Just what I needed…

Hi friends! Happy Tuesday!!!!

Only two more days of working before our vacation! Wahoo!!

Since I’m going to miss two days of my Insanity program during our camping trip, I’m trying to push myself extra-hard during this week’s workouts! Although, Yasha has been secretly trying to SABOTAGE my efforts:

Almost every day, this little squeaky toy winds up underneath my foot during my workout! Little bugger!

Yasha gets so excited to see me jump around (and there is a LOT of jumping in Insanity), so she squeaks her toy in excitement… then drops it on the floor for me to trip over. Don’t even get me started on when I start doing push-ups! The second she sees me hit the ground, she immediately runs up to me and rolls over expecting a belly rub. Yeah, right!

After my super-sweaty workout, it was all I could do to walk to my kitchen and make a smoothie:

This was surprisingly good, considering I had run out of spinach and had to use mixed greens instead! (I’m trying to use up EVERYTHING in our fridge before our trip!)  This baby had a blender full of mixed greens, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 frozen banana, cinnamon, maca, spirulina, and Sun Warrior protein.

I stumbled across a FAQ page about Maca today, and it has kinda made me question my daily Maca addition in my green smoothies! I actually started taking Maca in hopes that it would boost my marathon training over the last couple of months, but adding it to my smoothies became such a habit, that I didn’t even think about taking a break from it. Then I came across several articles, mentioning that it is a good idea to take a break from using maca every now and then. This FAQ addressed some of my concerns:

I think I’m going to break-up with Maca powder for a while, and see if I can feel a difference! With my Insanity workouts, I may need that “boost” again, but I’d like to see how my body feels without it! I figure, my upcoming vacation and next week’s business trip are the perfect opportunity to see how this goes!

I also found out that there is some debate on whether RAW or GELATINIZED maca is best, which is addressed here:

I currently use raw Maca that I purchased from iHerb, but perhaps I’ll try the gelatinized version someday to see if it’s easier on the digestive system!

Anyway, after my last maca-filled smoothie for a while, I went on a shopping spree with my good friend, Teija!

It was JUST what I needed– girl time and shopping!   We made the rounds at my local mall, and I made it out only buying 1 shirt, which was on sale at The Gap! I also picked up some necessities at Target, since we were running low on EVERYTHING! I am STILL without my car, because apparently it has stumped everyone at the dealership! Seriously, it has been there over a week, and they can’t find a single thing wrong with it. I’m not complaining– since usually it’s the opposite at a dealership! Don’t they usually OVERSELL you on things?!

Well, since my husband needs his car fixed, too (when it rains, it pours)…  I am picking up my car today– fixed or not. The reason I took it in was because it wasn’t starting for me almost every morning. But apparently, it’s starting almost every morning for them now, so they think it’s okay for me to drive again. Cross your fingers for me that it stays that way! It’s also nice to know that nothing else is wrong with my car, since it seems they’ve checked everything now! I love having peace of mind after taking my car into the shop!

Once I have my car back, I plan on doing a little more shopping– gotta stock up for our trip!! I plan on bringing plenty of healthy snacks for our trip, so I don’t get stuck somewhere STARVING and making BAD CHOICES. That’s not to say that I’m not going to indulge in a camp-fire s’more! But I want my indulgences to be on my terms– not just because I had no other options. I think having a stash of Larabars, raw almonds and fresh fruit will make me a “happy camper.” Literally.

Hopefully, while we’re in Colorado, I’ll be able to find a nice meal out like the one we had last night! My husband and I went out with Teija and her boyfriend to The Granville Cafe. I enjoyed my favorite salad:

The Granville Salad– with no onions or olives, and goat cheese instead of feta. Best. Salad. Ever. (that bread was immediately removed from my plate as well… if I’m going to enjoy bread, it’s not going to be dry, white salad bread!)

And since I was STARVING, I also ordered a side of grilled asparagus:

(taken with my crappy camera phone!)

It was all I hoped it would be and more.

I *may* have indulged in a few pieces of mint dark chocolate for dessert, while watching The Bachelorette last night, too. Is is just me, or did they give away WAAAYYY too much in the sneak peek for next week? I hate it when they show you who is going to make it with her to the hometown dates and tropical getaway! C’mon guys! Don’t give it away!!!

Okay, I think my husband’s going to be here any minute to take me to pick up my car. Here’s hoping it starts for the rest of the week!

Reader Feedback: Do you use any superfoods, like maca? If so, which ones?

I’m kinda weary about using too many, but I really love sneaking Spirulina into my smoothies everyday. I’m not a huge sea-vegetable fan, so sneaking it into my smoothies is the best way for me to get those extra vitamins and minerals!

Related posts:

1. The Beginning of Insanity
2. TGIT
3. Back on Track
4. Lazy Saturday
5. Happy Shopper