Wellness Wednesday: Why you should eat more FAT!

This post is just in time for New Year's!

And I know this is the time of year that everyone is thinking about going on a diet or cleanse of some kind. But before you do there are some things you should consider. 

A couple of months ago my cousin Courtney turned me on to this book called, "Beautiful Babies" by Kristen Michealis

Beautiful Babies: Nutrition for Fertility, Pregnancy, Breast-feeding, and Baby's First Foods 

This book is not all about fertility, pregnancy and breast-feeding. It's basis is on getting back to eating REAL FOOD. 

"...The kind of food we ate before the industrialization of our food supply. This is the food your great-grandmother would have recognized as food"

 She backs everything with facts and research. I feel like I could go on and on about the things she says. They all make so much sense! Although it is overwhelming to think about changing your diet- she likes to go by the 80/20 rule which states that 80% of the time we should try to feed our families healthy sustainable foods and 20% of the time we need to give up the control. 

I'm going to share with you one of my favorite findings in the book:

Why FAT is good for you!

-It used to be common knowledge that saturated fat (butter, red meat, eggs) was high in cholesterol and thus caused heart disease. Well now those studies have little to no credibility because of modern research. 

1.  Fat does NOT make you Fat. Sugar/refined carbs make you FAT.

This is probably the biggest misconception in our society. 

Fat is good for you!

Remember: When fat is combined with sugar/carbs it is NOT GOOD. So don't go and eat a gallon of ice cream or a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting just cause I told you Fat is good for you. 

2.  Hormones are made from cholesterol. Without cholesterol we cannot make necessary hormones leading to hormone imbalances

"In 2007, a team of researchers at Harvard University found that women who consumed skim milk and low-fat dairy had 85% higher infertility rates than women who consumed whole-fat dairy"

-Yes there is a link between infertility and your hormones being balanced. 

3. When you take out fat you have to replace it with something else (usually processed/artificial sugars or carbohydrates)

-Next time you are at the grocery store look at the yogurt/milk products with LOWFAT or NONFAT labels and compare them to the WHOLE fat ones.

They always will have more sugar/carbs!!! or artificial sugars added

-This is one of the biggest lies told to women- That we need to eat everything "low-fat" in order to NOT BE FAT. 

-And guess what, Women have the most hormonal imbalances! (see #2)

4.  Fat makes you feel fuller longer and helps you store important vitamins like A,D,E,K. 

 If you are not getting enough fat in your diet than you are probably deficient in those vitamins because your body does not have the fat stores to store them!

- Plus you need vitamin A to make estrogen and other pregnancy hormones

Eating the RIGHT FATS

First we need to understand the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: The amount of these two needs to be somewhat balanced. In American we get WAY TOO much Omega-6 from Corn (which causes: inflammation of arteries, depression/anxiety, insomnia, low-levels of energy).  Corn is in everything!!!!! and its ratio is 46:1 which really messes up everything. Corn is fed to all animals that we eat and it is turned into oil/sugar/starch which is in turn in everything we eat. It's a problem. 

So when it comes to FAT that you eat. You want it to be CORN-FREE!

1. Say No to Modern Vegetable Oils

-EAT: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Sesame Oil, Avocado Oil, Macadamia oil, Red Palm Oil

-DON'T EAT: Canola Oil (corn oil), peanut oil, sunflower oil, Safflower Oil- basically any yellow-seed based oil

2. Eat Traditional Fats

-Butter from grass fed cows (not corn fed cows)

-Sour Cream, full fat with live active cultures

-yogurt, full fat with live active cultures (harder to find than you think!)

3. Eat Meat and Eggs

-When choosing meat, try to choose grass-fed. This tends to be expensive but sometimes at stores like Trader Joes or Sprouts you can find deals or cheaper frozen options

-try to choose antibiotic and hormone free

-Don't be afraid of Bacon!

-The best eggs are ones you can get from someone local! Look on craiglist or ksl (in Utah)

-Second option: Choose eggs with Omega-3s and DHA (usually only a $1 or $2 more)

third option: Organic Eggs

4. How to Choose Dairy

-Best Choice is raw milk but good luck finding it and someone you trust who is selling it

-Second choice is Pasteurized whole milk and cheeses from grass fed cows

-Milk is one thing that I always choose to buy organic and spend a few more dollars on. 

5. Eat more Seafood

-the best source of vitamins A&D, omega-3 fatty acids and much more!

-eat more oily fish like sardines, anchovies and salmon

-try to stick to WILD vs Farmed (they are more nutrient dense)

Sorry if this all seems overwhelming!! When I first read this book I was definitely overwhelmed. But just remember FAT does not make you FAT!

CARBS/SUGAR DO!

So don't be afraid to eat 2-3 eggs for breakfast and some bacon! you will be shocked how much fuller you feel.  Just stay away from the donut and pancakes--most of the time :)

I definitely don't follow all these guidelines 100% of the time but I try to follow the 80/20 rule. Everything in moderation. 

Wellness Wednesday: Carrot, Strawberry and Pineapple Smoothie!

Sorry I haven't done a post like this in forever!!

This is SO EASY and SO DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:

(all rough measurements since I just guess when making smoothies)

-1 cup of carrot juice (I use Bolthouse brand-Costco,Target)

-a couple of fresh pineapple spears

-two handfuls of cut up strawberries

-one handful of ice

Blend away and enjoy!

Wellness Wednesday: PB Banana Date Shake

This is so easy and delicious! When I really wanted dessert last night I just made this instead and it totally satisfied me. By using PB2 (powdered peanut butter) you cut out the fat/oils that are in peanut butter. And I used almond milk which is lower in calories and fat than milk. But you could use normal milk and normal PB if you don't have these. 

The measurements of the ingredients are not set in stone. You can add more ice if you want it thicker. 

INGREDIENTS:

-half of a banana

-3 or 4 dates (pitted)

-2-3 tbsp PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter (With Chocolate) 6.5 oz 

-3/4 cup of Almond milk

-4-5 cubes of ice

Mix and blend together. I use a Nutri Bullet. 

Enjoy!

Wellness Wednesday: Food Prep 101

Casey and I were inspired to do this the other day. He has a friend at work that does this every Sunday night for the whole week and I found THIS blog post about this crazy fit mom of three who has the same method. 

Basically as the saying goes "Fail to plan, plan to fail"--this is clean eating that's all about planning. 

We did a trial run of how much food to prep because we are not exactly sure how much we will need for a week of easy breakfasts and lunches. 

Here are some of the things we prepped:

-2lbs of Chicken tenders seasoned with s/p and olive oil baked for 20 minutes @ 375- flip half way then chop up when they cool down

-Veggie Bags- celery, snap peas, carrots- ready to go snacks or salad toppings

-Fruit- mangoes, strawberries, pineapple chopped and ready for salad toppings or smoothies/parfaits/oatmeal in the morning. 

-Hard-boiled Eggs-I did a dozen. These are the best for a quick snack or salad topping. I did it by placing eggs in pot of cold water-let them get a little past boiling then cover and turn off stove for 15-18 minutes- then place in ice cold water to cool down. Store in fridge-best in carton-last one week. 

-Chopped Lettuce- I hate chopping lettuce and cleaning it with the salad spinner. But if you do this ahead of time your lettuce should last you a couple of days. I also buy bagged lettuce (it's just more expensive). 

-Protein Balls: I ran out of time yesterday but these would be a great thing to make as well so you have a quick protein-filled snack when you get hungry

HERE is my recipe for these. 

- Other quick and easy snacks that we like to have are: mozzarella string cheese, Angie's popcorn snack  bags, Luna Bars, Kind Coconut and Almond bars, Apples (honey crisp!), Bananas, cocoa almonds, and roasted pumpkin seeds. 

I hope this helps! We will see how well we do this week :)

Wellness Wednesday: No-Bake Protein Energy Bites

As you know, I am all about the easy healthy recipes. This one definitely fits that category. I have made many variations of these "Energy Balls". Here is a simple recipe that is easy to follow. You can add or omit ingredients like dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, yogurt chips, chia seeds, whole flax seeds, sesame seeds (good--I tried this once). Basically any kind of chopped nut or small nut (sunflower seeds). You can also make them with a little bit of protein powder (but don't put too much in because they won't stick together). 

Here you go!

Ingredients:

 -1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

-1/2 cup of honey 

-1 cup of oats

-1/2 cup sliced almonds

-1/3 cup of ground flax seed

-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

-1/2 cup shredded coconut or coconut chips

- you can add a little bit of cinnamon or vanilla if you want

Directions:

-Mix wet ingredients together (I heat up a little in the microwave so they mix better-30 sec)

-add all the other ingredients and mix really well

-make dough into 1.5 inch balls

-Place on cookie sheet with wax paper

-Let sit in fridge for 30 minutes

-They last up to 1 week in the fridge in a ziploc bag!

Enjoy!!!

Wellness Wednesday: My Favorite Healthy (for the most part) Grocery Store Picks!

These are a few of my staples that I get at the grocery store weekly. They are mostly all healthy. Some of them might surprise you!

1. Light and Fit Greek Yogurt-Vanilla

I absolutely love this yogurt! It is so so hard to find greek yogurt without a ton of sugar unless you get plain (GROSS). This only has 7grams. I try to eat things with less than 10 grams per serving. We use this in our parfaits with cut strawberries/bananas and granola. And it's greek so you get the extra protein too!

2. Angie's Kettle Corn in individual packs

 From Target. You may think that this is not healthy BUT popcorn is a whole grain! and kettle corn is sometimes better than butter because it doesn't have the fat. Plus it has fiber-2 grams! and only 8 grams of sugar- 140 calories. A great snack!

3. Morning Star Veggie Corn Dogs

 Ok so I am not a vegetarian but I sometimes love stuff like this! I love kid food-including corn dogs. And this one is guilt free cause it doesn't have all the weird bad stuff in it that actual hot dogs have. And they are only 150 calories. I will eat these before I run my errands and don't have time to eat a full lunch.

4. Horizon Omega-3 Chocolate Milk

 so so good! I wake up STARVING in the morning. I contribute this to breastfeeding. But I have to feed Chase and make Casey lunch/breakfast so in the meantime I will take a few sips of this to hold me off until my breakfast. I also love to have a few chugs after a really good workout (it's a great recovery drink: good ratio carbs to proteins). Plus it has Omega-3s which are awesome for your baby if you are breastfeeding/pregnant. Anytime you can buy something fortified with calcium, vitamin D, Omega-3s--do it! (think OJ, eggs, milk)

5. Taylor Farms Salad Kits

I have found these at Sprouts and Target. They are the perfect lunch for me. I just add cut up lunch meat and avocado to this one. My other favorite one is the BBQ Salad and Southwestern. They come with dressing, almonds, cheese, etc. 

6. Acai Smoothie Packs

I have only found these at Sprouts Market. If you have ever had Acai bowls this is the secret ingredient. Casey and put one of these in our morning smoothies with banana, soy milk, frozen berries and protein powder. Then we put granola on top- so good!

7. High Fiber Oatmeal

I love oatmeal for breakfast. This stuff as so much fiber in it which makes it extra good for you. If you need to be more regular then this is for you! It also makes you feel fuller longer. I like mine with cut up strawberries or raspberries and a little bit of coffee creamer poured on top. 

8. Kind Almond and Coconut Granola Bar

The best granola bar ever created!! This has no added sugars. It is all natural. If you are a fan of almonds or coconuts you will fall in love with this bar. 

That's it! I hope you find these things as yummy as I do:)

Wellness Wednesday: Healthy Harvest Chili

I found this recipe in People Magazine a while back and I have made it a couple times since. It's so easy and so delicious! I just throw all the ingredients in the Crock Pot on low for a couple of hours after I saute the onions and turkey. Casey loves this and it makes great leftovers. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, undrained
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, undrained
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (11 oz) can whole kernel corn, undrained
• 1 (1 oz) package dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 (1 1/4 oz) package spicy taco seasoning

DIRECTIONS

• 1. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Heat onion, stirring occasionally, until

  browned, 8-9 minutes.
• 2. Add turkey and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 4-5 minutes.
• 3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid thicken, 20 minute. (or put in Crock Pot on low for 3-5 hours). 

 After you add the TURKEY and ONIONS to the crock pot all you do is just put the rest of the ingredients on top. 

 Stir it all together and let it cook!

I added some shredded cheese on top and made some muffins!

Wellness Wednesday: Why Probiotics?

With Flu Season in full force I thought I would do a post about how we can prevent illness...introducing PROBIOTICS!

WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS

-Organisms such as bacteria or yeast that are believed to improve health. 

WHY ARE PROBIOTICS IMPORTANT TO YOUR HEALTH?

 In your digestive tract you have  more than 500 types of "good bacteria" and "bad bacteria". Probiotics help the "good bacteria" flourish. When you are taking an antibiotic, it kills the good and the bad bacteria. Which is why patients at my hospital will always be taking a probiotic if they are on any kind of antibiotic. You need the good bacteria to help keep your intestines healthy and assist in digesting food. Also introducing friendly bacteria is believed to challenge the immune system in healthy ways. 

WHAT THEY DO FOR YOU

-improved digestion

-help maintain a strong immune system

-improved vitamin synthesis

-reduced risk of Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis 

-treating irritable bowel syndrome

-helps restore intestinal balance when diarrhea throws it off

-help fight bacteria that cause diarrhea 

-help maintain the integrity of the lining of the intestines

WHAT THEY DO FOR YOU BABY (IF YOUR BREASTFEEDING)

-breast milk has prebiotics which promote the growth of probiotics in a baby's gut. 

-treat acute diarrhea

-help reduce gas

-help reduce colic

-treating/preventing eczema 

GOOD SOURCES OF PROBIOTICS

-Yogurt (look for ones that contain lactobacillus and bifidobacteria)

-Look for products that contain "live cultures"

-Frozen Yogurt (the more tart the better) RED MANGO!

-Kefir (3x that found in yogurt)

-Soft cheeses (Gouda)

-Fermented Vegetables (sauerkraut and pickles)

-Miso Soup (fermented soybeans)

-Kombucha Tea (you have probably seen these at the grocery store-Synergy Drinks)

-Sourdough Bread- yum!

-Supplements (powders, tablets, capsules)

Picture at the top: (This is my favorite one yet! It tastes sooo good- like really tart frozen blueberry yogurt. All you take is a tablespoon a day. I got it at Sprouts Grocery Store--in the refridgerated supplement section ). 

***The only reason why you shouldn't consume probiotics is if you have a weakened immune systems or serious illness ***

Wellness Wednesday: My Favorite Fitness/Cooking Blogs

I thought I would start a weekly themed post. Mainly because this will get me to blog more. And I really am into eating healthy, exercising and just feeling better about my body!

I graduated with a bachelor's in Exercise Science and then went on to nursing school. So I have taken my fair share of health science, nutrition, fitness, and nursing classes. I really loved school and I learned so much about what it takes to live a healthy lifestyle. So I'm pretty excited to start doing these posts!

WELLNESS: the state or condition of being in good physical and mental health

To start I thought I would just share my favorite healthy cooking blogs:

1. Skinny Taste

Delicious low-fat recipes. seriously this blog is my go-to for cooking and baking. The best recipes ever! I also follow her on instagram. One of my favorites is skinny fried rice. 

2. Oh She Glows

This is a Vegan blog (I eat meat too though). She has lots of good granola and energy bar recipes that I love. 

3. Iowa Girl Eats

This girl is a runner but loves to eat good food as well. She has great workout posts (treadmill workouts). And fun recipes like Healthier Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

4. Fit Sugar

This is kind of more of an exercise site than cooking. They do have great smoothie recipes! My favorite thing on this site is the fitness video section. If you only have 10 minutes to workout check out THIS. 

5. Eat Yourself Skinny

This girl just wanted to stop dieting and instead start a healthy lifestyle but continuing to eat the foods she loves. Some recipes: Mango Avocado Smoothie, Diet Coke Brownies (yes!), and skinny chicken enchiladas. 

6. Cookie and Kate

This is a vegetarian recipe blog. But I love her baked goods recipes. They all use whole wheat which is nice. My favorites are: blueberry lemon scones, banana coconut muffins and pumpkin pancakes.

7. Clean and Delicious

The author of this blog is a health counselor and weight loss coach. My favorites on her site are: super simple shrimp tacos and high protein mango lassi.  She also has interesting articles like "The Four Types of Eating". 

8. A Foodie Stays Fit

This girl is a runner who posts tons of healthy recipes! Some that I want to try are: Oatmeal apple breakfast bake and Whole wheat leek and goat cheese pizza. 

Click on the title of the blog to take you to the site!