Top 10 Healthy Cooking & Eating Tips

Here are my Top 10 Foods and/or Tips that you should add to your diet to help promote weight loss. These are the easiest and most basic things you can consume that will make a world of difference:

1) Coconut oil - is free of cholesterol and trans fats. Beyond the kitchen, coconut oil has countless uses and benefits and can be used in your hair, for your skin, canker sore remedy and even shoe polish

2) Protein powder in omega 3 eggs) - omega 3 eggs are nutritionally boosted version of regular eggs and it has to do with the types of feed that they give to the chickens so that the eggs contain a lot of omega-3 fats which are the good types of fat :) I add flavorless protein powder when I make my eggs since it doesn't change the flavor or consistency and only adds to the nutritional value

3) Chia seeds - I posted about these before. They are from Chia pets hah- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds serves as a five grams of fiber and they also help to improve your blood sugar. Chia seeds aid in reducing food cravings and they also serve as a vegetarian source of protein. I add them now to almost anything I make because they a flavorless and just add a crunch - similar to poppy seeds

4) Braggs - amazing salt substitute seasoning

5) Hot water with lemon in the AM - this aids in weight loss by improving your digestion and increasing your vitamin C intake

6) Protein Powder Recipes - whenever you're craving carbs, there are a lot of substitutes that will fulfill your craving- like the zucchini crust pizza recipe I posted, or protein brownies, cookies, or pancakes

7) Salmon - an amazing omega 3 source and great for your heart health

8) Raspberries and blueberries - I grouped these together because they are both berries but they have different benefits. Raspberries are one of the foods containing the greatest amount of antioxidants and they are also really high in fiber. Blueberries is one of the number one killer's of high blood pressure.

9) Spinach - I'm not one for veggies, which is bad but I have incorporated spinach in all of my lunches for work because it contains 18 different vitamins and minerals. I also recommend cooking this in an iron pan because then you can get added iron content in your spinach

10) Apples - serve as an amazing source of dietary fiber

Healthy Dinner Ideas

I am definitely a creature of habit. When it comes to eating (or songs on the radio) I over indulge to the point where I never want to see or speak of that food ever again. Ask my roommate - last year I ate turkey bacon every morning for 3 months straight... This routine is CLEARLY NOT HEALTHY. With both fitness and diet one of the keys to success is to maintain a balance and keep variety. I don't eat red meat (don't worry I wear fur so I'm not an animal activist) so I don't eat enough protein and try to find other protein options. Eating healthy can be time consuming, expensive, and let's face it not as yummy so when I find options that I would actually choose over the fat stuff because the flavor is so good - I get really excited. Here are the two options that I just found at my organic market that I'm obsessed with:

 

This Tofurkey Italian Sausage is amazing and I'm having to force myself to not eat it every night. I've never been one for Tofu but the seasoning is amazing. In 4 links there are only 12grams of carbs and 29 grams of protein

 

I just tried these Turkey Meatballs tonight and they were so delicious that I am definitely hooked! In six turkey meatballs which is one serving size there are only 2grams of carbs!!! And 15 grams of protein. Both the Tofurkey and the Turkey Meatballs have both oven and microwave options - for those less domestic like myself :)

What do you eat for Breakfast?

By no means am I a morning person or a cordon bleu chef for that matter so due to both I always eat my breakfast on the go. Obviously the healthiest route would for me to wake up early and prepare something every morning but that is just not realistic. I have tried every breakfast bar/meal replacement bar under the sun and most of them are terrible for you (especially for women). Most are packed with carbs, processed components, and unless you're in the gym for 2 hours every day, they do more harm than good. I was finally recommended LARA bars by a trainer over a year ago and have been hooked ever since. Lara bars are 100% natural bars made by all natural unsweetened fruits and nuts. Each bar doesn't exceed 9 ingredients and even the chocolate chips vegan and don't include dairy or soy

 

They have over 19 flavors and the few that have chocolate make for a great chocolate fix. My favorite flavor is Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. You can by these bars at any Whole Foods or health conscious market.