230 Million? Are you Serious?

Hi Guys! How was everyone's Thursday?!

Mine, was awesome, thanks for asking.

I got to spend the majority of my day at the Standard Process "home base" in Westerville this afternoon, listening and learning about all things clinical nutrition. I always leave these type of lectures and classes re-thinking my small handful of dark chocolate I grab from my freezer after dinner. Especially when you hear things like...

Over the past 20 years the total number of people with diabetes worldwide has risen from 30 million to 230 million.

Yep. Can you believe that? Insane. 

I got home this evening and had about 46 different back and forth arguments in my mind about whether to get some exercise in or not. The above figure and my impending struggle of fitting into two different bridesmaid dresses over the next month heavily influenced my final decision. And while my healing ankle and my recent bike swipe prevented me from doing a tough workout... a good 3 mile walk/run did the trick, for now at least. 

I came home and decided to use up some locally grown summer squash and zucchini for dinner. Alls I did was cut them length ways, rubbed a bit of EVOO on them, sprinkled some pepper and plopped them on the trusty George Foreman:

 Who says grilled summer veggies can't be done without a grill!

These summer veggies are good for vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. 

Additionally, they should be given silver medals for their antioxidants, anti-inflammatory benefits and coincidentally, their abilities to balance blood sugar levels. The nutrients contained in the summer squash variety shown above have been shown to keep insulin metabolism in balance and most importantly, prevent Type II Diabetes. 

So eat YO squash! 

Stay Healthy and Go USA, 

Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage

I've always been a hotdog girl. Hamburgers didn't, and still don't, stand a chance when it comes to making the infamous summer cookout decision of "hamburger or hotdog." Not a chance.

You would think after 26 years of weekly hotdogs on the grill during the summer and numerous pigs in the blanket dinners during the wintertime, I'd be a tad burnt out by hotdogs.... but nope! I still stand faithful to my favorite cookout food.

So while I've been eating hotdogs for 26 years years (okay, probably more like 23 years if we want to be sticklers) my type of hotdog has definitely taken to a more mature and ingredient-aware taste. Remember my first post about choosing the right hotdog? If not, you should for sure take a second look.... here ya go.

Anyway, I bring up the topic of hotdogs, (apparently for the second time) because the other day, I made a special trip to the Joe of all Trades and picked up some hotdog-like food. I love doing my grocery shopping here because, surprisingly enough, the produce is usually cheaper than stores like Kroger or Giant Eagle, and I always find fun new options for my dinners.... like these fun guys:

Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage!

Another plus about shopping at Trader Joe's is that most of their food and products are natural and you can typically understand all the ingredients on the label:

And because it's no fun being boring (I leave that for my Friday nights) I decided to slice up the sausage, heat it up on a fry pan and enjoy it on a slice of bread topped with some cheese. 

It's funny that the things that you would throw a fit about when you were a kid, are actually some of the things you like to do nowadays. If I had to eat my hotdog on a piece of bread 20 years ago all hell would break loose. I'm sure that's sign #57 of me getting old. ick. 

I enjoyed my cheesy apple chicken dog alongside a fresh salad topped with tomato and mushroom

and my new-ish favorite dressing:

Has anyone tried it?
I've been (nerd alert) reading blogs for several years now, and I swear at least one of them on a daily basis uses this dressing, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I know the best choice would have been a homemade dressing, but I was able to pronounce the entire, (and) short list of ingredients.

It's not bad. I'd be lying if I said I fell in love at first taste, but it's adds a different flavor to my typical, routine salads.

Well, that's all for now. I'm sure you'll be seeing these fun sausage guys in future blog posts!

Stay Healthy,

Hotdogs or hamburgers?

4th of July and Goat Cheese

Hi guys!

I hope everyone had a fantastic and safe 4th of July! 

I don't know about you, but it's been a weird week. With the power out at the office on Monday and the 4th of July holiday, it hasn't felt like the right day of the week in days! 

Anyways, so, I live super close to all the hustle and bustle of the big city so it's nice when big events such as Red White and Boom and Comfest and the Columbus marathon come to town I don't have to worry about traffic or parking. Any guesses as to what I did Tuesday evening?

Yep! Red White and Boom! I hobbled my way down the street to see the fireworks show,  but not before meeting up with a group of friends at my apartment. 

Lately one of my friends has been bringing over fun little appetizers (most likely as a result of too much Pinterest browsing or too many skewers lying around) for us to enjoy. On Tuesday she brought over.... 

Watermelon Mint Goat Cheese Skewers!

Apparently they were supposed to be drizzled with balsamic vinegar, but I enjoyed them as is (or was?) They were very flavorful and refreshing... definitely an A+ in my book. 

Here are some pictures from Red White and Boom for the heck of it:

Stay Healthy,

Did anyone else see fireworks? Red White and Boom?
I'm kind of bummed I didn't get to use any sparklers. 


What are your thoughts on goat cheese?
I love goat cheese! I get so fired up when people turn their noses up to it right away. I personally think it's one of the more milder cheeses out there.... don't discriminate just because it's from a goat!

It's Here! It's Here!

Happy First Day of Summer!!!

 I'm excited for....

Corn on the cob!

Tubing in Alum Creek!

The ATP tennis tournament down in Mason!

Fresh tomatoes from my mom's garden!

More watermelon!

What are you guys looking forward too most?!
I'm also looking forward to swimming, my birthday, pools, my birthday, running again, my birthday and my best friends' weddings!

Stay Healthy,

Homemade Summer Treats

Morning! Happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend - I sure did! I attended the first of many, many wedding events I have on board for this summer and I had a blast hanging out with my good friends while also meeting lots of wonderful people. I realized during my roommate's wedding shower, and more specifically while she was opening up the gobs of gifts filled with shiny new kitchen appliances and gadgets, that I can't wait to get married.... you know, for the brand new Keurig coffee maker I could receive... the health insurance....and these fun Popsicle holders....

Summer officially starts in three 3 days. I don't know about you guys, but I can think of nothing better than ringing in the best season of the year with a cool, refreshing, tasty, homemade treat.....

Popsicles!!!

I have yet to make the following recipes, but they will definitely be on my to-do list once I find the time between planning wedding showers, attending wedding showers, planning bachelorette parties and fitting into bridesmaid dresses. 

Besides being more healthy than the sugar-laden store bought sorts, homemade freezer pops are a whole lot cheaper and allow you to showcase your creative side in the kitchen. 

Don't have an impending wedding registry? 

No problem... Dixie cups and wooden craft sticks are the perfect solution!

Here are 5 recipes from Rodale.com. Let me know how they turn out!!

Stay Healthy, 

Motivation Boards

[ insert apology for being MIA ]

Hello, hello!

I got the privilege of going home to Cincinnati over the Memorial Day weekend. I use the word privilege because that's exactly what it was: 3 days of expensive good coffee, laundry service and free HBO. (What can I say? I'm a one-legged, single 25-year old...I'll take what I can get!)

Anyway, I came home Tuesday morning to my apartment in Columbus and discovered this in my kitchen:

Okay, so it just dawned on me that none of you have been in my kitchen before, and this above picture of my refrigerator most likely means nothing to you whatsoever, BUT, let's pretend, for a minute, that you have been in my kitchen and you would have remembered the front of my refrigerator being scattered with random Save the Date Wedding cards, expired coupons, homemade flower magnants from an ages 4 and up craft box (thanks Mom) and probably some over-due bills.

So now, when you see this picture:

You'll notice that all the clutter that once decorated my roommate's and I's fridge is now replaced with .... positive words and phrases... a MOTIVATION BOARD, er MOTIVATION FRIDGE!

My roommate got busy over the weekend and put this all together for us. She is getting married in the fall, and we decided together over the Memorial Day Weekend (more specifically during an oh-so-healthy bar crawl to raise money for cancer) that we were really getting down to business in regards to our health. 

side note - I'm still trying comprehend the whole "lets all drink alcohol to raise money for cancer, but increase our risk of getting cancer along the way" mentality. I will say it was a fun day, but one of those days that is only semi-acceptable every 365 days. 

The pictures are all about exercising and choosing the right foods.

Here are some of my favorite:

Yep, I'm not shy about wanting Carrie Underwood's legs. 

On top of healing my ankle and slowly getting back into running, I've got lots going on with multiple weddings and racing events this summer, and I know I need to be in tip top shape in order to put my best effort and performance forward. Everyone needs a little push in the right direction, even perfect little nutrition angels such as myself :) (HA!)

Do you guys like to use visuals to help reach a goal?

Would you ever consider making a motivational board?

Stay Healthy,

Healthy Dogs.

Hi All! Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

It's going to be a HOT one here in Columbus this weekend.... remember my post about HYDRATION???? Put it to use!! Drink lots of WATER if you're outside all weekend, and if you are indulging in the occasional adult beverage... be sure to drink a glass of water in between those games of cornhole or what have you.  And please, be smart on the road. 

Okay, okay, enough of my ranting and raving - it's the weekend, let's have some fun!

Besides remembering those who have served (or are serving) our country, Memorial Day is all about the beginning of summer, pools opening and of course the start of grilling season.

My Boy Scout skills put to work last Memorial Day. 

The choice between a hotdog or hamburger on the grill, in some cases, is a person's biggest dilema on weekends such as these. But because I'm all about making things more complicated than they really need to be... I'm going to introduce another obstacle into the never-ending hamburger vs. hotdog debate - What KIND of hot dog???


We've all seen the viral image of the whole "pink slime" substance that is used a lot in production of meat (fast food restaurants and some hot dogs). So when it comes to choosing the right hot dog for your Memorial Day cookout, and more importantly, for your health, here are some awesome suggestions from Health.com.

Best Beef Hotdog:

Best Chicken Dog:

Best Turkey Dog:

Criteria for selecting a Healthy Dog:

• Make sure your dog is uncured. When something is cured, it means that it has been treated with nitrates and nitrites which have been linked to cancer and other fun health problems.
• Choose lower sodium products. Depending on your age, RDA sodium amounts per day are 2300 mg and 1500 mg for those over 50. 
• Watch out for products that have been mechanically separated. 
• Choose dogs with less than 6 grams of fat. 

Sound good?! I hope so!

Everyone have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend filled with friends, family and laughs :)

Stay Healthy,