Peek into my Kitchen

This blog is addressed as "jacy's FITNESS blog", but all I really talk about it my running. I do other things to try to keep fit, such as the crossfit class that I've been attending twice a week for the past 4.5 weeks (this evening is my 2nd to last class). And when that's over, I will be doing one day a week of Bootcamp classes every Wednesday with Kerrie of CrazyFit. I need another day of something in there, so I might go back to Bikram or just try to row and strength train here at home.

So, I thought I'd take the time to post some stuff that I eat -- the GOOD stuff, not the BAD! (This post would be super long if I posted all the CRAP I eat!) 

First of all, I would like to state that I am in NO WAY a "health freak" or "calorie counter" or what have you, nor do I have any real dietary restrictions. I still eat crap, whenever I want! I don't feel guilty! Shoot, I'll eat meat and processed crap all day! haha But I have been watching my portions and am trying to be more aware of my body and trying to stop eating when I'm satisfied. I will eat an entire bag of kettle chips, chocolate granola (see below), or Cool Ranch Doritos if I don't pay attention!

One of my Favorite Snacks:

Bear Naked Heavenly Chocolate Granola

This is the bomb. I eat it like popcorn. I think I actually strained my jaw eating so much of this delicious, chocolatey, chewy, all natural goodness!

Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness

I was thinking about investing in a juicer at one point... until I decided that buying all the fruits and veggies to go INTO the juice would be super expensive. For now, my cheap self buys this really tasty juice. Or is it a smoothie? Not sure. I start my day with 8 oz. of this stuff.

Any Tea – Especially Green Tea

I am a tea drinker. I also drink a cup of straight up, unsweetened green tea in the morning (after the juice), sometimes mid-day and in the evening. I love my coffee, too, but I try to save that for when I need to pull an all-nighter. I have a little Keurig machine which I love for not only the ease of coffee making, but because you can easily brew up some hot water for tea in about a minute!

Apple Cider Vinegar

This is something new I am trying. I got the idea from Ms. Plank-a-Day, Lea of Running For Dummies. :) It's been around for a while; the health benefits/old wives tales of it seem too good to be true, but I'm trying it mainly for the claims it has on weight loss and immunity boosting. I mix 2 Tbs with 8 oz. of water, in the morning and in the evening. It's definitely NOT good. But growing up, me and my sisters used to eat Granny Smith apples dipped in apple cider vinegar, so it sort of has a nostalgic taste for me... sorta. I read that it can cause damage to tooth enamel, so I usually rinse my mouth out with some water afterwards.

 Chia Seeds, Almond Butter

Chia seeds are the same seeds from the infamous Chia Pet of our childhood. Who knew these novelty toy seeds would have so much Omega-3 (supposedly more than Salmon)? They also work as an appetite suppressant because when you eat them, they expand and turn into a gel and keep you feeling full. They don't taste like anything, so you can put it on anything! My favorite is putting it on a sandwich - as shown above. It adds a pleasing texture!!

Almond butter is something new I'm trying as well. Almonds have a lot of healthy fats. This stuff tastes like regular peanut butter. I had to stir it a lot before using it because the oils were separated.

Running-related stuff:

Pre-Run Fuel

I can't eat much in the morning before training runs... due to time - basically because I literally roll out of bed and get in the car (I sleep in my running clothes)! So I need quick fixes so that I don't run on an empty stomach. I have found that a snack size box of raisins or these Power Bar Energy Bites work well and do not mess with my sensitive stomach. I could probably make my own bites.. I think I saw a recipe on Pinterest somewhere...

Hydration:

Nuun Tabs

Drop a tab in 16 oz of water and shake! For post-workout, I usually put one in my Camelback water bottle (which holds 24 oz total) and fill the rest with some ice. When I carry a smaller bottle on my runs (I HATE carrying stuff while running, I need to find a belt) I usually put the Lemon Tea flavored one in it because it is caffeine-infused (one of the only 2 I've seen that have caffeine). They have electrolytes and are pretty much taste like a watered down sports drink. Which is awesome because I don't like sports drinks, and I do actually like plain ol' water! Thanks Jen for introducing me to these!

Running Fuel

Jen also got me into the Power Bar Energy Blasts. I actually have not tried them on a long run yet, but plan to this Sunday on my 9-miler. They are pretty damn tasty. And so are those Honey Stinger chews! Oooh..the Cherry Blossom flavor is like candy! And they are organic and all natural!!! But unfortunately, I did try the Honey Stingers halfway on a 10-mile run and it did not help at all (it could have been me - not physically prepared to do a hilly 10-mile course for the first time). I have tried the GU Chomps on an 8-mile run the other week and they seemed to work VERY well! They taste OK. I like the other 2 better in terms of taste. They are pretty sticky and hard to get out of the wrapper though. Especially when you are sweaty and hot yourself. Jen has these little baggies (that look like dimebags!) that are supposed to help with that. I haven't been on too many long runs over 7 miles to really try much of this stuff.

Other:

Awesome (BBQ) Sauce!

Weber Real Molasses Buzz'n Honey 

This is like the best BBQ sauce, EVAR! When I went up to DC to visit my BFF, her hubby grilled some chicken with this stuff. It's so damn good. I included it on this list because it's actually all natural, has no high-fructose corn syrup, and is gluten free! Woohoo! Get it, try it, love it!

That's all! Hope you enjoyed my little tour....