Cook Book Heaven!

I found the BEST cookbook EVER yesterday!!! 1000 Low Fat, Salt, Sugar, Cholesterol Healthy Recipes.

Got it from Value Village of all places for only $12.99! Weeee I’m just SUPER excited to try some of the fabulous-looking recipes out!  Look how thick it is:


All the pages are thick glossy color and each recipe includes the nutrition information!!
 

Some other good news, my exciting weigh in…

Current Week:  192.4
Last Week: 195.4
Result: –3.0 lbs

Whoot!!!Who woulda thought that calorie counting actually works?! LOL, yup, since I can’t do much strenuous activity I’ve been really watching my calorie intake.  This is the biggest loss I’ve had in such a long time, I can’t believe how close to the 180's I’m getting!!!!
So back tracking a bit…
I woke up yesterday morning and wanted a blueberry muffin so I opted to whip up a batch since there were some frozen organic berries still in the freezer.  These turned out to be extra special because I also incorporated an ounce of chia seeds into the recipe!  Was my first time using chia seeds and they added a nice little crunch, along with a bazillion health benefits to the muffins. 

Severed hot out of the oven with a smidge of olive oil becel, along with a side of cottage cheese and the last of the fresh berries. Oh and can’t forget the coffee!

 

I finally decided to try a bit of exercise by stretching it out with a yogadownload.com Sun Salutations Flow  session.  This was purchased awhile back but my first time trying it out.  Really liked it a lot, there was a lot of repetition but by the end of it all I felt so much all over!

Post yoga, I munched on one of Jaime’s fantastic Sticky Fruit Seed bars. So delicious!!

Lunch time arrived so I stuck on some english muffin mini pizzas.  Topped with tomato paste, spices, red, green & orange bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, old cheddar & a bit of feta. Mmmm!

  

And a froyo waffle cone for dessert.

We did head out to do a bunch of errands – bottle return, visit with my Dad and our little Value Village excursion. I was EXHAUSTED when we got home and had to lay down for a bit.  Got a late Supper on a bit later… my camera batteries died while taking the pics and I was too lazy to change them, so I have one pic from supper.

Dindin was pork loin with mushrooms & onions, organic carrots with a bit of becel and spicy sweet potato fries. 

 

I did have a bit more froyo later on.  In total my day was 1725 calories, which I am completely happy with because Saturday is always my higher cal day.

No plans for today because I REALLY want to relax and hopefully get back to work for tomorrow, even if just got 1/2 day.  Off to catch up on your blogs now!

Various Ramblings

This post is going to be all over the place because I’ve got a lot to say.

Yesterday, we lost another family member to cancer. I hate cancer, why can’t we find a cure? It makes me sick to know that there’s nothing you can really do except sit around and wait to hear who’s next. This particular member’s battle was long and really exhausting for everyone involved. My Mom has been going non-stop for the past 7 weeks or so, her strength amazes me. I took today off and am going to spend it with her.

When I said there’s nothing we can do except sit around, that’s not really true. I need to get my act together and register for this year’s Relay For Life. Fundraising needs to start soon. Last year’s Relay was the first one I ever participated in and it was such an emotional but amazing experience. Sadly, I will have another luminary to light at the ceremony.

Now, in lighter news:

• Thanks for all your lovely comments there other day in regards to me questioning myself. You all are such a great support system and provided thoughtful, honest advice. I will appreciate that. I’m still trying to figure myself out but am going to be examining my calorie intake and develop an appropriate amount for days when I’m training vs off days. I’ve been doing a bit of reading for runners diet plans, ratios of carbs/proteins/fats, looking at my BMR etc. I think I can come up with an adequate solution.
  
  
• If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, ya’ll know that I have a slight girl crush on Jillian Michaels. :) I subscribe to her newsletter and wanted to share this latest piece of news:
  Jillian introduces a new yoga workout unlike any other. Combining hard-core yoga power poses with her dynamic training techniques, Jillian will get you real weight-loss results fast. YOGA MELTDOWN includes two complete 30-minute workouts that include a warm-up and cooldown. Begin with the Level 1 workout which focuses on quickly flowing yoga sequences to burn mega calories. Then progress to Level 2 which adds twists and balance poses for an even greater burn.
  
  Whoot! Can’t wait to get my hands on this. Her website says that it’s available for pre-order and will ship on 02/26/2010.
  
  
• FoodNetwork.ca has a pretty cool sounding Canadian Food Blogger contest going on right now. If I had the time I would enter myself.
  
  
  Here's the deal, send us a blog post about your favourite specialty food shop or a unique dining experience. This can include anything from a soup swap, dining in the dark, or meeting a Food Network Canada host to name a few. And please include photos, we LOVE photos. Submit (one) 300 word blog post to blog@foodnetwork.ca - subject line "Food Blogger Contest" and sign up to the food Community (if you're not currently a member.) The gates are open, so start submitting today. February 28th is the deadline.
  [Full Details Here]
  
  
• My favourite coffee roasters of all time, Just Us Coffee are now on Twitter! Follow them @justuscoffee, along with 2 of their locations - @justusspringgdn and @JustUsBarr. Their coffee is like heaven in a mug. Plus its organic, fair trade and they are a local company to boot. Awesome!
  
  
  
  
  Speaking of coffee, I’m in need of it. That’s all I’ve got for ya!

Acro Yoga

From home foreclosures, loss jobs, and depleting 401-K accounts, the bad economic news just continues to pile up. The stress of these situations can take a toll on our physical and mental health. But there is a practice aimed at helping people find peace during stressful times - YOGA!

In the wake of an economic depression, more and more individuals are turning to donation yoga classes in San Francisco.

So check out the latest "yoga class you can afford"- Acro Yoga!

"AcroYoga blends the spiritual wisdom of yoga, the loving kindness of Thai massage, and
the dynamic power of Acrobatics. These three ancient lineages form the foundation of a unique new practice that cultivates trust, connection, and playfulness." - www.acroyoga.org

Acro Yoga Teacher, Tara Quinn

Tara Quinn is continually inspired by the magnificent, beautiful, and amazing abilities of the human body. She has enjoyed exploring movement in her own body as a Competitive Gymnast,
Professional Contortionist/Circus Artist. She also draws a scientific understanding of Anatomy and Kinesiology from her BS in Exercise Science received from Ithaca College. As a teacher of AcroYoga she cherishes having the opportunity to connect with and inspire her students.

Iyengar Yoga - Melissa MacDonald

Yesterday, as I cycled from San Francisco to Fairfax, I was reminded that "48 is NOT the new 24." Also, I remembered my 1st training ride of 1994 (traveling from 8th & Folsom Streets to Hayes & Steiner Streets -1 mile). And in a flash, I fast forwarded from the image of that first ride to the present day. WOW! (My cycling experiences have truly empowered & changed my way of life).

• From Chardonnay to cocaine to Shimano to Campagnolo.
• From Bianchi to Salsa to Soulcraft.
• From 1 mile to 127 miles to 575 miles to 6325 miles to well over 32, 725 miles.
• From Start to Finish to Mike's Bikes to Sport Basement & American Cyclery.
• From my first yoga class, to becoming a yoga teacher.

Question:
Who would have ever thought that an adventure that started off as merely "something to tell the grand children" would bring me onto such a positive & life changing path?





Well, I'm not the only one who has risen from road cycling to becoming an Iyengar trained yoga teacher.

• In 2002 Melissa MacDonald sold her Toyota Corolla and became a dedicated SF bike commuter.
• In 2005 Melissa MacDonald rode from SF to LA.
• In 2006 Melissa created her own fund-raising ride, raising $2,000.00 for Trips for Kids.
• In 2007 Melissa & her boyfriend rode a tandem mountain bike along part of the Great Divide Ride.
  

And now, Yoga Teacher, Melissa MacDonald has completed the 2 Year Advanced Teacher Training of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco and is offering classes in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Yoga Bear

"I believe there needs to be a greater focus on improving quality of life for cancer survivors through holistic and complementary treatments like yoga. Few survivors receive help after treatment for the physical and emotional toil it takes on them.” - Founder, Yoga Bear, Halle Tecco



After reading a study about how yoga can help people recover from the affects of cancer treatments, budding entrepreneur Halle Tecco founded Yoga Bear to provide free yoga classes for cancer patients and survivors. A life-long cancer advocate, avid yoga enthusiast, writer for the Huffington Post and a full-time MBA student at Harvard Business School, Halle’s unique skill set enabled her to establish and expand Yoga Bear into a vibrant, national organization.

Increasingly, scientific and medical research demonstrates the beneficial effects of yoga as complementary therapy to cancer treatment. But cancer treatment can cost upwards of $100,000, so the price of yoga therapy, which can be expensive and is rarely covered by insurance, often prevents survivors from taking classes. Yoga Bear partners with hospitals, yoga studios, cancer centers and support groups to offer free yoga classes to those who need it most.



With Halle’s leadership, Yoga Bear has grown from a small nonprofit organization partnering with a handful of San Francisco based yoga studios, to a national nonprofit working with 190 studios and four hospitals – in just three years. By leveraging a set of talented volunteers and studio partnerships, this innovative organization operates on a small budget and uses all donated funds to develop programs, which is key to its growth.

Now operating in 26 states, Yoga Bear has touched the lives of more than 2,000 cancer patients and survivors and has provided more than $100,000 worth of free yoga passes to survivors since inception. Its online community serves as the largest portal for information and dialogue on yoga and cancer.

Halle Tecco is a 2009 Woman of Worth.

Yoga Bear’s founder, Halle Tecco has been selected as a 2009 L’Oreal Women of Worth honoree! The honoree with the most online votes gets a $25,000 donation for their organization. This would be the largest donation Yoga Bear has received to date, but they really need your help to make this happen. VOTE!