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>Happy birfday old man

>Today I spent the day celebrating the Manfriend’s birthday!!! Did you know that we started dating 15 years ago??!

Happy Birthday to the love of my life ❤

I surprised Seth by planning a dinner with our friends at Mai Thai, an ammmaaazing (and affordable!) Thai restaurant in Dupont Circle.

I sipped a skinny margarita (go figure!) and had the red curry with seafood.

It was a great night. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t pumped when Seth picked Mai Thai as his bday dinner locale. Growing up in my family, on our birthdays we were allowed to pick where the family would eat dinner. 99% of the time I went with the Olive Garden. These days, things have changes since dairy and I are no longer friends, but I sure do miss those never ending

bread sticks and salad!

Did you have a birthday tradition growing up?

>30-day challenge

>Happy weekend everyone. I sorta have the day off today – I’m working a quick 4 hours tonight to help cover a shift. If you follow me on Twitter, you heard me complain about my poor aching feet. 13 hrs of working (errr, continuous power-walking) 4 days in a row, is killer.

And tomorrow I’m gearing up for another 4 shifts. Why am I working so much you may be asking? Well I did have 4 days off last weekend around the time I hosted the DC blogger shindig, and I’m taking off another 4 next week to head to Myrtle Beach, SC for a half marathon. Last year was a blast so I can’t even wait for this trip.

* * *

Before I get into the 30-day challenge, I wanted to share a new toy with you.

BonJour Primo Latte Frother

Friends, I’m in love. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while day now, you probably know I’m quite the coffee lover. I wake up to a lovely cup of Caribou Coffee a la Keurig and save the fanchy shmancy espresso machine for the weekends (time savah). However, there are times (okay, a lot of times) when I want a nice frothed coffee on the fly. I’ve been spending waaaay too much money at Starbucks lately on my “Venti Pike’e Place coffee topped with 1 inch of steamed soy“.

So friends, meet my new bestie. Here’s how easy it is:

1) Microwave milk of your choice in mug (only heat amount you want to drink)
2) Froth away (~20 seconds)
3) Top with your favorite coffee or espresso

And that’s it!

* * *

So here’s my challenge: “The not-so-vegan clean plan“

Translation: No dairy (only organic cage-free eggs), only organic (and local when possible) meat, and ALL clean foods.

Last year I went “clean” for a month (per my neurologist’s recommendation) and it changed my life. Following Tosca Reno’s simple plan, I did not focus on counting calories, fat, carbs, etc. but nixed all unnatural and processed foods from my diet. I rid my pantry and fridge of anything containing artificial color, sugar, flavor, or preservatives. After only one week on the plan, my headaches went away (I am a long-time sufferer of migraine headaches) and my energy levels hit the roof. The most difficult challenge for me was giving up sugar-free gum (which I eventually allowed myself a piece during a workout). Other than that, it was easy peasy. Most grocery stores now carry all-natural versions of virtually every food. Initially, I had to invest some $$ into new condiments, salad dressings, etc. but it really wasn’t that difficult. After the month was over and I tried fake food (I think I had a Diet Coke), and I wanted to barf. I no longer had a taste for the crap.

This leads me to where I am today. I would say I eat “clean” 75% of the time. But gum, sugar-free syrup, and condiments sadly sneak their way in. And over the last few months I’ve realized I have been experiencing more headaches and huge dip in energy. And considering a shift at the hospital is a minimum of 12.5 hours of fast walking, I need all the energy I can get.

Another issue for me: Dairy. You may have noticed I don’t ever feature meals with cheese (or at least the real cheeses: goat, feta, ricotta, parmesan, brie, gorgonzola, and any aged variety). The reason: I’m allergic. I’m not lacto-intolerant because I can handle the whimpy cheeses (mozzarella, American “cheese”, etc.) But every now and then a real cheese sneaks into my meal and I’m doomed for the rest of the day.

I lie. This happens a lot. Yesterday for instance, I ordered a margarita pizza from Cosi and the nice gentleman behind the counter assured me it was only mozzarella, tomato, and basil. An hour after the fact (and after double-checking online) I learned their tomato sauce contains parmesan. I spent the next 5 hours of my shift running to the bathroom (TMI?). One too many times this has happened, I knew I needed to make a change.

So here I am. Starting a 30-day challenge. And I use the word “challenge” intentionally because this is going to be difficult for me. I loooove my Greek yogurt and Laughing Cow cheese but I need to give my stomach a break for a little bit because things in the GI department haven’t been so fun lately.

I also want to see how my energy levels change. I have a lot of 13 hour work shifts in the near future and neeeeed to cut back on my 4-5 cups of coffee per day habit. It’s no good – not good for hydration, my teeth, or wallet.

So, the first meal of the day:

Berry-Berry Green Protein Smoothie

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (SunWarrior brand)

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

hand full fresh spinach

1 t SuperGreens

1 T flax seed oil

H20

stevia (1 serving)

pinch sea salt

* * *

Alright kiddos, I’m heading out for a run before work.

What are your weekend plans?

How’s the weather on your neck of the woods?

>Dear Bo

>I received a letter a few days ago for the “Letters to Me” Campaign that literally brought me to tears. Bo, you are an amazing woman and I thank you for having the courage to share your story.

If you’re new to the site, you can read about the campaign here.

————

To my 14-year-old self:

Today something terrible will happen, you will feel like you may never stop crying and that your family will never be the same or to able to laugh again. That you will only have pain and sorrow. Today your big Brother will die in a car accident and your body will go numb, you will not believe it at first you will tell everyone it was the other guy that died, it cant be him he was your big brother, he was your only brother you idolized him, he was your hero. He was your Mom and Dad’s only son , he was only 18.

You will make a lot of bad choices in the next 3 years and do a lot of stupid things trying to find something to make you feel happy and not miss your brother so much, you will try to take his place and become the life of every party! You will wish you had not done most of these things and be very ashamed about many more, you will date guys that only care about drinking and doing drugs and that do not respect you.

Your family will make it through the heartbreak they will smile and laugh and enjoy life again, you and your sister will become closer than ever before. And you will learn to never take loved ones for granted.

When you are 17 you will meet an amazing man who loves you so much you can see it and feel it every time he looks at you. And you will be so in love with him that your heart speeds up and you will feel weak in the knees when he enters the room . He will tell you how beautiful you are and will be completely devoted to you and you to him. You will elope after 1 year of dating. Your life will be full of joy and happiness. He will give you 3 beautiful children a great son with too little girls then 3 additional little sisters that you will welcome into your family.

After 21 years of marriage he will continue to treat you like a princess he will buy you a wedding dress, rent a tux and take you to the beach with a professional photographer for the wedding pictures you never got. On this day your world will fall apart but with God’s help you will put it back together, you will be happy, successful and enjoy every day to its fullest.

You will survive,

Bo

————-

To read more about the campaign and see how you can help, click here.

>Snoozefest

>Hi everyone,

Thanks for your amazing comments regarding my “Letters to Me” Campaign. If you haven’t read about the project please check it out! I am always accepting submissions and they can be anonymous. It’s really an amazing experience!

Click here to read the first letter by Naomi of OneFitFoodie.com

——–

This morning I woke later than I hoped (slept 11 hours, whoops) and whipped up some breakfast:

Maple Vanilla Oats

1/3 cup oats, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein, 3 T egg whites, 1 T maple syrup, cinnamon, apple pie spice, dash sea salt, stevia to taste, blob peanut butter

After running some errands with the pup 

He clearly loves the car

I met Alex for lunch at JuiceZone. I went with Kombucha, a wheat grass shot, and some veggie juice since I just ate breakfast (whoops #2 for waking late)

Apple, ginger, parsley, spinach, and carrot

After chatting it up for a while I made my way to the gym for a trainer appointment to learn exercises to stretch my iliotibial (IT) band. The appointment only took about 30 mins so hit the weights for the reminder of the time. Love feeling strong!

After a great gym sesh, I grabbed a protein bar and met the Manfriend at Trader Joe’s for some good ole grocery shopping! In my apartment we each (self, sister, Manfriend) take turns buying groceries. I nicely offered to accompany Seth on his turn since he walks around like a chicken with his head cut off 🙂

Post shopping I dove into our new produce and whipped up a refreshing salad:

Spinach, chickpea, and cilantro salad with hummus dressing

Spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, cilantro topped with Trader Joe’s Jalapeno and Cilantro hummus.

*Tip: Hummus in place of salad dressing is fantastic. To thin it out a bit mix in a teeeny bit of water. It will spread much better.

——–

Well I’m off to read, prepare for tomorrow’s Volunteering (It’s Wellness Wednesday!) then catch up on Glee! And savor it all with a glass of shriaz perhaps?? 

Night y’all!

Laur

>"Letters to Me" Campaign

>Hi everyone, 

I’m super excited to announce a new campaign I’m launching called Letters to Me!

Campaign:

Knowing what you know today, the places you’ve been, and what you’ve learned, if you had the ability to write a letter to yourself and send it back in time what would you say? How would you address/prevent future low self esteem, poor self acceptance, etc.?

Please help others in need by writing a letter to your former self (can be anonymous) and discover how powerful self reflection can be. I will post a new as I receive them.

Send letters to: Biochemista@gmail.com. Letters can be as short as a paragraph.

———

The first letter comes from Naomi at OneFitFoodie.com:

Dear Naomi

I just wanted to talk to you a bit about the rough patch that you are going through at this time in your life and I am here to assure you that not only will it pass, but you will feel empowered, strong and vibrant like never before after I get done writing this letter. Why is it that you and your friends cared so much what Mary (made up name to keep privacy) thought about you? Was Mary in charge of your life, body, image, clothing and way of acting? Naomi, you have to understand that you have been blessed with the gift of life and YOU my dear, run your own life. In 15 years, who knows where Mary will be, what she is doing for a living, who her friends are, what her hobbies are…. what matters is what you think of yourself.  You will look back at this and want to laugh that you cared so much what others thought of you. Did you wear the ‘right colored pants’ to school? Did you have the coolest backpack, did you pack your own lunch but not eat it in the cafeteria because it was ‘not cool’ What made you do these things. Now, I want you to think how empowering it would feel if YOU were the one to choose what you wear to school everyday, YOU choose what you eat and when you eat it, YOU choose the backpack you want because well, that’s the one you like. You should never do things because other people are telling you to. Does what you do in your life now have anything to do with what Mary thought of you? I didn’t think so.

Naomi, I remember that day in middle school, you were 14 years old and it was during lunch. You heard a rumor that ‘your friends’ were drinking alcohol in the girls bathroom. Your heart started racing, you started getting anxious, nervous and sweaty, not because you were worried about your friends getting caught but you were worried about what they would think of you if you DIDN’T join them. Your life would be ruined, right?…WRONG. You will feel empowered and strong and you will smile deep down knowing you were way too young to drink alcohol, let alone on school property and let alone that you just had no interest.  DON’T get scared about doing the right thing and doing what works for you. In the long run, it will make you a stronger person.

I remember when you and your friends would go shopping and they would try on tight, small clothes, look in the mirror and strut their stuff. You would usually walk out with a hair accessory and perfume from Claires. Why didn’t you want to try on clothes with your friends, Naomi? You were and still are beautiful. Sure you weren’t stick skinny, but you. are. BEAUTIFUL. Embrace what you have; Brains, beauty, amazing sister, daughter, granddaughter, friend and person. Feel free to sit back in awe and disbelief when your friend get caught stealing clothing at a high end store (yes that happened) ALWAYS stand by what you believe in, and what you stand for.

ALWAYS show your family how thankful you are to have them. Your mom and dad not only put you on this earth, but love you beyond what you can imagine. They are and always were here for YOU and your brother. They always wanted the best for you and would drop anything at anytime to make you happy. Never take them for granted. When you are in a bad mood—don’t take it out on them, they don’t deserve it. Instead, share with them what you are feeling and I promise, they will help you through it. I know these years are difficult to show your appreciation, love and affection for your parents, but try, just try to make an effort to show how much you love and need them in your life. And when you went on your ‘first date’ with your boyfriend in 7th grade, and you got so upset that your dad stayed with you in the movie theater–he was being a good father and protective, he wasn’t trying to make you upset. You weren’t 21, you were 14 years old. Listen to your parents. 


Your dad always told you every single day “Never be ordinary & make a difference” You would brush the words off like they were nothing, but really deep down I know you wanted to never be ordinary. You never were, and never will be. Go to the beat of your own drum, Naomi and never forget that.


LIVE LOVE AND ALWAYS BE YOU


Sincerely & with love,
Naomi

>Some much needed rest

>Happy Sunday! It’s a cool and rainy day here in the nation’s capitol. Not going to say I’m too upset about it. We need some rain! Also, I have 13 miles to run today as part of my marathon training and I MUCH prefer it not to be 90F.

How are you enjoying your Sunday?

Yesterday was definitely a day of rest in my casa. I spent the day reading and relaxing and called it an early night. Sometimes you just need a day of peace and quiet.

Yesterday’s meals included the best tuna salad everrrr:

Tuna, black beans, cherry tomatoes, kosher dill pickles, yellow onion, tons of dill, dash sea salt, black pepper and moistened with Greek yogurt (instead of mayo) and a splash of pickle juice 

Topped over toasted whole grain smeared w/ light laughing cow cheese. Heavenly, I tell you.

I later snacked on a simple salad 

 Topped with light balsamic vinaigrette and nutritional yeast

For dinner, I was craving EGGS!

1/3 cup egg whites with melted light laughing cow cheese topped over multigrain

It was a fantastically simple and rejuvenating day. And much needed.

——-

This morning I woke STARVED and luckily for me, I prepared some overnight oats last night:

 1/3 cup oats, 1 T chia seeds, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup coconut kefir, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/4 cup frozen raspberries, 1/2 t maca powder, stevia, dash sea salt

So so so good.

Alright it’s about time for some coffee. I’m also working on an exciting project for my blog (!) that I’ll be sharing within the next week. So stay tuned 🙂

Have a great day. Fingers crossed I have a successful 13 miles!

Laur

>Sleep well, dear friend.

>Hi all,

Sorry for the absence. Two days ago a good friend of mine, that I’ve known for about 12 years, took his own life. I have spent the last few days confused, sad, upset, and really reflecting on many aspects of what it really means to be alive and ‘to live’.

Among the many Facebook posts made on his wall, two really struck a cord with me:

“In the end, I suppose a person’s life can only really be measured by the number people he’s impacted along the way. With that being said, I hope you realize that you’ve touched more lives in your short time with us than even a man who lives to one-hundred could ever dream of. Wherever you are now, I hope that you’re finally resting peacefully. You made a lasting impact on my life and I’ll never forget you. Sleep well buddy.”



“I hope wherever your journey has taken you has brought you peace. You will forever be with each and everyone of us who have been lucky enough to be a part of your life – I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers always – thanks for the memories and keep the brewskis on ice for us. Miss you man”

Brian, you were a dear friend. I’ll always cherish the time we spent together, the times you made me laugh, and the great friend you were. Rest in Peace ❤

source

———

Thanks for your understanding and support during this difficult time. I have much to think about and really can’t focus on blogging right now.

That being said, I’m also leaving for vacation to New England tomorrow so I’ll especially enjoy the time away to escape the city, clear my mind, and relax.

I LOVE YOU ALL and I’ll see you in a week.

Lots of love,

Lauren

>The most difficult decision of my life

>Helloooo beauts,

How are ya? HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the mamas out there!!! I miss my mama so much.…Unfortunately I’m not able to spend today with her. She’s visiting the District in 2 weeks so I’ll have to do something special for her then. Did you spend time with your mama???

Yesterday the Manfriend and I attended a CRAWFISH BOIL! I’ve been to pleeeently of lobster, crab, and clam bakes (having grown up in New England), but I’ve yet to try crawfish. Let me tell you, if you’re a crab/lobster/shrimp lover….then you will LOVE these little guys. This is a Southern tradition (particularly New Orleans) and I’m so glad I was invited. Thank you Ally and Erica!

The boil was at Erica’s place in Capitol Hill. On the menu:

^Chalkboard on door. HOW CUTE?!?!

They shipped in 120 LBS of live CRAWFISH from New Orleans!!!! I inquired about the cooking process because they were SO GOOD…

^Boil 30 lbs of crawfish + spices + corn on the cob + spiced sausage + garlic (whole clove) + mushrooms + potatoes + lemons for 15 mins = 1 batch (OF FOUR!)

FEAST.

^Ally and her BF (JJ)

NUTS. Soooo much food. Such a fantastic party. Made a lot of new friends. Great Louisiana tradition!!!!

Today I had a pretty enjoyable Sunday. It started with breakfast, reading the news, catching up with Sir DVR, then enjoying my coffee in the SUN:

^I LOVE THIS PIC. Coffee + rays of sun = PERFECTION.

To keep the summa bathing suit readiness going, I did a BOMB Treadmill HIIT workout (followed with weighted squats). AKA my legs feel like blocks! HA

Today’s HIIT workout was FAST and SWEATYYY:

5 min warm-up at 7.5mph
4 min at 8.5 mph
5 X 30-45 sec sprints at 10.5 – 10.8 mph
4 min at 7.5 mph

10 X 3 sets Clean and Press (22 lbs). If you’re not familiar with this awesome move check out this vid (scroll to the 34 second spot). It’s a great shoulder, glut, and arse move!!!

KILLER!

I fueled with a Whole Food’s Salad Monster:

^Spinach, arugula, kale, roasted turkey, egg, peppers, edamame, black beans, onions, quinoa, balsamic vinegar, and nutritional yeast. Overpriced? YES. Delish? HECK YES.

OK OK OK….the news I promised. Ahh, this is hard for me to talk about (publicly- so bear with me)…

After a year-long contemplation of my future (and future happiness), I’ve decided to leave my PhD program. Please know that I would have shared my thoughts along the way (and reached out for support) if I could. Sadly however, Bloggerville is not as small as we’d like to think and I would have been in bigggg trouble if my program found out through the Internet rather than telling them first. You understand, right?

Let me just begin by saying that I have great respect for my program (a joint Georgetown University and National Institutes of Health) PhD program in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology. I have obtained a phenomenal education, completed all doctoral course work (3.8 GPA! woot, haha), passed my qualifying exam, and published a paper in the Journal of Biochemistry. Therefore, this decision is not made because I could not ‘hack the program’.

I realized (over the last year or so) my passion is TREATING patients rather than working behind the scenes doing the research. Research is incredibly important, don’t get me wrong. It just doesn’t “light my fire” anymore. Once publication-driven….I guess I’ve changed.

Soooo, now what??? My goals in college were to get into a top-ranked Biochemistry PhD program, publish a lot, graduate, do post-doctoral research, then run a researched-based laboratory of my own. I still have the same love for oncology, hematology, and transplant medicine, but I want to do it from “the other side” (the patient side).

After much consideration of my options, I’ve decided to withdraw from my program, file for my M.S. in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology and apply to Physician Assistant (PA) programs. For those of you unfamiliar with PAs, they are practitioners that work in conjunction with an attending physician, are first-responders (like nurses), can prescribe medicine, and advise other clinicians.

So, why didn’t I do this from the beginning? Well I was originally in nursing school, but switched to Biochemistry because the sight of blood made me instantly faint. I assumed I just couldn’t practice medicine because of my fear, and therefore went into research. However, over the last few years of WORKING WITH blood, I’ve realized I’m completely over this fear. So with that lifted, I can do what I want to do. And that is working WITH patients, specifically treating cancer patients.

So do I regret my 3 years of doctoral studies? NO WAY. I have an INCREDIBLE education in Biochemistry and oncology that will be priceless in my future career. Not to mention a funded M.S. degree.

Was this a hard decision? UMMM… YES. Hard because it isn’t the easiest thing to tell your parents, family, friends, peers, and mentors that you’re leaving a fully-funded PhD program that you’ve worked so hard to get into. But I had to do this FOR ME. This is MY LIFE. And I want to wake up every day EXCITED for work.

Have you ever had make a hard decision like this??????

Thank you all for listening and I am SO THANKFUL for your support!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!

xx,

Lauren

>Almost all better….

>We’re sorrrry!


The computer is alllllmost up and running. Sorry for being MIA! I was promised tomorrow (Wednesday) I’d have it back.

In thee meantime, I’ve been thinking of lots of neat ideas for the bloggy– fun give-a-ways, interviews (most excited for!) , and contests. Let me know what you want to see on here in the next few weeks 🙂

xx

See you sooooon!

Lauren