With Google Reader being shut down in a few short months, I decided to transition to Bloglovin! And love it so far. If you already use Bloglovin, please follow me. If not, you should sign up and start following all your favorite blogs!
Allie
March Goals…and a Recipe!
So I am well aware that it is March 4th and should have posted my March goals a couple days ago, but such is life. I have fine tuned these goals to be tough, but achievable, make some (or all) your goals as well and let me know how it goes!
1. Log 900 Fitness Minutes
This one might be the toughest goal for me personally. Luckily I made a plan of action. 900 fitness minutes means roughly 45 minutes of exercise five days a week. Totally do-able, but I have a history of not going to the gym more than 3 times a week. Why? Because my gym was 14 miles away and a 20 minute drive. That was stupid, to sign up for a gym, THAT far away, when I live in the thriving suburbs of Minneapolis! So, I signed up for a new gym 2 miles from my house (no excuse) and that was about 30% less expensive. Win – Win! Added bonus? My boyfriend is a member at the same gym, so the hope is that we will go together sometimes!
2. Food Prep on Sunday
This is something I have been aiming to do for years, but when Sunday came around it just wouldn’t happen. I am ready to take the reins and determine my eating for the week on Sunday. This also means I will be making a menu for the week, so I know what to prep and what to shop for! I already accomplished this goal for this week, as I spent a couple hours in the kitchen yesterday pre-making some salads and prepping food for the rest of the week. I made Chicken Salad (no pecans, substitute cashews, and add celery – my dads way!), Quinoa Salad with Apples, Walnuts and Smokey Cheddar, Overnight Oats (in jars!) with banana and peanut butter, and I prepped everything for Spicy Orange Chicken (with cauliflower “rice”) and Balsamic Chicken.
3. Get to Yoga At Least Once PerWeek
This is a no-brainer, but I have slacked on my practice lately! The plan is to go Wednesdays when I get out of class.
4. Eat Completely Paleo Two Days Per Week
On a quest to truly clean up my eating, I have been exploring more Paleo recipes lately! I haven’t made a single one that wasn’t delicious, so eating Paleo two times a week should be manageable. I know the hardest time of the day for me will be in the morning for breakfast, since I usually have something yogurt based, but I prepped hard boiled eggs on Sunday, so I’ll just grab two of those, and be good!
5. Track My Water Intake
I have been trying to be more conscientious lately about the amount of water I drink. I feel a huge difference on the days I don’t hit my goal (80 oz) vs days I do hit that goal. I feel sluggish and pretty crappy when I don’t get enough water in me. When I do drink enough water, I notice my eating is much healthier, and I take more modest portions. Healthy habits breed healthy habits right?
6. Lose 8 lbs
What do all these goals add up to in the end? Hopefully with me losing 8 libbies! This is roughly 4% of my body weight, and within safe limits to lose in the four and a half weeks of March. I’m going to keep myself accountable on this by making sure I head to WeighWatchers for my weekly weigh in.
So those are my March Goals! Do you have any goals for March?
Last week I wanted to make BBQ Chicken Pizza (per the request of Troy) and decided to try my hand at making BBQ sauce from scratch! I waned something with no corn syrup or nasty preservatives. I declared 2013 as my year to clean up my diet and cut the processed crap out. So I started throwing some stuff in a bowl and the end result was fantastic! A slightly sweet, slightly spicy, smoky barbecue sauce, perfect for chicken or ribs, or anything else you can slather it on! Best of all, most of the ingredients are common items that you probably have in your house already.
“Clean” Barbecue Sauce (Makes about 3 cups)
3 cloves roasted garlic
½ red onion
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup ketchup (I used Simply Heinz – It has a clean ingredient list)
1 can tomato paste
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup maple syrup (make sure it ‘s pure maple)
¼ cup brown sugar
4 T cider vinegar
2 T dijon mustard
1 t liquid smoke
1 T chili powder *
1 T sundried chili powder *
½ tea chipotle chili powder *
¼ cup water
* I purchase all of our chili powders from El Potrero Trading Post and have it shipped. Their chili powder is not only the freshest tasting and best quality I’ve had, but the prices are very reasonable. I’d suggest checking out their site!
1. Saute the onion in the olive oil until it is softened in a medium sauce pan. Add the garlic when the onion is almost done. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine thoroughly.
3. Add the mixed ingredients to the sauce pan and cook on medium low until the sauce simmers. Let simmer for 5 minutes and take off the heat.
4. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature and use a food processor to blend the sauce, making sure there are no chunks of onion or garlic left.
5. Use immediately or store in the fridge in a glass container. I like using recycled jars for things like this!
Enjoy!
An Instagram Weekend
The wine list at Wok in the Park (Minneapolis) :: I love the gigantic paper lanterns :: My date :: A delicious spicy basil noodle dish
Road trip snacks :: Wisconsin themed waxed cheese (and delicious cheese curds) Appleton, WI :: A pile of pallets
My fortune (so true!) :: Saturday, day drinks :: Pictures at the bar
It was hard to wake up Sunday morning :: The best Kleenex box ever
More to come this week! Including making Coconut Flour Tortillas!!
Allie
Stuff I’m Crushing On..
In honor of Valentines day this Thursday, I didn’t want to post any recipes because there are plenty out there! I wanted to show you guys a different kind of love, not found in a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers.
I’ve got a list of stuff I LOVE for various reasons. One similarity between the items — I am incredibly happy with all of them. And thats what love is all about. Being happy to the core.
1. Flannel Sleep Shirts
This is the “Boyfriend Shirt” from Dorothy Perkins, my current favorite sleep flannel.
Anyone that has seen me in the morning lately (meaning the last year or so, let’s not joke), knows that I have a serious connection with flannel sleep shirts! I know it sounds silly, but they are so warm and comforting. I absolutely can not stand pajama pants or anything similar because they just get all tangled up and turned around. A flannel shirt + shorts is the best combination and if you haven’t tried one out, you should. Unless you’re my sister, who would wear a sweatshirt and down parka over her sleepwear because at that point, anything will be cozy, flannel or not.
2. Dr Jart+ BB Cream
Liquid Gold
Yeah, yeah, another post about BB cream to convince you that it’s the best thing since sliced bread. <- Which isn’t even that cool to me since I don’t really eat bread, and if I did I would want to slice my own piece so that it is massive, duh.
Anyways, back to this BB Cream, I received a couple samples of various BB Creams in a few of my Birchboxes and tried Dr Jart+ BB Cream Water Fuse. I LOVED it. It is moisturizing, but not greasy or thick, has a great color that is not too yellow or pink, and absorbs completely into my skin. Another fantastic quality about this cream is that it has SPF 25. I have stopped using foundation, cut back on concealer and have stopped using powder most days too. This has not only made my morning routine much quicker, but it has also saved me some money! And on top of that, my skin is clearer (although I do attribute this to a few things). There are a few different kinds of this BB Cream from Dr Jart+, and I just received a new-to-me sample in a recent Birchbox, so I will be sure to let you all know if I love it too!
3. Almond Milk
Oh man do I love this stuff. I’ve been drinking almond milk almost exclusively for the past year or so, and let me tell you, it rocks! It gives me no problems with my stomach and 8 oz (Unsweetened, Original) is only 1 point! Oh also, I’m on WeightWatchers, so that’s why I know the points value. This means my morning smoothies are truly good for me and my gut.
4. My Sorel Boots (Joan of Arctic)
My boot hair needs to be brushed.
These boots have been my jam for the past month and a half since I received them as a Christmas gift from my mom. I knew I wanted some hardier boots for the winters here in Minnesota, but never did I think I would love a pair of boots so much! I wear them with everything, from casual yoga pants or leggings (most common) to skinny jeans and even tights. Leah, my sister, also got a pair of these boots for Christmas, but in the tan/camel color. She says they rock also, so that’s two rave reviews from northern girls about the amazingness of these beasts. Fyi – they are rated up to -25°F, which means that my toes are warm even when the rest of me feels like a popsicle.
5. The COLOR Purple
No, not the book, but the actual color. In recent years purple has solidified itself as a preferred color of mine, and I love it so much that my love for this color is nearing that of my love for turquoise (which is obnoxious). If something comes in purple, chances are that is the one I choose. I have water bottles, socks, hoodies, underwear, bedding, notebooks and pens, and even jewelry in this perfect hue.
6. The Blender Bottle
Ok, I confess, I do not always use this bottle to mix up a perfect protein shake, but I also use it as my normal water bottle and smoothie carrier. I now own three of these bottles (one in each of my favorite colors, obviously!), two 28oz and one 20oz. Oh man, these bottles are the best! Not only do they mix shakes and protein powders to perfection, but they remix my smoothie (and are large enough to fit my smoothies!) but they also have a really tight seal, and have NO STRAW! I have grown to hate my “bite and suck” Camelback because not only do I not feel like I can get as much water as I want, but I just don’t like water bottles with straws. Basically, these bottles are my jack of all trades!
7. My Car
I will forever hold a special spot in my heart for my current car. That thing is a monster and is serving me well even 210k miles into it’s life. Not only that, but it’s the car I learned to drive in, so I know it’s little quirks and oddities. The Rejuvaru (haha, we have 3 Subarus in my family and all nicknamed them) has been through a lot, numerous road trips, being a street parked car for a year, and of course, the constant beating of salt and sand in the winter. I’ve got nothing but love for this car, maybe I should vacuum her out for Valentines day? Weird?
Of course I’m thankful for all the amazing people in my life whom I love and who love me back, but this was about material items I love. And really, whats more important?
Kidding!
Happy Valentines week everybody! Stay warm!
Hello!
Hello Readers!
First of all, thanks for making your way over to my little part of the blogosphere!
I am a native Minnesotan, living in the suburbs of Minneapolis, trying to find MY healthy path in life.
I’m also a vinyasa yoga fanatic, attempting to-be runner, body -weight exercise lover, and avid cook and organizer.
I love trying new recipes and workouts (Crossfit was rough!), reading blogs and surrounding myself with people and things that make me happy!
A few years ago, I saw a holistic doctor who changed my life. I had rapidly been gaining weight, getting ill, and had been feeling pretty crummy all around. Previous to this visit, I had suspected I might have a dairy and gluten sensitivity, but the scope of how messed up my insides were was unexpected. I still struggle with an upset stomach every now and then, but it has helped to know what the triggers may be. I do not eat gluten or soy and I try to eat as little dairy as possible, definitely no cows milk!
As a kid my favorite foods were bagels with cream cheese (I think I had one for lunch almost every day of kindergarten) and pasta with butter and parmesan. As I grew up I dabbled in vegetarianism (Fell off that wagon for bacon!) and finally came to settle on a pretty healthy diet, or so it seemed. I had switched to whole wheat carbs, soy milk and lots of fruits and vegetables. I was baffled at why I was gaining weight so rapidly, almost 60 lbs in 4 years. I did indulge in normal college activities (drinks, late night snacks, takeout!) but it was way more than the Freshman 15.
My holistic doctor ran some tests, which were fascinating – s0 much so that my mom who was there to take notes, forgot to until I asked if she was getting it all. HA! Hopefully I’ll go more into depth on that sometime, but essentially he let me know that I am severely sensitive to gluten, dairy, soy and a whole slew of environmental toxins, including formaldehyde and petroleum. I was stunned that my suspicions were confirmed. I had to change my whole diet especially since my “healthy” switch to soy milk was just as damaging as the cows milk, and potentially even worse for me since I had also just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, an auto-immune disease in which ones thyroid does not produce enough TSH, our metabolism producing hormone. That was another reason I was gaining weight. The puzzle pieces were all starting to come together in my gluten-induced brain-fogged mind.
So what was the solution? Stop eating gluten, dairy and soy products and start taking an arsenal of vitamins daily along with my medication for my thyroid. Easy enough? Not at all. The life change was the hardest thing I have ever done. I still struggle, but I have learned to set boundaries and limits for myself and am practicing self control when in the midst of my previously beloved wheat products. I cried many nights because I either felt deprived, alone and isolated or because I was experiencing the worst stomach cramps and pains of my life. I had no one to blame but myself for those days I thought I wouldn’t feel sick after eating pizza or pasta. And as for feeling deprived, I now have more knowledge about foods and strange ingredients, and Love to experiment with recipes. I don’t feel alone AT ALL. I have a fantastic support system of family and friends who all understand, know and are willing to keep me in check if I feel like I’m going to fall back into a wheat or cheese induced coma.
That said, I still do eat cheese and yogurt, in moderation! I definitely feel much lighter and clear minded when I do not have any dairy, but I have no interest in attempting to cut it out completely.
Where to go from here? I’m eating clean, working out when I can, and keeping my mind positive! I’m losing weight and am ready to see where my journey takes me.
What you can expect to see here? I’ll be sharing some of my eats, exercises and healthy choices! I also plan to throw in some posts about decorating/thrifting (fun stuff!), organizing projects that I undertake, and some random posts about things I like!
So thats my story! I hope you all keep reading!
Allie
