Tag: Blog

For the Love of Lemons

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In honor of my upcoming limoncello demonstration, I thought it was the perfect time to share some of the benefits nature’s tart fruit has to offer us. Speaking from experience, the most important suggestion I have to offer regarding lemons is to ALWAYS rinse them! Last January, I made a pitcher of lemon water to have on hand. It seemed convenient to have it ready to pour,and then i would add cayenne and raw honey. Well, unfortunately, I forgot to rinse ALL of the lemons and developed a KIDNEY INFECTION! I had contracted E.Coli from those dirty lil lemons. My body had done a phenomenal job fighting the infection on its own. Ironically, lemons  are used as a treatment for kidney stones. The only symptom I had was a persistent fever and slight back pain, which I thought was a flare up from a back injury I had incurred 2 years prior. Upon my arrival to the Emergency Department, they were perplexed as to what my diagnosis was, based on the fact I wasn’t in any pain, and these types of infections are painful. I will never forget the Dr. saying I was stoic, little did he know my body was The Little Engine That Could, all due to clean eating.

Whenever you consume whole foods, unprocessed and unrefined, they do the work of any dietary supplement. “A diet rich in a variety of whole foods has been hypothesized as possibly anti-cancer due to the synergistic effects of antioxidants and phytochemicals common in whole foods. A focus on whole foods offers three main benefits over a reliance on dietary supplements: they provide greater nutrition for being a source of more complex micronutrients, they provide essential dietary fibers and they provide naturally occurring protective substances, such as phytochemicals.”

Back to the citrus, every morning on an empty stomach, I try to consume an 8oz glass of fresh squeezed lemon water. It is  suggested to drink warm lemon water, cold water takes longer for the body to process. I have it both ways however, when i have it warm I add raw/manuka honey. Apple cider vinegar(acv) is always added, but honey mixes better with warm water. Sometimes I Like to add cayenne to my lemon water, also(yum!) In addition to aiding in digestion, lemons can be used as teeth whitener, it can replace household cleaners, insect bites, acne, and limoncello! For the first time, I will be making limoncello with fresh, organic lemons and grain alcohol. These are the things I look forward to, experimenting a foods multi-purpose. Check back for pictures and a recipe to make your very own limoncello.

Peace out, lemonheads

.lemon

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-lemon.html

Avocad-Oh!

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Please tell me you LOVE avocados just as much as I do? It is such a versatile fruit, yes, fruit! This alligator egg provides tons of nutritional benefits. Benefits that people take vitamins, supplements, and prescription medications for in order to supply the body with the same nutrients. Avocados contain a high fat content, but healthy fats-monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol and are heart  healthy. As opposed to saturated fats which, increase your cholesterol levels and increase your risks of diabetes. They contain more potassium than bananas do, 14% the recommended daily intake vs 10% in a banana. As well as, more than 15 other nutrients that you probably couldn’t replenish with a multi-vitamin.

On average, I consume at least half an avocado every day. If you are used to butter and toast as part of your breakfast routine, swap the butter for an avocado. It’s buttery, creamy, and just damn delicious. This is what I refer to as an avocado smashy, you literally mash the avocado into your toast. You can load it up with spices, herbs, eggs, chia seeds(my favorite), get creative-everything goes well with an avocado. I will be posting some of my favorite avocado recipes for you to try, if you have a favorite avocado recipe I would love to hear about it!

 

 

Meal Prep Sunday

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Every Sunday I go to the gym, come home, have breakfast, go over my menu that I prepared sometime between Friday night and Saturday, get mentally prepared….and then cook. My meal prep usually takes anywhere from 2-3 hours. It includes breakfast, lunch and dinner(for the most part). My meal prep has changed slightly due to the fact, that Boo began a  7 Day Vegan challenge, which it has now been 4 weeks. I incorporated veggie stock to replace chicken stock, I cook my meat protein separately and add it to my portion after. Most of today’s menu consists of vegan meals, sorry guys. I didn’t even plan it that way. The recipes will be posted in the CLEAN EATS section of this site.

Meal prep is a key component to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It keeps you from asking that infamous dreadful question,”what’s for dinner?” A conversation that usually goes like this, ” what do you want to eat?” “I don’t know, what do you want?” and it ends with ordering pizza(which I love) or eating something from a package in the freezer. Meal prep takes all the thought out of trying to figure out what to eat during the week and an easy way to eat clean all week.

Lately, I have been grocery shopping on Saturdays and Boo comes now! I used to run around after the gym on Sundays to grocery shop and then come home and cook by myself-it’s nice to have him at my side aisle by aisle. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Costco and Stop n Shop are mainly where we have been shopping. You cannot beat the prices of Trader Joe’s, and they have a wide selection of organic produce, organic anything for that matter. My diet is composed of (mostly)all organic food. We are learning more and more about the harmful effects pesticides can reap on the human body especially, cancer. Something else I will touch on later.

I hope you try out some of these dishes, they are easy and have minimal ingredients. Please share any thoughts, comments, suggestions on a meal or this page. Any feedback is very much appreciated. Happy Eats!