I'm a total sucker when it comes to...

I try to make the right decisions when it comes to my health but sometimes I'm tempted by things that I know aren’t very good for me… like fried rice.  I'm a total sucker when it comes to fried rice.  I can’t help it.  I ask for it to be made with brown rice when it’s available and I get the “vegetable” fried rice but let’s be honest, there aren’t many vegetables in there. 

So, when I do indulge in fried rice, I add some of my own sautéed vegetables to make it healthier. 

This way I’m getting more nutrients, I feel better about eating it and it increases the portion so I have some leftover for the next day.

Of course this only works if you make your fried rice at home, get take out or if you bring home leftovers when you dine out.  But, this philosophy of making an indulgence healthier can apply to whatever your weakness is.  For example, if you love spaghetti and meatballs, use whole wheat, spinach or spelt pasta and blend bell peppers, spinach, carrots, celery and fresh herbs into your sauce.  If you can’t live without ice cream, limit it to 1-2 scoops of the best organic ice cream you can afford and top it off with some almonds or almond butter so you’re getting some protein and fiber as well as slowing down the absorption of the sugar. 

We don’t make the best decisions all of the time, that’s just human nature, but we can try to make our less than perfect choices better.

Have a great weekend!

The weekend in pictures.

This weekend, my sister, Meg, came to visit me and my sister, Bryn.  We had lots of fun... and lots of food!  The only thing missing was our oldest sister, Lauren.

Friday.

We headed out to Maplewood, NJ...

for an amazing vegetarian dinner (portobello mushroom sandwiches,mixed greens and roasted sweet potatoes) with old friends...

and their new additions.

Saturday.

A train ride to Long Island for an Easter celebration with extended family.

Sunday.

Brunch at Bubby's in Brooklyn... Mom & Dad's treat.  Thank you!

A walk on the Promenade in DUMBO.

 

Ice Cream at Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

I didn't have any but I found this sign amusing...

Manicures. We all got the same color. Color Club's Peace Out Purple...Love it!  We forgot to take a picture of all of our nails but here is one I found online to show you the color.

A quick stop at a friends rooftop deck.

Dinner on the roof at Alma. 

We shared vegetable fajitas.

Monday.

Shopping.  Meg and I found a great dress on sale for $20 at the Gap and we all got the same shirt from Joe Fresh. Then, lunch at the New York landmark, Lombardi's...

and a bite-size treat from Baked by Melissa.

I made my favorite vegetarian tacos for everyone for dinner before heading off to Pier 40 to watch Bryn and Arnel play soccer.

Despite all of the eating we did, I still finished Week 1 down 2lbs and with 5 workouts logged.  I hardly checked my email all weekend (which felt amazing and liberating) but I have to admit that I do have some anxiety about catching up and replying to all of them now.  This would be a great time for me to start practicing that meditative yoga I was thinking about...

Have a great day!

Same Food, Different Meals

When I don't plan ahead, grocery shopping seems to take me forever because I just wander around wondering what I should buy. Then I always end up buying too much or forgetting something and having to go back several times in a week and let's face it, who really has time to go to the grocery more than once or twice a week?  I know I don't.  So, I've been trying to become a  more efficient grocery shopper.

When I cook a lot of different recipes that require vastly different ingredients I found that it cost a lot of $$$ and that we couldn't possibly consume everything before it went bad.  So now, I've been planning ahead.  Each week I choose 2-3 recipes/meals that I know I'm going to prepare and I make a list of all of the necessary ingredients.  Then, I select 3-5 items to supplement those ingredients.

For example, this week I knew I was going to be making green smoothies and vegetarian tacos which require:
Green Smoothies:  spinach, kale, cucumbers, celery, carrots, apples, lemon/lime juice.
Vegetarian Tacos:  black beans, refried beans, rice, grape tomatoes, spinach, olives, onions, avocado, lime juice, wraps
Supplemental Ingredients: portobello mushrooms, marinated beets and orange & yellow bell peppers. 

From these ingredients I was able to create multiple lunches and dinners:
Sunday Night- Vegetarian Tacos
Monday Lunch- Vegetarian Taco leftovers
Tuesday Lunch- Celery, Cucumber, Beet and Avocado salad (see recipe below)
Tuesday Dinner- Burritos w/sauteed Onions, Bell Peppers and Mushrooms with leftover Rice in a Wrap
Wed Lunch- Burrito 'salad' (the last of the Rice with the leftover sauteed Onions, Peppers and Mushrooms sans wrap)
Wed Dinner- Spinach Salad with grilled Portobello Mushroom, chopped Celery, Grape Tomatoes and Vinagrette
Daily- Green Smoothies
Daily Snack- chopped Carrots and Bell Peppers

Cucumber, Celery, Beet, Avocado Salad

1. Chop celery, cucumbers, beets and combine in a bowl
2. Add juice of 1/2 lime and salt & pepper to taste.
3. Let marinate for an hour (or longer) in the fridge
4. Add sliced avocado and enjoy!

Vegetarian Burritos

1. Cut onion, mushrooms and peppers into long thin slices
2. Saute onions over med-high heat until they start to get soft and translucent
3. Add peppers and mushrooms and saute for approximately 2 minutes
4. Fill wraps with rice and then layer on the sauteed veggies.
5. Add hot sauce (optional), roll up and enjoy!



These aren't the fanciest recipes but they're simple to make, they taste good and we utilize all of the food we buy so it saves us $ and we aren't wasting food.   Just be creative with the ingredients you purchase and with what you have on hand at home. For example, if you have whole wheat pasta in the pantry, you could put the leftover sauteed onions, mushrooms and peppers over pasta with chopped grape tomatoes, olive oil and salt & pepper.

Have a great day!

Recap from Day 1/30

Monday, April 2, 2012
I went to my total body conditioning class at the gym this morning.  Yeah!  I love it once I'm there... sometimes it's just hard to motivate to get there.  Then I had some organic green tea and a toasted Morning Round with fresh ground almond butter, cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.  So good... it's definitely my breakfast of choice right now!

Lunch was a vegetarian soft taco... leftovers from the dinner I made for us on Sunday night.

For a snack I had a Green Smoothie.  I've been making so many for other people lately (which I am so excited about!) that I haven't been making any for myself so I was really looking forward to having one.

For dinner, my husband ordered a pizza.  I had no intention of eating any but he put a piece in front of me while I was on a call for school.  I held off until I was finished and then I ate one piece... but I made sure I slowed down and enjoyed it.  Although I was tempted to eat more just because it was there, I didn't.  Last month, I would have eaten all 3 pieces without even thinking about it.  Crazy how conscious decision making can change the outcome of a situation.

So day 1 is over.  I cooked a meal for us (even though it was on Sunday, I am still counting it... a mere technicality), I worked out and I was in bed by 11:30.  Not a bad start.

xo
Kristin

PS- Speaking of school, I'm almost done!  I will graduate this month from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and will be able to spend more time and energy on Fresh Equation and my Health Coaching adventures.  Stay tuned...

We all want to live long, healthy lives, right?

We all want to live long, healthy lives.  We want to wake up each day full of energy and excitement, feeling good and looking good, right?  Maintaining a healthy weight and feeling energetic is so important to us, yet our workouts and healthy eating are the first things that seem to fall to the way side when we get busy.

Over the past month, between work, school, health workshops, health coaching, making green smoothies for the office and keeping up with my normal day to day life (i.e. grocery shopping, doing laundry, cleaning, checking email, hanging out with my husband, etc...) my self-care has taken a back seat.  Working out, getting enough sleep and eating healthy definitely hasn't been a priority and I can feel and see the difference.  I have dark circles under my eyes, an extra 5lbs on my hips and a lack of energy that has driven me back to coffee.  I don't like it and I acknowledge that it's no one else's responsibility or fault except mine.  I know that only I can make the decision to change it and to prioritize what's most important to me each and every day.  There is no shortcut, no quick fix, no pill or fad diet that will give me the life or body I want. Only I can make the right choices to achieve that.  

So, I'm hitting the reset button.  Over the next 30 days, I'm going to re-focus my priorities and get clear on my goals.  I'm going to make choices congruent with the change I want to see and the life I want to live.

My goals for April:
1. Workout at least 4 times a week
2. Cook a healthy dinner for me and my husband 3 times a week
3. Lose 10lbs to get back to my ideal weight
4. Go to bed by 11:30pm
5. Practice meditative yoga twice a week
6. Only check email (on my phone, ipad or laptop) when I have the time to respond immediately

I am sharing my goals with you in hopes that I will inspire you to set your own personal 30 day health goals... even just one or two.  I will keep you posted on my progress and hope that you will do the same. 

Cheers to a happy, healthy April!
xx
Kristin