Why Not Work Out?

      I found this article from Men’s Health (through Yahoo) yesterday, called “The Most Dangerous Gym in the World’. With a title like that I couldn’t pass it by, but what I read was not what I expected.

 

Read the article here,

The Most Dangerous Gym in the World

      This story is so powerful. These kids have it hard in Egypt, but to have a place to go, and someone to help and coach them into greatness is amazing. They willingly come to the gym and workout despite the adversity of being women or the people taunting and throwing rocks at them. If this does not inspire you to not only work out, but to be grateful for the things you have access to, read the article again! There are no excuses to not work out. I am going to go out and walk right now (haha, but seriously). I hope this inspires you as much as it did for me.

Live Healthy, 

     Nadia

Allergies

         With the spring in full effect A LOT of people are suffering from seasonal allergies. Personally without my medicine every morning I will not make it through the day. There are certain foods that you can eat that can help control them and keep them at bay.  For example if you eat locally made organic honey it can help with pollen allergies, because the bees use the pollen that you encounter every day to make that honey., and it’s kind of like the flu shot theory, put a little in your body and you can help prevent it from getting to bad.

        Eating fatty fish can also help ease the symptoms because of the omega-3 fatty acids. Eating these fish is proven to be better than taking the supplement and when you do but the fish go for wild, not farmed. Omega-3 fatty acids in its pure form (right from the fish) are a great source of vitamins and minerals.  Omega -3 fatty acids can also be found in tree nuts such as flax seeds and walnuts, unlike the omega-3 found in fatty fish, tree nuts contain the Alpha-linolenic acid chain that help in the production of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). All these components of omega-3’s aiding in the lessening of allergy symptoms.

        Onions, cabbage and cauliflower contain quercetin, a flavonoid that is said to help prevent cells from releasing histamines into the body.  Histamines being the main property in the body that activates your allergies.

        Vitamin C is also helps control the symptoms allergies produce.  Like the omega-3 fatty acids, eating foods with vitamin c is MUCH better than taking a supplement; oranges, red peppers, strawberries and broccoli are some if the best foods with vitamin C in them.  

       Lastly yogurt has probiotics that are said to reduce the allergic reaction to pollen. Probiotics help decrease the body's immune response to allergens, reducing inflammation in the body. I have also known certain people whose allergies get worse by eating/drinking dairy. This would be where everyone is different and you can eliminate things and start to add them back in and see how you feel comparing having and not having that food. This can also be done by adding foods to see if they do help with your symptoms.

       I hope you can use one of these suggestions and help to relieve your allergies this spring, because from someone who suffers from bad allergies I know I will try anything to get some relief.

Live Healthy,

     Nadia

Carbohydrate Substituting

     Carb substituting is something that my roommate and I have started to do recently. There are many “new” carbs that people are eating that are full of protein and good nutrients and vitamins (quinoa, barley, millet, etc.) which are all good for you. When I talk to people about their eating habits, or if they want an eating plan I almost always tell them to limit their carb intake to 2 servings a day then take that down to just one. It seems like a lot, but if you think about having oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, a salad and protein for lunch, you can then have a carb with dinner, or switch dinner and lunch around.

     One big thing we have started doing is buying lettuce and using it as “bread”. We made tofu tacos and used romaine lettuce as the taco shells, we sis the same things with veggie burgers. We built the tacos and burger as we normally would, just with lettuce as the bun/shell. It was just as good and even better for us.
     Another thing I have made is lasagna with zucchini instead of pasta. You layer it and make it just as you would with regular lasagna. IN line with that is the spaghetti squash (I put the recipe on here before). The last thing I have not tried personally yet, but I have heard it works well and tastes good is making pizza crust out of cauliflower. That is defiantly on my list to try soon.
     I hope with these ideas in your head you can carb substitute with ease and manage to try one of the ideas I gave, or come up with your own.

Live Healthy,
    Nadia

The Time Is NOW!

    The time for you to get healthy is NOW! It doesn’t matter if you are closer to 16, or 60. Everyone has the will and opportunity to get healthy; you just have to make the decision to do so. There is no magic pill or diet that is going to change your health in a certain amount of days. It takes hard work, dedication and a lot of time. I believe everyone has that will power in them; you just need to find the right reason/motivation to get you going. It may be your kids, family, an event, or just yourself. The day you finally wake yourself up and say” I’m making the healthy me a priority” you will never look back or regret it.

    There is always one part to getting healthy everyone struggles with, for me its exercising. I can eat healthy every day, but it’s so much harder for me to actually get active like we should every day. Knowing that’s my issue I put more effort into it, I go outside when it is nice because I love being outdoors. My roommate gets me motivated to go workout when she does. The same can be said if you love to workout but don’t like to cook/eat healthy. Find ways to make what you like a little bit healthier; add vegetables and fruits to every meal and drink lots of water. Share the part that’s hard for you with someone you know can help you get through it.  Once you start to do these things it will become habit and you will not only start to change your lifestyle but you will see how much better you feel about yourself and your outlook on life.

The time to make changes for yourself (your family) is NOW. Do not wait you won’t regret it.

Live Healthy,

         Nadia

“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful medicine

Or the slowest form of poison”

                                                              -Ann Wigmore

10 Healthy Foods That Boost Energy

       During the day we all have periods where we are lacking energy.  Coffee, soda and sugary snacks are the go to, I’m even guilty it. It can be so confusing to know what will actually give you energy and not just fill you with sugar and make you crash even worse an hour later. I have a list below of 10 foods that you can snack on or add to your meals to help you have more energy throughout the day.

-          Apples

-          Peppers (hummus is also great for energy, pair them together and its even better)

-          Pineapple

-          Granola (with yogurt is even better)

-          Quinoa

-          Salmon (the ultimate  protein, the right mix of protein, carbs, and healthy fats is what provides you with long-term energy)

-          Edamame

-          Melons

-          Broccoli

-          Water (not getting enough water is the main reason people feel sluggish and tired)

For an instant burst of energy try these 10 foods                                                           

-          Blueberries

-          Bananas

-          Almonds

-          Popcorn (homemade not the microwave kind)

-          Dark Chocolate

-          Trail Mix (you could mix some of the other  things on this list and make your own trail mix)

-          Pumpkin Seeds

-          Coconut

-          Avocado

-          Goji Berries

When that 2pm struggle hits reach for one of these options and try to make it through the day!

Live Healthy,

     Nadia

Crock-Pot Chicken

     This is a great multi-meal recipe. You can prep the chicken on a Sunday and put it on when you go to work Monday morning, by the time you come home the chicken will be done. Then you can take the chicken and make different meals all week with it, for example, tacos, pasta with chicken or chicken salad. I also wanted to add this recipe after making my list of kitchen gadgets that I love, because this shows how you can use the crock-pot to make almost a whole weeks’ worth of meals.

Ingredients

4 large potatoes

3 carrots (or 2 cups baby carrots)

3 stalks of celery

½ a green pepper

1 medium onion

1 whole chicken

3 cloves of garlic

1 lemon/lime

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

Directions

Cut all the veggies into bite sized pieces and throw in the bottom of the crock-pot.

Mix all the seasonings together in a bowl and put it all over the chicken (inside and out). Then put the chicken on top of the veggies in the crock-pot

Squeeze lemon (or lime) on top of the chicken.

Cook on low all day, while you’re at work. If you are home you can cook it on high for 2 hours.

Live Healthy,

    Nadia

National Nutrtion Month

              March is National Nutrition Month!!

     In 1980 the House of Delegates officially made March National Nutrition month, an expansion from Nutrition week. The growing interest in nutrition and how it affects people make this a very popular move. I personally find it interesting that nutrition being one of the newer sciences that is has gained so much popularity relatively quickly. I think it is great, because people not only need to know what they are putting in their body, but also how it affects them.   I want to challenge everyone to take at least five days this month and eat something NEW and HEALTHY and try a NEW physical activity. I have added some links to help you with this challenge. Please feel free to comment on how you do and we can discuss it! Good Luck!

 

MyPlate (Kids)

 

Centers For Disease Control

 

Physical Activity Help

 

Physical Activity Help (Kids)

 

 

Live Healthy,



      Nadia

My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets

 

     There are some things that I use in the kitchen that not only help me cook my meals better but help me save time and make cooking so much easier. On the list below you find the items and why I think it is such a great tool to have.

Crock-pot: I love my crock-pot. It is the best cooking tool for busy people. You can throw something in there and go to work and come back to a meal ready to go. My friend also turned me on to the liners that you can put in the crock put that makes cleaning even easier! One time I made a whole chicken in the crock-pot that lasted me almost a week.

Emersion Blender:  I just recently bought one of these. It’s a great alternative to a regular blender. When you are making things like soup for example, if you need to blend everything it is easier to use the emersion blender then to transfer everything to the regular blender. Also some come with a cup that you can make smoothies in, or my sister used it to make homemade baby food for her kids.

Wire Rack (cooling rack): Most people know this as a cooling rack, to put cookies on, bu7t it can be used in so many great ways. I like to use mine to bake chicken wings on so they get crispy on all sides. Or you can put vegetables on them to make chips.

Non-Stick Pan:  There is nothing more important or basic that I think every kitchen needs more than a good non-stick pan.  No one likes when their eggs (or anything for that matter) sticks to the pan. It also makes clean up so much easier. An added bonus is that you use less fat to cook with because the pan does not need that much.

     These are the four main kitchen/cooking gadgets that I would recommend every house have. I truly believe it will make cooking so much easier and more enjoyable for you.  I would recommend picking one you don’t have that you think you would use the most and get one and see how much you enjoy it!

Live Healthy,

     Nadia

Stuffed Zucchini

I am always looking for way to add vegetables into the dishes I cook. I love pasta and this is a great alternative to spaghetti with a meat sauce or lasagna. There is nothing wrong with having pasta every once and a while, but to have a healthier option is always good. It is also a great way to get kids to eat there vegetables.

Ingredients

3 whole Zucchini

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)

½ an onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 can of tomato sauce (or your favorite jar of pre-made sauce)

1 cup of mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Directions

You can make a meat sauce the way you normally would. I like to sauté the garlic and onions in a little oil add in the meat and season it with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning then add in the tomato sauce.  

Cut the zucchini in half the long way(like a boat), place in a baking dish and put the meat sauce on all of them evenly and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the zucchini is soft.

 **you can do the same thing but with eggplant instead of zucchini if you like that also. **

Live Healthy,

    Nadia

Drink More Water

One of my first posts when I started writing was about water and how people should be drinking more water. 

Water, water, water (previous post)

I want to expand on that by talking about infused or detox water. Detox water can help flush toxins from your body and help you slim down at the same time. 

Some good ingredients to add are::

Lemon-flush toxins from body

Mint-aids in digestion

Cucumber-contains anti-inflammatory properties

Ginger-natural pain reliever 

Watermelon-liver and kidney health

You can combine these and so many more fruits into a pitcher to add into your daily routine. They are not only good for you but can add vitamins and minerals more then just plain water into your diet. This is also helpful if you don't like or find it hard to drink water. 

Live Healthy, 

  Nadia 

Eat the Rainbow

     When you are planning meals and snacks you should aim to eat many different colors. Your plate should be very colorful and half of it should be vegetables. Each of the different colors of food indicates what they are good for and what nutrients they provide for the body. I encourage you to start by trying to eat one fruit or vegetable from every color group a day, when you can do that with no problem move up to having 2-4 with every meal.

Color	Foods	Nutrients
White	Mushrooms, Onions, Ginger	Flavonoids (for heart health and good cholesterol levels)
Purple/Blue	Blackberries, Blueberries, Eggplant, Beets, Dark Beans	Anthocyanin (good for healthy aging and memory)
Green	Peas, Cucumbers, Kale, Honeydew, Broccoli, Gapes	Vitamin K, Chlorophyll, Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Carotenoids(good for healthy eyes, teeth and bones)
Yellow/Orange	Pumpkin, Peaches, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Yellow Peppers, Oranges, Sweet Potatoes	Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Beta-carotene(good for immune function, healthy heart and eyes)
Red	Tomatoes, Red Onion, Apples, Cherries, Red Peppers, Watermelon	Folate, Vitamin C, Lycopene and Flavonoids (good for memory and healthy heart)

Live Healthy,
     Nadia

 

Roasted Peas

     My roommate and I have been trying to find new, healthy snacks to munch on when we need a small between meals snack. These roasted peas were a huge success and we will defiantly be making a lot more!   

Ingredients 
1 bag frozen peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper 
1 teaspoon cumin 

Directions 
-Defrost the peas for a couple of hours or over night, until they are soft
-Put the peas on a big cookie sheet 
-Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin then toss it all together
-Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees 
-ENJOY

**you can also make this with garbanzo beans (chickpeas)**

Live Healthy,
   Nadia

Popcorn

     Popcorn has to be my favorite snack. I could eat it all the time! I know if made the right way it could be good for you, and a much better alternative to other snack foods. I thought I would actually look into it and find out the benefits of eating homemade popcorn. Here is what I found…

First is popcorn is a true Whole Grain. Whole grain refers to the germ, bran and endosperm of a grain, each of which contains its own benefits. The germ has vitamin E and B, the bran contains a lot of fiber and antioxidants, and the endosperm contains protein.  This is why all together it is so good for you.

Second is the amount of fiber popcorn provides. Women are supposed to eat 25 grams of fiber while men are supposed to eat 38 grams a day. Most Americans only eat half of that amount. For every 4 cups of popped popcorn you are getting about 4 grams of fiber. That is good for something people eat so mindlessly (especially while watching movies).

Lastly popcorn has polyphenols, which can prevent osteoporosis, cancers and diabetes. Polyphenol is an antioxidant found in the shell (hull) of popcorn. If you buy the kernels make sure that is still has the shell on it because it’s said to have more antioxidant properties then most fruits.  

     Now that I have given you all the great benefits of popcorn let me say this is popcorn in its true form. Kernels just air popped. Not the bagged stuff you throw in the microwave (that’s full of salt, sugar and preservatives). We are all guilty of eating that, myself included, but now that we know the benefits I am going to start making my own popcorn. When you do so you can not only gain all these benefits but you can also control the amount of oil, and seasonings (if any) that you put on it. I encourage you to buy whole kernels and pop them in a heave bottom pot or like me get a microwave popper.

It’s just as easy as putting a bag in the microwave, just heat some oil in a heavy bottom pot (with a lid) add kernels and cover slightly. When it starts to pop lower the heat, shaking the pot occasionally, until the popping slows to about 3 seconds between pops. Then all that’s left to do is enjoy!

Live Healthy,

   Nadia

What should you be eating in 2015?

     I want to give you a list of foods you should be eating more of this year, along with why. Back in the middle of 2014 the Center for Disease Control did a study on the top foods that prevent chronic disease, some of these come from that list, as well as from other research I have done.

 

Watercress – This is a water plant (grows mainly in water). It helps to lower blood pressure, 2 cups can provide you with vitamins K, C, A, E and B6. It also gives you a great amount of calcium, manganese, potassium and thiamin. Watercress is great in salads and to add to sandwiches instead of lettuce.

 

Chinese cabbage – Great for the brain because it’s full of vitamin K. It has a lot of cancer preventing components, such as lupeol and sulforaphane. Chinese cabbage also helps regulate blood sugar levels. It’s a great low carb option; cabbage is great sautéed with garlic and onions as a side to your lean protein of choice.

1.

 
Beet Greens – These are the tops to the actual beets. They are a great source of fiber! It’s full of antioxidants and some studies have also shown that the vitamin K in beet greens can help with blood clotting and bone strength.  Beet greens can be roasted in the oven, or sautéed like the cabbage.

 

Avocado – They are full of good for you fats. Avocado provide the body with more potassium then a banana, which is good because that is the nutrient most people are not getting enough of. Adding avocados to your foods can not only help with the benefits I have listed but it can help absorb nutrients from other plant foods.  Vitamin A, D, E, and K are fat soluble, which means they need to be combined with a good fat so the body can utilize them in the best way and avocados are perfect.  Just add it on top of salads or smear it on a whole grain toast and enjoy the benefits.

 

Kaniwa (baby quinoa) – This version of quinoa is a great whole grain alternative. It is a great source of amino acids and iron, its gluten free and vegan. Unlike its bigger counterpart it has more protein. You can make kaniwa into a salad with various vegetables.

 

     I hope this list has something new to you, and you take the time to try some of them. I know I will have fun trying new recipes with them all. Enjoy trying something new and good for you this year!

Live Healthy,

    Nadia  

New Year, New You

     Let me first start by wishing you a Happy New Year! The beginning of the year always brings new goals and resolutions for everyone. I want to encourage you to take time this year for you. Get your mind, body and soul healthy. Eat better, greens, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy snacks. Exercise, take walks, swim or find a gym. Take time for what makes you happy, read, do a craft, play with your kids or volunteer. Too often we worry about everything and everyone else that our own needs and body’s fall to the waist side, its ok to take time to yourself and do things to make you better.  After all a 100% you is better for you and your family then a 50% you. You can only be 100% if you take care of you! I am here to help guide you in how to do that. Feel free to comment below if you need anything or have any questions or message me personally.

Live Healthy,

     Nadia