Stars Without Makeup!!!!

Every time I see a magazine with that headline, I always have to sneak a peak. The images are all the same. There are two shots of the celebrity. On the left hand side is the beautiful, air brushed, perfectly made up star. Her hair is gorgeous and there is not a blemish on her pristine face. Then on the left hand side, there is a shot of the star leaving the gym or walking down the street with her kids sans makeup. She looks either pale, splotchy, has bags under her eyes, acne, or all of the above.

I love seeing these pictures. Not because I get some sick sense of schadenfreude over the fact that celebrities don't always look their best. I love seeing these pics because they look exactly like I do without makeup!

That's why I don't get why The Today Show made a huge deal about

Lady Gaga releasing this photo of herself:

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She looks like she just got out of bed. Guess what! That's what I look like when I get out of bed! Or go to the gym, or go for a run, or go to Aldi.

I know some people are shocked because Lady Gaga is normally never seen without being done up. She has even spoken in interviews about how she sleeps in her makeup. And granted, she does look like a different person when she's not slathered in makeup. In fact, I'm not sure I would recognize her if I saw her walking down the street. But she doesn't look bad. She looks NORMAL.

I have some friends who are absolutely GORGEOUS without any makeup at all. Their faces already glow in all the right places and no makeup is needed. Of course I wish I could say that about myself, but I cannot. I need a little mascara and some color on my lips or I look very pale. Especially in the winter. I do like wearing makeup when I'm going somewhere, but I definitely don't wear it to the gym or on a run or anything like that.

So in honor of Lady Gaga and all her awesomeness (I really like her music and she seems VERY nice in her interviews.) here are some shots of me today SANS MAKEUP!!!!

Just chillin' at home... whatever!

Sans makeup 2009 after being up 24hrs straight!

Sans makeup 2010... after running 50 miles!

Sans makeup 1987.
My mom made that skirt.
First day of kindergarten and I rocked the bare faced look.

What do you think of stars without makeup?????

No fake sugary drinks- an UPDATE and a CONFESSION.

At the beginning of the summer, I vowed to give up fake sugary drinks. I knew they were not good for me and that I needed to drink more water. My plan was to give them up for the entire summer (sort of a detox) and then only drink them as a treat thereafter. I used to guzzle them all day long but I have been off them cold turkey since June 12^th! Woohoo!!!!

The good parts about giving up fake sugary drinks:

• Giving up these drinks has allowed me to drink A LOT more water (64oz a day, easily), and it also has me drinking more milk. I love milk.
  
  
• I know my body is healthier without all those chemicals, so that makes me happy.

The bad parts about giving up fake sugary drinks:

• Coffee is not as good anymore since I can't add my Splenda. (It's still "my" Splenda!) I could add real sugar, but I would have to add too much to make it taste as sweet as Splenda, so it's not even worth it.

• I really crave these drinks after a hard workout or late at night. It's really annoying not being able to indulge!

• I thought my body would have some sort of epiphany. Like I would start to have more energy, or feel better in some way after giving up fake sugar. But I can't tell a difference in my health or my body. I know there is a difference, I just thought I would feel it. I guess my body knows how to process crap!

MY CONFESSION: On July 24^th, 2013, I accidentally drank a prepackaged lite double espresso iced coffee drink from Starbucks that was partially sweetened with Splenda. I took a sip of it and THEN looked at the ingredients. “How does this only have 5g of carbs!?” I wondered to myself. Then I realized why: Splenda. Now, this was not so bad. I should have checked the ingredients first, but it was an honest mistake. However, I drank the rest of it, even though at that point I knew it went against my code. (Dexter shout out!) I was tired, on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, and all I wanted to do was enjoy my lite double espresso iced coffee drink and people watch on the boardwalk with my husband. That evening, I failed. But I vow not to throw in the towel and give up. I made one mistake, but I can make it better pullin' up my britches and being more careful about my choices!

Signed,

Megan Michael

7-27-13

America.

Egg Yolks- They're not the enemy!

I like to eat a lot of protein. I need carbs for my runs, but I need protein to build muscle. I have no problems finding carbs to eat. The easiest way to get protein into my diet is by eating chicken breast. I eat a ton of chicken breast and I really never get sick of it. Yay!

Egg whites are also a great way to get the grams of protein I need for muscle building. This summer I have not been eating as many egg whites as normal, but during this past school year, I always ate an egg white sandwich after my morning runs. I have eaten them from time to time this summer, but I sort of got sick of them.

I had never added the yolk to my eggs. In my mind, the yolks were full of fat and cholesterol and should not be part of my diet.

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However, after listening to Jillian Michaels speak on her podcast about how nutritious egg yolks are, and time after time hearing her and others in the fitness industry insist that we should be eating the yolks, I decided to do some research on the topic myself.

I would urge you to read this article by Alex Stewart at bodybuilding.com if you want some excellent information on "the big deal about egg yolks". But if you do not feel like reading that whole thing, I have some highlights from the article below:

"It's true that when you compare egg yolks to other foods they are relatively high in cholesterol. Cholesterol is something that many people should be concerned about, but not so much in the case of eggs. Studies have shown that regularly eating eggs can actually lower your low density lipids (that's "bad" cholesterol to us lay people) and raises high density lipids."

"The dangers of a high cholesterol diet may also have been exaggerated in the media. The benefits of cholesterol, especially from a natural source like an egg yolk, have been down played, while the risks may have been terribly blown out of proportion."

"Limiting dietary cholesterol intake is important but the real danger comes from saturated fats and trans fats. These two are greater factors in increased cholesterol than any typical intake of egg yolks. It doesn't make much sense to separate egg yolks to avoid the cholesterol while eating deep fried fatty foods, pizza and other junk in a normal western diet. Keep the eggs, and lose the deep fried fat and red meats; that should be the more consistent message"

"Cut the yolk and you lose out on iron, potassium, folate, selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, biotin, choline."

"There is a line dividing many people about whether egg yolks are safe to eat, mainly due to the issues with cholesterol. The fact remains that the bulk of the nutrition in an egg comes from the yolk (including 1/5 of the total protein). Logic would dictate that if you are a person who has an issue with cholesterol, you shouldn't eat eggs on a constant basis, but when you do you should eat the whole thing."

Egg Yolks vs. Egg Whites

(You only need to glance at this chart to see where most of the nutrients come from!)

Nutrient	White	Yolk	% Total in White	% Total in Yolk
Protein	3.6 g	2.7g	57%	43%
Fat	0.05g	4.5g	1%	99%
Calcium	2.3 mg	21.9 mg	9.5%	90.5%
Magnesium	3.6 mg	0.85 mg	80.8%	19.2%
Iron	0.03 mg	0.4 mg	6.2%	93.8%
Phosphorus	5 mg	66.3 mg	7%	93%
Potassium	53.8 mg	18.5 mg	74.4%	25.6%
Sodium	54.8 mg	8.2 mg	87%	13%
Zinc	0.01 mg	0.4 mg	0.2%	99.8%
Copper	0.008 mg	0.013 mg	38%	62%
Manganese	0.004 mg	0.009 mg	30.8%	69.2%
Selenium	6.6 mcg	9.5 mcg	41%	59%
Thiamin	0.01 mg	0.03 mg	3.2%	96.8%
Riboflavin	0.145 mg	0.09 mg	61.7%	48.3%
Niacin	0.035 mg	0.004 mg	89.7%	9.3%
Pantothenicacid.	0.63 mg	0.51 mg	11%	89%
B6	0.002 mg	0.059 mg	3.3%	96.7%
Folate	1.3 mcg	24.8 mcg	5%	95%
B12	0.03 mcg	0.331 mcg	8.3%	91.7%
Vitamin A	0 IU	245 IU	0%	100%
Vitamin E	0 mg	0.684 mg	0%	100%
Vitamin D	0 IU	18.3 IU	0%	100%
Vitamin K	0 IU	0.119 IU	0%	100%
DHA and AA	0	94 mg	0%	100%
Carotenoids	0 mcg	21 mcg	0%	100%

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So after reading several articles, I have determined that as long as I don't have high cholesterol, incorporating an egg yolk into my omelet or egg sandwich is going to benefit me nutritionally. You will have to decide for yourself, of course, whether the yolks are right for you, but I keep thinking of the quote from Alex Stewart's article: "Keep the eggs, and lose the deep fried fat and red meats."

1 whole egg, 2 egg whites with diced tomatoes, peppers, and a banana protein shake. 

What a great recovery meal!

Look how fluffy my omelet gets when I add a yolk! And it was so much more tastier, too.

(Yes, those little white dots are grains of salt. I did not cut added salt YET but I plan to. Just let me enjoy my added sodium for a few more weeks...)

Do you eat the yolk of an egg?

Share your favorite omelet recipe with me!

Planks: A Favorite Exercise!

Remember when this was all the rage?????

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Remember when "all the rage" was actually a cool thing to say?????

Like the burpee, I didn't even know what a plank was until a little over a year ago.

Go ahead and Google Image "planking". I don't know why I think those pictures are so funny! Maybe it's because I just had a Cranberry Vodka Lime drink? In any case, the above pictures were all I knew of planking until I decided that there were other ways to be fit besides running!

In this second edition of my favorite exercises, we shall focus on THE PLANK. You should do planks. While planks do strengthen your core, they're also a full body workout. Save time, do planks!

How to do planks

First of all, there are about a billion ways to do planks. Just Google "plank variations" and you will find all different kinds. I am a fan of the basics: elbow plank and side plank.

I found this article that explains how to correctly do a plank, as well as offers some more advanced variations to the exercise. I am excited to try them! I am at the point that as long as it's not a shoulders day, I can hold a plank for a really long time. Time to make the exercise more difficult!

My new favorite way to plank:

I have to work my core so much harder to maintain balance!

Why do planks?

1. You don't need any equipment to do a plank and you can do it anywhere!

2. Planks work all the muscles in your core- not just your "6 pack", but all the muscles that help stabilize your body.

3. Planks burn more calories than sit ups because they engage more muscles than just the core.

4. Speaking of engaging muscles, planks tone up the entire body because they work your shoulders, chest, core, lower back, glutes, quads and calves.

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Just remember...

You can do planks and crunches and sit ups 'til the cows come home, but you're never going to see a 6 pack if your abs are covered with a layer of fat. They say a 6-pack is made in the kitchen. Proper nutrition and a low body fat percentage is critical if you ever want to get "those dingers to pop" (as my husband would say!). I definitely have a 2-pack going on, and I think I'm about 1 stomach flu away from a 4-pack... Anything beyond that would require me to give up salt, alcohol, and ice cream and I am not prepared to do that!

Check out Part 1 of My Favorite Exercises: Burpees!

Do you like to do planks?

What is the longest you've ever held a plank?

Ouchy-Wa-Wa!!!! (aka Plantar Fasciitis)

So it seems like my body is just falling apart these days. For about 2 weeks before the mile, I was battling my old knee pain that likes to come back and visit me once every few months. It's gone now, but because I just declared that it was gone, it will probably come back tomorrow. That's how it usually works.

Then, the day of the mile, I stepped out of bed and felt a pain in my heel. It was very mild, and did not affect my race in anyway. Later that night when I ran back to my car, I really started to feel it. I felt it the next day right when I got out of bed and on my four mile run, too.

I was pretty sure it was plantar fasciitis. Everyone has probably experienced this ailment, if even to a small degree. Have you ever woke up in the morning, and as soon as you stepped out of bed you felt a sharp pain in your heel? That's your plantar fascia, and if it hurts, there's probably a strain on it or it is inflamed. This has happened to me before, but the pain has gone away quite quickly- before I even thought anything was wrong.

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However, this time, the pain did NOT go away. I couldn't even walk on it! So I did some Googling, and learned a lot about PF just from this one video:

I also learned that the best ways to heal PF quickly is to:

1. Nip it in the bud right away. Whatever activity you're doing that's causing the pain (for me it was running) STOP IT! The sooner you stop, it's more likely to be a less severe injury.
   
   
2. Stretch multiple times a day- especially before getting out of bed in the morning. When you rest your feet for awhile (like sleeping) the plantar fascia is mending itself from the wear and tear of the day. Then with the first few steps in the morning, the plantar fascia becomes torn again. So stretch before getting out of bed!
   
   
3. Ice multiple times a day.
   
   
4. Go see the amazing Dr. Olivetti at Olivetti Chiropractic.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   I am so thankful Dr. Olivetti can help me through all my sports injuries! He performs Active Release Technique on me from time to time when I'm feeling knee pain, Luckily, ART also helps plantar fasciitis. But OH MY WORD IT HURT SO BAD!!!! My heel hurt to begin with, and then he started chipping away at it with this terrible sort of new age-y tool. (My description, not his.) HOWEVER, IT WORKS. All the pain is WORTH IT because guess what? In a two days I didn't have anymore pain on my plantar fascia! 
   
   
   He attributed this to two reasons:
   
   
   1. I stopped running right away and didn't further damage my foot. (Don't be a hero, people!)
   2. He performed ART on my foot and calf. Calf tightness can cause PF, and that's probably my root cause.
   
   
   I went to see Dr. Olivetti again yesterday. He performed ART and it hurt a lot less this time. He said it is a really good sign that it's feeling better. I'm supposed to ease back into running, so we'll see what happens! I'll see him again next week, and hopefully my healing has continued and running short distances doesn't aggravate it.
   
   
   If not, I'll just have to get more JACKED at Planet Fitness!!!
   
   
   
   
   Have you ever suffered from plantar fasciitis?

Falling-jawnpiece: Weekend Wrap Up- Part II

What a weekend! Let me catch you up on the second day of our little birthday trip. Don't forget to read Part I!

Day #2 - Fallingwater

If you ever find yourself in the western part of the state, I highly recommend you swing by Mill Run and take a tour of Fallingwater. Actually, there is really no way to "swing by" Mill Run. It's out in the middle of nowhere. I think the closest "city" is Somerset- about 35 minutes away.

You may as well make a trip of it and visit the Laurel Highlands. There are lots of places to camp, or you can sleep in luxury, like we did. Ohiopyle State Park is right nearby, and apparently, it is one of the best in PA. In fact, we were actually going to bike there on the Great Allegheny Passage before going home but we were too tired.

My point is, if Fallingwater is on your list of places to see, it is so worth it! I'm not going to go into the details and history about the home because you know how to google, but I will post a ton of pictures from our trip and sort of give you an idea of at least the outside of the home. No pictures were allowed to be taken inside.

The tour itself was fascinating. The guides knew a lot about not only the architecture of the house, but the reason things were designed and decorated in certain ways. Also, we learned a lot about the family who lived there, and the reasons they wanted the house to be set up a certain way. 

Okay, here is what I can show you in pictures!

We just turned onto Mill Run Rd.

This is the road you follow once you enter the gates.

Indeed.

What a wonderful birthday present from a wonderful husband!

In honor of Frank Lloyd Wright's "organic" style of architecture, the Visitors Center 

and Cafe merge and become one with it's natural surroundings.

Heading down to the house! It's about a quarter mile walk.

The walk is very pretty! I wanted to go on a trail run on the grounds so bad!

There it is!

The house sits directly on top of a waterfall and is basically built into the earth. It becomes

part of the landscape. Those stairs look weird, but if you go up them, there is a hatch

that opens into the living room. Sort of like a ship. So from the living room, you could

go down the steps and sit at the bottom and dangle your feet into Bear Run creek.

On the bridge, ready for our tour!

This would look awesome in my parent's garden!

Just as you were about to enter the house, there was this little bath with soap 

hanging from the stone wall! So cute!

AT THIS POINT WE STARTED THE TOUR AND WERE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PICTURES INSIDE THE HOUSE. IF YOU WANT TO SEE PICTURES OF THE INSIDE, YOU KNOW HOW TO GOOGLE!

 After we exited the servant's quarters (shown) we were allowed to take pictures.

The terrace just off the living room.

I believe this terrace was right off Edgar Kauffman Sr.'s bedroom.

My handsome hubby in front of Bear Run.

And his lovely wife.

On the short trail walk to get a view of the house, I couldn't wait to swing my purse around!

In the house, they were VERY STRICT about holding your purse IN FRONT of you,

not beside you under your arm. I got reprimanded as soon as I stepped in the door regarding

this rule, even though I had it very tight against my body.  I really don't take up that much space and my purse probably added 1/2 an inch to the width of my body. I don't get it!? 

The infamous view of Fallingwater through the trees.

Thank you, Paul, for a wonderful birthday present! "They" say you are supposed to spend your money not on THINGS, but on EXPERIENCES. I firmly agree!

Did you know Angelina Jolie took Brad Pitt on a tour of Fallingwater for his birthday!?

It was a private tour, of course, and she sent in for champagne and caviar to enjoy in the living room.

I said it at the beginning of this post, but I will say it again. If Fallingwater is on your list of places to visit, make sure you go. You will absolutely love it! I would move there if I could. Christmas, Jelly, and Basic would love all the windows. I'd host game nights on the terraces. Paul could turn the servant's quarters into a man cave.

It sounds like heaven to me. :o)