Banana/Mango Sunrise Smoothie

Contrary to the opinion of many, breakfast is one of the most important and meals of the day. I know many who can't stand this meal... even one of my dearest best friends even says that it makes him nauseous for the rest of the day if he eats it. Anyone else like that?

It is quite the opposite for me. I need breakfast. I can skip any other meal of the day. Not breakfast. If I don't have some kind of breakfast food, even if it's just an apple... I am Miss Cranky Pants all day long. Breakfast kick-starts the metabolism after a night of rest and gives your body "fuel" to begin the day. Breakfast time is also my "me" time. I usually read the news or my book, contemplate the previous night's dreams and gather my morning thoughts. The apartment is normally silent and I often welcome opening the window to listen to whatever is going on outside. After 20 minutes, I feel awake and refreshed- ready to begin my day.

Considering my on-going love-affair with avocados, you can imagine the drool in my mouth when I came across this recipe at Sophie's darling blog, The Littlest Things.

Avocado Toast:

2 T lime juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
1 avocado peeled and quartered
4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
Fresh cilantro leaves

In a small bowl, mix the lime juice and evoo together with a fork until well blended. Top the toasted bread with 1 quarter of the avocado and drizzle with lime juice/evoo mixture. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste, garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

photo credit: The Littlest Things

The Mango/Banana Sunrise Smoothie compliments this filling, delicious and healthy breakfast perfectly. Seriously. Go the extra step and make this quick treat with your toast.

1/2 banana
1/2 cubed mango
1 cup orange juice
2 T yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until all chunks are gone.

photo credit: The Littlest Things

I altered the recipes just slightly to accommodate my health needs/preferences... 

*I used whole wheat bread instead of sourdough bread because I didn't have anything else on hand

*I didn't have mango, so I substituted peaches that were canned in 100% juice. I rinsed them before blending and was actually a tasty substitute. Used about 1/2 can of the peaches and refrigerated the rest.

*To cut down on sugar, I always purchase Tropicana's Trop 50 orange juice with extra added calcium. It has no added sugar and more of stuff that's actually good for you.

*I use plain Greek yogurt because that's all I ever buy anymore

*For all the protein enthusiasts out there- you can add 1/2-1 scoop of vanilla protein powder for an extra morning boost (or mid-day snack).

Drooling yet? 

Do share if you give this recipe a whirl!

Happy Weekend 

(errrr... royal wedding day?), 

Lovely Readers!

Green Smoothies

The number of emails that I have been getting asking about what I have been eating for the last month has been crazy and so exciting! I love talking about the changes that I have made... it helps me stay on track. 

If you would like a break down of what I have been eating... please don't hesitate to shoot an email my way emaleigh85{at}gmail{dot}com. I'd be more than happy to suggest healthy alternatives to the junk that we put into our bodies most of which we aren't even aware of. 

My current diet consists strictly of whole, nutritious foods- fruits, veggies, lean proteins, nuts and almond milk. Lots and lots of almond milk because I am an addict to this stuff. No sugar, no white flour and no fried foods.

About 90% of the time, I eat dinner by myself... which means I get to be as fancy or simple as I want with this meal! Tonight's dinner was one of my favorites... a green smoothie! Perfectly filling and a fantastic post-workout meal. I have been working every weekend to improve these smoothies to develop a recipe that I like. The possibilities and options to alter this recipe are endless. 

I can't take credit for this recipe... but tonight I will share with you my version that was SO DELICIOUS and my favorite combination thus far... 

* Starts with frozen berries... about a cup. You can also use fresh berries, but I like my smoothie SUPER cold... so I always use frozen. Also doesn't go bad as quickly as fresh berries do.

* 1 small can of manderin oranges. Rinse rinse rinse all the extra sugar off and try to buy the kind that aren't in syrup

* 1- 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach (or fresh... but frozen doesn't go bad as quickly and also keeps the smoothie COLD!)

* 1 frozen banana... whenever I see my bananas starting to get just a little too ripe... I toss them in the freezer to keep for these smoothies!

* 3/4 c frozen corn

* 1/2 diced up mango (I used fresh)

* 1/4 c Trop 50 orange juice

* 1/4 - 1/2 c almond milk

* 1 tablespoon of peanut/almond butter

* a few sprigs of fresh mint. Add this... it WILL change your life

I add all ingredients into the blender and blend blend blend. And then blend some more. And then when I think I have finally blended until I could not possibly blend anymore... I blend it a little more.

The more you blend... the less spinach leaves you'll have. Now... one downer of this smoothie (if you use blackberries) are the inevitable seeds. They definitely aren't my favorite. BUT... I promise you that once you perfect your smoothie... it will be better than any store-bought smoothie you have ever had. Don't be afraid to substitute and add/subtract ingredients to your liking!

 

If you try this smoothie... I want to know! 

Happy blending!!

Breakfast: The Meal of Champions

Newest food obsession: quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). 

Quinoa is a seed that is grown in South America. It has a light, fluffy texture when cooked and a mild nutty flavor. It's packed with protein, amino acids and dietary fiber, making it a nutrient-packed alternative to brown rice or couscous. 

It's a tad pricier than rice or couscous, but considering the nutrients in this little seed and the bomb.com flavor, I'd say it's worth the few extra pennies. If you don't have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's in your area, check for this grain in the organic section of your local grocery store (I'm not 100% sure Wal-Mart Supercenters carry it). 

I'm telling you, dear readers... I am loving this new "diet" I have been on for 3 weeks and counting. There is an alternative to everything I crave: chocolate, something sweet, carbs, Mexican food... you name it, I have a healthy alternative. 

The quinoa obsession continued this morning as I tried my hand at a new recipe- Quinoa Pancakes. Many thanks to Liz for introducing me to this delish healthy grain, which is now a staple in my pantry.

You can find the original recipe here, however, note below how I changed it to fit my needs and lower the cals even more.

Quinoa Pancakes

1 cup cooked quinoa (I fixed it the night before so less prep time in the morning)
3/4 cup wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for skillet
1/4 cup unsweetened Vanilla almond milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (where most of the cals come from, but considering this is a "natural sweetener," its ok... I imagine you could use agave and/or honey too)
*fresh fruit or sugar-free fruit preserves for topping

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, butter, milk, and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine.
2. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter and heat over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more melted butter and remaining batter (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit or preserves if desired.

Quinoa Pancakes = thebombshizzy

...and the March Madness continues!!

pour me a glass...

I'm going to enjoy my first glass of wine in 3 weeks tonight!!

I finished my two week detox last Monday. Red wine was the hardest for me to give up, but the last thing I ran to when I was allowed to start incorporating it into my diet again. I wanted to be able to sit down and truly enjoy it. Between gym time, meetings at night, work and homework, I haven't really had time for it this past week.

One thing is for sure, I'm definitely going to enjoy a glass tonight.

Cheers to health and fitness, readers!

Happy Weekend!

March Madness

Although I love me some college basketball and March Madness {GO HEELS!}, this March I'm planning on focusing on a different kind of March Madness.

 

Brittney has challenged us for the month of March to "get fit together" and I am certainly in! Purpose: re-prioritize our "New Years Resolutions/Goals" to soar through the month of March... together! Kind of like a "pick me up."

A few weeks ago, I blogged about some new fitness and food goals. I'm excited to meet some new friends who also have similar goals this spring... what better way to accomplish goals than doing it with someone else. 

My March Madness Fitness Goals: 

1. LOSE a DRESS SIZE! Can hardly wait to put those skinny jeans back on! 

2. Regulate my sleep schedule

3. Attend a yoga class (never been and am terrified)

4. Workout 4-6 times a week

5. Continue eating the way I have been for the last 2.5 weeks

6. Hand in my resignation letter 

I encourage you to check out Britt's challenge here. You'll find a growing number of bloggers who have set up great goals as well- such an encouragement! If you're up for the challenge, I definitely want to know!

GOOD LUCK! 

xo

attitude really IS everything

I'm about 5 days into my sugar/white flour detox and guess what? I feel better than I ever have before. No joke. 

I can't really identify why I am so pumped about this new lifestyle of eating healthy and "green" {not organic, haven't jumped on that bandwagon yet}, but one thing I have really been focusing on this week is that it truly is all about your attitude.

There are plenty of things that I have eliminated from my diet this week: goldfish, chocolate, red wine {for about another week at least} and mac and cheese {all favorite foods here, people}. 

BUT... there are also plenty of things that I have introduced myself to this week: protein packed green smoothies, Greek yogurt with honey, quinoa, pita chips and hummus. All week long I have had the chance to try new foods and new recipes, all packed with delicious and wholesome ingredients. How fun is that?!

Another thing that this change has brought back is my love for cooking. I stopped cooking about 2 years ago because I had a mentality that cooking for myself wasn't going to be fun. Hot dang, was I ever wrong... I love cooking for myself! I don't have to worry about pleasing others' taste buds or having dinner ready at a particular time... I simply fix what I want when I want. 

What I'm trying to say is this: I could be complaining that I've given up goldfish, peanut butter M&Ms, red wine {heaven help me, one more week} and cooking a scrumptious dinner for two at my apartment, but I know that continuously thinking about the things that I cannot have will lead me down a road of misery and failure. Instead... it's all about a change in attitude towards the things that I can have, which right now include wholesome and truly delicious foods like veggies, fruits and whole grains... and yeah, even a little dark chocolate here and there. :)

My energy level has soared through the roof this week {no really, ask my coworkers} and I feel my confidence  gaining strength with each day that goes by... a true change I am welcoming with open arms. 

{just a friendly reminder}

I am so thankful for you, dear readers. You keep me going. 

Happy Weekend!!!

Day 1

I have lovely news for you today, dear readers!

I have FINALLY been able to lock down a personal trainer. Meet Elizabeth Hanlin, my personal trainer who lives 3,000 miles away. 

I first "met" Liz when I found her fashion blog a little over a year ago. I instantly fell in love with her- she was transparent about her feelings, wasn't afraid to show emotion about real-life-girl-world situations and blogged about the prettiest shoes and clothes ever.

If you remember, my mom gave me personal trainer sessions to me for my birthday in December, leaving me with the simple task of finding a trainer of my preference. It hasn't been easy- school and work have been absolutely kicking my tail this semester, not leaving much time to devote to finding a trainer and gym. Somewhere along the lines, I stumbled across Liz's new site, "It's not just about being skinny" and knew she was the one.

Some of you are probably skeptical- a trainer that is 3,000 miles away? Yeah... that's motivational and a game plan to fail since she won't be there at the gym with you. I suppose it would be pretty easy to "cheat" and say that I ran 3 miles when I only ran 1... or that I did 300,000 sit ups when I only did 10. There could be a day where I tell her false information about when I ran or what I consumed that day. But guess what? Where would that get me? Definitely not back into my "skinny jeans," that's for sure.

This is something that I want, both for myself and for my future health.  Like Liz says though, it's not just about being skinny... it's about changing my life and maintaining health. This is something that I am determined to accomplish... I want my skinny jeans and pretty Ann Taylor clothes back in my life. and I want my confidence back. I don't want to hide behind loose clothes anymore... or pass a skinny girl and wish that I was that size again. Will my skinny jeans alone bring that confidence back?  Not entirely.... Will it be a quick, easy journey... probably not at all. But I know that this is something I need to work at, much more than what I am doing right now.

Greg and Jill's wedding is coming up in June. This is the perfect even to plan to wear a figure-forming, killer little black dress and a confident attitude to match. When I asked Liz how realistic this goal was, her response was, "absolutely realistic. you're going to look insanely different by then my lady." I literally smiled at my desk today when I read this.

I will be posting pictures and writing as necessary. I'm not going to promise weekly posts of my progress... my schedule is entirely too busy for that. But I will promise pictures and I will promise progress. It's about dang time to get this under control.