Another Blog, Another Sandwich?

It's really unlike me to make sandwiches so much. This recipe really is one of 10 sandwich recipes I have ever come up with in my life. Oh, well.... this is another great sandwich and I want to share. I have a ton of recipes I will be sharing that aren't between two pieces of bread, but that's for another post.
As I have been saying, I'm not looking at fat grams, calories or any other number. My goal is to be healthy. I'm trying to fill my body with as little processed, packed foods as I can. Surprisingly enough, this is the least stress I have ever felt about my diet. Call it a lifestyle change!?!?! It sure is.
Well, I made this sandwich for dinner tonight and it is a meal in itself. I served some roasted red potatoes and then some fresh sliced oranges. It was super easy and healthy! The only thing you may not have is a panini grill or a Forman grill. If you don't, you can make this sandwich on the stove the way you would make a grilled cheese.

2 slices of Whole Grain Bread
Apricot or Peach Preserves
Brie Cheese
Avocado
Thick Sliced Turkey ( I just ask for this from the deli)

1. Toast the bread while the grill is heating up
2. Afterwards spread the preserves on both slices of the bread
3. Put on slice of turkey, then a slice of Brie
4. Top with three or four slices of avocado and then the other slice of bread
5. Throw this into you grill and press down, squeezing the sandwich for about 5 min.
6. Slice in half, serve and enjoy!!!

The HAFA Bagel

I have a new favorite sandwich and it's The "HAFA Bagel"!!! It's delicious, healthy and perfection in just a few minutes...... the only thing it has in common with Mr. Jimmy Hoffa is a name. In order to tell you how this sandwich popped in my head you have to know my favorite snack. So............ good for you, TWO RECIPES this week. Let me start with my very simple snack!


Amber's Crostini Bagel

Mini Whole Wheat Bagel (Trader Joes are the best!!!)
Whipped Light Cream Cheese
Fire Roasted Red Pepper (jar)

Cut the bagel in half and toast
cover both sides with cream cheese
Top with sliced roasted red peppers
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love this snack. I love it so much I could eat it everyday and usually I do. Though after realizing how much I ate this, I decided I should actually make a sandwich and get some more veggies on there for an actual lunch. So, The "HAFA Bagel" was born. The first time I made this I called a friend to see if she had eaten lunch just so I could make and take her one. :) A great thing about this sandwich is that it can be tailored to your palate but the ingredients will stay the about the same. So, here goes-


HAFA Bagel

Mini Wheat Bagel
Horseradish Hummus
Arugula Lettuce
Fire Roasted Red Pepper
Avocado

Cut the bagel in half and toast
Cover each side with hummus
Slice one half of an avocado and place on one side of the bagel
Cover one side with half of a roasted red pepper
Layer some arugula lettuce over and place the other half of the bagel on
EAT and ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Now you understand the HAFA :) Now, if you prefer something that doesn't have the zing that horseradish hummus does, switch it to any hummus you like. Also, the arugula could be switched with baby spinach. However, I prefer it this way! The best part of it all is that this is the healthiest sandwich you will ever crave. It's so full of everything that your body needs and wants. It's the perfect size and if you feel like two, you can leave the guilt for someone else because it's STILL great for you.

Breakfast Heaven

Sorry I didn't get this post up yesterday. I'm only a day late, right? So, one of the first things I have changed in my diet this year is BREAKFAST!! Before I was ending up eating donuts at work if they had them, a granola bar and an apple if I had them or just skipping, not the best of choices. Granted the second option wasn't horrible but my goal is to get as fresh and healthy as I can. So, I'm starting the recipes with what I start my day with- A SMOOTHIE! I used to think drinking anything for a meal would leave me unsatisfied and hungry within 20 min. However, this smoothie will leave you wanting more but only because it's AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!! So here goes -


Breakfast Smoothie

1/3 cup Berry Bonanza Juice (You could use any purple juice here - grape, acai,or any other 100% Juice)
1/3 light soy milk
2.5 oz frozen strawberries
2.5 oz frozen blueberries
2.5 oz frozen mango chunks
2.5 oz frozen bananas
Blend and drink!


So here are a few helpful hints that will help so much. When you go to the grocery store go ahead and buy the cheap ripe bundle of bananas. When you get home go ahead and peel, cut in half, throw in ziploc baggies and toss in the freezer. Half a banana is a little under 2 oz. I usually just grab 3/4 of a banana for my smoothie.
Another helpful hint and one I would not skip is to throw these ingredients into your blender the night before and stick it in the fridge. This will soften your fruit enough to not kill your blender.

I really love this smoothie and I have had it every morning for the last month. It's sweet, creamy and filling. When I get up in the morning I also try to drink a glass of water as well as right before bed. This really helps cleanse your body, flush out toxins and boost the metabolism. So, drink your water...then drink your smoothie:)

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And it's back!

So here we go again! New year, new start on the old blog. Haha. So, why should I try this again you ask? Well, I have been on a health journey that has been nothing short of amazing this year. It actually pains me that I didn't have tests run on my body when I started just to see the progress I have made internally! My desire to go on this journey is different this year though. Last year I think I was still worrying with the pounds and lining my goals with the numbers on the scale. This year I have let go of that. My moto for this year - "Treat your body like an instrument, not an ornament". I want to fill my body with the best of the best. I want to give it what it needs to perform at it's best. My body is a machine and it needs certain things to get me in MENTAL, PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL top form. My goals aren't to look pretty in a bathing suit. I only want to feel confident enough, energized enough to get in a bathing suit and go swimming with my family. I don't want to walk down the street and get hit on by men. I want to walk proud and have my husband and my daughter proud to walk next to me because I'm dedicated and desiring of being my best me. So, with the new outlook I started down a little road to WHOLE EVOLUTION. How has this changed from any previous roads I have traveled in the health world? Well, I now am not counting points, fats or anything else for that matter. Instead, it it's healthy, I eat it. Nuts- yep! Avocados- yep! Cheese- yep! Aren't these fatty? Well yes they are! GOOD FATTY! It's all about portions with these. I eat all of these even though I steered clear of them on weight watchers due to the fat which meant high points. The fact is that these foods are packed with nutrition and good fats. I only eat 1oz of nuts a day but I still love that 1oz almost every day! Since January 1, 2010 I have followed this moto and applied it to my diet. I'm loving what I'm feeling and seeing in myself. Though numbers aren't my goal, they have went down. In three weeks (I haven't weighed myself this week) but in the first three weeks of this year, my body has let go of 6 pounds naturally. I have went out to eat, I have had birthday cake, I have had wine. I didn't overdo it with these things though. I ordered the healthiest food that I liked and I didn't hate myself for having the cake. I took care of my the MPE aspects of me. I can't avoid life but I also can't overindulge in all the bad and still have a good internal system.
I do have two secret weapon however. I LOVE to food. :) How is this good? I love everything about food. I love cooking, eating, smelling. I love understanding food....what goes together, what doesn't. I love coming up with recipes. I love researching the benefits of each food. For me, food is always fun. Therefore, I have been really enjoying coming up with the healthiest recipes I can and knowing what I am putting in is the best I can. My second secret weapon...my grocery store. Trader Joe's is where I get 99% of my groceries. Fantastic place. They are so reasonably priced, sell local produce as much as they can, sell lots of organic and mainly preservative, additive free foods. I trust TJ's for so many reasons but in case you are nervous to try....they do have a 100% money back guarantee! SWEET! Anyway, these first few post or maybe a lot of these posts will be to let you know what I'm doing, learning and loving. I will share recipes and my thoughts. For now though, it's late and I want to head to bed. Sleep now that's something else I'm trying to make sure I get enough of. That's for another post though.
Tomorrow I will post a recipe of my breakfast :) Right now, I need to jump off here and get it ready.

Exercise Hooping

So, one of my Valentine's present was a 5 lb hula hoop! Yea! I had been mentioning to Scott for some time that I really wanted one and because he is the greatest guy ever, he ordered me one. I was SO excited when I opened the package. It's been incredibly easy and fun. A word of advice however, start slowly and yes, it is possible to bruise your belly! :)

Below I have listed a few benefits as well as a nice little pic of me in action. The hoop is spinning so it's a bit hard to see. Look closely!


Why Hula?
Because it:
Helps lose weight and increases the fitness level of the body.
Increases the flow of blood to the brain.
Is more reviving than a short nap.
Regular hula hooping helps increase the energy level of the body.
It strengthens the waist, hips and the knees.
The coordination of the body movement and breathing strengthens the torso muscles and enhances the flexibility of the spine. Hula hooping exercises promote the integral functions of our vital organs.
Hula hooping burns the unwanted fat in the midriff and tightens the stomach.

Reasons to Reuse

Why recycle? I ask myself this question every week when I need to drop off the recycling. It can be a pain to load up the car and head the 4 miles it takes to get to the drop off center. Yep, I realize how silly it sounds. So, when I read these stats, I realize that I should not pout but see the good I am doing, the difference I am making. Even a small bit does the WORLD some good. Read on!

Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil (enough to run the average car for 1,260 miles), 4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough power for the average home for 6 months), 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space, and 60 pounds of air pollution. Source- Trash to Cash
Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial fleet of airplanes every 3 months.
Source-Environmental Defense Fund
About 80% of what Americans throw away is recyclable, yet our recycling rate is just 28%.
Source-Environmental Protection Agency
Over ½ million trees are saved each year by recycling paper in Boulder County. Source-Eco-Cycle
Recycling creates 6 times as many jobs as landfilling. Source -Colorado Recycles
Recycling glass instead of making it from silica sand reduces mining waste by 70%, water use by 50%, and air pollution by 20%. Source-Environmental Defense Fund
Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours. Source-Eco-Cycle
If we recycled all of the newspapers printed in the U.S. on a typical Sunday, we would save 550,000 trees--or about 26 million trees per year. Source-California Department of Conservation
The energy saved each year by steel recycling is equal to the electrical power used by 18 million homes each year - or enough energy to last Los Angeles residents for eight years. Source-Steel Recycling Institute
If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of 1,000 sheet virgin fiber bathroom tissues with 100% recycled ones, we could save: 373,000 trees, 1.48 million cubic feet of landfill space, and 155 million gallons of water. Source- Seventh Generation Co.
The U.S. is 5% of the world's population but uses 25% of its natural resources. Source-Environmental Protection Agency
Source for all- Eco-cycle

Heal Yourself #2

I had been doing more research this week and I wanted to not only add a few foods to the "Superfoods" list but also add to a few already on there!

I'd like to start with Pomegranate! This superfood is definitely for all. Here's why-
More antioxidants than red wine or green tea are packed in poms!
Along with killing prostate cancer cells, research has shown this food helps prevent skin cancer and kill breast cancer cells!
Big help in fighting Alzheimers! Studies in animals showed 50% less brain deteriation along with increased abilities on mazes and tests as they aged.
Israeli researchers found that a group of diabetics who drank about 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day for three months kept their bodies from absorbing bad cholesterol into their immune system cells (a major contributing factor to hardened arteries).
My advice, don't drink Pom juice right before bed especially if you already have trouble sleeping. Drink in the morning or afternoon for a healthy dose of energy.

Kiwi-
Contains more vision-saving lutein than any other fruit or vegetable, except for corn.
A 2004 study showed people who ate two or three kiwis for 28 days significantly reduced their risk of forming a clot as well as dropping their triglycerides, a blood fat linked to heart attack, dropped by 15 percent.

Barley-
Can lower bad cholesterol by as much as 17.4%
In a 2004 study adults with moderately high cholesterol levels on a low-fat American Heart Association diet began to see an improvement only when barley was added to the diet.
Also decreases blood sugar and insulin levels!

Cranberries-
Cancer protector, fights UTI's, prevents gum disease as well as helping prevent strokes. Compounds in the juice or in 1/3 of dried cranberries can actually alter antibiotic-resistant strains, making it impossible for bacteria to trigger an infection.

Broccoli Sprouts - contains at least 20 times as much of disease-fighting sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS) as broccoli. SGS does what? Kills tumors, protects your heart and saves your sight.
1 ounce of sprouts has as much SGS as 1 1/4 pounds of broccoli.