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26
Sep
2012
 A Note About Ads



Dear regular readers,

I wanted to make you aware of the new advertising that will be showing on my blog. I am all about full disclosure, and I want you to know that every time you visit my site you are visiting an honest, truthful, reliable, and friendly source.

My main ad is through Blogher. They are a wonderful company and community growing the blogosphere, empowering women, and helping us bloggers do what we do. This pays to keep my site up and running!

I DO NOT run ads that are distasteful or incongruous with my main views. You will not find diet pill ads, etc. here. I have Google Adsense which can be tricky, so if you spot a distasteful ad, let me know so I can block it. I try my best to filter out the junk on there.

I will try to keep the blog as clean looking as possible, and will never use pop-up ads, or ads with sound automatically playing. If something is visible  it will have a play button for optional playback. My goal is not to be intrusive or obnoxious.

If you have any comments, just let me know. For now, thank you for being a reader and healthy eater!

I will leave you with a positive note for Love Your Humps Wednesday:

8
Aug
2012
 300 Calorie Meal: Kale Egg White Omelet



I experimented with cooking kale in an omelet. I was a little afraid if it would work or not. Well, it did! Kale in an omelet is a go. Just reminds me of broccoli in an omelet.

The best thing about this meal is that it is fast, cheap, healthy, and easy. And, you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Kale Egg White Omelet

Makes 1 large omelet
Ingredients:

  • Organic cooking spray
  • 1-2 Tbsp. chopped onion
  • 2 kale leaves (pull the leaves off the stems, and tear into small pieces)
  • 3 Tbsp. salsa (Try to use a thicker salsa. I like to use black bean and corn salsa.)
  • Salt and pepper (just a tiny pinch)
  • About 1/2 cup egg whites (just enough to fill up the kale mixture)
  • 3 thin slices of cheddar cheese (or other cheese)
Directions
  1. Spray a small omelet sized pan with the non-stick spray. Add the onions and kale, and cook for about 5 minutes until the kale is wilted, and darkens.
  2. Add the salsa. *Tip: Try not to add too much salsa liquid to the pan because it can cause the omelet to get too liquidy.
  3. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat down, and add the egg whites.
  4. Allow to set for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the pan to allow extra egg white on top to slide to the sides of the pan.
  5. When it looks like the egg mixture is set, flip as best you can with a spatula. Cook 2 more minutes.
  6. Add the slices of cheese to half the omelet. Wait another minute, then fold the omelet in half to create a pocket for the cheese.

If you are cooking, and this gets a little messy, that is OK. It doesn’t have to perfect. It will still taste great! When you add tomatoes to an egg dish, it doesn’t hold together as well. Plus, it is often harder to cook with egg whites only. So, don’t feel bad if yours doesn’t look super pretty.

This meal totaled out to be about 260 calories. So, you could add a side fruit or side of Ezekiel bread if you’d like to add a few more calories.

Love Your Humps Wednesday

Talking about not being perfect…

Via Pop Revolver and Pinterest

2
May
2012
 Protein Powder to Speed Up Metabolism?



I don’t think so. Evitamins.com sent me a free container of Almased protein powder. Anyway, this powder claims that it is healthy for the metabolism and can speed it up. I don’t really see why it would. There are no foods out there that have a significant effect on metabolism. Some foods like green tea and various veggies can help to improve the metabolism, but only slightly.

Ingredients: Soy protein isolate, honey, skim milk yogurt powder, potassium chloride, magnesium carbonate, calcium citrate, vitamin C, niacin, color additive: riboflavin, vitamin E, zinc oxide, ferrous fumerate, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B1, vitamin A, folic acid, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, biotin, vitamin D3, vitamin B12.

The one good thing about this is that it is pretty simple–just soy, honey, skim milk, and vitamins. Would be a good choice for those that like soy proteins.

However, the big downfall for me is that I don’t know the quality of the soy protein. I doubt it is organic, and doubt that it is GMO free. Big negative in my book. Plus, soy is pretty controversial right now. There are many positives and also many negatives regarding soy.
There are still 12 grams of sugar in one serving (8 Tbsp.), but the glycemic index is low (27). This is likely due to the high protein content combined with the natural lactose (milk sugar) that help to even out the sugar absorption.

Taste: It didn’t taste that sweet. It smelled a little like baby formula though. I have never tasted baby formula, so I can’t tell you what it tastes like, haha. But, it really didn’t taste that bad. I could see it going really well in a smoothie and not even noticing it.

Conclusion: I doubt this product will help the metabolism, and would not market it to diabetics or the health conscious. But, surprisingly, I could see this for a child who needs a protein powder for their smoothie if they needed the added nutrition. Overall, I am not a big fan of the powder, and would not buy it at the store. I would rather buy a natural Greek yogurt and just eat that. Or, maybe an organic whey or rice protein. Just my opinion.

Anyway, on to Love Your Humps Wednesday:
Via Pinterest and Already Pretty and Redefining Body Image.

28
Mar
2012
 Trans Fat Free Monkey Bread



Monkey bread is one the most sinfully delicious things to have been created. The problem is that it is usually full of trans fat from the biscuit dough that is used. I promised my coworker that I would make her a baked goody for her belated birthday, and she missed out last time I brought baked treats for the office. She told me she wanted something more sinful, so why not?

I used Immaculate Baking Company’s cinnamon bun dough and biscuit dough which contains no trans fat.  

Trans Fat Free Monkey Bread Recipe
Ingredients: 

  • 2 cans cinnamon bun dough (see above)
  • 1 can non-flaky biscuit dough (Immaculate Baking Co.)
  • 1 stick Earth Balance
  • 1 stick butter (you can use 2 sticks Earth Balance, total, instead of butter if you like)
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
  • 3/4 cup white sugar (you could substitute 2-4 Tbsp. stevia substitute and 1/2 cup real sugar–you need real sugar for the caramelization)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed when measuring

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Open all the biscuit dough and cut each biscuit into quarters. See Pioneer Woman recipe for monkey bread to get a better idea of the step-by-step.
  2. Toss all the biscuit dough pieces into a gallon zip top bag with the white sugar and cinnamon. Shake around to coat the pieces.
  3. Heat the butter and brown sugar in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until the mixture turns brown and the sugar melts more. *You can do this in the microwave if you like
  4. Dump the biscuit dough pieces into a bundt pan (you do not need to grease the pan). Press down gently on dough in the pan.
  5. Pour the butter/brown sugar mixture over top of the dough. Place in the oven.
  6. Cook for about 35-42 minutes until it looks dark brown and the edges look crispy.
  7. Cool 15 minutes, then turn out, and see warm. The bread will stay warm for a few hours if you keep it covered.

This is what it should look like when you take out of the oven, and then (below) when you turn it upside down. Delicious! …not so nutritious, sorry. Everyone loved it though. A definite crowd pleaser.

The goal here was not to make health food. So that is not what this is. It’s just a slightly healthier alternative to the traditional treat. Small tweaks and changes help without having to sacrifice flavor. And, it’s all about moderation and getting comfortable with that moderation. If you have a few bites of this–it won’t hurt you.

Love Your Humps Wednesday:
Also check out this article on body image thoughts around the world!

21
Mar
2012
 Healthier Store Bought Pizza



It is very hard to find a healthier frozen pizza. But, of course, Trader Joe’s had a pretty good veggie pizza.
It had no cheese, so I added some fat free ricotta for some protein, and some sun dried tomatoes for extra flavor (they got a little burnt, but that makes them tasty).

The whole pizza is 750 calories (minus the ricotta). Half the pizza filled me up pretty well since I added the ricotta, and had a glass of milk with it. The good thing is that there are no nasty preservatives–just wheat flour, lots of veggies (adding a great amount of fiber), and some natural flavorings like vinegar and lemon juice.

I didn’t even miss all the cheesy goodness of a normal pizza. You could easily have this vegan, and not add cheese.

Have been doing some Les Mills style exercise classes this week and last and they are

kicking my butt–which I like. Finally, an exercise class that is truly challenging. But, it doesn’t have to be. It is all about what level you choose to exercise at.

Anyway, I highly recommend the Les Mills classes. So far, “body attack” was the hardest because you are constantly moving your arms and legs everywhere. That was the most I have sweated in a while!

Hope everyone is surviving this week of crazy pollen! Keeping my windows shut yesterday and today so that my home doesn’t turn into a yellow green mess.

Love Your Humps Wednesday:

14
Mar
2012
 Happy Registered Dietitian Day!



March 14th is National Registered Dietitian Day! And March is National Nutrition Month.

Time to celebrate health and nutrition with the perfect smoothie recipe!

  • 2 Fruits (I used strawberries and blueberries)
  • 2 Heaping spoonfuls Greek yogurt
  • 1/2-1 cup of milk (your choice of skim, almond milk, etc.)
  • 1 Tbsp. protein powder (I used a brown rice protein)
  • 1 Packet stevia
  • Handful of spinach

Have a happy and healthy day!

Love your Humps Wednesday:

Found this on Pinterest. Thought it was so sweet.

2
Mar
2012
 Eats of the Week: Marinated Grilled Chicken and Spirulina



When I get a craving for some good meat or chicken for lunch, I head over to this deli near where I work. Obsessed with this chicken…
It is basically just chicken and lettuce (and a few croutons–not many). I usually don’t even use dressing because the chicken is so flavorful. Now, I am sure the chicken was cooked with a copious amount of oil, and it is not organic, of course. But, it is some tasty chicken! It is inspired my next recipe idea is to try to make tasty marinated chicken at home.

I also bought these raw spirulina chips a while ago. I was just curious to see what they tasted like, and wanted to read up more on the health benefits of spirulina.
Spirulina is a blue-green algae packed with chlorophyll that may have a variety of health benefits. You can read more about it here on my post at diet-blog.
I guess the reason I like these chips is because they have a little sweetness, and are packed with nutrition that you can’t get in a normal cracker/cookie/chip product. I also feel I do well portioning these, probably because they are so expensive! ;)

I will leave you with a Love Your Humps musing since I missed you guys on Wednesday!
(via Pinterest)

22
Feb
2012
 Eats of the Week: Nutritional Yeast and Chocolate Cookies



I bought nutritional yeast in the bulk section of Whole Foods a few weeks ago after reading so much about it on other health blogs. I figure it is a good way for me to get a little extra protein and B vitamins in my diet since I am not a big meat eater.
You can read more about nutritional yeast here at my post on diet-blog.

Main things to know about nutritional yeast:

  • No, it is not an active yeast. It is not going to give you a yeast infection.
  • Do not consume more than 3 Tbsp. Nutritional yeast is high in purine which is hard on some organ systems, and bad for those susceptible to gout.
  • It looks weird, but tastes very mild. Taste like a funky, flaky parmesan cheese with a slightly more nutty flavor. I am still getting used to it.
  • Over 100% of your daily value for thiamine, riboflavin, B6, B12, niacin, and folate. Excellent source of selenium.
  • Not the same as Brewer’s yeast! I recommend nutritional yeast over Brewer’s yeast.

Sprinkle some nutritional yeast on popcorn, preferably while watching Modern Family :)

Or try adding it to cheese toast for more nutrition:
Then, I whipped up some chocolate chocolate chip cookies per Mr. Cyclist’s request. And he said they could not have healthy modifications in the recipe, but I did sneak in some whole wheat flour.
And I used dark chocolate for the chocolate chips. But, yes, real butter was used in this recipe, a small portion of Earth Balance, and a little bit of Greek yogurt in place of a few tablespoons more of butter that was needed. I couldn’t handle putting in 2 sticks of butter into the recipe. I almost died. So, I made a few small tweaks to feel better about it.

I am not sure what I did, but these cookies came out more like tasty muffin tops than cookies. They were a little more cake-like, but still moist and delicious.
Mr. Cyclist couldn’t resist combining ice cream with the cookies for a tasty ice cream sandwich.

Love your Humps Wednesday:
From NowFoundation.org

Except getting my nails done is relaxing and a stress reliever ;) And I think I own 20 lip glosses. I don’t think there is anything wrong with adding a little color to the lips!

11
Jan
2012
 Tomato Olive Spaghetti Squash



I have made one other successful spaghetti squash recipe, and thought it was time re-create a tomato version that I had tried to do, but a little unsuccessful in the past. The flavors just weren’t 100% perfect.

This time, everything came out awesome!
 The key is to cook the spaghetti squash in the oven at 375 for about 45 minutes, and then cut it open and add it to your sauce mixture. It is important to continue to cook the spaghetti squash in the sauce because then the squash will absorb the flavors of the sauce.

For the Sauce:

  • Add 1 medium yellow onion, chopped, to a large saute pan (that contains about 1 Tbsp. olive oil). Cook until starts to turn golden.
  • Add 2-3 plum tomatoes that have been diced. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Add your spices: Mrs. Dash tomato basil, more basil, parsley, oregano, pinch of rosemary, garlic, crushed red peppers flakes, pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Slice about 1/4-1/3 cup olives (doesn’t matter what kind–use whatever you like) and add to saute pan.
  • Add your spaghetti squash and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add 1 can of stewed tomatoes to the mixture, and cook off the liquid for about 5 minutes.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley if you like.

I added some Parmesan cheese and a pinch of feta cheese to mine.

This recipe is super filling. I dished myself out a medium size bowl, and had a hard time finishing it. If it was normal pasta, I would’ve had no problem at all. The reason it fills you up is because of the added fiber, and higher water content of the squash.

Filling=less calories in the long run. And this is a good alternative for anyone trying to eat gluten free, or avoid pasta products! Enjoy!

I will leave you with a Love Your Humps Wednesday musing:

7
Dec
2011
 Love your Humps Day Wednesday



I am starting a new weekly posting (if I stay organized enough) promoting healthy body image.

Why, you ask? There is just too much negativity surrounding body image on the web, so this will be a blog where you can feel good about yourself!

What will I post? Images, quotes, anything that I find on the web that week. Or, if you have a suggestion, e-mail it to me!

This week’s musings:

Britney before and after Photoshop. Photo found here.

That is all for now to start off the week! Let the positivity begin :)

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