Posts Tagged by Nuts
Yoga and Cravings
| June 18, 2011 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Uncategorized |
HAPPY WEEKEND friends!! Man I love the weekend!! Actually, I love weekdays too…anyway, I hope you’re all having an AMAZING time! And don’t forget to enter my GIVEAWAY- last chance!!
Highlight of my day today? My first ever HOT YOGA class!! 
That was on the shower room wall. They have quotes like that on most of the walls in the studio and I am SUCH a sucker for quotes!! Anyway, the class was AMAZING!!
Seriously, EVERYONE looked that sweaty after the first 5 minutes!! A lot of you asked me about hot yoga, so here is the class description from their website:
“The studio is heated to around 42 degrees. Practicing in the heat dramatically increases flexibility which allows the participant to get deeper into the postures, making these classes extremely effective. The heat also provides the student with a cardiovascular workout which promotes detoxification and weight loss (between 600 and 1000 calories per class), without the need to stress the body by vigorous exercise. Students perform a set series of static poses (asanas) designed to increase flexibility, strength, stamina, vitality, detoxification and weight loss.”
It was SO amazing!! I’ve never practised yoga for that long (90 minute class) and never experienced anything like that before! It was tough, but I loved the teacher (always makes the BIGGEST difference to any class in my opinion!) and it really inspired me to practise yoga more seriously! I left literally SOAKING though, and I was wearing sweat-wicking clothes!! But it did force me to shower and wash my hair straight after- achievement of the year! 
And that wasn’t the only time I was soaking today…
I got caught out in a sudden storm in the morning. Once minute it was fine, the next minute there was thunder+lightening and POURING with rain!! And the worst bit? I was eating Marmite rice cakes, and they were getting soggy. PROTECT THE FOOD ABOVE ALL ELSE!!
How dare the rain do that to my food!!
So I’ve been mentioning a lot recently about eating what I crave. And that’s exactly what I do every day! I’ve actually had FIVE questions about this in the past few days, so I thought I’d explain myself. I think it is really important to listen to what you are craving. I think your body (almost) always knows best, and in the past when I’ve tried to ignore those cravings, it never ended well! So I always try to listen and give myself exactly what I want, and it works for me! 
So here’s how I roll…
Every day I wake up, sprint to the bathroom (I drink waaaay too much water, and I like to work on my aerobic capacity as soon as I wake up), then go back and ponder over what to have for breakfast. Biggest and most important decision of the day.
I ask myself “what do I really want?” And whatever it is, I have it!! So today, that was a chocolate-banana pizzert with choc PB drizzle:
And then I do the exact same thing for everything! I usually try to make sure there’s a protein, carb and fat source as well in my meals and snacks. Take lunch for example. I was craving all sorts of things, so I ended up with this:
Cereal, soy yogurt, apricot conserve, apple and a White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter spoon. Hit. The. Spot.
NUTS were what I was really craving in the afternoon. Pecans are my current favourite. They taste like candy.
And then there’s dessert cravings. I followed Amanda’s recommendation and bought this for the first time:
Caramel soya dessert pot thingies. Yes, that is their official name. So I knew I wanted one of those, but I was craving something else too, and I always honour my cravings…
Caramel soya dessert pot thingy with a crumbled peanut butter cookie on top. Best decision EVER!!
And the weirdest thing? About an hour after dessert I wanted this:
A big ol’ bowl of broccoli! Random, but I rolled with it
Hope that answered any questions! Basically, I eat exactly what I want, and that keeps me happy and healthy!
What are your thoughts on food cravings? Do you listen to them no matter what? Actually, I don’t in every situation! I remember on a race morning craving pancakes, but I’d never tried them before running, so I didn’t want to risk it! But in almost every case, YES I’m all for it!!
Have you tried hot yoga? If you haven’t, do you want to? I REALLY recommend it if you haven’t!! It is an AMAZING experience!!
Random Q: What is your favourite nut? Pecans at the moment! Last week it was cashews though, so I change a lot! Pecans just taste like candy to me though, and are SO good dipped in nut butter! Mmmmm….
Hope you all have a great time the rest of this weekend!! LOVE and HUGS!!
P.S. I’m having more technical issues at the moment (namely, my email is down!) so excuse any lack of replies please! Hopefully it’ll be sorted soon!
I. Love. Track.
| March 19, 2011 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Uncategorized |
It is official. I love track.
Great photo of me looking like a complete DORK. Not that you don’t see photos like that on this blog on a daily basis anyway! 
Be prepared to see many more in this post…
So I got up, and it was SUNNY!! 
And there were BLUE SKIES!! This is London we’re talking about, so it’s kinda rare! I was a bit disorientated…did I move to Cali in my sleep? But no…the world just loved me today. Actually, that’s a lie. I woke up to this sad sight…
That is my fruit basket. No bananas. WHAT AM I TO DO?!?! My pre-run PB toasts with banana was not to be…but I had something even BETTER instead…. 
PB on toast with dates, and almond butter on toast with sultanas. DELISH. And lets just pretend I haven’t gone through a whole 500g pack of dates in 3 days, k?
So then I put on my fave shoes- my racing flats that I hadn’t worn since the mud incident. I missed you Fire Shoes…
And then after getting a little lost en-route and ending up taking a nice 45 min accidental stroll through a park, I hit the track!!
Track run:
1 mile warm-up
6 x 400 metres at fast pace (avg pace 6.01 min/mile, best pace 5.36 min/mile) with a recovery jog lap inbetween
1 mile cool down
So. Much. Fun. I want to do this EVERY DAY. I’ll never get tired of it. Just as I’ll never get tired of chocolate milk…
…or huge steaming bowls of broccoli…
…or dark chocolate covered brazil nuts, or which I may or may not have eaten almost a whole pack of today…
Track runs are definitely a new fave! 
Okay, so tomorrow I’ll probably do a recovery run instead of my usual Sunday hill run…but other than that it’ll be my usual Sunday thang: hill run, pancakes and church. If that isn’t a winning combo, I don’t know what is!! 
Oh, and I have BIG plans for tomorrow’s pancakes, involving one of my main food groups…! You’ll have to wait and see!
If you’re a runner, what is your favourite type of run? I read a poll in Runner’s World that said that most people prefer long, relaxed runs, but I think track runs are just so much FUN!! So maybe that beats it for me…
What is one thing you’ll never get bored of? I’ve already said running, so chocolate. I am WAY too predictable!!
What was your highlight of your day, or what are you looking forward to tomorrow? Obviously my run was the highlight, and I’m looking forward to everything tomorrow!! I love my Sundays! 
Have a great Sunday friends!!
I must be preggo…
| March 16, 2011 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Uncategorized |
…or at least, that’s what I’m blaming all the craziness on today. (This post is a JOKE by the way, just in case you get the wrong idea! I’m not ACTUALLY pregnant! 
)
My cravings were mad. As soon as I woke up, I NEEDED chocolate. And I NEEDED oatmeal.
Hot chocolate-banana oat bran. Topped with shredded coconut and cacao nibs.
The oatmeal cravings carried on till lunch, and I was all too happy to oblige…
Sometimes, variety is just overrated! 
The PB+J oatmeal topping sparked a new craving. “BRING ON THE FATS!” I cried…
This is the best crunchy peanut butter I have ever had. To be fair, I have only had one other (Whole Earth crunchy) but this stuff is AMAZING and totally ADDICTIVE. I had some good times with this and a spoon!
I then realised my craving wasn’t fully satisfied. I craved not just peanut butter, but the heavenly combo that is PB+J…
Enjoyed atop one of Averie’s microwave banana oat cakes. Which are so yummy, so quick, and the perfect vehicle for peanut butter and jam!
Pregnancy apparently makes you very emotional. A few days ago as I mentioned in a blog post, I volunteered to give a little recital (I’m a viola player) at a care home for the blind. It was amazing. They were all so appreciative and lovely, and some of them even cried!! Which obviously set me off too!!
I then hit the gym for some cross-training time. In my ‘pregnant’ state, I was very temperamental. So when I was almost at the gym and realised I had no reading material (for my reading-on-the-machines trick) I got very cranky. I NEED entertainment!! It had to be rectified immediately before I threw a tantrum.
I admit it. I went back home to get a book on Sports Nutrition (geek alert!!) and Runner’s World mag. I was that desperate. Made me happy though! 
These mood swings are insane!!
Workout:
40 mins intervals cross-trainer
15 mins intervals rowing machine
Weights
The endorphins overshadowed the crazy hormones. But they couldn’t be supressed for long…the cravings returned. It was chocolate time again…
Chocolate milk and sea salt dark chocolate. Plus a few of these to satisfy the chocolate+fat cravings…
I need to go lie down now. Pregnancy is tiring.
What cravings have you experienced recently? I was really craving a run too, but knew it was best to stick to my plan, and my shins needed a rest anyway!
Are you a smooth or crunchy PB person? Right now, I’m all about the crunch baby!!
What is the best ‘chocolate covered’ food you’ve had? These dark chocolate covered brazils were DELISH, but I’m also a HUGE sucker for chocolate covered raisins. I wonder if chocolate covered dates exist…now that really WOULD be dangerous around me!!
Enjoy the rest of your week friends!!
P.S. A serious post (a rare thing I know!!) tomorrow on my thoughts on something…so stay tuned!
Reader Request: Dealing with bad runs/workouts
| February 17, 2011 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Reader Request |
Hey friends!! Serious and uber-cheesy/soppy post today- be warned! 
grea
Usually, Mondays are my ‘Reader Request’ post days, but in all the Valentine’s excitement, it got side-lined until today! Today’s topic is: How to deal with a bad run or workout. Please note this is all just my own opinion/story! I’m not a professional!
greera
Today, I had a bad run. A very bad run. It made me look like this.
Sweaty and sad 
I had a tempo run planned, but felt sluggish and bleugh the whole time, which happens so rarely! I had to keep dropping my pace down. 
I really let this get to me. I knew exactly what the problem was, I just didn’t know how to tackle it. It wasn’t a lack of good fuelling…
Breakfast: Banana oatbran with homemade DCD and jam 
A box of hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds.
…and it wasn’t tiredness. I had gotten a good night’s sleep, and taken two days off from running; a cross-training day on Monday and a full chillax day yesterday. So it wasn’t that either.
gts
I tried to blame it on other things.
“The air-con isn’t working and I’m too hot”
“My playlist is too boring, I need to change it up”
“My ankle/leg/butt/back etc is twinging”.
But it wasn’t any of that.
rergea
It was a mental problem.
grea
“Running is 90% mental, the rest is physical.”
ujdt
When I woke up this morning, I realised I had less than two weeks till my trial. And I panicked. My first thought was “I’m not ready!”, followed by “I’ll never achieve my goal!”. Although I shrugged off these thoughts, the moment I stepped on the treadmill later, they all came flooding back. And it was tough.
grea
But in the last mile or so of my tempo run, I decided to switch off my iPod playlist, and just hit the ‘shuffle’ button and see what happened. And this song came on.
This was the song that was playing when I ran my first ever mile. It was the song that was playing when I crossed the finish line of my first ever race. All the memories came flooding back.
grea
I remembered why I began running in the first place- to raise money for Cancer Research UK following my aunt’s breast cancer diagnosis. I remembered crying with emotion as I began the race, knowing that I had made a difference. I remember the look on my aunt’s face when she saw the sign I had pinned to my back saying that I was running for her.
htr
Just then, I turned around whilst running on the treadmill, and saw behind me a woman running wearing a Cancer Research t-shirt.
(Excuse the blurriness- she wouldn't stop moving! 
)
I cried. I must have looked completely mad running through my tears but I felt like this was a sign for me. I was inspired.
few
I then thought about my other inspirations.
grea
My family who love me unconditionally despite the fact that I eat all their food and run up huge grocery bills.
My friends who put up with my insanity, always feign interest when I go on about running, and accept my complete inability to ever have a ‘normal’ face in a photo.
My religion, that is always there for me and keeps me grounded.
My inspiration and heroine in life: Paula Radcliffe, holder of the world record for the fastest marathon run by a woman, in 2:15:25.
And most importantly, all of YOU, who inspire me each and every day with your comments, Tweets and amazing blogs to be the greatest person and runner I can be.
I. Love. You.
So as the last mile or so rolled around, my inspirations pushed me on.
6.35 min/mile pace 
And I got to the place I wanted to be. 
fera
Okay, cheesy soppy time over now, you can breathe!
gera
So tell me, what gets you through bad runs/workouts? For me, it’s inspiration all the way!
grea
What/who are your inspirations? I was also inspired after reading Katelyn’s post on a similar topic! I felt so amazed at the coincidence that she had written this after the run I’d had!! It’s an amazing post, so read it now!!
ger
I love you all so much! And don’t forget that if you ever need anything or just want a chat, you can email me any time, kay?
htrs
Have a great rest of the week lovelies!!
“Colds are bums”
| December 12, 2010 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Uncategorized |
What can I say, I have regressed to my childish self! This was a common phrase I used when I was younger- everything bad was “a bum”. Well this cold really is! So I decided to give myself a head start in my recovery with my breakfast- a Recovery Green Monster:
Well, this was actually just a regular GM topped with Grape Nuts, but GM’s are chock full of vitamins, iron and all sorts of other good stuff, so bring on the quick recovery! 
And what is the second best way to cure colds after Green Monsters? Retail therapy of course! 
This is the Bluewater shopping centre- the second largest in the UK! I love it
I decided to look around the book store first, as one of the Christmas presents I opened last week was a gift card for Waterstones. I came across ‘The Kind Diet’…
…and basically spent half an hour reading it in store! I’m pretty sure this isn’t allowed, but it seemed quite good! I also seriously contemplated buying this book:
It seemed really good- tons of good recipes and every one had pictures! I love recipe books with pictures!
Other buys included some running gloves (I had a £5 Sweatshop voucher I had to use by today, and so they came to £3!) and two lots of dark chocolate:
I also saw the movie ‘Unstoppable’, which was really good! So exciting the whole way through! I may have consumed a fair amount of dark chocolate whilst watching…! 
I bought lunch from a cafe- I had organic tomato and basil soup, with brown bread.
I had this light lunch at about 4pm, because I have spent the whole day snacking! Eats included about a thousand servings of my (addictive!) favourite granola:
A Trek bar:
Rice cakes topped with Marmite and PB:
Almonds:
And a ton of other unpictured things! It’s just one of those days…
Because of all the snacking, dinner was light too, and was good old beans on toast (my homemade bread!):
Followed by soya yoghurt and a huge blob strawberry jam:
I then proceeded to finish off the jam by eating it straight from the jar! I do love jam! 
As soon as I got back, some serious present wrapping ensued!
My group of close friends and I do a ‘Secret Santa’ every year, which is great because it saves you money, is more fun, and you get a better present that you actually want! This is for my Secret Santa:
It’s a CD and a book that she requested, so I know she’ll love it! I can’t wait to see what I get! 
So tell me, what are the best movies you’ve seen recently? Unstoppable makes my list, as does HP7 obviously! And what are your favourite snacks?
Hope you’ve had a great weekend!
Protein time!
| November 21, 2010 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Uncategorized |
Hello! Hope you’ve all had a great weekend! 
Yesterday updates: I baked some more Apple and Cinnamon bread! I love this stuff!
Seriously, after having home-made bread, shop bought never tastes half as good!
I ended up having a lot of this! I guess something can be said for shop bought, in that portion control is much easier when it’s pre-sliced! 
One of the other snacks I had in the day was this:
Upping the fat and protein intake! This was leftover from my last Graze box, and I’d actually never tried a brazil nut before…hmmm…
….I have to say, I think this is possibly my favourite nut! Yummy! I could eat a thousand of these!
Last night’s dinner was whole-wheat spaghetti, and I used the spinach trick I mentioned a few posts ago:
Then added chopped tomatoes and kidney beans (random, but they’re my favourite bean, so I have them with everything )
In other news, I am trying not to consume much soya milk now. Recently I have been having a really dodgy tummy after breakfast, and I think that may be because of the soya milk I have. And that also explains my tummy troubles during my run on Thursday, as I had soya milk about an hour before I ran! So, I am now trying out different types of milk. This week, it is the turn of:
Oat milk! It’s no secret that I love oats, so we’ll see if I love oat milk just as much! Lets hope my stomach does anyway! I’m also planning on trying coconut, almond and rice milk, to see which I like the best!
I’ve also ordered this:
I can’t wait to try this when it arrives! I’ve wanted to try a vegan protein powder for ages, and this was recommended by a friend, so I thought I’d give it a go! But am annoyed, because I literally just saw that they sell it on Amazon for the same price, but with free delivery! I had to pay over £3 for mine, which is quite a lot seeing as it’s only one small item! 
Tomorrow, I am planning on doing some baking! I’m thinking of breaking open one of the precious remaining stock of:
Can’t wait to get my bake on! 
What’s your favourite type of nut? Mine, as I said, is currently brazil I think, but almonds and pecans are pretty darned good too… And do you use protein powder? If so, what kind?
