I have a confession to make: I adore the holiday season. For me, it stretches out from All Hallow’s Eve and doesn’t end till Julefrokost (for those of you who weren’t born into a deep Danish heritage, that’s a Yule-time luncheon that involves course after course of food sandwiching shot after shot of snaps. YIKES. But I digress…). If you know me, you know that the #1 most important thing in my life is and always will be family – that’s what makes the holidays so magical – but after family? Well, naming my two favorite things is pretty simple: food and (since I can’t say “food” again) fitness.
You are what you eat. And my Jack O’ Lantern ate a, um, little Jack O’ Lantern. Can you be a cannibal AND a vegan? My pumpkin apparently thinks so…
You Are What You Eat
I love fall foods. I love fall colors. I love fall foods bursting with fall colors. Can you blame me? We, sadly, had absolutely zero trick-or-treaters knocking on our door this year, but that didn’t keep us from celebrating All Hallow’s Eve in style. The house was decked in cobwebs, windows tossed open with haunted-house sounds spilling into the neighborhood, and pumpkins properly carved and glowing. And on the menu? For days before, during, and after Hallowe’en, I packed our bellies full of autumnal oranges, yellows, and deep, dark greens.
Here is one of the plant-based dishes that even managed to win over my husband’s carnivorous heart this past week. I really wanted to create a meal that incorporated the best of all worlds – steaming, roasting, and plain ol’ raw goodness.
Steamy, roast-y, and raw, oh my! Roasted sweet potatoes, golden beets, and garlic drizzled in coconut oil, steamed broccolini with Nantes carrots, and a massive half of an avocado, all topped with freshly cracked black pepper and pink Himalyan salt.
Oh, did I mention that the avocado was as big as my hand? I mean, literally. We probably could have just eaten the avocado and been sufficiently satisfied. In fact, I’m still dreaming of that avocado. Sigh.
Brains, Brains, BRAAAAINS
I might be more intelligent about the types of food I eat, and the portions, than I was in my younger days. But that doesn’t mean I’m not still infatuated with the pure unadulterated act of grubbing. I’m not in the slightest bit ashamed. How do I counteract my insatiable appetite? Three words: moving my body. Wellness is a near-spiritual dance between what you put into your body and what you do with your body. So I keep moving. And in true spooky fashion, the best workout I had last week was surviving a zombie apocalypse, of course. Who else can boast that (besides the other ten fierce ladies I meet every Saturday for boot camp)?
I’m not usually one for giving out free advertising, but trainer Jason at the 24 Hour Fitness in Costa Mesa is a keeper. Even with that ridiculous psychotic clown wig.
Not only was this wicked-awesome weekend warrior session decorated with the creepiest of cut-outs, the obstacle-course-style workout kept us on our toes. Medicine ball slams, kettle bell sumo squats, barbell presses, up-downs (which some folks call “burpies”?!), stair runs, and way more insanity than I have time to dive into right now. All the while, zombies nipping at our heels (well, a red-wigged motivator rather, but you get the picture). The point is, the course kept us moving and our trainer kept us focused on our cores.
And most importantly, the energy I burned balanced out the energy I consumed rather nicely, don’t you think? Just take a look at my stats below.
Oh, no big deal. Just killing 937 calories by rocking the zombie apocalypse. How was YOUR Saturday morning?
