December's "What I'm Craving This Month" Post - just in time for the end of January!

Better late than never, right?

I didn't have crazy post-marathon cravings immediately after CIM (post-Houston has been a different story, but that's for January's post...maybe).  Training hard through the holidays reminded me of why it can be difficult to train hard through the holidays eating-wise.  I truly feel so much better when I'm fueling with nutrient-dense items and avoiding sugar, but wow is that difficult in December.  Thanksgiving meant having unhealthy options around for one day; Christmas meant having unhealthy options around for pretty much the whole month.

Here were my top December picks - I did not get many Christmas goodie photos, though.

My taste buds love Indian food, but my stomach and GI system often don't, so it is something I avoid for the most part during heavy training when I don't want to risk screwing up a run.  But I found an Indian restaurant within 0.25 mile of our hotel in San Francisco the day after the marathon, and it was amazing!  I cleaned my plate and then ate everything my mom and my dad couldn't finish from theirs, and had no digestive issues so this was a complete win.

Albani and I finished one container of these with one meal.  She also ate 4 kiwis with that meal, which made me proud!  This was also before her grandparents fed her a sugar IV over the holiday.

Frosting is my favorite sweet, but it oftentimes leaves me feeling icky, which didn't help my post-marathon slump...but I sure do crave it and homemade baked goods sometimes.  As my dear friend Missy said, "Sometimes I have to eat 4 sugar cookies to remember why I don't usually eat sugar cookies", and I could not have said that better myself!

I discovered coconut rolled dates this month, and wondered where they have been all my life?  They are simply dates rolled in shredded coconut, and you can make them with nuts included but I haven't tried those yet (I buy these already made so haven't actually made any).  These are healthy and delicious!

Peanut butter cravings are a constant in my life, but melty peanut butter on toast has especially hit the spot recently.  I've tried to love almond butter, but I just don't.

This is my favorite brand of protein powder, and I love sampling all of the flavors!  Orange dreamsicle here.

Cinnamon bun here.  I blend with almond milk and frozen fruit, and sometimes other add-ins such as spinach, flax seed, peanut butter, etc.  I have a smoothie nearly every night before bed when I'm at home; I believe it helps my recovery (several studies show that whey protein before sleeping helps build muscle, which was why I started this routine).

Goals for next cravings post:  on time and more extensive!