Farnoosh Brock

Did you ever think of a healthy habit that you wanted to try but was a little afraid of it at the same time? Green juicing was that habit for me. I’ve heard and read a lot about it but could never master up the will power to try it. One of the main reasons I never gave it a try was because I didn’t know where to start.

• What vegetables should I use?
• What juicer should I buy?
• How much green juice can I drink?
• How can I make green juice taste good (the only time in my life that I could stomach a simple tomato juice was during my pregnancy, all other times the very thought of it makes my stomach turn.)

Fortunately, a blogging friend of mine – Farnoosh Brock of Prolific Living – has done the hard work for me and published the Comprehensive Guide to Green Juicing. I asked her to answer the most important questions about green juicing and share her favorite recipe that all of us can try this week. Bon appétit!

1. Farnoosh, why did you decide to try green juicing? What are the most appealing benefits of it?

Anastasiya, I got turned on to green juicing by watching a Jack Lalanne infomercial! Two funny things about that: I never ever watch TV and I certainly don’t make life-changing decisions based on what I watch…. so it’s ironic how that commercial led me to buy a juicer – an Omega juicer, not a Jack Lalanne one! – and to start experimenting. It was really driven mainly by curiosity. I was also starting to get seriously back into great shape and top health in 2007, after my Dad’s bouts with cancer and with the pressures of my declining and stressful career, and juicing just agreed with me.

I am amazed at how delicious the green juices can be so that’s just great to know but as for the most appealing benefits, the way your body feels after drinking juices. You are fully but happy and satisfied, and you have less cravings for bad food. You are also fully hydrated; it works much better than water. And it really helps your body come back to balance through detoxing, getting rid of waste and bringing your inside organs and cells back to life. It’s an inside process that you truly feel on the outside. Plus, great skin! Who doesn’t want that?

2. How would recommend to start a juicing habit? I am sure it takes some time to get used to the taste of green juice (especially if you’ve been drinking only OJ or soda your entire life.) Do you have any secrets to stay on track?

Starting is the hardest step and the most important one. Yes, if you do not have a lot of healthy traits right now as to what you consume, then this will be more drastic than if you do. For me, I was already relatively healthy – I chose to give up coffee, I chose to start drinking Oolong tea, and I chose to also experiment a lot with raw food diets – not completely, but partially – and so all of those just combine really well with green juicing. If your body is not used to raw foods or healthy foods, then you should start slower.

The best way to start is to actually stop your other habits or tone them down. Say you drink soda, well, ditch it for a week. Say you drink alcohol, ditch that for a week too. Say you drink dozens of cups of coffee, ditch that too. And try to get your body in better shape *before* you start juicing. Then the second week, add some green juices to your diet. Start with very simple recipes such as carrot-celery-apple or orange-celery-spinach, those are both sweet and delicious and not as hard on your stomach. And drink small quantities, say one cup a day. Then increase to two cups a day for the second week and just watch how your body reacts.

The secret to staying on track is two fold: First, to forgive yourself truly and completely when you fall off and believe me, all of us fall off. And second, to have a schedule, say Tuesday mornings you juice at 8am or 10am. If you put it on the calendar like all other things and treat it like a meeting or an appointment, as long as you are reasonable – juicing daily is very intense work! – then you will be able to stay on track much better.

3. Will anyone benefit from green juicing or should some people stay away from it?

Good question. Would everyone benefit? Based on all the books and websites I have read, everyone can benefit from it but to their own ideal measure. For instance, children would enjoy orange juice or citrus juices and green juices are probably going to be better for them if they are older.

I haven’t heard any warnings for pregnant women or senior citizens to stay away from juicing but if you have doubts, and if you have any health conditions, please check with your doctor.

Also, if you know you have allergies to some fruits or vegetables, naturally, stay far away from those. Most of all, just listen to your body and watch how your body reacts. Start slow and small but be steady and consistent.

4. How can we make green juicing budget friendly?

Last month we’ve been focusing on healthy eating on a budget here on BalanceInMe. Fresh vegetables can sometimes be pricy especially if you are buying organic. Do you have any tips or special ingredients that will remain budget-friendly no matter what?

Great point, Anastasiya. Juicing can be expensive but it doesn’t have to be. For instance, you don’t have to buy organic or from Farmer’s Market or Whole Foods. I do on occasion but I certainly don’t make it a rule. If you want to buy something organic, try to get your dark leafy vegetables organic but other fruits and vegetables are fine either way. Because you won’t be using or at least drinking the pulp, some of the vegetables and fruits are wasted so don’t worry about getting the very finest.

I can tell you that for my taste buds, it makes little difference if something is organic or not but it makes a huge difference if it’s not fresh. Go for freshness. Go to your local grocery store and get the freshest looking fruits and vegetables that are on sale that day. I also have noticed that Trader Joe’s, if it’s available in your city, is more reasonable than these large health-store chains so that also helps.

After a while, you will find out what to get from where, and you will find your own system. For instance, some leafy vegetables are far more expensive than others but the nutritional benefits are about the same.

Collard greens are very cheap but Kale and Swiss Chard can be slightly more expensive.

Apples are a wide range of prices so buy the cheaper priced ones; they will give the same sweetness to your juices.

I hope this helps!

5. In your guide you share 10 delicious green juice recipes. Can you share your favorite one with us and tell us why you like it the most?

Oh I have so many favorites but forget the 10 green juice recipes for a moment. I’ll give you something better. I discovered a new green juice recipe recently that is not even in the book so you guys are the first to hear about it. It is my current favorite, even though I love the ones in the book.

½ to ⅓ Pineapple
1 Large Red Apple
4-5 Kale leaves
3-4 Swiss Chard leaves
1 Large Italian cucumber
A handful of fresh mint

Delicious. This makes several cups or a medium jar that gives you at least 4-5 servings. Enjoy!

6. What are your top tips on keeping your health in balance no matter what?

Oh this is such a relevant question to my life right now because I am working so hard. You know, I think that it varies. Some weeks I focus on stretching, others on juicing and yet others on daily meditation. To do everything everyday is really challenging. Now I am in the hard-core cardio mode with yoga. I believe more than anything, I drink my water, my tea, and some raw foods every day in my diet, even if I am just eating a kale leaf or a swiss chard leaf or a raw carrot!

I also try to stretch at least a few minutes daily and sit still just for a few minutes.

And I focus on love. I make sure that I am mentally happy and in a good place and if not, my husband helps me come back to a place of inner peace and that has the greatest affect on my health, and I am sure on yours too.

Learn more about green juicing and the benefits that it offers by checking out Farnoosh’s Comprehensive Guide to Green Juicing.

Do you have any questions or have you tried green juicing before? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

P.S. Do you ever struggle with issues related to self-confidence or self-worth? Having low self-esteem can make achieving your personal life balance impossible that is why it is important to address these issues right now. Barrie Davenport of Live Bold and Bloom and Erin Falconer of Pick the Brain have created a Simple Self Confidence course to help you find your eternal source of self empowerment. The course starts on March 3rd, so if you are even slightly interested then click here to find out more details about the course.

Do you agree that fixing food is sometimes difficult and unappealing?

The other day my husband and I had a rough work day. The girls weren’t exactly angels either so we had to stop our work projects every few minutes to break up fights, use sophisticated diplomatic approaches to make them share toys and resolve everyday crises. Around 7 p.m. our brains were officially dead, our bodies were screaming all kinds of things at us for sitting in one position all day long and then hunger decided to show up in its most violent and irritating form.

Here we are, exhausted, hungry, stressed out, irritated at the end of the day.

Have you ever been there?

Of course the first thing that came to our minds “Let’s order Chinese!” It wasn’t exactly a bad idea but it wasn’t the healthiest or the most budget-friendly choice. I decided to master up my will power and move to my kitchen shift.

Surprisingly, cooking really refreshed me, made me move some, kept me from flopping on the couch and watching TV and helped me make a simple and yet satisfying meal in 15 minutes. Ordering Chinese would have taken at least twice that time, and more than triple the money.

Cooking meals is not always easy when you are tired, when you don’t know what to cook or when all your dishes require a long prep time. Like I mentioned before numerous times, I rarely cook meals that take more than 30 minutes (start to finish) and I always focus on using natural and budget-friendly ingredients. Let me share a few “secrets” with you.

1. Have your kitchen staples ready

We talked about budget-friendly shopping last week, but let me remind you about my favorite pantry staples:

• Rice
• Pasta
• Quinoa (and/or barley)
• Low-sodium vegetable/chicken stock
• Diced or crushed tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Oils (canola oil for coking, olive oil to drizzle over finished dishes – it loses its healthy qualities when heated)
• Spices (no-salt added Italian spice mix, Mexican spice mix, cayenne and chili pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon)
• Fresh garlic and onions
• Lemon
• Low-sodium canned beans
• Oatmeal
• Frozen vegetables (mostly green beans, corn and peas.)
• Plain Yogurt (preferably Greek)
• Cheese (I use grated Parmesan and any other cheese like reduced-fat Cheddar, Colby etc.)
• Canned tuna and salmon
• Eggs

Most of these items have a very long shelf life so you can stack up on them when you find them on sale or when you go to warehouses like Costco (my favorite) or Sam’s Club.

2. Be smart with perishables

Buy perishable items like produce, milk, meat or poultry, fish etc every one or two weeks. Meat, poultry and fish can be frozen if you buy them on sale. I always have 1-2 extra pouches of chicken or ground turkey in my freezer, as well as frozen fish fillets. Work your weekly meal plans around the items that you have in the refrigerator and feel free to substitute them for missing ingredients in recipes.

3. Create your “difficult-day” schedule

We all have days when we know we just don’t have the mental or physical energy to cook. Mondays are usually stressful no matter where you work. Some days you might be coming home from work late or you might have additional commitments that night. Planning to cook a long meal on those days is a recipe for disaster. Take a simple calendar and mark days of the week when you know you need something fast and simple.

I teach evening Pilates classes on Mondays, so I always get home late. That is why Monday night is a spaghetti or leftover night in my house. If I have low-sodium jarred pasta sauce I will simply pour it over spaghetti and sprinkle with some Parmesan for a healthy and fast meal. Even if I don’t have pasta sauce fixing one takes about 10 minutes (as long as it takes to boil spaghetti)

Easy spaghetti sauce recipe
½ cup chopped onions
1-2 cups any vegetables (fresh or frozen spinach, green beans, asparagus, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms etc.)
3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed or 2 tsp garlic powder
2 14.5 oz cans diced or crushed tomatoes
1 tbs Italian seasoning mix
A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tbs julienned sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
1 tbs canola oil
2 tbs olive oil

Heat oil in a deep skillet, add chopped onions, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (if using). Sauté for 2 minutes, add the rest of the vegetables. Keep cooking on medium-high heat for another 2-4 minutes just until the vegetables are slightly cooked but still are crisp on the inside. Add diced/crushed tomatoes and spices and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, turn the heat down and olive oil. The spaghetti should be ready by this time. Feel free to top your plate off with parmesan cheese, olives, left-over chicken or serve as is.

Another great option is using leftovers on your busy days. Most of the time you can plan ahead for your busy day and cook double portions of food the previous day.

4. Cook double portions

There is no need in cooking fresh meals every day. Your life will get much easier if you have a simple side item already waiting for you in the fridge (like rice, quinoa, barley or cooked beans) that you can just heat up and mix with some fresh fast-cooking ingredients (veggies.)

I wouldn’t recommend cooking vegetables in advance since they lose their healthy nutrients, flavor and that fresh crisp taste. However, any type of meat, beans or sauce (like the one mentioned above) can be cooked once and eaten twice.

5. Reuse leftovers

Beans and any meat are great in burritos or wraps the next day. Leftover chili can be served over rice or pasta. Leftover chicken or fish is a great base for a savory sandwich. Use your leftover rice for fast Fried rice with peas, cabbage and eggs. The possibilities are really limitless.

6. Create your simple meal plan

Any meal can be created by combining two or three simple ingredients:

1. The base: any whole grains, beans, root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets and carrots.
2. Protein: beans or tofu for vegetarian sources, poultry, meat (I personally don’t use red meat or pork when cooking), ground poultry (I like 99% lean ground turkey), fish or shellfish fresh, frozen or canned.
3. Veggies: anything you like or have in the refrigerator. I prefer raw veggies in salads or with dips on warmer days and slightly cooked ones during the colder season. The healthiest and fastest ways to cook veggies: stir-fry or sauté in a little bit of oil, steam for a couple of minutes, grill or even bake (baked broccoli sprinkled with fresh garlic and a little bit of Parmesan are my favorite) or pickled.

For a healthy meal you need to start from the bottom: choose what vegetables you would like to use and accompany them with a base item or protein. Combining all three can be a little overwhelming for your digestive system and for your kitchen.

7. Fast Poultry cooking methods

One of the reasons I love poultry is because it’s extremely fast and easy to cook. A lot of people avoid it because it can be too dry or boring over time.

Secret #1. Marinate your chicken in a mixture of lemon juice and vegetable oil with a pinch of your favorite spices, salt and black pepper. Make sure to poke the chicken with a fork to make sure that the marinade gets inside the meat. Let the chicken sit for at least 30 minutes or let it stand overnight.

Other great marinades: Italian salad dressing, beer mixed with a vegetable oil, white cooking wine and vegetable oil.

Secret #2. Don’t overcook your chicken. Depending on the recipe you are using, follow the cooking guidelines and don’t stir-fry your chicken for 40 minutes if it has to be cooked only for 10.

Secret #3. Add a can of tomato paste and ¼ cup of cheese to 99% lean ground turkey to boost the flavor and make it taste like a full-fat version without all the extra calories and fat. This mix is great for burgers, meatloaf or lasagna.

Secret #4. Cook the whole chicken during the weekend and use leftover meat for lunches and dinners during the week. Buying the whole chicken is much cheaper than buying chicken breasts. That’s the trick I use to afford organic chicken without putting a hole in my budget.

8. Fast and cheap fish recipes

Secret #1. Any fish can be baked with a little bit of salt, pepper and lemon juice in under 20 minutes. If you are buying fish at your local grocery store most of the time it has been previously frozen. If you see fish fillets on sale ask to get the ones that haven’t been thawed yet – that way you can put them straight in your freezer and use them when needed.

Secret #2. Canned salmon is a great alternative for fresh and it can be used in many dishes.

• Salmon patties (use 1 cup of oatmeal instead of bread crumbs for a meatier and more satisfying taste.)
• Use salmon meat in pasta salads.
• Add salmon meat to pink pasta sauce (to skip unhealthy heavy cream add 1 cup of skim milk to Marinara sauce, you won’t notice the difference.)
• Use it on sandwiches instead of tuna.

Secret #3. Use light chunk tuna instead of albacore. Light tuna is lower in Mercury, cheaper than Albacore and higher in omega-3s. You can use it the same as canned salmon.

For a new twist on tuna salad try the following:

• Use only 1 level teaspoon of mayo for a can of tuna and mix it with your favorite mustard.
• Use plain Yogurt instead of mayo.
• Add a little bit of hot sauce.
• Add chopped pickles, onions or celery.
• Mix even parts of plain yogurt and ketchup for the Thousand-Island-style tuna sandwich.

Secret #4. Catch your own fish. While fish can be expensive to buy the cheapest and most eco-friendly way to get it is catch your own. My husband combines his passion for diving with spear fishing that is why our freezer always has at least a few zip lock bags of fish in it.

9. Non-boring vegetable recipes

Secret #1. Cook vegetables as little as possible to preserve their healthy nutrients and keep them from getting mushy. Stop cooking vegetables when they just start becoming brighter in color or stir-fry them for a quick meal.

Secret #2. Add lemon juice to your vegetable stir-fry for a boost of flavor.

Secret #3. Use spices to change the taste of even the most boring vegetables (the same tip goes for beans.)

Are you having a spaghetti night? Sauté your favorite vegetables with a little bit of Italian seasoning mix (basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, garlic powder.) Shred cabbage and carrots, mix them with canned corn, chopped onions and tomatoes (optional), sprinkle with cumin or Mexican seasoning mix for a fast salad that can sit in the refrigerator for several days. Serve with chunky salsa, use in burritos made from leftovers, tacos or use it as a side dish.

Secret #4. Bake your green vegetables. Broccoli, asparagus, carrots and green beans are delicious when baked at 425 F in the oven for 15 min with a little bit of oil and your favorite spices.

Secret #5. Marinate your vegetables. Are you tired of fixing steamed broccoli all the time? Try this recipe for a festive and healthy side dish that can keep in the refrigerator for a long time. Add carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, onions or raisins for a different flavor.

Secret #6. Add cut-up vegetables to pretty much every meal. If you or your family members are not big fans of vegetables then you can sneak the veggies into lasagnas, pasta sauce, meatloaf, mac and cheese, burgers and pretty much any other dish.

10. Use flavor-boosters

Keeping your grocery budget under control is always good unless it makes your food completely flavorless and boring. To make every meal interesting you need to use specialty ingredients.

• Sun-dried tomatoes: add a handful to pasta sauce, chili, rice pilaf or quinoa.
• Parmesan cheese: add ¼ cup to lean meals like turkey or salmon burgers, soups, stews or chili to enhance the flavor.
• Artichoke hearts, olives and capers are a great way to liven up any Italian meal.
• Vinegar (Balsamic, red wine, sherry, or regular apple cider) is a great marinade for any vegetables and can boost the flavor of meat or any stir-fry.
• Hot sauce is good for your heart and for your taste buds.
• Worcestershire and soy sauce for salty richness.
• 
  Take a look at several more ideas.

Get inspired to cook with these 50 healthy 10 minute meals.

Do you want to know the biggest secret to healthy and cheap cooking?

Use your creativity.

If you go by the book all the time then you will never be free to create meals that are fun, inexpensive and satisfy even the unhealthiest cravings. Turn each time in the kitchen into an outlet for your creativity. You might feel a little uncomfortable the first few times, and maybe several meals won’t turn out exactly how you planned but soon you will an expert in impromptu cooking.

Homework:

• Share your favorite fast dinner or lunch recipes.
• Spread the word about this article if you enjoyed it.
• Ask your questions if you have any.

Keep it balanced!

P.S. My online friend and colleague Lisa Byrne is running Share the Love Giveaway. Visit her site to win an incredible package that includes a free copy of the Reclaim Your Life ecourse and yummy organic tea.

Healthy eating starts with healthy grocery shopping.

Saving money starts with cheap grocery shopping.

Can they be combined into one list without sacrifices to your health or the health of your bank account?

Healthy grocery shopping on a budget starts with a thought-out , timely and organized grocery list. Do you make lists when you go shopping? What do they look like?

I was browsing the Internet the other day and found the funniest website – The Grocery List Collection.

The author collects lost groceries lists and then puts them on his website. Some look pretty normal (diced tomatoes, spaghetti, soap etc.) while others just make you wonder what food that person was planning to fix.

My personal favorite from the website (written on a Disney Princesses sticky note):

Candy
Candy
Candy
Candy
Candy
Candy
Candy

I think they forgot gingerbread to finish their house.

But seriously, how do you make a grocery list that is healthy and budget friendly at the same time?

While I always tried to buy healthy food I didn’t put much thought into budgeting my family’s meals until recently. In August 2011 my husband and I ran an experiment and tracked every expense of our household. The results were shocking to us; they made us realize how unbalanced our finances were. About 45% of our monthly expenses were spent on food (grocery shopping and eating out) which is more than we ever wanted.

In January we ran the experiment again and we managed to cut our food expenses by 56%. While the financial change was drastic we didn’t really see any change in the quality of food that we were eating.

5 Tips to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half and Still Enjoy Your Food

Make your grocery list healthy for your body and your bank account – Tweet this

1. Create your personal plan

We talked about personal healthy eating earlier but let’s freshen it up in our memory. What is your personal ideal grocery budget? What is your current budget? (You should know it by now if you were using the Grocery Budget template.) Now calculate the difference and let’s see where you can cut back.

Let’s leave the budget alone for a minute. What are your personal grocery favorites that you would like to keep no matter what?

My husband and I have a tradition of buying sushi for Sunday lunch. It’s not a necessity but that’s a little ritual that our family whole-heartedly enjoys (even our girls are crazy about sushi rolls.) When we were considering our grocery budget we decided to keep this little treat because, thankfully, we can afford it right now.
Do you have little treats/ traditions that you would like to keep (even though they might not be the most budget friendly decisions)?

Take a look at your Grocery Budget template and answer the following questions:

1. How much do you currently spend on groceries?
2. What is your ideal grocery budget?
3. Which grocery staples are real necessities and which ones can you eliminate?
4. Take a look at the health rating of foods and attempt to get rid of everything with a rating of 1 (junk food), cut back on 2 and keep as much of 3 as possible.
5. Talk to your family members and decide what “treats” you would like to splurge on in spite of the budget.

2. Read labels

Healthy and cheap eating is not rocket science. It’s just a lesson in reading. – Tweet this

Labels are your best friends when looking for healthy budget-friendly foods. Don’t pay too much attention to the front label because that’s usually the place where manufacturers try to deceive consumers with wishy-washy claims. Go straight to the Nutrition Information and Ingredients. Here is what you need to pay attention to:

1. Pick items with short ingredient lists that you can actually read and pronounce. At all costs avoid partially hydrogenated oils (they raise “bad” LDL cholesterol and lower “good” HDL cholesterol), high fructose corn syrup (causes obesity, hypertension liver disease and more), artificial sweeteners (while some are linked to cancer and depression all of them, surprise!, cause weight gain), MSG also known as monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast, and sodium caseinate (causes headaches if consumed too often, however it’s the least harmful ingredient of all the mentioned above.)
2. Pay attention to the serving size. Before you dive into dissecting the nutritional value take a look at the serving size. A protein bar can seem like a healthy and diet-friendly option until you realize that the serving size is just 1/3 of the bar. The same goes for breakfast cereal, granola bars and many others.
3. Calories: pay attention to how many calories one serving size has. I am not a big fan of counting calories, however when I am looking to buy ice-cream I will choose all-natural Breyers with 140 cal per 1/2 cup serving as opposed to all-natural Haagen Dasz with 260 cal/serving. You get the idea.
4. Fat: opt for items with less saturated fat, no trans fat and higher levels of Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats. Be careful with no-fat or low fat items because they can often be high in sugar and sodium to make up for the lost flavor.
5. Cholesterol: don’t get overly zealous about it. While it is recommended to keep your cholesterol consumption under control it’s not the biggest villain. Trans fats, saturated fats, lack of dietary fiber and being overweight have a much higher impact on the cholesterol levels in your blood. Read more here.
6. Sodium: no matter whether you are at a high risk of heart disease and hypertension or not, limiting sodium intake is always a good idea. An average American gets about 3400 mg of sodium a day while the dietary guidelines suggest 2000 mg or even 1500 mg at the most. Most processed and packaged foods contain high levels of sodium (look at these surprising high-sodium foods) that is why using natural unprocessed ingredient is the best strategy to lower your daily sodium intake. Look at the serving size of the grocery item and the actual amount of sodium in it (not the percentage) and make your buying decision accordingly.
7. Dietary Fiber: opt for foods with higher number in this row. Obviously, looking for high-fiber milk or meat is ridiculous but opt for high-fiber varieties in any plant-based foods. Pay particular attention to fiber in breakfast cereals, pasta, granola bars (if they are part of your diet) and bread. Fiber is your best friend in weight loss, reducing cholesterol as well as risks of heart disease, diabetes and cancer (read more here)
8. Sugar: Sugar is the only ingredient on the Nutrition Facts label that is not important for your health and wellbeing. While fat and even sodium in moderation are essential for the proper work of your body, sugar serves no purpose besides triggering your taste buds and making you put extra padding around your waistline. Life without sugar would be very bland and boring but try to satisfy your sweet tooth with naturally occurring sugars in fruits, honey, maple syrup and agave nectar and limit the rest of your sugar consumption to a bare minimum.
   Keep in mind that a lot of foods that are labeled “diet” or “low-fat” are high in both sugar and sodium and don’t help you reach any of your health goals.
9. Protein: protein is an essential nutrient that is beneficial to your body. A balanced diet requires 30%-40% of your dietary intake to come from lean protein which equals to about 45-60g of protein/day. Protein keeps you full longer and helps you build muscle if you exercise regularly but there is a limit to how much protein your body can actually process. You can easily calculate how much protein you actually need using this formula:

   Weight in pounds multiplied by 0.5-0.8 g/lb

   My example:
   Weight in pounds = 113 lbs
   113 x 0.8 = 90 g – it’s the maximum amount of protein that my body needs for athletic performance

3. Be organic-smart

Please consider the Pros and Cons of going organic that I wrote about earlier and check out my simple guide to frugal organic eating. Right now I buy organic lettuce and meat all the time but I am not so strict with the rest of the ingredients. If I buy non-organic veggies or fruit then I try to peel them (since most pesticides “live” on the skin of produce) and wash them thoroughly. A good trick to buy organic without spending too much money is buying frozen produce. Like I mentioned before (http://balanceinme.com/balanced-nutrition/healthy-breakfast-on-a-budget/) frozen produce can have more nutrients and vitamins then fresh one that took weeks to ship and store before it got to your fridge.

4. Don’t get crazy with coupons

I once watched an Extreme Couponing episode and was shocked. First of all, women on the show had way more time to look for coupons than I do (they said it took them about 20 hours a week) and most of their savings were on foods that I wouldn’t feed to my family even for free (soda, candy, cookies etc.) I am not against using coupons when I see a good deal but at the same time I won’t be buying something unhealthy just because it is on sale.

5. Create meals around store specials

A lot of women swear by meal planning to cut back on their food bill but this strategy doesn’t work for me. Every time that I go to the grocery store I first check what produce is on sale that day. Most grocery stores have at least one green item on sale every week (broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, spinach, asparagus etc.) and I create my weekly meal plan around this item. The same goes for fruit and meat.

Next week we will talk about creating dinners from simple and cheap ingredients and having your own weekly meal template.

If you are still wondering what you should buy when you go grocery shopping then check out these articles that I wrote earlier:

• Cheap and healthy grocery list for a bad economy
• 13 Real Heroes among Health Foods (plus a free download)

Homework:

• This week focus on cleaning your pantry, freezer and refrigerator and stocking up with healthy (yet affordable) items.
• Share your kitchen staples in the comments below.
• Ask questions about cheap grocery shopping.

Keep it balanced!

photo credit: Bruce A Stockwell

How does your breakfast look?

Often we are not hungry when we wake up. If we are trying to lose some weight we decide “I’ll just skip my breakfast. This way I will avoid at least 300 calories which will get me closer to my ideal weight.” (I know I made this mistake in the past.)

Unfortunately this diet strategy works completely against you. It makes you eat more during lunch and later that day, it also makes you crave high-energy (read: high in fat and refined carbs) foods. It also makes you moody and irritated.

Even those who are not trying to lose weight are still losing out when they skip breakfast. In the morning our bodies are getting out of the nighttime fast (just think about it, night is the longest period of starving for our body.) By afternoon glycogen supplies (molecules that work as primary energy sources for the body) start to deplete. By lunch you start feeling fatigued, you lose your focus and the ability to think fast and make decisions. Usually in this state you reach for a cup of coffee with a high-carb treat which makes your blood sugar levels shoot out of the roof only making you even more fatigued in an hour or so.

Here are just a few quick facts why a balanced breakfast is so important:

• Children and adults who eat breakfast perform better on tests, have better focus and concentration, they are also able to think faster and make faster decisions (Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital study)

• Eating breakfast improves your late-morning mood as well as has advantageous effects on satiety and cognitive performance (University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School)

• Eating breakfast keeps you thin. Not only a low-fat breakfast helps you lose weight but it keeps the scale from creeping up with years (National Weight Control Registry)

• Breakfast jump-starts your metabolism so that you can start metabolizing fat stored in your body (Duke University Medical School)

• Eating breakfast keeps the levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol lower protecting your ticker for years to come (October 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

• People who typically eat breakfast also get more fiber, calcium, vitamins A and C, riboflavin, zinc and iron—and less fat and dietary cholesterol. Perhaps it’s because they often eat cereal, which is fortified with vitamins and minerals, and fruit, which is naturally nutrient-rich.

Balanced and fast Breakfast ideas

Breakfast as any other meal should be a balanced combination of nutrients that will give your body enough energy to go through the entire day. It’s important to include whole grains, fruits or vegetables, protein and healthy fats in your breakfast, but combining any two of these ingredients will still be a great choice.

One of the main reasons why people skip breakfast in the morning is because they do not have time to cook it. Most of us have more important things to do in the morning than cooking breakfast for 30 minutes. In the table below you can find examples of healthy breakfast foods. Combine ingredients from different columns to create a wholesome and balanced breakfast.

Low-fat protein: low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, eggs or egg whites (if you are watching your cholesterol you can mix 1 full egg with 2-3 egg whites or substitute for egg beaters), cottage cheese, peanut butter, skim milk or soy milk, smoked salmon, lean slices of meat and poultry.

Whole-grains: whole grain cereal (choose types that have at least 3 g of fiber per serving and not more than 9g of sugar), oatmeal, whole-grain bagel or piece of toast, whole-grain waffles, whole-grain pancakes.

Healthy fat: natural peanut butter (natural varieties do not have added hydrogenated oils or sugar), any nuts, avocado, ground flax seeds.

Produce: dried and fresh berries, (choose varieties with no added sugar) fruit, freshly squeezed juices, vegetables that you can add to your omelets.

Budget-friendly breakfast ideas

1. Yogurt parfait:
   layers of seasonal or frozen fruit and berries, granola and plain low-fat yogurt.
2. 1 whole-grain waffle with peanut butter (instead of syrup) and a few slices of fresh fruit or berries (strawberries, apples and bananas are my favorite.)
3. 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 whole-grain piece of toast with naturally sweetened fruit spread or butter.
4. 1 whole-grain bagel with low fat cream cheese and several fruit slices.
5. Whole grain cold cereal with low-fat/skim milk or soy milk.
6. Oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon and nuts.
7. 2% Greek yogurt sprinkled with toasted wheat germ or granola and with seasonal or frozen fruit.
8. Egg or egg-white sandwich: 2 pieces of whole-grain toast with a little bit of mayo or butter, 1 egg or 3 egg whites cooked in a non-stick pan with just a sprinkle of oil or butter.
9. 1 piece of whole-grain toast with Cheddar cheese melted o top of it (you can also add a piece of ham if you are craving meat in the morning.)
10. Scrambled eggs (2 eggs) with grits (1 cup cooked.)
11. Omelet with fresh vegetables.
    These vegetables usually taste excellent in omelets:
    spinach,
    bell peppers,
    tomatoes,
    broccoli,
    onions,
    mushrooms and they are budget-friendly as well.

    Sauté chopped vegetables in a little bit of vegetable oil (canola or grape seed oil are my favorites), then pour slightly-beaten eggs on top of it.

    Cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium low and cook until the eggs are set. Top the omelet with cheese if you want.




12. Fruit salad:
    cut-up fresh fruit that I have in the refrigerator, a handful of raisins and nuts. Sometimes I top it with 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt. This is a great breakfast when you want to cleanse your system and detox your entire body.

    Even better: Use frozen fruit. Fresh fruit can be expensive especially in winter. Frozen fruit (no sugar or syrup added) are a real powerhouse of nutrients at a fraction of a cost. Most frozen fruit is picked at the peak of freshness and flash-frozen to seal all the vitamins and nutrients. Fresh fruit on the other hand can sit for weeks on trucks and in warehouses causing it to lose its nutrients (vitamin C is the first one to go.)

    For a healthy fruit salad thaw your favorite fruit or berries and mix them with a fresh banana, apple and nuts.




13. Overnight muesli.
    It is a great way to start your day because you do not have to cook anything in the morning. Mix everything the night before and in the morning you will have healthy breakfast for the entire family.
    Ingredients
    4 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats, (not quick-cooking or steel-cut)
    1 tablespoons dried cranberries or any other dried fruit (I like tropical mix)
    1 tablespoon nuts (I like walnuts, almonds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds)
    1 tablespoon wheat germ
    2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup (I use honey or syrup only for my little girls, my husband and I do not add any sweeteners or sugars)
    1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    Choose 1:
    1) 1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt with 1/4 cup unsweetened or fruit-juice-sweetened cranberry juice (you can use any other juice that you like)
    2) ½ cup of skim milk
    Directions:
    Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
    Tip: if you forgot to make this cereal in the evening you can still fix it in the morning, mix it with ½ cup of hot milk and let stand for 10 minutes.
14. Home-made granola cereal with skim milk.
    You can make big batches of this granola cereal every 2 or 3 weeks and enjoy healthy and super-fast breakfasts. Top it with berries or any seasonal fruit to make it even more delicious.
    6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
    ½ cup vegetable oil (I love walnut or almond oil, but you can use any other variety that you like. Olive oil is not the best choice for this cereal because it loses its healthy qualities when it is heated.)
    ½ cup agave nectar, honey or maple syrup (if honey is too thick you can mix it with ¼ cup warm water)
    ½ cup wheat germ
    1/3 cup wheat bran
    1/3 cup ground flax seed
    2/3 cup nuts (I usually use walnuts and almonds)
    1 cup raisins (you can also use cranberries, cut-up dried apricots, diced dates, tropical fruit mix, banana chips or any other dried fruit.)
    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 325 F. Mix all the ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Spread the mixture in 2 shallow baking trays and bake for 30 minutes stirring twice.
    Remove the mixture from the oven, allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container.
    
    Tip: put the trays on wet cold towels to cool the trays and stop the cereal from cooking.

    Important note: this cereal is not a low-calorie breakfast idea and you can easily pack on the pounds if you eat too much of it. To make this cereal less calorie dense you can mix it with 3-4 cups of uncooked old-fashioned rolled oats or toasted oats (spread 4 cups of oats on a cookie sheet and bake at 300 F for 20-30 minutes stirring twice.)

    Serve with skim milk and top with berries or bananas.

    Feel free to improvise with these two cereal recipes. You can add other grains (rye or barley flakes), mix in your favorite whole-grain cereal or puffed rice, add coconut flakes or sesame seeds for a tropical taste, add a dash of vanilla extract or a sprinkle of cinnamon. Work with the ingredients that are available in your area so that you can create a breakfast that you will look forward to.

15. Smoothie (great before runs or morning workouts)
    1 banana,
    1 cup skim milk/soy milk or plain low-fat yogurt,
    1 cup frozen berries,
    1 tablespoons of wheat germ,
    ½ tbs of ground flax seed and wheat bran each.
    Optional ingredients:
    1 teaspoon of instant coffee to help you wake up;
    1 tbs natural peanut butter to make smoothie more filling;
    ½ cup of cottage cheese – a great source of protein;
    ½ cup of ground oatmeal (put ¼ cup oatmeal in a dry blender and pulse it until the oatmeal turns into powder) – good source of fiber, protein and a great thickening agent if you are not using a banana or yogurt;
    1 cup fresh spinach – you won’t taste it but will reap all of its benefits.

    Blend all of the ingredients and enjoy!

Best drink to jumpstart your day

Most of us are used to drinking a big mug of coffee in the morning to wake up and start the day. I‘ve been a coffee drinker for many years but lately I’ve switched to a healthier alternative.

Coffee

Coffee is not necessarily a bad thing in the morning. After all it is packed with fiber, it has a nice taste, it helps you to wake up and according to some research it is even a heart healthy drink. I like coffee myself and usually drink it a few times a week.

However, if you start your day with coffee, then continue your mid-morning with another cup from Starbucks and order a few espressos during lunch then we have a problem. Instead of energizing you coffee starts robbing you of energy, it gives you a headache, constant feeling of nervous anxiety and agitation as well as makes you lose your focus at work and at home. Coffee is also a diuretic and it robs your body of vital water.

If you like to start your day with coffee then limit this drink to only 2 cups a day. This way you will get all the benefits without any negatives. Also for each cup of coffee that you drink you need to drink a glass of water double the size of your coffee cup to stay well-hydrated.

Lemon jump-start:

The first thing when you wake up, drink a big glass of water with lemon squeezed from a half lemon. It is recommended that the water should be warm but I personally can drink only cold water. This drink helps take a load off your lymphatic system, help cleanse your system and detoxify your liver cells.

The citrus smell is also very energizing so it will help you wake up in just a few minutes.

Lemon juice is also full off vitamin C which can boost your immune system and ward off stress (constant stress depletes your body’s supply of this essential vitamin.)
You can also rely on this drink during the day to keep your energy levels high.

Green tea:

Green tea has high levels of caffeine so it can be used instead of your morning mug of java.

According to various recent studies drinking green tea was reputed to be helpful in preventing or fighting cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection and impaired immune function.

If you drink decaffeinated green tea then you still get all the health benefits. However decaf is 50% less potent than original varieties.

Homework:

• What is your favorite Healthy Breakfast? Please share your recipes and ideas in the comments below.
• Starting tomorrow stick to a healthy breakfast every morning no matter how little time you have or how hungry you are.
• Share pictures of your favorite breakfast on BalanceInMe Facebook page

Keep it balanced!

Photo credit: ali edwards, terriseesthings

What is healthy eating? Even though this question seems simple the answers will vary greatly depending on who you ask. No wonder that eating healthy becomes very confusing for a normal person like you or me.

There are plenty of theories about healthy eating nowadays but most of them won’t work for you. A diet/nutrition plan created without consideration of your preferences, goals, budget and simple likes/dislikes is just a waste of time.

I personally don’t like turnips and celery and there is no way that I can tolerate anything slimy in nature (like boiled okra or runny eggs…yuck!) If somebody told me that I had to eat those items every day to stay healthy I would say “Forget it!”

If you want to create a healthy diet that you can stick to then you need to answer the following questions:

1. What is your budget?

Do you know how much you spend on food monthly? How much would you like to spend ideally?

In August I decided for the first time to track my monthly expenses. The number shocked me (to say the least!) Writing down every little thing that we were paying for made me realize how many useless purchases we were making (especially for food.) Obviously, eating out was the biggest problem but even grocery shopping was way too high for our family. In January we managed to cut our grocery expenses by 56% and I am very satisfied with the result.

When you are in a budget-saving mode you need to eliminate expenses that are not imperative to you. Obviously the budget will be different for every person and your healthy eating plan will depend upon it. For John from New York $200/week on groceries will look like a major cut back while for Jane from Alabama $75/week actually means splurging.

Homework: Start tracking your current food expenses and figure out your ideal budget. If you want to make this process a little faster download the Grocery Budget template and make a list of all your pantry, freezer and refrigerator staples. Include the prices and how often you buy them – this will give you a general idea of how much you are currently spending on food.

2. What are your personal considerations?

Make a list of all goals that you would like to achieve with healthy eating. Include your personal likes/ dislikes, food intolerances or allergies. A healthy eating plan should satisfy every single point on your list.

Right after you are done creating this list write down how you can achieve these goals.

I am lactose intolerant so obviously I have to consider this when creating my personal healthy eating plan. I used to buy lactose-free milk but I felt that my body still wasn’t processing it right. This month I am moving to soy milk (which I disliked most of my life) and am trying to acquire a taste for it.

If you feel that something isn’t working for your body then now is the time to try a different diet.

Here are some common considerations for you:

1. Gluten intolerance (Celiac disease) affects 1 in 133 Americans. Read the most common symptoms of gluten intolerance.
2. Lactose intolerance affects about 60% of the world population. The degree of intolerance differs greatly but you can read the most important facts and symptoms here.
3. Artificial sweeteners can cause allergic reactions and keep you from losing weight.
4. 9 out of 10 Americans eat too much salt every day, and many of them get more than twice the recommended amount (2300 mg or 1500mg according to the new guidelines.) High sodium intake increases chances of dying prematurely of any cause by 50%

3. What are your food preferences?

Going from eating pizza to munching on broccoli overnight is a recipe for disaster. In order to stick to your new diet you need to adjust it to your taste and your food preferences. Make a list of taste/items that you love and the list of items that you despise and can’t eat at any condition.

During the Healthy Eating on a Budget Challenge you will focus on making healthier choices to satisfy your taste and avoiding at all costs ingredients that you hate.

4. Where are you right now?

In order to make healthy eating changes you need to look critically at your current diet. What are the healthiest/unhealthiest meals that you eat? What changes will be the easiest ones to make?

Download a Food Diary template and commit to filling it out for the next few days. In the Notes section of the template analyze what you ate during the day, what choices were healthy and which ones not so much.

Also pay attention to how much money you spend on eating daily especially if you buy your lunch or coffee daily. All these little things make a big difference for your health and for your budget.

5. How are people around you involved in your healthy eating plan?

If you cook for the entire family then obviously you need to consider everybody’s tastes. Trying to fix 2 or 3 different meals to satisfy everybody’s preferences will be an absolute nightmare. Write down everything you need to remember about members of your family before you start the challenge. You can use the questions 2 through 4 to guide you through the process.

6. What is your personal idea of a healthy diet?

Take a look at all of the answers that you just wrote down. Where do they take you?

A lot of diets are based on extremes like

• eating very few carbs as opposed to being a carbohydrate-junky,
• going vegetarian or vegan as opposed to being a determined carnivore,
• eating only raw foods as opposed to eating highly processed foods,
• cooking everything from scratch as opposed to buying everything premade,
• eating no sugar at all as opposed to having sugary treats all day long,
• going low-to-no fat as opposed to devouring greasy foods all the time.

In order to make your healthy eating plan work you need to find a golden middle between these options. Don’t let fads influence your health choices but rather listen to your body and choose what is right for you. The next 30 days is the perfect time to try something new and if it doesn’t work for some reason, then you can always go back to your old lifestyle or try a different approach.

My personal take on healthy eating

If everything you just read still seems confusing then let me tell you what healthy eating on a budget means for me. Feel free to follow in my steps but I greatly recommend that you create your personal healthy eating plan.

1. I am not a vegetarian but I eat red meat once every 3-4 months, eat low fat poultry 2-3 times during the week, cook fish at least once a week (more if possible) and enjoy vegetarian meals the rest of the time.
2. For every meal I try to stick to the 4/1/1 carb/protein/fat ratio. I am not on a low carb diet but I choose carbs rich in fiber, whole grains and vegetables most of the time. Refined carbs (cookies, sugary cereals, white bread, candy etc.) are just occasional treats and not every-day staples.
3. I love sweets (and frankly speaking I couldn’t imagine my life without them until recently) but now I stick to natural “candy” (a few pieces of dried apricots, bananas and fruit low in sugar like apples and berries.) A few times a week I will treat myself to a small piece of dark chocolate or a small bowl of natural ice-cream (I can’t imagine my life without it even though I am lactose intolerant )
4. I don’t drink any soda or any other sweetened drinks. My favorite drinks are water, flavored green tea without sugar (hot or cold), an occasional glass of juice or a cup of black coffee.
5. I have a rule: every meal should have at least one green or brightly colored item in it. For breakfast I add frozen berries to my cereal, for lunch I have an apple or add a small salad to my meal and for dinner I always make vegetables the main ingredient.
6. 95% of the recipes that I use take 30 minutes or less to prepare. Anything longer than 30 minutes is cooked during the weekend when I have some extra time.
7. I avoid buying processed foods (like canned soup or pasta sauce) due to high contents of sodium and preservatives. However, I LOVE hot dogs (so does one of my girls) and I have this treat every once in a while (I choose turkey dogs with no nitrates added.) Some processed foods like thin-crust pizza (no pepperoni) and canned vegetables (corn, beans, peas etc.) are still staples in my house because they are easy, time-saving and pretty healthy.
8. I say a definite NO to:
   • artificial sweeteners;
   • High Fructose Corn Syrup;
   • Partially Hydrogenated or Hydrogenated Oils (trans fats);
   • grocery items with ingredient lists longer than 4 lines.
9. Vegetables are usually minimally processed in my house (sautéed or steamed for a few minute, sometimes grilled or roasted.)
10. Healthy fats (nuts, vegetable oils) are an essential part of my diet. I don’t cook low-to-no-fat meals however I limit the amount of saturated fat by using lean meats, avoiding heavy cream and enjoying butter sparingly.
11. I stick to all these rules only 90% of the time and enjoy myself (in moderation) the remaining ten.

It took me and my husband several years to come up with these diet guidelines but they work for us. If you decide to follow my example please pick only 1-2 habits at a time, otherwise you will be overwhelmed and disappointed.

A healthy balanced diet is a harmonious combination of all of the mentioned above factors without sacrifices that you can’t sustain for a lifetime. There is a healthy alternative pretty much for anything and with a little creativity and some research you will be able to find it.

Homework for the week:

• Answer the following questions:
  1. What is your budget? –use the Grocery Budget template
  2. What are your personal considerations?
  3. What are your food preferences?
  4. Where are you right now? – use the Food Diary template
  5. How are people around you involved in your healthy eating plan?
  6. What is your personal idea of a healthy diet?
• Based on these answers create your personal Healthy Eating Plan.
• Share your answers or your plan in the comments below.

Please remember that this is just the first “draft” and you will be updating it along the challenge.

Do you have any questions? Please ask them in the comments and start your question with QUESTION.

If you like this article and are enjoying this challenge please invite your friends or family members to join us. Please Tweet, Facebook or email the link to this article to your friends.

Keep it balanced!

P.S. If you made it here from Twitter, Facebook or a,link from friend, why not join our Healthy Eating on a Budget Challenge (HEBC)? This is part 2 of the challenge so you still have time to join our FREE challenge. Click here to join the Healthy Eating on a Budget Challenge.

Photo credit: dreamstime

Health one bite at a time

Every year, every month or every time that we overeat and feel bad after it we make a resolution to eat healthier. But how often do we keep that promise?

Sometimes we stick to a healthy plan until the next big family event. Or maybe until a party with delicious and diabolically tempting food. Or maybe until the next stressful day (and we have plenty of those.)

An easy and obviously important goal like healthy eating sometimes seems unrealistic to achieve.

At the beginning of the year I ran an annual BalanceInMe survey to see how balanced all of us are and the results are in.

The majority of the BalanceInMe community has trouble staying healthy and the results haven’t changed much from last year (if anything, in 2011 the number of those who couldn’t keep their health in balance increased by 3%.)

Isn’t it time to change this vicious cycle?

I invite you to join a Healthy Eating Challenge (it’s absolutely free.)

When it comes to improving health it’s best to start one step at a time and nutrition is the foremost and most vital step. Our bodies need balanced and high quality fuel to produce the energy that will help us deal with everyday tasks and stress, find power for exercise and keep all our vital systems humming in harmony.

Why is it so hard to eat healthy?

Eating healthy should be the most natural and easiest thing to do but in reality it’s quite the opposite. If you’ve tried to eat healthy before but didn’t succeed then you are not alone.

Healthy eating is hard today.

Our society and our lifestyles make healthy eating difficult. Let’s look at just a few factors.

1. Scientific confusion. If you’ve tried a healthy nutrition plan before then you probably got confused with all the information (often contradicting each other) that is available today.

   One day we hear that eggs are our worst enemies, the next day they are our best friends.

   One day we hear that vegetarianism is the healthiest way of living, next day we read studies that meat is vital for heart health.

   Some experts say that wheat products are okay to eat while others are screaming that it’s the cause of all evil.

   How can you not be confused with all this?
   
   What facts confuse you? Ask your questions in the comments so that we can find the truth.

2. Healthy eating is expensive. We all understand that if we could buy all things organic and use only high-buck nutrition power-houses then our health would be in perfect balance. I don’t know about you, but there are not many things that I can afford to buy organic before going bankrupt. And is organic eating really that good or is it just hype to make consumers, you and me, pay ten times more for a product that is worth only a few cents?

   Did you ever read a healthy recipe that is more expensive to fix from scratch than buy a meal for two at a restaurant? I did, and honestly, it’s very discouraging for a person who is just trying to eat healthy on a budget.

   Is it possible to eat healthy without ruining your family budget? Yes, it is and we will focus on it during our Healthy Eating Challenge.

3. Healthy eating (and mainly cooking) takes too much time. I have a question. What’s faster, going through a drive-through on the way home from work or fixing a healthy dinner from scratch?

   I would imagine that the drive-through would seem like the right answer to you but it doesn’t have to.

   So many healthy meals take only 10-20 minutes to cook and use cheap ingredients that are already in your pantry. The rule in my house is not to fix a meal during the work week that takes more than 20 minutes. I am sure that each one of us can find this time (even after the most stressful or busy day) to take care of our health and the health of our loved ones.

4. Healthy eating is not tasty. The tastiest things in the world are not healthy, it’s true. I wish a bowl of ice-cream were as healthy as steamed broccoli. Or a slice of pizza as nourishing as brown rice with steamed fish.

   We are hard wired into craving fatty, salty and sugary foods and there is no telling why God created us this way.

   BUT it is possible to acquire taste for healthy food and you can enjoy delicious meals without sacrificing the taste that you love.

   It’s a proven fact that we get addicted to unhealthy food (soda, fatty or salty foods, sugary deserts etc.) and the modern food industry does everything they can to put us on the hook. But just a month without this junk in your body will give your taste buds a complete makeover.

What challenges do you face when it comes to healthy eating?

Whether you are trying to eat healthier or you have accomplished this goal already and want to share your knowledge and experience with others, I invite you to join the 1 Month of Healthy Eating Challenge.

No matter how busy or laid back our lifestyles are we can all take a little bit of time for ourselves and do something nice for our bodies – nourish them with love, care and budget-friendly healthy meals.

What can I expect from the Challenge?

In order to make this month a success we all need to set specific goals that we will be working towards. This week please think of the goals that you would like to reach (lose weight, lower cholesterol, cut back on grocery bills etc.) and share your goals in the comments.

• Every week I will post one article that will focus on a healthy eating concept.
• Every few days I will post healthy recipes that I fix during the week and I would love for you to share yours (a lot of recipe sharing will be going on on Facebook.)
• Every week I will answer your questions about healthy eating (please start asking them in the comments and start each question with QUESTION: so that I can easily spot them.)
• We will commit to supporting each other and keeping each other accountable in the comments, on Facebook or in any other way.

When does the challenge start?

I know that we all need a little bit of time to get mentally prepared for a challenge (or finish a bucket of ice-cream in the freezer that might be too much of a temptation during the challenge, LOL.)

We will start the challenge in 1 week, on January 27th. Please mark this day on your calendar.

How do I join the 1 Month of Healthy Eating Challenge?

Joining us is easy.

1. Please leave a comment on this post introducing yourself and explaining
   
   • what challenges you are facing with healthy eating,
   • what goals you are trying to reach with a healthy meal plan,
   • what questions (if any) you have about healthy eating (please start a question with QUESTION so that I can easily spot them.)

2. If you are an expert on healthy living already please introduce yourself and tell us a few things about how you managed to stick to a healthy meal plan. We would love to have you here.
3. Please enter your name, email and preferences in the form below so that I can send you important information and motivation during the challenge.
   
4. Please LIKE BalanceInMe on Facebook because some of our conversations will be going on over there. I would love for all of us to share pictures and recipes of our favorite healthy meals on FB but we’ll get there later.
5. Do you know anyone who will enjoy and benefit from the challenge? Please share this post with your friends. The more people who will join us the more fun this challenge will be.
6. Please remember that this challenge is absolutely FREE. All you need is the desire to transform your eating habits, learn new healthy-tasty recipes and have fun along the way.

See you on January 27th here on BalanceInMe.

Keep it balanced!

Photo credit: andi.vs.zf

Did you ever have to think of a last-minute present? It’s stressful!

Maybe you got really busy at work and completely forgot to order the gift.

Maybe your gift can’t be delivered on time (it happened to me before.)

Or maybe the gift that you carefully picked out is simply not available at the stores right now (I wanted to give my husband a pair of running shoes one year and of course none of the nearby stores carries his size.)

And maybe sometimes you just want to give something extra special to a person you love but no matter how many sleepless nights you spend thinking about the present you still can’t come up with anything even remotely close to the perfect gift.

If you are in this situation this year then I have several very interesting and balanced gift ideas that I would like to share with you. Even if you got all presents under the tree already you can still keep reading to see if there is something that you want to give yourself this season (after all, taking care of yourself is a vitally important part of living a life of balance.)

1. The gift of farm-fresh produce. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get a bushel of farm fresh produce every week? You know that tomatoes that you get were on the vine just a few hours ago versus a few weeks ago. The fruit that you get is ripe and has just been picked versus being sprayed with chemicals to keep it looking pretty and fresh for weeks in a row. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a wonderful gift that will keep your loved ones healthy all year long. Go to Local Harvest (US), Making Local Foods Work (UK) or Food Connect (Australia) to find a farm new you. Call the farm today or order an online gift certificate that you can print and display under or on the Christmas tree.
2. National park membership. What can be better than spending time in nature? In my opinion nothing can bring you more balance than just a few minutes outside. A lot of national parks, refuges and botanical gardens offer annual passes that will let you (or your loved ones) enjoy peaceful minutes in nature any time of the day or year.

   How wonderful will it be to go camping with your family during the weekend?

   Do you feel stressed out after a long day at work? – Just get in your car and go for a relaxing walk under century old trees … Peace and serenity…

   Check online if your state offers park memberships (South Carolina – the state where I live – offers an annual family membership for just $50.)

3. Digital subscription. Do you want to help your loved ones transform their lives or try something new? Pick one (or several) magazines that you think they will appreciate and give them a digital subscription. This gift will be green, eco-friendly (no trees were harmed to deliver that magazine to their inbox) and useful. If your loved already owns an iPad or Kindle Fire then they will be able to read the magazine absolutely anywhere.
4. Mind and Body Program. Gym memberships are becoming too boring and impersonal. Even more, most people who get gym memberships go to the gym only for the first month or two and after that they revert back to their old lifestyle. I personally haven’t set my foot in the gym for over two years and I LOVE exercise.

   If you want to give your loved ones a gift of a balanced body that they will actually appreciate then how about trying something new?

   • A gift card to a local Pilates or Yoga studio. If the person you are giving this gift to is a total fitness beginner then I would recommend purchasing several private sessions (most good studios will actually insist on teaching at least 1-3 private sessions before allowing you to join a group class.) If you (or the person receiving this gift) has already tried Yoga or Pilates on DVD or in a regular gym and wasn’t too impressed then I am asking you to give it another try. The only common thing between gym/DVD Yoga and Pilates and a studio session is the name. Even most men enjoy these sessions after they try them and realize that Mind & Body exercise is not a Female Only thing (I got my husband into Pilates and have several male clients at the studio who love their workouts.)
   • An online Pilates video program. If a person you are preparing this gift for doesn’t have time to go to the studio or gym then an online program is the best fit for them. A blogging friend of mine Robin Long is launching her Pilates Body program on January 2. It’s a 6-week virtual Pilates and nutrition program. The registration is open right now.
   • If you are ready to try (or give) an online Yoga program then I would recommend 30 Days of Yoga. I took Marianne’s Yoga program this fall and it was amazing. I am not a Yoga person but I thoroughly enjoyed this class. She has Yoga for everyone: beginners, busy people, curvy yoga and of course everyone else.
5. A well-grounded gift for women. If you are looking for a gift for a busy mom who wants to have more energy and have a healthier lifestyle then Designed for Wellness is something I would recommend. Lisa Byrne created this course for moms who need more healthy balance in their lives and have little time to achieve it. The best thing is that if you purchase this course by January 2nd then you also get to enroll for free yourself.
6. An apology. Sometimes the best gift that you can give someone is not the one that you can buy. Do you feel that you weren’t appreciative enough of the people who love you? Did you offend someone this year? Did you say something you regret? Let your loved ones know how much you really love them by apologizing to them this Christmas if an unfortunate incident has occurred during the year. Write a long letter where you tell exactly you love this person and how sorry you are for not showing it more often. You know the words that you have to say, and now is the best time to say them.
7. Healthy cooking lessons. Another ingredient of balanced living is healthy cooking. When you try to juggle healthy ingredients, simple recipes that don’t take half of the day and tasty cooking can quickly become overwhelming. Jules Clancy of StoneSoup.com has created a Virtual Cookery School that will teach anything from reclaiming a waistline to cooking like a chef. Jules also has several eCookbooks and video cookbooks that are wonderful gift ideas for anyone.
8. New hobby. An important part of living a balanced life is enjoying leisure time. The life that is only about work, family and other necessities can put us into a rut very fast. Our lives often get so busy that we completely forget about devoting time to our leisure and even have no idea what hobby we might enjoy. Let your loved ones try one (or several) new hobbies. Take a look at this list of the most popular hobbies. Which ones do you think will be fun? Schedule a class that will teach the basics of the hobby, buy the first kit or the necessary accessories and make sure that you can give your loved one the time to try this hobby out.
9. Balanced Life. Do you feel that your loved ones will benefit from a more balanced lifestyle? Do they seem to be overwhelmed and overworked most of the time? Do you feel that the person you love has changed recently and lost connection to his/her authentic self? Give them the gift of the Reclaim Your Life course and take one copy for yourself (I told you that you deserve a gift this season too.) Presenting an ecourse can be difficult (after all you can’t put an email with a download link under the Christmas tree.) Here are a few suggestions:
   • buy a pretty flash drive and upload the course on it;
   • print out the course and put it in a personalized binder (the course comes with several motivational posters -you can print them on high-quality paper and frame them.)
   • send the download link for the ebook via email to a person who won’t be spending holidays with you this year.

Giving and receiving gifts is a wonderful tradition but it is not what this holiday season is about. Spend time with your family celebrating the real reason of Christmas, enjoy your time together and don’t worry about little things like presents. People you love will remember the time spent with you and not what gift you gave them this year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

P.S. You can receive an unexpected holiday gift and win a free hard-cover copy of the book Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions. Click here to see how.

P.P.S. Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. However, I endorse these items only because I love them and believe in them. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.

Keep it balanced!

I love the holidays!  We had snow early on the East Coast USA in October and ever since I’ve been excitedly waiting for the day that it would be appropriate to hang Christmas lights and decorations!  But the holidays don’t do those of us working towards balance any favors, do they?  We’re all offered these super sugary drinks, high calorie (super delicious) cookies, super late nights, rushing around to get perfect presents, spending money we don’t have and the stress of being with people we put up with once a year.

So without eliminating the fun of the holidays, let’s work on finding some balance so January is a little easier to manage. All it takes is a little planning. So here are my 10 things you can do to be balanced this holiday season:

1. Have a budget.  It’s not easy to buy lots of presents if you aren’t paying your bills.  Do yourself a favor and don’t go overboard.  Plan what a feasible budget is, and stick to it.  The smart thing to do would be set up a little “Present Fund” in January each year and put away a set amount of money each month to pay for birthday and holiday presents.
2. Eat right when you can.  Don’t buy the decadent deserts when you go to the store for your weekly shopping, buy the fruits and vegetables that are seasonal now (pomegranates, grapefruits, apples, cranberries, oranges, gourds, squash).  Don’t be afraid to shop around and find the cheapest but best produce store too, it’s worth a little extra effort.  Make it a point to eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal at home, and whenever possible when you’re at a party too.




3. Spend time with the people you want to.  Yes, make it a point to spend some time this holiday season with those you actually like.  There will be the obligatory office and family parties, but the whole season does not have to be miserable.   Plan to attend at least a couple of events with people you have fun with.
4. Go to bed early one night a week.  We’re all super busy and cramming as much as we can into this month, but do yourself a favor (and all of us around you) and go to bed early at least one night a week so that you won’t get sick or be a zombie by the time the holidays actually arrive (I can remember several Christmas’s where I was sick.  It’s no fun!).
5. Drink lots of water.  With all the running around and alcoholic beverages we could all use extra water.  Drink an extra bottle or glass or two a day to make up for it.  It will also help you keep up with the brisk pace of the holidays.  Keep one with you at all times so you don’t even have to think about it.
6. Plan date nights.  Holidays can bring out the beast in each of us.  It’s easy to snap at your partner just because they’re there, even if it’s not their fault.  So even though your schedule is super busy plan at least 1 date night where just the two of you can get out and get coffee, see a movie or visit a holiday themed event near you.
7. Spend time just with your family.  The holidays are a great time to be with friends and extended family, but there are also lots of family fun activities to do.  You can bake cookies, read A Christmas Carol and watch a Charlie Brown Christmas together.  You can decorate the house together too, and even divide up to wrap presents for each other!  There are also lots of fun things you can do together in your community.  Many towns have “home for the holidays” celebrations with a special parade, events, and open houses at some of the gorgeous historical homes.
8. Do something that helps you balance each day.  If reading a chapter in a mystery book helps you calm down and get centered, do that each day.  If you’re supported best by yoga or meditation, spend 15-30 minutes a day on one of those activities.  If you love bubble baths, buy yourself some holiday scented bubbles and enjoy a bath at the end of the day.
9. Spend time alone.  I know it’s the holidays, but if you want to be the life of the party you need a little alone time.  Check the kids into day care once a week or get a sitter, encourage your partner to hang with their friends one night, or just go out by yourself and have a quiet cup of coffee.
10. Remember the reason of the season. The holidays are supposed to be a time for joining together and celebrating life.  We’ve managed to turn them into mad dashes and overbooked schedules.

By December 25th many people are cynical, frustrated and tired of the holidays, but if you take it slow, intentionally create down time for yourself, and make sure that you balance your eating and your partying, hopefully this year you’ll enjoy the holidays all season long.

What are your tricks to keep your holidays healthy and balanced?

Laura Dickey is passionate about sharing hope and empowering individuals, families and businesses to live balanced and successful lives. When she’s not writing or supporting others in their life journeys, she loves to organize, read, be creative and take walks. Read more about Laura here.

Photo credit: torpore

Science has shown that willpower is a very limited resource in us and it only works in short bursts. So I want to share with you a secret I discovered that uses heart-power to conquer cravings instead! You’ll spend less time and effort dealing with temptation, you’ll give in less often and you’ll feel warm and fuzzy instead of guilty and frustrated.

It all started with a choice to get healthier.

Several years ago I decided to do a major cleansing program that involved radically restricting my diet. Imagine, if you will, 8 months of no sugar, no wheat or gluten, no dairy, no red meat and no fruit except lemons and cranberries.

(Most people generally ask at this point “What’s left?” A surprisingly long list actually, but that’s another blog post.)

What I didn’t know when I started the cleanse was that I was about to get a very in-depth look at temptation.

And I mean, we got intimate!

I lived with it for days and weeks on end and just when I thought (in my safe little apartment) that I had it beat, I would have to go to the grocery store and go another round with it.

Finally, I had a major breakthrough and an insight that led to one of my most successful tactics for facing down temptation. In fact, I still use it to this day!

What I discovered is this:

Remembering something I loved, gave me the inner power to stare down temptation and win.

I didn’t really know why this worked so well at the time, but since then I’ve come to understand what was really going on.

Here’s why it works:

• Heart power is always the strongest motivational force within us and it lasts way longer than will power.

• Recalling what you love in a moment of temptation provides an immediate distraction from your obsessive focus on the tempting object.

• Remembering love creates a major “state change” or emotional shift from craving and agitation to warmth and fondness.

• Craving comes from an empty place that wants to be filled up, while love creates a filled up feeling deep inside.

..
But my big AHA moment came when I realized that:

The loving state and the craving state cannot co-exist!

So of course, I immediately started trying to find a love antidote for each tempting thing. And that was when I made another major discovery.

The beloved person, place or thing did NOT have to relate in any way to the thing I was being tempted by. They could be totally unrelated and it STILL worked.

So for example, you could be in the middle of a long put off de-cluttering of your bedroom closet and feeling incredibly tempted to go to the corner store for ice cream instead.

As your antidote, you could call up the feeling of how much you love your dog in that moment (let’s say you REALLY love your dog…) and suddenly find yourself feeling pretty good, not even thinking about the ice cream anymore, and having enough energy to finish the closet after all.

So the beloved thing and the tempting thing don’t need to relate to each other at all. It’s feeling the love inside that does the trick.

Once I figured this out I began my trips to the grocery store with a beloved person in mind. I would then walk the aisles repeating inside my head like a mantra:

I love you more than these brownies, more than these cookies, more than this cheese….

Now, I happened to use some “love comparison” language there – but there’s no comparing needed.

In our earlier example, you could just stand in front of the closet breathing in the warm feeling of love for your pet, perhaps remembering fond times or the look that cracks you up – with no comparisons needed at all.

In trying this out over the 8 months with many different cravings, I made one more discovery:

The stronger the craving or temptation, the deeper we need to get into the feeling of love to counteract it.

Mostly, this means it just takes me a few minutes longer to remember a deeper feeling, perhaps a really special moment when love was very deeply present with someone or something.

Or, if the craving was particularly strong and not ready to give up yet, I would simply have to repeat the process several times. During my grocery shopping trips, when temptation was constant, I would simply repeat this over and over again – calling up love almost like a mantra, on every breath.

So the next time you’re feeling tempted by a craving, instead of battling it with will power, try finding a heart-centered, love-antidote to it and you’ll see just how well this works.

Susan Johnstone offers essential guidance and wisdom to those seeking a more purposeful & authentic life. A coach in private practice since 1997, she specializes in transforming procrastination, self-sabotage and obstacles of all kinds into powerful fuel for transformation. She tweets and writes on these subjects at The Heart’s Voice.

Further reading:

• A valuable Guide to Resisting Temptations in Life
• 5 Golden Rules that Have Helped Me to Lose Weight for Good
• 77 (+7) Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy and Happy for 100 Years or Longer

Photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

Do you like taking pills? I personally hate taking pills and try to avoid them as much as possible. Every once in a while I think “I wish I could just eat some tasty foods and cure any disease or problem.” But wait! Actually we can eat good stuff and prevent almost any disease if we include several super-foods in our diet.

Unfortunately I cannot recommend that you eat doughnuts and pizza to cure or prevent all health problems but you can develop a taste for healthy foods and enjoy a healthy life. After some thorough research I have found several foods that are absolute winners when it comes to preventing or even fighting the biggest killers in our modern day world: cancer and heart disease. Here we go …

Anti-cancer warriors

Cancer is the #2 killer in the US and in most other countries of the world. It would be more logical to start this list with the #1 killer (heart disease) but if you look at the chart below then you will see that over the last 20 years the number of deaths from heart disease has decreased by 12% while the number of deaths from cancer is slowly going up (unfortunately I could find detailed statistics only for the US but I believe that most other developed countries should have similar findings.)

I can talk a lot about how horrible cancer is but I think that each one of us knows that already. Let’s look at what we can do to prevent it.

How can foods fight cancer?

We all have cancer cells in our bodies and they are harmless if they do not start growing. In order to grow cancer cells need:

a) new blood supply;

b) local inflammation (it causes cells around the tumor to secrete “growth factors” which in turn cause the tumor to grow);

c) “lose” the ability to self-destruct (cancer cells unlike normal cells do not know that they need to self destruct if they become overcrowded.)

Certain foods can fight cancer by eliminating every one of these factors. Isn’t this wonderful ?
Drum-roll please … Here are our heroes:

The best foods to fight cancer

1. Green tea contains a compound called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCC – I am glad that I am no doing a video post because I would not know how to pronounce this monster-word) which prevents new blood vessels from feeding cancer cells. No blood supply, no tumor – it is that simple.
   Facts:

   According to Japanese studies women who drink two cups of green tea per day have a 50% less incidence of breast cancer than those who do not.

   Harvard’s Laboratory of Nutrition and metabolism found that green tea reduced the size of tumors by 72%, as well as prevented metastasis or the spread of cancer.

   Best way to use it: Steep green tea for 10 minutes for maximum catechin release and drink it within 1 hour. Japanese varieties contain more of EGCC than any others.

2. Turmeric (curcumin) is the strongest food-based anti-inflammatory compound. It blocks local inflammation around cancer cells (no inflammation – no growth.)
   Facts:

   Rural Indians who consume ¼ to ½ teaspoon of turmeric a day have 1/5 to 1/15 the rates of cancer as Westerners.

   Turmeric is currently used in human trials at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.

   
   Best way to use it: Combine turmeric with black pepper whose piperine increases curcumin absorption by 2000%!

3. Mushrooms teach cancer cells that it is time to commit suicide when they get overcrowded. For a long time only Asian mushrooms like shiitake, maitake and oyster mushrooms were considered potent cancer-fighters. Today there is evidence that even regular mushrooms like crimini, Portobello and baby button mushrooms have the same super powers.
   Facts:

   According to the study published in The International Journal of Oncology combining lentinan (a compound found in shiitake mushrooms) with chemotherapy is more effective than chemotherapy alone.

   The International Journal of Cancer reported that Japanese women who consume 1 to 3 common Japanese mushrooms a day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 64%. When the same women added in 2 cups of green tea per day their cancer risk was reduced by 89%.

   
   Best way to use it: about 100 g (3-4 oz) of your favorite mushrooms a day is your ultimate amount but even smaller amounts can still be effective in fighting cancer and boosting your immune system.

4. Soy is a controversial topic that can get anyone confused. Natural soy foods such as tofu, tempeh, edamame and miso are rich in isoflavones (compounds similar to estrogens) help to block estrogen-dependent cancers like breast cancer. Isoflavones bind to estrogen receptors without activating them and this way create a barrier between real estrogen and the receptors. However (and it is important!) foods that contain soy protein isolate (a powder made from soy) can have no effect on cancer and according to some studies can even raise the risk of cancer. In a nutshell, whole soy products – good, processed soy foods (protein drinks and bars, supplements) – not good at all.
   Facts:

   A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association in 2009 found that women who ate the most soy had a 29% lower risk of death and a 32% lower risk of having a cancer recurrence. (Read more here)

   Best way to use it: The best benefit is noticed when women consume about 11g of soy protein which is equivalent to ½ cup of edamame, 1 ¼ cups of soy milk, 4 oz of tofu. Soy is not a miracle food and it is important to keep balance when eating it. Having it a few times a week is a healthy idea but adding it to every meal is overkill.

5. Berries (finally something really yummy on this list!) like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries contain ellagic acid which cuts off the blood supply to cancer cells. Blueberries have compounds which cause cancer cells to commit suicide.
   Facts:

   With something as tasty as berries do you really need any evidence that they are good for you? There are not as many studies done yet on the cancer fighting properties of berries but some researchers (e.g. Ohio State University) have already provided proof that these tasty foods definitely deserve to be put on our list. Read more about berries and cancer here

   
   Best way to use them: Raspberries and blackberries contain 90% of ellagic acid in the seeds so you will need a very powerful blender to receive anti-cancer benefits. Strawberries on the other hand have 95% of ellagic acid stored in the fruit pulp. Opt for organic berries whenever possible to limit your exposure to pesticides and other chemicals.

6. Cruciferous vegetables (more commonly known as broccoli, cabbage, watercress, Brussels sprouts, kale, nappa cabbage and bok choy)have been proven to be potent against cancer too.
   Facts:

   Various components in cruciferous vegetables have been linked to lower cancer risks. Some have shown the ability to stop the growth of cancer cells for tumors in the breast, uterine lining (endometrium), lung, colon, liver, prostate and cervix, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

   Best way to use it: Natural anti-cancer compounds in cruciferous vegetables break down quickly so you need to blanche, quick-saute or lightly steam your veggies to get the maximum benefit. Eating them raw or adding them to fresh smoothies is also an excellent way to get all the goodness.

7. Other honorable mentions. Research and scientific evidence can get quite boring over time so let me give you just a quick list of other foods that proved effective in fighting cancer in one way or another:
   7. sea vegetables;
   8. garlic;
   9. plums;
   10. pomegranate;
   11. fresh herbs (particularly mint, basil and rosemary),
   12. chocolate (unfortunately only unsweetened cocoa or chocolate with more than 70% cacao can bring any benefit, other varieties can be actually harmful due to high sugar amounts),
   13. asparagus.

Are you wondering how you can remember all these foods and proper amounts? I have created special desktop wallpaper that will remind you to eat these healthy foods. You can also print this image and out it on your fridge to remember which foods to fix during the day.

If you liked the article and the wallpaper please consider spreading the word about it. It is the best gift that you can give me.

Life balance is so much easier when you do not have to worry about your health so making healthy lifestyle or diet changes is one step that each one of us can make on a daily basis.

If you are wondering about ways to protect yourself against heart disease then I have an excellent article waiting for you 77 (+7) Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy and Happy for 100 Years or Longer Enjoy!

Keep it balanced!