Happy New Year!

Taking a few days off with some friends for the new year. I'll be back soon with some New Year's resolutions!

Have a safe night of celebrations!

Be well.

Love, Julie

Veggie burgers can be sneaky sometimes

Well, I’ve been home for a little over two weeks and it’s getting to be that time where this Miami girl has about had it with the suburbs of Boston. I’m used to being able to walk wherever, being active easily, and most importantly the warmth and sunshine. I always struggle at home, given how the spread out layout of my town makes walking anywhere not super appealing, and being so far out of the city doesn’t exactly bring the most exciting day to day activities. Now, I think I would do a lot better in the summer, with my drive to be active and explore new things. But it’s December, and snowing. I have been forced into hibernation. So, in attempt to not be sitting around all day (other than for my workout), I’m writing to you today at my make shift stand up desk on one of my dressers. I guess that’s something?

Anyway, back to business! Today I wanted to share a little about my journey in shifting my diet and becoming plant based. A main challenge in this was figuring out what a usual “entrée” for me would be. My roommate at the time was a vegetarian, and so I always noticed veggie burgers as her go-to. I decided to give them a whirl! However, I soon discovered that this would be a trial and error process. Not all veggie burgers are great for you! This post is for anyone who likes to occasionally enjoy a veggie burger, vegan or not. The right ones are awesome, quick, and convenient meatless Monday alternatives, and for me in college, an everyday staple.

Eating vegetarian or vegan does not necessarily equate with eating healthy. For example, a vegan could technically live entirely off of fake meats, fake cheeses, refined carbs, oreos, vegan ice cream bars, and other junk foods. They probably are worse off than a clean eating omnivore! This is why the diet I follow closely is actually called a “whole foods, plant based diet”. It stays away from chemicals, artificial and super processed foods, additives etc. While store bought veggie burgers are a “processed food” , it is possible to find ones made with mainly whole, healthy ingredients which provide you with great plant based protein and nutrients.

I started off buying a package of Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie burgers. First off, I learned it wasn’t actually vegan.

Threw that package out.

Then I bought their vegan burgers. It was around this time that I was doing more research concerning soy products. I’m still not quite sure what the deal with soy is. It’s a very controversial subject. However, when it comes down to it, things like soy beans and tofu are usually ok because they are soy in a natural or very close to natural state. When the soy is stripped down in various forms, creating oils, proteins, milks, and other not so natural things, is when it becomes iffy. Also, the issue of genetically modified soybeans is very important. Always always buy non-gmo. So, with this research, I decided to try and stay away from soy as much as possible other than in edamame, tofu, and occasional soy creamer form. This gets tricky. Some form of soy seems to be in everything, even bread! Therefore, try is the key word! Our best effort is always better than no effort.

Back to the burgers. After doing this research on soy, and learning more about how to pick proper foods, I looked into the ingredients of this burger (taken from their website).

WATER, TEXTURED SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, CORN OIL, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, VEGETABLE GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS FROM VEGETABLE SOURCES, MALTODEXTRIN, SOY FIBER, SALT, CARRAGEENAN, POTATO STARCH, ONION POWDER, CARAMEL COLOR, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, KONJAC FLOUR, SUNFLOWER OIL, SESAME SEED OIL, SOY SAUCE (WATER, SOYBEANS, WHEAT, SALT), CONCENTRATED ONION JUICE, ASCORBIC ACID, VINEGAR POWDER, CITRIC ACID, ASPARTIC ACID, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, MALIC ACID, SUCCINIC ACID, TARTARIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, WHEAT FLOUR, SOY LECITHIN.

…What? What was I eating? I have zero clue what the majority of these things are. Also, Morningstar does not list “non-gmo” on its products. Essentially the burger was some engineered, soy, something. What genuine nutrients and healthy protein was I getting from that?

Threw that package out

A more enlightened me headed out once again, this time to Whole Foods. I checked out Amy’s Organic veggie burgers. Organic…that was a good start! I discovered that some of their burgers are made with soy and some are not. I picked out the Light in Sodium California Burger. Here are its ingredients:

Ingredients : (Vegan) Organic mushrooms, organic onions, organic bulgar wheat, organic celery, organic carrots, organic oats, filtered water, organic walnuts, wheat gluten, organic potatoes, expeller pressed high oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil, sea salt, organic garlic. Contains tree nuts & wheat.

Whewf real food! All food that I can pronounce and recognize, Yay! Not to mention, this has a delicious flavor and “meaty texture” for just 110 calories a burger! Another great option for those who are gluten free is the Sonoma Burger. This one is a little heartier, made with quinoa. I love to throw these onto my George Foreman, and wrap them up in a lavash with red onion, mustard, spinach, and tomatoes! In the midst of the semester, this becomes by everyday dinner quite quickly.

Another awesome option that I have been eating more frequently lately is Dr. Praeger’s California and Tex Mex Veggie Burgers.

Ingredients: Carrots, Onions, String Beans, Oat Bran, Soybeans, Zucchini, Peas, Broccoli, Corn, Soy Flakes, Spinach, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Red Peppers, Arrowroot, Corn Starch, Garlic, Corn Meal, Salt, Parsley, Black Pepper.

Beautiful, just beautiful! The soy in this is actual beans, not textured soy protein. Warning: These burgers are green, and softer than Amy’s. Do not freak out! They are absolutely delicious. Give them a try. I also hear if you use a toaster oven to heat them up, rather than a George Foreman, they are not as squishy. Either way, they are amazing in wraps, or crumbled up into salads! They also seem to have a higher nutrient density than Amy’s which is why I usually pick these. But either makes a great choice!If I have a veggie burger for one meal one day, I make sure to get my protein in my other meals from my shakes, beans, or other more whole food things!

So, next time you’re in the mood for a burger, try it veggie style! Make sure to pay attention to what goes into it, so you enjoy the full benefits of the pure ingredients. Healthy choices come with trial and error. It will all come with time, attention, and research!

I hope this helps you avoid some of the same roadblock’s I ran into!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

My favorite Law of Spirtitual Success *It will change your life*

A favorite story of mine happened when I accidentally pulled out of my driveway without looking. Of course the one time I do this (I’m serious the one time), a car goes flying behind me. I hear this hugeee honk and hit the brakes one inch away from the car. I didn’t move a muscle, with fear I would give her nice SUV a love tap. The woman pulls away, and I remain still. Then she proceeds to get out of her car and scream at me for about 30 seconds straight. Mind you, I didn’t hit her. Yes it was my fault. Yes it was a one-time mistake. I get it. It was scary enough. Anyway, she’s screaming, on the street, alone. My windows are closed, and I hear absolutely nothing she says. All I can think is man, this woman is freaking out, getting all stressed, and I realized it was a bad situation, and have chosen to remain calm. So, when she pulled away in a huff, ruining her own day (for not being hit), I was shook up for a little and then decided to recognize my mistake and move on calmly. We made two very different choices, and I’m sure that day the universe responded to us in very different ways. Years ago, I may have been seriously bothered by that, or have yelled back. But, this law brought me back down to earth…

          Yes we have returned to Deepak! We still have many more awesome laws to go. Have you been reading? Listening maybe? I cannot possibly cover all the wisdom Seven Spiritual Laws of Success shares in this blog, so don’t cheat yourself. Go get it!

                 

          So let’s see where are we? Law number three! We just explored The Law of Pure Potentiality and The Law of Giving. Now we arrive at The Law of Karma.  I think it is safe to say that this is my favorite law. As can be seen from my little story, it is one whose relevance I see in my life every single day. It has gotten me through various tough situations, and continues to be a voice of reason in my daily life. Let it guide you as well!

According to Deepak, The Law of Karma tells us that “every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind”. How do these actions come to be? They are choices. Think about it. Every minute of every single day, we make choices. We choose what we do, we choose how we treat other people, we choose how we feel about ourselves, and we choose how we react to certain situations. In every single thing in life, we have the power to choose. However, so many times we forget this simple fact. We think we are subject to certain conditions. We unconsciously make decisions that may not return the best energy to us. Yet, they are still decisions, that we have made, that no one forced us to make.

Here is how Deepak suggests using the Law of Karma:

1. Witness the choices you make in every moment. The best way to prepare for any moment in the future is to be fully conscious in the present.

2. Whenever you make a choice, ask yourself two questions: “What are the consequences of this choice?” and “Will this choice bring happiness to me and to those who are affected by this choice?”

3. Ask your heart for guidance, and be guided by its message of comfort or discomfort. If the choice feels comfortable, go ahead with that choice. If the choice feels uncomfortable, then don’t make that choice.

This law is so simple, and yet again so incredible. How could we possibly have forgotten how much power we have over our own lives? For example, milk has spilled all over your kitchen. Do you freak out and moan and get angry? Or do you take a deep breath, calmly get some paper towels and clean up the mess? Which will return more positive energy to you? Which will upset everyone around you? Say it spills on your clothes. Will people admire you more for carrying yourself with poise, or for causing a huge scene?

There was a time this semester (or actually a few times) where I was absolutely overwhelmed with commitments. I didn’t know how I’d get it all done. I began to freak out. Then I remembered Deepak’s melodic voice in my head speaking about The Law of Karma. Stressing out over it would only cause me discomfort. It would not help me get everything done. So, I took a deep breath, made a to-do list, and decided to tackle everything one thing at a time. It would all get done, and I needed to take care of my sanity as well.

 So keep this in mind in absolutely any situation. You’re going out after a significant other did something to bother you…is it going to ruin your good time? Or will you go out confident in yourself, and have fun with your friends? Someone has a different point of view than you. Do you become irritated and judgmental? Or do you listen and consider different possibilities, offering your love and support?

It also pertains to health goals. Is skipping your work out today necessary? How will it make you feel? Does your body really need a break (the answer could most certainly be yes)? What are you going to feed your body? Will it make you feel good, or bloated and tired?

I in no way have mastered this law at all yet. However, it is an absolutely amazing resource. Whenever I am anxious or insecure about something, I always remember that I am choosing to feel that way. No one is making me. Remember the quote I posted a while ago? “You are only confined by the walls you build yourself”. It’s a lot to wrap our heads around. Society has conditioned us to react and act in certain ways. It’s ok. Let’s just take it one choice at a time, one day at a time, and remember that we are in control of our own lives. I’m speaking to myself on this one too!!

Wishing you a calm and wonderful day full of awesome karma from the universe,

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Finding your soul mate

            I wish I could take credit for the term soul mate workout. But, of course, it comes from one of my many incredible health inspirations, Chalene Johnson. What is a soul mate workout? It’s your favorite, the workout you absolutely love to do, the program that gives you the best results, the approach that works for your body, and eases your mind. Find this, and you are on your way to a healthier, happier you.

An article by another one of my more recent role models, Tara Stiles, tied into this idea. The piece was called “Why exercise and burning calories won’t help you lose weight”. A main point I took away from this was that, if an exercise routine is a source of stress and aggression to you, stress and aggression will spill over to all other areas of your life. For example, if you are constantly anxious about getting your workout in when you really don’t want to, you may eat with more aggression and urgency, as if you were in that stressful state associated with working out. Not being able to eat mindfully and calmly could result in overeating and a halt in your physical progress. In addition, stress in general is associated with weight gain ( a lot of time in the belly, due to the stress hormone, cortisol). I have just recently dealt with this myself. I was putting so much emphasis on getting my workouts in, that it became a source of stress, rather than a source of healing. In combination with all of the other things on my plate during the semester, my mind was constantly working saying “ok you need to do this, than that, then this, than that”. Everything I did flew by. Eating was frantic and rushed. My heart seemed like it was constantly pounding. It wasn’t exactly the healthiest state. In her article, Tara emphasizes the importance of cultivating ease in one’s life, living peacefully, and calmly. Then we can slow everything down, do what makes our bodies feel good, not feel the need to shovel food into ourselves all the time, and approach our wellness routines as a positive and healing part of our life. To me, a big part of being successful in this includes finding your soul mate workout, along with a few other things. Like everyone, I still am figuring out the ropes on this, but here is what I have learned so far.

1. Mindset first- Everything starts out with your mindset. In your everyday activities, try and remain calm. Everything always gets done that needs to, right? Do not stress about it. Take things one at a time and continue enjoying every moment of your life. Taking even just a little time in silence to take a few deep breaths and slow down your racing mind can help with this. See your exercise and health regimen as an opportunity to have fun, take time for you, enjoy yourself, and cleanse your body.

2. Find your soul mate workout- What do you love to do? What do you enjoy? What are you good at? What gives you results that make you feel fabulous?? Do you love to run? Does yoga make you feel fantastic? Maybe its training for sports, or swimming , spinning, zumba? It’s all about finding what works best for you, and finding something that you look forward to doing every day, something that does not disrupt your inner ease and peace, but nurtures you even more. For example, I have never been a natural born runner. Lately, I can conquer a 5k pretty well, but no long long distance for me. So, I had to experiment with other ways in which I could get the same physical benefits. I went through an elliptical phase, a biking phase, and a few yoga phases. Ultimately, I found my soul mate workout, through the woman who introduced that term, Chalene Johnson. Her Turbofire program gave me a way to torch tons of calories and transform my body in a way that truly worked for me. This kickboxing based routine is fueled by positivity, fun choreography, and great music. I now can easily conquer hour long workouts. When training for a 5k, I don’t run, I kick box! I figure, if I can do 30 straight minutes of high intensity intervals, or 60 straight minutes of kick boxing choreo(which is the equivalent to running 6-7 miles), I can run for 3 miles.  I could torture myself with crazy workouts, but I found what is effective and keeps me at ease, and I’m sticking to it. Everyone is different.  Someone’s torture is another’s relaxation. The key is finding what works, and what you truly enjoy!! Once you do, use this as the basis of your weekly routine.

4. Lift! One activity alone (like cardio) will give you results for a while, but ultimately will lead you to a plateau. It’s important to cross train! Alternate days of high calorie burning work with work that tones your muscles. Like Chalene says, nothing is more attractive than muscle. Again, this may take some trial and error. Depending on one’s fitness goals, different lifting techniques should be used. For example, a man trying to bulk up will do something much different than a woman who wishes to be slender and toned. Luckily, there are all the resources in the world out there to help you in this! Find a program that works for you, whether it’s from a website, dvd (beach body is great!), or magazine! Invest some time in mastering correct form for maximum results. Make sure to work all areas of the body, quads, abductors/adductors, hamstrings, calves, chest, shoulders, back, biceps and triceps, dedicating different days to different areas. I personally love using free weights and doing exercises that target both the upper and lower body at the same time. Here, it is definitely easiest to use a routine made by an expert. Hopefully I’ll be one one day! =)

5. Mix it up!- In both cardio and lifting, results will start to decrease after a certain amount of time. Your body gets used to the routine, and wants something new. It’s important to have variation in some area of your routine. For example, I do the same few kickboxing dvds in various sequences (the workouts change in intensity and time). Most of the variation in my workouts comes from my lifting routine. I use Chalene Johnson’s Chalene Extreme which works perfectly (all her stuff is available on beach body). The program has 3 different phases. Within each phase are three different workouts. You repeat the workouts in a phase for 4 weeks (so each workout 4 times) and then you switch to a new phase. This keeps your body guessing. I just switched phases and boy am I sore (and I’ve been doing this for years!). Try and find a routine that has a format similar to this!

5. Stretch- If yoga is a base workout for you, this is no problem. But for everyone else, stretching is equally important. I must admit, I have struggled with this. Stretching takes time, and in a rush it’s tricky to fit in. However, during my small Bikram hiatus, I realized how wonderful it felt to have a more flexible body. Everything I do can be done more comfortably and with a greater range of motion. Muscles will be less prone to injury, and you won’t feel restricted! I used Bikram as a jump start for this, and will make sure to dedicate myself to some quality stretch time after each workout.

6. Abs- Throw those in there about every other day! Try and fatigue those muscles and feel the soreness the next day.

7. Fuel- So you burned a ton of calories today with your workout and your metabolism is revved to the max! Time to pig out right? Wrong. A major mistake people make is assuming they can indulge because their workout offset any damage for the day. Wrong. As I mentioned in a previous post, one’s diet is much more influential in one’s health and well-being than exercise. Without giving your body clean and proper fuel, your exercise efforts are basically a waste. Sure, you can feel better about munching on snacks, but make them healthy snacks, and don’t overdo it. Another quote by Chalene, “your ab work is done in the kitchen”. You can work those abs all you want, but until you lose the layer of fat covering them, the muscles will just continue to grow, possibly pushing your stomach out more. Muscles will not reveal themselves until the excess fat is gone. Easiest way to do this? Stop eating extra fat, cholesterol, and sugar! Listen to your body. It wants fuel that will give it energy for the next workout , not that will give it an extra load to work off. For example, when I was younger, I used to run a mile downtown to the ice cream shop (about 100 calories). I would then pick up a chocolate frappe as a reward (about 1000 calories) and walk home. That doesn’t add up to success does it? No wonder I had such awful endurance in soccer...

Ok, that was a lot!

But,in the end, the key is always stay calm. Find the routine that becomes a source of positivity in your life. Focus on the rejuvenation you will feel. Make it work with the rest of your day. With some planning, you can easily fit in time to get a work out in, and spend time with friends and family. One should not have to come at the expense of the other. After all, we take care of our bodies so we can feel fantastic day to day. It isn’t worth it if we miss out on everyday life obsessing over it! It’s a tricky balancing act, but it’s very possible with research, and patience.

Your soul mate is waiting for you, go find it!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

My health inspired holiday recap!

Hi everyone!!! I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas had an amazing, wonderful, restful, and joyous holiday. I feel like I have been running all over the place and haven’t written in so long. But have no fear, I am back in action!!!

If you think a vegan can’t enjoy a wonderful holiday meal. This post is to prove you wrong.

My family had our main big meal on Christmas Eve this year. I called our efforts “semi-homemade”. Between me, my mom, dad, brother, and sister-in- law, we have three different diets (regular for the boys, vegetarian for my sister-in-law, and vegan for me and mom). So, clearly, along with gift preparations and church plans, we couldn’t make every option for everyone from scratch. All the mains were homemade, turkey, salmon, etc. My brother and sister-in- law picked up some of their favorite sides at a restaurant. We got my dad some of his favorite sides from Stop and Shop (which surprisingly has a quality a la carte section), made rolls, prepared some vegan desserts, and bought some regular sweets as well. It was a little complicated but all worked out! I must admit, Thanksgiving was much more of a plant-based takeover. However, with more people come more personal preferences, and during the holidays sometimes the “eat healthy talk” is just not worth the effort. Anyway, here’s what those of us who are more health conscious enjoyed: (Excuse the picture, I forgot to take it until I was half way through my meal!)

Happy Herbivore Hippy Loaf! – A delicious blend of black beans quinoa, mushrooms, and vegetables. This is a great go-to option for a plant-based entrée. Nice and low cal so you can enjoy lots of sides with it as well! http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/hippie-loaf-gluten-free/

 

Sautéed Broccoli- A kind of figure it out as you go dish. For this we simply:

-          Added olive oil to a sauté pan over medium/medium high heat

-          Added a bunch of freshly chopped garlic (depending on the amount of broccoli you are using). Let the garlic sauté for a bit, getting to a golden brown.

-          Then we added the broccoli

-          Add in some dry white wine ¼ cup at a time as needed.

-          Mix all together, and sauté until the broccoli is bright green and cooked to the tenderness you desire.

-          Salt and Pepper to taste!

Low fat Vegan Pumpkin Pie- A repeat from Thanksgiving, this pie is to die for. Amazingly delicious. Made simply with pumpkin, maple syrup, silken tofu, and spices with no eggs, or condensed milk! When looking at recipes try and find ones with the most whole, recognizable ingredients and with the least amount of refined sugars/flours etc. I find that often times the outer edges bake more quickly than the inside, so it helps to take strips of foil and cover the outer edges to protect them while the middle continues to bake, when there is about a half hour remaining in cooking time.  

http://vegweb.com/recipes/tofu-pumpkin-pie

Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie- This was my first time trying this out! I had no idea what to expect, and it was absolutely incredible. The combination of unsweetened cocoa powder, maple syrup, soy vanilla creamer, silken tofu, and coconut oil created the richest chocolate filling. (Both this and the Pumpkin Pie are taste approved by my very non-vegan father. He loves them!) This recipe calls for agar agar, which is a gelatin thickening agent. I couldn’t find this last minute, so my pie ended up a little soupy. Delicious, but not as firm. Research I’ve done says you can use other vegan gelatin or pectin in its place. I will definitely make this again using one of those and let you know what happens! Also, it calls for pink sea salt. I used regular, all was not lost. http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2011/09/chocolate-cream-pie-vegan.html

On Christmas day, we went to visit my Grandma at her house and had a fun Christmas picnic in her living room. The star of the show for everyone was Mom’s festive hummus rollups. These are super simple to make and can be customized in any way you like. I definitely will be making more of this easy snack in college. The hummus gives a great protein kick! Here’s a quick tutorial.

-          Take a tortilla of your choice, spinach, sundried tomato, whole wheat… (we did red and green for Christmas)

-          Spread on a layer of hummus…you could use any type of hummus you would like for your flavor profile

-          Add some spinach, shredded carrots, and roasted red peppers

-          Roll them up!

-          Roll up in saran wrap and put in the fridge for a bit so they can set.

-     Cut roll up in to slices for nice little pinwheels!

 Needless to say it was a delicious holiday for all. I won’t lie. I’m feeling the effects of feasting over the past few days a little this morning. But, like I said in a previous post, all there is to do is reset, get a great workout in, and eat a clean mean diet. I decided to start Chalene Johnson’s Turbo Fire back up today after my small Bikram Hiatus (more on that to come). I know that woman will whip me back into shape!

One last thing to wrap up my Holiday Recap, presents! I was so blessed to receive some awesome gifts this holiday Season. My family knows me all too well, showering me with vegan cookbooks, gift cards to Whole Foods and Barnes and Noble, and presenting me with my first Veggie Spiralizer! Zucchini Noodles anyone??  With all of these new things there are definitely many more health inspired adventures to come! 

Be Well.

Love, Julie