Category Archives: Healthy

Spring Reset

Over the past year and a half my diet has significantly evolved. I used to eat pretty much whatever I wanted (without corn and soy) but still had stomach issues. Then I dove into gluten-free eating and noticed that my issues had improved a bit, and when I started to eat more paleo/primal (with a few gluten-free things here and there) they all but disappeared. However over the past couple of months the train has fallen off the tracks, so I’m declaring a spring reset for the month of April.

It started out innocent enough; a couple of extra glasses of wine here and there, stealing bites of the Englishman’s delicious yet gluten-filled bread, and not being as diligent at restaurants as I normally am. But that quickly turned into Sundays spent on the couch in agony with stomach pain and headaches, more breakouts and my digestion running amok. And look, I know we are all human and can’t be perfect all the time (cause where is the fun in that?) but I definitely realized I can’t be as liberal with my diet as I’d like, cause I just don’t feel great.

So for the month of April, we’re (the Englishman is participating in this to some degree as well) going to clean it up a bit. Joelle recently wrote that she’s going to do a Whole 30, and I think we are going to do something along the lines of the 21 Day Sugar Detox with a few modifications that work for us. So what does that look like?

Adios Gluten: I’m going to bid gluten adieu for the month of April and the Englishman is just going to stick to his homemade stuff (like his bread).
Less Drinking: This one is pretty straightforward, and much friendlier on the wallet too.
Sayonara Sugar: I have a habit of having something sweet after dinner every night, so I’m working to break that a bit. Natural sugars for the win!
Getting Back on the Mat: I’ve finally found a yoga studio I love, and I’m going to aim to practice at least 1-2x a week.
Focus on Getting Stronger: I’ve been battling a few injuries since my half marathon last fall, so I’m focusing on perfecting my crossfit technique, going for shorter runs and yoga.

And for the record, I don’t think grains are the devil, nor do I believe that one “diet” works for everyone. I’m going of what has worked for ME in the past, and hopefully getting my digestive system back to normal. The Englishman and I are going to France in May, and the last thing I want on my trip is to be feeling crummy. Plus, I’m excited to try new recipes and I’ve already got some stuff bookmarked to share on the blog. So that’s my two cents on that.

Anyone else up for a spring reset? Come join in the fun! I’ll be sharing on instagram and twitter with #springreset.

Natural Products Expo West: Justin’s

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A couple of years ago I attended my first Natural Products Expo West and had a blast meeting a bunch of different vendors, trying new products and immersing myself in some of the best healthy and natural products on the market. I couldn’t attend last year due to being in the thick of wedding planning, so this year I was excited to return AND meet with one of my favorite brands. So consider this recap the Natural Products Expo West: Justin’s edition.

For those not familiar, Justin’s is a company specializing in nut butters and peanut butter cups using all-natural ingredients and NO preservatives. The company uses organic ingredients when possible, and offers a line of almond butter, peanut butter, and natural PB cups that taste 1000x better than a Reese’s in my opinion. The Englishman and I always have a jar of Justin’s Almond Butter in our house, and I always take the to-go squeeze packs whenever I travel. So when I had the opportunity to meet THE Justin at Expo West this year I jumped at the chance.

Justin was incredibly nice (as expected) and was happy to chat about his products, what’s new, and what’s coming up for 2015. First up is the dark + milk chocolate peanut butter minis, which at 70 calories a pop, are the perfect little treat when you are craving something sweet.

I have already shared some of the minis with my friends and they were all big fans. I can’t wait to stock up on more when these hit shelves starting in April.

In addition to the minis, Justin also has plans to create more healthy snacks by the end of 2015. He explained that everything is still in the very early formulation stages, but he did share that he’s looking for that “snackability” factor and to expect lots of peanut butter and almond butter combos with more traditional snacks like pretzels and crackers. PB and pretzels? Sign me up.

Justin also shared that one goal of the brand this year is to become more green with their packaging and using more sustainable materials, which I thought I was great. It’s so nice to see a brand constantly evolving and taking steps forward to be more environmentally friendly.

Not only was Justin incredibly nice and great to chat with, I could see how passionate he is about his brand, which definitely reflects in his products, cause they all taste great! If you haven’t tried Justin’s yet, I recommend starting with the Maple Almond Butter or the Dark Chocolate PB cups. Or even the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. Or Classic Almond Butter. Obviously I don’t discriminate.

Justin’s products can be found at most supermarkets, Target and even Starbucks, and the new minis will be available starting in April.

Thanks again to Justin and his team for the great meeting at Expo West!

Carrot Parsnip Zucchini Bread

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After all of the chocolate action that happened over the long weekend, I decided to go with something a little bit lighter this week for the 2015 cookbook challenge. So I consulted my favorite True Food Kitchen cookbook and whipped up some Carrot Parsnip Zucchini Bread.

The name is a bit of a mouthful and I was quite skeptical of putting parsnips in bread, but you know what? It worked and was delicious. This bread is packed with veggies, has minimal sugar, and I even lightened it up by swapping non-fat plain Chobani Greek yogurt in place of the apple butter.

I haven’t gone wrong with a True Food Kitchen recipe yet and this one did not disappoint. The yogurt gave the bread a nice moist (I know) texture and it became the perfect afternoon snack to enjoy with a cup of tea.

The original recipe called for the bread to be divided into two loaf pans, but I decided to roll with just one large loaf and it worked out great – just be sure to allow a little extra baking time.

Carrot Parsnip Zucchini Bread (makes 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves)

Adapted from the True Food Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup brown sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 medium parsnip, shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
3 large eggs
¾ cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with cooking spray or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl add your dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until well blended.

In a smaller bowl add your carrot, parsnip, zucchini, eggs, greek yogurt, olive oil and vanilla and blend together. Gently fold your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and continue to mix until the dough is nice and wet.

Scoop your batter into your loaf pan and top with silvered almonds (the original recipe called for pumpkin seeds).

Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes if you are doing one large loaf; 35-40 minutes if you are doing two smaller loaves.

Remove from the oven and let the bread cool for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!