Earthly Juices: Easier than pie!

…and a lot better for you!  I visited Earthly Juices in Tustin with my two kids on El Camino Real and was very satisfied with the comfortable ambiance and nutritious choices.

Eating healthy is a lot of work! The preparation and meal planning can feel overwhelming and discourage people from making healthy eating choices. It can be refreshing for someone else to do the preparing and thinking for you. I know I appreciate a place that I can order food knowing it is beneficial for my family and me.

How it works: they specialize in making juice with a juicer and VitaMixer. This is great because if fruits and veggies are only juiced, you miss out on A LOT of the vitamins and fiber. They use a mixer with all the veggies so you are not getting robbed of nutrients.  They even get most of their veggies from their own 15 acre local farm. This is unique because when you purchase fruits and vegetables from the grocery store, you may lose anywhere from 10-50% of stable nutrients, depending on how long the produce has been on the shelf.  They also have a full menu including hamburgers and wraps that are made with quality! If you’re in a hurry call in advance, and they will have it ready for you. This is not a fast food joint, so smoothies and food take more time.

Interested in trying a cleanse but not sure how to do it? They offer detoxes that last from 3 days up to 6 weeks that they prepare for you! This includes a meeting with their detox specialist who listens to your goals and health ailments as they design a detox for you. The health coaches give you resources to help you stay on track with healthy eating habits.

Healthy eating coaching as well as class seminars are offered at this location. The next seminars include Vegan Lunches for Kids and Cures from the Earth: Raw Eating.

It is exciting to see some up and coming healthy eateries so we can get out and enjoy yummy beneficial food! If we want to see change, we must try something new.

A stroke or “brain attack” occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain.

Here is a table that shows factors that may cause a stroke. If you are making wise lifestyle choices, and receiving regular check-ups, many of these factors are controllable!

Recognize the signs of a stroke using the acronym FAST. They are rather simple to identify.

Face- ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
Arms- ask person to raise both arms. Does one arm slope downward?
speech- ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
Time- if you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately!

Have a wonderful month of May!

April is “Go Green” month! We are reminded to make choices which are healthy for our planet and ourselves. We are surrounded with reminders to recycle by using reusable bags, bottles, coffee mugs, etc. The words: “pollution,” “conserve,” “hybrid,” and “energy efficient,” are in nearly every commercial and product line which desires to be seen as favorably “Going Green.” All great efforts! Another branch of this idea is for our food options to get healthier. Fast food nation has realized the pitfalls of preservatives, artificial flavorings, sugars, and fats. There is a push for us to go “go green” in how we eat.

This month’s ‘newsletter’ is focusing on a challenge, a challenge to conserve food! I will admit, this thought came to me while reading the Hunger Games. The starvation and need to provide for basic needs in the poor district is dramatically contrasted with that of the wealthy districts. We are a blessed nation! Maybe we can conserve and pay-it-forward.

What would it look like if we only bought and ate the food that was essential for our day? When I open my fridge or pantry, they are full of  snacks, and random food that I really don’t need; and will likely throw out. We are surrounded by endless amounts of food! We have no idea what it’s like to have an unsatisfied craving. What would America look like if we only bought food that was healthy and essential for our day? Fast food shops would close, groceries store shelves would have less packaged food, and more fresh products. There may only be one Starbucks in Tustin, or one yogurt shop! However, if we cut back on food, it would not only make us healthier, but it would save money. Money that can be used for feeding and providing for others. Imagine if it were possible, that we all spent $50 less a month on groceries and food, and we took that money and put it towards feeding others in need. That $50 can go a long way!  There are nearly 1 billion malnourished people in the world. The U.S. wastes about 40 million tons of food by households, retailers, and services each year. That amount of waste would be enough to satisfy the hunger of every single starving person! I know we can’t ship our leftovers, but what if we didn’t create so much room for leftovers? “The US has around four times more food than is needed, and up to three-quarters of the nutritional value is lost before it reaches people’s mouths.”  If we cut back on purchases, we can potentially change our world!

The cheapest food isn’t found on the value menu at Del Taco, it’s the raw fruits and vegetables that you can buy a pound of for that same price. Packaged and pre-made foods are costly, so if we can bring back the use of the kitchen, we may not only save money, but we can save our health too.  Jamie Oliver, the “Naked Chef”, says: “Knowing how to cook means you’ll be able to turn all sorts of fresh ingredients into meals when they’re in season, at their best, and cheapest! Cooking this way will always be cheaper than buying processed food, not to mention better for you. And because you’ll be cooking a variety of lovely things, you’ll naturally start to find a sensible balance.” Jamie Oliver is the founder of the “Food Revolution” which is an organization to promote healthy food preparation in the home and schools. He is currently targeting the LA school district. I highly recommend checking out his cook books and website.

Anyone up for the challenge? $50 less a month on food? This doesn’t mean putting aside $50, but seriously making cutbacks. Maybe the day you would have eaten lunch out, you decide to make a lunch, $8 saved. Make coffee at home instead of starbucks, $2.95 saved. Adds up quick! If Rough-Fitters want to make a commitment to cutting out $50 on their grocery bill, I will donate the money to World Food Programme which is an organization that helps countries all over the world receive food. The Hunger Games movie is currently supporting this organization and helping them receive funds.

Have a wonderful APRIL!
Sara

March Madness is here, but more importantly it’s “National Nutrition Month®”
Nutrition does matter! Just like the quality  of fuel for your car will affect the life of your car, so will what you put into your body make a difference on your quality of your life and possibly length.

Lets review some of the basics to nutrition.

Lets make small changes toward a healthier life!

The proponents of barefoot running say that it reduces injury rates by dialing you into a more natural way of running. They say we were made to run with a forefoot strike, rather than a heel strike. But shoes allow us to land on our heels unnaturally. This heel strike, they propose, is the cause of the majority of running related issues, and shoes are the culprit.

Their arguments are based on sound principles. When we run barefoot, we have to run with more of a forefoot/midfoot strike, allowing our bodies to use our tendons, muscles and joints for a natural form of shock absorption. Running barefoot also tends to eliminate any over-reaching in your stride, and forces you to make contact with the ground directly under your hips.

But as far as reducing injury rates, that is something we just aren’t seeing. There is definitely a select few that can switch to barefoot running and run injury free, but for most of us, this just isn’t an option. Barefoot running requires a totally new set of muscles and tendons to take on the stresses of the running motion, especially if we’ve been running in shoes our entire lives.

There are some good lessons to learn from the barefoot craze, but to start running barefoot you have to work up to it like a baby would. Start with walking barefoot for a few minutes a day. This is great for stretching and strengthening your arches and other foot muscles that have been coddled your whole life.

And when you’re ready, doing strides on the grass barefoot is a great way to learn how to run properly without setting yourself up for overuse injuries.

The barefoot runners will tell you stories about how our ancestors never wore shoes, and they ran with little to no issues for many years. They aren’t lying, but we live in a very different time. If we stayed barefoot from infant to adult, we’d have strong feet and all the musculature to be barefoot runners, but we wear shoes most of our lives, so we can’t compare ourselves to our ancestors.

And since barefoot running requires your muscles and tendons to bear the load, it highlights any extra weight that we carry around. If you are at all over weight, this makes barefoot running that more dangerous, compounding the stresses placed on the body during running.

Takeaway Tips

1. Running barefoot can help you find your optimal running technique, making you a more efficient runner

2. Barefoot running can help strengthen your feet

3. You must be VERY patient when starting any barefoot running as it stresses different muscles and tendons, making it easy to get an overuse injury

4. Any extra weight compounds the dangers of barefoot running

5. Barefoot running is not for everyone

What is cholesterol and how is it used in our bodies?

Cholesterol plays a significant role in how our bodies function. When we think of cholesterol we usually always think “bad” or “unhealthy.” However, while that may be true in large quantities, cholesterol is found in every cell of our bodies and we need it to function. Cholesterol aides the production of hormones, helps the liver create bile which aids digestion, and is one of the components that makes up the structure of each one of our cells. “Cholesterol is there to basically provide a protective barrier. When the amount of cholesterol increases or decreases, the cells are affected. This change can affect our ability to metabolize and produce energy.”

What is the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol?

“LDL- Low-Density Lipoproteins. These lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout your body, delivering it to different organs and tissues. But if your body has more cholesterol than it needs, the excess keeps circulating in your blood. Over time, circulating LDL cholesterol can enter your blood vessel walls and start to build up under the vessel lining. Deposits of LDL cholesterol particles within the vessel walls are called plaques, and they begin to narrow your blood vessels. Eventually, plaques can narrow the vessels to the point of blocking blood flow; causing coronary artery disease. This is why LDL cholesterol is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol.”

“HDL- High-density lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are often referred to as HDL, or “good,” cholesterol. They act as cholesterol scavengers, picking up excess cholesterol in your blood and taking it back to your liver where it’s broken down. The higher your HDL level, the less “bad” cholesterol you’ll have in your blood.”

Too much unhealthy fats lead to high levels of LDL; which can, over time, build up your artery walls. Foods that contain high levels of LDL are saturated fats and trans fats. Fast food, sugar, beef, packaged food, and whole milk products are usually the culprits in raising ones LDL.

Challenge- identify items in your house, or restaurants that you frequent, that contain saturated fats and trans fats- get rid of them, and find a healthy substitute!

 
The groans are heard by many as assessment day is announced.

“If I knew it was assessment, I would have stayed home.”

“I’m not ready for eval, I don’t think I’ve improved from last time.”

These are common responses to the idea of assessments. But all of these thoughts are lies. There is nothing that should scare you, or discourage you about assessment day. And we hope to dispel some common MYTHS about eval in this article, freeing you from your negative thoughts about assessments, and allowing you to come enjoy the music, coffee and positive atmosphere!

MYTH #1

I wont get a good workout.

If you come to class mainly for a good workout, assessment day is a great day to come! It is a hard workout because you get the opportunity to push yourself more than you usually do.

MYTH #2

I’m embarrassed by my fitness level.

Assessments are for your information only. There is no pressure to run a certain speed, or do a certain number of push ups. It is merely an opportunity for you to see where you’re at. We all started somewhere, and we’ve all had setbacks. We are all here to encourage each other on the journey, and you never know, you might surprise yourself.

MYTH #3

I shouldn’t come if I KNOW I wont improve.

Many of you have seen big improvements from one eval to the next, but you have to realize that you can’t always improve. Once you reach a certain fitness level, improvements get harder and harder to see and make. They get smaller and smaller until you don’t really see the difference. But this isn’t a bad thing! Even if you are a little slower than last time, or feeling a little more tired, assessments are still a great chance to enjoy pushing yourself. When it gets harder to make improvements, you have to work harder, and that should be a good feeling!

Jenni and Greg rarely see personal bests in their races. Depending on the time of the year, how much fatigue is in the body and just how theyfeel that morning, Jenni and Greg can often be considerably slower than their best time ever. But this shouldn’t be discouraging. It is still important for them to go out and race. Not only for the pure joy of pushing their limits, but also because it forces them to work hard. And when hard work is put in, improvements are to follow.

So whether you are coming back after an absence, or are just not feeling energetic, it is still very beneficial, and hopefully you can have fun getting pushed and cheering on your fellow Rough-Fitters.

In short, assessments are a GREAT WORKOUT no matter what fitness level you are, it is IMPORTANT INFORMATION for you to have, and YOU DON’T NEED TO IMPROVE for it to be beneficial.

It was an early morning. I woke up before my alarm and laid in bed for a while. For breakfast it was bananas, peanut butter and bread. Even though I didn’t feel like eating I made myself eat enough. A small cup of coffee, and I was ready for the day.

We shuttled over to the race start, my bike was already at T1, and my run gear was already at T2. So I got to my bike, and set up my helmet, shoes, and sunscreen for easy access and speed. After getting my area all set up, it was body marking and check in time. I really liked the stamps that they used. So much better than sharpie.

About 20 minutes before race start I started waiting in the bathroom line, and didn’t finish with all that until 5 minutes to go. So I ran out to the beach, got my goggles and cap on, and proceeded to swim out to the start buoys.

I positioned myself about 4 rows back of the front. You could see all the pros in their white caps on the front line, and the officials kept telling everyone to move back. Then suddenly the cannon went off and the race had begun.

The swim wasn’t as crazy as I expected at the start. It wasn’t as frantic as an Olympic distance start, there were just more people. I felt more relaxed, and settled into my pace early on. The big difference was that the whole swim was in the pack. There were enough people to always be surrounded. I just kept it controlled and relaxed for most of the clockwise swim. After making the big circle, we cut in and I started to swim and kick just a little bit harder towards shore, trying to get the blood flowing to my legs.

I exited the water and heard my support crew on the beach, and gave them a smile to let them know I was in good spirits. I made it to my bike and had a tough time getting my jersey on, being wet and all. But I managed, and then forgot to spray sunscreen on (no sunburns though!). Otherwise, transition was smooth. I hopped on my bike, and was off.

As soon as I turned south onto the Queen K, I had some time to get my feet in my shoes and relax once again. I made sure I took some sips of my sports drink, my water, and popped my first GU and salt tabs. I took it out like a warmup for those first 20 minutes as planned, and I got passed by a decent number of people. There were a few guys that seemed to be working really hard for the first couple miles, so I tried to remember a couple of their race numbers so I could see when I would pass them back.

After 6 miles south, we made the U-Turn to head north all the way up to Hawi. Conditions seemed good, but I knew it would be a grind. I made sure I never felt like I was working hard on the bike, just kept it at a consistent moderate effort level. I passed a lot of guys that passed me in the first miles, but then I passed this group that was working together, and they stayed with me for much of the way out. I wanted to ditch them, but didn’t want to dig deep, so I just stayed consistent, but they seemed to be inconsistent. They would slow down, but when I would pass them, they must have stuck around behind me, because they would suddenly surge again, forcing me to yield to the pass, and re-pass when they slowed again.

The final windy climb up to Hawi broke it apart, and I got some space. It was pretty windy up there, and tough to control the bike at times, and the climb seemed to last forever, so the turnaround was a welcome sight. On the climb I went through a series of emotions from, mainly revolving around the fact that I still wasn’t even halfway done with this bike ride.

I flew down the descent, hitting speeds of over 55 mph. My legs were happy to have the downhill “rest.” By the 40 mile marker, I was starting to tire. Things just weren’t feeling fresh anymore, it was harder to stay comfortable on the bike, and my mood soured a bit. I took a couple extra GUs during this time to get out of the funk, thinking I might need more calories. I also started to get intermittent cramping a few miles back, and was popping salt tabs to fend them off. At the end of the day, I got through 8 or 9 GUs, and 300 calories of sports drink on the bike. I definitely want to invest in a GU Flask so I’m not going through so many packets.

Nutrition seemed to go as planned on the bike, but nevertheless, looking back, I think I got behind on my nutrition and hydration.

Riding into T2, my water bottles were completely dry, and I took one last GU to help for the run, and an extra couple salt tabs because of the minor cramping. I handed my bike off, and got my run bag and sat down to put my shoes on. The volunteers were a great help, racking the bike, and getting all my stuff out of my bag. Shoes were on, so I grabbed my sunglasses and visor and started running.

I was excited to start the run, but just like we planned, I tempered my excitement and ran easy. The heat didn’t seem too bad either. I kept thinking, this is manageable, just stay at this pace and you will feel fine for the run. Boy was I ever wrong.

I clocked off some easy feeling 6:30 miles, running quickly through the aid stations, which I now know was a big mistake, but I felt so good. When the first person passed me, I was shocked. I thought, that guy must be fast, it wasn’t until 5 more people passed me that I realized it wasn’t them running fast. It was me running slow. The miles slowed down until I was in survival mode by mile 5. The heat was killing me and I wanted to quit, I wanted to walk, I wanted to just lay down and get rescued. But I just kept moving forward, suffering and losing all hope. I’ve never been passed on the run in a triathlon, so I was pretty down. I kept telling myself to be TOUGH, but I’ve never felt less tough. By mile 6 I got smart and started walking the aid stations, doing my best to cool down with lots of cold water and ice, and I remembered something about Coke being a potential lifesaver. So I downed a coke at every mile.

I think it worked, at least a little bit. By mile 10 I was starting to feel better, partially because you get a 1.5 mile stretch where it’s slightly downhill on the pavement, but it gave me a little bit of energy, and even though I still walked all the aid stations from then on, I got my miles sub 8 once again. As I came into the last few miles, I was so ready to just be done, it couldn’t come soon enough. I tried to run with some of those that were catching me, and I actually passed a couple people back in the last mile, and when my crew told me I had to catch those last 3 guys in the last 200 meters, I was pissed, I didn’t want to run them down, but that’s why they are there. I caught and passed them, in my all out “sprint.” And crossed the finish line, ending the longest, hardest half marathon of my life.

All in all, I am very happy with the race, but I have lots to learn.

I remember my first ballet class, back in grade school. We lined up at the bar where I was between girls who had their hair worn in tight, perfect buns while practicing their demi-pliés which were demonstrated with perfection. From the sharp twist of their heads to the delicate flutter of their finger tips, and down to their high-arched feet that were perfectly fanned out, these girls were not messing around. I for one, definitely did not have my hair in a bun, and while practicing a demi-pliés, I noticed that my legs did not touch when standing in first position. It was soon pointed out to me that I was bow-legged. Ballet lessons did not last long, not only because my legs are shaped perfectly for me to be a horse rider, or because my hair bun was a sloppy mess, but because my athletic upbringing and lack of grace definitely stood out, among other things.

I sampled every hobby as a child trying to discover something I was “good” at. However, I missed the point. In searching for my talent, I did not focus on my enjoyment of the activity, but on my quality of performance. The problem is, there is not any freedom in doing something you are merely good at, freedom is found in doing something you enjoy.

I never stopped secretly enjoying ballet. I went to one or two ballet performances as a child and I was stunned by their strength and grace, all while having the ability to share their emotions and story to the audience with just their movements. It is truly beautiful and artistic. I only know how strong these ballerinas are because I have tried it, and a simple demi-plié uses far more muscles and flexibility than it appears.

Reflecting on my childhood, I feel a lot of disappointment that I did not believe the parental reminder of “as long as you are having fun, that’s all that matters. “Unfortunately, in our culture that is a difficult phrase to believe. Someone is always better than you are, and usually the comparison is verbalized. After sampling ballet, sewing, every sport, ceramics, gardening, etc…I felt discouraged, and sadly, I gave up. My insecurities won; and I believed the lies of the world, and wrote myself off as Sara Plain and Tall (a book title, you may have heard of.)

I don’t like to think of myself as a quitter and I used to say, “I’m okay not having hobbies or a specific talent.” That lie I told myself only lasted so long, because I believe we are made to create and express ourselves. The healthy escape a hobby provides is necessary to relax, soothe, and bring joy to our lives. One has to appreciate the versatility of talents we humans have, and our ability to express our emotions and lives through them. It begs the question as to how vast and beautiful the Creator of life must be.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” One’s personal definition of success will affect how much one tries. What does it mean to succeed to you? Being on top? Being better than average? I have come to say success for me, is finishing. A finished product is very rewarding to me even if it is a little bent around the edges. My freedom comes from finishing, not from my quality necessarily. Quality is nice, but I can still gain the enjoyment of creating, of escape, and relaxation when it doesn’t come out quite how I imagined it would.

Reflections

I made a quilt for my daughter after she was born. It was my first, but it won’t be my last. The squares are uneven and my hand stitching is atrocious, but when looked at from a distance, the pattern is cute and it looks like a quilt. I spent hours making that quilt for my little girl. If nothing else, I hope my daughter will learn an important lesson. I hope she can look and see her mother through this quilt and hopefully say, “it is definitely not perfect, and neither is my mom, but she was okay with being herself and it has character.” I want my children to do the things they love and I hope I teach the motto of, “as long as you have fun,” through my example so they too can learn the freedom of enjoying hobbies without regard for quality.

I am still learning and growing through my insecurities but I hope you can be inspired to look back to those childhood dreams or interests that you have written off. Donʼt give up. Whether it is training for your first race, or learning to play an instrument, you are never too old and you can be your own measure of success. I am glad that I attempted so many hobbies as a child because I have gained an appreciation of so many things. Not until you try, can you sit in awe of people who manifest that talent. For example, my sister and I share the love of running, but not speed. Jenni is fast and she makes it look so easy. I love watching Jenni race because I can sit back and appreciate her God given talent of speed. I don’t need to be that fast to enjoy running; and some of my favorite times with my sister is when she has an “easy” day, and we run through Peterʼs Canyon together. I also have found an outlet to my enjoyment of ballet; yoga. Yoga has the same feel to me as ballet but supports the athlete in me. However, you may find me sashaying around the house with my 3 year old daughter pretending we are Angelina Ballerina.

My identity is like a mirror that has been broken into many tiny pieces. When one looks into a shattered mirror, they don’t see their face perfectly put together, but they see their face divided into many images. Some reflecting off of other pieces multiplying it, and other pieces reflect just a glimpse of the face. I am not defined by one great talent, nor do I see myself as well-put -together either. However, I can enjoy the many glimpses of myself shown in the variety of different interests in my life; art, sports, culinary, gardening, etc. I may not excel in any of these areas but I can laugh at my pitfalls and enjoy them nonetheless.