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 

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

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 

How I Survived My Summer Desk Job

Well, this has been a crazy few months! As you may know, I began the summer with a juice cleanse and the intention of blogging tons. Well, unfortunately, the real world got in the way. Even though I thought I’d have more free time, my full-time summer internship, spending precious non-work time with friends, and preparing for grad school has kept me a lot busier than I expected!

However, in the downtime I have had, I have been enjoying tons of wellness blogs, books, and more. It has been a summer full of self -discovery and experimenting, and I have so much to share!

Let’s start with what I’ve done every day, 5 days a week…worked a desk job.

Don’t get me wrong, my internship has been an amazing professional experience, my team is absolutely fantastic, and I am so thankful for the opportunity.

Nevertheless, I literally could do my job without standing up for more than 5 minutes if I wanted to. Now for someone like me, who loves to move and be active, this was hard…very, very hard (biggest understatement in the world).

Sitting for so long made me feel like I was turning to mush. My metabolism 100% slowed down. I came home exhausted from just sitting all day, and hence sat some more. I didn’t feel good in my body, and I was plain old cranky. Very very cranky. The first few weeks went like this, until I decided to implement some much needed changes. If you google exercises to do at work, you’ll find some crazy ideas that even I am not comfortable doing in the work place. So here is how I personally survived my desk job, without looking like a total crazy person.

      1.  I became a morning person.

This seems like an impossible feat while in college. Getting up before 9? What? Yet all it takes is a few days of practice, and becoming a morning person becomes second nature. Today is Sunday, and I naturally woke up at 7. Who am I?! Anyway, getting up early has allowed me to get up and work out every day (or every day I want to) , and often times meditate, before work. I feel so much better sitting down for my daily job duties, already having gotten my blood pumping and my muscles moving earlier in the day. I love when I’m super sore or tired, in which cases I welcome sitting, knowing my body needs a little rest time. Days where I don’t get to work out before work…the mush feeling sets in, and I’m totally restless. But, as always, one needs to listen to their body. Some days we need a complete rest day…don’t be scared of that either!

2.  I learned to become an intuitive eater.

In Miami, I was constantly running around from class to class, meeting to meeting. My metabolism was always humming, and I could eat a lot during the day and stay at a happy, light, weight. I kind of knew what I ate everyday, and with my active schedule, it worked. Well, when I started sitting for long periods of time, it became apparent that I didn’t need to eat as much as I used to. My metabolism wasn’t revving as much, and my body showed when I was eating more than necessary. For so long, I just kind of ate the same thing every day without thinking, believing I always needed the same amount, even if I was full. This summer I learned to really listen to my body, and realize when I truly need a snack. The amount I eat has gone down significantly, but for the time being, so has the amount I move. Makes sense I suppose? Now, at work, I pack all of my own healthy snacks and lunches, so I feel good about what I am putting into my body, and can gauge how much fuel I need each day. It’s hard not to just eat out of boredom, and it’s something I’ve been improving upon all summer. I’m excited to be back on a student schedule, and maybe I will need to start eating more again then. At least now I can recognize what kind of fuel my body requires.

3.  I boycotted the elevator.

My office is located on the fifth floor, and yes, even I took the elevator for the first few weeks. I was once told by a nutrition expert that the whole “taking the stairs” thing doesn’t really make difference, that our body’s temperatures and metabolisms adjust to that very easily, so it’s not super effective. Well, let me tell you, walking up those stairs everyday has made me feel a lot better. Each morning I walk up 5 floors. Lunchtime is another daily trip. Even if it’s not nice outside for me to eat at out picnic tables, I do a round of stairs anyway. Sometimes, I’ll use restrooms on different floors just to get moving, and just wander around the office in general.  I figure as long as I complete all of my required tasks, it’s ok to do so. It’s amazing how moving more during the day makes me have more energy after work!

     4. I do jumping jacks in the bathroom.

Confession of a wellness junkie: It’s true. I do jumping jacks in the bathroom. This may seem ridiculous. But, in comparison to some suggestions I saw online, this is nothing. Whenever I am alone in the restroom, I bang out at least 40 jumping jacks, and wiggle around a little. I get my blood flowing, and my heart pumping. Does this actually have any physical benefit? Who knows. Does it make me feel better? Absolutely. And that is what matters.

     5.  I walk everyday after work

About half way through this summer, I stopped napping after work and began walking. Not intense walking, just leisure walking. After sitting all day, simply walking either outside or on the treadmill feels amazing. While on the treadmill I’ll take time to myself to read, or watch the news. I go for at least a mile (20 minutes), and often more. It just feels so good to make up for some of the movement lost throughout the day. When it’s nice out, I walk with friends, enjoy nature, and have long talks. Sometimes, I run errands and just stay on my feet for a while. Walking is so underrated. It helps lower our cortisol levels, which is vital for the maintenance of a healthy weight and body.

Implementing these few changes have helped me feel a lot better, even while working a desk job. I come home with much more energy, have a much better attitude, and have been able to keep my body a lot happier! As someone whose future career will be in Human Resources, this experience has made me even more passionate about giving employees options such as adjustable stand up desks in the office to avoid sitting for so long. I am excited to look into how to make wellness initiatives more mainstream in the business world in the future.

How can you get a little more active at your desk job? Experiment, and find what works for you! Let me know if you have any fun ideas yourself!  

Can’t wait to write more =)

Be Well.

Love, Julie 

Recipe for a Happy, Healthy Day

Hi everyone!

Check out my latest contribution to Beauty of Becoming! This site is full of awesome health and wellness inspiration, tips, and motivation.


http://www.beautyofbecoming.com/9/post/2013/03/recipe-for-a-happy-healthy-day.html

Hope you enjoy!

Be Well.

Love, Julie 

12 Terrific Health and Wellness Books

Hi everybody!

I am constantly reading books! Since I became very interested in my health and well-being, I have been devouring all of the knowledge I can to educated myself. Here are a few of my favorites! I am sure there will be another post like this to come, as I will probably forget a few! If you have some free time, pick one up, and learn how to be an even better you!

1. Blue Zones by, Dan Buettner. I wrote an entire post on this book in December. Blue Zones tells of the regions in the world in which people live the longest, most quality lives. It discovers the reasons for this great level of longevity and develops a plan in which we can implement these practices into our daily lives!

        

2. Thrive by, Dan Buettner- Thrive does the same as Blue Zones, but examines the happiest people in the world, and what about their lifestyles makes them so happy. It is very interesting in that it contradicts many of America's social norms. However, the research doesn't lie! This book will definitely make you think. 

     

3. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by, Deepak Chopra . You know this is one of my favorites. We have one law left in our review of this book! A great resource in learning how to reach your fullest potential and manifest your dreams. 

  

4. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga by Deepak Chopra and David Simon- I am reading this book right now and absolutely love it. It teaches many of the basic principles of yoga philosophy. It then applies the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success to your yoga practice. In addition, it explains the many health benefits of yoga and why it should definitely be included somehow in your wellness routine! 

    

5. Slim, Calm, Sexy Yoga by Tara Stiles- This book tells of how yoga can truly benefit our minds and bodies. It focuses on how yoga can eliminate stress in our lives, which is directly related to weight gain and disease. Yoga keeps you fit, while keeping your mind calm and centered, cultivating a sense of ease which overflows into every aspect of your life.

   

6. Thrive: The Vegan Nutritional Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by, Brendan Brazier- I've talked about Brendan Brazier before. He is an unbelievable resource for plant-based nutrition. This book focuses on the science behind how different foods fuel our bodies. It busts any myths that vegan's are weak and malnourished. A professional triathlete, Brendan shares how a plant-based diet provides our bodies with pure and efficient fuel to live life to its fullest. 

     

7. Thrive Foods by, Brendan Brazier- Thrive Foods is Brendan's most recent book. It again offers tons of scientific nutritional and environmental information. The main purpose of the book is to provide wonderful cookbook of nutritious, performance enhancing, plant based recipes. 

         

8. The Starch Solution by,  John and Mary McDougall- This is another wonderful book on plant-based nutrition. It provides detailed scientific research and testimonials on the medical benefits of a plant-based diet and tips on how to eat towards better health. Dr. McDougall is very much connected to the group of medical professionals behind the film Forks Over Knives. 

  

9. The Happy Herbivore Cookbook- Happy Herbivore is my absolute favorite plant-based cookbook series. The recipes are easy and delicious. They are all low fat and use no added oils. Also, nutritional information is included for each recipe! Check out Everyday Happy Herbivore, Happy Herbivore Abroad , and her website too! 

10. The complete idiot's guide to Plant-based Nutrition by, Julieanna Hever- This one is pretty self- explanatory. The book provides a complete nutritional overview of a plant-based diet. It busts all of the protein and calcium myths, provides guidelines on how to cover all of your nutritional bases, and has special sections dedicated to exercise, pregnancy, and children! Great resource to have on hand. 

11. The Alchemist by, Paulo Coelho- I also wrote an early post on this book. It is a simply beautiful allegorical tale about following your dreams. It will shake any beliefs that you are not in control of your own destiny. Wonderful, wonderful book. 

  

12. Eat This, Not That Series- I wrote a post about these books in december, but never published it. Eat this, Not That educates readers about the nutritional information of chain restaurants and processed foods in America. Overall, I really advocate for a Whole Food, Plant Based diet which avoids most of these things. However, I did read these books before I became a vegan, and they were a great stepping stone in my wellness journey. The books reveal many of the nutritional downfalls of foods that so many Americans eat every day. If you do regularly go to chain restaurants and buy processed foods, this series will help you make the best choices. I hope it will open many people's eyes to what this kind of "food" really is. So, take a look, but strive towards natural, whole ingredients! 

         

Whewf! That was a lot. Whenever I feel that I need a little extra push in my wellness motivation, I will pick one of these books up again to get back on track. I hope you read a few and find your own inspiration! 

Be Well. 

Love, Julie