Yoga & Wheat Free Update

What a difference a couple of weeks makes!  Eliminating wheat from my diet has been a revelation.  I thought that I would be craving bread, pasta and all things bad for me that contain wheat, but what is happening is that I am not wanting those foods after all and I'm creating meals using a variety of vegetables, fruits and grilled chicken and fish.  

When you stop eating wheat you immediately start thinking of what you can't eat.  But I decided to look at it at a different angle.  WHAT ALL CAN I EAT?  And what was transforming for me was that I made a list of all of the things I can't eat on one side and listed all of the things I can eat on the other side.  I simple Pros and Cons list.  This is something I do when I'm in decision about something and it was an eye opener for this wheat free challenge.  

Since I love to cook, looking at all of the ingredients I can use was encouraging, not discouraging!  So what I decided to do was make fresh food, fast and flavorful.

My meals are consisting of a grilled protein and some type of vegetable salad.  Not a regular lettuce and dressing salad, but using a variety of vegetables to make different types of salads to accompany my protein.  

For breakfast, a Greek Yogurt and Fruit Parfait.  I use Kind Foods GF Granola and layer Greek Yogurt mixed with Honey, Nuts, Granola and Fruit.    

 Rice Chex Cereal, Toasted Walnuts, Pistachios, & Pecans.  Fresh fruit and I like to mix 50/50 Pure Coconut Milk and Almond Milk.  Because I feel the Almond Milk is too thin and the Coconut Milk is too thick so I cut it 50/50.  It's brilliant and makes a perfect milk for cereal.

Each morning I'm waking at 5am.  Can't seem to sleep later so I jump up and do my DDP Yoga and boy have I felt it this week!  My muscles feel like they are working from the inside out.  I'm keeping my commitment to do it everyday and it's making me feel really good afterwards.  My heart rate increases without aerobic exercise and it's fantastic.  

My joint pain has lessened this week as well.  I believe the combination of wheat free eating and DDP Yoga has made a difference.  

I've lost 5lbs in the past 2 weeks.  I will take my measurements later today and get a reading on what inches I've lost.

So far so good.  Why stop now!

Thanks for stopping by...Stormy

Moroccan Quinoa & Toasted Pecan Salmon

This week has been great.  I'm starting to feel so much better since eliminating wheat from my diet.  I guess I am intolerant of wheat and didn't realize it.  I've lost 4lbs this week!  Plus the DDP Yoga has been great.  I'm still waiting on my DVD's but I've been able to do some exercises that are posted on the website for members and the network of people has been outstanding.  

Here is a nice recipe for some quinoa which is so good for you and it replaces, pasta or rice that is packed with protein.  I can eat this solo and have a very satisfying meal.  However I made it the other night with one my favorites Toasted Pecan Salmon.  It's such a nice treat.

Mix up this spice blend and keep handy for adding a quick zest to fish, poultry and vegetables.  It's amazing how spices can change up the flavor of boring food.  I love to use whole cumin seeds and black mustard seeds and bloom in some olive oil before adding the vegetables.  It really gives it a great flavor.  

 

Moroccan Spice Blend

1 tsp Cumin, Ground

1 tsp Ginger, Ground

1 tsp Himalayan Pink or Sea Salt

¾ tsp Black Pepper

½ tsp Cinnamon, Ground

½ tsp Coriander, Ground

½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

½ tsp Allspice, Ground

Mix all ingredients together and keep in airtight container.  Use on fish, poultry, vegetables.  

Moroccan Quinoa & Vegetables

4 Large Carrots, Peeled and Sliced

1 Cup Sugar Snap Peas

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 tsp Cumin Seeds, Whole

2 tsp Black Mustard Seeds

1 Cup Red Quinoa, Rinsed

2 Cups Water or Vegetable Broth

2 tsp Moroccan Spice Blend

½ Cup Green Onions, Sliced

½ Cup Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

¼ Cup Slivered Almonds, Toasted

½ tsp Himalayan Pink or Sea Salt

¼ tsp Black Pepper

1. Rinse the quinoa under water to remove any bitter flavor that will come out in cooking.
2. Simmer the 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of liquid (water or broth) along with an additional 2 tablespoons of Moroccan spice blend until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Allow quinoa to cool down prior to mixing with other ingredients.
3. In a sauté pan, add olive oil, cumin and black mustard seeds.  Sauté carrots and sugar snap peas until al dente and not over cooked.  Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a bowl, add the green onions, almonds, and cilantro.
5. Once the quinoa cools down, add the vegetables and other ingredients.  Serve!

Toasted Pecan Salmon

Salmon Filets, with Skin (4oz per person is a good serving size)

Pecan, Chopped (enough to cover the top of each salmon)

Olive Oil

Himalayan Pink or Sea Salt

Black Pepper, Cracked

On a baking sheet, lined with foil.  Place salmon on baking sheet, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add chopped pecans on top of salmon and pat down to make pecans stay on well.

Roast in 400 degree oven for approximately 15-20 minutes until salmon is cooked through but DO NOT OVER COOK.

Before serving, remove skin from salmon.  (I like to keep it on so it says nice and moist.

 
Thanks for stopping by....Stormy

Healthy Breakfast Toast

I have to say that I am really bad about getting up, making breakfast for my son who is 15 and needs something substantial to hold him over till lunch and then getting ready for work without eating myself.  When I do that I'm starving at 9am! 

Since breakfast is such an important meal, I've been trying really hard this week to eat breakfast, make something that is low in gluten and packed with some nutrients.  I thought I would share some of my simple recipes with you.

I love toast and since I'm looking for gluten free or low gluten options, Mestermacher makes some wonderful natural organic breads that are wheat free and low gluten.  I particularly like the flax seed one made with dark rye flour.  Rye flour is strongly flavored flour that is dark in color and is low in gluten.  It also has some whole kernel rye and flax seeds in it so it has some extra nutrients and texture.  

This bread is great toasted with just coconut oil instead of butter.  You should try it.  Or as I have shown above in the photo, I like it with fresh Avocado, fresh sliced Purple Onions, Cilantro, and Grape Tomatoes.  It's packed with vitamins and is so good!

Avocados - provide up to 20 essential vitamins including Potassium, Vitamins B6, C, E & K, Fiber and Folic Acid,  it is a monounsaturated fat which is excellent for your heart, Magnesium,

Purple Onions - is packed with Quercetin which is a bioflavonoid which helps scavenge free radicals.  It also has Allicin which is shown to promote cardiovascular health, prevent and treat cancer and reduce high blood pressure.

Cilantro - Is a powerful cleansing agent.  The chemical compounds bind to heavy metals and loosen them from tissues, blood and organs.  These compounds help aid and transport these metals out of the body. 

Tomatoes - Are an excellent source of Vitamin C which is vital for our bodies to help fight infections, it's high in Potassium an electrolyte for keeping our organs in good condition.

So next time you reach for white bread and butter for toast, think about switching out your ingredients with these nutrient rich foods.

Thanks for stopping by....

Stormy

30 Day DDPYoga Challenge...How will it change ME?

YOGA - It's something that I have wanted to try for a while and I've decided to give myself a challenge to practice yoga for the next 30 days.  I'm curious to see how it changes me.  

But the kind of yoga I'm going to practice is a little different than the kind of yoga most people are familiar with and it's the type of low impact exercise that is the perfect combination of breathing, resistance and posture movements that is supposed to increase your heart rate to help burn fat and transform your body.  

This yoga is called DDP Yoga and they make a joke that "It's Not Your Momma's Yoga!"  due to it's high intensity and engaging all your muscles to transform your body faster than regular yoga.  We all know that yoga can help build strength and flexibility but DDP Yoga can be the key to significant weight loss by the deep resistance to each movement and getting the body to work against itself - so I thought I have to try this for at least 30 days and see what happens.  They say it gives you a new sense of energy and control.  

DDP stands for Dallas Diamond Page and he is....get this... a world champion professional wrestler.  I know, I know, I know what your saying.  But this guy has found a way to take regular yoga and kick up the intensity.  He developed this type of yoga to transform and heal his body from some injuries that almost ended his career.  He ended up with a yoga that is a combination of the basic principles of yoga, elements of strength training, Pilates and mixed martial arts.   When he transformed his body using these techniques that not only transformed his injury's, increased his strength; it had a huge side effect....WEIGHT LOSS!   In less than 3 months he was back into the ring.  This is an intense cardio workout without impact on the joints. 

I need more than weight loss, I need strength, muscle tone.  I've had some major surgery in my abdomen area and my muscle tone is very poor.  My psoriasis has started to wear on my joints and creating arthritis.  So I'm very excited to start this program.  The next few days, I will post updates on my progress to share with you.  And if your familiar with this program and have started it yourself, email me and share with me your journey.  We can all use a little encouragement.

If you have a blog and want to post the 30 day challenge, please use the logo provided on my site.  All I ask is to have a link back to my site.  Then send me an email letting me know that you have added it and I will add your web link to my site.  

So now, it's time to get my head right - focus...Let's see what happens...

Go see this inspirational story NEVER GIVE UP - Arthur's Story

Stormy

To Jump or Not to Jump...Following Intuition

Ever wonder if you are making the right decision when something out of the ordinary comes your way and you have to decide to jump or not to jump?  I mean, what if you did or what if you didn't?  You really don't know either way - would you?...

Sometimes we think that things come our way for a reason and that we should go with it and it's exactly what is planned for us.  But sometimes things are put in our path to make us appreciate what we have that we were taking for granted.  

When we have a goal or a dream and we are trying to manifest it, we get presented with opportunities that we must decide weather we should go for it or hold off.  

This last month has been interesting to me.  I've endured some unexpected events that have become life changing for me.  These things kind of took my eye off the ball and I was ready to play in the game, but now I have realized that the ball I was focusing on was for a different game.  My game of life.

There are ways to decide weather we should make that jump or wait; and the best way I can describe that is by following your inner intuition.  It's a strong energy force within your soul that will guide in you the right direction every single time.  If you ignore it, you will find out later that you should have followed it.

Intuition is knowing without words and sensing the truth without explanations.  Your body will speak to you and give you the feeling to follow your heart or take the risk.   Or it could be guiding you by giving you thoughts and messages to explore.  Either way, it's important to acknowledge these feelings and understand what is being said to you. 

This past weekend we experienced the Super Moon, when the moon is closer to earth and the power of the moon projects more energy.  If you notice during these times, you will have a stronger sense of guidance.  Certain opportunities will cross your path, you will meet someone new or you will find yourself in a place where you can create more opportunities in your life.  

When you follow your intuition you have energy flowing through you and you are in the FLOW.  The flow is the movement of energy that is the essence of all things.  When you find you are that moment, always remember to follow your inner guidance.  You can't go wrong.

Thanks for stopping by...Stormy

Pureheart Watermelon Madness!

This week was a rush of humid weather and hopefully not a taste of what is to come this summer.  Last summer was so hot and miserable I'm not looking forward to summer too much.  We have had a beautiful light winter and exceptional bright spring.  My lawn and trees are full and green and I'm savoring every moment of this precious weather.

Strolling the supermarket the other day and found my favorites little Pureheart Watermelons.  They are the perfect size for a single mother of one and fits perfectly in my compact side by side fridge!  There is something so refreshing about biting into a slice of these little ruby jewels.  They are crisp, sweet and seedless, which is the best part.  I have used these watermelons for salads (click here for watermelon salad), salsa and cube up for nice little appetizer kabobs with tomato basil and balsamic.

Pureheart Organic Watermelons are full of vitamins A & C, they are packed with lycopene and potassium.  They are good for your heart, help with inflammation that contributes to asthma, diabetes, colon cancer and arthritis.  A perfect little treat with just a dash of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and a squeeze of fresh Lime.

Dice up some Pureheart Watermelon, slice Cherry Tomatoes in half, tear some fresh Basil and Skewer.  Drizzle with a mixture of Balsamic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Sprinkle with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and serve.

Spring is perfect for an outdoor get-together with friends and these little watermelon shots are a great way to get the party started.  Here's how you do it...

Simple Syrup

Combine 1 part water and 1 part sugar in a saucepan. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved (syrup is done when the mixture is clear and the surface is covered in bubbles). Remove from heat; cool in refrigerator until ready to use. 

Lime Salt

Zest of Lime

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Mix together and spread out on a plate.  Moisten the lip of the your shot glass using a lime wedge and dip into the lime zest and sea salt.

Watermelon Nectar Shots

1 Pureheart Watermelon, removed from flesh and diced

4 oz White Tequila (I prefer Patron)

2 oz Simple Syrup

Splash of Lime Juice

Lime Wedges

Cut up watermelon flesh and place in a strainer lined with a clean kitchen towel over a bowl. Gather the corners of the towel and squeeze tightly to extract watermelon nectar. Measure 8 ounces; reserve remaining nectar for another batch. Combine Watermelon Nectar, White Tequila, Simple Syrup, and Lime Juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and pour drink through a strainer over ice in glasses. Garnish with Lime Wedges and Lime Salt.

Now something a little fun with the watermelon theme...

 

Spring is almost over...Enjoy it while it lasts!

Thanks for stopping by...Stormy