Category Archives: Nutrition

Jan 07 2 comments
Nutrition

14 Day 100% Raw Challenge- Day 4.

Woke up this morning and it still being freezing cold, i somehow convinced myself not to ride. I feel pretty guilty about skipping it, but i just can’t fathom voluntarily subjecting myself to the misery that was yesterday. Instead, I did my strength/core routine in the living room. Today I had an extra element of complexity: my puppy, Cooper, jumping on me and wanting to play. It was sorta fun to do crunches and avoid squishing him. I even got him to help work me out. We played tug of war with his rope and as he pulled, i leaned back. It worked my lower abs and was nice to mutli-task!

Afterwards I made a quick blend of a few ingredients and spread it out on a lined tray to put in the dehydrator all day in hopes to come home tonight to a delicious (and raw) wrap! If it turns out well, I’ll post the recipe.

This morning for breakfast I ate the same “fruit cereal” as yesterday only instead of mango I used peach. Delicious once again :)

For lunch, I still had some leftover marinated kale salad in the fridge, so i added some sprouts, cucumber, soaked sunflower seeds and topped it with lemon flax oil. Quick and easy. I was still hungry and ended up grazing a bit afterwards. I ate some soaked almonds, a strawberry, and a few bites of banana “ice cream”.

I went ahead and marinated some broccoli in lemon juice, olive oil, and tamari while i ate my lunch and spread it out on a dehydrator try before i left. I tried a few pieces and they’re good raw, so i know they’re gonna be great after a few hours in the dehydrator! Can’t wait to try it later.

Kaz brought me back some yummy raw chocolate coconut bites she picked up from lunch. Perfect end to lunch! I kept myself satiated with a lara bar and a piece of fruit. I had a late meeting after work and while everyone else ate catered Mediterranean food (looked and smelled so yummy!) I got some questions as to why i wasn’t eating the “healthy” food. Luckily most people are already aware of my healthy quirks and weren’t too surprised by my answer. Though, I do know one thing I’ll be craving after this is over– pita and hummus with a falafel. But, I had some more leftovers calling my name at home.
The wrap was ready and looks great, but I decided to save it for tomorrow or the weekend and eat up some of the food that’s already in my fridge, plus I was hungry.I put together a hodge-podge quick-to-assemble meal when I go home: carrots and leftover butternut squash (from ravioli) with hummus, zucchini pasta with leftover pesto, and my new favorite dish: marinated broccoli. I kid you not, i made a HUGE batch of broccoli and i ate almost every last bite! I had to force myself to stop eating it so i would have some leftover for tomorrow’s lunch. The recipe called for a sauce to go on top, but i didnt want to change something that tasted so good as-is. I think this will certainly become one of my go-to’s. It’s simple and delicious- my favorite kind :)

A few pieces of frozen banana and a couple strawberries and time to call it a day. wow, this week is going by fast!

Jan 06 0 comments
Nutrition, Recipes

14 Day 100% Raw Challenge- Day 3.

This is supposed to be Florida… when I woke up why was it 28 degrees? With all of my things still in storage (everything- all my winter gear, hats, gloves, pants, bike trainer, everything), I was less than excited to go on this morning’s ride. Luckily I found a pair of tights (think pair with skirt/dress and boots) in my car that I had planned on returning some time back… Certainly no bike pants, but better than bare legs. I slid on the tights, bike shorts, socks, a long sleeve (one of two that i have here), and a lightweight windbreaker… no gloves and headed out for my chilly ride. And chilly, it was. By the time I got home my fingers and toes were beyond numb. I couldn’t get the key in the door and i didn’t have enough control to unclasp my helmet. I had to wait a little while before I could even consider getting into the shower. Think putting a hot plate into the freezer and it cracking. Same idea. Needless to say, I was running incredibly late for work.

I really didn’t want to eat the same figgy oatmeal from the past two days and luckily i had prepared most everything for my “fruit cereal” breakfast. it was surprisingly delicious and completely fulfilled my cereal craving. I enjoyed it with a cup of (warm) raw Yogi Green Tea. This will definitely be a keeper and I think I’ll certainly want to make this even after this challenge is over.

Fruit Cereal
Ingredients

• 1/2 Mango, cubed
• 1/2 Apple, cored and cubed
• 1 medium Banana, sliced
• 2 medium Strawberries, sliced
• 2 TBS Walnuts, soaked 2 hours and drained
• Almond milk (make ahead)
• Cinnamon
• Sprig mint (optional)

instructions

Add all ingredients to bowl and cover with milk (like you would other cereal). Top with cinnamon and mint, if desired.

I went home for lunch and ate the leftover fig arugula salad I brought to work yesterday. I added some raviolis from last night to accompany it. The salad was better today, I guess because it had time to marinade.

A couple hours later I ate another Lara Bar. Turns out the coconut flavor is also raw, so I tried this one today. I usually avoid the ones with more than 200 calories so I hadn’t tried this one before. It was pretty good, and coming from someone who isn’t such a fan of coconut, it left me wanting more.

A little while later I ate a peach– juicy and delicious. I made sure to eat it before the 2 hour window of “don’t eat anything before bikram yoga” started. I drank water until I showed up for class. So glad I went. It definitely warmed me up and gave me a good deep stretch to my tired muscles. One of my goals for this year is to add Bikram to my normal training schedule. I’ve struggled to find any sort of life/triathlon balance in the past and this year I really want to get it right. I never have any time for any sort of “extra” workout, but I think it’s really important and beneficial to incorporate some cross training.

I got home and noshed on some of my newly dehydrated zucchini chips and raw zucchini hummus. The chips shriveled up a lot smaller than i expected, but luckily taste a heck of a lot better than they look! The hummus tastes great, I’m really happy with the outcome. Easy, fresh, and so healthy!

After my shower I filled my plate with leftovers: ravioli, and carrots with zucchini hummus. After dinner I had a little bit of banana ice cream and a small sliver of some of Kaz’s chocolate dessert from last night. yum!

Day 3– headaches gone, able to focus better, and feeling pretty good!

Jan 05 2 comments
Nutrition, Recipes

14 Day 100% Raw Challenge- Day 2.

Headache is far less intense. I don’t know whether or not to attribute it to lack of coffee, but my brother-in-law sure seems convinced of it. Oh coffee, how I love thee, why must you treat me so?

I was running late this morning and didn’t have enough time to prepare my planned breakfast, but luckily I had plenty of leftovers from yesterday’s oatmeal in the fridge. So this morning was much like yesterday except my friend Kaz, fellow raw-foodie, gave me some raw green tea energy (+ caffiene). I filled my mug with half hot water, half cold water just to be safe. It wasn’t anything I’d ever crave (but then again i am not a tea person), but it was alright and definitely scored points on the warmth factor.

I was hungry again about 2 hours later, so I ate a lara bar (apple pie= raw) thinking I was going to the pool at lunch. A last minute work lunch came up, so my workout was sacrificed and the other half of yesterday’s salad i brought stayed in the fridge.

I was a little weary of eating out and at first thought planned on going and just drinking water, but decided i could make it work. I ordered the house salad (sans dairy and croutons) and asked for whatever raw veggies they had… it being a BBQ place, the offerings were quite limited. They had cucumbers and tomatoes… hm. alright, that’ll do. Luckily i brought my own avocado, some soaked almonds and a lemon wedge. With my additions, my salad was really not that bad. I was completely full and satisfied.

I ate a pear an hour or two later and drank some more tea to distract me from my normal afternoon coffee break. By the time I got home, I was pretty hungry but since I was a little behind on my prep I didnt have much to pick from, so i had a few carrots. I did my quick run before working on dinner.

Tuesdays have become “Raw Tuesdays” and a growing number of people from work and elsewhere come to my house as we prepare raw dishes potluck style. It’s been a fun and experimental and we all get a chance to taste-test new recipes. Most people who come are not raw, but open to trying things, and I love it. Tonight it was just Kaz and me and we kept our dishes simple and straight foward.


Well I made ravioli and Kaz made a kale and dulse salad and marinated broccoli dish. Despite both of us being weary about our dishes and warning each other not to expect much from them, we were delighted with our plates. We both had seconds :) Kaz also brought a chocolate tart she froze from prior week. Raw desserts are so rich and sinful. I want to try making some of my own, but i don’t trust myself :)

Afterwards, I got some stuff ready for tomorrow. I made a zucchini hummus, began dehydrating zucchini rounds (for chips), soaked walnuts for breakfast, spiralized zucchini noodles, and packaged up all my leftover sauces.

Pesto Butternut Squash Ravioli with White Sauce
Ingredients

1 butternut squash
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper, to taste
1/4 Pesto (recipe below)
1/4 cup White Sauce (recipe below)

Cut the “neck” from the bottom of butternut squash. Reserve the bottom portion for another recipe (I’m using it for a “rice” later this week). Peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler.
Use a knife or mandolin to slice butternut squash in paper thin rounds (1/8-inch or less).
Place sliced squash in a bowl of sea salt water and let set for a couple hours o soften. Under running water, rinse the squash thoroughly to remove salt.
Add one teaspoon of the pesto to the center of rinsed squash round. Place another slice of squash on top. Pinch the ends to close.
Serve with white sauce. Top off with black pepper.

Basil Pesto
Ingredients

1c fresh basil leaves, packed
1 TBS cold pressed olive oil
1/3c pine nuts
1 garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste

Place basil leaves in food processor and mix until well chopped. Add the nuts and garlic, process again until if forms a thick smooth paste. Slowly stream in olive oil. Stopping the food processor to scrape down sides of container. Process until fully incorporated and smooth, adding water if needed. Season with salt and pepper

White Sauce

Ingredients

1/3 cup cashews, soaked for an hour
1/4 cup water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 TBS olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

In a blender, puree all ingredients. Add water slowly and blend until you achieve a thin white sauce.

The flavors are incredibly complex and the creamy white sauce plays a great contrast from the spiciness of the pesto. Even after soaking the squash in salt water, it was still too crunchy for my liking. It tasted good, but I would have prefered a softer, more pasta-like texture. Perhaps next time I’ll try using something different (maybe eggplant? or a dehydrated soft bread).

Jan 05 1 comments
Nutrition, Recipes

14 Day 100% Raw Challenge- Day 1.

First day eating 100% raw. I’m excited to see how I feel and what changes I witness during this

Breakfast

Live Oatmeal

Ingredients

1c steel-cut oats
4c filtered water
5 medium dried figs
2c fig soak water
1tsp cinnamon
Pinch all spice
1 TBS agave (optional)
Fresh fruit

Instructions

Place oats in an airtight glass container with water and let soak for 1-2 nights in the fridge, changing water once a day. Rinse and drain well.
Soak figs in 2c water for at least one hour to overnight.
Place oats, figs, 1c fig soak water, and spices in blender and blend at low speed until just smooth (lumps ok). Top with agave and fresh fruit (I used 1 small banana and 3 strawberries, sliced).
Enjoy.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m used to eating oatmeal religiously for breakfast. I found this recipe to help make my transition a bit smoother. The texture is a little different, but it’s still pretty good. I think next time I may use one less fig, it’s a bit too figgy tasting for me.

Biggest challenge so far? no coffee. i’m not entirely sure how to tell if a tea is raw or not, so instead i found myself drinking warm water as a substitute. i figured i would try and create that warmth and coziness it’s stronger counterpart bestows. didn’t quite satisfy or stop my constant yawning, but the warm cup was nice to hold :)

Lunch

Fig Arugula Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing
I’ll post this recipe later. It was decent, a bit too sweet for me. I think I’ll stick with the more savory salads moving forward. I like the simple, flavorful approach to salads, focusing on the ingredients themselves.

Snack

Apple pie lara bar

these things rock. i always keep one in my purse just in case I get hungry. They taste just as like they’re named and they usually only have 3-4 ingredients. All natural, gluten-free, and raw!

Towards the end of the work day my head was throbbing and I could barely keep my eyes open. Lack of caffeine? I guess so… though I’ve gone days without coffee before and had no problems. Not sure what to attribute it to, but i felt awful. I came home and rested for an hour, skipped my run (yet again) and tried to sleep it off. I forced myself to get up b/c i had more prepping to do. I made almond milk for the first time and it was far easier than i expected!

Dinner

Massaged Kale Salad

Ingredients

5 cups Kale
1 TBS Cold Pressed Olive Oil
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/2-1 Avocado
1/4 cup diced red pepper

Instructions

Remove stems from kale and cut or tear leaves to bite size pieces. Place kale, oil, and lemon juice in large bowl and massage until appears to be about 1/2 the original size. Let sit and marinade for a few minutes. Roughly cut the avocado into large chunks and add to the salad. Massage all the ingredients together again and top with red pepper.

Pasta with a lemon garlic aoili sauce

serves one

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 medium-large garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Sprinkle ground black pepper
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved

Instructions

Spiralize your zucchini to make “spaghetti”. Combine remaining ingredients (except tomatos) in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour over the pasta and top with tomatoes.

Wow the “pasta” was delicious. Truly, it was. The sauce was full of flavor and me being a garlic lover, i was a fan. I based my kale salad off of one that I ate at Present Moment Cafe- mine decidedly was not as wonderful, but tasty enough.

I spent some time preparing for tomorrow’s meals/snacks. I broke out the mandolin and sliced some zucchini to make some “chips” to snack on. I also sliced some butternut squash to soak in salted water for my ravioli tomorrow night.

I had a small piece of frozen banana and a couple strawberries before bed. Head still hurts. here’s hoping tuesday is better.

day #1 complete.

Jan 04 3 comments
Nutrition

100% Raw Challenge

Like most people

I’m taking this new year as a fresh start. After a couple of shortened workouts turned into skipped workouts and one cookie after dinner turned into eating horribly for an entire day which then turned into a week, it’s time to end my snowballed path towards becoming a fat couch potato. I didn’t even enjoy it. I felt sick, gross, lazy, and unproductive but each day i planned to be better and each day i gave in…. but no more. I have a big race season and a lot of goals i plan on reaching this year. It’s time to get myself back on track.

I’ve been eating and experimenting a lot with raw foods lately and I think I’m going to use this as a perfect excuse to try a 100% raw diet for some time. I’m challenging myself with 14 days raw. there are so many health benefits to this diet lifestyle and i’m in definite need of some health benefits :)

No, this doesn’t mean i’ll only be eating salads and carrot sticks. there are SO many delicious and complex dishes and recipes i can’t wait to try! I got an excaliber dehydrator for christmas and i’m super excited to start “cooking” with it.

The hardest part about going raw is that it is so time consuming. It’s essential that you plan out in advance what you will eat in the coming days because a lot of the ingredients require soaking, sprouting, or dehydrating. I spent most of my weekend trying to plan out my meal plan, write my grocery list, and devise a schedule. I want to try and document as much as i can so others can piggyback off of the legwork i’ve already done and give this a try as well!