Friday, March 5
• This is my typical breakfast. It's usually the same every morning with an occasional change in type of ready-to-eat cereal and eaten at home while reading the Star Tribune. My morning well-being depends on having a satisfying and nutritious breakfast. Friday I ate one banana, one orange, 2-oz. of Fiber One cereal, 8-oz. skim milk, a few prunes, and a cup of green tea.
• I drank one cup of coffee for a mid-morning break, also at home.
• For lunch, also at home, I drank two, 12-oz. cups of my special hot cocoa made with cocoa, malted milk powder, Sucralose, and a blend of skim milk and soy or almond milk. This concoction satisfies my midday hunger and boosts my calcium intake.
• Every day, I run six miles. About two-thirds of the way I stop at McDonald's for a snack, which is my reward for keeping up with daily running. Along with a cup of McDonald's coffee, I ate two Kashi Granola Bars and drank 12-oz. of a soy-skim milk beverage. (The last two items are mine, not McDonald's.) The McDonald's, at NE University and Broadway, is a convenient location and sells inexpensive coffee. I also use this break to read a section or two of the Star Tribune.
• Before dinner, I drank a couple glasses of red wine while listening to Marketplace on MPR and reading The Omnivore's Dilemma. This is my winding down phase.
• Dinner at home is around 8 P.M. and consisted of a mountainous salad of spinach, broccoli, carrots, onions, tomatoes, a sliced apple, edamame (soybeans), canned salmon, beans, and peas slathered with balsamic vinegar. The meal also included 8-oz. of skim milk. For dessert, I ate four slices of toasted whole wheat bread with a small amount of "natural" peanut butter (my favorite food) and low-sugar jam. I read the Star Tribune while eating. I wrapped up dinner and the day with a cup of green tea.
Saturday, March 6
• My meals and other activities were essentially the same as Friday's.
Sunday, March 7
• Breakfast was the same as Friday's.
• My mid-morning run and McDonald's coffee and snack break were the same as Friday's.
• At noon, I drank the hot cocoa described Friday.
• For a mid-afternoon break, I drank two cups of green tea while listening to the new Osmo Vänskä The Sound of Sibelius SACD.
• At 5 P.M., while listening to Marketplace Money on MPR, I drank two glasses of red wine.
• Sunday dinner is my weekly cooking extravagance. Today I prepared a stovetop casserole consisting of sweet potatoes, Roma tomatoes, onion, tuna, tofu, broccoli, mushrooms, mixed olives, sweet red peppers, and Newman's Own red pasta sauce. I enjoyed my feast with a glass of skim milk and the Sunday Star Tribune. I finished off dinner and the day with a cup of green tea.
I like the fact that you reward yourself for keeping up with your exercises, I should do something like that. Also, I believe it to be healthy to drink red wine, I don't know much about the antioxidant benefits but in the modern stressful lives most of us lead, some quality relaxation is beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy peanut butter, but not the healthy variety, my roommates always eat mine so maybe that's a good thing.
I LIKE PEANUT BUTTER TOO! and mine is the natural kind, haha. I eat it throughout the day whenever I want a snack (as you can see from my food post). I think it's interesting that you use McDonalds as a reward for keeping up with running. I frequently do this as well–I allow myself to have some kind of unhealthy food or "treat" after I've exercised. I wonder though, is it creating a healthy relationship with food? Pollan talks about how we should eat for the pleasure of eating (like the french!) to have a truly "healthy" relationship with food, and so sometimes I question whether using food as a reward is the best way to go about things (at least for me). But, whatever works–I for sure am not running six miles a day, so I suppose I am not one to talk.
ReplyDeleteI find it very inspirational that you run six miles a day, and your diet is extremely healthy. If I had more time, I would make it a habit to exercise daily as well, but sometimes it's just too hard to find the time, at least during the school year. A few more observations.. I think your portion sizes are very accurate; Many people have trouble determining the correct amount of food to consume, but you seem to be doing well in that aspect. Protein fortified drinks and green tea help curve hunger and eliminate extra calories from foods that the body doesn't necessary need. A lot of people mistake their thirst for hunger, so I think that's another important thing to emphasize.
ReplyDeleteyour post made me realize two things. first, i need to take up running again (i was up to 7 miles a day last summer, and i shouldn't use school as an excuse anymore). second, i need more boost my calcium intake.
ReplyDeletei am also happy to see someone else who enjoys the benefits of red wine.
i think mark makes a good point about the red wine. whether or not it provides a physiological benefit via antioxidants, it's super relaxing. and we all need to relax.
ReplyDelete