Chicken Stirfry Over Saffron-Infused Quinoa

I realized that I haven't posted a recipe in a while, so last night, I made some delicious stirfry while my wonderful husband took pictures of it. This recipe is so ridiculously changable that I'm not going to even make an ingredients list. I'll just tell you what I used and then give you some other options as well. The awesome thing about this recipe is that everything in it is great for you and so easy to do! Not to mention its super adjustable so you can make it for one person just as easily as for 10. Although, you may need a bigger skillet...

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Start with a nice large pile of freshly chopped veggies.  I have onion, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, and a serrano pepper.

You could also use snow peas, spinach, kale, bean sprouts, or anything else you find. I also have two cloves of garlic chopped up.  Normally, I would shred them up with a microplane, but my microplane currently in Guam, so I chopped them instead. 

Then I pick out my spices.  Today, I went for an Indian themed type of flavor.  I had more garlic in the form of powder and salt.  Garlic is an antioxident and freakishly good for you.  I stick it on anything I can.  I also have curry, cumin, cayenne pepper, and ground ginger for the stirfry.  Normally I would use fresh ginger but I didn't have any.  I know there is chili powder in the picture, but I ended up not putting it in.  The saffron I used in the quinoa.

Next, I sauteed up some chicken in a little bit of olive oil. Usually I use leftover baked chicken or whatever I happen to have as a leftover at the time. Since I didn't have any right now, I just cooked some chicken up quick.  I seasoned it with garlic powder and curry.  I've also used beef, pork, and turkey before.  All are super tasty.

After the chicken was done, I set it aside and sauteed up the garlic and serrano peppers. I also started cooking up my quinoa that I infused with saffron. (which is really just a fancy way of saying I threw in some saffron strands...)

After I let those cook up for a couple minutes, I added a little bit more olive oil and then tossed in the onions. I like to let all these guys cook up a little before I add the other vegetables because they take a little bit longer to cook.

Once those cooked down a little, I threw in all the rest of the veggies and stirred it all up.  I finally added all my spices.  I never measure them, I just start sprinkling them in.  You can really add just about anything you want, and you can easily adjust it to your own taste.

Once the veggies were almost done, I threw the chicken back in so it could all cook up together.

I served it up over the quinoa and drizzled lime juice on top.  Yum!

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This recipe is super easy!  It really just involves chucking stuff into a pan.  Its a great way to use up leftovers and is super healthy at the same time!

Quote for your Weekend

Its going to be a crazy weekend, so I'm not sure if I will have time to post anything.  Instead, I'm going to leave you with a quote.

"Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you are probably right." ~Henry Ford

Getting in shape is 90% mental.  The decision that you are able to be healthy makes each step a whole lot easier.  So believe in yourself!  You CAN do it!  Now go have a fun weekend!



Water Water Everywhere...

You walk in the door and think, "Oh my goodness, I am so thirsty!"  You open the fridge and reach for....________.  Fill in the blank.  What is it that you reach for?  Juice, soda, milk, beer?  But what is it that you really need?  Some of you are not going to be happy with the answer.  It's water.  Plain, simple, boring water.  Oh sure there is water in all those other beverages right? So whas wrong with substituting them?  Well theres nothing wrong with drinking other beverages, but they can never make up for straight water in our diet. 

Almost everyone needs to be drinking more water every day.  Those reports that say you should drink 8 glasses of water a day?  They aren't lying. Some of that can come from other sources: coffee, fruits, milk, etc, but most should still come from plain old water.  Its actually not too hard to get enough water a day once you put your mind to it.  The key is not to wait until you are thirsty.  By that time, you are already dehydrated.  When you lose only .5% of your body water, you have increased the strain on your heart.  And it only gets worse from there.  A good rule to live by is whenever you are about to eat either a meal or snack, drink a glass of water 10 minutes before.  This will help you stay hydrated and take care of thirst.  Sometimes we mistake our body's signal for thirst as hunger.  Which causes us to overeat but never satisfying our real need of water.  So drinking that glass of water takes care of that.  Be sure to wait about 10 minutes after you drink to eat so you let your body respond to the water.  You may find you forget about the snack you were going to eat because your body doesn't need it anymore. You can also increase your water intake, by investing in a good water bottle and carrying it around all day.  You'll find yourself sipping from it throughout the day just because its there.  And you will be less likely to feel the need to visit the soda machine at the office. 

Another time that its really important to drink water is before, during, and after working out.  Working out makes you sweat.  Even if you don't think you are sweating, you still probably are, just not at as fast a pace as usual. So be sure to drink water.  If you are a Gatorade drinker, be sure you are doing an exercise that actually makes you lose the electrolytes you are replacing. And then drink water too. 

So what if you just don't like water? Maybe you have city water and prefer well water.  Whatever it is, your body still needs it. But there are so many products out there to help! There are those MiO things on the market these days.  I've looked at them, and if adding them helps you drink water, go for it.  Same goes for those Propel or Crystal Light powder packs.  Or try the flavored water thats on the market. They are at least better than not drinking any water.  Just get one with VERY little to no sugar.  Just somehow, drink water.  We are so blessed in America that we have such cheap access to this life essential element.  Not many other countries have that benefit.  Unfortunately, we don't take advantage of it. (That includes me...I have to really think about getting enough water each day).  I know theres always reports coming out saying "LOOK what's in your TAP WATER!  You are going to DIE!!!" Chances are, no you aren't.  Don't fall for it.  Sometimes groundwater can get polluted but more than likely, those that say that are endorsing some product. If it worries you though,  invest in a water filter.  Or one of those water dispensers that you get the huge blue jugs of water for.  You can get that bottled water while being a little nicer to the landfills.  Hopefully these thoughts will help you increase your water intake throughout the day.  It is such a simple way to become healthier!  Do you have any tricks to keep up your water intake?  Let us know!

Side note: I found another bruise from falling in my race!  Its the size of a quarter. Not sure how I missed it. :)

I survived!! The Story of my First 50K.

I cannot believe I lived to write this post but...this Saturday I finished my first 50K!  Translated for those of us that don't speak in kilometers, thats 31 miles.  The one I happened to choose to run was an extreme trail run in the Appalacian mountians.  Literally, there was no straight land in this thing.  It was either going up or going down.  It wasn't so much of a run as a...very fast paced adventure hike.  For those of you that saw Hunger Games this weekend, the running through the woods sections looked shockingly familiar after this thing. So today, I thought I would give you a brief tour of the most incredible and painful 8 hours of my life.  As you read this, rmember, 2 1/2 years ago, I couldn't run a mile.  This is the type of thing you could train up to too. (in any sport, not just running).

We started by driving 4 hours up to the racing spot Friday night and camping at the start/ finish line.  I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of ...rain.  Well that blew sleeping out of the water.  All I could think about was the fact that I now had to run a race I was terrified I couldn't do in the POURING RAIN!  Well, by the time we got up at 5:30 in the morning, ate my breakfast of Multigrain Cheerios and a banana, and got out of the tent, it was just drizzling.  We started at 7 AM in the rain.  We started climbing up the muddy trails and came to... a small river. No joke.  I realized I was not going to be dry for quite some time.  So we plowed right on into the knee deep water.  And the rest was history.  We climbed up mud paths, over rocks, and up and back down mountains.  It was treacherous and scary and absolutely beautiful.

Here is just one example.  This is at the summit of Terrepin Mountain... about 23 or 24 miles into the race.  It had finally cleared up at this point so we could see this amazig view.  From here, we had only 7 or 8 miles left, but they were some of the most technical (or treacherous) miles of the race.  We literally had no trail at one point - we just went down a pile of rocks. 

One of the coolest things about this race was meeting the people you were running with.  One guy I ran with carried a pizza through the entire race. No joke! A pizza!  He offered me a slice, but I had just had some food at one of the aid stations (aka pit stops) along the course.  I fell behind him and his friends when they started running uphills.  Then I ran the next over 20 miles with a guy I met that is actually also from Wisconsin!  It was awesome.  Being able to talk to someone while on the course was the thing that really helped me get through those miles.  It made the time go fast, and kept me moving. 

This is my running buddy and I coming on the final stretch.  We literally have a couple tenths of a mile left and I am doing something I did not think I could ever do...I am still running!  Behind us you can see the mountains we just spent all day running in.

After just over 8 hours, I crossed the finish line! Still running!  That was the most beautiful sight of all.

My husband Sam and my sister Emily were the ones that really encouraged me to succeed in this race.

Thanks to taking two solid spills, I came back looking like this!

  Awesome huh??  The next day, I could barely move.  Standing was a huge challenge.  Walking was...ridiculous.  I came out with a lot of muscle pain but no joint issues. Add in a few scrapes and bruises and I've got some good battle scars from this adventure. And...I'm considering signing up for another one next month!  I love being an ultramarathoner!  Its something I never thought I could be, but it just goes to show what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.  After all, running (and all exercise) is 90% mental! Happy trails!

Please do not Carb-Load like Michael Scott!

I don't know how many of you are fans of The Office, but that show cracked me up when I was cranky during deployments.  I caught one of the episodes today.  It is Season 4, Episode 1, if you want to look it up.  If you don't, heres a summary: Michael Scott (the bumbling idiot boss) hosts a 5K fun run to help cure Rabies.  Yes. I said cure Rabies... Anyways, he decides to prepare himself for this race by carb-loading 5 minutes before the race with a huge plate of fettucine alfredo.  And does not drink any water because rabies causes an irrational fear of water.  Needless to say, it doesn't end well for him. 

This is really funny because I am in the process of carb-loading for my 50K.  It got me to thinking though...lots of people have heard of carb-loading but do they really know how to do it and when it is appropriate.  Let me start by saying no one should be carb-loading for a 5K race.  It is unneccessary for any distance less than a full marathon.  It also is for healthy, long distance endurance athletes with no special dietary needs.  If you do have special needs, its good to talk to a doctor before doing anything like carb-loading.  I am simply going to explain the purpose for it and how I am going through the process. 

For three days before my race, I am increasing my intake of carbohydrates to a high-carb diet level.  This means lots of whole grains like oatmeal, popcorn, granola bars, and spaghetti for me!  And of course, vegetables.  They are another wonderful carbohydrate source.  That is why my supper tonight going to be spaghetti made with whole grain pasta and sauce filled with veggies.  And I am loving it, I can't lie... I still eat all whole grains, but more of my daily caloric intake is carbohydrates. I increase my calorie intake a little, but I eat a lot to begin with, so it isn't necessary to eat too much more. All in all, when you hear stuff about carb-loading, its an advanced dietary technique used to store extra energy for an endurance event.  It helps improve performance (or in my case help me just survive...) and can be healthy when done right, but is definately not something that should be done on a normal basis or by someone who isn't about to do some crazy race because unused carbohydrates will end up stored as body fat. So there you have it! Carb-loading the right way...not the Michael Scott way! 

*If you are an athlete who is considering carb-loading, please don't simply go off of this information.  This is just a brief explination.  Leave me a comment, and  I will be glad to share more with you and help you develop a proper and healthy plan.*

A Plea to You...And an Apology if It's Ever Happened to You

Well, here we are again, back into another week.  At least now even the calendar says its spring!  We welcomed spring today with a tornado warning.  Except the skies were blue. Oh weather, you are so silly.

So I am writing today with something that has been troubling me.  This weekend, I was remembering back to a time when I was talking to someone who had been exercising outside and they told me that as they passed a group of adults, the adults were pointing and laughing at this person.  In fact, I think I have heard about something similar from someone else too.  Has this ever happened to you?  Either having someone laugh at you while exercising, or maybe someone making fun of you for eating healthy foods at a restaurant? I'm sure I have been laughed at too, many times, but I'd just be in my own world, so I never paid attention.  Well, I can sit here all day and tell you about how those people are so insecure in themselves and are pathetic, which is all true, but it really doesn't help.  So I am simply going to apologize for the human race, and then tell you to NEVER let them bring you down.  Never let some little group of pathetic people discourage you from becoming your healthiest and best you! Don't let anyone else control you. Don't let anyone put limits on you; you are unlimited!

So in that spirit I have another challenge for you. Next time you are out exercising or on a walk and you see someone else exercising, tell them good job and to keep it up!  You might confuse them, but you'll also make their day.  You could be giving them the pick up they desperately need.  But if nothing else, please, never make fun of someone who is trying to become healthier.  We all know how difficult it is in this world to take that step and be healthy.  The other day I was out running in the same area as a bunch of Marines.  One of them was passing me and congratulated me on my pace and said he had a hard time catching up to me.  It totally made my day because I am usually a veeerrrrrryyyy slow runner.  It gave me an extra boost go get through my workout just because someone took the time to say something nice.  If you just feel awkward and aren't ready to make the step of saying something, give the passing exerciser a smile and a wave.  Remember, we are all in this journey together.  If you give someone a boost, they will remember it and maybe pass it on to someone else who needs it even more! And it all started with you!

Next time someone laughs at you for your healthy choices, here is one of my favorite quotes to remind myself of:

To those who'd ground me, take a message back from me:

Tell them how I'm Defying Gravity!

I'm flying high Defying Gravity!

And soon I'll match them in renown...

And nobody in all of Oz, no wizard that there is or was...

Is ever going to bring me down!

                                                                        ~"Defying Gravity" from Wicked

What's the Point of Setting a Goal??

I completely forgot to post this yesterday, even though I said I would last week!  Silly me. Last Friday I challenged you to commit to doing something active this past week.  Now is the moment of truth...Did you do it?  If you did, Congratulations!! One week and you have already taken a step towards becoming more healthy!  If you didn't, that's alright, try again next week! 

So you might be wondering why I am pushing you to set goals for yourself.  Without goals, we can't fail.  We just hide behind the fact that we never had a goal to begin with.  By setting a clear goal, like "I commit to walking for one hour 3 times each week," we give ourselves a chance to fail, but more importantly, we give ourselves the chance to succeed.  The best kind of goal is one that is challenging but possible.  It has to be direct, not vague, and positive. For example, "I won't eat junk food" uses a negative spin, but "I will eat healthy foods each day" is positive.  By creating this chance to succeed, you give yourself a source of motivation. 

Now, if your goal is something like, "I will lose 5 lbs in 10 weeks," that is good.  But its hard to physically control when your body loses the weight. Sometimes our bodies do things in strange ways that we aren't expecting... That's why it is also important to have a goal that you can control your success in... a goal like "I will exercise for 5 hours each week for the next 10 weeks," or "I will participate in a 5k in 2 months. (Then sign up for one even if you don't feel ready yet.)"  That is a goal that you can control your achievement in.  You'll notice I put a time on it as well.  This gives you an end to have in sight. At the 10 week point, you can congratulate yourself on your achievement, and set your next goal as well. 

So take some time this weekend, and set a goal for yourself.  Take the risk.  You never know what you are capable of if you don't give yourself the opportunity to fail or succeed!