Chocolate Mint Yumminess

Can you have chocolate mint on detox? That depends on if you are talking about chocolate coming from cocoa. I'm not. I'm talking about the lovely chocolate mint plant. Mint is one of those herbs that takes over. It goes wild. I love it. I love having mint in my herb garden that creeps its way out into the yard. Why? Because when you mow the grass it smells wonderful.

I think we should all have small moments that make us smile. The smell of mint or the smell of wild onions in fresh mowed grass is one of those small moments for me. It brings back happy childhood memories. My grandfather mowed his large lawn with a riding mower. Along the creek banks the spearmint grew waist high and along the edges of the hay field the wild onions crept into the yard. In the summer we would spend many weekends in the cabin in the woods just down a dirt road from my grandparents. Saturday must have been lawn mowing day. It seemed the grass was always freshly cut when my brother and I walked up the road to their house.

Yesterday when I was out in the back yard with the dogs I noticed how the chocolate mint I planted last summer is spreading out into the yard. I picked some and chewed a leaf while the dogs ran about. It was so tasty I brought in a few sprigs and made myself a cup of refreshing tea.

I'm finding meals to have themes this week. Breakfast is like a salad with fruit in it. Yesterday I expanded on that by using lettuce instead of heartier greens for my base. The colors were vivid. Blue and green and orange all in one bowl. The meal was as pleasing to the eyes as it was to the taste buds.

By lunch time I was looking for something warm and heartier. I chose to experiment. I cut up large pieces of cauliflower, slices of rutabaga, and strips of green pepper. I put them all in a large mixing bowl and coated with the juice of half a lemon. After tossing thoroughly I sprinkled garlic powder and salt free Spike seasoning over it then mixed it all through. I roasted these veggies at 400 for 30 minutes. It can take a while for the rutabaga to cook through. To keep the veggies from sticking to the pan I'm using parchment paper. Added bonus there? EASY clean up. While the veggies were roasting I steamed up some fresh mustard greens and sliced more jicama. You can never underestimate the importance of crunch in a meal. To make my day easier I made an extra large portion of this so I could eat two meals for one prep time!

Before heading out to train an evening class at the gym I roasted up some fresh squash. I've been enjoying an Italian herb mix. It is in a grinder so the dried herbs are ground up just before using. The result? My squash has that distinctive pizza aroma and flavor.

My day didn't involve much cardio. Unless you count the multiple trips up and down the stairs of the house. Laundry in the basement and master suite on the second floor does make for a bit of stair climbing on laundry day. I did manage to get some knitting time in. LOTS of it in fact. There are times when your attention is only needed for listening and occasionally speaking. It is these times I find knitting is the perfect accompanying activity. Last night I managed three and a half hours of knitting while listening. That sock I was just beginning the heel flap on Thursday was ready for the toe before bed on Friday. Yes, I completed it today but you will have to wait for tomorrow's knitting report to see the picture proof. 

 

Salad for Breakfast Today

I have told clients they could eat salad for breakfast. The faces I get make me giggle. Of course it is on the inside. I wouldn't laugh in their faces. The best part is when they come back to me in 6 weeks and are shocked at how they missed their veggies at breakfast when traveling. I love that conversation. They are trying to convince me that I was right all along.

My breakfast today was essentially a salad. Arugula greens, fresh raw green beans, sliced jicama, and some wonderful fresh blueberries. Simple and satisfying.

When I was starting my lunch I was hungry. I was missing my hot coffee too. In a stroke of brilliance I remembered that I had purchased some fresh ginger. I chopped up a teaspoon and put it in my favorite mug with the juice of one quarter of a lemon. I added hot water and let it brew. The result was a spicy tangy treat that held me through until lunch was ready.

But what was for lunch? Steamed veggies of course! I diced up rutabaga, turnip, and kohlrabi. (Remember these veggies need to be peeled first. Yucky wax on the rutabaga will melt into the water. We don't want to go there.) These veggies took about 40 minutes to get soft. 

And how would you eat these steamed veggies? With baby kale of course! Or any other green or salad. It would also make a nice side for a "regular" meal. Though if I were having this with a regular meal I might have a bit of butter or cold pressed olive oil on top of it. The great benefit of making a large pot of veggies like this is that second lunch is all ready to eat! That is exactly what I did. I had this meal twice!

Dinner? Before work I made myself some roasted squash, sliced up some jicama (I did say that was one huge jicama didn't I?) and added half a green pepper to the mix. It was yummy. I was full for hours. Seriously. HOURS!

There was of course some cardio-knitting involved in my day as well. I didn't get to the spin bike. I had a client at 8:30 in the morning. It was hard to get on the bike after the house had warmed up. I was fortunate enough to walk back and forth to work 4 times. That was plenty of walking and knitting time. I managed to knit an inch and a quarter and get a start on the heel flap of this sock! I started my morning where you see my thumb obviously finished where the needles are. These are new dress socks for Kam. She is fortunate to have little feet. Little feet are faster to make socks for. This pair is also a nice neutral color. 

  

It BEGINS

Every journey begins somewhere. We all have to know where we are at this moment to begin the journey. I know my beginnings. I'm pretty healthy. I'm fairly fit. I'm happy in my life. Really if you look at my life you would ask why I want to make changes. I would ask why would I want to settle for now? Why not go for the next step into WOW?

That is what the next 60 days are all about for me. The next step into WOW! I'll be posting about that journey. My goal is to post photos of my meals with some recipes. I'll post some workout comments and perhaps a workout plan or two along the way. Of course there will be plenty of crafting. Knitting and spinning are part of my life. Life is what it is all about!

Yesterday I started on the TLS Weight Loss System Detox. This is an eating detox. Plenty of veggies and some fruits. I was not perfect in my quantities. If I one of my coaching clients had eaten so little food I would have had a good talking with them. Instead I moved forward and am eating more food today. What did I eat yesterday?

Breakfast was baby kale and fresh green bean salad, one small gala apple, and a handful of baby carrots.

A breakfast like this doesn't last long! I was ready for a snack pretty quickly. On detox we are not using any oil. I use parchment paper to keep things from sticking to the pan. This is the beginnings of Crispy Kale. Not Kale Chips but a crunchy soft kale that is baked. I rubbed a small amount of tamari onto the kale and baked at 450 for 7 minutes. The result? Crunchy tops and soft centers. 

Then there was a late lunch. Why LATE?? Well...I got busy with stuff. Detox tip? Don't get busy with stuff. You will likely miss a meal or two. I baked zucchini slices with herbs and had a side of Jicama Salad. 

And how do you make that jicama salad?? I can be a bit of a "this is how much I have on hand" kind of cook. My quantities vary from one occasion to the next. Sometimes I vary my ingredients. With this salad I stick with the ingredients but vary the quantities.

One green apple cored and chopped (about a cup maybe more it was a big apple this time)

2-3 cups of chopped jicama (this was a really really big jicama I only used half of it)

1/3 cup of chopped cilantro

one tablespoon (more or less as desired)minced jalapeno

one lemon juiced

Toss it all together and let the flavors blend. 

And then I was off to work. My clients had excellent leg workouts. I had an apple as a snack. I remembered exactly why I tell my weight loss clients not to eat fruit all by itself when on detox. Yeah. I was hyper and my belly hurt from all the sugar. I made it through though. After clients we hosted a business presentation. I ended up leaving the gym at 9:30! Then remembered that I ate almost all the fresh veggies. I learned exactly why not to go to try the grocery store checkout at 10 pm day one of detox. For some weird reason at 10 pm all the checkout lanes are closed and have to do a restart. As an added bonus last night they dropped one of the register drawers on the floor. That was a bit more than my over hungry self could handle. 

My last meal of the day was a beautiful yellow tomato on a huge bed of arugula. Remember that I started this by saying I ate less than I normally do on a detox day. I promise today has been better but you will have to wait until tomorrow to see. 

Exercise? Why YES! I did 50ish minutes on the spin bike. It was a cardio-knitting activity. I did get very sweaty but I promise I did not push too hard for a person on detox. I just don't have AC in my house and for some reason we are already in full summer hot and humid mode!

I started the second sock and had a chance to catch up with friends on their podcast! All in all I would say Day One of Detox was a success!

2 Cups of Veggies?!?!

Why yes, I do want my clients eating 2-3 cups of veggies at their three main meals and 1-2 at their two snacks. Vegetables offer more than meets the eye. They are filling and help the person who is having issues with overeating to feel full when trying to burn fat. Very simple fact there and commonly accepted. They also offer more phytonutrients than we are aware.

For my eating lifestyle I don't feel the need to know the details of why. I know I feel better physically. I know I have a greater happiness rating. I have a higher performance when running. Besides all those benefits the meals taste better! Variety of flavors and colors make the dining experience exciting.

Here is an example of that two cups of veggies and protein meal. I used fresh veggies for this. I cut the corn from the cob. The green beans are tender French beans cut in half. The red pepper is about 1/2 a fresh red pepper. I lightly sauteed this in olive oil. Then I added chicken breast that I had cooked last night. I like to cook ahead of time so I can reduce my prep time. As soon as the chicken was heated through the veggies were cooked through too. This lunch took me about 15 minutes to make!

Cardio-knitting progress? I have a 12 week goal for my sock drawer and for my body. The sock drawer will have an influx of 8 pair. (I may have added a couple to the ultimate 4 month sock goal. I could be crazy this way.) My goal is to knit on my spin bike as often as I can. Some of my patterns have intricate cables. Those are hard to do while biking. Today's sock is a pattern from Cookie A's book Sock. Knit. Love. The pattern is Mona. It is a fun lace knit that is easy to memorize. Patterns that are easy to memorize are good candidates for cardio-knitting.

I have been using the Awake Energy Shots at the beginning of my workouts. I love it! I get to the 45 minute mark on my cardio and I'm still enjoying myself. Believe me when you are spending an hour on a spin bike you are happy when you don't notice time ticking by. You are even happier when you are still enjoying yourself! Bonus? No jitters just mellow energy. It is the most calm Awake feeling I've ever experienced.

SOCKS!!!

My friends and family know I love knitting socks. They may not know that I love socks in general. Seriously. Socks are important. I have special socks for each type of shoe and activity. I may knit socks but they are not appropriate for wearing on all occasions or in all shoes. Today I'll tell you about my running sock fascination.

Sneakers for example require athletic socks. For working at the gym basic cotton socks will be fine. There is no worry about blisters while moving around and handing weights to clients. Running though? That is a different story. I started with a nice running sock. It was one that was a moisture wicking sock. After a year I discovered toe socks. Initially I purchased them to wear in my Vibram 5 Finger shoes. They were perfect! About that same time I went on a 12 mile run and developed blisters. I was shocked. My favorite socks, my favorite running shoes, no crazy weather, no mud puddles, nothing new except blisters. I searched out advice. I learned other runners found toe socks helped prevent blisters by giving cushion and moisture absorption between the toes. I had a pair so why not give them a try? I now have six pair and they are wearing out. I will admit they have many miles on them and close to 2 years of use. I'll be replacing them this spring. Why not? They serve their purpose quite well. They hold up but perhaps that is because I limit my use to running only. They are precious running equipment. I keep them for runs only.

Last month I knit a pair of new socks. They are heavily cabled and teal green. I love them. They are super soft and very warm. I was lucky enough to have a chilly morning after they were done to wear them. Most of my wool socks will be washed and stored soon. I find summer too warm for merino hand knit socks. I will however be spending a great deal of time knitting more socks to add to the beautiful sock drawer. The March addition?

Colorwork

It is not about exercise. It is not about diet. It is not about the supplements. It is not about stress reduction. It is not about sleep. It is about the mix and blending of all these components in your life. No one part of this puzzle can be the one solution to health and wellness in a fit body. 

Exercise is a personal journey just like weight loss. I am a distance runner today. I wasn't a distance runner 3 years ago. To become a fit person takes time when you are sedentary. It is a daily practice. A daily practice that starts with each person's current fitness level.  The body needs proper rest for recovery to gain the most benefits from exercise. Rest allows repair and then you can go at it harder. 

Diet is much the same it must be individualized. I do this in my personal life and with my clients. We follow the TLS Weight Loss System. I couldn't be happier with with the TLS System. It takes a person's life needs into account. The diet must support the body's demands for exercise and this program does just that. It is important to understand that good exercise will make you hungry. Hunger is good. This hunger needs to be fed.  

I am impressed with the supplementation this program has to offer. Impressed...such a mild word for the feeling that you are so happy with the results you feel 99% of the people you know could benefit in some way from this entire program. 

Sleep and stress? OH MY! Yeah. Stress happens doesn't it? I don't think any of us know a completely stress free person. They may handle the stress in an appropriate way so they appear to be stress free. If you know someone like this you might want to learn their secrets. Deep sleep will help with stress. Exercise will help with stress. A well planned and balanced diet will help with stress. 

No one component will cover it all. Each element must be there to reach success. Each element brings out the beneficial qualities of another. Exercise without diet and diet without exercise will not produce a body that is completely healthy and fit. 

How does this all tie to colorwork? I have been working on a pair of socks using yarn from my favorite yarn dyer, Alina Shea Creations. These socks are two colors blended together in just the right way to make pictures appear. A blue sock would be lovely and cover the foot. A white sock would be equally as warm and wonderful. Combining the two colors I have a pair of socks (one right now) that are a work of art. 

Knitting colorwork socks can be compared to the weight loss journey. Blending the colors and blending the elements of success we achieve a goal that is perfection. 

Doing what you have never done!

"If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done." Thank you Elizabeth Weber for that insight and inspiration. The Weber Foundation of Helping Hands, founded on the principle that, "Everyone Needs a Guardian Angel," is using the Lake Lure Triathlon in August 2014 to raise funds to assist individuals and families facing life-threatening illnesses or other catastrophic situations.  I have offered my support while many of the individuals in my circle will be swimming, biking and running. One of those, Kam Parker, my life partner is doing her first triathlon for one reason (other than being encouraged by Elizabeth and wanting to support the foundation), she is uncomfortable in the water. Yes, she can swim fine, but has never considered jumping in with a crowd and swimming hard in a fury of feet, elbows and bubbles. Kam said, "I felt uncomfortable with the idea, so I signed up right away."

Toward the end of 2013, I chose to create a sweater, a cabled hoodie that stretched my knitting skills, and the nimbleness and strength of my hands. It wasn't that the pattern was challenging so much; it was the dedication I needed to get it done by the winter holidays. Despite my attempt,  it became one of my famous "almost done" gifts that my family has come to expect each Christmas. Over the years my kids would get one sock in the box, and one on the needles, and my son said, "You can't help but appreciate the gesture, and just pray my mom actually finishes the second sock." The thick cabled PURPLE hoodie with cables down the arms, and up over the head did not have a hood on the day the family gathered for gift-giving. My son did receive a completed black and white skull and crossbones hoodie designed in Sweeden I had completed just in the Nick (that's Saint Nick) of time. But the purple hoodie intended for his fiance still hung from long circular needles. He began asking me daily, but gently,  for the next 3 weeks, "Did you finish her sweater Mom?"

So, how do all these thoughts knit together? Obviously, a pattern all by itself is nothing but a plan, an idea, a wish or a dream. It takes desire, focus and tenacity to follow the plan, and then to follow through even if it becomes tedious, repetitive (boring) or too heavy. (Are we still talking about Knitting?) Completion is what brings about the dream; a hoodie without a hood isn't what it was meant to be and no matter what excuse you make it's not done until the ends are buried. If you want to give a gift to yourself as well as others, reach for something that stretches you, pulls you beyond what you feel comfortable with. Risk the frustration, the "failure," because YOU deserve what you DESIRE, and see it done, complete, finished, won!

Kam says almost everyday in our fitness studio The Fire, "You have to go there to get there." My future daughter in law says her new hoodie is very cozy.

It's 2014, pick a goal that you are uncomfortable with, then do it any way, no matter what. I am going to post every week of 2014 on fitness, knitting, health, food, friends and love. Period. Every week. No excuses. How are you pushing past the edges of your comfort zone?