Welcome! 
I'm an illustrator and graphic designer living in Los Angeles, working towards a healthier lifestyle. I hope to inspire others to live healthier lives by sharing what I learn along the way!
Disclaimer Please keep in mind that I am not a registered dietitian or doctor. This blog is not intended as medical advice. I base my recommendations on my own research and personal experience. You should always consult a doctor before making any changes to your diet and exercise routine. You are ultimately responsible for your own health!
|
By Megan, on July 28th, 2010
Hi friends! Happy Hump Day! 
Yesterday was a whirl-wind for me! Between picking up my dress, my colonic appointment (being stuck in traffic for over an hour afterward), and our evening at the theater, the day just FLEW by! Luckily I had some healthy fuel in my system to power me through:
 Green red juice: Romaine, Kale, small apple, 1/2 beet, 1/2 lemon. This juice was just TOO sweet for me! I need to remember to cut back on the apple when I’m using a beet in my juice– there’s more sugar than you’d expect sometimes in raw beets!
I knew I should eat a lighter lunch before my late-afternoon colonic, so I opted for a green smoothie:
 A simple blend of mixed greens, 1 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1 frozen nanner, juice of 1/2 lemon, and a dash of cinnamon. It was light and refreshing!
But I knew that smoothie alone wasn’t going to hold me over until 4pm… and I really wanted a TREAT!! I was actually drooling over Angela’s Healthy Blueberry Chocolate Glaze Cake the other day, so I used that as the inspiration for my new FAVORITE pudding:
Choco-cado Blueberry Chip Pudding!!!
I know avocados are REALLY, REALLY good for you– but I often struggle with texture of it! But when I had my frozen blueberries out for my smoothie yesterday afternoon, a light bulb went off. Why not add frozen blueberries to the avocado?? It totally changed the texture for me!
 Holy moly, this stuff is to die for. I want to make a couple more tweaks to the recipe today, but I’ll share it with you tomorrow– I promise! 
This stuff is so good, I almost forgot about the raw cheesecake pudding I had sitting in my freezer….
…almost.
Dinner was a mad dash for us last night before the play, so I threw together a simple salad:
And then devoured a plate of raw cheesecake goodness:
(Cheesecake “deconstructed” as they’d call it on Top Chef!) 
Not a pretty plating job… but it was delish! I love the texture of the cheesecake pudding when it’s straight from the freezer– it’s solid, just like real cheesecake! And it simply melts in your mouth with each bite! I’m drooling just thinking about it… good thing I’ve got a little bit left for lunch today!
The play we saw last night was AHHH-MAZING!!!! For those of you in the Los Angeles area, get your booties to the Mark Taper Forum and see The Lieutenant of Inishmore before the show closes in August! It’s truly one of the best plays I’ve ever seen. We walked into this play with high expectations– it was written by Academy Award-winning (In Bruges), Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Martin McDonagh!
It also starred Chris Pine (who played Kirk in Star Trek):
 [source]
All I can say is that this was the FUNNIEST, as well as the GORIEST, play I have ever seen! For those of you with weak stomachs– I’ll warn you now– there is QUITE a lot of blood on this stage!! But it’s done in a humorous way… if that makes sense. We felt our season tickets were worth just this play alone!
Since I was SO busy yesterday, I ended up taking the day off from exercise. There’s another Body Pump-ish class at my gym tonight (with the same instructor I enjoyed on Sunday!) so I think I’m going to hit it up for a good strength session! I love finding group exercise classes that I enjoy! And I might squeeze in a run, if time permits. Otherwise, I’ve been really enjoying some quality time with my rebounder lately! I’ve been trying to bounce on it for 15-20 minutes a day, since it has similar benefits to running, without all the impact! Another bonus to rebounding– I can watch TV at home while I do it!
Okay, I’m off to get some more work done! Hope you’re all having a great day!!
**Please take a moment to vote for my charity Blog Away Hunger– the poor thing is in LAST place right now in the Almond Breeze Taste and Make a Difference Program!!
It only takes ONE SECOND to vote in the widget to the right of this post –>
Thanks!! xoxo
By Megan, on July 27th, 2010
Hi friends! Happy Tuesday!!
Today is already off to a much better start than yesterday– since today I actually have RUNNING WATER!! Yesterday morning our water was shut off for 5 hours, thanks to street repairs… so annoying! Since I wasn’t about to break out my juicer (and not be able to wash it for hours), I ended up eating the rest of my chopped watermelon for most of the morning. (I was so hungry, I forgot to take a picture!)
When we finally did have water again, I got the urge to break out another appliance– my mini food processor. I had raw cheesecake pudding on the brain again!
I rationalized making it again, because I had a little more of my homemade cashew butter left to use up! Cheesecake pudding is the BEST use of cashew butter I can think of! I’m still playing around with this recipe, but I’ll try to share it with you all soon– believe me, it’ll be worth the wait!
And while this pudding is DELICIOUS on it’s own, I was in the mood for some graham cracker crust, too! For some variation, I tried pistachios as the nut-base of the crust– and I don’t really recommend that! You definitely need to use a more oily-nut… like walnuts or pecans! The pistachio crust is just okay… not terrible, but not crave-worthy.
 (I ended up eating this portion, and a second one!! It’s addicting stuff…)
And of course, I was a “good girl” and ate a salad before indulging in my raw cheesecake– gotta get those good enzymes in your body to help digestion!
 A simple mix of greens, organic cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini, all topped with my Lemon-Oregano Vinaigrette. Eating the salad first also gave my raw cheesecake some time to set in the freezer! I like my cheesecake nice and cold!
After work, I headed to the gym for a quick treadmill session. I’ve been really into my Jackie Warner workout lately, and I was looking into her book, This is Why Your Fat, the other day on Amazon. In the book description, they listed Ten Tips from Jackie Warner for Getting in Shape. I loved her first tip:
It’s not how long, it’s how strong. Incorporate 20 minutes of high intensity cardio each day.
- Walk fast on a treadmill for 2 minutes at a 15 incline
- Sprint for 2 minutes on flat ramp
- Cool down for 1 minute
Repeat this cycle 3 more times until you reach your 20 minute goal.
[source]
So guess what I did on the treadmill yesterday? This workout was tough– even though it was only 20 minutes! I will say, I stopped doing the incline of 15 after the first circuit because I was too impatient to wait for the ramp to move up and down… it took almost 40 seconds each transition! So, I settled on an incline of 10 with a faster pace– and I was still sweating in no time!
I followed up my workout with a 30-minute session in the dry sauna. Boy, was that hot! I normally use the steam sauna at my gym, but it was “out of order” yesterday.  I had only tried the dry sauna once before, and had HATED it, but I was determined to get my sweat on! Surprisingly, I didn’t mind it as much when I tried it again! I think the key is LOTS and LOTS of water! Preferably COLD water to start, since it will heat up the longer you sit! When you initially sit in the dry heat, it’s kinda gross to breath in the dry heat– it dries out your nose and mouth! But the water helps a lot! And once you actually start sweating, it gets better, too. I did two 15-minute sessions in the dry sauna, with a cold shower in-between to cool off. Very refreshing!!
I came home to find out we had a surprise guest in town– my father-in-law! He was in town for business, so he offered to take us out for dinner. You don’t have to twist my arm!! I enjoyed a (un-pictured, since the family doesn’t really know about the blog) goat cheese salad on a bed of romaine, with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and a lemon vinaigrette on the side. It was delightful!
And no night is complete without dessert!
Herbal peppermint tea and some 70% dark chocolate, enjoyed while watching (a rather boring) episode of The Bachelorette. Anyone else looking forward to the new show, Bachelor Pad?? Last night was the first time I saw an ad for the show, and I must say… I’m intrigued.
Here’s what I’ve got planned for the rest of my day:
Colonic Appointment (the second in my series of 3!)
Picking up my new dress at Nordstrom (yay!!)
Going to see a play tonight!!
Hope you all have a great day!!
Reader Feedback: Do you ever go to the theater/opera/symphony? We bought season tickets to a theater this year, and it really made me feel like “an adult” by supporting the arts!
By Megan, on July 26th, 2010
Hi friends! Happy Monday! Did you all have a great weekend? I thoroughly enjoyed mine.
I started my Saturday morning off with a beautiful 4-mile hike with my friend, Morgan. The trail was a nice mix of up- and down-hills, so my legs were feeling it! When we were all done, we treated ourselves to lovely breakfast at Aroma Cafe. I love Aroma’s outdoor seating, and the fact that they serve most of their menu all day long! I decided on a salad for breakfast. :D
The salads here are wonderful– PACKED with mixed greens and veggies! Is it weird to have a salad in the morning? It just sounded better to me than “traditional” breakfast food…
Sunday morning, I tried a strength-training class at my gym– and I LOVED the instructor! She was super-high energy, and it was nice to work out in air-conditioning for a change (as opposed to my psuedo-Bikram apartment). I also love the vibe of group exercise classes. Having lots of women sweating next to you is so motivating when your energy starts to flag! As much as I love my workout DVDs, I think I’m going to be supplementing my workout routine with a couple of gym classes each week from now on!
After my workout (and an un-pictured green smoothie), my husband and I went to see Angelina Jolie’s new movie, SALT.
 [source]
I had heard it was supposed to be kinda like a “female James Bond” movie, so I was really excited for it! I love fun action movies. And I wasn’t disappointed with this one– there were lots of fun twists, and it kept you on your toes! There were a couple plot holes that I thought could have been tied up better, but I don’t want to give anything away… so I’ll just leave it at that. Since the movie did pretty well at the box office this weekend, I’m excited for a sequel!
And after the movie, we decided to indulge in Indian Food Wednesday Sunday.
Thank goodness for Gina, who first introduced me to Baigan Bhartha:
I’m normally a little scared of eggplant dishes (the texture can be strange), but it is almost un-recognizable in this dish! In fact, the finely chopped/pureed texture of this dish is amazing!! I couldn’t even begin to describe the flavor, but trust me– it’s perfect.
And I like to enjoy it with a hefty serving of roti (whole-wheat naan):
I ate twice that amount of roti! It’s just that good. I don’t think it’s possible to leave an Indian food restaurant without a hefty food baby! My stomach was uncomfortably full… but worth it.
The rest of my weekend was pretty un-noteworthy… however, I did do some shopping damage at Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale:
 Nude heels by Steve Madden– these are the PERFECT nude color, and I needed some for my bridesmaid outfit next month! Love the not-too-high heel, too! Hopefully these will be comfy for all-day wedding wear!
I also took a risk and ordered this dress online:
 I’m hoping this could work as a rehearsal dinner dress. I’m picking it up in the store tomorrow, so hopefully it will look cute when I try it on! Otherwise, Nordstrom has an awesome return policy.
Do you guys order clothes online? I’m all about ordering books, dvds, etc. online (in fact, I think I have an Amazon problem…), but I rarely buy clothes or shoes through a website– I’m scared they won’t fit, and shipping them back sounds like a pain! I make an exception, though, if I know I can return the item to a store nearby.
The rest of the weekend was spent stuffing my face with the rest of my raw cheesecake pudding.
 (straight out of the freezer, this stuff has almost the same texture as “real” cheesecake!)
(a dallop of raw cheesecake pudding on squares on raw graham cracker crust reminds me of traditional cheesecake bars!)
Although I probably made enough of this cheesecake pudding to last me a week, and it only lasted me three days. *hides her cheesecake-covered-face in shame* I can’t be trusted around raw treats!! But it was totally worth it.
Reader Feedback: Have you ever made a raw dessert? What’s your favorite??
By Megan, on July 23rd, 2010
Good evening! Hope you all have had a great start to your weekend so far! I know I have!
I had a great appointment with my colon hydrotherapist this afternoon! I know it sounds weird to talk about such things, but if you’re embarking on any sort of cleansing or raw food routine, then paying attention to your “eliminations” is important stuff! You have to awaken toxins AND release them to truly detox! The only type of colonic I recommend, though, is a gravity colonic– which uses only gentle gravity and pure water to cleanse the entire length of your colon. There are tons of pressurized systems out there, and those are the ones that can actually be harmful!
I’m sure some of you still think colonics sound crazy or “out there,” but please realize that I used to think that, too! Now, I’m a total convert. Go figure. For more on the importance and benefits of colon cleansing, I highly recommend you read The Raw Food Detox Diet– it’s the book that turned my whole lifestyle around! (and I swear, it’s not a “raw food” diet– you can eat bread, meat, cheese, and chocolate– so don’t be scared away by the title!)
Because of my colonic appointment, I ate really lightly throughout the morning. Prior to having a colonic, you should avoid dense foods, like meat and cheese, and should ideally not eat 2-3 hours before your appointment, so that you’re not digesting during your session. I can’t imagine it would feel very good to have a fully belly in that situation… ha ha.
I started my morning with a green juice:
 I love the colors in this one! Romaine, beet greens, small apple and 1/2 a lemon–> very tasty!!
The rest of the afternoon, I pretty much just munched on fresh watermelon:
 I think I ate at least half of that sucker today! It was just so refreshing! And watermelon takes a mere 20 minutes to digest when you eat it on an empty stomach, so I didn’t have to worry about it affecting my plans later in the day!
After my appointment, I ended up having some free time on my hands! I fueled-up with an (un-pictured) banana, and figured it was the perfect time to workout!
I had already squeezed in a 2-mile run this morning, but I really wanted to get a strength workout in, too! I ended up doing Jackie Warner’s lower body circuit today, and it killed! That lady knows what she’s doing. I love how she really emphasizes a particular muscle group during each circuit (there are 4 circuits in each workout)– my glutes and thighs were on FIRE by the end!! I have a feeling I’m going to be feeling my lower body tomorrow…
Boy, oh, boy was I ready for dinner after that!!
 I started off with a mixed green salad, topped with organic cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and my lemon-oregano vinaigrette. (which is quickly becoming my new favorite dressing!)
Then, came the fun stuff.
You know, one of the things I was MOST excited about when I got my Vita-Mix a few months ago, was making my own nut butters– and yet, I hadn’t tried it yet! Well, tonight it all changed! I had a specific dessert in mind for tonight, and it called for cashew butter. I don’t know about other places, but here in Los Angeles a jar of raw cashew butter costs $17!! Um, no thanks.
But with my Vita-Mix, I can turn this:
 Into this:
 I simply put 2 cups of raw cashews into the blender, and blended them for 1-2 minutes–> Voila! Homemade Cashew butter!
Almost every weekend I let myself REALLY indulge in some sort of treat, and tonight I was hankering for cheesecake! Raw, vegan cheesecake pudding, that is. Natalia Rose has a great recipe for Raw Cheesecake Pudding in The Raw Food Detox Diet, and the only thing I change is I reduce the amount of cashews by a 1/4 cup, and add some raw zucchini puree instead. Weird sounding, I know, but it makes the recipe a little lighter, and more pudding-like! I topped mine off with some “graham cracker crust” crumbles:
Raw Graham Cracker Crust
1 cup raw pecans
2 tablespoons raw agave nectar, or maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
Grind pecans in a food processor until almost smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend in food processor until it all sticks together, like cookie dough. Press the dough into a greased or lined pan, and place it in the freezer to set. You can use this crust as the base for any raw dessert, or as a crumbly topping!
©HealthyHoggin
This crust is by far one of my FAVORITE raw treats of all time. I like to eat it straight out of my food processor! It strangely reminds me of the Mexican Wedding Cookies I always enjoy at Christmas!
Holy moly, was this good! I don’t think it’s a great idea to eat nut-based desserts all the time, but weekends are made for splurging, right? Right.
Okay, bloggies. I’m off to sleep– I’ve got an early morning hike ahead of me!!
Hope you all have a great night!
By Megan, on July 23rd, 2010
Hi friends! Happy FRIDAY!!!!!!!
**Don’t forget! Please take one second to vote for my charity, Blog Away Hunger, by simply clicking on the voting widget to the right of the post–>
Anyone have fun plans for the weekend? I’ve got a colonic scheduled for this afternoon (fun, fun, I know) then I’m going to my friend’s bridal dress fitting! Her dress is GORGEOUS! I can’t believe her wedding is coming up so fast! I think I’m going to hit up the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale right after work today, to see if I can find some shoes for my bridesmaid dress! (and then try to stop myself there… because that sale is just TOO tempting!!)
Since I was too busy to blog yesterday, here’s a quick recap of my eats:
A lovely juice filled with romaine, beet greens, 1/2 a beet, a small apple, and 1/2 a lemon:
 Served in a stemless wine glass with a glass straw. Fancy Shmancy.;)
 I love buying fresh beets for my juice, because I feel like I’m getting a “2 for 1″ deal– since you can use the red beet roots AND the beet greens! I used to be a little intimidated by beet greens, but once I learned they contain large amounts of vitamins K and A, along with large amounts of anti-oxidants beta Carotene and Lutein [source], I figured I should really use them up! Plus, juicing is a great way to “sneak” more veggies into your life!
I enjoyed a huge salad for lunch:
 The usual combo. What can I say? I like what I like.
I didn’t feel like repeating my No More Trouble Zones workout yesterday afternoon, so I decided to switch it up by doing a different strength workout:
 Anyone watch the TV show Workout on Bravo? My husband and I love Jackie Warner!! I’m not sure if the show is even on anymore, but thank goodness her workout DVD’s are available– I forgot how much I love this one!! This particular DVD, One-On-One Training with Jackie, offers three 20-minute workouts: Upper Body, Lower Body, and Abs. You can choose to do just one section, or customize your workout with more than one:
 I did the Upper Body circuit yesterday, and it was AWESOME! I’m feeling a little sore today (which I love) and plan on doing the Lower Body circuit today. Sometimes I like getting my whole strength session done in one day, with a workout like No More Trouble Zones, but sometimes that can seem overwhelming to me and I’d rather break it down into more manageable chunks each day. Right now, I’m more in the mood to work one half of my body each day– so that’s what I’m gonna do! I also think it’s very effective to switch up your workout routine, so that you don’t wind up doing the same moves all the time! My husband laughs at me every time I buy a new workout DVD, but I love having options!!
Post-workout, I had a quick green smoothie:
 Simple combo: Blender full of spinach (2-3 cups?), 1 banana, 1 T. cocoa powder, 1 cup almond milk, handful of ice. It tasted like chocolate milk!!
And for dinner, my husband really wanted to go out, so he twisted my arm and dragged me to Granville. I happen to LOVE their Lemon-Oregano salad dressing, so it really didn’t take too much convincing for me to go. I had a glorious salad of organic romaine, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and fresh basil:
 It was divine. Normally, I enjoy this salad with goat cheese, but I knew I had some raw almond butter cookies waiting for me at home… and I didn’t want a stomach ache later from mis-combining!
These almond butter cookies were really just an experiment out of my head, trying to use dates instead of maple syrup as a sweetener:
I let them set in the freezer before DEVOURING a few many of them.
The dates definitely gave them a different texture! I actually still prefer maple syrup (even though it’s not technically “raw”) since it adds a really nice depth of flavor, but I’m going to keep experimenting with dates in my free time! I see some fudge babies in my future.
Yesterday afternoon, I sat down to read my book on Natural Relief for Anxiety. Even though I’m only a few chapters in, I feel like I’ve already gotten some really great tips for coping with anxiety, and preventing it in the first place! The first chapter focuses on relaxation techniques, such as Progressive and Passive Muscle Relaxation, and breathing techniques, including the Calming Breath which is supposed to be helpful during an anxiety attack:
Calming Breath
1. Breathing from your abdomen, inhale through your nose slowly to a count of five
2. Pause and hold your breath to a slow count of five
3. Exhale slowly, through your nose or mouth, to a slow count of five (or however much longer it takes to exhale FULLY)
4. When you’ve exhaled completely, take 2 normal breaths in your normal rhythm, then repeat the first three steps again
5. Keep up this exercise for 5 minutes. (if you start to feel light-headed, take a 30-second break and begin again)
[source]
If I experience any anxiety during my drive this afternoon, I’m definitely going to try to use this! The author also points out that relaxation is something we need to practice– it takes effort to learn how to relax! He also stresses the fact that sitting in front of the TV does NOT count as relaxation (he calls it distraction instead). He suggests taking 20-minutes in a calm, quiet space so you can fully-focus on how your body feels when it’s truly relaxed. I must say, relaxing in quiet is not something that comes naturally to me– but I’m trying to make it a priority!
Exercise and diet can also play an important role in managing anxiety, according to this book. Here are some of the suggestions I’ve read so far:
- Exercise 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week to release excess adrenaline in your body
- Cut out caffeine, sugar, and food allergens (common ones are gluten, dairy, chocolate, peanuts, soy, and eggs) — According to Dr. Bourne, one of the most telling signs of food allergy is CRAVING. You tend to crave the very foods you are allergic to! Isn’t that crazy?!
Hmmm… does that mean I’m allergic to chocolate? I hope not! (of course, if that were the case, I think most women are allergic to chocolate!!)
I’m really excited to get further into my book, and I’ll be sure to share any other interesting tidbits in future posts!
Hope you’re all having a great day so far!
By Megan, on July 21st, 2010
Happy Hump Day!! Where has this week gone? My husband coming home on Monday has really thrown me for a loop– I feel like it’s still Tuesday! Not that I’m complaining… the weekend can never get here fast enough, if you ask me!
This morning, I decided to get back to the basics with my green juice. No cucumbers. No carrots. No funny stuff. I’m not risking another poisoned juice for a while!
Romaine. Kale. Beet. Apple. Lemon. My favorite juice combo of all time! And it never fails-
 It tasted PERFECT!! Ahhh… so much better.
Lunch today was another simple favorite of mine:
 A giant salad featuring mixed greens, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and shredded raw goat cheddar. Cherry tomatoes and cucumbers are definitely my favorite salad toppings at the moment! They must be in season right now, because they taste SOOOO good!
I also tried my hand at another homemade Lemon-vinaigrette this afternoon!
 Lemon-Oregano Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine everything but the olive oil in a mini-food processor until thoroughly combined, then add in olive oil and blend until emulsified.
This dressing is so refreshing with all the summer veggies available right now! I hope you try it!!
This afternoon, I had some goat’s milk yogurt as a little treat:
 And my tummy was happy.
Even though I’ve been LOVING my raw food lately, I think it’s a really good idea to keep some things non-raw (like that yogurt) in your diet. Jumping into an all-raw diet can be really taxing on your body– and you might not get all the benefits you’re looking for by being so strict! Eating some cooked foods slows down your detox, so you can process everything you’re stirring up. Your body can only detox so much at one time, so if you’re cleansing more than your body can get rid of, you’re just risking those toxins being released back into your body all over again! So, please, be smart with raw food! Natalia Rose calls this “Intelligent Cleansing” when you eat easy-to-digest meals (by properly food combining), and focus enough on elimination of toxins (through skin brushing, sweating, and colonics)– because you only truly detox when you RELEASE the toxins!
Hence, I made a colonic appointment for Friday. I haven’t seen a colon hydrotherapist since before my wedding, so I’m really excited to try it again! Even though I’ve tried colon hydrotherapy before, I haven’t given it a “real shot” yet– as in, I haven’t followed the advice to try an initial series of 3 colonics close together. Supposedly, starting off with a series of colonics, 2-3 days apart from each other, is the ideal way to kick-off your cleansing, then you can maintain with follow-up with visits once a month. I think I’m going to give it a shot this time!
This colonic appointment means I need to get back to driving on the highway again– and I’m a little nervous after Monday’s anxiety attack! Luckily, my new book came in the mail today:
I’m really looking forward to diving into it! In the meantime, I’ve been taking Natural Calm and 5-HTP daily, and I’ve been feeling really good!
Alright, here’s what I’ve got planned for the rest of the day:
Trip to the gym– treadmill workout & steam sauana
Whole Foods (I need more of those cherry tomatoes!!)
Top Chef and Work of Art are on tonight! Woo-hoo! (anyone else LOVE Work of Art like I do??)
Hope you all have a great night!!
–
**P.S. Thanks SO much for your votes for Blog Away Hunger! Keep ‘em coming! You can vote once per visit, so please vote in the widget to the TOP RIGHT of this post –>
Interesting Articles to Read:
How to Safely Run in Summer Heat (hence, why I’m treadmilling-it today!)
High Protein Diets may Lead to Bone Density Loss (Finally! Scientific proof that high-protein diets are NOT good for you!!)
By Megan, on July 20th, 2010
Good evening!!!! Today has turned into a MUCH better day than yesterday…
I had a busy morning with work, so I got off to a late start with my run–> and it was HOT outside by the time I got out there!! The sun was right over head, so I had to cut my run pretty short!
Considering how much I had been running during my half-marathon training, I felt almost lazy for only running 2 miles… but then I realized I need to be easier on myself! I’m just starting to get back into my running “groove,” and I haven’t really run since the beginning of June! So it makes sense that 2 miles might be challenging for me again! And I felt SO good when I was done– I really think exercise is essential for keeping my anxiety in check.
And, since my cup of poisoned-juice wasn’t exactly cutting it this morning, I ended up enjoying the last of my honeydew melon as my post-workout breakfast:
I always eat my melon straight out of the container in the fridge… don’t judge me. Now that my honeydew is all gone, I think some watermelon is in order! I can’t BELIEVE I haven’t enjoyed watermelon this season yet! Watermelon is my favorite!! (Cantaloupe, however, can just stay away from me– I can’t stand it!)
After my pudding smoothie the other day, I haven’t been craving smoothies for lunch lately… in fact, it seems like all I want to eat is salads!! I feel like a salad-eating-monster!!
So, of course, my lunch was a HUGE salad!
 An entire bag of mixed greens, diced cucumbers, crunchy red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and a blanket of raw goat cheddar. I topped it with my homemade garlic-lemon vinaigrette, and it was HEAVEN! I was practically licking the bowl when I was finished!
After work, I caught-up on some much needed rest. We had a late night seeing Inception, so I only ended up getting about 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night! That’s not okay with me, so I took a 2-hour nap to compensate. I woke up feeling like a lazy bum, but it was worth it! And I more than made up for it by doing my No More Trouble Zones workout:
While it’s sometimes hard for me to get motivated to do a strength workout, I always feel great when I’m done! I think the first circuit is definitely the HARDEST on this DVD… then it’s kinda downhill from there! Although, having 7 circuits ahead of you can be a little overwhelming when you’re already shaking from the first! I also have to make a few modifications during this workout-- there are a lot of push-ups and plank variations! I have a pretty weak upper-body, so holding my body up like that gets exhausting– and I feel no shame doing “girly” push-ups!
I made a quick run to Trader Joe’s to get some new produce (not risking another bad-tasting juice tomorrow morning!), then it was dinner time! Since I have a “no-using-the-oven” rule during this heat wave, the husband had a turkey sandwich for dinner:
And I had a bounty of veggies for my dinner!
A mixed green salad topped with cherry tomatoes, cucumber and the rest of my lemon vinaigrette, along with a side of my raw pesto and veggies for dipping! It was exactly what I was craving! Isn’t it funny how our cravings change with the seasons? When it’s cold outside, it’s like pulling-teeth trying to get me to eat a raw salad for dinner! And now, it’s ALL I WANT!!
And, of course, no night is complete in our house without dessert!
I whipped up a batch of chocolate-peanut butter banana soft-serve for the husband, and a dark-chocolate batch for myself! (I just added 2 T. of cocoa to my batch, instead of the usual 1 T.)
Now we’re going to catch-up on some Real Housewives of New Jersey (our guilty pleasure ) and Top Chef!
Hope you all have a great night!!
**Please remember to vote for my charity, Blog Away Hunger, in the voting widget to the right of this post–> You can vote once per blog visit, and each vote means more money is donated to help END WORLD HUNGER!! Thanks for your support!!
By Megan, on July 20th, 2010
Hi friends! Happy Tuesday!!
You’ve probably already noticed, but I’ve been eating a lot of raw food lately. Not only is raw food perfect for HOT days, but it’s also helps me prepare for big events! In my experience, eating a high raw diet helps shed excess weight and bloat, get rid of cravings for junk food, and makes my skin glow! And since I have a bridesmaid dress to squeeze into in less than 6 weeks (yikes!!), it’s CRUNCH TIME!
Another side-effect of eating a high-raw diet (at least for me, anyway) is super-sensitive taste buds! I swear, I made the exact same juice yesterday I always do:
 Romaine, Kale, 1/2 apple, 1/2 beet, 1/2 lemon–> and it was SICKENINGLY SWEET to me! What’s the deal?
Same thing happened with my green smoothie for lunch:
 Pretty normal combo: Blender full of spinach, 1 cup blueberries, 1 frozen banana, 1 T. cocoa, unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze, 1 tsp. spirulina. And again, it was WAY TOO SWEET!!
My hyper-sensitive buds are throwing me for a loop! I usually LOVE sweet stuff! I can’t get enough of it!!
So, today, I opted for a less-sweet juice:
  Pretty, huh?
Too bad it tasted like DEATH!!
I don’t know WHERE I went wrong, but something was seriously wrong with this juice! I took one sip, and thought I had just drank poison! It’s strange, because all my produce was organic, but my juice had an almost-chemical taste to it! SO BAD. I even tried one more sip… just to see if my taste buds were playing tricks on me. Nope! It was just as disgusting the second-time around.
Down the drain it went.
I really wish I knew WHY my juice was so bad– was it the cucumber I used? Was the lemon not ripe enough? Whatever it was, I’m not willing to repeat it!! I’m going on a shopping trip today to buy all-new produce! I had already run out of romaine and apples, so it’s perfect timing. I’m kinda scared to use those lemons or kale again, too! It was truly THAT bad!! Blech.
Another thing I’m hoping eating a high-raw diet will help me with is my anxiety. I haven’t really talked about my anxiety attacks on the blog before, because they really haven’t been an issue for me lately– at least, they weren’t until the past week. The first time I remember having an anxiety attack was my sophomore year in college, while I was driving to class. All of the sudden, a rush of panic took over my body, and I felt like I was struggling to breath and might pass out! It was terrifying, and I immediately pulled over and took a minute to relax. It didn’t happen every time I drove, but occasionally it happened to me while I was sitting in class, too! I decided it was a good idea to visit my doctor, and tell her about my sympotms–> and she immediately prescribed anti-depressant/anxiety drugs for me. This was long before I knew much about health or diet, so I just assumed that taking pills was the best way to fix it. I was especially stressed at this time about transferring to another college, so I figured it was a temporary thing, anyway.
After a few months, my roommate at the time commented that she was amazed at how calm I was all the time– almost like I was in a trance. I wasn’t as stressed or anxious, but I also wasn’t very happy! It was like the medications numbed ALL of my emotions! I almost immediately decided to quit the medication (which, by the way, isn’t a very good idea without consulting with your doctor!! I’m NOT recommending that!), because I felt like I was missing out on life, and I wasn’t even sure the anxiety attacks were going to happen anymore. And they really haven’t been all that terrible again until recently. The problem is, I don’t know what’s triggering them this time!
Yesterday, when I was driving to pick up my husband from the airport, I experienced my WORST anxiety attack to date! Almost immediately when I got onto the highway, I felt my hands and legs go tingly– the same “pins and needles” feeling you get when your foot falls asleep. I tried to take calm breaths through my nose during the drive, even though I was freaking out, and I managed to talk myself through the whole 45-minute drive. But that’s not to say I wasn’t worried I’d pass out at any minute! It was so scary.
Curious to see if these symptoms were “normal” for an anxiety attack, I decided to do some research last night. Here’s a brief description of what I found:
Anxiety attacks, known as panic attacks in mental health circles, are episodes of intense panic or fear. Anxiety attacks usually occur suddenly and without warning. Sometimes there’s an obvious trigger— getting stuck in an elevator, for example, or thinking about the big speech you’re giving in a few hours—but in other cases, the attacks come out of the blue.
Anxiety attacks usually peak within ten minutes, and they rarely last more than a half hour. But during that short time, the terror can be so severe that you feel as if you’re about to die or totally lose control. The physical symptoms are themselves so frightening that many people believe they’re having a heart attack. After an anxiety attack is over, you may be worried about having another one, particularly in a public place where help isn’t available or you can’t easily escape.
Symptoms of an anxiety attack include:
- Surge of overwhelming panic
- Feeling of losing control or going crazy
- Heart palpitations or chest pain
- Feeling like you’re going to pass out
- Trouble breathing or choking sensation
|
- Hyperventilation
- Hot flashes or chills
- Trembling or shaking
- Nausea or stomach cramps
- Feeling detached or unreal
|
[source]
I have to say, this sounds EXACTLY like what I was experiencing! Now that I’ve identified it, I’m looking into ways to deal with my anxiety– starting with the natural options, of course! I’ve ordered a book on Natural Relief for Anxiety, and I’m wondering if perhaps I’m lacking a vitamin or mineral? (I’ll be asking my doctor for a blood work-up next time I visit, to find out for sure!) I know magnesium is important– so I’m doing everything I can to get an extra dose!
Starting with some Natural Calm:
 Here’s hoping I get to the bottom of all this!
And I hope you guys all have a wonderful day!!
Reader Feedback: Have you ever had an anxiety attack? How do you manage stress or anxiety?
P.S. Did anyone watch the Bachelorette last night? I thought it was kinda BORING!! I feel like they give away everything in the previews… so by the time we actually see the “real” footage, it’s nothing new!
P.P.S. We saw Inception last night, and it was AMAZING!! Everything I hoped it would be and more. If you’re only going to see ONE movie this summer, this is the one to see!! Seriously!
By Megan, on July 19th, 2010
Hi friends! Happy Monday!!
**Please don’t forget! I’m working with Almond Breeze and Foodbuzz to raise money for a deserving charity, Blog Away Hunger.
With just ONE CLICK, you can vote for my charity using the blue voting widget to the right of this post, and help END WORLD HUNGER!!! –>
Today’s an especially good day for me because my husband’s coming home this afternoon! I didn’t mention that he was gone (for safety purposes) but it was a lonely weekend without him! I’m really excited to see his face today.
Whenever I’m bored or lonely, I tend to want to cook or bake something– but that’s not going to happen while it’s SO FREAKIN’ HOT in my apartment! The oven is staying off until the temperature drops again! Luckily, I had a very productive shopping trip at Whole Foods yesterday, and I already had something fun in mind to make.
When I walked into the store, a row of fresh, local & organic basil was staring me in the face:
It smelled so good, I just had to buy some! Then I walked by these:
Raw shelled pistachios!
It was like Whole Foods was trying to tell me something…
…like, make Raw Pesto tonight for dinner!
The best raw pesto I’ve ever made comes from the book, Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen. (I haven’t tried one of her recipes that I haven’t liked!) I follow Ani’s recipe almost to the letter, but use lemon juice instead of lime, and omit the oil, because I like my pesto THICK! What I really love about this pesto, is that it’s ready in no time!
 It smelled so good, it was all I could do not to eat it straight with a spoon!
But, I showed SOME restraint (though, I might have snuck a little taste…) and ate my pesto like a BIG GIRL –> over some raw zucchini noodles!
 Made with my awesome new spiralizer.
I even got all fancy, and plated my “pasta” with some marinated cherry tomatoes! (simply marinated in apple cider vinegar and dried herbs for about 10 min.)
 Holy yum. I could eat this pesto every night! I’m already planning my next meal with it as I write…
And no night is really complete without dessert! So, I indulged in some banana soft serve, this time made with chocolate Almond Breeze!
And I still added extra-cocoa powder, which made for some DARK chocolate ice cream!
It was divine… even if it was melting quickly in my HOT apartment!!
This morning, I went for a lovely 2.5 mile run outside, and came home nice and sweaty! This sweet green juice helped cool me off:
 Head of romaine, 1/2 bunch of kale, 1 small beet, 1/2 Fuji apple, 1/2 lemon. It was tasty, but almost too sweet for me! I prefer my juices a little on the tart side… next time I’ll use less sweet stuff, and more lemon!
Alright, I’m off to work for a little while longer before I pick up my husband from the airport! I know he’s DYING to see the new movie, Inception, so I have a feeling that’s on the roster for tonight! (as well as some Bachelorette drama on TV later!!)
Hope you all have a great night!!
By Megan, on July 18th, 2010
Happy Sunday!! It’s especially happy for me, because it’s just ever so slightly cooler than it was yesterday… whew!
I was sweating just by sitting in my apartment yesterday! It was HOT HOT HOT!! Which left me wanting to eating nothing but COOL foods! In fact, lunch kinda fell through the cracks for me yesterday… I pretty much grazed on fresh honeydew melon throughout the afternoon! It was perfectly ripe, and so refreshing:
 I munched on a good chunk of the melon in the process of chopping it up, but still found myself going back to the fridge for more!! It’s definitely prime time for these melons!!
When dinner rolled around, I knew I needed to use up this avocado before it got too ripe!
I split it in half, and decided to enjoy it in two ways:
 On top of a salad, along with my leftover lemon dressing, red peppers, cucumbers and some crunchy Garlic Gold nuggets. Delish!
I mashed the other half into a super-simple guacamole, using lemon juice and sea salt:
 I love cold, crunchy carrots when it’s hot outside! They are the perfect summer snack– especially with something fun to dip them in!
And dessert last night was equally as refreshing:
 Sparkling detox lemonade! I simply combined the juice of half a lemon, 4-5 drops of liquid stevia, and filled my glass with ice and sparkling water. It was the perfect way to end a HOT night!
This morning I had to wake up early to get ready for a bridal shower, and I knew I wanted to eat something that would last me for a while– so I figured, why not add an avocado to my green smoothie? Healthy fats always keep me full for a while!
 Only one problem– the avocado TOTALLY threw off the texture of my smoothie! It made it very pudding-like, which might have been fine if I hadn’t been trying to drink it through a STRAW! It as way too thick. And too avocad0-ish. I like avocados, but only in moderate amounts. That guy definitely took over the show in my smoothie, and I wasn’t liking it!!!
So… lesson learned. Maybe not a WHOLE avocado in my smoothie next time! Or, maybe I should just plan on eating it with a spoon. That smoothie DID last me a while, though! I wasn’t hungry for hours!! Maybe with some tweaking, the avocado smoothie could be a hit!
Okay, I’m off to eat some dinner, then watch True Blood! (In that order, because I can’t eat and watch True Blood at the same time– too risky!!)
Hope you all have a great night!
**Please take a moment to vote for my charity, Blog Away Hunger in the voting widget to the right of this post –>
THANKS!!!
|
|
