It’s so easy to take our health for granted. If you missed my Instagram story and are wondering why my recap post is coming in late, it’s because of a bad case of food poisoning with a side of severe dehydration. I have never experienced anything so awful and adding period cramps to the mix wasn’t helping either. It’s times like that when I think back to the days where I’m complaining about stupid things about my body, but instead should be reminding myself of how lucky I am, and to stop taking my health for granted, or wishing to be a “certain way” when I’m already perfectly fine. I’m feeling much better today, and I’m ready to start this week with a clear mind, a positive attitude, and a new look at what “health” really is. I don’t know if I’ll get myself out to go for my scheduled run today, and it’s ok if I don’t. I may opt for a long walk instead and give my body another day of rest. I do want to say thank you for all the sweet messages I got this week! But now that I’m feeling better let’s get this recap post rolling.
I started my Monday morning with a bowl of protein oats while I wrote last week’s recap blog. My protein oats have 1/4 cup of gluten-free oats, 1/2 cup of water, berries (usually raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries!), one scoop of plant-based protein powder (I’ve been using RawFusion lately), and topped with a scoop of nut butter.
After breakfast, I did my mile walk with both dogs! I used this as a way to get my muscles nice and loose before pre-run stretching.
I did two miles, and it felt great. I felt like I could have kept going, but it takes more willpower to make yourself stop and stick to the training plan. The hills are now becoming a breeze, and I find myself breathing more relaxed during the run.
For dinner, I topped a baby kale salad with grilled salmon and sweet potatoes. The salmon was grilled with Trader Joe’s BBQ sauce and Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. I buy the freshly caught salmon from Trader Joe’s and slice it into sections to make it easier to grill. I posted a delicious recipe for grilled salmon on my blog last week that you can check out here just in case you missed it!
On Tuesday, I had Forager Plain Chashewgurt with my protein powder and Elizabeth Granola on top! This combo is like dessert. I felt restless after editing for a few hours, so I decided to get up and try to complete my 10,000 steps before 1 pm. I figured this would be an excellent way to tire me out and force me to sit still for a few more hours of editing. Do you ever hear of parent’s talking about tiring their kids out? Well, I feel like I’m the kid sometimes and I need some of the energy released before I can focus. Long walks are so helpful for me, and that’s usually why I do them when I first wake up with the dogs. I loved setting this goal publicly because it forced me to stick with it and complete those 10,000 steps before! I loved getting messages from you guys as well because a lot of you were joining me on the challenge! It felt like a group effort.
I was really hungry after walking those miles! I made my crispy cauliflower gnocchi, green beans, and salmon for lunch. After my walk and filling my belly, I was ready to sit back with my cappucinno and work. The walking did the trick! I don’t know why I have troubles focussing some days. Even when I want to do 1000 things, I don’t know where to start.
I didn’t feel like cooking, and I was craving a pizza so bad on Tuesday night. I decided to order a gluten-free & dairy-free pizza from Brixx Wood Fired Pizza. I have lived in my house for just about three years now, and this was the first time I had ever used a delivery service. The pizza was so good, and now I need NOT to make this a habit. Kyle had the chicken buffalo pizza, but I’ve never been a “team buffalo” person. Especially not on pizza!
For my breakfast on Wednesday morning, I had my go-to protein oats with some granola on top. I don’t know what it is about having crunchy granola on my oats, but I like it.
A few hours later, I headed out on my run! I made a mistake with my apple watch and didn’t turn it on until .5mi into the run. When I looked at my running app, I was at 2.5, so I quickly stopped. I had only planned to do 2.1 for the day. It wasn’t a big difference, but I still am trying to hard to stick to the structure. The weather was breathtaking on Wednesday and spring was all over my neighborhood. I felt so good to be out running.
I had a protein shake for lunch that had frozen peaches, banana, almond milk, ice, protein powder, and topped with Purely Elizabeth granola. For dinner, I had a baby kale salad with grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, sesame seeds, and a honey mustard vinaigrette. About three hours later, I ended the night with a big bowl of BoomChickaPop popcorn and chocolate chips on top.
My dad came over on Thursday so we could finish grouting the backsplash in the kitchen. He’s so good at this stuff. We will be starting the cabinet painting in a few weeks, so that’ll be pretty intense!
I also decided to try out 23andMe (Healthy & Ancestry.) It’s pretty pricey, but I’m really looking forward to getting my results. I’ll keep you all posted!
I did get a recipe video editing for this popular gluten-free & vegan banana bread recipe up on my YouTube channel! You can watch it here! 😊 I have two videos coming up next week so don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you can receive the notifications when I post! 😊
For my dinner on Thursday night, I had half of the Fuji Apple Chicken salad from Panera with extra baby kale. I know that bowl looks like it’s just lettuce, but all the chicken and good stuff when to the bottom when I tossed it around in dressing.
On Friday morning, I woke up early to get ready and head over to my parent’s house to drop off the dogs for the weekend, and do my 2-mile run in their neighborhood. They have zero hills, so I thought it would be more enjoyable. The run went well, but I’m not a morning runner. This was going to be my last run before hitting 3-miles with Meighan in D.C.
When I got back to my house, I took a quick shower, packed a bag for D.C., and Kyle, and I headed out for our road trip around 11 A.M. We were excited to visit Meighan and her boyfriend for the weekend.
The trip took forever this time. We regretted not flying five hours into our drive 😆
I had a lot of questions about my fruit infused water. The bottle is a Contigo Purity Glass Water Bottle (and my favorite water bottle on the planet.) I just added in mandarines, blueberries, and raspberries to give it a hint of flavor. This helps people like me, who don’t love water, stay hydrated.
Kyle and I snacked on trail mix from Earthfare, which I should have never opened the bag. Can’t stop / won’t stop mood! We also split a granola bar on round two of a snack attack.
I thought I’d treat myself to an afternoon latte, but that went downhill when I got into the car, and they added a ton of vanilla syrup. Ew, wuuuut! Unless it’s a peppermint mocha latte, I only want espresso and almond milk in my cup. 😆This wasn’t the only reason why I was feeling coffee defeated and depleted. Before we found an actual Dunkin, 45-minutes before that we had followed the GPS six miles out of the way off a country road exit to stop at a Dunkin, but when we got to the location, it was just a gas station that served drip “Dunkin” coffee. It smelled really old, and I couldn’t put myself through that. I don’t know how Kyle puts up with my coffee diva-ness.
Around four, I had the other half of my Panera salad I had packed for the road trip. ♥️
We finally made it to our hotel around 7:30 pm! We quickly unpacked and headed out to meet up with Meighan and her boyfriend for dinner!
I cannot wait to share all the photos from our trip Friday! ❤️ I missed this girl so much.
We got back home on Sunday evening.
**sickness details, don’t read if you have sensitive stomach**
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I was feeling so off during the car ride, and I noticed it because I wasn’t hungry. I’m always hungry for some kind of snacks, coffee, or Panera salads on road trips. I didn’t even want to look at food. I had a banana and a protein bar for the whole day but kept getting weird nauseous waves. I thought it was because I was looking at my phone on the entire trip and it may have caused motion sickness.
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I took a bubble bath around 7 PM, but it didn’t help with any of nausea. I drank some water to help my stomach and make sure I was hydrated.
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We started watching American Idol around 8, and that’s when it all went downhill. I darted to the trash and started vomiting aggressively. When I throw up, it’s rare. It happens maybe once every two years. Of course, I felt better for about thirty minutes. I decided to shower off, brush my teeth, bring ice water up to bed with me, a giant bucket just in case, and go lay down. Kyle came upstairs to watch the show with me, but I was out sleeping within thirty minutes.
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I woke up at 1:30 with stomach aches. I knew it was coming. I grabbed the bucket, and it started happening again. That forceful, scary, uncontrollable…you know, feeling. I felt so weak, and my face was as pale as a ghost. I got dizzy and had a hard time standing up. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and my way downstairs to be on the couch. Even though I’m a 28-year-old adult, I called my mom crying because I was scared. She talked to me for a good thirty minutes as I sipped Pedialyte and finally fell back asleep.
I felt like I was hit by a car when I woke up on Monday morning. My head was pounding, I was freezing while sweating, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Kyle took the morning off to make sure I was ok before he left for work. He brought up ice water and a waffle to see if I could get anything down, but I did not have an appetite, and the thought of food made me nauseous.
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Around 10 am, I was having back spasms and shooting pain that caused so much discomfort I could hardly lay in bed. I wrapped my body in a heated blanket and finally fell asleep for a few more hours.
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The migraine was unbearable, but I figured it was a mixture of no caffeine and dehydrated. Around noon, another vomiting episode occurred. I had no idea where any of the liquids were coming from because it had been almost 48 hours since eating anything.
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My head was spinning, I was sweating, aching, and my back felt like it was going to break. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I called my doctor to see if I needed to come to see them or make my way into Urgent Care to be checked out. They wanted me over to them as soon as possible, so I headed that way.
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I was severely dehydrated with a bad case of food poisoning. The doctor was nervous about my back pain was an issue with the gall bladder or pancreas, but was leaning more towards it being due to dehydration. He was right about dehydration because as soon as I had a round of IV, my back pain eased up a bit, the headache went from extreme to mild, and I was feeling more balanced. The fever was still 101, but he felt confident it would break within time.
…
I picked up my prescription, grabbed more Pedialyte, and headed straight to bed.
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My fever finally broke around 8:30 pm.
Kyle brought up some chicken and rice soup with some gluten-free toast to try to get me to eat. I managed to have some bread and most of the broth from the soup. I never thought I’d find myself trying to get as much sodium in my body as possible. After dinner, I took another round of medication, drank some water, and was out like a light bulb.
Luckily, I felt much better on Tuesday morning (minus the fact that it was snowing when I woke up.) It’s never fun to be sick, and I never want to have food poisoning for the rest of my life! I’m lucky that I got through it because I know it can hit people way worse. This is going to be a “take it slow” week for me, so it’ll be a great excuse to sit back and write/edit blogs that are waiting to be posted! 💜
Questions for you!
- Are you a road trip snacker?
- Have you ever experienced food poisoning?
- What is one goal you have for April?
Danielle says
Oh no! I’m sorry you were sick!!! Do you know what food might have caused it?
Taralynn McNitt says
Not sure what caused it, but it was something I ate in D.C. :/
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Oh dear, hope you feel better, Taralynn! Food poisoning is never good. 🙁 I’ve never had it myself, luckily…
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Taralynn McNitt says
Thanks, Charmain! ❤️
Kayla says
So glad you’re feeling better! I had food poisoning last summer and it was the worst feeling ever.
My main goal for April is to focus on finishing out my school year and spending the summer with my family in Chicago!
Taralynn McNitt says
Thanks, Kayla! It’s definitely no joke! Never felt so sick in my life. Glad it’s over with!
That’s a great goal! Summer is almost here!
Hannah says
Glad you feel better, Taralynn!
Taralynn McNitt says
Thank you!
Chandler says
So so sorry you were so sick! That’s terrible. I’m so glad you’re feeling better! <3 Take care of yourself this week!
1. Are you a road trip snacker? Yes! I have to have yummy things packed. My husband and I usually allow ourselves to get fun drinks for road trips too and usually a treat of some sort.
2. Have you ever experienced food poisoning? I think so, but not certain! I ate Taco Bell late at night one time and threw up the rest of the night from it. I think that was food poisoning!
3. What is one goal you have for April? To have a successful move! My husband and I bought our first house and we close on April 26th and move on April 27th! We cannot wait!!!
Have a lovely rest of your week!
Taralynn McNitt says
Thank you, Chandler!
I’m feeling much better.
1. Love that you and your husband go all out for road trip enjoyment ❤️
2. Yikes! Sounds horrible.
3. Ahhhhh that is so so so exciting!! I can’t wait to hear all about it! 😊
xo
Whitney says
I am so sorry you were sick, but glad you are feeling better! My sister and I had salmonella poisoning years ago from brownie batter we ate, and were sick as dogs and admitted to the emergency room. I am a 34 year old adult, and we both called our moms the night we got violently sick crying and upset. So no need to every explain why you need your mom! Cannot wait to see the pictures from D.C. when you are up to it 🙂
Taralynn McNitt says
Hi, Whitney!
Thanks so much. Food poisoning is NOT fun!! Glad you guys got help. I think that’s why I make vegan brownies now so I can eat the batter and not feel bad! I don’t care how old you get, your mom’s voice and reassurance always makes you feel better.
I’m going to try to get them out tomorrow or friday! ♥️
Stacie says
I understand where you are coming from about the health. I fractured a bone in my leg a month ago and haven’t been able to walk on it. I have never missed working out more than I do now and am so grateful that i’m healthy and not permanently limited in my mobility.
Taralynn McNitt says
Sometimes it takes literally something so small to make you realize how lucky you are! Some people have to deal with severe health daily and little things like that are a reminder to why it’s important to be grateful! Glad you’re on track to feeling better!
Kelli says
I had food poisoning for 24 hours before my high school graduation and it was horrible!
Taralynn McNitt says
Yikes!! Not a good time to have it! 😭
Lauren says
Omg food poisoning sucks! I had it last year during my holiday in Mallorca. The last few days I could hardly do anything. I didn’t know what hit me…
I’m glad your feeling better!
Taralynn McNitt says
Thank you, Lauren!! Sorry, you had to go through it too!!
Rachael says
Food poisoning is not fun at all. I had an awful awful case of it in Panama and was sick the entire way home and didn’t eat for a week after that. It was awful. I am a road trip snacker (love some sour gummy worms), and my April goal is to lose at least 10 pounds!
Taralynn McNitt says
Hi, Rachael!
Oh man, 😞 that’s not a fun way to travel at all!!
Tess says
Your cauliflower gnocchi technique is my go-to! What oil do you use for your green beans?
Taralynn McNitt says
They are so tasty!
I usually use sesame oil! 🙂
Jeni says
Oh my gosh, food poisoning is never fun. I’ve gotten it at least three times, but my worst memory of it was while visiting some relatives back in high school. It was Thanksgiving and somebody served raw vegetables that may have been tainted. I got the worst of it in our hotel and then had to endure a twelve-hour car ride home the next day. I’m glad you were at home when your symptoms struck so thankfully you were in your own bed! I couldn’t imagine driving or flying home from D.C. with food poisoning. Also I’m glad you’re feeling better!
BTW, after reading all of your posts on cauliflower gnocchi, I caved in and bought several bags of it on my most recent TJ’s run. I have yet to try it but somebody suggested tossing it in a ghee and garlic sauce, or a homemade pesto sauce with fresh basil and olive oil. Both sound very decadent but delicious!
Also, I’m not sure if the TJ’s in your area have it, but the Virginia Beach TJ’s sells low-calorie and high-protein ice cream (the brand is called Swell) and it is absolutely delicious. I totally recommend that you try it– you’ll never go back to Halo Top or any of the other brands!
Taralynn McNitt says
Hi, Jeni!
Three times!?! ahh! That’s awful. I have a feeling mine came from raw vegetables too! I was the only one who ate them so it makes sense. That is so unfortunate you had to travel 12-hours with it! 😭 yikes!
I’ve used Trader Joe’s pesto on it with the kite-hill and it’s so good!
I’ve actually seen the Swell around and I think Kyle has had it before! If they start making a dairy-free version, I’ll totally try it! 😀
Cortney says
Wow!!! Food poisoning is so scary!! Whenever I’ve had it, I felt absolutely awful! That’s terrible you got sick but at least it’s something that rarely ever happens.
My goal for this month is to make it through the month doing the keto diet. I started on the 1st and I’ve been doing really well so far. Have you tried it?? What were your thoughts on the keto diet? Glad your feeling better! Let me know if you ever want to play tennis at the tennis center in RH or grab a coffee and go for a walk with the pups!
Taralynn McNitt says
Hi, Cortney!
Yes. It’s so scary, just happy it was only a 48-hour thing for me! ❤️
I don’t really have much experience with the keto. I have a hard time sticking to diets because I already can’t have dairy/gluten because of health issues so I’d hate to have to cut anything else out. I just know I wouldn’t be able to stick to it lol The best place to hear both sides about the diet is on YouTube lol
yeah!! that’d be fun!
Esther Rowan says
I am so glad you are feeling better. I have never been food poisoned but I have had some yuck reactions to food. I desperately need to take a food sensitivity test and I noticed that you have already done the Everly well one and are now doing 23andMe. Is there a reason you’re doing both? As in, were the results from the Everly well in some way lacking or insufficient? If you have any insight into recommendations or things to look out for when researching options, please let me know!
Taralynn McNitt says
Hi, Esther!
I’m doing 23andMe to check into my genealogy and find out more about my heritage. My dad’s side of the family is so unknown and my moms doesn’t go too far back. I took the Everlywell metabolism and food sensitivity test which is different from the 23andMe ancestry and health test. It’ll also tell me about my genes and which disease/illness that my family carries. The tests from the food sensitivity were very helpful and I highly recommend that test. They let you know which foods cause sensitivity solely.
Brianna says
Glad you’re better! I look forward to seeing your D.C. post!
Taralynn McNitt says
Thanks, Brianna!
Natalie says
So I’ve never had food poisoning, *knock on wood* but I have been severely dehydrated on account of throwing up and not being able to keep anything down. The insane head pounding and weakness is incredibly terrifying and like nothing I’ve ever experienced, so I 100% know what you’re talking about when you say you were terrified. Glad you’re better now!
So glad to see you are running again and that your training plan is going well! Xoxo
Taralynn McNitt says
Hi, Natalie!
Thank you very much. I love being in control of my body and it’s scary when you don’t really understand what’s going on. The back pain was what really scared me towards the second day, so I’m glad it was just because of the dehydration. I’m sorry you had to deal with dehydration. Not fun at all!
XO
Danielle says
Thank you for sharing the beginning stages of your running journey! This is inspiring me to start this spring. Will you be running any races?
Taralynn McNitt says
Starting is the hardest part! The second hardest part is sticking the training plan. As for races? I don’t see myself running any races unless it’s a fun 5k! Races are not for me, but running casually is 😃
Shelby says
Sorry you were so sick!
I had food poisoning once. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. I threw up for hours and could not hold anything down- not even a single cup of tea. Ended up losing 10 pounds in one night! Did not have to go to the hospital though, that just sounds horrible!
Glad you’re all better!
Taralynn McNitt says
Oh, man! I feel ya. It’s THE WORST!!
Lindsey St Onge says
I 100% keep a snack bag in the car with me for any and all road trips! It’s easy to get tempted to pull over and grab fast food, but I always feel better when I pack something healthy like fruit or granola. As for my goal in April, I would like to start running more outside, especially now that the weather is starting to get nicer here in Virginia. I’ve been running on the treadmill at my gym, but it makes a huge difference to me when I’m running in nature and I feel like there are more endorphins when I’m running outside?? (maybe that’s only me haha). I’m so sorry you had food poisoning! It is the absolute worst. I remember the last time I got sick I kept a big bowl next to my bed as well 🙁 I’m glad you’re feeling better though!
Taralynn McNitt says
Hi, Lindsey!
Gotta love having those “savior” snacks! 😃 I agree! I CANNOT do the treadmill. I feel like it’s harder on my joints and I just get so bored. Good for you for sticking to that this winter though! The endorphins are so much better outside for sure. I think you’re right about the connection with nature!
Thank you so much!
Elisa says
Hi!
I’m glad you’re feeling better, food poisoning isn’t a great experience
Are you a road trip snacker?
I usually travel by train (I have a subscription due to my work), but I surely love to snack when I do! I don’t know why but I crave sugar everytime I travel (Coca-Cola is a must, it helps me with headache and nausea)
Have you ever experienced food poisoning?
Once, when I was in high school. I eated one chocolate and the next morning… It was just awful. I still can’t eat these chocolates, and it was twelve years ago!
What is one goal you have for April?
I’m moving this summer, so I have to start to prepare everything (contacting a mover, finding somewhere to live, taking an appointment with my future boss…)