Healthy Chicks

Happy Superbowl Sunday ladies! Today’s post is a Vlog (my second Vlog EVER actually) because I wanted to share with you something that I get questions about all the time: how to handle “over-indulging” without all the guilt that comes with it, or feeling like you “ruined everything.”

I was inspired to create a Vlog after chatting over coffee yesterday with the lovely Cait from Cait Plus Ate at Daybreak. (Side Note: If you don’t know Cait already, you should totally check out her blog especially if you are a fellow foodie or live in the New England area.) She just did her first Vlog (and totally rocked it) and she gave me the courage to give it another shot!

After all, I am very passionate about this topic and want to reach as many readers (or shall I say viewers) as possible. Plus, I feel much more confident this time around, judging by my last video where I was a tad nervous.

OK, 1, 2, 3…ACTION!

What are your favorite indulgences? Do you let guilt get the best of you? … Read More!

Of course people scrunch their noses and roll their eyes at the thought of “eating healthy” when they think of it as bland, cardboard-tasting, flavorless meals (think: a pile of iceberg lettuce with fat-free, calorie-free dressing).

And up until about five years ago, that’s what healthy did mean to me: boring salad bars, diet sodas, sugar-free everything, low calorie, processed-fake-food-crap. Blah.

Then I discovered how much fun I could have in the kitchen cooking healthy food, how creative I could get with my veggies, and how utterly delicious green “healthy” foods could really be.

Most days of the week, The Boy and I craft up wholesome, healthy dishes together in the kitchen and more often than not it’s an exciting experiment. We use what we have in the fridge, creating innovative recipes and award-winning concoctions (at least according to us.) In fact, while I am pretty skilled in the kitchen, The Boy is really the Master Chef of the two of us which makes life a little easier.

No matter what we concoct, we typically (most days) aim to make most of our meal veggie-based with healthy fats, nutritious proteins and wholesome grains added in.

Last night, we had lots … Read More!

Quinoa and I have quite the love affair. I discovered this grain-like seed a few years ago when I was dealing with gluten issues and haven’t looked back since.

I typically enjoy quinoa at least twice a week and  unsurprisingly, it’s quickly become one of my favorite kitchen staples. Really, I never go without it. In fact, we have three bags of it in our cupboards now. (Hey, you never know when you’ll need it!)

Quickie Quinoa Facts

• While many refer to quinoa as a grain based on the similarities, quinoa is in fact a seed.
• It’s 100% gluten free, making it a great choice for someone with Celiac’s or a gluten sensitivity, or for those who don’t digest gluten-heavy grains very well. As an added benefit, it’s also very easy for most to digest!
• It cooks up in about 15 minutes, making it my favorite go-to when I “don’t have time” to cook as opposed to other grains like rice that can take up to an hour to prep
• Quinoa is a complete protein, making it superb for endurance & energy!
• High in B vitamins, iron and potassium to name a few
• It’s always good to rinse quinoa thoroughly

Good morning Healthy Chickies, and Happy Day-Before-New-Year’s-Eve. Since I’m still getting over some sniffles from the holidays, I’ve been trying to eat (and drink) with my health in mind, paying extra attention to the foods that are going to fill me up and make me feel strong & healthy.

This morning, I whipped up a health-boosting green smoothie in the Vitamix, carefully choosing ingredients that’d work on my side as I knock this cold to the ground.

Hope you enjoy!

Health Boosting, Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie

Serves 2

• About 1 c. unsweetened coconut or almond milk
• 3 large handfulls baby spinach (fill to about 3/4 of the blender): high in vitamin K and A & rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants
• 3 carrots – rich in antioxidants like Beta Carotene
• 3 celery stalks – high in vitamin A & C, boost immune system and have been used to help lower blood pressure
• 2 cloves garlic – antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, anti-infection…need i go on?
• juice of 1 small lemon – strengthen immunity, cleanse the stomach & liver, fabulous detox to name a few
• 1 large apple – good amount of soluble fiber and have also been known to reduce LDL (“bad cholesterol”)
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