Simple ways to add a little extra protein to your diet...

   

      Since the whole "spilling ketones" incident a week ago, I've had to turn my attention to increasing the amount of protein that I am eating. I never considered myself to have "eating problems," but since I still have some nausea issues, I must not be getting all of the nutrients my body and the baby need (yes, 21 weeks and still some nausea). Now, I have to make sure I am eating some kind of protein every 2-3 hours and drinking plenty of fluids. So, here are some of the simple ways I've increased the protein in my diet.

Morning: 1 of the following (if I'm really hungry, some times 2 of the following)
-2 Greek Yogurts (Oikos Raspberry is my favorite flavor)
    I, personally, love the flavor of Greek Yogurt (I know some hate it), but I also
    like that it has double the amount of protein a normal cup of yogurt has.
   That's nearly 30 grams of protein to start off your day!

-3 eggs (scrambled, and some times I even make an egg sandwich with honey wheat
              bread and a slice of cheese)
     That's 18 grams of protein for the eggs alone (not counting cheese if I make a
      sandwich)
-Bowl of Oatmeal
      I'm a mom, so I normally just buy the instant oatmeal packets since I don't have a
      ton of time to make breakfast.
      Oatmeal actually does not have a ton of protein (4-5 grams), but it does fill you
      up for the day.

Mid-Morning Snack: 1 of the following
-Protein bar: I will buy just about any brand (I always look at what's on sale that day)
       I only buy them if they have at least 15 grams of protein, usually they have 20
       or more.
-Raspberry (or any frozen berry) Chocolate Chip protein shake
      I will include a recipe below for the recipe.
      It comes out to about 30 grams of protein per 1 shake.

Lunch: 1 of the following, unless I'm out and about
-Chicken tenders: Yes, I do buy the frozen kind, Banquet is usually the brand we go
            with. It's not the healthiest option, but it's quick and no the worst option for
            lunch.
            1 serving size is about 15 grams of protein.
-Salad with chicken: If I am out and about, this is usually my go to lunch. My favorite
       place is Panera Bread for their Chicken Avocado Salad.
        Depending on the amount of chicken comes on the salad, there's anywhere
        between 15-30 grams of protein.
-Sandwich
      Could be chicken salad (29 grams of protein), peanut butter (8 grams of protein),
      or turkey (25 grams of protein)

Mid-Afternoon Snack: 1 of the following
-Cheese and crackers: My favorite cheese is Colby jack on the block
      1 slice has about 5 grams of protein (I usually have about 5-6 slices)
-Protein bar: We've already been though that :)
                     15-25 grams of protein
Dinner: 1 of the following
-Chicken  breast and a green vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, spinach, green beans, or
                 peas) about 30 grams of protein
-Spinach and cheese quiche 20 grams of protein per piece
           My recipe is in a previous blog: http://mommyvlog865.blogspot.com/2014/11/some-great-and-easy-ways-to-sneak.html

-Pork tenderloin and a vegetable
           I normally create a glaze with about  3 tablespoons of honey, 3 tablespoons or
           Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 2 teaspoons of rosemary (I
           crush it up a little in my hand)
           About 22-25 grams of protein

This is not strictly all I ever eat, but this give you an idea on how to add a little more protein to your diet.

Raspberry (or any frozen berry) Chocolate Chip Shake
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt (I prefer vanilla) (about 15 grams of protein)
- 1 scoop of protein powder (15 grams of protein per scoop) I use EAS brand.
-1/2 cup of chocolate chips
-1 cup of frozen berries
when you use the frozen berries, you don't need to use ice
Blend in the blender until thoroughly blended
You cannot taste the powder, I swear!

                                    Image from: www.52kitchenadventures.com
                                              But it look's a lot like mine!

{Healthy} Stuffed Bell Peppers

        

Image from: www.finecooking.com       

 

          One of my favorite "go to" meals is stuffed bell peppers. My original recipe is not an unhealthy version. However, I have found a few healthier alternatives that would please even the pickiest eaters. Not only is it a simple to follow recipe, but it also is one you can throw together in about 30 minutes.{Great for a mid-week dinner option. Even better, if you plan ahead a little.} Plus, if you get the pepper on sale, it's relatively cheap. {Usually, under $15 for 6 servings!}

         Normally, I will use all green bell pepper since they are always cheaper than the colorful options. If I see the yellow, orange, and red bell peppers are on sale, I become giddy with excitement and buy plenty for my recipe. {Yes, a sale on bell peppers will make me giddy.} This past week, the colorful pepper were on sale at my Kroger for $1 a piece. They still are not cheaper than green peppers, but I love how cooking with the colored peppers make me cheery. So, I splurged and bought 6 {Yes, 6} of the colorful bell peppers {2 in each color}. Now, below I will post the recipe for my original recipe. Then, below that, I will post suggestions for the even healthier alternative options.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 15-20 mins

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:

-6 bell peppers

-1 lb of sausage (I use Jimmy Dean Regular)

-2 boxes (or the equivalent, which would be 12 oz) of Long Grain Wild Rice

 (I use Uncle Ben's Original Recipe. Plus, it already comes with all the flavoring you need.)

-1 cup of shredded Colby Jack cheese (This is my favorite. You can use any cheese you like.)

*You can add a can of diced tomatoes. I would suggest draining the liquid off, so the liquid ratio is not messed up while the rice cooks. Most people do, but I don't add the tomatoes.*

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Wash the outside of the bell peppers well and dry off. Cut open the top of the pepper {Like you cut open a Jack-O-Lantern}. Clean out all the seeds inside the pepper. {Then, I usually cut the top pieces back to the stem, dice the extra pepper, and add it to the rice mixture.} Place peppers, upright, in an oven safe dish. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, brown the sausage. If it produces very little grease, keep it. If it produces more than about a tablespoon, drain off the excess grease. {You can use the grease it renders as your oil for the rice.}This is when you add the diced bell pepper pieces. Let them cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. In the same pan, cook the rice according to the package instructions. Once rice is ready, pour into the emptied bell peppers until you reach the top of the pepper. Top the pepper with the shredded cheese, and put in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. {The cheese should be totally melted.} Enjoy!

*Sometimes, as an extra surprise, I add about a tablespoon of shredded cheese down inside the pepper before adding the stuffing.*

**Healthy Alternatives**
-You can replace the sausage with either lean ground beef or ground turkey.
-You can replace the Wild Rice with either brown rice or quinoa.
*If you use one of the substitutes, you will need to add the following seasonings to the stuffing mixture just before stuffing the peppers.*
      -2 teaspoons of garlic powder
      -1 teaspoon of dried parsley
      -1 teaspoon of onion powder
      - 1 teaspoon of powder or bullion cube of chicken bullion {add when water is added for the rice
            or quinoa}
      -salt and pepper to taste




Finished Product:

{Update on my Fitness Journey} : I open up about my day-to-day struggles

        

Image from: communitytable.parade.com

       I have been fairly honest with how much pain I experienced during my pregnancy with my daughter. We all hoped  the pain issues were only due to being pregnant. Unfortunately, the issues have only gotten worse during the past 4 postpartum months. It has really caused a major hit to my postpartum fitness plans. I had truly hoped I would be much further along on my fitness journey by now. It's very disheartening to essentially "live and die" by your calendar of all the various doctor's appointments I have on a regular basis. I always thought this lifestyle would only happen to me once I was much much older {if at all}. On any given week, I will probably see at least 2 different doctor's {if not more}. 

        So far, we have found that I already have arthritis in my spine. The most recent discovery, my neurologist found was that I have neuropathy in my arms and legs. The Mayo Clinic defines Neuropathy as: disease or dysfunction of one or more peripheral nerves, typically causing numbness or weakness. This discovery explained why I am definitely having many of my problems. I constantly feel a burning sensation, like as if your are or leg fell asleep and is just starting to wake up {that burning needle sensation}.  It causes much pain and weakness. This is a constant thing, not just an 'every-so-often' feeling. {Yeah, It sucks.} I tell family and close friends how much I hate being only 26 years old with a body that acts like I am 70 years old. My neurologist has already ran many tests to try to find out what is cause the neuropathy. I have not been told any results yet. Next week, I have to go get a skin biopsy done to see if my neuropathy is due to thick veins. If that is the cause, he said it should be a relatively easy fix by taking a particular medication that helps with this issue. Honestly, I really hope they can find what is causing the issue, so I can get back to "normal."
        All this being said, I have been in physical therapy for the past 3 months working on various strengthening exercises. My physical therapist thinks it could help relieve some of the pain. Every day, I see all these wonderful workout plans to get you into better shape. I only wish I could do some of these "get fit quick" workouts. Since I can barely write or type most days, these workouts would be practically impossible for me to complete. So, with the help for my wonderful husband, we are working on compiling some exercises and a fitness program for people with health issues like me {mainly the ones my physical therapist has deemed safe enough for me to do}. 

        I truly, truly hope that one day I can look back on all this, and be so proud to see just how successful this new workout regime has been. I will be working on compiling more and more information and examples of these exercises for all of you. I just felt that this is a great way to not only inform all of you about what's going on with me, but also let you know what I have in the works. I am so thankful and blessed to have such a wonderful support system around me. I couldn't deal with all this without all of you! I look forward to sharing and working on furthering my fitness journey.  I don't want this to become a pity party, I want to let you all know that I am hopeful that I can fulfill my wish to help others from my personal struggles.

Image from: www.laminaresearchcenter.com

Best alternative to Mayonnaise...

      While making my turkey sandwich for lunch today, I decided that I should try to make it as healthy as possible. Personally, I prefer to make sandwiches with bread. I know making a wrap with either a tortilla shell or lettuce leaf is ultimately the healthiest option. However, I'll stick with my usual honey wheat bread. I added some spinach and fresh tomato. As I was reviewing the best way to make my sandwich healthy, I remember that I had purchased a ton of avocados at the store the other day. {Kroger had them on sale!} So, I decided to make an avocado spread to put on my sandwich instead of mayonnaise. I knew Jimmy John's has a killer avocado spread on some of their sandwiches, so I figured I can keep that in mind as I made it. My spread was not a perfect match, but it definitely did not disappoint! So, here's the recipe:

Avocado Sandwich Spread
Yields: 1 1/2 cup {approx. 3 sandwiches worth}
Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

1 avocado, ripe
1- 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice {depends on how thick or thin you prefer your spread}
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4-1/2 salt and pepper {season to taste}

Directions:
Place all ingredients into blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Apply to sandwich. ENJOY! :)

       {I'm not a professional photographer, but I think this sandwich looks pretty darn yummy}

Healthy Summer Salad

           I'm always thrilled when I can find a recipe that does not require actual cooking, especially in the Summer. It keeps the kitchen and the house from getting too hot. Trust me, there is nothing worse than a super hot house in the Summertime. I saw this idea on Pinterest, and as usual, I added my own spin to this recipe. I tried this recipe out on the family again, and everyone approved. With Independence Day (aka 4th of July) coming up, this is a great recipe for entertaining. Your family and guests with love it. It's so light and healthy, you can't feel guilty eating it.

Here's the recipe:

Healthy Avocado, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad
Serving Size: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 min  Suggested chill time: 15-20 min

Ingredients:
-1 ripe Avocado, diced and put in a separate container and toss in 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice to slow down browning.
-2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
-1/2 red onion, diced {if you set the diced red onion in a bowl of cold water, and let soak for 10-15 minutes prior to making dish, it will remove some of the strong raw onion flavor.}
-1 Pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered (depending on the size)
-Crumbled Feta or "Fresh" Mozzarella pearls (I prefer the mozzarella pearls.)
-1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon of parsley flakes (I prefer fresh parsley, but was out the day I made this. It is just as great with parsley flakes.)
-1 Tablespoon of Red Wine Vinegar
-2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
-1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper

Instructions: *First of all, if you are not serving this salad right away, do not dice the avocado. Wait until right before you serve this salad to dice it and add to the salad... because, even with tossing it into lemon juice, it will brown eventually.* Now, for the rest of the instructions... Take the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta or mozzarella and place into a serving dish of your choice. My favorite kind of serving dishes are usually my white Corning Ware. {Quick note}... in the picture, you will see I used the mozzarella pearls instead of the feta crumbles. The original recipe on Pinterest calls for feta. I am not a huge fan of feta, so I substituted that with the mozzarella and it was still fabulous. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the vegetables. In a small separate bowl, I mixed the parsley, red wine vinegar, and olive oil together. Then, I poured it over the salad, and tossed it all together. I, personally, feel the salad should chill and "rest" in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. This allows all the vegetables to marinade in the dressing and develop the flavor. When, you're ready to serve the salad, add the diced avocado and toss to combine with the vegetables and dressing. Serve and Enjoy!

Coconut Oil... Is it worth the hype?

       Image From: news.health.com

 

 

     I've got to admit, normally, when I see people going crazy about a product, I usually distance myself because I'm not one to get sucked in. Well, I was at the store and saw in the organic section that the coconut oil was on sale. I bought the virgin coconut oil that's unrefined and cold pressed. It was about $7. My husband jokingly said, "for this price, this stuff better be amazing." When I got home, I started my research about uses for coconut oil. I found so many things, some even a little outlandish. The few things I have used it for, it has really worked well. I'm honestly impressed.

 Makeup Remover and Face Wash

       The first use I read about was makeup remover and face wash. Since my normal routine is not the greatest (one of Braeden's baby wipes), I decided I'd give this a try. I want to first say, If you are at allergic to coconuts, do not try coconut oil. The other note, when you apply the coconut to your face, make sure you are careful to keep it out of your eyes. I simply grab a small spoon and scoop out maybe a dime sized amount. I apply to to my face, specifically where my eye makeup is. I take a damp wash cloth and wipe off my face. It totally removes all traces of makeup and leaves my face feeling completely moisturized. I've even noticed that it seems to help my acne heal quicker, as well. If you find that you do not like the way it feels on your face once you've wipe it off, you can always use some mild face soap to wash it completely off.

Lip Moisturizer and Scrub

       For some reason, this fall my lips have been overly chapped. I've been using the coconut oil as a lip moisturizer. It really does work amazing, and tastes awesome too. I haven't tired it yet, but if you mix 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, you have a  homemade exfoliating  lip scrub.
        I have actually formulated a lip balm using coconut oil and cocoa butter. I use all natural and organic coconut oil to make it. My husband swears it is the best chap stick he has ever used. Here's a link to my etsy shop if you are interested in buying some to try for yourself. https://www.etsy.com/listing/224032124/all-natural-lip-balm-vanilla-mint?ref=shop_home_active_9

Lotion and Body Butter

       Along the same lines, since I'm currently pregnant, I've noticed my skin seems to be more dry right now. I rub a little on my hands, arms, elbows and legs to keep them soft and moist. It feels wonderful on my skin, and smells great too. It's honestly a win win. I have also been using it on my stomach to  prevent stretch marks (I won't know how well it works for that for about 5 more months). **{Update: Since having my baby in April, I have been using the coconut oil on my stretch marks... I do feel like it is helping them diminish.} Similarly, I have also had some problems lately with chaffing on my legs (probably due to pregnancy hormones and weight gain). If you rub a little on the affected areas, not only does it help keep the area from becoming further chaffed or chapped, but it also helps heal the area because of its antibacterial and anti fungal properties.
         I have acutally created a whipped body butter using coconut oil and cocoa butter. It is a wonderful moisturizer for dry skin. It has gotten me though this winter pregnancy. My father-in-law thinks it's the best lotion he has ever used. I do have it for sale in my shop. Below is the link. https://www.etsy.com/listing/218201076/all-natural-body-butter?ref=shop_home_feat_2

Hair Conditioner

      I have tried it as a hair conditioner for my son. I learned the next day, when his hair was still greasy looking, that I should have rewashed his hair to get the excess oils out. However, I did notice that his hair was not nearly as frizzy or tangled as it usually is. Again, the smell of his hair was so much better then it normally is. If you have curly or frizzy hair I would suggest trying a little on your hair as a conditioner, but you may want to make sure you "rinse and repeat" with your shampoo. I did read that some people suggest applying it to your hair an hour or two before you shower so it has time to soften your hair, but your first shampooing with get rid of most of the greasiness.

Healing

       When my daughter was born {yes, I'm no longer pregnant... I had her in April}, she was lip-tied and tongue-tied. I was very lucky that my pediatrician specializes in lip and tongue clipping. He has an "all-natural" technique by using black tea and ice water to numb and heal during the procedure. His instructions for healing the areas were also an "all-natural" approach. He explained that coconut oil is like a Neosporin for the mouth. From what I've read, it's more like a Neosporin for body in general. He said it's totally safe for newborns, and it will help heal the clippings. I loved how he took such an "all-natural" approach not only during the procedure, but also with his healing suggestions. It definitely seemed to heal quicker than my son's clipping did.



       There are so many other uses for coconut oil, it truly is an amazing product. You can cook with it too. I haven't yet. Honestly, if you search it in Pinterest, the results are never ending with the uses for coconut oil. I haven't gotten too adventurous with it just yet,  but what I have used it for, it has been amazing. So next time you're at the store, check it out. If it's not too expensive, grab a jar, and try it out.