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Archives for November 2012

NYC Highlights & Running in Central Park

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I ā™„ my team

I’ve talked a lot about how this trip felt, but here’s some photos of the highlights.

Meeting Bart Yasso

The Soup Nazi “NO SOUP FOR YOU!”

The view from my uncle’s awesome apartment

Fall

My people

Puppies

I finally saw the Seinfeld diner. I’ve been wanting to go there for years!

We were trying to be Elaine and Kramer. We’re really talented actors, okay?

Okay, let’s talk about marathon morning. Well, maybe it’s better if I show you.

The incredible energy began the moment we entered the hotel lobby. Groups were cheering and chanting, and it was NUTS! The energy was contagious, and I couldn’t help but still feel excited. I met my team in the lobby and we headed down to Central Park where there must have been thousands of runners who all decided to run anyway, and for the first time, I felt like a real runner. Race or no race, we were all out there together purely because we love running. Sometimes I wonder if I actually love it, or why it is I do this crazy thing, but I really really do love it. Not at every second, and not even every run, but running has changed my life. It has changed the way I view food, and aided so much of my food related anxieties. It has brought me friends, and even a second mom šŸ˜‰

I ran through the park with tears streaming down my cheeks, and the dopiest grin on my face. Suddenly, it all made sense. I will get to run a marathon someday (soon), and I will even get to run the NYC Marathon someday, but only those of us that were here on this very day will ever get to experience this display of passion andĀ perseveranceĀ by thousands of runners.

Everything happens for a reason, and I needed this moment in my journey. I needed it to inspire me, to reaffirm what I deep down already knew, and to make me feel like I belonged in this community. It would be so easy to say “My marathon was canceled” and give up, but that is not who I am. I wasn’t planning to make this my last marathon, and now my first will just be that much more special.

After a week of so much negativity, this morning was exactly what I needed. People still came out to cheer. They held signs, they had cow bells, and some were even passing out water. I tried to thank every single person on those side lines, I got plenty of high 5s and you better believe I accepted the water from a stranger. I wasn’t even thirsty, I was just so thrilled that they were spending their morning passing it out!

There were teams from all different countries. Brazil was pretty loud, so I distinctly remember them. We ran a loop of the park, then down to the hudson river for a total of 10.6 miles for the morning. It was exactly what I needed, and I’m so grateful I got to be a part of it.

Disclaimer: Please don’t take this as insensitivity to those affected by Sandy. I am simply explaining my experience.Ā 

Peanut Butter Filled Oatmeal Muffins

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One of my very favorite breakfasts is loaded oatmeal. I never used to understand the whole oatmeal obsession until I started reading food blogs and seeing and the delicious mix ins other people use in their oatmeal. I mean let’s be honest, if you put peanut butter inĀ anythingĀ I will probably eat it.

Especially when it’s all hot and oozey and melts out when you take a bite. Melty + peanut butter = the best of both worlds.

These muffins were inspired by two very special friends. They don’t really eat gluten or dairy, but that doesn’t mean they should have to miss out on post run muffin amazingness!

You guys know I love cooking for special diets. It’s a weird thing Ā I have. The more rules, the more exciting it is to make something delicious and fitting! I guess I just enjoy a challenge. Must come from my super chill uncompetitive nature.

These muffins just scream fall breakfast to me, and I loved finding a new way to eat oatmeal in the morning because, let’s be honest, no matter how many different ways I mix things in, the concept of stove top oats remains the same, and we all need a little variety once in a while.

 

Plus, muffins for breakfast are the closest thing you get to cupcakes for breakfast, and who doesn’t want to eat cupcakes for breakfast???

 

Peanut Butter Filled Oatmeal Muffins

adapted from Gluten Free Girl

yield 1 dozen

  • 2 cups sweet rice flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • dash salt
  • 1 tbs milled flax seed
  • 1 tbs corn starch
  • 1 tbs coconut oil, melted
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup fig butter
  • 1 cup cooked gluten-free oatmeal, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • approx 1/3 cup peanut butter

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners and lightly coat with nonstick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together baking powder, salt, rice flour, flax seed and corn starch. Beat in coconut oil, almond milk and fig butter. Then fold in cooked oats and cranberries.
  3. Fill each muffin tin about 1/3 with batter. Top with approx 1/2 tbs peanut butter (you can use more or less depending on how peanut buttery you want them), then top with batter leaving the cups 2/3 full.
  4. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. You can test with a toothpick, but make sure not to stick it right in the peanut butter. Toothpick should come out mostly clean with a few crumbs.

Animal Cracker Cookie Butter

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Sometimes you just have to make something that is not even a little bit healthy.

And then sometimes that thing is so good, you have to share it on you “healthy” recipe blog. Love me anyway?

Although, I promise, it’s not that different calorically from any cookie butter you would buy at the store, and it is sososo delicious.

I do have a lingering question….If I dip an animal cookie in it’s own butter, is that wrong, like ethically? Is it like eating a cow while drinking it’s mothers milk?? Will I have to change religions because I totally broke all laws of Kosher eating??? Hang on, lemme finish my cheeseburger…

Okay, but for real, I think cheeseburgers are gross. Ground beef is just not appealing to me. But an animal cracker dipped in it’s own “butter”, that I can get behind! I have my priorities straight, I think.

So this “recipe” is two measly ingredients. Depending on the type of animal crackers you buy, you can make it vegan, gluten free, the whole 9 yards, as long as you’re not allergic to coconut. If you are, I’m so so sorry. That must suck.

 

Animal Cracker Cookie Butter

yield 1/2 pint

  • 1 cup animal crackers (regular, vegan, gluten-free, whatever suits you)
  • 4-5 tbs coconut oil, melted

Directions:

  1. Place animal cookies in food processor, and process until only fine crumbs remain.
  2. Slowly 1 tbs at a time, stream in coconut oil. Let the processor run for 2-3 minutes between each additional tbs is added, and scrap down the sides of the processor often. It is somewhat of a process for the oil and cookie crumbs to come together in the right texture, but it is well worth the wait (and you don’t want to end up with overly fatty and runny cookie butter)!
  3. When the oil and cookie crumbs have formed a think, homemade-peanut-butter-like substance, transfer into a half pint jar and store at room temperature. Best used within 1 week.

The Journey

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It’s a little ironic. I don’t know how many times I’ve talked about how I just really love the training for races more than the race itself. Fast forward to Friday evening (or flash back since it’s oh, Tuesday now) when my phone started blowing up on my way to the NYCM expo, and despite my best efforts, an overwhelming sadness filled my heart. Yes, I know the best decision was made. I don’t live in the tristate area, and I’ve never experienced a hurricane. I have absolutely no room to comment on the issue, and I don’t intend to. I do, however, know what it’s like to give everything you have into training for your first marathon, and not run it. And I do (finally) know that it’s okay. Ideal, no, but okay.

If I’m being 100% honest, I’m still feeling slightly down about the whole thing, and I feel guilty about feeling down when clearly people are suffering way more right now, but I can’t control how I feel, only how I deal with those emotions. It’s okay to feel disappointed, and to be honest, I knew I would come back from New York feeling down. I always get the post-fill-in-the-blank sadness after big life events, ie: my wedding, my first 1/2 marathon, even a little bit following Christmas and my birthday (you can judge me). I put a lot of build up and anticipation on these things, and when they’re over, I get sad. This one just didn’t end how I expected–or maybe it’s just not over?

I’ve thought a lot about what to do next. I’m trained to run a marathon. I want to run a marathon, like really really badly. Funny story, there’s not as many of those crazy things as one would think. In fact, there’s pretty much non coming up in Arizona for quite a while, and traveling isn’t really in the cards right now. I found a couple that I thought “Maybe I can make this work…”, and then I realized that this is my first marathon, and you only get one first marathon. I don’t want to jump into just any replacement race. I want to make the right choice, and that means waiting until RnR AZ in January when I can still go out and have my friends and family be there to cheer me on. I know that’s not what running is all about, but it’s just something I need for my first marathon, and that’s okay.

So I have 12 weeks to get faster, stronger, and even more ready. Hopefully along the way I will run some shorter distance races and maybe set some new PRs. I am really happy to have a new goal to focus on, and every day I am believing the voice in my head that says “Everything happens for a reason.” just a little bit more. Some amazing things still came out of this trip, and I can’t wait to tell you about running in Central Park on marathon morning, but that is a story for an other time. Right now, I will leave it at: I am still sad, but I’m okay, and I’m refocusing on training and preparing for my first marathon in January.

Thanks to everyone who sent me texts/emails/phone calls/tweets/etc. I felt really loved, and I really needed it. I am so ridiculously lucky, and I honestly still kind of feel like I did it. Running a marathon isn’t about that one day; it is about the months you spend working toward your goal. For 20 weeks, I prepared myself to run 26.2 miles, and although that day I ended up running less than half of that, I gave my heart to that goal for 20 weeks, and one day doesn’t change or define that process. Onward.

WellnessFX

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Recently I had the amazing opportunity to work with WellnessFXĀ through FitFluential. WellnessFX is a web-based platform that essentially enables you to be more informed about your health, and to use that knowledge to take control of your life. I did the WellnessFX Baseline.

How it works:

First, you purchase the package. Then, make an appointment for a blood draw, and within a couple of days, you will receive an email notification that your results have been posted to your account. Once your results have been posted, you receive an extensive list of health care professionals with different specialties, and choose the one that looks like the best fit for your consult. When it is time for your consult, you simply call in and speak to the health care professional–all you need is a phone and internet service to be able to view your results. Following the consultation, the notes from the consult will be posted in your account, and you can view them any time. Lastly, you are able to track your progress as you make lifestyle changes, and see them reflected in your personal account.

My experience:

I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but you know I am always excited about an opportunity to learn more about my body, and what I can do to live a healthier life style. I made an appointment at a lab just minutes from my house.

Does anyone else feel like they never know what to do when they pose for a picture alone? Apparently, I went back to the 90’s and went with a thumbs up….

Unfortunately, the whole blood draw thing happens way too often for me, and I’m not a fan. Sad to get poked, but excited for the information it will bring!

They literally called me in within 5 minutes of my appointment time (my doctors could stand to learn something from these guys!) and I would say I was in and out of the lab within 10 minutes! It was so easy, and the staff were super friendly. I feel like that is a requirement when you work with needles. Required: Pleasant disposition, good sense of humor, daily showers. Oh, and I guess a degree šŸ˜‰

Within 2-3 days, I received an email that my results had been posted to my account. I have to admit, I had a little bit of anxiety–“WHAT IF I’M DYING?!?!?!”–but, shockingly, my results were mostly great!

You can see here that everything looks good (thank you WellnessFX for the AWESOME color coating that made everything so easy to understand!) except my Apo B (protein in LDL) and hs-CRP (generalĀ inflammationĀ marker). TheĀ inflammationĀ was no surprise–IĀ amĀ training for a marathon, but the Apo B had me a little concerned, because cholesterol problems run in my family.

Here, everything is looking good except for the ALP. I believe they told me this was linked to my vitamin D being low, if I remember correctly. You can see that even my TSH is in balance!! Hooray! It’s been a long battle, and I never get to see my actual lab results, so it was nice to see that my meds are still working properly. Thank you, Endo!

This section gets an A+ šŸ™‚

Womp, womp. So much orange. Really, it’s just telling me that my vitamin D is low, which is very common. Low calcium is an other thing that runs in my family, so I was happy to see those counts were good. You can see how detailed of an evaluation they give you. I was thrilled to have access to so much of my medical information! I definitely spent some time googling things before my consult, because I’m impatient like that šŸ˜‰

The consult:

I spoke with Rachel, an RD who specializes in endurance athletes. That’s why I chose her šŸ™‚ The day before my appointment, IĀ receivedĀ a reminder email from WellnessFX (great for forgetful people like me!). That day, I simply called in at my scheduled appointment time and enjoyed being able to speak to a health care professional from the comfort of my own home, and actually getting to speak on time rather than waiting for hours in a waiting room. It was great! She asked what a typical day of eating was like for me, and then we moved on to my blood work.

  • Apo B: She said this is most likely related to my thyroid disease (I have Hashimotos AKA Hypothyroidism), and not to be concerned with it since all of my other cholesterol levels are good.
  • Inflammation: Typical for training for a marathon. She recommended fish oil and vitamin C, and suggested a more concentrated dose where I only have to take one pill.
  • Vitamin D/ALP: She said to have low vitamin D is very normal, and asked where I live. I don’t think it’s quite as normal for someone who is constantly running and biking in sunny Phoenix, however since I don’t eat a ton of dairy, it is likely that my body is having a difficult time getting vitamin D from nutrition, so she recommended a supplement.
Rachel was very nice, and asked if I had any further questions, but she covered just about everything I could think of, then uploaded the notes to my account. Easy.
Now what?
I purchased a vitamin D supplement, as well as a new fish oil.

The vitamin D in teeny tiny, and the fish oil has a special coating that prevents the fish burps that anyone who has ever taken fish oil can attest are the WORST part!

I can’t wait to see some improvement (hopefully) in my vitamin D, ALP and inflammation moving forward!

Would I recommend the WellnessFX Baseline program?

Heck yes! For someone like me who is fascinated by numbers, specifics and the way my body works, it was perfect! It helped me realize where my health could use some improvements, and hopefully making those changes will lead to a better quality of life. I feel like for all of us, there is so much to be gained in knowledge alone. The knowledge that your blood sugar or cholesterol are in the read could be the kick you need to change your diet, and refocus your health. I absolutely loved the convenience and ease of the whole process, and I would 100% recommend it.

FitFluential LLC compensated me for this Campaign. All opinions are my own.

 

 

Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

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If you had to choose only one cookie to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

For me, it’s definitely a toss up between oatmeal and peanut butter, but then you have to take into account black and white cookies which, you know, could solve all of our problems.

Okay, so can we just talk for a second about that moment you search for something strange on the internet, or at least youĀ thinkĀ  it’s strange, and then a few words in, it pops up all the way because so many other people searched for it too? It makes me giggle. I didn’t realize how many other Seinfeld fanatics were out there searching for the black and white cookie episode on youtube. Turns out, there are tons of crazies out there just.like.me. Scary thought. Look out world.

You know what else is scary??? My “baby” brother just got his freaking learners permit. You see, I’m so much older than him (wahhh) that most of his life IĀ referredĀ to him as my baby brother, but somehow he got to be 15, and I got to be pushing 30 (well, I mean I’m pushing it from a distance, I guess, but still, IT’S LOOMING), and the world as I knew it has ended. I can’t even handle it.

And he had to go and do it on marathon week when I am an emotional basket case. Rude. Umm, today I got teary eyed IN FRONT OF MY STUDENTS when I spoke the word “marathon”. I should be locked away until this thing is over.

Okay, so back to the cookies. “Look to the cookie, Elaine.” Sorry. Go watch the video on youtube, and that will make sense. These cookies would definitely be on my list if I had to choose one to eat for the rest of my life. I kinda feel like I’ve developed my perfect oatmeal cookie recipe, and I keep coming up with different variations on it, but the basics stay the same, and it all started with this cookie. The edges just slightly brown, the soft is so gooey that you would swear I used a Paula Dean portion of butter (spoiler alert: I used none), and they have the perfect amount of sweetness for my taste–somewhere between diabetic coma and healthy tasting. šŸ˜‰

I made these for an event my mom was attending, and they were a huge hit. Everyone that tasted them fell just as in love as I did. Also, they’re vegan so some of my awesome friends can enjoy them too!

 

Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

yield 3 dozen

  • 1 1/2 cupĀ white whole wheat Flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • dash salt
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup apple butter
  • 1 1/2 tbs coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, not packed
  • 1/4 cup water or unsweetened almond milk (+ the corn starch = egg replacement)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cupĀ reduced fat unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cupĀ rolled oats
  • 1 cupĀ mini dark chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and corn starch. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together apple butter, coconut oil, sugar, water/almond milk and vanilla until combined. Slowly beat in dry ingredients, then fold in oats and coconut, followed by the chocolate chips.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and drop cookies onto the sheet using a small cookie scoop.
  4. Bake for 12 minutes until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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