10 of the healthiest foods on Earth: FRUITS

It’s the New Year and you have been working on your resolutions thinking of what to add to it. Perhaps eating healthier is on there? Today’s blog post is part of our 

HOW-TO SERIES: UNDERSTANDING YOUR NUTRITIONAL NEEDS

We are going to go over 10 of the healthiest foods on earth that you should add to your lifestyle. Starting today with fruits!

FRUITS 

the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food.

There really are no bad fruits. If you had a choice between eating artificial sugars vs natural sugars you should always choose the latter. Although some fruits do contain sugar and if you are diabetic or have high blood sugar it could be a challenge for you, guess what? You can still eat fruits! 

A couple of word definitions you should be aware of:

“Antioxidants- a substance that inhibits oxidation, especially one used to counteract the deterioration of stored food products.”

“Anti-inflammatory- agents that block certain substances in the body that cause inflammation. They are used to treat many different conditions.”

1. AVOCADOS

Avocados are an amazing food. They are high in fat but that is largely monounsaturated fat ( Monounsaturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is one of the healthy fats, along with polyunsaturated fat) and specifically oleic acid, which is an omega-9 that is found in high amounts in olive oil and macadamia nut oil and many nuts. Monounsaturated fat actually lowers cholesterol. The kind of fats found in avocados has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and diabetes. 

Avocados are a great source of fiber (11-17 grams per avocado), vitamin A, folate, and potassium.  Also, great for your eyes, heart, and skin! 

Here are a few AVOCADOS forward recipes you should try:

1. Avocados Smoothie

2. Avocados Caesar Dressing 

3.Tuna Avocados Salad 

4.Avocados Summer Salad

5.Avocados Toast 

2. BLUEBERRIES 

Blueberries are brain food; They keep your memory sharp. These powerful little fruits should be on anyone’s list of superfoods. Blueberries actually help neurons in the brain communicate with one another more effectively.

They contain compounds that are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory. Are known to help with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease. If you are looking to get amazing health benefits to try adding 1/2 cup a day to your diet. 

Here are a few Blueberries forward recipes you should try:

1.Blueberry Cream Cheese Cookies 

2.Lemon-Blueberry Mini Cheese Cakes 

3.Blueberry Smoothie (don’t add the sugar)

4.Banana Blueberry Smoothie Bowl

5.Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins 

3. KIWIFRUIT 

The Kiwifruit has twice the vitamin C of oranges. They are also one of the most underrated healing foods. According to the author from food as medicine “Because of their rich array of disease-fighting antioxidants and phytonutrients, (a substance found in certain plants which are believed to be beneficial to human health and help prevent various diseases.) they are often prescribed in yoga nutritional therapy to help fight cancer and heart disease.

Two medium Kiwis have almost 5 grams of fiber and is also a decent source of magnesium. It’s recommended that you add kiwi to your simple diet because of its effect on our DNA as it repairs any damages.

You might be afraid to try kiwi due to its furry exterior and bitter interior, but here are a few recipes that should get you started on your kiwi-eating journey:

1.Kiwi Smoothie 

2.Kiwi Sherbet 

3.Kiwi Quick Bread 

4.Kiwifruit and Lime Cupcakes 

5.Kiwi Ricotta Cheese Tart

4. COCONUT 

Coconut and coconut oils are superfoods. Coconut and its oils are one of the most healthy, amazing things you can ingest. A 1/2 cup of shredded coconut meat has almost 4 grams of fiber, 142 mg of potassium, and 13 mg of magnesium. Less than 3 grams of sugar and most importantly 13 grams of the most heart-healthy fats.

You should not fear saturated fat in the coconut! The reason we say this is because the human body needs fat to survive. We can’t exist without it. It’s used as an energy source and it cushions and protects our organs.

Coconuts' medium-chain fatty acids are easier to metabolize. The saturated fats in coconuts are medium-chain (also known as MTCs or medium-chain triglycerides). Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn't need to use right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in your fat cells. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals.

Here are recipes with coconut in it that you should try:

1.Vegan Coconut Crack Bar

2.Vegan Coconut Chocolate Bars

3.Pineapple Coconut Smoothie 

4.Coconut Clouds

5.Toasted Coconut Tilapia with Pomegranate Sauce

5. STRAWBERRIES

Strawberries, like all the other berries (blueberries, raspberries) are spectacular for your health! 

All berries contain chemicals found to protect cells against cervical and breast cancer. Strawberries also contain ellagic acid (which is a polyphenol, or micronutrient, found in fruits and vegetables. Some foods contain a more complex version called ellagitannin. This is an acid that is converted into ellagic acid in the body. Ellagic acid is known for its antioxidant properties).

Strawberry compound may also improve short-term memory. Compounds in strawberries may also protect your brain and memory.

A cup of strawberry has only about 50 calories. 3 grams of fiber. 85 grams of vitamin C. It also has calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Here are recipes with strawberries in it that you should try: 

1.Rainbow Chia Seed Pudding

2.Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

3.Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Cobb Salad

4. Crepes with Strawberry and Lemon Curd

5.Strawberry Basil Shortcake 

6. GUAVA 

Oh, Guava, the most delicious tropical fruit that reminds me of my childhood! 

Guava is right up there with all the berries when it comes to antioxidants. It contains Lycopene (a red carotenoid pigment present in tomatoes and many berries and fruits.) which helps fight prostate and breast cancer. Also, once lycopene is absorbed by the body, it helps prevent and repair damaged cells.

One cup of cut-up guava gives you 688 grams of potassium (which is 63% more than a medium banana) 

Guava also contains almost 9 grams of fiber, 367 mg of vitamin C, and 81 mcg of folate.

My favorite way to eat guava is either in a smoothie or just cut up by itself.

Here are recipes with guava  in them that you should try: 

1.Breakfast Guava Bread

2. Guava and Cream Cheese Empanadas 

3. Guava and Cheese Stuffed French Toast

4. Strawberry and Guava Smoothie 

5.Fresh Guava Juice

7. RASPBERRIES 

Much like the other berries, raspberries are a powerhouse and full of vitamins.

They are about 64 calories per cup and 8 grams of fiber.  Not only that but they contain calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, vitamin K and get this, only 7 grams of net carbs. 

Raspberries could also be a natural arthritis treatment. That’s due to containing anthocyanins (a blue, violet, or red flavonoid pigment found in plants. Anthocyanins possess antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity effects, as well as prevention of cardiovascular diseases.)

Here are a few Raspberry forward recipes you should try:

1.Raspberry Crumble Bar

2.Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Bark

3. Buttercream Cake with Raspberries 

4.Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

5. Raspberry and Kale Salad

8. PAPAYA 

Another fruit that brings me back to my childhood. It was always on our table for breakfast and I would usually eat it with a bit of sugar sprinkled over it.

Papaya enzymes ease digestion, and inflammation.

It contains 781 mg of potassium, 5.5 grams of fiber, and only 55 calories in a cup of cubbed papaya.

It’s also known to reduce lung cancer risks by 30%.

Here are a few Papaya  forward recipes you should try:

1. Spicy Papaya Guacamole 

2.Papaya Banana Smoothie

3.Papaya Bars

4.Papaya Salsa

5. Fresh Papaya Jam

9.LEMONS-LIMES

You know that old saying? When life gives you lemon... yeah that’s because Lemon and Limes have so many health benefits when added to your water. 

1/2 of lemon juice a day raises the level of citrate in the body, which may help fight kidney stones. 

Lemon peel and hot black tea help to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

It contains limonene (which is a group of chemicals found in the peel) it has been shown in studies to prevent liver, lung, and UV-induced cancer.  

When making lemonade, try using the whole fruit, including the peel! So you get all the benefits.

Here are a few Lemon-Lime forward recipes you should try:

1. Lemon Meringue Pie 

2.Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust 

3. Grilled Lemon Pound Cake

4.Lemon Loaf 

5.Lemon Rosemary Salmon 

10.WATERMELON 

Oh, watermelon, one of my go-to fruits when I’m pregnant!

It has high water content and it is a high-volume food(takes a lot of space and very little calories). Which in turn, helps with weight loss. Watermelon is about 92% water.

Watermelon is low calorie, high volume, filling, contains vitamin A and carotenoids (Carotenoids, also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and fungi). 

Even though watermelon has a high glycemic index(around 72), it’s glycemic load is a low 4. Which is the number you should pay attention to! 

1.Watermelon Smoothie

2.Watermelon Juice

3.Tomatoes and Watermelon Salad

4.Watermelon Yogurt

5.Shrimp and Watermelon Skillet

I hope that you have learned a little bit more about each of these fruits and are willing to add them to your diet!

 

CWBP: E1S1 | I tried Chrissy Teigen’s Banana Bundt Bread Recipe

  Chef Would be Proud: Episode one Season one 

I tried Chrissy Teigen’s Banana Bundt Bread Recipe

For the first episode of my new YouTube series, we wanted to start things off with a bang... After writing down a few recipes from each category of my FOOD BUCKET LIST we ended up choosing this amazing recipe that’s been shared on my Twitter more times than we can count. 

Honestly, I’m just as surprised as you that it’s taken me a long time to make this recipe. This girl is legit obsessed with a slice of good banana bread! 

So you can watch the YouTube video at the end of this post to see how the baking process went but for me but here are my thoughts about the recipe and the whole experience:

One of her secret ingredients is vanilla pudding which I think is what sets her banana bread apart from others.

When I greased the Bundt pan I didn’t do the best job at it and there was a lot of oil dripping and some of the bread got stuck to the pan. 

Overall it is a great straightforward recipe that anyone should be able to make!

If you don’t link dark chocolate as much you could switch to milk chocolate and maybe use less sugar to balance things out.

If you watch my YouTube video then you can tell me if you think I did the recipe justice. 

I’m excited to cross this recipe off my FOOD BUCKET LIST and to keep it in my “make this again” folder.

CHRISSY TEIGEN’S BANANA BREAD RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed (about 6 bananas)
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup canola oil, plus more for the pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 (3.5 oz) box vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 (3.5 oz) bar dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and grease and flour a bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, and oil.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir together gently but thoroughly. Fold in coconut and chocolate chunks.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60-80 minutes.
6. Let cool slightly in the pan, then run a butter knife around the sides and center of the pan to release onto a plate.
7. Let cool before slicing. Serve with salted butter and enjoy!

Recipe by Chrissy Teigen.

Happy 5 months baby Olive

Dear baby Olive,

Today you are 5 months old... Oh my how time is going by fast! Your mama and dada thanks the lord every day for bringing you to our lives! 

Every day you are doing something new and exciting that makes us happy/cry! We love your little personality and high pitch screams. The way your eyes light up when daddy comes home and everything thing around you stops for a minute. You are a daddy’s girl! 

Olive you are now eating baby food and so far your favorite has been carrots and apple sauce. We love how excited you get when you start eating! You make the cutest little sucking noises with your lips while devouring all your food! 

You have the strongest core of anyone we know! You love sitting up and doing crunches! It’s adorable how every time we lay you flat, you put your little new out and try to sit up as fast as you can.

When you get excited you love to kick your legs and arms and sometimes in the middle of the night which is super cute and loud! 

A few weeks ago you started to notice Lyla (your little kitten sister). She walks by and meows towards you and you softly try to pet her. 

Tummy time is still not your favorite and you recently flipped over. (It’s only a matter of time before your laying in your tummy all the time).

Logan and Lia love taking care of you and often ask me if they can help with feeding you and holding you. The best big brother and sissy! 

Your eye/hand coordination is amazing and you love switching toys between your chubby little  hands. 

You weight around 16 pounds now. Such a chubby little girl. 

To celebrate your 5 months today we did a photoshoot with all these adorable outfits that were hand knitted by daddy’s grandma. 

Olive, we are obsessed with you and your adorable personality. We love you so much! 

2021 Goals aka Bucket List

It’s that time of the year. Did you think that 2020 was ever going to end? I sure didn’t... As you know, there were a lot of events that happened last year. For some, it was one of the worst years of their life, while for others, it was a year for thriving and following their hearts. 

Lots of people lost their jobs and had to get creative and that’s where a lot of smalls businesses were born. The thing about creativity is that you’re either born with it or you have to work really hard at it. For those born with it, 2020 was the year to get those creative juices flowing. And oh boy, did I witness some creativity. From brands to friends and everything in between. And unfortunately for those that weren’t born with it they struggled a bit along the way...

So whether you are a creative being or on your way to becoming one, in order to make 2021 the best year yet, today’s blog post is all about creating a bucket list of goals that you want to accomplish and hopefully actually go through with them! 

If 2020 taught me anything is that life is way to short for not following your dreams. A lot of you used to be like me: create a list of goals every news years but don’t actually follow through with it. It’s okay, you know why? You are only human! 

To give you an example, out of 10 goals I made for 2020 I was able to “complete” 8 of them.

                             Vision Board

a collage of images and words representing a person's wishes or goals, intended to serve as inspiration or motivation.

Vision boards are amazing! Not only do you get craft by cutting things out of a magazine you also get to have the visuals for the year. It’s a pretty simple process: you come up with a list of goals or bucket list items. Then either cut out images that represent that list or print them from online. Here are some fun ideas from Pinterest to get you started: 

List of Goals

the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.

For 2021 you should think of goals you would like to accomplish. Much like a bucket list they could either be something simple such as eat more fruits and vegetables or travel to a different country. 

Now the following list of ideas is just to help you get started with your goals/bucket list for the Nee Year:

1. Try to Workout at least twice a week

2. Eat a healthy meal once a day

3. Get 8 to 9 hours of sleep daily

4. Start writing down your thoughts on a journal

5. Drink 8 to 9 cups of water daily

6. Check in on your friends often

7. Start a business

8. Explore your own city

9. Try a new cuisine once a week

10. Work towards paying off debt

11. Have more “me time”

12. Take care of your skin

13. De clutter your home

14. Get rid of services you aren’t using

15.Volunteer for a good cause

What do you think? Are you ready to create your own now? Are you inspired and motivated? 

I sure hope so!

I did a no shopping challenge in 2020 and I’m doing it again in 2021 and here is why:

“I did a no-shopping-challenge in 2020 and I’m doing it again in 2021”

Here is why: 

Last year was a great year for me to reach some of my goals. The first one being that I didn’t want to buy anything new for myself. No malls, no online shopping, no local boutiques. If I really really needed something I could only go to my local thrift store.

If you were to ask me to do this “no buy challenge” 10 or so years ago I would have said no way! You see, things were a bit different back then. 

Consumerism literally consumed me... Fast fashion-filled my closet. If there was an online sale you bet your bottom dollar I was the first one to buy from it.

There is this one distinct memory that still haunts me: I worked for a corporate office where I had to dress up every single day, and there was this one specific day that after going out to lunch with a coworker I spilled my drink all over my skirt. We were near a Kohl’s at the time and my lunchtime was running out but I looked at my coworker and said: hmm I think I’m going to stop in here quickly and buy myself a new skirt. This one is wet! ~wake up dummy. I can’t believe that that person was me! I’m still really speechless over the fact that I would go off and replace a piece of clothing because a liquid was spilled on it knowing that I would have been fine once it was dried. 

So yes, back then there wasn’t a lot of research on FAST FASHION so my clueless-self didn’t know just how much I was contributing to polluting our Earth. How much I was helping this highly profitable business by buying their cheaply made clothing because “it was in style” because “all my other friends were doing it” and because “I saw it on my favorite fashion blog”. 

Fast Fashion: inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.

"the high-street leader when it comes to fast fashion"

“Fast fashion makes shopping for clothes more affordable, but it comes at an environmental cost. The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity's carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world's water supply, and pollutes the oceans with microplastics.”

Back to last year, I’m going to start by admitting that buying my first piece of clothing from a thrift store was a process in itself. Not because I didn’t see the benefits in it. It was purely because I was grossed out over the fact that someone else had worn that shirt before and it might smell. Crazy right? So if you currently feel the same way, here is what I have to say: it’s a mental process. It will take you going in a couple of times and browsing the racks in hopes to find something that you like. One of my most successful trips was planned out beforehand. 

Here is how it went: 

-It was a members-only 50% red tag day at Savers.

-I went through my closet the night before thinking of what I might need

-when I got to the store, my only goal was to search for red tags.

-my next goal was to search for some of my favorite brands like Lululemon, Express, Loft, well-made sweaters, H&M, and any well-known designer. 

-looking for those specific items made it where I didn’t just buy everything and anything. I know that these brands are fast fashion, and there is probably a grey area here but this is where I knew I would feel a little bit better because I wasn’t buying brand new.

-I left the store with a wide variety of my favorite clothes and with a feeling of achievement.

I’m lucky to live in the city I do because there are a lot of second-hand stores here. One of my favorites is uptown cheapskate. I have been able to buy brand new items from there. They also have a $10 dollar grab bag sale that whatever you can fit in this bag you will only pay $10 for it. 

How do you make the shift from consumerism to minimalist shopping?

“Consumerism is the idea that increasing consumption of goods and services purchased in the market is always a desirable goal and that a person's wellbeing and happiness depends fundamentally on obtaining consumer goods and material possessions.”

Influencers are on Instagram daily sharing their favorite buys with beautifully modeled pictures and affiliate links to all these stores. Makes it extremely difficult in this day and age.

Back to my last year's goal:

I started by deleting the Instagram app from my phone. I knew that it would not help my mental health if I was mindless scrolling and seeing all these beautiful outfits. It would defeat the purpose of my “no fast fashion shopping”

Then, I made an “inventory” of sorts of my closet. There was a section for t-shirts, jeans, workout clothes, fancy dresses, sweaters, and “sentimental items” these were either given to me or just something that brought me happiness and was used for a special occasion.

After doing that I decided to donate the rest of the clothes I either wasn’t using or didn’t see a need for it. Guess what? My closet was still pretty full after all this.

One thing I’ve noticed about my wardrobe is that a lot of the clothes in there I’ve had for a few years now. So technically I haven’t been going on crazy shopping sprees for a while now. 

My next goal was to only go shopping if I absolutely had to and my closet just didn’t have it. Oh! Another great thing is that if someone goes shopping for you then that’s an advantage right? My mom is amazing and bought me some pregnancy clothing last year.

Starting from the end of 2019 to the end of 2020 I went shopping for a total of 5 times. 

One of my favorite finds was this Calvin Klein dress I wore to my brother and sister-in-law wedding:

How to do a “no shopping in 2021”

Follow these simple steps and you should be well on your way to boycotting fast fashion:

1. Only buy if it is absolutely necessary 
2. Shop your closet first
3. Find local thrift stores in your area
4. Visit local thrift stores and browse their clothing section
5. Stay aware of sales. If you have savers near you they have great coupons and 50% off sales all the time
6. If you want to be extreme like me, delete your Instagram app for a couple of months so that there is no temptation. (I still haven’t downloaded the app on my phone)
7. Trade clothes with your family members or friends. I do this quite often with my mom and sister!
8. Say it with me: “Do I love it? Do I need it? Can I live without it? 
9. Do your research on Fast Fashion (my favorite articles have been: Fashion Revolution, Fast fashion emits more carbon than international flights, and many more)
10. Find brands that are doing their part to save the earth. I will warn you because these clothing items are ethically made, it can become quite pricey. ( I will soon write a blog post on these brands)

There you have it, this is how I was able to dial back on my shopping and do my part to help our carbon footprint.

Are you ready to take this challenge?