Foodie Friday

Foodie Friday will definitely be one of my favorite "themes!" I LOVE food and since I'm on a journey to find out what I can eat and how to make the best of it, being a "foodie" is truly fun for me now!

Today it's all about the beet! Yes, a simple beet! 

I hated beets as a child. They had a taste that could not be acquired. But now I am drawn to their naturally sweet flavor!

According to WHFoods, Beets "Provide optimal health, protect against heart disease, lessen inflammation & protect against birth defects." In 1 c. of boiled beets you will consume only 74 calories and still get a whole lot of essential nutrients. 

Beets compliment salads very well! I wouldn't know about the power of beets + feta because I've never had that combination, but have heard it's phenomenal. Because I'm still a plain-old-Jane (working towards more) I appreciate spinach + romaine + beets + grilled chicken + olive oil currently. Try it out - I think you'll like it, too! And the "beet" goes on....

CHEERS!

A "Little Bit Sweet" Homemade Marinade

Day 90.

Wow! Today is the 3-month mark! Unbelievable! Time goes so quickly!

2 items of interest today:

1. My new homemade marinade
2. The Institute for Integrative Nutrition

1. I was craving grilled chicken lettuce wraps. (I made them both last night and tonight.) However, I was craving my grilled chicken to be a little bit sweet. Back in the "old days" (prior to 90 days ago) I would have gone to Safeway and grabbed the first "fat free honey mustard" (heck, fat free, Splenda-laden anything I could find) there was. Not now! Now it's up to me to create this perfect "little bit sweet" marinade. So here is how I created it:

• Whole Foods 100% Certified Organic Maple Syrup
  

• Whole Foods Organic Vanilla Extract
  

• Balsamic Vinaigrette

And that was it! I mixed about 1/2 each of the Maple Syrup/Balsamic Vinaigrette. I put just one or two drops of the vanilla in. It was perfect. It was free of preservatives. No chemicals. Purely delicious!

2. The Institute for Integrative Nutrition: I have been thinking of this school so much lately. About 2 years ago I left my Corporate job at Robert Half International. Enough was enough, and one day I just upped and left. I essentially "started over." It was a blessing in disguise. I spent a few months concentrating on me, where my heart was and what I wanted to do with my life. That ultimately landed me in Health and Fitness at ClubSport in San Ramon, but I tossed around the idea at that time of going to The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. The thought has never left my mind.

Lately, I've been hearing and reading so much about them. They just got a Distance Learning program, too. I believe it would be great for me study with them. I'm not saying that it will lead me to a full-time career as a health counselor, (but you never know) but it fascinates me and I might like to see just what I could do with it!

And besides, knowledge is power. Knowledge gives me the power to promote people, places, ideas and things I believe in - heath, fitness and nutrition at the top of that list!

I have been feeling pretty good, as far as my stomach is concerned. My mouth has been some more annoyed. Today it was probably about a 6/7. Not good....but, breathe....

Here was my day:

Breakfast #1 (Pre-workout)

• Fruit Fusion
• Steel Cut Oats + Unsweetened Rice Milk+ Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• (2) Red Grapes (on accident!)
• Baristas Soy Latte (Not on accident!)
  

Lunch (post-workout)

• Albacore, no salt, tungol tuna
  
• 1/2 c. Quinoa
• Raw Carrot
  

Dinner

• Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps + homemade marinade
  
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Glass of Red Wine

Up early tomorrow to run 6 miles "Like a Girl" in Danville!