Paddle Boarding - fun exercise!

Since I was little I've had this rediculous fear of going in the water. Well not a pool but any type of natural water like a lake, bay, pond or even the ocean. No matter how clear the water is, you can't get me to dive in or even sail out, just not my thing. However, being athletic is so you can imagine how torn I felt when I kept seeing images of people all over paddle boarding on a beautiful sunny day.

During the summer my family heads out to our beach house on the weekends (we live in the city so we need a little sun and sand to keep us sane). By nature I'm not the "lounging" type. I always like to be doing something and most of the time I prefer it to be some sort of physical activity. Sure I work out a lot but when I'm out by the beach there is nothing better than getting your workout in while doing something fun and outdoorsy. So this past weekend I told my husband we were going paddle boarding. Yes, he laughed in my face but when I told him I wasn't kidding, he started to get excited! So we left our son with a baby sitter put on our bathing suits, slathered on sunscreen (of course!) and headed out, I was excited but super nervous too (there was no turning back now).

In case you don't know, paddle boarding is basically a hybrid of kayaking and surfing. You basically stand on a surf board and use a long paddle to move about. It is safer and easier than surfing while being much more athletic than kayaking (because you are standing so you are using all of your muscles). You can take a nice easy paddle out onto still water like a lake or take it into the ocean and ride the waves. If you take yoga or pilates have no fear you will easily conquer the board. Core strength is a must to keep you from falling into the water and overall fitness is a massive plus especially when you are paddling against the wind (which we did a lot of!)!

We started out on the bay so I could get my "sea legs" and then headed out to the ocean. Scared and tense at first, I forgot to enjoy myself because all I could think about was if the turtle I saw in the water below would bite me if I fell in (and what else was lurking in the water!)! But as soon as we got to the ocean, I said screw it, I'm doing this for real and I swam out and caught a wave. Ok fine the first two waves caught me and tossed me under (note to self, next time don't wear a bikini) but I got back out there and eventually rocked a few waves myself. After 2 hours out on the water I was beat but I felt powerful, strong, psyched and accomplished. My muscles were tired, my stomach was growling and I was ready to stand on some solid ground.

On our way home we passed by a bunch of local farmstands so we stopped in, grabbed some super ripe peaches and the best blueberries I have ever eaten and ate them in the car. Fueling ourselves with healthy eats after a tough workout was the perfect end to a perfect day...yes, have no fear, the wine came later!

So, if you are out by the water this Labor Day weekend or on vacation any time soon simply google "paddle boarding" and get started now! I can promise you not only will you tone your arms, back, butt, legs and abs but you'll have a blast too! If you are out in the Hamptons check out Main Beach Surf and Sport in Wainscott and ask for Rick, he rocked!

Paddle on dudes!

Vegetarian Monday!

This summer I introduced Vegetarian Mondays into my family’s lives after reading and learning more about the movement. Sure, I’m all for nutrition but I’m also for helping the planet and reducing our carbon footprint where I can (and with such a crazy hot summer this year, we’ve really got to start doing something or we’re all gonna MELT!). Although it is possible to lead a healthy vegetarian lifestyle, I truly enjoy the taste, variety and nutritional benefits that come from meat, fish and poultry so instead of eliminating it all together, I’ve done away with it on Mondays, decreasing our meat intake by 15% and in turn improving our health (saturated fat found in rich animal products are known artery cloggers and cholesterol raisers).

My son and I spend all day Monday enjoying vegetarian foods while my husband just goes veggie at dinner (to each his own). This doesn't mean you have to eat a salad for every meal, no no, let's get more creative than that however you also don't have to slave away at the stove all day either. This past Monday I simply added some Balsamic Vinaigrette to some chickpeas and edamamae and served that along side some super sweet grape tomatoes and cut up pieces of already marinated packaged tofu (Wildwood Foods brand is really tasty www.pulmuonewildwood.com) for my son (because let's be realistic here, who has time to cook lunch with an almost 2 year old running around). He ate every bite and I felt great knowing his belly was full of antioxidants, fiber, protein and heart healthy fats. I ate the left over tofu on top of a salad (simply chopped up veggies I had leftover from the farm stand) and felt satisfied (never full) and content with my vegetarian meal.

Since Mondays are my day out of the office, I truly enjoy cooking dinner at the end of the day, it is how I unwind (um, with a glass of wine of course!). So, after I put my son down for the night, Veg Monday forces me to get creative in the kitchen. NO frozen veggie burgers allowed (note: when I’m short on time Morning Star Farms or Dr. Praegers are my go to favs).

This week though it was all about eggplant since it is in season right now (I love local and seasonal veggies) and I scooped up a bunch over the weekend. But here is the problem… I honestly, have no idea what to do with eggplant besides fry it and cover it with cheese which is SO NOT HAPPENING! So I took inventory of my veggie drawer and noted that I also had too many tomatoes, zucchini and fennel (I can’t help myself and yes I also tend to over buy shoes) so I decided to whip up a super healthy (and as it turns out ridiculously delicious) summer ratatouille. It sounds fancy and difficult but if you can chop up veggies and cook them in a large pot until soft-ish (yup, that’s it) then consider yourself fancy too! To balance out the meal I served it on top of some simply prepared Quinoa (an ancient whole grain that is a great source of protein, 10-15%, and cooks up in 10 minutes) and presto, dinner was done! Added bonus, this quick recipe made enough for two days worth of meals for the entire family! And yes, even my carnivore husband asked for seconds!

Not sure you can convince your family to go veg on Mondays? Whip up this dish and I’ll bet they’ll change their minds!

Summer Ratatouille
2 large eggplants, chopped into 1-inch pieces (sprinkle w/ salt to remove bitterness)
1 large zucchini, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, whole
2 heirloom plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1-14oz can diced tomatoes (muir glen is my fav)
½ red onion, chopped
½ fennel head, sliced
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp thyme
4 basil leaves, chopped
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp olive oil
cooking spray
water as needed

Directions:
Heat large pot over medium heat and cover with cooking spray. Add olive oil and onions. Cook until onions become clear, add fennel. Add water in tablespoons as needed if the bottom of the pan begins to turn brown. Cook about 7 minutes, add pepper, zucchini and egg plant, cook 10 minutes or until slightly tender. Add tomatoes and garlic and cook until all flavors meld together and veggies are soft-ish. Add thyme, pepper and red pepper flakes. Lower heat and serve!