Sunday, March 31, 2013

WHC: Go Meatless!

For this week's challenge, try going meatless for a few days!



How many days did you go meatless this week? 

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: infographic credit

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Super Fast Creamy Avocado Pasta and Steamed Broccoli

I have had this recipe for a very long time. I recently started eating vegan and this recipe was perfect after a long day of classes and wanted something quick. If you like garlic and pasta and avocado, this is perfect for you! I would definitely make this recipe again. 5 Stars!



Creamy Avocado Pasta
Ingredients:
  • 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1-3 garlic cloves, to taste (I used 4 and it was super garlicky, don't do it.)
  • 1/2 tsp  salt, or to taste
  • ~1/4 cup Fresh Basil
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta (I used quinoa elbows!)
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • garlic powder to 
  • Half broccoli head 





Directions:
1. Make your pasta like you usually do. Boil water, put pasta in, wait, drain. You know the drill. (During this, I had my broccoli steaming on top!)
2. While your pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Put the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Then add the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.
3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately.


Makes 2 servings.
Please note: This dish does not reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce. Please serve immediately.


I added extra seasoning and steamed broccoli to this recipe. What would you have as a side or add to the dish?

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: 

My own original pics
OhSheGlows Original Recipe 

Friday, March 29, 2013

LTL's April Workout Challenge

April Workout Challenge consists of daily simple workouts. This month is pushups, squats, and planks. There is a space on the bottom to create a monthly goal. Print this calendar out and put it up on your wall where you can see it. Create a goal and follow the workouts. Do it anytime of the day! This is created for the people who are just starting in mind. If it is to hard, simplify it. If it is too easy, challenge yourself and do more!

You can get the calendar here OR click the picture below.

Did you do March Work Out Challenge? What are your favorite workouts that you do daily? Tell us and comment below!

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: original post

Sunday, March 24, 2013

WHC: Be Concious When Grocery Shopping

This week be aware when you go grocery shopping!
Check out Michael's post here!

 There are many ingredients that are hidden in your food and we should become more aware on what we put into our bodies! If you are starting out, try picking two or three to keep an eye out of. Gradually keep an eye for all of those on those list. Good luck!
 
What ingredient(s) did you look out for this week? 

This post is written by Karel.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Nutritional Food Labels: Look out!

The great thing about food in todays day and age is that you can see a clear list of ingredients on the label. Although this is great, sometimes it can be hard to understand certain ingredients, or to even identify where they come from. A good rule is that if you can't pronounce something, you probably shouldn't be eating it, but I have come up with a nice list of ingredients to watch out for in order to help protect your health and well-being :)

Also just know that anything that happens in the manufacturing process does not need to be listed on the food label. For example, baby carrots are dipped in bleach to maintain their bright colors, but they don't have to list bleach on the ingredients list because it is part of the manufacturing process. Loop holes I tell you!



Top ingredients to look out for on food labels:

  • Hydrogenated Oils (ex: Hydrogenated Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Oil, Vegetable Shortening, Shortening) - The problem with hydrogenated oils is that they help preserve the shelf life of a product, but that means that it also lowers your life span as well! Avoid all hydrogenated oils because they are a trans fat. Also it is good to know that if a food has less than 0.5g per serving of trans fats, they don't have to list it on the ingredient. (products such as skippy peanut butter and circus animal cookies have hydrogenated oils)
  • MSG (ex: Monosodium Glutamate, Autolyzed Yeast, Textured Vegetable Protein, Natural Flavorings, Sodium Caseinate) - MSG is very addictive and is harmful to our health. It can cause headaches, nausea, and weakness in the body, as well as not allowing us to absorb the full spectrum of nutrients from foods. A good example of a product that uses it is flaming hot Cheetos. Now I can understand why my cousin always wants to buy them every time we go to the grocery store. MSG has also been popularly used at a lot of Chinese restaurants, so make sure to ask them first. Also know that it doesn't always show up as just MSG on the label, check my ()'s above for all the ingredients it can be found in. 
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup (ex: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Fructose, Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup Solids) - Corn syrup is genetically modified corn used for it's sweetening abilities at a low cost. Our bodies basically don't even recognize what it is and it can disrupt our hormones, and imbalance our bodies fat. It is incredibly sweet and is in EVERYTHING now a days. Avoid it at all costs because it increases your risk for diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and cancer. 
  • Sugars/Artificial Sweeteners (ex: sugar, evaporated cane juice, fructose, sucrose, aspartame, sucralose, rice syrup, saccharine, nutrasweet, sweet n' low, splenda, equal, sorbitol) - The issue with sugar is that is is overly processed, bleached, and not in it's natural state once it reaches that box of cookies you so desperately love. It acts as a poison in the body and can disrupt kidney function and some have even been linked to cancer. Above I have listed many forms that sugar can take on an ingredients list. Most things ending in -ose, are a sugar derivative. Replace conventional sugar in recipes with raw Agave, Molasses, Coconut Sugar, Honey. Theses are all much healthier and more in their natural state. 
  • Artificial Colors/Dyes (ex: Red #40, Blue #1) - These have been linked to allergic reactions, asthma, and other health issues. They are usually derived from coal-tar derivatives in order to help enhance the color of food and make it more visually appealing. 
  • Benzonate Preservatives  (ex: TBHQ, BHT, BHA) - These preservatives help to keep fats from going rancid in food, but it does come with a price. These have been linked to tumors, asthma, hyperactivity, and estrogen imbalance.
  • Bleached Flours (ex: bleached wheat flour, bleached white flour) - Bleached flours are stripped of all nutrients and are only empty calories. Look for foods made with flours that are unbleached and have whole grains. These will be more beneficial to your health!

This isn't a comprehensive list of everything, but a great starting point to help you figure out what is in the food you are eating. If you are unsure about certain ingredients or cannot pronounce them, then it is probably best to avoid it. Eat food in it's most natural state, or make it yourself. Stick to the outer edges of the grocery store, because this is where the freshest and healthiest foods are.

Thanks for reading! Please comment with any other key ingredients that you think may be good to know! :)  

This post is written by Michael.
Adapted from: 

Personal Knowledge
Ingredients to Avoid
Image 1

Sunday, March 17, 2013

WHC: Try Yoga

Your challenge this week is to try yoga.

Check out our past post on the benefits of yoga here.

You can try a class or do a youtube video.
Many yoga studios have great deals, check it out. I've done one that was $15 for a week. A typical yoga class is $15 a day, so this was an awesome deal.
If you already do yoga, try a different style.

Here are a couple links to some yoga videos:
Tara Stiles' Beginner Yoga
Sadie Nardini's Weight Loss Yoga (one of our faves!)
Mark Laham's Yin Yoga for Hip Opening

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Increase Your Activity Levels

Ever since I got a FitBit, I have been doing little things to try to increase my steps and my activity levels. I have seen a difference in my energy and outlook on life. Even the small things can make a difference! Do you want to increase your activity levels? Here are a few ways:


  1. Stretch when you wake up and when you go to bed. 
  2. Take the stairs.
  3. Park farther.
  4. Walk around during your lunch break.
  5. Do some housework everyday, like vaccuming, cleaning the windows, gardening. Not only will you get activity in, but your house will be cleaner!
  6. Stand instead of sitting (when watching TV, reading, doing homework, etc).
  7. Do exercise during commercials. (I don't watch tv but when a pandora commercial comes on, I do a wall sit or some crunches.) 
  8. Go to class or meeting early and walk around for a little bit.
  9. Dedicate one song to dancing. Whenever Scream & Shout comes on, no matter what I am doing (unless I am driving), I have to get up and start dancing for that entire song. 
  10. Take plenty of breaks when you have been sitting for a long time. Every 20 min of studying, I do a 30 second plank and some squats and then I get back to work. It helps with activity and focus. 
What are some other ways that you have increased your activity levels during the day? 

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: Tumblr Info and Pic

Sunday, March 10, 2013

WHC: Motivation Calendar

This week, create a motivation calendar.
My calendar is shown on the right.

Remember, do what makes sense for you.

How I use my calendar:
  • Each sticker corresponds to something I did
  • 1 sticker for working out that day
  • 1 sticker for eating well 
  • 1 sticker = $1 (towards healthy living/workouts)
  • I add up my stickers for the previous month and put it in the corner (so I know how much I have total) 
  • Subtract when I bought something
What I got so far with my money (since 2012):
  • FitBit One
  • Balega work out socks
  • Brooks running shoes
  • Yoga mat
  • Cork yoga blocks
  • resistance bands
Why I like it: It gives me a visual on how I am doing. As you can see in my picture, I didn't do too great in the middle of the month (I got sick). When I see no star days, it motivates me to do something! It really helps. Also, I am a broke college student. So when I really want something, I look at my calendar and see if I have money for it! It really works for me.

Good luck! How was last week's challenge? What worked for you?

Click here for more about Weekly Health Challenges.
Click here for other previous WHC.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Stress: Tips to melt it away!

Stress is a big subject in today's world. We all have crazy responsibilities and sometimes life just feels as if it is speeding by at 1000mph! Stress negatively impacts our bodies, and can actually shorten our life span if we are exposed to it too often. It can be physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining on our bodies. Stress lowers our immune system responses causing us to be more susceptible to colds and viruses as well. It is no wonder now that I would always get sick right before all of my school finals.

Today I will be talking about some tips and foods to help you combat stress as much as possible!

Tips for reducing stress
Eating habits: try to avoid stimulants like alcohol, black tea, coffee, and sugar. Chamomile tea is a good alternative to these because it acts to relax the body. Eat in a calm environment and try not to rush your meals.

Hot baths: a nice warm bath after a long day can really help to relax and calm the body. Use natural 100% essential oils to add some aromatherapy benefits!

Aromatherapy: natural essential oils are great for relieving stress. My favorites are lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint. You can either add a few drops to boiled water and breathe the steam, or invest in a vaporizer to add rejuvenating natural scents to you home.

Exercising: exercise helps to release feel good hormones that relax the body. Also, you are less likely to think about all the things you have to do if you are focusing on your body and breathing. Take part in regular exercise such as walking, running, biking, swimming, dancing, etc. Get moving!

Breathing: i know what you are thinking, "yes," I know how to breathe.. Well, there is more to breathing than you may think. During yoga, meditation, and tai chi, deep breathing techniques are utilized to increase the flow of oxygen, prana, and to help calm the body. Deep breathing and breathing exercises are important for you and can even help when you get headaches or are in a stressful situation. I am not going to explain any specific exercises, but if you are interested feel free to do further research

Massage: massage is great because it helps to increase the flow of stagnant blood, chi, and improves the lymphatic system. The best massages are from friends! Give and take :)

Talk to a friend: it can be a big weight off of our shoulders to share problems with people. After all, we are social beings and we need a support system. It is nice to feel needed and to help others with their issues or to just enjoy random conversation. This will reduce your stress by releasing blocked emotions.

Foods to help relieve stress
When we become stressed, our blood pressure increases and our heart rate speeds up. Here are some natural foods to help lower your blood pressure naturally and increase your sense of well being:
  • Bananas
  • Beets
  • Artichokes 
  • Cacao (natural chocolate, different from cocoa which is highly processed and stripped of nutrients)  
  • Garlic 
  • Blueberries (contain strong antioxidants to fight free radicals) 
  • Goji berries 
This post is written by Michael
Adapted from:

Blood Pressure
Stress Reduction
Image 1

Sunday, March 3, 2013

WHC: Journal

Your goal this week is to keep a journal to track your food and workouts.

This can be as specific or easy as you want. You can track amounts or just the food.

An example of what my journal would look like:
March 3: 1 hour yoga
B: pita, hummus, avocado, garlic, onion
L: salad (spinach, romaine, carrot, avocado, apple, hemp seeds, lemon, apple cider vinegar, olive oil)
D: z-pizza (4 small slices, vegan)
S: banana, orange, vegan ice cream

Why? Studies show that you are more likely to be more aware of the types of food you are eating and the amounts when you write it down (I read this somewhere, I honestly do not remember where). I started doing this back in high school on and off. I realized that I was sick of writing down pizza and rice and burgers. Once you become more aware of what you are eating, you are more likely to eat more healthy!

Click here for more about Weekly Health Challenges.
Click here for other previous WHC. 

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Introducing Weekly Health Challenges

We are not having a typical blog post this week because we are introducing two new things on our blog. This past Thursday, we posted a March Workout Challenge. We hope you all liked and downloaded the Monthly Workout Challenge. On top of that, we will be posting (short) weekly health goals!

Both Michael and I have been going through our health journey together and we want to invite you to join us as well. We will be posting a short post on what the challenge will be as well as any complimentary blog posts.

There is a link on the right that says "weekly health challenge". All of the weekly goals will show up on that page so you all can see it all at once. We will post each goal as a blog post on Sunday so you can prep for the week! (:

***Quick note about challenges: It is for 1 week! Some challenges say do it 4 out of the 7 days. Do what makes sense to you. If it is working for you, try keeping it up. Remember: this is your own journey. Revise, edit, enjoy!

We hope you enjoy the new challenges and hope you all join us with our health journey! Comment below if you have any ideas for some challenges!

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: original post

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