The Past Month in a Nutshell

I can't believe that I haven't talked to you in a month! I've really missed blogging, and I have been thinking about so many things that I want to blog about so hopefully I can do that and catch you up on the past month in a couple of posts.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to blog as much after starting work, but I didn't think I would go a whole month!  Hopefully, you have been able to get some healthy updates in the meantime from my Tweets if you follow me on Twitter.  If you don't do the Twitter thing, you can still catch my tweets in the black box on the side of this blog.

So things have been very busy... started work as you know, getting adjusted to that schedule, went to training for a week in Orlando, FL, then came back for a couple days, and then headed to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving, but now I'm back for a while... until Christmas.  Even with all this craziness, I have still managed to squeeze in workouts and healthy eating.  So I want to share that with you and get you all caught up on the past month.  Hopefully, this post isn't too long... there is a video at the end! So here we go... :)

October ~ Halloween

Let's start on a light note.  This has nothing to do with healthy eating or working out, but we never got to chat about Halloween!  That seems so long ago... Well, I was Maverick from Top Gun (his dark hair and all) and Sam was a cowboy (I know, I know... pretty original being a Texan).  

Me (Maverick) & Sam (Cowboy) 

Me, Tina Tuner, & Legends of the Hidden Temple

That was a fun time, and a very last minute costume, but it worked out.  I couldn't get used to that dark AND straight hair all night... it confused a lot of people, including myself and Sam. What were you for Halloween?? I want to be an athlete or something/someone athletic next year... any ideas?!?

November 

After a month of work, I finally started to feel like I was adjusting to the new 8-5 routine.  I know I said that I was planning on working out at 5am, but that hasn't been as consistent as I would like as my body has adjusted. Which reminds me of something I have learned to do really well after overdoing it one too many times... listen to your body!  I'm still enjoying my morning smoothie, but, instead of the 5am workouts, I have been going to heat yoga class at least 3 times a week, and on the other 2-3 days of the week I have been doing a CrossFit workout, which I talked about in this post (watch the video if you haven't already!).

 [source]

The combination of Yoga and CrossFit is absolutely amazing!  Yoga is the complete opposite of CrossFit, but that's what I love!  My body never gets bored, and it's constantly challenged.  And one thing I love about CrossFit is that it's a full body toning and an intense cardio workout, and I'm usually done within 30-45 minutes.  I burn the same amount of calories, if not more, than I used to burn during 1.5 hour long workouts where I would do weight training, then abs, then cardio. 

I usually go to the following websites to get my ideas:  CrossFit Seven, GSX CrossFit, Brandt CrossFit, CrossFit JAX.

Here are just a few examples of some CrossFit workouts that are easy to do while traveling that require only body weight or minimal weights.

Workout 1

4-5 Rounds of: 

 10 Pull Ups (or Pull Downs)

20 Pushups

30 Sit-Ups 

40 Air Squats

400m run (sprint)

Workout 2

Two Rounds of:

25 Pushups

25 Air Squats

25 Kettlebell Swings 

(if you don't have a kettlebell you can use a dumbell)

25 Box Jumps

25 Pull Ups (or Pull Downs)

25 Walking Lunges 

25 Sit Ups

25 Wallballs

 25 Burpees 

(some people know these as Squat Thrusters)

Workout 3

As fast as you can:

25 Kettlebell Swings

400m run

25 Overhead Squats

(I have yet to perfect the overhead squat using a barbell like in the video. At home, I just use dumbells, or if you don't have dumbells, then just focus on keeping your arms up like in the video and squatting.) 

400m run

25 Burpees

400m run

25 Tricep Dips

400 m run 

25 Wallballs

400m run

25 Pushups

Workout 4

10 Rounds of:

10 pushups

10 situps

10 squats

Workout 5

3 Rounds of:

1/2 mile run

50 air squats

And here is a list of many more body weight workout ideas.

Along with CrossFit, I always visit Tone It Up TV to get workout ideas from Tone It Up, like their amazing ab circuit that you can do anywhere!

Sam and I go to yoga class together at least once a week, and then we follow it up with dinner to-go from Spiral Diner.  I always crave greens after yoga, so I go with this delicious salad...

This is the Chef's Salad with Vegan Ranch Dressing.  It's salad greens with carrot, cucumber, olives, tomato, cheese (non-dairy), meat-free bacon bits, and grilled tofu. It's one of my favs.  

I have also started my own little ritual.  On Sundays, I go to heat yoga class (I try to make it to the 90 minute class as opposed to the usual 75 minutes), and then I follow it up with a scrumptious veggie sub from Great Outdoors.  Here's my sub order:  Wheat bread with avocado, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, cucumber, pickles, black olives, bell peppers, onion, regular mustard, and... here's the kicker... sunflower seeds! It's amazing, just try it. 

Mid-November

The week before Thanksgiving was spent in Orlando, Florida at training for work.  It always makes me a little nervous when I go to these events where I know breakfast and lunch will always be provided by the hotel, and I basically have zero control over my meals.  So what did I do??  Well, when I registered for training I made sure to note that I was vegetarian (except for the occasional fish and sushi), and that I had a mild dairy intolerance... that way, hopefully there would be some options for me.

I must say I was really impressed with the hotel.  Every dish at every meal was labeled.  It would either say "vegan", or "contains dairy or gluten."  Apparently, I was not the only one with dietary restrictions.  It worked out so well! And I also packed A TON of snacks.  Here's my list of snacks for this trip:

Unsalted Gluten-Free Pretzels 

Trail mix made of almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, & dried berries

Peanut Butter Granola and another kind of trail mix

 (I forgot to save the bags, I can't remember what brand! I will let you know.)

Nut Butter Packs 

 [source]

Annie's Organic Bunny Classic Saltines

Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds
(if I have a dessert craving, a couple of these satisfies it.)

Peanut Butter & Cinnamon Roll Lara Bars

Cliff Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel Bar
(THIS IS MY NEW FAV!!)

 

 [source]

Vega Whole Food Vibrancy Bars 

 

Vega Vanilla Sport Performance Protein Travel Packs

Boku Superfood

Jay Robb Shaker Bottle

I used the shaker bottle to shake up a pack of Vega protein powder and Boku superfood with water and ice every morning for breakfast after my workout.  It didn't taste bad at all!  Well, it was nothing like my usual morning smoothie, but it definitely did the trick. The hotel had bananas and fruit so that was good for snacks too.  I was really glad I had all my snacks because the hotel provided morning and afternoon snacks... and they were usually not the healthiest options.  They always had organic tea available, so I got hooked on mint tea after meals, which I definitely recommend.  It settles the stomach.

So the food crisis didn't really end up being a crisis at all.  I was in training during the day, but our nights were free.  We found some great restaurants.

And you can't go to Orlando in November and not go to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney World right?!?!! I can't tell you the last time I was at Disney World... it's always fun to be a kid again.  I highly recommend trying it sometime.  So here is a little video collage I put together of Mickey's Christmas Parade and some other fun things at Disney World.  Enjoy!! (Oh ya, and the restaurant inside Disney World had vegan ice cream and cookies... blew my mind... must be why Mickey and Minnie never appear to age... hehe.)

Now doesn't that get you in the mood for Christmas!  Starbucks has the red cups out... Christmas music is playing in stores... I have already had some "egg" nog (Silk brand Nog, which is actually tasty)... it's officially the holiday season!  So I will end this post on that lively note.  My Thanksgiving post will be up this week! Two in one week... I'm trying to make up for lost time :)

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far!  Have you made any good holiday recipes that I should try?? 

With Love, Health, and Happiness,

Cami

Thought of the Day:  Be thankful... for everyday, for your health, your safety, your happiness, and your family and friends.  When you're working out and you are tired and feel like you can't go anymore, just be thankful that your body is allowing you to push yourself... many people don't have that privelege.

The Ultimate Fall Dinner & A Tone It Up Treat

***Drum roll please***

I present to you the...

ULTIMATE FALL DINNER! 

So how did this amazing dinner combination come about... let me give a HUGE thanks to my husband, Sam, who loves to cook (more than I do at least).  Well, it was the Friday of my first full week of work, and I wasn't able to work out very much that week because I getting used to the new schedule.  I came home, and I was craving a heat yoga class at Indigo Yoga (if you ever want to join me, just say the word!) .  I wanted Sam to go with me to try it for the first time, but he said he was going to be busy.  I was confused... it's Friday... what else are you doing?! I thought we were going to yoga and out to dinner??  Then I looked on the dining room table at this new fall centerpiece that definitely was not there when I left... then I saw grocery bags on the counter.  Looks like someone had a dinner planned!  Sam wanted us to have a night in to catch up on life because we barely see each other nowadays since he has night class.  So he planned the following menu:  

An Explosion of Fall Flavors

Spinach Salad with Homemade Spiced Pecans and an Oktoberfest Vinaigrette 

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Chili Soup in Pumpkin Bowls

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream

I convinced Sam to come to yoga with me (which was A-MAZING as always), and when we came back he immediately got into the kitchen and would not let me go in at all.  So I waited while the apartment gradually overflowed with the smell of a fall feast.

Dinner was served!  Ta-dah! 

And the dinner tasted even better than it smelled!  

The salad had the perfect combination of flavors with the spiced pecans that have a hint of cayenne pepper and the fall beer dressing.  I enjoyed leftover soup and salad for the next few days, and since then, we have made the salad again and tried the vinaigrette with a different fall beer... it's still delicious.

The soup in the pumpkin bowls was out of this world, especially since the inside of the pumpkin bowl is really soft so you can scrape off the pumpkin and mix it in with your soup like you would if you crumbed cornbread into your stew... or you can just save it for the end like you do a bread bowl

.  

Oh my goodness... the ice cream was like a cold, ice cream version of a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, and it was really good with some of the spiced pecans on top.  

Here is the centerpiece I was talking about earlier.  The lilies were there when I left, but the bowl of seasonal veggies was not there when left.  Check out those lilies bloom!  They make the apartment smell so clean and fresh.

So I know what you are wondering now... where can I get these recipes!?!?

Sweet & Spicy Pecans ~ MindBodyGreen

Oktoberfest Vinaigrette ~ Adapted from FoodandWine.com

1. 1/2 cup fall flavored beer, such as Sam Adam's Oktoberfest (during Christmas time you can use a Winter Lager!)
2. 2 shallots, finely chopped
3. 2 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries, coarsely chopped
4. 1 tablespoon honey
5.   2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or raspberry vinegar
6. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
7. 1/2 cup canola oil
8. DIRECTIONS
9. In a small saucepan, combine the beer with the shallots, dried cherries and honey and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beer has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm. In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard. Whisk in the beer reduction, then gradually whisk in the canola oil. Season the cherry beer vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
10. 
    

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Soup in Pumpkin Bowls ~ Oh She Glows 

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream ~ Vegan Ice Cream Paradise 

Okay, now for my second topic, and most exciting topic!!

A TONE IT UP TREAT

Tone It Up's BIGGEST Promotion Yet!
(Promotion through this Friday Only!)

Words just can't describe how awesome this promotion is so I won't bother with them... instead you just have to watch their Video!  Check it out here on Tone It Up TV! 

If you want to read my review of the Tone It Up Diet Plan (it's more of a lifestyle than a diet plan!), then go here!  If you know that you want to purchase the plan right now... then go here to buy the plan!

They also mentioned the TONE IT UP COMMUNITY!  It's the greatest thing! It's like a Tone It Up Facebook!  You can create your profile, add pics, video, a blog, and so much more.  You don't have to be on the plan to join the community... it's for anyone interested in staying fit, healthy, and happy!  Join today, create your profile, and friend request me!  You can find me under my Twitter name, HealthandHappi.

So here's to keeping it healthy as the weather cools off and you enjoy the fall flavors and to keeping it fit with Tone It Up!  I have other exciting things to share with you in my next post... like my new favorite organic sunless tanning lotion and a chickpea "tuna" salad similar to the chickpea "chicken" salad in my previous post.  So get excited and stay tuned!

With Love, Health, and Happiness,
Cami

Question of the Day:  What are some of your favorite fall recipes?? What keeps you motivated? Things like joining the Tone It Up Community and being able to talk to people in similar situations or with the similar goals? 

Chickpeas & Changes

Hello Friends! 

Wheww... It's been quite a couple of weeks for me.  I FINALLY finished the CPA exam process, celebrated that, started my career as an auditor, got the 72 hour stomach flu (on my first day of work- horrible timing), and I spent this past weekend recovering.  So needless to say, my life has kind of turned upside down as I adjust to the working world after being in school for the past 18 years of my life (I'm starting that 18 year count at kindergarten).  And the other half of my family.... Well, Sam is crazy busy with his second year of law school, and Major has a new dog walker to let him out during the day.... So talk about Changes!

I also have a newfound chickpea recipe to share with you that I absolutely love because it's so delicious and easy.

Soooo considering all of that, I just had to title this post... "Chickpeas & Changes."

So now that I am a part of the corporate world working in an office and being surrounded by free donuts on Fridays (I have a huge sweet tooth by the way) and team lunches, I know it's going to be much more difficult to keep it healthy. So here some of my thoughts on how I'm going to keep it healthy...

1.  Work out in the mornings.  That means I'm at the gym around 5am.  If you do it in the morning, then you don't even give yourself a chance to make up an excuse not to do it after work.  Plus, you are more awake and more productive during the day, AND you make better food choices.

2.  Continue having my Vega Sport Performance Protein and Boku Superfood smoothie for breakfast.  I like the Vega Vanilla Protein with almond milk, frozen blueberries and goji berries, half a banana, and a handful of ice. I love the Vega Protein Powder because  it has 5,000 mg of BCAA's (branch chain amino acids) and glutamine which support muscle cell repair, exercise performance, reduces soreness, and more.  It also has digestive enzymes which aid in digestion. And I talked about why I loved the Boku Superfood in this post.

The smoothie is green because of the superfood and it 

didn't have blueberries, otherwise it's a more purple color.  Go frogs! 

3.  Make and take healthy snacks to work.  This way you are not tempted by the unhealthy snacks lingering around the office. I will probably take fruit and snacks from my list of Traveling Snacks, and I hope to make some healthy snacks like the granola that I've talked about and maybe some healthy cookies too!

4.  Take my lunch and NOT eat out every day.  I love eating out because it gives you a chance to get out of the office and get to know your co-workers a little better, BUT it can do a number on your health and bank account.  But you can still make your lunch and find a place outside or go to a Barnes & Noble that  has a Starbucks and pick up a magazine and enjoy your lunch that you made.  I like being in control of what goes into my meals and the only way you can do this is if you make your own lunch.  I usually put my snacks and lunch together the night before so if I'm running late in the morning, I still have a healthy lunch.   And this is where my new favorite chickpea recipe comes in!!

Chickpea "Chicken" Salad

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

2 celery stocks

2 scallions (green onions)

2 Tbsp Veganaise (or Mayo)

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard 

Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp white vinegar (optional)

Dash Paprika (optional, but it's yummy)

Directions: Roughly chop the celery and scallions.  Put everything in a food processor or blender and process until it becomes the consistency of chicken salad.

You can put the chickpea salad on a sandwich (with Ezekiel bread) or in a wrap (I like spelt tortillas) with avocado, tomato, and lettuce, or enjoy on top of a bed of greens with salad dressing (I prefer Amy's Honey Mustard Lite Dressing.)  By the way, spelt is better for those who have a gluten intolerance.  I don't have one, but sometimes I just want something a little lighter than whole wheat.  This is a great lunch idea! If you decide to take the salad, just put the dressing in another smaller tupperware and add it on right before you enjoy so the salad greens don't get soggy.

5.  Force myself to take time to unwind.  I'm not the best at slowing down.  If I have things to do, I want to get them done right then.  My body does not like stress and if I get too stressed or if I overwork myself without giving myself time to relax, my health takes a hit.  Which is why I think I got the stomach flu.  I had been stressed all summer about the CPA and I finally finished that, and then a few days later, I started the new job. All of that added up and just hit my body... in a bad way... at a bad time.  So I learned the hard way that sometimes you just have to STOP.  Your "to-do" list will still be there when you get back.  My "me time" is usually during my workout, but I also need to give myself more relaxing "me time."

Speaking of unwinding, I took this peaceful picture while I was in my car the other day.  

Not the safest thing in the world, but, I will say, my car was stopped while I took the pic.  

Makes me happy.

These are just a few thoughts that I have for keeping it healthy in the corporate world, but I'm sure I will have many more to come.  And as I find things that work for me, I will be sure to let you know.

On another note, I'm sad to say that my post frequency is going to take a hit, which makes me so sad!!  I'm probably looking at once every week and a half or two weeks.  I'm working at a computer all day so it's tough to come home and look at a computer.  My eyes just crave a break.  BUT I want you to know that I still am thinking about you, and I still want to share all my healthy and happy tips with you.  When I think of things that I want to blog about, I write them down.  I keep a list.  And I'm still going to share everything that I write on this list with you...just less frequently.  SO to sum it up, you will still get all of the info that I want to share, it will just come over a longer period of time.  Yes, this makes me sad because if I could blog to you every day, I would. :)

Well, that is it for me.  I hope everyone is enjoying this amazing fall weather.  Perfect weather for getting outside and getting active! I plan on making this recipe for pumpkin cookies that I recently found.  If they are a success, I will definitely share the recipe with you.  Until next time... Have a great week!

With Love, Health, and Happiness,
Cami

Question of the Day: How do you stay healthy in the working world? 

Try Something New

"Everyone has a 'risk muscle.'  You keep it in shape by trying new things.  If you don't, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day." 

~Roger Von Oech

I'm a fan of trying new things... new food, new movies, new music, new workout routines, etc.  You never know if you are going to like something until you give it a try.  So in the spirit of being adventurous, I wanted to tell you about a few new things that I have tried lately.

TEA TIME 

In the evening, about an hour or so before bed after my dinner has settled and right when I'm starting to crave something sweet, I have a cup of tea.  I just realized... does that make me sound old?? Oh well, I like it, and it works. :)

It's so soothing, and I know I will love it even more as it starts to get cold outside.  It just warms your belly and makes you sleep like a baby! And a bonus... it totally kicks any sugar craving you have.  If you still want something a little sweet, you can add a dash of milk (I prefer almond milk) and agave nectar or honey to your tea.

As a result of this new thing, I just had to organize the tea drawer. Check out some of the teas!

Aveda's Comforting Tea is one of my favorites.  Yes, Aveda the salon, and where I get my hair done.  I know you wouldn't think to get tea there, but they actually have a lot of really good organic products and their tea is one of my many favs!  The tea is 100% organic and you can buy it loose leaves or in tea bags.  It has a hint of licorice flavor.

FOAM ROLLER

Another new thing, is my love for the foam roller!  I finally bought my own foam roller to have at home. My muscles are always craving a good massage to release the tension, BUT I am definitely not going to pay for a massage once a week... which is why spent $15 to get a foam roller!  I should just call it my masseuse from here on out.  It's my on-call 24-7 masseuse... how nice is that! This video shows you the great ways you can release tension using the foam roller.  It really is like a deep tissue massage.  

When I was trying to find an instructional video, this was the first one I clicked on... and you will not believe who is in it... Katrina from Tone It Up!  It's from 2007, so it was before her Tone It Up days.  She goes through all of my favorite positions with the foam roller.  And speaking of Tone It Up... have you checked out the Tone It Up Fat Burning System yet?? I have been incorporating a lot of things from the plan into my lifestyle, and I'm loving the results.  

SUNBUTTER

For the first time, last week I tried SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER!  Oh wow.  I never thought to look for sunflower seed butter instead of just your regular peanut or almond butter, but I have seen it mentioned a few times on other blogs so I had to give it a whirl.  And I'm glad I did! It's superb!  On toast, by itself, on top of a rice cake with honey, or my favorite... with a banana.  Sunflower seeds are loaded with benefits so I definitely recommend adding this one to your repertoire of nut butters.  But, as with any nut butter, 1-2 Tbsp is an appropriate serving.  It has good fats that your body needs, but it is still fat, so don't go crazy.  Here is the brand that I found near all of the other nut butters at Central Market.

WORKOUT SHOES

My new workout shoes! I wanted something that wasn't very constricting on my feet.  The whole "running barefoot" movement with the Vibrams has taken off, but I just can't go there yet.  I have read about a lot of injuries from people doing too much too fast with those shoes.  But I do believe, that a less constricting shoe (a shoe that provides you with free movement) helps to build the muscles in the foot.  After suffering from an ankle injury and surgery a few years ago from playing basketball, I am still trying to rebuild those muscles in my feet.   So I opted for the Nike Free Hyper TR.  So far, I love them!

CROSSFIT

With my full-time auditing career about to begin in 7 days (still cannot believe that!), I had to re-evaluate my workout routine.  It needed to be fast, but effective.  I wanted my to get my heart rate up but also build muscle too.  So this week, Sam and I started CrossFit.  What is CrossFit?  

I have only done 2 workouts so far, and I love it.  I'm so sore today after yesterday's workout, which was 30 clean and jerks as fast as you can.  That doesn't sound like a lot, but wheww... I was sweating and my muscles were dead afterwards.  It only took about 45 mins with the warmup, workout, and a little extra abs.  Exactly what I was looking for!  There are many CrossFit websites that will give you a WOD (workout of the day), which tells you what to do that day.  If you can find a CrossFit gym in your area, that is what I recommend.  I would liked to have joined one of the CrossFit gyms nearby, but the times just didn't work out my work schedule.  So we just do the workouts at LA Fitness early in the morning, and sometimes we have to adjust the exercises if we don't have the proper equipment.  But, the CrossFit main website is really helpful in that it provides you with substitutions if you don't have the necessary equipment.  I'm really excited to see the results from CrossFit, so I will keep you updated!  I have to show you this other CrossFit video too... it's really motivating.

That's all I have for today!  I know it's been a while since my last post, but guess what... my LAST CPA exam is THIS Friday!  Ahhh, I thought it would never get here.  Let's just hope it goes as well as all of the others.  So you probably won't hear from me again until after that.  In the meantime, have a great week and if you're feeling up to it... try something new, you never know what might come of it. 

With Love, Health, and Happiness, 

Cami

*** One last thing!  Remember my post about Healthy Living Blogs, which is basically a directory for healthy blogs all over the world. Well, they just started a segment called "Friday Features" where they feature a few of their blog members.  AND I was one of them!  They asked me several questions you might be wondering, like how did I come up with the title of my blog, what is something "shocking" about me, and more.  Go here to check out my interview with Healthy Living Blogs. It was very exciting to be featured on such a great website.  Thanks Healthy Living Blogs!  

A Jumble of Healthy & Happy Thoughts/Tips

Good morning!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend! I mentioned in my last post that I have a few stories/ lessons to share with you from my weekend in Boston, MA.  So let's just cut to the chase shall we... but a couple pics from the trip first...

I made a new friend.  :)

Our view overlooking the bay.  So pretty! Just begging to be run on. 

Me and Sam!  Yes, my shirt says "made with love"... like this blog! 

 Now onto LESSONS FROM THE TRIP!

1.  A great way to explore a new city is to run/ walk through it for your morning exercise!  


Our hotel was right along the Boston shoreline so what better way to check out everything along the pier than to just run all around it.  We ran Saturday morning, and we had a Texas size Boston dinner the night before, but that wasn't stopping me from getting in some morning exercise and sharing it with my Mom & Dad.

We stopped for a photo op before the run... I promise we got sweaty. 

My Mom with a glamorous finish! 

2.  You have to live life.  Allow yourself to experience the culture's cuisine (even if it's not on your diet).

Speaking of our Texas size dinner on Friday night... we went to this teeny tiny authentic Italian restaurant.  I kept it vegan for my main course which was spaghetti with marinara and grilled veggies but I did enjoy some seafood for the appetizer.  Sam indulged and ordered a whole grilled lobster.  I wish I would have taken a pic of that thing, it was huge.  For dessert, I allowed myself to enjoy what is apparently a Boston classic called Mike's Pastry.  Oh my gosh, so worth it.  You have to see some pictures of these pastries... out of control. Keep in mind we had several desserts from which I took a couple sample bites of each... these aren't all mine, haha.

There was a line out the door!

Holy Cannoli!  That bite you see in the pic... that was mine. :-)

Not your ordinary lobster tail.  Pastry filled with fluffy creamy goodness. 

Now that you are probably drooling, back to lesson #2.  During the weekend, I also indulged with a few bites of New England clam chowder and some fried calamari.  But, my favorite thing by far was... the lobster roll that I mentioned in my last post. Apparently, the lobster roll is a New England thing, and it's good thing I don't live there b/c I don't think you could keep me from eating it.

To sum it up, you can still experience the culture without having to feel miserable at the same time.  Just be aware of your portions and what you are eating.  I tried only a bite of a couple different pastries, I split the lobster roll with my mom, I didn't eat the whole bowl of New England clam chowder (only a few slurps), and I had probably a handful of calamari.  During breakfast and lunch, I kept it vegan with a bar from home or a banana and peanut butter, and I always had my stock pile of snacks on hand.

My Traveling Snacks

A sweet trail mix (sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds & dried berries)

A salty trail mix from Costo (rice crackers w/ nuts) mentioned in this post 

Vega Whole Food Energy Bars & Vega Whole Food Vibrancy Bars 

Amazing Grass Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion To-go Packets
Packages of Plain Instant Oats (you can always find hot water somewhere) 

Single Serving Nut Butter Packets

Pop Chips

Gluten Free Pretzels 

Clif Bars

The nut butter packets are my life saver! There are 8 different flavors.  You can get classic peanut or almond butter.  Or you can go crazy, like me, and get honey almond, maple almond, non-dairy chocolate almond, hazelnut, or peanut butter! One of these little packets and a banana and I'm good to go! Thankfully, you can find bananas at most hotel continental breakfast or a Starbucks.  With the packages of oats, you can just let them soak in hot water for a few minutes.  You can find hot water on the plane, in your hotel room if it has a coffee pot, or at the continental breakfasts.  Then you can top your oats with some sweet trail mix and maybe mix in a little peanut butter for some flavor... there you go! 

3.  Bad sugars really are addicting. 

Even though I allowed myself to enjoy the pastries and some wedding cake and maybe a couple other sweets that I wouldn't normally eat at home, I still paid the price.  I'm not talking about gaining weight or anything like that, I'm talking about the relapse of my sugar addiction.  I LOVE sweets.  But after going cutting out refined, processed, unnatural sugars over 7 months ago.... my sugar cravings were practically gone.  I could look at luscious dessert and not even crave a bite and if I did take a bite, then I just needed one or two and then the craving was gone.  But after just these few days of eating processed sugars, my craving was back and I brought it home with me, and now I'm trying to detox my body of all those addicting sugars.  I don't regret trying the sweets at all.  It's just that this weekend proved to me that bad sugars really are addicting.  If you are curious about the effects certain types of sugar have on our body and if you want to know the difference between a "good" and a "bad" sugar, then check out one of my first blog posts... Sugar Isn't So Sweet.

4.  Don't stress about not being able to work out for a day or two.

I have to remind myself of this one a lot when I'm traveling or when things just get really busy.  Working out is one of the best stress relievers.  However, if it stresses you out trying to figure out when and where you can work out while you are traveling, or if you get even more stressed trying to squeeze a workout into a busy day... then you are just defeating the purpose.  You should be relieving stress with your work outs, not causing stress.  So just allow yourself to miss a day of exercise and relax.  Just try to be more conscious of what you eat during that day (watch your carb, sugar, and fat intake) and push yourself extra hard during your next work out. 

So those are just some things I thought about while on my trip that I wanted to share with you.  

In other exciting news, I must share with you one of my new favorite things... CHEESY OATS!  Sam ate these 2 days in a row last week.  They taste like creamy mac n' cheese and only take 15 mins to make!  You can have them plain or put fun toppings on them like salsa, avocado, veggie burger, chips, etc. Check out the recipe and topping ideas at Oh She Glows.   

Not the best pic in the world, but I wanted to show you how cheesy they look! 

And one last health tip for you before I go...

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High-Fructose Corn Syrup might be rebranded as "Corn Sugar." Makers of HFCS are currently working with the FDA to allow the name change.  I'm not sure when or if this will actually be allowed by the FDA, but just in case, watch out for "Corn Sugar" and "High Fructose Corn Syrup" when reading food labels. For a little more information check out this article at MindBodyGreen.

Things are picking up for me as my LAST CPA exam gets closer, only a couple more weeks.  I haven't been able to post as often as I would like, but my goal is at least once a week so hang in there with me!

Have a great day!

With Love, Health, and Happiness,

Cami

Thought of the Day: Try something new for your cardio session this week.  I did basketball court suicides yesterday for my cardio.  I haven't done those since high school!  It definitely got the the heart rate up and a sweat going.  What do you like to do for cardio?

Healthy Living Blogs & A Healthy Tip

I have to tell you about this amazing resource! Healthy Living Blogs is a website that provides you with a list of blogs from all over the word that promote healthy living.  

So what kinds of blogs can be a part of the website?  Any blog that focuses on health! So whether you are a blog reader or a healthy living blogger you can benefit from this site!  Blog readers... you can easily find healthy living blogs in your city or any city that interests you.  Healthy living bloggers... add your blog to the list simply by following these few steps to become a HLB Member.

My blog was just added to HLB (check it out!), and I am so excited to be a part of this great website!  I have really enjoyed searching around the site.  I have found so many other amazing healthy living blogs to follow, and I hope that you can find other blogs that interest you.  There are so many bloggers out there that can provide you with healthy recipes, exercise tips, inspiration, and much more!

On another note, how was your Labor Day Weekend??  Did you do something active and fun?!  I can't believe summer is almost over, but I'm excited to pull out my fall wardrobe with scarves and sweaters and start enjoying some of those yummy fall foods!  As you know, I was in Boston, MA for Sam's sister's wedding this weekend (Congrats Sarah!).  It was such a great weekend, and I have a couple little stories/lessons from the weekend to share with you in my next post.  So stay tuned!  Here's a little teaser...

Let me introduce you to... the lobster roll... I ate it, and I loved it.

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I was writing this post while watching Jackie Warner's new show on Bravo, Thintervention.  It's one of my new favorite shows!  I definitely recommend adding this to your list of "shows to TiVo."

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So while watching this show and writing this post, Jackie reminded me of a great health tip that I must share with you!

Add a dash of lemon juice to your water.

It's that simple!  By doing this you will burn 

75-100 more calories a day since it speeds up your metabolism, helps detoxify 

your liver, and aids in digestion. If you have morning tea or coffee, instead opt for 

hot water + lemon juice. 

So to wrap it up... check out Healthy Living Blogs, try adding lemon juice to your water, and tune in to my next post!

Happy belated Labor Day!

With Love, Health, and Happiness,
Cami