We're getting married :)

I am living on a cloud right now!
He is amazing, and I am SO excited for what the future will hold for us!
This has been such a special time so far!
Oh my goodness, SO excited! :)

I will be sure to post updates soon, I just wanted to share the reason for my recent blogging absence real quick :)

I (heart) running... a lot.... a lot a lot :)

In an attempt to keep my fitness level high I have been running 3.1 miles (a 5k) everyday with half mile warm up and cool down walks.
I LOVE it!
I have not realized how much I missed just exercising for the fun of it and pushing myself and training for races and everything that comes with it!

That just looks fun to me! (the running, not the having my picture taken while running, ugh, how awful!)

To celebrate my returned excitement for running, and ensure my continued dedication picked up a pair of new tempo shorts. Go Dawgs! :)



On top of that, I have also focused on scaling back the amount I eat. It has worked out really well. As I scrutinize the amounts of food I am eating, I tend to eat healthier because I know I can eat more apples and baby carrots than kettle chips, which helps me mentally feel more full.

That sounds like such a "duh" plan, but it so much harder than that!

Here is my current running playlist, titled "intense running"
because that's what it is.
crazy intense :P

1. K'naan feat. David Bisbal - Waving Flag (this song always makes me visualize passing people in a race for some reason, but it is awesome)
   
2. Basshunter - All I Ever Wanted
3. Maino feat. T Pain - All of the Above
4. Taio Cruz feat Ludacris - Break Your Heart
5. Shakira - Waka Waka
6. O.A.R. - Love and Memories
7. Sean Kingston - Replay
8. Capital Lights - Mile Away
9. Enrique Iglesias - Escape (love him, and this song, and him)
   
10. B.O.B. feat. Rivers Cuomo - Magic
11. Boys Like Girls - Love Drunk
12. Fabolous - My Time
13. Darude - Sandstorm

I am always looking for new songs to run to though, so if you have any good ones send them my way!

PS - College Prep is having yet another darling giveaway here!

Queen of Green

I am all about recycling and taking care of the things that we have been given, here is a little bit more motivation to save the planet :)

Visit Sweet Southern Prep to enter this adorable giveaway!
Be sure to mention my name in your entries :)

Visit take heart to see this cute bib giveaway!

Also, be sure to check out these great giveaways:
AZO Immune Boosting Products
CSN Stores
Mauviel Pan
Lamps Plus
CSN Stores
iTouch
Amazon
Necklace by Zionshore
Market Tote by Take flight Boutique
Personalized Sign from BOSHEREE

Opinion Queen.com also has some great giveaways going on!

Also, I just came across this adorable blog with an amazing pottery barn giveaway! :)

Only Good Things Can Come From Whole Grain Rolled Oats :P

If you are at all interested in living a healthy life Whole Foods Market has a wonderful website! It is full of yummy looking recipes and healthy tips!

I just read one of their blog posts about oats and did you know one cup of rolled oats contains:

• 4 grams of fiber
• 4 grams of fat (only 1 gram of saturated fat)
• 6 grams of protein
• no cholesterol
• Iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and manganese

And oats are practically as cheap as dirt!
Especially in winter, why go for the cheerio's when there is such a warm and happy alternative?

Not to mention they offer all of these awesome recipes to encourage oat filled decisions.
Who could say no to Oatmeal Apple Pancakes???

Just saying, eating healthy does not have to be expensive or yucky, it just takes a little research :)

P.S. Random fact - Whole Foods Market purchased the Greenlife Grocery chain in May, I guess it was just a matter of time, the stores were identical already :P

Getting Back On The Wagon

Soccer season is over... for good... which means....

First of all - I will miss seeing those girls and laughing with them everyday :(
Secondly - I have MUCH more time! That opens up 3:30-6:00 every evening
But Lastly - I need to STOP EATING LIKE A COW!

Seriously, the other night after practice I was so exhausted, I made jambalaya and finished off FOUR servings of rice! Now, during season I usually pack on a few extra LBs, which is good, you know, with muscle and all.

I am pretty health conscious and nutrition savvy. I know what to eat, I just have very little self control to do it.

So, I am in the process of formulating a diet plan. It will start with holding off on the sweet tea, but I am not sure which step to follow with.


I will be sure to keep you posted though. Because I DO NOT want to be one of those girls who blows up like a balloon right after her sport ends, or ever for that matter!

'Tis the Season for (Gluten Free) Pumpkin Bread! :)

I made gluten free chocolate chip pumpkin bread tonight!
It tasted (and smelled) delicioso :)
Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Stick (1/2 c) Softened Butter
• 2 tsp Vanilla
  
• Pumpkin (15 oz can)
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
  
• Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste
  

DIRECTIONS:

CREAM - Butter, Eggs & Vanilla
MIX IN - Pumpkin, Cinnamon & Pumpkin Pie Spice
MIX IN - Cake Mix
POUR - into greased baking pan
BAKE - using box directions
and let COOL

recipe source

What do you think about sushi?

Okay, girls, yay or nay?
Before you answer that, look at some of this information:

• Studies have recently found that in testing the tuna in sushi at 20 restaurants in the Manhattan area, that most exceeded legal limits of mercury. Not only did most exceed, but 5 of the 20 had mercury levels so high in their tuna, the FDA was legally able to go in a remove the tuna from the restaurants.

• Similar studies had the same findings in Los Angeles. This article noted that Tuna in particular is a more mercury laden fish, especially sushi grade tuna, because of its age. The larger and older tuna fish are the ones ideal for sushi, however, the larger the fish, the greater the mercury concentration, leading to higher levels of mercury in tuna than those fish that are caught younger, such as wild salmon and crab.

• Despite reports of salmon's healthy mercury content, we still must be careful. The spread of a tape worm parasite found in undercooked salmon is on the rise, especially in Japan, but there have been cases reported here as well. Clearly rare, but still a concern.
  
  
  
  Keeping in mind that sushi is not all raw salmon and tuna, there are TONS of health benefits to eating sushi:
  
  

• Wasabi sauce contains isothiocyanates, which destroy the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Isothiocyanates also inhibit cancer causing carcinogens.

• The seaweed wrap is a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and iron

• The vegetables offer a good source of fiber and other vitamins and minerals - especially avocado which is high in the carotenoid lutein, which has been shown to reduce macular degeneration
  
  
• The fish offers a great amount of omega-3 fatty acids and protein - crab and wild salmon have the lowest mercury levels.
  
  
• Try to find sushi made with brown rice rather than white rice, this gives you most of the nutrients from the rice as well as much more fiber.
  
  
• Not to mention, all of these nutrients can be consumed for a relatively low calorie count.

• Living on a budget? Check out this simple sushi making tutorial
  (PS - in buying fish, a Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter suggests that buying organic fish is often a waste of money because organic fish is not closely regulated and the rules for organic fish are not as concrete as those for other food groups)

Overall we can see there are many pro's and con's to eating sushi, however, this is the case with all things we eat. Just because we are concerned with the mercury levels of fish does not mean that chicken or steak are better choices. There are just as many dangerous toxins there, even eating organic meat provides many risks.

I vote, avoid tuna, cook your salmon, and enjoy the rest :)
Yay, definite yes!

So, what do you think?