I was suppose to meet friends Kate and Kristin at the park for a picnic for lunch (look at me, not eating out!).  However, it’s super windy outside and threatening to rain.  So I suggested we bring the patient inside and eat in the waiting room of the clinic.  🙂

Don’t worry – no patients were scheduled to arrive!

 

I had a hummus and sprouts sandwich, carrots, and an apple.  Plus, a few of Oh She Glow’s macaroons!

More HTP Q&A!

 

Missed Part I?

 

Tricia asked, “Can you list blogs and books that helped you go vegetarian? I’m about to make the switch!”

 

One of the very best blogs that I can recommend is No Meat Athlete.  He has a ton of information about going vegetarian and the science behind eating.  For vegetarian and vegan recipes, I love Oh She Glows.   Here are other books I loved about being vegetarian.

 

Allison wrote, “Have you ever done a post on how you and the hubs split up chores?!”

 

What an interesting question!  The Husband and I split chores pretty evenly.  I usually do the laundry; he takes out the trash and does dishes.  I tend to do more of the ‘deep cleans’ but he is great about picking them up around the house on a daily basis. 

 

Amy asked, “I would love to know what’s in your gym bag or a list of your favorite products.”

 

I’m assuming you mean beauty products!  :)  I love MAC cover-up and powder.  I also use this kind of blush, which I LOVE.  Other than that, I’m a bit of a minimalist and don’t use a lot of styling products or lotions. 

 

Maria wrote, “You have so many great positive messages about females, so I wonder if you consider yourself a feminist?”

 

What’s wrong with being a feminist, anyway?  If being a feminist means I believe in equality for the sexes and that women can do any job a man can do, then heck yes, I am a feminist.  ;)  That doesn’t mean I don’t want men to open doors for me, though. :)  I think you can believe in feminism and chivalry all at the same time. Right? Okay, I’m sure some people are going to argue this with me…

 

Monica (and Kelly) asked, “You get so many comments on every single post, and they always seem very positive. Do you ever get negative comments? Do you ever get mean e-mails? How often does it happen, and how do you handle it?”

 

I do get negative comments (and by negative, I mean, “You are a stupid bitch” not “I don’t like this recipe”) from time to time, but I have a strict deletion policy for negative comments like that.  I like comments that promote discussion and include different viewpoints A LOT, but any comments that personally attack me, my family, or other commenters are totally unacceptable in my eyes.  I get that not everyone is going to agree with me, but again – I’m not talking about those comments.

 

Mean comments use to get to me when I first started blogging, but I have the thickest skin ever now, and I’m usually not phased (so please don’t waste your time!).  If I am upset, I usually email a friend and vent to them.  I have a lot of friends who are also bloggers so they understand how I feel.  🙂 Also, you can drop IP addresses in moderation in the WordPress program, so once someone leaves me a horrible comment, I block them and never have to see their vile ramblings again! 

 

The hardest thing ever was going through the Marie Claire drama.  That was like every mean comment that I’ve ever gotten rolled into one article.  But the experience taught me a lot and ultimately made me a strong person.  Criticism – even mean, unfair criticism – can be a great thing.

 

Marissa wrote, “Have you ever done/thought of doing P90x? Why or why not?”

 

I have thought about it but I decided not to do P90x because the Fitnessista warned me that there’s a lot of plyometrics and it’s really hard on the knees.  I don’t want to risk injury since my knees are already a little troublesome.  I did do the 30 Day Shred – here’s my review!

 

Jenifer asked, “Do you think people are born runners, or someone can (like me) make themselves a runner?”

 

I think you can MAKE yourself a runner.  A runner is anyone who runs, even if you’re half walking/running or can only run a mile!  Some people have better biomechanics and muscular structure for running, but I really think nearly anyone can learn to run short distances and enjoy it.  

 

Karen wrote, “I’ve been struggling during strength training lately. I’ve mainly been doing yoga, but I’m having a hard time physically with cramps and balancing; lacking a bit of energy for my long work-outs; and beating myself up a bit mentally ("it’s too hard, give it up").  So my question is: when do I say "when?" How do you know when you need a rest day and when to push yourself through?”

 

If you feel tired and sluggish for several workouts on end, it’s time to say ‘when’!  One or two workouts, I might chalk up to a fluke, but when I start feeling drained constantly, it’s clear that I’m doing something wrong with my fluids, food, or exercise. It could also be a more serious problem, like anemia or B12 deficiency.  I try to drink coconut water or Gatorade regularly (to replace electrolytes lost through sweating).  Here are my other tips for  dealing with sluggish workouts.

 

My advice?  Take a week off of any hard exercise (so stick to gentle yoga and nice walks) and then see how you feel after.  If you’re still having trouble, head to the doc for blood work. 

 

Kathleen wrote, “What’s your favorite health food?”

 

Fruit! I love fruit. 🙂 Especially bananas and really juicy oranges.

 

Annette wrote, “What’s your favorite nut butter?”

 

Any type of salted almond butter.

 

Megan asked, “I think you mentioned before that you sometimes suffer from insomnia. How bad is it and how do you deal with it? I don’t know what’s going on with me recently, but my sleep has totally sucked – like, I wake up way too early and can’t go back to sleep!”

 

My insomnia really isn’t that bad, but it does flare up when I’m super stressed.  I have found that taking a natural supplement, such as melatonin, really does help me fall asleep.  There’s tons of causes for sleep disorders, and (shameless plug), the Husband actually does a lot of e-consultations and supplement recommendations for problems like insomnia.  So if you’re interested in healthier alternatives that prescribed medications, e-mail him at kboyle@holisticcharlotte.com. 

 

Lyn asked, “Anyone have any thoughts on the Nike iPod vs. Garmin for tracking your running distance/speed?  I use Nike iPod right now but sometimes I question how accurate it is, and I’m thinking of investing in a Garmin.  Thanks!”

 

The Nike iPod uses time and average step distance to calculate how far you’ve run, which can be close but is definitely NOT accurate.  If you’re really getting into outdoor running, I highly recommend the Garmin 305, which uses a GPS device to calculate distance and pace. 

 

Heather wrote, “When will your hubby do an accent vlog? I know I’m not the only one eager to hear his British accent!”

 

I asked him again this morning to do the vblog for me, so we’ll see! 

 

Clarissa wrote, “What are you going to do on your next vacation and what is your all-time favorite movie?”

 

Next vacation:  I am going to New York City in April for a fun work trip (details tomorrow)!  And my favorite all-time movie is… Twilight?  Can I say that without anyone laughing at me?

 

Shelly wrote, “Since you try to eat mostly all organic foods, was wondering if that also carries over to other aspects of your life, for example, do you try to use more natural/chemical free laundry detergent, bath soaps, makeup, shampoo, cleaning products, paper products? Do you plan on getting a more environmentally friendly car?”

 

I am just becoming more aware about natural/organic beauty products and cleaning supplies and am trying to switch over 100%!  I bought organic shampoo the other week but it was terrible.  However, I have enjoy my all-natural floor cleaner (which is vinegar and water!).   I would LOVE more natural cleaning product recommendations! 

 

As for the car, we made the best financial move when we sold off our second car and became a one-car family!  We looked into selling both cars and getting something that is more environmentally-friendly, but it was too expensive.  However, since moving to Charlotte, we have definitely become less car-focused and now we only use 1 tank of a gas a MONTH!  We walk everywhere we can. 

 

Melissa wrote, “I’m toying with the idea of a duathlon, and my bike is a mountain bike.  I don’t see a new bike in my near future, and I wondered if it would be reasonable to do a duathlon with a mountain bike.  What would you say based on your experiences at bike events?  Thanks!!”

 

If the bike part of race is 12 miles or less, I would say yes, you can do the duathlon with a mountain bike.  The trouble is that it takes a lot longer to go far (and requires a lot of energy) on a mountain bike because of the size of the tires and weight of the bike.  So if you tried to do a 24 mile race on a mountain bike, it might take you 2 hours and it would take everyone else 1.25.   So it’s definitely doable, just stick to the sprint distances.

Rachel wrote, “I’m a newbie runner, and I was wondering, do you stretch before you run? Or after? Do you do a warm-up and then stretch? Does it depend on how far you’re running?”

 

I suck at stretching and only do it a few times a week, usually after runs.  Runners World has a great stretching section that is super helpful.  Do as I say, not as I do. 🙂

 

Susan wrote, “An entirely random question, but were you athletic when you were a kid?  Another one – where do you see your running going down the road?  Still racing or more running for fun?  Oooh – and prediction time – do you see yourself still running 40 years from now?”

 

I didn’t play on any sport teams as a kid – I was more into studying and academics.  My family is big into brains over brawn so I was pushed to work hard and study a lot (which I am thankful for).  My dad was very fit and active and encouraged me to play a lot on the weekends, though! 

 

I think I will always run, even 40 years from now.  It’s fun and enjoyable for me.  I’ll probably always race, too! I want to be that mom who crosses a finish line and is handed her baby by her Husband.  :) 

 

Steph wrote, “What is the best source/site/blog for meal plans?”

 

Oh, that’s a hard one, and I don’t know the answer – any suggestions?  Please leave your thoughts in the comments section! 

 

Freya wrote, “How did the husband get to live in America when he’s English? I think you said before that he moved when he was 16 with his parents, so I suppose the q is more, how did his parents get to move? It’s SO hard to get a Visa unless you’re $loaded$ now, and I so badly want to live in the States?”  And Kat had a similar question, too.  She wrote, “As a Brit dating an American boy, I’m really interested in how your other half ended up in the US? His whole family is there, too?! I ask purely because we currently live in Australia and are trying to figure out if I can get into the US…as we are not married! Australia recognizes de-facto relationships, as does England but the US doesn’t. Boo. Also, what part of England is he from!?”

 

The Husband came to American more than 10 years ago (before 9/11), so I think the situation was a little different.  His mother (a Brit) fell in love with his stepfather (an American who I just refer to as his dad on the blog).  She got a VISA and eventually residency for herself and the Husband.  The Husband is a resident but not a citizen.  His sister finally got her residency after trying for 5 years and now lives in Florida with the rest of his family (they will all move here to North Carolina soon).  I don’t know much about the process so I can’t give many tips on getting residency faster.  :(  I hope you both can come to America soon!  Oh, and the Husband is from Reading!

 

Michelle wrote, “Right now I’m in the position to take my blog to it’s own domain. I’ve been reading your tips on just buying a platform through WordPress. Is this still how you blog? I’ve been looking at buying a domain through other sites and honestly there’s so much information I feel defeated before I even start. Does someone help you work on all your blog pages (a techie!) or did you just figure it out yourself?”

 

If you want a custom URL, I would recommend buying it through WordPress.  It’s super easy to do under the Domain tab.  I didn’t switch to being self-hosted until I had an ad contract with Foodbuzz, and you can easily do that yourself if you don’t want to pay someone else to.  If you want to be self-hosted, I recommend Dream Host because their customer service is excellent.  If you’re not going to sell ad space, you can just stay on the WordPress hosting service.  And no matter what, if you have a PC, you need to download Windows Live Writer ASAP.  Here are my other blogging tips! 

 

Liz asked, “I’ve been reading your blog posts since you had your “See Bride Run” blog. Did you predict that you would continue to blog for so long or just stop after that blog? For instance, I never thought I’d be blogging for almost 4 years now, haha.”

 

I had no idea that I would ever be blogging for as long as I have been (nearly three years) or that I would enjoy it so much! 

 

Caitlin wrote, “Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert? I know readers can guess based on your blog, but in reality, a majority of us do not personally know you!”

 

I took a personality test once, and it said that I am an extrovert. 🙂 I do really like hanging out with people and being social, but I also do need private downtime (hello, HGTV).  I think most people who meet me in real life would say that I’m outgoing and friendly – I’m definitely not shy!

 

Marissa wrote, “What are your thoughts on protein powders? (Whey Isolate, Soy, etc.) If you do use them, what brand? If not, what are your reasons?”

 

I think protein powder is a great add-in to smoothies, especially as a post-run workout snack.  I try to stick with brown rice or other non-whey proteins because I try to reduce unnecessary animal product consumption when I know I won’t ‘miss’ the other product too much.  We’re currently using a protein powder from Standard Process, which the Husband has to order as a physician.   It’s a really high-quality vegan powder, and if anyone is interested in ordering it, shoot an email to my Husband at kboyle@holisticcharlotte.com.

 

So fun! 🙂

 

Answer one of the questions that I was asked in the comments section, too!  What’s your favorite movie? Do you think people are just natural runners?  What’s your favorite protein powder? And are you an extrovert or introvert?