WIAW #3 - A full day of eats!

Hey guys! Half way to the weekend :) I finally remembered to document everything I ate yesterday,
so here it is! 

For those of you who don't know what it is, it is a post concept developed by the wonderful Peas And Crayons blog in which you simply post what you ate in any given day (not necessarily that Wednesday).
Enjoy :)

Breakfast

{ 1 cup carrot juice + Oat bran & rolled oats cooked with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, sea salt, stevia, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, tsp coconut oil. Mango + banana mixed in. Topped with more natural peanut butter + Side of coffee with stevia & unsweetened cashew milk }

SIDE NOTE

Love having my oatmeal in a almost empty nut butter jar! The sides get all melty and I get a little bit in each bite. I have been having 1 cup carrot juice every afternoon or morning before breakfast. I will be doing a post very soon on the benefits :) I find I prefer drinking it on an empty stomach because it gives me a fast boost of energy! Another reason why I need a juicer...

Lunch

{ Collard wraps stuffed with tuna, Ithaca dill + lemon hummus, Avocado, Cucumber + Red pepper.

Plus the rest of the avocado on the side }

SIDE NOTE

I have been loving these raw collard green wraps and Itacha hummus! This hummus is the best i've ever tasted, you can check them out here. Unfortunately, both days of eating this my mouth + ears have gotten tingly/itchy right after eating it, I am guessing a oral allergy to raw collard greens!? I never have them, so I know if I would have experienced this before. 

Snack

{ Apple + Natural peanut butter }

SIDE NOTE

Classic snack! I surprisingly have not had this in ages. It hit the spot and gave me energy for my evening work out. I for some reason got a irritating headache right after eating this...pesticides?! I do not know. Maybe I just think too much ;)

Dinner

{post-workout}

{ Grilled italian chicken + Maple roasted acorn squash }

SIDE NOTE

I was on my own for dinner tonight and had chicken marinating in the fridge for days, so I made this simple but delicious dinner! Chicken comes out amazing after marinating for 24+ hours and grilling always makes the best chicken in my opinion. I made the acorn squash last week by chopping it up (very difficult) so decided to simply roast it cut in half & eat it with a spoon. It came out SO good! I usually have some type of greens with my dinner, but if I load up on them at lunch most days then I don't stress about it.

Dessert

{ Microwaved homemade vegan brownie from the freezer +

dark chocolate with unsweetened Silk cashew milk }

SIDE NOTE

Many times I am full from dinner but sometimes I love having something sweet to top it off! I grabbed one of my vegan brownies from the freezer (made with dates, oat flour, banana...) and some dark chocolate after that :) If you've never tried Silk cashew milk you need to, it is super creamy + the unsweetened still has a sweet light taste!

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YOUR TURN

Do you have any oral food allergies to raw foods?

What is your favorite "healthy" dessert?

RECIPE « Healthy Turkey Chili

My favorite cold weather food by far is homemade turkey chili. The recipe is extremely simple, super healthy, and is very hard to mess up! Made with minimal & completely clean ingredients, it is the perfect lunch or dinner, and goes oh so well with a fresh salad or some warm crusty bread.

It is a nutrition power-house! Loaded with veggies (peppers, onions, tomatoes), quality fiber (kidney beans, veggies), lean protein (ground turkey) & metabolism boosting spice (jalepino, chili & spices)

 It is my moms incredible recipe, so I have to give her credit for this one, she is the best cook in the world! I modified it a bit by adding more spices + jalepino because I have grown to love spicy food. I know you will love it as much as I do. It is a hit with everyone who I have ever made it for! This is a great meal to meal-prep during the week, or make a big batch and freeze for future meals! 

You will need:

1 container ground lean turkey (or ground chicken or lean ground beef)

2 green bell peppers

1 jalepino pepper

1 white onion

1 can kidney beans

1 24oz can crushed tomatoes

1 24ox can diced tomatoes

2tbsp minced garlic

olive oil

spices: pepper, chili powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, cumin

Step 1

Chop your white onion, bell peppers, jalepino & garlic. You can chop them into whatever size you prefer! Heat a large pot on medium heat, and drizzle olive oil on the bottom. Add onion + garlic, and sautee until onion is translucent and slightly browned.

Step 2

Add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Add the ground meat to the pot, breaking up into chunks with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir and cook until meat is 90% cooked (no longer raw/pink). 

Step 4

Season with pepper, chili powder, cayenne, cumin & red pepper flakes to your liking. (Important: taste as you go to make sure you are not over-seasoning! A little spice goes a long way.)

Step 5

Add kidney beans, and both cans of tomatoes. Stir.

Step 6

Continue stirring and let simmer on low/medium heat for 25-60 minutes. Add more spices to your liking, tasting as you go. You really can’t over-cook it, and the longer it sits the thicker & more flavorful it becomes! This is one of those recipes that is also amazing leftover cold, and one that gets better & better the longer it sits in the fridge! 

This chili is amazing topped with parmesan cheese. I also paired it with organic rosemary olive oil bread spread with olive oil butter. Soo good!

My tried & true tips « Hair, Skin & Nails

Hey guys! So I know there is so much information out there, and it can be really frustrating/confusing what to believe or what to try. I know this, and I have researched nearly every method out there, and tried things for myself. Here are my tried and true tips that I have done in the past couple months that has definitely made a noticeable positive impact on the health and appearance of my hair, skin + nails!

Biotin (high amount)

Benefit: hair, skin, & nails

This one is well known, but for good reason! I have tried biotin before and not noticed much difference, therefore I think the amount and quality is extremely important here. I take a supplement with 10,000 mcg biotin which you can get here. I take one a day with breakfast and I could tell after one week that my nails have never been so strong, and they have been growing faster than ever before in my life. I also attribute my healthy hair + skin improvement to this, however nail growth was what I noticed immediately!

Carrot juice 1c daily

Benefit: hair, skin, & nails

This one I have been doing for almost two weeks, with a few days missed here and there. Research shows that consuming carrot juice daily has the power to clear your skin, promote hair growth, increase energy, prevent disease, improve eyesight, and more! One cup hosts approximately 850% Vitamin A and a measly little 10g natural sugars. People also have reported on their skin developing a healthy "glow" and in some cases with over-consumption an orange tint! I have not seen the orange “glow” yet but my skin has looked more supple and my breakouts have greatly reduced.  I also attribute this to my healthier hair! Also, I notice a huge boost in energy when I consume this on an empty stomach as a snack, or first thing in the morning. It makes sense, since there is no fiber to slow the digestion, which means the natural vitamins are rapidly absorbed. Just another reason why I need to get a juicer, the hype is real folks!

Sulfate-free Argan oil shampoo

Benefit: hair

Argan oil is extremely good for your hair, similar to the ways coconut or olive oil is. I knew I had to switch from my chemical based shampoo to a sulfate free one that was more natural and nourishing to my hair. I did a little research and found this one by Maple Holistics on amazon which you can see here. It had rave reviews, and I can see why! So far while using it my hair has definitely been softer, shinier, and healthier looking. I massage this through my hair in the shower & leave it in for 5 minutes while I wash the rest of my body before rinsing it out.

Argan oil scalp massage

Benefit: hair

I also purchased pure organic argan oil which you can get here. I massage several drops of this throughout my wet or dry hair, concentrating on the ends, and being careful because too much will make your hair feel greasy. My ends feel and look more nourished & healthier! 

I have also been doing a argan oil scalp massage every other day or so, also known as the “inversion method”. You basically stimulate your scalp while laying upside-down and increase blood flow with nourishing oils in order to promote strong, healthy hair, thicker hair, and hair growth. It has gotten rave reviews and people have reported fast hair growth, thicker hair, and stronger hair within 7 days of doing this nightly. You can do this without oils as well. I lay upside own off the couch with my head towards the ground so that blood is slightly rushing to my scalp. I put 10-20 drops argan oil on my fingertips and massage my scalp firmly in circles for about 5 minutes. It is actually quite relaxing once you get the hang of it! You can find a lot of videos on Youtube demonstrating this, or click here for a descriptive step-by-step guide! It is suggested to perform this nightly to promote the fastest hair growth, but even doing it every so often can reap similar benefits. I do this to my hair the night before I plan to wash it (the next morning) so I go to bed with my head feeling greasy from all the oil but after washing it out the next day with my Argan oil shampoo my hair feels and looks like silk!

Wash hair every other day (or less!)

Benefit: hair  

I have always been pretty good about having at least one day in between washes. Lately I try to stretch it out even further such as every 2 days, at least once a week. When you wash your hair every day you strip your hair of all the nutrients and natural oils it needs in order to be healthy. This leads to breakage, brittle strands, dullness, and a dry scalp. You can actually train your hair to be less greasy with less washing! The more often you go more days in-between washes, the more your hair gets acclimated each time, and therefore produces less & less oil because it realizes it doesn't need to. Yes, the first day going longer without washing it may feel greasy, but just use a little dry shampoo and stick with it for a week. Quickly, your hair starts adapting and will be able to last a few days without getting greasy at-all! I have tried this, and it works.

Heat protectant spray + Serum

Benefit: hair

Aside from using argan oil, I will alternate between several argan oil or keratin based serums and a heat protectant spray. I like to mix a drop of each, a few spritz of heat protectant spray, and a couple drops of the argan oil all together in my palms and then massage it into my hair, concentrating on the ends but avoiding the scalp (weighs hair down + greasy). The serum and spray provide a slippery barrier between your hair and your heat tools, preventing breakage while also providing healthy nutrients to your hair.


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That's a wrap! I hope you guys enjoy these tips, if you have any questions about any of the above don't hesitate to leave a comment below! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend :)

YOUR TURN
What are your plans for the first weekend of October?

Do you have any great hair /skin/nail tips that have worked for you?

Have you tried any of the above tips?