Monday, February 23, 2009

Ying and Yang



I sat,
on my couch,
my mind a wander as such,
the greatest cookie ever made,
being mixed and measured in my mind.

One cookie with two hearts,
two minds,
good and evil?
no,
delicious and daring.

what if?
yes it could work,
one batter,
with two results,
together as one,
a cookie as a muffin,
it must be done!





Quinoa you complete me, you complete protein, you!

Quinoa in the wild!

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah or KEE-no-uh) is a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium) grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal as it is not a grass.

Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years.

Quinoa has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.[3] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.

Well, you learn something new every day. I learned that if I want to live on a space station, I will still be able to eat this salad!

This takes no time to whip up and it keep in the fridge easily for 3-5 days!



Quinoa Salad

(Adapted from "Crunchy Quinoa", Mmmmm Steph you make it the best!)


1 cup Quinoa (I used red and white mixed)
** cook according to package directions
** Spread out on a cookie tray to cool before adding to salad mixture

1 Carrot, diced
2 Green onions, diced
1/2 cup Peas ( I used frozen)
1 can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Pumpkin seeds

feel free to add: red pepper, celery, sunflower seeds, parsley and black sesame seeds.

Dressing:
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Tamari (soy sauce)
dash and Salt and fresh cracked Black Pepper
















Eat on its own, or over a bed of mixed greens. It has an amazingly rich flavour, DIG IN!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Stepping back to move forward




Recession! Recession!
You hear it in the news, you hear it in the lunch room. Its the hot topic of the season...






Batten down the hatches, staple the money to the walls! SAVE SAVE SAVE....





Ummmm For those of us 25-35 years old's out there, we have been living in a recession for YEARS! College/University Debt....Ummmm yeah , that's our recession.






But there are the things you live without and the things that make life worth living. There is a line that must be drawn between cutting corners to save money and cutting' life' out all together. The whole idea that you are working today to make a life for the future is inspiring and great.... If you don't lose yourself along the way.

Life is meant is meant to be lived. Its the little moments you must enjoy in order to get the most bang for your 'recession buck' there is! Steve and I were given a 2 for 1 coupon for Starbucks new Tazo tea latte. And so the day began.........

2 Tazo Tea lattes with coupon
$4.16

2 toasted bagels with butter from Locke Street Bagel
$2.17

Sunshine
free

fresh air
free

Spending "family day" with Steve
priceless

Walk, Window shop, Talk, Laugh, Live a little even during the 'Recession'


Monday, February 9, 2009

I didn't know there was a word for "IT"...


In this months Yoga Journal, which Steve loves, so once and a while I pick it up and read a few of the articles, I found a few paragraphs that made "IT" all make sense.

"Because your ideal weight is unique it can't be compared... Your Ideal weight is affected by your age, the season, the climate and your menstrual stage. The right weight has nothing to do with numbers. Instead, its a reflection of feeling and being truly healthy- being comfortable and stable in body and mind, experiencing normal body functions, and having the strength and endurance to engage in vigorous exercise and the demands of everyday life.

All that comes about when your appetite and the foods you eat; how and when you eat; the medicines you take; your digestion and metabolism; the nature of your environment; and your physical activity, mind and emotions are in harmony"

By "IT" I mean, this feeling that has been growing inside me. It started when the weight training I was doing in the gym, 30 mins a day 5 days a week, started to show. I wouldn't say it was showing itself visually, but physically I started to stand straighter, my posture became perfect. I had the strength to hold my shoulders back without feeling like it was something I had to purposely remember to do. My knees stopped hyper extending while standing. I took up running, and loved it. Everyday pushing myself farther and faster.

Never in my life did I FEEL like an athlete. I thought I wasn't built for speed or endurance. I felt like I was faking it, when I'd go to the gym, like I didn't belong. I battled this feeling for so long, that I lost and lived a life of believing that I just wasn't the sporty type.

But then I started feeling "IT" . While running I worked on my form, I started reading online running websites to see how I could improve my run. What to eat pre and post run to give my muscles what they needed. I was a little engine. While buying running shoes, chatting with the sales person I knew what performance I needed out of the shoes. I ran and felt... like it was mine. I was good at running. I was a runner.

At the gym, I learned what the names of the exercises were. I could keep track of what weight I lifted before and how much I could challenge myself today. I actually needed workout clothes and I wore them with pride. I felt... like it was mine. I was good at weightlifting. I was strong.

"IT" got stronger, as my body turned giggly from the fat separating from my muscle, as the fat burned off, as the muscles took shape, I felt as though I was finally seeing myself in the mirror. My diet matched my life. I had to eat small portions all the time because I was getting hungry all the time. The more I moved, the more I needed to eat. But I only wanted to eat what my muscles needed.

My pants fit better, then my pants didn't fit at all. My bras were like hammocks on my chest, wow, I couldn't believe I used to fill them up. My neck , I started to notice my neck. I was never trying to look good in a bikini. What a stupid goal, I never set a goal. I was in school. I was learning what I needed to do, not just going through the motions mindlessly. Every day after work I'd go to the gym and 'learn', becoming better and better. It was just a really nice, cherry on top, that I started losing fat. I just wanted to feel better.

It all just fit together. My amazing partner, a personal trainer, gave me his time to teach and train me all he knew. He trained me to be strong in life, not to look big and bulky. The tread mill was boring but I knew I needed cardio to get my metabolism going and that's why I got into running. It all just fit together

There's no number that would make me happy to see on the scale. It's how I feel. That is "IT" this feeling of FEELING FIT. I feel like I could do anything. This energy that flows from inside me is unbelievable. I keep my hair short because it is easy to style and it doesn't get in the way when I MOVE. I am commuting to work so I walk to and from bus/train stations every day. I am getting a road bike together to start biking to work 13.5 km. WHY? BECAUSE I CAN!

I never gave my body the credit it deserved. But I'm making up for it now!

I am healthy and I CAN DO ANYTHING!

I am writing this because I have friends and family who are dealing with the same feeling I used to have. Not believing it is possible, living on a yo-yo of worry that the weight will always come back or the weight will continue to grow. And I don't know what else to say, but YOU CAN DO IT! Don't ever think you are anything but capable of doing anything you want.

So when I read those few paragraphs in Yoga Journal, my thoughts were finally put into words and I realized what that "IT" feeling was.

I am in harmony... It's harmony. That's why it's easy now, I am excited by every chance to move, snowshoeing, hiking, running, walking BRING IT ON. I look like I'm fit, I look like a runner, I look like anything I want to be, to me. To me, I finally look how I feel, to me.

I am in harmony. I am me