Summer Vacation Reads

July 27th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Good Reads - (3 Comments)

We spent the first couple weeks of July away from home.  I’d like to say we were on vacation, but I think “family trip” is more accurate.  There is just not a ton of relaxing going on when there is a toddler under foot.

Still, in preparation for our time away, I snagged a couple new publications from the library before we left – two books to read for the sake of reading.  I’m very often reading books about health, fitness, nutrition or food, sometimes a girl just needs to read a STORY for crying out loud!  Even if I couldn’t go “on vacation” in every sense of the word, at the very least I could let my brain take a trip.  (Not an acid trip, just so we’re clear.)

So that’s what this post is about:  a couple of book recommendations if you’re looking for something to take on your next trip to the beach or into the woods or your own bathroom (no judgement) whether you need a break from non-fiction, small children or anything else you might sometimes describe as “intense”.

First, And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.  I really don’t want to tell you anything about this book – how’s that for a book review?  Well, this isn’t a review, it’s a recommendation!  I loved this and knew nothing about the story before I picked it up, so I’ll leave you in the dark too.  And for anyone who does want to know more before you commit with your library or credit card, Amazon has the book description for your contemplating pleasure, so I’m off the hook!

And the Mountains Echoed

I decided on this one because #1 I read The Kite Runner a few years ago and it still stands as one of my all time favorite books to this day.  This gave me a lot of faith that I would enjoy And the Mountain Echoed too.

#2, it’s been on the New York Times Best Sellers list for months now, and I’m a follower like that.

I will tell you that this book reminded me of Pulp Fiction in the way that it jumps back and forth in time and between characters, but it was all good.  I sort of felt like I was given a new piece to a puzzle at the start of each chapter and it took some chin rubbing and eyebrow smashing to figure out how it fit into the story.  I found it very satisfying to piece it all together.  Hosseini is a fantastic writer and an incredible storyteller, it was very enjoyable read.  I’ve now got A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) on my night stand because I’m sure that one’s going to be good too.

I also read and loved Let Us Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris while we were away.

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls

This too is on the New York Times Best Seller list (and ummm, non-fiction – but full of stories, not studies!) I love, love, love David Sedaris.  He’s smart, funny and witty – my kind of guy!  Except I’m married.  And he’s gay.

If you are familiar with and enjoy David Sedaris’s work, this is more of the same – except different, and plenty funny.  Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls will leave you laughing out loud in your beach chair/hammock/toilet.  I often read when I’m nursing Kaz to sleep (no judgement!) and I often found myself needing to set the book down so I could cover my mouth to stifle laughter to keep from waking the aforementioned toddler.

This book is full of short, entertaining stories from David’s life, plus some short fictional stories too.  More than once while reading his essays I was left wondering how on earth he remembers such amazing detail about the events from his past, and he actually explains this in one of the last chapters of the book – in the form of a story, of course.

So that’s it!  Any other Hosseini or Sedaris fans out there?  Were either of these on your “To Read” list or have you already read them?  What have you read and enjoyed this summer, fiction or non-fiction?


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


Giving Yourself Permission to Play

July 22nd, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (2 Comments)

This outdoor pool is one mile from our house.  A house that we’ve lived in for almost four years and we’re just now getting our butts over there to take advantage of it.  It even meets the “Three C’s” (that I just made up) – Close, Clean and Cheap.  Don’t ask me what took us so long, I have no idea.

Outdoor Pool

It was really hot around here last week, and one evening I took Ava (who’s 9) and her friend down to the pool to cool off.  They jumped in the deep end and I hopped over to one of lanes to swim laps while they played.  I don’t think I’ve done laps since I was early in my pregnancy with Kaz, and I’m definitely sure I’ve never swam laps in an outdoor pool before.  I was looking forward to the new experience.

But after about 10 minutes of lap swimming, I started to get bored.  This how swimming goes – it’s boring.  No music, no change in scenery, up and down, turn around, pick your wedgie, down and back again.

In the past I would have forced myself to ignore that boredom and tough it out for another 20, 30, maybe even 40 minutes.  Suck it up lady, you can stop once you’ve gotten your 30 to 50 minute work out in.

But with my new approach to doing less cardio these days, I decided to do what I really wanted to do: get the heck out of the lanes and go over play with Ava and her friend.  And so that’s exactly what I did.

Together we took turns swimming to the bottom and shooting back up.  We watched each other turn somersaults under water and they showed me all the things they can do.  Ava’s been too nervous to go down the pair of water slides (that you can see in picture above) and instead of saying “it’s no big deal” or “it’s just like jumping in!” or “come on, you can do it!” – I just did it myself and didn’t say a word.  Soon, her friend was going down the slides with me.  Before long, Ava felt confident enough to try it too.  (And then she wouldn’t stop!)  I was reminded of all the things I use to do in the pool as a kid, when I loved swimming with my best girlfriends and we were “exercising” without even realizing it.

After a little playtime I decided to do a few more laps, only because I was feeling into it again, not because I felt like I had to.  Some slow, easy freestyle, a little backstroke, plus a few laps with the kick board too.  (At least with the kick board you can people-watch to keep things interesting!)  Ava eventually came over and asked if I would come back and hang out with them, and after “one more lap” I re-joined them for a little more of the same water play until I felt sufficiently pruned and ready to get out.

All in all, we were probably in the pool for an hour, maybe even an hour and a half.  There’s a part of me that will always watch the clock and note how long I “worked out” – but fortunately there’s another part of me that can appreciate the bigger picture too – one of most important reasons I like to stay fit: to set a good example for my kids, to have the energy and ability to keep up with them, to play together and build connection and help keep the lines of parent-child communication open.

I need to mention that the content of this post has been largely inspired by my new favorite podcast, The Everyday Paleo Lifestyle and Fitness Podcast with Sarah Fragoso and Jason Seib.  I’ve been considering what Mark Sisson says about chronic cardio for years now, but it’s this podcast that has allowed me to REALLY take this “less is more” message to heart.  Sarah and Jason spend 50 – 60 minutes each week discussing the Paleo diet, Paleo fitness, answering listener/reader questions and sharing their knowledge and first hand experience as trainers.  I’ve learned so much from these podcasts and have been seriously inspired by what they have to say, I highly recommend them if you’re looking to re-evaluate your own approach to fitness or need some motivation to get moving.

These days my workouts consist mainly of walking, yoga and a lot of functional fitness – staying on top of the housework, hauling groceries into the house with a 26 lb toddler on my hip, riding my bike to and from the yoga studio, walking to the farmer’s market down the street, the occasional walk-turned-run when Kaz has decided he’s had enough of the jogging stroller and we’re still a mile from home.  I’m still running sometimes too because I truly do love to run, I’m just doing it less.  It’s all good, I’m loving it.

Whether you have kids or not, I want to encourage you to give yourself permission to play.  Let your fitness be fun, really!  Take an impromtu detour on your run or walk.  Bring your camera and take pictures on a hike.  I know it’s cliche – but get out there and try something new, or go back to some activity you haven’t done in a long time.  Both your body and soul will thank you for it, and maybe even your kids will say thank you too.


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


, , , , ,

Let Us Wrap Lunch in Lettuce

July 19th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (Comments Off on Let Us Wrap Lunch in Lettuce)

Whenever my mother sees the palms of my hands, she always asks me if I’ve been eating too many carrots.  I then look down at my hands and can’t see anything wrong, they look perfectly normal to me.

But then on a recent trip to Florida to visit a friend, said friend also noticed my orange-ish skin – except she asked me what was all over my hands after I finished slathering up the kids with sunscreen.

Orange Skin Too Many Carrots

What the heck are you people talking about?  I still don’t see it!  My hands just look nicely tanned!  And why are the palms of your hands so PINK?

Did you know this?  That eating a lot of foods rich in beta carotene will give your skin an awesome orange glow?  Those of you who love sweet potatoes, red pepper and carrots say “Aye!”  Or better yet, just raise your hand… we’ll figure out who you are.

Anyways, this is the beginning of my explanation of how I came to wrap my lunch in a big lettuce leaf.  And it also sort of explains the blog silence for the past few weeks.  We’ve been out of town, and before that we were busy celebrating the 1st birthday of our favorite little guy!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy

(This is a gratuitous baby pic, I admit it.)

Anyways.  I’m usually using my orange hands to cut up vegetables to eat along side my current quick and easy, don’t-have-to-turn-the-stove-on lunch – some canned fish (salmon, sardines or tuna) with avocado or olive oil, S&P and some diced veggie like green pepper or pickles.

Salmon Salad with Veggies

This was half a can of salmon, diced green pepper, a little olive oil seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Eaten with carrots and cucumber, as you can plainly see if you look at that picture, or the soles of my feet.

When I made sardine salad for lunch few days ago, I was rummaging through the fridge for my beloved carrots or a red bell pepper to cut into sticks and fill the empty space along side this attractive green blob of sardines and avocado.

Sardine Salad Glop

That’s when I came across the giant head of homegrown lettuce we were gifted from my grandmother’s garden.  The leaves from this head of lettuce were so huge and soft that I realized it was the perfect opportunity to make a lettuce wrap – and the perfect opportunity to relax my grip a little on the bag of carrots.

Sardine Salad Lettuce Wrap

OK, OK – so I still used some carrot (somebody stop me!) but it was less than usual!  Progress, people.

Once filled, I rolled that sucker up like a green burrito.

Sardine Salad in a Lettuce Wrap

If I’d have thought ahead, I would have cut this thing in half and given you a nice little cross section peek my lettuce wrap.  But instead I only turned it around and snapped a picture of it from a different angle.  I blame the carrots for my lack of creative thinking.

Cocoon for Lunch

This sort of looks like a giant pupa or cocoon, doesn’t it?  I actually made two cocoons, one for me and one for Zak.  I’ve seen lettuce wraps a bunch of times before around the interwebs, but I’ve never made one – it was so simple, I LOVED this!  Zak liked it too.  It was a nice change of pace from the usual carrot stick and cucumber route.  You could use a wide variety of leafy greens for this too; romaine, red leaf, Boston bibb or Swiss chard. It just needs to be semi-sturdy without being too thick or chewy.  Raw kale or Collards might not be the best choice for something like this, but that’s just speculation.  I’m not sure if you want to trust the woman with the orange hands.

Simple Sardine Salad Lettuce Wrap

(Serves 2)

1 can of sardines
1/2 avocado, diced
salt, pepper and (optional) garlic powder to taste

Mash sardines and stir together with avocado and seasonings. Load into your leafy green vehicle of choices – add any fun toppings you might have around like shredded carrot, sprouts, sunflower seeds or sesame seeds. Then it’s time to wrap, roll and chow!


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


, , , , , , ,

The Beginners Guide to Juicing

June 20th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Healthy Habits - (8 Comments)

If you’re interested in juicing but don’t know where to start – this post is for you.  This is a collection of the first questions that often come up when someone is looking to get started juicing, with all the answers wrapped into one post.

What Kind of Juicer Should I Get?

Breville Juicer

There are basically two different styles of juicers out there: a Centrifugal Juicer (pictured above) or a Cold Press (Masticating) Juicer.

The two pros and cons that are most often compared between these two types of juicers are price and nutrition.

A Centrifugal Juicer is a cheaper, but because of the speed used to extract the juice from your vegetables and fruit, it generates some heat, and with that heat your juice loses some of it’s nutrition.

A Cold Press Juicer does not generate a lot of heat – it’s called a “masticating” juicer because it basically chews your produce for you and spits out the juice.  (That’s a nice image.)  It’s slower and is a more expensive juicer, but you don’t lose nutrients the same way you do with a centrifugal juicer.

Not sure what you want and need more info to help you decide?

The Difference Between Cold Press Juicers vs. Centrifugal Juice Extractors

Juicer Buying Guide (this article is helpful, but as a heads up – they really push the cold press juicer.)

Where Do I Buy a Juicer?

If you want to buy one locally from a Brick and Mortar store, our Breville juicer came from Bed, Bath and Beyond – but it’s also for sale on Amazon (with just about every other juicer under the sun).  Obviously, stores and available juicers will vary by region, but it seems that most kitchen stores sell juicers these days.  I’ve seen the Jack La Lanne Juicer (among others) at Target and Cuisinart brand juicers at Wegmans with general merchandise.

What’s the Difference Between Smoothies and Juicing?

A smoothie is typically made in a blender.  It’s pureed fruits and/or vegetables, often with other ingredients too like water, milk, yogurt, sweeteners or supplements.

Juice is what’s made in a juicer (“Duh”, says Captain Obvious) by separating the fiber and the liquid of the fruit and vegetables you load into the chute.

(Stolen from my own post, A Few Juicy Details):

Although fresh juice lacks fiber, it is very nutrient dense.  It takes more vegetables and fruit to make an 8 oz glass of juice than it would take to make an 8 oz smoothie.  This means it’s more expensive to make juice, but you get more nutrition in a smaller package.  With the pulp and fiber out of the way, you can take in more nutrients with less volume.  Juicing is basically a very efficient way to consume and get the benefits from a boat load of vegetables without all the chewing.

Can I Make Juice with a Blender?

Yes and No.

If you use a blender, you are making a smoothie – unless you strain out the pulp with a nut milk bag or fine mesh sieve and remove the fiber yourself. I’ve never done it, but I’ve heard of more than one person (two?) who juices this way on a regular basis.  I imagine it’s a little messy, but it could be a more affordable way to try juicing if you’re not sure that juicing is right for you – or until you’ve got the cash to fork over for a new small kitchen appliance.

Shorter answer: yes, you can make juice with a blender, but it’s not juice until you remove the pulp.

OK, I’ve Got My Juicer, Now I Need Juice Recipes!

When we started juicing a few years ago, we started with an old, old juicer from the 70’s that belonged to Zak’s grandfather.  We made “Green Lemonade” from Natalia Rose’s Raw Food Detox Diet over and over again.

green_juice

Classic Green Lemonade is so yummy even those Faint of the Leafy Green Vegetable Heart can enjoy this!  (It’s made with romaine or kale – to my leafy green newbies, I suggest starting with romaine because it’s milder in flavor.)

A few more favorites:

Celery Pear Lime and Ginger Juice – or add some cucumber to this combo too!

Beet Orange Carrot and Ginger Juice

Simply Carrot Apple Ginger – try it with cranberry!

Ginger is totally optional in all of these juice combos – we love ginger, but if you don’t, just leave it out!

One of the best sources I’ve come across for juice recipe ideas is Joe Cross’ reboot guides from the juicing documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  That site has links to the PDF’s for Joe’s various reboot plans, but each guide includes the same basic juice recipes for “Red Juice”, “Green Juice”, “Orange Juice” and “Purple Juice”.  All of his juice recipes are simple and not-at-all-scary places to start.

You’ll probably find that you’ll naturally start experimenting and expanding your juice ingredient repertoire as you get into the swing of juicing.

More Good Reference Material

I’ve checked The Juicing Bible out of the library more than once – this book is FULL of recipes and info on different things to juice and why.

the_juicing_bible

The Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko is another good, fast read.  It’s not about juicing per se, but is loaded with inspiring info on drinking your greens!

I’ve stashed lots of my juice posts here, or you can browse posts with the Green Juice and juice tags.

A Quick Update on Zak

It’s been nearly three weeks since Zak’s 40 day juice fast ended and his weight has been hanging out between 164 – 167.  (He started at 195 lbs and got down to 162.)

He’s still avoiding dairy, gluten and sugar.  He’s eating meat again now too after a decade of being a vegetarian.  (It’s been a long time coming and was not a decision he made lightly, but after reading Deep Nutrition during his fast, his meat free days are over.)

That’s a Juicy Wrap

Any other first questions that I missed?  If you’ve recently started juicing – tell us how it’s going!  What juicer did you buy?  What’s your favorite juice recipe so far? Get started now and you’ll be drinking beet juice before you know it!

beet_mustache

(Stock photo circa 2009.)


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


, , ,

Banish Cravings, Burn Fat and Run Faster with Less Cardio

June 16th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (6 Comments)

You’ve probably heard about “The Fat Burning Zone” when it comes to exercise and cardio – I think it was the elliptical machine equipped with a heart rate monitor on the handle bars at my university fitness center that clued me in to this concept a dozen or so years ago.

Keep your heart rate between here and here and you’ll burn more fat!

Really? Sounds good to me!  I’m ready to start burning fat! I’m ready to start burning so much fat that we set this place on fire!

But the “fat burning zone” never seemed to get me anywhere back then, and there was no explanation to these grand fat burning claims on the cardio equipment – so now what?

I won’t bore you again with my weight loss story (punch line: what you eat and the quality of your diet plays the biggest role in lasting weight loss) but for the first couple years after I lost 35 pounds in 2008 I probably worked out too much, largely out of fear of gaining the weight back if I didn’t.  Exercising a lot leads to feeling hungry a lot, which makes it easy to over do it with food, even the healthy stuff.  This can lead to feeling like you need to workout harder/longer tomorrow –> hungry, hungry, hungry, gimme gimme gimme carbs!  I Want Sugar! –> cue more running –> head –> desk –> I cannot live like this.

It was Mark Sisson’s Case Against Cardio that first helped me make the connection that all of my running was why I was struggling with carb and sugar cravings, and often feeling like a bottomless pit when it came to hunger.  Of course I was craving carbs and sugar! My muscles were demanding to be fed and my glycogen stores need to be stocked and ready for whatever insanity I was going to pull tomorrow.  I eventually figured out that I didn’t have to workout for so long or run all the damn time in order to be fit, healthy and happy.

Fast forward to the present (what?) I just recently found myself in this running, carb craving madness cycle again after half marathon training this spring.   Lots of running and increased mileage led to increased, annoyingly insatiable hunger and struggling with carb and sugar cravings.  Fortunately I recognized what was going on a lot sooner this time, but I still turned to The Primal Blueprint for some help in getting myself and my carb cravings straightened out.

This is all to explain why I’ve been experimenting with heart rate training for about a month now.  It’s working out so well that I’m excited to share what I’ve learned – especially for my fitness loving friends out there who might have a tendency to do over it when it comes to exercise.

How a Heart Rate Monitor Can Help

At first I thought “I’ll just run easy”, but my hunger levels didn’t really change.  A quick check of my pulse at the end of a run about a month ago proved that I wasn’t running as easy as I thought I was.  I clocked my heart rate the old fashioned way with my fingers and watch and found it upwards of 160 bpm.  That’s nearly 85% of my maximum heart rate!  Not anywhere near the 55 – 75% “fat burning zone” that Mark Sisson (and many others) recommend when it comes to burning fat as opposed to burning carbs for fuel.  (If you burn a lot of sugar, you’ll crave a lot of sugar!)

I’ve been running with a heart rate monitor that pairs with my Garmin 405 for a few weeks now.  It’s helped me see what pace I need to run to keep my heart rate in the “fat burning zone” – and it’s WAY slower than I ever would have guessed.

Garmin Heart Rate Monitor

Not only have I been running slower, but running less too.  In place of running I’ve been doing more walking, more yoga (and loving it!) and more easy bike riding.

The results so far?  I’m definitely not battling carb cravings anymore – it’s actually a huge relief.  And I’m really enjoying my low key approach to fitness right now as well.

Armed with this concept and my fun new gadget, I’ve been devouring books and websites for more details on the subject of Heart Rate Training and how to best apply it.  Come to find out, getting rid of sugar cravings and reducing hunger isn’t the only good thing that can come from doing less cardio – targeted heart rate training can be helpful when it comes to achieving other goals like fat loss and improved running times as well.

Books on Heart Rate Training

Getting Started

You can use this calculator to figure out your various target heart rates based on your age.   I’ve been aiming to keep my heart rate between 100 and 140 beats per minute (bpm) on my easy running days.  (As mentioned above, that’s 55 – 75% of my max heart rate.)  With the heart rate monitor I have learned that my heart rate easily stays in the “fat burning zone” during bike rides, but I have to make a conscious effort to run slow enough to keep my heart rate there during runs.

And when I say slow, I mean S L O W.  Like, OMG-I-Feel-Stupid-Running-Like-This slow.  But it’s OK!  It’s really good, I like it – and I especially like heading out the door knowing I’ve got a super easy, enjoyable workout ahead of me.

So is There Any Truth to This Fat Burning Zone Thing?

Many trustworthy sources say that there really is a “fat burning zone” when it comes to cardio – and low intensity is key.  While it’s true that you burn more calories with high intensity exercise, a higher percentage of those calories come from glycogen in your muscles, and that burn comes at a price:  needing to refuel with carbohydrates!  You burn fewer calories when you work out at a lower intensity, but a larger percentage of those calories are coming from fat – which means you’ll skip the sugar cravings that your body sends to your brain to ensure you refill your glycogen stores.

This is what Stu Mittleman’s book – Slow Burn: Burn Fat Faster by Exercising Slower – is all about.

Slow Burn by Stu Mittleman   

Slow Burn describes how slow, easy running trains your body to burn fat for fuel and why fat is a more efficient fuel source.  Even if your body fat percentage is low – you’ve still got plenty of stored body fat to get you through a long work out – trust me.  (Well, trust Stu.)

Stu explains that keeping your insulin levels low is the other key aspect to training your body to burn fat for fuel – this means (surprise!) eating less sugar, less grains and other refined carbohydrates.  It means building your meals around protein, healthy fats, vegetables and low sugar fruits.  This message is very much in line with the dietary guidelines of Mark Sisson, Dr. Catherine Shanahan in Deep Nutrition and The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf (that I just finished reading and loved!) as well.

But what if you are an endurance athlete?  Training your body to burn fat can be beneficial to you too.

Improved Running Times

As it turns out, most runners run too hard on their “easy” days.  Says who?  Well, says John Parker, the author of Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot.  Another book with the same theme, Run Less, Run Faster from Runner’s World.  Run Less, Run Faster prescribes three training runs a week with two days of cross training.  One long (slow) run, one tempo run and one speed work session.

Heart Monitor Training Run Less Run Faster

The underlying principles in both of these books is to explain that if you run every run hard (or even harder than you think you are) you will have nothing left in the tank to REALLY go hard on your fast days and get the most out of your training.  Cutting back and running really easy (again, easier and slower than you might expect!) can allow you to make the most of harder training sessions like speed work and tempo runs – the workouts that help you run faster.  These books agree that running slow helps teach your body to burn fat for fuel, and when your body gets really efficient at burning fat, you’re less likely to “bonk” on long runs because you’ve used up all of your muscle glycogen.

I’m not going to go into much detail in terms of the training plans outlined in each, but if you are looking to improve your speed and/or your endurance, these are two resources I recommend for further explanation and guidance with training plans for all levels of runners – from newbie to advanced.  (I couldn’t find the Heart Monitor Training book at the library, so I bought it used on Amazon for $2 bucks!)

Other Benefits to Training with a Heart Rate Monitor

You don’t NEED a heart rate monitor to put these concepts into practice – but I’m really glad I bought one.  It can help give you some new awareness when it comes to the intensity of your workouts.  I find myself staying present and actually paying attention to what I’m doing, how I’m feeling and how hard I’m working.  (Imagine that!)  It’s been very freeing to realize you can do less cardio and work out at a lower intensity and still get the results you’re after.

My Approach

Before learning more about heart rate training, I was running 2 – 3 days a week, each run at my normal pace 4 – 6 miles, maybe throwing in a couple of sprints or speed work session once a month.  Each summer since 2008 (with the exception of last summer with a newborn!) I have trained for some long distance race – either a half marathon or full marathon.  This summer I plan to just play around with these ideas and chill the heck out.

My current weekly workout plan:

1 slow run (usually 30 – 45 minutes, 3.5 – 4 miles)

1 easy bike ride (40 minutes)

1 – 2 vinyasa yoga classes (often riding my bike to and from the studio for a nice warm up and cool down, 4 miles/20 minutes)

1 speed work session every 7 – 10 days when time and energy allows (that “energy” bit is important – I’m only doing speed work when I’m feeling really good!)

and/or 1 short Cross Fit style workout at home (I blame that damn Paleo book!)

This usually leaves me with 1 – 2 rest days per week, which typically ends up being an “active” rest day with a short, self-guided yoga session or a 30 – 60 minute walk.  Kaz is currently loving rides in the jogging stroller, so I’m taking advantage of it!

What I Hope to Achieve

A faster 5K time!  I ran a 5K in May and will be running another in August – I hope to see some improvement between now and then from my speed work.  I’ll let you know how it plays out!

Fat loss!  At nearly one year after baby (!!) I feel good about my level of fitness and mostly good about how I look in my clothes these days, but I wouldn’t mind leaning out a bit more.  I do have a few pair of shorts that don’t fit quite as well as they did before Baby #3 and would really, really like to get back into them without calorie counting.  (This is actually what I’ve been working on since last December – I feel like I’m finally figuring it out!)

To continue to feel good when it comes to hunger and food.  I have no problem eating healthy and making good choices, but I don’t want constantly struggle with carb and sugar cravings!  Clean eating helps with that, but I’m coming to really understand that less cardio is key too.

I expect to expand more on this topic over the summer months as things continue to progress and I have more experience to share.

Any other heart rate monitor users out there?  Are you a former cardio junkie who’s had good results cutting back on your workouts?  Any advice, links or words of wisdom to share with the rest of us?


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


, , , , ,

Sardine Salad (Be Not Afraid!)

June 3rd, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (9 Comments)

There’s been a lot of talk about juicing around here lately.  I think it’s time we veer wildly off the juice beaten path to talk about sardines.  Sardines!  Aren’t you excited?  Well get excited!  Sardines make a fanastic salad!  So fantastic that I’m going to keep increasing the amount of exclamation marks I use when I talk about them throughout this entire post!!  See!!!  Isn’t this getting exciting?!!!!

Sardine Salad with Olive Oil and Lime

No?  I suppose that was getting a little out of hand.  But I am still excited about the sardine salad I made for lunch yesterday, it was surprisingly good!

“Surprisingly” because Sweet Mother of All that Swims Upstream or Downstream – sardines scare me a little.  I don’t know why, they’re just… SARDINES.  People are supposed to respond “BLECH!” when you say “do you want some sardines?”  Much the same way I felt about spinach as a kid whenever I watched Popeye open a can of the stuff and shoot it into his mouth.  I didn’t care that it made him big and strong – spinach is gross!  Look at that blob of green stuff from a can!  And he puts straight into his mouth?!  You have got to be kidding me IamNEVEReverEVEReatingspinach!  Please pass the Fruity Pebbles.

Yeah.  So maybe I was wrong about that spinach thing.  Turns out I was wrong about sardines too.  (And I was definitely, definitely wrong about the Fruity Pebbles)

I’ve eaten sardines one other time before and I did remember that they weren’t so bad – they didn’t seem that much different than tuna.  I also remember having to get past the part about them looking like FISH when I pulled the top off the can.  Don’t be alarmed when you open them up and discover that they look like they came straight from the ocean, someone only taking the time to chop off their heads and tails before throwing them into a tin and then slapping them onto the grocery store shelf.

I know what you’re thinking: stop being such a girl and get over it.  If you want to eat them then you gotta look those fish in the face.  Except not the face because their heads are cut off.  But yes, sardines do make you think a bit more about where your food comes.  At least they made me think about it.  (Sardines comes from the ocean.  I know that because I looked it up.  The Internet would never lie to me.)

But I’m here to tell the truth and nothing but the truth: these headless fish freaked me out a little.  There.  I said it.

And so I closed my eyes, dug them out and started chopping them up to make my salad.  (OK, so maybe I did open my eyes a little while I was wielding a knife around my fishy friends.)

Wild Planet Sardines

For dressing, I used the olive oil they came in (plus a little more from my own bottle because I had a big pile of greens) and the juice from one lime.

Lime Action Lime Shot

Action shot!  I added some salt and pepper too.

All on a bed of mixed greens including arugula and spinach, Popeye.

And I have to tell you (thus me writing a blog post about it) – this salad was pretty stinking good.

Sardine Salad

I kept expecting it to be overpoweringly fishy in taste, but it wasn’t.  It was just delightfully fishy.

Now on to the “why” part of this post, since we’ve already talked about the “how”.  (On salad with olive oil, lime and salt and pepper, are you paying attention?  Come on people!)

Because why on earth would you subject yourself to eating sardines without a dang good reason?  I mean, they taste good, that’s one reason – but you don’t know they taste good until you eat them.  And if like me you just said “BLECH!” anytime someone ever offered them to you, you have no idea that they taste good, so there’s no chance in H E double fish sticks you’ll be buying them without another reason.

During Sardine Salad Chow Time I dug out my trusty 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth to see if sardines made the list, and sure enough – there they are!

Read About Sardines

Everywhere I looked for sardine nutrition facts, I found the same general information: sardines are a rockin’ good source of Omega 3’s, B12, Selenium and calcium – they are high in protein and low in mercury too.  Omega3’s are good for cardio-vascular health and can even add years to your life.  Selenium can protect you from cancer, heart disease, and does all sorts of groovy stuff for your immune system and thyroid too.  (You can also scarf some Brazil nuts for selenium, FYI and FYImmuneSystem.)  B12 does super mega important things for our bodies and calcium, yeah – we all know that calcium does good stuff for our bones too.  (How’s that for scientific and informative?  You’re welcome.)

In short, sardines do a body good.  When I was eating this salad I kept saying “NOM NOM Omega 3’s.  Mmmmmm, Selenium.  B12! You are SO GOOD B12! NOM NOM NOM”.  You’ll be saying the same things too.  Just you wait.

Be sure to buy sardines packed in their own oil or olive oil – NOT vegetable oil.  Don’t be alarmed that they are a little boney (no big deal, just chomp right through them!) and as I already mentioned – try not to scream when you open the can and see a pile of little fish.  Do NOT expect to see a hunk of meat like you do when you open a can of tuna.

So what do you think?  Are you a sardine lover or do you say “BLECH”?  Do you have a favorite way to eat them?  Please tell us!  Or tell me, anyway.  I want to make these guys a more regular part of my diet and wide open to new tried-and-true ideas for sardine cuisine.


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


, , , , ,

40 Day Juice Fast? Done!

June 1st, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Weight Loss - (14 Comments)

Well, he made it! Zak has completed his personal juice fast challenge of consuming nothing but fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 40 days straight.  The produce drawer in the fridge is less packed, his pants are looser and I made coffee for both of us this morning.

Here he is at the start of his fast, 40 long days ago.  April 22, weighing in at 195 lbs.

Juice Fast Day 1

And today, June 1 – 41 days later and 32 pounds lighter.

Weight Loss End of Juice Fast

You can find more photos of his progression in the 4 weeks update, and some frequently asked questions in the 2 week update as well.

Here’s the updated version of his weight loss trend graph,  he lost 16.6 % of his body weight according to our home scale.

40 Day Juice Fast Weight Loss

He won his office Biggest Loser competition too – according to the scale at work he lost 15.48% of his body weight.  (The second and third place winners lost 4.42% and 3.6%.)  It was a $25 entry fee to be a part of the contest.  Winner takes the pot.  With 13 participants, he’s now $325 richer

After we took his “Before” picture on Day 1, he took a couple pictures of his belt buckle too.

Belt Buckle Before Juice Fast

Almost at the very end of its rope there… he pointed out that the end of the belt couldn’t even reach the belt loop.

Belt Buckle Before Juice Fast

(It also took me a second to realize that his hand is in the picture because he’s holding his belly out of the way.)

He took an “after” picture of his belt today, with the belt hole punch because he needed to add a new hole!

Belt After Juice Fast Weight Loss

(The same belt hole punch that was used to add holes to the other end of the belt.)

Moving forward, his plan for the next 40 days is to ease back into eating regular food by juicing for breakfast, having a salad for lunch and something with protein for dinner.  No gluten, no dairy, no sugar.  After juice and (black) coffee this morning, his first solid meal was a simple salad made arugula straight from the garden and carrots tossed in a dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salad booster.

First Lunch After Juice Fast

Good news, he remembered how to chew!

As for physical activity, now that he’s eating more calories, fat and protein, he plans to continue walking, to start doing yoga once a week as well as one short, high intensity workout per week.  He hopes to continue to lose some fat while building muscle and improving his fitness.  He says he feels like he could still use to lose another 10 lbs of fat, but doesn’t want to be overly concerned with what the scale says and is in no rush for his body fat percentage to drop further.

A few noteworthy items for anyone who might embark on a similar fast some day:

About two weeks into the fast he got a canker sore that was painful and slow to heal.  We initially guessed it was from drinking so much citrus, so he cut back on the lemons, limes and oranges in his juice.  I later found some anecdotal evidence in a blog post and more information in a juice fasting article that said his canker sore was an expected detox symptom.  It did eventually heal and did not return, and just like that blog post mentions, frequent tooth brushing did help with pain relief.  He said he noticed the feeling of a “coated tongue” that both of those sites mention, and that his tongue did feel different the entire time.

If you don’t want to read about bowel movements, start scrolling down now!  At first he was having bowel movements every other day (still solid) but they did decrease in frequency over the course of the juice fast.  It wasn’t that he was uncomfortably constipated, but there has just been very solid matter to… uhhh, you know – poop out.

A few other points, straight from Zak who says we should start a Juice Club.

The Rules of Juice Club

Breville Juicer for Juicing

Rule 1 – Tell people about Juice Club.  If you are going to set a juice fast goal for yourself, make it public.  This goes for any goal.  If you tell people about it, it helps hold you accountable and makes it easier to muster up the willpower to follow through with it.

(I’ve written about it here obviously, but he also announced it on his personal Facebook page.)

Rule 2 – Wash your juicer immediately.  The juicer is a pain to wash but is much easier to clean before the juice and fiber has time to dry.  Make washing the juicer your last step of making juice.  Don’t even drink your juice until the juicer is washed.

Rule 3 – Only one beet per glass.  Too many beets can have a laxative effect.  Some people use this as a detox method, but if you are planning on going out or any place where you don’t have easy, fast access to the bathroom, I recommend 1 beet at a time.  1 beet with beet greens is fine.

(Should we ask him how he knows this?)

Rule 4 – Be mindful while juicing.  It’s important to pay attention to your energy levels, what your body needs and how hydrated you feel.  There is no such thing as being too mindful.  Check in with yourself and how you’re feeling as frequently as you can.

And with that, Zak’s juice fast has come to an end.  (Thank God, I’m ready for him to start eating again!  I’ve missed sharing meals and being able to go out to eat together!)

Do you have any questions or remarks for him?  Fire away in the comments, or feel free to send an email as well.  He’ll gladly share about his experience and respond to you on or off the blog.


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


,

Zak’s Juice Fast Update: Four Weeks

May 22nd, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Weight Loss - (18 Comments)

Alternate Title: The Incredible Shrinking Man

So here he is in all his glory (with his underwear strategically hidden behind red squares, for your viewing pleasure) –  Zak the Juice Fasting Maniac:

April 22, 2013

Juice Fast Day 1

May 13, 2013

Day 22 Juice Fast

And today, one month exactly from the juice fast start date,

May 22, 2013

Juice Fast Day 31

(Don’t mind the toys on the floor that we failed to kick out of the way for this picture.)

A little excel spreadsheet chart to see his weight loss trend:

Juice Fast Weight Loss Chart

(missing data points are dates he didn’t record his weight)

And some Biggest Loser style stats (cue beeping scale!) he’s lost 13.6% of his body weight so far.

According to this ideal body weight calculator, as a 5′ 10″ man with a medium frame, his ideal weight is between 151 and 163… so he’s still got a little way to go before he reaches “ideal”.  (Awww, he’s already ideal to me!  Corny, I know.  Shut up.)

While putting this post together I asked him when the last time was that he weighed this little.  He guessed high school (that’s the early to mid 90’s, folks.)  He’s definitely the smallest I’ve ever seen him in our 15 years together – it’s crazy to wrap my arms around him and I try not to say “where did you go?!” every time.

Even though his continued weight loss is expected, I’m still amazed by it all.  I think I’m also amazed that he’s gone so long without eating.  Like many people, I’m sure I *could* do it… I just don’t want to.   I want to eat.

While we’re talking about juice, I’ve got another new juice recipe from this week – Orange Juice.  Orange in color thanks to orange and red vegetables, no actual oranges.

orange juice ingredients

A bunch of carrots, two sweet potatoes, half a cantaloupe and a whole red pepper.

(Speaking of the early 90’s, does “cantaloupe juice” remind anyone else of this Friend’s episode where everybody tried Carol’s breastmilk and Ross totally freaked out? “It tastes like… cantaloupe juice.”)

(Kaz DOES really like cantaloupe, for what it’s worth.)

Moving on, sweet potato juice isn’t nearly as weird as I expected it to be, and cantaloupe in juice is really good!  Cantaloupe also makes surprisingly little pulp.  This is a great combo of ingredients and flavors if you’re looking to try something different.

This quantity of ingredients made enough juice to last him all day!

orange juice

I’m resisting the urge to worry, but he’s drinking a lot less juice now than he was at the beginning of the fast.  He often points out that he’s very sedentary with his 9 – 5 desk job and doesn’t burn a lot of energy throughout the day.

He also says he’s become very aware of when his stomach feels contentedly full.  He use to drink a 16 oz glass of juice each time, but has cut that down to probably 12 – 14 oz per glass now. (Again, trying not to worry!)  He says he drinks when he feels hungry, and he’s also added coconut water (for the potassium and electrolytes) and drinks plenty of water, tea and Kombucha sometimes too.

FAQ #4 What About Protein?

Where are Frequently Asked Questions 1 – 3?  Here!

He’s been getting the protein question a lot lately, people are asking me this question too!  According to Joe Cross (The Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead guy) green juices have some protein.

I really like that Joe says:

if you decide to do a Reboot and it works better for you to add more protein, then you should do so! A Reboot is meant to be personal so it really is about creating what works best for you.

Joe also lists spirulina as a source of green vegetable protein.  When I read that I ran out and bought him a green kombucha and made him drink it while standing in front of me.

Green Kombucha

1 gram of protein per serving? (click to enlarge)

A Little Protein

I’m not impressed, Spirulina.

FAQ #5 What Kind of Juicer Do You Have?

We have the Breville Juice Fountain Plus. We are also the new owners of a hand-me-down Omega Masticating Juicer from my mother who just recently upgraded hers.  It is a lot slower than the Breville though and needs the vegetables to be cut into small pieces, so he’s been sticking with the Breville for now because it’s easier to use and any juice he makes doesn’t sit around for more than 12 hours.  We’ll probably play around with the Omega more once his juice fast is over.

More juicer questions?  This guide is really helpful and answers a lot of common questions about the differences and pros and cons between juicers.

FAQ #6 Can You Make Juice in a Blender?

Yes, but you’ll need a nut milk bag to strain out the pulp.  Further explanation here.

9 Days to Go

Today was the first day I heard him say that he’s looking forward to the juice fast being over.  He’s joked that the he’ll be breaking his fast with a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate!  (I started drinking coffee again a few days ago.  Coffee, I missed you.)

If I might weigh in here (har har) I would guess that he’ll gain some weight back once his juice fast is over at the end of next week (Friday, 5/31 will be the last day, it will be time to chew on June 1!) but in my own opinion based on our lifestyle and the kinds of meals that I prepare, as well as some of his new awareness with fullness cues and working to be a more mindful eater, I don’t think he’ll have much trouble keeping most of the weight off… but of course, time will tell.

I do think he’s lost some muscle mass, and so I think at the very least he’ll regain some muscle weight as he starts eating more protein again.  He’s just recently begun to do some body weight exercises and kettle bell swings on a more regular basis, both activities he’s done on and off in the past.  Beyond that, any activity he does is pretty much limited to walking 1/2 to 1 mile per day – sometimes simply going for a walk,  as well walking to and from the bus stop for work twice a day, three times a week.

I guess that’s it for this update!  Zak had a lot of fun responding to your comments and questions in my last post about his juice fast, so feel free to hit him up with specific questions if you’ve got any in the comments!


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


, , ,

Go Ahead and Cry Over Spilled Beet Juice

May 18th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Vegetable Lovin' - (3 Comments)

In my post about Zak’s juice fast, a couple of you asked about some of his favorite juice recipes.  Let’s just say that there has been a lot of experimenting on his part lately.  He often makes what he calls “Kitchen Sink Juice”.  I’m sure this title needs no explanation (but here I go anyway.)   He basically piles together whatever he finds in the fridge and then proceeds to shove it into the juicer.  From where I stand there does appear to be some rhyme and reason to what he makes for himself – often adding greens, carrots and beets for the nutrients, plus some apple, pear, lemon, lime and/or ginger to help with the flavor.  But then there was that time that he juiced an onion.  And that day when he juiced 4 cloves of garlic.  We’ve put garlic in juice before – but not 4 cloves.  And not until we had that vampire problem.

Now call me crazy, but I like to make predictably good tasting juice.  Today I’ll be sharing a few of my newer favorite tried-and-true juice recipes.  No garlic.  No onions.  No Listerine gargling required.

I love green juice, but I’ve really been into red juice lately.  This is my new favorite that I’ve been coming back to morning after morning for a couple weeks now.

1 beet, 2 oranges (peel removed), 3 – 5 carrots and a inch or so of ginger root.

Favorite Red Juice Ingredients

This particular bag of carrots had really skinny carrots, so I used more than five here. I’ve also adjusted the number of beets based on size, so keep in mind this is just a general guide.

So red.  So pretty.

Beet Carrot Orange and Ginger Juice

So scary when you look in the toilet the next morning.  But then you remember that you drank beet juice yesterday and hang up on the receptionist at your doctor’s office.

The above combo makes a nice big glass of juice for one person, throw in a few more carrots and maybe another orange if you’re making juice for two.  It is seriously delicious.  Even if you think you don’t like beets, this juice will totally change your tune.  And the color of your pee.  (Sorry.  You must be warned.)

Different red juice, different day.  This is the same combo of vegetables plus 1/2 a red bell pepper.  It doesn’t seem like a big change, but red pepper has a very distinct, very enjoyable flavor, I can’t believe I’ve never juiced a pepper before!  We’ve also added jalapeno with good results – but only if you’re into spicy foods, and err on the side of caution.  Try half a jalapeno before throwing the whole dang thing in.

Beet Orange Carrot Juice with Red Pepper

And definitely remember not to give any jalapeno juice to your juice loving baby.

Also remember to dry your hands off before moving your last little bit of juice to the fridge “for later”.

Spilled Beet Juice

I didn’t cry, but it’s possible a couple of choice words escaped the beet shaped hole I call my mouth.

Even with my new found love of red juice, there’s still plenty of green juice to go around.  My latest twist on green is to replace my usual lemon and apple with lime and pear a la celery, ginger, lime and pear juice.  Lime is more subtle and less harsh than lemon while still making it very easy to drink the juice from green leafy vegetables.

This glass was kale, cucumber, celery, parsley, pear and lime.

Green Juice

Another noteworthy item:  Zak and I have each noticed (separately) that juice made with a lot of nutrient dense ingredients holds you over much longer than juice made with watery, less nutritious veggies.  (Again, I’m not on a juice fast, but I’ve been starting my mornings with juice and then eat my next meal whenever I feel hungry.)  Juice made with a lot of dark leafy greens, beets and carrots keeps hunger away longer than juice that is heavy with vegetables like cucumber, celery or leftover vegetable scraps like broccoli and kale stems.

This seems obvious to me now, but I never noticed or gave it much thought until we started juicing a wider variety of vegetables and varying the quantities as well.  I always expect to feel hungry about an hour after I drink fresh juice (on an empty stomach) but we’ve both come to notice that juices made with a lot of nutrient dense vegetables absolutely leaves you feeling fuller longer.

That’s it for today!  They’ll likely be more juice recipes to come, as well as an update early next week with the latest on Zak’s weight loss, more FAQ’s as well as more juice fasting thoughts and experiences.  Today is Day 27, 13 days to go.  Stay tuned!


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


, , , , , ,

Good News Bad News Chocolate Avocado Pudding

May 16th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Short or Sweet - (11 Comments)

Good news!  I’ve got an awesomely healthy delicious snack to share with you.

Bad news.  I’m not actually sharing this with you.  I’m only sharing the recipe.  If you want some you’ll have to make it yourself.

Good news: Zak is still on his juice fast.

Bad news: You can’t juice an avocado.

Good news: I am not on a juice fast.  I can eat all the chocolate avocado pudding I want.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

The concept of avocado pudding was first introduced to me by Lisa at Thrive Style a few months ago.  I started making this in the winter and it’s just recently made it’s way back into regular snack rotation.  I realized I’m past due to tell you about this high fiber, healthy alternative to the not-so-awesome, not-at-all-good-for-you, probably-not-even-chocolate treat.  Forget the magical mystical ingredients of whatever is in those little plastic cups with the tear off foil lids.  Avocados are where it’s at.

There are many variations on avocado pudding (AKA, avocado mousse) out there on the interwebs, so know that there are lots of ways to make this based on your own tastes and what you have in your cupboards.  The way I’ve been making it is simple and easy, and those just happen to be two of my most favorite adjectives ever.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding Ingredients

Lisa is a fellow coconut oil lover, and I followed her lead by adding coconut oil to my avocado pudding as well.

Not a coconut fan?  Good news!  Coconut oil is completely optional.  (It only gives it a very slight coconut taste anyway.)  I’ve made this with coconut oil and without it, and honestly it’s good both ways.  It seems smoother and more rich with coconut oil though, so that’s how I usually make it – but know that it’s not an essential ingredient.

Good news: this is gluten free, nut free and optionally dairy free

Bad news: this is not calorie free

Good news: this is not chocolate free

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Chocolate Avocado Pudding For One (or maybe for two, but really one)

1/2 – 1 avocado
1 – 2 Tbsp cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
1 tsp sugar, maple syrup, honey or a small chunk of ripe banana for sweetener.  (I usually use maple syrup or banana.)
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil (optional)
also optional 1/4 c milk or other liquid to thin it out a bit. I’ve used cow’s milk, almond milk and coconut water.

Combine ingredients in blender, food processor or with a hand mixer until smooth and dig in!

Making this in the Vitamix?

Good news: quick and easy, makes it really smooth.

Bad News: I can’t reach my tongue (or spatula) under the blades to get every last little bit out of the blender.

Making this with a Hand Mixer

Good news: also quick and easy.  Very easy to lick the bowl clean without getting any in your hair.

Bad News: You’ll probably get some on your forehead and nose though.

More Bad News: it’s not as smooth with the hand mixer (but still just as good.)

Feeding This to the Kids?  

Bad news: With the exception of 10 1/2 month old Kaz Man,my kids run in the opposite direction as soon as they hear the word “avocado”.

Good news:  More for me.

Bad news: the pesky baby like this stuff

Good news: Babies can’t have chocolate.  Go away, Baby.  This is mine.

Bad news: He won’t be a baby forever.

Good news: At least one of my kids will eat chocolate avocado pudding some day.  I would love for them to eat this.  Assuming there’s enough, of course.

Bad news: If you eat this with a spoon, you won’t be able to get every last morsel out of the bowl.

Good news: You can eat this with a spatula instead.

Spatula Instead of Spoon

Good news: You can easily double or triple this recipe and make it for a crowd.

Bad news: If every body cancels on you, you just might have to eat all 1000 calories of chocolate avocado pudding yourself.

Good news: That’s not really bad news.


Please know that links to Amazon are affiliate links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, but if you buy something from Amazon after following one of the links in my posts, I earn a percentage based commission from Amazon as a part of their affiliate program. This is one of the ways I generate revenue from the posts that I write here. I promise that I only link to items that I truly endorse. You don’t ever have to buy anything, but if you do, thank you for supporting the site and the work I do here.


, , , ,