8/15 Again?

I'm not going to do the silly, "I'm back," thing for fear of pressuring myself to the point of not actually following through.

Instead I'm just going to record what I did and how I feel about it. No rigorous schedule, no, "I'm really gonna do it this time!" No more. I'm just going to pat myself on the back when I do things that are good for me and try to make that a regular thing.

Push ups
   Sets: 3
   Reps: 12
   Weight: Body weight
   Rest: 1 min

Dumbbell bench press
   Sets: 3
   Reps: 12
   Weight: 20lb
   Rest: 1 min

Flat bench cable flyes
   Sets: 3
   Reps: 12
   Weight: 20lb
   Rest: 1 min

Push ups
   Sets: 3
   Reps: 12
   Weight: Body weight
   Rest: 1 min

Standing dumbbell tricep extension
   Sets: 3
   Reps: 12
   Weight: 10lb
   Rest: 1:45 min

Tricep pushdown
   Sets: 3
   Reps: 12
   Weight: 15lb
   Rest: 1 min

Medicine Ball Twists

   Sets: 3

   Time: 1:00 min

   Rest 1min

Cardio
   Jog/walk
   Distance: 1.0

Duration: 58:40
Calorie burn: 383

Bonus, lunch: garbanzo beans, black beans, cannellini beans, sliced beets, tomatos, steamed green bean, red onion, fresh dill and a vegan "ranch". Calories: 335

Recipe -- Wild rice no-meat loaf

I have been meaning to make a no-meat loaf ever since I went vegan on March 1st, 2012. Or, possibly even since I quit meat in November of 2011. Anyway, it's been a long time coming and I have had this recipe bookmarked for ages. Well, I finally got around to making it and boy, oh boy, am I glad I did!

It turned out better than I could have possibly imagined. I made a few revisions, which I'll notate below, but otherwise I took everything straight from Pure Ella. She is definitely right when she says to make sure the rice is cooked ahead of time as wild rice takes nearly an hour to get done. So unless you've got two hours to set aside and make this you had better stick with that advice.

Other than that it made six servings at 257 kcal per serving (and mine is completely oil free). It goes well with some steamed green beans, mashed cauliflower, sauteed spinach or any other side you can think of.

Wild rice no-meat loaf
Serves 6
Takes: ≈ 120 minutes (can make some parts ahead of time to reduce the time)
Adapted from Pure Ella

what you'll need

• 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, prepared to package instructions
• 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced fine
• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup dairy-free bread crumbs
• 2 springs of fresh oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper or more to taste
• 1 tsp sea salt or more to taste
• 5 tbsp warm water, divided

what you'll do

1. Chop the onion very fine, and in small non-stick skillet saute until golden– set aside.
2. In a small bowl mix the ground flax seeds and 3 tbsp warm water, mix and set aside.
3. Chop all raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts into the smallest pieces you could.
4. In a food processor, grind all the red kidney beans into a paste.
5. In a large bowl combine the bean paste, sauteed onion, all the dried fruit, nuts, 2/3 of the wild rice (reserve 1/3 for top), and 1/2 of the flax seed mixture, breadcrumbs, spices, salt and pepper plus fresh oregano – mix well.
   
   If the mixture is too dry, add a few tablespoons of warm water, mix and add more until it sticks together and isn’t crumbly, but it’s not runny. Taste it and add more seasoning if needed. Tasting it is a very important step to make sure it doesn’t come out bland at the end.
6. In another small bowl, add 1/3 of the wild rice remaining with 1/2 of the flax seed mixture, season with salt and pepper and mix well to incorporate. This is the wild rice topping.
7. Assemble in the lined loaf pan by adding the rice topping first. Be sure to spread it out evenly. Then add in the other loaf mixture. Press down firmly so it forms well in the pan, smooth out the top.
8. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Click on the photos below to see the entries they were originally featured in-- except the last one, since this is it's first appearance. :)

8/1/2013 -- The Eats

I don't play when it comes to food. Not for flavor and not for health. What you eat, when you eat it, how you cook it, etc. All of these things play such an important part in our day-to-day and long term health. It's one of those things that makes spending an extra $15-20/week on good ingredients, whole grains and fresh produce so worth it.

It also throws the door open on so many ingredients that Americans tend to forget about.

When you grew up did you eat brown rice? Quinoa? Couscous?
Did your parents/guardians cook with fresh basil? Dill? Mint? Fennel seeds?
How about fresh fruits like lychee? Dragonfruit? Durian?
And now that you're an adult, do you use flavors and spices like sesame oil? Tahini? Ginger? Tumeric?

The transition to vegansim and my drive to create a more healthful and diverse diet has introduced me to so many new foods. Additionally, when you elevate your vegetables to the "star" of a dish, rather than casting it to the side of your plate, you can introduce so many new and exciting flavors!

I find the colors that I get to put on the plate are also so much more exciting. Rather than a lump of tan potatoes, a slab of brown meat and maybe a small mostly green salad I now get to add so much more. For instance the roasted veggie skewer and quinoa salad below.

Green: bell peppers, spinach, basil
Red: grape tomoatoes
Brown: baby bell mushrooms
White: diced onions, quinoa
Yellow/orange: bell peppers

All in one dish! I used to eat garbage like this but not anymore. Cut the saturated fat. Cut the cholesterol. Cut the crap and eat like your body wants you to. That said...I went a little overboard on the fat today. It's that damned salad dressing! Oh well-- tomorrow is a new day. :)

(You're darn right I ate two whole plates!)

7/30/2013 -- The Eats

I did a great job staying on my calories and keeping things pretty balanced. I know it says I went over on my fats, but oh well. I felt good.

The wild rice no-meat loaf below was taken from Pure Ella and I only made a few minor changes. I used pecans instead of walnuts, golden raisins instead of purple, dried oregano instead of fresh and did not saute my onions in oil (making it a completely oil free dish). 267 kcal and six servings? Sounds like a plan to me!

Click to see larger version

7/31/2013 -- The Eats

See below.
That.
Is.
All.
;)

P.S. Remember to email me if you need any of the recipes I share!

Add 99kcal for the Corona Light with dinner, lol. :D

Recipe -- No Garbage Lasagna

I don't like garbage in food. Let me clarify, I try to avoid a lot of overly processed, refined grains and sugars as best as I am able. I find that eliminating them entirely is quite difficult, but with each new recipe I put in front of me I do my best to eliminate at least one item that is refined or processed. Additionally, I've noticed that a lot of recipes use waaaay too much oil. So that's another item I tend to lessen when possible too.

The dinner I made last night I've dubbed my "No Garbage Lasagna". I cut out all cheese, got rid of the noodles, reduced the oil and added way more veggies. Ringing in at 284 calories per (hearty) serving, boasting a deep flavor and being as simple as it is I'm definitely going to be making this one again!

No Garbage (Vegan) "Lasagna"

Serves 4-6

Takes: ≈ 90 minutes (can make some parts ahead of time to reduce the time)
Adapted from Cheeky Kitchen

what you'll need:

• 1 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4" slices (about 10 pieces)
• 2 can diced tomatoes (either zesty jalapeno or Italian spiced)
• 6 cups raw spinach
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced and divided
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4 slices firm bread (I suggest Ezekiel flaxseed or sourdough)
• olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4c bread crumbs (I used panko)
• 1 medium tomato, sliced into 1/8" slices (about 10 pieces)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• salt/pepper to taste throughout

what you'll do:

1. Spray eggplant with olive oil spray, salt, pepper and roast at 400° for 20-25 minutes, flip halfway through. Leave oven on when eggplant is done.
2. Meanwhile, in a small put heat 1 tbsp oil and add half the garlic until fragrant. Add spices and "toast" for about 30 seconds. Pour in tomatoes, stir thoroughly, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes**.
3. In a large saute pan heat to med-high and spray each piece of bread with cooking spray, then toast in the pan.
4. Using the same pan heat 1 tbsp oil, add the remaining garlic and stir until fragant (being sure not to burn). Add spinach slowly until all is wilted. Set aside.
5. In a high speed blender, blend half the tomato sauce until smooth, then add back to remaining sauce, stirring thoroughly.
6. To assemble, in the bottle of a 9" x 9" glass baking dish, layer as follows: 1/2c tomato sauce, 2 pieces of bread, 1/2c sauce, eggplant slices and garlic spinach, 1/4c sauce, 2 slices of bread, the remaining sauce, tomato slices and bread crumbs on top. See below.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400°.
8. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes. 
9. Before serving pour balsamic vinegar over top and spread the fresh basil evenly. 
10. Eat immediately, store in an air tight container in the fridge or freeze in portioned containers for future use.

**: The longer your sauce cooks down the thicker it will be. 6-12 hours is actually recommended, but we don't all have that kind of time. You can, of course, make the sauce a day (or several days) in advance.

7/29/2013 -- The Eats

Jason bought me a Vitamix for my birthday back in June. I've taken it on vacation, I've used it to make soup, sauces and of course smoothies like the one below. We use this thing almost every single day and I absolutely love it. It's also taken some of stress off my shoulders. I am no longer responsible for making every single meal. As a matter of fact Jason tends to come home after our work outs, open the fridge and start throwing things in the blender to make breakfast for us. This morning he made us a spinach, frozen banana, fresh coconut water, fresh pineapple, fresh coconut jelly and carrot smoothie. It tasted fantastic and was definitely a nutrient dense way to start the day.

For lunch I made us some tacos. For him I did a chipotle seitan but for me? I've been on a buffalo kick, so I made some homemade baked buffalo tofu, whipped up some homemade pico de gallo, pickled some cabbage, red onions and cilantro, then topped it with Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream and Taco Bus salsa verde. They were amazing. 

Other than that, here is the rest of my day (and I'll make sure to update this entry with a photo of the "Rustic bread, spinach and eggplant lasagna" I'm making for dinner). It was a delicious day and I feel like a million bucks!

7/28/2013 -- The Eats and also The Blerch

I was a lazy jerk yesterday. No joke. Fitbit says I took less than 1,200 steps today yesterday. I ate a "reasonable" amount, meaning I didn't go over my calorie count on My Fitness Pal but at the same time when I'm that lazy I feel like eating anything is in bad taste. I kind of don't want to think about it so I'm going to sign off with a photo of my (epic) breakfast, my calorie counts and just call it a day.

(For those of you that don't understand the title of the entry, read this amazingly, fantastical comic by The Oatmeal.)

7/27/2013 -- Semi resting, yoga & other things

I took my first yoga class this weekend-- and I feel in love with it.

Jason came with you (thanks, babe) and we both felt like a million dollars after. I had never imagined that yoga would be such a work out, honestly, but both he and I turned to each other as soon as we were done and mouthed quietly, "Oh my god I'm sweating!!" Our instructor was a tiny thing, but clearly she lives the life. She was patient and kind, accepting and welcoming and I know that I found a new practice that I will follow through with for the rest of my life.

We are considering taking a few other classes throughout the week, but have certainly settled on Saturday mornings (and I am seriously considering going for the $75/mo unlimited so I can go two or three times a week since it's right around the corner from my house).

We both felt so alive when we finished and walked out just dripping enthusiasm. We knew immediately that that is how we want to start our weekends. I am already looking forward to next week, aaaaaand have pulled out my budget to see if I can get the unlimited fit in there somewhere.

Other than that, we went for a walk at Al Lopez Park and ate split a Publix veggie sub on wheat. It was a great way to continue our active day. Then we got a little naughty:

So, Whole Foods Tampa had an ice cream social with some fantastic vegan options. From the top left down we had: So Delicious Vanilla Ice Cream and a ginger cookie, So Delicious Vanilla Ice Cream and a homemade crock pot peach cobbler, Raw Banana Nice Cream and raw, dehydrated granola (both of which we learned to make at the raw cooking class I mentioned a couple entries ago and a small root beer float. 

Not surprisingly the raw banana "ice cream" with the raw granola was by far my favorite. Jason had some different options (since he's still lacto-ovo veggie) and told me his favorite was a small chocolate cake/brownie with a raspberry ice cream. Either way it was a fun little get together and we really enjoyed attending.

With all of that said, I have some other news bottled up and I'm hesitating to mention too much about it here because (I'm a little superstitious and) I don't want to jinx it. Look forward to hearing more about it (whether it goes the way I want or not) but please keep your fingers crossed for me. I really, really want this to pan out and it would take my life in the exact direction I've been struggling for for the last few years. This could be my life's break through!

With all of that out of the way, here is my food log from yesterday (and as always if you have the recipes just shoot me an email):

7/26/2013 -- The Eats

I cook. Every day. Every single day. Maybe not every meal we make and perhaps not something that takes a lot of time or energy, but I am in my kitchen, making something every single day. And I love that. It's part of my life that makes me happy.

This morning when we got home from the gym I made us cauliflower mash (64 kcal), spicy black eyed peas (166 kcal) and roasted cremini mushrooms (55 kcal). We had a delicious, fresh cooked lunch and I did it all in twenty minutes after I went to the gym.

There was a time in my life where I would have sworn there was no way it could all be done, but somehow I manage to make it work these days and I am healthy and happier for it.

^^^ A delicious lunch!

We did end up at Whole Foods for the raw food class that I mentioned before but before we did that we got a couple of delicious Gardein patty sandwich with ooey, gooey daiya cheese. It was heavenly!

7/25/2013 -- The Eats!

Food is my obsession. I was telling a friend yesterday that exact thing, actually. I said (via chat):

I eat constantly. All day. And when I'm not eating I think about what I get to eat next and how long until that time. All day long.

I have to plan my meals, my snacks and then I have to make time to eat. If not I get irritable and intolerable. Because I'm vegan, because I eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables (a lot of which are fairly easily broken down in my digestive system, and because I eat average to small sized meals I have to eat more often.

My eating habits have changed since we started working out, though. I'm eating larger breakfasts, and even slightly larger lunches and dinners and slightly smaller snacks. I find I need the bigger meals to carry me through the day now. Possibly because we are getting up earlier or just because my body is craving more with the weight lifting I'm not sure, but I'm feeling good.

When I took the screenshot below I had forgotten to add my vitamins, but I did take my multi, iron and B-Complex. I am also going to be adding a calcium pill. Iron+calcium for women in my age range and people that are working out (strength training especially) is very important so I want to make sure I'm not going to suffer any deficiencies.

I'm also not cooking tonight. I make breakfast lunch and dinner for Jason and I about 20-25 times a week. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen making us fresh food-- and I love that, but sometimes I need a break. We are going to have some Chipotle burrito bowls this evening and I feel good about that. It's well deserved and other than the sodium it's not that bad. :)

Key:

(V) = A recipe I entered manually that is vegan
(R) = A recipe I entered that is entirely raw

(Click image to see a larger, more readable version.)

My morning breakfast sandwich with a Nature's Own english muffin, Yves Canadian bacon, some homemade baked black soybean tofu and Chicago Vegan Foods Teese creamy cheddar sauce. 

I also wanted to mention I used to buy Thomas english muffins until I realized their entire line has nonfat milk and/or whey. So just a reminder to read your labels and don't assume that one brand or any product is "safe".

Also, I love making big enough portions of our dinners to throw in a container and have lunch ready to go. So leftovers for me this afternoon for lunch!

7/24/2013 -- The Eats

I didn't include my food intake in my previous post but I think that's a really important part of what makes a "healthy day" in my book. Just because I worked out doesn't mean I did well overall. And I know I mentioned only doing my food counts on my off days, but going forward I plan to share every day.

The following are screenshots from My Fitness Pal with my intakes and the calorie counts.

Key:

(V) = A recipe I entered manually that is vegan
(R) = A recipe I entered that is entirely raw

Note: If you see any recipe or meal that sounds like something you'd want to try please feel free to email me. Give me a day or two to get back with you and I will make sure to send it with measurements and the full nutritional panel (per serving) as well as how many servings it makes, the amount of time it takes and how to store it for short and long term use.

I am also going to take a photo of dinner tonight and I'll make sure to share that with you (it should be an awesome meal!) around 8pm. Make sure to check back and have a look. ;)

Update: Dinner!

7/22/2013 -- Rest

Today is the third day in a row we take off from weights. Tomorrow morning it's back to up at 5:45am and at the gym by 6:00. I definitely needed all of these days off as I am just beginning to feel like I can move again with being in serious amounts of pain.

For a quick run down (since I started this blog a little late) last week I did the following:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday:

Weights: Chest & Triceps

3 set/12 rep Wide Push Ups
3 set/12 rep Dumbbell Bench Press
3 set/12 rep Flat Bench Cable Flyes
3 set/12 rep Standing Dumbbell Tricep Extension
3 set/12 rep Tricep Pushdowm

Cardio:

Walk @ 4.5 mph for 30 minutes

Wednesday:

Weights: Back & Biceps

3 set/12 rep Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
3 set/12 rep Dumbbell Row, One-Arm, Bent-Over
3 set/12 rep Seated Cable Row
3 set/12 rep Underhand Cable Pulldowns
3 set/12 rep Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl
3 set/12 rep Standing Biceps Cable Curl

Cardio:

Walk @ 4.0 mph for 10 minutes

Thursday:

Weights:

Legs & Calves

3 set/12 rep Leg Press @ 50 lbs
3 set/12 rep Leg Extension @ 40 lbs
3 set/12 rep Wide Stance Barbell Squat @ 20 lbs
3 set/12 rep Standing Calf Raises

Cardio:

Walk @ 4.0 mph 10 minutes
Walk @ 3.0 mph 30 mintes

Friday:

Weights: Shoulders & Abs

3 set/12 rep Seated Dumbbell Press @ 20 lbs
3 set/12 rep Standing Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise To A "T" @ 10 lbs
3 set/12 rep Lateral Raise, Dumbbell, Side @ 10 lbs
3 set/12 rep Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise @ 10 lbs
3 set/12 rep Exercise Ball Crunch @ body weight
3 set/12 rep Air Bike @ body weight

I've found that with each day I find more and more of the items I want to record (i.e. the first days I was just recording reps/sets, but by the end of the week I was also including the weight measurements).

For off days out of the gym, like today, I figured I will record my eating habits (with photos, oooooof course) just to make sure I'm being held accountable when it comes to my intake and my work outs. As a vegan I find it important to make sure that I'm eating a diverse and nutrient dense diet so I record all of my food on My Fitness Pal, but it's also nice to be able to look back and see what I've had. :)

So onward!

Today's menu:

Breakfast -- 8am -- Breakfast sandwich on Ezekiel flaxseed toast, Gimme Lean breakfast sausage, black soybean tofu and teese vegan cheddar cheese sauce.

Morning snack -- 10am -- 1 large banana

Lunch -- 12pm -- Homemade mung beans in tomato, onion gravy with basmati rice

Afternoon snacks -- 2:30pm and 5pm -- 18gr natural almonds and 1 medium apple

Dinner -- 7pm -- Oh She Glows "Long Weekend Grilled Salad"