Green juice cleanse

Marathon training week number four DONE!

                             Ran 8 miles. It's been ages since I have run 8 miles. I wish I had some very effective way of logging my miles so I could tell exactly when it was that I ran this far before. Anyway, this was an entirely head run. Every part of me was begging me to stop all the way up to mile 6. After mile 6 things became a bit easier. Maybe the electrolyte I took was what helped me. Nevertheless, I was not giving up. I had to walk a few times at the beginning, but after about 30 seconds I would start back up and try my best to become distracted somehow. This time I watched a movie on my IPAD until the battery died and then listened to music for the last 2 miles. 

                 I got a white Dahlia in my garden. It's actually on its way out. We just got back from being in NY for 2 weeks, so I missed its best stage. 

               A woman on the Women's Running Network on Facebook posted her feet with a pedicure. Sorry, that is something I do not do....at all. So here are my feet....the best you will ever see them....period. 

           Got home, stretched, then went out to the grocery store to get veggies to make juice for my husband and myself. Had 2 giant glasses so far. This one has 10 large carrots, 2 large apples, 1 whole celery plant and 2 beets. 

Cheers!!

               So after being gone for 2 weeks I come home to this letter (see below). After my initial panic, tears and texts to friends and chat with hubby (....oh and some googling what this means) I am finally a bit more relaxed....unfortunately, I have to wait OVER a WEEK to go to the 'follow-up' appointment  for we are leaving town for a week to see my mother-in-law. No matter what happens I feel a bit more prepared now.....also, until I have confirmation of something more serious I will try to keep my mind off of this issue. 

For dinner tonight I used my new spiralizer, which was a gift from my good friend, Jenna! 

I cooked shrimp and made zucchini pasta with the spiralizer. 

Celebrating 4 years of no antibiotics, no strep throat and no flu or flu shots.

          While making my juice today I came to the realization that this is the 4th year I have been juicing vegetables and fruits. I am celebrating four years in which I did not get plagued with my twice-a-year illness of strep throat chased by strong antibiotics. Four years of not getting the flu or even needing a flu shot. I have to confess though, I have never had the flu shot, neither has my hubby or my kids...ever! I strongly believe that although my kids do not drink the juice as often as my hubby and me, they still reap the benefits from our juicing. I can only credit that to them benefitting from perhaps a raised family-wide immunity that stems from our our juicing.  I now juice about twice a week and generally make my juice from apples, carrots, ginger, celery and beets. Here is a pic of my mom's Breville juicer. To make a giant pitcher I used 2 cored apples, 2 lbs. of carrots, a thumb-sized piece of ginger, 2 medium beets and 1 lbs. of celery. I took pictures of everyone in the house at the time drinking it. I had two 8oz. glasses. When home we too have our own Breville juicer. 

Tastes best with some ice!!

Totally enjoying my juice!!

My beautiful mami drinking her glass of juice.

My son tasting it.....when he was a toddler he'd drink tons of it. He's become a bit more picky with age. 

              My daughter drinking her juice....she will have a glass usually IF she helps make it. 

First visit to a nutritionist

              I did not think it would be so hard to visit a nutritionist. I think the hardest part was simply knowing that I needed help. It's always been so hard for me to even acknowledge that I need help. I have grown up with independently reading self-help books, always wisely choosing my path based on solid, on-my-own research. But this time I had no more solutions. I had gained weight and listening to too much advice from blogs to podcasts have gotten me confused. It went well. A few times I felt myself getting emotional and I had to catch myself from crying in the presence of this perfect stranger. Back in the car after the visit I had o explore why so emotional? why was this so tough? that was it, the lack of control I felt going in was not a typical place for me to be. Being on the receiving end of HELP was not comfortable...the whole thing felt awkward. The advice I walked away with on the first visit was three easy but at the same time, monumental tasks:

1. Plan your meals and snacks and 

2. Write down everything you eat

oooooh, and see you back in 1 month....

yes, nothing new....nothing I did not already know....nothing earth-shattering. But the last part...the 'meet you back in a month' part was the big catch....

....ACCOUNTABILITY was the fire I needed under my ass to get me moving the right direction. 

Below is my week's plan.....and below that my shopping list for today....lucky for me, today is a snow day at the school distrcit I work at, so, I will be out shopping for a new crockpot, tupperware at Bed Bath and Beyond and at the local grocer some healthier food options. 

Rather Die on mile 18 than on a couch.....

                  I've been hearing a lot lately about the 'dangers' of distance running. Okay, let's calmly think this through a moment. How many people die every day from obesity, heart disease, diabetes? WAY too many. So, the 'dangers' of running a marathon are far, far less than not ever running at all. Also, and most importantly, I think most people who run and enjoy running are not doing it to LIVE LONGER anyway. Yes, that might be one positive outcome....but I don't think such a passionless outcome is the only reason people rack up scores of miles a week. The impetus far surpasses such banal reasons. I can only speak for myself, but for the most part, the quality of my life since I have begun running has improved 1000-fold. I liken my before-running and after-running life to the difference between black and whiteTV versus color HD TV. Life since running entered my life has been an explosion of color, fun, fresh.....I feel alive, awake, aware, strong!! It feels amazing every day being a runner and that state is a priceless feeling.........I would not trade this high quality of living for anything, even for the fear of dying. So yes, when people caution me about running too much all I say is, "I am feeling so happy and strong lately that it's worth the risk to me...I'll take my chances." Then I go out for a LOOOOONG run. 

Prepping for Vegetable/fruit week

        I am doing some research for a vegetable and fruit week. Once I feel confidant that I know how to eat during this week without losing energy I will begin. Below are my notes, helpful videos, and recipes.....it will keep changing over the days...so check often. I am doing this primarily to see how I feel eating at such a high level of healthiness, I am on week 2 of my marathon training so I need to keep up the energy, but try to shed some of my extra pounds so I can become a faster runner. I have heard enough interviews with people who eat primarily fruits and vegetables to know that it might work to both help me shed pounds but to also sustain a high level of energy, enough to make me run faster even. But that is YET to be seen. First things first. 

**Soups (carrots, burdock, tomatoes, celery, basic, chives, miso, garlic powder): pour boiling water over the top. Won't be cooked to death. Fiber in tact. 
** smoothies (fruit smoothies for the morning) 
     Sweet Green Smoothie 
     Glowing Green Smoothie
     Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie
** juices 

Shopping List:
Tomatoes
Miso
Frozen Fruits
plain yougurt
bananas
berries
kale 
avocado
ginger 
dates
coconut 
frozen strawberries

Daily juicing routine.....2 years now

               For two years now I have been juicing and I can safely say I will continue to juice until I can juice no more. It has gotten rid of my cravings for extra foods, it has provided me with boundless energy, it has made my skin radiant at almost 40, and I have not gotten sick in over two years, not even a runny nose. My hubby, who odes the shopping, usually gets me 3-4 5lbs. bags of carrots and 3-4 lbs of apples weekly. Carrots and apple are what I like to call my 'base'. Then, depending on the season, and what is on sale that week, I might supplement my juice with other goodies, they can be beets, cabbage, celery, broccoli, cantaloupe, whole lemons, peeled oranges, ginger, and the list goes on and on. With my Brevelle juicer it only takes me about 5-8 minutes to both wash and juice all I can to make 2 jars of juice. One I leave at home to drink the next morning as I am juicing, and the other I take to work with me and drink around 4pm, when I get my unhealthy treat cravings. Try it....it will literally change your life.....

Inspiring our children to have a healthy lifestyle

   
                 My daughter and I were in the car the other day and she noticed a runner. Having done a few races in the past few months has made her super aware of runners. She yells out, "look mom it's a runner, but he's not in a race because he does not have a number on him!'. Both my children know what the difference is between a marathon and a half marathon and no longer get upset when I get ready Sunday mornings to go on my 2-3 hour runs. There is no doubt in my mind that them seeing me run will make them also lead active lifestyles in the future. 

             Having a girl makes me ultra aware of my own verbalized views about my body. As odd as I feel saying out loud, 'mommy feels so beautiful today', or 'These shorts makes my legs look strong.' I want my daughter to grow up being thankful to have a working, healthy body. My teen years were filled with a mix of envy for waif girls and self-hatred for all the ways in which my body looked....like me. 

            When the kids were smaller we'd take them to Rock Creek Park around the corner for longer and longer hikes on the weekends. Just letting them run around in nature wherever their little hearts desired was always very mood-altering for both kids. We actually sought out these walks as a way to get them back to 'normal' on weekends when they would be particularly difficult to deal with in the apartment. 

           I have noticed some parents will place their kids into sports of which the child may not be necessarily interested in. I don't believe this is a good approach. Last year, Luke began to show interest in baseball. Chris, my awesome hubby and dad, would take him out almost daily for about an hour or two to hit and play ball. Luke loved baseball enough that he did not mind practicing those long hours daily. As a teacher I have noticed that children do not mind spending enormous amount of time doing something they love, yet, if asked to do something they are only half-way interested; they will never be good at it, because the passion is not there. That secret ingredient, passion, is what makes a life feel well lived and we should all wish that for our children. Making kids do things, join clubs and teams they do not care for I feel is absolutely detrimental for their future ability to feel like they are the creators of their own lives. They will be grown men and women one day and teaching them to make choices based on how they feel about the activity needs to begin sooner than later. 

Maintaining a sick-free winter for the whole family

Juice of 12 Carrots, 3 apple, thumb of ginger, 3 cantaloupe slices with peel, 1 peeled orange.