A happy Saturday

Good morning!

This day has been a wonderful day so far, even though it isn't even 8am yet!

I just got news that Nick and his parents crossed the border and he is on his way to visit me. 

What could be better than that? =) 

Last night my Mom and I watched Bridewars, which was a bit ridiculous, but cute, ate our Chocolate Underground "dessert" Stonyfield Yogurts and hung out for a while. It was a nice night! 

I skype chatted with Nick, said goodnight and attempted to get a good night's sleep. 

Umm... note the "attempted". I couldn't fall asleep, then when I finally did, I woke up at 5:00! 

I think you can assume this is NOT the time I had wanted to wake up =( 

Sooo I tossed and turned for another two hours, finally getting out of bed at 7 and (still a bit painfully) heading into the kitchen to make myself a healthy yogurt breakfast. 

The usual greek yogurt bowl; 0% chobani, banana, blueberries, slivered almonds and (again) the last strawberry. 

Along with some ice wine tea (need to go back to Canada and get more soon!) it was just enough to keep me fueled for the morning.

I have a busy day today, hence my morning post- I won't be able to post the rest of the day until later!

Today is another "exception" from my Green & Healthy plan... as is the rest of the weekend. 

But, seeing as this is not a diet, only a "get back to healthy" plan... I don't think of this as a problem. Because, after all, this is a jump start. This weekend will test my ability to eat healthy and indulge sensibly in challenging situations. 

My mom and I are starting the day off with some exercise, then heading out for lunch at one of our favorites, The Picnic Basket, and then up to Trader Joe's for some fun foodie shopping time, and then back home to get ready for my Aunt's RIPA dinner. It is her dinner because she has been President for the last year! Congratulations, Aunty Linda! And we get a really nice dinner out of it, so I'm excited for one of my alltime favorite indulgent dishes... you'll see later! 

And then... Nick comes to visit! He may not be here until late, so I'll be up late again tonight, but it's worth it!

So that is my crazy day! I'll post again when I can! Have a wonderful Saturday, and weekend!!

Halfway there

Happy Friday!!

The weekend is finally here, and boy was I glad for a day off! 

Of course I didn't lay around all day, as much as I would have liked to! 

I started out with a healthy green breakfast... 

Ok, not so green. But it had lots of greens in it! Spinach, banana, frozen and fresh berries and nonfat soy milk- the perfect start to my day =)

I needed to get some exercise in, but my legs were still very much sore from a couple days ago!

So, I decided (as I posted on my new Twitter account...) to do some walking, and some yoga for a mix of cardio, strength and stretching. 

Worked like a charm! My legs aren't perfect, but my back is  much better, the 20 minutes of speed walking and the 20 minutes of Yoga Downloads were perfect. 

After yoga I had a small snack to hold me until lunch: 

Raincoast crisps and TJ's organic PB! Yum! 

I ran a couple errands, grabbed some groceries and headed back home for a FABULOUS mexi-inspired lunch!

This was one of the greatest Mexi-salads I have ever eaten! I took the hint from miss Gina and Jenna, and combined spicy with savory for a delicious healthy salad! 

Spring greens, black beans, sweet corn, reduced fat mexi cheese, salsa and home made guac (avocado, tomato, onion, lime, cumin, garlic, tabasco, s&p), fresh cilantro and carrots on the side. 

For a snack, I had a juicy nectarine. 

Dinner was by far the best meal of the day though! 

Burgers and fries!

Can you say yum?!?! 

I made the classic American fast food favorite healthy, by using lean turkey with mynew favorite recipe by the amazing ZestyCook, and topped my burger with a slice of soy cheese, some caramelized onions and a big hunk of tomato. We had sweet potato fries on the side for a healthy baked fry treat!

For the sweet potatoe fries, I tossed sliced sweet potatoes with EVOO, sea salt, pepper and garlic powder in a baggie and baked for 30 minutes at 425, turning every 10 minutes or so. 

I had a few more sweet potatoes, and some leftover tomato slices!

Tonight I am staying in; again! I'm not completely anti-social, I promise! I've just been busy and so have my friends! Plus, I enjoy my movie nights with my mom =) 

Tonight we're watching a movie On Demand and having our healthy dessert treat- Stonyfield Organic yogurts! 

Have a great Friday all! 

Beat.

Guys, I have got to confess right now: I am NOT in the mood to blog. Or do anything, for that matter. 

I am so beat, in every sense of the word. I didn't even exercise today because my legs are SO sore from my workout yesterday (I knew I worked too hard!) and my back feels like it was run over by a mack truck. Work was long, and boring, and I am damn glad this work week is over with for me!

Today was definitely a "listen to my body" kind of day. Hence why I didn't exercise; I wanted to, I felt like I should, and I struggled with saying "ok" to taking a day off. Because of course, I was being super healthy this week. 

But then I thought to myself; what does "being healthy" really mean? 

It means taking care of yourself. 

And today, my body was in no shape for a workout. All I wanted was the big R: relaxation. 

So that my friends, is what I did. 

And now without further ado; my eats for the day. 

Breakfast: 

Yogurt & Cereal bowl with 0% chobani, 3/4 cup Optimum power, banana, blueberries and the last strawberry 

Snacks: 

An apple and some mixed nuts. 

Treat: 

A fig newton. 

Yes, I caved. 

My sweet tooth got me today. 

But you know what? It wasn't bad. And I'm not angry at myself about it in the least. Because it was ONE cookie (ok, 1 and a half- I ate another half with my apple!) One cookie never killed anyone, that's for sure. 

For the record, last night a sliced nectarine and a big much of Egyptian Licorice was all the sweets I needed =) 

Lunch: 

Greek Salad with romaine, kalamat olives, cucumber, tomato and reduced fat feta, 1 tbsp low fat dressing; turkey rollups 

Dinner: 

Chicken piccata, whole wheat couscous and steamed broccoli (broccoli x 2! i loves me some greens!) 

Dessert: 

Half of a HUGE mango my awesome dad went out to buy me. It was divine!

Ok, thats all for now folks. I am wiped. I'll be much more enthusiastic after some sleep, I promise!! 

The Perfect Meal

Ah, humpday. Here again. 

I must say, this week has been dragging on... probably because Nick is coming to visit me on Saturday and I'm so anxious to see him!! In any case, work has been a drag, to say the least.

And my Green & Healthy challenge? Well, it's going. But I can not tell you how much I am craving a soda or a cup of frozen yogurt right now... Now soda is definitely a "no." I mean, for someone very against artificial sweeteners, I'm very addicted to diet soda and I NEED it to be a special treat, once in a blue moon, instead of a daily fix. 

Now the frozen yogurt... well... I feel a bit like I'm on a "diet". And  I hate diets. This is SO not a diet. I do LOVE the way I've been feeling how I've been eating these last couple of days. Energetic, alert, and I've had no stomach problems whatsoever. 

I definitely needed that "kick" to get me jump started back into my healthy ways. No  more crap for me! 

But my sweets... ah, my sweets. I'm wondering if fruit (like grapes, my late night snack last night) is gunna do it tonight... 

Even if I do cave, I know I'm doing it in moderation. 

Anyway, lets get out of my head and into the food I had today!

Breakfast: 

A Rudi's whole wheat bagel with TJ's no salt added organic PB, a sliced banana (and a half) and some strawberries. 

Snacks: 

A babybel cheese in the morning and some grapes in the afternoon.

Lunch: 

Organic turkey + Avocado + Laughing cow light + tomato on a whole wheat sandwich thin with carrots on the side

I also had a small handful of trail mix (unpictured) after lunch because I was still hungry, even after all that healthy stuff!

All my healthy food fueled me at the gym though; I did 30 minutes on the bike and 20 minutes of full body strength. I have to admit, I have not  been doing as much strength training as I used to. It's hard enough as it is to hop on a cardio machine or go out for a run after waking up at 6am and spending 7+ hours at work... my current goal is to get in 2 20-minute sessions each week of full body exercises to keep my muscles strong, but no more gaining for this girl- I have been WAY too tired! My workout was good today though, and I can already tell I did some damage... muscle damage that is! My quads are killing me! 

Dinner was perfect. In every sense of the perfect meal- balance, healthiness, taste... I had the hot and the sweet and the flaky and the squishy and the crunchy... It was colorful, full of Omega 3's, Omega 6's, Vitamins A, C, D, Minerals Iron, Zinc, and more! 

Pan seared salmon rubbed with salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder, seared in EVOO with a baked sweet potato (with a dab of Smart Balance) and blanched asparagus. 

My sister says, "can you make that again?"- This coming from the girl who didn't even want salmon for dinner. Guess it was a hit! I loved it, that's for sure!

I'm off to scrounge the kitchen for a healthy dessert! 

Work/Gym tomorrow... same ol' same ol'. I can't wait until the weekend!!! 

Green & Healthy Day 2

First off... 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! 

Hey guys! My first day of the work week is finally over, and let me tell you it was a BORING one... ah, well, I guess not every day can be interesting. 

On a brighter- well, more green note I started my day off better, With a Green Monster!

I love how great I feel after I drink these! Like I ate a salad AND a parfait for breakfast =)

Lunch was tasty and healthy too! 

I made a big salad of spring greens topped with grape tomatoes, cucumbers, 1/2 cup white beans and a large sprinkle of goat cheese. I tossed this with some Annie's Green Garlic dressing and had some baby carrots on the side. 

For snacks I packed some mixed nuts I had early on to hold me until lunch, and a nectarine to fuel my workout. 

At the gym after work I did 35 minutes on the elliptical, hopped right off and after a quick chat with my friend Alessandra, headed to belmont to grab some last minute dinner items. 

My dad's request was for  chicken enchiladas, and enchiladas I did make! 

I started by whipping together my favorite bean and corn salad (see Recipes page!)

And the enchiladas came out great!

Here's my portion, plus a little more bean salad it was so good I needed seconds! 

For dessert, I went a little different than cake... 

Ice cream sandwiches with freshly made chocolate chip cookies, vanilla frozen yogurt and rainbow sprinkles!

My dad loved 'em!
Mine: 

Messy, but oh so good!

YES, I know I ate dessert today. But I mentioned today as one of my "exception" days, because it was my Dad's birthday and we had to celebrate! 

Tomorrow I'll be back on the Green & Healthy train full force... but tonight was a moderate, delicious splurge =) 

How was your Tuesday? 

Green & Healthy Day 1

Evening guys!

I am going to begin to post just once a day, at night as I can, because besides the fact the rest of my week is filled with work... I want you to see all at once how my Green & Healthy days look!

Starting with breakfast this morning.

Last night I whipped up some hot & sweet fruit salad, which I got from the newest issue of Clean Eating magazine.

It contained strawberries, mangoes, nectarines and kiwi, mixed with some chopped walnuts, agave nectar and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little kick. I served it up with 3/4 cup of low fat cottage cheese.

This one was a hit! Both my mom and I loved the sweet/spicy mix, the cayenne definitely gave it a "kick" as my mom said, but it was not overdone at all. Delicious, and kept me full for hours!

I wanted to go for a run, badly, but I knew after running two days in a row my knee would thank me if I did not. So I decided on a nice walk instead. I walked for 45 minutes around the neighborhood, up and down hills with a magazine and my ipod. It was a little dreary out this morning, but at least it didn't rain... yet! It got bright and sunny in the afternoon which was nice!

Mid-morning I had my first snack of the day- some baby carrots and kalamata olive hummus.

I looveee this hummus! I love kalamata olives in the first place, but TJ's beats every other one I've tried.

I'm trying to keep my metabolism running on high and keep full with healthy, whole foods all week to avoid any hunger or sweets cravings!

I did some organizing in my room, and then my growling stomach told me it was time for lunch! I made a HUGE salad, based one on in... surprise surprise, Clean Eating magazine! You'll see a lot of Clean Eating meals featured this week, because it is exactly the way I am striving to eat!

This Tuna salad with Dijon viniagrette included 5 oz of chunk light tuna mixed with 1 tbsp EVOO, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and a tsp of dijon mustard, tossed and placed atop a big salad of spring greens, cucumber, grape tomates and white beans. I had some sweet grapes on the side.

I sat outside in the beautiful sun and read my newest issue of Bon Appetit for a lovely lunch al fresco! =)

I did some MORE organizing of my room... it's coming along! And then I stopped for a snack in between. I had 4 raincoast crisps smeared with some PB, and half a banana because that didn't fill me up quite enough!

Dinner took a little longer than expected, but it was worth it- really good!

I made a recipe from, you guessed it- Clean Eating magazine! Chicken stuffed with spinach, tomatoes and breadcrumbs along with spaghetti in a lemon basil sauce.

Delicious!

Dessert was not exactly added-sugar free, but since it's all natural and organic, I let it slide.

That's all for today! Tomorrow is another lonnnggg day of work... I'll be back afterwards of course!

Green & Healthy

Hey guys!

I know I promised my challenge... and here it is! 

Green & Healthy

Crap-free before camp “detox”

How this started:

Recently, I posted about my reasons as to why I eat healthy here.

And I will say, that since then, I have not binged, and I have kept my cravings in control, only having smaller portions of what I’m craving.

But still, I’m not totally healthy. Which is ok, I mean, no one is perfect. 

But I am admittedly easily drawn into buying candy, especially when I am at work, because it’s there, not even because I necessarily crave it. I THINK I crave it, so I buy it. I am also ashamed to admit I have a slight addiction to diet soda and flavored waters. I know, I know- can you get a crappier beverage? They’re nothing but chemicals and artificial sweeteners! So real sweets & fake sweets overload!

I also jumped off the organic bandwagon for a while, not caring about what I was consuming because non organic was cheaper. Well, we all know that being healthy is worth the cost.

I’ve been eating out a lot (Canada being an exception, it was vacation for me), and not choosing the healthiest options.

Through all of this, I have noticed a lack of energy, and I really just do not feel great.

I know I will feel better when I eliminate these unhealthy offenders from my diet. So, the idea for a “detox” began.

Why I want this change:
I’m going to camp soon, and as I’m sure all you camp-alumni know, camp food is not the healthiest. This is in NO way going to be a  2-month unhealthy eating spree though. I fully intend on making the healthiest choices possible, and reporting back to the blog on my success as much as I can.

Still, I want to be in the healthiest shape I can be, body and mind, before camp starts. I want to rid myself of the crap and fill my body with nutrients so I am healthy and energized at the start of camp, and motivated to be a healthy influence. I know how much I looked up to my camp counselors, and I want to be a good example for my campers, who will undoubtedly know I love to eat, but healthfully so.

Purpose of the challenge: To “detox” our bodies of artificial sweeteners, added sugars, chemicals and all that CRAP we’ve been putting into it, in the healthiest way possible!

My co-challenger: Recently, My mom started drinking green smoothies after reading Green For Life, and she feels a lot better. She quit eating candy (also a vice for her), but she still felt like she needed something to jump-start an overall healthier lifestyle, and a mini-detox sounded perfect for her. I’m so glad to have her along for the ride, and I’m hoping she will jump on the blog once in a while and give her take on the challenge as well!

So without further ado... 

Rules (more like guidelines!)

NO-

Candy

Soda

Artificial Sweeteners

Added sugars*

Excess salt/sodium

Excess oils & saturated fats

White bread, flour or pasta

Anything packaged INCLUDING Frozen meals and bars

Anything fried

Anything that does not look like it belongs in nature

Desserts aside from all natural fruits or naturally sweetened organic yogurt

*Certain exceptions may arise; such as nonfat soy milk. 

MORE-

Organic fruits and vegetables (That means Green Monsters!)

Water!

Complex Carbohydrates

Lean, low fat protein in the form of beans, legumes, poultry, fish and dairy

Exercise- every day, at least 30 minutes!

 

Foods: Organic fruits, vegetables (especially greens!), whole grains, beans, fish, low fat yogurt/dairy, soy/almond milk, lean meats, sweet potatoes, unsalted nuts, olive oil, avocados, all natural seasonings

Drinks: Water, Water and more water!!! And unsweetened hot/iced tea. That’s it.

Exceptions:

6/9- Dinner only. My Dad’s birthday celebration. But it will be made by ME, and as clean as possible!

6/13- My Aunt’s big RIPA dinner. Goal: Eating as clean as possible (with no menu)

6/14-6/15- Nick’s coming up to visit me. Goal? Eat as healthy as I can, where he wants to eat.

**Because of these exceptions I will continue with the challenge on Thursday & Most of Friday, just to get in as much “detox” as possible** =)

Is this a diet? NO!

Are we cutting calories? NO, at least not intentionally. I’m sure a few will be cut from lack of excess sugars, etc. But not in order to lose weight.

Am I planning on losing weight? No I am not. I will still be consuming a normal amount of calories, with just less "crap", aka empty calories,  amongst them! 

It will start on Monday, June 8^th and Continue through Thursday, June 18^th.

So that is the challenge! I would love for any of you to come along with me, if you do, I am thinking up a great prize I’ll send out before camp for any of those who are willing to participate!

So come join in on the green & healthy train!