Just Ripe Nutrition: October 2013

Pile on the Miles

October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Here's a look at some past healthy Halloween tips

One of the blogs I follow, Run Eat Repeat, is hosting a November event called Pile on the Miles.

"The goal is to pile on extra miles, not pounds, during this food filled time of year!"

I signed up with a goal of running 60 miles over the month of November. I recently purchased some new running shoes so I'm looking forward to this challenge!

Find out more about the challenge here and set some goals this November!

? Are you participating in Pile on the Miles? ?

Giveaway: SkinnyPop Popcorn

October 29, 2013

First giveaway alert!

I recently discovered a healthy snack while browsing the aisles of The Fresh Market. SkinnyPop! It easily caught my eye with the bright, fun packaging.

The thing I love most about this popcorn is it's simplicity. It's just natural popcorn, sunflower oil and salt. None of those artificial flavors that many of the other popcorn snacks contain.

Plus it's non-GMO which, I love. Corn is one of the most genetically modified foods out there so it's nice that this is all natural. Aside from non-GMO check out all the other reasons to eat Skinny Pop!

With 3g of Fiber per serving, Skinny Pop is also a good source of fiber! You should aim to get 25-35 grams of fiber per day.

Throw some in a ziplock bag and you have a great on-the-go snack!

...SkinnyPop was nice enough to send me samples to giveaway! Just enter in the comments section why you want to try SkinnyPop and I'll randomly select a few people to try their product!

Don't forget to follow SkinnyPop on Facebook and Twitter!

Please note this post was not sponsored. I did not receive any compensation. All opinions are my own.

CorePower Yoga

October 24, 2013

While in Chicago, my friends and I decided to start our Saturday off at CorePower Yoga. CorePower is great for those who are new to yoga as well as those that are more advanced in their practice. I also appreciated the fact that they had mats, towels, water bottles and other things available (great for out-of-towners!).

We took a 75-minute hot yoga class. This was my first time doing hot yoga and I have to admit I was a little hesitant. I made sure to hydrate before, during and after the class. Hydration is SO important! Especially when you sweat like this...

Overall I really enjoyed the experience! The instructor helped me adjust my poses and the atmosphere was very relaxing. We all left feeling refreshed and ready to start the day (after a long shower!)!

? Have you ever tried hot yoga? What did you think? ?

Weekend in the City

October 22, 2013

This past weekend I was able to enjoy a girls weekend in the city...Chicago! It's always fun to visit - the atmosphere, shopping, food, scenery...what's not to love?!

We arrived Friday night and went to dinner right away. After driving from Cincinnati and getting stuck in Chicago traffic, drinks couldn't come fast enough! We decided on Mezcalina where I ate some delicious fish tacos with a heavy poor of Chardonnay.

After a late dinner we headed home and my friends husband had the brilliant idea to "push our beds together" (the couch/air mattress). It was hilarious and made for many laughs.

Saturday, we tried to sleep in. That usually doesn't happen and in true fashion we were up at 8am. We headed out for a hot yoga class (my first, more to come later!) to start our day.

Yoga was followed by brunch at Eggy's Diner where I got a ham scramble with toast. Yummy!

Once we fueled up we headed out to the city to do some shopping. Later on we got drinks at Howell's and Hood and then enjoyed sushi at Nori followed by a night out with games/drinks. Our friend downloaded the "heads up" app on her phone and I highly recommend it. It's like catchphrase on your phone and it's hilarious!

Sunday came waaaay too soon. We enjoyed brunch at Eggsperience where I had eggs Benedict that were delicious...are Benedict's ever not delicious?!

Overall, the weekend was amazing. Great friends, food and plenty of laughs! Can't wait to do it again!

? What's your favorite thing about Chicago? ?

Travel Eats

October 18, 2013

While traveling to and from, I like to eat things from home rather than fast-food or gas station eats that others find are their only options. I'm off to Chicago this weekend so these will definitely come in handy for my trip!

Here are some ideas for eating while in the car or high in the sky...

Fruit. It's super easy to toss in a bag and eat on the go. I prefer apple or orange slices, a banana or grapes. Bring along a Ziploc bag for the peel or core so you're not left with a mess. You can also add some peanut butter to help your snack last! Justin's PB packs are great for travel!

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Trail Mix or Nuts. Make your own or portion out some store bought mix into a snack size baggie. Watch your portion here because nuts and dried fruit are healthy for us, but high in calories. Moderation is key.

String Cheese. I LOVE string cheese. It travels well and tastes delicious. Enough said, right?

Energy Bars. These are great because they're so portable. I prefer Larabars but any energy bar will do. Just make sure you read the nutrition label because some of these have waaaay too many calories to be considered a snack. Some may also contain hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats) which you want to avoid.

Vegetables. Celery sticks, carrots, peppers, cucumbers...the list goes on. All of these, when cut up, are great on the go snacks. Throw in a hummus cup and you're all set!

Water. This one is obvious. We need to stay hydrated while we travel. Don't be afraid that you'll have to make a pit-stop. You don't want to feel tired and sluggish once you get to your final destination.

? What travel snack do you never leave home without? ?