On the Run: fitness made simple

Fruits I got today! Persimmons are so good, but so expensive right now…can’t wait to go home for Thanksgiving and pick from my neighbors’ tree (we have legitimate permission now! )

Tip: pick pomegrantes that are cracked because that means they absorbed a lot of water while on the tree! Learned this at the farmers’ market today =)

#food #fruit #eatclean #healthy

Just discovered that my neighbor has a gigantic grapefruit tree in their front yard…right off the sidewalk…runs before dawn are sounding pretty good now. #sneaky #fruit #nature (Taken with Instagram)

We have a whole tree full of peaches! I love #summer! What fruits and vegetables do you grow? #food #fruit #healthy (Taken with Instagram)

I’ve been starting my mornings with home-blended grapefruit juice/slushy…well I was, until I ran out. All you do is blend 1 grapefruit + 2 cups of ice. I prefer this method over squeezed juice or store bought grapefruit juice because you get a lot more from the fruit! By adding ice, you get to drink about 3 cups for 100 calories! Regular squeezed juice is 90 calories per cup. It’s less flavorful, but to me, it’s even more refreshing. Also, you get the fiber that’s in the white peel of the fruit. 

First time eating jackfruit…I’m allergic =\ (Taken with Instagram)

Washing all 5 lbs of strawberries from Costco so I’ll have something healthy for snacks and dessert all week! 

One of the best things about being home is all the fruit we buy for special Buddhist days and for our meditation room. Here we see navel oranges, grapefruits, honey tangerines, and of course the crown pineapple! Or in other words…lots of Vitamin C to boost collagen production for healthy, supple, elastic skin!

Ripe Fuyu Persimmons- after they are jelly soft, store them in the fridge. When eaten cold, they have the consistency and taste of jello!

Mother-daughter bonding moment: harvesting persimmons from our grandpa neighbor’s tree…hehe 

I’ve never had a persimmon before, but lucky for me, my neighbor’s tree branches over to my side of the yard! hehe But wow, do you have to wait a long time for Fuyu persimmons to ripen (hence the patience quote). They have to be jelly soft before you can eat them or else they are too sticky to swallow. 

I know you’ve been working-out hard & trying your best to form healthy habits all month, and it just takes some patience to see definite results! Give yourself a break once in a while. Just strive to do at least one thing better each day! 

So what did you do better today? For me, I had a protein filled breakfast that wasn’t too big. 

Cheers!

~Geraldine 

Vitamin C for Healthy Skin 

Vitamin C, known for strengthening our immune systems, may even be better for our skin! It stimulates the production of collagen, a protein responsible for the elasticity and firmness of our skin. Other benefits include: 

• Aids skin repair 
• Combats free-radical damage which causes dryness, wrinkles, & lines 
• Reduces sunburn 
• Prevent consequences of long-term sun exposure 

Info from: http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/information/nutrition/vitamin-c-benefit-skin2.htm

These guavas are from my family’s own backyard! It’s difficult to grow guava in Northern California so my dad prizes these very much…If you’ve been a good child, he gives you one. However in San Diego, my friend’s tree gives off like 30 fruits per branch! 

I can’t eat guava every day, so other ways I get a lot of Vitamin C include: 

• Eating an orange or grapefruit at the end of a meal 
• Bell peppers 
• Vitamin C pills 
• Sunscreen with Vitamin A & C 

Stay youthful! 

~Geraldine 

Just got 18 oz of delicious blackberries of a street vendor for $2 off 43rd Street in Manhattan…is it safe to buy produce off the street??? I just couldn’t pass up cheap berries in the middle of winter.

A fruit basket is a sweet & classy way to show someone you care while being sensitive to their health concerns. 

It was my birthday yesterday and my thoughtful friend baked me a confetti cake. This caused me realize that if I won’t eat something because I think it’s unhealthy, then I shouldn’t encourage other people to consume it either. I used to give other people (my brother, coworkers, etc.) the cookies, brownies, doughnuts, & cake that I wouldn’t but wanted to eat myself. It was a sick and selfish way to eat vicariously through other people. We should practice what we preach right? I couldn’t bring myself to offer the cake to others because I know it’s not good for them. 

I should have asked my friend to bring me a “Birthday Bunch of Bananas” if she really had give me something edible…However, of course I was appreciative of her time and effort. 

(directions from eHow DIY Fruit Baskets)