The Cure for Breakfast

Aug 23rd, 2010

Breakfast is a tough meal to get together every day – so I make it up ahead of time, usually Sunday evening.  Here are three of my favorite breakfasts that can be made up to eat at home or take to the office.

Favorite Breakfast #1

This week I made 5 to-go containers of Greek yogurt with fresh and frozen fruits:   pineapple, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Then, when I open a container for breakfast, I sprinkle crushed almonds on top. It’s SO good. My friend Layla turned me on to it!

Favorite Breakfast #2

When I’m eating smoothies for breakfast, I do basically the same thing.  I make up small baggies for the week with all the fruit I’m going to dump into the blender in the morning so I don’t have to open up several large baggies of frozen fruit every morning.  I just open up one that has all the mixed berries in it that I’m going to blend. 

Favorite Breakfast #3

Another good breakfast also uses the meal kit idea.  I put a mix of whole grain cereals in meal-sized containers – enough for a week.  They’re portable and guarantee a yummy meal.   I keep a container of milk or rice milk in the refrigerator so I’m good to go.

If you’re challenged to eat breakfast every morning, try these fast breakfast ideas.

Do you have any fast, healthy breakfast ideas to share?  See the comment link below?  Go there and share.

Crazy One Pan Dinner

Jun 3rd, 2010

I’m a lazy cook and I don’t really like fish.  With that disclaimer out of the way, let me tell you what a delight I cooked up in one pan – it involved fish and cooking and I lived to tell the story.  Though I did die and go to heaven when I ate it.

I really don’t know what I’m doing half the time when I’m cooking but I’m a risk taker and follow my intuition.   My intuition is a powerful tool – thankfully I listen to it now and then.

I wish I had a video to show you how I made this meal, but it was so tasty I didn’t want it to get cold while I fooled around.  Speaking of fooling around, let me get to the point.

My one pan meal….

I added olive oil and a splash of sesame oil to the skillet.  Next I added the following chopped veggies:

• fresh pea pods (from the farmers’ market)
• fresh asparagus (ditto)
• zucchini – quartered and chopped
• minced fresh ginger and garlic

Then…now this is the genius part…I cleared a spot amongst the veggies and added a 4 ounce slab of cod.  Why dirty two pans?  The lazy cook in me got creative and started thinking…hey the veggies and fish would take about the same amount of time to cook, why not use one pan?  I was right!  I love it when that happens.

Next, I added a splash of tamari (you can use soy sauce) and a touch of water because the pan was starting to get dry. 

After about 4 minutes I added a large handful of fresh spinach around the edges of the fish.  It got too complicated trying to stir the spinach around the fish so I chunked the fish up and gently stirred.

Then, I added a half cup or so of brown rice prepared the night before (for just such an occasion). 

Finally, I squirted about a quarter of a fresh lemon over the works, added a bit of salt and pepper,  and heated it all through.  In less than 10 minutes I was eating a fabulous one pan meal. 

Look at all the amazing things here:  I don’t like fish, yet I loved this meal.  I am a lazy cook, but I prepared this delightful meal in 10 minutes.  I don’t like cleanup and had just one pan and wooden spoon to wash.  The bowl and fork went into the dishwasher leaving plenty of time for my 45 minute walk with Toby.   Life is good!

How do you speed up the process of cooking…..as you make delightful, healthy meals?

How to Make Veggies Taste Good

Jun 2nd, 2010

On my way to the farmers’ market this morning, I asked a colleague if he was headed there too.  “No, it’s too green for me.  I’ll wait for the corn.” 

I know that’s the way a lot of people feel.  Heck, I used to feel that way myself.  When my mother asked us kids what vegetable we wanted for dinner, I always hollared out CORN.  My loud, quick, standard response annoyed my sister, now a vegetarian, because she wanted to eat different kinds of vegetables.   Not me!  She was a budding vegetarian way back then and I was a full blown carnivore.  I’ve since learned to like vegbetables.  If you don’t like vegetables, there’s hope.  But you’ll need some help. 

I’ve got two suggestions that can change the way you look at fruits and vegetables.

1. The Produce for Better Health Foundation has listed their “Top 10 Healthy Ways to Cook Fruits & Vegetables.” The list is fabulous, not the usual boring suggestions. 
2. In the Fruit & Vegetable Video Center on the same site, Michael Marks, The Produce Man, stars in 101 wonderful, short videos.  He shows you how to shop for produce, prepare it, and make it taste great – all in less than a minute per video.  He’s funny too.  He also provides recipes and other tips.  Check out these super short videos.  You can watch  a handful on your break. 

Do you like veggies?  Why?  Why not?  Any yummy veggie tips to share at the comment link below? 

Quick, Healthy Brunch

May 28th, 2010

I made a wonderful, quick, healthy meal to start my Memorial Day weekend celebration and I made a super short video to share with you.   If the space below is blank, that probably means your employer is blocking youtube.com.  If that’s the case, you can watch it on your home computer.  The “recipe” is below the video.

Egg Stir Fry

Sautee a combinations of veggies (your favorites) in a little olive oil.  Here’s what I put in my version:

Pea pods

Mushrooms

Asparagus

Garlic

Green onion

Spinach

Cilantro

Avocado

For one serving, use 1-2 eggs whisked with a little milk or nondairy milk (almond milk, soy milk, etc.)

Cucumber Salad

Peel cucumber and slice or chop cucumber into a small dish.  Add a small amount of cilantro (optional) and salad dressing.  I added fresh squeezed orange to mine and a little salt and pepper.  Very flavorful.

Curious….does this sound good to you?  What fast meal ideas can you share?

Day 32 Get Focused, Know What You Want, and You Shall Have it

Apr 29th, 2010

Spring Clean Your Body

“We are here for a higher purpose – and when our passion and focus are unshakably on the target, we can achieve against all odds.”

2008 NFL Hall of Fame-Nominated place kicker
Nick Lowery

When you’ve had a tough day and you want a candy bar or a beer, remember your goal.  What choice will bring you closer to your goal?  When our goals are clear, this kind of choice is easier.  When our goals are fuzzy, our default is to go for comfort and immediate gratification.  Being clear about our goals makes success possible.

Get out a piece of paper and write your goal on it.  Be as specific and clear as you can be.  What do you want, why do you want it, how will you achieve it, and how will you feel when you achieve it (or when you don’t).  And then write what your most likely obstacles will be and what you will do when each of them surfaces…because they WILL surface.

Because I’m a wellness practitioner, one of my goals is to walk the talk.  I want to be the picture of health and wellness, and I want to be able to say “follow me, I’m practicing good health and wellness behaviors.”  If l say one thing and do another, what help am I to you?  Since my passion is to help people live healthy, happy lives…in this lifetime, I need to be on that path myself.  Having a clear goal, taking action, and staying focused on the benefits is my 3-step plan for success.  I’m not always 100% successful, but this goal keeps me moving forward.

What is your plan for success?  What keeps you on the path?  Share your thoughts at the comment link below.

Day 31 Reminder of Where We Started…and Where We’re Going

Apr 27th, 2010

Spring Clean Your Body

Thirty-one days ago I invited blog readers to join me in a 6-week blog series called Spring Clean Your Body.  Now, I want to welcome new readers and give you a quick review of where we started and where we’re going.  You can also begin the series by scrolling down to read Day 1, 2, 3, etc.

After being cooped up over the winter months, eating richer winter foods and laying on an extra layer of fat, I thought it would feel really good to do a 6-week body cleanse.  I’ve been writing about my experiences in this series.

Here’s a quick summary of foods and beverages I have decided to avoid for at least 6 weeks:

• Processed, packaged foods
• Coffee
• Sweets
• Gluten
• Dairy
• Alcohol

If this sounds challenging, you’re right.  It has been.  I need more practice—that’s why I’m extending the series beyond the six weeks until the end of spring.

I was inspired to do this cleansing program by Dr. Mark Hyman’s books, The UltraMind Solution and UltraMetabolism.  He practices functional medicine which means he looks at the entire body, not just body parts or a single system, to determine how the entire body is functioning.  Dr. Hyman recognizes that everything is connected to everything.  If one part of the body isn’t working, other parts of the body are affected.  In fact, all parts of the body are affected.  I highly recommend these books if you’re interested in taking this body cleanse thing seriously.

Diet, exercise, quality sleep, stress management, and self-care are all critical components of living a healthy, happy life.  So all of these topics will be addressed in this series.   I’ll share my personal experiences as well as tips and tricks that may help you with your own body spring cleaning project.

I invite you to freely share your comments and experiences at the comment link below.  And if you have specific topics you would like me to cover, please let me know those as well.

Day 26 Noticing Healthy Changes

Apr 23rd, 2010

Spring Clean Your Body

I took the day off so I indulged in reading for several hours while sipping hot green tea.  I never thought I’d be a green tea drinker.  As I’m getting used to it, it tastes better and better.  Knowing that it’s also really good for me adds an additional incentive to stick with it.

It’s really reinforcing to me to notice improvements in my body, mind, and spirit while doing this body spring cleaning project. 

Here are a few things I’m noticing:

• I used to sweat quite a bit.  But in recent years, I rarely sweat – it sounds good, but it’s actually not a sign of good health.  In the sauna today, I sweated a good deal which shows my health is improving.  I was very happy!
• Also, when I stick to my whole foods diet, I do not crave sweets, junk food, or fast food.  When I stray from whole foods, a whole host of cravings kicks in.  Every day that goes by that I don’t crave low quality foods, I am happy and try to acknowledge it as a sign of success.
• With a clean, whole foods diet, my processes of elimination work perfectly, as intended.
• After a day of taking good care of myself, I feel good about myself.  Quietly pleased.
• When I’m really on the wellness path, I get new ideas for ways to take better care of myself.  When I’m on a worseness path, i get more ideas for ways to take worse care of myself.  I like the wellness path better.
• My mood is definitely elevated when I eat whole foods and stick to my healthy living plan:  healthy diet, exercise, stress management, and good self-care.  It takes a little time to do these things but the payoff is exponential.

How is your Spring Cleanse going?  Any news to report?  Any new signs of health and healing? Click the “comment” link below and share your experiences.

Day 23 Avocado and Egg Salad

Apr 20th, 2010

Spring Clean Your Body

This weekend I was introduced to an interesting egg salad filling with avocado.  You may think that you shouldn’t eat avocados because they’re high in fat and therefore high in calories.  The calories are good calories, though, because avocados are nutrient dense and are a high quality fat.

I made a good guess about what to put in the batch I made tonight.  It’s very tasty, and I thought you’d like to make it too.  You can make substitutions according to foods  you have on hand and your personal preferences – I’ve made several recommendations for substitutions.

Avocado and Egg Salad

3 or 4 hard boiled eggs (sliced or chunked)

1 avocado (peeled and diced in large chunks)

1-2 scallions rough chopped

Dressing

2-3 Tablespoons Mayonnaise or Nayonaise (made with soy)

Stir in a little milk, soy milk, or almond breeze (almond milk) to make it a little thinner.  I used Almond Breeze.

A tablespoon of spicy brown mustard (or any kind of mustard, or no mustard)

Salt and Pepper to taste

I’m planning to eat mine on gluten free crackers (Martha’s Gone Crackers), on celery sticks, and as a side dish with my salad.

If you make this, let me know how it turned out and if you made a different version (comment at the link below).  I think you could go crazy substituting and making several different versions.  If you don’t go too crazy, even kids would like it.

Day 17 More Healthy, Fast Food Meals

Apr 14th, 2010

I keep wanting to tell you about what I’m eating because even I’m surprised by how easy and fast my meals have been to prepare.  When you live a busy life, cooking can seem like a big chore.  It doesn’t have to be.  Here’s what I ate for dinner today:

Spicy Bean Tostadas

I purchased GMO free natural corn tortillas that were not crisp so I crisped them up on a skillet—either dry or a little oil.

I heated a few tablespoons of organic refried beans in a small pan and added several spoonfuls of salsa

After smearing the hot beans on the tortilla I topped it with chopped avocado, green onion, chopped cilantro and a bit more pico de gallo.

Two of them filled me up and provided the perfect amount of fat, protein, and carbohydrate.  They were so good I’m going to have them again tomorrow night.

The entire prep & cook process took about 10 minutes.  I couldn’t drive to Taco Bell that fast!

Please Comment:

What healthy things have you been eating for breakfast, lunch of dinner?  Do tell….at the comment link below.

FREE RESOURCE

I received a sweet email from someone who uses resources from CherylMillerVille and wanted to share it with you:

“I know you’re often sharing cool resources with your list and I wanted to send you a mini e-book I’ve written that would fit perfectly with your post on “Eating on the Road.”  My e-book isn’t for sale, it’s a gift I give to my list and I thought maybe your group might benefit from the content too.”

http://www.reasonablediet.com/pdf/vacation.pdf 9 Great Tips for a Diet Friendly Vacation

I read it just now and I think you’ll find it helpful.

Day 15 Handling Special (Food) Events

Apr 11th, 2010

Spring Clean Your Body

Recently, I celebrated my birthday.  Birthdays and holidays present special eating challenges.  There are family celebrations featuring a host of temptations—abundant food displays, high fat options, desserts, expectations, etc.  Thankfully, for my birthday there was no birthday cake.  In fact, the friends I usually celebrate with were out of town so I did not have a lot of temptations.  But I noticed that eating out several times this week, even selecting the healthiest options on the menu, activated food cravings.  I’ve been doing so well I thought I had escaped the cravings.  Not so much!

Besides eating out a couple of times, I’ve also gotten less sleep than I need.  My mother called for my birthday and we talked until past 11am.  The alarm woke me at 6am … I was tired and ready to roll over.Sprin

As you have probably heard from the recovery field, it’s not a good idea to get Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired (HALT) and I was 3 of the 4.  To recover and regain my balance, I went to bed the next night at 8:30 to read and fall asleep early.  You’ve heard that life looks much better after a good  night’s sleep.

What do you do when you have cravings?  Do you cave in?  Distract yourself?  Go to sleep?  Tell us at the comment link below.