Eat Your Veggies: Spinach

Here is another of my favorite veggies.  Spinach!  It is a super veggie, swap it out for iceberg everywhere you can.  I put it on my sandwiches, in my smoothies, in my eggs, and sometimes I can sneak it into other recipes. 

Why Spinach?  Well is a renowned muscle builder!  (we want muscles, they burn more calories and are sooo pretty)There is a hormone in spinach that increases protein synthesis by 20%.  This hormone allows muscle tissue to repair itself faster according to reasearch.  Spinach is high in vitamin K (one cup of spinach has more than your daily requirement of this vitamin), manganese, magnesium, calcium, folate, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and selenium.  This combination of vitamins and minerals can help to protect the liver and ward off Alzheimer's.  

Spinach is also a beauty power food.  It is rich in beta-carotene, and this converts to a powerful anti-aging Vitamin A. This promotes proper moisture retention in the skin, helping to prevent wrinkles, and removing dead skin from your body.  Spinach also contains lipoic acid, this helps vitamins C and E regenerate(both of these are a must for youthful skin).  It is rich in amino acids and has twice the fiber of most greens, this will keep you full and help you curb cravings.

 So here is the link to my green smoothie where I use my spinach most often.   One of my favorite little books of food info is Beauty Detox Foods  There are tons of great veggie recipes in this book.  She eats much more strictly than I prefer to eat, but there are amazing recipes and a ton of information on different foods and why to eat them.

Here is a recipe I just love!!!  It is a Spinach strawberry salad and it is sooo yummy, I could eat it for many meals.

I found this one on this site, but I have made it many different ways but I really thought this one sounded good.

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/avocado-strawberry-spinach-salad-with-poppyseed-dressing/

(she has a lot of great recipes, go check out her site)

She even has the dressing recipe, which I love because then I know exactly what I am eating!!!

Eat your Veggies: Avocado (I know it's a fruit)

Ok this week has by far been my hardest, I have had more mistakes than I would like to admit, but I am learning, and it is getting easier.  A few suggestions I had from comments on facebook, were to get a steamer so of course I got on Amazon and got one ordered right away.  I have had one before so I know this will help, steamed veggies are great!  I ended up buying the rice cooker with steamer because my hubby loves rice so 2 for one :)

One thing I have noticed is that it is easier for me to eat veggies when they taste good... That is my biggest problem I have a love for yummy food, and somehow veggies and yummy have never gone together for me.   But I am going to fix that problem.  Another thing that I really enjoy is knowing what different foods do to help my body (maybe it's just me but I think it is fascinating)  So here are a few of my favorite veggies and what they do for us when we eat them.

Avocado (technically a fruit, but we prepare them and eat them more like a veggie so they are staying in my veggie category)  They are full of one of the world's most healthy fats, monounsaturates.  These fats, according to several studies, improve your cholesterol, and decrease the amount of triglycerides in your blood.  They have 10 grams of fiber in one cup so they are great at helping curb cravings!  Avocados are great for your skin, if you eat them often you will notice your skin will become more supple and soft and youthful.  They have been noted among cultures such as the Maya Indians, for being powerful anti-aging foods.  They are great for skin and joints.   The oil in avocados is similar to our skin's own natural oil so its a great oil for skin rejuvenation.  Avocados are full of vitamins A, C, E and K, and contain minerals , potassium, copper, and iron.  Avocados also have one of the highest amino acid contents of all fruits, this helps you to build lean muscle.

How do you prepare your avocados?  Here are a few things I like to do.
Guacamole to add to anything (sandwiches, eggs, wraps, fajitas, chicken)
2 avocado
1 tomato
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 bunch cilantro (or more)
3-6 green onions
1 jalapeno (seeded if you don't want as much of a kick)
cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
Cut your avocados in half pull out the pit, scoop out of the skin and mash with a fork.  Chop tomato, cilantro, onion and jalapeno. Mix all ingredients together and use.  Avocados will brown quickly so I usually only make a small batch at a time.


I also enjoy slicing them and just adding them in a wrap or fajita.  I have added them to my green smoothies for an extra creamy consistency.  I would love to hear how you prepare or use avocados, leave me a comment!

Pre-Run Fuel Favorite: Protein Oats

Why are steel cut oats so good for you?
Oats are a high nutrient plant food that has a ton of nutrition, Vit E, B, and minerals - calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium copper, zinc, iron and manganese.  Oats are also great because they don't spike your blood sugar the way refined carbohydrates do.

According to the book Beauty Detox Foods by Kimberly Snyder "In a study at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, it was determined that consumption of whole grains can contribute to favorable metabolic alterations that may reduce long-term weight gain.  This along with fat reduction, will help reduce cellulite."

Oats are beneficial to heart health, and can help prevent diabetes due to the slow uptake of glucose.

Here is my recipe for what I call Protein Oats:
I absolutely love this breakfast and it is really and easy way for me to add in a bit more protein to my diet without consuming one more boiled egg, or piece of chicken. I love steel cut oats they are my favorite and obviously healthy for you from the information I found about them.  I usually make a big batch to last me the week because really who has time to make a 30+ minute breakfast every morning!  Not this Mom.  So I make a bunch then when I go to reheat some I add in 1-2 egg whites stir them in and reheat it cooking the egg white.  I then put on my topping of choice lately it has been peanut butter with a tiny bit of honey or some dark chocolate chips.  But I have been known to put berries or  just honey, a banana, really your options are endless here.  I have been eating this on mornings before I go run, I need to eat just a little earlier so my body can digest it before I start my run, but it has proven to be a great form of fuel.  It is filling, and one serving with 2 egg whites and 1/4 cup dry oats and 1 tbsp peanut butter has 10.6 grams fat (don't let this scare you it is good fat), 4 g fiber 15.7g protein and 290 calories.  UNDER 300 Calories for a very filling very healthy breakfast!

1/2 cup cooked oats
1-2 egg whites
mixed and heated until egg is cooked
add desired topping and enjoy!

Lessons Learned

A few tidbits from my week of trying.

Because that's how I see it.  Each week I try to do a little better than the one before.  That way it's okay if I fail.  It happens.  Another week is right around the corner.  But when I conquer, I'm that much stronger.

Lesson 1 = Sweet Potato Chips

This is nothing new.  It's been discovered by millions but I thought I'd finally take my shot at it.  It has ended up taking a spot at the top of my healthy food list.  Plus it's SUPER EASY...because that's the only way I cook.

 Grab your yam/sweet potato of choice.  Peel and cut thin.  Consistency is the key.  If you have different sizes, they will cook unevenly.  Aim for silver dollar size.

On my first try I used a basting brush to spread the olive oil and sprinkle the salt (as per the instructions I found via Internet).  Well, the oil took too long and I had salt all over the tray.  It's much easy to put it all inside a container and shake a few times.  Then everything is coated the same.  I also used a BBQ rub which was NUMMY.  Seasoned salt works great too.  Throw them on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven @ 375 for 10 min., flip, and repeat.

 I used the chips as a side for my Tilapia and spinach.  Tilapia is a relatively cheap fish and pretty darn healthy.  We all know the green stuff is.  I sprinkled lemon pepper on the fish and then lemon juice over the spinach.  I'll admit I don't make extravagant meals but they are easy, fast, healthy, and taste good to me.  Give it a shot!

FYI - If you don't mind the starchiness, a raw sweet potato chip isn't that bad.  Reminds me of a carrot.  Yes I'm weird.

Lesson #2 - Spirit Sleeves make you Fast.

What do you use when all your running pants are dirty?  You guessed it.  SPIRIT SLEEVES.  Sure I look like I'm trying to hold onto my youth longer than my face allows but I sure felt fast.  My Garmin didn't prove it but it's all about how you feel right?  Plus my calves were grateful.  Maybe that can be their new name.  

Spirit Sleeves  Calve Coats
I have them in pink too.  Thank you sock outlet.

Lesson #3 - Wash your hands after using Peppermint Oil

I'm not an oil Guru.  That would be my counterpart Sheena.  However, my Mom gave me a bottle of Peppermint Oil and since my hair is still falling out after baby #4 I thought I would give it a shot.  Plus it was free...thank you Mama.  I have pretty much no idea what I'm doing but it feels good and smells nice.  I just put a little on the tips of my fingers and apply to my scalp, especially my hair line and temples.

Here is where the lesson comes in.  

After I finished my oil application, I moved on to my moisturizer.  Well my friends, if you don't wash your hands after using peppermint oil and then you apply your moisturizer all over your face...watch out!  It's a fine line between invigorating and HOLY MINTY EYEBALLS!  

That is all.  

Happy Weekend ya'll!

Yogurt Cubes

Does your smoothie have the runs?
Problem solved...

Frozen Yogurt Cubes

Grab your favorite low fat/fat free yogurt.  Throw it in an ice cube tray.  Freeze it up.  Wallah!

I keep things pretty simple.  This batch of goodness includes: 

5 vanilla fat free yogurt cubes

1/3 cup blueberries

1 cup skim milk

YUM!!!  No more smoothie that you have to chug before it get's warm and runny.  This shake-like cup of heaven is thick and creamy.  The variations are endless.  Just make sure to use fat free dairy and add whatever fruit & veggies you desire so the calorie/fat count stays in check.  Drink up!

And just because Friday's make me even happier, here is another reason to smile.  The purpose of this Physical Therapy page was to educate on how to strengthen your outer thigh (hip abductors).  Check out the comment left.  Everyone's done it...don't lie.  ;)

Have a great weekend ya'll!  A new week starts in 2 days.  Make it great!

Snack Time!

My popcorn got a make-over...

Another one of those idea things "popped" into my head the other day.  It's true that air-popped popcorn is a much healthier alternative to it's microwaved counterpart.  However, it doesn't exactly hold up to a taste test - BLAND!  I decided to tackle this problem by raiding my spice rack.  Here are the salivating solutions that I came up with.

First of all - my air popper from the 80's died last year.  I tried to revive it by shaking and yelling but alas, it was time for it to go.  It was a solemn moment at our house...for about 1 min.  Then I grabbed a deep pot (and Googled directions because I do that) and set to it the even older fashion way.  

The directions are as follows for those of you who are popcorn inept like I was.  

2 ingredients - popping corn kernels and oil

Coat the bottom of the pot with oil and add just enough kernels to cover the bottom as well.  NO MORE.  If you don't, your lid will fall off due to an abundance of fluffy corn and your gas stove will start your little puffs on fire.  Lesson learned the first time.

Here in a photographic display are the spices that were selected for this special occasion.  

We have from left to right...

Butter Buds, Pampered Chef's Smoky Barbecue Rub, Seasoned Salt, Italian Dressing, Ranch Dressing, Taco Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Salad Supreme, and Lemon Pepper.

If using an air-popper, it helps to add a little oil to the popped kernels so the seasoning will stick instead of heading to the bottom of the bowl.  A vegetable oil spray is fat free/calorie free.  If doing it from the pot, I found that there was no need to add more.  The seasoning doesn't really add calories or fat either.  Hint -  the more powdery the seasoning, the better it coated the corn.

Verdict is in

                                                                  

                      Butter Buds - Not bad but not buttery enough for me.  Better with a little salt.

                      Barbecue Rub - Pretty darn tasty.

                                                              

Seasoned Salt - My family loves this stuff so it was a winner.  Horked down by the 5 year old.     

Garlic Powder - Not my favorite.  Maybe garlic salt would be better?  Keep reading.

                                                            

Salad Supreme - Another tasty one.  It became even better when mixed with the garlic popcorn.
Lemon Pepper -  Loved it.  A little goes farther with this spice.

                   
                                              

Italian and Ranch Dressing Mix - These both were surprisingly good.  They were the most powdery so the popcorn was covered well and I didn't have to use much.  

Taco Seasoning -  Not bad at all.  Mixed with the ranch popcorn was even tastier!

Enjoy your bowl of popcorn a little more guilt free now.  Plus you have a tasty alternative for movie night.  You never know, your corn may be the most coveted!
(My son just had me add the seasoned salt to the leftovers.)

Baked Broccoli

Eating is by far the hardest part of being healthy for me.  I have said before veggies are not my favorite, however, I am learning to prepare them in new ways so I like them.  Here was a trial that worked out pretty good.  My husband loved it and I thought it was pretty good too.  The best part is it was easy.

This was supper yummy, Cut up your broccoli and place in baking dish or on a cooking sheet, drizzle with 2-3 tsp. of coconut oil, or olive oil.  Add a couple of tsp chopped garlic or a few garlic cloves to the oil prior to the drizzling.  Sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until broccoli starts to brown on the edges.  Sprinkle the top some fresh Parmesan when you take it out of the oven and serve!!!  Even my kiddos loved it.  It was nice and crispy.  I might add a bit of bacon next time if I am feeling like splurging!

Eat Like a Mongolian

A couple weeks ago a light bulb turned on in this dim brain of mine.  

     On a "this crazy Mom needs to get out" whim, I grabbed Sheena (who posts on Monday/Wednesday) and we went for lunch.  AND because I'm cheap I flipped through my coupon book to see where we could go for the least $.  

Winner -  HuHot Mongolian grill

It was Awesome!  

(Do cool people still say that?  Do cool people even say cool?  I think I just aged 10 years)

How it works...

*Grab a bowl*pick a meat*pile on the goods*add yummy sauce*grill it up*

     I know I'm supposed to say that the best part is that you can eat some tasty stuff that is pretty healthy but the actual best part is you can go back as many times as you want.  All you can eat baby!  Believe me, I piled it high.  Even the grill master couldn't help but smile and acknowledge my giant food tower.  However it was full of veggie goodness so I could stuff my face pretty much guilt free.  Now if that isn't food freedom, I don't know what is.

Back to the light bulb...

     As I was plugging along eating my HuHot bowl I realized that if I could replicate it at home, success at achieving my goals for March would be that much easier.  Eating MORE food but with A LOT less calories is my kind of meal plan.


First attempt...

Here's what I've included in my food arsenal.  Cabbage, jicama, bean sprouts, soy sauce, coconut milk, tofu (which I haven't actually tried yet but I'm gonna pull up my big girl pants and give it a shot...eventually), and this rice vermicelli stuff.  More on this below.

I needed a healthy noodle and this stuff looked the part.  Plus it was on sale so I went for it.  

It has 209 calories per serving but I found that a little goes a long way.  I actually get double the servings out of the bag making a single serving only 100 calories, 0.4g of fat, and 1.1g sugar.  Not too shabby.

These noodles have to soak in water for a couple minutes so I started by breaking off 1/6 and getting them going..

Next I grabbed a palm size portion of pork.  I buy these in bulk when they go on sale, cut them into palm size pieces, bag em and stick in the freezer.  Makes it more likely I will eat healthier if I make it easy on me.

I slice it very thin and in half so it looks like I have a lot of pork.  I just threw it in my deep fry pan dry.

Then in no particular order I added the goods.  Here are the vermicelli noodles.

Then the jicama.  This oddly named veggie has a similar taste to water chestnuts but I like it better. No fat and not much sugar so again, almost no calories.

Next came the bean sprouts, about 15 calories per handful.  No fat or sugar.  Pile it on!

Last I grabbed a couple handfuls from my bag of mixed cabbage which included some carrots too.  No fat, 10 calories, and 1.5g sugar per handful.  Love it!  Look at that pile!

However, this stuff wouldn't taste very good without some sort of sauce/seasoning.  When at HuHot I used a Ginger sauce and broth that made it all heavenly.  Then I indulged and sprinkled just a little coconut on the top after it was grilled.  Good heck my mouth is watering right now.  Anyways, I loved it all so this is what I did for my homemade concoction.  

Since my full meal with the pork added in was only 300 pretty darn healthy calories,  I wasn't worried about adding a little with the sauce.  Here is what I added to the first shot of a tasty sauce.

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp ginger

1 Tbsp coconut milk

This only gave me about 30 more calories and 1g fat.  It wasn't bad but I couldn't taste the coconut very much.  So I called in the big guns.  Say hello to my little friend.

Torani Coconut Syrup.

We've gotten to know each other over a mug or two (or 50) of DP.  However, since my recent cut back he's been filling a little left out.  Time to revive the friendship.

Obviously if you go crazy with this stuff you'll by dumping in a lot of sugar.  If you only add 1 Tbsp then it only adds 45 calories (which are NOT the good kind but it bribes me to eat the GOOD kind) and 11g of sugar.  I'll happily use that 4% of daily value of sugar to eat a great meal.  It's not a horrible thing and it makes all the difference.  In the future I'd like to try a coconut extract.  I'll let you know when I do.

So there ya go.  Finished product = 345 calories, 10g of fat, and only 12g of sugar for one giant meal that keeps me full so I don't snack my way to dinner or bedtime.   Pretty dang good if you ask me!  My new model for a healthy diet...

Eat like a Mongolian!

Green Smoothie Basics

I have to be honest, I am a terrible eater, I am addicted to sugar and I don't love my veggies.  Yikes, can't believe I just admitted that.  However, I have to find ways around my bad habits and cravings to trick my tongue into believing we are having a treat.  So one of my go to "treats" is a green smoothie, and me the veggie hater loves them!  I get asked a lot what I put in them, or how to make them so I thought I would give you all the run down and basics of how I make a green smoothie.

First off you want to have a liquid so everything will blend, I usually choose from the following and use about a cup: (I will also add in the juice of about 1/2 a lemon)

• Water
• Aloe Vera Juice
• Berry flavored aloe vera juice
• Coconut water
• Almond Milk (usually this is rare for me)

Then you want to choose your greens and/or veggies, I usually choose from the following, and use 2-5 fist fulls:

• Baby Spinach (this is my favorite, and usual go to green, because it has a more mild taste)
• Kale (this is a strong taste and one I have to build up to)
• Mixed greens
• Beet Greens
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Celery
• Beets

If I haven't pre-made and frozen a bunch in advance I will usually mix these together to get my greens/veggies a really good blending.

I then add my fruits to sweeten things up and cover the veggie taste, I usually use about a cup of frozen fruit of any variety, my favorite is the tropical blend, but I have used all kinds of frozen fruits, and I sometimes will throw in an apple, pear, banana or anything else that I might need to get used up before it goes bad.

I then add in some healthy fats from the following, just a bit here, I usually do a TBSP of most of these, think thumb sized portion, but I will do a bit more avacado:

• Chia seeds
• Ground flax seeds
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Coconut oil
• Avacado (this makes it really creamy and delish!)

I then mix it all together, and believe it or not my youngest is always fighting me for some!  This is perfect for me in the mornings, or if I get a sweet craving during the day.  Be careful and measure as you can add up quick calories with smoothies. 

If I am doing strength workouts or following The Zone, trying to keep my blood sugar level, or playing game on diet I will add in a bit of protein as well, I have done greek yogurt or protein powders, I really like the one from DoTERRA, and the one from www.tryabouttime.com, or I will pair my smoothie with a boiled egg or something so I am giving myself a well rounded meal.

My go to favorite is
1 cup Berry flavored aloe vera
3-4 fist fulls of spinach
2 tsp Chia Seeds
1 cup Frozen tropical fruit mix
1 scoop Vanilla DoTERRA Trim shake.

What smoothies have you put together that you really enjoy?

Here are a few items I like

I Love Food

Game Plan Part 2 - Nutrition

You are what you eat.

How many times can we beat that dead cat with a stick?  But alas, it's true.  Over the holiday's I tried to live on Nacho Doritos, Peppermint Bark Dove chocolate, Oreo truffles, caramel, Dr. Pepper, and every other Christmas food fantasy I could get my hands on. In the end, it wasn't pretty.  I felt like crap, was tired, and ended up sick for 10 days.  Not to mention the few pounds I shed beforehand came back with a vengeance.  So the next part of my "make your pants baggy" plan is to get back on the good eating wagon.

When it comes to food...I love it.  I'm probably the least picky eater I know.  I would probably eat card board with frosting on it if you told me it was a graham cracker.  Don't ask me to judge how good something tastes because it's pretty much awesome if I didn't have to make it.

What Works For Me

• Keep the junk out.  If it's in my home, I will devour it.  Like that frozen cookie dough.  What, your supposed to actually bake cookies with that?  Throw out the sugar.  It's okay.  I just tossed a whole brick of glorious fudge in the garbage after taking one bite.  It can be done!

• Eat a meal for lunch.  If I don't, I end up snacking my way from breakfast to dinner and shoving a whole lotta garbage down the pipes.  My metabolism works better for me when I eat small meals more consistently but keep the portions in control.

• Drink more water.  I know, beating another dead cat.  But I take this to a whole new level. Because I'm in love with a certain liquid heaven, I drink water to earn my can of Dr. Pepper.  2 water bottles = 1 can. Generally I'm too full of water to get to the can.  I was a mug a day kind of gal but it was adding huge calories to my diet so I had to pull on the reins a little.  I'm more of a social drinker now. :)  An occasional dirty DP might make it's way home too as a reward for folding the leaning tower of Pisa laundry but moderation is the key people. Moderation.

• Up the protein.  Palm size with each meal keeps you fuller longer.  I get in this mind set that I can only cook meat for dinner but that's not the case.  I like a lean pork chop personally.  It's cheaper and leaner. String cheese, greek yogurt, and eggs are great options too.  Here's an easy/healthy lunch that has 4 ingredients, actually tastes good, and it doesn't have any weird expensive ingredient.

Food pictures kinda gross me out but this tastes a lot better than it looks.

Palm size grilled pork chop.
Spinach - as much as you want.  This stuff is only 70 calories per 3 cups.
If you can make it taste good, go for the gold!
Sauce - honey and mustard mixed and drizzled to make it look all fancy like.
(honey is a better alternative to sugar and mustard has 0 fat and 0 calories)

So there you have it.  Less sugar, eat lunch, more water, more protein.  Not too overwhelming right?  This is just what seems to work for me because I can do it.  What works for you?  Love to get some comments from you on your tricks of the trade.