Spiced Almonds

At my church, Riverway Church, we have started another semester of small groups!

I love small groups. It's how we've gotten connected, it's how we've made the friends we have. It's so worth jumping in and getting to know people. You won't regret making friendships, that is for sure.

But anway..

With small groups, and other social events, there always seems to be food available. Food tends to bring us closer together. It's a fact of life.

My husband and I host a small group, so I was trying to dig around and search for some healthy options to have.

I came across a recipe idea in this America's Test Kitchen cookbook (which is the best cook book, in my opinion, that you could have)...

..for spiced almonds!

There are tons of variations to have fun with and to get creative with.

PLUS, almonds are a great healthy fat! AND you toast them in butter or the oil of your choice, meaning you can avoid the bad vegetable oils that the other pre-prepared varieties come in.

Here is the recipe:

Spiced Almonds

-Basic Recipe
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet.
Add 2 cups skin-on raw almonds, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper.
Toast the almonds over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they are fragrant and the color deepens slightly, about 8 minutes.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and allow to cool before serving.
The almonds can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap [or in a plastic bag] for up to 1 week.

Variations:

*Rosemary Almonds:
Add 1/2 tsp dried rosemary to the skillet with the almonds.

*Lemon-Garlic Almonds:
Add 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest and 1 minced garlic clove to the skillet with the almonds. Just before serving, toss with another 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest.

*BBQ Almonds:
Add 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp chili powder, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, and a pinch of cloves to the skillet with the almonds.

*Spiced Almonds [this is the version I made for my small group]:
Use butter rather than olive oil and add 2 Tbsp sugar [I used half a tablespoon], 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cloves, and 1/8/ tsp allspice to the skillet with the almonds. Serve warm.

*Chinese Five-Spice Almonds:
Add 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder to the skillet with the almonds.

*Orange-Fennel Almonds:
Add 1/2 tsp grated orange zesta nd 1/2 tsp fennel seeds to the skillet with the almonds. Just before serving, toss wtih another 1/2 tsp grated orange zest.


It would be so fun to make up your own versions, too! I'm thinking something with coconut oil instead of butter or olive oil, some coconut flakes in the mix... my wheels are turning!


If I'm in a small group with you, be prepared to try one of these options in the future. I will be making them again.

YUM!

Fight For It [your immune system, that is]

Every winter we battle colds, the flu, viruses and the like. At the moment my hubbs is sniffling and sneezing, so this is fresh on my mind.

We're all hoping this winter doesn't last for very much longer, but just in case, I've come to figure out my way around these sicknesses without depending on harsh medications and prescriptions.

Immune function is strongly dependent on our food choices [shouldn't be a big surprise since everything we are is because of what we eat].
Do you ever notice that when Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around a lot of us start to get sick? Maybe right after Christmas you come down with a cold or some type of virus. Pretty common scenario. And we may blame it on the cold weather, but could there be more??

What type of foods are we all eating during that time? Probably a lot of sweets, cookies, pie, sugarplums [whatever those are], etc.

Listen to my favorite podcast called Dishing Up Nutrition for more on foods to eat to boost your immune system.
Since our immune system is based in our gut (stomach and intestines) we need to treat those organs right.

So here are some tips

*Limit Sugar
Even sugar that comes in the form of crackers, breads, bagels, fruit snacks, or popcorn (yep! those are all high in sugar because they all break down into sugar once digested).

Sugar does a good job at ruining our immune system because it kills the good bacteria in our stomach and intestines.
By cutting down on those types of foods you'll allow your gut to heal and replenish its good bacteria.

Have you heard of probiotics?


*Take a probiotic!
Probiotics have healthy bacteria that our gut needs to function properly. If we've eaten too many sugary foods our good bacteria is lessened. To restore that healthy bacteria our belly needs some help. Bifidobacteria is what you'll want to look for on a good probiotic supplement.

This is the one I use:

*Limit strong meds
Taking strong medications like Tylenol or Advil or any other type of cold medicine will also kill off that good bacteria that we should really be trying to save. So try to limit the use of those things as much as possible. And I truly believe that eating healthy, real foods will help you prevent sickness in the future. So...


*Eat balanced
When our bodies are trying to fight off yucky stuff it needs some weapons!

Eat plenty of protein at each meal and snack if you can. Protein helps us build those antibodies that attack the yucky viruses. They're our swords, arrows and shields.

Make your carbohydrates fruits and veggies.
People like to suck on vitamin C drops when they're sick because we've all heard vitamin C is good for our immunity. So, why not get even more vitamins from fruits and veggies! You'll absorb them better than any drop/supplement will.

Eat plenty of good fats. You know me, always talking about fat. But fats like olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, almonds all have those omega 3's that help reduce inflammation which helps our immune system to work better.

Got it? PFC - Protein, Fat, Carb. You'll be good to go.


*Supplement with good stuff

I mentioned before that right now my husband has sniffles and sneezes going on, and about a month ago he had the same thing. At the time I was on the hunt for something that would be gentle on that good bacteria but that would be strong enough to help fight the virus.

I searched here and found this:

Sorry for the bad photo quality

Advantage Liquid Concentrate

And be warned! Drinking this in plain water, even a small amount, does not taste good. Use it in coffee or milk or something... Otherwise, just put a small amount of water in a shot glass, put a few drops in, plug your nose and get 'er done!

On the upside, this stuff seems to work wonders! I haven't been sick all winter. At one point I could feel my throat starting to hurt and get scratchy so I was diligent about taking this stuff for a while and nothing ever got worse. You can be the judge.

This is all natural as well, safe on our bellies and guts. Yay!

Taking a multivitamin wouldn't be a bad idea either. Supplements aren't absorbed as well as real food, but in my humble opinion, it doesn't hurt.


There you have it. My 5 tips to help you avoid the yuckies for the rest of the year.

Understanding our immune system, what strengthens it and what weakens it, is power. Now you know what you have to do to keep healthy through the winter and prevent those terrible colds.

A Reason For Doing This Stuff

Today is definitely a snow day her in MN. I've spent my whole morning shoveling my driveway and a neighbor's driveway who is from another country and not used to our crazy amounts of snow. Now I'm stranded at home, so it's a perfect time to write a blog post. 

But all while shoveling, I realized how truly grateful I am for my health! As a homeowner there are many, many chores to be done. I could decide not to do them and my house would fall apart.. OR I could get my butt in gear and get some things taken care of. Something that my husband and I are learning more and more with this winter we've had [and it's only February]. So, to be able to have the STRENGTH and the ENERGY and the POWER to shovel pounds and pounds of snow is quite important! 

I completely agree with the saying, "I don't live to workout, I workout to live"! 

What would I do if I wasn't able to take care of my house or wasn't able to serve my community, or couldn't keep up with high energy kids on Sundays at my church? 

Reminding ourselves WHY we need to eat healthy and WHY we need to workout smart is a huge motivator! 

What do you enjoy in your life that you want to keep doing for the rest of your life? 

So let's live this life with energy and have the strength we need to serve others and serve our Creator as best we can. 

FIRST - Eat to Fuel
I've worked out on an empty stomach. I've worked out with nothing but cookies in my belly. I've worked out with real food and good protein and fat - and I have to say that last one makes a huge difference! 
When we have quality protein, carbs and fat we have what we need to balance our blood sugars, prevent crashing, and to sustain our activity. 

Here's a great pre-workout snack

• Protein: Greek yogurt [full-fat, plain]
• Carb: Handful of blueberries
• Fat: Handful of sliced almonds mixed in 

SECOND - Train For Life 
All of you marathoners and cross country runners out there are going to hate me.. but I HATE running. AND to go even further, I don't believe it to be a healthy exercise for health. Check out why here. If it's your sport and it's something that you absolutely love, then by all means, do what you love. But it's not a necessity to be able to run 10 miles straight for health purposes. I gave up trying to like it because my brain wouldn't let me - headaches and migraines were too much to bear... 

If you know me, then you know my heart for strength training. [Being a naturally thin chick, I've gotta prove myself with the muscles I do have!] 

I believe everyone - man, woman, young, old, heavy, or thin - should include strength training. 

I've found such freedom in strength training. I had challenged myself to go outside of my 5-8lb dumbbells and high repetitions and ventured into the 15-20+ lb range. Best. Thing. I. Have. Ever. Done. 

To have the strength to be able to pick up your nephew and hold that 7 yr. old like he's still a toddler is special. 
To have the strength to carry 3 baskets full of laundry up the stairs by yourself is necessary motivating.
To be able to carry all of your grocery bags from the car and up the stairs [we have a lot of stairs in our house] is, again, an accomplishment. 

You see where I'm going... It's liberating knowing that you [especially us women] can, and SHOULD, be able to do these tasks and not stand by and let the men with the muscles do these things. Maybe I'm just stubborn and need to do things on my own, but I know many of us ladies want to be independent and capable, too. 

Constant walking or running on the treadmill for hours at a time will not give you the muscles you need to live life and accomplish what you want to do... so go lift something heavy. 


LAST, but not least - Rest and Manage Stress
After this snow storm and after my shoveling I was ready for a nap! 

If you workout consistently, I encourage you to take a week off every now and then. The muscles you train need time to recover and rebuild. 

Many times, the fitness centers and TV shows out there make it seem like we need to workout hard every single day. That if you rest, you're weak. If you're not burning calories the food you're eating is quickly amounting to fat on your hips.  --LIES! 

The healthiest people I know, know how to have balance. They know how to take care of their body, to listen to what it needs, and are ok to let their body relax. 

Stress is the main cause of many issues we have health-wise. From heart disease to hormone imbalances. So adding stress to your life in the form of constant cardio or overtraining is not the way to success. 

Make sure to carve out some time in your day to stop, breathe, and unwind. If that means getting more sleep instead of forcing yourself to go to the gym at 5am, then sleep! 

It's OK to rest and take time for yourself, in fact it's needed. 



I hope this gives some motivation and insight in how to be smart in everything we do for our health in order to live our life and do what we need to get done. 

Have hope, MN friends! Spring is coming! 

Let's have a heart to heart

I, like most of you, have a part of me that desires to look good.

I am also reminded daily of the misinformation that is out there when it comes to weight loss and how to achieve the body we want. And with recent headlines about the Biggest Loser winner, I need to say something.

Detox juice diet to lose 10 lbs in 3 days!
Cut your calories and do more cardio!
Avoid eating fats or they'll make you fat!
Take this pill for 3 weeks and shed pounds fast!  
Eat our products for every meal and every snack that are full of additives and chemicals - say good bye to real food - and lose 15 lbs in a week!

It's all quite drastic and a bit insane. But mostly it's just not healthy. 

Since when are we deficient of protein shakes? or why should we avoid feeding our body when it's working so hard on that treadmill?

Concepts like these frustrate me. a lot.

Maybe you've tried a meal replacement plan, have counted points or calories, have drank many shakes or have filled your days with crispy rice cereal. And maybe you've even gotten results on these plans. But what happens when you go off of that plan slightly or go back to the normal routine? The weight comes back on, and probably more weight than you had to begin with.

If you have failed on those diets and plans, please don't beat yourself up. You took their promise of weight loss and health as truth because of your desire to be healthier and leaner. We have all been there. You are not a failure.

Why don't these things work? Why does the weight come back on?

To put it simply, these aren't lifestyle changes. They aren't sustainable. They are temporary shortcuts.

So get out your frustrations! Punch a mattress or scream in a pillow! Because honestly, I want to do that for you!

I'm done with false advertising and with people feeling hopeless after yet another failed diet or gimmick.

If you're as frustrated about the things you've tried and the lack of results that you've had, I want to send you a hug through cyber-land.


Alright, I've vented. You want solutions?

Let's start by changing our frame of mind.

We need to stop thinking about losing weight.
When we talk about weight loss, these tactics mentioned above will give you weight loss. Starving yourself will give you weight loss, there's no doubt about it.
The word weight. Weight includes both fat and muscle. And I don't know about you, but I want to lose fat - and ONLY fat.

When we starve ourselves or eat nothing but sugary rice cereal, it's not helping us maintain our lean muscle. When we lose weight this way, we are really losing both fat and muscle.
Think about that cycle for a second: You try a diet that limits calories and limits protein, so you lose muscle along with fat. You are done with your 30 day diet, weight comes back on in the form of mainly fat. So now you have less muscle than you did before and much more fat than you did before. So now you're squishier and weaker. THEN you'll do it all over again! Yikes!

Why do we want muscle? Muscle helps to form those toned arms we all desire. It helps us to form the bum that we want. To help in achieving the flat tummy or lose the love handles that don't belong there.

Muscle also uses fat very efficiently as energy - it's our God-given fat burner! So let's keep as much muscle around as possible!

Let's start to think about improving our health.
When we're stuck in the calorie-counting mindset, then things like diet soda, 100 calorie snack packs, or rice cakes seem like the way to go. But those things are adding to the weight gain because they're full of sugar, even fake sugar is evil  bad for us, leading to many conditions like heart disease or diabetes and other issues like impaired immune function, achy muscles, anxiety, and so much more.

When we start to think about improving our health, we start to look at the types of food we're eating. We start to think quality over quantity. Not all calories are created equal.

And that, my friends, is my mission. To improve the quality of foods each of us includes. This is a lifestyle change, where you are able to eat real food, you get to be in control, and you get to decide what works best for you and for your life.

Let's take a deep breath together. AAhhhh...

Going back to things I've talked about before..

• Let's choose good fats and include them often. Fat balances blood sugars, supports our metabolism and helps us avoid the sugar cravings.
• Be smart about your carbs. [to be clear, I'm not a carb hater, I am a sugar hater] So look at things like fruits and veggies to fill up your plate, limit the refined grains like breads, pastas, sweets, bagels and the like.
• Eat more protein. I used to be kind of scared of meat. Yep, I was scared of dead animals. Kinda silly, really. Since eating more animal protein my body has thanked me over and over again. Remember those muscle things? Those muscles of yours need protein to build. The hair on your head needs protein to stay healthy and strong. Your nails need protein. Everything you are made of needs protein. So if you are scared of protein, get over it. You'll be happier. Eggs for breakfast, Chicken for lunch, Steak for dinner - yum!!

Don't forget about sleep and stress! Stress and lack of sleep can equally lead to weight gain and negative health implications, so let's not ignore these major components.
[Oh, and by the way, if you have a naturally stressful life I would recommend not adding to it by stressing your body with cardio upon cardio sessions each week. That's just unnecessary stress. Try walking at a comfortable pace instead, or spend some time in prayer instead of going to the gym, do some deep breathing - whatever outlet works for you.]


When we focus on improving our health instead of aiming for a number on the scale, naturally our body will follow.
In the words of Jason Seib of Everyday Paleo "Get healthy on purpose and you'll get hot by accident". It really can't be more true.


I truly care about your well being more than I care about how you look. I want you to be the best you that you can be so that you can have the energy, the strength, the ability to be used by the One who created us and live this short life we have to the absolute fullest. You deserve that.

When cooking at home just isn't an option

Minnesota winters make time seem to move very slowly. I know I am ready for some warmer weather - heck, even 35 degrees sounds like spring to me right about now! We will deserve our summer this year.
But during this season we have more time stuck at home to cook our own meals and make a ton of crock pot dinners that warm our soul.. But the time may be coming for a lot of families when kid's sports start up (heck, maybe your husband's sports start up!), when we can actually get out and about and enjoy some sunshine [whatever that is...] and our schedules get filled up with the summer events that ensue.

There are just seasons of life when cooking at home isn't really an option, no matter how much you may plan and prepare ahead of time. Eating out is a part of life and we need to figure out a way not to totally give up on our nutrition when we rely on those options.

My wonderful husband had worked at a restaurant for about 8 years. As his wife and as the health nut that I claim to be, I wanted the best for him even when he was at work, which was a lot of the time in those days! [So blessed to have him working normal hours, I just cannot say that enough - although we did save a ton of money with him eating at work every day...]


So what's a person to do?

Here's a few tips to survive the restaurant world that may come in handy

• Look for options that include a main meat dish. Whether it's steak, chicken or fish, filling up on protein is going to be key. Protein and good healthy fat fills us up; it activates our brain to trigger a hormone called ghrelin (which sounds like something you could be for Halloween), making us feel full and satisfied.

• On the side of that meat, find an option with a ton of veggies and ask for those veggies with butter or olive oil. Most of the time restaurants will use vegetable oil because it's cheap - and cheap oil is a sign that it's a bad oil - but you can always ask for an alternative. Butter and olive oil are great options because they're real, unprocessed oils most of the time.

• Try to avoid the pastas. I know, I know.. I'm taking away your pastas. But your hips and bum will thank you!! "Every woman knows that pasta and bread are fattening" - favorite quote from Good Calories, Bad Calories. It's true, right? So, do your best to avoid the pasta and the unlimited bread supply a lot of places offer.

• What about sandwiches? Practical. Easy. Everywhere. Take off one side of the bun, you've just cut out quite a bit of sugar. I often eat my Smashburger burger with a fork, I just ditch the bun. [man, I could go for a burger...]

• Ask if the restaurant has a gluten-free option or menu. This might have to be another post in the future, but just because something is gluten-free does not mean it's healthy. However, gluten-free can mean less processed grains and sugars, which in turn means less sugar in your bloodstream and less fat that is stored.

• Look at your portions. When we eat out we want as much bang for our buck as humanly possible. So, to stretch that meal even further, split it in half and eat the rest for lunch the next day. This might be a common tip, but it's practical. So there you go.

• What are you planning on drinking? Going along with saving some money, water sounds like a great option! Ask for some lemon or lime and you're all set. No sugary soda, no sugar substitutes that act the same as sugar... nope, just natural, God-created water. I love it.

•  A great place I know asks you if you want a bag of chips or an apple with your meal. Apple, please! And hey, while you're at it, if you know you'll be eating out, pack a ziploc full of fruits and veggies, maybe even some avocado and find a place that will provide the protein!

• Lastly, if you're on the run and there's a grocery store nearby, stop in and grab a bag of cut up, ready to eat veggies, a package of nitrate-free deli meat and either some hummus or avocado for a healthy fat. Grocery stores have all the fresh, whole foods you could possibly need!

I hope that gets your brain thinking on ways to make eating on the go a healthy option. Like I said before, it's inevitable that we will eat out at a restaurant or two, and we just can't beat ourselves up about it. We can still be prepared.

Weekly Roundup

"It's our 'Weekly Tweetly Roundup!'" If you're an Ellen fan, you'll understand. It's one of my favorite segments on her show where she shares her favorite Twitter posts. 
This weekly roundup is nothing like that... 

I started out my blog posting by sharing my week of meals, so here I go again. 

Today I did my grocery shopping for the week and planned out my meals for this week. Again, this is what we'll really be eating this week. 

My week of meals looks something like this:

• Monday: slow cooker coconut chicken and veggies (because last week we had leftovers instead of making this, $$ saved!)
• Tuesday: tilapia and veggies
• Wednesday: Split pea and ham soup (new recipe never attempted by me before, I hope we like it!)
• Thursday: Red curry stir fry with kabob meat
• Friday: leftovers (as it seems I become lazy on Fridays)

So let's see how much this week of dinners is going to cost me... 

Slow cooker chicken and veggies (recipe):
Chicken - $3.60 for 1.5lbs
Coconut milk - $2.99 for  a can
Veggies - ~$3 (I have some frozen veggies already and will be using veggies outside of what the recipe says)
Spices - ~$1
Total=$10.60 
Per serving=$2.12 

Tilapia and a veggie: 
Tilapia - $3.50 for 3 fillets (I usually have one, my hubby has 2 fillets)
Veggie (asparagus) - $2.29 at Aldi
Sweet potato - $1.19
Total= $6.98
Per serving=$3.49

Split pea and ham soup (recipe):
Split peas - $1.57
Ham hocks - $3.26
Sliced ham - ~$2.00
Veggies - ~$1.50
Total= $8.33
Per serving= $1.38 (which is why I try to make a soup at least once each week!)

Stir Fry: 
Veggies - ~$3
Steak - $10.28
Sauce - ~$1
Total= $14.28
Per serving= $3.57

So there you have it. Look how much you can save by cooking your own meals! This little project makes me realize how much of a rip-off eating out actually is... 

I admit, for the veggies and other random items that are just in my freezer and refrigerator on hand, I don't know the exact cost so I'm estimating here... give me grace, people. 

Healthy eating requires planning. It also requires a little cooking know-how. Nothing too crazy, but if you can follow a recipe you're golden. 

Happy meal planning, friends! 

Introducing my friend, Coconut oil

The "F" word. Fat. F.A.T. 
If you're going to be reading my blog on a regular basis, thank you for doing so, we need to be clear about one thing. Fat does not make you fat. Fat does not cause heart disease and it does not clog our arteries like it has been told to us for the last 5 decades. Check out these links I've just mentioned, along with this one for more on this subject. 

So, today I wanted to talk about one of my favorite fats - Coconut oil! For a long time coconut oil has been viewed as unhealthy because it's a saturated fat. With current science and studies we now understand that saturated fat is not a cause for heart disease [yay!] And actually, saturated fat like coconut oil can help to prevent heart disease [even bigger YAY!]

What are some other benefits of coconut oil (outside of making my belly happy)? 

• It has anti-inflammatory properties - inflammation causes higher bad cholesterol levels, arthritis, even cancer
• It helps to balance blood sugar levels, which means better moods and diabetes prevention. Have distracted, moody kids? sneak in some coconut oil in their meals! 
• It improves immune function, as we're here smack dab in the middle of winter with viruses running around. 
• It helps with brain function, memory and focus - have a test coming up? eat some coconut oil so your brain gets the fuel it needs! 
• It helps with joint pain, good way to lubricate those joints, any arthritis sufferers?
• It's a great moisturizer! I have a jar of coconut oil in my kitchen and one in my bathroom for lotion - let's avoid that cross contamination, please.. 
• Want soft hair? I've used coconut oil in my hair as kind of a conditioning treatment (washing it out thoroughly is recommended, folks)
• And of course, coconut oil is great for flavoring up those veggies

So let's use this stuff! 

Tips on how to use it. 

You've maybe seen the jar of coconut oil around, looks something like this: 

Now what? 
Well, open it up, let's dig in. 

When I'm using this oil in my cooking I will use it like any other oil. If I need to heat oil in a skillet for sauteing some veggies or scrambling some eggs, just scoop out a tablespoon or so and plop it in the pan. This is a great fat to use, too, because it doesn't break down with high temperatures like olive oil. Nice and sturdy! 
If you like to coat your veggies with oil and roast them in the oven for a bit, coconut oil can be used. It's solid at room temp, so you'll just need to put a couple tablespoons in the microwave or heat it up quick so that it turns to liquid. 

...pretty simple right? 

In my opinion, coconut oil, once it's cooked, doesn't really have a big coconut flavor. But I understand that coconut is one of those 'you either love it or hate it' type of foods. If you could guess, I'm one of those who loves it. 


Again, let's not be wary about fat. Our body needs it. Our brain needs it. It's so funny to me how we feed infants and toddlers breast milk, whole milk, lots of fat because we know their brains are developing, but then at some point we end that routine and switch to skim milk and sugary cereals and such. My brain continues to function, just like yours, and it needs good healthy fats to keep it running for many more years to come. 

One step at a time. I firmly believe that lifelong changes take one small step at a time. 
I hope you can take one step and swap out the vegetable oil or canola oil you've been using and try coconut oil. Your body will thank you. 

We all start somewhere

The first nutrition information I ever received was in the form of a small, orange flavored elephant that had a chalky aftertaste that lasted for hours. My mom made that elephant seem so important to eat along with my Cinnamon Toast Crunch and glass of orange juice for breakfast every morning growing up.

Of course since then, my knowledge of nutrition has morphed and shifted. It can be a rough ride trying to keep up with the most recent diet and what foods you want to include and which ones to avoid. It seems to change on a daily basis.

Throughout college and for a short time after, I followed the general advice of eating whole grains, low-fat, and count your calories. I tried to avoid eating meat, and at one point thought that I could seriously be a vegetarian, except for the occasional cheeseburger now and again.
Then I gained 20lbs. For real?!? I thought this was eating healthy! Why was I gaining weight?
Now, to be fair, I've never had a major weight issue and my husband couldn't even tell that I had gained weight, but I knew something was wrong because of the way I felt. A few cue words to give you an idea of the way I was feeling: bloated. hungry [all the time]. low energy. regular migraines and headaches. just plain lousy!

I read a book that changed my nutrition world - Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. He pointed out the real villain with our Standard American Diet- sugar. And he pointed out the science telling me it's ok to eat natural fats like butter and coconut oil and protein like red meat and eggs because they have never been the problem when it comes to managing a healthy weight and other conditions like heart disease or diabetes.

Since then, we've kicked out the cereal, the crackers, the bagels from our house and we stick to REAL foods as much as possible. Of course, every now and again I will make cookies for company or for holidays, but that stuff has become a rare occasion.

My goal in this blog is to help others move from feeling like they need to count calories or avoid butter and steak or bacon and eggs, to understanding that these natural foods (that we humans have been eating for a very long time) are not the issue - it's all about the processed sugar and refined carbs that are wearing out our bodies and contributing to weight gain and tons of other health struggles.

So, let's make this practical.

What swaps can we make to take out the fake food and replace it with real food?

I've already touched on this one, but cereal is pretty common. All the way from Froot Loops to Kashi Go Lean, it's a pretty typical American breakfast. It's also high in sugar.
Instead of the bowl of cereal, try having eggs [yolk included!] in the morning cooked in butter. Doesn't that sound amazing? Eggs and butter are good for us! Why? because they're natural foods, no sugar added.

How about for a snack, something typical like a cup of strawberry yogurt, nonfat, since that's all that's out there these days. Again, high in sugar.
Easy swap here: full-fat, plain yogurt. Why? it has less sugar, and the fat isn't the villain remember, because it's a natural fat. Plus, when the yogurt company removes the fat they have to replace it with something else to create the same texture and flavor, usually it's a chemical or sugar. No good.

For snacks, it might take some re-thinking of what that looks like.
A few ideas for ya:

• Hard boiled egg with a fruit or veggie with some cheese (pretty typical for me).
• Half of an avocado, slice of meat, and a fruit or veggie
• Spoonful of natural peanut or almond butter with an apple
• Slice or two of meat wrapped around a pickle and cream cheese
• Berries with heavy cream poured over (another favorite of mine)

If you may notice, these snacks include more fat and protein. Naturally by limiting sugar, more fat will be included,  it's just the way the math works out. Not to worry, as long as the fat is natural fat you're good to go. (Avoid fats like vegetable oils or soybean oil, safflower oil - lots of fried foods from restaurants use these oils.)

REAL food. I keep saying that. What I mean is anything that is in or closest to its natural state, limiting prepackaged products like frozen meals, baked goods, soda etc.

This conversion doesn't have to happen overnight, but making one swap a week could be a great place to start.

Let's get started!

Well, here it goes, blog post numero uno!

You asked for it, and here it is - my blog about anything tied to nutrition and fitness. Already my wheels are turning as to what I can and will soon be posting about.

I'm doing my best to figure out how this blog/website stuff works, so forgive me while my page develops.

Since it's Monday and our busy weeks have already begun, I thought it'd be best to share with you my meal plan.

Plan. A very important word to implement in daily life, would you agree? We plan how we're going to spend our money, what clothes we're going to wear each day, what we're going to do with our weekend coming up [yep, already wishing for Friday]. But planning meals for the week is key to sticking to a healthy routine!

Every Friday I take an hour or so to look around for healthy dinner ideas that are quick, easy and include only REAL food (more on this to come). Also, I have to say, I'm a very lucky wife as my husband will eat just about anything and everything put on a plate - I dare you to test that theory - not sure how I will do if I ever have to deal with super picky eaters.

Some good websites I like to look at include:

www.everydaypaleo.com

www.nomnompaleo.com

www.weightandwellness.com

Then I write it down and sometimes will print out the recipe so it's all ready to go.

Here's my list for this week:

• Monday: Pork roast in crock pot / roasted green beans with olive oil / sweet potato with butter
• Tuesday: Burgers (w/o the bun, please!) with avocado / sweet potato fries cooked in coconut oil
• Wednesday: Leftover pork taco salad - I'll be winging this one, no recipe to go by, wish me luck.
• Thursday: Chicken wild rice soup in crock pot / green salad with [real] bacon bits
• Friday: Slow cooker coconut ginger chicken and veggies (I'm so excited for this one, I love coconut everything!)

This is really truly what I'll be eating this week, notice a lot of the options - ok, maybe all of the options - are cooked in the crock pot. Best. Invention. Ever!

So, now you have your list of meals you'd like to prepare for the week. Now it's time to write your grocery list.

List. Another very important word in my dictionary. My husband can testify, I am the Queen of list making! ...some of my OCD tendencies come out when I'm writing lists.
As I'm looking at all the recipes I have planned for the week I write down just what I need. Piece of cake sweet potato? I hope this isn't too complicated so far, this isn't the science-y part yet, I promise.

Now we're off and running! We have a plan, we have the food we need. Last but not least we can prep anything that might need prepping.
Most of my prep this week is just to remember to thaw out the meat I'll be using. I write another list for that, too [no joke]. And the day of I'll cut up what veggies I'll need and throw it all in the crock pot. For real, a monkey could do this.

The lesson here, folks, as we're starting with the basics, is to plan ahead. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail - not only with healthy eating but pretty much with life in general. You're welcome.

Stay tuned my friends! I feel a post about snacks coming up!

And really truly, thank you to my Riverway friends for encouraging me to start this up and for pushing me to share more of this info with you - I'm honored to be a resource for you.