Newsflash

I can't believe that 2011 is almost over. I've written more this year on my blog than the previous two years combined! But I feel like this is the first year that I've really had something to say that didn't strictly involve my family. I hope and pray that my weight-loss and healthy living journey has inspired, encouraged, and helped other's along the way. I still have a ways to go in my weight loss journey but the healthy living journey will never be over. I hope you'll continue to follow me along the way.

As you know, not everything I share on my blog is necessarily about healthier living even though majority of it is. That is why I recently updated my blog a bit to include the tabs at the top. That way, you don't have to wade through all of the other stuff to get to what you want. Each new blog entry will continue to post on the main page but you can easily access any of my blog posts by clicking on whatever category the post you are looking for is in.

Tomorrow, I'll be posting part two of my Eating Healthy on a Budget series. I'm excited to share with you the tips and recipe from my friend Misti. Her guest post is very helpful and the recipe sounds so yummy. I can't wait to try it myself. There will be two more Eating Healthy posts (after tomorrow) on the following two Fridays. However, those will be the last two new posts of this year.

Don't worry. There will still be posts for you to read but I won't be posting any new content. I've decided to take a bit of a blogging break. We will be traveling some for the holidays and with an already busy month, I thought it would be best. Plus, some of you are new to reading my blog so I thought I would feature my Top Ten Blog Posts of 2011.

I spent some time yesterday looking over all my blog posts of 2011. I decided on five blog posts from the Healthy Living section and five blog posts from the It's My Life section. The 10 were chosen from the posts that were the most read or one's that I felt had the best information and could be the most helpful.

The Top 10 Blog Posts of 2011 will begin to be re-posted starting next Tuesday, December 20. I hope you'll join me in reliving my best posts! Don't forget to leave comments and feedback! I would love to hear from you all.

*If you read my blog, don't forget to become a "follower." Look for the "Join this site" button on the right hand side of the screen. Also, if you have a blog please leave your name and blog address in the comment's section below. I'm compiling a list of "must read" blogs for 2012. Look for that post...next year! :)

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Surviving Christmas

November and December tend to be the hardest months of the year to stay committed to a healthier lifestyle. And it can be pure torture for those of us who are trying to lose weight. Two main holiday's back to back that focus on eating and sugars and sweets can be hard on anyone's waistline. It was a major accomplishment for me, to enjoy Thanksgiving and several family gatherings last month and not gain any weight and to have actually lost two pounds since then.

However, with Christmas on the horizon and parties already underway, how are we supposed to enjoy ourselves and lose weight in the process?

Tips for Surviving Christmas

1. Eating large amounts of food and Christmas goodies will not make you happy. You may eye that Christmas buffet of sugars and sweets and think you've died and gone to Heaven but overindulging is not only bad for you, it's sinful. You may feel pleasure in the moment but it won't last. You will eventually feel guilty and remorseful. That being said... 

2. Eat in moderation. You don't have to forego your favorite foods but you also don't have to make yourself sick or miserable. I can remember eating and eating until I was miserable and my pant's were uncomfortably tight. Use a small plate when you can and only dip a tasting of your favorite foods. The key is not to eat until you're full but until you're satisfied...there is a difference.

3. Eat only what you really want. I was raised in the south. It is considered bad manners to turn your nose up at something. You are supposed to at least try everything. I'm generally proud of my southern heritage but trust me when I say, that sometimes you've just got to let go of some rules or traditions if they are pointless. If you don't like something or if you just don't want something, don't feel obligated to try it. Why waste calories on something that you have to hold your nose to swallow in the first place? Especially when it comes to desserts, you don't have to sample everything just because it looks good. Eat only what you really, really, really want. Figure out what you can live without, what is not worth the extra calories, and leave it OFF of your plate.

4. Choose healthier options when you can. The fruit and veggie tray may not look as appetizing as say the Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies but they are much better for you. And if the Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies is something you can't live without, have some fruit first and then have a small piece and keep in mind the above rules.

5. Make time for exercise. By now, I'm hoping that daily exercise is a part of your routine and healthier lifestyle but it can be easy to skip out on your daily run or trip to the gym this time of year. December has to be the busiest month of the year. There is always some function or another to go to. So don't forget to make time for exercising and especially do it on those days that you know you're going to a party or event where treats and temptations will abound. Take an extra walk if your time allows. Get your family involved. Who says that you have to sit around all day on Christmas. Bundle up and get outside whether you take a walk, go for a bike ride, or play a game of football. The key is to get moving!

So, you see, it is possible to survive Christmas without adding inches to your waistline or pounds on the scale. I still have three more pounds to lose in order to meet my goal of losing five more pounds by the end of the year. I'll be living by these rules, not only for the remainder of December but always because they are good rules to live by. Who's with me???

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Vegan Black Bean Soup

A couple of weeks ago, my husband bought a ginormous (OK, it was big but maybe not that big) bag of black beans. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them. I had thoughts of black bean hummus, burritos with black beans, maybe even a side dish or two. But on Thursday when my husband suggest that I cook them for lunch on Friday, I knew I had to come up with something, or else I would be stuck cooking them like we do red beans and rice and I wasn't digging that. So, I took to the Internet in search of some better ideas.

I came across a recipe on allrecipes.com that had my mouth watering....Vegan Black Bean Soup. I had intended to follow the directions exactly but as I began preparing it, I realized that I was out of an ingredient so I had to come up with a substitution and I also found that the cooking time was not long enough. So, here is my modified version of the recipe I found online. We loved it so much that it will definitely become a staple in our house and it's pretty inexpensive to make!

Vegan Black Bean Soup

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbs chili powder (I substituted 1/2 packet of reduced sodium taco seasoning because I was out of chili powder. I also omitted the cumin below since the taco seasoning has cumin in it as well.)

1 Tbs cumin

Pinch black pepper

4 cups of vegetable broth (about 3 cans)

4 (15 oz) cans black beans (I used dried beans. Soaked a one pound bag of beans overnight. Drained and rinsed. Simmered for about 1 1/2 hours before making soup.)

1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn

1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I only had a large can so I used a little more than half as some reviews said that the recipe needed a little extra tomatoes than what it called for.)

Heat oil in a stock pot or dutch oven on medium-high heat. Saute veggies and garlic for 5 minutes (this is NOT long enough and your veggies will be crunchy in your soup! Saute until tender, usually around 10 to 15 minutes). Add seasoning (taco or individual) to veggies and cook and additional minute. Add vegetable broth, half of the black beans, and corn. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, blend tomatoes and remaining beans until smooth. Stir puree into boiling soup mixture, reduce heat, simmer about 15 minutes.

*Since I initially only sauteed my veggies for the 5 minutes the recipe called for and they ended up crunchy. I put the remainder of the soup in the crock pot and cooked it on low for the rest of the day. It was even better that night when the veggies were soft. I believe you could probably put the soup together in the crock pot and cook it on low all day and still get the same results!

I served mine with a dollop of sour cream and a couple of splashes of hot sauce! Totally yummy!

Enjoy!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Eating Healthy on a Budget: Part 1

Today, I'm starting a four part series on "Eating Healthy on a Budget." For the next four Fridays, I will be bringing you tips and recipes that will help you feed your family and stay within your food budget. Learning to live a healthy lifestyle isn't rocket science but it does take some planning and willingness to try new things.

There is a learning curve. It can become overwhelming as you learn more and more about what is good for you and what is not. I may have mentioned before that I almost had a nervous breakdown on the cereal aisle of Walmart over the summer! But with these tips and recipes, you'll be better equipped than I was to head to the grocery store and get what you need to put your family on track to leading healthier lifestyles and losing weight if need be.

Before I get into tips for eating healthy on a limited budget, let me give you three important tips for losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle, no matter what your budget is...

1. Plan Your Meals (and don't forget snacks, too) - I can tell you that meal planning has been a big part of my weight loss success. I will confess that I've grown a little slack with it and I can tell a difference. I'm more stressed at meal times, wondering what I'm going to be able to throw together that is healthy. Trust me, taking the time to plan meals for a week at a time, including snacks, is very beneficial. As a rule, I generally plan for four big meals and several different types of snacks. With a family of three, four big meals, will last us for more than one meal at a time. I also keep salad ingredients and sandwich ingredients on hand for quick meals like lunch throughout the week.


2. Make a Grocery List - Plan your grocery list the same way you plan your meals. Once you've finished your meal plan, take that list and transfer it to your grocery list. Be sure to check your cabinets and refrigerator for ingredients that you already have. I try to write my grocery list according the the order of the aisle's at the grocery store so that I'm not going back and forth constantly. It makes grocery shopping so much easier.


3. Go Shopping - Don't wait until you're out of food and at the mercy of eating out or going through a drive through for your hunger needs! Make grocery shopping a weekly event. 

Jessica's Tips for Eating Healthy on a Limited Budget


1. Eat beans - dry beans are fairly inexpensive and are good for you as long as you're not adding things like ham hocks to it. They are full of protein, fiber, have a low glycemic index, and they are full of nutrients...B vitamins, calcium, potassium, and folate. To season, try ham flavored Goya for that ham taste without the fat. Beans can be eaten on their own as a meal or as a side dish. They can also be added to soups, casseroles, etc. 


2. Whole Wheat Pasta - pasta is generally inexpensive, especially generic brands and it's good for you as long as your not eating huge portions all the time. As with anything, portion sizes are important. You can easily make a quick, healthy sauce to go with it by sauteing some vegetables in extra virgin olive oil and adding in some tomatoes or tomato sauce and spices. 


3. Buy Generic - most things in generic form taste just as good as the name brand and costs way less. Grocery stores will put the name brand at eye level, so beware. You may have to do more than a glance to find the generic equivalent but it's worth the little extra effort to save on your grocery bill.


4. Make One Dish Meals with Few Ingredients - casseroles, soups, and crock pot meals are all examples of one dish meals that often require very few ingredients. Just be sure that the ingredients are healthy, hearty things that will fill you up but not compromise your waistline!


5. Eat Leftovers - I'm being honest here. I used to HATE leftovers and would only eat leftovers of such things like pizza, chicken fingers, or some other high fat food. Eating leftovers will greatly help your budget. I generally cook a meal that I know will last me more than one eating and I often double a recipe that was cost efficient in order to save money and have more leftovers. I haven't gotten to the freezing meals part yet but when you can double and put half of the meal in the freezer for a later time...even better.


6. Eat Less Meat - I'm not saying go vegan or vegetarian but as Americans we can realistically cut down on the amount of meat that we are eating. Try going meatless once or twice a week. Meat is extremely expensive and will cut your grocery bill down if you aren't buying it as much. When you are going to eat meat, choose leaner cuts of meat like chicken or fish. 


7. Stock Up When You Can - if your budget allows you to buy some extras, do it. Don't buy junk though. Buy things that you use on a regular basis. For me that's reduced sodium chicken stock, quinoa, cans of tomatoes, etc. Later on down the line when your budget may be a little more tight, you'll have some wiggle room due to extra ingredients in your pantry.


8. Buy Fresh Fruits and Vegetables - it may be a little more work to wash, peel, and cut up your own fruit and vegetables but it's so much cheaper. And when you buy fruits and veggies, buy what's in season because they will cost less. To ensure that we eat more of these fruits and vegetables, once I return from the grocery store, I wash up what I can  and cut up what needs to be cut up and store them in air tight containers in the refrigerator. They are then ready for consumption and are more likely to get eaten. 


9. Search the Internet - the Internet is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to recipes and tips. I spend time most weeks looking for recipes on the Internet. 


If you want to start living a healthier lifestyle but feel stuck because of your limited budget...You don't have to feel that way! It may take some creativity and work on your part but if you are serious about it, you'll find a way. I hope this helps you get started living your healthier lifestyle.

For the next three weeks, I'll be featuring tips and recipes from friend's of mine. If you have some tips that I didn't cover on this post or a recipe you would like to share feel free to leave a comment!

Below is my recipe for Basic Chili using Tip #4 - Make One Dish Meals with Few Ingredients and Tip # 3 - Buy Generic


Jessica's Basic Chili
Feeds 4


1 pound of lean ground beef or turkey
1 pkg of Seasoning Blend (frozen onion, celery, and peppers mixed together)
1 can of light red kidney beans
1 can of black beans
2-3 cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 packet of McCormick's Original Chili Seasoning (or generic equivalent)
Chili Powder
Cumin
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper

Brown hamburger or turkey in a stock pot. Season with salt and pepper. When meat is about halfway done, pour in Seasoning Blend. Once meat is done and veggies are tender, drain meat. Return meat to pot and add beans, tomatoes, and chili seasoning packet. Stir. Add extra chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for one hour. Serve and enjoy!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Green Tea...and How To Make a Perfect Cup

A couple of days ago, I posted about the health benefits of green tea and why you should be drinking it. Someone asked me to do a post on how to make a good cup of green tea. I've had several more comments on here and on Facebook from readers who said that they would drink green tea if it wasn't so yucky. I'm here to tell you that green tea doesn't have to be yucky. Yes, it will depend on what brand of green tea you buy but most of all brewing a perfect cup of green tea comes down to water temperature and steeping time.

Green tea if steeped too long or at too high a temperature results in a bitter brew. This is true if you are using loose tea leaves or prepackaged tea bags. Most boxes of prepackaged tea bags will tell you to bring water to a boil before steeping your tea bag. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This is TOO hot for green tea. It should be steeped in water at 175 degrees for around one minute. Some lesser quality teas can be steeped up to 3 minutes.

With prepacked tea bags it is a trial and error effort to find what brand you like best. I am currently drinking Lipton Green Tea but I prefer Tetley Green Tea. I have tried some generic brands that were very good and some generic ones that were not so great. If you can find Tetley, I suggest that you go ahead and use that brand. If not, Lipton will work just fine.

I can tell you that with Lipton, my first cup of tea was always bitter and I had a hard time drinking it straight. So I added a drizzle or two of honey to my cup after it had steeped. This made the tea taste great, so I never gave it much more thought. However, while occasional sweetener is fine, since I'm trying to lose weight, I've also tried to decrease the amount of sugar and sweetener in my diet. I finally discovered the secret to making a great first cup of Lipton Green Tea. I decreased the water temperature. Now, I have no problem drinking my tea without the added sweetener.

I suggest that you try making your first cup of tea, with whatever brand of tea bags you buy, according to the directions on the box and see how you like it. If you find it yucky then try decreasing the water temperature a bit. If your box suggests steeping for up to three minutes, then try lowering the steeping time as well. Don't give up after the first cup, if you didn't like it. Keep trying until you find what works for you. The health benefits far outweigh any time spent on trial and error.

Below you'll find a list of what you need to make your perfect cup of tea and step by step directions, with pictures, on how I make my own cup.

Items Needed:


Tea cup or mug

Green Tea Bags

Thermometer (I currently use a cheap meat thermometer. This is a great accessory to have since you can find out what temperature your water is without having to guess.)

Microwave, Tea Kettle, or small pot.

First, decide what method you are going to use to heat your water. I find that with making just one cup of tea at a time, using my microwave works best, so that is the method I am going to demonstrate.

How to Make a Perfect Cup of Tea


1. Fill an 8 oz mug with filtered or tap water.

2. Heat mug in microwave to around 175 degrees. This is where your thermometer will come in handy. Be sure to remove your mug from the microwave before using your thermometer! On my microwave, I know that heating my mug for 90 seconds gets my water to the perfect temperature. Try yours at about that time and test it with your thermometer. Heat more if necessary or allow your water to cool a bit if it's too hot. Also, if steeping your tea at 175 still produces a bitter cup, try reducing your temperature about 5 degrees the next time.

3. Place tea bag in water. Steep for one to three minutes, depending on the instructions on your box. And remember, if it says three minutes and your tea is bitter, reduce the steeping time the next time around.

4. Remove tea bag and sweeten if desired.

5. Stir

6. Enjoy!

* On my second and often third steeping (same tea bag), I leave the tea bag in my mug, fill with water, and heat in microwave. Since the tea bag was in the mug while heating, there is no need to wait for steeping. The potency of the tea is greatly decreased after the first steeping so the bitterness, if any, is generally gone by the second steeping. You'll still get great health benefits on your second and third steeping.

Different kinds of tea require different temperatures and steeping times. If you decide to venture into other types of tea, you'll want to know the best way to brew that particular kind of tea. You can find all that information here. The link will take you to Teavana's website. The instructions there are for loose tea but the chart on temperatures and steeping times are the same for tea bags as well.

It's always tea time!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Green Tea...and Why You Should Drink It

I've been working hard to lose weight. I eat well, exercise often, drink plenty of water, and try and get enough sleep every night. Lately, it seems that the weight has been falling off a little more easily than before. I have wondered about that. At first, I couldn't see where I had changed anything about my routine. I mean, I wasn't complaining but I was puzzled. What could be causing my weight to come off a little more easily than it had in the past. I finally came up with what I believe to be the answer...

Green tea.

Over the past year, my family has become tea drinkers. Not sweet tea but hot tea. I have an addiction to Teavana and cannot go in the store without sampling all the different teas and buying something. I drink all kinds...black, green, white, herbal, oolong, chai. For a while I had eliminated coffee completely and only drank hot tea. Eventually I started drinking coffee again but usually only one cup in the morning and then some sort of hot tea at other times during the day. Somewhere along the way, I sort of let the tea drinking fizzle out.

Recently, I started drinking plain green tea about twice a day. Sometimes I drink three to four cups. It just depends on my mood and if I want it anymore than my normal two cups. I think I started drinking it again when I was battling a cold or sinus infection. It was soothing and good for me. I generally drink my first cup around lunch time and often with my lunch. I add a small amount of honey or German rock sugar to my first cup as the particular brand of green tea bags that I currently have brews a slightly bitter tea during the first steeping. I then drink a second cup, using the same tea bag but this time with no honey or sugar, during my daughter's nap time. It is very relaxing to sit and sip my tea in peace and quiet! :)

I have no scientific proof that the green tea is what is causing me to drop my weight a little more quickly and efficiently but I believe that it's the reason. Back in March, my dad's doctor told him that he needed to gain five pounds. Here we are in December and he is yet to have gained any weight but not for the lack of trying. My parent's eat healthy in general but my dad has a sweet tooth and he has allowed himself more food indulgences since the doctor told him to gain weight. My dad, on average, drinks about five to six cups of green tea a day. He also believes that this is the reason he has been unable to gain any weight. However, he's never weighed that much in his life!

Please do not hear me say that drinking green tea is a cure all for weight loss or that you can eat whatever you want as long as you drink lots of green tea. Your diet is extremely important. If I was not eating right and exercising daily, I do not believe that the green tea would be having the effect that it seems to be having on me. I am not dropping extreme amounts of weight each week but I have gone to averaging about two pounds a week instead of one.

Numerous studies have been done on the health benefits of drinking green tea. Which include:

*The potential to fight cancer
*The potential to fight heart disease

Limited studies have also been done on green tea's role in:

*lowering cholesterol
*burning fat
*preventing diabetes
*preventing strokes
*heading off dementia

Green tea is full of antioxidants and compounds that help to preserve good health. And for that reason alone, drinking green tea in any capacity is beneficial.

Drinking green tea after you work out is also beneficial in restoring your energy and stamina. Yesterday, I went to the gym and used the elliptical for an hour. Once I came home, I did some ab work and strength work with hand weights. After my shower, I fixed a cup of hot green tea and drank it with my lunch. Up to that point I felt tired after my workout. Shortly after I had consumed my tea I felt awake and refreshed. I also believe it is what helped me to have the energy to go run intervals with my friend. We went for a total of two miles. Grant it, I am a bit sore today in my legs but it is a good sore.


If you are working on losing weight and getting healthy, I challenge you to drink just two cups of green tea every day for two weeks to a month and see what results you get.

You can read more about green tea here.

Happy tea drinking!


Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

It's All About Goals

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I'm happy to say that I did not gain any weight over the holiday. But to be honest, I was a little afraid to get on the scale and I put it off for a few days. I exercised the whole time I was gone for Thanksgiving (except for a couple days when I was at my parent's house). One morning I even got up early and went for a walk by myself. I watched my portions and only had a small bite of dessert on Thanksgiving day. I did, however, have two pieces of birthday cake. It's kinda difficult not to when your daughter has two birthday parties! Ha! But each time, I made the allowance by watching what I ate the rest of the day. I did not feel deprived at all. I thoroughly enjoyed my daughter's birthday parties and Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends. But as much as you watch what you eat and try to make the best choices, it's always harder to stay true to your eating habits when you are at the mercy of someone else's cooking and have to eat out way more than normal. And that is why I was apprehensive.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is time to re-evaluate and set some new goals. If you remember, my first goal was to lose 30 pounds and I've done that, plus I've lost another two pounds. I've been thinking about not only how much weight I want to lose but other areas that need focus as well. Here is what I've come up with...

Long-term goal - lose 30 pounds by April 30 (my 29th birthday). It took me six months to lose the first 30 and I want to try to lose the next 30 in only five months. I had some setbacks in September and the first part of October and that kept me from reaching my goal sooner. Once I reach this goal, I will have to evaluate my body and see how much more weight I need to realistically lose. I'm guessing anywhere from another 7-12 pounds.


Short-term goals - 


1. To lose another 5 pounds by the end of the year. 
2. To have lost a total of 12 pounds by Valentine's Day. A loss of 12 pounds will put me at the exact weight I was when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter.
3. To start back strength training at the gym. I had to stop when I broke my finger. I've been hesitant to start back since my finger still bothers me. The specialist said it could be up to a year before I no longer have pain in it. It's time to get over it and get my body where it needs to be. 
4. To work on my tummy, most specifically my abdomen area where I was cut for the C-section. They have to cut through muscle so that area needs a LOT of strengthening. 
5. To get more consistent with my running and to run another 5K before my birthday.


Can I say, that it feels so good knowing that this year is almost over and I'm nowhere near the person I was at the beginning of 2011? I can't remember how many years that I made a New Year's Resolution to lose weight only to have fizzled out before February. This year, I didn't make a resolution. I made a lifestyle change. I have to constantly decide to be healthy, to work hard, to eat right, to exercise self-control. As my friend Clara has said, "it's a slippery slope." Check her blog often. I know she's supposed to be doing a post on that very subject!

Here's to meeting old goals and making new ones!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica