Busy week, NuNaturals giveaway & 7 day vegetarian challenge!

Wow, I have’t posted in a couple of days & I feel like there’s going to be a big dump going on right now!
Let me begin by telling you that I finally got an amazing run outside!
I fueled up with this at home: IMG_3652
(Only the energy one, not all of them!)
I had planned on running somewhere between 6-10, wasn’t exactly sure because I hadn’t run long since the 1/2 marathon. It felt so good that I ran 11! BAM! It was a slow & steady 11, but I was outside, enjoying the fresh smell of flowers, the sunshine, other runners, babies in strollers, dogs, my awesome book on my IPod, etc. It was a true runners high I got from that awesome run! That’s why I run! It never feels great until after the 3rd mile, when I get my groove on, that’s why longer runs are the best!
I was a little over dressed & had to push up my sleeves mid run. But, was SO comfortable.
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That was me prior to asking Stone to help me out!
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Then, I asked & Nemo needed to be part of the fun.
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A bit sweaty & happy after my great long beautiful run!
I’ve been participating in a 7 day vegetarian challenge with Jill Fickling-Conyers. Ok, it’s not so hard for me, but does keep me on my toes & I’m loving it!
Here’s a recap of the week I had for the challenge:
The first thing is to be meatless for 7 days! Done!
Day 1: Try a new fruit or vegie. Well, I had frozen pomegranite seeds I found at Costco. I simply ate them frozen & didn’t even defrost them. Have you ever done that? I thought it may be weird, but it was good. Like eating frozen blueberries, why not?!
You should try them. They sell a big bag already ready! So easy & Yum!
Day 2: Have a green smootie! Done!
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I added kale to my protein smoothie. I had to floss afterward because I had both chia seeds & kale in my teeth. I’m usually only dealing with chia, but it was great & worth needing the floss!
Day 3: Try a quinoa recipe.
Here’s what we had for lunch yesterday: quinoa salad with tomatoes, cucumbers & basil with lemon. Simple & delicious!
Days 4-7 were simply vegetarian: I got that in no problem.
Truth is I made detox salad for the entire week & had it daily for lunch. I love it! I posted it on Monday ( I think).
Here are some pics of my food from the week:
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So, I’ve met the challenge & am up for another week! Woo hoo! The one thing that i”m really struggling with & would like to change in my diet is to get rid of my creamer in my coffee. I LOVE the stuff, but am trying to rid dairy. However, if this is the only thing I have, that’s fine. All in moderation, right!!??
I’m off for a tabata bootcamp video & then to a Lungevity walk with my family. This is in memory of my mom who passed away from lung cancer. The event is so wonderful & I’m thrilled that we’re doing it again this year. It’s the 2nd yr of the event & I’m hoping to make this an annual event with my family. Gotta go!
Have a wonderful day!
I hope there’s a lot of sunshine by you.
What will you do today?
Don’t forget about the NuNaturals giveaway! There’s only 1 day left & the stuff is AMAMZING! Seriously. You don’t want to miss out! The rafflecopter is on the right hand side of the page. Enter NOW! :).

Random Babble & NuNaturals giveaway!

I had the greatest workout yesterday!  I ran 5 miles (on my treadmill b/c I thought it was going to rain).  Then I did a 6minute tabata workout & a 30 minute tabata workout.  I was truly a great way to start my day.  Love That!

I have to tell you that I’m really loving my NuNaturals flavored drops.  I added chocolate to the kids pancakes yesterday a.m.  I added the mint to my licorice tea (it was amazing) & I added a couple drops of the vanilla to my hemp protein shake.  It is seriously addicting.  I just made overnight oats for breakfast tomorrow & added a couple drops of the vanilla.  It doesn’t really need it, but I’m loving the addition, so why not?!

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I saw this on another blog & had to post it.  It’s so true!  Running just clears my mind & makes everything alright!  It’s just as much for my physical health as it is for my mental health if not more sometimes!  Dontcha think?  And, the high you get after a great run.  I have never found anything else that does the same.  And, it’s FREE!  That’s the best!

I got these amazing bars the other day to try.

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I had the acai berry yesterday for a snack.  It was really tasty & I loved the crunch from the seeds.  They’re only 100 calories  & packed with Omega 3’s.  It’s a perfect little snack that gives you a lot of vitamins & only 100 calories.  Definitely worth a try!  Thank you to the fine folks at Health Warrior for sending them my way!

Here’s a bit of info. about Health Warrior from their website.:

OUR STORY

Five centuries after the Aztec Warriors built an empire on the power of Chia, we learned about the benefits of Chia while reading the best-selling book Born to Run, about the Tarahumara Indians and their jaw-dropping long-distance runs. The Tarahumara, like the Aztecs before them, are Powered by Chia.

We looked into it further, and were floored by what we found. Turns out Chia is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.

We started eating Chia every day, on everything. Suddenly we were working out harder, lifting heavier, feeling stronger, and running farther, faster.

With that, Health Warrior was born.

Health Warrior is dedicated to vetting the world’s growers for the highest quality Chia and helping people conquer the many challenges of their everyday lives.

I wonder since I make sure that I have chia daily if I could stop taking fish oil….  I take it for the omega 3’s, but chia is loaded.  Hmmm…..  What do you think?

I have a huge bottle, so either way I”ll finish it, but maybe I won’t replenish it.  That’s something to consider.  If you have information about that, please weigh in & leave me a comment. Thanks for the support.

Do you take supplements?  What do you take & why?

NuNaturals GIVEAWAY

NuNaturals

I was so lucky to win all of these products from another blogger.

  • Lemon NuStevia Liquid
  • Orange NuStevia Liquid
  • Peppermint NuStevia Liquid
  • Chocolate NuStevia Liquid
  • Vanilla NuStevia Liquid

I didn’t realize how lucky I was until I did a little research & learned about all of the amazing benefits of NuNaturals products, as well as all of the wonderful “non-guilty” treats I could make!

Here’s what I found so interesting from the NuNaturals website: Stevia is a great all natural herbal sweetener that can be used a great low calorie, low carbohydrate sugar substitute but some people may worry about potential stevia side effects. Well the good news is there is nothing to worry about, while Stevia’s confusing treatment by the FDA can seem alarming, there are absolutely no Stevia side effects to worry about! Now with the FDA’s decision to allow the use of stevia Reb-A compounds as food additives there is nothing to worry about when using stevia as an all natural sugar substitute.

There are a variety of products on their website.  Not only are they wonderful & have a variety of options, but they also are cheaper on their own website than I’ve found anywhere else.

Liquid Vanilla Stevia_1

This is my favorite thus far!

I have to tell you that as of now, my favorite treat to make with my NuNaturals stevia is a “mock frappuccino“.  OMG- the recipe is so simple!  You NEED to try it.  It’s amazing.  I’ve made it several times for a variety of people & everyone loves it!  I am a Starbucks fan, but hate all of those senseless calories.  No worries when you make it this way- you don’t need to count calories or fat grams!!!

2 C leftover coffee (preferably cold)

1 T instant coffee

2 C almond milk

3 droppers of vanilla NuNaturals liquid stevia

3 C ice

blend & enjoy!!!!!!

You’re in luck because the fine people at NuNaturals is offering one of my readers to get their very own package of goodies from NuNaturals.  Just enter the Rafflecopter on the right side of the page.  You know the drill.  Good luck.

I haven’t made ice cream yet, that’ll be my next guiltless treat- can’t wait!

Here’s what I had for breakfast:

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Kale smoothie with Sun Warrior plant protein powder & a drop of Vanilla liquid stevia.

Ok, I’m off to run a bit & do a tabata video.  I’m still on my treadmill, as it’s dark outside & rainy today- ugggg…..

I’m really hoping that it’s nice enough to get outside this weekend for a nice long run!

Do you use any stevia products?