Veggie Bee

Some things on my favorites list may change daily, but more likely I’ll stick with a favorite until I get sick of it! But for the moment, here is my top 5 healthy favorites list for this week.

1. Fruit - Clementine oranges! We got the best ones this weekend from the farmer’s market and they are already gone.
2. Veggie - Eggplant. For the last couple of weeks it’s been sweet potatoes, but I made a version of the Eggplant-Ricotta Rolls in Shape magazine and they turned out really good!! Mine were actually Eggplant-Tofu Rolls, but I’ll post more on that later.
3. Product - Clif Nectar® Cacao bars. So yummy, especially if you like dark chocolate! Made with only 5 ingredients, all organic, how great is that?
4. Exercise - Jumping rope. I’m trying to get in some high-intensity work along with my running.
5. Running Song - Dreamlover, by Mariah Carey. I know, old school, but I heard it on the radio and downloaded it and now I can’t stop listening to it!

What’s your top 5 this week??  Any favorite fruits or veggies that you’re eating?

Have you planned your fitness for the day or already accomplished it?!! Don’t let the day get away from you without planning some type of exercise, even just 10 minutes…   Let me know how you’ve done or if you need help or suggestions!

If you haven’t fit exercise into your day yet, remember it only take 10 minutes to build or maintain your exercise momentum. Start problem-solving right now how to get in that 10 minutes today!

I’ll be running about 4 miles later and doing an abs DVD… David got up at 5 a.m. and went to the gym…  I stayed asleep ~

What’s your fitness plan for the day?!

Happy Monday! I just wanted to point you to some changes I made over the weekend. There will be regular additions and changes as I get things set up the way I want them to look and function so I’ll keep you updated when I make any changes.

• I added a Resources section to the far right sidebar and took away the resources link at the top.
• I added a Blogroll to the right sidebar as well. These are healthy eating and healthy living blogs that I frequently read and I’ll be adding to this list (and the resources list) over the next couple of weeks.
• I added my picture to the About Veggie Bee page. I am having a challenge formatting this page template with the picture, so as soon as I figure that out, I’ll add more bio info on me!
• I increased the font on the posts! Now I’ll need to update the font on the other templates, so bear with me as I make it easier to read all around.
• There are some other “bugs” in linking around the site, but if you find anything that doesn’t work properly, send me an email at rachel@veggiebee.com.

I’m off to run, so I’ll be back later with a Fitness Follow-up! Have a happy Monday!

Do you have a bad habit you need to break? Take a look at Margarita’s Breakup Letter to her bad habit…  and then write your own!

Phit-N-Phat asks What Motivates You to Be Healthy and Fit? There’s a nice quote on getting to your goals: “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” - Jim Ryun.

Need even more to help you get motivated? Read the article Get Motivated (pdf) from Body + Soul magazine and then take Tamara Lowe’s Motivational DNA test.

Need a workout you can do in 7 minutes?! Check out Lean & Fit in 7 Minutes at Women’s Health Magazine. You can even download it to your iPod!

This weekend, I’m planning to try some version of Shape Magazine’s Eggplant-Ricotta Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. I’m not sure I’ll use ricotta cheese, but I like the idea of the rolls.  Let me know if you try it and any changes you might make to it.

Win FREE Reebok SmoothFit SelectRide Shoes at Active.com. Ends March 31, 09.

• Go to the Active.com Reebok Crosstraining page.
• Click on one of the links to enter the giveaway.
• While you’re there, take a look at the Free Cross-training plans that are available.
• Five winners will be selected after the giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on March 31, 09.

Enter to Win daily prizes at Fitness Magazine’s Daily Sweepstakes!

• Today’s prize is a pair of women’s ASICS GEL-Nimbus 10 running shoes.
• Tomorrow’s prize is a women’s RRS 3-layer jacket.
• Enter to win daily at Fitness Magazine online!

All the tools for healthy living and weight management ~ eating more fruits and vegetables, fitting in exercise into your day, finding ways to portion-control certain foods ~ do not happen by accident. It will take learning to plan ahead, setting aside time in your schedule and learning the reasons why you should make these activities a priority. These new habits don’t form overnight however. Much like the “10 minute strategy” to build momentum with exercise, building small changes into your routine will help you problem-solve bigger changes down the road.

What is Shop and Chop?

One of the strategies for making sure that you have ready-to-go fruits and vegetables in your environment is to plan for and practice “shop and chop.”  This means choosing a day that you will shop for fruits and veggies and then as soon as you get them home, you prep them for the next couple of days or the week. Prepping them includes cleaning, chopping, cooking and then packaging them in a way that makes it easy for you to grab it and go about your busy week.

My own personal example involves grapes. If I don’t rinse the grapes in a colander as soon as I get home and put them in a new resealable bag to put in the fridge (or leave them in the colander if I’m being extra lazy!) then it’s more likely that every time I open the fridge to eat some grapes, I think about all the steps I have to take to prep them… find the colander, rinse them off, clean up the little mess, find the resealable bags… it’s just enough in the middle of a hectic week to have me reaching for something that doesn’t require any work at all and that’s the danger of not having a supportive environment for your health. Does it sound lazy to not want to wash the grapes? Yes. But it happens, so I have to combat my own laziness. And honestly, I’ve let grapes rot in the fridge because I kept putting off washing them.

How to practice Shop and Chop

Save yourself from your own laziness if you’re anything like me and take a few simple steps to set up a Shop and Chop routine. If you don’t normally use this strategy, then start with only ONE fruit or veggie to prep this week.

1. Plan your Shop and Chop day and schedule in the trip to the store and all the prep time you need.
2. Make a list of the fruits and veggies you’re going to prep. If it’s just one, that’s perfect. Fruits are an easy way to start the habit.
3. Buy storage containers if you need them.
4. Rinse, chop and cook the fruits and veggies on your list as soon as you get home!
5. Store fruits and veggies in the fridge or on the counter if appropriate for easy access.
6. Now you have to eat them! You have one less excuse to leave them in the fridge to waste. Good job!

5 easy fruits and veggies to add to your environment for the week

1. Grapes - no chopping involved, just rinsing and repackaging.
2. Cherry tomatoes - remember, tomatoes are best stored on the counter, not in the fridge as long as you’re planning to eat them within a week.
3. Potatoes - rinse them off, poke a few holes in them with a fork and bake them in the oven. These are great to have ready to go in the fridge as a base for other foods, like Health Valley Chili!
4. Melons - Cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon are all good choices to keep chopped and ready to go in the fridge.
5. Baby spinach - rinse it in a salad spinner and use it as a quick, healthy addition to frozen entrees when you’re running short on time during the week. I love Amy’s Kitchen organic frozen entrees!

Now’s the time for commitment!

What day will you practice Shop and Chop this week?
Which fruits and/or veggies are part of your list?

Nutrition Consultation Giveaway from The Weekly Bite! Ends at 4 p.m. Eastern time today March 25, 09.

• Post a comment at The Weekly Bite Blog to enter.
• The winner will be randomly selected at 4 p.m. Eastern time today March 25. If you live in the DC area, you will get a consultation in person!

Mix My Granola Giveaway at Foods That Fit! Ends on Friday March 27, 09.

• Post a comment on the Mix My Granola review.
• Link to the post on your site and email Abbie letting her know you’ve done so.
• The giveaway ends on Friday at noon Eastern time.

Win FREE Reebok SmoothFit SelectRide Shoes at Active.com. Ends March 31, 09.

• Go to the Active.com Reebok Crosstraining page.
• Click on one of the links to enter the giveaway.
• While you’re there, take a look at the Free Cross-training plans that are available.
• Five winners will be selected after the giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on March 31, 09.

Good Luck!!! Let me know if you’re the lucky winner of any of these great giveaways!

Have you planned your fitness for the day or already accomplished it?  Let me know how you’ve done or if you need help or suggestions!

If you haven’t fit exercise into your day yet, remember it only take 10 minutes to build or maintain your exercise momentum. Start problem-solving right now how to get in that 10 minutes today!

I’m off for a 4 mile run and 20 minutes of my Women’s Health DVD… David again got up at 5 a.m. and got to the gym!

What’s your fitness plan for the day?!

Your assignment for today is to practice “environmental control” rather than “self-control” ensuring that you always have effective choices in food within easy reach. Willpower alone is not an effective long-term weight management strategy for most people.  It may work some of the time, but many of us have been in that place where we just keep trying to tell ourselves not to eat whatever it is that is tempting us or we convince ourselves that we can “just have one” which turns into 10… or more! It’s best to expect that you’ll eat whatever is in your immediate environment unless you have some solid strategies, like eating foods that are effective for your weight management while you’re around the other tempting foods.

You can’t eat it if you don’t buy it
Remove from your environment any food that is ineffective for your weight management and fueling your body if possible. It is not about “good” food or “bad” food… you are not a better person because you have made “good” food choices today. You are not a “bad” person because of the foods you eat. You are simply either making effective or ineffective choices regarding your health. I generally don’t keep peanut butter in my house because if you knew me, you know I love it in spoonfuls straight out of the jar! If it is in your environment, at work, at home, at friend’s houses… the possibility exists that you may eat a lot of it.

Out of sight, out of mind (hopefully!)
When you live with others, there may be foods that they want in the house that are not part of your weight management plan. In these instances, put these ineffective foods away so that you will not see them all the time. Pick one cabinet where those foods go where you will not be looking at it every time you open the cabinet door. Store these types of foods in opaque containers in the refrigerator so you don’t see them when you open the fridge. There are always those foods that “call your name” however, even when you don’t see them, you know they’re there! This is a good indication this is a “trigger” food for you that you may want to negotiate not having in the house. Don’t beat yourself up (and don’t let anybody else do it either!) because you “don’t have enough willpower.”  It’s not about willpower! It’s about making choices in your life.

Be prepared and stock up at home
What do you need to add to your environment to support your success in weight management? Do you have fruits and vegetables in your house? At work? Do you keep canned fruits and veggies at your desk or in your car? Fill up on fruits and vegetables before you make decisions around other foods and your calories are likely to automatically decrease while still filling you up with volume.

If you are not accustomed to eating fruits and vegetables, I would start by buying frozen and canned fruits and veggies while you are learning what you like and how you like them prepared. That way, you don’t waste money or food as you start incorporating more of these foods into your diet. Look for fruits canned in juice and veggies with little or no salt added.

There are many frozen vegetables that can be steamed right in the bag in which you buy them, such as Birdseye® Steamfresh® vegetables. Think of this as a healthy “fast food.” Incorporating as many fruits and veggies (prepared in a low fat manner) as you can into each day, increases your chances for managing your weight on a long-term basis.

What are the foods that cripple your willpower? And what are some strategies you use to make sure you include healthy foods in your day?

Have you planned your fitness for the day or already accomplished it?  Let me know how you’ve done or if you need help or suggestions!

If you haven’t fit exercise into your day yet, remember it only take 10 minutes to build or maintain your exercise momentum. Start problem-solving right now how to get in that 10 minutes today!

Update: I ran 3 miles this morning and I’m going to do an abs DVD with the stability ball tonight. David got up at 5 a.m. (!!) this morning and hit the gym like he’s been doing regularly… that is so early! I’m still dreaming when he gets back, go honey!!

I just wanted to give you a look at what’s in store for Veggie Bee. I have a lot of ideas but I want to remain focused on supporting you in exercising more and eating more whole, healthy foods, especially fruits and of course, veggies!

Things To Do

• Fitness challenges & follow up: I’ll give you more ideas on incorporating fitness into your day and challenge you to do more than you currently do. Let me know how you’re doing on the Fitness Follow up posts!
• Food challenges: These will be challenges to try new types of fruits & veggies, new recipes or strategies. If what you’re doing isn’t working, then let’s try something new!
• Recipes: Let’s be honest, I’m not a great cook so I’ll be learning along with you. But there are plenty of healthy people out there who want to share their recipes. One of them happens to be the Mama Bee who knows more than a thing or two about cooking veggies!

Things To Think About

• What stage of change you’re in: Especially if you’re in the neutral or contemplation stage, we’ll talk about things to move you along to the action stage. If you’re in either of those stages and need additional motivation, post a comment here or email me at rachel@veggiebee.com.
• The power of negative thinking: You’ve probably heard of the power of positive thinking, but first we have to identify your sources of negative thinking. We’ll talk more about how your thoughts affect your feelings and ultimately your actions around healthy living.

More about me

• What I eat: I’ll give you my own menus and recipes and places that I shop.
• What I do: More about my background and education and some of the steps I’m taking in the future to help myself and others live healthier lives.
• Pictures: I’ll be adding pictures in my pages and posts and I’ll also add some pictures as I go about testing healthy strategies that work in my own life.

The bottom line is that while Veggie Bee is my baby, I’m putting it out there to help as many people as I can to move into action where their health is concerned. 

What do you want to see on Veggie Bee??