Healthy Eating | Amber Keinath

Recipe: Yummy Vegan Vanilla Date Shake!

Apr 242012

I can’t help but drive by date farms these days since moving to the southwest. They are all over the place! But, what do you actually do with them?

For a long time, I had no clue!

They kept popping up in all sorts of new recipes I would look through when I made the switch to a plant-strong diet. But, truth be told, they scared me!

I didn’t know how to buy them, store them, or even eat them.

Asking around, I found many people also did not have an idea on how to use them.

By far, the most popular dates in healthy recipes I have found are medjool dates. They are considered the “king of dates” and the “crown jewel of dates”. They are dried before you eat them. Due to their size, amount of meaty fruit, and how moist, sweet tasting, and sticky they are, they are great for desserts, smoothies, dips, and so much more.

They really have been easy to add to my healthy lifestyle. I love just eating them plain. Freezing them and then eating on a hot summer day is great too!

Health Benefits:

Only 70 calories!
High in Fiber, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, and Phosphorus.
They are high in natural sugar, but because it is from a whole food and paired with fiber, they are a great alternative to regular desserts.
They are a VERY good energy source!

How to Buy:

In most grocery stores around the U.S., they are available from mid-summer to mid-fall, but can be stored at home all year long. When buying medjool dates, be sure to choose dates that are plump and have a shiny look to their skin. You do not want dates that have sugar crystals forming on them or have a shriveled look.

How to Store:

You can store your dates in an air-tight container for one week on your counter, up to 6 months in the fridge, and up to a year in your freezer.

Medjool Date Recipes:

Cereal topping
Eat plain
Or take out the pit and fill that area with crushed nuts or nut butter for a quick, high energy snack!
Date Shakes are very popular in southern California and Arizona with all the date farms around. But most date shakes use dairy products which is not plant-strong/vegan. I found 2 yummy plant-based date shake recipes. Test them out and let me know what you think by leaving me a comment at the bottom of the page!

Cinnamon-Vanilla Date Shake
1 cup vanilla soymilk
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 frozen bananas
4 pitted medjool dates

Plain Vanilla Date Shake
2 frozen bananas
1 ½ cup vanilla soymilk
5 pitted medjool dates

You can take the plain vanilla date shake recipe and make any flavor you would like! For a chocolate date shake, just add cocoa powder and for a strawberry date shake, just add 3-5 strawberries.

What do you think? Do you use dates? Leave me a comment below…

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get started on your health journey with your own printable healthy eating guide! Click Here!

How to Get Started with Juicing!

Getting Started, Nutrition 101, Organic/Raw No Responses »

Mar 162012

A few weeks ago, I brought you an awesome article from Karen Knowler, the Raw Food Coach, How to Set up Your Own Smoothie Bar. As a follow up to her smoothie article, I am bringing you “How to Start Juicing at Home” so you can learn how easy and tasty juicing can be!

So why JUICING? They are quick and delicious, and deliver an instant blast of sustainable energy. I like to think of it as high-dose nutrition in a glass!

Home-made fresh juice is lacking the yucky preservatives and additives and the nutrients are easily assimilated in your body! This helps your body absorb more of the good stuff which will give you tons of energy!

Fruit and veggie juices are cleansing, have tons of antioxidants, natural sugars, and chlorophyll that will get you on the road to looking and feeling amazing!

What I have noticed the most is that I no longer have the acne breakouts (having those in your late 20s is embarrassing enough!), my complexion looks awesome, and I have more energy! The past few weeks my co-faculty members have all been affected by colds and the nasty flu. The only problem with me being healthy despite their cold/flu is that I have had to be at work every day!

Start juicing and let me know how you feel!

Step 1: Tool Time.

You don’t need a lot of equipment to start juicing. All you need is a juicer. There are a bunch of different juicers out there on the market and can range in price from around $30 to $500 or more! You can get away with spending what you can on a juicer that gets great reviews on Amazon.com.

If you are looking for a solid juicer that can do many different functions besides just juice, minimizes foam on top of your juice, and minimizes nutrients lost, I recommend…

Last spring I bought an Omega 8006 after reading tons of reviews and health information about juicers. I absolutely love it! It maintains all the awesome nutrients and enzymes and does not have as much of that gross pulp left on the top of the glass.

It is pricey, but it is one of the best investments you can make for your health. I have made it part of my healthy living toolbox.

Some more helpful kitchen tools that are not required but are worth investing in, is a good cutting board that you will only use for fresh produce, a quality chef’s knife, and a fun juice glass! J

Step 2: What to Juice?

The main things that you can juice are fruits and vegetables.

I find juicing a combination of various fruits gives you a great burst of energy. Juicing a combination of fruits and vegetables makes you feel more nourished as well as energized. Vegetable Juices are more detoxing and nourishing.

All I can say to this is to experiment with various combinations! Click here are 3 simple juice recipes to get you started!

Step 3: Set up your Juicing Station.

Find a place in your kitchen that you can designate as your juicing station. Make it convenient to the refrigerator and kitchen sink to make it easier to grab and wash your produce. The key is to not make it difficult to set up your equipment, gather your ingredients, and juice because you will be less likely to ever juice if it is a pain to even get started! Make life simple: keep supplies close!

Step 4: How to Juice!

Set up all your supplies! Pull out your juicer, the fruits/veggies you are going to juice, and your juice glass (fancy & fun to drink your awesome juice in)!
Be sure to wash all your fruits and vegetables. I use the fit wash that can be found at most grocery stores.
Chop and pit and any other preparation that needs to happen to make the fruits and vegetables easier to put through the juicer.
In no particular order, feed your produce into the juicer!
Pour into your fancy and fun juice glass!
Enjoy! Share with family and friends!

Ready for 3 refreshing and tasty juice recipes to get you started? Check out my juice recipe post by clicking here!

Before I wrote this blog post, I had a few readers ask about what I thought about juicing and what type of juicer I recommend. So, for those readers who were wondering what type of juicer I recommend…

The Omega 8006 and I highly encourage you to make the investment if you are serious about getting healthy!

So, Get out there and start juicing!

Leave me a comment below because I want to know: Do you have any questions about getting started juicing? If you have started, what benefits have you noticed and what is your favorite recipe for juicing?

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get started on your health journey with your own printable healthy eating guide! Join me by Clicking Here!

How to Eat a Simply Healthy Breakfast

Getting Started, Nutrition 101 No Responses »

Mar 012012

Breakfast seems to be the most overlooked meal of the day. I grew up eating a breakfast of sugar-filled cereal in vitamin D milk and a PopTart.

My husband either went without breakfast or would have one of those combinations of heart stopping bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, etc.

My sister doesn’t eat breakfast at all.

More and more studies have shown the importance to not only health but to maintaining a healthy weight.

I like to illustrate the importance of breakfast to my clients by asking going through the following: when was the last time you ate? Usually dinner is around 7pm. How long until the next meal if you skip breakfast? That is probably around 16 or 17 hours without anything to eat! What is your body using for fuel? It needs something to keep going just like our cars!

Breakfast is a necessary part of giving your body the necessary energy to face the day!

So eat breakfast!

Now comes the tricky part: what do you eat for breakfast that is actually healthy?

A Pretty Pink Sprinkled Donut? NOPE!

The majority of all food that is advertized for breakfast is not healthy and contains loads of sugar, unhealthy fats, and cholesterol.

Here are my 9 favorite Healthy (& Vegan) breakfast ideas:

Green Fruit Smoothies
Nondairy Yogurt with sliced fresh fruit and topped with granola
Vegan French toast
Fruit spread (with no high fructose corn syrup) on whole wheat toast
Vegan muffins
Fresh fruit topped with finely chopped nuts (or nut butter)
Whole grain cereal with nondairy nut milk
Non-instant oatmeal with fruit
Green Fruit Juice

As you probably tell from this list is I tend to eat more fruit in the morning. I feel fruit is a great way to get energized for your day. To help you feel full longer, add nuts or seeds.

Now, I need your help! What is your high-nutrient breakfast favorite? Leave a comment below so I can add it to the list!

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get a Healthy Lifestyle Coach to help you Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and have FUN. Join me by Clicking Here!

Friday’s Recipe: Tortilla Soup (Yep, it’s Vegan!)

Recipes No Responses »

Oct 282011

As many of you know, I moved to the desert southwest this summer. It has been quite the change from the midwest. Although I am a very picky eater, I have been experimenting around town testing out local flavors. The latest dish I tried was a tortilla soup. Now, if you have never had tortilla soup, I highly recommend it.

There are 2 different ways you can make it. As you can see from my picture on the left, I am definitely not a good food photographer…doesn’t give justice to how tasty this is! I made it more like a stew. When I first had this at the restaurant, it was more of a soup. Make it in the way you are in a mood for! (For a soup add more water and instead of just dumping all the ingredients in, blend the diced tomatoes in a blender and smoosh the chickpeas with a fork which will give you more of a soup consistency!)

I made it for me and my husband this past weekend because I loved it so much when I first had it at the restaurant. However, I did not have the recipe and had to do a little research online (I am not a chef so I do look up recipes online like you).

I will come right out and tell you that I did find about 4 recipes that really sounded close to the restaurants secret recipe. But, there was always something in the recipe that would either make it too complicated or not vegan. So, trying to be a good little wifey, I set out to make my own that would please my meat and potatoes kinda hubby AND be simple that anyone could do.

And I am surprised to say, it turned out great! My hubby actually said it could be a fall/winter staple in our household. SCORE!

(BTW…here is a great fall/winter dessert! Not-so-guilty apple cake! YUM!)

Well, here is the ultimate vegan tortilla soup that won’t be ‘burning your mouth’ spicy!

AMBER’S AWESOMELY VEGAN TORTILLA SOUP

1 can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

2 cups vegetable broth

1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 can diced green chilies

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 red bell pepper (diced)

1 medium yellow onion (chopped)

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

water (as needed)

3- 8inch 100% whole wheat tortillas

Veggie shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

If you would like the soup rather than the stew, blend the entire contents of the diced tomatoes into a blender until smooth. Next, take your fork to the chickpeas that you just drained and rinsed and mash until desired consistency.
Combine the tomatoes, chickpeas, chilies, and vegetable broth into a large saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Add remaining ingredients, except for tortillas, and simmer for about 25 minutes.
Tear tortillas into small pieces as you add it to the soup and cook for 10 minutes or until they have fallen apart and have thickened the soup.
Add more water as necessary.
Add the veggie cheddar cheese as a garnish.

—> QUESTION OF THE DAY: What is your favorite fall/winter dish? <—

(Leave a comment below!)

To your healthy & fit life,

P.S. If you have a question about nutrition or a starting a plant-based diet, and would like to see your question answered on this blog, send your question to Amber or contact Amber on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter!

How to Set Up Your Own Super-Smoothie Bar!

Getting Started, Kitchen 101 No Responses »

Oct 242011

As many of you know, I LOVE smoothies and I’m also pretty good at creating and making them (even if I do say so myself!), so this issue I thought I’d share with you my guide to creating a smoothie bar in your own home that’s good to go at any time of day and is quick and easy to use.

Why smoothies? Because they’re fast, quick, fun, delicious and they are great at any time of day and can often deliver a hefty dose of nutrition in a tasty and beautiful package!

My kitchen sees a lot of smoothie action, whether it be green smoothies for lunch or nut milk-based smoothies for supper… and I hope that with the help of this issue, yours will soon too!

Step 1: Tool Yourself Up. The only piece of equipment you need to make a great smoothie is, of course, a blender (but if you want to make nut milks using whole nuts you’ll want a nut milk bag too – more about that next issue.)

Now, as may or may not know, all blenders are not equal! Certainly you can get away with a High Street blender costing around $20-$30 for a fair amount of time if you treat it kindly, but if you’ve got the money and the passion then the best place you could invest your money for the long haul is without doubt in the very “hardcore” blender that is the Vita-Mix TNC (pictured). Yes, they are pricey (especially here in Europe), but they are soo worth it.

I am fortunate enough to own one myself and like many others who are also proud owners of these beautiful machines I really do think it’s one of the best investments in my health I have ever made. I use it every day and it’s my favourite piece of equipment in my entire kitchen.

All that said, if budget does not permit you to spend nigh on $400 on this particular piece of kit, then all is not lost, just spend the most you can on something that’s got good reviews on Amazon or similar and when you’ve got that part sorted, you’re ready to go!

Step 2: Gather Your Ingredients. Before you start let’s take a look at what you could have on hand to make your smoothies with.

* Fresh fruit (in a bowl and/or fridge)
* Fresh greens (in your fridge. e.g. spinach, watercress, lettuce, kale, chard etc.)
* Frozen fruit (in your freezer)
* Ice-cubes (in your freezer)
* Sweeteners (e.g. dates, agave nectar, maple syrup , honey, stevia etc.)
* Flavourings (e.g. mesquite meal, carob powder, cacao nibs/ powder, vanilla pods/ essence etc.)
* Superfoods (e.g. maca, bee pollen, green powders, hemp protein powder, etc.)
* Nuts and seeds and/or their butters (for nut milks)
* Cartons of coconut water/ milk
* Oils (not necessary, but some people like to use hemp, flax or coconut oil in their smoothies for EFAs)

Obviously fresh fruit, greens, nuts and seeds are easy to buy in the shops these days, as are some of the other more specialised foods. But for those ingredients that are new to you or that you can’t get hold of locally, the good news is that all of these ingredients are now easy to buy mail order wherever you are in the world. Yes, I will be biased and recommend that if you are in Europe you get them from The Fresh Network (!), but if you are overseas you can get all of these from a variety of online stores such as Nature’s First Law.

If most of these are new to you, then the ones I recommend you start off with are: dates for sweetening and agave nectar (light) if you want something new to try; vanilla pods or essence and/or mesquite powder for flavourings; bee pollen (for non-vegans) as an incredible superfood and coconut oil for fat if you’d like some.

Whatever you choose, make sure that you gather all your non-refrigerated ingredients into one place so that they are all together, which leads me nicely on to…

Step 3: Pick Your Spot. Whether you choose to make your smoothies at home or at the office, picking the right spot is key. Why? Because if it’s somewhere awkward to get to, or not near to the sink or a million miles from your fridge, ingredients or glasses, then you’ll feel much less inclined to actually use your smoothie bar! To give you a brief glimpse into my world, my blender is located with my sink to the left, my smoothie ingredients are to the right on a shelf above (you could have yours in a box or tray if you don’t have shelving in your kitchen) and my glasses are located up to the right in a cupboard next to the ingredients. And the fridge is just 2 steps away. Even though this all sounds like perfect common sense, it’s amazing how many of us make life difficult for ourselves and dot everything all over the place! By keeping these 5 things all close to hand, you will now officially have your “bar” in place and will be all set to get creative.

Step 4: Choose Your Recipes. Now that you have your blender, your ingredients and your actual “bar” all set up, what are you going to make? Well, this is where the past few eZines come in. So far I’ve published 4 different smoothies recipes in the past 5 issues, so they should get you started! Then of course there’s your Raw Bible – if you haven’t picked some smoothies recipes yet, now would be the ideal time to do so. Photocopy them (or print the eZine recipes off) and file them in those clear files you bought and you’ll be all set to go.

Step 5: Get Smoothie-ing! I generally recommend that if you are very new to smoothie making that you start very simply, as I did, with pure water, a couple of small bananas (or one big one) and one handful of fresh fruit of your choice. Strawberries work well, as do any berries, or peach, nectarine, pineapple or mango. All of these are good and very straightforward to buy and use. From there, when you have your confidence up and are ready to try new things, you can start to get a bit more experimental and add in other more unusual ingredients such as the powders and potions and even a little bit of oil if you’d like to (ideally no more than 2 teaspoons per pint). Personally I keep oils out, but then getting enough calories is not my concern as my needs are pretty low in that department! One step beyond that is to experiment with using nut or seed milks for a base instead of bananas, which is where your nut milk bag will come in. This is really easy to do, but I’ll keep the “How To” for another article which will follow next issue. Until then, I’ll be expecting you to set your smoothie bar up to perfection ready and eager to go for next week!

Do we have a deal?!

Karen Knowler

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Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes “Successfully Raw” – a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you’re ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

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Hope you enjoyed this awesome article by Karen! If you haven’t done so already, check out her blog that is loaded with tons of great information about going raw. Instead of using the Vita-mix, I prefer the BlendTec which I feel is like Vita-Mix’s automatic cousin. They are both awesome blenders, but BlendTec seems made for the 21st century! You can’t go wrong with either blender though!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Are you going to set up your kitchen for some awesome smoothies?

Leave a comment below…

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get a Healthy Lifestyle Coach to help you Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and have FUN. Join me by Clicking Here!

Friday’s Favorite Recipe: Raw Chocolate Banana Dessert Pieces

Recipes 8 Responses »

Sep 232011

Happy 1st day of Fall. I really am going to miss seeing the changing leaves and all the fall colors.

Here in Arizona, it is far from looking like fall (everyone tells me it won’t ever look like fall here). We are still over 100 degrees at the end of September! As this is my first year away from the Midwest in 7 years, I don’t completely want to miss out on this fun season.

Please send me your favorite fall photos to amber@amberkeinath.com or simply tag me in the photo on facebook or twitter. Include what you like most about fall or attach your favorite healthy fall recipe to be featured on my “fall favorites” blog post!

Because all around me there is only sun and heat, I am bringing you a yummy frozen dessert you can enjoy all year long! I don’t know about you but I used to eat ice cream even in snow storms (until my healthy days). Who doesn’t love chocolate all times of the year?

This recipe is a great one to make for your parties. Don’t worry; you don’t have to tell your friends it is actually a healthy raw/vegan dessert! They probably won’t believe you anyway.

Get going and treat yourself to some chocolate today!

Raw Chocolate Banana Dessert Pieces

2-3 large bananas
1 cup of hazelnuts
¼ cup of carob powder
¼ cup of agave nectar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Mix carob powder, agave nectar, and cinnamon together in small bowl.
Put hazelnuts into food processor until fine pieces.
Cut banana into thin slices.
Dip a banana slice into the chocolate. Cover with chocolate.
Transfer into nut pieces and cover or transfer unto tray and sprinkle top with nut pieces.
Place the tray of finished dessert pieces and let chill for 2-4 hours.

Question of the Day: What is your favorite fall activity? Leave me a comment below!

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get a Healthy Lifestyle Coach to help you Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and have FUN. Join me by Clicking Here!

Is Mindful Eating the Key to Ultimate Weight Loss?

Healthy Eating, Nutrition 101, Weight Loss 2 Responses »

Mar 312011

Have you found yourself reaching for that candy bar or for that cookie, looking around you making sure no one will catch you? Hey, if no one else sees you, it doesn’t count, right?

What about eating while you are watching TV or a movie only to find that bag empty only halfway through the show?

Or, maybe you can relate to the woman who beat up her inner self after giving into that extra piece of cake that was tempting her?

If you find yourself related to one or all of these scenarios, don’t worry! We have been there! No matter who you talk to, whether they have been fat or skinny their whole lives, we have all had our share of an unhealthy relationship with food.

With weight loss products and stick thin celebrities plastered all over the media, it is extremely difficult to maintain complete sanity when it comes to food.

However, mindful eating may be the key for keeping a healthy control over your food and not letting the food control YOU!

First, it is important to get your brain in control of your stomach by asking some questions before you eat something you will regret!

Are you truly hungry?
Is this food actually contributing to your health?
How will you feel after you eat this?
Am I eating this because it is staring at me?
Amy I doing this because I am bored, depressed, anxious, etc?

These questions may feel like simple or dumb questions to ask, but you must study up on your eating behaviors in order to start being in control! Any successful weight loss program will have taking control of how you think about food, fitness, etc first in the process!

Here are the top 5 key points for controlling your eating behaviors:

Eat while you are sitting at the table.

Are you guilty of eating at the couch or in your car? I know I am! It is so easy in our busy lives to skip the time consuming “dinner around the table with the family” but it can actually be hurting you more than you realize.

When you are not at the table, you are focused on eating quickly and your mind is focusing on something else. This often leads you to eating way more than what would satisfy your tummy leading to weight loss over time!

Keep the food dishes in the kitchen so you will be forced to get up from the table to get seconds.

Ever thought you wanted seconds? By keeping the prepared food over in the kitchen while you are sitting at the table, you are forced to be more mindful of the food in front of you and if you are truly hungry. It is a lot easier to dish yourself some more food because it is staring at you right there on the table.

Do not multitask while eating.

When we have our focus on something besides our food, like the TV, we tend to not pay attention to what and how much we are eating. We also do not truly enjoy our food. Spend some time paying attention to what you eat. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not something to be ignored while doing something else.

Eat slowly and enjoy your food.

By eating slowly you are able to truly enjoy the tastes and textures of that awesome food in front of you. You are more satisfied with your meals and are more mindful of what you are putting into your body. ENJOY!

Choose quality over quantity.

When you are eating food, are you paying attention more to how much food you have or more over the quality of food that is in front of you? Not all food is created equal. In our society today, there are more processed foods and chemicals in our food supply than every before. The issue is these are high in calories and lower in nutrients.

The key to a healthy life rests in the nutrients, not just getting enough calories into your body. The body needs more nutrients than calories in order to repair damage and function to optimum efficiency. Give your body what it needs to thrive!

In order for you to reach your weight loss goals, it is important to get a handle on your relationship with food and what you tend to put into your body. The key to a long and healthy life rests with your food.

In order for us to get healthy and by doing so, lose weight, we need to start focusing on nutrient quality of our food and not so much on the calories or fat, protein, carbohydrate content of the food. If we focus on eating more food that is higher in micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, etc. we are setting ourselves up to getting more health benefits per calorie buck and less overall calories.

Choose fresh whole foods for 90% of your daily calories and try to limit processed foods to the smallest percentage of your daily food intake that is possible!

It is now YOUR turn to get healthy and lose weight!

What has been your biggest struggle with weight loss? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

To your health, life, and prosperity,

P.S. Mike just lost 77 pounds in 90 days! Next is YOU!
http://amberkeinath.bodybyvi.com

Top 10 Tips for Budget-Friendly and Healthy Grocery Shopping

Grocery Shopping, Healthy Eating, Tips & Tools 2 Responses »

Feb 252011

Have you ever been surprised by the small amount of groceries you come out of the store with for that large total bill you paid the cashier?

It seems that grocery shopping for your family or even just for ourself adds up way too quickly. How in the world are you expected to et healthy when it takes a huge chunk of your paycheck?

I want you to stop thinking that healthy foods are out of the reach of your grocery budget and start adopting certain buying skills that will almost seem the healthy foods are the bargains and the “cheap” foods you have been buying are the sticker shockers.

Healthy grocery shopping on a budget can be accomplished for you and your family with these top 10 tips I have put together to help you in your quest for budget-friendly and healthy grocery shopping.

Make a list before you head out to the store and stick with it.

When you shop with a list, you are less likely to buy food that you don’t know. Those impulse buys are what is killing your budget, not the healthy whole foods. With this list you will also cut down on your trips back to the grocery store for items you forgot and buying items you don’t need that will end up sitting on your shelf or spoiling before you get around to using it.

Buy fresh produce that is in season to cut back on your grocery bill.

Produce that is NOT in season has to be shipped from across the world and is less easily come by which shoots that price up pretty quick. Educate yourself on what produce is in season before making up that shopping list of yours so you can make sure you are getting the best bang for your produce buck.

Avoid the middle of the grocery store.

Did you know that the majority of Americans only get about 7% of their daily calories from fresh whole foods? That means the majority of your calories are coming from packaged or processed foods. These foods have very little nutritional value compared to their whole foods counterpart which means in reality you are paying a lot of money for those packaged foods with very little nutritional gain. You are paying for chemicals and additives that will eventually lead to disease. Make sure you are spending your grocery budget wisely by getting the most nutrients you can get.

Buy in bulk.

This is probably not something you haven’t heard about before but it truly can make a difference in your overall grocery budget. Save money for the items that you consume a lot of and buy bulk.

Calculate the cost of the packaged food you are buying using the cost per oz or pound.

I actually learned this one from my husband! The majority of grocery stores we shop in display the cost per unit oz in small print right next to the cost of the product on the shelf. You may be surprised how much money you can save by comparing the packaged foods you do decide to buy and choosing the products with the least cost per unit oz or pound.

Buy generic.

This seems to go along with buying in bulk but it really can help you cut the costs of those packaged foods you buy. There was actually an episode on Dr. Oz show where he talked about this. He was comparing generic brands to the name brands and found that when they are compared side by side, they are almost identical. Don’t spend your money on buying name brand when you get the same product when you buy generic.

Choose meatless protein sources.

Plan to have a couple nights a week vegetarian and you will dramatically cut the amount of money you spend on protein. Animal protein is not superior protein to plant protein and costs a lot more. Try to start making more of your daily protein calories come from plant sources rather than animal sources and your health will thank you.

Go grocery shopping alone.

Whether you have a family to feed or just a spouse or roommate, going shopping alone will save you money. When you take others along, you both are more likely to impulse shop for food that is not on that grocery shopping list you made. This all leads to that grocery shopping budget dwindling pretty dramatically and you probably find yourself blaming it on that bunch of bananas in your basket rather than the real culprit of those chips or ice cream.

Choose your groceries wisely and alone with a list.

Do not buy from the checkout aisle or from special displays. Usually when you grab food from these areas, you are impulse buying and really do not need those items anyway. If those items happen to be on your grocery shopping list, then by all means grab away!

Eat a meal before you head out to grocery shop.

When you are less hungry, there are less of those impulse buys that will turn your eye. I have found that when I am full and go shopping, less of the junk type and packaged foods sound appealing and I focus more on the whole foods which is where the focus should be anyway. Experiment with this one. Go grocery shopping on a full stomach and go on an empty stomach. How do your grocery carts compare? Which one gets you the healthier options?

Before you go grocery shopping make sure you plan a grocery shopping list to take with you and you eat a meal before you head out. It is also important to get your money’s worth when you are planning your meals and buying food at the grocery store. Would you rather spend your money on chemicals that resemble food (processed and packaged foods) or whole foods that give you the most nutrients for your hard earned dollar that will enable your body to function healthfully?

Use these tips to help make your grocery shopping trip healthier and less expensive.

Question of the day: What is your most common impulse food buy when you are doing your grocery shopping? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get a Health Coach to help you Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and have FUN. Join me by Clicking Here! Find and connect with me on my Facebook fan page and on Twitter!

Eat the Rainbow of Health: The Benefits of Colorful Fruit and Vegetables

Healthy Eating, Nutrition 101, Organic/Raw 2 Responses »

Feb 022011

Ever wonder what the health benefits of all those colorful fruits and vegetables you are eating really are? Fresh whole foods are full of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and many other nutrients that are essential for ultimate health.

Here is a PowerPoint Presentation of the health benefits found with the different colors of fruits and vegetables:

Eat the rainbow of health

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There are so many beautiful colors of produce out there and each color has its own set of health promoting nutrients. It is vital to consume the full spectrum of colors to get the most nutrients to protect your overall health.

Red Fruit and Vegetables

The most notable nutrients found in red fruits and vegetables are lycopene and anthocyanins. There are many thousands of other beneficial nutrients as well and create some pretty impressive health benefits for your body.

Some health benefits of consuming lots of red produce include reducing the risk of cancer and free radical damage.

There have been studies that have shown red produce lowers the risk of prostate cancer, lowers blood pressure, inhibits tumor growth, lowers LDL cholesterol levels, and supports joint tissue.

Red fruit and vegetables include red peppers, cranberries, tomatoes, pomegranates, apples, strawberries, raspberries, red cabbage, cherries, guava, and watermelon.

Orange Fruit and Vegetables

Carotenoids and citrus bioflavonoids are the most popular nutrients found in orange produce.

Orange produce has shown to improve brain function, decrease muscle cramps, lower cancer risk, lower heart disease risk, and increase the efficiency of your immune system.

Some examples of these orange fruits and vegetables are pumpkin, sweet potatoes, mango, carrots, cantaloupe, tangerines, and oranges.

Yellow Fruit and Vegetables

Lutein and zeaxanthin are two big nutrients found in yellow fruits and vegetables with the most notable benefit being the decrease risk of macular degeneration and they overall protect your eyes from damage.

They can also increase your energy levels and your immune system.

Some yellow fruits and vegetables are corn, pineapple, yellow peppers, lemons, yellow apples, and pears.

Green Fruit and Vegetables

Chlorophyll is the major nutrient in that green color you find in fruits and vegetables.

Green produce has been shown to lower cancer risk, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, free radical damage, and improve your vision and immune system.

There is lettuce, kiwi, artichokes, asparagus, limes, Brussels sprouts, avocado, spinach, kale, peas, green beans, green peppers, green apples, zucchini, and broccoli that fall under the green produce category.

Blue and Purple Fruit and Vegetables

The vast array of health benefits found with blue and purple fruit and vegetables range from improving the immune system, digestion, and lowering inflammation in the body to lowering LDL cholesterol levels, tumor growth, and risk of cancer.

The main nutrients that give these fruits and vegetables their color and some health benefits are resveratrol, proanthocyanidin, and anthocyanidin.

What are some blue and purple fruit and vegetables that you can start eating for these health benefits?

Blue and purple produce options include raisins, plums, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, eggplant, and pruns.

White Fruit and Vegetables

Anthoxanthins are health beneficial nutrients found in white produce.

With this color of fruit and vegetables come some great health benefits of lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, stomach cancer risk, and overall heart disease risk.

Onions, potatoes, leeks, bananas, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and many nuts and seeds are great examples of white fruit and vegetables that give you many nutrients.

The key to ultimate health is getting a variety of fruits and vegetables and eating the full spectrum of the rainbow. Each color has its own beneficial nutrients and should have a place in a healthy plant based diet. A diet high in nutrients and lower in nutrient-poor foods is the key to longevity and health.

For more information about creating a healthy diet focused on fresh whole foods, visit:

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To your health journey success,

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Friday’s Recipes: Top 3 Fruit Juice Recipes

Healthy Eating, Recipes 3 Responses »

Jan 282011

Hey there! How was your week this week? Because it is Friday, I am bringing you some more yummy healthy recipes to try this weekend!

I finally invested in a great juicer a few weeks ago and have been looking around for some great recipes to try out. I came across 3 great tasting juice recipes that I am sure you will love!

If you do not have a juicer, you can make up these recipes as smoothies in your blender by adding some water to the fruit. So whether you are up for some fresh juice or a great smoothie, try out these recipes and let me know what you think.

When you are juicing these recipes, just use the ingredients listed in the recipe and put the fruit through your juicer. How simple can it get? If you are wanting to make the smoothie versions of these recipes, you can add some soy milk, almond milk, or water to the fruit and blend in your blender until smooth.

Berry Juice Delight

2 cups of Strawberries
2 cups of Blueberries
1 ½ cups of Raspberries
1 cup of blackberries

Kiwi Apple Juice

3 Kiwis
2 Apples (cored)

Grape & Blueberry Juice

1 cup Purple Grapes
1 cup Blueberries

Leave me a comment below and answer this question of the day: which recipe sounds the best to you and why?

To your health journey success,

P.S. Get a Health Coach to help you Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and have FUN. Join me by Clicking Here! Find and connect with me on my Facebook fan page and on Twitter!