"Pinteresting"

Pinterest is one of my favorite places to get ideas for anything! I get ideas for crafts, anything DIY, and a lot of recipes. They have a ton of vegan meals, which are great because that way I can avoid animal products but, still make great food!

                Tonight I had a yummy pasta dish that came from Pinterest. My sister actually made it and it turned out pretty good. Let me just warn you, if you aren’t plant-based/vegan this might sound weird to you but, a common substitute for cream and cheese are cashews. To make the cashews into a cheese like sauce you have to soak them in water then blend them up into a “sauce”. When I first started eating this way I didn’t think of it as normal but now it’s definitely a “go-to” ingredient when I’m cooking. Anyway, cashews were one of the ingredients in this creamy, basil penne dish. Here’s the full recipe: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/229683649722397175/

                My sister and I also love to find vegan desserts on Pinterest. There are some that are far from healthy so we try to stay away from those but, that’s not hard when there’s a huge variety of healthy ones too! If you’re a “beginner” vegan or interested in eating that way I think Pinterest is a good place to find recipes. I do have to say that you should lean towards the more plant-based recipes; otherwise you might not be feeling any healthier. It’s easy to become a “junk vegan” because you can still eat sugars, fats, and oils but by being plant-based these things are more avoidable. Eating plant-based has made me feel a lot healthier and I think everyone should try it, and Pinterest is a great place to start.

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Eat, eat, eat

In case you’ve never read my blog or you forgot, let me remind you that I am a whole food, plant-based athlete. This means that I don’t eat any animal products, so I’m technically vegan. This is a fairly recent change that I’ve made in my life and I have gotten questioned a lot! When people ask me questions they think I’m on a diet but, it’s not a diet at all! Literally all I do is eat! I LOVE food! The crazy thing about this is that I’ve been eating more but I’ve lost weight! I don’t like to say I’ve lost weight just because it makes people think that I’m on a diet  but, I do think the results I’ve gotten are amazing.

I guess that my new way of eating and the fact that I’m running are obvious reasons why I’ve lost weight. My metabolism is higher and I have so much more energy! Eating plant-based makes me so happy! I eat three meals a day and fit in as many snacks as I want, which could honestly add up to another meal or two. I eat a lot of veggies, fruits, and whole grains which makes it possible to eat more and not gain weight. These types of food are what our bodies crave and what they were made to eat! They help me perform better in my sports, and recover faster.

I think one of the most important things an athlete can do is fill their body with the right fuel!  I can honestly say when my body is happy, I am happy! It makes me sad to see people I know going on diets and barely eating anything. They don’t seem happy, they are always eyeballing their friends’ junk food, they’re hungry a lot, and they are constantly counting calories. I might sound crazy but I have never counted calories in my life and I don’t plan on ever doing it. There’s no reason to when I’m eating nutrient-filled calories that only have positive effects on my body.

Since I love to eat so much, it has made me realize how much I love to cook. Making new recipes and experimenting with new foods is one of my favorite things to do! It makes me more excited to eat healthy, and I enjoy my food more. If you’re on a diet that’s not working and you want to turn your life around, go whole food, plant-based. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

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Rest

As an athlete it is so important to get enough rest. I know this might seem like an obvious thing to talk about but, I have a lot of friends who know this, yet they have injured themselves because they over work their bodies.

If you’re like me, you have a crammed schedule from the time you wake up to the time your head hits the pillow at night. I know it’s hard for me to find any time to rest in between school, homework, track practice, and being out and about. I learned though, that rest is more important than anything. Before and after a hard workout or a track meet it’s good to get at least eight hours of sleep. This means 8 hours of deep, sound sleep that leaves you refreshed in the morning.

Getting a good night’s sleep affects your mind as well as your body. I know that for me as a student, I can’t function when I don’t get enough sleep. I doze off in class, don’t do my homework, and dread track practice because I’m drained by the end of the day. I even get stressed more easily and have a lot less motivation, compared to when I feel rested.

Rest doesn’t have to only be sleeping. It can be a recovery work out, going on a light jog, maybe cross training, or simply a day off. As an athlete it is so important to not over work your body. If you leave your body no time to recover, you are at a much greater risk for injury. Listen to your body! If it’s telling you to stop, then you should stop. Giving yourself a day off is not the end of the world, and don’t be afraid to tell your coach (or yourself). It’s easier to prevent an injury than, to recover from one.

Here’s an example of what I mean when I say listen to your body. Last year my friend was doing really well in track. She was pushing herself extremely hard and at first was getting great results. Her times were dropping and it gave her a lot of motivation.  She continues practicing this way through the cross country summer miles and started doing two-a-day work outs. For a while it was working until she began getting shin splints. They kept getting worse and she finally had to stop what she was doing. This immediately halted her progress and affected the rest of the season. Because she didn’t take time to rest, she injured herself and was forced to rest longer she ever wanted.

Even though we as athletes want to perform our absolute best and train hard, we need to remember that a portion of that is resting and relaxing.

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Is dieting really your friend?

When trying to eat healthier, it’s easy to trick yourself into thinking you’re on a diet. The biggest thing I try to stay away from is that word. “Diet” is an evil word in so many ways. First of all, when someone is on a diet doesn’t that make you think they’re over weight and trying to shed some fat off their body? I feel like it’s just a negative word. Lifestyle is a much nicer word and implies that it’s a life-long thing, unlike a diet which seems to be temporary. Honestly, you can’t live your whole life dieting! That would just be depressing!

The “plant-based” lifestyle isn’t dieting at all. It’s just replacing animal products with plants. It’s become my normal, everyday lifestyle and I never feel like I’m on a diet. In fact, I have started to eat more than I used to and I’ve lost weight! If that isn’t crazy I don’t know what is!

To me the word “diet” sounds like it’s setting someone up for failure. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody who is happy and dieting at the same time. Why would you want to go on a month-long diet that only gives you temporary results, when you can turn your lifestyle around and see life-long results? I would choose a “plant-based” lifestyle over a restricting diet any day!

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Recover from sore muscles faster

As I’ve gone plant-based I have only experienced positive changes in my life. My body has been happier than it’s ever been before! My skin in glowing, I feel lighter, and one of the most amazing things has happened. I’ve been recovering from hard workouts faster than my friends. This year my track coach has been pushing our team pretty hard. Many of the girls are suffering sore legs and tired, achy bodies but, I have felt energetic and ready for every obstacle he throws our way.

Before I changed my eating habits my mom told me this was one of the things that would happen. I have seen so many great things happen to me, just by eliminating animal products from my diet and replacing them with more fruits and veggies. I figured it would help a little bit but, I didn’t expect it to work this well!

I have also been in a better mood! I have wanted to go to practice and work harder because I know that I’m fueling my body with the perfect things it needs to perform fast. I have even been able to motivate one of my team mates to go plant-based with me! She has seen my progress and believes me when I say that this can be the most effective way to fuel a runner’s body.

Plant-based nutrition has become a passion of mine. I have seen only positive effects come from it, and I hope that it can inspire you as much as it has inspired me!

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(N)ice Cream

As the weather gets warmer, the treats get colder. Spring is the time when we get a sample of what our summer is going to be like. The days are longer, warmer, and happier and the ice cream shops start to open. Now this is a problem for me! Ice cream has been a long time favorite, and it’s been hard to give up (sadly ice cream does not fall into the “plant-based approved” category).  So I found a great, tasty alternative that I’m sure you would love!

It’s delicious, pretty to look at, fun to make, and it is great for your body! That’s why it’s called “Nice Cream”. You start off by freezing two bananas overnight. I suggest peeling them before you freeze them; otherwise it’s really hard to get the peels off. Once your bananas are completely frozen put them in a blender (we have a Vitamix and it seems to work really well but I’m sure any blender would work). Next you’re going to add a teaspoon of vanilla and a little bit of almond or soy milk. I never actually measure the milk but it’s probably close to one-fourth of a cup. I also like to add cocoa powder to my ice cream. I’m always in the mood for chocolate! I don’t measure that either but I’d say it’s close to one and a half tablespoons.

When you blend it all together make sure you don’t over blend it. Otherwise it will turn into banana soup, which I’ve accidently made and it’s not that good. Also make sure you don’t have chunks of bananas in it (unless you like that). You want to go for a smooth texture, like soft serve ice cream. If you've never tried this "plant-based" ice cream, you're in for a real treat!

 

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Changes

As a runner I have tried many different ways of fueling my body and I finally found the right fit! I decided to go whole foods, plant-based about 5 weeks ago. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s a lifestyle (I don’t like to use the word “diet”) that eliminates any animal products and replaces them with plants (fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains…).  So that means no eating ice cream, yogurt, chicken, fish, cheese, eggs, milk, etc.

                You might think that sounds crazy and impossible, but it really isn’t. My main motivation was, and still is my mom. She went plant-based a few years ago, and we all saw amazing results. She lost weight, lowered her cholesterol, became more toned, her skin was basically glowing, and she had (and still does have) more energy. After seeing only positive results I started to get more serious about my health related decisions. I decided to join my mom and go down the plant-based path of life.

                One of the biggest obstacles for me right now is the fact that I’m a teenager. All of my friends are eating pizza, ice cream, milk shakes, and chocolate. I mean, that is the standard American diet so it’s nothing surprising but, sometimes it’s just a challenge.  The temptation is sometimes brutal but, every time I say no to an ice cream cone or cheese burger I’m winning a small battle, and the victory is oh, so sweet. The victories add up and changes in your physical appearance start to become noticeable. For me it was my stomach. It has gotten a little smaller and flatter every week. I decided to document my changes by taking a picture at the end of each week. This way I have been able to see the small changes. Not only have I gotten fitter, I have also seen my skin clear up. To all you teenagers out there who struggle with acne: IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR DIET! By eliminating meat and dairy from your diet, you are avoiding the consumption of hormones (from cows) and bacteria that can cause acne http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/the-dairy-and-acne-connection/.

Now trust me, I’m not perfect when it comes to eating all the right foods. I might have a slice of vegan cake or some French fries on the weekend. Just remember that it’s progress not perfection! This will make it much easier to live this new lifestyle! I Promise!  If you happen to be looking for a sweet treat to kill your cravings check out my (N)ice Cream post!

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