Four Days In..

Tuesday, I set some realistic yet challenging goals for myself. Over half way into my week of 100% clean eating, I am feeling great and have been sticking to it completely. While I agree life is made better by indulgences, my body needed a break and I needed to end my ritual of having some chocolate every single night! I've been spending some extra time grocery shopping to find some new options to try. I'll buy a product once, and if I don't like it, fine. Chalk it up to an experiment.

I went to Whole Foods last night. I had a coupon for their Suja Elements. Well, those were no where to be found so I grabbed a couple of the Suja juices from their cleanse program. I've done a juice cleanse once and wasn't a fan. I knew I would like their Vanilla Cloud, it is similar to a juice I have tried before and tastes, well, heavenly. I took Purify as my morning snack today and was pleasantly surprised by the taste. I also felt more energetic afterwards, sans caffeine. The only downside is each juice is $8.99 a pop. A bit steep for me but I plan on picking up a bottle of their juices on occasion. They also sell the cleanse in a package, you save a few dollars than buying them all individually.

Organic yogurts, herbal teas, and new flavors of veggie burgers were also on my list. All of which helped me to stay on track so far. Tomorrow, we are heading to the suburbs and possibly stopping by a book store after dinner. If so, I look forward to purchasing a new health and nutrition book. Any great recommendations? Now, I am going back to my favorite late night past time; watching health documentaries on Hulu. 

Halloween is Approaching!

I've always dressed up for Halloween. As a child, in college, after college, always. Periodically, I find myself scrambling for last minute ideas. Here are some fun suggestions to prevent you from doing the same:

Brangelina: My fiance and I did this two years ago. Wear aviators, tie the cheapest baby dolls possible to yourself, and dress accordingly aka red lipstick. A friend also legit wrote Angelina's latitude/longitude tattoo on my arm, but that is just for super bonus points.

Ninja: Dress in black, wear a scarf as a headband, color toilet paper rolls black and tie them together with a string. Also, be stealthy all night.

Football player: I was the great Walter Payton. Wear a jersey, shorts or pants, and add some awesome football streaks. I used liquid eyeliner. Any football hat adds flair.

HOLY SHEET!: I got this idea from a coworker. People will either get it and love it; or hate it. It's easy to make into a group project with bull sheet, pile of sheet, I don't give a sheet (refuse to give anyone your sheet. Loudly.) The possibilities are endless. Buy a cheap sheet and decorate. I wore angel wings and a halo in addition to my classy cross. My fiance, bull sheet, wore horns and a tail.

Easy, homemade, and they should get you some laughs. I was also Richard Simmons one year (striped shorts, high socks, bedazzeled tank) but people thought I was a Harlem Globetrotter (umm...) because my wig was black, not brown. Happy DIY-ing!

Getting Back on Track, by Switching Things Up

I mentioned earlier how I have been longing for a change in my routine. My workouts have become methodical and difficult to get through because they don't hold my interest. My daily routine needs some excitement and variety in order for me to keep up my healthy lifestyle. 

(Source: http://thinkingmomsrevolution.com/where-the-magic-happens/) 

I believe by now we've all seen this little gem made popular on pinterest and many other sites. No? Well according to online articles, health magazines, and personal experience; this picture may capture the essence of success. I have a secret for you, I am scared of running. Not just scared, thinking about running gives me anxiety. Why? No clue. However, I am determined to improve myself, my fitness, and the way I have been going about my day to day life. Because that's where the magic happens. I've picked some key points I want to improve upon inspired by this logic. Won't you join me?

1. Run 20 minutes, twice a week. Why? It is a form of exercise I am uncomfortable performing, and without a good reason. I went for a 20+ minute run/walk yesterday so I'm off to a good start.
2. Decrease my caffeine intake. One cup of coffee in the morning, a cup of caffeinated tea or coffee at lunch. Maximum. My dependence on caffeine is embarrassing.
3. Eat clean for the next week. No cheating. This long holiday weekend was kind of a set back for me health wise. This means no chocolate, added sugars, or artificial beverages (I'm looking at you Coke Zero) for seven days. Today was day one.
4. Exercise first thing in the morning at least twice a week. I have to get to work relatively early so this is sometimes tricky, but it sure beats having to work out as soon as I get home each night. I've already had some success with this but look forward to improving on it.

5. Drink more water. I have a serious need for an insane amount of water. As in liters and liters of water each day, a very unfortunate problem when you have limited bathroom breaks at work! Lately, I have been struggling to drink water because it's been so boring. I picked up some lemon and mint at the store this week to add in and keep me guzzling more.

6. Stick to my meal planning. I was thrown off by this today as I dropped my homemade salad all over the floor, but I hurried over to Mariano's to get another salad from their salad bar to compensate.

7. Do many types of exercise each week to prevent boredom. I tried to follow fitness plans online, or even my own. However, I've realized some days you come home and want to swap yoga or weights for that 45 minutes of cardio you have planned. And that's okay.

What would your goals be? I will be updating you on my progress, and would love to hear suggestions for more ways to keep it interesting.

Meatless Monday!

Lately, I have been embracing all of the seasonal goodies this time of year brings around. I will add spoonfuls of pumpkin to nearly any dish, and most things are topped with cinnamon to enhance their flavor. One fall staple I have always enjoyed is acorn squash. Trader Joe's sells them for a good price, $1.49 each I believe, but you can purchase them everywhere. They're chock full of good for you nutrition, too. Half an acorn squash is less than 120 calories (about 116) and they add potassium, fiber, magnesium, iron, and other vitamins (A, C, B6) to your meal. The labels on the squash suggest using brown sugar after baking, but I have a better way. 

Vegetarian Acorn Squash:
- 1/2 acorn squash, cleaned
- 1 meatless sausage patty (I like Trader Joe's Meatless Breakfast Patties)
- 2 tablespoons prepared quinoa
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- Cinnamon

Bake acorn squash face down on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Let cool. While your squash is cooling, either microwave or pan fry sausage patty. Mix sausage patty, quinoa, and pumpkin in a bowl. Spoon inside of the squash and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Calories: 290

This will really fill you up and it is delicious, add a side salad or sauteed veggies for a well rounded plate. Whether you are vegetarian or not, it doesn't hurt to go meat free every once in a while to give your body, and wallet, a break. Honestly, this dish does not taste meatless. Enjoy!

Fall Weather and A Change of Pace

This week has had its moments where I have realized I need to slow down for a bit and enjoy the moment. I always arrive at work early to avoid rush hour traffic and today I decided to enjoy a walk around the park. Chicago is such a gorgeous city, and the early morning tends to capture it best.

Everything is quiet and still, the sun rising over the lake captures the changing leaves, and the crisp fall air is ideal for being able to have a moment to yourself to think and breathe. I've long believed you shouldn't do something if you don't want to, this is both a good and bad thing. It can be good because if there is something I must do, I am going to make sure it as enjoyable as possible. The down side is, if I don't have a desire to do something, it makes it much harder to accomplish. Lately, I have been hitting a brick wall with my routines and need something new. This is something very shocking to me because I am very routine oriented. I love my lists and when a task needs completed it should be done now. Then it should be written on said list and crossed off, with color coordinated pens and markers. You get the point, I don't like people to mess with my process. Well tomorrow is Friday. We all know how I feel about Friday. This weekend my fiance and I will be traveling home until Sunday morning to visit my family in Indiana, however I am fortunate to have Columbus Day off work. This means a long weekend for me to relax, refocus, and restrategize. I look forward to enjoying a long walk or run, cleaning and restocking our place with fresh groceries, and spending some time in the kitchen! Check back Monday, I will have a great Meatless Monday recipe to check out, until then have a safe holiday weekend and enjoy a gorgeous wall in this fall weather!

Oh, and enjoy this perfect afternoon picture of the city, breath taking, isn't it?

A Healthy Chocolate, Banana, and Peanut Butter Treat!

This week has been a crazy one, and when life gets crazy I need something sweet to get me through. While I love a good smoothie, they don't always hit the spot. I'm a die hard chocolate fan when it comes to my desserts. Tonight when I got home from work, I opened up my cupboards to see what I had on hand and came up with a delicious treat.

Ingredients:
-1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
-1 frozen banana
-2 tablespoons PB2

-1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 teaspoon truvia

Calories: 185

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth, a couple of minutes should do it.  I blend the milk and banana first to make sure it gets blended well, then add the rest of the items.

I always keep a frozen chopped banana or two in the freezer for nights when I am craving something blended. If you don't have a frozen banana, use a fresh one and add a handful of ice. This will literally knock any sugar craving out of the park. Plus, you will get some good protein from the almond milk and PB2. The banana offers vitamins, fiber, and potassium to keep you going.  

I purchased PB2 on a whim a few months back, as an avid nut butter lover I needed a lighter option to satisfy me. Initially, I made it as instructed, blending with water and using as regular peanut butter. Terrible. Just a complete insult to peanut butter and all other nuts. Then, I started adding it to random concoctions. I'll mix a spoonful in with oatmeal, or sprinkle it on top of coconut milk chocolate ice cream and it's perfect every time. I ordered the chocolate PB2 and it should come in this weekend, hopefully it ends up being just as tasty!

Simple Pumpkin Tomato Soup

The temperatures in the city have taken a major nose dive on this glorious Monday. All I could think of was having delicious, warm soup for dinner when I got home. There is a cafe back in Indiana that offers a delicious pumpkin tomato soup. It is so good and served as my inspiration for this dish. Let's be honest, I don't have time, especially during the week, to make soup from scratch. I had purchased pumpkin soup from Trader Joe's this weekend and used that as my base for my recipe. It is good on it's own. Pumpkin puree and carrots are included in the ingredients, which are great and healthy fall foods. However, it is sweet and I was craving something a bit more savory and creamy.
 Here are the details (makes one serving):
-1 cup Trader Joe's pumpkin soup
-2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
-Handful (about 5) cherry tomatoes
-Cinnamon to taste

Calories: 130

First, blend the tomatoes and milk in a blender. I left mine chunky to add texture to the soup. 

Combine the tomatoes and milk with 1 cup pumpkin soup in a small pot. I added a few dashes of cinnamon and left it on medium heat for five minutes and this is what I got:

The whole process took less than ten minutes, perfect for a weeknight meal. This soup is filling and very satisfying, you could even top it with plain greek yogurt and some pumpkin pie spice for a special treat! I had a side of quinoa and a cup tea with mine, the perfect fall meal.