New week! Meal & Fitness Plan: October 13-17

Good morning everyone! I am meal prepping at the moment, so I thought it would be fitting to do my meal and fitness plan post while I wait for my chicken and tilapia to cook! I had an awesome workout at the gym this morning, and now am rushing to prep my proteins for the week before heading to work! I know that if I don't, I will be scrambling all week to pack my meals and will be more likely to spend more money and eat less healthy choices! So, here we are, Monday morning, rushing and cooking! Here is my tentative plan for the week. I am going to write out meal options for each meal for this week instead of planning each day.  

Pre-workout options:

* nuts

* banana w/nuts or nut butter

* baked good (if I have time to bake this week...which I probably won't!)

Breakfast options:

*veggie scrambles with fruit

*sweet potatoes as a side

*hard boiled eggs

*leftover protein with vegetables

Lunch/Dinner options:

*boiled chicken salad

*tilapia with salad

*sweet potatoes as a side

*turkey burger

*tuna salad

Snack options:

*carrots

*hummus

*nuts

*jerky

*fruit

*Larabars

Workout plan:

Monday: I had a session with my personal trainer this morning. We worked on chest and triceps and then I ran 3 miles. It felt amazing! Yesterday I took a rest day, which I think is why I had more energy this morning. It was hard for me to rest! But I made myself relax at home, sketch, and read. It's all about balance! (see previous post on October goals)

Tuesday: Run 4 miles, plank, push-ups

Wednesday: Log book workout from my trainer (legs), cardio (probably elliptical)

Thursday: Run 6 miles

Friday: Log book workout from my trainer (back/biceps), cardio (run or elliptical)

I'm focusing on saving money lately by just using the food up at home. I don't want to overthink my meals too much. So far so good! All my meats were frozen meats I found at home (except for the tuna...which is canned) and I figured these will get me through the week! Meals don't have to be fancy shmancy all the time. sometimes, simple is better (and cheaper!) This way, you don't have to over-think your options and can just make the healthy choice and move on!  So here is the plan, and I am hoping I stick to it! Keep an eye out tomorrow for a new spicy garlic green bean recipe! It was delicious and I can't wait to share it! :)

Back to the Basics

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone has started this week off with a bang! I thought I'd share my eats of the day with you all as some inspiration to show that sometimes, simple really is better! These past few weeks have been filled with ups, downs, stresses, events, good food, and good times for me. However, I woke up today thinking "I neeeeeed some simple, easy, clean foods back in my life!" So I decided to just plan my meals out and make them as simple, fresh, and easy as possible. And let me tell you, it felt great! Going back to the basics of having lean protein, fresh veggies and fruits, and healthy fats helps you appreciate these delicious and nutrient-dense foods in their natural form, and reminds you of how satisfying and satiating they can actually be! So here is my day! :) I woke up and had a banana before my workout this morning. I am finally get back into working out after being sick for 2 weeks! I did the bike with some toning work afterwards for my arms!

After my workout, I made a quick veggie scramble before heading off to work.

For my day at work, I packed berries, salad with grilled chicken that I prepped last night, veggies, and nuts. These meals/snacks were so simple and were all from fresh, real foods. They kept me full and energized all day long!

After work, I met my parents at one of my favorite restaurants...Lemonade! I got their Pineapple chicken salad and Thai veggie salad. These salads are both so light and delicious and are filled with more of those fresh veggies!

Whoever says vegetables don't fill you up has definitely never...well...eaten vegetables! Veggies are so filling because of their high water and fiber content. Plus they require lots of chewing, forcing you to eat slower and enjoy your food. This helps your body take time to digest, and helps your brain send those helpful "I am full so you can stop eating" signals. In addition to the nutritional benefits of vegetables (fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc), they are also great for volume eaters, like myself! I'd rather have a whole big bowl of something than a teeny tiny slice of anything else. That is why I love to fill my plate with lots of fresh, non-starchy veggies that are crunchy, fun to eat, and that fill me up! One of the best things I've ever done for my health is try to incorporate vegetables into at least 75% of my meals for the day, whether that is in scrambles, stir-fries, salads, snacks, soups, etc. Also, pairing high-quality proteins such as eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, or fish, with your vegetables is the best way to help you stay full and energized all day long, without compromising your healthy eating goals!

Whenever you are stressed out about meal planning or just need to snap out of some old habits creeping back up, just go back to your basics. Grab a protein, surround it with tons of veggies, and add some healthy fats to the mix. Simple, easy, healthy, and delicious!

Article Review: Paleo, Heart Disease, and Diabetes

Today was my first day of my new (and first) job! As I mentioned a few posts back, I am now a Nutritionist-RD at WIC, a supplemental nutrition program for parents and children to receive food and good nutrition counseling! I am beyond excited and was pretty much acting like it was Christmas morning all day long! So, in honor of my first day, I have decided to dissect a rather scientific article I read on our cruise! :) I've talked about the Paleo diet before, but will do a brief overview again before getting into the article I read. This diet may be surprising to some who have not heard about it, but be patient, do some extra research if you are interested, and learn something new! :) The Paleo diet is one that focuses on foods that our ancestors ate before modern agriculture. This includes animal proteins (meat, chicken, fish, lamb, eggs, etc), vegetables, fruits, and healthy fat sources such as coconut, nuts, avocado, and olive oil. NO dairy, legumes, grains, soy, seed oils, or artificial sweeteners allowed. Foods like corn, oats, rice, peas, and quinoa are all considered grains, so those are omitted as well (and if you look at the nutrition composition of these foods, they are mostly carbohydrate and act as starches in your body, so they are omitted with good reason).

I am a fan of the Paleo diet (while I still do love my cheeses...just can't seem to give them up)! I did my first Whole 30 (a very strict Paleo diet for 30 days) last March-April, and it was a good experience for me and my health. However, I did suffer from the usual restriction-overconsumption syndrome that usually follows a strict diet, and proceeded to crave and include gluten in every single thing I ate for a few months. But this experience also reminded me that my reactions to gluten are not too desirable, as I was sick and experiencing symptoms I didn't feel when abstaining from gluten. After a few break ups and reunions with the G-word, we finally broke up on the cruise about a month ago. While I am still having dairy, I am otherwise following a gluten-free and mostly grain-free diet. I feel so much healthier in every aspect of the word. I now have rare, if any tummy issues, am finally sleeping through the night (something I haven't been able to do well since I was an infant), feeling more mentally alert and energetic, and enjoying clearer skin! I am also eating more plants and fruits than I ever have before in my entire life...including when I was vegetarian! I am loading my plate with dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, ANY vegetables I can find. I firmly believe that this is the key to a successful and healthy Paleo lifestyle; focusing on the whole, real, and nutritious vegetables, fruits, and healthy proteins and fats you can eat!

However, keep in mind that you don't have to stay away from these foods 100% of the time. Many Paleo enthusiasts follow an 80/20 lifestyle, keeping to the Paleo diet 80% of the time and allowing the occasional non-Paleo foods 20% of the time. Just figure out what works for you, makes you happy and healthy, and go with that!

The article I read is entitled "Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study." Citation is below! :)

Jönsson, T., Granfeldt, Y., Ahrén, B., Branell, U. C., Pålsson, G., Hansson, A., ... & Lindeberg, S. (2009). Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study. Cardiovasc Diabetol, 8(35), 1-14.

The goal of this research group was to determine the effects of a paleolithic diet and a typical diabetic diet as "generally recommended" on risk factors for cardiovascular (or heart) disease. The study was done on patients with type 2 diabetes who were not on insulin. The different biomarkers that were measured were HA1C (hemoglobin A1C), which is basically an average of your blood sugars for the past 3 months, blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Body measurements were kept track of as well, such as weight, BMI, and waist circumference.

Participants were placed in two, random groups and were told that they were both going to receive a "healthy diet." Each group received guidelines for either the typical diabetic diet (whole grain carbohydrates, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and high fiber foods, with a decrease in fat), or the Paleo diet (defined as I did above).  The majority of the diabetic diet came from carbohydrates, while the majority of the Paleo diet came from proteins and fats, as well as carbohydrates from fruit and vegetable sources. After following their originally assigned diet for 3 months, the group switched diets and followed the alternate diet for the next 3 months.

The findings of this study may surprise some people! Results showed that the Paleo diet significantly resulted in lower HA1C, blood pressure, triglycerides, and waist circumference, and higher HDL (good cholesterol), compared to the typical, recommended diabetic diet. The Paleo diet was also naturally lower in calories, even though no guidance was given to the participants on the amount of food they should be eating. They were just told what kinds of foods they should be eating (quality) and were allowed to regulate themselves. The Paleo diet also increased insulin sensitivity, which means that the insulin was able to work more efficiently in the body, clear the blood sugars effectively, and prevent high blood sugar levels.

What got me the most excited about this study is that the HDL (protective) cholesterol and triglyceride values both improved! HDL increased while triglycerides decreased, which is a markedly improved cardiac outcome. This is huge because many opponents to the Paleo diet claim that the diet is too high in proteins and fats (both from animal sources and nuts/oils). However, this demonstrates that eating these foods does not necessarily cause us to build up cholesterol and triglycerides in our bodies. From my own personal experience, since adopting a mostly Paleo lifestyle, my cholesterol has dropped from 185-113! And I was eating at least 2 whole eggs a day, as well as meats.

Additionally, the study found that the Paleo diet led to decreases in waist circumference, proving that the Paleo diet is not going to pose a health risk on those choosing to follow this eating plan. Cardiovascular markers significantly improved, decreasing people's risk of developing heart disease. Participant's waists actually got smaller, and who doesn't want that? The fact that the diet was also self-regulated and those on Paleo naturally ate less also shows that the Paleo diet, with its combination of protein, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats, is more filling than the typical recommended diabetic diet. I think all of these findings provide ample evidence that adopting a Paleo diet may be a beneficial decision for many people. It isn't just about the quantity of foods we are eating, which I will get into more in one of my upcoming book review posts. The quality of our food matters, and when we are eating high quality, whole, unprocessed foods, our bodies will thank us and start functioning the way they were intended to function!

I hope this post provided some information on the Paleo diet and the possible benefits of following this lifestyle. There is a plethora of information on this internet of ours to help guide you. Again, the best way to find out what lifestyle works for you is to try it and see! It is important to follow a plan that is beneficial, but is also doable and realistic for you. I am also planning on writing a few book review posts in the next few weeks highlighting some books that also support the idea of eating wholesome unprocessed foods for better health!

Have a great night everyone! This girl's gotta pack her lunch for work tomorrow! :)

Macadamia Catastrophe, Turkey Chili, and Daily Manna! 1/13

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had excellent, healthy, and happy weekends. Today is an exciting day because I get to share TWO recipes with you! The first one is a funky new recipe that came out of a baking mishap! I had a silly baking experience last night and I have entitled this incident, (and this recipe), the macadamia catastrophe. It all started a few days ago when my friend Kelli, over at http://hungryhobby.net (you guys should all follow her blog, it is fantastic!) sent me a Macadamia Nut Banana Cookie recipe (http://immaeatthat.com/2014/01/10/macadamia-nut-banana-cookies/) because of my obvious obsession with this combination since getting back from Hawaii. I had all the ingredients I needed to try it out last night, except for the oats, which I decided to substitute with my protein powder instead. Obviously, I did not end up with cookies, but something more like a cake/muffin batter. I decided to roll with it, added an egg and some greek yogurt, and ended up with a macadamia nut banana flatbread cake square thing! They are flat, cakey, and crunchy but taste DELICIOUS! So I thought I might as well just share my version of the recipe!

Makes 16 squares, one 8x8 glass baking dish

3/4 cup macadamia nuts, unsalted

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

1 banana

1/3 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt

1 T coconut oil

1 egg

1/4 cup low sugar maple syrup

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. First things first, place the macadamia nuts in the food processor and chop them up until they are coarse.

Mash the banana and add that to the bowl as well. Then add all the other ingredients, and it will form a batter. Spray your 8x8 dish and pour the batter into the dish. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Considering this recipe was a disaster in the making, I think that by adding a few of the tweaks, it turned into a great breakfast gluten-free bread option! I enjoyed two of these as my pre workout snack this morning, and they were delicious! I'm so glad I didn't just dump the batter out and tried to work with it because it turned out to be a yummy, crunchy flatbread!

Anyways, on to the rest of my day...

As I mentioned, I woke up, did my quiet time, and ate 2 of my macadamia catastrophe squares before my workout! ;)

My workout consisted of 30 minutes on the elliptical and 25 minutes on the bike, totaling 6 miles towards my 150 miles by V-day challenge. So far, I am at 70 miles! Woo! I'm feeling great even though I am not being able to run. Don't get me wrong, I really really miss running! But I think the variety of the elliptical and bike, plus all the strength training I've been doing, has been really enjoyable! I have been seeing results in my strength and am absolutely loving the benefits of weight training!

After my cardio, I worked on my triceps and shoulders, then did the leg press and inner and outer thigh machines. I stretched, and then headed to whole foods to grab some coconut flour! I was determined to try the paleo tortilla recipe by Danielle Walker at Against All Grain (www.againstallgrain.com) and that was the only ingredient I was missing.

I HIGHLY recommend this crepe/tortilla recipe if you are looking for a gluten and grain-free tortilla that is paleo friendly! They were so easy to make and so delicious. The recipe is in the Against All Grain cookbook, as well as on her website! Check it out! http://www.againstallgrain.com/2013/01/26/crepes-grainfree-paleo/

I decided to make my post-workout omelet into egg tacos, so I stuffed three of these tortillas with some egg whites, kale, peppers, and pico de gallo! Delicious!

I also loved that you can hold these tortillas and they don't fall apart! Which is such a plus when you are eating a gluten and grain-free product.

After my meal, I read my book for a bit, then headed to my physical therapy appointment. It's only my second appointment and they basically just did some leg exercises with me. Which is good, since all of those exercises are at the gym and I could do them on my own time as well!

When I got back home, I had crazy energy, and decided to do my TIU workout for the day before lunch! I am doing the Love Your Body challenge at www.toneitup.com and today's workout was the Love Your Total Body 2! I love these workouts because they range from 15-20 minutes while targeting each muscle group in your body! Check it out if you want to try it (it is under the workout schedule for Monday!)

http://toneitup.com/2014/01/love-your-body-with-your-weekly-schedule/

After my second workout of the day, I was finally ready for lunch! I got some ground turkey yesterday at the grocery store and wanted to make a turkey chili that could last me a few days! I threw a bunch of things into the pot and simmered the chili for about 30-40 minutes, while enjoying a quick salad as an appetizer.

Here is the ingredients list and the method for my easy peasy turkey chili! (makes about 3 servings)

8-10 oz ground turkey meat

1.5 T olive oil, separated into 1 T and 1/2 T

1/2 t cajun seasoning

1-14oz can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted and low sodium is better!)

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped sweet bell pepper

1/2 cup kale

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t garlic salt

Start out by heating 1 T of olive oil in a pot, then adding your turkey meat. Grind up your turkey meat with a flat edged wooden spoon until it is in itty-bitty pieces. Add the cajun seasoning while it is cooking, and cook the meat until its browned. In a separate skillet, heat up a 1/2 T of olive oil and add the kale and the chopped sweet bell pepper. Sauté these until they are tender.

Once the turkey meat is cooked through, add the kale and peppers, the can of crushed tomatoes, the chicken broth, and the cumin and garlic salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then set the heat on low and let the chili simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Then, bowl it up and enjoy! The easiest chili I've made yet. If you are into beans, you can obviously add some black or kidney beans to this chili as well!

After lunch, I decided to finally attack my desk. My desk has been in desperate need of cleaning and reorganizing. I emptied out all of my drawers and organized all my books. I am a huge organization nerd, so it felt so good to have everything cleaned out and cleared away!

The rest of the day was pretty relaxing. I sipped on some green tea while reading, got my nails done, got my phone fixed, and had a yummy dinner! Unfortunately, my phone getting fixed prevented me from taking anymore pictures the rest of the night. So dinner will remain a mystery! :) Just kidding, we went to a yummy restaurant by my house called Pita Jungle. I had a Greek salad with a garlicky-lemon dressing, which was so light and delicious. I also added some of my mom's chicken that fell out of her wrap to my salad. They stuff those wraps with SO much chicken that she ends up not eating half of it, so I definitely took advantage of her scraps!

Well, that is all for today! I am feeling so exhausted at the moment and can't wait for bed! I hope you all had a great start to the week!

Good night! :)