Rules By Red
31 May Honey Lime Chicken Breast
The week after a long weekend is always the hardest to get through. It's a shorter week, but most of us still need to fit in the same amount of stuff. Makes for a super busy week. My to-do list this week included buying a new pair of running shoes! Last week, I made my first attempt to run since back surgery #2, kept it slow and all went well! No back pain! YAY! I thought I ran at a slow pace before I hurt myself, well, now I am even slower. It's more of a slow jog. Maybe a fast walk... Another milestone in the bank!19 May Berry Cherry Barbecue Chicken
Memorial Day is fast approaching, and that normally means it's officially summer! Of course, technically, summer doesn't start until June 21st on the calendar, but thats just semantics to me. We've had a pretty mild spring in Arizona (knocks on wood) this year, and have only seen a few 100 degree days so far and Memorial Day weekend is looking to remain less than 100 degrees!! I'm looking forward to being able to hang out outside and get some work done in the garage before the temperature rise!! I know it's coming. In light of Memorial Day being the traditional day we kick off the barbecue season in climates that experience seasons other than spring and summer, I wanted to share one of my favorite summer recipes - Berry Cherry Spicy Barbecue Chicken. This sauce is sweet, wth a hint of spice and smokiness that just yells summer. I highly recommend serving it along side cole slaw with a vinegar-based dressing and maybe some grilled corn on the cob! YUM!10 May Vegetable Potato Hash with Pancetta
I've almost completed the yoga teacher training and I have to say, while several people I know said that teacher training was life changing, I was skeptical. But they were so right!! I've already been teaching Yin at a fitness center close to me, and I have to say, studying the mental, philosophy side of yoga is definitely life altering; not to mention, as someone with high functioning anxiety, the pranayama and meditation exercises have really been useful in controlling my anxiety. Learning to have control the breath is really a key to controlling your response to stress. As time goes on, I'll be sharing some techniques here, so check back! I also recently finished the book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F&$k" and I highly recommend it.03 May BLT Risotto
I consider myself to be someone who is in pretty good health, above average even, as it relates to how healthy I am. I usually feel good, I am able to live a fairly active lifestyle, and I am able to do most of the things I want to do. Most of the time. Then one of my chronic conditions flare up: my allergies that lead to sinus infections, the ever continuing back saga, chronic migraines, IBS... and sometimes they all flare up at the same time and make me feel like I am not as healthy as I believe I am. If I am totally honest, they make me feel like I am the exact opposite of healthy; sickly, inferior, and weak.28 Apr Rainbow Noodle Salad with Soy Tahini Dressing
Living in Arizona, I feel like allergy season is every season that it is not "the surface of the sun" hot. And for whatever reason (probably the massive amounts of rain we got this "winter") my allergies are so bad right now. Sinus, eyes, throat and even a horrible cough, is making me curse these "cooler" temperatures and wistfully awaiting the arrival of 100 degree days. They will be here soon enough.05 Apr Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
When I know I won't be home until later in the day, and I can anticipate that making dinner will not be one of the things I am going to want to do when I get home, I try and meal plan something using my slow cooker or dutch oven. This way I can just get home and not worry too much that dinner is going to be pizza. And since my back is recuperating again, I've been trying some new fitness classes. Monday I tried a "Muscle" group class (at Mountainside Fitness) taught by Dana. It didn't start until 6, which meant I wouldn't be home until 7:30. For what it's worth, two days later and my calves are still mad at me! If you are reluctant to strength train on the weight floor like me, I really recommend group fitness classes like this. Dana was great, and offered several modifications.29 Mar Priorities
I've been doing a lot of reading lately, and I recently read a little snippet that really hit home for me, mostly because I know excuses are easy to come by. Basically this little tidbit of wisdom was this:"Before you make an excuse, try phrasing it with "this is not a priority for me"; just see how that feels for you"
The person who proposed this idea went on to explain how when you are making an excuse to not work out, you are actually saying that working out is not a priority for you. It eliminates the rationalization factor; by saying "I don't have time to go to the gym today" you are really saying "going to the gym is not a priority for me today", if you honestly don't have time for 30 minutes of a treadmill, or a few sun salutations or even 15 minutes of squats, lunges and planks, then saying that is not a priority shouldn't be too hard to state.