Nutrition Facts Label Changing Soon...

Check out this article from Delish.com and read my comment!  Share any ideas you may have about re-designing the nutrition labels to make them easier for consumers to read.


"Nutrition Facts Labels are Gettting a Makeover"

Meatless Monday Movement

Just as I was starting to get discouraged about sticking to a vegetarian diet, I read an article mentioning the Meatless Monday Movement.

I have added a link to the website on my blog as it is definitely one of my favorite new sites!  This non profit organization is encouraging people all over the world to go meatless, specifically on Monday.  Their overall mission is to get people to reduce their meat consumption by 15% because there is substantial evidence that going meatless at least once a week can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity.


The website also provides readers with tons of meatless recipes along with an impressive list of celebrities and companies on board with cutting meat out of their diet on Mondays.  I am so excited about this movement that I'm going to extend my vegetarianism for a whole extra week

Visit their site and let me know if you were convinced to go Meatless on Monday...(:

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

An Ode to Exercising

Not much to say about my vegetarian diet.  Mostly I've been drinking a lot of orange juice because of a nasty and annoying cold I have had for the past several days :/.  So i am stuck inside with a fever and no energy to do anything except surf the web for new recipes and watch The Food Network.  Well, I guess I can put Iron Chef America on pause for a few minutes as I write my "Ode to Exercising"...


I have always turned to exercise to cope with stress and anxiety.  Anyone who knows me will tell you I am a worrier and often let stress get the best of me.  This is one of the reasons why I have never let working out slip away from my daily routine. 

Most of the time magazines, news reports, and articles only allot this me time for the working moms who have 4 kids, a husband, and a dog to look after.  But what about the single, kid-free, twenty-something year old who doesn't have these responsibilities?  Do we deserve me time too?  Absolutely.  

Its the 45 to 60 mins I pound the pavement/treadmill/stationery bike thinking about nothing other than how I can push myself to run faster or longer.  If I am stressing about something hard core, I drag myself to the gym and work it out.  That time allows me to free my mind of any negative and toxic thoughts.  No matter how I feel walking into the gym, I always walk out with a more positive mindset.  People often workout because they are trying to enhance their physical appearance.  I will admit that is part of my motive for exercising, but there is a deeper motive.  

Exercise is one of the best therapies there is.  That is one of the reasons I wanted to start this blog.  To let people know how exercise can change their lives.  It releases endorphins and is a natural high.  It even has the power to cure help people with depression.  

I am truly convinced it is just as good (if not better!) for the soul as it is for the body....

Click this link to read an article from USA Today "Exercise helps fight anxiety, depression"

DAY 2

Vegetarian Day 2
Didn't have time to post last night so here is a re-cap of my meals:

Breakfast
Had to work at 6:30 am, so just had time to slap some peanut butter on a piece of toast as i was running out the door...needless to say I gave in and had a doughnut from the bakery when I got to work :/.  I stayed kind of full but crashed from all the sugar...

Lunch
Lunch was a little more successful.  I had a wrap I made the night before with avocado, lettuce, grilled veggies, and dijon mustard.  Also, a handful of these new chips we're sampling at work (I love my job! lol)

 Made with black beans and rice, each serving of these chips has 4 grams of complete protein.  Great for snacking because they fill you up better than regular tortilla or potato chips. (No, they're not paying me for this impromptu advertising haha)

Snack
About 15 grapes and Luna Bar.  After getting off work I had a killed sweet craving so tried to go a little healthier by avoiding candy and cookies...


Dinner
Met my friend for dinner, the first time I had to choose a vegetarian dish while dining out.  Thankfully both of us are broke and decided on a popular burrito spot.  Although the chicken looked and smelled delicious, I fought the temptation and opted for the veggie fajita burrito bowl.  It consisted of rice, black beans, grilled peppers, corn salsa, guacamole, and lettuce.  On top of only adding up to 530 calories, it was packed with protein and healthy fats. Not to mention the portion was big enough for me to take home leftovers (:

So far this hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be.  I'm actually a lot more conscious about what I'm putting in my body and my energy levels have been high...but with the weekend around the corner let's see if I can keep it up...

Veggin' Out...

I confess I have been putting my blog on the back burner, BUT I promised myself this week I will no longer neglect it.  In order to get into a daily writing routine, I have decided to test out common eating habits that people practice.  This week I am going strictly vegetarian, cold turkey (no pun intended!).

I decided to experiment with vegetarianism for a couple reasons 1) To find out if I really can be vegetarian and still feel energized, full, and satisfied throughout the day 2) To broaden my cooking horizons by creating meals that require no animal products other than dairy and 3) To push myself to eat more fruits and veggies through out the day.  So each day I will give you an outline of the meals I ate and the pros or cons I notice from being a vegetarian.  Ok here we go...

DAY ONE


Breakfast
Organic peanut butter spread on  2 multigrain waffles with a little agave nectar drizzled on top.  This is a typical breakfast of mine.  I love having this because it keeps me energized while running around at work.  (Mornings are always hectic) 

Lunch
Leftover spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce (thanks Kara!).  I added a some chili flakes and a little Siracha for some kick.  Even though the carbs from the pasta made me a little sleepy, I stayed full and energized until the end of my shift.


Snack
Frozen banana...one word YUM!

Dinner
Salad with roma tomatoes, feta,  homemade honey mustard vinegarette, garbanzo beans.  I also grilled some summer squash with olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper.  The protein from the beans and kept me full even through my post dinner 3 mile run. A nice surprise :)

Dessert
Sugar free Dulce De Leche pudding (from Jell-O). Has always been one of my favorite

My Tango with Tofu

So this week I decided to try out something that is totally unfamiliar to me...that thing is tofu.  I know, many of you are thinking why waste my time with such a tasteless, boring ingredient.  However, after doing a little research and experimentation in the kitchen, I am delighted to report tofu is pretty great for several reasons: it's cheap, a great substitution for many recipes, and is one of the healthiest foods I have come across so far...

I have to admit, before this week i wasn't even sure what tofu was or how it was made.  So I did the research and found out it is simply coagulated soymilk that is sold in 3 main forms:

1) Firm Tofu--the kind that comes in blocks and should be used in stir fry recipes, on the grill, or in salads 2)Soft Tofu--should be used in soups or any recipe that calls for blended tofu
3)Silken Tofu--has a creamy texture and should be used for pureed dishes

Of course, the most exciting part for me was finding out how healthy tofu is.  Tofu is loaded with iron, B-vitamins, and is a good source of protein. Also, it is low in saturated fat, sodium, and has no cholesterol.  So, pretty much, if you are trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, or simply eat healthier, tofu needs to become a part of your diet!

I also found out there are millions of tofu recipes on the web and in cookbooks.  One of the best sites i found was on Eatingwell.com which features 10 Quick Tofu Dinner Recipes.  Also, go to My Inner Chef page to see which tofu recipe I decided to experiment with...

Quick Tofu Dinner Recipes

SO here I am...

I have wanted to start a blog about nutrition for awhile now and the day is finally here! As you can see I already have some older posts up that you can browse through but this is my welcome message to the blogging world.  I always thought blogging was pointless and boring and only for people who want to babble on about their boring lives on the internet.  However, after looking through some other people’s blogs I have come to realize reading about peoples’ passions is interesting, raw, and genuine.

  My passion has always been for nutrition, which is what drove me to get a B.A. in Food and Nutrition at CSU Sacramento.  I currently work for one of the biggest specialty grocery companies in the nation whose foundation was built on selling organic, unaltered, and organic foods.  So as you can guess, most of my life revolves around food, food, food.  

This blog is all about breakthroughs in nutrition, weight management, easy recipes, exercise tips, and local events. Through my own personal experiences and education in nutrition, I really want to help people to discover how eating healthy and staying active will change their lives in the best ways possible.