I tried

Today is the last day of my tri team’s healthy habits challenge. 

I’d say I was about 75 percent successful. My hydration habits have definitely improved. (I'm sitting here with a water bottle right now.) I managed to foam roll for a week. And I’ve gotten better at putting the phone down before bed and picking up a book instead. (Currently reading Hillary Clinton’s What Happened. Figured I should pick this up after she became my Ironman mantra.) 

Life, however, did get keep me from going all-out on the healthy habits. 

On the weekend I was supposed to be avoiding alcohol, Big Ginger and I went to the Vikings-Saints game. And the Minneapolis Miracle happened. And I may or may not have cried in public and then run down the street cheering and hugging a bunch of people I have never seen before in my life. 

I mean, how on earth was I supposed to not drink? 

(Related: How on earth was I not supposed to not drink after the Vikings lost the NFC Championship game? And how on earth am I not in fetal position, pulling out all my hair, as all these Eagles fans arrive in Minneapolis for the Super Bowl? Gah!) 

Then the weekend I was supposed to avoid added sugars, Annie and I went to Austin for a girls trip that revolved entirely around food and trying to eat as much queso as possible. 

Call me a skeptic, but I’m pretty sure queso isn’t gently melted cheese straight from a grass-fed cow.

book club

I recently finished reading this book by Shauna James Ahern, the voice behind the Gluten-free Girl blog -- possibly the best-known, most widely-read blog for those with celiac disease.

The book is mostly a memoir, with a few recipes sprinkled throughout. I like Shauna's writing -- the way she describes food is absolutely hedonistic (and this helped me overlook the parts of the book that seem a little too sentimental or too I-hate-my-parents-for-raising-me-on-packaged-convenience-foods ranty). I love her positive outlook and the way she turns a diet that most people likely view as limiting into a tool to explore new cuisines and ingredients.

Also, I can't wait to try out her Roasted Cauliflower with Smoked Paprika and Cocoa Powder recipe. (Doesn't that sound like the most random combination of ingredients ever? I am totally intrigued.)

But overall, the book has left me with one distinct feeling: Guilt.

Yes, that's right. Maybe this is silly and I am just letting the recovering Catholic in me take control of my feelings, but I feel guilty because I don't need to be gluten-free. Until I read this book, I had no idea how absolutely debilitating celiac disease is, and I feel embarrassed that eating gluten-free is more of a choice for me than a mandate. (Although I guess my nutritionist would argue otherwise.) It sort of makes me feel like a big poser or like I am taking it for granted that I really can eat things like ramen or pie without being completely destroyed/bedridden/chained to a toilet for several days afterward.

However, this is not to say that I don't have a reaction to gluten. In the past month, this is what I've noticed: I am significantly less bloated when I'm not eating gluten. My digestion is better. And -- to put it very bluntly -- I fart less and poop more.

And honestly, folks, what is more satisfying than a good poo?

(Dear Shauna James Ahern: Please do not be offended by the fact that I have written about your book and my poo in the same post. Thank you.)

bittman-ed

Yet one more reason to love the library: Cookbooks.

I can't tell you how many times I've bought a cookbook, only to have it sit on the shelf collecting dust because it didn't fit into my life -- the recipes required too much advance planning, or the ingredients were difficult to find, or the cookbook was more of a coffee table picture book than an actual reference work.

But the library changes all of that. I love being able to check out cookbooks and take them on a little test run before making the commitment to buy them.

Recently, I borrowed Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

There is just so much to love about Mark Bittman. First of all, he's a marathoner. Second, there is his food philosophy. While he advocates eating a largely plant-based diet, he doesn't believe in cutting things out forever because he doesn't want to stop eating food he loves -- he has a "vegan before 6 p.m. rule," where he pretty much eats like a vegan all day, thereby receiving the health benefits of a mostly vegan diet, and then allows himself to enjoy dinner. (You can read more about this philosophy here.)

And finally: He is a great teacher. (I'm sure those of you who were fans of his now-retired Minimalist column will agree.) His recipes are straightforward, he uses ingredients that are highly likely to be found in your pantry (I've flipped through the book numerous times to choose a dish based on what I had on hand, and it wasn't tough to find something) and he suggests variations for each dish, so once you've learned the basics, you can change things up.

Tonight Todd used Bittman's book to make Braised and Glazed Turnips (and if you don't have turnips, the same recipe applies to radishes or any other root veggie) and Broiled Sunchokes. (We also had some tofu, turnip greens and mushrooms over brown rice, which you can see in the photo above.)

The result?

Delicious. And I'm pretty sure I'll be buying How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and making it a permanent part of our cookbook collection.