Afternoon Snack

I woke up from my nap really hungry so I had an ounce of almonds. After I finished, I was still hungry but I know that nuts take a while to digest and help you feel full. I was tempted to go into the fridge to get another snack before class but I resisted and had a cup of tea instead. I'm so happy I did that because I'm actually really full in class now. Lesson: give your brain time to realize you are full before eating past satiety! It's well worth it and it saves you the stomach ache (and the guilt).

25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods!

Prevention Magazine just came out with an article called "25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods." I am proud to say that my fridge is currently stocked with 12 out of the 25 foods!

Here is the list: (the ones I have are in BLUE)
1. Eggs
2. Greek Yogurt
3. Fat-free milk
4. Salmon
5. Lean beef
6. Beans
7. Nuts
8. Edamame & Tofu
9. Oatmeal
10. Flaxseed
11. Olive Oil
12. Avocado
13. Broccoli
14. Spinach
15. Tomatoes
16. Sweet Potatoes
17. Garlic
18. Red Peppers
19. Figs
20. Blueberries
21. Asian Pears
22. Lychee
23. Apples
24. Guava
25. Dark Chocolate (yum!)

How many of these foods do YOU eat on a weekly basis?
To learn more about why you should add these foods to your diet,
visit: 25 SuperFoods 

Early Morning Yoga

This morning I had planned to wake up early at 8 AM to practice yoga before I had to be at work at 10 AM. I guess I slept through my alarm because I woke up at 8:30 AM. Instead of forgoing my workout, I decided to head to the gym (conveniently located in my building) and get a 45 minute workout.

I just got this book called "Slim Calm Sexy Yoga" and it gives you different yoga routines for specialized practice. For example they have upper & lower body routines, fat burning poses, as well as routines for strength, flexibility, balance, clear/smooth skin, anxiety release, and relaxation.

After yoga I made a quick breakfast and headed to work. I made egg whites with spinach, broccoli and cheese with a side of hummus and celery sticks, and an orange. I'm so used to eating the same types of fruits (berries and apples) that I decided to add some variety. Plus, it's flu season so I could use the vitamin C.

Fall Treat: Cranberry Apple Butter

My friend Laurena, who is also very into eating healthy and organic foods, just bought Cranberry Apple Butter from Trader Joe's. It sounded delicious but I was a bit skeptical. Looking at the ingredients, there's nothing to worry about here though! It's fat-free, low in carbs/sugar, has 1 gram of fiber and is 20 cals per tablespoon. Also, the ingredients are: cranberries, apples, sugar, cranberry juice, and vitamin C. 

I get bored of putting cinnamon in my Greek yogurt so instead, I used 3/4 tablespoon of Cranberry Apple Butter and I added apple slices. It was sweet and tangy, the perfect fall treat! 

 

Dessert for Dinner?

Ahhh I had the most delicious dinner tonight, I honestly feel like I was "cheating" or indulging because it tasted so yummy! 

I made a spinach leaf salad with celery, carrots, broccoli and a few spoonfuls of leftover quinoa and kidney beans. Last but certainly not least, I decided to try baking a sweet potato in the oven. Good choice, Danielle! have had sweet potatoes probably once before in my life and they obviously didn't make a lasting impression. BUT, tonight, the simple sweet potato blew my mind! It was soooo delicious, it tasted like candy. Some parts were soft and other parts were crunchy and it was just a really amazing experience LOL. The fiber content has kept me full as well. I did some research and in general, sweet potatoes are one of the best veggies to have. They are filled with carotenoids, vitamic C, 470 mg of potassium (for one medium one), 4 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein.  By the way - carotenoids protect your cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, provide a source of vitamin A and antioxidents, and enhance the functioning of your immune and reproductive systems. 

 

I LOVE to shop! (for food)

Call me weird, but I get a sort of "high" when I walk in to Trader Joe's to do some food shopping. Everything is so colorful and healthy, yummy-looking and reasonably priced that I just want to buy the whole store! Obviously, I restrain. Today I went in with a grocery list in order to avoid impulse buying. 

Carrots, Broccoli, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Avocados

Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Celery

Kashi Cereal, Egg Whites, Hummus, Greek Yogurt, Almond Milk, Black Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans

Sunday Funday (but not really)

Last night after blogging, I didn't actually fall asleep until 4 AM and I woke up at 9:30 AM for my staff meeting. I then headed to Yoga to the People with Julia for a 90 minute vinyasa session. It was sooo intense, I literally tasted the sweat as it dripped down my forehead all the way past my mouth (I know, TMI). Immediately after I told Julia, "I'm definitely going to be sore tomorrow" and a few hours later, my legs were burning. They're still burning. Although I've only done yoga about 10 or so times, I really like it because it's challenging for me and I can see my improvements each time. It's funny because when I started I didn't think it was too hard but now that I'm doing the positions correctly, I feel the burn! Also, the breathing is really hard for me because when things get difficult, I hold my breathe. I also like how it's 90 minutes of you allowing yourself to get out of your own head and be carefree. The noises I hear in that class (the moans, groans, screams, sighs, cries, and farts LOL) are incredible. I'm not sure what one girl had going on but today she literally cried in class for 2 or 3 minutes -- loud sobs! It was kinda cool to hear that emotional experience.

After yoga I was really hungry and probably dehydrated so I drank two glasses of water and cooked some egg whites (with a side of hummus of course) and an apple. Is eating hummus that regularly normal and even healthy? I don't know but it's good. Also, the picture looks kind of gross but I promise it was delicious!

I then went to study with Laurena at 2:30 PM and got hungry so I snacked on a brown rice cake (35 cals) and a handful of almonds. That kept me full for a few hours. I finished studying at 5:15 PM and decided to nap because I was exhausted from the amount I had slept. Normally, my naps are 30 minute cat naps but I passed out for 1 hour until 6:30 PM, and I woke up refreshed (and hungry!)

For dinner I made veggies, quinoa and kidney beans which was really good. I didn't have time to go food shopping today so I'll go tomorrow and get a greater variety of foods to make, since I get stuck with eating the same few dishes. After dinner, I made some tea and sat down to study, but got consumed in trying to find a Halloween costume online. In NYC, everyone takes Halloween VERY seriously, even having 3 costumes for each night of the weekend. I was never big on dressing up but maybe it's because I never liked how I looked in the costume. This year I want to be something cool though. After researching costume ideas, I got hungry again (go figure) and decided I was probably just bored so I started blogging. Now I know I'm not hungry just yet for dessert, I just wanted a study distraction. In an hour I'll probably have some Greek Yogurt, an apple or some pumpkin with cinnamon.