The Happy Herbivore and Ginormous News!

A few blog entries ago I think I mentioned that I was going to try the vegetarian lifestyle and try to incorporate a vegan meal once a week.

WELL this is the cookbook that I got (Ambreen recommended it). So far I have made the Black Bean Brownies out of it and they have gone over swimmingly with the kids.

Now I am going to try another recipe out of it.

And it is due to my friend K bringing me a thank you gift of Butternut squash. See K told me that Costco has squash that is all cut up and cubed for sale. And I told her the next time she goes to Costco to let me know. WELL the other day she called me and asked me to do her a favor and let her dog out while she was gone overnight. I only had to do it once because her daughter was coming over the other times BUT she brought me the squash as a thank you. She said she was trying to figure out a way to say thanks (because it was last minute) and thought "I know how- bring produce!" LOL.

Anyways, as I was looking thru the cookbook trying to figure out what to make, I came across this recipe:

I hope you can read this ok just in case you want to make it. It serves 2 people and the best part is that it has 152 calories, 7g fat, 0.7g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 35.8g carbs, 8.6g fiber, 8.7g sugar and 3.8g protein. So all in all, really healthy and low fat NATURALLY!!

I will be making this today and will let you know how it turns out.

AND I have some BIG news! Yesterday I got a call about a Zumba Instructor position at a local gym. It would be a Saturday morning class but would also include subbing. AND if I start getting my personal training cert, they can get me in there as well! I interview next Thursday in person and they want to see 30 minutes of songs. VERY EXCITED!! Keep your fingers crossed!

First let me recap my diet for yesterday and then I will get onto the gym stuff.

"They" say within 45 minutes of waking you should have something to eat. It is supposed to trigger your body from fat storing mode to fat burning mode for the day. Yesterday was the first time I tried to do that. SO before I took the kids to school I had my AB juice.

Then once I got them home, I had a clementine, english muffin with PB and a hard boiled egg.

Lunch was hummus with hot sauce, celery, cherry tomatoes, almonds, some homemade chex mix, pretzels with more hummus and some jelly belly jelly beans (a weakness of mine).

I ended up snacking on part of one of my black bean brownies later.

For dinner after the gym I had a glass of orange juice, string cheese, almonds, chex mix, some mesquite chips and a few more jelly beans. My body for whatever reason likes the little bit of sugar from the jelly beans after I work out.

So that is what I ate. I know someone asked if I was getting enough calories every day. Yes. I track everything on MyFitnessPal app and I usually am within 100 calories of my goal for the day. With the juice that I make each morning, it gives me my fiber and vitamins for the day in ONE GLASS. So folks- dont worry about me!

 

Onto the gym. I got there last night and only had 30 minutes to run. So I initially got in 2.6 miles. Eric had a lump removed from his arm yesterday so he was not able to lift weights to put them on the bars or racks so I got some brownie points there and a bit of extra lifting. Eric and I started with kettle bell and band work and then moved into some pull downs and one arm rows. By the end of the third circuit of the pull downs and rows, he was having me do 55lb one arm rows each side!! And of course, I was cursing him out. LOL. But man- my arms are starting to look sexy!

Then we moved to dead lifts from the floor and SLOW mountainclimbers. He isnt so much focusing on cardio- I get plenty of that. He is focusing on strength. By the end of the workout and the 3rd circuit, I was deadlifting 135 lbs. I think that is right- 45 lb plates, and a 45 lb bar. Yup. And my final mountainclimber circuit was 25 each side. Talk about an ab killer!! After working out I put in another 2 miles on the treadmill as a cool down and I stretched my arms out. It felt great.

Today I weighed in at 162!!! Can you BELIEVE it!?! 3lbs! That is HUGE for me. I dont really know the reason behind it. Did my juice help first thing? Was it the phone call about the job that revved my heartrate for a while? Was it the rest day I had the day before? If anyone knows I would appreciate filling me in so I can repeat it. LOL.

So here I sit. In the quiet. Boys still in bed and I am enjoying my ab juice. I am about to go get them for the day and start. Tonight is running and RPM.

Have a great day everyone!!

Tip of the Day:

10 Benefits of Cinnamon- From Juicing Vegetables on Facebook

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known. It was mentioned in the Bible and was used in ancient Egypt not only as a beverage flavoring and medicine, but also as an embalming agent. It was so highly treasured that it was considered more precious than gold.
Around this time, cinnamon also received much attention in China, which is reflected in its mention in one of the earliest books on Chinese botanical medicine, dated around 2,700 B.C.

Although available throughout the year, the fragrant, sweet and warm taste of cinnamon is a perfect spice to use during the winter months.
Cinnamon has a long history both as a spice and as a medicine. It is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which is available in its dried tubular form known as a quill or as ground powder. The two varieties of cinnamon, Chinese and Ceylon, have similar flavor, however the cinnamon from Ceylon is slightly sweeter, more refined and more difficult to find in local markets. 

 Here are 10 benefits of cinnamon…

1. 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower your bad cholesterol (or LDL).
2. Cinnamon may help treat Type 2 Diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and increasing the amount of insulin production in the body.
3. Cinnamon has antifungal properties, and it’s been said that candida cannot live in a cinnamon environment. 
4. Cinnamon has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.
5. Honey and Cinnamon combined has been found to relieve arthritis pain.
6. When added to food, cinnamon inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.
7. Just smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.
8. Cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.
9. Cinnamon has been found to be an effective natural remedy for eliminating headaches and migraine relief.
10. Cinnamon can also help stablize blood sugar (which is great for weight loss). A couple of dashes in your morning tea or cereal is all it takes!

You can add cinnamon to your food, coffee, tea, really anything that you want! 
Words of advice…
Large doses of cinnamon can be toxic. If your on certain medications or have any medical conditions check with your doctor before taking any cinnamon supplements since it might interfere with certain medications.