DreamFar

So, yesterday I participated in the DreamFar marathon running team at the high school I work at. WOW, can I just tell you it was SO inspirational! To see these high school students be so dedicated to a goal was amazing. There was SO much team spirit and pride amongst the students and "coaches" that I felt like I was back on my high school track team. I loved how all the teammates gave each other a high five after the run and some of the "faster" runners ran back to encourage the other runners to keep going! What also made this team so special was knowing the background of some of these kids and understanding some of the struggles they have faced or are facing and that they still show up three days a week and want to run! I really feel that there is a power to running that can be useful to people of all ages.

The best part of the run was when I was asking a few kids why they chose to do this team; one kid told me it was a good excuse to justify his smoking habit (I guess the good thing (running) cancels out the bad thing (smoking)). Of course I told him how unsafe that was and that he probably won't be able to maintain the smoking when we get into the longer runs. Other kids discussed how they wanted to feel part of the team, they wanted to be excepted, get in shape, and feel good about themselves. And one student discussed the challenge running a marathon brings and how that excites him.

We ended up running 5.5 miles around a reservoir in 54 minutes. WOW was it cold out and the wind was blustering! I am SO glad I had others around to motivate me to keep on running. I really, really loved this group and will definitely try to run at least once a week with them!

As for dinner, we made a recipe from one of those Whole Foods pamphlets they give you every few months: Risotto with Asparagus. Here is the recipe according to Whole Foods (We followed it to a tee).

Ingredients
10 asparagus spears trimmed
32 oz Chicken Broth
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 TB finely chopped chives

Direction
1) While preparing asparagus, heat broth o a simmer in a small covered pot and hold there. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring often.

2) Add 1/2 cup simmering broth while stirring constantly, shaking  pan forward and back as you do, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup more broth and repeat process. Continue repeating until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy and loose, about 20 minutes more.

3) Remove pot from heat and stir in 1/3 cup cheese, asparagus and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer risotto to bowls and garnish with remaining cheese and chives. Serve immediately and Enjoy!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

My plate

Of course we also had a little wine too!

A Yummy dinner on a cold and blistery winter nights!

Happy Friday everyone! I am getting ready to go out to my School Psychology Holiday party at a local bar! Have a good night!

It's Back.....

Well, today was a much better day than yesterday! I did a little assessing and saw a few kiddos! It's no secret that I am VERY interested in childhood obesity and the problem in America. So, today I went to a very interesting talk on "Food Addiction." The talk was led by the head of the addiction unit at Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston. The lecture was not exactly what I had expected, but still good. Here are a few points I took away from it:

- Obesity is a national GROWING problem (for the past 25 years) not only with adults, but children and adolescents as well.

- Diets don't work: if you deprive yourself of anything you are only going to "binge" eat next time the food is introduced to you (this was shown through studies done in the lab with rats and with children).

- Food addiction has been decided (by the psychologist and psychiatrist community) as a "real" problem, but it is not considered a DSM disorder. However, food addiction holds some of the same characteristics and brain activity as other addictions.

- Food addiction is very, very complicated and the addiction field is just starting to look into them. There are not only biological factors, but psychological factors as well.

- People whose BMI is over 40 have a very little chance of losing weight by diet and exercise alone. Surgery is needed for recovery and weight loss to happen.

- When you have by-pass surgery and you had an alcohol addiction problem prior to the surgery, you are more likely to relapse after. However, if you have the lap band surgery instead the chance of relapse does not increase.

Anyways, after running 5 miles on the treadmill (it was raining off and on in Boston), I made a delicious and healthy dinner: KERF Recipe: Risotto with Butternut Squash and mushrooms. 

YUM!!! I followed the recipe to a tee, except I used Arborio rice instead of Steel Cut Oats and I doubled the amount of rice, wine and veggie broth. The meal was perfect and definitely restaurant quality!!!

Oh, and guess what made a come back tonight....

ICE CREAM!

I was trying to cut ice cream out of my diet because I was getting a little carried away with my intake. However, after today's lecture I do not want to cut anything out of my diet, especially something I love as much as ice cream. Maybe, I will just cut it down to once or twice a week, instead of every night....

What are your thoughts on food addiction?