Back Workout

All exercises found on bodybuilding.com

One-Arm Dumbbell Row
(these can be done at home as well)
Do 3 sets of 12. Make sure you really squeeze your back when pulling up. Keep your back flat and keep your movement slow going up and back down.

Chin-Ups
(using these machines at the gym are wonderful because you can do them assisted. Meaning you can have help ;) They are very hard! I have yet to do one by myself, but I am close! This is such a great exercise for your body and you should include them weekly!

Straight-Arm Pulldowns
(These are done using cables. Cables are wonderful because the motion is more smooth and the resistance is easy to control). I LOVE this exercise. Don't be afraid to lift heavy on this. Again, 3 or 4 sets of 12. KEEP YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT, BUT NOT LOCKED!

Incline Bench Pull
This exercise looks a little tricky, but it really isn't. Make sure you start light on this! It can be difficult and until you get good form it will help! Again...3-4 sets of 12. Make your movement slow and deliberate.

Chest Workout at the Gym and at Home

I work out my chest once a week. This is what I did this week. All you need is 3-5 good exercises for your chest. (click on link words for video, pics will be below.) Your chest is a bigger muscle and on these larger muscle groups, we are going for a little mass here...all women want a little more "mass" in the chest, am I right?! :) Make your movement slow and concentrate on that muscle group you are working. Don't rush through and if you don't feel anything, you probably aren't doing it right...watch the video for correct form. All video's and most images are from bodybuilding.com

DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

These can be done on the floor as well or on an exercise ball (seen below) Use at least 15 to 20 lbs in the beginning and increase your weight, especially if it feels too easy. Try doing 3-4 sets of 12.BUTTERFLY

This exercise is done on a machine here in these pics, but it can me done so many ways!

Below are pics of how to do the "fly" at home using dumbbells and an exercise ball. If you do not have an exercise ball, then lay flat on the floor. It's important to keep your elbows slightly bent. Looking at the picture of the guy above on the machine...look at how his arms are positioned. If you do this at home or on an exercise ball, make sure your arms are in the correct position. If you have bad form you could injure yourself.

INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS

Here is the another option for at home (below).

So I've given you about 3 exercises for your chest. Remember, make sure your movement is slow and deliberate. Make sure you can do at least 12 reps, 3-4 times, increase your weight if necessary. If you have a mirror, this is a good way to see if you are doing many of these exercises correctly. If you do this effectively, you will feel it in your chest the next day. This doesn't seem like much, because it isn't! Include 20 minutes of cardio when you are finished and that just isn't much, less than an hour! The results from resistance and weight training are so very beneficial if done correctly...so go give it a try and tell me how it goes!

Bodybuilding Exercise Guide

This Bodybuilding Website is a great resource for weight lifting and resistance exercises you can do at the gym. I use it often. On this website it shows each muscle group. If you click on that group, it will bring up video's that show specific exercises for that muscle group. There are ways to modify some of these exercises so you can do them at home.

Five Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Weight Loss

I love to "surf" the web for all kind of new recipes, nutrition advice and workout routines...so in my search I found this article. I completely agree with what is said in it and hope it helps you! Click HERE to read more...

Weight Lifting...Where To Begin?

I have had many people ask me questions lately on weight lifting. Most people have no idea where to even start...How heavy to lift? Do classes work? Do I have to join a gym? Do I need a personal trainer?

For me, hiring a personal trainer was wonderful! I HIGHLY recommend this, however, you MUST find the RIGHT one for you! I watched trainers at my gym for quite a while before hiring the one I wanted. For one thing, I wanted a girl trainer. Secondly, I didn't want a trainer that didn't watch their clients closely to make sure they were lifting correctly (ie:too busy talking or texting or just plain bored). I watched the trainers to see if they themselves looked like they lifted. I also watched to see if they enjoyed what they did! I asked around a lot about who people used and got as much advice as I could. Hiring a personal trainer is expensive. I don't think you need to see a trainer more than once a week. Have that trainer teach you how to work out ONE muscle group (ie: chest, back, arms, shoulder, legs). This way, you can get used to what exercises work best for that one area before learning the next area. Also, I think hiring a trainer for 3-4 months is all you need. This will help you to understand HOW to lift, how often, which exercises work best and you will have notes to help you when you are done.

I've taken weight classes at the gym as well. I did this before hiring a personal trainer. I liked these classes a lot and learned a lot from them, however, these classes work your whole body in one hour. In my opinion you need to work ONE muscle group until it fails, this is the best way to tear down that muscle group so it will build back stronger. You should only exhaust that one muscle group, for instance your chest or arms, ONE day a week, so this gives that muscle 7 days to recover and build back stronger. I have noticed a huge difference lifting weights this way. In these classes, if you choose to take them, really watch what they do for one muscle group and try to do it on your own, at home or at the gym. (There are many schools of thought and I've seen others who can lift effectively working out one muscle group out twice a week, but make sure you have 48-72 hours rest before exhausting that muscle group again.)

How often should you lift? One muscle group, maybe two, once a week. I lift 3-4 days a week for about 30 -45 minutes. Monday...Chest/arms, Wednesday...Back, shoulders, Friday...legs. This is my schedule right now. I then run Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Sometimes I will take a day off, if I'm tired. I always take Sunday off.

Do you need to join a gym? Yes and No. I think whatever works best for you. I LOVE going to the gym. There are so many weights/machines to choose from. I learn new things from the friends I've made at the gym and recruiting friends and family to go with me helps me a lot. However, some days, I pick up my hand weights or resistance bands and do a workout at home and that works too. I've been looking into resistance training with just your body weight (push ups, sit ups, squats and lunges, using only my body weight and no hand weights). This can be very effective as well.

How heavy to lift? Well, there are so many differences of opinion on this for women. I like to lift heavy, and then take one week every month and lift light with higher reps. Women won't bulk up they way men do unless you take supplements to help you gain muscle mass. This is a myth! Also, play around with lifting 3 sets of 12, or 4 sets of 12 or 6 sets of 8-10...your body after 2-3 weeks of doing the same thing, will not respond the way you want and you will plateau. Change things up, all the time! Be creative!

I will try over the next few weeks to put up some of my favorite weight lifting exercises...some will be at the gym and others you can do at home. Stay tuned!

Protein Pancakes

These are soooo good! They are still in the experimenting stage, but until I get them the way I want them, this is what I'm making and it works. They fill me up and taste great!

Protein Pancakes
1/4 to 1/2 cup almond milk
4 egg whites (beat until frothy)
1/4 cup or 30 grams protein powder
(click on link above for the protein that I buy. I love this stuff!!! It is unsweetened, so I can make into anything I want!)
1/4 to 1/2 cup Oatmeal (how much you add really doesn't make a huge difference, just adds more volume)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small packet or 1 teaspoon Stevia in the Raw or any other low cal sweetener.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 teaspoons baking powder (add a little more if they aren't very fluffy)

Beat eggs until frothy, whisk in almond milk, set aside. Mix together dry ingredients. Pour into wet ingredients and whisk only until mixed well. Set aside a few minutes until batter thickens a little. Use a large skillet and pour into pan when hot. Cook on a medium low temp as the egg white can burn quickly. They will puff up, wait until the pancakes "jiggles" (haha) and then flip. Use a large spatula. Makes 2 large pancakes.

Meeting My Goals...How I Did It.

I have lost 40 lbs...I am a size 10, with room!!!!!! WOOT!!! I want to shout it from the rooftops, jump up and down, do the victory dance....THIS IS SO HUGE! I haven't been here since marriage with my weight and I haven't been this size since Junior High!!!!!

September was rough with more cheats than I wanted to have, but I survived and just this first part of October the weight and inches are just falling off again. This has been my goal since...well, since after I had Hailey. It's taken me so long to figure out how to lose it. Really. I have no problem with the exercise thing, although when I began that years ago, it was really tough. The habit with exercise was established but eating right has been the hard thing. I love to eat healthy, but I'm realizing I've been eating too much food. It really comes down to calories in and calories out, but more importantly what kind of calories you are putting in and putting in the right combinations. I've struggled with the "carb" and "fat" issue for years. Do I eat carbs? Do I eat fat? For years the NO FAT thing was huge, but that is so WRONG! So, I added in fat, but then I was eating too much (nuts, cheese, good oils). As for carbs, I lost weight many times before cutting out my carbs. That works temporarily but there is no way you can maintain that, so I would add back in my carbs, but too many carbs, and would then gain back the blasted 10-15 pounds I was always trying to get off.

I'm very grateful for my friend Melanie, who gave me her "formula". She competed in a Naturals Bodybuilding show and trimmed 30+ lbs. She looked amazing! If I could lift weights with her for a year and she could trim down, then so could I, right?! I am grateful for her motivating me.

So, I will give you the formula...it's simple really, but may seem sort of technical. Do with it what you will. I will also post on here a couple of books I've been reading that encourage the same way of eating, plus also have some great ideas for exercise. Check them out at the library! (Look at bottom of post for book titles)

Calories each day: 1500 (to trim last 10-15 lbs, reduce to 1200 calories, this is where I am now)
Fat grams per day: 1.5 grams of fat per body fat percentage you are...so if you are 30% body fat, then you should eat no more than 45 grams of fat each day.

AVOID eating Fat around your workout!!!

Carbohydrate Intake Daily: NO MORE than what you weight...in grams. So if you weight 200 lbs., then eat NO MORE than 200 grams!! I would try to keep my carbs around 100 grams per day. It's important to eat less carbs, but DO NOT cut them out of your diet. You need them for energy. DO NOT eat less than 50 carbs per day. Your brain needs carbs to function ;) It is important to cut back on carbs in order to lose. If you find that you are not losing weight, then really watch where your carbs are coming from and when you are eating them.

EAT CARBS EARLY IN THE DAY!!!! DO NOT eat carbs before bed...why do you need energy to sleep?! You need carbs around your workout, so, if you workout in the evening, eat your carbs (1/2 cup rice, 1 slice whole grain bread, 1/2 cup oatmeal, sweet potatoes, fruit) ONE hour before your workout in the evening. This will ensure you have the energy you need to not die out there!

My husband put together a great template in Excel where I could track all of these things, if you would like a copy, then email me at jen78johns@yahoo.com. I would be happy to answer any specific questions that way as well!

I am on a quest to get to my "ideal" weight, so that is another 15 pounds. I would like to see if I could be a size 4-6. I had a friend on Facebook say to me " be happy where you are, don't keep dangling the carrot in front of yourself, when you've accomplished so much". I agree with her, but then again, this is a lifestyle change for me. I AM happy where I'm at...soooo happy! If I continue eating right and exercising, then it will come off, if need be...and if not, so what?!

Stay tuned....I have a AWESOME Protein Pancake recipe you'll love!

Books:
Body at Home by Jorge Cruise
Body for Life by Bill Phillips

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

I'm not kidding. This is truly the BEST frickin oatmeal I've ever eaten and my new favorite treat every morning for breakfast!!! I got this amazing recipe from THIS site.

Pumpkin Pie for Breakfast

1/2 cup dry oatmeal (instant or rolled oats)
1 cup water
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 packets or one dropper Stevia
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

Put Oats and Water in a large bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, Stevia, and spices.

The original recipe calls for vanilla extract, I omitted that and I used Almond milk to make it more creamy. Feel free to experiment :)

Enjoy!!!

Fresh Salsa

SI love this time of year when all the tomatoes come on at once! The best way to plow through them is to make Salsa! I love fresh salsa and throw in some homemade tortilla chips...NUM!

Super Easy No Fail Salsa

10 fresh tomatoes, diced in thick chunks
1 whole sweet onion, diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons or more of Salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of Cayenne

Mix together and enjoy! I love this on my salads...

Stuck

I have lost about another 4 pounds or so since my last post. I'm so happy with my weight loss and the success I've seen. I'm so happy that my 12's are baggy and fit so well. However, I'm so frustrated, because this is where I always get stuck. I want to have size 10's fit me this well :( I did have a couple of cheats this month and that probably slowed things down a bit, but I also think that I'm down to my last 8 pounds to my goal, so I know it will not come easily or quickly. I think this is somehow harder than in the beginning. I want to sneak little bites of things here and there and that wouldn't be such a bad thing (even with my cheats I've lost weight or maintained), it's not helping me reach my goal. I have to tell myself to hang in there and be very strict until I reach my goal and then maintain that.

This last month my little brother has been out running and going to the gym with me. It is so nice to have a buddy to work out with again. I've missed it. I ran 3 miles the other morning and it was so much easier and I ran it in about 27 minutes. That is...what...9 minute miles?! I feel strong and healthy and I'm so happy with how far I've come. I have to keep that in mind when I get discouraged :)

Size 12

I'm just too excited to wait until the end of the month. I have to post! I have lost another 6 pounds since my last post. My 12's fit very nicely, and are starting to get baggy! I can't believe it! I tried on my wedding dress yesterday...it fit. My shoulders are wide because of my lifting the last few years, so it was pretty tight there, but it went easily over my waist and hips. I was so excited, words just can't express, lol. My goal is a 10 and I'm about 10-12 pounds from my goal weight. The most interesting thing is I am 10 pounds heavier now than when I got married, but I was a size 10/12 then. It's interesting what muscle does to change your body shape. It convinces me all the more that weight and size mean nothing if you aren't toned and fit. I'm excited to see what happens over the next few weeks. I hope to hit my goals within the month! I'll keep you posted!

A few more...

I had to take this picture, because these pants are finally lose in the waist and I couldn't even put them on 2 months ago (they look big, but the waist is small). This shirt, I could never button, I would just wear it over white shirts. I can button it and there is tonz of room. The sleeves used to be tight, now, lots of room! Yay!

I have lost another 4 pounds since I last posted. So, since this is working I will finally tell you my size of jeans when I began this journey :) I WAS a WHOPPING size 18 or so. I am now comfortably wearing 14's. My hope is to be in my 12's by Labor Day. I have lost a total of about 22 pounds. I have 19 to go until I'm at my goal. My goal is to be in a size 10. I've never been below that. I'll be elated to reach that goal and if I continue to lose, it would be beyond my wildest dreams. I am so excited to be in clothes that I have not worn in 3 years! I LOVE the things I'm eating now. It's so simple. I do miss cooking all kinds of things like spaghetti and enchilada's and will do so once I reach my weight and I will do it healthy, but until then, I have to be strict about the amount of carbs, fat, and calories I'm taking in and it's easier to do it with the menu's I've created for myself. I posted some of what I'm doing on my last post. I have hit a sort of plateau, but I'm confident things will begin to change in the next week or so.

I told myself I will have a cheat every 10 pounds, so over the 24th of July, my SIL made the most amazing Pumpkin Cobbler in the dutch oven. Let me tell you, I indulged! It was so amazing! Next month, it's roasting marshmallows with the kiddo's. I can't wait!

The other thing I'm pretty excited about is how my exercising has improved. Running has become so much easier and instead of 11:30 miles, I'm running 10:30 miles and even 10 minute miles on good days! I can't tell you how great it feels! When I see these kinds of improvements, it makes it so much easier to take better care of myself.

I will try to update around Labor Day and tell you my progress!

Do you see that bicep? It's beginning to show. LOL! There is a small bump :)

Down one size...

I have lost 6 more pounds! Well, lets just say I had gained a couple and then lost them...so all in all, I've lost 20 lbs. I've dropped 2 sizes. It feels so wonderful! I committed to start and then wasn't super strict until the last few weeks. I have been very diligent and it is starting to show. I'm 20 lbs away from my goal, but I would like to lose 30 lbs to be close to what they say I should be, you know, those silly BMI people ;)

Here's what I'm eating:
Breakfast:
1/3 cup oatmeal with almond milk, stevia, cinnamon, maple flavoring
1 whole egg, 3-4 egg whites (scrambled)

snack: Protein shake, with water and banana

Lunch:
Huge salad, Walden Farms (no calorie, no sugar, no carb) salad dressing (found at Harmons)
4-5 oz of chicken or steak
1/2 cup brown rice or Quinoa or 1/2 small sweet potato, or one small sprouted wheat tortilla

Dinner: Same as Lunch. If I'm not in the mood for a salad, I will stir fry veggies (broccoli, peppers, celery, carrots, etc.)

Snack:Protein shake with peanut butter (1 Tablespoon), water, cinnamon

I've cut out all dairy. If I use anything at all I stick to Almond Milk. I stay away from most fats, except for those good fats and even then I limit them to about 1 tablespoon a day. For condiments I will sometimes have no more than about a 1 tablespoon of ketchup. I like taco sauce or tapitio (sp?). I also will have soy sauce. I love things with lots of flavor like pickles, raw onions or garlic on my salads.

For exercise:
4-5 days a week...
Lift weights 15-30 minutes and then 30-45 minutes cardio (spinning, running).

I try to keep my exercise around an hour. It TOTALLY helps to have a workout buddy! I'm so grateful for my sister-in-law Stephanie! I also have to admit that this menu in general, along with lots of good advice, I got from my friend Melanie, who is a personal trainer herself and was in the last NPC Naturals show won 2nd place in the bodybuilding women's competition. Thanks Mel!

Tortillas

I found a great recipe for whole wheat tortillas years ago. Whenever I make this recipe, my tortillas are really tough and aren't pliable if cooked too long. So, a neighbor gave me her recipe. I will share both with you and you can play around with them, like I have.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

4 cups whole wheat flour (ground fine)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tsp. salt (I use less, 1 tsp. otherwise it tastes like play dough to me, lol)
1 1/2 cup warm water (may need a little more)
1/4 cup cooking oil

Mix all ingredients together to make a pliable dough (cleans sides of mixer). Knead 1 minute. Rest dough for 5 minutes. Form into small balls, roll thin and fry on both sides or use a tortilla press (totally worth it, if you make a lot). They cook very quickly. If you overcook these, they will be crispy tortillas, so only fry each side slightly.

Sprouted Tortillas (by Irene Call) adapted by me :) THESE ARE MY FAVORITE!

3 C. Water
3-4 C. Sprouted wheat (to see how to do this click HERE) Sprout your wheat for only 2 days. Soak for 1 night. Put in sprouter and rinse twice a day, by day two, they are ready to use.
2 teaspoons salt
4 Tablespoons Flax Seeds (previously ground up, and optional)

Blend well in blender.

4 C. Kamut or Whole Wheat or Spelt
4 C. White flour (I have used all whole wheat and they still turn out well, maybe a little more dense. The white flour makes them lighter.)

Add flour to blender ingredients and mix until it cleans the sides of your mixer. Form into small balls, roll thin, fry on both sides.

*A few notes

1- A Tortilla Press makes a HUGE difference!
2-You may freeze these and they last a few months.

ENJOY!

Long, Slow, Journey

Life with 5 is insane! I haven't really been doing that great with my eating until the last week. I hopped on the scale today and found that I have lost 4 more pounds. It would have been more, if I would have eaten better, but to be honest, I just find myself drowning in days full of cleaning, kids and more. Cutting out sugar is my biggest problem. How can I get through my days without something a little sweet in them?! Well, enough whining, I'm back on track. I'm actually amazed I still lost weight over the last month! I'm not going to rationalize that and give myself permission to be a glutton. No more. I have been ever so religious this week, and I feel okay. The cravings are diminishing somewhat.

So, what am I doing? What is "eating healthy" to me? There are many ways to eat healthy. I prefer to just eat whole grains, protein (meat, beans, eggs), and lots of veggies and eat things in moderation, but sometimes to jump start things I will do something different. For me the easiest way to lose weight is to cut back on my carbs for awhile. So, I am eating chicken, turkey, fish, (once a week) red meat, eggs, all the veggies I want, one handful of nuts a day, and tonz of water. I am limiting my oils, to 1 tablespoon a day. I do add 1/2 a banana in my protein shakes, yes I do drink one a day. So my typical day goes like this...

Breakfast - 2-3 eggs and a spinach parsley shake (sounds gross, but is quite refreshing)

Lunch - Chicken breast with a huge salad, cilantro-lime dressing (homemade)

Snack - 1 handful of nuts, and/or a spinach shake

Dinner - (ground turkey) taco salad. I do have light sour cream and salsa.

Snack - Protein Shake

Usually when I eat this way I can lose about 10 pounds in 2-3 weeks. I am still nursing Ruthie, so I am making sure I get enough calories and supplement Flax Seeds in my shakes and Nutrional Yeast Powder (1 Tablespoon) once a day, to ensure I can continue to breastfeed.

I feel like it is essential to get in protein, for me, because I always experience hair loss after I have my babies and this seems to help it. The only drawback to this way of eating is I do have to cut back on the exercise. I find that I don't have the endurance I need, but I don't do this for long before I add in fruit and grains in moderation. I don't think this is a healthy way to eat for the long term. So, I'll keep you posted on how I do! Feel free to join me!

Week 2

I lost 2 pounds this week. I passed up all kinds of goodies this week. Dan made me the BEST Mother's Day meals! Dessert (the hardest thing for me to give up) was fruit parfait's. So yummy! This losing weight thing is not easy :(

1 1/2 weeks

Okay, so I lost 1 pound. Big Deal. However, I must note that about 4 weeks ago I decided to eat less meat. When I got on the scale one week ago, I was 10 lbs lighter than I was 4 weeks ago! So, I guess losing an additional pound this week is good, right?! So, all in all instead of losing 40 lbs, I have 30 lbs to lose.

This week was hard. My commitment was to eat no sugar. I failed. I did have Cold Stone on Friday night. I got a medium size and didn't finish it. That's the bad part of this week. The good part was I'm running 4 miles twice a week! I'm trying to slowly increase my speed and one day each week my mileage. It's tough, but I've done it before, so I know it will come easier as I keep at it. I learned a few things this week as I paid more attention to what I eat...First...there are so many "rules" on how to eat. This gets so overwhelming at times, don't you think?! I mean who in the heck has time to eat 5-6 small meals each day?! I don't! I find that I eat very light in the morning (another rule tells you this should be your biggest meal of the day...not possible for me, this is a crazy time of day!), a nice meal after the gym for lunch. I do have a protein shake in the afternoon and then eat later in the evening...around 6:30 or so. Sometimes I will have a fruit shake late in the evening. My thoughts are, you have to do what works best for YOU! It really comes down to calories in/out.

My favorite thing this week are my homemade bean quesadillas. My neighbor gave me the best home made tortilla recipe with sprouted wheat. They are amazing! They are completely fat free and loaded with whole grains and flax. Sounds like cardboard, doesn't it?! They aren't! I need her permission to share them with you :) I also put on my amazing refried bean recipe I shared with you a couple of weeks ago and sprinkle a very small amount of cheese. I have had this for lunch all week. Sounds boring but I crave them, so I'm going to eat them until I don't anymore! It has really helped me to cut back on meat. I find that I crave more beans. I make sure I combine whole grains when I eat beans as to ensure I'm getting whole proteins.

My goals this week...DRINK MORE WATER. This is so hard for me!
Also, not eating after 7 p.m. I find that most of the bad food, like sugar, happens in the evening.

Good luck to me! Please share any tips that have helped you lose weight, I'm open to suggestions!

Today is Commitment Day.

I am obsessed with learning about health. I love to cook healthy food. I love to exercise. I also love to eat too much and have a hard time staying away from sweets. Today, I have to start being good to myself. I have to start walking the walk and talking the talk. I'm good at giving all sorts of advice about health food and exercise, but I haven't been so great about doing it myself, especially these last few months. I have been inspired by several friends and family members who are losing weight and taking care of themselves. I want to join them. I have to do this publicly. I have to report my progress here for all to see, maybe then I will take it seriously.

I will try to post weekly...I refuse to put how much I weigh on here. I will let you know how much I lose :)

My worst fear...I'll try hard and won't lose anything, but that is just the devil on my shoulder. I have to remind myself that when it gets hard.

Jen's Refried Beans and Enchilada Filler

So, in an effort to eat more beans around our house and less meat for every meal, I put together these super yummy beans!

Refried Beans

2 cups pinto beans
1 cup kidney beans (can use more pinto beans)
1 cup Quinoa (optional)
1/2 c up to 1 c. Water ( depends on how thick you want your beans
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1-2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime No salt seasoning (optional)
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or another oil you can cook at high heat, I get my grapeseed oil at smiths)

Heat oil and cook onion and garlic until slightly brown, add a little water and all spices and cook for a few minutes. In a food processor, combine onion/garlic/spice mixture, as well as beans, quinoa and 1/2 cup water. Mix in processor until creamy, add water, if needed to desired consistency.

This recipe makes the BEST enchilada filler or burrito filler!

Another Addiction - Sodium

Question: Which measurement contains 550 mg of sodium?
a. 1 tablespoon
b. 1 teaspoon
c. 1/2 teaspoon
d. 1/4 teaspoon

Go look at the nutrition facts on your salt container.

If you suffer from high blood pressure, you should be eating around 1500 mg of salt, if you are a healthy adult you should consume no more than 2400 mg of salt. That's a lot of salt, you say, but it can add up...try adding your salt up for the day. I did, my exceeded 2400 mg of salt and I don't eat processed foods....imagine if I did, what that amount would be. Read on...

My Dad went to the doc the other day and he encouraged him to eat less salt. This brought on lots of discussion in our house. The one thing we talked about was what we all love to eat most, for some it's sugar, for others it's salty foods, like chips, fries. So, salt can be an addiction? I think it can. It's in everything! Now, don't get me wrong, salt is important, very important, however, too much salt can cause all kinds of problems....how do you know if you're getting too much or too little?

I just read, yet another article that sums up what I'm trying to say much more eloquently! Click HERE to read more!

Low Sodium Brown Rice and Barley Soup
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Onion
3-4 cloves garlic
1 small package baby carrots chopped in large chunks or 3-4 large carrots, cut in large chunks
3-4 stalks celery, sliced
3 potatoes, cut in large chunks
1 cup brown rice
1 cup Barley
2 cans diced tomatoes, blended
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
8-12 cups water

Cut all veggies and saute in Olive Oil on Medium heat, for about 5-8 minutes. Add in brown rice and barley, saute again for another 5-10 minutes. This alone give the soup so much flavor (without salt!). Add in about 6-8 cups water and bring to boil on medium heat. Turn to low and let simmer until barley and brown rice is soft. Add in the tomatoes and spices and heat through. Add more water if your soup is too thick, unless of course you like it this way!

One more little tip: Most broths found in the store are LOADED with sodium, as well as canned goods, like tomatoes. So, our goal is not to cut out salt, but to cut back. By bringing out the flavor in our veggies and adding spices, not containing salt and letting them simmer before adding water, is a great way to go. I didn't use low-sodium canned tomatoes, because they added a lot of flavor alone. However, if you need to cut back even more, you can buy low-sodium tomatoes as well.

ENJOY!

12 Super Foods

I love reading articles about food and health and I came across an excellent one on MSN the other day. It listed 12 super foods that can heal and protect against all kinds of sickness. I'll list them below, click on the link for the article HERE to read the specifics!

1-Kiwifruit - has double the vitamin C found in oranges, more fiber than apples, and more potassium than bananas.

2-Cherries - fight inflammation and cancer.

3-Guava - Contains more Lypolene than any other fruit or veggie. Lypolene protects our healthy cells and fights cancer.

4-Beans - are a miracle food. From the article..."If you think fiber, protein, and antioxidants and immediately think, whole grains, meat and fruit, think again - beans offer all three in a single package."

5-Watercress - 4 times more calcium than milk, as much vitamin C as an orange and more iron than spinach

6-Spinach - protects against vision loss. It includes an assortment of vitamins...including vitamin K, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium and iron.

7-Onions & I'll add Garlic - "Onions are also extremely rich in sulfur and they have antibiotic and antiviral properties, making them excellent for people who consume a diet high in protein, fat, or sugar...".

8-Carrots - "In Chinese medicine, carrots are used to treat rheumatism, kidney stones, tumors, indigestion, diarrhea, night blindness, ear infections, earaches, deafness, skin lesions, urinary tract infections, coughs, and constipation."

9-Cabbage - "Cabbage is a powerhouse source of vitamins K and C. Just one cup supplies 91 percent of the recommended daily amount for vitamin K, 50 percent of vitamin C, good amounts of fiber, and decent scores of manganese, vitamin B6, folate, and more—and it'll only cost you about 33 calories. Calorie for calorie, cabbage offers 11 percent more vitamin C than oranges."

10-Broccoli - "A single cup of steamed broccoli provides more than 200 percent of the RDA for vitamin C (again, more than oranges), nearly as much of vitamin K, and about half of the daily allowance for vitamin A, along with plentiful folate, fiber, sulfur, iron, B vitamins, and a whole host of other important nutrients."

11-Kale - Kale is in the same family as broccoli and cabbage. "Kale is highly nutritious, has powerful antioxidant properties, and is anti-inflammatory." *Kale grows fast! It is best grown in your garden in the early spring and fall. Plant in the shade during summer.

12-Dandelion - promotes digestive health, treats heartburn and indigestion, and packs potassium that over the counter constipation remedies lack.

I loved this article! It gives new meaning to the phrase your Mommy repeated "eat your vegetables". This article suggested putting your greens like spinach, watercress and kale in a fruit smoothie. It masks the taste. My Sister-in-law also puts carrots in her shakes. This is great for kids who fight you on eating their greens. There is so much more interesting info in this article, so if you have the time...check it out ;)

Sloppy Joes

This is such a yummy recipe with such good flavor! It is so easy to make and just put in a crockpot for a few hours.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound lean ground Beef (I will sometimes do a mixture of Ground Turkey and Beef)
1/2 cup COOKED Breakfast Blend (see below)
one medium onion, peeled and grated
1/2 cup water
6- ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, but it give such good flavor, try it!)
1 big squirt of ketchup (to taste)
1 squirt mustard (to taste)

Brown meat. Add everything, simmer for 5-7 minutes or put in crockpot, ON LOW, for 3-4 hours.

Serves 6-8 (I always at least double or triple this for my little family of 7, it leaves us a little leftovers!)

Enjoy!


Breakfast Blend is something I pick up at my local health food store, Kitchen Kneads. However, you can make your own. It is just a blend of grains, using equal parts of each of these grains; buckwheat, barley, brown rice, millet, and oat groats.

To Cook this: Add 2 parts water to 1 part Breakfast Blend (2 c. water, 1 cup blend)
Bring water to boil, add in the Breakfast Blend, COVER, and cook for 30 minutes ON LOW or until the grains are soft and absorbed by water.

This is a yummy hot cereal for breakfast as well, put a little honey or brown sugar on it, num!

Exercise, People!

I just visited my doc this last week for my 6 week check-up after having Ruth. She was shocked to see I'd lost 30 lbs! I gained 25 lbs during this pregnancy. I completely owe it to exercise and watching my diet. I didn't have this success with my other 4 children. I went back to the gym 2 weeks after Ruth was born. It was hard! I took it easy, but even still it has been challenging.

I religiously started exercising after my second baby was born in 2000. I didn't exercise during pregnancy only in between after that. It was such a hard thing to begin! I had to do it at 11:00 a.m. I couldn't get up early and after I'd exercise I'd eat and then take a nap. That's how much it drained me! Within 4 weeks I was running a 5k and had lost 15 pounds. I was hooked. I felt stronger, more confident and happy that I'd achieved something. In 2007 I began lifting weights. Wow! It completely changed my body. I've always struggled with my last 30 lbs and still do, but I'm fitting into a size in jeans that I fit into when I was 30 lbs lighter, if that makes sense. I feel so much better doing it!

If you hate exercise...find something that you enjoy. It could be as simple as dancing with your kids, riding a bike, skateboarding, hiking, swimming, etc. Exercise can be enjoyable. Over the years, I've found many friends to exercise with, this helps as well! ALWAYS bring good music or books. Find a good environment. If you enjoy being home, find something to do at home, if you need a gym, join one, it's worth the money. If you love being outside...go outside! If your excuse is kids, bring them along...again the investment in strollers is worth it. At one point I had a double running stroller. The kids loved our daily run. The investment in you is worth it!

Tea Tree Oil

My baby and I have been battling thrush. I debated on whether to share this or not, but decided to as it might help someone else. Thrush is a yeast infection that affects babies in their mouth, diaper area and the Mother, if she is breast feeding. I had this with my second baby, and got over by cutting out sugar and learning a great deal about being more healthy. I am very surprised to have gotten it this time around as I have cut out all refined foods and eat very little sugar if any. So, in my search to treat our thrush the healthy way, I discovered Tea Tree Oil. Many things have helped thrush...and I will include a website that will tell you many things to try using, but I've found that tea tree oil has worked the best and it has many other amazing uses! I bought my Tea Tree Oil at Dave's Nutrition here in Salt Lake City, Utah. I also know that it is available online, perhaps at vitacost.com

Click HERE for thrush

Click HERE for Tea Tree Oil

I will say that during season changes and after my babies I get dandruff...I tried the remedy suggested on that site and it worked! I put about 7-8 drops in my shampoo.

Bran Muffins

adapted from Oat-Bran Muffins, Set For Life Cookbook


10 days ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl! This was by far the easiest birth of my 5 total children. I know it was easier because of eating right (for the most part) and exercise. I didn't do that with my 4 other children. I'm so glad pregnancy is over and I can devote some time to this blog! As I get back in shape, I will do my best to share with you how as well as any good recipes I can conjure, or adapt!

This recipe is my favorite! My sister-in-law teases me that if you want to stay regular then eat these! I agree with her! With only 70 calories per muffin, they are guilt free, in my opinion!

Bran Muffins

1/2 cup hot water

1 cup 100% bran cereal (you can substitute oats)

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 cup applesauce or 1/4 cup oil

1 egg

3 tablespoons apple juice concentrate

1 1/4 cup whole wheat or spelt flour

1 teaspoons soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pour hot water over cereal, oats and raisins. Let stand while mixing liquid ingredients. Combine raisins, yogurt, oil or applesauce, egg and juice. Stir liquids into bran mixture. Add mixed dry ingredients, and stir just until moistened and blended. Fill non-stick muffin pans.

Yield: 12 large muffins

Enjoy!