Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Pin It!

Clean Eating on a Budget...Is it possible?

 
 
 
 
 
 
I hear over and over again I would buy organic, but I just can't afford it. While it is true that organic is more expensive it is totally possible to do this on a budget. There are lots of different tips and tricks you can use to do so.
 
The first tip I must stress is decide what is important to you. Do you want to do 100% organic, just some organic, or nothing organic. You are the only person who is in charge of your health, paying your bills, earning your money and how you want to spend it. Only you can decide these things. My goal is to give you some tips to help you make the decisions that are best for you and your family and how to spend your money.
 
The choice for my family to go organic was not a difficult choice. We started on a journey to live a healthier lifestyle, and this was one simple choice we could make to help us. I have been working on getting our budget just right to eat healthy and organic and to also stay within a reasonable budget. These are some of the tips I employ to help me with this.
 
 
 
 
 
1. Make a budget...and stick to it.
Only you can decide what your budget is. We pay for everything we have in either cash or debit. We do not use credit of any sort for anything we purchase. When my husbands paychecks come in I take cash out of the bank for our groceries. It's simple you know exactly how much you have when you pay in cash. When you run out it is gone. There is no way you can go over budget because once it's gone it's gone. Paying all in cash may not work for you, but it definitely works for us. The most important thing though is stick to the budget you have set for yourself.
 
2. Decide how often you want to shop.
Do you want to go shopping once a month, every two weeks, once a week, every couple of days or everyday? This is completely up to you. I go once a month to stock up on our basics. Every 2 weeks I buy our meats, and once a week to get fresh produce. This is what works for our family and my shopping. You just decide what works best for you and your schedule.
 
3. Make a meal plan...and stick to it.
Just as with tip #1 decide how far in advance you want to plan out your meals. I typically try to plan out a weeks worth of meals. I plan breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2-3 snacks a day (yes we eat a lot and often :) ). Some people just plan out dinners, and some people plan like I do. Once again just decide what works best for you.
 
4. Make a grocery list...and stick to it.
After you make your meal plan look in your refrigerator and cabinets so you do not buy things that you already have on hand. Make a list of what you need for your meal plan, and only your meal plan. When you go shopping only buy the items on your list. Impulse buys will eat up a large portion of your budget.
 
5. Never go shopping hungry
This is pretty simple. Eat before you go shopping that will help keep you from impulse buys. You will be much more likely to want to purchase unhealthy, expensive snacks if you are hungry. This tip will help you stick to your budget and meal plan.
 
6. Buy in bulk
Figure out the basics, and what you eat the most of in your household. These items are best to buy in bulk and always have on hand. There are some items in my house that only I will eat so I do not buy a lot of them. Then there are things that we use everyday that I buy a lot of. There are also some items that while I may not use everyday it is still cheaper to buy them in bulk. I can either freeze some of it, split with someone else, or donate it to someone. Things like organic flour, organic coconut sugar, organic honey etc... I do not use everyday, but I always have on hand. I try to buy a large quantity of this. Organic coconut oil, organic oatmeal, organic cage free eggs and things like this I use pretty much everyday. So I always have a large quantity of this on hand. I also try to use fresh herbs if possible, but if not I use organic spices. Typically most organic spices are about $4-$5 for a bottle. While that may seem like a lot for spices it really is very cheap. I use them in a lot of recipes and they last for quite a while. It ends up being very cheap for me in the long run. So look at what you use a lot, and buy those things in bulk.
 
7. Meal prep
This tip helps me save time and money. When I buy things in bulk like fruits, veggies, meats or grains I go ahead and prep them for the week. I will cut up my fruits and veggies. Typically things are cheaper if you buy them in bulk. Rather than just buying 1-2 apples it is cheaper to buy an entire bag. Choose one day during the week that works best for you to meal prep and use this day each week. I know not everyone likes leftovers so probably cooking up meat at the beginning of the week would not work for you. If you do not mind then buy a large quantity of the meats you like and cook them up at the beginning (or whatever day works for you) of the week. Meal prepping also helps you on those nights that you just do not feel like cooking. It helps keep you from going out and buying an expensive unhealthy meal at a restaurant.
 
8. Skip convenience
This one took me a little while to get accustomed to. I was buying fresh fruits and vegetables, but I would get the ones that were already cut up. This saved me so much time, and was so much easier for me. However, I was spending double sometimes triple the price for a smaller amount of food. For instance, I would buy a prepackaged container of watermelon for $9. Which is less than half the amount of a watermelon. Or I could buy a whole watermelon for $3 and cut it up myself. So skip the precut fruits and veggies and do it yourself. It will take a little more time, but it will save you lots of money. You also get more product for a lower price.
 
9. Skip prepackaged
One big thing that helped me in my journey to getting healthier was cutting out processed foods. Once again like the previous tip skip convenience here. You may be very tempted to buy a premade frozen lasagna, but skip it. Trust me you can make a homemade one for half the price and it is much healthier. Skip the boxed meals, prepackaged lunchables, frozen entrees etc...Skip all of the processed meals, and do it yourself. You will save yourself loads of calories, sodium, fat, unhealthy preservatives, and tons of money by doing it yourself. If you take the amount of money you are spending on prepackaged processed foods you could easily buy plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, whole organic grains, and organic grass-fed meats.
 
10. Decide what you want organic
Make the decision of whether you want all organic, a certain percentage organic or nothing organic. A good way to get some organics in your diet, and to save money is to stick to the clean 15/dirty dozen list. There is a list of the produce with the most pesticides that you should buy organic, and some that do not matter as much. So if you cannot go completely organic try to stick to this list as much as possible.
 
 
 

11. Shop around
Do not just stick to one store, and think that is the price you have to pay for everything. Do some research. Go to farmers markets, local healthy food stores, join a food co-op or CSA, compare prices in your local stores. I know which stores in my area have the best organic sections. I typically shop Publix, Aldi (they do not have a ton, but they do have some organics), Earth Fare, Sam's Club (or Costco), Whole Foods, Trader Joes, our local health food store and the farmers market. I do not go to all of these places in one day, but I know in advance what I want from each store. So find the best stores in your areas for a good selection of organic. Go berry picking or apple picking.
 
12. Shop sale items
When you make a list of the stores you like to shop pay attention to their sale ads. Sign up for their emails, get a card for that store, sign up for their coupons etc... I just received an email from Earth  Fare that you can get 2 pounds of organic strawberries for $3. You cannot even get non-organic for that price. Now we eat a lot of strawberries so that is an awesome deal for us. If you pay attention to the stores sales you can get some great deals. Whole Foods is generally more expensive, but they do run sales. They come out with coupons, and sale items. Pay close attention to the sale items from your favorite stores. It can save you lots of money.
 
13. Utilize leftovers
This one was also hard for us to get used to. We would never eat leftovers, but now we eat them a lot. If you made a big batch of brown rice for dinner eat it for breakfast the next day. Make something new with the leftovers. Take the leftovers for lunch one day. Have a leftover night for dinner. Everyone can choose what they want to eat. If you made a big batch of spaghetti one night (I know I always make way too much spaghetti) with some leftover chicken, homemade pasta sauce and some organic cheese. Do not throw that food away. If you made a large lasagna freeze half of it. etc... Do not be afraid of leftovers. Definitely use them.
 
14. Stop eating out
I hear people all of the time say "I cannot afford to eat organic foods", but then I see that same person going out to eat. They do not think twice about spending $40-$60 on one unhealthy meal out, or eating a $5 lunch out everyday, grabbing that $6 specialty coffee every morning etc...I bet if you looked at your budget most people easily spend $100-200 a month (usually more) on eating out. Take this money and put it into your grocery budget, and you could eat much healthier. I am not saying you should ever eat out, but limit it to special occasions. If you are meal planning, utilizing leftovers, and meal prepping bring lunch to work is much easier.
 
15. Shop in season
When foods are in season they are cheaper. I really love avocados, and want to eat them year round. Now when they are not in season I have paid $3-4 for one avocado. When they are in season I can find them anywhere from $.50 to $1. So learn what foods are in season at what times, and buy those foods.
 
 
16.  Less, better Meat and dairy
Meat and dairy are two things that I prefer to buy organic. I look for organic grass-fed on both. Of course the price of these are going to be much higher. To save costs do not eat these everyday. Go meatless 1-2 (or more) times a week. There are plenty of ways to get protein in that do not involve eating meat. When we do dairy I only get full fat organic (milk, cheese, butter, yogurt etc...). We also do not eat this everyday. Look for dairy alternatives. Rice milk, coconut milk, almond milk etc... are all good options. You can also learn to make these homemade. Get higher quality dairy and meats to eat a few times a week, and the other times go meat free.
 
17. Homemade is best
As I said skip the prepackaged items. Instead go homemade. Instead of buying a $5 box of organic granola bars make your own. Chances are you have most if not all of the ingredients already on hand. Make your own peanut butter (super easy), homemade bread, invest in a dehydrator and make your own trail mix with dried fruits, make your own jerky, make a big batch of homemade pasta sauce, make fresh pasta etc... Most of these things are not hard to make, and most people have most if not all of the ingredients already on hand.
 
18. Coupons
It is hard to find organic coupons, but it is not impossible. You just have to be willing to put a little effort into it. As I said previously I get coupons from certain stores emailed to me. Occasionally there are organic coupons in Sunday's paper. Common kindness also has some great organic coupons. http://www.commonkindness.com/
 
19. Grow your own
If you are able to grow your own food. Look for non-GMO seeds. Even if you do not have a large space you can try to create a small herb garden.
 
20. Do not overbuy
Remember that strawberry deal I mentioned earlier well we eat a lot of strawberries so it is good for us. If you do not eat a lot then I would not go and buy 6 pounds of them just because it was a good deal. Pay attention to what you enjoy eating. If you find that you are throwing away a lot of a certain type of food then it is simple buy less of it. It may be cheaper to buy a 5 pound bag of potatoes, but if you are only using 2 or 3 and throwing the rest away then only buy 2 or 3 at a time. I guarantee you that those 2 or 3 will not be more expensive than the whole bag, and you are not being wasteful.
 
21. Buy a freezer
We invested about $150 in a big chest freezer. I suggest you do the same. It is a lot at one time, but it is worth the money in the long run. If you buy bulk in produce, meats etc... then you can freeze what you are not using right away. Make large batches of things like sauces, breads, lasagnas, enchiladas etc... and freeze half or more of them. It is worth it in the long run. Especially if you are shopping seasonally. In the fall you can purchase squash when it is in season and freeze it, and then eat it year around. You also can purchase large quantities of frozen fruits and vegetables.
 
22. Stick to the outside
Try to stay away as much as possible from the aisles of the store. Stick to the outer areas, fresh produce, meats and dairy.
 
23. Drink more water
Do you know how much money you are spending on your sodas, energy drinks, specialty coffees, teas and juices? I bet that it is a large amount of your budget. If you are drinking water (and I don't mean the prepackaged bottle water you purchase, that is just a waste of your money) then you are saving yourself a lot of money and empty calories. If you would like to drink something else try making your own juice, buy tea bags and make your own tea, you can even make your own specialty coffee drinks if you do not want to give them up.
 
24. Do it with family and friends
Involve your family and friends in your shopping. You all can go in together on foods. Buy that 5 pound bag of potatoes and split them up, buy bulk in organic meats and split that up, go in on produce together to split up. Have a weekly night where you get together with family and friends and meal prep together. Each person can bring different ingredients (an equal amount for everyone so nobody is spending more than another person), and you all cook together then split up what you've made.
 
25. Buy local
This is one of the best ways to eat healthy on a budget. You can help stimulate the economy in your local area by supporting local farmers as well as getting the freshest foods around.

 
26. Social media
Make sure you follow your favorite brands and stores on social media. You can find out different promotions, receive coupons, samples etc... on their page.
 
27. Portion control
Make sure you are eating the correct portions of your foods. Portion distortion is a huge problem in America today. If you are eating the proper amount of food you will be much healthier. You also will spend less money because you can buy smaller portions of things.
 
28. Buy online
You can find a lot of organic products on Amazon. You can also join Green polka dot box (which is an online membership site like Sam's or Costco) http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/ 
 
29. Stop wasting food
Raw nuts and flours should be kept in the refrigerator to last longer without going rancid.
Line your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. They’ll absorb excess moisture which will help keep produce longer.
To repel bugs, place a bay leaf in containers of rice, flour and pastas.
Buy and keep bananas separated from one another, they spoil slower.
Turn almond butter, yogurt, sour cream, tahini and cottage cheese containers upside down when stored in the fridge – this creates a vacuum seal, keeping them fresh longer
Do not throw away nut meal from homemade nut milk – use it for smoothies, baked goods like biscotti or to make nut flours by placing the pulp on a baking sheet and drying it out in a 250 degree oven or dehydrator.
Repurpose vegetable pulp from juicing to add fiber to soups, smoothies or make crackers or bread.
Placed limp celery, baby carrots and radishes in water with a slice of potato to make them crunchy again.
Keep all organic citrus fruits in the fridge – they will last up to 1-2 weeks longer.
Do not wash organic dark leafy greens or berries until they are ready to consume.
Store herbs, spring onions, asparagus upright in a large glass filled with an inch of water
Learn tips and recipes on how to use over the edge food. For examples, panzanella with stale bread, and banana bread with overripe bananas.
If you know you will not have a chance to eat it, freeze food before it goes bad.
Choose to eat less, use a smaller plate to help you control the amount of food you might eat or end up wasting.
Compost all food waste to put nutrients back in your garden (you will spend less on fertilizer).
 
30. Purchase the whole thing
If you are looking for a away to save money on organic meats look into purchasing the whole animal. I have never done this, but I know some people that do. They will go in with other people or they will freeze parts of the animal.
 
 
 
 
 
These are the tips that I have for eating organic on a budget. If you have anymore please feel free to add them to the comments. I am always looking for ways to save money especially on healthy foods.
 
 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Pin It!

1 Year of Fitness

This time last year I was miserable and unhappy. I had once again made my same old new years resolution of getting in shape and losing weight. I said ok this year I am finally going to do it. I will finally loose weight. By summer I will be down 20 pounds I just know it. Of course January and February went like they did all the previous years. I would loose 10 pounds then gain back 20. This seemed like a never ending cycle, and I did not think I could ever break free from it. Finally on March 4 2013 my husband and I joined a gym and we signed up for personal training. I was excited and nervous about this. This was something I had never experienced before. I thought oh no I am not supposed to lift weights. I don't want to get too bulky. This is sadly a lot of women's thinking about lifting and is completely false!! With cardio of course you will burn more calories in one session, but  as soon as you step off the machine or stop running you stop burning calories. With weights your body continues to burn calories 24-36 hours after you've stopped lifting. So which one sounds better to you. Anyways I digress. :) I found my love of lifting. I was very intimidated to step into the weight room surrounded by all these men and women who were in such great shape and know what they are doing. I think that if I did not work with a trainer for a few months I would not have gotten up enough courage to brave that room. I am so thankful I did.



I worked with him for 4 months, and they helped change my life forever. I changed the way I was eating along with getting in exercise. I started following their diet. Which was very helpful, but I realized I don't want to be on a diet. I know as soon as I go off of it I will go back to my old ways and gain all the weight back. I need to change my lifestyle and just eat healthy foods. One big thing for me was cutting out sodas and drinking at least a gallon of water everyday. I started researching lots of different foods and ways of eating. I was so surprised at the chemicals that were in our everyday foods. I finally came upon the concept of clean eating. This is not a diet. This is just a way to eat whole healthy foods everyday. I am not a nutritionist so I would never try to recommend ways that other people should eat. I know this is what works for me and my family. My advice to everyone is to research your foods. It took awhile to finally figure out my eating, but I finally figured out what works for me. Eating whole, clean healthy foods is what I do. I eat organic on most if not all of my foods. I look for non-GMO labels while shopping and also try to find local foods. I incorporate vegetables, proteins (not just meat, but other proteins as well), complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and fruits. I will enjoy the occasional treat meal. Let me say this is a meal not a whole day, but since I am not on a diet and this is just the way I eat what I want. I do not believe in ever depriving yourself. I take my old favorite recipes and make them over with healthy clean ingredients. So whoever says eating healthy is boring is wrong. I believe nutrition is 80% of our heath and wellness and the other 20% is exercise.

Like I said I worked with my trainer for 4 months. So July of last year I was on my own to stay healthy. I was a little scared, but knew I could do it. I had learned a lot along the way and gained so much confidence. I continued working out at the gym along with doing different challenges at home with a mommy fitness group I joined. During the spring of last year I also did the bikini body program from muffin topless. Which was very helpful to me as well. I started a Facebook page to help keep myself motivated and encouraged. This page turned out to be amazing. I have gained so many fitness friends. I have had people tell me I have encouraged, motivated and inspired them, but honestly it is the other way around. I am amazed by the people I have "met" in this fitness community. They are all amazing. I started doing T25 in November. Which was another great program that I have really enjoyed doing. Seriously you should try it if you are up to it.

So January of this year I did not make the same old resolution that I have made in the past and did not stick to it. I made myself promises that I was going to keep going on my healthy lifestyle. I am proud to say that I am sticking to this lifestyle. I enjoy finding what works and what doesn't work for me on my journey. I am looking at my healthy eating and fitness as a lifelong journey. Let me say for anyone that is on their journey whether just starting, months in, or years in be proud of yourself! Know that you are worth it, and never give up on yourself. You are worth it, and you can do it. Stick with it. You will have ups and downs, but it is a lifelong journey. So just keep pushing yourself. Also take good measurements and progress shots along the way. Most importantly surround yourself with good positive supportive people. I am always here to help motivate and support you if you ever need it.

I am happy to report that after a year on my fitness journey I am down 102 pounds and 70 inches.


You can follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/losingitwith3
You can email me at losingfunandhealthy@outlook.com
You can follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/Losingfunandhea
You can follow me on Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/rccmommy/
You can follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/losingitthefunandhealthyway









Pin It!

Lunch time goodness!!

You ever have those days where nothing in the house sounds good? I am having that day today. I make my meal plans, and try my hardest to stick to them every week. Sometimes wrenches are thrown in to our plans though and makes it almost impossible to stick to it. Well in the middle of the night last night I was awoken by those dreaded words no parent wants to hear, "Mommy I think I'm going to throw up." Followed by the sound of said action. So my night was spent cleaning up and caring for a sick boy. So needless to say it was not a good night, and a giant wrench was thrown into my plans.

My husband stayed up with our daughter, and let me get a little more sleep in. So the morning was not too terrible. When I woke up the last thing I wanted to do was cook breakfast so I had a quickie breakfast, but when it came to lunch today I wanted something a little more filling and well quite frankly delicious. Looking over my meal plan nothing looked good, and browsing through the cabinets again nothing looked good. Until I stumbled up a bag of noodles I had purchased last week that I had forgotten about. So I quickly put together a yummy lunch. It was very easy and quick to make, and to be honest more delicious than what was on my original meal plan. So I think this will be going into future meal plans. I'm calling it quick noodle yumminess!! Ok I may need to come up with another name :)

Quick Noodle Yumminess (I am currently accepting new names for the recipe :) )

8oz package of organic brown rice udon noodles
1lb organic chicken breast
1tsp organic unrefined coconut oil
1tsp organic garlic powder
1tsp organic cumin
1tsp organic sesame oil
1 organic red bell pepper chopped
1 cup organic kale (ribs and stems removed)
2 organic Portobello mushroom tops
1 organic zucchini 
Organic tamari

Cook your udon noodles as the package states. Coat your chicken in coconut oil, garlic powder and cumin. Grill your chicken (I just cooked mine on my George Foreman). After it has cooked for a little put 1tsp of tamari over the chicken. When the chicken is done cut it into chunks.

Warm up a pan with the sesame oil. Add your zucchini and kale first. After they cook for about 5 minutes add the peppers and mushrooms. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Mix everything together in a bowl and add a little tamari to each bowl. This should serve 4-6 people.

Quick and delicious. I think it took me about 15-20 minutes for everything. You could add different veggies if you would like, but these were the ones I had on hand. You get your protein, veggie, good fats and complex carbohydrate in one yummy bowl. Let me know how you like it, and if you added any other veggies to it.


Friday, February 28, 2014

Pin It!

Squat your...

Everyone says diamonds are a girls best friend, but that is false SQUATS are a girls best friend.


I have been doing these with my workouts since I started. The thing is though that are 250 million variations of squats. Ok maybe I over exaggerated that number a little bit. Seriously though look it up there are lots of different types of squats. So for the month of March my mommy fitness group is doing a squat challenge, but not the same old one everyday. We are doing lots of different versions. So join us won't you.


Haven't heard of half of these? Well that is ok. Here are some tutorials for you. Feel free to contact me if you need any further explanations. Or follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/losingitwith3

1. Sumo squat jumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWLPVLI5rLw

2. Basic squat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj4GqSXMTTs

3. Prisoner squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97p3_bDkPUE

4. Wall sit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cdph8hv0O0

5. Goblet squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIrcxSkwui8

6. Uneven squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdT8mJ43Lyo

7. Split squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCWkvwz7DoU

8. Squat jumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVaEhXotL7M

9. Monkey squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3RuXMFZAc

10. Plié squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJzrn0SaiTA

11. Forward wall squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsra0nAEnak

12. Horizontal squat jump

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3xOkcv4BP0
(Ok you don't have to jump as high as this guy. The point is you are trying to jump as high as possible and try to jump forward).

13. Sumo pulse squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8RW18RQQOc

14. Squat hold

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5BFpmzzLbs

15. Frog squat jumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6voFQTee0g8

16. Pistol squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It3yvU0fomI

17. Squat jacks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilAf4jGvbHU

18. Tornado twister squats

http://www.weighttraining.com/exercises/squat-jump-twist


These are the variations we are doing in our challenge. Feel free to add different variations in with these. Let me know which ones are your favorites.


Monday, February 10, 2014

Pin It!

Just for the kale of it

The new fad in health foods is kale. Either you love it or you hate it.


So why is this leafy green getting so much attention. This is considered a super food.

  1. Kale is very low in calories, high in fiber and has zero fat.
  2. Kale is high in iron.
  3. Kale is high in vitamin K.
  4. Kale is filled with powerful antioxidants.
  5. Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food.
  6. Kale is great for cardiovascular support.
  7. Kale is high in vitamin A.
  8. Kale is high in vitamin C.
  9. Kale is high in calcium.
  10. Kale is a great detox food.
  11. Kale is a good source of protein.

 
 
Kale has sort of a bitter taste. It can be hard to get used to. I know the first few times I tried it I did not really care for it. Now I eat it pretty much everyday. The thing is the first few times I tried it I didn't really know what to do with it. I just put it directly in a salad, and it was very bitter and unexpected. Now I have researched some and figured out the best ways to prepare it (in my opinion). So here are some of my favorite recipes.
 
 
Kale chips (a great snack recipe for children and adults)
3 large handfuls of organic kale torn into shreds
1/4tsp sea salt
1/4tsp smoked paprika
1/4 organic garlic
1-2tbsp organic olive oil
 
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a pan with foil
Rinse the leaves and then pat them to dry or if you have a salad spinner dry them in there.
In a bowl mix the oil with the leaves. Arrange them on a pan and bake for 12 minutes. Check them you don't want them to turn brown. After they are done baking add the seasonings to them.
 
Green smoothie (you can use different fruits if you would like)
1/4 c water
4-6 ice cubes
4 whole organic strawberries (include the green tops)
1 organic celery stalk
3 handfuls of organic kale
1/4 cup diced organic mango
2 organic
kiwis diced
1tsp chia seeds
 
Add it all in the blender and hit blend
 
Sautéed kale
3 cups kale coarsely chopped
2tbsp organic coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped organic red onion
2 organic garlic cloves
5 chopped organic portabella mushrooms
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth
sea salt and pepper
 
Heat coconut oil in a large pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook it until soft not brown.  Add the stock, kale and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes covered. Remove the cover and cook until the liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
 
Kale salad
3 cups organic kale (midribs removed)
1 cup roasted organic chickpeas
1 organic cucumber sliced
1/2 cup organic cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
1 organic avocado sliced
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
 
I try to find ways to add kale to my recipes. I have put it in meatballs, spaghetti sauce, soups etc...These are a few recipes that I use a lot. Here is a link with many many more kale recipes. Please add your favorite kale recipes in the comments.
 
 
Pin It!

Time for chili

I love everything about the fall and winter. It really is the best time of year to me. I love the clothes, cooler weather, sights, sounds, smells and definitely the food. One of my favorite things to do is curl up in my yoga pants (because I pretty much have a pair on everyday) and eat a warm bowl of chili. I mean that just sounds awesome right? 

Ok so since becoming healthier I am trying to make over all my old favorite recipes into healthy ones. That's what we all want right healthy comfort food. I play around with my recipes until I think they are yummy. So feel free to change anything in this recipe to make it yummy for you. We are all different so we don't all like the same things. Although it would be so much easier if you all just went ahead and liked everything I do (kidding...maybe :))

So here is my healthier version of chili. This is turkey quinoa chili

1 pound organic ground turkey breast
1 cup organic quinoa
30 oz organic black beans (2 cans if you're using cans, but I like the organic ones in the bag)
16 oz organic chickpeas (1 can if using cans)
16 oz kidney beans (1 can if using cans)
2 cups water
6 oz organic tomato paste (I do use a can for this)
16 oz organic tomato sauce (homemade is even better)
1/2 cup organic purple onion
4 organic sweet peppers (I used red, orange and yellow)
3 organic sweet potatoes
3 stalks organic celery
1tbsp cumin
1tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
1 lime juiced

I just dump all the ingredients in the crockpot really in no particular order. Chop your peppers and onions and celery and peel and cube your sweet potatoes. Add your spices (I use organic in those too by the way). If using canned beans look for a low sodium one and rinse them before adding. Cook it in the crockpot on low for 6 hours.

This is the way I like the chili. You can leave out the turkey to do a vegan friendly version or add chicken or beef if you prefer. You can use different beans or just one or two of the ones I used. Whatever kind if beans you like. I don't like my chili really hot (I'm already spicy enough ;) ), but you could add poblanos or jalapeños if you like. You could also leave out the celery or add carrots of you want. Basically adapt it to how you like it. I like my chili topped with avocado, black olives and a little plain Greek yogurt. How do you like yours topped?


Saturday, February 8, 2014

Pin It!

Fat vs Muscle


I hear people say all the time "muscle weighs more than fat" I don't know who started this, but they must have missed school that day. There is absolutely no way that one pound can more weigh than another. A pound is a pound whether it is muscle, fat, feathers, rocks, cookies or apples. You cannot change how much a pound weighs.


The thing you need to look at is how much space it takes up. Muscle takes up so much less space. Like a pound of rocks takes up a lot less space than a pound of feathers. A pound of apples takes up less space than a pound of Hershey's kisses. So stop saying a pound of fat weighs more than a pound of muscle. That can never happen. These two weigh the same, but the one with muscles looks much smaller. That is because the muscles take up so much less space. To get a lean toned body you should focus on building lean muscle mass. Do not focus on what that number on the scale says. Focus on getting healthy and building your muscles. (Don't worry women you will not get bulky. We have less testosterone and our muscles will not bulk up like this).

 
 
I would much rather carry around some tangerines than some grapefruits. Wouldn't you? So be sure to focus on building those muscles!!


Pin It!

Scrumptious Saturday!

I like anything pumpkin...Wait let me rephrase that I LOVE anything pumpkin. I think that still is not a good enough word...OK I am OBSESSED with anything pumpkin. I mean it is so awesome!! I know a lot of people are really excited when the fall comes because there is pumpkin everywhere, but I am here to tell you friends pumpkin is not just for the fall. I love it all year. I am going to give you all my recipe for my yummy scrumptious pumpkin muffins. I kind of made up the recipe on the fly. My picky 7 year old has gobbled them up since I made them. First before I give you the recipe let's talk pumpkin. So here are some benefits to one of my favorite foods. Seriously pumpkin is amazing!



 
 
So yea pumpkins are awesome!!!!
 
 
 
Ok the first thing I did was make my pumpkin puree. You can use canned, but I like the fresh pumpkin. If I don't use fresh I get the organic pumpkin that is in a carton (at whole foods) not in a can. To puree your pumpkin just cut it in half and scoop out the middle (save your seeds to do roasted pumpkin seeds) and place it down in a dish. I put a little water around my pumpkin. I bake for about 60 minutes. After it has cooled just scoop out the middle and put in a food processor or blender and voila yummy pumpkin puree. Make sure you get the right kind of pumpkin. This is what I use.
 


After making the yummy puree it is muffin time. So finally what you have been waiting for here it is...The pumpkin muffin recipe!!

15oz of pumpkin puree (homemade or carton or canned)
1/2 cup of applesauce (homemade or organic unsweetened)
2 large organic eggs (flax eggs can be used as well, 1tbsp of flax with 3tbsp water= 1 egg)
1tsp organic vanilla
1/2 cup organic coconut sugar (you can also use brown sugar)
1 3/4 cups organic spelt flour (oat, coconut, wheat, or quinoa would work as well)
1tsp baking powder
2 1/2tsp homemade pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and ground cloves)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I always mix all my ingredients together in the order listed. I know every recipe says do dry first in a bowl, and then a separate bowl mix your wet ingredients and then in another bowl mix them all together. Seriously who wants to do that many dishes? I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer and just dump everything in there, and mix.
I used silicone muffin tins, but use whatever you have. If you have paper lightly grease the bottom with a little organic olive oil.
I use an ice cream scooper so I can get roughly the same amount in every tin. Bake them for 30 minutes. With the applesauce they will be a little softer on the inside. You can freeze them to pull out to eat during the week. Let them cool down and then enjoy.



You could add some other ingredients in there if you want. Nuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter, bananas etc... I don't want that other stuff in the way of my yummy pumpkin though. I am a pumpkin purist :)

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Pin It!

Happy Birthday!! belated...

January 27 marked the 7 year anniversary of me becoming a mommy. Oh yeah and it was my son's 7th birthday. Is that a coincidence that they are the same day?? :) This is my oldest sweet baby. It was emotional for me on his birthday. I always think of him as my little baby. Which he will always be, but now he is a big baby! He is about 4 1/2 feet tall and weighs 56 pounds. He wears a size 3 in his shoes and 8/10 in his clothes. So yea he is a big baby :)

 
 

January 26 2007 I was induced for my first baby to be born. It was a mix of emotions for us. We were very excited and nervous at the same time. I was induced at 5 pm with him on a Friday night. My amniotic fluid was very low, and it was a necessity for him to be born. I was very upset about it. I wasn't ready and this wasn't part of my birth plan were the thoughts I kept thinking. Of course him being delivered safe and healthy was the most important thing so of course we said let's do this. I had made it to 6 pm Saturday January 27 and was miserable. The contractions were reading off the chart, and I had no epidural. I was in misery. I had gone 24 hours with an induction and was so ready for him to be born. The doctor checked me, and I was at 3cm. I was crushed. I screamed and cried and said get him out of me know. I lost it. I said give me a C-section (of course I didn't want one, but I was miserable). I finally said give me an epidural. I know realize I would have been fine without it and really did not need one. I could have made it without one. After delivering without an epidural and being induced I know I could have made it. That was the point where I was going to start advancing quickly, but being a first time mom I did not know this. I had never planned to get an epidural. I wanted it all natural. So to be induced and now get an epidural I was so unhappy, but I kept thinking as long as he is safe that is all that matters. I will say after I got the epidural I was like a different person. There was a big whirlpool tub in the bathroom which I couldn't use obviously because my whole body was numb. So my husband decided to take advantage of this awesome tub. I was finally calm and playing cards with my mom. It was almost 8pm. He went in the bathroom, turned off the lights in there and got in a nice warm Jacuzzi tub. Then there was suddenly a knock on the door. My mom was telling him ok it is time to push now. Wow what a wasted bath right? So I pushed for a short time for a first time mom. He entered the world at 8:49 pm. So after almost 28 hours of labor my baby was finally here. I couldn't wait to hold him. The nurses seemed very concerned as they were pumping lot of liquid out of his lungs. They wrapped him up quickly and let me hold him for about 5 sec and then rushed him out of the room. My heart sank. Where did my baby go? Why is he not in my arms? He was in respiratory distress. It was awful. They got him stabilized, and Daddy got to go in there to help give him his first bath. After several hours I finally got my baby back in my arms. He was so sweet and tiny. It was finally real I was a mommy. It was amazing.




He had a dramatic entrance into the world, and has not stopped since then. I am so lucky to be his mommy. He is so amazing. He is so smart and strong. He is in the first grade, and gets straight A's and reads on a fourth grade level. He is just so amazing. My little 7 pound 8 ounce baby is growing into such an amazing little boy. So happy birthday to my sweet little man!!

He had a ninja turtle party yesterday. It was so awesome to celebrate with his friends and our amazing family. He had a wonderful time. Which as a mommy is all I really want for my baby. I can't wait to celebrate so many more wonderful birthdays for my big boy!!




Pin It!

Clean eating

I think fitness is about 20% of getting healthy and 80% eating. I never use the diet word because I am not on a diet. This is the way I eat. Diet is something that is short term and never works. Instead go for something long lasting. Eat clean, whole, fresh foods everyday and drink lots of water. This is the only thing that has worked for me. It was hard in the beginning and I felt very lost, but now it is like second nature to he. As I said this is just the way we eat. So I made a calendar for anyone that is interested in eating clean. This is helpful in getting you started. Let me know any questions you gave about clean eating. I would love to help.





Pin It!

New month...new you!

What are your goals for the month of February? This is the shortest month of the year. So plan to rock out this month. This is also the last month before my 1 year fitness anniversary. One year ago in March is when I changed my life forever. I want to finish strong. So in my mommy fitness group I made two calendars for the month. Join us and follow along with either one or both of the calendars. If you have any questions about any of the exercises leave them in the comments and I will get back with you. Rock out this month with me! 








 

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Pin It!

Throwback Thursday

It has been awhile since I have done a throwback Thursday. So here is one. First off I have never ever shown people pictures with my exposed stomach area. I have always been self conscious of this area. I have never had a flat stomach and I have stretch marks. Then I realized I have come a long way. I have stretch marks because I earned them between my weight loss and my three babies. I am not perfect, but I am real and proud of what I have accomplished. So the first picture in this is from Easter about 2 years ago, and the other one is from yesterday.


Pin It!

Last Year

Last year I consider to be my year. My life changed forever last year. I have an amazing husband and three beautiful children. I was fulfilled in that area, but I was not happy with myself. I decided to make a change, and finally get healthy. I have said for years and years I am going to do it this year. Nothing ever worked for me. I realize now that I was just not ready. Nothing will ever change until we are ready for it to change. Nobody else can do it for us. I got off my butt and finally did something about it. I joined a gym and started strength training.  I stopped eating unhealthy processed crap and drinking sodas, and now eat clean organic foods and drink only water. I cannot believe how much better I feel about myself. I am amazed by the things that I am now able to do. I know if I put my mind to it anything is possible. Last year I went from a size 20/22 to an 8. I lost over 50 inches all over my body, and I lost 90 pounds. All of this happened from March 2013 to December 2013. Anything is possible as long as we believe it is.