Vibram Vibram

 

Yesterday began the way all the best days do… hot power yoga surrounded by friends. The 90-minute session felt wonderful after I took several days in a row off from classes over the weekend.

Post-yoga I met Ryan for lunch at our favorite go-to, Infusion Tea.

Apparently I’m a creature of habit because I ordered the my favorite- 1/2 tempeh chili, 1/2 Milton Special salad and a Passion Fruit iced tea of the day. I love the fresh flavors and textures of the salad balanced out by the hearty, warm chili. It must be good for me to order it several times each month over the last year!

Over lunch Ryan told me about how she was considering the Vibram Five Fingers. I’ve been considering Vibram’s for a while but hadn’t made the jump yet. As usual Ryan had done her research and educated me about the power of the shoes. Nest thing I know I’m in Ryan’s car headed to Travel Country to try on a pair for myself!

There were three main outdoor options for women: Classic, Sprint and KSO. The girl helping us was great and explained the benefits of each one in detail. In the end I decided to try on the Sprint; it offers a secure fit while still being pretty open on the top of the foot.

Ryan and I had our feet sized and tried on a few pairs. It was definitely different sliding each toes into it’s own compartment, but I quickly fell in love once I took my first step. It is like walking barefoot- but better.

  Surprisingly the Vibrams didn’t look as goofy as I imagined! (Or maybe I’m just used to seeing everyone else in them!?) Ryan and I both ended up going with the Sprint model, though we got different colors to match our own personalities :) There’s a lot of technology behind these shoes, but I think this from the website explains a lot:

“When you go barefoot, your movements become the movements of a child—playful and sensitive, yet purposeful and confident. You experience the unbound joy of stepping, hopping, and running across any surface on earth, simply to get from here to there.

Vibram FiveFingers® allow you to relive that sensation. Unlike conventional shoes that insulate you from your surroundings, FiveFingers footwear deepens your connection to the earth and your surroundings. FiveFingers enhance your sense of touch and feel, while improving foot strength, balance, agility, and range of motion. Because wearing Vibram FiveFingers is so close to going barefoot, you’ll enjoy the health and performance benefits of barefooting without some of the risks.

Outdoor enthusiasts have found FiveFingers to be the ideal crossover shoe for multiple sports and activities—from ChiRunning and bouldering to kayaking and windsurfing. Fitness enthusiasts use FiveFingers for core strength training, yoga and Pilates. Our customers continually discover new and creative uses for our alternative performance footwear.”

From the moment we left the store Ryan and I wanted to walk over everything. The sensation of a round rock or the cracks in the brick or the softness of grass felt so good! I definitely felt like a little kid being so aware of my surroundings.

You are instructed to ease into the Vibrams, and certainly to not start running in them right away. But my name is Ashley and I have trouble listening to directions. I ran three miles in my new Vibrams right after I got home.

I kept stubbing my big toes into the pavement which hurt terribly and actually left holes in the top of the shoes. I never hit my toes in sneakers, so I’m sure it was just that my stride wasn’t adjusted to such different support.

Other than the toe issue I loved how the Vibrams moved with me on my run. At first I felt like I had walked outside in just my socks, but it felt more normal quickly. I felt lighter and more in touch with my surroundings. My pace was 45 seconds faster without any additional effort.

I’m addicted. My feet felt alive and strong. My whole body felt more in touch from my feet up. I have a lot of adjusting to do with the Vibrams, so I’ll be sure to keep you updated.

Do you own a pair of Vibram Five Fingers? What are your thoughts on barefoot running?

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Olympic Granola Giveaway Winners:

Active Eggplant

Congratultaions! Please email your mailing address to healthyashley@gmail.com.

Be sure to check out Where to Buy to find where Olympic Granola bars are near you!

Olympic Granola Giveaway

Sunday morning I came across a guy with a truck, tent and tons of produce just down the street from my house. I was heading to the farmer’s market but couldn’t help but stop by to check out the goods.

The farmer was out selling his own produce and was so passionate about his crops. He was overjoyed when I asked to take photos of his beautiful table.

The best part by far was when he’d grab a fruit, cut out a chunk and pass the chunk to me on his knife to sample. The watermelon, cantaloupe and peach I tasted won me over.

I got a good selection from the produce stand and stopped at a grocery store for bananas and hummus. I can’t wait to visit my new favorite stand again. Everything I’ve eaten from that day is incredible!

And check out the size of the cucumber!!

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I’m so excited to tell you guys about Olympic Granola. I first tried Olympic Granola at the Grandma’s Marathon expo in Duluth, MN. The bars were so incredible that I bought some to enjoy on my trip- and talked to them about doing something with the blog. I wanted you all to know about this amazing company!

These dense granola bars are full of good-for-you ingredients and will fill you up. They’re dairy-free but contain honey- which is fine for honey-eating vegans like myself. Check out the ingredient lists. I enjoy the texture of the bars because there’s so much going on- they use rolled oats, nuts and nutty rice to give a really interesting texture. Plus, there’s tons of flavor. Just take the Coffee House Bar with chunks of chocolate :)

Olympic Granola is a family company that started out in 2003 selling bars at farmer’s markets and co-ops. Now they’re expanding across the nation. So neat.

Bill from Olympic Granola has offered to give away one sample box of his amazing bars!

To win a sample box of Olympic Granola Bars:

1. Comment on this post telling me which flavor you’re most excited to try.

2. Tweet about this giveaway: “I entered the Olympic Granola Bar giveaway on @healthyashley http://tinyurl.com/2d8pya7”

3. Blog about it!

Giveaway closes Sunday, July 18th.

I <3 New York

It’s a beautiful day here in central Florida. The weather is crisp and the sky is cloudy. I began my Fall day with vegan pumpkin waffles I made yesterday. I used Veganomicon’s banana walnut recipe and modified it quite a bit- no nuts; add pumpkin, ground flax, applesauce. They’re super yummy. I topped this morning’s with Smart Balance and some organic agave syrup.

After breakfast and taking care of some emails I went on a quick 5 mile run before heading to a 90 minute power yoga class with Ryan. A cool run and yoga? That’s a good day!

In between my two workouts I enjoyed some Good Belly probiotic fruit drink in Mango. Man, this stuff is GOOD! It’s super-sweet and tastes like a mangolicious fruit cocktail. Love.

I don’t think cane juice is necessary. I’d love if they came out with a no-sugar-added version!

Before going vegan I took in lots of probiotics through organic yogurt.  Now that I don’t eat dairy I rely on products like Good Belly and kombucha! Apparently I ate an apple after yoga, too!

How sweet is Dixie resting on my shoulder as I use the laptop? Love that puppy.

Exciting!…

~I start my new job next Monday! I’ll be working part-time for a few weeks until some projects open up. I can’t wait! My current part-time night job should be over in two weeks!

~I entered the lottery for the 2010 NYC Marathon! NYC has always held a special place in my heart (1. It’s fantastic. 2. I was born there. 3. A good chunk of David’s and my families still live there.) and to run this marathon just might be the highlight of my life. I hope I get in!

Have you tried Good Belly? Do you pay attention to probiotics in your diet?

Experiments in Kombucha

Dixie and I had a blast at the dog park yesterday! I took the top two photos yesterday. Check out how much bigger she is now when compared to a similar shot I took back in June (below). She’s 9 months old now!

Today was perfect. Creamy pumpkin banana oats, a clarifying 90 min. power yoga session with Ryan, a scrumptious lunch at Infusion Tea and a big vegan cookie from Whole Foods. Perfection.

Wasn’t my lunch date gorgeous? Ryan is the best- she just lights up the room!

For lunch I went with the first meal I had at Infusion Tea- the Milton Salad and Tempeh Chili.

After lunch I stopped by Whole Foods for a vegan chocolate chip cookie. They were out so I went with a vegan everything cookie.

This cookie really had everything in it: chocolate chips, white chips, walnuts, raisins, coconut…. It was tasty, but everything might have been too much.

In the search for kombucha I enjoy, I tried a High Country Goji Berry Kombucha Tea over the last week. Today I picked up two more to try!

I love High Country kombucha!! The vinegar smell is minimal and the taste is actually pretty good. I’m going with this brand from now on.

Have you tried kombucha? What’s your favorite brand?

Productive Monday and vitaminwater10

Monday was so productive! I got in a ton of reading, worked and ran 5.5 miles! 

As for food, if it was quick and simple, it was in my belly! As every morning does, Monday began with cream banana oats….followed by a Chocolate Chip ZBar!

The day included several handfuls of “trailmix”- almonds with golden raisins. Perfect combo!

“Lunch” was a big green smoothie (banana, soy milk, brown rice protein, bee pollen, Amazing Grass, ground flax, ice) and another Zbar!

Before heading into work I had a great 5.5 mile run. For a ton of little reasons, running has not been good to me the past few weeks. Today all was good! While icing I had the last of my honeydew melon.

Dinner was packed in a lunchbox and taken to work. I wish you could see the final product… it was yummy! I threw some fresh spinach, frozen brussel sprouts, a Dr. Praeger’s veggie burger and some seasonings and microwaved it all at work. Easy, yummy and healthy!

 

vitaminwater10

Over the past month I was luck enough to sample vitaminwater10 and do a short interview with Mona Rosene, MS, RD. I hope you enjoy the interview- I think Mona answered my questions fully!

1. What is a common nutrition mistake many active people make? How would you suggest changing that mistake?
   1. Most people don’t eat enough, especially if they’re trying to lose weight. They may cut calories down to 1200, and then work out a couple hours a day, and, most often, they don’t pay attention to recovery nutrition. This results in weight loss primarily from lean body mass (muscle) and not body fat. We want it to be reversed: lose more body fat & save as much muscle as possible, which is far more metabolically active than fat.
   2. This can be avoided by the following suggestions:

i. Determine your goals, i.e. weight loss, muscle gain, endurance, etc.

ii. Talk with a sports nutritionist or dietitian to help you design a meal plan that will fuel your workouts while helping you reach your physique goals.

iii. Track your food intake – this may seem too analytical for some people, but it’s the only way you will know exactly what you’re eating and when. This information will also help a coach or dietitian better design programs to reach your goals.

1. We hear all the time “don’t drink your calories.” What do you think about liquid calories in a diet?
   1. We should all be reading nutrition fact panels and educating ourselves on the food and beverages we consume. We should also be planning more of our meals and snacks, and set healthy guidelines to follow. Here are some good examples:

i. Low-calorie enhanced-water beverages can help us get the hydration plus nutrients we need every day. I just discovered Vitaminwater10 with only 10 calories per serving via natural sweeteners like Truvia. It has b vitamins, vitamin c and electrolytes. this is great for hydration throughout the day or while working out. I even saw one called go-go with ribose, a sugar that may help provide sustained energy.

ii. full calorie beverages have a place within your meal plan as well. I drink protein shakes. They can easily fit into your day – just plan it accordingly. It is perfect for exercise recovery!

iii. if someone is trying to lose weight, I recommend that alcohol be limited or avoided until the goal weight is attained.

1. I’m always confused about post-workout snacks. What should they be? When should I eat them?
   1. Post workout nutrition is vital in reaching goals, whether you want to improve performance or drastically change your physique. The ideal ratio between carbs and protein for post workout nutrition is 4:1 (carbs:protein). Chocolate milk may be one of the most effective recovery beverages. There has been great research published in the last couple years about its benefits for increasing lean body mass.
   2. Other options for post workout nutrition include 20-30g whey protein with 1% milk, skim milk or soymilk, sweetened instant oatmeal with whey protein added (this is the only time I’d recommend sweetened, instant oatmeal).
   3. There is a window of opportunity for post workout nutrition. The best time is within 30 minutes post workout – that means you have to plan and have your meal and beverage ready!

1. What should I be most concerned about nutritionally during periods where I work out a lot?
   1. Getting in enough calories to support your workouts. If you don’t eat enough your workouts will suffer. Intensity won’t be maintained and you could be defeating the purpose of working out because of over training combined with under-nutrition.

1. Do you think it is possible for an athlete to train while following a vegan diet? What should a vegan athlete be concerned about?

1. Yes, it is possible for an athlete to train while following a vegan diet, but it needs to be carefully planned. Also, it would be beneficial to look for food which target the vegan population that are made with other grains higher in protein such as Hemp, pea and Salba.

1. As a vegan, you must be cognizant of a few items:

i. It is hard to get Vitamin B12 from a vegan diet as it’s primarily found in animal products. A good quality multi-vitamin should be taken daily (like Trivita which is vegan-friendly by using nutritional yeast), or look for fortified foods and/or beverages with b12, such as vitaminwater, which contains between 10%-20% dv of b12 and is vegan friendly).

ii. Consuming quality protein in your meal plan – animal products (including dairy & eggs) contain all of the essential amino acids (EAA), which are crucial in maintaining and increasing muscle. Grains, fruits and vegetables do not contain all EAA. It was once thought you had to combine certain foods in each meal to effectively use EAA, but we have learned as long as they are consumed within the same day, it is sufficient.

1. Grains that are complete proteins include soy & quinoa.

iii. Calories – if someone is vegan, it may be difficult to get enough calories to support training. This is why someone who wants to become a vegan should consult with a dietitian prior to switching. On the other side of the coin, a vegan diet could involve getting too many calories from carbs & sugar due to poor planning or lack of knowledge regarding a vegan diet.

My review:

You probably saw a few vitaminwater10 bottles scattered throughout my posts. Overall I sampled go-go (mixed berry), mega-c (grape raspberry), revitalize (green tea) and recoup (peach mandarin).

I’m a water drinker at heart, but I am all for a low-calorie treat for a change every so often. The vitaminwater10’s did just that. They served as a really tasty, naturally sweetened, refreshing beverage. I used it as sort of a pick-me-up when I was running out the door or wanted a little of something sweet. The green tea was my least favorite, but the other flavors were so good. I will definitely buy another vitaminwater10 when I’m in the mood for something other than water. Taste and vitamins for 20 calories per bottle? Yes please :)

Have you had vitaminwater10? What is your favorite beverage?