Hello veggies!
I am writing extra late at night because I can not sleep! I feel like running or dancing, but not sleeping. I drank a cup of espresso around 5 PM, and I also took a little afternoon nap. Recipe for disaster. Anyhow, I want to take the time to update you on my raw vegan (somewhat 80/10/10) lifestyle, and share another recipe.
The most challenging part about eating this way is getting enough calories in! Today I managed to take in around 2,500 calories. I ate above my protein requirements today. I am pretty happy with this value, here is what I ate:
1) 1 banana with a smoothie (2 bananas, pineapple, kale leaf, and orange juice)
2) 4 bananas
----worked out!
3) 1 banana with a smoothie (2 bananas, 1 mango) and 1/2 red pepper with 1TB hummus (eye balled it!)
4) 5 apples (sliced and peeled) (espresso)
6) citrus kale salad
7) protein shake with almond milk
I have noted some positive changes. I no longer am hungry, nor do I crave sweets. LOL. Pretty much by eating every 2 to 3 hours, and eating larger volumes I never felt empty. However, I never felt too full or sluggish. More or less...just right. I suppose, since I ate mostly fruits/vegetables I never had the post lunch sleepiness. My energy level was superb. I had an abundance of energy during my workout, and felt "light!" (Not to be gross!) But I peed often today, and very clear, despite not drinking a ton of water outside of my workout. I was also rather regular! :-) All in all, I feel good. Like I said, I feel like dancing.
According to the 80-10-10 manual, one pound of green leafy vegetables should be consumed daily. I did not make it! I am slowly trying to fit more into my daily menu. However, I invented a citrus kale salad today. I am sure it isn't anything too new. However, it is simple, and healthy and delicious. Here is what I combined:
About 2 to 3 cups of shredded curly leaf kale
4 oranges, peeled and chopped
0.25 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
I tossed everything together. Except I used 1/2 of an orange for juice, and squeezed it on top of the salad. Kale has a bitter taste, so it was a nice contrast. There was more orange in the salad than kale! It was also very filling. If you have never tried raw pumpkin seeds before, I encourage you to do so. They make great salad toppers/snacks. I purchased mine from the bulk bin at Whole Foods. One quarter cup of pumpkin seeds contains under 200 calories, almost 10 grams of protein, and contain many goodies like omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin A, B, E, zinc and iron to name a few. Very good for vegetarians/vegans.
I have decided to make some changes to my exercise regimen. I ran into my spinning teacher today, and I feel guilty I haven't taken the class in awhile. I am going to incorporate one class in per week. Hehehe. I am going to adapt an exercise routine I found in Oxygen magazine. Basically, there are about ten strength exercises targeting all the areas of the body, and they all utilize dumb bells. You perform one set of 12 to 15 repetitions, weight should be heavy enough to be a challenge. In between each exercise you perform intense cardio like jump - squats, high knee runs, or jump rope movements. Then you repeat the routine two more times. I will be doing this three times a week. Lastly, I will continue my once a week dance class, and maybe a yoga class too. Everything but belly dance is at my gym, and I am in the habit of going to the gym six days a week. Therefore, even though I will only be strength training three times a week now...I still want to keep my routine of going most days of the week. I am kind of excited, because this will kick up my cardio a little. Which means results for my contest!
I also found an awesome recipe in the Oxygen magazine for lentils and quinoa, which I would like to include on my blog. However, I am sitting in the dark, and clearly can not see it to copy it here. However, I think it is a good recipe for protein/complex carbohydrates. It is also very portable, and would be great even if you eat meat.
Next time I update my blog, I will include a picture of the kale salad. I think I feel the sleepies coming. Peace and Love!
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