Eggplants, Vitamins and Body Oil

Day 2 - 2009 Resolutions

Gotta get to bed so I’ll try to keep this short.

Went to the gym after work. It wasn’t as crowded as yesterday when it was filled with people who were all gung-ho about their own resolutions to lose weight and/or get in shape. It was still busier than usual though. I’m pretty excited about this new routine now. I’m finding it very easy to simply get out of work and walk to the gym. My problem before, when I was going to the gym closer to home, was that I struggled to get up early in the morning. When it came to going after work, by the time I walked to the subway and waited for my train to arrive, my mind and body was already in “go home and relax mode.”

Now, because I’m simply in the gym 10 minutes after I leave work, I’m still in “work and be productive mode.” It’s awesome!

I really enjoyed the lunch I made today. The office provided Wendy’s and I was not tempted at all. I made sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and took my vitamins. I’ve been taking Nature Way’s Alive! but now that I’m running out I’m going to explore cheaper options and look into something I don’t have to take 3 times a day.

I had one of Tim’s delicious turkey burgers on whole wheat buns tonight for dinner, and then because I was still hungry (I’m usually ravenous after working out), I finished up my leftover chicken and Brussels sprouts with a glass of wine. Delish!

When all was said and done, at 10 PM I was pretty tired. I just wanted to lie down, be lazy, and eventually fall asleep. I normally would have, but there were things to do. I needed to shower and go through my skincare regime before going to bed, but most importantly, I needed to make lunch for tomorrow!

I had bought eggplant yesterday and looked for an easy eggplant stir fry recipe online. I found this great recipe for Easy Stir-Fried Eggplant on About.com. I didn’t have any cornstarch, and instead of a regular onion I had to use a green onion. I also used a lot of fresh Thai chilies and threw in a handful of sliced oyster mushrooms. The verdict…

Ohmygawddabomb! I love the texture of stir-fried eggplant; it takes on an almost pork-like quality. The oyster mushrooms, as before, were perfect. Again, I had to stop myself from eating it and now I can’t wait to have it for lunch tomorrow with some rice.

Anyway, I need to go to bed. I just took a relaxing shower without washing my hair… huh what?

I’ve read numerous times that you shouldn’t wash your hair everyday, that it would strip your hair of the natural oils your scalp produces to keep your hair healthy. This is especially important if you have dry or damaged hair (like me!). However, what I never could understand is how can you take a shower without washing your hair? It just seems so icky to be in the shower, get your hair wet, and not shampoo it.

Well after some research, it seems that the point is to NOT get your hair wet. Even water itself without shampoo can remove the good oils. I guess that’s what shower caps are for and why there’s an old cliche about women saying they’ll be busy “washing their hair” as a way to reject suitors. Though I still don’t really understand how that came about—how is washing your hair something that takes all night?

Anyway, it felt kinda weird at first, but I quickly got used to showering with a shower cap on. I simply clipped my hair up first and held it back with a headband before putting the cap on. Afterward, contrary to what I expected, I didn’t feel “unwashed” or that I needed to jump back in just to wash my hair. I think I’ll try washing it every other day and see how my hair likes that.

By the way, some great products I recently bought are Pantene’s moisturizing shampoo and conditioner (my hair has been softer and shiny!) and I absolutely love love love Neutrogena’s sesame body oil. I bought a small trial size once when I needed something quick for the gym and it was and is the best thing ever! It has a great, light scent and absorbs quickly. Doesn’t feel greasy at all and leaves my skin soft. At about $11 a bottle, the price is the only con I can think of, but a little does go a long way.

Alright now, I’m going to bed 15 minutes earlier than yesterday. Woo!

Good night.