Welcome to Becoming Elli

We want to be like Elli because she was the Norse Goddess of Aging who beat Thor in a wrestling match. We want to be like Elli, fit and strong as we age
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Monday - Friday working out
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Fit Strong Women Over 50 Podcast

Northeast Ohio

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Author: Jill McCauslin

Becoming Elli / Articles posted by Jill McCauslin (Page 16)
sauerkraut

Veggie Challenge with Sauerkraut

Yes, my entry this week in the veggie challenge involves sauerkraut. I think fermented vegetables can count for the challenge. I've certainly eaten sauerkraut before but I came up with a new way to eat it. I know this is not a pretty dish. In fact, the photo is pretty bad but it ended up tasting better than it looks. I thought of this and then I googled it. I discovered that I'm not the first person to think of it but I did think of it without prompting. We've talked about fermented vegetables before and I'm trying to add at least one serving of fermented food into my day. Sauerkraut with Sardines This is a simple recipe. Mash up some sardines and mix them with some sauerkraut. That's it. When I...

resistant starch

What is Resistant Starch and Why Should We Eat It?

Let's talk about resistant starch. What is it? Why should we eat it? What do we eat to add it to our diet? We had a mini-Becoming Elli outing a couple weeks ago and went to see a screening of The Gut Movie. The website adds a subtitle of A Story of Poo and the Future of Medicine. The documentary was an interesting look at research on the microbiome which is the microorganisms living in our intestines and the effect it has on our health. If you have the opportunity to see this movie, take it. I think we all learned something new from watching it. Here on the Becoming Elli website, we’ve discussed the benefits of eating fermented foods for our bodies and our microbiome. In...

2019 Hop for Hope 5K

First Race of 2019 Hop for Hope 5K

Last week I ran the 2019 Hop for Hope 5K. This is getting to be a tradition. It’s April 2019 and I ran my first race of the year. I’ve run this race a few times which I wrote about last year. It also seems to be a tradition that I’m not feeling prepared for running the race. I suspect that’s because it’s April and early spring in Ohio. Quick recap of the race. I would say fewer people signed up for the race this year. This could be due to a few other 5/10 Ks going on in the area on the same day. It was a beautiful spring day with perfect temperatures for running, about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  It was sunny and dry. Really,...

watercress salad

Watercress Salad for Veggie Challenge

Watercress is a green that can be used in salads, sandwiches, soup, and anywhere else where you might use arugula, spinach, and other greens. I just recently heard what a nutritional powerhouse watercress is so thought I'd give it a try. I found it at a local grocery store in a plastic tub similar to what the other greens I buy come in. The watercress that I bought was grown locally. Given that I bought it in March, it must be grown hydroponically or in a green house. There are no greens growing in fields in northeast Ohio this March.The cost was comparable to buying baby kale, spinach, and spring mix. I liked the flavor of watercress. It's has a bit of a bite to it, though...

Indoor Triathlon

My First Indoor Triathlon

Recently, I did my first triathlon of any kind. I was nervous about it, mainly because I thought it was likely that I’d not be able to finish it. Fortunately, I did finish and ended up being happy over the results. Indoor Triathlon Set Up This indoor triathlon was set up for: 10 minutes swimming in a lap pool 25 minutes riding a stationary bike 20 minutes running on a treadmill Indoor triathlons are probably easier than outdoor ones because the swimming is in a pool instead of open water. There are no issues with weather or having to figure out where you’re going. Also, it’s a great advantage to be able to kick off from the wall every time you turn direction in the pool. The bikes...

potato and kale soup

Sherry’s Favorite Potato and Kale Soup

Sherry Chlysta was kind enough to share a recipe for her favorite vegetable soup when she was talking to us on episode 30 of the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast. Her recipe was adapted from a recipe she found on  cookingcannuck.com Sherry's Favorite Potato and Kale Soup Ingredients 2 tsp olive oil 3/4 cup of frozen chopped onion 2 large stalk celery, diced 2 medium carrot, diced 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 T crushed dried rosemary 1 1/2 tsp crushed dried thyme 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 6 oz can tomato paste 1 1/2 pounds of little potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch pieces 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth 3 T vegetable boullion 6 cups water 1 (14 oz) can of garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed 4 Cups kale, chopped 6 oz frozen spinach Salt to taste Directions Heat olive...

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improving fitness through spinning

Improving Fitness Through Spinning with Sherry Chlysta

Fit Strong Women Over 50 Podcast Episode #30 Download | Play in New Window Please Subscribe: Apple Podcasts  (iTunes) | Google Podcasts | Android-Google Play | Stitcher | Player FM | Castbox | Tunein | Spotify | RSS In episode 30 of the Fit Strong Women over 50 podcast for the Becoming Elli community, Chris and Jill discuss improving fitness through spinning with Sherry Chylsta. They talk about the basics of spinning, working your muscles, and share advice about working out. Sherry is a Star 3 lifetime-certified spinning instructor who enjoys making classes challenging and fun for all at a gym in Hudson, Ohio. She has been a certified instructor for about ten years. Sherry loves athletics and while she misses road races, she knows a no-impact workout like spinning is something she can enjoy for a lifetime. On a professional side, Sherry is the Director of Studies at Western...

cousa squash

Vegetable Challenge: Cousa Squash

I wandered into a local neighborhood produce store, hoping to find something unique for our vegetable challenge. The selection was fine if I just wanted to buy some produce but trying to find something unique proved to be a challenge in itself. After wandering through the produce aisles two or three times, I spied some cousa squash on the shelf above the zucchini and yellow summer squash. I was way too excited to find a squash, let's just say that. I knew nothing about cousa squash so I searched on Google for it. Apparently, the cousa squash is from the Middle East and is similar to zucchini and other summer squash. I think it's a bit sweeter and its shape is shorter and a bit fatter...

add planks to your workout

Five Reasons to Add Planks to Your Workout

Why should you add planks to your workout? It seems like trainers love to have us do planks and there seems to always be some type of plank challenge going on. Just go online to find people who can hold a plank for half a lifetime. Chris talked about using planks to help with strengthening the core in an earlier post. Planks are a great way to strengthen our bodies. Add Planks to Your Workout There are lots of reasons to add planks to your workout. I've listed five here but each of these reasons can lead to more benefits. Basically, if you add planks to your workout, you're adding something that is quick and easy to do, well, easy as in you don't need to do...

Fitness Routine

My Fitness Routine – Improving Strength, Flexibility, and Balance

Since I’ve been cleared to resume exercising, I’ve been struggling to come up with a fitness routine that works for me. I want to return to some of the things I’ve enjoyed doing but I also want to avoid injuring myself. I’ve decided I need to work on core strength, flexibility, balance, and variety. I’m hoping that working variety into my fitness routine will help me avoid injury and any kind of repetitive stress problems. I’ve come up with a fitness routine that is working for me right now. Of course, it’s still winter in Ohio so I’m not getting outside very often. This routine might change once spring and summer arrive. I also find that if I assign certain days to certain exercises, I’m likely to get...