Recipe Round Up

Happy Early 4th of July! I have no idea what has gotten into me but I cannot wait to decorate our family cabin with Pinterest worthy décor and make delicious dishes that are healthy for the entire group. The domesticated side of me comes out the older I get apparently! lol

I wanted to share some of the great items that I will be making for the holiday weekend… Pinterest has great ideas and it is easy to swap out a not so healthy ingredient with a better for you version (think unsweetened applesauce instead of oil). My mom and I decided to do a ton of red, white and blue themed dishes. Hope y’all enjoy your long weekend and remember… Take care of YOU!

Cookout Tips...Staying on Track

Holy Moly!! It is already July! I cannot wrap my head around how fast time passes. When you are young, it seems like time stands still but as we age and life gets busy, time just flies by in the blink of an eye! Hope y’all have fun plans for the 4th and have a chance to spend much needed time with family and friends. Many of you may be hosting a BBQ or heading to a cookout. I wanted to share a few tips to help you stay on track while still enjoying the foods you love!

Most BBQs consist of mayo-ladden potato salads, coleslaws, ribs and hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and dips and tons of sweet treats. They are quite delicious looking but may not be figure friendly. The average potato salad has 20 g of fat and 357 calories per cup. The average medium sized BBQ rib has 11.5 g fat and 124 calories.

1. Head to the party with a full tummy- If you head to a BBQ with an empty stomach, EVERYTHING is going to look ah-mazing and you are more apt to indulge, even if you do not really like something. It’s like grocery shopping on an empty stomach! Suddenly everything looks good even the bag of Doritos that I don’t even like. Plan to eat a balanced breakfast as well as another meal or two, especially if the BBQ is not until the afternoon.

2. Pack a snack! Plan to pack your favorite healthy snack to ensure there is something you will like to munch on. Maybe it is a delicious veggie tray with low-fat Greek yogurt dip or a fruit platter. Pack your other meals along with you if you are worried that you will not find something that works for you.

3. Load your burgers with flavor- Instead of adding cheese, ketchup, mayo, and bacon to your burger, add flavor with fresh garlic, herbs, and jalapenos or grilled onions. Stick with mustard as a condiment or choose a lower fat option for mayo. Better yet, use a couple slices of avocado as your topping.

4. Prepare to be side savy- Now is the best time to take advantage of the beautiful produce available! Trade in the potato salad for a sliced cucumber, tomato, onion salad tossed in fat-free Italian dressing. Have the grill master grill up some fresh zucchini, asparagus, eggplant, tomatoes and onions.

 

5. Choose leaner meats. Instead of noshing on a pork sausage, choose a chicken or turkey variety. If you can convince the head BBQ man to grill up a piece of fish, choose to use herbs and citrus to add flavor. If sticking with chicken, try to choose skinless breasts instead of thighs, legs and wings.

6. Skip the bun hun. If it appeals to you, try wrapping your chicken or burger in butter lettuce to create a bun-less burger that saves on calories and gets in an extra serving of greens! Try layering it with carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, wrap it up and enjoy.

7. Sip wisely- Deciding on which alcoholic beverage to enjoy can be tough especially if you love to drink beer with the best of them. Most stout beers typically have 2-3x as many calories as “light” beers (200+ calories versus 60). If you enjoy liquor, opt for blueberry vodka mixed with club soda and add a couple blueberries for sweetness.

8. Grill your dessert- Instead of choosing the apple pie with vanilla icecream, have the pit master bbq up a fresh peach and top it with fat-free cool whip or enjoy fresh berries sprinkled with cinnamon and stevia. If you want chocolate, take some berries and drizzle it with a melted dark chocolate square.

 

9. Moderation is key- If there are some foods that you just have to have, that’s great, go for it! But try to stick to controlled portion sizes or split it with a family member. My sister and I always do this at events. We both love us some sweets, so instead of each getting a piece of cake, we split it. Typically just a bite of something will satisfy your palate.

Most importantly... ENJOY!

How To Start Your Day

What if I told you that you should consider forgoing your morning latte? Would you tell me to get lost or would you beg to keep it? What if I told you to replace it with a warm mug of lemon water first thing in the morning? Would you do it or would you still tell me to get lost? Starting your morning off with a glass of warm lemon water is excellent for your body and here is why…

Lemons are high in vitamin C and potassium. They enhance your immune system, warding off disease and infection in addition to stimulating nerve and brain function.

Lemons aid in digestion. Lemons stimulate the liver to produce bile, the green substance essential to digestion. A healthy digestive system is a very important part to a healthy body!

Lemon water helps flush out toxins and wastes from your body and it aids in the eliminating process. It helps prevent constipation and diarrhea.

Lemons are an alkaline food. Translation, starting your day off with warm lemon water balances out your body’s pH levels. This is especially important if you tend to be more acidic (frequently get heartburn, indigestion, sour stomach). Lemon water can help relieve those symptoms and create a “friendly” environment.

Lemons contain pectin which is a very important fiber component that is valuable to colon health. Pectin also has antibacterial properties which help support immune function and promote healing.

Lemon water helps clear your skin. The vitamin C that is in lemons helps decrease the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes. It can help purge the toxins from your blood in turn clearing the appearance of your skin.

Lemons (and limes) are very high in potassium, an important mineral that works with the body’s sodium to create smooth electrical conductions within the body. Low levels of potassium have been correlated with depression, anxiety, fatigue and fogginess. By increasing the potassium level within the body, these symptoms have been shown to decrease, improving your overall well-being.

Lemon water can help improve lymph function. It helps prevent dehydration and it also can help prevent adrenal fatigue. Your adrenal glands are situated on top of your kidneys (as well as your thyroid) and if they are not functioning properly they can lead to stress, constipation, fatigue, depression, ect.

Okay how about now? Are you still wanting to kick my idea out the door or are you willing to give it a try? Make sure to use fresh lemons (I LOVE the organic Meyers lemons) for bottled lemon juice typically contains sulfates.

Give it a try and take care of YOU!

J

10 Day YOU Challenge - 7 Wants

I hope you are preparing for the weekend and have something fun planned! To end the week, I need to post my next part of the 10 Day YOU want Challenge... Seven wants. I really had to think about this one because it really could go in several directions. Some wants are day-to-day while others are deep, down to the core wants that you long for.


1. I want to bring back those I have lost in my life...even if it is for just a minute to tell them I love them. I long to see, to hear their laugh, to see their smile. I know that things happen for a reason but I have never understood why some are taken from us WAY too soon.

2. I want to encourage and inspire each and every person I meet. Whether it be motivating them to change their dietary or exercise habits, or encouraging them to try a new challenge or lending an ear to listen. I want someone to say, "because of you, I didn't give up."

3. I want babies! I've always wanted kiddos. I used to think it'd be nice to have a whole football team of them, but now I think I will limit to just a couple. :)  I love working with kids, seeing how they look at the world, and learning to trust and love through their eyes.

4. I want more time. Really, my life could use a few more hours in the day, or a couple more days in the week in order to get everything I want done. Starting my day at 3:30 am and ending it around 9 pm still is not enough time to get EVERYTHING done. I try but my "to-do" list always has something staring back at me.

5. I want to always be able to find happiness, hope, and perspective in every situation, even when bad things happen. I want to live my life in the most positive manner. To live abundantly. To live full of hope and grace. I want a happy life. I just want a happy, long life next to my hubby (and the bullies and some kiddos).

6. I would love to be more crafty. Yes, Pinterest is there and it does help but just because it can be done does not mean I CAN DO IT! I want to redecorate my home with cute interiors and have everything Pinterest worthy... Maybe in my next life!

7. I want to travel. I have never been one to jump on a plane, train, or automobile and take off, exploring the land with a couple bucks in my pocket and a backpack on my back. But there are soo many beautiful places to see in this world and I would love to experience as many different cultures as possible!

Have a wonderful weekend and take care of YOU!

J

YOU are sweet enough... Part 2!

Ok so the second that sweet stuff touches your tongue, your brain is jumping for joy and killer cravings subdue.... For just a minute! But then you want more. You have to have sugar. You NEED to have sugar. Your body is craving it like mad and when you deny those cravings maybe you feel anxious? Depressed or sad? Cranky or angry? You are not crazy. Sugar can be an addiction wreaking havoc on your body.

On part one, I mentioned a few things sugar does to your body. Here are a couple more things that occur when you consume too much. 

Did you know that the average American adult consumes the equivalent of 22 sugar cubes every 24 hours?! Translation, the average woman consumes 70 pounds of sugar per year. 70 freaking pounds! (Stats are from WHO) 

Too much sugar, specifically fructose, can cause your HDL (think good cholesterol) to lower putting you at risk for coronary artery disease. When your HDL is lowered it also triggers for the production of triglycerides, a form of fat that moves from the liver to the arteries and can cause a build of plaque within the arterial walls. 

Sound as sweet as it tastes? Too much sugar can cause pre-diabetes or full on type II diabetes because it triggers the pancreas to release insulin, which in small amounts is harmless and necessary. However when large amounts of sugar are consumed and in turn large amounts of insulin are secreted.  Your pancreas has released so much insulin that your cells become resistant to it and leaves the remaining glucose floating around in the bloodstream. 

Still want those cookies? If you think you might be addicted too sugar or if you want to cut down on your intake, I'm not going to lie, it is going to be hard! Just as a smoker trying to quit or a shop-o-holic dicing up their credit card. Sugar can be an addiction and like other addictions, you will have to detox your system. You will have to fight through those urges but it WILL be worth it! 

There are several sugar detoxes out there, ranging from 10 days to 2 months. If you think you need to reset your system and punch sugar straight in the kisser, try these steps! 

Try to eliminate all sugary snacks and junk food. I'm talking cookies, cake, granola bars (yes those bars  you think are healthy can easily contain at least 15 g sugar per serving), and candy! If you know you have a trigger (fro yo anyone?), try to eliminate that FIRST. Get rid of the main player and all the others will seem easy! 

Next try to go sans- sugary drinks. That Caramel macchiato may seem like a great drink since it's nonfat but that syrup probably has upward of 22 g of sugar per serving. Try to sip on water, unsweetened ice team or black coffee. 

Watch out for those tricky sugars found in BBQ sauce (15 g per 2 TBSP), pasta sauce (12 g in 1/2 cup) or ketchup (9 g per 2 TBSP). Opt to make your own sauce with fresh tomatoes and other fresh ingredients or look for low-sugar varieties. Be proactive and read food labels! You will be amazed at what you might find! 

When I have a hunkering for something sweet, I try to stick to fresh fruit! My new favorite is a frozen watermelon-strawberry-orange drink! 

Ingredients 

1-1 1/2 cup frozen watermelon chunks 

1/2 cup strawberries 

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 

Instructions 

Place all ingredients into a blender and pulse until desired consistency. Soooo good! 

Put Down The Sugar...You are Sweet Enough! Part 1

Raise your hand if you love your sweets. Ok, now raise your hand if after every meal especially dinner all you want is sugar. <My hand is raised, heck, BOTH of my hands are raised!> I love sweets. Give me a good piece of chocolate and I am a happy girl. I love to get frozen yogurt on my treat meals and I am always looking for alternative ideas to create sweet treats that are GOOD and NUTRITIOUS! Remember the post about chronic inflammation? Well sugar is a HUGE contributor to inflammation as well as a contributor to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer and obesity. Sugar is not soo sweet!

There are several health concerns that stem from sugar that are disturbing and downright nasty. I want to first map out sugar (what it is, the different forms, and where it comes from) then discuss just a few ways sugar affects the body. Tomorrow in part two, I will post more concerns caused by sugar and how to kick your sugar cravings in the derrière!

Sugar is a carbohydrate. If there is an ‘ose’ present, it is going to be sugar. Sugar comes in the simple form (called monosaccarides) and includes glucose, fructose, and galactose. Sugar also comes in the form of disaccharides (combination of sugars) such as sucrose, maltose and lactose.

Glucose is naturally occurring in plants, fruits and is burned as energy in our bodies or it is converted into glycogen and is stored for later use.

Fructose is known as the fruit sugar, that occurs naturally in, well….fruit! It also occurs in honey and cane sugar, thus it is very sweet!

Sucrose is found in the roots of sugar beets, in the stems of the sugar cane and is also found in other fruits and plants.

Lactose is milk sugar! It is a disaccharide that is composed of glucose and galactose and makes up about 3-8% of milk depending on the individual or species.

Sugar typically comes from the harvesting of sugar cane or sugar beets. These plants are harvested, processed and refined until you get the white sugar product most of us love. Sugar is very high in calories and contains no nutritional value (termed “empty calories”). Below are just a couple impacts sugar has on the body.

Sugar can overload your liver. Before sugar even enters the blood stream it is important to understand the molecular makeup of sugar. Sugar can be broken down into glucose, which is found in every cell of the body and if we do not consume it in our diet, our body produces it, and fructose, which our body does not produce in significant amounts. Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver which typically is not an issue if consumed in small amounts or if we just completed working out (in which the fructose gets converted into glycogen and is stored). Where the problem occurs is when the liver glycogen stores are full and there is an abundance of fructose, the body converts the fructose into fat (diabetesjournal). If one were to consume large quantities of sugar, this can lead to a fatty liver.

Sugar is highly addictive. Have you ever done a sugar detox? The longer you go without sugar, the better you feel and the cravings subdue significantly over time. On the contrary, have you ever noticed that when you eat something sweet such as cake or cookies, you crave more sweets? Sugar can be highly addictive because it can trigger the brain’s reward center to release mass quantities of dopamine, similar to the response that abusive drugs cause.

Sugar (specifically fructose) can trick your metabolism into storing fat by switching off your appetite control center in the body. Fructose does not properly stimulate insulin (a very important hormone in the body that allows glucose into the cells from the blood). When insulin is not properly stimulated, ghrelin (the hunger hormone) is insufficiently suppressed and leptin (the satiety hormone) is not stimulated. The result…Eating more!

Tomorrow’s post will include a few more reasons why to kick the sugar habit, how to do so, and a sweet recipe that is downright delicious!

Take care of you,


J

Monday Musings

Hope you enjoyed a beautiful weekend and are ready to have a killer week! This past weekend was eye-opening and I cannot wait to share with y’all just how changing it was….but not yet! I was able to reconnect with old friends, learn about very exciting opportunities and spent some much needed time in the sunshine.

The purpose behind this morning’s post is to share with y’all that our negative untrue thoughts block our positive and sustainable changes. Think about the past week; how many times did you think negative, hurtful thoughts towards yourself? If you answered 0, you deserve a gold freaking star!! If you answered under 5, you are well on your way to becoming your best self! But if you are like me, there are times when the negativity comes out and no matter how hard you try, you cannot shut that little voice up!

The mind-body connection is extremely important when you are working at making positive changes in your life, whether it is for your health, fitness, career or family. Our physical condition and mental outlook are mutually dependent on one another and it is up to YOU to nurture and provide a positive environment for success!

How many times have you or someone you know said, “I ate terrible today so it is too late to get on track” It’s never too late. My body and mind are constantly changing. Life is full of second chances. “I do not have the time or money to be healthy”  You don’t have the time or money not to be.You can choose to invest now in good quality foods and exercise or, pay later with sick days and hospital fees.  “It is very selfish to take time for myself” you can only give to others what you yourself posses'. 

Thoughts such as these are not only untrue, but they hinder our progress towards our goals. Health and happiness are inextricably linked… The better you feed yourself (mind, body and soul), the better you feel and the bigger impact you will have not only in your life but the lives of those around you.

Your life is happening right now! Now is the time to take action towards your dreams and aspirations!

I just have to share this recipe with you... it is amazing! I wanted to change up traditional kabobs with a yummy marinade that would pack a lot of flavor with not a lot of sugar and stuff.