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Ways I Am Your Typical Healthy Living Blogger

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I heard some wackadoodle rumor there’s a flip side to every coin.

It sounds pretty high-tech to me, so I can’t confirm the validity of that statement, but I do know there’s two sides to every story, with the truth taking root somewhere in between. That and it sets you free, which appeals to me for the usual reasons freedom does.

Last week, I did a cheeky little post entitled  Ways I’m Not Your Typical Health Living Blogger. It was true, every word of it, but this week I want to mix things and tell the other side of the tale, which means we’re talking about the Ways I Am Your Typical Healthy Living Blogger. Same story, different perspective, Out Loud. Thanks for having me, Ms. Amanda.

Thinking-Out-Loud

Plus, I wanted to clear the air in case you think I’m only a grubby, cheese loving, pasta eating, butter filled, machine. I’m totally that too, but I’m also all about being healthy. That’s right: Raise the roof for healthy. C’mon, do it. Raise those hands. Put ’em up high. Nobody’s looking, I promise, it’ll be fun, maybe even a little naughty. It might even set you free.

Ways I Am Your Typical Healthy Living Blogger

  • I make most of my meals. I make most of the Hubby’s meals too, even when he lives in a different state. Sometimes it’s as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich or a big old snack platter, and sometimes it’s a fancy pants Risotto kind of night, sans pants because they’re totally overrated.

Ramp Risotto

  • When I go to other people’s homes for a meal, I ask them what’s in the food. I try to be nonchalant about it, but I still ask. “Oh, that’s chicken stock in the soup. Yes, it looks fabulous,” I say while internally crying, “Frack, what am I going to eat?”   
  • Hummus sets my heart a flutter.

Snack Platter with Hummus and Ramp Pesto

Veggie Platter with Garlic Hummus

Snack Plate with Hummus, Ramp Pesto, Pita, Berries, Olives and Veggies

  • Aside from mini-chocolate chips, which I keep on hand purely for baking purposes (cough, lies and deceit, cough), I rarely keep sweets or junk food in the house. That’s not to say I won’t go out for ice cream or pick up an occasional indulgence from time to time, I just don’t regularly stockpile the stuff.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Spoon

See, baking purposes.

  • I have turned down cupcakes before, especially the overly processed chock full of additives kind. I have no regrets. 
  • I love veggies. I mean, I really, really love veggies. They pretty much rock my socks off.

Veggie Stir Fry Fixins

Veggie Packed Grilled Cheese Fixings

Ratatoille C

Veggie Prep for Corn Chowder Soup

  • When I’m not farmers marketing or waiting for my CSA to start, I do my grocery shopping at the local health food store: Nature’s Bin. It’s the Trader Joe’s or Wholefoods equivalent in my neighborhood, but better.   
  • I like sweet potatoes. I like white potatoes. I like purple potatoes. I like red skinned potatoes. When it’s all said and done, I don’t see color; I just see potatoes.

Savory Stuffed Sweet Potato

Veggies

  • I buy my oats in bulk since I make and consume a crapton of granola.
  • Salads and me: we go way back. I will willingly and happily put down some roughage. I would even challenge you to a roughage eating contest.

Circle Salad

  • Not only do I add greens to my fruit filled smoothies, but I toss in flax powder and bee pollen too, which let’s be honest, is pretty fucking weird.

Bee Pollen Smoothies

  • I love going to the gym. It’s my happy place. Those endorphins get me all jacked up; in a good way.
  • I actually started saying the ooommm at the end of yoga. Confession: it feels a little awkward, but at least I’m no longer giggling; out loud.

Warrier Two Meg

So you see, despite an entire post explaining the ways I’m not your typical healthy living blogger, there are definitely other ways in which I fit the mold. Some, or really I, might say that’s a great sign of balance, and since I’ve already done multiple posts on that topic, we’ll just leave it at the fact I consider myself to be well-rounded.

Take that flip sides.

In what ways are you a typical healthy living blogger?

Comments

  1. That risotto looks soooo good! I love eating it but unlike you, I suck at cooking 🙁

    I’m more of a typical running blogger (not to sure how healthy I am!) as I post a lot about my runs/run recaps/running related rambles.

    PS I LOVE potatoes (I may have “sampled” 30% of them when we were prepping for Thanksgiving and by we I mean the one guy that can cook LOL) and that picture is really making me want a fully loaded baked potato right now!
    Carmy recently posted…Think Out Loud Thursdays #2My Profile

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    • You should know I didn’t always cook or even enjoy it all that much. I got into it a few years ago and really had a great time and I continue to learn new things all the time. Like risotto sounds way scarier than it really is, although I bet Hell’s Kitchen and Chef Ramsey have something to do with that. 🙂

      Running is great. I wish I could do it better.

      Here’s to potatoes.

      Reply

  2. “When it’s all said and done, I don’t see color; I just see potatoes.” <– this may just be my favourite line EVER. Literary brilliance.

    I went through a phase where I totally rebelled against everything that I associated with HLBs, and even tried to go out of my way to prove a point that I wasn't one. But that's mostly because I was struggling with my own unresolved issues at the time and had to stop seeing HLBs as the root of all dietary evil 😆 But I can't deny that I have my healthy side… I love oatmeal, I cook all my own meals, I try to buy the "healthier" version of junk food, I keep grandma hours, and after spending so much time reading blogs, no food combination sounds too weird to me… I don't hate that side of myself 😉
    Amanda @ .running with spoons. recently posted…. thinking out loud #80 .My Profile

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  3. I pretty much second all of what Amanda just said! Especially about the potato line 🙂 got my first laugh of the day!

    Also in that I read ingredients lists rather than calorie content on labels! And the gym is so my happy place, no thoughts just fun 🙂 I always think of it as like a playground full of toys for grown-ups… That sounds dodgy doesn’t it? You know what I mean!
    Pip {Cherries & Chisme} recently posted…{Thinking Out Loud} Drumming, winter & learning to listenMy Profile

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    • Yes! I made another one laugh. My work is done for the day!! Success.

      It sounds wonderful actually. An adult playground. I love it.

      Reply

  5. THE ‘OMM’!! YES! I LOVE the OM at the end of yoga, I find it to be so magical. I didn’t used to though, I remember one time I found myself at a class that was almost ALL chanting and that was NOT my thing. I also went with a friend which is a terrible recipe for fucking up everyone’s “zen.” By the time it was my turn to say some weird shit out loud I couldn’t help but laugh. It was awful and I will not be doing that kind of class again. I can handle one OM. HA.

    I would take you up on the roughage challenge…I do some serious work on roughage. Don’t let my cupcakes and cookie photos fool you….
    Brittany recently posted…Holistic Oral CareMy Profile

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    • I think if anyone could give me a run for my money when it comes to roughage consumption, it’d be you. We need to have a face off. We should go to yoga before the contest though so we don’t gas out the class. Then again… 🙂

      Reply

  7. Coincidentally, I’m reading this post while eating my lunch at my desk – salad, HUMMUS, and pickles. So there’s that. I also tend to photograph food/random objects in a billion different positions/ways and then let the photos sit on my phone “just in case” I ever need them for a blog post. And on a tangential note, I REALLY miss my CSA but it just got to be too much chard and dandelion greens for one person to use each week…hopefully when I have a bigger family unit it will work out better. I LOVED my farm.

    Reply

    • I can’t imagine life without my CSA now. I get so excited and it makes me so happy. I actually bought a deep freezer last year so I could process and stockpile all my goodies instead of being overwhelmed by greens. Actually I’m still overwhelmed at times, but at least now I’ve got something to eat in the wintertime and nothing is going bad.

      Reply

  8. Hey, turning down cupcakes seems totally normal to me, blogger or not. Of course, I have pie in the title of my blog, so…yeah. Also: YES TO VEGETABLES. And ground flax, although I usually have mine in my bulk oats-oatmeal. 🙂
    Eileen recently posted…The simplest, best summer saladMy Profile

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    • I heart Nature’s Bin. You definitely need to check it out. It’s a small mom and pop type place and their prepared meals are fabulous. I usually buy some for lunches when it’s not CSA season, and I’m not swimming in lettuce. I could show the ropes.

      Reply

  10. I love that you are owning all your HLB tendencies- no shame at all! Like you I love my veggies..and fortunately my stomach is very cooperative when it comes to fiber ;)! I also eat oatmeal 99% of the time for breakfast, drink almond milk, eat nutritional yeast and wouldn’t mind getting lost in Whole Foods…so cliche but if the shoe fits 🙂
    Khushboo recently posted…Good Life EateryMy Profile

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    • As much as there are ways I’m not a typical HLB, there are some ways I am. I wanted to paint both sides of the story, although truth be told, I wish the community and the fitness industry in general would focus more on whole foods. Seeing as how their current approach isn’t working (obesity is still on the rise), I think it would make for a great change. You and I should start the movement. 🙂

      Reply

  11. I love love love all the hummus and potatoes in this post. And I totally need to find someplace that will sell me gluten free oats in bulk, because you keep posting all these fabulous granola recipes. I’ve never heard of Nature’s Bin except from you but every time you mention it and it really is enough to make me consider a trip to Ohio every time you do, maybe when we run our half marathon 😉

    Reply

    • I asked once if their bulk oats were gluten free, and I didn’t get an answer. Which is why you never got granola.

      I think that sounds perfect. Half marathon one day. Nature’s Bin the next.

      Reply

  12. We appreciated the mason jar in the last post but in this one….those serving dishes. You totally bought them to stockpile multiple vegetable sticks didn’t you 😉

    Ways I’m a healthy living blogger- I guess sneaking vegetables into all things (Even sweet pancakes….yes. I need to fill you in on this- but you need to buy coconut flour! ;)), and often naturally choose healthier produce over packaged goods. I don’t really snack on candy and do read ingredient labels- not for calories or grams of this or that but hidden nasties.

    I will never forget my time in Oswego when I bought a loaf of ‘all natural wholewheat bread’ (the brand started with F I think)- and the second ingredient was HFCS.
    Arman @ thebigmansworld recently posted…[Healthy] White Chocolate and Macadamia Oatmeal PuddingMy Profile

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    • That is one of the benefits of being older and married. You get a lot of cool serving dishes. They have served me well in blog land, and I’m always on the lookout for cool new platters.

      HFCS! Fail!

      I have coconut flour. I’m not sure if it’s still good since it’s at least a year old, but I’d be willing to try for you. You haven’t steered me wrong yet, and I love all your hidden veggies. For real, you are a master.

      Reply

    • Thanks love. I like to think of myself as pretty damn healthy, which is why I’m hanging around in this community, even if I do stick out like a sore thumb, despite my desire to ingest bee pollen.

      Reply

  16. What a wonderful post! Together with the one from last week you show the perfect balance. I think most members of this community could write a “what makes me not fitting to the HLB world” post easily but are never honest enough to themselves or others to commit that we’re all not black or white but somewhere in between and that there are certainly times and situations when you’re more the one or the other.
    Can’t believe you manage to ooommm at the end of yoga without a giggle!!! I can’t imagine to being able to master that amount of self-control ever 😀
    What makes me a typical HLB? I’d say my obsession with nutbutters, hummus and veggies, that I can get overexcited with ripe bananas on sale and that food consumes a huge amount of my daily thoughts. Though these thoughts center around cheese a lot 😉
    Juli @ 1000lovelythings recently posted…My Week in Review – Celebrating & being lazyMy Profile

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    • The first time I heard the oomms, I wasn’t expecting it and I laughed out loud. Then it got all awkward.

      Thank you for your lovely comment. I really did try to show both sides of the story, and I’m so glad you picked up on that. You are one smart cookie. I knew there was a reason I liked you.

      Cheese. Mmmm Cheese. I would oooommmm for cheese.

      Reply

  17. I fracking love this…seriously! When you published the first post, I couldn’t help but think to myself how many ways you ARE like an average HLB. But let’s face it…you’ve got more spunk than most! Why else would I be scrolling back in the archives to pick out a post from over a month ago to comment on? Because I love you, you grubby, cheese loving, pasta eating, butter filled, machine! Also, I dream of a day where all potatoes are created equal. Together, we will bring forth this tasty future one cheesy foodporn post at a time! Ha! 😉
    Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli recently posted…If There Were More Time…My Profile

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