A Hungry Bubba

Emerson — I like to call him my Bubba — woke me up early this morning by dragging his bag of cat food into my bedroom and crinkling it until I finally got out of bed.

Apparently, the Bubba is neglected and never gets to eat . . . yeah right.

Of course, the other three were following close behind him, so I walked them out into the kitchen to feed them. I discovered that he had dragged the bag of food off of the counter and broken a plate in the process. One of my favorite green plates.

It’s a good thing I love my kitties.

Final Day of the Challenge!

Yes, yes . . . the final 30-Day Challenge post has come. But don’t fret, I will still be blogging about food choices and recipes, reviewing new food items, and, of course, filling you in on my exercise progress. But before I give you a run-down of what I have learned, let’s go over yesterday’s meals.

Breakfast was two slices of whole grain bread with about 1 Tbsp. of almond butter and 1/2 Tbsp. of jam on each. I also had some more green grapes and blueberries. Can you tell what fruit was on sale this week? (;

I had a ton of work to do in the morning and time just flew! So, when 2 p.m. rolled around and I realized I had not yet eaten lunch, I decided to roast a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables in the oven. Everything you see is frozen except for the portobello mushrooms; those were left over from when Dan marinated them the other day. I threw a bit of olive oil on top, put the oven on 425 degrees and roasted them for about 12 minutes. I sliced some Trader Joe’s teriyaki-flavored baked tofu and put it on the side.

After lunch, I did some more work, and then went for a walk with my sister around 4 p.m. We walked (and talked) through some serious hills — yep, the one-miler! — for a little more than an hour. It was good to get out and sweat and, of course, spend some time with my sister. I will miss those impromptu walks when I move. ):

Dinner was a Boca Savory Mushroom Mozzarella veggie patty on two slices of whole grain bread. I added about 1 Tbsp. each of ketchup and Lemonaise Light, along with a few leaves of Boston bibb lettuce. This was the first time I tried this kind of Boca patty, and I really enjoyed it. I was hoping for some bigger chunks of mushrooms in the patty — I love them! — but there was a really great mushroom taste to make up for it.

So, that’s it! My last day of the Challenge. But don’t think that the everyday “challenge” stops here. I will continue to work toward living a healthy life, and I will be sure to share it here with you. But, in the mean time, a few things I have learned along the way:

1.) Portions, portions, portions! I was much more conscious of portion sizes when I knew I was going to be sharing my dietary habits with the World Wide Web. Even when I splurged, I tried to watch what I was eating for the rest of the day and/or limit my intake of whatever it was I was enjoying — except for those dang s’mores! It’s a factor I am still working on, but this experience helped me to pay more attention before digging in.

2.) Fitness is key. At least, for me it is. On the days that I got up and got moving, I ate better, was more focused at work, felt better and slept sounder. I already knew all of these things, but the Challenge helped me to reaffirm the importance of physical activity in my daily life. Even if I take a break from computer work and only go for a 10-minute walk, it helps me. I do wish, however, that I would have shared more of it with you. I feel like I was so focused on food, food, food, that I missed the emphasis on exercise in the process. Perhaps, I will to share more of that with you over the next few weeks . . .

3.) More fruit and vegetables. Seeing all of my meals on display throughout the last 30+ days has really allowed me to see food aspects that I still need to improve. For example, when I see a day with little or no color, I know that I really skimped on fruits and vegetables. I may not have eaten unhealthy per say, but I did lack produce. This is one thing I am still working on which, technically, should not be too hard because I love fruits and veggies. I will keep you posted on that progress!

So, I am curious: What is one of the best changes you have ever made? Let me know, and we can chat about it in the “Comments” section of this post.

Ready to take on a new change? Check out First30Days and make the change of your choice, including “Go Green,” “Dealing with Depression” and “Living Healthier.” Want to read about it? I am loving Ariane De Bonvoisin’s The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Any Change (and Loving Your Life More).

Well, I am saying so long to the Challenge, but hello to a healthier life! I look forward to continue sharing with you all of my efforts toward a better, well, . . . me! So, stay tuned. (:

Workin’ Those Abs for Summer Fun!

I started off the day with some Ab exercises from Fitness magazine. Hey, it is vacation time, so that means it is also time to bare my lily white belly.

Gotta get in bikini shape!

I found this program in Fitness’ Web site called The 4-Week Ab-a-thon. Pretty cute, right? Anyway, I just kicked off Week 1 today, and boy did it get my tummy muscles going! My kitties were pretty freaked out by the figure eight exercise, but I could definitely feel it in my obliques.

I’m not sure if it’s my favorite ab workout, but we will see how my stomach feels about it tomorrow.

One bonus: I like waking up in the morning and sweating, even if it’s just for a bit. It always seems to give you that extra jolt you need to get your morning started!

Breakfast was a bowl of cereal; about 1 cup of All-Bran’s Strawberry Medley and 1/2 cup of Cascadian Farms’ Raisin Bran with 1 cup skim milk. I am not to fond of this brand of raisin bran, so I have been mixing small bits of it into more favorable cereal so it does not go to waste. I also had a juicy nectarine — it was perfect!

I had a homemade iced coffee in between breakfast and lunch — still fighting that caffeine addiction!

Lunch was leftover chicken salad from yesterday (about 3/4 cup) on 2 slices of whole grain bread with shredded carrots and lettuce for toppings. I also had the rest of last night’s broccoli on the side.

In addition to lessening coffee consumption, I am also still working on getting more sleep. Last night was about 5 1/2 hours again, and I am definitely feeling it. I just keep reminding myself that vacation is coming!

I am still working on getting outside on this fabulous summer day for a walk or run. I will keep you posted, but for now I have got work to do!

Happy afternoon!!

Time for a Change … Are You Up for It?

I don’t really even know where to begin this post, so I am just going to start and try to make it sound as coherent as possible.

The whole purpose of this blog was to initiate change; a huge change not only for me, but for the readers who follow it so faithfully.

We all are here because we are looking to make our lives better — whether it be by eating healthier foods (Eat), calling upon spirituality and holistic health (Pray), or getting up off our asses and going for a walk (Run).

WE WANNA MAKE A CHANGE.

But as of late, I have been feeling like I have been promoting so much change for others and ignoring the changes my own body is craving. In other words, I can dish it out, but I can’t take it. At least, that is how I feel today.

Well, I have been reading this fabulous book — The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Any Change (and Loving Your Life More) — as a result of my new job with the First30Days Web site, and I have got to tell you that it has really got me athinkin’. Mix that with my overwhelming feeling of dissatisfaction with the way I have NOT been healthfully living and you gotchyourself a recipe for change!

So, I thought, “Why not share it with my readers at Eat, Pray, Run?”

Now, because the theme of the book and Web site is to commit to thirty days of change I have kicked off my personal challenge this morning. Throughout the next 30 days I am going to blog the steps I am taking to make my day a healthier one, and, hopefully, you can learn from it, too.

I think you will.

To make things easy, a list of things I would like to change:

1.) I want to be stronger. I don’t necessarily need to lose weight, but I would like to see an overall commitment to building physical strength. I want girly musk-les. So, you will begin to see more workouts from me — I mean, I am going to give ’em all a shot! I probably won’t be able to sit down on the toilet without holding onto the sides, but I am going to go all out anyway. Look for pictures, videos and workout reviews. I look really red-faced and silly when I exercise, but your going to get it all, right here.

2.) I want to eat more healthfully. I work and run around like a crazy girl a lot, and when I do sit down to eat, I don’t necessarily feel like cooking — or eating healthfully for that matter. Eating sporadically and not putting the best foods into my body is starting to wear on me. Therefore, I will begin to post what I am eating to keep me in check, and give you some healthy meal ideas. Lemme know if you have any other suggestions for this part of the 30-Day Challenge.

3.) I need more SLEEP. Again, I love what I do and, therefore, I put a lot of time toward making my writing life better each day. This is not a bad thing in the least bit, but when it begins to completely compromise your sleep and make you lean on coffee like it’s a prized gem, you may have a problem. I do. So, I am also going to begin to try to commit to more sleep. I think it will help me eliminate stress, mood swings and, of course, dark circles. I will log it in here, and I am counting on all of you to hold me accountable.

4.) I want to be more spiritual. I have so many fabulous spiritual resources and I feel like I don’t put them to good use. Look for more tips from experts, and reviews of books, CDs and classes. Come on, people, help me say, “Ommm….”

Now, I am going on vacation at the end of the week, so some of the meals might be pretty bo-ring. But I will try to jazz it up as much as I can . . . promise.

I am going to end this post here, but stay tuned for a few more separate posts today that will highlight what I am eating and a really interesting quiz.

In the mean time, check out the 9 Principles of Change located in the right sidebar of this page. You will see them there every day, and they will serve as a reminder of why we are here.

Wanna make a change? Keep checking Eat, Pray, Run for inspiration, and sign up for the free First 30 Days daily email program where you will get the tips you need to make a change today!

Snooze More, Go to the Bathroom Less

“If you get up a lot during the night to pee, it could be because you’re sleep-deprived, researchers from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark say. Missing out on zzz’s may keep your kidneys on a daytime schedule, causing them to produce more urine at night. Wind down with a pre-bedtime ritual, like 10 minutes of reading or try to go to bed earlier to ensure that once you’re snoozing, you’ll stay snoozing.” — SELF.com

Our Weekend in the Kitty Emergency Room

Oh, my! What a weekend. I apologize for slacking a bit with the last two days’ posts, but we had a bit of a kitty emergency this weekend.

As you know by now, my fiancé, Dan, and I have two kittens, Emerson and Cooper, who are the little loves of our lives. Well, on Sunday I came home to find that one of them had gotten a hold of a Tylenol Cold pill and chewed it in half. At first I was not too alarmed, but I had my sister call my veterinarian — she babysits his kids — and check with him to make sure.

It turns out that such an incident is actually a very big deal — a life or death deal to be exact. When an animal swallows such a medicine, they can suffer liver damage and/or die from being poisoned. Of course, when I heard this news, I had to get them help right away. We took our kitties to the emergency veterinary clinic to have a doctor examine them. And because we were not sure who ate the medicine, they both had to be treated for poisoning.

However, before I continue, I must say that this center, while wonderfully staffed, was really quite depressing. It was so sad to see the sick animals’ little faces; one woman even made it to the hospital too late — her dog had passed away during the car ride to the clinic. It was awful.

After the doctor examined Emerson and Cooper, she decided that they needed to be held over night for observation and treatment. It was awful to say goodbye to them and see their little faces in that cage.

Our experience really gave us quite the parental primer. I was so nauseated by the thought of my kittens being in pain or suffering the fate of that dog, that I could not even think straight. At one point Dan and I looked at each other and said, “Can you imagine if this was our kids?” Situations like this make you realize just how much responsibility comes attached to parenthood, and you get a bit of insight as to how you made your parents feel all of those times you made a mistake or compromised your well-being.

And while our kittens are not our kids, they are in the greatest sense that either one of us can imagine at this point in our lives.

I had the worst nights’ sleep; all I could think about was the two of them and whether or not they were OK. I checked my phone every half hour to see if I had missed a call from the hospital, and I could not wait for 6:30 a.m. to roll around — the time that we were to leave to pick them up.

Several empty pocketbooks later, I could not have been more happy to see their faces. I felt awful for them — they are the closest of brothers, like two little soul mates, and they had to sleep in separate cages all night. They must have been so scared. Emerson and Cooper were also sent home with shave marks on their paws and necks (see Cooper’s leg above) — the places where their IVs had been and where they had received shots of medication.

They are home now and napping like crazy. The poor little babies are so tired from all of the trauma.

Just so you know, if you ever think you may be in a similar situation, symptoms to look for include brown or muddied gums, and puffy cheeks. But cold medicines are not the only thing that can harm your pets. In fact several foods, such as garlic and grapes, top the list of foods your should never feed your pet, in addition to keeping them away from common household items, such as fabric softener sheets and Post-1982 pennies (due to high concentration of zinc).

Who would have thought? I was surprised to learn of all of the things that can harm my babies.

Cooper sleeping on the couch when he got home yesterday — tongue hanging out and all!

No More Saggy, Wrinkly, Ol’ Skin!

It seems like since the moment each one of us spent our first day on this planet, the people and the world that surrounds us have been flooding our brains with anti-aging concerns.

“Eat your carrots, they’re good for your eyes.”

“You’re getting too much sun. Do you want to have wrinkles?!”

“Don’t rub your eyes — you are going to make them sag!”

It really is craziness. And it is a matter that, at the time, makes us want to be like, “What – EVER!”

But the truth is, we are all consistently thinking about ways to preserve our youth; a way to make aging seem a bit softer.

So, I found it rather interesting when I came upon a story the other day that talked about interesting ways to look younger. I know many of you are thinking, “But you’re 23! What do you have concerned with?” The truth is, however, that even women and men in their 20s should begin to use a basic anti-aging cream to protect their skin from the effects of aging.

Here is what Surprising Ways to Look Younger had to offer — Oh, and I did a bit of research for you, so you can check out some of the products that offer the elements the article discusses:

• Put your blow-dryer on cold — According to the article, you should use your blow dryer on a cold setting to dry your lotion and sunscreen, allowing skin care products to set. This quick trick will also make your makeup go on more smoothly and last longer.
• Apply mushrooms — Supposedly, the newest age erasers are fungi-filled face products. I still kind of think it sounds disgusting (maybe it’s the whole fungus part), but, according to the experts, the “antioxidant-rich mushrooms decrease inflammation that leads to wrinkling and a loss of firmness, and they don’t cause irritation.” Some fungi also contain enzymes that “speed cell turnover, slow collagen breakdown, and improve tone and texture.” Try Dr. Andrew Weil for Orgins Planidote Mega-Mushroom Face Cleanser.
• Use coffee bean berry extract — At first, I was really excited when I saw the word “coffee” — I thought that maybe I could somehow justify my obsession with the oh-so-wonderful bean. But instead, the article informed me that CoffeeBerry, a new skin care ingredient, was in fact what would promise a younger complexion — not the java. “The extract, which comes from the berries that house coffee beans, packs polyphenols, antioxidants with the most free-radical fighters.” According to the skin docs, this means it protects against cellular damage, a main cause of aging. Check out the REVALESKIN CoffeeBerry Skin Care Kit.
• Get a moisturizer that multitasks — Find an all-in-one moisturizer! The newest lotions and creams come chock-full of hydrators, tightening compounds, and even a bit of glow or gradual self-tanner. Try Lancôme ‘Glow Sensuelle’ Daily Luminous Face Moisturizer.
• Use a sleep-time moisturizer — According to Look Younger, last year consumers spent about $56 million on nighttime moisturizers alone. So, what are the benefits of an evening moisturizer? Cosmetic chemists agree that “many anti-aging ingredients stay active longer when they’re not exposed to sunlight.” My favorite is Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing Treatment.
• Sleep flat on your back — YAY!! I sleep on my back, so I guess I will be young forever!! Anyway, research has shown that “smashing your face into a pillow creates fold lines that eventually become permanent if they’re repeated every night.” What’s more, sleeping on your back is supposed to also counter some of the effects of gravity that occur on a daily basis.

So, here is to looking younger! May the fountain of youth be yours!!

Now, go eat your broccoli — it puts hair on your chest! Wait a second …