Cara, Intensified

Happy Earth Day!

Get outside and give Mother Nature a figurative hug today! Plant a tree, start recycling, ride your bike to work or make a pledge to shrink your carbon footprint. Little changes can have a big impact, especially if millions of people make a move in the same direction.

Earth Day is a great time to make changes, but it’s important to think about your impact on Mother Nature every day of the year. The “health” of our planet is every person’s personal responsibility. I found this excerpt from a Baltimore Sun Times article by John Racanelli especially powerful:

My colleague Sylvia Earle, a renowned oceanographer whom Time Magazine called  a “Hero for the Planet,” has said that the next 10 years may be more important  than the last 10,000 in determining the fate of our oceans. She may as well be  talking about the fate of humans. It may not be the planet that needs saving so  much as we do.

These are things we deserve: a safe place to live, access to healthy  food, safe air and clean water, and the opportunity to contribute to a  better world. Like every parent, I want my son to live in a world that benefits  from the positive actions we take today. I want him to be as optimistic as I was  when I came of age and to be able to see some of the natural treasures I’ve been  lucky enough to experience. What parent doesn’t?

My personal Earth Day project involved helping to start a compost bin for the garden. While this homemade compost bin lives at my friend’s house (next to the garden), I have my own little compost bucket in my kitchen to store my contributions. It’s the perfect place for all my coffee grinds, egg yolks, fruit peels and other cooking by-products. Considering I spend the majority of my home time in the kitchen, this project is sure to yield some interesting results.

Homemade compost bin! Showing the garden some love.

So what are you doing today to make an impact on the planet? Here are some ideas if you need a little creative boost outside of playing in the dirt, planting trees and recycling:

Have kids? Mother Nature Network offers 10 ideas for getting your little green ones involved in the planet-loving fun.

Make some chemical-free home cleaning products with ideas from Earth Easy,  or make some green body scrubs with these recipes from Tree Hugger. I make my own body scrub with turbinado sugar, grape seed oil and a bit of tea tree oil, and it’s amazing.

Have a fabulous Earth Day and remember to take a moment to be thankful for our amazing planet and the beauty around you.

Progress, not Perfection

So, I guess I should be stoked that I accomplished one of the goals on my previously mentioned list. Well, sort-of. If you read my last post, you know that my next goals include:

1. Finding that f*@#$ bike key so Fritz can play and enjoy spring.

2. Finding a previously-loved road bike that isn’t a piece of junk for less than $150.

3. Raising $300 to support multiple sclerosis research.

4. Conquering a century road over the course of a weekend in June, and the subsequent training leading up to it.

And I’m getting there, one step at a time, in my ever-so-Cara roundabout way. So I didn’t exactly find the bike key. I searched my apartment high and low, and I turned my Camelbak inside-out, thinking that I was sure to spot the key that kept itself hidden the last 12 times I searched for it. It was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, the sun finally decided to make an appearance in Louisville again (I missed you dearly. It’s about time!), so I had to call in the big guns. So Saturday morning I awoke knowing that Fritz had to be freed to enjoy the sunshine, no matter what. I arrived back at my apartment after hot yoga in a state of zen, searched for the key one final time and called in back-up.

Back-up arrived in the form of an organic cocktail for my nerves and bolt cutters, both delivered to my door by a friend and resident handyman. We nodded in agreement and headed down to my apartment building’s sketchy basement to do what had to be done. I couldn’t watch. But about 15 minutes later, Fritz was standing free and virile at my back door, just begging to go for a ride. Beside him was the $25 bike lock that I overpaid for back in 2009 when I made the grand adventure to Louisville from West Virginia with a bike and a dream. OK, now I’m just being dramatic, but the whole freeing-of-the-bike conundrum took weeks from start to finish. But goal one was, well, semi-accomplished.

The aftermath.

I had to laugh to myself about the deeper lesson in this Saturday afternoon first-world problem. My friend Jaimie rode over an hour later and we were off! We bebopped in the sunshine and made our way downtown to the newly opened walking (and biking!) path bridge. We basked in the sun for the first time in what felt like ages, and laughed about the woes of our first worldness. Jaimie is currently training for a triathlon (she’s certifiable) because “it looks like fun” and she’s “never done it, so why not?!” and subsequently got me hooked on the spinning classes she’s been taking at 6 a.m. twice a week.

I was hesitant about shelling out the cash for this newest form of “healthy crack” that I can’t afford, but I was in need of a new workout and I figure this counts toward training for the century ride (see goal number 4 above). So that’s where I stand. I am beginning April with a freed mountain bike to play with and new spin classes to keep me challenged. In the coming weeks I’m going to focus on finding a road bike that fits my budget, raising more money for MS research and honing my riding skills.

And I’m going to let the lock-cutting incident serve as a reminder that reaching my goal is the most important thing, not the path that gets me there. And the fact that I have amazing people in my life to cut locks, ride bikes and laugh with along the way.

Cheers from the Big Four Bridge!

New Challenges & Opportunities

“Wanna join my Bike for MS team?” ~ My friend Tayo

“Sure! What are the details?” ~Me

“We bike 100 miles over a weekend in June.” ~ Tayo

(Check my calendar) – “That sounds easy enough! Sure, I’m in.” ~Me

I have two medical conditions that lead me into situations where I often look back and wonder, “Really, Cara???” The first condition is called rose-colored glasses, where I think things sound easy and thus end up biting off more than I can figuratively chew. And the second is called Fear of Missing Out, or FOMO, which is where say yes because I don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to try something new or do something fun. These conditions don’t really lead to regret; they more often lead to situations where I end up laughing at myself, trying new things and/or scheduling 29 things into my day.

This background sets up the story where I current stand, which is in the basement of my apartment looking at my Schwinn mountain bike, aptly named Fritz, and wondering two things:

1. Where the f*@#$ did I put my bike lock key back in October?

2. Did I really think I’d be able to ride Fritz for 100 miles?

We’ll get back to the fact that I strategically placed my bike key “somewhere where I was sure to find it,” many months back. Now I am considering the implications of riding Fritz, a well-intentioned but rusty mountain bike, on a 100-mile journey that takes place on a paved road. Currently there are two schools of thought wrestling in my brain. The first is the voice of my friend Tayo, who swears her mom, who is twice my age, completed the ride on Tayo’s childhood 10-speed Huffy last year with no problems. These words comforted me, until I paid a visit to my former neighbors and local bike gurus at Parkside Bikes. It was there that I innocently inquired about the potential of riding Fritz, whom they know and love, on the journey for a good cause.

It was the precise moment when Bike Shop Ben spit liquid out of his mouth in an “OMG-there’s-no- **** -way-Fritz-can-handle-this” gesture than made me think otherwise. Ugh. A road bike would be a great tool for my arsenal of exercise and play equipment; however, the thought of incurring said expense on the single girl budget was sucking some of the fun out of the thought.

On my quest for mindful optimism, which isn’t always easy, I decided that I can look at this situation in two ways: a problem (negative) or a challenge/opportunity (positive). The choice is mine, and it will dictate my attitude about this entire situation. So I am now facing this challenge head on, with several goals in mind:

1. Finding that f*@#$ bike key so Fritz can play and enjoy spring

2. Finding a previously-loved road bike that isn’t a piece of junk for less than $250

3. Raising $300 to support multiple sclerosis research

4. Conquering a century road over the course of a weekend in June, and the subsequent training leading up to it

Whew! Four new goals to conquer, not four new problems to solve. Now that I’ve got my mind right, I am getting my game face on and making moves. And another perk of having a blessed life full of amazing, smart and supportive family and friends is that I will not embark of any of these four said challenges alone. Stay tuned to see how the next dramatic installment of my big biking adventure plays out. In the meantime, I’m off the look for that blasted key….

The 5 Percent Trick

Do you ever find yourself questioning your purpose and your goals? In an effort to grow and learn, I sometimes get caught up in external definition of what it is that I’m after. I constantly come back to this statement when I feel torn and unsure of what I want and need to accomplish for myself:

“Your purpose is your own.”

It sounds so brilliantly simple. But in setting new goals, when I begin to peel away the layers to get to the “why” of the “what” I’m trying to achieve, I often find that the goals I’ve laid out for myself are the reflection of life and influences around me. Between the constant barrage of media messages to be prettier, skinnier and richer and the pressure to keep up appearances with those around you, it’s easy to see why this can get complicated.

And so often, we focus on the external goals that we think will lead to internal fulfillment. If I lose weight, then I’ll be a smaller size. Then what? If I’m a smaller size, I’ll be more confident. If I make more money, then I can buy more things and free time. Then what? Then I’ll have the resources needed to relax. See the pattern? By flipping this equation and aiming for the internal goal first, you may find the external goal obsolete. In these examples, growing your confidence and exploring ways to relax your mind are the true goals. By focusing on these internal goals as opposed to the external goals, you may find the need to be skinnier and richer obsolete.

After all, internal goals are always achievable if we put in the time and energy necessary. External goals are subject to limitations that we can’t control. This article by Albert of UrbanMonk.net provides some great perspective on the internal vs. external goals, and the 5% rule can help make small changes over time that turn into new habits.

The first day of the month is always a great time to reconnect with your purpose and set new goals for yourself. Have an amazing week!

Super Foods Unite

Being the travelin’ fool that I am, I’ve become quite skilled at the many delicate dances that eating healthy on the go requires. I can bust into a lovely array of dances depending on the situation. Each is its own art form requiring careful footwork and a balance of thought and performance. From the carry-on-snack calypso and hotel mini fridge ho-down to the lunch-in-my-purse lambda, my dance card stays filled to the brim when I’m on the go.

A few weeks ago when visiting my sister in Oklahoma City, we made a pit stop to the Whole Foods salad bar to arm ourselves with some healthy fare to sneak into the movies. (Yes, we were watching Twilight; don’t judge.) There on the cold bar was a gorgeous salad whose name excited me almost as much as the rainbow of colors I was taking in – “Superfoods Salad.” I nearly shed a tear as I read through the list of ingredients and realized that eating said salad could quite possibly arm me with super-human strength.

In San Diego a few weeks later, a version of this salad made a repeat appearance at a Ralph’s I popped into to stock my hotel mini-fridge. It was clear to me that this was a sign. I needed to not just enjoy this salad while on the run, but take it a step further and figure out how to re-create this bowl of beauty and work it into my regular food rotation. So that is exactly what I did. Behold, my version of Kale Superfoods Salad. I created the dressing myself based my instincts and a shrug of the shoulders. Change it up to suit your tastes or throw in your own personal list of power foods to make this health-packed side item yours. This is what I call an overnight salad, as there’s no need to cook your greens if you let the mixture marinate in the dressing overnight to get the leaves soft and prime for the eating. Keep in mind my neglect for following precise measurements and just toss together what you have for an easy, no-cook super salad. Add a bit of lean protein to the mix and your lunch for the week is ready.

Ingredients

• ·         16 oz. organic kale, chopped
• ·         1 purple onion, diced
• ·         Grape tomatoes
• ·         Bag of broccoli slaw or shredded Napa cabbage
• ·         1 cup shelled edamame
• ·         ½ cup slivered almonds or crushed cashews
• ·         1 cup blueberries
• ·         Dried goji berries

Dressing

• ·         1/3 cup POM pomegranate juice
• ·         1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• ·         1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

A glorious rainbow of health!

Toss all ingredients in a giant bowl, cover and shake (your body and the bowl). Boom. The key to eternal health and a delicious side for your week. The blueberries add just a pinch of sweetness and the nuts add the perfect amount of crunch. Bon appetit! Oh, and please share if you add any power foods of your own.

Foods That Heal

What’s ailin’ ya? While I’m a mere amateur swimming in the bountiful sea of nutrition, I’d venture a guess that there is a foodthat Mother Nature created to ease your discomfort. This is a subject that I look forward to learning more about, especially with the return of sunshine and the grand adventure into spring. I am currently reviewing Healing Spices by Bharat Aggarwal (thank you Able Blakley, Spice Lord + Superman) and will soon have some gems to share from that insightful read. At my Spice Lord’s suggestion, I incorporated the pungent Indian treasure of Ajowan Seed into my eats while my shoulder was on the mend to help ease the pain. Whether or not it made a difference alongside my PT sessions, I made a tasty new friend.

In the meantime, I wanted to share these remedies from Matthew Kadey, R.D. for Women’s Health about the natural food cures for your most common woes- from insomnia to PMS. Oh, and I hope you’re enjoying National Nutrition Month as much as I am!

Click the pic for a quick list of natural remedies

My ADHD Adventure into Vegan Recipes

My eating style largely reflects my personality. I can’t really be “pegged” into one specific group per se. The foods I eat reflect a variety of interests. While I enjoy yoga and organic local foods (crunchy), I also enjoy the occasional burger and CrossFit class (hardcore). I am all about trying new things and gaining new experiences, and often volunteer to go first or give things a try, even if my gut is alerting me to be cautious. Such is the life a 29-year-old PR Specialist/Sister/Auntie/Foodie/Traveler/Exercise Junkie/Friend/Explorer/YouGetThePicture. Naturally, in this mishmash lifestyle of whims and intention, I often find myself in some pretty interesting situations. Moreover, I find myself eating some pretty interesting things in pursuit of health, deliciousness and happiness.

When trying to identify the foods that are causing the most inflammation and discomfort in my system, I’ve found that wheat and white sugar are often the usual suspects when I wake up feeling especially cloudy from a food hangover. Boooo. This discovery led to the subsequent trashing (and label of “official drama queen” from my favorite yogi) of all the sugar-packed pre-portioned junk sweets in my possession. And this unfortunate scene led me to explore alternatives to get my needed sweets fix. Enter my discovery of Jason Wrobel, or J-Wro, vegan and raw chef extraordinaire and natural foods guru on a mission to change the world. I stumbled onto this gem of a forward-thinking man in my quest for a healthy alternative to sweets. Enter J-Wro’s raw vegan brownies; and yes, I was just as skeptical as you are right now when I read the name of these “treats.” But the list of all-natural ingredients and power foods tickled my fancy, so I gave them a go. And while I knew they would be calorie bombs (Nuts? Dried fruits? Everything I avoided like the plague when trying to lose weight?!), I knew they would be healthy calorie bombs that would arm me with raw energy to tackle the days the way I like- with no rest. Quality over quantity.

You can be a hater and roll your eyes at my insistence that these cocoa beauties are nothing short of delicious and amazing (they really are!), or you can decide to try something new, pony up the cash for the expensive ingredient list and revel in the fact that these only take a few minutes to make and are better for you than any other sweet you’ve ever put in your mouth. If you’re feeling adventurous, give ‘em a try! You just might be surprised. And to save yourself extra bucks, you can skip a few of the powders like I did and stick to the main ingredients list. Enjoy!

From J-Wro’s recipe blog:

Superfood Fudge Brownies

Ooey. Gooey. Goodness. Gracious. These gluten-free vegan Superfood Fudge Brownies will have you eating “outside the box” and asking “Duncan who?!” With a rich cacao cacophony of flavors, this protein and magnesium-rich recipe is a serious show stopper. Plus, they’re super quick to prepare and are completely raw – no bake, no fake.

Serves 12-14 peeps

4 cups raw pecans, soaked & dehydrated
¾ cups dates, pitted & packed
¾ cups raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon Vitamineral Green or other superfood greens powder
1 teaspoon maca powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon shilajit powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
? teaspoon smoked paprika or cayenne
1 teaspoon ground vanilla
¼ cup dried black cherries, goji berries, golden berries or mulberries, reserved
½ cup crushed raw pecans, reserved

In a food processor, process the pecans until slightly chunky and mealy. Do not overprocess into pecan butter. Slowly add the dates while the food processor is running and rock the base of the food processor to combine evenly. Then, add all remaining ingredients, except reserved cherries and pecans, and process again until well combined. Take a glass baking dish (preferably 8X8 size) and gently grease with coconut oil. Add the brownie mixture and fold in the reserved cherries/berries and pecans. Press down with your palms to spread the mixture evenly and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. Cut brownies into squares and serve with warm fudge sauce or non-dairy ice cream. Keep for up to a week in a covered baking dish in the fridge.

Chocolate, natural and decadent. Je l’adore!

Tomato Tip

I learned today’s Dr. Seuss-inspired Tasty Tuesday Tomato Tip (say that three times fast) during a recent perusing of SELF Magazine. Tomatoes will last the longest stored stem-side down on the countertop. Apparently storing the crimson veg-fruits in the fridge ruins their texture and destroys their flavor. Who knew?! Get more tasty tips for keeping your produce fresh for the eating here, including how to pick a squash and the skinny on melons.

Happy National Nutrition Month!

March = National Nutrition Month, one of my favorite faux holidays. Actually, the American Dietetic Association deemed this month worthy of teaching everyone how to “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day.” The easiest way to do this is to incorporate as many fresh, natural foods into your diet as possible. Whether you’ve been meaning to get on track with a healthier diet or you simply want to learn more about what you eat, let March be a time of discovering new foods, learning new recipes and celebrating nutrition and the profound effect it can have on your mind and body. From helping you sleep better and keeping colds at bay to giving your skin a radiant glow, what you put into your body can have amazing positive- and very negative- influences over many aspects of your overall well-being.

Have you ever visited a Regsitered Dietician or Nutritionist? If not, consider adding this to your to-do list for March. Stay tuned for healthy recipes and tips to celebrate NNM and ways to share it with those around you.