March Madness and Day 1: Enjoy spring, actively!
PIN IT!MARCH MADNESS! Wahoo! Sorry for the excitement, I just love March, for many reasons but two of which are the most important.
1. NCAA final four, baby! Who doesn’t love filling out brackets and betting on who will win? If you haven’t already filled out your bracket, don’t fret! You aren’t too late! Visit http://www.sportbet.com/news/2005_marchmadness_brackets.htm for a printable blank bracket to fill out. Also, check with your workplace or favorite restaurant/bar to see if they have a pool with an available spot!
2. Spring time! After this horrendous winter, I am over the moon excited about spring, sunshine, flip-flops and day dresses! With the weather expected to be in the 70’s the rest of March, it’s going to be a chore to keep me locked up inside!
Now, I realize it’s a little past the beginning of March, but in true claire fashion, I have gotten a bit backed up with my days [thanks to a vacation in Vegas, very busy weeks at work and wedding planning]. So for today, it’s March 1st and will be until I get my life together and am up to date 🙂 Thank you all for your patience!
Day 1: Join a spring sport league!
As I mentioned above, I love spring. Everything about it. Every year when the weather starts to warm up and the sun stays shining past 6pm, I get antsy, excited and eager to get out and tackle the “new things to try” list I make up every winter. Well, this year is no different, and my list is long [about 300 activities deep] due to the massively harsh winter we faced and my new years resolution. And with the weather in the 50’s and the sun shining, I found no better time to sign up for a spring sports league!
Now, I’ve always been active, but I honestly have not played a team sport since high school and truthfully, I really miss it. I miss the comradery and the bonds you make with people you spend a whole season with. So I enlisted the company of one of my best friends and we joined a spring kickball league for adults! [Which means it’s sponsored by a bar and there will be lots of happy hours!]
Our practices and games begin in April and our team name is “The Sex Panthers.” As people who are both unhappy with their current physiques and still eager to meet new people, this opportunity will serve as more than just a spring activity, but will also be a place for us to get in better shape while having fun with new friends.
When I get my schedule from our captain, I will post it on here so those in the DC area can come watch! It’s bound to be hilarious to watch us and beers/parties will follow. What better way to spend the beautiful spring and summer nights and weekends than with new friends, great weather and good drinks?
If you are interested in joining a similiar league in the dc area, visit http://www.meetup.com/nakidkickball/
If you are located elsewhere, go to www.meetup.com and enter the activity you are interested in as well as your location for suggestions near you! You are never too old to get out and play!
Claire
Tags:dc meet up, dc weather, kickball, march madness, NCAA final four, sports, spring, summer, summer fashion, sunshine
Day 28: Eat a full 5 servings of fruits and veggies for a month!
These fruit and veggie cartoons are almost too cute to eat! However, the cuteness of fresh produce is not what is hindering most people from obtaining the adequate 5 servings recommended by the United State’s Department of Agriculture. Most likely, it’s the fact that they do not taste as good as donuts or a double cheeseburger. Sigh, one day 🙂 Either way, as much as I love vegetables and fruits [seriously, I have an obsession] I still see days, weeks, sometimes months where I don’t meet the 5 servings requirement.
So in true nutrition fashion, I set a goal to eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day for a month! Hopefully by then [March 28th], eating enough of these delicious superfoods will become second nature and not something I need to keep a strict eye on. [And maybe my waistline will be slimmer and my vision will be perfect, thanks to the natural fiber found in many vegetables and the sight boosting power found in carrots!]
She probably has 20/20 vision!
What’s the best way to up your veggie and fruit intake? Well, it’s easy! Just add a piece of fruit to your breakfast, have a mixed greens and veggie salad for lunch, have a piece of fruit for a snack and have a side of veggies with dinner! Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it is, in essence, but actually adhering to that is where I find myself in trouble. For me, as much as I know I need to, eating breakfast is sometimes nearly impossible. I blame my sensitive stomach, but it’s often really difficult for me to digest anything first thing in the morning. However, for this mini-lution, I will conquer my fickle tummy and will eat a fresh piece of fruit when I get up and will choose an apple over pretzels when my mid-afternoon hunger strikes!
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Cereal with a banana
Orange glazed chicken
Fruit and yogurt parfait
Some other great tips to incorporating fruit and veggies to your diet are add them as a supplement to what you already eat. For example, add a banana or strawberries to your cereal or oatmeal in the morning. For lunch, add lettuce, tomatoes and/or peppers to your sandwiches and for dinner, make an orange glaze for your chicken to add an oriental flair or maybe add a lemon glaze to your fish. If you a person that can’t stand the taste of many fruits and vegetables, adding them to your favorite dishes as a glaze, a jelly or as a supplement may help to hide the flavors you dislike. For a great list of fruit and vegetable recipes, visit http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnparecipe/recipesearch.aspx.
If you are interested in some more recipes, stay tuned. I am working on a new section called Eat Skinny: Be Skinny recipes, where I will feature tons of recipes that I have made and found that work to keep you full and aid your weight loss!
So why does the US dept. of Agriculture recommend eating so many darn fruits and veggies? For starters, fruits and vegetables naturally contain very key vitamins and minerals that help to prevent many chronic diseases. Some of the key vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables include: fiber, folate, potassium and vitamins A and C. Each of these vitamins work with our bodies to keep skin and hair healthy, regulate blood pressure, decrease risks of coronary artery disease and helps to regulate the digestive system. Fruits are also largely made up of water, which works to keep us hydrated as well as works to fill us up faster.
So join me in my forever long battle to eat healthier and be healthier, realistically!
Day 27: Sign up for a race
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good challenge, which is exactly what this mini-lution is about! Growing up as an athlete, I’ve always been naturally good at staying in shape. Well, that was until I got a full-time job where I sit…all…day…long. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that sitting all day does not do wonders for the physique and I’ve certainly seen the less than pleasing results of a sedentary lifestyle. [Also known as a 10 lb. weight gain]. Although I still work out regularly and eat a balanced meals, the scale has yet to display any real downwards trends. [Being the perfectionist I am, 5 pounds does not register on my radar.]
So to combat the 10 pounds that refuse to leave and that longing feeling in my gut to accomplish something I’ve never tried, I signed up for a race!! Granted, I’m not talking about a marathon just yet, but a simple 5k. I’m using the 5k as a jumping off point to future marathons and triathlons.
Here’s the race I entered, so folks, please come and cheer me on! I plan on training hardcore until then, but I know I’ll need some support!
National Police Week 5K: http://www.active.com/running/washington-dc/national-police-week-5k-2010
I love…trying new things and being young enough to try again if I fail!
Nutrition in the news: Facing obesity and hunger, at the same time
I read an incredibly interesting article in the New York Times today that I just have to share with all of you. The article, titled The Obesity-Hunger Paradox, details how many households in South Bronx are facing the problem of hunger and extreme obesity. The Bronx has a very high rate of obesity, with their residents 85% more likely to be obese than those in Manhattan,which is just a hop and skip away.
What makes this article so interesting, though, is how it groups obesity and hunger together, which are two epidemics that do not often run on parallel tracks, mainly due to the ideas we have about both. Hunger can no longer be seen so easily on the outside and obesity doesn’t necessarily dictate laziness or carelessness.
As the article mentions, people suffering from hunger in the South Bronx and other poverty-stricken neighborhoods in the US are not the emaciated forms we commonly associate with hunger, but instead, are morbidly obese. How can people who are overweight still be hungry? Well, as the article investigated, the people who had reported that they could not afford to buy food at least once in 12 months lived in neighborhoods peppered with fast food restaurants, pizza places and vendor carts, with no reasonably priced health food stores or even grocery stores in sight. Because many of the people living in these neighborhoods work low paying jobs or multiple jobs, the only food they are able to afford, when they can afford it, is fast food and processed food, which has almost no nutritional information and is high in fat, calories and sugar.
This dilemma is featured in the Academy Award winning movie Precious. She is morbidly obese but comes from a very low-income household where her mother does not have enough money to provide her with any food, better yet something with nutritional value.
Even though food hardship increased 19% nationwide in 2008, neighborhoods like South Bronx who are most affected, are taking a stand to help provide their residents with incentives to buy healthy, nutritional food for themselves and their families. According to the article, the city is now offering coupons with an extra 5$ for people who spend their hard-earned cash at farmers markets and health food stores.
To read the entire article, please visit http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/nyregion/14hunger.html?ref=health.
Most of the factual information in this article came from the New York times article, The Obesity-Hunger paradox, featured in the Sunday, March 14th edition of the NYTimes.
Claire
Tags:Health Bucks, hunger and obesity, NY TIMES, obesity and hunger, poverty, South Bronx
Days 26: Going to the chapel and I'm…
…going to get married! [I’m cheesy, I know]. But, as everyone should already know by now, I’m going to get married next spring and I’m really making some serious progress in my planning. Although there are still some aspects that are unknown, the big pieces of the puzzle are already sternly in place, like the place [and 4 venue choices], the color scheme, cake design, our wedding parties, the honeymoon and my dress style! So even though our guest list, the exact venue, the flowers, photographer, invitations and engagement photos are still not done, I am feeling pretty darn good about where we stand!
I’m very honest and excited about everything in my wedding, and you are all a huge part of my life and who I am, so who better to share all of my great finds with? So please, look, comment and let me know your thoughts! I’m brand new to this wedding planning and I am very open to hearing any sort of feedback or advice!
The place: Charleston, SC
How could you not dream to get married here?
Venue 1: Lowdnes Grove
I’m in love with this place. It is my number one choice. It’s a gorgeous plantation home on acres of beautiful gardens right along the Ashley River. Here’s hoping we can afford it!
Venue 2: The William Aiken House
This is a gorgeous old mansion right in downtown Charleston. I love the historic charm and the fantastic location of this beautiful house. The only issue I see is that it might be too small for the wedding and reception.
Venue 3: Magnolia Gardens
🙂 All I can do is smile at this gorgeous view. Magnolia Gardens offers three separate venues, one which overlooks this absolutely beautiful white bridge. Hello perfect, fairy tale wedding!
Venue 4: Seabrook Club
This country club and golf course right on the ocean is about 30 minutes south of Charleston. What I love about this place is how serene and classic it is, with beautiful views and gorgeous ballrooms.
Colors:
These are the colors we will use in the decorations for our wedding, like the floral arrangements, table clothes, party favors and invitations. My bridesmaids will also wear either aqua or coral with a pale/sunshine yellow accent. We are thinking of blue, coral and celery being the dominant colors with white and sunshine yellow being the accents. That is subject to change, of course, once we visit the venues and see what the naturally colors are there.
Cake designs:
I love the classic and feminine look of this cake. It’s simple, delicate, yet fresh and modern at the same time. We will obviously have different colors [not a fan of green cake], but I love this style.
This is Elliot’s favorite design. It’s so unique and funky, but still contains elements of classic and traditional design. I really love the rosettes and how they look like they are sprouting from the bottom.
Dresses: No need for captions, these picture speak 1000 words
Honeymoon: Hello European getaway!
We’ll start off in Europe to sight see [and Elliot has an obsession with English beer]
And then we’ll stop in Paris, the city of love. What better place to celebrate ours?
And then we will head down to Madrid, where there is sun and sexy Spaniards.
Whats a European vacation without Venice? I can’t wait to drink some great wine and have some delicious pizza!
Then we’ll be off to Berlin to, of course, immerse ourselve in the history of the city.
and we’ll finish off in Greece, of course, to go scuba diving and lay on the beach!
That is all for now [we have to keep somethings a surprise!] But as you can see, we are making some headway in our planning, but there is still a lot of work to be done. [Which is fine by me, I’m having the time of my life planning this!]
I love…that my love and I are going to go exploring in Europe for our honeymoon!
