HIIT Me Baby One More Time

After extensive research (OK, after reading a bunch of blogs and posts on bodybuilding.com) I totally buy into the idea that high intensity interval training is a great way to blast calories and fat.  I’m no scientist, but if studies say a 30 minute HIIT session can burn more calories than an hour plodding along on the dreadmill, I’m certainly not going to argue with them!

The beauty of HIIT, at least from what I’ve read, is its ability to boost your metabolism long after you finish your workout, allowing you to continue burning calories all day long. 

Despite knowing all the benefits of HIIT, I will admit that I’m not the best an incorporating it into my weekly routine.  It’s hard! And I also can’t get my head around the fact that I can go to the gym, do 30 minutes of HIIT, and leave.  I don’t have to stay for over an hour? Whaaa?

Anyway, last week I was forced to run on the treadmill (and by forced I mean it was cold and rainy and I was too wimpy to run outside). When I’m running on the treadmill, I get supah bored. So it was the perfect opportunity to make things exciting with a HIIT workout.  My idea of excitement is a little strange, admittedly.  Anyway, here it is!
   

Minutes	Speed
0-5	6
5-6	8
6-7	6
7-8	8.1
8-9	6
9-10	8.2
10-11	6
11-12	8.3
12-13	6
13-14	8.4
14-15	6
15-16	8.5
16-17	6
17-22	7
22-23	6
23-24	8.5
24-25	6
25-26	8.4
26-27	6
27-28	8.3
28-29	6
29-30	8.2
30-31	6
31-32	8.1
32-33	6
33-34	8
34-35	6

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Protein Powah

I can eat meat again! Run for your lives chickens, cows, pigs and lambs! 

Actually, I was surprisingly neutral on my feelings of going back to being carnivorous. There were a few times in the middle of my 40 meat free days that I found myself craving a burger, which was weird considering I'm not one to dream about burgers (sushi and tacos- that's the food I'll dream about!) And there was the time I cheated and ate meat to sample FISHTAG's new bar bites.  But laying in bed the night before Easter, I was thinking about what my first meat would be and I almost got grossed out by it for a hot sec! I momentarily considered giving up meat for good and going pescetarian- but let's be real.  There will be a drunken night when all I want is some lamb over rice from a halal cart (drenches in whit sauce, obvs). 

Everyone pesters vegetarians with the same question- "Are you sure you're getting enough protein?" And yes, I'm getting enough protein thank you very much.  I can honestly say that there are proteins that I prefer to chicken, turkey, etc. after this Lenten journey of mine. Where, you ask, do I get my muscle-building protein from? 

(Protein = muscles!)

1. Greek Yogurt
Tis true.  Greek yogurt is surprisingly chock full o' protein.  Like, up to double the amount of protein in regular yogurt.  

In 6 ounces, which is the size of a standard Greek yogurt cup- there's between 15-20 grams of protein- the amount in 2-3 ounces of lean meat.  And guess what? The serving size for a check breast is 3 ounces.  So 1 plain Greek yogurt is pretty  much equivalent to a chicken booby!  And Greek yogurt is SO fun to be creative with.  Actually- light bulb- I definitely need to write an ode to Greek yogurt and its versatility. Aka a blog post with all my crazy Greek yogurt recipes. 

(True Life: Chobani should hire me as a spokesperson)

2. Peanut Butter
As my URL suggests, I am a peanut butter fanatic.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't eat peanut butter (when I gave THAT up for Lent last year, things got ugly). I have a jar of peanut butter at my desk at work. I have about 7 jars of peanut butter in my apartment. Peanut butter is my boyfriend. Peanut butter is also a course of protein- hooray! 

2 tablespoons has around 8 grams of protein.  I put 2 tablespoons of PB2 powdered peanut butter in my oats almost every day and I usually dip some puffins cereal in peanut butter at night.  Another great snack is rice cakes with peanut bytter, apples with peanut butter, carrots with peanut butter and Quest bars topped with peanut butter!  Peanut butter on peanut butter! 

But why you gotta be so high in calories, peanut butter? :( 

(That's why PB2 is so great, check that ish out!) 

3. NUTS
Never met a nut I didn't like.  Some favorites include: almonds, pecans, walnuts and macadamia nuts.  Like peanut butter, it makes me sad that they are high in calories and fat- but it's healthy fat! Right? Right. And yep, you guessed it, PROTEIN!

Almonds are one of the most protein-packed nuts, with 20 grams in a cup of sliced almonds.  But let's be real, unless you want to set yourself back 529 calories- you're not eating an entire cup! But 1 ounce (about 23 whole almonds) is 163 calories, a doable snack containing 6 grams of protein- and it will keep you feeling full thanks to 3.5 grams of dietary fiber! 

Another favorite of mine, pistachios, has equally  impressive stats.  1 ounce of nuts has 6 grams of protein, 162 calories and 2.9 grams of dietary fiber. 

Though all delicious, not all nuts are created equal in the protein department.  You should do your research- this chart is super helpful! Pecans and macadamia nuts, for example, are lower in protein and high in calories (so sad). 

4. Tofu
I'm not going to pretend to be a tofu expert. I'm aware that there are some concerns about soy products and that they are in fact products (i.e. not natural). A lot of the concern comes from the fact that 90% of soybeans grown in the US are genetically modified.  Again, I'm not expert so you may want to check out this article! 

What I do know is that a half cup serving of tofu contains 10.1 grams of protein, is easily paired with about a million different foods, and tastes yummy! I try not to eat an over abundance of soy and soy products, but every once in a awhile a meal centered on tofu (or my new obsession- tempeh) really hits the spot! 

5. Hummus
I LOVE hummus.  I go through a container a week nooo problem! Made with chickpeas (or garbanzo beans, whatever floats your boat), hummus contains around 2.5 grams of protein per 2 tablespoons.  But if you're anything like me there's no way you're eating just 2 measly tablespoons!  I put hummus in my wraps and paninis, on top of omelets, and of course, us it as a dip for carrots, cucumbers, celery, wheat thins, etc. 

6. Egg Whites 
Typically, I opt for liquid egg whites over whole eggs with the yolk. I know there's debate on how many yolks you should eat, how they affect your cholesterol, yadda yadda. Whether you're eating the yolk or just the whites, eggs are a great source of protein, with around 24 grams in a cup of liquid egg whites! 1 egg contains 6 grams.  Whatchya waiting for? Go make a veggie omelet! 

(An excuse to show off my Easter eggs)

7. Quest Bars <3
Eventually, I will dedicate an entire post to these incredibly delicious treats. But for now, just know that each bar contains 20 grams of protein. And you should all have them in your cabinets. 

(If you've had a Quest bar, you'll understand my excitement!) 

8. Seafood
Last but not least, I eat a TON of seafood.  Raw, cooked, seared, shellfish, salmon, tuna- I love it all. And a lot of it is packed with protein. 3.5 ounces of clams has 14 grams of protein. 

(Heck yes my dad just made me clams on the half shell!)

A serving of flounder? 16.7 grams.  3.5 ounces of salmon? 22.5 grams.  It's fabulous. 

Follow Up: For Easter, we had a giant party egg sandwich bagel made. 

I fell in love with sausage all over again and it is confirmed- though I may eat it a lot less now, I'm not parting with meat for good. 

(It ain't a party unless there's a party bagel! With sausage.)

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Runners Unite!

Tonight, I'm running for Boston. 

And I'm so glad I read about this before heading to my group run! For every mile logged using the Nike+ app today, Nike will donate $1 to the Challenged Athletes Foundation!

So get out there, run, and tag your miles with #strongereveryrun. 

Read more about the campaign here. 

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Dig Inn: Restaurant Review

While I was wasn’t impressed with the meal I got at Sun in Bloom last weekend, my faith in healthy, vegetarian, natural food options in New York City was restored on Wednesday when I had my first experience with Dig Inn!

With locations all over the city, Dig Inn Seasonal Market is “real food, real quality.” According to them.  But I’m pretty sure I concur.  They have TONS of options- both for vegetarians and meat eaters.  Salads, soups, shakes, juices, and my favorite- the build your own platters.

I must have sat on the website for like 40 minutes trying to figure out what I wanted, since my friend was going to go and pick it up for us.  You can choose either a big plate or a small plate. You start by picking a meat, tofu, or veggie plate.  Meat options include things like lemon herb chicken, spicy meatballs and braised beef.  Vegetarian options are tofu salad and wild salmon- or you can choose the veggie platter option and you get to pick an extra “side” item for your plate. 

Next is deciding between either a green or a whole grain.  Arugula, baby spinach, brown rice or the “specialty grain.”  And then, the hardest part (as if there weren’t already too many options for someone like myself to consider!) The sides! So many delicious sounding options and you need to choose 3! (Or pay extra for more).  The best part is that they change based on what the current available/in season ingredients are. Some sides on the menu right now are roasted brussels sprouts (let’s be real, they’re on EVERY menu), sautéed kale with purple potato, Tuscan white bean seasoned with ham, beets and cucumber salad, kale & apple salad, etc. 

As you build your plate on their website, they give you all the nutritional information too- which is amazing for someone who is guilty of being a calorie-counter (I know, I know, I need to stop).  Lastly, you can add sauces and spreads (guac is $1.38 extra, grr). 

So enough about the ordering process- let’s talk about what I ate, because I really want to relive it.

First of all, love that they serve it in little brown boxes a la Whole Foods that feel earthy and healthy.  Lame, I know. I got a small plate with the organic tofu salad (tofu, green beans, carrots, and raisins in a wasabi aioli dressing). Uhm. Yum. I think this was my favorite part.  Tofu is usually bland, but this actually tasted like something to me- and it was something great. 

I also opted for the “specialty grain” which was cracked bulgur wheat with celery, carrots and onions tossed with a lemon/apple cider vinaigrette and agave, and seasoned with a Mediterranean spice blend.  That’s a mouthful.  After my bulgur salad from FISHTAG that was kind of a bummer, I was a little hesitant to order this.  It was underneath everything else on my plate, and kind of mixed in with all the other sides, but overall I’m glad it’s the grain I went with instead of just plain old brown rice (I’m not the biggest brown rice fan, because most of my experiences with it are like my Sun in Bloom experiences where it’s bland and boring and I’m left regretting the carbs).

My three sides were all great as well, I really have nothing bad to say.  They were seasoned and tasty and not boring in the least- yet based on Dig Inn’s website, it really is healthy! I got the roasted Brussels sprouts (tossed with fresh lime juice and a touch of maple vinaigrette), the broccoli with roasted garlic and almonds (red pepper flakes and maple vinaigrette) and the roasted carrots and parsnips mixed with dried cranberries in a tangy apple cider vinaigrette.

(I Dig it- HA)

For just $7, I wasn’t left feeling ripped off at all, considering the price of lunch in midtown Manhattan can be pretty insane. Although I will say, I TOTALLY could have eaten more- next time I may go with the large plate. Also throwin’ it out there that my friend had amazing things to say about the spicy meatballs, and I tried his kale & purple potatoes and sweet potatoes and they were great as well!

I think my favorite part about this menu, is that for every ingredient, Dig Inn lets you know the exact farm that it comes from.  It’s kind of incredible that I can know the Brussels sprouts I’m eating come from Bayview Farm in Jamesport, LI (Long Island, represent!)

The one thing I have to say, is that most people seem to agree that this place is usually PACKED at lunch hour and that the employees there are less than friendly- rushing customers and coming off as rude. They should be happy about working at such an awesome place, is what I say!

I will definitely be back for more Dig Inn (if I ever make it through my bucket list…)

With so many different locations, pick-up, delivery and online ordering, you really have no excuse not to try this place! Go! Do it!

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Sweet Spring Saturday

After my out-of-this-world, amazing, spectacular, super, wonderful, incredible, bomb-diggity run on Saturday morning I was ready for some SUNSHINE! Hallelujah to warmth and sun – two things that instantaneously make me a little happier. I got to do 3 things that I would like to share with ya:

1) Union Square Farmer’s Market

For me, farmer’s markets generally entail wandering around until I have found every possible stand giving out free samples, and then leaving empty handed because there are too many options and I’m overwhelmed and full at that point.

Saturday was no different. Although I did decide that next weekend, I’m buying sunchokes and experimenting with them.

2) Vegan Shop-Up

I ventured to Brooklyn for the Vegan Shop-Up which was pretty awesome! They had TONS of vendors, and again, I wandered, trying a bunch of samples and not making any decisions on actually buying things. 

Beyond Sushi was there, and I came THIS close to buying a roll, but I need to hold out until I can get to the restaurant and thoroughly enjoy it. I took pictures though, of course, because it’s all so freaking pretty!

(Sushi, artwork- same difference)

I also tried really tasty chocolate covered rice cakes!

Yeahdawg had a stand set up there, and I almost bought their vegan dog with all the toppings, but then I was like “You’re right near Smorgasburg, why don’t you go get something on your Smorg list?!” And Barry’s Tempeh was sold out which made me sad.  So I hoped back on the L and: 

3) Smorgasburg

Again- samples before any type of decision was made.  But at this point I was beyond starving so I needed to actually eat something instead of nibbling on samples.

(Smorg is BAAAAAACK)

I went with the Ethiopian BunnaCafé.  I asked the woman working what her three favorites were and said gimme that!

(Bunna Cafe's Smorg menu)

Basically, it’s 3 sides served with injera- which, according to the always reliable Wikipedia, is “sourdough-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made out of teff flour, it is a national dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea.” Sounds about right! It was totally the weirdest, most unattractive texture.  It came with 2 injera, but about 3 spoonfuls of filling for $6. It was a rip off.  But, whatever. 

(Spongy texture? Check.)

I got my injera with yater kik alicha (yellow split peas cooked with red onion, ginger, garlic, herbs and turmeric), misir wot (red lentils cooked with a spicy berbere sauce) and shiro (ground chickpeas simmered with garlic, ginger and herbs).  I think the shiro was my favorite! All the fillings were a great combo of spices and herbs, but the injera was weird, not flavorful, and cold. 

I wrapped up my day with a crazy insane walk from 14th street and 1^st Avenue up to 92^nd street- because it was sunny and I didn’t want to get on a subway or in a bus!

By the time I got home dinner was definitely necessary, so I made myself a delicious personal pizza using a Joseph’s flax pita (if you haven’t tried Joseph’s you seriously need to like, yesterday.  Get with it people! 60 calories for the most amazing, moist, tasty pita EVER).

I topped my little pie with some tomato sauce, spinach, roasted baby eggplant and asparagus, some goat cheese, balsamic vinegar and pecans! Yeah, pretty impressive, I know.

I then proceeded to fall asleep by 10 p.m. on Saturday night, because apparently sometime in the last few months I have gone from a party animal to a farmer’s market goin’ runner freak.  And I’m totally loving it. (Ok, to be fair I definitely went to a tailgate on Friday night with an open bar and rum punch- balance, people!)

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Happiest Run

Let’s talk about how my run on Saturday morning was probably the happiest I have been in a very, very long time. I’ve talked to people who have cried happy tears during races before, and I honestly came close to having my first run-cry, although I held it together. 

I didn’t run for a week.  It was rough. After the Scotland Run last weekend, my body was muy muy unhappy with me.  “Why did you run that fast, up and down hills?” the giant, painful knots in my calves kept asking me with every step.  No joke. My shins were in pain while I was walking and I was having serious flashbacks to my stress fracture, crutches, boot nightmare from earlier this year.  So I (shockingly) tried listening to my body and not pushing it.  Which is something that I’m very bad at. So for 6 days I didn’t run.  I took one spin class, and did 20 minutes on the elliptical, but that was pretty much the extent of my cardio for 6 days.

And then, Friday night was a really emotionally not fun night.

So when I woke up Saturday morning, I wanted a good run.  But the worst thing ever is when you want and need a good run, and you get yourself all excited for an awesome run, and then it ends up kicking your butt and sucking.

Part of me was expecting that.

LUCKILY, I was beyond pleasantly surprised Saturday. The sun was shining. I was wearing shorts and a tank top.  There were tons of people out for the group run.  I’m starting to feel like I fit in with this group.  My legs felt like they were rested (gee Lauren, maybe rest CAN be a good thing) as we ran the now familiar 10-mile Randall’s Island run from the UES Jack Rabbit store.  I felt like I was running so easy, yet I was somehow leading the group the entire time? I seriously felt like I was on Cloud 9. I didn’t listen to music for a second.

And when we got back to the store, I had multiple people come up to me as if I was some legit runner, asking me questions and complimenting me and telling me I looked great out there today.  

What?! 

I honestly didn’t know what to say.  “Wow, you really run.” “You must run a LOT.” “You must have run in high school right?” (HA, that’s a funny joke). “Thanks for leading today” the leader said as I left…I honestly was dumbfounded.  I mean, I kept insisting to everyone that I am NOT by ANY means an incredible runner.  Today I just felt amazing, I had been off for 6 days, usually my entire body hurt…I had every comeback for the compliments (and thank yous as well).  But I’m not going to lie, when I walked home from the store, I was kind of floating.

I still don’t think I’m an amazing runner by any means- but I AM a runner.  Running makes me happy. Running is when I get some of my best thinking done.  A good run can make or break my day.  Running is like therapy for me.  And now, apparently, running is something I’m actually good at, thanks to sticking with it even through the runs that are painful and long and slow.  

And you know what? I would take 2387492 of those not so great runs for every one that was like todays. 

Oh my god, I might cry. I need to stop.

RUN HAPPY PEOPLE. 

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Sun in Bloom: Restaurant Review

Spring has arrived here in NYC- and I find myself stopping to take pictures of flowers blooming and being willing to walk a lot more frequently.  It’s also a lot easier to crave veggies and all-natural food when you aren’t freezing and just wanting a nice big skillet of mac and cheese from S’mac.

(Flowers are blooming all over NYC, hooray!) 

So Sunday I went for a lovely stroll from Nolita to the Financial District to cross another place off my bucket list– Sun in Bloom.  The original Sun in Bloom is a sit down restaurant in Brooklyn, but the new location on church street mainly services take out- although we opted to sit at the counter.  The shop was SO cute- and totes instagrammable (that was intentionally disgusting sounding).

They aren’t serving their full menu yet- but they said it should be ready soon.  There were still plenty of options, as well as a fridge with pre-made food for people on the go!

Based on the look and feel of this place, along with a m enu featuring things like 3 bean chili, sweet potato soup, and a chickpea miso soup- I had high hopes! Everything served at Sun in Bloom is vegan and gluten free.

I ordered the macro bowl, which comes with brown rice, the daily bean, steamed greens, wakame, the daily veggies, and house made raw sauerkraut with sesame ginger dressing.  That afternoon, the daily bean was black beans and the daily veggie was parsnips and sweet potatoes.

(Meh to the macro bowl)

I was underwhelmed by this meal- especially for the somewhat steep $12 price tag.  I was full by the end, but left wishing it had been better than the bland brown rice and dry black beans I experiences.  I really wasn’t impressed at all.

My friend ordered the sunrise scramble- ginger-miso glazed aphrodisiac tofu fusion served with steamed greens, the daily bean and brown rice.

That aphrodisiac tofu fusion saved the day- and possibly secured Sun in Bloom another show one day.  Again, not sure the $10 price tag was worth it considering everything it was served with was less than stellar- but the seasonings used in this tofu scramble were pretty spectacular. And the seaweed salad was tasty too!

(An improvement over the macro bowl) 

I may check Sun in Bloom out again one day when the entire menu is ready to go- but for now I’ll pass on the over-priced, under-flavored food.  For a place whose menu features some of my favorite ingredients, this was a bummer.

What do you think? Is it worth a trip to the sit-down location in Brooklyn?

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14 Things Foodies Will Fight to the Death About

This recent post on BuzzFeed had me cracking up! I don't know if I'm able to call myself a foodie yet, but this article made me feel like I'm well on my way!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Let's be real- choosing the perfect filter is key when insagramming your food, or anything for that matter! Including gym selfies...are you going to go HD on that veggie burger? Lofi that lobster roll? Very important questions. 

I'm totally on board with the current brussels sprouts craze- it seems they're on every menu! "It" ingredients I could do without? Fennel and radishes. GTFO my salads! 

The other night I thought I could name my favorite cheese. JOKES! I ended up going through a list of about 8 before giving up. (But in case you're wondering, I'm a big fan of ricotta, feta, blue, and goat- to name a few) 

So, totally, me.  I was called a "little Nazi" at Spice Market the other night. 

Read the rest of them on BuzzFeed! 

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China Grill: Restaurant Review

I’ve been lucky enough to eat at China Grill at least 3 times- but never with the intention of reviewing it, like I did on Saturday night.  Though the size of their plates has noticeably shrunk- it was still as delicious as I remembered (thanks in part to the presentation- my dad always says you eat with your eyes first!)

I started with a cocktail at the bar that was just screaming my name- a spicy cucumber margarita! The rim had some spicy seasoning that was HOT but good and the cucumber made it refreshing! Plus I just always love tequila.

China Grill is my favorite type of restaurant because their dishes are meant to be shared.  We started with 3 appetizers and a salad.

The salad is one I have had many times before- the crackling calamari salad with lime miso dressing. 

The calamari is the perfect crispiness, and something about that dressing is addictive!  Ever since the crackling calamari salad from Gray Goose Café in Connecticut though, this can’t be #1 in my book- there’s has slices of banana and cashews in it! (And now that I’m thinking about it, it should definitely be added to my listof life-changing salads).  

(Sorry China Grill, but this crackling calamari salad from Gray Goose Cafe takes the prize)

Lack of banana and cashews aside, the calamari salad at China Grill is pretty killer.

The spicy beef and scallion dumplings with a soy ginger sauce were up next- although I couldn’t sample them because, beef.

No trip to China Grill is complete without ordering their lobster pancakes- bursting with stir fried wild mushrooms, red chili, scallions and coconut milk.  They’re so pretty!

(Obsessed with the presentation) 

The taste of the lobster definitely comes through, and the mushrooms are divine.  I don’t LOVE coconut, so I always question how much I’m diggin’ the sauce, but it’s so creamy that I usually decide I’m cool with it!

(One more picture of the lobster pancakes so you can see how stuffed they are!)

The last appetizer we got was the tempura tuna sashimi with hot mustard champagne sauce.

(Dem was some good bean sproutz)

This was good-but not wow worthy.  I actually enjoyed the bean sprouts in the sauce the best!  And the flying fish eggs! Love that pop-rock texture boost!

Before the next course I switched up my drink and got a China Blossom with Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germaine and fresh grapefruit juice.  I think I found a new favorite cocktail! It tasted like they handed me a grapefruit with a straw in it!

First entrée was the duck two ways- pan seared breast with a chocolate-orange sauce and “moo shu” style confit of leg with spicy hoisin sauce.

Again, I couldn’t eat it but I sampled the chocolate-orange sauce because it intrigued me and I can’t say I loved it.

According to my dad, we also HAD to order the grilled garlic shrimp with black fettuccini and red curry coconut sauce. It comes out MOVING because of the bonito flakes on top! They were my favorite part – smoky and delicious.

(Not the prettiest picture, but it was MOVING)

After not being sold on ordering the shrimp dish, I must say it might have been my favorite! Good call, dad!

My pick was the pan-seared spicy tuna with avocado sashimi and wakame seaweed salad.  YUM!

(This picture makes me crave seaweed salad!)

The tuna was crusted perfectly with black pepper and salt0 it was just enough so that it didn’t take away from the tuna.  Anything with a hunk of avocado is good in my book- and I’m now officially addicted to seaweed salad!! And I totally ate the majority of that deep-fried seaweed…oops.

For sides we got the 5 vegetable fried rice and bamboo vegetables- both things you can’t really screw up! And they didn’t.

Obviously, ordering the Great Wall dessert was necessary. Oh. My. God.  So giant. So amazing. I want it every day! Can we just take a moment to appreciate this picture?

(Seriously incredible.)

It’s got everything.  Ice cream, caramelized bananas (and not a stingy little piece of banana like Spice Market’s dessert!), cookies, whipped cream, and macaroons!  I was in a sugar coma for hours after this (but 4 of us DID manage to finish every last bite, no problems!)

This is a place I’m sure my family will continue to frequent.  It feels classy, the shared dishes way of eating is my favorite, the food never disappoints, and damn those cocktails were good! 

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