Apple-Squash Springtime

Spring is finally starting to show up all around us, from the little bit of green grass starting to poke through the ground to the sunny days that are practically begging us to come play outside.  Although the days are getting warmer, it will still be a bit longer until all the delicious fruits and veggies will be ripe and in season.  So until that happens, try this recipe to bring your winter squash into the Spring.

Apple-Squash Springtime

1 butternut squash

1-2 apples (last time I made this I used Fuji and they were delicious)

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Cinnamon, salt, and pepper to taste (a dash or two)

Peel squash and apples, then cut into cubes (about 1/3 inch). Warm 1T oil (olive, coconut, or just plain ol' butter) in a pan. Add squash, and cover.  Cook on medium heat  for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the other ingredients. Lower temp to med/low and cover again, stirring occasionally. Cook until tender. 

Note: need it sweet kick?  Add the second apple. Need more of a sweet kick?  Add 2 tsp honey once everything is tender and ready to eat. 

This is not only something I love, but also something my kiddos love. Plus, its great both hot and cold. 

Enjoy!

Carpe Diem!

Yummy and Healthy Breakfast - Oatmeal Bonus

Ever wonder what to eat in the am?  Try out my Oatmeal Bonus!  It's loaded with protein, fiber, antioxidants, and more...plus, it's sweet, satisfying, and all around yummy tasting!  Breakfast is important to eat in the morning to jump start your metabolism, give your brain and body fuel to get pumping for the day, and help you eat healthier throughout the next 16 hours.  It's true, without breakfast (and just coffee doesn't count) you will feel groggily and will be more tempted my that donut, candy bar, fast food, etc. because your brain (and cravings) will tell you to jump on that cookie and gobble it up as fast as you can....well...maybe not quite that extreme but I know those treats and unhealthy foods "speak" to you saying "eat me...eat me...". That's why you need to try this Oatmeal Bonus!

The oatmeal and hemp seeds provide protein, helping you feel full for longer
The chia seeds give you healthy Omega 3 fatty acids to feed your brain and body and fiber to help your gut
And, the berries provide antioxidants and a sweetness that will help fulfill any sweet-tooth cravings you might suffer from

My favorite combo is oatmeal, blueberries, dried tart cherries, 1Tablespoon ground chia seeds, 1 Tablespoon hemp seeds, and 1teaspoon ground flax seeds...yum, Yum, YUM!

Try it out for a week and let me know what you think!  Enjoy!

Follow me on Twitter at: @BewellJanell

Tone Your Triceps with the Tricep-Punch Combo

I’m down to a week for my next black belt test; wow.  There really is no way to cram years of training into a week of prep so all I can do now is walk through (mentally and physically) my material as much as possible and then trust in myself.  So, I have a whole week to combat any jitters that pop up with a mental pep talk of: “come on, I can do this!  I’ve got this!  I will get through it and I will do great!” etc. But to be honest, once you have the training and the practice, it’s your confidence and faith in yourself that is one of the biggest determining factors for how you will perform.

Today is a lovely dare-I-say (almost) Fall weather day.  I’m sitting here enjoying a bowl of freshly cut peaches, kiwi, and purple grapes (so sweet and satisfying who could need candy!) with a spaghetti squash in the oven to eat with my fresh picked tomato, zucchini, and pepper meat sauce.  Yum, yum, yum!  It’s an ultra healthy food day that makes me really appreciate the warm weather and the delicious foods we can grow.    I have a small garden in the back and although it’s my first year with it, and I definitely could have done a better job, there is still something so special and rewarding about going out to pick my own fruits and vegetables (especially with my son).

If you haven’t jumped into gardening, there is still time to jump in and try it out.  Broccoli and kale are two super green foods that love the cooler Fall weather.  Although we are past the prime time to plant, head to your local nursery to find matured vegetables you can still plant and harvest.  Plus, they can fill you in on what you need to do to help them thrive.  Later this Fall I will write up some of my favorite broccoli and kale recipes so we can all savor the bounty of our efforts together!  Live here in Kansas City?  I love going in to Soil Service Nursery Center on 71^st and Troost; I always find them to be knowledgeable, helpful, and with quality plants.

This week we are going to focus on the arms with the:

Tricep-Punch Combo

Note:  You will want to use a hand weight to kick up the volume on this exercise.   Don’t have a hand weight?  Grab a can of soup, a bottle of water, or any other weighted item you can hold onto. 

Start in a mini lunge position with your left foot in front.  Pull your belly in, open and lift your chest, and relax your shoulders.  In addition, activate your thigh muscles and feel as though everything is pulling into your middle.  Hold the weight in your right hand and bring your hand up to your armpit (consider this your starting position).  From here, extend your hand out behind you, lifting up until your feel your tricep muscle activate; reset to your starting position.  Now punch out in front of you, pressing out with your tricep and pulling back in with your bicep.  This is one repetition.  Do 10-20 reps on each side for 2-3 rounds.

Have a great week and good luck with the veggies!

Your Calorie Intake (and Extra Smoothie Tips)

As I recently expressed, I love having my Power, Sunrise Smoothie every day.  But how do you add it in when you’re trying to lose weight?  Or just maintain your weight? 

This brings us to the topic of calorie intake.  As the experts say, your weight is determined by the about of calories you take in compared to the amount of calories your burn throughout the day.  If you are trying to lose weight, you need to burn more than you take in; if you want to maintain your current weight, you need to take in and burn the same number of calories.  Now, I personally find counting calories to be stressful and I have known people that have obsessed about it.  Therefore, I recommend finding out what your daily intake of food should look like, on average, and make adjustments from there.  If you are overweight, then you need to cut back a bit, plain and simple.

Being healthy at maintaining a healthy weight takes 2 things:  eating right and exercising.

To find out how what your daily intake of food should look like, go to: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker/myplan.aspx.  You input information about your height, weight, and activity level and it shows you how many calories a day you should consume.  Then, and this is what I think is the best part, it shows you how many servings (expressed in easy to understand amounts such as ‘cups’ and ‘ounces’) of fruits, vegetables, protein, fat, and dairy should make up your calorie intake.  This is what you can use as a guideline for what to eat throughout the day; count your servings of fruits, vegetables, etc. (instead of every calorie). 

And now we’re back to the smoothie.  Each 20 oz. glass of my Power, Sunrise Smoothie has:

ü  1-1.5 Cups of vegetables

ü  2 Cups of fruit

ü  ½ Cup of dairy

ü  .5-1.5 oz. of protein

Although each 20 oz. smoothie will be between 450 and 600 calories, you have to remember that everything in the smoothie is like a super-charged dose of vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, healthy fats and antioxidants…all that your body needs to function optimally.  I am a firm believer that it is the quality of calories that you take in that matters.  For example, sure you could drink something that is ‘sugar-free’ and ‘fat-free’ but all you’d be left consuming is artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, etc., none of which your body can use to create it’s optimal health (this is an important subject that I will go over in more detail the future).  If you want or need for the smoothie to be fewer calories, you could make them smaller (or….that other end of the teeter totter – you could increase the exercise you enjoy! J

Here are a few additional smoothie tips:

·         If you are trying to lose weight, or if you are not very active, try eliminating the almond/peanut butter to take out some of the calories; keep the protein powder.

·         Use the smoothie as a meal replacement once or twice a day.

·         For a smooth consistency, add all fruit, vegetables and liquids and blend thoroughly.  Once smooth, add coconut oil, (almond butter), and protein powder.  Blend on low until just mixed.

·         Rotate which fruits and vegetables you use so that your body gets a wide vitamins and minerals.

·         Try a ‘raw and vegan’ protein powder.  All the protein will be from vegetables and grains such as sprouts and sprouted brown rice. (Right now I am using Garden of Life’s RAW Meal – you can pick it up at Whole Foods and other vitamin shops.  http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/SUPPLEMENTS/FoundationalNutrition/RAWMeal/tabid/1893/Default.aspx)

o   NOTE:  Whole Foods has RAW Meal on sale for ~ $20 off (until the end of May)

Power, Sunrise Smoothie

Do you ever feel like you’d LIKE to eat better and include all the foods you need in your diet but somehow, it just doesn’t happen – you’re just in too much of a hurry, other foods are presented that look good, or it’s  just hard to get them all in?  Well, the start of your morning helps set the tone for all else that will follow during that day.  And, what we eat in the morning sets the foundation for your body’s nutritional needs, energy and metabolism.  So….. why not make a point to start your day with a great, healthy, nutrition packed, balanced smoothie? 

This is what I eat in the morning: my Power, Sunrise Smoothie.  I love how it makes me feel, both physically and mentally.  I love knowing that no matter what else happens throughout the day, even if I don’t get in quite as many veggies as I’d like, or that caramel mocha just seems essential, I can still feel good knowing that I have already had the vitamins, minerals, protein, fruits, and veggies my body needs to function optimally.  I know what you’re thinking.... ‘veggies!’  Yes, veggies, and I promise that you won’t even notice they’re in your smoothie.

This recipe will make 3 large smoothies.  My husband and I each have one in the morning and then there is an extra smoothie for the evening or the next morning.

Power, Sunrise Smoothie

2 bananas

4 large organic kale leaves (more if the leaves are small – any type of kale will work, however, dinosaur kale is my favorite)

1 -2 cups veggies (see list below)*

½ - 1 cup fruit (see list below)**

1 cup organic keifer - with probiotics (if you’re watching your sugars get plain)

~16 oz. liquid (see list below) ***

2 T organic, extra-virgin coconut oil (organic will NOT hydrogenated)

 2-3 T organic almond butter (if on a budget you can use peanut butter instead)

1-2 t cinnamon

3 servings whey, vegetable, or egg protein (I recommend getting this from Whole Foods- each brand is a little different on what constitutes a serving so read the label and add accordingly)

 * Veggies (pick 1-2 – frozen or fresh)

Petite peas

Broccoli

Spinach (organic)

Rhubarb

Carrots (3 large carrots, 4-5 small)  

** Fruit (pick 1-2 – frozen or fresh)

Pineapple

Strawberries (organic)

Blueberries (organic)

Raspberries

Cherries

Apple

Mango 

Peaches (organic)

*** Liquids  (pick 2-3 – amount will depend on how much frozen food you use, just experiment)

Unfiltered organic apple juice

Tart cherry juice

Coconut milk

Almond milk (unsweetened)

Water

 I know some of the ingredients may seem a bit strange but everything in this smoothie has a purpose.  I will give a few general benefits for the more unique additions (coconut oil for example) but I recommend that you also look at the websites listed below.  In addition, I highly recommend buying organic for the items specified as organic above.  These items are some of the most highly sprayed for chemicals and pesticides and going organic for these (if not all food) will do your body good. 

Make a commitment to yourself to try this for at least a month and then see how you feel.  I’m sure there will be times that you are too tired, too rushed, don’t have the ingredients or plain just don’t feel like making the smoothie.  That’s ok.  I think once you get started you will come to crave these, in the morning or even during the day.  And, if you’re like me and my family, when you stop eating the smoothie for a few days, you just don’t feel as good and you can’t wait to get back to it.

Have fun with your Power, Sunrise Smoothie.  Mix it up.  And if you come up with some new ingredients that you love, share them with me. 

Cheers to health!

Janell

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Coconut oil –provides ‘healthy fats’; helps speed metabolism; moderate blood sugar levels

Almond/Peanut butter – protein and good fats

Cinnamon – helps regulate blood sugar levels

Tart cherry juice – good for muscle pain, gout, and arthritis; improved sleep; heart health

Bee pollen (extra) – protein and energy

Acai (extra) – liquid or frozen package – antioxidants

Why buy organic for at least the items listed organic above?

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

Coconut oil:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453.html

http://coconutoil.com/

Almond butter:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20

Cinnamon:

http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/cinnamon/a/cinnamon.htm

Tart cherry juice:

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/amazing-antioxidants-tart-cherry-juice

Bee pollen:

http://www.webmd.com/balance/bee-pollen-benefits-and-side-effects

Acai:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/acai-berries-and-acai-berry-juice-what-are-the-health-benefits