What I Learned from Brussel Sprouts

They smell. Brussel sprouts smell. I was in the office at work the other day with several other trainers. I sit down to eat my lunch and I am thrilled because I LOVE brussel sprouts. I open the container and I watch all the trainers wrinkle their nose and then one says .... "did someone fart?" Everyone does the 13 year old reaction - wasn't me, wasn't me. Then it dawns on me - it's my brussel sprouts. I say to them - it's my brussel sprouts - they are delicious. So now I know my brussel sprouts smell like fart and it's become a funny joke every time I eat them at work.

Apparently my house also smells bad when I cook them. Jessie calls it "buttered butt" day. Sometimes I cook them in butter, hence the name. The other day I put a sign on the door "I apologize in advance, I cooked brussel sprouts today."

But the smell is not the only thing I learned from brussel sprouts. Let's think about how many children's books refer to "ewwwww brussel sprouts" and make them out to be the most disgusting food on Earth. Or how many kids remember having to sit at the table and "eat your vegetables" and the most horrible day was brussel sprout day. As far as I can remember I did not eat these delightful vegetables until I was in my 20's. I call them one of my adult foods. The foods I did not try until I was brave enough. Other foods on this list include: asparagus (still don't like it), avocado, strawberries (yes...strawberries), quoina, and a host of others.

As I thought about these amazing little vegetables I realized what they can really teach us. Have you ever tried something that you previously did not like and found out you loved it? This happens in so many places in our lives. Food, exercise, fun activities, relationships, cooking, and on and on. 

Try making a list today of all the things you have tried that you previously thought you did not like or were scared of.
Here's my short list:

• Brussel sprouts and other various foods
• Avocado gets it's own shout out because I could eat this every day and could not imagine life without avocado :)
• Jumping off tall buildings (Vegas)
• Being spontaneous. I love to be in control but being spontaneous is actually quite exciting!
• Coffee - how on Earth did I live without coffee?
• Kayaking
• Hiking 

Now the challenging part. Make a list of the things that still scare you and commit to doing one of them. These do not have to be big but imagine how you can feel if you do them.

• My biggest example of this is my latest endeavor into the sport of parkour and free running. I would never imagine myself learning how to jump over (vault) boxes, swing on bars, jump towards walls, flip my body over, etc. If you missed my blog about parkour, check it out here. I feel so good every time I try something that scares me and I complete it. http://laughingandlearningwithlindsey.blogspot.com/2013/03/dont-let-go.html

When you make your menu for the week, remember to try brussel sprouts. But if you still hate the smell or the taste, try a different vegetable or food. Here are my two favorite ways to cook these amazing little gems.

Roasted:

• Cut brussel sprouts in half
• Lay face down in a glass pan
• Cover in grapeseed oil
• Roast in 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes
• Take them out, add garlic and salt
• Roast for about 10 more minutes until they look like the picture above
• Delish

Stovetop:

• Cut in half
• Melt some butter in a pan (yes good butter, not gross margarine)
• Lay face down in the pan
• Add some olive oil on top
• Put a lid on them and let them steam (7-8 minutes)
• Take the lid off and let them cook until the moisture evaporates
• Eat!

Have an amazing week trying something you thought you hated.

I am a Runner

I am a runner. I was not born a runner. And in fact I couldn't ever finish the mile during fitness testing in elementary school. There are worse things in life, but for me, that was one of the absolute worst. Watching all my friends and classmates finish and me not be able to make it. Sometime in the 4th-6th grade I was also involved in a 5k where I could not do it. I cried when my teachers passed me. Somewhere in my 10 year old mind I vowed to never let that happen again.

Running helped shape my life. My relationship with running had a rocky start. I attempted track and field in the 11th grade and failed miserably. My senior year I decided on cross country. This seemed like a better fit. I "ran" a 10k in high school, my first road race, and thought I would never finish. 6.2 miles was the absolute longest I had ever tried to run.

But I pushed on. In college I decided it was time to goal set. I needed to push myself, challenge myself, and prove to myself and others that I could run. So I signed up for a half marathon. I distinctly remember the day I ran 7 miles in college. I was rounding the hill on the outskirts of campus and I smiled so big with satisfaction even though no one was around.

Running in college was my saving grace. I ran to keep myself focused on my school work. I ran to see the whole town and immerse myself in it. I ran for stress relief and so many other reasons.

The summer after my freshman year I ran my first marathon. It was the worst and best 4 hours and 42 minutes of my life up to that point.  I honestly thought I would never finish and it was so painful. I was in Duluth MN at Grandma's marathon and you enter town at around the 20 mile marker but still have 6.2 miles to go. When I FINALLY saw the finish line I burst into tears. Not the sad, defeated kind of the 10 year old but the proud, accomplished tears of the 19 year old. 

I went on to finish my exercise science degree and continued running and now help people with their fitness and running goals. Running shaped my life. 

On Monday when I heard about the bombs at the Boston Marathon my heart sunk. But in a different way than other tragedies. My heart sunk because of the violence and the terror. But it sunk deeper because I am a runner. Because I have crossed so many finish lines in my life. Because my friends and family have been in the crowd and cheered me on. There is nothing better in a race than seeing the smiling, exuberant faces of your family and friends as you run and especially as you cross the finish line whether it's your first or 100th race. 

I sat glued to my tv watching the one video replay over and over. I thought about the victims losing their legs. And I vowed that when I do not want to run, when I do  not want to even get off my butt and walk, when I make an excuse not to work out, when I complain about being sore, I will remember. I will remember the victims who lost their legs and will not walk on their own legs again. 

So I ask you to be thankful for your legs, to use your legs every day, and to do something that makes you feel as proud and accomplished as running did and does for me every time I complete a race. There is no feeling like it in the world. Go out and find that feeling.

And if you live in the Twin Cities there is an awesome event being put on by one of my favorite race management groups.
https://www.facebook.com/events/645661722127658/
Please join me.

Let's Talk About Poop

The title of this blog is "Let's Talk About Poop" I have no shame really talking about poop. Everyone does it...or should. And I talk about it a lot at my work because it has a ton to do with your health. Are you pooping? How much? How often? Consistency? Etc

I'm going to share a few scenarios here to keep our minds open about poop. Who has had a surprise poop attack? Maybe it was while running, walking, shopping, etc where all of a sudden - boom- must go to the bathroom. It makes for a good laugh after the fact as long as you made it to the bathroom. I sometimes call this "planking" where you have to cross your legs and hope not to poop your pants. 

Jessie texted me the other day and said "I'm going home to change clothes because I've been pooped on." This made me laugh out loud in the middle of the day. Have you been pooped on? One of her kids had poop on his hands after going to the bathroom and smeared it all over her pants. Again - not necessarily funny at the time - but funny later on.

Has anyone followed behind you and picked up your poop? This fascinates me with my dogs. I do not have a yard, so anytime they go out, I have to pick up poop. This means I have to bring poop bags everywhere. Yesterday it was super windy and the whole roll of poop bags kept falling out of my pocket and unwinding all the way down the trail. UGH! Have you ever tried to reroll a bag of poop bags? It is horrible and frustrating. But thank goodness I had poop bags for every time they poop. But seriously - what would it be like to poop wherever you want, have someone follow you and have them pick up your poop?

Sometimes in life - POOP HAPPENS. You just have to deal with it.

So the ultimate message of today amongst the poop is that poop happens - deal with it. Whether you have a sneak poop attack, you are smeared with poop, or you are picking up someone else's poop - you have to deal with it.

Life can be going along just great and then poop happens. Something throws you right out of your element and you might have it all over, just on the inside, or you're picking it up. 

If you keep the poop on you or in your life, eventually it will really  really start to stink. So wipe yourself off, clean yourself up, and move forward (after taking a shower or washing your hands).

Now poop is very important in your health so here are a couple articles about poop and health for your education. 

http://www.antonhealth.com/2009/06/poop-scoop-guide-to-healthy-poops.html

http://experiencelife.com/article/overcoming-constipation/

To make you laugh - the real reason I drink coffee :)

Have a great week!