Beach Run & Shrimp

Today was a great day! The girl that worked after me brought me two cook books she doesnt use anymore! I can't wait to look through them and find ways to add my own paleo spin on them! :)

For my 30 days, 100 miles challenge today, I was able to run 4.83 miles in 39:30, which is an average of 8:11min avg/mile! I could not be more proud of myself. I am fortunate to work near the beach so part of my run was with a gorgeous view of the beach.

After my workout, I made sure to take my flaxseed supplements. 

In my moms vitamins basket I found glucosamine and calcium supplements and I am thinking with all of this running I  should start adding these to my diet, so I am going to purchase them soon.

Paleo Meal Plan, Today, Monday June 18

Meal 1:

Raspberry, Kale, Coconut Milk Smoothie topped with seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax, & hemp)

Meal 2:

1 cup paleo granola (posted recipe on previous post in MAY), added hemp seeds & coconut threads 

+ 1/2 cup fruit (strawberries & kiwi) 

+ 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Meal 3:

Arugula Salad with 1/2 grilled turkey breast (seasoned with coconut oil, basil, oregano, garlic and pepper), 1/2 apple chopped, 10 grapes halved, red onion, celery, walnuts and 1/2 lemon juiced for dressing

Post Workout Shake:

Strawberry-Spinach-Flax Shake:

(*Make sure to have a good source of protein, carbs, and fats within 30 minutes after workout!*)

1 cup strawberry 

1.5 cup baby spinach
2 TBSP whole raw flax seeds
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1-2 cup water

Blend all together!

Post Workout Snack:

1 banana sliced, 1 tbsp sunflower seed butter (emuslified, and mixed with 1/2 scoop chocolate WHEY protein powder) topped with seeds (chia, hemp, sunflower, and pumpkin)

Meal 4:

Shrimp & Zucchini sautee (onion, garlic & coconut oil) + ½  sweet potato mashed + ½ avocado
(I got this idea from @kimmy2too on instagram!)

Shrimp & Zucchini Sautee:

                           

Chop 1 large zucchini, 1/2 onion and 1-2 garlic cloves. Add 1 tbsp coconut oil into a large skillet, add your onion and garlic; let these sweat in the pan on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, then add 1 lb of shrimp and seasonings (I used lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, and italian seasonings; Salt-Free Mrs. Dash was the recommended seasonings but I don't have it) Let the shrimp cook for roughly 5 minutes on low heat then add your zucchini slices; cook shrimp and zucchini together until the shrimp is a nice pink color then it is fully cooked. (see next picture!) This made me about 3 servings (one of which I will bring to work tomorrow night)

Serve with 1/2 avocado sliced (good source of healthy fats) and 1/2 roasted sweet potato (recipe on previous post)!

Sweet Potato vs. Yams:

                           

At work today I was interested in the difference between sweet potato and yams so I went online and researched it!

So I found that there are different varieties (colors) of sweet potatoes, the popular ones are the white flesh and orange flesh. The orange flesh sweet potatoes are commonly called yams in US markets, and the white flesh are called sweet potatoes (this is to avoid confusion with the different varieties). Yams are starchy tubers with a bark like skin in many varieties and are harder to find and are mostly available in specialty markets. Both are low in calories, very low in fat, good sources of energy, and good sources of vitamin C and B6. 

Per 8 oz of sweet potato, it contains 45g carbohydrates (7g fiber) while yams contain 40g carbohydrates (5g fiber) and 5g protein in sweet potato, 2g for yams. The protein in sweet potatoes and yams are not a complete protein so do not rely on these as your main protein source. Sweet potatoes are good sources of beta carotene and potassium as well. Potassium is good to assist in the maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance in cells. These all make sweet potatoes (and even yams) a very good part of your post workout meal!

One of the BIG differences between the two is sweet potatoes are an extremely high source of vitamin A while yams are a low source of vitamin A. Per 8oz of sweet potato, it contains 270% of vitamin A while yams only offer 1%; vitamin A is important for healthy skin and soft tissues. Vitamin A plays many important roles in the human body including your immune system, eye sight, skin and bones and teeth.

Chances are if you are buying yams at a normal market with the orange flesh you are actually buying sweet potatoes! I was at sprouts and thought I was buying yams (orange flesh) but most likely it was sweet potatoes, which after researching is probably for the best :)

http://www.livestrong.com/article/257046-sweet-potato-vs-yam-nutrition/

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/7-health-benefits-of-vitamin-a.html

Turkey & 3 Bean Chili

It's chili time! I have been craving chili ever since I saw a very simple, single serving chili recipe in Women's Health and it made me so hungry! I used that recipe to get an idea, but mostly just started adding vegetables, turkey, water and spices to a big pot!

Turkey & 3 Bean Chili
(Serves about 5, 1 cup servings)

1 Can Chili Beans (Kidney, Pinto, Black), drained & rinsed
1 Can Black Beans, drained & rinsed

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 green bell pepper, rough chop
1/2 large white onion, rough chop
3 Roma tomatoes, rough chop
2 ears of corn, cooked & corn cut off husks

In a large pot, add a drizzle of olive oil, and cook the onions on medium-low heat until translucent, then add green bell peppers. Cook on medium-low heat until bell peppers are sweating.

While the onions and bell peppers are cooking, cook 1-1.5 lb turkey breast seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, pepper & red pepper flakes. Drain any excess fluids once finished cooking.

Once turkey and onion-bell pepper mixture are finished cooking, add turkey, beans, corn, and tomatoes to the pot with onions and green peppers. Keep the heat over medium-low heat.

In a serperate bowl, mix together 2-3 cups warm water, 1 packet chili seasoning , and 4-6 tablespoons ground flax seed. Mix until everything has dissolved, then add to the pot. It will look very watery at first, but after some of the water cooks off, it will become thicker.

Add the chili seasoning mixture to the big pot. Let this simmer for 20-30 minutes, until it is a thicker consistency.

After 20-30 minutes you're all set! Let the chili cool a little before serving because it will be very hot!

Green onions, rough chop, for topping
(Optional topping: nonfat plain green yogurt, in place of sour cream)

Final Product!

This was my first time making chili from scratch (except for the seasoning). And it turned out very well! I would love any suggestions for ways to make this chili even better or healthier then it was.

I will be having chili left overs for the next few days, and I am very excited. I have a feeling it will make even better left overs with letting the flavors marinate longer!

Enjoy! :)

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

New Protein Pancake Recipe! I adjusted it from other protein pancake recipes I had seen, used whatever I had around the house, and it turned out great!

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed

2 Tablespoon vanilla protein powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 apple, peeled and diced

6 Tablespoon egg whites

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1 1/2 Tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Combined all the above ingredients in a blender or food processor, blend until ingredients have been

After the ingredients have been combined, put a small amount of coconut oil on a pan, add 1/4 of mixture per pancake onto the greased pan over medium heat. Cook until there is a light golden crust, flip and repeat. This recipe made me 4 medium sized pancakes.

In a small microwave safe bowl put1-2 Tablespoon organic pure maple syrup and microwave 15 seconds. I prefer my maple syrup warm. 

Once all the pancakes are done cooking, drizzle the warmed maple syrup over them and top with 1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts and 1-2 Tablespoon peeled and chopped apples

Final Product!

The kitchen  is a great place to be creative and think of new ideas.

Hot Hot Hot!

For dinner, I cooked Clean Chinese Sweet & Sour Chicken! Holy moly it was spicy! I do not eat spicy foods very often, because both my mouth and tummy are sensitive to foods that are too hot. However, I am definitely getting into the spicy life. I got this recipe idea from April 2012 Oxygen Magazine.

~4 oz. chicken breast, diced into bite size pieces

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 red bell pepper, diced

Sauce: 1 Tbsp ketchup (low-sodium recommended)

1 Tbsp peach preserves (low sugar recommended)

 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard

Combine first three ingredients in a bowl until chicken is completely covered. 

Add olive oil cooking spray to a saucepan then add chicken, cook 6-8 minutes on medium to medium-high heat until browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, dice bell peppers and set aside, then combine the three ingredients for the sauce in a separate bowl.

After the chicken is cooked, add the bell peppers and sauce to the skillet and lower heat. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until heated through.

(Makes 1 serving; 230 calories, 2g fat, 20g carbs, 28g protein)

I served this with brown rice-quinoa mixture and steamed broccoli, green beans, and carrots.

Next time I made this (which I definitely will!), I will add the steamed veggies to the chicken-bell pepper mixture for the last few minutes of cooking to give them some extra flavor and hopefully make the dish a little less spicy! 

For the boy, I made him steamed veggies, brown rice-quinoa mixture and grilled chicken. Simple, tastey and healthy all at once! He is not a fan of the spicy food, so he got the regular chicken, veggie dinner.

Cottage Cheese

In between classes today I went home to make a quick, easy, yet healthy lunch!

•1 hard boiled large egg
(80 calories, 5g fat (2g sat fat), 6g protein, 1g carb (1g sugar))
•1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
(80 calories, 1.5g fat (sat fat), 4g carbs (3g sugar), 14g protein)

Salad:
•2 cups of fresh spinach
(20 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbs (dietary fiber 2g, 0g sugar), 2g protein)
•1/4 of a cucumber (8 slices)
(20 calories)
•1/2 Roma tomato, quartered
(20 calories)
•1-2 tbsp fat free balsamic vinaigrette
(25 calories, 0g fat, 6g carbs (5g sugar), 0g protein)

Total calorie count: 245 calories, 22g protein, 6.5 g fat, ~14g carbs

Final product...

Pasta!

I was watching the food network and got good ideas for "volumezing" pasta. If you want fettucini then add half a serving of whole wheat cooked fettucini with zucchini or squash ribbons (use a peeler to peel zucchini and add to cooked pasta). Add a healthy sauce and serve with a salad or steamed veggies! It will look like your eating a full serving or more of pasta with cutting calories. If you prefer angel hair pasta or spaghetti, you can do the same thing but instead of zucchini , microwave a halved spaghetti squash for ~8 minutes and with a fork create strands and add to cooked pasta + sauce.

I was craving pasta all so I decided to try this volume zing technique. I used 1/2 serving whole wheat linguini and 1 cup zucchini ribbons. For the sauce I sautéed some onions, garlic, basil and oregano in a small amount of olive oil. After the onions were translucent I added diced zucchini and tomatoes, then spinach, a spoonful of marinara, red pepper flakes and finally some red wine. I let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes and served over the pasta.

Fresh Ingredients!

Just added the red pepper flakes, it ended up having a nice kick to it.

Linguini and zucchini ribbons

I am definitely making pasta with zucchini ribbons again because I feel full and satisfied but I cut the calories! So now I feel even more satisfied knowing I made a healthy substitution that I will use again.

Paleo Vegan Pizza!

I have been wanting to try a paleo pizza with cauliflower crust. I didn't have cauliflower in my fridge but I did have broccoli! Yummm. So I decided to give it a try. First, I had to make flax eggs (since this was a vegan paleo crust). To make a flax egg you will whisk 1 tablespoon ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons water (make sure to whisk while adding water to flax), and refrigerate for a minimum of 15 minutes (an hour is preferred).

I took about 4 cups of broccoli and put into the blender until "riced", and then transferred broccoli to a big bowl.Then to the blender, I blended about 1/3 cup of almonds to make almond flour. Once the almonds were a flour consistency I added them to the big bowl of broccoli. I then added my 2 flax eggs and mixed them all together with a big spoon until a dough ball formed. On a cookie sheet I spread the dough out, and cooked it in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Once the crust was getting crispy, I took it out and added some fresh marinara, veggies (bell peppers, garlic, onions, spinach and mushrooms), fresh herbs, and the last part of my soy mozzarella cheese (pretty sure the cheese isnt a part of the paleo diet, but I wanted to finish up the cheese so I added it!). Once all the toppings were on, I put the pizza back in the oven for 8-10 minutes. And then it was all ready to eat!

 

It turned out pretty well! I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Next time I want to try with cauliflower because the broccoli had a very strong taste and the crust was a bit moist. I think this is a healthy alternative to regular pizza. The vegan cheese is very low in calories as well as the crust, and I put a lot of veggies to add nutrients! 

For the boy I made an egg white scramble with red bell peppers, spinach, onions, and turkey, with a couple grilled shrimp skewers and a glass of orange juice!

Volumetric Eating Plan?

I have been reading into this Volumetric Eating Plan by Barbara Rolls. It is an interesting concept to "dieting" because in my opinion it's simply healthy eating because it's a lower calorie, lower fat diet, high in fruits and veggies.

This "diet" has people fill up on foods that aren't high in calories but foods that have a high water content. By eating low density foods a person can eat more with fewer calories, instead of eating high energy dense foods which calories add up quickly. So when you fill up your plate it looks like your eating more with lower density foods compared to the same calorie amount with higher energy dense foods.

One thing I disagree with is that she says people don't get full because of the number of calories they consume nor the grams of fat, protein or carbs. I know I feel more full when I have a meal high in protein so as long as an adequate amount of lean protein and healthy oils are incorporated (which she recommends) and foods high in fiber (which she also recommends) then I think this is a sustainable plan for getting healthy.

Examples of high density foods are cookies, chips, butter, candies, chocolates, and oils. By cutting out oil, butter, and cream and replacing them with skim milk, egg whites, yogurt, and applesauce it decreases the calories in the food.

Foods that are "freebies," which you can consume as many as you want are celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, salad greens, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, red bell peppers, carrots, cantaloupe, and oranges.

Let me know what your thoughts on this!



In leu of this plan, I made myself a huge Greek inspired salad today with nonfat feta sprinkled over it and a side of eggplant hummus and carrots!