Choose YOU!

I don't often get into these giveaways! BUT. Tomorrow is my 29th birthday and I thought, "How stinking awesome would it be to win something for my birthday?!!" Plus I thought, "I like blue. I like flowers. This stuff is cute". So Bam. There you have it. Me getting hopeful over a giveaway where my odds are one in 300... or more by the time the giveaway ends. But here's hopin...Go to HERE and check out this blog. Beth is hilarious. It's called Shut Up and Run for crying out loud! I love it! And being a runner I have to admit that I love it even more! Ooohhh I hope I win!

Cherry Cherry

Cherries. Mmm. Where to begin! I LOVE cherries! Fresh cherries especially. Commence salivation!!
I found an AWESOME website. I love when that happens!! This one is www.choosecherries.com. You should go check it out. There is a bunch of information on there as well as yummy recipes! You can even connect with them on Facebook; technology... crazy!

Here are some cool things about cherries:
*Known to some as America's Super Fruit.
*More 80 MILLION Americans are living with some form of heart disease! RED foods contain anthocyanins; heart heath benefits related to reducing inflammation, total cholesterol, and belly fat. So eat RED!
*Their pretty red color comes from a powerful punch of antioxidants! They are one of THEE best sources of antioxidants {along with cranberries, blueberries and blackberries}. They have a great section specifically on these antioxidants. Worth the read.
*Many studies have shown that cherries lower uric acid levels, high levels of uric acid contribute to arthritis, inflammation and the onset & progression of gout.
*Cherries are HUGE in Pain/Recovery. Check out this section for sure!! Runners who drank cherry juice 2x a day for 7 days before as well as the day of a long run had significantly less muscles pain following their races as those who drank other juice. Again, because of those blessed anthocyanins!! Guess what I am going to start doing?!!! YEP!! Cherry Juice!
*Cherries are one of the few known food sources of melatonin; your body produces melatonin naturally, it's what regulates sleep patterns.

Sounds like a great food to either add to or increase in our diets eh?!!Another added bonus to these beauties are their blossoms! I LOVE LOVE LOVE cherry blossoms!
And... who doesn't love Neil Diamond's Cherry Cherry?!!!

Yoga Journal

I can't believe I haven't posted about Yoga Journal yet.

I love yoga. It's relaxing. It's intense. It's invigorating. It's soothing. It's strengthening. It's AWESOME! So this sweet website {www.yogajournal.com} has videos you can watch of different yoga routines. You can build your own sequences. You can find routines specific to the end you want to achieve. Try these:

1. Click on the multimedia tab and then on podcasts. You'll love it.
2. Click on the poses tab and then on browse categories. You'll find anything you could imagine here!
3. Click on the poses tab and then on build sequence. You can do so by your level and by category. You get exactly what you want.

Here is one of their podcasts. Try it out. Tell me what you think!
Yoga - Yoga Journal to Go Podcast: Move and Sweat

Love my Ruby

Mongo Mango

I LOVE LOVE LOVE mangoes!! We just scored a bunch of them from our local co-op and we are in HEAVEN!!! We've had them in salsa, smoothies and fruit salad and we've been sure to have a couple all by themselves! They are so sweet, smooth and so yummy! Our baby is LOVING every bite!Mangoes are a great fruit too!! Here are a few things that I learned about mangoes, and a few things that I already knew!

* Mangoes are one of the best sources of betacarotene, quercetin and astragalin. All of which are powerful antioxidants that neutralise free radicals. If you remember, free radicals are those beasts that can damage cells and lead to heart disease, cancer, premature aging and degenerative diseases.

* In just one small mango you will find a quarter of your recommended daily allowance for vitamin C, just about two thirds of vitamin A, and lovely amounts of vitamin E and fiber.

* They also are a good source of vitamin K, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium!

* Mangoes also contain pectin, which is a soluble dietary fibre, it has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels.

* Ever hear the term ‘high volume’ food? It means you get A LOT of food for a small amount of calories. Mangoes are one of these high volume foods! One mango has about 135 calories. They do contain a good amount of natural sugar too, that same mango will have about 30g.

HEADS UP!

Bike to work day is May 21st! I'll remind ya'll next week but start planning NOW!! **I've seen multiple dates for Ride to Work Day. I actually found one that said it was TODAY. So I'll probably post this baby over and over again for ALL the Ride to Word Days/Weeks that I come across. It's a good excuse to get in a little exercise, save some money and even lessen your imprint on the planet!

faster than you

First is the Worst of all the Game

This morning was race #2 of the year. My second 5K. I was super excited for this one though! I had a bunch of friends there running too AND it was a FREE race!! That's right, FREE! Because running was meant to be FREE!!

Here I am with a few of the Marathon Mamas!! Without these girls I really don't think I would be ready for our Marathon in 4 weeks! They have made those long runs not only do-able but ENJOYABLE!! Thanks girls! I love ya!My neighborhood girls!! A few of us have moved away from that neighborhood but I will forever be grateful that we moved there and I had the chance to meet these women. Great friends. Period.An old valley friend was there too!! Isn't this chick just GORGEOUS?!! When I run, I look like crap! She makes running look GOOD!!!I am still floored by my race this morning! I was planning on running it with a friend; it would have been her first race and she was nervous. But she hurt her knee and couldn't make it. So I really had to get my head in the game and decide what my game plan was. I don't think I had it figured out until after it started!! Annie caught up with me and basically said, LET'S DO THIS THING!! Okay. Let's do!!
Here is my little fan club! My kids made "Go Mom" signs and I literally almost cried when I ran past them!! It was an amazing feeling to have them cheering me on!!And I REALLY can't believe the results! FIRST in the woman's division! Holy Smokes!! I didn't quite beat my PR. I should have looked down at my watch!! I KNOW I could have beat it!! There was a guy who was trying to sneak up and pass me at the end but there was no way I was going to let that happen!! So I blew him out of the water!! {Oh, sorry... that's my competitive side talking. I try not to let her out very often}

I got a certificate and a loaf of super super yummy bread!! Wow. I am blown away!! Next Saturday I have my first 10K of the year. I REALLY want to beat my PR and I really think I can! Is there a stronger word for addicted?

GO Bananas

First in my re-committed Fabulous Food series is the BANANA!I ALWAYS have a stock of bananas in this house... unless it's super close to payday and we can't take a trip to the grocery store yet!! They are better than candy! My kids can't get enough of them. What's not to LOVE?!

I found some great info on www.bananasweb.com. Check it out:

*Bananas are made up mostly of sugars and fiber. Which is why they are a GREAT food for workouts! They give you immediate and prolonged energy!!! The fiber also helps your digestive tract... won't go into gory details but we all want that system to be working properly... so eat your fiber!

* Bananas contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is an aminoacid that can help regulate you appetite, improve your sleep AND elevate your mood!!

* Bananas are high in iron. Did you know that the main function of iron is to help carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles and other organs? IMPORTANT!! When iron is low, oxygen consumption slows down. You see where this leads right?! Right.

* Bananas also are a GREAT source of fructooligosaccharide. It's a kind of sugar that acts like a fiber, passes undigested to the large intestine and nourishes the "good" bacteria in the colon. Ultimately helping your body absorb calcium better!

* Green bananas contain indigestible short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that help the cells in your stomach. When healthy they too help absorb calcium better!

* The USDA just allowed the banana industry to tout bananas ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke! Bananas are very high in potassium and very low in sodium; a perfect ratio for preventing high blood pressure.

* Bananas are naturally anti-acidic, to try eating a banana when heartburn kicks in!

* For the same anti-acid reason, bananas are gentle on the stomach. Ever heard of the B-R-A-T diet? When you've got the Dreaded Mahocus {diarrhea & such} eat Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast!

* Want to stop smoking? Bananas contain vitamins B6 and B12, also potassium and magnesium: all of which help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

* Rub the inside of the Banana peel on mosquito bites... bye bye itch!!

* The potassium and B vitamins in bananas help reduce stress and improve nerve function.

So go ahead... Go Bananas B-A-N-A-N-A-S! {Must sing like Gwen Stafani}

no holidays