The Words That Dominated My Weekend

Monday, April 26, 2010

No, not absolutely, brilliant, incredible, amazing, fantastic and awesome because I use those way too much every weekend. I’m talkin’ superfoods, smoothies, raw, and cherry blossoms.

Last week I had the pleasure of taking part in Meghan’s 5 Days Superfoods and then following it up with the 3 Day Green Smoothie challenge. Maybe you’re asking yourself why I participated in these two events (aside from my adoration for all thing Meghan) Well to be honest, I’ve been struggling lately. Ever since January, I’ve been at odds with my weight, my body and eating. My weight has fluctuated (it went down significantly and then went back up again) and lately I’ve been trying to come to terms with how I feel in my skin. I try not to be ruled by the number on the scale, but often that is easier said than done. I’ve been falling into old habits and felt that participating in the two events would rejuvenate my relationship with food, give my system a bit of a break and fill my tummy up with lots of goodness.

Mission accomplished. SANY3598Summer museli with a sliced banana, applesauce and lots of cinnamon
SANY3608 Kale pesto with brown rice pasta and a mixed salad with sprouts & beets 
SANY3636 Spinach salad with tamari & cider vinegar marinated mushrooms and sunflower seed pate

SANY3641And lots of smoothies…

Meghan’s smoothie recipes are pretty awesome and the tutorial is chock full of amazing information. I think my favourite was the green mojito – so delicious! I will definitely be enjoying smoothies as a part of my regular breakfast and/or lunch routine going forward as they left me feeling satisfied and energized without weighing me down. SANY3704I guess haircut could have been one of the words too… My new bangs make me happy! And the money I paid for the cut went to the Parkinson’s Society as a part of the 2010 Cut-a-thon.

Rather than consume solely smoothies all weekend, I decided that I would just go raw with a smoothie focus. This led to a lovely excursion on Friday with Ashley. We started off by heading to High Park to see the cherry blossoms SANY3658SANY3660 SANY3661Why didn’t I know that this happens every year in High Park? We had such a nice walk and enjoyed the absolute beauty of the cherry blossoms in bloom. After a long walk, we made our way to RawliciousSANY3662 Rawlicious is a raw, vegan cafe located in the heart of the Junction, which is a neighbourhood that I lived in from 2001-2006. When I lived there there was nothing like this! I loved the beautiful artwork, SANY3664 laid-back vibe (including super cozy chairs), SANY3667and amazing food! Ash and I shared the taco wrap SANY3665(Nut-loaf, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, red onion, shredded romaine, salsa and nut cheese in a collard wrap) and raw Pad Thai SANY3666(Raw kelp noodles, shredded romaine, carrots, peppers, zucchini noodles mixed in a tangy cashew sesame Thai sauce topped with crumbled cashews & green onions) The wrap was great and really solidified my love for collards as a wrapping device. I also discovered that I have nothing to fear of kelp noodles! They were really nice mixed with the zucchini spirals and the Pad Thai as a whole was light and delicious. I can’t wait to head back to Rawlicious again!

Because clearly one raw restaurant in a weekend is not enough, I took a trip to Live on Saturday night. It was jam-packed! 

Unfortunately my pictures came out pretty dark, but I can assure you that everything was delicious including my absolute favourite kale salad, hemp bruschetta and a few bites of delicious raw cacao cake for dessert.

So how do I feel now?

I feel great. Lindsay and I did some emailing over the weekend and helped to keep one another on track. It was great to have a supportive buddy who was facing similar challenges and to have someone to stay accountable to. I will be transitioning back to cooked food later today but plan to incorporate more smoothies and superfoods into my usual eating routine. I feel more in touch with good portion sizes and my body is thanking me for all the goodness I consumed over the last 8 days. SANY3639 I feel healthy, strong and comfortable in my body and I want to keep rocking this good good feeling going forward!

Coming up later this week – my thoughts on long term weight maintenance and another FIT CHICK Friday!

Did anyone else participate in the Superfood or Smoothie Challenge? Did anyone get to High Park to see the Cherry Blossoms? How was YOUR weekend?

 

11 comments:

GF Gidget said...

Okay, your bangs ARE amazing! I taught a Raw Foods Uncooking Class on Saturday. I'll be posting the recipe tonight, I think. The "meatballs" are amazing! Even my hubby loved them! He was scared at first, but came around once he tried them!

Ashley Gibson said...

Thank you doll!!

So excited to see the recipe! You'd be such a cute teacher. Why don't I live where you are?!

Meghan (Making Love In The Kitchen) said...

You always look delightfully delicious. Hard to ditch the scale when you carry one around with you in your luggage ;)

Can't wait 'till you are in a sitch to do your coaching and sharing and inspiring on your own terms. I think our little 'chat' will be live next week. Will let you know.

Anonymous said...

I love cherry blossoms, and I love rawlicious!!

xo
K

Katy said...

All of the smoothies look amazing! I have been making a lot of smoothies with the Nutiva Hemp Shake powder (Berry Pomegranate flavor) and it's great. I mix it with some banana, strawberries, blueberries and rice milk. It's a great breakfast. I love reading your blog!

Anonymous said...

Didn't realize you wore glasses. doesn't matter as you're still a stunner in them. My weekend had me watch one brother get married and the other propose. Pretty good weekend!

Ashley Gibson said...

Thanks Katy & John!

Kristen - anything to recommend at Rawlicious??

LauraA said...

Love your hair and the glasses!! Sexy!

I too need to get back on track with my eating - I've been using unpleasant things happening in my life as an excuse to eat crap food. Thanks for the inspiration!

Crazy Charm said...

You have such beautiful hair! I'm so tempted to go red, but I'm too lazy for the upkeep.

Body By Nature said...

Love your hair!

Have you tried Green Earth Vegetarian Cuisine on Broadview? I just noticed it on the streetcar and wondering if I should make my way over to the East side!

Ashley Gibson said...

Laura <3

Crazy Charm - Thanks hon!! I'm lucky that my hair likes red and considers it a "happy place" but yes, the upkeep can sometimes be daunting.

Body By Nature - I too have noticed it on the streetcar, but have never checked it out! Let me know if you do!!

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