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!

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: 

Find this recipe here!!! This meal so sooooo good.

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