Showing posts with label healthy eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy eating. Show all posts
My Fitness Pal
Now that I'm not doing any renovations, I've had some time to enjoy my health. Spiritual, mental and physical. Isn't it interesting to consider the fact that the busier we are the more ourselves/taking some "myself" time falls by the wayside? I'm enjoying getting back in to a lifestyle/lifetime routine of health. For myself, yes. But, for my husband, present family and future family. I play a role in this world and I need to take care of myself.
I found this awesome app that keeps great track of your calorie intake, how many calories you've burned with workouts, etc. I've NEVER cared about my weight but I do care about how I feel. Additionally, I have absolutely no self control. If it's in my house, I will eat it. My Fitness Pal keeps track of everything for me. I never have to worry about how much more I should or shouldn't eat at the end of the if I had a doughnut for breakfast and no time for a workout.
Juice
I need to look back at how long this health kick has lasted but much longer than ever before! I can't believe how motivated I am to continue with a consistently healthy lifestyle.
Lately, I've been making all of our own juice (minus orange, home made is a gigantic pain in the rear!). I could really use a juicer but for now my blender and a straining sifter work just fine. My most recent and favorite juice is apple, strawberry and lemon. I don't add anything but fruit, coconut water and purified water. It's so yummy and a great way to control the amount of sugar you ingest.
Lately, I've been making all of our own juice (minus orange, home made is a gigantic pain in the rear!). I could really use a juicer but for now my blender and a straining sifter work just fine. My most recent and favorite juice is apple, strawberry and lemon. I don't add anything but fruit, coconut water and purified water. It's so yummy and a great way to control the amount of sugar you ingest.
Green Juice: does a body good
My good friend, Chelsea Knight (also owner of Hard Core Yoga in Eugene... more on that later), introduced me to this yummy green juice. I made it for the first time this morning. I love it and could definitely see myself making it on a regular basis. I'm officially on my annual health kick.. It'll last another couple of months so stay tuned for more healthy ventures that I'll be on my way to exploring.
Green Juice:
1" piece of ginger - promotes energy and positively increases the body's metabolic rate
3 handfuls of spinach - low in calories, very high in vitamins (about 10)
1 head of romaine - heart healthy green, low in calories, high in vitamins (especially C and A), high in water volume
1-2 whole lemons - the ultimate super food! Cleanses the digestive track and allows food to digest correctly, aids in the production of antibodies, high in potassium, anti-carcinogenic, acts as an internal antiseptic...etc
1 sm apple - several micro nutrients, moisture, pectin, vitamins.. plus one a day keeps the doctor away :)
Throw the ingredients and about 6 cups of water into a blender or juicer. If using a blender, make sure you strain the juice coming out of the mixer into your pitcher. You don't want stored smoothie. Yuck. Make sure it's the consistency of thin juice.
Enjoy!
Extra, Extra! Read All About IT!
I am not sure how much more like "Fall-y" it can smell in my house at this point. I've canned 7 jars of apple sauce this morning. The cinnamon and spice that permeates every nook of my house and my senses gives me a pleasant feeling of everything lovely that Fall has to offer. In my quest to conquer the giant bucket of apples I had from our tree, I decided to add to the preservation of food and go farm hopping. I got a lot of fresh, beautiful produce at an equally beautiful discounted price.
For Example:
50 ears of corn for $15
A bag full of organic honey, jalapenos, portobella mushrooms, freshly cut/packaged meat, acorn squash, tons of fruit and a pound of green beans for $36!
This bucket was full and gave me 7 jars of apple sauce, 12 tarts, 3 apple crisps for free!
I used to think that organic was grocery code for much, MUCH more expensive. Well it is when you get it from the grocery stores. If you grow your own or visit a nearby orchard or small farm (one that doesn't distribute to grocery stores and is certified organic) it is much cheaper and is much more rewarding. It requires a little bit more work to preserve the bulk you are bound to end up with after leaving these farms but the rewards are well worth it.
There is a wonderful farm near our house, River Bend Farm and Pleasant Hill Orchard, that I visited for the first time today and was blown away at the gobs of produce/nuts/honey/meat/fruit/etc that they have. It's all either grown on the farm or is brought from within the county. All local. Which we LOVE. River Bend is involved with a fantastic program called the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). It is a program that benefits both community and farm. It is a program that, for a small fee, provides a large amount of in season produce weekly for those who are members. A CSA membership assures you of the finest and freshest food for your family and supports local community agriculture. This particular farm provides a membership that includes a weekly box of produce/baked goodies from their farm store kitchen for 20 weeks. The purpose for this program is to generate revenue in the farms off season. Which leads me to my next point: supporting/purchasing local.
It's not just a lovely thought. It's not an idea I had because I live in Eugene, Or (hippie-ville USA). There are serious health risks for those ignorant enough to assume that the produce/meat they are buying at the grocery store is actually what it says it is when it says it's "organic" or FDA approved. So, say you take the risk and buy "organic" from a grocery store, you pay up the yin yang for it, right?? OR, let's say you can't afford the "organic" selections from the grocery store. An apple's an apple, right? Ugh, no. Unfortunately, we live in the age of the quick buck. In addition to the unfortunate concept of the quick buck, we are suffering illnesses due to herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics and hormones. You think it's not that big of a deal and that there's a small chance of us getting sick by being "healthy" and eating "organic" produce and meat. Seriously, do your homework before you assume this. If you don't care for yourself, care for your existing or future children. It truly doesn't take a whole lot of effort to find a local small farm and pick your own berries and freeze them or buy corn in bulk and can them. Grow your own vegetable garden. As John C. Maxwell said "There are 5 small words between success and failure; I do not have time." If you make it a priority and make time, it is totally doable.
For Example:
50 ears of corn for $15A bag full of organic honey, jalapenos, portobella mushrooms, freshly cut/packaged meat, acorn squash, tons of fruit and a pound of green beans for $36!
This bucket was full and gave me 7 jars of apple sauce, 12 tarts, 3 apple crisps for free!I used to think that organic was grocery code for much, MUCH more expensive. Well it is when you get it from the grocery stores. If you grow your own or visit a nearby orchard or small farm (one that doesn't distribute to grocery stores and is certified organic) it is much cheaper and is much more rewarding. It requires a little bit more work to preserve the bulk you are bound to end up with after leaving these farms but the rewards are well worth it.
It's not just a lovely thought. It's not an idea I had because I live in Eugene, Or (hippie-ville USA). There are serious health risks for those ignorant enough to assume that the produce/meat they are buying at the grocery store is actually what it says it is when it says it's "organic" or FDA approved. So, say you take the risk and buy "organic" from a grocery store, you pay up the yin yang for it, right?? OR, let's say you can't afford the "organic" selections from the grocery store. An apple's an apple, right? Ugh, no. Unfortunately, we live in the age of the quick buck. In addition to the unfortunate concept of the quick buck, we are suffering illnesses due to herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics and hormones. You think it's not that big of a deal and that there's a small chance of us getting sick by being "healthy" and eating "organic" produce and meat. Seriously, do your homework before you assume this. If you don't care for yourself, care for your existing or future children. It truly doesn't take a whole lot of effort to find a local small farm and pick your own berries and freeze them or buy corn in bulk and can them. Grow your own vegetable garden. As John C. Maxwell said "There are 5 small words between success and failure; I do not have time." If you make it a priority and make time, it is totally doable.
Addiction. A scary word. Often a word that gets thrown around flagrantly with light hearted undertones. Whatever your experiences are with addictions, you know that once you've kicked an addiction the withdrawals and fiending are not far behind. Lurking in the shadows, serving as a punishment for your strong will to quit.
Ok... Enough, drama queen.
I am on a sugar and dairy strike. I was addicted! What?! I really was.
The dairy thing, bad news because I'm allergic, but would pop a lactaid and down a glass of milk coupled with a grilled cheese sandwich... No bueno. Sugar, on the other hand, and I have had a wonderful relationship throughout my 23 years on this earth. I have been a faithful and loyal consumer of all things that included sugar as an ingredient. In fact, as a child my parents would find me in the middle of the night with a face covered in sugar due to robbing the sugar bowl. My love for sweets started at a very young age. Ok, so every kid loves sweets. No need to alert the media. But into my adulthood, consuming entire boxes of donuts as a meal in the middle of the day and no where near "my time of the month" was not uncommon. I created a habit of "rewarding" myself upon completion of each meal with a cookie or brownie. Nightly I rewarded myself with the completion of the day with a bowl of ice cream (a double whamie-no-no, sweets and lactose). I classically conditioned myself to complete something (I'm being vague with the word "something" because I would literally wake up in the morning and think to reward myself with something sweet) and it would be followed by a sweet snack/meal. NOT OK. This probably sounds like I was depressed, I wasn't. I just have no self control. Not when it comes to sweet ingestables. And especially not if my metabolism is so darn fast that I didn't visually reap the consequences of my lack of self control.
SO, I've been without both dairy and sugar since Saturday. The headaches are enough to resort back to my unhealthy but delicious ways. But I won't! I want to create a healthy lifestyle for myself and my home and my future family.
I made some power muffins the other day and they sure are powerful! After tweeking the recipe several times, I think I've got it down.
Ingredients
1 ripened banana
2 tsp olive oil
1 organic brown egg
1/4 cup non-packed brown sugar
1/2 cup freshly ground flax seed
1/4 whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats (the whole grain kind, looks like horse food)
1/2 tsp baking soda
Ok... Enough, drama queen.
I am on a sugar and dairy strike. I was addicted! What?! I really was.
The dairy thing, bad news because I'm allergic, but would pop a lactaid and down a glass of milk coupled with a grilled cheese sandwich... No bueno. Sugar, on the other hand, and I have had a wonderful relationship throughout my 23 years on this earth. I have been a faithful and loyal consumer of all things that included sugar as an ingredient. In fact, as a child my parents would find me in the middle of the night with a face covered in sugar due to robbing the sugar bowl. My love for sweets started at a very young age. Ok, so every kid loves sweets. No need to alert the media. But into my adulthood, consuming entire boxes of donuts as a meal in the middle of the day and no where near "my time of the month" was not uncommon. I created a habit of "rewarding" myself upon completion of each meal with a cookie or brownie. Nightly I rewarded myself with the completion of the day with a bowl of ice cream (a double whamie-no-no, sweets and lactose). I classically conditioned myself to complete something (I'm being vague with the word "something" because I would literally wake up in the morning and think to reward myself with something sweet) and it would be followed by a sweet snack/meal. NOT OK. This probably sounds like I was depressed, I wasn't. I just have no self control. Not when it comes to sweet ingestables. And especially not if my metabolism is so darn fast that I didn't visually reap the consequences of my lack of self control.
SO, I've been without both dairy and sugar since Saturday. The headaches are enough to resort back to my unhealthy but delicious ways. But I won't! I want to create a healthy lifestyle for myself and my home and my future family.
I made some power muffins the other day and they sure are powerful! After tweeking the recipe several times, I think I've got it down.
Ingredients
1 ripened banana
2 tsp olive oil
1 organic brown egg
1/4 cup non-packed brown sugar
1/2 cup freshly ground flax seed
1/4 whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats (the whole grain kind, looks like horse food)
1/2 tsp baking soda
This recipe is the base, from here you can add whatever you want. I added in some dried cranberries and some dried apricots. Nuts, dark chocolate chips, any dried fruit all would be great. They are a great way to start out your day!
I'm crossing my fingers that I can keep this up!
I'm crossing my fingers that I can keep this up!
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