Nighttime Shenanigans and Mango Madness!! I made a Video for you!

Nighttime Shenanigans

Evening Exercise (the only type of nighttime shenanigans I partake in): I haven't run or worked out in the evenings since graduating from school, because I thought I was more of a morning person when it came to running.......but boy was I wrong. I went on a couple of night time runs this past week with my Faja and they were fantastic! I forgot how nice it is to run at sunset and at night, and it is especially good if the weather is hot because instead of it getting hotter as you run (which it does in the mornings) it gets cooler as you run. I'm definitely going to include more nighttime runs in my life, as long as they don't interfere with my double life as a an uber-successful billionaire blogger and venture capitalist. I'm not kidding.
Tips for Evening Runs:
- Wear light or white colored clothing so that cars can see you. Absolutely NO black clothing or other dark clothing.
- Wear a reflective running vest or headband if you have one. They sell super lightweight running vests at all running stores and most bigger athletic store; they are pretty cheap so if you plan on making nighttime running a habit they are a great investment.
- Invest in a headlight. I know this sounds silly, but they are really useful, especially for when you encounter a particularly poorly lit area of your running route. They are also multi-taskers because they not only illuminate your path but they also help to make you more visible to motorists. They make headlamps specifically for running that are comfortable and lightweight, and I highly recommend one!
- Run with a partner. I know this is not always possible, but it is a really good idea to try to run with a buddy if you can, since night time running is notoriously more dangerous, regardless of what neighborhood you live in.
- Tell someone where you're going. Whether or not you are running with a buddy, make sure someone else knows where you are and what you're doing. You can never be too safe.

I have no idea what half of this equipment does,
and the entire block looks like this.

Random thought of the Day: 20th Century Fox has been filming some movie or tv show in my neighborhood for a week (that's what you get when you live in LA) and I'm pretty sure everyone there recognizes me as the girls who keeps running by. But that's not my random thought of the day......no my random thoughts are much deeper. They had to bring in so, so, so much equipment, most of which I had never seen before that it took up a whole block just to park all of their trucks and equipment. And this is for shots I assume don't even have famous actors in them because I stalked that shit like no other and did not see any actor's trailers. I was just so taken aback by how much equipment and how many people they require to get what I assume are a few relatively short shots for their movie or tv show. I've just never realized how much work goes into producing ever second of a movie. So next time you see a movie or tv show, even a shitty one, you best be sure that a lot more work went into that shot than it looks like. Okay, random thought over.

Mango Madness

The elusive Alphonso mango.
One day I will find you......muahahahahaha.

Mangoes & Me: I've posted about my insane love of mangoes a couple of times before, but let me just remind anyone who forgot or hasn't read those posts. I LOVE MANGOES! I honestly don't know what it is, but I would take a good mango over a good glass of wine or a good slice of cake any day......and this is coming from someone who never skips dessert. However, this love is a curse and a blessing. Let me just tell you. I love mangoes so much that I have actually tried many different varieties and have decided which ones are good and which ones are not worth touching.......in other words I have become a mango snob. Let me just tell you that winter mangoes (a.k.a. Tommy Atkins variety mangoes) are the bane of my existence. I have only tried about 6 varieties of mangoes, and thus far my favorite mangos are Kent & Keit mangoes. I have heard that the "Alphonso" mango is supposed to be the best mango on this planet, but alas they only grow in India, and although I may look Indian (on a tan day) sadly I am not, so I have never been to the country and they don't export them to my knowledge. So that's the deal with mangoes and me.
Why everyone should eat Mangoes (besides the fact that they taste like heaven in a tropical yellow package):
- Mangoes are abundant in cancer fighting antioxidants such as quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes
- They are rich in fiber which further helps protect from colon cancer, as well as aiding in lowering bad cholesterol (LDL)
- Mangoes are loaded with vitamin C which is an essential vitamin and a powerful antioxidant
- They also have lots of vitamin A which is important for eye health and good skin.
- They help to alkalize the body (which is a good thing) because of various compounds such as malic acid and tartaric acid. I know it seems counterintuitive that acids can help to alkalize the body, but these acids, when digested, do just that!
- Contain lots of Vitamin E which is another essential vitamin and great antioxidant.
- They have moderate amounts of essential minerals such as potassium and copper. One cup of sliced mango contains about 10% each of your daily recommended intake(DRI) for these two elements, which is a great step towards meeting your DRI. Or if your like me you can eat about 35 mangos and meet your DRIs with flying colors ;)
How to pick a good Mango: These are methods that are tried and true (by me) and I am fairly confident in all of them.
- Try to find mangoes that have sap or syrup coming out of their stems. This is really important as it indicates that the starches in the mango have ripened into sugars which is what you want in a bright, sweet, flavourful mango.
- Mangoes should be soft to the touch. Mangoes should have a soft but not mushy flesh. They should be squeezable but still offer a little resistance to your squeeze.
- I have found that mangoes that are more yellow or yellow-green than pure green tend to be riper. Also mangoes with a dusty and slightly wrinkly skin tend to be good (as long as they are not too soft)
- NO brown or squishy spots. These means the mango is bad....avoid this mango at all costs....it is not a happy mango.
How to cut a Mango: I made a video for all of my readers......yes all 3 of you! Haha, I kid......but not really. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this video. (I apologize in advance for being technologically challenged, somehow the video ended up being filmed in a vertical frame)