Rollin'

Rollin...Rollin...Rollin.........on the foam!

You heard CCR or Tina Turner (depending on which decade you were born)

GET ROLLIN'!

(Your muscles will thank you later-then you can thank me)

Okay, so what is this foam rolling all about and why are you telling me my muscles will thank me?  What if I told you it is like a deep tissue massage that you don't have to pay lots of money and could do it often?  Sound amazing?  Possibly heavenly?  Or just too good to be true?  At the very least, I think I have your attention now.

This is what the piece of foam looks like you should be rolling on.  Yes this simple device is massage magic!

Now that you have a visual, let me tell you why your muscles will thank you and me later :-)

Benefits of Foam Rolling

-Keeps your muscles loose and flexible.  This is especially important for your hip flexors and IT bands, which alleviates lower back issues

-Find those knots and release that tension.  Releasing tension, releases toxins and stress.

-Increases blood flow to muscles, which quickens recovery time

-Helps improve spine and posture

-Prevents injuries

-Improves workouts

Foam rolling is as simple as putting the foam cylinder between you and the ground.  Use it's circular shape to roll on it by allowing your body weight to push into the foam roller and massage your muscles.  The idea is to roll on the roller until you find a tender spot.  As soon as you find a spot, hold there for 30 seconds (like you would in a stretch), allow the tension to release.

Keep in mind there is such thing as too much.  Think about if you were to massage meat.  Over massaged aka tender meat isn't considered good meat.  Don't over tenderize your meat ;-)

Now go listen to CCR and happy rollin'!

Overnight Oats

Overnight oats is one of the easiest, fastest, nutritious, keep you fullest, breakfast (maybe) in the entire world.

WHAT YOU NEED:

-bowl or mason jar

-rolled oats (not quick or steel)

-milk or alternate milk of choice

-NOTHING ELSE!!!!

The night before take your bowl or mason jar, scoop 1/2 cup oats into the bowl.  Cover the oats with milk, roughly 2/3 cup, and place in frig.  During the night the oats will soak up the liquid and become soft.  In the morning take out your oats and dress it up as you would dress yourself.  

OAT DRESSING IDEAS:

-berries

-banana

-cinnamon

-scoop of protein powder

-nuts

-chia seeds (add in the night before so they have a chance to soak up liquid too-might want more liquid if you add chia seeds)

-feel free to add more milk if you need to get things moving a little more

MY PERFECT OVERNIGHT DRESSINGS:

-cinnamon

-stevia

-scoop of vanilla sun warrior protein powder

-raw almond butter

-mashed banana

-stir it all in and devour!!!!

Yum!

Happy quick breakfast eating!

Prep ahead for a smaller waist

Don't let all the time you have spent dedicated to yourself go to waist (literally your waist) this holiday season...too many people fall off during the winter holidays.  They are all guilty of one thing.  EXCUSES!

There is no room for excuses and you shouldn't use the holidays as a justified way to bring strength to the excuse.  The phrases no time, too many parties, lots of food, its cold out, etc should be foreign to you by now.  If they aren't then here are some tips to follow to keep your waist in line.

1. Make exercise a priority!  If you find that you typically work out later in the day but your schedule is filling up more during those slots then wake up earlier and get a workout in before your day.  You might find that you enjoy it more and feel better the rest of your day to stay on track.  Plus the only thing getting in the way is not hitting snooze on you alarm.  At the very minimum, all you need is 30min to get in a great workout.  Signing up for pilates classes, keeps you accountable, gets you out of bed and gives you one step ahead of the rest.  Switching to the morning workout can be hard, practice setting the alarm a few times in the morning, even if you aren't going to start the morning workouts yet, it will help the body to adjust.  Also try going to bed 30min earlier...who needs that extra half hour of TV anyway.  Your mind will thank you too!  Healthy mind, healthy body!

2. Set aside part of a day for food prep day.  Sundays seem to work well for this.  Prepping some food for the week, allows you to just grab and go.

-roasted veggies

-boiled eggs

-baked fish or chicken

-cook something in the crock pot

(like chili, its always better the longer it sits anyway)

-cut up your veggies

-cook rice or quinoa

-portion out nuts into single serving sizes

BREAKFAST

-the night before assemble overnights oats so in the morning all you have to do is add a little fruit and walk out the door

-on your prep day put all frozen ingredients for a smoothie into a freezer bag so in the morning you can just dump the bag into the blender...blend and go

LUNCH

-these meals will come from your prep day

-either assemble in the morning or assemble on prep day so you can get out the door in the morning quicker

DINNER 

-these meals will come from your prep day too unless you have time when you get home to make dinner

-or if you have a party to go to then assemble on prep day and grab container in the morning and eat before party.  That way you don't find yourself starving waiting to get home for dinner and end up eating the whole cheese plate.

Later this week, a post will feature how to make overnight oats, prepping for a breakfast smoothie, crock pot meals and reducing calories in nut butters!

Mindful Pilates

Lets be honest...we are all guilty of just going through our lives and days without mindfully being present.  Think about it...do you ever have an instance where you were driving and you don't remember passing certain landmarks on your route?  You are not alone...

We are all guilty of it as scary as that may be.

Sometimes our days can go by without even acknowledging a sense of self...

(here is an idea)

COMMIT PILATES TO YOU!!!

You are taking pilates for you anyway right?  Why not take full advantage of your class time to completely dedicate and worship you!  When is the last time you remember feeling your back muscles contract during news paper or feeling your abdominal muscles tighten together while performing catfish?  We all are guilty of just going through the motions.  

If you take an extra moment to focus in on your body with your mind, you will not only gain more mindful awareness but your body will thank you too!  You will see quicker results being mindful to your body and muscles during the exercises.  It is when your muscles fully contract and isolation occurs in specific targeted muscles that the physique you are looking for will shine through!

Even right now...

Take a moment...

Deep Breathe...

Squeeze your abs

(how simple was that)

That was mindful muscle contraction!

Post Workout Fall Smoothie

I have stressed before how tasty eating to the season can be...it is when the fruits and vegetables are at their finest and no farms and manufactures trying to push the produce out.  Seasonal produce is the time to take advance of a fruit or vegetables finest fresh most natural state...

Today lets talk about those other greens.  Sure we are all used to spinach, lettuce, romaine, spring mix...but it isn't spring or any other season.  It is fall.  

In fall we get the dark greens.  Yes, I am fully going to say right now that the darker the more nutrient dense, so lets make a smoothie that is even MORE nutrient dense than those spring counterparts :-)

This smoothie is a great one to have after a workout.

Jonagold Crisp Seed Smoothie

(serves 1)

1 medium Jonagold apple 

(this is a hybrid of a blush crimson Jonathan and a crisp Golden Delicious, the perfect crisp and sweet combo-you are welcome to pick any apple but I recommend one that is crisp and sweet)

1 bunch of kale OR green chard (stems removed)

(this is our nutrient dense green)

1 stalk celery

10 mint leaves

2 TBS flaxseeds

2 TBS chia seeds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

(some added fall flavor)

1/4 tsp ginger

1 TBS raw honey

(or agave or maple syrup)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

(or other milk of choice)

Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!

This smoothie is great post workout fuel.  It will restore your glycogen levels lost during the workout without the body storing it as fat!  Another great time to have this smoothie is upon awakening!

Blend Baby Blend

Pilates and Running

When I think about fall a lot of things come to mind...

pumpkins

leaves changing color

cooler temperatures

sweat shirts

apples

holidays

A side from many many other wonderful things fall brings, it is a time when I feel the most motivated to participate in some outdoor exercise.  For a lot of people the summer heat of Los Angeles can be a little overwhelming.  Sure we all love to be outside in the sun but do we want to exercise in the sun.  Sweating without even elevating the heart rate is sometimes all we mentally want...

I find that fall is a great time to get in some excellent runs.  The temperatures are comfortable where you can have to work up a little internal heat to keep you warm.  If you aren't building that heat then you aren't working hard enough, therefore you are cold and unsuccessful in your workout.  The air just seems a little nicer as well in the fall time.

All of the pilates work you have put in is going to give you a better run.  Even if you aren't a runner, doing pilates will put you a step above the rest...it isn't just about strong legs and lungs, it is about a complete strong and balanced body without the extra bulk

PILATES

-strengthens your core (abdominals and lower back)

-corrects posture imbalances

-helps to develop strong lunges

-elongates muscles for a longer gate in your stride aka flexability

-reduces the risk of injury

-strengthen legs laterally (which running does not do)

It has been proven that even just once a week, pilates is very beneficial for a runner.

Put that pilates body to use and go run outside!  Make a path of your own and find your running adventure.  Nature is there, YOU just have to hit the ground running!

COMMIT!!!

With the holidays fast approaching it is important to make sure you keep your mind and body healthy.  Take a moment and think about how crazy the holidays can be, going to parties, huge dinner, visiting with family, vacations, etc.  Now that you have somewhat of an idea of what you are about to jump into the next couple months wouldn't it be a positive experience with a love for your health.

The holidays don't have to stress your body, mind or waist.  It can actually be beneficial with the proper planning and dedication.

The time is now to start that commitment to yourself.  What are you doing to do for the rest of the year?  

Are you going to commit yourself to go to:

pilates three times a week

drink a green smoothie everyday

eat more vegetables

meditate
drink more water
cook more at home

go on more walks/runs/spin classes

Create these habits now.  It takes 21 days to form a habit.  If you start now your habit will be in formation before thanksgiving.  Since the habit will be so important to you then there will be no reason for you to miss a beat during the holiday.

We all have time for health and fitness.  

You just have to make it a priority!

Apple Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Start off your weekend tomorrow with a healthy fall inspired smoothie...your body will thank you and you can thank me later!

 (look at the size of this apple)

The original recipe that I made this morning is not vegan friendly but is vegetarian friendly and gluten free friendly.  I am going to list side options to make this smoothy completely vegan friendly and almost paleo friendly.

APPLE PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE

(serves 2)

-1.5 cups unsweetened almond protein milk

-2 cups frozen spinach

-1/4 cup pumpkin puree (follow this recipe to make your own puree)

-2TBS plain goat yogurt (omit if vegan)

-1 medium frozen banana

-2tsp pumpkin pie spice-salt free

-1 small honey crisp apple

-1tsp vanilla extract-alcohol free

-1 scoop peanut butter protein powder (For vegans use vanilla sunwarrior or unflavored vega)

-pinch xanthum gum

-pinch guar gum

(these gums are used to make the protein smoothie extra thick, like spoon eating thick)

-optional garnish: 1 TBS cashew butter and/or 1 TBS coconut butter

Blend in Blender (the higher powder blenders work best, I have a ninja.  Anything ninja or more powerful, like vitamix, will be your best friend)

__________________________________________________________________________________

Perfect Saturday Morning

smoothie, coffee, social media

Bought My Stock!

I wanted to do a follow up post to the CSA boxes I featured on here a couple weeks ago.  I have since purchased my own CSA box from Farm Fresh to you!  I decided on the all veggies options since I am always trying to get the vegetables onto my plate and into my stomach.  Fruit is never a problem...natures candy right?!  And who doesn't like candy :-)

This is what I found waiting at my front door Tuesday morning!  I absolutely love that I was able to put the box inside before leaving the house for the day.  They deliver EARLY or really LATE depending on how you look at the time...It is very settling knowing that I don't have to worry about the produce rotting from being outside all day.  As soon as I saw it I put it in my frig and left the house for the day.

Here is the list of goodies in this weeks box.

(I think after the 2 there is suppose to be the word avocado because I had two avocados randomly in my box that I do not see on the list!  Score for me.)

Last Night I roasted the spaghetti squash to make just that...grain free, low carb spaghetti noodles.  In the oven I put in a sweet pumpkin to roast to...might as well make most use out of the oven.  I followed my post on roasting pumpkin.

 

I am more than pleased with my box and look forward to my next box in a couple weeks.  Since I am the only one using my box I decided on the delivery every other week. 

Fitfluential

Now that you have taken SPX pilates classes at the studio and get a taste for what a healthy body is all about, ever think about taking it a step farther than just being a student in class?  There is such a great support and healthy attitude towards one another through our classes and in the fitness community in general.  Take your student status to the next level!

There are many ways you can spread the love, joy and positivity of spx pilates to others through a community and Fit Fluential is one way in which you can do just that.

"FitFluential is a growing family of fitness fanatics spreading a positive healthy message year-round. FitFluential is Fitness Found."

You can simply be you and be a part of fit fluential, you can be a part of the community as a blogger or even as an ambassador.  Or simply just add to the positivity and hashtag them with your twitter or instagram account...that simple!

Check out their website to see the options on how you can be a part of something great in the fitness world without having to be a Jillian Michael's! 

Buy stocks of Community Supported Agriculture

Do you own stocks in the stock market?  Does it make you feel good that you own a piece of something with the potential of making money off of it?

How about owning shares of a farm?  The shares would come in the form of a box delivered to your front door step full of seasonal vegetables and fruits from the farm.  The potential earnings from the shares is money saved in your pocket that didn't go towards overpriced modified fruits and vegetables from the market AND not to mention eating the shares is one of the greatest things you can do for your body!

Community Supported Agriculture are shares you want to purchase. 

"This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer. In brief...
Advantages for farmers:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown"

(source)

A company I would like to feature that offers this type of service with an added organic appeal is Farm Fresh to You!

They offer a wide variety of different types of boxes, from large to small, veggies and fruits to only veggies or only fruits, to a new addition the juice box (veggies that are best for juicing).

Buy your stocks today and climb the stock market success ladder!

Roasting your own Sugar Pumpkin

Technically it is fall, it has been fall for a week now.  I don't think Los Angeles understands that concept so lets pretend we live in other parts of the country where the air is a little more crisp and autumn surrounds us.  Maybe we can spread around some autumn leaves to create our own fall :-)  Since it is fall, technically, it is the season for PUMPKIN!  Selves are stocked high with canned pumpkin...great alternative but not nearly as scrumptious as your own pumpkin puree.  The best part is the fact that roasting a pumpkin is pretty simple.

First find sugar pumpkins.  These pumpkins are smaller in size 2-5lbs...leave those large pumpkins for carving with the kids or even the adults ;-)

Once you have your sugar pumpkins bought, turn the oven to 350 degrees.

If you have a sharp butcher's nice that is the best but any knife will eventually do the trick, you might just need a little sea saw technique to get you through...

It is easiest to cut the steam off first and possibly even the bottom...I don't worry about the bottom, just the steam.

Once your pumpkin is cut in half, gut out the seeds and stringy things.  Yes stringy things (no real technical name here ha).  Keep the seeds to roast or discard.  If you have kids, this step might be fun for them to get slimy with.

Some people like to just lay them on top of parchment paper while others like to put a 1/2 inch of water at the bottom of the pan...whichever way you prefer, lay the pumpkin face down after you optionally brush them with oil.  I like to give them a little layer of coconut oil

Put them in the oven for 45-50 minutes.  The skin will darken and a fork should easily pierce through the skin when they are done.  Time will all depend on the size of your pumpkins.  Keep your eye on them!

After the roasting is done, let the pumpkins cool for about 10 or so minutes.  After they have cooled take a spoon to cut away the pumpkin from the skin.  This is very easy, if it isn't them they need to be cooked longer.

From here you can either leave as is and put them in your favorite pumpkin recipes or pop them into the blender to make into a puree.  Feel free to add a little pumpkin spice, salt or pepper, or maybe even nutmeg and ginger...the options are endless.

Happy ROASTING!

Los Angeles Ultimate Women's Expo

Saturday October 27th and Sunday October 28th

Los Angeles Convention Center

10am-5pm

Drop into your local Starbucks to get free tickets or check out the web to be apart of the exhibit.

"Studies have shown that when consumers can touch, taste, see, feel and try your product or service, they will become your customer for life."

Soy V Dairy

The soy v dairy debate has been going on for quite some time now, yet I still find many people (as well as myself to feel so conflicted by the topic).  You see more and more other alternatives for dairy options but are those options really any better, specifically for people who don't have a harsh lactose intolerance...

It is widely believed that everyone is lactose intolerant it just depends on what effects each person can physically feel.  Mammals typically shouldn't consume lactose after the age of 5, due to weening from the mother's milk.

"Most mammals normally become lactose intolerant after weaning, but some human populations have developed lactase persistence, in which lactase production continues into adulthood. It is estimated that 75% of adults worldwide show some decrease in lactase activity during adulthood.^[5] The frequency of decreased lactase activity ranges from 5% in northern Europe through 71% for Sicily to more than 90% in some African and Asian countries.^[6] This distribution is now thought to have been caused by recent natural selection favouring lactase persistent individuals in cultures that rely on dairy products.^[7] While it was first thought that this would mean that populations in Europe, India, and Africa had high frequencies of lactase persistence because of a particular mutation, it has now been shown that lactase persistence is caused by several independently occurring mutations.<sup>[8]"

SO even if you have physically feelings from lactose or want to steer away from dairy completely, is soy a good options?  Places like Starbucks and restaurants only serve a soy option as their nondairy option...but is this better?  I would say no.  You are better off not having either or the dairy actually.  At home you can control your options like making your own mylk, like I discussed in previous posts or buying almond milk or other nut milk alternatives.  WHen you are out and the only option to a nondairy source is soy...stay away.  Here is why...

http://www.optimumchoices.com/Soy.htm
http://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/
http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/DietandNutrition/Pages/Soy-Vs-Dairy.aspx</sup>

Blissmo Box

In a previous post I talked about how important it is to have healthy snacks on hand and featured a company you can hire to do this for you...I would like to feature another one of those companies today. What is better about this company is that there is a deal for it going on through Gather Green.  

Go to gather green and get a great deal on a 2 month subscription to heathy eco friendly products to your doorstep from Blissmo.  Each delivery you can to pick a topic from samples like: snacks, bathroom, kitchen, etc.  What you pick doesn't necessarily have to be food related, the commonality is that each option is eco friendly.  Blissmo also sells their own daily deals too of products and companies they are proud to support.

For example today's deal features a clock that is powered by water.

First head to Gather Green to purchase your coupon.

Then register at Blissmo and pick your box!

Bush Heads

Remember those obnoxious infomercials talking about growing your own Chia Pet, Chia Head or Chia whatever the next ridiculous thing they wanted to come up with to grow!?!?  Well, did you know that those seeds from the Chia plant are actually super nutritious for you and you should have them as a staple in your diet...like yesterday!?

Do these look familiar?

You might have seen overly priced juiced bottled up with seeds in them at health food stores.  Well those seeds are chia seeds and you can make your own chia drinks and chia (fill in the blank) for fractions of the cost and sugar as those drinks!

Before we get into some fun ways to use Chia seeds, read here on the health benefits of Chia Seeds!

-Bulk up a recipe without the saturated fats by using Chia Seeds.  Take 1 TBS of Chia Seeds soak them 1/4 cup water for a couple hours (I put in frig overnight) and the Chia Seeds soak up all of the water creating low calorie density for a recipe.
-Put them into your water for a new spin on plan water.  Try adding a splash of lemon, or mint, or cucumber to go along with it
-Make your own jam!  Take 1 cup frozen berries (dethawed).  Add 1 TBS Chia Seeds plus 2 TBS water, soak overnight.  Instant Jam.
-Add them to your smoothies, add them to your oats, sprinkle them on salads....the options are endless.

Sorry if I now have the Cha Cha Cha song stuck in your head...well, maybe I do now :-)

PS You can buy Chia seeds at health good stores and many different options online...just type in Chia Seeds in google.

Health-ifying Recipes

Baked Good can often seem less caloric than they actually are...

For example take something labeled Zucchini Bread, because of the vegetable in the title it seems like it could be nutritious for the body.  Well what if I told you a normal recipe for Zucchini Bread looked something like this...(source)  What blows my mind the most is that it is from the food network channel.  Just because things are shoved in our faces (in media) does not mean it is good for you and you should do it...just saying :-)

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Look at how much SUGAR AND OIL are in this recipe!!!

If you take some of the pointers I mentioned in the post before this about, healthy swaps and protein replacements, we can make this recipe a whole lot healthier without missing any of the flavor.

This recipe can also be labeled as dairy free, gluten free, grain free and heck lets say meat free too ;-)

I want to first go over the swaps and then at the end I will list the recipe (incase there is confusion during the swap explanation).  

1. First we have all purpose flour...If its white, get it out of your LIFE!  A better substitution is almond flour, garbanzo bean flour, or if you are into the grain thing than oat flour works well (try and stick to gluten free).

2. The salt can be reduced...no need for all the extra sodium

3. Baking Soda...KEEP...we need this sucker to rise!

4. Cinnamon KEEP!  I put cinnamon in EVERYTHING!!!!

5. 3 cups sugar...OMG...lets all have diabetes just from this bread alone.  Some great swaps for this is to use Truvia (it is stevia but has the texture of sugar so it can help in the construction of the cake).  Other nice swaps are honey, agave or banana or a combination of whichever

6. 1 cup oil!!!!!!!  How about we reduce that to tablespoons...no need for all that oil to clog the arteries.  Plus to keep the moisture in the bread some nice swap moisture ideas are banana, unsweetened applesauce, or cottage cheese if you are okay with dairy.

7. 4 eggs....we like eggs, even the egg yoke!  Lets keep those but reduce the number, no need for extra calories....moderation people

8. Water...as silly as this sounds...even though this provides no calories to the bread it isn't even necessary.  If there is ever anything that needs an extra liquid to get things moving, I will pour in some unsweetened almond milk.  Adds a little flavor without adding too many calories.

9. 2 cups zucchini...YES KEEEP!!!!  WE LOVE VEGETABLES!

10. Lemon Juice...optional

11. 1 cup nuts is a little excessive.  I will list this as optional...but lets reduce the amount to maybe a 1/4 cup

Healthy Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cups almond flour (or 1 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup unflavored protein powder)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup grated zucchini, water squeezed out (you can simple use a cheese grater)

2 eggs plus 2 egg whites

3 Tablespoons Truvia, Agave or Honey

1 banana, mashed

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Coconut Oil spray two mini bread loaf pans or muffin tins

-Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside

-Combine wet ingredients (not zucchini) and beat with hand or hand mixer for a couple minute

-Add zucchini and mix until combined

-Pour dry ingredients into wet and mix (I like to pour a little, then stir, then alternate pour and stirring until bowl is empty)

-Pour batter into pans

-Bake for 32-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. (muffins will take a shorter amount of time: try 15-20min)

-Remove from oven and cool

***If you would like to make this recipe chocolate then add 2 TBS Cacao Powder and replace the unflavored protein with chocolate protein)

Protein Tease

Hi all!

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend!  I'm sure we all enjoyed some fun, friends, laughter and good food!  Maybe a little too much 'good' food! :-)  Life is meant to be enjoyed, so if that means you enjoy and indulge a little hear and there on good food, don't sweat it...just make sure you back on track and sweat, literally!!!

Speaking of indulging on 'good' food...did you know that you can enjoy those delicious tasting foods and cut the calories without cutting the taste.  Later this week I'm going to share some recipes that I have come across that truly are delicious, if not better than the original.  From breads, to muffins, to ice cream, to parfaits, etc.

In the mean time, try experimenting yourself.

Replace Milk with unsweetened vanilla or chocolate almond milk
Instead of oil, try applesauce
Replace Eggs with Soaked Chia Seeds
Instead of Butter try coconut oil
Replace Cream Cheese with Greek Yogurt or Cottage Cheese
Instead of Wheat Flour try Coconut Flour or Almond Flour or even Protein Powder!

There are so many options and all of these options will lower the calories and bump up the protein!

Don't allow Labor Day to be the last hooray of bathing suit season.  Every day should feel like bathing suit season.  Feel good about your body and keep up the great work!  No winter hibernation!

Nuts about Mylk

Are you on the nut mylk band wagon!?!  Are you interested in trying nut mylk?  Are you sick of buying nut mylk?  Are you wondering why I am typing mylk and not milk?

It seems as though everyone is buying nondairy alternatives as a 'milk' beverage of choice!  It is something that has been going on for awhile but it seems that more and more stores and restaurants are having nondairy milk alternatives.  If you are someone who is buying and drinking nondairy milk, such as almond mylk I recommend you try making it on your own because it is super easy and cheaper.

To answer the mylk and not milk question before I move on...I spell milk when referring to a nondairy milk as mylk because it is a way to differentiate dairy v. nondairy...that's all...nothing more fancy or deeper meaning than that!

To make nut mylk (in this case lets work with almonds).  I recommend buying raw almonds.  That way they are pure, having been roasted, dried, salted, smoked, sugared, etc...

You can make any amount of nut mylk you want at a time, just keep in mind the ration of nuts to water will be 1:2 cups.

If you can I also recommend using alkaline water or reverse osmosis water...just to be more pure and balancing for the body.

****If you do not have a nut bag you will need to purchase one...or cheese clothe

1. First get your nuts.  Lets just work with a simple 1 cup of raw almonds.  First you need to soak your nuts for at least 4 hours.  I recommend just soaking them in the frig the night before.  To soak, place nuts in a bowl with enough water to cover the nuts.
2. After your nuts have been soaked rise them off.
3. (some people like to peel their nuts but I don't find it necessary)
4. In a blender place the 1 cups of nuts with 2 cups of water.
5. At the very minimum I suggest adding a pinch of stevia and a pinch of salt.  If you want sweeter milk add in more stevia, or agave, maple syrup, molasses, honey etc (experiment with your taste preference).
6. Blend nuts on high for 1 minute.
7. Get container you will put your nut mylk in and cover the opening with the nut bag.
8. Pour nut mylk through nut bag to allow nut bag to catch the nut pulp.
9. Squeeze nut bag so make sure you get every last drop of goodness
10. Place nut mylk in frig and drink up.

Should last in frig for a few days.  You will notice separation...this does not mean it is bad, just shake it up before serving.  I find that mason jars work the best!

If you are someone who doesn't like to be wasteful there are plenty of recipes to use the nut pulp (aka almond flour) in...especially in healthy baked goods.  Yum!

Healthy Surprise

A surprise is one of those things that someone loves or someone hates...there really is no in between or gray area with someone's feelings towards surprises.  I know I would not appreciate a clown popping up from around the corner and surprising the living day lights out of me with a horn squeaking in my face.  What if I said I have a surprise for you that has a guaranteed positive reaction towards.  I mean I literally think it could make you like surprises for all of you who are surprise haters!!!!

Check it out...its a healthy, no hassle, comes to your front door, box of goodness.  Do I have you convinced yet!?!?!?!?!

HEALTHY SURPRISE

(or what I like to call, 'happiness in a box')

Everything is VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE and SOY FREE!

There are healthy snacks for every different pallet.  

Prices range from as low as $33/month up to $99/month plus free shipping!!!!

Even if this doesn't seem like a good idea or too many snacks for a home.  How about getting it for the office?  Too many offices have BAD BAD BAD snacks.  It is where most diet fails are seen.  Make that office a success and keep healthy snacks around for all to share!

Click on the here for a direct link to the different box options.

There is also a gift option if you don't want to subscribe monthly to the service.

Happy Surprise Snacking!

Pasta Alternatives

To keep a healthy diet and waist line, we have to make sure we eat in moderation....The Golden Rule.  One of the hardest macronutrients to keep under control is carbohydrates.  They are everywhere!!!  Even when you think something doesn't have carbohydrates, there usually are.  They like to surprise attack us which leads to a surprise attack increase on the scale...not good.  Keeping the carbs at bay, keeps the fat astray :-)  Moving on...

There are many alternatives to the carb loaded pasta dishes we all love and crave.  Some alternatives are as simple as just going to the market and picking up a new item, while others involve a little more elbow grease.  Lets touch on some of the easier options first.

A couple products I have come across that just take a little boiling water are:

Explore Asian Organic Black Bean Spaghetti

 

Check out the macronutrients listed for this great spaghetti alternative.  Only 16g of carbs per serving AND 20.5g of protein.  A double bonus, low carb and high protein.  You could literally eat this whole back of black bean spaghetti and eat as many carbs as a cup of whole wheat spaghetti.  If you do decide to get all crazy and eat the whole bag, please let me know I don't want me be near your back door ;-)

Another product that has gained huge popularity, mainly do to Hungry Girl, is the Shirataki Noodle.

 

This noodle is tofu based, which means you have to be okay with consuming soy in order to add this product to your grocery chart.  It has a funky smell, but quickly dissipates when washed and boiled.  This noodle alternative has no flavor, takes on the taste of what is made with it and has VERY low carbs...about 3g which is mainly fiber.  Another double bonus!  Both of these brands provide the same technique to use as a swap for pasta.  Here you can read up more on the first picture, Miracle Noodle.

Lastly there is a popular food in the raw food world called kelp noodles.

Again a very low to nonexistent carb alternative to the popular pasta noodle, however this product may be the one that takes the highest adjustment curve.  This noodle is crunchy.  It has no flavor but you have to be pre-warned that it has a little crunch to it...not like a chip crunch but a well done pasta type crunch.  Below is a picture of the noodles that might help you understand its texture.  

Definitely worth trying though...the palette likes variety!

Time for the elbow grease!!!!

Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.  Use a large spoon or fork to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the toppings of choice. Serve warm.

Zucchini Noodles (or any other fibrous vegetable...carrot, cucumber, etc)
Simply use a Julienne or Carrot/Skin Pealer to cut up the veggie to make noodles that resemble this:

You can also achieve the same string or ribbon pattern using a mandolin shredder!


Regardless of your pasta alternative, keep that golden rule in mind and happy low carb eating!

Allergies-Wheat

If you have noticed in some of the past posts there is a common similarity to them.  The posts have pin pointed wheat as a bad guy.  There is lots of research lately pointing to wheat as being a huge problem in the american diet.  Something that has turned into a staple, is what many people believe to be looked at as a desert...meaning it shouldn't be in your diet, if not at all.

For most people we do not feel a specific reaction to wheat or other common allergies.  If you think about it though doesn't it make sense that things a lot of people are allergic too probably aren't good for anyone's body. (common allergies such as: wheat, dairy and nuts to name a few).  

Here is a quick look at what wheat does to the body "Lets assume that we start with a normal digestive tract (which in itself is unusual). Than we over-consume wheat which contributes to bacterial or fungal dysbiosis. This results in a heightened intestinal immune response with degradation of the intestinal lining or leaky gut syndrome. This is followed by pancreatic dysfunction (insulin and digestive enzyme deficiency) and a susceptibility to parasitic infection followed by an inability to absorb micro-nutrients ultimately leading to degraded health, vitality and even chronic sickness and disease." Source

Even if it is for a few days, try taking wheat and its sisters out of your diet.  Pay close attention to how you feel, both mentally and physically.  Maybe wheat is something your body doesn't need either!

Whole30

Yes, lets talk about diets...not that whole existence these days seems to be overly populated by diets.  (Let me rephrase if you are looking for a diet to go on it can be overwhelming to weed through all the different ones and then there are those that just don't care and even those people know more than they want to know about certain diet names).

The one that seems to be the most talked about in the fitness world is the Paleo diet aka Caveman diet.  Yes go eat like a caveman, its the way we were intended to eat...(its a little more complex then that).  Basically think of yourself living 2.5 million years ago and figure out what to eat!  To adapt this to our reality it simply means eat a diet full of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots and nuts.  DO NOT eat grains, legumes, dairy, salt, refined sugar and processed oils.  Can seem a little overwhelming right?!?

Thats where Whole30 comes into action.  It is a transformation based on the same scientific research as the paleo diet that lasts 30 days.  Its goal is, "Whole9’s original program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food. Since 2009, thousands of people have used our program as a jump-start to changing the way they eat for the rest of their lives."


Source

Simply speaking all you have to do is stick to whole foods.  Shop in the fresh produce isle and the butcher shop!

There is a huge following recently with Whole30 and free information on their website.

My favorite thing is that they have available a shopping list...pretty fool proof if you ask me!

The likeness of the Whole30 is that they aren't shoving down your throat that this is the way you should eat for the rest of your life.  There is understanding that you will want to have some SAD cheats, but following it for at least 30 days is a guarantee that your life will change...for the better!