A Day of Firsts

So today marked the official end of summer vacation.  It was the first day of school for the kids and the first time that they have been at the same school.  It was also the first time that this sad mama didn’t get to walk them to class.  Not that I didn’t have the opportunity.  I am not traveling for work this week for the sole reason of being fully present for all the ups and downs that go with the beginning of school.  The reason I didn’t walk them to class is because they really wanted to ride the bus and get back into their routine.  A part of me was elated at their independence while another (small) part of me shed tears  and mourned the end of hand holding and goodbye kisses at the classroom door.

The good news is that the school year is off to a great start and promises to be extra challenging for my sixth grader who managed to make it through the past two years with straight A’s.  It will also be challenging for my 3^rd grader who is not longer the big man on campus at the K-2 elementary school and now part of the youngest group and the 3 – 6  intermediate school.

Today was also the first time that I did sled pulls in CrossFit. Yes! Sled. Freaking. Pulls.  Physically and psychologically challenging and one of the best workouts ever!  Go me! 

Exercise on the Road

I am a big advocate of fitting exercise into life. Trying to eat right and exercise on a regular basis is challenging with the large amount of business travel I've been doing. Challenging but not impossible. I don't always feel like going down to the hotel gym in the wee hours of the morning so I pack workout DVDs and some basic equipment so that I can exercise in my room. I get a great workout in and feel energized all day. And since my workout DVDs range from 15-minute high intensity intervals to 60-minute traditional cardio, I have no excuse to deviate from my regular schedule.

Detox Wrap-up

So what happened with my detox?! I made it through Day 3 but I was so hungry I had to resume my regular diet after that. My regular diet consists mostly of veggies but it also includes protein (fish, chicken, and protein shakes). I think if (or rather when) I detox again, I will have to prepare myself by lowering my calorie intake in the days leading up to the detox and also minimize my exercise during the detox. Overall, the detox process was helpful because it helped to get rid of my sugar cravings and also cleansed my system (a little extra fiber always helps!)

I am considering a juice detox in the near future however I know that I will have to completely give up exercise during the process and I am just not ready to do that. I am totally addicted to my daily sweat sessions so I have to mentally prepare myself for a week of no physical activity. We’ll see….

Detox Diet: Day 2

When I embarked upon this three day detox diet (will probably do five days), I did not think it was a big deal. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies anyway so I felt like I would be barely changing anything. Boy, did I underestimate the amount of processed foods and caffeine I was consuming. I normally start off my morning with a latte or cup of green tea and then have another cup of tea in the afternoon. And over the past few weeks, I have probably consumed 3 -4 pieces of pure sugar (in the form of Christmas candy, cookies, etc.) a day. So believe me when I say that I can feel a difference in just two days. And not in a good way! I feel like I have a hangover. Forty-eight hours of oatmeal, veggies, and water seems like an eternity. My steamed veggies for today consisted of red peppers, edamame, sweet potatoes, and spinach.

So why do it?! I truly believe detoxing helps your body's natural cleansing system to operate more efficiently. Our bodies are designed to be self cleaning but we often fill them with so much junk that we literally clog the system. I also wanted to detox to re-set my sugar cravings. I can usually turn down any dessert that falls short of being a gourmet masterpiece. So when I start eating random cookies, I know it's time for a change.

I will continue at least through tomorrow and probably through Friday. I will keep you posted.

Meatless Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Detox Diet!

So I've decided to start of 2011 with a week of detoxing. What better time than after indulging in two weeks worth of dishes and desserts that I don't normally eat? I initially planned to do a juice detox for the week however I think that is a bit intense for me at this point so I opted for a steamed veggie detox instead.

Even though I eat well and generally consume a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, I must say that the first day was a bit difficult. My steamed veggies consisted of red pepper, squash, spinach, and carrots. However, I kept fantasizing about bacon and burgers. The funny thing is I rarely eat those foods!

I tried to stick to the following plan from Dr. Elson M. Haas' The New Detox Diet book.

Morning (upon arising): Two glasses of pure water, one glass with half a lemon squeezed into it.

Breakfast: One piece of fresh fruit (at room temperature), such as apple, pear, banana, grapes or citrus. Chew well, mixing each bite with saliva.
15-30 minutes later: One bowl of cooked whole grains, specifically millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, raw buckwheat or buckwheat. Flavoring can be two tablespoons of fruit juice for sweetener, or use the "better butter" mixture mentioned below with a little salt or tamari for a deeper flavor.

Lunch (noon-1 pm): One-two medium bowls of steamed vegetables. Use a variety, including roots, stems and greens (e.g. potatoes & yams, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, asparagus, kale, chard, cabbage.) Chew well!

Dinner (5-6 pm): Same as Lunch
Seasoning: Butter/Canola oil mixture-make this "better butter" by missing a half cup of cold-pressed canola oil (or olive or flaxseed oil) into a soft (room temperature) half-pound of butter, then place in a dish and refrigerate. use about one teaspoon per meal or a maximum of 3 teaspoons daily.

11 am and 3 pm: one-two cups vegetable water, saved from steamed vegetables. Add a little seasalt or kelp and drink slowly, mixing each mouthful with saliva.

Evening: Herbal teas only, such as peppermint, chamomile, pau d'arco or blends.

NOTE: You may feel a little weak or have a few symptoms the first couple of days; this will pass. Clarity and feeling good should appear by day 3 or 4, if not before. If during this diet you start to feel weak or hungry, assess your water intake and elimination. You needed, you can eat a small portion of protein food (3-4 ounces) in the mid-afternoon. This could be fish, free-range, organic chicken or some beans.

I am not a medical professional nor am I endorsing this detox plan but I will keep you posted as the week progresses. And yes, I already broke down and ate 4 ounces of wild salmon today. I did 40 minutes of cardio this morning and I was starving!

Christmas DIY: Sugar Scrubs!

The holidays are upon us and if you’re like me, you’ve had your moments of being overjoyed and also moments of being overwhelmed. Like every year, I started off by declaring that my gift list would be short and only include a few children. And like every year, the list grew to include adult relatives, teachers, and friends. I decided to make gifts more meaningful and inexpensive this year by creating some of them myself. I recruited my children to help make their (numerous) teacher gifts.

I am not the most creative person in the world, so I recycled a recipe I learned from the fabulous Karen Peters at one of her blending workshops. We made candy cane scented sugar scrubs for the teachers and packaged them with a little poem that explained how to use them and also some chocolate covered peppermint sticks. We used finely ground pure cane sugar purchased from our local grocery store and added a blend of olive, grapeseed, and avocado oils. Then we scented the scrub with a couple of drops of candy cane fragrance oil. It smelled absolutely edible! The teachers loved the unique gifts and I can defintely say that they were a hit!

Meatless Monday: Spinach and Chickpea Curry

Living in Florida, I have come to love all things curry. My close friend from Trinidad gave me some curry powder that will knock the socks off the stuff in the grocery store here. Curry is a flavorful, typically spicy dish which is prominent in South Asian and Caribbean cuisines. This version includes chickpeas, which add extra fiber and protein to an already healthy meal.

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons margarine

2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

1 small apple, peeled, cored and

coarsely chopped or 2 tomatoes, chopped

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons curry powder

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups chickpeas

2 cups loosely chopped spinach

1/4 cup light cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup seedless raisins, soaked in warm water or brandy

Mango chutney

Directions
Heat margarine in large skillet; sauté onion until golden. Add garlic and apple or tomato. Cook over low heat until apples are soft.

In small bowl, combine flour and curry powder; stir into onion mixture. Cook a few minutes to blend into thick, smooth paste. Gradually add vegetable stock chickpeas and spinach, stirring often over medium heat, cooking until curry is thick. Add light cream, salt and pepper to taste. Add raisins. Cook slightly longer to desired thickness.
Serve over hot cooked rice. Serve mango chutney on the side.

(Almost) Another Meatless Monday: Butternut Squash Risotto

Roasted butternut squash risotto with sugared walnuts was one of the best meatless dishes we’ve had in awhile. Well, almost meatless…there is a little pancetta in the recipe for flavor. However, you could leave it out and add a different savory seasoning for a similar taste. This is the kind of dish you love to have cooking when friends just happen to stop by for dinner. That is, if you don’t mind sharing….

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 ounce pancetta, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup chardonnay
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lemon thyme or 1 1/2 tablespoons thyme plus 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

So first, you toast the walnuts in the oven for a few minutes. Then drizzle with a little warm butter, toss in brown sugar and a sprinkle of pepper. I had to kick my kids out of the kitchen just so they wouldn't eat them all!

Then peel and cut up the squash, toss with a bit of olive oil, and roast until tender. While the squash is roasting you can bring your chicken broth to a boil, chop onion and pancetta, and heat a large saucepan.

Add pancetta to saucepan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Stir in squash, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with cheese and nuts.

So good!

Another Meatless Monday: Orzo with Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese

Meatless Mondays have become a routine in our household. This Monday, we had orzo with zucchini, tomatoes, and goat cheese. It was tasty and quick! After all, who has time for a complicated dish on a Monday night?

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) package orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano
• 1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and diced
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

Cook the pasta in a Dutch oven according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium heat. Add zucchini; cook 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley and next 5 ingredients (parsley through bell peppers). Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in pasta and cheeses.

Meatless Monday! Angel Hair Pasta

It’s amazing to me that so many of our meals center around meat. I was a vegetarian for about a year and struggled to create meals that did not center around omelets or salads that left me hungry in a couple of hours. My family is very active so Meatless Mondays need to have enough substance to make them feel satisfied when dinner is over.

One of our favorite meatless meals is angel hair pasta w/tomatoes, basil, and garlic served with a big salad. The pasta is a simple recipe from an old school cookbook, In the Kitchen with Rosie, created by one of Oprah’s former personal chefs.

Here’s the super simple recipe:

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup chopped tomato (1 medium tomato)

8 oz angel hair pasta

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and maintain at a boil.

Put the olive oil and garlic in saute’ pan and cook over medium heat just until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and pour in wine. Return to heat. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until wine has been reduced by half. Stir in lemon juice and tomato. Remove pan from heat.

Place pasta in boiling water and cook to desired doneness. Drain the pasta and put it into warm serving bowl. Add the basil, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper, along with tomato mixture. Toss and serve immediately.

Short on Time? Try Tabata!

Taba-what? That’s what I was thinking as my super fit girlfriend, A, told me about a new type of routine to add to my fitness arsenal. I had asked her to help me spice up my Fall routine because I knew she would have a great idea. The workout she told me to try is the Tabata workout. Created by Izumi Tabata, the Tabata protocol is based upon supra-aerobic cardio.

The workout goes something like this:

• 5 minutes of warm-up
• 8 intervals of 20 seconds all-out intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest
• 2 minutes cool-down

Short, huh? Short and intense! The key is to really go all out on the 20 second intervals. You’ll be praying for the clock to move faster.

I did my first Tabata workout yesterday. I was definitely skeptical because I am a long cardio session type of girl. I did a Tabata workout that, coincidentally enough, was in my latest issue of Oxygen magazine. I did it three times and burned 150 calories (according to my very accurate heart rate monitor). That’s 150 calories in under 15 minutes of hard work. I’ll take it!

Oh yeah, I also found a cool app for .99 to time my intervals so I wouldn’t be distracted trying to keep track of time. The Tabata protocol will definitely be my new go-to workout when I’m in a time crunch. Thanks A!

Meatless Monday!

In an effort to incorporate more veggies into our diets, my family tries to go meatless at least one night per week. Meatless Mondays are a great way to get kids involved in coming up with dinner ideas that do not involve meat. They love the theme and have actually tried to put a theme on every night of the week (Taco Tuesdays, Soup Sundays, etc). The weeklong themes are a bit much and I don’t even attempt them but Meatless Mondays are going strong.

Our last Meatless Monday meal was a grown-up twist on one of the kids’ favorites – smoked gouda mac and cheese which also has a little spinach in it. I served it with a beet salad. For some reason, my children really like beets. They don’t eat the blue cheese, and walnuts in the salad but they do eat a lot of beets.

This meal was quick and flavorful and made great leftovers.

Body Basics/Healthy Food: Avocado Smoothie

Up until a couple of years ago, the only ways I’d eaten avocados were in guacamole, sushi, or sliced on my turkey burger. However, my husband and I were in an Asian restaurant and noticed avocado smoothies on the menu. Honestly, an avocado smoothie did not sound too appealing. But our waiter gave us a sample and it was actually quite good. Traditional avocado smoothies are made with sweetened milk and crushed ice to give them an almost milkshake-like consistency. We now make them at home using fresh avocados, vanilla almond milk, and frozen mango. Don’t frown until you try it!

By the way, avocados are a great addition to your diet because they provide many health benefits including lowering cholesterol and regulating blood pressure. Don’t get scared away by the fat content – its monosaturated (oleic acid) – just don’t go overboard on your avocado consumption.

Body Basics/Healthy Food: Seafood Stew

Food Basics: Quick & Easy Seafood Stew

Living in Florida, my children have been exposed to all sorts of seafood. They’ve eaten everything from octopus to rock shrimp and many things in between. Not surprisingly, one of their favorite dishes is seafood stew. I make it at least once a month from a surprisingly easy recipe. This meal would also be great for company. They will think you spent hours on it when actually it takes about thirty minutes to make. I got the recipe from and old issue of Cooking Light but usually improvise it to include whatever seafood is readily available. Here it is:

Ingredients

CROSTINI:

1 (1-pound) loaf French bread baguette, cut into 16 slices

1 tablespoon olive oil


CIOPPINO:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 cups clam juice

1 cup water

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 (26-ounce) bottle tomato-and-basil pasta sauce (such as Bertolli)

16 littleneck clams

16 small mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound cod or other lean whitefish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups torn spinach

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare crostini, place bread slices on a large baking sheet; brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

To prepare cioppino, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add crushed red pepper and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in clam juice and next 5 ingredients (clam juice through pasta sauce.) Add clams and mussels. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until shells open. (Discard any unopened shells.) Add wine and next 4 ingredients (wine through shrimp); simmer 5 minutes or until fish and shrimp are done. Stir in spinach. Serve with the crostini.

Body Basics/Healthy Food: Veggies for lunch

I work from home so I don’t have the temptation of office snack or cafeteria food throughout the day. However, I have fallen victim to having no “lunch” food when it’s time for lunch. I feel like I waste time, gas, and money if I leave my house and go out to buy lunch (unless it involves girlfriends then that’s a different story). So, I’m always trying to come up with creative, non-sandwich options.

I am somewhat of a foodie so I like to feel satisfied with the flavors and textures of every meal. Yesterday, I dumped some organic brown rice in my rice cooker and stir-fried leftover raw veggies from a previous meal and created one of the best lunches ever! Veggies and rice might sound a little boring but that’s where seasoning comes in. I cooked the rice in coconut curry broth and stir fried the veggies with a little garlic and soy sauce. It tasted great and didn’t make me drowsy afterwards.