PR and #1 female finisher

Wuhoo!  I ran our stake 5k in 22:50 and was the #1 women's finisher!   All those intervals paid off! 

Cherry Sorbet

Christian calls this "orange ice cream"  We've been going cherry berry crazy over here!
I used this recipe and altered it for cherries instead of strawberries. 

• 3 C cherries de-pitted
• 2/3 C honey (I added more sweet because the cherries are more sour than strawberries)
• 1 pinch salt
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cold water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Blend the cherries in the blender until smooth.  Heat honey and cherries in sauce pan over medium-low heat until melted and bubbly.  Whisk the cornstarch into the water and then add to cherry mixture.  Whisk. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.  Pour in freezer safe bowl and keep in fridge about 2 hour or until cool.  Move to freezer and stir every 2 hours or so.  

 I thought that it might look artsy to take the picture kind of side ways but it just looks weird so turn your head!

Cherry Lemonade Popsicles

My awesome cousin Bonnie has an awesome cherry tree in her back yard.  She let us go and pick some and she even dried some for us.  yay!  I like eating them plan but Christian didn't really like that so I made some of these cherry lemonade popsicles.  First I made the lemonade and then I poured it into the popsicle molds about 3/4 full. 

Lemonade: 
juice of 1 large lemon (mine was gigantic)
2/3 cup honey
2 quarts warm water

Mix together until honey and lemon are dissolved in the water. 

After that I added some sliced cherries until my molds were full and then I put them in the freezer.  I froze them over night.  They turned out Yummy!  We can't stop eating them!  I saved the rest of the lemonade in the fridge and so we can make as much as we want until we run out. 

pop secret

I feel dumb that I never knew this. 
One of my favorite treats is popcorn.  My air popper broke a while ago so I haven't been eating it as much. 

Put 1/4 cup of kernels in a paper lunch sized bag
then fold over the top once or twice
after that put it in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until popping slows. (just like microwave popcorn)
add flavorings and enjoy!

Healthy Menu

Every week before I go grocery shopping I write down my menu.   Breakfast and lunch are less formal and I just like to know my options and then eat what I feel like.  I try to  remember what I have and eat it before it goes bad.   I like to plan out my dinners by the day, but those too are always subject to change. 

Breakfast options:    
Berry Smoothie;
White quiona almonds, raisins, real salt, honey, cinnamon;
millet cereal;
egg tortilla;
fruit and greek yogurt with peanut butter toast.

Lunch main: 
dinner leftovers
PB and honey sandwich;
Rice and 2 bean salad; t
taboulli salad;
cabbage and carrot salad;
spinach fruit and sunflower seeds salad. 

+ fruit or veggie:  baby carrots; broccoli stems, apples, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, spinach, celery sticks. 

Snacks:
 fruit or veggie:  baby carrots; broccoli stems, apples, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, spinach, celery sticks
Seeds and nuts: almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, chia.

Dinners
Monday:  left over baked beans,  Wild rice, rotisserie chicken (store bought) , green salad  
Tuesday:  ground turkey tacos on whole wheat tortillas, guacomole, left over rice, refried beans, corn on the cob
Wednesday:   Vegetarian Spaghetti whole wheat noodles with red quinoa,  cauliflower, brocolli,  cheese toast for kids, salad
Thurday:  Cafe Super grain Salad 
Friday:   Chicken fajitas:  chicken marinated in lemon sauted with bell peppers, cucumber, squash, onion, cilantro on top,  brown rice, left over veggies or salad
Sat:  Tilapia with miss dash lemon seasoning, couscous, steamed veggies,
Sunday:  bean tostadas with whatever veggies and salad we have left.

Here are some internet sources that I like to look at for new recipes and healthy ideas:
www.chefbrad.com   He has tons of free recipes on his fusion tv show link
www.grainmix.com     My mom's website has wonderful recipes for sprouts, whole grains, and ground grains
www. whfoods.com  This website is amazing, it will teach you the healthiest ways to make any food and has loads of recipes. 

Run Faster 5k

This weekend my parents and I ran in the American Fork Run of Remembrance.  It was a super nice day and the race was super fun!  I ran about 29 minutes pushing my double stroller that is impossible to turn and therefore it was impossible to pass anyone. The 29 minute pace was very easy for me.  I have ran this race several times.  In 2003 when I was 20 I ran it in 29 minutes and every step was agony.  In 2010 I ran it in 23:10 which was a personal best.  I have a goal to run my next 5k in 22 minutes something. 

I know that there are a lot of people that don't like to run races or don't like to run period because they are slow.  There is nothing wrong with running slowly and obviously it's all relative.  I like running  better now that I am faster and would love to be faster still. 

The key to getting faster is running intervals.  If you run 5 miles every day at a slow pace, you are conditioning your body to run slow.  And For beginners that want to get into running, intervals is how you should start. 

I made up a schedule for the next 3 weeks of running to hopefully get me to my goal:

May 29  : Rest
May 30 :  4 miles of intervals run 1/4 mile rest 1 minute  8 minute mile pace
May 31:  rest run 3-5 miles Slowly (my birthday)
June 1:  4 miles of intervals run 1/4 mile rest 1 minute  8 minute mile pace
June 2:  slow run whatever distance feels good 3-5
June 3:  Rest

June 4:  tempo run 5 miles 8.5 minute mile pace
June 5:
June 6:  Rest  or slow run whatever distance feels good 3-5
June 7:   4 miles of intervals run 1/2 mile rest  7.5  minute mile pace
June 8 :  3-5
June 9:  Tempo run 3.1 miles 7.5  minute mile pace
June 10:  rest

June 11:  tempo run 3-4 miles faster than 8 minute mile pace
June 12: 4 miles of intervals run 1 mile rest 1 minute  7 minute mile pace 
June 13:  slow run 3-6
June 14:  tempo 9 minute mile pace
June 15:  1-2 miles rest
June 16:  Race Day!

I'll let you know how it goes

My Exercise Plan

During the summer months I try to do as much physical activity outside as possible.  I stop doing aerobics and start running, walking, biking, hiking, gardening, dancing ect.  I do one hour of planned exercise a day and then try to be active with my kids and chores. 

Mondays:  Run 1 hour
Tuesdays: weight class and walking (I usually walk the kids somewhere like the park or library about 2-3 miles)
Wednesday:  Run intervals or hills - 30-40 minutes, stretch. 
Thurday:  Weight class and walking
Friday:  pilates and 30 minute run
Saturday:  long run 9-10 miles or so

I run anywhere from 20-30 miles a week depending on how often I make it to the gym (if I miss weights for example I'll run more).  I love my T/Th weight class at the rec center.  It seems like if I can do something everyday I just function better, my house is cleaner and I have more energy and purpose.  For me more than an hour a day is too much.  I get too tired to do my mom jobs.  I used to workout 2 hours plus a day and then I would be exhausted and have no energy for my kids.  I try to make the rest of the day as active as possible with my kids and I am exhausted by nighttime.

What to eat?

REAL FOOD!  I feel like with all the product labels and endorsements  it is tough to know what really good for you (peanut butter multigrain cheerios on biggest loser for example, come on it's just sugar and processed oats).  It is best to eat things that don't even have a label.  I never count calories and I don't care about low fat or low sugar (because it probably is replaced by something worse like aspartame for sugar)  I want real food in the least processed form possible. 

Dont Eat:

Sugar

white flour ( must say 100% whole wheat or whole grain)

High Fructose corn syrup/ aspartame/ splenda/

refined salt/ white vinegar

processed junk/  msg/ preservatives!!

Eat :

raw fruits and veggies or cooked but best raw, local is best, then organic, then conventional

I use agave or honey as a sugar replacement (for a treat  I do 2/3 xagave for every 1 cup sugar in any recipe.  It works even for baked goods!

Real salt

WHOLE grains eat a VARIETY not just wheat  (ground, sprouted, cracked or cooked whole)

Olive oil for salads/ coconut oil for baking or frying (high temps)

Nuts and Seeds:  flax, sunflower, chia, pumpkin, hemp, almonds

I eat everything meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, gluten and I try to eat a variety of colors and foods.  It is amazing how good real food is!  I eat as much as I want. 

100 push up challenge - so tough!

A few months ago, I posted about starting the 100 push up challenge. I unsuccessfully ended it about a month ago so I thought I would post my results and thoughts.  You can see my results on the side bar.  I did 9 weeks of the 6 week challenge and in the end I went from being able to 20 push ups (yes on my toes)  to 55 push ups.  The program says that if you are unable to complete a week to repeat it (hence 9 weeks). During the first 3 weeks it was really fun to challenge myself and I could see and feel my strength increasing.  The last month I literally made myself do it as the workouts got longer and harder.  I feel like I hit a plateau about 35 push ups.  After 35 each push up was arm shaking agony!
This program is a great way to increase your strength.  
I just think it was too much too fast.  It is fun to have a goal like this for the short term but it is nothing that I can keep up.

Organic

It is  more expensive! I had to increase my food budget.  It's worth it though.  I have been trying to buy organic whenever I can.  There is a really neat website called What's on my food .  There you can type in your favorite food and it will tell you what toxins can be found on it.  I typed in blueberries and found that there are 52 pesticide residues.  Some of these toxins include known carcinogens (cancer causing) and growth and reproductive toxins.  (seriously horrible for pregnant/nursing moms and children)

Top 10 to buy organic:  
1. Apples
2. Strawberries
3.  Celery
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. raisins/grapes
7.  bell peppers
8. potatoes
9. blueberries
10. Milk products

Ways to get organic milk and produce cheaper:

1.  Grow your own garden
2. Co-ops:  try bountifulbaskets.org or Utahbaskets.com.  There are a bunch.  I like to get an organic produce box from bountiful baskets for $35/week.
3.  Coupons- there are some coupons that you can get: check out earthbound farms, whole foods and stoneyfield farms websites.  There is a website called www.healthylifedeals.com that list all of the organic coupons that are online along with the Whole Foods matchups
4.   Farm shares :  go to http://www.localharvest.org/ to find a farm near you.  Sometimes you can buy a farm share for the summer for $300-$500 and get fresh local produce every week.
5. Local food stands or farmer's markets:  have a price point

Sugar

Easter Weekend. I remember last Easter Weekend Christian ate his entire basket of Easter candy in about one minute. I think he may have eaten some of the foil off of the candy too because he couldn't get it opened fast enough. I also remember that on the way home he was coughing uncontrollably and his nose started running.

I really don't want to be a scrooge. I love getting together and celebrating. and, I really love yummy food.

I think everyone should watch this video on 60 minutes:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403942n&tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea.10

We know that ADDED sugar is really bad for our bodies; this is nothing new. It stimulates our brain just like a illegal drugs. I thought it was interesting that the one doctor said that he thinks that it should be regulated like alcohol. It causes high cholesterol which can lead to heart disease.
natural sugars like those found in fruits and vegetables are fine for us as we are eating them in the right proportions with fiber and other nutrients. Our bodies know exactly what to do with natural sugars.

Christian is still young enough that I can regulate his consumption (to an extent) For Halloween last year, I let Christian eat 5 pieces of candy and then I took his bag and hid it. I have given him some of it for going potty and for good behavior. That way he doesn't eat it all in one night and get sick like Easter last year. I plan on doing the same for Easter this year.

Now I just have to figure out how to regulate my consumption. I am not the type of person that can just eat one of anything sugary, (Seriously I can eat the whole bag) so I am not going to have any. I'll let you know on Monday if I was able to do it or not (accountability) . I am going to make my yummy Asian noodle salad.

Asian Noodle Salad

I love this Salad! I shared it with my mom and she ate it for 3 meals! We both love this salad! I am going to bring this to our Easter Lunch! My friend, Shelly gave me this recipe. I love how every ingredient is extremely healthy and how all the flavors mesh together perfectly. Make sure you use an extra big bowl because it makes a ton. You can always half the recipe too. If you want to impress people, make this salad!

1 package whole wheat linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
1/2 head sliced napa cabbage
1/2 head sliced purple cabbage
1/2 bag baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 bag bean sprouts ( I made my own)
Chopped cilantro up to one bunch to taste
3 whole scallions
3 whole cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1 can whole cashews about 10 oz
Grated carrots
1/2 package frozen chicken strips (1/2 lb)

Dressing:
1 whole lime, juiced
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 C soy sauce
2-3 TBSP coconut oil
1/3 C Agave or brown sugar
3 TBSP ground or grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
chopped cilantro to taste

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad before serving. Dressing will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. Serves 12.

What Baby Parker eats

Parker is 9 months old. People have been asking me what Parker eats. I feel like my life is centered around feeding him. I made all Christian's baby food (even yogurt) using the book, "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. I would definetley recommend this book! I do make a lot of baby food for Parker too, but not all. I still use the principles from the book in planning his meals. I think that it is important to buy or make organic food for our babies. Their bodies are so little. I still nurse on demand so this is a loose schedule, he has 3 meals a day. He eats about 1/4 Cup of food at each meal, sometimes more, sometimes less. This is what I TRY to do.
Here is a day of food:
7-8 Wake up and nurse
10:30 nurse and eat breakfast plain yogurt, pureed fruit, water. Stonyfield Farm is a good brand of organic yogurt, I feed him plain with nothing in it but milk and cultures. For fruit I mash up a banana, or a pear, or I give him some organic store bought puree. One day I'll give him an egg yolk and the next I'll give him a little bit of kale powder.
1-2 nurse and lunch. I give him a vitamin A vegetable and a baby grain (think beta carotene, then think carrot, then think orange)Vitamin A veggies are carrots, sweet potatoes,pumpkin spinach, broccoli, kale, ect. The baby grains are millet, brown rice, barley, and oats. There is instructions for mixing them together in the book.
3-5 nurse again
5-7 nurse and dinner. Super green veggie and baby grain, water. For veggie I do peas, green beans, or sometimes a mixture of things that are put together in his store bought puree.
He was getting constipated, so I now make sure that I give him as much water as I can after every meal. (which is only about 2 ounces). He is doing better now.
9-10 I let him nurse as much as he wants and then he goes to bed. He still wakes up about every other night and I just nurse him and he goes right back to sleep.

Pink Slime

I saw this news article of abc4 yesterday about "pink slime". Pink Slime is animal carcass that is being ground up and added into our ground beef as a filler. In order to make it edible they have to add lots of ammonia NH3 to the pink slime. This stuff is not good for consumption, and this amount of ammonia is toxic for our bodies. If you eat ground beef, I would suggest buying organic or having the butcher grind it for you. (you can buy the beef at the meat counter and they will grind it for you).
http://www.abc4.com/mostpopular/story/Pink-Slime-The-Inside-Story/vm2n3PWs60uax36dzhsNGQ.cspx

Banana Berry Smoothie

Breakfast today!
1 ripe banana (I use frozen)
1 C Orange Juice
1 C frozen berries (I use organic, berries are the worst offenders!)
1 C plain yogurt (stonyfield brand)
1/4 C rolled oats (not instant)
1/4 C honey
1 swig of kale (can't even taste it)
blend until smooth

Making my own toxic free baby products

Baby Wash:
1/4 C Castile Soap
3/4 C water (distilled)
8-10 drops essential oils for scent

Organic Wipes solution:
2 TBSP Baby wash (from above)
2 TB Olive Oil
2 C Water
2 drops tea tree oil

Massage Oil:
1 part Coconut oil
1 part shea butter
1-2 drops lavender essential oil (I like lavender because it is suppose to be calming for sleep)

Side note: I really like BabyGanic's diaper ointment and eczema cream, I love their wipes too.

Making my own toxic-free cleaners

I am slowly changing over to all homemade products. I have had so much fun making my own toxic-free products (everything from baby wipes to toothpaste) with my mom this month. There are several reasons to make your own stuff including; saving money, healthier for you and your family, safer for the environment, and a lot of times they work better than the commercial products you are replacing. There are several different recipes online and in books so you just have to play around with them and see what works the best.

My mom has more expensive essential oils from doterra. They claim to be the best because you can eat them. I am cheap, so I just bought these on amazon. They seem to be really good. I don't think that I am going to regret getting the cheaper ones.


The best pergo or laminate floor cleaner: I looked for this for a long time as our kitchen and hallways are pergo. I used to never clean them because it was so hard to get them looking good.
1 C Water
1 C white Vinegar
few drops Castille soap
few drops orange essential oil
I love how the vinegar makes my floors shine! A lot of the recipes in books and online call for rubbing alcohol, but I omitted it because of the smell and that it is toxic to drink. This combo works amazingly!

Glass Cleaner
1 C water
1 C white vinegar
few drops of essential oils

or
3 tablespoons cornstarch in 1/2 cup water. Mix ingredients well in a bowl. Dab a soft rag into the mixture and rub on the window. At first there will be a film, but as you keep rubbing, the window will become so clean you feel you could walk through it. (from 'Clean and Green', by Annie Berthold-Bond)

Multipurpose Cleaner, hand sanitizer too!: I spray this on my toys, high chair, counters, everywhere! For the hand sanitizer I have it in a little spray bottle in my purse.
3 C water
2-3 drops tea-tree essential oil (disinfects)
2-3 drops lemon (disinfectant smell)

Bathroom scrub: (to be made just before cleaning and discarded afterward)

1 cup Baking Soda
Lemon juice of one Lemon
Enough water to make a thick paste
5 drops Tea Tree essential oil (optional - to disinfect)
3 drops Lemon essential oil (optional - for fresh smell and additional cleansing)
+ White Vinegar in a spray bottle

Laundry Detergent:
This recipe is all over the internet. I have used it for about a year now and I really like it. I like to pour white vinegar in just before the rinse cycle for a fabric softener. \
1 C Borax
1 C washing soda
1/2 C grated fels napha soap.
1-2 drops essential oil of choice (for smell)
I want to try to recipe with castille soap, so I'll let you know how it goes.


trash pails:
borax or baking soda

dishwashing detergent
1 part borax
1 part washing soda
1 C vinegar during rinsing

Drains:
1 C Vinegar
1 C baking soda
will foam up and eat anything that's obstructing. I even have used this in my toilet bowl when it was clogged.

That's all I can think of for now.

75% diet 25% exercise

Here are some things that I don't like to tell people to their face, but since this is my blog and my soap box here is goes. By the way this is just my opinion, but It works for me.
This is totally my un-expert opinion, but I hate it when people start exercising to lose weight and then don't get the results they are looking for. I hate to say it but exercise doesn't burn that many calories:

*Examples: calories burned/ half hour for a 150lb person
Walking, brisk pace: 150
Running, 6 miles/hour : 320
Swimming: 144.
aerobics: 250
*source: http://exercise.about.com/cs/fitnesstools/l/blcalorieburn.htm

It is very easy to eat an extra 200-300 calories. Just cutting calories isn't going to help us either, unless you have amazing self-control. We are told that losing weight is a simple equation of less calories in and more calories out. The problem is we are still hungry after eating too many empty calories. We are overfed and undernourished. We cannot use self control when the body is starving to death.

Here is what I try to do: I never count calories. I eat 3 healthy satisfying meals per day. I try to eat until I am 80% full. I try to eat enough so that I am not hungry until the next meal. If I am eating junk, I can never make it to the next meal . I eat healthy snacks whenever I want them although it's not that often. I eat when I am hungry, not when I am bored or tired. Right now I am not trying to lose weight, I just want to maintain my weight, and be as healthy as I can. oh and I drink a full glass of water with every meal.

Here is what I ate yesterday: (it was a pretty good day, but I have been having awesome days after starting this blog) oh and I don't worry about portion sizes, I just eat until 80% full.

Breakfast:6oz Kale green drink glass of water, 1-chia-flax muffin, 1-banana, 1/2 nectarine that Christian started.

Lunch: Spinach salad with apples, strawberries, chia seeds, and bean sprouts. 1/2 Apple, Piece of whole wheat bread, glass of water

Dinner: Big Salad with spinach, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and lettuce. small plate of spaghetti, 5 broccoli pieces (or so), glass of water

Snack: I ate about 2 handfuls of air-popped popcorn with light butter and salt before bed. Christian wanted it and so it was a fun treat. I ate an Apple sometime yesterday too.

Think of exercise as the icing on the cake. There are so many benefits to exercise including increased cardiac function, increased mobility, increased flexibility, increased lung capacity, increased cell function.

Muffins

*update: Christian has eaten 6 of these today!*
Chia-Flax Muffins. I like fast healthy breakfast. 1 muffin, banana, water and your on your way.
I know it doesn't sound that enticing but try them for yourself, they just taste like regular bran muffins. I made these muffins yesterday for a fast breakfast this week. Christian was asking for one this morning and I thought that was a good thing especially considering how good they are for you. I store these only a few days in the fridge because the flax seed goes rancid quickly.

1 C water
2 TBS flax seed
2 TBS chia seeds
1/4 C coconut oil
1/2 C pure honey
2 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch ginger
pinch cloves
1 C grainmix flour (if you don't have a mixed flour just use whole wheat)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp real salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Blend water and flax seed in blender for 2 minutes
2. add chia, oil, honey, eggs, and spices pulse very slightly
3. measure dry ingredients in a separate bowl
4. pour dry ingredients into blender all at once and stir with fork until incorporated
5. pour into greased or lined muffin pans
6. bake 350 for 20 minutes
   

Yields 12-16 muffins.

Kale green drink

Kale is super healthy for you but hard to get down. Try this blend for a green drink in the morning.
2 sprigs kale
2 cups water
1/2 apple
1/2 peeled lemon
1 small carrot.
blend until smooth.

How to make bean sprouts

Some of the Benefits of Sprouting:

1. Sprouting multiplies Vitamins and minerals (as compared to just eating the vegetable or grain)

2. Biogenetic- alive energy (helps with digestion and gives you energy)

3. Gives body a rest

4. Uses enzymes for healing (catalyzes hormones in the body to work like they should)

5. Highest quality protein (plant)

6. Lowers the toxicity in the blood (caused by illness)

7. Antioxidants (cleansing)

8. Low Calories for high nutrition (great for weight loss)

9. Easy to Store and Grow

Try sprouting these beans:

Beans	Benefits
LENTILES (only green, red won’t sprout)	Fiber and Protein
ADZUKI, (red)	Regulates estrogen
MUNG (sm. Green)	Molybdenum helps liver
GREEN PEAS	Regulates Blood Sugar

Sprouting Instructions for beans:

Keys: air circulation, defused light, rinsing, draining

1. Measure ½ C grain or beans in a wide mouth mason jar and cover with a mesh lid

2. Wash: Cover with room temperature water, shake, and dump out the water

3. Soak: Add 2 C water and let it soak for 8-12 hours

4. Rinse: Pour off water (can save to water plants) , add more water, shake, and dump out the water

5. Set the jar at a 45 degree angle

6. Rinse again by adding water and pouring it off every 8-12 hours (morning and night)

7. Sprouts should be ready in about 3 days. The roots will be about 1/4 inch long

8. Dry with paper towel and store in the refrigerator up to a week

Cabbage and Carrot Salad

Salad:

2 C. grated purple cabbage

2 C. grated green cabbage

2 C. grated carrots

1 C Bean Sprouts

Dressing:

½ C. Apple Cidar Vinegar

1 T agave or other sweetener of choice

1 T water

1 C Olive Oil

1 T orange juice

1 Packet of Good Seasonings Italian Dressing Mix

Mix together salad and dressing separately. Pour the dressing over the salad to coat.