Nature's Got You Covered

As I sat on my deck this morning sipping on a freshly blended smoothie chocked full of goods, this thought came to mind...Nature's got you covered.

Think about it: All the food that is good for us is of the earth.  Fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, roots, herbs, on and on. There are no fruits or vegetables that are bad for you. Roots and herbs are used to heal and soothe. And mostly all things of the earth have multipurpose uses.  You can eat the flesh of a coconut, drink the milk from the coconut, extract the oil for cooking or use the oil for your skin and hair. How cool is that?  Nature's bounty is simply amazing.

So do your body a favor...When you're ready to reach for a so-called energy drink: 5 Hour Energy, Red Bull, Monster, etc. Remember, Nature's Got You Covered -- Opt for a homemade blended smoothie or juice and don't forget to add chia seeds or wheat germ to give you an extra-nutritional boost.

Blueberry Banana Kale Smoothie: 

Blueberries (Antioxidants), kale (Vitamins A, K), bananas (Potassium), 

chia seeds (more Omega 3 fatty acids than Salmon!)
 non-fat plain yogurt or non-dairy milk. 

Naturally sweet. Full of energy. Liquid Goodness!

Home Cooked Critics

I'm not a nutritionist. I did, however, successfully complete a "Food and Your Health" course at the 100 level.  The degree I hold happens to be a Bachelors of Arts in Journalism. My studies in journalism required me to research, dig up info. So although I am not a journalist I still use that same inquisitiveness in my daily life. Whenever my interest is piqued about a subject or something, I research it, read about it. Typically, I read more than one source - just as any good journalist would. My researching and reading is how I've come to know what I know about: Food, health, fitness, etc.

I admit -- I have no idea about the nutritional breakdown of the food I prepare and eat or the recipes I've created and share. When I teach cooking classes, I always introduce myself and divulge just that. Perhaps some critics may say my recipes and the way I eat doesn't fall into the "healthy" category.  They may be right. My response, I eat good wholesome home cooked meals, which I feel is better than the alternatives (boxed processed food, fast-food). I eat food. Real food.

The Incans didn't have nutritionist. They didn't need them. They gathered, hunted and ate real food. The operative word: real.  I don't mean to be dismissive of the whole idea about calories and the nutritional value of food, but I think if we look at real food: Vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, seeds, lean protein, and good fat we don't have to concern ourselves with the calories and such. It's the so-called food that comes in boxes, packages, and fast-food joints that we have to be concerned with. I think when we started tinkering with food, processing food that's when we lost our way.  I'm starting a movement to bring cooking back.

I lovingly prepare 99 percent of my meals at home using fresh ingredients that I've hand selected from the grocery store. I eat tons of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and lean protein. Oh yeah, and I exercise to counter it all. Sure, I use butter not like Paula Deen, but I do use butter. Even, sugar. White table sugar. I don't want to compromise the taste of my food by using fat-free substitutes or wanna-be concoctions (e.g. margarine). Furthermore, let's think about it...If the fat is removed from such ingredients, something is added back to it, to try and make it taste better -- duh!

So, for those who take my healthy cooking classes, follow my recipes from my convenient little cookbook Bringing Cooking Back my recipes are from the heart. I'm sensible about my food choices, mindful of eating, and I exercise. To me that's healthy. I'm trying to reach the masses and for the masses I believe this is the most reasonable approach. Most of us will never have a body of a cover model or have a athletes physique, but we can all prepare and eat good healthy wholesome food and be fit. That's my hope for me and for you. To the critics, I contend that eating home cooked meals are better than the alternatives. I've taken control of my health by cooking good wholesome meals at home. I urge you to join me. One day, maybe I'll have the opportunity of partnering with a nutritionist, until then...let's eat, drink, and be merry not gluttonous.

This thing MUST be broke!

For the last two and a half weeks the scale has not moved. I was sure the darn thing was broke until I tried the scale at the gym and the same numbers appeared. Apparently, my body has caught on to my exercise and diet regimen and is forcing me to re-evaluate. Instead, of becoming discouraged I’m just marveling at how amazing the human body is. I mean really, it won’t let me get away with the same old routine. I need to do something different. Keep challenging myself. So it’s time to re-evaluate my routine because backing down or giving up are NOT options.

I think it’s important I mention that although the scale is not moving my body is changing and I have slimmed down. I take photos to chronicle my progress and I can tell the difference in my upper body and in my face since my last official weigh in. I say this because I want to make sure I emphasis that the scale is not the only way to measure one’s success. Clearly, it’s a tool that is used to help measure progress but not solely relied on. I think I keep hopping on it only to make myself crazy or crazier.

**Ironically, about a week ago one of my FB followers asked me about breaking through a plateau and here’s what I told her. I guess it’s time I follow my own advice.

Plateaus are sooo frustrating. They can make the most determined people give up. So… First, don't give up. Secondly, re-evaluate your game plan. You can't keep doing the same thing and get different results. If you usually take cycling class four times a week and jog three days then switch it to kickboxing and weightlifting or… Main thing is to keep your body guessing. Our bodies are complex and they need to be challenged. If you were loosing weight with a certain workout routine it may help just to tweak the routine a little. Next, and MOST important is your diet. I’m not big on counting calories but I’ll say this, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meats, nuts, and water are your staples. Also, breakfast is very, very important because it gets your metabolism going. Try to eat six times a day no more than three hours a part. Apples and raw almonds are great portable snacks.  Lastly, did I mention not to give up? Okay, good. Stay at it!!! Just make some adjustments. Slow and steady wins the race there is no quick fix to change your lifestyle. I hope this helps. It brings me great pleasure to pass on advice/encouragement so please feel free to ask anytime. Ironically, I just came from the gym when I saw your post and a trainer there was telling me next year this time I’d be a trainer myself. Hmm… smile.