Easy OJ with Extra Creaminess and Fiber!

Easy OJ -- Too simple to even be a recipe, but still I wanted to share!  I only have my super-blender, a Blendtec (similar to a Vitamix), so you'll have to let me know how it goes with a regular blender!

Simply trim the orange of the orange peel (as you would for Orange Almond Biscottis...heck, why not make a batch you're y at it!  No waste!).

Then cut the orange in a few pieces., including the white of the peel -- nutritional BOOST of extra fiber!!

Add a large handful of ice, about 1 cup.

BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH and enjoy!

With a power blender this is ready in less than a minute!  Otherwise, it should still only take a few min, I hope!

TIP: Sometimes blending more is easier for the blender -- I used 3 oranges and 2-3 cups of ice cubes! Adding a little water might help too.  If you add milk, it'll more of a smoothie.  Of course you could add all kinds of fruit, flax, wheat germ, chia, etc.  I was going strictly for OJ since my daughter wanted some and we were out!

COMMENTS: Do you have a super-blender?  If you do, what is your favorite thing to make with it?

Wonder about Wheat and Weight Loss?

"What is your position on wheat? Is it good for you, bad for you, essential for your diet? I know cutting out wheat is a big "fad diet" right now, but is there more to cutting out wheat than just weight loss? Are there potential problems, or is it necessary for your body to have wheat?"

Great Question!!

Big picture -- if you can eat wheat without symptoms, it is unnecessary to eliminate from diet -- you'll be missing out on lots of healthy foods and giving yourself a lot more work!  If, however, you do not feel your best, a change in your diet may really help!  READ ON!

WHOLE wheat, for many, our house for sure!, is a very healthy food -- as in it easily provides many nutrients that everyone needs!  It is a great source of FIBER, as well as a great combination of vitamins, minerals, and PHYTOCHEMICALS!  Fiber for one, has several ways to help with WEIGHT LOSS!  Click to see why!

That said, there are some people with a WHEAT ALLERGY (mostly children, and it's often outgrown), as well as those who are allergic to one protein called gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye, the condition is called CELIAC DISEASE (relatively uncommon, only a few in 100 people), and some have a gluten or wheat INTOLERANCE/SENSITIVITY (more common and more difficult to diagnose because symptoms may be delayed up to a few days!).

In individuals with these conditions, the body defends itself from what it mistakes as an enemy.  This causes inflammation that often negatively affects the WHOLE body.  Symptoms described below.

WEIGHT LOSS's association with wheat/gluten is often due to:

• The severe restrictiveness of the diet -- Resulting WHOLE foods diet!!
• Becoming educated about FOOD LABELS -- Click to see how!
• Hopefully eating less processed food -- Therefore eliminating many other substances harmful to your health
• If you do have Celiac Disease, you may very likely experience WEIGHT LOSS after you change your diet.  In addition to the first reasons listed, these individuals may lose weight as a result of the repair/healing of their body from the rest the whole body, immune and digestive systems especially, get from the absence of gluten in their diet!

Aside from often welcomed weight loss, overall changes in health, reduction in following symptoms are often LIFE-CHANGING!

If you experience SYMPTOMS of irritable bowel, such as unexplained bloating, gas, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, weight gain, joint pain, fatigue, asthma....as well as the traditional diseases that ail America, from diabetes to heart disease, you may want to see if you have a gluten or wheat intolerance.

You can test for this condition at HOME.  Simply, well it's not so simple, but it is straight forward: cut out ALL gluten for 2 weeks.  You must read labels carefully and you'll probably want to mostly eat at home.  If you are unsure about a product, or if you need to eat out, you can always call the FOOD company or restaurant to find out!

Laraballs, a yummy, fast, healthy treat in many flavors, are gluten-free!  

Try a NEW FLAVOR today!

Plus, here are some GLUTEN-FREE options:

Celiac Disease Foundation has a great website to further education you and get you started on a gluten-free diet: www.celiac.org and their Gluten-Free Resource provides many food companies and at the very bottom many other helpful websites.

You might also like Grains Galore! a post about MANY healthy grain options!

COMMENTS: Do you feel dramatically better?  Have your symptoms subsided?  Often, changes occur very fast, within a few days.

You may not even have a full blown allergy.  After giving your body the rest it needs (sleep will help too, but I'm referring to immune/digestive rest as described earlier), you may be able to re-introduce wheat into your diet without symptoms returning.  Though, as you'll see, you've probably cut a lot of unnecessary extras as well, so those might best stay out of your diet, at least for the most part!

Awesome Avocado Quesadillas

These quesadillas are AWESOME!

I bought these tortillas a while ago (they seem to stay good forever!) and I couldn't decide how to use them, until I was PLEASANTLY SURPRISED with this combo!

You know AVOCADOS are awesome -- read why here!

Plus, Sprouted Corn Tortillas only have a very few ingredients! A SHORT ingredient list and HIGH fiber are often key to a good product! Sprouted Corn Tortilla Ingredients: organic sprouted whole kernel corn, water, salt, lime.

This is all you need:

Awesome Avocado Quesadillas

2 sprouted corn tortillas
1/2 an avocado

Heat a pan to medium-high heat. I use a non-stick ceramic pan. Place the tortilla on the hot pan.  Add avocado to center of tortilla. Mash second tortilla over avocado. After 1-2 minutes, flip quesadilla. Cut in pieces and enjoy!

These have a very AUTHENTIC Mexican taste! Dip in salsa. Great with a side of fresh tomato or red bell pepper slices! YUM!

BONUS TIP: red bell peppers have much more vitamin C than other colored peppers, such as orange, yellow, and green!

Sprouted corn tortillas, as well as other sprouted grain products, should be cooked this way, or toasted. Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, Heinen's, Giant Eagle (some), and even Marc's carry them. Here is a store locator: FIND SOME SPROUTED GRAINS NEAR YOU!

Here are some other ideas for sprouted grain bread snacks:a TOMATO SANDWICH or CINNAMON TOAST!

COMMENTS: Have you ever done a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program/plan? Have a particular farm that you recommend? What is your favorite part about participating?

Copy-Cat California Pizza Kitchen Barbecue Pizza

Have you ever eaten anything from California Pizza Kitchen? If YES, chances are, you've tried the barbecue chicken pizza! If NO, this is what you should try first, minus the chicken and cheese!

My version is a cheese-free, meat-free version. Wonder why? Click HERE! Guacamole Pizza is another DELICIOUS cheese-free pizza! Both pizzas are delicious! Click HERE for why to skip the chicken!

Barbecue "Chicken" Pizza

1 large onion

Extra virgin olive or canola oil

1 package meatless chicken strips (Beyond Meat is awesome!) (optional)

Barbecue sauce (Melissa's My Whole Food Life's sauce is great!)

1 whole wheat pizza crust (Boboli or Mama Mary's are both great! AND we make homemade pizza dough in minutes* with our bread maker)

*plus the few hours that the bread maker does the work for you!

Boboli whole wheat is pretty similar to Boboli THIN crust -- just has more fiber! A lot more, 4 g rather than less than a gram! If you compare whole wheat to original, there are 60 fewer calories per slice (120 vs 180)! Mama Mary's pizza crusts have similar nutrition comparisons.

Ok, back to the recipe!

Chop up onion and saute in oil.

Cut "chicken" pieces smaller.

Spread crust with thin layer of sauce.

Cover with onions and "chicken", and mash evenly.

Top with a bit more sauce in a pretty swirl!

Bake pizza as directed on label.

Enjoy!

Great with a side of asparagus!

Veggies retain most nutrients when prepared with as little water and for as little time as possible! Most veggies cook well in the microwave with just a Tbsp of water added.

There is nothing healthy about barbecue sauce -- it's basically SUGAR. Melissa's recipe is a healthy step up! In our house, we still love this unique flavor!

BONUS TIP: Rather than cutting with a knife, break off the bottoms of asparagus with your hands as they naturally snap, for perfectly tender spears!

A quick sprinkle of lemon juice is also tasty!

COMMENTS: Do you notice the odor of your urine after eating asparagus? There are different theories about this -- some scientists say it's a difference in the urine that varies between people. Others say that it is a difference in people's sense of smell, ability to detect that particular odor.

Recover from St Patty's Day with...

Recover from Saint Patrick's Day weekend with ....

Your body can DETOX with these HEALTHY GREEN CHOICES!

Skinny Mints!  These little gems are filled with NUTRIENTS, disguised as yummy, addicting little balls of sweetness!

AND Green Drink!  We've been on a green drink kick lately, thank goodness.  I always know we're doing pretty good when we are making (and more importantly drinking!) Green Drink!  It's just a great way to kick-start your day with loads of vitamins, minerals, and fiber!  By the way, if you haven't tried it yet, it has quite a KICK!  I couldn't resist the chance to use that word for a third time in a row, in a slightly different way!  I must have soccer on the brain!  I am so excited for my daughters to begin playing this spring -- their first time!  My hubby and I are big soccer lovers, so we're excited to coach too!


Green Drink doesn't really glow like this.  I was just having some fun with Google's Picasa ...it's awesome by the way for organizing, editing, sharing, and even blogging your photos!  It is free, and it is SO smart!

It finds your pictures where ever they might be on your computer and organizes them by date!  The coolest thing it does -- face recognition!  So neat, plus it's fun to see the (very few) mistakes it makes...to see who resembles who, relatives, and even friends!

and Super-Easy Guacamole!  Or any other avocado-filled snack that you enjoy!  Check out some health benefits of AVOCADO here!

COMMENTS: How did you spend St Patty's Day?

You're Gonna Wanna THIS Penne Italiana!

This MEATLESS meal couldn't be EASIER, or more TASTY! think I had thirds!

To read more about the benefits of meatless meals CLICK HERE :)

FOOD Attitude for Picky Eaters!

Even though my 3YO daughter was fussing that she did want this dish, she LOVED it! She even went on and on, explaining how very much she was LOVING EVERY part of the dish -- even the green leaf parts! HOW?

When she was all upset while I was making dinner, I talked to her about considering the fact that the meal MIGHT ACTUALLY be yummy. I asked her if she usually, or even sometimes, likes foods that I cook.  She said yes. That was about it, but really just talking about another PERSPECTIVE changed her ATTITUDE for when she actually tried the meal a little later. I had told her if she didn't like it, she wouldn't have to eat it all up, just a taste. So she felt independent, and in control. Turns out she had SECONDS!

Click HERE for 8 Tricks and Tips for PICKY EATERS!

Penne Italiana (quick pasta dish, healthy pasta recipe!)

1 box whole wheat pasta OR click HERE for yummy PASTA ALTERNATIVES
3-4 Tbsp garlic, minced
5-6 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped in wedges
~1 Tbsp basil (or plenty of fresh -- yum!)
3-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast!
1-1/2 to 2 lb fresh baby spinach

Saute garlic, tomatoes, and basil in a bit of water on a hot pan, for 5-10 min, until tomatoes appear loose.  Then stir in yeast, simmer for another 5-10 min.  Add spinach and cover for 5-10 min.  Stir in pasta, and enjoy!

COMMENTS: How did you spend this beautiful day? Did you get outside and enjoy some fresh air?

Some Like it HOT!

...and they are the smart and healthy ones!

Do you OWN and/or USE a food thermometer?
It could be the ONE kitchen tool that saves your life!

3000 Americans DIE each year from foodborne illness!  Another 128,000 are hospitalized, and 1 out of every 6 Americans become sick each year because of bacteria in food!  That's an estimated 48 million cases!

The "24-hour" flu is more often than not a case of food POISONING!  The various bacteria take different amounts of time to become symptomatic, so it's sometimes hard to pinpoint a cause.

OFTEN we cannot even tell from look, smell, or even taste!

SO it's best to play it smart and USE your food thermometer!

1. Limit time your food is in the DANGER zone: 40-140 degrees (this includes preparation, cooking, and eating time)
Food is NO LONGER SAFE if it's been in the zone for over 2 hrs (only 1 hour between 90-140 degrees)
2. Measure in the CENTER and THICKEST part of the meat, casserole, and leftovers -- careful not to touch bone, or bottom of pan.
3. Wash thermometer with HOT, SOAPY water after EACH measurement!
4. Heat leftovers to 165 degrees

While you can AVOID THE MAJORITY OF FOOD BORNE ILLNESS by eating a plant based diet, you can share these temperatures with your meat eating friends:

Chicken, turkey to 165 degrees
Ground beef to 160 degrees
Steaks, roasts, chops, pork, and ham to at least 145 degrees

Here is another food safety post about keeping foods COLD: WE GOTTA CHILL!

PLUS, watch for more related posts! And for a website all about FOOD SAFETY, click here.

BONUS TIP

Leftovers should only be warmed up ONE time!  What doesn't get eaten should be discarded.  So reheat only as much as you really think will be eaten, so nothing goes to WASTE!

COMMENTS: Have you ever had food poisoning?  Did it change how you look at food safety?

5 BIG reasons to make your meat portions SMALL

5 Reasons to Eat LESS Meat

1. Reduce CANCER risk
2. Bone health
3. Weight loss, heart health, blood pressure and cholesterol improvements
4. Decreased inflammation
5. Cure type 2 Diabetes!

Meat is the New Tobacco?

I am not ready to go to that extreme, nor do I think it is necessary for perfect health, yet... (UPDATE! I AM READY TO GO TO THAT EXTREME! MY FAMILY NO LONGER CONSUMES ANIMAL PRODUCTS!)

Some MEATLESS days, or even meatless MEALS, are good for everybody!  Don't worry -- there is plenty of protein in the other foods you'll eat such as veggies, beans, and whole grains!  And if you don't LIKE meat, please don't eat it because you think you NEED it! Vegetarians who eat a variety of WHOLE FOODS (though not all do!) maintain a diet full of everything they need nutritionally!

Unfortunately, there is some rather shocking research coming to light, which finds that the PROTEIN from animals is highly linked with various cancers, especially prostate and breast cancers.

Here are some MEATLESS options you can try!

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Baked Tomato and Guacamole Pizza

Mexican Fiesta Bowl

Try your very OWN meatless chili -- just omit the meat and add some extra beans! Easy as that!

Truffle Treo -- add some beans, and perhaps rice for a delicious meal!

Healthy Mexican Lasagna

Below is a trailer to a really INTERESTING documentary that discusses lots of SURPRISING research.  One of the lead research physicians is right out of the CLEVELAND Clinic! Dr Caldwell Esselstyn's website is called www.heartattackproofdiet.com and his book is called Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease which includes lots of yummy recipes!

Forks Over Knives DVD

The movie also has a great FACEBOOK page -- CLICK for it HERE!  It has lots of great information -- articles, events, testimonies, and more!  If you're thinking of changing to a more plant based diet, this is a wonderful resource, and possibly even support system!

If you prefer books, The China Study by Dr T Colin Campbell would be a great place to start!

Dr Campbell has a great website -- so much helpful info on the topic of plant-based eating!  This was one cool tid-bit I'd like to share:

"A growing number of the world's top athletes eat a plant-based diet, including Carl Lewis, Tony Gonzales, and Brenden Brazier."

Also, Dr Esselstyn's son, Rip Esselstyn has popularized a plant-based diet called Engine 2 Diet, as he took up the career of firefighting and improved the health of those he works with, and since many, many others!  Rip's photo is shown at top of post :)

COMMENTS: Have you ever followed a vegetarian diet? Know someone who did? How did you feel?

Running 101 -- Free Seminar! Tips, Training Progression, and Injury Prevention

Attention ALL runners!  At Thursday night's FREE presentation, Dr Geletka will discuss the following!

• Training advice for MARATHONS, HALF marathons, and 10K's
• Appropriate SHOES for your feet
• STRETCHING and STRENGTHENING exercises for runners
• The latest trend of BAREFOOT running

MARCH 15, 2012 6:30-7:30PM

The talk will be held at the EMH Center for Health and Fitness Conference room.

1997 Healthway Drive, Avon, OH  44011

No charge for this informative talk!

For more information, please call Avon Sports Medicine and Rehab Department at 440-988-6890

RUNNING TIPS from ME!

1. Marathon tips
2. REFUELING tips
3. Quick! Grab a RACE and a Training PLAN
4. 5 Quick Tips for 5k TRAINING Success
5. Top 10 REASONS to Run a 5k
6. Trying a Tri?!  Tips for TRIATHLON Training
7. Running CALCULATOR and training
8. Running race RESULTS
9. Running WEATHER

COMMENTS: Are you going?  What race are you training for?  Are you curious about barefoot running?  Remember, with careful training, barefoot can work, for SOME runners!

8 Quick Tips for Restaurant Dining for KIDS and Adults

Wonder what to ORDER and still nourish your kids and your SELF?

Here are some TIPS and RESOURCES!

It was a wonderful surprise to find that so many third graders are excited about making HEALTHY choices!  You may be surprised at what they are willing to try!  We ALMOST all agreed we could make Friday "white milk" day for lunch!  I hope that SOME of those kids actually did some experimenting at lunch on Friday!

1. Eat a healthy SNACK on the way, such as a handful of nuts in the car!  If everyone arrives starved, wise choices are hard to make!
2. SHARE a meal with another family member, or take half HOME -- for an instant 50% reduction in calories, fat, sugar, and sodium!  Share a DESSERT -- in pairs, or even FAMILY style! 
3. Bulk up on VEGGIES and FRUITS, hold the fries for an extra side of steamed broccoli!  Talk up these items before you get to the restaurant -- the crunchiness of fresh carrots or sweetness of fresh fruit!  Discussing the types of foods you'll be ordering prepares them, and us!
4. Pick a healthy beverage! Order low-fat milk, water, or 100% juice.  Combine chocolate and white milk, or combine carbonated water with juice or even pop.  If you're used to pop, drinking less because it's combined with fuzzy water (as my kids call it) is a SMALL change that'll LAST!
5. Smart SAUCE choices! 
1. Salad dressing on the SIDE
2. Choose RED sauce instead of creamy sauce 
3. Choose BROTH-BASED soup over creamy soup 
6. Choose WHOLE grain breads and pastas, when available.
7. Provide HEALTHY CHOICES for kids -- they like to have their independence, feel in control.
8. When in doubt, simply select from healthy STARRED items -- many restaurants are making an effort to provide healthy options  Check out the National Restaurant Association's Kids Live Well Initiative!

These are the participating restaurants!  Here is a Healthy Dinner Finder search :)

Plus, here are two posts I wrote about ordering healthy at CHIPOLTE and CURRITOS (burrito place at the CLE airport).

This is the criteria restaurants are following when providing healthy meals!

Here are some tips for a variety of cuisines from Mexican, to Italian, to Asian food and more!

Click on the following link for other creative healthy dining TIPS!...the BUFFET tips are especially great!

COMMENTS: What are you going to change about your order next time YOU eat out?

Secret to Getting Things Done - a Timer!

Here is an example:

30/10 Rule

For 30 minutes, work on something that you need to get done. Set a TIMER!

When you hear the buzzer, do something fun, like check your email, or read a fun blog, or whatever! For 10 minutes.

Repeat cycle!



I read about it first on www.zenhabits.net -- a great resource for simplifying your life in easy ways!



You could use any duration -- the idea is to get started. You could do 5 minutes of work, then 5 minutes of play. Often find getting started is the hardest part!



This trick is helpful for EXERCISE too! Just get yourself out the door, or into your exercise clothes, and soon you will be on your way!



I got my dishes cleaned, laundry folded, and some Christmas decorations taken down (spring decorations up would be more appropriate now!), ALL BEFORE 10am! Wahoo!



The Zen Habit's guy lead me to another great blog/site/person called the FLYLady (www.flylady.com) who has lots of great suggestions. She can help you make lasting habits in your life -- be more organized and calm :)

Here are some MORE IDEAS that I have been putting into action from zenhabits.net and flylady.com. Apparently lots of people think it's a helpful post, since it is one of my most popular! Hope you can get something out of it!


COMMENTS: Do you ever use a timer? What do you want to get done with a timer? I have a basement that I want to tackle! And there is always lots to do with this blog!

Free Help with Parenting!

Looking for ways to stop yelling at your kids?  Want to end all the repetition?  Now is your chance to hear first hand from the author of If I Have to Tell You One More Time by Amy McCready and founder of Positive Parenting Solutions!  Get some PARENTING PEACE!

Amy is offering a free 1-hour webinar (this is an online lecture you can watch live) with POSITIVE PARENTING SOLUTIONS!  I found out about this from Lisa at 100 Days of Real Food -- this AWESOME website is hosting the lecture!!  Here is the REGISTRATION page.  Space is limited, so SIGN UP NOW!  There is a morning and an evening session available.

First webinar?  Don't worry!  It's great!  You experience an awesome, live lecture in the comfort of your own home!

Here are some other PARENTING books that I love:

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and How to Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Screamfree Parenting by Hal Edward Runkel

Everyday Blessings: the Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn

Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents by Deepak Chopra

Love and Logic: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years by Jim Fay and Charles Fay

COMMENTS: What are your best parenting tips and tricks?  I find that the ideas in A New Earth by Echart Tolle (not a parenting book at all!) guide me to be a better parent, and a better person at the same time!

Here is a COOL one: when you child wants to do something, for example stay at the park, you can say how you wish you could also stay for a really long time, exaggerating the amount of time any funny way, like, until your child is a grandma!  This helps them to see that you understand how they feel, and surprisingly works really well -- the crazier the exaggeration the better!  Think ice cream cone scoop the size of a watermelon...

Goodness of Gratitude: 7 Awesome Benefits!

Feeling and expressing gratitude -- SO many BENEFITS!

Really, much research has gone into studying this effect which everyone has experienced before.  That warm fuzzy FEELING you get after telling someone thank you for helping you when your car was stuck in the snow or your plumbing disaster was repaired.  This reminds me of another interesting concept -- the GOOD of DOING GOOD -- to be discussed another day :)

For ages, GRATITUDE has been a virtue within religion and spirituality.  Only recently has science in general, and the study of positive psychology specifically, become interested in the topic of gratitude.

It is exciting to learn that something as simple as saying, writing, and especially believing "thank you" could be so beneficial to YOUR health and happiness!

Gratitude Benefits (these are just a few!)

• Increased EXERCISE regularity
• Improved OUTLOOK on life as a whole
• Increased optimism (Emmons & McCullough, 2003)
• Improved progress toward health, academic, and interpersonal GOALS (for more on SMART goal setting click HERE!)
• Increased ALERTNESS, ENTHUSIASM, DETERMINATION, and ENERGY!
• In some populations, better SLEEP duration and quality
• In CHILDREN, better attitudes about SCHOOL and FAMILY (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008).

How Can YOU Practice Gratitude?

As you may know, in preparation for Thanksgiving last year, I decided to write a post on my personal Facebook page describing what I was thankful for each day until the holiday.  I enjoyed this practice so well that I continued as a countdown to the end of the year of 2011.  As you might now guess, this has become a well-ingrained habit in my life that I cannot actually imagine going without.

At first, it took a bit of effort to remember to do this.  But with practice, it has become natural to write my gratitude post each day.

Gratitude journals have worked well for me in the past also. Keeping my journal by the bed helped me to remember the practice. As I reflect on my day before going to sleep each night. This method lends itself to being more intimate in your entries.

Thank you notes are also a great way to express gratitude! This might seem obvious, but besides thanking someone for a gift or favor, you can thank them for other sorts of things like being a great teacher, mailman, aunt, someone special in your life!

Thank you notes can come at any time -- it's never too late! They also don't have to be really long, just put some meaning into it.

I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU, MY READERS, for taking the time to read my posts, try new foods, recipes, exercises, and other things that I suggest! I appreciate your open-mindedness, suggestions, and support! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

COMMENTS: What are you grateful for right now? It feels good to share!