Labour Day Weekend Kickoff

It's labour day long weekend. Did you know that it's roots are in the 8 hour Labour movement- 8 hours for work, 8 hours for recreation and 8 hours for rest? See the Wikipedia article on Labour day for more information. This site even claims that Canada gave the world Labour Day- isn't that a lofty claim? I think there were millions of people around the world in different countries who wanted a day of rest just as badly as Canadians do.

With that in mind, what are you doing to rest this weekend? To reward yourself for all your hard work throughout the year? We were going to head out and do some more surfing, but with the forecast for 11C temperature with rain, we will not. Even a dry suit wouldn't get me in that water- I'd have to wear a parka under it.

This week has been great at work, but busy- so I will be taking advantage and sleeping in on Saturday to restore some energy and balance. Sunday of course I will do my long run- 16k this time around. This last week I caught up on my mileage (kilometerage for Canucks) on the road for training for the half-marathon. I logged 18k in the last 3 days, including hill training which entailed running up and down the same hill 7 times consecutively. The runs have been in the mornings, when the moon and stars are still out.
My meals this week have been a little different as I'm studying up on Ayurveda, which I will post more on once I get my head around some specifics on nutrition and fitness. Today my meals are as follows:
7am: 6 egg whites omlette with 1 mushroom and 1/4 pepper cooked in 1Tbsp coconut oil, 1/4c creamy rice cereal, 1Tbsp raisins, 1Tbsp salba, 1c black coffee
11am: 3oz grilled chicken breast, 1/2c beans/rice mixture, 3Tbsp salsa
3pm: 3oz grilled chicken breast, 8oz raw bell pepper mixture
7pm: 3oz tuna, 6 oz lettuce salad, 2Tbsp salad dressing
9pm: optional 1/2c plain, non-fat yogurt, 1 scoop Optimum Whey Protein Powder (Vanilla) if I feel hungry
I am eating every 4 hours instead of every 2.5-3hours according to the Pitta (my dosha) metabolism cycle. I've also cut out a lot of the foods that throw Pitta's into imbalance like raw carrots and tomatoes.
Why did I switch it up? Because I'm striving for balance now- for a wholistic health. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same results: and so maybe to prove I'm not insane I'm trying something different than my weights-heavy fitness and a new eating schedule. I'm still gaining weight at an alarming speed, while sticking to a strict, clean meal plan and training schedule. Perhaps this will ease my system into equilibrium and stop the inexplicable gain.
Happy, Peaceful Resting!
VisViva

Happiness is not a Fish you can catch

Maybe I'm aging myself by admitting how much I love the title of that song by Our Lady Peace.
In my morning trolling, I came across an article about FUN. How great to have something other than the latest gang bust or traffic accident begin my day. Dr. Mercola's feature talks specifically about the importance of creating play time in a married relationship, but I would like to extend that idea further- into every relationship you are a part of. There is no relationship that would not benefit from laughter, joy and excitement.
When I read this, I thought about the last time I had actually hunted for fun- when was the last time I put action to my lust for a good time? In my recent memory, I hadn't actually actively sought a new fun experience for me and my partner to try. The last time I threw a mocktail party at work to diffuse the pressure of the workplace was months ago. I have not been scheduling enough play time in my life. Have you?
Like your 'to do' list today-must work out, cook dinner, get mail, finish project, make phone call- you and I must put action into effecting an outcome of fun. I'm going to start a Jade's Fun Day at home and at work, once a month each. Each month I'll research something new to try, something my partner and I can learn and play in together. I think it will be great to surprise him once a month with a new activity- paintballing, hiking, biking, cooking lessons etc. And I'll do the same with my colleagues at work- research and plan an activity- even if it's bowling down the aisles between offices for 20 min, or bringing my clubs to work to putt around.
If you're thinking-I don't have time for that- what do you have time for? You have time for a grocery list, but not to smile with your friends and family? If you're thinking- what could I get out of it? Check your balance- is your life whole? Do you feel fullfilled, joyous and 'into' it? Try scheduling some fun and you'll see it's an investment worth making.
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions." Dalai Lama

Homemade GF Protein Bars

Home-made (GF) Protein Bars (makes 8)
modified from MagicPunt on Bodybuilding.com's Protein Bar Recipe Forum- Cred dude!
8 scoops of your favorite protein powder (I used Optimum Whey, Vanilla Ice Cream)
3 cups GF oats
1 package (4 serving) fat free, sugar free Jello pudding (your favorite flavor to compliment the protein powder, I used butterscotch)
1.5 cups milk (more or less to determine consistency of the bar)
Spray an 8x8 baking dish with your fave non-stick method (Pam, oil etc.) Scoop mixture into dish, bake at 200F for 60min. You can refrigerate them instead of baking them, but they don't hold up in bar form that way unless very cold. Baking them dries them for greater portability. The texture is not as chewy/hard as packaged bars, they are more similar to a chewy oatmeal cookie rather than a bar. I would try using a cookie sheet instead of a dish next time, for a flatter bar. Cooking time would then decrease, almost in half I would imagine.

The macros for these, according to the forum are: 3g fat 28g carbs 29g protein 257 calories I made these for our recent waterskiing trip. The beach is the worst place for proper nutrition unless you are totally prepared. I made these days ahead of time, and threw them in the cooler frozen. They kept well in my beach bag while I lounged reading Stephanie Meyers' Twighlight saga. They are a meal replacement, not a snack- and should only be used when good, wholesome foods are not available. In addition to these, I packed bottled water to the beach and plenty of fresh vegetables- I do prefer the crunch of a fresh garden carrot to an oily potatoe chip-truly. So my diet was clean on this trip. My family is even beginning to accept my 'different' eating patterns and habits and didn't put up a fuss when I ate my oatmeal for breakfast rather than the bacon, eggs, hasbrowns spread they enjoyed.
The trip was astounding- how rejuvenating to get back to nature and enjoy my family and friends- not to mention being pulled behind a speedboat or racing on the Seadoo (hey-it can beat most boats on the water). Nothing suits me better than my wetsuit, matching lifejacket and ski gloves. I hid behind big sweaters and shorts on the beach when I was out of my ski gear- still not confident in myself at all. Bad BAD body image...but no fear- I have a plan of action towards a postive end- more on that later.