My Mistake!!!

My Guest Post will be on Life's Little Indulgences tomorrow at 8 am!!!

Spinning My Wheels...

I have decided it is always worth it to get up for spin class in the morning!  I'm heading off to work with lots of good energy :)

Today is going to be a good day!  Check out my guest post on my friend Michelle's blog "Life's Little Indulgences".    I wrote about some ways to make ANY restaurant menu healthier.  Check out her blog and leave lots of good comments :)

Also, the new Whole Foods Market is opening up in Folsom, CA.  If you're in the area check it out. (There's even a beer garden! )

Happy Meatless Monday

Hello!  This week started off pretty great :)  Got some good news at work today and went for a nice long run at the park by my house.  AND its Meatless Monday so I enjoyed a day packed full of veggies.  For lunch i made a sandwich with hummus, avocado, grilled veggies, and fresh bread from the bakery at work, yum!  I whipped up this salad for dinner:


Incredible Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3 springs minced parsley
1/2 cup garbanzo beans (i used canned)
3/4 cup chopped baby spinach.
feta cheese (to sprinkle on top)

chili flakes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard



Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  You can use the dressing I have above or any dressing of your choice.

This salad has tons of protein from the garbanzo beans, feta, and quinoa (14 grams protein per 1 cup, uncooked).  Its also versatile, feel free to add other veggies and/or beans to make it your own!

For dessert I had Justin's all natural chocolate hazelnut butter on pretzels.  You HAVE TO try it!

Seven Holiday Secrets

The holidays are full of fun parties, family get togethers, and of course delicious food!  Its easy to go overboard with the cookies and cocktails.  I used to be so obsessed and worried about what I ate that I couldn't enjoy the company or the great food around me.  Now I know it's all about planning, moderation, and portion control.  I am sharing seven secrets that allow you to enjoy the holiday season and keep you on track with healthy living...

1. Register yourself for a run (or a few!) that is going to take place around the holidays.  Set a time for yourself so you have a goal.  If you have something to work towards you will be less likely to slack off on your workout routine despite the busy schedule you may have due to the holidays. I always do the Run to Feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving morning.  Its a great way to give back to families in need and I can enjoy a great Thanksgiving feast knowing I burned all those calories in the A.M.
2. When invited to a pot-luck style party, volunteer yourself to bring a healthy dish.  You may think people only want to binge on unhealthy holiday treats, but most are relieved to see at least one healthy food on the table. PS it doesn't have to be a salad!  Visit Eatingwell.com for tons of healthy holiday appetizers and recipes.
3. Host a party at your place.  This gives you more control over the menu.  Try making a healthy main dish and a choice of cocktails and drinks that aren't loaded with sugar.  Ask everyone else to bring side dishes of their choice.
4. Avoid rewarding yourself with food.  Its easy to bribe yourself into exercising with the promise of a juicy burger after a hard workout, however this is a bad habit to fall into.  Instead, concentrate on how good you'll feel after a long run, or how much fun you'll have going out with friends after you sweat it out in spin class.
5.  Cool it on the cocktails.  Before you even step foot into a party, set a drink limit for the night.  When you set a limit for yourself, you are more likely to savor each drink instead of downing it in the first 3 minutes.  Have a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage to keep yourself hydrated.  This is the rule I use: I start off the night with a fun, sugary cocktail of my choice, then stick to low-cal drinks after that like vodka with club soda and lime.
6. Add a pre-party meal.  You might be tempted to skip meals in preparation for a party later in the evening.  However, arriving to a party on an empty stomach will undoubtedly lead to over eating.  Not to mention, when you skip meals you are slowing down your metabolism.  Instead, eat small meals throughout the day and have a protein packed snack before heading out the door.  I usually choose an apple with peanut butter or hummus spread on some pita chips.
7. Don't beat yourself up.  The holidays are meant to be enjoyed; not to obsess about every little bite of cake that crosses your lips.  If you slip up and go overboard with unhealthy food, don't give yourself a hard time.  Instead, commit the next few days to eating really healthy or make a healthy recipe you've been meaning to try out.

Flying High

This past week was super busy but also TONS of fun!

My birthday was on Friday and it was pretty eventful.  We went skydiving!!! I have wanted to go for some time now, but kept putting it off because it's pretty expensive.  We went to the Lodi Parachute Center, a small skydiving company right off the freeway. I was really nervous but the moment I jumped out of the plane I was having the time of my life.  The feeling is truly indescribable;  it is a surge of adrenaline like nothing I have ever experienced.  I would encourage everyone to try it at least once because after it's over, you feel like you can conquer the world...I plan to go again sometime soon...maybe someplace near the ocean (:

My "last meal" before the jump.  Banana Bread Pancakes, yogurt with strawberry puree, and OJ with a splash of champagne ;)

I noticed this praying mantis on our way out the door.  Yay for a sign of good luck right before I'm about to go fling myself out of an airplane!

On my way out the door!!

 Best feeling in the world!! Falling over Lodi, CA

Floating safely to the ground and happy to be alive ;)

Happy Meatless Monday!

I woke up to the sound of rain against my window this morning :(  I am NOT a rain person!

But today I was determined not to let this weather get me down!

I ran over 4 miles before work; it felt amazing!  While getting ready, I threw together this Butternut Squash Couscous Salad made with leftover squash I roasted last night.  It was so yummy! I enjoyed every last bite on my lunch break and it kept me full and energized even through a hectic work day.  Another successful Meatless Monday recipe (:

Comparing the Costs

It's the end of the month and your fridge is almost as empty as your bank account. Your mind ponders on a home cooked meal for a second, then you pull up to the McDonald's drive-through.  Looks like the dollar menu will decide your dinner tonight...

Many people have opted for fast food meals because they are quick, convenient, and seemingly cheaper than cooking at home.  However, at the Women's Health Conference (read my previous post) our speaker talked about an article published in the New York Times by Mark Bittman, "Is Fast Food Really Cheaper?".  In the article, Bittman breaks down the cost for a family of 4 to eat at McDonalds and compares it to a meal cooked at home consisting of chicken, potatoes, and salad.  The cooked dinner costs less than half the amount of the meal from McDonalds!

Bittman's article touches on other important points such as the highly addictive qualities of processed food and it's desirable convenience Americans have come to rely on.  Bittman argues, "The smart campaign is not to get McDonald’s to serve better food but to get people to see cooking as a joy rather than a burden, or at least as part of a normal life."  I cannot agree more!!

Read his entire article for yourselves and comment below: What are your reasons for choosing fast food over cooking at home?

Women's Health Conference

A few nights ago, my mom and I attended a Women's Health Conference put on by Assembly member Alyson Huber.  My mom got the invite through her work but neither one of us was sure to expect.  We even joked that if it was lame we would sneak out for burgers and milkshakes ;).  Both us us were pleasantly surprised on how informational and fun it was.

We checked in and were immediately handed our free, vegetarian dinner consisting of a side salad and Green Garden Wrap: Zucchini, yellow squash, avocado, red tomato, romaine lettuce, mushroom, roasted red pepper, hummus, and olive oil wrapped in a chili tomato tortilla.

The room was lined with booths providing information on women's health issues.  Everything from breast exam info to ovarian cancer symptoms were provided.  I could write ten pages on all the organizations, but instead here are some links so you can learn more for yourself:

www.ovarian.org

lillyforbetterhealth.com

www.csaceliacs.org

www.ashayoga.com

www.championsforchange.net

Soil Born Farms was also there cooking up sauteed kale and butternut squash soup.  They were delicious, and made with just a couple ingredients

The guest speaker was Dr. Preston Maring, a primary care physician for Kaiser Permanente.  His talk was all about getting back to the basics with food and teaching families how to cook simple, nutritious meals.  He even started the first hospital sponsored farmers market outside his hospital in Oakland.  Visit his blog for in season recipes and more!

This conference was so informational and truly inspired me to do more. It made me realize how much potential I have to do big things for the community around me.  It also made me realize how lucky I am to work for a company that strives to help people make healthy choices when buying food. For the past year, I have been struggling with how to further my education and figure out what the "next step" is in my life. This conference reinforced my passion for helping people eat and live healthy.  Sometimes I think: "will this blog really impact my readers?" Maybe it will and maybe it won't; but if I can motivate even one person to start making healthy choices in his or her life, I have made a small, yet significant, change in the world.