Sorry Popeye, I'm a Kale Kind of Girl

Kale Chips

I have to admit, up until a year ago, I didn’t know much about kale other then that’s what the crunchy green stuff was in the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana. True story. Now, I love it and eat it on a weekly basis. Not only is it tasty, but as an awesome dark leafy green it’s full of anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and research proven anti-cancer properties. It is also an excellent source of Vitamin K, A, and C. And, it works to naturally detoxify your body.

Here is a simple way to prepare Kale

Ingredients:

•  Kale: 1 head washed, dried and chopped into 1 inch pieces (you can find already prepared bags in the produce section; it doesn’t get any easier than that!) Some people don't like the ribs, they can be tough. However, I find I like them when they're baked. It's completely up to you.

• Olive Oil 1-2 tablespoons (I find I only need 1 tablespoon if I mix really well but again, it's up to you)
 
• Sea Salt to taste (the taste of sea salt is more potent than table salt so start light and then add later if you need to)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet in a single layer of kale.

Sprinkle olive oil and sea salt over the kale and mix using a spatula.

Spread out into single layer again.

Bake until crisp, approximately 15 minutes.  

For a little variation, consider adding pepper, vinegar, grated Parmesan or garlic salt

Enjoy!!!

Even Kids like Kale!!

 

Fondly,

Betsey

Team Beachbody Challenge

Beachbody.

We’ve all heard that name: They’re the creators of the most successful home Fitness programs out there.

We all know their products: P90x, Insanity, Slim in 6, Turbo Jam, etc.

I’m sure some of you have even tried them before. I’ve used the Turbo Jam program and absolutely loved it. It was the most fun I’d ever had working out at home. I loved the combination of kick boxing, Capoeira, and the dance moves. And of course, who can forget to mention the Spunky creator, Ms. Chalene Johnson!

I was recently re-introduced to the company through a Beachbody coach that I met through Facebook: Jen Hauke-Fit4yourlife. I loved her daily motivation and tips and I eventually tried out one of her private wellness/fitness groups. She helped me break through a plateau I’d hit and got stuck at for a few months. After finishing the group, Jen asked me if I’d ever considered being a Beachbody coach and something in me decided that I would love to help others. I mean, isn’t that why I started classes at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition? Why yes, it is! This would be a perfect forum to get into the “health coach” mode before I graduated from school and apply the skills I was gaining along the way. Plus, I love the products.

I signed up for a challenge pack which included the Turbo Fire program and a monthly supply of Shakeology, the company’s meal replacement shake designed by the CEO of the company with help from some reputable colleagues in the nutrition world. The Beachbody website says this to describe the shake:

Shakeology uses a proprietary blend of digestive enzymes and prebiotics to gently and efficiently eliminate toxins. Then a combination of antioxidants, phytonutrients, adaptogens, and many other rare ingredients give your body the essential nutrients you can’t get from a normal diet. You get a salad bowl’s worth of fruits and vegetables in a single glass.

Whole-food ingredients—all-natural foods that still maintain the vitamins, minerals, and fiber often stripped from highly processed foods—deliver these nutrients to help your body shed stored fat and promote optimum health.

In laymen’s terms, they searched the world for the most nutritious superfood ingredients out there to develop this meal replacement shake. There are over 23 vitamins and minerals that our bodies crave and need to function at an optimal level. Most of us, with our diets full of processed foods, barely get enough through the foods we eat on a daily basis. It’s designed to improve digestion and regularity, reduce cravings, increase energy and stamina, help you lose weight, improve your mental clarity, reduce your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis, it will help lower cholesterol and has beneficial effects on your skin, hair and nails. At least that’s what they found in a 90 day research study with people who replaced only one meal a day with Shakeology. I decided to give it a try.

What I like about it is that I don’t have to think. I’m not the best breakfast person even though I know how important the meal really is. Every now and then I’ll take the time to make myself eggs, either an omelet of some sort or egg whites, but that’s about it. I don’t eat cereal, I have to force myself to eat oatmeal, and I don’t like sweet breakfast foods like pancakes or French toast. So I tend to skip this important meal. Not anymore. I haven’t missed breakfast once since I started making the Shakeology for myself every morning.

I get up, throw a scoop into the blender with 8 oz (1 cup) of water, 5 or 6 ice cubes and blend until smooth. I even find myself craving the shake throughout the day. I’m satisfied until lunch time and have been having fun with adding different things to the shake to change its flavor.  The first two days I experimented with making it with milk and then with water. I didn’t notice a change in the consistency between the two and decided that I’d rather not waste the calories on the milk, especially since I have a sensitivity to dairy. I’ve added different fruit to my shake such as strawberries, blueberries and banana. I’ve also tried peanut butter, almond butter and instant coffee grounds. My favorite combination so far has been adding 1 tbsp peanut butter and 1 small banana to my chocolate shake and creating what Shakeology calls a Chocolate Banana Nutter. In the words of Rachael Ray: Yum-O!

So here’s the deal: In the past 2 weeks I’ve seen an increase in energy, I’ve stopped eating as late in the day because I’m getting a jump on my eating in the morning which I wasn’t doing before, I’m not hitting that mid morning slump anymore, I’m making healthier choices throughout the day because I’ve started my morning right, I’m not having the sweets cravings I used to because I’m getting my chocolate fix first thing in the morning, I’ve noticed changes in my digestion and all of that is on top of losing 3lbs!!!!!

I have to admit I was skeptical of Shakeology. I’ve tried other powdered drink mixes: Carnation Instant Breakfast, Slim Fast, and IsaLean and wasn’t impressed. I thought Shakeology would be just like them. I’m happy I was wrong. Looks like I won’t be taking advantage of the 30 day money back guarantee.

I’m also going to be starting the Turbo Fire Program and telling you all about it in weekly posts. The program is designed to be done in a 90 day period of time and includes a nutrition component. I’ll be working on that post very soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

If you’d like more information on Shakeology and the Beachbody products please contact me either through my Beachbody Coach page: Beachbodycoach.com/Betsey55 Email me at ejwesson55@gmail.com or through my Facebook page at So She Runs: A journey to be fit.

Fondly,

Betsey

Veggie Garden: If I can do it, you can do it. Trust me.

Let me admit to the world right now that I do NOT have a green thumb. That’s right, I’m a plant killer. My Father insists on giving me lilies on Easter, poinsettias at Christmas, and hydrangea plants for Mother’s Day. I kill every last one of them. I keep telling him not to waste his money but he insists on the plants to celebrate the holidays. And every time I try to make myself do better with their care. I remember thinking this year, as I threw away yet another brown, dry plant as evidence of my gardening skills, that I hoped people would get the picture. The only thing I’ve been able to keep alive are the two cacti I have in my front window. I wonder why that is…

So it was a HUGE leap of faith in myself when I decided to attempt to grow a vegetable garden. My hope was to satisfy my cravings for fresh vegetables by being able to walk outside my door to the garden and pick them. Since I focus of eating well, and fresh veggies are an enormous part of that, trying to grow a garden seemed like an obvious step for me.

I’m excited this week because my veggies are finally ready to be picked and cooked! My Tomatoes are ripening a few at a time every day. I can’t even explain the difference between my tomatoes and those you buy in the store. Although they may not be as pretty, they’re misshapen and the color is not at consistent, their taste is so much sweeter that those tomatoes you buy in the store. I have loved being able to eat them fresh off the vine as well as slicing them up with balsamic vinegar and a little sea salt. I made a basic ratatouille with those lovely tomatoes, summer squash and zucchini all from my garden. Having the zucchini has been wonderful, too. And I must admit that I was surprised by the amount of water in the fresh zucchini.  

I have adorable green peppers that are coming along nicely. I’m thinking they may be ready very soon. There are Serrano chilies that I’m going to have to figure out what to do with. (I don’t think I’ve ever eaten these and definitely never cooked with them.) I have banana peppers galore! We’ve been chopping them up and using them in fresh salads, sandwiches and adding them to tuna and chicken salad. They’ve even made their way into eggs in the morning.  I also have cucumbers that I started from seeds that are finally starting to blossom and tiny little cucumbers are starting to grow from beneath those flowers. And finally, my absolute favorite (and the easiest to grow I think after getting some much appreciated advice from my cousin Janey) are the gorgeous Sweet pea vines weaving their way up the string trellis we made for them to travel as they grew.  They’re perfect: fresh, crunchy and of course delicately sweet. Most of the time they don’t make it inside the house because I eat them as I’m standing there picking them.

I don’t know how much of the vegetables’ survival was related to the fact that I live in Vermont and it rains here allllll the time but if that’s the case, then I’m definitely grateful that they all seemed to make it through ok.

Next year I could try berries and corn too? And possibly take a shot at canning? Hmm, maybe it’s best not to be overly ambitious.

Fondly,

Betsey

Go ahead, Unplug and Recharge. You Know you Wanna.

I just got back from spending an amazing long weekend in Pensacola, FL. Alone. Yup, that’s right, I said A-L-O-N-E.

No beautiful baby girl clinging to me. No screaming for popsicles. No pinching the inside of my arm with ever sharp tiny fingernails. No cutting up food into itty bitty pieces. No diaper bag to pack with endless odds and ends. No stroller going through the airport. No extra time in security or having to dump the liquids in toddler cups in my carryon because I forgot. No willing my child not to make any noise on the plane so as not to disturb the other passengers on the plane and get thrown off the flight.  

No dogs barking. No cooking three different meals so everyone has something they like to eat. No making my bed because someone else did it for me. No being obligated to take care of everyone else because I only had to worry about myself. No keeping up with Facebook. Or email. Or even text messages for that matter. I unplugged from cyber world and let myself get caught up in the sound of the crashing waves instead of the annoyance of the crashing internet. I relished swimming in the ocean instead of through a sea of endless laundry.

I got to order what I wanted and not worry about price because I was only paying for one meal. I got to lie on the beach for hours in the warm sunshine and the cool ocean breeze because it was what I wanted to do. I got to go at my own pace; there was no schedule to keep. I got to stay out late. I got to sleep in late. I got to stretch diagonally across the bed and move to a cool spot without running into anyone when I got to hot under the covers. I got to live in a bathing suit. I got to socialize with friendly strangers and make new friends on the shuttle bus. I got to go on the Farris wheel at night and look at the stars. I got to wander through the National Naval Aviation Museum without anyone rushing me. I got to read, and read, and read some more. I got to eat mountains of fresh seafood: Raw oysters (full of good-for-you zinc), Gulf shrimp boiled in Old Bay seasoning, Grouper and blackened Trigger fish, Mahi Mahi and grilled crab cakes.

 It was absolutely delightful.

I left in the morning on August 3^rd and stayed in down town Pensacola, about 10-15 minutes from the beach. I had amazing food, was able to relax and lived in my bikini basking in the glorious sunshine. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for everything I have in my life. But let me tell you, it was lovely to be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of my hotel room and the warmth of the beautiful sunshine all on my own. I came home on the 6^th to my smiling Baby screaming “Mommy!” and all is well.

If you’ve never gone on a vacation by yourself, I highly recommend it. I got to Unplug. I got to recharge. For that, I’m grateful.

 

Now, on to the next ;)

Fondly,

Betsey

Changing Tastes

I was standing at the counter the other day scooping out a tablespoon of garden flavored Hummus and I started thinking about the way I eat now compared to how I used to eat and a pretty cool thing occurred to me: I am thankful that my taste buds have evolved to love the variety of foods that they so desire today. 

It wasn’t always like this. I coveted fried foods and anything made from potatoes. In fact, my number one comfort food was mashed potatoes with lots of butter. This may have something with my everlasting string of confirmed strep throat when I was growing up until I had my tonsils out when I was 17 years old. I was consistently sick with laryngitis to the point where I didn’t even have to get it checked anymore; my mother just had to ask for the prescription. Mashed potatoes were warm, soft and didn’t hurt my throat as they went down. They soon became a staple in my diet as I grew up. I only liked white bread, couldn’t stand the texture of wheat pasta, and had never even heard of my now beloved quinoa. I was resistant to green vegetables and only ate them because I had to. I doused my food with salt and could never have enough butter. I had a major addiction to soda and could not stand drinking water. As strange as it sounds to me now, I didn’t like the taste of it.

One of the best things I ever did for myself was letting go of Soda and eliminating it from my diet completely. I will honestly tell you that I was addicted to it. Meaning, I actually had withdrawal symptoms for a couple weeks after I stopped drinking it. I got headaches, was dizzy and my Blood sugar started dropping which actually unmasked a problem I didn’t have any idea I had. After about 3 weeks, it wasn’t so bad. I stopped craving the evil carbonated beverage as much and eventually stopped wanting it all together. It took a little while though. That was 10 months ago. I decided it was best to go cold turkey when I eliminated soda from my diet. I guess I just thought that if I knew that it wasn’t good for me, why only slowly get it out of my system? Now, whenever I have to drink it, it makes my stomach upset.  Soda doesn’t have any nutritional value, so I don’t need it. Now, I drink water by the nalgene bottle, love hot tea in the evening, and iced green tea any time I can get my hands on it.  

My tastes have certainly changed since I was a kid eating chicken fingers, French fries, Mac and cheese or hot dogs. I now crave things like hummus and carrots, kale chips, lentils and salmon. I couldn’t stand sundried tomatoes, wouldn’t even look at a green pepper and the thought of peas made me gag. I hated broccoli, tofu looked like it came from another planet and I was convinced that Brussels sprouts were only invented to punish naughty children. I hated the sight, smell and taste of oatmeal but I’ve since learned of its benefits and the many different ways to make it edible and actually enjoy it. I ran every time I saw my mom open a can of chickpeas and now I eat hummus on a daily basis: with veggies, on sandwiches, in chicken and tuna salad; I love it. I never thought I would love eating roasted cauliflower or kale with a little olive oil and sea salt better than I would eating salt and vinegar chips. Now I reach for half a sweet potato instead of white potatoes, brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice, whole grain instead of white bread and wheat instead of white pasta. In fact, I prefer all of those things to the way I used to eat. My refrigerator is stocked full of veggies from every color of the rainbow; my pantry holds whole grains and a plethora of spices instead of sweet cereals full of refined sugar and ramen noodles.  I grab a piece of fruit or dark chocolate instead of Swedish fish or toffee to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Now, that’s not to say you’ll ever catch me eating Lima Bean soup. Ever. Never. But I’m very glad my tastes have evolved and I now love the beautiful array of foods that fulfill my stomach needs and those if my soul.

Fondly,

Betsey

An Experiment with Lentils

When I participated in the Burlington Adventure Boot Camp I was able to go on a grocery store tour where the co-owner of the camp spent time with us walking the aisles and showing us different low cost healthy options. One of the things he introduced us to was lentils: a small bean high in fiber, protein and B vitamins. Now, I’d seen the bags on the bottom shelf filled with small colorful pebbles but had always been unsure of what to do with them. I didn’t know if you soaked them or washed them or boiled them. It wasn’t until the grocery store tour where I heard about the health benefits and the low, low cost of them that I finally decided to get a bag and have a go. Well, that was a month and a half ago, but who’s counting. Yesterday I decided since the staples in my pantry were getting low, I’d try them out.  

The brand I used

After searching the web for something that would be appealing to me being health conscious and my husband who is a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy, I decided on a recipe called Veggie Balls from the Kitchen Daily section of the Huffington Post and modified it based on what I had in the house. (click the link above for the original recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 cups lentils
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

The first thing I did was wash the lentils and pick out the couple of them that didn’t look so great. Then I put the washed lentils and enough water to boil the lentils in (the same as you would do for pasta) in a medium sized pot and brought it to a boil on high heat. Now, this may not seem so hard but let me caution you to pay attention. I didn’t. My water boiled over and I had a lovely lentil-y mess to clean up. After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for up to 25 minutes. The Recipe says to cook until the lentils are soft but not falling apart. (My lentils cooked fast and were falling apart but they worked fine. (I’m off to a great start, huh: boiling over and mushy, lol)) Drain them and allow them to cool.

While the lentils were cooking I chopped the carrots and celery as finely as I could so that my carnivorous husband couldn’t pick out the pieces. I chopped up the onion at the very last second because inevitably the tears were streaming down my face and I had to walk away from everything to get a handle on the stinging in my eyes. (I should have cut it under cold running water to help with the gas that’s released when you cut through the onions “cell membranes” because I know I’m overly sensitive.) Once my tears were under control and I’d wiped up the mascara running down my face I added 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a large frying pan and sautéed the onions, carrots, celery, garlic (I used minced from a jar because that was all I had), and salt over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables were tender and just beginning to turn a golden brown. Then, I transferred the mixture to a bowl and allowed it to cool to room temperature.

So, because my lentils ended up a bit mushy, I had to do some recon work to help get rid of the extra water so after I put the veggies in a bowl to cool I transferred the lentils to a pan and cooked most of the excess water out. Then I popped the bowl of the cooling lentils into the fridge for 10 minutes because they were supposed to be cooling at the same time as the veggies. Oops. Oh well, the fridge did the trick. When they were both relatively cool, I added the lentils to the vegetable mixture.

Next, I added the eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, and parsley, to the cooled vegetable mixture and mixed by hand until everything was thoroughly incorporated. Make sure to take your jewelry off, this was just like mixing ground turkey or beef for meatballs. Once it’s mixed, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 25 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into a 9x13-inch baking dish (I used glass) and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface and set it aside to be filled with the balls you’re going to form. Then, the same way you would using meat, I rolled the mixture into round, golf ball-size  balls and placed the balls in the baking dish, allowing a little space between them and placed them in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid like the recipe suggested. Next I popped them in the oven on the bottom rack for 30 minutes so they were cooked through.

After I let them cool for 5 minutes I made everyone in the house try them: My husband, my father and my two year old. EVERYONE liked them! My two year old said “Ooo, its nummy!!” and carried the veggie ball around with her until she’d devoured it. My husband said, in a surprised voice, “Huh, these are actually pretty good” and proceeded to eat 4 of them dipped in mustard. The mustard was actually a good pairing with them as their taste reminded me of a homemade veggie burger I had once at a local restaurant. Nice thinking Jer! My Dad said “These are different” as he took a few of them to eat on a plate. That reaction was good enough for me!

So even though the process was a little intensive, and even with my couple of cooking mishaps (which were actually quite minimal when it comes to my usual performance) the end result was defiantly a positive one as everyone agreed that they were good. They would be great for a party as an appetizer to share or if formed into patties they could be eaten as a veggie burger. Today I reheated a couple of them and topped them with tomato sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Delish!!!

Left overs given new life

I’d say it was a successful experiment!

Enjoy,

Betsey

10 Reasons to Love Quinoa

As I’m sitting here eating my lunch of left over stir fry veggies and quinoa, I’m inspired to write about this ancient, slightly adorable “so-called” grain. Pronounced “KEEN-wah,” and ever the more clever and mysterious for it, it was once a food that bewildered me until I made the leap and experimented with it. I learned quickly how oh-so-special it really was. And so began my love affair with the beautiful little seed called quinoa.

1.       Readily available in most supermarkets and health food stores. Look for it in the bulk food section or the natural foods isle.

2.       It’s convenient and easy to store because of its miniscule size.

Quinoa seed before it's been harvested

3.       Relatively inexpensive for the value. The average cost is between $2-$3 a lb in the bulk food section. If bought prepackaged it’s a little more expensive but remember that as you cook it, it fluffs up.

4.       It cooks fast! 10-15 minutes from start to finish and super easy to cook. The ratio I use is 1.5:1 meaning 1 ½ cups water or chicken broth to 1 cup quinoa. I put the quinoa right in with the water and then let it come to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes until the water is absorbed. Then fluff with a fork and serve!

5.       It is hearty! It’s filling and stands up to whatever you do to it without becoming mushy. And, it doesn’t change its texture when reheated.

6.        It’s versatile. It can be used for breakfast, Lunch, Brunch or Dinner! Even ground into flour for baking. Be creative!



Red Quinoa

7.       It can be eaten hot or cold. I’ve eaten it hot with turkey chili over it in a main dish or as a standalone side dish. I’ve also eaten it cold as salad with chopped veggies and a light refreshing lemon vinaigrette. Which leads me to...

8.       It takes on the flavor of what you cook it in or add to it. If you add agave nectar or honey and cut up fruit it becomes a sweet dish perfect for brunch or a summer picnic. If you add ginger, soy sauce (low sodium preferably) or stir fry sauce is becomes a delightful Asian dish. If you cook it in chicken stock, add some bullion and carrots and serve it with roasted chicken it becomes a home-style comfort food dish. Make it in the morning with strawberries and blueberries, sliced almonds and use vanilla almond milk instead of water and you’ve got a power packed breakfast. The possibilities are endless.

9.       It has the Highest protein content of any grain at 160 cals per 1/3 cup cooked portion, 2.5g fat, 3g fiber and 6g of protein per serving! It contains sufficient amounts of 9 essential amino acids making it a complete protein. Vegetarians and vegans can rely on it to help provide them with their protein needs

10.   Gluten free, cholesterol free and Kosher. Enough said.

So there you have it; all the reasons that I love quinoa and believe that you should add it to your diet as an alternative to rice and potatoes. Not just because of its adorable and chic appearance; I mean, come on, those little seeds are pretty cute. But also because of the nutritional power packed punch the little buggers carry, the “ease of use” and the amazing versatility of this grain. Or wait, ah, seed. No matter what you call it, according to the world’s healthiest foods, The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations has official declared that 2013 will be the “International Year of Quinoa.” So go ahead, jump on the Quinoa bandwagon before it’s cool. You know you want to!

Question of the Day: Have you had Quinoa before? Did you like it and how did you prepare it?

Fondly,

Betsey