My First Day Back at School (1/2/12)

Yummy Eats and Bikila Vibrams

     Hello my lovely readers! I'm so glad that I finally have some time to post. January was crazy! Trying to get my computer fixed, trying to get my refrigerator fixed, homework, training, working on my book, and finding time to spend with my family. . . yeah that's a lot to juggle. LOL. Somehow though, by the end of the month, everything that needed to get done was done, so I'm happy. So what's new with me? Well let's see. . .

     I've been really enjoying a wide variety of fruit, as always. This month alone I've gotten to have Mangos, Papaya, Chocolate Sapote, Ice Cream (Blue Java) Bananas, Cavendish Bananas, Persimmons, Pineapple, Heirloom Tomatoes, Blood Oranges, Clementines, Medjool dates, Pomegranates, Honeycrisp Apples, Strawberries, and Engilsh Cucumber. This of course meant that I had to spend time with my beloved Vitmamix to create colossal amount of smoothies.

Bananas, Strawberries, & Cherries

A Berry Blast!

Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Banana

Papaya, Banana, and Mango

Pineapple, Mango, Blood Oranges, & Spinach

My mom has been enjoying a lot of fruit as well. 

This was her breakfast a couple days ago. 

It looked so pretty that I had to take a picture to show you guys.

     Since this year I plan on doing a lot of running, and I'm already starting to wear out my Vibrams, I thought it best to invest in another pair of Vibrams exclusively for when I run. So I forked out the dough and bought the new and improved running Vibram, the Bikila! Now I'm not usually one to wear pink, in fact I don't own a single item that is pink, until now that is. I went for these hot shoes is because I want these babies to get noticed. If people see people will ask, and if people ask they might just go get a pair themselves. I am determined to raise awareness about the benefits of going barefoot. . . well almost barefoot anyway. =)

     I aslo decided that if I was going to be running these races for all to see, that I should raise awareness about the benefits of a raw plant based lifestyle. Having recently becoming a member of Organic Athletes, I purchased this running shirt to wear on my race days.

                            Front                                                                             Back

      As to recording my training, I've decided to not post my workouts daily. I want to remain consistent in updating you guys on my progress, so every Saturday evening I'll be doing a special post to list all my workouts for the week. This way I can still post about my fruit and adventures whenever I have time. However, when I don't have the time, I can at least be confident that my training posts will be posted consistently. And during the days before my Saturday post, you guys are more then welcome to hop onto daily mile. It's an online site where you can log in your running, cycling, and swimming mileage. My profile is here: http://www.dailymile.com/people/AmandaJ_B#ref=tophd.

      Until next time,
Run fast and eat fruit!

Running for Beginners: Getting Started & How To Keep Going Pt. 2

Amanda's How To Start Running Guide Continued. . .

Part Five: Variety = Better Preformance

-----------------------------------------------------

     Once you've gotten into the swing of things in your running routine, you might be tempted to run every single day, however, I don't recommed that you do this. When you're running you're putting stress upon your knee joints that can cause a lot of wear and tear over a period of time. TO avoid this it's a good idea to give your knee joints a rest every now and then. Go for a bike ride, swim, do some strength training, practice yoga. Any one of these things are a good source of movement without putting a lot, if any,  stress on the joints.
     
     Another good reason for doing other types of exercises in between running days is that you are toning other muscles and shedding fat around other areas of the body. The leaner your body, the faster you can run, so using other muscles in your body other than you legs and you will be on your way to becoming a lean running machine!


Part Six: Recovery
----------------------------------
     When you do any sort of high impact workouts, the muscles you use are broken down. It's during time after a workout that the body begins to rebuild those muscles and they will either become stronger or weaker depending on what sort of nutrients the muscle has at its disposal to use as building block for the new muscle.


     I have found personally that the best kind of recovery meal is some sort of smoothie. The nutrients in the food are already "chewed up" making for quicker digestion and nutrient absorbtion, which is good what you want so that you can get the nutrient building blocks into your body as soon as possible to build stronger muscles.


Some smoothie combonation ideas:

• banana/mango/spinach
• banan/date/coconut water
• banana/pineapple/spinach
• banana/grape/spinach
• banana/spinach/apple juice

Note: Raw fruits and leafy greens will provide you with the correct carb/protein/fat ration needed for your body to rebuild and repair itself. If you want to know a more about the protein myth that has been spread across the nation by medical propganda, then I recommen reading "The 80/10/10 Diet" by Dr. Douglas N. Graham, "The China Study" by T. Colin Cambell and a previous blogpost that I wrote here. 

     It's also very important - especially if you are participating in high impact workouts everyday - to take a full day off from high impact workouts. Doing so gives your body a break from contantly breaking down and rebuilding muscles on a daily bases. This doesn't mean that you have to be a lie around all day, it just means to obstain from any really strenuous activities. For example, on your rest day you could do go for a walk or do some housework, ect.

Part Eight: Keep Up Your Health

---------------------------------------------------

     The key to having an energy filled run and still having strong energy levels through out the day is to make sure that you are keeping the 7 steps of health: NEWSTART

1. Nutrition - Keeps you fueled for your runs and keeps you from getting sick so you can workout. Eat plenty of carbs from fresh, raw, sweet juicy fruit! Eat some raw leafy greens, vegetables, nuts, and seeds as well and you have yourself a nutrient and water rich diet! 
2. Exercise - e.g. running
3. Water - When you sleep you aren't drinking water, when you exercise you sweat out water, and your body is approx. 75% water. If you don't replenish your water body's water supply you won't be running anywhere.
4. Sunshine - Allows you body to make vitamin D which is used in the absorbtion of calcium (which strengthens your bones so you can run without bone problems) and vitmain D gives you a boost of positive energy (will keep you energized and motivated to run).
5. Temperance - Alcohol will dehydrate you body and kills irreplacable brain cells, not good!
6. Air - Fresh air keeps your blood cells running and can give you body a pleasent, relaxing sensation, getting rid of stress.
7. Rest - When you run you have broken down muscles in your body and released free radicals into your system due to the stress put on your body during ecercise. Your body need to shut down for a minimum of 6 hours while 7 hours is prefered, and 8 to 10 hours would be the best.  Whatever the number of hours you choose, the most crucial hours of sleep that you body needs to regenerate is between 10pm and 2am (has to do with specific hormones that are secreted at this time of night). Miss these four hours and you've dprived your body of muscle repairing time and you will most likely find your energy during your run and throughout the rest of the day will take a nose dive. 
8. Trust in the Creator - Spiritual peace is important for your emotional well being. Trust in the Creator brings emotional stability to cope with life, which leaves your body free to function positively for your running and anything else in your life.

Part Nine: The Conclusion
----------------------------------------
     I hope that all the information, suggestions, and ideas that I have provided in this two part article for you, will help you reach your running goal(s). There is so much more information I would have loved to write and share with you, but if I did that I know it would turn into a book!  So I leave instead with this basic synopsis that will steer you in the right direction, and I am sure that over time as you become a better, more seasoned runner, that you will discover many tips and tricks that will benefit your preformance along the way. Good luck!

Banana Bonanza!!

     Today, as is you can see, I bought a lot of bananas! My family and I go through quite a few bananas throughout any given week, and I was just getting tired of running back and forth to the store JUST to buy bananas. So today I drove down to my local Kroger and bought every ripe or almost ripe banana bunches they had. I think I can now be confident that I can grab some bananas to devour without worrying that my mother or brother might want one because there is plenty for all!


     I have had quite an eventful week. I created some new recipes, my special superfood order came in, my friend Terra moved back from Oklahoma, I've looking at potential property with my mom, I've been working on CSNN and college applications, and helping out my lovely mother any way I can. Lot's of stuff and I'm loving it all! I really enjoy keeping busy, especially these last couple of days as I have been feeling steadily euphoric. I don't know why but for the last couple of days I have been feeling so good both physically and mentally. I hope it lasts.

     So let's start with my superfood order. Now, since my raw plant based diet is basically the exact same thing as the rv80/10/10 diet, I don't really do superfoods anymore. However, with the economy the way it is today, it doesn't hurt to stock up on nutritionally dense supplements that are as close to a whole food as possible. Bananas, I believe, will always be relatively cheap and available, but other fresh fruits and greens (especially organic) might become more difficult to afford and/or obtain. So, my mom and I decided to stock up on cacao powder (my brother loves this stuff), spirulina (because it contains B12), and a sample pack of some other superfoods to try to see what we like.


All Raw and purchased from http://livesuperfoods.com/:

• Organic Cacao Powder
• Organic Spirulina Powder
• Organic Yacon Powder
• Organic Purple Corn Extract Powder
• Wildcrafted Green Papaya Powder
• Organic Pomegranate Powder
• Organic Acai Powder
• Organic Mangosteen Powder
• Wildcrafted Acerola Cherry Powder
• Organic Noni Powder
• Wildcrafted Mangosteen Powder
• Organic Green Stevia Powder

     For the last couple of months my mom and I have been looking around online for plots of land for sale within our price range. We both would like to be able to have enough land to start a garden, have a goat and a horse, and start a bee farm, and living in suburbia puts a clincher in this dream. Last Friday we discovered a 10 acre plot with a barn and a small lake up for sale, and only 45 minutes from where we live. My mom and I went out to take a look at it and found it had potential. I don't think we will be making an offer on it anytime soon because we do want to see what else is out there, but it was nice to actually SEE something that could give us a better idea of what we're looking for.

The stairs lead to a living apartment. Basically if you lived here you would be living above the barn. :D

     As for recipes, I have created the most AMAZING raw Cinnamon Apricot Jam. It's a big hit with my mom. She and I can polish a batch of this stuff of in about 4 days, so I have to have dried apricots on hand all the time. Seriously everyone, this stuff is now officially a staple in my household for the rest of this winter. My mom likes to spread it on her nine grain toast in the morning, and I like to have it as a dipping sauce for my crispy sweet apples.

Cinnamon Apricot Jam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 1/2 C. dried apricots, soaked in water for 6-12 hours

1 1/2 Clementines or Tangerines

1/8 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tbs. Raw Honey or 3 Medjool Dates

Blend until thick, smooth, and creamy!

This recipe is so good and SO easy to make, that I plan on making a recipe video on how to make this, just look for it sometime within the next week at - http://www.youtube.com/user/Rawaholic.

     Today I tried two new recipes that I've been meaning to try but haven't ever got around to it because I never was able to have all the ingredients on hand at the same time. The first one was a recipe that I got from joannabanana (check out her blog at - http://acupofjoanna.blogspot.com/) on the goneraw.com forums. She has ranted and raved about this green smoothie and I just had to give it a try today for my lunch. OMG it was the BEST green smoothie I have ever tried. I put like a TON of spinach into this smoothie and I didn't taste any of the greens.

Green Grape Smoothie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 C. red Grapes

1 C. frozen Bananas

4 1/2 C. Spinach

I will be making more of this tomorrow only with even MORE spinach now that I know the taste won't be coming through anytime soon. Grapes and bananas do wonders in dominating the flavor of this luscious concoction.

Then for dinner I made a lovely raw fruit cereal out of 2 large bananas, 1 1/4 C. blueberries, and 1 C. raspberries with fresh coconut milk (just the water and meat of 1 Thai coconut blended with a splash of vanilla). I haven't really had any overt fats in the last week (i.e. oil, avocado, nuts, & seeds) so this was a real treat for me, and man did I love it!  So good. . .

Am I making you all green with envy yet? Hehehe! :D

     I think that's about it this time, it's getting late and I get up at 5:50 a.m. every morning to I need to get some sleep. Posted below me are a video that I found on youtube that I think are worth sharing with you. Feel free to make comments on anything that you read or watch on this post or my blog in general, and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!