Paleo Running Fuel

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Pooja Parikh

Edit: This smoothie (recipe given below) worked like a charm! I didn’t hit a wall while running (which was fantastic) and I felt strong the whole time. Huzzah! We have a winner!

I’ve faced a challenge on the Paleo diet. I have had a really difficult time finding what Paleo-friendly foods serve as good running fuel.

My usual pre-run food is toast with peanut butter, banana slices, and maybe a drizzle of honey or sprinkle of cinnamon. It is the PERFECT running food for me. I can truly feel a difference in my performance when I’ve eaten that versus anything else. But, alas! Bread and peanut butter are not things I can eat on the Paleo diet.

On Thursday, about 2 hours before my 5 mile run, I made a smoothie with a frozen banana, some frozen strawberries and blueberries, coconut milk, almond butter, and spinach and sipped it alongside two scrambled eggs. This proved to not be the best choice for me–I hit a wall around mile 4 and had a very difficult time finishing out the last mile.

Really, I should have known better. I’ve never had eggs before a run–I’ve read in so many places that your body takes longer to break them down so they aren’t recommended pre-run.

Today, before my 6-mile run, I decided to change things up a little bit. I am just opting for a smoothie this time.

Here’s what I put into the blender:

-1 frozen banana
-4 frozen strawberries
-a handful frozen blueberries
-3 tablespoons coconut milk
-2 tablespoons almond butter
-1 tablespoon chia seeds
-1 teaspoon agave nectar
-1/2 an avocado
-a handful of spinach

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Hopefully the extra almond butter, chia seeds, and avocado will give this smoothie some more staying power!

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I’m actually sipping on the smoothie right now and it is fantastic. And don’t worry–you cannot taste the spinach and avocado. They just add a healthy kick without contributing to the flavor! The avocado can give it a weird savory aftertaste, but you can always add more agave if that’s the case for you.

Any fellow Paleo dieters out there (or people keen on nutrition!)–do you have any recommendations or suggestions as to what may serve as good running fuel?

For non-Paleo dieters–what is your running fuel of choice?

Posted in Fitness, Food, Healthy, Paleo, Recipes, Running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tat-two Year Anniversary

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Pooja Parikh

I never saw myself as the kind of person who would get a tattoo–in fact, I saw myself as the person who would never get a tattoo. I hadn’t even considered it until a certain phrase crept into my head.

Conozca su valor.
(Spanish for “Know your worth.”)

These three words quickly became some of the most important words in my life. As soon as I wrote them down, I knew I was going to get a tattoo. I knew I had to get one.

I had faced a really rough period in the Fall of 2010. I had some personal things going on, as well as my ever-continuing health problems. When I had to medically withdraw from school for the second time, I started questioning myself and my abilities. I felt like every time I tried to stand on my own two feet, something would come and just knock them out from under me. Was this cycle ever going to stop? Was I even capable of accomplishing anything in my life?

Then, as I was sitting at my desk in January 2011, when the phrase Conozca su valor came to me, I started to gain a different perspective. I was beginning a new semester, and marathon training was about to take off as well. I knew I needed this with me to serve as a constant reminder.

Without hesitating, I called up my best friend Alex and asked her to accompany me the next day. She loved my tattoo idea and fully supported it–she even lent me the money to get it! Her presence made it much less scary and much more exciting. I’ll never forget that day.

On my left wrist.

On my left wrist.

Now, two years later, I do not regret getting that tattoo for even a nanosecond. I felt beaten down before I got the tattoo, but I had no idea what was in store for me after.

I remember when I showed the tattoo to my mom. Initially, she was disappointed by the thought of her baby girl getting a tattoo. But once she heard what it meant, the doubt melted off her face and she loved it. She knew how badly I needed that reminder, and she understood that it defined me.

When I was in the hospital last Spring, I often found myself looking at it, feeling it, and reminding myself of my worth. The times I hated my body and the person I had become–taking one look at it would momentarily take me away from the negativity and hopelessness that I felt were chaining me to the ground.

Even now, when I get frustrated because I feel like my life is moving very slowly, all I have to do is look down at my left wrist. It serves as a reminder of the most difficult years of my life, and how far I’ve come since then. And because I know my worth, I know I’ll continue to go far.

Posted in Anecdotes, Misc | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Authentic Campfire S’mores Made in the Oven

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Pooja Parikh

When it’s bitter and cold outside, all I can think about is the warm comfort food I’m craving.

The warm, delicious, gooey comfort food.

The kind of comfort food that makes you reminiscent of the times spent sitting around a campfire with your closest friends and family. It may even remind you of your days spent huddled around a fire as a Girl Scout.

Instant warm fuzzies.

Instant warm fuzzies.

That’s right, S’mores.

This may be a no-brainer for some of you, but it recently dawned on me that I could make my favorite campfire treat in the comfort of my own home. And we’re not talking a simple melted marshmallow in the microwave–we’re talking browned marshmallows that I once believed you could only achieve with fire.

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The most dangerous thing about these S’mores is that they take all of 5 minutes to make.

What you need:
-Graham crackers
-Chocolate (of your choice)
-Marshmallows (you could use these to keep them vegan)

Stack the chocolate and marshmallows onto the graham cracker (chocolate first), then place on a baking sheet lined with foil (for easy clean-up, no need to grease it). Stick into the oven and broil on high for approximately 5 minutes, depending on how brown you want your marshmallows. It’s very important that you keep an eye on the marshmallows as they brown because it happens much faster than you’d think!

And in five minutes, you have this…

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I had set some aside for my mom yesterday, and I stuck them in the microwave for 20 seconds to warm ’em up when she got home from work at night. After a long day of work, she was in dire need of some comfort food, and it was clear that these had hit the spot for her. She was actually a little sad that I hadn’t made some more (s’more…get it?), but I assured her I would make more in the future.

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In the time you have spent reading this post, you could have made these S’mores already.

What are you waiting for?

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Posted in Food, Recipes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Stranger Can Change Your Life

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Pooja Parikh

You never know how a random trip to the gym can affect you.

I’m going to share the story of a stranger who unknowingly shed so much light upon me. Her blind faith in me has changed my life.

When I got back from India in July (I was there for 4 1/2 months for a series of major surgeries, which you can read more about here), I was more than ready to sign up for a gym membership so I could be active again. My strength and energy levels were still pretty shaky (and they remained so for a while), but I was determined to improve so that I could start training for my next marathon.

My gym gives you a complimentary meeting/session with a personal trainer when you sign up for membership, so I went in on a random day to take advantage of this perk. The name of the PT I was to meet was Kylie.

I sat down with Kylie to ask for marathon training tips and suggestions. As we discussed marathon training, I noticed that she kept alluding to future PT sessions and I started to feel guilty. I finally decided to stop her and be honest about my intentions. I explained to her that I was not in the financial position to afford a personal trainer at the time, but I’d appreciate any help she could give me during the current session.

I then went on to give her some background information regarding my struggles with health and tried to answer any questions she had to the best of my ability. I showed her some of my surgical scars to give her a better idea of my condition, even though it was difficult for me. I told her about how I was intent on running another marathon, and, after what I had been through, that nothing would stop me.

Then something totally unexpected happened:

She started crying. She told me that she wanted to help me and that she would train me at no cost. She said that she felt like it was time for the universe to give back to me for what I had been through, and she wanted to be part of it. She explained that the reason she became a personal trainer was to help people in different situations, and she refused to take no for an answer.

Naturally, her warm generosity and selfless demeanor reduced me to tears as well. We sat there, blubbering messes, so thankful that somehow fate had brought us both to that very moment.

I was taken aback at how willing she was to help me. She seemed to have no doubt that I would succeed, and she wanted to do everything in her power to make sure it happened–she wanted to invest her time and energy in me. A complete stranger believed in me, and that added an invaluable amount of fuel to my fire.

Even when the staff at our gym eventually told her that she could no longer train me during her working hours because I was not a paying client, Kylie was still determined to help me. Because her plate wasn’t full enough as a single mother who worked full-time, she offered to train me on her own time.

Kylie has been one of the most encouraging people to me. I always text her after a run and she will respond immediately with enthusiasm and supportive words. She started out as a stranger, and because of her humility and willingness to help, has not only become part of my support system, but a good friend.

Morals of the story:
1. You never know how a stranger can affect your life, if you allow it to happen.
2. You never know how you, as a stranger, can affect someone else’s life.
3. Kylie rocks.

You always find light in the most unexpected places.

You always find light in the most unexpected places.

Posted in Anecdotes, Fitness, Misc, Running, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Vegan-ized Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Pooja Parikh

What is it about smoothies that makes them so irresistible? Is it the blending together of ingredients that gives you a taste of every flavor in each sip? Or is it the ease and convenience of throwing everything into a blender and calling it a meal?

Either way, I have a doozy for you today.

Healthy and tasty.

Healthy and tasty.

When I saw that Julie had posted this recipe a few days ago, I knew I had to create a vegan version of it. And what kind of person would I be if I didn’t share the delicious creation?

So, here you go!

Ingredients:
-1 frozen banana
-1 cup frozen strawberries
-6 oz Amande Vanilla Almond Milk Yogurt (Sidenote: Ashlee recommended So Delicious   Greek Style Coconut Milk Yogurt but I couldn’t find any at my local grocery store so I stuck with my usual)
-3/4 cup almond milk (I use Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla)
-2 tablespoons Tofutti Milk-free Cream Cheese
-1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-Pinch xanthan gum

Throw it all into a blender and call it a day!

I added cinnamon and vanilla to give it more of a graham cracker-y flavor to enhance the overall cheesecake experience. Because the yogurt I used wasn’t as thick as Greek yogurt, I also added xanthan gum to give it a thicker texture.

Strawberry cheesecakey goodness!

Strawberry cheesecakey goodness!

I found this smoothie to be extremely satisfying and enjoyed every last sip.

I topped mine with sliced strawberries and some coconut milk whipped cream that I quickly whipped up for good measure, but the possibilities are endless.

It's already time to make this again...

It’s already time to make this again…

You can find the original un-veganized version of this smoothie here.

Enjoy!

Ps. Don’t forget to check out the fairly new facebook page if you haven’t already!

Posted in Food, Healthy, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Skinny, Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Pooja Parikh

So…let’s talk about these brownies.

The bad news: They are highly addictive.
The good news: You can make them and still keep your New Year’s Resolution!

For the love of all things chocolatey and peanut buttery.

For the love of all things chocolatey and peanut buttery.

I recently discovered the blog Sally’s Baking Addiction and, well, wowza. Not only are her desserts beautifully photographed and delicious-looking, but they are approachable as well! A foodie blog that isn’t horribly intimidating? Yes, please!

After spending a good amount of time (probably over an hour) browsing through her blog, I knew I had to make these brownies…along with a growing list of other delectable desserts.

They have everything you could ever want in a brownie. They are extremely melt-in-your-mouth fudgy, rich, chocolatey, peanut buttery, and very dense. And with no butter, oil, or white flour, they are relatively guilt-free!

The peanut butter swirl takes these to a whole new level.

The peanut butter swirl takes these to a whole new level.

I slightly modified the recipe when I made these, simply to eliminate dairy and sugar. I used almond milk instead of regular, Amande vanilla almond milk yogurt in place of regular yogurt, and Splenda instead of sugar. But honestly, if you bit into these brownies, you’d have no idea. They’re that sinfully delicious.

I think a reason I couldn’t wait to make these is that I had all of the ingredients on hand at home. You don’t even have to make a trip to the grocery store, and it all comes together in minutes. My kind of brownie.

Heaven in brownie form.

Heaven in brownie form.

Will I be making these again? Absolutely. I have a marathon coming up and with oats, peanut butter, and yogurt packed into these babies, they are the perfect running fuel.

Now that I’ve written so much about these brownies, I’m tempted to go eat one, or two…or a dozen.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

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Journey from “Will Run,” to “Can’t Run,” to “Must Run”

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Pooja Parikh

Any time I talk to someone about running a marathon and I receive the response, “Man, I could never run that much. You’re crazy!” my first thought is, “You probably could–you just don’t feel like you have a reason to run that distance.” Of course, this doesn’t apply to every person, but I must admit that I was initially unable to run a single mile…and even I eventually crossed the finish line of a full marathon!

What reasons did I have? What motivated me to take on this (at times) seemingly unattainable goal?

Well, I had honestly never even considered running a marathon. It seemed so unlikely and far-fetched that I equated its probability to that of having stretchy powers like the mom on The Incredibles.

Yeah. Not gonna happen. (source)

The seed was planted in my head when one of my best friends, Monica, completed her first full marathon in 2010. Having someone so close to me accomplish such an incredible feat inspired me and motivated me to explore my own boundaries. My body/health had already been through so much at this point, that I was ready to regain control over my body (sickness, begone!) and find a unique way to push myself to my limits. I thought that training for a marathon would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover my own strength. I had also lost a lot of confidence in myself since school and health had not been working in my favor. I was in desperate need of setting a goal and actually realizing it.

Whenever I mentioned my potential goal to Monica, she was beyond encouraging (to say the very least). Even though I knew how hard she had worked to achieve her goal (just kidding, I had no idea at the time–you never know how hard someone works to train unless you’ve done it yourself), she made me feel like I was capable of working just as hard and pushing myself just as much. She actually probably knew I would cross that finish line long before I did.

I’ll save the emotions that I went through while training and running the actual race for a later day, but know that it was quite possibly the most emotional experience of my life. No, not possibly–from start to finish, it was the most emotional experience of my life. I will never forget how I felt on May 1st, 2011.

Action shot!

To the date, one year after running the full marathon, I was in the hospital after having surgery on my legs. It took four nurses, my mom, and a boatload of pain to help get me out of bed (after which it was decided that I wasn’t ready to be out of bed for another week). I want to say that it made me feel determined to fight and run in the future, but that would be a lie. My mom can attest to how defeated I felt that day. All I could think about was how badly my body had deteriorated in a year’s time. I couldn’t even relate to that stranger of a girl who had run 26.2 miles exactly a year earlier.

Now, 6 months later, I can finally say that I have found that person within me again. I’m strong, determined, and I have one hell of a support system.

And that’s why I can say with full confidence that I’m going to run another marathon on April 13th, 2013.

After that? I’ll keep running. Because I can.

Posted in Anecdotes, Running | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Life-changing 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Pooja Parikh

Why, yes. You read that correctly. These are the easiest cookies you’ll ever make (excluding peel-and-stick cookies), and it’s almost unfair how amazing they taste. Well, unfair to everyone who doesn’t get to try one…

Autumn in a cookie.

How can something this magical come from only two ingredients, you ask? Well, I can’t answer that because I really don’t understand it myself, but I can let you in on the secret.

Count them–one, two. (source)

I actually got way too excited when I was making these and completely forgot to take a picture of the ingredients in their respective packages, so I stole this picture from my favorite blog, which is where I found the recipe. When I first stumbled upon this recipe on Julie’s blog, I couldn’t get over what a genius I thought she was. I had to fight the urge to grab my keys and rush to the grocery store immediately to get the ingredients. I was strong though, and managed to wait…until the next day.

Fortunately I had the perfect excuse because that weekend we were planning on celebrating some birthdays. Not that I need an excuse to bake cookies.

So what do you do with these two ingredients? You throw them into a bowl…

Like so…

And mix ’em together!

Voilà!

Then you just plop spoonfuls of the dough onto a greased cookie sheet (I prefer to line mine with foil) and stick it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Ready for the oven!

Then you twiddle your thumbs and control your drool for the next 10-12 minutes while the amazing smells of pumpkin and spice cake and all things autumn fill your house.

I may have eaten 1 (or 3) fresh out of the oven. No regrets though…they are seriously some of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted in my life. And as someone with a giant sweet tooth, I’ve tasted a lot of cookies.

I decided to top mine off with some cream cheese icing and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice (got the idea from Julie, of course), but you can do whatever you want with them! They are delicious plain as well–if you can even call them that. They’re so full of flavor that it doesn’t seem right to call them “plain.”

Waiting to be devoured.

My friends heartily approved of these cookies and scarfed them down with the same enthusiasm that I had experienced. The texture is actually a bit more cakelike than your average cookie, but I heard no complaints. One of my friends, Jones, used his abundant knowledge of the Spanish language and referred to them as “cake-itas” (which “means” mini-cakes), which I found to be both hilarious and highly accurate.

So, here you go. Two-ingredient pumpkin spice cake-itas.

Taking a bite out of autumn.

Make these. I promise you will not be disappointed.

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Expectations of Getting Older vs. Reality

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Pooja Parikh

Every year, around the time of my birthday, I like to spend time reflecting on where I am in my life at the moment. I compare it to where I had imagined I’d be and try to gain some perspective on how it all fits together and makes sense.

Here is where I honestly thought I’d be at 24:

  • Graduated from college
  • Working
  • Financially independent
  • Out of Oklahoma
  • Engaged or on the road to it (still being honest…)

Here is where I really am at 24:

  • Still a student in undergrad
  • Unemployed
  • Completely financially dependent on my parents
  • Living with my parents at home in Oklahoma
  • Single

See? Not much has changed.

I will admit that I sometimes catch myself thinking, “I’m 24 and I have absolutely nothing to show for it.” I compare where I am with where I thought I would be and sit in a pool of shame. But I don’t allow that pity party to last. Because it’s not true.

It’s not fair to compare how I pictured my life (with a pretty little bow on top) to reality. How could I have predicted the challenges I’d face and the obstacles I’d overcome?

This is not what Life looks like. (source)

I’ve found that if I continue to focus on what I expected to happen, I will never learn to appreciate the unexpected moments, accomplishments, and happiness. And to me, that’s a major life lesson. We make plans to stay sane and to give ourselves some direction, but how much of life actually goes according to that beloved plan?

Sure, there are things I had planned that haven’t happened yet–but what about the things I didn’t plan? I hadn’t planned on studying abroad, but that ended up being one of the most significant experiences of my life. I hadn’t planned on running a marathon, but the experience has shaped much of who I am today. I never expected that I’d be able to do these things that have been defining moments for me.

As we experience more of life, priorities change, definitions change, and goals change…which lead to changes in expectations as well. If so much within us is constantly changing, how can we look at ourselves with the same perceptions as before? That’s a step backward. It’s time to move forward.

I know I’m not the only person who often wishes they were in a different place or doing different things, but I’ve fought hard to be where I am right now. I am not doing myself justice if I don’t carry myself with pride.

The important thing is that I’m surrounded by good people, love, support, and hope. And that is why I have reason to celebrate my 24 years.

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“Just Pin the Sandwich onto Your Pants.”

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Pooja Parikh

This isn’t a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is a love story. This is the story of the lengths a family will go to in order to make sure their loved one is fed.

During the first post-surgery hospital stay in India, I managed to eat the meals provided. But the second time around, I turned into a total brat. I couldn’t seem to stomach the hospital food anymore and only had a taste for home cooked food. My family members were desperate to oblige.

There was just one problem–outside food was not allowed in the hospital. And they meant it. They scanned each person’s belongings as he/she entered the hospital to ensure that no one broke the rules. They even patted down the men.

Initially, a few family members were successful at sneaking food in through their purses, but the success was short-lived (except for my oldest aunt, who was not caught a single time). The guards eventually began to recognize them and knew to check and see if they had tried to smuggle in food. We were at a loss.

One family member in particular was determined not to give up, and she became the brains behind Operation Feed Pooja. She came to visit me in the hospital one morning before heading to work. My mom and I were confused by her choice in attire…as a woman who was usually well-dressed, she walked in looking something like this:

Okay, perhaps not exactly like that, but she was in extremely baggy clothing. Little did I know, she had plans beyond what I could have ever imagined. After exchanging greetings, she revealed the explanation behind her interesting clothing when she pulled ziploc bags full of home cooked goodies out of each pocket.

My jaw dropped to the ground in surprise/appreciation/love/hunger/amusement/craving/happiness/everything. She had cracked the system!!! She found the loophole!! The security guards at the hospital entrance patted down the men, not the women! And we were going to celebrate that beautiful, beautiful fact.

A trend quickly spread throughout the female family members. They finally had a way to feed the bratty hospital patient they loved so much! Not all of them owned prize-winning baggy clothes, however, so they found ways to improvise. What would they do, you ask? They would put the food in ziploc bags, and then safety-pin the bags to their pants. Their blouses would cover up the goods because they would generally wear longer tops like this:

You can’t tell, but she has 5 bags pinned to the top of her pants. source

I remember the pathetic eager eyes I’d give my family as they’d walk into my hospital room. “What did you bring me today?” my eyes would ask without my permission. As if in response to the shameless question, after making sure no one was looking, each person would reveal the newest installment to our growing hidden pantry of home cooked deliciousness.

Not a single person got caught once we learned to cheat the system.

The discovery gave us another reason to laugh every day with our beautiful family.

And I remained happily fed for the duration of my 22-day hospital stay.

Posted in Anecdotes, Misc | 1 Comment