Veggie Bee

Please welcome the newest addition to the Veggie Bee family!! My new exercise buddy, Lindsey.

Lindsey is a 2-year-old lab mix and was gifted to us by our friend Robyn, who already had two large dogs living in her home. They were a handful all together and Robyn thought it would be best to make sure Lindsey went to a home where she could get spoiled on her own. That’s where we came in. About a month ago, David and I were talking again about getting a dog and we both agreed that we wanted a female black lab. Less than a week later, we got an email from Robyn asking if we were still thinking about getting a dog, she wasn’t even aware of our earlier conversation! So I think the universe was bringing Lindsey to us and we are already spoiling her rotten. I’m still getting used to running with her, but I’m definitely doing more walking than ever. She’s going to be one fit doggy!

Valentine’s day is almost here, but there’s still plenty of time to plan for a healthy, romantic celebration. While you may be tempted to splurge on chocolate “just this once” or give in to the candy by “just having one”, why not practice a new, healthy tradition for the holiday. There will always be celebrations that tempt us to splurge, but the more we practice new strategies for celebrating in a healthy way, the more successful we will all be at managing our weight and our health.

Try one of these ideas for a healthy, happy Valentine’s day or forward this to your significant other if they’re not sure how to celebrate the new healthy you!

1. Spa gift certificates - Find a local spa at Spa Finder, your valentine will love it!
2. Bath & Body gifts – From aromatherapy candles to scented lotions, there are lots of options to pamper your valentine.
3. Gourmet tea or coffee – Make your own gift basket by combining their favorite tea or coffee flavors with a beautiful mug.
4. Perfume – Indulge your valentine with a new perfume that they may not splurge on for themselves.
5. Jewelry – Whether your valentine likes silver or gold, jewelry is always a good bet.
6. Fitness Tools – If your valentine is a fitness buff, buy him or her the latest Garmin® “personal trainer”.

For an even better Valentine, check out Clearly Vegan’s list of healthy vegan aphrodisiac’s!

Where in the heck did January go?! In my effort to stay on a healthy track all year, I decided to have monthly resolutions rather than New Year’s resolutions and it’s a good thing, because I get easily distracted by new and fun things to do. So let’s check in with last month’s goals:

• Writing ~ still working on consistency on the blog, but I am going to be writing more for my job at IHMOnline in the blog section and on Facebook, so that should help me to stay on track at least with creative ideas. We shall see!
• Food ~ Vegan is easy! Well, it’s super easy at home and really the only difficulty when eating out is learning to not feel apologetic for taking my time and ordering something special rather than something on the menu. I also feel like I’m always explaining why I’m vegan, which isn’t terrible, it’s just sometimes I like to just eat and not have to explain myself. Even if you’re not vegan, but feel like you have to defend yourself when eating healthy, the lesson is to become unapologetic about asking for healthy foods, even when it feels like a spotlight is on you as you order.
• Fitness ~ I started trying the P90X DVDs while still running and walking regularly and they are hard-core… I love them!! I’m going to start implementing the schedule that they give you this week and I should be very sore by week’s end. I’m still working on the early morning workouts, this is harder than anything else!
• Health ~ I’m on track to get my blood work done in the next couple of weeks. I’ll let you know when I get my results and what you should be looking for also in your results. Have you made an appointment with your doctor to get a check-up?

So for February, I’m going to continue on track with what I planned for January. One thing I am adding however, is planning a weekly menu so that both David and I are eating healthy every night. This made a huge difference a couple of weeks ago when I did it, but it is still not a habit yet. So for this week, I present our simple weekly menu:

• Tuesday = Quinoa with Stir-fry Veggies
• Wednesday = Vegan Tacos
• Thursday = Leftovers or Amy’s Enchiladas (since I’ll be working late)
• Friday = Slow cooker Black Bean Soup
• Saturday = Tofu Curry (adapted from Spice Up Your Life, I’ll be reviewing soon!)
• Sunday = Healthy pizza and vegan Spinach Artichoke dip for Super Bowl!! WHO DAT?!

Are you still on track with your New Year’s resolutions?? Or is it time to refocus and get motivated again??

The playoffs are over and now we know who is going to the Super Bowl. Give me a WHO DAT!! Our big question now is what are we serving at the Super Bowl party?! Finger foods and appetizers are inevitable, but making sure they’re effective for losing or maintaining weight is something that has to be planned. Whether the party is at your house or you’ll be watching at someone else’s house, be sure to take a healthy appetizer that you can share with the group. And always follow the standard strategy of eating something filling and healthy before the party starts, like a protein shake or a healthy soup.

Dips and salsas are great as appetizers, but processed chips and crackers are loaded with calories that can add up very quickly. Fill up on high-volume, low-calorie veggies and be sure you’re dipping into your favorite low-cal dip. Try a Mango Black Bean Salsa or make your own hummus for healthy snacking.

Here are some "chip" ideas to use for dipping:

• Jicama
• Bell Pepper
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Carrots (try slicing them as chips)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes (baked or microwaved as chips)
• Zucchini
• Yellow squash
• Asparagus
• Snow peas
• Cherry tomatoes
• Radishes

Who will you be cheering for in the Super Bowl?? And what’s your favorite healthy dip & “chip” combo??

I’m sorry to be a little late in my new year wishes, I’ve just been moseying into the new year rather than hitting it head on, peeking around the corner to make sure it’s January. So now I’ve decided to come out of hiding, clear away the cobwebs, and get the year going full steam ahead. My first move, implementing "new month" resolutions, rather than the grand New Year’s resolutions that gets everyone fired up ever so briefly only to die a lonely death sometime in February. Maybe month by month we can stay on track together.

So, to get the party started, a complete list of January’s resolutions!

• Writing ~ my goal is to get more consistent with posting to the blog, which clearly is off to a lumbering start! I do have lots of great ideas and now it’s just a matter of putting "pen to paper" or more accurately, fingers to keys! I plan to post 2 or 3 times a week and will include some food pictures and recipes as well.
• Food ~ I am definitely continuing on my vegan journey. Although I know that not everyone will go vegan along with me, I am definitely using it as a way to inspire you to be more conscious of what you eat and how it affects you and the world around you. No matter what else you’re eating, the more fruits and veggies you learn to eat, the better you will feel, especially if they’re local and organic. I say "learn” to eat intentionally, because "knowing" is not "doing" and part of the learning process is developing new skills around incorporating them into your diet.
• Fitness ~ I struggled with this a little bit because initially I was going to make it a goal to join a running club to train for a marathon. However, I think I have some other fitness goals I want to reach first. One of those is finding a plan to follow for strength training. I am a cardio junkie and right now I will focus on developing strength. I’m starting the P90X plan next week and David and I are planning to do it together first thing in the morning. By first thing, I mean 5:30 a.m. Anyone who knows me, knows this will require divine intervention and daily miracles, but it can be done!
• Health ~ Although I am healthy and have no underlying health issues, I regularly have my blood work checked just to make sure that there is nothing out of the ordinary. Since I know my weight is within a healthy range, I’m looking especially for healthy numbers in cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose and blood pressure. The new year is a good time to do a reality check on your weight and to have your blood work checked out by your doctor.

So, there you have it, I’m focused on January and I’ll revisit my "resolutions" in February and revise as needed. I’ll also be reviewing some recipe books soon, I promise!

What are your resolutions this year or this month??  Anyone doing a "reality" check on weight or blood work??

There are many things for which I am grateful as we take a day to enjoy our friends, family and food. I am grateful for the many meaningful relationships that I have, but in particular my BFF & kindred spirit David. I look forward to many Thanksgivings spent together, while he patiently smiles while I’m trying to cook some new dish that supports the Veggie Bee life. I’m a rookie in the kitchen, so it does take patience!

Here are some of the other people for whom I am thankful. The bloggers who put in so much time and effort to share their journeys in the hope that it helps others to live a healthier or more balanced life. I hope they know they inspire others with their personal stories and the things they’ve learned along the way.

The Vegans
My inspirations to lead a healthy vegan life!

• Choosing Raw
• Vegan Hope
• Clearly Vegan
• Chocolate Covered Katie
• Kristen’s Raw
• No Meat Athlete
• The Lunch Box Bunch

 Healthy & Fit
These girls focus on positive healthy changes for weight loss and maintenance!

• Kath Eats Real Food
• Eat, Live, Run
• Carrots ‘N’ Cake
• Roni’s Weigh
• MizFit Online
• Fitnessista
• Heather Eats Almond Butter

The Recipe Gurus
Actually, everyone above could be added to this list too, but these sites are great resources for recipes!

• 101 Cookbooks
• Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
• Fat Free Vegan
• Green Lite Bites
• Zesty Cook

Have a happy & healthy Thanksgiving day!! Don’t forget to get in some exercise too

Katie at Chocolate-Covered Katie is currently in the middle of a Page View Charity Drive! What is that, you ask? For each page view on her site, she receives money from Foodbuzz, which she has generously decided to donate to The Enough Project. All you have to do is click over to her site and look around!!

The first thing you might want to check out is the Your Choice Giveaway post! You could win $35 toward any item at Cookware.com. If I win, I’m definitely getting a spiralizer, so I can easily make the raw zucchini pasta recipes I keep seeing everywhere! Then I can test out all the yummy sauce recipes and report back to you.

Another good post to check out is Guilt and Exercise… we’ve all been there. Join the conversation over there on taking rest days from exercise and how you best deal with guilt or stress or in your life.

What charities are you supporting with your money or time during the holiday season this year??

I just recently realized that the theme that I’m using on Veggie Bee doesn’t appear correctly if you’re viewing in browsers other than Internet Explorer. I’m going to do a theme change for the short term and hopefully do a full blog makeover as part of my New Year’s resolutions.

If you find any technical issues with the blog, please email me or send me a tweet!

Thanks to Monica for sharing this amazing deal at Amazon! You can’t beat getting an awesome magazine like Cooking Light for only $5 for a year… but hurry and put your order in, the sale ends on Saturday.

Order Cooking Light on Amazon

What’s your favorite healthy cooking magazine??

I’m starting a new exercise challenge this month, courtesy of Roni’s Weigh. Yes, in addition to the vegan challenge with Vegan Hope! It must just feel like a good time to restart and recommit after the crazy schedule of summer.

So the challenge includes push ups, sit-ups (crunches) and squats. Click on the links below to find out more about how to do your initial test and definitely check out the “What is a…” section for proper form. I had David watch me doing the pushups and my form was way off! I completed the initial tests for the push ups and sit-ups but I’m going to wait until next week to start the squats since I’m running the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday. My legs need all the extra strength they can get!

My initial results:

100 push ups

Rank: 3 - 15 push ups (adjusted for proper form)

200 Sit-ups

Rank: Average - 40

200 Squats

Rank: TBD

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Wow, I have some work to do on push ups and sit-ups… Wish me luck for the half marathon, it’s going to be a fun weekend! Have a lovely & wonderful weekend!

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