Feeling It

Is it just me, or does fresh produce and exercise always make you feel better?

I went out in Brooklyn with a bunch of friends last night, and while it was a blast, I definitely felt it this morning L

I knew simple food would help, so I poured myself a bowl of Nature’s Path SmartBran with fresh blueberries and almond milk:

After chugging a few glasses of water and letting my breakfast settle, I set out on my first official half-marathon training run! It was only three miles but it feels good to be running towards a goal again. I ran along the West Side Highway and finished in 27:24, averaging a 9:13 pace. After taking a few months off from regular runs, I was pretty pleased!

Lunch was another guacamole salad.

• Lettuce
• Cucumber
• Tomato
• Carrots
• Avocado mashed with lime juice & salt
• Salsa

This is my last one of these for awhile, I promise. I need to get out of my avocado rut J

On the side, I had a massive bowl of ripe strawberries and juicy peaches.

And a honey graham Clif Z-Bar for carbs. These things are delicious!

While I ate, I read an article in the latest Fortune magazine about Trader Joe’s business model. I thought it was fascinating! 

It turns out that Trader Joe’s actually purchases its foods from corporations such as Frito Lay, Stonyfield and Amy’s Kitchen. Because it carries a smaller variety of goods than most grocery stores, TJ’s sells far more of each product it does stock, which translates to more sales and cheaper prices. I highly recommend the article if you’re a TJ’s fan!

Have a great afternoon loves!

What’s your favorite Trader Joe’s product?

What grocery store do you use the most?

Weird

You want know what’s weird? I haven’t been hungry at all since lunch. Either I’m getting sick or last night’s excessive nut butter consumption has caught up with me, because I have zero appetite!

Nevertheless, after running a few errands this afternoon, I came home and made a simple protein shake with 1.5 cups almond milk and a scoop of vanilla Sun Warrior.

I’m always torn between listening to my body and eating because I “should.” The protein shake was a middle ground- simple and not too filling!

I also had a few Ginger People ginger candies, just because I love the taste!

By the time dinner rolled around, I still wasn’t hungry. Since I definitely didn’t want to skip a meal entirely, I made a light and nutritious cold tortilla pizza.

Whole Foods vegetable pasta sauce and humnut cheese (2T each water, nutritional yeast and hummus) topped with sliced tomatoes and artichoke hearts.

And because I never have to choke down fruit & chocolate, I had an apple and a chocolate raspberry Attune bar.

Have a good night loves!

When you’re genuinely not hungry, do you follow your intuition or eat something anyway?

What’s your favorite hard candy?

And so it begins...

Today marked Day #1 of my half-marathon training! For some reason, I thought that Hal Higdon’s plan lasted ten weeks, but when I checked it yesterday, I saw that it actually lasts for twelve. Perfect timing, huh?

I kicked off my morning with a bowl of oat bran.

In the mix:

• ½ c oat bran
• 1 c almond milk
• large banana
• spoonful of coconut butter
• strawberries

This was one creamy bowl of oats! It was almost puddingy J

As per my training plan, today’s workout was “stretch & strengthen.” I headed to the gym and did a complete upper-body circuit, as well as reps on the leg press and leg extension and some ab exercises. Afterwards, I stretched for a solid twenty minutes…I tend to get impatient, but I made myself stick it out!

Lunch was a guacamole salad beast:

In the bowl:

• lettuce
• cucumber
• baby carrots
• large avocado mashed with lime juice, salt and salsa

On the side, I had a slice of Ezekiel bread and a peach.

And a whopping spoonful of crunchy Barney Butter. Straight crunch…or crack J

My meal was accompanied by a bottle of the good stuff:

I found this at a random deli and nearly jumped for joy. I bought two…moderation must be practiced with four dollar drinks!

On the agenda for this afternoon: grocery store, college bookstore and the bank. Fun times. Happy Monday loves!

Are you currently training for anything? What?

What's your favorite way to cook oats? (Water/milk, banana, chia seeds, etc.)

All Moved In!

I’m all moved in!!

My first place. So excited!

It’s never a home without my pictures.

And cookbooks, of course ;)

* * *

This morning, I finished packing and said goodbye to this:

It’s always a bit sentimental to leave my childhood room. I’ve lived in the same house since I was born, and I don’t think I’ll ever find a place quite as comforting as this space.

Before we hit the road, I downed a bowl of Cheerios with blackberries, a sliced peach and almond milk.

Once we’d gotten into the city and dropped my stuff off at the apartment, my parents and I went out to lunch.

After strolling around for a bit, we settled on Quantum Leap, a pescatarian restaurant bordering NYU’s campus.

The menu was incredible! So many awesome-sounding options. I started off with a glass of fresh-squeezed carrot-ginger juice.

Delicious. I love how the heat of the ginger counteracted the sweetness of the carrots.

To honor my serious salt craving, I settled on the asian soba salad:

Chilled Japanese soba tossed with Asian veggies, with green seaweed, hiziki, marinated tofu, green & red cabbages in our wasabishoyu sauce.

Loved this. It’s been awhile since I had seaweed salad, and it totally hit the spot.

I really enjoyed the hiziki as well- it definitely killed my salt craving!

My mom had the Middle Eastern platter, which included Arabic spiced falafel, tabouleh salad, and hummus spread with salad, tortilla chips and pita bread.

And my dad chose the baked lentil-walnut burger, a mix of lentils, tempeh, veggies and walnuts.

Which came with the most perfectly crispy fries!

I stole a bite of his sandwich and a ton of his fries- so good. I want to try to recreate the patty!

Overall, it was a great meal- the prices are extremely reasonable, the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, and the food was delicious! I can definitely see myself going there again.

Afterwards, we walked around for a bit and eventually stopped into Crumbs for a cupcake to share.

My mom chose the cappuccino flavor. Not the best one I’ve had, but with that much chocolate and frosting, I’m not complaining!

I probably ate a little less than half J

Mom and Dad left soon thereafter, leaving me to unpack everything.

While organizing everything, I snacked on a super-juicy tangelo.

As well as several spoonfuls of Barney Butter and Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter while I stirred them!

For dinner, I had a quick and easy sandwich.

Ezekiel bread slathered with Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter, plus an apple.

This flavor of Justin’s is life-changing, by the way. I couldn’t resist a few post-dinner spoonfuls J

I also had a few slices of TJ’s chili-spiced mango and a chocolate-raspberry Attune bar.

Well loves, I’m about to make some tea and blog-read in bed. It’s been ages since I’ve caught up on all your lives! Have a great Monday!

How many times have you moved in your life?

What little touches make your “house” a “home?