Nosh One. Wisdom.
Do you ever just sit back and think about how damn lucky you are?
I did this past week.
I am so damn lucky to have family and friends who love me and don't think I'm lame. I am so damn lucky to have gone through an abundance of great things in my life (so far) and have gone through some sucky things to be sincerely grateful.
I am so damn lucky to wake up each day, go to the gym and move my body, live in a home I love, have a job I love, have a car to get me where I need to be, eat/drink anything I want and all these other material things, I am not sure I really deserve sometimes.
Sure, everyone is going to have their moments and everything is not going to be perfect but that's when we need to sit back and really realize how lucky we are. And if you find yourself not feeling very lucky, work harder, be strong and make it happen for yourself.
Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.
Today’s conversation is with Sarah Menzel, one of my first clients I worked with who diagnosed with Celiac Disease and who is now studying to be a Registered Dietitian.
A little over 5 years ago, I remember high school Sarah and her mom coming to visit me at work because Sarah was newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease and were in need of help grocery shopping. I would have never guessed a few years later, Sarah would head off to Iowa State and decide to become a Registered Dietitian herself. I have enjoyed getting to know her over the years and work with her off and on during her undergraduate career. Sarah shared more of her own personal story of becoming interested in nutrition as a profession and is looking forward to applying for her internship this fall.
Nosh Three. Week in Review.
This past week was Spring Break in the Des Moines community and it completely baffles me how it is taken very seriously around here. Kids are out of school, I mean like elementary, middle and high school and many of these families travel. It is so foreign to me because when I was growing up, Spring Break was not a thing. Not until my college years and even then, it was a once and done (a week in Chicago and a week in Mazatlan was pretty fun). The even more amazing thing about Spring Break in Des Moines is the population decreases, drastically. Traffic is amazing, no long lines at any store and you can pretty much do whatever you want without an influx of people.
It just so happens, National RDN Day occurred during Spring Break this year and I had the day off on March 14th. Luckily, my friend Jason was also celebrating Spring Break with a staycation. I threw all caution to the wind, called up Jason and celebrated appropriately: with cocktails and cheesecurds at Draught House 1908. Jason had to fill out his brackets and I enjoyed a couple Stiegl Radler's and some cheesy, fried goodness, as any decent Registered Dietitian should on this day.
We continued the celebration in downtown Des Moines and wandered to the East Village, where I celebrated RDN Day with a Pimms Cup from The Continental Lounge. I thought this was a very friendly "Dietitian Choice" with cucumbers and oranges that are packed with nutrients like Vitamin C and pantothenic acid to give me energy! It was also about 60 degrees that day and a more spring like cocktail was in order.
Good thing I got extra energy because then we relocated to my first trip to the trendy The Republic on Grand. Situated on the 6th floor of the AC Hotel by Marriott (which looks like such a great hotel to stay at if you visit Des Moines) they have an open air outdoor lounge overlooking downtown which brought in the cool breezes of warmer weather while we enjoyed The Traveler Cocktail. I loved the Iowa grown aronia berries, fresh raspberries and sprig of thyme to finish it off. It was the perfect "day cap" to end my RDN Day celebration during Spring Break.
I then took a couple days off and headed to Omaha to hop a party bus to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with my girls Brandy, Lori and Carlena on a little pub crawl. I was a little worried because we had crazy ice the night before and the bus was leaving at 9 am. I arrived a little late to my old stomping grounds from my college days and met them at the Marleybone. It was like a time warp back to my 20s.
Lori got extremely festive and you can't really tell but she has gold shoes on! There is always pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. I loved her outfit!
It was a fun day of meeting new friends on the bus and of course, dancing, singing and lots of laughs during the day.
We made a few stops that day, which all reminded me of being at Creighton! Barry O's, The Dubliner, Marleybone and Barrett's were all places we hung out in college. We also went to a new place, 1912 Benson, which is where I caved and have my one and only green beer. I swore I wasn't going to do it, but it was hard to not be nostalgic for my younger years.
I am surprised we all made it through the day and managed to stay awake until 10 pm. It am so glad the weather did not mess with my plans to be with my girlies who I am very lucky to know.
Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week.
In honor of this years St. Paddy's Day, the playlist this week is made up of the great jams we had on the bus while making the tour of Omaha. Playlist is available on Apple Music and Spotify.
Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.
On my way home on Sunday, I needed a snack to get me through the 1 1/2 hour drive. I planned ahead with some samples I was lucky to get of the new KIND Snacks Protein bars*, a bag of Fritos and a large bottle of Smart Water. Doesn't that sound like a snack of St. Paddy's Day champions? These bars are soooo delicious and satisfying. I really enjoy the Crunchy Peanut Butter flavor. There are 12 grams of protein, healthy satisfying fats and an great crunch I really enjoy. If you haven't tried these, I highly recommend them for a little extra protein in your day. There are 3 other flavors: White Chocolate Cinnamon Almond, Toasted Caramel Nut and Double Dark Chocolate Nut.
I am so damn lucky.
~AE
*Samples of KIND Snacks protein bars were sent to me to try. All opinions about the bars are my own.
*All establishments in this post did not sponsor my views and are mentioned because I like to have adventures and enjoy trying new places.
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