Veggie Bee

Check out this post at Clearly Vegan on Hula Hooping for Health. They’ve found some great videos to share on hula hooping. Be sure to check out Hoopnotica for all the info you need on how to hula hoop, classes available and special hula hoops for those who truly want a great workout!

Have you gotten a hula hoop for healthy fun yet??

Think about your car for a moment… when you pull up to a gas station, what kind of fuel do you put into it? Do you expect your car to run properly after filling it up? What if you pulled into the gas station and found a sign that stated that the fuel had sand and dirt and chemicals in it that would damage the systems in your car, cause your car to slowly deteriorate and become sluggish and eventually cause your car to stop running altogether? But they would sell it to you for 10 cents a gallon. Would you rationalize putting it into your car? Or would you value your car enough to make a habit of going to another gas station, always giving it the best fuel you could afford to keep it running properly for as long as you could?

Think about your body for a moment… what kind of fuel are you giving it on a daily basis? Are you expecting it to run like a sports car, but fueling it like a go-cart? Are you putting polluted fuel into it and wondering why you feel sluggish and tired? Do you value yourself and your health enough to make the effort to put the best fuel possible into your body? Do you know how to find the proper fuel for your body and that it will help you feel more energetic?

Start living a healthy life today. Today, buy fruits, vegetables and lean proteins and learn how to prepare them so that you will enjoy them in a low-fat manner. Feed your body so that you will feel brilliant and fabulous and energetic.

5 steps to take today for your health:

• Eat more fruits and veggies ~ eat a variety of fruits and veggies every day. Organic and locally grown is best, but if you’re worried about cost, at least buy organic when you eat “The Dirty Dozen”. You can download the list of 12 fruits and veggies you should always buy organic at Environmental Working Group’s web site.
• Get at least 10 minutes of exercise today ~ something is better than nothing when it comes to exercise. You’re never going to find an hour to go for that walk until you find 10 minutes and that takes away our time excuses. Start building exercise momentum today!
• Drink water ~ replace some of your drinks for today with water. That includes sodas, both diet and regular, juices, coffee drinks or alcohol. Although there’s some some debate about the 8×8 rule - drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day -  it doesn’t hurt for one day to make sure you’re getting in that amount to combat dehydration which can lead to water retention and drained energy.
• Eat lean protein ~ it’s easy in the world in which we live to get plenty of protein in our daily diets. Yet, it’s not always a good, lean source of protein. Today, make sure you have access to lean proteins like fish, shellfish, beans, legumes and tofu. You don’t have to become a vegetarian to eat like one for a day, so include some beans and legumes in your diet for protein.
• Meditate ~ meditation is focusing on the present moment so that you’re not a prisoner of regret about the past and anxiety about the future. Take 2 minutes today and simply try focusing on your breathing, even while you’re walking or doing dishes. Learn about meditation techniques and commit yourself to trying something new.

Have a fabulously healthy day!!

I found this easy recipe a while ago and now I can’t find the source, but it’s very tasty and great to keep in the refrigerator for an extra fruit & veggie boost to your daily diet. It’s great to try with home-made baked potato “chips”, as a salad topping or with my new favorite jalapeno tortilla chips from Food Should Taste Good. They’re perfectly spicy! Food Should Taste Good has other flavors that I’m sure are delicious, but I always gravitate to the jalapeno flavor!  I promise to try the other flavors and give you a review.  I like these tortilla chips because they do not contain any artificial ingredients and they’re so tasty, but they are still 140 calories per ounce (as opposed to about 25 calories per ounce for home-made baked potato chips), so you should eat them with vegetables or vegetable dips like this salsa if you need help with portion control.  

I use the Trader Joe’s frozen mangos in place of fresh mango, just allow to defrost before mixing.

Ingredients
1 large mango, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Preparation
Combine mango, red onion, black beans, cilantro and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Squeeze lime juice over mixture. Stir well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

What are your favorite salsa or healthy dip recipes??

Today’s post is by Jeremy & Jamie Clear, of Clearly Vegan. Whether you’re interested in becoming a vegetarian or simply interested in better health, this is great information for adding healthier proteins to your daily diet.  Take a moment to subscribe to their newsletter, Elevate Your Plate for more great healthy living information!

7 Sources of Plant Based Proteins

by Jeremy & Jamie Clear 

One of the most common myths (perpetuated by the meat industry) is that vegetarians don’t get enough protein. Here’s  something everyone should know about protein: Every whole food contains protein! 

 Carrots contain it, celery contains it. We do not have to restrict ourselves entirely to nuts, seeds, and beans when thinking about protein. We certainly do not need to focus on animal products. The protein consumed from a balanced plant-based diet appears to be plenty. Many of us have been conditioned to worry about specific nutrients, such as protein. If we just consume the foods the human body is designed for, we don’t have to worry about the nutrients and we should experience optimal health.

The American Heart Association agrees “You don’t need to eat foods from animals to have enough protein in your diet. Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs.”

In fact, diets high in animal protein are linked to an increase in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis.

Try these 7 great sources of plant-based protein:

 Read more at: The Protein Myth - Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine

Watermelon is great to enjoy year round but summertime is definitely its best season! At only 8 calories per ounce, or about 45 calories per cup, it can be a great way to increase your fruit intake and keep your calories low. Compare that to your typical cookie at 125 calories per ounce (yikes!) with no nutritional value and watermelon is an obvious choice for delicious healthy living. Enjoy it for dessert or as a snack, it is very filling and can satisfy your sweet tooth.

Quick Watermelon Cubes

• Take a quarter of a watermelon and lay it on the rind with the interior facing up.
• Place knife about 3/4 of an inch down from the peak of the wedge. Holding the knife parallel to the far side of the fruit and starting at edge of rind, cut a horizontal line through the fruit all the way down to the rind.
• Next, place the knife blade 3/4 of an inch lower and make the same cut. Repeat.
• Next, turn the fruit to the other side and make the same horizontal cuts.
• And last, starting at edge of the rind, make vertical cuts 3/4 inch apart all the way across. Cubes will tumble out ready to eat!

How to Choose a Watermelon

• Look the watermelon over. You are looking for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
• Lift it up. The watermelon should be heavy for its size. Watermelon is 92% water, most of the weight is water.
• Turn it over. The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.
• Thump it. The watermelon should have a deeper, hollow sound.

Watermelon Facts

• Watermelon has higher concentrations of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. In fact, fresh watermelon contains higher levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes - a 2-cup serving of watermelon contains and average of 18.16 mg and one medium-sized tomato contains 4 mg.
• A Watermelon is completely edible. While most of us relish the flesh part, the watermelon seeds can be roasted and eaten. Watermelon rind is used for making preserves, pickles and relish.
• Though watermelon is commonly considered as a fruit it is actually a vegetable! It is a member of the cucumber family and is kin to the gourd.

Try a new take on watermelon with this Watermelon Salsa recipe from Eating Well.

Makes 8 servings, 1/2 cup each

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

3 cups finely diced seedless watermelon (about 2 1/4 pounds with the rind)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (about 1/2 bunch)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup minced red onion (about 1/2 small)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Place watermelon, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice and onion in a medium bowl; stir well to combine. Season with salt. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 26 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 75 mg sodium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value).

Do you have any favorite watermelon recipes?? Or are you like me and just eat it straight out of the rind??

You don’t have to be vegan to love this blog! Clearly Vegan focuses on what’s good for the body and what’s good for the soul. Jeremy and Jamie Clear want to share with you their experiences being vegan and also to ”educate, inspire, and support others in gradually improving their health and lifestyle.”

Enjoy their blog and subscribe to their newsletter, Elevate Your Plate!

I know, I know… many of you are probably like my sister-in-law, you’ll never run from anything but danger!  But in the event that some of you are thinking about adding running to your exercise routine, I wanted to share an article in Runner’s World, Running 101, to help you get started. The article includes tips for running as well as a 10 week training schedule to get started safely and without injury. 

Happy running!!