Start Small

Posted on May 10, 2016May 7, 2016 by Jenna

Start small… go back to the basics.

I’ve been struggling to get back into the habit/routine of working out. I haven’t been fully committed to my workouts, especially running, over the past several months. The problem is I want to be at the level I was when I fell off the wagon. I’ve said it before… I know what I’m capable and it is frustrating to feel so far from my best.

When you haven’t been consistent you need to go back to the beginning. But it is so hard!

I want to just be great at eating healthy and making good diet choices. I wish I could go out and run 10:30 miles. But I can’t. I have to take it slow and steady. I have to start small and build on the healthy habits.

I am lucky I don’t have to start at the bottom, but I am close. Instead of just running six miles I am run/walking. I do get frustrated but I know I will be better off in the long run.

My diet has been off the rails. I’ve been eating a lot of sugar for energy and to make myself feel better. I know sugar fixes these things temporarily. I am not quitting sugar cold turkey. I am cutting back. Instead of the entire box of Milk Duds, I am having a handful. Instead of getting a Snickers and Reese’s peanut butter cup from the vending machine I get one or the other. I am making sure I am getting my fruits and vegetables. I am working hard to eat all the protein!

Start small.

If you want to start eating better or working out pick one thing and focus on it until it becomes second nature.

Looking to improve your diet? Start small and make sure you are drinking enough water. Once you have water intake as a habit add something else. Want to eat more fruit and vegetables? Add one serving to each meal. Eat too much chocolate? Cut one serving from each day.

Want to start working out? Look at where you are now and add something. Do you sit at a desk all day? Get up and take a 15-minute walk break twice a day (once in the morning and once in the afternoon). Stretch each night after dinner. Once these feel like second nature add another walk after work. Or at lunch.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t need to be difficult. It just needs to be something you can do. You just add more as you get comfortable with the last step.

Just start.

And keep at it. You will stumble. You will fall but what matters is how you react. Do you get back up, dust yourself off, and start again? Or do you give up and start surfing the couch?

How do you start small when you get off track? Leave your ideas in the comments.

Celiac Awareness Month

Posted on May 3, 2016November 23, 2021 by Jenna

Celiac Awareness Month is May.

Officially a year has passed since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. I am not going to sugarcoat it, the past year has been rough. I struggled to adjust to a new diet. Giving up gluten is hard. Gluten is in more than you can even imagine. Things you wouldn’t even think of. I had to spend more time reading every single label in the grocery store. Grocery shopping, a chore I hate, suddenly took twice as long. I had to give up all my favorite fast foods. No more McDonalds. No more french fries almost anywhere. I started stuffing my face with dark chocolate and Talenti. I couldn’t stop shoveling in the sugar trying to appease my loss.

2015-08-06 12.47.00 — Gluten free grilled cheese & fries from Jewel’s, a local all gf place.

I gained weight. I saw the scale go up nine pounds by August. Nine pounds in four months. I knew weight gain was probable but I wasn’t mentally prepared to gain so much in such a short time.

I fell into a depression. Eventually, I stopped working out. It all seemed too much. I didn’t want to run. I just wanted to sink into the couch and never leave. I was wallowing in self-pity. I knew I needed to pull myself out but I couldn’t.

Of course, I was thankful to have finally gotten a diagnosis. I felt better almost instantly. The bloating and brain fog were gone. I stopped getting migraines. I hadn’t felt “right” for many years. I had almost forgotten what it felt like. It was amazing. I didn’t know I could physically feel this good. I just had to get back to feeling mentally “right”.

I went through all the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Not necessarily in that order but they all came around. I still get angry now and then but not like I was in the first few months. I have *mostly* accepted it. I have accepted the diagnosis and not having gluten for the rest of my life but I haven’t fully accepted that others don’t have to make gluten free options. I still want McDonalds to be gluten free. I still want places to put the burger on the bun for me. I am slowly accepting that places don’t get celiac and gluten but I am hopeful.

I hope that my voice can bring about change. That restaurants and servers will understand this isn’t an allergy and proper prep is important. Cross contamination is a big deal. You may not see it but I will be affected. Celiac disease is an invisible illness. I won’t go into anaphylactic shock like a peanut allergy. You may never know that your carelessness made me so bloated I had to unbutton my pants at a baseball game. That I woke up the next day with a migraine. That I struggled to stay awake for the rest of the weekend. That I couldn’t get anything done for a few days. Celiac disease does not have a visible reaction. I suffer in silence.

I will speak for those who struggle to speak for themselves. I want to be the voice of celiac disease because it is important for people and places to know it isn’t an allergy. It isn’t being a hipster. It isn’t about a diet. Or trying to lose weight. It is about my health. My life.

May is celiac awareness month and I hope that my blog has made you aware of an often misunderstood auto-immune disease. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. I try to be as open as possible about my diagnosis and struggle.

Helpful Links:
What is celiac disease?
Symptoms Checklist
7 Diseases Doctors Miss

I included the last link because for 10+ I thought I had IBS. I was given that diagnosis while I was in college but never had any testing. I finally had enough of the symptoms and wanted to know if it was something more or if I should adjust my diet. My symptoms started long before that but I just thought it was normal. I had no clue about celiac disease or even what gluten was!

USS Missouri

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Jenna

Have you ever been inside a battleship?

USS Missouri was my first time in one and it was quite the experience!

It was basically a floating mini-city. Although, I am not sure I could ever live on one. We toured the USS Missouri while at Pearl Harbor a few years ago.

I know what you are thinking… it doesn’t look that big but trust me, it is huge. I was blown away by the size of everything. It was all huge, except the sleeping quarters. Those were pack as many people in one room as possible!

If you ever find yourself on Oahu I encourage you to visit Pearl Harbor. You can do a package to see the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Missouri, the Pacific Aviation Museum, and the USS Blowfin. All of them were fascinating in their own unique way.

Maui Sunrise

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Jenna

There is magic in every sunrise.

A Maui sunrise is just more magical than the rest.

This photo was taken from our balcony at the Sheraton on Maui. I woke up to the sounds and smell of the ocean coming through the lanai doors. I looked out and could not believe my eyes. The sky was painted in purples and pinks, reflecting onto the water. I knew I had to capture this moment.

I jumped out of bed and grabbed my camera. I went out onto the lanai and snapped away. Once I captured my image I just stood there. Absorbing the smell, the sounds, the moment.

A Maui sunrise has a way to make you slow down, to take in the moment. I love sunrises to begin with and Arizona creates some amazing ones but nothing compares to the way the sun and clouds paint the sky in Hawaii.

Looking at this photograph reminds me I need to slow down more often. I need to line in the moment, worry less about what might happen and focus on the present. I know I can be a bit type A and a bit of a perfectionist. I am trying to let these behaviors go. I never want to forget that moment of waking up to the ocean and being awed by what nature shows us.

I am learning to let go and live in the moment more. It’s hard but worth it. If I ever forget why I just look at this photograph and become transported.

Do you have a photograph or moment that you look at or think about when the going gets tough? Share it in the comments.

Struggles & Moving Forward

Posted on April 25, 2016November 23, 2021 by Jenna

I make no secret that I have put on weight over the past year, approximately 15 pounds. I gained the first nine in the first months after my celiac diagnosis. The other six have been a more recent occurrence, due to my ongoing stress from my job and not having the energy to work out.

I am not happy with the extra pounds. I am not happy being stressed out. And I am most certainly not happy not working out.

I am making a commitment to myself. I will shake off the stress of the day and run or lift weights. I will put work behind me when I get home. I have to or I will keep digging myself deeper into this hole.

I am trying to forget being perfect and just try a little each day. I don’t have to run a 10:30-minute mile for an hour each day but if I can get out and run/walk for 30 minutes I am doing better than I was yesterday.

I haven’t really kept up with my healthy eating or workouts over the past year. I feel as if I am starting over. And it’s hard. I know where I was a year ago and am not even close to being as fast. Or able to run as far. Starting over feels harder than starting something for the first time. I know what I am capable of but it seems so far away.

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I ran five miles on Saturday and averaged 12:30 per mile, almost two minutes slower than a year ago. I had to take walk breaks every mile. But I did it. That is what counts.

I have done better with my strength training the last few months. I still have a weak upper body but I am seeing some progression. I have never had much upper body strength but I love the feeling of improvement.

I was miserable this past year. I’ve been depressed over my diagnosis and my job but I’ve had enough. I want to happy and healthy again. I want to run a marathon in January. I know where I’ve been and I know I can get there again. I need to commit to myself. I need to find a routine and stick to it.

I have put my workouts for the week on my calendar. I will make sure to do them because if I don’t I know I will feel worse.

How do you make sure you fit in healthy eating and workouts when you’re stressed and have limited time for everything?

Photo of the Month: March – Haleakala

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Jenna

This is actually a cell phone photo of Haleakala but it is one of my favorites from my recent trip.

We woke up at 2:30 am to drive up 10,000 feet to the summit of Haleakala to see the sunrise and get THE photo. It was an amazing experience, despite freezing out butts off. It was maybe 35-40 degrees out but it was the windchill that was killer. I had on sweats and I was still cold. And by cold, I mean freezing. I would take a jacket or blanket and gloves next time.We spent about an hour waiting in the car for maybe 30 minutes watching the sunrise. We scoped out a spot where no one was gathering. Granted, we weren’t as high as everyone else but we were the only ones with this point of view. I took several photos with my cell and DSLR but this was my favorite. I love that you can see the top of my camera. I love the rays of the sun.

I had to stop taking photos because eventually I could not feel my fingers. They were beyond numb. When I got back to the car I struggled to work my tripod. I was frozen and wanted to get in the car but couldn’t because I had to get the tripod collapsed. It was almost comical.

I love being above the clouds. The feeling is just indescribable to be that high up. There is just something about Haleakala that draws me to it and feeds my spirit. I could spend hours on Haleakala and hope to be able to do the 11-mile hike into the crater someday. Haleakala is one of my favorite places on the planet. I think I could spend several days there and never get bored.

I was so happy with this experience that if I didn’t do anything else on this trip I would have been content. Haleakala is my muse.

What place inspires your soul?

Want to talk travel? Join the Desert Adventurer Facebook group! You don’t need to live or travel in the desert! We talk travel tips, places to see, and all things travel!

What’s in my travel bag: Maui

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Jenna

Have you ever wondered what a travel photographer takes with?

I am a newbie travel photographer and don’t take as much equipment as photographers that have been doing this for years. I love seeing a behind the scenes peek at other’s gear. I think seeing what other’s use is a great way to learn and help figure out what you may need. I say may because all you really need is the camera but there is a lot of items to help make even better photographs.

I also think I need to update my camera bag. I need something I can carry all my equipment plus my laptop. I have pretty, purse like camera bags. They are great for going out but not for traveling. I can’t decide between a roller bag that can go in an overhead bin or a backpack, which would be great for hikes.

Anyway… here is what I packed for Maui:

Canon 60D camera body
Canon 18-135mm lens
Canon 70-300mm lens (great for whale watching except the boat was rocking and my pictures are blurry)
Canon 50mm (although I did not end up using this
UV and polarizing filters for each lens
Cody BrownSignature Filter Kit for my 18-35mm lens
Joby camera strap
Extra batteries and charger
Manfrotto travel tripod
Remote (which I didn’t end up using as much as I expected)
Laptop
Epiphanie camera bag
Microfiber cloth to clean filters and lens glass

*Whew* That is a lot of stuff and my bag was full. Next time I would probably leave the 50mm at home. I love that lens and it can make great landscapes but I am limited by the lack of zoom.

Nutrition Month

Posted on March 1, 2016November 23, 2021 by Jenna

March is Nutrition Month.

This actually comes at the perfect time for me. I am going to be completely honest. I feel transparency on the internet is important. I am not perfect, nor do I try to come across as perfect. We need to realize everyone struggles. No matter how happy or fit someone looks, they are struggling with something.

For me, my current struggle is excess pounds. Yes, I’ve mentioned my 8ish pound gain after my initial celiac diagnosis but this is on top of that. I didn’t lose those 8 pounds instead I gained about five more in the two weeks before my vacation. Now instead of a few vanity pounds to go, I am up to nearly 15 pounds.

I have struggled this year and my eating habits have become horrible. Instead of watching my protein I’ve been stuffing my face with dark chocolate. And I’m not talking a serving here and there. I mean eating half the M&Ms in one sitting. It’s not healthy fo my body or mind.

Nutrition month is the perfect time for a reboot. I need to focus on increasing my protein. I want to build muscle and protein is the best way to aid in that. I need to keep adding in fruits and vegetables with each meal. I love fruits and vegetables but I tend to reach for premade snacks. Those snacks tend to be carbs and full of sodium. I get more than enough starch and sodium. I’d rather have fruits and vegetables be my carb source.

Don’t worry, I will continue to eat dark chocolate or ice cream but I will get back to having it in moderation. I can’t pinpoint exactly what made me go off the rails but it is time to get back to moderation and consistent exercise.

I believe in moderation or an 80/20 approach to eating. 80% healthy, 20% of something you want (I try not to use terms like junk food, treats etc). This is what always works for me. When I lose the balance, I gain weight.

So my challenge this month is to get my eating habits under control, eat more nutritious foods and hit all my workouts.

What are your goals for March?

Hawaii Influence

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Jenna

Hawaii is a great place to visit.

If you haven’t noticed, I have a slight love affair with Hawaii. I have been there three times and visited the four main islands, Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. If there is one state you must visit it is Hawaii. There is something there for everyone. Hawaii is full of vastly different eco-systems. You can see the ocean, rainforests, volcanoes, mountains and lava fields all in the same trip.

Every time I travel to Hawaii I find new inspiration. Each island is unique and gives me something new to be inspired by. I look forward to the trip and have yet to be disappointed.

Oahu is probably my least favorite island but there is a lot to love here. I am not a fan of the Waikiki area. There are far too many people and it is very commercialized. It is similar to a lot of other cities. The key is to travel out of Waikiki you can see a lot of inspirational things. If you are a fan of the show Lost you can see the beach where the plane crashed and other areas where the show was shot. Diamondhead is a great place to hike. There are tons of beaches and bays to travel to and find your favorite spot.

Lastly, there is Pearl Harbor. I was incredibly moved by the USS Arizona Memorial. You can practically feel the souls that still lie beneath. It is quiet, still and the perfect place for reflection. We arrived at dawn and watching the sun come up over Pearl Harbor was an experience you shouldn’t miss out on. It is difficult to find the words to describe the experience. If you only have time for one thing on Oahu, make it Pearl Harbor.

The Big Island still has an active volcano. I had hoped to see lava but they had it closed off on the day we went. We did take in Volcano National Park which includes the crater, which is smoking and sulphur banks. I was really inspired by the sulphur banks. You walk along a wooden sidewalk and just watch the sulphur be expelled from the Earth. It is truly amazing how our world works. The lava fields all over the Big Island reminded me of the moon. There were some spots that were just lava rocks as far as you could see. Also, Kona coffee region. You cannot beat Kona coffee. Be sure to take a tour of a coffee farm. I would recommend Greenwell Farms.

Maui and Kauai are my favorite islands. I cannot pick between them. Both offered amazing ocean views where sunrise and sunset paint the sky. Both have the luscious green landscapes you see in TV and movies. On Maui be sure to take a day to do the road to Hana. You will feel like you are in Jurassic Park in some parts. There are waterfalls and beautiful beaches the entire road. And the bridges. I love the bridges. I am inspired by unique architecture and these bridges offer just that.

While in Kauai be sure to take a boat tour to see the Na Pali coast. There are several waterfalls that are much easier to get to then the ones on Maui’s road to Hana. Hopefully, you will go to Waimea Canyon on a clear day. Waimea Canyon is the Grand Canyon of the pacific but when we went to see it was filled with fog. I could only imagine what it looked like based on photos. I definitely need to go back to Kauai to see the canyon.

There is so much more to see on the four islands. I could go on and on but I think you have a few excellent starting points.

Every time I go to Hawaii I feel I get even better photographs. I have grown so much since my first trip. I am much more comfortable with my camera and can really see a difference between my first and last trip. Hawaii makes me a better photographer and fuels my creativity. I cannot wait to share the most recent photos of Maui with you but not just yet!

I come back from Hawaii refreshed, ready to buckle down and work on my photography. There is something about the fresh ocean air, the landscape and food on the islands that just puts me in a photography mood. Eventually I will need to move there and open a gallery. You will then have another must stop place on your list!

Where is your favorite place to visit and why?

Gluten Free Caramel Applesauce Cake

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

In case, you didn’t know…

I love baking.

I love baking. I love eating. And I love photographing it. I issued myself a challenge when planning my blog posts for 2016: one new recipe a month to share with you, dear readers. I have also decided to bake my way through Good Morning Baking! but change everything to gluten free, because obviously I want to eat what I bake. (This was supposed to be January’s recipe but I kind of forgot about it in my drafts. Oops).

I may, at times, share a meal or drink recipe but most will be dessert-like items because who doesn’t love a good dessert?

This project will allow me to practice my gluten-free recipe conversions and food photography/styling. Plus, you will get yummy recipes once a month! Win-Win-Win.

I went through the cookbook and selected three recipes. I then sent the names to my boyfriend and asked him to choose. This is how I landed on the Caramel Applesauce Cake as my first science project… ummmm… experiment… ummmm… recipe. I hope you all enjoy!

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The recipe below is my modified version. I swapped out items for gluten free and some spices but I did keep the raisins. I do not like raisins in baked good but I am trying to expand my palette.

(disclosure: Cookbook link is an Amazon Associate link. I would earn pennies if you ordered through the link).

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup raisins

Caramel topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup whole milk

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar, then add the applesauce and oil and whisk until combined.
Make a well in the flour mix and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir until combined. Fold in the raisins. Spread batter in the prepared pan.
Bake until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center, 38 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack, in the pan.
While the cake is cooling, make the caramel topping. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil uncovered, stirring constantly until the topping is bubbling and thickened. About 5 minutes.
Poke the surface of the warm cake all over with a fork. Pour the hot caramel topping evenly over the cake. If the caramel pools, swirl it over the cake to be absorbed.
Let cool before serving.

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I reheated the cake in the microwave for about 10 seconds before eating. It was delicious. I am still not 100% sold on raisins in baked goods but it wasn’t as bad as I remember. (It has been ages since I had a baked good with raisins). I never got around to it, but this cake would be amazing warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it!