Easy, Healthy Spring Rolls

Had an EXCELLENT run today, went my slightly longer route, and felt great during and afterwards. I'll be ready for the Thanksgiving 5K in no time. Tomorrow I'll be back in the hot studio, doing more bikram yoga with one of my favorite instructors (Mani). Hooray for exercise fun!

So, staying fit isn't all about exercise, is it? Of course not. It's also about eating healthy - moderate portions, low-fat, low-calorie, veggies of many kinds and colors, lean meats, yum! I'm no saint. Put a bag of chips in front of me and I tend to lose control. Bread? My kryptonite. That being said, I'd like to think that I know a thing or two about healthy eating. Dinner tonight was light, full of lean proteins, lots of veggies, and delicious!

(Keep in mind, I am not a nutritionist, a doctor, or any kind of expert on diets and exercise. My knowledge comes from experience, my own personal research, and common sense. Please consult a doctor before relying on any of my advice. *end legal ass-covering*)

So - here's my dinner recipe for Thai-style spring rolls. Very simple, very little cooking involved. They're also totally fun to assemble, and perfect finger food. And most importantly, they're good for you!

Thai-Style Spring Rolls (serves two):

Ingredients:

1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled

1 chicken thigh

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

5 green onions

1/2 cucumber

1 carrot

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 bunch fresh basil

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 pkg. rice paper rolls

1 container spring roll sauce

Directions:

Cook shrimp and chicken, separately, in skillet with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp. minced garlic, and 1 tsp. grated ginger, and 1 finely chopped green onion (measurements for each protein). Let cool, and dice the cooked chicken and shrimp. Set cooked chicken and shrimp aside in refrigerator until chilled. Finely chop the rest of the green onions, julienne the carrot and cucumber, and coarsely chop basil and cilantro.

To assemble the rolls: soak each rice paper sheet in dish of lukewarm water until pliable (a pie dish works well). Place on plate. In center of sheet, layer desired amounts of carrot, cucumber, lettuce, shrimp/chicken (or both!), basil, and cilantro. Roll, carefully, taking care to keep ingredients from falling out the sides. Enjoy with spring roll sauce*

Yum! You could also make this meal totally vegan by using tofu or any other soy protein on the market. Your choice.

* Sadly, I did not make my own dipping sauce for this recipe, but there are dozens of recipes out there if you'd like to try your own. I bought Kroger's brand of spring roll dipping sauce, and it was pretty good. The real winner here is the cilantro - it brings such a delicious, fresh taste to the meal.

Weekend Workout Motivation

Difficult run today, but I ran over three miles around the neighborhood. Had to psych myself up along the way to keep on going, but it's worth it!

When it's cold, when it's windy, when you're tired from working nights - how do you get going in the morning? What does it take to keep motivated to get out of bed and stick to a work out plan? Honestly, I haven't figured this one out yet. There are always days when it seems nicer to stay in the warm house and watch the idiot box while eating some junk. But I'll share five of my own motivational kicks-in-the-butt, to help remind you (and me) of why I keep on the fitness train.

First, make the effort. Take the first step. For me, the simplest thing to do to guarantee that I'll get my workout in is to GET DRESSED in my workout gear. Once I've made it that far, I almost never turn around and say "Screw it." I just feel more like an athlete if I look like one. If you have the money, by all means, go shopping for the workout gear that makes you feel like climbing a mountain, running a marathon, swimming the English Channel, whatever.

Second, keep it interesting. In other words, cross train. If you're an elite athlete, a) you're almost certainly not reading this blog for tips, and b) you're probably pretty committed to a specific sport. And that's okay - if you can do the same thing over and over and not get bored (or injured from overtraining), by all means, keep on doing it. For the rest of us mortals, variety truly is the spice of life. While running is my go-to activity, finding bikram yoga classes I love has definitely given me a boost in the motivation department. Finding that new activity to learn and love while growing your fitness repertoire is pretty wonderful. If you normally run, try weight-training. If you normally swim, yoga classes might be right up your alley. Anything to mix it up.

Third, workout partners can be excellent motivators. A friend, spouse, significant other, family member, coworker - anyone who wants to get fit alongside you is a good pick. I discovered disc golf thanks to my boyfriend. We've spent many sunny days on a local disc golf course, tossing discs into metal "holes" (look here if you've never heard of the sport), and walking for upwards of 1-2 hours while playing. If you can't drag a friend out with you, look online for local running or walking clubs to join. (Of course, be safe. Don't go one-on-one with strangers, yadda, yadda, yadda.)

Fourth - routine, routine, routine. Make a routine you can stick to. Don't promise yourself that you'll work out every day if you can't. Write down a reasonable workout routine and commit to it. Along with this - enjoy your days off! They feel that much better if you've "earned" them. By incorporating days of rest into your routine, you save yourself from burnout while allowing your body to repair and rebuild.

Fifth, set goals. Every few months, for example, I'll enter a local road race. Local running races are almost always connected to a good cause (e.g. part of the entry fee goes to charity), well-attended by people of all abilities, and a safe option for running a unique route. What's not to love? And when I know that I have a goal to train for - say, finishing a 5K without having to stop and walk - I'm much more likely to stick to my workout routine in the days before the event. Your own goals don't have to be quite so public or even competitive. You could aspire to walk four days a week for a whole month. You could shoot to increase your time on the treadmill, or your weight on the barbell. Whatever you most want to shoot for, having a goal in mind more specific than "getting fit" is a great way to keep up the momentum.

These are just a few of the ways I keep myself moving. Most importantly, take what works for you and leave the rest. Even when it's rough, even when the bed feels extra comfy and warm, the work that you put into keeping your body healthy and well will pay off tenfold. Find the things that keep you up and at 'em, and working out will seem more like a blessing than a chore.