Book Review, 6 Miles, Chicken Schwarma, Podiatry Report: Time to Switch It Up

Thanks you guys! I just LOVE the new dresses - so fun! I wore the second one (the gray one) to work with black leggings, flat, knee-high suede boots and a black/gray/green scarf with my big gray puffer coat - SO comfortable and, in my humble opinion, cute! :)

Yesterday was a pretty great day! I got tons done at work, then had a 4-hour meeting (where I had salad #3 in my 10 salads in December mini challenge - a salmon salad with lemon vinegarette), but I got to leave work at 4 p.m. and go straight to the gym - NICE! I walked 6 miles, not bad!
So during my 6-mile walk on the treadmill I finished Mocking Jay, the third and final book in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. Reading the book was interesting. The first 100 pages were like YES - it's BACK! The second 100 pages were dull. I was bored. Looking back I realize it was set up for a BIG finish, but at the time I had to actually set it down to read another book. Then I forced myself to read and was amazed. The last 200 pages were frightening, surprising and downright tragic. The author was not afraid to kill people off, add unexpected twists and show, what I presumed to be a very good example of PTSD. We saw the characters at their worst, but it only made me love them more. And the epilogue really gave some closure - but not that happy, they're all happy, yay kind of ending... more of a real-life ending. Amazing series and honest, real-life ending to a book that ultimately was about war and its impact on soldiers and their families. Very eye opening and sad when you think of our men and women who serve and what they have to overcome once they're out of combat and back to real life. A must read for me - I give it a 4.5/5. It would have been a 5 if those 100 pages had been a bit more engaging and/or edited down to get to the big finish.

After the gym I headed home and had another one of my new recipes...

Chicken Shawarma
Recipe Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

Nutritional Information (couscous option): 475 calories, 61 carbs, 7 fat grams and 39 protein grams.
Nutritional Information (pita option): 434 calories, 53 carbs, 7 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: I really liked this light recipe. I tried it hot and cold (with the pita) and both were good. I preferred it cold and made it like an Indian Pita Pizza with the sauce as the base so the ingredients would stick – very good! My sauce mix was 200 grams total, so if you weigh it’s 50 grams of sauce on each one. This is a keeper. It was good with couscous as well – but not as filling to me.

Here is the recipe on Healthified Kitchen!

Lastly, my foot update. Right after food! haha So basically, the podiatrist discovered through x-rays that my fibular sesamoid is still fractured and, it appears that the tibial sesamoid has moved and is rubbing up against the fracture agitating it. Apparently there is supposed to be a ridge between the two, but the ridge on mine practically doesn't exist.

Options? For now, he pretty much said no heels, or wear them rarely. And that this is most likely due to overuse. He asked about my exercise. I told him I walk and run on the treadmill. A lot. He asked about spin? Bike? Classes? Eliptical machine? Nope.... just walking and running on the treadmill. He basically said I have to switch it up. That the constant pressure on this area, even if I wear pads (which he gave me) and took advil (as an anti-inflammatory) these issues aren't going to go away on their own unless I switch it up. So... 2011 is going to ring in LOTS of new activities as I must mix it up if I ever want to have normal feet, be able to run, wear heels, etc. I'm totally going to look at this as an opportunity. I'm literally being forced into trying new things, which can sometimes be challenging or scary but I have a wonderful excuse so, while I'm not exactly happy, i'm going to be excited because "it is what it is" as they say and i'm choosing to embrace my effed up sesamoids and, hopefully, do what I can so they'll heal and straighten themselves out. Literally.

In other news, Remy got a second, big girl haircut - can't wait to take pics! And, I still need to take pics of the new rug! We're really happy with it.

Q: What made you happy yesterday? I was happy to be home with my baby puppers and Austin - i'm really enjoying all of the family time around the holidays!