Happy Memorial Day!

Hi Guys!! Hope everyone is having a FANTASTIC holiday weekend!

I wish I could say I had this for breakfast this morning, but unfortunately, this was pulled out of the blog archives from years ago:

(it seemed suitable for today's post). 

How is everyone spending their holiday weekend? Barbeques? Pools? Lakes?

Stay Healthy,

To all those who have served or are serving our country - THANK YOU!!

Healthy Dogs.

Hi All! Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

It's going to be a HOT one here in Columbus this weekend.... remember my post about HYDRATION???? Put it to use!! Drink lots of WATER if you're outside all weekend, and if you are indulging in the occasional adult beverage... be sure to drink a glass of water in between those games of cornhole or what have you.  And please, be smart on the road. 

Okay, okay, enough of my ranting and raving - it's the weekend, let's have some fun!

Besides remembering those who have served (or are serving) our country, Memorial Day is all about the beginning of summer, pools opening and of course the start of grilling season.

My Boy Scout skills put to work last Memorial Day. 

The choice between a hotdog or hamburger on the grill, in some cases, is a person's biggest dilema on weekends such as these. But because I'm all about making things more complicated than they really need to be... I'm going to introduce another obstacle into the never-ending hamburger vs. hotdog debate - What KIND of hot dog???


We've all seen the viral image of the whole "pink slime" substance that is used a lot in production of meat (fast food restaurants and some hot dogs). So when it comes to choosing the right hot dog for your Memorial Day cookout, and more importantly, for your health, here are some awesome suggestions from Health.com.

Best Beef Hotdog:

Best Chicken Dog:

Best Turkey Dog:

Criteria for selecting a Healthy Dog:

• Make sure your dog is uncured. When something is cured, it means that it has been treated with nitrates and nitrites which have been linked to cancer and other fun health problems.
• Choose lower sodium products. Depending on your age, RDA sodium amounts per day are 2300 mg and 1500 mg for those over 50. 
• Watch out for products that have been mechanically separated. 
• Choose dogs with less than 6 grams of fat. 

Sound good?! I hope so!

Everyone have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend filled with friends, family and laughs :)

Stay Healthy,

Pointing You in the Right Direction

Good Morning All!

My less than mobile lifestyle has led me to be even more of a blog-nerd than usual. After getting a good workout in last night by means of crutching around Target, I spend the rest of my evening watching my hometown boys beat the Atlanta Braves while reading my usual blog suspects and discovering new blogs along the way. (I figure the cat's already out of the bag when it comes to my blog addiction, why waste energy trying to tiptoe around the fact!)

This picture is solely for my own enjoyment - what's a blog post without at least one picture. (Save the dates for our wedding will be sent out shortly)

At any rate, between my blogs, my twitter and just surfin' the web... I happened upon the No Meat Athlete Blog. Long story short - it's about being an athlete while maintaining a vegetarian diet. Lots of stories, recipes and workouts are right at your fingertips by clicking the link referenced 30 words ago.

I bring this specific blog up because the most recent post by the No Meat Athlete is about making lifestyle changes by breaking one habit at a time -  perfect topic of discussion, right?! I figure why waste time re-writing what he has to say while running the risk of stealing someone's already eloquent words when I can just as easily point ya'll in the right direction. So here it is again: How I've Been Changing My Life One Habit at a Time.

Read it!!

Let me know what ya'll think too. What habit do you have a hard time breaking? What have you tried to help break it?

Stay Healthy,

Dinner for One.

Sometimes I think one of the hardest parts of being a single 20-something is finding something for dinner. A lot of the recipes out there are designed to serve 2 or more people, and with an appetite like mine, I often find myself struggling to stop at just 1 serving - what can I say - I love food.

And while I love fixing up a big fancy dinner for myself, sometimes all I have the desire or energy for is a simple egg sandwich and a side of broccoli. 

It's easy to make, easy to portion out and it leaves little room for making or eating too much. 

I tossed the broccoli in some olive oil, ground pepper and garlic salt and popped 'em in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees or so....

.... and the sandwich consisted of a whole wheat english muffin, 1 "fried" egg, some avocado, mozzarella cheese and a lovely tomato to top it all off:

OH, and some spinach. Twas a lovely dinner. 

What's your favorite "easy" single serving dinner to make for yourself?

Any sort of sandwich and vegetable side is mine.

Stay Healthy, 

Watermelon.

Now ya see it...

Now ya don't!

Thanks roommate!


Stay Healthy,

To Buy Organic or Not to Buy Organic?

We've all seen it - the friend who suddenly decides to buy only organic at the grocery store and consequently winds up only being able to afford the dollar menu at McDonald's in the weeks following.... so much for going organic, right?

So what's the deal? 

How are we supposed to buy organic when we can barely afford to buy regular groceries? 

Is organic really that much better for us? 

Can you only be healthy by eating organic?

I get these questions a lot, and the funny thing about them, is that most people don't even know what it means when something is organic. So, luckily for all you curious minds, and for all those people who I force to read this blog, today we're going to explore the wonderful world of Organics. 

What does Organic Mean?

Well good ole Wikepedia defines organic food as foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives. 

AKA food with no pesticides and more nutrients. 

Is Organic Really That Much Better for Us?

The easy answer? Yes. Organic food is free of pesticides and artificial fertilizers, while also having more nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins. (but hold off on buying all organic until you get to the bottom of my wonderful words of wisdom)

"I Can't Afford to Buy Organic. Help!"
Not to worry. There are certain foods and produce that are less likely (or more likely) to have pesticide residue even after washing them. 

• Foods Worth Buying Organic:

• Apples
• Celery
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Nectarines
• Grapes
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Potatoes
• Blueberries
• Lettuce
• Kale

• Foods Okay to Pass on Buying Organic:

• Onions
• Corn
• Pineapple
• Avocado
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas
• Mangos
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Watermelon
• Sweet Potato
• Grapefruit
• Mushrooms

Additionally, I would also suggest buying meat and milk organic. Conventional methods of raising animals typically involves hormones and antibiotics to speed up growth and ward off disease and pesticides and fertilizer are used in growing the animals' grain and food source. Organic meat must come from animal sources that are grass-fed and have not been given hormones or antibiotics. 

Please, please keep in mind that these are only suggestions and guidelines. If it comes down to buying organic or paying your electric bill on time.... use your mind and get those organic strawberries .... ha! (only joking, only joking) 

If buying organic IS a top priority in your life, don't always rely on expensive stores like Whole Foods to get the job done. Farmer's Markets and operations like Grean Bean Delivery are excellent alternatives to buying organic while still saving a little extra cash. 

Additional questions about buying organic or getting involved with Green Bean Delivery, just ask!

Take advantage of the wonderful central Ohio weather this weekend!

Stay Healthy,

p.s. buy foods in season.... it'll save you even more money :)

My Surgery Experience

Alright ladies and gentlemen, since I've gotten ZERO suggestions on topcis to blog about over the past week, ya'll get to deal with my sob story that I've endured for the past week. (not to worry though... we'll wrap this all together with some healthy living tie in at the end)

For as long as I can remember, I've always been involved in a competitive sport:

I started basketball and softball at a very young age, worked my way through several years of AAU teams, played on my grade school's volleyball and softball teams, spent a few years in high school on the cross country team, D1 state champ basketball team and eventually found myself on the tennis team my last couple years. My "adult years" if you will, consisted of 4 years of singles and doubles play on my college's  varsity tennis team, some adult USTA tennis leagues and a few half marathons and marathons.

Believe it or not, throughout all of that wear and tear on my body over 22 years, the only injury I've ever had to deal with was a broken thumb during high school - and even then my participation wasn't restricted in games, practices or even open gyms. So to say I've been somewhat blindsided by this surgery, might, if we're exaggerating a little bit, be the understatement at my life at the moment.

Besides the excruciating pain on day 2 and 3 of this ordeal, I have to admit that life wasn't all that bad the first week or so- I woke up every morning to my mom bringing me multiple cups of quality, I-am-an-established-adult-so-I-can-buy-the-good-stuff kind of coffee, I got to catch up on an embarrassing amount of How I Met Your Mother episodes and sadly, my biggest concern was a toss up between beating my high score in Tetris or when I was supposed to take my pain medication..... as you can see... life was tough, rough, okay, it wasn't all that bad  (minus the times I had to use the restroom, but I think the difficulty of that task is implied). 


Alright. So remember about 20 seconds ago when I said things weren't all that bad for the first week? Haha... well, week 2 started off a tad more interesting to say the least....

After having been off work all last week, and hiding away in the care of my wonderful Mom, I admit I was a tad excited to get back to my apartment, my friends and my work. However, my excitement quickly took a nose dive when Monday morning arrived and I  found myself sitting on the couch, my coffee still in the kitchen, my leg propped up on pillows and my clothes upstairs, that the realization of me being completely on my own smacked me right in the face.

• no mom to bring me coffee
• no mom to give me the TV remote
• no mom to cover my cast with a garbage bag before I shower
• no mom to drive me places and hold my crutches
• no mom to cook me dinner
• no mom to... DO EVERYTHING!

5 months ago I was training for a marathon...I was running 25+ miles a week...I was jumping up off the couch  for more coffee....I had hopes to finish a triathlon this summer,  and now I can't even stand to take a shower, or  even walk up the stairs to get ready for work. 

I wanted to cry. I wanted to call off work. I wanted to call my mom and tell her I was coming home. I wanted to do anything and everything possible that didn't require any effort from me. I gave up before I had even tried - one of the worst things you can do in any situation.


Once my 3 minute meltdown came to a close, I got myself into a functioning state and headed for the stairs. Between my crutches, my totally stylish knee scooter, anything I could grab a hold of and my shower chair, I eventually made it into my car. I had done it. From there on out, I began trying new things and new ways of going about everyday tasks. I past with flying colors on a lot of my tasks, but I also failed miserably on just as many. The important part of it all, however, was that I was trying. I wasn't giving up. 


And that right there is what I'd absolutely love for everyone who is still reading this to take to heart - Don't Give Up. So many times we talk ourselves out of doing things simply because we're afraid we're going to fail, or we think we can't do it. Well, guess what, you'll never know if you don't try.

Take me story and apply it to your life.
Losing Weight?
Needing to exercise more?
Looking to break your half marathon time?

Take chances.

Try things.

Don't give up.

Stay Healthy,