My Power Oats + I was Published at Health Your Way Online

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day hands down.  I always feel the the most creative when I am making oatmeal.  This morning I made something inspired by my aunt.  She has this little device that helps get the pomegranate seeds out very easily, so the last time I was over I got a ton of seeds to use.  She mentioned that she uses them in her oatmeal!  Genius!  They are so sweet that you don't need to add any sweetener.  My power oats as I call them, have whole cooked oats, pomegranate seeds, blueberries, and roasted chopped almonds.  It was amazing!  I also had some eggs for added protein and I am still full! 

Are you a breakfast eater? It is such an important meal!  It sets you up for success for the rest of the day.  I have always been a breakfast eater, so for me it is easy to get up and eat.  You should eat within an hour of waking, after drinking a large glass of ice water, this gets your metabolism started for the day.  Your breakfast should always include protein, a complex carb (i.e. oatmeal) and some fruit or veggies (toss them in your omelet).  You are the most insulin sensitive in the morning so in order to stave off your insulin response (fat storing) you need to have protein.  If you are grabbing a bagel and coffee loaded with sugar you are turning off your fat burning response and turning on your fat storing response, continued for a long period of time results in serious health problems and fat gain, not exactly what you want.  It really is the most important meal.  What is your favorite healthy breakfast?

Health Your Way Online

 I want to share some exciting news...I have two articles published in Health Your Way Online.  If you haven't yet head on over and check them out! 
Here are the links:
Get Your Fitness Back on Track
Healthy Weight Loss Tips
Health Your Way Online is a great online resource for healthy living and workout articles.  Make sure to check it out.  You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.  They even host healthy living chats on Twitter on Monday nights 8pm EST.

Have an amazing Healthy and Fit Day!
~Angelena

I Heart Yoga + Lentil Veggie Soup Recipe

Good Sunday Afternoon!  It is another snowy and cold day here and I am counting down the days till our Miami trip to visit a friend (16 days!!).  I am so ready for some sun and warmth.  We are going to spend the day hanging out and prepping for a week of clean eating, and hopefully we will venture out to take Ariana out to a play place.  I am going to get a short walk on the treadmill in to loosen up my tight legs from my killer leg workout on Friday, and maybe a little shoulders and abs!  What are you doing this Sunday to prep for a healthy week?

I really love doing yoga classes, but it is hard as a stay at home mommy to find the time and sitter to get to a class.  Since I really enjoy doing my Jillian DVD workouts, I figured I'd give yoga DVDs a chance.  I did some research on Amazon and came across these to Shiva Rea DVDs.  I really like the both, and if I get them in while little A is napping then I can dim the lights and really get into my practice.  The daily energy video has a yoga matrix where you can build your own practice with as little or many series as you want or have time for.  This is a great option for me, since I can usually get 20 minutes in 4 times a week.  I have only tried the Fire and Water series thus far, but I really liked them both.  I am excited to try the rest throughout the week.  Yoga is definitely a great compliment to my weight training, it helps stretch my tight mucles and helps me to center and focus my mind.  She asks you to make a dedication for each practice and take it into your life.  I always feel lighter and more centered after a great yoga session.  Do you have any yoga DVDs that you enjoy?

Since it is such a cold day I am going to make a lentil veggie soup.  I always make extra to have for the week since it is a tasty and easy way to get more veggies in.  Here is a recipe my aunt shared with me from Joel Furman's cookbook and I made some modifications too.  If you make it let me know what you think.  I absolutely love it!

Photo credit

Lentil Veggie Soup
2 tablespoons organic canola oil
1 small onion diced
3 stalks celery diced
3 small carrots diced
2 large kale leaves (remove leaves from stalks)
1 head of broccoli
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons Braggs mixed herb spices
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup french lentils
7-8 cups chicken or veggie stock (I used a mix of both, use only veggie to make vegan)

In a large pot heat the canola oil on medium heat and saute vegetables until soft.  Add the garlic and tomato paste and continue to saute for a few more minutes, then add herbs and salt and saute until veggies begin to stick to the pan.  De-glaze the pan with 1/4 chicken/veggie stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the vegetable that may have stuck.  Add the lentils and 7-8 cups of stock, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until lentils are soft.  (During the cooking you may lose some liquid, you can add more at the end to increase broth and simmer to warm.
Store unused portion in the fridge or freeze to use later.

I thought I would leave you this Sunday with a reminder of how amazing it feels to workout (whatever you love to do), and to get up and move that body!  Also, thought I'd share this little cutie doing her "pulls" as she calls them (she likes to copy mommy).  I am happy she gets to see me workout and that I am setting a good example for her.  I can't wait to teach her how to weight train (in like 13 more years).

Happy and Healthy Fit Sunday, 
Angelena

Feature Fridays: Rachel Miller

I am so excited for the first installment in my Feature Fridays segment.  I reached out and have received an amazing response, I have stories scheduled until the end of March.  I am so excited to read and share each one of these inspirational and motivational stories, especially as since I have my own story.  I have always loved reading others success stories it makes me know that I am not alone!  Today's story comes from Rachel Miller at Undercover Diva: A sitcom.  Read on to hear how she changed her life through exercise and nutrition!

Feature Fridays: Rachel Miller

For most of my young adulthood, I had been overweight.  At the encouragement of my Pilates teacher in the Spring of 2011 semester, I began to track my calories and exercise using My Fitness Pal.com (they also have a mobile app, both are free).  Let me tell you, counting calories is an eye-opener.  It really introduced portion control, which I think is more important than what you actually eat.  I still eat pizza, ice cream and all those delicious sweets I just allot calories for those treats.  It is also important to understand that you don't need to be perfect in your calorie counting everyday; as long as you have a deficit of 2,500 calories at the end of the week, you will lose 1 pound a week (My Fitness Pal calculates your deficit for you).

Initially I set my goal for 15 pounds that I wanted to lose.  The first 10 pounds or so come off quickly (more if you're heavier) because this is all water weight.  When I got to 15 pounds lost, I loved what I was seeing so I tried for 5 more pounds.  Then I tried for 10 more pounds.  When I did it I was ECSTATIC!  I am now maintaining that weight by running, eating well and strength training twice a week.

I eat a vegetarian diet, and I believe that has helped me maintain my healthy lifestyle and has changed my mindset towards food.  I now truly view food as fuel and try to fuel myself with as many whole foods as possible, although I do enjoy my treats.  Healthy living is an ongoing process and a constant learning experience.  I have seen the health problems associated with not eating or living well, and would like to avoid those if at all possible.

Rachel: Before and after her journey

 A special Thank You! goes out to Rachel for being my first Feature Friday Reader story.  She has a wonderful story to share and great tips too!  Check out her blog Under Cover Diva: A sitcom to see what she is up to in her journey.

I also want to give a shout out to my friend and graphic designer Laura Schmeisl for designing my Feature Fridays logo.  You can check out her work at Laura-Schmeisl.com.

Gluten...What Is It and Should You Avoid it?

By now I am sure you have heard the word gluten and have seen gluten free sections in your grocery store, but do you know what it is and if you should be avoiding it in your diet?  Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye.  It can be found in foods like breads, pastas and even in sauces and soups.    A gluten intolerance is when your body can't process the protein found in these foods.  Everyone experiences different symptoms, but some include bloating, gas, fatigue, joint pain (due to inflammation), and starchy carbs and sugar cravings.  Celiac disease is much worse than an intolerance as it prevents your body from absorbing nutrients. 

In my last post I shared that I am taking gluten out of my diet because I feel like I may have a gluten intolerance.  Since then I have been getting some questions about what it is and what some of the symptoms are.  I can only speak from my experience, some of my symptoms include things like bloating, fatigue, brain fog and then cravings for more carbs and even sugar.  I have taken gluten out of my diet before and felt a major difference in how I felt and even how my stomach looks.  In the past 4 days that I have avoided gluten, I feel better, my bloating has gone down and I am no longer craving starchy carbs and sugar.  If you feel like you may have an intolerance to gluten the easiest thing to do is take it out of your diet and see how you feel.  You can also ask our doctor to be tested if you want to be sure.

It is definitely easier to avoid gluten now that it is well known, however be sure to check everything for gluten or wheat, most food items will tell you if it contains common food allergens with wheat (gluten), being one of them.  If you stick to real whole unprocessed foods and make your own sauces and soups it is easier to avoid.  However if you are going to try gluten free products, just remember that just because they are gluten free does not automatically make them healthy.  There are tons of gluten free products on the market, but they are still processed foods and still contain carbs.   If you want to make your own gluten free foods, I found a great resource at Gluten Free Goddess for baking tips and substitutions. 

If you are thinking of taking gluten out of your diet or have any questions please feel free to contact me.  I am happy to help if I can.

I just want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all of those who have offered their support and kind words about my return to my blog!  It really means a lot to me that you took the time to offer your support.  I am excited to be back at it and to share my love for healthy living with you all!

Check back tomorrow for my first of many, Feature Fridays!  I hope that these stories inspire and motivate you as much as they do for me. 
~Angelena