Howdy,

Happy Hump Day everyone! I hope you guys are having a great day so far. I have a yummy smoothie recipe lined up for this weeks installment of What I Ate Wednesday.

After reading yesterday's post, you know I have not been eating watermelon. :( I was also pretty over PB&J, so I mixed things up a bit for lunch this week with an open faced turkey, colby jack, and avocado sandwich on gluten free bread.



I'm not usually a huge sandwich person, but I am totally going through a phase right now. This sandwich absolutely hit it out of the ballpark in my book. It's even better if you toast your bread first and add a little spicy mustard!

Since my tummy still isn't loving real food in the morning, I went with a smoothie for breakfast. I decided to pump up the nutrition factor by throwing in a Mamma Chia Squeeze Vitality packet. Total success. Trusty smoothie ingredients + a Mamma Chia packet = a power packed smoothie!







It's time for me to tackle a little bit more work before heading back up to the studio for barre. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day!!


What is your favorite smoothie ingredient?

In health,

share this on »

1 Comment »

Good morning!

Don't forget about the giveaway and reader discounts going on all this week! I am giving away a package of antioxidant twist tubes to one lucky reader, and all readers will receive 10% any product they order through Lauren G's shop! All you have to do to register for the giveaway and receive your discount is visit my online store and create a customer profile. For more information on the giveaway, discounts, nutrilite products and how to create a customer account, visit the Shop FF&F page above!

I am a big fan of brown bagging it for lunch, but everyone gets tired of sandwiches at some point! Since Eric isn't the biggest fan of certain vegetables, I try to squeeze those in at lunch. Most weeks, I will try and make something that I can freeze and take with me for multiple lunches throughout the week. It's almost like making your own Lean Cuisines, except they taste better, cost less, and don't have all the added sodium and preservatives. This week, to keep up with the veggie challenge, I decided to make a veggie filled pasta salad! This recipe is extremely easy to make, and is great for lunch or dinner!

Ingredients:
1 15oz can of green peas
1 15oz can of chickpeas
2 cups of edamame
1 cup of the pasta of your choice (I used veggie rotini pasta)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette dressing (I used Newman's Own low fat Balsamic Vinaigrette)


Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Set aside and allow to cool (you can speed this up by running cool water over the cooked pasta).
2. Cook the edamame according to the package and allow to cool.
3. Drain the chickpeas and green peas and pour into a large bowl.
4. Add the edemame and cooked pasta.
5. Stir in olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinaigrette.
6. Chill before eating and enjoy!

By preparing my lunches on Sunday or Monday, I know I will have delicious and nutritious meals throughout the week. This keeps me from giving into fast food or having to settle for a boring sandwich day after day!

Food for thought:
What is your go to lunch?
Do you ever prepare a big batch of something to eat throughout the week?
If so, what?

In Health,

share this on »

1 Comment »

Happy Monday!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We had a busy weekend full of celebrations for Eric's birthday, which is actually TODAY! We watched the Rangers game with friends, Eric drove go-karts, we went to Texas De Brazil (and left stuffed), and watched a ton of football!

I am so excited to announce the Grand Opening of my online store and my very first blog giveaway! For all of the details on my shop, click on the tab above labeled Shop FF&F! Now for the giveaway. Every reader who visits my shop and fills out a customer profile, will be entered to win a free package of Antioxidant Twist Tubes! These are one of my favorite Nutrilite products! You simply add one of these little twist tubes to your water bottle to take your H2O from boring to delicious and packed with free-radical fighting antioxidants. For more information  on the giveaway and the grand opening of Shop FF&F, visit the shop tab above.

Reader Discounts: To say thank you to all of my amazing readers, I want to give everyone 10% off their entire order this entire week! To find out how to receive your discount, head on over to Shop FF&F!

The Power of Antioxidants

According to a study in The Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, people who took multivitamins with antioxidants for three weeks were able to pedal at the same pace with less effort than those who took a placebo. Antioxidants protect muscle proteins from free-radical damage that can lead to fatigue. Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods and supplements which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our cells use oxygen, they produce free radicals which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as "free radical fighters" and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals.  (HealthCastle.com)

The Most Commonly Known Antioxidants:

• Vitamin A and Cerotenoids- carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and kale
• Vitamin C- citrus fruits, green peppers, strawberries, and green leafy veggies
• Vitamin E- nuts & seeds, whole grains, and green leafy veggies
• Selenium- fish, shellfish, red meat, eggs, and chicken

Health Benefits of Antioxidants:

• Fight free radicals
• Support kidney function
• Improve nervous system function
• Enhance the immune system
• Help fight off cancer cells
• Help maintain healthy vision
• Reduce obesity
• Improve quality of sleep
• Support respiratory system
• Slow the signs of ageing

I like to think of antioxidants as little warriors that storm around in my body fighting off the flu, cancer, and wrinkles! Really, what more could a girl ask for?

Food for thought:
Do you currently take antioxidant supplements?
How was your weekend?

In Health,

share this on »

7 Comments »