healthy

What I Learned During the 21 Day Fix

I took the 21 Day Fix challenge. I fit in my 30 minute workout everyday and I stuck to the meal plan. (With the possible exception of day 20 in which I cannot confirm nor deny that I might have exceeded my “blue” container, a.k.a. healthy fats, in the form of cheese and a possible “unhealthy” white sauce that I did not mean to order on top of my vegetarian style eggs.) Was it fun? I had some creative menu planning moments, but no. Was it easy? There were without doubt better days than others, but no. Was it educational? Absolutely.

Here is a little about what I’ve learned…

  1. I eat too many carbs. Apparently if you have oatmeal for breakfast, you are not supposed to have a wheat pita at lunch if you are going to have rice for dinner. But that’s really the least of my concerns, because I like muffins and pastries. My daily intake of refined sugar (even in the form of organic cane sugar) and all purpose unbleached organic flour is just too high. I’ve got to face the facts.
  2. I don’t eat enough whole grains. Just because I have been buying whole grain organic bread for over a decade doesn’t mean I’m really eating whole grains. I have pasta, pita chip, cereal, cracker and tortilla opportunities just to name a few. Alas, what’s a girl to do?
  3. My portions are out of proportion. So this one is not a shocker. Yes, I have a tendency to get carried away at a breakfast buffet, but that’s not what I’m talking about. There is too much of a good thing, meaning you can even overdo it with healthy meals. For example, some salad dressings are caloric nightmares. It’s a work in progress.
  4. I don’t exercise enough. I can honestly say I feel like I’m on my feet all day. I do dishes, laundry, chase my one year old, make snacks and meals- clean them up, make beds… the list goes on. But getting your heart rate up and sweating for just 20-30 minutes is a different beast. Granted, I am not naturally prone to loving that, but I think know I need more of it.
  5. I need to drink more water. I don’t drink half of my body weight in ounces on a regular basis. (Because you are probably good at math, I won’t tell you what that is; let’s just say it’s over the standard 64 oz.) There are days I can reach that goal, but I really need to push myself. Thankfully this program has no restrictions on coffee, tea (unsweetened and without cream of course), and flavor infused waters- even carbonated. I’m actually fortunate that way, I am completely satisfied with just those options. If I could only drink more water…
  6. My attitude could use an adjustment. I was doing this to better myself, reset my habits so to speak. I started off with excitement and optimism. I made fun and healthy, (and delicious) snacks. I made some separate food for myself, but to be realistic I’d have to create dinners my family would eat also; which I really enjoyed. Knowing I was doing good for them too was heartwarming. I made it through my birthday, Mother’s Day, my brother-in-laws birthday, a weekend getaway- streaming my workouts mind you, a church pizza party… Yet, somewhere along the way I fell out of love. Around day 15-17, I got pretty grumpy. I started having thoughts like “A little pita with this hummus would be nice. I can’t help it if the restaurant doesn’t serve whole grain…” and “If I wanted to workout on vacation in ‘real life’, I would go to the hotel fitness facility, instead of exercising in the dark while my children are sleeping.” It turned into more of fulfilling my commitment than bliss.
  7. I am going to apply more of these principles into my life. I definitely need to incorporate more fresh fruit and vegetables in my diet. I’ll be honest, if I eat oatmeal for breakfast and a wheat pita for lunch, I’m not going to worry about having a little rice for dinner- but I need to pay attention. I can’t have a daily intake of waffles for breakfast, french fries with lunch and pasta at dinnertime followed by dessert- on a regular basis without knowing it’s going to have an effect. The program suggests the 90/10 rule; if you follow the guidelines 90% of the time you can treat yourself 10% of the time. And I think until I reach my goals I’m going to try hard to follow that.
  8. It works. The results are in the “chia” pudding. I’ve lost over 5 pounds. (Not the most dramatic results in weight, but it’s only been 21 days.) However, in three weeks I have lost over 3 inches in my stomach, and over 2 inches in my waist. That’s amazing! I think some mom’s like myself (and certainly women who are not and men too) start to think “this is just my body type now.” The truth is we CAN do something about it.

I still have some work to do to achieve my goals, but this was a great platform and eye-opener. The knowledge that it can happen is encouraging. I can do this! (And I am really looking forward to this week “off”… I earned it!)

Berry-Banana Smoothie Bowl

Now that I’m a raging health nut… I buy healthy recipe magazines. And according to my Clean Eating periodical, “Smoothie Bowls” are all the rage. They’re smoothies you can chuck so full of nutritional goodness and frozen fruits/veggies that you can’t suck them through a straw- hence the bowl and spoon. Of course if you know me, you know I am all about cutting edge (and regularly sarcastic). But I thought, why not? I like smoothies and I certainly know how to freeze a banana. However, for all my strides in stocking my pantry with chia seeds, coconut milk, almond flour, and avocado oil; I still came up short on my chlorella, maqui berry and maca powders. So I came up with my own, and I must say that it does feel indulgent. Like eating berry ice cream for breakfast! 😉

 

Serves 2 (or a hungry 1)

As organic as possible:

9 frozen Strawberries

1 frozen Banana, sliced into 2″ pieces

1/2 cup Almond Milk (Soy or non-fat milk)

5 Ice cubes

2 cups mixed frozen Blueberries, Raspberries and Blackberries

1/3 cup granola (preferably with some source of protein: nuts or seeds), plus more for topping (optional)

1 Tbsp Honey (buzzword “raw” optional)

 

Make sure to freeze your fruit the night before or at least several hours in advance (or you might end up with a regular old smoothie). Place all the ingredients in a blender and flip the switch! (Or push the button…)

Spoon the ingredients into a bowl and top with granola or slivered almonds if you’d like, and eat up butter cup. You’re so healthy!

Diet Life

My diet life could be compared to Oprah’s, except not as public. It’s more of a let go, then reel it in approach rather than a lifestyle- which kind of is a lifestyle. It’s all about perspective.

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But I’m working on it, because I want to be overall healthier. So my friends and I have started a Diet Club. Ironically, the club consists of the same members as the Dinner Club. (Which reminds me I need to set a date for our long overdo Israeli cuisine night.) Basically, we have all set individual goals. They vary in range from counting calories to training for a marathon to cutting processed foods to learning to dance the waltz, etc. We communicate through a group text and encourage each other to keep it up.

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In the mean time, I couldn’t show you a picture of my breakfast banana. I am sure to start getting creative, you know, and swap all of the oil in my quick breads for applesauce; replace the cream in my sauces with skim milk (Eeek)
 But for now I will share a few photos from this weekend.

I actually made a commitment to one of my dearest blogging friends, Lynn of Lynz Real Cooking, to take pictures of some barns (which I treasure and romanticize about the stories they hold
 dilapidated just gives character). And thankfully I have more time to do it
 Because I got only one in this trip.

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But I did find inspiration else where


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I also told Lynn that I would challenge Owen to come up with a sandwich. Until then, I will share an Owen hot dog (not on the diet).

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It is so nice that the weather here is getting milder and easier for strolls. Did I mention I tried a youtube Zumba class? Hilarious. Like Steve Martin finding his rhythm in The Jerk. But it’s something I can rope my kids into doing with me right in the living room. So yes! And I am actually very excited about getting a little more healthy
 And maybe I can spread my enthusiasm; encourage a few people to make a good choice or two. Because little choices add up. (See, that’s like something I could text to the group.)

I love the little sign -signifying the foot path…

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Just a little reminder to stay on course.

 

 

Loving Lately ⚠

Loving Lately: Information

This week was sadly informative to me. I saw new articles about Johnson & Johnson admitting their baby products contain causing chemicals; the French were told to avoid 185 cosmetic products; Mars recalls chocolates in 55 countries because they contain plastic; A list of wines containing high levels of arsenic….

Here I go again. But in all seriousness, I am so thankful for the people who go out of their way to share, unveil, discover important information. Whistle blowers like FoodBabe.com take it upon themselves to spread alarming facts. Information is power, because “what you don’t know can hurt you.” Granted you might never eat a Girl Scout Cookie again, and you might be terrified by the alarming percentage of glyphosate, a cancer causing herbicide, in your German beer. But at least you know, and once you are informed you can try to make the best decisions for you and your family. I’m not perfect in my choices. Not everything that goes into my mouth is organic or non GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms). We occasionally eat at chain restaurants that not committed to any ethical standard besides what the FDA insists upon (squirming in my seat). Certainly I value and accept invitations to dinner from friends and family members who may not hold to my food values. That said, I think every amount you do in making healthy and whole choices matters. Every certified organic product you consume is that much less deadly and disease causing chemicals and such that you and your loved ones partook. And it supports farm practices and preservation of truly natural methods of growing food and livestock that you can feel proud about passing on.

I think the first video I watched that truly made an impact was about factory farming from themeatrix.com. It seems simple in concept to me now, but it was mind-blowing to me a decade or so ago. I grew up in a rural area. I saw cornfields and farms regularly. I never thought farms not being what I understood them to be.

I realize the draw of “factories”, pesticides, genetically modified fertilizers… Of course producers want the most bountiful crops and largest livestocks. But at what cost? Who is really paying the price? We are aware that we are ingesting known carcinogens, contributors to heart disease, links to Autism and Alzheimer’s. Not that long ago they were putting lead in make-up; and people’s hair and teeth started falling out. Remember that Chinese emperor who was so special, he was the only one allowed to drink (now known to be toxic) jade tea? He “got sick” and died. We don’t even know all of what we are doing to ourselves. Do you really want to be part of food and product experiments?

Ok, I’m done. (today)

 

 

Yogurt Chicken Chili

The Super Bowl is two days away! And if you’re looking for a something to feed your home team that’s full of flavor and won’t bog them down, I’ve got the perfect idea. This chili is healthy and hearty, light and appetizing. It’s a crowd pleaser for sports fanatics, athletes, moms and kids alike. So regardless of the Game Day outcome, you’ll be a winner. Trust me on this.

As organic as possible

1 1/2 lbs boneless Chicken

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 yellow Onion, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

4 cups Chicken broth

1 Tbsp Cumin

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1/2 Tbsp dried Basil

1 1/2 – 2 tsp salt (to taste!)

1 tsp freshly ground Black pepper

2 15.5 oz cans Cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup Non-fat Greek Yogurt, (Organic or Chobani) divided, plus more for serving (optional)

1 Scallion, sliced for garnish (optional)

 

In a large pot boil the chicken in water until cooked and tender. I used organic chicken tenders (which are cut thin) and took about 10 minutes. If you are using halved breasts, it could take 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile in another pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and let sauté for 2-3 minutes until starting to turn soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Pour the chicken stock into the onion and garlic, and stir. Add the cumin, chili powder, basil, salt, pepper, and beans. Stir and let sit over medium heat, bringing to simmer. Reduce heat to low (keeping at a nice low simmer).

Using a slotted spoon or tongs carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle I like to tear the chicken into rustic bite-size pieces. However, you can shred with a fork or chop with a knife if you prefer. Place the chicken into the pot of simmering broth, and stir. Allow the flavors to combine for at least 20-25 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of the Chobani Greek yogurt into the chicken chili and stir. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Allow flavors to meld for at least another 15 minutes. Top the chili with the remaining quarter cup of plain greek yogurt and scallions for serving. If desired, set bowls of the yogurt and additional sliced scallions for guests (or family) to dress their individual bowls. #madewithchobani

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Marsh-bani Fruit Dip & Fruit Salad

It doesn’t get easier or tastier than this. Honestly it’s just delicious. The fruit dip is sweet and a little tangy, ridiculous when you think about how easy it is. Did I mention it is fat-free? Your taste buds will never know. The yogurt goodness coats the fruit nicely as a dip, but why stop there? The next thought was, oh my goodness, this needs to be in a fruit salad. And can I just tell you, it was stellar. As in: this is what fruit salad needs to taste like for the rest of my life. If you are having a party this weekend, it’s great to serve dip style or in individual cups. So because I really can’t decide which way I like more, I’m sharing both. Lastly, let me just add that if you have any left over, you should throw it into a morning smoothie, because it is awesome… and so are you.

1 cup Marshmallow Creme

1/2 cup Chobani Fat Free Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained

2 pints strawberries, rinsed and drained

2 large bananas (or 3 medium), I leave mine in the peel and third or quarter

2 apples, cut into wedges (with a couple center slices reserved for garnish)

Dipping fruit of your choice

Garnish with apple slices and fresh mint (optional)

That’s it! Two parts marshmallow creme to 1 part Chobani Vanilla Greek yogurt. Brilliant! I used a hand held mixer (with a whisk attachment) to blend the marshmallow and yogurt in a medium sized bowl. If you are blending by hand, just mix until they are incorporated. Place the mixture into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or until party time), and the marshmallow and yogurt blend will continue to infuse.

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Now if you want to turn it into fruit salad…

Hull and half (or quarter depending on size) your strawberries, peel your bananas and cut them along with the apples into bite size pieces. Place the fruit into a bowl, drizzle with the Marsh-bani Fruit Dip and gently toss. I take the extra step of tossing the fruit salad in a separate bowl from the one I am serving in, especially for a party… but that’s up to you. The dip can be made a day in advance, but I would not dress and toss the salad until ready to serve. Present in a bowl with a serving spoon or in individual serving dishes for guests to help themselves. Indulge yourself in this sweet treat!

 

 

 

Loving Lately ❀

Loving Lately: The Treadmill

So, my first Thursday “Loving Lately” rendition of the year is not as much “loving” as it is “lately”. However, I’m trying to make some better choices. It really has nothing to do with the new year or any resolutions. Inadvertently, it has plenty to do with the holidays. I know the math is very simple, if you take in (eat) more calories than you burn you hang on to the excess. Thankfully the opposite is also true… So that’s what I’m going for. Actually, I saw this little quote recently on Facebook that said “I ran my first 10K this morning! I’m just kidding. I’m on my third donut.” That’s my kind of funny. My instinct says do not let that be my kind of reality. TBD…

Harvest Chili

This is the ultimate harvest chili. It’s loaded with autumn vegetables and goodness such as sweet potatoes, onions, apples, and turkey. It looks like the prettiest fall tree color-changing picture (in abstract food form) ever! It’s really healthy, so some of you are going to love that. For the rest of you, don’t let that hold you back because it’s also delicious. It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, a bountiful treat. And if I may, I think the ground turkey could easily be substituted with leftover Thanksgiving turkey… which would be awesome. Just sayin’.

As organic as possible:

2 large Orange sweet peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces

2-3 canned Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, roughly chopped

4 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped

2 pounds ground turkey

1 large Onion

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground Black pepper

1 Tbsp Chili powder

1 Tbsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Oregano

1 – 15 oz can Pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 – 14.5 oz cans Red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 – 14.5 oz can diced Tomatoes

4 cups Chicken broth

1 Tbsp sugar* (I think this adds balance, but if you prefer healthier leave it out)

2 Sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces

2 medium tart Apples (such as Granny Smith)

*Spicy Chipotle seasoned Pine nuts (Recipe follows), Optional

Place orange peppers, chipotle peppers, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven brown turkey with onion, salt and pepper. Drain excess fat (but a little left is okay). Add pepper-garlic mix, stir and cook about 5 minutes. Then add tomatoes, pinto and kidney beans, and chicken broth. (Side note: This much can be made ahead and allowed to simmer as long as needed until about 35 minutes before serving.)

Stir in sweet potatoes and apples. Bring to boiling and reduce to simmer, about 25-30 minutes until sweet potato is tender. Taste for seasonings. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, about 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with Spicy Chipotle Seasoned Pine Nuts (Optional), or corn chips. Enjoy!

Spicy Chipotle Pine Nuts

2 Tbsp Butter

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Water

1 tsp ground Chipotle chili pepper

1 tsp snipped fresh Rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1/2 tsp Celery salt

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1 1/2 cups Pine nuts

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside. In a small saucepan melt butter, add Worcestershire sauce, water, chipotle pepper, rosemary, celery salt, and garlic powder. Simmer over low heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in pine nuts and remove from heat.  When well coated, spread onto prepared baking sheet and bake about 10-15 minutes (shaking pan a couple times in-between), until lightly toasted. Sprinkle with salt while warm. (Side note: Nuts can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. They are delicious on their own, and would be a nice addition on top of a salad too!)

This recipe has been adapted, tweaked, and changed from a Chipotle Harvest Chili recipe I found a few years ago in a Midwest Living Magazine. I think it’s perfection.

If you were going to use leftover turkey, I would sauté onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil for a couple minutes. Add pepper-garlic mixture and let cook 5 minutes more. Then add turkey with the tomatoes, broth, etc., and follow the remaining instructions.

 

 

Loving Lately ❀

Loving Lately: Healthy Kids

This week has been rather difficult. And as another installment of my Thursday “Loving Lately” was approaching I was struggling to find something to write about. It’s not that I don’t love short cuts to appetizers, special things that only come this time of year or finding great deals on some of my favorite things. It’s just that I don’t have time to be normal when I’m nursing my 4 kids with high fevers, some throwing up, and a couple with the crazy rashes that go along with “Hand Foot and Mouth” back to health. Then I had a Pollyanna moment. (Sometimes you have to force those.) There is nothing like having a sick child (or all four) to make me appreciate how blessed I am to have healthy kids.

I could go on about this forever, because I am a mom. And like most moms, when you have a child with a high fever all you can think about is getting them through it. And I don’t take for granted that I am so blessed to know that they will get through it. I am truly thankful. We’ve had a particularly difficult time with our youngest, Noah. (click here for more info.) We spent a lot of time at doctors offices and a little time in Children’s Hospital in Detroit. It was particularly scary when we discovered he had an alarmingly low count of a particular antibody, the one that helps your immune system fight off infection. The relief was so great it is hard to express when they ruled out the most serious (and often life-threatening) illnesses. And even though I was relieved, there was a part of me that was that was struck for all of the kids in the rooms around us and their parents who may not get the same news.

Our diagnosis was positive, but we weren’t out of the woods so to speak. He still needed a lot of attention. We’ve come such a long way that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t that long ago when things were really bad. So today I am loving that although my kids have rashes and mouth sores, they are past their fevers and the rashes will fade; because they are healthy and I am very blessed.

The Richmond Avenue’s Cottage Cheese Oatmeal Pancakes

At first glance these pancakes looked like something I had to try. I know what most people were thinking, “these sound weird,” because Jasmine wrote that they did. But not me, I was thinking these sound unique, I love cottage cheese and look at that picture! I want to eat that! Of course that’s what I think about most of the food from The Richmond Avenue, which is why I selected this recipe for my WordPress Cooking Challenge!

When I started to collect the ingredients I would need to make these pancakes, my first thought was I need to get a new food processor with a larger capacity. Which actually has no connection with this recipe because the instructions clearly state to combine the ingredients in a blender, which I did. However, that was my first thought none-the-less.

It was when I began to pour the ingredients into the blender, I actually started to question “how is this going to work?” I understand that the oats were taking place of the flour (of which there is none) and I think it’s pretty cool that this is a gluten-free recipe. But there was no oil or melted butter, the only fat was in the cottage cheese. The baking powder and vanilla were normal for me (because I make pancakes on a weekly basis), but when I went to throw in a pinch of salt I had to stop myself
 no salt in this recipe either! I figured the cottage cheese is probably salty enough and I started feeling healthier by the second. I have to confess- that I used three whole eggs as opposed to 6 egg whites. It was a calculated decision based on four things: firstly, I know from experience that it will add the same amount of moisture: secondly, the recipe did not call for me to whip the egg whites and gently fold them in, so although it may have been lighter I really didn’t feel I was messing with airy-ness: thirdly, I’m not worried about the amount of cholesterol I am eating, although I respect that as a healthy option: and lastly, I love my organic eggs, I don’t have any recipes in the line-up that call for yolks, and I didn’t want to waste them. But honestly all of this inner turmoil isn’t worth it! I did add the optional tablespoon of sugar- because that’s the kind of girl I am.

As I was heating up the griddle and watching my butter foam in readiness for the batter I actually got excited to see how this was going to turn out! And as I watched for the bubbles to cue me that it was time to flip the pancakes, I was happy to see the beautiful golden color that occurred on the first side! So far so good! As I moved my first round of pancakes to a side plate I had to pinch a piece off of one to see how this was going to taste. It was sweet, salty, and just like a pancake, except healthier and full of protein! It’s a delicious recipe and it even got more fun with all of the fresh fruit toppings!

For the original recipe and picture check out The Richmond Avenue

1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup oats
3 Tbsp almond or skim milk
6 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
Strawberries for topping (optional)
Blueberries for topping (optional)
Maple syrup for topping (“optional, but not really” – love that BTW!)

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and let it do its thing! Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter at a time on the prepared griddle (with butter or baking spray). Flip when you see the bubbles
 Serve warm!
Enjoy! I know I sure did!