Category Archives: Healthy Inspirations

General Health

17th WIAW

08 Wednesday Aug 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on August 8, 2012 

Hi, everyone! Happy “What I Ate Wednesday”.  This week the temperature has really risen in southern California. The heat has reduced my appetite; I am drinking lots of water and eating more salads, which is a good thing. These are my meals from last Monday. Hope you enjoy my day. Thank you to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting the WIAW!

This is what I ate:

All Day

Water with lemon, I could not get enough.

Breakfast (6:30am)

I started my day with coffee with stevia and coconut milk in my London mug in honor of the Olymipics and a NuGo bar and an apple.

AM Snack (9:30)

Raw walnuts.

Lunch (1:00pm)

Vegan Fish Tacos from Healthy Junk were very good.

PM Snack (3:00pm)

We had a belated birthday celebration for my school friend Judy.  Featured a homemade chocolate chip pie, that disappeared quickly. Recipe here.

Dinner (6:30pm)

Ahi poke salad at Green2Go in Brea.

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

Here is a link to my exercise log for the week.

♥ ♥

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Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

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MAUI Sunset 

Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on August 6, 2012

A few weeks ago, I took a required online health assessment through my employer.  My area of improvement was my consistent lack of sleep.  According to Harvard’s Women’s Health Watch, 75% of us have disrupted or inadequate sleep at least a few nights a week.  Although the number varies from person to person, on average, most people require 8 hours of sleep per night.    Why is this a problem?  Lack of sleep can lead to the following (and these are just a few):

  • Increased risk for high blood pressure
  • Increased risk for cardiovascular disease
  • Increased risk for obesity
  • Mood disruption
  • Decreased immune function

I just came back from a vacation in Maui and feel wonderful.  I actually got my 8 hours of sleep every night!  It was amazing how much better I felt.  Being in a truly stress free environment really helped me catch up on my sleep, but here are some other ways to increase the amount of hours of sleep daily

  • Decrease the stress in your life at work and at home (I know, easier said than done….)
  • Decrease alcohol intake
  • Decrease caffeine intake, especially before you go to bed
  • Improve environmental conditions (temperature, pillows, mattress, etc.)

Anyone else have any ideas?

 ♥ ♥

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25 Tips to Beat Sugar Cravings

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

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

 

Most of us like sugar more than we should. I know I have a sweet tooth and I find the more I eat the more I want. Sugar has little nutritional value and is high in calories. Diets high in sugar suppress the immune system and can lead to diabetes, kidney and heart problems, weight gain and pre-mature aging.

I have been trying to get my sweet tooth under control and these are some of the techniques I have been using.

  1. Don’t skip meals – preventing blood sugar drops will help prevent cravings.
  2. Drink plenty of water – prevent dehydration, which increases cravings.
  3. Choose whole foods – less processed equals less sugar.
  4. Incorporate protein and fat into eat meal – this will help to control blood sugar.
  5. Have fresh fruit – helps to overcome cravings and the fiber will keep you full.
  6. Chew sugar-free gum – help to satisfy cravings.
  7. Take a walk or exercise – it will take your mind off eating.
  8. Get plenty of sleep – with plenty of sleep you won’t need the boost from sugar.
  9. Remove temptations – don’t keep sugary snacks at home or at work.
  10. Don’t use artificial sweeteners – they will not reduce your desire for sweets.
  11. Learn to use spices – salty, spicy or tart flavors can break a sugar craving.
  12. Read labels – you will be surprised what sugar is in.
  13.  Watch out for sugar in beverages.
  14.  Drink green tea – it helps to stabilize blood sugar.
  15.  Learn all the terms for sugar – molasses, honey, corn sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, etc.
  16.  Remember highly refined carbohydrates like pasta and bread act like sugar in the body.
  17.  Choose quality over quantity – a small piece of good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa content) instead of cookies or a candy bar.
  18.  Limit desserts to once a week as a treat and use portion control.
  19.  Boost your serotonin levels “the happiness hormone’ with exercise and plenty of sleep.
  20.  Take vitamin B – to assist the body with its response to stress because stress drives sugar cravings.
  21.  Take vitamin D – helps to produce serotonin, increasing positive mood.
  22.  Take omega 3 fatty acids – a natural mood enhancer.
  23.  Take chromium – helps the body balance blood sugar.
  24.  Take L-glutamine – curbs sugar cravings.
  25.  When all else fails, try a sugar detox for a week.
What do you do to manage your sugar cravings? Post your replies.
 

♥ ♥

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August 5th – Exercise Log

05 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Exercise Log, General, Healthy Inspirations

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on August 5, 2012

 

8/5/12            Walk/Jog 6 miles √

8/6/12            Jog/Walk 2 miles, Weight Train 15 min √

8/7/12            Piyo 1 hr class √

8/8/12            Jog/Walk 2 miles, Weight Train 15 min √

8/9/12            Off √

8/10/12            Yoga 1 hr class √

8/11/12            Off √

♥ ♥

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Featured Restaurant – Zinc Cafe

02 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in General, Healthy Inspirations, Reviews

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on August 1, 2012
 

Zinc Café

350 Ocean Avenue

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Phone # (949) 494-6302

Website: http://www.zinccafe.com/

Hours:

Market: 7am to 6pm – Everyday
Café: 7am to 4pm – Everyday

 

 Patio

 Patio

Zinc Café in Laguna Beach is one of my favorite places to stop for breakfast or lunch when I am in Laguna. At this location, there is a café with patio dining and a market for take-away meals and treats.

 Cafe Counter

Sabrina and Dre

At the café, orders are placed at the inside counter where Sabrina and Dre greeted us with a friendly smile and took our order. After ordering the trick is to find a table. This can be harder on the weekend but we have always been lucky. I love their patio; it is covered with umbrellas and has a casual, relaxed feel.

For breakfast at the café, they offer many egg dishes, oatmeal, muesli, granola, seasonal fruit bowls, yogurt, French toast, fresh juices, coffee and tea drinks. For lunch the menu features sandwiches, salads, personal size pizzas, quiche, soups, chili and entrees like spinach lasagna and potato enchiladas. There are many vegetarian options.

 

 Quiche

Stuffed Pepper

On our last visit, I had the quiche with a mixed green salad and pea soup. I enjoyed it all. The pea soup was velvety and mellow and the green salad was flavorful. The quiche was tender and the crust was buttery and flakey. My husband had the stuffed pepper with the mixed green salad. The pepper was stuffed with brown rice, celery, mushroom, Swiss chard and seasoned with curry and other spices. It was savory and delicious.

Market

At the market, they have hot and cold drinks, baked goods, cold sandwiches, and deli salads, cheese and wine. We usually take something home and on this trip we got a grilled veggie sandwich. The sandwich was so tasty.

If you find yourself in Laguna Beach, stop by Zinc Café for a healthy and delicious meal.

Thank you to the friendly and helpful staff at Zinc.

 ♥ ♥

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Time Flies When You Are Having Fun! 16th WIAW Already.

01 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in General, Healthy Inspirations

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) 0n August 1, 2012

 

Hello, it’s that time of the week again. Happy “What I Ate Wednesday”! This month we have a new theme and it is “Summer Staples”. Sadly, my post could not be any less summer related. Maybe next week, I will be able to work in our theme. These are my meals from last Monday and I did have some good food. Hope you enjoy my day. Thank you to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting this fun event.

This is what I ate:

Breakfast (7:00am)

I started the day with a wonderful breakfast at a new restaurant in Fullerton called the Early Bird. I had some of their in house roasted coffee that was better than most coffee houses. To eat I had an egg white omelet with asparagus, mushrooms, roasted peppers, oven-dried tomatoes and fontina served with extra crispy hash browns, a broiled tomato and English muffin with butter and jams.

 

 

Lunch (11:30am)

I had Dim Sum at Capital-Seafood in Irvine with my mom and sister. I don’t even know what we had but it was sure good.

 

 

 

Snack (1:00pm)

Since we were right next door to 85° C, we had to stop by for a Sea Salt Coffee. It is such a treat I forgot to take a picture. Here is a photo I found on Pinterest.

 

Dinner (6:00pm)

At home, I made a cheesy pasta dish. It is a recipe I am working on and I hope to share it next week. Link to recipe here.

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

I almost forgot, here is a link to my exercise log for the week. 🙂

♥ ♥

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Non Dairy Ice Cream

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in General, Healthy Inspirations, Recipes

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on July 31, 2012

This was a really fun treat that I made for our dialysis patients that are unable to consume any dairy products due to their dietary restrictions.  It is also a great recipe for those that are lactose intolerant.  Mocha mix used to make a non dairy ice cream but the product was discontinued.  It was great to see our patients enjoy something they thought they could never have again.  If you have an ice cream maker, you can make this at home.   I borrowed Jennifer’s…thanks Jen!!!!!

Ingredients

1 cup low cholesterol egg product

½ cup sugar

2 cups non dairy creamer (I used Mocha Mix)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Rock salt and ice (for ice cream maker)

Preparation

  • Using a 1 quart, microwaveable bowl, beat egg product and sugar until well blended.
  • Stir in non-dairy creamer and microwave for 1 minute, or until mixture thickens.
  • Remove from heat.  When cool, stir in vanilla
  • Pour mixture into the center container of the ice cream maker
  • Layer ice and rock salt around container alternating layers until bucket is full.
  • Process according to manufacturer’s instructions for your particular maker

 ♥ ♥

 

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July 29th – Exercise Log

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Exercise Log, General, Healthy Inspirations

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on July 29, 2012

 

7/29/12            Walk/Hike 6 miles √

7/30/12            Jog/Walk 2 miles, Weight Train 15 min √

7/31/12            Piyo 1 hr class √

8/1/12            Jog/Walk 2 miles, Weight Train 15 min √

8/2/12            Yoga 1 hr class √

8/3/12            Jog/Walk 2 miles, Weight Train 15 minutes √

8/4/12            Off √

♥ ♥

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Food Safety Made Easy!

27 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in General, Healthy Inspirations

≈ 2 Comments

Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on July 27, 2012

My cousins purchased this for me last Christmas.  It is really neat.  Not only is it compact, but is attractive enough to leave out on the counter.  There is a different colored cutting board for raw meat, cooked food, seafood, and produce.  It’s a great way to avoid cross contamination.  I know this is thinking ahead, but I am thinking of purchasing some for Christmas gifts for my friends that love to cook. You can purchase them at Gourmet cooking stores such as Sur La Table, but I found them priced for under $40 on amazon.com!

 ♥ ♥

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WIAW #15!

24 Tuesday Jul 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on July 25, 2012

 

Hello, everyone! Happy “What I Ate Wednesday”! I am sharing my eats from Monday. And this was not normal Monday because I went to a little party given by a study buddy of mine, Christine. Hope you enjoy my day. Thank you to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting this lovely event, I look forward to it every week no matter what is going on in my life.

This is what I ate:

 Breakfast (6:30am)

I started with fresh brewed coffee and I guess it was good because I almost forgot to even get a picture. And I made Trader Joe’s frozen mini croissants for the first time. They were so good, I almost wish I had not tried them because they are too easy to make. I used a little strawberry jam that came in our CSA box last week. It was also good.

 

AM Snack (9:30am)

A small green salad and made with what ever I had on hand. I made the salad dressing with some Greek yogurt with rice vinegar and some seasoning (the dressing was just OK).

Lunch (11:30am)

At a new favorite restaurant called Green2Go in Brea. I had their Angus natural beef burger in a lettuce wrap and it was very tasty. They have a lot of salad I want to try too.

PM Snack (2:30pm)

At Starbucks a decaf iced soy latte.

Dinner (6:00pm)

Christina’s parties always have lots of food. Christina’s mom made meatballs, lasagna, and other pasta dishes that were all good. Her sister Carol was in charge of desserts and they were all tasty as well.

The buffet

 

 

 

 My Plate

 Jennifer (the RD)

 Christina (our hostess)

 Partygoers at the buffet

All to all it was a good day. July’s WIAW theme is “Fun, Food and Fitness” and here is a link to my weekly exercise log. Thank you for stopping by. I hope your day was full of healthy meals.

 ♥ ♥

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