Purple Vegetable Pizzas

Hello, Hello, Hello. 

I hope everyone is doing swimmingly well today and ready for a new recipe. 

Typically when I do my grocery shopping I never make a list because I buy the saaaame thing each Sunday. There's really no need to make a list when I know exactly what I need and where it is in the store. So the other day when I was making my routine trek from the tomatoes and avocados to the salads, I came across a huge bin of eggplants. YUM! Along with those eggplants were a sign that read : 10 for $10. EVEN MORE YUM! 15 minutes later I left the store with all my usual staples and an eggplant. My culinary plans for my purple vegetable were lame and boring - chop it up, toss in some olive oil and pepper, throw it in my oven and call it a meal.

But instead of being my typical, boring, routine-self, I took to my laptop and pulled up some of my favorite blogs. Okay, it was only 1... had I not been on a time crunch to consume dinner before my friends came over for our routine showing of the Bachelorette, I probably could have spent 4 hours perusing through blogs trying to find a good, NOT BORING recipe for my eggplant friend. But alas, trashy tv called and I set out to re-create a recipe found on KERF .....

drum roll please....

EGGPLANT PIZZAS!

Far from the real stuff, but still tasty enough to appease my pizza cravings.

Ingredients included:

• eggplant sliced into discs
• olive oil
• tomato paste
• fire roasted tomatoes 
• mozzarella cheese
• seasonings

Directions Were Easy:

• slice eggplants into discs
• rub discs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• cook in oven for about 20 min at 400*
• flip eggplants
• add tomato paste and fire roasted tomatoes on top
• top with seasonings and cheese
• bake 10 min more

I used Italian seasoning and garlic powder for some additional flavor.

I enjoyed my pizzas with a side salad, which was eaten before I could snap a photo... bad blogger, oops. 

Let me know what you guys think when you try the recipe out! 

Stay Healthy,

Go Nuts for Snacks!

Good Morning!

Remember me???? Ya'll can take up any issues stemming from my lack of presence on the online world with my bride-to-be friends... for some reason they think that their wedding showers and events take precedence over my healthy eating tips.... bridezillas I tell ya!

Hee.... just trying to be funny :)

Things have been decently good on the nutrition practice side of things... I'm seeing several new patients and have just as many internal cringes when I hear about their daily eating habits.

(Please, guys, do not go more than 4 hours without eating something. And let's not forget about breakfast.... EAT IT - preferably within 90 minutes of waking up). Thanks :)

Alright, back to this eat every 4 hours business. I'm sure at least 57% of you have heard of the whole "feed the fire" analogy...

- to keep a fire burning, you need to give it fuel 

- to keep your metabolism burning, you need to give it fuel 

Got it?! Understood?!

Now, on the other side of the spectrum, I'm sure the other 43% of you have said, on several hundred occasions, "I don't have time to eat." On these occasions I put on a smile and say nuts.

Almonds. Walnuts. Pistachios. Peanuts even!  

The above picture is an appropriate serving size for a snack - right around 100 calories - roughly a handful. For those of you type A, I need an exact measurement folks, it's right around 1/8 of a cup:

Let's be real for a minute here. Consuming the above quantity of nuts can be done in what, 2 minutes? So don't give me that "I don't have time to eat" baloney! It's bologna!!!! 

Pack them in a ziplock bag. A paper towel. A plastic container. Stuff them in your serving apron or your purse. Please keep them on hand.... you'll thank me... eventually. I promise. 

Go nuts!

Stay Healthy,

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, 

My GO-TO Dinner

Hello! Remember me?!

You would think with my less than ideal circumstances I would have blog posts up every hour.... 

... obviously that is not the current situation we have at on our hands at the moment. Instead of enlightening you with easy, healthy meals to try, or recapping my oh-so exciting life adventures, I've been at the mercy of my dead camera battery and wedding shower planning - both excuses, but valid excuses?

Anyway, between licking envelopes and watching people race from the sidelines, I managed to snap a few quick photos in my kitchen of my GO-TO dinner. 

Remember back in the day when I shared The Anything and Everything Shake? Well here is the Anything and Everything Salad:

Looks kind of gross, right? But it's SO good! 

Lot's of veggies:

Simple Black Bean Burger:

Along with some Avocado:

I usually throw some hummus and blue cheese on top as well. Unless I'm at a restaurant, I typically use hummus as my salad dressing. Paired with some avocado, it's a great way to get the creaminess of those gross popular ranch dressings without consuming all that glorious trans fat goodness.

Besides the taste and beautiful colors, I love the fact that it takes me awhile to finish it all.

Anyone else have a go-to dinner?
If my refrigerator is void of my favorite salad staples, I usually go the chicken and sweet potato route. 


Stay Healthy,

The 3 Musketeers

The other day I got the privilege to speak at a retiree luncheon on the topic of nutrition - nutrition for older adults to be specific.

Now I'd love to devote an entire post or even lots of posts on this particular topic, but, I think my audience leans more towards the younger crowd, especially considering I blackmail my friends and family into reading the blog. However.... I am up for a change of pace every now and then... so all you baby boomers... speak up!

Alright, alright.... so while I'm not talking  writing 100% about what I spoke about this past week... I do want to highlight one topic that I find especially important to everyone... no matter how old you are... calcium.

Miley Cryus.... when she was cute and not engaged at 19

A lot of people assume that if they drink their milk and supplement that milk with the occasional cup of yogurt, handful of spinach, slice of cheese on their sandwich and of course that coveted bowl of ice cream before heading for bed, they'll be set for their RDA of calcium.

BUT.

What most people aren't aware of, is how important Vitamin D and Vitamin F are in this whole getting enough calcium equation.

Vitamin D is needed for the blood to absorb that calcium.
And Vitamin F is needed for the tissues to absorb that calcium.

SO. Someone can consume all the calcium in the world, but if they have low Vitamin D and F levels.... all that calcium is not utilized in the body.

Man, this whole being healthy and eating the right foods is complicated, right?
Eh, sorta....
It's complicated if your routine lunch spot is McDonalds, but if you eat your dairy, your leafy greens, those delicious healthy fats.... you won't be far off from consuming AND absorbing those essential nutrients for healthy bones (calcium, vitamin D and vitamin F particularly)

Alright, quick rundown of where we can find these nutrients:

• Calcium 
• aim for 1,000 mg a day for men and 1,200 mg a day for women
• milk
• leafy greens
• yogurt
• cheese 
• Vitamin D
• found in very few foods
• most of our vitamin D is synthesized in our skin with the help of sunlight
• most people, especially in central ohio, are deficient in vitamin D
• Vitamin F
• formally known as fatty acids
• found in healthy fats - fish, nuts, seeds, avocado

source

Get it? Got it? Good!

Now, this weekend... the weather looks awesome, awesome, awesome:

Here is your homework for the weekend:

• Find a pool
• Wear sunscreen
• Pack the following:
• lots of water
• a leafy green salad with avocado, nuts and maybe some fish
• noodles (the foam colored ones.... those are always a good time in the pool)

On THAT note... it's time for some oatmeal...

Have a great Friday!!!

Stay Healthy,

Fishin' Around

Hi guys! 

Lots of blog topics coming your way this month.... and since there will be LOTS and LOTS of information coming your way, we're going to kick things off and talk about how to keep your brain in tiptop shape for remembering everything. There will be a quiz at the end of the month, so take notes.  

The other week, I had the opportunity to attend a webinar online (is that right? can you attend something online???) that discussed the 3 big products of the supplement company we use here in the office - Standard Process. I won't go into too much detail about the specific products on the blog  (we can save my harassment and persuasion tactics for an actual office visit) but I do want to discuss the importance of fats in the diet - omega 3's to be specific.

The 411 on Omega 3's:

• Omega 3's are fatty acids.... essential fatty acids to be more specific. 
• Because our body doesn't produce these omegas on it's own, we need to get them through the food we eat
• Top food sources of Omega 3's are:
• flaxseed
• walnuts 
• salmon
• sardines
• soybeans
• tofu
• tuna
• Aim for at least 1 gram a day 
• a 4 oz serving of salmon has about 2 grams
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds has about 4 grams
• 1 cup soybeans will give you about 1 gram
• 1/4 cup walnuts has 2.5 grams
• What's the Big Hoopla?
• reduce inflammation throughout your entire body
• maintain healthy cell membranes
• lower amounts of cholesterol and bad fats in your bloodstream
• healthy for cognitive function (brain memory and and performance
• have shown to prevent heart disease, cancer and arthritis

See?! Why wouldn't you want to add omega 3's into your everyday diet?!

Due to my less than ideal situation, I know that since I can't exercise, I need to really watch my diet if I want to look somewhat presentable in my upcoming summer wedding obligations. In addition to wanting to fit into my bridesmaid dress, I've also been upping my omega 3's to help my healing process along. In fact, the other night, I was on top of things (blog wise and nutrition wise) and captured  this delightful little meal I had a few nights ago:

Salmon: ( 2.1 grams omega 3)

Salad with spinach, tomato, balsamic dressing and walnuts: (1.1 grams omega 3)

Yum!

Are you guys getting enough omega 3's?

Stay Healthy,

Eat More Food.

I'm at loss for words today. I figure this will suffice for today.

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,