Busy bee

Last week I found this chart, and thought I'd start by sharing it. In the book, "The China Study" there are all sorts of statistical data and charts from years of research that has been done to prove the validity of the benefits of consuming a largely plant based diet. Pretty jaw dropping don't you think?

Moving along. Sorry that I left you hanging after last weeks post on the basics.. Life got super crazy, super fast. It's Tuesday and I'm just now regrouping after this weekend. My son turned 6 on Friday (I know I'm still pretty broken over this) so there was a celebration for him at school during the day, and dinner and a movie Friday evening. Not to mention the running around I had to do to finish prep for his official birthday party for Saturday afternoon. Then Saturday morning our entire family participated in the "Color Me Rad" 5k. Ohhhh, what fun!!! FREEZING! But fun! So fun that I had to share some pictures with you.

 

before  (and freezing)

after (the endorphins must've warmed me up)

 If you have been wanting to try your very first race, but you've been chicken (BAK BAK)...the color 5k would definitely be a great way to go...they are very informal (not even officially timed) and there all varieties of experience. From elderly to very young, from walkers to mad dash sprinters. And most importantly, it makes running (walking, jogging, skipping, leaping, etc.) FUN!

My son ran the entire thing, and my daughter ran through all the color stations and my husband carried her in a backpack the remainder of the time. If my 6 and 3 year old can do it...so can you! Remember laughing burns calories too- and there will be lots of laughing in this run too! Take a gander here and see if they're coming your way...get up and get moving. I've said it before, but the best way to set yourself up for success is by creating a tangible goal (ie: registering for a race). 

After the race, we dashed home to start setting up for my sons football party, which my son demanded that we host on the same day as the race. He was not concerned in the least with exhaustion setting it, and somehow his little energizer bunny self just kept going and going and going. Even after running a 5k, he managed to play some serious amounts of football with his buddies and annihilate the football "training camp" we put together. That boy is resilient, and makes me proud. An active lifestyle instilled at a young age sets them up for success.

Purpose of the above....ummm...we'll call it a motivational pep talk to get you and your family active (I'm not bragging about my kids-AT ALL)! 

Now after braving the cold ALL day Saturday I was ready for lots and lots of warmth. So Sunday consisted of my Simply-Healthy-Nikki Veggie Chili and my Mom's recipe for spiced cider which I am going to share with you. It's the perfect season for cider, and not to mention it'd go wonderful with your Thanksgiving meal. 

It's simple, delicious, and makes the house smell so festive!

Juice 10-12 apples (or purchase organic apple cider), add juice to a large pot (or crock pot). Then we add 2-3 slices of grapefruit, 2-3 slices of oranges with about 10 whole cloves stuck into the slices, 2 slices of lemon, and 2 cinnamon sticks to the juice and simmer on low/medium until you're ready to sip it down. The longer the better.  

Perfectly healthy way to warm yourself up from the inside out!

Come back tomorrow for a recipe you WILL NOT want to miss... 

{cough cough:: healthy chocolate chip cookie dough dip ::cough cough}.