It’s all in the numbers…

• 61% of women who say they are happy most of the time
• The #1 smile-inducing food: CHOCOLATE
• 27% of women who have taken a prescription drug to improve their mood
• 3 in 4 women say their weight affects how happy they are
• 60% of women would rather get an enormous raise than lose 10 pounds
• 79% of women who say they can be truly happy without being in love
• 6 in 10 women are happy in their current relationship
• 5 in 9 women say it’s impossible to have a happy relationship without having great sex
• 42% of people say they find other people who smile a lot to be very attractive
• 53% of people think their smile is their best asset
• 22% of women have doubt about their bedroom skills
• 50% of women who admit to checking themselves out in the mirror 10+ times a day
• 6% of women admit to having had plastic surgery because they weren’t happy with how they looked
• 36% of women feel confident most of the time
• 66% of women wear tight-fitting clothes to show off their clothes when going out
• 84% of women aren’t afraid to let their man see them sans makeup
• 20% of couples who admit to being too tired to have sex during the week
• 28% of men and 27% of women say oral sex is not sex
• Americans eat an average of 32 pounds of cheese per person every single year
• 17% of women admit to still being in love with an ex
• 79% of people say they would still work out even if there was a magic pill to keep them fit
• 72 minutes is the average time it takes for blondes to get ready to go out
• 66 minutes is the average time it takes for brunettes to get ready to go out
• 420 is the number of minutes of moderate intensity exercise you need each week to maintain your weight without making any changes to your diet
• 90% of back problems can be solved with physical therapy and lifestyle fixes instead of with surgery

Do you have a fun fact to share?

Do any of these apply to you (or any that you are willing to admit!)

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Stuck-In-The-Middle Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday everybody! I hope everyone had a great day yesterday. I LOVED reading all your comments on whether or not you believe in soul mates. It was a very interesting question and a lot of your responses were very thought-provoking.

This morning has started off nicely. I did another run…I actually did the same thing I did yesterday: 8 miles and then 15 minutes on the elliptical. I have PT again today at noon and I am anxiously waiting for some groin treatment. Mine is T-I-G-H-T and although I know it is going to hurt like hell I have got to get those knots out. The life of a runner…wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Keith wanted meatloaf last night for dinner and honestly I was not feeling it. But I did make it for him (good wife, right?) and then what did I have? BREAKFAST! haha…how about a big bowl of oatmeal? Okay…meatloaf for the hubs (check) and oatmeal for the wife (check) two happy people (check check) 🙂

So, interesting tidbit of useless information: 69% of adult in the US would consider having cosmetic surgery. But what procedure they would choose may depend on where they live, according to a study done on RealSelf.com, which compiled the most searched-for surgeries in cities across the country:

• New York: Rinoplasty (AKA: Nose Job)
• Miami: Breast Lift
• Chicago: Lumineers
• Dallas & Boston: Hair Transplant
• Seattle: “Mommy Makeover” (AKA: Tummy Tuck)
• Los Angeles: Botox

Would you ever consider cosmetic surgery (not for medical purposes?) If so, what would you choose?

Diet vs. Exercise

So I found a very interesting article in Women’s Health that I thought many of you would be interested in! Here it is the age-old debate between Diet and Exercise. Check out which one is best for your healthy lifestyle scenario:

Weight Loss – DIET! As research makes clear, trimming calories from your diet is the most direct route to a smaller dress size. “It’s much easier to cut 500 calories than to spend an hour in the gym burning 500 calories every day,” says Timothy Church, M.D., Ph.D. However, both diet and exercise are essential for keeping that weight off.

Energy Boost – EXERCISE! Exercise causes the brain to pour out invigorating neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine, says Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D., an exercise psychologist at the University of Georgia. People who train consistently report surges in energy, according to some 70 studies.

Heart Disease – DIET! “If you had to focus on one nutrient that would lower your heart disease risk, it would be omega-3 fatty acids,” says William Harris, Ph.D., director of the cardiovascular health research center at the University of South Dakota. In studies, omega-3s from oily fish lower heart disease risk by up to 64 percent. That said, working out does strengthen your cardiovascular system.

Diabetes Prevention – EXERCISE! Nearly 10 million American women have diabetes. Achieving a healthy weight through diet and exercise is the strongest defense against the disease, but physical activity has a slight edge. Active muscles gobble up glucose from the blood for fuel, which helps keep blood-sugar levels stable.

Cancer Prevention – BOTH! Eating a mostly plant-based diet and exercising regularly remain the gold standard for warding off cancer. Keep in mind: Studies have found the more consistently you work out, the greater the protection.

Improve Mood – EXERCISE! A 20-minute sweat session can be enough to perk up your mood for a whopping 12 hours, reports a University of Vermont study. It may also be as effective as medication for treating depression in some people. And exercise can lead to changes in the brain that strengthen your resolve against stress. 

Obviously both exercise AND diet are important in any healthy lifestyle. Do you consider yourself to be a better eater or a better exerciser?

Tuesday Lovers!

Happy Tuesday everyone! I am still on like cloud 1000 from my 12 mile pain free run yesterday. PT went well…although he found some tightness in my groin muscles. After some major work and some ice, I am feeling relatively loose today! I ran 8 miles at 8:35/pace and then finished up with 15 minutes on the elliptical. Feels oh so good! 🙂

So moving on to dinner last night. If I could describe Keith’s palate in one word it would be variety. I am not going to lie…I could eat the same thing a few days in a row (as evidenced by my BBQ chicken quesadillas this weekend) but not Keith. The boy wants variety and he won’t even eat the same “protein” two nights in a row. So I am constantly needed to switch it up. So I had some boneless pork chops I needed to use. Google around and I found this recipe on Recipezaar and I thought this sounds PERFECT!

PESTO PORK CHOPS

• 3/4 lb boneless pork chop
• 2 tablespoons flour (I used gluten-free flour)
• 1 tablespoons pesto sauce (I use store-bought but if you make your own, more power to ya!)
• olive oil flavored cooking spray
• salt and pepper

1. Put flour, salt and pepper on a plate and combine
2. Dredge both sides of pork chops in flour, and shake off any excess.
3. Spray a skillet with the cooking spray and preheat on medium-high.
4. Add the chops and brown on each side for two minutes.
5. After they are browned, spread the pesto sauce over the chops and put lid on the skillet.
6. Continue cooking for an additional two minutes or until they reach 160 degrees.

Serves 2! Per Serving: 310 Calories; 13.5g Fat (4g saturated fat); 96mg Cholesterol; 340mg Sodium; 6.4g Carbohydrates; 0.2g  Fiber; 37.1g Protein

I paired this with Green Giant Italian style vegetables and we were good to go! We both enjoyed it and declared it a hit!

Do you like pork?

I like pork okay…it is like beef for me in that I probably only eat it about once a month. But I definitely enjoyed this preparation.

So I have a really random question for you: Do you believe in the idea of soul mates? Keith and I were randomly talking about this last night. Keith definitely buys into the idea of soul mates more than I do. He feels that we were always destined to be together BUT we actually had to make the choice to be together. I don’t believe in soul mates. I personally think there are tons of people in the world that we are compatible with. I believe there is another man who could make me as happy (or even happier) than Keith. But the real romance for me is that I am willingly choosing to give up all my other options to spend my life with Keith. I don’t care who else is out there; I give it all up for him. I just find that to be much more romantic than the notion that we are soul mates. I guess in the end it doesn’t matter because I am married to the man who makes me smile every single day and whom I love more than anything. But it is interesting to me to see how two people view the same idea/concept.

Do you believe in soul mates?

Sneaky Sodium

According to WebMd, five high-sodium foods — not all of them salty tasting — are a big reason why nine in 10 Americans get way too much sodium every day. (That’s 90%!!!) New CDC data show that only 9.6% of U.S. adults limit their daily sodium intake to recommended levels.

So, where’s all that sodium coming from?

From salt, mostly. But only 10% of it comes from our shakers. An estimated 77% comes from sodium in processed or restaurant foods.”All food categories contribute to sodium intake. But grains and meat — the foods we eat most — contribute the most sodium,” Elena V. Kuklina, MD, PhD, senior service fellow at the CDC’s division of heart disease and stroke prevention, tells WebMD.

But the CDC report identifies five foods that give Americans most of their salt:

1. Yeast breads
2. Chicken and mixed chicken dinners
3. Pizza
4. Pasta dishes
5. Cold cuts

The three food groups from which we get the most sodium include some surprises:

1. Grains contribute 37% of our daily sodium. These foods include grain-based frozen meals and soups, breads, and pizza (which is mostly salty bread).
2. Meats, including poultry and fish, contribute 28% of our daily sodium.
3. Vegetables contribute more than 12% of our daily sodium. This seems surprising, but potato chips and french fries are vegetables. And canned vegetables, vegetable soups, and vegetable sauces tend to be loaded with salt.

Salt Shockers: High-Sodium Foods

Basic U.S. dietary guidelines suggest that adults get less than 2,300 milligrams of salt each day, but the basic guidelines apply to fewer than a third of Americans. The rest — 70% of the population — are middle aged, elderly, or African-American. This huge majority should get less than 1,500 milligrams of salt per day. But the average American gets more than twice the recommended daily dose of sodium: 3,466 milligrams of sodium per day. This means we’re at risk of dangerously raising our blood pressure.

That high blood pressure increases our risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. The CDC calculates that if everyone followed sodium-intake guidelines there would be as many as 120,000 fewer cases of heart disease and up to 66,000 fewer strokes each year.

What can we do?

• Eat less processed food.
• Eat more fresh and frozen vegetables.
• Compare labels to choose low-sodium foods (and don’t be fooled by deceptive labels).
• When using canned vegetables or beans, rinse the food well with water to remove as much salt as possible.

Do you watch your sodium intake?

Repeat Monday

Happy Monday lovelies! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I definitely had a good one although it was HOT! This heat is killer! Anyway, this morning I ran another PT approved 12 miles (8:43/pace) with no major pain. I definitely have some tightness in my groin but I have been really good about foam rolling and icing. My knee usually hurts but not while running…it seems to hit a few hours my workout. I have PT today at 12:00 and I am sure I will be covered in ice bags later this afternoon! 🙂 As I have said before…I don’t care, I will do anything to help my legs.

So I am not going to lie, last night’s dinner was an exact repeat of Saturday night’s feast! BBQ Chicken Quesadillas. I couldn’t help it. I was craving them again so badly and I thought well why not?? Who cares if I ate the same thing two nights in a row?  I mean look at them? How could you not want these twice?

Repeat dinner...take 2!

Have you ever eaten the same dinner two nights in a row because it was just SO good?

So I want to quickly give a lesson on the difference between using ice and using heat to treat sports injuries. Both are important but both are important at different times and for different injuries. First let me identify the two basic types of injuries: acute and chronic:

Acute Pain is of rapid onset and short-lived
Chronic Pain develops slowly and is persistent and long-lasting.

Ice treatment is most commonly used for acute injuries. If you have a recent injury (within the last 48-72 hours) where swelling is a problem, you should be using ice treatment. Ice packs can help minimize swelling around the injury and help to control the pain. Ice treatments may also be used for chronic conditions, such as overuse injuries in athletes. In this case, ice the injured area after activity to help control inflammation. Never ice a chronic injury before activity.

Heat treatments should be used for chronic conditions to help relax and loosen tissues, and to stimulate blood flow to the area. Use heat treatments for chronic conditions, such as overuse injuries, before participating in activities. Do not use heat treatments after activity, and do not use heat after an acute injury. Heating tissues can be accomplished using a heating pad, or even a hot, wet towel.

I hope this information helps some of you and eases the confusion on when to ice and when to heat and on what types of injuries.

Are you good about using ice/heat treatments when you need to?

Happy Sunday!

Happy Sunday guys! How did Saturday shape up for you? First, I have to say that I was very sad to see our boys lose their World Cup game against Ghana yesterday! Boo! It definitely dampened our day for a little while! I also watched the Nike US Track & Field Championships and I got see Lolo Jones win the 100 meter hurdles…she is my favorite!! Love her! The meet was in Des Moines, Iowa, Lolo’s hometown, so I was even more excited for her to take gold! It was a sports day in our house!

Last night we made quesadillas!! YUM! The beauty of quesadillas is that each of us can add our own ingredients and make our own! Mine was a spin off of Jessica’s BBQ Chicken Quesadillas! I halved a whole wheat burrito sized tortilla (La Tortilla Factory brand) and stuffed it with sautéed mushroom, onion, chicken, low-fat cheddar and BBQ sauce. I sautéed it until crispy on both sides. Oh heaven! I was happy! 🙂

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

YUM!

Then Keith and I watched Valentine’s Day. It was a cute movie with a lot of stars. It was a fun watch when you don’t want to think too much! haha!

Today we are hoping to log some pool time at my Dad’s house. We are going to take Kodi over there to swim. For those of you who don’t know, Kodi is our dog. And he is OLD…15!!! This will probably be his last summer. 😦 So we are trying to take him to all his favorite activity spots!

Enjoy your Sunday guys!

It’s a USA Saturday!

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope everyone had a great night last night! We did a whole lot of NOTHING and that was exactly what I wanted! I needed a night to chill? Why because yesterday was awesome! Starting with my fantastic run and then my catering gig…I needed a night off! 🙂

This morning I was up and happy. I am very sore from PT yesterday and I didn’t want to push my luck today so I opted for a shorter run (5 miles @ 8:30/pace) followed by 30 minutes on the elliptical. I feel pretty sweaty and oh so happy! Now I have a date with multiple ice bags! Ah…the life of a runner! 🙂

Then for the most exciting part of my day today….USA! USA! USA! We are playing Ghana today in the World Cup and I so excited to watch! I am so proud of our boys and I hope they kick butt today!

Are you going to watch the World Cup game?

Saturday thought: It is no secret that new health-care legislation includes a law requiring restaurant chains more than 200,000 of them nationwide to print calorie counts next to every item on their menu boards. .Do you think it will work? Only time will tell, but similar legislation already exists in New York, and studies have shown that it does lead diners to choose slightly less-fattening menu options.

Do you think that posting calorie information next to menu items will “guilt” people into making healthier choices?

Personally, I do. I think that it is easy to have that “out of sight, out of mind” mentality when eating out. But if you are forced to see it right in front of you…I think it will be a lot harder for some people to justify slurping down a 750 calorie milk shake.

I Am a Catering Fool!

Happy afternoon guys! Well this morning, I told you that I was catering a party tonight! So I went over this morning to the hostess’s house and prepped all the food for an evening of sure-fire winners! The events that I do caterer around my area are always known for being healthy and tasty! I love having that reputation! 🙂 The hostess tonight just wanted finger foods and little snacks. It is a jewelry party and she wanted a simple menu to go along with white and red wines plus peach belinnis. So without further ado.. .tonight’s menu:

First up, I kept it simple with finger sandwiches. I used a nutty bread from the local bakery and filled one tray with  cucumber and hummus sandwiches and then a tray of your standard chicken salad.

Cucumber and Hummus Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I also put together a fabulous summer fruit tray complete with pineapple chunks, pink lady apple slices, red and green grapes, and orange slices:

Fruit Goodness

I did tomato basil bites. Simply slice a tomato, add fresh mozzarella and chopped fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. TASTY!

Tomato Basil Perfection

And what would any kind of party be without chocolate covered strawberries?

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I also made a Brie Wheel. Take a round Brie brick and cover it with your favorite chutney (I used raspberry chipotle) and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until hot and melted! So good! I don’t have a picture of this because it will be made to be served immediately. 😦  I also made my HEALTHY Spinach Artichoke Dip. Again no picture because it will be baked to serve immediately as well. Both are served with crackers.

So what do you think…will my menu be a hit?

DOUBLE DIGIT FRIDAY!

Happy Friday everyone! Who is excited! ME! ME! ME! Although I do have a super busy morning so I need to make this short and snappy! 🙂

Workout…check! I ran my first double digit run since my injury! HOLLER!!!! 10 miles @ 8:47/pace. Not super fast but today I was much more concerned with distance versus speed. I feel so good…cloud 9000 for sure! I feel like my old self for the first time in a long time! 🙂

I have my running group in an hour and I am hoping to actually do some light jogging with as opposed to just watching! 🙂 Then I am catering a small party tonight and I am headed over to the hostess house to prep and set up! So fun! I will post pictures and recipes later tonight!! I have PT again at noon and then HELLO WEEKEND!!!

Do you have any fun weekend plans?

We do not. (Hey what’s new) but I am sure some good eats and a maybe a movie or two will sneak its way in! 🙂 Oh and maybe some pool time. I love not having plans! 🙂

Do you prefer having plans on the weekend or do you like not having an agenda?

Okay sorry this was such a boring post but I am seriously in one heck of a time crunch! I promise this evening will be better with all my catering pictures and recipes! Does that make up for this lame morning post? I hope so! 🙂 I will leave you will one last question. I am always so curious about my readers so tell me:

Do you have any brothers/sisters or are you an only child?

I have one brother, Josh. He is 3 years younger than me and is AWESOME! He currently works for a law-firm in Austin and is in graduate school getting his MBA! Love you, Bro! 🙂