healthy eating

My First 5k at the Fit Foodie Run and It was the Best Family-Friendly Event

Jul 3, 2019

My First 5k

My first 5k was this year in Fairfax, VA on June 22nd. I read about the run in my Health magazine and I missed the date last year. For me running a 5k was a little intimidating at first because I never run for fitness. When I read it was a run or walk I felt more confident. Shortly after I registered myself and the kids I realized they have ambassadors as well. I signed up to be an ambassador for the run and was selected. Ambassadors are required to promote the run on Instagram for pre-events posts, stories, and on-site post and stories.

Fit Foodie Run

We arrived on Friday afternoon in time to pick up our bibs that evening. My first stop in Fairfax was to find the local Target. It is in an area called the Mosaic district. A nice shopping area filled with restaurants, retailers, and residential properties. We stayed at the host hotel in Fairfax and decided to take a Lyft to the run.

No Kid Hungry

One of the sponsors for the run, No Kid Hungry. If you are not familiar see how you can make a difference this summer.

The one lesson learned by participating in the run never counts yourself out when it comes to what you can accomplish. I am not a fan of hearing the two words “too old”. My question is who said age defines what you can and cannot do? I think limitations only stunt growth and any goal of staying fit is worth the work it takes to accomplish. Three miles are nothing for avid runners but what counts for me is that I finished. I did a combination of running and walking until I reached the finish line.

After the run, there was a post-run festival with food trucks, photo booth, healthy food/drink product tables, fitness vendors, a beer and wine bar, fitness activities, and a food demonstration.

We’re looking forward to returning next year for an annual event.

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Food is a Big Part of a Healthy Lifestyle and What to Eat?

Apr 17, 2019

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Food is a daily necessity. The challenge is when it comes to what to eat and how many calories to consume. It took me almost a year to learn what to eat and how many calories. I was definitely not eating enough to maintain my desired weight. My fitness regimen goal is to gain more muscle mass and with this, I needed to eat more calories each day. For 6 weeks I worked with a trainer and followed a meal plan. The meal plan required me to eat every 3 hours with protein in every meal, carb, fruit or vegetable. This was easy for me at the end of the summer because schedules were not hectic.

Meal Plan

Now after the 6 weeks training plan, I am trying to incorporate the same plan with three meals, 2 snacks, and a one cheat MEAL a week. I think a misconception is to take a CHEAT DAY and this is a way to sabotage progress. The trick for me is to pick a cheat meal that is closer to the weekend or on the weekend.

Grocery List

I will say that grocery shopping means more trips to the grocery store each week. It is mainly for me to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Perishable items spoil quickly. I found myself throwing out lots of spinach so now I use spinach in a large salad, add to eggs, and saute for weekly meals. Strawberries and blueberries are my staple fruits. Adding fruit to oatmeal or including with breakfast meals, and as an afternoon snack. My grocery bill is a bit higher due to purchasing more quality products. One thing I have saved on is buying frozen fruit for smoothies.

New Favorite Foods

The best way to stick to eating the right foods is to diversify what you eat. Some of the foods I have added are lots of avocados, chia seeds, flax seeds, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, brown rice, basmati rice, sweet potatoes. I find that my body is less bloated if I eliminate the wrong carbs and dairy. For a small treat, a small piece of dark chocolate is good for a craving.

The Healthy Kitchen: 35 Best Foods to Stock in Your Fridge and Pantry

Jun 28, 2017

Today was my grocery shopping day and in addition to our normal staples, I tried to incorporate some additional items so the kids can still enjoy their snacks without a lot of the normal sugary choices. I found myself buying string cheese, peanut butter, pretzel sticks, cheese cubes, whole wheat tortillas, crackers, yogurt, oatmeal, 100 calorie bags of microwavable popcorn, unsweetened applesauce, apple & eve juice(no sugar added), frozen strawberries. If I do give them regular juice like OJ or apple juice I dilute with water.

I normally pack lunches and although the male child prefers to take PB&J every day, I try to switch it up a bit by using whole wheat bread, tortillas or even waffles. In the past week, I received some really great ideas on snacks from my readers so I tried to incorporate a lot of those suggestions on my grocery list. The kids love yogurt and I never thought about adding frozen fruit to a smoothie. I know they are now fans of apple slices with peanut butter. The one thing I like about using tortillas for sandwiches is I can hide lettuce and tomato and my little man is none the wiser. He enjoys the sandwich so much and totally forgets about eating vegetables. I am committed to providing the best possible menu in spite of their picky eating habits.

In terms of the other snacks, I put those in an undisclosed location to control their desire to snack around the clock. I feel good about taking on this challenge and know the kids will definitely benefit in the long run.

I read great food items to have on hand in the fridge, pantry, and freezer. You may find this helpful as well.

The Healthy Kitchen: 35 Best Foods to Stock in Your Fridge and Pantry

Nutrition – Healthy Eating Resources in the New Year

Jan 3, 2017

Nutrition – Healthy Eating in the New Year

Good nutrition is necessary to fuel the body. I worked with a registered dietician, Dawn Jackson Blatner, three years ago for an article in All You magazine. We altered our eating habits for 2 weeks and journaled our daily intake. My kids were not on board initially but we made it through 2 weeks with some likes and dislikes. After my doctor’s visit last month, I reached out to Dawn for some tips on revamping my eating habits for the new year.

Dawn shared some great tips directly from her website and the link to her new book. I know first hand as a full-time working mom, eating right wavers from week to week. I am sharing some of the infographics below Dawn shared with me and the best tip from Dawn “Don’t get overwhelmed, just have fun trying new things”.

My biggest struggle is my sweet tooth, I tried 2 of these recipes over the weekend. The oatmeal banana cookies and the hot apple crisp. A little sugar goes a long way to satisfy a sugar craving.