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Hope you all had a Happy Easter! And that you enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I have missed fresh/warm air!
My Easter was pretty good. I ate better than I thought I would. Kale Green Smoothies in the morning. Cut veggies with Tzatziki Dip and Hummus. A little indulgent for dinner: brown rice mac & cheese (made with homemade cashew milk, as mentioned here: http://posifitlybeautiful.blogspot.com/2013/03/homemade-cashewvegan-coffee-creamer-and.html and topped with shredded broccoli and tomatoes). As a snack, I had mixed nuts and dried fruit. I think I also ate a protein waffle (will post the recipe soon). I celebrated Easter with the family today (yesterday everyone was working) with a Trader Joe's run, haircut (cut off 8 inches!), etc.
It was a beautiful day and I also was able to fit in a workout: Cardio Power & Resistance followed by Blogilates' Victoria's Secret Arm Workout and Blogilates' Bikini Blaster 4: Awesomesauce Arms. For those doing Cardio Power & Resistance, I'd recommend having a rubber mat on hand if you have a hardwood floor you're working out on and tend to have... uh... sweaty hands (ewww, I know, but I do and it really helps me from slipping).
I haven't posted in a little bit (with the exception of the latest Friday Fitness Funnies). I was focusing on my eating and exercise routine before getting back on here. The past month has been a bit hectic, full of its own ups and downs. It was difficult to stay on track.
I just needed to reorganize and keep focused.
Last week, I went back into Insanity. My shin splint wasn't bothering me much. Again, felt too nauseous to continue my workout (I completed Pure Cardio, but not Cardio Abs afterwards). I did however "re-do" the Pure Cardio day and completed Cardio Abs at a later time.
Monday I stayed out all day, building snowmen and snowforts with kids I was babysitting, while my dog ran around, reveling in one of his favorite things in the world: snow. Not a workout, but I'm sure it burned its fair amount of calories and was good for the soul. :)
Tuesday and Wednesday were gym days. I ran intervals on a treadmill for 30 minutes (6-15 Incline with 3.5-4 speed and 2 Incline with 7.5-8.5 speed, using each song on my playlist to dictate how long each interval would be). I wanted to run longer, but I was feeling incredibly queasy. I decided to finish up and do 30 minutes of weightlifting (plethora, since I knew I wouldn't weightlift the next day. Focused on: arms, glutes, thighs). Thighs were really sore the next day.
Wednesday I went to the Les Mills' CXWorx Class (30 minute core strengthening class; lots of planks, mat work and standing glute/core work). The regular instructor was sick, so we had the previous instructor (who I find teaches it more strenuously, but I enjoy both instructors). The same instructor (the sick one) teaches the following Zumba class, so Zumba was replaced with Les Mills' Body Jam and another instructor. It was fun and surprisingly, quite a bit different than Zumba (I always assumed they were very similar). More intense (lots of jumping/plyometric dance moves). I was so incredibly sore the next day (more so than I've ever been from doing any group classes in the past year). My sister took it with me and declined a run offer with me on Saturday as she was still too sore from the Wednesday class. And thanks be to the gods that I didn't feel sick/nauseous. Worst feeling in the world (I'm not scheduled to see the doc until next month. Hopefully whatever this is works itself out by then).
Thursday-Sunday (Easter), I followed through with completing the scheduled Insanity videos and 1-2 Blogilates/Pilates workouts.
Foodwise, I think I've been doing well, not deviating too far from eating healthy foods. I didn't eat out (since the wedding, with the exception of Subway one night - roasted chicken breast loaded with a ton of fresh veggies. Mmm. Also ate out today for Easter - spicy chicken stirfry with rice, kimchi and miso soup). Trying to eat/drink lots of veggies everyday. Green smoothies, sliced up veggies and Tzatziki Dip/Hummus, Kale salad have been almost everyday meals/snacks the past week. I've been trying to get 2-4 cups of green tea in a day, with a ton of water, of course. And apples with peanut butter (one of my favorite snacks!).
I did also make waffles, but made them healthier without sacrificing taste. Kept them in the freezer and have been popping 1-2 in the toaster for breakfasts this week and handing them out (with everyone wanting the recipe, not just health nuts. Score! :) ).
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Okay. Enough about my last week. And workout schedule and eating history. I will post updated photos from Insanity either after this third week. But will probably hold off until the end of Month 1. :)
Onto the Trader Joe's hauls!
Psyllium Husk. First saw this mentioned on the Blogilates' blog when Cassey posted one of her protein pancake recipes. It's basically like a fiber supplement, but with a gritty flour-like texture. Cooked, I don't detect it at all (I tried drinking it, like it mentions in the directions.... Not my cup of tea). I use this in my waffle recipe.
I always buy my apples at TJ's. Organic and they're not drowning in that wax that often covers most supermarket apples.
TJ's also has their own Sprouted Grain bread. I used to buy Ezekiel bread, but the TJ's version is more economical ($2.99-$3.50, depending on which type VS ~$4.99). TJ's also carries the Ezekiel bread though. I already dipped into the bread by the time this photo was taken... was craving grilled cheese (this was a couple of weeks ago). I normally don't eat much bread though, so I usually just freeze it and it can last me anywhere from 2 weeks (if I'm craving it like crazy... like when I bought this a few weeks ago) to 4 months, depending on my current cravings.
Also another one of my TJ's staples: Organic Pea Shoots. Love these in salads. I also put these in rice paper wraps occasionally. They're so crisp and fresh tasting.
TJ's Sprouted Tofu: yet another staple. I try not to overdo the soy, but sometimes I don't feel like cooking/cleaning/prepping meat. Tofu is so easy to saute and eat with a salad or veggies on the side. I also buy regular tofu at my local Asian food store. I like how these are in small single-serving (or 2 servings, depending) packets.
Pure Organics Brownie Bar. Oh. My. Gosh. Picked this up on a whim. I was transitioning from eating some fairly unhealthy foods (my birthday week) and had a sweet tooth like mad. This fulfilled it and satiated my cravings, keeping them at bay. So fudge-like and good. The texture and sweetness comes from dates (so, if you're not a fan of dates, I would suggest you pass). Not quite like a brownie, but delicious in its own right. Also, I believe it's all raw.
The TJ's Five Seed Bars weren't for me, so I can't attest to how filling they were or their flavor, but I bought these for my mom to take to work and she really enjoyed them.
TJ's Chicken Breast. I haven't touched these as of yet. I do like that they're minimally processed and do not have any added hormones.
TJ's Garden Patch Juice (tomato and vegetable juice). I don't usually drink juices (other than the ones I make), but I saw this mentioned and raved about in a Youtube post (below) and wanted to try it. I already dipped into this as well, to try. This will last a long time, I believe. I've had it for a couple weeks and it still has about 2/3rds left. I prefer fresh, but in a pinch, this works. It took a while to get accustomed to the flavor, but now that I'm used to it, I actually really like it. If I eat sliced veggies and hummus, I like to fill a cup with about 1/4-1/3 C and drink it along with water.
Oh, and about the butter. I read this article by Empowered Sustenance entitled, "5 Reasons Why Butter is a Superfood." To read it, click this link: http://empoweredsustenance.com/5-reasons-why-butter-is-a-superfood/
I bought the recommended Kerrygold from TJ's in the article along with TJ's own Organic, Grass-fed butter. Both taste amazing, but I think I'll stick with the TJ's since it is organic. Although I don't think I should eat copious amounts of butter (I watch my oil/butter intake pretty closely), I am trying to stick to foods that are the least processed without all the extra chemicals and additives alternatives might have (for reference, I used to buy Earth Balance, a vegan butter and Smart Balance). I don't think I could ever consciously eat a 1/4 lb of butter as the writer did in her post, but I will use it in place of the spreads I was occasionally using before (to be fair though, I usually only buy butter/spreads once every few months... it tends to last a long time).
TJ's Coconut Oil. I've been buying Coconut Oil for a while now to cook with (my favorite brand is: Kelapo since it's Cold Pressed, Organic, Unrefined and Fair Trade Certified; though, it's harder to get a hold of, I find it from time-to-time at TJ Maxx). I bought this as I ran out and wanted to put some in a small jar for beauty needs (hair mask, use it for lotion).
I also bought the TJ's Kumato. It's basically a brown tomato. I don't know why, but every time I went to TJ's, I'd always see this and want to grab it and try it, but always pass it up. I'm sure to someone with a more discernible palate that this tastes vastly different than a regular tomato, but for me the flavor wasn't incredibly different (somewhat, but not very noticeable). I bought it more for the novelty, it seems.
TJ's Raw Almonds. I usually buy a small bag of these at Aldi's and it usually lasts me about a month. It's more economical to buy at TJ's, I find though. I snack on a handful of these several days of the week and sometimes will pack a "mix" to leave in my bag, in case I get hungry when out and about (mixing it with dried berries: blueberries, cranberries, cherries, goji berries, etc.; raw pistachios; dates).
TJ's Raw Sunflower Seeds. These were only $1.99 and will last quite a while. I like to sprinkle these on salads.
TJ's Almond Meal. I know there's some controversy whether or not Almond Meal/Flour is beneficial to our health or detrimental to it. I don't eat this often, just in my waffle recipe (for added protein). I keep it to a fairly small amount though as it's calorie dense.
TJ's Ruby Red Chai. This is my second box. I looooove any and all chais, but I especially like this one. Especially since it's made with red rooibos And it's herbal and not caffeine-laden like the black chais (so I can drink it in the evening).
Today's haul! I haven't tried anything, other than the Sherbet as of yet. I will update on this. Oh, and one of the loaves has condensation since I put it in the freezer for about 30 min prior to this photo. I also picked up more apples and kale.
TJ's Sprouted Flourless Whole Wheat Berry Bread
TJ's California Style Complete Protein Organic Bread
Organic Cherry Tomatoes
Dried Wild Blueberries
TJ's Pomegranante Blueberry Sherbet. When it says that this stuff is velvety, this is not an overstatement. It's so creamy and rich. It's slightly tangy, very sweet and you get some pieces of fresh blueberry skin mixed in. Delicious. Highly recommend. Watch the serving size though - the fat content may be less than your average ice cream pint (since it's a sherbet), but the sugar serving is about the same (23 g per 1/2 c). I really want to try their Coconut Milk ice cream alternatives, too.
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Not a TJ pick-up, but I did buy some Aloe Vera today! I have no idea what to do with this, but I'll google/youtube it or something. But I hear it's great to detox the body as well as wonderful topically.
For more on the benefits of Aloe Vera: http://www.naturalnews.com/021858_aloe_vera_gel.html
Also not a TJ's pick-up, but I bought a huge bag of raw cashews today. Will use these to make cashew milk (in place of heavy cream, coffee creamer, etc.).
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I might do a post on what lies behind my choices of food products (organic VS inorganic, sprouted VS non-sprouted, etc.). Keep in mind though, that I'm not a food purist and do eat inorganic vegetables and fruits if organic options are not economically preferable or when it's not available (when I juice though, I almost always try to juice organic vegetables/fruits). I do prefer organic if I can get it though. I also eat non-sprouted tofu, rice and pasta. Breads I usually do sprouted though. Unless it's an English Muffin, then I'll buy them 100% Whole Wheat.
Here are some more infographics for more information in the meantime.
I find this particularly helpful when choosing which fruits & vegetables to buy organic and which ones I'd be okay foregoing and buying inorganic though. I almost always buy avocados inorganic since they tend to be costly (Aldi's is the only place I can find them for affordable prices - between .39-.79 VS ~$2/each).
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I'll post up a separate post for today's Monday Motivation. Almost forgot it was Monday. :)
Love,
Marie
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