Happy Birthday to ME!!

If you know me, you know that I celebrate birthday "week" not just "day". That I will find any excuse to drink bubbles, ANY excuse, which means my birthday there are LOTS of bubbles! That turning 30 was not a big deal and 31 and 32 kind of just flew by (in amazing locations like Malibu and Hawaii nonetheless), and that for some reason "33" is a big deal. "It's just a number", "Your still a baby", "Wait till you turn 35!" people say... It's the day before I turn 33 and I have to say that I am as happy, healthy, and excited as I have ever been.

32 was overall a good year, it had its moments that I prefer to close the book on, but then it had more moments of pure sparkle and sunshine. I turned 32 on the shores of Hawaii, I watched good friends get married and have babies, I watched my sister and brother in law's house really start to take shape, I watched my little sister fall in love, my parents continue to love one another and me unconditionally, I've reconnected with cousins, realized that my career is in full bloom and only getting better, got more and more attached to JB's family, and had many moments that I took a look around and realized, I've got a good life, and it's only getting better.

I know this is a selfish post but maybe we all deserve a little selfishness once in a while. So, CHEERS everyone! Cheers to another fabulous year full of surprises, joy, laughter, friends, family, sparkles, and sunshine :)

In Health (and my last blog post as a 32 year old).
Tricia

Meatless Mondays Recipe- Pumpkin Risotto

Halloween is only a week away so that mean pumpkins are everywhere! Pumpkin is high in Vitamin A and antioxidants. I used it to make this fabulous risotto....

Sunshine's Pumpkin Risotto

1/2 white onion diced
2 garlic cloves diced
1 tbsp. of Olive Oil
2 cups of Risotto
5 cups of Vegetable Broth
1 can of Pumpkin
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese shredded
Salt and Pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Add the risotto and stir to coat. Slowly add the vegetable broth, about a 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the risotto to absorb the liquid before you add the next 1/2 cup. Once risotto is cooked and has a creamy texture, stir in pumpkin, nutmeg, and Parmesan.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you want to make a festive presentation, serve the risotto in a small hallowed out pumpkin!

In Health,
Tricia

Angel Island Hike

Hiking is a great way to get some exercise and fresh air. It can also decrease stress, can increase cognitive function, plus its just FUN!

For the 3 years since we've lived in San Francisco an Angel Island Hike has been on our list. Angel island is located in San Francisco Bay and is a short ferry ride over. In 1849 the US Navy took possession of the island, military buildings and batteries are scattered throughout it. The Island was considered the  "Ellis Island of the West Coast" from 1910- 1940. In 1946 Angel Island was formerly abandoned. Then in 1957 it became a State Park.

We took the Ferry over and did a 5 mile hike on the Perimeter Trail. It was a bit overcast, but a great day! After the hike we took the Ferry to Tiburon for lunch at the Tiburon Grill. We had wine, beer, burgers (veggie burger for me!), and amazing sweet potato fries.

In Health,
Tricia

B & T Vegan Pumpkin Bread

My friend Bridgett and I met at a Bootcamp we used to work for. We have tons of fun together and have many of the same beliefs when it comes to health, fitness, exercise, and travel. We decided to team up for a few blogs and videos while she is in San Francisco for Natural Chef School. Her blog is www.bridgettblough.com if you want to take a look!

 In the meantime, here is our first B & T (Bridgett and Tricia, I know we are so creative!) video!!!

Chemicals...

I have a new addiction. Jillian Michaels FREE podcasts. Living in San Francisco with no car means that I walk a lot and I usually have music playing and I am a happy girl. Enter Jillian. These podcasts are 45 minutes or so and cover many health and fitness topics. She is educational, funny, inspiring, and motivating. This morning on my way to work I listened to a podcast about detoxifying our lives. Meaning looking at our day and removing chemicals. Such as our hair and body products, cleaning products, pesticides on foods, processed foods, the list goes on and on.


I invite you to take a quick journey through my day and what chemicals I come into contact with before I even had lunch and how I can go about changing them. Then, take a look at yours and see what you can do for yourself.


This morning's breakfast was Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausages and some leftover black beans, corn, and peppers from last night's dinner. The leftovers are perfectly chemical free. The veggie sausages, not so much. In fact, there are more weird ingredients listed on the back that I care to even mention. Tomorrow I am going to saute some tofu and make a veggie scramble with the rest of the leftovers and forgo the chemical sausages.
HEXANE: A petroleum byproduct of gasoline refinement. In foods it is used to separate oil from protein. How do people even discover these things? Specifically, you can find it in soy based products. The FDA requires no testing for this substance. Go figure. Although studies are not conclusive on its effects when consumed, studies do show that when inhaled it may cause numbness, weakness, blurred vision, headache and fatigue.


Don't even get my started on what is in my shampoo, conditioner, hair products, toothpaste...WOW, I mean I'm pretty educated on ingredients but I admit I spend more time on food ingredients and NO time on the things I am also applying to my body. I looked up a few things and found that Sephora (www.sephora.com) has a line of Natural Products called Ojon that I will be checking out soon!
PARABENS: Parabens may mimic the hormone estrogen which is known to play a role in development of breast cancer. Enough said, there are alternatives that still make you gorgeous!


At the corner of the studio where I teach I get coffee almost daily. Yes, I am also a coffee addict. I get a small coffee and I drop a packet of Sweet and Low in it. Now, at home I have Stevia and agree that the pink packets are "poison" but, its convenient. Today I had my coffee black and tonight I will put a few Stevia packets in my purse for my coffee for the rest of the week.
SACCHARIN: Probably one of the more popular chemicals known. It's been around for 100 years. It is a chemically based sugar substitute that reduces the calorie content in sweeter foods without them losing their sweetness. Studies have linked it to cancer in laboratory animals but not to humans. Hence, why it's still on the market. There are better alternatives. I should know better.


I went to the gym and realized I had forgotten my water bottle. As I am getting the bottle from the vending machine I realize, crap, there is some kind of chemical in this bottle.....
BISEPHENOL A (BPA): These are found in some plastics. They mimic hormones in the body and have been found harmful to humans but yet, they are still under study. BPA may cause birth defects, cancer, neurological issues, thyroid issues, sensitivity to drugs, fertility, and on and on and on. Still think the FDA has your best interest in mind?


I leave you with this quote from Dave Barry, "Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer."


Pay attention, ask questions, find alternatives. 
In Health, 
Tricia

Meatless Mondays Recipe- Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Mom always said to eat your Brussel Sprouts! Brussel Sprouts have anti-cancer properties and also boosts repair of cells.

1 pound of Brussel Sprouts with ends trimmed and outer leaves removed
Olive Oil Spray
Salt/Pepper
Chili Pepper or Garlic Powder (optional)

Coat baking pan with olive oil spray. Toss in Brussel Sprouts and coat with Olive Oil Spray. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Sprinkle on Chili Powder or garlic powder. Roast in over at 400 degrees for 30- 45 minutes.
Serve with a mustard for dipping!

In Health, Tricia

Sunshine Says: Steve Jobs

As we all know Steve Jobs passed away earlier this week. I admittedly never heard of Steve Jobs until I was at the gym a few weeks ago and CNN was covering the story of him passing the torch of his title at Apple. Upon his death I realized what an interesting man he really must have been. I put together a few quotes from his Commencement Address at Stanford.


1."Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." 
Life is full of choices. When we wake up in the morning we have a choice to be happy. We have a choice about what we do with our day. If you don't like the choices that are in front of you, change them. You have to make your own dots. You have to help shape your own destiny. Don't expect life to just hand you your journey, make it happen and then when all the dots do finally connect you will look back and be satisfied. 


2. "Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

I have an amazing job. 99% of the time I wake up and I am excited and happy to go to work. I got lucky. I figured out what I wanted to do with my life when I was 13 while doing a Denise Austin workout video. I got sidetracked a few times believing there might be something better but I always came back to Fitness. You spend more time working than on anything else for most of your life. You should enjoy it, you should love it. If you are stuck in a job that you don't love than figure out a way to get satisfaction from it, be it financial freedom, or schedule flexibility, or an opportunity for the next step. If you cannot find some kind of satisfaction in it, then open up the classifieds and move on. Why are you wasting time?


3. "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."
I like to set goals. I set daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, and yearly goals. These goals ensure that I am doing things that make me happy, checking things off my bucket list, and experiencing something new as much as a I can. They give me something to look forward to. I change them often. I also make sure they are fun and not feel like a burden. I'll share some of my most recent goals:
Daily Goal: Take a new workout class at the gym. 
Weekly Goal: Make a new recipe using a new ingredient. 
Monthly Goal: Read a book on a topic I'm interested in. 
Yearly Goal: Take JB on a long weekend trip to somewhere we've never been. 


4."Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Life moves fast. Create your own world. Carve your own path. Believe in yourself. At the end of the day the only person who really needs your approval is yourself. If something doesn't "feel" right to you, then its not right for you. If your gut is screaming NO! then listen, and get the hell out as fast as you can. You will never regret that you took the leap, that you took you a chance, you will only regret that you didn't because someone else told you not to. 


5. "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."
These were Steve's parting words to the Stanford graduates. Two simple, two word sentences. Learn everyday. Don't pretend you know everything. Ask questions. Try new things. Get off your couch and go be something, an entrepreneur, a good friend, a good parent, a teacher, an athlete, be anything you want to be and don't stop trying till you find out what fits for you. 


In Health, 
Tricia

Meatless Mondays Recipe- Sunshine's Vegetarian Chili

I learned to make a great chili many years ago while still frolicking around at Penn State. Now it's one of JB's most favorite things I make (second to Stuffed Shells which are damn good I must say!)! With the arrival of Fall this is a great hearty and healthy dish!

Sunshine's Vegetarian Chili
* This serves ALOT of people. I haven't quite figured out how to feed just the 2 of us. It will comfortable feed a family of 4.

One can of Light Red Kidney Beans
One can of Black Beans
One can of Dark Red Kidney Beans
One packet of Mccormick Chili Seasoning
28 ounce can of Crushed Tomatoes
1 Bag of Low Fat or Fat Free Mexican or Cheddar Cheese
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 cloves of Garlic, diced
Olive oil
Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper
* Optional Frank's Hot Sauce if you like it Spicy!
* Optional Morningstar Farms "Sausage" Crumbles
* Optional Whole Wheat Spiral Noodles cooked and drained

In a very large pot saute olive oil, onions, and garlic until onions are translucent. Add can of tomatoes, all beans, chili packet, and Sausage Crumbles and stir. Sprinkle a but of pepper, salt, and chili powder. Let this cook (it gets a little bubbly). Then turn to low and let simmer, stirring often.

To serve:
If you are using pasta then scoop some in a bowl and top with the Chili and then sprinkle cheese on top.
Add Hot Sauce if needed!

Enjoy!
In Health,
Tricia

Weekend Warrior- Intervals

Interval training is simply alternating high energy bursts of exercise with lower intensity bursts. Its a great way to get out of a workout rut,  burn more calories during and after your workout, increase strength, endurance, and speed.

One of the simplest ways to do Interval Training is to go for a walk/run. Run for 30 seconds, then walk for 30 seconds. The time of intervals can be changed to 1 minute or even longer. Studies show that the shorter the intervals, the higher amount of fat loss.

Tabata Training is a very popular term for athletes and in the fitness industry. It was a workout originally designed for speed skating and cycling. However, the Tabata method can be used for any form of exercise. You perform your high intensity burst for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat for 8 cycles, totally 4 minutes. In an hour you would do about 12-15 rounds.

Is there an ap for that? Of course there is! If your taking your workout outside download the Tabata Pro Timer to your phone.

In health,
Tricia