20 Best Foods to Have on Your Grocery List

      Knowing what foods are best to eat can be overwhelming. There are so many choices that you can make when you are working to better your health.  Livestrong website has listed 20 best foods to have on your grocery list.  We eat most of these on a regular basis, so I can vouch that most of them taste awesome, and are great additions to your healthy lifestyle.  There are a few that we have not tried, but we plan to soon!  Here is the list and benefits they have for your health. 

1. Almonds-These nuts are a great source of monounsaturated fat (the good kind!), protein, thiamin, riboflavin, and Vitamin E, and minerals (copper, iron, and zinc). They have also been proven in research to lower cholesterol.  The best way to eat them is raw, since roasting or salted can take away from some of their health benefits. 
2. Asparagus-These strange looking veggies are packed full of health benefits.  They are full of anti-inflammatory nutrients, high levels of folic acids which can release seratonin(a neurotransmitter than helps put you in a good mood!), and it may halt the formation of cancerous tumors.
3. Avacados-These are also packed with monounsaturated fat, are an excellent carrier for the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, have been linked to improved cardiovascular health and blood sugar regulation, and has been linked to prevention of cancer (specifically cancers of the mouth, skin, and prostate).
4. Berries-Besides the sweet, almost seductive, taste of berries such as blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries, these gifts of nature are packed with anti-oxidants, vitamins, and have been linked to lowered risk of breast and cervical cancer.
5. Bell Peppers-Along with adding some gorgeous color to your dinner or dishes, they are packed with anti-oxidants (vitamins A, C, and E), and they can assist the body in getting rid of neutralizing free radicals, reducing your risk of disease.
6. Black Beans-These are a super cheap dinner addition, or main course, along with being packed with nutrients, they have similar heart healthy, cancer preventing compounds that are typically found in berries, red wine, and tea.  They also provide a great mix of protein and carbs.  We have been eating black beans as part of our dinner the night before our long runs.  They have been incredible as a pre-run meal.  Step aside carbo loading spaghetti meals!
7. Broccoli-When reading about the health benefits of broccoli, there were a bunch of really big words, that I could not even read, much less try to type!, but the gist of the information is that these veggies are very beneficial.  They are not only pretty and yummy, they are cancer preventing, high in vitamins C and K, have been found to potentially work in protecting the cardiovascular system.
8. Brussel Sprouts-Ok, I have to be honest, this is one that I have not tried yet, and am not sure our family will be up for them anytime soon, but they are full of vitamins, A, B6, C, E, and K.  They also have selenium, a mineral that helps your body fight free radicals, and studies have suggested they have the potential for preventing bladder, breast, colon, and lung cancer. 
9. Butternut Squash-We haven't tried this one, but we eat another winter squash which is also very good for you, acorn squash.  Butternut squash is low in calories and high in vitamin C.  Research has also shown that consuming it can reduce the risk of lung cancer.
10. Chicken Breast-This is one staple that is ALWAYS in our freezer.  It is an excellent source of protein and no carbohydrates, making it a perfect muscle food, and it is full of an enzume which is essential for skin cell turnover.
11. Edamame-We have eaten these in a trail mix from Sprouts, and they are excellent that way.  The picture on the website has them pictured in the pod, possibly steamed.  I am anxious to try them this way.  These are a popular Japanese soybeans that are full of vitamins B, C, and E.  They are a great source of protein and are a natural source of antioxidants and isoflavins. 
12. Eggs-I don't know if you are like me, but I have thought for a long time that eggs are a food to stay away from, too high in cholesterol, etc.  Those thoughts are completely false, however.  Eggs are the closest to a super food you can get.  They are cheap, high in protein, available year round, have been linked to increased brain health, decreased inflammation, as well as improved cardiovascular health.  Contrary to many people's thoughts, including mine of old, they are linked to the improvement in cholesterol levels.  Based on other readings, we now buy cage free organic brown eggs. (What I have learned about that is a whole other blog.)
13. Flaxseed-You must ingest flaxseed ground, as the whole flaxseed will not digest, and will pass through your system whole.  We buy ours already ground in bulk at Sprouts.  Flaxseed is great sprinkled on oatmeal or mixed into a smoothie (this is how I consume it daily).  It is an abundant source of fiber, magnesium, and calcium.  They have extremely high amount of lignans, omega-3 fatty acids that we hear so much about being so good for you.  They have been linked to the prevention of numerous health problems, and due to its high fiber content, can help prevent heart disease.
14. Garlic-Besides the obvious, keeping the vampires away, garlic has wonderful health benefits.  It is a heart healthy herb that reduces body's cholesterol and triglycerides, protects blood cells and vessels from inflammatory and oxidative stress, and may prevent cellular changes that may lead to cancerous tumor development and inhibit tumor growth.
15. Onions-No benefit to your breath, but when onions are consumed with a diet filled with other vegetables, they can prevent heart attacks.
16. Spinach-Served either fresh or steamed, spinach, as well as other leafy greens like kale and romaine lettuce, are high in vitamin K and prevent the occurance of an aggresive type of prostate cancer.
17. Salmon-Wild-caught salmon is much better for your health than farm raised.  It is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, lowering the risk of death from heart disease.
18. Sweet Potatoes-These potatoes are so beneficial to your health and so yummy!  They are packed with vitamins, complex carbohydrates and phytochemicals, large amounts of fiber, beta carotene, and most impressively, vitamin A, the vitamin that keeps your eyesight strong.
19. Tomatoes-These fruits are full of antioxidants, anti-cancer benefits, lycopene (which may promote cardiovascular health and helps prevent skin from sun damage), they are super low in calories, and can help lower the risk of prostate cancer.
20. Yogurt-Besides being an easy and yummy snack, consumption of yogurt has been linked to better digestive health and a lower percentage of body fat.  Be careful to check the label, many yogurts are full of sugar.  Greek yogurt is the best bet.  It is high in protein and low in sugar.  Another great one we have found is Kroger's Carb Master.  These are low in sugar and high in protein without the bitter taste that Greek yogurt can sometimes have.

Countdown to Cowtown

It's less than 12 hours till we run our 4th annual Cowtown Half Marathon.  This will be my first half marathon this running season (since I took some time off while I did the HCG diet) and Eristeo's third half marathon this season.  Needless to say, I'm a little like a child whose awaiting the next morning when she gets to head out to Disney World. 
I know that feeling of eager anticipation to get up at 4:00 am to go run 13 miles through Cowtown may be foreign and completely incomprehensible to most people, so I thought today we would blog about why we run.  Maybe, just maybe, it will make sense to those who don't run, but I imagine those who are runners will nod their heads in agreement as they read our reasons we run.  Regardless of whether you understand or not, here are a few of the many reasons for our, sometimes insane, addiction to running.

1. We can! - God has given us the health, endurance, and ability to run.  Why then, would we waste that God given ability by sitting around being couch potatoes?  Our bodies are God's temple that He has charged us to do our best with.  To us, running is part of doing the best for His temple.  "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak...They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary..." Isaiah 40:29-31

2. We like to eat (and occasionally, drink)- It's not only the actual races that burn the calories that allow us to eat, but the many hours of sometimes grueling training to prepare for them that allows us to burn the calories needed to keep off excess weight when we occasionally indulge in the special treat or drink.  Being "recovering fat people", weight control is a constant battle, and those extra calories burned certainly help us out A LOT!

3. The accomplishment - The ease of sitting around on the couch at home is certainly tempting in the evenings after a long, stressful day at work.  But, the feeling you get when you don't give in to that temptation, and you get home, change into running clothes and pound the pavement for a few miles, is a better feeling than any couch potato night would ever feel like.  Knowing that you have gone out and done something for yourself and burned some calories, makes the reward of relaxing the rest of the night with a nice healthy dinner and maybe a glass of wine so awesome!  Of course, besides the almost daily reward of getting in the training runs, the accomplishment of crossing the finish line of a race, whether it be a 5k, 10k, half marathon, or marathon, is beyond description.  Knowing that you have worked diligently in training to accomplish the distance along with thousands of other crazy runners is one of the  most inspiring things in life for us.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Tim 4:7

Color Run Fun!!!

This morning, Sunday, February 19, 2012, over 7,000 people converged onto Fair Park to have a great "color" time and raise money for the American Heart Association. Team Path of Purpose walked/ran through the 5 color stations together to become a minagerie of colors. A great time was had by all and we already have plans to participate in this very unique 5k "party" again next year. We have never experienced anything like this, and are all so glad to have participated in it together, while at the same time raising money for a very worthy cause.

     

We hope that next year we will have an even larger Path of Purpose team, so that more of our friends can participate in this really awesome time. Below are a few of the pictures from our team and the event. I'm not sure our clothes, hair, ears, noses, every crevace of our body, will ever be the same again!

Cranberry-Maple Slow Cooker Oatmeal

1Corinthians10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

A good friend of ours gave us this yummy recipe.  I have never used steel cut oats, but bought some today and plan to make it tomorrow.  Can't wait!

Cranberry-Maple Slow Cooker Oatmeal
Ingredients
8 cup(s) Water
2 cup(s) Hodgson Mill Steel cut oats, or other brand (I bought this in bulk @ Sprouts)
¾ cup(s) Cranberries, dried, chopped
½ cup(s) Syrup, maple
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
½ tsp Salt, table
3 Tbsp Almonds, slivered, toasted

Instructions
Combine all ingredients, except almonds, in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on low power for 4 to 6 hours, depending on desired creaminess. Stir well to combine and then sprinkle with almonds. Yields about 3/4 cup oatmeal and 1 teaspoon almonds per serving.

Simply stir the ingredients together before bed time and wake up to a comforting bowl of creamy, filling oats.
Servings: 9  PointsPlus® Value: 6  Preparation Time: 8 min
Cooking Time: 4-6 hours   Level of Difficulty: Easy

Support...Do you have it?

Support, a word that can be used in many contexts...we support our families financially, we support our children to grow up to be good people, women need breast support (some of us more than others!), at work we have support teams, when our electronics break down we call tech support (usually someone from Indiana that mysteriously has an very strong Indian accent!).

But the support that has been looming in my mind lately is the support of friends and family.  We all need to feel that the lifestyle changes we are making and accomplishing are good.  We also want others to approve and support us in those endeavors.  When we surround ourselves with people that support us and keep us on the right track of improving our lives, it can mean the difference between being successful and sticking with what we are trying to accomplish or failing miserably.  On the other hand, if we surround ourselves with people who are "nay-sayers" and do anything but support you in the changes you are making in your life, it can cause you to fail, or at the very least, make you question the changes in your life and feel badly.

If you are making changes in your life, and "shaking up the dynamics" of whatever support system you have been a part of, there may be people who dislike the changes, sometimes seriously dislike the change.  It is important to realize that those people who do not support you in your endeavors cannot pull you down.  You may even get to a point where they cannot be an intricate part of your life as you make these important changes. 

It is extremely important to be positive, surround yourself with others who will support you, keep you on track with the good changes you are making in your life, and cling to the people in your life, or find new people, who are supportive and embrace the lifestyle changes that make life better. 

Treat your feet right!

Last time we blogged, we wrote about getting active and some things to help get you started.  One important component of working out, however, is taking care of your feet.  After all, what takes a large lump of the punishment when we walk, run, dance, etc., our feet of course.  And, if we don't take care of them correctly, they will let us know! 

I had the pleasure of buying a new pair of running shoes today, yippee! We keep a log of how many miles we put on our shoes, and when we get to the maximum number, 350-500 miles, we get fit for a new pair.  Get fit, you may ask?  Well, our retail store of choice is Run On!, but there are other stores, such as Luke's Locker, that are trained in looking at how you walk, run, and squat to determine what type of support your little piggies need.  For example, I have in the past, been an oversupponator, (turn my feet out when I run) but now my gait has leveled itself out and is neutral.  If I had not gone in to Run On! and had them fit me, I would not have known this.  On my own, I would have bought a shoe that was too supportive than what I actually need.   That could have caused injuries down the road that could have been prevented.  I am SUPER anxious to try my new shoes out now!

If you are planning to begin a workout routine, it is a good idea to visit Run On! or Luke's Locker to have them fit you in a shoe that will be the right amount of support and will be the fit that is best for you. 

Another aspect of taking care of your feet that we have found is cotton free socks.  Cotton can cause blisters when worn for long periods of time.  You can buy super expensive socks at specialty stores, but we have found cotton free socks at Wal-Mart and Target.  The trick is looking at the material list on the back of the packaging.  Find socks that have NO cotton in the materials list.

And, of course, one very important aspect of taking care of your feet when working out, that the women will especially like, is getting regular pedicures! Besides making your feet look beautiful, having someone attend to your feet and toes, especially the toe nails, and massage sore feet and lower leg muscles, will make a huge difference in the way they feel during and after a workout.

Here's to 10 little happy piggies!
Ronna and Eristeo

Starting a workout plan...Steps to get started!

We've talked a lot about the right foods to eat, and the commitment to healthy living, but another key component to living a healthy lifestyle is getting active.  Are you active, or do you need to move in that direction?  It is amazing how much better you will feel and how much more energy you will have when you get your body moving!  Our blog today contains tips to help you get started to begin living a more active lifestyle. 

(Of course, you need to check with your doctor to make sure you can start an exercise program, but once you are clear, the following are great ways to get you started.)

When getting started, we suggest beginning a journal. In it, you can begin by writing down what your abilities are at your beginning point, ie. how far you can walk, how many push ups, sit ups, etc. you can do, body measurements, weight, etc.  This is exciting to look back on as you make progress in your life changes!

Decide on your goals. Do you want to lose weight, run a 5K, 10K, or just build more strength and stamina?  Whatever your goals, plan a routine.  Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (For example, walking 20-30 minutes/4-5 days a week, to begin) — or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity — a week. They also need two or more days of strength training a week.  Write down a plan for when, where, and what you will do in each workout.  Make an appointment with yourself, that you keep, for each workout in your plan.  Journal your appointments, and your successes during those workouts, so that you can see what you have done for yourself. 

Plan to do activities that you enjoy.  If you don't enjoy it, you won't keep it up.  Do you like dancing, walking, cycling, rowing, elliptical?  Whatever you like, do it.  To keep from getting bored, change it up on occasion, to keep your mind from getting bored, and help your body use different muscles. 

Find a freind.  If you have someone else to enjoy the activities with, the time goes by faster, you focus more on the conversation and less on the fact that you are working out.  Plus, if you have someone else counting on you to be there, you are more likely to keep to your fitness goals!

Remember, as you start, don't begin too intense and burn out, or worse, injure youself.  Listen to your body, and push yourself, but don't hurt yourself.  Give yourself time to recover from your workouts.  Muscles and joints need time to recover and build between your workouts, so rest is equally as important as the actual workout itself.  Also, if you aren't feeling well, give yourself permission to take a day or two off.  When the body if fighting off an illness, it doesn't have the strength to do much of anything else. 

As you progress, be sure to keep track of your successes.  It is also important to record any failures, or lessons you learn as you go through your fitness journey.  These are always good to look back on and learn from.  Getting in better physical shape is a journey, not a roller coaster ride.  It is something, that if done right, will be a part of your life throughout the remainder of your life.  It is something, that if done right, will change your life for the better and will better your life in more ways than you can even imagine.