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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Being Vegan?

I know that many health bloggers are vegetarian or vegan. I profess to be neither. I don't eat red meat very often, but I eat fish at least once a week, yogurt almost every day, eggs, cheese, etc. My husband (find him at The Breakup Note) yesterday told me that he wants to perform an experiment of living as a vegan for the month of May. You may or may not know that my husband does the majority of the cooking in our household (and by majority, I mean all (except for when I bake)). I'm slowly learning the secrets to good cooking, but he's a better cook than me anyways. This being said, however he eats, I eat. So if he decides to be a vegan, guess what I'm going to be? That's right.

I don't really have too many qualms about going vegan, especially if it's only going to be for a month. My biggest problem will be not having yogurt. It's ridiculous how much I love yogurt. Seriously. So, going without yogurt for a month will be akin to cruel and unusual punishment for me. But I suppose I could do it. I've considered being a vegetarian before, but I really don't think there's anything wrong with having red meat once in a while. I believe the only real reason to commit to being a vegan would be for animal rights. I do believe that animals should be treated ethically. I believe they should be raised free-range and allowed to eat what God intended for them to eat, but I don't think that there's any reason to not eat them.

So...to be vegan or not to be? This is the question. I have a feeling it's going to happen next month though.

Have you ever considered being vegan? Are you vegan? Why?

Monday, April 18, 2011

Some Silence

As you may be able to tell, I'm really trying to pay more attention to my blog and do more with it. But, for a few days I'm going to be blog silent. I'm studying for a somewhat difficult exam that I must pass. Therefore, all my extra time will be spent doing that until it's over. Hopefully by this weekend I'll be back at it.

Thanks to all my readers!

<3

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Getting a Domain

So, readers, I'm considering investing in my own domain. I need to come up with a good name for it though, which is going to be hard. First of all, I have to come up with something that isn't already taken and is also something that relates to me personally. My blog doesn't really have one specific idea; it's all about health and fitness and real food.

Maybe you can help me come up with something good. Comment with your ideas; I know I have some clever friends, so maybe you can help me.

Thank you for reading. You make my blog worth while. <3 you all
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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Sugar-Free Apple Pie Muffins

Earlier today I found a recipe for whole wheat apple muffins and tweaked it around a little so it would be sugar-free and also replaced the butter with olive oil. Also, I added a few spices to make it taste more like apple pie. Here is what I put together, and I think they turned out pretty well:



Ingredients:
1c whole wheat flour
1c all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur's Organic)
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1tbs cinnamon
1/2tbs nutmeg
pinch allspice
2tbs olive oil (replacing the butter)
1tsp stevia (to replace sugar)
3tsp honey
1/2c almond milk (original, unsweetened)(or another milk of your choice)
1/2c nonfat yogurt (plain, organic if possible)
1 egg
2 apples, cored and chopped

Preheat oven to 450*
Mix flours, powder, soda, spices, and stevia in one bowl. In another bowl, combine oil, honey, milk, yogurt, and egg and mix lightly. Stir in dry ingredients and fold in apples. If your batter is too dry, add small amounts of oil until it is wet enough to mix.
Grease a muffin pan with olive oil and place mixture in. If desired, top with almond slivers and LIGHTLY drizzle agave before baking. Bake at 450* for 10 minutes, then turn heat down to 400* and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove from muffin pan and allow to cool for 5-10 more minutes.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Agave: The Nectar of the Gods

Agave americanaImage via WikipediaI have a new love in the realm of food. It is a plant-based syrup-like sweetener, comparable to honey. It is known as agave nectar. For some reason, I'd been under the impression that agave is a cactus, when it is really more like the aloe plant. The nectar is gathered by cutting out a flower shoot on the plant. It can also be fermented and is used to make tequila. Just thinking about it makes me want a margarita.

Why do I love agave so much? Well, for one, it is delicious. Also, it is a little sweeter than honey or sugar and thus you use less of it (the same goes for stevia). It has a low glycemic index which means that it is absorbed slowly into your blood stream and won't dramatically spike your blood sugar.

Agave is my new sweetener of choice for food. I love to use it in my snacks such as a fruit and yogurt bowl, and it's also my favorite pancake topping. I don't have to use much to sweeten a dish. A small container of agave nectar can last a few weeks if you use it correctly. It's also a great sugar substitute for cooking and baking. I included it in some banana bread I made last week and it was incredible! I'm going to attempt some sugar-free cookies with agave soon. If they turn out well, I'll give you all a recipe to try!

Have you tried agave and, if so, how do you like it?



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Friday, April 15, 2011

Healthful Pursuit Cookie Giveaway

I don't know if anyone looks at my blog roll very frequently, but there is a blog on there called The Healthful Pursuit. It's a great resource for healthy living. They're offering a free cookie giveaway, so I'm linking it here.

New posts will be coming soon, I promise!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Parallels between Health and Spirituality

The journey to getting your body healthy can be compared to a spiritual journey. When you first commit yourself to becoming healthy, just like when you commit yourself to God, you have to clear out your life of all the junk. It's possibly the hardest part of the journey. You have to let go of those things that tie you down; those things you've been so used to having in your life for so long. You have to accept the fact that they are poison to your body, your mind, and your soul. You have to throw them away with no mercy.

Then, once you've cleared out the junk you must develop a plan of action to make sure that stuff doesn't come creeping back in. Before you become adjusted to not indulging anymore, temptation will be everywhere and will seem irresistible. Those sights, sounds and smells will drive you to the brink of insanity. Sometimes you will need to avoid it altogether in order to stay strong. This might mean not going out with your friends or being ridiculed for your decisions. You may be challenged by people you used to think understood you. One small action such as saying "no thank you" to a doughnut (or any other temptation) will invite spiteful words from "well-meaning" friends and family.

Another step you must take is to learn where to get the things your body or soul needs. In your spiritual journey, you look to the Bible and people of faith, putting out the effort to research the things you need to know. In the same way, during your health journey you must step outside your comfort zones and do the legwork to find out what you should and shouldn't eat; and where you should and shouldn't shop. You need to venture into areas of the grocery store you've never seen. You visit shops and produce stands you've never heard of. In the long run, all that effort pays off and you end up having all kinds of exciting adventures.

Again, a parallel step between the two journeys is to find a mentor. Having someone who has gone through what you're going through and who can advise you as you go is invaluable. In your spiritual walk, you look to someone older and wiser and who has had similar experiences in their journey. In your health journey, it simply needs to be someone who has been at it longer than you have. It also helps if they live in your area and can tell you where to find good food products. This step is one of the most important. When you feel lost or stuck, this person can often point you in the right direction and give you a gentle shove towards it.

Another very important step is exercise. For your body, you simply get your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes, 3-5 times a week. As you progress, however, exercise becomes longer and more intense. In the same way, as you grow spiritually, you accept more responsibility for yourself as well as for others. Just as you push your body in order to see good changes, you push your mind to read more every day and study and become grounded. Pushing yourself is hard and challenging and others may think you're crazy for it, but you know the changes that are happening inside so it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Whatever journey you're on now, be it physical, spiritual, or both, make sure that you are taking the steps to progress. It may seem daunting and impossible and you may be receiving criticism from people around you, but you will see results from pushing on. Do your research, find an accountability partner, and never give up. You're not missing out on anything by saying "no" to temptation. In fact, you're becoming a better person for it and eventually the people who are trying to tear you down will see the difference in you and want to know your secret. Don't hesitate to share it with them, even if they're the ones that made you miserable when you first made the changes. The amount of growth you will experience is worth every moment.




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Saturday, April 2, 2011

Hip Hop Abs

Well I'm currently in week 3 of the Hip Hop Abs program by Beachbody. It's a lot of fun, easy to do, and very effective. I thought I was done losing weight, but since I've been using Hip Hop Abs I've lost about another four or five pounds. I can see my abs toning up too. After tomorrow, I'll only have a week left of it. A good friend of mine is doing it with me, which has helped motivate me to do it every day (it's six days a week for four weeks).

Once I'm done with Hip Hop Abs I plan on starting TurboFire. It's a very intense interval training 90-day program. It uses the same system as Insanity, (high intensity interval training) but it isn't quite as hard as Insanity. I'm really looking forward to it though. Now that I'm at my target weight and in good shape, I think I'll be able to tone up quite nicely. I'll also finish it right before my trip to California, so I'll definitely be ready for the beach!

Sorry for the short blog today; I need to get back into the blogging habit.