August Favorites

t's that time again for my monthly favorites! I have to admit I wasn't that adventurous with new foods this month like I usually am.  I'd like my monthly favorites to be more than just food, so I'll start with that trend this month since I don't have many new foods to add. So here goes. 

1. Stainless Steel Water Bottle  

It's really important to stay hydrated, especially in the hot summer months. To determine how many ounces of water you need each day, divide your weight in pounds by 2. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds you will need about 65 oz. of water a day. I also recommend adding 8 ounces of water for every caffeinated beverage you drink You'll also need more water when you're active or if you're sweating from the heat. You may need more or less water depending on your age or any medical conditions you might have, so just use this as a guide.

I love these stainless steel bottles that I ordered from Amazon for about $8 a piece. Since I'm out all day and in and out of my car, I fill up 3 of these 25 oz water bottles and take them with me. I fill them with half ice, half water and the bottle keeps pretty cold until the end of the day. They're dishwasher safe, but most of the time I just wash them with a brush. Plastic water bottles are not safe, especially if they're sitting in a hot car all day. Plus the reusable bottles are much more environmentally friendly.

2. Crock Pot

I usually get the most use out of my Crock Pot in the winter months for stuff like chili and stew, but it's made an appearance a few times in August. I had a few nights when I was working late and knew I wouldn't feel like cooking when I got home, so I threw some stuff in the crock pot and let it cook while I was out. I usually prep the night before and store the pot in the fridge overnight, then all I have to do in the morning it transport the pot to the counter and turn it on. I have a Crock Pot with 4 different temperature settings (low, medium, high, warm) and a timer, so when it's done cooking it just keeps the food warm until I'm ready to eat. Another plus about the Crock Pot is there's no need to turn on the oven or stove on hot summer days! 

3. Grapes

I've been craving grapes recently, they're my summer candy! Cold grapes are especially tasty and refreshing on hot summer days. I cup of grapes has about 100 calories and 27 grams of carbs. Grapes are good sources of Vitamins K & C and have been shown to have good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and can protect against heart disease! Now tell me what candy can do all that for you?!  I recommend eating both green and red grapes for the most nutritional benefit. 

4. Ground Flaxseed 

Flaxseed is a good source of Omega 3s and fiber and can help improve digestion and relieve constipation. It's also very versatile to use which is why I've been adding to to a lot of foods recently. I've been mixing it in yogurt or oatmeal or sprinkling it on top of peanut butter & toast. It can be sprinkled over almost anything like salad, pasta or rice  or mixed with something like breadcrumbs to use in cooking. Or you can add it to baking recipes to bump up the nutritional value. I recently added about 1/4 cup to muffins I was making to add a little extra fiber, Some people say it has a nutty flavor, but I personally don't think it has much flavor at all. I definitely recommend storing it in the refrigerator especially in the summer months to prevent it from becoming rancid. Once it goes rancid it's best to throw it away.  

5. DoTerra Breathe Essential Oil

I've been having a terrible time with allergies this summer and have been desperate for relief. One thing that helps is this Breathe Essential Oil by DoTerra. I heard good things about it, but when I got it I wasn't sure exactly how to use it, so I turned to my trusty Google. I found a website called "My Natural Family" that suggested the following: 

"Apply Directly: to chest of adults, back of adults, on the bones behind the ears, on the forehead and facial sinuses, on the bottoms of feet of children and adults, on vita flex points of feet, hands and head.

May dilute 1:1 for skin application on small children." 

(A link to the complete article can be found here.)   

I've found some relief from applying it topically, at least for a little while. For any allergy suffers out there you know some relief is better than none!  

That's all for this month's favorites. Comment below and share your favorites with me!  

"Which Is In Better Shape? You or Your Car?"

Hint: The answer has 4 wheels" 

If you live in the NYC Metro area you may have heard this commercial on the radio lately. It's for a local car dealership advertising their services for car maintenance.  

The commercial really bothers me for a few reasons, but the one I'll focus on today is this: the truth hurts. How many of us take better care of an object than ourselves? It may not be a car for all of us, but it might be something similar like the kitchen, the garden or the laundry. While it's important to keep up with these domestic responsibilities, it's more important to put our health at the top of our priority list. If we're sick will the kitchen get cleaned, the garden tended to or the laundry washed and folded? The truth is when our health suffers so does everything else. 

I challenge you to think if there is anything in your life that you're taking better care of than your own health. Is it really that important? Maybe it's OK if the laundry doesn't get done, dirty dishes stay in the sick overnight or the weeds overgrow a little in the garden. Let these things happen and take a few minutes for yourself. After all, being happy and healthy is more important, right? (Hint: The answer is YES!)

July Favorites

Welcome to my first edition of my monthly favorites! One thing you may not know about me is I love watching You Tube videos on makeup, hair and beauty products, in fact I waste waaaayyyy too much time doing that! One type of video I watch a lot is monthly favorites where people will show off their favorite beauty products of the month. I felt inspired to share my monthly favorite food and health products. I'm always trying new things and I tend to go through phases with foods, especially as the seasons change. So here goes with my July Favorites!

Seltzer 

I have been completely obsessed with ice cold seltzer this summer. I recently joked that I was "up to 3 cans a day"! I find it so refreshing on hot days and really look forward to this treat. Best of all it's calories free, so my 3 can a day habit isn't setting me back on my health goals!

Berry Shakes I've been loving my berry shakes for breakfast this summer. Just like the seltzer, I find cold shakes totally refreshing in the summer. To make my shake I mix 8 oz. of water, 1 scoop of protein powder (I've been using the Designs for Health Paleo Powder), 1/2 Cup mixed berries, 1 Tbsp ground flax seed and 1 tsp Probiotic Powder. Blend for 1-2 minutes and Enjoy!

Salad 

I crave salad in the summer. I usually try to eat salad a few days a week for lunch, but in the summer I bring salad for lunch almost every day. Recently my salads have been a mix of lettuce, broccoli, beans, seeds, carrots and avocado. I have an ice pack that fits into my salad bowl to keep it cold until lunch time and I bring a small container of dressing to put on top right before I eat it so it doesn't get soggy. Salads can be a really filling meal if you add protein, and healthy fats to it. You can also add variety by mixing up the types of ingredients and dressing you use.

Mango

I was looking for new fruits to add to my mix and picked up a container of pre-cut mango. Mango is a fruit I only recently tried within the the past couple years. I liked the taste, but I found it annoying to cut it up. (If you have any tricks please share with me!). I decided to try the pre-cut mango because let's face it, sometimes you have to pay for convenience! It was so delicious and really easy to pack for a quick snack while working.  A perk of mango is it's on the "Clean 15" list, meaning it contains little to no pesticides and is safe to eat non-organic.

7-Eleven Free Slurpee Day - How Much is it Really Costing You?

Today, July 11, is better known by some as "Free Slurpee Day" at 7-Eleven. Free food can be enticing, but is it worth it? I looked into Slurpee's nutrition facts and found that an 8 oz Slurpee has 18 grams of sugar, that's more than 2 grams of sugar per ounce! The free Slurpee offer is for their Small size, 12 oz, which will fill your cup with a whopping 27 grams of sugar. That's almost 7 teaspoons of sugar! Not to mention this isn't the pretty white sugar you bake with, the very first ingredient in a Slurpee is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) which spikes your blood sugar, causes inflammation in the body and is toxic for your health. In addition to HFCS, a Slurpee includes other questionable ingredients including food dye and Sodium Benzonate, a possible carcinogen.

Let's just go back to the size of the drink. It really irks me that the nutrition info online is for an 8 oz Slurpee, yet the small cup is 12 oz. Do they even have an 8 oz cup??? I'll have to investigate and add an update. I'm sure the Small size sold out today, but on a typical day how many people go for the small over the larger sizes? Here's the breakdown of the calories and sugar in each size:

12 oz 98 calories, 27 grams of sugar

22 oz  178 calories, 50 grams of sugar

32 oz  260 calories, 72 grams of sugar

44 oz 358 calories, 99 grams of sugar

WOW!!!

So the bottom line is to think twice before reaching for free food because the effect it can have on your health may be pretty costly.

Detoxing After the 4th of July

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! Here in NJ it was HOT HOT HOT and we spent time by our pool and fired up the BBQ a few times (OK, we plugged in our electric grill, we're not allowed to have gas grills in our complex!)  It's always hard to return to reality after a long holiday weekend, but here are some tips to get you back on track in no time.

1. Venti Lemon Water, ASAP, and make it a double!

Re-hydrate after a weekend in the sun, especially if your weekend involved America's favorite salty foods like the classic American hot dog, or if you guzzled a couple adult beverages poolside. Lemon is extra cleansing to help your body eliminate those toxins and get you back to feeling great in no time.

2. Lather up on honey and milk...Yup you read that right

Ok, Ok, I know you probably think I'm totally off my rocker, but hear me out. If you spent a little too much time in the sun this weekend you're probably paying the price now with a glowing red "tan" and screaming skin. Believe it or not you may find some relief in your refrigerator! Wipe cold milk on the ailing areas for an immediate soothing affect and dab some honey on burnt areas to speed up your recovery.

3. Hit The Gym, or Better Yet, the Pavement

I left this for last because it may seem obvious, but it's so important that I couldn't leave it out. Burn off those extra calories you indulged in so you won't be afraid to put on your bathing suit next weekend, and help speed your detox process by breaking a sweat. I find exercising outside during the cool early morning or late evening hours more relaxing and rewarding that working out in the gym, so if you're anything like me consider just stepping outside for a nice workout and leave the gym for the rainy and cold days.

Preventing A Weekend Disaster

I don't know about you, but I find the weekends the hardest time to stay on track with eating well and exercising. I eat well all week and exercise before or after work, but  Friday evening through Sunday is my "danger zone" when it comes to un-doing all the good work I did during the week. I find the Summer months especially difficult because it's our busiest season for BBQs with friends and family, weekend getaways and special events like weddings & graduations. With that said, I L-O-V-E weekends and live for the downtime and relaxation with the people I love the most, and I want to enjoy this time without worrying about everything I put into my mouth. I've learned some helpful ways to enjoy the weekends while being healthy that I'd like to share with you.

• Plan your weekend ahead of time. I have found the best recipe for failure is failing to plan. I have started looking at what my weekend holds in store and stocking up on healthy foods on Friday so we have healthy options to go to on the weekends. If we're going to be out all day we'll either have a healthy brunch type meal at home or bring healthy snacks so we're not making on the fly meal choices when we're starved.

• Include exercise in your weekend. For most people the weekend is when you have the most free time, but it may not seem like that when you're running around trying to fit everything into your 2 days off. Try planning activities that include physical activity like swimming in the summer, skiiing in the winter, hiking, bike riding, etc (even walking around an amusement park or museum counts as exercise!). Or start your day with exercise that you enjoy, like a walk alone to clear your mind from the busy work week, your favorite yoga class at the gym, or a jog with your friends. Whatever exercise you choose just make some time for it  before you tackle everything else on your weekend to do list.

• Spend some time in the kitchen. If you have a recipe you've been wanting to try but haven't found time after your work day, why not give it a whirl on the weekend? Stock up on the ingredients and dive in, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Also, include your family or friends to join you to make it more fun. Some of the best date nights my husband and I have are at home in our kitchen trying new recipes. It's a fun bonding experience, it saves us money instead of eating out, and food tastes so delicious when it's made with love! <3

• Bring a healthy dish to share.  If you've invited to a pot luck type gathering make sure to bring a healthy dish that you can enjoy. This doesn't have to be something you've slaved over the stove cooking, it can be something simple and easy like veggies and hummus dip, your specialty home brewed unsweetened iced tea or fresh tomatoes from your garden.

• Careful with the alcohol. Five O'Clock happy hour anyone? Glass of wine with dinner? Would you like a beer with that burger? Alcohol seems to be a major part of many social gathers on the weekends. Remember to keep it in moderation, sip slowly and have a glass of water (or two!) between each drink.

I believe in the 80/20 rule - eat well, exercise, live healthfully 80% of the time and leave 20% for "everything else". Don't drive yourself crazy with every little bite you eat, but also remember to enjoy the company of those around you rather than the food and drink abundance!