fighting the common cold.

It’s that time of year again…

I’m not actualy sick.  Yet.  But it’s happening.  I can feel it.

My eyes are starting to burn.  My throat feels like pea soup.  A 3-mile run left me beat.

Tonight, I didn’t even cook.

I just threw some Dr. Praegger’s veggie burgers on the pan along with some whole wheat hamburger buns.

Nothing pretty.  Nothing fancy.

Just simple and tasty.

With a little last-minute help from the broiler. ;)

With all these colds and flu’s floating around, I wanted to share some tips on how to stay healthy through the cold and flu season.

Of course, there’s no guarentee that these things will keep you from getting sick (cough, cough…obviously!…cough, cough,) but they sure do help.

Did you know that having just one mild vitamin deficiency can make all the difference in having a great versus a poor immune system?

While many people turn to supplements (or gallons and gallons of orange juice,) there’s no prescription quite like an overall healthy diet filled with plenty of whole grains, dark green veggies, legumes, fish, yellow fruits and veggies, etc.  Getting plenty of sleep, staying hydrated, and getting a daily dose of exercise are also key in keeping your body healthy and protected.  It won’t prevent you from ever getting sick, but it will provide defense and it will help you get better quicker.

In other words, don’t want until you get sick (or start popping those vitamin C pills!) to fight back.  Feed your body what it needs with real, nutrient dense foods and it will reward you with good health.

When you do get sick, continue eating well.  Take light walks as you’re able.  And forget those vitamin C pills!  Although this is an important vitamin in keeping a healthy immunity, there has been no proven benefit to overdosing on this vitamin; one orange will provide almost your entire day’s intake of vitamin C.

Feed your body well.  It knows how to take care of itself. ;)

QUESTION: How do you “fight back” when you get the cold/flu?  I try to stay well hydrated and well nourished.  I also absolutely crave oranges, tea and veggies when I’m sick.  And, unless I’m really sick, I find that small walks throughout the day make me feel eons better.  :D

Happy Valentines!

Another big, b-i-g, BIG interview this afternoon.

Another day of feeling utterly exhausted and spent afterwards (what IS it about interviews that does this to a person?)

Another 3 mile run to bring my mind back to planet earth.

Busy, busy, busy.

But!!

Never too busy to wish you all a very HAPPY Valentine’s Day and to say know how much I appreciate each and every one of you!!!  :D

HAPPY VALENTINES!!!

chocolate truffles.

You guys sure know your coconut!!!!

Coconut pancakes.

Coconut macaroons.

Coconut bread.

Coconut rice.

I’m going to be cooking with a lot of coconut this month. ;)

Many people wonder if coconut is okay to eat or not, so here’s my gist of it all…

More and more studies are showing that not all saturated fats are created equal, and when it comes to coconut, the fats appear to be on the good side.

Although the studies are still in their infancy stages, and although I would still recommend moderation when it comes to eating coconut, coconut is made up mostly of what’s called “medium chain fatty acids.”  That is, the fat is small enough that it can be absorbed directly into our body and it can be used as energy, without the need to be further broken down or carried through the lymphatic system in our bodies.

The theory, then, is that coconut is good for us in moderation, just like all fats.  Some studies have even shown a rise in women’s good cholesterol when they used coconut oil over sunflower oil.

That’s good news for us coconut lovers. ;)

When I asked what I should do with the big bag of coconut that’s fallen into my lap, someone mentioned that I should make coconut macaroons.

And.  Well.

That’s how this recipe started out.

But then the melted chocolate didn’t really melt all the way, and after my initial gruff reaction, this kind of left me excited.

Because there were big chunks of chocolate and I thought it might be good to just put the coconut on the outside as a garnish and leave the chocolaty chunks well enough alone.

This left me with two chocolate bites for after dinner tonight…

…a couple more frozen ones for tomorrow night…

…and lots (lots, lots, lots!!) of coconut left to play with for next week’s breakfasts and dinners and everything else in between.

Sigh.  Here’s to coconut and all its possibilities. 

Chocolate Truffles–idea from Cinch Diet Plan by Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, CSSD

These taste even better chilled/frozen!

I used salted almond butter, but if you have an unsalted variety, just add a pinch of sea salt if desired.  These are so rich that one or two will satisfy.  Save the leftovers for the next night (provided you manage to keep other family members away!) ;)

  • 1/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 3 tsp olive oil
  • 3 tsp almond butter
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon + pinch of ginger if desired
  • shredded, unsweetened coconut
  1. Rinse a glass bowl with water and place on table without wiping dry.  Add chocolate chips and place in microwave for 15 seconds.  Stir and return for another 5-10 seconds if needed.
  2. Add oil, almond butter and spices, stirring well until smooth and it begins to form a ball.  Dough will be very soft!
  3. Scoop onto waxed paper, sprinkle with coconut and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.  Store on waxed paper in sealed container, in fridge or freezer.  Enjoy!

QUESTION: When it comes to chocolate, are you more attracted to dark and rich or milky and sweet?  I tend to mostly go for the dark, but occasionally I like a bit of something milky!

a bag of coconut.

I’ve been given a big bag of unsweetened, shredded coconut as an early bird Valentine’s gift from mom.

Aside from eating it in trail mixes…

…and toasting a handful of it in the oven, as a soul satisfying splash to my morning bowl of oats…

…what do you think I should I do with it?

QUESTION: What is your favorite way to dish up coconut?

A Day of Good Eats.

The dietitian side of me is always curious to see what other people are eating on a daily basis, so I figured that it might be fun to have a day of showing what I’m eating from morning till night.

Some days are different (i.e., I like ice cream and french fries too!) but for the most part, this is a pretty typical pattern.

Especially the night time chocolate snack, which is an absolute MUST.  Chocolate has heart health benefits and it keeps my cravings at bay.  So yes.  That makes chocolate a must, must, must in my life. ;)

7:00am Breakfast

Breakfast this morning was 1/4 cup oatmeal cooked with 1 cup water and lots of spice, in the form of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.   I cooked the oats for about 3 minutes in the microwave, with 1/2 a banana.  The other half was served on top, along with 2 Tbsp. almond butter.

Plus a glass of vanilla soy milk on the side for some extra protein and a calcium boost.

8:00am Break
Gotta get my daily coffee fix!
I used to only drink sweetened coffee until discovering that the sweetness of soy milk was enough to satisfy me.  And now I’m turned on to unsweetened almond milk, which gives the coffee a nice nutty flavor (without any added sweeteners.)
10:30am Break
A cup of apple spiced tea after a brisk 45 minute morning walk.
11:00am Lunch
Grocery shopping came later in the afternoon, which meant I had to (literally) scrounge around the fridge to make today’s lunch.
Thankfully, there were plenty of mixed greens left, so I had a large plate of that with a diced carrot, about 1/4 cup salsa, 1/2 cup beans, 2 Tbsp walnut pieces and 2 Wasa Sourdough crackers crumbled on top.  Lemon juice and fresh black pepper completed the deal for a surprisingly satisfying (and filling!) lunch.
3:00pm Snack
There’s something about a parfait that makes everything seem so special.  Something about spooning crunchy sweet bits of berries, granola and yogurt out of a large jar that is just so irresistibly fun!
Today’s parfait included layers of about 1 cup plain, fat free yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon, 1 cup of strawberries and 1/4 cup homemade granola.  
Layers of goodness.
5:30pm Break
Drinking licorice tea while making dinner!
6:15pm Dinner
Thursdays can be a bit insane around here, so I made dinner simple tonight.
In a 400 degree oven, I roasted 1 chopped kabocha squash, 10 brusses sprouts (halved,) 1 large fennel bulb (sliced thin), 5 cloves garlic (peeled and sliced,) 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar and 2 pinches of crushed red pepper in the oven for 40 minutes, flipping half way through the cooking time.
Once that was ready, I simply scooped about 2 cups worth of veggies on top of about 1/2 cup cooked rice.  The finishing touch was 1/4 cup 50% reduced fat cheddar cheese and 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds.
You can’t go wrong with any combination of roasted veggies, healthy fats, protein and a whole grain underneath.
Sometimes simple really is best!
8:00pm Snack
Daily chocolate fix = handful of Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate covered almonds.
Yummy finish.
QUESTION: Do your days seem to follow a pretty “set” pattern as far as your eating habits go?  I don’t follow any hard and fast rules but I will almost always (1) have some form of produce with each snack/meal, (2) have a piece of some form of dark chocolate and (3) eat every 3-4 hours to keep my metabolism humming and to keep feelings of starvation away.  These simple three guidelines keep me happy. :D

active and shopping.

Yesterday’s workout:

5 mile run.

Today’s workout:

6 hours of retail therapy.

And for the life of me, I just can’t decide which I enjoy more. ;)

Today’s Steals and Deals:

H&M polka dot peasant blouse, $13

H&M Black and White Floral T, $10

The Loft’s green 4-inch shorts, $39.95

(thinking summer already :mrgreen: )

JCPenney Top, $18

I think I was following some sort of color scheme!

You can really get a lot of walking in during a full day of shopping.

And there’s lots to show for it at the end of the day.

What’s not to love about that? ;)

QUESTION: What activity have YOU been most enjoying lately?  I’ve really been getting back into a running groove, which I’m really excited about.  I’d also like to reintroduce the 100-day burpee challenge (and actually stick with it!)

Sunday’s Superbowl Snippets

Yesterday was a very sad day for Patriots football fans everwhere.

(but a very GOOD day for Giants fans… ;) )

I think the poor men folk are still recovering.

At least there was plenty of good food around.

(and that’s just the appetizer table!)

Never mind the chili, meatballs, chicken, baked beans, etc.

And Nicole’s baked onion rings, which I am hopelessly addicted to!

I’m obsessed!

Seriously.  Nicole knows by now to just place the onion ring platter right in front of me.  It’s a little ridiculous how much I love these things.

As for the game?  Well.  I wish I could partake in all the superbowl excitement, but honestly, I’m more excited about seeing everyone, eating good food and playing with a certain cat named Stitch.

I did get into the game a little bit though.

I mean.

I didn’t end up pulling out the Real Simple magazines that I had toted along just in case the game got boring.  The game was so close, I didn’t even have a chance to get bored.  Maybe I have an inner football fan somewhere, trying to get out.  Maybe. ;)

Time for me to get to work after a long (fun) weekend!!!

QUESTION: Did you watch the superbowl last night?  Are you a sports fan?

Fitness Friday

I always tell people that I’m not competitive.

At all.

In fact, if someone is racing me up a hill (even in an actual race,) I simply let them pass.  There is absolutely no rise in my inner, deep-down, somewhere-hiding competitive spirit.

But then again.

This isn’t entirely true.

I am  competitive.

Just not with other people.

I’m competitive with me.  I want my fitness to continuously grow stronger each year.  I want to increase my strength.  Increase my endurance.

Last year, I ran my first half marathon.

I was practicing yoga twice a week, running on average 20 miles a week.

I was on.top.of.the.world.

Now?

Now I’m just getting back into the groove after a lay off due to injuries.

And honestly, it’s not easy seeing a weaker version of myself out on the roads.  My speed has dropped.  I’m heaving on hills.  During yoga, I enter child’s pose more often than I care to admit.

(I imagine this must be what the competitive person feels when their arch nemesis beats them by a mile. ;) )

Fast forward to this morning.

I was out for a testy 6-mile run, something I haven’t done before achilles tendonitis flared its ugly head.

I started to warm up.

I felt slow but I felt good.  And mile after mile, none of that other seemingly silly self-competitive stuff seemed to matter.

My shoulders relaxed.

Tension escaped with one strong, windy breeze.

The sand crunched like glass beneath my feet.

I could almost taste the fragrant smells of pine and dirt and rainy day puddles.

The world appeared to be asleep.

But I wasn’t.  Not today.

It was one step.  One step at a time.

I was becoming the very best of me.

Polenta Casserole with Winter Squash and Greens–modified from a Moosewood Restaurant’s Cooking For Health Cookbook

After a run or a tough workout, it’s nice to fill up with something warm, satisfying, and deeply nutritious.

I have been completely sold on the casserole bandwagon lately.  I like that once all the prep work is done, I have time to clean up, do dishes and set the table while dinner just cooks itself.  The prep work takes some time, but the recipe is worth the effort now and then.

I used kabocha squash for this recipe, but feel free to use butternut, acorn or another form of winter squash.  Also feel free to use whatever green you have on hand in place of the kale and/or another favorite type of cheese in place of cheddar.  Enjoy!

Polenta Layer

  • 2-1/3 cups water
  • 2/3 cup whole grain cornmeal (not instant polenta)
  • 2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Greens Layer
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 medium/large bunches of stemmed and chopped kale
  • 1/4 cup water
Squash Layer
  • 1-1/2 cups mashed winter squash (about 6 cups of cubed squash that has been steamed will create this)
  • 1 egg
  • pepper
  • 2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
  1. For the polenta layer: Bring the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan and whisk in cornmeal.  Add tomatoes, thyme, basil and salt to taste.  Cook on low heat, stirring frequently until the polenta is thick and creamy, about 10 minutes.  Stir in cheese.  Pour into an 8-inch square baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. For the greens layer: In a medium pot, cook garlic in oil over medium heat for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add greens and water.  Cover, cook, stirring occasionally until greens are tender, about 10 minutes.  Salt to taste.  Spread greens over polenta.
  3. For the squash layer: In a bowl, stir together the squash, egg, pepper and half the cheese.  Spread the squash mixture over the greens and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
  4. In a preheated 350 oven, bake covered for 35 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes.  Enjoy!!

QUESTION: Are you a competitive person?  In what ways? 

when life throws a curve ball.

I’ve always had an obsessive personality.

When I was eight, my walls were covered head to toe in horse posters.  I owned my own lead rope, crop and tack equipment.  I read every horse book known to man*.
(*not an exaggeration)

When I was fifteen, I was so into dog training that I would spend hours reading up on things like clicker training and positive reinforcement.  My parents finally threw up their hands and told me that I could (and should) train a service dog.  That was that.

When I was seventeen, I drew out an entire map of our garden and had our soil’s pH tested and read every single magazine on organic gardening.

So it’s little wonder that I’m so consumed—so engrossed!—by my current job hunt.

Because this isn’t just an organic head of lettuce we’re talking about.

This is life.

I started to panic a little this afternoon.  Like…did I make the right career decision?  Do I belong here?  What happened to all of my goals and how come nothing is panning out like I had planned?  Why are no full time dietitian jobs opening up?

Honestly, I’ve had things pretty easy up until now.

I was accepted to the nutrition program at UMass my first time around.  I was also accepted to their internship…first time.  And now?  Everything is on hold.  And as obsessive as I am, I’m just as impatient.  I absolutely hate, hate, hate sitting on my hands.  Just waiting.  Ugh.

It’s like I expect everything to go smoothly all.of.the.time.  Even though deep down I know that’s so superficial of me.  Because sometimes?  Sometimes we have to pull on our boxing gloves and fight to make our dreams a reality.

After much deliberation and venting (and..gulp…whining) I’ve finally come to two conclusions.

(1) I’m not going to obsess.

Admittedly, obsessing is as natural as breathing oxygen.  I have an obsessive personality!  But I’m going to focus on the other things that make my life so meaningful.  I’m going to read in the Bible more and trust God with everything.  I’m going to dig in deep.  I’m also going to enjoy other areas of my life that I might not normally be able to enjoy as much once I *am* working full time.

(2) I’m going to grow and develop my career (even without a job.)

I love nutrition!  Sometimes life just throws a few curve balls and I have to learn to swing around them.  This might mean creating some new goals in the process.  Taking baby steps.

And, ultimately, I need to make myself as competitive as possible.  This means expanding my education, volunteering, and taking on each and every new experience as they come.  No more sitting back and waiting for me.  No more obsessing or worrying.

I’m moving ahead.

QUESTION: Do you have an obsessive personality like me or are you able to focus on many different things without letting the “big stuff” ever feel too heavy in your life?  What are some of your tried and true secrets for dealing with life’s curve balls?

The “31 Days of Healthy Living” Summary

This is the FINAL day of the “31 Days of Healthy Living” series.

Well.

It sure was fun while it lasted.

The 31 Days of Healthy Living, that is.

Not that it ever stops!  I have plenty more recipes, tips, suggestions (and YES, giveaways!) up my sleeve.

But for now, here’s the very massive 31 Days of Healthy Living summary…

1. Eat a moderate amount of healthy fats (i.e., walnuts, salmon, crushed flax seed, etc.)

2. Go vegetarian once or twice (or more!) a week.

3. Eat more fiber.

4. Get active.

5. Learn how to make healthy eating more affordable.

6. Take some “me time” to take care of yourself.

7. Find balance in your life…and room for the occasional cupcake.

8. Find some healthy, “quick and easy” alternatives to fast food, when life gets busy.

9. Make a list of your favorite healthy foods and keep them always in stock.

10. Learn to love yourself.

11. Snack on fiber and protein rich garbanzo beans.

12. Enjoy a cup of health benefits.

13. Cut back on (added) sugars.

14. Make a batch of beer baked beans.

15. Find what motivates you to stay active and eat right, and remind yourself of this often.

16. If you enjoy red meat, learn how to choose the leanest cuts and how to incorporate these into your healthy living plan.

17. Don’t be scared to cook with good-for-you tempeh (and tofu.)

18. Learn how to handle stress (without turning to food.)

19. Stuff a squash. 

20. Add some extra vegetables to whatever you make (i.e., make a healthier chicken stew.)

21. Get creative with vegetable appetizers and mains…spring rolls, anyone?

22. Learn how to eat for optimum bone health.

23. Make vegetables the base of your food pyramid.

24. Expand your healthy cookbook horizons.

25. Learn how to make a vegetable soup out of anything you have left in your refrigerator.

26. Don’t ever let yourself get ravenous.  (And snack well.)

27. Turn tofu into something extraordinary (and never divulge your secret ingredient!)

28. Learn how to eat healthy while dining out.

29. Turn heart healthy oats into something extraordinary.

30. Fall in love with legumes.

31. Never stop having fun.

With your kitchen.

In your running sneakers.

With your life.

Never stop.

QUESTION: What is your #1 healthy living tip/strategy/ idea/thought/motto, etc?