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

It's Okay to Fail and Start Over!

 

Well, after a few months of being away I am back to blogging.  Why was I away so long you might ask?  There is not really one good answer, more like lots of little excuses.  Mainly, I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself to grow as fast as possible and do as many things as I could to promote my blog and when I started getting rejections to things, I decided to take a break.  Last night I was watching last weeks Biggest Loser (on my DVR), and they were talking about failing and how it is okay to fail as long as you pick your self up, learn something and move on.  Apollo Ono, the Olympic Athlete, was talking to the contestants and said something that hit home, "Everyone has their struggles."  And how very true this is.  There were also 3 women who had been trying to make it to Olympic trials in curling and kept failing to make it year after year, and just when they felt like giving up, they gave it one more try and made it.  So if you quit, you will never know what is out there right around the corner.  I took something that I enjoy doing, writing about health and fitness, and put stress on myself to succeed.  When I started to get rejections to things I was applying for it hurt, and I let it take over that love.  I am getting back to my blog because I truly enjoy writing and I hope that in some way, I help others find motivation, or a love for healthy living.  I hope that you will continue on this journey with me.  This time I will keep moving forward, even when I stumble.  Have you allowed failures or struggles to stop you from doing things in your life?  How have you over come them?

I am starting a new segment called "Feature Fridays".  I am looking for people who have changed their lives through eating healthy and exercise.  I will feature someone every Friday that I receive a submission.  I am going to put the word out there an I hope to start getting submissions soon.  It is helpful to read about others who have changed their lives through the power of healthy living.  If you have a story you would like to share, please send me an email.

In 2014, I am working on cleaning up my eating, as I was not so careful around the holidays and developed quite the sugar habit.  I am trying to take out processed foods and white carbs.  I have also eliminated gluten, due to the fact that I think I have a sensitivity to foods that contain gluten (more on that later.)  I don't really make resolutions for myself, I just take the time to reassess what I need to do to get back to my healthy lifestyle so I can feel my best.  I realized how horrible I was feeling when I was eating too much junk and not enough whole, real, nutrient dense food.  Do you have areas that you are working on improve?

Thanks for stopping in and reading!  I would love to hear from you!  I will be back a few times a week with some great info and topics that I would love to share.  Have a healthy and fit day!
I want to dedicate today's post to my loving hubby and my mom who both support me so much and have been telling me to not give up on my blog.  I love you both so much!
~Angelena