So I've been away for a while. We had a baby, life got busy... you know how it is.
The baby is interesting, though, from the point of this blog. He's the reason for this postscript (and partially the resurrection, but I'll get to that.) We didn't share much of our journey to have children with people, but suffice it to say that it wasn't an easy journey. It took two years and some medical interventions to have Lauren. When she was six months old, we started trying for another, knowing it may take a while. After about three years and more interventions, we gave up. One day in a gorgeous park in Edmonds, Jeremy and I looked at each other over Lauren's head and just knew we were done. It was the most peaceful and yet gut-wrenching moment of my life.
So how did we get another baby and how in the world does it relate to this blog? Well, after that day in the park, I threw myself into getting in shape and eating right. I hired a trainer and worked out at least three times a week. I ran, lifted weights, stair-mastered, lifted more weights... you get the idea. I also worked hard to eat right. I was still blogging then and even when I stopped, I was still eating well. (We just won't talk about that trip to NC over Christmas, okay?) Anyway, I was doing my best to do everything right. If we couldn't have another baby, I was going to take the time to get in the best health I could.
And then in January, after our trip to NC, I started to feel... odd. After much angst and trying to talk myself out of getting excited, I took a test and found out we were expecting Andrew. There's not a word in the English language that conveys my shock. Happily, he was born healthy nine months later and is a love and joy in our lives.
So, the blog. Now, I'm not implying causation at all, but I can't help but think it's odd? funny? telling? that we tried and tried for six years to have children and had a terrible time. I then spend six to eight months getting myself in the best shape of my life, eating healthy, eating organic, and I suddenly get pregnant? Can I call it a correlation? Something more than just a coincidence? Even if it wasn't, all that working out and healthy eating let me have an easy pregnancy, so I'm thankful for that.
The resurrection part is this: Now that Andrew is six months old and I'm finally getting to sleep more and getting a schedule down, I'm hoping to focus more on our eating. While we haven't been doing badly, I want to refocus and do it right. I still want to work on Lauren's eating (no change there) and now have the added wrinkle of having two kids and much less time. We'll see how I do.
I'll be back tomorrow with the menu for the week!
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Thursday, June 3, 2010
More about organics
I get a Runner's World digest in my email every week; I love their stories on nutrition and their training tips. I thought it was fitting that the top link I received today was 5 Reasons to Go Organic. It's written by Maria Rodale, author of Organic Manifesto.
The article goes into much more depth, but the 5 suggestions are:
1. Eat Nutrients, Not Toxins - I especially found this quote interesting: "They found far fewer chemicals in the children's urine the same day they switched to an organic diet—and a return to high levels when they went back to a chemical diet."
2. Protect Your Body - Did you realize that arsenic is commonly used in pesticides? I didn't! Yikes!
3. Get Plenty of Protein - This we knew, but it's emphasizing the fact that grass-fed, humanely treated animals are out there.
4. Solve the Climate Crisis - I thought this was unsurprising, but interesting: "In a study commissioned by PepsiCo, an independent researcher found the most significant component of the carbon footprint for Tropicana orange juice (a PepsiCo product) wasn't transportation or manufacturing, but "production and application of fertilizers."
5. Enjoy the Taste - Again, something we knew, but organic does not equal bland. In fact, I'm finding the taste to be better with organic fruits and veggies!
The below was posted at the bottom of the article and I thought it was really important:
What's Organic, Anyway?
How to decode the claims on food labels
By Joanna Sayago Golub
100 PERCENT ORGANIC
Must contain only organically produced ingredients and processing aids. These foods can carry the USDA Organic seal.
ORGANIC
Must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (remaining ingredients must be approved). Can also carry the USDA Organic seal.
MADE WITH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS
Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. Will not have the USDA Organic seal.
NATURAL
Term often refers to food without artificial ingredients or preservatives, but (aside from poultry and meat) no official standards legally define it.
As a follow-up to the study I posted recently about more obese shoppers shopping at the cheaper chain store like Albertson's, I wanted to share this blog post. I think the author makes a good point about people needing not only the time but the skills to be able to cook good, whole foods. I was also pleasantly surprised at the intelligence of the commenters as relative to many of the comments I see on others sites. There are some pretty diverse views there, and I saw a few that were pretty interesting. I have a feeling that this will be something for which there is no easy answer, but it's good that people are thinking about it.
The article goes into much more depth, but the 5 suggestions are:
1. Eat Nutrients, Not Toxins - I especially found this quote interesting: "They found far fewer chemicals in the children's urine the same day they switched to an organic diet—and a return to high levels when they went back to a chemical diet."
2. Protect Your Body - Did you realize that arsenic is commonly used in pesticides? I didn't! Yikes!
3. Get Plenty of Protein - This we knew, but it's emphasizing the fact that grass-fed, humanely treated animals are out there.
4. Solve the Climate Crisis - I thought this was unsurprising, but interesting: "In a study commissioned by PepsiCo, an independent researcher found the most significant component of the carbon footprint for Tropicana orange juice (a PepsiCo product) wasn't transportation or manufacturing, but "production and application of fertilizers."
5. Enjoy the Taste - Again, something we knew, but organic does not equal bland. In fact, I'm finding the taste to be better with organic fruits and veggies!
The below was posted at the bottom of the article and I thought it was really important:
What's Organic, Anyway?
How to decode the claims on food labels
By Joanna Sayago Golub
100 PERCENT ORGANIC
Must contain only organically produced ingredients and processing aids. These foods can carry the USDA Organic seal.
ORGANIC
Must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (remaining ingredients must be approved). Can also carry the USDA Organic seal.
MADE WITH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS
Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. Will not have the USDA Organic seal.
NATURAL
Term often refers to food without artificial ingredients or preservatives, but (aside from poultry and meat) no official standards legally define it.
As a follow-up to the study I posted recently about more obese shoppers shopping at the cheaper chain store like Albertson's, I wanted to share this blog post. I think the author makes a good point about people needing not only the time but the skills to be able to cook good, whole foods. I was also pleasantly surprised at the intelligence of the commenters as relative to many of the comments I see on others sites. There are some pretty diverse views there, and I saw a few that were pretty interesting. I have a feeling that this will be something for which there is no easy answer, but it's good that people are thinking about it.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Running Naturally
This weekend, I was down in Eugene, OR participating in the Eugene Half Marathon. Great town, great race, great time with a friend... pretty much my nirvana. The only bummer was not getting to hang out with my kiddo, but she was with Grandma and Grandpa and really couldn't have cared less where I was: they feed her Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes and therefore win.
Going into this race was an interesting one for me because I've been performing really, really well in my races lately and I was hoping to do the same here. My previous personal best in a half marathon was 2:14:something, and I'd had to walk a bit. My goal during this race was just to run the whole time and finish somewhere under 2:10:something. Well, the race gods were with me, and I ended up doing 2:01. And :17, to be precise. Wowza!
I'm going to go ahead and attribute most of this to my eating as of late and my eating right before and during the race. To be fair, I've been turning in better times since the beginning of the year and this little race series I did, but the times just in the last few weeks have really been above and beyond. I'm really starting to think that eating these whole foods and striving for the right balances of protein and carbs makes a great deal of difference.
I also was really careful about my eating leading up to the race, trying to make sure I had good complex carbs for energy and some protein to help my muscles recover. The day before the race, I ate my yummy oatmeal concoction and then had fish at both lunch and dinner with veggies and rice and bread. Oh, and a beer with dinner. :) (I'd really like to think that helped.) In the morning before I ran, I had bread (would have liked it toasted. Thanks, Best Western!) and peanut butter, along with most of a banana. I also was sure to hydrate really well. Feeling good, I went off for the race.
It's what I did during the race that was a bit different and seemed to work well. In the past I've used the various sports goo things and had Gatorade or whatever electrolyte beverage. In doing some reading on Runner's World, I saw a suggestion of trying honey instead of the goo. I did that on a few long runs, and I'm hooked. It tastes way, way better, is all natural, cheaper, and really does seem to work. It's lower in carbs than the goo, but you can just have 2 or 3 at a time. They go down really easily on their own, or some water is fine too. The only bummer is that the packets can be a little hard to open: I had to ask a spectator to open one for me in Eugene.
I also drank only water along the way and after the race, having read that the different electrolyte beverages aren't really needed unless you're a super elite athlete. Given that "super elite" is not a title I can put before "runner" in my context, I have been drinking only water and liking it. No artificial colors or flavors either, and certainly no extra calories.
All in all, this mixure of things I tried really worked, so I will definitely be doing it all again in two weeks for the half marathon in Spokane that I'm doing. Well, that and wearing my timing tag on my right shoe. I'm totally sure that helped as well.
Going into this race was an interesting one for me because I've been performing really, really well in my races lately and I was hoping to do the same here. My previous personal best in a half marathon was 2:14:something, and I'd had to walk a bit. My goal during this race was just to run the whole time and finish somewhere under 2:10:something. Well, the race gods were with me, and I ended up doing 2:01. And :17, to be precise. Wowza!
I'm going to go ahead and attribute most of this to my eating as of late and my eating right before and during the race. To be fair, I've been turning in better times since the beginning of the year and this little race series I did, but the times just in the last few weeks have really been above and beyond. I'm really starting to think that eating these whole foods and striving for the right balances of protein and carbs makes a great deal of difference.
I also was really careful about my eating leading up to the race, trying to make sure I had good complex carbs for energy and some protein to help my muscles recover. The day before the race, I ate my yummy oatmeal concoction and then had fish at both lunch and dinner with veggies and rice and bread. Oh, and a beer with dinner. :) (I'd really like to think that helped.) In the morning before I ran, I had bread (would have liked it toasted. Thanks, Best Western!) and peanut butter, along with most of a banana. I also was sure to hydrate really well. Feeling good, I went off for the race.
It's what I did during the race that was a bit different and seemed to work well. In the past I've used the various sports goo things and had Gatorade or whatever electrolyte beverage. In doing some reading on Runner's World, I saw a suggestion of trying honey instead of the goo. I did that on a few long runs, and I'm hooked. It tastes way, way better, is all natural, cheaper, and really does seem to work. It's lower in carbs than the goo, but you can just have 2 or 3 at a time. They go down really easily on their own, or some water is fine too. The only bummer is that the packets can be a little hard to open: I had to ask a spectator to open one for me in Eugene.
I also drank only water along the way and after the race, having read that the different electrolyte beverages aren't really needed unless you're a super elite athlete. Given that "super elite" is not a title I can put before "runner" in my context, I have been drinking only water and liking it. No artificial colors or flavors either, and certainly no extra calories.
All in all, this mixure of things I tried really worked, so I will definitely be doing it all again in two weeks for the half marathon in Spokane that I'm doing. Well, that and wearing my timing tag on my right shoe. I'm totally sure that helped as well.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sneaky, sneaky!
Running has been a large part of my life for the last two years, ever since a friend asked me to join a relay race team. I never thought I'd be a runner, but I find so much enjoyment in pushing myself and doing new things. I also find it very relaxing and a great way to relieve stress. One major reason I'm doing this eating overhaul is to improve my running, and I'm finding that it's working! Ever since I started eating this way, I've been getting faster and feeling so much better while running. Of course, that's not the only cause, but it certainly helps!
Today we were at a 5k race, and they had quite a spread at the finish line: carrots, apple slices, 100% fruit juice, yogurt, water... it was great. And then, there was this cookie. I won't name it, but it has the word 'power' in the title and says it's "naturally flavored." Right. Here's the ingredient list:
Rolled oats
Rice flour
Corn syrup
Maltodextrin
Sugar
Water
Dextrose
Fractionated palm kernel oil
Soybean oil
Fructose
High fructose corn syrup
Nonfat milk
Flax seed
Honey
High maltose corn syrup
Brown sugar
Rice bran
Nonfat yogurt powder (cultured nonfat milk)
Natural flavor (what could that possibly be?
Cinnamon
Salt
Calcium carbonate
Soy lecithin
Titanium dioxide (added for color)
Ferric orthophosphate
Niacinamide
Thiamine mononitrate
Riboflavin
What a list for a 1.76 oz. cookie, huh? Especially one that's supposed to be marketed for atheletes! Notice the bolded words? All EIGHT of those are kinds of sugar! That little cookie has 3 teaspoons in it! It'll give you energy for sure, but then you'll crash and burn in an hour. How sneaky of them to pack the cookie with all that sugar! Most people today picked it up, didn't even think to look at it and just wolfed it down. No more of that for me!
Tonight's dinner was Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe. I couldn't find the exact recipe, which I got from Food Matters, but this is close enough. I added just a few sun-dried tomatoes and put in much more broccoli rabe. On the side, we made some green garbanzo beans that we found at Costco. We just put a little olive oil, sea salt, and garlic, and microwaved it for 2 minutes. Totally easy dinner and very yummy!
Today we were at a 5k race, and they had quite a spread at the finish line: carrots, apple slices, 100% fruit juice, yogurt, water... it was great. And then, there was this cookie. I won't name it, but it has the word 'power' in the title and says it's "naturally flavored." Right. Here's the ingredient list:
Rolled oats
Rice flour
Corn syrup
Maltodextrin
Sugar
Water
Dextrose
Fractionated palm kernel oil
Soybean oil
Fructose
High fructose corn syrup
Nonfat milk
Flax seed
Honey
High maltose corn syrup
Brown sugar
Rice bran
Nonfat yogurt powder (cultured nonfat milk)
Natural flavor (what could that possibly be?
Cinnamon
Salt
Calcium carbonate
Soy lecithin
Titanium dioxide (added for color)
Ferric orthophosphate
Niacinamide
Thiamine mononitrate
Riboflavin
What a list for a 1.76 oz. cookie, huh? Especially one that's supposed to be marketed for atheletes! Notice the bolded words? All EIGHT of those are kinds of sugar! That little cookie has 3 teaspoons in it! It'll give you energy for sure, but then you'll crash and burn in an hour. How sneaky of them to pack the cookie with all that sugar! Most people today picked it up, didn't even think to look at it and just wolfed it down. No more of that for me!
Tonight's dinner was Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe. I couldn't find the exact recipe, which I got from Food Matters, but this is close enough. I added just a few sun-dried tomatoes and put in much more broccoli rabe. On the side, we made some green garbanzo beans that we found at Costco. We just put a little olive oil, sea salt, and garlic, and microwaved it for 2 minutes. Totally easy dinner and very yummy!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Canaries in the Coal Mine
Ever since seeing it advertised in a magazine, I've been dying to read "Organic Manifesto" by Maria Rodale. The Rodale family has really led the way in researching and promoting organic farming to the general public and this most recent book really dives into the full picture of the effects organic farming can have. There's a great review of the book on a great blog, Civil Eats.
It's interesting to me that there's sort of a micro look at organics and a macro. First, the micro: this entails everything that organics do for us personally. I'll have to read the book to learn more about any studies that have been done, but there have been clear changes to animals because of their proximity to water runoff and other chemical exposure from non-organic farms. The article calls them our "canaries in the coal mine." If high exposure to these chemicals has caused certain frogs to change genders, what is it doing to us? Granted, our exposure levels are not nearly as high given that we're not squatting in the dirt next to the plants themselves, but prolonged exposure to even low levels cannot be a good thing. I'm wishing now that I had had all three of us tested for pesticide levels just to see the change over time. I like being a science experiment, apparently.
One quote that really stood out to me personally is “What is wrong with us? Why do we seem to care so little about our own safety, our own health, and the future of our children?... Why are we willing to pay thousands of dollars for in vitro fertility treatments when we can’t conceive, but not a few extra dollars for the organic food that might help to preserve the reproductive health of our own and future generations?” It's no secret that having Lauren was a struggle for us and now I'm wondering what decisions I've made about what I eat may have affected that. Of course, there's nothing to do about it now and it's not worth feeling bad about it, but I do wonder. So many women I know are suffering from some sort of infertility; could it be because of our pesticide-ridden foods? I'll be interested to learn more.
There's also the macro level to organic farming: the effects it can have on the environment and the economy. Environmentally, the soils are more stable and can produce more over time. It's not adding dangerous chemicals into our water supplies. It uses fewer fossil fuels than non-organic farming. Overall, it's so much better for our planet. In terms of the economy, supporting small farms and CSAs can help the businesses in our area, which benefits everyone. Sure, organic produce is more expensive, but isn't it worth the expense, knowing these things?
I'm definitely convinced that organic is the way to go, and I haven't even read the book! Just wait until I get my hands on a copy and you'll learn more than you ever wanted to. Until then, I'll find little blurbs to slake my thirst for this information.
Finally, a report from the penitent guinea pig. I got up extra early this morning and went to the gym, trying to rid myself of the things I ate and to perhaps perform a little self-flagellation for bad eating. Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit, but I am really wanting to get back on the wagon. I just felt so good for the three weeks I ate well and my running performance was great. And then I go and eat things I know aren't good for me and my running performance suffered. Heck, I can't even call it "performance" as I didn't run at all this weekend and yesterday. I just felt too sluggish to do it; all I wanted to do was sit and eat. I think I really understand how people get trapped in our Standard American Diet: it tricks you into doing nothing else! That's why I'm back in the saddle.
One final confession. I weigh myself fairly often, even though I know the experts say not to. It's not that I'm obsessing over what I weigh, but I like to know how what I'm eating or drinking or how much exercise I'm getting affects my body. Anyway, I weighed myself pre-crappy food on Friday and then again this morning and found a 6 pound difference. SIX POUNDS!! Now, I know a great deal of this is water retention due to salt intake, but still. That's only after a weekend of eating badly. No wonder our society is dealing with weight issues. Ick. I'll have to let you know how quickly it comes off now that I'm back on the healthy eating. Canary in the coal mine, indeed.
Not that this is about food per se, but I found an interesting article in the NY Times about exercise and weight loss. Basically, exercise alone does not lead to weight loss, but it can help you maintain a healthy body weight. Lots of interesting information about fat rats "lolling around" in cages.
The article that led me to that one is "Cows on Drugs", also from the NY Times. It's from the former commissioner of the USDA, Donald Kennedy, and is about the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in cows. That isn't just a burger you're eating. Hello antibiotic resistance!
It's interesting to me that there's sort of a micro look at organics and a macro. First, the micro: this entails everything that organics do for us personally. I'll have to read the book to learn more about any studies that have been done, but there have been clear changes to animals because of their proximity to water runoff and other chemical exposure from non-organic farms. The article calls them our "canaries in the coal mine." If high exposure to these chemicals has caused certain frogs to change genders, what is it doing to us? Granted, our exposure levels are not nearly as high given that we're not squatting in the dirt next to the plants themselves, but prolonged exposure to even low levels cannot be a good thing. I'm wishing now that I had had all three of us tested for pesticide levels just to see the change over time. I like being a science experiment, apparently.
One quote that really stood out to me personally is “What is wrong with us? Why do we seem to care so little about our own safety, our own health, and the future of our children?... Why are we willing to pay thousands of dollars for in vitro fertility treatments when we can’t conceive, but not a few extra dollars for the organic food that might help to preserve the reproductive health of our own and future generations?” It's no secret that having Lauren was a struggle for us and now I'm wondering what decisions I've made about what I eat may have affected that. Of course, there's nothing to do about it now and it's not worth feeling bad about it, but I do wonder. So many women I know are suffering from some sort of infertility; could it be because of our pesticide-ridden foods? I'll be interested to learn more.
There's also the macro level to organic farming: the effects it can have on the environment and the economy. Environmentally, the soils are more stable and can produce more over time. It's not adding dangerous chemicals into our water supplies. It uses fewer fossil fuels than non-organic farming. Overall, it's so much better for our planet. In terms of the economy, supporting small farms and CSAs can help the businesses in our area, which benefits everyone. Sure, organic produce is more expensive, but isn't it worth the expense, knowing these things?
I'm definitely convinced that organic is the way to go, and I haven't even read the book! Just wait until I get my hands on a copy and you'll learn more than you ever wanted to. Until then, I'll find little blurbs to slake my thirst for this information.
Finally, a report from the penitent guinea pig. I got up extra early this morning and went to the gym, trying to rid myself of the things I ate and to perhaps perform a little self-flagellation for bad eating. Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit, but I am really wanting to get back on the wagon. I just felt so good for the three weeks I ate well and my running performance was great. And then I go and eat things I know aren't good for me and my running performance suffered. Heck, I can't even call it "performance" as I didn't run at all this weekend and yesterday. I just felt too sluggish to do it; all I wanted to do was sit and eat. I think I really understand how people get trapped in our Standard American Diet: it tricks you into doing nothing else! That's why I'm back in the saddle.
One final confession. I weigh myself fairly often, even though I know the experts say not to. It's not that I'm obsessing over what I weigh, but I like to know how what I'm eating or drinking or how much exercise I'm getting affects my body. Anyway, I weighed myself pre-crappy food on Friday and then again this morning and found a 6 pound difference. SIX POUNDS!! Now, I know a great deal of this is water retention due to salt intake, but still. That's only after a weekend of eating badly. No wonder our society is dealing with weight issues. Ick. I'll have to let you know how quickly it comes off now that I'm back on the healthy eating. Canary in the coal mine, indeed.
Not that this is about food per se, but I found an interesting article in the NY Times about exercise and weight loss. Basically, exercise alone does not lead to weight loss, but it can help you maintain a healthy body weight. Lots of interesting information about fat rats "lolling around" in cages.
The article that led me to that one is "Cows on Drugs", also from the NY Times. It's from the former commissioner of the USDA, Donald Kennedy, and is about the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in cows. That isn't just a burger you're eating. Hello antibiotic resistance!
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