Healthy Chicks

As I mentioned yesterday, I came home to CT for a cousin’s baby shower. I always love coming home because that means good food…good free food. The key word is FREE. It’s nice to take a break from the tight budgeting for a weekend. Last night my parents and I went over to a good family friend’s house for a home-cooked meal. We had a nice large salad with chives, diced apples and avocado, fresh bread, flank steak with mushrooms & onions, and a side of roasted asparagus.

As expected, while taking my morning pee I noticed that smell (Sorry for the TMI). You know, the smell your pee takes on after eating asparagus. Who knew it’s actually because the ever-so-tasty veggie contains a sulfur-containing compound called methyl mercaptan. And in order for our body to metabolize this very strange compound, it must break them down which in turn leads to the smell. This little incident got me thinking about how different foods affect our moods and actions. I browsed the web and did my research (what I do best), and this is what I came up with. So next time you want to “get in … Read More!

This quote has never meant so much to me than it did today. This morning I ran my first half marathon with my sister, cousin, and a friend. We all have different paces and finished at different times, but I couldn’t have been more proud of us! The fact that we finished simply amazes me. And the fact that 10,000 women all of shapes, sizes and backgrounds finished simply blows me away.

I have to say I got a little teary eyed crossing the finish line; not because I was in pain but because I was overwhelmed with so many feelings: those of joy, accomplishment, strength, victory, relief, and euphoria. No matter what time you finished, you get that feeling – the feeling of “I did it. I finished. All by myself.”

What are some feelings you get at the end of a race? I’ll post a more in-depth recap of the half marathon/weekend in NYC tomorrow!

XoXo,

… Read More!

80% pumped, 20% nerves

I can’t believe that there is now less than 24 hours until I cross the start line and embark on my first half marathon – the More / Fitness Magazine Women’s Half Marathon! It truly seems like yesterday that I wrote this post announcing my crazy feat, that is the 13.1 miles I would run in 2 1/2 months. Well now 74 days later and a whole lot of running in between, the day before the race has finally come! I won’t lie if I said I wasn’t just a teeny bit nervous, but I’m actually more excited than nervous. I’d say it’s about a 80-20 ratio. (80 being the excitement) Plus, it’s natural to get a little butterflies before a big day, whether it’s a hot date or a half marathon. Nerves are nerves, and they are inevitable my friend.

What I’ve realized these past few weeks is that everyone has their own running methods that work for them. As you train and become in tune with your body, you learn what works best for you. That is something I have enjoyed these past couple of months: learning my own body and what it … Read More!

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Motivation. By dictionary definition is means the desire to do; interest or drive. But to me, it means much more. I’ve been thinking a lot about motivation, and the act of getting yourself motivated, these past few days. After all, it is quite the powerful force.

Motivation is what gets you out of bed in the morning even when you want to crawl back into your cave and sleep forever. Motivation is the thing that helps you go that extra mile while running even when your legs feel like JELL-O and you just want to stop. Motivation helps drive you to take that extra plunge, take a chance and fight to the finish to reach your dreams.

And what better coach than yourself to help motivate you to get what you want out of life? This week motivation has taken me far. I motivated myself to stop crying and feeling sorry for myself, and rather score a part time job at an adorable little cafe. So what if it’s not my dream job in a magazine agency, but it’s a start. I motivated myself to run 10 miles a few days ago in preparation for my half … Read More!

Happy Friday lovely readers! Hope everyone has some phenomenal events planned for the weekend. As for me, I’m heading up to our condo in NH with the fam and The Boy for a little R & R. I absolutely can’t wait…NH retreats are the absolute best.

I also have some more great news in the home front: I ran my first ever 10 miles this morning, and not only did I survive, but it felt absolutely amazing. I won’t lie; there were points I just wanted to STOP but I kept telling myself, “You Can Do It”… “Only 5 more!”… “Only 3 more” and then suddenly I was done. It amazes me that just two years ago I could barely run 3 miles. I actually bawled my eyes out during my first 5K that I ran with my dad, and now look at me. I’m like Ms. Running Machine! This just goes to show that anyone can do what they set their mind to do…you just have to work at it and stay with it.

Anywho, it’s Friday so it’s that time again for FRIDAY FAVES:

My Forerunner 305 Garmin: I made the purchase for this bad ass GPS watch … Read More!

It’s no doubt carbs make you happy. That’s probably why my two years spent on the South Beach Diet led to many mood swings and blah days. No carbs = less smiles. The scientific reasoning behind it is that carbohydrates raise our serotonin levels (something women are lacking anyway) and in turn makes us feel good, less irritable and of course less moody.

So when I woke up this morning feeling a little poopy, I knew it was going to be a carby breakfast. Not just any carby breakfast though. No. It had to be my ALL TIME favorite carby breakfast, and that my friends is good ol’ fashioned pancakes.

I made gluten free pancakes due to my wheat sensitivity from Cherrybrook Kitchen boxed mix. The first time I whipped up these babies, I was a bit hesitant. Can gluten free pancakes really be that good? Well, I must say that they were just as good if not better, and my family couldn’t agree more! I then changed up the recipe a tad…

For 7 pancakes (3 for now, 4 for later):

-1 c. pancake mix

-about 2 tsp. canola oil or equivalent in applesauce

-3/4 c. vanilla almond … Read More!

spring has sprung. literally.

It’s officially, utterly and completely spring as of yesterday. I mean, the calendar said so, but I could also smell it in the air. Plus I saw the first flowers of the season budding through the ground. That made be happy…overwhelmingly happy. Not to mention that I spent the entire afternoon day-drinking in honor of South Boston’s St Patty’s Day parade. I have to say that took me back to college block parties in a heart beat. I even wore my green platform heels in honor of the day – and the season. Springtime is my excuse to wear open-toed shoes and flip flops…every day.

Anyway, many people also use this season as an excuse to go on crash diets, lose 15 pounds, cut out dessert, go bananas at the gym, deprive themselves of yummy treats, and rip apart every little “flaw” on their body. It breaks my heart really because I used to be one of those girls. I’d elliptical my ass of at the gym and eat bland greens with a slab of dry chicken for dinner and call it a feast. And I did this all so I could “lose the … Read More!

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We listen to our heart…Why not listen to our body?

As I’ve talked about many times on my blog, my summer trip to Italy about four years ago was one of the happiest times of my life. Before Italy, I used to fear food. I thought it was an evil substance that would make my thighs even bigger, my pants even tighter and the number go up, up, up on the scale. To put it simply, throughout college, food (and calories) was all I thought about. I wasn’t ever able to enjoy food because I was too busy calculating calories, planning out my “meals” and exercising my little butt off. It was unhealthy. Now I adore food. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, and I love trying out new restaurants and exploring decadent flavors I’ve never explored before. Now I am happy, though it took a long time to get there.

When I went to Italy, the country made it difficult for me not to enjoy food. Everything looked oh so fresh,  beautiful and mouth-watering. So I ate. I ate it all. The fresh-baked breads from the corner cafe that you could smell from … Read More!