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Saturday, October 30, 2010

SATURDAY!!! Gotta love weekends :)

Hello there, bloggies!! Getting right down to business (quickie post today!)...

~Daily Eats~
Breakie: My day started at 4:45 a.m...had to be outta the house by 5. :/ Super quick, super yummy, super filling (suprisingly!) breakie this a.m.!

O. My. Gosh. SOOO good!! 1/2 c old fashioned oats, skim milk poured over top, 2 big blobs of crunchy almond butter! A MUST TRY for quick mornings!

Lunch:

Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread with almond butter and a slice of swiss cheese with a local gala apple...YUM!!

Snack: A banana....a VERY over-ripe banana....just the way I like 'em! :)
Snack: Unsalted peanuts
Snack: A pear
Snack: so I made zucchini bread the other day...it is sooooo yummy! All natural ingredients (you know me!) and 100% whole wheat. Honey adds just enough sweetness without using any sugar! :D I had a slice of this for snackage!

~Fitness is Fun!~
Squats. Need I say more? Legs, butt, calves, and even a little abs! These are deff a serious strength move!
Rockstar jumps. Begin in a medium-low squat position. Jump off the floor as high as you can, bringing your bent knees behind you (like a double-legged butt kick). These are hard, so work up to as many as you can, but start off slow. These revv your metabolism and get your heart pumping!

My knee has been feeling so much better lately. I walked on it ALOT the past two days...NO CRUTCHES!! It's bothering me a little bit now, but overall it's much better than it was last week at this time.
IT'S HALLOWEEN EVE PEOPLES!!!!!!!!!!  SO excited! I love halloween! Can't wait to share my holiday-appropriate recipes and workout ideas!! ;)

Hope everyone has a good rest of your Saturday! Stay warm and stay healthy!

:D


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

A wet, wet, wet, Wednesday!

Hey guys!! Hope this is finding you well. It was SOOO rainy today...but that worked out well I guess because I was indoors all day! Hope it's nicer tomorrow--will be out and about. So, ny computer is still being cooperative! Yay! So here's my eats...with pics AGAIN!

~Daily Eats~
Okay...breakie was....oh...SO. INSANELY. GOOD. I got this recipe from a fellow blogger!

Apple Almond Butter Oats! Made with--old-fashioned oats, a granny smith apple cooked in, wheat bran, cooked in skim milk, with of course, almond butter! <3

Lunch: Breakfast-like...again!

Two Van's Organic Whole Wheat Frozen Waffles. O. My. Goodness. These are heaven! Sweetened with a "touch of honey and a dash of cinnamon"! A MUST try item! Topped with natural peanut butter and loads of cinnamon on one side, with organic apple butter (sweetened with juice) and cinnamon on the other...mmm!!!

Snack: A ruby red grapefruit...Ah! So good!
Another snack: unsalted almond and peanuts with some no-sugar added orange juice...gotta love the essential OJ!!
Dinner: Ahhh...SO GOOD!
A bed of spinach, with a baked chicken breast cooked in some yummy olive oil and garlic spaghetti sauce topped with mozzarella cheese, parmesan, Italian seasoning, and garlic; with a side of unpictured brocolli with parmesan....ohhh yeahh... :D

A bedtime snack of a handful of baby carrots with a blob of crunchy almond butter!

~Fitness is Fun!~
Today I want everyone to bust a move...on the dance floor, that is. ;) Get your groove on and take a salsa class, tango with the boy, waltz, jam to your ipod in the house, or just throw on some rap and raise the roof. Just get your body moving. Dancing burns incredible calories per hour, and it will increase your happiness by jamming it up! 
Another thing--new ab move...cherry pickers. OUCH. Stabalize yourself on your tailbone with both feet off the floor and knees bent in front of you. In a sitting position (not laying back) take both hads/arms and alternate "picking" (quick poking motions) left side and right side. Do as many as our abs can handle. You will feel it! If you don't, you aren't balancing high enough. :D


So today I barely used my crutches. At all! My knee is feeling TONS TONS TONS better and I have only taken 400 mg of ibuprofen ALL DAY! HUGE improvement from 1200! :/ Super tired...tucking in.
Goodnight loves! Have a wonderdul rest of your Wednesday!
Stay Healthy:)
ONE MORE DAY CLOSER TO HALLOWEEN!!! :D




Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Tuesday...that's pretty much all I have to say about that...:)

Hey dears!! Hoping everyone had a FANTASTIC tuesday! Mine was VERY nice...relaxing :) Gotta love stay at home days! And even better...I'm able to upload my pics now!!! YAY!!!!!!! So you guys get even MORE details :) SO happy my computer is cooperating now! :/ I was so frustrated with it! Good news, too-I walked by myself!! NO CRUTCHES!!! It was just about 10 steps...but hey...it's ten steps closer to getting back on the ice! :D So....my eats....with pictures!! ;)

~Daily Eats~
So I bought this new Artisana coconut butter packet from my local health food store a couple of days ago...and what else would I use it on but OATMEAL??!?!?!?!!?! So, naturally, I made "Coco-Crazzy Oats"! These babies consisted of old-fashioned oats, that AMAZING coconut butter, 1/2 coconut cream pie larabar crumbled, some unsweetented coconut flakes with my vitamins...and advil :) These were good...but I might have overdone the "coconut theme" a bit too much....o well...there's always next time!


Lunch was breakfast-worthy...or breakfast like, I guess!
A yummy breakfast for lunch egg burrito/wrap! A whole wheat tortilla, 2 whole eggs (if you use the whole egg, you get SO many more benefits than using just the whites!), some shredded cheddar cheese, some SUPER HOT but delish salsa + an unpictured granny smith apple! MMM!!

Snack:
Plain Stoneyfield Fat-free organic yogurt with some goji berries!
Snack: some peanuts and a ruby red grapefruit--SOO good! :)

Dinner:  Heads up: THIS WAS AMAZING!

No sauce spaghetti! A bed of spinach and brocolli topped with 100% whole wheat rotini pasta, shredded parmesan cheese, garlis, Italian seasoning, hanful of chopped fresh baby carrots, with a side of brussel sprouts with a glass of skim milk. SOO delish! New recipe sensation: Sauce-free spaghetti :) YUM!

~Fitness is Fun!~
Okay...as you guys know...My knee is still screwed up, but I have been managing to get in a LITTLE exercise, being the workout junkie and total health nut that I am! ;)
What I'VE been doing lately: LOADS of sit-ups (these are intense and REALLY work!), shadow-boxing with dumbbells--can I hear a "hello definition?!" This is a great way to blast your heart rate up if you have any kind of lower-body injury (e.g. a sprained MCL and ankle)! Pipe crunches--lie on your back, flat out. Keeping both legs completely straight, bring your legs and arms/head up to meet your legs and hold for five senconds and repeat. For even MORE ab work, add those handy dumbbells!
It's not much, but it's better than doing absolutely NOTHING, right? And don't worry...I'll make up for it when I get back to working out  full force. :)

Can't believe how fast time is going! LOVING school so far! But it seems like the first day wa just yesterday! :/ How are you enjoying school/work? Is time going fast for you also?

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the night!
Healthy blessings coming your way!! ;)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sunday, Sunshine, and Salmon...:)

Happy Sunday, bloggies! Hope all of you had a wonderful Sunday--it was SO beautiful outside...the weather warmed up quite a bit since the chilly morning!! Here's the eats...

~Daily Eats~
Breakie: This was AMAZING by the way!!--0% Greek yogurt (LOVE!! SO addicted to this!) with ABUNDANT cinnamon (no shock there!!) with a crumbled clif natural bar in apple flavor on top (I REALLY LOVE these bars...not NEARLY as good as laras...but...hey, what can I say...after you've had the best, you are pretty spoiled!!), some raw oats on top, along with a side of a boiled egg with melted swiss cheese on top. MMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lunch: A 100% whole wheat pita bread with natural peanut butter spread folded over with most of a granny smith apple.

Snack 1: a banana (WAYYY over ripe...o well...) with a Justin's organic peanut butter and cinnamon packet. I had never tried this Justin's before...but I will DEFF be getting this kind again!! :)

Snack 2: 2 prunes

Snack 3: Lemonbar Larabar...Another of my fav flavors!!

Dinner: Simple Salmon with brocolli and 1/2 a sweet potato...This ABSOLUTELY hit the spot, let me tell you!!

~Fitness is Fun!~
Alrighty now...as far as new exercise ideas go...(this isn't really a legit workout, but...) I want everyone to just simply go outside and do their workout. Whether it be running, biking, yoga (yoga on the deck is HEAVEN--aspecially in the early a.m.!!), anything...just do it outside! This may seem like a simple change, but you will feel SO much better after spending your workout time also getting some sunshine--that vitamin D will boost your happiness and strengthen your bones WHILE you are already working out and enjoying the BEAUTIFUL fall weather!!! :) 

Can you believe it is already here? What are your plans for the holiday? Are you celebrating on Saturday or on the actual holiday (Sunday)? Costumes? Recipe ideas? Parties being planned? DO SHARE!!!!!!

I started out today feeling okay...knee wise...pain has decreased tremendously since yesterday (yay!!) But as I sat at the rink waiting for my sis to get done skating, I was just SO sick of being stuck in this brace. Luckily...just when I thought I couldn't bear it anymore...I was SAVED!!! The bestie walked in! We went outside and talked for almost two hours! I felt so much better after talking to her and just BEING with her in general. I love her so much! Legit BFF!! :)

So tomorrow is Monday...."sigh"....looking forward to something, though....it's ONE LESS DAY TILL HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am super excited! What is your favorite holiday?

Hoping everyone has a happy, healthy day! :)

I STILL can't upload pics....I have them ready for when I can though, I promise!! :)

Friday, October 22, 2010

TGIF :) (thank GOODNESS it's Friday!)

Hey my peeps. This is going to be a quicki post...SO tired and in SO MUCH PAIN. I didn't take enough advil today...and I'm feeling it now. Anyway...let's get cracking on business.

~Daily Eats~

Breakie: My original recipe of Apricot Oats...<3 soooo good :) old fashioned oats, cooked in 2% milk, wheat germ cooked in, wheat bran cooked in, 2 chopped dried apricots (organic), 2 big blobs of apricot all fruit jelly (no sugar added) w/ some almonds sprinkled on top...mmm...love apricot oats.

Lunch: a 100% whole wheat bagel with mozzarella cheese, an egg, and spinach on top with a local gala apple. yum...sooooo yum.

Snack 1: plain stoneyfield organic yogurt with peanuts and raisins
Snack 2: a banana with a Justin's almond butter packet
Snack 3:a cherry pie larabar!! :) This is one of my favorite flavors...LOVE dried cherries!!

Dinner: Rice and Bean Soup with a whole wheat tortilla (I toasted it and dipped it in the soup--it was really good!!) with some broccolli an parmesan cheese witha mug of Celstial Seasonings Bengal Spice Tea...yessss!!

~Fitness Is Fun!~
My fitness challenge for today--biking. Instead of hopping in the car to go to the nearby grocery store, hop on that bike and start peddlin'. You'll bur MUCHO calories and save the environment AT THE SAME TIME. Double whammy!! :) Not to mention it's SUPER fun and a great way to take n the beautiful October scenery.

~In Closing...~
Today was not a good day for me, knee wise. I was in major pain all day...not to mention added pain from a migrane...ugh. But all I can do to keep myself from crying all the time is tell  myself that it's only 3 weeks...and almost 2 1/2 now!! I can do this.
If you are strugglig with something right now, I hope you can read this and know that you aren't in this alone.Everyone has their own personal struggles...whether it be a major MCL sprain, or somethin else. All we can do is keep our chins up. If we give up, we are just letting ourselves down. So stay strong loves!!

Until tomorrow....Have a happy, healthy,October-ful Day!!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Rainy...and then SUNNY!!! :)

So when I woke up this morning...it was raining. I was SURE that was a bad sign!! But then it turned sunny and I got...GOOD NEWS AT THE DOCTOR!!! MCL is NOT torn!!! Just severely sprained...but I DO have a bone chip on my knee...it hurts pretty bad, but won't slow down the recovery process...just cause a lot of pain...But if everything goes well, the doc said I could be back on the ice in 3-4 weeks!!! YAY!!!

~Daily Eats~

Breakie: Honey Peanut Butter Cinnamon Oats-a recipe from the bestie, straight from her blog!!
old-fashioned oats, oatbran, peanut butter (LOTS!!), honey, LOADS of cinnamon--YUMMY!!! Along with my pile of vitamins and 2 trusty advil :)

Lunch (after doctor appt): After my visit to the orthopaedic, I was super relieved and in the mood to make one of my VERY FAVORITE fall sammies!!
Ezekiel bread, all natural peanut butter, no sugar added (juice sweetened) apple butter, 1/4 apple sliced, MULTITUDES of cinnamon w/ a beautiful gala apple!!

Snack 1: an over-ripe banana--just the way I like 'em!
Snack 2: some almonds and 2 prunes
Snack 3: Cherry Pie larabar=total LOVE!! :)

Dinner: Okay...this one was super creative...and SUPER DELISH!!! Listen up, bloggies:
Spaghetti squash (I microwaved it AFTER I cut it in half--it worked suprisingly well!!) with spinach, salmon, and crunchy almond butter with a slice of yummy ezekiel and a glass of skim milk...It sounds nasty, but it's basically the same as "Thai-style" noodles...just without the noodles!! ;)
With an accompanying delish pbutter ball--pb, oats, and 80% dark chocolate....ohhhh yeahhhh....:)

Note: It is recommended by cardiologists for people to eat at least one square of dark chocolate a day for heart health. It is also PACKED with antioxidants...not to mention it is super yummy!! :)

~Fitness is Fun!~
Alright, my peeps...one word. YOGA. I AM ADDICTED TO YOGA!!! It has SO many health benefits (shocking, really!!) and is SUPER fun and relaxing! And not to mention boosts flexibility AND immunity! So, dearies...let's all rock a "downward dog" and find our center! :) "Namaste"!!

Weight Lifting...need I elaborate?!? LOVE doing weights. I do upper-body every day, and when I have completely working legs, I do ankle and leg weights about 3 times a week. Can I hear a                        "R-I-P-P-E-D"?!

Push ups may be old-school, but they NEVER go out of style. And even though pull-ups can replace them in the physical fitness testing, they don't come close to giving you the same benefits as a good ol' hardy push-up...so DROP AND GIVE ME 20!! :)

~In Closing...~
I hope all you dearies in the bloggy world had a happy, healthy day. Enjoy this season. It is such a beautiful time of year and it is gone before we know it! So take time every day to enjoy the beauty of the world and appreciate those who go to great measures to preserve that beauty.

And one question before I go...I must know...How do you tag people in your blog? If anyone knows, please share by writing your answer as a comment! Thank you! Your feedback is appreciated!

Until tomorrow, then...have a wonderful rest of this GORGEOUS October-ful Wednesday! Stay happy and healthy! :)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

A week exactly...

Hello, bloggies! It's exactly one week today since I hurt my knee...:/ I go back to the doctor tomorrow. Pretty uptight and nervous about what he's going to say...we'll see what happens.

~Daily Eats~
Breakie: old-fashioned oats, oatbran (first time trying it--delish!!) cooked in with the oats, flaxseed, fabulous gala apple chopped, wheat germ, a chopped dried apricot, some coconut, apple butter, almonds, with my trusty vitamins and advil. This breakie was made up by the bestie!! Visit her AHHmazzing blog! :)

Lunch: Athenos hummus (original kind), turkey, cheddar cheese, in between some ezekiel bread with an apple--my 2d apple of the day because they reduce swelling in sports-related injuries. Who would have guessed?!

Snack 1: a bartlett pear and a cheese stick
Snack 2: peanuts
Snack 3: Peanut Butter Cookie larabar!! :)

Dinner: Harvest Autumn Chicken (my original recipe!!)
chicken, baked. Add apple butter, TUMULTS of cinnamon, dashes of ground cloves and ground nutmeg...with a sweet potato with cinnamon and brussel sprouts...MMM!!! Perfect for fall!!
And a delish muffin as a bedtime snack!! (Along with lifesupport...ADVIL!!) and some celestial seasonings Bengal Spice tea. Soooooo good....:)

~Fitness is Fun!~
Okay, people. One word: PLYOMETRICS. This is intense, dearies. Think strength and cardio...combined...yeah...tough! Bring on the heat, baby!!
ROCK THAT PLANK!!! Quick result, here you come! Rocking the front and side planks (push up position and hold) is a serious strenth training move that even the toughest athletes still practice! Sneaky!

Okay...so halloween is right around the corner (thus the orange text!!) What special activities/parties/etc. are you planning? Do spill! Any special menu items or festive workouts? Think "zombie fun run"...hahah!! Please Comment!

Anyway...really hoping everything goes allright tomorrow. Will update after appt.

Have a Healthy Day and Enjoy life...it's too short not to! :)

WEAR PURPLE TOMORROW!!!!! :) Tomorrow is a remembrance day...:'(

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Just another day...

As the name suggests, I didn't do much today...felt a bit blue today...:( Knee is still hurting really bad...getting anxious and nervous about doctor appointment on Wednesday...MRI will make or break it...Let's get down to business, though.

~Daily Eats!!~
Breakie started out great. A new twist to basic raw oats!!: Some greek yogurt (LOVE!!! Has 2x the protein of normal plain yogurt--an ESSENTIAL for us figure skaters and athletes!!), organic old-fashioned rolled oats (DONT COOK-sprinkle on top of yogurt RAW!!), some totally delish plain almonds, a sprinkling of goji berries, with a side of my many vitamins...This is my 2d time trying gojis...I can't decide if I really like them or not...they are REALLY sweet!

Lunch was totally fabulous: hummus spread on ezekiel bread, with some ham, cheese and a granny smith apple on the side...SO YUMMY!!! :)

Snack: those cinnamon pita chips I made yesterday!! They were SUPER good!! :)

Snack: Cashew Cookie larabar (Im officially ADDICTED to larabars...and oatmeal...and tofu...and...oh, the list goes on and on...!!) with some organic cashew butter spread on top to liven up the cashew flavor!!

Dinner: Egg omelete, with spinach, cheddar cheese, some SUPER HOT but totally delish salsa, some ham, and a slice of ezekiel bread! I'm a HUGE fan of breakfast for dinner...especially when the breakfast is a TO DIE FOR omelete!! <3

I also made some homemade apple chips that I haven't tried yet...tomorrow, though!!

~Fitness is FUN!!~
Right now I am TOTALLY loving basic sit-ups...kind of old-school here, but hey...you want rockhard abs of steel? Crunch away, baby, but crunches are a wasted effort! Sit-ups on the other hand, give the abdomen a full range of motion, working all the muscles...while in crunches you are just sitting up halfway and then laying back down before the muscles have a chance to burn any calories, or tone.

I am a H-U-G-E believer in the power of kickboxing. Before I became injured, I did it EVERY day (along with yoga) for 45 minuted a day. Hello, quadriceps!! And not to mention bi and triceps also! ;)

Running. Need I say more? I am ADDICTED to running. It is one of my many natural "highs"! I have many running goals...to name a few: I am running a FULL marathon my senior year of highschool...or at LEAST before I'm 20...I am doing (hopefully) the Walt Disney World Princesses 1/2 Marathon Weekend--you run THROUGH DINSEY WORLD!!!--and am SUPER PUMPED!! Hopefully my knee will be completely healed and giving me zero problems and pain by then! :/ And I do want to shoot for an ultra...sometime in the far...far...far future. :) I can't wait till I can run again!

And of course...skating. *sigh*...this is so difficult for me...skating is my entire life...while I can't do it, I'm trying to focus on other things...but the pain in my gut from having it taken away from me just won't go away. :'( I HATE THIS INJURY!!!!

There are SO many more amazing ways to get exercise...but if I list all of them, this post would never end!! :)

~Before I sign off...~
Still unable to post pics...when I finally can, I will have SO many to upload!! But I promise I will upload ALL of them! :)

Until tomorrow (hopefully), I hope all you dearies in the blogger world have a healthful day. And a goos reminder for all you athletes out there: PUT GOOD IN, GET GOOD OUT! Proper nutrition is SUCH a vital aspect of good athletic ability. Remember if you fuel up properly, you will maintain your energy levels throughout your sport and while participating in your daily activities. None of us want to be dragging before the day has even begun!!

And a daily encouraging tip: Never give up. It's not fair to yourself if you only give half effort. Because, in reality, if you have been giving only 1/2 effort in something, and when that thing gets taken away from you, you will look back at all that time you wasted not working hard, and feel incredibly sad...so STAY STRONG...for yourself!! :)


Happy Healthy Living! :)



Saturday, October 16, 2010

So while I can do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING...I will...

BAKE!!!!!!!!!!! I have a list of things I want to make while I have extra time (thanks to my stupid knee injury...). So...let the baking madness officially...BEGIN!! :)

So far I haven't done much...just brekkie and lunch...but BOY were they YUMMY!
Brekkie was: old-fashioned oats with LOADS of all natural peanut butter with some all fruit apricot jelly (LOVE!!) topped with some delish wheat germ and dry roasted peanuts...Ah, the happiness of PB&Jelly Oats!! <3

Before Lunch, I threw some homemade "cinnamon pita/tortilla chips" in the oven. (Sorry for the laborious name...I haven't thought of a catchy title yet...)

~Cinnamon Pita/Tortilla Chips~
-one 100% whole wheat tortilla or pita bread
-some esxtra virgin olive oil
-INSANE AMOUNTS OF CINNAMON!!!!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pita/tortilla on a dry (not brushed with oil) glass baking pan. Brush pita/tortilla with a little olive oil and cover ENTIRELY with cinnamon. Place in oven and let bake (or broil if they are not crisping up well enough) for 5-15 minutes...time needed varies. Mine took a bit longer to get crunchy, but it depends. :)

AHHHMAZZING lunchy of ezekiel bread, crunchy almond butter (mmmm...yum!!) and a slice of cheese!! This was suprisingly good. I am OBSESSED with peanut butter and cheese, but I had yet to try almond butter and cheese...it was super good!! And a delish local fuji apple--soo yummy!

Wish I could upload the pics!! Computer isn't letting me, for some odd reason :( Must get this problem FIXED!!

Spent the night at my BFF's house, Jamie. (who's blog you should DEFF CHECK OUT!!!) We had a BLAST!!! Took soooo many pictures, made some yummy food creations (not to mention twin oatmeals!!!), watched a movie, and talked for hours NON STOP!!! It was so nice to get to go and spend time with her. She has a special way of cheering me up when I'm sad, which I deff need during this time!! :'( I love her so much! <3

I can't believe halloween is almost here...I was planning on dressing up, but I will still be in my cast by the time it rolls around, so the only thing I COULD dress up as would be...a hospital patient...which wouldn't really be that fun because my costume wouldn't necesarilly be a costume...so...plan B= bought a VERY cute halloween shirt that will match my pumpkin earrings. Not ideal, but I will live...At least I can still do pumpkin oats on halloween!! ;) Gotta love 'em...<3

Not sure what the rest of the day has in store...will most likely be posting again before the day is over since I have nothing else to do...but, if I don't...

HAVE A HEALTHY, HAPPY, SAFE AND GLORIOUS OCTOBER DAY!!!
And for all you skaters reading this--next time you skate, be thankful!! I wish I was able to! :'(

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Let the journey begin...

Hi, my name is Ruthie.  I have been a figure skater since 2006 and love it with all my heart.  I have a passion for skating, fitness and healthy living.  I just returned from a regional competition and after a successful skate I unfortunately injured my knee and have to be off the ice for a while.  In the meantime, I am trying to focus on other things that I like to do.  I have enjoyed reading healthy living blogs and decided to make one of my own!  Expect posts full of workout ideas, inspiring quotes and healthy recipes.  Hope you enjoy.