APRÉS RUN

Uncategorized

Molten Chocolate Mug Cake for 1 (gf, df)

by

I have two great Valentine’s Day recipes for you this year, and both of them were super fun to taste test and tweak. First up: a Valentine’s Day dessert you can enjoy all by yourself and don’t have to share!

If baking a full-on cake or batch of something feels intimidating and tiresome, this Molten Chocolate Mug Cake was made for you!

For those who have never made a mug cake before – they’re pretty magical. No bowls or baking equipment to dirty. No long cooking times. No cooling rack and frosting. You whisk together all ingredients in one mug, and microwave to perfection.

The trick to this mug cake is stuffing the middle with chopped dark chocolate pieces. It melts and creates a deliciously gooey center that’s reminiscent of a chocolate lava cake (but not quite). I recommend topping with homemade coconut whipped cream and more chocolate shavings, but I imagine a scoop of ice cream, or even berries, and fudge sauce, would be just as tasty.

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day alone, or with a special someone – I hope you enjoy! If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you.

Print

Molten Chocolate Mug Cake for 1

  • Author: APRÉS RUN
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 minutes
  • Total Time: 7 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Microwave
  • Cuisine: Healthy
Print

Description

An easy, indulgent Valentine’s Day dessert for one. This mug cake is rich and chocolatey, with a delicious gooey center. It doesn’t require a lot of slaving away in the kitchen, or cumbersome clean-up, and it’s made with wholesome, good-for-you ingredients like oat flour, coconut oil, dark chocolate, and unrefined coconut sugar.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup oat flour (See notes)
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons oat milk, coconut milk, or milk of choice
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee (Optional, but highly recommended!)
  • 1/2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped, plus more for shavings on top
  • Coconut whipped cream, for topping (See notes)

Instructions

  1. Grease a large, microwave-safe mug with cooking spray, or lightly coat with oil of choice.
  2. Add oat flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt to mug, and whisk together until well-combined, and until no clumps remain.
  3. Add the egg, oat milk, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and espresso powder, and again whisk until everything is well-incorporated and no flour is left at the bottom of the mug. Be sure your melted coconut oil is not steaming hot when added to the mixture, as you don’t want to scramble the raw egg.
  4. Spoon your chopped dark chocolate into the center of the mug, and cover with batter on top. (You want the chocolate to create a gooey center filling.)
  5. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the mug cake has puffed up and is cooked through.
  6. Top with coconut whipped cream, dark chocolate shavings, and enjoy!

Notes

  • If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can make your own by running an equal amount of plain, old-fashioned oats through a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse for 30 seconds to a minute or two (or until finely milled), and voila – oat flour!
  • You can use store-bought coconut whipped cream, but I highly recommend making your own. It’s super easy, and I love having leftovers on hand for spooning over berries, oatmeal, hot chocolate, and desserts when company comes over. This tutorial from Minimalist Baker is wonderful, and she does a great job breaking down which brands of canned coconut milk will yield the best results. (Hint: not all are created equal!)

Keywords: mug cake, healthy mug cake, chocolate mug cake, valentine’s day desserts, valentine’s day treats, healthy valentine’s day recipes

How to Build a Killer Home Gym (for Different Budget Levels)

by

We are (very bittersweetly!) packing away all the equipment in our home workout studio this week. When we first moved into our condo, we had the option of making our second bedroom into a guest room or a home workout studio. We chose the latter, and now overnight guests get to sleep on an air mattress next to our squat rack 🤪

Down the road, though, we knew (/hoped) it would become a baby’s room, and the time has finally come to make that transition.

I’ve had a lot of people inquire about our home studio, what pieces we have in there, where we got them from, and why we chose them. My biggest piece of advice for anyone looking to build a home gym: Start with what you’ve got! You don’t need a whole room to dedicate to a workout studio. You can start with just a corner in an existing room. You also don’t need to throw loads of money into it – especially at first. I started with just a workout corner in the family room of the condo I was living at previously, and just a handful of equipment. Over time, we’ve invested more money into it and grown our equipment. But it’s been a slow, methodical process. Once we have a house in a few years, we’ll probably invest in a few more pieces of equipment, and are excited to just keep building out our dream gym one step at a time.

I wanted to share what I think are the best bang-for-your-buck pieces of fitness equipment at all budget levels, and when I recommend investing further. I’ll also share some of my favorite brands, as someone who has not only worked in a strength training facility, but also as someone’s who’s done a TON of research on this topic!

Note: This post is just intended to cover strength-training equipment. Cardio equipment I find is highly personal, so I’m leaving it off the list. But a treadmill, spin bike, indoor trainer, elliptical machine, and/or rowing machine are all great addition options to consider – depending on your sport, goals, and what you enjoy using the most!

First – enjoy some dream home gym inspo. (All images sourced from Pinterest.) How beautiful are some of these home gyms?

Basic

When to invest: If you want to dip your toes into the water of building a home gym, this list is where I recommend you start. You don’t need to dump loads of money in to get most of the items on this list. AND, if you’re looking to save money – keep in mind you can often find fitness equipment (especially weights) in great condition for cheap on Craigslist and Ebay. People are trying to get rid of used workout equipment all the time.

  • A jumprope
  • A set of minibands – Perform Better’s are the best and won’t stretch out. Green = easy. Blue = medium. Black = very hard. I don’t often use the yellow, which is even lighter than the green.
  • Mobility and soft tissue tools: a high-quality foam roller (this is my favorite), a lacrosse ball, and a stretching rope. Bonus: if want to really invest in your mobility and running health, learn active isolated rope stretching from the Whartons. You can buy their Flexibility Kit here – or they’ve got downloadable videos here.
  • A Manduka yoga mat – Trust me on this one, and invest in the high-quality yoga mat. I’ve purchased cheaper ones from Target or Walmart in the past, and they don’t even come close to comparing in quality. This one actually provides great cushion, and is long-lasting. You’ll have it forever and ever and never need to buy another.
  • A basic bench – A great basic one from Dick’s here.
  • A few sets of dumbells in varying weights – To strength train properly, you shouldn’t be able to use the same weights for everything. You want a few different pairs (at least) for upper vs. lower body exercises, and to be able to progress in weight as you get stronger.
  • A few kettlebells in varying weights
  • A stability ball
  • A moderately-weighted medicine ball – 10 or 12 lbs. should be good for most people

Intermediate

When to invest: If you have a full room (or even garage) to spread out in – AND if you have the money to do so, I can’t recommend barbell training enough for truly getting stronger. Step 1: Get yourself a squat rack, barbell, and some weight plates. Step 2: expand on your existing collecting of free weights for ancillary work. And explore some of these other fun tools to continue to build out your home gym. (P.S. – Plyo boxes are awesome… especially for runners.)

  • A squat rack, barbell, and weight plates – Rogue Fitness is the industry gold-standard, in my opinion. This is the model of squat rack we invested in, which is going to be much more affordable. But if you can swing for a full power rack, and have the space for it, even better!
  • Mats/flooring for under your squat rack – If you don’t have a wood platform, you’ll likely want something under your squat rack to protect your floors and allow you to set up deadlifts, or drop weights – if needed – on.
  • A bench that inclines – Here is a good one from Dick’s.
  • Plyo boxes – I love this foam one from Rogue, which you can tilt on different sides for different heights. Foam is going to be a lot safer than steel, or even wood, boxes – but some people do prefer the feel of a ‘harder’ box. For those, both Rogue and Perform Better have great options.
  • More dumbbells and kettlebells in additional weights – Keep adding to your collection.
  • Storage for your weights – Once you start collecting more weights, you’re probably going to want a stand or shelving unit to organize them on, so they’re not scattered all over the floor. This is the one we have. It stores dumbbells on the bottom, kettlebells on the top, and weight plates on the side.
  • A second or third medicine ball in a different weight – And if you already have a hard medicine ball (that bounces), you might want to consider getting a soft medicine ball, like these or these, which are better for throwing, tossing, and slamming exercises.

Advanced

When to invest: If you’ve been strength training consistently for several years and have the space and money to invest in building your dream gym, these are some awesome and fun ‘nice-to-haves’.

  • A mirror – Not necessary, but it can be helpful for watching your form when working out alone. I always recommend filming yourself when working out for this same reason.
  • Kettlebell pairs – Buy a buddy for your existing kettlebells. With two of the same weight, you can do great exercises like double kettlebell swings, overhead pressing and rowing exercises with both arms, front-racked squats, and the farmer’s carry.
  • A suspension training system (like a TRX) – There are so many amazing functional and full-body exercises you can do with a TRX. It’s also great for challenging balance – something that most runners, especially, need to work on.
  • A pull-up bar – You can get one that hangs in a door frame, or even better – a sturdy steel pull-up bar anchored to a wall.
  • If you want to invest in machines, here are a few that are truly worth your $$:
    • A cable or Kaiser machine – Again, super great for functional exercises. Both of these machines are also going to be super versatile, and there’s so much you can do with them.
    • A glute-ham machine – Great for developing strength in the big muscle groups athletes and active people are actually going to recruit the most. Here is a great one from Rogue.
    • A hip thruster – If glute development and/or power and speed development are a priority, OR if hip thrusts are already in your routine regularly, this is a great machine to add to your repertoire. It’s not necessary, and you can definitely do hip thrusts with just a bench and a barbell. But it makes the exercise 10x easier to set-up, and much more safe, as the bench is bolted in and guaranteed not to move.

Healthy Holiday Bliss Balls – 3 Ways

by

We all know that the way to people’s hearts is good food. I love gifting homemade treats to people that might either be hard to shop for or seem to ‘have it all’ already. If your holiday gifting budget is small this year, or you’re trying to save money, it’s also a sweet, thoughtful way to gift that is always appreciated – and sometimes even moreso than giving material things.

I recipe-developed these healthy holiday bliss balls with gifting in mind. You can certainly get more mileage by making smaller balls, but I think the larger size looks better and more robust when packaged and given away.

I made the bliss balls in three of our most-loved holiday flavors – chocolate peppermint, gingerbread, and sugar cookie. I think sugar cookie was unanimously our favorite, with gingerbread a close second, but all the flavors are unique and delicious, and sure to please a crowd! Plus, there’s fun in getting to try them all 😉

Made from nuts, dates, oats, real maple syrup, and spices, these bliss balls are not only tasty – they’re also super nourishing and something you can feel good about gifting to anyone. For the active people in your life – they also make a great pre-workout snack!

If you try these, you have to let me know which is your favorite!

Print

Healthy Holiday Bliss Balls – 3 Ways

  • Author: APRÉS RUN
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 5
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6–8 large bliss balls 1x
  • Category: Snacks
  • Method: No-bake
  • Cuisine: Healthy
Print

Description

These bliss balls are a super festive and tasty way to get in the holiday spirit, and best of all – they’re great for sharing, and gifting to others. We love all three holiday flavors, but feel free to make just one if you favor chocolate peppermint, gingerbread, or sugar cookie in particular. You can easily double and triple the batch to make a surplus.

These balls are no-bake, super nutritious, and come together in around 10 minutes. They’re also a super fun, hands-on recipe to make with kids.

Scale

Ingredients

Chocolate Peppermint Bliss Balls

  • 1 1/2 cup raw walnuts
  • 8 medjool dates, pitted and then soaked*
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons drippy almond butter
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  • Optional: 1 candy cane or handful Little Secrets Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pieces, crushed, for rolling on top

Gingerbread Bliss Balls

  • 1 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 10 medjool dates, pitted and then soaked*
  • 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
  • 1 tablespoon cashew butter
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Optional: More cinnamon for dusting on top

Sugar Cookie Bliss Balls

  • 2 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup real maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons drippy peanut butter**
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Optional: Coconut sugar for dusting on top

Instructions

  1. Combine ingredients for your ball of choice in a food processor and blend on high until a sticky dough forms.
  2. Roll dough into 6-8 large balls, and dust with suggested toppings, if desired. If making the Sugar Cookie Bliss Balls, I recommend placing in the freezer and letting firm up for 5-10 minutes.
  3. For all bliss balls, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (for up to a week or so) or the freezer (for longer-term storage).

Notes

* To soak your dates, first remove and discard their pits. Then, place in a small bowl with warm to hot water and let soak for 10 minutes.

** Use natural peanut butter, which should be drippy in consistency and have only one or two ingredients in it (peanuts and salt) – not conventional peanut butter with hydrogenated oils in it.

Keywords: bliss balls, holiday bliss balls, holiday treats, healthy holiday baking, no bake bliss balls, chocolate peppermint, gingerbread, sugar cookie

How to Shop at Whole Foods on the ‘Cheap’

by

I’ve always been fascinated by people’s grocery buying habits. I know people who love grocery shopping, and others who loathe it. I know people who go to three or four different grocery stores to get everything they need, and I know others who use a subscription or delivery service to grocery shop for them, streamlining everything as much as possible.

Since settling into our condo in Providence two years ago, our weekly grocery routine has been pretty consistent. We drive down to the closest Trader Joe’s (20-25 minutes away, depending on traffic) for the majority of our supplies, and then supplement with the (much closer) Whole Foods for specialty items and things Trader Joe’s might not have had in stock. For us – just shopping at Whole Foods would be way more convenient. But we make the effort to go down to Trader Joe’s because we can get so much more food for the same dollar amount there. Grocery shopping for us is a process, and it takes us a good couple hours on a Sunday. Time that I sometimes wish I could be spending doing other things!

This weekend I decided to give myself a personal challenge – If I was really careful and strategic, could I do a one-stop grocery shop at Whole Foods, and still come in close to what we’d spend at Trader Joe’s and other supermarkets? I decided to do a little research beforehand, and I promised I’d put together all my findings in a blog post to help others who might be in the same predicament.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen me share on my stories Sunday – I was SO excited by the results of my challenge! Just tracking what we typically spend on a week of groceries (all stores included), I know that our baseline is somewhere around $200 – plus or minus a little, depending on whether it’s a restock week, and/or how carried away I get with the specialty items. Going into this challenge, I set a goal of getting a FULL 7 days worth of groceries, only shopping at Whole Foods, and for $150-175. I ended up getting us SO much food, and spending a total of $167.65!!

Some notes:

  • I totally get that everyone’s food budget is different, and I realize that for some people this might be a lot to spend on a week of groceries. For us, investing in good food is such a huge piece of our health and happiness, so we make it a priority and would rather cut corners on other things, if needed. We also are both very active people and eat a LOT of food. And lastly – we don’t buy a lot of processed food, so the majority of our grocery bill is coming from meats, fish, fresh produce, etc., which are definitely the most expensive things in the supermarket.
  • I wanted to make this a realistic challenge and didn’t want us to have to sacrifice all our favorite specialty items ($7 granola, some dairy-free cheeses and yogurts, etc.). I definitely could have cut costs even further by eliminating some of these items, but instead I tried to just pick and choose a few specialty items I knew we would really enjoy.
  • We do have a pretty well-stocked pantry, and this wasn’t a restock week for us. So things like brown rice, bread (which we keep in the freezer), chickpeas, and pasta are things we already had on hand. (We pretty much have a Banza shrine – 6-8 boxes of pasta – in our pantry at all times. That’s how much we love pasta.)
  • We did have one lunch planned with friends on Friday, and we wanted to try a new brunch place together Sunday morning – so this isn’t all all-encompassing of our weekly food budget (technically). But it is close.

Here is everything I bought with our grocery budget for the week – feeding 2 people over 7 days:

Here is our weekly dinner menu, plus our lunches and snacks for the week:

We pretty much eat the same thing for breakfast every morning – eggs and avocado toast, with a cup of coffee. Sometimes we’ll do oatmeal.

How I made it happen – My top Whole Foods shopping tips

  1. Shop first, write the menu later. If you go in with a specific agenda of what you want to make for the week, you’re going to end up spending a lot more than if you went in with an open mind. There are definitely pluses and minuses to both ways, but if your #1 goal is to save money, I recommend shopping first, then meal planning after.
  2. Build your meals around weekly sale items. I start shopping in the meat and produce sections, since I know that’s where the bulk of our meals are going to come from. I start with seeing what is either on sale this week in both departments – or what I can get at a really good price. For example, this week they had a great price on grass-fed ground sirloin… which normally is NOT cheap! I like to (roughly) think of each dinner as having 1 veggie component, 1 starch, and 1 protein – so once I have one of those components, I’ll build the rest of the meal around that.
  3. Skip pre-chopped veggies. Buy loose veggies (instead of packaged) whenever possible. It’s amazing how much $$ is added to produce when they chop the veggies for you, or even when they add some basic packaging. For example, I noticed I could buy a full pound of loose mushrooms for the exact same cost of half a pound of packaged mushrooms. You’re going to have to wash and chop them anyway – why not just buy them loose? Make an exception for things that are going to make a massive difference in your life. For example, peeling and chopping a whole butternut squash can be a pain in the a**. For this, I chose to buy pre-cut and packaged.
  4. Choose Whole Foods (365) brand products over name brand whenever possible. Whole Foods’ in-house brand (called ‘365’) is actually really, really good stuff! We get their oatmeal, hummuses, and nut butters and spend WAY less than name brand/specialty counterparts. All non meat or produce products on my grocery list are 365 brand, unless otherwise noted.
  5. Pick and choose which specialty items are most worth it to you. Like I said before, we like being able to buy our $7 fancy granola and $7 cashew cheeses, etc., and this week’s grocery haul included both of those things. Things like plant-based yogurt, cheeses, fancy dark chocolate bars, artisanal chips and crackers, and baking mixes are all going to add massive $$$ to your grocery bill if you don’t keep yourself in check. You don’t need to eliminate all of those things, but try to just pick a few to enjoy each week. Next week you can always choose some different ones.

Are you someone who shops at (or avoids) Whole Foods regularly? I hope this post is helpful! Please feel free to share with anyone you think could benefit from it, and leave a comment below with any tips you use or that I might have missed!

Almond Butter & Jelly Snack Bars (gf, df)

by

I first started running in the eighth grade for my middle school’s cross country team. Back then, my race day lunch was always the same – a double-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich from our school’s cafeteria – loaded up with heaping gobs of (processed) peanut butter and spilling with jelly. It was comforting, tasty, and something I could trust to keep me full through warm-ups hours later.

As training and race day routines have evolved, the love for peanut butter and jelly has never died. But I’ve gotten much more discriminating with what I put in my body, and I now hold my food to higher standards.

Behold, a new pre-workout (and snack) solution: these upgraded Almond Butter & Jelly Snack Bars. I swap processed peanut butter for natural almond butter, use unsweetened or fruit juice sweetened strawberry jelly, and make them into bar form – much more portable, and easy to take on-the-go. I hope you give them a try for yourself!

Print

Almond Butter & Jelly Snack Bars (gf, df)

  • Author: APRÉS RUN
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 40
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Snacks
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Healthy
Print

Description

These snack bars are a wholesome take on a classic childhood favorite. Packed with whole grains and healthy monosaturated fats, they are a feel-good food with all day staying power and won’t leave you hungry an hour or two later. They’re enjoyed just as well for breakfast, an afternoon snack, dessert, or pre-workout. Enjoy!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted*
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
  • 1 cup strawberry jam (unsweetened or fruit-juice-sweetened preferred)
  • 2–3 tablespoons natural almond butter, for drizzling on top**

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare a square baking dish – either lining with parchment paper or greasing with a little coconut oil. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (oat flour through salt).
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together melted coconut oil, beaten egg, and vanilla extract.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and knead together until a thick, sticky dough forms. Don’t be afraid to use your hands!
  5. Measure out 1/2 cup of the dough, and set aside. Using either a spatula or your hands, press the rest of the dough into an even layer at the bottom of your baking dish. This will form your crust.
  6. Spoon the strawberry jam on top of the crust layer, and spread evenly to cover the dough.
  7. Crumble the reserved dough over the strawberry jam layer to finish.
  8. Bake for 40 minutes, until the crust and top layer reach a nice, golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
  9. Drizzle drippy almond butter over cooled bars, then cut into squares and remove from pan.
  10. Enjoy! Bars are best stored in the fridge and served cool.

Notes

*Make sure melted coconut oil is cooled slightly before combining with the beaten egg – otherwise it will scramble.

**Natural almond butter has just one or two ingredients – almonds and maybe salt. It should have a drippy, wet consistency (unlike Jif or Skippy brands). Warm if necessary before drizzling.

Keywords: Almond butter, jelly, peanut butter and jelly, healthy baking, snack bars, healthy snacks, healthy on the go

6-Ingredient Crispy Chickpea Patties with Dill-Yogurt Dressing (vegan, gf, df)

by

A couple of weeks ago on my Instagram stories I asked what recipes people wanted to see more of. A recurring theme quickly emerged: you wanted “fast”, “easy”, “prep-ahead”, “one-bowl”, “one-pan”… etc.

These Crispy Chickpea Patties not only fit the bill, but they’re fresh and full of light Spring flavors, while still being hearty enough to keep you full all afternoon or evening. You only need six ingredients to make them (not counting salt, pepper, and olive oil for frying… but you should have those on hand already). AND, you’ll only dirty one bowl and one pan to make them. They come together in under half an hour and are delicious served with a super easy Dill-Yogurt Dressing.

Ingredients:

Chickpea Patties

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil, for frying

Dill-Yogurt Dressing

  • 1 cup dairy-free yogurt (I like this cashew yogurt and this coconut yogurt)
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
  • 1/4 tsp sea alt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried dill

Instructions:

  1. Drain chickpeas and either mash by hand with a potato masher, OR toss into either a high-speed blender or food processor. Pulse for just 10-15 seconds, until chickpeas are mashed but still retain a good texture. If a few chickpeas are still whole, that’s great.
  2. Transfer chickpeas to a large mixing bowl, add in remaining ingredients (except olive oil), and combine.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, and once the oil starts to shimmer, add in your patties. You can either use a 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup measuring cup to evenly form your patties, depending on how large you want them to be. Make sure they’re packed in tightly, so that they hold together while cooking. Cook until crispy and golden brown on the bottom, and then flip.
  4. While patties are cooking, whisk together ingredients for the Dill-Yogurt Dressing in a small mixing bowl, let sit for 5-6 minutes, and then serve dolloped on top of the patties.
  5. Enjoy!

The Best Nutrition Changes I Made for Body Comp, Performance, and Happiness

by

I think that everyone — but especially women — go through a unique relationship with food over the course of their lives. Today I’m sharing the changes I’ve made over the past several years that have had the biggest impact on my body composition, performance, and happiness.

Could I be leaner than I am right now? Yes. Do I want to be? Yes, because I’m always working to improve myself — but not by much. Whereas in the past, I thought skinniness = happiness on an infinite ascending curve (where happiness increases as skinniness increases, and there is no endpoint), I now have a clear sense of where my “healthy median” is: where I feel energized day-to-day, I’m not hungry all the time, I can recover well from training, and my hormones are functioning at healthy, happy levels. I try not to stray too far above or below this set point.

Also — Note that I listed three things in the title, and the most important of those is without a doubt happiness. If the way you’re eating is consistently detracting from your happiness, and if the way you’re fueling isn’t consistently making you feel good… you probably need to make some changes of your own.

My best changes from the past several years

1. I stopped being afraid to eat more. I stopped calorie counting many years ago, but for me, I still had some picture in my head of what was and wasn’t a reasonable amount for me to be eating (???!). I had to completely throw out the drawing board and write a new one. I once had a nutritionist tell me that at 5’8”, my body is a “stretch limousine, not a taxi cab.” Things that you have to take into consideration when deciding how much food is right for you:

  • Your activity levels – Including and outside of exercising. If you have a more active day job, or more active weekends, for example, you need to take this into account. If you’re a fidgety person who hates sitting (like me), you need to take this into account. (Google “NEAT.”) If you’re running 40-60 miles a week, or if your mileage has just jumped up, you need to take this into account.
  • Your height and weight – Larger people need more fuel. It’s science. Even if you are larger for your frame but trying to lose weight, your starting energy expenditure is going to be higher than someone who is smaller and of the same frame size. So take this into account and don’t make drastic cuts. The same thing applies if you are tall and thin. Your body needs more fuel than someone who is 4” shorter than you, just at baseline.
  • Your metabolism – There’s a lot of mixed research on metabolism speed, but from my personal experience amongst teammates and friends, I do think metabolisms vary. In college I had a friend of almost the exact same height and of a similar build. We were running similar mileage and doing the exact same workouts. But she ate like a bird and I was always starving. I think that as adults, most people can identify whether they’re someone with a “fast”, “slow”, or “normal” metabolism. I’ve had a fast metabolism since I was young, and my mom and brothers are the same way. I would encourage you to resist comparing the amount of food you need to what others are eating, as bodies are so individual.

2. I started frontloading my calories. This has made a HUGE difference in the way that I fuel. Step 1a was eating more overall, and step 1b was redistributing my calories. Before the cycle would look like this – Start the day eating the way I “thought” I should be eating. End up hungry an hour or hour and a half after eating. Have a massive blood sugar drop around 2 PM. End up at the mercy of my low blood sugar, sometimes making poorer food choices, and all of the time consuming the majority of my calories in the second half of my day. Now, I eat proactively instead of reactively. I always have a very big breakfast plus a mid-morning snack when needed, and I’ve made my lunches more hearty. As a result, I feel much more well-fueled. I’m eating the majority of my calories during the time of day I’m most active (and need them the most). Come dinnertime, I’m not eating a massive meal, and afterwards, I’m satisfied and not having crazy cravings.

3. I stopped depriving myself. No foods, except what I’m allergic to, are off limits to me. I don’t believe that “fit people” only eat protein, brown rice, and vegetables. Fit people eat all foods, they just prioritize foods that are good for their body and make them feel good.

The other side of this: when you prioritize fueling your body with healthy, from-the-earth and –farm ingredients, your taste buds start to change. In turn, you start craving low-nutrient foods less. It takes trusting your body to realize that allowing yourself to eat “bad” foods does not mean your body is going to want “bad” foods all the time. Now, I honor whatever cravings my body has, I enjoy it, and I move on. I don’t say “I shouldn’t eat that” and I stand up for myself when people say “You’re really going to eat that?!” Eating junk food no longer turns into a weeklong downward spiral of despair, self-hatred, and overeating/trying to compensate. It has taken me a lot of years to get to this place, but it’s been so incredibly worth it. Fight against diet culture, stand up for yourself, and start honoring your body’s cravings instead of fighting against them. A great book on this topic is Melissa Hartwig’s Food Freedom Forever.

4. I started eating more fat. This was a huge dietary change I made after my freshman year of college, which was disastrous for me running-wise. Eventually I’ll dedicate a whole separate post to this (because I feel so strongly about it!), but simply put: FEMALE RUNNERS NEED FAT!! When most people try to “diet” or even “eat healthier”, fats and carbs are two of the foods that are usually first to go. But fat is so important not only for appetite regulation (eating too low fat of a diet will make you hungry all the time, and can give you crazy sugar cravings especially), but it’s also incredibly important for female hormonal health. A good training diet is plentiful in healthy oils, avocados, natural nut butters, fatty fish, egg yolks, etc.

5. Non-nutrition-related… I started consistently strength training. The famous longtime University of Colorado coach once said that strength training is even more important for females than it is for males – because of hormones, bone health, and body composition, and I can’t agree more. Research shows resistance training:

  • Improves bone density
  • Improves hormonal health (in both males and females… but in different ways)
  • Changes body composition in favorable ways, even in otherwise active people
  • Creates resistance to injury
  • And so much more

Since committing to lifting more consistently than ever before, I’ve watched my body undergo changes I’m really proud of, and without having to make any crazy changes to my diet. I can eat more at rest (muscle is active tissue and actually burns calories, whereas fat does not), my abs are tighter and more toned despite not doing a ton of targeted “ab work”, my legs are more shapely and defined, my back and arms are more developed, and my waist has actually shrunk. My body is not perfect by any means, and I still have a lot of things I want to improve, but noticing all these changes has been fun. The benefits of lifting will also become a separate post at some point!

I want to know: As you look back on the past several years, what are the best changes you’ve made for your body and happiness?!

Dreamy Creamsicle Immunity Tonic Smoothie (veg, df)

by

Cold + flu season has hit our area really hard, and after coming down with three separate bugs since this fall, I’m trying to be more proactive about building up my immunity.

Enter my new go-to smoothie: packed with Vitamin C in the form of whole fruits (no processed, sugary fruit juice), probiotics from coconut yogurt, and extra hydration from coconut water, this drink is a super-potent immunity tonic that will build up your body + help ward off sickness. It’s also great for nipping things in the bud when you feel something coming on.

And the best part — it tastes just like the creamsicles you ate growing up!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ice
  • 2 whole navel oranges, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut yogurt
  • 1/4 cup coconut water
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions: Combine ingredients in a high-speed blender in the order listed (ice first, vanilla extract last). When peeling your oranges, try to remove as much of the white pith as possible, as this will make your smoothie bitter. Blend until frothy, and serve immediately for maximum freshness.

Tahini Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Banana Bread (gf, df)

by

A thick slice of warm banana bread + a cup of coffee is the ultimate comfort food (in my mind), and in the winter even more so. And the best part — a hearty banana bread base pairs well with so many different flavors, so the possibilities are truly endless! For now — I’m drooling over this loaf, which marries nutty tahini with the sweetness of dark chocolate chunks and the saltiness of coarse sea salt flakes (which, by the way, is my latest baking obsession. #seasaltoneverything).

This loaf will probably definitely not last a week in our house… it’s that good. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 3 large super-ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour, which uses a chickpea flour base (You can use spelt or white whole wheat flour if not gluten-free, but I’ve only tested it with this flour.)
  • 3/4 cup almond meal
  • 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks, plus a few more for topping
  • 1 less ripe whole banana for topping
  • Small handful flaky sea salt for topping

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a loaf tin, and set aside.
  2. Whisk together olive oil, tahini, honey, coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
  3. Stir in mashed banana.
  4. Fold in the dry ingredients until just fully combined — do not overstir.
  5. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks — again, being careful not to overstir.
  6. Pour mixture into loaf tin. Top with a whole banana, sliced lengthwise.
  7. Bake 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. As soon as you remove banana bread from the oven, sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt, then leave to cool.
  8. Cut into thick slices, and enjoy warm with a cup of coffee!

How I Became a Morning Runner + How to Build Effective Habits

by

Good things about being an adult: Your own house, your own rules. You make your own money. You can drink wine whenever you want.

Bad things about being an adult: More responsibilities. Less time. Less tolerance for drinking as much wine as you want…

Being an adult runner means you’re choosing to make running a priority when you have a million other things you could be doing instead. The laundry won’t do itself,  the dishes aren’t going to get washed on their own, kids (if you have them) need constant attention. But still, you carve an hour or two out of each day for something that others might consider “frivolous” and “unimportant” — because it’s important to YOU.

The biggest way I’ve been able to carve out time to running, which is important to me, is to switch to morning workouts.

Why I switched to running in the morning:

  • The morning is my time. Getting it done first thing, before the day has started, gives me the least chance of interruptions, distractions, or things “coming up” at the last minute.
  • Running in the morning gives me more energy and makes me less stressed for the day ahead. I notice a HUGE difference in my energy levels, concentration, and mood on mornings I run, vs. mornings I don’t. I am a much happier, nicer, and more productive person with a boost of endorphins — and also just having invested time in ME before I’ve had a chance to give to anyone else.
  • Running in the morning helps me make better decisions later in the day. When your first choice of the day is a good one, it creates positive momentum for the rest of the day. When I run first thing in the morning, I am more motivated to make a healthy breakfast, keep my house clean, be more ambitious and proactive at work. And even if nothing else goes well that day, I can take comfort in knowing I did at least one good thing.

My best tips for becoming a morning runner:

  1. Success happens the night before. When you run early in the morning, you set yourself up for success or failure by what you do and don’t do the night before. The night before I always lay out everything I need to get out the door — from my Garmin, to my phone pouch, to my house keys, full outfit, socks, and sneakers. I put everything in my bathroom so I don’t wake my fiancé as I’m stumbling around getting dressed. When I wake up, I don’t have to think about anything — I’m just on autopilot.
  2. Set your alarm on the other side of the room. This helps eliminate the delirious snooze hit. Once you get up to turn off your alarm, you’re already out of bed (the hardest part!).
  3. Get enough sleep the night before. Obvious — yes. But it can be a struggle getting to bed at the time you need to in order to wake up early. Especially initially. Here is my best tip for making that happen: Almost everyone has a smart phone today — and your smartphone has alarm apps! Use them to their full potential! Think about what an alarm does — it disrupts you from your current state. I like to set a couple of alarms the night before (on auto-repeat for each weeknight, so that there’s no excuses) as check-ins for where I should be in my nightly routine. It’s a great way to pull yourself off the couch if you’re struggling to get up and get moving. And it’s a great way to pull yourself away from any task you’re in the middle of. I usually set one alarm to start my “wind down” routine at night (AKA, disconnect from social media, or finish doing the dishes, and start getting ready for the next day). Then, I’ll set an alarm at the time I actually want to be in bed by. That’s my hard stop. Lights out.
  4. Halfway dressed, and you’re halfway there. A tip I had heard when I first started experimenting with morning running was to wear your workout clothes to bed. To me, sleeping in a tight sports bra is very uncomfortable. And I do love wearing real pajamas. So I compromise. I’ll wear my running bottoms to bed, and a comfy pajama top. It’s only one less step I have to do in the morning, but oddly, having that one layer already on seems to make such a difference.
  5. Build a practice. Create a routine, and cues. Take inspiration from yogis who don’t call their yoga a “workout routine”, but rather a “practice.” Develop a morning routine that can become your own form of practice. Once you go through a routine enough, it almost becomes meditative. You should have a super specific item-by-item list of what each step in your routine looks like. This takes a little work upfront, but the payoff is always having a plan and never having to wonder what you need to do next to get yourself out the door. Throughout your routine, set external “cues” for yourself — which are key for building habits. The act of brewing your coffee. Lacing up your shoes after putting on your clothes. Maybe you read the newspaper, or a book, while you drink your coffee. Maybe you spend a few minutes jotting down your goals for the day. All of these are tangible experiences that, once repeated day in and day out, will signal to your brain that it’s time to go running.
  6. Consistency is everything. Nothing works unless you’re consistent with it. The same thing goes with building habits. If you fall off the wagon, get right back on it the next day. No guilt. No overthinking. No deep-seated feelings of anger or shame. Don’t allow yourself to get into the mindset that you need to wait until next Monday, or next month, or the start of the next year, to “start over”. There is no starting over, really. Keep putting in the work, forcing consistency when necessary, and know that over time it will become so ingrained that not running in the morning will feel like forgetting to brush your teeth!