This week has had it’s ups and downs when it comes to my attempts to eat and live healthfully. But I think the biggest thing I realized is that I’m not a fan of deprivation. I now remember why I encourage my clients to add in the good stuff. We don’t focus nearly as much on removing the bad stuff, it just happens naturally. And the more we think about what we can’t have, the more we want it. For me, what works best to keep me away from things that are not so good for me is to connect doing them to the negative result. Allowing refined sugar and processed foods (like breads and pasteries) back into my diet resulted in a few extra pounds. Eating dairy makes me congested and wake up feeling crappy. Not exercising makes me tired and adds that extra “soft tissue” that I don’t really want! So that gets me half way there. The other half is focusing on the good feelings doing the right thing brings. Exercising gives me more energy, tones my body and makes me feel great. Eating healthy food keeps my energy even throughout the day and will eventually make my attempts to shed a few pounds easier. Not to mention, I love the taste of whole foods and experimenting with new recipes. Eating roasted vegeatables for lunch is a treat, both in taste and the way I feel after.
So, I guess the moral of this post is that I need to continue to practice what I preach, since there’s reallly something to it!
This week, although I didn’t exercise as much as I would have liked, we did set up our bikes on trainers in our new unfinished bedroom and got up to spin two mornings this week. I know this will continue because (a) it’s easy and convenient, and (b) Mike got into a ride this summer that’s going to kick his butt so he needs to train, so we’ll be able to support each other. Today I’m going to a yoga workshop at Tenth Gate Yoga Center in Portsmouth. It’s a hot yoga workshop and will be a great detox and energy boost, I can’t wait!
As for food, I’ve mainly stuck to fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I did sneak salmon in for one dinner, it just sounded really good. Oh, and I had a chocolate truffle, but for the whole week, not bad at all. Below are a few of the recipes I made this week.
I’d say overall, I feel good with my choices. This week I will focus on getting in a bit more exercise and keep an eye on portions. Sit me down with a container of hummus and its over, so I need to watch that even though I’m eating healthy, I can tend to overindulge in some places.
Have a fabulous holiday weekend. I will be spending mine painting the new bedroom!
Be well,
Jess
Morning Smoothie
Serves 1
Ingredients:
½ Banana (to reduce sugar further use ½ an avocado)
½ cup frozen blueberries
5-6 almonds
¼ cup rolled oats
1 tbsp high quality raw protein powder (I use a Hemp powder)
1-2 tsp Maca powder
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp cacao nibs
1-2 prunes (optional)
Filtered water, 2-3 ice cubes
Directions
Combine all ingredients in blender. Fill the rest with water (for Magic Bullet, or add water until desired consistency is reached). Combine until fully blended. If it needs to be sweeter, you can add some agave nectar or a few drops of stevia or to taste (be careful as this is quite sweet tasting- although has no effect on blood sugar).
Pinto Bean and Polenta Casserole
Ingredients:
1 can Pinto beans
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tsp Cumin
1/4 cup Water
1 tsp Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion, minced
½ tsp Sea Salt
1 clove Garlic, minced
½ Red pepper, chopped
1-2 Zucchini, chopped
2 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Oregano
½ cup Tomato sauce
¼ cup Water
3 cups Water
1 tsp Sea salt
1 tbsp Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 cup Polenta
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Place beans in medium pot with garlic, cumin and ¼ cup of water. Simmer 10-15 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, salt, and garlic; sauté until soft.
3. Add pepper, zucchini, cumin, and oregano; sauté 5 more minutes
4. Add cooked beans to the vegetables with tomato sauce and ¼ cup water. Salt if necessary.
5. In the pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and oil. Slowly add polenta, stirring continuously with a whisk. Lower heat and continue stirring in a clockwise motion with a wooden spoon for 1015 min. until mixture can hold the spoon upright on its own.
6. Preheat over to 350. In a lightly oiled casserole dish, spread the bean and vegetable mixture across the bottom. Spread the polenta on top. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese.
7. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake 5 minutes at 400 to brown.
*adapted from Feeding the Whole Family
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