Prepping for October Unprocessed Day 1 + Race Week!

So, I have to admit something. This unprocessed challenge is not all that much of a challenge for me. Just a way to get me back on track. And it's Race Week, so I'm trying to keep myself as well nourished, hydrated and relaxed as possible. This means no skipping breakfast, and getting some good healthy carbs in. It's all about the prep work.

Here's what I have going so far this week.

1) Quinoa! I typically cook up a batch on Sunday afternoon to have it ready for the week. For breakfast I treat it like oatmeal, heat it up and add some almond milk and fruit and nuts! It makes a great lunch!

Quinoa, make a batch and store it for the week!

Today I threw it in with some leftover grilled chicken and frozen veggies.

Here's my latest Quinoa trick! Toast the Quinoa for a few minutes in the sauce pan until it starts to "pop". Then rinse it, then cook it per package instructions. I swear it's always turned out for me this way! And I admit, I've had it become a mushy mess as well.

Sweet Potatoes! Great for breakfast or a snack.

2) Sweet potatoes! Scrub them, prick them with a fork, and bake in the oven for 1.25 hours at 350. Make a few at a time. Let them cool and scoop out the flesh. I bring about 1/2 of a potatoes worth to work, topped with a tiny bit of butter, a drizzle of pure maple syrup and some toasted nuts.  Perfect morning snack. Store the rest in the fridge for the week!

3) Turkey Sausage. There is always some of this in my freezer. Breakfast is great any time of day, and homemade turkey sausage takes the guilt of regular breakfast meat out of the equation. Check out my recipe here. 

4) Brown Rice. Rice isn't really a staple for me, but again, it's race week, so I cooked up a batch tonight to eat with my Dal. (still have to write up that recipe).

So that's it for quick prep tips. Tip #1-- put in the time and do the prep work to make mornings (and any meal) a whole lot easier!

Detox/Cleanse Week 1 & Tri-Training Week 2 in Review

I last updated you just one full day into my cleanse. As I sat down to write on day 3 or 4, I realized, it would be horribly boring for you to read, so I decided, less is more.

Mango Smoothie

It's Sunday night, and week one is nearly complete. I managed to stick through it the whole time! Pretty amazing considering the temptations I had to face. On Day 2, we had a birthday lunch scheduled at work, I contemplated skipping, but I knew I didn't want to. So instead I looked at the menu and found a salad that would "mostly" work. This is a good tip in general, that I learned from a friend. When you want to stick to a plan, checkout the online menu first, and pick what you are going to eat. Then, when you are at the restaurant, you will be less tempted to go off your plan. As it turned out- it snowed like crazy on Monday night and the two birthday guests could not make it in. Crisis averted! Thankfully, I had brought the broccoli soup, for just this reason!

Beet and Spinach Salad

The next big temptation was Thursday... bowling night. I managed to make it through the night without drinking. At first it was pretty easy... but it's amazing how pushy your friends get once they start drinking. It actually wasn't that hard to say no, it's just that there was constant pressure... more annoying than frustrating.

I was nervous about the weekend, but I kept pretty busy and that helped. I know I'm a snacker when I'm home! I was not good about drinking water though-- I never am at home! It's probably good that I work 5 days a week!

Since this week was really low on the protein scale, I was a little nervous about how it would affect my training. If you've scanned the cleanse info, it says to stick to stretching this week, and don't be too active. This was not a problem for me. I completed all of my workouts as planned, with the exception of waking up Saturday morning with a headache that limited my interest in pushing myself. (when I got home from the gym, I used Peppermint oil, and it was gone before I got out of the shower- hindsight). Perhaps less healthy eaters would struggle more with energy levels, but I had no problems.

Sweet potato and Red Lentil Soup

I'm really looking forward to adding grains to the program! One of the things I've struggled the most with is not feeling full. I miss the satisfaction that only comes with grains!

Be sure to check the Whole Living website for these awesome recipes!