Pina Colada Smoothie

Sandy beaches of Punta Cana, Dominican Repuclic, May 2012

So since my last post, my tummy has been acting up - A LOT.  I am not sure what exactly is going on (I think that I got so excited about my UNsalad that I was eating so much of it that my tummy just couldn't work fast enough to break it all down) but thankfully I know how to fix it:  All smoothies during the day, clean dinner, lots of water and peppermint tea...no wine.

In order for me to get through the day on just smoothies, I must keep it interesting.  This morning I had my staple smoothie, the Green Smoothie and a side of Trader Joe's Uncured Turkey Bacon.  For lunch, I packed 32 oz of my Pina Colada smoothie.  My goodness...this stuff is delicious.  It makes me dream of warmer weather and salty, sandy wind blown hair.  Can I go back to my honeymoon pleeeease?!


The recipe:

• 1/2 C frozen mango pieces  
• 4 frozen spotted bananas
• 3/4 C frozen pineapple
• 1/2 can Trader Joe's LIGHT Coconut Milk
• 1 T vanilla extract
• Water to cover the fruit
• **Add some leafy greens to give it an extra boost - it changes the milk-shaky-ness (yep, it's a word) of it though (you have been warned!)

First, add the ingredients (in the order of the list, makes for easier blending)

MMM.  Looks pretty relish, right?!

Indulgence time!  Enjoy your Pina Colada smoothie whilst dreaming of warmer weather and sun touched skin.  

This smoothie is creamy, delicious, nutritious, and filling.  It's like drinking a milk shake!  Or like a Pina Colada on the white sand beaches with warm sun on my skin and a breeze blowing through my hair.  ahhh.  Can you tell I need a vacation/i'm SICK of the cold?!  Enjoy your day-dream inducing smoothie my friends :)

The {UN}salad

One of my most favoritist foods is a great salad.  I mean whats not to like?  I love the colors, different textures, the dressing, yum! When I was going through my tummy issues, I would default to a salad, not even knowing it was one of the worst things I could put in my body.  One of my staple breakfasts was an over easy egg over sautéed kale and onions with a side of turkey bacon!  Yes KALE for breakfast - you should try it :)

Anyway, when I made the discovery that I could not eat leafy greens and the majority of green veggies, my life was literally turned upside down.  I went about six months without eating a salad and lots of veggies.  This past Christmas, we were in Atlanta visiting my husband's parents and his mother had made side salads to go with a delicious dinner of ribs.  As I was sitting there being jealous of their salads I had an "A-HA!" moment. I then made my first ever UNSALAD (thanks to my MIL for the name :) )  I used all the toppings (that I could eat) and made a salad, many colors, textures, and dresssinngg! Oh so stinkin good.  Back in Charlotte at Christmas, we went to Common Market  for lunch with my brother, Davis, and his girlfriend, Christina.  I ordered my first ever unsalad in public.  The guy looked at me pretty funny - It went something like this: "I'd like the cobb salad with no lettuce please", "uh...okay?"  The great thing though, is he asked me if I wanted anything extra...and I got extra avocado for free!  I learned that I need to feed my body what it needs and not worry about what other people are thinking about me.  They don't know my body, I do.  Plus, most people simply don't care.

Lastly, as I was talking to Christina about my conundrum she offered this idea: julienned zucchini as the lettuce bed!  Brilliant!  SO without further ado...I present my UNsalad.

It was 70 degrees and sunny yesterday - The hubs and I went for a run then launched into food prep for the week. All it takes is an hour in the kitchen for a week of healthy eats!







The UNsalad: (Makes 5 salads - Food prep for the week!)

Ingredients: 

• 2 zucchinis
• 1 package of carrots
• 1 package baby bella mushrooms
• 1 package cherry tomatoes
• 1 can black olives
• 1 sweet red onion
• 1 beet/salad (Trader Joe's makes peeled and cooked beets - find in produce aisle)
• Goat cheese or feta cheese
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Dressing: a touch of EVOO, lots of balsamic, pepper, and basil

How to:

First, peel the zucchini, throw the peels away.  Next use a mandolin or an veggie peeler and start peeling thin layers of zucchini. Divide among five containers. These will be part of your "lettuce" base.

Next, peel your carrots.  Use veggie peeler to peel thin layers of carrots.
These will be part of your "lettuce" base.

Add the rest of your toppings and store!The morning of, peel your egg, cut into fourths and add to your UNsalad!

A few side notes: 

• No, you do not HAVE to peel the zucchini.  I do because my body doesn't handle insoluble fiber properly (i.e the skin of a zucchini) which means I cannot break the skin down.  If I eat the skin, I suffer severe stomach pain including bloating and swelling.  If you can eat the skin, use it! 
• Don't like mushrooms? Me neither!  I'm trying - really, really trying!  Read up on the benefits and maybe you can begin to acquire the taste for them!

And a few pics of the cutest pup ever made doing a dance for some carrot peels!  Isn't she just the cutest??

I'm MAD. Enough is ENOUGH!

As I was laying in bed this morning, scrolling through Facebook (let's be honest - we all do it), I came across an article that a friend posted about how Subway was pledging to take a chemical out of its bread called azodicarbonamide.  According to the article, this chemical is used in breads to make them more "elastic" (why would we want our bread more elastic...seriously people!?).  This same chemical is used in things like YOGA MATS.  This is downright crazy.  It really upsets me that corporations are putting such chemicals into their foods.  WHY oh WHY can we not have just normal bread?!  

One article I read has this to say about azodicarbonamide: The same WHO Study cites respiratory issues like asthma among some people who were exposed to azodicarbonamide. But those individuals were breathing in the compound, not ingesting it." In addition to that remark, I also found in the conclusion of the article that in the form of ingesting it, the suggestion is, "do no eat, drink, or smoke".  And also, that "The substance decomposes on heating or on burning producing toxic fumes (nitrogen oxides)." WHOA.  Wait, so the study says that the substance decomposes on heating (like cooking bread) and produces toxic fumes as a result?  

There was a blogger who called to arms about this and over 78,000 people signed a petition to get this substance out of Subway bread.  But that is not the only fast food joint that uses this substance.  According to reports, the following restaurants also put this substance in their foods:

• McDonalds
• Burger King
• Chick-Fil-A
• Dunkin Donuts
• Wendy's
• Arby's
• Jack-In-The-Box
• Hardee's
• White Castle
• And more

If you'd like to learn more I linked the original article I read and in the above paragraph, the study on the chemical. I know that some may disagree with me saying, "the FDA approves it and the food is quick and delicious." And even though its been a VERY long time since I have visited any of these places, I still crave a little fast food from time to time and even indulge every now and then, no longer.  This was the final straw for me and my cravings for fast food.  

Are you angry about it?  I sure am!

Weekend Eats - Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, Butternut Squash Chili

Let's face it.  Eating healthy during the week is fairly easy.  I'm at work, in the classroom and my only choice of food is what I brought or school provided yucky student snacks (i.e. microwaved waffles or english muffins with soy butter).  So when I fix myself only delicious smoothies and sometimes veggie packs for school, it's pretty easy a little easier to stay healthy.  While I post some delicious (and sometimes complex)  recipes on here, I normally eat pretty simply during the week.  A quick 5-minute fried rice is my go-to for a weeknight dinner (especially with the hubs is out of town).







We like to get out of the house on the weekend a explore our new city of Richmond.  We tried this brewery for the first time, Strangeways Brewing Company and it was great!  I got a Pomegranate Saison - mm mm mm yum.









When the weekend hits I'm ready for a nice large glass of red and a hearty meal.  However, my tummy and my conscience will not allow me to go crazy.  I've recently been craving an amazing pancake breakfast, but the heaviness of pancakes on my tummy just makes me cringe.  I looked around on Pinterest and found this recipe for banana oatmeal pancakes.  Sunday morning is the perfect day to try a new pancake recipe.  Our church has an 11:00 service which makes Sunday mornings the best part of our week.  Think: sleep in, make coffee and a nice breakfast, go to church and praise the Lord!  How much better can it get?!?

Modifications for the pancakes: 

• Doubled (for 2 people) but only used three eggs instead of 4
• Make them sand-dollar sized for easier flipping
• Use fresh blueberries - not frozen...there IS a difference!
• We used real sugar (just a pinch) instead of fake sweetener - just keepin' it real y'all. 

And then, I've been craving chili.  My school had a chili cook-off on Friday night, but with my stupid food restrictions, I couldn't taste any of them!  So, per the usual, I jumped on Pinterest looking for an alternative.  And THIS my friends is what I found.  This has got to be one of the best meals to come out of my kitchen.  I wish I had the bragging rights to this meal, but I do not.  I made this one to the exact directions (what?! me?! follow a recipe to a t?!) and it was amazing.  That said, I think I may puree some spinach next time to boost this meal even more.  It took all day to cook (mainly in the oven, so not too involved) and it was so worth the wait. Not to mention my house smells divine. 

Serve on top of fresh basmati rice and enjoy! This chili is seriously delicious and guilt free.  It warms your tummy and satisfies all your comfort food cravings.  Make this.  I promise you'll love it. 

Now...let me go gobble that ooey-gooey cookie my hubs just got out of the oven. :)

Quick & Easy Weeknight CHIA Pasta

Confession: I love pasta.  But really, who doesn't?  I could eat Mac-n-Cheese, spaghetti, lasagna, baked ziti all day long.  If it's pasta, I love it.  Good for my taste buds...bad for the rest of me!

We live right behind a Fresh Market.  And by right behind, I mean it's literally across the street.  It isn't my favorite place to shop (expeennnnnsive!), but I do enjoy perusing the aisles sometimes to see what I can find.  One evening I had quite the hankering for some pasta and came across CHIA pasta. Coincidentally I was going through a meatless period (sometimes it just grosses me out!) so chia pasta was the perfect solution.  If you don't know about chia yet,  here are some facts:

5 Things I LOVE about Chia Seeds!

1. They are high in Omega-3's which help to decrease cholesterol
2. They are extremely high in fiber - 10g per 2 tbsp (woot!) but are easy on the tummy (easily digestible), so it's the perfect way for me to up my fiber!
3. Chia seeds FILL YOU UP.  They expand up to 12x their size meaning that as they sit in your system, they soak up water and expand - making you fuller for longer!
4. It is a complete protein with all 8 amino acids and equals to about 20% of your protein requirement per serving. 
5. They are gluten free (not a big deal for me, but for those who are intolerant to gluten - this is great news!)

So as you now can see, I was excited to find these chia noodles! So anyways, I looked on the back of the bag and there was a delicious looking vegetarian pasta recipe.  The recipe I'm going to share with you is an adaptation to the one on the bag. :)

Here's the recipe: (serves 2)
Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes total

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package of Bona Chia noodles 
• 1C peas
• 1C mushrooms, sliced
• 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced and cut in half
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T EVOO
• Dash of salt and pepper
• Sundried tomatoes (to taste)
• Kalmata olives (to taste)
• Crumbled Feta cheese

Directions: 

1. Add EVOO, onions, mushrooms, and peas to medium heat in a pan.   Sauté fot ~5-7 minutes, add garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. 
2. While the veggies are cooking boil your water for the noodles.  Once the water is to a boil, add noodles and cook for 3 (yes THREE!) minutes, drain and rinse. 
3. Immediately toss the noodles in a bit of EVOO, top with veggies, sundried tomatoes, olives, and a little feta.  Gobble it up! 

Sauté for ~5-7 minutes, add garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. 

Voila!

Easiest recipe ever, right?  Of course, me being me, I've made this dish multiple times and every time it is different.  Sometimes I add zucchini or green beans.  You could also add chicken if you like (I haven't because the chia noodles already have enough protein).  As I always say, get creative!

With green beans - yum!

With green beans and zuchinni!

What did you add to your pasta? Let me know in the comment section!

Mexican Chicken Soup is Good for…everything!

I'm a teacher which means that I will forever be sick…at least for the first few years.  Lucky for me…and my perpetually sore throat, I love soup.  I'm not talking about a normal kind of love…I'm talking about I could eat soup all day, every day, forever and always kind of love. It heals me when I'm sick.  It warms from my tummy to my toes when it's cold out and my heart when it hurts.  Soup is so versatile.  You can put just about anything in it and it will still be amazing.

So, I pooled everything I had to make a delicious chicken soup and made myself some.  And my, oh my…was it delicious.  I thought about freezing some of it for later, but I couldn't help myself…I ate it all. Every single bite (over several days, of course).  This is one of my favorite soups..though it is never quite the same!

One more thing:  this recipe is only a guideline.  If you wanna add corn, go for it. Beans? Yum! Zucchini? Even better.  Want it spicier? Add more spice!  This is YOUR soup..make it YOUR way!  Just go for it and enjoy :)

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, shredded
• 1 can organic stewed tomatoes (I squish them), with the juice
• 1 container low sodium organic chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 2 C green beans
• 1 1/2 C peas
• 4 chopped carrots (~1/2" pieces)
• 1 T cumin
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt to taste (be careful here, I don't cook with much salt since it can be added easily to taste when ready to serve) 

Directions:

1. Combine chicken stock, water, and chicken breasts in a dutch oven (or stock pot).  Heat on medium heat until chicken is cooked through.  Shred the chicken and return to the pot. 
2. Add spices and stir. 
3. Add carrots, green beans, and peas to the pot and cook on low. 
4. Once carrots are fork tender, add tomatoes (with the juice).  Cook on low for 15 minutes more to let everything soak in. 

Serve topped with fresh avocado and a dollop of sour cream. Side with organic blue corn tortilla chips. 

Enjoy!

Of course, add whatever you want to the soup.  The beauty of soup, it that anything and everything can go in it and it will probably still be delicious.  Some additions I would add, if my body would let me are: sweet corn, peppers, black beans, lentils, and more.  Get creative people!

Oh My Heart - Green Beans!

Oh how I love green veggies! If it's green - I love it. To be honest, my favorite green veggie of all time is collard greens.  I am still working through the fact that I will probably never eat them again.  But..thankfully, I've discovered that I can eat green beans.  Yummy, delicious green beans.  

A few weeks ago, some friends from church invited us over for dinner.  They were so incredibly sweet, knowing that I have food issues they made a side platter of green beans and carrots.  Holy smokes.  It was delicious.  I have since made this dish 2+ times a week since and love it.  I varied the recipe a little bit to be a bit healthier and added some more things to up the nutrition even more.  

Here's The Recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 2 lbs fresh green beans (or frozen really)
• 4 carrots, peeled & cut into 1/2" chunks
• 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced thin
• 1 C mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
• EVOO or coconut oil
• Salt and pepper to taste. 

Directions:

1. Heat oil in pan on low heat.  Add onions and garlic, cook for 3-5 minutes and add green beans.  Cook on low, covered for 20ish minutes (I mean looooow low).  Stir occasionally.
2. Add carrots and cook until they are fork tender
3. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 more minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally. 
4. Salt & Pepper to taste

**I add the green beans in early because my body needs them to be super super cooked.  If you like a crispier green bean, add them when you add the carrots! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!  Keep and eye out for more yummy recipes on the blog!

Soluble v. Insoluble Fiber…What's the difference?

So when people find out I have food restrictions the top question I get is, "…So what can't you eat?"  It is honestly easier these days to say what I can eat. If everyone understood (including me) the difference between insoluble and soluble fiber, life would be much easier.  So, here is the simple breakdown:

Soluble Fiber 

Soluble fiber is my "good fiber" for me.  For others, not so much.  Soluble means that it can be dissolved in water (i.e. easily digestible).  I've learned that it is important for me to always eat soluble fiber first, before anything else because its helps kickstart my digestive process and therefore helps the other foods I eat digest more easily.



So what kinds of foods are high in soluble fiber?

• Rice
• Barley
• Root Veggies (carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, potatoes)
• Squash
• Mushrooms
• Avocados
• You can learn more about soluble fiber here.  

Whenever my tummy is super irritated from things like crazy holiday foods, the best thing for me to do "reset" and go back to the basics to calm everything back down. I love to make roasted squash and carrots.  It's simple, real food that tastes great, is full of nutrients, and helps my body get back to normal. 

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber is my "bad fiber".  Yes…insoluble fiber is really, super, awesomely good for a healthy diet.  For me…it just means that I will lay in bed all day curled into a tiny ball.  The best way I've learned to teach someone about insoluble fiber is that insoluble fiber is the hard, rough, stringy inside of  plant food, or the tough skin, hull, peel, or pod on the the outside of the plant food.  In addition, nuts and seeds are very high in insoluble fiber.

So what kinds of food are high in insoluble fiber?

• Cruciferous veggies (cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, etc)
• Bell peppers (my most favorite..ugh)
• Corn (including popcorn)
• Beans
• Celery
• Greens (spinach, arugula, etc)
• Oranges, grapes, pineapple
• Green beans
• You can learn more about insoluble fiber here.

So yea - you read that right.  ALL the delicious, healthy, eat-all-you-want-and-lose-weight veggies, are banned from my diet.  Not to mention, those were my favorite foods!  How many of you reading this remember me munching on a delicious baggie of cut up bell peppers? Have I ever forced you into trying my delicious roasted cabbage wheels?  As you could imagine, this revelation was a HUGE change in my life (as well as my husband's - considering I do most of the grocery shopping and cooking).

Included in my research, I have also learned that there ways to incorporate the "bad for me fiber" that I NEED into my diet.  I eat ALOT of peas.  Yes…peas.  They really have a bad rap..try them with a little EVOO, fresh garlic, carrots, and onions…and you've got my standard, every night of the week green veggie.  I've also learned recently that green beans (if cooked really, really, really, well done) are okay on my tummy too (OH MY HEART I love green beans so. stinkin. much.).  

I'll post recipes for these two delicious side green dishes soon.  

The Elimination Diet

WOW.  Thank you for the overwhelming support on my new blog yesterday and today!  It is so great to see that already people have been able to learn a little about themselves through my experiences.

In response to several comments/requests, I decided to hold off on the recipes and begin with the ins and outs of an elimination diet.  Admittedly I did not stick to it as long as I should have, but since I made some many discoveries and have been able to successfully avoid flair ups, I feel I can introduce other foods in when I am up to it.

The most important thing about an elimination diet is starting with a calm digestive system.  By this, I mean you need to cut everything out.  The thought process is that if I can "reset" and get my system back to "normal" everything i add will either not hurt or will hurt and I will know for sure.  In my research I have read that it takes one to two weeks to reset.  Listen to your body and do what works for you.  For me it took about 10 days.

First one-two weeks:

• Breakfast: organic plain oatmeal and super ripe/spotted banana
• Lunch: boiled/grilled chicken (no oils or butter), roasted butternut squash (found pre-cut at Trader Joe's), and organic roasted carrots. 
• Dinner: Same as lunch
• Fluids: water (lots of it), and organic peppermint tea (NO honey, sweeteners, or milk)

This was one of the roughest part of the diet.  It gets so boring and redundant to eat the same thing over and over.  And…being a foodie and wino like me, it was hard not to give in to a delicious glass of Pinot Noir or some yummy bite of food.  BUT I lost a lot of water weight, bloating, and the pain went away.  

After my 10 days of "resetting" my body, I began to introduce things back in.  It is insanely important  to do this s  l  o  w  l  y  .  It is tempting to give in and gobble up the yummy things you've been starved of, but those one-two weeks of resetting will be useless if you mess this part up.  As I mentioned in my last post, I used this guide to help me properly reintroduce foods.  

***It is very important to make sure to not add everything in the category at once.  For example, for dairy, I reintroduced yogurt Monday during breakfast (only once), then waited until Wednesday to confirm my findings.  Next, I introduced cheese (only once), then waited until Saturday to introduce something new. 

I've attached my spreadsheet (yes, I love those darn things) that I used to help me track my foods.  Feel free to use mine or make one of your own.  Whatever works for you, do it.  There is absolutely no reason to continue living life in pain.

Download the Elimination Diet Log Here


I hope this blog is helpful to you in some way.  If you have any questions, please feel free to comment or send me message.

**I am not a licensed nutritionist or doctor.  These are simply suggestions from my personal experiences.  Do what is good for you.  Not everything that works for me will work for you.  Consult a doctor for medical conditions.