Anne the Vegan

Book Review: Good to Go by Christie Aschwanden

Back in my home health days, I listened to lots of NPR. I especially loved the program Fresh Air. I was lucky enough to catch Terry Gross interviewing Christie Aschwanden, the author of the book Good to Go, in February 2019. She was speaking my language… scientific but well explained rationale behind the industry of recovery. You can hear the interview here.

As a marathoner, especially an older one, I’ve come to realize that success and avoiding injury in my sport lies mostly on how I care for my body; more specifically, in how I choose to recover. I haven’t met an athlete yet who doesn’t have some type of recovery ritual for tough workouts, whether it’s a protein shake, stretching, or my favorite, the Epsom salt bath! The recovery industry is huge and growing. Much of what Christie discussed really resonated with me and what I’ve learned from recent research regarding the management of inflammation, which is really what recovery is all about.

You see, there used to be this giant push to halt the inflammatory process in recovery, but science is proving some of the old, comfortable ways to recover from hard work really don’t work at all. This includes ice! I’ve never been a fan of ice baths. Not because it wasn’t scientifically proven to work, but because I hate being cold! I was thrilled to read an article stating that it might actually impede recovery. And when Christie reaffirmed this new, evidenced based finding, I was thrilled. She does note that if you are performing several tough workouts in a row, there is a place for those ice baths. She also discussed with Terry Gross her avoidance of taking ibuprofen after exercise for the same reason. You see, our bodies create an inflammatory response to exercise when we perform at an intensity to force adaptation. If we halt this process, we could, in theory, impede our physical progress. Our bodies use the inflammatory response to rebuild what we’ve damaged. You halt the process, you delay recovery and, perhaps, improvements in performance from all of that hard work. So the shift is toward helping to move this process along instead of stopping it, since inflammation = repair.

I bought her book off Amazon that night.

This is a well-researched, excellent overview of various modalities most of us use to improve exercise recovery. Christie hooks you in by telling the story of the “beer study,” a study in which she participated. Initial test results indicated that women may actually benefit from drinking beer to recover, and that this could subsequently improve our athletic performance the next day. Sadly, this was not true for the men. But before you can gather all of your girlfriends to go drink beers on the patio of your favorite craft brewery for the purpose of improving race PR’s, she bursts your bubble. She breaks down the flaws in their research model and why this isn’t true. She literally teaches you how to critique scientific studies, which is exactly what I spent half of earning my MS, PT doing!

Christie divides discussion by electrolytes/hydration, supplements, physical modalities, and sleep. She cites research that supports a paradigm shift in some of our old recovery rituals. And since she is an athlete herself, she tried all of the physical modalities herself, described her experiences with them, and what works for her. She gives you the science behind not only why but when to use these modalities. She also tells you things like real food can help you recover just as quickly as a protein shake, and that a walk can improve circulation as much as those fancy compression boots. She admits that much of what makes us feel better as recovery tools may have a huge placebo effect, but notes that this is OK. Some modalities, like massage and related ones like foam rolling, have limited research to support logical theories as to WHY it works, for example, but we definitely feel better after experiencing these!

As a physical therapist, I do take pause at some of the recovery tools she no longer supports. For example, she no longer includes any stretching as a part of her prep or recovery. I know she cites research to support not doing this, but I happen to enjoy stretching and how it makes me feel as a means to reduce all sorts of abuse to my body from activity. Is it a placebo effect? That’s your call. I’ve read plenty of research over the course of my career to support it both as prehab and rehab when performed correctly. But I also know plenty of runners in my circle who are terrible about taking the time to stretch, so her views might make them feel better about their recovery choices!

All of Christine’s research is cited, so you can go look up the articles yourself. In many cases, she actually interviewed the authors of these studies. In addition, she also interviews top athletes and their feelings about recovery. It’s interesting to see so much variation in what works for athletes. This book is more of a discussion with anecdotal stories than a dry summary of everyone’s research.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you are confused by all of the recovery tools on the market and you appreciate geeking out over the science of the whys, like me. You may find something new to add to your arsenal. And as marathon training season is set to begin next month, albeit virtually, I’ll once again be looking for the best tools to recover from my weekend long runs!

Have you read this book? I’d love to know what you think! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.

Trail Running: Pocahontas State Park

I’ve taken you to the James River Park System trails in an earlier post, dreamed with you about the potential Ashland to Petersburg trail, and have shared on my Instagram all the cute little trails in the Town of Ashland. Now let’s begin to explore some other trail systems in the metro Richmond area!

With Virginia starting Stage 1 of its reopening process in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak, I think even more people will take to the great outdoors for exercise. In fact, gyms can officially conduct small, outdoor classes now!

On Friday, I joined my husband at his CrossFit box for a workout. We did Karen, which is 150 wall balls for time. This WOD appropriately has the same name as a noisy, entitled white woman… and my quads still hate me for doing this workout.

That evening, my sole sisters decided we should hit the trails Saturday. So Pocahontas State Park it was. I was actually grateful to mix it up a bit; my long run day is typically Sunday, and my trail shoes are fresh, unlike my road shoes! It’s been ages since I’d run with anyone, especially more than one person. We kept our distance, but it was still so great to see friends!

Pocahontas State Park is in south Chesterfield County. It’s almost 8,000 acres with two lakes and over 64 miles of trails! It was once the largest State Park in Virginia. There is a parking/admission fee of $5 per vehicle, and at this time, the public restrooms are closed, although they do have porta potties. There is also no camping, and the pool will remain closed this summer, all due to the pandemic. But I’m grateful the park is still open!

Shortly after finishing our last leg of Ragnar, April 2017, with most of our team, Pretty in Pink! It was SOOOO HOT!

Now, the last time I really ran at Pocahontas was back in April 2017 for the Ragnar trail event. It was the weekend after I chose to go vegan. It was also a weekend of hot, humid days and limited sleep. Who ever heard of 97 degrees and 87% humidity in the middle of April in Virginia? That’s August weather! Ragnar was a one and done event for me. I still shudder at the memories from my night run where I didn’t see a soul for over a mile and was certain I’d lost the trail. And did I mention the commotion that unfolded in front of me because of my headlamp? The light attracted moths. The moths attracted bats. And there’s nothing quite like bats flying into your face at 2:30 in the morning while you are running technical trails!

This is the bridge leading to the Swift Creek trails.

Even with all of those memories flooding back, we had a nice run! We had planned 7 miles, but it got hot quickly, and we were all pretty much done after about 4.5 miles. The trails we used were not the single track bike trails we were on for Ragnar, but the Swift Creek trails and fire roads on the other side of the park. But they were lovely and hilly with nice views of the water and wildlife. There are enough trails here to make a day of it if you are doing some serious training for an ultra, for instance!

There were a couple of creek crossings. So pretty!

Thanks to Patty for taking this picture of me on a giant rock on the trail!

The most startling surprise we encountered Saturday? Snakes. We saw 4 on our run. The first was a copperhead who seemed to be guarding the trail entrance. Two of my friends ran right past it! It almost looked like a pile of leaves, but then its head moved! We also saw 3 black snakes, one of which crossed the trail right in front of us! But we left them all alone. After all, we were visitors in their home. They were probably not prepared to see so many people after reduced human traffic for so long. So be prepared for some company on the trails if you venture out!

This beauty was guarding the trail entrance! This was taken with a heavy zoom…. you do NOT want to get bitten by one.

One of the three black snakes we encountered. These are good, non-venomous snakes who keep the rodent population under control. They also love chicken eggs… my husband is quite the snake wrangler and used to pull them out of the chicken coop for me when we kept chickens.

If your runs need some mixing up, try venturing out to the trails and taking in some nature! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.

Vegan Goodness: Gravy Edition

Besides cheese and my mom’s potato soup, what is one thing I have mourned the loss of since eating vegan? I missed gravy. I am the gravy maker for our big Thanksgiving meals. I am adept at creating this magical potion to add deliciousness to the most ordinary foods. It’s more of an art than science. A throw it together, add a bit of this and a bit of that kind of operation. And adding a helping of this instantly morphs any dish into comfort food.

Creating gravy is a process that it quite forgiving, really. It’s a mix of fat, flour, and broth. You can also sauté veggies like onions and mushrooms to add flavor and texture to the gravy. So simple. So good!

In honor of the art of the process, here’s my guide, rather than recipe, to making gravy:

Ingredients:

Oil or vegan butter (roughly 2T. I like olive oil)
Flour (roughly 1T. I use a heaping normal spoonful from my silverware)
Vegetable broth
Spices (salt, pepper, onion salt, thyme, umami are all good choices!)
Optional: onions, mushrooms, peppers cut to desired size for sautéing

Directions:

If you are adding veggies to your gravy, cook these first! Sauté over medium heat in a bit of your fat of choice and a bit of salt in a non-stick frying pan. Once caramelized/browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

To the same pan over medium heat, add your fat of choice and allow to warm or melt. Add the flour, sprinkling over the surface of the pan, and STIR. A non-stick whisk works well here, but if you don’t have one, use a spatula safe for your pan. The trick is to keep things moving in order to form a roux. If your mix seems dry, add a bit more fat. Allow to cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. It should look like a thick, bubbly mixture, almost like a thin pancake batter.

Sprinkle in the pan, trying to avoid large clumps to ease creating the roux.

The roux should look a bit like pancake batter, bubbly and thick.

Add your broth, about a half cup at a time, stirring frequently. If you’ve ever made risotto, the adding of the broth is similar; add a bit, see how the mixture thickens. The flour will continue to cook and thicken as you add broth. You want your gravy to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but thin enough to drip off of your spatula. (For this batch of gravy, I added about 3 cups of liquid between broth and water, as my mix had become too salty!)

Problem solving: taste your gravy. Is it salty enough? No? Add a bit more salt. Add your other desired spices to taste. Too salty? Add water. Not thick enough? Mix about a tsp. of flour with about 1/3 cup water until smooth, and slowly add this mixture to your gravy while stirring constantly.

Once your gravy is your desired thickness, return the veggies to the gravy. Stir to combine. You may need to add more liquid to the mix once the veggies return.

Serve over your favorite carbs, protein, and/or veggies!

If you try making your own gravy, let me know how it goes! Hope you are all safe and healthy.

The Squat: What You Need To Know: Pandemic Edition

Without the gym, those of us who exercise on a regular basis or are so bored at home that we want to start exercising are now forced to rely on body weight movements and cardio to fill these needs. If you happen to have an awesome home gym, good for you. I’ll try to hide my jealousy! (The good news for Virginia is that gyms are allowed to provide outdoor classes potentially starting this Friday!)

Of all the body weight exercises, the squat is my favorite. As a physical therapist specializing in geriatrics, the one functional movement that determines someone’s ability to live independently the most, in my opinion, is their ability to transfer. And if you look at a squat, it’s really just standing up and sitting down without a chair. If you lose your ability to stand up and sit down independently, you typically have to rely on a caregiver for help. This is what our elders fear the most… losing their independence. So this is a perfect exercise for healthy adults who want to get a lot of bang for their buck with an activity. And if your grandma has a lift chair in her house and uses it to help her stand up but doesn’t need to, you have my permission to lecture her on not using it this way. Use it or lose it!

All of my patients do some version of a squat as part of their treatment or home program if they are able. Their squat may look different than the ones younger adults do, but the activity is scaled to their capabilities. More on that later. First, let’s look at the basic squat for a healthy adult.

The squat works on building your quads, hamstrings, and glutes primarily, but you will also need help from your hip adductors (inner thigh muscles) and abs for stability. Start in standing, feet just wider than shoulder width apart, toes pointing slightly out. While keeping your head and chest up, drop your butt down past parallel, keeping your knees tracking in line with your toes. (If you drop to the bottom and feel your heels rising, you need to work on your ankle mobility. Stretch those calves!) From here, simply return to standing.

This is me in the bottom of a squat. Notice that my heels are on the floor. My knees are in line with my toes. My chest and head are up.

You’ve got the basic idea now. And you can do this movement anywhere. You don’t need the gym.

Do you want to make it more challenging? Although I can tell you from experience, you will feel it if you do enough reps of the basic air squat, especially, and perhaps surprisingly, in those hip adductors. (The most common form error I make is when performing back squats at heavier weights; I will let my knees turn in. It’s the hip adductors that prevent this). But to up the difficulty, you can hold a weight in your hands near your chest or on your shoulders to focus on strengthening. This can be a kettlebell, dumbbells, a full detergent bottle, bag filled with cans, backpack filled with books, whatever you have. Of course, once you get back to the gym, you can try working on back or front squats with a barbell.

Would you rather focus on stability? This is especially important for runners since we encounter variable terrain on a regular basis and must make split second reactions to accommodate. To do this, simply change your surface to one that is less stable. This can be a pillow, sofa cushion, or, if you’re lucky to have one, a Bosu ball, either standing on the dome or on the platform with the Bosu ball turned dome side down (my favorite stability variation and in my regular rotation of accessory work in the gym.) Everything, but especially your feet and ankles, must work more to help you complete the movement.

Want to focus on turnover with running? Make it a jump squat to incorporate plyometrics. (Plyometrics is another topic that deserves its own discussion.)

With any of these variations, try performing sets of ten mixed with two or three other body weight movements.

So, what do you do if you have limitations in performing a squat? This could be restricted range of motion at your hips, knees, or ankles, maybe from tight muscles or other limitations like arthritis, or could be muscle weakness. There are multiple ways to scale a squat.

I mentioned before that if you drop to the bottom of your squat and your heels rise, you lack ankle range of motion in dorsiflexion. Focus on some calf stretching to try to improve your flexibility here. Or, a favorite weightlifting cheat, wear shoes with a higher rise. Most standard running shoes have a 10-12 mm drop from heel to toes. For some people, this is enough to compensate for the range of motion limitations and are fine for basic air squats. (Look at powerlifting shoes. They have a “heel” for a reason! But if you are back in the gym and using weights, it’s better to use a shoe with a firmer sole. I lift in Reebok Nano’s).

If your movement is limited at your hips or knees, you can accommodate for this by not dropping below parallel. Use a chair for a guide, touching your glutes to the surface as the bottom of your squat. Do you get to that point and then drop to the chair, unable to control the movement? You also lack strength. Now what do you do? Your squat can simply be a sit to stand. Try to do this without using your arms. If you can’t, use your hands to help. I would suggest sets of 5. This is a great “commercial break” activity! As another option, you can perform a mini squat, merely performing the first part of sitting down and the last part of standing up, holding onto the back of a chair or the counter for support if needed. I have given my parents and my in-laws home programs with both mini squats AND sit to stands. That’s how much I love them!

Everyone needs squats as part of their workout rotation, from seasoned runners to grandmas. It’s an essential exercise that helps maintain flexibility and functional strength. I can’t tell you how much I miss doing back squats with a barbell and using the Bosu ball in the gym, but in the meantime, I will stick to working on variations of the air squat at home!

As with any exercise program, make sure you are healthy enough to begin per your doctor’s guidelines. I am giving you this information without assumption of risk if you become injured. As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy!

Comfort Baking Part 2: Vegan Apple Spice Bread

When my soul feels troubled, I turn to activities that comfort me. The first is running. This morning, I spent a meditative run thinking about the injustices in our world. I ran for Ahmaud Arbery. He was murdered while out on a run in his own neighborhood. We should not be hunted down and killed for simply exercising. My soul aches for my country. How can so much injustice happen in the land of the free? This topic certainly deserves much further discussion.

Documenting 2.23 miles completed in memory of Ahmaud Arbery.

My other comfort activity is baking. And based on the fact that I’ve already used an entire 10 lb. bag of my favorite King Arthur Flour unbleached, all-purpose flour, I’d say I’ve done a lot of comfort baking. I opened this bag just before we had to quarantine. When I bought it, I actually felt a bit ridiculous; I never thought I’d use up all of that flour before it expired! The regular 5 lb bag wasn’t available. When I emptied the giant bag, I had to pause for a moment and reflect on all of the goodness that bag of flour has given my family over the past weeks.

I also found myself down to one little packet of yeast. In my maddening search for this elusive pantry staple over the past weeks, I began to realize how very lucky I was to buy what I did at the beginning of quarantine. Fortunately, I have a friend who scouted the Costco for yeast and found it! I had to send my card holding husband out to get some! It’s amazing how much my anxiety lifted just having that pack of yeast in my possession, though, as silly as that sounds.

My mom posted a picture of apple fritter bread to Facebook that she made the other week. It looked amazing! But I’m sure it’s not vegan. And I had already been mulling over another version of my favorite quick bread recipe. So after much thought, I executed the plan. Unlike the Tropical Banana Bread that took a few attempts to get it perfect, this time I nailed it on the first try.

This recipe calls for one banana, but as one of my “sole mates” reminded me, not everyone can eat bananas! Feel free to sub ½ cup applesauce for the banana.

For the applesauce in quick breads, it’s so easy to use the unsweetened applesauce cups. These are ½ cup each. Just about every grocery chain makes a multi-pack of unsweetened organic applesauce cups, so I buy them frequently, just for baking.

This bread is spicy, subtly sweet, full of apples, and almost custard like in its texture. Even with the single banana, this is not the dominant flavor of the bread. It’s definitely something reminiscent of apple pie. It is a denser bread than traditional banana bread. I will absolutely make this again! So if you’re already bored with your 10^th banana bread under quarantine, give this one a try!

Vegan Apple Spice Bread

Ingredients:

1.5 cups flour (can use any combination of all-purpose, whole wheat, bread, whole wheat pastry, oat flour; just make sure at least half is all-purpose)
1/3 cup organic brown sugar (can use regular organic sugar, but the brown sugar gives it more flavor)
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon, apple pie spice, or pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, mashed (you can sub ½ cup applesauce for the banana)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 medium apple, peeled, sliced, and diced. (I used Honeycrisp, but anything besides Red Delicious would work)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed banana and/or applesauce, oil, and vanilla.
Blend the dry ingredients into the wet.
Fold in the diced apple.
Pour into a greased loaf pan (non-stick spray works great!)
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, AND bread bounces back when pressed gently in the center.
Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then gently loosen the bread by running a knife around the edges, then remove from the pan. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
Store wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature if eating within 1-2 days, or store in the fridge for up to a week.

If you try this recipe, let me know! I hope you all are safe and healthy.

Finding Fitness Motivation: Pandemic Edition

I recently revisited my post from February about finding motivation. I wrote that post knowing that the novelty of our New Year’s resolutions was likely fading, evident by the smaller crowds at the gym. Well, now that we don’t have the gym, how do we find motivation to exercise? And where do we look for help? As much as it sucks to lose the gym, it kind of takes off the pressure of seeking those new weightlifting PR’s for me, and I kind of don’t mind being forced to be creative, at least in the short term. I do, however, miss running with my sole sisters tremendously. Solo runs are just not as much fun.

I’m really missing my sole sisters right now! This is us before one of the Ukrop’s Monument 10k races.
This year’s race was postponed until September.

Honestly, I look to my exercise time as an escape from the confines of my home. That’s why I like my endurance cardio escapades. This means long runs from home or in town, or long bike rides from home. Even though most of the time I procrastinate in getting out the door, my soul appreciates the separation from my physical house. So my cardio is on point, but my strength training may be suffering. The few HIIT workouts I’ve compiled have left my muscles complaining more than I ever expected, which tells me that I should maybe focus on this a bit more! Although I long for the wind in my hair as I run or bike!

Since I’m not officially training for anything as far as running goes, I’m keeping up with a simple maintenance running schedule. For me, this is 3 runs a week, 3, 3, and 6-8 miles. Since I have asthma and have a history of getting sick after big races, I’m resisting the urge to sign up for some of the super fun ultra challenges going on right now. But, oh, how I want that Yeti 24 hour ultra shirt!

Yes, exercise can help you stay healthy, but too much exercise can also wear on your body. So make sure you are allowing for adequate recovery if you are doing tough workouts or long virtual races. There is conflicting research about endurance exercise and its effects on your immunity, but recent research concludes that the phenomenon of runners coming down with respiratory infection after races may have more to do with what we are dealing with now during this pandemic… transmitting viruses due to close proximity with others as we stand in corrals prior to and in crowds to celebrate after. Check out this article and this one about running and the effects on your immune system. Bottom line? Keep exercising. Moderate exercise is very good for your immune system.

This three day per week plan is my maintenance schedule for running, but my body is used to training for a spring half marathon and at least one fall full marathon. Your schedule may look different! If you want some motivation to run, there are many shorter virtual races available right now, too. Are you new to running? Check out these tips by Sports Backers and my earlier blog post about running safety.

I typically fill in the days of the week that I don’t run with one active rest day and three cross training/weightlifting days. I’ve become reacquainted with my bike. But let me tell you… my body craves slinging weights almost as much as it itches to run. So finding suitable bodyweight training activities and things I can use around the house as weights has been a bit lackluster when compared to the barbell. I’ve mentioned in prior posts that I found wine caddies have come in handy as weights. Fill them with cans, and you’ve got a decent substitute for dumbbells. Used together, they can even sub for a kettlebell for kettlebell swings. I also have a jump rope, resistance bands, my bike, and a nice circular driveway that’s about 200m.

Wine totes filled with cans to be used as weights. Necessity is the mother of invention…

But even with these tools, how do you design a home workout? Sometimes I like to focus on a specific area, like core or arms, or a specific task, like accessory work for running, and I do isolated work on these. Some days, I’m not feeling motivated at all, and I work through a few online or on demand workouts I don’t have to think about. Other days, I like to create HIIT style, short workouts. I generally choose a cardio component and 2-3 body weight activities to create my “WOD.” If my legs are tired from running or biking, I may focus on more upper body work. Or if I feel like I need leg strengthening, I will try to do this the day after a short run. Body weight exercises can be squats, lunges, burpees, pushups, or sit-ups. Cardio can be a short run (up to a mile), jumping rope (reps of single or double unders), or a short bike ride. I also use a resistance band for more focused leg strengthening, deadlifts, and other functional movements. I will start sharing with you how to break down and scale some of these movements and how to use resistance bands, too, in subsequent blog posts.

It seems like everyone is posting workouts online and fitness motivation tips right now if you need further inspiration. And maybe you will finally have the time to work on your mobility with a yoga class! You can have lots of access to free and low cost routines and information if you know where to look! A good first place to start is your own gym. I’m a member of the YMCA, and they host online classes. My husband’s CrossFit box posts home WOD’s. But here are some other resources:

Recovery and strengthening tips with a bit of anatomy education:

DuraMater Therapy. Hallie Lifston is an occupational therapist, CrossFit coach, nutrition coach, and badass athlete. Her specialty is exercise recovery and injury prevention. She provides excellent content on her Instagram account @duramatertherapy.
Risingsummityoga is the Instagram for Amanda Myers. She is a runner, yoga instructor, massage therapist, and health coach. She posts a lot of valuable content or her account @risingsummityoga. I’ve really enjoyed learning about the different yoga poses!

Yoga classes:

Yoga On Center in Ashland is zooming classes right now. These are donation based if you are able to give. Follow them on Instagram for their schedule @yogaoncenter.
Check your local yoga studios to see if they are streaming classes. Many are charging fees, but just think of it as another way to support your local economy.

HIIT workouts:

The Sports Backers Fitness Warriors are posting classes online. They have a variety of styles, including dance, fusion, and HIIT style workouts. Follow them on Instagram for updates @rvafitnesswarriors.

Sports Backers:

This Richmond area non-profit, mother of the Fitness Warriors, the Richmond Marathon, the Ukrop’s Monument 10k, and associated training teams, has posted a variety of resources online, including information about virtual races, races still on the books for later this year, fitness trackers, Facebook accountability groups, and a kids challenge!
Sports Backers is also celebrating Bike Month in the RVA this month with Bike Walk RVA! There are many virtual activities to help you celebrate and keep you moving!

Cable subscription offerings:

If you are a subscriber, both Xfinity and Verizon offer several fitness classes on demand. These are great for introverts like me who are timid about zoom classes! I’ve found a wide variety of class types, intensity levels, and length of workouts. Some are even short enough that if you are working from home, you can fit in a quick 10 minute workout to fight the fatigue of sitting in front of your computer.

YouTube channels:

There are a myriad of fitness gurus to follow on YouTube! This article and also this one highlight just a few popular ones.

Social Media for the Soul:

Fitness also means having the mental space to feel like working out. So it’s really nice to fill your feed with positivity and humor! Here are a few accounts I really love right now:

Photography:
- @billdraperphotography is a local runner and personal friend of mine. He captures stunning views of the City of Richmond and our local wildlife.
- @jtm71 is a professional photographer based in Tennessee. He captures incredible views of the Smoky Mountains. Most of them simply take my breath away.
Vegan goodness:
- If you haven’t experienced the joy that is @iamtabithabrown, you simply must go follow her! She posts great videos with vegan recipes with her own special brand of charm. Like so, like that!
- For more vegan recipes, follow @nora_cooks_vegan. Her recipes inspire me! She posted a vegan coconut cake and a few donut recipes that I really want to try.
Fun and cocktails:
- I have followed Tamo since she was a DJ on xl102, and alternative station here in Richmond. Her career took her to Charlotte, then LA… and now she’s back in Richmond on 103.7 Play! She frequently shares cocktail recipes mixed with her own brand of snark on her stories on Instagram. She reminds me we aren’t alone in this suckfest! Follow her on IG @itstamotime.
Stella the Talking Dog
- I can’t remember how I found out about @hunger4words, but I’m in love with Stella, the talking dog! Her mom is Christina Hunger, a speech language pathologist, who has been teaching Stella to use a communication board. I look forward to each post and watching Stella’s progress!

If you aren’t up to your usual fitness regimen, don’t fret. Except perhaps for the rare centenarians, no one alive right now has been through a pandemic like this. We are all treading in uncharted waters. At least allow some time to go outside and take in some nature. But otherwise, don’t put pressure on yourself. We’ve got enough to be stressed out about right now. I think exercise should be about relieving anxiety more than anything else while in quarantine, and that looks different for everyone.

Are you finding ways to stay active in quarantine? Do you follow anyone on social media that you find uplifting? I’d love to hear about it! Hope everyone is safe and healthy.

Growing Food: Sprouts

Do you want to start a little project that is both super fun, provides fast results, is kid friendly, and delivers delicious, nutritious, edible results? This is for you. I’m talking about growing sprouts. I have always been a fan of this nutty, flavorful addition to salads and sandwiches. Sprout, veggie, and hummus sandwich? Yes, please! And it’s a working science experiment in your home that takes about a week from start to finish. Think of all of the homeschooling potential for those with kids while we are all in quarantine!

At a time where we are seeing and hearing so much about the end of life from something from which we have limited control, it’s nice to start some life. That’s one reason growing our own food gives us a sense of control and value in how we spend our newly found extra time.

Back in my more extreme homesteading days, I almost always had a batch of sprouts going. However, once I went back to work full time, I gradually reduced the projects I had going around the home, and this is one that suffered. I never really thought about it once I dropped back to part time work unless I was in the store buying produce. Now that I have no work during this pandemic, and with our food supply in question, I decided it was time to grow these again. And because, well, I was craving them! I was lucky that I picked up a packet of seeds the last time I saw them. I was in Strange’s Garden Center here in Richmond buying plants for a science project for my younger daughter. This was long before the pandemic hit US soil.

You may have seen or read some stories about recalls of sprouts for bacterial contamination. And, yes, this is prevalent in commercially grown sprouts. A lot can grow in warm, wet environments, and not all of it is good! Many grocery chains have simply stopped carrying sprouts all together. I think you definitely have more control over the cleanliness of the results in your own home. Plus, you grow such a small amount at a time and eat the results so quickly, you limit bacterial growth. However, it is important to know and acknowledge that there is a risk of bacterial contamination when growing sprouts, and this could potentially cause food poisoning. You can reduce this risk by disinfecting your seeds before you sprout them. You may find that home grown is super easy and the results tastier than what you can buy in the grocery.

Check out this article for more information about the relative risks and benefits of eating sprouts. The Botanical Interests website has valuable information about growing and disinfecting seeds. And I found this article for additional methods for disinfecting your seeds as well as using the seed sprouting box. If you use this vinegar method discussed in the above article for disinfecting your seeds, you can do it in the same jar that you will use for sprouting.

Here’s what you need for the jar method:

Good quality sprout seeds. I love these from Botanical Interests. I bought mine locally in Richmond at Strange’s Garden Center, but they are also available online here, or alfalfa sprouts of the same brand here on Amazon via Whole Foods. You may be able to purchase these at a local garden center yourself. This particular brand is organic and lab tested for contaminants. Buy whatever variety you like. I really enjoy the blends for salads or sandwiches. You get a nice variety of flavors and textures with the blends.
A sanitized jar. Washing in the dishwasher works just fine. I used a quart size jar here to allow for growth.
A sanitized canning rim. Again, dishwasher works!

Plastic canvas for needlepoint works well as your screen.

Canvas cut to fit the inside of the canning rim for your screen.

A screen of some kind to cut to fit per the diameter of your lid. I suggest using clean kitchen shears to cut. I used a plastic needlework canvas which are readily available from Amazon, Michael’s, Walmart, or Joann’s. Michaels and Joann’s have online ordering and curbside pickup at this time. You can also use part of a fine mesh strainer if you have one that has already seen better days; just be careful of sharp edges under the rim. These commercially made screen jar lids are also available on Amazon. Wash prior to use.
Alternatively, you can use one of these adorable sprout growing boxes. These are also available at Strange’s if you are local to Richmond. I had one at one time, but can’t find it! So I’ve reverted back to the jar method.
Clean hands. It’s really important that your hands are clean every time you handle your jar and seeds!

Here’s how to grow them using the jar method:

WASH YOUR HANDS!

Set up your jar. After you cut the screen to fit your lid with clean kitchen shears, place it on the inside of the lid. You may have to trim it a bit to improve the fit. It should be snug.

Pour enough of the seeds into the jar to loosely cover the bottom of the jar (about 1 T; and if you used the vinegar disinfecting method, you’re already at this step!)

Seeds in the jar, soaked, and ready to grow!

Place the lid on the jar.

Fill the jar with water and allow the seeds to soak overnight.

Drain the jar, placing your hand over the screen to help keep the seeds from slipping through your netting. Again, make sure your hands are clean!

Rinse your seeds twice daily, filling the jar with enough water to generously cover the seeds/sprouts, swirling, and draining as above. Keep your jar at room temperature.

Once your sprouts seem to have grown to capacity with very few unsprouted seeds, you can remove the sprouts and store in a separate, clean container in the refrigerator, and then start the fun all over again! I place the jar and lid (with screen intact) in the dishwasher to clean between batches. Sprouts will store in the fridge for about a week.

I’m on my third round of homegrown sprouts this “new” growing season. I will never go back to buying them in the store. They taste so much better grown at home!

If you try this, let me know how it goes! I give this information to you with no assumption of responsibility for contaminated seeds or unsanitary growing conditions. I hope you all are safe and healthy.

Gardening in 2020: Sustainability is Chic Again!

Who is experiencing anxiety when going grocery shopping right now? I’m definitely in this camp! Surveying empty shelves is panic inducing. Who has lots of time on their hands at home right now? Yup. I’m in that camp, too. So what CAN you control? You can create your own food source.

My garden right after planting a few weeks ago. I already had the fence posts and plastic netting. I plan to upgrade the netting soon!

That’s right. It’s a great time to get your hands dirty, occupy your time, support some local farms and feed stores, and put in a garden. Your kids might even want to help you!

As the world isolates, there have been reassurances that our food supply chain is intact and safe, however, there have been multiple reports that it is not as stable as we might perceive. Those who rely on meat and eggs for nutrition have known for a few weeks that these items have been in short supply. Many processing plants have had to shut down due to the spread of the virus among their workers. Dairy farmers have had to dump milk. And even vegetable farmers have had to waste some of their harvest. Even more reason to lean more on local food sources. My family has been taking advantage of the offerings of our local farmers in recent weeks. Many farmers’ markets are learning how to adapt, with vendors taking online orders and with drive through pickup. But now I am even happier that I’ve started this garden project.

Shortly after we moved into this house, my husband built us four beautiful raised beds. I kept a garden for several years, but have not for the past 3 growing seasons. Unfortunately, the structure of these beds suffered from my neglect, but I have uncovered what remains, and I put in the beginnings of a garden.

I have a few plants started already. I had some garlic chives, a perennial, which remains from my prior gardens, and it has sprouted multiple volunteers! I’ve also put in one tomato plant, some collards, and a few varieties of squash plants. I’ve also started some potatoes and butter bean from seeds. For now, I have to keep my tomato, squash plants, and bean seedlings happy by covering them at night if the temperature drops into the 30’s, but I wanted to get a jump start on the season.

My not so sophisticated way of covering my plants to protect them from the cold last night. Low of 40 degrees.

My plants were purchased from a variety of sources. If I had known back in February that we would be facing a pandemic, I may have started plants from seed. But who had that foresight back then? Buying quality plants has been fairly easy, though. I tried as much as possible to support local businesses, buying from the local Ashland Feed and Seed and Lavender Fields Farm, although the collards and tomato plant were an impulse buy from the grocery store.

The Ashland Feed and Seed is an old time feed store that reminds me of the Ace Hardware Store that my Aunt Neva and Uncle Bob used to own in Plant City, Florida. I used to love playing with the baby chicks every time we would visit over spring break. If you have chickens, Ashland Feed and Seed carries Sunrise Farms non-GMO chicken feed grown in Virginia. They also carry a variety of plants, seeds, and gardening tools, plus anything you would ever need for your pets and livestock. Visiting in person is super fun because they have several resident cats who are all friendly and love attention! Ashland Feed and Seed is deemed an essential business and are open at this time.

The view of the Chichahominy River from Lavender Fields Farm in Henrico County. There are normally chairs to sit and enjoy the view, but these have been removed temporarily due to social distancing precautions.

My other favorite plant source is Lavender Fields Farm, a beautiful property in Henrico County off of Greenwood Road. The farm is bordered by the Chickahominy River, and there are outstanding views from the property. The Ashland to Petersburg Trail will run adjacent to the farm when it is completed. They have a cute shop with handmade soaps, essential oils, and Bev’s ice cream (not vegan). The lavender flavor is a favorite for my non-vegan kids! On my last visit, they also had small raised bed kits. But the highlight of items for purchase there are their herb and vegetable plants. Right now, you can order and pay by phone and pickup curbside, including ice cream! Once we are off quarantine, take the time to take a tour! In a week or so, I will pick up more tomatoes from Lavender Fields. They will have all kinds of interesting varieties you can’t get anywhere else.

The view as you approach the farm from the entrance. There is a main house, two smaller shop buildings, and plants on display. There are numerous greenhouses toward the back of the property as well as chickens and bee hives.

Some of the many plants available on display at the farm.

As I am by no means a gardening expert, I rely on my friends for help! If you frequent your local farmer’s market, most growers are eager to share their knowledge. And my good friend Tisha has been posting a lot about gardening on her Instagram and will be sharing her gardening advice and adventures on her blog, On Bramble Hill. Go follow her blog and on Instagram @tisha_lyn. She has also recently added chickens to her little homestead, so it will be fun to watch them grow! Tisha also uses raised beds; it’s a great way to manage soil quality. We both live in rural areas on opposite sides of the metro Richmond area, so it’s necessary to protect our crops from deer. They are prevalent and LOVE to use our gardens as a food source. She recommends deer netting to keep them out of your garden. I’m hoping that it will also keep out the neighbors’ feral cats! Don’t get me wrong. I love cats. It’s just really disappointing when your babies you grew from seed start dying because cats have been using your raised beds as giant litter boxes.

Don’t have a place to put in a garden? Many plants grow well in containers. There are some bred specifically for this. Look for “bush” or “patio” varieties. Most tomatoes will grow well in containers as well, especially smaller varieties like grape, cherry, and Roma. Herbs grow very well as a windowsill kitchen garden or in containers. You can even grow potatoes this way!

Do yourself a favor. While we are all stuck at home, take the time to put in a garden. You may be even more grateful than you realize that you have this sustainable food source in the months to come.

Have you put in a garden this year? I’d love to hear about it! Hope you all are staying safe and healthy.

Comfort Food: Vegan Banana Bread with a Twist

First, let me follow up on my last blog post. I mentioned that one of my favorite movies was That Thing You Do. One of my friends posted this amazing cover by Billy Joe Armstrong from Green Day as a tribute to Adam Schlesinger, and it’s so good, I almost cried!

And as we are all figuring out how to pass the time during quarantine, I have not read a more entertaining account than this one from Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale. She seems to be having far more fun than anyone I know. She is an immensely talented storyteller, so this is definitely worth reading, even if it’s just to find out about her rubber chicken choir.

Vegan Tropical Banana Bread, adapted from the banana bread recipe from The Simple Veganista

Now, back to the business at hand. Who else has found an unexplainable urge to stock up on bananas at the grocery store? Some of my friends have reported that this is a common error in pick up/delivery orders, requesting 7 single bananas and receiving 7 bunches of them! Or ordering one bunch of bananas and getting one single banana. Yikes! Why is ordering bananas so challenging? And in our efforts to utilize everything we’ve purchased, save from freezing tons of bananas, we turn to the best comfort food: banana bread.

Long ago, I searched the internet for the best vegan banana bread recipe, and when I tried this version from the Simple Veganista, I had to look no further. The basic recipe is outstanding. I had made it a few weeks in a row, and then I decided to tweak the recipe a bit, creating a version with a tropical twist by adding nuts, pineapple, and coconut. I tried canned pineapple, but even with draining the juice from the fruit, the resulting bread was too… I’m going to say it… moist. So I resorted to dried pineapple, and that was what worked. The result is the perfect mix of tropical flavors with a bread that has a good crumb.

So without further ado, I give you:

Vegan Tropical Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1.5 cups flour (I prefer unbleached AP, but use what you like or have)
1/3 cup organic brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large overripe bananas, mashed
½ cup diced, dried pineapple
½ cup diced walnuts or pecans
½ cup unsweetened coconut

Mixing in the pineapple, nuts, and coconut.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a bread pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Add the remaining ingredients, and stir until combined.
Pour into prepared bread pan.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until surface is browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Batter after all ingredients are mixed! Dough should appear wet, but hold together.

Some helpful tips:

Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes prior to removing it from the pan. To do that, gently ease bread from sides of pan by sliding a knife between the bread and the pan around all sides, and then flip the pan over to free the bread. I use oven mitts or oven gloves to do this, since the pan will still be hot! Let the bread cool on a cooling rack. This slices best when it’s completely cooled, but I can’t ever wait that long! As with most quick breads, store it wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature if you will eat it in 2-3 days. Move it to the fridge if it will take longer.

If you need a nut-free option, just add a bit more pineapple and coconut.

If you need a gluten-free option, I would suggest using a commercially blended GF flour like Bob’s Red Mill.

Finished bread. I cut this before it had fully cooled, so it looks a bit messy!

If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes! Happy comfort baking!

I hope you and your family are surviving quarantine. What “comfort foods” are you making? I’d love to hear about it! Stay safe and healthy.

Focus on Wellness: Pandemic Edition

How is everyone? No, really. How ARE you? Have you settled into a new routine? Are you one of the lucky ones who can work from home? Are you studying online? What are you doing to pass the time?

I think most of us have reached the level of quarantine where the novelty has worn off. We are all a bit stir-crazy. With the new wave of protests, this is very evident. But from the perspective of public health scientists, we are not out of the woods yet. We need to keep listening to them, even if we are growing bored with our stay at home lives.

For me, I’m doing OK. I’m an introvert at heart, so isolating isn’t absolutely terrible for me. I was officially laid off as a PRN employee, and no one is hiring physical therapists right now. Grocery stores are hiring, but my applications have been met with swift rejections since I’m “overqualified.” I am extremely grateful my husband is still employed. It could be so much worse.

I am also extremely grateful my children are very self-sufficient teenagers! I have no idea what I would do if I had young kids at home. For those of you who do, I’m so sorry! I’m sure there are some magical moments, but also lots of frustration and chaos.

Speaking of chaos, my wardrobe and appearance have certainly regressed. I am by no means a high maintenance girl. The last time I had a haircut was a year ago. And I don’t ever polish my nails. But I do wear makeup to work and to go out. I haven’t worn makeup in over a month! The ads that pop up on social media for makeup are hilarious. I mean, who’s wearing makeup right now? And I have settled into a rotation of pajamas, “dress” lounge pants, regular lounge pants, and workout clothes. I think I’ve put on a real bra once during quarantine, and that was for a trip to the grocery store.

Unless I am on that rare trip to the grocery store, my brain has been surprisingly calm. I tend to struggle with anxiety and feeling down anyway, but it’s if my brain is saying, “See? I told you the bad thing was going to happen.” And I’m simultaneously anxious about the future and at ease with the present, although I’ve been having very strange dreams in quarantine. Anyone else? My most memorable pandemic dream thus far was that I suddenly had ginormous boobs, and I was breastfeeding numerous babies. I figured there must be a hidden meaning to this, so I looked it up. Apparently I miss being a caregiver. Strange dreams are seemingly common during the pandemic.

I’m coping by taking in what I like to call “comfort entertainment.” I haven’t been able to really concentrate on reading books. I’ve tried, but nothing I’ve read has really hooked me in. I don’t know if it’s the trauma of the pandemic or something else. If you’ve got any recommendations, I’d love some suggestions of good books! But lately I’ve been resorting to other media.

Do you re-watch movies? My top choices are The Sound of Music, That Thing You Do, Legally Blonde, and Pitch Perfect. Comfort in a DVD. Yes, I still have those!

My affection for The Sound of Music started at a young age. You can thank my parents for that. I looked forward to the replay on TV every Christmas. A few years ago, my brother bought me the DVD for Christmas. I love it! And now my kids do, too! Rogers and Hammerstein are Broadway geniuses, and this is their best work.

As I’m writing this, I’m listening to the cast reunion of That Thing You Do on their YouTube channel. I first saw this movie while I was in PT school. My study partner and I took a break from cramming for graduate school exams and watched this in the Byrd Theater on a Saturday night. It is still the only movie I’ve ever seen there, and I was lucky enough to do that on a night that they played the organ! The reunion is a fundraiser in honor of Adam Schlesinger, who succumbed to COVID-19 earlier this month. I didn’t know that he wrote the song That Thing You Do until he passed, but I did know that he wrote one of the best songs of all time, Stacey’s Mom, as a part of the Fountains of Wayne.

And Legally Blonde… well, I come by my love for this lighthearted movie honestly! One of my running partners and fellow blonde, Sarah, also loves this movie. We are most likely to bust out spontaneous quotes from the film several miles into a delirium inducing 16 plus mile long run.

Pitch Perfect has a similar feel of That Thing You Do, although much more frivolous! I love to cheer for the underdog, and I love music. This movie is also a favorite of my younger daughter. We bought her parts 1 and 2 for Christmas a couple of years ago.

Then there’s TV. I am sad that the new shows are wrapping up for the season. But I find myself going back in time to the 90’s and watching Friends. I almost forget about the present… until a commercial comes on. Most are about how companies are dealing with the pandemic. And I’m in love with the new show Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist. I’ve tried streaming some shows on Netflix, etc., but, to be honest, I’m having a difficult time engaging with some of the hot, new shows. I did binge watch Unorthodox and enjoyed it. Highly recommend! What have you been watching in quarantine?

My other new thing is puzzles. One of my husband’s relatives loves them, so the last time my daughter and I delivered food to her, we borrowed a few. (We are doing the grocery shopping for the elders in our family right now.) We are on our third one, and this one is tough! This is usually a vacation activity. I can’t say I’ve ever assembled a puzzle in my own home before now. Apparently my family is not alone in this!

I’m also trying to keep up my fitness, so that means maintaining my 3 time per week runs, cross training on the bike, and some garage workouts. I look forward to my daily exercise, but tend to procrastinate in getting out of the house to actually accomplish it. My rural roads are still so crowded with cars, it’s like no one is actually staying at home. Meanwhile, my friends in the city seem to be blissfully roaming empty streets. So I’ve been running mostly in town, even though I feel guilty because I’m not exactly “sheltering in place.” I find myself a bit aggravated when I see people on “my” trails, which are typically empty, but are now busy with people escaping their homes like me. But I am glad that people are exercising. Bike rides are getting easier, although I’m still a novice. I actually live off of the Route 1 bike route, so it was pretty well frequented by cyclists prior to the quarantine. It’s supremely humbling to get passed by someone on a real road bike, though! Mine is kind of a hybrid of a beach cruiser, mountain bike, and road bike. But for what it lacks in speed it makes up for in versatility. I can ride the trails and roads equally with no issues. (Speaking of biking, check out Sports Backers for their Bike Walk Month celebration, which begins tomorrow!) As for garage workouts, I really wish I had some dumbbells, at the very least. They seem to be sold out everywhere! As a last resort, I’ve taken wine carriers and filled them with cans to use for weights, even holding them together for kettlebell swings. I also treated myself to a new jump rope, hoping to master double unders while spending so much time at home. I wish I could report greater success with this! If you need workout ideas, try this website to construct your own based on what you have at hand and the movements you like.

My makeshift home gym, featuring a jump rope and wine bags filled with cans!

My husband is thrilled that I’ve also taken some time to organize and purge, although I’m sure he’d rather me devote most of my time to that! I even reached the level of quarantine boredom that I have made a major dent in cleaning my laundry room, had my own little sock matching party, AND deep cleaned my toaster oven. FYI, I sadly still have socks missing their mates… but now at least I can see the chairs in our bedroom. That’s been a nice place to have my breakfast and morning coffee, since our main living space is now an office.

Then there’s cooking. So much cooking! And baking. And doing dishes. I enjoy the creative outlet of cooking, but loathe the cleanup. But we’re trying to eat at home as much as possible. It’s amazing how much I’m turning to comfort foods right now. Who else has made banana bread?

My last ongoing project is that I’ve started a garden. I’ll share more about that later, but this is my first garden in 3 years.

And, of course, there’s pondering what to say to you, my readers. I’ve got lots of time on my hands now.

Take care of yourselves. I don’t think there’s any right way to endure quarantine. But we will hopefully get through this together.

I hope you all are doing well. Please share how you are coping during quarantine. Stay safe and healthy, everyone.