One Gillian Reasons

Reason #74: My April Favorites

2011-04-20T22:52:00.015-04:00

Adele.

A Soy Misto with a dash of courage.

Great Reads.

Sleeveless Dresses and Bare Legs. *Almost*

Reason #73: Self Evolution

2011-04-07T22:28:00.009-04:00

Reason #72: Motivation.

2011-04-06T22:17:00.038-04:00

If you run...

Make sure you are running towards something...

And not away from it.

New York City: Two Feet of Snow

2011-04-06T20:40:00.002-04:00

Reason #70: Impromptu Sing-Along

2010-05-26T21:43:00.006-04:00

There are some moments you wish you could catch on video and there are some moments you actually DO catch on video.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing my favorite Chicagoan, Jenna on the streets of New York...

Please Don't Leave Me Girl!

Life has "Temptations." What's next?

Reason #69: What Motivates You?

2010-05-24T22:33:00.004-04:00

Ever catch yourself spending endless hours on a project just...because...you want to? The video below provides some insight to the power of autonomy, mastery, and purpose in an unbelievable fashion!

Life has purpose. What's next?

Reason #68: Kept out of the "Loop"

2010-04-27T19:23:00.013-04:00

I was sitting on the bus this morning, minding my own business, when I noticed the businessman sitting across from me bend down to tie his shoe. He took the brown laces of his Cole Haan leather shoes, pulled them tight, and delicately started to make two "bunny ear" loops. Could it be, I thought, he ties his shoes the same way I do!

For years, I thought I tied my shoes the inferior way. Growing up, I never could do the "proper" one-loop wrap correctly, so for the past 20 years I resorted to the juvenile, five-year old method. After years of being made fun of for lacing up my muddy soccer cleats with bunny ears (cruel world!), I was a bit self-conscious about my public shoe tying method. I was overcome with glee and excitement as I watched this older, mature man carefully make the two loops. I wanted to shout across the bus, "Hey Sir! I tie my shoes using the 'bunny ear' method as well!" Followed by perhaps a high-five? A wink? A big smile?

Was it odd that I felt a sudden connection with this stranger? As C.S. Lewis stated, "Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"

Instead, I kept my mouth shut and wondered if he too feared birthday parties at the bowling alley:

Bowling shoes.
Other Eight Year Olds.
Tying.
Ugh, the stresses in a child's life.

Thank you, Velcro.

Life is about taking different approaches. What's next?

Reason #67: Role Reversal - Becoming the Kind Stranger

2010-04-23T19:12:00.009-04:00

On Thursday, I traveled to Hartford, Connecticut to meet with a client and tour a few properties. After a busy day, my colleague and I arrived at the Hartford Amtrak station a half hour early for our 3:30pm train ride home to New York City. In an attempt to enjoy the sunshine, we plopped ourselves down on a bench. Two minutes into our relaxation mode, a black family of four arrived. The father, carrying three large pieces of luggage, pushed along a baby in a stroller. The mother lugged three suitcases in complete exhaustion. The little boy, wearing a Spiderman hat, happily pulled his little red suitcase toward me.

My colleague quickly stood up to make room for the family, and I scooted over. "No need to move," the mother said to me. "We are about to be on a train for eight hours. We should be standing and stretching." Despite his mom's words, the little boy sat down next to me. I began chatting with the mother and was informed the family was moving from Connecticut down to Virginia. Rather than moving by car or plane, they packed up their belongings and were making the move via Amtrak. "It's cheap," she told me.

As we made small talk, we began to hear the sound of the train approaching in the distance. "Please let me help carry something onto the train," I offered. The father looked at the mother, then looked back at me, and said, "Okay. You can carry the baby." So he lifted the largest "baby" I have ever seen out of the stroller and placed him in my arms. "This is RJ," the mom told me. Despite being shocked that the parents asked a stranger to carry their child versus SAY! a piece of luggage, I accepted. RJ was adorable. His little brown eyes looked up at me while his hands became intertwined with my pearl necklace. "RJ, do not break those pearls. I have no money," the mom said as she hoisted two suitcases onto her shoulder. As the train slowly approached, I questioned whether my arms hurt more from carrying this "small child" or from my college bench-pressing days. My colleague, who had been off making phone calls suddenly appeared. "What in the.....," he started to say, "You have to let me take a picture of you," so off he snapped this photo:

Side Note: This picture was sent by my colleague to my work team with the title, "She's coming home a NEW MOM!"

The train eventually approached the station. All of the fellow Amtrak passengers stood back kindly and let the family board first. Mom went first, the little boy second, all seven suitcases followed, then the baby stroller, and then I climbed up the stairs while holding RJ. Upon entering the doors of the train, I looked left, I looked right, and Mom was nowhere to be found. "No way," I thought. "Did they just leave me with their baby?" Panicking, I walked down two cars and eventually found Mom sitting in her seat. "Umm, here is your child," I said and handed RJ off. With great ease and a kind smile, she simply stated, "thank you."

For the next three hours I sat on the train with shaky arms and a smirk. It was nice to be so trusted. I hope the family of four made it to Virginia, and RJ is safely in his Mom's arms.

Life is surprising. What's next?

Reason #66: The Remix

2010-04-19T20:27:00.006-04:00

Take your #1 favorite song. Now take your #2 favorite song. Put them together. GENIUS! Introducing my top three favorite remix conglomerations:

Miley Cyrus's 'Party in the USA' with B.I.G
Side Note: Not recommended for Mom, Dad, or those who utter the words "what is this cr*p?" when the radio station turns to rap.

Jay-Z & Toto Africa Remix

Taylor Swift and Coldplay

Life's a dance. What's next?

Reason #65: The Kind Stranger

2010-04-18T10:06:00.010-04:00

New York City has a reputation for being a fast-paced, high-strung city. You got a problem with that? While New Yorkers don't mind correcting you, they also want to help you. One of my favorite articles in New York Magazine was the Daily Intel article, "Have You Ever Depended On the Kindness of Strangers?"

NYMag asked its readers to write about the times one has experienced random, surprising acts of kindness or generosity from strangers. As I reminisced about the past, a personal (and awkward) encounter with a stranger was worth writing in about....

The Dress Code
While my work day mornings are hectic, they are also very routine. I wake up, work out, jump in the shower, dry my hair, open my closet, try an outfit on, try another outfit on, pack my lunch, head out the door, get on the bus, and walk 0.8 miles to work.

As I was walking to work one summer morning in midtown, a young attractive man tapped me on the shoulder. "Excuse me miss," he said in his British accent. "This may be very awkward, but since no one else has already told you, your dress is unzipped." For a moment I froze. Then I reached my hand to the back of my black Oleg Cassini dress. Sure enough, the back zipper to my dress was completely down. GAH! The guy then proceeded, "I can't believe you have been walking and no one has mentioned anything to you. This may be very awkward, but do you want me to help you zip it up?" Perhaps I was caught up in the moment, but my first reaction was to just turn around. So there, in the middle of midtown, a complete stranger put down his coffee and zipped me up. Red-faced and blushing, I thanked him and off we went our separate ways. Awkward? Yes. Embarrassing? Yes. But also very kind.

Life is Kind. What's Next?

Reason #64: Random Run-Ins

2010-03-29T20:58:00.016-04:00

I am happy to announce that there are more than 63 reasons to live well! One Gillian Reasons is back...

I was sitting at my desk today, providing some clients with some negative feedback, when I realized I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Oncologists, I feel for you. Human resource managers who give the pink slips, I feel for you. New reporters who inform the public of the wars, the crime, the bad economy, I feel for you.

Few jobs have the ability to provide good news all the time, and I certainly am not qualified to be an ice cream truck driver or Lotto Announcer. However, my hobby of blogging has the ability to write about whatever I want.

So here we go, I am going to start documenting all the wonderful things in life I experience daily. Today I can credit random run-ins as a reason we all live well.

RANDOM RUN-IN

There is something magical about running into someone unexpectedly. It is a sudden palpitating rush of joy-shock adrenaline. ..."Is that her? Could it be? Nooo, we could not possibly be at the same place...but yes, it is!" Combined with an outpour of laughter, disbelief, and endorphins.

Today on my way to Bryant Park to meet a friend for lunch, I walked straight into my best friend from college. Emily was visiting from Virginia for work and happened to be walking to a client meeting at the exact time I was entering the park. At the moment I saw this skinny girl with a huge smile, I was grinning from ear to ear and embracing my best friend. What crazy and wonderful timing!

Back when I was a child, my parents decided to go on a family roadtrip, so we all packed into the gray station wagon. Dad was driving, Mom was in the passenger seat, and I was stuck in the middle of the backseat between my sisters, Devon and Heather. While driving on the highway, all of a sudden, my 8 year old sister Devon announces, "hey, isn't that Grandma?" She points to the moving car next to us. Sure enough, there was Grandma riding in a car with a group of nuns on the NJ Turnpike. What crazy and wonderful timing! (Side note: Grandma was not a nun. Just a good, kind-hearted woman who had a variety of friends.)

During college, I went on vacation with my Californian friend, Dustin to Cabo San Lucas. After a day at the beach, we visited the market in search of souveneirs. I entered an art gallery and upon viewing a collection of paintings, I recognized a familiar voice. An old friend? Grandpa? A past flame? Nope, just Leonardo DiCaprio. For a few moments, Leo and I (and ahem, Bar Refaili) gazed at the same piece of art. Pretty sure I overhead him whisper to me, "never let go," but that may have been a result of the joy-shock adrenaline. What crazy and wonderful timing!

Nonetheless, random run-ins are a joyous moment and a sudden burst of excitement worth appreciating in life. Just another reason to live well.

Life is exciting. What's next?

Reason #63: My First Marathon Recap and the Lessons Learned

2009-11-26T07:56:00.006-05:00

It has been one month since I completed my first marathon. The sore muscles have since faded, the lost toe nails are starting to grow back, and I now have a special memory of that day that will be forever etched into my mind. Looking back, the race seems as real today as the day it happened. While the marathon was an accomplishment, it was also quite humbling. I ran my first 13.1 miles right on target to break my goal of four hours, but then hit some setbacks for a finishing time of 4:14. For my own future reference and hopefully to provide motivation to others, below are some lessons and observations I learned along the way of running my first marathon:

The two most important traits I counted on to complete a marathon were discipline and desire. If you are contemplating running a marathon, discipline and desire are the two essential ingredients. You need to 1) be able to make the commitment to train, and 2) have the desire to do it. Speaking from experience, if you do not have a running partner, desire and discipline are the only two things pulling you out of bed at 6am on a Saturday morning for an 18 mile run.

Running a marathon IS Hard. Oh the pain and pleasure of it all! The agony and the ecstasy! One of the most difficult parts about running the distance is the need to concentrate on a single activity for over four hours. Additionally, you will incur physical pain. My quads hurt so badly at the end miles, I had the urge to quit, give up, and throw in the towel, but you will and can get through.

Life Lessons Learned. I have realized there is a deep satisfaction in setting a stretch goal, figuring out how to accomplish it, challenging yourself to find a way to do it, and then making it happen. Running taught me about perseverance, being flexible, balancing life, and was a true confidence-builder.

Anyone Can Run a Marathon. I always thought a typical marathoner was a thin, small framed person with gazelle-like movements. One of my observations during the race was that marathoners come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. At certain parts of the race, I thought “how is she passing me?” and at other times I considered “how am I passing him?” Success had little to do with potential, age or genetics and everything to do with attitude and hard work.

Fellow runner observations: A little man running the whole marathon in a head-to-toe pale blue tuxedo, a man juggling all 26.2 miles, a guy running in bare feet, alpha-males hovered over in pain on the edge of the road, overweight women who will not give up no matter how long it took them to finish, a team of five people completing the marathon the “Galloway” method – walking, running, walking, running(and eventually passing me), and a man who was completing his 100th marathon.

Training is essential. In my three months of training, I ran 344 miles to prepare for the race day. I followed a very structured schedule so I could a) be physically ready to run the distance and b) to mentally be prepared to run the distance. In training, you get accustomed to being uncomfortable on a consistent basis over an extended period of time, but each run you become stronger.

Train on Hills. I read that the Philadelphia marathon course was relatively flat. Therefore, I was naïve and never ONCE ran a hill in training. I trained on the flat waterfront of the Hudson River for three months, assuming that the Philly course would be just as flat. Not running any hills was hands down my biggest training mistake, and my quads certainly paid for it.

Be In Good Company. There is an incredible sense of community that comes from sharing an experience with thousands of others driven by the same aspiration and desire for success. Complete strangers (both runners and spectators) were encouraging, supporting, and helping people along the race. More specifically, I had a lot of support and motivation from my fellow marathoner friends Chrissie, Ashley, and Lauren. My parents, who continue to be my biggest supporters, even turned down a castle wedding in Ireland to come to see my run. You all made the journey so much more pleasant. Thank you!

Have a Positive Attitude. I started to feel the lactic acid pouring into my legs quite earlier than I had anticipated. I ran my first 13.1 miles right on target to accomplish my goal time of breaking 4 hours. However, one hill later, my legs started to burn, and my mind was flooded with reasons to stop. The simple goal of finishing helped pull me through. I also kept thinking of my mother’s pre-race words to just relax and “remember to look around and take it all in.”

Eat and Drink. At moments in the race, I felt like my body was running on empty. My head would start to feel a little woozy, and I would take some Clif Shot Blocks to regain strength and energy. Don’t pass up the fuel!

Don’t Start Out Too Fast. The first few miles I felt great, and I vibed off of the energy of the spectators and the fellow runners. Yet I was told over and over again "do not start out too fast, no matter how great you feel. Running fast early will not give you time in the bank later." Sure enough, I ran the first few miles in the low 8's and my time suffered greatly later.

The Last Half Mile takes all of the pain away. I wish I could bottle up the euphoria, excitement, and the out of body experience I felt the last half mile. After seeing my parents cheering me on, I cranked up my IPOD (Chris Brown’s “Forever”) and ran to the finish line. It was an indescribable high.

You Become Apart of a Great Human Experience. There was something special about 10,000 people all moving in the same direction, both literally and metaphorically. In few places you will see such a diverse group of people all working to their maximum capabilities and passionately exploring their potential to achieve a common goal.

Not to be melodramatic, but running the marathon was a life-changing, mind-altering experience. I pushed through 26.2 miles with more than 10,000 likeminded souls on that day and became a marathoner. It was a gift, a moment of a lifetime, and a cherished memory.

During the race there was emotion, psychological battles, physical pain, barriers broken down, and fears being overcome. Five minutes after finishing the race, I cursed the marathon distance to my sisters and swore I never wanted to run 26.2 ever again. One hour later, I was ready to sign up for the next one. The marathon has changed the way I think, behave, and achieve in all areas of life. It has redefined my standards, expectations, and beliefs. I feel I have become stronger, more courageous, more capable, and have a greater insight into understanding my own potential. It is amazing what we can achieve when we stop talking ourselves into defeat and find a way, rather than an excuse. Never sell yourself short! I only hope and encourage for everyone to explore their boundaries and discover their own versions of accomplishment, validation, and euphoria.

Reason #62: Predicting Your Marathon Race Time

2009-10-26T21:00:00.010-04:00

When I decided to run the marathon, I had just one goal in mind: TO FINISH. After months of training I have reconfigured my goals to 1) wanting to finish, 2) wanting an enjoyable and memorable first marathon experience, and 3) wanting to shoot for a goal time.

Therefore, I completed a little research on marathon prediction methods to try to figure out what type of pace to shoot for on race day. Here is what I found:

Jack Daniel's Tables Jack Daniels a famous running coach provides a table for predicting any common race time given another race time, based on research and statistics. By using standard values for running economy and having performed at least one running distance, a race time can be predicted for another distance. Therefore, you compare a recent race time (ex: half marathon), and from that look to find your projected time for another distance. For instance, my half marathon time of 1:50:48 is comparable to a 3:49:35 marathon or a 7:07 minute mile. Clearly, a longer race will be a better predictor for a marathon time than would be a 1 mile race.

McMillan Running Another marathon predictor is McMillan Running. Like Jack Daniel's table, McMillan takes a previous race time to make predictions. According to McMillan, my 1:50:48 half marathon time is equivalent to a 3:53:41 marathon time or 6:55 one mile. Additionally, the link has a calculator that calculates your Optimal Training Paces (such as optimal pacing times for long runs, tempo runs, recovery runs).

Jeff Galloway's Magic Mile Race Prediction Formula Galloway believes that one measured mile can predict what you could run at longer distances. This assumes that 1) you do the training needed for the distance and time goal, 2) the temperature on race day is 60 degrees or cooler, and 3) you pace yourself correctly. The calculation is simple. Take your one mile time and multiply by 1.3 for marathon pace. Assuming I can run a 6:40 mile, Galloway predicts I can run a 3:47:04 marathon. Riiiight, Jeff.

My Personal Predictions Fortunately, since I have a Garmin 305 wristwatch that tracks my pace and distance, I have an understanding of how I am currently running. See my last Sunday 21 mile breakdown below:

Mile 1: 9:05

Mile 2: 9:16

Mile 3: 9:24

Mile 4: 9:23

Mile 5: 9:19

Mile 6: 9:10

Mile 7: 9:36

Mile 8: 9:34

Mile 9: 9:35

Mile 10: 9:28

Mile 11: 9:39

Mile 12: 9:21

Mile 13: 9:34

Mile 14: 9:29

Mile 15: 9:57

Mile 16: 9:36

Mile 17: 9:26

Mile 18: 9:41

Mile 19: 9:49

Mile 20: 9:15

Mile 21: 9:31

TOTAL MILES: 21
TOTAL TIME: 3:19:24
AVERAGE PACE: 9:29/mi
TOTAL CALORIES BURNED: 2,398

As you can see, my current pace of 9:29 puts me on track for approximately a 4:15 marathon time. Much slower than the experts' predictions above.

Who will be most accurate? November 22 will be the test!

Inspiration Quote
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. Your playing small doesn't serve the world." Marianne Williamson

Reason #61: Not Your Typical Race Day Prep

2009-09-25T20:00:00.007-04:00

After up waking this morning, I decided to write a blog post called "Reason #61: Race Day Prep" as I have a scheduled half marathon tomorrow morning. I intended to write about proper fueling, my race gear, and my goals for the race.

Well, my preparation for tomorrow's half sort of turned into a 17 mile run.

Upon waking this morning, I turned on the Weather Channel only to hear, "Heavy rains coming your way Sunday morning..." Great. Then I checked weather.com to read "Heavy Rain" from 6am-11am on Sunday. Now drizzling and misting doesn't necessarily bother me, but heavy rain? So I went to weather.com's "Fitness Comfort Outcast" and it rated Today as an 8 and Tomorrow as a 1. The rating is on a scale from 1-10. 10 being ideal exercise conditions, and 1 being terrible, "you got to be kidding?" exercise conditions.

I didn't want to wuss out from running the race because of a little rain (and no, rain will not make me melt). So I decided to think of all the reasons to not run the race:

- My running schedule calls for 16 miles, not 13.1.

- Today is an "8" on the Fitness Comfort Outcast! Perfect day for a run!

- Running today = the ability to go out with friends tonight!

- Half marathon only cost $27. As my Dad said, "if you get sick from the rain, your doctor's bill will be less than the cost of the race."

- The thought of waking at 5am, commuting to the start line, and running in puddles did not thrill me.

- If I feel great after my long run today, I will just run both days (this happened to be the deciding factor).

So I laced up my sneakers, put my Garmin 305 watch on, safety pinned some ClifShot Blocks to my shorts, put on some BodyGlide, and off I went.

My goals before my run was 1) to run comfortably, 2) to run 16 miles, and 3) to try to average a 9:30 pace. Here is how it went:

Mile 1: 9:17

Mile 2: 9:04

Mile 3: 8:55

Mile 4: 9:11

Mile 5: 9:08

Mile 6: 9:15

Mile 7: 9:20

Mile 8: 9:31

Mile 9: 9:29

Mile 10: 9:43

Mile 11: 9:11

Mile 12: 9:21

Mile 13: 9:51

Mile 14: 9:10

Mile 15: 9:42

Mile 16: 9:33

Mile 17: 9:24

TOTAL DISTANCE: 17.3 miles

TOTAL TIME: 2:39:08

AVERAGE PACE: 9:21

CALORIES BURNED: 1,974

Overall, it went very well. The run felt much easier than long runs in the past. I did switch a few things up:

- Breakfast consisted of english muffin, peanut butter, grapes, and a cup of coffee. Even though I wrote in a past post that I was giving coffee up before racing, it certainly helped today.

- I ran the first 10 miles without my Ipod. Ran last 7 miles with music.

- I had 3 Clif Shot Blocks and stopped at a water fountain 3 times.

- Body Glide helped - I had no burns or chafing.

- I have been wearing a visor. It helps keep the sun and sweat out of my eyes.

- I had 9+ hours of good sleep last night.

So will I go ahead and run the race tomorrow? Highly unlikely. I always sleep better in the rain...

Reason #60: Tiny Dancer

2009-09-24T22:18:00.003-04:00

Sometimes a good laugh is needed to end the night:

Reason #59: Banana Soft Serve

2009-09-22T21:17:00.007-04:00

Sometimes after a long, hot run, all I want to eat is something delicious and refreshing. While mint chocolate chip ice cream is appealing, I know it is not the best way to refuel. Here is where banana soft serve comes into play.

I came across the simple recipe a few months ago from a fellow blogger, Gena. The title of her post was, "This Post Will Change Your Life." She introduced a treat that was 100% raw, 100% vegan, 100% unprocessed, and 100% delicious. I was a bit skeptical at first, but I decided it was worth a shot.

The recipe is as follows:

Take 2 bananas, unpeel them, freeze them in ziplock bags or in tupperware.

Take the frozen bananas and throw them in your blender/food processor/Magic Bullet.

Add a 1/4 cup of almond milk. I love it with the chocolate almond milk, but regular milk will do just fine. (Gena's recipe doesn't call for the milk, but I think it gives it extra creaminess)

Turn the processor on and let it run for five minutes. You may need to scrape the blade a few times.

Scoop out of processor and enjoy!

After eating this numerous times, I have enjoyed it with some extra additions:

- Fresh raspberries

- Chocolate chips

- Peanut Butter

- Frozen or fresh strawberries

The options are endless. Give it a shot, you'll be amazed at the simplicity and deliciousness of the treat!

Reason #58: I'm in it for the Long Run

2009-09-21T20:40:00.002-04:00

I have officially completed my first three weeks of marathon training. Through a combination of fast runs, long runs, and cross training, I have totaled 88.4 miles in the past 21 days. Below are a few things I have picked up from training thus far:

1) Listen to your body. While I try to follow my training plan as closely as possible, on the days when my legs feel like lead, I rest. On the days when I am in the zone, I go the extra mile.

2) Rest days are essential. Take them.

3) You will have good runs where you think “hey, I can do a marathon” and bad runs where you think “I’m actually paying money to run 26.2 miles?”

4) Do not wear 4 inch heels, dance for four hours, and drink vodka clubs before a planned 16 mile run the next morning.

5) Even though there is no physical contact in the sport of running, you will have to deal with blisters, black toe nails, and chaffing. Be prepared.

6) Energy gels will re-energize you. Clif Shot Blocks are my favorite.

7) Friends will ask what you think about during your long run, and you will have absolutely no idea what crossed your mind for the past 150 minutes.

8) I have now deemed six miles as an easy run. I am hoping I will say that about 13 miles in a few weeks.

9) You will be amazed at the shapes, sizes, and age of your fellow marathoners. It proves that a marathon is possible!

10) All of your extra cash in the training months will go toward fuel belts, visors, and anti-chafing cream. As a result, your fall wardrobe will suffer.

11) Make sure to find enjoyment in running. When running for hours at time, I remind myself that this is all part of the experience. Take it in. Be thankful for the ability to run.

12) Start experimenting early with “pre-race” meals and know what works for you. I have had bad experiences in the past, but lately my go-to meal has been a banana and an English muffin with a little peanut butter. Even though I am a daily coffee drinker, I have avoided it before long runs.

13) Find support. My friend Ashley is running the Chicago marathon on October 11 and has served as inspiration as well as a knowledgeable source of information for training. Running blogs, books, and articles are also helpful.

14) Discipline and desire are probably the two traits I have relied on most thus far, and will continue to rely on to get me to the marathon finish line.

15) Avoid cotton shirts. Wear Dri-Fit or Climax, the fabric won’t weigh you down and will keep you comfortable.

16) Develop a mantra. When you find your mind wandering into negativity, use a mantra to change your mindset. Say it once, and repeat. “One step forward, is one step closer” or “move forward, don’t fail” or my college soccer’s simple mantra of “believe.”

17) Runner's high exists. I have without a doubt experienced a runner’s high. I was on an evening run, running alongside the Hudson River with the vibrant New York City skyline in my sight. I almost felt like I was floating, my legs were weightless, and I was in a state of euphoria. As I glided down the road, taking in the fresh air, I closed my eyes(it seemed appropriate at the time), moments later I tripped over a hose and nearly broke my neck. Why there was a hose in the middle of the road? Who knows, but my high was over.

With three weeks of training completed, and nine more to go, I am excited for the rest of the journey. I'm in it for the long run...

Reason #57: Running my First Marathon - Philadelphia 2009

2009-09-03T19:40:00.008-04:00

I was on my way to the Barclay's Golf Tournament on Sunday when I received a text from my friend Chrissie. It read, "hey! jesse and i are going to do philly marathon nov 22, u interested?" A marathon I thought, 26.2 miles? In less than 3 months? At first I laughed and responded, "there's no way ill be in shape to do that.....but ill think about it." So I thought about it....

At first I kept shaking my head, "no, no, not just yet, next year." Yet as the day went on, the thought of running gnawed at me. What was I scared of? Why not now? I have always wanted to run a marathon; it has sat in the #1 slot on my bucket list just waiting to be crossed off. So I told Chrissie, "let me run tonight, and I will make a decision after." So off I went for a run on the Hudson River. Eleven miles later, I came back a bit sore, but with my mind made up - I was running the marathon.

The thought of completing 26.2 miles at this point seems pretty impossible. Yet I think that is what attracts me to it at the same time. My college roommate use to always ask me, "why would you ever want to run a marathon? Running is miserable." In a way, she had a point. Running was our punishment in soccer. Show up late to practice? Run 10 suicides. Lose a game you should have won? Run 10 laps after the 90 minute game you just played. Get caught "initiating" the freshmen soccer players? Run for an hour holding hands with the rest of the team.

Here is our reenactment at homecoming 2 years later:

Yes, there is the aching, the sweating, the urge in your glycogen depleted muscles to stop moving immediately. However, there is also the thrill of the challenge, the thought of making something impossible be possible, and the strange delight in the thought of being able to cross off your #1 goal on the bucket list.

In the next few months, I plan to gear my blog toward the journey of completing a marathon. Subjects will include training plans, nutrition, gear, tips from past marathoners, and also the joys and challenges of hopefully making the impossible become possible.

"The marathon is a charismatic event. It has everything. It has drama. It has competition. It has camaraderie. It has heroism. Every jogger can't dream of being an Olympic champion, but he can dream of finishing a marathon."
Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon Co-Founder (Also a proud passenger when he received a ride home from my father in Bermuda in 1982, destiny?)

Reason #56: Love Story Meets Viva La Vida

2009-08-16T23:04:00.007-04:00

Sometimes music gives me the chills. Tonight it happened. After an awesome week vacation in Colorado, as tired as I am, I can not stop listening to this song over and over. It is a combination of two of my favorite songs - pop star sensation Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and Coldplay's "Viva La Vida". It is a beautiful instrumental music arrangement with Jon Schmidt on the piano and Steven Nelson on the cello. I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

Reason #55: Uniform Project

2009-07-13T18:05:00.013-04:00

While some people have shoe obsessions, bag obsessions, jeans obsessions, I have a slight dress obsession. While organizing my closet this weekend to add six brand new dresses to the closet (thanks to my fashionista sister and her sample sales), I realized I literally had no room. So instead of donating a few dresses to Goodwill, I reached for the 25% of my closet that is not comprised of dresses (blazers, pants (yes I do own them), shirts) to ship out and make more room for, well, these new dresses.

As I have stated in previous posts, my obsession with dresses is based on the reasoning that 1) it is the simplest outfit to pick out when rolling out of bed in the morning, 2) I think it compliments a girl's figure better than any blouse/suit/pant, and 3) it can easily be dressed up, dressed down, or be taken from day to night. Therefore, my closet is not organized by colors, or by types of clothing, but instead by types of dress:

Long gown(s) - cocktail dress(es)- simple black dress(es) - night out dress(es) - day time dress(es) - cover up(s) - work dress(es) - suit dress(es) -skirt(s)- and then some blazers, pants, shirts squished in the right side of the closet.

As I was fretting over my overwhelming 100+ dress situation and swearing to never ever spend another penny on clothing, I hopped on facebook as a distraction. My other sister had posted a link on her page to theuniformproject.com which more or less set off a light bulb.

The Uniform Project is "an exercise in sustainable fashion." A woman has planned to wear a versatile, multi-season black button down minidress everyday for the next 365 days (she has seven of the same identical dresses for each day of the week). As I manuevered through the site, the same basic dress was adorned in an endless array of styles based on the accessories.

The dress:
The Dress with Accessories:

While I was impressed by the practicality and versatility of her endeavor, I do realize accessories are costly and take up room too. However, you can do a lot with just one perfect dress.

The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akansha Foundation's School Project, which pays for unifroms and other education expenses for children living in India's slums.

Reason #54: Green Smoothies

2009-06-20T21:35:00.009-04:00

Now that the weather is warmer, the last thing I want to have for breakfast is oatmeal, but what else can be as delicious, healthy, and satisfying? Therefore, for the last month I have been experimenting with different breakfast options - sometimes cereal, a banana and peanut butter, cottage cheese and fruit, and lately green smoothies.

Throughout the health blogsphere, "green monsters" have become popularized and glorified. Green smoothies include a mix of fruit, milk, and leafy greens to provide a nutrient-dense drink. Greens pack a powerful nutrient punch with iron, folic acid, fiber, calcium, magnesium, bioflavenoids, carotenoids, and Vitamins A, C, E, and K. I recommend making your smoothies 60% fruit: 40% vegetables. The fruit will therefore dominate the flavor, yet the greens will balance out the sweetness of the fruit. Other add-ins include ground flaxseeds, cinnamon, ginger, garlic (best with citrus), hemp or whey protein powder, or even cayenne pepper.

Aside from being delicious, the smoothies have numerous health benefits:

- Very nutritious and an easy way to get vegetables into your diet.

- Easy to digest. When blended well, most of the cells in the greens and fruits are ruptured, making the valuable nutrients easy for the body to assimilate.

- Green smoothies as oppose to juices still contain fiber

After two-three weeks of experimenting with the smoothies, my favorite recipes are below:

Green Monster (I start most morning off with this concoction)
1 Banana
2 cups of spinach
1/2 cup of raw pumpkin
3 tbsp. hemp protein
3/4 c of almond milk
ice

* When using pumpkin in your smoothies, I suggest getting a large can of raw pumpkin. Fill the ice cube tray with the pumpkin, freeze, break tray into ice "pumpkin" cubes, place cubes into plastic bags and keep in freezer. Add 2-3 cubes to smoothies in the morning.

** Pumpkin and the banana will give the smoothie a thicker consistency which I prefer.

*** If you want a colder drink, freeze the pumpkin and the banana (first unpeel it!) in a plastic bag.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
1 banana
1/2 c of raw pumpkin
3/4 c of almond milk
nutmeg
cinnamon
2 cups of spinach

Strawberry Banana
1 Banana
3 Large Strawberries
2 tbsp vanilla whey protein
3/4 c of almond milk
2 cups of spinach
ice

Yum! Shake
1 banana
3/4 c of unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1 tbsp peanut butter
3 tbsp of hemp protein (Nutiva chocolate flavor)
2 cups of spinach

My advice for starting out on smoothies:

Keep it very simple starting out. Make a smoothie you know you enjoy (banana and strawberries) and add a small handful of spinach or a bit of collards, chard or romaine. Certain greens have a much stronger taste than others. Spinach, bok choy, and collards have a more neutral taste than kale.

I know many people who may "gag" at the thought of drinking the greens, but I have gotten so many of my coworkers hooked! All I ask is to give it a try!

In the past I have used a regular blender, but for my birthday, my parents bought me the "Magic Bullet" to make even more delicious and perfectly portioned smoothies. Please share your favorite recipes or your own personal experience with the "green monster."

Reason #53: Sound Advice

2009-06-15T21:52:00.013-04:00

I received emails this morning stating "hello - what happened to your blog posts" and "I hope you have just been busy at work and have not reached your limit of 52 reasons to live well." Apparently, life has got in the way, and Ive been neglecting my blog. In the past two weeks, I have had numerous exciting events (a golf and tennis outing, JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge, a surprise birthday party), and a lot of not so exciting events (work deadlines galore). All the events, both good and bad, have put my blog on the backburner. I had all intentions on writing a post about the dangers of "high fructose corn syrup", but considering 50% of my diet this week has contained delicious birthday cake and Crumbs cupcakes, I did not think it was the appropriate time.

However, I recently read an article in the NY Times that has stuck in my mind. I have read the article a few times over, sent it to friends, and I wanted to share it further. The article is "Advice for High School Graduates" and is a written blog conversation between two NY Times columnists.

David Brooks: Gail, 30 years ago this week, I graduated from Radnor High School in Pennsylvania. Today, I’m giving some remarks to the students of this year’s graduating class.
This honor has sparked a condition that is unacceptable to people in our profession: writer’s block. I have been trying to think of some wisdom I have acquired over the past three decades, and I’m drawing a blank.

I used to believe life got better as you got older, but now I realize this is untrue. I could mention to them that high school mediocrity is no impediment to leading a happy life. I was an extraordinarily mediocre student. I did not graduate in the top third of my high school class. I submitted nine pieces to my high school literary magazine during the course of my years there and they were all rightly rejected. But I don’t think this message would go over well with the current faculty, or with the younger brothers and sisters in the audience — or at least their parents.

At the moment, I’m thinking of talking about the chief way our society is messed up. That is to say, it is structured to distract people from the decisions that have a huge impact on happiness in order to focus attention on the decisions that have a marginal impact on happiness.

The most important decision any of us make is who we marry. Yet there are no courses on how to choose a spouse. There’s no graduate department in spouse selection studies. Institutions of higher learning devote more resources to semiotics than love.

The most important talent any person can possess is the ability to make and keep friends. And yet here too there is no curriculum for this.

The most important skill a person can possess is the ability to control one’s impulses. Here too, we’re pretty much on our own.

What young people really need is a lesson in how to choose a spouse and how to make and keep friends.

These are all things with a provable relationship to human happiness. Instead, society is busy preparing us for all the decisions that have a marginal effect on human happiness. There are guidance offices to help people in the monumental task of selecting a college. There are business schools offering lavish career placement services. There is a vast media apparatus offering minute advice on how to furnish your home or expand your deck.

To get information on private affairs, you have to go down-market to Oprah or Dr. Phil. Why are they the ones who have access to information on meeting life’s vital needs? I think I know why this situation came about. Men. Because of our habitual flight from intimacy, we men have spent thousands of years structuring elite public discourse so more attention is paid to the World Trade Organization than the parts of life that really matter.

People like me are the problem. I should not be allowed to talk to young people on any momentous occasion. Therefore, I throw myself at your feet seeking wisdom I can share.

Gail Collins: David, we are coming at this discussion from opposite perspectives, since I went to a high school that was run by nuns. I did not feel the least bit shortchanged when it came to instruction about impulse control. Really, we often went for weeks without talking about anything else.

I know you want your audience to come away inspired and optimistic. (Also, not part of my high school experience. Our speakers were given to saying things like: “One of you here will be the first to die. Just think about that.”) So although I would personally love to have you acknowledge that the world has gone totally awry because men set the curriculum, I’m going to graciously let that one pass.

Do me a favor, assure the graduates that there’s good education to be had in a multitude of places, many far from the Ivy League.

Any school that produced David Brooks has got to be doing something right. And I think you’ve misinterpreted the story of your high school mediocrity. Especially the part about submitting nine rejected stories to the literary magazine. Wouldn’t most kids have quit after one or two? If there was any faculty member keeping an eye on you, I bet she said to herself: “David is impervious to discouragement. He will either become a great writer or a compulsive gambler.”
But do you think you could assure the graduates that there’s good education to be had in a multitude of places, many far from the Ivy League? I’m really disturbed by having a Supreme Court made up entirely of people who went to Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Columbia. (O.K., John Paul Stevens went to Northwestern. This was so long ago that it’s possible he did it on the advice of Abraham Lincoln.)

Judging people by the college they went to is almost as bad as judging them by their family tree. It’s the dictatorship of the U.S. News & World Report ranking list.

It is true that the fancier your alma mater, the more famous people you will know when you’re 45. You, however, will not necessarily be one of those famous people yourself. You could very easily wind up being the deputy assistant to a person who graduated 40th in her class at Wichita Tech.

This obsession with picking the right college is the way people who could have gotten a scholarship to a state school find themselves graduating from Nifty University with $100,000 in student loans. Tell the students that the only two things certain as they move out into the world are that the future is unknowable and the loan payments unavoidable.

And don’t forget that reminder about sunscreen. More important than ever in this age of global warming.

Now that I turned 25 (today!) and have a quarter of a century of wisdom, my first piece of advice for high schoolers would be to not take yourself too seriously. Everything that is stressing you out will NOT matter in 5 year let alone 15. I remember deadlines, projects, papers, and soccer games causing my stress levels to soar. The study abroad trips, the nights out with my friends, the Hurricane Katrina relief are far more memorable moments in college then my Business Management final exam. While I do not regret the hard work, I wish I had realized the miniscule impact it had on my life. Secondly, after reunions with my best friends from college and observations in the working world, I find that people desire different things. Some desire money, family, love, power, helping others, etc. The key seems to be figuring out what you really want, focus on passion over strengths, be conscious of the trade-offs you are making, and then to go for it with all your heart.

Reason #52: New York City Marathon Lottery

2009-06-03T19:29:00.005-04:00

Did you sign up for the New York City Marathon through the lottery? If so, tomorrow is the day you can find out if you were chosen. The New York Road Runners held the drawing today, and applicants can check their status online on Thursday at noon to see if they are in or out. All applicants will also be notified via email on Friday.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the New York City Marathon. For the second consecutive year, the marathon has attracted more than 100,000 applicants for the five-borough race on November 1. Apparently, you have to be real lucky to win a lottery slot. In 2008, 57,000 people entered the lottery, but only 5,600 were accepted. Once again, New York proves to be an ultra-competitive city. New York Times writer Liz Robbins says, "I always joke that it's easier to get into Harvard than the New York City Marathon." However, this year will be the largest group of runners to date closing at approximately 50,000 participants. Perhaps the increased size of the race could mean an increase in the odds of entry via the marathon lottery?

Im crossing my fingers. I will let you know the results tomorrow!

Reason #51: Going Organic and the Dirty Dozen

2009-05-28T18:12:00.005-04:00

Fresh produce is a staple in my diet. This weekend I bought pears, green apples, red grapes, spinach, cucumbers, green peppers, carrots, avocado, and corn on the cob for the week ahead. I have been eating it all up, but as I bit into my shiny apple (yes shiny, in an unnatural shiny way) this afternoon, I could not help to think is it time to switch over to organic? There are numerous reasons people eat organic food:

1. Healthier – no insecticides, herbicides, fumigants, fungicides, or miticides that have been used to treat the plants in organic food.

2. Better for the Earth – no pesticides means healthier soil, water, and wildlife.

3. Supports local farmers - The US Department of Agriculture estimates that 50% of all farm products come from only 1% of the farms. It's also estimated that the United States has lost more than 650,000 family farms in the past decade. Buying local, organic products keeps local farmers in business and small communities alive.

4. Tastes better

I confess, I have always chosen my fruits and vegetables based on prices, and in the past have glimpsed over the organic produce due to the higher expense. My rationale was to just wash my produce thoroughly and it would be just as good, right?

Wrong. The “healthy foods” I think I am eating are the same foods that are artificially, chemically, synthetically, and genetically produced and contain dangerous chemicals that can cause serious harm to my body. Which leaves me with the dilemma a) stop eating produce, b) continue to eat produce, or c) eat organic.

Organic food is food from plants and animals that is produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, artificial pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, growth hormones, feed additives or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization have developed the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables, that you should always buy organic.

Fruit: Apples, Cherries,Grapes, imported (Chili), Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Raspberries, Strawberries

Vegetables: Bell peppers, Celery, Potatoes, Spinach

Fruits that do not need to be organic include: Bananas, Kiwi, Mangos, Papaya, Pineapples

Vegetables: Asparagus, Avocado, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Onions

An EWG simulation of thousands of consumers eating high and low pesticide diets shows that people can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead… soft-skinned fruits and veggies, like peaches, apples and bell peppers, retain the most amount of pesticides. Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled).

Based on the information I found, I am going to make a conscientious effort to buy all dirty dozen fruits and vegetables organically. Personally, ingesting the pesticides is not worth the risk and the pros far outweigh the cons. The remaining produce such as bananas and avocado I will buy regularly. Here are ways buying organic food can remain somewhat affordable:

1. Comparison shop in local grocery stores.

2. Take advantage of local farmers' markets: Many farmers do not charge a premium.

How can you protect yourself from “non-organic” pesticides:

-Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season. When long storage and long-distance shipping are not required, fewer pesticides are used.

-Trim tops and the very outer portions of celery, lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy vegetables that may contain the bulk of pesticide residues.

-Peel and cook when appropriate, even though some nutrients and fiber are lost in the process.

-Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This would limit exposure to any one type of pesticide residue.

-Purchase only fruits and vegetables that are subject to USDA regulations. Produce imported from other countries is not grown under the same regulations as enforced by the USDA. Examples are strawberries and cantaloupes from Mexico.

-Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. When appropriate, scrub with a brush. Experts at the University of California-Berkeley report that this removes nearly all insects and dirt, as well as bacteria and some pesticide residues.

-Special soaps or washes are not needed and could be harmful to you, depending on their ingredients. Read the label! Cold water is perfectly fine.

I will report back on my future organic shopping experience. Do you buy organic?

Reason #50: My Summer Drink of 2009

2009-05-26T19:23:00.010-04:00

Summer has begun! Memorial Day weekend at the Jersey Shore was a great time. We fortunately had beautiful weather, and we got to spend a lot of time out in the sunshine. Here is the house we rented out just two blocks from the beach....

And here are the roommates out:

While I love to socialize and go out, I am not much of a drinker (go figure, I am the only one with a drink in my hand above). I like the occasional glass of wine, or a gin and tonic on a hot day, but overall I am content with resorting to ice water. This weekend our fridge was stocked with options: Twisted Teas, Corona Lights, Champagne, Tonic Water, but I was in search of something else - a drink I could really enjoy, and I think I found it.

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka (Disclaimer: I went to school in North Carolina, and this drink is made for ~~y'all~~ my college friends)

Seriously this drink is amazing. The vodka is infused with tea leaves grown on a South Carolina plantation less than 5 miles from the distillery.

What does one mix with sweet tea flavored vodka?

I had it two ways:

Heavenly way: One part lemonade and one part Firefly vodka. That simple!

Original and Healthier way: 1 part Firefly Vodka, 1 part water, lemon to taste.

Depending on your desired sweetness level, use water or lemonade. My favorite way was to actually add the vodka, water, a splash of lemonade, and a lemon. I searched the firefly website for some nutritional information. I was counting on this drink to be "healthy," just tea, vodka, and water, but in actuality the vodka is made with real tea and real sugar. The ingredients are not listed because of recipe is secret. For 1.5 fluid ounces, there are 6.6g of sugar, and 110 calories. Clearly not the best nutrition facts, but the drink is good within moderation : )

Other flavored vodkas Firefly has are: raspberry tea, peach tea, mint tea, lemon tea, muscadine wine, and straight vodka. I tried the mint tea with water which tastes just like a mojito. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Also be sure to check out Melissa's blog at fitnessnyc where you can enter to win a chance at a FREE Blueprint Cleanse, and HangryPants to enter to win Element bars.

Reason #49: The Jersey Shore

2009-05-19T21:01:00.019-04:00

I clearly remember last Memorial Day Weekend when I received a phone call from my father on Sunday morning. I was spending my very first weekend in my shore house; a house that nine other girls and I rented out for the summer down at the Jersey shore. When my dad called I was half-asleep, had a hoarse voice, and was beginning to realize I was not in college anymore as I chugged water and Advil.

Me (scratchy voice, eyes half open, head on pillow): Hello?
Dad: Hey Gill!
Me: Oh hey, Dad.
Dad: Did you check out the paper this morning?
Me: Nope. I am not out of bed yet.
Dad: Oh...well, I think you are on the front cover.
Me (eyes open, head lifted): WHAT!?!
Dad: Oh so then you didn't see the camera man take the picture?
Me: Wait, what? I am on the cover. What is it of? ...million thoughts rushing through my mind
Dad: You are on the beach in your bathing suit with your friends.
Me (standing up): GAH! WHAT!

Five minutes, 2 blisters, 50 cents later, I had the New Jersey Star Ledger in my hand at the local 7-11. The caption read "Let the Summer Begin" and pictured was this:

If you glance through the 3,435,453 people laying down at the beach, I’m the pasty white one, sitting in chair, lounging with my hands behind my head....and yes, I’m in a bathing suit...along with the 3,435,452 others.

The picture was proudly hung on our house’s fridge and we still reminisce about our “photo shoot” on the first weekend. The picture was just a prelude to the carefree, fun summer ahead. While our weekdays were spent in the office, our weekend days were spent on the beach and weekend nights were spent sun-kissed and singing along to Bon Jovi at the bar.

I am eagerly awaiting what is in store for Jersey Shore Summer 2009. Once again, ten friends and I are renting out a shore house from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day weekend. Each weekend we will join the retreat of teachers, lawyers, bankers, and young professionals fleeing their city apartments and heading to their shore houses. The plan is simple – there is none. It is time to enjoy drinks with friends, relax in the sun on the beach, and have no schedule to follow.

As I stated above, for the most part, I will be surrounded with other young professionals. I know what a lot of people think about the “Joisey shore” – it is filled with wifebeater wearing, gelled hair kids that pump their fist in the air while listening to “Every Time we Touch” by Cascada. Take for instance the new show on E!, Jersey Shore Unleashed that portrays twelve crates of hair gel going to the hottest club east of the Garden State Parkway. The show characters even claim “we don’t pump gas, we pump fists.” Oy vey, Jersey always seems to get the bad rep. Real Housewives of New Jersey anyone?

While day time drinking, night time drinking, sun tanning, late night pizza, and little sleep may not be the formula for healthy living - socialization, balance and relaxation is key to a happy life! Here's to the summer ahead!

Reason #48: Mother's Day Brunch

2009-05-16T08:45:00.015-04:00

Since I was in South Carolina with my girlfriends last weekend, and my parents were vacationing at the beach, we celebrated Mother's Day one week later. My sister and I decided to celebrate Mother's Day with a brunch full of all of our mother's favorite foods. Below is our menu with the chosen recipes:

Brunch Menu
Smoked Salmon, Dill & Cream Cheese Frittata
Sweet Potato Hash
Avocado & Tomato Salad
French Toast
Peanut Butter and Carmelized Banana Paninis

Smoked Salmon, Dill and Cream Cheese Frittata
serves 6
Adapted from Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006

1 1/2 cup egg substitute (or 6 eggs, beaten)
salt and pepper
4 oz smoked salmon, chopped or fork shredded
8oz of cream cheese OR 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Additional add-in options include: red onion, avocado, potatoes, red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium.

In a large bowl, stir together the egg substitute (or eggs), salt, pepper, smoked salmon, goat cheese and dill until well combined. If you are using cream cheese instead of goat cheese, spoon small balls of cream cheese out of the container and fold into the mixture.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and swirl around to coat all the sides. Pour in the egg mixture and cook without stirring until the bottom is set, but the top is still loose.

Place the pan into the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the stop is set. No need to let it brown — you just want it firm.

Serve hot.

Sweet Potato Hash:
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Thyme

1. Peel sweet potatoes and chop into small cubes. Coat potatoes with olive oil and place in oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and fry red onions over medium high heat until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sweet potatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through and crispy. Add thyme.

Serves 4.

Avocado and Tomato Salad3 large tomatoes, chopped
3 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing or red wine vinegar

In a large serving bowl, toss together the tomatoes, avocados and red onion. Dust lightly with black pepper, and drizzle desired amount of vinaigrette over salad . Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving to blend flavors.

Peanut Butter and Carmelized Banana Panini
Serves 4
Peanut Butter
3 bananas, slightly green, not quite ripe, sliced crosswise into 1/4″ slices
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
dash of cinnamon
8 slices good-quality white bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Place a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, sizzle one tablespoon of butter in the pan for a few seconds, then add bananas. Allow bananas to brown for about 30 seconds without stirring or moving them. Use a heat-proof spatula to turn bananas over, then add brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining tablespoon of butter. Shaking pan to keep bananas moving, cook about one minute more, until sugar is melted and bananas are caramelized, but still solid. Remove from heat.

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat (375 degrees).

For each sandwich: Brush melted butter onto the outer sides of two slices of bread and spread a generous amount of peanutbutter on the inner sides. Arrange a single layer of caramelized bananas on one of the slices of bread and close the sandwich with the other slice. Grill 2-3 minutes until the bread is toasted and golden grill marks appear. Serve immediately - with a tall glass of cold milk - and enjoy!

My sister also made raisin bread french toast - so delicious!
Brunch was a hit and everything was devoured. My mom's only request was for brunch to be a annual tradition! Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Reason #47: Biggest Loser Finale

2009-05-12T20:49:00.014-04:00

There are two "must-haves" when watching the Biggest Loser finale – tissues and DVR. The tissues are necessary for 1) the contestants’ amazing transformations and 2) any Max Morelli appearances (who isn’t rooting for him to be the next contestant!) The DVR is necessary to fast forward through the endless commercials and numerous product placements throughout the show (Biggest Loser protein powder anyone?). NBC devoted not two, but three hours to the season finale, which was just another way of dragging out the longest season ever. Yet it seemed at the end of the three hours they almost ran out of time - the winner was announced with 30 seconds left and commercials came on before we got a real reaction from the winner and runner-ups. So dramatic, here is a finale recap:

The show started off with Mike being chosen by America as the third contestant to compete for the $250,000 prize. Mike came out looking very trim in a tight blue striped shirt and sporting an adorable and glowing smile. Mike was a sweetheart throughout the show, and America made the right choice to vote for him.

America then got introduced to two potential contestants for next season - Erinn, a Ohio State University senior and Amanda, a 19 year old from Butler, New Jersey. During the show, they were brought for a grueling work out with Bob and Jillian in the gym. America voted for Amanda to be chosen as the next season's contestant.

The eliminated contestants then came out to compete for $100,000. The most remarkable couple was the oldest couple, Estella and Jerry. Estella came out and it appears to have spit in her hand and then blown the audience a kiss; she lost 83 pounds (34.3%). Jerry, 64 years old came out in a vest, flexed, and threw up his arms in delight. My last memory of him was from the first episode when he dropped to the ground in the gym. When Allison asked if he recognized himself, Jerry replied, "He's gone, he's gone. I'm here!" Jerry's waist size went from 62 inches to 39 inches. He lost fat and gained muscle, got rid of all of his diseases, is now off all medicine, and lost an amazing 177 pounds (47.97%).

Carla(who lost 128 pounds)and Joelle(who lost 80 pounds) came out thinner and holding hands - clearly they had made up. Filipe (lost 135 pounds) and Sione (lost 146 pounds) are now giving exercise and nutrition classes to their culture which had frowned upon being thin.

I was excited to see Dane and Blaine come out as Laura from Absolut(ly)fit ran the Country Music marathon alongside the both of them and blogged about it. See her experience here. Dane and Blaine finished a half marathon and half iron man on top of the full marathon in the last three weeks before the finale. Blaine lost 116 pounds and Dane lost 154 pounds. Talk about a transformation!

Kristin came out looking like a Pink look-a-like with blonde spikey pixie cut and a weight loss of 167 pounds(46.39%). Daniel, the heaviest contestant ever who started out at 454 pounds lost 142 pounds. David, his partner lost 43 pounds. Jerry, possibly the biggest underdog, ended up winning the $100,000 - who would have thought!

The three final contestants then came out. Helen looked astonishingly thin, while Tara and Mike both looked healthy and glowing. Mike lost 207 pounds for a total percent of weight loss of 53.35%. Tara weighed in at 139 lbs, just six pounds shy of being crowned the Biggest Loser. Helen lost 140 pounds and received $250,000 in the final weigh-in and bragging rights as the biggest loser.

Helen, a 48-year old retired retail manager from Sterling Heights, MI, claimed during her time home she claimed she lifted tires, ran up and down stadium stairs, and trained like a wrestler to whittle herself down to 117 pounds for the final weigh-in.

While her weight loss of 54.47% is incredible, Helen received a lot of criticism from viewers. Early into the show, she chose her daughter to go home and kept herself on the ranch instead. As seen in the finale, Shannon sported a grin throughout, but still had weight to lose (she lost 92 pounds and weighed in at 191 pounds).

I was shocked on Helen's weight loss, and I had thought Mike or Tara would have taken home the prize. All in all, once again the transformations were amazing and inspirational.

I have received a few questions from readers about the show, so here are your questions answered:

Question: Will Max be on the next show?

Bob Harper claims he has been doing everything in his power to get Max onto the next season. Max is 17 years old and over 400 lbs. The one problem is with legal issues on the show, you can not have someone under the age of 18 more than 10 hours on a set.

Question: What is Tara's story? Tara Costa is a 5’9, 24-year old, former plus size model from Bethpage, New York. Tara became a plus size model at 13, and after gaining weight was dropped from the modeling agency. She graduated from NYU and started her career in a financial firm that was demanding and required long hours. Her weight escalated in her demanding job, and after watching season 5 of the show, she was determined to sign up for the show. Since arriving at the ranch her total loss is 135 pounds. Tara was a consistent and top competitor throughout the season. She has lost the most weight out of any female contestant, won almost all of the challenges, never fell below the yellow line, and showed determination throughout the whole competition.

What is her workout at home? Morning jogs five to six miles six days a week, three to four spinning classes a week, lifting weights

What is her diet? Tara claims in an interview that her diet is balanced, with plenty of protein and leafy greens, plus three to four liters of water a day. For breakfast she has Ezekiel raisin toast, three egg whites and one egg with mixed peppers and a sprinkling of cheese, two slices of turkey bacon and a cup of tea. She has a 150-200 calorie snack of trail mix in the early afternoon, and then a "huge" salad with some type of protein, veggies and miso-Caesar dressing for lunch. In the afternoon she drinks a protein shake with almond milk, protein powder and strawberries. For dinner she has fish -- orange ruffie, tilapia or salmon -- with a large portion of vegetables, often broccoli or green beans.

Reason #46: Guest Post - Blueprint Cleanse Review

2009-05-05T21:26:00.015-04:00

When the warm weather hits New York City, I can always count on my friend Chrissie to meet me for lunch in Bryant Park. We sit at a table (if we can find one!), eat lunch, and gab about life for a treasured 45 minutes. Every time I see Chrissie she tells me of her latest travel (she has gone to Scotland, Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, the Democratic National Convention, and Cayman Islands in just the past six or so months), however, last lunch she was telling me about the Blueprint cleanse she went on. Of course, I was excited to hear all the details, and I immediately asked her to write a review for the blog. Happy and cheerful, like always, she agreed.

So ladies and gentlemen, here is Chrissie's review of the Blueprint cleanse:

With summer quickly approaching, I’ve been trying to motivate myself to do my usual “get in shape in 2 months” routine. Ever since I gained that freshman 15 (which increased over the years), each summer I work my butt of at the gym, eat extremely healthy and lose the weight. It’s a vicious cycle – why can’t I just be healthy all year around and not have to suffer a strict routine of the gym 6 days a week and a diet mainly consisting of salads.

After another one of my Scotland trips last year where I inevitably gain 5-8 pounds, I decided I really needed something to make me feel better. I had read about the Blueprint Cleanse in New York Mag and after an unsuccessful attempt at Master Cleanse (lasted one day – who wants to drink lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 7-10 days on top of taking a laxative each day? No thanks), I decided I would give this Blueprint Cleanse a try. Day 1 was absolutely horrible. It wasn’t because I was hungry, but more because the “green drink” was unbearable. But by the second day, perhaps because my body realized this was the only nourishment it was going to get, I embraced the green drink and gulped it down. It actually tasted good to me! In the end, I had lost the 5 pounds I had gained in Scotland after three days of the cleanse. What’s more is that I stayed motivated to eat healthy after and lost another 15lbs over the next 2 months. In the end however, I decided that while the cleanse was good, I did not think it was worth 200 dollars and wouldn’t do it again.

Fast-forward to the present – I gained all of the weight back (surprise, surprise) but am determined to get it off by July. After receiving a 25% discount off the hefty price tag and with a trip to Grand Cayman a week away, I took the plunge, convinced two colleagues to join me and ordered the drinks.

The cleanse is meant to get rid of your “body of impurities, regain an alkaline balance and normalize digestion and metabolism”. I’m not exactly sure how having just juice for three days and ingesting about 1000 calories helps you normalize metabolism but that wasn’t one of my priorities anyway. To start the cleanse, you can pick from three different levels: Renovation, Foundation and Excavation. From what I can tell, each level differs in terms of calorie intake, nutrients and sugar. I chose to go with the Foundation (the same one I did one year earlier). Each day, you drink a total of 6 drinks. I like to space them out and drink them every two hours starting at 9am. In between, you should drink at least 8 ounces of water. Glad I sit next to the bathroom!

The drinks arrived on Sunday night with each day’s nourishment neatly organized in handy lime green soft cooler. Each drink was numbered in the order you should drink it. In the days leading up to the cleanse, they advise you to cut out things like dairy and meat and focus on veggies and fruits. On Saturday, I followed the rules but on Sunday couldn’t resist when my boyfriend was ordering from our local fav, Max. I had a gigantic chicken cutlet and several oatmeal cookies with milk. Oops.

Day 1 – I started the day with warm water as the cleanse advises to “get things moving”. I then went on to my first green drink (spinach, romaine, green apple, celery) of the day. It tasted fine to me which was a relief. My colleagues on the other hand were suffering. One was threatening to quit and the other was convinced she was getting skin eruptions (one of the uncommon side effects). She wasn’t, she was just paranoid and looking for excuses! The second drink, one of my favorites is made with pineapple and mint. Following that, the green drink, a lemon drink, the green drink and a finally, a welcome treat which I like to call “the milkshake” before going to bed. This time, the lack of caffeine was killing me. I thought I could work out but that was impossible. After work I went right home and went to bed. At 7pm.

Day 2 – I feel really good, no headaches from lack of caffeine, more energy. I had lost 2.5 pounds and was able to stay up past 10 pm.

Day 3 – Final day! I had lost 4 pounds and felt good. I did have semi-extreme hunger pangs when I wasn’t drinking the juice, which hadn’t happened up until now.

Day 4 – First day off the cleanse. Lost a total of 5.5 pounds. I started the day with my colleagues “milk shake” after she had given up. I wasn’t hungry at all. For lunch, I had a salad with chicken and for dinner soup with a piece of bread. I didn’t have one coffee all day! I thought that would be the first thing I ran back to but here I am 5 days later and not needing an ounce of coffee.

People ask me all the time if I recommend the Blueprint Cleanse and I will say that it depends on what you are looking for it to do. If you are looking for a motivation to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle then I say yes. The pounds that come off may just be water weight, but if you like how you feel afterwards and don’t crave all those bad things, then I say it is worth it.

However, I think the price is absolutely ridiculous and I know I could have lost this weight myself from drinking my own smoothies. Also, the two creators of this, what exactly do they know about nutrition? One is a PR girl (hence all the good press) and the second one obtained her Certified Nutritional Consultant degree in Puerto Rico (which is different from a Registered Dietician in the sense that CNCs take a holistic approach while RDs work closely with doctors and stick to western medicine guidelines). Sounds suspicious to me. I have similar cynical feelings towards the writers of Skinny Bitch.

But for me, motivation is everything. I obviously would not cheat on something I just dropped 200 dollars on!

That said, if you don’t feel like spending the money for three days of juice you can apparently buy similar drinks at whole foods or at your local juice store. It all depends on if you have the willpower to create your own structure.

Chrissie and are now in discussions to create our own juice creations, and I am sure you will see future recipes for smoothies to come. Thanks so much for the great review Chrissie!

FYI, until next Monday I will be away from the blogosphere. Tonight is dinner and drinks with my out-of-town friends at CRISPO, and then Thursday I am flying out to South Carolina for the annual girls' lakehouse weekend!

Will it live up to 2008?

Reason #45: Long Branch Half Marathon

2009-05-04T19:49:00.015-04:00

The Long Branch half marathon was a success! It was quite an adventure, and to say the least, I am so thankful it is done. I went into the race hoping to break a 2:00 time, and I ended up finishing at 1:50:48 (chip time). My boyfriend beat his previous PR as well and ~~smoked~~ finished before me. He took an unorthodox approach in training this year by doing minimal running and a lot of Crossfit training - apparently it worked! The weather was in the upper 50s, with very little wind, and a moderate amount of humidity. It rained the whole time, which at times was refreshing, and at other times made me feel like a wet dog.

At 7:20am we moved toward the starting line on the boardwalk along with the other 8,000 runners for the intended 7:30am start. It was quite packed, and we stood there for an extra 30 minutes due to a race delay. Eventually the final countdown began, 5-4-3-2-1, and off we trotted. The roads were mobbed for the first 3 miles. I was weaving in and out of people, running on the sidewalks, and not until mile 4 or so did I find a comfortable, steady pace. For anyone running their first half marathon, it is important to keep your eyes focused on where you are stepping. It is so crowded it is very possible to step on someone, trip someone, or fall over curbs. The first mile is especially crowded, and you will not be able to run as fast as you would like to run. The picture below is at mile 5 which was much more spacious than the previous miles. Im sporting the blue long sleeves (or you may recognize me as the only female in the picture).The best part of running the race was the adrenaline rush that comes with the spectators’ cheers and the enthusiasm from other runners. There was music, flags, signs, and high-fives from spectators aligning the roadway, and it was an easy and enjoyable run throughout downtown Long Branch. I was feeling good until miles 9 and 10 of the race when the incline started to increase and the sidelines became quiet. Oddly enough, when I am running, my legs rarely ache or I feel out of breath. Instead, I always get awful stomach pain and nausea when I feel myself pushing too hard. So I started to ease off a bit and maintain a slower, steadier pace at mile 9. I was forcing myself to keep hydrated, and I drank water at 3 stations, sipped Gatorade at two, yet passed on the pretzels and candy at the Mile 10 or so station. Do some runners really chow down on M&Ms and soda during the run? I kept telling myself at mile 11, I would increase my speed, but once I reached that point, the kick I was so hoping for was not there. When I eventually made it to the ocean promenade (warning for future LB racers: the promenade is longer than you think), I paced myself until I saw my mom and dad cheering for me by the Pier Village. I gave them a thumbs up (geek moment on my part) and started to sprint to the finish line, and just when I thought I was done, I realized I had a final .1 left. I pushed myself over the finish line in exhaustion and happily accepted my medal and hat (check out the pic below).
Unfortunately, the next 1.5 hours I felt pretty terrible with nausea. Unfortunately, this is a reoccurring side effect after I push myself hard. I have no idea the cause – not enough sodium, imbalance of electrolytes, not enough carbs, dehydration? Any dieticians out there? Perhaps coffee, Cheerios, and a banana is not the breakfast of champions?

Overall, the race went well, and I am happy with my results. Today I feel pretty good - the only soreness I have is minimal aches in my quads. I remember last year I was so excited to run the next race, “sign me up for another half! Heck, why not make it a full marathon!” While this time around I am saying “did I really pay to run a 13.1 mile race? How in the world do people run twice that?” Perhaps in a few days I will want to run the next one, but for now the couch is looking mighty inviting.

PROS: The race was marked very well. The volunteers and fans were great and the fluid stations were plentiful. The course is flat and the scenery is beautiful at points along the run.

CONS:
My boyfriend and I drove down to Long Branch on Saturday afternoon to pick up our chip, t-shirt, and bags. While we quickly picked up our chip and t-shirts, we waited and waited for the bags. We were told to wait 5 minutes, then after 45 minutes, we were told it would be another 30 minutes. After traveling one hour to pick up the bags, we were so disappointed we would have to wait one hour+ for the bags. Why the disorganization? Frustrated, we left.

We experienced a lot of traffic at 6:15am. Enough traffic that we thought we were going to miss the race. Our nerves got the best of us as we sat in bumper to bumper traffic. Apparently, it effected others as well as we witnessed a fender bender right infront of us. Fortunately for those in traffic, a parking location (1/3 mile away from the starting line where we had parked the previous year) was opened around 7am. It was a much more convenient location that getting shuttled from the remote location, and an advantage for those who show up late.

Overall, I recommend this race to anyone in the neighboring area. Long Branch is a great location especially on a warm, sunny day. Now when is the next race?

Reason #44: New York City Travel Guide

2009-05-01T07:26:00.011-04:00

My best friend Emily and her husband Joel are coming up next week from Virginia to spend four days in New York City. Emily was my roommate in college, was born and raised in Tennessee and is a true southerner – she loves the mountains, country music, and is even related to Kenny Chesney. I have such fond memories of when she took me to the mountains and to her boathouse on the Tennessee River, and I want her to experience an equally wonderful time in New York (picture of us at her wedding in beautiful TN).

Now, New York is a lot for a visitor to take in all at once. I remember a few years ago when I brought Emily to New York, she immediately looked sky high at the tall buildings and flashy billboards and ended up walking straight into a garbage can. This time around I do not want to set her sights too high and instead wanted to give her a focused guide. Emily has asked me to come up with a list of things to do, to see, and a few restaurants to go to that are “trendy, with drinks, style, and have NOTHING that resembles the country or mountains.” So to Emily and any other visitors, here is my NYC Guide:

First off here are a few tools that will make your stay easier:

Transportation: To get around the city there are three options: by foot, by cab, or by subway. If you want specific directions on how to get around (either by foot or by cab), use hopstop.com. You will simply put in the starting address and destination address and you will receive step by step directions and a map.

Also if you are venturing all over Manhattan, you will want to buy a Metrocard down in the subway station. Pick a 1-Day Pass which entitles you to unlimited use of New York City’s subways and buses for one day. A street map may also be helpful.

Wish there was a one-day itinerary already set up for you?
There is! Take this recommendation, One Day in New York, which is a suggested itinerary that explores all of Manhattan in a single day.

Sites to see:

Landmarks
Empire State Building (350 Fifth Avenue)

Rockefeller Center (between 47th -50th Street on 5th Avenue) – While most popular during Christmas time with the tree and ice skating, there is numerous shopping and dining opportunities here. Venture up to “Top of the Rock” which has an observation deck situated on the 70th level of Rockefeller Center.

Fifth Avenue Claimed to be the “most expensive street of the world,” walking up this avenue is a shopper’s paradise. Walk north up Fifth Avenue from Rockefeller Center and pass such stores as Saks Avenue, the NBA Store, Cartier, Bergdorf Goodman, FAO Schwarz, Apple Store, and the Trump Tower. At 59th Street, check out the Plaza Hotel and walk across the street to enter the southern end of Central Park. If you walk south from Rockefeller Center, you will see New York Public Library, Bryant Park, and my office!

Central Park – Take a walk, boat ride, or have a picnic. The park is landscaped with ponds and lakes and covers an area of 843 acres. Are you an animal lover? Check out the Central Park Zoo in the park near 5th Avenue.

Soho- One of my favorite places in New York. A perfect place to walk around, shop, and get a bite to eat.

Metropolitan Museum of Art* – Hands down my favorite museum in NYC with over 2 million works of art.

Madison Square Garden (4 Penn Plaza) – My friend Emily stated that she wanted to bring her basketball loving husband here. Fortunately, her train brings her to Penn Station which is right next to Madison Square Garden - make this your first stop!

* If you are visiting on the first full weekend of every month, from May 09 to December 2010, Bank of America customers can show their Bank of America ATM, credit or check card and enjoy free admission to over 100 participating museums (includes Met, Bronx Zoo, NY Aquarium, and more)

Other things to do:

Broadway Show
Broadway shows are a great experience and a must for tourists. For all the information you need to know about buying Broadway tickets, check out Broadway Discount Tickets Site 101. Recommendations for shows include: Wicked, Avenue Q, Jersey Boys, Sleepwalk with Me, and here are Other recommendations

Comedy Cellar I recently went here for my boyfriend’s birthday, and the whole time I thought this was a perfect activity to do if you were visiting New York. First off, the comedians love tourists and will often use you as the center point in their jokes. Second, it is fairly cheap - $15 plus 2 menu item minimum (choose between drinks, dessert, food, etc). Third, the comedians are very funny and sometimes there are surprise superstars (Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart – when I went I saw Jim Norton.)

Looking for an adventure?

While I have never done this myself, a coworker highly recommended Accomplice New York. Participants compare this game/tour/theater to the Amazing Race just in New York City...

Food Tour
If you are looking to see and taste New York City, try a food and culture walking tour around Greenwich Village. During the three hour tour, you will try the neighborhood's delicious foods while exploring the area and its history.

Dining
When it comes to eating, I highly recommend three things: 1) to skip all chain restaurants and try out one of the thousands of amazing and delicious restaurants the city has to offer, 2) to make sure you eat a NY bagel, and 3) to eat some NYC pizza. Heck, while you are at it you must try either the word famous Junior’s cheesecake or a Magnolia cupcake for dessert (both have numerous locations in NYC).

A post on my favorite NYC restaurants and bars for visitors is to come!

Reason #43: Pre-Race Breakfast and Taper Talk

2009-04-29T22:21:00.011-04:00

I have genuinely been making an effort to taper this last week before the race. Without any long runs scheduled, I was planning on unwinding, relaxing, and having all this extra time to blog...or so I thought. Now that I declared my evenings "free", I have had a week full of invitations to happy hour(s)and social activities. I passed on some events as I realized I was training for a race, not a pub crawl. But it got me thinking about how many opportunities have I passed up due to a scheduled run or planned workout? Monday I passed up a last minute invitation to the Tribeca Film Festival (regret it as I could have been hanging out with ~~Jack Byrnes~~ Robert DiNero and Julianne Margulies), Tuesday I met a college friend for dinner and drinks in the Financial District, today I passed on a coworker's bridal/happy hour celebration, and tomorrow I have a law firm party at the 21 Club. A coworker recently asked me "don't you ever wonder what you would be doing with all that free time if you weren't running?" Well apparently the answer to him after this week would be well, drinking...

Clearly balance is extremely important whether it be with work/life, relaxation/training, and socialization/alone time. After a day full of working with colleagues, speaking with clients, commuting with mass amounts of people, I find running to be my alone time. A break. A treat. An activity I can do under my own power, at my own pace, wherever I want to go and as fast or slow as I care to run.

Now aside from tapering, in preparation for a half-marathon race, I have learned it is quite important to pay extra attention to what you eat. For me, the breakfast before a race is crucial to how I perform. From past experience, I have suffered from eating too quickly (stomach ache), eating the wrong food (stomach ache), and eating too little (dizziness). The pre-race meal has the ability to ruin your race or at least hurt your performance. Yet the right foods, consumed at the right times, can give you the energy to run the distance.

When should you eat? The ideal time for a morning meal is approximately two to three hours before the race. The size of your pre-race meal depends on 1) the duration of your race, 2) your size, and 3) the timing of the meal. Considering I will be eating approximately two hours before the race, I am shooting for 300-400 calories.

What should you eat? Now is not the time to try anything exotic or new. Eat foods that your system can digest easily. At least 80% of the calories you consume in the pre-race meal should come from carbohydrates. Keep protein, fat, and fiber consumption low. Those nutrients take up space that are better utilized by carbohydrate. Additionally, a common practice is to drink 6-10 ounces of fluid about two hours before the race.

Below are a few items I have found to be the most popular for runners:

Bagel:
Bland, carbo loaded, and familiar. Eat it plain or with little amount of cream cheese, peanut butter, or jelly.

Banana:
Once again almost all carbohydrates. One banana has 30g carbs, 1g of protein, no fat, and lots of potassium (which is lost in sweat during running).

Energy Bars:
PowerBar and ClifBars are both high in carbs and low in fiber, fat, and protein. Look for bars that contain useful amounts of nutrients to be used during the race.

Shake:
Some runners choose to drink Boost or Ensure due to their nutrition profile. If you are looking to make your own concotion, just make sure it is high in carbs and low in protein, fat, and fiber.

Oatmeal:
Full of carbohydrates and quite filling. Try it with some almonds or walnuts and a banana.

And what if you are a coffee drinker? If you are, don’t change anything! Simply have your coffee with your meal or at least an hour before the race.

Should you eat during the race?
The first hour does not require food just water breaks. After the first hour, it’s time to give your body some fuel in the form of sports drink, shot block, gel pack. The goal is 25-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. 1 gel pack or 16 ounces Gatorade = 25 grams.

Hope this helps!

On another note, a big thank you to Dori from Dori's Shiny Blog. She had a contest giveaway, and I was the lucky winner. A review of the prize (total body exercise bands, Omega-3 Vitamins, Dark chocolate treat by Godiva, and Gourmet cinnamon almonds all packaged in an Envirosax reusable tote) is to come!

Reason #42: Tapering: After All That Running, the Rest is Easy

2009-04-27T18:37:00.005-04:00

This upcoming Sunday is the Long Branch half marathon! It will be my first real half marathon race. Last year I had injured my knee, took three weeks off from running, and had all intention to just walk the race. However, with the crowd cheering and an adrenaline rush, my walk turned into a slow jog, which eventually turned into a steady run. This year I am injury free, and I am ~~shooting~~, ~~hoping~~, praying for a time under two hours. I have been following a running plan for the past two months – a combination of shorter runs and cross training during the week, with a long run 10-12 mile on Sunday. I ran ten miles on Saturday (in the 80 degree weather), and I felt good throughout the run. However, this week my plan is to taper!

The goal of tapering is to balance continued training and resting to allow for the best possible half marathon experience. Tapering allows the body to be sufficiently fueled, hydrated, refreshed, and recovered. The International Journal of Sports Medicine examined over 50 scientific studies and concluded that tapering improves performance. Studies have found improvements in performance of up to 16% with most studies showing 3-5% improvement.

Apparently, for a marathon, one should taper for a minimum of 2 weeks with 3 weeks being optimal. For a half marathon one should taper for a minimum of 10 days (oops!) Considering last year my preparation for the race was 3 weeks of zero physical activity, a prenight meal of Chinese food, and morning breakfast of a handful of Cheerios, I decided to prepare this time around. After reading various articles, here is the information I picked up:

How to Train One Week Before the Race
MONDAY: Beginning on Monday, do not run longer than 4 miles.
TUESDAY: All running should be 2 minutes slower than marathon goal pace – except Tuesday run a 1 mile at goal pace, jog one 1 mile, run 1 mile at goal pace, and then jog 1 mile.

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY: Three and four days before the race, run just 2 to 3 miles easy.
FRIDAY: Two days before the race, don’t run at all.
SATURDAY: Day before the race, jog 2 miles if you are a nervous wreck like me to sleep better that night.
Nutrition
- Emphasize carbohydrates more than usual in the last 3 days before the race. About 65% of calories should come from carb sources, 15% from protein, and 20% from fat - the carbs turn into muscle glycogen.

- Drink enough water that your urine is clear or pale yellow in color.

- Do not restrict salt in your diet. Low salt intake combined with excessive hydration can lead to hyponatremia. Snack on salted popcorn and pretzels.

What to avoid:
The sudden urge to cram extra miles and more long runs and speedwork during the final week. While cramming the night before midterms may have helped you ace the test, additional and excessive training will only leave your drained and tired at race time. Realize that extra mileage and harder training during the last week will hurt your race, not help it.

My favorite advice was such: During the final week, you can’t under-do. You can only overdo.

So here goes to a week of tapering…Taper Post Part II will come later this week regarding pre-race tips.

Twitter: For the Twitterific or the Twits?

2009-04-26T09:58:00.005-04:00

Reason #41: Protein Shakes? A Do or a A Don't?

2009-04-23T15:33:00.011-04:00

I am a big lover of fruit shakes, green shakes, and milkshakes, but I have never really cared to try out protein shakes. I always assumed they were a chalky drink for body builders(uh see below pic), the too top heavy guys in the gym, and those who wanted to beef up. However, a few instances have happened recently which may have changed my mind. First off, a reader recently contacted me for recommendations on protein powder which encouraged me to start researching various products. Secondly, Bob from the Biggest Loser ~~made a product placement~~ promoted protein drinks in the last episode, and stated to his team "you need protein to rebuild your muscles after you have been working out...it keeps your metabolism up and going." Lastly, I finally got around to trying YouShake's "Vanilla Dream" protein powder, and it was both filling and tasty!

To decide if protein drinks will be beneficial to you, the most important question to ask yourself is: do you really need the extra protein? To figure out your needs, multiply .36 by your body weight in pounds. So if you weigh 130 pounds, you need about 47 grams per day or 65 grams if you weigh 180 pounds.

The average chicken breast contains 30-60 grams of protein, one slice of cheese has approximately 7 grams, and just one cup of chopped broccoli has about 5 grams. Now if you are extremely active you may need about 50% more than the recommended daily allowance (which is 70 grams per day for a 135lb woman). Chances are, vegeterian or not, you are probably getting more than enough protein already. If you are eating a healthy, balanced diet, adding extra protein in the form of shakes is probably not necessary. However, if you are in need of extra protein, add some protein powder for a more filling meal (for example: add protein powder to oatmeal for breakfast) or in to a snack to help satisfy you longer (for example: making a protein shake).

As for protein shake recommendations, I will only recommend what I consider "healthy whey protein powders." I would not recommend any protein powder that contains additives, bovine growth hormones, sweeteners, corn sugars, or crystalline fructose.

After researching protein powders, here is my number one pick:

Jay Robb Whey Protein Isolate It is free of sugar, MSG, aspartame, sucralose, artificial colors or sweeteners, gluten, fat, and cholesterol. It is sweetened with Stevia (a natural sweetener), and it contains 25 grams of protein per serving. It is available in chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors. The only drawback is it is expensive $$$.
(Disclaimer: I have not received any advertising or promotional funds of any kind from Jay Robb's company).

I would also recommend:

YouShake's These are customizable protein shakes. You choose your own proteins, flavor bases, fruits, sweeteners, and even extra nutritional add-ins. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to try out the You Shake's "Vanilla Dream" protein shake mix. I mixed it with almond milk, strawberries, and ice (I only used 1/2 of a packet so I could make the shake twice).

Ingredients: soy protein, organic cane sugar, organic vanilla powder

Nutritional information: 110 calories/ .5 grams of fat/1 gram fo fiber/ 16 grams of protein

If you want further recommendations, check out this site which ranks the top 5 protein powders on the following categories: Top 5 Sellers, Cheapest, Best Value, Most Protein Least Carbs, Least Calories, Most Calories, and Least Fat.

And if you want to take Bob's advice, pick up Biggest Loser's Whey Protein at GNC, Rite Aid, Whole Foods, or Amazon. For those in the northeast, look for it in Eckerd, Pathmark, and Harris Teeter (hope this helps, g1j!)

Personally, I prefer to get my protein from real food, but a protein shake is a nice, easy alternative. Let me know what you think!

Reason #40: Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T21:18:00.006-04:00

I recycle, I use reusable shopping bags, I use mass transit, but I know I could be doing more. In honor of Earth Day, here are some tips to live a greener life. Small changes can make a big difference for both the planet, your wallet, and your own health.

* Take shorter showers.

* Replace your showerhead with a “low-flow” or “water-saving model". Look for them at home-improvement stores and those that have a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute or less (average showerhead has 5.5gpm).

* Cut down on the meat. Red meat production is responsible for about 2.5 times more greenhouse gas emissions than chicken or fish.

* Handwash items instead of dry cleaning.

* Ditch air-fresheners (The Natural Resources Defense Council tested 14 air fresheners and found that 12 contain phthalates, chemicals linked to hormone abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive problems). Open your windows instead or make your own fragrance (place orange peel mixed with sage in a small bowl).

* Set your computer to sleep (or hibernate on my HP) after five minutes of inactivity.

* Donate the item you’re replacing.

* Bring your own bag to the store.

* Wash your clothes in the cold-cycle and cut roughly 85% of the energy used.

* Unplug chargers and appliances.

* Choose household cleaning products that have an ingredient list. Products with harmful chemicals are less likely to have one.

* Skip the treadmill and run outside.

* Skip on bottled water and save plastic- fill up your Nalgene instead.

* Instead of buying aluminum foil or plastic wrap, look for the recycled variety. It uses just 1/20th of the energy needed to produce regular foil.

* Choose items with minimal packing or buy in bulk.

* Buy seasonal, local produced food. It drastically reduces the energy spent on food shipping and tends to use minimal packaging. Additionally it is fresher!

Reason #39: How to Negotiate Your Rent

2009-04-19T21:46:00.014-04:00

I was recently approached by a friend with the question, “do you think I can negotiate my rent?” Since I have a job in commercial real estate finance, I read daily reports of office rent, hotel rates, condo prices, and apartment rents dropping (even in Manhattan). Right now, it is not only a buyer’s market but a renter’s market as well. Housing prices and rents have dropped due to the surplus of housing and loss of wealth and jobs. Timing is everything, and in the current market, with a little research and courage, you may have the ability to knock down your monthly rent.

First off, the time to negotiate your lease is a few months before your lease expiration. Take advantage of any lead time to complete some research since waiting until the last minute will make the negotiation more difficult. Here are some tips:

Provide comparables. Find out how much a comparable apartment goes for in your neighborhood. Use rent comparison tools like Rentometer or Zilpy to find out how your rent compares with local properties. Look for properties that are similar to yours (similar square footage, location, amenities) that are renting less than you pay now. Provide your landlord with the pages. Zilpy shows the medium rent for various sized apartments, and you can check out the rental price history to see how prices are going up or down in your neighborhood.

Ask your neighbor what they pay. Clearly the best comparison is with another tenant in your complex. Ask your neighbor what they are paying. Is it fair that you may be paying $3000/month while your neighbor is paying $2800/month for the identical 2-bedroom floor plan? Another option is see if your complex is offering discounts to new renters – check out Craigslist or the complex’s site – a price comparison will give you obvious leverage.

Explain why you are an ideal tenant. Do you pay rent on time? Take care of your apartment? Are you quiet and clean? Are you low-maintenance? Toot your horn, and explain that you have an excellent rent payment history or have great credit scores. Make statements such as “I have paid my rent on time every single month for the past four years.” If you are a new to a potential building or complex, have a rental portfolio in hand. Include proof of earnings, credit history and letters of reference. A clean credit history will go a long way in negotiations.

Make a longer commitment. Ask for a reduction in rent for a longer lease if you are planning to stay for more than a year. Ask for $100 less per month for a two year contract. From a landlord’s perspective, the stability of retaining a good tenant with a track record for being reliable is worth the discount. From a renter’s perspective, a two year lease at a lower rate will save you money immediately and protect you from a rent increase after the first year.

Write a letter. Perhaps face-to-face interaction intimidates you or your management company is requesting a letter? Mary Pilon of the Wall Street Journal Wallet Blog wrote a letter to her manager’s office building and was able to reduce her rent by 11%. She even shares a letter form that people can use themselves. Check out the article and letter here.

Remember the worst possible thing to happen when negotiating is the answer no.

Since the large majority of my readers are in the Manhattan rental market, I have added two tables showing the average rental decrease from March 2008 to March 2009 in the Manhattan market.

Manhattan Non-Doorman Rents: March 08’ vs. March 09’

Studios $2,059 (March 08) $1,959 (March 09) -4.84% (Change)
1-Bedrooms $2,792(March 08) $2,624(March 09) -6.03% (Change)
2-Bedrooms $3,858 (March 08) $3,738 (March 09) -3.12% (Change)

Manhattan Doorman Rents: March 08’ vs. March 09’
Studios $2,586(March 08) $2,316(March 09) -10.43% (Change)
1-Bedrooms $3,578(March 08) $3,329(March 09) -6.95% (Change)
2-Bedrooms $5,265 (March 08) $5,129(March 09) -2.59% (Change)

To see just how far rents have – and have not- fallen throughout specific NYC neighborhoods, check out March 2009 Manhattan Rental Market Report so you can ~~see what I analyze all day in my job~~ provide yourself with some market research.

On a different note, take advantage of these deals on Tuesday, April 21:

50 cent Iced Coffee from Dunkin Donuts

Free Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Cone

[rent negotiation]

Reason #38: Raw Revolution

2009-04-16T21:47:00.011-04:00

The raw food craze seems to be spreading. Raw restaurants are springing up all over NYC, and I am hearing more and more people swearing by the benefits of eating “all raw.” Raw foods are closest to their natural state (ie: fruits, vegetables, nuts, sprouted seeds, juices), have higher nutrient content than cooked food, and are a powerful detoxifying agent that can cleanse the body of years of eating processed foods. If you think about it, aside from the leafy green salad, very few meals are eaten raw. Yet benefits from the diet include greater energy, clearer skin, better digestion, and weight loss. Many people are turning to raw food as an answer to their health problems. While I am intrigued about incorporating more raw foods into my diet, I am not ready to give up my oats, coffee, or cooking(it took me long enough to start!) However, I was delighted when I was sent three “Raw Revolution Bars” to sample.

Raw Revolution’s Story:
Alice Benedetto, a registered nurse and natural foods chef, developed a passion for preparing and eating raw foods. As an alternative snack to high sugar processed snacks, she started making raw snacks which her son and friends loved. So she developed a line or bars that contain the most natural, organic, and raw ingredients.

My Review
Raw Revolution are moist, highly nutritious, and taste great. Instead of using processed sugars, for sweetness the bars contain agave nectar. All bars are gluten free, vegan-friendly, wheat, corn, soy, trans-fat, cholesterol, and refined sugar free. I was given three 100 calorie (0.8oz) samples to try in three flavors: Spirulina and Cashew, Cashew and Agave Nectar, and Chocolate and Cashew. While the samples were small (think size of small post it), they were quite satisfying:

Chocolate and Cashew
Contains cashew, date, agave nectar, cocoa powder, amaranth, almond, and spouted flax

I started off this bar basically because it contains two of my favorite indulgences chocolate and cashews. Just as I anticipated it was delicious – rich with chocolate flavor and surprisingly moist.

Spirulina and Cashew
Contains cashews, date, agave nectar, almond, amaranth, spirulina, and sprouted flax

Once again, the bar was moist with a chewy texture. Upon opening the bar, there was actually a green liquid residue on the bar and left on the wrapper. However, it was still quite delicious. It tasted like a date and cashew bar to me with the benefits of spirulina. I have been wanting to try spirulina, the health world’s superfood, and this was the perfect opportunity.

Cashew and Agave Nectar
Cashew, Date, Agave Nectar, Almond, Amaranth, Sprouted Flax

The bar was nicely sweet and satisfying. I am most impressed by the freshness of these bars - this is the only brand I ever had with an oily film.

I was very pleased with the bars, and they are a great choice for raw foodies or those who want a healthy snack. To inquire more information on the bars or place an order go to Raw Indulgence's website. While the thought of only eating 100% raw, uncooked foods seems a bit extreme to me, I am now interested in finding out some new innovative ways to introduce healthful raw foods into my diet. Stay tuned!

Reason #37: Freedom of Expression

2009-04-16T19:33:00.008-04:00

Truly a remarkable story that I wanted to share...

Check out Glenda's blog, doitmyselfblog.com

Reason #36: Vegetable Ziti Recipe & Boy Band

2009-04-15T18:53:00.010-04:00

Last night I did not have much of a chance to post as I was swinging my hips and flailing my arms to the live music of my favorite Boy Band (aka my Boyfriend and Deeg) at a local bar last night. They are really good and would put the Jonas Brothers to shame. They have played in New York City and Hoboken, but we are all hoping they ~~try out for American Idol~~ play down the Jersey Shore this summer in Manasquan!

Anyway, I have been meaning to post a "Vegetable Ziti" recipe that I created a few weeks ago. Growing up I always craved my mother's ziti which was delicious and healthy (made with cottage cheese instead of ricotta). With a few vegetables in the fridgeto use up, I decided to recreate my own ziti, and it turned out to be a success......check out the recipe below!

Ingredients

8 oz. 100% Whole Wheat ziti
1 medium eggplant
1 medium zucchini
Canned or fresh mushrooms
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
16 oz container of low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley OR 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups tomato sauce* (or more)
Parmesan
Low-fat mozzerella
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook the ziti al dente according to the package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta, and set it aside.

Cut eggplant and zucchini into 1/2-inch slices and halve slices. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan bring 1/2 inch of water to boiling. Add eggplant and zucchini slices; simmer, covered, for 4 minutes. Remove vegetable slices from Dutch oven; drain and pat dry. In a bowl combine eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, and diced tomatoes.

In a large seperate bowl, combine the cottage cheese, the parsley, basil, oregano, and pepper flakes. Toss the cheese mixture with the ziti.

On the bottom of a casserole dish, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce, add half the ziti mixture, then half the vegetable mix, then half the remaining tomato sauce. Repeat the ziti, vegetable, and sauce layers. Sprinkle parmesan and mozzerella if desired. Bake, uncovered, in 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.

*If you do not have homemade tomato sauce handy, consider using a jarred tomato sauce no salt added. You can prepare this dish in advance until it is ready to bake.

The dish came out delicious but other add-in options could be:
2 green peppers, sliced
2-3 onions, sliced
3-5 diced carrots
Clove of garlic

Enjoy!

Reason #35: Im a Gnu Woman!

2009-04-13T22:34:00.008-04:00

I was fortunate enough to receive a sample of high fiber bars from the good people at Gnu Foods. I was given five bars to try: Chocolate Brownie, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, Orange Cranberry, and Banana Walnut. One Gnu Bar is 140 calories and provides you with 12 grams of fiber – almost half the recommended daily fiber allowance for most fiber (Compare that to a Balance Bar, which has 200 calories, high fructose corn syrup and other sugars, and contains only 1 gram of fiber per bar). The bars are made of organic whole wheat flour, oats, wheat bran, psyllium (a plant with more than 12 times the soluble fiber of oat bran), flax, millet and soy flour; they are bound with canola oil, sweetened with fruit juice, and flavored with all-natural ingredients.

Even though in an earlier post, I noted stomach issues after eating these bars, I wanted to make it clear that it was from eating 62 grams of fiber in a day, not the individual Gnu bars. I had friends try the bars as well, and I was the only one who experienced the stomach discomfort. For now, I am eating ½ bar at one time and not experiencing any side effects. Warning, if you don’t eat a lot of fiber, gradually increase your fiber to minimize side effects (1/2 bar) and drink lots of water!

Aside from the bar improving regularity and heart health, the bars are tasty! Below are my taste-test reviews:

Peanut Butter Bar
I was anticipating a bite into peanut heaven, but I was surprised there was little peanut butter flavor to it. I even checked the wrapper to check I was eating the peanut kind. The bar instead tasted like a mixture of oats, apples, plum, with a slight hint of peanuts. Nonetheless, the bar was still pretty good, soft, chewy, and filling.

Chocolate Brownie
A healthy bar named Chocolate Brownie? It sounded too good to be true. I liked this bar a lot. While it wasn’t as luscious as an actual chocolate brownie, it still tasted good, and I would consider it a chocolate fix. I would buy again.

Banana Walnut
I really liked this one, reminded me of banana bread. It has a fresh banana flavor, not an artificial banana taste, and a lot of walnuts. I would definitely buy this one again.

Cinnamon Raisin
Tasted great! It reminded me of cinnamon oatmeal or a cinnamon bagel. It was moist, rich, dense, and chewy.

Orange Cranberry
If you like orange flavor, this is the bar for you. For me, not so much. I ate it, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. I would not buy this one again – it reminded me of the taste of the orange rind.

I recommend these bars to those who are looking for a healthy snack or to those who are looking for a way to incorporate extra fiber into their diets. Gnu Bars are loaded with as much fiber as 4 glasses of Metamucil and frankly much more delicious!

Reason #34: Easter Weekend Recap

2009-04-13T18:37:00.009-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, I took a break from the blogosphere for the holiday, but I am back with an Easter Weekend Top Ten Highlights:

1. Saturday morning I purchased a new computer! After reading reviews and watching the store sales, my father, sister, and I headed over to Staples to check out their computers. While I have developed a “computer crush” on the Mac Notebook, my work databases can not be installed on them, so I resorted to choosing the reliable, loyal HP. I bought the HP dv6 1030 notebook, and I love it! And as for my old Dell, it was a tumultuous 7-year relationship that I am happy to report has ended for good. Sidenote: My sister and I experienced ‘back to school’ shopping nostalgia at Staples and almost skipped down the aisles. Anyone else remember the “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” back to school commercials?

2. Since I was traveling home to my parent’s house for the weekend, I decided to bring Jillian and the 30-Day Shred workout video home with me. While I completed Day 13 and Day 14 of the Shred, my sister actually did 3 workouts (all three levels) within 24 hours. Let’s just say I heard some groans when she went to kneel in church on Easter from the soreness….She is a Shred convert and went on and purchased the video today!

3. What do you call three grown sisters, 8 eggs, and a giggling father? Yep, the annual 2009 family egg hunt.

4. This weekend I was scheduled for my long run – 12 miles. So I headed out Saturday afternoon for a long, steady pace on my old stomping grounds. Note to Self: When looking to run long distance on flat ground, avoid running in towns called Mountainside and avoid running on roads called Mountain Avenue.

5. Two months ago my father started swimming…and he has not stopped. I have even given him the nickname “Merman” because of his daily mile workouts. Aside from improving his overall health, he has lost twenty pounds thus far. He is now the poster ~~child~~ adult for exercising and healthy eating!

6. Best reaction to a present? My oldest sister’s glee of excitement when she received the Shakespeare: Bard Game. Can you guess she is an English professor?

7. My other sister works for Chanel and is constantly dressed head to toe in the designer gear. Every so often, she has an extra article of clothing or accessory she gives to her very grateful little sister (me). This time she brought home Chanel cashmere shorts…my first thought was she was bringing home the newest fashion trend, harem pants(im terrified of this trend - see pic below). But fortunately, they are instead adorable shorts I can sport to work. I love them and will post a picture when I wear them!

8. My Irish Catholic family spent Easter dinner at the Spanish Tavern drinking sangria and eating paella. Delish!

9. Favorites of the weekend:

Favorite indulgence of the weekend: Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bon Bons
Favorite meal of the weekend: Dad’s Chinese Bok Choy stir fry.
Favorite condiment of the weekend: Plum sauce.
Favorite recipe idea: Chickpea Ragout
Favorite cheese: Manchego

10. Now that I am older I realize the importance of family. With my sister and brother-in-law four hours away and my other sister’s travel and work schedule, there are only a few times a year we all can get together, but the few times we are together are the happiest times. Happy Easter to all!

Reason #33: Financial Health

2009-04-09T19:12:00.007-04:00

If you are like me, you use direct deposit and put your paycheck straight into your checking and savings account. How convenient! In the past, I have allocated approximately 65% percentage of my paycheck to checking and 35% to savings. It seemed like a good plan, however lately with shore house payments, the purchase of a new computer, airfare for trips to both Colorado and South Carolina, and dinners out, I am dipping into my savings account a bit too much. I decided it was about time I got more organized with my finances and more aware of where they money was going - so for the past three months I have been tracking my expenses on an excel spreadsheet. As daunting as it may sound, I take my monthly bank statements and compile a spreadsheet that breaks down my expenses into 15 categories. I then take my monthly income and see how much I have saved OR overspent, and in what areas I am spending smartly or splurging unnecessarily. Turns out, I’m not saving nearly as much as I hoped for, and if there was ever a time for budgeting and saving, now seems to be it!

While I am glad I have started to scrutinize my spending, I have discovered there is a better option to easy money management - WEBSITES! I have discovered the following 3 websites that promise secure tracking of your expenses and are generally free. Hopefully these can be helpful to you to:

http://www.mint.com/
Mint promises to make your personal budgeting “ridiculously easy.” It consolidates all of your financial information into one site, which is a nice change from logging into each of your bank and credit card sites separately to get the same information. When you log into Mint, you are taken to an overview screen that lists your financial health on the left (your cash accounts vs. your debt accounts) with alerts, spending trends, and ways to save on the right side. The site categorizes your expenses (groceries, gas, entertainment, mortgages, credit cards, student loans) into a graph so you can see how your money gets spent. It also aggregates your historical spending pattern to help you make realistic budget decisions. Mint also offers the “Ways to Save” option which directs savers to credit cards that offer lower interest rates, displays investment performance, and allows users to compare their portfolio to market benchmarks to learn whether their investment growth is meeting their goals. I have used this site in the past, and it is very user friendly and my favorite of the bunch– I recommend.

www.smartypig.com
Whether you are planning a wedding, saving up for a trip, or saving up for those Louboutins, this 21st-century version of a piggy bank makes saving easier. The site lets the user know exactly how much he or she needs to save over the allotted time in order to reach his/her goal. Additionally, it makes it simple for family members and friends to contribute (think birthday gift!). Basically, the site is a savings account with a competitive annual percentage yield (site’s banking partner is West Bank of Des Moines), to which you must set up regular, automatic monthly transfers from an existing bank account. Once you reach your goal, the money can be withdrawn!

www.wesabe.com
Wesabe, like Mint, links to your credit cards and bank accounts to track your spending. It also lets a user set savings and spending goals, and tells you if you are on track. The competitive advantage of this site is members provide practical advice on how to cut your costs. For instance, "Switch from Cingular to T-Mobile" advises one member, another suggests a different retailer for coffee when it sees a $5 Starbucks expense, another suggests signing up for a free web-based service that notifies you when prices drop on an item you’re tracking.

Other popular sites include buxfer.com (ideal for those who have roommates, traveling companions, or a large group looking for a simple way to monitor who owes what to whom) and geezeo.com (allows you mobile access to monitor your budget and balances).

Favorite Quote of the Week: "Until the financial crisis, I thought a 401(k) was an unusually long marathon. I couldn't understand why my coworkers kept signing up. To me, it was just a way to mess up a Sunday.".......Claudia Cogan

Reason #32: Fiber Junkie

2009-04-08T18:17:00.007-04:00

Lately I have been chowing down on Gnu Bars as my mid-day afternoon snack. I am not going to lie, the “Chocolate Brownie” and “Peanut Butter” flavors have been enticing me more than the bar’s claim of having 50% of daily value of fiber, but this is just an added bonus, right? The bars even clearly mark on their label “12g Fiber for Regularity and Heart Health.” Well, after the third day of eating the bars, I have noticed that I have been experiencing this weird whooshy feeling in my stomach. The feeling isn’t painful, but it isn’t comfortable either…especially on the treadmill. After crossing off the possibility of the bar actually expanding into the size of a bowling ball in my stomach, I questioned, “Could I be eating too much fiber?”

My mom always warns me that I may be overdoing it in the fiber department. Stop eating those Kashi bars, Gillian! Gosh, you think they were a drug. She has a point though. Twice I have gone to the hospital for intense abdominal pain which I swore was appendicitis. But nope, the doctor each time delivered the news (with a straight face) that I just had some excessive gas, but I was otherwise as healthy as a horse. Gah, so embarrassing. (Disclaimer: If you are a Doctor in a hospital delivering the diagnosis of excessive gas, please just laugh and point at a finger at me next time.) Fiber is jam-packed with health benefits though. It prevents constipation and hemorrhoids, may lower risk of colon and rectal cancer, and helps lower blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. After doing some research, it is recommended to consume 20-35 grams of fiber daily or 14g of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat. So I decided to log my food intake for a day to count the grams of fiber I consume. I have always been too lazy to do so in the past, but I used the tool DailyPlate to help me figure it out. Let’s see if my Mom is right, so here it goes:

Breakfast

1c of Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal – 5g

¼ c of Dates -3g

1c of Unsweetened Almond Milk – 1g

Small Banana – 3g

¼ c of Walnuts – 2g

Total Fiber at Breakfast: 14g

Lunch

2 c of Spinach – 2g

½ c of Chickpeas – 5g

1/4c Cranberries – 1g

1/6c of Almonds – 2g

1/2c of Carrots – 2g

Pear – 5g

Total Fiber at Lunch: 17g

Snack

Gnu Bar – 12g

Total Fiber at Snack: 12g

Dinner

Homemade Black Bean Burger – 9g

English Muffin -8g

¼ Avocado -1g

PopChips and Laughing Cow Cheese -1g

Total Fiber at Dinner: 19g

TOTAL FOR DAY: 62g!

Yikes, 62 grams of fiber is way over the recommended amount of 20-35g. Im surprised my stomach hasn’t expanded further, and I haven’t floated away as the next Goodyear Blimp. Declaring myself a fiber junkie, I searched the internet for further information. Apparently, an overdose of soluble fiber can cause “general discomfort.” However, other negative effects include a reduced absorption of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and calories from the gut. Therefore, Im going to take a break from the Gnu bars, apparently the 12g increase in fiber was too much for my body. I also need to balance my diet out more and drink more water. I guess what they say is true: moderation is key, yes, you can have too much of a good thing, and mother knows best : )

Reason #31: Love. Without the Handles.

2009-04-06T21:32:00.008-04:00

My first introduction to PopChips was when I was ordering oatmeal at Jamba Juice. There sitting on the counter was a large array of brightly packaged “All Natural” PopChips bags. There was barbeque chips, parmesan garlic, salt and pepper, wasabi rice, salsa corn, cheddar corn, sea salt & vinegar, and original potato chips. Being a snack fanatic, I wanted to try them out.

So I headed on over to PopChips website which boosts the tagline, “Love. Without the Handles.” Is it me or are companies 10 times wittier these days? As I read further I learned, PopChips are chips that are not fried, not baked, but are popped. Therefore they are able to simultaneously keep all the flavor in, while keeping half the fat of fried chips out. There are no preservatives, no hydrogenated oils, and no msg. My only concern was that the first ingredient was “Natural Potato Ingredients” and not potatoes. Well, I was fortunate to be sent five flavors to sample, so I dug in with an open mind:

Salt and Pepper
Reminded me of a perfectly seasoned baked potato with a crunch. They were light and airy, but they still had a lot of flavor. People who love Cracked Black Pepper or seasoned baked potatoes will love these.

Original
I ate these with a Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese – a delicious light snack.

Bbq Potato Chip
Delicious – lots of barbeque flavor – probably is my favorite flavor of the chips.

Sea salt and Vinegar
Tangy, but not overpowering.

Parmesan Garlic
Delicious, I had never tried a chip in this flavor!

Now I know a lot of you eat potato chips more for great taste and crunch rather than health reasons. However, popchips taste delicious and aren’t as caloric and fattening as other chips. Each bag contains between 100-120 calories and approximately 20 chips per bag. Happy popping!

Reason #30: Grocery Cart Identities

2009-04-05T14:48:00.009-04:00

Every Sunday I do my grocery shopping a) because I like to get fresh produce weekly, and b) because I love the grocery store. Now there are two types of people out there, those that love to grocery shop and those that hate to grocery shop. Type 1 hates the grocery store and will go in with 5 products in mind, grab those five products, and then check out as quickly as possible. Type 2, such as myself, prepares a list, yet explores every aisle and compares products to find the healthiest, most delicious, and most affordable products.
So since I shop solo (apparently no one wants to accompany me in my "market" studies), I have become very observant of the people around me especially when I am standing at the checkout line. So while I'm killing time waiting in line behind other customers, I can not help but notice what the people in front of me are buying? Come on, we all do it. However, sometimes I feel like I'm being a bit intrusive by looking – I immediately feel like I know about their lives just from the grocery cart. For instance….

Grocery Cart: Sausage, Doritos, Hot Dogs, Hot Dog Buns, Hamburgers, 2 cases of Budlight, matches, Tums, Mustard
Verdict: Male who is about to tailgate at a football game with the rest of his hungry, meat-loving buddies?

Grocery Cart: String Cheese, Box of Cheerios, Go-gurts, Loaf of Bread, Pudding Snacks, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Ground Beef, Shredded Cheese, Wraps, 8 Coupons
Verdict: Money-conscious Mom with young kids who plans on making tacos tonight?

Grocery Cart: 6-pack of Yuengling, Tide detergent, Spaghetti, Jar of Tomato Sauce, Ground Beef, Bananas, Breadcrumbs
Verdict: Single male trying to get in and out of the store as fast as possible so he can finally do his laundry and make spaghetti and meatballs?

Grocery Cart: 8 Yoplait Yogurts, Lean Cuisines, Apples, Oranges, Instant Oatmeal, Granola Bars
Verdict: Single, career-woman, who watches weight, rarely cooks for herself and prefers quick options?

Grocery Cart: Fage yogurt, Unsweetened Almond Milk, Flaxseed, oats, bananas, spinach, Laughing Cow Cheese, carrots, apples
Verdict: Most definitely a food blogger?

Grocery Cart: Ben and Jerry's ice cream, box of brownie mix, whipped cream, tissues, People magazine
Verdict: Woman who either a) lost her job, b) broke up with her boyfriend, or c) is celebrating a birthday and has a cold.

Looking at what people purchase at the grocery store can really give you insight into their personal lives. Come on, you know the man with the TV dinners in the cart is probably recently divorced and is clueless in the kitchen. Or the mom with the "Cocoa Krispies" cereal box only purchased the unhealthy product to stop her child from crying in the store. What does your cart say about you???

Reason #29: The John Dory

2009-04-04T17:43:00.011-04:00

First things first, my 1980s computer unfortunately passed away this past Friday after 7 years of computer life. I knew it was time to lay him to rest when he started screeching and his screen started to ~~spasm and seizure~~ gyrate. A wireless card and blog survive him. Unfortunately, during this mourning time, my blog posts for the next week or two may be sporadic until I find a replacement.

Now on to happier news, my family and I went to The John Dory (sister restaurant to Spotted Pig) for brunch this afternoon, which is located in the meatpacking district right next to the Chelsea Market. For those of you who are not familiar with this restaurant, it is April Bloomfield's newest venture with restaurateur Ken Friedman

The six of us wedged ourselves into the cozy, intimate tables at the John Dory. The decor of the restaurant was quite remarkable as it was covered with seafood-shack artwork and fish tiles, and a wall-size aquaraium with live neon yellow and bright fish illuminating the bar.

We had some fantastic food, but I have highlighted the table's favorites below:

Bacon, Guinness, and Apple fritters
Ram Island Oysters from Maine
Hangtown Fry Omelet - fritatta with bacon, jalapenos, Ram Island oysters
Welsh Rarebit
Crab en Cocotte

Compliments of the Chef, we got the best french toast I have ever tasted. Overall, the service was fantastic, and the food was delicious. I can't wait to try it out for dinner.

Following brunch, seven of my friends and I went to dinner at the Rocking Horse Mexican Cafe in Chelsea to celebrate a friend's engagement. Burritos are extremely flavorful, portion size are huge, and the salsa and guacamole are great. What a day of eating!

Reason #28: What's Your Real Age?

2009-04-03T12:57:00.007-04:00

Oprah recently had a show on the other day about life extension and how people are actually living longer. Due to advances in technology and research on diet and lifestyle, it may be possible to live to 120 years old (imagine the candles on that birthday cake!). One particular man was on a calorie restriction diet where he monitors every calorie he eats in an attempt to get the most nutritional bang per calorie. For instance, his breakfast consists of three apples (peels only because most of the fiber and nutrients are in the peel) with wild blueberries, raspberries, and 2 ounces of walnuts (the healthy fat in walnuts helps absorb nutrients). He has restricted himself to 1,950 calories per day for the past seven years. The man is 5'9 and 130 pounds, and while in his 50s, researchers studying Joe say he has the body of a 20 year-old athlete. So how does a limited diet change how your body ages? According to Dr. Oz, when you restrict your calories, the body understands it doesn't have any resources to waste, and the body gets really efficient. Toxic waste products are not coming out of energy cells, so individual cell lines are living longer.

While I am not interested in the Calorie Restricted diet or promoting it, I was wondering if I could find out my "Real Body Age." I recall from watching the preliminary episodes of the Biggest Loser, each contestant is always given their "real body age", which is often 20+ years older than their chronological age. However, after changing their lifestyle on the ranch, they can dramatically get their "Real Body Age" younger.

Therefore, I searched the internet and came across the Real Age website. Aside from being quite an informative site, it offers a free test that questions your habits, relationships, diet, and fitness. After taking the test it spits out your "RealAge" and provides information on what is making you "Younger" and what is making you "Older". So my score came out to be a.....drumroll please....16 year old or in other words, an awkward, but healthy teen bopper. So what makes me younger and older?

Younger: No medications, I drink in moderation (95% of the time),non-smoker, I buckle up, sleep eight hours a night, eat breakfast daily,etc.

Older: Family history of breast cancer, I do not have a dog, apparently I do not get enough calcium, I do not do enough strength training (thank goodness for Jillian's 30 Day Shred), when I drive which is hardly ever (I drive over 5mph over the speed limit), and I have a low Vitamin E intake.

I like this site because it is very comprehensive and user friendly. It provides great tips and most importantly makes you self-aware of your health and what you are doing right and what you can work on! Check the site to see your real age!

Reason #27: "Im in Love with YOU..."

2009-04-01T19:06:00.008-04:00

No, no this post isn't about Kanye West, his love lockdown or my love for you, it is about a company that caters to their client's needs -YOUBARS. YouBars is a company that lets you design your own snack/energy bar or shake! The company lets you customize a bar for your taste and diet needs, whether you are vegan, vegetarian, lactose-intolerant, gluten-free, or just have your own preferences. While I like to eat as few packaged foods as possible, Im a huge bar and shake fan. However, Im constantly checking labels to see the ingredients on bars - High Fructose Corn Syrup, pass, Hydrogenated Oils, pass.
Therefore, I was really excited to try out YouBars and YouShakes which are fresh, handmade bars and shakes that YOU (the client) customizes. Thank you Joel from YouBars for sending these over to sample!

I was given three bars and three shakes to try. I have only tried the bars out so far, so I will write a review on the shakes at a later date.

BAR 1: Great Date with Chocolate (I love the name!)
Ingredients: Organic Dates, Whey Protein Isolate, Organic Honey, Cocoa.

Nutritional Facts: 140 calories, 0.5g of saturated far, 4g of fiber, 24g of sugar, 8g of protein

I was so utterly impressed with this bar, and I wish I had boxes of them. They were chewy, delicious, and almost fudgelike. The bar definitely could have passed for a dessert, yet had stellar nutrition facts and all-natural ingredients. 5 out of 5!

BAR 2: Honey Cashew
Ingredients: Cashew Butter, Honey, Whey Protein, Nutty Rice Cereal, Organic Honey.

Nutritional Facts: 220 calories, 2.5g of saturated fat, 1g of fiber, 7g of sugar, 10g of protein

The Honey Cashew Bar received such great reviews from other bloggers so I was very excited to try them out. With the first bite, the bar had a thick, powdery nut taste. It was tasty but definitely not as moist as the Chocolate bar. I intended to eat half the bar, and eat the other half later, but clearly I ate the whole thing (I love cashews!). Usually I will eat a bar and be hungry a few hours later, but this bar kept me full for 3+ hours. A great fuel bar! 4 out of 5.

BAR 3: Breakfast Bars
Ingredients: Deglet noor dates, Egg white powder, Honey, Cocoa Powder, Instant Coffee Crystals (caffeinated), Cinnamon.

Nutritional facts: 150 calories, 0.5g of saturated fat, 4g fiber, 24g sugar, 8g of protein

Now that the Jamba Juice $1 oatmeal special is over, I am in search of a new breakfast. So I tried out the Breakfast Bar this morning. The bar combines coffee, cocoa, fruit, and cinnamon. I opened it and it was extremely sticky, like “i need to go wash my hands right now” sticky – so I ate it with a fork and knife. The flavor was delicious – reminded me of the Great Date with Chocolate bar. The taste was very good, and the bar was relatively low in calories so I ate it with an apple for a complete and great breakfast. Rating 4/5

To design your own personal YouBar, go to the site and choose the "Build-A-Bar" option . Choose your own base, protein content, nuts/seeds, dried fruits/berries, sweeteners, seasonings, grains/cereals and infusions. Examples include almond butter, organic dates, soy protein, whey protein, almonds, organic flaxseeds, sweetened blueberries, organic dried apple, organic clover honey, organic agave nectar, cinammon, chocolate chips, organic oat bran, etc (most ingredients are organic).

While you're building your bar, on the right side of your screen, you will see the nutritional value of your bar as you add various items to it. So you can watch your calories and nutrient content!

Once you have completed building your YouBar, you can click on the "taste tester" and it will give you suggestions on things you might want to consider adding in order to make your bar even better tasting and/or give it a better texture. Finally, you can give your bar a name!

The people at YouBar have generously offered a 5% discount off their YouBars and YouShakes when you place your order! Just type in "Good Reason" as your coupon code in the shopping cart.

Reviews for YouShakes to come....Im in love with YOU!

Reason #26: Cookout? Black Bean Burgers

2009-03-31T19:30:00.003-04:00

The other night while out to dinner, I ordered a salad and a vegetable wrap and was asked by a dining companion if I was a vegeterian. I commented that I am 85% of the time, but often when Im out to dinner or at someone's house, I will happily eat a fish or chicken dish if there is not a vegeterian option. So I guess you could categorize me as a flexitarian? Then I was asked, "well what do you eat at cook outs?" The question got me thinking - often I will have a veggie burger if available, followed by grilled chicken, but I avoid any steak, burger, sirloin, dog, or red meat at all costs.

After the discussion, I decided to create my own "go-to-cookout-burger." Thankfully I came across Diane's recipe for Black Bean Burgers, and I officially am obsessed with the outcome - it is delicious and so easy.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup salsa, extra liquid drained
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 egg
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 cup rolled oats

In a medium-size bowl, mash the beans thoroughly with a fork.
Add onion, salsa and garlic and stir
Beat egg in a separate bowl with the cumin (and hot sauce, if desired)
Add egg mixture and oats to the batter and stir well
Form into 4-6 patties (I made 5)

I immediately wrapped the burgers in aluminium foil to obtain "pattie shape." I froze three patties to cook at a later time. I sprayed a skillet with a little spray and cooked the patties for a couple minutes per side, til browned. I ate this burger one night on top of a spinach salad with cranberries and walnuts. The next night I put it on an english muffin with spinach and avocado. It may be my new favorite burger option...I can't wait to cook it on the actual grill!

Reason #25: “Race-y” Running Skirts

2009-03-30T18:57:00.016-04:00

Some people have shoe obsessions, some people have food obsessions, others have handbag obsessions, but my obsession just happens to be dresses. I really don’t know when it all started. I grew up more as a tomboy then a girly girl, my aunt even told me I resembled the boy from 3rd Rock from the Sun in 8th grade. Hmm, maybe that was my turning point?

Anyway, these days you will probably only see me wearing dresses and skirts. And no, this is NOT a result of converting religions or my 5’9 body not being able to fit comfortably into jeans, it is simply because I love the dress. To me dresses are comfortable, feminine, easy to wear, and stylish. I personally think they compliment a female’s body perfectly and can easily transition from a work day to a night out with just a few accessories.

Even in the working world, I will always choose the skirt suit over the pant suit. In the coldest days in winter, I resort to thick tights and knee high boots. Sure there are times I will put on pants – pajama pants for bed, shorts to the gym, spandex for running, and occasionally (and reluctantly) jeans to a baseball game (and yes, my go-to-pair-of-jeans are my Gap Long and Leans from 9th grade). But at any chance I can get, I will slip into a dress.

So clearly I am a huge fan of the running skirts. I already can hear the groans from a few of my friends. Serious athletes don’t wear skirts, right?

Okay, let me first make it clear that I am not the girl at the gym who looks cute exercising. No, no, I am instead the girl sweating profusely, sporting a side ponytail (not on purpose), and wearing two different pairs of socks (ugh, unfortunately this is so true). In actuality, the skirts while cute, more importantly look comfortable and are the perfect remedy to camel toe and chaffing (not that I am a sufferer or anything).

My ONLY concerns/fears with the running skirt include the built-in shorts riding up my butt, accidentally mooning the racers behind me, or a huge gust of wind making me feel more like Marilyn Monroe than an actual runner. I guess there is only one way to find out, so I am going to go ahead and make the purchase.
What do you think? Do you OR would you wear running skirts?
If so, recommendations for running skirts would be appreciated.

Reason #24: Banana Chocolate Shake & Level 2 of Shred

2009-03-28T12:57:00.016-04:00

I have been on a real smoothie kick lately, and I think I came across a real winner yesterday. My newest creation tastes very good, and it could easily qualify as a "heavenly milkshake" over a morning health boost. The base is merely 1 cup of Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk, 1 banana, and ice. Those three simple ingredients alone are delicious, however here are some great add-in options:

Banana Chocolate Shake:
1 cup of Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk + 1 Medium Banana + Ice

For those interested in nutritional facts, the shake is 145 calories, 4 g of fiber, and 3 g of protein and also provides >20% of Daily Recommended Values in Calcium, Vitamin B6, Vitmain D, and Vitamin E.

Banana Mocha Shake:
1 cup of Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk + 1 Banana + Ice + 1/2 cup of Coffee

This shake provides an extra jolt to get you going in the morning. Also, a convenient usage for leftover cold coffee.

PB and Banana Shake:
1 cup of Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk + 1 Banana + Ice + 1 tbsp peanut butter + 1/4 oats

Extra protein and extra decadence with a thicker consistency

Healthy Decadence Shake:
1 cup of Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk + 1 Banana + Ice + 1 tbsp peanut butter + 1 cup of spinach + flaxseed

Adds extra nutrients while still maintaing a great taste.

DAY TWO: 30 Day Shred

Yesterday I tried out Level 2 of the Shred workout video which was of higher intensity than Level 1. There is a strong focus on plyometrics such as lateral skating, double jump ropes, and jump squats. Additionally, the upper body gets a killer workout with plank based movements and walking out push ups. For twenty minutes I had my heart rate up, I was sweating and breathing heavy, and then I was done.

I highly recommend this workout video for the following reasons:
- It is twenty minutes of high intensity
- Works on your strength, abs, and cardio
- You can easily incorporate this into your morning, lunch, or night routine
- You feel you get the best possible workout in the shortest amount of time
- You can increase the intensity by a) going to a higher level or b) using more weight

In college, we weight lifted all of the time for soccer. Not only was it at 6:30am(which is VERY early for a college kid), but we lifted ridiculous amounts of weight. I DREADED lifting more than anything, and I had sworn never to pick up a dumbbell or bar again after my soccer career ended. Okay so maybe I was a bit dramatic, but Jillian's workout has encouraged me to begin and enjoy strength training again. Strength training and mixing up your workout routine is too important to swear off!

* For further clarification, I complete the Shred in addition to my daily half marathon training. However, the shred replaces my usual past attempts of lifting and abs.

Reason #23: Pumping the Wine and Feeling Lucky

2009-03-27T18:33:00.007-04:00

So guess what came in the mail yesterday? Jillian Michaels 30-day shred! Since I am going to dinner and drinks tonight, I thought this morning would be the perfect opportunity to start Day 1 of the workout video. So when my alarm clock went off at 6am, I put on my sneaks, popped in the DVD, only to realize that I do not have the required 3-5lb weights. I quickly tried to improvise a pair of dumbbells - two bottles of shampoo? No they werent full. Cans of beans? Too light. Two large bottles of wine? Perfect! So I grabbed the wine and started the workout. Aside from looking ridiculous pumping wine, I got a good workout in - Jillian sure loves the lunges. There is no rest in the workout (which I like), and it goes by so quickly. Jillian bases her workout on 3 minutes strength (pumping wine bottles in my case), 2 minutes cardio (jumping jacks and butt kicks), and 1 minute abs (I kind of wish more time was allocated for abs). Since the workout is just 20 minutes I figure I have no excuse to not do it everyday. So let the shredding begin. While Level 1 was a good workout, I think I can push it to Level 2, which I will try out tomorrow. Or maybe I should try out the shred with actual weights first...

On another note, I won my first "giveaway" contest today! EatFabinNYC was giving away a $25 gift certificate to "mix my own granola," and I just happened to win! Here is the company's story of how it all started:

Andreas, Matt and Raoul founded MixMyGranola in 2008. The idea of MixMyGranola was born when the three of us were sitting together at breakfast one morning discussing what the perfect granola would be like. Each one of us had different ideas and none of the ready-made granolas that we could find in supermarkets and grocery stores really fulfilled all of our granola dreams. So we started looking for the best granolas and the best ingredients and started creating our own granola mixes. While trying new combinations and new ingredients, we thought: hey- other people might want to do the same. So we created MixMyGranola.com: The website where YOU can custom-make your own granola. The way YOU like it!

So clearly I came up with my own mix of granola as well as my own granola name:
NAME: SirMixALot Granola
INGREDIENTS: Low Fat Granola (baby dont want too much back), Goji Berries, Bing Cherries, Organic Dried Apples, Macademia Nuts, Cocoa Crisp Bites

Cant wait to try it out!

Reason #22: You're Getting Warmer (Great Advice Article)

2009-03-25T19:18:00.008-04:00

A few months ago I read an article written by Martha Beck about “Escaping the Rat Race.” The article focused on overcoming fear to obtain freedom. Unfortunately, so many of us feel trapped in our job, relationship, or routine, yet are too fearful to get out. Beck highlights that many spend hours in their job playing roles that don’t match their innate personalities and preferences. As soon as they are out of work, they resort to mood-altering substances whether it be alcohol, food, or drugs. People are trapped in prisons made in their mind – or attitudes and beliefs such as “I have to look successful” or “I can’t disappoint my parents.” And if we ever come close to recognizing the truth (hey, maybe this job isn’t right for me? Maybe she isn’t right for me?), we’re deterred by terrifying questions: “What if this is the best I can get?” “What if I quit my job and end up somewhere worse?” “What if I break up with him and end up alone forever?” When faced with the UNKNOWN or the familiar cage, most people choose the cage even when liberation is just a few steps away.

Beck then provides advice on how to engineer a personal prison break and be set free forever. First off, your perfect life isn’t going to appear out of thin air. Just as the perfect omelet isn’t going to appear – you first need to see what’s available, rummage through the fridge, and make what you want. Fortunately, we all have that ability to shape our environment – we make the omelet, we paint the room, we change our clothes. Now some people will reply, “well, I don’t even know what I want….or who I want…or what I want to do.”

Here is Beck’s grand advice, and I’m not kidding, I have been following her SIMPLE advice in almost all decisions I have been making:

PLAY THE HOT AND COLD GAME
Beck would invite clients to her office to play the simple child’s game “You're Getting Warmer, You're Getting Colder”. The client would leave the room, and Beck would hide a simple object in a tricky place, such a key inside of a cake. When the client returns to the room, he will immediately ask, "What am I looking for?" Beck would simply give the feedback "You're getting warmer" or "You're getting colder." The client would start moving, quickly identify the general hiding area, and demand, "Where is it?" Frustrated, he would revert to following the "warmer/colder" feedback until he arrived at the object.

Beck’s point is life has installed within you powerful "getting warmer, getting colder" signals. It isn't necessary to know exactly how your ideal life will look; you only have to know what feels better and what feels worse. If something feels both good and bad, break it down into its components to see which are warm, which cold. Begin making choices based on what makes you feel freer and happier, rather than how you think an ideal life should look. It's the process of feeling our way toward happiness, not the realization of some platonic ideal, that creates our best lives.

I have used this method most frequently in my everyday decisions. Should I run tonight or watch a movie? Choose what feels warmer. Salad or sandwich? Choose what feels warmer (psychologically). If you make mistakes, no problem; you'll soon feel colder and correct your course. Making consistent choices toward happiness is what steers you in the right direction to greater happiness.

My blog itself is a result of the “You’re Getting Warmer, You’re Getting Colder” method. I have always wanted to write about health and wellness, but I was skeptical about starting a blog at first. “What if no one reads it?” “Will people think I’m narcissistic?” “Will people laugh about it behind my back?” So I decided to give it a try – I wrote approximately ten posts before I even told anyone about it (besides the supportive “Boyfriend”). I thoroughly enjoyed writing, the information I was learning, and the support and warmth I was given. So I told my college friends, then my sisters, and now Im finally at a point where I declare myself a ~~warmer~~HOT Blogger (okay that was corny).

Anyway, Beck’s main message is that your feelings and impulses can bring you to distant and amazing destinations. You need to go ahead and trust your powerful instincts and your desire to be happy. You may choose to stay trapped in the cage (or as Beck writes “choose the cynical despair instead—it's all the rage in intellectual circles”)—but we both would rather be in the warmth.

Guest Post: The Blogosphere Has Kidnapped My Girlfriend

2009-03-23T21:11:00.013-04:00

Roughly two months ago, "the girlfriend", told me she was interested in starting a blog. She constantly is coming up with new ways to make her life more exciting so I was supportive of this endeavor. She later revealed to me her idea of a "wellness" blog and I again gave her a pat on the back. She lives a very healthy lifestyle and her "wellness" has rubbed off on me. Creating a blog was one of her New Years Resolutions. She is extremely intelligent and her writing is witty and intriguing. I knew she would be successful. Then the madness ensued. I originally thought that this would be a fad and she would stop blogging after a few weeks. Boy was I wrong...

Now let me give you a little background about our relationship. We have been dating for almost two years and we email each other daily. Sometimes we email each other over three or four times a day. Since beginning this blog, the number of emails we send each other has dwindled. When I call her on the phone at night she doesn't listen to me because she is stuck in the "blogosphere." When I go over her place to hang out, she sits on the couch typing away on her laptop as I watch TV in solitude. I need attention too! Even our nightly phone conversations revolve around her online entries. I finally came to the conclusion that my girlfriend is cheating on me with her freaking blog! What can a blog give someone that a boyfriend cant? Can a blog give you a hug? NO! A kiss? NO! Can a blog cook you dinner or drive you to the grocery store? NO! Can a blog beat you in tennis or challenge you to a wresting match? Hell NO. Gillian claims that the entry times on her blog are due to her computer being old, but dont be fooled, those are the real times. She sneaks on her blog whenever she gets a chance and now I have to compete with an online diary! 6:15 am entry? Yup 11:15 on a Saturday night? That's right! She dreams about her blog and cuddles in bed with her blog. She goes for runs with her blog and cooks for her blog. She works out for her blog and writes notes for her blog. So here we go. Im throwing off the gloves and going to bare knuckle box with this "new found love". I guess I have to be the best boyfriend possible or I might lose "the girlfriend" to a website. I have a list of things that I will never do including going to a tanning salon, getting a pedicure or manicure, and getting my "tips frosted." If Gillian decides to post this then I am openly saying I will never, ever start a blog because blogs take over and ruin lives.

- "Boyfriend"

PICTURE: Pre-Blog Bliss : )

Disclaimer: The "Boyfriend" is kidding. He digs the blog...

Reason #21: Another Jillian Reasons?

2009-03-22T22:50:00.010-04:00

I have been doing a lot of straight running as I prepare for my half-marathon coming up in early May, and I decided I need to mix up my routine. Therefore, I jumped on the blog bandwagon and ordered Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred DVD. Not only has this been the most popular exercise craze lately and been receiving fab reviews, it was only $10! Additionally, Im a huge BIGGEST LOSER fan, and she clearly knows how to get people in shape. Jillian bases the 20 minute workout on the 3-2-1 method: 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, 1 minute abs. There are three complete 20-minute workouts which progress by level of intensity (1 is easiest, followed by 2, and 3). It seems to be the perfect morning workout to start off the day.... The only equipment required include hand weights (3-5 lbs) and a mat if you're on a hard surface. I should be receiving the DVD in a few days, so I will let you know how it is once I receive it.

Speaking of Jillian, she is coming to San Diego on April 25, NYC on May 9th, and Chicago on May 16th to do a "Self Workout in the Park." Unfortunately, I will have to miss it as I will be at my friend's lakehouse in South Carolina (cant wait!), but here is the site to buy tickets.

Another event in NYC that I am contemplating is the More Fitness 1/2 marathon in Central Park on April 26 for WOMEN only. The only thing that is keeping me back is the Long Branch 1/2 marathon race I will be running the following weekend. Runners out there, is it okay to run 2 1/2 marathons in consecutive weekends? The last thing I want to do is get hurt, but I will have a week in between to recover. Thoughts?

I also just received notification that Gnu Bars and PopChips are sending me some of their products to review. Im so excited - I feel like an official blogger. Reviews to come! EatFabinNYC is also giving a mix your own granola giveaway...check it out!

Reason #20: My Week as a NYC Tourist

2009-03-21T10:48:00.001-04:00

This week you might as well have given me a fanny pack, camera, visor, and an “I Love New York” tshirt because I was the ultimate NYC tourist. Alongside the Japanese, Germans, and Texans I was venturing the museums, attending the Broadway shows, and trying out new restaurants.

Here are a few of my tourist reviews (and no, I didnt make it to the "hello kitty" store):

Restaurants:
Alta (64 West 10th St): This West Village tapas restaurant has wonderful ambience and a beyond delicious menu. I Highly Recommend. For the six of us, we probably ordered 12-15 tapas dishes, but my top favorites include:
Ricotta Parmesan Gnocchi tomato & piquillo pepper sauce, pancetta, pesto
Crispy Brussel Sprouts fuji apples, crème fraiche, pistachio nuts
Avocado Relleno with crabmeat and shrimp, frisee, and orange segments
Fried Goat Cheese with lavender infused honey
Bacon Wrapped Dates & Olives stuffed with almonds (Top Pick from the Meat Eaters)
* They also just put a deviled egg dish on their menu two days ago that we tried – superb!

Carmine’s (200 West 44th): The Carmine’s restaurant I attended was in the Theatre District, but there are other Carmine’s restaurants on the Upper West Side, Atlantic City, and Paradise Island. I went with my team of coworkers (there are seven of us) to experience some Southern Italian cooking. My coworkers are meat lovers – so much that the last team dinner discussion was about their personal experiences with the medical condition of GOUT (apparently it is when your feet and joints swell from too much alcohol, meat, and not enough exercise). Gross.

Anyway, we ended up not ordering ALL meat dishes. We got the Caesar Salad, Fried Calamari, Ravioli, Eggplant Parm, and Veal Marsala (portions are family style). Aside from the screaming baby lamb & fungi, I had a little bit of everything and it was quite tasty. My Boss always leaves me to pick out the desserts so I went with the tiramisu and chocolate fudge for everyone to share. Both were heavenly, and we all happily rolled back to the office (no pun intended). I would Recommend this restaurant – it is perfect for a large party before a Broadway show…..which brings me to my next event….

Broadway Show: Jersey Boys: As a Valentine’s Day present I got the Boyfriend tickets to see the “Jersey Boys” on Broadway. (Disclaimer: My boyfriend actually LIKES Broadway shows. I did not get him a present that I really wanted for myself, despite what you may believe, he actually digs catchy show tunes.) Anyway, the show is about the musical biography of the pop group, Four Seasons and Frankie Valli. During the show the popular songs “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” and “Sherry” are sung in identical sounds to the Four Season’s original music. It was a great show, and I would Recommend this show to anyone but particularly to parents, and even more particularly to Italian parents. The Boyfriend really liked it as well, and Ive even caught him humming “Walk Like a Man” into the mirror.

Guggenheim Museum (Modern and International Art): Through my work I can get myself and guests into most museums in New York City for free. Therefore, I decided to take Friday off from work, and take my parents and my sister (who was visiting) to the Guggenheim museum. Now the usual price of the entry into the museum is $18, and when I was getting our “free” tickets, the Asian tourist infront of me handed over $800 for the ticket. The cashier replied with, “why the heck are you giving me this much money? I said ONE EIGHT not EIGHT HUNDRED.” Man, imagine paying $800 to see some artwork? Ahh, tourists.

Anyway, the museum was quite interesting and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture of the building itself is remarkable. I saw some gorgeous Picasso, Kadinsky, Cezanne, and Van Gogh paintings I had never seen before (Above is Van Gogh's Mountains at St. Remy). However, a few exhibits were a bit bazaar such as:
- Painting by a Buddhist who dipped his head in black paint and used it as a paint brush to create a black line.
- Huge black painting to stare at to accentuate simplicity.
- The requirement to take shoes off before entering exhibit and large sign that stated entering the exhibit “may change your psychological state.”
- Video clip of a guy sleeping for six hours.
- Lady receiving acupuncture.

While I did enjoy it, I scratched my head at a few exhibits with the thought, "I just dont get it."

Alright, I am off to my soccer game, but my next blog will include a run-in with “The City” star last night at an East Village bar….and then back to some health and wellness news : )

Another Disclaimer: One of my blog ~~stalkers~~ followers (Dan ahem) commented that the times of my postings were quite creepy - such as 7:00 am on a Saturday morning. Just to let you know, my 1980s computer is a little antiquated and apparently 3-4 hours behind time.

* One ~~Million~~ Gillian Reasons to Live Well *

Reason #19: Top Ten Favorites of Spring

2009-03-18T22:15:00.001-04:00

March 20th marks the first day of spring, at last! While I will miss my winter coats, knee high boots, and soups (probably the only three things I like about winter besides Christmas), there are so many things to look forward to in the new season. I will probably expand on each item in future posts, but here are my "Top Ten Favorite Things about Spring":

1. A New Batch of Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables which also means a new fruit topping to put in oatmeal, a new combination of fruits and veggies for smoothies, and new seasonal recipes to try out.

Spring Fruits:
Apricots, Avocados, Carrots, Cherries, Grapefruit, Kiwis, Lemons, Mango, Pineapple, Navel Oranges, Strawberries

Spring Vegetables:
Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Beets, Fava beans, Fennel, Greens, Leeks, Spring and Sweet Onions, Parsely, Peas, Spinach, Swiss Chards, Turnips

2. Spring Clothes Finally I can switch around my wardrobe…

Goodbye
Wool Winter Coats, Tights, Winter Hats, Black Chanel Bag, Knee High Boots, Uggs, Spandex

Hello
Bright colors, bare legs, sunglasses, Pink Chanel Bag, Peep Toed Shoes, Flip Flops, Shorts

3. First Day of Spring Equals A 64 Day Countdown to Shore House
From May 22 (Memorial Day Weekend) to September 7 (Labor Day Weekend), I ditch the city and head to my beach house on the weekends. Here’s to sitting on the beach all day and hanging out at the bars all night!

4. So Long Viactiv, Hello Sunshine
It is finally time to give up the Vitamin D supplements for the real Vitamin D-maker – sunshine!It is now doable to step out of the office and take a walk at lunch time! Or grab a friend and eat lunch at Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, or the nearest park, tree, bench, curb.

5. Running Outside for Long Periods of Time
Im tired of the crowded, smelly gym and thoroughly enjoying outside exercise now that it is warmer. Long runs, soccer games, tennis, and golf are all good workouts to replace the winter workouts on the elliptical and treadmill.
Personal Spring Goal: Run ½ marathon down the Jersey shore on May 3 (anyone else running?) under 2 hours.

6. Spring Break
So I may have graduated college, but aren’t we all still entitled to a Spring Break? Time to plan a trip. May 9 Im making my annual trip to a girlfriend’s lakehouse in South Carolina for some sun and fun with the college girls (BDs).

7. New York, New York
NYC hosts the following activities in Spring: Fleet Week, Tribeca Film Festival, Five Boro Bike Tour (42 miles of biking adventure), Fashion Week, and Cherry Blossom Season at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

8. Spring Cleaning
Finally we can turn off the heat, and open the windows. I cant wait to air out the apartment, dry clean all my winter clothes, and change my flannel sheets to lighter ones.

9. Gardening
Okay, so I live in an apartment with no outside space – but I do have a terrace! Therefore, my Spring 2009 project is to start a herb garden on the balcony.

10. March Madness!
Has everyone gotten their brackets submitted for the NCAA Tournament pool? It is March Madness time! I entered two brackets at work in a winner-takes-all pool. I have picked UNC as winner in one and Pittsburgh in the other. Aside from actually enjoying college basketball, I love a little competition.
Best place in NYC to watch the games: Bounce Deuce in the East Village. You will find me there (last year ran in to the Nets team and two of the past Bachelors!)

Reason #18: Soccer, Granola Bars, & the Apprentice

2009-03-15T17:57:00.001-04:00

I have played soccer for 67% of my life. From age five to twenty-one years old,I have been kicking, sprinting, heading, and running up and down the field. So of course when the opportunity arose to join a team at the age of 24, I jumped on it. Could I possibly have lost all my finesse in three years? Well, my co-ed team ended up winning 2-1, and one guy on my team even commented "you played really well for a girl" (wtf?). Aside from almost puking three times, I felt great, refreshed, and wondered why I had stopped playing at all. However, this morning was KILLER. I now have a blood blister that has taken over my whole big toe, my legs feel like jello, and muscles that I did not even know I had ache. My body was definitely not feeling the "8-9 Mile Long Run" scheduled, but I bucked up and did it anyway. Thank goodness for a little push from Rihanna, TI, Britney, and Kings of Leon, and my Boyfriend running infront of me.

Anyway, for some fuel, I decided to make some homemade granola bars! I have been wanting to make these forever, and I finally got all of the ingredients. I loved them and was told by a fellow tastetester that they taste, "very gillian-y." Not sure what that means, but Ill take it as a compliment.

Anyway here is the recipe (modified from Kath Eat's "Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars":

Ingredients

1.5 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds
3/4 cup dried fruit (I used 1/2 cup cranberries, 1/4 cup raisins)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
1.25 cups almond milk
1/4 cup of egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 350*
Mix dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients.
Pour wet into dry. Stir to combine.
Pour into a 9×9 baking dish either coated in cooking spray.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Cut into 9 squares.
Makes 9 servings . Each bar is appx. 165 calories, 3 grams fiber and 5 grams protein.

I will definitely make these again next time possibly adding some dark chocolate chips, dried bananas, and possibly peanut butter or pumpkin next time???

I have really enjoyed my new cooking routine, and I recently sent five of my favorite recipes to Abbie at Foods That Fit. She is creating an e-cookbook with healthy recipes from fellow bloggers. I cant wait for it!

** On Another Note: My sister will be making an appearance on "The Apprentice" tonight. Check out for the blonde trying on wedding dresses for Joan and Melissa Rivers. Eek, Im excited for her!

* One ~~Million~~ Gillian Reasons to Live Well *

Reason #17: Token Gym-Goers

2009-03-14T10:16:00.001-04:00

I have belonged to four gyms in my life, and I have come up with a theory that all gyms have the following “token” gym-goers. No matter where you go, you shall find them:

Girl So Skinny You are Scared for her Life – When she runs you fear she will fall, when she lifts you fear she will break in half.
Gym Purse lady – Instead of locking up her personal items in the locker room like everyone else, this woman insists on bringing her oversized duffle bag filled with cellphone, towel, ipod, magazines, extra clothing, gum, and sweatshirt to her machine. It is conveniently plopped in everyone’s pathway.
Too Top Heavy Guy – This guy bench presses ridiculous weights and does dumbbell curls as he smiles at himself in the mirror. He wears wife beaters, grunts, hisses, and probably fist-pumps at the Jersey shore.
The Older Woman In A Sports Bra – There is always that older woman who sports spandex and a middrift. While she is very fit and looks great for her age, her outfit is probably more appropriate for a Jane Fonda workout video.
Determined Woman on Treadmill Who Looks Like She is Running to Save her Life – This woman runs as fast as she can, looks straight forward with a frightened look, and easily could be mistaken for Neve Campbell in Scream. Once the treadmill hits :57, :58, :59, the girls grabs the sidebars, slows down the speed, bends over to catch breath, and escapes alive.
Floater Dude – Guy who walks around but really doesn’t do anything – Guy is typically skinny, wears white tshirt, long shorts, high socks, and just wanders. He will pick up a dumbbell, lift it. He will sit on the floor, sit up. Possibly terrified of “too top heavy guy” timbering over?
Non-sprayers – The person who exercises for 90 minutes at a fast pace, sweats all over the machine, yet is too lazy to wipe the machine down.
Girl who runs forever- She is running when you get there, she is running when you leave. She is also running when you get there the next day.
Girl who is on the treadmill but doesn’t run. Girl spends at least 2 miles of her running workout with her legs strattling the sids of the treadmill instead of pausing the machine. She fixes her IPOD, drinks water, talks with her friends as the belt continues on. Cheater!
Social Butterfly – The girl can talk. She knows everyone at the frontdesk and all the personal trainers. Whether you like it or not, you know her nightly plans, her favorite tv show, and what she had for lunch.
Way too Dressed Up for the Gym Girl – We all have recognized her. She is at the gym with a full face of make-up on, hair perfectly blown dry, a perfectly matched gym outfit, and super white sneakers only to match her super white smile (Gretchen from Real Housewives anyone?). She goes onto the treadmill, glistens, and never breaks into a sweat.

Take a look around your gym - you'll recognize the tokens!

On another note:
* My boyfriend and I used Restaurant.com coupon last night! We received a $25 gift certificate for $2 (there is a special right now, buy $25 gift certificate for $2 - use special code "MENU"). We had delicious meal!
** Off to my first co-ed soccer game of the season - hopefully start the season with a win!

Reason #16: "F-IT" List: A Variation of a Bucket List

2009-03-12T18:30:00.001-04:00

A few years ago I created a Bucket List which was a list of 100 things I want to do before I die. It included going on a safari in Africa, running a marathon, writing in a magazine, kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland, and 95 more to-do items. I have already crossed a few off the list (attended Fashion Week in NYC, CHECK, created a personal blog, CHECK), and I have a few more coming up in 2009 (run NYC Marathon, fingers crossed). However with times being slow and money not being as abundant, big ticket items such as a safari in Africa have been put in the back burner.

This week Comedian Michael Ian Black came out with a “F-it List,” which is basically the opposite of a Bucket List. It is a list of things you don’t care about doing before you die instead of things you want to do. A few of his items include 1) seeing the reunited Phish, 2) learning about birds, and 3) watching the sunrise. Below are a few of mine – which may very well interest other people – but in my mind, I just say f-it!

My"F"it List includes...

Doing the Master Cleanse
Watching an episode of Ugly Betty or Lost
Chowing Down on McDonalds
Wearing Pants (aside from sweatpants, snowpants, and pajama pants)
Bungee Jumping
Swimming in a Shark Tank
Bikram Yoga (though I admire those who do it)
Staying at work late even though my work is done
Making my own coffee to save money
Walking at a leisurely pace on the sidewalks of NYC
Resisting chocolate when it is offered
$15 cocktails
Learning how to do a cartwheel (if I still cant do it after all these years, f-it)
Playing Videogames
Attending Amusement Parks and/or Circuses
Seeing all 50 states (I can pass on seeing a few states)
Watching the ball drop in Times Square
Dancing Like No One is Watching

My girlfriend Emily wanted me to include legwarmers. So legwarmers, f-it!

Feel free to comment on your own!

Reason #15: Eloise, I mean Gillian, in the Plaza

2009-03-10T20:23:00.001-04:00

Last night I attended a NYC alumni fundraising event at "The Plaza". I was quite enthused of my university's choice in location as a) the Plaza is stunning, b) the last alumni event I attended I was slugging beer out of paper cups at Brother Jimmy's, and c) the first project I was put on in my current job was the financing of the Plaza. It certainly was a nice change of pace to be strutting around the Grand Ballroom with a glass of champagne in hand, in comparison to checking out the construction and budget status in a hard hat. I don't know if it was the champagne, or the piano playing, or rekindling with old college friends, but the energy in the room was lively and vivacious. When the President of our University stood up infront of the 300+ crowd, he asked if a volunteer from the audience would talk about their college experience. I don't know what happened, but when the President asked for a volunteer, my arm shot into the air and started flailing. While I was sitting in the back row (AKA the seat closest to the bar), the President looked back and sure enough called on me. Now dont call me crazy, but this is what I remember next, BA DUMP, BA DUMP, BA DUMP, BA DUMP. Nope it wasnt the University jazz band coming in, but my heart nearly pumping out of my chest. I truly could not remember the last time I felt such nerves. As the lady with the microphone started walking over, my knees started feeling weak (uh hello what is going on body?). Just as I was forcing my weak knees to straighten out and stand, the lady turns and hands the microphone to a girl a few rows infront of me instead. UH HELLO??? The first words the girl says are, "Hi my name is Stephanie, and I dont think I was the one the President called on, but anyway...."

So nonetheless, I never got to speak infront of the 300+ crowd. Perhaps it was best? I did have a little too much of the kool-aid, and who really knows what part of my body would have began twitching next. But after thinking it over, I realized my arm shot in the air because I had a wonderful college experience, and I wanted to express my gratitude. The nerves were mere excitement.

Now clearly the focus of my blog is health and wellness, which does NOT exactly correlate with being nervous, sweaty, awkward, and twitchy. But in a way I feel I kind of had an "ah-hah" moment, and I was experiencing that "alive" feeling. The same feeling I got before my state championship soccer game, and before my first date with my boyfriend, and during the last leg of my half-marathon. Those adrenaline running, endorphin pumping moments are the best, and the ones you remember, and unfortunately I don't think I feel them nearly as much.

So I am challenging myself (and others) to take more chances, to feel the rush, and to feel alive. As I posted on my very first post, my personal mantra is:

Be compassionate. Live with intention. Continue to learn. Take chances. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Appreciate your family and friends. Dwell in possibility. Dance. Do what you love. Live your life.

It is time to grab the microphone!

Reason #13: Irish Blessing

2009-03-08T10:13:00.001-04:00

This Saturday was the annual Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day celebration! With twenty Irish pubs in the mile-square town, and fifty other bars that help the Irish (or Irish wanna-bes) celebrate, the day is pretty insane! Anyway, the plan was to start the day at my girlfriend’s apartment with mimosas and breakfast, followed by one party after the other. Since my dietary intake for the day would consist of mimosas, Guinness, whiskey (eek), and more beer, I really wanted to come up with a festive, healthy contribution to the festivities. Perfect time to try a green smoothie!

Here is what I created:
Green Smoothie

1/2 cup of almond milk
1 Small banana
1/2 green apple
2 handfuls spinach
1/2 cucumber

I was so pleasantly surprised on how delicious and refreshing it tasted! While no one actually requested a glass full, I had a few taste tasters who enjoyed it as well. Im heading out to the supermarket today to fill up on some new produce to add - kale, ginger, and some sweet fruit!

Side Notes
* To all New Yorkers, take a second look at the food carts lining the sidewalks. Aside from pork dishes and hot dogs, certain carts are "fruit" bars where you can get deliciously blended fruit and vegetable shakes. In the summer, my sister and I frequented the cart on 48th between 5th and Madison almost everyday.

**To the runners following a training plan out there, I switched up my Saturday and Sunday workout plans given that Id be a little hungover/tired today. I ran my longer run, approximately 9-9.5 miles yesterday and plan to do a shorter run today. It is so beautiful out, Im thrilled to finally be running outside!

Reason #12: A New Breakfast is "Steeling" my Heart

2009-03-05T19:01:00.001-05:00

Every morning I start off my day with the same breakfast – coffee and oatmeal. Oatmeal is warm, healthy, filling, and there are so many options for add-ins(berries, almonds, bananas, peanut butter, pumpkin, etc). My usual breakfast for the past few weeks includes mixing plain oatmeal (convenient and fast), a small banana, almonds, and a few cranberries together. While delicious, I was getting tired of the routine, and I wanted to start exploring other options. Thankfully, Jamba Juice just came out for a promotion for their limited time $1 steel-cut oatmeal! The oatmeal is slow-cooked (in soymilk) with brown sugar crumble and your choice of fruit topping (apple cinnamon, blueberry-blackberry, or fresh banana).

I decided to try out the oatmeal today, so I printed the coupon (good for all of March) and ran(ok, more like snuck) out of the office at 9:15am to order the oatmeal. After 45 minutes of waiting (I don’t want to even begin discussing the wait), I ran back to my office to taste the blueberry-blackberry oatmeal. Not going to lie, it was awesome. It was creamy with just the right amount of sweetness from the brown sugar crumbles and berries. It reminded me a bit of a blueberry crisp pie my Grandma use to make. Nonetheless, the serving was hearty (I was full three hours later!) and larger in portion than my usual oatmeal. My only complaint was that the berries were not fresh. Nutritionally wise, it seems good. 290 calories, 0 saturated fat, 6 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein. I plan to try the oatmeal again, with FRESH bananas next time, but Im not sure if the 45 minute wait was a rare occurrence or daily debacle.

Once March ends, here are some other delicious recipes I want to try from fellow bloggers:

CarrotCakeOatmeal
Baked Banana Oatmeal
Oatmeal Brulee

Reason #11: Too Good to be True?

2009-03-04T19:59:00.001-05:00

You know those times when you are skeptical and think "no way, this is too good to be true?" For instance, when the brownie sundae covered in hot fudge you are chowing down is a mere 100 calories? Or the flight to Miami you are booking is just $99? Or the designer bag you have been hunting is 80% off and you are not in Chinatown! All of these just seem too good to be true!

Well, I came across another "too good to be true" moment. Restaurant.com offers $25 gift certificates to QUALITY restaurants and only charges you $10 (last week it was only $4, back in October it was $2!). Therefore, if you had taken advantage of the $25 gift certificate for $4 last week, you and your friend could have gone out to dinner, spent about $35 total, and paid about $14 instead! ($4 fee + $35 meal charge - $25 gift certificate = $14 dollars! (not including tip)).

Given current economic condition, restaurant managers are doing everything to stay in touch with diners. The company has partnered with thousands of restaurants nationwide to connect diners with promotional money-saving gift certificates. It is a win-win situation. Customer gets discounted meal and the restaurant gets filled tables and new customers!

To get your gift certificate, simply type in your zip code, and restaurants in the area will pop up that are participating in this deal. Here are a few examples of participating restaurants:

New York- (All zip codes) – Outrageous amounts of restaurants included – see for yourself.

Hoboken, NJ -07030 (1 mile radius) – Restaurants include Gaslight, Liberty Bar, Nine, Texas Arizona, Mile Square, etc

Raleigh, NC 27603 (5 mile radius) – Restaurants include Amedeo’s, Jerk Masters, La Piazza, The Big Easy, The Gourmet Factory, etc.

Chicago, IL – 60657 (1 mile radius) Restaurants include Erwin, Fernando’s, Hounds Tooth, Vines Wine, etc.

Simply go to “restaurant.com”, choose a restaurant you want to dine at, purchase the gift certificate online, and a copy of the gift certificate will be emailed to you for printing.

Yes, there are a few terms which are specific to each restaurant. Such as:

- You need to spend $35 at the restaurant to use the certificate
- You must dine in, no take out.
- The company guarantees the certificates. You will be refunded if you have any trouble using it.
- You are not allowed to use two certificates at the same time.
- City folks will definitely get more choices in small towns, but they are expanding!

As the website says, EAT. DRINK. SAVE MONEY!

Reason 10: Putting It Away in a ROTH IRA

2009-03-02T19:57:00.001-05:00

After approximately two years of procrastination, I finally made the move and put some of my savings into a ROTH IRA. Hallelujah! It has been on my to-do-list forever, and I love being able to cross it off the to-do-list (yes, I experienced a list maker’s high!). Anyway, my real motivation to move my money was when I realized how much of paycheck was going to taxes. “What? All of that money is going to the government? Isn’t there a way to get some back?” So that is when I decided to take action and start the research….

First off, move your money into a ROTH IRA only after:
- You have paid off all of your credit card debt
- You have an emergency fund of at least six month’s living expenses

If you have extra money remaining start to save! Here is the pecking order for savings http://http://www.fool.com/retirement/retirement02.htm:
1) Employer plan with a match
2) Roth IRA
3) Employer plan without a match
4) Traditional IRA
5) Taxable investment
6) Annuity

Now to illustrate the power of putting money away in an IRA, see scenario below:

Tim and Ryan are twin brothers who are 65 years old. 45 years ago (at the end of the year when he reached 20), Tim started an IRA and put $2,000 in the account at the end of each year. After 20 years of contributions, Tim stopped making new deposits but left the accumulated contributions in the IRA fund. The fund produced returns of 10% per year tax-free. Ryan started his own IRA when he reached the age of 40 (just after Tim quit) and contributed $2,000 per year for 25 years, making his last contribution today. Ryan invested 25% more money in total than Tim. Ryan also earned 10% on his investments tax-free. What are the values of Tim’s and Ryan’s IRA funds today?

Tim has $1,365,227. Ryan has $218,364. Ryan invested 25% more than Tim, but through the magic of compounded returns, Tim’s IRA fund is worth more than six times as much!

IRAs are easy to set up as I learned today! Don’t be intimidated by them as I was for the last two years. Once I did my research, it took me about ten minutes to apply for it online at Vanguard.com.

IRAs are Individual Retirement Accounts or in a simpler term a “bucket” that you place investments in. The purpose of IRAs is to encourage people to save for their retirement, by offering them a significant tax break. They are targeted toward working individuals – not the wealthy (income limits prevent them from participating), or trust fund kids (contributions have to be made from salary not inheritance, investments, etc). There are two types: Traditional IRAs and ROTH IRAs. With a traditional IRA, the money you invest is tax deductible now, but the money you pull out at retirement will be taxed at the then-current rate. A ROTH IRA, on the other hand, does not enable you get a tax deduction on the money you contribute now, but at retirement, earnings can be withdrawn tax-free. In other words, money in a ROTH IRA is taxed at the front end, money in a traditional IRA is taxed at the back end. Other facts on ROTH IRA:

* In 2008, you are eligible to contribute a maximum of $5,000.

* You can use a ROTH IRA even if you have a 401K or other retirement plan.

* You must make your contributions by the tax deadline each year (therefore I just made my contribution for 2008 as the deadline is April 15, 2009).

* You may withdraw your contributions at any time without penalty. If you attempt you withdraw your earnings before the age of 59 ½, they will be subject to taxes and a 10% early withdrawal penalty.

* You may withdraw up to $10,000 in earnings without penalty in order to buy your first home.

Many financial institutions offer IRAs. It is important to search for a company that suits your needs. You have three main options: a bank, a brokerage or mutual fund company.

Bank Option: This will be a good choice if you don't have much to invest or can not decide where to put your money. You often can open an account for as little as $100. Most let you invest in CDs or money market accounts, sometimes without an annual fee. Check Bankrate.com for average rates.

Mutual Funds Option: This is a simple option as you leave the stock picking to the pros and spread your money and risk instantly across a large number of investments. You may start with just a single fund, but as the IRA grows, you will want to split it up into a number of funds with different investment styles.
*Many of these funds require a minimum initial investment of $1,000-$3,000.

Brokerage Firm: This is an option for more experience investors who want to select their own mix securities or choose from thousands of mutual funds.

After completing the research, I chose the mutual fund option and used Vanguard.com. I was able to apply online and transfer funds from my savings account into the ROTH IRA in a matter of minutes. Now after completing my research, my only regret is that I did not put my money into an IRA sooner! Please ask questions if you have any!

DISCLAIMER: While I do have a finance degree, I am not an investing expert, and I recommend doing your own research before making a decision.

Reason #9: Eggplant in Spicy Tomato Sauce

2009-03-01T11:06:00.001-05:00

I love fresh produce, and I am constantly trying to incorporate new vegetables into my cooking. I came across eggplant at the supermarket for just 99 cents a pound, so I picked one up and decided to experiment. I came across the below "Eggplant in Spicy Tomato Sauce" recipe from We've Always Had Paris...and Provence by Patricia and Walter Wells. I made this dinner for my boyfriend and I on Saturday night with some spaghetti, and we both licked our plates clean. It is so easy (though it takes about an hour to prepare) and is very healthy! I highly recommend!

I was going to post a picture, but we both had a 7 mile workout and were too ravenous to wait for my camera to charge!

Eggplant in Spicy Tomato Sauce
- serves 8 - (I cut the recipe in half)

Ingredients
2 large, firm, fresh eggplant, washed but not peeled (about 2 lbs. total)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
2 onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons thin slivers fresh ginger
6 plump garlic cloves, peeled, halved, green germ removed
1 small fresh chile pepper, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon ground dried cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups chicken stock

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Halve the eggplants lengthwise. Brush the flesh lightly with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt. Place the eggplant halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Place on a rack in the center of the oven and bake until soft and golden, about 30 minutes. After removing the eggplant halves from the oven, cut them in half again.

3. While the eggplant cooks, prepare the sauce: In a large deep frying pan, combine the onion, the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss to thoroughly coat the onions with the oil and cook, covered, over low heat until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, chile, and cumin and toss again to evenly coat the onions with the spices. Add the tomato sauce and chicken stock and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes. Add the roasted eggplant halves, burying them in the sauce. Cook until the eggplant is very tender and has absorbed the sauce, about 20 minutes more.

4. Serve over spaghetti and pair with a red wine (we had Cabarnet Sauvignon) - delicious!

Reason #8: Baby we were born to run...

2009-02-28T10:10:00.001-05:00

I signed up for a half marathon! I will be running 13.1 miles on May 3 in Long Branch, NJ for the second time. Last year I had hurt my left knee, but since I was already registered for the race, I intended to just walk it. I hadn’t run three weeks prior to the race in an attempt to heal my knee. However, once I heard the cheering crowd and was surrounded on all sides by runners, my adrenaline rushed, and my fast walk turned into a jog. While I ran/walked my first mile in 14 minutes, I ended up averaging 7:30 for my last three and a half miles. I recommend this race as the terrain is pretty flat, there is a good amount of cheering spectators, and part of the run is along the Jersey shore! I am aiming for a time under two hours this year! Below is a picture of my boyfriend's sister, my boyfriend, and myself after the race.

I also entered into the NYC Marathon lottery, so Im crossing my fingers to be one of the lucky chosen ones to run on November 1. I find out in June. Apparently there are more than 100,000 applicants annually, and 50,000 people are rejected every year. I always said if I am going to do a marathon, I want to do New York! Aside from attracting world-class professional athletes, the race is before two million cheering spectators and 315 million worldwide television views.

Below is a workout plan I am using to get myself prepared for the half marathon (I am having trouble posting charts on here, so I have attached the link). I currently run about six miles a day, so it looks like Sunday will be the real challenge.

Training Schedule

Reason # 7: Biggest Loser - Rundown of Ranch Life

2009-02-25T21:11:00.001-05:00

I don’t know about you, but I am always rooting for the underdog. Whether it was Davidson last year in the NCAA tournament, Jamal in the “hot seat” during Slumdog Millionaire, or the Biggest Loser contestants at their weekly weigh-ins, I am on the edge of my seat, cheering, rooting, and praying for victory!

Biggest Loser (BL) is a reality show where obese contestants compete against each other to lose weight the fastest for a grand prize of $250,000. NBC devotes TWO hours to the show on Tuesday nights which is just a glimpse of its success. (Note: DVRing is recommended). Not only do I find myself recapping the previous night episode with my mother weekly, but a Wednesday morning BL recap is discussed every morning in my office over coffee and spreadsheets. It is humorous how much we support the contestants for their willpower and persistence(-8lbs, you go Blue team!), and how much we blast those who can not drop the weight (merely 1 pound, Silver team, really?)
Led by trainers, the teams diet, exercise, and try to outplay, outwit, and outskinny each other. Contestants not only endure grueling workouts, but weekly have to “face” the scale in a public weigh-in wearing only spandex shorts and sports bra. I was interested in what a day/week was on “the ranch”, so I researched for some answers:

Work out: Approximately six hours a day, including one to two hours of intense cardio work on the treadmill or stair machine depending on how fit they are. Women typically burn 4,000 calories a day, and men work off an astounding 6,000 calories.

Food: Everyone is given a calorie budget (about 1,200 calories for women and 1,800 for men), recipes, and a list of forbidden foods. They are not allowed any white flour, white sugar, butter, or anything that contains those ingredients. Contestants are encouraged to eat something every four hours, which is about four or five small meals throughout the day.

Questions I had:

Do the contestants receive counseling while on the ranch?
No, Jillian and Bob are the only counselors. Over the past six seasons, Jillian and Bob have helped 114 people lose more than 10,000 pounds.

“Bob has said that he now understands this is why he was put on the planet,” Jillian says. “I feel similarly.” Aw (so eudaimonic!)
Are the contestants checked to see if they hydrated before weigh-ins?
Apparently there are penalties if tests show contestants are too dehydrated. None have been reported thus far.

When contestants are sent home do they have personal trainers?
Once contestants are home, they still have access to medical staff from show, and Bob and Jillian. The gym company that is the sponsor gives them free membership – but no training. However, many trainers in the communities where the contestants live donate training sessions.

I would be concerned that contestants are going to drastic measures before the finale for the $250,000 prize. Does this happen?
Apparently some contestants go to extreme measures to drop the weight such as fasting, asparagus binges (asparagus, a mild diuretic, temporarily reduces weight) and all-coffee strategies. Runner-up, Kai Hibbard, an aerobic instructor in Alaska says she spent the night before her final weigh-in hopping in and out of sauna for six hours, consumed only sugar-free Jell-O for several days and wolfed down asparagus, which is a natural diuretic.

Aside from the drastic measures at the finale, the show transforms people’s lives for the better, creates a new way of life, and proves the effects of exercise and healthy eating. Ali Vincent, first female winner of Biggest Loser says she never really knew the woman she once was, and she’s vowed to never lose herself again. “I just promised myself never again will I forget who I am and what I deserve to have…and that’s health and that’s happiness.”

SIDE NOTE: Recent Biggest Loser eliminee Dane Patterson, did not complete the full marathon in Arizona in 3 hours and 53 minutes. He in fact only ran 23 miles. He ran 17 miles before receiving a ride from the field producer for 3 miles before rejoining the race at the 20 mile mark whereupon he completed the race. Still a tremendous feat, but get it right NBC producers!

Reason #6: Goop? Yes, Goop.

2009-02-24T21:23:00.001-05:00

Remember when you were young and you use to post pictures on your walls of your favorite rockstars and celebrities. New Kids on the Block posters anyone? Oddly enough, my sister and I were obsessed with Gwyneth Paltrow and taped pictures of her on our walls. Sure there were pictures of her with Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, but our real focus was on Gwen, not the guys she dumped. Anyway, I got extremely excited when I heard she came out with her own lifestyle website (me too, Gwen! Me too!) However, I was baffled by the title of...wait for it...GOOP (goop.com). Apparently it stands for her initials, but goop sounds like, well you know.

The website offers advice on all areas of life – eating, exercising, fashion, traveling, and parenting. Specifics include turkey meatball recipes, a detox plan, and a post-holiday workout video. While she has taken a lot of heat for this website (some calling it arrogant and too practical), I quite frankly enjoy it. DISCLAIMER: The purpose of my site is not to tell you how to live your life, but just to offer information that sparks my interest and may possibly spark yours!

Below is an article in Gwyneth’s “DO” section about Dr. Frank Lipman’s interesting look at why so many of us are fatigued, irritable and, spent and what we can do to change it. Dr. Lipman is a pioneering New York physician and dynamic healer, who blends Western and eastern approaches to heal his clients. I particularly enjoyed this article as it focuses on harmonious living, restoring balance and wellness by tuning in to natural patterns of daylight, seasons, productivity, and rest. The article was found on http://goop.com/newsletter/22):

Dr. Lipman's words on “Spent" from goop.com

“Spent” is the word I use to describe people who are overwhelmed, fatigued, and feel older than their years. Does this scenario sound familiar? You wake up in the morning groggy and need coffee or something sugary to get going. Then you need more of the same later in the day to keep going. Your brain feels foggy, you’re not sleeping well; your body aches all over, your cold never goes away. You are running on empty, your energy account is tapped out, you are physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted…you are spent. Interestingly, most people think it is normal to feel like this. Our ancestors lived in harmony with day and night and the seasons. As a result, the cycles and and rhythms of nature became imprinted in their genes. We still share this DNA with our ancient ancestors, but we are living at a radically different pace and rhythm.

With the rise in technology in the last 40 or 50 years, we have begun to live more and more out of sync with these fundamental rhythms and continually give our bodies the wrong cues. For instance, we spend too much time indoors and have too much artificial light at night; we are typically either sedentary or over-exercising; and we rarely experience nature’s rhythms.

Your body has more than 100 circadian rhythms, which are 24-hour cycles that influence many of your body’s functions, including hormone levels, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, even pain threshold. These rhythms are maintained by internal body clocks, which are controlled by a “master clock” in our brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Our body clocks use signals such as light and darkness to know when to release certain hormones and neurotransmitters that tell us when to wake up and be active or to withdraw and go to sleep. Thus, when we are out of sync, hormone production and body functions become imbalanced. But the good news is that our genetic clocks can reset themselves, and you can feel vibrant and alive again.

When I started seeing so many patients who were exhausted, with no energy and low immune systems, I obviously started thinking about why this was happening. And I realized that the only time I never saw patients who had these symptoms was when I was working 28 years ago in Kwandebele, a rural area in South Africa. I was seeing diseases symptomatic of poverty and malnutrition, but not the same types of problems I see today in New York City or when I worked in urban areas in South Africa, where patients are more likely to come in complaining of fatigue, insomnia, depression or various aches and pains. There was no electricity, indoor heating or refrigeration in Kwandebele. They went to bed when it got dark, they arose with the sun, they ate whatever foods were available in season. They lived in accordance with the cycles and rhythms of nature. From going to the game parks while growing up in South Africa, I knew that animals who live in the wild don’t get chronic diseases, whereas caged animals do. I also had learned in Chinese medicine that we humans are microcosms of nature, a smaller universe per se. From there, I started learning about the new science of nutrigenomics, which is the science of eating for our genes. It says that the further removed foods are from nature, the more problems our genes have with them and the more likely we are to have chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.

So, then I went “A-HAH!”…...it all made sense. Music was how I first experienced rhythm, but I realized nature’s rhythms are everywhere, including in our genes - we just live so removed from them with our modern lifestyles.

Some practical things does Dr. Lipman suggest to get back in rhythm?
Frank Lipman:
a) Eat in accordance to your body’s rhythms. Since your metabolism peaks at about noon, it is better for your body to have a bigger breakfast and lunch and smaller dinner. Eat good fats and protein for breakfast because that is what your body needs for fuel during the day. Smoothies are a great way to get both of these into your diet. The typical sugar and carb-laden breakfast of a bagel, muffin, toast or sugary cereal are just about the worst things you can have, so avoid those at all costs.

b) Have an “electronic sundown.” At around 10 pm, turn off your computer, charge your cell in the other room and turn off the TV. Scan your bedroom for blinking or glowing lights – the alarm clock, the charging indicator on your cell phone, the DVD clock and timer, etc. Turn these off or cover the lights. Each little bit of light can stop your melatonin levels from rising, which you need to induce sleep and to reach the deep restorative sleep your body requires. If you can’t darken your room, wear a sleep mask. This period of darkness will help reset your natural rhythm.

c) Slow down with relaxing music. Music is one of the best ways to retrain your body to chill out. Our internal rhythms will speed up or slow down to match the stronger external rhythm around us. For instance, research has shown that when you are at a beach, your rhythms slow down or when you are in a busy city, they speed up. This is called entrainment. We are entraining all the time to our surroundings and the rhythms around us. Music is a wonderful way to help your rhythms entrain. Relaxing music slows heart and breathing rates and creates a feeling of well-being.

d) Invite ease with restorative yoga. Restorative yoga is the perfect solution to the over-stressed state we all are in. As you are supported in the poses, one gets the profound effects of yoga without having to exert any energy. Restorative yoga is one of the most physically reviving things you can do when you feel run-down, burned-out, stressed-out and spent. These poses are particularly good to chill you out at night before bed.

e) Add an adaptogen in the morning. Adaptogenic herbal formulas have been used by Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. They serve as energizing tonics to help energize people who are weak or aging. These herbs increase the capacity of the body to adjust to the stresses of life. Lately, there has been much research confirming their positive effects. My favorite adaptogens are Panax ginseng, ashwagandha and rhodiola. Because they combat stress and are anti-aging, they are the perfect antidote to spent. (Note: Please consult your doctor before taking any herbs or supplements)

f) Practice ubuntu. “Ubuntu” is an African term that means what makes us human is the humanity we show each other. It’s a worldview that sees humanity as a web of family rather than a mass of individuals. When you relate in this way, you feel connected, energized and have a sense of abundance.

ARE YOU SPENT? TAKE THE TEST http://www.spentmd.com/index.php?page=49
Dr. Lipman’s book “Spent” provides a 6-week whole-life makeover, packed with dozens of daily tips on topics that range from preparing fast, nutrient-rich meals, to restoring a natural sleep rhythm that conquers insomnia, to maximizing your physical activity without punishing your body.

Reason #5: Time for a Money Diet?

2009-02-23T19:53:00.001-05:00

Even though I stated earlier my finance job does not exactly correlate with my interest in health and wellness, a little money knowledge can go a long way! Accumulating credit card debt and other money issues can cause enormous amounts of stress that can be prevented. Below is a list of simple financial advice that experts from cnnmoney.com state is “the best financial advice ever.”

"No matter how much or how little you make, always save a little bit."
It's a reminder that whatever money comes into your life, you can (and should) be setting aside some of it. I know many of you are saying “how can I save in NYC while making $40,000 a year?” Tips include diverting 10 percent of your income to savings before anything else and if (when) you get a raise, putting the difference into savings, and living on your pre-raise paycheck.

"Save hard for the first 10 years of your adult life."
The advice is to save as much as you can for the first 10 years you begin working. Or another similar statement is to keep living like a broke college student for as long as you can. During your young 20s, you a) have more time to bargain shop, b) can share rent with a roommate or possibly live at home with your parents for free (or at a reduced rent), c) are most likely childless and most likely have yourself as the only expense, and d) can let the power of compounding* make you wealthy!

Sure your 20s are notoriously the time you are broke, especially if you live in NYC (Rent at $1500/month is considered a great deal? $12 for a glass of wine?), but regardless, in the long run it will be worth it to save. Good ideas to save include: Research purchases, wait to buy items on sale, learn how to do things yourselves (car repair, sewing, cooking, home maintenance, etc.), make lunch/dinner instead of buying it.

Compounding* is letting money make money for you:

Example: If 20-year-old Britney makes a one-time $5,000 contribution to her Roth IRA and earns an average 8% annual return, and if she never touches the money, that $5,000 will grow to $160,000 by the time she retires at age 65. But if she waits until she’s 39 to make her single investment, that $5,000 would only grow to $40,000. Time is the primary ingredient to the magic that is compounding.

Compounding can be made more powerful through regular investments. It’s great that a single $5,000 IRA contribution can grow to $160,000 in 45 years, but it’s even more exciting to see what happens when Britney makes saving a habit. If she contributes $5,000 annually to her Roth IRA for 45 years, and if she leaves the money to earn an average 8% return, her retirement savings will total over $1.93 million. A golden nest egg indeed! She will have more than eight times the amount she contributed. This is the power of compound returns.

"Know the difference between needs and wants."
Main message here is spend less than you earn. Go on a money diet! When you can't distinguish between real needs and mere wants, you're constantly talking yourself into spending too much. Im the first person to admit Im guilty of this, I am a sucker for a cute dresses, designer bags, and David Yurman jewelry. However, I have been noticing lately when I look in my closet and see dresses with the tags still on, am I really in need of them all? Do I really need two of the dresses in the same color?

Additionally, vanilla lattes from Starbucks are delicious (eh, Ive been known to have my share), but over $4??? Try to cut out of the latte habit – the money can add up (over $1,460 if you have one every day). The money can be spent on something worthwhile and memorable

"Buy quality."
Buy high-quality things at stores that stand behind what they sell. That way, if anything wore out or quit working before its time, you can take it back. You actually save money by buying things of higher quality that last than by getting cheap stuff you have to throw away in no time.

"If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall."
Live within your means or, more elaborately, be careful of adding new expenses to the ones you've already got. Ask yourself, am I putting out more than I'm taking in? If you are, realize you need to turn that around because it is unsustainable.

"Don't pay interest on anything that loses value."
Avoid credit card debt and borrow only to buy property or other assets that will appreciate. Try not to pay interest on anything but real estate. Save today for what you want tomorrow.

"Prince Charming isn't coming."
Start reading up on finance and investing so you are able to manage your own money. Barbara Stanny, author of three finance book for women states it best: 'Prince Charming isn't coming. To truly achieve financial security, your only protection is you. Prince Charming may leave, Prince Charming may die, and Prince Charmings aren’t always such great money managers. This advice isn't just for women, by the way…For the men, don’t be counting on your “Sugar Mama” to bail you out or that winning lottery ticket.

My personal advice with money: “Use money well, but do not waste it”
Watch your money, stash some away, and make sure you always have enough to sustain your living and enough for a safety net (6 months of living expenses). However, money can bring good things. Saving is a lot easier when there are occasional rewards (trips! dinners!) along the way.

What’s the best financial advice you have ever received?

Reason #4: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

2009-02-22T14:04:00.002-05:00

I surprised my parents last weekend with a visit home, and they surprised me with their latest soup creation - Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup. It was so so so delicious, and I have been waiting for the chance to recreate it. For those that know me, I love beans, and the combination with the sweet potatoes and onions gives it a sweet taste. It is inexpensive, healthy, and so easy to make. See below recipe from eatmedelicious.com:

Serves 3-4 as a meal

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tbsp chili powder (may include more or jalapenos for extra spice!)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup vegetable broth
2 medium sweet potatoes, peel and cubed
1 28-oz (796ml) cans diced tomatoes
2 19-oz (540ml) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp crumbled dried oregano

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the onions are soft - about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and the cumin and cook for another minute or so. Add the vegetable broth and the cubed sweet potatoes, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the potatoes are almost tender - about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with all the juice from the can, the beans, salt, and oregano. Bring to a boil over medium hear, then let summer until the potatoes are completely tender - about 20 minutes.

Bon appetit!

Reason #3: Old Age Reasons to Clap Your Hands

2009-02-21T21:53:00.001-05:00

I read an interesting article on what leading experts say about the top 5 common traits of happy people...Ive highlighted the major points below......so if you're happy and you know it...

1. They find their most golden self.

Researchers believe that eudaimonic well-being or in other words, striving toward excellence based on one's unique talents and potential is essential. Eudaimonic well-being is the effort to know and pursue personal growth, develop one’s potential, continually take on new challenges and fulfill one's sense of purpose of life.

Characteristics of the eudaimonic life:
- Being open to experience
- Living fully in the moment
- Taking a creative approach to living, rather than relying on routine and habit.

2. They design their lives to bring in joy.

People don't devote enough time to thinking seriously about how they spend their life and how much of it they actually enjoy (including myself!). In a recent study, 900 working women were asked to write down everything they'd done the day before. Afterward, they reviewed their diaries and evaluated how they felt at each point. When the women saw how much time they spent on activities they didn't like some people had tears in their eyes. They didnt realize their happiness was something they could design and have control over.Analyzing one's life isn’t necessarily easy and may require questioning long-held assumptions. You may have gone to school at a top university, gotten the job you dreamed about, and the job itself might turn out to be fulfilling. Dreams can be hard to abandon, even when they've turned sour.

Challenge: Transfer even an hour of your day from activity you hate (commuting, ironing) to one you like (yoga, lunch with friends), you should see a significant improvement in your overall happiness. Taking action is key.

3. They avoid "if only" fantasies

If only I get a better job.......If only I find a boyfriend/girlfriend......If only I lose the weight....life will be perfect.

Happy people don't buy into this kind of thinking. "If only" fantasies has to do with "hedonic adaptation" - the brain's natural dimming effect, which guarantees that a new house wont generate the same pleasure a year after its purchase. Happy people are wise to this, which is why their lives are full of novelty, even if it's just trying a new activity (yoga, biking) or putting a new spin on an old favorite (spinning instead of biking).

4. They put best friends first.

Social engagement is one of the most important contributors to happiness. But the nature of the relationship counts! Compared with dashing around chatting with acquaintances, you get more joy from spending longer periods of time with a close friend. Simple companionship and just "hanging out" is the most essential pleasures of close friendship.

5. They allow themselves to be happy.

Some people would say you should not strive for personal happiness until you've taken care of everyone in the world who is starving or doesn't have adequate medical care. The Dalai Lama believes you should pursue both simultaneously. For one thing, there is clear research showing the happy people tend to be more open to helping others, and they also make better spouses and parents.

Reason #2: Newest Fitness Craze: Crossfit!

2009-02-21T21:18:00.001-05:00

A new craze seems to be sweeping over the Tri-State - Crossfit! (crossfit.com) Crossfit gyms seem to be popping up all over the towns and stunning transformations are occurring (primarily in men).

Originated in 2001, Crossfit is a high intensity workout that mixes gymnastics, track and field skills and bodybuilding, resting very little between movements. The importance is placed on quantifiable results, thereby creating a competition against others time or your own personal bests. People who like to push the limits of fitness and strength consider it the most challenging workout around.

Interested?
Beginner Workout: 20 minutes of as many repetitions as you can of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats.

For more Advanced Workouts see crossfit.com

CROSSFIT DIET

What should I Eat?

Base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch and sugar.

*Tip* Keep your grocery cart to the perimeter of the grocery store while avoiding the middle aisles. Food is perishable! The stuff with long shelf life is all suspect.

What should I avoid?

High glycemic carbs that raise blood sugar too rapidly. Including rice, bread, candy, potato, sweets, sodas, and most processed carbs.

Try to follow Zone Diet

30% Protein
40% Carbs
30% Fats

My Review

I have only completed the Crossfit Warmup so far, but I plan to take my first class next weekend. I am a bit weary on the program because a) sounds like injury can happen very easily, b) I will be tested on how many pull-ups I can do (ughhh, can I even do one?), and c) I despise heavy lifting (I have terrible memories of lifting at 6:30am in college for soccer!) . However, on the other hand, numerous people (including the most fit men I know of) swear by Crossfit. It will be a nice change from my favorite activities of running, spinning, and kickboxing. We shall see!

Reason #1: At Least You Have Your Health

2009-02-21T17:21:00.003-05:00

With the economy on the decline, jobs being lost, and the "Octuplet mom" and "Jessica Simpson's Recent Weight Gain" being the top headliners these days, times are looking gloomy. Fortunately for all those in despair, please be grateful that at least you have your health! Health and wellness has been a passion of mine that unfortunately is not directly utilized in my banking profession. I feel I spend a lot of time focusing on the wealthy when Id rather focus on the healthy! I have been delving into the idea of starting a "wellness" blog for the following reasons:

- It will be informative to myself as well as those interested in reading it.
- It will be a starting point to fulfilling a passion (writing for a wellness magazine)
- Im a health junkie (oxymoron?), and I read everything I can get my hands on in this subject.
- It will encourage me to cook - Im planning on posting a delicious, healthy recipe that I tried out weekly!

Health and wellness to me, incorporates nutrition and exercise, but also incorporates emotional being, relationships, and spirit, and I hope to cover all these areas in future blogs. Happy reading!

Personal Mantra:
Be compassionate. Live with intention. Continue to learn. Take chances. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Appreciate your family and friends. Dwell in possibility. Dance. Do what you love. Live your life.

Enjoy One ~~Million~~ Gillian Reasons to Live Well!
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