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

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 

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

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.

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

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

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