What the Heck Happened?

Yikes! What happened to me yesterday?  Well, I'm wondering the same thing.  I came home from work around 7:00pm, made a quick high protein dinner, ate, and decided to sit down on the couch to read a book and let a little digestive action take place before my scheduled run.  I don't think I got two pages in the book before I passed out. I slept so hard that I didn't awake until midnight...very confused....as you can imagine.  The 5am thing must have sucked the life out of me!  Or maybe it was just the week in general.  So, yesterday I missed my workout....ahh!! I'm shucking this one to "Life Happens". 

On my very empty stomach, I went to my chiropractor this morning and did a bio analysis.  The last one I did was in November 2010.  I was expecting to see a drastic difference in the results from who I was then to who I am now.  In all honesty, I expected to be able to flush this whole self-proclaimed skinny fat description right down the you know what.  That unfortunately wasn't the case...not by any stretch. 

The test started with my weight;  I weighed in at 121 - making that a total loss of 6lbs. As I internally celebrated the weight loss news, the test results printed off.  This is where it takes a turn...the analysis revealed a LARGE percentage of body fat among other startling news.  UGH!  More to come on this in the very near future including his proposed solution...a challenge that I will fully embrace as of November 1, 2011.

I am eager, and willing to take those drastic measures to feel my ultimate best. As great as I feel the majority of the time, and as much strength as I have gained in these last almost 5 months, I'm still on a journey to being truly healthy, fit, and having that crazy amount of  energy that make headlines.  I'm okay with this not being "easy" - only because I know that I am on the right track.  Each rock I overturn, the more I am able to connect the dots and gain a deeper understanding of me. Of my body.  After all, if I don't take care of it, where else will I live?


Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,
Mrs. Skinny Fat

Quinoa Pasta, Cannellini Beans & Sauteed Greens

Sometimes a girl just craves pasta!  One of my favorite concoctions is made up of three basic ingredients; pasta, spinach, and canellini beans.  It's so simple - and so yummy!  Even those who frown at the thought of eating "healthy" will love this dish! 

I've been exploring with Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) a lot lately as I keep reading about all of its amazing health benefits.  While shopping, I was beyond excited to find a great quinoa pasta to test out as part of this dish.  As I mentioned, Quinoa is loaded with nutrients - my favorite of which is that it is rich in protein content. In fact, it is a complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues.  It has a high content of manganese in it, which acts as antioxidant in the body.  And, while the list goes on and on, I'll conclude by noting that it is also a wonderful source of fiber for the body! 

New to quinoa? Read up on it and you'll be just as eager as me to explore new quinoa rich dishes! 
 
Quinoa Pasta, Cannellini Beans & Sauteed Greens 

Ingredients Needed - Serves 2+ Lots of Leftovers for Lunches! You can easily cut this recipe in half....I just like lots of it in my fridge :)

1.  1 Box of Quinoa Pasta as shown below in the pic - Highly recommend trying Ancient Harvest Supergrain.  It's available at most major grocery stores in the Gluten Free section. 
2.  2 15 Ounce Cans of Organic Cannellini Beans (no salt added) - my favorite name for canned beans is Eden Foods
3.  2 10 Ounce Frozen Organic Cut Spinach - Cascadian Farm is one of my favorites... you can of course use fresh as well! 
4.  Soy Oil

5.  Garlic Cloves, Ground Pepper, & Sea Salt

3 Basic Steps

1.  Cook pasta according to directions on package.
2.  Heat soy oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ground pepper; stir until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add spinach and stir until thawed.  Top with more ground pepper and a dash of sea salt. 
3.  Take cannellini beans, add to a sauce pan, and cook on medium heat. Mash to your liking -  add lots of ground pepper with a touch of sea salt.

Simple, right?

As the package reads, "You'll never go back to plain noodles again!" -
The texture & taste was perfecto! :)

All Cooked - You know it's good pasta when you like it plain!

Qunioa Pasta topped with Spinach, Topped with Cannellini Beans -
Add a Side of Steamed Carrots!  So Good!

Up Close & Personal - Super Delish and Hits the Spot Every Time!

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,
Mrs. Skinny Fat

Drink Water All Day - Each and Every Day

I'm still amazed by how many people don't drink water regularly.  When someone tells me that they struggle with drinking water or that they simply don't drink water - my reaction is equivalent to as if they told me that they are a chain smoker or an alcoholic.  We all know smoking and heavy consumption of alcohol are horrible for our health...but so is neglecting our bodies of water!   I cringe when I see someone drink a soda or Gatorade as if it's water....I can't help but think of the movie Idiocracy...how scary would a world like this be?

For those of you who wear soft contact lens, before you go to bed take out your contacts and lay it on the counter.  The next morning, go take a look at what happens the contact lens.  What do you see?  The once soft, flexible lens is now hard and brittle.  Imagine that happening to your body when you don't drink water.  Our bodies are made up of more than 70% water...70%!  Most of it is stored in our skin. So, next time you choose not to drink water, picture the cells within your body crinkling up like that contact lens.

Drink my friends, drink.
You should also note that weight loss depends on your water intake. Your body needs to be hydrated to function properly - plus staying hydrated will help curve cravings and help you feeling satisfied.  In Tosca Reno's The Eat Clean Diet Stripped, she writes, "Water regulates your body temperature, keeps joints mobile and maintains tissue health. When you become dehydrated the trillions of cells housed in your body are threatened with breakdown and damage in the face of insufficient water. You need water to survive."

Each and every day, I drink around 4 liters of water. Sometimes more!  When I wake up, I drink a liter - before I do anything else!  That's when my body needs it most.  I have a cupboard in my kitchen devoted to my water bottles (all BPA free of course). Then throughout the day, my water never leaves my side.  My husband will pick on me a bit because of my "obsession" with drinking water.  Even if we are leaving the house for 2 minutes, I will have to run inside and grab my water.  Now that I am so accustomed to drinking so much throughout the day... to be without water for 20 minutes is like "dying of thirst"! 

For those of you who hate the taste of water....
Honestly, get over it!  You were made to drink water!  It's the most basic "good" thing you can do for yourself!  Water helps flush toxins out of your vital organs, carries required nutrients to cells and provides hydration for tissues like that in your ear, nose and throat. You will acquire the taste for it...I PROMISE. If you want to be healthy...happy...and fit -- You gotta drink the good stuff.

You can enhance the benefits of water by adding lemon.  Add a couple of slices of lemon to it in the morning or mid-day for a refreshing taste and you'll also reap some other fantastic health benefits! With just a couple of lemon slices to your water you can help boost your metabolism and aid in digestion, making weight loss more efficient.  More to come on the benefits of adding lemon....

While writing this post, I have consumed a liter of water with lemon slices added.  How about you?  Pledge to do something good for yourself today:  Drink Water!!!  

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride!
MSF