May Foodie PenPal!

What can I say, I was thrilled with this months Foodie Penpals experience! I have been very fortunate the past two months so have had really cool packages sent to me.

This month I was Suzi from Confessions of a Fitness Instructor, she is an EXCELLENT health/fitness blogger, Zumba Instructor and of course a fellow Canadian!

What was so great about this package is that Suzi was able to find many items that stuck close to my paleo diet. A lot of the items were snack foods, which is PERFECT for me because I am a crazy snacker! ..... is snacker a word??? I think I may have just made that up :)

My yummy treats came in an adorable little box. Suzi said it was from one of her Glossy Box's. 

Look at my pretty little package!

When I started to look through the box, I realized there was a definite theme... a RASPBERRY THEME! Suzi must have read my mind because raspberries are literally my favourite fruit, and according to the card she included it is hers too!!!! Everything inside was gluten and dairy free. Suzi included foods that she loves and a couple that she hadn't tried, but that she thought looked tasty, and they definitely were!

Inside there was a coconut KIND Bar, a raspberry flavoured Fruit Source bar, and raspberry licorice. There were a few other goodies too, such as this ridiculously yummy Lindt Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt bar. I had never had one before, and too be honest have never been a huge fan of dark chocolate, but this was unreal!

this chocolate bar didn't stand a chance!

Another fun item in my package was a small can of raspberry natural soda to wash everything down. I actually drank this the morning after my friend bachelorette party and I swear it saved my life. After I drank this I felt like a million bucks and proceeded to play a game of baseball and hit the gym for a solid arm workout!  So a BIG THANK YOU to Suzi for that one!

Thank you raspberry natural soda for curing my hangover

The last item in the box was a package of dried cranberries. There are not the usual dried cranberries you find a the supermarket, these ones are actually made in Nova Scotia and are tangier than other brands! They have been the perfect addition to my salads!

Overall I was so happy with my foodie penpal package this month, so a BIG THANK YOU to Suzi once again!! This month my foodie penpal was Alison, if you want to take a look at what I sent her you can do so by checking out her blog here.

If you’re interested in participating in the Foodie Penpal Program for June, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.This program is open to residence of both Canada and the United States. Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only and vice versa. Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers.

On another note, I wanted to let everyone know that I will be hosting my FIRST GIVEAWAY NEXT WEEK!!! So stayed tuned for a review and contest details! :)



Question:


1. Have you tried any new food related products lately that you recommend?



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Music is MOTIVATION!!!

This is the Blue Jays shirt, don't judge me please.

I realize I haven't blogged in a while, to be honest not much is new with me. I managed to gorge myself on beer and nachos over the long weekend.... (I can't help it, I get sucked right in to the atmosphere of the Toronto Blue Jays game, and I turn into my alter ego who guzzles beer, yells profanities at the opposing team and wears age inappropriate shirts that say "I <3 BJ's" with the Toronto Blue Jays symbol next to it)... needless to say days later I am still feeling the harsh effects of the gluten in my system.

As I sat nursing my sore belly this week I started looking through old race pics, and reminiscing about the good ol' days before my hip injury. Surprisingly I was able to remember the exact song that was playing on my mp3 player (YES! I know.... I don't own an Ipod, I refuse to by one until my old mp3 player dies) when I crossed the finish line at both my half and full marathon, and that got me thinking..... what is it about certain songs and certain types of music that motivates us to run faster, trainer harder and dirty dance all night when we are out with our friends?

Sept 2010: Crossing the finish line of my half marathon listening to "Body Bounce by Kardinal Offishall"

March 2011: 42km holding my hip is pain listening to "I Made It by Kevin Rudolf & The Cash Money Heros" Such a perfect song to finish a marathon too!

Personally, when I run I tend to listen to a lot of hip hop music, mostly Eminem and Kayne West... I also throw in some Prodigy to pump me up! I will also slow it down a bit when I make up a set list, more recently I threw on some Mumford and Sons, The Sheepdogs and AWOL Nation. I like fun uplifting tracks that keep me feeling positive when on long runs. According to the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology by Dr Costas Karageorghis (as posted by www.pharmapassport.com), "music, especially motivational music, can play a significant role in physical endurance. The results showed that motivational music can increase physical endurance 15% over the control, no-music group" This makes perfect sense to me! Have you ever tried running without music?? Personally, I just can't do it!

Clearly then, music would have the same impact on weight training! When it comes to lifting weights I definitely listen to a different genre of music. When you work out at Elite Performance Centre be prepared to listen to alternative and hard rock! When I first started working out there I wasn't used to working out to the style of music ..... don't get me wrong I love that kind of music, I was just used to listening to dance, hip hop etc when running. Regardless, I am loving lifting weights to bands like Nine Inch Nails and Red Hot Chili Peppers!

My Gym... it looks more hard core in black and white

So, if music can increase my endurance when running and lifting weights, what else can it do for me? Well according to livestrong.com " Music can also produce relaxation response which can help someone push through some of the more uncomfortable feelings of an exercise. And, the rhythms of music can improve motor coordination." Clearly the benefits of listening to music while working out are invaluable... but what about participating in races/events that do not allow you to wear head phones? I will not be able to listen to music while doing the Spartan Sprint and Tough Mudder since I will be jumping into freezing cold water and crawling through mud, for these races I will be relying on my teammates to keep positive and motivated through these grueling events! It will definitely be mind over matter for me!

Questions:


1. Do you listen to music when running/working out? Why or why not?


2. What are some of your favourite tracks to exercise too?

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Sporting Life 10km Recap & Review

This past weekend was the 14th Annual Sporting Life 10km in Toronto. I run this race every year and LOVE it! Actually the first race I ever ran was the Sporting Life 10km. This year I finished with my worst 10km time ever, which is likely due to the fact that I haven't run more than 7km since last summer. Lately, I have been focusing on weight training. I am not going to lie, as I was running this race and started to feel the familiar pain of my old hip injury I swore up and down that "I was FINALLY quitting running". However, once I got to the finish line, received my medal and looked around at all of the awesome people who had just completed the race, I knew it would not be my last. I think I am just getting frusturated with this hip injury of mine.... time for a bone scan I think! :(

All of that being said however, regardless of my time and the pain I was in I had a great time running this race and plan on doing it again next year!

The Sporting Life 10km is one of those races I will do every year, whether I have trained or not I will be there!  This event raises funds for  Camp Oochigeas which is an organization that sends children with cancer to a summer camp, as well as year round programs.

This year there were actually a few changes to the race. The run which was usually part of the Canada Running Series, decided to split off this year and "enlisted the help of Jay Glassman, GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon Race Director, to organize this year’s event."  Normally this race has always taken place the first weekend in May, it has been this way  for the past 14 years. This year however, it was scheduled for May 13th. I couldn't understand why they would change the date after all these year so I did some reseach. According to the Sporting Life website their reasoning for the date change was as follows: 

" In 2011, an agreement was reached with the City of Toronto to separate the two fall Toronto marathons. This agreement ensured that the Canada Running Series (CRS) Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon would remain in October with no competition and the Good Life Marathon would be moved to the spring on the first Sunday in May. Unfortunately, the agreement was made by CRS without the knowledge or agreement of either Sporting Life or Camp Oochigeas and without regard as to how this would impact fundraising for the charity.
The Sporting Life 10K run has been held on the first Sunday in May for the past 14 years, and 2012 will be the first year with a new date. Instead of being alone in early May the result is 3 races all vying for runners" (source) 

It makes sense that they would not want to compete with 2 other major races for participants, especially when they are trying to raise money for such a worthy cause.

The start line! You can't see it in this pic but they had a great quote up "The Only Failure is Failing to Try"

My friend Charity and I at the start line!

Reasons Why I Highly Recommend This Race:

1. This year (for the first time) 100% of the proceeds went to Camp Oochingeas.

2. You are running for a great cause

3. This course is down Yonge Street which means its mostly downhill

4. Race shirts were made by Nike = AMAZING

5. Awesome Finisher Medals

6. If you signed up before the end of January you received a $50 gift card for Sporting Life in the mail (I used it to buy new runners)

7. Lots of available parking

8. with 22,000 registrants is was the largest race in Toronto

9. There are always lots of people along the course cheering you on and holding signs (great motivator, one sign I saw this year said "I don't know you, but you're AWESOME!" )

10. Once again you are helping to send kid's with cancer to camp! What other reason do you need???

The Nike Race shirt & awesome medal!

The back of the shirt!

Of course with all good things there are usually a few negatives.... not that I want to dwell on the negative aspects of this years race, but there were some obvious changes to the organization of the race since it was not longer being run by CRS. So in the true spirit of a "review" here are a few areas that needed improvement:

Areas in Need of Improvement:

1. This year there were not nearly enough porta potties at the start. Last year they had rows of at least 10 and this year only 3. Charity and I waited in line for at least 30 min to use them. The gun had already gone off and we were still waiting.

2. There were not enough race shirts for everyone, apparently they ran out! (Luckily I was able to get one! They are awesome!)

3. At the finish there was no water/ Gatorade or food in sight, it took us about 5 min to get to it, and the food and beverages were not next to each other.

4.  Not enough visible signs and not enough volunteers to help find things like water, food and shuttle buses.

5. This year the race was timed by Chip Time Results, definitely not as good as Champion Chip timing results. I had to look through a list of 21,000 participants to find my time! This actually worked in my favour this year since my time was not so great lol.

To conclude, I don't want to end this post with negative energy. I really do love this race! I understand it was a turn over year (ie. new organizer) so I am sure these are some kinks they will work out. These were just some major differences I hadn't experienced previous years. Honestly,  if you live anywhere within driving distance from Toronto, this is definitely a race you need to do next year! The weather was perfect for running, with a little drizzle at the start and a lot of sunshine at the end! Congrats to everyone who participated in this years Sporting Life 10km, can't wait for next year!


Questions:


1. Did you run the Sporting Life 10km this year? If so what are your thoughts on this years event?


2. Do you have a favourite race? Tell me about it!


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Red Curry Chicken & Cauliflower Rice

After posting a pic of my Red Curry Chicken on My Facebook Page I had several people ask for the recipe, so here it is! As always I try to keep my recipes fairly quick and simple to make (healthy of course) so that you can make them even during a busy work week. This one is no different and it makes a fairly large portion!

Ingredients

2 - 3 tbsp of Red Curry Paste (depending on how hot you want it) I use AROY-D
4 tbsp of coconut oil
1 can of Coconut Milk
250 grams of your favourite meat
3 tbsp of fish sauce
2 tbsp of sugar
60 grams of your choice of veggies (eggplant is a great option with this recipe)

Here is a look at some of the ingredients I use

Instructions:

- using a large skillet heat 4 tbsp of coconut oil (or preferred oil) and the curry paste on low heat.

- pour in half a can of coconut milk and stir on medium heat

- add your meat of choice

- add the rest of the coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce and continue to stir
 

I have to add this when my BF isn't looking because the idea of 'fish sauce' grosses him out lol

Here is what it looks like once all of the above ingredients are added

- while meat is cooking you can begin to prep your veggies. They recommend putting eggplant and fresh basil leaves with red curry. I generally throw in what every veggies are in my fridge. Today it was sugar snaps and orange pepper. I also tossed in a few almonds and cashews for some crunch!
 

veggies chopped and ready to go!

- once the veggies are tossed into the skillet I make my cauliflower rice! This is super easy. I simply chop up plain cauliflower in my food processor. I believe some people steam or boil theirs first, but I prefer raw veggies. I usually put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to warm it up.

- simply put the desired amount of cauliflower into the food processor until it resembles rice.

here is what it looks like in the food processor

- now that your Red Chicken Curry is ready you can enjoy! Put the cauliflower rice on your plate and pour the curry on top!

- the good news is you will likely have LEFTOVERS! This dish served myself and my bf dinner AND I had enough to take to work for lunch for 2 days!

Dinner is served!!!

left overs! whoo hoo!

NOTE: if you do not cook with curry often, then you might want to know this bit of information. When I make curry dish I use either Green, Red or Yellow curry.

Yellow Curry: This tends to be a rich and creamier type of curry. It tends to be not as spicy as the other two curries.

Red Curry: this is slightly hotter than yellow, you could tone it down if you would like by adding coconut cream to the above recipe.

Green Curry: watch out! this one is HOT! if you want to make the above recipe add a little bit of paste at a time, 3 tbsp might be way too hot for you! I learned the hard way lol

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How Going Gluten Free Has Changed My Life!

We all know that the latest diet phenomenon is going gluten free, and many of Hollywood's hottest stars are going gluten free as well. There are countless reasons to cut gluten out of your diet; but if you have been looking for an excuse to take the plunge I've got one for you! It's simple..... some of Hollywood's hottest stars have said no to gluten, so why not YOU!
Here are some celebs who are rumoured to eat gluten free:

If going gluten free means I can look like these ladies then sign me up!

#1. Zooey Deschanel           
#2. Gwyneth Paltrow         
#3. Miley Cyrus                   
#4. Victoria Beckham     
#5. Kim Kardashian
#6. Emmy Rossum
#7. Jenny McCarthy
#8. Jessica Alba







If their rockin' bodies aren't reason enough to cut gluten out of your diet, then I am going to give you a few more! But first lets find out what gluten really is......According to Kitchen Daily gluten is a substance found in wheat, which gives bread its texture. It consists of two proteins, glutenin and gliadin. It is also found in rye and barely. It is this particular protein source that a lot of people are allergic to... if you are allergic to gluten, you likely already know all of this :)


I have battled through stomach issues since my early 20's, I really don't recall having issues before that. When I spoke to my family doctor about my symptoms (mainly, bloating, cramping, gas, stomach pain etc.... was that TMI?) she chalked it up to IBS and said it was likely coffee and alcohol upsetting my tummy. I gave up coffee, but lets be honest..... I am willing to suffer through almost any pain for a nice cold glass of Pinot Grigio!

NOTE:  if I had any appropriate pictures of me in my early 20's I would have inserted them here. 

Ok so back to life without coffee....I was really good about this but even the lack of coffee did not seem to be helping my stomach. So back to my doctor I went. This time she told me I was likely Lactose Intolerant.... I cut out dairy for a little bit and my stomach issues "improved" but definitely did not go away completely. Thus, I spent most of my 20's in constant stomach discomfort and just accepted the fact that I would likely have to live my life that way.





Fast forward to 30.....I have become a little wiser in my old age (if you are like my students and consider 30 to be old) and when I was told by my trainer to go paleo and cut out gluten (based on my stomach symptoms) I actually listened!!! I literally feel like a new woman now that I have cut gluten out of my diet. 


Not sure if you have a gluten allergy or not? Here are some signs and symptoms according to Gluten Free Network (the symptoms in bold are the ones I experienced):

• Weight loss or weight gain
• Nutritional deficiencies due to malabsorbtion e.g. low iron levels
• Gastro-intestinal problems (bloating, pain, gas, constipation, diarrhea)
• Fat in the stools (due to poor digestion)
• Aching joints
• Depression
• Eczema
• Head aches
• Exhaustion
• Irritability and behavioural changes
• Infertility, irregular menstrual cycle and miscarriage
• Cramps, tingling and numbness
• Slow infant and child growth
• Decline in dental health 

• 

  Enjoying a delicious gluten free meal!

I know it might seem daunting to give up all of the yummy foods that contain gluten. I thought it was going to be VERY difficult as well, but too be honest it really hasn't been too bad at all and I don't miss any of the gluten items I can not longer eat. There are so many yummy gluten free recipes and so many alternatives out there it really makes the transition easy..... you can checkout some of my Gluten Free Recipes here.

There are MANY benefits to going gluten free! Personally since cutting gluten out of my diet I obviously feel MUCH better, I have lost some weight, no more stomach pain and I have more energy..... but don't take my word for it! Check out what Health & Wellness Magazine has to say about the benefits of a gluten free diet. "Studies document that by going gluten-free, you can improve cholesterol levels, digestion and energy level. By avoiding everything fried because of breading, you are staying away from oil and fat and by most desserts being off limits, you are decreasing your sugar and fat intake. As a result of eliminating gluten, you may consume fresher, whole and organic foods, prepare meals from scratch, improve blood sugar regulation and decrease consumption of empty calories".

 Not to mention gluten-free diets can help with anemia, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and many digestion problems.

I challenge all of you who are currently eating products with gluten to try a 2 Week Gluten Free Challenge and tell me how you feel at the end of the two weeks! If you are one of the lucky ones then you may not notice a difference, however if you are someone who is unknowingly suffering from gluten related allergies then this challenge could change your life!

Questions: 

1. Do you eat gluten? why or why not?

2. If you currently consume products with gluten in them are you willing to try the 2 Week Gluten Free Challenge?

3. Do you have any gluten free recipes you would like to share?! Hook a sister up!!!



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Tough Mudder........ In Training!

It occurred to me the other day that I haven't really posted about how my Tough Mudder training has been going. I am loving the time I am spending in the gym, and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that everyone there is so helpful and encouraging..... that is when they are not busy teasing me about that fact that I bench press about as much as a 11 year old boy would..... and here I thought 50lbs was a lot of weight! lol But in all honesty, aside from the fact that I am finding bench pressing difficult , training is going well and I am already feeling much stronger! 

This is where the Tough Mudder training happens!

 Each time I work out I have been able to increase the weight I am lifting and I am noticing some positive results on my arms and legs! A few weeks ago I had my first re-assessment day and I had cut my body fat percentage down by 1.5%! So seeing the gradual changes in my body has been great incentive to push even harder at the gym. Another great inventive has been the fact that my boyfriend has officially joined my Tough Mudder team and him and I are two very competitive people! Needless to say that I plan on carrying HIM across the finish line, and not the other way around ;)


For those of you who are wondering "what the heck is Tough Mudder?!" Here is some info about the event. According the their website Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. As the leading company in the booming obstacle course industry, Tough Mudder has already challenged half a million inspiring participants worldwide and raised more than $2 million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Wounded Warrior Project helps to raise awareness of the needs of injured service members. The organization also helps to create programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members. Some of these programs include Combat Stress Recovery Programs, Family Support Retreats, and Physical Health & Wellness Rehabilitation. When I am crawling in mud, jumping off towers and running through fire I will be reminding myself that it is all for this great cause.

I am so pumped about completing this event, I was nervous when I first registered but now I am feeling way more confident that I will be able to cross the finish line! My trainer Brad always pushes me in the gym and helps me build confidence, which makes him a kick a$$ trainer. He also gives me sh*t if I stray from my diet or if I don't do what he tells me.... and believe me I need it when I get off track. You know what they say, teachers make the worst students! lol 

Since I began blogging about my transition from a Marathoner to a Tough Mudder I have connected with so many amazing and inspiring people. Some are bloggers and followers on their own fitness journey, some just starting out and some like myself trying to improve from where they are currently at. Other people I have talked to have already completed a Tough Mudder event and have passed along some great training tips and advice. More recently a fellow Canadian named Trisha messaged me and said the following " just wanted to say thanks for your awesome blog .... and I just signed up for the TO Tough Mudder in Aug also!!!! SOOOOO Pumped!!!" I can't tell you how happy this message made me! I know that Trisha is totally going to ROCK the Toronto Tough Mudder and I can't wait to hear about her experience. This is definitely what I love most about the blogging world, not only can you constantly be inspired by other people, but you never know who you might be inspiring in along the way. Women inspiring other women! does it get any better than that!? I think not!




Questions:


1. What inspires you as you set forth on your fitness goals? For me its my family, friends, trainer and fellow bloggers and blog followers!


2. What has been your greatest fitness accomplishment thus far, or if you haven't quite completed it yet what is your goal?   Mine would definitely have to be completing my first (and likely last) marathon last year. 


3. Do you have what it takes to be a Tough Mudder? 


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