14 Tips for a Stunning 2014!

1.  Treat your hair right~You do not need to wash daily.  Rinse hair each day and then use a Paraben free shampoo and/or         conditioner when washing.

2.  Take your vitamins~We are not able to get all the vitamins and minerals that we need to consume daily, so resolve to take a good mulitvitamin every day.

3.  Repair the hair~Use a weekly hair treatment or mask to keep it healthy and shiny.  Healthy hair shows your youthfulness!

4.  Take a bath~Relax in a bath for 30-40 minutes with oils and salt soaks at least once a week.  Turn off the phone.  (I have dubbed this my Princess Bath)

5.  Make lips easy~Rather than using a lipstick that requires using a mirror, use a lip gloss or polish that will hydrate lips while you wear it.

6.  Drink more water~Many times we mistake needing to hydrate with hunger.  Drinking more water and less caffeine will help hydrate skin and hair.  It also will help with digestion.

7.  Moisturize~Use a hydrating night cream that does not use animal by products in it.  

8.  Use SPF~A daily moisturizer that contains SPF is great for everyday.  If you will be spending more time in the sun use a broad spectrum SPF for the body.

9.  Illuminate your skin~Add a highlighter to your daily make up routine.  It will give you a dewy, youthful look.

10.  Protect your hands~Hands will show age before your skin will.  Use a cream that is designed to be used on the hands to help protect them.  Also, wear gloves in the cold months, it will protect from extreme dryness, cracking and nail damage.

11.  Detoxify~Whether it's sweets, sodas, or processed foods we all benefit from doing nutritional cleanses.  It will help skin, hair, and over all health to clean up and edtoxify.

12.  Focus on your skin~Try a weekly sugar or salt scrub, dry brushing, and moisturizer for the body.  

13.  Exercise~Working out will help in many areas.  Find something you enjoy.  Find a 5K and train for it.  Try a Zumba, Spin, or CrossFit class.

14.  Smile~A smile is your best accessory.  This is a must to have on you at all times!

Here's to a STUNNING 2014 to all of my readers!

  

Tastes Can Change

Today I went to a coffee tasting.  Who knew that coffee was alot like wine?  I didn't!  There are different aromas, flavors and bodies to the coffee depending on how the bean is roasted, how it is brewed and what the temperature of the coffee is when you drink it.  It was very informative and interesting.  I also liked drinking it black.  The only thing I really knew before this, was that I was drinking fair trade coffee in my home and that it was a middle priced coffee.  I had no clue what grind to use or how best to enjoy it.  I am so glad I got educated!  I can enjoy my coffee much more now!

I have been working on different recipes for my challenge starting in January.  I will be following a weight loss plan and working to drop a few pounds to get ready for my half marathon in April.  The goal is to drop 1 minute per mile off my time.  That is 13 MINUTES!  Pretty big goal and weight loss is necessary to make it happen.  I will blog about my journey of sugar detox and low carb in the next 2 weeks.

I also only have 10 days left to complete 25.8 miles to accomplish the 300 miles since August 1st.  I set out to do it this year and need to get moving.

Also check out the newest recipe posted to the Recipes! tab.  I added Miss Molly's Chimichurri recipe.  Tonight I used it on Gluten Free pasta and Chicken.  It is delish!  Here's a picture of dinner.

Don't forget to check out the Fav Products tab as well.  

Sugar Is My Nemesis

Ugh!  It's the holiday season.  Living in Ohio means it is dark, cold and dreary.  If it's not snowing, it's raining.  That is compounded by the exorbitant amount of sugar that is available to consume constantly. Sugar and I go way back.  I love the sweet treats.

I learned during my sugar detox back in April that sugar is a hinderance to my ability to function as a normal person.  It affects my sleep patterns, my hunger, my moods, my motivation, and worst of all my ability to focus.  So after learning that about myself, one would conclude that I no longer indulge in the sweet stuff right?  ...WRONG.  I cannot help myself.  I am a glutton for punishment I guess.

Sugar is something that I feel strongly about, I know how it affects me and I continue to consume it.   It is in almost every processed food there is.  I recommend reading Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss, if you want an inside scoop on sugar in processed things.   I have also recently started listening to a Podcast called America's Angriest Trainer with Vinnie Tortorich.  (warning this podcast is sometimes rated explicit, listen at your own risk)  It is about living No Sugars No Grains.  It is amazing to me that we are told that these things are needed in our diets.  In reality sugars and grains have no nutritional value that you cannot get from somewhere else.  They are unnecessary to our diets.

So why do I have such a hard time?  First, it is everywhere this time of year.  I cannot go anywhere without being offered something and I rarely can say no to it.  Second, it instantly gives me a "pick me up".  I feel great in the moments after consuming it.  Only to crash and consume more to get back that feeling again and again.  So my goal for 2014 get this sugar thing I have going on under control once and for all.  But in the words of Vinnie Tortorich, "Put a little life into living."  Meaning it's ok to have on an occasional basis, but it should not be a daily thing that I depend on.

PS.  For anyone interested I am pretty sure there is another sugar detox in my future.  Let me know if you are interested in joining.  I can send you the information on the plan I use.

Solo Run vs Group Run

"I have had runs go very bad, I have had really great runs, most have just been ok.  But I have never regret going out for any of my runs." ~Naomi Schukert

Running is a solo sport.  Most of my running is done solo.  I run the treadmill at the gym by myself or hit the road by myself.  However, there is something that happens when I run with another person.  All of a sudden I am able to push a little more in my training.

I found that talking about running in my daily life I was able to find others that enjoy it too.  This introduced me to a group of runners that meet twice a week with a training schedule for half and full marathons called Sole Crusaders.  Because it is a decent size group, there are all levels/speeds and I knew was bound to find someone with my ability that I could run with.

This morning was an icy 4 mile run with Naomi.  We ran a slow but steady pace that allowed us to chat a little.  She is an ultra runner.  I admire her determination to complete such large goals.  (Maybe someday I will be at that level.)  She encouraged me during the run, answered questions I had about training and was there to keep me moving forward.  Somedays it's nice to get out and run alone, but I have learned in my journey that I enjoy sharing it with others as well.

I would encourage you to find a person or group to share a run with and see what a difference it can make in your training.  I am very thankful that I did.

Also if any of you live in the area and would like to run with Sole Crusaders let me know and I will get you the information.  It is a great group of men and women.

I'm BACK!

Hello All.  I have been on a little hiatus, but I am back.  It is once again that time of year that I am running in the 300 Miles or Die Race.  I am on track to actually finish this year!  I have 210 official miles logged with the group.

I have also completed my very first half marathon 13.1 miles in November.  I have not felt more accomplished in my life!  I decided late to do it and only had 6 weeks to train, but I did it.  I am now working on training for my second one Spring 2014.

Here are some pictures from my first Made in America Half Marathon, Massillon, OH.

My biggest supporter
Talking me through mile 8.                           Mile 9, I was struggling.

                   
 Running on the Tow Path mile 6ish.               Mile 3 still feeling good.
 

2:56:26 finish for my first half marathon with 6 weeks of training.  This was a huge commitment and accomplishment!

New Skin Care

What we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in our bodies.  I have been on a 6 month trial with new products from Arbonne International.  I have a friend that was selling it and asked me to have a party.  I have had cystic acne for almost a year now after stopping hormones and have not found a product that could help.  So I jumped all in and purchased a bunch of products as a preferred client and received 20% off of everything.
Within one week of using the Clear Advantage line my acne was reduced.  I also did not have any new acne forming!  The products are Gluten Free and Vegan.  They are also botanically based so they smell great.  I have to admit that I didn't think that they would work.  They work!
I was so impressed with the product I signed up as a consultant of the product.  I love that they are Pure, Safe, and Beneficial.  Arbonne International is able to spend money on research and cleaner ingredients because it is a network market.  They don't have to advertise.  The products sell themselves.

Taco Salad recipe

We have been eating a ton of chicken at the house lately.  I am not really sure why I keep making it.  Tonight I couldn't bring myself to eat it for dinner again, so luckily we have plenty of beef on hand from our 1/4 cow purchase this winter.  I grabbed some ground beef, tomato, lettuce, and avocado.  I figured that I could find something interesting to make from what I have available in the house.  Here's what I ended up with.  The dressing was delish, and the beef was the perfect spicy flavor.  

Taco Beef

1lb ground beef

1/4t chipotle powder

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1T chili powder
Mix everything together and brown in a skillet.



Creamy Avocado Dressing
2 avocado
3/4 c. water
4 T. olive oil
2 T. lemon juice (I would start with one and taste it... I thought 2 was a little much)
1/4 t. Cayenne pepper or to taste
1/2 t. Garlic paste (can use garlic powder) 
2-4 dashes sea salt and pepper

I used a food processor to mix everything together, but you can use whatever you have available. If the dressing seems too thick, add some more water.  It will last about a week in a jar in the fridge.

For the salad, I used mixed greens, a whole tomato diced, a handful of diced onion and fresh cilantro.  Top with the beef and dressing.  I think a little salsa or peppers would have been a nice addition to the salad if I had it in the kitchen.