Gluten-Free Expo

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Jenna

expo

The Gluten-Free Expo is coming to Phoenix on November 12th and 13th!

I am excited to finally be able to attend a gluten-free expo. The last expo was right around the time I was diagnosed and I found out too late to attend. But this November I will be in Glendale finding all kinds of yummy gluten-free goodies! The expo main sponsors are Glutino and Udi’s, who have many products that I love! A full list of sponsors is available here.

The expo will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Glendale, you know, the big one in Westgate. If you are traveling a distance, the expo has reserved a block of rooms. Click here to check it out.

I cannot wait to see all the vendors and find new brands and foods I can enjoy. I also plan to share all my new found knowledge with my readers and social media followers. I am all about raising awareness and sharing resources with fellow gluten-free friends. I think it is important people know that gluten-free is not a fad diet or lifestyle choice. For some of us, it is medically necessary to follow a gluten-free diet.

What all does a gluten-free expo entail? Well, samples obviously, but what else? There will be a ton of exhibitors, check out the full list here. I saw a cupcake vendor on that list so that will probably be my first stop! There are also classes you can attend. I have my eye on two classes, one each day. Saturday I’d like attend Gluten: Beyond the Gut and Sunday I want to hit up Simple, Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Desserts. I am always down to learning more gluten-free desserts!

As an official expo blogger, I will be posting from the expo on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so be sure to follow along!

You can also follow the gluten-free expo on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as well!

And now… some fun stuff for those that have stuck around!

I have five tickets to give away! I will give one away to one random person who comments on this blog posts. The other four will be given to a random person that comments on a specific post on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook (so be sure to follow my accounts and watch out for those posts.

But… that’s only four tickets. What about the fifth? Sign up for my monthly newsletter and I will select one random subscriber for the last ticket!

I will be selecting all five winners on October 9th!

If you don’t receive on the of the free tickets, you can receive 30% off your tickets through October 11th with code EARLYBIRD and 20% off through November 11th with code ADVANCE. Just use my affiliate link and enter the code at checkout!

What vendors and classes are you most interested in? Let me know in the comments and you could win a free ticket!

Book Corner: Harry Potter

Posted on September 20, 2016June 16, 2022 by Jenna

Harry Potter has always been popular.

And I was a Potter virgin.

Somehow I avoided it all these years. Not because I wasn’t interested but when the first movie came out I was 21 and in college. I hadn’t read the books and during college didn’t have much time to read for fun. I refused to watch the movie. I wanted to read the books first.

I am weird like that… I always want to read the book first. More often than not it never happens. I would never watch movies if I waited to read all the books.

But I refused to watch the first Harry Potter movie, which meant I couldn’t watch any subsequent movie. I would look at the book box set at least once a year, but never bought them. Then it seemed *most* of the hype died down. I’d still check the price on Amazon but never ordered them (although, the box set ended up in my cart a few times but never purchased).

I bought the movies for Justin one year, as a present. He wanted the DVDs for the collection. He loved the movie. I still refused to watch. I wanted to read the books. When Potterland opened at Universal in California, he said we had to go.

Recently Harry Potter was everywhere again. A new book was out and so were some Hogwarts books. The Coyotes schedule came out and there was a game in Anaheim in January Justin wanted to go to, which meant going to Universal. To Potterland.

I was on Amazon one day and saw the box set. I hemmed. I hawed. I gave in. The books were in my cart. I just had to press the button. I had to read the books before going to Potterland. It didn’t make any sense to go and have no clue what any of it meant. Thank god for Amazon Prime. I had those books in just a two days.

I started reading immediately. I was hooked.

Why didn’t I read these sooner?

Then the other debate happened. Do I watch the movie as I finish each book or read all the books then watch all the movies?

It was a conundrum. I debated with myself for days and weighted pros and cons on Facebook with others.

After I finished The Sorcerer’s Stone I watched the movie. I had to.

I am still working my way through. I just started The Half-Blood Prince on Friday. But I will have all the books and movies done when we go to Anaheim. I have already checked…. Butterbeer is gluten-free (as are many items at Universal so YAY!). I haven’t even finished the series yet and I am looking forward to this trip and Potterland so much!

I don’t know if I would say I wish I read these sooner. I kind of like that I waited and avoided spoilers. I mean, how often does that happen?!? And it’s been fun to work through them and discuss them with people who read them previously.

I cannot wait to finish the series!

Do you follow me on Instagram? I post my workouts, current books, and yummy food so you don’t miss out!

Marathon Training: Week 1 & 2

Posted on September 13, 2016September 10, 2016 by Jenna

This year is different. I will complete my first marathon.

How do I know this after only two weeks of training? It is all completely mental. I am in a much better space mentally this year than last year. I have good and bad days. I have doubts but it is so much different than a year ago. A year ago I didn’t think I would ever run again. I was still struggling to accept my celiac diagnosis and figure out how to fuel my body without gluten.

I have now been gluten-free for about a year and a half. It is almost second nature to me. I still miss certain foods and the freedom to order anything but I am used to it now. I know what is safe and where I can eat. This has been a huge help in my mental running game.

I do struggle a bit with the heat and the early wake-up calls. I have been getting up at 4 AM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and 5 AM on Saturdays. It’s tough but I actually enjoy getting my runs done and not having to worry about it after work. I might even keep this up after the marathon.

training

I am trying a new approach to training this year. I have written my entire training plan on a calendar but am not looking too far ahead. I did an overview and have an idea of dates I need to adjust and plan for but I am taking it a month and a week at a time. At the start of September, I looked at the schedule but I only start planning on Sunday for the coming week. I make adjustments as needed for the week. If things come up during the week, I change it accordingly.

For example, I didn’t take a full rest day this week but instead of doing 30-45 minutes of cross training on two days I did three days of 20 minutes each. It was what felt right and fit with my schedule. I also swapped my long run from Saturday to Sunday because I got home late Friday and knew running on less than 6 hours of sleep was not optimal. I could have slept in Saturday and then ran but it would have been hot and there wasn’t much cloud cover. Sunday morning before sunrise was much better.

Two weeks are done and just 18 more to go! I know I can do this. I am ready.

Do you want to see more on my journey to 26.2? If so, be sure to follow me on Instagram!

Flying While Celiac

Posted on August 4, 2016July 30, 2016 by Jenna

celiac Celiac disease can be tough. Flying can be a pain. Combine the two and it can be a whole lot of joy.

I flew twice in July and was reminded of how difficult flying with celiac disease can be. Luckily, this time, I didn’t have any peanut free flights and was able to enjoy the free peanuts (and my trail mix). I have been on flights with a peanut allergy, which limits what I can eat even more. Most of my snacks involve nuts or nut butter because they are portable and have protein but I also have to make sure to bring something without nuts.

I am glad the airlines take nut allergies so seriously. I wish they could do a bit more for those of us that require a gluten-free diet.

Besides the peanuts, there is little I can get on a plane. Most airlines don’t have a meal I can purchase. They are all wraps or sandwiches. The snack packs have some gluten-free items in them but no pack can I eat ALL the treats. Why would I pay $8.99 when I can’t eat everything?

Then there are the airports. I had a layover in Minneapolis. I tried to find options for lunch before I left. I got nowhere on the airport’s website or google. Maybe if I had more time I could have researched more. I walked from one gate to another (no shuttle or moving sidewalk) in order to look for something I could eat. I stopped a few times to check out some restaurants. I saw a Pei Wei but they had a limited menu and none of their gluten-free dishes.

And then…

A Chik-Fil-A just before my departure gate. I was never so happy to see a Chik-Fil-A.

There were almost tears of joy.

Whenever I fly as a celiac, I take snacks with me. It seems every other time I fly, my bag gets flagged by TSA. Food apparently sets off the red flags because people use food to sneak in things. The agent didn’t specify but I would assume drugs mostly. Maybe some weapons. It’s always fun to hear, “Is this your bag ma’am?”

You can’t help but laugh about it. I talked with the agent while she checked my bad and let her know that traveling with food intolerances was always exciting.

What is your biggest hassle when traveling?

July Wrap Up

Posted on August 2, 2016July 30, 2016 by Jenna

My goal for July was to get back into an exercise routine and start eating better.

Did I smash both goals?

Nope. Not even close.

July ended up being a bit of a whirlwind for me. It started with the death of a family member and a quick trip home and ended with a vacation, back home. We had planned the trip back home months ago so I had two trips in one month. Needless to say between travel and work I struggled a bit this month.

The first and last week I ate pretty badly but those two-and-a-half in the middle? I rocked them! I followed my calorie goals. I aimed to keep my protein intake up and tried to get fruits and/or vegetables at each meal. I stayed away from sweets. Now I am back on track after vacation. More water. More protein. Fewer sweets.

I worked out the first two weeks of the month and then life got busy. I tried to get in my 10k steps at least but even that was difficult. I was busy at work catching up after my first trip and trying to complete everything before my second. Yup, I got tired. I got stressed and I let my workouts fall away.

I’m human. I’m not perfect.

I am not going to let my July get me down. I came back from vacation and started right back at it. I restarted food tracking. I went for a walk yesterday and a run today. I’ve got big plans and I can’t let the bad dwell. August is a new month. I will keep trying to hit my goals, to eat better and fit in workouts.

I am in pre-marathon prep. I start actual marathon training on August 29th. Yikes! I hope to have more posts about training once I actually get into it more. Hopefully, this is my year. I really want to say I’ve run 26.2 miles.

How was your July? Did you smash any goals? What did you struggle with?

2016 Firecracker 4 Mile

Posted on July 14, 2016July 11, 2016 by Jenna

Last Fourth of July I ran the inaugural Firecracker 4 Mile in my hometown.

I was home for a happy time, a family reunion with relatives from Norway. I was able to run with my dad. I love running races in my hometown because I get to see it from a new point of view. When I lived there I only ran in my neighborhood. Races allow me to run by the Mississippi, my college and downtown. Downtown definitely looks different while running than it did while drinking. 😉

I wasn’t planning to run this year and neither was my dad. I wasn’t supposed to be home for a visit until the end of July, well after the race was done. Unfortunately, I had to go back early due to a death in the family. Once I knew I would be home my dad asked if I wanted to run. I said, of course! He signed us up and that was that.

I was so out of it after I forgot to take a selfie! This was on the way to coffee (and breakfast).

For this year they updated the course a bit. I liked both routes but this year was a tad nicer. The start and finish were in the park, instead of the access road. The start both years included up a hill, but this year was through the river trail instead of downtown. I was worried about how narrow the trail was with all the people going through but, surprisingly, people were incredibly polite. I was a bit shocked. In Phoenix, people make rude comments rather than just saying excuse me or on your left.

The loop through town was a bit different but it was still residential streets. The ending came through downtown, into the park and then down the pier. The bad thing about running down the pier was having to go back up. I was hitting the wall and not sure I would make it and then had to run up the pier. I would have given up had I not seen the finish line coming up. As I ran through the park, my dad was waiting and had his phone ready to capture my run past. I made it through the finish line and had never been so happy to stop running.

I learned an important lesson or two this race. One: you need your inhaler when running somewhere with humidity. And two: food and nutrition do make a huge difference. I might make this a separate post as I have already gone on quite a but here! Overall, though, the race was great and I didn’t do too bad, especially considering my sporadic summer running.

2015: 40:52 total, 10:13 pace

2016: 41:20 total, 10:20 pace

My dad did much better than me:
2015: 34:59 total, 8:45 pace

2016: 31:39 total, 7:55 pace

He has gotten so fast! I definitely do not take after him here but I do try. I’d love to be that fast.

Have you done any summer races? Let me know how you did in the comments!

Are you following me on Instagram? Follow all my fitness adventures there!

Haleakala: House of the sun

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Jenna

Haleakala, the volcano that forms most of Maui, means house of the sun.

If Maui is one of my favorite places on Earth, Haleakala is my favorite place on Maui. I have been to Maui twice and both times included stops at Haleakala. I think I could spend even more time there just watching the clouds roll in, out and over.

If you asked me what is one thing I have to do in Maui? I will tell you to visit Haleakala. I would recommend getting up super early and catching the sunrise but any time of day would be sufficient to take in the beauty of a shield volcano.

For a few dollars, you can purchase an app to listen to on your up and down the volcano. It also includes the Road to Hana (which would be my second recommendation of a must see). The app tells the story of the God Maui and facts about the volcano. We actually used the app both times we went to Maui. The narration hadn’t changed but it was still enjoyable to listen to the second time.

It may be colder than you think when you reach the summit, at least in January and February. The first time we went was afternoon. I had to put my sweatshirt on and I was still cold. When we went for sunrise I thought I’d be ok in sweatpants and sweatshirt. I wish I had brought gloves and a jacket! Dress in layers or throw an extra jacket in your rental car, just to be safe!

Haleakala is also home to the NeNe and Silverswords. I never saw a NeNe at the volcano but really hoped to! I did see them somewhere else eventually. The silverswords are beautiful, delicate plants. The park asks that you stay on trails so as not to disturb the plants.

Have you ever been to Haleakala? If so, what was your favorite part? If not, would you like to visit?

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Are you happy and healthy?

Posted on July 12, 2016November 23, 2021 by Jenna

“If you don’t take care of your body where are you going to live?”

I don’t care if you are a healthy weight, overweight or obese… are you happy with your body?

If not, you need to figure out why and what makes you unhappy and take steps to change it. People of all sizes can be happy with their body, or unhappy. The above quote puts it well, you are the only one who can take care of your body. You are the one that has to live in your body every day. Why wouldn’t you want to take care of it?

I have struggled with being happy and taking care of myself. I think we all do. I’ve talked about my celiac diagnosis before. I’ve mentioned I have gained weight since my diagnosis (a common occurrence when celiacs go gluten free). Before my diagnosis, I was losing fairly quickly and was down to 140. I was happy there and wanted to work on building strength. I am now 157 and miserable. I feel flabby. My clothes are too tight (and a few pants no longer fit). I am struggling to lose weight.

I also went through a period of stuffing my face with all those gluten free cookies and cupcakes. I wasn’t happy. I was stressed. I ate my feelings. I was caught in a cycle of feeling stressed and unhappy, stuffing my face to feel better, and then feeling more unhappy because I just ate a million calories.

I know what I need to do. I think most of us know what we need to do. The struggle is to actually follow through and do it. I keep starting, giving up and starting over. It’s time to end that cycle. I am not sure who the following quote is attributed to as I’ve never seen a name attached to it but it is something I keep telling myself…

“If you are tired of starting over, stop giving up.”

I need to tell myself this every day. I am tired of starting over, of not changing, not moving forward. I want to feel healthy and happy. I am the only one who can keep going. I am the only one that can change my actions.

As of last Thursday (who needs Mondays or the first of the month), I have been working hard to make sure I track my food. I know tracking my calories helps me lose weight. It’s worked before and every time I stop I overeat. I also know I can get obsessive so I have adopted a more loose style of tracking food. I’m not worrying if I go over calories. It is what it is. But I might think, was I really hungry? Was I stressed? Reflect and move forward.

I am trying to hit my 10k steps each day and workout. I am currently doing a Nike Training Club program, which includes running. But being back in Phoenix heat I am struggling to run but am trying to do cardio on those days if I don’t run. I feel better when I workout. I am also working on shoulder and hip mobility so when my 6 weeks rest is up I can get back to New Rules of Lifting for Women. I enjoy lifting weights. It gives me a different level of satisfaction than running. I need both.

July 7th was my new year. I am starting over but this time, I am sticking with it. I want to happy. I deserve to be happy. We all deserve to be happy. It will be hard. There will be struggles, but I am ready for the challenge.

Yes, taking care of yourself is hard work. Everything worth fighting for is hard work.

You are worth fighting for.

What quote gets you through the difficult times?

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Glukos Energy Tabs

Posted on June 23, 2016November 23, 2021 by Jenna

Do you remember eating the giant sweet tarts as a kid?

All the sugar.

All the sour.

All the yum.

How would you feel about an adult version? A giant sweet tart that gives you a nice energy boost?

Glukos energy tabs do just that. I use them before an evening run or weight lifting session, after a long, tiring day at work. The tabs give you a good energy boost fairly quickly but it is subtle. There’s no jolt. No shaking. Just a quick boost. I also haven’t had a crash from Glukos energy tabs. I usually end up feeling just as good at the end of a run or weight lifting session, if not better.

The positives:

Easily dissolves in mouth
Easy to chew
Good flavor
- I had fruit punch and it was a bit on the tart side, which I love. If you aren’t a huge tart person it might deter you
Local company
- They are based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Gluten free

The negatives:

Wouldn’t dissolve in water
- The package claims you can dissolve it in water. I tried. I waited about 5 minutes and nothing. I chewed it instead. I use Nuun a lot, which starts dissolving immediately and only takes about a minute.
Not enough of an energy boost to use first thing in the morning
- I need more to get me going. Maybe this would be better for others.

glukos energy tabs I really wish the tabs would have dissolved in water. I would have loved to taste it as a drink. The tabs come in fruit punch, orange, and lemon. I was given the fruit punch to try.

Bottom line: I will continue to use the Glukos energy tabs I have and will purchase them when I’m out. I think the flavor is on point and I like the energy it gives me.

They do offer an energy powder as well and I will give that a try as well.

If you have run a Rock N Roll event you have probably used or at least seen Glukos. Glukos gels and gummies are available on the course.

I will be reviewing additional Glukos products as I gear up and train for my first marathon. I am currently in what I am calling “pre-training” (basically getting myself back on a workout schedule) and will be officially in training on August 29th. EEK!

I was given the Glukos products by my local running store, Fleet Feet Scottsdale to review. Everything in this review is my opinion. If I didn’t like the product I would tell you.

What is your favorite pre-workout energy product? Let me know in the comments.

Are you following me on Instagram? Be sure to head over and follow to see my journey to my very first marathon!

Maui the most magical place on Earth

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Jenna

Maui just might be my favorite place. In the world.

From the moment we arrived I knew Maui would become my favorite Hawaiian island. This fact was confirmed when we arrived at the hotel, the lobby was gorgeous. And the view from our room wasn’t bad.

If you need a hotel in Maui, I would suggest the Sheraton. It’s a gorgeous hotel with a lot to offer. Beside the beach and ocean, there are pools and black rock was just on the other side of our room.

We had lunch at the poolside restaurant when we first arrived. While we were waiting for our food we saw a pod of whales swim past.

The hotel was a short walk to Wahler’s village. We walked down there for breakfast and dinner a few times during the trip. We had dinner at Leilani’s on the Beach during sunset. Leilani’s is part of the Duke’s chain of restaurants so of course I had the hula pie. They also have yummy tropical drinks. I would say you need to hit at least one Duke’s branded restaurants while in Hawaii.

Maui offers so many different sites to see. We drove around a bit and just pulled off to take in the view and grab a few photos. The blue water and sky with all the lush greens is so calming and relaxes me. My soul is happy when I am on Maui. I think I was meant to live on Maui and when I win the lottery.. I will. LOL

My favorite things to do on Maui are the Road to Hana and Haleakala. Those are being saved for another day and you will just have to wait!

One place we always need to stop in Maui is Front Street. There are shops and restaurants plus the BEST shave ice. You definitely need to stop by Ululani’s. I’m partial to the coconut syrup.

Where is your favorite place on Earth? Leave it in the comments.

Are you following me on Instagram? If not you are missing out on all my travel photos! Only a few make it to the blog.