Sheesh!  I can’t believe I am at the end of the 4th week of the Whole Life Challenge!  It’s kind of been a roller coaster - I have my good and bad days - but making good choices about what I eat is getting a lot easier.  Some of the recipes I have made are incredible!

I totally suggest Civilized Caveman’s pulled pork recipe with homemade BBQ sauce (sauce link in the pulled pork recipe).  I’ve been craving some sweet BBQ sauce, but usually its chalk-full of sugars and unhealthy garbage.  So, I took to the internet to find something that worked for me.  After reading tons of great reviews of the Civilized Caveman BBQ pulled pork recipe, I knew I had to go for it.

AND IT WAS AMAZING.  Keeps super well in the fridge... amazingly delicious.  Totally satisfied cravings.  But, you’re only going to dig this if you’re OK with a vinegar based-tasting BBQ sauce.

(WLC Warning: be careful with canned pineapple.  You’re better off slicing up your own pineapple to avoid sugary pineapple juice than using canned pineapple in this recipe). 

I also got experimental lately with my cooking because I was craving something crunchy.  So I attempted my own avocado fries!  I took some avocados, sliced them up, dipped them in egg white, and then covered them in macadamia nuts that I had put through the food processor.  Popped them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.  They were good, but its a recipe I’m still working on.  The avocado + macadamia was suuuuuper rich, and they were still pretty squishy (on the left, before the oven).  Trying to perfect the “avocado fries” will be my next kitchen challenge :)

So, my nutrition has been going REALLY well.  Now, I need to focus on my running (after all, that’s what I am working towards!)!!  The Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon is quickly approaching - we are into the double digits... its just 99 days away!  If you haven’t signed up, get to it!

Where are your favorite places to run?  What’s your favorite running shoe or something that you can't run without?  Any advice for a newbie? :)

XODanielle

Uh.  This is borderline creepy.  But holy crap, its also mindblowing!

Some genius with WAY too much time on their hands discovered that if you tune down Taylor Swift... she sounds exactly like the dude from Fun.!!!!  WHAT  Click the link. (or click the photo!) to hear the glorious tunes.

I don't know if I should be laughing or creeped out by this...

XOXODanielle

Phew!  Here I am, three weeks into the Whole Life Challenge, and I am SO glad I decided to do it!  Pounds that have been stubborn for YEARS are finally coming off, my jeans are all saggy now, and I have completely changed the way I look at food.

A month ago, if we had gone to lunch together, I would have gone for whatever sounded good; a cheeseburger, pasta, whatever has cheese on it... and of course a Diet Coke. But three weeks into this challenge I have noticed that what I pick to eat has drastically changed.  I ask for no sauce at restaurants and ask to see ingredients lists, my default meal is chicken and veggies, I check the labels on absolutely everything, and I am really starting to look at food as fuel.  Its a huge turn around for me, and I love it!

This week we bought a juicer after being inspired by “Hungry For Change” and Joe Cross’ documentary “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.”    Now my husband is totally on board with eating better food for us (YAY!).  We have so much produce in our fridge that we had to go out and buy baskets to reorganize it... its crazy... crazy awesome!  I can completely see a change in just the last few days of getting even more veggies in my system via home-made veggie juice.  My skin is getting clearer, and I feel less hungry all the time, I am in a better mood.  Its all good things.  Only 35 days left of this challenge... I can’t wait to see how well I’ve done after the 55 days of changing my nutrition!

(Note for WLC peeps:  The rules are a tad confusing on juicing, but the rules video explains that juicing to remove pulp is not allowed, however veggie juicing is A-OK.  So, if you want to add fruits to your juice, you can put the pulp back into your juice blend after you’re done (what I do), or blend your fruits in a blender and add it to your veggie juice blend, which is not as delish in my opinion.  Some juicers have the option to leave the pulp in as well. Just be cautious of the rules - you don’t want to be making just sugary juice!)

Last night’s juice recipe - see photo - was a head of broccoli, a big handful of spinach, 4 big romaine lettuce leaves, 1/2 pineapple, 1 fuji apple, and 1 orange.  SUPER YUM and super good for you, to boot!  The more veggie heavy juices are pretty tough to drink (celery is not a friend to my tastebuds... yet), so I am starting with a half and half type of deal - half fruit and half veggie, less fruit if I can handle the taste.  I know eventually I’ll be able to drink almost 100% veggie juice and really get those nutrients in my system!  I totally understand now why people do veggie juice shots - they are TOUGH!  And a little shot could be a bunch of leaves of Kale.  Maybe I should start doing that in the morning for breakfast!

(So... why juice?  Well, I would never be able to eat a whole head of broccoli, a bunch of spinach, 4 leaves of romaine, half a pineapple, an apple, and an orange in one sitting.  BUT, when juiced, it makes a small pitcher of juice, perfect for a meal supplement.  I’ll be able to get way more into my system without constantly eating all day.)

Soon, I’ll be ramping up my running to really get into full gear for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon.  When I complete that race (which I WILL), it will be the farthest I’ve ever run... probably ever.  Nervous doesn’t even begin to describe how I am feeling about it. 

That being said... what tips do YOU have for getting in shape for a half marathon?  Should I just get out there and run?  Don’t get me wrong, I am SUPER excited, but I am also nervous!  I feel like my gait is all wrong and I look clumsy running.  Perhaps a gait test is in my near future.

What do YOU do to get ready for a race?

XOXODanielle

In order to help my body prep for the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll marathon, I knew I needed to get leaner, cut glutens out of my diet (I was tested for celiacs disease 2 years ago and am sensitive to glutens... it makes my asthma flare up), and just start making every facet of my life healthier.  That's a tall order!

But, I KNOW I can do it with the right tools, and that it’ll be beneficial to me.  One of the tools I’m taking advantage of is the Whole Life Challenge.  Its a 55-day challenge that I am participating in with people from my CrossFit gym AND others around the world.  There is an online community to keep me accountable and ask questions, and I am loving it.  The hardest part about the challenge, though, is the restrictive diet:

No glutens or grains

No sugar or sweeteners

No dairy

No soy

No fruit juice, soda, alcohol, etc.

No artificial anything

That is a lot of nos.  I very commonly get people asking me, “why the heck would you sign up for that!?”  Well... there are quite a few reasons...

At first, I honestly was nervous about this whole thing, because its a pretty big change from my usual diet.  But I knew with dedication and planning, I could do it.  So, I now frequent the grocery store for fresh veggies and fruits and track down grass-fed meats, I check the labels of absolutely anything and everything, and am pretty much drinking m body weight in ounces of water every day.  On top of that, I’m completing the other aspects of the Whole Life Challenge every day by taking a supplement, stretching at least 10 minutes a day, and doing at least 10 minutes of active recovery daily (either a CrossFit class or a hot yoga class - or running if I can’t fit a class into my schedule).  Its a little intense!

But, today is day 19 of this new lifestyle for me and I am already seeing drastic results... I am 7 pounds and 5 inches down (WHAT!?), my clothes fit way better (some of my jeans are now too big!), my skin is getting clearer and the dark circles under my eyes are going away, I have more energy during workouts and find I can complete more, I sleep like an absolute rock, and my restaurant spending is way down.  I’d say those are all positive things I’d like to keep around in my life!  So... that’s why I would sign up for the WLC.  Because I’ve always wanted to try treating my body like this, but never had the accountability to do so - now I do, and I am loving it SO much that I know it’ll stick around in my life.  Sure, its hard, but the results are worth it.

So... why does this lifestyle work?  Its simply science, people.  We were not made to eat things created in a factory.  That’s not what our bodies know how to handle.  The saying “You are what you eat,” is actually... pretty true.

I watched a documentary recently that totally hits the nail on the head.  Its called “Hungry For Change,” and it explains what I am trying to say perfectly.  Check out http://www.hungryforchange.tv to preview the documentary (AND, it on Netflix streaming right now).  I could get all preachy about it, but I’ll let the documentary paired with my results speak for themselves :)  I know that this new lifestyle is really going to help me prepare for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon!

So... how is your life going lately?  Did you sign up for the Rock 'N' Roll Half!?  Are you doing the Whole Life Challenge?  Seen the Hungry For Change documentary?  Fill me in @BonjourDanielle on twitter/instagram!

XODanielle

Woo!  I am 14 days into the Whole Life Challenge and training for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon and let me tell you - it has been equally tough and rewarding.

I was doing SO well with my nutrition points every day... until Radiothon.  Jackie & Bender’s annual One Big KISS for Seattle Children’s Hospital is my favorite event of the year (this year we raised ANOTHER $1 million dollars for the kids! YES!).  I always go to the hospital on both days to hangout and help where I can.  This year, though, I got really sucked into one of the stories, and five minutes later, found myself with tears in my eyes and a box of Thin Mints in my lap.  Trouble. 

Alas, I lost some points.  BUT, I am seeing some awesome results! Seven pounds of pesky weight that has never gone away no matter how many times I went to the gym each week are now GONE (gone, I tell you!) and I’ve lost 2 inches off of both of my starting measurements.  BOOM.  Clearly, its working.  Downside?  All of my favorite jeans no longer fit!  Well, I mean that’s a good thing and a bad thing all rolled into one (but an epic excuse for shopping).

How is the marathon training going for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon? I think its going well!  I’ve been trying to amp up my amount of works outs both weeks, and I know that this challenge will really prep my body for all of the running I’ll be doing.  I’m stoked!  My hip flexors have been really sore, but I’ve found that with a lot of water, stretching, and being active every single day keep my legs feeling good.

With training for my first half marathon and participating in the Whole Life Challenge, I have found a ton of awesome new products that I want to share with you! 

First up, my new kitchen obsession: the Ninja Express Chop food processor.  This thing is amazeballs and helps with tons of different recipes and fun things.

When I first decided to make the Nom Nom Paleo Short Ribs, I realized that the recipe called for a blender or a food processor and, sadly, I had neither.  So, I went shopping!  I didn’t want to spend a ton of money, and didn’t want anything huge (our apartment is less than 500 square feet, after all). We went to a few different stores, and then landed at Target where we found this Ninja gem.  At $19.99, its a steal (we even got ours on sale!), comes in a bunch of super fun colors, is compact, easy to clean, and efficient.

So, here is a ONE INGREDIENT recipe to use with your Ninja Express Chop (or blender!).

Banana Ice Cream

You’ll need:

2 bananas

1 baking sheet

a freezer

blender or food processor

Instructions:

1. Peel the bananas and slice them into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
2. Place slices evenly on the baking sheet
3. Place baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour (or until frozen solid)
4. After they’re frozen, simply drop the banana slices into your food processor and let’er rip!
5. VOILA.  Creamy, sugary, banana ice cream.  SO DELICIOUS.

This is probably the easiest, simplest dessert to make, ever.  You can get creative and (depending on what your diet allows), add cocoa powder, chocolate chips, cinnamon, peanut butter, or whatever you want to spice it up a bit.  But in all honesty, you’ll be shocked by how sweet this recipe is!  Really brings out the sugars in the fruit.  A great way to take care of any sugar cravings.

Join me in getting fit and sign up NOW for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon!!!  I’d love to see you there and cheer you on, too!!!  Got any tips for me for really falling in love with running? Let me know!

XOXODanielle / @BonjourDanielle