Hope you had a terrific Tuesday (couldn’t resist)! Nothing new to report, just a relatively productive day..
FITNESS
Lovely. I hiked Camelback this morning. I was trying to beat my previous time, but ended up learning 2 lessons instead: 1) Don’t wear new orthotics for a hike, 2) Slow and steady has it’s benefits. Yeah I totally made a rookie mistake. I was all gun-hoe about beating my time, and took off up the mountain at a fast pace, but then about 8 minutes from the top I completely hit a wall and had to stop, boo. I ended up being pretty close to my previous time, but my competitive self was hoping to beat it. Ah well, next time.
Later in the day I lifted with my trainer, working Shoulders & Back. Afterwards we met to make a few changes to my workouts, specifically adding lifts to target my areas that need the greatest improvement (Fitness/Figure competition-wise). It was super helpful and I’m looking forward to hitting the gym with specific intentions!
NUTRITION
What the heck are you trying to tell me body?
Lately I’ve been craving Nuts & Nut Butters like crazy, and when I start, I don’t want to stop. Instead of being down on myself I decided to look a little deeper. Most of the time, if you have a craving, your body is trying to tell you something. There is something about what your craving that your body needs, and it could be physiological &/or psychological. It’s your job to decipher what your body is trying to say. I by no means think I ‘need’ Peanut Butter, but there’s something about what it gives me that my body needs. So lets break it down:
Nutrients
- PB is of course high in fats, specifically monounsaturated fats which my body needs
Flavor: Rich, Earthy, Heavy
- Since it is so heavy & rich, PB makes me feel full & satiated
Texture: Cool & Creamy
- These are the opposite quality descriptions to what I feel when I crave it. I often want peanut butter when I’m anxious and stressed
Associations
- Childhood, comfort
Yin/Yang
- PB is categorized as a ‘Yin Acidic forming’ food. These foods tend to be high in phosphorus, sulfur and low in sodium.
- Yin foods are said to cause us to be more flexible and less structured.
- Other foods in this group include: almonds, olive oil, soy beans, tofu, pinto beans, black beans and chickpeas
Funny, it all sort of fits together. I thought that it might, but when I really went through and did this analysis, I was still amazed!
I realize that Peanut Butter is something I crave when I’m feeling anxious, overwhelmed, stressed &/or sad. I also only tend to want it on colder days, when I’m stuck inside all day, or late in the evening (after I’ve been inside for a while).
The Yin/Yang philosophy is one that I’m really just starting to explore, but I find it so interesting because like with any healthy approaches, it’s purpose is to find balance.
So based on that, I’ve decided to focus on a couple things to reduce my craving and prevent overindulgence:
- I’ve been awful about taking my vitamins & supplements lately. I’m going to be sure to take a multi-vitamin.
- Similarly, I have a funny feeling that I’m not getting enough omega 3 fatty acids. In the last couple months I haven’t been eating as I have in the past (and I’ve never had major PB cravings before, not so coincidentally). So I’m going to both make sure I increase the number of servings of fish I have per week to 3-4 and start being better about taking my Fish Oil Supplement. (I’m just bad about taking pills.. not a fan)
- Increase my consumption of other Yang Acid Foods, and when I’m craving PB, try one of these instead. My ‘go-to’s’ will be chickpeas, tofu & soybeans since they are also good protein sources.
- Thankfully I live in Arizona where it is warm/crazy hot and sunny most of the time. Unfortunately, sometimes I get caught up in front of the computer and don’t take advantage of all that great Vitamin D. Over the next few weeks I’m going to make an effort spend more time outdoors by taking hikes more frequently and studying outside or near very naturally lit places whenever possible.
- The stress situation is unavoidable. But next time I get that craving, I’ll go for Protein Yogurt instead. I have a feeling its cool, creamy texture will meet the same need for me.
And to conclude, please don’t get me wrong.. I think Nut Butters are an amazing component of a healthy diet, but eating a jar in 2 days isn’t doing me or my waistline any favors. This is just a few of my personal ideas to reduce an ‘I want it now’ craving to a standard level of enjoyment 
I found this article interesting & referenced material from it: Yin & Yang Nutritional Philosophy
The Food
Before the hike, I enjoyed Cake Batter Cottage Cheese (2/3 c Cottage Cheese + 1/2 scoop Cake Batter) topped with a few Almonds & 1/4 c Vanilla Almond Galaxy Granola..
Lunch was all green, but yet no veggies were involved. I mixed up a Vanilla Chai Vega & Cake Batter Protein Shake (1/2 scoop Vega + 1/2 scoop Cake Batter Protein Powder) with 1 tbsp freshly ground Flax Seed, 1/4 tsp Xantham Gum & 3/4 c UVAB. I also had about 1/2 of an Apple, and lots of Teeccino!
A couple unpictured snacks include: 1/4 c Cottage Cheese, 1.5 oz wild Salmon, 1/2 Pure Protein Bar
Post-workout I had 1/2 c TJ’s Fat-Free Blueberry Muesli that I had previously mixed with 1/2 c UVAB and let chill in the fridge for a few hours. I topped that with Fitness Cake Batter (1/2 c plain Greek Yogurt + 1/2 scoop Cake Batter Protein Powder) and 1/2 tbsp Chia Seeds. This was the first time I tried this and I really liked it. TJ’s mixes in flakes to reduce the calories. It was a good portion and tasted great.
By the last meal of the day I was out of starch carbs, but was craving Carb texture, so there was only one logical solution.. Protein Pancake! And I whipped of a fantastic new recipe.
Lemon Cheesecake Protein Pancake
1 scoop Cake Batter Protein Powder
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
3 tbsp Egg White (equivalent of 1 egg)
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/4 c Cottage Cheese
Mix it all together with a hand mixer and bake stove top.
This recipe was delicious! Unfortunately, I forgot to spray my old pancake pan with non-stick so the actual pancake turned into more of a scrambled version. So the output wasn’t pretty, but it tasted fantastic! Then distracted by the upcoming deliciousness, I forgot to take a picture of the final version that I topped with Walden Farms Calorie-Free Syrup & Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (why coconut & lemon go so well together I don’t know, but it’s lovely).
FUN
Giveaway!
Yay, so excited for my 1st Giveaway! Drum roll… a copy of Integrative Nutrition. I know I’m a little biased, but this is really a great book and I’m so excited to share it with someone (yes yes, lots of cheesiness, but it’s so true)! After enrolling at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, they sent a bunch of materials, including a copy of this book. After reading it I was even more confident in the decision I made to become a student x 2. No matter where you are in your healthy journey, this book has something to offer (and includes a whole chapter on Deconstructing Cravings). I talked about their Food Pyramid in an earlier post. The infamous Deepak Chopra said, “Integrative Nutrition brilliantly blends the art and science of nutrition with the personal growth aspects of love, relationship, fitness, career, and spiritual practice to help people find their path toward health and happiness.”
Lots of ways to enter:
- Leave a comment telling me your very favorite food
- Follow-me on twitter, @NourishedFit
- Subscribe to my blog
- If you have a blog, link back to the Giveaway
I’ll announce a winner Friday!
A Couple Other Items..
I gave in and created a FormSpring Account.. ask me anything!
Saveur is accepting votes now for the Best Food Bloggers! I think there should be a Fitness Food Category, don’t you?
Allison at Eat Clean, Live Green is doing a Sun Warrior Giveaway!
Make it a wonderful Hump-Day!
Related posts:
