Cha-Cha-Cha Chia!

Ever since I joined the blogging community dedicated to health / nutrition / fitness, I have heard gobs of bloggers refer to the amazing taste and benefits of the infamous Chia Seeds. 2 TBS of Chia seeds are jam packed with 7g fiber, 2g protein, 205mg calcium, more Omega-3 than atlantic salmon, more antioxidants than blueberries, and more protein/fiber/calcium than flax seeds (whoo!).
I have looked far and wide for them in my neighborhood and can't.find.them.anywhere. Apart from ordering them online, I thought that I was going to have to suffer without ever trying some straight from the grocery.
To my great shock I finally!! found them at the Organic Market near by - still not plain and packed on their own, but chia seeds none the less. Enter:


I thought the flavor "Cranberry ginger" sounded delicious as an oatmeal and maybe even I could throw a few goodies on top.
Overall, the oatmeal had a great taste - especially the cranberries! However, the directions left little to be desired. Instructions read:
1. Pour 2 Tbs of chia seeds in bowl
2. Add 1/3 C of water (hot - cold) whatever your preference.
3. Let sit about 3-5 minutes

Mmm I did as the recipe instructed and still 15 minutes later there was a liquidy mess. So I packaged them up and took them too work and popped them in the microwave for about 40 seconds - that did the trick. I guess you just have to experiment!

Does anyone have any suggestions on what else I could do to cook these guys??

Have an amazing Friiday! Weather in NYC is b-e-a-utiful so if you have sunshine, use it!!

23 or 70?

Clearly I have been MIA via the blog this week, but after reading you'll understand why, and maybe be able to relate? I started this week with a fabulous energy; I had a great weekend, work was looking manageable this week, I had a fun dinner planned for Thursday. And then, Monday hit. Mondays are always slightly difficult, but this one particularly drained me (for no apparent reason). Then Tuesday came along, and a similar draining effect took place. Wednesday was no exception and then Thursday, well lets just say I think I hit a wall. While I was able to make it to the gym on these days (working out in the morning I have learned that exhaustion and a slight sleeping haze are part of the routine) my eating habits were [slightly] off. Take yesterday. Below is a picture of some fruit combos, a handful of soy crips, and a 1/2 a chicken and spinach sandwich. Looks relatively normal and as though I covered all the bases huh?! Just so happens that this was after my normal lunch, plus an additional handful of chips and another half a sandwich...And this was just my lunch!
Needless to say I went home, after my dinner date was cancelled, and crashed. I'm pretty sure a 70 year old grandmother goes to bed later than I did last night! I cannot pinpoint what is making me so exhausted...lack of concentration/motivation, hormones, multi-tasking, diet?
Does this ever happen to you? Any suggestions?!

All I can say is TGIF and I'm looking forward to getting my 23 year old body back to feeling like a 23 year old should! Well, I might act like a grandma again tonight... ;) welcome back friday night lite

Stonyfields and Greens

I'm really not entirely sure where this week has gone. I cannot believe that it is already Wednesday. I feel like once Wednesday is over with, the rest is just a breeze :) Don't you?? 

Nothing too exciting today but I did have a few of my favorite things pop into the picture..

First, I started off with another great workout - this time working my arms :)

• Lateral cable raises (3 sets of 12)
• Stability Ball Pushups (these were super hard and I only got out 3 sets of 10 -- and they were pathetic looking :/ )
• Tricep dips (my favorite!! 3 sets of 15)
• Treadmill for 15 minutes (CLIMB: warm up 5 min, increase the incline 1 level every minute for 10 minutes, decrease by 1 level for 5 min)
• Dumbbell Tricep Extention (3 sets of 15)
• Stability ball chest press (3 sets of 12)
• Dumbell shoulder press (3 sets of 12)
• Treadmill [again] (SPRINT: vary speed each minute - sprinting 1, jog 1, etc. for 15 minutes)
• I followed this up with a nice and sweaty 30 minute "power walk on an incline" bc I had some time to kill :)

I came back to the apt and created one of these:

Oh yes, yes a green monsterrrr. Alas, I had no fruit :( so this was kind of more of a protein shake + a few handfuls of spinach. It wasn't bad actually because I added a secret ingredient. (a few drops of vanilla extract cures anything) 

Midday I had one of my favorite snacks that I have recently discovered. A Stonyfield Organic Yogurt! I usually will add some almonds, granola, or fruit to these, unless it's the Key Lime Pie flavor. So strange I hate actual Key Lime Pie, but the Stonyfield yogurt is unreal!! I love it so much I just entered this Stonyfield give away: Check it out!

I started eating Organic Dairy a few months ago, after my dermatologist recommended it for my skin. She related it to all of the hormones, etc. that can go into typical dairy that you might by at the store. I had never really considered eating organic but at the time, my skin was in such disarray that I would try ANYTHING. I have found that there are a ton of benefits to eating organic foods. For example, by switching to organic dairy alone you are:

1. Avoiding hormones and antibiotics
2. Supporting sustainable agriculture
3. Creating less waste and pollution
4. Helping to reduce global warming
5. Making yourself pretty from the inside out ;)

While I think that eating organic dairy has helped my skin and overall feeling, that doesn't mean I stay away from cheese and cracker platters at parties, or skimp on my usual ice cream fix topped with chocolate. But as an general shopping/stocking my refrigerator move, I try to follow this plan. Give it a try, see how you feel!

Eat for Good Luck!

I feel like I am doing all of my new years/twenty-ten posts a little late, but better late than never right!?? As a partial food slash better living blog, what could be more appropriate than a posting on food that will bring better luck in the new year ... nothing were my thoughts exactly :)

For as long as I can remember my family would make sausage and sauerkraut on New Years Day for dinner (a polish tradition). Sound appetizing? It's really not actually...but all in the spirit of having a happier and healthier year ahead. Here's the theory:

• Cabbage (or greens in general) can be associated with money and will bring good fortune and wealth. 
• Sauerkraut, in particular, has long strands which symbolize long life.  
• Pork has a rich fat content, again standing for wealth and prosperity, as well as progress since pigs dig with their snout in a forward motion. 
  

Cabbage is not necessary the best tasting thing, but it is super good for you! It's rich in fiber and has TONS of Vitamin C. Most importantly/interestingly, cabbage has a naturally occuring compound called indoles. Some research has shown that indoles can actually lower the risk of certain types of cancers (hello long life).

In keeping up with tradition, I made my New Years Day dinner tonight! Only about 4 meals late oops..

I had sauerkraut and [chicken] sausage, with asparagus and a sweet potato on the side. I had no idea how to cook sauerkraut so I just threw it in the pain with the sausage and a little soy sauce? We had slim pickins in the freezer/pantry today and clearly I couldn't even buy any actual pork. Ahh the joys of living on your own :) 

Here's to wealth, progress, and a long and healthy life!

[Someone Elses] Words of Wisdom

A friend forwarded me this 2010 Handbook right before the New Year and I thought that it had some pretty interesting things to get me thinking about what twentyten will have in store...I threw in whatever popped into my head when I read them.

Health:
1.       Drink plenty of water. 
2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants...
4.       Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.

5.       Pray more often.
6.       Play more games.
7.       Read more books than you did in 2009.
8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. 
9.       Sleep for 7 hours.
10.    Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11.    Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12    Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13.    Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14.    Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15.    Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16.    Dream more while you are awake.
17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18.    Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20.    Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23.    Smile and laugh more.
24..    You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.....

Society:
25.    Call your family often.
26.    Each day give something good to others.
27.    Forgive everyone for everything.
28.    Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of  6.
29..    Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30.    What other people think of you is none of your business.
31.    Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32.    Do the right thing!
33.    Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up..
37.    The best is yet to come.
38.    When you awake alive in the morning, be thankful for it.

39.    Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40.     Appreciate all that is in your life, and tell everyone that you should, that you love them.

[My] Words of Wisdom addition:

Health:

I'm going to try and stick with a healthy appetite of veggies and fruits and oatmeal and whole grains. I think that the amount I have learned about diet and nutrition this year surpasses anything that I have known the past 10! I'm going to keep reading and learning about what I am putting into my body and get to know my body better so that I can better serve it!  Oh, and I definitely want to play more games :)

Personality:

My favorite point was to make peace with the past so it won't spoil the present. Alot of things have happened in 2009 that I may not be happiest with, but I definitely learn from my mistakes and 2010 is a clean slate!  And I like to day dream so that's gonna continue - everyone has to have their own fantasy world to live in!

Society:

Forgive forgive forgive. Life is too short to hold grudges. However, don't keep people around who don't benefit you in a positive way. It's okay to be a little selfish ;) And call your family!! At least they'll always forgive you too..

Life: the best is definitely yet to come ;)

Happy 2010 everyone! Cheers!