When you're sick..

Indulge with some chocolate:

Forget low cal or low fat. Go big or go home baby:

Because fudge brownies are never enough- CHOCO CHIPS!

YUM...

Yep.. Still sick :(

Fancy a snog?

My little treat last night for being (a lil) sick- green tea yogurt with mochi on top. I haven't had one of these in a while and that made it all the more delicious. Funnily enough, I never actually liked the tartness of these yogurts in the states but something about the catchy name made me decide to like it when I moved here. It was definitely an acquired taste for me though.

I woke up today with a sore throat :( BUT I managed to squeeze in a 2.5 mile run AND go to my zumba class. Zumba is a great aerobics/dance class. You determine how hard you want to work by bending your knees, squatting a bit lower, or jumping higher. I definitely exaggerate each movement so I can burn the most calories. And don't forget to "Shake the booty!!!" as my instructor would say.

Green tea with some honey in the morning:

And something new I had never tried before:

Yes.. I stir things with a chopstick. When I told my friend I was sick, he recommended I try this product Berocca- I imagine its similar to Emergen-C in the states. This came in tablet form that I mixed with water. The taste was pleasantly orange. I am doing everything under the sun to prevent this cold from getting any worse. Please send healthy thoughts my way!!

Song of the day: Pixie Lott "The way the world works"

Pasta time

Afternoon snack:

OJ=Vit C=healthy Hanna

You can't really tell what that blob *I almost typed blog!* is but it's hummus. I was also craving something salty so pretzels fit the bill. Speaking of hummus, I miss this brand:

I can't find it here in the UK and it's a shame because it is the best packaged hummus I've tried.


Dinner:

Welcome back Linda! Tonight was vegemince- siimilar to mince beef but vegetarian style. It's a bit chewier than the real deal but still pretty tasty.

Oh Mr Organic pasta sauce with the smiley face..how you disappoint!! I could barely taste the basil and it lacked flavor. I added some minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red chilli flakes to make it taste better.


No more broccoli please!! I put some laughing cow cheese on top this time but it didn't make it taste any better.  I ate broccoli so much in the past that I think I'm just sick of eating it.

The rest of my meal: Half a semi-toasted wholemeal bun, whole wheat pasta with fresh parmigiano reggiano grated on top (Giada DeLaurentis would be so proud!), and a glass of skim milk to make my bones nice and strong :)


Off to watch the season premiere of Real Housewives of Washington D.C.! How many more cities can this show conquer?!

Berry good

Breakfast:

Egg whites sprinkled w. salt, pepper,  and cayenne pepper. Toast w. almond butter (all natural of course). Huge mug of coffee!

I bought these at Holland and Barrett today because I had run out:

I tried them plain for the first time and I'm not sure if I like the taste. They taste similar to raisins but are a bit more tart. I don't really like raisins plain so I guess I'm not surprised I didn't warm up to these. I do like these lil munchkins in my smoothies and plain yogurts since both those ingredients mask the taste. Goji berries are considered a SUPERFOOD in the health food world.

They good for you because:
1.) lots of antioxidants
2.) known to boost energy levels
3.) high in omegas
4.) contains amino acids
5.) source of carotenoids

The list goes on... I think I'm going to start putting them in a snack baggie and carry it around in my purse so I can munch on them during the day. Adding some almonds and granola would probably help with the taste as well. Others suggest putting the berries in water so they can soften up and not only flavor your water but also make the berries taste less tart. You can also put them in your hot tea in the morning, sprinkle them in cereals, pancakes, oatmeal, ETC...

Lunch today:

Romaine lettuce, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, and chicken slices with some ranch dressing and hot sauce on top.

I woke up this morning not feeling so hot so I skipped my workout and took Sonoma to the park. While there, I regretted not going and decided to go to a 1 p.m. body conditioning class. Although I was feeling lethargic on the whole bus ride there, I became more energized when the class started.

My recommendation is if you don't feel like working out in the morning, listen to your body and don't do it. Don't rule out not doing anything though and try a few hours later. You never know when you might get that extra boost of energy like I did!

Song of the day: Jack Johnson "Banana pancakes"

GOOOAAAL!!!

My afternoon yesterday was spent here at Wembley Stadium:

Some 84,000 people walking into Wembley Stadium

Chelsea became my default team since we moved to the neighborhood

There was a lot of red support for Manchester United

 I thought the guy performing to left was Kanye, ha!! Turns out it was a british artist

The crowd constantly booed the players on either side who were part of the England World Cup team. I thought they were saying "Roo" for Rooney but apparently it was a resounding "BOOOO"

I don't think these guys could have asked for a better day to play. The weather was beautiful!

Score: Chelsea 0 Man U 2
On a happier note, I got to see Javier Hernandez "Chicharito" from Man U score a goal albeit a clumsy one.

Healthy eating

Pre run snack:

Wholewheat toast with organic, no sugar added peanut butter.

After run glow?

I want to talk briefly about what healthy eating has done for me. Ever since I adopted a daily workout routine, I naturally became more interested in healthy eating. I can tell you that ever since doing this, I no longer have daily cravings for sweets or fatty foods. My former co workers can probably attest to the fact that I was always eating the worst things for me, whether it be McDonalds for breakfast, brownies at lunch, or mindlessly snacking on greasy chips. Those days are a thing of the past now. No, I'm not perfect and I do indulge from time to time but when I do, I no longer feel guilty about it because I go back to eating healthy for the next meal. I practice habits that many health nuts recommend, such as if I'm going to pig out on for dinner, I work out hard the morning of and eat light for lunch. If I'm eating a burger, I'll take off the top or bottom bun to minimize my calorie intake.

These days, I feel more energized than ever. Adopting healthier habits leave me with a strong desire to eliminate bad ones such as soda and the occasional cigarette. My body has developed an internal clock that gets me up around the same time every morning. I no longer have to drudge myself out of bed and force myself to the gym. I actually get excitement out of doing it. To make a long story short, my habits have gotten me more fit than I've ever been in my entire life. It has also developed my desire to become a personal trainer and perhaps a nutrition coach. If I can feel this good about myself, I must try and pass along my good fortune. If I can do it, anyone can do it! :)

Song of the day:  Keith Urban "If ever I could love"
Did I tell you how much I love country these days?

Look at all the beers!!

Before we attempted to leave for the beer festival, something horrendous happened!!

That's the last time I buy expensive sunglasses!

Tarek attempted to pop the lens back in place

"Don't break the lens!"

Beer will make the day better!

WELCOME!!

Did I catch you at a bad time sir?

Note to self: come on the first day next year since a lot of beers sell out

cute pint glasses

they sure know how to give a generous portion!

This is how we do

Tarek used to drink this in college!

Framboise beer

Beer everywhere! Tarek and I opted for thirds of mostly everything we sampled. I think we might have had about 10 samples.







Can't forget about the nourishments:

The line for this burger was SO long but so worth it in the end. We ended up getting the wild boar and kangaroo. Initially, I told Tarek I didn't want to eat the animal with the cute pouch in the front but as soon as we got to the front, the lady serving us told me it tasted like venison. Don't hate me, I just couldn't say no!!

Surprise surprise, the kangaroo wasn't that good so I opted to eat more of the boar burger. DELISH! The patty is lean and has a very unique and gamey taste. Chips are a must for me when eating a burger:

I'm clearly ending on a good note. One last picture before its time to leave!

The night ended very early yesterday. Dinner was takaway from Yumenoki, our local sushi joint. :( sad face because no pictures were taken.

Time for my run!