On The Hunt...For Healthy!

I’ve been practically glued to my laptop for the past few days now. It’s not like it sounds. Yes, I do leave a social networking tab open the whole time. But I’m not parked there like an old decrepit clunker on the freeway. Clean that up, will you?! Truth is, I’m productively searching for something healthy. I’m always prowling the internet in my quest for better choices. Let’s face it, we can all make better choices. We all need to repent! We all need to sing like a choir in white robes while the organist plays something soulful. “I surrender all…” Do you hear me, sisters?!

On my social networking site of choice I have “like”d some sites that are motivating, encouraging, and butt-kicking when I need it. And I’ve had to un”like” some that were bringing me down, enabling bad choices, and offered to host my pity parties for a small fee. I’m learning to be stealthy and use whatever means I can to bag my catch. Am I setting my sights on more fiber? Hunt for recipes that include more fiber rich produce. Do I want to capture a protein-packed trophy? Look for the meats, beans and dairy items that will give me the boost I need without loading me down with unreasonable fat calories. Am I getting enough nutrients in my snacking choices? Expand my selection to include fresh fruits and vegetables and leave off the high sodium and carb-laden standbys. Hunt. Aim. Shoot.

Right now I’m looking for healthy and inexpensive protein bars that I can make myself. There are plenty of recipes out there for breakfast bars, cereal bars, granola bars, but some of the ingredients make me feel cheap and dirty, like I have no standards. And I have my standards! I’m not about to get picked up by something that looks okay but leaves me empty and ashamed of myself. I’m better than that! Besides, I’m the one wearing the safari hat stalking my prey. So, I fasten my buttons and look for things like protein, whole grain, and natural sweeteners. Dried fruits, seeds, and nuts are fine but I don’t want to blindly consume hidden calories just because everything else looks wholesome. To start with here’s a super-easy bar that doesn’t need baking:

Energy Bars- Unbaked (By: American Running Association Running and Fitnews)

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup raisins or dried fruit, chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup light Karo syrup

Mix it all well. Freeze in bar shapes.

Happy hunting!

Glory

Hurts So Good...?!

I'm showing my age. And not just because of the old John Mellencamp song reference from 1982. It is a great one, though. No, I'm talking more about muscles, joints, and recovery time. Sometimes I simply whine about it. Other times I actually behave in a quite infantile manner. Shameless confessions aside, it seems that the common attributes of everything that's good for us are painful, unappealing, or difficult.

It's a love-hate thing, actually. Sometimes more hate than love, at times. Take your vitamins! Study for finals! Say you're sorry! The results are worth it but it's always work at some level. Accomplishing goals takes work. Great relationships take work. Achieving fitness takes work. Getting to where we want to be in life is sweet, wonderful, and euphoric! But it's not always fun or easy.

A lot of fitness centers and personal trainers understand this and will state this fact to their clients openly. Everyone has heard "no pain, no gain" uttered through clenched teeth. It's not really a masochistic thing at all. Not for the average mentally stable person anyway. Of course there are always those who would take such phrases to extremes, individuals I personally take great care to avoid, by the way. The idea is the same no matter how you say it.

Feel the burn! Embrace the suck!

Uhm, okay. But is all that pain really necessary? Well, yes and no, according to research of the body's anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. To understand a bit more about this process read What Does "Feel the Burn" mean...and is it good or bad?. The good news is that muscles eventually learn how to manage through that burning sensation and it will lessen, over time.

Consider this truth: "No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." Hebrews 12:11 (NLT) That pretty much tells it like it is, huh?

The Marine corps have adopted the quote "Pain is weakness leaving the body." Yeah, I can appreciate that on more than one level. No matter how much it hurts, in a get-your-lazy-self-moving sense, I know it will make me stronger. Bring on the pain!

Glory

Phobias And Fresh Starts

It’s like my worst nightmare. Seriously. I would rather give birth or hike the Himalayas than deal with what is probably one of my deepest fears. Unfortunately, after weeks and often months of my typical avoidance strategies, I can no longer exist in denial. This has to be faced squarely with no hesitation. So, with all the appropriate materials at hand and having assembled the necessary supplies I stand with my feet shoulder width apart, my knees slightly bent, and my back straight. My palms are sweaty, my stomach is churning, and my throat feels dry. I resist the urge to turn and flee the inevitable. I stretch out my yellow gloved right hand, hold my breath, and open the refrigerator door.

My name is Glory. And I have a phobia of cleaning the refrigerator. “Hi Glory,” my mental support group replies.

I’m not sure where it started or why it offends me so much. But eventually I know it must be done. Confrontation of any kind just sends me reeling. But there is just something about containers of mystery leftovers, jars of half-used food, cartons of expired products, and the bag or two of fresh-last-season produce run amuck on sticky shelves and carousing in crispers that evokes a soft whimper and a shudder or two. Yet I continued on, unloading chilled foodstuffs, scrubbing and wiping surfaces, and tossing away things that would not be making a return to the refrigerator. While there was a time I would have considered this to be wasteful, I have since determined that something that isn’t needed, wanted, or even safe to consume is simply taking up space for something better, healthy, and far more appealing. In short, I was practically giving my refrigerator a makeover. And now it looks fabulous, darling! Teen girl even applauded.

Besides the obvious improvement to the cleanliness of the kitchen, there are several other health benefits to a good fridge cleanse. More space is not the least of these good effects. All that junk was taking up room on the shelves for free without even paying rent. Getting rid of the deadbeat items means I can buy more fresh healthy things like spinach and yogurt for my green smoothies. It also means that when I open the refrigerator door I can save time by easily viewing my choices and making my selection quickly without contemplating what sort of sweet calorie-laden goodies might be more readily obtained in the cupboard. An organized refrigerator filled with good healthy food makes for a disciplined me filled with energy, vitality, and joy. My fridge is happy again, and so am I!

Glory

Cheats And Eats

We have been vacationing on and off all Summer, and it has been fantastic! We love to travel, see new places, and just enjoy a nice break from the routine. Between a church family camp at a nearby park to a family visit in Wyoming to a birthday celebration trip to Philadelphia, there has been plenty to do and discover, including how far it takes to walk from Embassy Suites to the Liberty Bell (1.6 miles). The food aspect is important because we tourists need it for fuel, of course, but we also use it for celebration and fun.

Yes, I just admitted that eating, for me, is fun! A lot of fun, in fact, if there are plenty of choices, like one might find at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. This is kind of an indoor version of our own Pike Place Market in Seattle, with more restaurants and a huge international supermarket. I personally loved the Mediterranean menu and really tucked into ½ my vegetarian lasagna. The mammoth portion was more than I needed to consume in one sitting and setting half of it aside for another meal wasn’t difficult at all. It was like two meals for the price of one! I also made sure to add homemade baklava to my purchase. And as possessive as I am with my sweet treats I graciously shared the baklava with the hubby and teen.

Breakfast at Embassy Suites are complimentary and delicious! From made-to-order omelettes to bowls full of fresh fruit it was easy to start the day of eating out right and healthy. I love my vegetables so my omelette was fully loaded with mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and onions along with diced ham and crumbled bacon (a girl can indulge a little, right?) The nice thing about a hotel suite is the refrigerator and microwave where we could take our uneaten yogurt or still intact muffin for snacking on later. It saves money and time when just a bit of munching is in order. We also bought a couple of bags of small Dove and Hershey’s chocolates to enhance our hotel experience, and to stave off cravings for heavy desserts. Like late at night during The Nanny marathon or catching up on Bones episodes. *cough, cough* After walking several miles every day one is practically entitled to a nibble or two here and there!

More often than not I stayed true to my salad-for-lunch commitment but I did cheat a bit with sauced up pastas and desserts (always shared, however). In other words, I enjoyed the flavors of the city and we always offered each other bites of whatever we had, but I got away with slightly fewer calories by turning one restaurant sized serving into two meals, except for the diced Norwegian salmon in a aurora cream sauce at Bellini. The portion was appropriate for one meal and we stayed long enough to savor the experience. And, by the blessed grace of God, I still didn’t add any pounds or inches. Now that totally feels like I just cheated!

Glory