noBOLOGNA

Date Night: Embarrassing Moment!

Good Morning!

Dont Forget: Bliss link up is this Wednesday!  Come share your favorite things from the month of July with us!

I am back from my weekend in Starkville and I’m already missing it – well, I’m missing Nick – not necessarily Starkville.  We had a great weekend that started off with my most embarrassing moment ever.

WEEKEND RE-CAP

We had planned on “date night” for Friday night as my award for completing the 21 day workout challenge (Workout for 21 days straight!)  We had decided on the Veranda and I was already looking forward to the Harvest Risotto I was going to try.  Well I bought some new shoes this past week for the occasion and as I mentioned before, I’d been looking for some wedges similar to what I borrowed from my cousin in Texas.  I thought I found the most perfect pair of wedges and they were super cute!  We get out of the car to go eat and I was just standing by the car waiting on Nick.  Then it happened, I had the most ridiculous slow fall of my entire life (in a dress).   I kept trying to catch myself, so it delayed the actual fall, but basically… these shoes are the devil and I’m returning them immediately!  I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.  Nick had to pull me off the asphalt.  There was zero arch support, I was getting blisters, if the pavement wasn’t 100% even, there was no telling if I’d fall on my butt again.  It also felt like my skin was splitting from the way my foot fell in the shoe when I walked.  It was awful.  The rest of the night was amazing though.  I may have indulged this weekend a little too much since I knew my 28 day Whole Foods challenge was right around the corner.

We started dinner off with Fried Green Tomatoes.  I absolutely LOVE these, probably more for the dipping sauce and not the actual tomatoes.

fried-green-tomatoes

I then chose the Gorgonzola salad with my meal and it was perfect.  I love the piece of cheese toast that they bring with your salad.

veranda-salad

Nick got the Kobe Burger and I got the Harvest Risotto.  We both really enjoyed our meals and left with a small doggy bag.  Since this was my “award” dinner, Nick allowed me to have the Peanut Butter Pie that was their special for the evening!  To be honest, it wasn’t as good as my Peanut Butter Pie.  Now I’m realizing that I forgot my left over Peanut Butter Pie in Starkville.  Really sad.

veranda

veranda-nick

After dinner, we went and saw Hercules.  The movie was a lot better than I expected and I was really impressed with “The Rock”.  I’m glad we chose to see that Friday night.

Saturday we ended up helping my sister’s boyfriend move out of his apartment.  Nick was kind enough to volunteer us for the job, but we got free pizza & beer at the end of the day, so I’d say it was worth the time and effort.  We also had lunch with my friend Lacy on Saturday and Sunday.  She’s officially moving up North tomorrow, so I’m glad I got to see her this weekend.

HEALTH STARTS HERE

My Health Starts Here 28 day challenge with Whole Foods starts today.  I did a lot of prep when I got back to town.  I went grocery shopping to pick up some basics.  I soaked some pinto beans over night and they’re in the crock pot all day to cook.  I also bought ingredients to make Whole Wheat Cornbread so I’ll let y’all know how that turns out!  I love pinto beans & cornbread as a meal.  I cooked up some rice to keep on hand and plan on having lots of rice & bean bowl combinations for lunch throughout the week.  Our first weekly meeting is tonight and we’ll be learning about restocking our pantry and building our plates around nutrient dense food.  I’ll take notes on what I think y’all might be interested in.

whole-wheat-cornbread

MARATHON-TRAINING

Well, it’s about time that I actually do a marathon.  Nick and I have talked about doing the MS Blues Marathon and I think this will be the year.  We wanted to do the Disney Marathon, but we didn’t want to take off work that long and it was going to be pretty expensive.  One day, we’ll do that one.  I’m starting out with half-training and then I’ll continue on to train for the full.  I purchased a Trigger Point Foam Roller to help in my training.  These things are amazing at loosening up sore muscles & joints.  I’ve wanted one for a long time and I think it’s going to make a huge difference in my recovery throughout training.  My cross-training and healthy eating should also have a positive impact on my marathon training.  I’m excited to see how it goes!

  • What is your most embarrassing moment?
  • Have you worn shoes once and returned them because they were so uncomfortable?
  • Have you seen Hercules?  What did you think?
  • What are you training for this upcoming fall/winter?

Health Starts Here Orientation

When I arrived back home from Houston, I immediately headed to Whole Foods for my Orientation into the 28-day Healthy Eating Challenge called Health Starts Here.  It is based on 4 pillars of healthy eating as opposed to the food pyramid that I grew up with.  I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I signed up for the challenge.

They had green folders for all the participants that came with a ton of useful information!

health-starts-here-packet

We got two handbooks – Bulk Basics & Healthy Eating.  The bulk basics book goes through all the bulk items you can purchase such as beans, nuts,  seeds, & more.  It teaches you how to cook them and what they’re best used for.  I’m really looking forward to using more dried beans and preparing them fresh.

The Healthy Eating Handbook talks about the 4 pillars of health:

  • Focus on Whole Foods
  • Eat Plant-Strong
  • Choose Healthy Fats
  • Consider Nutrient Density

It also goes over some simple ways to make quick meals such as breakfast bowls, smoothies, & mighty bowls of goodness.  I’m excited to try my hand at some unique creations using the tips they provide.

One thing I was surprised about during the orientation was learning that meat was optional and that you are not allowed dairy or eggs.  Being a vegetarian, the meat will not be an issue, of course, but when I learned about the dairy & eggs, I quickly realized that I’m about to test out an almost vegan diet.  There may be one or two exceptions that I’m not thinking of at the moment, but basically I’m going vegan.

One tip that I learned was how to determine how much sodium was too much.  I’ve gotten to really enjoy quick microwavable meals for lunch – specifically the vegetarian or vegan lasagna’s.  I know they’re not good for me because of the sodium intake and I don’t eat them everyday, but I do indulge probably once a week.  You do not want to eat something that has more sodium than calories.  For example, if you read a label that has 200 calories, but over 700mg of sodium, that’s WAY TO MUCH!  I immediately started reading labels after the orientation.  I was excited to find a vegan lasagna made by Whole Foods (365 brand) that had less sodium than calories – I quickly bought that.

One thing I’m looking forward to is testing out new recipes.  I haven’t done much cooking at my parents, but I have a feeling that’s all about to change with this new challenge.  Whole Foods has a ton of recipes on their website created by the chefs that work for them.  You can do an advanced search that only includes “Health Starts Here” approved recipes.  I’ve already found some that I’m dying to try!

I don’t think I’ll be deprived.  It’s not about being “strict” – It’s about choosing foods to fuel your body and foods that are good for you.  Also, the healthy eating specialist, Mary Lindsey, is going to label all the items in Whole Foods that are Health Starts Here approved to make it easier on us!

What you can expect over the next month:  I’ll be documenting my progress as well as the recipes I use and any changes I’d make to the recipes (based on my preferred taste & number
of servings).  I plan on taking measurements at the start and documenting my progress as well as taking pictures of my face.  I’ve been breaking out  a lot lately and I’m interested to see how my face clears up with a healthy whole foods lifestyle.

Please feel free to ask questions throughout the challenge!  Some other aspects I’m looking forward to are the weekly meet-ups where we’ll learn about Bulk Basics & Plant-Strong Cooking.  We’re also doing a “Bonus Meetup” with a local running store for a group run/walk with tips from the pros!

I’m so proud of my Mississippi community for taking this step to better health!  They had to cap our registration at 80 and are not accepting any more participants for this particular challenge!  Due to the involvement though, I’m sure we’ll have another one soon after!  If you’re not in the Central Mississippi area, Whole Foods does this program at all of their stores, so try to join a challenge in your local area.

  • Have you done the Health Starts Here Challenge with Whole Foods?
  • Would you consider doing the Health Starts Here Challenge?
  • Take a look at the Whole Foods recipe website – is there a particular recipe you’d like to see me try and share my opinions on?  Remember to make it vegetarian & Health Starts Here approved.

I’m off to go plan my meals and seek out some more recipes!  The challenge starts Monday, July 28th!  Guess I should finish off these hot chips before then.

Houston, TX

Clearly I’m not good at blogging on the road because it’s now Tuesday evening and I’ve yet to write something.  Part of that’s been because I’m just not sure where to start!  I have a lot of ideas flowing and I haven’t taken the time to jot them down.  Part of the reason for that is I’ve been in Texas this past weekend visiting my wonderful cousin!  From the time I got there to the time I left, we’ve either been busy actually doing stuff or busy relaxing by the pool and cooking out!

cousin-time

I was excited to have my friend Lacy join me on the drive and our friend Noelle { <— who is a new blogger – so check her out!} met us in Houston on Saturday to stay the night!  Lacy and I both have an affection towards Starbucks, so that was one of our very first stops, obviously!

starbucks-houston

On Saturday, we attended Veg Fest Houston and you’ll see a full re-cap of that experience sometime this week!  The construction on 290 was horrible, so the drive there and back was exhausting and aggravating!  The second I arrived back to my cousins, she instantly made me a mimosa because she said she was scared of what I might do to her because of the deadly glare I had on my face!  The actual event was entirely worth it though and I’m excited to share what all I learned!  After Veg Fest Houston, we went out for dinner & dancing!  I spent $30 dollars on some stinkin’ cheesy rice, beans, & veggies because our waiter individually charged me for each veggie I got.  I was pretty angry about that, but also had 2 margaritas on my bill so I didn’t quite feel up to the challenge of navigating the language barrier to tell him how psycho and ridiculous it is that he charged me 2-3 dollars for 4-5 different vegetables!  I’m still furious that I didn’t speak up about that.

Moving on.

best-friend-reunion

The dancing was fun and it was something I hadn’t done in a long time!  I love going dancing!

Sunday was perfect and we spent our entire time at the pool and grilling out!  Us vegetarians had Vegan Boca Burgers, Potato Salad, & Jalapeno Poppers (minus the bacon!).  It was delicious!

Sadly, we drove home Monday.  When we got back to town, I headed straight to Whole Foods for their 28 Day Whole Foods Challenge Orientation!  Since I’m already a vegetarian, it basically amounts to going vegan so I’m excited about testing the Vegan waters again especially after attending Veg Fest!  It might not be strictly vegan, but it’ll be close.  I’m looking forward to the health benefits of this challenge and hope to lose a little in my waist as well as clear up my face because it’s been breaking out really bad lately.  I’ll be fully documenting the experience and sharing what recipes I use and how my progress goes!  I’ll also re-cap the information I learned in the orientation session.  The challenge starts on Monday!

Now I’m off to the store to look for some new {discounted} workout clothes and maybe a dress & shoes similar to what I wore this weekend because I really loved the dress I borrowed from my cousin and I’ve been wanting wedges for a while now!

silly-cousin

 

  • Have you ever attended a Veg Fest?
  • Have you ever attempted the Whole Foods 28 Day Challenge?
  • Where can I find some affordable workout clothes & cute dresses/shoes like the ones above!?

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The views and statements expressed on No Bologna are my own. You are reading No Bologna at your own risk and I am not providing any type of professional advice. Unless otherwise noted, all material on No Bologna may not be used, reprinted, or published without my consent. I do occasionally have affiliated links on my blog - this does not raise the price of the product, I simply get a very small commission from the regular retail price if something is purchased using an affiliated link on my site. I appreciate any support by you in regards to affiliated links.