PB chocolate ice cream

Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream... what?!?! Yes that's right I just got done with dinner and had some delicious ice cream for dessert. I absolutely love chocolate and I know I'm not the only one. When you want to live a healthy lifestyle you don't have to miss out on good tastes! So I figured you all (sorry I just can't do the "ya'll", doesn't sound right coming from me) would like a healthy chocolaty dessert.

Here's what you need:
- 3 frozen bananas
- 3 tsp of dark chocolate powder (unsweetened!)
- 3 tbsp unprocessed peanut butter (you know the kind you have to stir before use)
- whole milk (preferably organic) Lactose intolerant? Use unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- food processor

Mix all the ingredient in the food processor and add milk only enough to make it spin. It'll become a gooey texture. Freeze it for about 3-4 hours and enjoy! Couldn't be easier right? As you can see you can also make a smaller batch by using 1 of each :)

After workout option: instead of using chocolate powder use chocolate protein powder.

Carbs or no carbs?

I changed my mind, no recipe today, because I found this info more important.

A lot of people think carbs are evil, and they can be, but they don't have to be. It's very important what kind of carbs you eat and when you eat it. When it comes to carbs it's all about TIMING. There is a difference between people who want to lose fat and people who want to gain muscle however (I'm assuming not many people have the goal of gaining fat or losing muscle so I'm leaving those two out :)). So I decided to give you two scenarios; carb timing for fat loss and carb timing for muscle gain.

Fat Loss:
You have to earn your carbs. Do you want to have some bread or pasta? You can, but mostly within 1-2 hours after exercise in combination with a good source of lean protein (watch out for fat intake after your workout it'll slow down your metabolism during that time). Another time to have carbs would be with breakfast, but make sure you eat it in combination with protein. Always try to go for the least processed, organic food. So you don't have to eliminate your carbs, you just have to control it. 

Muscle gain:
When you're looking to gain more muscle you want to have an exercise drink (good guideline is 20-30g carbs + 15-25 g protein + 600 ml water) during and after your workout. Have a meal with unprocessed carbs within 3 hours after your workout and depending on how well your body tolerates carbs you can have some (generally 30% of your meal) with every meal too. Just like with fat loss try to go for the least processed, organic food. 

Next time you will for sure get a recipe though! Have you bought coconut oil and quinoa yet?

Detox 'Diet'

Watch out! I'm on my soapbox today!

It's popular nowadays to do a detox, especially at the beginning of the year. Some people do it to lose weight, others to get rid of toxins in their body, and others just because it's the thing to do at the time. Dr Oz told you that it's good for you and somehow a lot of people think that whatever he says is true without doing any more research. I'm not saying doing a detox is bad, I actually think the opposite! I think it's a great way to get rid of toxins in your body or to kick start your weight loss again. The thing that I don't understand is that people think that it's a good idea to do a Lemonade Diet for a few weeks to lose weight. What are you going to do after that? You can't drink a mix of maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper forever. Or even when you eat just veggies and fruit for 2 weeks you put yourself in trouble. Although veggies and fruit are both good for you, and have a lot of nutrients, they don't provide all the necessary protein. Know that when you starve your body like that it'll try to get nutrients from the most nutritious part of your body, which is muscle. You're not actually losing that much fat, it's mostly water weight that you lose. Now that your metabolism has slowed down, you're more likely to gain fat once you start eating your regular diet again. Here are some ideas for a good detox plan:

1. Prepare in advance. Don't go cold turkey, but slowly wean yourself off of coffee, soda, carbs, chocolate, or whatever you're addicted too. Start doing that 1 week before you're actually starting your detox

2. You're not using any animal products during your detox, but make sure you use a substitute protein. Rice and pea protein are a great option (no soy, too much of it raises your estrogen levels). You can get that at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or I can get it for you too. Use it in a smoothie with some berries, unsweetened almond milk, and if you're into it put spinach or some other type of vegetable in it. A great breakfast of snack!

3. Don't starve yourself, simply have lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes (beans are a great source of protein when eaten in combination with other foods), and nuts (healthy fats).

4. Don't stop working out (if you work out that is), simply do less intensity. See it as a time of recovery.

5. Drink plenty of water. A rule of thumb is half your body weight in oz. You can have decaf tea (unsweetened!) as well.

6. No carbs (such as bread, rice, pasta, cereal etc), no added sugars (not splenda, aspartame etc eiter), no alcohol, no caffeine (no I'm not trying to ruin your life!).

7. Do it only for 2 weeks and start going back to a more sustainable diet.

Check in next time for another recipe!

5 eating habits

There is so much information about food out there that it's hard to see the three through the forest. Some sources say we should eat a low fat, low calorie diet. Others say we should eat plenty of fats, because it'll keep you full longer. Some say it's good to have a lot of protein, while other sources say to not have too much protein and more whole grains. Oprah said once that you shouldn't eat anything after 7 PM so that must the be truth right..? Some say nuts are a great source of protein, other sources will tell you that it's actually not significantly high in protein compared to the calories. Some say all saturated fats are bad, others say it's good for you depending on what you eat with it. Today I'm not talking about whether I agree or disagree with these statements (don't worry I'll get on my soap box another day), but I want to make it simple for you. Teach yourself these 5 eating habits and it will get you a long way:

1. Eat slowly and stop at 80% full. It takes a while for your body to notice that you're full so learn to listen to your appetite signals.

2. Where is the protein? Eat protein dense food with each meal (for women 20-30 gr, for men 40-60 gr). It helps to achieve the best health, body composition, and performance.

3. Where are the vegetables? This is an important source of vitamins and minerals that helps your body to function correctly. It also provides an 'alkaline load' to the blood, since protein and grains give acid loads to the blood.

4. Where are the carbs? If you're looking for weight loss you have to earn them. After exercise is the best time to have carbs and look for unprocessed carbs. (more on this when I write about body types)

5. Where are you fats coming from? Get it from whole food sources such as fish, nuts, olives, avocado, seeds. If your carb intake is high your fat intake should be low and vice versa.

Pack a Snack

I'm sorry about my absence the last few days. We moved to a different place so I've been busy packing, unpacking and all that good stuff. We're all settled now and I'm back online!

Today I'm giving you a recipe that I got from my brother. He is a great cook and makes the best healthy snacks. A few years ago he and his wife started eating more organic food and they've noticed the importance and benefits of it. Now they eat pretty much all organic! 

This snack is perfect for when you're on the run in the morning, doing endurance workout for longer than 1 hour, or when you just have no other option besides fast food. Remember though, don't let this be a replacement of your daily 8-12 servings of fruits and vegetables (2 pieces of medium sized fruit). Always try to make time to have fresh and real food! "Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates.

Ingredients:
- 4 ripe bananas
- 4 eggs
- 350 grams old fashioned oats (not quick oats!) + 150 grams almond meal
- dash of ginger powder
- zest from 1 organic lemon
- juice from 1 lemon and 1 orange
- 15 drops of stevia
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
- Optional 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 100 grams of dark chocolate (at least 72%), or use dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Mash bananas to a smooth paste. Whisk eggs, add bananas and add the rest of the ingredients. Taste to see if there is a good balance between sweet and sour. Add chocolate and mix it up. Spray the pan with either olive oil or use coconut oil, put mixture in pan, and make it into a big chunk of half an inch high. Use a wet spoon to press the mixture down so it's a solid square. Bake for 45 min at 300 F (150 C). Let it cool and cut into bars. You can even freeze the bars for later too!

Salmon muffins

Those who know me will tell you that I love to cook! I'm thankful that my mom taught me to cook with what we had in the fridge. Makes life so much easier. So this is one of those recipes that was created from lack of better options. Now I make it pretty often because I love it, it's cheap, it's healthy, and it's easy to make. Have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack!

Sorry this is the only picture I have of it :)

Ingredients:
- 1 can wild caught salmon
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 6 oz baby bella, mushrooms
- green onions, diced 
- Some shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1-2 tsp dill
- 1 tbsp brown mustard
- 1-2 tsp garlic salt (or crazy salt) to taste
- dash of black pepper
- olive oil spray
- muffin pan


Preparation:
Preheat oven on 350 F. Chop veggies to small cubes. Beat eggs in medium size bowl, add dill, mustard, garlic salt, pepper and green onions. Take the bones out of the salmon and add to the wet mixture. Add bell pepper and mushrooms. Spray muffin pan with olive oil, pour mixture in pan and top it off with some cheese. Bake for 25-30 min. Have some veggies on the side or eat it just by itself! Great source of protein and healthy fats.

Note: Play with the spices. Maybe you like more or less dill, more or less salt, or if you like it a little spicy put some crushed red pepper in it. Don't like mushroom? Put some broccoli in it!
 

Quinoa (keen-wah)

Quinoa. So many people pronounce it differently so here it is: "keen-wah". These little seeds are becoming more popular all the time and it's for a good reason. It's a complete protein so a great option for vegetarians or when you're doing a 'meatless day' (I know here in Kansas that's too much to ask for, my husband included...). It's gluten-free and full of nutrients. So basically it's the perfect ingredient! There are a lot of different ways to use this high protein and gluten-free seed. Try using it instead of oatmeal with some walnuts, unsweetened dried cranberries, cinnamon and a little bit of sweetener (stevia, agave), sprinkle it on top of a salad, use it instead of rice or couscous, or be creative and use it in your burgers (meat or vegetarian) as a filler. Feel free to share your experience with others on the blog too!

Check in tomorrow for a new recipe!

Lick a fish

"Lick a fish"... that's what my husband says when he takes his omega-3 fish oil. Glad we don't have to do that in order to get our daily needs of omega-3 fats in! You'd be glad I'm typing and not talking to you. You probably heard about how important it is to eat enough fatty fish (maybe you've heard twice a week?) or else to supplement with omega-3 fish oil. Or if you're a vegetarian some other source of omega-3 like flax and walnuts. But do you know why? There are so many reasons why you should take it and what the benefits are, but I'll try to explain the basics of it here.

Our ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be around 1:1. In today's diet this often is more like 16:1 or even 20:1. This is due to the over consumption of omega-6 fatty acids (which is very important to overall health too) from corn oil, safflower oil, meat from feedlot animals (fed by a lot of corn). So to get back to the ratio of 1:1 we need to up our omega-3 intake and keep omega-6 down as much as we can. 

Omega-3 fats help to keep our cells more fluid, which increases insulin sensitivity. It helps with cardiovascular function, nervous system function, and immune health. It promotes blood vessel dilation, has anti-inflammatory effects, and helps to decrease pain. It also helps against Alzheimer's disease. What else do I need to say for you to realize the benefits of taking omega-3 fats?

Note:  Make sure you find a omega-3 fish oil that's high in DHA and EPA and is of high quality (so not the cheapest one at walmart). If you ever stop by Lifetime Fitness you can use promo code 123526 for 10% discount.



 

Coconut oil

Olive oil is so good for you! It has the healthy fats you need in your diet and I know many of you cook with it a lot. I'm going to disappoint you though, it's not always great to use. Olive oil actually changes into trans fat when you use it for high heat cooking. So for high heat cooking coconut oil would be the perfect choice! I love the flavor it adds to the dish too. You'll notice throughout my blogs that I absolutely love Trader Joe's so that where I buy my coconut oil. You can find it at other health stores like whole foods too though.

Some other benefits of coconut oil:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-viral
- Anti-fungal
- Improves nutrient absorption
- Shown to help metabolism and digestion

And you know what? You can also use it as a moisturizer, lip balm, deep treatment conditioner and many other things. So really there's no good reason to not have it in your home!

 

Don't let the packaging fool you

Before you go to the grocery store today here's a little wisdom for you :)

The Health industry is so smart with their food labeling. Label "Organic" on a package of cookies and a lot of people will think it's healthy. Even though it's organic it still has a lot of simple carbs combined with saturated fats. Saturated fat on itself doesn't have to be bad (more on that later), but the combination of the two is bad news. Just the fact that Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or Natural Grocers sells it doesn't mean that it's good for you. Watch out for deceitful labels like:

- "added vitamins and minerals"
- "no added sugar"
- "fat free" (weight watchers dieters... I'll have to write a blog about that soon)
- "low carb"
- "all natural" (seriously?)
- "wholesome" (tell me what that means...)
- "contains real fruit" 

When claims like the above are on the packaging it's most likely not going to be all that healthy... 

Here's an interesting youtube video about the food industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BdFkK-HufU&feature=em-share_video_in_list_user&list=UUVNyZUMykNKrK70JC_Q1qug

 

 

Breakfast Made Easy

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day... You've probably heard it over and over again. You probably think I'm crazy, but I'm going to say it's not true! Every meal is equally important. If you usually have a decent breakfast, but skip lunch then lunch is your most important meal. If you struggle getting a quality dinner in then dinner is the most important meal for you. If you never have breakfast or have a bad breakfast then you need to focus on a better breakfast.Today we'll focus on breakfast, but don't worry, tips on lunch, dinner, and snacks will come soon!

Here's a quick and easy recipe that will fuel you for the day.

Easy recipe for steelcut oats:

I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk and green tea on the side

- 1 C of steel cut oats (I get them bulk at wholefoods)

- 3 C of water

- Coconut oil (olive oil turns into trans fat when you use high heat)

- pinch of salt

- 2 organic apples (whichever ones you like)

- cinnamon powder

- High quality vanilla protein powder (whey isolate or if you're lactose intolerant use pea or rice protein)

Heat up about a tsp of coconut oil medium heat, put steel cut oats in while stirring. Add water and a pinch of sea salt. Reduce heat and let it boil for about 20 min stir frequently. Turn heat off, cover pan with lid, and let it sit over night.

Next morning add cut up apples & cinnamon powder. Put it in a big tupperware and heat it up per serving adding unsweetened almond milk or organic whole milk and some vanilla protein powder. Get creative so you don't eat the same thing every day! You can also add some walnuts, unsweetened coconut flakes (available at whole foods or clark's) and some other fruit. I would love for you to post your own version of steelcut oats! Enjoy :)

Notes: 

- If your body doesn't digest carbs very well this might not be the best option for you.

- If you don't have or like protein powder have a couple of eggs on the side for protein. It'll keep you full longer and keep your blood sugar leveled

New Year's Resolution: Win or Lose?

It's a new year and many of you have some sort of New Year's Resolution that has something to do with your health. Whether it's eating healthier (what's healthy anymore these days?), workout more (what's more?), lose weight (how much?), getting more fit (what is fit anyway?). All pretty vague goals if you ask me. No wonder most people fail within the first month of the new year. We're only 10 days in, are you still on track? Oh wait, how are you supposed to know if you're on track if there is no route to follow? No destination to go to? No exact reason why?

1. Figure out what your DESTINATION (goal)is
2. Figure out what ROUTE (plan) to take 
3. Decide WHEN you want to get there
4. Find out WHY you want to get there

Let's say your goal is to lose X amount of lbs, or better yet to fit into a certain size. You are getting there by working out at least three times a week, prepare your lunch/snacks at home so you don't make bad calls, drink at least two liters of water/day, tell 10 people so that they can keep you accountable. Why? Because you have no energy right now, you want to keep up with your kids, and live to see them and possible grand kids grow up.

Sure you'll slip here and there, but that's part of the journey. That doesn't mean you failed your New Year's Resolution. Every day you can start with a clean slate and try again. Don't wait until next year to start over, you want to win right? So start today, tomorrow, and every day after that. You WILL reach your destination.

Check in next week for tip # 1 on Healthy Breakfast Made Easy.