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The Wonders of Walking

August 8, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Today, I want to talk about the wonders of walking. It’s an activity that can help our bodies in so many ways. Some of the benefits of walking are:

Improves our heart and lung fitness (cardiovascular and respiratory fitness)
Improves our mood and reduces anxiety and depression
Increases our endurance
Helps with balance

Wonders of Walking

One of the best benefits of walking, though, is the opportunity it gives you to see the world. It doesn’t matter where you walk. You can just see a lot of interesting things.

When I go for a run, I’m usually focused on form and speed and my heart rate. I notice what’s around me but I rarely stop to take a photo. I also can miss things because I’m moving at a faster pace than walking. That’s even though I’m not a fast runner.

Walking lets you notice changes in your neighborhood. For example, I’ve discovered houses for sale while out walking or noticing that someone seems to be struggling to take care of their yard. I have noticed multiple houses having their roofs replaced. Does that mean there was a storm that went through or an effective salesperson?

I love to walk on trails in the parks around me so I can see a great variety of wildlife that way. Turtles, blue herons, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, deer, geese, and a wide range of other birds are all around me. I also find wild flowers and notice the great variety of trees in the area. A variety of birds are chirping and calling to each other.

Recently I walked on a bike and hike trail. It’s paved and well used by the community. I saw kids riding bikes, bicyclists swooping past on their fancy road bikes, couples out walking together, mothers pushing strollers, and teens playing Pokemon Go, and still managed to enjoy myself. Seeing members of your community out enjoying walking too feels great.

This is the mental health aspect of walking, I guess. It’s a great way to reduce anxiety and just feel better about the world. I try to take photos of some of the things I see.

What do you see on your walks? What brings you the wonders of walking?

Getting Veggies during My Big Bike Ride

August 5, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

I posted on Saturday about the fundraising bike ride that I was participating in over this past weekend. Even though I was not preparing any of my own food for the two days of the event, I was still on the lookout for getting my vegetables! Can’t really call this a full #veggiechallenge success, but here are a couple of veggies that I ate during the weekend.

The dinner on Saturday was a great veggie success at the Ashland College cafeteria! There we had an all-you-can-eat salad bar filled with many wonderful chopped vegetables and also a cooked-to-order vegetable bar. Many many other choices too, but I had the salad bar for my first plate. Then I opted for a big plate of steamed veggies mixed with olive oil (spinach, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, snap peas, shredded carrots and maybe cauliflower.) Delicious! Topped that off with dessert from their dairy bar/cookie area.

I was so tired after riding the first day, I completely forgot to take a photo until I finished. Oh well, you’ll have to just imagine.

This photo was my lunch on Sunday. I had a double serving of chicken salad with pecans, some salsa med/mild, bean salad with a heavy dressing of some sort, and a double serving of grapes. Throughout the ride, there were PBJ sandwiches, bananas, pickles and lots of junk food on the ride at each rest stop approximately 8-10 miles apart.

After I fully recover from all the riding and excitement, I’ll do a ride recap. Fun times and tired legs!

You Don’t Have to Listen

August 3, 2019 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

When that little voice in your head says “Are you kidding?!? You are too old.” You don’t have to listen.

When you think about a new challenge and think “I can’t do that! That’s too much/too tall/too long/ too hard.” You have a choice. You don’t have to listen to those negative thoughts.

Or when you look in the mirror and the mirror looks back as if to say “No, not you.” YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LISTEN.

It took me a long time to learn this. Who am I kidding? I’m still trying to learn this. Ha ha!

It’s easy to forget that the one person who is holding me back is… me.

Jill and I have talked about getting past negative voices during a podcast about a year ago. We have a list of mantras to download (just provide an email) to help you reframe your challenges.

This weekend I’m riding in the Buckeye Breakaway, a 150 mile fundraiser. Having a strong mental game feels just about as important as being physically prepared.

The ride is going to be hot. It’s going to be long. It will start at what I call “dark thirty.” And for me, it will probably end in mid afternoon when it’s really really hot.

The purpose of the ride is to help support research about MS. There are around 20,000 people in Ohio that have MS. There is no known cause. No known cure. And it mostly affects women. (My sister is one of those who have been diagnosed with MS.) In truth, this is one of my favorite weekends of the year because I get to ride bicycles with my friends and enjoy being with a fun group of people. There will be lots of food, laughs and good times.

I’m going to remember to hydrate, use sunscreen and plenty of chamois butter. And to keep my focus on the positive to ride with a light heart.

Look for a recap in the next week or so from me to hear about how it went.

QUICK UPDATE on the following Tuesday: You don’t have to listen to negative thoughts. But after interviewing one of our experts for the podcast, I remembered her saying about “if your heart rate doesn’t drop, you should finish for the day.” Check out my post this coming Saturday to hear what happened!

Kayaking on the Cuyahoga River

August 1, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

I spent last Saturday with my 25-year-old son. We went kayaking on the Cuyahoga River. The river was calm, nothing like what it was a few weeks ago after many heavy rains. Once the kayak and canoe livery where we rented the canoe took us upriver on a bus and dropped us off, we simply made our way downriver to return to our docking area.

The Cuyahoga River is one of those success stories on environmental change. This is the river that caught on fire in Cleveland many years ago. According to the Plain Dealer, in April 2019, the Cuyahoga River was named “River of the Year” to celebrate its effect on the environmental movement.

To celebrate 50 years of environmental resurgence, the Cuyahoga River has been named “River of the Year” by American Rivers.

The Washington D.C.-based conservation organization works to protect wild rivers, restore damage rivers and advocate for clean water.

In fact, the livery company we used was called Burning River Adventures. I guess enough time has gone by that we can use a name like that.

We were far downstream from Cleveland, however. Dams once contained the river but many of them have been removed. Therefore, the has returned to its natural state and it’s now possible to use the river for recreational purposes.

Kayaking on the Cuyahoga River

Our trip was lovely. A beautiful Saturday in July on the water cruising through lots of woodlands. There was not much development along the river where we were so we saw turtles, blue herons, and ducks. Not the most exotic list of wildlife but still enjoyable.

This was not the most strenuous of activities. I didn’t have to work very hard and because we were using a tandem kayak, my son did the steering. It turns out that he is proud of his kayaking skills and that he learned how to kayak at the YMCA camp we sent him to when he was about 12. That investment paid off!

So, physically, this wasn’t challenging but it was enjoyable and I got to spend some quality time with my son. He left town the next day so it was a fantastic way to end his visit.

Chris wrote about kayaking recently and its growth in popularity. It’s not surprising that so many people are taking it up. Plus, kayaks are pretty easy to transport, based on the number of cars I see driving through the area with kayaks on top.

I thought kayaking on the Cuyahoga River was so much fun that I really want to continue with it. Let me know if you also enjoy kayaking or what new activity you’re enjoying.

Getting Back into the Groove

July 27, 2019 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

I’m struggling with getting back into the groove of my usual routines and good habits. My planned consistency has taken a back seat to summer social activities.

It’s funny. I looked forward to summer so much so that I could be outside, running, riding and building my physical levels. Looking back over this year (since summer is more than half over now) between the family vacation, reunions, birthdays, a long wedding weekend, kayak trips and camp-outs, my summer has had more social activity and less physical activity than the last eight or nine summers have had.

A regular schedule and a set routine helps ensure I plan my meals, shop for healthy produce regularly, and consistently get solid exercise.

Don’t get me wrong, I love connecting and reconnecting with family, friends and loved ones! But my consistent pattern of working toward my consistency goals has definitely suffered.

I haven’t done as many long bike rides this summer and my big fundraising ride is next weekend. Excuses like “it’s too wet” or it’s too hot” are actually somewhat legitimate. Temperatures and weather events have been epic this summer. Because of social events, even my indoor yoga routine has been inconsistent.

Getting Back into the Groove
I am in the cue for an audio book from the library that always helps me get back on track: The Power of Habit.

I am reminding myself of my word of the year: resilient.

And re-reminding myself to get back into the sync of things with a focus on weight loss maintenance by staying consistent… staying with the #VeggieChallenge in 2019, and continuing to overcome the fear and jitters of new challenges.

Sometimes getting back in the groove feels like being in a rut. In this case, I don’t think so. Getting consistent exercise, sticking with good eating habits and pushing myself a little out of my comfort zone on a regular basis – that’s the kind of life schedule that keeps me feeling strong and fit, both physically and mentally.

How do you stay strong and fit both physically and mentally? Do you find power in routine or are you more of a spontaneous person? Leave a message in the comments below or a voice mail on 330-970-6662. Be sure to reference this article. Thanks!

Adding Vegetables to Breakfast

July 25, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

So now I’m adding vegetables to breakfast? Really? Why?

Recently, I attended a talk by a local doctor and a health coach. They said most of us need to increase the amount of vegetables we’re eating and said we should get nine to ten servings of vegetables per day.

The only way I can see to do that is by adding vegetables to breakfast.

My typical lunch is a big bowl of salad with a lot of different vegetables on it. I usually start with a bowl of greens, preferably a mix of some kind of lettuce and spinach and then I might add some kale or micro greens in there too. Lunch easily gives me three to four servings of vegetables.

Dinner is when I’m most likely to have some meat or fish. I try to fill my plate with an assortment of vegetables, some raw and some cooked. I might have another salad and roast a variety of vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes. So, I can again get three to four servings at this meal.

This leaves me a bit shy of the nine servings of vegetables.

So, I am working on adding vegetables to breakfast. There’s a variety of ways to do that. Sometimes I just reheat leftover roasted vegetables from the night before and maybe top them with a fried egg. This is a delicious meal.

I use my blender at times to make a breakfast smoothie and try to include a few vegetables and fruit in that. Here’s a recipe I posted on my current version of a good smoothie. This smoothie is an easy way to get several servings of fruits and vegetables.

Another easy way to add vegetables is to make scrambled eggs with vegetables. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, saute them, and scramble them with egg. A great way to start the day.

How do you get all of the servings of vegetables you want to be eating? Is it difficult or a breeze? Let me know how you manage it or what you struggle with.

Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables Recipe for Veggie Challenge

July 24, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Scrambled eggs with vegetables is just about the easiest breakfast imaginable. The only thing easier would be omitting the vegetables and just having scrambled eggs but then that wouldn’t work for the veggie challenge, would it?

I often order a vegetable omelet when I breakfast at a restaurant but I struggle to make omelets as good. This dish is similar but easier. There’s something about starting with day with this dish that just makes me feel like I’m off to a good start.

Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables

Assemble the vegetables that you have on hand and chop them into small pieces. Try to make them as close to the same size as possible. In this photo, I used onion, bell pepper, broccoli, and sugar snap peas.

Break two or three eggs into a bowl and whisk until the yolks and whites are blended.

Melt some butter or oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.

Add the vegetables and saute until tender.

Add the whisked eggs and gently fold the eggs as they cook. When the eggs are done to your liking, transfer to a plate.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Enoy your breakfast of scrambled eggs with vegetables.

Notes

If you eat dairy, cheese is a great addition to this dish. You can use cheddar, swiss, or pepper jack cheese. Again, whatever you have on hand is fine.

Greens would be a good addition to this dish. If you have kale or spinach or some other type of greens, consider adding some to the vegetables. Spinach cooks more quickly than most vegetables so you should add it after the other vegetables have started to become tender.

You can also top this dish with some salsa if you have it. That’s an easy way to add even more vegetables to the dish.

Breakfast Smoothie Recipe Veggie Challenge

July 24, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

I’ve been making a breakfast smoothie frequently for the past few months. I seem to go in cycles on smoothies. At times, they’re great and I enjoy having them. They satisfy me until lunch time and I have control over what I eat.

Because I add the frozen berries and the pomegranate juice, this smoothie is not green. It can turn a pinkish color, though sometimes it’s not an appetizing color. If that happens, serve it in a mug.

Here’s the recipe of what I’ve been doing lately. You can easily switch out the vegetables and fruit. Just use what you have on hand.

Breakfast Smoothie Ingredients

2 handfuls kale

1 chunk cucumber, skin removed unless organic

1 carrot

1/2 avocado, peeled and seeded

2 to 3 handfuls frozen berries

1/4 cup pomegranate juice

1 cup almond milk

1 serving Orgain Organic Protein Powder, Vanilla Bean flavor

Throw all of the ingredients into a strong blender and blend. Follow your blender’s directions for the best order to put the ingredients.

This makes one generous serving or two moderate servings.

Notes

You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand though be careful if you use a vegetable with a strong flavor. For example, I find the taste of celery to be too distinctive to use in a smoothie.
If you don’t have any avocado, use some other source of fat. That might be a tablespoon of coconut oil or almond butter. Having the fat in the smoothie helps this feel like a complete meal.
You don’t have to use any juice in this. Besides the pomegranate juice, I love adding cranberry to the smoothie. I buy Just Cranberry. It’s made solely of cranberries. No other juices or sweeteners. It’s quite tart.
Adding some green or herbal tea, preferably room temperature or chilled, works well as a liquid.
I don’t add banana to this because the vanilla protein powder makes this sweet enough. If I wasn’t using the powder, I’d consider adding a banana for sweetness.
The frozen berries work well in the smoothie because they keep the drink cold. Of course, you can use fresh berries. Also, sometimes I use only blueberries or raspberries or strawberries. What you have on hand is the best choice.

Protein Bars of 2019 Podcast

July 23, 2019 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Episode 38 of Fit Strong Women Over 50

In episode #38 of Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast, Jill and Chris compare 11 popular Protein Bars of 2019 with protein, carbs, fiber and of course taste.

Find out which ones we liked the best… and the worst!

*We purchased these bars ourselves, nothing was donated to us. All comments are our own and we were not paid for this review.*

Open a link to this image of the Protein Bar Comparison Chart found here.

Download to print a PDF of the Protein Bar Comparison Chart here.

We discuss the pros and cons of protein bars of 2019 and evaluate 11 different bars:

Kind Double Dark Chocolate
Kind Peanut butter
Rx
Luna
Zone Perfect
Quest
Muscle Milk
Think Thin
Power Crunch
Think Brownie
Think Thin Plant

We review the numbers and the taste of each one of these bars. The results surprised us and they may surprise you too!

If you are interested in making your own bars, click here for Melanie Jatsek’s bar, here for Heather Lentz’s bar or here for a variety of other homemade protein bar recipes.

Did we include your favorite bar? Let us know. Disagree with our taste test? Let’s talk about it! You can reach us at our voice mail 330-970-6662 or send an email to Chris@becomingelli.com. You can also find us on our social media accounts @becomingelli. It’s also easy to leave a comment below.

Veggie Salad at Lake Erie – #VeggieChallenge

July 21, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

We enjoyed a veggie salad at Lake Erie. This time I cheated a little.

Once again I made my famous fresh chopped vegetable salad with olive oil, lemon juice and cider vinegar dressing. It was the perfect salad for staying cool up at Lake Erie. My sister in law made a cucumber salad was really delicious too. Always great to get your vegetables when you’re enjoying the breezes at the beach!

Salad at Lake Erie

Time was of the essence when I was getting ready, so I decided to “cheat” a little by starting with several vegetables all ready to go ahead of time.

My local grocery store sells a type of broccoli slaw in a bag that contains a chopped blend of vegetables. They called it “Rainbow Blend”.
Broccoli
Carrots
Red Cabbage
Kohlrabi
Cauliflower

Grabbing that bag and using it as the base saved me some time, although I chopped all of the rainbow blend much finer so it would have a better consistency in my salad.

To those vegetables I chopped and added:

onion
celery
red pepper
yellow pepper
orange pepper
cucumber

I opened and drained a can of garbanzo beans also known as chick peas to add some protein. I also added about a cup of cooked quinoa for more protein.

Tossed together with salt and pepper.

Delicious and super healthy!