Day 3: Raw Food Breakfast

I am now on day 3 of raw fooding it! So far so good. As much healthy fat and sugars from fruit that I'm taking in, I've lost a couple of pounds!

This morning I had a filling breakfast cereal bowl. I had chocolate "granola" by Go Raw with blueberries, almonds and almond milk. This was tasty and satisfied my cereal craving.

What did you have for breakfast?

Raw Food Kick

Hey Hey,

So, I'm back on a raw food kick! After a few days of eating round the clock junk food, I thought this would be a good time to clean out my system and enjoy food in its pure flavors and form. It's also much easier to go on a raw food diet when the weather is warm. You just feel like eating fresh food more! So far this has been going great. This is my second day! With the help of Mimi Kirk's Live Raw book and Raw on $10 a Day (or Less) I'm pretty sure I will have no problem doing this for at least a week if not longer!

I'm going to post at least a recipe a day.

Have you guys ever thought about going on a raw food diet?

Pesto Pasta Lunch...

Why hello again! I feel Monday's are the hardest days to get back on track because your body is use to all the over eating done from the weekend.

This morning I had a very filling breakfast. In between breakfast and lunch I had a Cashew Cookie Larabar. Lunch was shortly after. I had whole wheat pasta with grape tomatoes and homemade pesto sauce. Lunch was definitely delicious, but now, two hours later...I'M HUNGRY!!! I do have another snack, but I'm trying to hold off on that one, as I will probably need a lil somthin somthin before my INSANITY workout!

How was your lunch?

Monday Breakfast...

This mornings breakfast was a toasted Toufayan Smart Bagel with a slice of muenster cheese and sliced nectarine. On the side I had the remainder of my nectarine with chia seeds sprinkled on top.

Toufayan Smart Bagels are pretty awesome. They are just really thin bagels ranking in at 100 calories and 6 grams of fiber!

What did you have for breakfast?

Lunchin Korea Style

Today for lunch I met my friend Tika. We had sort of a late lunch and met at 1:30...thas late for me, I get hungry around 12! So, with the help of a delish Larabar, I toughed to out till 1:30!

After walking around for a few minutes, Tika and I finally decided on a Korea town lunch. I love the little goodies you get in the beginning of your meal. There were some delicious veggies, kimchi and tofu.

I ordered the seafood hot pot with brown rice and Tika ordered the tofu hot pot with brown rice. I ate 3/4 of mine and then was full!

All in all, a tasty, healthy lunch!

Strawberry Yogurt and Chia Seeds

This morning I woke up starving!!! While getting ready for work I enjoyed a strong cup of coffee. That kind of held me over until I got some solid food in my body.

Finally, for breakfast I decided on a Chobani strawberry yogurt with chia seeds stirred in.

I have a lunch date with a friend at 1:30. In case I get the munchies I have a Larabar.

What did you have for breakfast?

Later gators...

Snacks of the Day...

One Chocolate Coconut Chew Larabar
1/4c of nuts

Tangy Tandoori Chicken and Broccoli Dinner

After a grueling INSANITY workout I was starving for dinner. I took out some left over tandoori chicken, which was doused with vinegar and diced jalapeno. I also took out some frozen broccoli florets, put them in a bowl and nuked these until defrosted. I added the chicken and any leftover vinegar juice. I stirred to combine and nuked for another 30 seconds, just to warm the chicken. A minute later, I had a bowl full of Tangy Tandoori Chicken and Broccoli.

Pasta Salad Lunch

Lunch today was a delicious pasta salad that I made last night. I cooked one oz of whole wheat pasta. I then sauté d some garlic in extra virgin olive oil. I added sliced mushrooms, broccoli and sliced bell peppers. I then added half cup of marinara sauce and stirred to combine. Once combined I tossed the pasta in the veggies and sauce and then topped with a tablespoon of shredded cheese.

Lunch was awesome! What did you have?

Breakfast and my new motto...

Morning morning,

So my new motto from now on is to eat healthy whenever I can. This is because I KNOW I will have days that will throw me off or make me want to indulge. Rather than focus on eating well all the time, it's better to eat well when I can, delicious but well.

This mornings breakfast was not only delicious but was nutrient packed. I had a cup of non fat Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of chia seeds stirred in and honey drizzled on top. This was delish. I love the texture that chia seeds provide.

What did you have for breakfast?

Fridays's Lunch

Indian food: rice,roti,daal,potatoes,corn,deliciousness!

Breakfast: On Repeat

I'm on repeat with this morning's breakfast.   Yesterday's was so delish and filling that I had to have it again today.  Oh yes, I'm talking about my Sunflower Seed Butter on Ezekiel's Sesame Seed Bun.

Here are the deets on my deliciously filling nutrient dense breakfast:

Calories:  440
Fiber:  11 grams

If this has the same effect as yesterday, I should still be full by lunch!

How was your breakfast?

Going, Going, GONE!

This morning I woke up a bit later than usual and hurried to shower and get ready for work.

I also forgot to set the coffee pot last night! This made me very grrrrr this morning!! No worries though, to calm myself down I went to the nearby Starbucks when I left my apartment. I ordered a grande iced coffee, unsweetened, no milk or cream. Yes, just the straight up ish to put me in a good mood! I slurped this up so quickly that there was no time to take a picture. So, my friends, I leave you with a picture of remnants of delicious coffee...long gone!

Happy Friday!

Chia Seeds

I've been getting a lot of questions about Chia Seeds.  What are they? What are the benefits? Is this from the Chia pet? Where can I buy this from?

With the help of wikipedia.com, here's a little bit about Chia Seeds:

Chia is grown commercially for its seed, a food that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, since the seeds yield 25-30% extractable oil. Chia seeds are typically small ovals with a diameter of about 1 mm (0.039 in). They are mottle-colored with brown, gray, black and white.


The Chia Pet makes use of chia seeds to sprout.


Chia seed may be eaten raw as a whole seed, providing protein, fats and fiber

In a one ounce (28 g) sample, dried chia seeds contain 9% of the Daily Value for protein (4g), 13% fat (9g) (57% of which is ALA) and 42% dietary fiber (11g), based on a daily intake of 2000 calories.^[9] The seeds also contain the essential minerals phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium and sodium^[9] in amounts comparable to other edible seeds, such as flax^[10] or sesame.^[11]

Although some research indicates potential for dietary health benefits in certain disease conditions, this work remains sparse and inconclusive.

Chia seeds can be purchased in health food stores or in the health section of your grocery store.

image:  www.dailyperricone.com

Ch Ch Chia Breakfast....

This mornings breakfast was very delicious, nutritious and very filling. So filling that I did not need a snack between breakfast and lunch. Lunch was at 2:00pm. Lately, I've been trying to have meals that are nutritious and keep me full till my next meal. I'm really trying to cut down on snacking because I feel I snack too much and once I start, I can't stop and waste a lot of calories on mindless eating.

Going back to today's breakfast I had an Ezekiel sesame seed bun topped with sunflower seed butter, banana and some chia seeds. I loved this breakfast so much that I think I will be having it again tomorrow :-)

Hope you all have been eating healthy! Also, it's very important to remember to stay hydrated in this heat.

Stay tuned: brief explanation on chia seeds...

Yesterday's Lunch and Sushi Guide...

Yesterday's lunch was sushi. I had two rolls: salmon roll and vegetable roll. The vegetable roll consisted of cucumber, asparagus and avocado. I asked that both my rolls be made with brown rice. Ah, this was both delicious and filling.

Sushi is always a great option to have for lunch or dinner. When ordered the right way, can also be very nutritious and healthy. Here is a brief guide to ordering sushi the healthy way!

• Ask to swap out the white rice for brown or go light on the rice
• Avoid any rolls that have mayo in them
• Avoid anything that says tempura, as this is fried
• If you are ordering more than one roll, make one veggie and one protein based
• Watch the soy sauce -high levels of sodium will bloat you up
• Start your meal off with a light option such as miso soup, salad or edamame
• Don't order rolls that have names of things your scared of, such as "dynamite" or "spider"

So, now you should be prepared to go out and order a healthy meal!

Any questions?

Turkey Bacon & Eggs

This morning I woke up with a fierce craving of a hearty breakfast of Turkey Bacon and Eggs. So, on my way to work I made a pit stop at Silo Cafe, where I usually get my Greek yogurt from, and got some delish turkey bacon and an egg white omelet which had broccoli, onions and mushrooms in it. I also doused this with hot sauce, because I've been in a hot sauce rut! My breakfast was delicious, filling and protein packed!

What did you have for breakfast?

Snacks Throughout the Day and a Kashi Bar rant...

I feel liked I snacked much less today than yesterday. This may be due to my very filling yet healthy lunch.

My snacks for the day were:
Larabar
1/4c of almonds/peanuts
Kashi Go Lean Crunchy Chocolate Peanut bar

Surprisingly, the Kashi bar tasted pretty artificial and I usually love Kashi (although it's been a while). When I looked at the ingredients, I saw a long list of things that I didn't understand such as mechanically fractioned palm kernel oil. I did not understand this. Kashi- take a cue from Larabars and keep your ingredients simple!

That is all.

Dessert Lunch

Delicious bowl of ripe strawberries. Ah, so sweeeeet!!!

Lunch: Chana Masala Burger

Lunch today was a fiber and protein packed sandwich which was made with my Ezekiel's Sesame Seed buns and leftover channa masala that I had. The red sauce you see is Sriracha, which I've been craving A LOT!!!

What did you have for lunch?

Breakfast, light and smooth...

chia seeds

chia seeds stirred in...

On this hot morning I needed something cool, light and refreshing. I started thinking smoothie but did not want something as thick or sweet. Instead, I took a 6oz container of non fat Greek yogurt, 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, a teaspoon of honey and whipped this in the blender. I poured this into a cup and stirred in a tablespoon of chia seeds.

I LOVE the texture chia seeds provide. Seriously, they are like little pearls of tapioca when placed in liquid. My breakfast tasted like a decadent bubble tea :-)

How was your breakfast?

INSANITY....MONTH 2 BEINGS!!!!

Last night I did my first workout in month two of INSANITY.  Let me tell you...this aint no joke!  This workout kicked my butt!!  Last night's workout was Max Interval Circuit which consisted of 60 minutes of interval training done at maximum speed.

Here's what I got myself into:
Warm up 3X:

• Jog
• Jumping Jacks – Arms Up
• 123 Heisman
• Jump Rope S-S
• High Knees – Arms Out
• Switch Kicks
• Hit the Floor
• S-S Floor Hops

Circuit 1 3X:

• Pedal/Power Lunges (Sprint in place, followed by deep lunges).
• Ski Abs /Jacks/In & Out/Oblique ( Start in plank position, jump side to side for ski abs, then push ups, jump in and out in plank position, and finally alternating your knees to your elbows for obliques. 4 reps each position).
• Power Strike (Lunge on the left side, 2 punches downward, lunge right side, 2 punches downward, etc).
• Frog Jumps

Circuit 2 3X:

• Hook Jumps. (4 hook punches high, 4 hook punches low, 4 high jumps.  Then you switch sides).
• High Knees with Twist. (As you run with High Knees, you bring your elbows down on each side).
• High-Low Jab with Squat.  (Jumping high and punching to the side, punch low as you lan in a squat).
• Floor Switch Kicks. (You just have to see this one)

Circuit 3 3X:

• Side Suicide Jumps. (From standing position, place your hands on the floor, jump to the left side.  Stand up, repeat on the right).
• Squat Hooks. (Squat and hook punch, alternating hands).
• Full Body Drill. (From standing position, drop to the plank position, run in place 8 times, walking push ups, then 8 wide knee, running in place).
• Plank Punches.  (In a plank position, alternating hands, punch straight out).

Then a cool down.

By the time I was done with this workout I was tired and very muscle fatigued.  I had just enough energy to make myself a protein shake, shower and hit the bed!  What the H?!?!?

Today's workout is Max Interval Plyo.  Plyo's scare me, but I'm still excited about this :-)  In this point of the game it's  a lot to do with mental energy than physical energy.

**Rundown of workout is from http://www.extremely-fit.com/

Snacks of the day...

As expected, my lunch/snack didn't really hold me over. So the next few hours after lunch I noshed on the following...


1/4c of peanuts
1 larabar
1/4c of goldfish crackers

Now, off to get my workout on!

An easy, quick lunch/snack....

ch ch chia

So, my snack today was actually what my breakfast was suppose to be, but my snack was so filling that it's turned into my lunch! Got that?

Around noon, I took out my Greek yogurt and added some frozen blackberries and Chia seeds. I really do like the texture Chia seeds provide in yogurt. I don't know if it was the fiber in the Chia seeds or the protein in the yogurt, but I AM FULL!

I'm sure I will get a lil hungry before my workout and dinner.

What did you have for lunch?

The verdict is in...

mm..burger make tummy happy!

The verdict is in for breakfast. Not only did I NOT have Greek yogurt, topped with blackberries and Chia seeds but I also did NOT have a peanut butter almond milk smoothie. Instead, I had a wonderful sunflower seed butter and banana burger!!

Yup, I made a quick stop at a health food store and picked up Ezekiel's Sesame Seed buns, sunflower butter and a banana.

Mmmm...one bun and 2 tablespoons of butter and a banana later my tummy was happy :-)

Morning...thinking about breakfast

Mornin All,

This weekend was certainly fun filled and foodtastic! Yesterday I enjoyed a whole lotta Indian Chinese at Nanking and also learned how to make a delicious cheese toast for breakfast. Cheese toast recipe will be posted later on. Last night a huge portion of eggplant lasagna was also consumed :-)

Yes... A lot of good food was invloved this weekend, but I also managed to complete my last week of INSANITY's recovery week!! This evening I will start my first workout for month 2, which is suppose to be an hour long. Sean T better make that hour go fast :-p

So, it's not even 9am and my tummy is grumbling for food and I'm thinking about what to have for breakfast today. Right now, I'm heading towards a Greek yogurt, topped with blackberries and chia seeds. Although, a peanut butter almond milk smoothie doesn't sound to bad either. Ah, stay tuned to see what was decided!

How was your weekend? What are your breakfast plans for the morning?