Superfoods : Coconut Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar

Variety is the spice life they say and I believe the same can be said of food. In today’s society with our short attention spans, we constantly want to try new foods, taste new things, eat a different meal practically every day to prevent boring our palates. We are not like our ancestors who pretty much would eat the same few staple things day in, day out. We are lucky in that we do have the opportunities to taste so many different cuisines and challenge our taste buds so much more than the generations past. But having said that, I also do believe that they are a few staple things people should have in their kitchen that will not only promote good health but also will serve to help achieve and maintain the body you always dreamed of. Here are a two products I make sure are in my daily diet that have benefited me so much that I can’t believe their benefits are not more widely lauded;


1) Coconut Oil
This is one of, if not my absolute favorite thing in the whole world. The oil from the tropical coconut is so remarkable when it comes to healing properties and its promotion of general great health and beauty, that I think it’s sinful that it is not in every kitchen cupboard across the world. It’s probably due to the aversion everyone has to saturated fats and the fear that has been instilled in our society that all fats are bad and will lead to heart disease. This is no the case. In many countries like Thailand and the Phillipines where coconut oil is used in large amounts in their daily diet, they have extremely low rates of heart disease. Coconut oil has gotten a bad rap over the years but the truth is, it’s nothing short of a miracle oil. And here’s why;

• Coconut oil is one of the only sources of Lauric acid, other than mothers breast milk and has potent anti-microbial and anti-viral properties. It has been successfully used in the healing of diseases like Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure , Hypothyroid, Diabetes, HIV and Cancer.
• It contributes to weight loss because it promotes proper functioning of the thyroid which keeps the metabolism working at optimum levels and also gives a feeling of satiety which prevents overeating.
• It strengthens the immune system due to its anti-viral, anti-microbial properties.
• It is very effective against a variety of infections by killing viruses that cause influenza, measles, herpes, SARS , pneumonia, UTI’s and even candidiasis.
• It can be used topically in beauty treatments as a hair conditioner ( once a week makes hair grow longer, healthier and shinier) ,and as a body moisturizer ( leaves skin super soft and is not greasy) and also as treatment for cuts and burns.

These are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the health and beauty benefits of coconut oil. It can be added to your diet as a supplement, or you can cook with it (it has a very high smoking point as it is a very stable oil), or you can begin using it as a beauty product. I recommend buying virgin or extra virgin coconut oil, (only $8 - $10 bucks at your nearest health store), start by adding even 1tbsp a day and I promise you’ll be adding one of nature’s most amazing foods to your daily diet and it won’t be long before you start to see it’s benefits.

2) Apple Cider Vinegar

Again, another incredible gift of mother nature, that when consumed on a regular basis has amazing health and beauty properties. I’m referring to the raw apple cider vinegar that has not been processed and still contains a cloudy substance formed from the apple residue called the “mother”. It is available at all good health food stores. Like my beloved coconut oil it too helps prevent and treat bacterial and fungal infections and it was even Hippocrates, the father of all modern medicines, go-to tonic for many ailments. And here’s why;

• ACV (apple cider vinegar) retains all the nutritional goodness from the apples from which it was made, plus it is fortified with extra enzymes and acids as a result of fermentation. It is this powerful tonic that then has the ability to aid in the healing of everything from the common cold, coughs, dandruff and bites and burns, to more serious illnesses like Diabetes, high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and Cancer.
• ACV is an amazing weight loss tonic. I can vouch for this! I started taking ACV daily about 7 months ago and I suddenly noticed the last few pounds that had always been stuck on me dropped off. I had not known at that time that ACV had any connection to weight loss but I knew I hadn’t changed anything else about my diet or level of activity. Sure enough with a bit of research I found that ACV is known for its weight loss effects. The reasons for this are not yet totally clear but hey, if it works it works and It works!
• ACV also helps in the beauty department by flushing toxins from your body and giving you healthy glowing skin, hair and nails. It can also cure age spots, and eczema.

ACV is only $7 for a large bottle at your local health store. I buy the “Braggs” brand, and it lasts me quite a while. I take a tbsp in a little water every morning and evening and if you can’t ingest the tart taste of the vinegar, you can sweeten the tonic with a little natural sweetener like honey or Stevia.

So there you have my two of my favorite superfoods. I really can’t stress enough how beneficial they have been to me and will be to you too if you go ahead and add them to your diet. There are many recipes out there that can help you incorporate these foods too if you don't fancy taking them on their own. And don’t just take my word for it, google it, research a bit and I know you’ll be amazed to discover the extensive uses and benefits of both Coconut oil and ACV, which is probably why they have been around and used daily by people for centuries!

Understanding Metabolism: The Basics

You’ve all heard the word metabolism before right? I know I had heard it thrown around for years, before I ever really knew what the hell it was exactly. All I knew was both my sisters had “faster” metabolisms than I and so they would forever be skinny and I was always going to be that bit more pudgy around the edges. They would be able to shovel in twice as much food into their mouths as I could and not gain an ounce. Seemed like just another case of “the world’s not fair”, and so I would have to get over it. But that’s not the whole truth. The world may not seem fair in regards other things but the good news is, achieving a faster metabolism is very possible.


Firstly, what the hell is metabolism? Well, by definition it’s the set of chemical reactions that happen in living organisms to maintain life. In other words, your biochemistry. How efficiently this works varies from person to person dependent on a number of factors, including but not limited too;

• Body Size ( the larger the person, the more cells to maintain)
• Body composition (ratio of fat to muscle on a body)
• Age (unfortunately our metabolisms inevitably slow down with age)
• Diet (what you put in your mouth effects metabolism)
• Hormones (play a key role in the effective workings of your metabolism)
• Psychological state (stress and anxiety can upset metabolism)
• Drugs (many pharmaceuticals can influence the metabolic rate)

So what are some things we can change in order to affect our metabolism and get in kicking and working in tip top shape? Well, we can’t rightly change body size, no matter how much you’d like to be a few inches taller it’s not going to happen, so just stick to the jimmy Choos for that! Age, is not something we can change either unfortunately because as much as we’d love to stay forever 21, it ain’t going to happen in this lifetime anyway. But we do have control over our diet, and body composition, our psychological state and the drugs we take, all which affect the hormones that rev our metabolism and can keep it at a fat-burning pace (which is where we want it)!

I don’t want to get all scientific on you here but a healthy diet, regular exercise, and de-stressing all have positive influence on little hormones like Insulin, Leptin, Cortisol and Ghrelin, to name a few, which ultimately decide whether you will continue stacking the weight on or whether you will burn it all off.

The problem with our society today is that these little hormones are all out of whack in our bodies, (too much of one and not enough of another). For example, too much insulin circulating in the body all the time can lead to Diabetes. But what causes the excess insulin? Blood sugar spikes from the foods we consume. Eating too many refined high carb foods like doughnuts, and French fries and bread.

All that refined, processed anti-food garbage we shovel into our mouths day after day, and not to mention all the toxins and pollutants in our air and our products at home have thrown our chemical balance all off. But it is not too late to fix it.

• Constant yo-yo dieting is not the way to fix a metabolism, in fact it severely disrupts it and causes a lot of damage. But adopting a healthy diet for life, free of refined foods like white sugar, white flour, trans- fats, hydrogenated anything, foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce, but full of wholesome real foods like fruits and vegetable and organic meat and dairy, can all aid in restoring the balance of your metabolism.

• Exercising is another great way to restore the metabolism to proper working order. It affects the amount of lean muscle to fat ratio in your body, and muscle burns fat by increasing your metabolic rate. Exercise not only stimulates your muscles during a workout but for hours afterwards.

• De-stressing is easier said than done I know, but stress really is I believe the number one silent killer. Make sure you take time to relax every day. Adopt a form of meditation, even if it’s just some occasional deep breathing throughout the day, or join a Yoga class, get eight hours good quality sleep a night and don’t work ridiculously long hours a week.

It seems like simple advice but you must follow it if you want to balance out the destructive behavior that has caused your metabolism to slow down. Remember all those little hormones are there for you, waiting for you to help them out and give them what they need to work properly and build up and break down the energy stores and body tissues like they’re supposed to in order to keep your body healthy. Help them out! Feed your body nutritious foods, get out there for a brisk walk, take a long relaxing bath and you’ll see your body returning the favor both physically and mentally!

Getting into Fitness : For the Gym Fan

Starting a fitness routine is definitely one of the most important steps you can take to improve your overall health and achieve that beautiful fit body you desire. But the road to both of these is different for everyone, as we are all programmed in a unique way and what works for you may not work for another. So while dedicating yourself to getting a good workout in at the gym may be the most convenient way for you to begin adding exercise into your life, another person may prefer to find a Yoga Studio, or perhaps buy a bike and take to cycling, or hiking or any other one of the numerous outdoorsy activities. The point is to find out what works for you. If, like me, you like the convenience of a gym, all the tools you need in one place, then there are some things to consider before you spend some of your hard earned money on a monthly membership.


1. Location
When scouting out your soon-to-be fitness home, one of the most important things to take in to consideration is location. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a fitness center or small gym in your apartment building or home chances are you will have to either walk or drive to get there. The most important thing is that is should be close. Don’t get a membership to a gym that’s 20 minutes away or all the way across town, because it will just allow for excuses not to go (the traffic is to bad right now, I’ll be late for work etc. ) Choose a gym that’s convenient and close. No more than a 5 minute drive or you may find your paying monthly fees for something you never have the time to use.

2. Cost
Unless you’re living in the middle of the country, in any given town or city there are usually a plethora of different gyms in a short distance of each other, all with a different price range. Monthly membership fees can be anything from $20 a month to $120. Know what your budget is and work around it. You don’t need to be a member of the more expensive gym to get a better workout. The equipment will all pretty much be the same! You may have more classes offered at the more expensive gyms but you must decide if that is worth paying a little more for as perhaps you will be more motivated to workout if it’s an aerobics class you like, rather than working out alone. There are numerous franchised gyms like Curves, 24 Hr Fitness, Crunch etc. that each offer something different and make sure you take a trip to visit all of them before deciding upon what’s best for you as remember, you want your fitness time to be something you look forward too doing.

3. Classes
Most gyms offer free classes along with their memberships these days and these can be a great and fun way to workout. There are so many different kinds like Yoga, Pilates, Ab sculpting, kick-boxing, even dance classes, it’s impossible to get bored and there is something to fit everyone’s taste. If you like to have someone motivating you, classes are the next best thing to having a personal trainer.

4. Personal trainer
Deciding upon whether or not to shell out some extra cash to have a professional help you workout properly and show you the most effective ways to use the various gym equipment is really down to two things, a) can you afford it? And b) is it the best workout approach for you to have someone constantly pushing you to work harder? If you know you tend to go easy on yourself when you work out alone and slack off a little, if you have some extra cash, then maybe investing in a personal trainer is the way to go. Again, just as not all gyms are created equal, neither are personal trainers, and you will pay more for better, more qualified trainers. You should find someone you have a good chemistry with too, and I have always found a good rule of thumb to be to pick a personal trainer whose physique you most admire and would want for yourself. Don’t pick the buffed up body builder if what you want for yourself is a leaner Victoria’s Secret Model look. You get what I mean!

5. Gym attire
Invest in some good workout shoes and two or three nice proper workout outfits. Don’t go the gym looking sloppy and in oversized clothes!! I see this all the time but the truth is you’re more likely to be motivated to workout if you look in the mirror and see yourself in a shapely workout outfit that makes you look good. As vain as it sounds, it actually does help. Having some cute outfits just for your gym time is good motivation to get out there and do it. I always do more lunges and squats in my flattering butt lifting gym pants then I do when I wear oversized sweats. It’s a mental thing, but hey it works! If I like what I see in the mirror I’m more motivated to work a little harder. I was a huge Bebe Sport fan but since they change to PH8 I’m not into their looks as much as before, plus it’s expensive! But you can find really cute cheap workout gear at Forever 21 and Target! And if you want to splash a little, Victoria’s Secret has a great new line!!

6. Gym Bag
Always go to the gym prepared for your workout with your stainless steel water bottle, to make sure you are constantly hydrated during your workout. If the Gym doesn’t provide little towels you may want to bring a small one in your bag for when you are sweating, glowing like a pig!You may want your Ipod with you if music gets you motivated while working out, and make sure you have a healthy snack for post-workout consumption. You are going to want to replenish the muscles you just worked and restore the glycogen pretty quickly (usually within 30-60 minutes of finishing your workout), so having a protein bar or protein shake right after you workout is the key. BUT you don’t want just any kind of protein bar or shake as many commercial ones are filled with additives and artificial sweeteners. Here at ELAA we make our own, or at least if we do consume store bought products, we choose all natural ingredients. See below for my post-workout Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie that you can carry with you in another stainless steel flask or if the gym is close to where you live, make and drink when you get home.

Good luck on your Gym journey and we’ll be back with more later from ELAA. Here’s to fun fitness!

ELAA's Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Ingredients
Half a large ripe banana (the riper the better, it gives more flavor)
2tbsp natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 cup Almond Milk (or Organic Whole milk)
1 packet French Vanilla Stevia
A couple of cubes of ice

Directions
PUT all the ingredients in a blender.
BLEND on high for 30 seconds.
POUR into glass or flask.
DRINK right after your workout, or whenever you feel like a yummy healthy peanut butter banana shake !

**TIP: Put the shake in the freezer for a few minutes before drinking, and it will really thicken up and be that much more yummy !

Getting into Fitness

Did you know a lean healthy body is shaped 10% by Genetics, 10% by exercise and 80% by nutrition? Yes, 80% of effort on your part, to achieve a lean, beautiful physique should come from what you choose to put in your mouth. Many people are under the misconception that a beautiful body is achieved in the gym, or sweating it out during hours of torturous exercise, when in fact, exercise only counts for a mere 10% of your well being.



Now does that mean you can neglect the exercise 10% and focus only on putting the right foods in your body?


Although proper diet alone can alter your state of health and your physical body shape drastically, adding in that exercise routine is only going to enhance everything you're already doing and take your body beautiful journey to new heights. But the good news is, as long as you’ve started eating cleaner more nutritious foods, all you need is moderate exercise and strength training to see results. No more body boot camps, or next day immobilization for people on the ELAA plan, (unless of course you’re a sadist or something and derive pleasure from pain, in which case go right ahead)!


The problem with most people is the initial phase of getting into a fitness routine can be daunting and difficult and they’re never quite sure where to start. But the key is to start small and build from there. Unless you’re still in school and have regular periods of physical activity through sport and recreation, chances are you’ve long since left your gym shoes behind and have taken to the more sedentary lifestyle that can be synonymous with adult life! Well as you no longer have a gym teacher yelling at you to get up off your lazy tush and do five laps of the field; motivation is going to have to come from you and you alone.


What’s my motivation? I’ve long dreamed about having a super fit body like that of a Baywatch babe. I remember watching that show when I was little and envying their bodies so much and how even when they ran, there were no jiggles!! Then of course along came the Britney “Slave for you” body, which started me on a crunching craze. Whenever I saw a picture of her amazing abs, I was to be found in my bedroom doing impromptu workouts. But it usually only lasted for a few days, until I saw another image of a beautiful body I envied.


But you don’t have to want a perfect body, or six pack abs, or a Sofia Vergara booty in order to find motivation to workout. Everyone is different and their motivations, personal. Perhaps you just want to be fitter, able to run more than a few minutes without collapsing, or you want to just tone up around the edges and have a flatter tummy, whatever it is, no matter how big or small, it is totally achievable.


And the key is just to start today. Whether you just begin a daily walk, or you go out and purchase a gym membership, or you invest in a home workout kit, the point is to start. And don’t pressure yourself, take it easy. It’s a building process. It takes 21 days for something to become a habit, so allow those three weeks to get into a routine. Start with some cardio, an easy walk, a light jog, a morning run, depending where your fitness is at, and go from there. Later on down the line you can start adding some strength training if you like, but the point is for it to be enjoyable and stress free.


I’m sure by now you’ve heard exercise raises serotonin levels in the body which is why you always feel better after exercise and it’s true, you do! I don’t know anyone who has ever come out of an exercise session saying “man I really regret that workout I just did “. Because though you may not always go in to every workout with a hop, a skip and a jump, sometimes you may have to drag your butt to get going, but the good news is, you will always, always feel better coming out of it, and proud of yourself too!


So go ahead and add some exercise to your life. You already know it’s good for your heart, your overall health and well being, but honestly the real bonus is when you no longer cringe every time you strip down in front of a mirror, because seeing your beautiful, well toned, healthy body reflected back at you is the greatest reward one could ask for!

Out and about and what to eat: Part 1 ; At The Movies

Being an actress usually means taking the weekly trip to the movies for the love of our craft, and well just because it's fun. But when you’re an actress who has long associated the pleasures of movie going with the big box of buttery popcorn topped with peanut M&M’s, a new healthier eating lifestyle, presents a challenge.



There really is nothing I love more than the smell of popcorn at the movies and I’m confident that that is quite a shared adoration, the world over. But when you have changed over to only nourishing your body with real whole foods, although a wonderful undertaking, in the beginning, it presents problems in the social aspects of our lives. What can we eat at restaurants? What can we eat at the movies? What can we drink on a night out? What can we eat at our friend’s dinner party? Etc. We don’t want to lose the pleasures often derived from the combination of friends and food, and jeopardize the social aspects of our lives that are so often closely tied to the consumption of yummy things. That would be a boring, dull life and would probably cause your body more stress and damage than a lifetimes worth of all the fast food you can think of. So what is the solution?


Luckily there are many. But to start, today I want to focus on trips to the movies, as it’s something everyone likes to do pretty frequently and can be a very tempting time to gorge on bad foods which we know will bring you no closer to the health and body you desire.


So for example, I went to the movies this weekend and brought a long my own bag of treats I had concocted earlier in the day. I had made Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Bites, (see recipe below) that were, in the words of Ned Flanders “Scrum-diddily-upmtious”. And I brought a can of Knudsen Sparkling Essence (An all natural, refreshing drink my brother-in-law found in Whole Foods the other day, made with sparkling water and fruit essence.) And I enjoyed my movie experience just as much as any other time. And the bonus was, I left the theatre completely guilt free as opposed to my past feelings of “oh crap , I can’t believe I ate that whole large popcorn, bag of M&M’s and medium coke all to myself!”


So in the case of snack items, bringing along your own healthy treats to things like the movies is a step in the right direction and doesn’t eliminate any of the pleasures involved with the activity. Heck you can even pop your own popcorn at home (the natural kind) and pour some delicious real butter on top and bring it along in a food bag, (which is what my Mom would give my sisters and I when we were young as she didn’t want to pay the price for the expensive movie popcorn! I don’t blame her.) Making your own treats is better for your health and your pocket! Why spend almost $15 on unhealthy, processed, nutrient-less food that will just add to the unwanted pounds around your belly and booty? No thanks!


Here is a list of some examples of yummy treats you can easily hide and bring along in your purse to the movies, saving you pounds on your body and pounds in your pocket!


• Homemade desserts like the Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Bites
• Trail mix (made with a mix of almonds, cashews, peanuts, whatever you like, some carob chips and dried fruit)
• Apple slices and natural peanut butter (you’ll want a little container for the peanut butter)
• Cheese cubes and cut up fruit like grapes or strawberries or pineapple.
• Some Greek Yoghurt with nuts and fruit already mixed in.
• A smoothie you made at home with any one combination of delicious ingredients (Peanut Butter ‘n’ Banana, Strawberry ‘n’ Banana, Very Berry smoothie etc.) that you can bring along in your chilled stainless steel flask.
• Natural sparkling drinks like the one I mentioned, Knudsen’s Sparkling Essence, which you can sweeten with a little pack of Stevia if you like you’re drinks sweeter.
• Coconut water (there are many awesome tasting coconut water drinks available at Whole foods and other health stores that contain just the yummy juice of the coconut)


The options are endless, you just have to be creative and seek out the healthy options. It may take a bit more work than handing over a crisp $20 bill to the kid behind the counter at the movie concession stand but it’s worth everything to your health and looks. You’ll be that much closer to looking as good as, or better than, the super hot actress in the movie you’re about to see!

So here to start you on your way to delicious healthy movie snacks is one of my own recipes


Chocolate, Coconut Peanut Butter Bites
(Makes 2 dozen bite size balls)


Ingredients
2 squares Ghirardelli’s 100%unsweetened dark chocolate
1 tbsp natural creamy or chunky peanut butter
1 large handful of unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tbsp Virgin Coconut oil (melted)
6 dates (pits removed)
1 packet French Vanilla Stevia
Splash of Almond Milk (or regular milk or water for moisture)


Directions


MELT chocolate and stir in melted coconut oil and peanut butter, stirring until smooth and creamy.
STIR in Packet of French Vanilla Stevia to chocolate mixture.
PUT dates and coconut flakes in blender and POUR chocolate mixture over.
ADD in splash of Almond Milk.
BLEND ingredients together on high until sticky and paste like.
SCOOP out of blender and ROLL into small bite sized balls. (Mixture will be rather sticky upon removing them from blender)
You can put them in mini cupcake cases or just leave them on a plate.
REFRIGERATE for 30 minutes until hardened.

Delish!!

Greek Yogurt : Food of Goddesses

Officially one of my favorite foods in the whole world, Greek Yogurt's creamy thick natural goodness could only hail from the land where Aphrodite and Athena and all the other beautiful goddesses of mythology originated.



My love affair with Greek Yogurt began pretty recently when I was looking for something satisfying to satiate my sweet tooth after dinner, as I had cut out all sugar from my life and was feeling pretty miserable in the beginning. But the Gods shone their light upon me when they delivered Greek Yogurt in to my hands. I purchased the full fat version, mainly due to its low carb count (less than 5 grams) which, compared to the other Yogurts around it (which have close to 20g) was right in line with my low carb quest, and so I set off home curious to discover just what set this Grecian export apart from its other commercial cousins.

Boy did I find out. Later that night as I got my usual craving for something sweet, (usually satiated by various versions of chocolate my brother in law and I would load up on from the nearest Walgreens), I held strong, shrugged it off, and set off to the fridge to give the new yogurt a try. Upon opening it I could see already how it differed from regular yogurts. It was thick and had almost a heavy whipped cream appearance. I heaped three spoonfuls into a bowl and added some fresh strawberries and a packet of my favorite sweetener French Vanilla Stevia. Mixing it all up I went back to the bedroom to sit down and taste my newest concocted dessert.


Taking the first mouthful, I feel like my taste buds almost exploded for joy. It was sweet, and smooth with a soft velvety texture, not unlike whipped cream, and it complimented the berries perfectly. Could this stuff be for real? And even more importantly, could this be healthy?


As I did a little research on my new crush, I started to fall more and more in love.


Turns out, my tub of luscious, feathery deliciousness did more than just curb my sweet cravings.
Greek yogurt has been an integral part of the Grecians healthy diet for thousands of years and benefits a number of things;


• Is a great source of protein with over 20grams per 8 oz, double that of other yogurts.
• Due to its high protein content, it helps you feel fuller longer which can contribute to weight loss efforts.
• It contains thousands of live good bacteria which promote intestinal and vaginal health
• Improves lactose intolerance
• Builds stronger bones
• Enhances immunity
• Lowers blood pressure
• And may even have anti-cancer effects


It is extremely versatile too and can be used as a breakfast or snack or for sweet (desserts, smoothies) or savory dishes, like dips and sauces and in soups.


And I even discovered I didn’t have to break up with chocolate forever, as a little more kitchen concocting on my part had me create a creamy chocolate yogurt, that is a quick, low carb, incredibly delish and satisfying dessert. I’ve posted the recipe below for you to try.


And you know what? I bet Greek Yogurt was the secret to the beauty of the Greek Goddesses. Well, it’s not a secret anymore. Lucky for us!






Easy Goddess Chocolate Yoghurt Yumminess


Ingredients
1 cup Greek Yogurt (full fat)
1 tbsp Ghiradelli’s 100% unsweetened cocoa (or any other brand of unsweetened cocoa)
1 packet French Vanilla Stevia
Handful of walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and Viola, that’s it! It’s that easy!!

Falling in Love with Food

   Yesterday I went on my weekly shopping trip to Whole Foods in the city and after browsing the aisles for a while and stocking up on my healthy living staples; I strolled through the Deli section on my way to the checkout. During my strolling, my eyes wandered over the dishes on display behind the glass encasement. Broccoli and Roasted Cashew Salad with Bacon bits, Curry Crab cakes, a scrumptious looking Turkey Meatloaf all laid out in grand style, and as I mentally relished the thought of chowing down on anyone of the yumminesses before me, I realized something. In my recent pursuit for health and a fabulous body, I had done the opposite to what most people do in such pursuits; I had done something I never before had done in my life. I had helplessly and hopelessly fallen in love with food.



For anyone that knows me well, food and I have never really had a great relationship. Growing up, I never had much interest in it, it was just sort of something that was there to keep my body working, and I didn’t give it much thought. And as I initially embarked on a healthy eating plan, or what I thought at the time was a healthy eating plan, like during my time as a vegetarian and vegan, I still just saw food as a fuel and nothing more. Most of the food I ate was lacking taste and texture and more importantly without pleasure. I never once got excited at the thought of yet another soy pattie with some vegetables for dinner. It never once occurred to me that food was there to be enjoyed, but more importantly could be enjoyed in a healthful way.


Of course this is not to say that a vegetarian life cannot indeed be delicious, (as I do fondly recall that awesome restaurant “Gobo” on 23rd street in New York which made the best Veggie Burgers I’ve ever tasted) but in the place of meat, I was consuming a lot of Carbs, in the form mostly of breads. I don’t want to get too much into it right now as I will explain in detail later, but the carbs I was eating, were keeping me on a blood spiking roundabout, where I would go from high blood sugar to low blood sugar and round and round and it left me with that constant fatigue. But I had yet to learn this and so I was perplexed as to why I was not feeling amazing on this vegetarian eating lifestyle. The point is sugar was still rampant in my diet, from the bread, beans and other veggie products I ate, all which tend to spike insulin and lead to a plethora of problems.


But after I made the move to New Orleans, and so this is only a discovery I made over the last few months, I cut all refined carbs from my diet, leaving only lots of vegetables and moderate amounts of fruit, mostly berries. At my brother in laws advice (who studied biochemistry), I undertook a no sugar/low carb life, just to see what changes it would make.

What I found was the delicious taste of natural foods.


Things like raw almonds, tomatoes (which I used to detest all my life), even green veggies, everything, took on a different flavor, and I could even taste a sweetness in these foods I had never tasted before. Suddenly flavors of all kinds were bursting out of every dish, and I found myself really enjoying food for the first time in my life. It was a whole new world. A world where things like, Tuna steak with a mango and avocado salad, Steak braised in wine sauce with creamed spinach, Cream of Broccoli and cheese soup, Full fat Greek yoghurt with walnuts, sweetened with cinnamon and Stevia all existed, in all their healthful glory and I devoured them with sheer pleasure and satisfaction. But could food be pleasurable and still leave me with the body I always dreamed of with great health to boot?


The answer is yes. Since I began eating this way, enjoying my food, and reveling in the delicious foods mother nature and this earth has provided for us, I am leaner, more toned and full of energy that I never thought I would ever possess.


Nowadays I no longer have to remind myself to eat; I look forward to my meals. I noticed I can’t stop thinking about food, but in a good way I assure you. I find myself wondering what delicious combinations I can concoct, what new desserts I can try, what new beverage I can create, all while adding to this wonderful new life I have where I eat and more importantly, love food.

That world exists for me; I want it to exist for you too. I just know so well what it’s like to have a bad relationship with food, and it really makes life no fun! I know that now!

Wouldn’t you love to sip mugs of hot chocolate topped with cream on a snowy afternoon, or eat Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, plate piled high with turkey, nut stuffing, and even gravy, and finish with a slice of apple pie, guiltlessly, knowing your body will love you for it. I know I want too, I know I am, right now. And that’s why I’m happier (and healthier) than I’ve ever been in my life. Thank God for good food!

Butter; Creamy Blocks Of Nutritional Gold.

Yes it’s true, your eyes are not deceiving you. Butter is actually good for your health. Not just good actually, great! Spreading some rich creamy butter on your morning slice of whole-wheat toast, or sautéing your evening vegetables in this golden goodness is actually a healthful practice and a step that will help bring your body back to balance.



But butter is a saturated fat and saturated fats raise bad cholesterol, which leads to heart disease, right?


Wrong. We can blame this malarkey on a researcher named Ancel keys who was the first to propose that saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet played the major role in heart disease. But in fact numerous studies performed since his claim, have been unable to back up this theory. Turns out that during the first half of the last century as butter and other quality animal fat consumption decreased, the percentage of heart disease increased! So the saturated fat theory doesn’t really hold up in relation to heart disease now does it?


Weston A. Price, a dentist who travelled the world, studying the diets of primitive peoples, spent time researching their diets in lieu of finding the reasons for their robust health, excellent bone structure, and complete rarity of tooth decay and degenerative diseases. His findings throughout all the different cultures were very similar, and one similarity was the inclusion of quality animal fat in the diet including butter.


In an extract from his book “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration”, marking his studies, he says of butter;


“Isolated Swiss villagers placed a bowl of butter on their church altars, set a wick in it, and let it burn throughout the year as a sign of divinity in the butter. Arab groups also put a high value on butter, especially deep yellow-orange butter from livestock feeding on green grass in the spring and fall. American folk wisdom recognized that children raised on butter were robust and sturdy; but that children given skim milk during their growing years were pale and thin, with "pinched" faces.”


All these fakers, like margarine, which is nothing more than a tub of plastic, and other butter wannabe spreadables that claim to be good for your health and better than the real thing, are really one of the main culprits here in our societies degenerating health! They are chemically created from refined polyunsaturated oils, which turn rancid when heated, and become toxic to your body and considerably lessen your chances of living a healthy, robust life.


But butter, in its natural state, is the innocent victim in all this and its inclusion in our diets plays a key role in bringing our rapidly deteriorating health back from the brink of despair. When we buy butter from a quality source, (Organic or preferably raw, as pasteurization destroys a lot of nutrients) Its health benefits are numerous and although I’m sure it doesn’t take much convincing to have you choose butter over all its other inferior and toxic imposters, just remember these health benefits your also reaping, as you guiltlessly sink your teeth into that warm slice of homemade bread topped with melted butter;


• Vitamin A and Vitamin E both found in Butter, play a strong anti-oxidant role which prevents free-radical damage in the body that weakens arteries.


• Butter is a rich source of selenium , another important anti-oxidant.


• Vitamin A deficiency causes abnormalities of the heart in babies and butter is America’s best and easily absorbed source of Vitamin A.


• Vitamin A, E , Selenium and Cholesterol (yes cholesterol) are anti-oxidants and help prevent against cancer as well as heart disease.


• Something called “The Wulzen Factor” unique only to butter, and discovered by the Dutch researcher Wulzen, is proven to prevent degenerative arthritis--as well as hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland. (unfortunately this factor is destroyed by pasteurization and so is only available in raw butter.)


• Butter is essential for proper functioning of the thyroid gland, due to being a highly absorbable source of iodine and Vitamin A.


• Butter has strong anti-fungal properties and has an important role to play in treating candida overgrowth.


• Butter contributes to weight loss efforts. No, it does not make you fat! (Fat does not make you fat, something I first discovered to my amazement only a few short years ago), as the short and medium chain fatty acids are not stored as adipose tissue but rather are used for quick energy. (The same cannot be said for polyunsaturated oils and olive oil which are in fact stored as fat tissue.) Butter is so rich in nutrients that it leaves a feeling of satisfaction and curbs cravings and bingeing!






And that’s only some Butterly Benefits :) !


So butter is an essential part of any healthful living diet. Butter is no longer to be feared, but embraced for the wonderful nutritious food that it is.

***And if i may, i might take this moment to say that Kerrygold Butter, available in most supermarkets around the states, is one of the best sources of Butter, as even though it is pasteurized, the cows are grass fed and roam happily and freely like cows should!!
How do i know this?? I grew up looking at those cows everyday of my young life in the green fields of my home county!! Yes KerryGold butter comes from Co.kerry Ireland! And it's absolutely positively delish!! ***


Here at ELAA, Butter is Body Beautiful Approved!!

Oatmeal : A Body Beautiful Breakfast

Goldilocks was one smart chick that knew exactly what to eat to keep those blonde locks of hair shiny and healthy! When she helped herself to the three bears "porridge”, she was in fact starting off her day with a tasty bowl of oatmeal!! (Porridge is the name we use in Ireland for Oatmeal.)



So what’s all the fuss about oatmeal you say? I mean you probably hear it talked about all the time about how it’s the best way to start your day, even Starbucks now offers oatmeal for those morning coffee stoppers. But what exactly are the health benefits of Oatmeal and are all types created equal?? Let's clear up some of those questions so you can begin starting your day with a creamy bowl of oatmeal in a "Body Beautiful Breakfast" approved way!


Firstly, the boxes of oatmeal packets you find in the cereal section of your supermarket that advertises what sound like yummy sugary versions of oatmeal are just that. Sugary processed versions of a once nutritious food. They are devoid of any nutritional value, full of all the things you don’t want in your body and are to be avoided completely. They will do nothing for your health or looks I promise you. These are not a body beautiful breakfast approved choice.

Secondly, is the instant oatmeal or quick cook oatmeal. Again not a body beautiful breakfast approved choice! Why you ask? Well for the simple reason that the grains have been highly processed and so will contain something called phytic acid which "grabs on" or rather chelates important minerals like iron magnesium and calcium in our intestines making them unavailable to our body but it also inhibits some enzymes we need to digest our food which can lead to loss in bone density and mineral deficiencies! Not good!! (This is probably why in tradition so many cultures around the world practiced soaking and fermenting grains!)

So what is the best kind of oatmeal to eat nutrition wise? Well I suggest buying the "Old Fashioned Whole Rolled Oats". These are the larger flake oat and have not been processed like the instant quick cooking kinds. Bob's Mill makes a version as do Quaker Oats. And here's the important part;


In the old days (your grandparents may remember), the oatmeal came with directions for overnight soaking before cooking. The benefits of this are that it breaks down some of the harmful phytic acid, lessening its damaging effects and making the grain easier to digest! This is a very good thing!


I find the best way to soak your oatmeal is in water and a little plain yoghurt as the bacteria in yoghurt breaks down and neutralizes phytic acid. This really takes less than a minute to do before you go to bed and you'll have properly prepared oatmeal ready to cook in the morning with all its nutritional benefits ready for consumption. And the beauty with oatmeal is you can add so many different kinds of things like, nuts, fresh fruit, cinnamon, honey, cream, or butter, to enhance its flavor and make it a truly enjoyable start to your day! Definitely Body Beautiful Breakfast approved!


When oatmeal, is eaten after proper preparation its health benefits are numerous:
The soluble fiber in Oatmeal


• Helps you feel fuller longer and so can contribute to weight loss efforts.
• May reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes due to the soluble fiber helping to control blood glucose levels.
• May help reduce high blood pressure
• The fiber along with other nutrients may reduce the risk for certain cancers.


It contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron. Not to mention, it's quick, convenient and delicious!

So here to finish up is a recipe adapted from the creamy deliciousness that my mom would serve up on those cold Irish mornings before my sisters and I headed off to school!!

Sweet and Creamy Oatmeal

Ingredients:

I cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (soaked overnight)

1 cup Organic whole milk (or almond milk if your lactose intolerant)

1 tbsp raw honey or 1 packet of French Vanilla Stevia

1 tbsp Organic Heavy Cream

\
In the morning, DRAIN your soaked oats and DRY them with a paper towel.

HEAT the milk over medium heat in a pot and bring to boil.

TURN down heat immediately and ADD oats and honey/Stevia.

STIR frequently and continue to simmer until oats have thickened to a creamy consistency.

POUR into a bowl and top with a splash of cream.

Eat and Enjoy!! Yum!!

Proper Nutrition begins in the Kitchen

Yesterday morning I awoke to the roaring claps of a New Orleans thunderstorm. Down here in the Big Easy where it seems nothing they do is conventional, I dare say their storms follow suit!

Now I’ve experienced my share of thunderstorms growing up in rural Ireland, and I’d go as far as saying I enjoyed them on most occasions, but the monstrous thunder that dwells in Louisiana skies is enough to rattle every cell of my being, and leave me cowering under my blankets, praying for it to pass.

And as it eventually tapered off, leaving just a downpour in its wake, I mustered the courage to get out of bed, and make my way to the kitchen in hopes of quietening the equally noisy rumblings of my hungry stomach. I flicked on the light switch. Nothing. Flick, flick, flick…nothing …only the darkness of the morning. Uh oh! I rushed to the fridge, noticing the lack of its usual buzzing sound, and opened it… to more darkness. Freezer, same. Uhhh seriously? No electricity!!! What the hell was I supposed to do now? What would I eat?

I couldn’t make my usual morning eggs, no damn power for the stove, I couldn’t make a smoothie with a dead blender, and no oatmeal without hot water ( because I just don’t fancy eating it cold). I was doomed to starve! I had to eat something as the grumblings of my hunger grew louder in recognition of threatening starvation. My mind raced with possibilities..could I run across to Smoothie King? No, they wouldn’t have electricity either. What about Walgreens? There’s nothing edible for healthy girls in Walgreens! Plus the street is flooded so how can I even get across!! Darn it! I would have to improvise! I reached for the block of cheese and the last half of the avocado, the butter and my box of flax crackers and after mashing the avocado up, I headed back to my bed with my makeshift breakfast.
I jumped back under the covers and chowed down on my picnic of crackers topped with butter, avocado and cheese and seriously wondered between my munching…what the hell did we do before electricity??

My answer is, I really don’t know, because I was born long after the genius mind of good old Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity and turned us all into complete electric dependent delinquents. Can you imagine if we had to wake up every morning, build a fire, boil the water to even take a hot shower, before boiling more water to cook our food? We’d probably have had to prepare our food even before that, seasoning meats, storing them properly so they didn’t go off, we’d have to wait if we wanted a cup of coffee or tea until our oatmeal was cooked because unless we had two fires it was one pot at a time, and I definitely would not have been able to make my delicious berry smoothie!! No wonder women spent all the time in the kitchen. Cooking was one hell of a time consuming job!!

We have become so spoiled with advances in technology. A machine with a timer can make your morning coffee, throw a few fruits in a blender you have a smoothie, pour some milk over a bowl of store bought cereal (that was processed by machines, run on electricity), scramble up a few eggs on the electric stove in the same time it takes to toast a slice of bread. But you know what the real sad part is, most people can’t even find the time to do that.

Most people make a mad dash to the nearest Starbucks or McDonalds for their morning coffee (that they just didn’t have time to brew) and grab a breakfast sandwich while they’re there because it’s more convenient, than throwing an English muffin in the toaster and scrambling an egg, but the truth is the stop at the coffee shop probably takes you the same amount of time it would take to make your own breakfast at home. Or worse than the coffee shop stop, is the no stop at all, by the breakfastless individuals of the world! How can you just not have time?? How did we get from our ancestors spending hours, days even, preparing proper nutritious meals for their whole family, to us, nowadays not even taking time to eat a yoghurt with some fruit for ourselves before leaving the house?
Just alone, the lack of choices I had for breakfast when there was no electricity goes to show how much raw food I have in my diet. Obviously, not enough! Even when I thought I could possibly have a can a tuna, I couldn’t open it because I have a damn electric can opener!

The less time we spend in the kitchen, it seems, the unhealthier our nations have become. While the working woman is wonderful and all, and the advances feminist right leaders have made in the last century is marvelous, I can’t help but fear that completely shunning the kitchen, the place that endowed us with the title of the more “nurturing” of the two genders, the place that once was a symbol of home cooked love and hearty health, has done nothing but leave us overweight and riddled with diseases that have mysteriously only appeared and increased since good home cooking has become almost a thing of the past.

You’re never going to find the same nutritional value from a restaurant meal that you would obtain from fresh, quality ingredients used to make a meal in your own home. Not to mention the added bonus of TLC that goes in to homemade foods. It really is the magic ingredient missing from our staple diet these days. The love and care for what we put in our bodies, and nourish our cells with is gone! We need to bring it back. We need to find time for those extra five or ten minutes in the morning, or that twenty minutes it takes to chop up a load of veggies and some chicken and throw into a slow cooker so we have dinner when we get home.
 We should be grateful for the benefits electric has brought us in that we do have such things as slow cookers, and blenders and food processors and ovens and use them to our advantage to make the best kind of foods for our health and bodies. Be grateful we have what our ancestors never did, and show that proper nutrition is still made in our own kitchen. And have lots of cheese and avocados and flax crackers around for when the next thunderstorm hits!!

Eggs .. How do you eat yours?

Scrambled, deviled, poached, fried, boiled, baked, steamed, omelet, frittata. What do all these words have in common?

That’s an easy one right? Ahh the little yellow and white wonderment of a simple egg! The perfect staple to any healthy eating regime and not to mention an excellent source of protein with all nine essential amino acids encompassed in each little shell!!

But wait a minute!!! Why do I advocate eggs? Aren't they supposed to raise cholesterol levels that lead to heart disease? And haven't we been told time and time again to remove the yolk and have eggs only once or twice a week??


Well I’m here with some good news!! You can merrily hop along to your nearest grocery store or farm (even better) and pick yourself up a carton of ORGANIC eggs! 
(**Just make sure they are organic as the source of your food makes all the difference to your health and eggs from a chicken in battery cages who has never seen the light of day arent quite at the same nutritional level as organic or pastured eggs which come from a chicken who roams freely outdoors nibbling on insects and other natural food stuffs.)


The nutritious delicious egg has gotten a bad rap over the last couple of decades and for no good reason. Eggs have long been victimized as one of the culprits of high cholesterol but it turns out in fact that this is not true and in recent studies eggs and other animal fats have been proven to do quite the opposite. In various tests, people who added two eggs to their daily diet actually lowered their LDL levels.

So what does this mean for all us health conscious ladies out there? It means break out the whisk and start scrambling up those eggs again! Eggs are one of the best breakfast foods out there, not just because they're so yummy whichever way they're cooked but because of the following reasons;


1. They're Cheap : I buy my eggs from Whole Foods and although Organic eggs are always going to cost more I have to say $4.99 for 18 eggs is a pretty good deal, considering eggs are just as good a protein source as meat!! And 18 eggs make me 9 breakfasts (I usually use two)!! I use them in smoothies as well instead of buying super expensive protein powder!! Hey, I'm an actress on a budget!


2. They're Quick: Seriously, scrambling an egg takes me all in all about 3 minutes, boiling does take a little longer but the beauty with eggs is you can boil a bunch together at the same time and then keep them in you fridge readily available for whenever you're in a rush out the door but need a nutritious snack! Omelets take a little bit more time considering I usually like to load them with veggies and cheese but it still takes me no more than 10 minutes! So there's really no excuse for you to not eat breakfast!!


3. They're so Nutritious: This is probably the most important point! Eggs are like little nutritional treasure chests. Not only does one egg contain all the nine essential amino acids which are the building blocks of your body and of good health, but they also may help prevent blood clots, stroke and heart attack (due to Vitamin k) and they are one of the only sources of naturally occurring Vitamin D which helps build strong teeth and bones and has been found to protect against cancer. And they also are a good source of choline, a nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system! If that’s not enough reasons to eat an egg I don't know what is...
So to finish up today’s blog about my favorite breakfast food here is a recipe of my own. Feel free to try it out and leave me comments on how you eat your eggs :)


Spinach, Onion and Cheddar Omelet

Ingredients:
2 organic or pastured eggs

1 tsp of organic butter (butter is actually good for you! more on this later)

2 tbsp organic half and half (good quality dairy is also good for you, more on this later)

A dash of Mrs. Dash poultry seasoning

A handful of fresh or frozen chopped spinach

3 slices of raw cheddar cheese

1/4 small chopped onion

BEAT eggs, half and half and seasoning in small bowl until blended.
HEAT butter in 7 to 10-inch nonstick omelet pan or skillet over medium-high heat until hot. TILT pan to coat bottom. POUR IN egg mixture. Mixture should set immediately at edges.
GENTLY PUSH cooked portions from edges toward the center with inverted turner so that uncooked eggs can reach the hot pan surface. CONTINUE cooking, tilting pan and gently moving cooked portions as needed.


When top surface of eggs is thickened and no visible liquid egg remains, season with salt and pepper. PLACE cheese on one side of omelet; top with onion and spinach ( if using frozen spinach, make sure it has had time to defrost and be dry). FOLD omelet in half with turner. With a quick flip of the wrist, turn pan and INVERT or SLIDE omelet onto plate. SERVE immediately

Eat and enjoy!! Yum!

If it's a special morning like a weekend, why not add some chicken sausage (available at health food stores like whole foods) and fry up some tomatoes to add as a side!! Yummy and healthy!!

Back To Basics ... WATER

If I told you I knew of a beverage that could help in the curing of diseases like heart disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, depression, a beverage that would prevent hangovers, prevent and diminish cellulite, help you lose weight and flush toxins and waste from your body to help keep it squeaky clean, would you want to know what it was and would you drink it? I can’t imagine anyone who would deny they would.
But guess what?? Such a beverage exists! And the good news is, it’s the easiest beverage of all to come by.

The beverage? Pure crystal clear life sustaining water!

Yes water people!! Think I’m crazy in touting the amazing health benefits of water?? Think again!
Time and time again its been proven that water can cure numerous amounts of ailments and illnesses. In fact, Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD, a pioneering physician and acclaimed author with more than twenty years of clinical and scientific research into the role of health benefit of water for the body believes most of so-called incurable diseases are nothing but labels given to various stages of drought.


If you ask yourself how much water you consume a day, (and I mean pure water, not in the form of caffeinated beverages or juices) how much could you honestly say? A glass or two? Perhaps, none at all. Even I have to constantly remind myself to make sure to get enough water throughout the day. The general rule is 8 by 8 .. meaning Eight 8ounce glasses a day in order to replace fluids lost throughout the day through body excrements like urination, perspiration, bowel movement and even your breath! Of course if you’re physically active (which everyone should be) or if you live in a hotter climate, or you drink a lot of caffeinated beverages, you’re likely to get dehydrated faster and so you are going to need more than just the minimal eight glasses!! And then it is also very important the water you’re drinking is clean good quality water!


So there’s a few factors to consider when you start being mindful of your daily water consumption and something as pure and simple and life-giving as drinking water shouldn’t be confusing so I’m going to give you a few tips to follow that will help you on your way to being a healthier more vibrant water consumer;


• Purchase a Brita or PUR Water filter (I find them to be the best brands) which shouldn’t cost more than $20 at your local supermarket or drugstore. This really is not expensive for good quality drinking water and is often better for you than expensive bottled water (not to mention better for our environment when you stop using all that plastic!!) Just make sure to change your filter every 3 months to keep your water clean!

**NOTE**: Tap water is really not a safe source of drinking water as it contains so many chemicals (over 2,100 than can lead to cancer) and studies have found Lead and other synthetic chemicals that can cause damage to your liver and body. My advice is to steer clear of tap water and only use purified water for drinking and cooking!!

• I usually drink a large glass of water first thing in the morning when I wake up as it eventually becomes a habit and is the easiest time to remember to get a good portion of my required water in. So make a point to have the first thing you do when you wake up, to drink a tall glass of water (it also will make you feel fuller faster when you eat breakfast which can help with weight loss efforts!!).

• I also purchased a stainless steel water bottle (no more than $5 from your local supermarket or drugstore) and that way I can carry my purified clean water around with me if I leave the house for work and errands. So I suggest investing in one of these as in the long run its much cheaper than buying a $2 bottle of Evian or $4 bottle of Fiji water every time you need to hydrate which can add up believe me!! I’m all about the budget and saving wherever possible as these little savings do add up to enough change to buy a new pair of shoes or a cute new outfit at the end of the month so it’s definitely worth it!!


• I sip on water from this bottle throughout the day or if i'm at work where they have filtered water on hand all the time ill make sure to drink a few glasses when the thought pops into my head! (and the more you drink the more your body will make sure the reminder to drink water pops into your head!!) I also end the day drinking a large glass again before dinner. That way I know I’ve gotten sufficient water intake throughout the day.

WHAT IF YOU DON’T LIKE HOW WATER TASTES?


Well a lot of people don’t like how water tastes so they don’t drink it or they consume large amounts of vitamin water and flavored waters thinking that is just as good. Sorry to burst your sugary bubbles but it's not!! Those are just large bottles of pure sugar which is going to send you’re blood sugar through the roof and contribute to weight gain among other insulin spiking metabolic disasters!!

So what are you to do??

Well there are healthy ways to make water taste yummy and palatable for even the biggest water haters.

• My favorite way is to squeeze in lemons or limes (fresh lemon/lime juice , not concentrate) and add a packet of Stevia Extract to it to sweeten it. ( I swear this tastes just like lemonade!!)
Pour it into a glass over ice on a hot day and its refreshing, delish and healthy!!
**with the lime juice you can add some mint leaves for an alcohol free mojito!!



• Add a splash of your favorite juice , orange, cranberry whatever (and I mean a splash people as juices are straight sugar too! Unsweetened juices are even better!!) to the water and flavor it that way. It really makes a difference!!

• Crush a few berries into your water for anti-oxidant enriched drinking water or even add a few slices of cucumbers for a refreshing taste!!



Another great way to get that daily water intake up in a delicious way is caffeine-free herbal tea. (I say caffeine-free because caffeine is a diuretic which makes you urinate and hence nulls and voids the hydrating effects of the water.) Caffeine-free herbal teas can come in all kinds of delicious flavors like chamomile, chocolate peppermint and honey blossom and a lot of them have additional health benefits!! Have a hot tea on a chilly rainy night or serve it cold over ice on a summers day!! Either way herbal teas are one of my favorite things and there's so much variety its impossible to get bored!

So you see water doesn’t have to be boring! You should be excited every time you take a sip or opt for a glass of water over a soda or juice because I guarantee you are one step closer to a beautiful healthy beaming body, glowing skin and happier more energetic you!!

Where to start? The Diet Disaster!

The South Beach Diet , The Atkins Diet, The Lemonade Diet, The Blood Type Diet, The Flat Belly Diet, The Glycemic index Diet... diet..diet..diet , blah, blah, blah... The plethora of "diets" that have come, gone, and have still yet to make their way into our weight-loss obsessed society is enough to make your head spin, leave you ravenous, terribly exhausted and if nothing else, with so many dietary contradictions, downright confused!!


We are bombarded daily with information on what this actress eats and what that actress eats, and what new diet has helped this starlet lose 20 pounds in two weeks, and how another gained 20 pounds in two weeks. Caffeine is good, caffeine is bad, wine is cancer fighting, yet alcohol is said to cause a whole other plethora of dieases, and all of it just gets a bit much, too much information and we are left with nothing to eat, no where to turn and we just say to hell with it and stuff ourselves with a bag of chips and a chocolate cake!!


Food is not supposed to be confusing! Food is suppose to nourish us, fuel our bodies, keep them healthy and strong and allow us to live a clean enjoyable wholesome life. The word "Diet" alone has been so misconstrued and tossed at the end of every new weight loss title, that it undeservedly has a negative stigma attached to it and the minute we hear it we imagine a life of misery living on bland tasteless foods, counting calories, and for most of us, most of the time, the after effects like depression and more weight gain when we "fall off" the diet wagon.


But diet is not a scary word and it shouldn't make you shiver in your sugar-loving heels!! Diet by its best definition means "habitual nourishment" which is simply, what we ingest on a daily basis in order to NOURISH or bodies. And nourishing something just means to promote growth of something! So you see the word diet is just a harmelss four letter little word.


(I definitely failed to find a definition in the legit dictionaries that said diet was an intermittent, torturous, boring few days or months in our lives every year when we deny ourselves cetain foods, eat lots of another and jump on and off a weighing scale like hungry rabbits in hopes of shedding a few pounds of fat to look more like Jennifer Aniston or Halle Berry.)







That is not what a healthy diet is about!!! That is not what this blog is about!! I want to show you how you can live a delicious, nutritious, balanced life that includes healthy versions all of the things we love to eat and drink so you never have to feel a slave to the "diet" monster lurking on all our magazines and on our televisions ever again!! This is about embracing the delicous foods nature has provided us with so we can eat heartily and still look like a superstar while doing it!! And believe me girls, it is possible!!!  So throw away that measley celery stick (unless of course you're enjoying it) and those ridiculous bottles of weight loss pills because I promise you're not going to need them to look great! This is not a diet blog, this is a balanced, body beautiful blog designed to bring about the happiest, healthiest you!! So let's get started!!