Radishes and Excuses

Blogosphere... I have failed you.

I only posted twice in March and twice in February.  Not only poor blogging practice, but one of my 30 Before 30 was to blog three times a month.  Oops.  I could give you a butt-load of excuses, but that's not my style.  So instead, I start this month anew.  And no, this isn't an April Fools joke.

I'll tell you what is a joke though.  Radishes.

True to form, I waited until the last day of March to try my new food.  Ironically, very similar in appearance to beets (my new food from February), but decidedly MUCH cuter.

I can't say the same for the taste.  I'm not going to sugarcoat it... although I did sprinkle some salt on them before I took a bite.  The first bite was uneventful.  The second bite was gross.

And there you have it!  No fancy recipe, just good old fashion taste-testing.

The Beets

Regardless of how awesome the band was on Doug (Killer Tofu, anyone? #90sKid), there was nothing you could've done to make me want to try beets.  While the color is beautiful, it's not a typical color of natural food, and the consistency REALLY weirded me out.  I knew one day I would try them, but every time I considered it, I wasn't ready.

Along came February, and with that, the need to try a new food.  Nothing was really inspiring me.  I seriously considered okra, but after some research, it seemed like a better food to try in North Carolina when I visit my parents during Easter.  We were back to square one, with literally five days left in the month.

Then Rachel, Mistress of Weird Foods, mentioned that she had made herself some deeeelicious beet hummus.  Hummus?  I thought.  I like hummus!  And this got me thinking... I MIGHT be ready to try beets, if I could transform them into one of my favorite Greek condiments (are there any others)?

So on February 29, as if I could've waited any longer, my friend Ashley (Mistress of Vegetarian Food) came over and we made Rachel's Beet Hummus recipe.

Ladies and gentlemen... it was indeed DEEEELICIOUS.

Enjoy!

Beet Hummus

Prep time:  5 minutes

Cook time:  1 hour 20 minutes

Total time:  1 hour 25 minutes

Yield:  14 1/4 cup servings

Ingredients:

2-3 large beets, roasted, peeled, and chopped

1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained

1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seed)

5 T of lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic

2 t ground cumin

1 t salt

2 T extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

To roast the beets, cut off the leaves and roots and wrap them loosely in tin foil.  Cook at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.  When they are finished, let them cool a bit before taking off the foil.  To peel them, simply rub the beets with a wash cloth under cool water.  Works like a champ!  Chop the beets (if preferred.)  Place all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil into a food processor and puree.  Finally, gradually puree the olive oil into the mixture!

You can see Ashley isn't used to taking selfies while eating.

Very pleased with the final product!

Calories (per serving):  94

Total Fat:  5.1 g

Saturated Fat:  .7 g

Cholesterol:  0 mg

Sodium:  248 mg

Carbs:  10 g

Fiber:  2.8 g

Sugars:  2.4 g

Protein: 3.2 g

And Egg-cellent Holiday

Just in the [Saint] Nick of time... I tried my new food for December. (get it? har har)

That new food?  Eggs.

I know, I know.  Here's the thing... I've eaten LOADS of scrambled eggs.  However, I've never tried them any other way.  My parents never really ate anything but scrambled eggs, so I had no reason to try them any other way.  My mom would occasionally eat hard boiled eggs, but I thought they seemed gross.  So I never tried them.

I REALLY wanted to try a hard-boiled egg.  My thought was that they are the PERFECT travel snack.  So easy to make ahead of time and take with me on the go or to school, especially if I need more protein and fat.  But everyone's favorite Rachel convinced me to try over easy eggs first.  Organic over easy eggs cooked in grass-fed butter on an english muffin.  Wasn't going to say no to that.  So on Christmas Eve, Rachel came over and made us a very special little breakfast.

Final Thoughts:  Didn't love it, didn't hate it.  For all the work it took, I would rather just eat scrambled eggs.  I loved eating the english muffin though.  And it was really pretty.

A couple days later, I decided to attempt the hard boiled egg.  When my husband and I got married, we registered for this awesome egg timer, even though neither of us really eat hard or soft boiled eggs.  But obviously, it was worth it (two years later), since I got to try it now:

I just made one and had it with a side of bread sticks.  At least there would be one thing on my plate I'd be guaranteed to like...

 

Final Thoughts:  Multiple people couldn't tell whether I liked it from my picture above, but I really did!  It was quick and easy to eat, and delicious with a little salt and pepper.  I am SO excited to be able to add hard boiled eggs to my meal planning repertoire!

What new food should I try in January?!

Types of Eaters

One thing I've noticed about myself and about the people I've been helping over the last year and a half is how everybody struggles with something different, when it comes to eating.  Your nutrition in 80% of how you look and feel and the thing that people struggle with the most on their health and fitness journeys.  I've also learned that there is not a "one size fits all" solution.  That's why there are SO MANY fitness and nutrition programs out there, but not everyone is at their goal weight and in peak physical condition.

DUH.

Generally speaking, I have found five different categories of "dieters" fall into when they are not achieving success.  I don't like to use the word diet because I think it has a negative connotation (when really, a diet is just the combination of foods that you eat).

Which of the following categories do you fall into?

The Snacker:

You snack throughout the day-- a couple chips here, a piece of chocolate there, maybe even a few apple slices or a handful of nuts.  You may not even know what being hungry OR being full feels like.  You figure if you're not eating giant meals, you're golden... but you're still not losing any weight.

The Problem:  You're constantly thinking about the next snack, and even though you're never full, you still may be eating too much, too often.

The Solution:  Plan out your meals... don't let your eyes and your hands drive what you eat and when.  Save about 2-3 hours in between the food you eat, try to incorporate a little protein every time (keeps you fuller longer).

The Habitual Dieter:

You try every new diet especially that require you to without entire types food groups.  You become sucked into the "science" behind these diets and the success stories behind them, without thinking about your own personal habits and needs.

The Problem:  Cutting out entire food groups (when there is no allergy or other medical problem) can leave your body void of certain nutrients.  In order to cope, your body will react by leaving you dissatisfied, fatigued, and eventually cause you to fail... either by starting to eat the foods you originally cut out OR eating junk foods that satisfy your cravings.

The Solution:  A wide variety, balance and portion control of healthy carbs, fats and proteins is the answer!

The Binger:

Your willpower is strong... until you eat one [insert junk food here].  Then everything falls apart in a wild moment of madness.

The Problem:  Depending on the binge, it can negate all of your hard work and willpower to eat well the other 90% of the time.  Plus, binging is often one of those habits that is connected with your emotions... it starts because of a certain emotion you're feeling, and ends with your feeling guilty and self-loathing.

The Solution:  Know your weaknesses.  Either relax and allow yourself some treats when you normally wouldn't, or create a situation where there is not enough junk to binge (just buy a two-pack of cookies, share with a friend, give the rest away).

The Zombie:

You eat out of habit, routine, and EASE, barely conscious of what you're eating.

The Problem:  For starters, you're not getting a variety of types of food.  Eating the same foods everyday almost guarantees that you're missing some key nutrients, since there isn't a magic combination of foods that you could eat in one day that would give you everything you needed.  Secondly, you're probably eating the same things everyday because it's easy.  Easy foods usually mean highly processed, refined foods that come in boxes and bags off a shelf or a freezer.

The Solution:  Plan your meals into your day so you have some time to prepare and cook.  Try one new thing every day.  Eat at your kitchen table and have a glass of wine :)

The Comfort Eater:

You eat to fill a void, because eating feels better than your painful feelings.

The Problem:  You don't know when you're hungry, but you know when you're feeling bad.  You don't eat food to fuel your body, you eat to feel better emotionally.  It usually doesn't work.

The Solution:  Talk to someone.  It's more than just the food.  And work on learning when you're hungry and how to eat a balanced meal.  Once your body feels better because you're putting good food into it, it will be easier to make your mind better as well.

Sweet (Potato) Victory

One of my 30 Before 30 goals is to try a new food every month!  Well, I went to Wisconsin and tried a sweet potato!

Spaghetti Squash Virgin

"What is that?!"  I said with weird disgust.

"It's a spaghetti quash."  Explained my roommate.

"Why? Does it have spaghetti inside?!"  Now I was getting excited.

"Well, no.  It's a squash.  But after you cook it, it looks like spaghetti."

"Oh.  That's gross."

That was the end of that conversation a mere five years ago... until two weeks ago, when on a whim, I purchased a spaghetti squash from the super market.  The scariest food purchase I've made, to date (I'm just not ready for beets yet).

What to do with this thing?  Can I made it taste like spaghetti?  Forget cooking it, how do I open it?!

My Facebook friends seemed to have a lot to say.

Some hate it, some love it.  Some swear it tastes like spaghetti, some told me if I expect it to taste like spaghetti, I'll be disappointed.  Some told me to bake it, some to microwave it, some to cut it first, some to cut it later.  I became very confused.  Then I became sick with a cold.

So the spaghetti squash sat patiently on the counter.  Until last night.

Armed with a lot of how-to pictures, I preheated my oven to 400 degrees,

carefully and somewhat awkwardly sliced my squash in half,

scooped out the centers (like a pumpkin!),

placed both halves facedown in a baking dish with some water, covered them with foil, and cooked them for 40 minutes.  

The sensation of being able to scrape the insides of the squash with a fork and have it come out like spaghetti was strangely satisfying.  Dan got half a squash and I got half.  Covered both with sauce and meatballs.  The moment of truth.

It was ok.  Yup, just ok.  I didn't love it, BUT I didn't hate it.  It didn't taste like spaghetti.  In fact, it didn't really taste like anything.  Dan and I were amused by it's tastelessness.  So instead of focusing on my tepid review of the taste, let's focus on the amazing things that happened last night:


-I tried something new and out of my comfort zone
-I found a VEGGIE that I would eat again
-I got Dan to try it with me

All wins in my book!  Tell me, how do you like to prepare and eat your spaghetti squash?!

A Food Dilemma: Poison or Pleasure?

I've been struggling lately.  I feel like a lot of people have.  I can feel it in the air.  I don't know if it the changing of the seasons or the start of school, but it seems like everyone around me is fighting their own personal battles.

I would've never been able to resist at Hogwarts

Mine, is food.

Last year, I got a real handle on my eating.  I wasn't heavy by any means, but I lost a good amount of fat that I was carrying around my middle and in my thighs.  I was eating more, eating cleaner, and lifting heavy.  I was drinking very little alcohol because I was exhausted every night from renovating my new home.  I felt strong both mentally and physically.

This year is proving to be a different story.  I have started training for my first marathon, a HUGE bucket list item that I never thought would be possible after my knee surgery.  And I know that one of the main struggles for runners can be eating TOO much... especially too much carbs.

So, I've been watching what I eat... at least, I think I have.  And I've been working out, hard, every day.  And yet, the pounds, and the fat, have been creeping back.

This makes me angry and frustrated!  Meanwhile, my good friend Bethany over at Living Between Labels is struggling with her own autoimmune issues.  She has been forced to cut out MAJOR foods, like tomatoes and wheat, because they cause her body to, essentially, attack itself.  The two of us, along with many of our other friends in the health and fitness world, talk daily about what we should be eating, what we shouldn't be eating, how much to eat, when to eat it.  And then we have to help our challengers navigate these same questions and struggles.  And that just goes for people with no food allergies or health issues!

It's exhausting.  And the struggle to constantly make the right choices is real for a lot of people.  My friend and coach Kristin can't eat gluten or dairy, and for her, she says it's simple:  these foods are poison.  If you think about it like you're eating poison, it's very easy to say no.

But then, food is an addiction for many.  Just like cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine are all poisons, people still put them in their bodies every day.  And while many people die from them, many don't.

Food gives me joy.  Pizza and chocolate and ice cream and pasta and chips and grapes and cheese and wine.  I feel good when I drink my Shakeology and eat my salad for lunch and my lightly sweetened greek yogurt and my cauliflower and my turkey meatballs for dinner.  But those are not what I want.  But even when I do eat those consistently, sometimes it's not enough.  I want a treat.  Those are healthy in moderation.  But what is moderation?  One small portion a day?  One large portion a week?  You only live once, you know... what's wrong with having a glass of wine at dinner.

So here I sit, fighting with myself and my desires.  Do I want wine or do I want rock hard abs?  Do I want the guilt of eating a piece of chocolate or the agony of turning it down?  What is REALLY going to make me happy?  Food or 5% body fat?

You know what?  I'm not sure yet.  Whenever I think I know, I change my mind.

I want to live a long, happy, healthy life.  What's the recipe for that?