TODAY: Final trithlon for 2010

Five months ago James and I set out on a journey we never imagined: training and competing in our first Triathlon. After we conquered our fear and doubts in May, we decided to challenge ourselves to another Tri this summer.

If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything, is ready, we shall never begin.
- Ivan Turgenev, novelist, poet, playwright

Today, we will compete in Boston in our second and final 2010 Tri. For the past three months we met multiple barriers and challenges throughout our training journey; some days we hate ever peddle every stroke, and every step; other days we just want to ‘give up’ and sacrifice our registration payment. But, we did not! We persevered and continued to embrace the challenge and use the body that God gave us!

There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either IN or you're OUT. There's no such thing as life in-between.

- Pat Riley, basketball coach

Today’s Tri is open water in the ocean, and I am scared. My open water swimming ability is kind of a disgrace (ask my brother and my cousins who have graciously followed us across the lake several times throughout the summer). However, I am not going to let fear prevent me from living. The ocean will not kill me, and I will feel amazingly accomplished when today is complete.

Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still.
- Chinese Proverb

I will recap our best tri training moments from the past three months:

#1 James and I did witness two teenagers in a car while we were on our bike and run routes (I will let you fill in the details)

#2 James crossed paths with a giant bob cat

# 3 We successfully swam across the lake and back without stopping after SEVERAL failed and stressful attempts


I am proud of us and our physical and mental accomplishments; I am blessed and honored to have an amazing husband who supports me, encourages me, and participates with me in anything (okay most anything) that I ask.

Ocean, I am scared of you, but today you and I are going to swim together.

How to buy peanut butter

“Where does peanut butter come from?” I ask myself. “Peanuts” I answer. Peanuts grow naturally on earth for us to eat. Peanuts contain natural, vital, and extremely healthy fat, protein, and fiber necessary for nerve and cell membrane development, and about a million other body functions.

Okay, if the information is true: peanuts contain fat, protein, and fiber and they grow naturally on earth, where does reduced fat peanut butter come from? Do the peanut pickers perform liposuction on each peanut? Do they cut the peanut in half and fill the jar half full of peanuts? Did they develop a method to grow peanuts with ½ the fat?

Well, the answer is simple: there is no such “food.” We cannot reduce a peanut. PHEW!

So how exactly do we sell “Reduced Fat” Peanut Butter in the store? More importantly, why do we buy reduced fat peanut butter? For starters, the food companies try to trick us into believing we are buying “healthy” food; they charge us more and slap on a pretty and jazzy label. Then, we are drawn to the label and get trapped into believing their little lies!

Luckily, we caught onto their mischievous tricks! Check out the ingredients in Jiff’s Reduced Fat Peanut Butter:

Retrieved August 5, 2010 from: http://www.jif.com/products/details.asp?prodid=330

Peanuts, corn syrup solids, sugar and soy protein, fully hydrogenated vegetable oil (might as well say: CLOG UP YOUR ARTIERS OIL), mono-and diglycerides (sugar), molasses, niacinamide, folice acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, magnesium oxide, zinx oxide, ferric orthophosphate, and copper sulfate (yum).

So, pretty much, the food companies have learned to take a perfect food and inject the food with HAZARDOUS WASTE slap on a pretty label and sell them to us at the detriment of our life! (okay, that was kinda dramatic..but, still!)

The great news is that we CAN and SHOULD buy peanut butter because natural peanut butter still exists!! The ingredients: “peanuts & salt.” Thank goodness!

My Dad picked this out and bought it all by himself- this particular kind has flax: peanuts, salt, flax- TWO THUMBS UP!

Lasagna that makes your cell membranes SMILE!!

Italian is my favorite cuisine! In fact, before James and I buckled down on our finances, I am certain that I should have bought stock in Olive Garden.


Luckily for my little cell membranes and my pocket book I have said “GOOD BYE” to Olive Garden and HELLO to home-made Italian food stuffed with super foods.

Ta-da- beautiful masterpiece (no I am not talking about my hair)

My “Live longer” Lasagna is completely vegetarian and contains 10 SUPER FOODS! I substitute lasagna noodles for spaghetti squash, meat for black beans, and I add a little yogurt to spice up the party (I mean, who doesn’t want to throw in some active cultures at any given opportunity?)

Sketti squash seperates like sketti and tastes DELICIOUS!

This recipe is tested and proved by our friends: males and females and our family. Actually, this recipe is my sister’s all- time favorite!

I prefer to add veggies to the cheese mixture to improve texture

Ready to build the lasagna masterpiece!

How can you go wrong with a pound of spinach in your lasagna?  Or how can you go wrong with a sweet hair do like this?

To turn your cell membranes frown upside-down, click here to print the recipe: Live Longer Lasagna

Do you have unhealthy recipes that you want “super food-ified?” I create all my recipes by researching unhealthy recipes and substituting ingredients. I don’t believe in diets, and I certainly do not believe that people should sacrifice foods they love. With a little TLC and creativity, you can health-ify ANY recipe. Send your favorite “unhealthy” recipes to: Optimistic Reflections and I will work my magic and post the updated healthy creation to my blog! I am looking forward to the challenge!