The Film That Changed My Life: Forks Over Knives

I have told you that my wellness journey has been, well a journey! Let’s go back about 10 months ago. I was at my friend’s house for a small get together when one of my fellow health-nut girlfriends shared with me how she had recently gone vegan. I recalled seeing her tweet about a film called Forks Over Knives, and had looked into the film. Seeing that it focused on veganism (which I knew little about), I decided to ignore it. However, I couldn’t ignore her when I saw her. She shared a little of her reasoning with me, who responded:

“I’m way too much of an athlete. I need meat”

It’s funny looking back on that conversation. Now I am the one who tries to clear up unreasonable myths about protein, calcium etc. But that day, it was me who needed convincing. My friend gave me a short and sweet schpeil and simply encouraged me to watch the film.

And so, that night, I did.

My life changed forever. 

Forks Over Knives takes a look at the rising epidemics of obesity and chronic disease in America, and how it relates to the average American diet, and the American food system. The film is based off the research of Doctor T. Collin Campbell, and Doctor Caldwell Esseylsten, two men who grew up on cattle farms, but who’s professional medicinal research showed that the products of these farms were direct causes of cancer and chronic disease. The film does not focus on animal cruelty or anything like that. It focuses on people, and their health. In summary, animal protein, whether it be in the form of meat, dairy, eggs, or fish , along with refined processed foods, is scientifically, directly related to the emergence of cancer and chronic disease. When people in the film removed these things from their diet, they were able to heal themselves, get off of medications, halt cancer progression, maintain a healthy weight, reverse heart disease and diabetes, and live longer, better quality lives.

Hence, I am not vegan for the animals. I am vegan for me. I don’t want to get cancer. I don’t want to have clogged arteries. I don’t want to feel sluggish and sick. I want to live long. I want to live well. I never want to be held back because I abused my body, and it has given out on me. I want to fuel myself with pure, whole foods, filled with nutrients and healing properties. I do not want to fill my body with fat, refined sugars, chemicals, things I can’t pronounce, and animal proteins that have been proven in countless studies to be detrimental to my health.

Here are a few things the film focuses on:

The China Study- An immense study done by Dr. T Collin Campbell, which outlines the amount of each type of Cancer in each region of China. There was unbelievable statistical evidence consistent amongst populations of millions, which showed that rural areas who lived off a natural, plant based diet, had the lowest instances of cancer, while more urbanized and animal protein consuming areas had astoundingly high instances of disease.

Research of Caldwell Essylsten- His laboratory research showed how animal protein actually activated cancer genes, while its removal “turned cancer genes off” .

Calcium and Osteoporosis- America consumes the most dairy in the world. Yet we also have the highest occurrence of Osteoporosis in the world. But isn’t calcium necessary for bone health? In reality, the animal protein, casein, found in milk causes an acidic reaction in the body. Our body then tries to combat and buffer this reaction. It does so by drawing minerals and substance from our bones, often time leading to osteoporosis. There are plenty of plant-based sources of calcium which do not cause this acidic reaction, and truly promote bone health.

Protein- You really can’t be protein deficient without being calorie deficient. Our culture (driven by government subsidized industries) has taught us that we require way more protein than we actually do. Tons of athletes, from triathletes to UFC fighters are plant-based, and bulging with muscle. There is some amount of protein in every plant based food. Believe it or not, it adds up!

How to follow a whole-food, plant –based diet. – It is possible to be a junk food vegan. I mean ,Oreos are technically vegan. This film shares how to prevent and cure disease through the best medicine of all, whole, natural food, without any added sugars, fats, chemicals, or harmful proteins. It focuseson maintaining a lifestyle with a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. It is more than possible to enjoy delicious meals, while taking care of yourself too!

This film is truly incredible and offers hard to ignore information with real world examples . I’ve only covered maybe 5% of it here. If you are interested in taking the next step in improving your health and well-being, watch the film. It truly changed my life. Since, I have more energy, require less sleep, perform better during workouts, am less anxious about what I’m eating, and never have feelings of guilt about my diet. It took some trial and error, but soon became second nature. Now, I barely even think about how I haven’t had meat in 10 months. 

Check it out here: http://www.forksoverknives.com/

If you can take a step to protect yourself from cancer, heart disease, and more, why wouldn’t you take it?

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Super Easy Eggplant!

I’ve been loving eggplant lately. I have no idea why I do not buy it more!!! Someday I hope to make an amazing eggplant caponata. However, since I am currently in school, and ridiculously busy, I tend to go much more basic. Again, pardon my not so exact recipes. Hopefully this will just give you some inspiration and ideas! Notice there are no added oils in these recipes! Water does just fine as a binding agent.

I’ll start with the more complicated:

Super Easy Vegan Eggplant Parm:

You will need:

1 eggplant (or more depending how many people you’re making it for.)

Cornmeal

Whole Wheat or almond flour

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

Your tomato sauce of choice (I go organic and usually get one with basil and spices for flavor)

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Cut up your eggplant into half inch slices

3. Combine a mixture of one part flour and one part cornmeal (say about a half cup of each). You can also throw a little pepper/basil etc in there if you want!

4. Lightly coat each slice of eggplant with water and dip it into the flour mixture, just giving it a light covering. Then place each piece onto a baking stone or baking sheet with foil.

5. Put the eggplant slices in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until they get a little golden.

6. Meanwhile, give the bottom of a glass baking pan a light coating of cooking spray. The size of your pan will depend on how much eggplant you are using. You want to be able to create two layers of eggplant.

7. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan.

8. Once the eggplant is slightly golden and out of the oven, place a layer of the eggplant over the sauce.

9. Cover the eggplant with another layer of sauce.

10. Sprinkle on your desired amount of vegan parmesan and mozzarella ( a little can go a long way!).

11. Create another layer of eggplant, sauce and cheese. This time make sure the sauce completely covers the top.

12. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

11. Feel free to add any of your favorite Italian spices etc and enjoy!

Lately however, I have been in a much simpler mood, not needing all of the cheese and “breading” on my meal. So, I have been whipping up some… 

Deconstructed Eggplant Parm

You will need:

1 Eggplant

Italian spices (basil, salt, pepper, Italian mix, oregano, whatever is your favorite)

Tomato sauce of your choice

1. Preheat the oven to 375

2. Slice your eggplant into half inch slices

3. Coat each slice lightly with water and place on a baking stone or cookie sheet with foil.

4. Sprinkle desired spices over eggplant pieces, flip them and do the same on the other side.

5. Pop them in to over for about a half an hour. This will really all depend on your oven and the thickness of the slices. They will be done when they are golden brown and tender.

6. In the last few minutes, warm up your tomato sauce.

7. When the eggplant is done, pour sauce over and poof! Delicious, nutritious, simple meal.

This goes amazingly well  with spaghetti squash! (Check out my spaghetti squash 101 post from December)

I also love to use the left over eggplant plain in salads etc. So delicious!

Enjoy!!!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

21 Day Meditation Challenge!

Happy Thursday Everyone! Hope your week is going well. I've been taking a relaxing week, doing lots of yoga and taking a lot of me time! We all need that occasionally. Keep listening to that body of yours, and take breaks when you need to!

You always hear me talk about the wisdom of Deepak Chopra. Now it's time for you to experience it yourself! I am so excited that he is doing another FREE 21 day meditation challenge with Oprah! The theme of this challenge is "Perfect Health". Each day, you will receive an e-mail with a link. This link will bring you to  a welcome from Oprah and then a fifteen minute guided meditation by Deepak. It is awesome, and wonderful, and something to really look forward to each day. Needless to say, I recommend it and wanted to share!

Sign up here !
 http://www.oprahdeepakmeditation.com/Bestsellers/LandingPage.aspx?BookId=178&af=850




Happy Meditating !

Be Well.

Love, Julie

This week's new finds!

Hi everybody! I hope you've had a lovely weekend. After a very stressful week, I am giving myself a personal day (well it began yesterday afternoon), dedicated to doing only things that I want and need to do.

I have found that sometimes you just need to say no to the world and take care of yourself. I am a senior in college, I should be partying every second I can , right? Wrong. I have gotten over keeping up with "social expectations". If I am tired, stressed, or anxious, I am not going to have fun going out anyway. And if I do, it's only going to make the condition worse. So, every now and then, I allow myself to reset, so that I can go all out and have fun and be social when I'm ready.

For me, this week's theme seemed to be stress. I am not quite sure why, but everything going on in my life seemed to hit a peak, and my body and mind began to cry out for help. I have been doing a lot of research on the different types of stress, and its affects on our health and will most certainly be posting again about my findings there! (It's a lot). Bottom line...it's not good. Some of the research I've done has to do with the Blood Type Diet. I am type A, and what do you know? We seem to be ridiculously prone to stress. That explains a lot.

So, finally unable to ignore my body's cues, I decided it may be time to finally get into my New Year's resolution of having a daily meditation practice. Everything I have been reading about relieving stress, being aware, building self-esteem, finding happiness, and more all gave me the same answer. Meditate. Become in tune with yourself. Focus on how you will feel when all your hopes and dreams are accomplished.

Why hadn't I started already?

Ironically enough, it's hard to allow yourself to just sit there and breathe! My mind often goes haywire. I had attempted establishing my practice before, and had a really hard time sitting in silence and focusing on my breath. I needed some kind of structure, some sort of training wheels for meditation.

This leads me to my first awesome find(s) this week!

Relax Melodies and BrainWave I-phone Apps! 

These two apps are just awesome!

Relax Melodies is a free app that gives you a ton of relaxing noises to listen too. For example, there are birds, rain, winds, river, zen, piano, flute, campfire, white noise and more! In addition, it also offers two Biurnal beats, or sound waves that play to help you achieve either relaxation or concentration. I usually play the relaxation, with some zen melody. It's incredible how a calming melody can truly help you relax and let go. It gives you something to look forward to, some structure to your meditations. For me, I have had much better experiences listening to these soothing sounds than trying to sit alone in silence for several minutes.

My friend introduced me to another awesome app, BrainWave. This app costs $1.99, but is worth it! BrainWave focuses on the theory that certain sound frequencies can trigger certain feelings in your brain. The app has a variety of programs catered toward meditation, critical thinking, memory boost, problem solving, positive mood boost, deep sleep, and more! I personally have only really used the meditation and deep sleep programs, but am curious about the rest! This app plays steady frequencies in the background and gives you a choice of several melodies and sounds to go with it, such as ocean waves etc. You can program how long you would like the meditation to be. Using this program, I have really been able to zone out, and experience periods without thoughts (the goal of meditation).

 

I asked another friend of mine, who is being trained to be a certified guided meditation leader, and is very tight with the Chopra foundation, what Deepak's way of thinking would think about using apps like this. His response was that, there is nothing "wrong" with using apps like this to help ourselves relax and meditate. However, our goal should be to ultimately be able to do it on our own too!

If you are wondering how to start meditating, try getting one of these apps! Then find a comfortable sitting position, focus on your goals and dreams, and breathe deeply. Just try to follow your breath. Thoughts will come and go, but simply observe them without becoming attached and return to your breath. Hopefully the relaxing beats and melodies will help calm your mind.

Find Number 2! Lara Bars!!!!

  

Yes, another bar. A girl needs some kind of healthy dessert! I've known about Lara Bars for quite a while, but was kind of put off by the amount of calories in them. They are not that big and average about 200 calories a piece. 

However, lately I have really been focusing my attention on the importance of whole ingredients, trying to avoid any extra chemicals or processed things at all! This is where Lara Bar wins. I have realized that if the calories are coming from amazing sources, they really are no harm! Each Lara Bar is made of no more than 9, whole, recognizable ingredients which are simply ground and mixed together. They are vegan, gluten free, kosher, fair trade, soy free, gmo free and more! I adore the chocolate chip brownie flavor. It tastes just like my favorite raw brownies from a restaurant here, but are much more affordable and convenient.  

The Chocolate Chip Brownie Flavor has dates, almonds, chocolate chips, walnuts, cocoa powder and sea salt. That's it! Amazing! And, although they are smallish, they are super super filling and energizing! This is by far the most satisfying bar I have had. I don't feel the need to devour one in one sitting. So the calories more than even out! I also want to try the Cappuccino and Carrot Cake flavors. The Blueberry Muffin and Apple Pie are amazing too! There are a ton of flavors. Experiment and see what you like!

I know I have written about Kind Bars and Vega Vibrancy Bars as well. Lara Bars so far are my favorite, they are more affordable than both others, and have more whole ingredients than Kind Bars. All of them are great, but this is my current addiction!

I hope you check out this week's new finds!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Muscle Burns Fat!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had an absolutely fantastic Valentine's Day. I personally received a Valentine from my jumbo stuffed Winnie the Pooh at home. Needless to say, it was awesome.

Today I want to share information about my lifting routine with you! Many people know that lifting is an integral part of overall fitness, creating that desired tone in muscles and getting rid of any unwanted jiggling areas. However, I have noticed that a ton of people , women in particular, don't really know where to start/ how to lift effectively for their goals. Now, there is a lot that can be done about this. You can research programs online, go to a personal trainer, and more! What do I do? ChaLEAN Extreme, a beach body program by Chalene Johnson (one of my most absolute favorite people ever). If you have some extra cash on you, I promise this program is well worth the investment. For about $100, you can use all of the ChaLEAN extreme materials for years and years, and truly transform your body . I have been using it for about 4 years now!

 

ChaLEAN Extreme is based off the idea (and fact) that MUSCLE BURNS FAT! In fact, an intense muscle workout burns more fat and calories throughout the day than a steady state cardio workout does. With steady state cardio, you simply burn calories while exercising. With proper strength training, your metabolism is elevated for hours to come. In fact, this program lets one up their resting metabolism by up to 60%, doubling the fat you burn while simply resting. In addition, strength training can turn any flabby area into a tight, cut, and sculpted part of your physique. The key is, you have to lift heavy! For ladies, do not be scared to lift heavy weights, we do not have the same hormones etc to get as big as men.

Programs like ChaLEAN Extreme are all inclusive, and give you absolutely everything you need to succeed. The program is full of workouts that are about 30 minutes in length. There are three different phases. By rotating phases every month (even for years like I have), and by increasing weight and intensity, you make sure you don't ever hit a plateau. Overall, this program has 9 strength workouts over three phases, 2 cardio workouts, and some stretching and core workouts.

For someone less familiar with lifting ,this program is perfect. You are positive you are making the most of your time by following a professionally developed program. Also, in the dvd Chalene teaches proper form. This is critical! I cannot tell you how many people I see in the gym just swinging weights around, getting virtually no benefit. Chalene teaches you how to make the most of every exercise!

This program can be done from the comfort of your own home if you have dumbbells. But the best part is that it also comes with a guidebook with every workout in it! So, if you don't have weights at home, you can bring your book to the gym, and do it there! I literally have been doing this every other day for years. The book comes with me on vacations...everywhere! You learn the technique at home, and then can go forth and improve your body anywhere you are, with just a 30 minute work out. The workouts can be catered to both men and women, simply by altering the weight used!

ChaLEAN Extreme also comes with a nutritional guide and more! It truly is a complete program for success. All you have to do is purchase it, and pop in a dvd. Chalene does the rest for you! She is an amazingly spunky, fit , blonde, who truly wants everyone to reach their fitness goals!

Beach Body has a ton of programs like this. They are all super comprehensive, with nutritional programs, workouts etc. If you don't think ChaLEAN Extreme is for you, check out some of their other offerings, They have things like Insanity, P90X and more! If you are not quite sure where to begin on you're lifting journey, I really encourage you to check one of these programs out. Maybe save up some money for a huge investment in your health!

As I've mentioned before, I alternate days between ChaLEAN Extreme, and Turbofire, Chalene's kickboxing program. I avoid plateaus by changing my ChaLEAN phase every month! I feel toned, strong, and like I can take on absolutely anything! You deserve to feel that way too!

Check out ChaLEAN Extreme here!  http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/chalean_extreme.do?code=SEMB_GOOGLE_CLE&s_kwcid=TC|17312|buy%20chalean%20extreme||S|e|18787547293&gclid=CImSo7XWuLUCFQapnQodh1YAnw

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Hump Day Motivation

Hi everyone! I have a bunch of posts I'm looking forward to writing when I get some time this week. Until then, here is a little Pinterest love and motivation.

Get up and Go!!!!

                                                        

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Guest Blog! Mama's tips on surviving a blizzard, vegan style!

Hi everybody! I would like to introduce you to my lovely mother, who is just about as much of a health nut as I am! Home got hit by Nemo this weekend, and she was inspired to share some of her healthy blizzard preparation tips! Enjoy!!

...While blogger Julie is enjoying sunshine and temperatures in the mid ‘70s in Miami, back in her hometown in Massachusetts we are in the middle of a blizzard. The storm has the potential to drop 24-30 inches of snow and be one of the biggest storms in recorded weather history for the Boston area.  The good news is that we’ve had a few days’ notice to prepare and stock up.  

In prior years, with forecast of a big storm, I might have stocked up on some hearty beef chili, Buffalo chicken tenders, tuna fish, and cold cuts – things that are already cooked, and wouldn’t require electricity if the power goes out,  or could be heated up on our neighbors’ gas stove.  However, last summer, inspired by Julie, I also adopted a plant –based (vegan) diet.  So, preparations this year were a little different.

There are some aspects of being vegan that are actually easier when preparing for a big storm.  Beans, a great source of protein, come in a can ready to open and enjoy. I have a good supply of cannellini, chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans.   Most fruits and vegetables don’t need any preparation, and many don’t need refrigeration. The same is true with items like soy or almond milk. It is easy to have them on hand in the cabinet, and open just when needed. While they taste better refrigerated, the fact that you can just open them at room temperature is very convenient.  While I often purchase 32 oz. containers, I stocked up on four packs of Silk Almond milk which I will be able to use to make smoothies after a workout [and I think I will get plenty of aerobic exercise from shoveling snow over the next 24 hours], or in coffee after  shoveling. The individual 8 oz. servings are a bit more expensive, but  less expensive than wasting if I can’t refrigerate a larger container once opened (of course, given that this is a snow storm, and not a tropical hurricane, I could probably just put a cooler outside to keep things chilled!) I may even reward myself with Kahlua and Almond Milk at some time this weekend!

 

I wanted to ensure that I had some good food ready to eat, again, both to fuel the body for a night of shoveling, and just in case the power goes out.  Here are some recipes I have made for the Blizzard of 2013 – Hippie Loaf, Fire-Roasted Tomato and Veggie Chili, and Quinoa and Black Bean Salad.  No need to wait for a blizzard to try these, enjoy them year round!

 Be well.

Love, Julie’s Mom

****************************************************************

Hippie Loaf (from the Happy Herbivore) – Julie and I first made this for our first vegan Thanksgiving, and it is delicious. While it is best heated, once prepared, it can be eaten at room temperature.

You can find this recipe on Happy Herbivore's Website!  

http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/hippie-loaf-gluten-free/http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/hippie-loaf-gluten-free/

Fire-Roasted Tomato and Veggie Chili

(start to finish 90 mins, 30 minutes active)

Ingredients

1 large head garlic*

Olive oil

1 pound sliced button mushrooms

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 red or yellow bell pepper cored and chopped

Kosher salt

1 pint grape tomatoes

Two 10 ounce cans Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes with mild roasted green chilies)

14.5 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1 ½ cups cooked black beluga lentils (of one 15-ounce can lentils rinsed)

15 ounce can chili beans

12 ounce bottle beer

6 TB tomato paste

2- 3 tsp chipotle chili powder

2- 3 tsp ancho chili powder

5 – 10 shakes hot sauce (optional – I find the chili powder packs enough “kick”)

Ground black pepper

Instructions

*The recipe calls for roasted garlic, but I have made with fresh garlic, or roasted minced garlic from the store, so you can skip this next few steps.

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Remove the outer layer of papery skin from the garlic. Slice off the top ½ inch from pointy top of the head. Drizzle with about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in foil, then roast for 40 minutes, or until the cloves are golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high, heat a healthy splash of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt. Cook covered for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften. Set aside until garlic has cooled (if you opt to roast the garlic per above).

Return the pot to medium heat. Add the roasted garlic by squeezing each clove out of its papery skin. Add all three tomato varieties (grape, Rote and fire-roasted), lentils, chili beans, beer and tomato paste. Mix well, and then bring to a gentle boil. Stir in both chili powders. Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until thickened and the tomatoes are cooked down. You may need to mash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.

Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper (I don’t find it needs this). Optional: Serve with scallions, vegan cheddar cheese. I like to serve with a slice of multigrain bread to balance the spice.  Serves 6, 430 calories, 17 g protein, 11 g fiber

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad (would be equally good for a summer party!)

Ingredients

½ cup dry quinoa

1 ½ cup water

1 ½ TB olive oil

3 TB lime juice

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp ground coriander

2 TB chopped cilantro

2 medium scallions minced

1 15ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups tomato chopped

2 medium bell peppers (one red, one green), chopped

2 fresh green chilis (or to taste)

Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Rinse quinoa, boil water in sauce pan and add quinoa.

Return to boil, simmer until water is absorbed (10 to 15 minutes)

Cool 15 minutes

Meanwhile, mix olive oil, lime juice, cumin, coriander, cilantro and scallions in a small bowl.

Combine chopped vegetables with black beans in a large bowl. Set aside.

Once quinoa cooled, combine all and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate until serving.

How to make the perfect salad

People always seem comforted when they decide to order or make themselves a salad. “It’s super healthy”, they think. Sometimes this is true. However, a lot of the time, people make their salads just as unhealthy, or even more so, than the sandwich or other meal they forewent. I must confess, at one time I was guilty of this. I assumed having a Chicken Caesar salad was a great option, while in reality I was consuming a ton of extra fat and calories. For example, Panera’s Caesar salad dressing has 160 calories, 140 of which come from fat. Some restaurants are better, and some are much worse. Luckily, I saw the light and learned how to make salads a truly healthy and nutritious part of my day. Here are some tips on how to make an amazing, delicious, and guilt- free salad!

1. Start with a ton of dark, leafy greens, like spinach! Dark, leafy greens are full of vitamins and minerals like beta carotene, vitamin c, iron ,potassium, vitamin k, and more! It is controversial whether iceberg lettuce is truly less nutritious. I prefer to play it safe and go with the stuff I know is good!

2. Add one good source of protein- I love to go with beans or maybe even some quinoa. This is the main source of calories in my salads. Stick with one serving of whatever protein you prefer, to keep with a normal calorie count. Do you really need chicken, beans, and walnuts?

3. Throw in some veggies, or even fruit! – Fruits and veggies add volume and nutrients to your meal without a ton of fat or calories! I love to put in any of the following … Spaghetti squash, tomatoes, peppers, onions, beets, shredded carrots, mushrooms, artichokes, mandarin oranges, avocado, strawberries, zucchini and more!

4. Know what to avoid- What is the point of having a “healthy salad” if you throw bread and cheese all over it? One cup of croutons can add anywhere from 90 to well over 100 calories to your salad. The worst part is that usually these are white croutons, made from refined flour, offering zero nutritional value, and sending your sugar levels into a frenzy. Cheese also adds an unnecessary addition of fat to your salad. Learn to simplify. Leaving out little things like this can make a big difference in the long run.

5. Most importantly, pick the right dressing! Ever wonder how the calorie load of salads seems ridiculously high? The main culprit is most always the dressing. For example, the ranch dressing I found in my fridge is 140 calories per 2 tablespoons, with 130 calories coming from fat. Now one may argue, that olive oil has a very similar profile. The difference comes in the ingredients. Olive oil is a pure ingredient. You know what you’re consuming here. In contrast, the ranch has soybean oil, buttermilk, disodium phosphate, sorbic acid, modified food starch, and a ton of other ingredients I can’t pronounce. Another dressing I found in my fridge was a lighter Raspberry Vinaigrette. This seems like a healthier choice maybe, but upon further inspection it contains high fructose corn syrup!

The best thing to do for salads, including its dressings, is to stick to pure whole ingredients. Don’t go putting anything in there that you can’t pronounce! (Ok that’s a pretty basic rule for all of your nutrition decisions, but it’s super easy with salads!). So, what does that leave you with for dressing? Here are some of my favorites!

Olive oil( just a light drizzle)

Olive oil combined with mustard (any kind of mustard, gives you a super creamy taste without the fat and calories from the eggs and milk in a Caesar or ranch etc!)

Balsamic Vinegar

Red Wine Vinegar (vinegars have zero cals usually!)

Salsa! (very low cal)

Lemon or lime juice

While out to eat, just ask for some oil and vinegar on the side instead of whatever normal dressing they are planning to give you. All you need is a light coating of whatever you choose for a little moisture and flavor! Add some pepper, and poof…you have a super delicious, guilt free, nutritious meal!

A typical lunch for me is a salad with beans, squash, tomato, spinach, onion, mustard, a little olive oil, and pepper! I accompany this with a low cal whole wheat tortilla and maybe some fruit, and know I am providing myself with light, energizing, and awesome fuel that will help me power through my day!

What does your salad usually look like? Could you make a few changes? Cut out anything unnecessary and make your “healthy meal” even better!   

Be Well.

Love, Julie