Getting veggies in...

Ok, so I meant to do this post earlier in the week as well, but it just never happened. Better late than never. For the weekly challenge this week, I decided to try some new recipes to get my vegetables in a little more creatively. The first one I tried was a potato, squash and goat cheese gratin. Now I have never been a fan of squash. Seriously, do. not. like. it!! But I love potatoes and goat cheese, so I thought I would try it again for the sake of the challenge. Plus the picture of it looks so lovely and colorful, and I wanted to make it. So make it I did, and let me tell you, I am still not a fan of squash. Sick sick sick. But, my husband loved it and had it for lunch the next day. I still ate it (choked it down is more like it) so I could get my veggies in, but it was not enjoyable. However, I know most people love squash, so I thought I would share it. I hope you enjoy it.

The second recipe I tried was a vegetable beef soup, which I found in my Better Homes and Gardens cook book (and just happened to find the same one online). First of all, it was in the crockpot, which I love, and secondly, it was so easy and fast, and finally, it was actually quite tasty. So tasty that I probably got 6 servings of vegetables just from eating this soup, seeing as how I had 3 bowls of it! This soup was so easy and delicious that I will probably add it to my regular meal rotation, not that I have one, per se, but you know what I mean.

The other thing that I have done this week to get my veggies in is make the green drink. This concoction sounds disgusting, but it is surprisingly not that bad. I used to make it for breakfast until I got pregnant and couldn't stomach it. But now I am bringing it back, and it is such a good way to get lots of greens into your diet and feel super healthy. Take spinach, cucumber, sprouts, avocado, grapefruit, lemon, almond milk, and a couple of ice cubes and blend away. You can put in whatever amounts you want, but I find that 1 or 2 cups of spinach, 1/2 a cucumber, 1/2 cup of sprouts, half an avocado, a whole grapefruit and lemon and about 3/4-1 C almond milk is about right. I also sweeten it with stevia. I know, it sounds gross, but try it, you will be surprised. Or maybe not. You might hate it. :)

What counts as a vegetable?

So, I probably should have posed this question earlier on.  I had this question earlier in the week when I wanted to have a bake potato and count it towards my 5 a day.  I had remembered hearing that a potato doesn't count (even though it is a vegetable).  I did a quick search on good and found a website that said it doesn't count towards your daily servings of vegetables and is considered a starch.  So, I just went along with that website.  Anyway, the discussion came up again yesterday when discussing if a chick pea was a vegetable.  So, I did a little more research tonight.  There are many websites claiming that a potato doesn't count, but what do they know?  The all knowing government says it does, so I think we should go with that.  I am sorry if I caused confusion to anyone out there.  Here is a list of vegetables and sub categories according the government.   Here is the link http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/vegetables.html  I, don't think french fries count, though.  But, what do I know?  I didn't even think a chick pea was a vegetable.
 

What foods are in the vegetable group?

Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the vegetable group. Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.

Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups, based on their nutrient content. Some commonly eaten vegetables in each subgroup are:

Dark green vegetables bok choy broccoli collard greens dark green leafy lettuce kale mesclun mustard greens romaine lettuce spinach turnip greens watercress Orange vegetables acorn squash butternut squash carrots hubbard squash pumpkin sweetpotatoes Dry beans and peas black beans black-eyed peas garbanzo beans (chickpeas) kidney beans lentils lima beans (mature) navy beans pinto beans soy beans split peas tofu (bean curd made from soybeans) white beans	Starchy vegetables corn green peas lima beans (green) potatoes Other vegetables artichokes asparagus bean sprouts beets Brussels sprouts cabbage cauliflower celery cucumbers eggplant green beans green or red peppers iceberg (head) lettuce mushrooms okra onions parsnips tomatoes tomato juice vegetable juice turnips wax beans zucchini

RECIPES, WORKOUTS and BALANCE

If you feel so inclined, I'd love to hear what you have to say about the following topics this week.

1. RECIPES: What are you cooking this week? Since our weekly
challenge has to do with food, I think this would be a great time to
share new recipes that include vegetables or just simply tell us how
you're getting your 5 servings of veggies in. Please don't give us a
food journal log of what you've eaten each day, but if you made
something outstanding, please share the recipe. Or, if you have some
tips that might help the rest of us as far as great ways to eat
veggies, share away!

2. WORKOUTS: I would love to hear an update on your workouts! What
are you doing each day and are you really challenging yourself so that
when the 8 weeks is over (we only have six weeks left!) you feel like
you've made a difference in your physical health? What is working for
you so you can fit this into your busy schedules? Are any of you
interested in group workouts/runs (in NYC?) For those of you in other
areas, please feel free to get together as well!

3. BALANCE: How does one find balance in their life? We're all striving for it and sometimes we feel like we have it. Other times that's not the case. What words of wisdom can you share on this topic?

7 HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT

You still two nights to get a full seven hours of sleep at night. How has this challenge been for you? Personally, I am one of those people who needs a good amount of rest, so I have to make this happen otherwise I don't function all too well during the day. Many of you expressed how this was going to be a hard challenge for you because of various reasons - babies, insomnia, work schedule and getting in your work-out before you leave in the morning, etc. I'm interested in hearing how getting a full nights rest has helped you, if at all. When I am well rested, and for me that means getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep, I function so much better during the day.

Let me and the rest of the group know how the weekly challenge has gone for you this week!

And feel free to share any other insights to how the other elements of the challenge are going for you!

Week 1 update

Still waiting to hear back from 10 or so people with their week 1 totals. I will have the list posted by tomorrow morning sometime. Thanks for being patient!

WEEKLY CHALLENGES

For you to reference during the next seven weeks:

In order to get all 7 points for this category each week, you must complete the challenge for six of the seven days during that particular week. If you do this, you will get six daily points, plus an additional 1 bonus point for a total of seven points. Even if you only miss one day, you will only receive five points instead of the possibly seven. I hope this makes sense to everyone!

WEEKLY CHALLENGES:

Week 1: Keep a food journal
Week 2: 7 hours of sleep per night
Week 3: 5 servings of vegetables per day
Week 4: Drink 64 fluid ounces of water per day
Week 5: 100 sit-ups & 50 push-ups per day (doesn't necessarily have to be done in one sitting. Try 5 sets of 20 sit-ups & 10 push-ups throughout the day)
Week 6: 4 servings of fruit per day
Week 7: 5 small meals per day
Week 8: Run/Walk at least 1/2 marathon (this doesn't have to be completed at one time, but can be done in small increments throughout the week to add up to 13.1 miles)

Week One is Almost Done

Just checking in....How did week 1 go? What have been your struggles? What have been your triumphs? How is your body feeling after doing all that exercise? Have your sugar withdrawls been bad or manageable?

For me, week one went pretty well. I decided to have tomorrow (Sunday) be my free day. Homemade apple crisp with vanilla ice cream is on the menu to be enjoyed after conference. I can't wait! My body is actually quite sore from a mixture of running two days, elliptical one day and two different aerobic/strength training videos the other days. Let's just say it's been a while since I've done muchas squats and my booty and legs are feeling it. I love it though.

• What have you been doing for your workouts this week?
• What substitutes for desserts have you used to keep yourself satisfied?
• Any other insights regarding food journaling?

Please don't forget to send me your points for week 1 by tomorrow night. Let's make 9pm est the deadline. ***For this week, please e-mail just me your points. I'll have the list of everyone's points posted on the blog before I go to bed so you can see who your competition is.

Also, is everyone clear about the point system?