Skin Deep Nutrition

By ellen on September 30, 2009

Things were looking up today after I hit proverbial rock bottom yesterday. I took about 4 extra minutes out of my life this morning to blow dry my hair nicely and make sure I looked polished. It made a world of difference.

My next focus will be on repairing my skin. I want my complexion to have an even, healthy, clear, freshness to it (that’s a pretty extensive list, ha). I do believe that at the root of calm, healthy skin is what you put into your body, so I’ll start there.

According to the Mayo Clinic, certain foods promote healthy skin: fruits and veggies (natch), fish, nuts, olive oil, and legumes. Dr. Perricone, skin guru, gets a bit more specific including high-quality proteins (fish, tofu), high-antioxidant beverages (green tea), and lots of water (8-10 glasses).

The idea is that theses healthy fats (in fish, nuts, and olive oil), fruits, veggies, and tea (high in antioxidants), and legumes (high fiber) work as anti-inflammatories. Whether you’re trying to improve your health and skin, like me, or not – a diet rich in these foods will be otherwise beneficial.

The next few weeks, I’m going to focus on making sure that my appearance is a more accurate reflection of my healthful lifestyle. I’m starting with the inside first. :)

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Lunch was same ole pb&j. Snack time after school was delishy goldfishies, apple (on Apple, ha).

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I’ll leave you with some lovely pics from the walk I took this afternoon in the park across the street. I bet this isn’t what you picture when you think of Manhattan!

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:)

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A Little R&R

By ellen on September 29, 2009

I’ve been running around and around today – I’m tired, but the day was really great and went by very quickly. Here’s how I did on the agenda I made this morning:

  1. Workout w/ my friend Jillian DONE!
  2. WORK (Tuesdays are my busiest work day, wish me luck)IMG_0367
  3. CLASS
  4. A little cardio at the gym (Cycling or elliptical, methinks) class was 3 hours long – not the 1hr I planned on… no gymbo today :(
  5. More leftover dinners at home w/ husbo Husbo fixed up the Kashi pizza and salad tonight!
  6. Finalize moving plans Finally! New home on Friday!
  7. Get lunches, etc. ready for Wednesday: All packed up and ready to roll – exactly the same lunch pack as today.

So I’m all set for tomorrow! Work will be a bit less hectic tomorrow, and I’ll stay after to get a few things done.

I got to class and began my late afternoon snack of goldfish, apple, and a small latte I picked up on the way (needed a minor jolt). I settled in and enjoyed being on the student side of the room for a bit. During break, I took a bathroom break and while I was washing my hands I looked in the mirror. My first thought? Yikes, I look awful. I know! Isn’t that terrible? I wasn’t saying it in some hyper-critical way, just like a wow – maybe these last few weeks have taken more of a toll on me than I had thought.

I looked tired. There was no life in my face – uneven skin tone, tired eyes, etc. I’m a pretty firm believer that your appearance is a direct reflection of how you treat yourself, and what you put into your body. I admit, the last few weeks of apartment limbo, lack of cooking, workout, etc. has not been great. Looking in the mirror made me see just how much nourishment I needed.

I’ve been thinking of some new goals for myself for the month of October, and after today’s look in the mirror, I realized that many of them align perfectly with my need to have the outside reflect the inside (and vice versa). I’ll give the low-down on Thursday to kick off October.

In the meantime, I back to drinking 4+ liters of water/day, and making sure, that even though I’m not cooking much, I’m still getting at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies. What do you do to ensure that your appearance/demeanor reflects your nutrition/spirit/values?

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Good Old Fashioned Workout

By ellen on September 28, 2009

That’s right. A little manual labor and heavy lifting is quite the throwback workout. I should know. I’ve been doing it since about 11 this morning… stopping only for snacks, or to buy more packing tape. Yowsa. So, yeah, I wasn’t able to fit in that Bikram class today. I was holding out for the run, but rain (and pure exhaustion) deterred me. While I didn’t get the workout in that I intended, I definitely got in a workout. So I feel alright about that.

Tonight holds more packing (argh, it never ends!), and since the kitchen is now packed away… a Kashi pizza and salad. This week should be pretty boring in terms of eats, but I did pick up a little fruit and some baby carrots for work. I’ll barely be getting in my 5/day, but it’ll have to do for now.

I’ve noticed that when things are hectic, there are certain things that always seem to take the back seat first. For me, exercise goes out the window when my time is super crunched. The last thing to go is sleep. I’m a good sleeper – even on nights when I think I’m “not sleeping enough” I’m still getting at least 6 hours. Eight hours is superb for me. Ideally during the week, I’d like to hit the hay around 9:30 (I said ideally, haha) and wake up at 5:30. The early wake up is huge for me since I’m remarkably productive in the early morning hours.

What about you? What’s the first thing in your healthy life to go when you are really crunched for time?

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Resolutions for the "New Year"

By ellen on September 1, 2009

As I mentioned before, I view my years from September to September. I set my goals and resolutions around this time each year. Generally, rather that set nebulous goals like “lose weight” or be more thoughtful, I try to make measurable short-term (month to month) mini-goals to help me get there.

Here’s what I’m striving for this September in…

Fitness:

  • Do yoga 2x/week (either at home or at the studio)
  • Complete regular exercises every weekday morning (push-ups, squats, sit-ups, etc).
  • Run 3x/week (2 shorter weekday runs, 1 longer weekend run)
  • Strength train (either at the gym or at home with Shred) 2x/week
  • Swim weekly

Health/Nutrition:

Now, I admit, some of these I already kinda do. I already run 3x/week and I already try at least 1 recipe from HtCEV per week. I think this kind of motivates me though, and helps me develop the others into good habits too.

Whenever I set my goals like this, I also think of some rewards for my success. For example, if I keep up with all of my fitness goals, I’ll treat myself to a new, cute workout outfit after September is over. This tends to work for me.

What do you do to stay motivated?? Do you reward yourself? Set short-term goals? Let me know your thoughts!

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My Favorite Fast Meal

By ellen on July 10, 2009

When I’m in a pinch, or just looking to unload some leftovers, this is the meal I go to. It’s fast, easy, versatile, and delicious (not to mention very good for you). It’s an easy three-step process. It may take a whopping 5 minutes to make. Seriously. 

There you have it. My black bean soup. All you need are black beans, salsa, and chicken broth in its most basic form. Add all three (no need to use more than 1/3 or so of the salsa with a whole can of beans) to a blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet (my tool of choice). Mix it up. You can eyeball it to see if you’d like it more creamy or more soupy (for more soupy just add more chicken broth). Then heat and eat. It is super tasty in this barebones form. Note: This would also work w/ veggie broth for any vegetarians out there. 

On Tuesday I made this for lunch and added chopped onions and leftover shredded chicken on top. Sometimes I add milk to it, a cheddar cheese cube, or a clove of garlic before I toss it in the Bullet. 

I’ve even used other bean combos… like a more Italian-style soup using white beans, garlic, onions, rosemary, and chicken broth. This version is great with some crusty bread. No matter how it’s prepared, it’s always fast tasty, and nutritious. 

Are there any delicious easy combos that you’ve come up with in a pinch?

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Recipe Review: Cucumber Salad with Soy and Ginger

By ellen on July 9, 2009

I got a few cucumbers from last week’s CSA pick-up. I turned to How to cook Everything Vegetarian (Mark Bittman) for some suggestions. I settled on this one because I thought it seemed fresh and summery, and (more importantly) I already had all of the ingredients.

Cucumber Salad with Soy and Ginger (vegan)

from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

The instructions are pretty basic. Chop up the cucumbers (you may need to seed/salt them). Mix everything together and serve.

I made this dish on Friday, and let it hang out in the fridge. I sent it to work with husby on Monday. He reported back on Monday night that it had become quite pickled over those few days (I should have expected this). Despite that, he likes pickled things and thought it was very tasty. I, however, do not like pickled thing so I would eat this immediately.

I may make this dish again, but I think I’ll try other Bittman recipes with cucumbers first. I’ll also remember to take a picture next time!

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Easy, Healthy Summer Dinner

By ellen on July 6, 2009

After a wonderful July 4th weekend (finally a few beautiful days here in NYC!), I came home very tired and in need of something easy and healthy after a weekend of picnic food. 

I rounded up a bunch of leftovers for this one. Earlier this week I had sauteed some summer squash and zucchini in garlic and olive oil. I also found some whole wheat pizza dough from Whole Foods (really cheap and versatile – good to have on hand). I rolled out the whole wheat dough on cornmeal so it wouldn’t stick. I greased a casserole dish and placed the dough in the bottom. I layered the zucchini/summer squash on top, then chopped up some red peppers (I had one floating in the fridge). To round out the meal, I beat 4 eggs in a bowl and poured them on top and added sea salt and freshly-ground pepper. 

I baked the dish at 350 for about 20 minutes, then added some shredded parmesan cheese and put it back in for ten more minutes. With a nice salad and some vino, this turned out to be great meal. Even better, the leftovers were delicious cold for lunch.

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Sugar Stats

By ellen on May 6, 2009

I’ve been very interested in sugar dependency (namely because I struggle with it). As such, I’ve been reading as much as I can about it, and trying new/different ways to combat cravings. Yesterday on the train back to New York, I was reading my mom’s Woman’s Day, when I found an article about sugar addiction. 

In short, the article (“The Sugar Effect” from Volume 72, Issue 9)  discussed how sugar dependency has exhibited some similar effects as drug dependency. It also shares some information about why we do (or don’t!) need certain sugars and how our body processes them.  Some highlights: 

  • The US Dietary Guidelines allow 32 grams of sugar per 2,000 calorie/day diet. This is about the equivalent amount of sugar in 1c of sweetened cereal! This really makes me think… especially since my daily caloric intake is closer to 12-1400! 
  • About sugar being a legitimate addiction: “…research on rats shows that they had withdrawal symptoms, including shaking and teeth chattering, when the effects of the sugar water they’d had for nine days had been blocked.” 
  • Sugar, or having a sweet-tooth, may be linked to evolution: “Humans likely gravitated away from bitter foods, which might have been poisonous, toward sweet ones, which were probably safe.” 

Just some food for thought… My own efforts to drop my sugar dependency have been going quite well recently… I’ll keep you updated! 

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What is Health anyway?

By ellen on May 3, 2009

It seems that every day there’s a new health claim either coming out, or an old one being refuted. What’s a person to believe? Who defines what health is? How does one measure health? 

Well, there’s not really one easy answer to these questions. But certainly, as with most things, knowledge is power and the more you know about health (and your own body) the better off you are. 

One’s health is determined by a number of factors including, but not limited to: diet, exercise, stress levels, family history, environmental conditions, etc. Many of these we have control over (diet, exercise, stress) and some we don’t (family history, environment).

The USDA has a newer food pyramid that is slightly more personalized than the one most of us remember from middle school health class. Although, to me, getting roughly 4.5-5 servings of fruits and veggies (recommended for me) does not seem to be a high enough recommendation. Granted, I assume that the USDA bases their recommendations on extensive research, whereas I base mine only on personal opinion, ha. 

Curious, I explored food “pyramids” from other parts of the world. As our obesity rates continue to rise, I have to think something is wrong with our diet in American culture. As food for thought (sorry, pun intended), here are a few from around the world. I see a few major differences. What do you see?

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Sugar Bust: Day 6

By ellen on April 22, 2009

Okay, this is not actually day six. I completely fell off the wagon about, uh, four days ago. Here’s my sad – but true – account of how it all went down (and by down, I mean down a slippery slope at break-neck speeds).

Day one was great. Really. Day two wasn’t so bad either. I had a slight twinge of craving here and there, but nothing major really. Then, I tossed it all down the tubes. Baked cookies. Ate lots of dough, then fresh cookies. Baked more cookies… and on and on…. And of course once this happened, I figured, well why even bother? I threw caution to the wind and probably consumed more sugar than I ever normally would.

So what next?

I’m trying again. Tomorrow. I will start much smaller. Small goals, big progress (hopefully). This week one (do-over), I will:

  1. Eat plain yogurt; add honey.
  2. Drink vanilla tea or suck on a cinnamon stick when cravings strike. Drink some water, reassess “hunger” for sugar.
  3. Not go home right after work. I will come at dinner time (most of my binges/cravings occur during that window of time between work and dinner. I’ll come home at dinner time).

So, again, I’ll keep you posted on my progress on these three mini-goals. I’ll let you know which goals worked, and which I’m looking at for week two.

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