8 weeks of healthy habits week 8

8 Weeks of Healthy Habits! Last week! Are you still here? Whether you've been keeping up with the challenge or if you've quit, but want to jump back in, let's go out with a bang! Post about what you're doing!

Welcome to week 8 of our #8weeksofhealthyhabits.  Each week, I will post an overview of the upcoming week's goals with some helpful links and info. The purpose of this challenge is not to be stressful, preachy, or overbearing, just a fun way to incorporate some new ideas.  If you like something that we do, please feel free to incorporate it into your daily/weekly schedule and really make it a new habit. If you're looking to really up your game, try the #DaisyDukeStrong challenge at the bottom of this post.

The fun part about these challenges is the sharing.  See if you can post a thought or a selfie each day to the facebook page about what you're doing.  If you're an Instagram user, you can also post there, using the hashtags #PIG and #8weeksofhealthyhabits

Week 8:

Sunday: Take some time to reflect on your day & the last week. Write in a journal, or share to your blog.  Journaling on a regular basis can help you gain insight to your own humanity.

Monday: How many crunches can you do? If you've been keeping up with the crunch challenge, you're close to 200! Wake up early and see what you can do!

Tuesday: Try a WFPB dinner (whole foods plant based). Need some recipe ideas? Check out happyherbivore.com forksoverknives.com or engine2diet.com

Wednesday: Try an AM yoga routine.

Thursday:  Eat a monster salad for lunch! How many greens can you fit in your bowl?

Friday: Free Fitness! Post a selfie of you doing your favorite activity to the facebook page! Each Friday will be Free Fitness Friday. You get to choose the activity- just get up and do something and share it with the rest of us! If you post to Instagram, don't forget your hashtags, #PIG and #8weeksofhealthyhabits

Saturday: Listen to music that makes you happy!

Bonus into next week....

Sunday 7/19: Write about your day/week in a journal or blog

Monday 7/20: Walk or run a 5k (3.1 miles)!

Tuesday 7/21: Eat fruit for a dessert or snack. 

Wednesday 7/22: Try some simple bodyweight exercises. Push ups, squats, etc.

Daisy Duke Strong Challenge

Now, if you want that extra challenge, here's the week overview of #DaisyDukeStrong! Myself, I did better with these last week. It was easier to break up everything into smaller sets.

Sunday: 170 crunches, 170 squats
Monday: 175 crunches, 175 squats, 5 sets of 17-21 push-ups each
Tuesday: rest day
Wednesday: 175 crunches, 175 squats, 5 sets of 17-21 push-ups each
Thursday: 180 crunches, 180 squats
Friday: 185 crunches, 185 squats, 5 sets of 17-21 push-ups each
Saturday: 190 crunches, 190 squats

Bonus into next week....

Sunday: rest day
Monday: 190 crunches, 190 squats, 5 sets of 20-24 push-ups each 
Tuesday: 195 crunches, 195 squats
Wednesday: 200 crunches, 200 squats, 5 sets of 20-24 push-ups each

Plan July 13-19

Monday
Run 4
Yoga
Pina Colada Smoothie
Weekend leftovers
Taco Pizzas

Tuesday
Walk
Yoga
Lemon drop overnight oatmeal
Taco Pizas
Quiona Nori Rolls

Wednesday
Run 4
Yoga
Strawberry Banana Spinach Smoothie
Quiona Nori Rolls
Orange Broccoli Bowls

Thursday
Walk
Yoga
Samoa overnight oatmeal
Orange Broccoli Bowls
Buffalo Chickpea Pasta Bowls

Friday
Run 10
Yoga
Green Matcha Latte Smoothie
Buffalo Chickpea Pasta Bowls
Hawiian BBQ Quesidilias

Saturday
Yoga
Raw Green Smoothie
Hawaiian BBQ Quesidilias
Mediterranean Hummus Pasta

Sunday
Yoga
Raw Green Smoothie
Mediterranean Hummus Pasta
Dinner TBA

Is anyone else loving green smoothies as much as me lately? 

Oh, man, I have so much to do this week. Today I'll finish proofing my dissertation so it can go to my committee this week. I have to put in some maintenance hours at the rental house, since we're putting it up for sale (if you want to buy an adorable house next to Pax River, let me know!), and I need to make marshmallow shooters for 30 people! (Marshmallows of coyrse are not vegan or vegetarian, so I will call mine a Dandies shooter!) I also need to make a Dr.s appointment,  get my dogs groomed, and clean my car. Whew! I'm tired. Better go back to bed.

Of course this week I will continue doing Yoga every day. I'm cutting back my LSD run this Friday to 10 miles since lately when I've been tryin 15+ I've really struggled. I'm going to reclaim my joy in a nice 10 miler.

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe, so I wanted to give you this one, which I've recently discovered. I was never an Ice cream fan, it was always so cold, and it felt like it coated my throat. This recipe, though is for "Nice Cream" which I love on hot days, especially after a run. It can be a dessert, but it is also healthy enough to serve as a breakfast! There are also lots of variations you can play with. This recipe serves 1, but is easy to double or make even up to 4 servings at once, depending on your food processor.

Chocolate Nice Cream
Serves 1

Ingredients:
2 bananas,  frozen
Non-dairy milk (I use unsweetened original almond milk)
1 spoonful "dark chocolate dreams" peanut butter

Put bananas and peanut butter in your food processor, and add a splash of non-dairy milk. I would start with less than what you think you will need then add more until you get a creamy texture.

Eat right away. You'll be amazed at how the natural sweetness of the bananas comes through.

Some variations:
Instead of the chocolate PB, try adding regular PB for a nutty flavor
Add 2 dates and a drop of vanilla extract for a sweet vanilla flavor
Add a cup of strawberries  (I pre-freeze these, too) for a strawberry flavor
The possible combinations are endless! 

8 weeks of healthy habits week 7

8 Weeks of Healthy Habits!

Welcome to week 7 of our #8weeksofhealthyhabits.  Each week, I will post an overview of the upcoming week's goals with some helpful links and info. The purpose of this challenge is not to be stressful, preachy, or overbearing, just a fun way to incorporate some new ideas.  If you like something that we do, please feel free to incorporate it into your daily/weekly schedule and really make it a new habit. If you're looking to really up your game, try the #DaisyDukeStrong challenge at the bottom of this post.

The fun part about these challenges is the sharing.  See if you can post a thought or a selfie each day to the facebook page about what you're doing.  If you're an Instagram user, you can also post there, using the hashtags #PIG and #8weeksofhealthyhabits

Week 7:

Sunday: Take some time to reflect on your day & the last week. Write in a journal, or share to your blog.  Journaling on a regular basis can help you gain insight to your own humanity.

Monday: It's dance party time again! Since the reunion is just a few weeks away, how about the Cotton eye Joe, or the Boot Scootin' boogie?

Tuesday: Green smoothie day again! Today I made a green smoothie with all of my leftover fruits, strawberries, bananas, peaches, and some kale. Yum.

Wednesday: Go for a walk today during lunch or after work. Give it 10 minutes. Then see if you want to do more!

Thursday:  Choose a healthy snack. Mia makes this awesome black bean dip which is basically just mashed black beans, lime juice, and garlic powder. Great for celery and carrot dipping!

Friday: Free Fitness! Post a selfie of you doing your favorite activity to the facebook page! Each Friday will be Free Fitness Friday. You get to choose the activity- just get up and do something and share it with the rest of us! If you post to Instagram, don't forget your hashtags, #PIG and #8weeksofhealthyhabits

Saturday: Meditate for 10 minutes

Daisy Duke Strong Challenge

Now, if you want that extra challenge, here's the week overview of #DaisyDukeStrong! Myself, I did better with these last week. It was easier to break up everything into smaller sets.

Sunday: 140 crunches, 140 squats
Monday: 145 crunches, 145 squats, 5 sets of 15-19 push-ups each
Tuesday: 150 crunches, 150 squats
Wednesday: 155 crunches, 155 squats, 5 sets of 15-19 push-ups each
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: 160 crunches, 160 squats, 5 sets of 15-19 push-ups each
Saturday: 165 crunches, 165 squats

Plan July 6-12

This week, I'm making recipes from some of my newest cookbooks!
I set aside 25 books to read over the summer, and realized last week how many of them were vegan/health related! I need to get reading/cooking!

Otherwise, I'm continuing to train for my marathon, and doing yoga every day.

Monday
Run 4
Yoga
Fruit smoothie
Weekend leftovers
Zucchini Lasagna  (Plantpower families, Rich Roll & Julie Piatt)

Tuesday
Walk
Yoga
Fruit smoothie
Zucchini Lasagna
Chickpea and zucchini fritters (Happy Healthy Vegan Kitchen)

Wednesday
Run 4
Yoga
Fruit smoothie
Chickpea zucchini fritters
Waldorf Style "Chicken" Salad (Living the Farm Sanctuary Life)

Thursday
Walk
Yoga
Fruit smoothie
Waldorf Salad
Baking Powder Biscuits and White Bean and Tempeh Sausage Gravy (Vegan with a Vengeance anniv. ed.)

Friday
Run 16
Yoga
Tofu sandwich
Biscuits and Gravy
Chickpea mock Tuna Salad

Saturday
Yoga
Zucchini Bread (Plantpower Family)
Chickpea salad

Tahini dipped nori rolls (Happy Herbivore)

Sunday
Yoga
Leftovers
Italian Pasta Salad (Happy Herbivore)