How to Stay Away From Those Sugary Cocktails!

Rooftop season is here! Which means that many of you are craving those fruity, sugary, $4 happy hour cocktails!

Why is it that when it starts to get warmer out, and people start drinking outside, they go for all of the sugary drinks? If you are trying to keep your weight down, I suggest you cool it with the Mai Tai's and the Sangria, all that ishhh!! It's nice to have a cool cocktail here and there, but with all of the artificial sugars and syrups they add into those drinks.....YUCKKK!!

You're looking at about 200-700 calories in ONE drink! That's ONE drink alone!! A Long Island Iced Tea has up to 780 calories! That's more than my lunch calorie intake! Many of us don't even realize how much we are drinking, because we are too busy having fun, loving the warm weather, which is TOTALLY fine! Just try and have some will power by sticking to your vodka soda's or gin and vodkas.  I would suggest drinking white wine over red wine, only because it has less calories (but not by much).You wouldn't want to gain all that weight back that you have been so good at keeping off, would you?!

Now, I'm not saying don't drink, or you can't have that one drink you've been eyeing on the menu since you sat down at the table, BUT if you don't want to feel like you've gained 10 pounds by drinking all of this sugar, then you will certainly have to have will power.

I decided to google calories in our favorite drinks, and stumbled across this website....

http://www.divinecaroline.com/self/wellness/how-many-calories-are-your-favorite-cocktail?page=0

In this specific article, Divine Caroline lists the amount of calories in some of our most popular drinks. It is actually very interesting to see just how many calories is in one Margarita! Go check it out!

A Yummy Lunch You MUST Try!

I have decided that I am sick of chicken and bringing it for lunch every day, soooooo the other night, I decided to pick up some shrimp, asparagus, and quinoa, to make for lunch.

This was such an easy, quick, fun, meal to make! I sautéed the shrimp and the asparagus with some salt, pepper, garlic powder. The quinoa I did not add anything to. Once I heated it all up the next day, I squeezed some lemon over everything, mixed it up, and enjoyed the shit out of my lunch!

Shrimp provides a great source of Vitamin D. It is low-cal and low-protein.

It is good to mix your lunches up a bit so that you aren't eating the same ol plain stuff every single day. I for one, get extremely bored if I am eating the same thing for lunch every single dayyy.

Anyone have any other healthy lunch suggestions that they can share on this post for others to make?

Don't be shy!!

                                                      Forgot to take a pic of my own, so I found this off the internet -___-

Nursing Yourself Back to Health, The Right Way

It seems that over the last few weeks, EVERYONE has been sick! Whether its a cold or a stomach bug, so many people I know have been sick!!

Even when your sick, and leading up to the process of getting your health back to normal, you have to know the right foods and nutrients that you should be eating and taking, in order to get back in tip top shape! You should be taking lots of these vitamins:

• Vitamin C; Found in strawberries and leafy green veggies  
• Vitamin E; Found in peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, broccoli and spinach 
• Vitamin B6; Found in banana's, tuna, chickpeas, baked potato 
• Vitamin D; Found in salmon and tuna
• Iron; Found in chicken, turkey and seafood
• Folic Acid; Found in beans, leafy greens, peas, pasta, rice, any whole-grain products

Obviously, when we are fighting a bad cold, we usually don't have much of an appetite, which is why it is very important to take in lots of these nutrients. This way, we don't feel sick or dizzy from not eating as we normally do when we aren't sick. Drinking orange juice or cranberry juice is also good for the immune system, to help it get back on track. Fresh fruits and veggies are key ingredients to feeling better!

Coconut Oil... The Next Best Thing?

So I follow numerous Instagram and Facebook accounts for healthy recipe's and all that jazz. I have come across a TON of people using coconut oil in their foods. It has been trending for quite some time now!

I've decided to research for myself, some of the benefits of using coconut oil. You can literally use it for anything.... food, your hair, skin, you can even use it to rinse your mouth out and kill bacteria, etc. !!! Below I have listed just some of the many benefits coconut oil will have on your life.

Benefits:

• Moisturizes skin
• Healthy, shiny, strong, hair
• Useful for weight loss
• Helps strengthen your immune system
• Helps to improve digestive system
• Stress relief
• Dental care 
• And MANY MANY MANYY MORE!!

Coconut oil can be used as a replacement for cooking butter or oils in foods. You can use it in your coffee or tea, you can put it in a smoothie. You can make your own homemade soap with it. There are SO MANY things you can do with coconut oil that you wouldn't even be able to imagine!

Have any of you used coconut oil to cook? I would love to hear some yummy recipe's!!

It's Almost Time!!

Although Spring is just a week away, Summer is right around the corner!! I hope everyone has been working on their beach bods! Bikini season is going to be in full effect within the next 3 months!

Haven't been hardcore dieting, but have been eating healthy and having those occasional "cheat meals"? Well have no fear! You still have some time to lose weight and tone up a bit. It may not be as easy for some, but it will definitely be worth it! Since it has been getting warmer out, that should motivate you even more to go out for a run (or jog, or fast walk), go to the gym, take a nice stroll to the grocery store and buy your fruits, veggies, chicken, turkey, ground turkey, etc!!!

Don't beat yourself up and over work your body or starve yourself for the summer, because we all know how that ends... gaining it allllll back. Be smart, eat right, stick to your diet plan, stick to your gym plan, and within 3 months, I guarantee that you will be bikini ready!

                    It's never too late to lose weight!

Protein for Breakfast?

It is important to get the right amount of protein in, in order to be energized throughout your day. As I have mentioned in previous posts, carbs I like to eat earlier on in the day, so that way I have
more energy, and I am feeling good...same goes for protein, EXCEPT the healthier foods tend to have more protein, so it is fine to eat a higher amount of protein than carbs, just as long as you are throwing fruits and veggies into the mix along with it =)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! You should not skip breakfast, because if you do, it could determine your weight. In other words, you will eat more throughout the day if you do not eat breakfast period. Eating a healthy breakfast, and one being packed with protein, will help you stay fuller, longer. Therefore, you will not be eating as much throughout your day, and your eating habits will be pretty regular. If you think that skipping breakfast will help you eat less calories/lose weight, think again! You are only going to be doing the opposite if you decide to skip the most important meal of the day!

Protein plays an extremely important part in repairing cells, and creating healthy organs and muscles!! I know I have mentioned what I eat for breakfast before, but below are some protein-packed breakfasts that I loooove to eat and that keep me pleasantly filled until lunch time!

• Egg white omelette with turkey (or turkey bacon), spinach, broccoli, red and green peppers.
• Same thing ^^^ just in a whole wheat wrap (this makes me super super full)
• Oatmeal with strawberries, blueberries, banana, shaved coconut.
• Acai bowl (these I usually buy at the organic food places by my office, but I will be making my own very soon and posting my homemade recipe =). Acai bowls usually include acai (which is a give-in, strawberries, blueberries, banana, coconut.
• Scrambled egg whites (2 or 3 eggs) with whole wheat toast or Wasa bread.
• Whole or Rye toast with organic peanut butter.

Meal Prepping

Meal prepping is not only better for you in terms of eating healthy, but also saves you money on buying lunch and/or dinner every day!

At first, I loved going food shopping for my lunches for the week, but now it is more of a required chore. At the end of the day, it saves me money, and I can control what I put into my meals.

I do not like to eat the same thing allllll of the time (it gets pretty boring and I get sick of it very quickly), so I like to switch up my food shopping every week.

Here are some easy, simple, meals I like to prep for my work week:

Meal: Grilled chicken breasts (or tenders), mixed veggies, brown rice.

Prep: I put a little bit of olive oil in a pan to heat up (this way the chicken doesn't get stuck to it), season my chicken with some salt, pepper, a little bit of garlic and onion powder, sometimes I like to add some cayenne pepper as well if i'm feeling a bit daring. If I do not use a pan, then I am using my Cuisinart Griddler (I love when my chicken has grill marks on it).

         Next, I cut up some fresh broccoli, green/red/yellow peppers, snap peas, cauliflower, peas, carrots, and steam them up until they are soft.

         Last but not least, I cook my brown rice and then throw everything into a container for my meal.

Protein Substitutes: You can substitute the chicken breasts with ground turkey, ground chicken, ground beef, or steak.

Prep: salt, pepper, garlic or onion powder, parsley flakes

Fiber/Carb Substitutes: You can substitute the brown rice with whole wheat pasta, steamed sweet potato or regular baking potato if you do not care for sweet potato (yams)

Prep: You can use any brown rice. Some brands I like to use.... Success, Mahatma, Uncle Bens, Minute, or Basmati. I do not season my rice, potatoes, or veggies. If you HAVE to have some flavor, then put some salt and pepper.

Diet Supplements... Good or Bad?

What are dietary supplements? Dietary supplements come in the form of pills, powders, liquids, soft capsules, and gel caps. The ingredients included in them are vitamins, minerals, herbs, enzymes, and amino acids.

Many people take supplements to help themselves lose weight fast. Others may even take them as a meal replacer (which is HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED).

The good thing about supplements is that they provide you with all of the proper vital substances that the body needs on a daily basis. They help the body function properly as well. They could also help prevent the risk of certain disease. BUT, they could also be harmful to the body if the right amount for consumption is exceeded. If you are taking diet supplements, that does not mean you shouldn't be eating the right foods while consuming these as well. Your body still needs the energy from regular, healthy foods. If you think that you can just live off of diet supplements and not eat, then you are only putting yourself and your body at risk!! You should also be taking one supplement at a time, you should not be mixing various supplements, which can also put you at risk.

Most common supplements include:

• Green Tea
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin C
• Biotin
• Fish Oil
• Calcium
• Echinacea

Not all supplements are bad for you, nor put you at risk. Always make sure to read the labels before purchasing!!

Good Carbs Vs. Bad Carbs

We all believe that carbs are the enemy, right?! Well in some cases, we need carbs in order to have that energy we need to get through our day!

Where there is a will, there is a way! There is always a way to add carbs into your diet while still maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. Here's where the good carb, bad carb situation comes into play. Unless you are overweight, then you should eat low-carb foods in order to drop the weight more quickly. Even if you are at your expected weight, you should still watch out for those bad carbs and make sure you are not putting them into your body all the time. They will sneak up on you!!

I've probably included good carbs and bad carbs in past posts, but I wanted to share some of my fave's again with you =)

Some Good Carbs Include:

• Corn
• Banana's
• Oatmeal
• Potatoes
• Whole wheat pasta
• Brown rice

Bad Carbs.... DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN:

• White bread
• Pizza ( always shedding a few tears before that first bite... it's just SOOOO GOOOODDDD!!!!)
• Cakes
• Cookies
• Soda
• High-cal foods

It's OK to have one day where you just load up on pizza and baked goods. YOU WILL LIVE!!!