KOMBUCHA!

Anyone who knows me knows I love tea. I'm a tea hoarder. I currently have about 10 boxes of different teas sitting in my kitchen. Tea is a great alternative to coffee or soda, it adds the caffeine or flavor you are craving without adding the calories.

All natural teas contain less than 5 calories (most are naturally calorie-free) and can be drank at anytime of the day. I've never been a fan of tea since the first time I tried it at a Chinese restaurant when I was young. Since then, my horizons have expanded and the first tea I really enjoyed was a shaken iced passion fruit tea from Starbucks. As I started becoming obsessed with it, my kitchen began piling up with different brands and flavors.

I recently started drinking Yogi Detox  every night before bed and it has significantly added to my weight loss journey. The flavors of roots and harsh 'ground' taste' aren't exactly pleasant, but they do grow on you (thanks to the spicy tanginess of it). I just watched an old episode of Dr. Oz where he was suggesting adding teas throughout the day to aid in weight loss. He mentioned to drink 2 cups of white tea after lunch to stimulate fat burn. I prefer Tazo Berryblossom White.

Last year, I was introduced to G.T. Kombucha's Synergy Chia Cherry. Kombucha is a fermented tea, but little is known about its benefits to the human body. There is some speculations and very few complete studies conducted on the tea. It is made with live bacteria and yeast, and you can often times see the mother (the slimy bacteria) which scares a lot of people. The tea is fizzy and is said to be praised by the Chinese as a immortal tea. I know when I drink the tea I feel a lot more energized and reawakened. I just got done finals (reason for my MIA fit) and drank these almost every day. I have tried most the Synergy flavors that are well stocked in health food stores and Whole Foods so I decided to give a brief overview of each one.

Gingerade: Although this isn't a from the "Synergy" sector of Kombucha, this is my favorite everyday Kombucha. I love gingerale and ginger beer and this tastes eerily similar. Ginger has so many healing benefits such as relieving nausea (I always drink ginger juice after a night of drinking), preventing colds/flu, aiding in absorption, maintaining blood circulation, and preventing a laundry list of chronic diseases and cancers. The flavor of the gingerade Kombucha is very tolerable and can be drank often.

Synergy Trilogy: This is another everyday favorite of mine. The flavors are mild and add just enough "juicy" flavoring to the tea. It is mixed with raspberry, lemon, and ginger juices for the perfect combination of sweet and sour. Raspberries are loaded with antioxidants and have recently been found to aid in weight loss. They also have great anti-inflammatory properties. Lemons are a super food: they help with infections, lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol, preventing certain cancers, and curing the common cold and flu, just to name a few.

Synergy Grape and Cherry Chia: The chia synergies are loaded with 8g of fiber in each bottle! The texture might be a little daunting to those unfamiliar with chia (especially slimy chia in liquid), but chia is a natural way to lower blood sugar, increase energy, detox the body, and help with weight loss. Once you are over the initial texture (it took me about 3 bottles) you will definitely fall in love with the way these taste. They are also great for that boost before a workout!

Lavender No 3: This is my all-time favorite Kombucha. My Mom loved lavender and she collects every type of lavender soap, cream, shampoo, bath oil, etc imaginable. She claims that it has natural calming properties and it does. When I was shopping in Chicago Health Food store, I saw this flavor for the first time and decided to pick up this flavor since I have yet to try it out. It was kind of a mixture of floral and fruity and was really refreshing even if it was raining out. Lavender relieves bloating, soothes the nerves, calms the body, and can soothe a headache.

Synergy Cosmic Cranberry: This is what I am drinking as I write this blog. I have had it a few other times and its either a hit or miss for me. Today, I'm not really feeling the flavor so much, I'm not sure if the juice mixed with the Kombucha wasn't ripe or what (they use fresh-pressed juice in their teas). I had it about a week ago and thought that one was delicious. Like I mentioned, it is made with all-natural unsweetened juice from cranberries which are loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients (plant based nutrients). Cranberries also have been known to prevent against UTIs, support the immune system, help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and so many other great benefits!

Multi Green: This is by far my least favorite. I am not a fan of seaweed and that's what this flavor tastes like to me. I know a bunch of people who swear by the Multi-Green version, but it's just not for me. It is made with blue-green algae, chlorella, and spirulina, which are all basically nutrient rich algae found in sea plants. The health benefits in this version probably outweigh all the other flavors combined, but I just can wrap my tongue around the awful flavor. 

Citrus: The citrus flavor is very refreshing and only contains lemon juice. It's a lighter version of the Synergy Trilogy with all the benefits of lemons. 

I can't wait to try more Kombucha flavors. Each bottle varies in price from $3-$5. I actually found them on sale for 2/$5 at Dominick's a few weeks back but I'm not sure if they even stock them anymore. However, most health food stores and Whole Foods have a substantive selection to chose from. 

Updates and Skinny Pizza

I wish I had more to post about this week, but the truth is, it's been a pretty boring week. My weight is still refusing to move no matter what I try to do. This week I introduced cardio for an hour each morning before work and began drinking 100oz of water a day! I saw a .4lb budge this morning and am hoping to see more this coming week.

Last night I cooked up a delicious Greek flat bread pizza. As you can probably tell, I really love Greek food... in fact, I'd probably eat bugs drenched in feta and Kalamata olives! This super quick and easy dish is perfect for lunch and dinner. Sorry I don't have a picture of the final product, I literally ate the thing as soon as it was done! I ended up eating half last night and half today for lunch.

Skinny Greek Pizza
serves 1-2

1 low calorie, whole wheat/grain flat bread (can also use pita or a tortilla)
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp hummus (I used artichoke spinach)
1 medium boccaccini mozzarella
2 tbsp crumbled feta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
handful of spinach
Kalamata olives (optional)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Pop in flat bread for 3-5 minutes or until crispy.

Spread hummus on top of flat bread.

Dice onion and crush garlic. Saute oil olive, onions, and garlic until onions are translucent and lightly browned. Spread onion mixture on top of hummus.

Layer with tomatoes and spinach.

Slice boccaccini into thin slices and spread on pizza. Crumble feta on top.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and place in oven for 10 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Optional: slice olives in half and top the pizza.

Motivation Monday and Greek Lentils

Motivation Monday!
"I never regret it when I do it, but I always regret when I don't."

This morning I woke up at about 5am and could not get back to sleep. I was thinking of how great I felt after a quick 30 minutes of cardio on Saturday and debated whether or not to get out of bed for the treadmill. That's when this quote I saw on Pinterest popped in my head. I knew I had a long day ahead of me, but I also know exercising gives you energy so I stumbled out of bed, laced up my sneakers, and headed to the gym at the bottom of my building. By the time I got down there it was already 5:20 and I knew I could only workout for 30 minutes. I used to workout all the time, but have gone about 2 years without stepping foot in the gym, so my first time back on Saturday was a reality check. I want to build my endurance to about an hour 6 days a week, but I also want to start small so I can get into the hang of it. I have to say I do feel much better, I feel like I have accomplished so much already and it's only 9am here!

Saturday I also cooked all day. I still have some of my Garbage Chili left that I froze in 1 cup Tupperware containers for an easy lunch, but I can't live on the same flavors for days at a time. I absolutely love Greek food so I knew I wanted something with Kalamata and Feta in it. After browsing the internet for ideas, I came across a recipe for a White Greek Chili and decided to modify it into a lentil dish. I will admit, I made way so much of it, I had to use 2 pots just to contain all the ingredients!

Greek Lentils
Makes about 20 servings (I know, but you can cut in half, fourths, etc.)

2 yellow onions
5 cloves garlic
2 orange peppers (I used small, sweet ones)
2 zucchini
1 summer squash
4 sticks of celery
1 bunch of asparagus
1 16oz can artichoke
1 16oz can chickpeas
1 1lb bag lentils
1 large can tomatoes
6 cups of water
1 1lb bag spinach
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Italian seasoning
Generous handful of Kalamata olives
Lemon juice
Feta

Dice all raw vegetables into bite size pieces.

 

Saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes until lightly browned.

Add remaining raw vegetables plus 2 cups of water.

Cook vegetables for 5 minutes. Add lentils and remaining water.

Add seasoning and cook covered for about 30-45 minutes until lentils are tender. In a separate pan, heat chickpeas and artichokes.

Dice canned tomatoes and add them to chickpeas and artichoke along with all liquid from them. Heat for 10 minutes.

Add two mixtures together, plus Kalamata olives, and cook for an additional 10 minutes until all liquid is evaporated.

Serve warm on a bed of spinach. Top with feta and fresh squeezed lemon.

I used sundried tomato and basil feta which just added to the flavors of this dish. Also my Kalamata olives were marinated in garlic. I had no idea how much this would make. I felt like I just kept cutting up veggies and before I knew it, I was using two pots. I have frozen about 10 1 cup servings and have about half in the fridge. This is a great dish to add to a salad to make it that much heartier!

Weight Struggles

As you know, so far I have already lost 20lbs by changing to a vegetable based lifestyle. I'm proud and excited for myself, however, I have been stuck here for the whole week! The same thing happened around the 10lb mark and I decided to try out some juicing. I'm thinking I might return to an all day juice cleanse just to reboot my weight loss.

About a month ago, I watched Joe Cross's documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and decided to buy a juicer. There are plenty on the market, but Joe specifically suggests trying a Breville. I bit the $100 price tag and decided to just do it! By consuming nothing but juice and nuts for an entire day was just what I needed to reboot my system. I would juice for longer, but between working full-time and taking 6 classes, I think I might kill someone if I don't have solid food in my belly. Juicing acts as a quick way to get nutrients into your body for absorption while suppressing hunger. I was actually surprised at how well sustained I felt why juicing.

The first juice I made is still the best, to this day. I have tried many other combinations and nothing has compared. If you don't use enough fruits, its bitter. If you use too many fruits, its overly sweet. This green combination, however, is just the perfect marriage between fruits and veggies.

Green Machine Juice
Makes approx. 32oz

Half Bunch Spinach
2 Granny Smith Apples
1 Lemon
4 Celery Sticks
1 Lemon
1 Cucumber
1 Inch Nob of Ginger

Cut the apple into 4. Peel the lemon, ginger, and cucumber. Juice ingredients. Mix and serve with ice.

My Food Routine for Work

Hey guys!

It's finally Friday! I still have to work tomorrow, but only for three hours in the morning. Since it's the end of the week, I allowed myself a little taste of Starbucks. I ordered something I had never tried before: a skinny, sugar-free hazelnut latte! It was really delicious but a bit to sweet for my palate! I miss the skinny peppermint mocha... I don't know how I'm going to hold out to November 1st for that one!

Today, I want to share my food routine at work. Since I get here a little after 8am and leave at 5pm, it's important that I bring enough food to get me through the hours. Sitting at a desk all day can sometimes make me munch of food laying around my work (candy, trail mix, coffee). By bringing my own food, I have made temptation almost nonexistent.

Every day, I start off with a Greek yogurt. I can usually last until about 9am or 10am before I start eating it and it lasts me about 30-60 minutes. I used to only buy Chobani, but decided to venture out and try Fage. My gosh, this was the best decision I could have made! Fage is creamier, thicker, and overall more natural. I like the Total 0% with either the fruit cup or honey. Also, if I happen to have fruit in my fridge, I'll generally take that to work to munch on. Last night Target had raspberries 2/$5 so I had to grab a few and today, that's my fruit of choice. Since I went to Starbucks this morning, I am drinking espresso, something that I have kind of traded in for tea. I love all kinds of tea and they generally don't need cream or sugar like coffee does.

For lunch today I brought a massive salad. Last night grocery shopping I decided to pick up some Tupperware to store salad in. I bought 4 pack of red and green Artisan heads of lettuce from Aldi to be the base of the salad.

Aldi is basically a discount grocery store who indirectly owns Trader Joe's through a trust. The only thing I will buy from Aldi is canned vegetables, sauces, and produce (generally have to eat it within a few days). For the salad, I added tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and cucumbers. I am obsessed with tomatoes and love them in my salads for some reason. I picked up the sugar snap peas at Target because they were on sale for $2.99. They added a sweet crunch. I also love cucumbers in salads. There's something about them that is just so refreshing and crisp.

But what I'm most excited about is the dressing! I had been meaning to try this Amish health food store in Chicago and finally had the time yesterday. Each week, they drive 2 and a half hours each way to an Amish community in Indiana to stock their store... that's dedication! I ended up picking up a lot of healthy snack dips (two 16oz cans of apple butter and one 16oz can of sweet pepper relish), some pears, dressing, and this great chap stick made of cheyenne pepper and lemon. All for $30, which might seem pricey, but acceptable just by their quality standards. I love supporting local shops and don't mind dropping a few extra dollars for quality and some damn good customer service. Back to my dressing! I picked up a Sweet Vidalia Onion Summer Tomato dressing. When I opened it last night, I was shocked at how thick it was. The serving size is 2 tablespoons and has about 70 calories! There is no fat or cholesterol and is made from onions, tomatoes, and seasonings. That's it! I'm a dressing fanatic and love extra dressing on my salad (so bad, right?) so I took the two tablespoons and added 1 tablespoon of water to make it go further. The new concoction looked like your average dressing thickness.

I generally take my lunch late around 1pm or 2pm. Today I have a meeting directly after work and need something that will sustain me through about 7pm. The salad is extra big and really nutritious so it should keep me hunger free!

Nature Box

Thinspiration Thursday: The more you eat, the less flavor; the less you eat, the more flavor. -Chinese Proverb 

I'm a huge fan of cultural proverbs because they serve as a way to explore other cultures and ethnicity. This proverb especially spoke to me today. I have been getting into my routine of healthy eating, and after 2 months, I can safely say my cravings for junk food have almost worn off (last night we watched Man vs Food with a brownie Sunday, I'd cave for that... maybe!) As I have been eating less and less, I am beginning to enjoy my food, not just for the flavor but for the nourishment and the feeling. 

I also want to share a picture/quote with you that I saw on Instagram this morning. I try to surround (follow) myself with inspirational people whether it be on Twitter or Instagram and was so happy when I saw this. I never heard this before and it seems like a no-brainer, but for some reason when I read it, something sparked in my head. Usually the thrill of eating "American" fast-food boils down to two things: convenience and a craving. First, fruit is as convenient as McDonald's. If you stock your home, work, and car, with healthy produce, there will be no excuse to grab it on the go. Plus if you're a cheapskate like myself, you will want to eat that produce before it wilts. Secondly, the craving can easily be overcome by willpower. Grab something high in fiber to fill you up, some granola to satisfy your need for crunch, or fruit for your sweet tooth. Once you stop eating poorly, you won't crave it and once you start incorporating plants and fruit into your diet, you will begin to crave them instead. Eating fast food and junk food is an addiction and if you stop feeding it, the cravings will subside. Just a little food for thought!

Ok, on to brighter and better subjects. Last month I signed up for NatureBox! It had been popping up on my recommendations on Facebook and I had been meaning to sign up for months. They finally posted a $10 coupon which knocked the first month's price in half and I had no more excuses! This is how it works: for $19.95 a month you get 5 full-sized bags of healthy snacks delivered to your doorstep. Each month, they send you different snacks and its a great way to excite the palate. The first box is introductory, meaning it a selection of previous months snacks (I don't know if it is the same for every introductory box or not). My box included lone star snack mix, masa crisps, wild berry bunch, orange crush granola, and cranberry almond bites. I was a little disappointed on the sizing, but for $2.50 a bag (this month), I wasn't about to complain. Below I have commented on each snack:

• Lonestar Snack Mix: I am not a huge fan of nut mixes and have yet to try this one. I assume that it will be like most snack mixes with seasoning.
• Masa Crisps: The masa crisps were my favorite! They tasted just corn chips! I used to hate corn chips but I guess since starting this whole healthy eating thing, my tastes have changed. The only problem with these is that they can be eaten mindlessly, meaning if you are watching TV or on the computer, you might be at risk for finishing the whole bag! They are great to have with hummus or sprinkled over chili or salad. They also have flax seeds in them which adds a significant amount of fiber.
• Berry Bunch: These are great for oatmeal! You can also throw them into Greek yogurt for some chew. I haven't tried them yet, but they are currently replacing my dried apricots!
• Orange Crush Granola: I have almost finished the orange crunch granola. I put it in Greek yogurt for breakfast and was able to stretch 2.5 servings to about 5 but using it sparingly. 
• Cranberry Almond Bites: I gave the cranberry almond bites to my coworker in hopes that she would sign up. They were a pretty sweet and satisfying treat, but for her, she was able to eat the whole bag (5 servings) in one sitting. 

The mixture is great for someone who is a habitual snacker like myself. My only complaint is the bag size and the ingredient list. I just bought some Kind granola and the bag had a whopping 11 servings compared to NatureBox's granola only having 2.5. In my opinion 2 and a half servings does not constitute a "full-sized snack." I will continue my subscription, but as soon as I fail to eat the snacks in the box over the course of the month, I will cancel. The ingredient list was a little too long for me. Since starting to eat whole food, I have begun paying attention to lists. If there's more than 5 ingredients I get skeptical. Some of the items I received had long ingredient lists and some ingredients I had never heard of (not a good sign!). 

Garbage Chili

Hey guys!

Yesterday I was in a funk. I didn't know what I wanted to eat. It was my cheat day and I really didn't want my normal cheat (Cheese-It Snack Mix). Plus my university was closed because of Blizzard Saturn rolling through Chicago, which meant I wouldn't be sitting in my Advanced Accounting class craving that salty, baked goodness. On my commute home from work a sudden craving for chili rolled through my body.

Last year I made turkey chili quite a few times, but I was craving healthy, veggie chili. Plus my fridge was loaded with a ton of veggies that were a day away from wilted. I decided to stop at the grocery store on my way home to pick up some additional ingredients. The chili ended up become more like a garbage can (not very appealing but the only descriptive words I can find that fit!) filled with a ton of veggies and beans! It was loaded with fiber and less than a cup quickly filled me up. I made a huge batch of it to freeze or take for lunch the rest of the week.

The ingredient list might be a little intimidating, but most of the stuff you will probably already have laying around in the pantry or fridge. It turned out to be a pretty quick and easy recipe, even for someone who isn't too experienced in the kitchen!

Garbage Chili
probably makes about 10-15 servings

3 peppers (I used red, orange, and yellow Costa Rican Sweet Peppers)
2 small yellow onions
1 jalepeno (Use more or less depending on desired spiciness)
4 sticks of celery
2 carrots
4 fresh tomatoes (Optional- I had to get rid of them before they wilted)
5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can chickpeas (16 oz)
1 can black beans (12 oz)
1 can corn (12 oz)
1 can whole tomatoes (20 oz)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
Optional: cornstarch for thickness

Slice first 6 ingredients into pieces (I chose to dice them so they were tiny and easy to eat) and separate them by type (ie keep peppers together, onions together, etc.). Crush the garlic with a large knife. Saute the onions and garlic for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and celery to onion mixture and let cook for an additional minute. In a separate bowl, mix water, cumin, paprika, and chili powder until well dissolved. Pour on top of veggies. Let simmer in pan while you prepare the other ingredients.

Open corn, chickpeas, and black beans. Drain and rinse. Add to the pan. Open the canned tomatoes and cut each one into approx. 1 inch pieces (these are the easiest to cut and they don't have to be precise). Add to pan. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, occasionally stirring to make sure nothing is burning.

If your chili isn't obtaining your desired thickness, feel free to add cornstarch, sparingly. Make sure the starch is being dissolved in the liquid or you'll have large white clumps. Finish off with salt and pepper, if needed. I added some smokehouse pepper and skipped the salt. The pepper added just the flavor I was looking for!

In Progress

Hello, Everyone!

I'm super excited to start my blog! I just want to start off giving you a little background info about why I wanted to start one in the first place. 

2012 was my year! I did so many things that I had only dreamed of: spent three months interning in NYC, traveled to West Africa, and signed a job offer for post-graduation! It seemed as if I had my whole life together and was finally reaping the benefits of all my hard work. There was one thing standing in my way of euphoria: my body image.

I have always been insecure about the way I looked, whether it was my red hair or my weight, there was always going to be an issue about my physical appearance. I had adopted this attitude of "you only live once, and if you die tomorrow, you will regret not eating that piece of cake." I adopted the mentality that I would always be a "fat girl."

On my trip to Ghana in November and December of 2012, my mindset began to change. During the two weeks there, I have never been more active and ate so healthy (not that it was low-calorie). The Ghanaian diet consists mainly of fresh meat, vegetables, rice, and beans; basically they live off of natural foods which are free from being processed. When I returned to America, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a burger from Five Guys. After I devoured it, I got extremely sick. I'm talking sicker than I have ever been, throwing up and everything. Something in that burger triggered something in my stomach that it wanted out! From that moment, I vowed I was going to try eating healthy. 

As my trip-mates began posting pictures of the trip, I looked on in horror. I could not believe what I had looked like. The heat, sweat, and sunburn probably didn't help, but I was done making excuses. I needed to make a lifestyle change. 

I decided to start out with a popular tactic: Weight Watchers. I didn't sign up for the program per se, but I did begin to eat Smart Ones meals. I finally was beginning to fit into my clothing. Midway through January, however, I began to feel sluggish and lazy, and started to cheat: traveling between Chicago and Boston didn't help (I always eat poorly when I am at home). Around the end of the month, I discovered the blog RabbitFoodForMyBunnyTeeth, an all natural, vegetable-based approach to eating. I decided I needed to buy a scale and rid my kitchen of anything processed. 

I started shopping at Whole Foods and local health food stores. I'm a college student and money is hard to come by, so I had to be fully committed to my new lifestyle. I dropped my party-girl mentality and only allow myself one day of poor eating and going out (which is usually a Tuesday, makes it easier to get back on track!). I watched the documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead," about a Aussie who travels the US with a juicer, loses a bunch of weight, and gets his autoimmune disease in check. All on some juicing for 60 days! I could never imagine myself drinking strictly juice for one day, let alone 60, but I have adopted juicing into my lifestyle.

Over the past 2 months I have lost a total of 20lbs and gained a bunch of energy. I decided to buy a juicer and filled my fridge with fruits and veggies. If something begins to look like it's on its way out, I throw it in the juicer. I have started cooking my own food and relying mainly on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Chickpeas, black beans, canned vegetables, granola, and nuts are staples in my pantry; Greek yogurt, spinach, apples, cucumbers, and citrus fruits are staples in my fridge; and salmon and lean chicken and turkey are staples in my freezer. 

I have designed this blog to track my future progress as well as share recipes and products with you guys. I have plenty more pounds to lose, but already feel great about my journey and want to share it with you.

Thanks for checking me out!
Christina