Taste of the Nation D.C

Last Thursday POM Wonderful hosted a contest for VIP tickets to D.C’s Taste of the Nation! Mission of the event from the website:

“Since 1988, Taste of the Nation has brought together the most creative culinary minds across the nation. Each spring and summer, pioneers of modern American cuisine, national celebrity chefs and mixologists including David Burke, Stephan Pyles, mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim, Bravo’s Top Chef Tom Collichio, Food Network stars Tyler Florence and Emeril Lagasse and thousands more like them donate their time, talent and passion at nearly 40 events across the United States and Canada with one goal in mind: to raise critical funds needed to help end childhood hunger. 100% of supports Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger.”

I was more than overjoyed when I was selected as a winner to attend! I hopped on the D.C metro for the FIRST time!

I met up with Quinn ( another winner of the contest and a lovely blogger:) )

We started off the evening at the Volt sponsored  VIP reception

( Excuse the flash)

Eats from the VIP:

Beet Macaroon with Foie Gras Mousse

I can’t say I have ever tasted something like this, it was flakey and sweet!

Volt chefs hard at work!

and I enjoyed the view from above, it was nice to see everything!

The event was at the National Museum Building, which by the end of the evening I was in love with!

We made our way down to the floor for some more eats- I had not eaten anything since lunch at 1:00 and I was good to go ( or so I thought).

Kellari Tavern on camera!

Spinach Pie and Scallop I can’t get over how light and HEALTHY this was!

Most interesting food item of the night award goes to:Firefly

Baby Octopus!

I made a dash for some Lebanese food!

Kababji had some grape leaves stuff with rice!

Occidental–Lobster roll, a definite first for me!

Enjoying a Anchovy Tartlet from Proof

Scallop

Indian food!!! Bombay Club– Shrimp with Mango Chutney I grabbed a menu on the way out, I will be stopping there again for sure!

Dessert had to be my FAVORITE part!

PS 7’S– Ice cream on a stick HOLY YUM! I need like 5 more of these!

The absolute star of the evening, Georgetown Cupcake

I honestly felt like I had died and gone to heaven! Each bite was light and flavorful.

I dove into the Salted Caramel and I loved every single bite!

We of course had to stop by and drink some POM Wonderful, who made this amazing evening possible!

POM Mocktail- Was so light and refreshing!

I can’t even describe how amazing this evening was, it was a chance for me to taste an assortment of delights that I normally would not!

I am also going to Taste of Catonsville next Monday! And I will be more prepared to tickle my taste buds!

Thanks to POM Wonderful and Quinn for her company/ metro directing skills!

145.5 Post-spring break life

Thankfully the weather is all sunny because I am losing my mind….

My baby 🙂

as per usual school is back in full swing. I have 24 credits left to graduate and it’s officially crunch time!

Earlier this week I banged out two miles 😉

Does anyone have attractive kneecaps? Because I sure don’t!

Running is HARD. I want to stop many many many many times. I want to be fast. I want to finish at a set time. I ran two miles in 22 minutes.

This might seem slow, but when I first started running 3 months ago, I could not run for longer than 30 seconds.

I love pushing myself.

When stressed I either cry or run. Sometimes crying wins more than running. It happens.

I love being a runner. It is heart-pumping and majorly kick-ass!

It is the beginning of April and lets see where I am with my weight-loss

Yes, this is my healthy living blog, and a big part of being healthy is being at a healthy weight, so I will be talking in numbers.

( Click to enlarge)

I am freaking proud of myself

156.5

145.5

Staying healthy in college:

-Share dessert! I always have a friend next to me when I want dessert.

-Make working out a priority. Exams and homework will always be there find time to get your workout in.

-Eat! I eat every 2-4 hours. If you let yourself get too hungry you will settle for an unhealthy choice just to let yourself be full.

I hope everyone is out enjoying this LOVELY weather!!!

Fitbloggin’10 Bloggers take Baltimore!

I have been having an AMAZING spring break, but all good things must come to an end 😦

Lets recap!

Beginning of spring break!

What other way to start off break with a Fro-yo baby from Tutti Frutti.  Don’t worry I split this with my sister!

To kick start my career ( read: attempt) as a runner I strolled over to Road Runner conveniently located next to Trader Joe’s. Totally breaking the bank.

Road Runner was having a free shoe dogging event and I gladly took off my rain boots for some custom made insoles. $62 dollars later, I walked out with “bumps” under my feet that I had never felt before.

Shoe Dogging

HIGH aches!

I decided to take these bad boys out to test I headed over to Great Falls, VA

Potomac River Great Falls, VA

Great Falls, VA

MASSIVE Rocks. I was not badass 😦

I will be going back to Great Falls many many times! It was an AMAZING trail!

Working out has become a GREAT addiction my life. I am so happy and positive after every work out- being able to push myself to run a mile in 9:40 is something that I could never do before.

This leads me to Fitbloggin’10 , a special thanks goes out to Roni and her staff! This was my first blogger’s conference and I was so amazed and inspired by everyone that I was able to meet!

Friday afternoon started off with the POM Wonderful Cocktail party!

On my way to the POM Wonderful Cocktail Party!

Fitbloggin' nametag!

POMtini

I got to meet-up with some sweet bloggers!

Ashley, Cara, Me, and Stacey

Ashley,  Cara, Me, and Stacey

Dinner that night was a Veggie Fiesta bowl!

I can safely say that the star of the show would have to be all the SWAG!

Major thanks to: New Balance , Thrive , POM Wonderful ,Gruve for some AWESOME products!

I was able to attend some great session!

Eat some great food!

Enjoy the Inner Harbor!

Inner Harbor, Baltimore MD

Downtown Baltimore, MD

Inner Harbor sunset!

What I am most excited about?

Spring!!!!!!

I plan on spending everyday with some sunshine 🙂 Have a great one!

Spring semester 2010

I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off!

My semester just started on Wednesday and I am already booked solid. This does not even include school and study time.

I had some paper work to do for my internship, I love being an intern and I will do pretty much whatever needs to be done. Which is why I ended up with the task to enter clothing inventory for 70 people into a spreadsheet.

It’s seriously been taking me forever. But I have to just suck it up and do it.

I have been having some AMAZING eats.

The wonderful lovely people at Pom Wonderful sent me a few samples of  100% Pomegranate Juice.

Despite all the amazing antioxidants the juice contains I had a hard time adjusting to the tart taste of the juice.

So I decided to mix it up a little.

Clear Splash+ Pom Wonderful = AMAZINGGGGG. It was sooo much better than soda. My taste buds had a field day.

I hope I don’t start looking like

[Source]

Because I have been killing some serious spinach.

Burrito style

Corn+ Tabouli+ Plain non-fat yogurt+Potatoes+ Spanish ( cooked)+ Peppers + Corn

Wrap style

Tj’s horseradish hummus+ Spinach and potatoes combo

And my fav combo

FETAAAAAAAA

I am obsessed. And when I get obsessed with something I eat it for three days straight…

Speaking of an obsession. Have you all tried Popchips?

[Source]

I snagged a bag at Costo last week- and I am SERIOUSLY obsessed! They taste AMAZING and the best part is that they are HEALTHY.

“We don’t fry it (unhealthy). We don’t bake it (undelicious). We take wholesome potatoes, add a little heat and pressure, and pop! It’s a chip. The only thing added is a flavorful blend of seasonings for a snack so delicious and crispy, you won’t even notice it’s (we hesitate to say) healthier.” –Popchips

Obviously being at school does change my lifestyle I have all 8 am classes and I have not been going to bed till 2am most nights. This gives me about 4 hours of sleep, I don’t like to make a habit of this but my body will have to adjust. I have been sticking with my plan of watching what I eat and it’s been amazing so far. This month I have lost 5 pounds.

This is bringing me closer to my goal of having a healthy weight.

I may be eating less, but I don’t feel less full. My body lets me know when I am not eating enough- through the form of headaches. Not sure if this happens to anyone else, but it is annoying. Even if I am late eating a meal.

I have been hitting the gym everyday with low impact exercise, my injury is still feeling great. I am aiming to start running mid-feb.

Until then it is cycling and power walking at 4.5 with an incline of 5.

When I workout I feel attractive.

Happy Friday!!!!

Are you doing anything exciting this weekend?

152- Me, Myself and I

156.5– Dec 31st

This is not a diet post.

January has been a lovely month so far. I am on break till the 27th and other than going to the gym and spending time with my family I have not been doing much. With that said I have spent a lot of time thinking about my life and where I am going for my future.

I have not started 2010 with many of the friendships that I had in 2009. For reasons unclear to me, I can’t seem to maintain friendships. I asked a casual friend of mine who I know would be honest with me what he thought of me. Without much hesitation he responded, ” you are a very nice person.”

I am a nice person, I care a lot about the people in my life and try to show them that. Apparently, I am still not getting it done. Truthfully, friendships stress me out.  There is a lot of expectation when it comes to being a friend. I fear I may never be able to have a lasting friendship. There is a art to having a healthy friendship, one that I have not yet mastered.

With that being said, there is one friendship that I have been working hard on and that is the one with myself.

I want to have a strong relationship with myself that lets me get through the good and bad times.

I want to be able to feel good about myself even when I don’t have a good friend around me. It may not be something that I had control over. People come and go.

I want to be able to maintain healthy eating habits that last a lifetime. I feel like this month I have been able to come up with something that works for me. I don’t want to feel like I can’t enjoy the foods I love because I am not at my “healthy weight”. I trust that my body will tell me when I have eaten enough or not enough.

Thanks for reading my injury posts I and II I have come along way from being in pain and it was truly a testing journey. I am so blessed at the ability to be healthy.

I have been hitting the gym everyday. Non impact exercise is something that I have never done in the past. But cranking out on the elliptical and stationary bike is rewarding when I can see results in my weight.

I don’t count calories– because I want to be able to use my judgment when it comes to eating. I have never counted calories and I don’t plan on it. Food gives me the energy to carry on my daily activities. As a biochemistry major I know it is a very vital part of my bodily function. I can’t put a number on that.

What I can put a number on is my weight. Because that is what I am. When I get to a “healthy weight” I won’t have to keep track and know that I am just that. Healthy.

Being at the age of 20- I feel like I have my entire life in front of me. The choices that I make in the next few years will shape my future. I don’t want to look back and have any regret.

___________________________________________________________

Food bloggers have some staple food items we all know what they are OIAJ?

I have some of my own.

#1 Fennel Seeds

[Source]

– I mainly use this as a digestive aid, it is known to reduce bloating and cramps. I for some reason an obsessed with them, whenever I have a stomach ache I always have a small handful. I also eat them after most of my meals. There are other benefits to these seeds, however this is the only reason I eat them. They taste like faintly like licorice. You can find these seeds in most grocery store.

#2 Cranberry Juice

[Source]

– 100% Cranberry Juice is useful in preventing urinary tract, bladder and kidney infections. It can have a tart taste so some you may want to mix it with something else. I have always loved cranberry juice and I prefer it over soda or anything else.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Monday off! I am off to the gym !

Follow me on twitter @simplysana- I love tweeting with my readers.

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“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ MLK

Small size me

Many times we go out to eat we never get to request a portion size. Unless we are at Starbucks and have to give our order in odd sizes.

How does tall=small? Beats me.

I love Chipotle. It is just so freaking amazing, I have to admit I can chow down this bad boy[ Source]

We won’t get into calories- but we all know it’s not pretty. The other day I was having some serious Chipotle hankering. I did not want to eat that monstrosity. I could- but it’s not something I like to make a habit of.

So I decided to get a mini! I asked for 1 soft taco with all the fixings I would normally get!

Yes, this was a fraction of the cost and size. But most importantly it did the trick! I was full- and I did not over eat. Which I would have done had I eaten an entire burrito.

Lesson of the day: Create your own size, don’t be afraid to ask for less. you will thank yourself.

So I have been on a serious Tabouli kick. Aka I have been adding it to everything in sight.

Case and point:

I am just going to have to hit up Costco for some more 🙂

I have also been giving myself a few treats every night. I love sweets but when I allow myself to have some everyday I don’t over eat.

I had my first Cliff bar- and it was delish! The prefect pre-workout snack! I was worried that it would be too sweet but that was not the case at all.

Other treats include magic bars aka evil bars

They are sooo good- I just can’t get enough. Pure evil.

Sana’s Skim delight

1/2 a packet of hot chocolate

1 cup skim milk

It’s the perfect way to end a day!

Ab tip of the day:

-Many people complain that doing a basic crunch on the floor hurts their neck.

To deal with this I recommend doing the crunch on a ball.

Or you could be me and have fun bouncing on it.

But don’t fall off, or hurt yourself in this process.

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

I have no shame…

I drove to Costco for the sole purpose of having free samples for lunch.

Ravioli ( drenched in olive oil) X2

Raspberry pastry

Veggie Chili

Almond Butter

Sun chips!

I also bought some Chobani 12 pack for 11.49!

I also bought some Tabouli which I had for lunch part 2 with some rice and roasted potatoes

I have a happy belly 🙂

Yesterday while I was sitting in the chair of boredom aka the Dentist

I was really craving a Panera sammie

Enter the love of my life.

All 610 delish calories.  They mainly come from the bread- which I will have switched the next time I get this

Have a look-see:

I really want to make my own healthy version but can anyone help me find zesty peppadew piquant peppers?

On to some school  stuff I am totally in a bummed out mood. I spend so much time and energy studying and I always end up with terrible grades. I try not to let my grades define me but it does make me sad. There are only 44 credits standing in the way of me and a B.S in Biochemistry.

I had a really hard semester- lots of tears. I dropped a classes.  But some good points I got a few really high grades-but in the end they did not help.

I know I can make it these next 3 semester- I will continue to work hard regardless of how crappy my grades are.

I do have some exciting things coming up:

• I am blogging for UMBCeats as a healthy living blogger.

• 
  

  I am in touch with the FDA with a possible job/ internship

• 
  

  I am going to continue to teach ab crunch at UMBC

• 
  

  I will continue my internship with the UMBC Shriver Center at a local homeless shelter.  We are planning to grow a garden- so that they can add FRESH veggies and herbs to their meals. We are going to use these seeds to keep up around biodiversity. I also plan on getting free composted soil from the county.

• 
  

  I am also talking to a few professors on campus to do some Public Health Research in the Spring.

• 
  

  Co-writing Public Health Roll we are planning on re-launching in Feb

I listed out all these things mainly for myself, even when things are looking bad. I do have a lot going for myself. I pride myself in taking the initiative in whatever project/ job I am doing. I hope this carries me through to my future.

Most importantly I will try my best to maintain a healthy lifestyle- with that I am going to head to the gym.

Hopefully I will feel better about myself. If not, there is always tomorrow.

Life is all about choices.

You can choose to be

[Source]

glass half empty or glass half full. Speaking of which I need to remember to drink more water…

You can also choose to eat the same thing for breakfast every day of the week

because it is so freakin’ yum.

You can choose to eat dahl( lentils) and hummus together

because they are basically cousins.

You can chose to put your plate away at a dinner party

to stop yourself from getting a 2nd helping.

But you can instead choose get dessert

and take sketchy pictures of it in the dark.

You can also choose to skip working out for the day because you don’t feel like showering again.

Life is all about the choices that we make.

What will you choose to do today?

And the winner is….

You are just going to have to scroll to the bottom to find out!

I had a headache last night so I took my time getting up and missed the D.C blogger meet up. I was super bummed.

I cheered myself up with Strawberry Chobani!

w/ granola. I could eat this every single day! Maybe.

Today I was not in the mood to workout. I just wanted to curl up and get back into bed. But I decided to just go for 30 mins. And if I hated it I would come back.

I kept with Elliptical Challenge 2010 and cranked out a fast 15 mins!

Today Ms. Matchy-matchy was no where to be found. Maybe she was off shopping for another outfit?

So I was left with Mr. Under Armour.

And we had at it.

Pedaling away on the seated bike. I won. Of course!

I finished my 30 mins and booked it home for some un pictured pita chips and hummus. Basically the best thing on Earth.

My mom and I hit up the mall. She had some gifts to buy so I tagged along. I am not big on shopping these days. I don’t want to try fitting into some new clothes- I have plenty at home to do so.

I did have some important business to take care of. I am a member of the Godiva Rewards Club and I wanted to go in and get my FREE chocolate of the month. Boy was I excited!

I of course wanted everything!

But I settled for the Milk Chocolate Truffle

I split it in half with my mom.  And it was worth every bite. We already know what we want next month 🙂

Shopping has to be a workout! Between dodging all the pushy kiosk sellers and sprinting past all the slow people that stop to look at e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. I was pooped when I made it home.

I came home and made a TJ special

Spinach and Chive pasta with a slightly healthier version of Tj’s Alfredo sauce.

I am a happy girl 🙂

For the rest of the night I will have some tea and grapes w/ Chobani if I feel snacky.

And now to the moment you have all been waiting for!

The winner is: lowandbhold

“Oh I loooove Chobani! Yay for your first giveaway!

Safety and good to me is family.”

-Please e-mail me at supersana786 [at] gmail [dot] com with your full name and mailing address!

Thank you all for entering my giveaway it was nice to read all of your symbols of good and safety

They had me at free towels…

* Don’t forget to enter my Chobani Giveaway*

I hope everyone is having a lovely first day of the year- I know am!

Last night I went out to dinner with my family to my favorite Afghan Kabob place.

Usually I can kill two beef kabob’s but this time I opted to bring some TJ’s Risotto that I had made earlier.

It was pretty easy to make- I will be for sure bringing it to school with me for an easy lunch.

The risotto was front and center, I only ate 3 pieces of chicken along with some of the salad and rice. I always get my food in a take out container, that way if I don’t want to eat everything I can box it up and take it home. And that is exactly what I did.

To round up my New Year’s Eve I toasted with some delish and much needed hot chocolate as my family and I huddled by the heater- waiting for a certain ball to drop.

I only used 1/2 the packet w/ skim milk. I plan on using the rest tonight 🙂

I started 2010 off with a BANG!

Or as you all might see it as the most boring breakfast ever….

Organic granola with Fat free milk

Judge me all you want. It was super yum!

Truthfully I am not awake enough to come up with some bright, fruity and creative combination. I just try to get something in.

I hit up the gym for the first workout 2010! I felt fabulouss! Lady Gaga also joined in a few times….

Other than working up a sweat there are a few reasons why I loveee going to the gym.

1) Fluffy white towels and cups of ice water!

I am obsessed with ice. I love it. But the towels are key- I love being able to wipe my face- because I sweat buckets. I also take some home by accident… Although today I saw someone sneeze into their towel. Then I started to wonder if someone had sneezed into the towel I was rubbing my face with. I wish I had not see that.

2) Getting to read my gym-only-book.

My rule with this book is that I can only read this while at the gym- it makes my workout fly by! In fact I don’t even bring the book inside my house form the car- this way I am not tempted to cheat.

3) Ms. Matchy-Matchy in her pink Nike gear. You know who I am talking about. The one person at the gym who makes all of us look like lazy bums in our sloppy workout gear.

(No pic, it would be far too creepy)

Basically when I get to the gym I scope out the field for the best dressed person. And then I beat them. Motivation. Gotta get it from somewhere.

I was starving so I raced home for some whole wheat pita with spinach and squash.

Clearly that was not enough food because I was starving an hour later.

Dinner was brown basmati rice and bbq glazed Tilapia. My mom outdid herself tonight!

So yummiee! I ate about 1/2 of that!

I am off to go drink some green tea and have hot chocolate for dessert!

What motivates you at the gym?