Eating For Beauty?

 

 

I had hoped to have some additional healthy recipes to add but we've literally been eating the same things over and over.

I have lost a size and a half (I don't weigh myself) just by eating healthier.  I eat giant salads and large portions of veggies so it really seems like the weight I have lost has been really easy.  I am, however, stuck at my current size. 

I'm not complaining but if I want to get back down to a size 4 for the wedding, I'm going to have to put in some more effort.

I bought a Kindle book called The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder.  I stumbled upon her on Pinterest.  I've had it for almost a whole year and I gotta be honest, it sounds sort of complicated and tedious.  I'm going to try it anyway.  She helps a lot of celebrities and claims that certain foods can literally make you pretty.  Have you seen my smoking hot fiancé?  I'm not used to being the unattractive one in the relationship.  I'm so vain that song is about me.

If anyone is interested in buying the book and doing this with me PLEASE let me know. This is going to be a book where I need a notebook to take notes and do quite a bit of reading.

Recipes Part 2

More recipes to anyone that's interested.
Once I figure out how to organize them in one spot, I will do that.  Also, I need to figure out how to link recipes and other important things at the top of my posts. 
I hate when I see a recipe on Pinterest, click on it and then I am directed to a blog where I have to scan through 12 paragraphs about someone's husband, kids, favorite color and shoe size to get to it.
So as soon as I get it figured out, you can skip all my useless nonsense.

Turkey Burgers

These are my absolute fav.  Joe makes the burgers so I have no idea what all is in there but they are wonderful.  I think the pic sums up the "recipe."

Pizza Bowl
I felt so guilty eating this.  It really felt like I was eating pizza.  The first couple of bites felt funny with no pizza crust but I got over it by about bite 3.

The recipe can be found Here
Definitely check out her recipe blog.  Its called Gimme Some Oven, she's got great ideas!!
I didn't use nearly as much pizza sauce that's in this recipe and I just put everything into one casserole dish.

Peanut Butter Oat Squares
This is another favorite
3 Cups of rolled or quick oats
1/2 Cup of honey
1 Cup of peanut butter


I put the peanut butter and honey in the microwave for 45 seconds the mixed it all up in a glass baking dish and put it in the fridge.

Jazz up your water~!
This isn't really a recipe but it does make water easier to drink.  Pinterest claims that it's "flat tummy water."  Does it work? I'm not sure yet, I've had 34 oz. of water with the below ingredients in it and my tummy hasn't changed any.  It tastes good though.


Grapefruit
Lemon slices
Mint
Ginger


I make up these little packs and store in the fridge.

I have been on a serious salad kick lately.  I'm not going to upload any pics unless you find yourself at a loss with what you want to put in one.


And finally, I can't stress enough how important food prepping is.  Makes life so much easier and if you have an evening where you don't feel to great or you just don't feel like cooking, it's not a problem.

Here's our fridge, everything is prepped and ready to use.  I'm not ready to kick my Diet Coke habit just yet but I'm cutting back.  Tuck can't figure out how to access the fruit drawer.


He is such a big help in the kitchen!!

Eyelash Envy Non Update - Update

I haven't forgotten to give an update about my eyelash post.  I can't seem to commit to applying that concoction every single day.  If it takes a couple of months to see a difference after doing it every day, it's going to take me a lot longer than that.  I'm only able to commit to 2 or 3 days per week.


The wedding date is still unknown, so I guess there's no rush!

Recipes

Food Prep - It's a pain and time consuming but it saves time through the week and you won't be tempted to eat something unhealthy because you don't have time to make something.

Breakfast or a healthy snack - Peanut Butter Bars (or you can roll them into balls).

I double this recipe and it usually gets Joe and myself through the work week.
1 Cup of Oatmeal
1/3 Cup of Honey
1/2 Cup of Peanut Butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
2/3 Cup Coconut flakes, Toasted
1/2 Cup of Ground Flax Seed


Mix it all up, put it in the fridge for an hour or so then roll into balls or put them in a pan and cut into bars.  Some recipes call for Chia seeds, I'm too cheap to buy them.  If you do add them the recipe calls for 1 tbsp. then the name changes to "energy bars/bites."  Don't skip on the ground flax seed, it will keep you regular, as in regular trips to the bathroom.


Egg & Veggie Bake


You can make so many different versions of this, pick your favorite veggies and go crazy.

This recipe has spinach, red, yellow and green peppers.  Red and green onions, mushrooms and artichoke hearts.  I used 18 eggs.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes but you will have to check it every so often.  Can take longer depending on the veggies you add.  This is great because I just cut them up into individual servings and put them into a plastic container and we have a quick, healthy breakfast in 45 seconds.  If you want to get a pretty picture, take it when they first come out of the oven, it will shrink and look pitiful in just a few minutes.


Lunch Idea


Turkey Wrap
This is really easy and I didn't think I would like it without mayo but I do.
You can also use many different combinations with this.

Dinner Salad Ideas

If you're going to eat something heavy, don't do it for dinner.  You won't sleep as well and you don't have much time to burn off the calories.  The secret (for me) to a great salad is to use veggies (or fruit) that I love. 

Again, there are so many different combinations for a salad.  Here are a couple that we made.

I wasn't crazy about this one when I was making it but I love mozzarella cheese, cashews and light balsamic vinaigrette dressing so sticking to my "use some ingredients that I love," it turned out great and I got an additional serving of fruit.



I don't have names for these because I just throw them together. 

I could eat this salad every night.  I buy frozen chicken breasts and Joe cooks a bunch of them up and we use them throughout the week.  I added cucumber, red and green onion, croutons and goat cheese.  Since the chicken was already cooked and the rest of the veggies washed and prepped, I had this sucker whipped up in about 5 minutes.  We did use the fattening Caesar dressing but very little and mixed in real well.
I did discover that I don't like goat cheese.  I'm not sure if it's the actual flavor of it or witnessing my dad spray my brother in the face with warm goat milk straight from the goat when I was little.

Let me know if you try any of these recipes or if you would like to share some that you've created.

Healthy Eating

We are in to week 3 of healthy eating!! 

I have to say I haven't felt this good in years.  I'm serious, I have tons of energy, both Joe & I are even sleeping better.

The biggest obstacle for me is not what I thought it would be.  I thought I'd really want deep fried anything and fast food.  I don't!!  I also thought I'd have trouble staying motivated but feeling good is very motivating.

The biggest obstacle is the food prep.  The best plan would be to figure out what you will eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the entire week and prep it all on the weekend.  It's time consuming during the week to cook dinner and the next days breakfast and lunch.

I did get a little discouraged when aunt Flo showed up, before I realized what was going on.  I was feeling good and my clothes were fitting much better and she brought 3 to 5 lbs. of bloat with her.  She was mumbling something about chocolate and threatening to cry if she didn't get any.

I informed her that I have left several voicemails for menopause (seems menopause isn't so great about returning calls).  My body should figure out by now that my uterus is simply a tracking device and not a baby motel. 

I'm really amazed at how great I feel AND I've lost almost an entire size just by eating healthy and yummy food.  Recipes to follow.

Joe and I are on day 3 of what I'm calling "Operation Wedding Dress" and he's calling "A Lifestyle Change"...Whatever.

I'm just kidding, he's never called it that but I know that's what he's thinking.


It's a great way to think, I feel great already and we are only on day 3.
I am so terribly mean to myself when I eat junk.  Makes me think of one of Pink's lyrics, "Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead."


I have spent a lot of time on Pinterest looking for healthy recipes that actually taste great and contain ingredients that I can buy at a regular grocery store.
It's hard enough to shop healthy, food prep and eat it, I'm not interested in making 3+ stops to pick up "weird" stuff.  Yet


I'll share the dinner recipes to start in case you don't want to take the plunge and change everything.


Zucchini Pizza Boats
We love these things, you can add any type of toppings that you want.  We sautéed up some mushrooms and onions.

Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This is one of my favorite things to eat.  Buy special bread, it's worth it.  Don't use regular sandwich bread.

I haven't picked out tonight's dinner yet, but please share any healthy recipes that you like and let me know if you try either of these and what you think.



Inspiration Station

I've been having problems getting inspired and motivated so I had to call in the big guns...Joe.  We watched a documentary two nights ago and it was really inspiring.  I'm still looking for motivation but at least I'm making a step (baby step) in the right direction.


The documentary is called "PlantPure Nation." Please, please, please do yourself a favor and watch it.  If you are on any type of medication(s) you should REALLY be interested in viewing it.  If you have Netflix, its free, It may be on Amazon, as well.  You can also rent it online. 


Click HERE to watch the trailer.  It actually looks kind of boring but it's not, I promise!   It made me think of another documentary that we watched called, "Forks Over Knives" and it is the same guy.


Here are a few more links to this same type of documentary but please put "PlantPure Nation" at the top of your list.  My mom promised me that she would watch it and I'm holding her to it. 


PlantPure Nation Website


Forks Over Knives Website
Forks Over Knives Trailer


Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (Website & Documentary"




Let me know what you think after watching "PlantPure Nation" or any of them.
Was this eye-opening in any way?  Does it change your beliefs about food?  Was this inspirational to you at all?