Tag Archives: Healthy eating

Salmon with wild rice

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Ingredients:

•2 salmon filets

•2 garlic cloves

•2 tsp grainy mustard

•4oz grape tomatoes

•1 tsp butter

•1/4 oz of parsley

•1/2 cup wild rice

•2 cups broccoli

Recipe:

Bring medium pot of wild rice with 1 1/2 cups of water to boil. Lower temp to simmer and cover. While rice cooks steam the broccoli.

Halve tomatoes. Mince garlic. Stem parsley. Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper.

Place a pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of olive oil. Cook salmon on each side for 4-6 minutes until browned. While salmon cooks, make the tomato topping. In a pan on medium heat add butter and let melt. Add 1 tsp of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and half the parsley. Stir occasionally till tomatoes blister. Add mustard and a pinch of salt.

Plate broccoli, rice, salmon and top the salmon with the tomato topping. Enjoy!

Counting Calories

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In order for my body to function; meaning my organs working, body moving, breathing, doing day to day tasks, etc; it uses roughly 1,300 calories of energy a day. This is excluding workout. I eat roughly 1,800-2,000 calories a day. If I have a heavy workout I actually eat more. This is to make sure my body has the energy it needs to burn (fuel itself).

If I consumed only 1,300 calories a day even on workout days, I would be burning more than I was taking in. There are some trainers that encourage this. I think they’re wrong. (Just my personal opinion). When you look at the biomechanics of the body you can actually do yourself harm by not consuming enough energy calories. If your body doesn’t have what it needs to fuel itself, it begins to break down muscle. People automatically assume fat is the first to go. This is wrong! Your body will store the fat as “safety.” Your body needs fat as insulation so it will store the fat to protect itself and breakdown muscle as fuel instead. Muscle is what helps your body burn fat! If you are breaking down muscle, you can’t expect your body to burn fat!

I recently downloaded the app My Fitness Pal at someone’s recommendation. I put in my information and it said I should eat about 1,200 calories a day. My body needs more than that on a non workout day! I’m not trying to become tiny and skinny. I like my size. I like having muscle. This app is clearly not for someone like me. The only way for me to successfully hit a 1,200 calorie goal would be to cut down my protein amount, limit my carbs and up my vegetable amount. The last time I did this (back in 2005) I passed out due to lack of complex carbs. My body needed heavier carbs like brown rice and sweet potato to fuel itself for the amount I was working out.

I have heard people say “don’t worry about calories” or “ calories aren’t important if you’re working out.” That’s not true! Your body needs energy calories to function. Should you focus solely on calories alone? Absolutely not! Eating 120 calories of candy is not equivalent to eating 120 calories of an avocado (about half an avocado). Your body will use the fat and calories from the avocado as energy. The candy is straight sugar and can only be used minimally as energy. The rest gets stored in your body as fat.

Don’t get me wrong. I am absolutely not telling you to count calories every day. I am encouraging people to be aware of what they eat and how much they eat. Get an idea of how many calories you need a day to fuel your body and build your meals around that. You’ll eventually get good enough where you can pick foods and portions that will fuel your body enough without having to “count” those calories. Understand what fuel calories are vs fat calories.

Fuel your body! Don’t starve it. You only get ONE body here on earth.

You have two homes…..

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I heard the best quote the other day. “You have two homes: Earth and your body. Take care of them.” I love this! When you think about it, often times we are careless with both. My biggest pet peeve is when people complain about how they constantly get sick or keep gaining weight. Are you taking care of your body? Are you eating vegetables, fruit, carbs, fat (good fat) and protein? Are you taking a multi vitamin? Are you limiting your alcohol intake and avoiding smoking? Do you workout at least 3 times a week? A lot of times the answers to this question are no. God only gave us one body. Take care of it! Fuel it properly and care for it so it will last!

The same goes with earth. I hate when I see someone throw trash out the window of their car. You couldn’t put it in your cup holder and throw it away when you got home? Was it radioactive and had to be thrown out of your car that minute? I live in Plano and I love how our city has trash cans on almost every corner. When I get in the turn lane to go left I know there will be a trash can I can pull up to and throw things away. Yes it’s something so minor and small but even the little things make a difference.

These are the only two homes we will have in our lifetime. Take care of them!

(Yes that’s me doing a handstand on the edge of a boat in the pic)

Don’t let someone tell you you can’t

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There is a difference of about 5 years between these two pictures yet I’m rocking the same shorts in both! When I got pregnant everyone (literally almost everyone) told me to get ready for a new closet. They said after having a baby my body would never be the same and none of my old clothes would fit. I found the comments to be discouraging, then after a while it was like I was being challenged. Having people tell me I’d never get back to my old size just made me mad. So I worked hard every day to push myself past their comments and get back to close to my old size. Yes they were correct when they say your body will never be the same again. Things definitely change. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get back to where you were or make yourself better. It may just take a little more time and effort than before! I’m proud to say almost all of my old clothes fit again! There are a few items that don’t fit but in all honesty I probably shouldn’t have been squeezing myself into them before. 😂 Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t do something. Negativity breeds negativity. Surround yourself with people who are going to encourage you and help you try to meet your goals!

Poblano pepper chicken

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Ingredients:

•2 Chicken Breast’s

•1/2 oz butter

•8 oz butternut squash cubed

•8 oz carrot chopped

•1 tsp chipotle powder

•2 garlic cloves

•1 poblano pepper

•1 oz shredded chihuahua cheese

•1 oz shredded cheddar

•1 cup brown rice

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in oven for 25 minutes. While chicken cooks, stem and cut poblano peppers. Mince garlic, and mix with poblano pepper. Sauté on a non stick skillet. Cook until lightly charred 1-2 minutes). Set aside.

Place carrot and butternut squash in pot and fill with water till covered. Boil until tender, 7-10 minutes. Drain water and mash with potato masher. Mix in butter and chipotle seasoning. Cover and set aside. While cooking mash, boil brown rice in 1 cup of water till tender. Drain and set aside.

Mix together poblano pepper mixture and cheeses. Remove chicken from oven and place mixture on top of chicken. Place back in oven and cook for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted.

Place mash and rice on plate. Plate chicken on top of rice and serve!

What you eat

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I went to lunch with a friend recently and she told me she was wanting to lose weight. She asked me what I typically eat in a day so I explained. I start my mornings with a solid breakfast, then a snack, then lunch, then another snack, then a post workout protein shake, and finish with dinner. None of my meals are huge but they are a good size to where I’m not still hungry after.

When we went to order our lunch I ordered a a grilled chicken salad with no cheese and salsa instead of dressing. My friend ordered a fruit smoothie. This is where people get it all wrong. Food is not your enemy if consumed in the proper amounts! A fruit smoothie isn’t a meal. It’s a snack. Yes fruit is good for you but in small amounts. Your body processes fruit as a sugar. If you want to lose weight, fuel your body properly. Give it the nutrients it needs to burn fat….veggies, proteins, fats (avocado), etc. I wish people would stop being so scared of what they eat. Educate yourself on foods! If you don’t know where to start, then ask!

Activated Charcoal

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If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with activated charcoal. I have been since I was little. My parents were always holistic people. We were never big on medications unless absolutely necessary (however we are big believers in vaccines).

I LOVE activated charcoal. I drink it in my drinks, I take charcoal pills when I have stomach problems, my deodorant is made with it, my face wash is charcoal, my face masks are charcoal, etc. It is literally part of my every day routine!

If you aren’t familiar with activated charcoal, note that this is NOT the charcoal you get from your grill! SO not the same. Not even close. The stuff from your grill is toxic! Please make sure to purchase your activates charcoal from a reputable supplier. Activated charcoal is not a naturally occurring substance, but rather is made from sources such as coal, wood or coconut shells and becomes “activated” through a heating process. It traps unwanted chemicals in its tiny pores by a process called adsorption, where positively charged toxins attach themselves to the negative charge of activated charcoal.

Here are the top uses for activated charcoal:

•Gas & bloating

•Reduces joint pain

•Whitens Teeth

•Prevents bad breath

•Prevents cell damage to kidneys and liver

•Reduces bad cholesterol

•Promotes healthy digestion

•Traps toxins and chemicals

•Eliminates poisons in the body

•Deodorizes

Easy breakfast

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I’m a creature of habit. I eat the same thing for breakfast for months without wanting a change. I normally always have a piece of gluten free toast with avocado. (I’m gluten free by force not by choice. I have an actual allergy.) Lately I’ve been frying two eggs and topping them with sriracha. I love this breakfast because I get a mix of protein, fats and carbs all in one meal. I need my energy in the mornings and this is the perfect healthy and filling meal. Not to mention it’s so easy to make. I can actually make it all one handed while holding Ryder! If you love eggs and avocado, give this a try! Sometimes when I’m not in a bread mood I’ll eat it without the toast. You can’t go wrong with avocado and eggs! 😍

Summer Resolution

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Swimsuit season is here. We are our own worst critics. I’m guilty of being too hard on myself regularly. I would say 80% of the time that I look in the mirror I focus on what still needs work. I beat myself down pretty often about how I look. I have to stop and remind myself I had a baby! That really takes a toll on your body. AND I’m not 20 years old anymore! My body doesn’t bounce back over night like it used to. I have to work harder now days.

I also have to work hard to not compare myself to others. It’s so hard when I see these instagram moms who got their bodies back after 5 months, etc. I try to remember that everyone’s body is different. What works for one person might not work for others. Some people get lucky with genetics and they bounce back fast. Others take twice as long.

Since we aren’t close to New Years I’m going to do a summer resolution. And that is to try to focus less on what needs work still. Instead I need to be proud of how far I’ve come. I’m constantly telling people not to be so hard on themselves and not to beat themselves down all the time. I need to learn to take my own advice!

Pork meatballs with rice and snap peas

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Ingredients:

•2 tsp Chopped ginger

•2 Garlic cloves

•2 Green onions

•12 oz ground pork

•1/2 cup jasmine rice

•2 oz ponzu sauce

•1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

•6 oz snap peas

•2 tbsp soy sauce

•1/2 oz sesame oil

•1/2 oz white rice flour

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a medium pot with rice and 1 cup of water to boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook 18-20 minutes.

Slice green onions, mince garlic and remove strings from snap peas (if necessary).

I’m a mixing bowl combine pork, soy sauce, half the green onions, rice flour, ginger, half the sesame oil and a pinch of pepper. Mix and roll into 8 golfball sized meatballs. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non stick pan. Add meatballs and cook until browned on all sides (2-3 minutes). Transfer meatballs to a baking sheet. Place in oven and cook 8-10 minutes.

Wipe pan clean, add 1tbsp of olive oil and remaining sesame oil. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add snap peas, green onions, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes).

Plate dish and serve ponzu sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!!