Workout Wednesday

So I've participated in Monday Made It, Techy Tuesday, Five for Friday...what about Wednesday? So, I figured I would use Wednesdays to focus on my health and lifestyle.

Besides using my blog to help others integrate technology into their lessons, my other passion is educating others about my vegan lifestyle. While, some select this lifestyle to help fight for animal rights, I myself selected it by choice to live a healthier way. I was never a big meat eater growing up, just didn't like it. I know, some of you probably think I'm crazy.... When I was pregnant, I forced myself to eat chicken because others told me it was good for the baby. I really disliked it and I guarantee I won't be doing that again when we decide to have more kids.

I almost find being vegan as a fun challenge. This lifestyle has come a long way. I remember when I first started vegetarian, it was hard to even find a veggie burger in the store. Now there are great places, like Whole Foods, who have become my best friend. Even local grocers, like Jewel, have started carrying more options. Even on restaurant menus, more and more are starting to create vegan and gluten-free options. My husband and I enjoy cooking vegan and I love when I hear comments from others about how great the smell is from the kitchen...the meat eaters saying this I mind you. Once they find out it is vegan food, that stereotype response kicks right in..."no thanks."

So, where am I getting with this. I'm not on a soap box by any means. I will admit, when I am out shopping, one thing I do find myself selecting more of when it comes to clothing and accessories are vegan products. I even purchased vegan Toms once and I have to say, they are the most comfortable shoes I've ever had.

Well, being a runner and following many running companies on Twitter, I saw a tweet come multiple times about a company called GladSoles. My husband, who became a vegan before me, had investigated more about them and found that they are actually a vegan company that makes sandals. However, the nice thing about them, is that they cut the sandals to your actual foot size, because no two feet are the same.

They are a very simple design and you can customize them with a variety of lace colors. They have three different styles depending on the thickness of the foot pad that you want, but you can even run in them. Very similar to the barefoot shoes that they sell. I owned a pair of Newbalance like that once for shorter distances and loved them, I continue to ware them even though they look like they were plucked from the garbage. ha ha

The process for ordering is even easier. On the website, you can download their forms to trace your feet. They have tutorial videos on how to do everything. My husband and I traced each others feet to make it easier. We scanned the images, sent them in and that same day, on a holiday I mind you, they contacted us back immediately. We couldn't be more impressed with the customer service and were excited for them to ship on Monday! Well, we just received them in the mail today and you better believe it, I got them out to lace up right away!

Like everything else, there is a tutorial on their site for how to lace them, really easy to do if you follow the steps. If you start following them on Instagram, there are tons of other ideas on how to get creative with the lacing as well! I'm excited for them to mold to my feet and become the most comfortable sandals I've ever owned! Maybe even venture out in a run one day!


Today's post was on behalf of part of the Big Time Blogging Challenge #BTBC14. Check out Michelle's site at Big Time Literacy for more information!


 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Since I've gone vegan, and even more so now that I am a gluten free vegan, I've always been in search for a really good pizza recipe. I've heard of using cauliflower as a replacement for mashed potatoes, but never heard it used for making pizza crusts until a friend of mine sent me a picture of a pizza she made. Let me tell you, it look delicious and it was constantly on my mind all week.

So, I began searching for a vegan alternative to the cauliflower pizza crust on Pinterest and this was the recipe I decided to follow. Click Here for the recipe!

The process was fairly simple, but my only issue was getting the crust to be crispy without overcooking it. Regardless, I still could have ate the whole pizza!

While the crust was baking for 30 minutes, I started to cook my veggie choices in advance to soften them. My toppings included tomato paste, vegan mozzarella teese, broccoli, mushrooms, soy grilled chicken, tomato and spinach. Once the crust was done, the toppings were tossed on and then I allowed it to bake again for an additional 10 minutes.

I honestly can't wait to make this pizza again! It must have been good because my vegan husband, who isn't normally a pizza fan, demolished the last half of it tonight!

A Healthier ME!

While a goal of mine is definitely to begin blogging more and reaching the status of many other educators out there in our field.  I'm linking up with 4th Grade Frolics, a blog that I began following a few years back when I used to teach 4th grade.

I've always wanted to join a linky, so I guess this is now the perfect time to do it. :) As educators, we always strive to do the best for our students and we work constantly to make sure that happens. However, often doing that we forget about taking care of the teacher.

2013 was a busy year for me. Not only did I change grade levels and get to spend two years in a row with my lovely students, but I accomplished a whole year of being vegan and completing 2, half marathons! That is something I never dreamed of doing. A large goal of mine is to run the Walt Disney World Marathon one day, but in order to do that I need to take care of me first.

My struggle with fatigue has been something that has increased over the years. Granted I have worked in two very active careers after college, but there is nothing medically that can be found as the cause. In order to take better care of myself, I'm testing out being gluten-free as well in 2014. There are many vegan blogs and articles in cyber world that link gluten and fatigue together, so hopefully this will give me the small boost that I need to keep active for my 27 children at school and my lovely 2 year old princess at home. If anything, it will definitely make me a healthier eater in the end.

Have a happy, healthy New Year!

How it all started

At the new year of 2013, I officially said goodbye to being a vegetarian after many years and welcomed the lifestyle change of vegan.  My husband had been a vegan for nearly a year already and saw many health benefits, so I figured I would accept the challenge as well. After all, just dropping dairy from my diet would be easy....right?

I think the hardest challenge was leaving cheese behind. Becoming a vegan baker turned into a fun challenge, learning how to substitute natural ingredients for the oils and dairy that used to be included. I'm not much of a cook in the kitchen, but baking is one thing I do enjoy when I can gather some free time.

I wanted to get back into more physical exercise, after having my daughter in 2010, and running was the route I chose. I had never been much of a runner in school, I loved to play sports, but running was never my thing. I'm not as dedicated to training as my husband, but I made a goal to run a half marathon in 2013...well, I did it! In May of 2013, I officially became a half marathon runner! I am not a fast runner by any means, but it was still an accomplishment to finish.

Running races is like a serious addiction, once you have done one, you look forward to entering another. After a handful of 5Ks and the first half marathon under my belt, I decided to enter another half marathon that would be held in the fall of 2013. I contemplated for the longest time on if I would challenge myself to run a full marathon, but in the end, I am glad that I only ran another half. It allowed me to really put my additional training to the test and try to learn from my mistakes the first time.
1. Pace yourself, don't start off to quickly and stick to a pace time.
2. Make sure the facilities are used prior to running so you don't waste minutes on end in line at the 3 mile marker Port-O-Pot.
3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Practices to pay off, as I completed my 2nd, half marathon, 23 minutes faster than the first! I look forward to hopefully another race soon!

1st Half Marathon (May 2013)

2nd Half Marathon (November 2013)