A Wonderful Day

I haven't written in a full week! Sorry about that...

I've spent the entire day with my sweetheart. Hence the title.

I did not increase my mileage this week; my knees began to hurt last week and I want to avoid injury. So I capped my two long runs at 4 miles to be safe.

Today's workout was amazing. Despite having an upset stomach all day, as soon as I started to run I entered into a meditative state. I ran the fastest I've run so far, and though I was planning on sticking to two miles because of my tummy, not only did I run four, but I did a little bit of weight training and ab work today (which I rarely ever do...I run because I love it. Toning stuff bores the hell out of me even though I know how beneficial it is.)

This coming week's long run is five miles.

I'm feeling incredibly grounded and vibrant as a vegan. I incorporate a lot of "superhero" foods (see The Kind Diet) such as kale, quinoa, brown rice, sprouted grains, etc, everyday. That has made a significant difference. The previous times that I've gone vegan, I didn't feel well at all, but that's because I was eating way too many convenience foods; even though their calorie and fat and fiber content were fine, they were so heavily processed that their nutrients were less accessible to my body. My overall health suffered because of this. I didn't understand it then and blamed the vegan diet, going back to vegetarianism, but now that I'm more educated about nutrition, I am able to live wholesomely and energetically completely veg.

Breakfast:

Barbara's Shredded Spoonfuls with Trader Joe's Organic Whole Grain Drink

Snack:

Organic Apple

Lunch:

Leftover Dinner from last night (recipe below--deLICious!)

Workout (see above)

Snack:

Banana + Trader Joe's Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter

Dinner:

Tofurkey + Tofutti Cheese on Sprouted Grain Bread

(way processed but I'm at the bf's house and didn't want to open my new groceries to cook, since I have stuff at home that needs to be used first.

Landree's Sweet, Savory, and Fat-Free Tofu Stir-Fry

(keep in mind that I did not measure ingredients...turns out, as a cook, I just use my intuition. If anyone has further questions, just message me and I'll be more detailed.)

Saute onions and kale in vegetable broth. Once these are mostly cooked, add the kale. Add more broth as needed. Turn heat down and add these delicious items:

Raw Agave Nectar

Ginger

Minced Garlic

A bit of Chili and hot sauce

Soy sauce

Serve over brown rice or quinoa, or just eat as is if you're wanting something grain free.

Review:

Babycakes NYC (vegan and gluten free baking book)

If you don't have this baking book yet, even if you're NOT a vegan, BUY IT. Not only are the two recipes that my beau and I have made been delicious (the chocolate cupcakes and banana bread--we added carob chips to the bread), but they're genuinely good for you! The sweetener is raw agave nectar, and you use virgin coconut oil, which makes each dessert exceptional. My favorite was definitely the banana bread.