Hi friends!

Thank you all so much for your support in my little endeavor! If you  haven’t voted yet, please click here to vote for Jenna to become the new Murphy-Goode Wine Girl (and move to a sweet new pad in wine country).

I’ve had a lot of readers ask how many times they can vote and whatnot, and truth be told, I’m not 100% sure how that works. I don’t think that they necessarily pick the person with the most votes to come out for an interview, but I know they must LOOK at that and it must have some sort of factor in the decision. Who knows! If it is meant to be it’ll be and they close applications on June 1st so I have until then to really rack in the votes! Love you guys!

This afternoon I made my ritual 2:30 juice using all of the below—

I love adding cucumber because it adds a nice bit of coolness to the juice! This was yummy beet, apple, ginger, celery and cuc juice. Look at how pretty—

I swear drinking whole fruit & veggie juice every day that I make myself has really helped to clear up my skin! Lately, my skin has been “glowing” and I really give all the credit to the juice since the rest of my diet is the same as it always has been. Who knows? Beet juice might be the magical cure all.

My afternoon was this new beauty of a bar that I bought for one of these Raw Wednesdays—

I couldn’t wait to try it! It sounded so amazing and, lo and behold, it was AWESOME! I’ve never seen this bar before so I can’t tell you where exactly you can find it, but if you do see it then I definitely recommend picking one up. Its a raw bar made from coconut, chia seeds and almond butter and I loved the little crunch of the chia and the coolness of the coconut. It contained 220 calories, 14 grams of (healthy) fat and 7 grams of protein! I need to go and hunt down some more of these now because I think I might have an addiction…..

And then for dinner my dad and I went out for Vietnamese food—my favorite! I ordered a rice noodle bowl with lemongrass tofu on it and it was spendid:

Which I promptly covered in sriracha—

It was delicious. My dad ordered the same thing but with grilled shrimp and he loved it as well

And then afterwards we walked next door to D’Lite for a little froyo treat.

I had a small pistachio with chocolate chips…it was yummy!

Sadly, and as we all probably know, when it rains it pours and my mom had to fly up to Wisconsin this morning because her father (my grandpa) is really not doing well at all. Its a very scary situation and he has major surgery tomorrow morning so please keep our family in your prayers…..once again. Even though life is sort of sucking right now I do have 100% faith that everything will be okay in the end. Because really, in the end, faith is all we have and I’ve gotta cling to something during this tragic time.

When I got home I sipped on a glass of red wine while blogging

I’m off—see you in the morn’! But first……...head over to Gena’s blog to enter in our first Raw Wednesday giveaway!! =)

© Jenna for Eat, Live, Run, 2009. | Permalink | 58 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: dinner out, froyo, juice, Product Reviews, Raw Wednesday Challenge, Snack, wine

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Hi friends

I hope everyone’s Monday has been going well. This afternoon definitely called for juice. I had a dull headache and this cured it—

MUCH better than Bud Light….this was carrot, celery, ginger, beet, kale and apple juice! I actually picked this beet and kale myself from the community garden at the yoga studio yesterday! How much fresher can you possibly get?!

I also had yet another peanut butter mousse!

This time, I used a serving of chocolate PB2 mixed with 1/2 cup 2% Fage and topped with cacao nibs. All I can say is heaven. Where has this concoction been all my life?! Today alone I ate up all the samples that Bell Plantation generously sent me so I had to take things in my own hands and go hunting for more. Asap.

I guess this stuff is pretty hard to find but you can go to the Bell Plantation website and there’s a store locater there, as well as an online store so you can order yours today! Trust me, it’s worth it just for this “mousse”. I would sub this for cheesecake any day! As for me, I found it at D’Lites, a froyo place near my parent’s house. I’ve seen it there before so I knew exactly where to go today.

I went to my parent’s house to watch Oprah with my mom and then I came home and started dinner….I texted Ryan to tell him I was making a surprise tonight and to not be home late. What was the surprise, you ask?! What do you think??

Yep, the first meal in the new oven should obviously be pizza, since that was the last meal we attempted three weeks ago! Tonight I made Ryan a big pizza and made myself a mini individual pizza, using the below recipe for dough. I’ve tweaked and tweaked this half whole wheat pizza dough countless times and feel like it finally has reached perfection!  I don’t like to use ALL whole wheat flour in my doughs because it typically yields a very dense product since whole wheat flour lacks gluten and protein. Using a ratio of all purpose to whole wheat makes the dough light and chewy but still gives you the benefit of the whole wheat. Its the best of both worlds and a very favorite of mine

The Best Pizza Crust

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/3 cup warm water
• 1 packet yeast
• 1.5 tsp sea salt

In a mixing bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Stir in the salt and flour and mix on medium high speed on your KitchenAid for 5 minutes. While the mixer is going, drizzle in the olive oil. When the dough is soft and elastic, take out of the bowl, rub with olive oil and then place back in the bowl, cover with a dish towel and let rise for one hour. After the dough has doubled in size, cut in half to make two large pizza doughs or make mini doughs. You could also do what I like to do and freeze the dough in a plastic baggie for another time! When you are ready for your pizza, roll out the dough, cover with your toppings and bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes.

You could also make this dough without an electric mixer…..just knead by hand for about 8 minutes and then follow above steps! I’ve made it by hand many, many times and it always comes out right.

So, for Ryan’s pizza I did the traditional pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni (he’s a guy!)….but for MINE I did something a little different! I made the “Thai Chick-Un” sauce from Dreena Burton’s Eat, Drink and Be Vegan and used this very special peanut butter in it that I’ve been dying to test out:

Wowza this stuff is s-p-i-c-y! Even for a girl that loves spice, this stuff is a kick in the mouth. Love it though, but it sure is fire! This peanut butter would be killer with raw veggies but not so good with jam for a sammie. I see it more as dips or as an awesome ingredient in a peanut soba noodle dish.

So, I spread that deliciously spicy peanut buttery sauce on my mini pizza and then layered on yummy bell pepper strips, fresh pineapple chunks, chickpeas and bean sprouts! It came out divine!

Every chef gets a glass of wine in this house!

And froyo for dessert!

Ryan LOVED the surprise, of course! He’s practicing his guitar right now (slowly learning how to serenade me) and I’m about to hit my book and call it a night.

Click here for $2 off yummy Quaker pancake mix! I have it and love it

© Jenna for Eat, Live, Run, 2009. | Permalink | 55 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: froyo, homemade pizza, juice, Product Reviews, recipes, Snack, wine

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I have to say, I feel physically and mentally drained today. Its as if the weight of all that happened in the past two weeks is resting on my shoulders and I have a tension headache. Sorry to be debbie downer, but its just that kind of night!

This afternoon I sipped on some fabulous peppermint tea while I wrote—

Peppermint tea is a favorite of mine. It never fails to calm me down and I’ve drank it for years!

I also snacked on a banana with almond butter a little later—

I went with my parents to grief counseling and it was good….well not “good” but as good as grief counseling can be I guess. I’m glad they took control and made me go with me because I’m much more of a writer than a talker and my previous feelings were why cry to someone else about my problems when it won’t bring John back. However, I do admit it helps to just get it out and the woman I have been working with is amazing and very experienced. She lost her brother, too, so she can relate more with what I am going through than anyone else.

Dinner was simple and satisfying

I made a salad with organic greens, mushrooms and a tomato and drizzled on some homemade balsamic vinegarette (a splash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a touch of sea salt) and had it with rotisserie chicken breast and a baked sweet potato

+ a small glass of red wine for good measure

We still have so many unopened bottles of wine that friends brought over the week that my brother died….my parents could probably run a liquor store out of their house! I generously took a bottle off their hands

And after dinner, I met Courtney at Berryism for a frozen yogurt treat since I was sort of just wallowing by myself at home and Ryan has a business dinner tonight and won’t be home till late. I got a kid’s size of the all natural green tea yogurt topped with coconut and chocolate chips!

It hit the spot. I love that place.

Now I’m sipping on more peppermint tea and I’m about to take a bath and get in bed even though its only 8:15. I don’t know why I have felt more drained today than any day so far but I guess its just the stress of it all. Tomorrow I was planning on going to yoga but I don’t think my wrist is going to be up to it yet (it STILL hurts, yall!) so I’m going to go to spinning instead and then to IKEA because I finally made a *tiny* list. Nothing big, just some kitchen stuff because my mom and I are cleaning the entire condo all afternoon tomorrow and then our new oven finally arrives tomorrow evening!

Have a great night!

© Jenna for Eat, Live, Run, 2009. | Permalink | 30 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: banana with ab, Dinner, froyo, Snack, tea

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Well, I’ll tell you one true thing. Nights are definitely the hardest. I’ll keep my composure all day long and then as soon as night falls, I’m a mess.

John’s dean and English teacher both came over to the house this afternoon to express their condolences. I was so excited to finally meet John’s English teacher because I knew that John actually TEXT MESSAGED him all the time when he had questions on the homework! I can’t imagine actually texting my professor, so I knew this guy had to be awesome…. and he was. We told stories and talked literature…it was wonderful. We all nibbled on some chips with salsa (I had one cheese cube as well) while we reminisced

And then Mikey arrived

He’s amazing. SO tiny….I can just picture John holding him in his arms and loving him so much. He never would admit that he loved cats because it wasn’t “manly” enough, but he had a soft spot for any little creature and so many times I would catch John just sitting and brushing Dexter over and over.

Mikey and Mikan sniffed each other out and are starting to become a little more comfortable. Mikan is obviously used to being the prince of the house so its going to be a little adjustment to have the new kid around. When we set them down together, Mikan just licked Mikey all over and they just sat and stared at each other. I can’t believe how tiny this little kitty is! You all would love him.

Dinner was obviously leftovers. I made a plate of Spanish yellow rice with chicken topped with black beans, raw onions and hot sauce. A sweet neighbor brought over a sushi roll and I had two pieces of that as well:

After dinner things sort of fell apart again. My grief is like the ocean and uncontrollable at times it seems. I go through stages of sadness, fear and rage and tonight was definitely rage. I was just so angry and it almost scared me because I never get angry like that. Afterwards I just sat in the corner of my brother’s room, shaking, until my dad came up and held me.

After I regained my composure I went to Berryism for some organic chocolate froyo Sometimes when nothing else will do, frozen yogurt heals you

I don’t want to depress anyone here though so with that, I’m going to bed! Tomorrow is the senior’s last day of classes and all the boys are picking up John’s car and taking it to school to decorate. Tomorrow is also TATTOO DAY! My mom, dad and I are all getting tattoos in John’s honor and I know you all don’t know my family, but my parents are pretty much the last people in the entire universe that I would EVER think would get a tattoo. If you could only have seen the look on my mother’s face when I showed up home from college on break with a flower tattooed on my foot. I thought she would die. And now she is getting one! Crazy.

I am getting up and swimming laps in the morning. Going forward is the only option now. I’m so sorry if I haven’t personally responded to all of your sweet, sweet emails. I have read them all….probably each about 50 times. My inbox is full and every time I read your words I feel a little stronger. Thank you!

See you in the morning, friends!

© Jenna for Eat, Live, Run, 2009. | Permalink | 97 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: froyo, leftovers

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Eeeeek I’m ready for bed over here and its only 7:45!

I got these dead sea salts with eucalyptus scent and I am going to soak myself in a long hot bath tonight with my new book and then just fall into bed with hopefully clearer nasal passages.

This afternoon I found the COOLEST new product at the health food store! I was on my way home from the doctor and stopped to pick up macadamia nuts (the one thing I couldn’t find at Greenwise today that I need to make a recipe tomorrow) and look what I found……

They are soooo delicious!! These tiny cookies are as light as air and have a yummy coconut/sesame taste. They are no larger than the size of a quarter and would be amazing crumpled over oatmeal. I tried one in the car and then my mom and I tried another at home. I can’t believe they are raw! This brand, Go Raw, also makes raw granola and granola bars made from oat groats, nuts and seeds. How interesting!

When I got home I tried to lay down with my eye mask on for 30 minutes but failed miserably (I am 100% unable to nap. Meh) so I got up and fixed dinner………I warned you, it would be simple tonight!

I bought this new Amy’s soup a couple weeks ago and was stoked to finally get to try it after my initial tasting of Tom Kha Phak last Sunday. Well, I was definitely not disappointed! This soup was light yet very filling due to the healthy fats in the coconut (I ate the whole can for 440 calories and 26 grams of coconut-y fat). I loved the delicate Thai spices and the yummy addition of tofu, sweet potatoes, green beans and carrots. I thoroughly enjoyed this bowl and will have to search out this soup again (since it seems to be a little hard to find!). Definitely up there with my other top two favorite Amy’s soups—Curried Lentil and Split Pea.

After I ate I cleaned my room and headed out to Walgreens to pick up allergy Rx (thank you, God!) and head over to Ryan’s. On the way, I stopped at my newest obsession, Berryism, to pick up some froyo!

This is a kid’s size cup of their non fat organic chocolate yogurt with dark chocolate chips and coconut! Yum!

Soooooooooo good =)

This evening I have a special guest post from cookware.com for you guys! If you have never browsed through Cookware.com’s mind boggling selection of kitchen appliances, cookware sets, teas, coffees, kitchen furniture…..you are in for a treat! I only recently stumbled upon this kitchen mecca-site and have to admit, I made quite a few wish-lists (birthday is in June, people!! already. For us foodies, this site is pure heaven! When I was asked to pick my favorite product for them to give you more information about, I instantly thought of my beloved Vita-Mix. Seriously, I know these things are expensive but I really don’t know how I lived so long without it!! I also thought that SINCE these bad boys are so $$, yall might like to learn some more facts about it before you make the investment!

So, without further adoo, please welcome Cookware.com’s description of the Vita-Mix!

Vita-Mix Blenders: Versatile Blenders for Versatile Dietary Habits

by Cookware.com
As a nation, we’re facing a lot of health problems that are related to how we eat, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart issues. The problem generally isn’t that people are consciously choosing to eat unhealthier foods. Rather it is because healthy foods are by-and-large more time-consuming to make so people who have busier lifestyles oftentimes opt for processed foods that can be unhealthy. This is why having the right blender or food processor is very important if you are looking to eat well, as it makes the preparation a lot easier.

This is also why the most important characteristic of a blender is how versatile it is. Having a blender that can work at a number of different processing speeds makes it easier to prepare a wide range of healthy foods. A great example of versatility in action is the Vita-Mix Professional series blender. As it is commercial-grade quality Vita-Mix runs on the premium end of the price spectrum, and is a huge investment money-wise. But if you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle or are just looking for a way to prepare food on the run, you’ll find that every penny is worth it. And at the very least it is a lot worthier investment health wise than fine china dinnerware.

What makes Vita-Mix blenders so versatile its 2 horsepower engine (which is very powerful by blender standards). This, along with a laser-cut stainless steel blade and varied setting controls gives it the ability to chop, slice, puree, emulsify, and grind just about anything in a matter of minutes. At its fastest setting, it is able to go 240 M.P.H., which creates enough friction to create hot soup out of raw vegetables and broth in just five minutes.

The end result of all of this is that you can create nearly every type of food or drink available, from hummus to smoothies, to sauces and ice cream. You can even perform such varied tasks as grinding coffee beans and kneading dough. And for people who want to include more raw fruits and vegetables in their diet, Vita-Mix is a godsend, as it makes food prep extremely easy with sacrificing nutrients.

If you’re only planning on using a blender occasionally to make basic smoothies or pina colada, then you might want to opt for a more inexpensive basic blender. But if you’re struggling to find a way to eat healthier without committing a lot of time, you’ll find that Vita-Mix is worth the investment.

[Jenna again]

…………..I’m actually whipping my Vita-Mix out tomorrow to make a delicious new dessert that I am super excited about! Be sure to tune in tomorrow to find out what my latest concoction is….!

Ryan is off to buy me bananas (what a guy), and I am off to soak in my mineral bath and read. We are party people, let me tell you! Tomorrow’s plan includes an early morning workout then Ryan and I are headed out fishing all morning (aka he will fish and I will lounge in the sun and read). I’ll be back after breakfast though–I have something new planned and I’m hoping it works!

© Jenna for Eat, Live, Run, 2009. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: froyo, Product Reviews, raw, soup, vegan

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Dinner tonight revolved around this:

Except the big plans I had for it rather failed due to lack of fresh produce and cornstarch. Hate it when that happens! I had originally planned to make the Broccoli, Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry out of Eat, Drink and Be Vegan (I’ve made it once before, see here) and sub tempeh for tofu. I had everything ready and had even started to make the teriyaki sauce before realizing that we didn’t have any cornstarch….the key element that thickens the sauce! Then, I checked again, and we were out of broccoli!!!! .Alas, I did not give up hope and instead made the way too runny sauce into a thin (yet flavorful!) dipping sauce for crispy tempeh.

I used about 1/3 block of tempeh, cut it up into small pieces and marinated it for 30 minutes in a mixture of rice wine vinegar and tamari

And then I heated up a little bit of coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat and cooked the tempeh for only about a minute on each side, until golden and crispy. This is a great way to prepare tempeh because it helps to cut down on the tempeh’s natural bitterness and gives it a little flavor and crust.

I served the little tempeh bites with the dipping sauce (a yummy combo of minced garlic, tamari, toasted sesame oil, ginger and water) and had a large baked garnet yam on the side

As well as some romaine on its last leg with a drizzle of light blue cheese dressing

I’m going to get cornstarch and broccoli for real so I can actually prepare the dish the way it is meant to be, but this was a not-so-bad alternative!

As for dessert………..hot brownie sundae anyone?

A warm VitaBrownie sandwiched with a big spoonful of light vanilla frozen yogurt (I also had a few more spoonfuls straight out of the carton). Reminded me of the trashy, yet oh-so-good, hot fudge brownie sundaes from McDonalds when I was in high school.

My run this afternoon was so-so. In total, I did 2.62 miles but something happened right at the halfway point that has never happened to me before! I got a cramp! It felt like someone just socked me in the stomach and I had to stop, stretch and walk it off. I think I exercised a little too quickly after downing my large pita at lunch! When I got home I downed a glass of coconut water, which I CRAVE now. Seriously, I was thinking about coconut water all during my run. I am almost out and need to get some more asap!

Shin status: Meh. Sore but runnable. When I got home I immediately stretched, iced, stretched again then took a bath.

Time: 28 minutes. I should have cut my time right when I got the cramp and had to stop, breath, stretch and walk but I kept it going. I wasn’t really going for time today but I think that little detour definitely caused me to lose a solid 6 minutes.

Notes: RUNNING IN THE GRASS IS ABOUT 10X HARDER THAN RUNNING ON THE SIDEWALK!!!!!!!

It’s funny…I was thinking about this while running today—-my shin splints SUCK and I really don’t even like training runs all that much, but there’s just something about crossing that finish line at a race that make it all worth it. That feeling you get right as you cross it and you know you are done and you know you gave it your all.

Goodnight, Wednesday!

© Jenna for Eat, Live, Run, 2009. | Permalink | 34 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: froyo, salad, tempeh, VitaBrownie, yams

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Man, exhaustion hit me like a BRICK this afternoon! Fridays are always the hardest because I stay up later and therefore sometimes am awake for 20 hours! No one should stay awake for 20 hours. Criminal. And I always feel bad because Ryan will come home from work and want to hang out at “normal hours” (evening hours!) and I will just fall asleep. I guess its just the nature of the job. At least I get weekends off! I am the only one working there that gets both Saturday and Sundays off and that makes all the difference in the world because I can actually associate myself with other humans rather than just my stuffed rabbit in my bed.

Anyways! This afternoon was a JOY because I got a surprise phone call from Laura Ingalls herself, Polly!!! Her bubbly and cheerful voice totally made my afternoon and I just know that if we lived in the same city (same time zone?!) we would be best of friends. I also got to catch up with good friend, Chrissy (the one that won my oatmeal bread!), and it was so good to hear her voice rather than just read her words. What would we do without girlfriends, seriously?!

I did a lot of little grocery shopping this afternoon. I just got the usual—OATS (because I have eaten an entire cannister again this week!), ALMOND BUTTER (because I have almost eaten an entire jar by myself this week!), kashi waffles, yams and a plethora of yogurts.

Nothing terribly exciting. I did, however, pick up this new product, which after I saw Gina and her friend Megan guzzle at lunch last weekend, I knew I must try.

These coconut waters were buy one get one free! Let’s hope I like it! Coconut water is super high in potassium and electrolytes and I think I’m going to bring a water bottle filled with it to my race tomorrow!

For a post-grocery store snack (going to the store always makes me hungry!), I had a plain oikos with a little less than a half cup of Zoe’s honey almond granola

This snack was actually so filling that I wasn’t hungry for dinner! Oops! My body isn’t used to eating afternoon snacks anymore because of my schedule (I eat SUCH an early din-din!) and this felt huge to me. After I ate I tried to take a nap but failed miserably so I just took a super long hot shower. I wish I could nap…..especially on Friday afternoons

Despite not feeling hungry for dinner, I knew I needed something and that something needed to be tasty and healthy because I have my big race in the morning!! Ryan did end up working late at the office so I was on my own. I decided to take the opportunity to make a recipe from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan that I had always stared at and pondered over: Thai Chick-Un Pizza!

Okay. So I had my doubts.

Major doubts. I’m just not used to combining peanut butter with ketchup in the Vita-Mix, okay?! It looked awful and I actually braced myself as I taste tested it but……………..IT WAS GOOD! Not just good actually, it was freakin’ awesome! The sauce, which consisted of peanut butter, ketchup, tamari, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, hot pepper flakes and a splash of milk, turned out to be a velvety spread of love. I liberally spread it on my pizza crust—–

And then topped it with thinly sliced red peppers, fresh chopped pineapple and the rest of the morningstar farms “chicken” strips that I wasn’t too thrilled about last week. Turned out this pizza might be their calling in life! It rocked!

First slice:

Second slice:

Deliciously messy—

I also had a small salad made with romaine and red onion and drizzled with Annie’s balsamic vin.

And THEN, even though I was stuffed, I still drove over and got me some d’lites! I have seriously been craving it ALL WEEK and knew if I didn’t get it now, I would probably have to wait another week. The time was right. I was there. I got a medium butterfinger with oreos!

I’m just gonna say it—I find it a litttttttle hard to believe that this HUGE BOWL only had about 150 calories…(well more like 200 probably with the oreos). It was enormous. In fact, it was TOO big and I only ate half and threw the rest away! I never do that! Especially not with good stuff like this….that just tells you just how large this tub o ice cream was. I really should have just gotten the small. Oh well. At least I ate all the oreos off the top.

I’m getting in my pjs. Sigh. Soooo tired right now. I have to be at Greenwise at 8 am to meet all the other runners (there are 12 of us store associates that are running tomorrow) and then we are all walking over to the race together. The actual race is at 9:30! I am going to give the camera to Ryan and instruct him to take tons of blog pictures, don’t worry!

And since there has been some interest in the subject………………..FYI

Sweet potatoes have a light orange or yellow flesh and are very sweet. A real African yam is often larger, less sweet, starchier, and has a more vibrant color. Yams are actually related to lilies (who would have thought?!) and certain grasses, whereas a sweet potato hails from the morning glory family and is more closely related to other potatoes. Garnet yams (the type I am addicted to) are actually sweet potatoes, not yams, and have been considered to have the sweetest taste and brightest color of all the different types. The average garnet yam has 130 calories in it, zero grams of fat and two grams of protein. Most “true yams” will not be found at the grocery store, but will rather be found in small Caribbean or Asian markets…..or in other countries! Check out this cool website I found for sweet tater lovers like myself! =)

© Jenna for Eat, Live, Run, 2009. | Permalink | 36 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: froyo, granola, pizza, yogurt

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This morning I “partially” tried Kishan’s morning routine that he says each of us should pledge to try for 30 days and see how we feel. He says if we really do it for 30 days, we will feel the best we have ever felt (money back guarantee hahaha). His full routine is as follows for anyone that wants to try the 30 day challenge:

Wake up at the same time every day

Do simple “bed yoga” before you get out of bed. Stretching!

Step out of bed with your right foot first (!!)

Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue

Drink a full glass of hot water

Do your oil massage in a motion away from your heart. Your whole body

Take a shower. Make sure the water is HOT

Do some sun salutations/prayer/meditation

Eat breakfast —-something hot like oatmeal or cooked grains with simple protein

Have a cup of herbal tea or coffee (1 cup) AFTER you eat. Never drink on an empty stomach.

So, this morning, I got out of bed (woops forgot to check if it was the right foot first though!!!), brushed my teeth and drank a mug of hot water before breakfast. I always eat breakfast first thing so this was a bit of a challenge for me!

So, I was looking at your comments last night and unfortunately I cannot give you a full list of what makes each dosha imbalanced because Kishan didn’t tell us that. He told us to go meet with an Ayurvedic physician and she/he will tell us that information according to our specific dosha. What I can tell you is this

If you have a pitta imbalance you most likely have :

• migraines
• acne
• acid reflux
• diarrhea
• IBS
• inflamed organs

When you have a kapha imbalance you most likely have:

• swelling
• bloating
• cysts
• cancer
• different growths on or in the body

And when you have a vata imbalance, you most likely have:

• tremors
• Parkinson’s disease
• anything caused by too much motion (shaking) in the body.

Go to this link to read more about the different doshas. They also have great food information on what to eat to balance each one.

For years I always thought I had a vata imbalance but actually I think I AM a vata with a definite pitta imbalance because of my migraines, IBS and, unfortunately, horrible acne if I don’t wash my face daily with a medicated prescription face wash. You would never know by looking at me but if I even skip ONE DAY with the face wash, my entire face will break out in a horrible red scaly rash. It’s pretty much the worst thing ever.

Unfortunately last night I went and botched the whole “no ice cream at night” thing because Ryan and I went out to D’lites and I had a small peanut butter caramel froyo with english toffee on top (oops!):

I blame it on my mouth surgery though. Enough said.

So, after I drank my hot water and stretched a little bit, I made oatmeal using 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 cup silk and a big spoonful cinnamon peanut butter. No banana because, well, it can’t hurt to try what he says!

And after I ate, I made some tea:

I don’t think I’d ever tried this kind before—I got it as a sample from somewhere. It was really delicious though! Especially when sweetened with stevia

Today is the LAST DAY of my yoga detox weekend (sniff sniff) and practice is from 11 – 1:30. After that it’s home for a late lunch and then an early dinner at Greenwise with Sarah, a blog reader that lives in Tampa!

See yall later!

© Jenna for Eat, Live, Run, 2009. | Permalink | 34 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ayurveda diet and lifestyle, froyo, oatmeal, peanut butter

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Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m absolutely HOOKED on bike riding! Never have I known “cardio” to be so incredibly enjoying.

This afternoon I did about 30 minutes of a YogaDownload Detox Flow followed by a little sequence of my own including half pigeon on both sides, full wheel, head stand and then I practiced my forearm balance for a little bit because that is the posture I am currently working the hardest on! I like to practice this up against a wall because then I can balance on my forearms and kick my legs up, having the wall to support me if I fall backwards. Once I get my stability, I kick away from the wall and balance solely on my forearms. Try it yourself!

After yoga, I headed outside and took a 30 minute bike ride to an area I’ve never been before. Basically, I just went the opposite direction of the sidewalk I always head down when I go to Ryan’s. It was positively magical. The sidewalk went down a loooong way and I passed by a horse stable, a park, cute little shops and through winding residential streets with huge houses on the water. I think I was actually grinning the entire way just because it was so nice! And to think that that is cardio?! I mean I don’t think I burned off the half of the cheeseburger I ate at 2:30 am this morning or the pizza I ate tonight but that wasn’t the point at all. It was just nice to get active and be outside on such a beautiful day. I even convinced Ryan to see if he can have his dad’s old bike so we can go bike riding together!

Before I did yoga and bike riding, I made a fruit and veggie smoothie in the vitamix using 1 stalk celery, 1/2 of an organic carrot, 1 orange, 1/2 of a banana, a big handful frozen cranberries and some ice:

This made a TON of smoothie though and I only drank about half and saved the rest for later.

When I got back from my bike ride I snacked on a small handful of nuts to keep me going til’ dinner:

As for dinner, Ryan and I went to our favorite pizza place, Sally O’Neales. We split a greek salad first—

And then we split a pizza. Ryan got half pepperoni and I got half with goat cheese, onions, black olives and basil. HOWEVER, I was a little disappointed because when I ordered goat cheese on my pizza I thought the pizza would be covered with soft, gooey pads of melting goat cheese. Instead, what I got what a cheeseless pizza with tiny specks of goat cheese. Bah! I guess it was healthier but definitely not what I was expecting…..regardless, I ate two slices and brought the other two home so tomorrow I could put more cheese on them and have them for lunch.

Since I was so disappointed by my bare pizza, Ryan took me to D’lite so I could get some froyo. I got a medium chocolate honey almond with english toffee.

It made it all better

We didn’t make the movie since we were both so tired. Even though its only 7:30 I feel like its about 11. Where did my day go??!

Have a great night!

Ps-

Here is a GREAT article you all should definitely read (thanks Jenny!!). This is the part that hit me the most:

“Stephanie Griffin, a 33-year-old director of business development for a pharmaceutical research company in San Francisco, discovered yoga after years of running marathons, spinning, and weight lifting. Before discovering yoga, she thought her intense exercise habits had turned her into a poster child for health and fitness. During the last four years, however, Griffin began doing more and more yoga and less and less running, weight lifting, and aerobicizing. As she dropped back on her hardcore fitness pursuits, she worried she might gain weight or lose her muscle tone or exercise capacity.

She didn’t. “I have maintained my fitness and even enhanced it through yoga,” says Griffin, who no longer has a gym membership. “And I like the way my body looks and feels now better than the way it did before.”

Amen.

© Jenna for Eat, Live, Run, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bike, froyo, pizza, vegetable juice, yoga

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