Hey guys!  Today at work I had an organic gala apple for a snack along with too many almonds to count!  : )  Lunch was a chocolate whey protein shake mixed with water. 

When I got home , I noticed there was a package at the front door!  Could it be my new running shoes?   YAY!!!

Old worn out shoes

New shoes!

I’ve never run in Asics before and can’t wait to try them out in the morning!  After I calmed myself down over the excitement of new shoes, I snack on a few shrimp and celery and hummus.  I also made up a new pitcher of cranberry and water juice!

Then I got started on dinner, I was excited to make Tilapia.  We has Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia (I skipped the cheese with mine tonight because I’m trying to cut out dairy until we go on vacation).  It’s a really easy recipe.  Preheat the oven to 400.  In a shallow bowl combine parmesan, paprika, crushed red pepper, freshly ground black pepper and parsley (fresh is better but dried works fine too).  I usually just eyeball the ingredients and always add extra cheese!  Stir the mixture together.  Drizzle about 1tbsp olive oil on the tilapia, coating both sides of the fish.  Dredge the fish in the mixture making sure to dredge both sides.  Place fish on a foil lined baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Once it is done cooking, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish.  Easy enough?

Cooked

The fish definitely tastes better with the cheese!

For a side dish, I cut up 1/2 a red onion and mushrooms that needed to be eaten.  I drizzled canola oil, low sodium vegetable broth and balsamic vinegar over them and gave them a good stir.  I then sprinkled crushed red peppers over them to heat them up!

They were good, but something was missing from them that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.  Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  : )

My dinner plate- the vegetables are steaming!

I think that is about it on my end.  I’m excited to watch Glee tonight and relax with the Husband!

What TV shows do you have to watch each week?  Do you like tilapia?  What’s your favorite way to make it?

Good morning!  I hope everyone had a great night of sleep!  Yesterday I didn’t post as much as usual due to a horrible headache.  Yesterday afternoon, I started getting a migraine so I went to bed at 7:30pm with ice packs on my head.  I didn’t get around to doing yoga, but was up first thing this morning and at the gym doing cardio!  : )  I feel much better today.  I have suffered having migraines for as long as I can remember.  In college they started becoming more frequent and that is when I decided to change my eating, sleeping and drinking habits.  Now, for the most part, I have my headaches under control and very rarely get a migraine. 

Do you ever get migraines?  What do you do to control them?  Do you have any tips on getting rid of them once you feel one coming on?

Meatless Monday

Yesterday was my second Meatless Monday not by trying and I finally decided that every Monday going forward will be Meatless Monday.  I think it is important not only for the environment, but also my health and body.  Going meat free means eating more plant based foods and trying out new vegetarian recipes I wouldn’t otherwise try. 

Does anyone else want to make the pledge with me and go meatless on Mondays?

Monday’s Lunch / Dinner (we ate this in the early afternoon)

Mediterranean Pizza- Spinach, Feta, Tomato Sauce, Olives, Green and Yellow Bell Peppers, Onion (If I knew I was going to get a bad headache I would have stayed away from this because of its sodium)

This morning (Tuesday) for breakfast I had a hot cup of lemon water, 1 cup of black coffee and 1 slice of Low Sodium Ezekiel bread with PB

Before I leave for work I’ll be having flax/chia seed mixture. 

This morning at the gym I was feeling pretty tired and ended up walking at an incline of 12% on the treadmill at speed 4.0-4.6 for 60 minutes.  I didn’t wear my heart rate monitor so I don’t know my exact stats, but the machine said I walked 4.2 miles and burned 568 calories.  I usually burn more calories walking at an incline then I do running.  When I walk on an incline, a little trick I like to do is squeeze my glutes with every step.  This makes my glutes so sore!  I like to call it “walking with intention”.  Today I need to squeeze in 15 minutes on the elliptical, abs and I would love to somehow find the time to fit in yoga since I didn’t get to it yesterday.  I mentioned that I was going to get my neck and hip worked on yesterday.  The therapist had to reschedule me for tomorrow, and I am so looking forward to that!  I think that is all the updates I have for you all!

Now onto Morning Meditation

Motivation for the Day:  Mexico (12 more days!  Wahoo)

Three Things I am Thankful for Today:  1-  No headache  2- The love and happiness between my Husband and I  3-  Monday the worst day of the week is over!  : )

Goals for the Day:  Be as productive as I can today and get everything caught up with work.

Motivation Quote of the Day:  Human beings are made of body, mind and spirit. Of these, spirit is primary, for it connects us to the source of everything, the eternal field of consciousness.   – Deepak Chopra  (I really love his quotes)

I want to share with you, a expert, I read this morning from the magazine Natural Health. 

“Keep a gratitude journal  One of the most effective ways to cultivate appreciation is to write daily in a gratitude journal.  In Emmon’s studies,  people who make simple lists of what they’re thankful for are 25 percent happier, sleep half an hour more per night and exercise 33 percent more each week than those who don’t”. 

Pretty cool right?  Do you make list of what your thankful for?  What are three things you are thankful for today?

When you smile, it makes others around you smile!  : )  (Pictures are from our engagement session in Minneapolis  http://studiobluemn.com )