So, after reading all your concerned emails and comments, I’m changing the rules of the challenge. Why? Because I can. You can do Bikram 5x a week if you want or you can just do regular yoga. I don’t want anyone to think I’m trying to push your body past your limit if you know heat is not for you…and it’s not for everyone. I’ve been practicing Bikram for 8 years now and, personally, I loooove the heat (I’m a Florida girl, remember?!) but I know some people respond to it differently…and it is very intense. So…no pressure! Do whatever you like, to the extent you want to take it.
This afternoon I snacked on some Oikos + kashi:
Santa came early and told me I could go to Macys and pick out new jeans so that’s what I did this afternoon. 
Gosh…don’t you just LOVE new jeans?! Makes you feel so good. The last time I got new jeans was literally 3 1/2 years ago so these feel especially lovely on my boo-tay. I took a 45 minute walk when I got home to “break ‘em in”.
Gosh…don’t you just LOVE new jeans?! Makes you feel so good. The last time I got new jeans was literally 3 1/2 years ago so these feel especially lovely on my boo-tay. I took a 45 minute walk when I got home to “break ‘em in”.
For dinner I made a quick and easy salad with edamame, corn and quinoa. Basically, I took the recipe out of Veganomicon and added cooked quinoa to it. It’s one of my favorites!
Uhhh yeah, there might have been more kabocha involved as well.
I used 1 scoop Jay Robb, 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/2 tsp xanthan gum, pinch sea salt, cinnamon, squirt of honey and ice. Topped it with pom seeds and dark chocolate chips!
Tried to photo the toppings as they sunk into my masterpiece….
Unfortunately I have a major migraine right now. I thought I left my chronic migraines behind on the east coast but apparently not. This is actually my first migraine in months….I used to get them ALL THE TIME during college but haven’t had one since last Spring. I used to take prescription migraine meds (Imitrex) but stopped last year because of how crappy and sick they made me feel. Now, if I get the migraine during the day I’ll take excedrin migraine but if I get it at night (now), I just have to battle it out with ice and massage because I cannot take a caffeine pill right about now. And, no, my headache is not from Bikram yoga. I’ve been migraine plagued since I was 12 (runs in my family) and have a knot the size of Texas on the back of my neck right now, which is causing a wee bit of tension.
Goooooodnight.
{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
Sorry about the migraine. I hope you feel better!
I’ve done Bikram once and it was definitely intense. With the cold weather in New England, it is so refreshing and relaxing to go, though! I definitely want to go again.
That salad sounds great. I have a bag of frozen edamame in the freezer and keep wondering how to use it.
Sorry about the headache. Check the label for Excedrin Migraine. I pretty sure it’s exactly the same as the regular Excedrin they just make you pay more when they market it for migraines. I used to plan meetings and events for pharmaceutical companies and they sometimes trick you by the labeling.
If you’re like me and counting every penny there’s no reason to pay more if you don’t have to!!
maybe i can personalize the challenge and make a healthy shake such as the one in your post instead of eating ice cream every night. hmmmm. that might be enough of a challenge for me, though the shake looks yum.
I have a migraine tonight as well! I’ve decided to turn in early and watch a movie =). Good excuse, right?
Hope you feel better soon!
That milkshake just looks so delicious. So classy, too.
Hope you feel better in the a.m!
I feel your pain sistah. I have suffered from Tension Headaches since I was young. I have tried every prescription medication known to man. The only thing that really works is Excedrin Tension Headache. After years of going to Neurologists and Headache Specialists I was told by a dentist I get them b/c I grind my teeth at night. I hate taking Prescription Meds or any meds for that matter so I usually just lay in bed with the lights off. I dont get them that often anymore but I know what your going through. Hope you feel better.
I’m reading the book: Yoga and the Quest for the True Self. I read a section that made me think of you and your Yoga Challenge. It’s on page 142-3: “In their original context, yogic practices were completely submerged in a web of relationship – relationships to extended family, village, teachers, holy men and women.” – Your blog is creating a Yoga family. It’s really amazing!
I hope you feel better. Keep inspiring people…
I’ve seriously got to get my hands on that squash. For you to be this addicted, it’s got to be amazing!
so glad you posted this. at the gym today, i was thinking “i wonder if it’s safe for someone not familiar with bikram to do it 5x a week!”
but still, a great idea!
smoothie looks delish
awww I hope the migraine eases up and you are able to sleep ok
No fun.
That ‘shake’ looks ridiculous good!! Good luck with your migraine, I get them too, they’re the pits!
The first time I heard of corn and edamame together it made me want to gag, haha.. until I tried it! It is such an unusually delicious combination.
I hope you get some good rest and feel better in the morning! xoxo
The first time I heard of pairing corn and edamame together, I thought it sounded disguisting.. until I tried it! It’s such an unusually delicious combination!
I hope you get some good rest and feel better in the morning.
That milkshake looks awesome! Where do you buy the xanthan gum? Think I’m ready to experiment with that.
By the way, I just recently found your blog and I love it! I love how you make healthy food exciting and beautiful. I look forward to following you. Good luck on your yoga challenge!
oops, didnt mean to post twice.. my comment didnt show up at first.
I am really sorry to hear that you are having such BAD headaches again… I am also happy to hear that you got new JEANS… that is my favorite thing to buy when I go shopping!!
The milkshake looks perfect – I love the glass!
I also used to get chronic migraines in college – I got them so frequently one year, that I had to take Topamax (a drug they use for patients with epilepsy) to prevent them. The side effects were awful, but it was the only way I could function! I pin pointed some of my triggers (drastic temp changes, caffeine, etc.) and tried to avoid them. Ultimately, I think that stress was the biggest factor for me. Now, (thankfully) I am significantly less-stressed (or just managing it better) and have not gotten a migraine in 3 years. I hope you feel better!
Sorry you have a migraine. But your dinner looked great!
I hope your headache goes away! I’m sure the milkshake will help!
Hope you feel better. I used to get chronic migraines and actually going on the pill helped control them. Like you said in your earlier post, I really hated Bikram the first few times I tried it, but maybe I’ll try again… It’s just so hot!!!
hi jenna – im so sorry about your migraine! ive been getting them since 5th grade
I actually get sick from them and can’t keep medicine down…pretty annoying when trying to get rid of one! About a year ago I discovered that chocolate (now this is really sad) causes migraines for me. I’ve only had two migraines in the past year by avoiding chocolate, whereas before, I got them monthly. I’m sure doctors have asked you this before, but have you eaten anything different in the past week? It takes about two days for the migraine to form for me after I eat chocolate.
Either way – I hope this one doesn’t last long and you feel better in the morning!!
Sorry about the migraine, hopefully some rest and sleep will make it go away.
I LOVE new jeans, but have to limit myself, because I prefer to buy designer jeans, they fit me so much better than other jeans!
So interesting reading other peoples’ responses to migraines! I hope you feel better. Used to get them when I was lil too. My only solution? Hot water in a bathtub! and I mean SCALDING!
I don’t like jeans. Too constraining… which is why I think I live in stretchy workout pants
I hope you feel better soon. I got on top of my teen son’s migraines several years ago . . . I figured out that he only got them if he was lacking in sleep or fluids. Be sure to hydrate more than you even want to on the weeks that you do Bikram and see if you excape them. Get your beauty sleep, too
Feel better!
You are one dedicated woman for blogging with a migraine. I don’t often get headaches, but when they do, I know how debilitating they can feel.
Rest up! Post some hot pics of your new jeans, soon!
hey jenna–i’ve recently become obsessed with your blog! i happened upon it a few days ago, and was so shocked because your photos look almost identical to the concoctions i make for myself. i love healthy-happy foodies
anyways, after your bikram post, i went to one for the first time in two years and i feel SOSOSOSO good. thanks for inspiring me, and i hope your migraine lessens.
I have been migraines forever! I got them a lot when I was back in my home town with my entire family there in college. Once I moved away, they have slowly started to subside. That is, until I started my masters. I get migraines every few months now instead of 2-3 times a week like I used to back home. I take Advil Migraine. It works really well. I used to take a prescription that was also a narcotic, but I ran out, and have been too lazy to get another prescription. I don’t even know how you were able to look at the computer screen with a migraine. I have to be in a dark room, and they even make me puke sometimes the pain is so intense.
Feel better!
I am sorry about your headache! Maybe you have tried this already, but I thought I’d recommend acupuncture or massage therapy.
Sometimes if you have stress/tension in your neck it can really effect your head.. chiropractic can also help.
Also, at the chiropractic office I used to work at, we used to treat headaches with heat on the head, ice on the neck and then switch after 5 minutes. I never tried it myself, but patients seemed to like it.
Love Fabulous Denim, FD as I call it
I seriously have an addiction to designer denim! What kind did you get? Hope your bootay is lovin them!
So sorry to hear about your migraine! Hope it’s just a one time thing and not a recurring issue.
That quinoa dish looks amazing. I always get stumped regarding what to add to quinoa, your lil’ recipe just got the creative cooking juices flowing!
Hope your head feels better this morning!
YIKES! Hope you’re feeling better!
Have you tried magnesium for your migraines? My brother in law used to have daily migraines until he started taking a magnesium suppliment once a day. He has not had one migraine in months ( since starting the suppliment). It might be worth a try. Hope you feel better soon.
Feel better girl!!
xo
K
My sister used to get horrible migraines daily. We kept taking her to doctor after doctor and no one could figure out why. Then we ran out of soda and she didn’t have one for a week. We discovered on our own that she’s allergic to caffeine. Now she doesn’t even eat dark chocolate, but she hasn’t had a migraine since. If you haven’t had one in a while, that may not be the cause, but it’s worth a shot!
Hope the headache feels better- i have been suffering with them since i was 10 or so. do you think that you are well hydrated- i know that hydration is a trigger for me, and getting back to bikram again, i know you are sweating a lot more than usual. just a thought.
Migraines suck.
Hopefully it was just a fluke and won’t become a regular thing.
Hey Jenna,
How do you rinse your quinoa? I guess the holes are too big in my strainer and the quinoa just goes right through it! Is there a trick to this? And is it just me, or does the quinoa stick to EVERYTHING!!! It’s good, but it’s hard to work with! Clue me in!
Thanks Jenna!
Jamie in Arkansas
rigdon@mtnhome.com
my boss goes to Bikram 6 out of 7 days a week. it works for her I guess – I’d be bored and burnout
Jamie in Arkansas: I am not Jenna, but I line my strainer with a tea towel or paper towels when I rinse my quinoa – it helps a lot!!
Hope you are feeling much better this morning!
Sorry I jumped right to the Bikram last night on twitter! I also have a history with migraines! Some of mine were exercise induced when I would get too overheated! I couldn’t take a step class without getting one!
How about the lack of wine the last few days? (The horror)
You said you used to get them in college…writing papers…and now you are writing a book! Connection?
Anyway hope you are feeling great today!
Jenna, I have to echo Amis’ suggestion about the magnesium. I have gotten terrible migraines for years (especially when the barometric pressure drops). It sounds so similar to yours – knot on the back of my neck, tension, and the only thing that sort of helps is an ice pack or a cold shower. I read online that magnesium supplements can help, so I bought a $4 bottle from Wal-Mart and it’s helped SO MUCH. I’ve only had one mildly bad headache in MONTHS. I used to get them every two weeks or so.
Please try it – it saved my life. Such a relief to not have to deal with those dibilitating headaches anymore!
Christin
It takes me forevvvver to find a pair of jeans that fits… which is probably why I haven’t bought a new in..oh.. i don’t even know. The last pair I bought that fit realyl well was 6 years ago, and then 2 years ago they ripped in the crotch. And now I have no jeans. I should probably get on that
Hope your migraine(s) get better!
Hope you feel better soon!!
Aw, I’m sorry to read about your migraine. It sounds like something you know how to manage, which is good, so just take it easy.
Maybe the migraine is from the Bikram? Didn’ you used to get really bad headaches after running in the heat?
Hi Jenna,
hope you feel better today!
I’m so so so sorry about your migraines! I have gotten them since I was 12 as well but they have tapered a bit in the past couple years ( I still get them though). I was never able to take the prescription meds because of how crappy they made me feel and even Excedrin Migraine didn’t do it for me. I now just take gobs of advil and hide in a dark room and try to sleep.
I hope you start feeling better. I completely sympathize with you. Seriously. Do you get numbness and sight loss during your migraines? That is what really kills me.
I hope your migrane is better by now!
I hope you’re feeling better this morning, Jenna!
If you go to Bikram today, maybe some half tortoise will help loosen up your neck.
I hope your head feels better! Beautiful simple dinner… maybe this will be the first and last migrane on the west coast?…
Hope you got some sleep last night and are feeling refreshed today!
Jenna! I made your famous enchiladas last night. I subsituted fat free ground turkey for the chicken and used some Texas Pete instead of the salsa (I was all out!) Let me just tell you, they were the best enchiladas I’ve ever tasted! I made them for my boyfriend and he scarfed down THREE big ones. My brother was just going to “try a bite” and ended up eating an entire enchilada (after he got home from dinner!) Needless to say, they were a huge hit. Thanks for the recipe
New jeans, salad, early Santa, yoga, milkshake….yah!
Hope it’s gone–and soon.
Migraines
i love new jeans! you always feel good in them even if they look exactly like your old ones!
Hope you’re feeling better after a good night’s rest!
just googled Bikram and headaches, and yes it’s a problem, they have the studios way too hot. There is no need for it to be so hot in there, and quite frankly very bad for you. Dehydration is a big factor, these yoga instructors are probably not aware of all the medical problems that can stem from this practice.
hey, i’ve been reading for awhile. but this is my first comment.
i, too, am a migraine sufferer. imitrex makes me sick, too. here’s what works for me: celebrex. seriously. i take 2 or 3 when i feel a migraine coming on. i lay down and fall asleep for around 1 to 2 hours and then, i’m fine.
it might be worth a try because you can take it at night.
That salad looks absolutely delish…I totally had a migraine last night too and just slept it out. Hope you’re feeling better today!
Thanks for changing the “rules” to any form of yoga. I’m a strong believer in the benefits of a regular yoga practice! For anyone that can’t make it to a class 5 times a week a home practice is a wonderful thing to start! There are so many books and websites with poses you can do on your own. I like yoga journal’s website and often post a “yoga pose of the day” on my blog as inspiration for my readers.
Sounds like you need a good massage!! Knots are the worst :O/
Jenna
I didn’t read comments above me,so sorry if already written but do you think your migraine could be related to going off coffee?
I had headaches for TWO weeks when I quit coffee 2 years ago….it was a rough few weeks!
Hopefully some black tea will “take you over the hump”!
Feel better !!
I hope your migraine gets better! I suffer from those and it is literally the worst. Get some sleep!
Jenna – I get migraines as well so I feel your pain (literally!). So far the best fix I’ve found is doctor prescribed Fioricet. Gotta close your eyes and sleep right when you take it but wake up feeling much better!!! Hope you get back to feeling 100% soon!
Sorry to hear it
Feel better! I’ve struggled with migraines my whole life too, they absolutely suck! I’ve always found a hot bubble bath and a nice sleep in a dark room is the best for me.
Your milkshake looks delicious! Will definitely have to try that one. Hope you feel better
So sorry about the migraines, those are the worst. I get awful headaches and sometimes migraines and I was wondering if you ever tried feverfew? I feel like I take excedrin all the time and was hoping to find some natural alternative. Again, so sorry you are suffering through a migraine. Shut off all the lights and sleep.
Feel better!
Your HEAB shake looks amazing. I need to make it. Hope you have a great day!!
Ahhh sorry about the migraine.
Im trying my first bikram class in your honor this weekend!! SOOO scared!!
Celebrex is the bomb-diggity for migranes!! And is also great for the tension problems / knots in the neck..
your ‘milk shake’ looked soo good i had to make one. i did not have the gum yet($$$), but i tried it anyways. I used a scoop jay robb, USAB, agave, a scoop AMAZING GRASS chocolate superfood, and a scoop of PB2!! it was great, you must try it for a choco-pb twist!
Please may I have the recipe for that quinoa salad? It looks so good, I am drooling….(tried to find it on Veganomicon but no luck)