I’m still savoring those incredible heirloom tomatoes. Yesterday I had one chopped up on a salad and it was as sweet as strawberries.

Another item I picked up to try was blueberry butter. I was SO excited when I saw it. I love apple butter and pumpkin butter, so what could go wrong? Well, I tried it on my oatmeal this morning and wouldn’t you know, there is absolutely zero blueberry flavor. It’s basically just tastes like heavily spiced applesauce. It’s still really good, but no blueberry!

And here’s another failed purchase at the farmer’s market the other day. I knew we were about to run out of fish sauce, so I picked up a giant bottle of my favorite Shrimp Brand sauce, only to discover another humongous bottle in the bottom of the pantry that I bought a few weeks ago and forgot about.

That is a lot of fish sauce. Luckily this is a staple item in our house, so we will get through it all, just slowly.

But enough about fails, how about a win?

You may recall that I’ve been trying to correct a B12 deficiency with a high dose supplement for the last few months. Well, on Monday I went in for a blood test to see if my numbers were up. Check out the stellar results!

1415! That’s up from 180 just earlier this year! I know it’s flagged as too high because it’s outside the normal range, but my doctor told me that there’s really no such thing as a B12 level that’s too high. She’s never heard of it being harmful for anyone.

I just ordered more of the B12 supplement I’ve been taking, but I’ve downgraded to a 1000mcg dose that I may only take every other day. I am so glad this worked for me, nothing else has in years!

That’s my good news for the day, tell me some good news of yours!

August 3, 2012 Alayna Discussion 9 comments

Hope you all enjoyed Lee’s curry recipe yesterday. As you read this we are on a plane heading home, so until we make it back safe and sound, I leave you with one more guest post from another fellow Atlanta blogger.

Kristy is my home-town running hero. Girl eats miles for breakfast, and maybe sometimes some overnight oats. Thanks Kristy for this wonderful guest post!

Hey, Y’all!  This is Kristy from KristyRuns.com.

Big thanks to Alayna for allowing me to do a guest post for her!  She rocks.

Alayna and I share a love of eating and cooking whole, nutritious foods…although her cooking is, like, phenomenal.  Mine’s more like throw it in the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes.  :)

Since I’m a runner [and always hungry], I keep my fridge and pantry stocked with delicious, healthy foods.  Let’s take a peek inside them, shall we?

Some things I always keep on hand:

Nut butter.  Almond, hazelnut, peanut…you name it, I love it.  Whether straight out of the jar, slathered on a ‘naner, or mixed in a smoothie, the protein plus healthy fats make a satiating and tasty combo.  Love.

Oatmeal.  I can’t even remember the last time I ate this stuff cooked!  I love to make overnight oats with them!  My new favorite way to eat them is with yogurt, chopped almonds, and sliced banana.  Oatmeal is packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and iron. Hello, awesome snack!

‘Naners.  I always have several bunches of bananas on hand.  Between smoothies, yogurt/oatmeal bowls, and slathering them with almond butter, I go through a lot of ‘em.

Spinach and carrots.  Speaking of smoothies, you’ve tried a green monster before, right???  So. Good.  My standard recipe includes spinach, carrots, banana, frozen berries, and almond milk.  Since I’m a vegetarian, I give these smoothies all the credit for keeping my iron levels at a normal level.  The vitamin C in the berries helps your body absorb more iron from the spinach.  I can almost hear my body thanking me when I guzzle down one of these babies.

Yogurt:  I used to avoid all animal products before I went to Europe a month ago.  After that trip, I realized that I could eat dairy and eggs in an ethical, responsible way.  Fortunately in Atlanta, we have several local companies that produce quality organic dairy products.  Calcium plus protein?  I’ll take it!

But hey, sometimes you just need some gelato.  ;)

What are your favorite healthy foods to keep on hand?

May 7, 2011 Alayna Discussion 5 comments

Good morning! No, great morning!

I am feeling super jazzed today for two reasons…

First, because I have gorgeous and creamy steel-cut oats that I made with my rice cooker.

Seriously, these rice-cooker oats are life-changing levels of good!

I just put 1/4 cup of steel-cut oats, a spoonful of ground flax, a spoonful of chia seeds, half a banana torn up, and 1 cup of almond milk into the rice cooker and put it on the porridge setting. It took about an hour and 20 minutes, but it was so worth the wait! Next time I’ll prep everything the night before and set a timer so I can wake up to a hot delicious oatmeal morning!

And second, because my body feels so relaxed and stress-free from attending my first ever hot yoga class last night!

I attended a 90 minute class at Atlanta Hot Yoga with 3 lovely ladies: Lee from In My Tummy, Kristy from Kristy Runs, and Laura from Laura Dishes.

I was interested to try it, but not sure if it was going to be right for me. Turns out, I love hot yoga! I think I may have stumbled on to something that I’m going to really enjoy.

I have always had some balance issues because of my scoliosis offsetting my spinal alignment, and I could tell that I had more issues with holding poses when on my left leg, but as the class went on I got better at maintaining my balance, and I think that with regular practice it could really help me. I expected to wake up sore all over, but actually it’s just the opposite. A lot of tension I’ve been holding in my upper back is nearly gone, I find it easier to sit up straight, I don’t have a neckache like I often do in the mornings, and I just feel so light and stress-free. Jackpot!

I think taking up a regular yoga practice, not only just for fun but also as a supplement to my chiropractic care, could be beneficial for me in maintaining flexibility and overall good health.

Thanks girls, for a fun exercise date and for turning me on to a new hobby! If anyone is interested in trying out Decatur Hot Yoga with me, I’m there!

January 25, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Fitness 4 comments