Saturday, May 5, 2012

Extinguishing Disease

The other day I was reading the book "The Engine 2 Diet". It is about a firefighter that switched to a complete plant based diet. I love this book! It reminds me of "Forks Over Knives". Anyways... He gives some disease prevention tips that I think everyone needs to hear on a daily basis!

RIP ESSELSTYN'S DISEASE PREVENTION TIPS

1. Eat green leafy vegetables like there is no tomorrow...broccoli, bok choy, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, brussel sprouts, etc....no other foods are as nutritionally dense

2. Eat plant foods of all colors of the rainbow every day. Maximize the variety each day. 

3. Fiber is your friend! Eat fruits, veggies, whole grains, and beans and you will get all the fiber you need. You'll consistently feel better, fuller and your bowels will work regularly. 

4. Get junk food out of the house. If it's in the cupboard, you'll be drawn to it like a moth to light. Don't torture yourself. Toss it!

5. Always carry food with you: whole grain crackers, healthy bars (lara bars, luna, etc), fruit, or veggies. Don't let a hungry stomach lead you astray.
(This is one thing I HAVE to do while working my 12 hour shifts, if not I will raid the cupboard & fridge when I get home)

6.  If you smoke, stop!

7. Minimize or elimate booze. It's not healthy and rarely enhances life. (It can be fun at times though..right? haha)

8. Get of your butt and move. No matter how good your diet it, you need to exercise your body. Do anything as long as your heart thumps and your blood pumps! Life is always better after a work out


I LOVED these tips....Rip Esselstyn that wrote this book has such a good sense of humor and great wisdom to share!

Post these rules on your fridge!

Have a wonderful night!





OH P.S. I found an awesome healthy energy bar... They are called....Zing bars! They are sold at health food stores, Harmon's, online, etc..They have about 10 g. of plant protein! They are gluten, dairy & soy free! They are super yummy. My favorite is the Cranberry Orange one.

Small Changes=Great Things

So over the past year or so I have been trying to transition to a natural way of living. From the food I eat, the water I drink, and the stuff I put in & on my body. We live in a toxic world filled with pesticides, chemicals, preservatives, etc... The food thing has been the easiest part for me, but the stuff I put on my body has been extremely hard! I love lipstick, makeup, perfume, smell-good laundry detergent, lotions,  etc... I know that all these things can contribute to a high toxic load in my body. Many of these chemicals are resembling hormones in our body and are causing havoc within us.

Anyways...I have tried to limit all the chemical-laden things that I put on my body. The one things I haven't been able to depart with is deodarant. There are many natural products out there that help you to smell fresh, but none that help you to stop sweating. I've tried many that have made me break out in rashes, and some that do nothing at all. Aluminum in our deodorant is what helps us to stop sweating and may be linked to breast cancer. I asked a health specialist at the Sunflower Market if there were any products that help you to not sweat. He said, "It is important for our body to sweat to release all the toxins in our bodies, you don't want to clog up your pores and keep all those things inside do you?". This was an "ah ha" moment for me. I finally came away with 2 great products! Yeah, I may sweat a little more than usual, but hey I can deal with that! Here is what works for me:



I have not broke out in a rash at all with them! I think making the transition to natural deodorant is easier than I thought!

Next thing I need to work on.......LIPGLOSS!!! Dr. Oz says that women probably eat a pound of that goopy stuff a year! So nasty. I just love the colors and shininess! I might take a while to make that transition :).

What is one thing that you can change this week? 




Lets talk about a yummy meal that is easy to make and completely versatile based on what you like. You may have heard about them before, they are called:



BUDDHA BOWLS

You start with a complex carbohydrate:

wholewheat pasta
brown rice
quinoa (my fav)
millet
sweet potatoes
barley
corn
(or any other things you may like)



Then add a protein:

harbored eggs
turkey
shredded chicken
cut up salmon burger
canned salmon or tuna
nutritional yeast
tofu strips
beans
cooked lentils
veggie burger sliced up




 Throw in as many vegetables as possible:

salad greens
red peppers
spinach leaves
mushrooms
peas
broccoli or cauliflower
carrots
squash
asparagus
zucchini
onions
tomatoes
eggplant
get the picture???



add a healthy fat:
avocados
small amount of olive oil (may be used for dressing)
nuts
hummus




Then drizzle lightly with dressing of choice:

low-sugar teriyaki sauce
BBQ sauce
lemon juice + honey + mustard
Bragg's liquid aminos or soy sauce
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Italian dressing
deli mustard
Olive oil and vinegar
or anything else you like!

....MIX &
heat up when ready to eat!



EXAMPLE OF MY FAVORITE:

3/4 cup quinoa
shredded chicken or garbanzo beans
steamed veggies (broccoli, snap peas, carrots, squash, asparagus)
Topped with balsamic vinaigrette & deli mustard.

(I know the dressing sound weird, but it is delicious!)

Cook up 4 batches at once and separate into 4 to-go containers for a quick meal!!!
1 cup dried quinoa, cooked
Use the breasts of a rotisserie chicken or 1 can beans
Steam up a big pot of frozen mixed veggies from Costco 
and WALLA!

Is easy to prepare at the beginning of the week for quick lunches or dinners! No excuses to grab McDonalds or Taco Bell now! :)


Feel free to share in the comments box of some of your favorite mixtures!

Have a good day!


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

A whole week of yummy dinners and more!

TO START THE DAY OFF RIGHT.... is so important. Whenever you skip breakfast your blood sugar drops, you become fatigued, and you end up craving the whole pantry the rest of the day. Not only do you not have energy, but you don't allow your metabolism to "rev up its engine"and start burning calories. It is proven that if you don't eat a good breakfast filled with protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats you will end up gaining weight over time. Here are just a few recipes/ideas to eat in the morning. You can also look under smart starts at the top of my blog for more ideas!


Puffed Millet Cereal: Since I cannot have gluten anymore, I found puffed millet @ the health food store. Its unsweetened and has a popcorn style taste. For this bowl I added 1 cup of the cereal (you could use any plain cereal you would like), 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, 2 T. peanut flour, 1 packet stevia & a splash of milk (1/4 cup about). Mix together until it starts to form together. Then add strawberries on top. Delicious!


Pumpkin Protein Pancake: MY LATEST OBSESSION...I have been eating it every morning for weeks. I found this recipe HERE.. Sorry my pictures aren't as pretty, I  just mash and stir mine together in a bowl so they were a little more thick. I poured heated up PB2 or almond butter all over the top. 


Liquid Egg white omelet with banana & almond butter. This is what I take to work for my snack between breakfast & lunch.

MID-DAY MUNCHIES...As I talked about on my recent posts, I tend to get the munchies after lunch and before dinner. These cookies seem to hit the spot. They are flour-less & dairy-less! Since I can't have either, that is a bonus!


Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: this recipe is adapted from "The Best of Cleaning" cookbook (which is my absolute favorite by the way)

-Makes: 24 cookies

Ingredients:
-1 cup unsalted almond butter, stirred well or peanut butter
-3/4 cup brown sugar (can use 1/2 brown sugar & 1/2 stevia)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3 oz. dark chocolate broken into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients until blended. Stir in chocolate.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. 

When I stirred these together I didn't have faith that they would make cookies because they were so gooey. But they were delicious! and Bradon loved them too!

Nutrients: 110 calories, 8 grams fat, 10 grams carbs, 3 grams sugar, 2 grams protein---per cookie!



Homemade Healthy Granola Bars:

1 & 3/4C. Old fashioned Oatmeal
1/4 C. Raw pumpkin seeds (chopped)
1/4 C. raw sunflower seeds
1/4 C. chia seeds
1/4 C. usweeteed coconut
1/8 C. ground flaxseed
*for extra protein add about 3 scoops of vanilla protein powder

Wet:
1/2 C. Agave nectar/brown rice syrup
1/3 C. All Natural PB
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix them together
2) In a separate (microwave safe) bowl, mix together the wet ingredients, then microwave them for about 20 to 30 seconds. This will make it easier to mix and add to the dry ingredients.
3) Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix, Keep mixing until the wet  ingredients are as well distributed as possible.
4) Put the mixture into a 8x12 glass pan and flatten it down, pressing firmly. 
5) Store in the fridge for about 20 minutes before cutting them into bars. 
Yields: About 12 bars

These bars need to be refrigerated. They are so tasty! I take them on-the-go all the time! I got this recipe from here. Body of a mother was on TV making these bars.





DINNER TIME......here are 6 great options. One for every day of the week, leaving 1 day to go out!


Gluten-Free Pizza Crust: I found the recipe from "The Healthy Gluten-Free Life" Cookbook. Feel free to use any pizza crust you want. Can buy store bought to save on time(as long it is 100% whole wheat and not full of preservatives). 



 Chicken & Veggie Toppings: I first sautéed spinach, bell peppers & mushroom in a skillet. I spread the dough with marinara then topped with the veggie mix. I covered with shredded chicken from the can (to save time), tomatoes & sprinkled with basil . Cooked for about 10-15 minutes


Chicken Pesto Toppings: Pesto, chicken, tomatoes, olives & cheese. This was Bradon's pizza, above was mine. Bradon LOVED this pizza. 




Tofu & Asparagus with Brown Rice
(I adapted this recipe from here)
1 (16 oz) block firm/extra-firm tofu 
2 cups chopped asparagus
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp agave syrup
1 tbsp tamari/soy sauce 
1 tbsp Almond Butter
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp onion powder
salt to taste

[vegan, gluten free*]
This picture was from "Hungry Hungry Hippie"s post...Mine had asparagus, her's had green beans & spinach!
First, drain and press your tofu. Once it has most of the moisture removed, cut it into cubes. Stir together soy sauce, almond butter, & agave in a small bowl.
Once the pan and sesame oil are heated, add the tofu. Let the pan warm before you add the sesame oil.  While the tofu is frying, combine the soy sauce, agave, and tahini and stir until well mixed. Once the tofu has begun to bronze add the soy blend and let it continue to sizzle. Rotate sides of the cubes so that they all get exposed to the hot pan. Add the asparagus and let it cook until it is still slightly crunchy.  Then turn the heat down to low and cover. After a decent amount of time (be patient!) add the onion powder and sesame seeds. Keep stirring with the heat on low and let the sauce thicken and stick to the tofu and green beans.  [If you need more liquid start with 1 tbsp water]
Serve over brown rice.
By the way....Bradon would never eat tofu :) So I made half tofu & half chicken.


Salsa Chicken Tostadas: Use this recipe Salsa Chicken Tacos to make the chicken. I decided to use these leftovers and make tostadas to mix it up. All I did was heat up in the oven, 2 corn tortillas until crisp. Then I added chicken, "fat free" black bean refried beans, lettuce, hot sauce, tomatoes, & olives. I love mexican food.

(I apologize for the ugly picture, but it was yum!)




Balsamic Chicken & Peas with Brown Rice: 

Instead of serving over baked butter gnocchi, I served over brown rice without the butter (you can use whole wheat pasta as well!). Instead of half & half, I used almond milk.











Paleo Chicken Alfredo


Alfredo sauce and pasta can be pretty detrimental to the waistline! However, here is a simple way to create a a better version without sacrificing flavor! I used spaghetti squash, but for Bradon I used whole wheat penne

Time: 45 minutes

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1 spaghetti squash cooked and shredded (or whole wheat penne)
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp tarragon
• 1 cup cashews
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp paprika

Add the olive oil to a large skillet. Saute the garlic over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Chop the chicken into 1 inch cubes, then add to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides.

. Add the tarragon, cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. Then, pour the liquid from the skillet carefully into a small container for use in the sauce.

Add the cashews, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, pepper, and paprika to a blender. Cover and blend into a powder. Add the reserved pan juices slowly, blending into a thick sauce. You'll have to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender periodically. Add the juices until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.

Add the sauce to the skillet, then mix well. Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes longer, until chicken is cooked and sauce is thicker.





 Healthy Taco Salad

 Like I said, I love mexican food. Sometimes eating out at mexican restaurants can be a little dangerous from all the cheese & grease that is added. So try to make your own home versions!

Use the recipe Southwest Chicken Tacos to make the meat mixture for the taco salad.

All you need for the salad is lettuce, veggies of choice (like peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc), and hot sauce of course! Then add guacamole & homemade corn tortilla chips on the side and walla! Here is the recipe for the chips:

Homemade Tortilla Chips: All you need is 6 small corn tortillas cut into 1/4's. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and spread out the tortillas on the pan. Spray the chips with cooking spray. Sprinkle with garlic salt & a little cayenne pepper. Cook in the oven at 400 degrees, for 5-6 minutes. Then flip and spray/sprinkle again with the same ingredients. Cook 5-6 more minutes until edges are starting to brown. Pull out of the oven & let cool on the cookie sheet. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Ingredients:

-6 corn tortillas
-Garlic salt
-Olive oil cooking spray
-Cayenne Pepper





Sunday, April 8, 2012

30 day challenge update

Today I wanted to share a few yummy recipes with you and also let you know how my challenge is going. I'm not going to lie, I have never felt better in my life. All the intense stomach problems and cravings for sugar have gone away. I still get occasional stomach upset, but I think it's normal with all the veggies I eat. I thought it would be so hard to stay away from gluten, dairy, and sugar. It has been completely opposite. I encourage all of you reading my blog to try it! Just for 1-2 weeks. The first few days are rough and you feel exhausted and have a lot of cravings, but after that it is so easy! Anyways...Here is a few recipes I would like to share with you. 


HEALTHY CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

I paired up this soup with some panini turkey sandwiches for my husband and mom, and I added quinoa and butternut squash to mine to make it more of a complete meal. 

1 (12 oz) Cans diced tomatoes, with basil garlic and oregano
1 (12 oz) Cans crushed tomatoes, with basil garlic and oregano
3/4 cups Celery, chopped
3/4 cup Carrots, chopped
1/2 cup White onion, chopped fine
2 cups Chicken broth
1 cup Almond milk, or skim milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 tsp Dried oregano
1/2 tsp Dried basil
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Optional: Salt, pepper, and stevia (for a bit of sweetness) to taste

METHOD:
Place everything (except for the milk, dried spices, and parmesan cheese) in a large pot and cook on med high 30 min covered, then turn heat down to low and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until veggies are tender and soup is thickened up to your liking. You can puree half the soup in a blender if you do not want it as chunky. 
Turn heat off, and while soup is still hot, add milk, parmesan cheese, and dried spices. Stir to combine everything, and serve warm!

Calories: 103 Calories per Cup
Nutrient Breakdown: 8 g Carbohydrates, 2 g Fiber, 8 g Protein, 6 g Fat, 3 g Sugar



COCONUT FLAX PANCAKES


2T coconut flour
2T flax
4 egg whites
3-4T almond milk
1 Tbsp vanilla protein
1/2t baking powder
1/2t cinnamon
Stevia

Whip the eggs together in blender until fluffy.
Add in all of the other ingredients and blend for ~30sec.
Pour into a greased pan heated to med-low.
Cook + flip + cook + serve!

Top with pb and bananas, or you could also blend in a little frozen fruit for flavor + sweetness [cherries, bananas, strawbs, blueberries, etc].

I topped mine with PB and bananas! Yum! They are extra filling. I only ate 1 1/2 half and saved the rest for later. I found this recipe off of "Body of a Mother" Blog. Her recipes are always so yummy!





Makes 1 1/2 - 2 cups

Enjoy this healthy snack by the handful or sprinkled over fresh fruit, applesauce, or smoothies for some added crunch. For extra sweetness, stir 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit into the mixture upon removing it from the oven.

1/2 cup quinoa, covered with water and soaked at room temperature for 5-6 hours
1/2 cup raw walnuts, pecans, or almonds, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
15 drops liquid stevia

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drain the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Rinse well and drain again, pressing on the grains with the back of a spoon to remove as much water as possible. Transfer the drained quinoa to a mixing bowl and stir in the walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, flaxseed, and stevia. Stir the applesauce mixture into the quinoa mixture to thoroughly combine. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown and crunchy. Cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I found this recipe of "Daily Bites" Blog. I stole her picture as well. It was the perfect amount of sweetness and crunch. It would be delicious on yogurt-if I could eat it :( or on fruit with some almond milk. It is delicious! Even my husband liked it and put some on his yogurt!

Enjoy the recipes! More to come!
Love, Stephanie

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Dinner Planning & 7 days of dinners

Ok...It's five-o-clock p.m. and you know its time to start thinking about whats for dinner. How many of you find yourself trying to scramble up items, looking in your fridge, and then eventually getting take-out. That for sure happens to me when I don't plan ahead. I find myself not having all the ingredients for recipe, or that I should have thawed the meat earlier, or started the crockpot meal in the morning. Bradon and I always end up at Cafe Rio or something. Planning dinners saves money & time when it comes to your busy week. When I plan a week ahead I'm able to go to the grocery store with my list and get exactly what I need, then I don't have any excuses when it comes to dinner. I plan around work, family parties, etc...If I work late one night, then I try to make enough leftovers the night before. I found this awesome meal planning sheet here. I'm sure you can find them all over the internet as well!


7 DAY DINNER PLANNING EXAMPLE:


I made this list last week and went to the grocery store on Saturday to get all the ingredients that I needed...I have not tried the turkey meatloaf yet but I will post if it is yummy!

BALSAMIC CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC ASPARAGUS


Balsamic Braised Asparagus

-1 bunch of asparagus
-salt, to taste
-pepper, to taste
-low-fat balsamic vinaigrette

-Preheat  oven to 425. Rinse and trim woody bottoms off of asparagus. Place in an 8x11 glass dish with spears facing each other in the center. lightly spray with cooking spray, flip, and lightly spray again. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired and bake for 15 minutes, or until bright green and fork-tender. Once plated drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette
 Got this recipe from the Happy Herbivore Cookbook


Side salad for appetizers!


BALSAMIC CHICKEN:

Chicken:

-Salt & pepper
-4 boneless skinless, chicken breasts

Sauce:

-1/4 cup chicken broth
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-1 T. dijon mustard
-2 T. lemon juice
-2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp. pre-chopped garlic)
-1 T. olive oil (plus a little more for pan)

Directions:

1. In a bowl mix together broth, vinegar, dijon, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil until well blended
2. Heat about 1/2 T. olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of chicken
4. Add chicken to hot skillet and brown on both sides
5. Add sauce to pan and over chicken, being careful since the pan is very hot and sauce can splatter. Bring to a boil and stir up the bits of goodness on the bottom of the pan. Turn heat down to med-low. 
6. Simmer for about 6 minutes or until chicken is done and juices run clear.
7. To serve, spoon the delicious, slightly reduced sauce over the chicken.

TIP: If you know you will be in a hurry, you can make the sauce ahead of time and freeze in a zip-lock. Let thaw with chicken that day!



KANSAS CITY CHICKEN WITH BROWN RICE (Crockpot meal)



-Serves 6-ish

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup low sugar ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (P.S. this stuff is so good for you!!)
1/2 cup stevia or sugar
1 onion, diced
1 T. soy sauce
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Place the chicken to the slow cooker and season with salt & pepper. Cook the chicken for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is tender and able to shred. An hour into the cooking process, drain ½ of the chicken liquid out of the Crockpot. In a large bowl, combine all the other ingredients. Whisk well. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the Crockpot and cook on low for another 2-4 hours. Shred the chicken and stir together. Serve with brown rice, on tacos, over a salad, or in soup. It is delicious!!
**FREEZER MEAL: freeze ½ of the chicken for later in a ziplock bag. 

For this nights dinner I placed chicken on top of brown rice with some veggies on the side. I usually freeze half of it and then later in the week thaw and use for tacos or burritos! It is tasty in any dish. For lunch the next day I also added the chicken to a salad. Feel free to use it how you want!





INSTANT VEGAN ALFREDO RECIPE:

(Don't be scared off by the word vegan, it was a meatless, protein packed dinner! Delicious! I found this recipe out of the Happy Herbivore Cookbook)



Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces silken tofu
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  •  tsp garlic powder
  •  tsp onion powder
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 cups whole wheat pasta, cooked

Instructions:

Blend tofu with non-dairy milk, nutmeg, garlic, onion and a light dash of cayenne pepper (optional, or alternatively, add a drop or two of hot sauce) until smooth and creamy. Transfer mixture to a saucepan and whisk in nutritional yeast, flour and 1 tbsp vegan parmesan (optional). Cook over medium heat and allow to thicken. Taste, adding salt and black pepper to taste and adjusting other seasonings (more Parmesan, more garlic, etc) as desired. Toss with 2-3 cups of cooked whole wheat or brown rice pasta and vegetables if using. Serve immediately.
























Other mid-week recipes:



I love trying new things throughout the week and here are a few things that I would like to share that I thought were worth mentioning!



 "PURPLE DRINK" AFTER WORKOUT (or anytime) ICE CREAM

-1 cup coconut milk
-1 scoop vanilla protein (I used the Plant Fusion kind)
-4 frozen strawberries
-handful of frozen blueberries
-handful of ice

Make sure you have a pretty good blender to make this with an Ice cream button option. (Blendtec, Vitamix, ninja, etc work great). Put liquid and protein in blender first, then the rest of ingredients. Mix on "ice cream" setting. It is so thick it tastes like frozen yogurt. Who says ice cream can't be a good snack!

POPEYE'S ICE CREAM:

I didn't make this recipe yet, but tried it @ costco when I bought my blender. It was SO yummy and didn't taste like it was healthy at all!

-3/4 cup coconut milk (other other milk product)
-1/4 cup agave nectar syrup
-1 scoop vanilla protein
-1/2 advocado, peeled & pitted
-2 cups spinach, lightly packed
-11/2 T. Vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups ice cubes

Mix together in a blender and serve!




PUMPKIN STEEL CUT OATS WITH BANANA & ALMOND BUTTER

Follow this recipe here to make the steel cut oats overnight. Or you can make them on the stovetop according to the packaging directions.

-3/4 cup cooked steel cut oats
-2 T pureed pumpkin
-1/2 scoop vanilla protein
-a couple shakes pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon
-1 packet of stevia
-1/2 banana
-a scoop of almond butter

Mix together and add bananas & almond butter on top! It is yummy and never gets old!


I decided to try to make some homemade gluten-free cereal and found what looked like a good recipe online, but it didn't turn out too tasty, so I'm not going to share the recipe! 


It was alright when I covered with flax milk and stevia, but for sure won't make again!



Hope this post helps you generate some meals for your recipe planning!

We are happy when we have full bellies full of healthy, tasty food! :)


Sunday, April 1, 2012

Getting easier...

Hello! Well the last few days have been much better days then when I first started. I'm not having the sugar/bread cravings that I had. I feel like my body was detoxing from sugar. I don't think I realize how much sugar I really do eat from bread, cereal, cookies, granola bars, protein bars, etc. Dr. Hyman says your body goes through some detoxing side effects when you rid sugar and gluten from your diet. I also have been feeling much better not eating gluten. I don't bloat half as much. Anyways.....here is what was on the menu the last few days!!

Breakfast: same as the first few days....I know, boring right?

Breakfast for Bradon....Perfect Protein Waffles! These are seriously so yummy and has been one thing I miss a ton!!! The recipe is here!


Snacks: Gluten Free steel cut oats with berries, brown rice cake with PB2 and apple, celery with almond butter, etc..
Post workouts: Berry Protein Smoothie with Kale, and a brown rice cake with PB2. The only problem is, my Blendtec has been making really funky noises and decided to blow up! So now no smoothies for a while until they replace it! :(
Lunch: steamed butternut squash and cauliflower with ground turkey spaghetti sauce. This recipe is SOOO easy. You can find it here...
Dinner: We ate at a local Thai restaurant. It was delicious!! I love Thai because their dishes are always full of vegetables!

Before Bed Snack: FAUX CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE! So yummy and it tasted like a frosty. (Ok maybe not as sweet, but still yummy!)

1 cup flax milk
1 scoop chocolate protein
8-10 ice cubes 
1 pkt stevia
1 T. Flax
1/2 t guar gum

 
                                                   200 calories, 22 protein, Omega-3 fats!


TIP OF THE DAY

  1. Need to find a way to relax....try the ULTRABATH....Stress plays a dramatic role in blood sugar balance. It promotes weight gain around the middle, increases inflammation, and may cause many chronic diseases. I have an extremely hard time relaxing. But this bath sure does do the trick (when I make time for it of course). 
Ultra bath:

1-2 cups epsom salt
1/2 cup baking soda
10 drops lavender oil (decreases stress levels)

It is a detoxing/relaxation bath! 

Also lack of sleep or poor sleep damages your metabolism, causes cravings for sugar and carbs, makes you eat more, and drives up your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and early death. SO SET UP GOOD SLEEPING HABITS NOW!! (After I read this I thought, "OH that is awesome since I work nightshifts!" you get horrible sleep after these long nights...)