Vanilla Cherry Almond Protein Smoothie

Normally, I'd make my faithful chocolate banana protein smoothie, but I felt like mixing it up today. 

This smoothie has...

1/2 c almond milk

1 tbsp of cocoa powder

1/2 frozen banana

1 c frozen dark sweet cherries

1/2 serving of Origin Simple vanilla protein powder

1/2 serving of collagen

1/4 c frozen cauliflower

1/4 c raw rolled oats

1 tbsp almond butter

Top off with some roasted cacao nibs (or chocolate chips if you must!) This will give you over 20 grams of protein.

I also had a protein muffin for an additional 20 grams. 

A New Addition to the Family

OK, so this may sound weird, but I'm very excited about a new set of coated dumbbells. They don't damage flooring. They're easier on the hands. I found these on sale through Amazon. Normally, these would be about $1.50/pound, but I got them for less than a dollar per pound. That's very good for this style. 

Now, I have the next step up from the 25 pounders. Bet you can't guess what the workout this morning was ... Strength training!

"For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved."

Psalm 21:7

I love this verse. God's mercy is what keeps me day by day. We had a guest speaker in the service yesterday. He shared a testimony about witnessing to a relative. I've been needing to do the same thing, so today, the Lord helped me to do that. I'm grateful for people who encourage me to do right. Such is just one more example of God's sustaining mercy!

Steady State Run and Protein with Produce

 5 minute warm-up, 25 minute run, 5 minute cool-down 

I followed this up with 20 pushups, 20 squats, and 8 pull ups, 20 pushups, 15 lunges per leg, and 8 more pull ups.

I needed to start the day with some cardio and strength because it was a long day of driving.

Sandra and I visited Burger and Bowl and the food was amazing.  My bowl had riced cauliflower, roasted chickpeas, summer squash, broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and a tangy sauce. I added a 4 ounce beef patty. 

We enjoyed a 5.5 mile walk that day. 

A Nice Start to the Day

The temperature was in the 60s this morning. I enjoyed opening the garage door and doing my workout in the fresh air.  

Today's workout incorporated light weights (12 pounds each) for strength moves and bodyweight cardio moves.

I followed this with my favorite chocolate banana smoothie.

I tweaked this recipe a bit.  It had ...

3 tablespoons of almond butter

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup riced frozen cauliflower

1 frozen banana

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Dash of vanilla

Topped with raw cocoa nibs

This yields about 15 grams of protein.  The muffins had 5 grams each, so that gets you to the desired 25-30/meal for adults.

Before any of this, I spent some time in I Chronicles. I was reading about David's mighty men. They were his top warriors, and each one had a strong loyalty to David (Joab's loyalty was unconventional). How much stronger should my loyalty be to God? 

Another Workout Mat

The last mat that I purchased from YoGorillaMats was a softer stretching mat. I liked it so much that I decided to go for their heavier duty exercise mat.

I'm glad that I did! This mat is thick, durable, and comfortable. It looks to me like it could withstand any workout from HIIT to strength training.

It's a 6' by 4' mat, so it's plenty big enough to stay on the mat while doing even the toughest workouts.

There are many places in life where we cut corners in an effort to save money; however, health and fitness aren't typically included in those areas. We view fitness and wellness products as tools to help keep us out of the doctor's office.

I don't need a pair of costly, name brand workout pants for most of what I do, but my bones and joints definitely appreciate a quality fitness mat!!

Scripture Time, Kale Smoothies, and a 2.5 Mile Run

"And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food."  I Samuel 14:24

Most of us know the story.  Saul tried to take matters into his own hands, and instead of waiting for Samuel and trusting in God's timing, he offered a sacrifice and incurred God's anger.  Instead of Saul winning a victory that day, God used Jonathan to put the Philistines to flight.  

In selfish stupidity, Saul made all of his men swear that they wouldn't eat anything until the Philistines were beaten.  I like what one commentator said about Saul, "He was a rebellious baby."  That's probably not far from the reality.  Saul was focused on what he thought was best for him and not on what was best for his people.  His pride had robbed him of his good sense.  Who fights well on an empty stomach?  If you've ever had to exert extreme amounts of energy for a long time, you know how faint the body becomes without proper fuel.

Saul's men were completely drained that day, and they likely would have had a greater victory against the enemy had they been allowed to eat.  Jonathan said it best, "My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"

A good leader doesn't do what he believes is best for himself.  A good leader does what he or she knows is best for others. Saul spent the rest of his life wasting away in narcissistic pride instead of humbling himself before God and doing what was best for others.

I want to be a leader who puts the needs of others first, even if my pride gets hurt.  After all, my pride is a stench to God anyway.

Breakfast today was a power smoothie of ...

1 cup almond milk

1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup chopped Kale

1 cup of frozen strawberries

1/2 frozen banana

1 peeled cutie

1 Medjool date

Any taste of the Kale is completely lost in the taste of the fruit.  Give it a try!  Kale is good for your heart because it has soluble fiber (lowers LDL) and calcium, among many other things.  Strawberries and oranges provide an abundance of vitamin C, and the banana gives you more fiber and potassium.

After work today, I went for a 2.5 mile run.  The weather was Beautiful!!  It was 70F, so I couldn't pass up the chance to get a run in.

I'm grateful for a clean concrete driveway where I can enjoy a post-run stretch and cooldown session.

Tonight, Sandra made Chili Lime Maple Salmon Bowls with Forbidden Rice.  The recipe can be found at ambitiouskitchen.com.  They were fantastic!!  The recipe includes mango.  Normally, I'm not much of a mango fan, but it works with this recipe.  One serving gets you 40 grams of protein!  We aim for 25-30/meal, so this meal gets the job done.  Nice find dear wife!!!

Top it off with some avocado and you have an extra dose of healthy fats.

Orlando Trip: Day 3

Thursday's weather was quite nice.  I think the high was about 63.  This is a picture of a John Deere gator.  The base price is $43,000, but when you add GPS and auto-steer like this machine has, it's a mere $55,000.  Very affordable 😉  That's over 3.5 times what we paid for our car.  😕  This one will "paint lines" using the GPS receiver (the yellow dome on top), and then you can follow that "painted" line using Auto-Track.  It's pretty cool.  Farmers use them for spot-sprayer and fertilizing.

 My workout that day consisted of a simple mobility session in the morning.  

After the epic Your Pie-failure, I decided to go for a sure winner.  When Sandra and I were in Orlando last year for the same training, we found a Greek place called Little Greek.  Below is their 3-skewer dinner plate - grilled chicken, yellow rice, Greek salad, Tzatziki sauce, potato salad, beets and a pita.

This is worth a trip to Orlando!! Delicious, and relatively good for you, considering many other options.

My verse for this day was,

"Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy ... ."  Romans 15:8, 9

I love these verses.  In context, the "circumcision" is referencing the Jewish nation.  God gave Abraham the "seal" or "sign" of circumcision as a token for the faith that Abraham had toward God (Ge. 15-17, Ro. 4).  Jesus was a minister of God's promises in that He fulfilled the promise of a Messiah Who would come down from heaven, suffer for the sins of mankind, and rise from the dead.  God the Father promised the Jews a Messiah Who will expiate the sins of all who look to Him in faith.  Jesus Christ was and is the fulfillment of that divine promise.

God also promised that "in Abraham" all the families of the earth would be blessed.  Through Abraham's lineage came Jesus the Messiah Who offers salvation to all who are willing to place repentant faith in Him.  By following Abraham's example of simple faith in the promises of God, anyone, Jew and non-Jew, may find eternal redemption.  Truly, through Abraham, all the families of earth have been blessed, even though not all have or will take advantage of that blessing.

Praise God for offering salvation to everyone, both Jew and non-Jew!  Praise God for His sinless Minister of the Circumcision!

Orlando Trip: Day 2

 

It was 65 that day and partial sun, so I found an outdoor area to stretch and do some mobility work.  The area was relatively people-free, so I had it to myself.

The place where I stayed had plenty of nice sidewalks, so getting around wasn't an issue.

                                                             

I've said this before, but it is worth repeating, I love loop resistance bands.  They are lightweight, super easy to pack, and offer a means of doing strength training without all the hassle of weights.  Wednesday training ran long.  I didn't get back from the field until 5:30, so I did a shorter, focused strength training session in my room.  Pushups, banded squats, banded rows, and banded Bulgarian split squats made up the main moves of my routine.  I did 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest for 5 rounds of 4 exercises.  The ottoman that you see served to assist me in my split squats.

The racket ball is an easy way to looses up muscles and give yourself a focused massage without packing a large foam roller.

                                      

                                              

Ok, this was a major disappointment!!  I found a place called Your Pie.  I'm pretty sure it should be called Poor Pie or Nobody's Pie.  The crust was burnt and watery at the same time.  Sandra thinks that they may have steamed it to thaw it out.  I don't know, but it was really bad.  The sauce was watery, and the Italian sausage resembled puppy treats.  The salad that you see was a $10 pile of Romain lettuce with a few slices of tomato thrown at it from a distance.  Total waste of money.  If you see a Your Pie, keep driving, or, in my case, keep walking.

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."  Romans 14:19

This was my verse for that day.  It reminded me to be a man who encourages peace.  It reminded me to be an influence for good toward others, not bad.  It's easy to share things with people that don't help them, but it takes submission to Christ's Spirit to share things with others that will encourage them toward God.

God Gives Good Things

"Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing."  Psalm 145:16

God has given us some great things to eat.  This morning, I made a pineapple, mango smoothie.  Pineapple is an anti-inflammatory and rich in vitamin C.  Mango is an antioxidant and helps lower blood pressure due to the presence of magnesium and potassium.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup of almond milk

1/2 cup of orange juice

1/2 cup of mango frozen

1 cup of pineapple frozen

It's high in vitamin C, so it's a good choice for cold and flu season.

For protein and healthy fats, I chose low sugar Chobani Greek yogurt, Purely Elizabeth granola, and 1/4 cup of shelled pistachios.  This yielded about 24 grams of protein. Not bad for a breakfast.

Finding healthy options doesn't have to be hard. God has created some great foods for us to eat, but that means putting down the processed, addictive junk that is designed to hook you by feeding a craving.

A Saturday at the Bernheim Forest

On Saturday, we made a trip to a large Arboretum north of us near Louisville, KY.  The weather was perfect and the landscape was fantastic.  Fall colors were abundant.

The arboretum has three giants made entirely of wood.  Sandra had to squeeze into this picture quickly before someone else came into view.  This particular area was busy 😊

All together, we walked 9 miles that day through various terrain.  All that walking made us hungry, so we came home and had a "cookie dough smoothie."  The ingredients include riced, frozen cauliflower, nut butter, cocoa nibs, dates, almond milk, etc. 😟

Actually, you don't taste the cauliflower.  It's pretty amazing.

Quin-WHAT?

Ok, so by now, you've determined that I appreciate good food.  Food is medicine.  It's the best medicine that you can give your body.  When I say "good" food, I'm not talking strictly about what tastes good.  I'm also talking about what is good for you.

Quinoa (pronounced QEEN-WAH) is an amazing little seed (thought of as a grain).  It's gluten-free, so Sandra and I have eaten quite a bit of it.  It has many benefits, including ...

1.  It's a whole grain.

2.  It's high in fiber.  This includes some soluble fiber which can help lower cholesterol levels.

3.  It's a complete protein.  It has all 9 essential amino acids that your body can't make on its own.  Other grains and legumes have protein, but they are often incomplete.  You have to eat something else with them.  However, quinoa can stand on its own in that department.

4.  It's packed with nutrients like Vitamin B6, E, Iron, Magnesium and Zinc just to name a few.

5.  It has a low Glycemic Index.  It will not spike your blood sugar after eating it, unlike simpler carbs such as white bread or processed potatoes.  Because quinoa is high in fiber and protein, digestion is slowed as your body breaks down these components.  This results in slower absorption and hence a lower spike in blood sugar.

The only thing about quinoa is ... it's not that tasty.  You need to mix it in with something or cook it in a quality broth.  Check out Sandra's blog for a link to a delicious Quinoa Enchilada recipe.

Wednesday, I had a service call out in Campbellsville, KY.  I found a nice park near Green River dam after eating some delicious quinoa enchiladas!  Of course, I had to get a couple of thousand steps as well 😉

Fun Fact:  God placed a bitter chemical around the outside of quinoa called saponins.  These act as a natural deterrent for pests.

Snickerdoodle Smoothie ... Healthy of Course

Sandra made some zucchini pumpkin muffins for our breakfasts, and somehow my typical chocolate smoothie just didn't seem like a good fit.

I found this recipe on Recipe Runner blog, and it was fantastic.  I modified it a little bit.

1 cup almond milk

1 date

1 tbsp almond butter

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen cauliflower (chopped)

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

I didn't feel bad about eating anything in this smoothie, and the flavor definitely resembled a snickerdoodle cookie, which isn't my favorite cookie, but it paired nicely with the muffins that Sandra made.

Today's workout was an interval run - 2 minutes running, 2 minutes walking for 6 rounds.  I would've done 8 round normally, but I was saving time today.

Favorite Chocolate Smoothie

For a healthy, satisfying, and delicious breakfast option, this chocolate smoothie is my go-to.  I'm sure that I've mentioned it before, but it's worthy of an encore.

1 cup of almond or coconut milk (use dairy if desired)

1 tbsp of cocoa powder

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup of frozen cauliflower (you won't taste it)

1-2 medjool dates (remove the pits)

2 tbsp of peanut butter or nut butter

optional- 1 tsp of instant coffee, 1/4 cup of oats (adds 3g of protein)

A Distant Wave from Fall

Fall isn't here yet in the south, but it did wave at us from a distance last Thursday.  The temperature didn't get above 75, and the breeze was cool.  

After days of 95-100F weather, the cooler temperature felt amazing.  It reminded me that the cool breath of Fall is just around the corner.

I was at one of our stores in the afternoon, so I ate my lunch on the tailgate and enjoyed the breeze and sunshine without the scorching heat.

Sandra tried some GF pumpkin-apple muffins.  They were quite good.  Give them a try:

https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/apple-pumpkin-muffins

We eagerly await the genuine arrival of Fall!

Healthy Choices while Travelling

Making healthy or healthier choices while travelling isn't always easy, but I'm getting better at it.

I had a business trip last week that took me to Senatobia, MS.  Their not much into "healthy" down there, but I did find some things that worked.

The hotel had a breakfast that offered oatmeal.  I had taken my natural peanut butter, so this worked well for adding to the oatmeal.  I also had some brown rice cakes that served to hold more peanut butter.  These are easier to travel with than a loaf of GF bread.

One evening was Chick-Fil-A, because, well, I just love Chick-Fil-A 😉.  Their Market Salad comes with spring greens, chicken breast, apples, blueberries, blue cheese crumbles and a vinaigrette dressing.  Add some additional chicken nuggets for more protein, and you have a fairly healthy travel option.

This was my favorite find.  It's a Mediterranean Warm Bowl at Panera Bread.  It comes with brown rice, quinoa, chicken breast, olives, hummus, Greek yogurt dressing and choice of chips, baguette or apple.  I chose a to get an iced latte on the side.  I was having cold coffee withdrawals!  

My business trip revolved around training for my job.  The John Deere training center was at a community college, so each day, we ate at the cafeteria.  Most of what they served wasn't GF or healthy, but I did find a spinach salad everyday which was a blessing.  In the picture above, I was able to get roasted chicken to go with the salad.  You have to get creative sometimes and think outside the box.

Ok, so this may have been my unhealthiest choice 😔, but it sure was delicious!!  Actually, it's not as bad as it looks.  I found a fresh-fired pizza place and got a cauliflower crust pizza with mozzarella, veggies, olives, ham and some pepperoni.  

I'm glad to be home and back to Sandra's nutritious and delicious meals.  I'm also grateful that the Lord enabled me to find good food while away.

Accidental Delicious Smoothie

We gave blood on Friday, so my run felt a little rough this morning.  I decided to make my faithful spinach and lemon smoothie, because spinach is high in iron.

I had forgotten that we are out of spinach, and I didn't remember until I had peeled a fresh lemon and thrown it into the blender, so I improvised.

This one has a whole fresh lemon, 1 cup of frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of honey.  It turned out great!  A new favorite refreshing drink for me!

Don't be scared by the lemon.  The tablespoon of honey and the blueberries help.  Give it a try!

Pizza Salad

 Sandra made a pizza salad for dinner. It was amazing! The sauce made it taste like a pizza. She got the recipe from a favorite site of ours, detoxinista.com. 

Easy Pizza Salad is the tag name. It's both healthy and delicious, so long as you don't stack on the pepperoni 🍕

The Faithful Cobb Salad

I really enjoy salads, because they are such a handy way to get those much needed vegetables.

For dinner, Sandra made some cobb salads that included the following:

Mixed Greens, Radishes, Cucumber, Marinated Chickpeas (she used Italian dressing), Tomatoes, Hardboiled Eggs, Corn, Shredded Mozzarella, and Pepperoncini

Sandra tried something new and roasted coconut shavings in liquid smoke, maple syrup, and soy sauce.  They were supposed to resemble bacon bits.  I didn't think they did; however, they were delightful!

The eggs, chickpeas and mozzarella provide protein.  The corn gives you some whole grain, and all the veggies provide much needed vitamins and minerals.

It was REALLY good!  I'll be having another one for lunch tomorrow.  🍅🌿Give it a try!

Finding Healthy Away from Home

This week, I have been in Eagan, MN on a business trip.

Not far from my room, I found this nice park trail to walk or run. 

Thankfully, there are sidewalks leading from the motel, and they offer a good running space.

A mile away, I discovered a restaurant that has a healthy option. Well, I should say that Sandra discovered it by researching it for me in advance 😊

They serve a bowl with quinoa, broccoli, sweet potato, hummus and cucumber, all in a yogurt harissa dressing. It was fantastic.

I'm thankful for healthy options on the road, but I'm ready to go home to my dear wife and her cooking.

Grilled Chicken Wraps

Wednesday's lunch consisted of grilled chicken in a gluten-free spinach wrap.  I added mixed greens and Dijon mustard, but you can add what you like.

It's a lean choice, and the carbs from the wrap aren't the worst carbs that you could choose.

Chicken is high in protein.  I used 4 ounces per wrap.  At 8 grams/ounce, that's 64 grams of protein.  Not a bad choice!  Chicken is also lean (about 35 calories/ounce).  So these babies were only 280 calories for the meat plus 260 for the wraps.