What I Ate Wednesday

January 23, 2013 by

It’s a miracle. I actually got to bed a bit before 10 last night! That may be the lamest statement I could ever make, but coming from an insomniac, I’d say that’s progress.

The fact that’s WIAW helped put a smile on my face.

Anyways, since it’s Tuesday morning it meant I had to be up early to attend spin, so the early bedtime hour was a blessing in disguise.

When the alarm went off at 4:51 (yes, I set my alarm for weird times) I kind of wanted to punch it, but figured that energy would be better spent at spin class. Plus I always feel better after getting my butt moving a little bit.

When I arrived home I was ready to eat.

Breakfast -

baked buckwheat

I’ve been meaning to take my my new buckwheat bowl on a little test drive and see how it would hold baking instead of microwaving. [Read more...]

{41 Comments }

Confessions

January 11, 2013 by

Happy Friday all!

I’m so happy to be back at my morning spin classes. It’s a bit crazy with the January rush happening. We literally have to get to the gym before it opens to get ourselves a bike now!

I don’t mind though, it just means less sleep which I’m pretty good with dealing with anyways.

It also means I get to double up on coffees. Not a problem for me clearly.

I figure I deserve a coffee from Starbucks if I’ve gotten myself out of bed super early. Now onto things I’m currently loving.

1. Vegan Protein Muffin.

vegan protein muffin
After having to give up my beloved original protein muffin, I got my creative juices flowing and created a just as awesome vegan version.

It’s not quite as voluminous but still delicious!

Single Serving Vegan Protein Muffin

  • 2 tablespoons flour (I used teff, but you could use any flour)
  • 2 tablespoons protein powder (I used hemp, you can use any protein powder, I don’t recommend whey as it will come out rubbery)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon stevia
  • 1/4 teaspoon agar agar powder (or xanthan gum or gelatin)
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin
  • 2 teaspoons chia seeds (or ground flax)
  • 1/4 cup warm almond milk or water (I just warmed it in the microwave for about 30 seconds)

First make your chia “egg”. Combine the warm water or milk with the chia seeds and set aside for about 5 minutes.

Combine the rest of the ingredients, adding the pumpkin and chia egg at the end, spray the bowl with a little coconut oil spray or oil of choice and microwave for about 3-5 minutes (depending on microwave).

Check on it every so often, once the muffin starts “pulling away” from the bowl, it’s done!

You don’t want to cook it too long or it will turn out like a hockey puck, and no one wants that in a muffin.

Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before taking out of the bowl. It is so tasty.

I ate mine atop my favorite coconut frosting and (unpictured) peanut flour paste. Yum. Perfect snack before bed!

2. Gabrielle Bernsteins Spirit Junkie App.

I believe in miracles

It’s kind of awesome. I set my alarm every morning; this morning I happened to need it for my 4:53 AM wake up call, gross. I wake up at that time if I workout in the morning.

Anyways, when your alarm goes off a positive affirmation appears for the day.

It’s all kinds of great, to start the day off on a positive note. Just another thing if you want to brighten your day a tad!

3. Speaking of alarms, isn’t it the worst when you’re watching a movie or show and someones ring tone is the alarm you use? Ick, I swear it’s the worst sound ever!

4. Obsessed with Very Berry tea.

white tea
Yah, it’s delicious.

It was my first time going to Teavana and it has really good stuff!

The names aren’t as interesting compared to David’s Tea, but the quality is just as great!

5. Being over the holidays.

cocktails

After last week claiming I was sad the holidays were over, I’ve changed my perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I love, love the holidays, but I’m not going to dread that they’re over with.

In fact, I was starting to really feel the effects of staying up so often. Even later than normal, plus having to wake up early. It wasn’t doing me any kind favours, besides being more social.

It was totally worth it to spend the holidays with some indulgences, but I’m definitely feeling a bit run down and not as energized as usual.

I’m excited to get back to a regular routine, healthy eats, and having my energy levels perk back up.

6. Loving this.

tea-steeping-times-1

For my tea lovers out there, here’s a guide to make the perfect cup!

7. Not going to lie, I kind of want a pair of Snookie Slippers.

snookie slippers

They look really comfy, plus I’m clearly really cool.

Judge me if you must, but I went to the mall to pick up a pair of slippers and there were none to be found.

In the whole entire mall, not one store had slippers! How awful.

Snookie Slippers here I come.

Tell my something about your day!

Do you like slippers?

What’s your favorite type of muffin?

Have a fantastic Friday!

{47 Comments }

Mini Delights

December 17, 2012 by

Happy freaking Monday! Hopefully your weekend was filled with lots of love and good times.

I hope everyone took a moment to tell someone how much you love them and how much they mean to you. We should be doing this more often, not just because tragedies occur.

For me, this was a chance to open my eyes and appreciate the love and life I’m blessed with each day.

What did everyone get up to this weekend? I tell you mine was spent with lots of good workouts, coffee, food, friends and family. In my opinion, the perfect equation to equal a fantastic weekend!

wake up HIIT workout

First up, weekend workouts. If I don’t have time to workout first thing in the morning, I’ll simply do a pre-workout that consists of 10 minutes of HIIT.

perfect protein pancake

I actually really enjoy “sleeping in”, followed by a quick workout to wake myself up and get my metabolism boosted first thing; always followed by a delicious breakfast.

On Sunday, this happened to be Gina’s protein pancakes. They really do turn out perfect looking. I was quite excited with that fact.

Later that afternoon, I did another longer workout that consisted of some planking and arms.

arms and abs workout

Lots of planks. My arms and abs were on fire. It was quite painful to get through.

Coffee with my Mom is always lovely. She even puts up with my super annoying blogging picture taking.

Now that is love.

starbucks
Could I be more typical?

I’m excited that this week we’ll have even more family at our house to spend Christmas with.

My Aunt and Grandma are heading over here from Toronto on Tuesday, so it will be exciting to see them!

Good eats happened as well, obviously.

pumpkin chili

I happened to have Chelsea’s pumpkin chili saved and I finally got the chance to try it this weekend.

So delicious!

I made a few small changes, instead of corn, I used zucchini and left out the onion and garlic as well.

Thanks for the awesome recipe Chelsea! I’m pretty excited to have leftovers of this awesomeness!

protein muffin + coconut flour

I also made my favorite snack as of now, a protein muffin (made with a mix of teff and almond flour) with a side of coconut frosting.

I’ll leave you with a thought provoking quote, that I love.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”

-Buddha

I hope you’re making this Monday a marvelous one.

marvelous monday

What was the best thing you ate this weekend?

Do you love Starbucks as much as me? ;)

Do you like early morning workouts or later in the day?

Sending love your way!

{39 Comments }

Health Questions

December 9, 2012 by

Happy Sunday friends!

Time for another weekly survey. These are my favorite posts to do on the weekend when I’m not feeling particularly wordy. That makes sense doesn’t it?

I’m pretty excited that today will be focused purely on Christmas movie watching. Lazy Sunday’s at its finest!

Let’s get straight to it.

1. What did you eat for breakfast?

Pancakes! It’s pancake Sunday after all. I enjoyed these delicious pancakes again. Topped with almond butter.

Yum.

2. How much water do you drink a day?

I drink a ton of water.

I always have those 1 litre bottles and carry it around with me everywhere.

I’m going to guess I drink about 3 litres a day, it depends how busy I am during the day.

3. What is your current favorite workout?

Right now I’m enjoying spin (obviously) and actually really loving pilates.

So much so, that I haven’t been doing as much HIIT throughout the week, which is super weird for me.

I love how I can work all my little muscles in pilates and really put focus into my mind and body connection.

4. How many calories do you eat a day?

Calorie counting is dangerous territory for some people.

Even though I *try* not to count calories, I must admit, after years of constantly counting every single thing that I consumed, I definitely know how much I’m eating.

I’m a little afraid to completely give up my calorie counting ways. Judge me if you must, but it works fine for me right now.

I’d say I eat around 2000 calories a day, when it all adds up.

5. What are your favorite healthy snacks?

I have lots of snacks I love, I definitely go through phases though.

Right now I’m loving protein muffins and pumpkin fudge!

6. What do you usually eat for lunch?

I try and vary it up.

I love omelettes, kabocha, duh. Sometimes sandwiches, if I get a bread craving which is rare. Salads and soups are another favorite of mine too. Does chili count as soup? I guess not, but I like chili as well:)

7. What is your favorite body part to strength train?

I actually like strength training almost every body part, except biceps. I definitely think triceps would be by favorite though! I like the burn.

8. What is your least favorite body part to strength train?

Oops, answered that one above. Again, biceps are by far my least favorite.

9. What are your “bad” food cravings?

I’m a weirdo and don’t get “bad” food cravings.

I don’t think it’s a great thing to label food as good and bad anyways.

So much negativity when you view food as “bad or good” and let’s be honest, moderation is the key when eating all different types of food.

I guess my favorite indulgence is wine. I never crave ice cream, cake, chips, or anything like that.

10. Do you take vitamins or supplements?

Yep! I’ll do a separate post on this later, since I’ve received some questions about what I take.

11. How often do you eat out? 

Not a lot at all.

Maybe once a month, sometimes not even that. I much prefer eating at home, I just like preparing my own food most of the time.

Probably due to my control issues, but I’m getting better at being open with going out to eat.

12. Do you eat fast food?

Not really. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had fast food.

Maybe when I’m travelling and pick up a salad. It’s never something extreme, no McDonald’s or anything.

I prefer healthier stops, like Subway or salad bars.

13. Who is your biggest supporter?

My Mom is probably my number one supporter.

Followed by my Dad, Step Dad, the rest of my family and friends. Plus all my readers!

You all are amazing for reading my blog each day and asking questions and e-mailing me. I really appreciate every single comment I get!

14. Do you have a gym membership?

Sure do.

I only use it to attend spin classes twice a week though.

I do all my own weight workouts, pilates, yoga, etc. at home.

I’ve spent a bit of money setting up a home gym and love being able to get in a kick butt workout right in my own living room.

I can always get tons of great workouts from my fellow fitfluential friends too.

15. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

Man, these days not a ton.

I probably fall asleep around 12:30 and get up on average, at 5:30. That’s only about 5 hours each night, which is definitely not a lot.

On weekends it’s worse.

This week I should really working on changing that…

16. Do you have a “cheat” day?

No. I don’t like the idea of “cheat meals” or days.

I eat what I enjoy and if it happens to be not so healthy one day then so be it. I’m pretty healthy every other day of the year, so I don’t see myself denying foods just because it’s not a “cheat day”.

I used to be a huge fan of them a few years back, and it honestly didn’t end up too great.

I just got into a bad cycle and viewed food in such a negative way. Good food and bad food.

Food is for nourishment, energy and life not for judgement.

17. Do you drink alcohol?

Occasionally. I drink maybe once a week, if that.

I do love to enjoy a glass of wine or cocktails with friends, but I don’t drink more than once a week.

Just my preference.

18. Do you have a workout buddy?

Just my Mom. I’m really cool.

We go to spin every Tuesday and Thursday morning together.

She’s the one who actually got me hooked on spin since she’s been a spin instructor for the past 20 years!

19. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?

There are tons of amazing things that have happened since adopting a healthy lifestyle.

I’ve been both overweight and most recently, extremely underweight. It’s been a long and very hard journey to find out what works right for my body and not all of it has been fun.

I think my attitude is number one. I used to be very depressed and couldn’t say one positive thing about myself. Now, I view myself in a completely new light. I don’t focus on negatives, but all the positive attributes about me instead.

I also love experimenting with food, creating healthy recipes and enjoying food without the fear I once held.

I’m also happier that I’m no longer a slave to exercise, rather do it because I love it so much.

20. What was the last healthy thing you did?

Meditated for 5 minutes.

Do you have a cheat day or meal? What do you think of cheat days?

Are you a calorie counter? Why or why not?

Favorite body part to train?

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Enjoy it to the fullest!

{29 Comments }

What I Ate Wednesday

December 4, 2012 by

Hey friends! Another week of sharing delicious eats and creations through What I Ate Wednesday.

Let’s hop right in to some good stuff.

That saying is so odd, I always laugh at people when they say “I’m going to hop in the shower”, because I just imagine them jumping in the shower. Okay, enough weirdo tangents…

I woke up this morning really wanting to go to spin class. I went through all the motions, but my head wasn’t “all there”.

I went, despite those feelings, because I just thought it was early and I’d eventually wake up. Bad idea.

I came home only to feel worse. Headache, sore throat and feeling generally queasy. Yuck.

Breakfast -

Plain Banana Buckwheat. I melted a little coconut oil on top. Fabulous idea.

I was thankful I had prepped a bowl of overnight oats the day before, because I really didn’t feel like getting up to make any food.

I did have to go to an appointment, so despite feeling bad I had to get ready. Plus a Starbucks trip x 2.

When I got home, I went on a cleaning rampage. I’m not too sure why, but whenever I’m sick I get into little cleaning frenzies. I guess it’s because I hate sitting still.

Lunch -

2 slices ezekiel, almond butter, spinach and an egg.

I had no appetite, but decided I should make something in hopes of feeling better. No dice.

I was thankful my friend, Heather, let me know she’d be free for a skype chat, so I had someone to talk to and take my mind off this (hopefully) 24 hour flu.

As soon as I got off the computer I fell asleep. How productive.

I never, ever, ever nap so this was like a mini miracle. I can’t remember the last time I ever napped. Must have been years ago.

The thing with naps is that you wake up starving, well, at least I do.

Thanks goodness it was Dinner time.

 I wanted food 10 minutes ago, so I snacked on a bowl of strawberries while waiting for my soup to heat up.

I was super thankful I had one last serving of parsnip and sweet potato soup leftover.

Dinner -

Sweet Potato and Parnsip Soup.

Easy, peezy.

Since I didn’t get to snack earlier in the day, I’m still a little hungry this evening.

I brewed up a cup of tea to have while writing up this post and before catching up on American Horror Story (holy, scary) from last week.

My plan is to finish the day with my favorite protein muffin.

Snack -

Muffin, plus coconut cream and peanut flour frosting.

Perfect way to end the night. Let’s hope tomorrow I wake up feeling a-okay.

Hopefully this nap doesn’t prevent me from getting to sleep tonight.

Any remedies for sickness?

What are your go to meals on days you feel ill?

Do you like taking naps?

Have a fabulous day!

{35 Comments }

What I Ate Wednesday

November 28, 2012 by

Why hello there Wednesday, we meet again. Time for the usual foodie fun.

I tried to mix things up more this week, but I’m such a creature of habit I can’t help myself from returning from the old favorites.

My day started off bright and early with a not so new workout, spin class. Even though I go twice a week, I love that each class is different from the last. Intervals are the best.

This morning I realized just how cold it has gotten over here now, ick. I guess that just means I get to load up on coffee and my favorite teas. Fine by me.

I returned from spin starving so breakfast was had as soon as I walked in the door.

Breakfast -

Pumpkin oat bran always tastes amazing in the morning, plus it’s ready as soon as I’m home….so they’re back once again.

Hey, if it works it works.

Since I dropped my bottle of molasses over the weekend, I made my way over to the store bright and early to get there before the crazy later morning crowds arrive. And made sure to stop for coffee as well!

Classic selfie.

It was perfect timing, the store just happened to be dead. I picked up a few necessities and came home to get my baking on.

I also picked up 5 kabocha squash I found at the store. They re-stocked so that was a pretty pleasant surprise.

Yep, I’m cool like that.

I got home and did a little work before breaking into my next meal.

Lunch - 



I decided I wanted to make some sort of pizza, but didn’t have any tortillas or crust. Easy enough to fix.

I simply made my own from 2 tablespoons ground flax, 1 tablespoon coconut flour and 1 egg, which I fried up in a smidgen of coconut oil.

Topped with tomato paste, spinach, roasted brussels and goat cheese. Baked in the oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese was melted.

For last minute making, it was delicious.

Later, I whipped up a snack…

Snack -

Pumpkin coconut frosty. Oh my, I forgot how superbly amazing this snack is.

Even though I was freezing after it was well worth the pain. I realized I have an absurd amount of canned pumpkin and coconut milk, so I had to get to work on using those up.

I had some time to kill, so I quickly met a friend for coffee at Starbucks. Double coffee day don’t mind if I do.

When I got home, I wanted something fast. This meal came together in no time.

Dinner -

Socca, coconut oil, nutritional yeast, broccoli slaw, fresh dill, crushed red pepper and avocado.

I’m socca-obsessed these days.

Clearly, I had a burning issue in the kitchen tonight. Oops. I always forget that I have things on the stove or in the oven and leave them in too long.

This meal was nothing to rave about, but it did the trick.

I’m writing this after dinner, but I already know what I’ll be snacking on later…the usual

Evening Snack -

Protein muffin, coconut cream, and un-pictured peanut flour paste (it was far too ugly to photograph).

Now, to catch up on Dexter from Sunday with a cup of one of my new favorites; cocomint tea.

What are some weird food combos you love?

What’s your favorite tea?

Enjoy your Wednesday!

{57 Comments }

What I Ate Wednesday

November 14, 2012 by

Hi there! How are you all doing on this lovely what I ate Wednesday morning?

It’s pretty rainy over here, which isn’t that exciting. I’d much rather be hanging out indoors than doing anything slightly productive during these times.

Waking up was no joke this morning, I had a massive headache but decided to power on through to spin. I felt much better after. And it was an awesome class, we got some new music which included more tunes that I like. So, I was pretty happy getting my spin on this morning.

Today doesn’t include too many veggies, since I’m in serious stomach distress from a few days ago. Although, light on the veggies it was a winner on taste.

Breakfast – overnight oat bran.

In the bowl:

  • 1/3 cup oat bran
  • 1/3 cup egg whites
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin
  • 1/2 banana
  • cinnamon, stevia
  • 1/2 tablespoon each flax and chia seeds
  • topped with cashew butter

I had an appointment to get to after, so I quickly made my way out and ended up spending a total of 2 hours at the Doctor. Yikes.

When I returned home I was starving.

Since I didn’t want to wait long, I made a simple sandwich.

I didn’t take a photo, but it was basically this (minus the strawberries)

Lunch -

2 slices ezekiel bread, an egg, spinach, goat cheese, homemade strawberry jam.

It was pretty the jam. I haven’t had bread in a while, so it was a nice change.

To treat myself for heading to spin this morning, I stopped by Starbucks to get caffeinated.

The line was super long, so I did what any ordinary girl would do; have a photo shoot in the car.

I’m sure the people walking past me were super jealous of this. I’m so normal.

I had a few more errands to get to so threw together a snack after I was back at home.

Snack -

A piece of gingerbread I baked yesterday.

The flavor is a hit, but unfortunately is a little too moist (sorry for the word) in the middle.

Will work on fixing that so I can share it with you all soon!

Oh man, I was excited for Dinner this evening. I haven’t had spaghetti squash in far too long!

Dinner -

I roasted that squash up, and loaded on some homemade marinara sauce, homemade turkey burger, and the last of my broccoli slaw.

I think squash should be its own food group. I love each and every one I try.

I guess this was my only meal that was really veggie filled, but that’s okay. Not everyday is going to be filled with tons of veggies and fruits.

I was going to finish the night with some coconut ice cream, but realized I was out.

Snack – sorry for the awful picture

Instead, I made a protein muffin with coconut cream and peanut flour paste.

The coconut and peanut flour together is basically heaven.

Now it’s time to catch up on Dexter from Sunday night, read a little, and get into bed at a decent hour! I’ve got to stop procrastinating on that front.

What’s your favorite squash? 

Do you tend to avoid veggies when your stomach feels off?

Favorite ice cream flavour?

Hope you all have a fantastic day!

{53 Comments }

Trying Something New

November 8, 2012 by

*I still haven’t heard from the giveaway winner. Check out the post to see if it was you!!

***

There’s nothing like waking up on a sunny morning and following the same routine day in and day out.

Wait, that doesn’t sound right? Life gets pretty boring if we’re constantly a slave to rituals, routines, and to-do lists.

As comfortable as it is when to live this way, it’s a lot more fun if we try new things. I used to get such “pleasure” from eating the same things everyday.

I didn’t like trying new recipes or switching up meals; everything had to be the same.

ezekiel bread, coconut oil, sun warrior protein powder, almond milk, stevia, cinnamon, strawberries

Why mess with something if it works? I didn’t even realize that this mindset had me stuck.

This thinking reminds me of times when I really struggled with disordered eating. I was so stuck and didn’t want to change, because I believed my disorder was benefiting me. It helped me cope with my out of control feelings, my sadness and guilt.

It felt normal to be tired, hungry, weak and sad. Living this way, and accepting these symptoms leaves us in a situation where we are essentially “stuck”.

By believing we are destined for this kind of life is simply silly and untrue.

bowl of spaghetti squash, marinara, zucchini, and a turkey burger

The longer we live with disordered habits, the more we accept this is the life we will live forever.

Since we learn to cope using our disorders, we think it’s helping us, and wind up overlooking the negative symptoms they leave us with.

It’s hard to imagine what life would be like without our disorder, since it has been acting as a protective mechanism.

But, in return, it leaves us in a state of depression, which attracts more negative energy, therefore making it easier for us to revolve our lives around food, exercise, doctors and body image.

A better life? Simply, not possible. That’s what it feels like when you are so involved.

sunbutter protein muffin with a sliced apple on the side

We have the option to live a great and fulfilling life. If we just work through the dark times and tough issues, and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Living in such a negative way is not normal.

The only way we can truly live is by dealing with these problems head on. It will be uncomfortable, there will be doubts and uncertainty.

It’s worth the change and temporary uncomfortable feelings. Life is beautiful on the other side.

Living a positive life filled with love, gratitude and appreciation is so much better than living in pain.

Leave all the sadness, hunger, and fatigue in the past. When you change things for the better, it will be hard. That’s the truth.

a lovely cup of sleigh ride tea is always a welcome addition before climbing into bed

Being a slave to food and exercise is not enjoyment, even if it feels that way.

Sometimes, the things we believe we are benefiting from are really just helping us stay stuck. We are deserving of more enjoyment from life. Accepting a new life with balance, choices and happiness is living.

Life is a journey; filled with mistakes, new experiences, change, beauty, compassion, and love. Not living by a schedule or routines.

Do you like trying new things?

When is the last time you got out of your comfort zone, and what did you do?

How do you determine whether your routine is actually healthy or not?

Hope everyone has an amazing day!

{21 Comments }

Pain In My Neck

October 31, 2012 by

Good morning friends, and Happy Halloween!

It’s great to hear that everyone makes their best efforts to remain positive in those less than ideal situations and try to stop taking the easy way out of life’s challenges.

It’s crazy that Halloween is already here. I’m still undecided if I will be going out tonight. Since it is crazy with rain, and I still can’t decide on a costume. I suppose I could always pull out my costume from last year….okay, you probably don’t care if I go out or not tonight; so onto the food!

It’s the last What I Ate Wednesday of October! Neat-o.

Pre-Breakfast – Green Juice with spinach, cucumber, water, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar and and juice from an orange. Once you get used to the green-ness of this juice, it is quite delicious!

Breakfast – pumpkin oat bran

Since it’s halloween I had to celebrate by having pumpkin oats! It’s the only way to go.

This bowl contained 1/2 cup oat bran, 1/4 cup egg whites, 1/3 cup pumpkin, about 1/2 tablespoon each of chia and hemp seeds, a dash of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and stevia.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve struggled with a strain in my neck.

At first, it wasn’t so bad to deal with and I continued exercising throughout it (dumb). I knew I probably should’ve backed off with the working out, but I was being stubborn. Well, yesterday it really took a turn, and my neck is in quite a bit of pain.

Honestly, I kind of deserve this injury for not honoring my bodies warning signs for me to slow it down. It’s okay. For now, I’ll be sticking to walking until I see the Doctor and know how serious this is.

I’m back on the egg train! I don’t know what happened those last few weeks, but eggs just weren’t appealing at all.

Lunch – I made a little egg omelette (1 egg, 1 egg white) cooked in coconut oil, with a side of ezekiel, topped with goat cheese and homemade blueberry jam and a spinach salad on the side.

Tuesday’s are my grocery shopping day, so I went to the market which was awful in the pouring rain and picked up a few things I needed for the rest of the week.

I also stopped by the pumpkin patch to get a last look at all the pumpkin festivities!

It’s the Great Pumpkin! Charlie Brown reference?

No…okay, moving on.

Snack – I came home and snacked on some leftover roasted kabocha squash with coconut butter.

Lovely, per usual.


For dinner, I decided to cook up my first chili of the season!

Since it was so dreary out, today was the perfect day to break out the cozy comfort food that is chili.

I didn’t want to wait hours for my chili to cook up, so I just made my own quick sweet potato chili (I’ll post the recipe later).

Dinner – sweet potato and turkey chili with mashed avocado on the side.

While writing this post, I’m drinking a warm cup of pumpkin chai tea! Mmmm.

And I have a snack prepped for later.

Which will be a green protein muffin (kind of spooky?), with coconut flour frosting and peanut flour paste.

This seems to be the typical night snack for right now.

Have you ever strained your neck before? Any advice?

Are you doing anything exciting tonight for Halloween?

Be safe, and have a spooky night! I’m off to catch up on Dexter!

{47 Comments }

Taking The Easy Way Out

October 30, 2012 by

It seems easy for us to drown in our sorrows, and not allow ourselves to love where we are in this moment.

Sometimes, we forget all we are blessed with. It’s easy to compare ourselves to others and not accept the beauty and strength within.

This is one of the most pointless mind games we can be involved in. Not only are these thoughts infecting out mind with negativity, they leave us with lower energy because we are in a state of judgement, envy, anxiousness, and anger.

* Since I’m up super early, I’ve been getting in my fruit first thing in the morning before breakfast. I usually alternate between fresh fruit or a veggie juice. *

The beauty in life is our differences, and how we use those difference to impact the world. Just because something is easier, doesn’t mean we should choose the easy way out.

It’s easier to see flaws in our body, but why focus on those negatives when they make us feel so bad? The way you think, effects the way you feel and vice versa.

Be willing to put energy and time into changing your thinking, to appreciate our bodies for what they do for us.

It’s more difficult to follow what our hearts want, since our minds are convincing us otherwise. If your heart wants something, don’t allow negative thoughts to determine what you will do.

* Can you believe I went to Starbucks over the weekend and they already had holiday cups?!? So bizarre. *

Stop thinking of all the things you want to change, what you don’t like, and accept that you are amazing, and love where you are right now. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished.

When negative thoughts come in, I remain connected with myself and tell those thoughts they aren’t welcome in my life.

There will always be people out there, who try and tear us down and make us feel weak. We can’t control what other people say about us, so why allow ourselves to get wrapped up in someone’s opinions. We can control the way we react in these situations and learn from them.

By accepting others opinons, moving on, and not dwell. We probably receive many compliments each day, so why focus on those few negative ones, instead of the positive things!

* Snacks have been pretty consistent; pumpkin protein muffin with coconut flour frosting. Still loving it. *

There is beauty in each and every person, and it’s meant to be celebrated.

It can be easier to push our bodies to keep doing more; more exercising, more food obsession, when we can use that same power to admit we need rest and more energy to thrive.

For me, it was easier to stay stuck in a cycle of over-exercising and under-eating, being in constant denial, than it was to reach out and ask for help from others.

Just because these things are easier, does it mean we should take the easy way out?

*More pumpkin spice muffins, an apple, and spread with cashew butter *

It’s easier to not do things that will make us feel better. Easier to remain in a constant state of comfort, instead of accepting that we need to change things.

However we can chose to take the road not taken, doing what we’re unfamiliar with.

It will make us uncomfortable, it will be hard, but it will be a satisfying and a positive experience in the end.

Do you struggle with taking the easy way out?

How do you make sure you remain positive?

Hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday! And to everyone who is being effected by Sandy, I wish you all the best and pray you remain safe!

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