Do You Meditate?

Meditation-
What does that mean? What does it mean to Meditate? I did not know what that meant for a  long time, in fact, I'm still trying to figure it out.
I think I have come to the conclusion that Meditation is about inner peace. Meditation is about balance of the body and mind. Its about linking our Emotional, Physical, Mental and spiritual self. Bringing all those pieces back to center.
Meditation is a fuel to the mind. It's peace. It's clarity. It's enlightenment. It's power. It's serenity.

I resisted mediation for about 4 years. I was seeing a therapist who was really trying to get me to meditate. I bought some guided meditations, but resisted the process. I wasn't understanding what to do. What to expect. What I should or shouldn't be doing. I just felt like I was doing it all wrong.

Fast forward to 4 years later... I found a website. I love this website. It's the World Wide Online Meditation Center. It has changed my life.
I read all of the information, Q&A, what to expect, what not to expect. It was so helpful... and I am now looking at meditation in a brand new way.
So, I started with the Core Meditation set. I just paid for the MP3's because I'm really impatient and didn't want to wait for the CD's. I've loaded them onto my iTunes account and have been doing the daily meditations for a couple months now.
Just recently, I purchased the Meditation for Spiritual Awakening course. Wow. Wonderful.

Just this morning. The synchronicities were all unfolding one after the other.

If you are wanting to meditate and are hesitant on starting. This World Wide Online Meditation Center is a Fabulous place to start.
The meditations are only about 12 to 15 minutes long. They are so relaxing, you may feel a little tired right after completion, but within minutes your energy level is high. I find myself having so much energy after I am done.
If you have any questions for me... Feel free to send me a comment.


Good luck, Taking the First Step!

Changes....

When I first started this blogs, my intentions were to educate people and myself, about the food we were putting into our bodies. My life is going through huge changes and just like a butterfly, my life and this blog are going to go through a metamorphosis. I will continue to talk about nutrition and putting the right things in your body, but not just from a food perspective.
This change is going to be physical, mental, spiritual and emotional one. It's a journey, one I have been on my whole life, but it's like I just woke up!
I'm excited for this new path. I'm excited to move forward and share the knowledge I've gained and will continue to gain.
As the days go on, you will hear things that will make sense, won't make sense, like and/or think I'm totally nuts! That what makes this journey so much fun!

Need a snack?? Try a Kiwi!

Why should you choose this super food??? Well, for starters it has twice the vitamin C of Oranges! Two medium kiwi's have almost 5 g of fiber, decent source of magnesium, low-sodium and are a high-potassium food (great after a run or workout).
Get this, the Journal of Medicinal Food did a study. They found that kiwi had the ability to reduce oxidative stress (damage from free radicals) in human plasma. Another study in Carcinogenesis confirmed kiwi's ability to protect against cellular damage AND repair cellular damage that had already occurred (just from adding kiwi into a normal diet)! Pretty cool!

Plus, they are DELICIOUS!

Oh, and according to The Environmental Working Group, Kiwifruit is considered one of the least contaminated with pesticides. Good to know!




Picture taken from here
Information taken from 150 Healthiest Food on Earth- Jonny Bowden

New Recipes I've Tried

Asparagus Risotto.

Italian Beef Fontina Sandwich.


Both of these dishes were absolutely delicious!
It was fun to try the new recipes and they were a HUGE hit with the family!
I put the links on both meal titles... check them out and my more of her delicious recipes!

Update on Chi Running

I have not finished the book, yet. I've been doing the exercises and trying out "Chi Running" as I'm going. So far, it's great, but challenging. My biggest issue is posture. Holding that posture is tough for me, but I can feel that it has affected my running and I feel better when I have correct posture.

When I run "Chi Running" style, I can feel the difference in my body immediately. Last Thursday, I had an easy run. I ran for 4.5 miles. I praticed my "form" the whole time. The first half was bit of a challenge for me, but as I proceeded and got more comfortable, it eventually felt effortless and like I was floating. My "Runner's High", at the end was exhilarating! I've NEVER had a runner's high like I did that day. It lasted for hours. It was the best I've felt running in a very long time.

Last night, I went and ran on the treadmill. It was much more challenging then running outside. I have to admit, my knee is a bit achy today. Part of my training required me to run today, but I'm taking today off. I don't want to over-do it or re-injure my knee.
So, I will keep going and let you know what I think as I progress. I think I might purchase the video as well. I'm a visual learner and I like to see how these things are done. So, I will keep you posted on that as well.

Happy Running!

Chi Running

I have a relay race coming up in the next 2 months... I'm really excited, but I've been a bit nervous because of my knee surgery. I've been working with my cardio coach and my personal trainer (sadly, my last session was Friday). We've really been working on glute, hamstring & quad strength, to prepare my legs for this FANTASTIC race.

website: http://www.chirunning.com/

My cardio coach suggested I get this book "Chi Running". So, I went over to Barnes & Noble and picked it up (generally, I'm way too impatient to order books online). I started reading it right away!
So far, it's all about balance and alignment. He talks about how you should never feel pain from running. If you do, you are not in balance and alignment. Because pain is just an indicator that something is off in our bodies. He mentions that we over work our leg muscles (like I've been doing), but it's not required if we run correctly.
He talks about using our mind, gravity and the natural flow of our bodies to move us forward, leading to effective running! He tells us we should get back to our roots, so to speak... Run like children. They have perfect form... because they just do it!
I haven't gotten into the running "form", but I'm extremely excited! He has mentioned great posture (one of my major issues), relaxed muscles and joints and tight core.
If anyone is interested in running or has been interested in running, check it out. So far, I really like the book.

Some very important things to remember when running:
Diet: It's really important to eat "good" foods while running (I'm going to insert a blip here... You should be eating well all the time. Our bodies need great food not just when we are exercising. Okay, I'm done). Carbohydrates (100% whole grains are a good one), proteins and good fats (ie., Avocados). Your body needs the right fuel to run and it needs all these items.
Fluids: When I run, I can not drink soda, coffee or alcohol. My body can't handle it! And my body requires more water.
Sleep: When I run (or do any exercise), my body needs more sleep. Make sure you are getting adequate sleep.

One last thing... When I first started running, I thought you had to run really hard, really fast equaling a high heart rate. After working with a cardio coach, I realized that the slower I went the more effective my body was working. Over time, my oxygen levels increased and I was able to run much faster, with a lower heart rate. So my speed increased, but the effort to reach that speed didn't.

If anyone is interested in running... and would like the information of my cardio coach. send me a message and I'll give you his information. He has changed the way I run and the way I feel when I run! I love it!
I'm so excited to see what this book has in store for me.

Happy Running!

Minestrone Soup

You know, when I started this new blog, I wasn't really sure the direction it would go. I know I'm posting a lot of recipes, but after reading a bunch of books, I realized I didn't know what "real" food was. A lot of them tell you what to eat and NOT to eat, but I think we've gotten so far away from what is "real", we really don't know what to eat or how to eat it! We now need books and nutritionist to tell us what we should and shouldn't eat. That's crazy to me! What scares me more was how little I knew about what I was actually eating.

Eating well is hard, it's an adjustment, it taste different (and better), you have to spend more time preparing your food (in theory) and it's a bit more expensive. In my opinion, all worth it! Plus, what we buy is what we are voting for. Check out this trailer and/or watch the movie.
If you are anything like me, after throwing out all the "garbage" food and reading the labels, you wonder... what CAN I eat!
That's why I've been posting recipes. I'm trying to find options for me, my husband & kids and even you!
I know that eating better seems like a challenge, but with little steps, it's do-able! Your body and health will thank you.

Knowledge is power!

So here was last night's dinner.
Minestrone Soup!

Onion, Celery, Carrot, Garlic & Spinach

After all ingredients have been added, simmering!

Yum!!

I have made this soup several times. My family and I have LOVED it every time. I did make some slight modifications, but here is the original recipe (and I have made the original recipe many times).

My modifications last night:
I add 2 cloves of garlic, minced
I used a cup of spinach, finely chopped (I added the carrots, celery, garlic & onion, cooked those for about 5 minutes. Then I added the spinach. cooked another 2 minutes and then added the broth).
I did not use Mushroom, Zucchini or Squash (this time!) I was in a hurry, but they are delicious in the soup.

Follow the directions on her site and you will love this soup too.

Enjoy!

Need a snack?? Try some Grape-Nuts & Almond Milk!

If you are looking for a quick and easy snack, try some Grape Nuts and Almond Milk!
You can put the Grape-Nuts in a bag, or tupperware container (same with the almond milk), and mix on the go. Or you can have it at home or work. If you don't want to mix it with milk, you can use yogurt instead. You can eat it warm or cold.
You can eat this for breakfast, lunch or a snack.
Really, the possibilities are endless.
The greatest part, not only do you feel full, but it keeps you full for hours. Perfect!

Grape-Nuts have 7g of fiber, 6g protein, 1g fat, 5g sugar, 48g total carbohydrates and 230mg potassium.
Talk about some good stuff!

Enjoy!

What's for dinner??? Garlic & Onion Chicken!

Last time I stepped into Harmon's I bought myself some organic, free range, no-antibiotic's or hormone chicken. I was so excited to eat it, but I wasn't sure what to make.
I saw this seasoning in my cupboard, and decided it would be yum!

This is what you will need:
1 lb Organic Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
2 cups Organic Chicken Broth
Onion and Garlic Seasoning (My Mother-in-Law got this from TJ Max)
Salt/Pepper to taste
2 tbsp. Olive Oil

This is how I made it:
I got my crock pot out. Turned it to high, poured in 2 cups of chicken broth. (let it warm up while you are getting the chicken ready)
In a zip-lock bag, I threw the chicken, 1 tbsp. of olive oil, salt/pepper, onion & Garlic seasoning.
I coated the chicken. (Adding some fresh lemon and thyme would be yum! I Just didn't have any)
Warm the skillet with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Once warm, add chicken. Let brown, turn over, let the other side brown.
Then place the chicken in the crock pot. Let cook for 1 hr on high. Turn down to low or warm for another 1/2 hr to 1hr.

I steamed some broccoli to go with this meal, but I had a whole breast left over. So, the next day I had that and a spinach salad for lunch!

Enjoy!

ATTENTION: Diet Soda Drinkers

Drinking diet soda could increase the risk of stroke and heart attacks, according to the American Stroke Association. They followed 2,500 people over 9 years. They found that 61 percent of diet soda drinkers were at higher risk for stroke and heart attack, compared with non diet soda drinkers.
The more diet soda intake the higher the risk becomes, due to high sodium intake. We should be consuming only 1,500 milligrams a day, however, the average is about 3,400 milligrams daily.
The moral of the story: If you are drinking more then 1 diet soda a day, your risk of heart attack and stroke goes up significantly. My opinion (I'm going to tell you) cut back your soda intake or stop drinking it all together! While you're at it, consume more water!

Personally, I stopped drinking soda when I started running. I don't like the way it makes me feel, especially when I'm running! I go in and out of stages, but I really do try to avoid it at all costs. If I do have a soda, it's maybe one time a month (and that is still a lot more then I would like). In this study, they only looked at one factor. Sodium. There is more to soda then sodium and we really don't know all the effects they have on us. Be cautious and be aware. Know what you are putting in your body!


Click here to read the full article. Image taken from here.