LookBack
{Had me a blaaast.} <—Sorry, had to.
This morning as I went on my usual morning walk, there was something different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it at first.
It wasn’t the air that you could almost describe as chilly, although that was certainly a welcome change.
It wasn’t the smell of the freshly fallen rain, or the scent of damp grass.
it was kids. At bus stops. School bus stops.
The first sign that summer is drawing to a close.
Since I’m not in school, I tend to judge the end of summer by when it stops being ridiculously hot, but the school year starting up again is certainly a sign those days are coming.
Plus, it’s not just school that starts up again- it’s everything. I’m surprised September isn’t the first month of the year, since that’s when just about every activity except summer camp begins.
Let’s make this clear- I am by no means complaining. I love fall. I’m itching for fall. I’ll mourn the quick passing of fall when all too quickly turns into winter.
But I did have a pretty fun summer:
A wedding in Connecticut.
Fitbloggin.
A wedding in Ohio.
Plenty of summer days wakeboarding on the lake.
Beach trip!
24 Hours of Booty, round 2.
Friends at HLS.
And of course, this little adventure. Baby SoS.
Sunscreen Issues
As you know, all summer long I battled the “what sunscreen to wear” dilemma. The kind that goes on easy, or that kind that doesn’t cause cancer?
It took until beach week when I finally figured out my solution. I mixed the skin-healthy, nearly impossible to spread zinc-based Coppertone Sensitive Skin with the Eucerin daily moisturizer. It made it easy to spread, plus it cut down on the potential toxins. On occasion, I’d fill in the gaps with my beloved but dangerous Neutrogena Cooling Effects spray. Hey, sunburn’s no good for you either- gotta do whatever keeps your skin protected!
Want some of your own everyday protection lotion?
Tell @eucerinus what adventures you went on this summer and how you protected your skin. Be sure to include @eucerinus, @sideofsneakers, and #trraveltuesday in your tweet, then leave a comment below.
OR
You can leave a comment on the SoS Facebook page telling me what you exciting things you did this summer or what you’re most looking forward to this fall. Then leave a comment below. 
{Or do both for extra entries.}
Contest ends Friday!
Sports Nutrition
Coconut water, that is.
Coconut water is all the rage these days. It’s the new hot energy drink. Only it’s not new- and it’s not full of crazy ingredients.
Last week ZICO was kind enough to send me a case of coconut water to review, and boy was I ever happy to do so.
Coconut water is nature’s natural energy drink. It’s the liquid from the center of young, green coconuts. {Coconut milk is a mixture of coconut water and the white coconut meat.} It’s chock full of potassium and other electrolytes- the key component of energy-boosting drinks. Plus, there’s no fat, cholesterol, or added sugar.
Each 14 oz bottle is only 60 calories, so while that may not be enough to refuel you for a tough workout, it’s a great way to rehydrate without adding too many calories.
I was surprised by the array of flavors- I’d only seen the Natural and Pomegranate flavors in the store, but this pack also include Lima Citron, Tau Mango, Pina Tropicale, and Chocolate.
My absolute favorite is the Pina Tropicale. The chocolate {and this coming from a non-chocoholic} is surprising delicious and rich. Not at all like what I would imagine chocolate-flavored water would taste like- more like chocolate milk. Especially since coconut water’s just a little bit thicker than regular water.
The ZICO coconut water is definitely best super ice cold- as it warms up, it tends to taste a little salty. It’s absolute the most refreshing thing to drink after a particularly sweaty workout- say, bikram yoga, or a bike ride in 98 degree weather.
It’s also insanely delicious used as the base of an icy fruit smoothie!
It doesn’t hurt that ZICO is a pretty cool company- founded by an athlete and Peace Corps volunteer, Mark Rampolla.The bottles are made from 30% recycled material, and the company’s committed to staying sustainable and responsible.
Guess what?
ZICO’s giving you a chance to win your own case of ZICO coconut water. {Must be a US resident.}
How to Enter:
1. Answer the following question in the comment section:
How are you Naturally Powered?
For additional entries:
2. Take the Pledge to be Naturally Powered on ZICO’s Facebook page . ZICO will make a donation to the Challenged Athlete’s Foundation!
3. “Like” with a Side of Sneakers on Facebook. {You may find additional ways to enter over the course of the giveaway…wink wink.}
4. Tweet: “@SideofSneakers is getting Naturally Powered and giving away a whole case of @ZICO coconut water http://ow.ly/5oC7Z ”
Please leave a comment below for each method of entry. Winner will be chosen at random. You have until Monday at midnight EST to enter!!
Don’t forget to visit ZICO’s website for more information on fueling naturally with coconut water, or follow ZICO on Twitter or Facebook.
P.S. If you live in LA, NYC, or Miami follow your ZICO city on Twitter to find out how to get FREE ZICO! {@ZICOny, @ZICOla, @ZICOmia}
giveaway
At the risk of restirring up the chip company sponsoring a health conference controversy & my blasphemous idea that original chips may be a better choice than baked, I’m hosting a Labor Day giveaway courtesy of Frito Lay.
I figure I consider myself healthy, and I eat chips, so let’s just be real about it. Sometimes it’s not just about the chips- sometimes its about what goes with them- like spinach dip & pita chips!
Here’s some other dip ideas from the Frito Lay dietitian (yup, a chip dietitian.)
Watermelon Salsa
- 3 cups finely diced seedless watermelon
- 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (use the seeds to add spice)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- ¼ cup lime juice
- Kosher salt to taste
In a medium bowl, combine the watermelon, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and stir everything together. Serve immediately or chill for at least an hour.
Corn and Heirloom Tomato Salsa
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ears of corn
- 1 to 1 ½ cups cherry heirloom tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup minced red onions
- 1 teaspoon minced and seeded jalapeno peppers (use the seeds to add spice)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Lightly brush olive oil on the ears of corn. Grill the corn on all sides for about 2 minutes on all sides. (If you don’t have a grill, you can “grill” the corn over a stove’s flame – just be sure to hold the corn with tongs.) Remove the corn and set aside to cool.
Once corn is cool enough to touch, use a paring knife to cut kernels off cob into a medium bowl. Be sure to cut very close to the cob to use as much corn as possible. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss to combine.
Cucumber Yogurt Dip
- 1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded
- 1 ½ cups nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Cumin to taste
Grate cucumber halves by hand or chop in a food processor until coarse, but not mushy. Place grated/chopped cucumber in a strainer and cover with a paper towel to squeeze out the excess juice. You may need to change the paper towel a few times.
In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, chives, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Fold in the cucumber and season with salt and pepper. Add cumin to taste. Refrigerate until chilled, about an hour.
WIN!
Here’s your chance to win a Crate & Barrel chip and dip bowl & extra dip bowls, and some Frito Lay chips of course!
To enter: Leave a comment with your favorite dip & tell me how you’re celebrating Labor day!
Bonus entries:
Share the love: tweet about it, blog it, Facebook it. Come back & let me know in separate comments.
Contest ends Wednesday 9/8!!
Don’t forget to go click on the Dannon badge to get them donate to breast cancer research!
Happy Labor Day!
