Tumblr Experiment!!!

Hello! It's almost been a year since I started this blog-baby of mine!

As you've seen, it's activity has gone up and down depending on my busy-ness level. Things don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and sometimes I just don't have the energy to write up a super comprehensive blog post.

So…I decided to take Be Well. Love, Julie into the new year with a Tumblr experiment! I always find fun things I want to share or have random thought. I feel that Tumblr will be a great new medium to continue Be Well. Love, Julie in a more stream of conscious manner. Of course I will still blog when I can, but this will allow me to share fun things quickly too! So, please check out my new site!

http://bewelllovej.tumblr.com

If you're on tumblr, let me know, and please give me a follow! We shall see where this new experiment takes us =)

I have a ton of new health book recommendations and more that I will be posting about soon.
Enjoy the beginning of the holiday season!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Fast Food For Fall!

No, not actual fast food...

We're talking healthy fall meals that keep you feeling good when you're on the go! Here are some of my favorite easy to prepare fall staples that provide me with great, nutritious fuel even when I'm low on time. It's about half fresh food, half "processed". But, let's face it, it's hard to make your own soups and dals everyday. Luckily, there are some fantastic pre-made options out there!

I've been really in tune with my seasonal cravings this year. The chill in the air has made me say goodbye to salads and gravitate towards warm, hearty deliciousness. Also, I think I'm addicted to squash. I've had fun experimenting with acorn and butternut this fall! 

Let's zoom in a little to see what we have…

Dr. McDougall's Soups and Entrees- I know I can always trust the McDougall brand for well-balanced vegan meals. Their soups and asian entrees are delicious and filling, while being naturally low-fat and packaged in BPA-free containers. You can find these products in the soup and asian departments in Whole Foods and sometimes in the natural section of your regular grocery store. 

Amy's Organic Soups- While not in BPA free containers, these soups are still a great choice given the integrity of their ingredients. I've been enjoying their split pea soup lately, as it's easy to heat up at school! Amy's uses organic ingredients whenever possible, and is always non-gmo. I usually prefer Dr. McDougall's in taste, but as I said, the split pea has me hooked! 

Tasty Bite Indian Entrees- So, I've recently become addicted to Indian. Those warming flavors are simply divine. However, getting those flavors in a home cooked meal can be pretty labor intensive, and requires a lot of ingredients. As a grad student, I was craving good Indian food, but did not have the time or money to make it myself! Enter Tasty Bite. I was ecstatic when I found this brand in my local Whole Foods. Tasty Bite has a vast array of Indian options. Many of the entrees are vegan, gluten free, and kosher. Everything is all-natural, made with simple ingredients that one can recognize and understand (always key with processed foods). Even better, Tasty Bite has an awesome BPA- free packaging system which cooks the items in an already sealed pouch, allowing for a long shelf life without preservatives! I love heating up some spinach dal and enjoying it with spaghetti squash. It literally takes one minute. 

These foods are a little less "fast", but if you make them in advance, they round out a meal perfectly. Lately, I've been roasting tons of spaghetti, butternut, and acorn squash to have on hand. I usually just hollow them out, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, and throw them in the oven at 375 for about 45 minutes (butternut seems to take less time, so I'd check at 35 first). Acorn squash is delicious if you cut it into wedges! The other two I do in halves. I also love to quickly steam some broccoli or roast eggplant to have ready for easy to prepare lunches and dinners. Not pictured here are mung beans and quinoa, which add a great source of protein to any meal.

Here is an example of an easy meal I whipped up with some of the pre-made ingredients I had in my fridge (not the prettiest picture, I apologize):

I have spaghetti squash, mung beans, broccoli, red onion, eggplant, and tomatoes. I dressed it with some Annie's Lite Goddess dressing and poof! Delicious, fast, nutritious fall meal =) 

I hope you've gotten some inspiration from this post. Just because you're low on time, doesn't mean you need to sacrifice on quality! When we are busy and on the go, it is especially important to give our body the energy it needs. It's all about doing a little prep in advance, and having some pre-made staples in your pantry. 

Enjoy the last bits of fall everyone! 

Be Well.

Love, Julie 

STOP, LOOK, & LISTEN

When you talk to most adults, they usually all have at least one thing in common. There was a time in their lives where they went through a really rough time, one they didn’t know how they’d get through, one where they lost their sense of who they were, one where they pushed through anything for the sake of their future.

Boy, I hope these past two and half months was that time for me.

In a nutshell, I’ve been in an extremely challenging grad program (which is wonderful not bashing that at all!). For the first two months I literally did not have time to watch a TV show or relax on my couch at night. My brain was constantly full of all of the work that had to be done. Nights and weekends were full of group meetings and internship interviews, and when I did get to lay down for a second, my heart literally beat out of my chest. I was in pure survival mode, just trying to stay afloat. It’s hard to express in words exactly what happened. Everything that made me a unique and beautiful person flew out the window. I was gone, for two months straight.

But, like they always say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And here I am, alive, recovering, and 100% more self-aware than I was before. I may face times as challenging as these again in my life, but I know what to expect now, and I know what to do to remain calm.

STOP

There is always more that needs to be done. But sometimes we all just need to stop. Things can get to a point where pushing forward becomes counter-productive. Prioritize your to do list, and make sure you are a part of that! Try to include some preventative relaxation time so you don’t get to the kind of state I was in. Breathe, meditate, do what makes you feel good. It will all get done in the end. Worrying about things now only strips the present of it’s joy. It doesn’t help you accomplish anything in the end. I wasted two months of my life in a state of insane stress. I didn’t have to. I could have just taken things one-step at a time and enjoyed each moment. But I didn’t take enough time to STOP.

LOOK

In tough times, step back and take a look. How are you acting? How are people seeing you? Is that who you genuinely are, or have you turned into someone else completely? I learned that when exceedingly stressed, I become extremely anxious, distrustful, a little bossy, and very verbal. Writing that now just made me cringe. That’s not who I am, and I hate that that’s the impression I gave off to a lot of my new peers for an extended period of time. Luckily, I gradually was able to recognize this, and get back to my true nature. My interactions with everyone began to slowly improve, to the point where I think most people see me as normal now =) Since I LOOKED, I now know what can potentially happen in these situations, and can be proactive to make sure that never happens again (at least to that extreme).

Listen

Listen to your body. What is it telling you? What do you need? Is it crying for sleep? Does it need a little movement? Does it need just a relaxing night in? For example, a major thing I learned the past few months is that there is a direct connection between my stress level and my digestion. For about a month and a half, my normal stomach activities just stopped. I was bloated and uncomfortable. Hence I ate less, and ended up pretty much malnourished, with frequent episodes of dizziness and tingling from poor circulation. It’s crazy how when your nervous system is that stressed out, it focuses all of its attention on the most vital life functions, and digestion can be pretty much ignored. Tip: If eating when stressed, take time to breathe and calm down before beginning your meal. Also, have easy to digest foods like a warm soup or something soft.

Also, listen to your heart. Listen to your authentic identity. Who are you deep down? What do you truly desire? Try and explore ways to get back into balance. Put good into the world, and hope that you’ll get that good back at some point.

As things have slowed down in my program, I am thankful for the lessons I’ve learned, and for the changes I’ve already been able to make. I am still trying to balance a few things, and by no means have mastered it all. But I am working towards it, and am thankful I learned these things about myself at 22 and not 44. Whatever challenges you may go through now, or in the future. Remember to STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN.

We have one life to live. Don’t waste it being anything other than the best version of yourself. (Yes, I’m talking to myself too on this one).

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Two super easy, super healthy recipes!

Happy Saturday Everyone! I hope you are enjoying a restful and relaxing weekend. You deserve it! Today I wanted to share with you two super yummy, super easy recipes I've enjoyed lately. Before I do though, make sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates/ fun wellness stuff! @JMartinez621 and https://www.facebook.com/BeWellLoveJulie  .

Ok, now for the deliciousness! This first recipe was inspired by a Tara Stiles Video (aka  it is basically the same, but I didn't have actual curry sauce- which actually probably makes this version lighter) So, credit to her! Yes, she is my new favorite person. I just read Yoga Cures on my kindle, and it was amazing. Simple, eye opening, life changing. I'll have to do another book list soon!

Curried Rice and Lentils with Veggies ! 

You'll need: 

- A lentils and rice mixture, or any grain of your choice. I did a medley of brown rice, wild rice, and lentils from whole foods

- Vegetable broth

- Earth Balance, olive oil, or a non-stick cooking spray

-Orange Bell Pepper 

-Red Onion

-Celery

-Greens of your choice 

-Any other veggies you desire/ would like to substitute with 

- Curry Powder

- Chilli Powder

- Ground Tumeric 

-Salt and Pepper

As usual, my recipes are more like guidelines. I'm not a professional chef, and everyone's appliances and tastes are different. Alter this as necessary to make it work for you, choosing the correct amount of ingredients for your portion size!

1. Prepare grains per package instructions. I like to use vegetable broth instead of water to give it more flavor. Make a big batch and save leftovers for later in the week! I use a half cup as one serving 

2. Heat a large pan on medium high heat, add a tablespoon or so of Earth Balance (or other choice). Just enough to add some flavor without adding mega calories. 

3. Chop onions and add them to the pan.

4. Do the same with the peppers and celery. 

5. Let these sauté a while until they are nice and soft.

 6. Once the veggies are at their desired texture, turn down the heat a little bit and add grains. 

7. Add a pinch of curry powder, chilli powder, and ground tumeric. Add any more depending on your tastes. 

8. Add the greens, sauté until everything is nice and warm. 

9. Salt and pepper/ season more to taste

10. Enjoy this nutritious and flavorful meal! 

Lemon Pepper Zucchini with Quinoa and Marinara Sauce 

This one is something I just whipped up on my own with random pre-made things I had in my fridge. I love making lemon pepper zucchini and having it ready to throw into any recipe. Also, having a good quality marinara sauce is a wonderful way to easily add flavor to any meal. I like Whole Foods 365 and search for types with no crazy ingredients. I apologize for the messy plating! It didn't occur to me that I should blog about this when I took the picture!

What you'll need: 

- Quinoa

-Vegetable Broth

-Zucchini

-Fresh Garlic

-Greens of Choice

-Marinara Sauce

-Olive Oil

-Lemon Pepper Seasoning

-Italian Seasoning

-Fresh Lemon Juice

-Salt and Pepper 

1. Prepare quinoa per instructions with vegetable broth. 

2. Chop up a few gloves of garlic, depending on portion size

3. In large pan, heat a small amount of olive oil (again, just enough for flavor) and garlic. Use a medium heat so things don't burn! 

4. Meanwhile, chop up zucchini and add to the pan 

5. Sauté zucchini on medium high heat, adding lemon pepper and italian seasoning as desired per your taste. 

6. Squeeze in a little bit of juice from a lemon and continue to sauté zucchini until it reaches desired texture. 

7. Salt and Pepper to taste.

8. Reduce heat and portion out the amount you would like to save as left overs. 

9. To the amount remaining in pan, add quinoa, greens, and marinara sauce. 

10. Stir until everything is warm and delicious

11. Enjoy! 

I also make this by throwing all the left over components into a bowl and microwaving! Do whatever works for you that day =) 

I hope you enjoy these quick and easy recipes! They are simple, and full of whole, nutritious, satisfying ingredients. Why bother with anything else? As I'm sure you can tell, there is an easy formula behind these two recipes. Grain, veggie, greens, seasoning. What other combos can you come up with? Experiment with your favorite flavors! Mexican, Asian, Mediterranean? The possibilities are endless. I'll continue to post anything I find extra easy and delicious! 

Be Well.

Love, Julie

How I've maintained my happy weight by letting go of "intense exercise"

This gets long, and very personal, but if it helps anyone going through something similar, it’s worth sharing!

As I have mentioned before, this is a blog chronicling my wellness journey. It’s a never-ending process of self-growth and knowledge. Sometimes it may mean contradicting things that I have written in the past, and I may change my mind about what I write today in the future. Especially with exercise routines, it’s all about what works best for you day to day.

A few weeks ago or so, I wrote about how I survived my summer desk job. By survive, I meant barely. For some reason, sitting for that long stressed me out so much that my entire body spun out of control. It was as if every normal function simply stopped working. One day I found myself staring at the ATM, unable to remember my pin. I was bloated, uncomfortable in my body, and my heart literally felt like it was pumping out of my chest all the time. Looking back on it, I don’t think it was quite the sitting that was the issue, but the stress that I was subjecting myself to by being so concerned by that, and from having to fit so many things in during the summer.

I tried to combat my inactivity with intense workouts whenever I could, hoping to make up the difference. The thing with intense, aggressive workouts is that it increases your stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. Living in such stressful conditions all of the time, whether it is mental stress from day to day life or stress from intense workouts, can result in a chronic overload of cortisol and depletion of adrenaline. Depletion of adrenaline often results in extreme fatigue. Chronic cortisol overload can result in fatigue, the accumulation of fat (especially belly fat), muscle loss, and more. Tons of intense exercise also increases your appetite, which, when combined with stress, can result in cumpulsive eating which outweighs one’s workout.

Anyway, it became clear this was happening to me. I was pushing and pushing, and seemed to be going backwards. Not to mention I felt like I was on the verge of a mental breakdown one to many times. It was then that I looked at those around me, like my Mom, who didn’t work out nearly as much as me, and looked great, just by keeping a clean diet and only eating when she was hungry. I on the other hand, felt totally outside of my body, and sometimes would eat when I really just didn’t need to, knowing that I was uncomfortably full, but needing something to calm me down.

I had read an article by Tara Stiles many times before called “Why exercise and burning calories won’t help you lose weight” (link below). It was all about what I was going through, talking about how living so aggressively makes us eat aggressively and just wrecks havoc on our bodies. She argues that moving in a way that makes us feel good, reducing stress, will help us reconnect with our bodies and eat properly. Nutrition is the key to maintaining our happy weight. Now, like I said, I had been aware of this article for months, going back to it, and not really believing it. “She’s so tiny, she just must not eat” is what I thought. Truth is she eats just what her body needs, and her hormones are in balance, so she is not swollen and fatigued. This is just like what I saw in my Mom and others, who did not force themselves around so often. They just lived naturally and ate intuitively.

A few weeks ago, I reached a point where I just couldn’t take anymore. My body literally screamed for a break. And so, I finally took Tara’s advice and stopped the intense workouts. I focused on yoga, walking, and meditation, and tried to keep my heart rate normal at all times. Within a few days I started to heal. My heart rate calmed down and the swelling all over my body went away. I learned how to recognize when I was truly hungry and when I was full. About a week and a half later, I was back to my happy weight where I felt comfortable, by doing much less exercise than I was doing before. Today, 3 weeks later, I have maintained my healthy state by moving with ease. In fact, business clothes I bought while I was at my peak stress level were too big when I got here! Yoga is still a workout, building killer strength, flexibility, balance, and more. It is simply one that reduces stress instead of causing stress (for me at least). It makes me feel graceful and confident. Being in such a tough grad program, it has helped me stay calm, happy, and balanced. I used to not want to do my hard workouts, but this is something I truly enjoy. Along with honoring my body with a whole food, plant based diet, it has healed me in the most amazing way.

Do your workouts bring you joy and peace? Are they helping you create healthy habits in the rest of your life? Or, are they stressing you out, and causing unease? Everyone is different. Everyone has his or her own “soul mate workout”. Have you found yours? Experiment. Listen to your body, and nourish yourself with your favorite exercise and the proper amount of unprocessed, nutritious foods. Let me know what happens!

Here is Tara's article which much of this story is based off of. She has an amazing blog and collection of yoga videos to help you get started! http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5128/Why-Exercise-and-Burning-Calories-Wont-Help-You-Lose-Weight.html 

Be Well.

Love, Julie

What's in my kitchen ?!?!

I have been waiting for this moment for years, and it has arrived at last! I finally have my own kitchen. * Jumps for Joy * Literally, this was one of the things I was most excited about in coming to grad school.

Go ahead. Question my priorities.

 Anyway, I wanted to show you just how I stock my lovely new space, keeping it full of nutritious ingredients that will properly fuel me through the long days of graduate study. Maybe you’ll get some ideas of things to try out yourself!

 Ready to prepare oats, quinoa, rice and lentils. I will often have oatmeal for breakfast or a snack, and make big batches of quinoa or rice to have on hand all week for quick dinners! And of course, my kitchen would not be complete with some vino.

 In this bowl of fun I have spaghetti squash, which is also great to prepare and enjoy all week long, bananas, vegan dark chocolate, Lara bars, and Luna Fiber bars. Although I do prefer to only eat “whole foods”, where I recognize all ingredients, Luna Fiber Bars are not a bad option when I’m on the go and need some nourishment. I like them because they have less calories and fat than Lara Bars, yet are bigger!

 Spices! In preparing food without a lot of fat, spices are super important to amp up the flavor in every meal. I honestly don’t know what a bunch of these even taste like, but I am going to experiment and find out!

 My fridge! In my fridge I have tons of fresh produce; apples, clementines, grapes, berries, cantaloupe, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onion, lemons, ginger etc. I have some zucchini and corn ready to make for dinners, some tofu, hummus, and some quinoa I made earlier this week. Although I don’t eat that much bread, I have fallen in love with Ezekiel Bread. It is made completely of sprouted whole grains that are easy to digest, with no preservatives or strange ingredients (Look at your bread. Do you know what’s in it?). I have been enjoying the flax seed variety lately, which offers a bunch of omega-3! I also have some mustard, almond milk, and non-soy earth balance in there.

 In my freezer I have a bunch of items for when I’m running low on time. Amy’s Low Sodium California Veggie Burgers (non-soy), Amy’s dairy and gluten free burritos (nutritious and filling for 240 calories!), some microwavable veggies and quinoa from Whole Foods, a Kashi Frozen dinner with black beans, kale, and polenta, and more! I also have some fresh veggies I froze. It’s nice to have some things that you don’t have to cook right away, but can give you a great, fresh, option when your ready.

 My pantry is nice and full too! Here I keep all of my herbal teas (Pukka is a fabulous brand). These teas literally cured me of some stomach issues this summer and I swear by them (more on that later)! I also have my Vega One plant-based protein shakes, dandelion root instant coffee replacer, and of course all natural cocoa for a comforting warm drink!

I also have some ready to go meals from Dr. McDougall. I love his Pad Thai, curried lentils, and soups. By getting his products, you know you are purchasing wholesome meals without any additives, excessive oils/fats etc. I also have vegetable broth for cooking, pretzels for guests to snack on, more almond milk (unsweetened and Vitamin B12 fortified), almonds, beans for salads and dinner, and some peanut butter my mom bought.

Finally I have some cooking oils and pasta sauce to give my meals lovely flavor! I feel that oils are ok to have in moderation, just make sure you only use the bare minimum that you need =). On this shelf I also have some fresh garlic. Let me tell you, fresh always beats minced. Put in the extra effort!

And that’s it! I try to eat as many whole foods as possible. When I do buy pre-made meals, I am very particular about the ingredients etc., always buying from trusted brands such as Dr. McDougall’s, Amy’s, and Kashi. I make sure I understand basically everything that is in there, and that goes into my body! I like to keep my diet simple. I don’t do fake meats or soy cheeses, ice creams, and yogurts. I don’t snack on many crackers or cookies. To me they’re just not necessary.

What does your kitchen look like? Could you simplify a little? Do you know what’s going into your body? Remember, our entire body regenerates itself all of the time (different areas do so at different rates). So, what you fuel your body with is literally what makes up those new cells. It’s a little scary to think about when we’re not eating the best. However, it also gives us a huge opportunity to start again! I used to live off sweets, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and milk. That’s what my body was made of, then. But now, almost a year and a half after going plant-based, I know my body is made up of nutritious fuel instead of refined sugars and fat, and I feel better than ever. It’s never too late! Our bodies have the miraculous capability to heal them selves, given the proper care.

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Vegan Girl in the land of BBQ and Bojangles : Part 1

After a very, very long few days of moving, I am finally all settled in in my new home in Columbia! Let me tell you, I have most certainly “moved naturally” all week long (Blue Zones reference…go back and read that post!). After sitting so much during the summer, it’s felt great to be out and about all the time, even though it’s also been exhausting!

Anyway, I was very apprehensive about how many great healthy dining options I would have in moving down south. Here we have Sonic, Bojangles, Cookout, and some nicer restaurants that literally do not have a thing I can eat. But I must say, I am very, very pleasantly surprised by the options my new home has offered me thus far!

First stop when I got here was obviously Whole Foods, which is super close , thank goodness! This Whole Foods knocks the one in Massachusetts out of the park. Not only do they have tons of vegan prepared food options, but also each is very clearly labeled in a pretty blue. =)

Tonight, Mom and I decided to go somewhere other than Whole Foods and Chipotle for dinner, as we finally had checked everything off our to do list. Mom researched a bunch of restaurants in “The Vista” in Columbia. We decided to try out an Asian bistro. While trying to find it, we ended up at its sister restaurant instead. Boy am I glad we did!

M Grille, at 530 Lady Street in Columbia, is absolutely fantastic. The atmosphere is clean, simple, and sophisticated, creating a lovely fine dining experience. Upon arriving, one can see into the sushi bar and kitchen. I was very excited about how fresh all of the ingredients were. In looking at the menu, I could have eaten there for days! They offer an amazing assortment of vegetable sides, from eggplant, to bok choy, to asparagus. They also offer organic brown rice and a vegetarian sushi roll. Not to mention that their drink menu is amazing, offering many well-made, light and refreshing cocktails. Turns out M Grille only opened 9 days ago! Therefore, Mom and I got to enjoy the perks of a grand opening, with lots of free samples and excellent service. Feel free to drool at the pictures below.

M Grille Salad with heirloom tomatoes, avocado, micro greens and ponzu.

Poached Bok Choy. I have no idea how this was so amazing. It seems to have been poached in a vegetable broth with garlic or something along those lines. I am on a mission to recreate this! 

Vegetable Roll with organic brown rice, asparagus, cucumber, and sweet potato tempura.

Mom and I split the first two courses and each enjoyed our own veggie roll. It was an absolutely perfect light, fresh, and healthy meal. If you are in the Columbia area, definitely check this place out. By all means, check it out with me! I will happily go again =).

More tales of my southern adventures to come! (And more regular fun stuff of course)

Be Well.

Love, Julie