As we all know, I love coconut water!  I love the taste and its great health benefits.  You can read all about the benefits of coconut water here.

Now that I am pregnant, I enjoy coconut water even more.  It is important to stay hydrated when you are pregnant and sometimes water just doesn’t cut it!  I like having a little something else every other day or so, and coconut water is definitely my go to beverage of choice these days.  It tastes refreshing and delicious!  Plus, it helps to keep me hydrated and gives me some added benefits of calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and sodium.  And, it is all natural with no added preservatives or sugars, so it is good for me and the baby!

Lucy, at One Natural Experience, sent me a few different flavors to try, including their new line of sports drinks!

According to their website:

O.N.E. Active starts with the pure water from inside a young green coconut – nature’s original sport drink – then we add ginkgo biloba, panax ginseng, catuaba bark and antioxidants. Because O.N.E. Active contains essential minerals – potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium – in the form of electrolytes, it is absorbed efficiently into the bloodstream, speeding fluid to your cells to rehydrate, refuel and replenish your body. Quick absorption is essential for warding off fatigue, cooling the body and achieving peak performance.

Plain coconut water is already a great choice for a sports drink, so this Active coconut water contains those great benefits with an added bonus.

I really enjoyed the active coconut water (lemon-lime was my favorite!).  It was a bit sweet, so I like it more mixed with a little plain water, but overall it had a great taste.  It does not have that artificial taste that many sports drinks have.  And, it contains all good ingredients!

I was also sent my absolute favorite coconut water out there – with a splash of pink guava.

According to the website:

Just as the name suggests, O.N.E. Coconut Water with a Splash starts with our pure coconut water and we add a splash of fruit juice to offer tropical flavors like Mango, Pineapple and Pink Guava. Containing more than 85 percent coconut water, Splash offers tasty selections that still provide all the health benefits of drinking plain coconut water.

This line of coconut water is awesome because it tastes like regular coconut water with (like it says) just a splash of fruit juice.  It is not too sweet and is still thirst quenching.  All of the flavors are good, but the pink guava is by far the best in my book!

I would love to see a splash of lime.

O.N.E. also has a kids line of coconut water drinks!

According to their website:

I, honestly, can not wait to try these!  They sound delicious.

I was on-the-go all day long, so I needed some healthy and portable to-go snacks.

I felt like heading out for a run in the morning, but once I stepped outside I knew the air-conditioned gym would be a better idea.

Before I left, I mixed up a delicious concoction of Lemon-Lime Amazing Grass + Lemon Lime O.N.E. Coconut Water + a splash of water.

I added 1 scoop of the Amazing Grass to my shaker and filled it up with 6 oz. coconut water + 2 oz. water.

It was good!  Very lime-y.

I also grabbed a Heaven GloBar.  I loved this flavor because of all of the coconutty flavor!

This new Amazing Grass makes me feel great.  It leaves me feeling energized without drinking caffeine.  I love it.  And, mixed with this new Lemon Lime Coconut Water from O.N.E. made it taste even better!

I received a few samples of their new coconut water flavors from O.N.E., including this Lemon Lime.  They came out with 3 Active flavors that contain coconut water along with a mix of natural energizers that help replenish you before, during and after a workout.  My initial thought about the Lemon Lime was that it tasted too sweet, but mixed with a little water before my workout, it tasted great.  After my workout, the sweetness was perfect!

Workout

I got to the gym and started with a 5 minute warm-up walk on the treadmill, then hit the weights circuit style:

(3 sets of each)

• 21′s
• squats with overhead press
• triceps kickbacks
• deadlift with upright row
• chest press
• triceps extension

Then, I ran 5 miles on the treadmill and did a 10 minute cool-down walk.

It felt great!

Once home, I craved a smoothie – a Chocolate Cherry Smoothie!

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen cherries
• 2 tbsp vanilla hemp protein powder
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• 2 tbsp cacao
• 4 oz banana yogurt
• 1 cup filtered water

Poured into a to-go mug to bring with my while running errands.  YUMMY!

Once I made it home, it was time to make our way down to NYC for the weekend.  I wasn’t ready for lunch yet and I knew we would be having dinner upon arrival, so I packed a few road trip snacks.

Avocados travel very easily.

Just cut it in half and remove the pit before packing.  Bring along some spices to sprinkle on it and pack a spoon!  Then, enjoy on the road.

Homemade juice also travels easy.  Just make your juice (and clean the juicer before leaving!) and pour it into a glass smoothie cup for easy travel.  This way you can throw it in a bag and not worry about it spilling all over.

In the juice:

• 5-6 celery stalks
• handful carrot tops
• 4 small carrots
• 1 knob ginger
• 2 small apples
• 2 small beets

Deliciousness.

I also packed a container of pre-cooked lentils and a fork.

All together – juice, avocado, lentils – this made a decent meal and kept me occupied on our drive.

Off to explore, have a great weekend!

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I get quite a few questions from readers, family and friends about some of the things that I eat, bake and cook with and why I use them over other ingredients.  Therefore, I thought that it would be fun to write a post about some of my favorite ingredients.

Since I have so many favorite things, I decided to split this up into two parts.

Enjoy.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are packed with fiber, antioxidants, protein, vitamins, minerals and omega-3.  They are extremely easily digestible in their state, unlike flax seeds which need to be ground.  They are great for athletes because the seeds give you an energy boost and absorb water to keep you hydrated!

You can eat chia seeds on their own, but I prefer to add them to smoothies, yogurt and oatmeal!

Brown Rice Syrup

Brown rice syrup is a sweetener with a honey-like thickness that will not cause your blood sugar to spike.  It is a simple sugar which means that your body does not need to work as hard to break it down for digestion.  All sugars that enter your body are broken down into simple sugars before they can be digested.  In this case, the work has been done before the sugar enters your body.  This makes brown rice syrup one of the healthiest out there.

I like to substitute brown rice syrup for honey, maple syrup, white sugar, etc in recipes.

Almonds

What is not to like here?  Almonds are packed with all sorts of stuff – Vitamin E, calcium, fiber, magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron – making them one of the healthiest nuts out there.  Yes, like all nuts, almonds are hign in fat.  However, they are high in monosaturated fat which is the healthy fat.  The kind of fat that your body uses to live.  Eating almonds has been show to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and will keep your cravings at bay by keeping you satisfied!

Almonds are tasty on their own, but I also love them in trail mix, cereal, on top of oatmeal or crushed into almond butter!

Cinnamon

Did you know that cinnamon is often used as a health remedy?  It slows the rate at which the stomach empties after you eat, which reduces the rise of blood sugar after meals.  Cinnamon is also a great source of dietary fiber, iron and calcium.  Plus, it tastes delicious!

I love cinnamon mixed in oatmeal and yogurt or sprinkled on fruit.

Greek Yogurt

I would choose greek yogurt over other types anyday!  It has a thicker texture which turns some people off, but once you get used to it you won’t look back.

Not only does greek yogurt keep you full much longer than other types, but it is also full of protein!  Make sure to watch the sugar content if you buy flavored yogurts – it is can be decieving!  I prefer to buy plain greek yogurt and add my own flavorings.  You can add everything – vanilla, honey, peanut butter, granola, etc.

Have fun with your food!

Cacao Powder & Nibs

These 2 things could easily be my favorite!  Cacao = Cocoa.  Cacao powder is unsweetened and usually raw.  It is ground from cacao nibs.  Cacao nibs & powder contain more antioxidants and magnesium than any other food out there.  However, in order to reap the benefits, you need to eat cacao in it’s natural form – the nibs and powder count!

Cacao powder is delicious when added to smoothies or in oatmeal.  You can use it as chocolate in baked goods when combined with a sweetener of your choice.  I add cacao nibs to everything – trail mix, oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, ice cream, etc!

Coconut Water

Coconut water is my post-workout drink of choice.  It contains natural electrolytes to replenish lost stores in your body.  Check out more benefits of coconut water in my last post!

Drink it straight up, mix is with your favorite fruit juice or add it to a smoothie!

Ginger

Ginger is often used to aid in digestion, treat stomach upsets and nausea.  It has also been shown to treat arthritis and the common cold.  I love ginger for the taste, but I also love it for helping with tummy troubles.

I drink ginger tea after large meals or when my stomach is upset.  I also love dried ginger!  It’s perfect to keep in your purse to nibble on a few pieces after you eat or drop it in a cup of hot water for tea.

Flaxseed

Flaxseeds are very rich in omega-3′s which makes this seed very powerful for everyone, especially vegetarian’s and vegan’s who stay away from animal products.  It also contains a lot of fiber and has been shown to increase immunity strength in your body.  Whole flaxseeds cannot be digested by your body, so it is important to grind them (or purchase the ground!) before eating.  I grind my own in my coffee grinder!

Flaxseeds and ground flax can easily be added to yogurt, oatmeal, cereal or in baked goods!

Steel Cut Oats

In a nutshell, oatmeal is good for you.  It has been shown to reduce cholesterol when eaten on a regular basis.  It is filling, satisfying and a great breakfast, especially on cold winter days!  Oatmeal is high in protein and fiber and will not make your blood sugar spike.

I prefer Steel-Cut Oats because they are the least processed of most oats.  The different types of oats (steel-cut, rolled, oatbran) all have to do with the amount and type of processing that they go through before hitting store shelves.

Steel-cut oats take much longer to cook due to the minimal processing, but it is worth it.  They have a heartier taste that I love!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite things!  Make sure to come back later on this weekend for part 2!

I started out my day feeling so dehydrated.  This weather will really do that to you before your body adapts to it.  But, I was determined to get out there and run so I chugged some water and ate a few dates as pre-run fuel and set out for a run.

I ran along the water and enjoyed the cool breeze!  I ended up running 6.5 miles in 60 minutes.  It felt great to run.  Next week is the start of a new month, and therefore, a perfect time for me to kick my butt back into gear.  May has been a pretty slow month…

After my run, all I wanted was a smoothie.  I was so hot, that I couldn’t possibly think of eating anything else, except maybe ice cream.

I know I eat (drink) a lot of smoothies, but be prepared to see even more now that the summer is upon us!  They are definitely a favorite of mine.  Now, if I could just get a Vita Mix.

In the pink smoothie (a twist on the Vivacious Princess):

• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 cup frozen cherries
• 2 tbsp vanilla spice hemp protein powder
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• 1 scoop chocolate Amazing Grass
• 1 tbsp raw cashew butter
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup water
• topped with chocolate banana granola

Just what I wanted!

Mid-morning, I chugged some more water and had a homemade Maple Granola Bar.

Lunch was leftover Bean Chili with Dr. Krackers.  Like I said before, this week is ‘eat up your freezer foods’, so I grabbed a chili on my way out the door this morning.

Not the best lunch for a hot hot day, but I work in air conditioning, so I’m usually freezing.  Served with a super juicy pear.  Hot weather = I crave juicy fruit all day long!

Mid-afternoon, I broke out a juicy grapefruit, yogurt and a new flavor of coconut water (which I have been sipping on since lunch).

Zico came out with 2 new flavors of their coconut water – Lima Citron and Pomberry.  I tried both of them at the NYC Half Marathon expo back in March, but it was just recently that they hit store shelfs.  I saw them on Sunday and was psyched (obviously!).

I tried the Pomberry today and liked it.  It contains coconut water and natural pomegranate and berry flavors…nothing else.  Nothing artificial.  It has just the slightest a hint of flavor.  I still prefer plain coconut water over anything else, but these hints of flavor are a nice change once in awhile.  It would be great after a long workout on a hot day!  Each bottle contains 14 ounces, which is one serving and contains 60 calories.

Who knows what dinner holds…maybe a veggie burger on a sprouted bun with a salad?  We shall see what leftovers we break out.

Edited to add: Veggie Burgers for dinner!  With a slice of american cheese and ketchup.

On a sprouted bun with farmer’s market greens mixed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

I hung around the house this morning until Brant made us french toast!  I spent my time researching green cleaning products, and how to make them at home – fun stuff.  Look out for a post this week about them.  I want to use them for a few days to make sure they work first.

Breakfast was delicious.  I haven’t had french toast in quite awhile and it always tastes great.  I am not a big pancake or waffle fan, but french toast is a whole different story.  It is so simple to make, and definitely tastes great.  I like it for a treat every now and then.

He dipped the whole wheat toast into a mixture of eggs, milk and cinnamon.  Then cooked them on the griddle until golden brown.

I topped my 2 pieces with raspberry jam, coconut butter and a few dark chocolate chunks!

This was so good!  Great to change up my normal breakfast routine with something delicious over the weekend.

After breakfast, we headed out to the Whole Foods mecca in Dedham.  This is the best Whole Foods around, and apparently the largest in Massachusetts.  We had extra time today, so it was a perfect time to check it out.  I just love it there and could spend hours, but we were in and out within an hour today.  We picked up our produce for the week, as well as some cleaning products.  Every now and then, Whole Foods has great sales on products around the store.  Today, mangoes were 2 for $1.50 (originally $1.99 each!) and Dr. Bonner’s Castille soap was 1/2 price!  I got a $14.99 bottle for $8.99 – sweet!

On our way home, I snacked on a banana and a Coconut Water with Pineapple.

I liked this coconut water, but not nearly as much as the guava I tried the other day.  But, I still prefer the original to both of them.

Once home, it was time for lunch and then a nice long walk with Brant.  We both finished up the leftovers from Friday’s dinner – Tabasco & Asparagus Quinoa.

We walked for over an hour all over Southie.  People were everywhere!  The weather was just too gorgeous to be inside.  We spent more time outside cleaning up the porch and putting the chairs out.  Now, I just hope it stays nice!

I spent the early evening cooking dinner and making a few baked goods while my soup was simmering, which I will post about over the next few days.  Right now, I’m ready to stay away from the computer for the night.

But first, dinner.  I followed Heidi’s recipe for Coconut Red Lentil Soup exactly…and it came out great!  It is a great recipe to make when you don’t have many veggies in the fridge because you probably keep some of these items in your pantry (or at least, I do ).

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

recipe followed exactly from 101cookbooks.com (see recipe here)

The combination of the lentils and split peas made a great soup thickener.

While they simmered away on the stove, I chopped up the other veggies.

The carrots get thrown in right away.

Then, the scallions and ginger get cooked with butter, raisins, tomato paste and curry powder in a separate pan.

Then, are added to the soup.  It smelled really good while cooking.  I simmered the soup for about 10 extra minutes to thicken it up, and I really loved the consistency.  Instead of serving my soup over rice, I ate it with some croutons which I made from cutting up and toasting stale bread.

I will definitely be making this again – and am so glad for the leftovers I will be eating all week.

It was a tad bit bland, so I recommend salt and pepper.  But, instead, I added some grated Parmesan cheese.

Perfect.

Stay tuned for green cleaning products tomorrow – dish soap and all purpose cleaner!

On my way to the gym, I snacked on a Chocolate Heart Thrive.

YUM!  I really love these little hearts.  They taste pretty good, and have a decent ingredient list, which makes everything better.  The chocolate bits are like little bits of heaven in my granola bar!

I ran 4.6 miles in 40 minutes on the treadmill, then did some upper body weights.  My legs felt pretty tight today, maybe from my faster run yesterday.  They were tired after the run, so I decided against my circuit weight session, which would have included lots of lunges and squats.  I save those for another day, and focused on my Shoulders, Chest & Triceps.

Upper Body Weights

• Overhead press (12.5 lb weights, 3 sets of 12)
• Triceps Dips (3 sets of 12)
• Frontal Raise (7.5 lb weights, 3 sets of 12)
• Crunches (3 sets of 15)
• Chest press on a stability ball (12.5 lb weights, 3 sets of 12)
• Triceps Kickback (12.5 lb weights, 3 sets of 12)
• Lateral raise (7.5 lb weights, 3 sets of 12)
• Bicycle crunches (3 sets of 15)
• Upright row (10 lb weights, 3 sets of 12)
• Overhead triceps (12.5 lb weight, 2 sets of 12)
• Chest flys (7.5 lb weights, 2 sets of 12)
• V-ups ( 2 sets of 15)

This was a great upper body workout!  My arms were shaking and burning at the end.  The last 3 exercises, I could only get myself to do 2 sets.  It feels great to have a workout like that.  I increased some of my weight today, so I felt proud.

After my workout, I sipped on a new Coconut Water on my way home – with a splash of Guava!

O.N.E. coconut water came out with a few new flavors of their coconut water, with just a splash of the juice.  I also bought the mango and pineapple, so I can’t wait to try them!  I loved the guava!!  It was the perfect amount of ‘splash’.  Not too sweet, but just enough to make it a treat.  And, coconut water is a natural electrolyte, so drink up!  Their other flavored coconut waters are a little too sweet for my taste, but I liked this, even though I’d prefer the original anyday.

This one 8.5 fl oz serving has 78 calories, 16 grams of sugar and 18 grams of carbs.  Not so bad, considering that regular coconut water has 14 grams of sugar.

Once home, I made and scarfed down dinner in a matter of minutes – literally.  I was starving!

This was the worst wrap I have ever made!  It tasted awesome, but the pictures are awful!  This guy fell apart from the start.

Anyways, I filled a Joseph’s flax pita pocket with spinach, a Dr. Praeger’s veggie burger, 1/2 an avocado and salsa.  Delicious combo – with a side of multigrain tortilla chips & salsa.

This has been a crazy week with what feels like every second filled – yay for Friday tomorrow!

Sleep tight!

I got through my long run today in the mountains!  Lots and lots of hills, but I felt great through all 11.5 miles.  I kept an average pace of 9:20 per mile and took it nice and easy since it was a longer run.  The experts say that you should complete your long runs 60-90 seconds per mile slower than your race pace.  You don’t want to run them at an extremely hard effort because that will make you more tired and you won’t be able to complete the rest of your weekly runs at a good pace.  The point of a long run is to build stamina and muscle memory.  I think that my legs have no problem running for 1:45 minutes after all of that marathon training last summer and fall!

After my 11.5 mile run, I was starving, so I immediately dug into a snack to hold me over until lunch.

Amazing grass mixed with milk and a banana with Barney Butter.

I don’t think I have mentioned Barney Butter on here before.  It is an almond butter that is mentioned on numerous food blogs out there!  I do like it, because I love nut butters, however it is definitely not my favorite.  They add cane juice and oil to the almonds to create the almond butter, which I do not like.  It has a sweeter taste due to the cane juice.  I much prefer Trader Joe’s Raw Almond Butter – it is to die for!!  But, I bought the Barney Butter to try it out, so of course I will finish the jar!

It tastes okay spread on a super ripe banana!

This snack did the trick.  It contained lots of protein to fuel my tired muscles and held me over while I cleaned up.

We had some leftover pizza for lunch before heading back to boston.  Once again, I had a slice of the Pear, Caramelized Onion and Gorgonzola and a slice of the Tomato, Mozzarella and Broccoli.

On the way home, I drank some Coconut Water,

and snacked on a few dried kiwi’s, which are full of sugar.   But, they were delicious and are more nutritious than eating candy!

We also stopped at Starbucks, where I got an Awake Tea Latte – love these and love the cups!

Once home, I unpacked and started on dinner – Stuffed Acorn Squash!

I popped 1.5 cups of brown rice into my rice cooker to get started, then I cut an acorn squash in half and baked it for 30 minutes.

This would have been a perfect Valentine’s Day meal, since they are shaped like hearts!!!

While the rice and squash cooked, I started on the stuffing.  I chopped up 2 cloves of garlic, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks, then cooked them in a saute pan for about 5 minutes before adding 1 can of chickpeas and the cooked rice.

I seasoned the mix with paprika, salt, pepper, brown sugar and red pepper flakes.  Then added a handful of raisins at the end and cooked until warm.

You will know that the acorn squash is done, when you can puncture it easily with a fork.

I then added the stuffing to the squash.

And, topped the mix with shredded cheddar cheese and baked for another 7 minutes to melt the cheese!

Mmmm…they came out delicious!!!

We really loved this meal.  I would cook this again in a second!  So delicious.

I loved the slight sweetness of the acorn squash paired with the sweet and spicy rice.  The cheddar cheese topped gave it a bit of tartness – yum!

Baked Stuffed Acorn Squash

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups brown rice, uncooked
• 2 acorn squashes, cut in half
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Cook brown rice according to package directions.
2. Cut 2 acorn squashes in half and bake at 350°F facedown for 30 minutes, or until tender.
3. Meanwhile, chop the garlic, carrots and celery.
4. Heat a skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Cook the garlic, carrots and celery for about 5 minutes.
5. Add the chickpeas and cook until heated through, then add the rice.
6. Mix in the rice and all seasonings.
7. Add the raisins and cook for another few minutes, until warmed through.
8. Take your squash from the oven and fill each center with the rice mixture.
9. Top each squash with 1/8 cup cheddar cheese.
10. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
11. Serve immediately after removing from oven.
12. Enjoy!

Time for the Olympics and Tea!

I started the day at 5:30am with a slice of whole grain seeded toast with maple almond butter (my absolute favorite) and a pineapple chobani.

I also packed lots of fluids for our ride to Loon.  I drank a little too much wine last night and needed some replenishment – big time!  I started with a cranberry pomegranate emergen-c, then packed a coconut water and some oriental moon tea.  YUM!

After 2 hours in the car, we finally arrived at the mountain!!

We immediately got out on the slopes and had a full day of skiing.  Mid way through I snacked on a Tropical Fruit Tart Larabar we stopped for a refreshment.   I love this Larabar flavor and I love Blue Moon.

I am really glad that I had this larabar in my pocket.  Otherwise, I would have been eating something unhealthy for a snack in the lodge!  More to come on snacks in my weekly tip post on Monday.

Then, we were back out on the slopes for a bit.  Here we are having fun!

We stopped home for a quick lunch.  Homemade turkey chili (by mom!) and beer bread (also made by mom!).

I just had a really really small bowl to hold me over, since it was such a late lunch!

Then, we were off to the bar for apres ski.  So much fun, and a packed bar!  I refrained from drinking…I needed to save up for wine at dinner (and be able to stay awake!)

We came back to the house for apps and dinner!  Lots of cheese, crackers, chips and salsa!

My favorite combo was the herbed goat cheese on pita chips.

Dinner was delicious!  Dad made shrimp and pesto risotto topped with parmesan cheese, and I threw together a garden salad with carrots, tomatoes and black olives.  Both were served along with some hot and crusty ciabatta.

Very yummy!  Perfect comfort food after a full day of skiing.

Risotto is not the healthiest meal choice, but everything in moderation, right?  You can’t see and smell fresh homemade risotto without eating some!  I love to eat healthy.  I love healthy food and how it makes me feel.  But, that does not mean that I won’t indulge every so often.  When I do indulge, I’ll try to give tips on how to make it healthier!  Like this:

I filled half of my plate with salad, then added a scoop of risotto and a slice of ciabatta with a teaspoon of butter.

Served with some great wine.

On to more unhealthy food – ice cream sundaes!

Sorry for the really bad photo – not sure what happened there!  A scoop of Mocha Almond Ice Cream with hot fudge sauce.  Hit the spot.

Time to get back to the Olympics!

I added a whole lemon to the mix, so it basically tasted like fruit juice lemonade!

I also had some fruit to use up that was going bad, so I added the following:

• 1 lemon
• 1 huge carrot
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 apple
• 1 pair
• 2 kiwis

It was good, but not the best – too much lemon!

After my juice settled, I dug into some oatmeal with Chia Seeds that I got from the local health food store yesterday.  Chia seeds are all the rage in the raw food world and on food blogs recently, so I had to try them out.

Chia seeds are are extremely high in Omega 3′s and are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  They can hold up to 10 times their weight in water, which makes them great for athletes to keep hydrated.

I added one tablespoon to my oats this morning.  It kind of ‘bulked up’ my oats.  The seeds didn’t really taste like anything to me, but i did notice that I was full faster than normal with my oats.  I also added 1/2 banana and a scoop of Nuttzo to my oats.  Nuttzo is delicious!

It is a nut butter that is loaded with organic peanuts, organic ground and whole flaxseeds, organic hazelnuts, organic cashews, organic almonds, organic brazil nuts and organic cashews.  All of my favorites ground into one nut butter!

I took some photos of my trip to the health food store yesterday.  It is such a fun store.  They have a whole aisle of bulk items, which are so much cheaper than normal!

They have nuts, seeds, beans, grains, etc.  It’s great!  I don’t go there for all of my groceries, just some specialty items.

• Chia Seeds
• Tahini
• Raw Macademia Nuts
• 2 Chocolate Bars

• Ume Plum Vinegar
• Dried Bananas, unsweetened
• Dried Cranberries, unsweetened
• Hemp Seeds
• Date Sugar

• Raw Revolution Bars

Lunch was a Mediterranean Veggie sandwich at Panera Bread sans onions and feta.  I have been starving today!  The Mediterranean Veggie is loaded with Zesty Peppadew™ piquant peppers, feta cheese, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cilantro hummus on our Tomato Basil bread.

A few hours after lunch, I really wanted another snack, so I made a shake/smoothie.

Tropical Smoothie

• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 3/4 cup coconut water
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• scoop of coconut milk ice cream – this stuff is good!

And, stuffed peppers for dinner – cooked food!  Yay!

Goodnight!

I added the following:

• 5 ice cubes
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 cup frozen cherries
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 tbsp hemp protein powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp cacao powder
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• squirt of agave

This basically tasted like a Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie!  I couldn’t taste the hemp powder or the blueberries, but they were in there to give me an extra boost of protein and antioxidants!  It was delicious.

I love smoothies, but I find that for breakfast they only hold me over for a few hours.  I think that my body craves food more in the morning…I am never as hungry at night.  Plus, I workout in the mornings which definitely makes me hungrier.  I guess that is a good thing since it gets my metabolism going!

Check out this article about Superfoods for women from Health.com!  Their top ten list contains the following:

• Wild Alaskan Salmon
• Wild Blueberries
• Oats
• Broccoli
• Walnuts
• Avocados
• Red Beans
• Greek Yogurt
• Olive Oil
• Dark Chocolate!!!

Other winners were almonds, beef, green tea, kefir, lentils, low-fat milk, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, raisins, soybeans, spinach, sweet potatoes, tart cherries and tomatoes.

It is amazing to me how many of those superfoods I get into my diet!  Yay me.   And, I’m sure that plenty of other women eat a lot of those foods as well.  I make a great dish with quinoa, pumpkin seeds, spinach, tomatoes and golden raisins!  I guess i’ll have to make that again soon, since it is packed with superfoods!

Before leaving for work this morning I toasted up 2 slices of Millet toast and brought some raw almond butter just in case.  And what do you know?  I was hungry around 10:30!  I ate about 1.5 slices with my almond butter and that kept my hunger off until almost 2, where I ate some leftover Spicy Thai Salad from last night – still delicious!

Avocados do not keep well after they have been opened up, but I stored my leftover dressing in a jar with a slice of lemon which definitely kept it from browning too much.  The top layer did brown, but I just scooped it off!  Mmmm…I love avocados.

Back up for a second to talk about Trader Joes Raw Almond Butter.  It is amazing!  For some reason, it tastes better to me than anything else I have tried – and trust me, I have tried many nut butters!  I get the chunky version and there are huge chunks of almonds in it!!!

Mid-afternoon I snacked on an Attune Chocolate Bar.  The nice people at Attune sent me some of their chocolate bars to try.  I am going to review the bars in more depth later after I try the other 2 I have because the idea behind the bar intrigues me.

From the Attune website:

“Attune® is the powerhouse probiotic bar that tastes absolutely amazing. And it helps you feel amazing. That means a digestive system that works like it should. And an immune system that puts up a good defense. Get Alive Inside™ with just one Attune bar every day.”

I tried the Chocolate Crisp bar, which tasted good.  Kind of like a Nestle Crunch bar.

I did not absolutely love it, but it was a nice treat with only 90 calories.  Apparently the bars contain more probiotics than yogurt, which ultimately will keep your digestive system in track.  More to come once I try the other bars!

Tonight was an easy 5 mile run!  Between my run and dinner, I sipped on a coconut water to replenish and hold me over for dinner.

For dinner, I whipped up a fancy cashew “pizza cheese” to eat with our lettuce wraps.  I am loving the ChoosingRaw.com recipes that Gena has, so this week is a variety from their, including the pizza cheese.

Cashew Ricotta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Basil (aka Italian Pizza Cheese!)

from ChoosingRaw.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews, soaked for two hours or more
• Juice of one lemon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp white miso (optional) – I did not use this
• 4 sundried tomatoes, chopped – I used golden sundried tomatoes
• ¼ cup basil

Directions:

1. Throw nuts in a food processor and process till ground well.
2. Add salt, lemon juice, miso if using.
3. Scrape sides of bowl and run processor again, this time drizzling some water in. Keep doing this until the cheese reaches the consistency you like (similar to ricotta).
4. Add tomatoes and basil and pulse until they are well combined into the cheese.
5. Serve as you like!

I followed Gena’s directions exactly, and my “cheese” came out looking just like hers does!  Fluffy and creamy with a consistency similar to ricotta.

Nut spreads, cheese and pate’s are really big in the raw food world because it gives some flavor to your dish.  Some people do not love the texture, but personally I love them!  I do not love meat, so sauces and spreads (such as hummus, guacamole, and nut cheeses) kind of act like my meat, if you know what I mean?!

I spread my Cashew pizza cheese in cabbage tacos and topped them with shredded carrots and slices of tomatoes.  They were delicious!

I love the raw idea, but I am still craving some cooked foods!  But, like everyone says, start out slow with any kind of diet change.  If you try to change everything at once, you will just end up failing!  Small steps towards a healthy lifestyle are definitely the way to go.  It took me a few years to really get into the healthy, all-natural way of eating.  But, now that I am here, I would never even dream of going back!  The candy and cookies and chips that I ate all the time in college are not even appealing to me anymore.  I am healthier and happier than I have ever been before!