Monday Musings: Week 9

Over the weekend I ran my first 5k - the Run or Dye event in Halifax, Nova Scotia at Ski Martock. It was a great first race as the focus was fun and no one was worrying about time.  I ran the whole thing, stopped a few times to stretch out my shin splints thanks to some of those hills, but aside from that I did great.  Of course, being me, I managed to twist my ankle within 30 seconds of our heat because of a pothole, but kept on running.

Pre-race dye-fun (I cannot take credit for this photo - thanks to my running buddy!)

The highlight was the little boy dressed up as Spider Man just cruising past everyone. He couldn't have been more than six years old, but was clearly loving life and bringing a smile to everyone he passed on the trail! The other highlight was a successful run free of IBS intervention - which was enough for a celebratory happy dance for me!

Hope you had a great weekend, here are this week's links ...

The Unworldly Travelers - 5 Reasons I Will Make Travel a Priority for My Kids

I absolutely love this post and agree with her wholeheartedly.  Thanks to my parents, I have been lucky enough to travel in Canada and the United States throughout my childhood.  In addition to our family trips, my parents also encouraged me to learn a second language - being Canadian I obviously learned French.   Because of this recommendation I completed two degrees in French and had the opportunity to study abroad in France where I met my American husband.  The decision to learn another language has impacted my life in so many positive ways and has instilled in me a desire to travel, to understand other cultures and to learn about culture through another language.  For this reason, I think number three on her list is my favourite and I know that these will be words to live by as I continue through life.

Everything A La Mode - Chocolate Covered Almonds

So, if I were to have an addiction, it would be chocolate (this may already be the case).  One of my favourite spots in Halifax is the Choco-Café - they carry a ton of beautiful chocolates in addition to their café menu. My favourites are the Almondos and the Rasberry Cheesecake - but honestly, I love them all.  They also have a discount for those who work in the area - score!  My most recent discovery there is their chocolate covered almonds - with cocoa dusting!  Absolutely delicious.  My only problem is that I go there far too often, so, the link I have for you today is something that you can do at home that may compare (minimally) to the wonders of the Choco-Café (if you are ever in Halifax - you must go).

A Well Traveled Woman - If Tomorrow Women Woke Up...

This is not necessarily a post, but rather, a nugget of wisdom.  I hope you enjoy.

Happy reading!

Lyndin

Green Monster Madness

This week I began my first foray into uncharted territory – green smoothies.  Angela, of the blog  Oh She Glows, first started the “green monster movement” and it has caught on so much that she had to create a separate site to keep up with readers’ recipe submissions.  What is a green smoothie?  It is a smoothie that has something green in it, most often spinach or kale.   Why go green?  It is a fabulous way to add extra fruits and veggies into your day. 

I am a fruit lover.  I am not a vegetable hater, but I naturally reach for fruit before the veggies.  I am not what you would call adventurous in the food department; between the IBS, GERD and my natural inclination to be extremely picky and overly imaginative often prevent me from eating certain things or from trying new ones.  For example, I can often be heard saying things like I don’t eat bananas because they make my ears itch, or, you may find me in the produce aisle listening to an apple to determine if it is worthy.  I am not a fan of public kitchens, most especially microwaves, or potlucks.  That communal stuff really freaks me out.  I am a huge believer in food segregation, in other words, no food group shall touch another food group while on my plate.  What is my point?  The idea of putting something green in my smoothie really throws me for a loop and feels inherently wrong. 

I have no idea what pushed me over the edge, but I am currently spiralling down into the world of green monsters.  My green of choice was spinach.  Not fresh spinach, and as far as I can tell non-organic spinach.  Most people would buy fresh spinach, not yours truly; I have a current fixation with spinach.  I like things to be perfectly ripe; otherwise, if I find a flaw, I will have to abstain for months until the infraction is forgotten.  The way around this is frozen spinach.  I bought a block of chopped, frozen spinach for $1.79.  I thawed it out and put that puppy in the food processor, and then portioned it out into three containers for future use.   

The verdict?  Not too bad!  I could not taste the spinach (I think it was about 1/3 to 1/2 cup puréed).  My one warning – carry a compact and floss around when you drink this.  It should not be your beverage of choice for a perfectly white smile. 

What about the IBS spin on this one?  It has made me into a raging hot air balloon and has made me frequent the restroom – frequent being the key word here.  In the past, my nutritionist and I have not agreed on smoothies.  She recommended that I drink a smoothie measuring one cup or smaller, and she also recommended that I consume my smoothie later in the day.  My flare-up time always lasts until about 13h00, so, if I consume it in the afternoon I will be less likely to go to the loo.  Given my fear of using public kitchen facilities, I like to drink my smoothie in the morning so it is still somewhat cold when I drink it.  Will I continue on with the green monster movement?  I will definitely continue to play with the smoothie recipes and will try it for at least the next few weeks.  I would like to give my body time to acclimatize to the smoothies.  It is a large intake of fibre all at once for someone who suffers from IBS-D, however, if I can trick my body into cooperating it will be worthwhile.  

Please share your green monster recipes/experiences.  I would love to know how others are approaching this! 

Tuesday’s Recipe

• Fresh strawberries
• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe
• Yogurt
• Teaspoon of honey
• Container of spinach
• Splash of apple juice

Wednesday’s Recipe

• Fresh strawberries
• Container of spinach
• Frozen blueberries
• Frozen cherries
• Yogurt
• 1.5 teaspoons of chia