Well, I've been a mommy for about 2 months now. So far so good! This Thanksgiving I had quite a lot to be thankful for. My little L changes every day. She's getting chubbier (which isn't saying much) and is learning how to talk and smile! I have a healthy, happy baby and that's more than I could ask for.
As a mom, every day I find myself feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and exhausted, but also completely overjoyed, totally blessed and filled with unconditional love for this little baby girl. It's quite an emotional roller coaster! Having a baby truly pries you away from selfishness and pride. I've been spit up on, pooped and peed on. I've lost sleep, lost my free time but have found my purpose in this world.
The best advice I had gotten going into this motherhood journey was that with kids you need to relearn how to do life all over again. The way I do laundry has changed, how I workout has changed, the way I cook, getting ready in the morning - everything! It takes patience and planning ahead in order to keep up with it all. Even now, I'm typing with one hand because my girl is asleep on my lap. I can't even remember what I used to do with my time before I had a baby. Probably a whole lot of nothing..
So this is where I get to share how I'm figuring out how to keep my healthy lifestyle + baby duties all balanced.
Mommy Life - Food Prep:
Pregnancy does a work on your body. From the start of pregnancy I have been amazed at how I was able to grow a person, birth a person, and now provide everything my little baby needs - God is so cool! But of course with pregnancy comes weight gain. I personally gained about 30 lbs (but keep in mind I didn't go full term. L came 5 weeks early!). I hadn't changed much about my diet during pregnancy. I still made home made meals and still indulged from time to time. Now that I want my abs back, it needs to start in the kitchen.
If you've read any of my posts about ways to keep a healthy menu I am all about meal planning, and I am SO happy I've managed to incorporate this habit pre-baby!
Quick steps for a healthy food week:
1. Become a person of habit and routine:
Get into a good rhythm for breakfast and lunch. Maybe you plan to have 2 eggs and some fruit every morning. Maybe lunch is always leftovers from dinner the night before or a chicken salad you prepped over the weekend (check out the yummy recipe below!). Make a routine that can become second nature.
2. Collect recipes:
Pinterest is my best friend. If I have no clue what to make for dinner for the week all it takes is a quick search on Pinterest and I'm bound to find something new and delicious. Then I make a list on my phone what recipes I want to make for the week. Right now my list includes coconut chicken, stir fry, chicken salad and fish with sweet potatoes. Nothing extravagant, but I've got a plan.
Try to include a good amount of protein in each meal, a veggie in each meal and be smart about how you indulge. Just remember, too much sugar and starch equals increased fat stores and weight gain.
3. Shop with intention:
Now that you have your list of meals, make your list of what you need for each recipe. Then you can grocery shop with purpose while saving time as well.
4. Use the precious time you have:
Mommy life doesn't allow for much extra time when every 3 hours I'm nursing, diaper changing, comforting a fussy baby and rocking her to sleep. So when I have a few minutes I use it! That means prepping veggies, putting things in my crock pot, boiling eggs or whatever prep I can do while I have the chance. Most of the time my meal prep is interrupted by my little L who lost her passie or just needs to be held, so what used to take me 10 minutes could easily take me a half hour or more.
I'm definitely still adjusting and trying to give myself some slack. I may not get out of my PJ's every day or wash my dishes for days on end, but I do what I can. Of course my number one priority right now is my baby girl.
And now - a recipe to share!
Thanksgiving has already come and gone. My husband and I are working on eating up all of the leftovers we were given - yummy! This year I had made a delicious chopped salad (recipe found here) and this is what I decided to do with the leftover salad ingredients:
Quick Chicken Salad:
Ingredients
Cooked and shredded chicken breast
A few chopped pecans
1-2 Tbsp dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped apple
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
2 slices cooked and chopped bacon strips
Poppyseed dressing
Directions
Simply mix all ingredients with the amount of dressing you like (just don't overdo it!) and enjoy! Not all salads need lettuce.
This could easily be prepped ahead of time and thrown together for a quick lunch to bring to work.
So do what works for you in order to eat healthy, real, delicious food.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
This, too, shall pass
Well, after 35 weeks of pregnancy, it's all over - or it has just begun. I'm a mommy! I want to record my birth story before I forget, so I'll take advantage and share it here.
I'm definitely writing this a lot sooner than I had planned, but here it goes...
Friday, September 26th, around 7 am: I woke up to a sense that I needed to use the bathroom, but that I had already missed my chance and I was soaked. I rushed to the bathroom only to find the water still flowing! At this point I'm very confused and shocked at what is going on, as I still had 5 weeks left of pregnancy - plus, 2 baby showers I needed to go to that weekend! Plus, I hadn't even gone over my birth plan with my doctor, which I hadn't printed off my computer yet. I was not ready for this.
With my husband sound asleep, I try to whistle for him from the bathroom but he didn't respond. I waddle back to our bedroom, towel in between myself, and I wake him up with, "I think my water just broke!" Dazed, confused and groggy, he wakes up and asks, "Where?!" I wasn't sure exactly how to answer that question.
I called the doctor while the hubbs scrambled to pack us a couple bags to bring to the hospital. We ate some breakfast together, and at this point I was pretty calm - no contractions in sight.
On our way out the door I mention, still in disbelief, "I bet the doctor will send us home, I'm not in labor yet." Famous last words, right?
We get to the hospital, I'm put in their triage room where they test to make sure my water did actually break. Sure enough I was telling them the truth. Still hardly contracting, and dilated at 3 cm, I'm sent to the delivery room where things started to pick up a bit more. They attached a couple monitors to my belly - so annoying - and left me to labor with my amazing husband's support.
I need to take a pause and just try to explain our experience during my labor as a married couple. Preparing for labor early on during pregnancy I definitely thought I was going to be a lot more irritated, irritable and cranky. It was quite the opposite, which I am thankful for (hopefully he was just as thankful for that)! I needed to rely on my husband through each contraction, soaking up his encouraging words. He probably didn't feel like he did much during that time, but if he wasn't there I don't think things would have gone as well as they did. His support and love had never been shown or as well received in this way in our nine years together. During all the cramping and discomfort, I had strength because my best friend was with me the entire time. He is one heck of a man - and now one heck of a daddy! Really, he's infatuated with this tiny girl.
So to you husbands who plan on having kids, be there for your wife! She needs you more than you know. This is a special time between the two of you, so take advantage and be the man she needs you to be.
Back to the story...
So far, the contractions, which felt like period cramps, were stronger and more intense. I didn't get much of a break from them after a while and had to throw up a couple times because they were so intense. Then, like a flip of a switch, I felt completely different. I began shaking and panicked a little, wondering what was happening to me. I told the hubbs to call the nurse to come in. The nurse came and I told her that I needed to push. She looked at me like I was joking, as it had only been a couple hours since I had arrived. She asked me to lie on my back in the bed, which seemed like an impossible task, and she checked to see how much I was dilated. Her eyes widened with surprise and said to me, "Yep! You're ready!" I felt excited and nervous to start pushing. Pushing was exactly like they say, like trying to get out a big poop (pardon my language). I felt like my whole bottom was going to come off with each push. It was a test of my endurance and of my strength. I'm glad I passed that test. It helped that everyone was cheering me on and telling me they could see her head coming! The end was so close! With my last push I felt her head come out, and in my husband's words, the rest of her just shot out! I felt a huge relief from every pain that I had been feeling. It was all over.
My only major medical intervention was having an episiotomy. Other than that there wasn't a whole lot of time to think about other drugs or epidurals. But that was my goal, and I do feel a huge sense of accomplishment that things went according to my plan, especially since my doctor was clueless on what my plans actually were. With that said, I can totally understand wanting pain relief, so I can't judge others' decisions. Labor and delivery is different for everyone and you won't really know what it will be like until you experience it for yourself. BUT, just know for you ladies who may be nervous about giving birth some day, that God made you to be able to do this! The pain you feel doesn't hurt you, it's there for a purpose. With the right support and keeping as relaxed as you can, I truly believe a natural birth is possible for the majority of women. You can do it!
My miracle decided to surprise us 5 weeks early. Born at 12:35 pm, weighing 4 lb. 14 oz. she's perfect and she's given her mommy and daddy a huge purpose in life. We can't imagine life without her.
Since she was early, we had to extend our hospital stay to a full week. It was mentally exhausting for me. Not only did I have to learn how to care for a newborn, but I had to see my tiny girl get poked and tested every day. She was in the special care nursery for part of it, so I was separated from her right away, having to take visits to go see her as often as I could - that really sucked. Later, I got to share a room with her, and probably drove the nurses crazy because I'd page them in concern with every noise she'd make at first. [Newborns are noisy! I've adjusted to her moans and groans now]
I had such great, supportive nurses (most of them, anyway) who taught me so much. I got the 101 on breastfeeding, pumping, diaper changing, burping, bathing, etc. It was so nice to have some guidance in those early days. I really don't know what I would have done if I were to have just brought her home right away. A week after Leslie was born we got the clear to go home! She's so easy going and perfect. I can't get enough.
So there you have it! Getting through the cramping, the dilating, the pushing, the aftermath of birth and finally being able to be home with our baby was all such a marathon. Through it all, that phrase my mom has said so many times, 'this too shall pass', stuck in my head reminding me that our struggles and challenges are here for only a time. I can say that my faith and trust in God since I first learned I was pregnant has grown dramatically. Challenges of the unknown has a way of doing that to us.
And now I look at my tiny girl, who is lying on the couch besides me as I type this, knowing she'll only be this size for a short amount of time - this too shall pass. When she starts cooing and laughing, crawling and walking - with all of those precious moments, this, too shall pass. My aim is to be the best mommy that I can be and to soak up every moment of this girl's life. Because I know it goes too fast.
I'm definitely writing this a lot sooner than I had planned, but here it goes...
Friday, September 26th, around 7 am: I woke up to a sense that I needed to use the bathroom, but that I had already missed my chance and I was soaked. I rushed to the bathroom only to find the water still flowing! At this point I'm very confused and shocked at what is going on, as I still had 5 weeks left of pregnancy - plus, 2 baby showers I needed to go to that weekend! Plus, I hadn't even gone over my birth plan with my doctor, which I hadn't printed off my computer yet. I was not ready for this.
With my husband sound asleep, I try to whistle for him from the bathroom but he didn't respond. I waddle back to our bedroom, towel in between myself, and I wake him up with, "I think my water just broke!" Dazed, confused and groggy, he wakes up and asks, "Where?!" I wasn't sure exactly how to answer that question.
I called the doctor while the hubbs scrambled to pack us a couple bags to bring to the hospital. We ate some breakfast together, and at this point I was pretty calm - no contractions in sight.
On our way out the door I mention, still in disbelief, "I bet the doctor will send us home, I'm not in labor yet." Famous last words, right?
We get to the hospital, I'm put in their triage room where they test to make sure my water did actually break. Sure enough I was telling them the truth. Still hardly contracting, and dilated at 3 cm, I'm sent to the delivery room where things started to pick up a bit more. They attached a couple monitors to my belly - so annoying - and left me to labor with my amazing husband's support.
I need to take a pause and just try to explain our experience during my labor as a married couple. Preparing for labor early on during pregnancy I definitely thought I was going to be a lot more irritated, irritable and cranky. It was quite the opposite, which I am thankful for (hopefully he was just as thankful for that)! I needed to rely on my husband through each contraction, soaking up his encouraging words. He probably didn't feel like he did much during that time, but if he wasn't there I don't think things would have gone as well as they did. His support and love had never been shown or as well received in this way in our nine years together. During all the cramping and discomfort, I had strength because my best friend was with me the entire time. He is one heck of a man - and now one heck of a daddy! Really, he's infatuated with this tiny girl.
So to you husbands who plan on having kids, be there for your wife! She needs you more than you know. This is a special time between the two of you, so take advantage and be the man she needs you to be.
Back to the story...
So far, the contractions, which felt like period cramps, were stronger and more intense. I didn't get much of a break from them after a while and had to throw up a couple times because they were so intense. Then, like a flip of a switch, I felt completely different. I began shaking and panicked a little, wondering what was happening to me. I told the hubbs to call the nurse to come in. The nurse came and I told her that I needed to push. She looked at me like I was joking, as it had only been a couple hours since I had arrived. She asked me to lie on my back in the bed, which seemed like an impossible task, and she checked to see how much I was dilated. Her eyes widened with surprise and said to me, "Yep! You're ready!" I felt excited and nervous to start pushing. Pushing was exactly like they say, like trying to get out a big poop (pardon my language). I felt like my whole bottom was going to come off with each push. It was a test of my endurance and of my strength. I'm glad I passed that test. It helped that everyone was cheering me on and telling me they could see her head coming! The end was so close! With my last push I felt her head come out, and in my husband's words, the rest of her just shot out! I felt a huge relief from every pain that I had been feeling. It was all over.
My only major medical intervention was having an episiotomy. Other than that there wasn't a whole lot of time to think about other drugs or epidurals. But that was my goal, and I do feel a huge sense of accomplishment that things went according to my plan, especially since my doctor was clueless on what my plans actually were. With that said, I can totally understand wanting pain relief, so I can't judge others' decisions. Labor and delivery is different for everyone and you won't really know what it will be like until you experience it for yourself. BUT, just know for you ladies who may be nervous about giving birth some day, that God made you to be able to do this! The pain you feel doesn't hurt you, it's there for a purpose. With the right support and keeping as relaxed as you can, I truly believe a natural birth is possible for the majority of women. You can do it!
My miracle decided to surprise us 5 weeks early. Born at 12:35 pm, weighing 4 lb. 14 oz. she's perfect and she's given her mommy and daddy a huge purpose in life. We can't imagine life without her.
 |
| Leslie Vivian Davison |
Since she was early, we had to extend our hospital stay to a full week. It was mentally exhausting for me. Not only did I have to learn how to care for a newborn, but I had to see my tiny girl get poked and tested every day. She was in the special care nursery for part of it, so I was separated from her right away, having to take visits to go see her as often as I could - that really sucked. Later, I got to share a room with her, and probably drove the nurses crazy because I'd page them in concern with every noise she'd make at first. [Newborns are noisy! I've adjusted to her moans and groans now]
I had such great, supportive nurses (most of them, anyway) who taught me so much. I got the 101 on breastfeeding, pumping, diaper changing, burping, bathing, etc. It was so nice to have some guidance in those early days. I really don't know what I would have done if I were to have just brought her home right away. A week after Leslie was born we got the clear to go home! She's so easy going and perfect. I can't get enough.
So there you have it! Getting through the cramping, the dilating, the pushing, the aftermath of birth and finally being able to be home with our baby was all such a marathon. Through it all, that phrase my mom has said so many times, 'this too shall pass', stuck in my head reminding me that our struggles and challenges are here for only a time. I can say that my faith and trust in God since I first learned I was pregnant has grown dramatically. Challenges of the unknown has a way of doing that to us.
And now I look at my tiny girl, who is lying on the couch besides me as I type this, knowing she'll only be this size for a short amount of time - this too shall pass. When she starts cooing and laughing, crawling and walking - with all of those precious moments, this, too shall pass. My aim is to be the best mommy that I can be and to soak up every moment of this girl's life. Because I know it goes too fast.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
B-L-D Ideas
Happy Saturday!
During this pregnancy I really haven't had big cravings for a particular food. I've gone in phases of only being able to eat crackers and cream cheese and pickles in the beginning months. And then my cravings became almond milk, burgers, and waffles and pancakes. But really, I haven't changed much of the way I eat now compared to pre-pregnancy - which is probably why I've felt really great this whole time! Eating balanced PFC does amazing things.
However, with that said, I wanted to satisfy some of those cravings and just find some healthier versions of my favorite foods for the occasional indulgence, without feeling totally bloated afterwards (TMI?). I stumbled upon a pretty decent pancake recipe that is becoming a weekly Saturday morning treat for the hubbs and I. And it's a recipe that I won't feel too guilty about feeding my little girl someday!
These pancakes have about 18g of protein and about 20g of carbs per serving. Try to get creative with your toppings to cut down on the sugar. Real maple syrup, along with a good slather of butter, is what we usually use because this is our treat. But you could top it off with real peanut butter (only peanuts and salt in ingredient list) for some added fat and protein, or real whip cream (made without sugar added) and berries for a fancy feast.
Here's the recipe:
Protein Pancakes
serves about 3
Ingredients
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup cottage cheese (full fat!)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp cinnamon
Directions
Mix all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Make your cakes and enjoy! *This recipe isn't meant for the huge flapjack type of pancakes that you get at Perkins, my friends. This morning I made 3 relatively small pancakes for myself, but with all that protein they filled me up just fine.
Keep your day going with these other favorite recipes of mine!
Tuna Salad on Cucumbers
serves 2-3
Ingredients
2 small cans of tuna in water
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced celery
2-3 tsp diced red onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, optional
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Adjust seasonings and oil to taste.
Load up slices of cucumber with your tuna mixture and enjoy! Who needs bread, anyway?
Egg Salad on Cucumbers
serves 2-3
Ingredients
2 hard boiled eggs, shells peeled
1-2 tsp relish
2 Tbsp real mayonnaise (try looking for one without soybean oil)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Adjust seasonings to your liking.
Load up slices of cucumber with your egg mixture and enjoy! ..you can tell sliced cucumbers are my new favorite bread replacement.
**For easy, weekly meal planning!**
Daily uses for cooked, shredded chicken!
At the beginning of the week, cook 4 or 5 chicken breasts (I like to cook them in my crock pot on high for 3 hours or so - it's just that much easier) and shred them all up.
Try out these ideas to use that chicken in different ways all week long!
1. Top off your salad with some chicken. You'll have your veggie (C), your dressing (F), and your chicken (P) -- PFC meal right there! Can't get much easier than that.
2. Chicken avocado salad. Mix an avocado with some salsa, salt and pepper (making guacamole, in essence) and add in some chicken for a pack of protein. Use those wonderful cucumber slices as dippers, and there's another PFC meal, easy peesy.
3. Chicken tacos! Who doesn't love a chicken taco? Mix up your chicken with some seasonings like cumin, a little bit of chili powder, salt and some salsa. Load up some veggie toppings like tomatoes, avocados, onions, or beans. A little fresh cilantro goes a long way, too. You don't even need a tortilla, just a fork and a hungry belly! ..my mouth is watering..
4. Chicken wild rice soup in the crock pot. I actually made this this week, yum!
-Chop up 3 large carrots, 3 stalks of celery and a large onion
-Load up the crock pot with your veggies, 1 cup of uncooked wild rice, 62 oz chicken broth, 1-2 tsp dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
-Cook on low for 6-8 hours, adding in your chicken during the last couple hours.
You will have soup for weeks! I put half of this recipe in the freezer
Happy Meal Planning, everyone!
During this pregnancy I really haven't had big cravings for a particular food. I've gone in phases of only being able to eat crackers and cream cheese and pickles in the beginning months. And then my cravings became almond milk, burgers, and waffles and pancakes. But really, I haven't changed much of the way I eat now compared to pre-pregnancy - which is probably why I've felt really great this whole time! Eating balanced PFC does amazing things.
However, with that said, I wanted to satisfy some of those cravings and just find some healthier versions of my favorite foods for the occasional indulgence, without feeling totally bloated afterwards (TMI?). I stumbled upon a pretty decent pancake recipe that is becoming a weekly Saturday morning treat for the hubbs and I. And it's a recipe that I won't feel too guilty about feeding my little girl someday!
These pancakes have about 18g of protein and about 20g of carbs per serving. Try to get creative with your toppings to cut down on the sugar. Real maple syrup, along with a good slather of butter, is what we usually use because this is our treat. But you could top it off with real peanut butter (only peanuts and salt in ingredient list) for some added fat and protein, or real whip cream (made without sugar added) and berries for a fancy feast.
Here's the recipe:
Protein Pancakes
serves about 3
Ingredients
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup cottage cheese (full fat!)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp cinnamon
Directions
Mix all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Make your cakes and enjoy! *This recipe isn't meant for the huge flapjack type of pancakes that you get at Perkins, my friends. This morning I made 3 relatively small pancakes for myself, but with all that protein they filled me up just fine.
Keep your day going with these other favorite recipes of mine!
Tuna Salad on Cucumbers
serves 2-3
Ingredients
2 small cans of tuna in water
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced celery
2-3 tsp diced red onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, optional
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Adjust seasonings and oil to taste.
Load up slices of cucumber with your tuna mixture and enjoy! Who needs bread, anyway?
Egg Salad on Cucumbers
serves 2-3
Ingredients
2 hard boiled eggs, shells peeled
1-2 tsp relish
2 Tbsp real mayonnaise (try looking for one without soybean oil)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Adjust seasonings to your liking.
Load up slices of cucumber with your egg mixture and enjoy! ..you can tell sliced cucumbers are my new favorite bread replacement.
**For easy, weekly meal planning!**
Daily uses for cooked, shredded chicken!
At the beginning of the week, cook 4 or 5 chicken breasts (I like to cook them in my crock pot on high for 3 hours or so - it's just that much easier) and shred them all up.
Try out these ideas to use that chicken in different ways all week long!
1. Top off your salad with some chicken. You'll have your veggie (C), your dressing (F), and your chicken (P) -- PFC meal right there! Can't get much easier than that.
2. Chicken avocado salad. Mix an avocado with some salsa, salt and pepper (making guacamole, in essence) and add in some chicken for a pack of protein. Use those wonderful cucumber slices as dippers, and there's another PFC meal, easy peesy.
3. Chicken tacos! Who doesn't love a chicken taco? Mix up your chicken with some seasonings like cumin, a little bit of chili powder, salt and some salsa. Load up some veggie toppings like tomatoes, avocados, onions, or beans. A little fresh cilantro goes a long way, too. You don't even need a tortilla, just a fork and a hungry belly! ..my mouth is watering..
4. Chicken wild rice soup in the crock pot. I actually made this this week, yum!
-Chop up 3 large carrots, 3 stalks of celery and a large onion
-Load up the crock pot with your veggies, 1 cup of uncooked wild rice, 62 oz chicken broth, 1-2 tsp dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
-Cook on low for 6-8 hours, adding in your chicken during the last couple hours.
You will have soup for weeks! I put half of this recipe in the freezer
Happy Meal Planning, everyone!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Ways You May Be Slowing Your Metabolism
Long time no see, my friends..
What a summer it has been! For me, it's been quite the busy one. Preparing for your first little one should be stressful enough, but the husband and I thought we should add to it by fixing up our house and getting projects done before baby - which, I'm glad we did. I'm happy it's over.
I sit here now, sipping my [decaf] coffee with nothing but a doctor's appointment on the agenda [I could go on and on about how I hate doctors appointments, but I won't.]. It feels quite strange to not have painting to do, or planting or even house cleaning to do at the moment - but I'll take it!
So, with my new found time I've been continuing to learn, and relearn, the fundamentals on managing a healthy weight. [I've also been learning a TON about birth and labor and delivery, but this is not the time or place for that.]
I listened to a great episode of one of my favorite podcasts, Dishing Up Nutrition, where a woman who had lost 90 lbs from changing her diet shared her story. She has wonderful insights and encouragement for those of you who have a similar goal and want to change your health for good - not just for this next 30 day challenge, or this next diet plan to try - but life-changing health improvements. You can listed to that episode here, I highly recommend it.
She got me thinking about all of the mistakes many of us make when it comes to fat loss, most of which we do with good intention! But many of these things will just lead you to failure in the long run and may destroy your metabolism along the way.
Our metabolism, and really our bodies, are quite smart. It's not just a machine, like the calories in, calories out myth makes it out to be. Our bodies know how to adjust, they know how to use certain food for certain things, it's all regulated by hormones - and we should be impressed, having the utmost respect to the Creator who designed it all! With that, we must learn how to make our bodies efficient so that our metabolism works for us and not against us.
Here are some things to take a look at in your own lifestyle that may be slowing down your metabolism:
You aren't eating enough protein: For us ladies it can often be hard to get the adequate amount of protein we need each day. The recommendation is to aim for 80 grams of protein daily, but in my opinion it doesn't hurt to get even more, say 100 grams or slightly more.
Why do we care about protein? Protein is what builds our muscles. Muscles use fat as energy quite well, which is great news, they're our own God-given fat burners! Protein keeps us feeling full and satisfied - helps us avoid the sugar cravings!
Check out this study on higher protein diets and weight loss: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Good protein is going to come from animal products. All meats, eggs, and dairy are wonderful sources and should be in your daily routine. Animal protein is absorbed the best, it has all essential amino acids we need and often it has a good amount of healthy fats we need as well - bonus!
Which brings me to the next one..
You aren't eating enough fat: Fat. I wish we called it something else. Fat tends to scare us away, especially since we've been told for decades that eating fat makes us fat. Every time I see a new study come out and headlines on the news saying that fat may not be making us fat, I throw a party in my mind and dance around a little [for real]. There's a reason we love butter and heavy cream. You can't mimic that same mouth-feel and richness that butter and cream shower upon us. Food companies have tried their best to find alternatives, but God did the best job when he created heavy cream for us to enjoy in our morning coffee [if you tolerate dairy, that is].
Like protein, fat makes us feel full and satisfied. Fat supports our metabolism. Check out this article about how fat doesn't make us fat: NPR thesalt
What's even more, is that our brains need fat. Your brain is made up of mostly fat and needs fat to build and maintain healthy brain connections. For you smarty pants out there, check out this detailed study on the effects of nutrition on our brain: PMC journal
And for us simpler folk, check out this article about healthy fats for healthy brain function: The Fats to Eat for Better Brain Health
Fat is just so cool...
You are eating too much sugar: it probably makes sense that eating cookies and cakes and brownies every day isn't going to help us lose fat. I think we can all understand that concept. But the same goes for your morning cereal with skim milk, the bagel or sub sandwich you have for lunch, and the big plate of spaghetti for dinner. All of these things convert into sugar once they hit our bloodstream.
Why is sugar so dangerous for our metabolism? Sugar turns into glucose. Glucose triggers insulin release. Insulin stores that glucose into our cells as glycogen. Glycogen is a fancy name for fat. And that's the cycle.
How can we break that cycle? Well, if glucose gets stored as fat by insulin, then we must reduce the amount of glucose we put into our blood stream. Which means we must limit the sugar in our diet! Viola!
The less fat we have and the more lean muscle we have, the faster our metabolism will be!
You aren't managing your stress: Diet is a big factor when it comes to fixing your metabolism and making it more efficient. However, the next big factor is stress.
Stress is inevitable, unavoidable, especially in this country. We just don't know how to slow the heck down. We live in fast-forward every day and it takes a toll.
Stress is linked to the hormone cortisol. Hormones are so important to our metabolism and fat loss. I've already mentioned insulin, and now cortisol. Cortisol is released when we are stressed out and it holds onto our midsection weight. Stress produces more sugar cravings, too. Studying for a big exam? Busy day at work? Crying baby? Broccoli sounds really good during those circumstances, right? No, it's more like a big bowl of cookie dough ice cream with extra hot fudge and whip cream on top... we've all experienced that.
So make sure to take time for yourself. Take time to pray, do some yoga, do something you enjoy, find time to laugh and be goofy. It'll be worth it in the long run.
You're doing too much cardio: Recently I read an article written by Kiefer that you can read here. It explains in great detail why running long distances many times a week will not give us the fat loss we desire. In a nutshell, running creates stress and stress makes us hold onto fat. When we run a long distance our body will use our muscles as energy. When we have less muscle our metabolism slows down because muscle is our fat burner. So, we end up with bodies that have less muscle and more fat - opposite of what we were looking for.
If you enjoy running and enjoy that euphoric feeling after accomplishing a long run or you like to chase endorphins, there are other ways to get that feeling. Any intense exercise that you do can produce endorphins - heavy weight lifting or sprint work, for example. So, if fat loss is your goal, try out a new style of exercise that improves your metabolism and doesn't hinder it like long distance cardio does.
You're not lifting weights: Muscle. I've talked about how important our muscles are for our metabolism and for fat loss. Eating protein will help grow our muscles, add some weight lifting to the mix and you got a good equation for building muscle. Over the years as I've done various types of exercise, I've learned to challenge myself with heavy weights for building lean muscle quickly. Ladies, we're probably more comfortable lifting lighter weights for higher reps, but choose something heavy enough to cause you fatigue after 8-10 reps - you'll be happy with your results. And please don't even worry about bulking up like a man - we're not wired that way. Just know that a toned arm is a strong arm; a toned behind is a strong behind; toned and lean legs are strong legs.
So, I challenge you - add some weight lifting to your schedule at least twice a week, even if for only 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Take time to learn proper form. Maybe work with a trainer for a period of time or even take a look at JASSAFit (a company led by Jason Seib and Sarah Fragoso who can help you with your weight lifting plan and check your form all online!).
I want your weight loss to be fat loss. I want everyone to learn how to lose fat in a healthy way that will last a lifetime. I want the yo-yo dieting of losing and gaining, then losing and gaining to end. I want good research and good nutrition to win out over quick fix diet plans.
I'm not a fan of quick fixes that promise fast results. Fixing broken metabolisms may take time. Nell shares during her story in that Dishing Up Nutrition podcast episode I mentioned, that it took her body a year before she finally saw fat loss. Years of destroying our metabolism will take time to fix it. BUT once it's fixed, you're on your way!
What a summer it has been! For me, it's been quite the busy one. Preparing for your first little one should be stressful enough, but the husband and I thought we should add to it by fixing up our house and getting projects done before baby - which, I'm glad we did. I'm happy it's over.
I sit here now, sipping my [decaf] coffee with nothing but a doctor's appointment on the agenda [I could go on and on about how I hate doctors appointments, but I won't.]. It feels quite strange to not have painting to do, or planting or even house cleaning to do at the moment - but I'll take it!
So, with my new found time I've been continuing to learn, and relearn, the fundamentals on managing a healthy weight. [I've also been learning a TON about birth and labor and delivery, but this is not the time or place for that.]
I listened to a great episode of one of my favorite podcasts, Dishing Up Nutrition, where a woman who had lost 90 lbs from changing her diet shared her story. She has wonderful insights and encouragement for those of you who have a similar goal and want to change your health for good - not just for this next 30 day challenge, or this next diet plan to try - but life-changing health improvements. You can listed to that episode here, I highly recommend it.
She got me thinking about all of the mistakes many of us make when it comes to fat loss, most of which we do with good intention! But many of these things will just lead you to failure in the long run and may destroy your metabolism along the way.
Our metabolism, and really our bodies, are quite smart. It's not just a machine, like the calories in, calories out myth makes it out to be. Our bodies know how to adjust, they know how to use certain food for certain things, it's all regulated by hormones - and we should be impressed, having the utmost respect to the Creator who designed it all! With that, we must learn how to make our bodies efficient so that our metabolism works for us and not against us.
Here are some things to take a look at in your own lifestyle that may be slowing down your metabolism:
You aren't eating enough protein: For us ladies it can often be hard to get the adequate amount of protein we need each day. The recommendation is to aim for 80 grams of protein daily, but in my opinion it doesn't hurt to get even more, say 100 grams or slightly more.
Why do we care about protein? Protein is what builds our muscles. Muscles use fat as energy quite well, which is great news, they're our own God-given fat burners! Protein keeps us feeling full and satisfied - helps us avoid the sugar cravings!
Check out this study on higher protein diets and weight loss: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Good protein is going to come from animal products. All meats, eggs, and dairy are wonderful sources and should be in your daily routine. Animal protein is absorbed the best, it has all essential amino acids we need and often it has a good amount of healthy fats we need as well - bonus!
Which brings me to the next one..
You aren't eating enough fat: Fat. I wish we called it something else. Fat tends to scare us away, especially since we've been told for decades that eating fat makes us fat. Every time I see a new study come out and headlines on the news saying that fat may not be making us fat, I throw a party in my mind and dance around a little [for real]. There's a reason we love butter and heavy cream. You can't mimic that same mouth-feel and richness that butter and cream shower upon us. Food companies have tried their best to find alternatives, but God did the best job when he created heavy cream for us to enjoy in our morning coffee [if you tolerate dairy, that is].
Like protein, fat makes us feel full and satisfied. Fat supports our metabolism. Check out this article about how fat doesn't make us fat: NPR thesalt
What's even more, is that our brains need fat. Your brain is made up of mostly fat and needs fat to build and maintain healthy brain connections. For you smarty pants out there, check out this detailed study on the effects of nutrition on our brain: PMC journal
And for us simpler folk, check out this article about healthy fats for healthy brain function: The Fats to Eat for Better Brain Health
Fat is just so cool...
You are eating too much sugar: it probably makes sense that eating cookies and cakes and brownies every day isn't going to help us lose fat. I think we can all understand that concept. But the same goes for your morning cereal with skim milk, the bagel or sub sandwich you have for lunch, and the big plate of spaghetti for dinner. All of these things convert into sugar once they hit our bloodstream.
Why is sugar so dangerous for our metabolism? Sugar turns into glucose. Glucose triggers insulin release. Insulin stores that glucose into our cells as glycogen. Glycogen is a fancy name for fat. And that's the cycle.
How can we break that cycle? Well, if glucose gets stored as fat by insulin, then we must reduce the amount of glucose we put into our blood stream. Which means we must limit the sugar in our diet! Viola!
The less fat we have and the more lean muscle we have, the faster our metabolism will be!
You aren't managing your stress: Diet is a big factor when it comes to fixing your metabolism and making it more efficient. However, the next big factor is stress.
Stress is inevitable, unavoidable, especially in this country. We just don't know how to slow the heck down. We live in fast-forward every day and it takes a toll.
Stress is linked to the hormone cortisol. Hormones are so important to our metabolism and fat loss. I've already mentioned insulin, and now cortisol. Cortisol is released when we are stressed out and it holds onto our midsection weight. Stress produces more sugar cravings, too. Studying for a big exam? Busy day at work? Crying baby? Broccoli sounds really good during those circumstances, right? No, it's more like a big bowl of cookie dough ice cream with extra hot fudge and whip cream on top... we've all experienced that.
So make sure to take time for yourself. Take time to pray, do some yoga, do something you enjoy, find time to laugh and be goofy. It'll be worth it in the long run.
You're doing too much cardio: Recently I read an article written by Kiefer that you can read here. It explains in great detail why running long distances many times a week will not give us the fat loss we desire. In a nutshell, running creates stress and stress makes us hold onto fat. When we run a long distance our body will use our muscles as energy. When we have less muscle our metabolism slows down because muscle is our fat burner. So, we end up with bodies that have less muscle and more fat - opposite of what we were looking for.
If you enjoy running and enjoy that euphoric feeling after accomplishing a long run or you like to chase endorphins, there are other ways to get that feeling. Any intense exercise that you do can produce endorphins - heavy weight lifting or sprint work, for example. So, if fat loss is your goal, try out a new style of exercise that improves your metabolism and doesn't hinder it like long distance cardio does.
You're not lifting weights: Muscle. I've talked about how important our muscles are for our metabolism and for fat loss. Eating protein will help grow our muscles, add some weight lifting to the mix and you got a good equation for building muscle. Over the years as I've done various types of exercise, I've learned to challenge myself with heavy weights for building lean muscle quickly. Ladies, we're probably more comfortable lifting lighter weights for higher reps, but choose something heavy enough to cause you fatigue after 8-10 reps - you'll be happy with your results. And please don't even worry about bulking up like a man - we're not wired that way. Just know that a toned arm is a strong arm; a toned behind is a strong behind; toned and lean legs are strong legs.
So, I challenge you - add some weight lifting to your schedule at least twice a week, even if for only 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Take time to learn proper form. Maybe work with a trainer for a period of time or even take a look at JASSAFit (a company led by Jason Seib and Sarah Fragoso who can help you with your weight lifting plan and check your form all online!).
I want your weight loss to be fat loss. I want everyone to learn how to lose fat in a healthy way that will last a lifetime. I want the yo-yo dieting of losing and gaining, then losing and gaining to end. I want good research and good nutrition to win out over quick fix diet plans.
I'm not a fan of quick fixes that promise fast results. Fixing broken metabolisms may take time. Nell shares during her story in that Dishing Up Nutrition podcast episode I mentioned, that it took her body a year before she finally saw fat loss. Years of destroying our metabolism will take time to fix it. BUT once it's fixed, you're on your way!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Coconut Chicken Strips Recipe
I really try hard to make healthy eating as easy as possible, but also as delicious as possible!
And with this pregnancy thing, I've dealt with my phases of cravings. This week it was chicken strips - and not the healthy baked kind, but the deep fried breaded type with a bunch of honey mustard... *drool*.
However, I didn't get any of those, so I decided to make some chicken strips of my own.
So, here's a new recipe I tried out this week for Coconut Chicken strips! [courtesy of Breezy Body Fitness] (Sorry for the low quality photos)
The recipe calls for 1lb of chicken tenders, but you can always use a full chicken breast or cut them into strips yourself.
Then season them up with some salt, pepper, ground mustard, and paprika (or whatever spices you like).
Set up your dipping stations: a bowl/plate of almond meal (ground up almonds), a bowl for 2 lightly beaten eggs, and a bowl/plate for shredded coconut. And that's the order you'll dip the strips- first almond meal, then eggs, then coconut.
Bake your seasoned and coated chicken strips at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes
These were really quite simple to make, and have a short cooking time. Plus, they're super delicious even without honey mustard (or any other type of dipping sauce). They got the husband approval that night for dinner! I will be making these again very soon.
Real simple, real food!
And with this pregnancy thing, I've dealt with my phases of cravings. This week it was chicken strips - and not the healthy baked kind, but the deep fried breaded type with a bunch of honey mustard... *drool*.
However, I didn't get any of those, so I decided to make some chicken strips of my own.
So, here's a new recipe I tried out this week for Coconut Chicken strips! [courtesy of Breezy Body Fitness] (Sorry for the low quality photos)
The recipe calls for 1lb of chicken tenders, but you can always use a full chicken breast or cut them into strips yourself.
Then season them up with some salt, pepper, ground mustard, and paprika (or whatever spices you like).
Set up your dipping stations: a bowl/plate of almond meal (ground up almonds), a bowl for 2 lightly beaten eggs, and a bowl/plate for shredded coconut. And that's the order you'll dip the strips- first almond meal, then eggs, then coconut.
Bake your seasoned and coated chicken strips at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes
Enjoy!
These were really quite simple to make, and have a short cooking time. Plus, they're super delicious even without honey mustard (or any other type of dipping sauce). They got the husband approval that night for dinner! I will be making these again very soon.
Real simple, real food!
Saturday, July 19, 2014
For the Arms
Hello again!
Many of you may know that I am now a certified personal trainer! For the past year or so I have been studying for this test through ACE and it is finally behind me. No more studying, and I can finally breathe knowing I passed.
So, with that, I'd like to share a bit more on exercise!
It wasn't until high school that I realized my love for being active. I had joined the tennis team [which allowed me to meet the man of my dreams] and I just loved the way I felt when I was running around and doing something accomplishing and something that motivated me - even though I wasn't ever that good.
Then in college I did different DVD workout programs like Turbo Jam in my dorm room [don't laugh] and P90X [which I completed successfully].
Nowadays I find ways to workout at home, saving some $$ on gym memberships, which is totally doable if you have a few little things on hand.
My home gym consists of:
But you can always start out using your own body weight and still get a great workout!
Here are some of my favorite exercises to work the arms:
[Always start out with a short warm up before diving straight into your strength exercises. Marching in place, jumping jacks, or arm circles are great options]
Push Ups: they've been around forever, but they really do wonders!
Pull Ups: if you have a bar, this is a great challenge. Modify them by putting your feet up on a chair to help yourself up.
Upright Rows: works just about every muscle in your arms
Biceps Curl: no rocket science here
Shoulder Press: classic
Try this short circuit twice a week and I know you'll see those arms tone right up! Especially if you're eating a healthy diet.
Also, here are my some favorite workouts from PopSugar:
And for the pregnant ladies:
Many of you may know that I am now a certified personal trainer! For the past year or so I have been studying for this test through ACE and it is finally behind me. No more studying, and I can finally breathe knowing I passed.
So, with that, I'd like to share a bit more on exercise!
It wasn't until high school that I realized my love for being active. I had joined the tennis team [which allowed me to meet the man of my dreams] and I just loved the way I felt when I was running around and doing something accomplishing and something that motivated me - even though I wasn't ever that good.
Then in college I did different DVD workout programs like Turbo Jam in my dorm room [don't laugh] and P90X [which I completed successfully].
Nowadays I find ways to workout at home, saving some $$ on gym memberships, which is totally doable if you have a few little things on hand.
My home gym consists of:
- 5 lb and 8 lb dumb bells
- A set of adjustable dumb bells that goes up to 25lbs each
- 10 lb kettle bell (really hoping to add to this collection with heavier weights)
- Resistance band
- Exercise ball
- Pull up bar that hangs on door frame
But you can always start out using your own body weight and still get a great workout!
Here are some of my favorite exercises to work the arms:
[Always start out with a short warm up before diving straight into your strength exercises. Marching in place, jumping jacks, or arm circles are great options]
Push Ups: they've been around forever, but they really do wonders!
Pull Ups: if you have a bar, this is a great challenge. Modify them by putting your feet up on a chair to help yourself up.
Upright Rows: works just about every muscle in your arms
Biceps Curl: no rocket science here
Shoulder Press: classic
Try this short circuit twice a week and I know you'll see those arms tone right up! Especially if you're eating a healthy diet.
Also, here are my some favorite workouts from PopSugar:
And for the pregnant ladies:
One Thing at a Time
My goodness, how times flies! This summer has been going by so quickly, and I need to take a few minutes to soak it in. My husband and I have been trying to keep afloat with all sorts of baby appointments, baby preparation for our house, other house projects, church events, family events, job changes, etc. And I know you all hear me when I say that summers can get busy!
With the busy and crazy that life brings, it can be that much harder to keep a healthy diet. I talk to people all day long about their health and by far the most common challenge people deal with is the lack of time.
How in the world are we supposed to get to all the appointments, activities, work full time AND plan healthy meals for our family? It can seem impossible sometimes, so here are my tips to make healthy meals doable and, dare I say, easy!
TIP #1: Get into a routine
Routines are definitely easier during the school year when life is a little more structured and there aren't a ton of extra events going on. But creating somewhat of a routine for yourself is necessary.
I know I've talked about this many-a-time, but make it a priority to plan ahead for the week. Decide what will be for breakfast and dinner each day, and what you will have around for snacks. Planning a week's worth of meals doesn't have to be rocket science, but it may take some time to gather healthy, real food meals. So start collecting ideas - Pinterest is a wonderful resource! Search for 'paleo dinners' or 'whole 30 recipes' or 'crock pot dinners'. Pinterest is my cookbook, for sure.
I definitely am a person of routine and can handle eating the same thing for breakfast every morning. In fact, I still look forward to my Greek yogurt and berries when I go to bed each night even though I've eaten that for breakfast almost every day for years. It just works for me and I don't have to think about it.
So find what you like! I've shared my egg bake recipe with you now, which is another favorite of mine. Have something easy to prepare and something you and your family enjoy. I don't know about you, but I don't have much brain power in the morning, especially now that I've taken out my daily cup of coffee [oh, how I look forward to having a cup of coffee again some day.. ]. So whether it's quick scrambled eggs in butter with some fruit or even a quick protein smoothie like this one, create a plan.
Same goes for dinner. Find easy meals that you can prepare in advance and just whip together quickly. I have my go-to meals like pork roast in the crockpot, frozen chicken with salsa in the crockpot, or taco salad. All of those have little to no prep. I think everyone should treat their crockpots with the utmost respect and love - they are life savers sometimes!
TIP #2: If you buy the goods, you'll eat the goods
Buy some fruits and veggies! I always have apples, bananas, and berries around. This last time I went to Aldi they had such a huge selection of fruits, I think I went a little overboard.. but we Minnesotans need to take advantage when the opportunity arrives.
You may say that fruits and veggies are expensive and hard to keep fresh... That can definitely be the case sometimes. If you know where to shop [Aldi.. uh hem.. go to Aldi] and if those become your main snacks instead of say, crackers or chips or cookies then you can actually save a ton of money in the process.
If you can't afford organic then don't worry about it. I don't buy organic and I'm not too worried about it. I can only do what I can do. Non-organic fruits and veggies are far better than any processed foods you could buy, even the organic processed treats out there.
But I can always tell when I've bought processed snacks, my grocery bill skyrockets! ..more on how eating real food can save you money later..
Buy the fruits and veggies that can keep for a while:
-Apples, oranges, bananas (you can freeze them for smoothies or for a frozen treat if they get brown quickly)
-Celery keeps for a long time if you cut and wash them and put them in a big plastic bag. Add some peanut butter, your day is made. Yum!
-Baby carrots
-Romaine lettuce vs. spinach - I enjoy spinach but it does get bad pretty quickly, so I will have romaine lettuce around and if I can buy a fresh bag of dark greens then I'll add them to a salad soon after I buy it.
-Find nice containers for berries - if you can wash them and put them in a closed container they will keep longer than if they're left in the plastic container they come in.
TIP #3: Fast food at the grocery store!
All this talk about planning and prepping in advance.. again, time is the challenge, so what do you do when you can't spend 5 minutes after a grocery shopping trip to prep your fruits and veggies or to create a dinner plan?
Make your fast food restaurant the grocery store!
Buy a rotisserie chicken, a bag of cut up lettuce or veggies, and some fruit to bring home for dinner. Those chickens are actually cheaper than the raw ones, not sure why, but they are. Just try to avoid the deep fried options.. we don't need those yucky trans fats.
Need a 'fast food' lunch? Go to the grocery store to buy natural deli meat, hummus and cut up veggies.
Gas stations like Kwik Trip have really good real food options as well. Things like string cheese, hard boiled eggs, fruits and veggies.. all real food options, they're just not as obvious as the candy and donuts they display that are so tempting.
TIP #4: Evaluate your commitment
Is your health important to you? Do you really want to take out processed foods in your diet? Do you really want to avoid eating out at fast food places? Do you want to give up your donut in the morning? Is eating real food a priority and why?
We can create all of the excuses in the world for ourselves - time, cost, lack of variety, busy lifestyle - but I believe it boils down to one question: is my health important to me?
If you answered yes to that question, then you will be more committed and motivated to do something about it. I can give you all of the tips that I've experienced or have come up with throughout my few short years eating real food, but if you aren't willing to put in the effort and time that is needed to make it a lifestyle change then I can't help you much further than that.
Understanding why is a huge deal. Once I learned why eating fat was good for me or why avoiding sugar was important to my health it made a huge difference. I had a bigger reason to change my habits that meant more than just a clothing size or a number on the scale.
If it means taking out one activity in your schedule in order to plan a healthy lifestyle, then maybe that's what you need to do. I definitely encourage simplicity in life - less stress and more time to focus on what's really important is huge!
TIP #5: Take it one thing at a time
Changing our habits and lifestyle is not an easy task. Our habits have been with us for years and are engrained in what we do every day.
So, take it one small step at a time.
Replace your breakfast of cereal or toast with eggs and fruit.
Replace your snacks of crackers or sweets with nuts and veggies or yogurt and fruit.
Plan one or two meals for the week and practice what it feels like to have that plan in place, then add more meals to that plan.
Try exploring your grocery store for easy options instead of going through the drive through somewhere.
Replace a high sugar dessert with sliced sautéed apples with cinnamon and butter
..you get the idea. Take it one thing at a time.
I started my real food journey by taking cereal out of my house and eating eggs instead. And it progressed from there. I'm very thankful and blessed to have a husband who isn't picky and who is on board with our real food lifestyle. He goes with the flow of these changes, and honestly doesn't have much choice since I'm the one who cooks and shops for us!
I will leave you with a couple visuals to get some more ideas to help you brainstorm how to make eating real food easy and doable with limited time, thanks to Nutritional Weight and Wellness:
With the busy and crazy that life brings, it can be that much harder to keep a healthy diet. I talk to people all day long about their health and by far the most common challenge people deal with is the lack of time.
How in the world are we supposed to get to all the appointments, activities, work full time AND plan healthy meals for our family? It can seem impossible sometimes, so here are my tips to make healthy meals doable and, dare I say, easy!
TIP #1: Get into a routine
Routines are definitely easier during the school year when life is a little more structured and there aren't a ton of extra events going on. But creating somewhat of a routine for yourself is necessary.
I know I've talked about this many-a-time, but make it a priority to plan ahead for the week. Decide what will be for breakfast and dinner each day, and what you will have around for snacks. Planning a week's worth of meals doesn't have to be rocket science, but it may take some time to gather healthy, real food meals. So start collecting ideas - Pinterest is a wonderful resource! Search for 'paleo dinners' or 'whole 30 recipes' or 'crock pot dinners'. Pinterest is my cookbook, for sure.
I definitely am a person of routine and can handle eating the same thing for breakfast every morning. In fact, I still look forward to my Greek yogurt and berries when I go to bed each night even though I've eaten that for breakfast almost every day for years. It just works for me and I don't have to think about it.
So find what you like! I've shared my egg bake recipe with you now, which is another favorite of mine. Have something easy to prepare and something you and your family enjoy. I don't know about you, but I don't have much brain power in the morning, especially now that I've taken out my daily cup of coffee [oh, how I look forward to having a cup of coffee again some day.. ]. So whether it's quick scrambled eggs in butter with some fruit or even a quick protein smoothie like this one, create a plan.
Same goes for dinner. Find easy meals that you can prepare in advance and just whip together quickly. I have my go-to meals like pork roast in the crockpot, frozen chicken with salsa in the crockpot, or taco salad. All of those have little to no prep. I think everyone should treat their crockpots with the utmost respect and love - they are life savers sometimes!
TIP #2: If you buy the goods, you'll eat the goods
Buy some fruits and veggies! I always have apples, bananas, and berries around. This last time I went to Aldi they had such a huge selection of fruits, I think I went a little overboard.. but we Minnesotans need to take advantage when the opportunity arrives.
You may say that fruits and veggies are expensive and hard to keep fresh... That can definitely be the case sometimes. If you know where to shop [Aldi.. uh hem.. go to Aldi] and if those become your main snacks instead of say, crackers or chips or cookies then you can actually save a ton of money in the process.
If you can't afford organic then don't worry about it. I don't buy organic and I'm not too worried about it. I can only do what I can do. Non-organic fruits and veggies are far better than any processed foods you could buy, even the organic processed treats out there.
But I can always tell when I've bought processed snacks, my grocery bill skyrockets! ..more on how eating real food can save you money later..
Buy the fruits and veggies that can keep for a while:
-Apples, oranges, bananas (you can freeze them for smoothies or for a frozen treat if they get brown quickly)
-Celery keeps for a long time if you cut and wash them and put them in a big plastic bag. Add some peanut butter, your day is made. Yum!
-Baby carrots
-Romaine lettuce vs. spinach - I enjoy spinach but it does get bad pretty quickly, so I will have romaine lettuce around and if I can buy a fresh bag of dark greens then I'll add them to a salad soon after I buy it.
-Find nice containers for berries - if you can wash them and put them in a closed container they will keep longer than if they're left in the plastic container they come in.
TIP #3: Fast food at the grocery store!
All this talk about planning and prepping in advance.. again, time is the challenge, so what do you do when you can't spend 5 minutes after a grocery shopping trip to prep your fruits and veggies or to create a dinner plan?
Make your fast food restaurant the grocery store!
Buy a rotisserie chicken, a bag of cut up lettuce or veggies, and some fruit to bring home for dinner. Those chickens are actually cheaper than the raw ones, not sure why, but they are. Just try to avoid the deep fried options.. we don't need those yucky trans fats.
Need a 'fast food' lunch? Go to the grocery store to buy natural deli meat, hummus and cut up veggies.
Gas stations like Kwik Trip have really good real food options as well. Things like string cheese, hard boiled eggs, fruits and veggies.. all real food options, they're just not as obvious as the candy and donuts they display that are so tempting.
TIP #4: Evaluate your commitment
Is your health important to you? Do you really want to take out processed foods in your diet? Do you really want to avoid eating out at fast food places? Do you want to give up your donut in the morning? Is eating real food a priority and why?
We can create all of the excuses in the world for ourselves - time, cost, lack of variety, busy lifestyle - but I believe it boils down to one question: is my health important to me?
If you answered yes to that question, then you will be more committed and motivated to do something about it. I can give you all of the tips that I've experienced or have come up with throughout my few short years eating real food, but if you aren't willing to put in the effort and time that is needed to make it a lifestyle change then I can't help you much further than that.
Understanding why is a huge deal. Once I learned why eating fat was good for me or why avoiding sugar was important to my health it made a huge difference. I had a bigger reason to change my habits that meant more than just a clothing size or a number on the scale.
If it means taking out one activity in your schedule in order to plan a healthy lifestyle, then maybe that's what you need to do. I definitely encourage simplicity in life - less stress and more time to focus on what's really important is huge!
TIP #5: Take it one thing at a time
Changing our habits and lifestyle is not an easy task. Our habits have been with us for years and are engrained in what we do every day.
So, take it one small step at a time.
Replace your breakfast of cereal or toast with eggs and fruit.
Replace your snacks of crackers or sweets with nuts and veggies or yogurt and fruit.
Plan one or two meals for the week and practice what it feels like to have that plan in place, then add more meals to that plan.
Try exploring your grocery store for easy options instead of going through the drive through somewhere.
Replace a high sugar dessert with sliced sautéed apples with cinnamon and butter
..you get the idea. Take it one thing at a time.
I started my real food journey by taking cereal out of my house and eating eggs instead. And it progressed from there. I'm very thankful and blessed to have a husband who isn't picky and who is on board with our real food lifestyle. He goes with the flow of these changes, and honestly doesn't have much choice since I'm the one who cooks and shops for us!
I will leave you with a couple visuals to get some more ideas to help you brainstorm how to make eating real food easy and doable with limited time, thanks to Nutritional Weight and Wellness:
Friday, May 16, 2014
Here are a few of my favorite things...
Hello!
I said I'd be posting more, so I have to follow through on that promise - whether you like it or not.
The husband and I just got back from a week-long vacation to the gorgeous Carolina's! We got to celebrate his brother's wedding - that was at a castle!! We did some road tripping down to Charleston, SC - saw my dad's navy ship, Fort Sumter, laid on the beach {got really sunburned}, explored City Market, rode on a carriage, went to Middleton Place and ate a lot of really good food [and some not so good food, too...]
BUT when we got home, we came home to a completely empty refrigerator!! I think we had a little bit of cream left, some oranges and a wonderful selection of condiments waiting for us.
So, I had to do some heavy duty grocery shopping this morning. And I wanted to share with ya'll {sorry, still got some southern with me, I guess} some of my requirements and necessities that I buy almost every time I go grocery shopping without doubt. These are my items that could just stay permanently on my list.
I said I'd be posting more, so I have to follow through on that promise - whether you like it or not.
The husband and I just got back from a week-long vacation to the gorgeous Carolina's! We got to celebrate his brother's wedding - that was at a castle!! We did some road tripping down to Charleston, SC - saw my dad's navy ship, Fort Sumter, laid on the beach {got really sunburned}, explored City Market, rode on a carriage, went to Middleton Place and ate a lot of really good food [and some not so good food, too...]
BUT when we got home, we came home to a completely empty refrigerator!! I think we had a little bit of cream left, some oranges and a wonderful selection of condiments waiting for us.
So, I had to do some heavy duty grocery shopping this morning. And I wanted to share with ya'll {sorry, still got some southern with me, I guess} some of my requirements and necessities that I buy almost every time I go grocery shopping without doubt. These are my items that could just stay permanently on my list.
- Number one on my list are eggs! Now, I'm being completely honest, I do not buy organic, pastured eggs... so shoot me. My budget isn't that nice to me and I would rather keep my kidneys. BUT this is a good runner-up. They're fortified with the goods and they come in 18 packs - we go through a LOT of eggs a week, so I buy at least 2 of these packages. Today I bought an extra dozen for my breakfast (recipe below).
- Next, I always buy yogurt. It's just required in my book. I usually have yogurt now for a snack with some fruit or just a touch of honey in it. I used to eat yogurt for breakfast, but lately with this pregnancy thing, I just don't have the taste for it in the morning - funny how you change.. Again, this isn't usually an organic choice for me but I have to do my best. I have searched and searched, and then searched again, for a full-fat yogurt at my closest grocery stores without luck... and without having to drive two cities over to get full-fat deliciousness, this is my next option.
- Another gem that I've come across is this fabulous peanut butter. The biggest annoyance is when you buy a healthy, natural peanut butter and then you have to take 2 whole entire minutes just to stir the stuff! For real, who has time for that?! {No sarcasm here, folks} But honestly, I don't have time for that.. This is a great option! It only has peanuts and salt in the ingredients and you don't have to stir it! You still need to keep it refrigerated but I don't mind that part. No yucky trans fats or added sugar here!
- Last, but for sure not least, is my ultimate favorite item. I just get happy every time I put it in my cart. It starts with an 'H' and ends in 'eavy cream'. Any guesses?! Not organic again - and I keep mentioning this with some of these items because when you are choosing any animal products you have to just remember that non-pastured cows or chickens are given hormones and fed corn [and who knows what else] that gets stored in their fat - so you are essentially eating that stuff,too. So full-fat organic dairy and pastured, organic eggs/meat are definitely going to be worth the splurge if you're wanting to get the best quality foods you can buy (obviously I'm not taking my own advice, but it would do your body good if you did). Alright, that's my disclaimer... here's the goods:
So those are a few of the usual for me. But I can't post these few items without saying that I fill my refrigerator up every week with a TON of fruits and veggies. When you don't buy bread, pasta, crackers, cereal, pretzels, oatmeal, fruit snacks, granola bars or anything else that comes in a box you can afford to buy a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies.
Now, coming off of a long vacation of eating out and travel munchies that weren't such great choices, I think I was in desperate need of some fresh stuff... I may have gone a bit overboard...
 |
| I just realized this photo is really not in focus.. but this is all packed away now so you'll have to deal... |
Most of these fruits and veggies came from Aldi with the exception of some avocados and the apples. Aldi is the shiz.
I bought: oranges, cantaloupe, pineapple, apples, bananas, broccoli, celery, cauliflower, spinach, cilantro, sweet potatoes, avocados, mini peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos
This selection will definitely last longer than a week - guaranteed.
Ok, really, this is the last thing that is my most treasured thing in the world {maybe that's going a little extreme}, but it's something that I've started to make every weekend in prep for the week.
Two words: Egg. Bake.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, yogurt, [and waffles and pancakes, but that's a secret.. not really]. My husband makes fun of me because of my love of this concoction. I could eat it for every meal, but I try really hard not to.
This is my makeshift recipe. Use this as a basis and get creative with what you like. Use different cheeses, add more veggies like tomatoes, peppers, spinach or broccoli. Add different herbs and spices. Try ham or sausage instead of bacon - or, heck, put all of those things in there! Whatever you like, throw it in.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter to grease the pan
Uncooked hash browns (the kind you buy by the eggs in the store, not in the freezer section that are pre-fried)
8-12 eggs (honestly I've used 8, I've used 10, and I've used 12.. the cooking time might vary by a few minutes but this is pretty flexible)
1 cup of cream or milk (give or take, I usually eyeball it)
1 cup shredded cheese
1/8 cup chopped green onions
Salt and pepper to taste
3 slices of cooked bacon
Directions:
1. Grease a 13x9 in. pan with butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. Layer hash browns on the bottom of the pan - my layer is usually just enough so I don't see the bottom of the pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl add the eggs and cream/milk and whip them up a bit
4. Add to the eggs the cheese, salt and pepper, onions
5. Pour the egg mixture into the pan on top of the hash browns
6. Add the bacon on top - I press the bacon into the egg a little bit so it doesn't get burnt or cooked too much when it's in the oven
7. Put the pan in the oven for approx. 30 minutes
This takes me about a half hour to prep (including the time it takes to make the bacon), then a half hour of baking time. Pretty simple.
And this recipe gives me breakfast for the whole week, if my hubby lets me have it all to myself.
Well, there you have it. My favorite things when it comes to food. I find that getting into a good routine with meal planning, grocery shopping, and prepping for the week makes me the most successful to eat real foods.
{Here's to MN warming up to some spring/summer weather!}
Monday, April 21, 2014
The Secret is Out!
So we meet again.
I know, I know... where have I been??
Well, now that the secret is out... I am going to be a mommy soon! My husband and I are expecting our first little mini-us in October.
So, to say the least, that has been my focus for the past couple months now.
Which, I have to say, there are a few concepts of pregnancy that I just don't understand, at least for trimester one:
1. You feel nauseous and even the thought of food makes you feel even more nauseous - although, eating helps to make you feel better. Explain that one..
2. I want to be limiting sugary foods for my health and for my baby's health, but sugary foods are the only thing that is appealing. Frustrating.
3. I've had pretty low energy and I just want to watch TV all day, except that when I exercise I feel better.
4. Food cravings come and go. One day I love pickles, the next day they turn me off. One day I could eat 5 oranges at once, and the next day they give me a belly ache.
5. I am hungry. All. The. Time. And I feel like I eat all the time, and yet I haven't gained a pound yet.
Anyway, my life for the past couple months has just been to focus on keeping this little sea turtle inside of me happy and healthy while trying to keep myself healthy. It can be a big job, and I'm only a third of the way there.
There have definitely been things that I've had to struggle through and figure out as I've gone along, but I'm happy to say that compared to other women's stories and experiences I've been pretty easy going - my husband is probably pretty happy about that, too.
My last thought of this pregnancy journey thus far is: I am not in control.
I like to think that we have control of our body, which is mostly true when it comes to diet and exercise and lifestyle choices. Since 90% of our health is based on our lifestyle choices and 10% is triggered by genetics - just heard this on Dishing Up Nutrition, not my quote but theirs.
But in a scenario that is totally NOT in my control like pregnancy, I can't help but be put in my place and rely completely and totally on God.
Since my mom had 3 failed pregnancies early on in her life, before my brothers and I were around, the thought of losing this baby enters my mind daily. Daily. I am just not in control on this one. I can eat the right way and take all the supplements I'm supposed to, but at the end of the day it's God who is creating this little human.
How my baby is being formed; how it's legs and hands are being molded and how its brain is developing, how its heart is beating... all these things are in God's hands.
After our last visit to the doc, seeing our little sea turtle jumping around and hopping all over the place, I know that this is a miracle. This is life. This is an amazing honor to have, becoming a mom.
We've all read those verses before, I'm sure, but they have never been more meaningful to me than right now.
God knows who my kids are already. He knows their personality, their heart, what they will look like and how they will make a difference in this world. I have complete trust in God and I pray for my kids every day.
Well, I promise to write more! I have a few post up my sleeve ready to be posted, so stay tuned!
I will leave you with our little sea turtle:
I know, I know... where have I been??
Well, now that the secret is out... I am going to be a mommy soon! My husband and I are expecting our first little mini-us in October.
So, to say the least, that has been my focus for the past couple months now.
Which, I have to say, there are a few concepts of pregnancy that I just don't understand, at least for trimester one:
1. You feel nauseous and even the thought of food makes you feel even more nauseous - although, eating helps to make you feel better. Explain that one..
2. I want to be limiting sugary foods for my health and for my baby's health, but sugary foods are the only thing that is appealing. Frustrating.
3. I've had pretty low energy and I just want to watch TV all day, except that when I exercise I feel better.
4. Food cravings come and go. One day I love pickles, the next day they turn me off. One day I could eat 5 oranges at once, and the next day they give me a belly ache.
5. I am hungry. All. The. Time. And I feel like I eat all the time, and yet I haven't gained a pound yet.
Anyway, my life for the past couple months has just been to focus on keeping this little sea turtle inside of me happy and healthy while trying to keep myself healthy. It can be a big job, and I'm only a third of the way there.
There have definitely been things that I've had to struggle through and figure out as I've gone along, but I'm happy to say that compared to other women's stories and experiences I've been pretty easy going - my husband is probably pretty happy about that, too.
My last thought of this pregnancy journey thus far is: I am not in control.
I like to think that we have control of our body, which is mostly true when it comes to diet and exercise and lifestyle choices. Since 90% of our health is based on our lifestyle choices and 10% is triggered by genetics - just heard this on Dishing Up Nutrition, not my quote but theirs.
But in a scenario that is totally NOT in my control like pregnancy, I can't help but be put in my place and rely completely and totally on God.
Since my mom had 3 failed pregnancies early on in her life, before my brothers and I were around, the thought of losing this baby enters my mind daily. Daily. I am just not in control on this one. I can eat the right way and take all the supplements I'm supposed to, but at the end of the day it's God who is creating this little human.
How my baby is being formed; how it's legs and hands are being molded and how its brain is developing, how its heart is beating... all these things are in God's hands.
After our last visit to the doc, seeing our little sea turtle jumping around and hopping all over the place, I know that this is a miracle. This is life. This is an amazing honor to have, becoming a mom.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16
We've all read those verses before, I'm sure, but they have never been more meaningful to me than right now.
God knows who my kids are already. He knows their personality, their heart, what they will look like and how they will make a difference in this world. I have complete trust in God and I pray for my kids every day.
Well, I promise to write more! I have a few post up my sleeve ready to be posted, so stay tuned!
I will leave you with our little sea turtle:
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