Delicious salads

I am by all means NOT a huge huge fan of salads, but I've been on a salad kick lately and am learning to love them. 

On this post, I'll show you some great salads that are super delicious.

 Make your own chopped salads!

What to chop:

• tomatoes
• lettuce
• onions
• cucumbers
• cheese
• chicken breast

Add a little dressing and toss it up! 

Try a tomato bean salad!

What's in it:

• green beans
• grape tomatoes
• yellow tomatoes
• soy beans (edamame 
• yellow beans
• a light dressing

Chicken ceasar salad

• Lettuce
• chicken breast
• shredded parmesan cheese
• ceasar dressing 

 Also really great to put all of these ingredients into a wrap! 

Homemade spinach salad with chicken

• Baby spinach leaves
• chicken breast 
• balsamic vinnaigrette

(Similar to the salad right above this one)

Spinach, mozzarella, chicken salad

• Baby spinach leaves
• fresh mozzarella cheese (Bel Gioioso is a great brand)
• chicken breast 
• balsamic vinnaigrette 

Very fresh taste!  My boyfriend loved it when I made this salad for him and that's saying a lot since he is all about meats, pastas, etc.  

The Simple spinach salad

Just 3 ingredients + dressing!

• baby spinach leaves
• fresh mozzarella
• chopped roma tomatoes
• dressing

Tomato, chicken, Spinach salad

• baby spinach
• grillen chicken breast
• tomatoes
• dressing 

Have fun experimenting with different variations of these healthy salads that taste great! 

This salad is one of my absolute favorites and it's from a restaurant from where I work, Sophia's:

What's in it:

• Romaine lettuce
• grilled chicken breast
• roma tomatoes
• cucumbers
• onions
• almond encrusted goat cheese
• orange ginger vinnaigrette 

YUM! 

Live carefree and manage your stress (:

Stress causes premature aging and is not good on your health!  Not only can you make yourself physically sick from being too stressed, but also stress does nothing for weight loss.

Some tend to eat too much when stressed while others tend to eat too little when stressed.  Neither of these habits is good for you.  

Stress also can also cause headaches, fatigue, insomnia, and if stress is not managed it can increase your chance of having a heart attack and can contribute to diabetes, weight gain, and high blood pressure. 

Find the balance in your life.  Do what makes you happy and do it often.  Find your passions and indulge them.  Make a summer bucket list and actually set out to do those things!

Take some time off for you.  Read a book, give yourself a manicure or pedicure, take a walk, cook your favorite meal, have a Netflix marathon, spend time with those you love, go for a hike, hit up the pool, or simply sit outside and enjoy the beauty of nature.   

Living a healthy life is not just about being physically healthy, but it's about taking care of your mental and emotional health as well. 

Choose to be happy. 

Some things on my Summer Bucket List so far:

Plan a float trip

Go on nature hikes through caves and cliffs at local State Parks

Go camping

Record another acoustic cover

Stay in shape

Learn how to cook more recipes

Read a more than 2 books

Spend time at the pool and the beach

Do something nice for someone

Make some crafts

Go wake boarding again 

Go boating

.

.

. 

Feel free to share any ideas for things to do this summer with everyone in the comments section! 

(=

If you're going to be on campus all day...

Pack healthy snacks or see what the best options around campus are.

 Some student centers or cafeterias have really great food options on campus.  If you are low on cash however, make a wrap or pack some snacks.

Examples of easy to make zip lock bag snacks:

• thinly sliced apple with orange and lemon squirts on the slices 
• banana with peanut butter in the middle 
• granola with raisins and coconut
• nuts (peanuts, almonds, etc.) 
• carrots or broccoli and a bit of ranch
• apples and peanut butter
• I used to do this all the time in middle school and high school
• One zip lock bag for the apple slices and one for a couple scoops of peanut butter

Other great things to pack:

• a banana
• an orange
• granola bar (Nature Valley is good or Nutrigrain) 
• a wrap

 

Orzo salad (left) and Naked smoothie drinks (right)

Shells and cheese with green beans sauteed in onions and garlic

Other great food options we have available on Mizzou's campus: sushi, salads, fruit cups, veggie salads, etc.

Pinterest has a bunch of great snack and recipe ideas which I'll be posting later on, but click here for the link to my recipes board.

^^ Note: not all the recipes and food ideas in my Recipes board are necessarily healthy and there are a lot of dessert ideas on there too, but regardless I think you guys will enjoy! 

All-fruit smoothies

Smoothies are a great snack to make that is filling, delicious, and gives you that extra boost of energy! For my smoothies, I use all fruit and that's it! Adding a bit of plain yogurt will give it a creamier texture if you prefer and will still make for a healthy smoothie.

MY FAVES:

Strawberry Banana

You can use 1 banana and 5-6 regular sized strawberries.

Strawberry, Banana, Pineapple

• Use 2 bananas
• 4-5 strawberries
• 3-4 square cuts of the pineapple (they're strong so be careful not to put too many in there)

This will make about a cup (:

+ Mangoes

 

Mango Strawberry or Mango Banana are other combinations that are awesome as well!

• Use fairly equal amounts of mangoes and strawberries, and mangoes and bananas.

+ Raspberries 

Try Strawberry, Banana, Raspberry also!

• Use 1 banana, 4-5 strawberries, and a handful of raspberries.

The "low down" about different types of fats

Everything is okay in moderation, but keep this in mind:
Saturated Fats: These fats clog arteries, increase cholesterol, and tend to lead to health problems.  What types of foods contain saturated fats?

• animal products: meat, dairy, poultry, etc.
• cheeseburgers
• onion rings
• french fries
• corn dogs
• hot dogs

Eating more foods with monounsaturated fats can actually reverse the damage of foods high in saturated fats.  

Foods that contain monounsaturated fats that you should eat more of: 

• olives, Olive oil
• avocados
• peanuts, peanut butter
• almonds
• macadamia nuts
• dark chocolate

These foods, especially nuts are great fitness foods to eat before working out!

Try adding some nuts to your salads or pasta and use avocado in your sandwiches.  They add extra flavor and will help your body to not store as much of the saturated fats from the other foods.

Of course I'm not saying never eat onion rings or french fries, but do so in moderation and not in excess.  Make sure you eat plenty of the other foods to counteract and reverse the fried foods/saturated fat foods' effects.  

Some of the recipes I've already put on here in the "Creating healthy and filling meals..." tab on the March history include avocados and other super healthy foods you should eat more of!  Stay tuned for more recipes that include these types of foods, as well as great smoothies to make that are easy, filling, and fairly cheap to make!

Any questions, concerns, or requests on future post, don't hesitate to comment! I love hearing from you guys and your successes/struggles/suggestions. (=

Stretching, it really does wonders

Stretching has many benefits.  It reduces stress, helps with the natural flow of your internal systems, helps lengthen your muscles and keep the tissues healthy, helps with flexibility, circulation, balance, as well as helps with lower back pain.

Taking ten to fifteen minutes to stretch every day really helps your body and joints stay limber.  It is also a great way to prevent injury.  In addition, I've found that stretching before and after my workouts has actually helped me not to bulk up from certain exercises.

So take the time to stretch after your workouts, it really pays off and leaves you feeling less sore! There are also stretches that are exercises as well and tone your body like you would not believe! My mom teaches a stretch class where she incorporates ballet floor workouts which both stretch your muscles and create long and lean muscle tone.  I'll post some of these later!

Great stretches to do everyday

• (on the floor) 
• reach your arms up and over while reaching for your toes
• straddle your legs, reach your arms up and over your center keeping your back as straight as possible
• next, reach up and over to one side aiming your nose to your knee then do the other side
• lie on your back, hug your knees to your chest and rock side to side
• on your back again, take one knee, pull it up towards your chest.  Then while keeping your torso facing forward, use your opposing hand to pull your knee over your body and try and get it as close to the ground as possible.  Do the next side the same way
• Do all of these and you'll be feeling ready for the day!

Also, I used to have fairly bad lower back problems and honestly, between stretching on a daily basis and strengthening both my core and back, I am pain free to this day (that is unless I re-injure it or forgot to stretch after a strenuous workout).  I'll share some of these strengthening exercises that are helpful to cope with lower back pain and problems. 

Some general fitness tips

In this post, I will share with you all tips about how to maintain a healthy physique.  There is a way to stay fit in college and still go out and have a fun time.

• Drink a lot of water everyday!! 
• Aim to work out at least 4-5 times a week for about an hour
• weight-bearing exercises are great for building healthy muscles, weight loss, and keeping that metabolism up 
• weights with ab exercises
• weights with arm reps
• ladies- you don't need to use more than 10-15 lb weights 
• it's more about the reps, rather than the lbs
• the more weight you use may bulk up areas that you wish to keep slim
• cardio is great for your heart as well as keeping your metabolism going
• Diet is key! Keep in mind all of the tips and meal ideas I've been posting about
• I can't stress how important eating a well balanced, healthy diet is for keeping a slim, toned body
• Eating your meal after you work out is the best because your metabolism is up from the exercise and will begin to burn the food as you eat it 

I will post specific exercises targeting different areas that have worked for both me and my friends so keep checking back with me! Any questions, concerns, comments, or request a topic for me to post about let me know!  

Creating healthy & filling meals for breakfast/lunch (pics)

Below are some healthy meals/recipes for breakfast and lunch on a typical day.  I just recently began photographing certain things that I make.  I will continue to do so to encourage everyone to take the time to cook and create healthy meals.

Just taking the time to cook something for yourself throughout the day is much better than always going out to eat or running out to the local fast food joint for a snack.

Below are some healthy, easy-to-make meals:

Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich

What's in it?

• fresh tomatoes (any kind will do -my favorites are roma tomatoes and grape tomatoes)
• fresh mozzarella cheese
• salt, pepper
• one thin slice of salami
• fresh basil leaves 
• English Muffin Toast

Great lunch idea! Or breakfast, if you do not enjoy typical breakfast foods.  Really easy to make!

Chicken Wrap and Fruit 

What's in the wrap?

• freshly made chicken breast (cooked with a bit of water in the sauce pan and sometimes a bit of garlic salt on either side.  (no butter needed) 
• lettuce
• 1 tsp of Ranch dressing spread out on the wrap
• cheese
• one slice of bacon (optional and used occasionally) chopped up 
• chopped up onions
• good wraps to choose from: green veggie wraps, flour tortillas, whole wheat wraps, etc.  
• It's not too big of a deal which wrap you use, sorta just depends on your preference.  

Turkey, Avocado, Tomato Bagel 

What's in it?

• freshly sliced tomato
• sliced avocado 
• two thin slices of peppered turkey
• cream cheese on half of the bagel 
• bagel

Triple Salad Lunch 

What are all of these? (from top to bottom right to bottom left)

• Tomato Mozzarella Salad (homemade)
• Pesto Tortellini Salad with peas
• (made at Caputo's) 
•  Chicken nut Salad (made at Caputo's) 

Very filling and lots of different tastes going to give you the energy you need throughout the day!
 


Below are some healthy meal options if you are at a restaurant for breakfast/lunch:

Caprese Benedict (Substituted with egg whites)
(University Club in Chicago)

What's in it?  

• English Muffin
• beefsteak tomato slices
• basil
• buffalo mozzarella
• egg whites

 Delicious, healthy meal for brunch! 

(All photos taken via my iPhone)

Sicilian Egg White Scrambler (Egg Harbor)

What's in it?

• Three egg whites scrambled with
• spinach
• tomato
• onion
• & topped with
• oregano
• Parmesan
• low-fat mozzarella
•  served with a wheat English Muffin & fruit

Very filling and satisfying! 

Coconut oil & alternatives to butter (for cooking)

Coconut oil has many uses that are beneficial to your health.

1. Eating a teaspoon before you eat breakfast boosts your metabolism and supports healthy thyroid function  (click here for more uses)
2. It can also be used on girls with extremely dry hair as a conditioning treatment overnight.  I actually just did this last night on the ends of my hair
3. Can be used as a chap stick, lotion, facial cleanser, eye make-up remover, soap bar, etc
4. Can be used to cook and bake with (replacing butter)

*Coconut oil does not store as fat, but gives you a healthy boost of energy to start off your day!

Butter is fine is smaller amounts, but when cooking or baking, there are other healthier alternatives to butter.

• Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil for cooking and baking
• Olive oil for pastas, breads, etc.
• Mashed avocado (for cookies)

Agave nectar can be used as a natural sweetener or syrup and actually tastes delicious!
-The cooks at Rancho La Puerta don't use any sugar in their meals, just agave! You can taste the difference, but once you get used to it, you won't want to go back to sugar.


Questions, comments, feel free to ask them by posting below!

Good eats & not so good eats

Making subtle changes to the way you eat is another step in the right direction toward developing a healthier lifestyle.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it's all about eating less or cutting out foods completely because that's just no way to live.  However, I am going to share with you some helpful tips about how food is processed and how often we should really be eating certain things!

Eat lots of these:

• lean meats
• poultry (chicken, turkey) 
• your body digests poultry in a day so this is a good food to eat
• fish
• fresh fruits
• fresh vegetables
• wraps
• will include recipes for some really delicious, healthy and easy to make wraps later on
• salads (boring, I know, but there are ways to make a healthy salad delicious)
• I will also include some recipes later on with some homemade dressing ideas as well
•  eggs
• if you eat a lot of eggs, try taking some of the yolks out
• oats and whole grains

Eat less of these: 

• ice cream
• red meats 
• red meats take 3 days to digest, so if you're eating red meat on a daily basis, your system will become clogged and it will be hard to maintain a healthy weight
•  fried foods and fast foods
• something I didn't realize and learned the hard way:
• Ramen noodles are deep fat fried.  Even eating one packet without the seasoning packet is not very good for you
• There was a time period where I was eating these a lot because it was quick, cheap, and easy to make, but certainly not worth what it did to my body 
•  bread
• you don't need to cut it out completely, but if you eat it on a daily basis or every other day basis, make sure it's whole grain, potato bread, honey wheat, or multi-grain, even sourdough is better than bleached white bread

If you've started the water challenge, you'll begin to know when you actually feel hungry.  Keep it up and take this information into consideration when preparing your daily meals.

Breakfast: fill your breakfast with grains, protein, and carbs for energy.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and starts your metabolism to begin burning calories for the day.

Lunch: protein, fruits, veggies, wraps, etc.  Keeps your body nourished and continues that caloric burn.

Dinner: lean meats (occasionally red), fish, chicken, poultry, fruits, veggies.  Eating past 7/8p.m. is not something you should do on a regular basis.  Your body does not have time to digest all of that food before you go to sleep for the night.  It's healthiest for you to eat before 7p.m.

Feel free to post comments, questions, or anything below! 

Eat Breakfast!

Want to kick-start your metabolism and boost your energy throughout the day?  There's a simple solution really.  Eat breakfast!

Eating breakfast not only gets your metabolism going, but is also a way to start off your day with a healthy mindset.  If you eat a bowl of Coco Puffs, you'll be less likely to make healthy choices later on in the day.  If you chose to have a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with freshly sliced strawberries or bananas, you're much more likely to choose healthy lunch and dinner options.

Fill your breakfast with protein or carbohydrates or both!

Great breakfast choices:

• Bowl of healthy cereal with skim milk (skim milk has the same amount of vitamins as 2%, but less fat.  As you get older and if you drink milk with greater frequency, skim is definitely the way to go!)
• some cereals that I love:
• Raisin Nut Bran
• Toasted Oatmeal Squares
• Rice Krispies
• Cheerios
• Life
• Honey Bunches of Oats
• Oatmeal with apples and cinnamon- very filling and delicious
• Scrambled egg whites with cheese on an English muffin--gives you your protein and carbs
• Veggie egg white omelet 
• I like to make mine with freshly chopped onions, cheese, tomatoes, and green peppers
• Scrambled cheese eggs and onions in a whole grain wrap

 Also, drink a glass of water before breakfast when you get up every morning.  It helps to flush everything out and also aids in starting your metabolism.  After fasting all night, your body needs nourishment, although many of us don't wake up hungry right away.  Drinking that glass of water helps you to feel ready to eat even a small breakfast within 30 minutes or so.

Questions, comments, feel free to ask them by posting below! 

Fresh Foods Vs. Pantry Life Foods

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is key to eating a healthy, balanced diet.  Let me clarify one thing very early on in this blog.  I do not believe in diets nor do I think they rarely work.  People tend to go on these "diets" and long term cleanses" and eventually fall back into their old habits, gaining twice the weight back.

In order to maintain a healthy weight and a toned physique, one must develop a healthy lifestyle.  Diet plays a huge role in staying fit.  Although, exercise is equally important.  Not just to stay looking good, but exercise allows for your metabolism to work properly and keeps your heart healthy!

When you are grocery shopping, aim to purchase at least 85-90% fresh foods.  By this I mean load up on fruits, veggies, meats, poultry, eggs, yogurts, and fresh cheeses.  Stay away from foods with a long "shelf life" as much as possible.  (i.g. cookies, oreos, chips, fruit snacks, nilla wafers, crackers, chocolate, treats, ritz bitz cheese, etc.)

These are great quick snack foods that can substitute "pantry life snacks":

• Apple with natural peanut butter
• Buying Smucker's all natural peanut butter vs. Skippy or Jif makes such a difference and it's the same price!
• Sliced green pepper with hummus 
• hummus is made from chick peas and is really good for you
• Chips and Salsa or Chips and Guacamole
• An even healthier substitution would be to dip green peppers or vegetables in the salsa or guacamole
•  Bananas
• A smoothie made with all fruit and ice if you prefer a more icy and diluted taste

Although there are some foods that have a long shelf life that are great to include in your diet such as oatmeal, granola, cereal, whole wheat pasta, etc.

Stay tuned for some great recipes that are easy and cheap to make, but taste great and are nutritious!

Questions, comments, feel free to ask them by posting below! 

Motivation

I cannot express how important it is to develop a healthy lifestyle early on.  I will be sharing my knowledge about eating a balanced diet, tips about staying youthful, exercise tips that are completely doable and will give you the best body for your body, and ways to stay happy overall!

I went to Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico last May and it really got me back on track.  I will post more about this later, but basically it is a health spa vacation spot where many families go to spend a week of wellness, health, fitness, and spiritual reflection.   

I am a college student and wish to encourage other college students and everyone else to dedicate themselves to living better.

For the college students: There is a way to eat right on a "poor college student budget" and still go out and have a good time.  All it takes is desire, a little time management, and commitment, and I will show you how.

I would eventually like to write a book with all of my tips for college students in particular when it comes to maintaining a healthy life and staying fit.

Stay tuned! 

Please feel free to leave comments and ask me questions!