Breakfast Burrito

Nonstick cooking spray
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 cups pre-washed spinach
8 large egg whites
Crushed red pepper to taste
Four 6-inch Ezekiel tortillas, warmed
3 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup grated nonfat pepper jack cheese (organic if you can find it)

Lightly coat a medium skillet with nonstick cooking spray.  Heat on medium, add garlic, and cook until fragrant.   Add in spinach and cook until soft.  Coat a separate skillet lightly with cooking spray and scramble the egg whites. When almost finished, sprinkle in a moderate amount of crushed red pepper, depending on your taste.
 Place equal amounts of spinach and egg in each tortilla, top with tomatoes and cheese, and serve.

Serves 4. Per serving: Cal. 400.3, Cholesterol: 6.3mg, Fat: 9.4g, Saturated fat: 3g., Calories from fat: 32,  Trans fat: 0 g, Protein: 27.5 g, Carbs: 54.3g, Sodium: 951mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugars: 6.5g


From: ("Master Your Metabolism" Jillian Michaels)

Organics

"Organic" is a type of food that was grown or raised without pesticides and other chemicals.  This is done using natural processes, which leads to naturally healthier food.  When a crop doesn't have the help of pesticides, it has to grow it's own immune system to fend off bugs and diseases, therefore passing on that enhanced system to our bodies when we eat them. There are certain foods that absorb more chemicals than others in the growing process, typically foods that don't have a tough skin to help protect them. These are the foods that we need to always buy organic. If you are on a tight budget and have to pick and choose which foods to buy organic, here is a list to help you decided where to put that extra money.  The health benefits are definitely worth that few extra dollars. 

ALWAYS BUY ORGANIC
1. Meat, dairy, and eggs
2. Coffee
3. Peaches and Nectarines
4. Apples
5. Bell Peppers
6. Celery
7. Berries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes
10. Foods you eat a lot


SOMETIMES BUY ORGANIC
1. Processed Foods
2. Onions
3. Avocadoes
4. Pineapple
5. Cabbage
6. Broccoli
7. Bananas
8. Asparagus
9. Corn
10. Mangoes


DON'T BOTHER BUYING ORGANIC
1. Seafood - try to buy wild caught, not farm bred
2. Water
3. Foods that you don't eat that often


("Master Your Metabolism", Jillian Michaels)

Fruit salsa

2 organic apples- diced
1 carton organic strawberries- diced
3 organic kiwis- peeled and diced
1 small carton organic blueberries
1 small carton organic raspberries
3 tbsp. strawberry preserves (try to find one without high fructose corn syrup)

Mix together in a large bowl. Cover and chill.
Use to top your whole wheat toast, greek yogurt, as a dip for pita chips, etc.

May Challenge

Keeping up with the April challenge of not eating out, and the March challenge of cutting out Cokes completely,  I plan on only eating out a few times in May and sticking to the no coke rule. The challenge for May is to work out 5 hours a week. That is intense workouts, like running, P90X, circuit training, or cycling.
My goals:
1. I'm not necessarily trying to lose weight, but trying to replace the fat with muscle. So my goal is to lose a certain number of inches off of my waist (my trouble area).
2. If my knees will hold up (after 4 knee surgeries 10 years ago) I am training to run a 5k again, something I used to love doing. I have a certain time in mind.
3. To get in a healthy habit of working out everyday, even if I can't go to the gym.
4. To encourage my friends and family to exercise more.  It is so important.
5. To have sculpted arms and legs.  I've always had chicken arms and legs. I want some definition!

What are your goals? What is your challenge for the month?

I'm going to keep track of my workouts on here, 1. so that I can keep track of what I've done and to try and top myself each week, 2. In case you are interested in how I'm doing my workouts, 3. So that I don't miss a day.

April 30- Mowed front and back yard with a reel mower (don't know what it is? look it up) and did P90X with my husband 3 hours
May 1- Gym: 3.5 miles on bike, arm workout, 1.5 miles running 1 hour
May 2- Gym: 4 miles on bike (12 min), ab workout, 2 miles running (17.3 min) 1 hour
May 3- Boot camp- 100 push-ups, 5 minutes of plank, 100 lunges, 60 jump and jacks, 100 good mornings, 100 squats, plus a few other things 1 hour + 1 mile on treadmill
May 4- Gym: 2 miles on treadmill, legs, last half of zumba class 1hour
Very sore!!! 
Total: 7 hours


May 7- Gym: Bike 5 miles (15 min) biceps, shoulders, triceps (repeat) abs, plank 3 minutes, Run 2 miles (18 1/2 min) 1hour
May 8- Gym: Bike 3 miles, bicep curls, chest, triceps, abs, Run 3 miles 1 hour
May 9- Gym: Bike hills 5 miles, arms, lunges, Run 1 mile 1 hour
May 10- P90X Yoga- 1 hour
May 11- slacked off and will have to make up for it next week
Total: 4 hours 

May 14- Gym: 3 miles on bike, arms, abs, 2 miles running 1 hour
May 15- Gym: 3 miles on bike, abs, 3 miles running 45 min.
May 16- Gym: 3 miles on bike, legs: lunges with weights, squats with weights, machine rotation, abs, 1 mile running 1 hour
May 17-Gym: 7 miles on bike with hills, arms, run 1 mile 1 hour
May 18- didn't make it to the gym. did 30 minutes of workout at home. 30 min.
Total:  4 hours 15 min

May 21- Ran 2 miles, home workout- 45 min
May 22- Gym: Bike 6 miles, Legs and abs- 1 hour
May 23- Gym: Bike 6 miles on level 4, chest, shoulders and back, run 1 fast mile- 1 hour
May 24- Gym: Bike 10 minutes, level 6, leg press, lunges, calf raises, crunches, leg lifts, reverse leg curl 1 hour
May 25-Gym:  Bike 3 miles level 8, arms and abs, run 1 fast mile 1 hour
May 26 (bonus): Run 2.75 miles 24 min.
Total: 5 hours (9 min)



May 28-
May 29- Run 3.26 miles 27.45 min
May 30- Gym: Bike 3 miles level 8, arms and abs 1 hour
May 31- Gym: Bike 3 miles level 5,6, legs and abs 1 hour
June 1-
June 2- Entire day of walking while pushing a stroller 1 hour
Total:  3.5 hours


Well.  I didn't meet the goal that I set. Although if you average the weeks out, it did average to 5 hours a week, I'm still not completely satisfied with how I did. But, what can I do about it now, except to conquer next month's challenge.  Maybe if I do more than the challenge, like run more than 10 miles a week, I can make up for this month.  It still was a very good month of working out and encouraging others around me to do the same.  So,  I can't be too disappointed. My husband started working out this month and is doing great! I've even got him running a couple times a week. I'm so proud of him and he feels so much better.  So far I've learned something from each challenge, so I will definitely keep up the monthly challenges.

April Challenge

Ok, so here was the challenge for April.  For the entire month, we did NOT plan on eating out at all. That includes stopping to get a cup of coffee or a coke (bottle of water for me), vending machines, etc. Everything we eat will come out of our kitchen or if we are out of town it will come from the grocery store, but no processed foods. 

1. It is a way to be more conscious of our money.

2. It is a way to eat more whole foods and less processed (and over preserved) foods.

3. It is a way to stop wasting the food that we buy at the grocery store. If eating out is not an option, I will find something to eat in the house. 

*Obviously my husband will have to eat out with people from work sometimes, but he will have to make good decisions on what to eat. 

If we can do this, our reward is to celebrate with a nice dinner the first weekend in May (my 30th birthday!).

I found 14 recipes for the first two weeks of cooking. The goal was to find recipes that I can freeze. So every time I made a meal, I could double the recipe and freeze half of it. That way I only need two weeks worth of recipes to be repeated the second two weeks. So, the third and fourth week of the month, I just pulled  meals out of the freezer and cooked them.

Well... the month is almost over, so here are the results so far. My husband had to eat out for work a few times and had to eat out when he went out of town on business. But when he was home he had home cooked meals every night. He says he already feels better. My kids ate out once or twice (I'm not sure) during a weekend with their grandparents, but have been doing great at home eating whole foods for snacks and drinking more water and less juice and milk (they drank a lot of milk!! (organic of course)) I am the only one in the family who has gone the entire month without eating out at all. Not a single time did I stop at a restaurant for anything. I can definitely tell you that I feel so much better. I don't feel bloated after eating and I haven't had to throw out nearly as much wasted food each week, just a small amount of left over fruit or veggies that we didn't get to. Though I think that will be even less this week since we have really upped the amount that we are eating.  

To be honest, at first I missed grabbing a bite here and there. I went through a week of being sick and I can't tell you how much I wanted to call and say, "just bring home a pizza." But I didn't and I'm glad I didn't. I either pulled a meal out of the freezer from the week before or threw together a quick and easy meal with whatever I found in the fridge. Another benefit to eating at home every night was that we ate together at the table for each meal (my two year old did his best to sit still for that long, I appreciate the effort). If I was going to take the time to cook a meal for my family, then we were all going to sit there together and enjoy it as a family. Obviously we aren't going to go the rest of our lives without eating out ever again, but it will definitely be limited from now on. Maybe twice a month we can grab a quick meal or sit down at a restaurant.  I really enjoyed knowing exactly what was going into my family's bodies. I would recommend any family trying this or at least trying to cut it down to twice a month. Good luck!

5/1/2012

The month is over now and I had a crazy day, so .... we ate out tonight. Here is what I had. A steak sandwich with tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms and some pasta salad and fresh squeezed limeade. Let me tell you, I almost immediately felt the difference. I couldn't finish more than a few bites of the pasta salad. I feel bloated again after weeks of not feeling that way. I've already worked out once today and I feel like I need to do it again.  I didn't like the idea of not knowing where my food came from or even what all was in the food. I didn't make the smartest decision on what to eat there, but I'm not sure it was really going to matter. I will definitely be keeping the eating out to a minimum!!

Tortilla Soup

1 lb cooked, shredded chicken breast

1 can washed and drained black beans (organic)

1 bag frozen corn (organic)

1 box chicken broth (reduced sodium)

cumin, garlic powder, salt to taste

1 diced tomato

1 bag tortilla chips (whole grain or multi-grain)

1 avocado (organic)

shredded cheese (buy the block cheese and shred yourself, pre-shredded cheese is covered in powder to keep it from sticking together)

Cook and shred chicken.

In a large, covered pot, cook chicken broth, chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, and seasonings for 15-20 minutes on medium. 

Spoon into bowls and top with avocados, broken chips and cheese (not too much).

Mexican Pizza

We made this last night and it seemed to be a big hit. Remember to buy organic whenever you can!

4 whole wheat flat breads
1 bag of organic black beans, cooked and drained (or you can use canned if that is what you have) smashed
1 large organic tomato, diced
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
(optional) 1-2 tbsp. enchilada sauce or taco sauce (try to buy as close to all natural as possible)
2 tbsp. organic cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups organic romaine lettuce, chopped
1 organic avocado, diced
Fresh salsa

Preheat oven to 450. Spread the black beans onto the flatbreads. Top with a little bit of sauce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and cheese.  Bake for 8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Plate and top with lettuce, avocado, and salsa. Enjoy! Feel free to add any veggies, such as, pepper, olives, spinach, or corn. Make it your own.

More ways to be healthy and save money

Ways that living a healthy lifestyle is cheaper.

 

1. Cable has cost us anywhere from $45 to $60 a month in the past. And all that led to was a lot of tv watching and sitting around. We decided not to get cable when we moved here 1 and a half years ago. We haven't missed it for a second. We decided to get netflix ($8 a month) so that the kids would have some cartoons to watch during tv time and we would have some shows to watch late at night when the kids are in bed. We also decided to get gym memberships. The memberships are normally $20/month for both of us, but with the kids we have to pay another $15/month for childcare fees. So a total of $35 for the gym, plus $8 for netflix. $43/month, still less than any cable bill we've ever received. Don't want to go to the gym? Go for a run/walk instead of watching tv. Or start a garden, you will be growing your own veggies (saving money there) and getting outside and exercising instead of sitting in your house. More exercise, less money= healthier and cheaper!

2. Eating healthy foods and exercising prevents so many diseases. Scientist have linked healthy foods to preventing certain cancers, heart diseases, and so much more! Exercise can do the same thing and help to prevent osteoparosis in women. Why is this cheaper? This is more of a long term savings, but if we are eating right and exercising, our chances of having serious health problems lessen more and more. Therefore, we are using less prescription medications to get by everyday. (saving money there) We are visiting doctors less (saving money there) our insurance is most likely going to be less (saving money there) We are happier (can't put a price on that).

3. The little things: a few things that save us money and make us healthier are, walking Ella to and from school instead of driving. We are lucky enough to live close to her school that we can do this, but you may live close to somewhere else that you may go often that you can choose to walk to instead of driving. Another thing, and I know you will laugh at this one, is we bought an old-fashioned lawn mower. Engine free, just spinning blades, like you would see on a movie or show based in the 50's, 60's. (or like some of you remember from your childhood :) It was cheaper in the first place to buy, it doesn't use gas (which right now saves us a lot of money) and will need no maitanance. Saving money, and we get GREAT exercise pushing that thing around our yard. We also probably get a few laughs. Let me tell you, I know now why people were healthier then than they are now. You had to actually do work to get things done. Things weren't self-propelled! We still pay a neighborhood boy to mow once a month, $20. We were paying $60-$80 a month in the summer. So... saving money and getting exercise. Win, win.

4. Part of being healthier is also about using as few chemicals as possible, not only in your food but also in your day-to-day life. This includes household cleaners. Cleaners are filled with many chemicals that are not only bad for our kids and pets, but for us also. Amazingly enough, going natural with cleaners is also cheaper and very effective. A large bottle of vinegar is less than $1 and a box of baking soda is about 25ct. Between these two ingredients and some water, you can pretty much clean anything. (Combine them and you have a great drain cleaner: I know this very well!) Here is a website that I have used if you are interested:  http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/10/clean-up-your-act-all-natural-homemade-cleaners/   Don't like the smell of vinegar taking over your house? Look into the Dr. Castille's soap. It goes a long way and smells minty good!  So by making this switch to natural cleaners, you are saving money and breathing in less chemicals.

Healthy can be cheaper.

I'm on a mission and out to prove that being healthy is cheaper than convenience (by that I mean fast food and laziness, which I have been very guilty of in the past and sometime present) I've heard so many people say, we don't eat healthy because it's too expensive, or it's so much cheaper for us to go to McDonalds than to eat healthy. It's not true. The truth is, we just don't want to put the effort into eating healthy and being healthy.

My first challenge is groceries. I think one of the main reasons we think it is more expensive to eat healthy is because when we buy all of our "healthy groceries" it is all on one bill right there in front of us, all added up together. When we do some grocery shopping, and then eat out a few times a week, it's divided up into little bills that we never go back and add up together. Sometimes we think "I only spent $100 on groceries this week", but we forget about those 3 dinners that were eaten out that add up to another $50-$75 dollars, the trips to just "grab something real quick" that add up to another $15 and maybe a few coffees, teas or cokes for another $5-$10. Here are a few easy switches that will save you money and make you healthier.

*Breads: wheat and white cost the same or have a difference of just cents, so that's an easy switch. The bread we buy (in bulk!) costs less than $2 a loaf, so... cheap! Whole Wheat bread is soo much better for you. This is how it works. When they make whole wheat bread, they use the entire grain, with all of the nutrients in it. When they make white bread, all of the nutrient rich parts of the grain have been stripped out, then they use chemicals to bleach the ground grain to give it that snow white appearance. So not only are you not getting the nutrients of the grain, but they've added some lovely chemicals to boot. Read the ingredients on breads and make sure it is in fact a whole wheat bread. Sometimes they will use caramel coloring to give it that wheat look, even though it is white bread, which is so much worse. Eat wheat! Look for the words "whole grain" or "stone ground whole wheat" on the ingredient list.

*Snacks: here is a misleading one. We think that buying those prepackaged snacks and snack bars is the best buy. Most boxes of 6 serving snacks, which are small and leave us wanting more, cost around $3-4. An entire bag of apples (prepackaged by God) cost around $2-3 dollars and have anywhere from 8-12 apples in them. Apples are not only a healthy snack, but a filling one. Also, a bunch of bananas which usually includes about 6 bananas, is around $2. Once again healthy and gives you energy! Afraid of them going bad before you get to them, stick the peeled bananas in the freezer and use for a quick smoothie snack or eat the frozen banana. Vending machine snacks are at least a dollar and filled with artificial sugars and fat. A container of yogurt is 50 cents, greek yogurt $1. If you are out and needing a quick snack, McDonalds serves apples and bottled water, Sonic serves bananas and water with their awesome ice (throw a lemon in too), Wendy's I think has mandarin oranges. The point is every restaurant serves some type of fruit or veggies and water. No excuses!

*Dinners and lunches: It costs us (a family of 4) at least $20 to eat out anywhere. The kids meals are $4 each and our meals are $6 each and that's just at fast food places. A sit down restaurant is at least $30. I can buy the ingredients and cook a healthy meal for under $15. And we almost always have leftovers for lunch the next day. 1 lb of chicken= $5, Veggies=$4, 1 box of pasta or rice costs about $1. $5 worth of seasonings. Water to drink=free! Lunches: 1 loaf of whole wheat bread=$2, 1 lb deli meat=$6, 10 slices of hormone free cheese $3, 1 bag of apples=$2, 1 bag of baby carrots=$2, 1 bottle of mustard=$2, water to drink=free. So an entire week of healthy lunches for me and my two kids= $17, as opposed to the $15 it would have cost us to eat out just 1 time at a fast food restaurant. If we were to just grab fast food every night for dinner it would cost us $140, for ONLY dinners. That is my entire grocery budget!

 I think a lot of times people associate eating healthy with buying all organic foods. You don't have to buy all organic foods to be healthy. Obviously organic is better because it lacks the chemicals, but if you are on a budget, eating healthy can still be cheap. You can pick and choose which items to buy organic. I'll list these later. Looking for deals? Go to some farmer's markets this summer, their prices are usually not firm. Grow a garden, even if it's just a tomato plant on your porch or an herb garden in your window sill, you are saving money on healthy food. 

*Breakfast: How much does it cost to swing by Mcdonalds or chik-fil-a and grab something to eat before work? About $4 right? You can buy a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread for less than that. A loaf of bread and dozen eggs will last you an entire week of breakfasts. Cook 1-2 eggs and eat a piece of toast each morning with your coffee, water, milk or juice. A container of strawberries costs $1.50 this time of year, go ahead and throw that in there too. Or even a box of cereal is about $3, plus a gallon of milk $3, organic $6. So, breakfast all week for about $6-9. 

*Drinks: Here is an obvious one. 2-liter coke =$1.50, coke at restaraunt= $1-3, same for tea. Water= FREE! (Bag of lemons $2 for the week) More on lemon water later.

... to be continued! :)

my family.

Welcome!

I am starting this blog as a way to organize all of the health tips and recipes that I find in all of my research, which is a lot! My goal is to have my family habitually eating healthy and exercising by the end of the year. The more that I learn about processed foods and drinks, the more I'm ready to switch to whole, organic foods.  I don't want my family putting all of those chemicals in our bodies. Processed foods have only been around for about 50-60 years, so the long term effects of eating this way has yet to fully be seen. I saw a sign the other day that said, "ORGANIC: It's what your grandparents called food." I loved it and would love to get back to that way of eating. Since my children are 2 and 4, if I start this now, they will never know anything different. I thought we were a pretty healthy family, eating low-fat foods and limiting our sodas and not eating out much, but I'm starting to learn that that is not going to be enough. I hope that the information that I am using for my family is just as useful for your family. I am doing this to help us, but it would be amazing if I were able to help other people along the way. Please feel free to leave comments or ideas as you read. I'm trying to learn as much as possible, (I'm a little obsessed) so any input would be appreciated. Thanks!