A Few of My Favorite Things

Since this is my blog, I decided to share a few of my personal favorite entities . . .ENJOY!

The pool! I LOVE going to the pool and lounging, reading, people-watching (especially since my pool is part of my gym), and swimming :) Side note, that random noodle reminded me to foam roll after my barbell strength class today (another favorite!!).

The W&OD (Washington and Old Dominion for the non-locals) trail is an endless resource for walks, bikes, runs, etc. If you squint, you can make out the deer standing right in the middle of the walker's trail. There was a mom and 2 babies. I have run into many a deer, bunny, snake, skunk, badger/opossum-type creature, and of course, a plethora of birds along the trail.

Summer rolls! I LOVE vietnamese summer rolls and try them whenever I spot a new/undiscovered restaurant. The peanut dipping sauce is one of my favorite parts, and I use every last drop (I save remaining sauce for dipping baby carrots or rice cakes!). My favorite combo has shrimp, lettuce, thai basil, rice noodles (not too much), bean sprouts, cucumber and shredded carrots- perfection in a roll.

I enjoyed this post, and hope you did as well. It may make a recurrence in the future ;)

Recap

Working at the GI office (notice the plastic model of a stomach on the window sill. Classy . . .

Director Doc in action!

Director Doc's office. I brought my own lunch (see the cooler on the left with some carrots on the desk, so ME). I also made him the frame with a collage of family photos and adorned the border with cute fortune cookie affirmations.

In other news: CONGRATS to the Fitness Excellence winners:

Laura, Patty, LJ, Allyson, Sarah

I look forward to meeting all of you and helping you achieve your personal health and fitness goals :)

Speaking of fitness, I ran my favorite 13-mile loop today (it has taken almost 3 months to recover from my ankle and knee injuries)!! I AM BACK, and it feels amazing . . . time to go sit in an ice bath after watching such a dramatic end to a close World Cup final. Boo.

Mixed Up Monday

I still do not know what day it is . . .

This photo does not do these homemade vegan pancakes justice, but they were SO amazing. Director Doc and I shared them ( I made him stop shoveling them into his mouth so that I could snap a pic). [unpictured] We also shared a vegan carrot "tuna" salad that was out of this world. I am not sure how they did it, but it tasted like real tuna but was basically shaved carrots with diced green onion and a very light dressing to make it the perfect "whipped" consistency. I am in love with the vegan food stand we found at our new fav farmer's market.

Today's Workout:
Spinning Class

35-minute stair mill

45-minute strength training circuit with Director Doc

20-minute easy swim (followed by sitting in the hot tub for a while)

News this Week:

Starting at my new office as part of the GI Associates in Prince William Hospital

8650 Sudley Road # 410, Manassas

Current Projects:

Kid-Friendly Nutrition Education Activities-- any ideas for campers?

Gluten-free bakeries and baked good products-- any favs/websites/contacts?

Fitness Excellence partnership to improve the health of current clients looking to get those results!

Thursday's Tidbit

Get outside!!

Healthy lifestyle is medicine: new data in the Journal of the American Medical Association

http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/healthy-lifestyle-is-medicine-new-data-in-the-journal-of-the-american-medical-association/proactive-prevention/

Belated Happy 4th of July!

Where have I been???

Some work . . .

Some play . . .

Living life and enjoying these warm summer days.

Deal of the Day

Organic, low-sodium & gluten- free :

$15 for $30 Worth of Specialty Foods and Condiments

http://tinyurl.com/Condiments-organic

Jennifer LaRue Huget

Eat, Drink & Be Healthy Columnist

The Checklist: Health, nutrition and safety advice for July

By Jennifer LaRue Huget, Published: July 5

It’s the peak of summer. Here are ways to stay at your personal best through July.

Bell peppers, now coming into season at area farms and backyard gardens, are nutritious summer vegetables – and they’re pretty, too.

Angela Ginn, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says peppers are “rich in antioxidants,” vitamins that are thought to help fight disease by disarming inflammation-causing rogue oxygen molecules in the body.

Fairfax County dietitian Danielle Omar points out that a red pepper has 1.5 to two times as much Vitamin C as an orange; similar size green peppers also have more than oranges. The red variety, which is really just a ripened green pepper, also has lycopene, which may help reduce the risk of some cancers.

Peppers of all varieties make great summer snacks, Ginn says, because their taste and crunch are satisfying, but their calorie count — about 25 to 30 per medium pepper — is so low, you can even splurge a few calories on a dip.

Alas, peppers aren’t nature’s highest-fiber vegetables. But Ginn says they play well with fiber-rich foods such as salad, whole-grain pasta, brown rice and barley.

Both Ginn and Omar love roasting peppers. Ginn suggests removing the stem and seeds, brushing the outside of the peppers with a little olive oil or spraying with a vegetable-oil spray such as Pam, and placing them in the oven on a roasting pan for 40 to 50 minutes till they “have lost their shape and are tender and pliable.” Eat them as is or use them to top one of the fibery foods above.

For more ideas on cooking with peppers, go to The Washington Post’s Recipe Finder atwashingtonpost.com/recipes and look up the following: Avocado Bravado, Paprikish Pork Skewers, Beef and Black-Bean Picadillo, Grilled Vegetable Salad, Jalapeno-Spiked Corn Chowder With Red Pepper Coulis, Nutty Beefy Noodles and Penne With Grill-Roasted Peppers.

Body Pump No More

Since the Fitness First closed, I will no longer be attending my usual Body Pump classes. I wanted to remember the latest release, BP 77, so that at least I can still listen to the catchy music that powers any strength training I do solo:

Pump it Up!

• Warmup (Commander – Spacegliderz)

• Squats (It’s My life – Swade)

• Chest (DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love – Usher feat. Pitbull)

• Back (Hold Me Tonight (Manox Remix) – Manian)

• Triceps (I Like It – Tokyo Haze… I guess it wasn’t Enrique!)

• Biceps (Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom) – Shinedown)

• Lunges (Only Girl In The World (E-Nergy Remix) – Nick Skitz vs DJ Lotus

• Shoulders (Ti Sento – Scooter)

• Abs (We No Speak Americano – Yolanda Be Cool vrs DCUP)

• Cooldown (One Last Chance – Daughtry)

Fitness Excellence Friday!

Win a FREE Nutrition Consultation with Jennifer Haas, MS, RD courtesy of Fitness Excellence^®.

Jennifer is a registered dietitian offering nutrient coaching and community wellness services in a unique manner. She promotes a comprehensive approach towards "reinventing the meal" by individualizing a nutrition care plan specific to each client.

The FREE consultation will be an hour in length and include a discussion of past medical history, current symptoms and/or conditions, as well as, future goals that will be used to ensure accountability and desirable outcomes. This is a $100 value!

Submit a brief explanation of the challenges you face while trying to live a healthy lifestyle and what you want to achieve in working with a nutritionist.

Email your entries to the addresses below by July 17^th. 5 winners will be chosen for this special offer.

chris@fitnessexcellence.com

jenn.h.haas@gmail.com