I filled much of my day running around checking errands off the to-do list. Nothing too interesting, just had to pick up a couple items for the new place. I also started working on the latest IIN module. This week we’re learning more about Ayurveda, which I find super interesting. I’ll be reporting back on that in the next few days

FITNESS

One of the major perks of my new place is that it’s super close to my yoga studio! Tonight I went to an 80 min Flow class that was fantastic. After taking a month or so off when school was getting crazy, I’m starting to get back into the swing of things, and today felt so much better My flexibility is really starting to come back, the energy in the class was beautiful and it felt amazing! I also checked out a new gym. This gym is much fancier than the one I’ve been going to, but is about the same price. I’m going to do the 5-day trail to try out as many of their classes as I can, and see if it’s a good fit.

NUTRITION

I accidentally didn’t eat very much today. I just wasn’t that hungry. I think my body’s still adjusting to all the celebration food I had last weekend, and was not in need of any excess calories. Since right now I am looking to lean down, but don’t have a specific competition date I’m aiming for, I’m just eating mindfully. So days I’m just not very hungry, I don’t force it.

So with that warning, today’s eats aren’t particularly interesting..

Breakfast was an (unpictured) Mocha Protein Shake: 1 scoop Rocky Road Whey Isolate + ~3/4c Iced Coffee + Xanthan Gum + Ice..

But after running around into the early afternoon, by the time I made it back home I was more than ready for lunch. On the menu was a Grilled Portobella (just threw it on the Foreman), topped with 2 tbsp Hummus, 1/2 Avocado, ~4 oz Grilled Tilapia (also on the Foreman), and Salsa..

Dinner was Scrambled Eggs (1/4 c Egg Beaters + 1/2 c Egg Whites) with 1 oz Baby Spinach, a few Cherry Tomatoes and 4 oz Chicken Breast..

And later on, I snacked on a Protein Shake that was the same as this morning, but with UVAB instead of Coffee..

FUN

Super Additions

I didn’t have a chance to mention this yet, with last weeks craziness, but I added a few items to My Shop that I hope you’ll like as much as I do! You can always click the image on the side that say’s ‘Shop Nourished Fitness’, or go to the ‘GO SHOPPING’ tab at the top.

Super Foods

• Goji Berries: You’ve seen these decorate many of my Protein Shakes & Smoothies. Goji berries hold the title as one of the most ‘potent’ super foods. Loaded with macronutrients, amino acids and antioxidants, they are said to be very beneficial for the immune system.
• Bee Pollen: A natural sweetener with high levels of vitamins A-E. Bee pollen has also been linked to aid in weight loss related to aiding the metabolism and reducing food cravings.

Low-Carb Loves

• Agar Flakes: For making low-carb puddings like Peanut Butter Cake and Tropical Lemon Coconut
• Guar Gum: To take a Protein Shake from so-so to rich & thick awesomeness!
• Sugar-Free Da Vinci Syrups: Where do I even begin.. I joke I run a coffee shop out of my house :p I use these in Coffee, Tea, Shakes, Puddings, etc

Just Like Music

In high school and college I was a huge Eminem fan, and my fan hood is making a strong comeback with his latest song ‘Not Afraid’.. check it out!

On a related note, I’m not sure how I managed to blog this long without talking about workout music! When lifting, I listen to quite a variety (hip-hop, country, rock) because I tend to space out anyway :p, but when I run, especially intervals, it has to be upbeat fast and motivating! I’ll have to make a list of some of my personal favorites, but I think the top 2 have to be Eminem’s ‘Until I Collapse,’ and Kanye’s ‘Stronger’.. jmo though

Who was your favorite artist/musician/group growing up? And what is your #1 motivating workout song?

But I had to post this! Danelle was one of my childhood best friends. There were a few years there where we were inseparable. She has an amazing talent, a strong family and is a wonderful mom.. she is a true idol

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUe_utIVFr8&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]

I heard that unfortunately something came up and she wasn’t able to go to Hollywood, but I know huge things are in her future! I’ve had the pleasure of listening to her play in person too..

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF270aN2yuk&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGrcq4pWuYY&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]

Have a wonderful Hump Day!

While watching, I saw a preview for the new season of ‘The Biggest Loser.’ I’ve mentioned my general opinion of the show (not a tremendously positive one), but there is something I really like about this season (and I think they’ve done it before).. they’re focusing on family. Last night, I was in a conversation with a few friends about how America got into its current health state. Naturally I have some pretty strong feelings about this, and I always love hearing others perspectives & opinions. One of the topics that came up was the debate over the  extent to which one’s diet and exercise habits are influenced by how they are raised, and the potential difficulty in overcoming such habits. I’m happy to see that Biggest Loser will be addressing this issue. In the preview, a mother takes the blame for her son’s obesity. I agree that she would be partially to blame, but the son she’s speaking of is full grown, and clearly well aware that the health choices he’s been making, for probably the past decade, are very detrimental. I haven’t come to a conclusion on this issue. Generally, I think it is pretty common knowledge that eating fast food hamburgers/fries/burritos/fried-anything everyday is unhealthy. In America today, with the extensive variety of food we have at our fingertips, you can pretty much find a relatively healthy option anywhere, including fast food establishments (I can’t in good conscious call them restaurants.. strong feelings much? :p ). So, I have trouble giving into the excuse that unhealthy eating habits are the result of an addiction or insurmountable. If you know it’s bad, and you continue to do it, maybe it’s your fault. And I include myself in this. My unhealthy tendencies have never been fast food related, but there are certainly things I’ve done, over and over, knowing they were negative to my overall health. This is a difficult topic to address so briefly because there are sooo many components and influential factors that go into it; namely sociological, economical, psychological, etc. As I continue my education, through both IIN and my own personal reading and exploration, I look forward to delving into this more.

* Please note though, that I am speaking of people who are otherwise physically & mentally capable.

Coincidentally, I also came across this article today: How We Became a Society of Gluttonous Junk Food Addicts (linked to this from a cool site called Wellness Uncovered), which talks about how fast foods and generally chemically created products really are addictive. Who knows.. for every article claiming one thing, you can find another saying the opposite. So I just try to do my best to gather information from as many different sources and perspectives as I can.

And lastly, have you seen those ridiculous ‘Taco Bell Diet’ commercials?! omg! I think I might end up throwing something at the TV, gah! ..

Musical Musings

On a completely different note.. you know when a song totally just clicks with you, and not necessarily because it tells your story, but you just instantly like it.. I love that. Here are a few songs I’m totally diggin a few songs right now:

John Mayer – Perfectly Lonely

Dave Matthews – You & Me

Flipsyde- Angel

FITNESS

I had all sorts of motivation today.. unfortunately my physical self didn’t seem to get the memo. I hit the gym to work back & core, but was just feeling.. blah. I felt heavy and sluggish. I got through okay, but it wasn’t my best. I know it’s mainly the repercussions of my not-so-clean eats yesterday. I didn’t go crazy or anything, but I did have (my last lil bit of) sugar, and quite a few cheese & cracker based appetizers. I was a little bummed leaving the gym, but I know just getting in there and starting to work out the ickiness means that I’ll feel tons better tomorrow!

Sunset Yoga

I did a relaxing Flow class later in the evening. I hadn’t been to this location before.. it’s actually at the spa of a really nice resort. The class started right around sunset, and oh my goodness, I wish I had my camera! The spa balcony looked out over Camelback mountain, and the unbelievably gorgeous sunset of reds, pinks & golds made for a truly inspiring yoga backdrop. Growing up in the Northwest my sheltered view of scenic beauty generally involved green trees, snowcapped mountains and ocean views, but the desert has won me over. I’ve lived here over a year and a half and the sunsets still blow me away every time. What a perfect way to start 2010

For example, tonight it was something like this..

A friend of mine took this pic of one of our fairly typical sunsets.. wow!

NUTRITION

Off to a lovely ’10 start!

The best part about making those cookies yesterday, was that it left me with a almost empty peanut butter jar So breakfast was, naturally, Pumpkin Oats (1/4 c Oats, 1/8 c Oat Bran, 1/4 c Pumpkin, 1 tbsp Wheat Germ). Twas delicious, though I totally spaced on adding Protein Powder, oops..

Post-workout I went with my go to mid-day snack of late.. Protein Yogurt with Maple Apples, then topped it with a couple tablespoons of TJ’s Omega Trail Mix.

Squash Sluttery

Today I slutted myself out to multiple squashes.. and I’m not ashamed to say it! First, there was my true love, Kabocha, which teamed up with 1/2 c Cottage Cheese for a pre-Yoga snack.

I’ve had a Spaghetti Squash sitting around for weeks now, and tonight was its night to impress me.. and I swoon :p Foreplay involved me cutting it in half, scooping out the seed and roasting it cut-side down in a 375 F oven for 40.

Next, I used a fork to scoop out the “meat” into this lovely noodle looking form. To spice it up, I mean you never want to let things get dull, I topped 1 cup of the squash strands with 3 oz Wild Coho Salmon and 1/2 c Cottage Cheese.

Wow! I am completely a new member of the Spaghetti Squash fan club. It has a slightly nutty flavor and went so well with the salmon.  1 cup was the perfect serving size, and now for the ridiculously happy news:

What a perfect low cal substitute for starchy carbs like pasta and rice.

Nightcap

I was low on protein for the day, so a high protein snack was in order to cap off the night. I’ve pretty sure you can mix a good protein powder with egg whites &/or pumpkin, pop it in the microwave and it’ll be eatable.. if you like that sort of thing :p This was only ok, but I add a little Walden Farms Chocolate Syrup and UVAB and was good to go..

Thankful

Perhaps I was just more attentive to it because it’s the 1st of the year, but today little things kept reminding me of how incredibly fortunate I am, and how truly thankful I am very everything that happened in 2009. When life gets hectic it’s so easy to speed through life stressing about daily activities & responsibilities. So I’ve added another resolution: to take a moment everyday to simply be appreciative, and to be better about sharing my thanks. I know that sounds pretty cheesy and simplistic, but I know I’m guilty of taking components of my life for granted, or perhaps more accurately, failing to express my gratitude. Life’s too short!