Tag Archives: vitamins

Crunchy Purple Veggie Cravings!

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I’ve already shared with you my strange affinity for hearts of palm (Secret Single Behavior), my love of canned sardines (Omegas!) and my near obsession with blended zucchini soup (Green Machine). So, what’s my newest “hippy-dippy-health-nut” addiction?… red cabbage dipped in spicy hummus.

I crave salty crunchy foods like its nobody’s business but I work too hard to give in to my temptations and completely ruin all the good things I’ve been doing for my body.  Why indulge in empty, fatty, non-nutritive garbage when I can still get the delicious crunch I crave from something really good for me?

Purple fruit and vegetables are packed with nutrients our bodies need.  Remember, when choosing your food, a good rule to follow is that the more vibrant in color, the more nutrient-rich it is.  Look at greens, for example:  A hand full of dark green kale has TONS more nutritional value than a hand full of iceberg lettuce.

Here are some articles that give a little more info on the benefits of purple foods:

5 Health Benefits of Purple Food

Doctor Oz Purple Food article

So, how do I eat it?  Cut the cabbage into finger-width slices.  (I love those beautiful swirls that are revealed once cut!) and just dip into some hummus which has been sprinkled with cayenne pepper.  I put that s*%$ on everything!  😉  Happy snacking!

January 25th: Knowing How to Eat Healthy

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health food medicine

 

As I was making myself another batch of veggie soup this afternoon, I thought about how happy I am that I know how to feed myself well.  It is so nice to be able to eat nutritious food and actually ENJOY it and not see it as being a chore.

Here are a few of my healthy OBSESSIONS:

  1. Chobani Greek Yogurt Passion Fruit on the Bottom (high in calcium and protein)
  2. Dark Chocolate (anti-oxidants)
  3. Red wine (anti-oxidants)
  4. Nature Valley Peanut Butter granola bars (high in fiber and protein)
  5. Arugula (High in Vitamins A, C, K and anti-oxidants)
  6. Tabasco sauce and Cayenne Pepper (high in vitamin A, speeds up metabolism and increases immunity.)
  7. Salmon with lots of lemon juice (Omega 3s and Vitamin C)
  8. Quinoa (high in fiber and protein)
  9. Bananas (high in potassium)
  10. Roasted Asparagus (over 100% of Vitamin K)

Adventures in Yoga and at-home Cross Training

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OK, so every time I go into the health food store to re-stock my kitchen cabinet for my admittedly ridiculous and extensive morning vitamin regimen, I feel compelled to roll my eyes at the other people shopping there. Now before you decide that I have no insight into my own behavior and that I am too critical of others, I am slowly embracing the fact that I might also be morphing into a granola-eating, patchouli-stinking, yoga lover like my health food shopping counter-parts… and I LIKE IT.

This summer I registered myself for 6 months of unlimited classes at a local yoga studio. My knees and hips take a serious beating every running season and I thought that this would be a great way to strengthen my muscles. This will hopefully keep my joints and ligaments happily cushioned from the repetitive pounding of my feet hitting the pavement. I also have the tendency to become a neurotic mess when triggered by stressors and internalize a lot of my anxiety (resulting in my blood pressure rising up to 170/ 102 in 2009!) I need to work on my mental well being as well and yoga is the perfect way to do both.

Today was a bit brutal… I was sweating up a storm and was not channelling very positive energy towards my instructor during a few poses, but I got through it and I feel amazing now. The instructor was new to me and I wasn’t used to her pose sequence. I came back home from class a little confused and asked my boyfriend, to clarify what I had been doing wrong.

He insisted that what I hadn’t been able to do was a one legged downward dog pose but it didn’t look exactly like what had stumped me during class. His 7 year old daughter strolled in to investigate what we were talking about and decided that what I was having difficulty with was, in fact, one of the stages of sun salutations. She then demonstrated how its done, along with some other complicated crazy poses, and then walked away after getting distracted by Max our yorkie-poo… this kid is just too hilarious, I love her.

Now, I realize that gyms and yoga studios cost A LOT of money and not all of us have access to them. Before I caved in this summer and signed up at the studio, I was doing some exercises at home to strengthen my calves, quads and hips and they were pretty effective. All you need is a pilates band, yoga mat and some free weights and you’ve got all you need!

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My at-home gym

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I anchor my pilates band with my coffee table to do some resistance exercises

Here are some awesome articles/videos that have helped me a great deal.

Hips:
http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-treatment/all-hips

Glutes and Quads:
http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/body-shop-know-squat
http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-recovery/safe-keepers-half-squats

Abs:
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/abs/exercises/top-10-abs-exercises/

As always, consult a doctor before beginning any exercise routine. These are just some ideas for you to think about.