Organic or Non Organic Fruits and Veggies…Which do you buy?

The common practice I try to stick to is buying organic fruits and veggies. However, buying organic can be challenging because it is more expensive. The reason I buy organic is to try to eliminate as much pesticides and chemicals from my diet as possible. As a guide for determining what to buy organic I’m going to use the shopper’s guide found on the Environmental Working Group website. This guide can help save money and stretch my budget by buying both organic and non-organic produce.

This group works to protect the environment and bring facts to public about the foods we consume. Please check out their website because there is a lot of information there. Click here for the shopper’s guide to use the next time you head to the grocery store.

Bananas are a Girl’s best friend

Following a diet that is 80% raw can be a bit of challenge. 80% for my purposes means five out of six meals a day are raw because I eat one cooked meal a day. Normally, the cooked meal is always at dinner so my body has overnight to digest the food. Eating raw food during the day keeps my energy up and I no longer have the “itis” after a meal.

The weekends are a little difficult because I’m on out and about for most of the day. It’s really easy to fall off my plan because fast food restaurants are everywhere. Recently, I discovered eating bananas as a mono meal or snack throughout the day helps to keep my energy up while feeling full and satisfied. A “mono” meal means to have a single food item for that meal which in this case is bananas.

For example, one day I didn’t have breakfast before leaving for work and decided to stop at the grocery store. The easiest, cheapest, and quickest item to pick up was bananas. That day I ate 4 medium sized bananas for breakfast and did not feel deprived at all. According the cron-o-meter, four bananas contain 5.1g protein, 107.8g carbs, 1.6g fat, and 420 calories along with a host of vitamins and minerals. Again for me the high number of carbs are not a concern because these carbs were used for energy throughout the day. Also, since these carbs are consumed by fruit and not processed foods my body is able to digest them properly.

This is a quick tip for anybody, not just vegans or vegetarians, who needs a quick and healthy meal on the go. Not to mention the cost for this quick, easy, healthy meal was only $.78 which beats McDonald’s prices any day. Another quick tip is throwing the bananas in a blender and adding a little vanilla extract for a healthy “milk shake”. For those of you who are not banana fans try this with your favorite fruit. Remember eating healthy is only as hard as you make it.

Cheese...why did I bother??

my bloated belly :*(

Recently my niece left to return home with my sister. While she was here I started experimenting with my diet so the grocery shopping didn’t change completely. Well now that she is gone there are a few things I need to get rid of but I hate to waste food. So last night I decided to make queso from cheese that I bought specifically for her.

Now I could have just thrown it away but again I hate wasting food and ate the queso anyway. Today I’m totally paying for it because now I’m bloated and miserable. Why did I bother? On this journey, I learned that eating dairy keeps me bloated and uncomfortable. This is a lessoned learned (again) and when I get home the cleaning of the refrigerator and pantries will start. Furthermore, my workout this morning wasn’t the best surely from eating the cheese last night.

On the bright side I did have a very good and healthy green lunch today. The salad was really good!

Salad: mixed greens, spinach, cucumbers, sprouts, olives, and avocado with my homemade chips and salsa on the side

Dressing: ginger soy

Green Smoothie with a Cherry Twist

There is no need for measurements when making smoothies. This is simple and yet oh so delicious!! Just pile as much as you can of each in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Frozen dark sweet cherries

Banana

Spinach

Almond Milk or water (enough to get the consistency you want)

Vanilla extracts (2 caps full)

Ice (optional)

The best part is this smoothie is red which makes it appealing to kids!!

Green Smoothie with a Peachy Twist

Pile ingredients in a blender, blend, and enjoy!

Frozen dark sweet cherries

5 Peaches (pitted, small, chopped)

Spinach

Water

Ice (optional)

Remember "the riper the peaches the sweeter the smoothie".

From vegetarian, to pescaterian, to vegan, to raw vegan to…Part II

This is part two to my last post explaining the changes I’ve made in my eating habits. Since making these changes I’ve experienced very positive changes in my digestion, energy levels, and cardio activity. For starters my digestion is back on track which leads to constant elimination. Secondly, I’ve finally bust through my weight plateau and now weighing 134lbs with only 9 more pounds to go for reaching my goal weight. Thirdly, I’ve experiencing lots of energy I have no idea what do with and I’m loving it.

Raw until Dinner

This is a wonderful tip I’ve incorporated into my eating habit from the book “The Raw Food Detox Diet”. Simply put I eat fresh raw fruits and veggies for breakfast, lunch, and snacks all the way up to dinner. For dinner I’ll eat a “cooked” meal that follows the food combining rules. By making this very simple change has totally eliminated the “itis” that we experience after eating a big meal. Additionally, I feel light on my feet and energized throughout the day. No late afternoon naps sitting in front of my computer for me. Furthermore, my body is able to fully digest all the food I’ve eaten throughout the day and use it for energy. This leads to faster metabolism, weight loss, and regular elimination. When eating raw fruits and veggies I make sure to follow the food combining tips as well.

So you may be thinking I’m eating celery and carrots all day which is boring, right? Not necessarily but I do love to snack on carrots when I start to get cravings or feeling hungry in between meals. For a better picture of what I eat this is my food diary for today.

5:30am – workout Green Smoothie (fresh spinach, banana, tangelo, nutritional yeast, calcium supplements, flax seeds, water, ice)

7:30am – Green Smoothie or Fruit Smoothie (fruit smoothie has no veggies but at least 2/3 different fruits)

9:30am – Grapes and apples

12:30pm- Sandwich (Ezekiel bread, broccoli sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, mustard) Salad (green lettuce, kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, oil/balsamic vinegar)

3pm- apples and oranges

5pm – in the car on the way home- snack on baby carrots

7:30pm – dinner – tilapia, collards, asparagus

As you can see I get a lot of meals in the day which probably barely totals 1000 calories. Since my workout routines are intense I must increase my calorie intake and eat more fruits and veggies. For instance instead of eating 1 apple and 1 orange, I’ll eat 2 apples and 2 oranges. This is a mindset I have to get use to since calorie restrictions were the norm for me. Since I’m eating fresh raw fruits and veggies throughout the day I can eat a lot more and should eat more to make sure my body gets the calories it needs. The reason is that fruits and veggies have very small amounts of calories. Remember the body needs an adequate amount of calories to do simple functions like typing this post.

This eating plan has worked very well for me and saving my “cooked” meal for dinner works out perfectly. Eating a cooked meal for dinner allows me to have dinner with friends without feeling like an odd ball. Kiddie Kurls does not feel forced to my eating lifestyle, she’s only 10. However, I still face strong temptations when eating out because a lot of the fish dishes have some type of cream base. The few times I’ve caved to those dishes I immediately feel a difference in my body and start to regret it. Fish and steamed veggies do my body good and I have to remind myself to stick to the basics!

Stay tuned for my third post in this series. Remember to stay healthy and happy!

From vegetarian, to pescaterian, to vegan, to raw vegan to???

The last couple of months I’ve experimented with different types of eating styles as you can see from the title. As a result, I finally burst through my year long plateau and lost a total of 10 pounds. So far I have gathered a lot of information about veganism and raw veganism. In order to fit my life style I decided to encompass all the different eating styles in one. Over the next few posts I will break down my reasoning in sections to prevent very lengthy posts.

No chicken, beef, or turkey just seafood

In order to stay sane and enjoy life I decided to keep seafood in my diet. Where I live there is not a lot of vegan or vegetarian restaurants assessable. To speak frankly, my man and friends have expressed several times they are not vegans. When eating out sometimes they will compromise and decide on a restaurant like Sweet Tomato. Sweet Tomato is a salad and soup bar and there is no meat on site. This restaurant is great and has saved me many times when eating out. These last few weeks I’ve noticed that most restaurants do not have a “vegetarian” option. A few times I find myself getting creative with ordering off the menu. For instance, if the dish has rice I’ll replace it with extra vegetables lightly steamed.

Living a vegan lifestyle can cause deficiencies in the diet such as a B-12 deficiency. B-12 is not found in vegetables so you will have to consume dairy or meat. According to Fit Day, B12 helps in maintaining the health of the nerve cell and the nervous system. The vitamin B12 is also needed for the synthesis of the red blood cells. It has been found to be very much needed for the growth and development of children. 

As a compromise because I do not want to consume chicken, beef, pork, or turkey, fish or seafood became the best option. Even though seafood is back in my diet, I do not eat it every day. Normally, I save fish for days my honey wants to take me out or hanging with the girls on the weekend for dinner.

No dairy or sugar

In 2005 when I had a personal trainer assisting me with my weight loss goals, one tip he gave me was to stay away from cheese. He stated that cheese adds fat to the waistline. All these years later did I follow his advice, maybe but not all the time. But this time around, I plan to really stay away from cheese. Last year, during my no dairy/cheese challenge I ate soy cheese as a substitute. Well throughout my research I learned that casein which is found in milk can possibly lead to cancer.  One day I decided to check the ingredients of my favorite veggie cheese and casein was there. From that day forward I swore off of veggie cheese as well. Every now and I’ll fall victim to cheese but it’s real cheese and not the “vegan” version.

Additionally, I’ve stayed away from mayo, yogurt, and ice cream. Every now and then I’ll have a bowl of cereal but will drink almond milk instead of cow’s milk. By no means am I perfect so yes there are mishaps. When the mishaps happen I can totally notice a difference in my body because after consuming some form of dairy I’m immediately bloated and gassy.

These few changes discussed have made such an impact on my body. For one, at times I have more energy than I can deal with which is very new for me. One morning at work I was waiting for my cinnamon/raisin toast to pop up and I started doing one leg hops. Yes, for no apparent reason I started doing hops because I couldn’t keep still. Amazing! Stay tuned for more of the changes I’ve incorporated.

Ciao!

Green Berry Smoothie

This smoothie is packed with fresh yummy goodness! Before you turn up your nose, try it out. Kiddie Kurls loved it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!!

Ingredients:
Spinach
Mango
Tangelos
Black Berries
Strawberries
Water
Ice

Just put as much as you like of each in a blender and blend. No need to freeze the fruit because the ice makes the smoothie cold. Feel free to add more fruit if you like! Enjoy!!

Frustration = Venting Session

Right now I’m so frustrated with my lack of patience. Recently, I decided to switch my eating habits and become a pescetarian (vegetarian that eats fish). This is not a smooth or easy transition so I’ve been researching. Of course the main concern with a vegetarian or vegan diet is getting the proper nutrients which encourage my constant researching.

All this research has caused confusion on whether I should just go strictly vegan. This is a big step but for some reason I cannot find simple answers to my questions. One question I have concerns oil substitutions including olive oil. Today I watched the documentary “The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue” which is a spin off from the documentary “Forks over Knives”. In this documentary olive oil is considered a non-healthy oil because of the saturated fats. Well I cook with olive oil like most people thinking it is a healthy choice and good for the heart.

If that was not enough the documentary also shows how some vegetarian substitutes I’ve grown to love is also un-healthy. Before watching this documentary the plan was to dedicate a post to these substitutes for others that are interested. With this information I cannot promote healthy eating with these particular foods. For example, Earth Balance spread was a butter substitution that I fell in love with. Well after paying closer attention to the label, I discover the spread is 100% fat. The spread is 80 calories per serving and the fat calories per serving are 80. The serving size is 1 tablespoon and I do not follow the serving size which means fat is constantly added to my meals. This is another eye opener courtesy of the documentary.

All in all, I need to practice patience and understand my transition may take some time. There is a lot to learn for guaranteeing a successful transition. Of course I know challenges will present themselves but DANG!

That’s the end of my venting session…

A New Year and a New Way of Eating

For the past couple of months I restricted my intake of meat, sugar, and dairy. The reason was to lose weight and force myself to eat healthier. This experiment led me to make the decision to become a pesce-vegetarian or pescetarian. This means fish and dairy are acceptable in my diet. Some may say that pescetarians are not “true” vegetarians and that’s fine. But through my research vegans and vegetarians have to undergo strict diets in order to make sure their body gets the proper nutrients. Unfortunately, my lifestyle does not afford me the room to have such a strict diet which is why I chose to add fish and dairy.

Now fish and dairy will not become a staple in my diet but will give me wiggle room when needed. For instance, not all restaurants are vegetarian friendly and usually the best choice is a fish entrée. Adding fish and dairy back into my diet doesn’t make the practice that much easier I still have to get creative with meals and snacks. Plus the plan is to eat fish once or twice a month only when eating out with family and friends.

For clarification, this practice is to aid my weight loss and force me to make better eating decisions. Unlike most vegans/vegetarians, this practice only pertains to my eating habits. With that said the picture above is my first attempt at a healthy “vegetarian” snack that’s really easy to make.

Ingredients: cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, green goddess seasoning, and balsamic vinaigrette. To make this a fun party appetizer, put the tomato, cheese, and basil leaf on a tooth pick, sprinkle the seasoning, and drizzle the balsamic. Yum! Enjoy!!

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients:


Chicken Breast
Red Peppers
Green Peppers
Black Olives
Feta Cheese
Whole Wheat Pasta.
Tomato (optional)
Cucumbers (optional)
Red Wine Vinaigrette (RWV)

Directions:

Grill chicken breast the way you like it and then chop. Cook pasta and rinse to cool. Chop red and green peppers, tomato, and cucumbers then add to pasta. Toss in olives and feta cheese. Lastly add ¼ cup RWV and toss. Sprinkle fresh black pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill.

This is an easy and delicious receipt. You can add your favorite spices to the salad. This recipe is perfect for me because it does not contain mayo eliminating the extra fat and calories.

So go ahead and try the recipe and let me know what you think!

Mediterranean Greek Salad

Ingredients:

Spinach, Arugula, and Carrots Mix (or salad mix of your choice)
Pitted Black Olives
Small Red Pepper (sliced)
Small Green Pepper (sliced)
Small Red Onion (sliced)
Small Cucumber (peeled and diced)
Feta Cheese
1 can Garbaza beans (drained, rinsed)
Cherry tomatoes



Dressings (whisk together):

Red Wine Vinegar
Dried Oregano
Olive Oil
Dash of Salt
Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing. Enjoy!

Ziploc Fresh Portions on the Go!

This cute Ziploc container was purchased at Wal-Mart for $2.19. It came with 2 containers. This week chicken salad is for lunch because of pure laziness. This package states the container is great for 100 Calorie side portions.

Chicken salad, wheat thins, grapes, pineapples, and cheese

100 Calorie Portions (suggested on package):
2 cups popcorn
18 mini pretzels
1/3 cup dried apples
2 cups strawberries
3/4 cup fruit cocktail in light syrup
3 ounces law fat cottage cheese and 3 whole wheat crackers

The meaning of Break – fast

Have you ever thought about the meaning of break-fast besides the obvious? The obvious is “breakfast is the first meal of the day and experts proclaim the most important”.


According to Wikipedia.com, breakfast is the first meal of the day. The word is a compound of "break" and "fast," referring to the conclusion of fasting since the previous day's last meal.

Here is a quote from my South Beach Diet cookbook:

South Beach Diet, “one important study proved that starting the morning with processed carbs – a bagel, say – will stimulate cravings for more of the same throughout the day. The same research has shown that a breakfast of good proteins and fats – like a cheese and vegetable omelet – will actually keep those urges away. Eggs, vegetables, and lean meats are all the healthy ways to start the day.

Here is a healthy, quick, and tasty recipe your family will enjoy

Sausage Cheese Breakfast Cups
4 oz turkey sausage or crumbled turkey bacon
½ green pepper
¼ onion
5 large eggs
1 can (12 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Coat a 6 cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups. In a medium nonstick skillet, cook the sausage, pepper, and onion for 5 minutes or until sausage is done. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and cool slightly. Stir in the eggs and mushrooms. Evenly divide the mixture among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until egg is set. Enjoy!!

Weight Loss Tip 1 - Stock your Refrigerator

Today is my normal 1 mile jogging/walking routine with RJ. Before heading out to the park I needed to replenish my body with nutrients. Well my refrigerator is completely empty and I really need to eat; so what did I do? I went to McDonald's. Yes, I know a really BIG NO NO. To minimize the blow I ordered the Mac Snack Wrap which is not the healthiest choice but in my mind better than the Big Mac. Besides I'm going to park right after leaving the drive thru right. HA!

So I notice that McDonald's now have the nutrient labels on their food packages. Check out the label for their bacon egg McGriddles.

Calories - 420
Protein - 16g
Fat - 19g
Carbs - 48g
Sodium - 1190 mg

Now this wrapper did not display the nutrient value for the Mac Snack Wrap but after noticing the change I had to share with you guys. Again this is at McDonald's so I'm not sure if other fast food companies are doing the same.

For the nutrition facts on the Mac Snack Wrap, I went to http://www.calorieking.com/ for the info:
Calories - 330
Protein - 15g
Fat - 19g
Carbs - 26g
Sodium - 690 mg

The next time you cave in to fast food take a look at the wrapper as motivation not to make the same mistake next time. I did. Have a great weekend ladies!!

Organic Rice Noodle

This rice noodle surprising was very tasty. This noodle substitute replaced my wheat pasta and has less calories, fat, and carbohydrates. Give this noodle a try with the Italian Herb Chicken Recipe. Enjoy!


Prepare noodles according to package.

Italian herb chicken

16 oz can crushed Italian Herb tomatoes
½ red onion
2lbs Chicken
Favorite seasonings

Season your chicken with your favorite seasonings then place in a baking dish. Spread the crushed tomatoes on top of the chicken. Next cut red onions in whole rings and place on top of the crushed tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 30-40 minutes (cooking times vary according to meat).

Top noodles with Italian herb chicken and serve. Yummy!

Broccoli & Cheese Quiche – No Crust

This recipe is so yummy and I love it.


Ingredients:
5 eggs
2 cups broccoli spears (I used frozen)
Red peppers – to taste
Mushrooms – to taste
Onions – to taste
2 Cups reduced fat cheese (max 6gs fat)
Your Favorite seasonings
Salsa

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl, do not scramble the eggs, and season to taste. Use only 1 cup of cheese in the mixture and sprinkle 1 cup on top. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mixture in pan and bake, 350 degrees, for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and serve with your favorite salsa on the side. Voila! Good healthy Eating!!

This recipe is so versatile because you can add chicken, ground turkey, or spinach in any combination. Try this recipe in different variations in order to keep your taste buds jumping.

Mini Red Potatoes and Smoked Salmon

Here is another appetizer I made for my “Red Stilettos and Champagne” Girls Night. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 mini red potatoes

salt
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
4 ounces Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped dill
freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped smoked salmon
garnish: dill, quartered cherry tomatoes

Prepare:
1. Cook potatoes in a pot of salted water for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Make sure a knife goes through a potato without any resistance.

2. Once potatoes are cooked, cool them in cold water. Cut potatoes in half and if necessary slice off a piece from the bottom of each half to make sure the potatoes will not tip over on a plate.

3. Using a melon baller, scoop out the insides of the potatoes.

4. Combine cream cheese, Greek yogurt, capers, chopped dill, smoked salmon and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Fill the potato halves with the mixture from step 4.

6. Top each filled potato half with a quarter of a cherry tomato and a fresh dill sprig.

Alternatives:
1. Instead of adding smoked salmon into the cream cheese mixture, use it as a topping.

2. Feel free to use any other herbs: basil, parsley, thyme.

3. Try adding a bit of lemon juice and/or lemon zest into the cream cheese filling.

4. If you are not a fan of capers, try using black cured olives.

5. Of course you can use the filling on top of your favorite bagel.

Healthy Meal of the Week

                             Homemade Beef and Bean Burrito



Ingredients:
Wheat Tortilla
Ground Beef (93% fat free)
Taco Seasoning
Black Beans (canned)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (6g grams of fat per serving)
Salsa
Organic Spinach (lettuce substitute)

Prepare: Cook ground beef in a pan and season with taco seasoning. Follow the directions on taco seasoning packet; then add black beans and stir. Once complete add to meat and bean mixture to tortilla top with salsa, organic spinach, shredded cheese, and fold ends then roll up tortilla. Voila! Enjoy!!

Spinach and Pepperoni Pizza Bites

This recipe is my rendition of pepperoni bagel bites with less the calories, fat, sodium and more fiber.
Ingredients:

Oroweat Multi Gran Sandwich Thins
Turkey Pepperoni
Baby Spinach
Tomato paste
Shredded Cheese
Green Onions (optional)
Mushrooms (optional)

Prepare: Separate sandwich thins in half, spread tomato paste all over, add green onions, spinach mushrooms, pepperoni, and shredded cheese.

Bake: 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes then serve and enjoy!