Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 63

Intermittent Fasting Challenge: Week 1

No Meat Athlete launched a 30-day Intermittent Fasting Challenge back in March, and I really wanted to participate along with the large group of NMA Academy members who signed up. But my 50K was coming up, and I was afraid to change anything with my fueling schedule before the run. Now that the 50K is behind me, I decided to try the challenge on my own in April!

If you're not familiar, intermittent fasting refers to dietary patterns that cycle between fasting and non-fasting, to help you experience the health benefits of fasting without many of the downsides. You fast for a set number of hours each day (often with 16 hours as the goal) rather than doing an all-out no-eating-for-days fast. There are other methods of IF as well (like 5:2 or alternate day fasting, but I've tried those before, and low-calorie life is NOT for me), so I'm aiming for 16:8 (16 hours of fasting/8 hours of eating as my goal for the last two weeks in April).

But we're starting small! On April 1, I started the No Meat Athlete IF gradual build option. In this option, you start with 12:12 in week one (that's 12 hours of fasting/12 hours of eating), and each week, you get closer to 16:8. Next week, I'll be doing 14:10, and then I'll be doing 16:8 for two weeks to close out the month.

So far, 12:12 is pretty easy and not much different than I how I normally eat. I might start eating at 7:30 am and stop at 7:30 pm. No sweat! I'm using the Zero app to track each day's fast, and it gives you the option of using their filter on your fast-breaker meal. Over the weekend, I broke one fast with Ramen Noodles with Tofu. My favorite weekend breakfast.


On another day this weekend, I woke up after a long sleep and got ready for an 8-miler. I like to have white bread bagels with hummus or nut butter before longer runs. An 8-miler isn't terribly long for me, so I only had half a bagel. This was a Dave's Sesame Bagel with Trader Joe's Hummus. You'll notice I actually fasted for 13 hours that time because much of my fast happened while I was sleeping, and I slept in that day. Fasting is easy when you're sleeping!

On Monday, I broke my fast after a 40-minute yoga video with Berry Protein Muffins and Fruit!

The one thing that's kept me from trying IF before is the fact that, on week days, I run super early in the morning, and I've always felt like I needed a pre-run snack (usually, that's a Larabar). But I've been reading more about fasted cardio, and you don't actually NEED to eat before a workout that's less than an hour. It's more of a comfort thing for me, but I was still nervous to try a fasted run this morning. Today, I had my first fasted run (a 4-miler), and you know what? It was fine!! I had some coffee before heading out, and that was all I needed until after. I like to have quick-digesting carbs immediately after a workout, so I broke my fast after my run with this bowl of White Rice with Guacamole Salsa.

About an hour later, I had my usual post-run protein smoothie. This 12:12 life is pretty simple. But starting tomorrow, I'll be trying a week of 14:10 (14 hours fasting/10 hours eating) so I expect it will get a little more challenging.
You might be wondering WHY I'm doing this? Honestly, it's just a fun food challenge, and I've long wanted to try 16:8. Fasting after a certain time each day would be hard with social obligations (dinners with friends/happy hours/etc.), but right now, there are no obligations! Thanks, quarantine! I figure I should use this opportunity while I have it because it won't last forever.
As for the health benefits, they say IF can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, which protects against certain chronic diseases. It can also help with digestion and gut health. People looking to lose weight can also see benefits, though I do NOT want to lose weight. In fact, that's been a concern for me with trying this. When I get to the 16:8 weeks, I'm going to have to focus on getting plenty of calories in my eating window. It's possible to do IF and not lose weight, but I believe it will take conscious effort to eat more when I can (and honestly, I'm really good at eating a lot!).
I'll check in with one post a week dedicated to my IF challenge!

Potatoes! Beans! Pasta!

It's a pantry party! I'm used to frequent (almost daily) trips to the grocery store for this or that, but on my last big shopping trip, I tried to stock up so I could avoid those trips as much as possible. Sure, I'll have to venture out for fresh produce soon. But I'm well-stocked on beans, grains, potatoes, and frozen foods.

A recent No Meat Athlete podcast with guest host Julia Murray covered some pantry staples for the pandemic, and I took that list with me to Trader Joe's a couple weekends ago. One meal idea Julia (of Hooked on Plants) mentioned was a Potato Party! Cook some potatoes any way you want (I air-fried mine) and top with beans, salsa, avocado, and whatever you have on hand. I added soy yogurt as a sour cream stand-in, plus black olives and nooch. So good!!


Dry pasta is cheap and keeps forever, so I stocked up on whole wheat spaghetti and canned tomatoes (for homemade pasta sauce). Paul and I made Spaghetti & Mushrooms again last weekend. I added spinach to my bowl (Paul doesn't do green leafys) and a side of garlic toast (made with sliced bread cause it's what we had).

And I had some leftover pasta and sauce on Friday night to carb-load for Saturday's long run (currently marathon training for a "social distancing" virtual run). I added a chopped Morningstar vegan chicken patty and some Violife mozz (it keeps well in the freezer!) for a Chick'n Parm dish.

I am leaving the house to pick up takeout sometimes! I'm ordering from Imagine Vegan Cafe at least once a week to show my support. I know restaurants are having a hard time, and I feel like it's my duty as a vegan foodie to show them some love! Not everyone can afford to eat out right now, so as someone who is lucky enough to still be working, I feel very strongly that I should spend some of my money on takeout. Last week, I got Imagine's Southern Staple to go. Black beans, brown rice, collards, garlic aioli, and cornbread. They give you SO MUCH FOOD.

I ate half of that (and all the cornbread) for dinner that night and saved the other half for lunch the next day, enjoyed with some steamed broccoli with nooch during a work WebX meeting. Y'all, WebX meetings for work/Zoom workouts with my gym/Google Hangouts with friends are pretty much my entire life these days. I've already earned the office reputation as being the girl who is always eating during WebX meetings! But I was the girl who was always eating in the office as well, so it's fitting.

Review: CBD Living Vegan Gummies

I'm always looking at the bright side of every situation, and despite how terrible this whole pandemic is, I've found a few silver linings in my own situation (I should note that I absolutely recognize that I come from a place of incredible privilege since I'm able to continue my regular work from home).

One of those silver linings is better, longer sleep! I'm sleeping at least an extra hour every night since I don't have to get up at 5 am. And now that I'm taking CBD again, I'm sleeping through the night!


CBD Living sent me some samples of their extra-strength vegan CBD gummies, and I've started taking one every evening. I've been out of CBD for awhile, but I've always found that, when I'm taking it, I get more deep sleep (according to my Garmin sleep tracker) and tend not to wake up throughout the night.

These new gummies each contain 25mg of nano-CBD sourced from 100% organic hemp (grown on state-licensed farms in Oregon and Colorado). Each bottle has 30 gummies, totaling 750mg of CBD per bottle. There are four flavors mixed into every bottle — cherry, strawberry, lemon, and orange. So far, the strawberry is my fave!


CBD has lots of benefits, so you can take these any time of day depending on what you're taking it for. But since I take it for deeper sleep, I tend to take one every night at 8ish. It doesn't make you sleepy at all, but I want the benefits to be felt throughout the night.

CBD Living has a lot of vegan products, and they're all nicely arranged together on this page of their website. They have everything from CBD soaps and teas to oils and freeze rubs for sore muscles.

Pizza, Burgers, Muffins, & Bowls!

A few months ago, while visiting Nashville, I picked up some locally made BE-Hive seitan pepperoni. I stashed it in the deep freezer until I was ready to make pizza. And that time came on Saturday night! I had some frozen whole wheat pizza dough as well and some leftover homemade marinara. I added Daiya Classic Blend and some sliced red onion, and voila! Vegan Pepperoni Pizza! Y'all, the BE-Hive pepperoni is the best I've ever had!


Since the pandemic began, I've pretty much been exclusively shopping at Trader Joe's. It's very far from my house (like a 35 minute drive), but they're staying well-stocked and limiting how many people can be in the store. It makes for a pleasant shopping experience, which has not been the case at my chaotic neighborhood Kroger. Plus, TJ's has fun foods that bring me some extra joy during these crazy times. I grabbed some of their Hi-Protein Burgers last time and have been enjoying them with Green Beans & Tahini Sauce (a simple recipe from the No Meat Athlete Cookbook).

Bowls are a simple meal easily pulled together from pantry ingredients. Here's a Stir-Fry Bowl I made this week with tofu, broccoli, bell pepper, and brown rice. I've been trying to keep the fresh veggies stocked!

Here's another bowl — White Bean with Kale & Dill Sauce — that I whipped up using canned beans, fresh kale, brown rice, and an easy yogurt sauce with homemade soy yogurt, fresh dill, fresh parsley, salt, and garlic powder.

And finally, here are some Berry Lemon Protein Muffins! I used this recipe from One Clever Chef (the vegan version) to make these protein powder muffins. I'm doing lots of yoga and strength work at home this week (virtual gym classes!!), and it's nice to have something besides a smoothie after. I stocked up on frozen berries for the pandemic!

Vegan BBQ + Spaghetti Night + Breakfasts!

Here's a round-up of a few things I've been eating while quarantined at home! Last Tuesday was The Great American Takeout (a day when we were all encouraged to support restaurants still open for takeout), so I ordered the Vegan Memphis BBQ plate from Imagine Vegan Cafe. They're doing pick-up and delivery, and I plan to order at least once a week for as long as this goes on. I really hate how much this COVID-19 thing is hurting small businesses like Imagine.


I'm working from home these days. Paul is still working at work, but his company has reduced the number of days they're working, so he's home in Memphis when they're off. That means there are lots of Spaghetti Nights in our future. That's our favorite meal to cook together. Here's a recent spaghetti night pic!

Last week, for breakfasts, I finished off my Be Leaf Vegan Fried Eggs (served with toast and air-fried potatoes). I'm sad these eggs, made with tofu skin (yuba) are gone! They're so good but a little on the pricy side. 

Here's another fun breakfast! I made some soy yogurt in the Instant Pot using unsweetened soy milk and starter from a friend. Here's a Yogurt & Fruit Parfait Bowl!

And finally, here's a yummy Ramen Bowl for Sunday's breakfast. Now that I'm not 50K training anymore, I don't have to run on Sunday mornings. And that means more time for ramen!

Giveaway: Low-Carb Vegetarian Cookbook

Quarantine time means more time in the kitchen! And more opportunity to stuff your face with carbs for comfort. And if that's what makes you feel good, you should absolutely be doing that! I'm a big fan of carbs — for fuel, for satiety, and for comfort. If you're a vegan looking to cut down on carbs, however, keto or another meaty diet wouldn't work for you. But my friends (and fellow Memphians) Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence's new cookbook is there for you. They've just released the Low-Carb Vegetarian Cookbook , and it's loaded with recipes that are light on carbs and heavy on nutrition.

Their publisher has generously offered to send a copy of their book to one lucky reader, so stay tuned for instructions on entering at the end of this post.

I've tried a couple dishes from the book so far! The Mock Chicken Salad (made with tempeh, vegan mayo, celery, and spices) was a simple recipe that really cured my cravings for a creamy salad. With only a few ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly and tastes very much like chicken salad. In keeping with the low-carb vibes, I served this atop a green salad one night.


Justin and Amy recommend trying this stuffed into lettuce leaves, but I'm not a fan of lettuce wraps. Nor am I watching carbs, so the next day, I enjoyed this salad stuffed between two slices of sprouted grain toast for a quick work lunch (back when people were still working in offices!). Not low-carb, but it hit the spot!


This week, while stuck at home, I made the Tofu Hot Wings with Yogurt Ranch Dressing to serve alongside some steamed broccoli with nooch.


Around here, tofu is a hot commodity these days, and it's been flying off the shelves as people stock up for the pandemic, but I was able to score four pounds of tofu from three different stores! I used one block for this recipe, and it was well worth using precious tofu for. Extra-firm cubes are coated with wing sauce (I made my own with hot sauce and Earth Balance) and dipped in an herbed yogurt ranch.

I made my own soy yogurt last week in the Instant Pot, and it was a great low-fat alternative to traditional cashew ranch or bottled vegan ranches. We all need comfort food right now, and nothing is more comforting than hot wings and ranch, right?

I have my sights set on a few more recipes from this book, including portabella mushroom jerky, vegan cheeseburger salad, hoison-glazed tofu with stir-fried veggies, and one-skillet tacos with refried pumpkin. REFRIED PUMPKIN!! A few desserts on my list: No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake Bites and Peanut Butter Coconut Cups!

Want to win your own copy? Leave a comment letting me know your favorite low-carb treat, and be sure to INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL in the comment (otherwise, I won't be able to contact you!). I'll randomly select a winner next Monday, March 30.

My First 50K!!!!

I ran my first 50K on Saturday, March 21 — a solo, completely self-supported adventure on the trails at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis.


I've been training for a 50K for three years. THREE YEARS! Back in 2018, I signed up to run a 50K and started a training plan. This was just a few months after recovering from my second stress fracture (my first one happened years before while training for my first half-marathon). I dove into the training plan, and then one month before the race — bam! — another fracture. I let that heal, got the doctor's okay to run again, and signed up for the same race in fall 2019. And then — bam! — another fracture only a few weeks into training.

But there's one thing about me — I'm stubborn AF. And when the universe tells me no, I say, "watch me." And so, I let that fracture heal, looked deeply into why it was happening/how to prevent it, and then signed up for yet another 50K — the Big Buffalo 50. I started my training plan yet again, and for the first time, I made it through the training without a fracture. My race was set for March 21, and it looked like it was FINALLY going to happen for me. And then — bam! — COVID-19 ruined everything for everybody.

My race was postponed until fall, so I will have a chance to run it with the group, but I was all trained up and ready to race now. For months (years, really), I've been running around 30-40 miles a week, forgoing any semblance of a social life, getting up at the crack of dawn on Saturday/Sunday mornings for long runs and back-to-back recovery runs. No way was all that training going to waste. I would run this 50K solo, using my car as an aid station after every six-mile loop.

So I set my alarm for 5 am on Saturday and woke up to this King Cake Bagel with Almond Butter & Maple. Bagels are my go-to pre-race breakfast.


I made the drive out to Shelby Farms Park around 8 am so I could start around the time the race would have started. I had a banana in the car on the way. The park is still open to the public, but the bathrooms and facilities were understandably closed. That meant all peeing would be done in the woods! That's no problem for me! 

I parked my car in the main visitors' center lot. I was trying to stick as close as I could to the Big Buffalo route, which is five 6.25-mile loops around the massive park. It's part paved/part gravel/part rugged trail. I packed a few gels, blocks, and rice balls the bladder holder of my Nathan hydration pack and filled two 10-ounce bottles with Nuun water. After each loop, I'd be able to stop at my car for extra water, snacks, dry shoes, etc. Here's my survival kit, which was loaded with extra gels, tamari sesame rice balls (from the No Meat Athlete Cookbook), salt tabs, Clif cubes, alkaline electrolyte water, a Clif protein bar for post-run, Pringles (salty chips are a MUST for any long run!), an extra pair of trail shoes and socks, my hydration bladder (just in case), and a few towels since the trails were pretty muddy.

The first two loops went so smoothly! I passed several other runners on the course, also out there running it anyway. One woman passed me and said, "You making up for Big Buffalo?" And I said "Yep! Running the 50K!" She wished me luck and said she was aiming for 26.2 that day. I saw another runner friend, Sherry, out there pounding the miles too. Every time a runner passed, we'd exchange a knowing smile or nod or a few words of encouragement. The running community is just the best!!

The wheels started to come off a bit on the third loop when the realization set in that I was only halfway through. I'd run the first two without headphones, just basking in the sounds of nature. But when I need a distraction, my headphones really help. I listened to the latest No Meat Athlete podcast episode about finding ways to stay positive during this virus outbreak, and that helped. And then I listened to an episode of the Plant-Strong Podcast with Rip Esselstyn. I typically love that podcast, but this particular episode was all about reserving diabetes and I got pretty bored. I eventually switched to my favorite running playlist, and that really improved my mood. That said, the fourth lap was a true slog. Wow, was that hard! The fifth loop went much better because I knew, with every landmark I passed, that it'd be the last time I'd see that for awhile!
And then I was done!!! There was no finish line to cross, no race medal or beer waiting. Just the satisfaction of achieving a long-time goal! By the way, I took this pic around mile 19. No way I could jump like that at mile 31!

I finished in 7 hours and 35 minutes. That's slow, but I'm still very proud. I took a few short walk breaks in the last two laps, but for the most part, I ran the whole time. Because part of the route was on muddy trail, I was definitely slower there. And with it being my first 50K, I have some lessons to learn about pacing. But I just ran my fastest-ever marathon in 5 hours and 27 minutes on March 1, so I know I've got it in me to shave off some time before the Big Buffalo 50's new fall race date.

After my run, I stretched, snacked on chips and a Clif PB Chocolate Builder's Bar, and made the drive home. I was so stiff after sitting in the car for 20 minutes on the drive. I struggled to get down the driveway, and as I made the turn to my porch, I noticed something gold and shiny hanging on the doorknob. It was a homemade medal!!!! Made from spray-painted cardboard.

I flipped it over to find this lovely note!

I was stunned! Who could have done this??? I'm not a crier, but this made me tear up a little. I started texting friends to get to the bottom of this mystery so I could thank someone. Turns out, the night before after I'd hung up from a virtual happy hour with a few friends, they'd plotted to craft a medal and leave it for me. My friend Audrey donated an old triathlon medal with a buffalo on it for the top piece. How awesome!!! This is better than any medal I could have gotten at the race.
I cracked open a Wiseacre Ananda IPA and enjoyed it in the shower. Nothing beats a well-deserved shower beer after a hard run!

Once I was all cleaned up, I called in a pick-up order for a Vegan Cheese & Veggie Pizza from Midtown Crossing Grill. I'm so grateful they're still open for takeout because I NEEDED this pizza. I ate every slice, washed down with a second beer, while enjoying Schitt's Creek on Netflix. What a perfect day!

Note: In case you're wondering how I'm attempting to prevent future fractures, I thought I'd go into that here. After my fourth metatarsal fracture (those are the bones that connect to your toes), my doctor told me I either 1) had low bone density or 2) had back luck. Lower bone density does run in my family, so there's likely a genetic factor there. But he never offered a bone density test, so I can't say for sure. I did read up a bit on what causes frequent fractures in women, and a lack of nutrition/fueling in comparison with calorie burn can be a contributor. 
I've always eaten a lot of food, but I don't think I was trying hard enough to re-fuel after tough training days. On some runs, I can burn up to 2,000 calories, and on those days, I should be eating something like 4,000 calories to make up for the loss. But I don't think I was managing that well before. In this last training cycle, I really focused on eating more food! And that seems to be helping so far. Just wanted to put that out there in case other female runners find themselves in the same boat.

What I Ate the Day Before My First 50K

I ran my first 50K on Saturday!!! That was supposed to be the date of the Big Buffalo 50, a race I've been training for since October (and, really, for three years, thanks to constant injuries preventing me from running other 50Ks I've signed up for). The race was postponed, much like everything else in life, thanks to COVID-19. But I was finally in shape and ready to run, so I ran it anyway! I'll go into details tomorrow in a big post dedicated to my run, but tonight, I wanted to share a post about what I ate the day before my run.

I always start my pre-race day with a smoothie! First, I had a couple dates with almond butter and went on a two-mile shakeout run to calm my race jitters. And then I had this Avocado Bliss Smoothie from the No Meat Athlete website. This has avocado, banana, strawberry, spinach, almond butter, flax, and pumpkin seeds. Plus, I added some maple syrup since avo smoothies tend to be not-as-sweet as banana smoothies. I usually add protein powder to post-run smoothies, but I didn't think was needed after a 2-miler. Enjoyed in my fave Memphis AF pint glass!


I'm working from home for the forseeable future, so that means more opportunities for snacking. I've been keeping healthy snacks around though! My morning snack on Friday was Trader Joe's Three Layer Hummus with Baby Carrots.

Thursday was Ostara, the Spring Equinox, and I wanted to continue that celebration into Friday. Everything may suck right now, but it's beautiful outside, and springtime is my fave! Traditional Ostara celebrations include eggs (as symbols of fertility), so I had this lunch of Eggy Toast (made with yuba-based Be Leaf Vegan Egg) and a Big Ass Salad. I love having giant salads with grains and tofu or beans the day before a race. I used a homemade vegan yogurt ranch as the dressing.

In the afternoon, I snacked on orange slices. And then for dinner, I had a big ole carby bowl of Roasted Tomato Pasta with Chickpeas and Spinach (also from the No Meat Athlete website). Whole wheat pasta is tossed with olive oil, roasted tomatoes, garlic, chickpeas, and spinach. The recipe called for arugula, but I subbed spinach because arugula is gross. I made some Garlic Toast on the side, spread with a little butter bean-based Simple Truth margarine and garlic powder.

There are plenty of opinions out there about whether carb-loading the night before a race is helpful, but I know it helps me! And I'm of the opinion that we NEED carbs for fuel. 
After dinner, I had virtual happy hour plans with friends! A few of us met up over Google Hangouts and shared drinks together. I had my one pre-race beer — a Wiseacre Ananda — and then went to bed early for my 5 am alarm! I'll be back tomorrow with a 50K recap!
Also, just FYI: In the U.S., we're celebrating The Great American Takeout on Tuesday! Support your local restaurants, and get some takeout!

Some Stuff I Ate When the World Was Normal

Hey, remember last week? When we could still move about freely and high-five people with reckless abandon? It seems like a million years ago. Back then, when I was still working at work (and not at home), I picked up an Evergreen Sandwich from Curb Market in Crosstown Concourse. This has smoked tofu, avocado, hummus, and veggies on locally baked bread, and it's really just perfect. Side of corn salad.


Here's one of my all-time favorite breakfasts — Cottage Tofu on Vegemite Toast. I made cottage cheese with crumbled tofu and a little Vegenaise and served atop toast with Vegemite (which is way better than Marmite).

Since I've been trapped at home, I've been trying to eat SUUUPER healthy. It's so easy to live on junk food in times like this, so I'm trying to do the opposite. Plus, I'm running a self-supported 50K this weekend (my race was postponed), so I need to fuel properly. I'll update y'all on the "race" next week. Here's a bowl of Caribbean Coconut Collards & Sweet Potato from The No Meat Athlete Cookbook.

And finally, here's my first "working from home" lunch this week. On Monday for lunch, I had a Burrito Bowl with brown rice, kale, pintos, Daiya cheese, salsa, and homemade yogurt. I made the yogurt in my Instant Pot!

St. Patrick's Day in Quarantine!

It's my third day of working from home and trying not to go out into the world (aside from grocery runs, liquor store runs, and running/walking my dog). I have plenty of work to get caught up on, so the break has been nice so far, but there are moments when I really miss people. Like on St. Patrick's Day yesterday!

I started the morning with an Irish Coffee (coffee with a splash of Jameson and BomBom Brands hempmilk liqueur). I make this every year, but when you're working from home, you can make it just slightly stronger than usual. :-)


I wore a green tee and shamrock earrings even though I knew no one would see me. I refuse to let a holiday go by uncelebrated!

After 5ish, I did an Irish car bomb to celebrate the end of the work day. That's vegan Guinness with a shot of Jameson/BomBom. By the way, I used the BomBom rather than Bailey's because it's what I had on hand, and the taste is very similar. Then my friend Misti texted me asking if I wanted to get a green beer somewhere. Of course I did! But that didn't seem like the responsible choice, so I turned her down. Bummer.

Instead, I stayed home and made the Kale-cannon Stuffed Portabellas from the No Meat Athlete Cookbook. 


Marinated bellas are stuffed with mashed potatoes mixed with kale (rather than cabbage, which is in traditional colcannon). The potatoes have cashew cream in them, which makes for really rich and creamy taters, much better than those made with milk!

I hope everyone had a great St. Pat's Day despite the home quarantine. In Shelby County, Tennessee, where I live, many bars and restaurants are still open (though many are moving to takeout only). I feel really bad for the service industry through this.