Good morning!
It looks like my long run on Friday and lack of sleep on the weekend really did me in because my body is not bouncing back as quickly as it usually does. I am feeling quite run down this morning!
The difference between me now and pre-injury (January 2009) is that I now listen to my body as much as I can. I feel more in tune with my body and I can tell when it is not 100% whereas before I would have just ignored all signs. I find that running when I am not feeling my best leads to longer recovery time and more stress on the immune system.
My solution is rest, eat healthy, Green Monster it up, laugh, smile, and be good to yourself. You only get one of you! My run will be waiting for me when I am ready.
What didn’t have to wait is a delicious breakfast.
I haven’t had a Vegan Overnight Oats Parfait since before my Chicago trip. The excitement overwhelmed me.
High Protein Chocolate Pumpkin Vegan Overnight Oat Parfait
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup oats
- 1.5 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 serving Vega chocolate protein powder
- 1.25 cup Almond milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin
- Banana soft serve
- Unsweet coconut, to garnish
- Pumpkin seeds, to garnish
Directions: In a small to medium sized bowl mix the oats, chia seeds, protein powder, and milk with a whisk until all clumps are gone. Now add the pumpkin and stir well. Place in fridge for 1 hour or overnight. In the morning make the banana soft serve by processing 1 frozen banana in food processor with a splash of almond milk. Layer your parfait and top with coconut and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
Oh Banana soft serve it has been too long, too long, my dear friend!
The high protein chocolate pumpkin VOO!
Do I even have to say this was delish? :)
I had a mixture of Teaopia chia mate and Four O’Clock Japanese Sencha loose leaf teas.
It’s that time again! I missed last week due to traveling, but I am back with some great health and fitness links from the past week.
Health News Round Up
- 5 ways to avoid running injuries – Fit Sugar
- Do toning shoes really work? – Thats Fit
- 20 ways to detox your home – Huffington Post
- Healthy potato salad with no mayo– Thatsfit.ca
- Is your favourite ice cream made with Monsanto’s artificial hormones? – Huffington Post
- Have you seen the newest Healthy Living Blog resource to hit the scene? – Healthy Living Blogs
- Vegan Chocolate Chili recipe – Vegnews
- Avocado and tomato salad with pumpkin seeds – Thatsfit.ca
- What are the latest workout trends? – National Post
- Do you air dry your workout clothes? – Fit Sugar
- Race addicts: Mad for marathons – Globe and Mail
- Leafy greens can cut diabetes risk – National Post
- 10 dirty and 5 clean fruits and veggies – Huffington Post
- Side stitch: What causes it and how to prevent it – Fit Sugar
Spottings:
- Healing cabbage, Potato, & Tomato Curry Stew – Cleen Teen Kelsey
- Healthy Carrot Cake Power Scuffins – The Runners Plate
- Banana Soft Serve Vegan Overnight Oats – Why Deprive
- Vegan Overnight Oats – No More Schlumpadinka
- Soul Soothing Quinoa Curry with couscous – Red Head Yellow Dog
- Creamy PB + J Oatmeal Parfait (and a carrot showgirl haha!)– Hooked On Health
- Easy Roasted balsamic green beans – San Diego Health Buzz
- Homemade Salt + Vinegar Chips– The Thom-Speeds
- Healthy Zucchini Power Scuffins – Coach Potato Athlete
- Mexican Tortilla Pie – Coach Potato Athlete
- Salt & Vinegar Chips – Chasing Ambulances
- Salt & Vinegar Chickpeas – Cooking In Japan
- Frosty No Bake Glo Cakes – Learning To Love Live Laugh
Today’s question: Do you feel like you are in tune with your body’s needs? Do you find it easy or hard to listen to your body?
I’m the worst at listening to my body especially when it comes to sleep and overeating. Practically everything, actually, maybe perhaps exercise (or the lack of it!). VOO parfait looks amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing! I missed it too :D
I’m pretty bad at listening to my body but I’m trying to get better. I struggle with when it’s my body telling me it needs a break and when it’s my mind.
I had to learn to listen to my body the hard way. Even though I’m not yet fully recovered from this injury I know to really pay attention when something’s off. It’s so worth it.
Lovin the VOO!! I think I’m pretty good at listening to my body – especially in times of stress.
I’ve finally learned to listen to my body when it comes to exercise. I’m the first to take a rest day when my body is asking for it, and I’m so much healthier for it. Now I’m learning to listen to my body when it comes to food! It’s much harder because there’s so much “noise” around food – whether I’m eating with people or rushing from Point A to Point B, it’s tough to quiet my mind and body long enough to realize what I really want, if anything.
I think I’m pretty good about listening to my body. I know what will make me sore and I’m pretty good about avoiding them. I know that when I work out hard on too little sleep I get sore faster and worse and I stay sore. Just one good nights rest and all that soreness can be gone! Its hard sometimes to see working out as something I do for my body, not a fight against it. Thats how I see it though. For me losing weight is not a battle against my body. We (my body and my mind) and on the same team so I need to listen to what its telling me. Its a little funky separating myself from “my body” like that but it helps me.
You and your VOO love affair! I can’t wait til I have a break and can read the health news roundup. It’s always fun to see what other people find out there on the internet!
I’m loving all the pumpkin lately! You really are in a fall mood. In fact, so am I. Minnesota humid summer days should make way for the cooler temps of fall!
I would say that I only do an OK job of listening to my body. When I was training for my first half-marathon, my injuries (shin splints and IT band syndrome) hit me like a ton of bricks after my 11 mile long run. I did listen to my body and took a whole week off, and I eventually saw a sports medicine chiropractor.
Now that I am training for my second half-marathon, I am trying to listen to my body as much as possible while also sticking to my training plan. It’s been taking me a lot longer to recover from some runs this time around, which is probably due to me working a summer desk job instead of just taking law school classes. Hopefully, the training becomes easier!
I do find it difficult to listen to my body sometimes. Years of disordered thinking got my mind and body out of sync and I am finally started to allow them to communicate again but it is hard!
That is one good looking batch of oats!! I’ve yet to try your recipe, but I definitely need to as soon as I get my hands on some pumpkin :)
Though I’ve gotten WAY better at listening to my body, it’s still hard for me to take a day off sometimes. I want to get to the point where I look forward to my rest days, instead of dreading them!!
Hope you have a great Monday!
I’ve just started to listen to my body and it’s been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever attempted to do. I am an avid runner and used to run nearly every day of the week 3-6 miles a day, however running everyday and never letting my muscles recover properly or have some rest led me to have numerous injuries including a stress fracture. I wasn’t able to run at all for 8 months and certainly regretted not listening to my body or giving it the proper care it needed. It was both mentally and physically challenging for me to tell myself not to run wtih my injuries and not work out as much to allow my body to heal. Thankfully after months of physical therapy and even reading your blog helped make me realize that I needed to take much better care of my body, so thank you :) !
This post speaks to me, as I’m currently facing a lot of foot and leg injuries from running. Every time I feel like its time hit the pavement again, something else hurts. Yesterday, I had to stop only a half mile into run and call it a day. I’ve never done that before. But listening to my body was the right thing – I’m not in any pain today and I would have been had I finished that run.
P.S. Was reading your old posts on eustress and distress – I think I’ve read it like 10 times now – it has really helped me look at my current running plan in a new light.
I’m not really in tune with my body, I punish it waaaay too much. Need to work on that.
Oooh! Pumpkin! Fall is almost here… :-)
I’m getting better at listening to my body, but it’s definitely a process. Sometimes it’s tough to take a rest day when I really need it, but if it’s going to prevent and injury or burn-out it’s what I should do. I’m learning that a long walk can be really nice on days when I just don’t think I can (or should) run.
I’m still quite a ways from treating myself with kindness and respect, but I’ve made good progress in the last few years. My biggest challenge is forgiving myself when I don’t function perfectly (or better than perfectly). I have just recently come to terms with the fact that I need a certain amount of rest, and missing a morning workout in favor of some extra sleep is OK.
I’ve been recovering from a strained muscle these last couple weeks, and that has meant little running or other activities. After gaining back some weight, and then starting to relose it, I was bummed to take a seat on the sidelines — as well as to lose a main way of handling stress. I was pretty angry and hard on myself a couple of times. BUT, I recognize what is realistic now, and at least can remind myself of this. . . I see at least recognizing healthy/unhealthy behaviors as a positive step.
Angela I was wondering when you’re going to be giving us the coupon code for glo bars?
I think that the best time to listen to your body is when you are raiding the pantry/fridge looking for something to eat when you KNOW you’re not hungry. That is an opportune time to say “what is it that I’m needing right now?”
I’m definitely becoming more in tune with my body these days and it’s a great feeling. Running makes it easier for me. I’m hydrating better than ever and paying attention to salty cravings, fueling carbs and re-fueling with protein. :)
Post- sports injury spine fracture. I have to listen to my body 100% I am sooo paranoid that I will get injured again :(
I am slowly learning to listen to my body more! It is hard to let go and allow yourself to trust your body completely. In the recent past I was obsessive at making sure I ate X amount of calories and did X number of workouts. But it actually drove me crazy. It made me feel guilty when I varied from the set plan at all. I now try to listen to my body and what it wants me to fuel it with. I used to feel so bad if I skipped a workout/run because I wasn’t feeling up for it. I injured my knee a few months a go and it took me a while to realize I needed to take a hiatus from running. I am slowly getting back into it and I now pay attention to what my knee can handle.
After spending so long completely ignoring my body’s needs, it’s been a slow process to learn to listen to it! I’m ok in the exercise department, but I still struggle with listening to my hunger and fullness cues. I know it takes work though! :)