Saturday, January 30, 2010

Run a 10K.....Check.

Do you see that grin! Yes. It really happened. That is an official race number on my shirt. If you told this girl a few months ago that she would be running a 10k which really was 6.75 miles instead of the official 6.2 miles, she would have told you you were crazy. But, this girl did and this girl is mighty proud of herself. I had dreams of the whole family waiting at the finish line to congratulate me and look on with looks of praise and admiration but it turned out a little different. The husband had to go on a last minute campout so I crossed the line alone. It was a sad moment but thank goodness my SIL Kelli was there and although she finished well before me, she was there in the end to give me the high five. Thanks, Kelli! You are an inspiration! My sweet kids had signs at home for me congratulating me on my race. They were really proud of their old mom which is one of the big reasons I did it.

So there are lessons to be learned. Running has many metaphors for life. Like I have said before, the race has little to do with the actual running itself. What I have learned:

Running is hard.
Running is mental.
There is nothing more satisfying than crossing a finish line, any finish line in life.
When you cross that line,no matter what the goal or challenge has been , the most important thing you want to see at the end is your family.
You can do anything you put your mind to; anything.
To accomplish your goals you have to accept that there are no exceptions.
Just do it.

This race was emotional for me. I started out with tears and ended with tears. It had a little to do with the race itself; a race for a darling little girl named London who lost her battle to cancer. We know her family and I ran next to her parents for a while who are some of the most courageous people I know. They had pictures along the course of London and other children battling cancer. They had mottos on each photo from the race, a motto I will carry for the rest of the year:

Push Harder
Run Stronger
Hope Longer

The other emotions were for the sense of satisfaction in accomplishing something hard. I, Shari Goodman, can do hard things. I will continue to do hard things and I will continually strive to Push harder, Run stronger and Hope longer. I will not give up and more than anything in the world or the next, my ultimate goal will be to cross this finish line in life with my family on the other side. What else is there.

For any of you needing a challenge, I lay it out for anyone to see what an amazing feeling it is to finish a race. Try it out. I bet you.




Thanks , Kelli! Same time, same place next year. Maybe a few in between.
Who the heck knows.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Race Day Tomorrow....

Why do I feel like I am about to go through labor? I am nervous, a little scared, a lot ready to be done with this goal. Eating my carbs right now and trying to get some sleep. Anyone else out there running the London's Run with me tomorrow?

Thursday, January 28, 2010

vitamin C


So I am sure you all know that Vitamin C is good for you. You have all heard that you should get it daily but do you know why? Do you know how much?

Let's talk.

As with all things, science is now beginning to really understand the importance of vitamin C. It is needed for much more than the prevention of the common cold, although that is an important benefit.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant and boy do we need that in our polluted world today. It will help with the free radicals looming about and get them out.

Vitamin C helps with collagen production which is in all muscles and bones. Collagen is what holds cells together. It is what makes your skin elastic to give you that wrinkle free face. (You're going for that orange now, aren't you?)

Vitamin C boosts the immune system. It will help your cuts heal better and lessen your bruising factor. It helps you fight off the "bugs" around you on a daily basis and is important for gum and eye health. It is also helpful if constipation is a problem. Vitamin C intake will also help with your absorption of iron.

So where do we get this? Of course you know the orange and if you live in AZ right now, you should have no excuse why there isn't some in your house right now. Other than that, you can find it in many different foods like these:

Broccoli with 74 mg per cup
Red Bell Pepper 95 mg per 1/2 cup
Cantaloupe 59 mg per 1 cup
Orange Juice 97 mg per cup

That is just to name a few. It is in almost every orange or bright colored fruit or vegetable with the brightest containing the highest levels. I think it is God's way of saying "Pick me! I am the prettiest!"

While the daily recommended amounts use to lie somewhere around 50 mg per day, a far cry from what we really need, the limits have been raised. It is now being recommended to get upwards of 500 mg per day with a high level up to 2000 mg. If you are getting sick, take the upwards. I always advocate getting it from the real source first but taking a supplement daily is also recommended. You always want to make sure that you get a good quality supplement without all the fillers and sugars. The best form of vitamin C supplement is a buffered form. Vitamin C is water soluble so it comes out in the urine if you have too much. My kids love the New Beginnings chewables. They taste like candy and are cheap. Soon, you will see them at the Enlightened Homemaker Store website. (soon, I promise). I just love them and am guilty at eating them just because I want something sweet in my mouth.

How do you know if you are not getting enough? Some basic signs are swollen gums, wounds that don't heal quickly, easily bruised, bleeding gums, low immune system. Of course, you never want it to get to this point. It is just so easy to get enough vitamin C that we should never have an excuse. Eat your fruit and veggies.

How about that Green Bee box this week? Did you all love it as much as I did? Leave your comment, we want feedback. Green Bee is working on getting more great products like organic eggs, chocolates, bread, specialty boxes and more. I have been talking with the owner on a daily basis and he is working on making this company a great place to belong to . He is adamant about quality and wants to make sure he gets us what we want. He wants as much feedback as possible. So let him have it here.

Go eat and orange and if you were lucky enough to get a Bee Box like me, go snack on that big beautiful red bell pepper in your box. If you would like to add some Vitamin C chewables by New Beginnings to your order, it is $7 per bottle.



Monday, January 25, 2010

Still Veggin'

It has been since August 24th that I decided that I need to eat meat sparingly. I haven't changed my mind. I am not much of a fad person. In the first three months, I ate meat maybe twice. My children hardly noticed the fact that our dishes were meatless only commenting after 4 weeks of eating vegetarian, "when we were going to start eating vegetarian?". They really didn't miss it that much, well, except the teenage boy. If you missed the post about why I chose this new way of eating, go back to this post here to read a little more.

The first month was a little challenging only for the recipe creation issue. I didn't at all miss the meat, I just needed to adjust how I cooked. After all, meat seems to be a meals focal point. I mean, read a recipe and it will usually have a meat listed in the recipe title itself. I needed to find a way to make the entrees I liked and remove the meat part of the recipe. I found that because I had to think outside the box, options expanded. I was thinking of new combinations, more flavor, more spice. I found out that I really liked this new way of eating. If you think about it, meat doesn't have that much flavor. It is really how we flavor it that creates the dish. So, you just substitute it with something else and add in the same flavor. It works, mostly. I fell in love with this new way of life and won't go back. We decided after a few months that we would have meat dishes once a week. I don't care if we eat meat at a party once in a while or my kids eat it when they are away from home, but in my home, meat dishes are usually once a week at most. I feel good about this and more importantly, my body feels good about this. I still have muscles, I still get plenty of protein. It just feels right to me.

We eat lots of beans, lots of grains, probably a little too much cheese but so far, no gained weight so I think we are OK. Here is a yummy little dish I cooked up a few weeks ago that just hit that Asian spot. It is a Thai Peanut Pasta with fresh julienned veggies. I have found that the smaller you cut up the veggies, the better they are received. (or better they are to hide) . Keeping your veggies fresh is key. So many people over cook the veggies until they are void of any flavor, texture or nutrients. Keep them as natural to the original state as possible. I love to lightly saute or roast if I must cook them. In this recipe, they are mostly just straight from the fridge. Crisp and flavorful.





Thai Peanut Pasta

Cook package of linguine noodles according to "al dente" directions.

Saute in some olive oil:

1/2 julienned red bell pepper
1/2 julienned yellow or orange pepper
1/2 red onion, julienned

Create the Sauce:

1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. hoison sauce
4 T. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. sesame oil
4 cloves minced garlic
2 T. natural smooth peanut butter
Dash of cayenne pepper or Thai Chili paste.

Heat all in sauce pan and whisk until smooth and heated.

Julienne in very fine strips about 1 1/2 inches in length:

fresh cucumber
fresh carrots

chop fresh cilantro and peanuts as desired.

To assemble, toss pasta in pan with peppers and onions and pour on sauce as desired. Heat and toss to coat. Add noodles to plate and top with fresh veggies, cilantro and peanuts. Eat immediately.







Friday, January 22, 2010

Guitar Lessons and free classified day.

My 16 year old son has a few openings for beginning guitar lessons for anyone interested. Each 1/2 hr. lesson is $12. He does a great job and works great with kids.

On another note, I have a Dell all-in-one printer for sale with two new black cartridges. Perfect condition and a great printer. It just won't work with my new mac. Works with PC's. Email me if interested.

Now, it is free classified day at the Enlightened Homemaker. If you have something to sell, leave a comment. You may post as much as you want. Just leave your email so others may contact you. Make a few bucks and use it to finish your year supply.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

A little potty talk.


I know I have discussed this before but after 338 some posts, I don't really remember what I have said. Chances are you don't either so I think it is time to do a little potty talkin' again. It has come up in lots of my conversations lately; with friends, family, the naturopath today. Poop. It's important.

I think the first time I really realized just how important poop was to me was when I was potty training my second child; the princess. She got number 1 down instantly and was ready to pass off number two when she saw "IT". The little princess in her decided that it was gross and there was no way she was going to do that again. That began my year, yes...year, of torture. She would hold it, a week or longer , screaming in the middle of the night in pain. I would do everything in my power to tell her that she needed to go but nothing really worked. After a year long of this battle between wills and Ex-lax, number two was mastered. In her cute little princess voice, she exclaimed, "Poop makes you happy, huh mom."

I guess it did because I sure wasn't happy when it wasn't happening. I guess my victory dance when it did happen made her realize that poop to me was what made me happy in life. That little phrase has been around in our family for some time now; "Poop makes you happy."

Really, we should all be thinking about poop. It should be the first question on every physical exam. If the poop isn't right, than there is something generally wrong. It really shouldn't be ignored. Sure, sometimes things just filter out differently but in general, things should be consistent. We should be going daily, if not more than daily. It should be formed, not hard or loose. I know, gross conversation but it is important so hang in there. Sadly, many people aren't going regularly and don't pay attention. There are some things you need to look at.

What is your diet like? Do you eat processed foods, especially the "white" foods like white flour, white rice, white sugar, etc.? Do you lack in fresh fruits and veggies? Do you eat nuts, whole grains, seeds? Do you consume too much dairy or drink it in it's fluid state? Those are the first things to check if things aren't processing right. If you feel that you eat as you should and things still aren't right you can add a few things to try and help.

Natural supplements to help things move along a little easier are:

Aloe Vera Juice, George's is a good brand
Slippery Elm extract (appropriate name)
Psyllium husk
Chia seeds
Magnesium Citrate
Increased dosages of Vitamin C

There are more so feel free to comment if you have more info. (Terri)

Stay away from laxatives and drugs. They can be addicting and have side effects. If you rely on help in any way, even with supplements on a regular basis, there are usually underlying issues going on. If after taking supplements to get regular for a month or so and things don't go smoothly when they are removed, chances are you need to take a closer look at allergies and diet.

If things are too loose, there can be several things wrong. There can be a lack of the good bacteria in the body. There can be allergies, parasites, yeast issues, etc. If after removing some basic common food allergens like dairy, corn and wheat for a month and issues are still present, lab work should be done to rule out other causes. Many times a good probiotic to help bring in the good bacteria can help dramatically. Many times the situation is much more complex.

Poop is something that most of us just don't' want to deal with let alone discuss but as the saying goes, "disease begins in the colon." We poop for a reason. It is how we get the bad stuff out and if it stays in the body too long toxins are released and absorbed into the body. Toxins cause diseases. Our diet in America today is horrible. We are eating food that should not be eaten. Cancer rate and disease rate of every kind has soared. Take care of your bodies. Listen to them, ask questions, ask your kids how often they go (I do). If only every Dr. asked you that question first and did a few basic tests. The world would be a much healthier place. Unfortunately, most Dr.s wouldn't know what to do with the answers they received. The first thing my naturopath asked today was about Tate's stools. Loved her instantly. What goes in, must come out. It's a law of physics.




Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Green Bee...We're on like Donkey Kong!

I am an official Green Bee drop point so don't be shy and try it out. I should be listed on their website some time today. I will be listed as the "Higley Groves" drop point. Our first drop will be on the 27th of January, next Wednesday, and will continue every Wednesday. Pick up times are from 5-6 pm but if that doesn't work, please let me know.

Email me if you would like directions. My address and number are on the Green Bee web page. Their link is to the right.

Thanks for trying it out! You will love it! New recipes and posts are on their way!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Green Bee Produce....The Final Answer.


So after deciding against Green Bee produce since I was told they don't use local or organic, I still had one more box scheduled. I picked it up Friday and was totally impressed. It had perfect produce and quite a bit that looked organic/ local to me. No stickers. So, I called the company myself. I talked directly to the CEO, Mr. Rick Brown. He is a class act. He is a local farmer. He is everything I support. The information given to me by my drop location was not correct. Mr. Brown selects the produce himself from 1st: local growers like himself, second: organic growers and third, commercial growers. He guarantees it all and only selects the freshest produce. Nothing goes in a box that is bad, or even close.

I was totally sold. I am sorry for leading any of you astray. Here is the deal....

I will be having a weekly Green Bee Box drop off at my home. That is....IF, I get at least 10 of you to sign up to begin with. You can get weekly continuous boxes or just go week to week. You just pay online and pick it up at my house on the designated date and time frame. It is that easy. He will donate a small portion of the proceeds from each box to Tate's Therapy center that just had state funding cut. So, you can get great produce at much less than store prices and still be helping an organization! What a deal.

Each week, or whenever you sign up, a box will be delivered at my house for you. It is all ready to be picked up in a new box with a cute little bee on it. There are at least 6 veggie and 6 fruit selections. They will eventually be offering other boxes like Salsa boxes, citrus boxes, etc. They have a full size box for $18.50 or the express box for $12.50.

The boxes contain stuff that we all want, not the crazy things you wouldn't know what to do with. My last box contained:

Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Apples
Bananas
Grapes
Cherries
Celery
Zucchinis
Lettuce
Carrots
Cauliflower
potatoes
Asparagus

They were perfectly sweet and delicious. I was utterly impressed.

Here is what I need you to do: I want to get this going in a week. I need at least 10 of you to email me that you are committed to try this out. Once I get 10 people, I will start it out. Email me that you are in and what days are best for you. I am thinking Wednesdays at 5-6 pm. Let me know if this is good or another day is better. Once I get the numbers, I will email you what to do from there. You will go to the Green Bee Produce website and order using my drop location. (Not yet, don't be so eager.)
Email away and give me your email address and full name. You won't be disappointed.

** I am in Gilbert off Elliot and Higley.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Super Lentils


If you haven't become a friend with the lentil, I will give you a little info on why you really should be. You see, the lentil is exactly the kind of friend you want in your kitchen. Nearly perfect in every way. A powerhouse.

The lentil has been around forever. It has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs so who knows really when they all began. They are in the legume family but small and disk shaped. You can store these little gems forever. You don't really need to seal them. They may loose a little color overtime but not really loose the taste. I just bought a big 25 pound bag from Azure that will last me a long time without having to can it at all. Easy Peasy.

The biggest draw in my book about the lentil is the amount of Folic acid they contain. One cup cooked lentils gives you about 90% of the daily RDA of folic acid. It has more folic acid than any other natural food. If you are pregnant, folic acid is extremely important in the growth of the baby so cook up a bowl today! Besides the folic acid, lentils are rich in iron and eaten with other foods high in vitamin C help the absorption rate of the iron increase. Lentils contain every amino acid except one; methionine. If you eat it with another nut, seed, eggs or meat, you will have a complete protein. Great for vegetarians.

Soluble fiber is also an important attribute of lentils. Soluble fiber helps clean out the digestive tract, decrease cholesterol and serum glucose. Most people don't get nearly enough of this in their diet.

Lentils are about the best thing to sprout also. When you sprout, the nutrients become "alive" and intensify. They are great on salads, in breads or in soups.

There are several varieties of lentils but for sprouting, you want to stick with green lentils. The other varieties are usually hulled.




I have added this soup recipe to 90 day supply because it is so tasty and uses ingredients I can keep on hand. You can also make this vegetarian but I like to use about 1 T of bacon for flavor. While I eat almost all vegetarian except once a week, at most; I don't really count 1 T. of bacon in a whole pot of soup. It adds to the flavor tremendously. My whole family loves this soup and in a pressure cooker it takes less than 10 minutes to have on the table. It is great with a big hunk of homemade brown bread or corn bread.

Lentil Bacon Soup


6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled ( I use 1 T. or more of bacon pieces)
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, cut into half moon shapes
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. tomato paste
1 1/2 C. lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 t. dried thyme
32 oz chicken broth
1 T. red wine vinegar (opt)
salt and pepper to taste
dash of red peppers if desired

In a large pot, add olive oil and heat on medium high heat. Add carrots and onion and cook until softened. Stir in garlic and bacon and cook about 30 seconds. stir in tomato paste and cook another minute. Don't let it burn or scorch.

Add the lentils, thyme, broth and 1 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer. Cover and cook until the lentils and veggies are tender, about 30-45 min. Add more water if needed during cooking.

Stir in vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

***If going gluten free, make sure the vinegar and broth are gluten free.

For the pressure cooker:

Saute onion for about a minute. Add in carrots, tomato paste, lentils, thyme , broth and water. Bring to second ring and pressure for about 3 minutes. Reduce pressure and add bacon pieces.Simmer until lentils are tender. Add in salt, pepper , vinegar and red pepper flakes if desired. If you find your beans are still pretty crunchy, you can return to pressure but you don't want the carrots to get mushy. Leave carrots in bigger chunks. Simmer lentils until the right texture. They don't take long.

Monday, January 11, 2010

A few new things I love....

If I come across things that are of good quality, work and can save a buck; I owe it to you, my sister friends, to fill you in. You may all have the 411 on these products/companies but just in case, here you go. Thanks to those who may have tipped me off in these directions!





Next item, New from Loreal, Sulfate Free Everpure conditioner and shampoos. I am a hair product snob and while I don't splurge on too much, I usually never skimp on my hair care products. I tried this out with a coupon and the lure of the "sulfate free" label. I used the moisture control conditioner and was in love. It worked better than my Biolage and I get it without some of the harmful chemicals. Deal! There are lots of coupons out right now so try it out! It is a keeper.

This one I was skeptical of but my SIL told me it worked. The Ped Egg. I am sure you have all seen this on TV and I thought it had to be a scam for sure. I didn't even buy the real one, it was a copy from Revlon. My feet are always in flip flops and even with a pedicure still get rough. Mine were overdue and I tried it out. It was nothing short of amazing! For under 10 bucks and under 3 minutes, my feet were baby soft. It was like a cheese grater (yuck) and took the rough skin off with ease. It is my new best friend. I hope everyone stares at my heels.


Another new thing for me; couponing. I have never in my life been a couponer. It takes too much time and effort. My SIL told me about this coupon site called
Grocery Smarts.com. I have seen many other sites but what is so great about this is that it is simple and free. It lists the stores and their sales items. Next to it it tells you if there is a coupon for it and where and how much it is after the coupon. It stars the big stock up deals. I tried it and am hooked. I use it to stock up on year supply items. I was surprised by the great deals out there on products I would really use, not just junk food and sugar cereals. I got my Everpure conditioner for half price. My SIL clips the coupons and puts them in clear pocket folders in a binder alphabetically so you can find them quickly.It is a real easy system and saves a bundle.

Now I have talked about this before but now I have lots of personal experience with it. Nature's Way Activated Charcoal. If you didn't pay attention before, listen now: charcoal is an absorbent. It is what is given to those in the hospital for overdoses or poisonings. It absorbs it and gets it out. Well, it does the same for you when you have a stomach bug, food poisoning, gas, etc. It works like a charm and is real cheap. You can get it from me if you order supplements or from natural stores like Sprouts. It is usually under $10 per bottle and has about 100 pills . It goes on all my trips and I have used it on almost all my trips. I never have to take more than one dose and it stops whatever ails us in it's tracks. Why didn't I know about this before? Thanks , Terri for the tip, again.


So there you have it. My new favorites. If you have a review for me on these products or another great one to share, leave a comment. I will be happy to try something new.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Gelato-ish


This is not my photo but you can get the idea. My photo posting problem is still there and it has nothing to do with my abilities. It is an internal Mac problem which now requires a little trip into town to the Apple store. Fun. Thanks for all of your tips and the one-on-one, Kelli. I really hope to get this figured out next week! Just imagine this is my real recipe since it really looks the same.

Since my little Tater can't enjoy the real deal Gelato, I had to figure out an alternative for him. I don't like him to have sugar and any "Mock" ice cream you can buy always has sugar of some sorts. In my experiment with soaking grains and nuts, I came upon this little gem and he couldn't be happier. In fact, he can even have this for breakfast if he wants. (and does)

Let's first discuss why you want to soak nuts in the first place. I am fairly new to this concept due to a dragging of heels of sorts. I new it was the way to go but it is just one more thing to do. I finally purchased a book on sprouting and soaking and dived on in. I am still very much in the learning phase but this one is an easy one. Nuts are simple. You just have to cover them and let them sit, then rinse and dry if you want them crunchy again. Why do this in the first place? Here you go:

The Benefits of Soaking Nuts

A nut is coated in an enzyme inhibitor that protects the nut as it grows. Unfortunately, this inhibitor inhibits the digestive process of the nut. Also, because of that, the vitamins contained in the nut are not digested as well. The phytic acid in the nuts is reduced when soaked to also help the absorption of vital minerals.

Sound reasonable? Well another great thing about soaking a nut is that it can change the consistency of certain nuts to take on a creamy, dairy type texture. You get the cream and no guilt to go with it. You can use the soaked nuts in recipes to fool the palates.

Here is the basic "Gelato" recipe and once you try it out, you can do just about anything with it. Delish. You need a good blender to get it really smooth and you want to take your time to really churn in up. Keep it really frozen like ice cream.

1. Pinon nuts: (Pine nuts) I get mine in bulk at Costco. They are not real cheap but you don't need much. Use 1/2 cup in a jar covered with water. Put a lid on it and soak it in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. Fruit: I started with banana flavor. I cut up two banana's in small slices and put it in the freezer. My other favorite flavor is blueberry using frozen berries.

3. To mix: Add the following for the flavor you desire:

Banana

1/4 cup soaked pine nuts
2 frozen, sliced bananas
1 tsp. real maple syrup
1/2 t. vanilla

Blend until completely smooth. You will need to stop and stir. Add a little water if needed but keep thick and frozen.

Blueberry

1/2 cup soaked pine nuts
1 frozen ,sliced banana
1-2 cups frozen blueberries
1 T. maple syrup (totally not needed in my opinion)
a little water if too thick

Blend until creamy. Eat right away. It doesn't freeze well. It is very sweet and looks just like a soft ice cream/gelato.

You could do just about anything with this. Pine nuts are amazing but it doesn't work if they are not soaked.

Try this out on the little ones. If you tell them they are getting ice cream for breakfast, you will be the hero of the day. Even my older kids love this and ask for it. I have more nut recipe's to share but hopefully I will have pictures to share along with them. (finger's crossed).



Monday, January 4, 2010

The Goal......The reason......The race.


The real goal of 2010 for me started actually just after Thanksgiving. It is a goal that I would have never imagined that I would have picked but it just sort of happened one night. It began with a little reality TV - The Biggest Looser. I love that show but it really has little to do with the weight loss or transformations of the body for me; it has more to do with the transformation of the mind. I am enamoured with the psychology of mind over matter. You take these large people; for the most part they have given up hope of their dreams, they are stuck in a body that limits them because the word "can't" is part of their regular verbiage. On day one, they have to run a mile. To them, that is the impossible. However, at the end of the show, the remaining finalists are running a marathon. In just a few months, they have taken their very overweight bodies and their limited minds beyond what they thought they were capable of. The most amazing thing is to see their minds transform from "I can't" to "I can" and "I did". What was the difference other than amazing trainers and motivation of a worldwide audience? They lost the verbiage, "I can't". That was what was holding them back from their dreams. They begin to realize that if they could conquer this one very hard thing in their lives, they could conquer anything.


I hate to run. I was right along with them with using the word, "I can't" when it comes to running any real sort of distance. Sure, I can bust out a mile or two and do it regularly but I do it in intervals because as I tell myself, "I am not a runner." I drive my daily routes and see the wonder girls; the Amy's , Nicole's, Trisha's and Louise's of the neighborhood with their perfect strides running their 4+ miles along the perimeters of our neighborhood. I think how nice it would be to be a runner like them. I tell myself that some people are born to run and some are not. I can do other things.


I pondered this as I watched the marathon race on The Biggest Looser. The difference between me and the Wonder girls is that I give up after a mile and they keep going. They don't say the word "can't." They just do it. They probably don't love it and probably had to work up to it but they get out there and do the work. I thought hard about this. I like to work out and can think of many other ways to get a work out done but I decided that I needed to do this. I needed to change my verbiage. I needed to be able to say "I can" and show my children, and myself, that we can do what we put our minds to.


I immediately got on the Internet and found a race that I could enter. This would show my commitment. For you runners, this may seem a bit on the easy side but for a first time runner, the 10K seemed like a marathon to me. I had 8 weeks to go from running one mile to 6.2. I found the London run. It was perfect. It is a race for our friend's daughter who died from leukemia to help other families. I was in. I found the training schedule and was ready to go.


As I have said , the running for me has nothing to do with the actual run. I am not doing it for a weight loss goal or really any other reason except for I want to change my mindset. I would rather do any other form of physical activity. But, I began. The first time I ran 3 miles without stopping seemed like a miracle. I couldn't believe that I could do it. Then 4. I ran the perimeter, the same perimeter as the wonder girls. I have 3 weeks to go and even though I really hate every minute of it, I can do it. Now I wonder, what else can this wonder girl do? I can't wait to see. This is my "I can" year. It is going to be great. What "can" you do? Make it your year to find out too.


Recipes are to come and a new Enlightened Homemaker store blog! If you need more supplements, I am ordering this week.