i am an athlete.
i am a pescatarian.
(i eat 90% vegetarian and vegan meals but have not made the full plunge. time will tell)
i am passionate about/and love food.
i am on a journey to be healthy and fit.
and i am constantly learning how to balance these two into a healthy and complete lifestyle.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
list of high protein foods and best protein sources
what do you need protein for? your skin, hair, muscles and all your body parts benefit from good quality, healthy protein sources. here’s what high protein foods from the best protein sources can do for you:
- help you look better,
- build new muscle,
- maintain muscle,
- and lose fat.
this healthy high protein foods list puts all the best protein sources into ABC categories:
- the “A” high protein foods list contains only seafood and poultry. because of their high protein content compared to their low calorie count, poultry and fish are considered the best protein sources from natural foods.
- the “B” list of high protein foods contains dairy and legumes (beans, peas and lentils). dairy is also important for calcium. and beans, peas and lentils are your best protein sources from high fiber plant foods.
- even though whole grains and nuts are on the “C” list of high protein foods, they’re both loaded with fiber and nutrition. and when combined with legumes, the combination boosts your total healthy protein intake.
i couldn’t help myself. i love lists. i think that many people know these healthy protein sources. but it’s nice having it all laid out. and it is a very good reminder.
jicama dill salad
dressing
- 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried mustard
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon diced garlic (dried)
- 4 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
1. place all ingredients in high-speed blender. blend until smooth.
*note: this will make a little over a cup of dressing. you will not need the whole amount for the recipe.
salad
- 6 cups jicama, cubed (about 1 large jicama)
- 1 cup scallions, sliced
- 2 cup celery
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup dill dressing
1. toss together: jicama, scallions, celery
2. mix in 1/2 to 2/3 cup dressing (to taste).
3. top with more fresh dill if desired.
*serves 4-6
cashews are soaking. so excited for dinner tomorrow.
for MANY more tasty raw recipes go to: http://www.rawmazing.com. truly amazing!
raw food diet plan.
this may be just the jump start that i need. a raw food plan for dummies essentially. i can do this.
vitamins.
ugh. i am sick. i don’t think my throat has ever hurt so much. unfortunately i have not worked out the last 2 days! and have definitely had too many calories. which is funny cause i think most people eat less when they are not feeling well. however. my problem is that i can’t find anything to “satisfy” me. so i keep eating. lots of bread and peantu butter. different story though. ha.
so.
like many people, i think, i thought that having vitamin c while sick would help relieve or lessen symptoms. however. have doing so quick google searches i found a common theme.
there are SO many different studies and opinions on vitamin c and the common cold. there is no argument that vitamin c is an essential vitamin for your health.
lots to learn.
“the word vitamin is derived from the combination of words: vital amine. vitamins are organic (carbon containing) molecules that mainly function as catalysts for reactions within the body. a catalyst is a substance that allows a chemical reaction to occur using less energy and less time than it would take under normal conditions. if these catalysts are missing, as in a vitamin deficiency, normal body functions can break down and make a person susceptible to disease.
vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. vitamin c is a water-soluble vitamin. this means that when taken in excess it is excreted in the urine. therefore it is not usually associated with toxicity. vitamin c as well as vitamin b are both stored in the liver.
fat-soluble vitamins are essentially the opposite (makes sense i suppose). fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin a, d, e and k (easily remembered with the ADEK acronym). this type of vitamin accumulates within the fat stores of the body and within the liver. so fat-soluble vitamins are often associated with toxicity when taken in large amounts.”
highly recommend reading this article. as my search started with vitamin c. this article focuses on it - in fact it is the “ultimate guide to vitamin c”. happy readings.
cherries’ rich red color lends them benefits seen and unseen.
- cherry anthocyanins, the pigments that give them their color, pack a powerful nutritional punch.
- these antioxidants have been shown to have a significant impact on relieving muscle and joint soreness more quickly as well as possibly lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
- cherries contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body’s natural sleep patterns, aid with jet lag, prevent memory loss and delay the aging process.
- other important nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate are also present.
sadly, cherries have a very short growing season that peaks in the middle of the summer. however. lucky for us. they are currently in season. go buy those cherries.
the secrets of thin people.
how they get there. and how they stay there.
really great article. eye-opening. many of these things i do. however, near the end of the article is where i struggle. i tend to be a little overzealous about counting calorie intake and burned, etc. i will get there though. this article is a great reminder for helping me realize it truly is a lifestyle.
this is my dinner for tomorrow. very excited.
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Three Pea Stir-Fry
It may seem odd that we use frozen green peas, but, sadly, even the best fresh ones can taste starchy by the time they make it to the supermarket.
Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min
Yield: Makes 4 side-dish servings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
6 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
6 oz snow peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen green peas
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Preparation
Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then stir-fry garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sugar snaps and snow peas and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add frozen peas and stir-fry until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in soy sauce and sesame oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and season with salt.
mangos.
- improves digestion - the bio-active elements such as esters, terpenes and aldehydes present in mango aids to easy digestion.
- lowers cholesterol - high level of soluble dietary fiber, pectin and vitamin c present in mangoes help to lower, specifically, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
- improves concentration and memory power - mangoes contain glutamine acid which is good to boost memory and keep cells active.
- high iron for women - mangoes are rich in iron. people who suffer from anemia, post-menopause women and pregnant women (occasionally - don’t over do it) are great candidates to include mangoes in their diet.
- prevents cancer and heart disease - high amount of antioxidants are present in mangoes. mangoes help fight against cancer and other heart diseases. and as mentioned earlier they also lower cholesterol.
beautiful picture can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30758861@N06/2987038109/
electrolytes.
health and nutrition. ultimately this is the field that i want to have a career in. specifically nutrition. i haven’t quite nailed down the exact field. they all sound SO interesting. there’s sports nutritionist, dietician, pregnancy nutritionist, etc. the possibilities are endless.
unfortunately for me i didn’t figure this out before i graduated from college. what can you do? at least i figured it out earlier than some. so i need to make this a priority so that i can make a change instead of just wishing for change.
either way. i spend a fair amount of time researching nutrition and healthy recipes. and i was talking to one of my girlfriends the other day and realized that i couldn’t communicate all that i’ve been researching. so. i am going to start putting some of finding on here.
today. electrolytes.
in the simplest terms electrolytes (which include sodium, chloride, postassium, magnesium and calcium) help maintain the fluid balance in your body.
in more complex terms. as you might have guessed from the name, electrolytes electrically charged ions that conduct electrical impulses, and the body needs electrical impulses to make muscle cells contract - cramping is a common result of a lack of electrolytes, as well as dehydration. during intense exercise you lose electrolytes when you sweat, which can throw things out of balance.
you can replace electrolytes in several different ways. experts recommend having a sports drink or a salty post-exercise snack like nuts, pickles, pretzels.
right now. i’ve been loving nuun. it’s very tasty and has loads of electrolytes and vitamins.
this website is amazing and full of LOTS of information “electrolytes: understanding replacement options”.
on a normal/daily basis the kidneys filter and take the electrolytes from the blood and work to keep their levels in the blood constant. it is an extremely delicate process that the body goes through to try and maintain the perfect balance to keep water and electrolyte levels just right.
whenever the sodium level dips too low, the kidneys are stimulated to produce more urine, which restores the balance by lowering the amount of water in the blood. if the sodium level gets too high, thirst develops.
in combination with the kidneys the body also releases a hormone from the brain in response to thirst. this causes the kidneys to produce less urine. together these effects result in dilution of the sodium and the restoration of balance.
the body is an amazing thing. and there is so SO much more to learn.
“discovery fit & health” - this is where i found most of this information. and there is WAY more to learn.
kind of information over-load. oops. i’ll work on it. a little excited i guess. i think i need to learn how to filter. ha ha.
i love breakfast. poached egg on a whole wheat english muffin with pineapple and blueberries. great way to start the day.
