I Wanna Bite Nature’s Head Off

Have I mentioned yet how unfair it is to be a girl?  In addition to nature making us slower runners (even though I take comfort in knowing that I’m faster than the vast majority of the male population), it also makes women hungrier after exercise than it does men.  While men get to enjoy the fruits of their labors, us women are trying to restrain ourselves from eating everything in our homes down to the moldy cheese – Bridget Jones style.

Evidently, nature wants women’s bodies to be plump and fertile so when we increase our level of activity, we have a strong internal drive to make up all those calories burned with pasta, bread, and all sorts of simple-sugar yummy goodness.  As many times as I try to tell my body that it doesn’t have a shot in hell in conceiving any time soon, it responds “Shut up and eat something.”

Currently I am downing more food and putting up with stronger urges than my pregnant sister.  I also admit that I am a little territorial over my food.  When my visiting mother exclaimed “Are you eating again?!  You’re not going to be hungry for dinner!,” I felt more defensive than our old horse Shady who used to pin her ears back and kick anyone who dared to come near her during mealtime – including her own offspring Moonshine (Dad named that one.)

Yes – I wanna bite nature’s head off.  Fortunately though, in this case, I actually can!  Instead of suffering through hunger pains, I choose to eat frequently – about every two to three hours – and only allow myself healthy choices to come near these jaws of life.  In fact, when I pack my lunch before work in the morning, it may appear as if I am packing for a picnic – banana, morning granola bar, organic crunchy peanut butter and organic grape jam on sprouted Ezekiel 4:9 bread (complete protein) or a toasted turkey sandwich with apples on a whole-wheat sub roll, bag of baby carrots, peach, and a afternoon granola bar are all typical finds in my daily lunch pail.

When you work all day and run all night, fitting in dinner is often a challenge.  I rarely eat dinner before 9 pm and often times eat after 10 pm.  Thus, there is no time to grill any salmon or whip up any other kind of elaborate concoction.  Instead, I often eat salads.  In fact, I’m so lazy that I typically buy the pre-washed organic lettuce and shredded carrots to minimize the amount of rinsing and cutting I have to do.  One of my favorite salads this summer which I sorta came up with was to take a black bean and avocado dip (try http://www.rachelcooks.com/2011/07/01/black-bean-and-avocado-dip-or-salad/ and sub extra virgin olive oil (an anti-inflammatory) for veggie oil) and instead of scarfing down the dip with tortilla chips, I spoon out a little every night and put it over organic romaine lettuce.

I’m also a huge fan of making a healthy pot of soup on the weekends that I can eat off of all week or freeze in individual containers that can be quickly dethawed and heated in the microwave.  A lesson I learned from my Grandma – soups are great because you can combine your meat, vegetables, and starches all in one meal.  On Sunday, I did a little twist on the recipe my Grandma taught me by throwing in heirloom tomatoes, squash, and basil – all fresh from my little garden.  Consistent with The Grams, I also added chicken breast, corn, butterbeans (aka lima beans which I learned in college when I couldn’t find “butterbeans” in the Harris Teeter), carrots, and wholegrain macaroni noodles – all cooked in chicken broth.

What comes after lunch and dinner?  Well, dessert – sometimes.  Until this past Thursday night when I enjoyed “The Elvis” at Peculiar Rabbit almost as much as his Christmas album, I hadn’t had a real dessert since I ate two chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven during July 4^th vacation.  Dessert is really supposed to be a treat – reserved for special occasions (like Birthdays!) and not part of a daily diet like my dog believes.  And when you are busting your butt to get in better shape, you don’t want to throw away an hour’s worth of pain and sweat for a cookie in your boxed lunch at work (even if it is from Dean & Deluca!).  Instead, if I need a little pick-me-up after a long day or just a little something sweet before bed, I opt for a small piece of dark chocolate or a mini York Peppermint Pattie – Hits the spot and guilt-free (as long as you stick with just one!).

Banana nut chocolate chip bread, peanut butter ice cream, salted caramel, candied bacon and whipped cream- "The Elvis" could raise the man himself from the dead! 

After upping my mileage and my cravings these past few weeks, I can tell you that it really isn’t fun to always feel hungry.  Sometimes I just want to go lay in to a pizza buffet like a 300-pound football player and eat myself sick just so I can crush my hunger.  However, I am choosing to focus my drive on fruits, vegetables, and grains to try to get a little payback on nature – one sliced carrot at a time.

MCM Training Week Eleven: 65 Miles

Solid week, complete with my first 20-miler...a sign that it's gonna be game day before I know it!

This Week’s Beer Choice: Heist Brewery’s I2PA (Charlotte, NC)