Ecology Runner

Motivation! Where are you?!

2015-08-10T16:36:00.000-05:00

So, once again I’ve taken a little hiatus from Eco Runner. It wasn’t planned, and there’s not a great excuse for it. Basically, work got stressful, and suddenly things got in the way and I just stopped posting.

Not only that, but I stopped running.

For about two months I ran sporadically, just like I sat down to write sporadically….and in both cases I didn’t achieve a whole lot. Then after that I just quit completely. I kept telling myself that after the school year was done, or when the weather got nicer…

I gained a little weight. Not a lot but a little. I watched Netflix. I ate junk food. My anxiety went up.

Then about three weeks ago I was feeling this urge to “get it together”. Fueled by frequent chest pains (anxiety induced) and general feelings of panic, I decided that I really should do something, but I was still feeling less-than-motivated.

My cousin, who I’m pretty close with, happened to post on Facebook that she was struggling to lose weight and was looking for some motivation as well. I struck up a conversation with her about it, and we reached out to her younger sister, and a few other cousins and family members and decided to do a “Biggest Loser” challenge.

Now I know that these sorts of challenges are nothing unique or particularly special. Lots of families do them, and they are a fun way to get in shape. We each put in $10 and started a Facebook group to post our weigh-ins, and progress.

The cool part is that it has started my whole family thinking about fitness, and even better—TALKING about stuff. Even better than just talking about fitness, we started talking about our motivations and struggles with it, our body image issues, and frustrations. As it turns out, anxiety runs in my family (not a surprise) and several of us tend to cope by zoning out, eating, shutting down. I’m sure like many families, we also tend to bottle it up, and feel like we are the only ones who face these struggles.

Guess what? So far it’s been pretty transformative. Now, of course, not completely life changing…yet—it IS summer, and there are a lot of family reunions and grill outs, games and events happening. It’s unbearably hot in most parts of the country (not for me, here in Wisconsin, but for my cousins in Utah, I guess it’s pretty bad). Despite the challenges, we’ve all started to see changes.

My cousin got Fitbits for her kids, and they are all trying to be more active as a family. My other cousin is taking walks with her fiancé, having dance parties in their kitchen (okay, they are seriously adorable) and he just ran a 5K while he was in Portland on a business trip—on his own—for fun?! We’re seeing changes all around and an awareness, and motivation to do more.

Anyway, it’s been pretty cool to see the power of activity, and the way that motion sparks more motion. The first step is really getting off the couch and starting to move, and that’s where I think for me--and my family members--we all needed a little spurring.

Having that buddy, that cousin, friend, spouse or coworker that you have to answer to each week is really motivating and inspiring. Usually I can find it within myself to keep going, but sometimes that anxiety/stress cloud rolls in, and all I want to do is shut down. Knowing that there are people that are in my same boat, that are going through the same challenges, and are overcoming them in their own ways, has been really inspiring. Not only that, but we are actually having fun.

All of this has inspired me to post again on Ecology Runner. Sam is still running regularly (he didn’t fall off the exercise wagon quite like I did) and we are planning another Huber 5k next month. I am signed up for the Brewers 10K in September (which sounds a little insane right now, but it’s the impetus I need to get my butt in gear). We organized and did a little “makeover” on our workout space in the basement this past weekend, and I’ve been getting my CSA farm share with lots of veggies and making some healthier cook-at-home meals.

I’ll keep posting along as we go and let you know how the “fit fam” and I are doing on our challenge. If you are looking for a little motivation, reach out to your friends, family and others and see if they are struggling too. You just might find a couple buddies to keep you lacing up your sneakers and getting out the door!

Get Fit Friday

2015-03-27T07:51:00.000-05:00

Better week this week, busy-wise, but I’ve been slacking in the exercise department. I’m trying to keep up my motivation, but with the weather being a little off I’ve been feeling a bit “blah”. They say exercise is a great solution for the blasting those blahs, though, so let’s go!

The disclaimer
As always, if you decided to do what I’m doing, make sure you have permission from your doctor to run, and don’t push yourself to the point of injury! I’m not a trainer, and even though Sam’s a gym teacher, he’s not a certified personal trainer either.

I use my Jawbone UP to track my steps, and typically on the treadmill I’m running at 6.5 MPH with a 2.0 incline. Outdoors is less exact. If you are a new running, I think you can follow my regime, but just take it slower and flatter.

Here’s the plan for the week:

Friday
Steps: 10k
Lunchtime walk

Saturday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Run/Walk Week 3 Plan
-3 minute warm up
-2.5 minute run
-1.5 minute walk
Alternate for 28 minutes
-3 minute cool down
34 minutes total

Cross train: Arms
-5lb weights—15 reps x 3 sets
lying chest flies, curl & press, tricep extensions & rows

Sunday
Steps: 10k steps
Workout: Run/Walk Week 3 Plan (see above)
34 minutes total

Cross train: Abs
-15 reps x 3 sets crunches, planks, leg drops and scissors

Monday
Steps: 10k

Tuesday
Steps: 12k (Get in a long outdoor walk)
Workout: Run/Walk Week 3 Plan (see above)
34 minutes total

Cross train: Arms
-5lb weights—15 reps x 3 sets
lying chest flies, curl & press, tricep extensions & rows

Wednesday
Steps: 10k

Thursday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Run/Walk Week 3 Plan (see above)
34 minutes total

Cross train: Abs
-15 reps x 3 sets crunches, planks, leg drops and scissors

10 Easy Ways to Go (and Save) Green

2015-03-26T09:04:00.003-05:00

Green living seems like a bit of a cliché sometimes. We all know it’s important, but little actions can seem inconsequential or trite. A few weeks ago we talked about the basics of going green and some simple things you can do. Continuing with that theme, here are a few more easy ways to live green.

1. Buy Local, Seasonal and Organic

We belong to a CSA though Wellspring, a local organic farm. This means that for 20 weeks in the summer we get a big bushel box of fresh, organic produce right out of the garden! To supplement we visit the farmer’s market on Fridays in town, grow a garden and belong to a local co-op (Outpost). Similarly we try to eat seasonal food as much as possible. Nothing is quite as delicious as a juicy peach in the summer, or a crisp apple in the fall. Eating locally, seasonally and organic means our food has to travel less; produce loses fewer nutrients and has a smaller footprint. We are supporting local agriculture and business, and we know that our produce doesn’t contain chemicals and pesticides.

2. Cook and Eat at Home

Why go out to eat when your food is this good?

We rarely go out to eat, and not only does it save us a ton of money, but, as I said before we have a blast doing it. Cooking at home means less waste because we aren’t using Styrofoam take-out containers, straws, cups, wrappers, and other food packaging. Now, granted, some of the items we eat do come pre-packaged, but being at home also means that we have the luxury of recycling, reusing packages, buying in bulk and composting.

3. Don’t Forget the Library

Look at this selection! For free!

Your local library is every Green Peep’s best friend. Seriously, have you been there lately? There are books, DVDs, CDs, just like you remember BUT now there’s also eBooks and Zinio! You can download all sorts of magazines for free with no subscription. Most libraries are networked with several others, so if there’s something you can’t find on the shelves of your town library you can order it for delivery in just a few days. It is literally the world at your fingertips, for free, without adding anything else to the landfill.

4. Compost

Obviously, that leads us to #4. Composting is easy and becomes kind of fun, once you start doing it. We have a counter-top compost pail where we toss our coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, paper, cardboard and other compostable items. Then it goes out to our garden bin—a modified trashcan that Sam drilled holes in. We add yard waste, grass clippings, leaves and organic material, and give it a shake ever few days. We have ample rich, amazing compost matter for our garden beds when we do spring planting!

5. Green your Clean Routine

(Okay, that really rhymes)….Paper towels, disposable toilet brushes, chemical cleaners…all of these items are not so green or eco-friendly. Not only that, but they are expensive, and clutter up your pantry and storage. The majority of cleaners can be made on your own, using simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Not only will your house sparkle, but it will keep you and your family safe from exposure to unpronounceable chemical components.

6. Be Sure Your Beauty is Bunny-friendly

I was a beauty product hoarder (my email address used to be lipgloss_addict, for real), but do you know where all those tiny tubes, lotions, soaps and other items end up? Not only that, but do you know how they are created? While brands like Revlon, Covergirl, L’Oreal are not exactly green (or cruelty-free) there are more and more mainstream brands that are! Try the Yes to… Brand or E.L.F. To find cruelty-free brands watch for the leaping bunny symbol or visit leapingbunny.org for a list. Get creative to repurpose your containers. Some retailers (MAC, Origins, Kiehl’s—all are not leaping bunny certified) accept empty containers for recycling. Terracycle works with Garnier (also not leaping bunny certified) to accept packaging and containers from their products. Otherwise, consult the Where to Recycle List on Ecolife for a list of places you can recycle almost anything!

7. Unsubscribe

Eliminate junk mail from your life. Opt for e-statements and online bill pay whenever possible. Any time you receive a piece of junk mail take a few moments to remove yourself from the list. Then, take it a step further. Unsubscribe from ads and retailers that clog your inbox as well. You will be less tempted to spend, and less apt to see things that seem like “great deals” but are not really needed.

8. Refashion

One of my favorite blogs, Refashionista.net shows readers how blogger, Jillian repurposes, revamps and refashions used clothing into something new, exciting and super cute. Even if you aren’t a big fan of sewing, consider if you can find your next clothing purchase second hand, or if you can modify an item before tossing it out. Engage your friends in a clothing swap to trade gently used items. Teach yourself to do small mending repairs—replacing buttons, fixing a fallen hem or tiny hole, and when all else fails, you can always create dust clothes, rags, or figure out another way to reuse the item.

9. Why Buy When You Can Find?

The next time you need an item, check Craigslist, Freecycle, or post an A.P.B. on Facebook to see if anyone on your friends list has the item. You might be surprised at how quickly you can find practically anything you might need when you ask around Sam found some paving stone (for free!) on Craigslist last year, and used it to create a beautiful Xeriscaping feature in our front yard. A friend of ours gave us a bathroom mirror that he was tossing out, and another friend gave us some more stone for the backyard (we did a lot of landscaping last year)!

10. Barter, buy and trade

Four dollar skates from Goodwill

You can always check second-hand stores as well. Just last year I found a pair of roller skates (awesome, brand-new vintage skates), an ice-cream maker, new in-the-box, party decorations for a work event, and a myriad of skirts for work, all at Goodwill. Check out flea markets, Ebay and rummage sales for awesome décor, household items, dishes and more. With a good scrub, a coat of paint and some “sprucing” you can revamp almost anything you need. Plus, you’ll have awesome style and can give new life to things that would otherwise be discarded or sent to the landfill. So what ideas do you have for going green? How do you incorporate green-living into your routine in a practical way?

Creamy, Southern Succotash Risotto (vegan, gluten-free, pareve*, low-calorie)

2015-03-25T11:03:00.000-05:00

So this is one of those strangely delicious dishes that sounds odd on paper, but turns out amazing! It’s perfectly filling as a main dish, or yummy with barbecue (vegan riblets are killer with this dish), or in this case, turk’y cutlets from Gardein (which just happened to be what we had on hand).

The great thing about this dish is that it is ultra-satisfying—creamy, smooth, delicious. Also, it’s surprisingly healthy, with just a couple teaspoons of olive oil, healthy Arborio rice and vegetables. The creamed corn (garmonbozia) is not my favorite side by itself, but in this case it adds just the right amount of creamy richness and touch of sweetness that balances the lack of cream or dairy.

Butter beans add protein to this dish, and yes, it’s starchy, but it’s filling in a stick-to-your ribs way that you normally don’t get from a vegan “side”.

Typically when I make risotto I make enough to have ample leftovers. It reheats beautifully, and stands on its own as a lunch dish or quick dinner. To reheat, I just add a little water to thin it out, and heat over low heat, covered until it’s warmed through.

Now, Risotto gets a bad rap for being difficult to make, but it’s so darn easy that I just don’t understand. Yes, it requires a little stir now and again, but it’s not nearly as high maintenance as you might have heard. Give it a chance. You won’t be sorry.

*Check your ingredients if you have dietary restrictions—some processed foods may need to be subbed for my gluten-free and Kosher-keeping friends.

Sweating the onions and crisping up the rice

First sauté the onions over low heat for a few minutes until they are clear. To the onions add the risotto in ½ cup amounts, and stir.

Butter beans Mmm…mmm…

Next add the beans (I used frozen, but rinsed from the can would have been fine too).

creamy broth

Add the creamed corn, and cover everything with vegetable broth. It will seem very soupy, but don’t panic.

Add the seasonings

I added salt and a little of my Weed’s Dill Blend to mine, but any dill-based seasoning blend will do. I also added some Tony Chachere’s salt free blend as well, which I think adds a nice southern flair.

Uncovered

From there you should cover and let it go for 15 minutes on low. Uncover, or peek occasionally until it’s thick-ish. From here, yes, you are going to want to give it a little stir every 3 minutes or so. If it starts to stick add more broth and stir.

Voila—dinner (and lunch and dinner) is served

That’s it! Taste the rice to make sure it’s “toothsome” (soft but with just a hint of chewy texture). You can add a little bit of cracked black pepper, or stir in some nutritional yeast if feel it needs a little something, but I find it pretty darn perfect on its own.

With a delicious Turk’y patty from Gardein

Little Steps

2015-03-24T08:09:00.000-05:00

As the weather warms up, we all get a little spring fever, and getting outside gets easier and easier.

However, schedules, social obligations, work and other things can get in the way, and suddenly booking out 45 minutes to go for a walk or run can seem daunting at best.

So, break it down into manageable bite-sized pieces. Research shows that small workouts are just as effective as long ones. Even doing medium intensity 10-minute workouts in bursts can keep your metabolism going all day. Training wise, it may not be the best training for a race, but getting a move on once or twice a week in “mirco workouts” can maintain your training and supplement your long run days.

I’ve been trying these “micro workouts” for awhile, and using my fitness tracker (I use a Jawbone UP), I can tell you that I get just as many steps on my mini-workout days as I do on the days that I block out a regular 45 minutes on the treadmill.

The Other Benefits of Micro-Exercise

The benefits of these mini workouts are not just physical. I can personally attest to the fact that it really breaks up the day and helps when the day starts to drag and when I need to get the creative juices flowing again.

As many of you know I work in fundraising and development for a non-profit, and that can involve a great deal of writing, changing hats, emailing, and phone calls. It also can unfortunately, mean an awful lot of sitting. About a year ago, my boss noticed my tendency to take “desk lunches” rather than going out. She advised me that even though I get bogged down and focused on the day to day, I would still be just as productive if I allowed myself to get a little break.

I took her advice and started going out for little lunchtime walks. Sometimes it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes, but sometimes I can fit in 20 minutes to half an hour. In the warmer months I walk around our campus and surrounding neighborhood. During our cold, Wisconsin winters, I am lucky to have a school gym, and hallways that allow me to get my steps in, indoors.

I’ve started incorporating stairs into my workouts as well, and even have a coworker who joins me sometimes. We’ll do little workouts up and down the steps—not enough to work up such a sweat that we can’t go back to work, but enough to get our heart rates up. It’s unbelievable what a boost I get for the rest of the afternoon!

Now I realize that not everyone is lucky enough to have a gym, or stairs in their office but get creative! I’ve seen friends walk in circles around their conference table, or walk in the staff lounge or workroom. The idea is to simply get more steps (yes even if it isn’t that exciting). If you really can’t find the space in your cubicle or office, bring gloves, a scarf and try to bundle up for just a little bit of fresh air each day.

Pacing the Halls

I was recently reading about the new trend of “home walking” which is where people do just that—walk around their homes. It sounds silly, but it really does help get the steps in. Challenge yourself to take the long way to your kitchen, run up and down the stairs with one item, rather than consolidate loads of laundry, or pick up your house one piece at a time. It’s amazing how many extra steps you can add.

Circling the gym

I’ve found that when I’m a few steps shy of my goal at the end of the day, I can walk in the hall while I brush my teeth, wash my face, floss and do my bedtime rituals and log an extra 200-300 steps (at least).

Cooking, cleaning and other household “boring ol’ chores” can add up quickly to many extra steps throughout the day. Some of my most intense “step days” are when I haven’t even been trying, but when I’m instead, working on a house project like reorganizing the basement or craft room.

Walk with Your Best Friend

Sam is the primary dog walker in our house, and Frankie and Tatanka love going on their walks with their “Papa”. Every time I join them on their walks (which is 3-4 times a day) I find that it’s a great way to rack up the steps. Often it’s just a bathroom walk around the block, but sometimes we end up going for a little longer, or adding a few more blocks on to our route.

Last summer I started taking Frankie, one of our pugs on my walk/runs with me. Tatanka has longer legs and quite a bit of stamina, and he can keep up on an entire two mile run with Sam. Frankie on the other hand likes to take things slow, in typical pug fashion, which is just fine with me. I started taking him during the warm up portion of my run, and then stopping back by the house and dropping him off while I went on with my workout.

It was interesting to find how much I started to look forward to, and rely on our walk/runs together. Frankie would get excited for them and even though they weren’t long, or intense, it gave us time to connect, and a little one-on-one “mom and pug” time.

Sam and the boys

If you don’t have a pet that is relying on you for their exercise, try scheduling a walk with a friend, your significant other or family. Sam and I love going for long walks together (or short walks) and find time to get one in every few days. During our walks we talk about our day, make plans for the future, enjoy each other’s company and have an opportunity to connect without technology or interruption. It’s so much better than just vegging out in front of the television together, or staring at our phones or respective computers.

No matter what way you find to fit in a little more exercise, try to fit in a few extra minutes of activity per day. A ten-minute walk here, and a twenty-minute jog there, a trip up the steps or a few paces around the laundry room will really add up.

So what about you? How do you get your heart pumping and fit in extra movement? What do you do to make your day more active?

MUSIC MONDAYS - Eco-Runner Playlist

2015-03-23T11:37:00.001-05:00

Get Fit Friday

2015-03-20T09:58:00.000-05:00

So it was a busy week. I kept up with my steps for the most part, but I didn’t do so well with the cross training (which I definitely need to do!).

As always, if you decided to do what I’m doing, make sure you have permission from your doctor to run, and don’t push yourself to the point of injury! I’m not a trainer, and even though Sam’s a gym teacher, he’s not a certified personal trainer either. That’s the disclaimer.

Lunch time walk

I use my Jawbone UP to track my steps, and typically on the treadmill I’m running at 6.5 MPH with a 2.0 incline. Outdoors is less exact. If you are a new running, I think you can follow my regime, but just take it slower and flatter.

Here’s the plan for the week:

Friday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Rest Day

Saturday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Run/Walk Week 1 Plan
-3 minute warm up
-2.5 minute run
-1.5 minute walk
Alternate for 28 minutes
-3 minute cool down
34 minutes total
Cross train: Arms
-5lb weights—15 reps x 3 sets
lying chest flies, curl & press, tricep extensions & rows

Sunday
Steps: 10k steps

Monday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Run/Walk Week 1 Plan (see above)
34 minutes total
Cross train: Abs
-15 reps x 3 sets crunches, planks, leg drops and scissors

Tuesday
Steps: 12k (Get in a long outdoor walk)

Wednesday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Run/Walk Week 1 Plan (see above)
34 minutes total
Cross train: Arms
-5lb weights—15 reps x 3 sets
lying chest flies, curl & press, tricep extensions & rows

Thursday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Run/Walk Week 1 Plan (see above)
34 minutes total
Cross train: Abs -15 reps x 3 sets crunches, planks, leg drops and scissors

Soft, Easy Breadmaker Bread (Grandma Sycamore copycat) (vegan, pareve*, low-calorie)

2015-03-19T20:56:00.000-05:00

I do not buy bread in the store. Sam and I are by no means gluten-free, or anything like that, and to be honest, I love delicious soft squishy white sandwich bread.

I grew up in Utah, and anyone else who did knows that the real “wonder bread” is Grandma Sycamore bread. It’s soft, chewy, squishy, and delicious. It was one of my most missed Utah foods when I moved away (and I may have travelled home more than once with some loaves stowed away in my luggage).

It set the bar high, as far as bread goes, and I’ve sought out something similar ever since.

Cue last year, when my mom gave us a bread machine! Ours is a brushed-silver Cuisineart Automatic Breadmachine. As far as kitchen appliances go, I love it! It’s so easy to literally set-it and forget it. You just dump in the ingredients in, and you have delicious preservative-free, vegan, non-sodium laden bread made with ingredients you can pronounce.

This bread’s crust is not quite Grandma Sycamore level squishy, but the flavor is pretty dead-on. I think if I used bleached flour and omitted the vital wheat gluten it would probably turn out even closer, but I don’t mind a little density in my bread, and I prefer the healthier Ultragrain flour.

*Check your ingredients if you have dietary restrictions—some processed foods may need to be subbed for my Kosher-keeping friends.

Awesome break maker!

This bread is so easy! To get started, pour 1 1/3 cups of water at about 105-115 degrees into your machine.

H2O

Then add 2 ½ tablespoons of sugar and stir to dissolve. I use raw sugar, so you have to stir it around a bit to get it from sinking to the bottom.

Sweet, sweet sugar

To that, I add 2 ½ tablespoons of yeast

Yeast

I let it rest for 10 minutes. That right there is the “trick”. It gives the yeast time to get all bubbly and will make the bread fluffy and delicious!

Yeast bubbles

After that, I add my ingredients in the order of: 2 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten (you can skip if you use white flour), 4 cups whole grain or Ultragrain unbleached flour, ½ cup of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of salt.

Olive oil drizzle

I press start, light color, 2 lb loaf, and use the “white bread setting”. That’s it. Awesome Granny Bread, with little effort. Three hours later my bread comes out perfect, soft and amazing every time!

Living Green 101: Saving the kitties

2015-03-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Someone told me once “You can’t save all the kitties”…and I know it’s true, but I have made it my goal to save at least some of them, and do what I can. I’m going to fight to live up to being the super hero that I want to be.

Sam and I care for six pets. We have our amazing pugs, and four cats. I know, I know, it sounds like we are insane…and we might be a little, er, eccentric, but I have to say that those six creatures bring us more joy and happiness than anything else (except each other). All of my kitties are “rescues”, three of them are dumpster babies and one is from the Humane Society. I keep joking that the ark is full, but we’ll probably take more if we need to.

Dumpster baby number one

We are both total animal lovers, and care deeply for animal rights, and appreciate the effects that pets have on our lives. We also appreciate the effects that our actions can have on the animals around the world, and know that caring for our environment not only means caring about the effect that it has on people, but on all earthlings.

Pets 2 through 6

There are currently 41,415 species (plant and animal) on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) RED, or threatened list and of that 16,306 are endangered, meaning they are at serious risk of extinction. There are estimates that at the rate we are going nearly 50% of the world’s species will be gone within our lifetime.

Seriously.

The effects of that kind of loss of life are immeasurable. Truly, we won’t know what we’ve got ‘til it’s gone. I tend to get preachy when it comes to our environment and protecting the life on this planet, but this is really important, guys. I think we have to get real about it and face some facts.

This is the sort of thing that keeps me up at night…and it should keep all of us up at night. We need realize that with industry, consumerism, pollution, deforestation, poaching, crop modification and blissful ignorance of our impact on the planet we are going to be the single species that destroys everything else.

I could go on, and I probably will, but let me just say, before we push the panic button there are simple easy-peasy things that all of us can do with little to no effort.

-Recycle
Okay, this one is almost a cliché, but how many of us really do it? How many of us walk the extra steps to toss our can in the recycle bin rather than just put it in the regular trash? Does your office recycle? Can you do anything to increase the recycling?

Paper, glass, aluminum, plastic…all of these things can easily be recycled. Even larger items, metal, electronics, ink, paint, medicines should all be recycled as well. Check with your trash collection office or municipality for advice on where to recycle items that you may be unsure of.

-Clean up what you leave behind (leave no trace)
The other day on my springtime lunch walk, there was a Red Bull can, a pack of Goo, a Gatorade bottle, several wrappers from energy bars. Now, I know not every person who eats these things is a runner or athlete, but it made me sad. As people who are caring for our bodies and trying to do things that are good for our insides, it seems hypocritical to then toss that healthy wrapper on the ground, to damage and pollute the world around us.

It’s such a small thing, and we’ve been learning it and doing it since we were kids—pick up after yourself. Seriously, though, when you look around as the snow melts it’s so shocking to me how much people leave behind.

-Clean up what others leave behind too
The very foundation of eco running is based on cleaning up the planet and paying attention to the environment that you are running in, but don’t just limit yourself to running. It seems ridiculous to say out loud, but imagine what a difference it would make if we all picked up one or two things every time we went for a walk.

Take a small bag with you when you are walking or running. If you feel gross about touching garbage, bring a gardening glove, or those little knit mini gloves. Make it your goal to just pick up a few items. Organize a walk, or a clean up day at your office (Sam and I both have Eco Walks at our schools each year to clean up the campus). Partner with those around you to see if you can improve things just a little.

-Offset and reduce your pollution
Reduce your emissions, cut back on your use of cars—carpool, ride bikes, run or take public transportation. Many cities offer bike rentals now, and ride share and ride-sourcing apps like Uber are all the rage. There is no reason to constantly be one person driving in one car. Even if you cut back just once a week you’ve reduced your car use by 20%!

If you want to do more, look into carbon offsetting (many large companies offset their pollution and transportation use by purchasing credits). It may seem extreme for a single person, but if you travel often, or use a truck or high-emission vehicle, it’s not such a ridiculous idea.

-Go veg
Okay, okay, so I know it’s not for everyone, but if you just go meatless once or twice per week it can have a huge impact not only on the environment, but on your health as well. Food writer, Mark Bittman recently recommended his vegan before 6 philosophy—eat vegan during the day, and then have whatever you want for dinner. If every American skipped just one chicken meal per day and instead had something vegan, it would be the same Carbon Dioxide savings as taking half a million cars off the roads.

A little green never hurt anyone

The impacts and benefits of going vegan are pretty huge. Even if you just try vegetarian meals every once in a while, it will go far (and you’ll probably get rid of a few pounds in the process).

-Consume less
In our “bigger, better, faster, more” society we are constantly consuming. Nearly everything is disposable, and attainable. Often it’s simpler and cheaper to just replace an item than it is to fix it, but consider the long-term impact. Repurpose items, alter clothes, or refashion them (check out refashionista.net for ideas).

Bring your own bags and containers to the store. Buy items in bulk to reduce packaging as much as possible. Keep your eyes open for ways that you can make do with what you have. The next time your cell phone breaks, recycle it, or better yet—get it fixed and keep it out of the landfill.

-Plant something
Serious gardeners can plant bee, butterfly, bird and bat-friendly plants and landscape to attract garden friends (who may otherwise be endangered), but even those weekend warriors with a slight green thumb can benefit from planting a little something in a porch pot. Try herbs, lettuce or tomatoes. Keep your attempts organic and watch for heirloom seed varieties. You will soon be harvesting and dining on organic, non-GMO green meals (and have bragging rights).

One day's pepper harvest

Growing things connect us with the earth and the soil. It helps us to interact with our environment and think about the world around us. Give yourself a chance to enjoy the beauty of nature (even if you aren’t ready to commit to adopting four kitties). You will gain a deeper appreciation of life and the beautiful planet on which we live.

Epsom Salts: Not Just for Grandma?

2015-03-17T08:29:00.000-05:00

Grandma was on to something...

Things stay pretty clean around the Eco Runner household. Both Sam and I tend to be a little…obsessive about keeping our house in shipshape (it’s a hazard of having six pets).

In the spring with the mud and muck our wood floors tend to suffer a little. Whenever we go for a run, take the dogs out or just come in from outside, chances are mud is being tracked in.

Last weekend we were cleaning floors, and suddenly Sam called out to say he was hurt. As it turns out, while scrubbing the floor he managed to get a giant splinter in his hand.

After a day his finger was swollen and red. Under quite a bit of protest I convinced him to go to Urgent Care to have it checked out. They gave him a tetanus shot, sent him home with an antibiotic, some gauze and instructions to soak his hand in Epsom salts…

Wait what?

We both thought this was an old wives tale, a folk remedy and a little silly, but considering that his finger was still swollen, we decided to give it a whirl.

Epsom salt for muscle pain
Admittedly, I had used Epsom salt for bathing before, especially after runs. My grandma claimed that it helped to ease muscle soreness (plus they looked pretty in the jar in my bathroom). I added a few drops of lavender to them, and tossed a scoop in the tub, when I needed a little pampering.

Meep

Does it work? Well, kind of…I think? The effect may be a little bit psychosomatic but I always feel that it makes the water feel softer and in combination with the lavender oil seems to make the bath seem relaxing. Hot water relaxes muscles and soaking in a tub never seemed to hurt.

Do Epsom salts work for splinters?
I turned to my friend, the internet to figure out how this works, and if it works. What I found is that there is very little and mostly vague research out there on the topic. Magnesium sulfate is named for Epsom Springs, a hot spring where it was discovered in Surrey, England.

Most of the material on “how” this works, discusses “drawing out” the splinter, and osmosis. It’s all very vague and there’s nothing clear-cut or medically backed, as far as I could find. It seems that Epsom salts cause water to “prune” up the skin a little quicker, and the pruning pushes the splinter towards the surface.

In practice, after ten days of soaking the finger for half an hour a day…well, the splinter’s still in there. I’m all for natural remedies, but I’m not very certain that this one is working. Bandages, tea tree oil, and an antibiotic seem to be helping just as much, if not more than the salt.

So what is Epsom salt good for?
The FDA has approved it as a laxative (good to know, but as vegans that’s not something I’m often in the market for). Apparently in small doses it can help with constipation. Follow the instructions on the box, and keep me posted how that’s working out for you.

In other uses, several gardening resources recommend adding Epsom salt to the soil around roses, which benefit from the magnesium and the sulfide. The PH neutral chemical dissolves in water and won’t harm plants other plants. There are gardeners across the web touting the benefits of adding the salts to vegetable plants, tomatoes, sweet peppers, berries, and as a deterrent for slugs.

I have always been terrified of slugs and I’m a gardener, but having seen what table salt does to slugs, I was relieved to find out that the crystals simply deter them because of their sharp shape.

These gardening claims are not necessarily scientifically proven, but seem to be proven by experience of many gardeners who claim good results. Again, it’s more of a “can’t hurt” philosophy.

Overall, that seems to be the conclusion about the use of Epsom salts….While they aren’t necessarily proven or scientifically backed claims, they can’t hurt.

I’ll keep you posted on how things are working out with Sam’s poor hand.

MUSIC MONDAYS - Eco-Runner Playlist

2015-03-16T16:05:00.000-05:00

Get Fit Friday

2015-03-13T10:06:00.000-05:00

So a couple friends have asked me about my workouts and how to get started. Each Friday, I’m going to post my workout plan for the week. Feel free to follow along, let me know how you’re doing or if you have any tips!

As always, if you decided to do what I’m doing, make sure you have permission from your doctor to run, and don’t push yourself to the point of injury! I’m not a trainer, and even though Sam’s a gym teacher, he’s not a certified personal trainer either. That’s the disclaimer.

Bet you wish your trainer was as cute as mine

I’ve been super busy at work for the last month, so my workouts have taken a nosedive. I’m trying to get back on track, and motivated. I’m easing into running outside, as opposed to just on my treadmill. I use my Jawbone UP to track my steps, and typically on the treadmill I’m running at 6.5 MPH with a 2.0 incline. Outdoors is less exact. If you are a new running, I think you can follow my regime, but just take it slower and flatter.

Without further ado:

Friday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Rest Day

Saturday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Run/Walk Week 1 Plan

3 minute warm up
2 minute run
1.5 minute walk
Alternate for 28 minutes
3 minute cool down
34 minutes total

Cross train: Arms

5lb weights—15 reps x 3 sets
lying chest flies, curl & press, tricep extensions & rows

Sunday
Steps: 12k (Get in a long outdoor walk)

Monday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Run/Walk Week 1 Plan (see above)

34 minutes total

Cross train: Abs

15 reps x 3 sets crunches, planks, leg drops and scissors

Tuesday
Steps: 12k (Get in a long outdoor walk)

Wednesday
Steps: 10k (late night at work, so I’ll aim for a long walk at lunch)

Thursday
Steps: 10k
Workout: Run/Walk Week 1 Plan (see above)

34 minutes total

Cross train: Arms

5lb weights—15 reps x 3 sets
lying chest flies, curl & press, tricep extensions & rows

Naked Burrito Bowls (vegan, pareve, gluten-free, low-calorie)

2015-03-12T08:42:00.001-05:00

When we used to go out to eat frequently, I was a huge fan of Qdoba’s naked burrito bowls.

I love rice—so filling and wholesome, especially brown rice. I love the chewiness, and the flavor. I get some black beans, some veggies, pico de gallo, corn salsa, fiery habenero (bring on the salsa!), guacamole…no, I didn’t even mind it was extra.

Since we don’t go out so much these days, I’ve been trying to recapture the flavors of some of my favorite foods at home, and “upgrade” them. The mix make great lunches, great filling for tacos, freezer burritos, and great topping for nachos with a little Daiya “cheese” sprinkled on top. The cool thing is that if I make it at home, I can add my own “sour supreme” instead of sour cream, and customize it however I want. Plus I don’t have to pay extra for the guac!

The other great thing about making this dish at home is bulking things up with veggies. Sweet potatoes, roasted zucchini, mushrooms, even broccoli or cauliflower are great additions.

I like my dishes spicy and with this one I find that Cholula the preferred pick, but there are no rules—mix it up! Try sriracha, Frank’s, or whatever floats your boat.

*Check your ingredients if you have dietary restrictions—some processed foods may need to be subbed for my gluten-free and Kosher-keeping friends.

Sweet Potato Chunks

I like to do my chopping first. Since we’re not quite to fresh zucchini season yet, I just had a sweet potato and onion this time. Feel free to add whatever vegetables float your boat.

Caramelizing deliciousness

Start the onions with about a tablespoon of olive oil, add the sweet potatoes and veggies to get a little color going on them!

Cute little tofu press

I like a little extra protein in my rice bowl, so I added crumbled firm tofu. This is the easiest tofu recipe—all you do is drain it and press it (I use my cute little tofu press but you can use plates, or something heavy and press it for 10-20 minutes). Once it’s pressed, I just crumbled it into my mix. It adds a little body to the dish, and makes it filling.

Lots of yumminess in that pot!

I added drained black beans (1 can), crushed tomatoes (1 can), Frozen corn (2 cups), and 1 cup of vegetable broth. I also added spices—1 tbsp cumin for smokiness, 1 tbsp chili powder, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste.

There's that brown rice again

Yes, that IS the same brown rice from my curry post. So as it turns out, this is another weekend dish. As I said, I do all of my cooking on Sundays for the week ahead. It makes things so much easier, guys, for real. So I make a big pot of rice, and then I throw it in a couple dishes. In this case, I put half of it in the curry and half of it in my veggie bowl.

That’s it. I let it simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft, and everything comes together flavor-wise. Then it’s ready to fill a tortilla, to pile on chips or to just eat straight from the bowl with lots of hot sauce.

Delicious, and ready for guacamole, “cheese” or to fill your burrito

It’s Not a Diet

2015-03-11T10:11:00.000-05:00

Some of you may know last year I lost 35 pounds. On a 5’4” frame, going from 160 to 125 pounds is a pretty big deal. It was hard…not as hard as I thought (which is probably why I procrastinated it so long), but difficult, nevertheless.

My before and after

Per my BMI, at my heaviest weight I was not obese, but I was well into the overweight zone. I was tired, often. My blood pressure was rising (135/105) and my cholesterol was borderline high. For a five-year vegetarian that was not terrific.

Before I started on my weight loss journey, I really didn’t exercise…like, ever. I mean, I had enrolled in a spin class for a few weeks with a friend, and I took some dance lessons in my early 20’s, but I was sedentary for the most part. I worked in desk jobs. Going out primarily consisted of eating food and drinking alcohol.

I managed to hold around 125-135 for the majority of my twenties. There were a few stressful times when my weight dropped a little below, and there were some other stressful times when my weight climbed to 145 or so. I loved food, and I enjoyed it. I didn’t watch what I ate too closely—I dieted here and there, but I was lucky enough to have a pretty good metabolism and a pretty thin bone structure.

When I hit my thirties, Sam and I started dating and got married. I think a combination of things happened—I was really happy! I went out to eat even more! There were celebratory drinks and romantic dinners! There were Saturday morning pancakes!

After a while my size 8 pants didn’t fit…then my size 10s. Then I went to the Goodwill to get some “temporary pants” in a forgiving 12 (and they were tight). I look back at pictures from our first years together, and I cringe. I was no longer comfortable in my skin, or confident. I hid in baggy outfits and shapeless things. I lived in hoodies.

All of this was in contrast to being in a relationship with Sam, who is a gym teacher, golf coach, and pretty much Mr. Fitness (Eco Runner—HELLO?!?). Something had to be done, because I felt bad physically and I felt bad about myself. I couldn’t keep up. Sam never once said anything other than telling me I was beautiful and perfect, but I wanted to feel confident and healthy—to believe it myself.

The first steps

Counter to all the times I’d managed my weight in the past, I actually started with exercise. In January 2013, my best friend and I signed up for the Brewers 10K run (Sam did the half marathon). I procrastinated running until about June (the race was in September). At which point I half-heartedly jogged through week three of my running plan, and then repeated the same run, again and again….

On the Jumbo-tron at Miller Park

Then in August I panicked. I tried to run as much as possible—almost every day. Fortunately, I didn’t injure myself. I was however, not ready for my run. When race day came, I made it through and finished, but it wasn’t so pretty.

That small victory, running around Miller Park with my bestie, feeling like, even though I was slow, I was proud of myself. I hadn’t really lost any weight, but I definitely felt more physically fit. It gave me the momentum to keep going.

Goodbye cheese, goodbye booze

I had always “dabbled” in veganism. I would eat mostly vegan, but then Sam and I’d go out, order a big chile relleno, a jumbo margarita (or two), with a basket of chips and guac. This turned into a weekly occurrence, or even a few times per week. Not only were we always exhausted and on a major salt bloat, but we would even have a few margarita-fueled arguments (which always seemed stupid the next day).

In December 2013 we both decided, after some not-so-great blood work, and doctor’s advice, that we needed to make some changes. We decided to take a three-month break from alcohol, together. We also decided that it would be a good time to commit to following an entirely plant-based diet.

We started with a “we’ll try it for three months, and see how we feel.” Well, over a year later. It stuck. We are sober, exercising vegans. I don’t think you could pay me to go back. I feel so much stronger, and clearer mentally, emotionally and physically. I have energy that I never expected. I never have stomach problems, or anything. My bloodwork is great. I feel younger and healthier than I ever did in my twenties.

Tracking & Weight Watchers

I’m not a big “group meeting” person, but I really love the Weight Watchers program, and how flexible it is. I also love how accessible it is, and I use the online tracker daily. I’ve heard good things about My Fitness Pal as well, but I find that paying a little extra for Weight Watchers makes me stick to it. There are a lot of tips and tricks and interesting articles. They have a great support system with chat boards and ways to find people who are dealing with similar struggles.

I also bought a Jawbone UP. As of January 2014, I try to get 10,000 steps per day, and run 3-5 times per week. The Jawbone tracks my sleep and my steps and it’s really motivating because I can pair with some friends to cheer each other along.

A year of success

So, I have held at 125 pounds since May of 2014. I am really happy with my weight, and I’m confident with the way my clothes fit and how I look. I don’t pass things over or hide in baggy clothes. That part is really nice.

Running with my BFF

The even better part is that I feel healthy. I’m lucky to have a husband who embraced the healthy lifestyle change by my side, and did it right along with me (despite being athletic and slim to begin with—he’s seen quite a few positive changes too). He keeps me motivated and going.

This fall we started on our “super saver” plan to get out of debt and get ourselves financially “healthy” as well. As part of that plan, we’ve stopped going out to eat (for the most part) and eat at home. We cook together, and it’s so easy and fun to explore new recipes and try to “veganize” our favorite dishes.

This year, when my bestie and I ran the Brewers 10K, we shaved off over a minute per mile on our time. Yes, there were a few walk breaks, but I was more in control, more prepared, and had a few 5Ks under my belt (and with 35 fewer pounds on my frame). I didn’t have any fear about not being able to finish, and we had a great time! I can’t wait to do it again this year.

Overall, I think that the secret to my success is keeping things positive, fun and relying on my support system. Yes, there are days when I want to sit on the couch in my sweats, and eat Oreo cookies, but more and more they are fewer and farther between. I have looked at this as a new way of life, not a temporary diet, but true change in the way I am and who I am. I’ve become more open, more compassionate, less anxious.

Everyone has a different journey and challenges. I know that my lifestyle changes might sound difficult or unrealistic for some people, but for me it’s been what works and I’m happy to share it with you. I feel great and happy! It’s awesome!

Become a Morning Runner

2015-03-10T10:11:00.000-05:00

Okay…100% honest confession: Last week I only ran three times. I also ran only after work and on the weekends.

I know ya’ll are probably envisioning “Eco Runners” as these up at the butt crack of dawn road warriors, who have logged five miles as the rest of the world slumbers. That is not me—sorry.

I am just not a morning person, and I never have been. I used to loathe mornings. I would take hours to wake up, and would have waking amnesia, wherein I wouldn’t remember conversations, or have any form of logic until I had been up for at least twenty minutes.

In the last few years, maybe as I get older, it has gotten easier. I typically get up around 6:15 most mornings; drag myself to the shower and out the door by 7. Still, in the winter and when we hit Daylight Savings time I find myself exhausted and late to work more and more frequently. Forget running.

I aspire to be a morning runner, though. Last spring I managed to hit the pavement at dawn with a fair amount of regularity. It was actually quite lovely.

In an effort to get back to that time, I decided to do a little research on what makes getting up less painful, and how I can motivate myself to get out the door and on the road, especially when we are looking forward to some sunny days in the near future!

Sleep in running gear

Not exactly “Victoria’s Secret”, but my running clothes are comfortable (just tanks and some sort of stretchy shorts or pants), and if I only have to stumble towards my sports bra, put on some socks and shoes and walk out the door…well, I’m one step closer to a successful morning!

I find that having my headphones nearby, a hair elastic, and a fully charged Jawbone UP and iPhone ready to go, helps. I’m not a Simon & Garfunkel (sounds of silence) runner, and I like a little music. I use my UP band to track my steps and distance, and I’m using a Couch to 10k app right now (also on my phone).

Now obviously all of these things are not necessary to run, but I find that it’s best not to leave myself any excuses to slack.

Cut back on caffeine

Love me some caffeine. I am nothing until I’ve had my coffee in the morning, and I have a dirty little diet soda habit that I’m not so proud of (I’m down to just one or two a day). I have found that if I cut out that midday soda, and watch any caffeine after 2pm, I sleep a lot better.

Moreover, I’ve found that on the nights I can’t fall asleep, and consequently can’t get up, it’s often because I’ve had some sort of late day caffeine beverage, or even dark chocolate.

Don’t nap

For Sam, he can handle an occasional nap, and will wake up refreshed and ready to take on the world. I have never been a napper, even when I was a kid. Maybe I always thought I was going to miss out on the party or something…

Unfortunately if you are sensitive to naps, it can throw off your whole sleep schedule. It’s much better to try to power through, take a walk, drink some water, or chew some gum. Do something to wake yourself up so you can avoid putting yourself out of sync.

Avoid sleep aids and nightcaps

If I can’t sleep and have to take a Melatonin or Tylenol PM, I might as well abandon all hope of having a bright and sunny morning. I don’t drink alcohol anymore, but when I used to, I know that without a doubt it made me foggy (rather groggy) and just generally not so great the morning after.

Now, I’m not saying avoid all of it all together, BUT if you can avoid it the night before you plan to run, you will have a better morning.

Practice good sleep hygiene

There is definitely some merit to keeping my room dark, and avoiding electronics before bed. In fact, I find that print is almost like an instant sleep aid for me. I usually can get through only 5-10 pages before I find myself nodding off. It can be hard to leave my phone alone at bedtime, but the light really does make me feel less sleepy and more awake.

Scenes from a morning Spring run

I’ve heard that you should also avoid sleeping in the same bed as your pets. I have had my cat Madeline for the last fifteen years, so I have no idea if I would sleep better or worse without her, and I’m not about to find out! She’s staying! Instead, I change my sheets weekly, wash our comforter and use anti-allergen filters and a humidifier. This keeps dander to a minimum and we both seem to sleep pretty will with a sweet kitty cuddled in our bed.

The humidifier is great for creating white noise for our bedroom. I put a few drops of lavender in the water and we only use it when we are sleeping. I also keep the room cool at night, because there’s nothing worse than tossing and turning in a hot room.

Fast to reset your clock

I used to travel to Washington DC for work, and when we have travelled internationally (and yes, even during Daylight Savings) resetting your sleep clock can be a real bear.

The best tip I’ve found is to fast for 14-16 hours before your new “wake up time”. So if you want to get up at 5am, stop eating at 2 or 3pm the day before. For some reason, resetting your eating also has an effect on your sleep.

The caveat to this is that you have to eat something right when you wake up (before you run). A protein or granola bar and a glass of almond milk seem to do the trick. You will be very hungry and it will get you going in your new time zone.

The only other “time zone reset” trick that I know is to stop doing the math! Change your watch and all clocks, and try to get zen and “exist” in the zone you are in. Sometimes we psych ourselves out about what time we think it “actually is at home” as opposed to just accepting the new clock. It’s that whole mind-body connection, you know?

Pick an alarm you don’t hate

In 1994 I woke up every morning to the Cranberries CD because that was the disc in my alarm player, and I was too lazy to change it. To this day, I cringe every time I hear “I Still Do” (I still do—ha), because it filled me with the dread of getting up for high school.

There are many alarms that you can choose from and download for your phone. Pick something that doesn’t make you feel so awful that you turn it off automatically, but also something that will get you moving—music, a gradually louder noise, birds chirping, etc. Put your phone across the room, or download an app like FreakyAlarm, which forces you to complete a series of puzzles or scan items before the alarm stops. It may sound masochistic, but if you really struggle to wake up, it will probably work.

If you still can’t get up

Evening workouts are not the worst thing in the world. As long as you are moving at some point, it’s better than nothing. Studies now show that exercisers who work out just a few hours before bedtime don’t experience a great deal of sleep interference.

I’ve also found that when I tell myself that this is it, “I’m doing ALL the things! I’m getting up every day and running 3 miles!” I set myself up for failure. If I say that two weekdays and on the weekends I will run, and fill in the other days with walking and yoga, I’m much more successful. Give yourself a break. If you aren’t a morning person, it’s okay.

So, what about you? Do you run in the morning or at night? How do you get out of bed? Do you think I’ll make it out of bed early this week?

MUSIC MONDAYS - Eco-Runner Playlist "It's Warming Up"

2015-03-09T08:03:00.001-05:00

Weekend Curry (vegan, pareve, gluten-free, low-calorie)

2015-03-06T08:39:00.000-06:00

Almost every weekend I make a bit batch of curry in my Le Creuset. For some reason that red pot makes me feel like a culinary pro. It gives the best carmelization on onions and other veggies. It heats evenly, things cook slowly, and it’s perfect for making soups and stews.

One of my favorites is this curry.

The great thing about this dish is that like ramen, teriyaki or pasta dishes, you can use up a whole bunch of veggies and pack it with all kinds of ingredients. It’s customizable, and you can add protein too if you like. In this case chickpeas are my protein of choice (though it’s not exactly classic chana masala).

This curry will end up being lunch for us throughout the week. It’s freezable as well, so if we get tired of it, or aren’t going to finish the whole pot by Friday, I will toss a few portions in glass freezer containers and we have lunch for later. Some people don’t think brown rice or coconut milk freezes well, but I think this curry holds up just fine.

First step is to start caramelizing the onions. I use coconut oil, because the flavor goes well with the coconut milk. If you plan to use tempeh, tofu or another protein you can get some color on it as the onions are browning.

Caramelizing the onion

While the onions are going I chop my veggies. In this case I was using sweet and russet potatoes.

Choppin' the sweet potatoes

I added the sweet potatoes to the pot to get a little color on them. Then I tossed in the rest of the veggies, chickpeas, spinach and frozen veggies.

Add the rest of the veggies

Frozen veggies

I turned the stove down to a low, and added the liquid to cover the white potatoes. I used one can of crushed tomatoes, one can of coconut milk and veggie broth until everything is covered.

Shake the coconut milk just like it says...

Organic veggie broth

The coconut adds a lot of depth of flavor and makes your curry just a little sweet (but not overly coconutty). The next steps is the spices—1 tsp of curry powder, 1 tsp of whole grain mustard, 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tbsp of ginger. If you like heat, I would add a little red pepper or cayenne powder. I also add a tsp of salt and a few twists of black pepper.

Spicy spices

Cover and simmer for about half an hour, until your potatoes are soft. This delicious stuff just gets better and better as it rests, so it makes a perfect meal to revisit later in the week (if you can wait)!

Mustard and ginger -- strange combination, but so good in curry!

I make a few cups of brown rice to serve with this dish (and to use in burritos, casseroles and as the base for rice bowls throughout the week). The rice makes this dish more filling and brown rice will keep you full for the day!

Brown rice from the rice cooker

Green Lunch: How to make your lunch more eco-friendly

2015-03-05T11:36:00.000-06:00

One of the best ways to save money, calories and generally “be healthy” is to bring your own lunch to work. It’s hard to avoid the siren song of the Golden Arches, or to cut out your daily run to the ‘Bucks, but if you track your lunch costs for a few weeks, you’ll be shocked at what you can save by brown-bagging it.

Sam and I are pretty diligent about taking our lunches to work. We both work in schools and have tight schedules. Despite what you might have heard about the state of school lunches in our country, I am fortunate to work at a school that offers vegetarian, made-from-scratch lunches three days a week (the other two days are “meat days”). When I looked at my budget, paying $4.50 for a school lunch, especially one with at least some dairy component that I don’t eat, was just stretching it too far. Even though mornings can be hectic, I decided to suck it up and pack our lunches.

Even the best processed lunches contain a lot of waste (and a fairly large carbon footprint). In most cases it is best to prepare and pack your own lunch. If you are crunched for time, or just can’t manage a lunch every day, Amy’s, Kashi and Gardein all make frozen options that are pretty yummy. Recycle the packaging, or reuse the containers as much as possible. Teracycle is no longer partnered with Kashi, but will still accept and recycle their packaging.

So what’s an eco-runner to do?

We package our own lunches as much as we can, and use reusable products so we can have waste free lunches. Usually I make a few large dishes on the weekends and then we package them individually so we have grab-and-go portions each day. In a typical week I’ll have a rice bowl of some sort, a casserole and usually some type of soup. This gives us a variety of items to choose from depending on our tastes that week.

In the summers we get our CSA share, so we end up with more salads, and roasted veggies to take with our lunch. Sam and I both love hummus, and I make my own and then put it in small glass containers to take for the week.

Best Lunch Packaging

Ready to be filled with delicious snacks

Reusable Bags We love the sandwich and snack wraps from Fresh Snack Pack. These are easy to clean, they stay closed and they hold a sandwich, crackers, chips, or cookies. They have a Velcro closure, and are BPA-free free of phthalates made out of a plastic called EVA.

Bento box in the prettiest color

Bento Boxes We received the Takenaka bento box for Christmas and it’s great for taking snacks back and forth to work. They are made from a sturdy, food-safe plastic, and come in really cute colors (and beautiful designs). I’m not into microwaving plastic, but they are microwave and dishwasher-safe. We typically use ours for dry snacks, fruit and other items that are prone to getting squished when slung in a backpack.

Glass Containers The majority of our food (particularly the items that need to be reheated) we use the Wean Green Glass Lock containers. These tempered-glass containers are safer than plastic, better for the environment and work great for the freezer or in the microwave (I take the lid off first).

We also have a collection of tried and true Pyrex dishes that we use for storage and to transport food back and forth. They are not the lightest containers, but they are glass and the lids are made of BPA-free plastic. When I make freezer meals, or have leftovers, we save them in individual portions so that we can always grab a little variety for lunch.

Utensils I carry my Light My Fire Spork in my purse. Yes, I know that’s a little weird, but it’s great! It’s sturdy, you can use it to cut up a kiwi, eat soup or eat forkfuls of pasta and salad. Plus, who doesn’t love a spork? It’s just fun to say. Spork, spork, spork. Mine is blue, but they come in a variety of colors.

Its a spoon its a fork its a knife its a spork

Mason Jar Truth be told, I am so over the whole “put it in a Mason jar” trend. However, there are some really good uses for Mason jars, and they do make nice, eco friendly containers for items. They’re great for transporting bulk foods from the grocery store, and they store spices and dry goods safely, and easily. There’s also the whole “salad in a jar” thing—cue CUPPOW! These little guys convert your Mason jar into a dip, dressing and sauce-machine! You can use them to separate out your dressing, to carry hummus far away from your pretzels so they don’t get soggy, or you can use the “drink lid” to convert your jar into a beverage container. It works great for making single-serve ice tea (the jars transfer easily between hot and cold).

Coffee to go

Coffee Mugs We use a Frieling French Press after breaking about five glass presses. The waste from these is much less than a regular coffee maker, or those awful K-Cups that are becoming such a problem. You can compost your grounds too, and it’s virtually waste-free. Plus French press coffee is seriously the bomb. Now I can’t really drink anything else.

To carry our coffee back and forth, there are so many options. There are a variety of reusable and travel coffee mugs that great and save on the huge landfill-clog that are disposable coffee cups (or even worse—Styrofoam coffee cups, yikes!). We went through several Contigo mugs but they kept leaking on us, or popping open. Now we use the totally unglamorous, but practical and functional Uniware Vacuum Flask. They are inexpensive, and Sam has had his for roughly 10 years, and the thing is still ticking.

Water Bottles There are so many great reusable water bottles! Klean Kanteen makes a bunch of easy to clean, and eco-friendly options. When looking for a water bottle, go with stainless steel for a safer option than plastic. It’s lightweight and long lasting. Look for something with a large enough mouth to clean (I love my SIGG, but it’s really hard to clean without special tablets, and who has time?).

The key with water bottles is just to have some that are easy to use, and clean, and lightweight enough to carry with you. For exercising Sam uses the USA made Polar Bottle. These are BPA-free insulated bottles that are lightweight plastic, and sporty. They keep water cold for hours and work great for running, biking and other outdoor activities (they’re a go-to in the kayak).

So what eco friendly lunch and snack options do you use? Do you take your lunch to work?

It’s Easy Eating Green

2015-03-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

It’s hard to get away from sounding self-righteous when one talks about being vegan, but I am being 100% honest when I say: For me, I see it as a personal choice.

Being vegan is about what I eat, not what anyone else eats. Eating is about the consumer and the food.

So why even bother to write about it?

I figure I should explain why Sam and I decided to go vegan, and what tips we have learned and what we enjoy about it, since those that are reading along here are probably going to start to wonder “hey, are these guys vegan?”. I am certainly not trying to “convert” anyone or get anyone else to drink our sugar-free, non-GMO, locally sourced, all natural Kool-Aid.

The great thing about plant-based diets is that pretty much everyone can enjoy them—omnivores and locavores, and freegans and whatevers. Plant-based eating and living is healthy, even if it’s only PART of your action…every little bit adds up and makes a difference.

If every American swapped out just one meal of chicken for a vegetarian meal (according to this) it would be the same carbon dioxide reduction as taking half a million cars off the road! Even the most ardent carnivore can get behind one veg meal a week.

With over a million vegans and 5% of the population considering themselves vegetarian, it’s definitely gaining in popularity. It seems that every day there’s an article about some celebrity, politician, trainer, dietician that is touting the benefits of going veg.

What does veganism do for me? From personal experience, I can say that it 1. Has played a large role in my losing 35 pounds. 2. Seems to make my skin clearer and glowier. 3. Definitely has cut back on a lot of stomach issues. 4. Seems to play a role in my NEVER getting sick anymore. 5. I went from having hypertension (135/95+) to perfect blood pressure (115/78) and from having “pre-hypercholesterolemia” (yes, it’s a thing—basically borderline high cholesterol) to having again, perfect scores.

Fearless vegan travelers

Eating plant-based has helped me make better choices when it comes to going out to eat (yes, it limits your options, but hey—whatever you do eat is probably going to be pretty low-cal and healthy). It has helped me become more aware of what I eat, and plan out my meals better. I’ve saved a lot of money, and naturally moved away from processed and “junk” foods.

The weird thing is that it just sort of happened naturally. There are times when it’s challenging. The middle schoolers at my school recently did a pizza sale as a fundraiser, and that ooey-gooey cheesy delicious pizza smelled pretty good (and I ended up donated some money to them anyway, even though I didn’t buy a pizza). When we went to England this summer it was challenging to follow our vegan diet, and we had a few “don’t ask” moments, where we just picked the vegetarian option and hoped for the best.

Overall, though, being vegan is easier than I thought. Years ago I used to refer to the Wendy’s Bacon Mushroom Cheddar Melt as the “Jenny Sandwich” because it consisted of everything I loved—namely meat, cheese and bread and nothing that I didn’t love (namely vegetables) I can’t even believe that I am the same girl. Tastes just change, and somehow I’ve just found that when I gave up dairy and meat, I really stopped craving it. It was weird.

What it does veganism do for the planet? Well, overall two people are not going to change the world, but it’s a start. Sam and I have managed to get most of our family members to at least become open to the idea of trying our “weird vegan food”. When I share food at work or make items to take to a party I always try to get a few people to try something new, and try to make it as yummy as possible.

More than trying to make a drastic change, I think it’s about making little changes. If we are able to support vegan restaurants, enjoy vegan products and share vegan recipes with friends, then maybe a few more people will try putting black beans and pumpkin in their brownies rather than eggs (it’s really really good, I swear!!).

It takes 16 pounds of grain to make one pound of meat. By that logic alone, we are saving energy and resources. We are helping with the global water shortage. We are helping with the hunger problem. It’s a drop in the bucket, and a way to reduce our personal footprint and impact.

Vegan Psychology I am no mental health expert, but here’s the weird thing, guys—being vegan makes you “FEEL” better. Seriously. I have experienced less depression and anxiety in the last year, which could be coincidental, and could be related to exercising more BUT there’s something nourishing and kind to yourself about being vegan.

I’m not one to believe in a lot of stuff about the spiritual aspect of eating dead things, but there is something to be said for your mental well-being and your conscious by subscribing to a less-harm, more-plants philosophy. I can’t explain it completely, but I know that I definitely feel happy about what I’m eating. I feel like I can look at my dog without guilt. I feel like my choices are good for my body and the planet.

Protein, Iron, Calcium, B-12 and Vegan Diets:

So what does it do to your running performance? What about the protein, protein, protein thing? What about my bones?

Well, I am not a nutritionist by any means. I know that the last time I gave blood I had excellent iron, which is unusual for a woman. Sam has had no problem keeping up his muscle tone, and doing weight training along with running. He has that lean runner’s build, but he had that before, and being vegan hasn’t seemed to make a difference.

Our vitamin D levels are good, but in the winter I take a supplement, because I am in an office ALL day with no outside light. Sam works outdoors and gets some sun, so he doesn’t supplement and has been fine.

Plenty of Iron in this blood

Neither of us have experienced any issues with our bones, teeth, hair, or well…anything. My nails grow like crazy, and more since I’ve been on this diet. We both take a B-12 supplement, because B-12 is the one vitamin that you can’t get from a vegan diet (well, rumor has it that you can get it from algae but I also don’t eat a lot of algae, so yeah…supplement it is).

Vegan diets might not be for everyone, but I think it is a pretty great way to eat. You’ll probably hear me talk about vegan recipes, or products, and I really hope you give things a try. That’s the great thing about plant-based—everyone can try something that’s plant-based and it fits in all sorts of diet plans.

The next time you have a chance, give that veggie burger a try, or opt for the vegetarian meal option (if you’re on a plane or at a wedding you’ll probably be happier with your selection anyway). See what a plant-based diet can do for you, and then see what it can do for the world around you!

Ouch—Help Heal Blisters Fast

2015-03-03T10:00:00.000-06:00

There are a lot of weird body things that happen when you run and exercise, especially if you are a newbie.

Chafing, sweating in weird ways, pains you never expected….I started running in a bad/cheap sportsbra and had horrible chest pains that I found out were strained ligaments (support those girls!).

My biggest challenge though was what happened to my feet. I have freakishly flat feet—no arch at all. This means that it’s hard to find shoes that fit my unconventionally shaped feet without rubbing in places, and either crushing my toenails or causing blisters.

Even Sam, a marathoner, and experienced runner has faced blisters—not as much these days, as his feet are pretty calloused, but they can still happen. All it takes is a poor choice of shoe or a strange sock fold on a long run and very quickly you are in a world of pain.

So, a few weeks ago we went for a long walk in the snow, and I wore my impractical vinyl boots. They are waterproof, and so it seemed like a good idea at the time (see—logic!), but about half way to the store I knew I had probably made a mistake in my footwear choice.

We saw this guy on the way and it felt like he was laughing at me.

Guys, things got bad. I sat down for a little bit, and took off my boot and was immediately regretful of that decision. My sock was covered in blood. Ew! Not only that but there was about a foot of snow. I couldn’t put my boot back on, and I couldn’t walk in sub-freezing weather in my sock.

Sam, being the Eco Runner (and gentleman) that he is, ran home to get the car and pick me up, while I waited on the curb. It was all very dramatic for one little friction-caused blister.

When I got home, I realized I was hobbled. I was not going to be able to run, or do anything for a while. So I went on a quest to find out what the best treatment was for blisters, so I could get back in my Newtons and on the treadmill.

If the blister is unbroken:

I had at least two that were unbroken, and from my research I learned that you should not pop them, as tempting as it is. The blister is your skins way of forming a natural cushion around the area and allowing it to heal. Popping it will eliminate the cushion and can cause infection. Instead leave it alone and cover it with a bandage, like All Terrain. If you really want to put something on it, or it’s just a potential “hot spot” try putting the cure-all, coconut oil on it.

If you can’t resist, or the blister is rubbing and really bothering you, use a sterile needle, drain it, and put on some antibacterial ointment. Cover it and it should go away within a day or two. I’ve found that wearing cushy socks can help during that time.

If the blister is broken:

It was bad, REAL BAD.

So in this case, my blister was broken and bleeding (it was bad…real bad). I decided to run through the gamut of solutions to find something that would give me some relief.

1. Soaking in hydrogen peroxide

BEFORE I did my research I did the first, tried and true family remedy that my Grams would have suggested (actually she would have painted it with this red stuff called merthiolate, but I’m pretty sure it’s dangerous and off the market for containing mercury)—I tried hydrogen peroxide!

It stung like crazy, and bubbled and then I looked it up to see what I should to next and the advice said—Don’t use hydrogen peroxide on blisters! Oops…good to know.

2. Soaking in salt water

After the hydrogen peroxide incident, I tried salt water. This worked a little better, or at least didn’t feel bad. I’m not sure if it helped the healing process, but it didn’t seem to hurt it.

3. Antibacterial Ointment and Gauze

Again and again online, this was the advice I found, and yes, it seemed to be a very good solution. This allows the blister to breathe and sort of “dry out” which will protect the raw skin from getting infection. Leave the blister uncovered at night and it will dry out faster. Wash it well, and watch for signs of infection, like redness, lots of swelling or red lines that are running out of the blister. If you notice those things—get to a doctor!

4. Tea Tree Oil

Bottle of Awesome!

I am a big fan of Tea Tree, or Melaleuca oil. I quite literally use it on everything. It has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and it seems to make things heal faster. It fixes zits, heals canker sores, and works great on blisters and skin irritation.

If you aren’t a user of tea tree, be careful because that stuff is very very strong. It has an antiseptic smell that can be a little hard to get used to at first, and even off-putting. This is not something that you want to dab on to smell nice. It can also irritate some people’s skin so if you have sensitive skin like I do, mix it with a little coconut oil to help dilute it (plus it will “stick” on a little better).

My blister healed in about four days and I was back to running as soon as I could. It was definitely not the week to try new shoes, or to push a long run. I just did my usual workout until I was healed and could run without feeling pain in my foot.

What do you guys do for blisters? Have you found anything that works well?

MUSIC MONDAYS - Eco-Runner Playlist "Viva La Motivation"

2015-03-02T08:24:00.001-06:00

Waste-less, Save More “Green” with Meal Planning

2015-02-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

As we talked about last week, one of the best ways to save money on your groceries is by having a plan of attack, and the best way to make your list is based off a meal plan.

Sam and I have managed to slash our grocery bill from over $800 a month to just $300 per month, and we’ve stopped going out to eat.

Is it fun?

Um, well, kind of, actually. I like to cook, and Sam doesn’t mind doing the dishes or cleaning up. I usually prepare our meals for the week on Sunday so he can just throw things in the oven or on the stove to reheat during the work week. Sam gets home before I do most nights and when I walk in the door it’s comforting and awesome to have a hot, healthy dinner ready with little to no effort!

Meal planning can seem a little daunting at first, especially dealing with families, different tastes, dietary restrictions and preferences. Once you start, you’ll be amazed at how much time and money you’ll save, and how much more you’ll use up (less waste—yay!).

So, how to get started…

1. Brainstorm all of the meals and snacks you and your family like to eat

I wrote down a pretty comprehensive list of all of the meals we like sorted by breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Now breakfast, for example, I have a banana or apple and coffee (I know, I know, but it’s a step up from coffee alone, right?). Sam prefers his granola bars or an energy bar of some sort. Once in a while he’ll have toast with maple syrup. On weekends I’ll make pancakes, or very occasionally biscuits and gravy. So, these options all go on the list under breakfast—will I make them every month? No, but I’ll put them on my meal list as a reference.

Lunch is roasted veggie burritos, rice bowls, or some leftovers. Once in a while I’ll take avocado toast, or make chickpea “tuno” sandwiches. We always round it out with a few pieces of fruit, carrots, pretzels or chips. I make Sam trail mix in mass quantities to keep at school, when he needs a little energy boost. He often takes hummus and crackers or apples with peanut butter to get through the mid-afternoon slump. I keep green tea in my desk at work for a caffeine kick. These options all go on the list as well. In the summer I add salads-in-a-jar to the list as well, and oven roasted veggies.

Dinner is a long list of options—soups, pastas, rice dishes, casseroles, a lot of one-pot dinners that we can have with a side salad and garlic bread to finish it off. I usually make a pan of pumpkin brownies, or oatmeal cookies as a sweet option, and I make a loaf of bread in my bread maker each week. Sam’s a cereal-snacker, so we keep a few boxes of the “good stuff” on hand and almond milk in case he needs a little somethin’ somethin’.

2. Go through your calendar and “plot out” the meals

I don’t have a problem with eating the same thing for multiple meals (and you can save money and time by having a routine). Breakfasts and Lunches are usually similar menus each day. So, I only plot out dinners.

I don’t bother to write down details (I always have a few things on hand for salad, and garlic bread, for example) and just write down things like, “Monday—Minestrone soup; Tuesday—Chili; Wednesday—Tacos (with leftover chili); Thursday—Risotto broccoli bake; Friday—Tortilla pizzas; Saturday—Gardein Chicken strips with leftover risotto; Sunday—Chana Marsala” and so on…

I take into account upcoming events, and scheduling conflicts—if I know we have an appointment after work or obligation, so we can plan meals that are easy to eat on the go.

Most nights we make a strong effort to sit down together and have dinner. It’s really the time that we connect, go over the happenings of the day and have “couple time”. When we decided to cut back on going out to eat, we talked about what was so important to us about going out, and we realized that it wasn’t about paying $40 to be served a meal by someone else, it was about sitting down as a couple, away from our electronics and distractions, and talking—like a date! So now that we eat at home, we have “date night” at our dining room table almost every evening and it’s awesome.

3. List your ingredients out and pair “like ingredients” together to reduce waste

Now that I have my menu calendar arranged, I just start listing the ingredients out for each dish. This is the most time-consuming part BUT once you’ve done it you can just save it in a document or notebook and use it again and again. I try to look at areas that I can use ingredients in several dishes. Once you list out your ingredients you may want to re-arrange your menu here and there, so you can group items together.

On Sundays I make bread for the week, a big pot of rice, roasted veggies and tofu, and prep my dinners for the rest of the week. Group your meals together with common ingredients or themes to make this process more efficient. For example—if I’m making an Italian pasta dish on Monday, I might also include a pasta salad as a side on Friday and just make extra pasta. If I’m making a batch of roasted veggie freezer burritos, I’ll make extra rice, quinoa or roasted veggies for my chili or as the base for a stir-fry.

Omnivores can use the same concept—Roasted chicken on Monday, shredded taco filling on Thursday, etc. I go through what we have, compare it to my plan and make sure that the ingredients get used to their fullest potential!

4. Shop your pantry & food storage

Once I’ve got my comprehensive ingredients list, I go through my pantry and cross off anything that I don’t need to buy for the month. For example—flour, oats, salt, olive oil, are all things we often buy in bulk. We go through them fast, but not so much that we need to purchase them every month. I often have a little storage supply of canned items, frozen goods, pastas, rice and other staples. I assess what I have before our grocery trip so I can get by with shopping once.

We are part of a CSA and as some of you may know, that means it’s a bit of a crapshoot each week as to what veggies we may have. While this presents a challenge in shopping for the summer months, I generally know that we will be getting lettuce each week, some root veggies and green veggies. I make my menu a little looser to accommodate a change in soups, or a different ingredient in a stir fry, and I buy almost no other produce in the summer, especially because we have our own garden as well.

I always look at anything we have that might be starting to “turn”. By assessing the fridge and menu when I cook, I am sure that I am using up all of my produce and perishables. This saves me from forgetting about a head of broccoli, or letting salsa go bad. If an ingredient is nearing the end, I throw it in one of my recipes early on in the plan. No waste!

5. Get your shop on

Now that you have your grocery list for the month, it’s time to go shopping! If you are still not quite sure, see our Grocery List post for more help!

6. Try freezer meals

One of my favorite ways to really make my groceries stretch (and so we don’t have to eat the same thing all the time) is to freeze meal-sized lunch portions in our freezer. When I have a big soup, casserole and even some freezer-friendly rice and pasta dishes, I just save my own “lean cuisine” portion in a glass freezer dish. We always have a great selection of lunches to take to work.

I also make a big batch of freezer burritos, as I mentioned before. These are a great way to stretch and use up produce! I freeze them in individual portions and we take them to work—quick and easy.

Soups are also a great way to fit with your meal plan. I make a double batch of soup ahead, and pull it off the stove when it’s not quite done. Once it’s cooled and put in the freezer it will last for months! When I’m ready to eat it, we just take it out, run it under a little hot water and slide it into a pot to cook for 20 minutes or so!

We’ll feature some ideas for freezer meals in upcoming posts, so please stay-tuned!

7. Stick to your guns and keep to your plan

Life happens. There are some days when Sam has a meeting after school, or an emergency comes up, or we’re both too exhausted to even THINK of reheating a meal (oh and PS we don’t use a microwave, so yes, that does complicate things a little). On those days I keep a couple Amy’s Frozen Pizza’s on hand. Are they processed? Yup….but you may be sensing a theme here. I find that it’s better to do the best that you can than make yourself crazy striving for perfection all the time. Some days a frozen pizza is okay.

Pug vacuums.

That said, I put my cooking Sundays on my calendar, and I block out that time. Sam helps me, we put on a little music, and Frankie and Tanka try to give us pitiful stares and catch any floor snacks that come their way. I chop, I dice, Sam washes the dishes as we go, and it’s a lot of fun. I can make a whole week’s worth of meals in about two hours, which saves lots of time in the long run.

I’ll share some of our weekly meal plans in upcoming posts, and recipes. Cooking at home is an easy and time-saving way to be frugal. You will find that you waste less and spend less. Your compost pile will grow. Your waistline will shrink…and you might find that you enjoy yourself in the process!

Best Easy Tzatziki Sauce (vegan, parve, gluten-free, low-calorie)

2015-02-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

“Let’s get freaky with some tzatziki (sauce)…” (said in a Guy Fieri voice).

Okay. No. Just no. There’s something about corny puns, sauce and guy Guy Fieri that just fit, in a cringe-inducing way. I can’t help myself. Sorry.

Seriously, though, this sauce is the bomb, the boss, the absolute BEST in terms of sauces…and it can be vegan, easily, and it’s gluten-free, kosher, parve and awesome.

It goes with pretty much anything—it makes a great salad dressing, you can dip lemon-pepper potato wedges in it, you can smother it on a gyro (which is what we normally do with it). It makes a great dip for pita or crackers. It’s light and cooling. It’s about 70 calories for two tablespoons.

Best of all, I didn’t make it. It’s a Sam recipe—he’s kind of a “sauce guy” (he’s also a soup guy, and a garlic bread guy). I used to shy away from sauces, never combine them and avoid them at all costs—everything was plain, plain, plain. Not Sam. I’ve actually witnessed him look at a meal, and go “what kind of sauce(s) can I put on this?” He mixes strange pink spicy blends; he combines several sauces into one dish; he’s a saucologist.

This sauce is super easy, and it just makes everything feel more dressed up. It’s cooling, and goes great with spice. In short, it’s pretty much my preferred sauce.

Ingredients all lined up

First assemble your ingredients: cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon, garlic salt, paprika, oregano, dill (we use this fantastic blend from Weeds, my favorite store in town. However, any dill or dill blend will be okay). We use Tofutti Sour Supreme as the base, but you could also use a Greek-style yogurt.

Insert cucumber joke here

Peel the cucumber with a peeler (save a strip for garnish if you feel so inclined)

Action shot! Watch your fingers, Sam!

Our cheese grater doesn’t see much action these days, so it’s kind of fun to use it for this recipe. You could also use a food processor, but a grater works really well.

Cucumber slush

Combine the cucumber bits, with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Ready to mix

Blend your cucumber mixture with ½ cup Sour Supreme (or yogurt), ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dill, ½ teaspoon garlic salt. Fresh is best with the herbs, but dried is fine here and you can add a little cilantro or mint to brighten things up if you feel so inclined.

Stir, Stir, Stir...

Garnish with raisins a piece of the cucumber peel and it’s ready to serve! I like to make it ahead and let it rest or blend for a while

Viola!

For gyros we use Viana’s Veggie Gyros. They are pretty darned passably “meaty” and already spiced and delicious. I can’t even begin to express just how scrumptious these things turn out. Seriously—I’m hungry just writing about them. Yum!

Gyros with Tzatziki, green beans and Israeli couscous—The BEST dinner!

Try it, and let me know what you think!

The (Arm) Pitfalls of Running: Finding Stink (and Cruelty) Free Green Options

2015-02-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

Let’s talk about smelling bad for a minute.

Exercise in general makes you stink. That’s just a fact, and no one wants to be the smelly potato-salad-whiff kid. Like, ever.

In my quest for vegan, cruelty-free and eco-friendly solutions to all of life’s challenges, deodorant and antiperspirant has been a continuous holy grail. The things that work (that store brand ultra-ultra super-duper stink prevention chemical-laden antiperspirant) are often filled with scary ingredients, tested on animals, bad for the environment and not something you want to rub on your bod.

Sam and I have adopted a trial and error approach. Both of us are obsessive about being clean and smelling good. Particularly as a gym teacher who runs around all day, Sam is adamant that he need something that works (and as a Fundraising and Development Director, smelling bad does not help my job either).

Here at Ecology Runner, we have a “do what you can handle” approach to ecology, diet, exercise and green living in general. I know there are many who adopt an all-or-nothing stance but frankly, it’s just not always practical, and I figure as long as we are making a concerted effort that is what’s important. Life is about learning as you go, not being perfect.

So without further ado, in order of least effective to most, here is what we’ve tried:

1. Homemade Natural Deodorant

First, and most natural (no chemicals, parabens, aluminum and toxic ingredients), homemade deodorant is simple to make, and fun. Combine equal parts (start with ¼ cup each) cornstarch, coconut oil and baking soda. This will be a sandy/gritty mix. Then add 25-30 drops of essential oil of your choice (woodsy, strong, and musky scents seem to cover or sort of “blend” with body smells).

Once you have the recipe mixed together you simply smear it on and go. This works…okay. It leaves a bit of residue (which comes off clothes pretty easily) and it doesn’t really absorb into your skin like commercial brands. The upside is that it’s cheap, you can make lots of it and store it in a jar, you will never run out and you know the ingredients. If you aren’t a big sweater, it works and is the greenest option.

2. Natural vegan deodorants

Got a mini of this for my purse at Madison’s Veg Fest last year

Got this one from Petit Vour when I used to subscribe

This one came from Conscious Box, which I also subscribed to

Um, okay honestly? These all smell great. I’m a sucker for lavender, and two of them were very lavender-y and the other one was yummy smelling too. If you don’t mind a little sweatpit/underarm circle action now and again, any of these will probably work fine.

The NorthCoasts Organics Death by Lavender had the cutest label, and I found it at the Mad City Vegan Fest (which is a super fun event in Madison)! It was purse-size which was awesome, because I was looking for something I could use after my lunchtime walks and on sweaty days.

It worked okay. I like that it’s in a stick. It smells fantastic. It was a little sticky, but it was great for those days when I get to work and realize that I forgot to apply deodorant that morning.

Schmidt’s Lavender Sage also smells amazing. I used to subscribe to Petit Vour (before we went on our big savings plan, and cut out a lot of extras), and I honestly really liked this one. It’s a tad rough and gritty when it goes on, and you apply it with your fingers….which took a little getting used to. This stuff was more highly scented (in a good way), and I could definitely smell it during the day. It didn’t absorb quickly, which was a big deal. I did start to have a little erm…”B.O.” after working out, and was definitely sweaty. The scent covered it, but not completely.

Piper Wei Natural Deodorant came in my Conscious Box. I like that it contains activated charcoal, which did seem to be pretty helpful in terms of absorbing “smell”. It didn’t have a strong scent, but it was pleasant. I definitely had some shirt-sweatpit going on, but almost no smell even after working out! It’s still an “apply with your fingers” type, which is not for everyone, of course.

3. Tom’s of Maine

Both Sam and I have used Toms of Maine, and I find that it’s the most widely available, easy-to-find brand of antiperspirant and deodorant that still falls into the “somewhat natural, eco-friendly and cruelty-free“ category.

Here’s the deal, though—Tom’s of Maine has been owned by Colgate-Palmolive since 2006. So….yeah, obviously not a totally cruelty-free or eco-friendly company. Remember what I said above about doing what you can, and as much as you can, and then trying to “zen” the rest? Well, compared to other brands you might buy, Tom’s of Maine, itself, is at least a brand that has a commitment to natural ingredients, a strong history of giving back, and of using green practices in their manufacturing such as offsetting their energy usage and using recycled components in their package. Is it perfect? No, but it’s at least a step in the right direction. Showing support for companies that offer “greener” products is a way to encourage their eco-friendly practices and brand options. So there are upsides and downsides to it.

For something such as deodorant and antiperspirant, there are times when you have to do what you can tolerate and live with. Tom’s of Maine is one of the best, most conventional-type products out there, it’s easy to find and it works well…HOWEVER…

4. Certain Dri

Never fear, because Certain Dri is here! For those of us that are profuse sweaters, and are embarrassed by the sweat rings and smell, particularly when we are very active there is…dahdahdah: Certain Dri. This stuff works. It’s easy to find at most pharmacies and grocery stores. It has basically no scent.

The odd part is that you put it on at night, before bed. It’s a little unconventional, and we were both pretty skeptical at first, but it goes strong for at least 24 hours. If you are not sold, you can put a little deodorant on in the morning just to offset any anxiety and voila…sweat free.

I work out at night (usually) and I never have to re-apply. Sam is active all day, and nothing. This stuff is pretty great. It does contain aluminum, but I have pretty sensitive skin and have had no reaction. If aluminum (which is pretty much every commercial brand) doesn’t concern or bother you, then this stuff is pretty amazing. As a company they are committed to being cruelty-free and vegan. There’s not a lot of background on their parent company (Numark Laboratories), and their commitment on environmental policy available online, but they are rated on the Environmental Working Group scale as having a low overall hazard.

So in conclusion…is there a perfect solution for the eco-athlete who sweats? Well, no, but there are definitely options that will keep you from smelling bad and actually make you smell pretty great. Sweat happens, and the good news is that eating less meat will make your sweat less “smelly” (for real, I swear) and is good for the planet. Even if you aren’t ready to go “that green”, there are quite a few natural options that are good, and will balance out your sweatiness with a little basic hygiene (wash your pits, yo).

Good luck, everyone! Let me know what you guys have found for “green” deodorant options! How do you stay sweat free?

Running, A Love Story

2015-02-24T10:00:00.000-06:00

I run. I’m a runner.

This statement would be hilarious and ridiculous to the “Jen of five years ago”. I remember playing bar league kickball. I was tagged out at first and returned to the bench. My slack-jawed teammate just stood there staring at me, and was like, “Wow, I’ve never seen anyone actually run in slow motion before.”

He wasn’t trying to be facetious either. I seriously did not run--like ever. My body could not move in that way. My legs didn’t know what to do. I could move them in something resembling running motions but it was slow and well…awkward.

Then, four years ago I met Sam, fell in love etc. etc. and was like, “Well, running will just have to be that ‘alone time’ for us, because I’ll never be a runner.”

Now if my Facebook feed is any indication there is some weird third-life crisis that hits between age 30-35 where you suddenly realize your own mortality. Everyone starts running in their 30s. That guy you used to party with? Yeah, he just did his first half. That girl who bummed you cigarettes at the bar? She just PR’d.

Maybe you’re very comfortable with your relationships, maybe you’ve had a kid or two and haven’t quite been as focused on yourself, and suddenly you don’t fit into anything…

Probably it’s just the fact that you’re getting older. Suddenly you find out that you have high blood-pressure, or high cholesterol or you have a health scare. Maybe you just feel guilty about all the fun you had in your twenties—drinking, smoking, eating junk, staying out late…

Whatever it is, there seems to be a major “get fit” trend that happens right around this “third-life-crisis” where it hits you—I’m getting old and I’d better fix this! Time is ticking! I’m never going to be this young, this good-looking, or this-healthy again.

So what do we do? We go out, we buy a Fitbit, we download a Couch-to-5k app. We break out that pair of sneakers that we bought on clearance at Shopko five years ago…and it’s kind of ugly and beautiful at the same time.

It was for me.

I wanted to run.

BUT I wanted to run in total isolation, and preferably in the dark, while wearing a sack, and putting my headphones on as loudly as I could to drown out the horrible sounds of my own gasping. I oscillated between wanting Sam to run with me (in case I died, and because I literally could NOT carry my phone in my hand and focus on running at the same time, and thought I’d miss the cue on my app to finally stop) and wanting no one to see me running ever.

Every time the app made it’s little “ping: slow down and walk” noise I would gasp out a “Thank you,” or “Please,” or creative and colorful swearwords that would make a sailor blush.

A year and a half later I can honestly say I’m a runner. I’m still not fast, and I still take breaks. I don’t think anyone would describe what I am doing as “gazelle-like” or even athletic, but I have improved quite a bit. I finished a 10k this fall and plan to do another one this year with the goal to run it straight (no walk breaks).

So, why run? What is the rationale behind trying to do something that is so hard for me, repeatedly, when I’m not that good at it?

Well, when I started out I could only run about 4.5 miles an hour. Just FYI—that’s very slow. 5.0 was pushing it. Now I’m up to 6.5 miles per hour. When I have my headphones on, and I’m keeping the beat to some good music, and I feel like I’m stomping out all of my frustrations…it’s just, cathartic. It’s kind of magical, actually.

When my best girl, Niki and I were running the 10k this fall, I was like, “Do you ever get really cold when you are running after a while? Like you get shaky or chilled and all endorphine-y?” She smiled and said, “Yeah, that’s your soul leaving your body. “

That is why I run....because it makes me aware of my soul (even if it's just because I am painfully aware of my own mortality).

Ecology Runner

Motivation! Where are you?!

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