Sunday, February 26, 2012

Calgary Co-op Food & Nutrition Speaker Series

Yesterday, D and I attended a healthy eating session put on by the Calgary Co-op for their Whole Health Challenge.  Julie Van Rosendaal (food blogger – Dinner with Julie) and Lindy Kennedy (Registered Dietician) from FitNut Consulting were the hosts!

It was an informative, hilarious session filled with nutrition tips and food demonstrations.  They broke their segments into breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks to give us tips for the entire day.

What I took away:

Breakfast:
  • Greek yogurt provides more protein than regular yogurt.  Stay away from the 0% regular fruit yogurt.  There is more sugar in one of those containers than you may think!  Try plain yogurt and add your own honey & fixin’s.
  • Use pureed white beans in recipes such as pancakes, chili to increase protein.
Lunch:
  • Even pop that says 0 calorie or "diet soda" are not good for you!  A large soda with your lunch has 22g of sugar in it!  And that's A LOT!

Dinner:
  • Freeze your bean puree to use in other ingredients
  • There are many different kinds of flour you can use (quinoa, soy etc) in your baking/cooking
  • Don’t forget about lentils & beans!

Snacks:
  • Your 2:30-3pm snack is the most important meal to get you through the rest of the day until dinner (so you’re not eating dinner while prepping dinner – something I do!)  Have something hearty at this time to keep you going.
  • Think of your meal/snack time as “nutrition bursts”.  So don’t count calories (the C word was banned in the workshop!), but read labels to determine which foods will provide you with the most nutrients.
  • Nuts (any kinds) are a great source of protein.
  •  Try different food combinations like parsley, roasted beets or carrots in hummus.
  • Try baking the leafy part of kale to make chips as a delicious snack.
It really is a great series that they have put on!  Next up Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod on Thursday!  SO EXCITED!! :)


Ambitious Day


So…I was suppose to start my Couch 2 5K training on Friday after work it didn’t happen.  What happened!?  Cold and the white stuff!!  BRRR!!  I know I used to run in the rain/wind/sleet/snow while training for my half marathon but as I’m attempting to ease back into running and exercise, I decided that the gym might be a better bet!

While D played field hockey, I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the stand up bike.  It felt great and I burned over 400 calories in one go!   It was still a great work out, even though I had planned to run outside.

I read that if you are starting a new workout regime, not punish yourself if things change or you fall off the wagon for a day.  Just get back on it and keep going!

As I did my workout, a disabled man in a wheelchair inspired me.  He was also at the gym and working out his arms with his nurse/gym trainer.  I felt so moved!  I thought, if he could motivate himself to get to the gym in his state, surely I could too!  I felt so fortunate to be able to use my legs.  Thank you, strong-willed gentleman, for that inspiration!

It blustery and cold out today and our plan is to stay in and cook some nutritious goodies for the busy week ahead!

On the menu are: Dinner with Julie’s Cottage pie, Hummus, Overnight steel-cut oats in a jar, and my Mom’s wonton recipe.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

For the past week, I've been using a quick and easy way to prepare my breakfast.  I'm usually running late in the morning - no matter how early I wake up!  Time is ALWAYS a factor and every minute counts!  I was SO stoked when I found this quick method to prepare overnight steel-cut oats!



With a little bit of prep on a Sunday (when you have the extra time), you've got breakfast for the entire week!  I'm happy to report the results were FANTASTIC!  I didn't have any issues with leaving the jars out overnight, since the oats were just boiled in water. 

We have a winner and I will DEFINITELY be using this method to prepare my breakfast from now on :)

Some things I like to add:
Holy Crap! cereal (love the name!)
Cocoa nibs
Peanut butter
Almond slivers
Walnuts
Ground flax seeds
Cinnamon
Raisins
Honey

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Kickstart Running!

Well, I’ve decided that it’s time to get my butt into gear!  One of my fitness goals for 2012 was to work out regularly 3X a week!  (So far...not good!) So....I've decided to start running again, this time on my own.  I had a short stint where I ran with my BFF <3 for about a year.  We started off with a learn to run at the Running Room, then advanced to 5K, 10K, and finally ended 2010 running two half marathons in one year!  We ran the Harvest Half and the Vegas Rock and Roll half marathons and it was an incredible experience.  Many days, I miss pounding the pavement with her as we chatted and enjoyed the incredible views.

That all being said...I've made the first step!  Since I'll be running alone this time, I've decided to use an iPhone app to get started and keep me going!  I've downloaded the Couch-2-5K app by Cool Running and plan to kickstart the running on Friday after work!  I'm a little nervous about running by myself but hey...if I can do it in the gym, I can run outside for 20-30 mins!

Also looking forward to March when my benefits kick in and I can purchase my gym membership!  YAY for full time employment :)

Other than that, I'm also still trying to eat healthy (making better food choices and preparing more meals at home).  I've found some great tips, so will be posting them on the blog shortly.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

First Post!

Today, I've decided to revive my old blog.  I've always written a blog just for myself (my "secret-blog") but I've decided to challenge myself by sharing with the world!

Hello World!

Exciting day :)