Ummm Umcka?

I am sick. I hate it. I'm pissed. Not only do I have to suspend myself from two of my favorite fall activities, running and day drinking, but I feel like poop.  Boo to sickness. 

I have tried everything, chugging water, juicing, dayquil/nyquil, vitamin c gummy bears, and nothing has worked...until I remembered a friend told me that he swore this stuff called Umcka will cut the time of a cold in half.  I usually don't buy that mess but I figured what the hell?

So what is Umcka? It comes from the root of the geranium plat that comes from South Africa. Although nothing is FDA proven it has been shown to have antiviral and antibiotic properties that may kill viruses and infections.  Drop 1ml in your mouth and wait.  What do you know...it worked! I'm not sure if it was placebo or it actually did but I don't really care. I feel better! Thank you Umcka! You can find it at Kroger or Whole Foods.

Yet another thing from South Africa, besides from Shepard's Pie, that I love.

xo,
zo

Lighten Up Your Labor Day

Ah 3 day weekends.  Sit back, relax, have a cold beer, fat out on some salty BBQ and drink a delicious sugary margarita...oh wait, that last part doesn’t sound so awesome, especially if you're going to be throwing on a bikini at some point.  Yikes! 

So, below is a list of things NOT to eat at the pool or beach so you can stay looking like a skinny peach (and no, I didn't mean to rhyme but it does sound good eh?)! And also some other options to beat the bloat.

What NOT to eat:

- Gassy foods. Especially Broccoli, Carrots and Brussels Sprouts

- Gum. It makes you swallow air which makes you bloaty.  Stick with a mint.

- Salty foods. Doesn't cause gas but does cause your body to retain water.

- Apples and Pears

- Beans. The more you eat the more you...

- Sugary drinks. Including Margaritas.

What you SHOULD eat:

- Water.  The more hydrated you are the better your organs work.  

- If you're going to drink try Skinny Margaritas. White Wine. Skinny Peaches. Light Beer

- Grilled shrimp, chicken or fish

- Papaya, watermelon, oranges

- Asparagus and cucumber

xo,

zo

Road Trip Snackin'

Got back Tuesday night from a ridiculously amazing week long road trip through North Carolina and Virginia. Eating healthy on the road is sometimes a challenge which is why you should usually try and plan your stops in advance and bring a ton of healthy snack options.  The healthy snack part I have down pact. Scoping out places to eat that don't start with Chic and end in Fil-a is the hard part.

My Go-To Road Trip Snacks:

• Trader Joes non-salted pistachios
• Banana Coconut gRAWnola (This stuff is legit. It's a combination of banana and coconut along with the gRAWnola core ingredients of pumpkin seeds, apples, dates, almonds and walnuts)
• Aged White Cheddar Pirates Booty (I could - and may have done so a few times - eat this entire bag by myself it's THAT good. It's 100 times healthier than ripping into a bag of chips or candy. It's all natural, baked and gluten free)
• Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew KIND bar. This little bar rocks my world. It's the perfect blend of salty and sweet while providing antioxidants and a few key vitamins.
• Apples 

  gRAWnola - available in 3 flavors: Banana/Coconut, Original and Sweet & Sour

Pirate's Booty: Available in 5 other flavors. Only 130 calories per serving!



Vitamins A, E & D! Check out there website for other KINDS of snacks.

xo,

zo

HomeSICK

I have a pretty big camping/climbing/hiking trip coming up on Wednesday and after 3 days of

that we are driving to see my fam in the metropolis known as Williamsburg, VA.  In light of this trip I've been taking all of the necessary precautions to NOT get sick (washing my hands, sleeping a lot, eating healthy, getting exercise) but I woke up today and didn't feel super awesome.  I think my body is telling me it's been too long since I've been home. Time to call in the troops.

See below for my go-to list of things to ingest to ward off the sick monster.

- Ardens Garden Grand Slams. The benefits of this little drink are huge. These little shots detoxify, fight illness and boost your immune system. A grand slam is a shot of Wheatgrass Juice, Ginger, Lemon Juice and Cranberry Juice.  Each of the 1oz shots have their own awesome qualities filled with vitamins to keep you healthy. Note: I ask for a pineapple juice chaser for after.

 

- Green Tea, Green Tea and more Green Tea.  Major antioxidants.
- Odwalla Mo'Beta (Antioxidants, Beta Carotene, Vitamins C & E)

- Water (tons of it)
- I've also heard that chewing on raw garlic helps.  Maybe I'll try that tonight.
- Mom's chicken & matzoh ball soup (hopefully I will be better by the time I'm  home but this marvelous concoction works EVERY time).

Wish me luck.

xo,
zo