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21 Days of Healthy Eating

5 Jan

One of my favorite magazines, Whole Living, has joined forces with one of my favorite blogs, My New Roots, to create a 21-day clean eating action plan. They lay out everything you should eat for three weeks, photograph all of the meals, and present detailed recipes for each one, promising vibrant health and better energy at the end of it all. The plan takes a bit of effort to blend and juice some of the drinks, but otherwise, the majority of the meals seem really easy to pull off and require just a few basic ingredients. And if you’ve been eating lots of meat and rich desserts over the holidays, this is a return to simple food with lean protein and no dairy or refined sugar.

Are you guys looking to eat healthier or change any habits? I’m planning to try out this challenge over the next few weeks…just minus the morning juices and smoothies (no blender or juicer :(). Think you guys will try this plan, too?

Quinoa, Sweet Quinoa

19 Dec

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe - 101 Cookbooks

It seems like there are a lot of trendy, healthy foods popping up lately (kale, squash, quinoa and the like) that I have yet to really delve into on my own. My last two trips to Trader Joe’s have included quinoa of some kind, but the grain has just sat in my pantry, lost and confused among my usual repertoire of ingredients. That is, until this weekend, when I discovered this amazing recipe for breakfast quinoa that absolutely blew my mind.

I’ve actually been seeing breakfast quinoa popping up at some of my favorite breakfast places as of late, but I haven’t yet had the courage or desire to try it. This weekend I was feeling a bit ambitious – and hungry for something sweet and healthy (bit of an oxymoron, I know) so I went on a search for quinoa recipes. This one was a slam dunk as it included some of my favorite things ever: cinnamon, blackberries and pecans. Plus it seemed like the perfect mix of healthy and sweet. It was. In fact, it was so good, that it may have the power to overtake my morning cinnamon roll obsession. That’s big.

Check out the recipe at 101 Cookbooks. (Note: I substituted the milk for vanilla almond milk and it was amazing!)

Hang On, Soupy, Hang On

7 Nov

Wonton Noodle Soup - Urban Noodle

I was stuck in bed all weekend with a cold that wouldn’t quit and once the rain began pouring down, all I could think about was soup. I usually dread winter weather, but I do love the onset of soup season. And this weekend’s woes made for the perfect time to indulge. My favorite new soup spot is a place called Urban Noodle in Downtown LA. Not only are their broths incredibly flavorful, but the ingredients are to die for. I’m a big fan of the wonton noodle soup.

Check it out if you’re in the area and share your favorite soup spots in the comment s.

And just in case the title got this song stuck in your head:

Healthy Eating: Fruits And Veggies Delivered To You

21 Feb

Fruits by LivingOS on Flickr

My mom, who never ceases to find the most unusual yet interesting products to recommend, recently told me about a service called Farm Fresh to You, which delivers fresh fruits and veggies to your door. They offer weekly, every other week, and monthly deliveries, and a variety of combinations of fruits and/or veggies to suit your preferences.

Seeing as how I often run out of fresh produce a week or two after I make my monthly grocery run, this would be the perfect way to always have healthy produce around. Plus, it might be fun to try out new recipes depending on the type of fruits and veggies you receive.

(Or, I might just find more reasons to indulge in my favorite Sangria recipe.)

{photo by LivingOS}

Vegan Girl Scout Cookies

1 Feb

Hi-fives to Chloe Coscarelli for creating a vegan recipe for thin mints! Since I’ve been trying to cut back on dairy lately, sweets are by far my greatest weak spot since pretty much every dessert I love includes milk and butter. For those of you in the same situation (or perhaps you’re lactose intolerant?) these cookies look so delicious and, even if you’re not, now you can have homemade thin mints without waiting for Girl Scout cookie season. Just whip up a batch today, tomorrow…right now!

Healthy Living: Where To Get Your Sweat On

25 Jan

After talking to several friends and family members about where they love to work out, I wanted to share the top four spots to get in shape that were recommended over and over. These are especially great if you don’t like going to the gym and feeling like a robot on the elliptical for an hour–and who does?? All of these classes below are fun and also a perfect way to get out and meet people :)

*Locations and prices vary, so check each one to see what works for you.

  • If you love the look of a ballerina’s lean and strong body, Pure Barre classes fuse dance, exercise and pilates into a 60-minute workout.
  • For major toning, check out Physique 57‘s resistance training using your own body weight. (If the classes are out of your budget, check out their workout DVDs)
  • Yoga lovers can enjoy small classes and on-the-spot correction from instructors at CorePower Yoga studios
  • Love to dance? The Sweat Spot in L.A. offers a variety of classes, from jazz and ballet to burlesque and Zumba

But most of all, do whatever’s FUN!

{photo by The Ballerina Project}

Healthy Eating: Swapping Out Dairy

12 Jan

Have you guys ever looked into or thought about giving up dairy? After my doctor advised me to cut back on my milk consumption in order to ease my tummy troubles–and after reading several eye-opening articles on the cruel treatment of cows and dairy’s health concerns–I started looking into alternatives. Happily, the ones I found are absolutely delicious and super easy to stock your kitchen with, so I thought I’d share a few of them with you, if you’re interested.

Some quick favorites:

  • Earth Balance Butter: This product is just plain awesome. It’s made from expeller-pressed oils, tastes just like butter, and is great for cooking, especially when greasing the pan! I use it on English muffins and French bread, melted over popcorn, and in all recipes that call for butter. It also comes in a soy-free blend and is sold at health food chains such as Trader Joe’s, Mother’s Market, and Whole Foods.
  • Silk Almond Milk: If you’re wary about consuming too much soy, almond milk is a great alternative and my parents and sister love it. It’s richer and nuttier in taste than soy milk and it also comes in Vanilla. So yummy in smoothies, over cereal, cooked into oatmeal, or stirred into coffee or tea. Find it at your local supermarket.
  • Rice Dream Rice Milk: If you love simply drinking a cold glass of milk on an everyday basis or want to avoid the more processed almond or soy milks, I’d highly recommend trying rice milk. It’s very light (note: not great for cooking) but I think it tastes great because it’s slightly sweet and really refreshing. Find it at your local supermarket.
  • Follow Your Heart Cheese: I’ve tried a couple of different soy cheese brands and this one is definitely the best. It melts easily and has the same gooey goodness and taste of regular cheese. Find it at Whole Foods.
  • Rice Dream Ice Cream: These taste great and I’m especially a fan of the Cocoa Marble Fudge flavor. Creamy, thick, but also leaves your tummy feeling nice and light afterward. Yum! Most supermarkets carry this line and Whole Foods and Mother’s Market definitely have them.

Do you guys have any suggestions on other dairy alternatives? Also, if you’ve ever considered a vegan diet, I’d highly recommend reading Alicia Silverstone’s book The Kind Diet, which I wrote about a few months back.

{photo by Henk & Anna}

Healthy Eating: Salmon Florentine

11 Jan

Seems like everyone is trying to eat healthier for the new year (or just in general), so I’ll be posting some recipes and lifestyle ideas over the next few weeks, starting with this Salmon Florentine from Self. This recipe is light and delicious and also kicks up the health factor a notch with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and immune-boosting garlic. Serve with the suggested Quinoa Pilaf With Pine Nuts or over couscous or brown rice. So good!

The Sick-In-Bed Survival Guide

21 Oct

Chunky Celery Soup from 101Cookbooks.com

I was so determined not to get sick this season that…I got sick. Yesterday, I lay in bed with a stuffy nose, major chest congestion, and a voice that sounded like I just smoked 100 cigarettes. Beautiful, right? But, I was determined to beat it! So I turned to my 5 favorite things when I’m sick…

#1: Cozy PJs. It’s easier to be a zombie when you’re comfortable. My favorite are an old pair of micro-fleece pants from Target.

#2: Hot tea with big spoonfuls of honey does wonders for the throat. I love Yogi Organic Ginger Tea and I pretty much just stand over the cup and squeeze in honey til I can squeeze no more.

#3: I used to only crave soup when I was sick, but Amy’s Organic Minestrone Soup is so delicious it’s actually a regular staple around our house. It’s nourishing and satisfying and beats the watered-down Campbells variety any day.

#4: Pomegranate Juice! Orange juice can make my phlegm and sore throat worse, so I prefer some sweet, smooth POM.

#5: And last but definitely not least…the best thing to get you through a sick day is some really good TV. When you’ve got some prime entertainment on, being sick can sometimes seem like a blessing (sort of). Lucky for me, I’ve been very behind on my favorite show, Mad Men, so I got to catch up on a few episodes yesterday. At least until the meds knocked me out.

So what are some of the things you can’t live without when you’re sick?

The Book That’s Changing My Life

24 Aug

I’m not one for diets, let alone diet books, but I picked up Alicia Silverstone’s book The Kind Diet back in June and read it cover to cover in one day. If the idea of going vegan has ever sounded completely ridiculous or impossible to you (like it did to me) I’d highly recommend her book if you’re curious about a lifestyle change because of your views on animal cruelty or because you’re looking to seriously turn around your health.

I gave up meat back in February after watching Food Inc. and started looking into a vegan lifestyle shortly after, but didn’t know where or how to start. I found Alicia’s book a few months later and I’m here to testify that it’s an incredibly fulfilling, informative, and–most importantly–genuinely enjoyable read. Her book makes a compelling argument for a plant-based diet and she also offers lifestyle tips and 150+ pages of delicious, healthy recipes (I’ve made her Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups for three different events now and it’s always been a hit!), all told in a fresh, honest, and funny voice.

The best part of the book isn’t just how a vegan diet is better for the environment, but it’s also better for your overall health since many people don’t realize how dairy and egg products are negatively affecting their body. On a personal note, I was diagnosed with asthma and severe allergies back in October and given an inhaler and nasal spray to use daily, but since giving up dairy in June, I haven’t used either once–and the times I’ve been weak and given in to cheese and ice-cream, I find myself sniffly and wheezy the very next morning. Overall, I also feel lighter, have more energy, and just feel more calm and peaceful on an everyday basis–things I’d always heard other people say about a vegan diet but now finally get to experience!

So, whether you think this is exactly what you’re looking for or this is just a bunch of hippie hullabaloo, you can check out an excerpt of her book and visit her blog The Kind Life for more information. And since we’re speaking about diets, did you know that the word diet was originally defined as “a way of living, or thinking, a day’s journey”? Now that’s a diet that makes sense!

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