Thursday, September 22, 2016

Protein Power Balls

As my boys get older and my waistline shrinks, I'm finding it increasingly important to make sure that I have nutritious and delicious snacks on hand all the time.

As I was scrolling through Facebook a few weeks ago, I saw an attractive woman with shapely arms and a fit body stirring something and doing a live feed.  I always marvel at how brave people who do live feeds are, so my interest was already piqued - but add to that fit arms and food, and I was a sure click.

It turns out she was making snacks for herself and her children, and as I clicked in to the live feed, she was talking about how nutritious these little balls were.  I saw she had assembled oatmeal, honey, peanut butter and some other things on the counter, and I thought, "Hey, I like those ingredients, and actually have them on hand!" and ended up watching the whole thing.

Basically, she "measured" some peanut butter into the bowl, plopped in some honey, added protein powder, cacao nibs and oatmeal and showed off her buff arms by muscling the mixture into a form you could shape into balls and then freeze.  It took her less than five minutes, minus all the talking!  The whole live feed was less than 12 minutes and in that time, I got a recipe and inspiration.  Win-win!  The boys, especially Tristan, love these balls, and so do I.  I guarantee you'll love them, too - let me know about your experience in the comments!





PROTEIN POWER BALLS
Ingredients
1 c / peanut butter
½ c / honey
2 tbsp / protein powder
½ c / cacao nibs or 100% dark chocolate morsels
3 c / dry oats
2 tbsp – ½ c / water

Directions

Stir together first three ingredients. 
Add nibs or morsels and combine. 
Add oatmeal and enough water to mix well. Dough should be firm.
Make balls as big or small as you want and store them in the freezer or fridge!

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Mood Booster Smoothie of the Day



Today, I'm going to soothe, boost and mood-regulate you.
In my twenties and early thirties, I only thought of fitness as something that I did with my body, through love of the sport and sheer force of will.

After children and into my forties, fitness became the straw you grasp and can't quite reach.  I used the tool, but only months at a time.  I found that my forties were when all my accumulated bad habits could no longer be spot-cleaned or hidden.

When you are not fit, it is not just your body that is in need of help - it is your mind and your spirit, too.  In fact, I would say that it is your spirit first that is in need of soothing and boosting. 

We soothe and boost the spirit through our mind, and we nurture our mind through our body.

So to that end, let's add a little dark chocolate to our smoothie love today!

Raw, dark cacao is so good for you, just take a gander at this little (not all-inclusive!) list and see if you're convinced to give it a try.


5 Benefits of Raw Organic Cacao
  • 40 Times the Antioxidants of Blueberries.
  • Highest Plant-Based Source of Iron.
  • Full of Magnesium for a Healthy Heart & Brain.
  • More Calcium Than Cow's Milk.
  • A Natural Mood Elevator and Anti-Depressant. 

Just a tablespoon or two and you've given your mind and your spirit a leg up for the day, and as we all know, building good habits is easier when your mind is positive, your spirit is soaring, and your body is the work of art in action that it should be.

So for this smoothie, I used two bananas, the LivFit Superfood blend, almond coconut milk and a tablespoon of Hershey's 100% dark cacao.

Blend it, drink it, and pay attention to what your body then gives your mind, and how this boosts your spirit.

With a nurtured spirit, you get a positive mind.  With a positive mind you can and you will build the best body of your life.

As you go through your day, try to think about that spirit, mind, body connection, and build from the ground up.

Stay positive, and be the best you of your life, today!

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Mango, Banana and Coconut Milk Smoothie

Mangoes are cheap this time of year, and our family loves them, so whenever I want to switch up my smoothie routine, I reach for a lovely mango to complement my banana staple.

If you don't know how to cut a mango, check out Martha Stewart's easy-peasy one-minute tutorial.  You will not believe how easy it is, and you will no longer pass by these lovely delicious treats because they intimidate you.  You will best the mango!

http://www.marthastewart.com/967631/how-cut-mango

 Super simple, right?  Place all your mango in your Bullet, or whatever mangler you've got on your kitchen counter, add your coconut milk, and whir!

 Your end result will be good for you, delicious and eye-appealing, too.  Mango makes things rich and thick, so you will have to adjust your liquid to your liking.

Enjoy, and as always, moving your body and sweating your butt off should be a priority and goal every single day of your life.

As my grandfather used to say, "Use it or lose it!"


Friday, August 19, 2016

Just Because It Looks Gross, Doesn't Mean it Can't be Delicious

My smoothie today is so delicious, that I had to write about it before I exercise.

But it doesn't look delicious.
I told you about spirulina last time, but I didn't tell you expressly that it changes the color of everything into this shade of lovely green.

While it doesn't bother me, I'm 45 - I've taught myself not to be influenced by the unappealing look of some foods, but most people and kids don't.  In the case of spirulina, this would be a huge loss.

Three dates, a couple of tablespoons of hemp seeds, teaspoon of spirulina, two bananas and vanilla coconut milk?

You'll think you're drinking a coconutmilkshake, I swear to God.  It is so good, it's like a dessert.

I'm going to finish mine and hit my home gym for a cardio sculpt session with the gals at The Firm.

Join me today, and leave your comments below how you did!

Tighten up!







Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Today's Smoothie


I have a smoothie most every day of my life.  It's usually the first food I put in my body, so I like to make it as simply powerful as possible.  I like to keep things simple.

My experience has been that bananas make anything palatable in a smoothie and let's face it, spirulina is not palatable on its own.  I mean, I can choke down anything that's good for me, but if you can mask a nasty taste with something that's amazing for you anyway, I'm all for it.

So, into the bullet two bananas go, along with the remnants of a golden apple that my baby took two teeny bites from and left for me to rub with lemon and add to the bag of partially-eaten kid apples.  I cut off the eaten part, and chopped the rest into chunks, adding seeds and all.

Currently I buy my spirulina in bulk from our truly local health food store, Earth's Natural Treasures, so I recycled an old cayenne pepper jar and carefully puff-poured the spirulina in.  Just a little, perhaps half a teaspoon - the stuff is powerful and the taste can overpower everything.  Today, I knew I was going to be exercising, so I added two scoops of the superfood protein and used Coconut Water instead of plain water.



As always, spin that sucker for 30 seconds or less, and there you are!  A lovely smoothie that is sweet, delicious and secretly super-spirulina good for you!







Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Super Healthy Grapefruit Pops in a Snap!


I can't take credit for the idea of making these super-delicious, easy treats.  My sweet little Tristan came around the corner with the almost-empty container of pink grapefruit slices that they conned me into getting while we were at the grocery store, and said, "Mom, can we make popsicles with this?" 

I say "conned" because I think they're on the pricey side (almost $7 for the jar shown), and they're packed in light syrup.  I try to stay away from things packed in syrup on the whole, but this particular trip to the grocery store not only did they wear me down, but upon closer inspection, I found that it was extra light syrup, and they are kosher!  Win-win, in the cart they went.

The boys like grapefruit, so I knew they would go fast, but I didn't have any idea the jar wouldn't last 24 hours. So when Tristan came around the corner with a fantastic idea of what to do with the leftovers, I was more than happy to oblige.

As he watched, I filled up the popsicle trays with the juice, getting a brilliant idea of my own.  I smiled a sneaky little smile as he went back around the corner, making sure he was gone before I went in for the piece de resistance.

I took the last little bits of grapefruit floating around in the juice and popped one piece into each of the popsicle holders.  I giggled and did a little dance, anticipating with joy the looks on their little faces when they saw their surprise within a surprise.

Because it has been so infernally hot, it took hours for these babies to freeze.  It probably didn't help that I had three anxious little people taking turns "checking" on them.  I stuck the pops far back in the freezer, that way they couldn't see their surprises when they "checked".

I took them out of the refrigerator and ran them under some cold water to help pop them out without taking out the stick.  Worked like a charm, so I took one out and called Tristan.

"Tristan!  I have a surprise for you!"

He came flying out of his room, stopping short in front of my outstretched hand.  I will never forget the way his already huge, long-lashed eyes absolutely lit up and his mouth made a little "O" when he realized what was inside his popsicle treat!

"Whoa!  Mom!  That was a great idea!"

And it was. 




Saturday, July 30, 2016

Knocking is the Decent Thing To Do



To all those contemplating illegally crossing the border into another country:

 Please don't do it.

The collateral damage you will incur is simply not worth your moderately monetarily improved life, and chances are, you will lose it all in the end.

Philosophically, in an utopian world, everyone should be able to go wherever they want whenever they want.

But, that is not the world that we were born into.

In this world, you knock before you enter someone's home.  Even if the door is wide open, you politely stand to the side and call in through the open door for the resident.  You don't just walk in.  Most of us would never dream of opening the door and walking right in, and there are legitimate reasons for that.

Most of us.

However, there are people who think that it's okay to walk into someone's house without asking permission, or even knocking on the door.

There's something wrong with that mindset.

I'm sure there are some streets in this great State of Ohio that have real emergencies going on as we speak that would necessitate fleeing from one's house into another - say a fire, an assault or a burglary - without stopping to take the time to knock.  Of course you can imagine that in those instances, the person who lives in the home might be open to helping, and fling open the door to aid that person's refuge - but he might not.  That would be his right, too.

He might stop you at the front door with a shotgun.  Also, his right to do.

Because see, maybe the person fleeing set that fire.  Maybe the person fleeing committed the burglary.  The homeowner can't know.  In emergency situations, there's no way to vet the fleeing person, so you sort it out later, after lives have been presumably saved.

Real "refugees" are few and far between, but many have learned the benefits of refugee status, and the word about how to behave as a refugee has spread.  The same goes for illegal immigrants.  It's an underground cultural mindset and market, complete with human-trafficking coyotes and networks of places to obtain any and all necessary paperwork.

But, just like a knock at the door, the United States has green cards.

If you're a good person, with good intentions and little means, there are roads for you to walk to safety, or a better life in another country.

But you have to knock first.

If you don't knock on my door, and want inside my house, I'm going to assume you want something inside, and you don't want to ask me for it.  You want to steal something from me.

Coming to another country - any country - without knocking first, is akin to throwing up at least one red flag, if not more, to the residents of the home country.  It says you have a sense of entitlement, that you think you can have whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want it, without having to ask for it, or go about the moral way of getting it. 

It says that you have contempt for the moral codes of the country in which you squat.  It shows that your sense of morality is somewhat skewed, and might lead to criminal behavior.

To me, anyone who illegally enters another country without the excuse of legitimately running for their lives, is a thief, and a potential burglar.  

 You're stealing a better life in that country by not paying for it the way the rest of the populace does. When you sneak in anywhere, you have no intention of paying the admission, and that is just not fair, nor is it the decent, moral thing to do.  Currently, we all have to pay to live on this planet.  Every country has their own version of rent and admission - illegal immigrants thumb their noses at that.  And while I would admire that nose-thumbing from an altruistic standpoint, your sole purpose in illegally immigrating would have to be for the sole purpose of rebelling against the status quo, not the pursuit of your personal happiness.

To me, illegally immigrating to another country says that you value your pursuit of money and things over the right way to do something, to achieve something. It shows a basic lack of moral character, and we all know that gaps in moral character, also called moral turpitude, are often hallmarks of potential and eventual criminal behavior.

Forming entire communities in another country without doing it within the laws of the host country is insane, for so many reasons.  It is also disrespectful to the people among whom you intend to live.  The lies you will have to tell and fraudulent paperwork you will have to acquire will build a cage around you, and anyone you fall in love with, create, bring with you, or send for.  Those lies endanger legal residents that you build your stolen life with.

I know.  I fell in love with an illegal immigrant.  Once you realize the import of someone's status in this regard, it's often too late.  The deed has been done.  The love connection made, the children created, the life built.  All on a lie. 

Lives built on lies collapse.  I married an illegal immigrant, and he got deported. 

The ramifications of a deportation are akin to a death.  The person is just gone.  Their support, in all ways, is gone.

In our case, we lost a husband and a father of three sons.  We lost a livelihood, and I lost my ability to have only one job, my children.  Now, I must find a way to do it all. 

I'm not mad at the system, though.  The system works.  I'm mad at the mindset of illegal immigrants.  I wish people would elevate their moral consciences, and encourage those around them to elevate theirs.

I wish people would just do things the right way, the first time around.

This is a heartfelt plea to stop illegally immigrating to foreign countries.  

The lives you destroy just might not be your own.




Tuesday, July 26, 2016

I Got Fit in 20 Minutes a Day!



Anybody who knows me personally knows how passionate I have always been about the exercise video series The Firm.  I discovered the series in the mid-90's, when there were only VCR's and the exercise world only offered reps and sets.

To get a great workout, you had to have at least an hour to set aside.  You also had to have a bunch of equipment.

Not any more!

I am here to tell you that you can completely change your body in only 20 minutes a day, three times a week, in the privacy of your own home. 

You know what you'll need?  A basic set of weights, your body and determination.

My husband actually found The Firm Express set of  DVD's in one of those "buy, sell, trade" groups on Facebook.  I was completely skeptical of the 20-minute exercise session.  I thought there was no more effective method than the original Firm - I am so glad to report that I was wrong!  I get the same (if not better!) results with this series of 20 minute sessions that I did with the same amount of the original, one-hour sessions!  Who doesn't love the same results in less time?

As an old-school Firm student, I combined weights with cardio training and the traditional three-sets-of-however-many-reps approach to changing my body.  And it was hard.  I mean really hard.  And sometimes you had to use the fourteen-inch stepper.  But if you did it, you had a hard body - a body that your friends envied and you knew you put a lot of time and effort into.  You were a member of an elite club - the fitness Firm.

But then babies happened and my body changed.

I got fat.  Diagnosed by a doctor as obese.  My body was my cage.  It was hard to wipe my butt, hard to move and breathe, and hard to look at myself in the mirror.  I hated clothes, they became my enemy - a constant reminder of exactly how much space I was taking up.  I was making the world uglier with my cellulite, and it was time to change!  Time to bring beauty back into my life and the lives of those around me. 
No longer a size 18!

Oh, enter The Firm Express!

This is me today, after a great 20-minute Firm workout, at least 10 dress sizes away from the person I was when I first started using The Firm Express videos.

The secret to the series' efficacy?  Plyometrics and BURSTS, BABY!  These bursts are so deceptively simple, yet so amazingly effective.

What you do are plyometrics movements in rapid succession - as hard and tight as you can - for eight seconds.

This balls-to-the-wall, all-out sweatfest is followed by probably the most rewarding 12 seconds of "tapping it out" recovery in life.  We still do sets (of four) but they're waaay more fun, and they have a donut built in the middle - the twelve seconds of recovery following the burst.

Of course you have to eat right, get great sleep and all that jazz, but you have to find the exercise program that you'll do, and for me, for the past twenty years - The Firm has done the trick.

If you're passionate about having a fit body, and don't want to spend hours at the gym - or anywhere at all! - getting your best body, try The Firm Express.

Learn to love to sweat as much as I do! 

Until next time, even one small positive change today will result in a better you tomorrow - make one!

Note:  This is not a paid endorsement!  This is my reality.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Yes, Grilled Cabbage!

I wouldn't have thought so, either.

Believe it or not, this simple grilled dish will absolutely delight every age and taste bud preference that sits around your table.  

I saw cabbage on a grill in a meme on Facebook, and was immediately excited to try it!  I had been given a gift earlier in the week of five extremely large heads, and was on the lookout for new and interesting ways to prepare this powerful cruciferous vegetable.

Cabbage is good for the ole noggin', and if you're like me and have a family history of longevity and Alzheimer's, you'll want to incorporate healthy doses of cabbage into your diet to reduce your risk of not remembering who you are into your old age.

I had two heads leftover from the gift of five large heads.


I started with  a head of cabbage, and cut it in half.  I cut the core out and discarded it, then cut the two halves into one inch pieces.

From there, I brushed one side with olive oil, sprinkled on some salt and garlic powder, laid it face down on a cast iron skillet on high heat, and did the same thing to the other side.

When I saw the bottom browning nicely, I turned it over.  Waited some really good-smelling minutes that attracted little boys to my kitchen, and removed them from the heat!

Every single kid exclaimed how unexpectedly good it was, and I am delighted to agree.

Even my very finicky mid-twenties brother was interested enough to try it outHe, too, got the same look of delighted surprise on his face that the rest of us did, and went back for more.  I made him a plate to take home!

Who knew you could make cabbage so amenable, in such a short amount of time?


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Simple Summer Salads Deliver Powerful Nutritional Punches


When the boys ask for pizza night a day early, I'm always glad I can whip up a nutritious "side" salad with just a few simple ingredients I almost always have on hand.  After a hot day at the pool, pizza and a crisp, cool salad sounded perfect!

Today I had some lovely spring greens, green onions and a leftover hydroponic tomato that I used for the fresh basil dish that I created the other day.

With those few ingredients, and a few pinches of queso fresco, or feta cheese, whichever you may have on hand, you have the basis for a great salad that the kids will actually eat.  My three boys are no different from other kids - you definitely have a better chance of getting them to eat things that are good for them if you keep it simple and add a little cheese!


I always make my salad dressing from scratch, and this is the secret nutritional punch - because I use apple cider vinegar with the mother. You can use any old olive oil (not really, but you know what I mean)  but using the ACV with the mother is an immune system booster key! According to the American Diabetes Association, it also helps lower blood glucose, thus helping combat diabetes and obesity.

The "mother" is best described as a web-like looking substance that is epicenter of the nutritional goodness.  The webbier and murkier, the more protein-packed and enzyme-laced.  I've really noticed a difference in my overall health and fitness since utilizing ACV with the mother more and more, along with a few other healthy, life-changing habits, like warm lemon water with honey and cayenne pepper first thing in the morning(I can't say it enough, I really think it's a game changer - I will even call you up on the telephone to see if you've had your WLM!)

So, to put together your dressing, shake that ACV with the mother up and pour a few capfuls over your greens, veggies and cheese that you've assembled in a pretty bowl that will make people smile, pour a generous amount of olive oil over that, and get ready for the spices.

I love garlic.  Love love love how it tastes as well as how good it is for you, so I like to shake a generous amount of garlic powder on top of my greens, along with my fresh-ground Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, and fresh ground black pepper.  That's it.  Nothing else - I mean, keep it simple and see how amazingly delicious it is, and you won't even think about the great things you're doing for your body.  Make sure that the few spices that you're using are as organic or kosher as you can get, because as always when you're keeping it simple, it's all about the quality. 

Toss it around a few times, and your super simple nutritional powerhouse is ready to go before your pizza is halfway done!




Thursday, July 7, 2016

Bananas and Dates, My Faves!

Any variation of dates and bananas in the morning, and you have an instant winner smoothie in my book.

I drink a banana based smoothie every day - everything else is optional and interchangeable.  My favorite simple version is two bananas, a few dates and coconut milk.  To spice it up, I add cinnamon, if I'm feeling spartan, I keep it simple.

When I'm looking to maximize my nutritional intake in one drink, I do what I did today, and I add the boosters.

First, I started with two very ripe bananas, and then pitted 5-6 dates.  The sixth date went into my mouth today, as I cannot resist this delectable piece of nature's candy when it's in my hands.  I have added as few as two and as many as ten.  It never mattered, my body has always just gotten fitter.

I added them to my NutriBullet, but you can use a blender in a pinch, and threw in the powdered supplement, cinnamon and flax seed.  I don't do the supplement everyday and I don't have a schedule.  I do it when I feel like I need it.  A lot of my new fitness journey has included paying attention to what my body says and bucking traditional, conventional wisdom - even if only by fortuitous accident.
 Blend it until smooth - if you're using a NutriBullet, don't exceed 30 seconds or your smoothie will be warm.  The result is so good I even get the kids to fight over it!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Keep It Small

It's been quite a wild ride the last few months, and I have found it extremely helpful to keep my focus small when life seems so enormous.

You know what helps?  Seemingly "little" things like this placemat my son made for me.  Why did he make it for me?  No reason.  
 "Because I love you, Mom."

It took him a lot of focus for several minutes in a row to write in block letters, think of the sentiments, convey the feelings, tape the paper together...and the whole time he was thinking about me. 

He still sees me as love - even though I get crabby.  He still sees me as life, even when I feel like a failure.  To him, I'm the best mom ever!  I walk around here thinking I'm some sort of teacher most of the time, and then I have a humbling moment like this.  He teaches me, he inspires me.

When life seems too big to influence, remember the small things that make it all worthwhile.

My little Supermen

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Potatoes and Greens, Unsuspecting Summertime Comfort Food




I love nothing more than some fresh, beautiful greens from anybody's garden - but when they come from my Dad's garden, well, I guess they taste somehow just a little bit more special.

I grew up eating a traditional Slovenian dish of warm potatoes and salad greens during the summer, and forgot all about it until I told my Mom I had some of Dad's coveted fresh greens and she reminded me of this delicious dish we lovingly call "salata".
The sweet little potatoes
The best greens to use wilt well, yet have a spine to maintain a bit of a crunch.  You'll need some potatoes - any potato will do.  I used these delightful Baby Dutch Yellows that I had on hand, no need to peel.  If you use a bigger potato, you'll want to bust that sweet tuber right out of its skin - it'll be too tough if you leave it on.

Wash them and boil them until fork tender, salting the water if you like.  Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle, yet still quite warm.

If you haven't received your greens already hand-picked, washed and spun-dry, then you'll have to do it yourself at this point, lol.  Mine came prepped by the loving hand of my dad, so all I had to do was add them to a big, pretty bowl.

Go ahead - quarter 'em!
I quartered my baby potatoes for the baby and kid mouths around, but you can halve them, too.  The important thing is to expose some of that flesh, so it can absorb the good stuff we're going to add to it.

Then, you put the warm potatoes on your bed of greens.  I always use an organic apple cider vinegar, although lately I have been using the kosher versions of food if I can find them - they're cheaper, and held to the same standard as organic, as far as I can tell.
I give it a few generous splashes of the vinegar, add some more than generous splashes of olive oil - I like light-tasting olive oil, the lighter the better - hit it with that lovely Pink Himalayan sea salt as much as you like, a bit of fresh ground pepper, toss it around with your tongs, and voila!

The unsuspecting combination of warm potatoes with chilled, fresh greens combine to surprise your mouth in a whole new way.  Enjoy!

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Fresh Basil

 Fresh basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella
Not only is basil lovely, fresh and plentiful in the summertime, it has a pungent, bold flavor that pairs well with fat, summer tomatoes.

But did you know that basil has antibiotic qualities as well?  It has a variety of oils and flavonoids that protect the body from a variety of illnesses.

Basil is awesome for overall oral health care.  It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and has been used in Ayurveda for centuries for whiter teeth!  So when I saw that the basil my sister-in-law had gotten me for my birthday was ready for pinching, I set off to improve the oral care of everyone in our household, as well as have a fresh, light dish for everyone.

I started by slicing the tomatoes fairly thick, around a quarter of an inch, and arranging them on a plate.  Hit it with as much of the Pink Himalayan Sea Salt as you like, as it's chock full of minerals desperately needed by the average body.

Then I chopped up the basil fairly thin, but you can do whatever you like - lay them as leaves or sprinkle them.  Slice the fresh mozzarella (I firmed it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to make it easier to slice), arrange on top of the tomatoes, sprinkle the chopped basil, and you're ready for the balsamic vinaigrette.

The finished product
You can then pick them up and eat them like a piece of pizza, or eat them with a fork and knife.  Delish!