It's been over a week now since we've returned from the "left" coast, but I am still swooning and dreaming of all the wonderful adventures we had during our trip! I decided to get my thoughts in order and share about our road trip running adventures as part of the "Friday Five" Linkup hosted by Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed Up for What and Mar on the Run. I've been reading these link-up posts for a while, but have yet to join!

To fill you in on our trip, we attended the wedding of my husband's cousin on Valentines Day in San Francisco. In doing so, we decided to fly into Seattle (slightly cheaper) and drive down the coast, taking about a week total to explore Washington, Oregon and California. Here I am going to share five of our running adventures from the trip.

February is almost coming to a close, which means so is healthy heart month! Have no fear, you can totally continue to celebrate the love by nourishing your body consistently with heart healthy foods. Like beans. Let's talk a little bit about beans and heart health, shall we?

In a previous Healthy Heart Month post, I talked about the benefits of dietary fiber in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease. While we typically think of fruits, vegetables and whole grains as sources of fiber, I'm here to talk a little bit about beans and legumes, which are fiber and heart health superstars! Did you know that a single 1/2 cup serving of black beans and kidney beans provides 8g and 6g of fiber, respectively? The general recommendation is that we all should consume approximately three 1/2 cup servings of beans per week.

Beans are nutritional powerhouses as they are packed with protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron and potassium. Studies have shown that people who eat more legumes have a lower risk of heart disease, and not just because of their contribution of soluble fiber to the diet! Beans are low in fat and contain protective phytochemicals that also promote heart health. ​

American Heart Health Month continues and today I am going to share some of the health benefits of consuming one of my favorite foods... chocolate! I pretty much consume chocolate daily (when I have on hand), partially because it's my indulgence of choice, and partially because I know of the health benefits dark chocolate (in moderation!) can impart. Care to learn more?