FITNESS
Check-In
Wednesday was check-in day with the trainer. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to have my massive cheat the night before getting measured :p Turns out my weight went up slightly, but my body fat % went down again by a caliper measurement. After measurements and repeating the old mantra, ‘it’s body fat % that matters, not weight’ a few times, we moved on to the leg workout. Nothing crazy to report there, just lots of Squats, Split Squats, Leg Presses, Step-Ups, etc.
Lovely
They predicted we were going to have crummy rainy weather today, but instead it ended up being gorgeous, and perfect for a hike! So I started my day hiking Camelback. This time went much better than last. I didn’t try to race up the mountain (then hit a wall), instead I kept a good steady pace the whole time, and made it to the top in my best time. The Student Rec Center at my school has a massage therapist. I’d been tentative to try (no idea why), but my friend got a massage their recently and said it was great, so I decided to give it a try.. plus it’s crazy cheap for an hour. And oh my wow, it ended up being one of the best massages I’ve ever had. My back’s been pretty sore from getting back into Yoga, and she worked wonders. I’ll definitely be a regular! Then this evening I did an 80 min Yoga Flow class. I’m really starting to notice myself feeling stronger. My flexibility has a ways to go to get back to my usual, but I’m feeling great, and I’m hoping to be able to incorporate a few things into my fitness routine this year!
NUTRITION
I’d kind of forgotten about Overnight Oats, but I am all about them this week! Last night I mixed together 1 container plain Chobani + 1/3 c Organic Oats + 1/3 c UVAB. This morning I mixed in 1 tsp Bee Pollen and 1/2 tbsp Chia Seeds, and topped all that with fresh Strawberries slices..
Kasha
Have you ever tried Kasha? I hadn’t even heard of it before in a recent IIN lecture, Andrea Breaman, who was on the first season of Top Chef, talked about some of the lesser known whole grains. So when I saw Kasha at Whole Foods, I thought I’d give it a shot! Kasha is just toasted buckwheat groats, which I learned is actually the seeds of a fruit (who knew!). Because of that, it’s gluten-free, and I read one source that said it’s the closest plant source of a complete protein (all 7 essential amino acids), and is a great source of iron, B vitamins, potassium and calcium. And of course the stats: 1 cup cooked has 155 calories, 1 g F, 33.5 g C and 5.7 g P. (source: Kasha Nutritional Information)
Considering I’ve only had buckwheat in pancakes, I really had no idea how it would taste. I cooked 1 part Kasha to 2 parts H20. I actually forgot about it, but it was perfect timing, because the Kasha soaked up all the water, fluffed up a ton, creating this thick, moist grain. At first bite I thought I’d burned it, but really it was just the ‘toasted’ part. It has the strongest flavor of any grain I’ve ever tasted. I’m still deciding how much I like it, but I think it’s growing on me, especially when topped with yummy things like Greek Yogurt and Cottage Cheese..
(Janetha, shield your eyes! :p) .. This was 1/3 c Kasha topped with 1/3 c Cottage Cheese + 1 tbsp Lite Coconut Milk + 1/3 scoop BSN Cinnamon Roll Protein Powder..
Between massage & yoga I didn’t want anything too heavy so I had a simple Protein Shake (1 scoop Nectar Cappuccino + 1/2 c Iced Coffee + 1/2 c UVAB + 1 tbsp ground Flax Seed + Ice). Super boring pic :p
Dinner was Spinach Slim Noodles mixed with the last of a Savory Tofu Pack and 1/2 serving 3 Grain Tempeh. For sauce I made Humnut Sauce (2 tbsp Hummus + 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast + 2 tbsp H20). After heating, I topped it with a small scoop of fresh Guacamole for a little healthy fat.
I know it’s ugly, but it tasted pretty darn great!
Bad Ass Blender Needed
I was debating what protein-packed dessert to have, when I saw Mae’s latest post featuring Frozen Chocolate Protein Custard. Inspired by her recipe I mixed up: 3 Ice Cubes + 1 c Frozen Spinach + 1 scoop Chocolate Amazing Grass + 1/2 scoop Chocolate Sun Warrior + 1 tsp Glutamine + 1 tbsp ground Flax Seed + 80 g Frozen Kabocha + Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Breeze (enough to get the darn thing to blend).
This took ages to mix up in my modest little Magic Bullet. Funny enough I was actually looking up Blendtecs and Vitamixes today. Any recommendations for which is better? They are just both so darn expensive, but with as much as I use my blender, I know it would be worth it in the long run!
FUN
Are you guys doing anything fun this weekend? Tomorrow I’m looking forward to Yoga & Wine with a girlfriend.. but other than that, specific weekend plans are still up in the air! Have a wonderful Friday 
Fun Links
OMG Vita wayyyyyy over the Blendtec. Email me privately if you want my nitty gritty but Vita. For sure. And if you buy a Vita, I am a “distributor” and can hook you up with the cheapest price of anywhere.
See this post, and it’s far kinder than i could be…
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2009/10/vegan-peanut-butter-banana-bread.html
“simple Protein Shake (1 scoop Nectar Cappuccino + 1/2 c Iced Coffee + 1/2 c UVAB + 1 tbsp ground Flax Seed + Ice).”
OMG I need to start making my protein shakes with ice coffee. Choc sun warrior and coffee, genius!
The yoga class, the hike, and the massage…you are so blessed and lucky and i am so jealz
Ok the appt was AWESOME. I am going monday for a session. Can’t say it will be a habit but to get the fundamentals, it’s totally necessary and he’s a great guy. Thank you! Basically he was supportive, positive, and a great guy and really encouraging with me.
Well done to losing body fat! That is a great achievement. And I am glad you enjoyed the massage – I go for one whenever I start tension building up and they seriously do work wonders.
Yum yum yum, absolutely adore your porridge with strawberries!
Happy Easter!
Your eats always make me hungry. Love it! And I so want a vitamixer…need to save!
Good job with the hike. That’s what I have planned for today.
Congrats on your measurements! you are such a rockstar!!
I don’t have either one of those blenders.. I use a Cusinart one that doubles as a food processor! We got it from Sam’s club for around 40 or 50 bucks I think. It works pretty well!
YES i have heard of kasha…my grandmother always used to make it, I believe its russian and she is russian so she always had it on hand! its nutty and delish, isnt it?
love BSN cinnamon roll, its my FAV protein powder
Body fat went down…awesome work, Alyson!!
Ahh the magic bullet, it works but no it’s not the best thing ever.
So i know you don’t want to hear this but your weight and BF really made me feel better. I’ve been lifting very consistently now and not seeing any change in the scale so I was getting frustrated but I think that I may be gaining muscle and losing BF. I need to get measured and have that on my list to do soon!
I grew up with Kasha! I totally forgot about it! Thanks! Have you ever had the Red River Cereal? So good! http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/red_river_cereal ! It really tastes amazing!
Barbara
I’ve never tried kasha before, but will have to! Oh my gosh, I would LOVE a vitamix of course like everyone else in the world lol Can’t wait to see what you make if you get one!!! I just tried BSN chocolate coconut and have cinnamon roll in line to try. The chocolate actually tasted really great! I haven’t had too much luck and I don’t like the taste of stevia and artificial sweeteners. Are there any ones you really enjoy on their own? Happy yoga and wine!