Category Archives: health

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Posted on by Run DMT
1

PhotobucketYou will seriously love this breakfast casserole recipe and you will want to bookmark it or pin it for sure.  Go ahead.  I’ll wait.

Because this breakfast is so tasty and such a crowd-pleaser, I’ve made it twice just this month for family and friends.  Seriously, it’s that good.  And the best part, it’s low fat.  You’re pinning it now, aren’t you?  I knew I would have you at “low-fat”.

I’m not sure how I stumbled upon Eat Yourself Skinny, but I was happy to find her low-fat recipes, especially her healthier version to a brunch classic.  However, I had to modify her recipe because I can’t eat breakfast sausage that contains MSG due to my sensitivity to it.  So, I substituted the reduced-fat pork sausage for an even lower fat option: Al Fresco Country Style Chicken Breakfast Sausage.

I also used a half loaf of Publix White Mountain bread because I thought the thick, dense bread would make a wonderful base for the casserole.  Both substitutions were spot-on and like I said, a real crowd pleaser.

All you need is a mimosa to wash it down.

Low-Fat Egg and Sausage Breakfast Casserole

(Adpated from Eat Yourself Skinny)

Ingredients

1 package Al Fresco Country Style Chicken Breakfast Sausage

1 medium onion, diced

2 eggs

4 egg whites

2 cups fat-free milk

1 ½ tsp spicy brown mustard

½ tsp Kosher salt

¼  tsp ground black pepper

½ loaf of dense, crusty bread cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cups (8 oz) reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° degrees.  Prepare a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In large skillet, stir and sauté onions until translucent.

As onions cook, slice sausage links into quarters.  Slice each link into quarters lengthwise and then slice each quarter strip into small bite size morsels.  Add to onions.  Stir and warm through.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard, salt and pepper.  Stir in the bread cubes, cheese and sausage mixture.  Pour into baking dish.

Bake at uncovered for about 45 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Watch closely for the last ten minutes to avoid overcooking or burning the casserole.

Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.  Serve with Tabasco or fresh salsa.

Makes 12 servings.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!



*Also submitted at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Random Tuesday Thoughts about a Super Sloth with a Cough, a Sociopath, Some Hot Stuff and Track Tuesday

Posted on by Run DMT
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For the past two weeks, I had been suffering from a really nasty cold that I just couldn’t shake.  One of the fantastic symptoms of my cold was a horrible, wet hacking cough, like a smoker’s cough. No exaggeration, I sounded as though I had been smoking unfiltered Lucky Strikes for 20 years. With the cough, I also had this horrible tightness in my chest, which made it very difficult to breathe.

Despite not being able to breathe, I decided to go ahead and run in the 5 Miles for Moffitt race.  I already had skipped out on the Crazy Sombrero 5K the week before due to my cold and I didn’t want to miss another race.  Besides, my aunt spent the better part of two years fighting lung cancer, the least I could do was suck it up and run with a little chest cold.  Admittedly, that wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done.

Just as the experts warn you, you shouldn’t run with a chest cold.  A runny nose or sore throat is a different story.  Limited breathing due to chest congestion is not a good thing and I truly believe running in the race extended the life of my cold.  So, let this be a lesson to you. Learn from my mistake.  Always listen to the Livestrong Gods.

So while I spent the time recovering from my cold, my blog suffered.  Actually, everything suffered.  I didn’t have the energy to do much.  I missed out on the superhero challenge.   I missed out on the Track Tuesday speed work.  I missed out on logging miles for the Joggermom Marathon. It made me sad to miss out on it all.  For almost two weeks, I was a super sloth with a cough.

Then when I woke up on Saturday morning, I could breathe, but I waited a couple more days just to be safe. I started running again on Monday and today it was back to business as usual with my speed work.  I am happy to be back on “track” now.

Now that I’m all healthy again, I’m a #superhero once again doing my Spiderman and Superman sets as well as running and blogging again.  The first half of the month may have been a loss, but next couple of weeks and the Joggermom Marathon will end on a high note.

Although my running may be back to business as usual, my blogging still had a slow start because yesterday, I totally flaked on a Music Monday post, which is a first in almost 3 years.  I’ve been playing catch up now that I’m feeling better and blogging a music post didn’t make the must-do list.  I felt horrible about it too since I’m an honorary co-host this month with Xmas Dolly and 4M crew.  Plus, this week’s theme was a song from a movie and movie soundtracks are my thing, a lesson I learned from the late John Hughes.  And I had such a good one in my head, but it just never made it to the blog.  Aw hell, I’ll share it now.

Is anyone else sad that all the shows are ending?  I am not happy about all these season finales and cliff hangers.  I am completely addicted to Once Upon a Time and that cliff hanger was the worst best.  Of course, if the show is not renewed for another season, I would be happy with the ending, without giving too much away.

Please tell me I’m not alone with my Once Upon a Time obsession!  I can’t wait for the Season 1 DVD to be released (August 28) so I can watch it all over again.  Seriously, it’s that good.

Once Upon a Time: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

When I am really into a show, like I am with this one, I visit the show’s website and read all the actors’ bios and watch the interviews.  I love reading where the actors studied and what other shows they’ve done.  Since I’m a bit entranced by the actor who plays Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold, Robert Carlyle was the first I investigated.  Imagine my surprise, when I learned he was the actor who played Begbie in Trainspotting.  Actually, I wasn’t truly surprised, because Rumplestiltskin in pretty creepy as is Begbie.  But Begbie gave me nightmares.

In case you aren’t familiar with it, here’s a glimpse.  Warning: Begbie is a psycho sociopath and these clips are violent and riddled with vulgarities.

Robert Carlyle may be better known for his role as Gaz in The Full Monty. (Be sure to click on that link and watch the movie clip.  Gaz is one sexy thing. lol)  Truthfully, I prefer to remember him as Gaz than Begbie.  It also demonstrates the depth to his acting ability.  Plus, with Donna Summer’s passing over the weekend, this scene and song seem very fitting pretty fitting.

 

So, there you have it. My Music Monday post may be a day late, but Track Tuesday is now literally Track Tuesday.  And now for the sprints…

1.1   Mile

Time 11:05

Ave Pace 10:05

 

Lap 1 –  0.25 mile

Time 1:73

Ave Pace 7:37

 

Lap 2 – 0.25 mile

Time 1:73

Ave Pace 7:37

 

Lap 3 – 0.26 mile

Time 2:01

Ave Pace 7:53

 

Lap 4 0.24

Time 1:52

Ave Pace 7:39

 

1 mile

Time 10:14

Link up and share your speed work and some music for your Track Tuesday/Track Tuesday post.


*Also linking up at*

Stacy

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Random Thoughts about Nutella, Superheroes, a New Challenge, Anxiety and Track Tuesday

Posted on by Run DMT
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So, have you heard the news about Nutella? Are you surprised to hear it’s not healthy?  Shocking, I know.  How could something with sugar listed as its first ingredient not be healthy?  Not to mention, it has 3.5 grams of saturated fat and only 3 grams of protein.  How on earth did anyone think Nutella was healthy while peanut butter and eggs get a wrap?!

I have so many runner friends that love the stuff and I’m sure their Nutella power balls are getting soggy from all the sobbing they’re doing since hearing the latest news.  Personally, I never liked the stuff because it always tasted fake to me, but I think maybe I’ll make some cookies just to tease smooth things over with my runner friends.

My family and I can’t wait to see The Avengers this week and since we’re so pumped about the new movie, I planned this month’s fitness challenge around it.  When I told my oldest daughter, Allana, about the challenge, she told me I should have created exercises specific to The Avengers and then demonstrated some examples.

“You could smash something like the Hulk”, she said and threw a clasped fist as she squatted.

“And then you could throw a shield like Captain America”, she said as she twisted her torso to throw an invisible shield off to the side.

“And then you could smash a mallet like Thor”, she said as she twisted her torso and pretended to smash a mallet to the opposite side.  “But I’ll have to think about Iron Man.”

I think she’s onto to something there and I wish I had consulted her sooner.  We could still do the Superman exercise but call it Iron Man instead because Iron Man flies too.  I’m going to video record Allana and I performing the exercises and maybe we can throw them into the superhero mix.  Wouldn’t that be funny?

Last week, I had some terrible bouts of anxiety.  I’ve never shared my issues with anxiety before on my blog, because I’m a little embarrassed by it.  I’ve always been a “shake it off” kind of person and so it’s hard for me to admit to any issues with anxiety, but last week, I had two attacks and I feel compelled to share.

One happened during a run with my Strider friends.   About 3 miles into the run, I pulled back away from the pack to slow down a bit.  At the particular point, the path became very dark.  Since I had forgotten my flashlight, an overwhelming sense of fear began welling up in me.  I tried to stay focused on my pace to avoid crying.  It was awful.  Next time, I need to stay with a buddy or bring my flashlight or pop a Zoloft.  Though, I think fear worked in my favor because I had a pretty good run.

4 miles

Time 39:11

Ave Pace 9:48

Max Pace 7:29

The next panic attack happened the very next day at a media event at Sea World.  I became overwhelmed by the crowd, but I powered through it once again.  I haven’t had a bad spells with my anxiety in awhile so I was really taken back by these episodes.

Hubby is out of town for a few days, which has put a damper of my training especially my speed work.  Therefore, I have no sprints to share this week.  Hopefully, Ricole can be a hero and save the day with some faster than a speeding bullet sprints for Track Tuesday.


How about you?  Did you do some sprints?  Link up and share.



By the way, while you’re here don’t miss out on the Joggermom Marathon and giveaway!

Stacy

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

May Challenge: Channel Your Inner Superhero

Posted on by Run DMT
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My family and I are HUGE superheroes fans.  We’ve seen all the comic book movies a dozen or so times and we are super excited about The Avengers movie to be released this week.

Now, you’re probably wondering what that has to do with a fitness challenge.  Stay with me.

With The Avengers making its way into theaters, it got me thinking about superheroes which led me to thinking about Superman and Spiderman which then led me to thinking about exercises of the same name.  Did you follow my bizarre train of thought or did I totally lose you?

And then my creative juices really began to flow and I knew just what to plan for our next challenge.  In May, we will channel out inner superhero with the help of Spiderman and Superman and by doing so, a transformation will take place.  (*Insert dramatic music and wind effect.*)

A Spiderman exercise is like a side lunge while touching the floor in plank position.  Spiderman exercises are great for the obliques and lord knows, I need some help in that area.

This Spiderman demonstration has three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.

The Superman helps strengthen your powerhouse.

Together, these exercises are a fantastic follow up to all the burpees from the previous month and will continue to strengthen our core, which is crucial for runners.

For this fitness challenge, do 20 reps of Spiderman exercises (10 on each side), drop into a plank hold for 30 seconds and then do a Superman for 30 seconds. Repeat this entire set three times.

You can do these superhero sets every day or three times a week.  I will probably shoot for 3 times a week because I also want to add crunches back into my work-outs and continue with burpees and push-ups as well.

What about you?  Are you ready to channel your inner superhero?  Are you ready for a transformation and new results?



If you want to join the Run DMT Channel Your Inner Superhero May Challenge, add your blog url or Twitter ID to the linky, which will stay open until May 31.

Blog and tweet about the Run DMT Channel Your Inner Superhero May Challenge to get others to join in the fitness challenge.  Be sure to add the Super Run DMT “Channel Your Inner Superhero” button/infographic to your post.

Once you join the linky party, please visit other participants blog’s to show support and offer encouragement.  Also, follow #superhero on Twitter give to receive additional support from the challenge crew.

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+


Skinnytaste’s Chicken Rollatini Stuffed with Zucchini and Mozzarella

Posted on by Run DMT
7

PhotobucketMan, do I love rollatini.  I’ll eat anything rolled up like a pinwheel.  Stuff it with some ricotta and eggplant, bread it and fry it up and it’s a delicious artery clogging meal that I want curl up with like a snuggly blanket.  Talk about getting wrapped up in your food!

Finally, eating rollatini doesn’t have to clog any arteries or make us round like the rollatini we love.  Thanks to Skinnytaste, we have a few low-fat rollatini options.  This week, I decided to try Skinnytaste’s Chicken Rollatini Stuffed with Zucchini and Mozzarella.

I started by shredding the zucchini in the food processor.  Then, I sautéed it in some garlic and olive oil and then added some parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

I prepared the chicken by pounding it out to approximately a quarter inch thick and cut each breast into 4×6 inch fillets.

Then, I added the zucchini mixture in the center of each fillet.

I rolled it up, dipped it in an olive oil and lemon juice wash and covered it a parmesan breadcrumb mix.

I baked it until golden brown and served it with mashed cauliflower for a low carb side dish.  (I know.  I know. I still have to share my mashed cauliflower recipe.)

It was so delicious.  It’s hard to believe something this tasty is low-fat.  Next time, I’ll go for the full carb effect and serve it with a side of pasta for a meal with a more Italian flare rather than mashed cauliflower.

 

Skinnytaste’s Chicken Rollatini Stuffed with Zucchini and Mozzarella

(Adapted from Skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients

For the filling
1 tsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 ½ (1 medium) zucchini, shredded

¼ cup Romano or parmesan cheese

3 oz part skim shredded mozzarella

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb chicken breasts

 

For the breading

½  cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp Romano or parmesan cheese

1 lemon, juice of

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and fresh pepper

Olive oil non-stick spray

 

Directions

Wash and dry cutlets.  Wrap breasts in cling film.  Then, using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts until thin, about a ¼ inch in thickness.  Trim the flatten breast to approximately 4 x 6 inch fillets.  Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add oil when hot then sauté garlic a minute, or until golden. Add zucchini, 1/4 cup Romano cheese, salt and pepper and sauté about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. When cool, add mozzarella cheese and mix to combine.

Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread 3 Tbsp of zucchini-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.

Combine breadcrumbs and grated cheese in one bowl; in a second bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in another bowl.

Dip chicken in lemon-oil mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a baking dish. (No toothpicks needed.) Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spraywith oil spray.

Bake 25 – 30 minutes.

 

What meals did you get wrapped up in this week?  

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!



 

Psssst…Did you hear?

My shortbread candy bars were this week’s Project Pinterest pick. WOOHOO! Yay me! :-)

It's on the Tip of My Tongue

*Also submitted at*


Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Random Thoughts about Sweets, Sweats, Burpees and Track Tuesday

Posted on by Run DMT
15

For my New Year’s resolution, I swore off sugar and was doing really good with it.  I survived Valentine’s Day without going overboard.  I even made some delicious brownies for St. Patrick’s Day without falling too badly off the wagon.

Then, Easter came and all the stores were stockpiled with scrumptious Easter candy like Peeps and chocolate covered Peeps and Robin Eggs and Cadbury eggs and not-so-great- generic store-brand jellybeans and oh-so-delicious Starbust jellybeans.

I’d like to say I ate all of the above in moderation, but I didn’t.  In fact, I fell so hard off the no-sugar wagon that I got a headache from the volumes of sugar I ate.  Man, I was jonesing BAD, like a crack addict.

I seriously had no idea that sugar and sweets could affect me like that.  I was a mess.  I had successfully eliminated sweets from my diet and in a matter of days, I couldn’t get enough of it.  I would eat one Peep after another followed a fistful of jellybeans, followed by countless numbers of Cadbury’s mini-eggs.  It was CRAZY how fast I was ingesting it all!

So, guess what I did with all that candy?

No, I didn’t throw it out.  There are children starving in this country, for heaven’s sake!  I hid it, so the temptation is no longer in my line of sight when I open the pantry.  It’s a mind-over-matter thing for me, you see or don’t see.  Whatever.  The point is this works for me.

I’ve also been making Easter trail mix with pretzels and the leftover jelly beans for my kids’ lunches.  Don’t judge.  I know it’s not the healthiest lunchtime snack, but I’d like to believe their sharing it with their friends at school like good little sugar pushers.

But then guess what I did?  I found Cadbury mini-eggs 50% off at Target the other day, so I simply had to buy two bags.  Don’t you worry!  I hid them in pantry, too.  As long as the bag stays sealed, I’ll be all right.  Truth be told, I think I’m going to bake some Candy Bar Shortbread Bars with the mini-milk chocolate candy coated eggs for a brunch I’m going to this Saturday.  I pinkie-promise to only test them one.

The burpee challenge is going well.  What I mean is it’s getting tougher but I can definitely feel myself getting stronger.  At the end of the challenge, I’d like to perform another push-up exhaustion test, but with real push-ups not alternate push-ups to see how many real ones I can do.  At this point, I can do 17 push-ups as part of a burpee, then I should be able to do at least than many or more.

And let’s not forget the running!  Last Wednesday, I wanted to run 6 miles but my legs hurt so bad from Amy Dixon’s ass Kickin’ Strength work-out that I could only manage 5 miles.

5 miles

Time 52:56

Ave Pace 10:36

Max Pace 8:33

My legs were still sore on Friday when I tried to run 3 miles, but I ran with my stroller for what I like to call resistance training.  Running with a stroller is like running up a hill…both ways.

3 .1 miles

Time 33:30

Ave Pace 10:49

Max Pace 8:25

All that soreness and a stroller may have slowed me down a bit, but I made up the time on Sunday when I finally did run 6 miles.  I inserted a lap at mile five just because I was curious if my time had improved from Wednesday.

6.2 miles

Time 1:02:13

Lap 1 – mile 5 – 50:05

Ave Pace 10:03

Max Pace 7:42

Today, I decided to do some speed work instead of subjecting myself to another Amy ass kicking and then I ran a couple of easy miles with my kids’ running club.

1 mile

Time 9:46

Ave Pace 9:47

Max Pace 5:53

Lap 1 – 0.25 miles – 1:49, Ave Pace 7:12

Lap 2 – 0.25 miles – 1:52, Ave Pace 7:30

Lap 3 – 0.25 miles – 1:47, Ave Pace 7:11

Lap 4 – 0.25 mile – 1:54, Ave Pace 7:37

1.1 miles

Time 10:55

Ave Pace 9:56

Max Pace 7:47

Speaking of speed work…Starting next week, Ricole Runs and I will be hosting a running linky party called Track Tuesday and we are so super stoked about it.  Well, not about the sprints, but we’re definitely excited about what we believe to be the first speed work blog hop ever!


Calling all runners!

Every Tuesday, Ricole and I will perform some sprints and we’d like you to join our torturous Track Tuesday efforts.  To join our Track Tuesday Team, do your speed work (at least 4 quarter mile sprints) on Tuesday or any day you that works best for you, blog about your times and remember to add our cool Track Tuesday button to your post.  Then, link up your post at either Ricole Runs or Run DMT to share Track Tuesday Speed Work Sessions.  To show support for our other virtual running partners on the Track Tuesday Team, be sure to visit the other blogs listed in the linky party.  Give them a virtual high-five and leave some comment love too.

So, I hope to see you back here next Tuesday to join our new runner’s linky party, Track Tuesday!

*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Random Thoughts about Skipping a Beat, 10 Burpees, Some Shoes and a Few 5Ks

Posted on by Run DMT
2

I’ve spent the past two days recovering from Spring Break which has been mostly spent sweeping and tidying away the fallout from Easter and Spring Break.  It’s amazing how dirty and unkempt my house looks even though we spent so little time in it over the past week.

I’ve been so busy trying to play catch-up to my housework that I didn’t even blog yesterday for Music Monday.  Gasp!  I had a post in my head complete with photographs showing all our fun in the sun which I was going to link up at Kristi’s Leap into Spring! Photo Challenge at Live and Love Out Loud.  However, time just escaped me while one Little Lion Man wouldn’t leave me side, so I couldn’t swing it.  Maybe I’ll work on it for Wordless Wednesday, minus sunny day song.

We’re on day 10 for the 30 Day Burpee Challenge, which means we’ve moved hit double digits.  Truth be told, ten burpees about did me in today.  I am so out of shape, which why I need to do burpees.  It’s a vicious cycle.

Have I ever mentioned that I assist with my kids’ running club after school?  Every Tuesday, I run about 3 miles with my stroller and close to 50 kids.  Besides spending quality running time with my girls, it’s all part of my evening training plan to help me train for upcoming evening races in warmer weather.  And you thought I was trying to be a good mom!  Nope.  I’m just trying to be a better mother summer runner.

I officially registered for my first summer race: Oldsmar 5K (formerly the Oldsmar Taphouse Run) in June.  Even though it’s hotter than hell, this is one of my favorite races.  I love the flat course and its beautiful view of the bay.  It’s not chipped, but the first 50 finishers get “Das Boot” and since that will never be me holding Das Boot, I’m just going to have fun with it and get my drink on after the race.  I get to do my thing, taking photos running happy and snappy as usual and I’ll have a beer or two or three when it’s all finished.  Did I mention that there is free beer for all runners at the finish?

My new Brooks Trance 10 running shoes arrived last Thursday afternoon and I unfortunately didn’t have the chance to break them in before the race.  In other words, I wore brand-spanking new shoes for a race, which incidentally was 5K trail run.  I had no idea it was a trail run!  So not only was a panicking about not running for over a week due to plantar fasciitis, I began panicking because I hadn’t trained for a trail.  And on top of it all, I worried that I would dirty my pretty new white shoes.  Such a girl!  I’ll tell you more about the race in another post.

Speaking of shoes, our new pup chewed through my pink Spenco flip-flops.  Son of…!  They were about a year old anyway and I was long overdue for a new pair as they had lost some of the support in them, but still.  UGH!  Thank goodness it wasn’t my new Abeo shoes but I’ve been hiding those out of the dog’s reach.  Oh well.  Now, I have an excuse to buy a new pair.  Maybe I’ll go for the pink (honeysuckle) cork shoes?

Before I forget, WordPress is hosting a Automattic Worldwide WP 5k.  The WWWP5k is set for Sunday, April 29, but you can do your run/walk anytime from April 23rd-29th, which means you’ve got a week to fit it in.  If you’ve never done a 5K, the WWWP5K is the perfect no-pressure 5K, because like the Automattic gang put it so eloquently, “you can run, walk, or skip the 3.1 miles. It’s up to you. There’s no time limit and there’s just one requirement: that you participate! You can do it inside or outside, on a treadmill or on a track, or even do a swim or a bike ride instead of running/walking – just get moving!”

So, will you join the WWWP5K on April 29?  Of course, I’m down with WWWP5K. Yeah you know me. It should be a lot easier than 10 burpees.

*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Heart-Healthy Spinach Avocado Egg Salad

Posted on by Run DMT
13

PhotobucketAfter Easter Sunday, you’ll have a dozen or so colored hard boiled eggs hanging around and if you’re like me, you’ll want to make egg salad with them.  It sounds a bit like a children’s book, doesn’t it?  If you give a mom a dozen Easter eggs, she’ll probably make egg salad with them. 

Although traditional egg salad is delicious, it’s not the healthiest with all the mayo added to make it tasty.  Enter an avocado spinach egg salad made with half an avocado, spinach, plain non-fat yogurt and 1 hardboiled egg.

Every week, there is some study stating if eggs are good for you or not.  Eggs may be associated with high cholesterol but eggs are high in Vitamin D and Omega-3 and that’s pretty good if you don’t get enough fish in your diet, like me.  Toss in an avocado and spinach also rich in vitamins and lowering-cholesterol minerals and you’ve got a reason to celebrate all those left over Easter eggs.

I found this recipe on Pinterest pinned via We Are Not Martha.  The original recipe uses seven eggs, but I modified it for one serving.  If you want to make a big batch of it at once, follow We Are Not Martha’s recipe.  Since I’m the only one in this house that will eat this, I prefer to make it fresh each time and I always eat it right out of the bowl…even for breakfast.

Heart-Healthy Spinach Avocado Egg Salad

Ingredients

1 hardboiled egg, coarsely chopped

¼ cup baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped

½ Haas avocado, mashed

1 Tbsp plain non-fat yogurt

Dash crushed red pepper flakes

Salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

 

Directions

Mash half a Hass avocado in a medium sized bowl.  Add all chopped ingredients, red pepper flakes and yogurt. Mix until well combined.  Add salt and pepper.

Serve as a dip, in a wrap or on toasted whole grain bread.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!


*Also submitted at*


Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Pushing Our Luck Challenge: Final Exhaustion Test

Posted on by Run DMT
2

On Wednesday, I finished the March Pushing Our Luck Challenge (also known as the Hundred Push-up Program) by performing my final exhaustion test.  I completed 70 push-ups.  Not, quite one hundred but pretty good, I suppose.

I vlogged my final exhaustion test for your amusement and yes, I did 70 alternate girlie push-ups.  Don’t judge.

 

Although I only completed 70, there has been some definite improvement.  At the initial test, I could only do 30 alternate push-ups, so I’ve more than doubled my maximum set, which means I’ve increased my endurance and strength. In the end, that’s what it is all about, isn’t it?

How did you finish the March Pushing Our Luck Challenge?  Did you show some improvement too?

For our next challenge, we’re springing into April with Run DMT’s 30 Day Burpee Challenge.  We’re only on Day 5, so there’s still plenty time to join the fun.  Found out more about the burpee challenge and join the linky party here.  Also, follow #30burpees on Twitter track everyone’s progress.

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Enjoying a Red Sunrise from The Walking Company

Posted on by Run DMT
7

Upon a recent visit to The Walking Company I fell in love with the numerous styles and colors of comfortable shoes.  Sure, there were the traditional walking brands, like Clarks, Birkenstock and New Balance, but I was blown away by the variety of stylish sandals.  For once a girl can be cute and comfortable at the same time!

With the help of the sales assistance, I had my feet scanned for a proper fit and within seconds, a high tech analysis had measured me as a size 39, also known as an 8 US.

I tried on a few pairs and it was love at first step.  I even tweeted about them.

The prices of shoes at The Walking Company compare to your average running shoes, therefore, I experienced no sticker shock.  However, I needed new running shoes before fancy, fun sandals and I had to overrule any purchases based upon need vs. want.  Like a good consumer, I left the store empty handed, but with very sad feet.

A few hours later, I received an email from The Walking Company stating they would like to send me a pair of ABEO Biomechanical Footwear shoes.  I only needed to visit the site and make a selection.

You’re joking?  No need to tell me twice.  I was on it like a fashionista famished for new shoes.

When I visited the site, I discovered the most amazing thing. The Walking Company sells shoes specific to plantar faciistis.  I had died and gone to shoe heaven, because my feet would be walking on clouds this summer.

Much like my experience in the store, there were so many fun styles online.  After clicking through the site, I decided upon a fun color for summer: the ABEO Sunrise Red Reptile.

shoe

Now, I could share with you all the high-tech terminology and features of the shoes, but that’s all listed on the website.  You only need to know one thing: I love them.

My Red Reptile ABEO Sunrise shoes are so comfortable.  I don’t have any heel pain when I wear them.  I can walk in them for hours and never feel a twinge of pain from plantar fasciitis.  It’s like wearing running shoes, only much more stylish.  I can dress them up or down by coordinating the shoes with a sundress or shorts.  I can wear them to church, the mall, the park, the beach, an amusement park or restaurant.

Anything goes with a Sunrise (even a glass of red wine and purple toenail polish), but it’s the trendy comfort that makes this so fitting for my active mother runner lifestyle.

*I received these shoes as a gift from The Walking Company and I received no compensation for my review.  This review was offered in return for The Walking Company’s generosity.*  

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+