The woes of runner injuries (and more)
April 21, 2012 at 12:00 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: running, IBS, allergies, fitness, injuries, eye, blood vessels, shin splints, knees, calves, ankles, shins, runner, exercise, runner injuries, woes, leg cramps, cramps, Charley horses, Charley horse
My crazy, blood vessel burst eyeball is staring into your soul!
It is not unusual for my body to hate me so much. I have IBS and I get random pains from that in addition to the bloating, farting, and other poop pains.
How about a few minutes ago, I felt like I was just kicked in the kidneys? That happens quite often, with varying degrees of intensity.
I also seem to be getting major leg cramps and Charley horses, which is weird for me. Low potassium? I’ve tried that method. When I bend over to take off a shoe, I get a massive cramp in the back of my knee. I also love when I get cramps in my feet, but that is not as usual nowadays since I stopped my part-time job convincing people to buy new bath products.
But lately there have been some even weirder things happening (rare, I know.)
Am I body obsessed?
April 20, 2012 at 8:58 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 CommentTags: body, body issues, body obsessed, buff, fat, fitness, health, healthy, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, perfection, toned, vegan
I’ve never had the best body image. It probably began when I hit puberty and BAM! hello, two ginormous thighs! I have always hated them, except when they proved useful (which was rarely.)
I also was a cheerleader for 11 years, which does WONDERS for self esteem when you can’t tumble and you don’t get onto varsity until your senior year. Don’t forget about those short skirts.
After that, I started to not give a crap about my body, concentrating more so on my studies. My weight stayed the same through college, except for senior year. I got sick, discovered I had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and constantly got bloated.
Step in a number of other factors in the four years since college graduation: New work places, new work hours, new diet (vegan!) and then getting comfortable with the boyfriend.
I fully embraced my vegan lifestyle. With new developments in vegan foods, I got to enjoy the emergence of new fake meats, frozen dinners, melt-able non-dairy cheese and so much more. As vegans, we are constantly trying to prove that vegan versions are better than meat-filled versions, but somewhere in there the vegan versions are not better calorie-wise.
It is oh so good, yummy in my tummy, but absolutely horrible for my thighs!
And somewhere, in a matter of 8 years, I ballooned an additional 26 pounds! Yes, for my small 5’4″ frame, that isn’t so good. The boyfriend obviously said he didn’t care: “more to grab onto; you got curves, etc.”
With so many fit women around me on the blogosphere and a few good looking coworkers, my other examples in real life aren’t so good. The mom realized her bad ways and has tried Weight Watchers (lost close to 30 pounds!) My dad almost had his second heart attack and now is going practically vegan.
On Jan. 1, 2012, I realized that I need to eat better and I took the step to lose 30 pounds in a year.
I fill my Pinterest with toned, buff women and inspirational quotes. I try my best to get rid of the bad food (try, try!)
It has definitely been a struggle, and then it makes me think, “Am I body obsessed?”
I love who I am as a person inside. I am intelligent, thoughtful, caring, giving, loving. I am a pretty unique and special person, but my outer layer doesn’t express the same thing.
I feel uncomfortable in my own skin, and I could blame it on IBS (bloating, flatulence and bowel movements don’t make me feel pretty or well.) But I have felt this way since I was 12. Since I began wearing Adidas pants and big T-shirts to hide my weird body. Since I banned shorts except for exercise because I felt like a cow.
Do you have/had body issues? How do you deal with them, or have dealt with them? If you are a bit older, what advice do you have for a young women like myself?
50 States 50 Dishes, and veganizing them all!
April 15, 2012 at 11:00 am | Posted in 50 States 50 Vegan Dishes | 4 CommentsTags: 50 States 50 Vegan Dishes, Cooking Channel, vegan
Flickr photo by Marxchivist
I have basically waited wayyy too long for The Cooking Channel’s blog to update its results on the “50 States, 50 Dishes” post. You can read it here.
My plan was to gather the results and then veganize each one once a week. What a neat idea for ongoing blog posts, right?
Well, The Cooking Channel has been taking too long and I am letting my blog posts lag, as usual. (What, I am a boring person!)
So, without further ado, I am going to pick my OWN recipe from the choices among the states and then veganize it.
This is my list:
Alabama
- Deep-Fried Crab Claws
- Lane Cake
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- West Indies Salad (Crab Salad)
- Hummingbird Cake
Alaska
- Salmon Bake
- Halibut Sandwiches (“Buttwiches”)
- Caribou Stew
- Baked Alaska
- Hot Crab Salad (King Crab)
Arizona
- Chimichanga
- Sonoran Hot Dog
- Fritos Pie
- Chile Verde
- Frybread
Arkansas
- Fried Chicken
- Fried Dill Pickles
- Arkansas Green Beans
- Biscuits
- Fried Catfish
California
- The French Dip
- California Roll
- Mission Burrito
- Fish Tacos
- Cobb Salad
Colorado
- Denver Omelets
- Denver Sandwich
- Pan-Fried Rainbow Trout
- Chile Verde
- Grilled Colorado Lamb
Connecticut
- Chicken Pie
- White Clam Pizza (or New Haven-Style Pizza)
- Deep Fried Hot Dogs
- Connecticut Clam Chowder
- Election Cake
Delaware
- Crab Puffs
- Dover Cake
- Crabcakes
- Softshell Crab Sandwiches
- Vinegar French Fries
Florida
- Key Lime Pie
- Cuban Sandwich
- Fried Shrimp / Coconut Fried Shrimp
- Stone Crab Claws with Mayonnaise
- Conch Salad
Georgia
- Peach Pie
- Boiled Peanuts
- Pimento Cheese Sandwich
- Country Captain
- Braised Collard Greens
Hawaii
- Ahi Poke
- Lomi Lomi Salmon
- Loco Moco
- Spam Musubi
- Shave Ice
Idaho
- Idaho Nachos
- Spudnuts (Potato Doughnuts)
- Grilled Trout
- Finger Steaks
- Huckleberry Ice Cream
Illinois
- Deep Dish Pizza
- Chicago Hot Dogs
- Italian Beef
- Chicken Vesuvio
- Gyros
Indiana
- Sugar Cream Pie (Hoosier Cream Pie)
- Persimmon Pudding
- Pork Tenderloin Sandwich (or BPTs — Breaded Pork Tenderloins)
- Beef and Noodles
- Popcorn
Iowa
- Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
- Sour Cream Raisin Pie
- Loosemeat Sandwich (or Taverns)
- Iowa Pork Chop with Pan Gravy
- Cinnamon Roll
Kansas
- Sliders
- Burnt Ends
- Corn Pudding
- Kansas City-Style Ribs
- Bierocks
Kentucky
- Mint Julep
- Burgoo
- Kentucky Hot Browns
- Raceday Pie
- Bourbon Balls
Louisiana
- Jambalaya
- File Gumbo
- Muffaletta
- Po Boy
- Beignets
Maine
- Whoopie Pie
- Lobster Roll
- Fried Clams
- Blueberry Pie
- Baked Beans
Maryland
- Crabcakes
- Old Bay Steamed Blue Crabs
- Pit Beef
- Smith Island Cake
- Maryland Fried Chicken
Massachusetts
- Fluffernutter Sandwich
- Boston Cream Pie
- Boston Brown Bread
- Hermit Cookies
- Beans and Franks
Michigan
- Sour Cherry Pie
- Coney Island Dog
- Gyros
- Pasties
- Apple fritters
Minnesota
- Wild Rice Soup
- Walleye Sandwich
- Potica
- Hotdish
- Seven-Layer Bars
Mississippi
- Catfish Po Boy
- Hot Tamales
- Mud Pie
- Cheese Straws
- Pecan Pie
Missouri
- Slingers
- Toasted Ravioli (St. Louis)
- St. Louis-Style Ribs
- Gooey Butter Cake
- St. Louis-Style Pizza
Montana
- Finger Steaks
- Huckleberry Pie
- Smettanick pie
- Bison Burgers
- Elk Stew
Nebraska
- Runzas
- Popcorn
- Duck with Sauerkraut
- Eskimo Pie
- Corndogs
Nevada
- Nevada Cocktail (Rum Martini with Grapefruit)
- 99-cent Shrimp Cocktail
- Basque Cake
- Basque Lamb Stew
- All-You-Can-Eat
New Hampshire
- Corn Chowder
- Pancakes with Maple Syrup
- New England Clam Chowder
- New England Boiled Dinner
- Maple Candy
New Jersey
- Rippers (Deep-Fried Hot Dogs)
- Tomato Pie (Trenton-Style Pizza)
- Pork Roll
- Disco Fries
- Italian Subs
New Mexico
- Sopaipillas
- Bizcochito
- Chile Verde
- Carne Adovada
- Green Chile Cheeseburger
New York
- Reuben Sandwich
- Bagels and Lox
- Black & White Cookie
- Buffalo Wings
- New York Cheesecake
North Carolina
- Moravian Spice Cookie
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Hummingbird Cake
- North Carolina Pulled Pork
- Country Ham Biscuit with Egg and Tomato
North Dakota
- Lefse
- Fleischkuekle
- Strudel
- Kuchen
- Frybread
Ohio
- Cincinnati Chili
- Sauerkraut Balls
- Potica (Slovenian Nut Roll)
- Buckeyes
- Pierogis
Oklahoma
- Barbecued Bologna (Okie Sirloin)
- Chicken and Corn Pudding
- Onion-Fried Burger
- Fried Okra
- Sausage and Gravy
Oregon
- Crab Louis
- Oregon Clam Chowder
- Chocolate-Hazelnut Cookies
- Marionberry Pie
- Poached Pears
Pennsylvania
- Philly Cheesesteak
- Stromboli
- Sticky Buns
- Shoo Fly Pie
- Soft Pretzels
Rhode Island
- Johnnycakes
- Coffee Milk
- Stuffies (Baked Stuffed Clams)
- Frozen Lemonade
- Rhode Island Red Chowder
South Carolina
- Hoppin John
- Shrimp ‘n Grits
- Perloo (Carolina pilau)
- Frogmore Stew
- Lady Baltimore Cake
South Dakota
- Chislic
- Wojapi (Sioux Fruit Pudding)
- Knoephla Soup (Dumpling Soup)
- Kuchen
- Kolache
Tennessee
- Memphis Dry Ribs
- Tennessee Mountain Stack Cake
- The Elvis Sandwich (Fried Peanut Butter and Banana)
- Barbecue Spaghetti
- Nashville Hot Chicken
Texas
- Chili con Queso
- BBQ Brisket
- Frito Pie
- Kolaches
- Chicken Fried Steak
Utah
- Green Jell-O
- Funeral Potatoes
- Utah Scones (Mormon Scones)
- Pastrami Burgers
Vermont
- American Chop Suey
- Ploughman’s Lunch
- Indian Pudding
- Maple Cream pie
- Cheddar-Crusted Apple Pie
Virginia
- Braised Collard Greens
- Brunswick Stew
- Oyster Stew
- Peanut Soup
- Ham Biscuits
Washington
- Steamed Dungeness Crab with Melted Butter
- Cedar-Planked Salmon
- Oysters on the Half-shell with Mignonette
- Geoduck Clam Chowder
- Apple Candy (Aplets)
West Virginia
- Pepperoni Cheese Rolls
- Chicken and Dumplings
- Apple Stack Cakes
- Strawberry Pie
- Chow Chow
Wisconsin
- Fried Cheese Curds
- Chicken Booyah
- Beer Cheese Soup
- Wisconsin Fish Boil
- Sheboygan Brats
Wyoming
- Buffalo Burger
- Chicken-Fried Steak
- Wyoming Pudding
- Drovers Stew
- Milk Can Supper
I promise to not make it totally easy on myself, but sometimes veganizing certain dishes then loses the meaning of the dish (Bison burgers, anyone?)
So, now onto the first challenge!
The mystery of Wonder Vegan
Who is Wonder Vegan? Is she that strong Amazonian who wants to spread peace & save our world, with her lasso of truth and killer muscles? Well, you'll have to figure that out on your own.
Badges & whatnots
