the bottom line.

happy humpday friends!

today was seriously an awesome day. i ordered a new running band for my ipod,

got my tattoo (!!!),

bad picture... it's a bit hard to take one on the back of your dominant arm!

talked on the phone with the beautiful christie,

and got birthday presents in the mail!

can i just say how exciting today was!?!?

sometimes i just have to stand back and take it all in... i am so blessed, you guys. so much more than i deserve!

i can't wait to dive headfirst into those books... i've been wanting them forever, but wouldn't buy them for myself! college is expensive, you know?

for those of you who have the books, what recipes do you love?

...............................................

i feel like i should have mentioned this yesterday, but better late than never, right? i want to share what i consider the most important facet of our diets: putting them in perspective.

from yesterday's comments, it seems the general consensus is that there are distinct kinds of eaters: vegans/vegetarians, and meat-eaters. while this might be technically true, i want to propose a different outlook.

eating isn't meant to be meat versus veggies. i see it as eaters pursuing information we deserve to know!

i don't think veganism is perfection, and i certainly don't see meat as sinful! i think sometimes we get caught up in technicalities of our diets (do you eat eggs? milk? raw? organic?) and totally miss the big picture: really, we're all just people trying to be healthy!

i cast no judgement on anyone, no matter what they eat. instead, i see them as almost a "comrade" in this fight to live as best we can. i see us as one body of people trying to do the best we can with what we know to be true.

it's absolutely shameful how much the food industry keeps from us: details about slaughtering, chemical additives, and processing of our foods that can be detrimental, or at least impact our health. that's where our fight is.

if you feel guilty for still not being "perfect" in your diet, take heart! i'm certainly no better than anyone else, and there's no such thing as eating perfectly. life is about progress, not perfection. we're all in the same boat! 

when i post on things i've learned or my point of view, it doesn't mean i'm criticizing someone who doesn't eat that way - it's the only way i know how to get the word out on things we all deserve to know.

up tomorrow?

how to decode food marketing, such as free-range, organic, natural, humane, etc.

thoughts? let's talk this out in the comments, y'all!

-rebekah

is your closet safe?

take a look at these shorts. a long, hard look.

at first glance?

they look like... shorts... because they sorta are.

i got them from Target, land where dreams are made of. they were $9.99. champion brand.

but don't be deceived, my dear friends. these are evil shorts.

for those of you who have been here for the long haul, you know i've been on a roller coaster with my weight, and i'm finally at a place of (near) peace with the body i have today.

so why am i shaken up over cheap running shorts?

here's the deal - i bought these shorts after months of being bed-ridden from fibro. i got them on my first shopping outing "back in the real world. " while i was INCREDIBLY excited to need running shorts again, physically, there's really no other way to say this... but i looked sick.

i had no muscle, i barely could eat, and my hip bones jutted out (how feminine, right?).

so when i bought the infamous shorts, they fit fine... for my body that was BARELY hanging on to "health."

thank God i don't look sickly anymore. i've put my nose to the grindstone, exercised faithfully, eaten well, been patient, yada yada, all that good stuff.

and you know what? i've gained muscle back. i'm much, much healthier, body-wise. healthier than i was before the fibro, actually.

but now, the shorts don't fit. do i really want them to fit again? not at all!

the shorts aren't just shorts - they stand for a time in my life where my health was completely defeating me. i didn't get out of bed, except to pee. i ate one or two meals a day, because i was too tired to eat (i have NEVER felt that way before... EVER!). i slept more hours than i was awake. i was depressed and falling apart.

but the problem is... i always forget they don't fit. they aren't really too small, they just make me feel gross. they hit at a really unflattering place, so i am crazy self-conscious in them.

and i've had it.

i don't deserve to have to struggle with negative self-talk every time i'm getting ready to go do something GOOD for my body.

that's just messed up. i'm going to RUN, for goodness sakes! after my journey over the last year, the sheer fact that i can even WALK is incredible, and should be a celebration everytime i get dressed.

some days, i feel proud of my body, put on the dreaded shorts, and suddenly, i magically transform into a fat cow. because the shorts can do that, you know. 

well, enough. i'm donating the shorts today. i'm done with them. all they bring is frustration in my life. and they were $9.99 - it's not like i'm throwing away some Prada.

but honestly, even if it was Prada, i deserve to feel strong, beautiful, and responsible every single day of my life.

do you have clothes in your closet that you avoid?

have you thrown out clothes that make you feel fat?

how do you deal with weight gain?

-rebekah

today's run, in photos.

today was so lovely here, i decided to do my interval run outdoors.

join me, will you?

here's where it all begins: the end of my driveway.

(although today, it began by wrestling the recycling to the curb, but that's neither here nor there...)

then, trudge with me through the waist-high grass, and pass the swarming with bees pretty bushes

cross the street (and look both ways!), sprint so you don't get hit by a semi-truck, pretend he didn't flick you off, and power-walk the 1/3 mile to the track.

take a picture of yourself mid-stride, looking quite demonic, while trying to channel your inner ashley.

and fail.

try to not make eye contact with the state trooper in the parking lot, and hurrah!

we have reached our destination.

on the other side of the fence...

this is actually where i went to high school.

but i didn't see the track very much, if you know what i mean.

the workout for today:

1/2 mile warm-up jog

running drills

2 miles running straight parts of track, jogging curves

10 minutes running the bleachers (blehhh!)

1/2 mile cool-down jog

the boys cross country team was there warming up, and i tried to stay out of their way.

after my run, however, the coach walked up to me and said, "could you run here everyday during practice? all of a sudden, my boys seem to have found the motivation to sprint..."
silly boys :)

follow it up with a very cool, collected picture of yourself you'd be proud to post on the internet.

check.

while you're sucking air like it's your job, conveniently use this time for a photoshoot.

and my feet, since i know you're dying to see those...

the road less traveled.

no seriously, no one uses this.

laugh as you defy the sign, in plain sight of the state trooper.

livin' in the edge here, folks.

take a picture of your street the one second it doesn't have billions of cars on it.

you know you're home when you can see the bees bushes.

woah, these grew fast.

props, mom!

sometimes, VA isn't a bad place to live...

and we're done!

hit the showers, ladies.

have you moved your body today?

what's your favorite form of movement?

-rebekah

glitz and glamour.

sometimes, running ain't pretty.

you forget to stretch after yesterday's killer leg workout,

you experience, ahem, "gastrointestinal distress...,"

your shorts give you a wedgie,

you order the wrong size running shoes, again,

you still aren't over a cold, and sound like a windtunnel when you breathe,

you have to pee 1 mile in,

you can't decide on your route,

you get honked at,

you plead Cudi to keep you motivated,

then your ipod dies,

so you pray for some beautiful bloggers,

you take some walk breaks,

run through some puddles,

and sweat so much, you could cause a tsunami if you wring out your underwear.

you realize running is not about being perfect, but never giving up,

aaaannd then you experience your first snot-rocket...

and instead of hitting the road, you hit your left thigh.

blissfully clueless about snot-rockets?

well, they ain't pretty.

-rebekah

my week in pictures.

not a lot of words for today... just some long overdue pictures and recipes!

maybe this will give you guys a little peek into my day :)

the beautiful kelli sent me some goodies a while back, and deserves a hella shoutout! this girl is wicked creative... she made me maple cinnamon almond/peanut butter!!! enough said.

and i might add - the nut butter is almost totally gone...

and fig basalmic vinegar! gasp. thank you kelli!

i think i'm gonna go make dressing right, actually.

zee knees, post-run.

my rule? if you run for more than 30 mins, please ice, just in case!

and my foam roller... i love you.

don't know how to use it? now you can!

a random breakfast...

and a recipe!

this is some of the best gluten-free bread i've ever made. it's protein packed and super-nutritious, which can be rare in GF products.

the process:

the result:

seriously guys, make this bread! it's so dense and satisfying.

i'd choose it over whole wheat bread anyday... and that's sayin' something.

this runner knows her carbs.

next up? quinoa breakfast brownies.

the gluten-free goddess is probably the blog i'd credit to my success at GF baking.

she is a genius, and knows EVERYTHING.

i made these bars for my little sister (a celiac) to grab on her way out the door before 5:45AM swim practice - yes, seriously.

obviously, she deserves good grub.

i am to deliver.

the verdict? and i quote... "OMG THESE TASTE LIKE NAUGHTY COOKIES!"

victory is mine.

one of my favorite new snacks, jess-style.

melted cheddar + crofter's = bliss.

i seriously cannot say enough good things about crofter's.

organic, tangy, and not sweet? i like.

oats in a jar. at 5AM. on film. epic.

soft-fried egg + spinach + sauteed mustrooms + homemade guac.

i eat this quite a lot. no shame.

props to alton.

and iced tea, because i'm a good southern girl, y'all.

flowers from mom's garden... she's so talented!

everything is gorgeous, and she gardens organically - no sprays or pesticides.

i am so blessed to be able to pick chemical-free flowers and veggies from my back yard... thank you Lord!

last but not least, the recipe from last night's dinner.

really, really, good, and mostly healthy, creamy penne pesto pasta

(didn't photograph, but it looked like this!)

8 oz. whole wheat penne

1/2 box frozen spinach, thawed and liquids squeezed out

3 or 4 tbsp pesto (i used homemade!)

handful sundried tomatoes, packed in oil

8 oz. sour cream (i had leftover from a cookout, but this would be an ideal place to substitute greek yogurt!)

handful or two of grated parmesan, fresh if you can manage

few big pinches of black pepper, to taste

pinch of salt, to taste

optional: 1/2 lb grilled chicken, cut into strips

here we go:

DISCLAIMER: when i cook, i don't really measure. sorry type-A girls :)

started by cooking the man's chicken in a skillet with a tiny dab of olive oil. i just seasoned them up with salt and pepper and cut them into skinny strips. start with your heat up high to get a good sear on them, then turn it down to low to cook through. when they were almost done, i tented some aluminum foil over them to finish cooking through and keep them warm while the pasta cooked.

i boiled the pasta to al dente, drained, and returned to the pasta pot. i first stirred in my pesto, spinach, and tomatoes, coating all the noodles. once that was well-mixed, i stirred in my sour cream and parmesan cheese. things started lookin' pretty sexy in there, so i tasted it, seasoned it up with my S + P, and served my boyfriend who had patiently been hovering for an hour or so :)

i served it with crusty whole wheat bread and sauteed basalmic asparagus. if you and your dinner date are both omnivores, you should stir in the chicken after adding the sour cream and cheese.

i also brought him a batch of chocolate chip cookies to celebrate his track season ending (he coaches high school). i used this recipe from Allrecipes, but it wasn't my favorite. the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies from Dorie's book are still the best i've ever made.... if you love to bake, you need this book!

now your turn - do you guys have to measure to cook?

i don't even measure when i bake... terrible, i know!

-rebekah