Make Plans, Not Resolutions

It's a fact that many New Year's Resolutions don't make it past the second month.  Armed with these statistics you should choose to 

I have never really been a big believer in New Year's Resolutions. Why? Not sure. I guess I've just felt if you want to make a change in your life you just DO IT! And waiting until the date of January 1st just seems silly. But, as the date of January 1st is quickly approaching you can make the conscious choice to make a change. Pick YOUR day, and make a change to be a healthier YOU!

 I decided in October of 2010 to make a change. I took it day by day and here I am over a year later in a better, healthier place. Changing a lifetime of habits isn't easy, but it isn't impossible. That HOPE alone should give you motivation to move forward.

Instead of focusing on the things you SHOULDN'T do, you should really focus on the things you SHOULD do.

Eat more {fresh} fruits and vegetables.

Exercise weekly.

Drink more water.

Get to know your food by reading labels.

Eat more UNrefined foods.

Avoid Trans Fats at ALL costs.

Limit Saturated Fats.

Get out your calendars and make plans, not resolutions. Lay foundations instead of boundaries. Get excited about food.  Embrace foods you've never tried. Take a cooking class.  Get educated about your food.

If you are ready or in need of a change, TODAY could be your day. You decide. Your life is in YOUR hands.  Go grab any Tosca Reno book at the library or bookstore and start reading.  You are stronger than you realize.

"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end." -Julius Erving

Best Wishes for a HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

Rehydrate with Glaceau Vitamin Water ZERO

It's very hard to find a {clean} flavored water these days unless you make your own at home. Most days I drink a lot of plain water but from time to time I like to change it up a bit and have something sweet.

Here is a flavored water that is {clean}. These come with a hefty price tag of $1-$1.39 a bottle depending on sale prices or stores.

Glaceau Vitamin Water ZERO

GLOW: Strawberry Guanabana

Each flavor has a different amount of vitamins and electrolytes in them. They have quirky marketing messages on each bottle which I find fun to read. Make sure to read the labels because only the ZERO has natural sweeteners, natural flavors, and ZERO calories. Another thing to point out is the fact that each bottle is 2.5 servings. I like to pour a serving in a glass of ice and sometimes mix it half ZERO and half water.  It is super sweet to me without diluting it. 

With all of this being said, I still don't suggest drinking this on a daily basis since water is still your best choice. However, if you are looking for something as a special treat from time to time. Or, better yet, if you are in need of some hydration after a night out celebrating the end to a new year, this might just be what you need.

Cheers to a Happy Healthy 2012!

Is 2012 your year to change?

I know I have come a long way on this {eat clean} journey in 2011 but often times I don't even get to read the labels of the "crap food" on the shelves. Mainly because I've gotten {that} good at knowing what to choose on the first try. However, I do want to make a point to stop by a few of the items we used to consume often and read the labels a year later, but it's Christmas time, who has time for that sort of "fun"? 

It's amazing how many foods are artificially flavored and colored these days. And, the sodium in prepackaged things is shocking when you really start paying attention! If you are always feeling bloated and eat a lot of prepackaged/prepared meals, it's no wonder if you take a look at the sodium. However, it's reassuring to see many companies making changes to their ingredients, but it makes me wonder if they are just trying to trick me into buying something that isn't {clean} by renaming it.  I am getting off track here...

If you are looking to make some changes in 2012 and would like to completely overhaul your life and embark on a {clean eating} journey, here are some of the major things you will need to know.

Avoid all over-processed and refined foods (especially sugar, white rice, and white flour)

Avoid saturated and trans fat, instead consuming healthy fats

Avoid soda and other sugary juices and drinks

Avoid high-calorie, zero nutrient foods, (i.e., junk food)

It sure looks simple listed there, but I can assure it's not so simple at first. If you are still drinking soda or other sugary drinks you are in for quite the fight to detox off of those.  I'm here to prove that it can be done as I am 17 months "sober" off the Diet Coke. (and only crazy ex-addicts still count after the year mark)

Now, here are a few things you SHOULD do:

Drink water. It's recommended you drink half your body weight in ounces daily. (ex. A person weighing 150 lbs. should drink 75 ounces.)


Exercise. Start with 2-3 hours a week. Even walking counts. Heck, have you ever played Wii Just Dance game? That counts too!


Always eat breakfast. Always. Even if you aren't hungry.


Eat 5 to 6 small meals daily. That's 3 main meals and 2 {healthy} snacks.

Stick to these 8 "rules" and master them and you will see huge results.  I will say that I am not 100% {clean} and never claim to be. But I strive for 85% each month.

Wishing you happy healthy life in 2012. 

Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

Are you crazy for nuts? Are you crazy for Chipotle? If your answer is yes, then I have a recipe you MUST try. This recipe is AWESOME! It's sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next holiday party, tailgating, or dinner party. Or, even better, it would make a great personalized gift.

If you used Chipotle Chili Powder before, you know it comes with heat! I opted to use less than the original recipe called for and added a bit more chili powder instead.

Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

Recipe adapted from: www.allrecipes.com 

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup raw sugar cane (fine)
• 1 tsp chipotle chili cowder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbps no salt added butter
• 2 Tbps honey
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 pound {unsalted} raw skinless peanuts

Directions: 

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Stir together sugar, chipotle powder, chili powder,and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside.

2) Stir together the butter, honey, and salt in a sauce pan over low/med heat until butter has melted and it begins to bubble. Stir in peanuts and mix well until all peanuts are well coated. Then pour them into a 9 x 13 baking dish. 

3)  Bake in preheated oven until peanuts are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Stir the mixture 2-3 times while baking to ensure even cooking. 

4) Once out of the oven, sprinkle the peanuts with the spice mixture and stir until coated evenly. Allow the peanuts to cool to room temperature, tossing them a few times so they won't stick together.

NOTE: I found my Chipotle Chili Powder at Kroger.

{clean} Sage and Thyme Stuffin' Muffins

Stuffin' Muffins are the best of all things stuffing. When you bake your stuffing in little muffin forms everyone gets a moist center and a crunchy crispy top. Plus, it makes for an interesting presentation compared to the standard stuffing baked in a pan.

 Stuffing is something that is very easy to make but it's important to get quality ingredients to start with to get a delicious outcome.

{clean} Sage and Thyme Stuffin' Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots, diced
• 3-4 celery stalks, diced
• 1 small leek, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 Tbps Organic unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme 
• 3 cups {organic} low sodium chicken stock (veggie stock can be used)
• 3 eggs (Pasteurized is best)
• Approx 16 cups of bread cubes (I used fresh baked whole wheat and semolina), air dried overnight or baked in oven for 10 minutes on 350 to dry them out.

1). Add butter and garlic to preheated pan. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and leeks until soft over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, sage, thyme and stir. Remove from heat.

2). In a bowl whisk the eggs and chicken stock. Combine this mixture with the vegetables.

3). In a large bowl, add bread and pour wet mixture over bread crumbs. Be sure to evenly coat all the bread. Let it set for 5 minutes for the bread to absorb the mixture.

4). Spray muffin tins with all natural Extra Virgin Olive Oil and scoop mixture into tins.

5). Bake, uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Or until set and crispy on top.

NOTE: I didn't scoop enough mixture into the tins this time (that's what I get for multitasking!). With that being said, I came up with approx. 18 small muffins. If you press the mixture in you can easily get 12 large stuffin' muffins and only have to use one muffin pan. And they will look nicer. It's important to take the time to dice the vegetables. They blend better into the mixture when they are diced small and take less time to saute to soft. Or blend in the Vitamix. 

{clean} Veggie Soup

It's soup season in Indiana folks, whether we like it or not. Time to heat up the kitchen with some nutrient rich {clean} Minestrone Soup.  This is a great recipe for Meatless Mondays.  Do your health a favor and dump the meat each Monday of the week. It's a great way to jump start your week into making positive food choices.

If you can chop vegetables and operate a can opener you can make this recipe. Yes, it's that simple.

{clean} Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbps Olive Oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 zucchini, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 med golden potatoes, chopped
• 1 can {all natural} tomato paste
• 1 can {all natural/no salt added} petite tomatoes, with juice.
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1 Tbps fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
• 1 can {organic} Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

1) Add oil and garlic to large stove top pot. Saute for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.

2) Add all ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook for 2 hours (the longer the better). Stir occasionally.

3) After vegetables have reached the desired tenderness serve and top with fresh Parmesan cheese if you please.

NOTE: I bet you could just throw this all in the crock pot, put it on low and walk away for 8 hours and it would turn out just fine. (add the pasta uncooked though) I might actually try this next time in the crockpot.

Feel free to add more or less of certain vegetables. I tend to double up on many to make a large quantity of soup to last all week long.

2012 UPDATE: I no longer make this soup with pasta. It is highly processed so I try to limit pasta to times when I feel it's really necessary (like with spaghetti) and even then I use spaghetti squash often for me instead of the pasta or mix 50/50.

Spaghetti Squash

I will pretty much try ANY new vegetable or fruit on this {clean eating} journey.  I figure, what do I have to lose? You can't go wrong with too many vegetables or fruits to choose from to create unique healthy meals.

Spaghetti squash is something I hadn't tried before, until now. It's time to start caring about every single calories I take in so I can drop these dreaded last 10lbs! I usually eat whole grain pasta but then I'm left with an upset and bloated stomach and exhausted from the carb crash. This is not the case with spaghetti squash. It has a mild sweet taste that is different from regular spaghetti.

Spaghetti Squash

My daughter thought it tasted great! She thought it was really cool as I showed her the magic of the squash turning into "spaghetti". Next time I'm serving it to my 3 year old too (I wasn't in the mood for an argument this time around). If I can pass this as spaghetti to him I will be impressed.

Now, on to the awesome news. An average spaghetti squash has 165 calories. That's for the ENTIRE squash and it makes a lot of "spaghetti". Just ONE cup of regular spaghetti contains around 220 calories versus 42 calories a cup of spaghetti squash. If you were to just replace one cup of pasta with squash once a week for a year, that would be 8,544 calories (2 lbs weight loss per year). These numbers are for those that actually eat ONE cup of pasta. I am sure many people eat way more than one cup per serving. 

There are many techniques to cook spaghetti squash. One way is to microwave it. Here's a great video explaining that method.

I, personally, choose to cut it in half lengthwise and removed the seeds and pulp. Then I placed the squash rind side up in a baking dish and baked it at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

I am happy to report that this vegetable experiment was a success. I will be using spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti pasta many times this coming year.  That alone should help me with my weight loss goals. Plus, my daughter is excited to share the news of how cool spaghetti squash is to her friends.