A Reason to Smile

Not so long ago I posted about the importance of being grateful and how much that can benefit our health.

Well, today I’m here to tell you another simple yet important way to better your health: SMILE.

According to this article there are several personal benefits to smiling.

*Be Happy, Fight Illness Better: People who are optimistic (and these are the people who are out there smiling!) have stronger immune systems and are actually able to fight off illness better than pessimists. “There is a link between optimistic attitudes and good health. It has been measured in a variety of ways. Overall, we have found that optimistic people are healthier. Their biological makeup is different. They have a more robust immune system." Another indication is that happy people tend to take care of themselves more, which often leads to good health.

*Smile: You’ll Live Longer: According to a study published in the November 2004 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, elderly optimistic people, those who expected good things to happen (rather than bad things), were less likely to die than pessimists. In fact, among the 65- to 85-year-old study participants, those who were most optimistic were 55 percent less likely to die from all causes than the most pessimistic people.

*Smiling Feels Like Eating 2,000 Chocolate Bars: According to The British Dental Health Foundation, a smile gives the same level of stimulation as eating 2,000 chocolate bars. The results were found after researchers measured brain and heart activity in volunteers as they were shown pictures of smiling people and given money and chocolate. Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Foundation, pointed out, "We have long been drawing attention to the fact that smiling increases happiness both in yourself and those around you, so it is good to receive the backing of this scientific research…”

*Smiling is Contagious: What's even better is that the more you smile, the more others will too. Says psychologist Dr. David Lewis, "Seeing a smile creates what is termed as a 'halo' effect, helping us to remember other happy events more vividly, feel more optimistic, more positive and more motivated."

So give it a try…make an effort to smile a little more today!

Need to Know

In the latest Tennis magazine that comes to our house, there was an interesting article entitled “The 20 Things You Need to Know About Nutrition”. Some of them you’ve heard before, others are a bit new. I won’t share all 20, but just the ones I found to be most interesting.

1 – your diet impacts your brain function: A study done at the University of Washington found that the overconsumptions of classic western diet can lead to brain changes that create a domino effect that may impact weight regulation. Overconsumption led to inflammation in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body weight. “Ditch the processed stuff loaded with refined carbs, added sugar and salt, fried stuff and fatty animal products, and load up on fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and plant based fats.”

2 – the right breakfast fights hunger all day: A recent study published in the journal Obesity found that eating breakfast, especially with adequate protein, can control appetite all day long. If you find yourself overeating at night or snacking too much in the afternoon, try adding a bit more protein to your morning.

3- food can fight pain: Inflammation in joints can cause pain, reduced flexibility, and a host of other problems. But anti-inflammatory foods like ginger can fix that. In one study of 250 osteoarthritis patients, those who received ginger extract twice a day experienced less pain daily. Ginger has been shown to share the same properties as ibuprofen. Other anti-inflammatory foods are tart cherries, berries, and extra virgin olive oil.

4 – don’t run on empty: Since it is impossible to burn pure body fat, the idea that exercising on an empty stomach burns more fat is false. During aerobic exercise you burn a combination of carbs and fat. When carbs aren’t available, your body has to break down it’s own muscle mass and convert it to carb. Not a good idea. So even if you don’t feel like eating a full meal, try to grab a snack or a smoothie to prevent your body from tapping into your lean tissue.

5 – sleep matters a lot: Yes, sleep has to do with nutrition. Healing and repair from the wear and tear of exercise occurs during sleep, and getting too little sleep has been shown to rev up hunger hormones, increase inflammation, up the risk of obesity, depression, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and negatively impact productivity and performance. Goodness…I’d get some sleep if I were you.

6 – Omega-3s are beyond essential: Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to tons of benefits from heart disease to Alzheimer’s and staving off type 2 diabetes. But a recent study in the Journal of Physiology found that they also influence protein metabolism and improve muscle development.

7 – don’t get fooled by the afterburn myth: While it’s true that you do torch more calories in the hours after a workout than normal, it is probably far less than you think. Even as few as 50 calories. If you are trying to lose some weight, estimate the number of calories burned and eat only 50% of those.

8 – organic food is worth the extra money – Organic food is better for the environment, no doubt. But it is also better for your physique. Organic foods contain more antioxidants, which protect your cells from aging, inflammation and disease, and may also make you leaner. A study done at the University of Florida found that those who consumed more antioxidants had lower body mass indices, smaller waistlines, and lower body fat percentages. Research has also shown that pesticide residues from conventionally grown foods may be a factor in rising obesity rates.

9 – spices are a secret weapon: A Penn State study found that adding such herbs and spices as oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves and garlic powder to meals significantly upped post-meal blood levels of antioxidants, lowered insulin levels, and reduced unhealthy blood fats. Natural seasonings can also boost satiety and rev up metabolism.

10 – a little vitamin C makes a big difference: Researchers at Arizona State discovered that vitamin C does more than just fend off the sniffles. It can build stamina and enhance your body’s ability to burn fat for fuel both at rest and during exercise. It is essential for the production of carnitine, a nutrient that helps turn fat into a useable fuel

Hope these nifty nutrition facts find you enjoying your holiday season. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy!

Stay Healthy All Winter

Did you know there are 200 viruses that can cause the common cold? No wonder it's so common. On average, American’s come down with three colds a year. No one likes to come down with a cold or the flu ever, but especially during the holidays when you’d rather be spending time celebrating and with family. So here are some tips from the latest Family Circle on how to stay healthy all winter long.

 
SWEAT IT OUT: People who exercise for at least 20 minutes five days a week suffer from half as many colds as those who get less. Researchers believe that exercise helps raise the number of immune cells in the body

HANDS OFF: Be conscious of how often you touch your face and try to stop doing it. Flu germs enter the body through the nose, mouth and eyes, so even a three-second eye rub could lead to a week of sniffling and coughing.

SWEETEND DOWN: A diet low in refined sugar strengthens the immune system and can potentially protect the body against cold and flu. Some doctors have observed that people who reduce sugar consumption have fewer infections and are generally healthier overall.

REST UP: Skimp on slumber and you’re three times more likely to catch a cold. Aim for at least seven hours a night.

CLEAN SWEEP: Antiseptic wipes are you friend. Clean seats, armrests or anything else when traveling by plane, train or bus.

**The single most important preventive measure you can take is to wash your hands, and often. Use only lukewarm water, though, because too hot of water causes dry skin that could crack and leave you susceptible to other infections. 

And here are some handy cold and flu fighters that you can find in your kitchen!

Carrots: A diet rich in beta carotene (also found in bell peppers, kale, broccoli, sweet potatoes and squash) protects the lining of the nose, which traps germs before they can infect you.

Green Tea: Going green keeps you healthy. In a study at the University of Florida, people who consumed two cups of green tea daily for three months had 32% fewer colds than those who didn’t.

Nonfat Greek Yogurt: This has three times more protein (which helps increase the number of immune cells in your body) than regular yogurt. It’s also full of immune-boosting live and active cultures.

Salmon: Not only is salmon packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, one serving also contains up to 1,000 IU of vitamin D; a University of Colorado, study found that upping your intake of vitamin D staves off colds.

Garlic: A compound called allicin fights against bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Plus, in a recent study, people who ate garlic regularly had 36% fewer colds over the course of a year than those who didn’t.

Here’s to a healthy holiday season!

I Am Grateful.

Robert Emmons, author of the book Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, has spent a lot of his career researching the connection between being grateful and your health. In this book, Eammons describes a series of studies performed to study this correlation.

source

In each of the studies, certain groups were asked to keep a journal. In that journal, each day they would either right 5 things they are grateful for, 5 things that were a hassle that day, or 5 things that happened that day. Here are some of the interesting conclustions:
- People using daily gratitude journals reported more satisfaction with their lives and were more optimistic about the future than the control group.

- the gratitude group reported getting more sleep, spending less time awake before falling asleep and feeling more refreshed in the morning.
- researchers at the University of Connecticut found that gratitude can have a protective effect against heart attacks. Studying people who had experienced one heart attack, the researchers found that those patients who saw benefits and gains from their heart attack, such as becoming more appreciative of life, experienced a lower risk of having another heart attack.
- Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations

- Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress
- Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system
Summarizing the findings from studies to date, Emmons says that those who practice grateful thinking “reap emotional, physical and interpersonal benefits." People who regularly keep a gratitude journal report fewer illness symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future.
Here are a few of the things on my gratitude list:

~family
~health
~a body that can exercise
~the gospel of Jesus Christ
~a warm home
~broccoli & eggs
~an education
~a job I love
~laughter
~the mountains
~the capacity to heal
~fresh produce (including broccoli)
~a cute nephew
~running water
~trials

What are you grateful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Facts.

In two of the five classes I am taking right now, the last few weeks we have been focusing on health & weight management…and the serious problems that are increasing in America with weight and chronic disease.

There is so much to say on this issue, but I thought I’d just share some startling facts with you. Hold on to your seats, it might get a little bumpy.

- globally, there are more than 1.6 billion overweight adults with at least 400 million of them obese
- The U.S. has the glorious distinction of being among the fattest nations on Earth
- 66% of U.S. adults are considered to be overweight or obese = 72 million people
- researchers predict that if nothing changes, by 2015 41% of all Americans will be obese and 34% will be overweight
- 19% of children under the age of 4 are obese
- experts predict that the number of American’s diagnosed with diabetes, a major obesity associated problem, will increase by 165% from 15 million in 2005 to well over 30 million in 2030.
- potential negative health effects of overweight and obesity consist of: increased rates of anxiety and depression, high blood pressure leading to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, increased risk of almost all types of cancer, risk of arthritis, heart disease, tendency toward more infectious diseases and heart disease.

Why share these facts? Because obesity is one of the top underlying PREVENTABLE causes of death in the United States.

How can we reverse this trend? It will definitely take some time and some serious effort. But being aware of how environment, lifestyle, and economic factors effect our life would be a good place to start.

Over the past 20 years, portion sizes have almost doubled. Think that could have anything to do with our epidemic? Check out this Portion Distortion website where you can test your knowledge on how portions have changed over the years. Pretty crazy!

The best way to change something is start small and start today. We can all do our part to change the future of America and the kids growing up, so instead of having a SHORTER life expectancy than their parents, they can out live us all. Deal? Deal.

The good news is, some food manufacturers are listening! My sister sent me a link to this Cereal Stunt showing what we are really eating when we eat those sugary cereals. I loved the pictures and the names of these cereals…but what I loved more is that General Mills is listening and trying to reduce sugar in these cereals. They aren’t sure how yet, but at least the effort is there!

~What can you do today to start making the changes necessary for a better future?

Going Nuts!

It probably isn’t news to anyone that I love nuts. Particularly of the almond variety, in the form of almond butter. But what’s even better is that they are kind of healthy for you! I say kind of because they should be eaten in moderation, like most things. Let’s just say I could work on the moderation thing a bit…

Is there anything better than the fresh almond butter machines? Seriously. Sign me up for Christmas, please.

Anyway, here are some facts about 4 “nuts” that we consume pretty dang regularly. I say “nuts” because the first one, in fact, is not a nut.

1. Peanuts – Despite the word nut in the name, it is actually a legume. Pretty tricky, eh? It is because they are grown underground. They were discovered by conquistadors in South America years ago.

Serving: 32 peanuts
Nutrition Facts: 159 calories – 14 g. fat – 7 g protein

P.S. did you know it take 540 nuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter? I sure didn’t.

2. Walnuts – These buddies are the oldest tree fruit – yes, fruit – known to man. They were initially traded along the Silk Road until they arrived in the U.S. in the late 1700s. Just ONE handful of these boasts more antioxidants than other shelled snacks. Boo-ya!

Serving: 14 walnut halves
Nutrition Facts: 183 calories – 18 g fat – 4 g protein

3. Pistachios – Legend has it that pistachio trees were planted in Nebuchadnezzar’s famed gardens around 600 BC. Although that in and of itself is pretty stellar, these seeds are loaded with vitamin B-6.

Serving: 49 pistachios
Nutrition Facts: 158 calories – 13 g fat – 6 g protein

4. Almonds – Botanically speaking, almonds are also a fruit, which explains how yummy they are in desserts and sweets. In addition to flavor, one ounce supplies the same amount of polyphenols (health-promoting compounds) as a cup of green tea. Fancy that.

Serving: 22 almonds
Nutrition Facts: 161 calories – 14 g fat – 6 g protein

 

~What’s your favorite nut?

Fun Fact Friday

This semester I am taking a nutrition class that I am SUPER excited about. I already love reading the material and learning new things. So I thought I’d share with you a little “Fun Fact Friday” from my latest reading!

I would guess that most of you are very aware of how a calorie is a measurement of energy. Foods have a certain number of calories based off their composition of nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids (fats), water, vitamins and minerals.
Taken a little further, every food has a measure of energy density. This is a comparison of the calorie content of a food with the weight of the food.
An energy dense food is high in calories but weights very little. Examples of these foods are nuts, cookies, fried foods, pretzels, etc.

A food low in energy density has few calories but weighs a lot. Examples are fruits, vegetables, oats, or any food that incorporates lots of water during cooking.

Obviously, eating low in energy density foods provide more nutrients for less calories. They also keep you full longer. That doesn’t mean you should completely avoid energy dense foods, but be more limiting in those foods.
So think about that next time you are considering your afternoon snack!
Here are some link worthy recipes from the week…there’s some energy dense and low energy density foods here!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Sonoma Chicken Salad

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Biscuits

Avocado Egg Salad

Cake On A Stick

Fresh Peach Muffins

Bakes Sweet Potato Chips

Have a great weekend!

Coconut Oil

Since I was given some coconut oil to sample from Swanson Vitamins and shared a recipe with you guys last week with it, I thought I’d touch on some of the health benefits of coconut oil. That way you can see how something that tastes good is also helping you out!

For some time, coconut oil was regarded as something that wasn’t the best for our bodies, simply because of the high concentration of saturated fat. Really though, it isn’t the same kind that is found in vegetable oils and animal products.

Coconut oil helps fight diabetes, cancers, liver and kidney diseases, osteoporosis, dental decay and skin infections. It also relieves symptoms associated with illnesses like pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis and chronic inflammation.

In addition, coconut oil has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. On a more superficial level, meanwhile, coconut oil is thought to help strengthen mineral absorption, which is important for healthy teeth and bones, and can also help improve the condition and appearance of the scalp, hair and skin when ingested or topically applied.

Do try to stick with organic virgin coconut oils, for those are the best for our health. Virgin coconut oil looks crystal clear in liquid form and turns snowy or cloudy at temperature below 76°F (24°C). I've got people asking me about coconut oil turning snowy at cool temperature. They thought the cloudy appearance means it turns bad or rancid. Now you know it's not. When it turns bad, even in crystal clear form, it bears an unpleasant odor which you'll be able to tell.

Coconut oil can be used in baking as a substitute for other oils and butter. It is also great to saute vegetables in or make some scrambled eggs.

Enjoy!

~What do you enjoy using coconut oil for?

Friday’s Favorites

Ready for another round of Friday's Favorites? Yes, yes of course.

~What can beets do for you? A whole lot of goodness.

~What to know how to beat the tired and cranky attitude that keeps you from working hard? Yes, me too.

~How clean is your kitchen sink? This will make you think twice…

~I love zucchini season…and this stuffed zucchini looks delicious!

Have a great weekend!

A little weekend inspiration…

 

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.

–Helen Keller

look a little deeper

Why exercise? For the strong body, lean muscles and tight stomach...right? Well, maybe sometimes. But you are doing a whole lot more for your body when you exercise. So let's look a little deeper!

Heart - Regular workout sessions can lower your systolic blood pressure (the top number) as much as some medications do—an average of 5 to 10 mmHg.

 

 

source

Whole Body - Raising your heart rate for about an hour a day (running, cycling, walking, hiking) reduces your overall cancer risk by 16 percent.

Bones - Research shows that just 10 minutes of high-impact exercise (like plyometrics, running, jump rope) three times a week can boost women's bone strength.

 

 

 

 

 

source

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Brain - Staying active cuts your risk of cognitive decline by about a third. And a 4,000-person study found that those who exercised had fewer symptoms of depression.

source

Pancreas - Shedding just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can delay and possibly prevent type 2 diabetes.

Intestines - Twenty to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity three to five times a week beats most other treatments for irritable bowel syndrome.

See all the benefits? And this is only to name a few. So do yourself a favor and get active today!

~What are some benefits you find from getting your sweat on?
~What's your favorite form of exercise? 

 

Why I Eat the Whole Thing

Eggs.
 


Sometimes they are given a hard time. Ya know, too much fat, high in cholesterol, salmonella…okay, that one is pretty bad. But you get the point.

However, I am here to tell you that on average, I eat 6 whole eggs a week. The whole.dang.thing. And I love them.

Why? Well check this out!

• 5.5 grams of protein per 68 calories (not that I worry about calories too much, but that is a mighty fine source of protein right there!)
• they are a good source of choline, which acts as a bile in our bodies to help move the fat in and out of cells and get out of our body (convenient for a girl who doesn’t have a gallbladder…therefore doesn’t have a good supply of bile!)
• more than 90% of American's are deficient in choline, which also acts as an anti inflammatory
• the good fat in eggs helps with brain function – we could all use a little of that!
• the old fear that it raises cholesterol? No more. After a 25 year study, investigators in this study found was that saturated fat in the diet, not dietary cholesterol, is what influences blood cholesterol levels the most. Eating an egg or two a day can actually help you!
• Due to certain proteins in the egg yolk, eating eggs may help lower risk of a heart attack or stroke by helping to prevent blood clots.
• packed with vitamins and minerals
• …delicious…

And in the end, this of this: their eggs-quisite nutritional value should not be surprising when you remember that an egg contains everything needed for the nourishment of a developing chick.

I had never thought of that, but it is true!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

~What’s your favorite way to eat eggs?
**I love them hard boiled. But I also often make them scrambled with tons of veggies! Yum!

~What are 5 things you’d like the Easter bunny to bring you? 
**All I want are some sunny days!

D.E.A.R.

When I was in elementary school we had D.E.A.R. time – Drop Everything and Read. I think it was for about a half hour. But all I can remember is that I hated it. Now I’d do anything to have designated D.E.A.R. time at school! Seriously. The things we take for granted…



Get this…just a few days ago (April 12) it was National D.E.A.R. day! Who knew.

Anyway! Since we’ve talked about lifting weights this week, I figured I’d give you an excuse to drop everything and read! Here are some good finds:

Avoid Muscle Cramps: Pickle juice, anyone?
The Forgotten Core: I like to call them your powerhouse muscles
Why Lift Weights?: It’d be pretty hard to convince yourself you don’t need to lift weights after reading this!
Benefits of Free Weights: Machine or free weights? You decide.

Enjoy! Hope you have a stellar weekend!

~Did you do anything like D.E.A.R. time growing up?

~What do you do about muscle cramps?

Muscles and Injury

Happy Wednesday, folks! Half-way through the week...sounds good to me!

On Monday we accepted (yes, I'm sure you accepted it) the challenge to incorporate more strength training into our workout schedules. If you're pretty new to weight training and looking for info on starting up, check out these posts on strength training basics: one, two or three.

But today I'd like to talk about some of the common injuries that come from training hard, and what muscles they involve. That way, we are actively figuring out how to strengthen our bodies to prevent injuries. Like gorillas, right?!

Injury #1: Groin Pull
This can happen to anyone, but frequently occurs in sprinters or hurdlers. So any interval training can impact these muscles. This has to do with the 6 medial muscles of the thigh that all work to move your legs together (adduct). Doing exercises like lateral squats and lunges can help strengthen these muscles, along with over all good form running and sprinting.

Injury #2: Pulled Hamstring
This can be a horrible injury that can occur frequently in people that have under developed hamstrings. It again happens a lot with athletes doing lots of quick starts and stops or sprinting. There are three major muscles in your posterior thigh that make up the hamstring muscles. One of the most important things you can do to prevent this is adequately strengthening the hamstring and the quads. Without this balance, that is often when injury occurs. Leg curls are a good option to strengthen the hamstrings, as well as doing some hip raisers on a workout ball.

Injury #3: Shin Splint Syndrome
Many people complain of shin splints when they have pain or soreness along their tibia or the front of their leg. It is frequently caused my inflammation of the muscles surrounding the tibia. The tendonitis usually occurs when poorly conditioned runners run on hard or banked surfaces with poorly supportive running shoes. The condition may also occur with vigorous activity of the legs following a period of relative inactivity or running in cold weather without proper warm-up. Again, balancing the posterior leg muscles (the calf) and the front of the leg is important. Some ways to strengthen the shins are to walk on your heels or do toe lifts like you do calf raises.

~Have you had any of these injuries before?

~What's your favorite lower body strength exercise?
 

Shake It

For the past 3 nights I have dreamed about arm muscles. Seriously…this anatomy is getting to my head. I’m very ready for this semester to be over. My anatomy book is like another limb.

Anyway…this week we’ve focused on protein. This included how it is important to get various protein sources, and also a yummy recipe. Now I’d like to discuss a a different form of protein that many athletes use to supplement their diets with: protein shakes.


photo sources: 1, 2, 3

Here’s the thing…(ready for this?)

I’m not a fan/advocate of protein drinks. Clients and other people that ask me about them I actually tell them I would rather have people eat pure sources of protein or make their own shake. This goes along with "whole foods” eating belief. I like foods with single ingredient lists. Not a list like this:

Leanlipids trans fat free lipid complex selected for thermogenic and unique energy properties (canola oil, sunflower oil, enzyme engineered polyunsaturated long-chain vegetable oils, MCTs, l-carnitine), fructose, maltodextrin, cocoa powder, cytovite I, vitamin and mineral premix consisting of (vitamin A acetate, cholecalciferol, d-alpha-tocopherol acetate, ascorbic acid, folate, thiamine monohydrate, riboflavin, niacinamide, pyridoxine HCL, cyanocobalamin, biotin, pantothenic acid, di-calcium phosphate, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, ferrous fumerate, magnesium oxide, copper gluconate, and zinc oxide), creatine GCC, our proprietary, endogenous creatine precursor (glycocyamine, betaine anhydrous), natural flavors, lo han fruit extract (natural sweetener), stevia (natural sweetener), chromium nicotinate.

For real. Now, I don’t get mad if someone is drinking them. That is totally their decision and they can be great for people that can’t get protein or are trying to gain weight, etc. But I would caution you to not drink too many. Instead, try to up your intake of eggs and chicken and beans like we talked about. Or, make a homemade one!

My brother plays on the high school basketball team. His coach encouraged them to eat well (which I love, and think it is so great that a high school coach does that). He also really encourages drinking protein shakes after weight lifting to help build muscles. That is completely true…you need protein after heavy lifting days.
So my brother and I tried making a homemade one.

These were the ingredients: 

• peanut butter
• cottage cheese
• almond milk
• yogurt
• banana

You can obviously mix in what you want. We put it in a blender, mixed it, and he took it to school with him. On average, that has about 45 grams of protein. Good, solid, protein.

So, what this all comes down to is that you might just want to do a little research, or maybe think twice about that second protein shake you want to eat. Again, I’m not saying they are bad and that you should never have them. Do what your body needs. But maybe eat some almonds or a hard boiled egg next time you need a protein boost!!

Here are some websites to check out on protein shakes:
Myths of Protein Shakes
The Pros and Cons of Protein Shakes
Are Protein Shakes Bad

~Do you have protein shakes on a regular basis?
**I’ve never really been a protein shake drinker. Even before I really looked into eating whole foods. I just always have liked to EAT my food, not drink it :)

~Any fun plans this weekend?
**LOTS of studying and LOTS of family time. Both are good things! One more fun than the other though
P.S. Have you checked out my miles in march?! I even totaled up the year so far for my 1,000 mile challenge. It is lookin good!

Poultry Power!

Hey there! I can’t believe it is already Wednesday. This week seems to be going super fast. Fine by me!

So on Monday we talked about mixing up our protein sources. It is so important to mix them up because they all offer different nutrients that we need! Our body likes variety, because that way it gets all the good stuff.
But you see, last week I showed you this beauty…

and promised a recipe. So this does have chicken on it…but chicken is still good!

I started out with the wheat pizza crust from here. I LOVE her blog. She is a fellow Utah blogger, and I love all her recipes. Her blog says it is for kids, but I think we could all eat everything she puts up!

It was my first time making something with yeast. I was terrified. Yet it turned out fine! I baked the crust for 10 minutes with nothing on it to make it a but more crispy.

From there, I kind of just did what I wanted. We had spinach and a red pepper in our fridge, so I worked with it.

I failed to take pictures of the process, so bear with me. It is quite simple. I grabbed two handfuls of spinach (I know, so precise), and chopped the red pepper into small bite size pieces. In a large pan I drizzled a little olive oil and then put the spinach in to begin wilting a bit. As it starts to wilt, I chopped up some left over chicken we had into small pieces. I then added the red pepper and chicken to the wilted spinach and olive oil. Mix it all together.

Then, on the pre-baked crust I spread a little mozzarella cheese on the bottom. I then dumped (again, very precise) the veggie and chicken mixture on the pizza. Spread it around, top with a bit more cheese, and pop it in the oven at 475 for about 15 minutes. Then bang…you got a delicious pizza!

(source)

When I googled chicken…that came up. I couldn’t stop myself.

Anyway! Since this post doesn’t have enough writing in it (sorry about that), I thought I’d share some tricks when “decoding” labels on poultry. Then I’m outta here.

Free Range: A USDA-regulated designation, meaning only that the bird had access to the outdoors

Farm Raised: Usually refers to chickens raised on a local farm, but technically all are raised on a farm of some sort.

Certified Organic: All feed given to the birds must be certified organic – it doesn’t contain chemical fertilizers, pesticides, animal by-products or other additives.

Natural: The most commonly used label has nothing to do with standards of care, type or quality; it simply indicates no additives or preservatives were added after the poultry was processed

Hormone-Free: Irrelevant-no artificial hormones are used in any poultry production.

Raised without Antibiotics: Medications not classified as antibiotics may still be used.

Oh! One more thing. I hope you checked out my guest post on Moves n’ Munchies!

And…here are some more blog friends recipes for our protein mix-up.

• White Bean Quinoa Chili
• Tuna + Cottage Cheese Salad
• Black Bean Burger
• Lime Quinoa with Black Beans
• a whole page of Meat Free Meals

Later, friends!

~Were you scared of people dressed up when you were little?
**Pretty sure I have a few pictures of me screaming on Santa’s lap. It was either me or my sister that would actually only go to Mrs. Claus. Really.

~If you had to eat one source of protein for the rest of your life, what would it be?
**I’m not sure why I asked this, because I hate questions like this. But it would probably be eggs. Or almond butter. Really.

Note Worthy

Hey friends! Happy Friday! Only one more week until Spring Break! And the good news is, it actually FEELS like spring outside!

Last year I went to the Tulip Vestival with my mom and sister. Pretty flowers everywhere! I took a whole bunch of cool pictures, then came home and made cards out of them online. It was fun!

So, I like to stay on top of what is being said in the “health world”. I get lots of e-mails with articles from various magazines and online resources. Some of them I read, some I don’t like, and some are winners! I thought I would share some of the “winners” that I found note worthy this week. So grab some veggies to munch on, sit back, and get your read on!

Emotional Eating – We all do it. I thought this was really interesting and had some good tips on how to acknowledge it and reverse it. There is more to it than just stopping eating the bad stuff.
Dark Side of Vitamin Water – This is why I tell people to just drink water. It solves LOTS of problems and you don’t ever have to deal with hidden sugars and false advertising. Water is just water!
Vegan-ish – I really liked this article. I’m not a declared vegetarian or vegan, but my eating is centered around veggies frequently. And I still like me some eggs and chicken. But can you still eat like a vegan? Check it out!
30 Healthiest Foods – I liked this because I like a lot of these foods! Haha! I eat/love 17 out of the 30. (Some of the foods I’m allergic too…so those won’t be happening any time soon.) What’s your score?

~Any fun plans for the weekend?
*I’m teaching a nutrition for athletes class tomorrow!

~Do you have a favorite health magazine or website that you check regularly?
*I really like Livestrong online…they have a variety of tools, articles and tips