friday, January 28, 2011


    Most of you know that I run to eat. That's been my motto since I first started training for my first (and only) marathon because let's face it, melted cheese, beer, and Combos are phenomenal. Lately, though, I think that might not be the best motto. Maybe one of the reasons I never see stellar run times, or improvement in my run times, is because I do not eat to run. In other words, my fitness reflects my fuel. Crappy fuel; crappy fitness. Good fuel; good fitness. [We won't even touch the subject of my erratic training methods as another reason for lack of improvement in results.]

    So, with the goal of improving my fuel, and hopefully my overall health, I am embarking on what will be a difficult challenge for the next month, starting January 30th. I am not alone, Jacob will be right there with me, but it ain't gonna be easy. The challenge is called The Whole30 and goes little something like this.
    I will not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. [Kicking my chocolate habitat is going to be HAAAAAAARD.]

    I will not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks/meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.

    I will not drink alcohol, in any form. [MINUS, Whole30. BIG minus. I love dirty martinis!]

    I will not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. [But crackers and cereal are what I LIVE ON!!]

    I will not eat legumes. This includes beans (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts or peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin). [So sad, I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER.]

    I will not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, ice cream, etc. [OH MY GOD, I KNOW. CHEESE!!!]

    I will not eat white potatoes.

    I know, it is EXTREME. But it is just 30 days. After 30 days, I will hopefully accomplish the following.
    1. I will know how to make healthier choices and how my food affects how I feel. I can loosen the reins, but not my hold over my nutrition.
    2. I will pay attention to what I put in my pie hole because right now, I do not. At all. And that's just sad.
    3. I will form habits -- including cooking fresh, real food meals -- that will last a lifetime and contribute to my overall health.

    I aim to post daily, if not weekly, what I am eating (and I'll try not to whine too much about what I'm not eating). Feel free to join in the Whole30 challenge with me and go through the grief of letting go of comfort foods like mac n' cheese, pasta, and port wine cheese and crackers. And Taco Bell. And chocolate. And chocolate milk. For one month.

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  4. Janus: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

    Monday, December 27, 2010


    Yet again, this year bestowed upon me many blessings amidst a busy year of travel and change.  God blessed me with another year of health and employment.  My friends showed me strength and resiliency, especially my dear Pink Warrior.  My family showed me unconditional love and support, even when planning a wedding.  My fiance showed me grace, strength, and patience and he continues to show me the world through new eyes.  2011 promises a slew of change, including beginning an entirely new chapter of life.  I'll be sure to keep you all posted.  In the meantime, may your own review of the year result in happy memories and new hopes and dreams for the coming year.

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  5. Quote of the Day

    Wednesday, December 8, 2010

    "Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays."
    Ralph Waldo Emerson


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  6. Giving Back and Eradicating Polio

    Monday, November 15, 2010

    I rarely entreat you, my fair readers, to give to cause and when I do, it is usually for a cause close to my heart or the heart of a friend. As my friends, your heart is my heart and my heart is yours. Just a few months ago Rotary International gave me many gifts - the trip of a lifetime, amazing new friendships, and a deep appreciation for the generosity of the human spirit. The service projects supported and implemented by Rotary Clubs around the world inspire me. The people that make up Rotary are extraordinary, ordinary people with the largest hearts I've ever seen.

    I feel I cannot do enough to repay the generosity I experienced during my Group Study Exchange trip to Brazil. One small drop I can make into my bucket of gratitude is a donation to Rotary International's End Polio Now Campaign. This campaign has contributed to the eradication of polio in all but FOUR countries on Earth. With a huge boost from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary International is hoping to complete the task it started in 1988.

    Before the business of this year's holiday season truly hits, please consider donating to this worthy cause. Read up on the history of Rotary International's efforts to eradicate polio here and here. Donate to the cause here or here. Just think - a polio-free world!

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  7. Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, and Hotoberfest

    Tuesday, November 2, 2010

    For all the times I caught connecting flights in Atlanta, I never once had enough time to venture outside the airport and into the city. Fortunately, Jacob had a job recruitment fair to go to the first weekend of October, and he had an old buddy from his hometown living there willing to put us freeloaders up for a couple of nights. We drove up I-75 on a Friday night to where Jacob's buddy and his wife live. They live in an awesome up-and-coming section of Atlanta known as Glenwood Park. On Saturday we walked over to Hotoberfest where Jacob and I tasted many a yummy microbrewski. We followed all that up with a meal at the Matador Cantina and one heckuva a downer of a Tennessee football game. The game was such a downer that our host with the most could not even down his own shot of tequila. Don't worry. It didn't go to waste ;) To ease the pain of defeat, we all headed to a neighbor's house to get the good times rolling again.

    The universe has a way of letting us all know how small the world really is through coincidences that blow our minds. In Glenwood Park, at a friend of a friend of a friend's neighbor's house, I ran into an old graduate school friend from Miami that I had not seen in nearly 5 years. It was incredible and no one present could believe it. There I am sitting on the couch in this person's house, and in walks my friend. Through my daze of disbelief and confusion, I call his name out across the room. The room goes silent as everyone watches the two of us recognize each other. I still can't believe it! It was wonderful to catch up with each other and the moment made me remember what an awesome experience graduate school was for me. I'm getting nostalgic again as I write this now...

    Early the following morning, I drove Jacob to his prep session with his headhunter. Most of Jacob's day would be spent in hotel conference rooms with his recruiter and fellow job hunters preparing for Monday's job interviews. Because the hotel was close to my cousin's apartment, I totally woke her up with a ridiculous good morning phone call! Fortunately, she knew I would do that and she gave me directions to her place. She and I spent most of the day together -- catching up, talking about life, and searching around the mall for bridesmaids accessories. Ultimately, the bridesmaids ended up with nothing, but Jacob got a new shirt and power tie out of the deal. Who knew Donald Trump designed ties?!?

    When Jacob finished his prep sessions, I picked him up and we made our way back to Glenwood Park for dinner and more football. As it was Sunday and everyone had an early morning, our evening was called pretty early (especially after doing a quarter mile of lunges around the local high school's track). I was looking forward to a day in the city, and to hearing good news from Jacob's job interviews.

    Monday morning I drove Jacob back to his job recruitment headquarters on the other side of the city. After saying "Adios and good luck!", I drove downtown to the largest aquarium in THE WORLD -- The Georgia Aquarium.



    Home to whale sharks, manta rays, coral, and belugas, this place BLEW my mind. In front of the 6.3 million gallon Ocean Voyager exhibit, I became entranced. I could have sat in front of that aquarium for days!


    The grace of the animals and the many thoughts that came to mind while watching them kept me dreaming. I also wondered how ethical it really is to keep these humongous, beautiful creatures trapped in a tank of water hundreds of miles away from the ocean. Sure, this may be the only way others or I could even see or experience these creatures, but is it the best way? A conundrum, to be sure, and I can only hope it results in more water advocates. For water covers more than 70% of our planet, yet it is the least protected and most abused ecosystem. To many, oceans, lakes, and rivers seem like a mysterious abyss, infinitely capable of absorbing all the harms we inflict upon them. To me, they are our most fragile resources and they have been taken for granted for far too long.

    I spent several hours walking through all the amazing exhibits. I was mesmerized by the white beluga and the river otters. I was astonished by all the fish species and delighted by the jellyfish. I was sad that only Pacific coral reef species were on display, rather than (or not in addition to) the geographically-closer Caribbean coral reef species. Oh well, even the largest aquarium in the world can't have a whole OCEAN inside its walls....





    After getting my fill of water wonder, and nearly killing my phone's battery because of all my picture-taking, I walked outside to a beautiful southern fall day in downtown Atlanta. Just a hop away from the aquarium is the infamous Centennial Olympic Park. In 1996, Atlanta hosted the 100th year of the Summer Olympic Games. The Park was created as the central gathering place for the games. The Park hosted entertainment, concerts and receptions; food, beverages and Olympic merchandise vendors and was a central meeting location for volunteers and pin trading.

    SIDE NOTE: I am an Olympics JUNKIE. I fell in love with the games the year Mary Lou Retton stole all of our hearts. I fell in love with them all over again in the winter of the Battle of Brians and of two talented figure skaters performing to the dramatic music of Carmen. Kerri Strug, the Miracle on Ice, Michael Phelps. The legends and the lore -- I love it all. The Olympics are my World Series and March Madness rolled into two and half weeks of human-interest stories and peaceful competition. Ask me sometime about attending the Sydney Olympics -- there is NO OTHER experience like it.

    Anyway, back to the park. I could not have asked for a more beautiful day to stroll around the park. Beautiful clear skies, pleasant temperatures, and no crowds. I took my time walking around while sipping a hot cup of coffee. My favorite parts of the park were probably the fountain in centennial plaza and the "quilt garden". There are a series of metal and brick "quilts" that commemorate several aspects of the 100th Summer Olympics. One of the quilts is in remembrance of the 111 people injured and the 1 person killed by the bombing in the park, which occurred on July 27, 1996. The Quilt of Remembrance features a mosaic of stones from around the world to honor those injured in the explosion and an eternal light shines in memory of Alice Hawthorne, who perished. It was very moving to linger by this memorial quilt, and by all the quilts, including the quilt of nations.


    After touring through Centennial Park, I settled on a bench in the sun and read my book while I waited for Jacob's call. When he calls, I say good-bye to Atlanta. I never knew how much I would enjoy it! Fortunately, Jacob's interviews went well and traffic was easy for the ride home. I am so appreciative to our hosts and for the many blessings that came out of that weekend. The weather was perfect, I ran into and caught up with an old friend, I had a wonderful visit with my dearest cousin, and Jacob found a job! Really, what more could one ask for from a long weekend? If you ever get the chance to escape the airport terminal, I think Atlanta is well worth a visit!

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