Eating Well and Staying Healthy Through the Holidays

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by jenmi in General, Healthy Inspirations

Tags

eatingwell, eatingwellthroughtheholidays, healthandtheholidays, stayinghealthy, stayinghealthythroughtheholidays, tipsforsurvivingtheholidays

Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on November 16, 2012

Believe it or not, the holidays are already here. Most of us are on the run and ignore our diets with all the craziness that accompanies the holidays. It doesn’t help that there are so many eating opportunities around! Here are some tips for surviving the holidays:

Take one day out of the week to plan out your meals for the week (make a shopping list, go to the market, etc.)
Take non perishable items such as granola bars, fruit, etc. with you wherever you go so you won’t be tempted to eat too many of the tempting goodies out there
Don’t forget to make exercise a priority, no matter how busy you are. Try not to let your busy schedule be an excuse for not exercising.
When dining out with family and friends, pick a very simple dish that won’t contribute too many unwanted calories. Pictured above is the shoyu glazed black cod from Yamashiro in Hollywood.
Host a holiday gathering with friends at your home so you can control the menu
Try not to overdo it throughout the holiday season. You can’t do it all…

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

♥ ♥

Pumpkin Smoothie

14 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Jennifer in General, Recipes

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

pumpkin, pumpkinrecipe, pumpkinsmoothie, pumpkinsmoothierecipe

Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 14, 2012

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
3 TBSP canned pumpkin
1 frozen banana
1 TBSP peanut butter (or any nut butter will do)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 TBSP ground flax seeds
½ tsp cinnamon
a sprinkle of nutmeg
a sprinkle of all spice
a few ice cubes (depends on how thick you like it)

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to electric mixer.
Blend for about 2 minutes.
Enjoy!

* This is not a very sweet smoothie; I think many pumpkin drinks are too sweet for me. If you would like yours sweeter, add maple syrup or agave nectar.

♥ ♥

WIAW #31

14 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Jennifer in General, Healthy Inspirations

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

foodjournal, foodlog, orangetreedeli, peasandcrayons, thecrabcooker, whatiatewednesday, wiaw

Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 14, 2012

Hello Everyone. Happy What I Ate Wednesday! I am sharing my meals from last Saturday. This Saturday, I ran lots of errands and ate on the run. I hope you enjoy my day. Thank you to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting the WIAW.

This is what I ate:

Breakfast (7:30am)

I started the day with coffee and a pumpkin smoothie ( my recipe).

AM Snacks (10:00am)

A pink lady apple and pumpkin seeds.

Lunch (11:30am)

A small green salad topped and a Greek turkey burger at the Orange Tree Deli.

PM Snacks (2:00pm)

Cheddar Cheese. 🙂

Dinner (5:30pm)

Grilled fish with tomato slices and coleslaw at The Crab Cooker.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope your day was full of healthy meals!

♥ ♥

What is an Eggling?

12 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by jenmi in General, Healthy Inspirations

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

eggling, whatisaeggling

Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on November 12, 2012

Meet my Basil Eggling. I got this as a gift from my friend Kyoko and wanted to share it with you. It’s a really cute way to start a mini herb garden. A porcelain egg comes in a really cute, nicely designed box. All you have to do is crack the top of the egg, add water daily, and watch your herbs grow. It is really easy and looks awesome on your window sill. I think it is also a great gift for the cook in your life. You can find more gifts like these at: www.eggling.com

♥ ♥

Book Review – Vegan’s Daily Companion

11 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by Jennifer in General, Reviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bookreview, bookreviewofvegansdailycompanion, reviewofvegansdailycompanion, vegansdailycompanion

Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 10, 2012

The Vegan’s Daily Companion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is a book that offers 365 days of inspiration for the vegan, vegan curious or new vegan. This book is full of information about the vegan lifestyle with a focus on activism.

This book is divided by the days of the week and each day focuses on a topic. Mondays topic is For the Love of Food, it outlines healthy food options. Tuesdays are about Compassionate Communication, techniques for peace and nonviolence. Wednesdays are Optimum Health for Body, Mind, and Spirit, featuring health tips and lifestyle choices. Thursdays are Animals in the Arts, stories about animals in literature and film. Fridays are Stories of Hope, Rescue, and Transformation, stories and photos of animals that have been rescued. Saturdays and Sundays are Healthful Recipes, featuring simple vegan recipes.

This beautiful book would be a useful guide to someone who is thinking about adopting a plant-based diet. Some may be turned off by heavy activism tone. I enjoyed many of the recipes and the layout of the book.

♥ ♥

The Health Benefits of Butternut Squash

10 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by Jennifer in General, Healthy Inspirations

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

butternutsquash, healthbeneifitsofbutternutsquash, vitaminsinbutternutsquash

Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 9, 2012

Source: youbeauty.com via Jennifers on Pinterest

Butternut Squash is a popular seasonal vegetable that is loaded with nutrients and many health benefits. This squash is part of the gourd family like pumpkins, melons and cucumbers. It is technically a fruit because it contains seeds.

Butternut Squash is rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. The tangerine hue of its flesh signals an abundance of nutrients. This squash is low in fat and calories and is high in fiber.

Benefits:

One of the best sources of four carotenoids: Alpha-Carotene, Beta-Carotene, Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which offer a multitude of benefits from cancer prevention and protection from heart disease.
Promotes healthy skin and eyes with Vitamin A.
Protects the body from free radicals and prevents damage to healthy cells with Antioxidants.
Helps to regulate the digestive tract and lowers cholesterol with Fiber.
Improves bone health with a significant amount of Potassium and Calcium.
Boosts the immune system with Vitamin C and Zinc.
Helps to reduce depression with Folate.
Promotes proper function of nervous and immune systems with Vitamin B6.
Promotes vision health with Lutein.

Butternut Squash can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Since it is loaded with nutrients and has so many health benefits it is worth trying to work it into your diet this fall and winter. Butternut Squash can be used to replace pumpkin and sweet potatoes in any recipe. An added benefit of roasting the squash, your house will be filled with its nutty, buttery smell, making your house smell like fall.

♥ ♥

Persimmon Drop Cookies

07 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by jenmi in General, Recipes

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

cookierecipe, cookies, persimmoncookies

Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on October 7, 2012

This is really the best persimmon cookie recipe I’ve tasted so far. Trust me, I’ve tried a lot because my parents have a persimmon tree. My mom ended up finding this recipe at a fruit stand she stumbled upon on the way to San Diego.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup persimmon puree

2 ¼ cups flour

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

¼ lb. butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup raisins or semisweet chocolate pieces

Stir baking soda into persimmon puree and let stand for 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a large bowl or an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, then stir in persimmon mixture. Stir in flour mixture to form a soft dough, then stir in nuts and raisins.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until edges are lightly browned and centers spring back when lightly touched (12-15 minutes). Transfer to racks and let cool. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

♥ ♥

WIAW #30

07 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Jennifer in General, Healthy Inspirations

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

earlybird, foodjournal, foodlog, gypsyden, peasandcrayons, raeg, whatiatewednesday, wiaw

Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 6, 2012

Hello, Everyone. Happy What I Ate Wednesday!! I am sharing my meals from last Saturday, this was a busy day with most of my meals eaten out. I can’t believe how busy this time of year is getting so fast. Last week was Halloween, Tuesday was election day and in two weeks Thanksgiving will be here. Thank you to Jenn a Peas and Crayons for hosting the WIAW!

This is what I ate:

Breakfast (7:30am)

I started the day with coffee and some of the best pancakes I have ever had at the Early Bird.