DoubleScooped

Hello!  :  ) 

I have always had a passion for health, nutrition, and fitness.  Growing up I was always very active  – I was an avid runner since the 6th grade, doing both XC and track into college.  Food-wise, I have always been a healthy eater – I was every mother’s dream when it came to eating those “yucky” vegetables (I loved them!), and paid a lot of attention to properly fueling my body, especially as a runner.

Running was another passion of mine.  Unfortunately, from mid high school and into college, I experienced numerous injuries, specifically stress fractures…one after the other it seemed.  Meanwhile, despite hardcore cross training while injured from running, my body changed and it was hard for me to accept the changes.  No matter how hard I worked, my body didn’t react the same way as it did to running.  I’ve come to realize that I endured so many injuries because my body hadn’t had the opportunity to develop under the intense running I was doing, and as a result, when injured, it finally did.  Again though, it was hard to accept physical changes and sometimes still is.  In the fall of 2007, I had to officially give up running, one month shy of running the NYC Marathon : (    I developed a very painful feeling in my lower back, which was diagnosed as spondylolysis at the L5 level and slight spondylolisthesis.  (For your info: Spondylolysis is a specific defect in the connection between vertebrae, the bones that make up the spinal column. This defect can lead to small stress fractures (breaks) in the vertebrae that can weaken the bones so much that one slips out of place, a condition called spondylolisthesis. Definition from Cleveland Clinic).  After visits with various neurosurgeons and specialists, CAT scans and MRIs, the conclusion was no more running.  

Like one can imagine, it’s been extremely difficult for me to accept giving up running, it was a huge part of who I was. Initially, no other exercise that I have been allowed to do made me feel as healthy and fit as running, and naturally I felt the most out of shape in my entire life and probably was.  Although I was still “healthy” and still ate well balanced – I just never felt good.  Until recently! – I have developed a new love for spinning!  It has been an allowed activity for me to do and I am lovinggggg it.  Having to give up running, I missed that lung burning and extreme muscle aching feeling that no other exercise seemed to challenge me with.  I believe spinning has been the most similar activity intense-wise to running, and the classes are amazing, especially with awesome music and a tough instructor.  Since I’ve taken up this new passion, I feel so much better overall, both physically and emotionally.

In addition to spinning, I love to rollerblade, have attempted to pick up some basic boxing (I am extremely intimidating with my hot pink boxing gloves), and just love to be active.  To me, exercise is not a burden that must be done, it is something I look forward to doing, because I want to and it makes me feel great!  

Quickly regarding food before I write a novel, I love peanut butter….I say it’s my weakness, yeah it definitely is lol. Peanut Butter and Co. PB is AMAZINGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!   I also loveeee sushi, oatmeal, all fruit, veggies with hummus … to name a few random things lol.  Over the years I have noticed that some things have become very hard for me to digest, specifically dairy and many times gluten, both intolerances which I want to get evaluated soon.  Also, I must say Trader Joe’s is a heavenly place and I cannot believe I was deprived of this place growing up in upstate New York.  I really like to incorporate many fresh, natural, and organic foods into my diet, and am interested in all the health trends within the food industry.  Of course I’m not perfect and I do indulge like every normal human being!  After all, what girl does not love chocolate?!?   But hey, dark chocolate is good for the heart, right?!   ;  )  

So besides food and fitness, I am a recent college graduate, starting a job within the communications/pr industry in NYC.  I realized that nutrition is something I want to pursue, so eventually I plan on going back to school in the future to become a certified dietician.  I also like to travel, cook/bake, like adventure, and being silly and having fun with friends!  :  ) 

One of the main reasons Casey and I developed this blog, was to have a creative outlet where we can share our passion of food and other essential aspects of a healthy lifestyle.  I’m excited to get into the “blogging” world!   Hope you enjoy! 

And Casey….I freakin love ya!   “It’s better to be absolutely ridiculous, than absolutely boring!”  : )   I’m so glad to have met you and how close we have become as friends.   Also, I’m convinced Casey would be the only person who would swim in a tank full of sharks with me, in order to win a life supply of peanut butter.  : )   Well, maybe not that extreme, but possibly yes!

– Ania