Stephanie's RUNNING CHALLENGE > Pre-Challenge Thoughts

Brian Fantana: So the team pancake breakfast is tomorrow morning at nine, instead of eight.
Ron Burgundy: Oop... I almost forgot. I won't be able to make it fellas. Veronica and I are trying this new fad called uh, jogging. I believe it's jogging or yogging. it might be a soft j. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild. 


I have a fitness confession to make... the last time I ran I was in first grade playing soccer, and I scored a goal (the only goal I've ever scored in my life) for the other team by mistake. THEN (oh yeah, same game) I was doing cartwheels (much more fun than running) on the field and gave my own goalie a bloody nose. Needless to say, I quit the team and told the coach (my Dad) that I'd rather "lay on the sidelines and watch butterflies." I haven't ran since.

I don't think I looked this fierce playing soccer...

Even though I'm still traumatized 20 years later... I'm ready to give running another try. Why the heck would I decide to run now? Because I'm ready for a workout challenge. I've been working out 4-5 times a week for around 2 years now and I am content with my workout. I do an easy 20-30 minutes on the elliptical or bike and some stretching, and I take the occasional gym class and walk 3-4 miles a day.

It would be cool to run around the city...

Why I have accepted a Strawberries & Tea Running Challenge:
1. My current workout routine is easy for me now.
2. I'd like to have the skill to run, so I can work out when I don't have access to a gym
3. I feel like running is a great stress reliever and easy to just take off and go.
4. I'm super goal oriented (My biggest hope is that I'll at least be successful at this challenge because I'll be good at sticking to weekly goals)
5. I've heard from so many people that running is addicting and I'm curious as to how that is possible because I think running is painful.
6. I love learning and this past year I've learned so much about foods and eating so now I want to open myself to learning about fitness as well
7. I know I can learn a lot from our readers about running and fitness so I hope you will get involved and help me out with any advice you have!
8. I hope to encourage our readers to try new things, and maybe if this whole running thing works for me you can use my starter schedule to give it a try too
9. If I know you're reading and waiting to see if I'll actually do it I'll be more motivated to give it my best :)
10.Bottom line: I LOVE a challenge, it's the best way to grow

We are still developing the actual goal and what my weekly running routine challenge will be. I am doing a bunch of research and talking to experienced runners on how to start off 'on the best foot'. Later this week we'll have a guest post on running for beginners and I'll also share my beginner's research. PLEASE SHARE any advice you have, and any beginner questions you have that we can cover.

Bring it on, running! No goals for the other team this time!!

- Stephanie

Fighting For Your Health

This week is my 1 year anniversary of being diagnosed gluten and dairy intolerant. My journey to my diagnosis and this past year of relearning all of my eating habits has taught me a lot.

In my first gluten free and dairy year I have re-learned how to eat, learned how to cook and plan out balanced meals, learned how to read labels, and learned how to cheat (lots of learning!). At times it sucked and I wanted nothing to do with it, but looking back... before this year was even more difficult. It sucked to be tired all of the time, cranky, never feeling satisfied from any of my meals. I had been to over 10 doctors in 5 years, each one testing and sending me away with a different diagnosis.

 

The craziest part to me about my diagnosis was that it was something I could change myself, without any medicine! Even though I get down about not being able to eat whatever the heck I want, I am grateful that this is my fate. Many people end up with a lot worse things. I am so grateful for my health now.

I know Lacey feels the same way about being able to cure her awful migraines with just the foods she eats. We both struggled with learning how to get better - and we didn't give up and now we feel better than ever! So that being said... I urge you to fight for your health. Don't accept just any medicine from a doctor, figure out the ROOT of the problem, don't just treat the symptoms.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to continuing my health education and sharing with everyone. I'm going to be starting a new CHALLENGE! in the next few weeks to stay tuned...

- Stephanie

Prescription for Recess

I’m turning 25 in a month. Although I’m not going through the quarter life crisis I thought I would be by now, I’ve definitely been reflecting a lot on my past 25 years. I was thinking that the daily schedule my parents and school kept me on in elementary school was probably the healthiest daily schedule I have ever had. What other schedule beats recess, breakfast, lots of sleep, snack time, nap time and gym class! A daily healthy routine is half the battle, so treat yourself to a couple throwbacks every day to keep yourself on track.

Give Yourself a Prescription for Recess – Just because there aren’t swing sets or kick balls outside your office doesn’t mean you can’t give yourself a recess. In fact, your brain cannot work for hours on end. It needs time to rest every couple of hours in order to be effective over the course of a day. Always take 15 - 20 minutes midday to go outside and clear your mind. Make a fun playlist or go for a walk with a friend. It will make you more productive in the long run.

 

Gym Class – OK, I’ll admit I was not a fan of gym class. I would “forget” to bring clothes and sit on the sidelines as much as possible. But gym class was meant to let us run off steam we’d built up throughout the day and get our blood racing and hearts pumping. That’s why it’s so important for us as adults to run around for at least 20 minutes a day to let off any stress. Even do a “Phoebe Run” outside and laugh a little while you’re at it.

"Phoebe Run"

 
Drink Lots of Water – In addition to snack time, your parents, coaches and teachers also made sure you were drinking enough fluids. Drinking water is so important because it keeps you hydrated and keeps your appetite in check.
Eat Breakfast & Schedule Snick Snacks – Miss the energy you had when you were a kid? Starting to eat a solid breakfast every morning (high in protein, low is sugar) will significantly improve your energy all day. And don’t forget to schedule snack time! It’s hard to make it from lunch to dinner without a snick snack - so to curb cravings and late night binging, schedule an afternoon snack time for yourself.
Set A Bed Time & Take A Nap – Your parents made sure you got a decent amount of sleep every night. And they let you take naps when you were crashing. Getting a decent amount (6-8 hours) of sleep every night is critical to how your day will be because you need a complete sleep cycle to balance your body and prepare it for the next day. Not getting enough sleep can make you crave sugars to gain the energy you lost not sleeping. And when you haven’t been taking care of yourself? Give yourself a weekend napfest to crash and recover.

Make Time for Fun & Games – It was so easy to forget all about schoolwork once you got outside to play with your friends. Now it seems like work email follows you everywhere. Make it a point to ditch the iPhone once in a while and truly engage yourself with friends or outdoors. It’s important to keep things light and silly in the midst of a crazy world.
 

- Stephanie

A New Addition!

This blog has been a great motivator for me through this process of eating healthy, losing weight, and experimenting with different foods.  You all have been a huge support and have been a wonderful community to interact with.  I try to conduct research on living a healthy life so that I can give you the most important information out there, but I am only one person.  I only have so many experiences, recipes, and resources.

So, to fix that, I'm adding another writer to this blog!  Stephanie was and still is a great friend of mine from college who moved to New York to be a successful business woman with a passion for travel, good food, and everything gluten-free.  I found that we share a lot of the same ideas and beliefs about healthy eating after both of us changed our diets for medical reasons.  She will be posting soon and hopefully will tell you a little bit more about who she is and what she went through to lead her to this g-free/processed-free lifestyle. (Look to the left for a quick blurb about her.)

Bringing her to this blog will give you different perspectives, ideas, foods, and more than anything, more information!  Here is a warning for you: she does not eat exactly like I do.  She may be stricter in certain areas and less strict in others.  This blog was never intended to be only for the raw/vegan lifestyle.  It's about healthy living, and that means different things for different people.  She is a wealth of knowledge and is going to be a fabulous addition to this site.

This is an opportunity to read different viewpoints and get numerous ideas to implement into your own life.  We each have something different to offer.

Here's the most recent photo of Stephanie and I, at my wedding.  Steph is on the left, myself (25 pounds heavier) in the middle, and our good friend Victoria on the right.