all about the food...

This last week has been all about food. Wait a sec... how is that different than other weeks? It's not really but this is a good opportunity to share a couple of my new favorite recipes for all to enjoy.  Remember my criteria which all of these fit... Taste, Simplicity and Feeling Alive. 

BAKED APPLES WITH MAPLE CREAM

Baked Apples with Maple Cream

I have made this twice now each with different ingredients yet with the same delicious outcome.

~ 2nd time I used cranberry raspberry juice instead of apple cider(just what I had available)

~ Instead of maple mascarpone cheese you could use whip cream, vanilla ice cream, vanilla yogurt, almond milk, etc.  

~ I cut the apples in half and then core which makes for smaller portion sizes and more nuts and dates per apple.  

EGG & AVOCADO SALAD

Egg & Avocado Salad

Blend all ingredients with an immersion blender... 

2 hard boiled eggs(peeled)

1 peeled avocado

1 1/2 tbsp brown mustard

salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Optional: Red Onion, Other favorite seasoning mixes, Lime Juice, Pickles, Pepperoncinis

This is my own creation that I have been making on and off for my lunch the last couple weeks although I could see it as a great appetizer dip, on a piece of bread, or even scooped onto a tomato half.  I change up the recipe each time depending on what I have in the fridge and it is always satisfying and fresh.  Not to mention quick.  Also, those are Crunch Master crackers which are gluten-free and tasty. 

Photos of other tasty, delicious and healthy treats recently... 

Whole wheat toast w/Avocado & Egg

Homemade Turkey Meatloaf & Kale Saute w/
 Mushrooms & Peppers

Dairy Free & Gluten Free Sunday Pancakes
(prepared by my dad, Mark)

Almond Milk Yogurt

Dear Body....

I offer my apologies to you for not always listening to the extremely clear messages that you send as a reminder to take care of you. Hate to say it but I don't always appreciate your way of communicating... sickness, aches, pains, headaches, etc.  I have to give it to you though, you are pretty consistent in letting me know when I make unhealthy choices and there is an obvious cause and effect.  Those reactions are specific to me and may not happen to everyone else, so because my husband can eat all the Rocky Road ice cream in the world and only feel a little sleepy afterwards, doesn't make it so for me.  The funny thing, well sad thing is that these are not just one time abuses that I put upon you, but happen over and over again.

Here are some of the recently heard messages...

• Through a nasty flu virus that lingered on for almost 6 weeks to wash hands more and to keep hands away from my face. 
• Many times you let me know that a cool down, whether it be stretching or foam rolling, is very important to reduce hammy tightness, back pain and other muscle soreness later. 
• When I drink a Thai Iced Coffee with heavy cream after staying away from dairy for a week, and get terrible headaches, body aches and fatigue within 20 minutes.  
• Let’s not forget the dry skin, chapped lips and extremely yellow-colored pee when I am not drinking enough water.  
• Or how about the times when I have one too many of my favorite beers and struggle with a bit of a headache the next day?  
• And who could forget the added pounds around the holidays when I overindulge in the mashed potatoes, pecan pie and way too many red and green M&M’s.  
• Oh and I owe you for the mental and physical fatigue that overwhelms me when I have stressed myself out with a to do list meant for a week while trying to complete in one day.

Let's try to stay positive though and not forget when I do something good for you such as...

• Getting up early for spin class and having a boost of energy to start my day. 
• A solid 7-8 hours of sleep and being alert, efficient and productive throughout the entire work day.
• On a Sunday morning when I just want to lay in bed for hours, I get myself up and go for a walk with my husband and dog Maddie.  
• Allowing myself just to sit and be still for 10 minutes now and then instead of trying to fill it with Facebook, email, TV, or other errands. 

Alright then, let us continue on this positive note and clearly establish how we can make the second list much longer than the first while at the same time decreasing the first.  I guess it starts with me, eh? Any significant change always does.

Here is my commitment to you... 

I commit to make a conscious effort to listen to your communication whether it be screaming at me with a headache or stomach pain, or those times that your voice is soft such as a mild fever or redness in my cheeks.  When I feel out of sorts, I will think back to what I was doing or eating before whether it be 20 minutes, couple hours, a day, few days and/or even a week or two. As soon as I identify what has caused me to be out of whack, I will write it down or vocalize to my husband or another support person so I have accountability for healthy changes in the future.  In turn, I will also pay attention to the rewarding messages I receive from you for making balanced choices such as good rest, meditation, exercising, etc.  There will be times that I will unfortunately repeat my unhealthy behaviors, but together we will continue to actively listen to one another and try to decrease those situations over time.  

Sincerely,

Me

What should I buy organic?

What is organic?  Does it cost more?  Is it worth it?  Why should I pay more? Will I get more nutrients if I buy organic? How does it impact the environment?  If I don't buy organic, does that mean my food is not safe? Am I harming myself and/or my family?  These are all questions I have asked myself and my guess is you have too. The world of organic can be complicated and confusing to say the least and applaud yourself for diving into the complexity.  Today, I will simplify and focus on safety of food and provide you with a couple of tools to guide you while shopping the grocery store aisles.

Avocado #4225 - Non-Organic

First, where do you start? Well, when you pick up a piece of fruit or vegetable it sometimes has those little stickers, right? They are called PLU, price look up, codes and have a purpose other than getting you through the check out line quicker.  According to Consumer Reports, the PLU codes tell you whether or not the produce is organic, conventional or GMO(Genetically Modified Organism). PLU codes are not mandatory  so you may not always find them, but look for these codes when you do...

• 4 digit PLU codes starting with "3" or "4" means conventionally grown
• 5 digit PLU codes starting with "9" means organic
• 5 digit PLU codes starting with "8" means GMO

The next question now is which foods do you buy organic? There are such extreme answers to this question but I recommend the balanced approach of starting with a few and gradually adding more.  An incredible advocacy organization called Environmental Working Group has done the research and provided us with two lists, Dirty Dozen Plus, most contaminated produce, and the Clean Fifteen, least contaminated.  By using these two lists you have the answer of which foods to buy organic and those that you don't have to worry about quite yet.

DIRTY DOZEN PLUS

Apples. Bell Peppers. Blueberries. Celery. Cucumbers.  Grapes. Lettuce. Nectarines. Peaches. Potatoes.  Spinach.  Strawberries. Green Beans. Kale/Greens.

CLEAN FIFTEEN

Asparagus. Avocado. Cabbage. Cantaloupe. Corn. Eggplant. Grapefruit. Kiwi. Mangoes. Mushrooms. Onions. Pineapples. 

Sweet Peas. Sweet Potatoes. Watermelon.

With the PLU code breakdown and the downloadable guide  for the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen to post on the fridge you now have two extremely useful tools to successfully navigate the grocery store.