superfood sorrows

It's Monday today, and we are in the middle of a huge snowstorm. Our town got about 8 inches of snow last night and it has not stopped snowing yet. The schools are closed for the day, and so my hubby and kids got to stay home for a fun snow day while I had to go to work. Snow days and summertime are the only times I wish I were a teacher. You couldn't pay me enough to be on any other time (which is ironic, considering how low teacher pay is, especially in South Dakota).
I finally went outside for a nice, winter run over the weekend. While I was in Boise for Christmas I went out a few times, but haven't been outside in SD since the middle of November. Things started out a little chilly, but it felt GREAT to stride out on a road instead of a treadmill and breathe in that fresh air. I was hoping to get another run in on Sunday, but the snow had other plans. I will most definitely be out there in my Yaktrax once the snow stops falling, though.
Also on Saturday, I went with my good friend, Jayme to sushi (not necessarily "raw" rules, but I love sushi and so decided to splurge) and to a new market, the Pomegranate Market. "The Pom" as they call it, is a new health food store in town, and I have been dying to check it out for awhile. Fortunately, it was right next to the sushi restaurant, so we went in and took a peek. 

The Pom has some great bulk items, like red lentils, as well as just about any kind of rice you can imagine. I also found some superfood powder, which is what I went in there looking for. I have never had it before, but according to the raw food literature, superfoods are a necessary part of the lifestyle. It cost me $30, but I bought a can.
The next day I woke up and made my morning monster, adding the superfood powder, since they recommend adding it to a smoothie.  I poured myself a big glass, took a huge swig...and just about spit it right back out.
YUCK.
Superfood powder tastes like seaweed, only not in a good way. It is horrible. My whole monster tasted like fish, and although I managed to choke most of it down, I had to dump the last bit.  Since I really love my morning monsters, I will not be adding superfood to them again. The label on the package also suggested mixing it with 8 oz of water or juice and drinking it that way, so I decided that I would try mixing it with water and slamming it this morning. It's small, and I can just knock it back really quick, right?

DOUBLE YUCK.

I nearly vomited up the 8 oz. of green nastiness.  I am not sure what to do now. Tomorrow I will try it with juice, but if I can't stand that, then I will have wasted $30 on a product that I can't possibly consume.

Have you ever tried superfood powder? How do you manage to get it down?

kale, kleansing kale

Well, apparently Demi Moore and I are very much alike (of course).  At the very same time I was having doubts/concerns about going on the Master Cleanse, Demi was four days into it and decided it was not the healthiest thing to be doing. She instead switched to something called the Clean Program, a series of smoothies and supplements that is supposed to detox your body and leave you feeling incredible. That particular cleanse lasts for 21 days, and is available at the low price of $350.  I read a little about it, and while it does sound good, I am sticking with my raw foods diet. I am having great results from it, and I have finally gotten over feeling nauseous (no small victory, there).

I am having a good time experimenting with all kinds of different "green" smoothie options, and have found that kale is a very cleansing ingredient to add to a drink. Since I live in a small town in the Midwest, we don't have access to the greatest variety of vegetables, but this weekend I am planning a trip to the city to shop at a new whole foods supermarket called the Pomegranate Market. I am excited to see what goodies I can find there.  They also offer free demos and classes on alternative eating lifestyles, and on January 22nd I am going to a smoothie demonstration, which I am pretty psyched about. Hopefully I will be armed with all kinds of new recipes for healthy living!

My knee and hip have been bothering me lately, so today was a rest day for me. Tomorrow I hope to do some yoga in the morning and the elliptical at lunch. I am taking it easy for January, and might not run at all. I am debating a couple of different marathons for the Spring, which I will need to start training for in February.

a slight change of plans...

Well, yesterday was a very, ahem, productive day for me. I ate everything in smoothie form, and included lots of green stuff like kale, spinach, some winter veggies like butternut squash, and fruits like pears, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, and bananas. No coffee, and it totally sucked, just like I thought it would. In fact, I had an enormous headache all day and I kind of felt like my body and head were on opposite sides of the room. That doesn't make for the best work day. I can't imagine what I will feel like once I am off food...which is why I have decided to not do the "fasting" part of the cleanse, but rather keep with the raw foods and veggies. Yesterday was an incredibly cleansing day for my body, so I can't imagine that it would get any better with no food. This is working for me, and I still get to eat (which is super important).
I don't think that the Master cleanse is an appropriate cleanse for people with jobs, kids, workout  routines, etc. Sure, it works for people in Hollywood because they are able to take a week off and seclude themselves in their houses while they cleanse. This does not work for "the commoners."
Looking back, going on this radical cleanse was me feeling like crap with all of the yucky stuff I put in my body and wanting a quick fix. All I really need to do (thanks, Jayme, for helping me figure that out) is get back to eating healthy stuff again, and these last three days have really done some amazing things for me.
So...new goal. I am going to continue eating according to the "raw" lifestyle for the month of January. I will not be able to keep with the total raw lifestyle after January, since I will be starting to train for my spring marathon and will need protein and calcium (meat and dairy), but I will maintain the fruit and veggie regimen that I have started for myself. I think I will be stronger for it.
I am feeling a little nauseous and gassy (maybe too much information, but it is true) from the veggie overload my body has been subjected to, but it is further evidence that I have been neglecting my fruits and veggies for far too long. Once my system is used to this stuff again, things will be better.
And yes...I had coffee this morning. It was delicious.Technically a raw foods no-no because of the caffeine...but hey, I can't be perfect. I also got up and did yoga, so they cancel each other out.

day one: great preparations

Well, day one is done and I am a little discouraged, especially since the official cleanse hasn't even started yet! These next three days are all about getting my body ready to handle no food, so today's goal was to eat only "living foods." That means no dairy, no meat, basically only fruits and veggies. Five minutes into my morning today...I already blew it by making coffee.  Not only did I make coffee, but I drank two huge cups and enjoyed every minute of it.  Once I finished, I felt a little guilty, but my love affair with coffee runs deep and it will be a real challenge to not have any coffee for the next two weeks. I ate fruit salad, so that was a small victory, since I am used to pancakes.
The rest of the day was fairly disciplined, although I did slip up at Olive Garden and had the salad with the dressing. I didn't have any croutons or breadsticks (my goodness, that was tough), but I think that the dressing is technically a no-no. I had minestrone soup and ate around the pasta, and an acai berry drink along with the salad. Dinner consisted of a spinach/berry/banana smoothie (juice-based because dairy is a no-no), and I had to break down and eat a few handfulls of walnuts. I don't know where nuts fall into the "living foods" category, but they do grow on a tree, so they should totally count. At any rate...I am absolutely STARVING tonight, and will have less food to look forward to tomorrow (and no coffee, since I had my hubby hide my coffee maker and coffee from me so I won't slip up).
This part of the cleanse is the pre-cleanse. According to what I have read, this part is not necessary, although I have to say I completely disagree.  As hungry as I am today while still eating food is a clear indication that I have been overindulging on too many carbs and junk food and too little veggies and fruits. There is no way that I would have been able to go from my current diet to no food without a few days of agony. I still don't think they will be easy, but these few preparatory days will help make it less horrible (with any luck).
Tomorrow is smoothie day, so everything I have will be in liquid-ish form. I need to be careful not to have too many fruits, with a goal of a 60/40 ratio of veggies to fruits. Fortunately, I am an avid smoothie maker, so am quite fond of green drinks. The veggies should be no problem for me. The "no coffee" part will completely suck. I have some herbal tea that I can drink tomorrow morning to try to replace coffee, but it will not be an adequate substitute. I am just telling myself that it is short term, and I will be very glad when I have all the yucky stuff out.

a clean start to 2011

Happy New Year!  I cannot believe that it is 2011 already...where does the time go? I remember when I was a kid my Dad always told me how quickly life goes by when you're an adult, and I am really starting to see that. This year was a complete whirlwind. As I reflect on all that has happened, it has been a good year, but it all went by so quickly.  I took on some amazing consulting jobs, one of which turned into an amazing full-time position, ran two marathons, took some great trips, and celebrated five years of marriage with my husband. Yes, 2010 was a great year, but I am really looking forward to 2011.
I am not really a resolution person. I find that people rarely keep to their resolutions. It's also a lot of pressure to put on yourself right at the beginning of the year, you know? I prefer to set small goals throughout the year, like training for races. I find that it is a lot more doable for me.
Having said that, one goal that I do have overall is to eat healthier. Since my schedule has been so hectic for the last few months, I have been eating lots of junk and way too little veggies. I am feeling really off balance because of it, so have decided to make a huge effort to do better going forward.
In fact, I am starting a cleanse tomorrow. It is the Master cleanse, a ten day cleanse designed to flush the body of toxins. I have never cleansed before and so am very nervous about it, but also excited to see it through. While on the cleanse I will not be eating, and I think it will be really hard to go without chewing. I will miss it. It will also be tricky negotiating the bathroom situation while working, since from what I have read, the cleanse can be pretty violent at times. Still, it is a good jump start to better nutrition, so will be good for me.
One big part of the cleanse is documenting each day, recording how I feel, etc., and so I will be recording it all here, for anyone who wants to vicariously experience the cleanse.

cellnique

In an attempt to be healthier and make better choices, I have been trying to watch the types of liquids I consume.  I drink a ridiculous amount of water in a day, and really try to stay away from soda altogether. I do enjoy my wine and beer, but since starting my marathon training I find that I hardly drink at all.  It's just not worth it!

Sometimes it is difficult to make the healthy choices, though, like when I am traveling.  This past weekend we went out of town for Easter, and as we were heading out, we stopped by the grocery store for some snacks and drinks to tide us over.  Of course, my husband chose Mountain Dew.  I detest Mountain Dew, even on my unhealthiest day, but normally I would have gotten some sort of soda to drink.  Because of my newfound desire to stay healthy, I decided to try something new.

Here is a picture of what I chose.  Cellnique.  Notice that I am riding in the car? Proof that we were, indeed, traveling.  I don't know why you wouldn't believe me...but at any rate, here is my proof.  And it is always good to have proof and documentation, my lawyer friends always say.

 Cellnique is a drink that is designed to detoxify the system.  It is 95% organic, and is meant to take all the yucky stuff out of your body and replace it with good stuff that makes you feel and look better.  With a description like that, how can you not try it?

Before I took a drink, I decided to read the ingredient list, as well as try to see what the stuff looked like.  There is a colorful plastic cover on the bottle that prevents people from seeing the whole drink, but a look at the bottom showed lots of sediment.  Fortunately, I also saw the directions that read: shake well.  The ingredients listed things like blue/green algae, spirulina algae, wheat grass juice, oat juice, and other similar products.  As I read the list to my husband he cringed, in total disbelief that I would buy something with those ingredients on purpose.  Again...he chose Mountain Dew.

I cracked the top and took a drink....and it was chewy.  Not horrible chewy, but grainy, like the sediment that I shook up didn't dissolve, but merely started floating around the liquid.  Althought I tried the Berry-Grape flavor, the liquid was green in color, and reminded me a lot of the chlorophyll shooters that I used to drink in my twenties (not like berries or grapes at all).  Still, I kind of liked the taste...very natural and earthy, and despite all the sediment, it did refresh me somewhat.  I probably won't drink them all the time, but I will maybe grab one now and then for a healthy bevarage alternative.

My husband's curiosity got the best of him and he also tried it.  He is not a fan of earthy-tasting, chewy drinks, and will not be trying them again.  His loss!

another meal my family hates...

So, in the spirit of healthy running and living (did I mention I am running a marathon May 15? Only about a hundred times? Well...), I have been really trying to eat lots more whole grains and leaner meats.  I have to say that, by all Midwestern accounts, I have always been an extremely healthy eater.  I constantly have fresh fruits and veggies in the house, I do not allow processed meats, cheeses, or anything considered a food "product" rather than actual food near my refrigerator.  Neither my children nor my husband will never have sugar cereal for breakfast, and white bread is a curse word.  If you ask any of my Midwestern buddies, I am a pinnacle of healthy eating.  But I digress...

Over the years I have slipped a bit. A lot of that is due to the fact that we live in a small town in South Dakota, and a lot of the fresh fruits and veggies are not available to me.  I can almost never find any good fish, and if the store does happen to have it, it is outrageously expensive.  Now that I am training for my marathon (okay...a hundred and one now) I have to really be conscious of what I am eating. And, since I am not a short-order cook...my family eats what I eat.

Isn't this a beautiful and yummy looking dish? This latest creation is an adaptation from a recipe that I found in Runner's World.  While the recipe uses salmon for the protein, due to the extreme fish shortage, I opted for grilled pork tenderloin.  The yummiest part, and a first for my family, was the lentil taboule that accompanied it.  I have not had any prior experience with lentils, but I really like them and will definitely use them again, as they cook fast and have a fabulously nutty flavor.  I deviated from the recipe somewhat, as it called for cucumber and parsley and I did not have those things on hand. I instead used grilled leeks and cilantro, and it gave it a very nice flavor.   I made a homemade rub for the pork that included brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper, and just grilled on medium heat for about 15 minutes each side.  Below is the recipe for the tabouli:
1 cup lentils
3 cups water
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4 c lemon juice
2 leeks, trimmed
large handful cilantro
1 large tomato, diced
1 clove minced garlic
salt
pepper

So, you basically just bring the water and lentils to a boil in a covered pot, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, put the leeks on the grill in foil with a bit of EVOO, and mix the cilantro, tomato, garlic, EVOO and lemon juice together. Drain and rinse lentils, and mix with EVOO mixture.  Add leeks, salt and pepper to garnish.

It was truly a wonderful dish.  The pork was juicy and tasted really good with the lentils. I ate the tabouli cold for lunch the next day, and was just as happy with it by itself.  My family was not thrilled with the tabouli, but hey...they're not cooking.  Enjoy!