Any workouts planned for Thanksgiving morning? Turkey trots??
Hi friends, Happy Thanksgiving! Just wanted to share a quick workout to start your Turkey Day with! Getting some exercise in the morning will help balance some of those inevitable large amounts of calories you will be eating later in the day :) Also don't forget to eat a substantial breakfast and lunch- skipping meals to "save" your calories for later will usually only result in even more overeating. Savor each bite and only indulge in the foods you will really enjoy. Try to make half your plates less starchy veggies (green beans, carrots, Brussels Sprouts) and enjoy the creamy, buttery goodness on the other half! Stay safe traveling and have a great holiday!
Any workouts planned for Thanksgiving morning? Turkey trots??
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Anyways… so year, not any serious expectations especially since I signed up for the race about a month ago. The course was pretty awesome- most of it was through the city, passing by some of Philly’s landmarks, absolutely loved it. Definitely wasn’t ready for the couple of hills we had to climb- note to self- hill train next time! My overall time was 2:00:20. Damn, so close to be under two hours… but when I crossed the finish line my gps said 13.5 miles (as did some of my other friends) so whatever, close enough, haha. Yay, another half marathon in the books! I wasn’t sure what to expect for my third half marathon (in a year) especially since it was a cold weather one. No serious goals since my training wasn’t my best, so I figured a time around 2 hours would be expected. I have felt like less of a runner this past year… with more focus in strength training, I have put on some muscle, which can sometimes work against you- stronger, but still more weight to carry. But I do reallly enjoy running and had a great time running this race. Always help to see my favorite along the course... my love bundled up to be with me before the start and then took awesome photos along the course! Mile 1: 8:38- Hello crowded course! I don’t even know where my corral was since I need to pee at least 3 times within a half hour before the start of a race Mile 2: 8:37- Saw the hubs at the beginning of mile 2 and he snapped a pic… settling into a good pace
Mile 8: 9:18- Hello first hill of the course (in university city-near Drexel and the Zoo) Mile 9: 9:01- trying to get back on pace after that hill Mile 10: 9:28- nooooo another hill and this one was worse!!!!! (struggled a little here) Mile 11: 9:33- Hill recovery, ouch :( Mile 12: 8:54- Determined to make up the past two miles Mile 13: 8:53- One last push This is the first time I’ve ever use a GPS watch in a race… it’s the Nike one with TomTom GPS and I’m not sure that I’m a fan. The last two miles it reported my pace was around 8:30… also when I would slow down for water it would really slow down my pace (to like 12:00) and it would be hard to get it caught up to what I was actually running (closer to 9:00) so a lot of the time I really had no idea what my pace would be… guess I will have to experiment with the settings a little and see if I can change anything. I really did love this course, minus the hills, haha. All in all, slightly disappointed with my time, but I guess it was about what I expected. This is the first year I did more triathlons and less runs so my focus has been off running. And it will continue to be… I’m taking December off from running to let my body chill a little and to put more focus on strength training. However I would definitely do this race again… perhaps the full if I’m feeling ambitious!!
Not only is it the perfect high protein lightened dessert but it is gluten free and vegan… add this to my recipe round up from earlier this week. So simple to make and is delicious. Wasn’t sure if I wanted to call this a hummus… to me it’s more like a cookie dough, or icing, or pudding. This “hummus” will work well with graham crackers for dipping, as an icing on a cake or cupcake, a spread on some pumpkin bread, a filling in a cookie sandwich, or just by itself as a pudding. Probably tricking some friends or family into eating this delicious dip/pudding/icing concoction… if you don’t tell them there are beans in it, they would never know. Not gonna lie, I totally ate this for dinner last. Sorry I’m not sorry. #everythinginmoderation Plus it’s almost the holiday season, I was filling festive and what better way to get into the holiday spirit then dessert for dinner!? Just kidding (but not really).
Ingredients: ½ cup ground oats ½ cup pumpkin puree 1/3 cup Great Northern Beans 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup nut butter ¼ cup mini chocolate chips Directions: 1. Combine ingredients except for chocolate chips in food processor 2. Process until everything is pureed and thoroughly combined 3. Mix in chocolate chips by hand 4. Serve cold Have you ever had a dessert hummus dip/pudding? If you like this type of dessert, check out my Garbanzo bean pudding recipe (excuse the terrible photography). What desserts do you have planned for Thanksgiving?! Besides the pumpkin pie, of course! This Sunday I will race in my third half marathon! I’m running locally in the Gore Tex Philadelphia Marathon. This is the first time I’ll be doing this race and it looks like a solid route for the half (the full looks kind of boring because the 2nd half is an out and back). It will be the coldest weather for a half that I’ve ever run in. I did another half last November and it was 55 and sunny. This Sunday the forecast is a high of 41 and low of 35, so around 7:00am it will probably be in the upper 30’s. BRRRRR!! I still need to figure out how I want to dress for this cold weather race. A little bit about my training: ehhh. Haha, just kidding, kind of. I’ve been running 2-3x a week, with a long run on the weekend, a 3 mile interval run (which didn’t really happen that often) and a medium length run (about 6 miles). There were definitely a few weeks I only ran 2x/week but it wasn’t like I was doing nothing the other days. I was strength training about 2x/week, doing yoga 1x/week, and mixing in some cross training cardio 2-3x/week. I wish I had completed more interval runs to improve speed but knowing how cold it will be I’m not really banking for my best race… below is a workout I started out doing every week… that only lasted about 3 weeks but I’m hoping to use the track over the winter to work on some speed (if they keep the one near my house cleared of snow). Pretty simple and straight forward… the middle two miles should be 5k pace or better. This could also be done a treadmill… most of the newer ones have a track loop light up on the panel. Track workout: 1 mile warm up 1 mile sprint the straights and jog the curves 1 mile sprint half lap/jog half lap 1 mile cool down Do you do any speed workouts while training?? Do you ever run on a track?? Image Courtesy of Gore-Tex Philadelphia Marathon Website
Not everyone has a traditional American Thanksgiving with all the cheese, heavy sauces, and super starchy veggies. Sometimes guests (or you) prefer some fresher more veggieful options. And sometimes your aunt, niece, brother, or cousin follows a restricted diet. All these recipes can be made gluten free, and there are also many vegan options (marked with a V) that would make excellent Turkey Day sides. Enjoy!! Veggie Based Sides: Coconut Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts V Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese *Can be made with gluten free noddles and breadcrumbs Spaghetti Squash V Spinach and Feta Quinoa Muffins Some Extras:
Gluten Free Stuffing Base or Substitution for Rolls Healthy Homemade Cranberry Sauce V *Just sub cranberries for blueberries! What are your Thanksgiving favorite?? Any healthy twists on traditional recipes?? It’s that time of year where it is starting to become veryyyy chilly. Don’t let that push you indoors to the dreadmill… continue to enjoy the outdoors but make sure you are dressed properly.
First of all I’m going to go on the record and say clearly I’m not an expert on body temperature but this is what works for me, but everyone is different so what works for me, might not work for you. But here are my general words of wisdom/recommendations. -Headband/ear muffs I like to use a wider headband to cover my ears when it is 40-50 degrees so if my head gets too hot I can push it off my ears and just wear as a headband. Less than 40 degrees I would recommend a real ear warmer, hat, or ear muffs -Wear pants My legs don’t get that cold while running, but it’s good to keep them covered to protect from windburn and other elements. -Layer I don’t mind a thin shirt tied around my waist but this can cause chaffing at times. If you’re layering and don’t want to carry any extra layers as you get warmer I recommend a loop at the beginning of your run that leads back to your house or somewhere you can quickly dump the extra layers. -Invest in some good thermal pieces made for running outside I see people wearing hoodies and long sleeve shirts a lot while running outside… maybe this works for them but for me I still sweat a little even if it’s cold outside, and cotton doesn’t dry well and really weighs you down. I recommend investing in 1-2 good long sleeved running shirts (think Under Armour, Nike, etc.) that are sweat wicking. If you’re on a budget check out Target’s active wear or Marshall’s TJ Max stores. -Gloves or shirts with thumbholes I love shirts with thumbholes! I will wear gloves when it gets into the low 40’s and beyond but usually my hands end up heating up and then I don’t want to wear the gloves or carry them around. I recommend first a thumbhole shirt option, next I would recommend stocking up on the cheap $1 pairs of gloves you can find at dollar stores, Wal-Mart, etc. and wearing those until you are warm and then tossing them. You can invest in expensive running gloves and when it is under 30 degrees you will probably end up wearing them the majority of the run, but if you don’t plan on running in below freezing temperatures you probably don’t need them. HYDRATION This is so important… it’s cooler out so naturally you feel less hot and less thirsty… however this is just perception… you are still thirsty and will still become dehydrated if you don’t drink the proper amount of fluids. Do you have any good tips to share for keeping warm for outdoor workouts?? Do you stay outside in the winter or immediately head indoors?? Pumpkin, squash, sweet potato mania is still in full swing. Unlike some other bloggers I like waiting til October and November for those types of recipes… maybe it’s just me but I cannot get excited about pumpkin flavored food in August (including craft beer). So bring on all the fall food now… enter sweet potato bars… they are gluten free friendly, sweet but not too sweet. If you don’t like coconut flour you could use more oat flour, but you might have to increase a little liquid. These babies are super moist… similar to fudgey brownies but without the fudge… maybe next time I will add chocolate though, that sounds good. I used peanut butter chips to change it up and because I found out Trader Joes only carries them seasonally. Get them while you can, you won’t regret it. White chocolate chips would work well also if you like that kinda thing. These would be a good healthier dessert option for thanksgiving or even Christmas. Or a desserty breakfast, hey it’s the holidays, everything in moderation! Ingredients: 1 cup coconut flour 1 cup oat flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup applesauce ¼ cup coconut oil 1 ½ cups sweet potato, cooked and mashed 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup peanut butter or chocolate chips (optional) Directions: 1. Measure and combine dry ingredients (coconut flour-->pumpkin pie spice) in large bowl 2. In separate bowl combine wet ingredients (maple syrup-->vanilla) 3. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir thoroughly, mix in peanut butter chips if using 4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes Easy right? Do you like sweet potatoes more as a dessert option or savory option (like sweet potato chips)? I received the opportunity to review The Fitness Games App through my ambassadorship with Fit Approach. I received the Platinum version of the app to review. All opinions are my own.
In this wonderful world of technology there is basically no excuse for boring workouts. So many apps have great workout ideas (don’t even get me started on Pinterest). While I usually enjoy making up my own workouts everyone hits a lull at some point and needs something fun and different to switch it up and stay motivated. I decided to share some of my favorite fitness apps that I use when I don’t feel like making up my workout, want something new or exciting, or want to push myself a little more! Some of my Favorite Fitness Apps 1. The Fitness Games 2. Nike Training 3. Sworkit Here’s a quick glimpse and overview of what I like about these apps! The Fitness Games: This app is more focused for the gym or at least most workouts require equipment. This is a competitive centered app, if you are motivated by competing with you friends or strangers; this is the app for you. You can challenge friends or strangers to complete the same workout as you, or challenge yourself! It was also the Winner of the Fall 2014 Best Mobile App Awards for Best Yoga and Fitness Apps. What I love most about the app is that it covers strength training (lifting), HIIT, body weight exercises, and cardio (running, biking, rowing, elliptical). For the cardio section you can plug in time and distance. It's great for sticking to a weekly plan and for tracking. I really like doing circuit training and if I’m stumped for what to for a lifting workout I can basically pick the area I want to work out from the app and have an awesome workout in store focusing on that muscle group. It even shows you how to do the exercise so I think this would be a great app for beginners and even vets at the gym. The timed challenges are my favorite, although I usually only challenge myself, it would be fun to start challenging others! Nike Training: Variety of workouts whether you are looking for HIIT, weights, or targeting specific areas. There are beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels… technically I guess I would be advanced level (averaging 3-5 workouts a week) but I usually select the intermediate level and still have an amazing sweat sesh. Most of the workouts are 30 or 45 minutes and the area focused ones are 15 which is cool because you can mix in a couple different ones to get a full hour if you desire. Each workout is different and there is a cute girl to show you each move if you are unsure how to perform it. Form is way more important than speed. The app also keeps track of minutes worked, how many workouts you've completed and awards you for milestones. Sworkit: 3 different areas to choose from- strength and cardio, yoga and stretching, and custom workouts. You chose one and then chose the amount of time and the app walks you through each exercise or pose. These are workouts for at home, no equipment used, except maybe a mat or wall. Economical and effective approach to working out! Have you used any apps for workouts before?? What apps do you like to use?? If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile you know I love some food prep. I made this amazingly delicious casserole dish last Sunday and ate it for dinner and then for my lunches during the week. Some people are weirded out by spaghetti squash, I think it’s amazing. It’s like having zoodles without spiraling it yourself. I made this as a vegetarian dish but you could sprinkle in some ground meat if desired (brown it before adding as a layer). You could also add more veggies… I think spinach or mushrooms would’ve been a great addition and I will definitely add them next time. I love a veggie based dish. I added a simple sauce recipe but if you want to use jarred or have a homemade recipe you want to use, go for it… I was trying to make this quick and simple. This recipe is husband approved and I think most kids would like it also… definitely great to get kids involved with learning about the veggies they are eating, have them help with the despaghetti-ing part of the squash (after it’s cooled) and they will want to eat it even more having helped prepare it. Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash Olive oil 28 oz can crushed tomatoes 6 oz can tomato paste Garlic powder Oregano Basil Parsley 16 oz cottage cheese 1 TBSP garlic powder 1TBSP Italian seasoning 2 eggs ¼ cup shredded mozzarella (optional) Parmesan cheese Directions: 1. Slice squash in half and brush with olive oil 2. Roast spaghetti squash in oven at 400 for 40-50 minutes 3. While squash is roasting, prepare other ingredients 4. Mix tomato paste and crushed tomatoes, season with garlic powder, basil, oregano, and parsley to taste preferences 5. Combine cottage cheese with 2 eggs, 1 TBSP garlic powder, 1 TBSP Italian seasoning and optional shredded cheese 6. Allow the squash to cool and then using a fork scrape squash, pulling out the spaghetti 7. Start with sauce layer and spread at bottom of 13x9 pan (can use two smaller pans also) 8. Add spaghetti layer evenly 9. Spread cottage cheese layer evenly 10. Stop with more sauce and repeat layers until all ingredients used 11. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes 12. Sprinkle top sauce layer with parmesan cheese I've been on a cottage cheese kick lately.... super delicious and high in protein! Do you like cottage cheese?? Have you ever had spaghetti squash before!? |
I'm Jess- a Philly based Registered Dietitian who loves to share healthy recipes, evidence based nutrition information, fun workouts, and race recaps! Click the social media icons at the top of the page to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! Archives
February 2016
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