Green Day

No, I'm not writing about the band.  Although, I really like them.  I'm actually writing about my food.  I know, I know...I don't do a lot of food posts here, but sometimes I feel like it.  Today is one of those days.

On any given day, I strive to eat as many (natural) colors as possible.  I love to see a beautiful rainbow on my plate.  It makes me feel so healthy.  But, sometimes my day of eating ends up being a little less diverse.  Today is a perfect example.   I must have been in a green mood, because this is what I ate:

BREAKFAST

This was a delicious green smoothie made with water, baby spinach (4 cups), banana, clementine, frozen mango, frozen pineapple, chia seeds and hemp seeds.  This is one of my favorite smoothie combinations!


LUNCH

Split pea soup!  It doesn't look very vibrant, but it was yummy!


DINNER

OK, this really looks like a big mess, but it sure was delicious!  It's a makeshift "taco salad."  It's mostly lettuce and avocado with a veggie burger crumbled on top and some salsa sprinkled about.  It was the most colorful meal of the day, but it still had a lot of green in it.  Ignore the container.  I had to eat this "on the go."

I had a few snacks in between, including an apple cinnamon Chobani (green label) and a bunch of snap peas.  I also had a cup of green tea.

My day wasn't comprised of only green foods, but that seemed to be the overarching theme. I wonder what tomorrow will be like...

Do you try to eat as many colors as possible each day?  Do you ever have days where you eat mostly one color?  What are your favorite colors to eat?

CFC: Day 1

WOO HOO!  One day down, six to go.  Today was a great first day of the challenge.  I had a bunch of healthy, whole food to keep me satisfied throughout the day and I'm sitting here at 9:45 pm feeling very full and satisfied.  OK, I would be lying if I didn't admit that there were some moments throughout today that I was really tempted by some of the foods that aren't "allowed," but I was able to get through the weak moments pretty easily.  My worst point was tonight at dinner.  We had yummy homemade lentil soup, and Paul and the kids were eating bread and/or grilled cheese sandwiches on the side.  I LOVE eating a hunk of bread with soup, and I also love grilled cheese.

It was tough staring at this

While I was eating this

My eats for the day included:

Breakfast - Overnight oats with almond milk, maple syrup and raspberries

Lunch - A huge salad with tons of fresh veggies (no picture because I had to eat it quickly between meetings)

Dinner - Lentil soup

Snacks - almonds and raisins, fresh mango, homemade Lara balls (walnuts, dates and cocoa powder blended together in the food processor and rolled into balls), carrot sticks and cucumbers

Water - approximately 90 ounces (not quite enough but I plan to do better tomorrow)

Tonight I made Angela's Endurance Crackers to eat throughout the week.  I tasted a few after they came out of the oven and I think they'll be a great snack to help me get through the week.

I remember from the last time that day 2 and 3 tend to be the most difficult, so I'm hoping tomorrow isn't too bad.  I have some delicious food packed to eat at work tomorrow and I have a great dinner planned, so I should be fine.  I just have to remember that handfuls of chocolate chips aren't good to eat every day...or are they?

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!

Last week, while driving five hours to a conference, I started listening to the audiobook version of Born to Run.  I know, I know...that's so last year.  All the bloggers have already read it.  What can I say, I tend to be behind when it comes to trends.  I'm only about halfway through the book right now, so I can't really give it a full review, but I'm definitely enjoying it so far.  I plan to do a post about it once I'm completely done.

In the book, the author, Christopher McDougall, talks about the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico and their ability to run extremely long distances at fast speeds without tiring.  He attributes it to a number of factors, one of which is a special energy drink they consume before a race.  I was intrigued as I listened to the section of the book that describes the drink in detail, and was completely surprised to discover that the drink was made by combining chia seeds, honey, lime juice and water.  Here I was waiting to learn some secret elixir that would transform my running, and the Tarahumara were drinking a beverage made from ingredients I have in my freezer and cupboards.  I couldn't believe it!

I returned from my conference on Tuesday night, and decided to go running on my lunch hour the next day.  In preparation, I made my own version of the chia drink discussed in the book. 



It looks funky, but it tastes fine.

About 30 minutes before my lunchtime run, I consumed the chia mixtrue.  My run was fabulous.  I really felt like I was running faster and stronger than usual, and I felt like I could run forever.  I didn't give the chia seeds full credit, because I had just come off a 1.5 week rest period following my half marathon injury, so I was already itching to run.  But, I did wonder if the chia seeds might have had anything to do with it.  So, I started experimenting.  I have been consuming the chia mixture each time I plan to run, and I have to say that I definitely notice a difference in my running endurance.  I'm running faster and stronger, and I'm able to hold my faster pace for the entire run.  So, either I suddenly moved to the next level of running (which is possible), or the Tarahumara are really on to something. 

Ultimately, even if the chia seeds don't actually make me run faster or longer, they are really good for me.  Chia seeds are packed with vitamins and minerals and are highly recommended as a nutritional supplement.

Chia Seed Nutritional Information

I will definitely keep consuming chia seeds as I think they are a great way to get some extra nutrients into my system.  Some people are grossed out by the chia seed gel that forms when they're soaked in water, but I really like it.  It's an interesting texture.  But, you don't have to soak the seeds in water.  They can be added to smoothies, sprinkled on salads or oats, or ground up and baked into muffins or breads.  Regardless of the preparation/eating method, they still pack a nutritional punch.  So, rather than spread your seeds on some red clay sheep, eat them and give yourself a nutritional boost!