Food. Yum!

If you know me, you know that I am passionate about eating healthy.  Filling our body with nutritional foods gives us a natural energy and radiance that nothing else can.

  (not that kind of natural energy)

It is easy to weigh ourselves down with heavy, processed foods.  The chemicals, fat, and sugars in these foods contributes not only to weight gain, but also to depleted energy levels.  Our body has to work extra hard to digest these foods.  We become exhausted from this digestive work and turn to coffee and candy bars for an energy pick-up.  The short boost of energy provided by coffee and sugars is a very temporary band-aid for a solvable problem.

Before I went to college, I ate whatever I wanted... from burgers to cookie dough!  After moving to Vermont (go figure) for nursing school, I became much more health conscious.  I went from a "typical" American diet to a very health-centered diet.  I lost weight, felt energized, and no longer needed a pick-me-up coffee or soda.

Some important things I have learned about eating for energy and health:

• SNACKING is important between meals to keep up energy levels! Just make sure it is a good snack.
• Pack your meals if you are going to class/work.  Fail to plan, plan to fail! 

• Don't step on the scale toooo much... if your pants are looser, that is a good indicator of your weight as well.
  
• Try to limit your time spent in the middle aisles of the grocery store... fresh produce is on the outer aisles!

• Watch out for food that comes in a box, wrapper, or vending machine.  Can you pronounce the ingredients?  If not... warning sign! Don't eat too many chemicals.  It confuses your body.
• Include fruit and/or vegetables in every meal

• Meat should not be the focus of your plate.  A portion of meat should be no larger than the palm of your hand... wow! 
• Drink mostly water, and a lot of it!

• Juice is not a sufficient substitute for your daily dose of fruit... no fiber, and lots of sugar. Make sure you bite into a piece of fruit every day too.
• Allow yourself to indulge occasionally.  Nobody is perfect!
• Practice portion control.  Stop eating when you are full (sometimes it just tastes so good!)
• Whole grains! A good goal is to make half your grains whole.
  
• Soy products can be your friend.  

Some of you may be wondering... what do I eat?!?!

I'll share with you my favorite staple foods.  I like to mix it up with, but I usually eat these in the course of a day:

• Eggs!!! If cholesterol is a problem, cut out one/all of the yolks.  Omelettes, hard boiled, sunny side, over easy, scrambled... throw in some veggies, feta, or (my favorite) pesto!  Even apples and cheddar are good with eggs.  If you can, try to get them local and/or free range.  We want to support animal rights here.

• SWEET POTATOES! These are amazing if you cook them until they are very squishy. 
  
• Almonds and raisins: what a great combo!  A serving of protein, healthy fats, and fruit!

• Apples & Bananas
• Carrots & Hummus (my favorite: Sabra Hummus, roasted pine nut)

• Stonyfield Farms Yogurt! Plain or french vanilla, low fat. 
• Fish. Tilapia, salmon, and shrimp... yum.
• Spinach!!!! Sprouts! Lots of it.
  
• Avocado: healthy fat and delicious!
• PEANUT BUTTER! My favorite dessert. Mix with honey or yogurt (or both!) but make sure you get real peanut butter... Skippy doesn't count!  Ingredients should be peanuts and salt. That's it!

• Protein Shakes: I drink quite a few of these because I work out a lot and don't eat meat.  Spirutein is a great meal replacing shake, and Muscle Milk/Whey Protein are great workout drinks.
• Spirutein (cappuccino flavor!) with Silk Soy Milk in the morning
• Chocolate Muscle Milk Lite during the day (they discontinued the mocha one?!)
• Vanilla Whey Protein mixed in with my yogurt

Those are my staple foods.  If I need a sweet treat, I will do the peanut butter & honey or some dark chocolate almonds... you can't over-indulge in those because they are so rich!!!

 

I will leave you with a favorite recipe of mine... healthy apple almost pie!

Ingredients:

• Apple
• Cinnamon & Ginger
• Walnuts & Raisins
• Vanilla Yogurt
  
• Quinoa (optional)
  

-Take an apple (or a few) and slice it up.  Sprinkle on the cinnamon and ginger.  Sprinkle on walnuts and raisins. Throw it in the oven on a cookie sheet.  Let cook at 350 until raisins are puffy, walnuts are crispy, and apples are squishy. (15 minutes or so)

-Meanwhile, cook QUINOA if you want to use it.  Quinoa is a healthy grain that is full of protein and fiber. Yum!
-Remove the apple mixture from the oven and mix it up with some quinoa and yogurt. YUMMY!

 When I make this, I cook up a bunch of apple mixture and quinoa and keep it in the fridge.  It can be reheated and is a great breakfast, lunch, or dessert!


That's all for now... enjoy and eat up!

PS I highly recommend the movie Food Inc. 

~Lauren