Eat to live

Summer's nearly over and, alas, but I have yet to make my perfect bikini weight. Maybe it was all of those barbecues or, it could have been all of those margaritas. Whatever the reason, I have not been able to drop those last ten pounds. It is for this reason that I have decided to make my New Year's resolution a little early. Maybe I can get a jump on it before the holiday party season ramps up. All of those cookies *sighs.*

Anyway, I digress. The reason for today's blog is to discuss the virtual impossibility of eating right when I'm not at home surrounded by bowls of fresh fruit and a crisper full of cut up veggies. When I'm in a rush and can't pack my lunch and snacks for work, I find it very difficult to eat well around here.

I know Main Street restaurants and delis abound, however many do not offer truly healthy options - and those that do have priced them so high a girl could go broke just trying to eat every day. Seven bucks for a tossed salad? Really! Ten if you want to add a piece of over-cooked and refrigerated chicken breast. C'mon. 

The other day I walked to the ACME where I spent no fewer than 10 minutes trying to find a healthy snack that would satisfy me for under $5. The whole fruit available was not yet ripe for immediate eating and the cut up fruit bowls were so large I would have had to share with my entire office - and there would still be leftovers. And the bags of peanuts, cashews and sunflower seeds were also too large. Who eats this much food? 

I left empty handed.

After wandering aimlessly for a bit longer, I wound up in the health food store where I found a perfectly suitable protein bar that was under 200 calories and almost tasted like something I recognized (more on that in a later blog). 

After choking down my snack with a bottle of water I can honestly say that I felt refreshed and energized enough to make it through the rest of the afternoon. It didn't taste great, but it sure did the trick.

Olympic Fever - Catch it if you can

Like most of the East Coast, I have been staying up well into the night for the past 10 days, watching the world's finest athletes compete in all manner of sports in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. They've surprised us; made us cheer; and they've inspired us, if for anything, to become better at whatever it is we choose to do.

I know Olympic athletes are professionals these days and are therefore paid to become the best at their sport. They make money selling sneakers and having their faces plastered on all manner of products from ice cream bars to cereal. They can afford nannies and nutritionists and trainers and masseurs - a support staff the rest of us can only dream about - all working in harmony to propel a single individual to the top of the podium.

Watching all of those rippling abs and sculpted arms and shoulders over the past week has made me wonder how many people are hitting the gym a little bit harder these days? I know I am. And even though I will probably never achieve a physique that even slightly resembles Dara Torres', I've realized that it's ok.

You see, I've come to the conclusion that the Olympics are like a fashion show for health and fitness. We all know that the clothes worn by waifer-thin models bearing such names as Prada and Dolce are unsuitable for and unattainable by most of us. It's the same when it comes to the perfect body. A sculpted body is something beautiful that we can appreciate and, perhaps with enough hard work, come close to attaining. Simply put, it is inspiring.

In less than a week, the 2008 Games will come to a close and for the first time in my life I'm actually saddened by this fact. These athletes are pouring their hearts out into their passions. Some are rewarded, some are not - but they keep at it. It has been a pleasure to watch.

There's a lesson for us all in the individual stories that have come out of these games. If you care enough about something - no matter what it is - pour your soul into it. Sometimes you will be rewarded, sometimes you may not be - but the greatest satisfaction will only result when you know you've done all that you can to make your dreams come true.

Something missing

If you live in Manasquan, I'm sure you've noticed that the Annual Fireman's Fair has returned. Thousands of area residents have been flocking to Mallard Park each evening for rides, games, food and, of course, the beer garden. 

This year was my first year attending the fair, though I was there in an official capacity (check out the video online). Watching the posturing of girls in skimpy shorts and boys with crooked baseball caps, I couldn't help but think back to the school carnivals of my childhood think there was something missing.

St. Louis King of France in Metairie, LA, held the best summer carnivals ever. We had games and food, shaved ice snow cones dripping with gooey syrups flavored like nectar, strawberries and cream, and bubble gum and we even had some rides, but that's not why I went. 

We had what I have not seen at a carnival or fair since I was 11 years old - a real go-kart track. For a few dollars, we got to zoom around a track lined with linked tires and hay bails all night in one those oil-and-gas smoking open-wheeled go-karts that you can't find anywhere anymore. Helmets were not even required, nor were they available come to think of it, but I do believe we had to be wearing sneakers. Sounds great, doesn't it?

Though I was often run into the hay by my friends or my big brother, no one ever got hurt and we all had the time of our lives. Too bad nothing good ever lasts for long.

It is unfortunate that today's lawsuit-happy public has determined that such activities are not safe enough for today's children. They've ruined recreational go-karting by adding too many restrictions, slowing them down and adding those stupid bumpers. Not too mention the mandatory insurance a carnival operator would have to carry prevents most from even trying to bring them in. Too bad. 

Alas, carnivals and fairs have been ruined for me forever. I guess I'll have to get my thrills elsewhere.