Plant Based Archives ~ Page 6 of 10 ~ TRAILMOMMA

February 16, 2016May 24, 2018

HOW NOT TO DIE – ON VALETINE’S DAY

So normally I really despise Valentine’s Day. Mostly because it reminds me that the day following this “celebrated holiday of love” is the day that my mom passed away at age 47 of a heart attack.

Ironic if you think about it actually. She died because her heart was weak and blocked and restricting blood flow – she died the day after we were inundated with heart shaped everything (that looks nothing like the real heart mind you) AND even more ironic because February is Heart Attack Awareness month – the leading killer of women in America.

So needless to say, I don’t “love” the holiday of love quite as much as most. Vans has always understood this and honored this part about me.

This year however, I learned that Dr. Michael Greger, author of the book How Not to Die and founder of www.nutritionfacts.org was speaking at Kaiser in Sacramento … FOR FREE. You had to reserve tickets in advance, which I did … for both Vans and I.

I later told Vans what I did and he was open minded albeit a bit sarcastic (when isn’t he) about going to hear Dr. Greger talk.

I am currently reading his book How Not to Die and have been to a few talks given by Plant-Based doctors before. Vans however has not. I don’t think he was sure what to expect. I know he thought we’d be the youngest couple there (we weren’t) and that it would not be a large crowd (it was more or less).

This talk was very inspiring and very eye opening. Since I am reading his book and have followed him and his research for a while, most of what he shared was not “news” to me but it was to Vans and even more amazing was the way in which Dr. Greger presented the information.

He is full of humor and sarcasm but yet full of knowledge, science based knowledge that is presented so matter of fact you can’t help but go, “He is so right!”

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He is also great at explaining what and why certain industries are not sharing a lot of this information with the public. He drew the connection from smoking in the early 1940’s and 50’s to eating meat in modern day.

There was a time (not too long ago sadly) where DOCTORS prescribed smoking to patients and/or smoked themselves because they didn’t know any better. They were not taught in medical school that smoking was bad and studies (when they were finally conducted) were hidden from them. Not to mention the fact that the smoking industry paid pretty darn well on the side … fast forward, and the same is happening with the meat and dairy industry.

In Dr. Greger’s talk, he discussed the top 15 causes of death in America and how most can easily be prevented and/or reversed by choosing a plant-based diet alone.

Needless to say, all of this was right up my ally. I love this stuff. I thought for a minute that I would turn to Vans in the middle of the talk to see him bored or uninterested but I have to say, it had the opposite affect on him. He was listening. Intently.

Vans has always known I am very passionate about nutrition and specifically a plant-based diet but I think now, he understands even more so. I don’t just pull all the things I share with him out of the blue … I research. I read. I study it and love it. I want my family to live it and see the rewards that I see from eating this way.

So for the first time in 22 years, I have truly loved Valentine’s Day. On Valentine’s Day I honored my body by sweating, I honored my brain by filling it with plant-based knowledge and I honored my LOVES, Vans and my girls, by sharing this experience with them.

So as I write this, the day that my mom passed 22 years ago to the day, I am smiling. Of course I miss her terribly but I know she would be proud that I am using her passing, as a motivator to instill healthy habits within my own family and my own life. Would I love to have her here with me and meet my girls, of course. But I know, deep down, that she IS here and she IS with me. Smiling just as much as I am.

Thank you Dr. Greger for all the work that you do.

Happy Trails (Happy Heart),

~Trailmomma

PS: If you want to hear the same talk that we heard, click HERE – All of the proceeds from Dr. Greger’s books go charity as well as any money he makes from any speaking engagements! Pretty cool Doc. Pretty cool.

February 15, 2016February 15, 2016

THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM

This past weekend both Stonegate and Burning Girl were out of town. I reached out to Pigeon early in the week and told her my plan for our run. She agreed and that was it. Easy peasy.

I have a race this weekend so I didn’t want to push too hard but I did feel the need to test my legs a bit after last weekend’s not so stellar run. Pigeon was game but had one caveat …. we needed to start early, like in the dark early.

This past weekend was also the first of the Western States Training Runs for the season. I have done this run for as long as I can remember but the high price and mileage covered were two reasons that I did not sign up this year. This is also the year of Lance!

So 6:15 am Pigeon and I started off down the trail from the Overlook towards Cool. Luckily the sun was up fairly soon so we were not in the dark for too long.

My legs felt better than last weekend which was a welcomed feeling. I had made a deal with myself prior to the run that I wanted to attack K2 since K2 (and 3 other grueling hills) will be part of my run this coming weekend.

I left Pigeon at the base and just power hiked myself up that hill. Hiking it solo really makes the hill seem that much longer but it also allows for more breathing room if you are not talking the whole way up. haha 🙂

Overall it was a glorious day. The temps were warming and fast. Most of the ground was fairly dry and not quite so muddy.

Pigeon and I had a nice day. She’s getting stronger by the run and I was content to let my legs fly down the hills as usual but I was a bit more conservative this weekend as I didn’t want to hurt myself before Saturday.

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We reconnected at No Hands and ran together back towards the overlook. While on our way back we saw a KCRA news reporter at the top of Robie Point. She seemed to be waiting for us to run by so we just power hiked our way up the hill as she was doing her stand-up. ha! It was quite funny.

We had a nice laugh about that on our miles back to the Overlook. The news crews were there because Lance Armstrong was running in the training run that day.

Overall my legs felt good. They were nice and tired. Just the perfect amount of tiredness actually. The rest of this week will have a sprinkling of runs but mostly, I want to rest up for Saturday. Once Saturday comes and goes, I gear up for a mini solo vacation so lots to come!

This past weekend was just the start of some amazing things to come. 🙂

Post run I ended up heading to The Purple Place, a local sort of “diner” joint here with the whole family and friends. That is no excuse for a poor recovery meal mind you.

Denise's Veggie Salad ala Trailmomma — Denise’s Veggie Salad ala Trailmomma

The Purple Place sells a great veggie salad. I ask for the portobello mushroom on the side (Vans loves it – I do not). I hold the cheese AND the dressing and I ask for salsa instead AND THEN I smuggle in my own veggie burger. 🙂 Yes, I am one of those people but this ended up being a killer meal post run.

After some errands, I was content to hang with my Peanut and read a book on the patio. Did I mention that Saturday was a glorious day?

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

February 10, 2016February 9, 2016

SALMON FALLS STRUGGLE

You win some you lose some. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It is always darkest before the dawn.

There are so many ways to look at situations where you do not feel your best and that is exactly the most clear way to describe this past weekend’s run.

Stonegate and I ran together on Saturday. I had heard in advance that there was a race in Auburn so we decided to stay clear of that area and run some miles on the Salmon Falls 50k course as both Stonegate and Burning Girl are running that race in three weeks.

The weather was supposed to be warm but it was pretty chilly to start (as usual – I feel like I write that sentence every blog post haha).

We took off up the Red Dragon from Skunk Hallow and just continued to hike one foot in front of the other. The first few miles of this run is up hill. My legs felt heavy from the start but I was hoping it was due to the fact that they had not quite woken up yet to be climbing this soon.

However, as the day wore on, it was clear that my legs did not feel attached to my body and my brain was constantly being pulled in a different direction.

Don’t get me wrong, I love running with Stonegate (we always have some fun) but I just didn’t feel within my own body. My legs were tired and heavy. My heart, for the first time in a while, just wasn’t excited to be out there much longer. Perhaps the last two weeks of 20 something mile runs had filled my cup so much that it was full at the moment. Perhaps, this is the perfect time for a taper.

I have a race in two weeks and should (in theory) be enjoying a taper period. In my head I was planning to just continue building miles and treat my upcoming race as just a regular training run but of course, the “trail me” wants to do well – which is probably why my body was rejecting the notion of pushing too much on my run this weekend.

Luckily I am not overly stubborn when it comes to my body and doubly lucky (although I want her to feel good), Stonegate was feeling whatever it was, too. We both were just “meh” on this run. That is the simplest way to put it.

No matter, we made the best out of how we felt and did not take for granted our time on the trails and appreciating what Mother Nature had to offer. It was a glorious day.

When I got home, I will be honest, my fridge was empty. The week had been so nutty grocery shopping was not a high priority. Still, I managed to get something nutritious and filling.

In the above photo: Leftover mashed no oil no dairy potatoes mixed with kale and copious amounts of a pureed mushroom gravy (I am NOT a fan of mushrooms but I don’t mind the pureed homemade gravy that I make). It hit the spot and was quite filling.

It was nice to have gotten that struggle of a run behind me on Saturday so that I could try and regroup on Sunday. I much prefer running my long runs on Saturdays because then that leaves Sunday for some R&R vs waking up and heading right into the work week where I absolutely get no time to rest.

And unless you live under a rock somewhere, Sunday was Super Bowl but we had no plans and decided to have a nice family adventure.

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Vans and I drove the girls out to Auburn and I was able to show them a good section of trail that I run often . We parked by No Hands Bridge and hiked in towards the Overlook.

My girls got to see and hear the river actually looking quite full and strong. Vans got to walk across No Hands Bridge and see where I spend a lot of time with my trail crew. It was a lovely afternoon.

We hiked all the way to the waterfall bridge. I wanted to have a “goal” in mind for them so that it wasn’t just a simple out and back.

The trails were pretty crowded with lots of other hikers. My girls were super excited to reach the waterfall. We took a few photos. 🙂

We stopped here for a quick snack for the girls. I was impressed they hiked a full mile in and then had to hike a full mile out. For a 7 year old and 4 year old, that’s pretty huge.

Overall it was one of the best Super Bowl Sundays that I can remember having as a family in a long time. We later went home and watched the game via DVR while I made pizza and dinner. Perfection.

So what started out as a challenging weekend turned into one of my favorites. I am not worried by how I felt on my run. We all have a down cycle. My sleep has been out of whack. My hydration was definitely off course on Friday and Saturday. Yet my focus is still strong and my drive is still there.

How can it not be when I have the best support crew in town?

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

January 27, 2016January 26, 2016

MOVING ON UP

Even though I have run 20 miles numerous times, there is something to be said about running your first 20 of the season. It means training has truly begun and it is time to start seeing what works and what doesn’t. Weed out the bad stuff and push your limits.

This past Sunday, I had one of the best runs yet and what made this run so great, was that I had ALL my running pals together at one time. Our schedules finally collided and Pigeon, Stonegate and Burning Girl and I were all ready to hit the trails at once.

Pigeon was happy to show Stonegate and Burning Girl some new trails. Trails that I have run a few times but didn’t have the confidence to do on my own just yet. Stonegate was super excited to see some new views and I don’t think this run disappointed her.

We carpooled in two cars and parked near the confluence. We started running and then BAM within 3 minutes I had rolled my left ankle and heard a distinct “POP!” I was too busy looking at the beauty around me to notice whatever the heck it was I had stepped on.

I didn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop. I pushed the pain radiating up my leg aside and just kept going. The day was just beginning and I was too excited. Plus, I knew it was not that serious, just a minor set back.

The Auburn Fog is just amazing — The Auburn fog is just amazing

We ran Clementine in single file. Such a gorgeous trail. It was muddy and slippery in sections which made it even more fun. The only sketchy part was running into a couple that had two dogs. After my dog experience last year (read about that here), I am forever hesitant on the trail and will never trust a dog or its owner again.

This couple pulled their pups way off the trail. They had one tiny dog (held by the woman) and one large dog (held by the man). When Stonegate ran by that big dog was growling and lunging towards her. Luckily the man had a good hold but I can’t say the rest of us were eager to run by next.

With that behind us though we just continued on. Stonegate and Burning Girl would run up ahead, I’d take up the middle and Pigeon was the caboose with her steady pace. We’d stop and regroup at all turns and intersections.

With that downhill section my tummy started doing some flip-flops which is why I slowly positioned myself to mid-pack. I wasn’t sure if the porta-potty that I remembered was still where it used to be. Lucky for me, it was!

In true goofball form, the girls decided to play a little prank on me ….

They thought they were hilarious trying to get my reaction when I stepped out. It was pretty funny but I felt tons better! Moving on!

Back towards our car we ran. The first loop was done.

Photo by Stonegate - all smiles — Photo by Stonegate – all smiles

Next it was time to introduce the girls to ….

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We all started the initial hike up Stagecoach together hiking and running when we could.

As we were hiking I saw this huge stick … moving … wait that wasn’t a stick it was a Banana Slug! 🙂

Soon however, I started to feel the pull. There have been a few times when Pigeon and I have gone up this hill and I’ve said, “See ya at the top!” Climbing is one of my favorite things to do so off I went, powering my way up.

There was a guy in front of me that I was determined to catch. I caught him and then passed him. I finally made it to the top feeling strong.

When the rest of the crew made it to the top, we ran through Auburn to the Overlook and then back down the trail towards No Hands Bridge. The sun was up and the day was just getting better and better.

Burning Girl however has been dealing with some hip pain and decided (wisely) not to push her limits and headed back to the car. This is where running loops is SO smart. Pigeon, Stonegate and I continued on towards K2 to do our last four miles with a good mile of climbing to start.

Burning Girl and I pushed our way up K2. Some doofus on his way down thought he was being cool and said to us, “Just so you know, you’re not even half way there.” No duh kid, thanks. 🙂

When we were all together we headed off towards the trail that leads back down. For years I used to hate this trail. Before I had my ankle surgery, this trail used to be nothing short of excruciating for me. Now that I have solid ankle strength, I love to just FLY down this section.

Stonegate and I just took off. Eventually I even lost sight of Stonegate behind me. I was just smiling ear to ear dancing around and through all the mud puddles. I was like a pig in a mud bath or baby in a toy store … it was the perfect way to end this 20 mile run.

Where's Stonegate? I can't find her!? — Where’s Stonegate? I can’t find her!?

When we made it back to No Hands we were stretching and goofing around waiting for Pigeon. Stonegate decided to climb up into this cave.

20 miles and almost 5,000 ft of climbing in one day with three of my favorite running partners. My heart was full. My body felt amazing. My fueling was good and my legs felt strong. I was a happy girl.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw that I posted this after our run on Sunday. I am a strong believer that what you eat after a hard workout sets the tone for your recovery.

In the photo above, I had a gluten free teff flour tortilla topped with homemade no-oil hummus, raw spinach, shredded carrots, steamed kale mixed with hot sauce, cooked beets and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. So good. If I remember, I will continue to post the meals that I recover with because I know people are curious and it is often a question I am asked a lot.

So there you have it, our 20 miler was fantastic! I am looking forward to another weekend on the trails however mother nature it looks like she might grace us with a nice big shower for our entire run. Bring it! 🙂

Happy Trails!

Trailmomma

PS: Ankle Update – Tonight I saw my miracle worker at Elite Spinal and Sports and he said that I thoroughly jacked up the tendon between my tibia and fibula. He was pretty amazed at how messed up it was AND that I was able to continue on with the run. It feels great now, a little tender but at least I have feeling back in my toes. 🙂

November 30, 2015May 24, 2018

PLANT-BASED: Heart Healthy Easy Kale & Potato Dinner

I saw a version of this on Facebook one day and it got me thinking. This person had it for dessert … I wanted dinner, not dessert. I needed savory and filling … I found my solution.

So one of the biggest things that I learned when I attended Plant-Stock last August, is that leafy greens (like kale) when mixed with balsamic vinegar will help enhance nitric oxide within the body therefore dilating the heart’s arteries allowing blood to pump more freely. That my friends, is a GOOD thing.

So in an effort to create more nitric oxide, I purchased an array of infused balsamic vinegars. Bema and Pas was the vendor at Plant-Stock and they have the biggest most amazing selection of QUALITY infused vinegar I have ever tasted. While there, I ordered two and have been using them faithfully (and incidentally, I need to order more!).

So here is what I created using my Bema and Pas vinegar.

Heart Healthy Sweet Potato & Kale

Pre-Heat the oven to 450 degrees. When ready, add 1 sweet potato per person to a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour while you prep the rest and/or decorate your house, bath your kids etc.
Next, take some homemade veggie broth and add about an inch to a pot.
Over medium high heat, throw in quite a few handfuls of shredded kale (I buy mine bagged from Trader Joes – love it) – I filled the pot – add the lid.
Steam the kale in the broth for 5 minutes.
When 5 minutes is up, drain off the liquid into a bowl – Note: depending on how many people you are serving will determine how much liquid you will need.
To the broth liquid, stir in nutritional yeast and Mrs. Dash Salt Free Garlic and Herb seasoning until it begins to thicken. Note: when I made this for myself at lunch, I didn’t need much liquid or much nutritional yeast, when I made this for Vans and myself, I needed quite a bit more. This is your “broth-cheese.”
When the sweet potatoes are done, remove the skin, scoop out the insides and add to the top of the steamed kale.
Add the “broth-cheese” to the top of the kale/sweet potato combo.
Drizzle with Bema and Pa’s Garlic Cilantro Balsamic Infused Vinegar (or any other vinegar of your liking).
Voila, a super easy heart healthy lunch or dinner is served!

Believe it or not, this is incredibly filling especially if you have a good size sweet potato.

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Just so you know, sweet potatoes are full of vitamin A, potassium, fiber, magnesium, vitamin C and a ton of other amazing things.

Kale is full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B-6, magnesium and a million other amazing heart healthy properties.

Nutritional Yeast is full of potassium, all the B-Vitamins (if fortified) and protein. I usually buy mine from Amazon (I buy this brand here).

And there you have one of my super fast easy and heart healthy meals.

I would appreciate feed back in the comments as to what you think about these recent recipe posts. Would you like to see more? Less? Maybe as they flow into my brain? 🙂

I do have a big few weeks coming up so this may be my last for a little bit. I have this certain little marathon on the horizon that is consuming my brain these days. Come Sunday afternoon of this week though, all will be over and I can focus on trails and recipes! Two of my favorite things. 🙂

Happy Holidays to you all! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving (grrrr, that reminds me, I need to do a post about that too! ha!). 🙂

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

PS: Happy Birthday to JD! Our Canadian friend! Enjoy your last year before hitting the bit 4-0 JD! 🙂

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