Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Tip of the Day:  If you're trying to quit shopping for "junk foods" at the supermarket, here's a little mental image and a quick & easy suggestion for you!

You're out shopping at your local grocery store and go to the isle where you can grab some bottled water.  But when you turn to put your water in the cart, your eyes catch a glimpse of your favorite soda! You know you probably shouldn't buy it since you've been so good on your new diet.  "A little treat wouldn't hurt",  you think to yourself..."would it?"  What do you do now??

When I'm out shopping with my family at the supermarket, we tend to stick to the outer isles of the store. Why? Because most always that's where junk food is NOT!  Think about it next time you go shopping and notice that all the chips, sodas, candies and other processed foods are usually on the inside isles of the shop. Staying in the outer isles helps me to "stick to my guns" and buy more fruit and veggies along with staple items like eggs, bread and cheese.

Hope this helps!
Kat

Good Eats for Foodies! And Special Care for Sensitive Skin!

Hey Fellow Health Nuts!  ;) Today I want to share with you where I get some of my favorite recipes on my favorite websites.

To those of us who were once able to eat all the candy, burgers, greasy pizza and other fried foods we wanted, and who are now "reaping what we sowed" as far as not being able to eat those things anymore, I have a brilliant solution! Why not still eat those comfort foods we love but through different ways and means. Why not try some of these awesome recipes on this website:

One Green Planet  

  http://www.onegreenplanet.org/ 


Also, to those of us who have sensitive skin and want some non toxic skin care products OR are in need of some awesome, tasty yet yummy GF snacks, go to these two sites:


Abes Market  

 http://www.abesmarket.com/natural-products/personal-care/natural-beauty-products.html



The Honest Company     

https://www.honest.com/?sid=10176&cid=google&mid=search&aid=Brand%20(Exact):Core%20(o):the%20honest%20company:e&pid=g&adgid=kwd-771674094&kwid=BoostTest_Control&gclid=CJCMsPPMlMsCFQ8kgQodUdcOBw

Enjoy! 

Dairy and Gluten Free Italian Night!

Tonight I made a Cilantro Alfredo Sauce from soaked cashews to go with gluten free rice spaghetti. This is a lot easier to make than most people would think, so I'll tell you how to make it!

First you soak 1 pound of unsalted raw cashews in water in a heat proof ceramic or glass bowl overnight (or at least 2.5 hours in boiled water).

When the cashews are completely soaked through so that they are soft and tender, drain them and place in a food processor or blender.  Before blending, add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, 4 tablespoons of liquid coconut oil, 2 large or 4 small cloves of garlic (minced), 1-2 teaspoons of salt, pepper to taste, juice of 1 medium lemon or 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of oregano flakes.  Blend all together until smooth (water may be added to get the right consistency for your own preference).

In a medium sized pot, boil 16oz of brown rice spaghetti in salted water until al dente.

While spaghetti is boiling, heat the sauce on low in a medium sized pot until heated through.

Next, in a small pan heat enough coconut oil to coat the bottom of the pan, add minced garlic. Then add halved baby tomatoes  & chopped red bell pepper (1/2 a cup of each per person) and saute.

Drain the spaghetti, place in individual pasta bowls, top with sauce and mix together. Then garnish with the tomato/pepper mix and a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley.
Bonus flavor: drizzle with a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

And there you have it! Your gluten intolerant and dairy free friends will absolutely love you, I promise!

Buono appetito!

 Stir-fry Night!                                        

This was super easy to make in a pinch and it's quite tasty too!  I used one organic bell pepper, and 1/2 of an organic zucchini which I stir-fried in a skillet on medium with coconut oil. For convenience I added garlic powder, oregano flakes, celery salt and pepper to the veggies.  In a separate pan I fried some pre-cooked organic brown rice added one whisked egg after making a hole in the center of the rice and seasoned to taste.  As the egg cooked, I folded the rice into the egg.  I topped it all of with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive, oil but you could also use soy sauce :)

Hello Friends and Family,

Today I have taken a step in the direction of becoming a Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I am extremely excited to start my journey with IIN! 

While I'm going through the program for the next 11 months (from September 14th onwards), I'll be posting things like recipes of everything from smoothies that I make for myself for breakfast to what I make for dinners, snacks, and my own homemade ice cream!  I'm going to try to keep myself on the right track throughout this year when it comes to what I put in my body.  I may even try out new food theories and let you know how it worked for me and how it could work for you.  At the same time, I hope I make you hungry with the pictures I'll post of my meals and maybe  you'll try them in your own kitchen too! 

I look forward to this new chapter in my life and hope you can join me!


Katriona