Happy Monday,

I hope everyone had a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!! Mine was full of family, food, and FOOTBALL!! It was definitely fun and a much needed break!

The White Rock 1/2 Marathon is this weekend, and I would be lying if I said I was 100% ready. Between my twisted ankle and my week and a 1/2 long cold/flu/whooping cough, (since I avoid the Dr's office like the plague, I'm not sure what it was) I am not really where I want to be training wise. I'm not worried about finishing the race, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to beat the time goal I had set for myself. Oh well, it will be fun either way!

I feel like I learn a lot while training for a race. Long runs give you the perfect opportunity to reflect on life. Here is what I learned during this training cycle:

Life Lessons Learned While Pounding the Pavement:

1. No matter how much you try and plan ahead, sometimes a big boulder (or a little rock) just jumps in your way and messes everything up or rolls your ankle. You just have to roll with the punches.
2. Each run is like a new beginning. Leave everything else behind and just enjoy the moment.
3. There is nothing better after a long chili run than warm oatmeal with almond butter on top!
4. You don't always have to run to fast rap music, sometime a little Taylor Swift is the perfect thing to get you going at 6 in the morning.
5. Running is usually more fun with a buddy, but every now and then, I need some quality time with just my tennis shoes and the road.
6. I'm not sure why, but somhow 5 miles feels like 20 when your trapped on the treadmill.
7. Even if you want to push through illness, sometimes an extra hour of sleep is better for your training than fighting through a run while coughing up a lung.
8. The foam roller is still my best friend.
9. You know you married the right guy when he puts a heating pad under the covers to warm up your sheets when your super sore! I know, what a keeper!! :)
10. The best part about training for a race is the satisfaction you get from training, not from the race. I love the feeling of heading out on a run with a purpose!

Food for thought:
Do you ever feel like training teaches you things you could not have learned otherwise?

In health,

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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

I hope you are all having a marvelous day so far, and aren't too stuffed yet! :) So I have read a ton of articles and posts on how to survive Thanksgiving, so to prevent being repetitive, I'm going to share just my favorite tricks & tips! This is suppose to be a day for friends and family, not lengthy blog posts, so I will keep it short.

My Thanksgiving game plan:

1. Don't let your plate look like the one above (just kidding... well kind of)!
2. Get moving ASAP! I started out this morning with a good length run, and I plan on making some of my siblings join me for a walk after dinner.
3. Sip wisely. Remember alcohol calories count too. I try to allow myself only 1-2 glasses of wine with dinner. If I sip before dinner I'm doomed.
4. Downsize your dinner ware. I always try and eat Thanksgiving off of a smaller plate. You simply can't get too much on a salad plate. Watch the seconds though!
5. Chew gum! I always try and chew gum while I'm cooking so I"m not tempted "to taste," everything!
6. Keep the sink full. As soon as I am finished cooking something (especially anything sweet), I fill the dish up with water, so I'm not tempted to lick the bowl. Brownie batter is my ultimate weakness!
7. Fill up on the safe stuff! I always try and fill most of my plate with white meat turkey, salad, and any other veggie that doesn't look like it has been covered in cheese or butter. I try and limit the rolls, stuffing, and "casseroles" which are often loaded with calories and butter.
8. Put the food away as soon as dinner is over, so you're not tempted to keep eating.

These are the tricks that seem to work for me. Although we don't want to ruin our diet, don't forget to enjoy Thanksgiving! After all, it only happens once a year.

For more tips on surviving Thanksgiving check out these sites:

Surviving The Feast!

Eat This Not That: Top Swaps for Thanksgiving

Low-Fat Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Food for thought:
What is your all time favorite Thanksgiving food?

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving Eve!!

I am so sorry I was MIA on Monday and Tuesday. I had a 5 page paper, a 1 page paper, a presentation, and an event review all due on Tuesday! Seeing as I went home last weekend for the Aggie game, my Monday and Tuesday were jam packed!

Speaking of the Aggies...... WE BEAT NEBRASKA ON SATURDAY! Whoop! I don't think I have ever been to a more exciting football game in my life! We set the record for the most students ever to attend one game with 30,467. Can you believe that? Check out that student section. (I apologize about the quality, the lights were throwing off my camera).

There was so much energy in the air, it was hard to sit still. Well, we really didn't sit during the game at all except for timeouts and halftime! But I can't complain 30,000+ students stood up the entire game!


When there were only a few seconds left on the clock, some of the players turned to the students sectioned and motioned for them to storm the field. Unfortunately, this is not allowed in Aggieland.....

But that didn't stop us! I don't thing the cops really even tried to stop the students! It was incredible! Now lets just hope we can do the same against Texas tomorrow. Fingers Crossed!

Ok, moving on to the health topic of the day! Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I thought I would share an absolutely delicious (yet little non-traditional) recipe you could add to your Thanksgiving feast. For years, I have tried to take a traditional Thanksgiving staple and make it healthier, however my family usually rejects it, and eats the fatty version instead. So this year, I thought I would try a different approach. Why not bring something a little less traditional, yet still healthy and delicious. Enters my friend Becky's amazing Mexican Salad. It can be eaten with chips, on crackers or by itself with a spoon! It's the perfect fresh and healthy appetizer that won't break the calorie bank!


Ingredients:
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans (I rinsed mine to get rid of all that hidden sodium)
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 a white onion, finely chopped
Finely chopped cilantro (This is really all about personal preference. I used about 4-5 little stems full.)
Lime Juice to taste (I started with 3 tbsp. full and added as needed)

Directions:

1. Dump the corn and black beans into a bowl.
2. Chop up all of the other ingredients and toss in the bowl.
3. Pour in lime juice.
4. Stir until well mixed.

Talk about easy right? It tastes even better if you have time to let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or even over night. When you chop up the cilantro, be sure to remove the big pieces of stem and just use the leaves. I made this for my office Thanksgiving celebration, and it was a big hit! Thanks Becky!

Food for thought:
Will you be cooking this Thanksgiving?
If you are cooking, what's on your menu?

Happy Thanksgiving Eve Everyone!

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Howdy everyone,

Yay for Friday! What a long week! How was yours?

When we decided to move to Dallas, I was so excited to get to do my grocery shopping at Whole Foods. It's pretty much the mecca of health food! You can imagine my disappointment when I found out that there was not a Whole Foods anywhere near our house. The closest one is about 20 minutes away, and there is no way on earth I can convince Eric to drive that far for groceries. I guess I would have to convince him to shop at Whole Foods first, but that is a whole other blog! :)

Today, I took advantage of  my free schedule and made my way over to the Whole Foods. I probably spent about an hour drooling over all of the wonderful goodies the store had to offer like a kid in a candy store. There are so many cool things there, that you can't find anywhere else. I tried to take some pictures of my adventure, however I don't think that is technically allowed so I had to be extra sneaky!


One of the first things I saw when I walked in was this crazy looking fruit. They are called lemon hands. What an original name! They are pretty crazy (or creepy) looking!

Next, I came across the largest grapefruits I have ever seen. Yep, those green monsters are grapefruits! Check out how much bigger they are than their red cousins to their right.

As I wondered through the aisles, I came across this little bunch of ready to eat soups. They are essentially the healthy version of Ramen Noodles! :) There were so many crazy flavors to choose from, you could probably have a different one every day for a month.

A few aisles later, I saw these little beauties. Don't they look like they belong in a European soda shop? I've never tried any, but they sure looked pretty!


So here's what I ended up with! One can of Aduki beans. They are delicious and very high in fiber and vitamins. I also got some fresh flax seeds, and some Emergence-C to try and kick this nasty cold (or whatever it is). Lastly, I purchased some Tofu Shirataki noodles. They are gluten-free, vegan, have zero cholesterol, zero sugar and only 40 calories for the entire bag. I will let you know how they turn out!

Well, I'm off to do some Christmas shopping. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Food for thought:
Do you love Whole Foods as much as I do?
What is everyone doing this weekend?

In health,

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Howdy!

I think I might be allergic to Dallas. I never had any problems with allergies when I lived in College Station, and I really hardly ever got sick (minus my ongoing battle with headaches). However, since I moved to the lovely Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, I have been a walking immune system nightmare! It is starting to get pretty frustrating. Eric didn't feel all that great at the end of last week and this weekend, so I knew I was doomed. I woke up on Tuesday feeling (and probably looking) like death. Yesterday was pretty rough, but I am feeling a bit better today. I have been spending some quality time with my heating pad (body aches are the worst)! In fact, I am leaning against it right now.

I had heard stories of people getting sick when they moved to new places because of different allergens in the air, but I didn't think I would be one of them since I had never had "allergies" in the past. Boy was I wrong! Apparently, I am not eating enough winter super foods or something. A lady at work told me to eat local honey to help my body get used to the pollen in the area faster. Has anyone ever heard of that, or have any other suggestions?

Anyways, enough complaining! I just finished reading a book called You Are What You Eat,  by Dr. Gillian McKeith. I would actually go as far to say that I have been studying the book pretty intensely. Check out all of the color coded tabs. I know, I'm a dork!


It was a great book. Dr. Gillian McKeith really knows her stuff! There are really two parts to the book. In the first part of the book, she goes over different symptoms you might be experiencing and what those say about your diet. For example, we all assume that dark circles under our eyes mean we are simply tired. However, according to Dr. McKeith, this could actually indicate that you are experiencing food allergies and possible weak kidney energy. To remedy this, she suggests rotating your food, eating quinoa, drinking cranberry juice and eating from a list of foods that nourish the kidneys. The book goes over dozens of these kinds of scenarios! It's really cool to see what deficiencies could be causing your different symptoms.

The other half of the book, discuses Dr. McKeith's diet of abundance. This section includes the top 100 foods you should have in your diet as well as suggestions on foods you should eat if you are tired all the time, have digestive problems. have stress related issues, or a suppressed immune system (maybe I should go re-read this section). Essentially Dr. McKeith shows you how food can cause and cure common ailments. It's really pretty cool.

Although this book is very interesting, it would be very hard to follow her diet to a "T." Dr. McKeith goes into a lot of detail on food combining, and what foods you should and should not eat together. Let's just say, I tried to follow her rules and it lasted about 1/2 a day. But other than that, I was a huge fan of the book! I have definitely learned a lot about nutrient deficiencies and what foods I need to be eating more of.

Food for thought:
Any advice for adapting to a new cities allergens?
Has anyone else ever gotten sick after moving to a new city?
Has anyone read You Are What You Eat? What did you think?

In health,

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Howdy!

How is everyone this morning? Last night, I signed up for my next 1/2 marathon. My friend Katy and I are going to do the Dallas Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon on March 27, 2010. They were running a special yesterday that if you signed up the day after the Cowboys won, you would be eligible to receive $10 off your registration fee. Since the Cowboy's have been a little shaky this season, Katy and I figured we should probably sign up ASAP, since we weren't guaranteed another win. We are taking this race very seriously! So natrually, team t-shirts are going to be a necessity! :) This will be my second Rock & Roll, and I am so excited because they are a blast! There is so much going on along the race route, 13.2 miles just flys by!

With winter in full swing in some parts of the country (I wouldn't quite call it winter here yet), it is important to do everything we can to ward off all of the germys that like to show up around this time of the year!! We all know we should wash our hands, take our vitamins, and drink some orange juice, but here are a few suggestions from Runners World of foods you can add to your diet to pump up your defenses:

Dairy: Most milk, yogurt, and cheese contains vitamin D and calcium. These nutrients work together to prevent bone loss. Soy milk has all of these good for you nutrients as well!

Winter squash: This little gem is packed with vitamin A which can help you sharpen your eyesight for the dark winter months.

Slow-cooked stews (or chili): If you make your stew with lean beef, kidney beans or lentils it can provide you with iron which is needed for red blood cell production. Check out the chili I made yesterday.

Onions and garlic: These bulbs provide a boost of flavor along with antimicrobial properties, which may help protect you from winter bugs.

Green Tea: A mug will warm you up after a cold run- plus, research shows EGCG (a compound in green tea) has anticancer properties that may prevent skin-tumor growth. For more information on tea, and all of it's health benefits check out: It's Tea Time.

Kale: In season in early winter, this leafy green delivers a mega dose of vitamin K, which helps maintain strong bones and form blood clots.

Canned tuna: Although it might be stinky, it's a good source of vitamin D, which is important in the winter when less sun exposure decreases our body's ability to produce it.

Baked potatoes: White spuds are high in vitamin C, while sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A- two antioxidants that help protect your immune system.

Barley: This chewy grain (perfect for soups and stews) is high in cholesterol-lowering fiber and selenium, which reduces free-radical damage.

Citrus: Oranges, grapefruits, and other types of citrus fruits are high in fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C. These juicy fruits are even in season during the winter!

Try to add a few of the nutritional Rock Stars into your diet this week! If anyone is going to be around in March, Katy and I would love for you to join us for the Rock & Roll party! :)

Food for thought:
Have you ever ran a Rock & Roll marathon?
Do you have any cute race t-shirt ideas for Katy and I?
Do you eat any of these Winter wonders? If so, any yummy suggestions?

In health,

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Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. We had a very relaxed and lazy weekend, and it was AMAZING! My good friend Sara and her boyfriend, Tristan, came up and stayed with us on Friday night. It was so good to see them, and to catch up!

On Saturday, Eric and I slept in and then headed to Dick's Sporting Goods and the Galleria for a little shopping. At Dick's, I got the cutest blue Under Armour top. Then it was off to the Galleria, where we were on a mission to find Eric some new jeans. You could see his boxers through his current favorite pair of jeans. While we were at the Galleria, we saw this:

Although I absolutely LOVE Christmas, and I can't wait to start celebrating the most amazing holiday of the year, I feel a little bad for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the most overlooked holiday. As soon as Halloween is over, most people skip straight to Christmas leaving Thanksgiving out in the cold. So even if you are tempted to put up the tree and hang up the lights a little early this year, don't forget to take a little time to remember what you are thankful for this year!

Sunday was another lazy day, filled with football and baking! One of the girls at Eric's office was sweet enough to bring everyone cake balls to work one day, and I don't think the boys have stopped bugging her for more since then. Eric got the recipe from her, and convinced me to make them. I can see why she was reluctant to make them again, because they take forever! It was literally an all day affair. I'm not sure if mine were as good as Rachel's, but I sure had fun trying!


There is absolutely nothing healthy about these little sinful balls of goodness, but sometimes you just have to live a little. These would fall under the Fabulous category of Fun, Fit and Fabulous!

Since we knew we would have to sample a few cake balls for dessert, I wanted to make something healthy for dinner. I decided a nice warm bowl of chili would be perfect for a cool evening.

Ingredients:
McCormicks reduced sodium chili seasoning
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of diced tomatoes (no salt added)

Optional Ingredients:
2/3 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup lentils
1/4 cup black beans

I actually made this chili in two different pans, since I was making a vegetarian version for myself and a T-rex version for Eric. This was a very easy recipe to adapt to fit both of our needs.

Directions:

1. Cook lentils according to the directions on the side of the package, and set aside.
2. Brown the ground beef in a separate skillet
3. In a separate sauce pan, combine kidney beans (undrained), diced tomatoes, and chili seasoning.
4. I then poured half of the chili mixture into the pan with Eric's meat, and added the black beans and lentils into my chili.
5. I allowed both pans to simmer for 10 minutes.

It was the perfect meal for homey Sunday! I hope everyone has an amazing Monday!

Food for thought:
How was everyone's weekend?
Do you enjoy Thanksgiving, or are you ready to skip right to Christmas? Don't worry I won't judge!

In health,

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Happy Friday Everyone,

I apologize for my absence yesterday. Fun, Fit and Fabulous was undergoing somewhat of a face lift! I was feeling the need to simplify things and this is what happened. What do you think? I was lucky enough to win a custom blog header from Sara over at Sweet November! She was so easy to work with and does amazing work!

I am very excited to report that the ankle is getting better. I can walk around a lot better today than yesterday. I am hoping to be running again by next week!! Wish me luck!

This morning, I was reading an article in Women's Health called Words to Eat By. In the article, nutritionists shared the diet advice they live by. As I was reading, I definitely cane across a few favorites I wanted to share with y'all! Some of them were so simple, yet they made you have one of those a-ha moments. Eating healthy should be simple, not some hard mathematical equation that makes your head hurt!

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Little Nuggets of Diet Wisdom:

• Give it a squeeze- Lemons are great secret weapon. Squeeze the juice or sprinkle zest over vegetables instead of using extra oil, butter, or salt. I also love to add it to my water for a little extra something something!
• Taste the Rainbow- When you look at your plate, you should see a variety of colors. The more color your food has the more nutrients it probably contains.
• Embrace you inner vegetarian- "For the sake of your health and your waistline, vegetables should be the bulk of your meals. Instead of a huge slab of some animal protein and a little side of veggies, do a small piece of fish or meat on a plateful of veggies." - Mark Bittman I have been trying very had to live by this rule for the past few months.
• Only eat ingredients you can pronounce-  If a seven year old can't pronounce something on the ingredient list, it is probably not a naturally occurring ingredient. With all of the preservatives and additives out there, some ingredients lists look like they're printed in a foreign language.
• Turn off the heat- Overcooking your food can remove flavor and valuable nutrients. Internal heat cooks food, even after it has been taken off of the stove. Remove food from the stove or oven a little early and let is sit for a few minutes before serving.
• Think before you drink- Did you know the average person consumes more than 400 calories a day from beverages? Most of these beverages contain tons of added sugar as well. Try swapping out juice and soft drinks for no-calorie beverages such as water with a little lemon! :)You might be surprised how much weight you could lose from just that one small change.
• Pack a snack- Always keep healthy snacks with you. You never know when hunger might strike, and if you are unarmed you might cave to that 400 calorie muffin in the break room!
• Dine in (in your house that is)- Cooking at home is almost always healthier than dining out. So embrace your inner iron chef and save calories and money by whipping up your own delicious creations.
• Say yes to Flax- Sprinkling flaxseed over cerale, pancakes, yogurt, and oatmeal is an easy way to add fiber and omega-3 fatty acids to your diet! Flaxseed adds a nice nutty flavor to my food that I love!
• Turn into an egghead- You are probably tired of me touting the benefits of eggs, but here it goes again! Eggs have only 70 calories and provide protein, vitamin D, iron and they are so darn easy to cook! So scramble, boil, or poach some eggs today! Your body will thank you later!
• Raid your spice rack- Cinnamon may help regulate blood sugar, turmeric may help prevent Alzheimer's, and oregano may possess cancer preventive properties. All great reasons to increase your use of various spices. I add cinnamon to my oatmeal, yogurt, and coffee all the time. I challenge you to try and find new ways to incorporate more spices into your diet!
• Check out that backside (don't worry I'm not talking about someone's rear-end)- I mean the back of a package of food! The front of any food product is where marketers stick claims like "natural," "low-fat," and "no added sugar" - all of which can mean absolute zilch. The true test of quality is the ingredients list and the nutrition facts panel. So go ahead and check it out!
• Balance your meals, and your body- The best options are meals and snacks that contain a mix of carbs, protein, and fat. This balance helps with satiety, weight management, blood sugar, and bone health. Some great examples are almonds and fruit, or Greek yogurt with a few berries.
• Rise & Shine & Dine- Eat a breakfast that contains fiber with protein and a little fat, because it kick-starts your metabolism and fills you up until lunch!

The article included a few other little nuggets, but these were definitely my favorites and the ones I try to put into practice in my everyday life! Remember, life is for living, not calorie counting. Try to pick healthy nutritious food that makes you happy, and enjoy everything in moderation. Let's face it, I would just not be happy if I could not have a brownie every once in awhile. I hope everyone has a marvelous weekend!

Food for thought:
Do you follow any of the above healthy eating tips?
Do you have any of your own nuggets of wisdom?
Is anyone doing anything spectacular this weekend? I'm not, and I'm pretty pumped about it! Eric and I are finally going to enjoy a weekend at home!!

In health,

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Happy Hump Day,

Today, started out like most Wednesdays. I woke up, pulled on my running clothes that I laid out the night before, grabbed my ipod, kissed Eric goodbye, and I was out the door. A four mile run was on the agenda for today. However, my plan was spoiled about 1/2 mile into my run. There is a lot of construction going on around our house, and in some places the sidewalk just stops, leaving me no choice but to run on the road. This usually wouldn't be a problem, except on this particular road the shoulder was covered in gravel and rocks. I bet you can guess what happened next. As I was jogging, completely lost in my thoughts, I hit a rock with the side of my foot and argh a shooting pain ran through my ankle as it rolled outward.I immediately thought, "oh no, not again, my race is in three weeks!" I took a few gentle steps to assess the damage, and was not pleased by the not so lovely feeling in my ankle. I sat down on the curb and took off my shoes to see if my ankle was swollen. It had started to swell slightly, but not too bad. At this point, I stood back up and thought about trying to run again, but then I heard Eric's voice in my head, "Lauren don't you dare, you're going to make it worse." So I started to limp back home. I felt like it took me forever to get home.

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This is not the first time I have injured myself before a race. Three years ago, I was training for the White Rock marathon and I got a stress fracture in my ankle. The following year, I was training for the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon and managed to get a stress fracture in my sacrum! Who does that? So when I rolled my ankle this morning, I immediately assumed the racing curse had struck again!

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I am currently sitting with my leg propped up on pillows on the coffee table with ice glued to my ankle. Since my ankle hasn't turned my favorite shade of eggplant, and I can still hobble around without wanting to cry, I'm thinking I should be back to running in a few days. Until then, it's R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for me!

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Injuries are a never ending problem for runners. If it's not our ankles, its runners knee, illiotibial band syndrome, or shin splints. We simply have to fight the good fight as bet we can. Since I am not an orthopedic or a sports medicine doctor, I do not feel qualified to hand out injury prevention advice. However, my good friends over at RunnersWorld.com sure are. Here are a couple of my favorite injury prevention articles: (although none of them talk about running on rock infested roads)

How to avoid 5 common running injuries (ITBS, shin splints, runners knee, and more)

Foam Rolling for Runners If you are new to foam rolling, these videos are great!

My Knees Ache- If you are having knee pain, this article can help you narrow in on what ails you.

The 10 laws of injury prevention

IT Band Relief Yoga Routine- With this video we can prevent injuries and accomplish our November Health Goal

These articles and videos are great for anyone who works our regularly, not just runners! I hope they help you stay healthy as you strive to reach all of your health and fitness goals!

Food for thought:
Have you even injured yourself while training for a race?
Do you ever suffer from one of the common running injuries (shin splints, runners knee, ITBS)?

In health,

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Hi everyone!

A few days ago, I talked about how I am trying to live more in the present, and appreciate all of the wonderful things I have happening in my life. So when I started to think about what I should choose for my Novemeber health goal, I thought it should have something to do with living in the present. I am definitely what you would call a worry wart, which is the biggest thing holding me back from just enjoying the moment. With this in mind, I thought my goal should have something to do with de-stressing. Since my goal of meditation did not go so well last month, I turned back to yoga.

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Now, I teach yoga 1-2 times a week, however you cannot fully relax and enjoy the moment when you're teaching. So my health goal for November is to do yoga outside of the classes I teach at least once a week. My DVR is full of yoga videos I have recorded off of FitTV, so I have no excuses. I started off on the right foot by going to a yoga class today. It was great, and I actually made it through the entire class without making a mental to do list! That is a mega accomplishment for me!! I was not born a yogi, but I will get there one day!

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We all know the benefits of yoga: increased flexibility, decreased stress levels, increased strength etc. However, there are some not so well known benefits of yoga that are just as appealing!

The Secret Benefits of Yoga:

1. Glowing Skin! Stress can make many skin problems worse. A Cornell University study showed that when a person is under stress, their skin takes longer than usual to repair itself. Since yoga is a proven stress reliever, it can help skin heal faster and stay clear.
2. Better Sleep! According to a study in the Medical Science Monitor, after patients with sleep problems did yoga and meditation during the day, the quality of their sleep improved that night.
3. Smarter Food Choices! Who wouldn't want to crank up the volume of the internal voices that help you choose fruit over french fries at Chick Fil A? I know I sure would! I can use all of the help I can get resisting the chocolate cake left over from Eric's two week long birthday celebration. According to a study published in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, doing yoga can help you eat more mindfully.
4. More Feel-Good Moods! By measuring a chemical in the brain associated with well-being, scientists at Boston University School of Medicine were able to see that people who did yoga for 30 minutes had 27% more of that chemical in their brains than those in the study who read a book for half an hour instead. So if you usually spend your lunch break catching up on gossip magazines, bust a move on your yoga mat instead.

Information courtesy of: Slim Calm Sexy Yoga.

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Will you join me in this goal?? It doesn't matter if you take a class at your local gym, pop in a yoga DVD, or go through your own sun salutation, any kind of practice will work! For more information on yoga, and to find some great asanas (poses) check out http://www.yogajournal.com/.

Food for thought:
Will you join me in this quest?
Do you currently practice yoga regularly?
If so, what is your favorite benefit?

"Today is life- the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today."-Dale Carnegie

In health,

Lauren G.

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Happy Monday!!

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! Eric and I traveled down to Aggieland (aka College Station) for a little Fighting Texas Aggie Football! We played the University of Oklahoma, and won 33-19. Whoop! It was a very exciting game. We also had a fantastic time visiting with Eric's brother and his wife, Meredith, who we haven't seen in forever! Overall, I give this weekend a 10!

On to the exciting news! In order to fairly choose a winner, I let the random number generator choose the number for me. Our winner is........ DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

Katelyn left a comment on October 27, 2010. I can't wait to send you your antioxidant twist tubes. Since you have a private profile, will you please e-mail me your address (LaurenEGeorge@gmail.com), so I can send you your goodies? Thank you to everyone who entered, and I promise there will be more giveaways to come! Keep an eye on the Shop FF&F page for updates on specials going on at my shop.
Now, on to the acorn squash bowls. I am trying to be more creative with my meat free meals, so when I saw a giant bin of acorn squash today, I just had to grab one. I decided to fill my acorn squash with quinoa and mushroom pilaf.


Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
1/4 cup quinoa (or rice of your choice)
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cup acorn squash in half, and remove the seeds. 
3. Place upside down on a cookie sheet, and bake for 20 minutes.
4. While the squash is in the over, prepare quinoa or rice according to the directions on the package.
5. I simply threw the mushrooms in the boiling water with the quinoa, however you could also sautee them separately and add after the rice is cooked. 
6. When the squash is done, flip it over, and pour the rice and mushroom mixture in the middle.  
7. Bake right-side up for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

This was my first experience cooking with acorn squash, and I loved it! Make sure the squash is thoroughly cooked. It should be pretty soft and easy to eat with a fork.

Food for thought:
Have you ever cooked acorn squash?
Does anyone have an suggestions for good vegetarian cookbooks?


In health,

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