Good afternoon!
Thanks for all your comments about Shop 4 A Cause 2! It is so nice to have such amazing support. This morning I baked my little heart out trying to get caught up on orders. I feel a bit frantic today with everything I need to get done. Yesterday put me out of a day’s work so I am playing the catch up game. I just need to take a deep breath and do one thing at a time. I have a tendency to overwhelm myself when I think of everything at once! It is in my personality to stress when I feel out of control, but I am trying to re-frame my approach and be calm and centered. Om.
I took Tuesday and Wednesday off exercise, so today I decided to squeeze in a much needed endorphin rush in the form of a short outdoor run. I filled up my Camelbak and prepared for the HEAT! I don’t know if I have said this, but I LOVE, love, love my Camelbak (1.5 litre). I don’t know how I survived the past 2 summers of running without water! I was always very hesitant to purchase one because I heard that they jiggled around a lot, but I don’t find that is the case. The only thing I had to get used to was the extra weight on my back.

I am still debating whether I will wear the Camelbak for my half marathon this Sunday. The weather is supposed to be very hot and sunny so I am thinking of taking it and filling it with energy juice. In my last two half marathons, I found that the water stations were not as frequent as I wanted them to be. In Sunday’s race I will have to claim that I ‘ran out of water’ so I can make a pit stop at the firefighter’s water station. :kissing: Did I mention this race is all women and has chocolate and firefighters at water stations? Umm yea. Don’t be surprised if my finishing time is 6 hours…
Today’s run (the last run before the half marathon this Sunday!)
- Distance: 3.23 miles
- Time: 29:07 mins
- Pace: 9:01 min/mile
- Ascent: 389 feet
I came home hungry for lunch!
For some reason I was craving zucchinis…

Into the frying pan they went along with 1/2 tbsp EVOO, sea salt, and ground black pepper!

Confession: Back in my eating disorder days, I would NEVER use oil in any of my cooking. I was so scared of oil…no terrified of it. My fat and caloric intake were dangerously low for a long time.
When I started the recovery process, I tried to get over this fear and I started using healthy fats in small quantities. Little by little I grew to love healthy fats from chia seeds, nuts, and oils. I also started calling fat PHAT to make it more endearing and less scary. :tongue:
I must say that a bit of olive oil added to a dish makes the food taste SO much better. A little fat also helps with the absorption of many vitamins too! It’s a win, win. It just took me 20 some odd years to catch on…Better late than never, right?

After about 5-10 minutes of frying, I covered the zucchini in about 3/4 cup of President’s Choice Organic Pasta Sauce and seasoned more. Sooooooo good.

I had it with a huge white roll with Earth Balance.

I never thought I would say this, but I MUCH prefer whole grain bread to white bread. White bread just seems so flavourless compared to bread with whole grains, seeds, etc. It also lacks texture and crunch in a huge way!

It was still good, don’t get me wrong! :biggrin:

Dessert was an organic Gala apple with cashew nut butter. Mmmmm.

Cashew butter rules.
I’m off to try to get caught up. I might not have time tonight for a post, but I will try my best. If not, I will see you in the morning. I also tried uploading my video and it got to 95% and then had an error. I think it is too long still so I need to cut it down more…haha. Enjoy your Thursday (can’t believe it is already Thursday!).
I have thought about getting a camelback but I don’t think I would like the weight on my back. It never gets too hot here and I’m not above 4 miles yet, so I don’t think its time for me to get one.
I love phat! I generally stick to olive oil and after learning about all of its health beneifts, I refuse to be scared of it! It is important to keep it in moderation, though, just like all things.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a peeled zucchini before, lol. Your lunch looks great, especially the bread with buttah. I like all kinds of bread; white, whole grain, gluten-free– I’m totally obssessed. :lol:
Jenn
I’m totally with you on white bread just being more BORING than whole grain. There just isn’t that much going on with white taste-wise that i find interesting. I always opt for whole grain when it’s an option (which thankfully, is most of the time!). I just love all the textures and flavors that you get with whole grain breads. And seeds. I adore seedy breads (not seedy bars though…lol).
your race sounds fun!!! LOL
my fave good fat by far is the avacado!! mmmm..heaven on earth.
I had zucchini with tomato sauce for lunch today too! How ironic. It is was o so delicious.
I used to be scared of cooking with fats too. I’m so glad I learned my lesson. They do make food so much more satisfying.
A race with firemen and chocolate? I’m no runner but I would sign up for that one!
I used to avoid fats like the plague too and it made me so unhealthy. Now I can’t go a day without nuts or avocados!
Yay, I have a zucchini in my fridge right now…sounds like the perfect meal for dinner!
I also used to be afraid of fats but learned via a nutrition course in college that they are great for you if you choose the right ones.
I agree EVOO makes things taste so much better!
I also STRESSSSS when I’m overwhelmed and am working on taking one thing at a time. Om is right!
I used to have the same fat phobia before I turned into “the healthier me”. Now I absolutely love almonds and walnuts, (and nut butters too!!) and can’t believe I deprived myself of them all for so long!
Good luck with getting caught up on everything…. you DID manage to raise an unbelievable amount of money yesterday, so I’m sure you can do it! :)
Congrats on the auction, what a fabulous job! Good luck with your race on Sunday sounds like you are having quite the heat wave! Where did you get your adorable spoons…the red and yellow ones. They are freaking awesome.
Some are from Crate and Barrel and some are from this outlet kitchen store in FL (can’t remember the name!)
oooh I love zucchini – but I noticed that you took the skin off? I normally leave it on :)
looks yummy but how does that fill you up after running three miles – veggies really are mostly water – ?
I avoided fats too for a long time… now I try to incoporate fats like nuts, seeds and avocados and full fat yogurts sometimes……. but oils and butter are still difficult for me altough I know how important they are for health …. I know I have to overcome my fat-phobia… I will work on it
Greets from Vienna
It took me a really long time to get over fearing putting fat on my food too! I was convinced even the tiniest splash would be the downfall and pack on the pounds. It wasnt until I started eating fat (a lot of it, too) that I actually started losiing flab and gaining muscle. And zuch+olive oil=MMMmM!!!
Hi, if you do have problems with your camel bak sloshing, once you’ve filled it, turn it upside down and suck the extra air out. This makes the bladder collapse on it self and no more slosh. :)
I too was afraid of fats back when I was on Weight Watchers. Fat was the enemy.
…now Weight Watchers is the enemy hehehehe. ….shhhhhh
Cashew butter is one butter I have not tried yet! I will have to pick some up!