I hung out with Psycho Holiday Baker on Sunday, helping her get supplies at Whole Paycheck to make Birthday dinner for my Dad.
I picked up an organic $10 t-shirt at Whole Foods. They are super soft–I highly recommend if you just need a plain old t-shirt.
I also picked up a nice snack/part of my lunch: Strawberry kombucha (my fav!!) and a Greens Whey Protein bar. I had my Mom taste the kombucha and she thought it was the nastiest thing on earth. I told her not to smell it, but she did anyway. We had this whole discussion at the Whole Foods checkout counter about kombucha, it was hilarious. You can read more about kombucha here on diet-blog.
Psycho baker had me pick up some unhealthy ingredients at Publix on the way home… I cringed at this purchase. She was making some kind of special parfait pie for my Dad (his Mom used to make it for him). At least she was mostly using whole ingredients from scratch (more natural that way), except for the Jell-o. And the graham crackers she got were on the healthier side.
Dinner was amazing!
Appetizer (for me): Carrots dipped in olive tapenade
Arugula salad with pears, gorgonzola, pecans, lemon, and olive oil: Homemade chipotle potato salad: Recipe here.
Red snapper with parsley/cilantro puree, and a roasted corn and tomato salsa: This was amazing. The red snapper reminded me of being at the beach. It had such a clean salt water flavor. Delicious! Then, the parfait pie Psycho Holiday Baker made: Just has a little sliver, but much more ice cream
Now, it is the start of a new week. Let’s make it a healthy one!
I love banana buddies, especially the new ones I found that have peanuts!
Such a good natural alternative for a dessert! 200 calories, and the only ingredients are banana, chocolate, and peanuts! Perfect.
Cherries are in-season now, and I got some they were so pretty–a nice deep red color. For some reason, that makes them seem even more delicious!
While I was at Whole Paycheck, I bought their spinach and artichoke dip/spread. I love spinach and artichoke, but usually avoid it because it can get high calorie very quickly. But, this one was only 45 calories for 2 Tbsp., and seemed packed full of veggies. Less filler ingredients. Spread on some fresh whole wheat sourdough bread
I also dipped some carrots in it to try to eat more veggies.
I have got into the habit of buying blue corn chips instead of regular old corn chips. I buy them in hopes that I am getting more antioxidants because of the blue/purple color. That’s how you know you are a dietitian/nutrition nerd.
A few weeks ago we experimented with cashews in an Indian-style dish. I often order Thai food that has cashews cooked in, and have always enjoyed it. They have great texture; the cashews become nice and tender.
Cashew Chicken with Korma Simmer Sauce
Plus, think of all the nutrition benefits you get from cashews:
Cashews are loaded with copper. Copper is a key enzyme for SOD (superoxide dismutase). SOD is a powerhouse of an antioxidant. Without copper, SOD does not function so well. Copper also functions as an enzyme for other antioxidants. As a bonus, copper helps to maintain healthy blood vessels, bones, and joints.
Next time you are making a stir-fry or casserole style dish, try adding some cashews to your saute ingredients! I recommend buying raw whole cashews (bulk grocery stores including Whole Paycheck will carry these).
I spotted some red corn at Whole Paycheck yesterday, and figured it must be healthier than regular old corn. Look at all the pretty red/purple colors in the corn! Must be healthy.
In fact, it is a little healthier: 350% more antioxidants than yellow or white corn and contains more protein. It has excellent sweet flavor, but was a little more tough–not as juicy as white/yellow corn.
I decided to roast the corn and then cut off the cob and create a salad:
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4-5 ears of red corn roasted, then cut off the cob
1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning, or equivalent
1 can black beans, rinsed
1-2 jalapenos, minced
3-4 gloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime
1/2 of 1 medium red onion, diced
1 large tomato, seeded, and diced
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Directions:
Roast the corn with the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or on a grill for about 15 minutes, turn every 2 minutes. Add the Cajun seasoning during cooking.
Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients and add to a big mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
When the corn is done (it should have some dark brown almost black spots), allow to cool so that you can handle.
Add the corn to the bean/tomato mixture and refrigerate. Serve slightly chilled.
I cooked a few shrimp to serve on top for a light refreshing summer dinner!
Haha, not really. But, black rice is also called forbidden rice, probably because it is so creepy looking. When eating it, I kept feeling like I shouldn’t be eating something this color.
I got interested in cooking it more after writing this post over at Diet-Blog. Think of how blueberries have potent antioxidants–noted by their dark blue color. Well, black rice (almost a super dark purple) contains potent antioxidants as well. Perhaps it is healthier than brown rice!
Most recipes I read about took black rice in a citrus, spicy direction. I decided to combine ingredients I had at home to make my own concoction:
Spinach, Mushroom, & Sausage Black Rice
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dry black rice
2 cups water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 carton mushrooms, sliced
1 bag fresh spinach (about 6-11 oz)
3-4 chicken or turkey sausage links, cut or break into pieces before cooking
2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. dried basil and sage
salt and pepper
Fresh parsley (optional)
Parmesan or Romano for serving on top (optional)
Directions:
1. Black rice takes a long time to cook, so start it earlier and go do something to forget about it for a while. Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan, then simmer for about 1 hour. Check while cooking to see if you need to add more water.
2. When there are about 20 minutes left, saute the onions in olive oil in a large saute pan. Allow to turn golden. Then, add the sausage and mushrooms and allow to cook about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach, and place a lid on it so that it cooks down.
3. Add your spices and seasonings. Stir to combine and taste test to see if you need any more seasonings.
Serve with Parmesan or Romano cheese grated on top (optional). Also, garnishing with a fresh herb helps to lighten the dish. Try a parsley or cilantro.
Voila! See, it doesn’t look that pretty. Did you know blue/purple foods can reduce our appetite? Perhaps that is why this deep purple rice is not so appealing. But, it was unique and pretty tasty. The mushrooms were actually the best part because they absorbed all the flavors!
I was super busy this past week with work, and writing some extra blog articles for various people. I made it a point to get in exercise even though I would be working a little more. After all, exercise helps me to unwind and get rid of stress.
One thing I found very helpful was to pack one essential gym bag that contains everything I would need for the day: workout gear, work clothes, things to shower with, lunch, snacks, and the usual purse.
Then, the hard part is just to get up and go workout in the morning. I realized I save SO MUCH TIME by doing this. And, I have much more energy during the day. And the best part is that I only have to get up 45 minutes earlier than I normally would.
Inside the big bag, I have a smaller bag for shoes, bag for clothes, and one for accessories, etc. I had something similar to these packing cubes that I used for my clothes. They are breathable so you won’t have your sweaty gym clothes staying gross all day.
If you can’t make it to the gym in the morning, you can always do a workout at home. Bodyrock TV has a bunch of free at-home exercise videos that don’t take much time to do.
Consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Aenean lacinia bibendum nulla sed consectetur. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla.
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Over the past year or so, alkaline diets have become more popular. I was so confused by alkaline diets because our body does a pretty great job at maintaining homeostasis. I thought it was all a load of crap.
Confused? Think back to science class and the pH scale: alkaline means a more basic environment.
The body performs best at a more alkaline environment. Many believe that by eating foods that have high alkalinity, you will help create better health and improve the metabolism.
My thought on all this was that it doesn’t really matter if a food is more acidic or basic. Our bodies do a great job of buffering where we need to be.
Plus, there is very little hard science and research that says anything to back up alkaline diets.
You shouldn’t have to avoid certain fruits or vegetables because they are more acidic. That is ridiculous because they are loaded with antibacterial properties and plenty of other phytochemicals to heal the body.
One area that I do agree with: Meat creates a more acidic environment in the body. It seems possible that if we eat too much meat, there could be a more acidic body environment because those meats are more complex to break down. I would agree that we should eat less meat for optimal health.
One condition that seems to improve with an alkaline diet: Gout! I have had many people tell me how their gout has improved after using alkaline water drops. It makes sense since people with gout have uric acid build up.
Still want to try to add more base to your body? You could try a supplement like Barlean’s Greens: Evitamins sent me a free sample. It is basically a cleaner greens/antioxidant/alkaline supplement. I like it for days where I feel like I haven’t eaten as many antioxidants. I do pretty well with my diet, so I only use it occasionally. I have read reviews on it and many said it has helped their energy levels. Yeah, and so does having a good diet! Haha.
Ingredients: A proprietary blend* of Organic Barley leaf, Oat leaf and Wheat leaf combined with Barley juice, Wheat juice and Oat juice powders, Spirulina, Organic Flaxmeal, RiceX Bran, Chlorella, Sea Vegetables, Spinach, Parsley, Astragalus, Schizandra, Acerola Cherry, Rosemary powder, Green Tea extract, Curcumin extract, Stevia, Full spectrum digestive enzymes. *(Concentrated 1500%)
My favorite thing about this is the chlorella in it–can help to help rid of toxic heavy metals in the body. And I am a big fan of curcumin (in turmeric).
A while ago I saw Bobby Flay (on TV) making pizza on the grill, and I doubted it was as easy as he made it seem.
I was surprised by how quickly it cooked and how easy it turned out to be.
Tip: You can use a whole wheat dough (Trader Joe’s sells whole wheat dough) and top with loads of veggies!
And it doesn’t matter if yours turns out a funny shape because it will just look more rustic!
Here is Bobby Flay’s video on how to make these grilled pizzas:
My family realized that we cooked a few too many pizzas that night: And then my Pinterest mind created these star-shaped watermelon pieces: All you need is a cookie cutter. Super cute and festive for the 4th of July week!
Consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Aenean lacinia bibendum nulla sed consectetur. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aenean lacinia bibendum nulla sed consectetur.
Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis. Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo.
Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Praesent commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor.
Consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros.
Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis.
Strawberry kombucha (my fav!!) and a Greens Whey Protein bar. I had my Mom taste the kombucha and she thought it was the nastiest thing on earth. I told her not to smell it, but she did anyway. We had this whole discussion at the Whole Foods checkout counter about kombucha, it was hilarious. You can read more about kombucha here on diet-blog.
She was making some kind of special parfait pie for my Dad (his Mom used to make it for him). At least she was mostly using whole ingredients from scratch (more natural that way), except for the Jell-o. And the graham crackers she got were on the healthier side.
Carrots dipped in olive tapenade 
Homemade chipotle potato salad:
Recipe here.
This was amazing. The red snapper reminded me of being at the beach. It had such a clean salt water flavor. Delicious!
Then, the parfait pie Psycho Holiday Baker made:
Just has a little sliver, but much more ice cream 
