Garlic It Up. (Immune Booster #10)

GARLIC!
Garlic is so good when added to many meals BUT have you ever had it be the MAIN ingredient? Plus it contains an ingredient called allicin, which fights infection and bacteria according to Baseline of Health. AND as gross as it sounds (to me) eating these cloves raw has shown to decrease the chances of catching a cold.

I am a sucker for soup when I am sick - so here is yet another SOUP recipe! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil or EVOO
30 garlic cloves, peeled
6-8 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
nutmeg, as needed
4-5 egg yolks
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
6-8 slices country bread, toasted

Directions:
Melt the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and shake over gentle heat so the garlic cooks without browning. It should just melt in the oil; letting it brown is fatal as the flavor turns bitter.
Add the chicken stock and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grate a tiny bit of nutmeg in, if desired. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, and then force through a sieve or food mill to purée the garlic.
Reheat the soup. Beat the egg yolks and stir in the olive oil. Stir some of the hot soup into the egg yolk mixture to temper them, and then stir it very gently into the soup and heat until warmed through. Do not under any circumstances let the soup come to a boil, or the yolks will curdle. Serve in large soup plates, ladling the soup over pieces of crisp toast, one to a plate.

Must-Have Mushrooms (Immune Booster #5)

Mushrooms can go on almost anything - and they should!
Because they promote white blood cell production, which helps your body fight off an infection. According to the director of the Institute of Herbal Medicine, people have been using mushrooms as immune boosters for centuries.

Here is one wonderful side:

from foodandwine.com

Mixed Mushroom Ragout

1. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
2. 1 pound shiitake mushrooms—stems discarded, caps sliced 1/4 inch thick
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 1 pound mixed mushrooms such as cremini, sliced 1/8 inch thick, and oyster mushrooms, caps quartered
5. 1 medium onion, finely diced
6. 2 garlic cloves, minced
7. 1/4 cup dry white wine
8. 1 cup chopped canned tomatoes, drained
9. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
10. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
11. 1 tablespoon harissa
12. 2 teaspoons white or blond miso
13. 1 tablespoon golden raisins (optional)
14. 1 tablespoon capers
15. 1/2 cup chicken stock
16. 
    

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the shiitake and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender and starting to brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the skillet. Add the mixed mushrooms and cook over moderately high heat until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms start to brown, 5 minutes. Add the onion and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cover and cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 4 minutes.
3. In a bowl, whisk the coconut milk, mustard, harissa and miso. Add to the skillet with the shiitake, raisins, capers and stock. Simmer over low heat, stirring, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Strawberry Sides (Immune Booster #4)

Strawberries are the perfect sweet treat and come packed with vitamin C—a common cold remedy most people turn to when they start feeling sick. Vitamin C battles viruses before you even get sick, it also breaks down stress hormones.

Simple recipe:
Whipping up a strawberry orange smoothie for breakfast is a great way to start your day (and it will feel soothing on a sore throat). (plus there is the double vitamin C boost to kick that sickness)

Another Strawberry Side dish:

This is perfect to top on almost any protein, but would be particularly tasty on fish such as salmon or tilapia.

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped strawberries

1/4 cup finely chopped peeled avocado

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; toss gently. Serve immediately.

OR what better way to eat strawberries than to eat them plain, whole, and fresh. :)

Perfect Oatmeal (Immune Booster #1)

Oatmeal is always a perfect, healthy, easy breakfast but it’s also full of beta-glucan, which has antimicrobial and antioxidant capabilities that are as strong as those found in Echinacea. Eat your oatmeal (or whip up some of my favorite overnight oats) and you will notice wounds healing faster and antibiotics working better.

Other amazing things about oatmeal are: 

Lower Cholesterol Levels

Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Prevent Heart Failure

Stabilize Blood Sugar

Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Protect against Breast Cancer

On top of all of those things, they are delicious!

Plus they are perfect for adding to bread, cookies, muffins, pancakes, cereal, stuffing, and much more!
Also, to make oatmeal even more yummy by itself - try adding a little vanilla, fruit, nuts, or almond milk to your bowl!

One of my favorite oatmeal recipes is:

Baked Berry Oatmeal

Simple and easy to reheat!

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted and chopped*

1/3 cup natural cane sugar or maple syrup (optional)

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

2 cups milk

1 large egg

1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil), melted and cooled slightly

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups huckleberries, blueberries, or mixed berries*

*Blueberries are my favorite but feel free to use any berries or nuts that you most enjoy! :)

Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Spray inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the sugar, if using, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, if using, the milk, egg, butter, and the vanilla.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar or drizzle with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter.

Support Groups

After 2 rounds of T25!

Changing my HEALTH.

The picture on the left is where I was a few weeks ago - and I am still working hard this month. Isn't it amazing being able to notice progress. I have never been one to be "I need to get my bikini body ready for summer". Maybe because I have never had an "ideal" bikini body - HAHA - but now I have that motivation but for a different reason. I have always loved myself and my body. It has taken encouragement and strength over the years but I loved it.

After I had my baby - it became more about health and less about "looking hot". I could care less about what I look like in a bikini but I DO care about being healthy and not letting my body get in the way of enjoying things with my son and husband.

Stronger

Progress is progress.

This is something that I tell myself a lot and something that I think everyone needs to tell themselves. 

I am specifically referring to fitness and weight loss but this could be applicable in any area of life. We like to call these "non-scale" victories. At first, I used to struggle a lot with the scale. Stepping on that dreaded thing (daily) to find that the numbers have not moved or have even gone UP after a day (or week, or month) of a lot of work. 

How frustrating is that?! 

But I have learned:

1. Not to step on the scale every day
2. Muscle weighs more than fat AND
3. That the scale doesn't define progress

ANY "non-scale victories" mean progress. Any inches lost means progress. Weight loss is progress too - but progress isn't simply defined by it.

I have lost a lot of weight and inches since I started my journey, but I have also changed my eating habits, cut out certain foods, I am able to do normal push-ups (not many - but anything is better than 0), I can push through a full workout with no breaks, I work out on days I don't want to or don't feel like it, I use heavier weights than when I first started, AND most importantly I have not given up. 

These little victories are what push me through and allow me to keep going when I feel like quitting. Progress IS progress and do not let anyone tell you otherwise - especially not the scale. AND even more - especially not YOU.

A Little Bit of Awesome

I love taking the time to research a little bit every now and then, the ingredients that are in Shakeology.

Today, for one of my groups, I chose to research the Goji Berry.

Man superfoods are amazing!

GOJI BERRY

"Scientists have found the goji berry to be one of the most nutritionally dense fruits on earth. Here are the main nutrients found in the goji berry that makes it such a potent wellness agent.

Goji berries contain special polysaccharides which fortify your immune system and are responsible for controlling your body’s most important defense systems. Scientists atrribute most of goji’s amazing health properties to these special polysaccharides.

Goji berries contain 19 amino acids–the building blocks of protein–including all eight essential for life, Goji berries are a better source of Vitamin C than oranges.

Goji berries contain complete spectrum of antioxidant carotenoids, including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin (supports the eyes). Goji berries are the best source of carotenoids of known foods.

Goji berries also include:

B-complex Vitamins

Vitamin E

Essential fatty acids

Betaine"

Other special things about the Goji berry are:

• To treat: diabetes, high blood pressure, fever, and age-related eye problems
• Have also shown to have benefits in mental well-being and calmness, athletic performance, happiness, quality of sleep, and feelings of good health.
• They have one of the highest Antioxidant Powers of any fruit
• They have close to 20 different vitamins and minerals, which makes it one of the most nutritionally beneficial foods available

And the list goes on and on.

And just think that this is only ONE of SEVENTY amazing ingredients in Shakeology. 

Prepping Time

Last minute prepping for my Ten Day Clean Eating Challenge.

These are free challenges that I will do every once in a while.

I love these because it gives people an opportunity to see how beneficial it is to change your diet - even for just a week! When my husband and I first signed up to do one of these, we were BLOWN AWAY by how we felt. And it is actually kind of funny because we didn't fully realize how great we felt until we skipped a day and started eating badly again. We felt horrible.

It is amazing how good you feel and how great your body feels when you fill it up with REAL food. There are so many benefits to eating clean. And "Abs are made in the kitchen" anyway right?

What will you do today to make sure your body gets the right amount of nutrition and none of the wrong kinds?

Will you drink only water for a week?

Will you cut out sweets?

Will you change your afternoon snack from chips to veggies and hummus?

What step will you take this week to ensure a better you?