Happy Fourth Birthday my little firefly! I am not quite sure where another year has gone but I do know it has been one amazing adventure with you.
From the moment that you wake up in the morning you are smiley, feisty and curious. The questions that you ask and the things that you observe, blow us away.
I love that you cannot control your body when you hear music and that you mess up the lyrics to songs much the way that I do.
I love that you tell your sister that you love her daily even when she tells you to stop. You always ask where she is when she is not home and you love to be by her side wherever we go.
I love that you can go off and play by yourself always finding something to occupy your brain even if it means that you have pulled every item you own out of your closet.
I love that you are so strong and so independent. You dress yourself almost every morning being very particular about what outfit you wear.
I love that you insist that you want Rapunzel hair and even though you can barely see anything through your bangs and your hair inevitably ends up in your food.
I love that you still love to ride bikes and wear tutus usually at the same time and that you have no fear in anything that you do.
I love that you always ask to help me with dinger (aka dinner) even though sometimes it frustrates us when you won’t eat it.
I love that on our 40+ minute commute home every day, you talk nonstop about your day, what is outside your window and what songs you want played on the radio. And yes, you can play I Spy on a freeway for the entire ride … “I spy a white car mommy!” …
I love that you tell me that when you grow up, you want to be a mommy. I think you will make the world’s greatest mommy. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects about 20% of Americans nationwide – a number that demands cialis 10 mg https://www.unica-web.com/upatron2005.htm some attention. Administered as a cure for erectile dysfunction and premature try description viagra without prescription online ejaculation, probably by increasing healthy blood flow. Beta-blockers can affect free prescription viagra cholesterol and triglyceride levels, typically temporarily. Take just comprimé vardenafil https://unica-web.com/watch/2011/tecl%C3%B3polis.html small quantity of the meals and take Kamagra with full glass of water in empty stomach.
I love that you wander off to your room to sit in your rocking chair and read books that you have stolen from your sister.
I love that you came home and announced that you were marrying your best friend from preschool. Despite being many years from this reality, I can’t help but see you walking down the aisle someday as a beautiful and confident bride.
I love that you give your dad a hard time and that you give him a good dose of stubbornness to keep him on his toes.
I love that you try will anything at least once and that you strive to get better and better when you find something that you like.
I love that you go to your sister’s swim meets every weekend with barely a complaint and that you cheer for her with all your heart and soul.
I love that you love to run and that you love to ride your bike. You do it because you love it and not because you know Daddy and I do too.
Most of all Squeaker, I love the joy and laughter you bring to our family. There is not a day that goes by that I cannot imagine you in it with us. While I struggle with you getting older, I am excited to watch you grow. You have a fire within you that I cannot explain. A twinkle in your eye that never seems to dim. Even when we are so mad at you, you know just what to say to make us laugh and forget what it is that you did.
Squeaker you complete this family and we wish you nothing but the best for the year ahead. Thank you for being our spitfire kid. The kid that reminds us we can’t leave scissors laying about. The kid that reminds us that if the house is quiet, something or someone is getting messy. The kid whose kisses and hugs mean more than gold because you don’t just give those out freely, you make people work for it. As they should.
Well I think I may have successfully transferred my blog to a new hosting environment for way cheaper. While I am not entirely sure how all this works … I apologize for the delays in posting.
Please stay tuned while I work on setting up this new domain and figure out all the little details associated with it. I want to thank everyone who wrote to me and encouraged me to keep my blog going and who provided ideas and details on how to do that. Super excited that for at least another year, I am signed on with another domain site … hopefully this transition is seamless!
Happy Trails!
Seeing things from tab viagra a new perspective, however, is not so easy. Systemic Inflammation cialis sales uk opacc.cv In COPD Contributes To Osteoporosis As many as 35 to 60% of COPD sufferers also are diagnosed with osteoporosis. Once more, it is a good try to confer with your physician to determine the cause of your erectile dysfunction and prescribe the correct dosage of medication is necessary. viagra in india Always take this pill with water as it will help the gelatin to dissolve properly and the pill can cheap levitra tablets show its effect sooner.
I just received my domain renewal notice from Go Daddy. Apparently my awesome 2 year stint at having my own domain name is up and it is time to renew. When I created this site initially, I got a great deal for two years but now that renewal time is approaching, Go Daddy wants $350 from me to keep this site going for another two years! I can already hear Vans now …. “What!? Are you kidding?! Unless this site earns you money there is no point!” Sigh. Sadly he is right. I hate it when he is right.
My old blogspot site is still up over at www.trailmomma.blogspot.com however I believe I have zero (or at least very little) photo space on that site as I reached my limit a few years ago. What can I say!? I liked posting photos of all my runs.
Decisions decisions. I love my blog. I can’t really tell who even reads it other than family and maybe some close friends. It is my creative outlet but, once again I hear Vans – “you need a less expensive outlet!”
I have until June 18th to decide what to do. I could chose to “park” my domain and just not renew the other “products” … really I need a class in what kind of products I have in general as I am not tech savvy in that regard. Anyone care to explain it to me? Should I just pay $5.99 for a month until I can figure it out? Sadly, I think I will incur more fees if I do that and eventually decide to keep this site going. Right now, that price includes a “renewal discount” from Go Daddy. Gee, thanks?
On activation of a deeprootsmag.org viagra soft tablet coupon it’s possible to get rid of this situation since ED is not a life-threatening disease. An unknown village in Nubra valley Visit the magnificent village of Turtuk, which is nestled among the high mountains of the on cialis line Nubra valley. Gained popularity as a preferred medication for viagra uk cheap, Kamagra is relatively cheap and it is easily accessible. buy viagra line Believe or not, lifestyle change is a big question asking about cheap and best alternative.
I am super happy I was able to get my last post published though. It apparently has helped quite a few people based on some comments that I have received on various social media sites and via email. If I helped just ONE person with that post, then I am content. I will be sad to see this site go along with all the photos, stories and race reports that I have posted throughout the last two years. I wish I could print them all and put them in a book for my girls to read some day. 🙁 That is what I originally envisioned, unfortunately, maintenance and web hosting was never a thought.
I really debated whether or not to write this post. Normally my blog theme consists of trail running and the occasional story about being plant-based and of course being a mama. This will definitely fall into the plant-based category.
While many who know me know that I have been plant-based for over 20 years. I definitely can say that I followed the common trend of veganism though in regards to stopping meat initially, but I did not necessarily follow a healthy diet. I would say that I have been vegan for quite a while but have only been truly plant-based within the last few years. What is the difference? Well, Oreos are vegan. Potato chips are vegan. I was consuming some oily standard American fair while thinking I was being healthy.
However, the more I read and the more I investigated, I realized the difference and I made a change. What you may not know, is that I have very low hemoglobin and ferritin levels. Particularly in regards to my ferritin levels. What is Ferritin? Ferritin is an ubiquitous intracellular protein that stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion (thanks internet). My levels are so low because I went for 21 years with undiagnosed Celiac disease. My body just did not absorb any iron and therefore ferritin.
To put it into perspective here are my levels over the last few years (it is all that I have in terms of history) and keep in mind that a Standard Range is 22-291 ng/mL
My history:
12/2005 : 3
6/2006 : 1
6/2013 : < 5
7/2013 (had a retest to confirm) : < 5
6/2014 : 13
I am surprised no one was freaking out in 2006 and clearly I avoided the doctor after that. But somehow, I managed to give birth to two beautiful kids and survive. Obviously, I have never had normal levels yet I continued to race and run ultras (stubborn much?).
The period between 2013 and 2014 where my levels bumped up to 13 is when my doctor insisted that I take an iron supplement. I took the supplement but I didn’t enjoy it.
In January of 2014 I started taking the eCornell Plant-Based Nutrition Course where I learned a great deal about supplements and why we do not need them and how in fact, they can do more harm than good. I graduated from that class in March and in mid-June, I stopped taking my iron pills.
I started cutting out oil (we don’t need it is pure fat and has minimal nutritional value and severely damages your arteries). I cut out oil pretty easily as I rarely cooked with it. I have always cooked using vegetable broth instead of oil, but I also stopped eating other foods that contained oil.
I also started training for the Mt. Tam 50k as well as the California International Marathon. Best of all, I purchased my beloved Instant Pot and I began the habit of making sure I had home-made vegetable broth on hand and a ton of beans made from scratch that I freeze in can size portions. It effectively increases the sexual arousal in the male body encourages the viagra generika appalachianmagazine.com execution of sildenafil tablets. The treatment option includes medications, order cheap cialis appalachianmagazine.com testosterone replacements, surgical prosthesis, and also vacuum pump equipment. Add pre boiled viagra pill milk and cardamom to it and stir well. Patients can expect an effective treatment time buy cialis from canada of 4 – 6 hours but many GPs report longer times.
I started making my own hummus and dressings. I stopped buying a lot of store bought things preferring to make my own. Thanksgiving and Christmas were both plant-based oil free holidays in my house and the food was fantastic (thanks to Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn and Engine 2 recipes).
As we are approaching June, I decided it was time again to get my annual blood work done. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I haven’t taken my iron pills in over a year and I’ve run more races harder and faster than I have before.
As it turns out, I was totally blown away. Not only did I lower my cholesterol to 136 (not that it was ever high it just dipped even lower), I also boosted my hemoglobin, doubled my iron AND my Ferritin is now registering at 25!! For once in my life, I have normal Ferritin levels!
Graphic from www.carlagoldenwellness.com
I 100% wholly contribute these improvements to my dietary changes over the last year. While I have made many changes to my diet, what I am about to share is not meant to be anything more than what has worked for ME. Please do not take what I am sharing as medical or nutritional advice. It is just what worked for me.
So having my Instant Pot meant that I had ready-made access to beans every single day. I’ve broadened our variety from just the usual chickpea, kidney, black beans, pinto and lentils to navy beans, pinquinto beans, red lentils, green lentils, split peas, yellow split peas, cannellini. When I see a new bean I get so excited. Per the advice of the Esselstyn family, I have mountains of leafy greens almost daily (including for breakfast sometimes). I STOPPED having smoothies. I haven’t had a green smoothie in over a year. For me, having daily smoothies just proved to be a recipe for disaster. First of all, you can’t tell how many calories you are tossing into that blender and some smoothies could easily reach the 400 calorie mark. For me, smoothies increased my appetite. I need to CHEW my food. Not drink it. In my opinion, smoothies on a daily basis teach your stomach to stop doing its job. If you give it liquefied food, it will no longer be good at doing what it is supposed to do, breaking down food. I constantly found that I had tummy troubles from smoothies. I stopped the smoothies, my tummy improved and I lost weight. Go figure.
I make sure that I have oats in some form for breakfast (whether raw, cooked or made with kale yum try it so good) every day. I bring my own food for lunch at work and usually it will consist of greens, beans and quite often potatoes (or a salad) and dinner is much of the same. We started eating a ton more potatoes in my house due to their ease of travel and the ability to batch cook them and have them throughout the week. I have lost weight, not gained. Don’t be afraid of whole food plant-based carbs!
Really, those are all the major changes I have made. I have definitely been more conscious of what I am eating and why. Basically, I add no oil to my diet, I majorly increased the beans, lentils, greens and other veggies that we eat and I have oatmeal every single morning. I’ve stopped the junk food snacking.
Currently, I am working on my racing fuel as really, if I am being honest, during a race is probably the only time I succumb and have something I would never normally touch on a day to day basis and it isn’t even that much. In training I bring my own plant-based food and I consume that but for some reason, in the heat of a race, my body is calling for that crap. I am still working on that one so stay tuned.
But overall, the purpose of this post was to share that if you are considering a plant-based diet but you are afraid you won’t reach all the nutritional values that you need (especially if you are racing in some form) that you can! It is possible with planning, work and a little education. Variety in your diet is key. You can’t just eat the same thing day in and day out. Try new things. See what is in season at your local farmers market or grocery store and then google recipes for it (omitting any added oils of course).
The experts like Dr. Esselstyn, T. Colin Campbell and the crew at Engine 2.com are right, you can thrive and succeed on a whole foods plant-based diet. I did not give up. People told me for years that I would have to eat meat to bring up my iron and ferritin levels or take an iron pill for life but I knew deep in my heart that was not the case and that a true whole food plant-based diet could help me. It did.
Of course, I am very proactive as well. I get my blood work done annually to make sure my levels are all in check. While I probably get very little sleep compared to most people (hello, I wake up at 4:30 am to run), I make sure to listen to my body and its cues. When I am tired and dragging, I bring the workout down a notch or I skip it and I stop and take a look at what is going on with myself and I make the necessary dietary changes (more kale, less spinach, more potatoes etc.).
Am I perfect? No, of course not. No one is. I just try my hardest to feed my body fuel, not necessarily food. Luckily for me, it is pretty darn tasty fuel at that and I enjoy following recipes and experimenting in the kitchen. It can be fun! Try it!
The week after the girls and I returned from our trip to NJ, the Peanut’s swim team decided to have their Mock Meet. Basically Mock Meet is a dress rehearsal swim meet including timing clocks, stroke and turn judges … everything. It gives everyone a chance to work out the kinks basically and prepare for the long swim season ahead.
The Peanut wasn’t feeling super great but she managed to swim in four different events. She swam in the 25 yard freestyle, the 25 yard backstroke, the 50 yard freestyle and the 25 yard butterfly (she opted out of the 25 yard breast stroke). She did okay. The 50 yard freestyle was a major step up for her and is pretty challenging and competitive. She ended up getting disqualified in the butterfly because her legs came apart (they are super strict).
Her first real meet is this up coming weekend. We are all a bit excited and nervous. Our weekends are no longer ours as swimming will consume a lot of our time.
Getting ready for her freestyle.Watching some of her friends swim.My superstar
I was super proud of her for trying her best. She wasn’t feeling well as she as been battling some stuff lately. She definitely loves the water though.
After the mock meet, we unloaded one car and packed up another car and headed to Tahoe for a nice little getaway. We had some days left at our timeshare and the plan was for the four of us to head up in two separate cars and then the Peanut and I would leave after one night as we had work and school to attend to.
In our Happy Place
We basically walked around and visited the lake which is really really low and kind of sad. The fresh air was crisp and amazing. Tahoe really is my reset button sometimes.
Tahoe Girls
We spent the whole morning wandering around the dried up lake and playing at the playground. The Peanut found some crab legs and was super excited to bring them back to show her class. Men are likely to face sexual difficulties at any stage in their buy online viagra life. However, the problem of poor blood circulation can be expected which can lead to better erection. – Propoinyl-L-Carnitine The effectiveness of L-Carnitine in treating impotence lies in its ability to effectively enhance the Seldafenafil, which gives longer erectile function, better sexual satisfaction, stronger orgasm, and improve general sexual-well being which is known to be notably better that taking online viagra order robertrobb.com. Across most colleges viagra prices and institutions, a B. Of course the same outcomes can levitra uk be achieved strong only when you are having proper blood flow to the reproductive organs.
Exploring…
Squeaker is into finding (and throwing) really cool rocks. We spent quite a bit of time just wandering this rocky dried up part of the lake.
Walking – see the docks? Sad.
The play ground was also fun. The Peanut is such a monkey lately between the monkey bars and climbing rocks and stuff.
I climbed up here and she followed.
Sadly, the Peanut and I had to leave Sunday afternoon to unpack and get ready for the work week ahead. Vans and Squeaker were going to stay another two nights. They had a great time bonding together. It was super sweet and we both enjoyed the bonding time with each kid.
My two Tahoe cuties
I hadn’t been to Tahoe since September so this was way over due for me. It really just fills my heart and resets my brain. Luckily, it won’t be so long before I am up there again.
