Loco for Cocoa

Pardon me if my posts are a little less frequent in the next few days with all of the family festivities! I do plan on sharing my healthy Christmas menu and other fun things in the next few days though! In the mean time, I figured I'd share my latest hot cocoa experiment.

Tonight I was in the mood for a warm drink. Frankly, I was getting sick of coffee and just needed some chocolatey goodness. Unfortunately, since I've gone plant-based etc, a lot of hot cocoa mixes no longer fit the bill. First of all, it's often a lot of calories for a drink(you know my philosophy, calories are for eating not drinking). Second of all, most packaged hot cocoa has powdered milk in it. So, with a few ideas I picked up from the internet/my cocoa carton, I gave healthy hot cocoa a whirl! It was actually pretty tasty. Here's what I did:

- Took 2 tablespoon's of unsweetened cocoa. (Only 20 calories).
- Added boiling water
-Added 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
-Added one stevia in the raw packet (zero cal)
- Added a splash of french vanilla soy creamer.

It was yummy! For a rich, chocolatey drink I suggest trying something along the lines of this. I feel like it would be great made with vanilla soy or almond milk as well. That would definitely give a thicker, creamier texture. It's all up to personal preference. Use this as a guide, play with it, and see which combinations you like!

Have a very Merry Christmas Eve!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Staying healthy during the holidays!

The holiday season is here!!! So many parties, days of shopping busily, and big meals! Often times your normal day to day gets all out of whack, which could affect your healthy regimen! We work so hard during the rest of the year to take care of ourselves and feel our best. Don’t let these few weeks set you back! Healthy eating and exercise are not for New Year’s resolutions, they’re for now, and every day. Just think, if you keep on track, that frees up a ton of space on your resolution list for more of your amazing goals and dreams! Also, you will take on this crazy season feeling fantastic, light, and energized!

Here are a few tips to avoid a setback this holiday season!

1. Schedule your workouts – This really is an everyday must, but is extremely important when things get super busy over the holidays! Take inventory of all that needs to be done one day, and find where you will be able to get a great work out in. Don’t make this an option. It should be as much of a priority as baking those cookies is. It will give you a mood boost and much needed energy throughout your day. How much better will you feel going into a holiday party knowing you were active and earned those treats earlier? A key factor in any wellness plan is making the time to work out, not trying to fit it in, but making a commitment to yourself! My current plan is to hit Bikram today, lift and run tomorrow, get up early for the only Bikram class on Christmas eve, maybe take Christmas off(or do a quick lift), and then get back in the swing of things right after! Go forth with a plan that works into your schedule!

2. If your hosting, offer healthy options!- A huge perk of hosting? You are in total control of what you eat! I cannot tell you how easy it is to find healthy versions of any holiday favorite online. For example, this past Thanksgiving, we had our first half-vegan feast (for me and my mom). It was absolutely fantastic. We made everything from scratch, eliminating any extra sources of sugar and fat, using all whole grains and wonderful fresh veggies. The best part was the amazing pumpkin pie, made with silken tofu instead of condensed milk and eggs! Talk about a guilt free feast. We are excited to plan our menu for Christmas! Some awesome low-fat and oil free recipes can be found from Happy Herbivore and Forks Over Knives (google them)!

Also, for little cocktail gatherings, it is super easy to maintain your good eating efforts. Last night, I had some girlfriends over. We had a huge veggie platter, hummus, chocolate covered strawberries and pretzels, and some of my favorite amazingly healthy and delicious Happy Herbivore oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. We munched for hours, but it was mainly veggies! 

Also, the night before, we had another Christmas exchange get together where this was presented to us! 

 Amazing.

We also had stuffed mushrooms, made with whole wheat bread, spinach, red peppers, and carrots! No cheese, egg, milk, oil or anything! It’s all up to you. With a little research, you can enjoy a flavorful and satisfying feast that won’t make you want to cry the next day.

3. If you’re a guest, offer to bring a dish! This way you know you have an option that will keep you on track. Heck, bring a few small things if you’d like! Something I’ve learned in being vegan is that sometimes you have to plan ahead and go with the flow in these situations. Sometimes there may not be much of what you’d like to eat. That’s ok! Bring something, snack before, and enjoy the company of friends and family. If need be, have a little something afterwards. To me, it’s worth working around the situation so that I always feel my best. Also, if you are a guest at a big meal and are vegetarian/vegan/etc, let your host know. I would approach it as just letting them know so they don’t purchase a ton of extra meat etc and have it go to waste, not to demand that anything special be made for you. Again, offer to bring something! This will definitely work better than surprising them at the dinner table when you don’t touch your expensive filet.

4. Keep Calm- The holidays are meant for joyful celebrations with family and friends. Keep calm and enjoy it! Say you have a slip-up in your health routine. It’s ok. Just start right back up with your normal regimen the next day. The day before doesn’t matter anymore. Every day is a chance for a new start. There are plenty of times where I wake up not entirely happy with how I splurged the night before. I simply get up, make my protein shake, schedule my work out and get back on track like nothing happened. This is a wellness journey. We all have ups and downs. Let’s just make our best effort to stick to our normal plans, and make it easier on ourselves.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy holiday season!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

Snacks on Snacks on Snacks

            Ah the snack…the mini meal that sneaks itself between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, pretending not to count towards your daily caloric intake. Beware! Snacks often times are not so innocent. You may eat a fabulous breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but those few brownies or package of potato chips in between could push back all of your efforts. See snacks as an opportunity to keep feeding your body nutritious food, not as a “break” that doesn’t really count. As I have said before, everything we put into our bodies affects us, so let’s give it the best fuel possible all of the time!

          Here are some of my favorite snack options! As a general rule, try and stick to things that either don’t have an ingredient label, or have one where you know (and can pronounce) what each ingredient is!

-Fruits

·          

      Bananas – I have at least two a day, nice and satisfying!

·         Grapes- best to have easily accessible in the fridge if you need something to munch on

·         Clementines

·         Apples- apparently have a low glycemic index, so help regulate sugar levels, keeping you satisfied for longer

·         Berries!

·         Pineapple

·         …you catch my drift

-Veggies!

·       

           Carrots

·         Celery

·         Half a sweet potato…with just pepper/spices!

·         A little spaghetti squash

·         Bell peppers

·         It goes on…

-Enjoy snacks with hummus or salsa

-Tabbouleh!  

- Kind Bars- natural whole nut and fruit bars made with whole ingredients. Everyone can find a flavor they like, and the nuts will keep you satisfied until your next meal!

-Almonds- the package should just say almonds…no salt etc! Enjoy in moderation.

- A little whole wheat bread or a small wrap- not white or refined

- Dark chocolate! -Try and find a variety without all the milkfat etc. I love Endangered Species and Enjoy Life Chocolate chips

- Oatmeal- my favorite is Kashi Heart to Heart Golden Maple. (Only 160 calories) Going to experiment with simple rolled oats too.

-Whole Foods 365- Frozen Fruit bars. Basically all that are in these is fruit. Awesome, delicious, refreshing. Strawberry is my personal favorite.

-Edamame- non-gmo, organic!

-Try out your own healthy baking!

- Substitute all sugary drinks with water! Add lemon or fruits for flavor.

- Some processed things to enjoy in moderation/a pickle

·                          Belvita Breakfast Biscuits- basically a cookie, but made with rolled oats, real blueberries, and zero hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, or high fructose corn syrup! Not a bad option, comes in a variety of flavors and easy for on the go.

·  Veggie Pirate’s Booty- When you need a salt fix, this stuff is pretty good! It’s all natural, vegan friendly, baked, gluten and cholesterol free, made from puffed rice, corn, and other veggies like spinach and kale. This stuff is addicting, enjoy with caution. 

-   Zen almond pudding- again, processed so enjoy every now and then. But its certified organic, dairy free, and a delicious chocolatey treat

I think that’s a good start for ideas and inspiration. I hope you recognize some options you’d like and make some swaps! Also, when you’re on the go, it helps to plan ahead! I usually always have a banana, kind bar, or apple with me if I know I’m going to need a little boost of energy later on in the day, and don’t want to succumb to an unhealthy choice...or starve.

Happy snacking! Enjoy feeling lighter and more energetic throughout your day!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

The Alchemist and Deepak's Law of Pure Potentiality

Being able to read books I actually want to is a luxury reserved for breaks from school work. With my very open schedule, consisting mainly of working out and Christmas preparations, I searched for books that would offer me wisdom, and further my progress on my wellness journey. Lately, the average novel has not been cutting it for me. I like to spend time reading things that will provide me with knowledge, and an opportunity for growth. Truly valuing the input of Mindbodygreen.com, I used their website for inspiration.

One of the books mentioned in its archives was The Alchemist, an allegorical tale about following one’s dreams. It was amazing. The book is so beautifully and simply written. Literally every page offers some type of wisdom. The Alchemist tells the story of a shepherd boy who decides to live out his “personal legend” after a revelation in a dream. I will not even attempt to summarize all this piece teaches, but here is a quote I feel truly sums it up:

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure. “

This seriously struck me. It’s so simple, and so true. How many people have true dreams and abandon them because they’re scared they won’t succeed. As a college senior, deciding my future, this message is all too relevant. In a perfect world, I would move out to California, become a health coach, workout and practice Bikram regularly, network with plant-based and raw communities, and inspire people to live healthier better quality lives every day, whether it is in my own practice, or in a corporate setting. But that takes more education, which takes money. Success is not as guaranteed in this as it would be in other careers. What do I do? How can I combine my dream life and what makes sense? Can they be the same thing? Scary…I know. This other quote gives me a little peace of mind.

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

This connects with a lot of the teachings of Deepak Chopra and his Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. The first law is the Law of Pure Potentiality, which teaches that all possibilities in the universe are infinite. By focusing and tuning into our true selves, becoming detached to and unaffected by other people, situations, and circumstances, we gain true and permanent power to achieve whatever we’d like. If we are grounded by other people, expectations, and situations, we are grounded by fear and temporary things.

Deep, I know.

Deepak suggests practicing the Law of Pure Potentiality by making an effort to tune into your truest self (each day)  spending time in complete silence (no reading or anything) and meditation, spending time communing with nature, and practicing non-judgment (just not judging every single thing that happens and going with the flow). Simple steps, yes, but challenging to make yourself do every day. Maybe these will help with my dilemma (and you with any of yours?)! Try them out yourself…and keep exploring his awesome book! There are seven laws after all, and I’ve only covered two!

Also, if you haven’t read it yet, I highly suggest picking up The Alchemist for a holiday read. I know, I’m giving a lot of book suggestions. Maybe make a list and tackle them whenever you have time! These two in particular have truly inspired me, and I believe everyone can benefit from them in their own way, no matter where one is in life. The messages are profound and a little overwhelming at times. Yet, life is a day by day journey. I truly believe with patience and good intentions, we will figure it all out eventually!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

A simple Starbucks swap

If you look at Starbucks’ website, you will see their grande iced coffee listed as having 90 calories. In comparison, a medium Dunkin Donuts’ iced coffee is 15 calories.

Hold up. What is going on here!?

Most coffee is considered “calorieless”. For example, Starbucks’ hot coffee is listed as 5 calories.

Still confused? Here’s what’s up…

A fact that frequently goes unknown to many customers is that Starbucks often pre-sweetens your iced coffee! Unbeknownst to you, you may be indulging in a not so guilt free treat, when you think you’re just having an average calorieless coffee! I personally prefer to eat my calories, not drink them. But I love Starbucks! (Unlike Dunkies, they offer soy milk =) )

So, what is Starbucks lover to do?

The answer lies in a super simple, yet super effective, swap! Just trade your iced coffee for an iced Americano to get back 75 of those calories and enjoy the same rich coffee/espresso taste. Essentially, an Americano is espresso, made with more water to lessen its strength and make it more like an American coffee. But technically, it’s espresso. 

Yes, complicated.

Anyway, my go to drink is now a (hot or iced) grande decaf soy Americano with sugar free vanilla. I still get the rich coffee taste (honestly can't tell the difference) , minus any unintentional sugar additions. I’m sure whatever is in the sugar free vanilla isn’t the most stellar for me, but a girl can splurge every once in a while.

Starbucks also offers a slew of “skinny” options for their drinks. Why not make the healthiest choice whenever you can? Luckily they have very complete nutritional info online. So, before your next coffee break, take a peek and make the healthiest selection for you! It’s simple swaps like these that can make a big difference!

Be Well.

Love, Julie

P.S  Dunkin Donuts, if you’re reading this, please begin to offer soy milk! There is an increasing amount of people who are lactose intolerant or vegan out there, and we still want to enjoy your delicious drinks! This alone makes my mom and I choose Stabucks over you... Just a thought.