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In Family

Forever Friendships

October 31, 2024 No Comments

Friendships come in all shapes and sizes. They say people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. As you have read, my husband and I are truly blessed with amazing friends and family. We love all of you, but today, I want to talk about one special couple who inspired me to take chances.

“True friendship resists time, distance and silence”

A few weeks ago My Rock and I made our annual road trip from Pennsylvania back to Florida. We stayed with a couple that we usually stay with up and down the coast. I have known him since I was five years old and her since I was in sixth grade. My Prince just met them in 2017 and luckily everyone gets along very well, probably too well (lol). Even though we live 5 hours away from each other, and only get together a few times a year, when we get together it is so easy. I leave every weekend with them with my cheeks hurting from the smiling, laughter, and shenanigans we end up getting into. These weekends are absolutely some of my favorite times.

I reconnected with the couple after a pretty long hiatus because we both moved away from our small town. The story is one of randomness and chance happenings. My mom was driving my grandparents home from their condo in Fort Myers to Pennsylvania when their car broke down in northern Florida. They decided to rent a car in Florida and drive to my sister and me in Virginia. Once the repairs were done, someone had to go back to Florida to get the car.

Even though I hadn’t talked to my childhood friends in a long time, we were from the same small town. We had been good friends back then because our parents were friends, too. To me, we had a bond and it didn’t matter how long it had been since we had talked. I asked if we could stay with them for a night to break up the trip while my mom and I headed back to Florida to get this car. They kindly opened their house to us.

We reconnected as if no time had passed. We learned about each other as adults and reminisced about our childhoods. It was one of my favorite nights.

I learned they were selling their house and most of their possessions and buying an RV. They were huge mountain biking enthusiasts and in their mid 30’s they felt they needed to go. They had saved money and made a plan. They were leaving from Florida, traveling up the east coast then heading out west. I thought it sounded amazing even if I wasn’t into camping or mountain biking. I was so proud of them for taking the Leap of Faith and going on their adventure. Most people wait for retirement to do all the things they’ve ever wanted to do. And sometimes, like my Dad, retirement is too late.

On their way up the coast, they stopped to see us in Richmond. We had a fire and had a great time catching up. They visited our houses, and we spent some time at their campground. I have to say they were part of the inspiration that lead me to quit my job that fall and go to Thailand to teach English. If my grandparents’ car hadn’t broken down and my mom wouldn’t have left it in Florida or if I didn’t have the guts to give them a call, I wonder where I would be and where our friendship would be today. What opportunities would I have missed out on? Things happen for a reason, my friends.

Since that phone call in the spring of 2015, we have stayed in touch and seen each other two to three times per year. They have welcomed us into their house each time we drive up and down the east coast. They were even generous enough to open their home to Sweet Gram and the cat! We don’t need to call each other every day or check in every weekend. We send texts when we miss each other, and we make plans when we want to get together.

I am truly blessed to have this couple in my life, along with so many others that make friendships and life easy. I believe our small-town childhood created deep bonds within us. I believe that friendships should bring you joy. Friendships should make you laugh. We need to remember that we are all busy. We may not hear from our friends as much as we want to at any given moment but we need to not take it personally. We can’t make assumptions unless we are assuming our friend loves us and just can’t get back to us right now.

Anyway, I hope you are blessed with a few easy friendships where you can catch up and laugh your face off until all hours in the morning. I hope you have people in your life that make it easy, that support you, and that love you. So Happy Halloween, my friends! Although we aren’t dressing up, we are off to Las Vegas to spend another weekend with these amazing friends.

In Adventures with Gram

Secret to Life

September 13, 2024 No Comments

I saw this article about the secret to life through an email subscription I get for free called “1440” which is a daily newsletter. It is a great email with the day’s news with unbiased reporting which is rare to get these days. It takes five minutes to read and there are links if you’d like to continue reading further into some articles. Please check it out.

I didn’t know why it was called 1440 but after reading their introduction I found out they named it that because the printing press was invented around the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses and changing the course of history. Also, in every day, there are 1,440 minutes. Now we know.

Here is a snippet from the article. “Maria Branyas Morera, the world’s oldest known person, died at the age of 117 on August 19, 2024. Born on March 4, 1907, in San Francisco, she moved to Catalonia, Spain, at age 8. Morera witnessed major historical events, including two world wars and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, and she became the oldest known survivor of COVID-19 at age 113. She was active on social media as “Super Àvia Catalana” (or Super Catalan Grandma), amassing nearly 19,000 followers.

There are approximately 722,000 centenarians—those aged 100 and older—globally, with 108,000 in the US. Supercentenarians—those aged 110 and older—are rare, with about 250-300 worldwide and roughly 60-70 known in the US. Morera credited her longevity to enjoying nature, good company, avoiding toxic people, luck, and genetics.

Some studies suggest the maximum human lifespan could be between 120 and 150 years. The oldest verified person to have ever lived died in 1997 at 122. The current oldest living person is now 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka from Japan.”

What an amazing life! To have lived through all of that is a beautiful accomplishment. Congratulations to Maria and her family!

Gram would have been 100 years old today! Unbelievable that we had someone in our family who was three and a half years away from making it to be a centenarian. I wish she would have been able to see the day. And I wish she would have told me her secret to life although after spending my entire life and five years living with her I have a pretty good guess at what her secret might have been.

Unlike many of us who are getting old, Gram seemed to be ageless. I feel like she looked the same at age 95 as she did when she was 62. Same white hair, same cute smile, same personality. She was ALWAYS smiling. She loved sitting outside with the sunshine on her face. She loved sitting in her recliner and looking out the window at the snow. She seemed to appreciate whatever it was that was thrown at her.

I remember Gram always dressing nice and doing her hair and putting rouge on her cheeks. She cared about what she looked like. But I don’t think she cared what other people thought of her if they had bad thoughts. She said what was on her mind (sometimes a little too loud!).

I do have to admit the last six months of her life we could see a decline. She was getting thinner and more frail. She was sleeping 16 hours a day. She was grumpier and the dementia seemed to have more of an impact on her. But all the same, she was my Gram and I loved her.

I love the advice Maria gives to us in the article. We need to enjoy nature and good company, avoid toxic people, have some luck, and hope for good genetics. I believe this is why Gram lived as long as he did. I believe Gram’s secret to life was her personality. She loved sitting outside, she didn’t put up with toxic people in her life, and she was happy and appreciative. She didn’t take much for granted. She was generous and concerned about the well-being of others. I admire her strength and her heart. She was my biggest inspiration. I mean who else would sit on a plant cart 🙂

Happy 100 years in Heaven, Gram! I hope you made a vanilla cream pie with a graham cracker crust (my favorite) and your delicious spaghetti and meatballs. Enjoy a beautiful family dinner with all of those up there filled with love, laughter, and memories. Until we meet again…

In Pilot's Wife

Eating in the Airport

March 12, 2024 No Comments

As you know My Rock and I travel A LOT. And many people wonder how we stay in shape while we are almost always on the go. We can’t always work out so we need to make a conscious effort to eat healthy while we are running around.

Depending on how you travel there are many options. If you drive, you can pack a cooler and stop at different restaurants along the way. We love looking up local restaurants and sitting down for a nice meal when we drive. If you fly, which airport you are flying into and how much time you have can make a difference in what you choose to eat. Many people go for the fast food chains they know and love in the airport. I believe this is for several reasons. One, they think it’s cheaper than any other option. Two, they know what is available and how it will taste. Three, many people are afraid of trying different foods.

If you have a little bit of time, look for different restaurants. There are some very cool and different restaurants in the airport terminal. There are several options from Asian, Belgian, English, Irish, and American. If you are adventurous, try something new! Many times the lines here are shorter as you see here at Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh (in the Denver airport, which was packed).

Fast food restaurants in airports can often be tempting, but it’s important to make better nutritional choices to maintain a healthy diet. Jersey Mike’s has healthier options than fried foods. Chipotle is a healthier option. Some of them even have cauliflower rice. Most airports have some type of Asian restaurant where you can get a poke bowl or sushi. Most airports have a Tropical Smoothie where you can get a smoothie and add protein to it. They even have some good sandwiches you can try. You can even make good choices at Starbucks by getting a black coffee or putting honey or almond milk in it for a sweetener. The egg bites are the best choice there or an egg sandwich with no bread. Again, eating is all about making choices. As you can see the line at Chick-fil-A is super long!

Here are some tips for making healthier choices at restaurants in airports (or on the Road) in the United States:

Look for healthier options: Many fast food restaurants now offer healthier menu items. Look for options that are lower in calories, saturated fat, and sodium. Choose grilled or baked options instead of fried, and opt for salads or vegetable-based dishes instead of fries or onion rings.
Avoid sugary drinks: Instead of reaching for a soda or sugary beverage, choose water, unsweetened tea, or a low-calorie drink option. Sugary drinks can add unnecessary calories and contribute to weight gain.
Control portion sizes: Fast food restaurants often serve large portions, which can lead to overeating. Try to choose smaller portion sizes or share a meal with a travel companion to avoid consuming excess calories. Or eat half and save the other half for later. You can take it on the plane or put it in your cooler.
Add more vegetables: If possible, ask for extra vegetables or a side salad with your meal. Adding more vegetables to your meal can increase the nutritional value and help you feel more satisfied.
Limit condiments and dressings: Condiments and dressings can be high in calories, fat, and sodium. Opt for lighter options such as mustard, salsa, or vinegar-based dressings, and use them sparingly. If possible stick with olive oil based dressings.
Plan: If you know you’ll be traveling through an airport with limited healthy options, consider packing your own snacks or meals. This way, you can ensure you have nutritious options available. It’s easy to pack protein powder and a water bottle. Apples, nuts, and protein bars are easy snacks to take along.

If you don’t travel often you may not know what you can bring a water bottle through security. You can empty it before going through TSA. After you are through you can fill it back up at the water fountain. Most airports have water bottle refilling stations now. Something else you can do is bring food and snacks. Most food is security friendly. Just be careful with hummus, yogurt, or liquidy-type foods if over the three-ounce limit.

Again, traveling can be tricky but making a conscious effort can help you keep your calories down. Here is a list of some of our favorite snacks when we travel:

Quest or Barbella protein bars
Homemade chicken or turkey apple sausage
Hard-boiled eggs
Rotisserie chicken
Salt and vinegar pistachios or mixed nuts
Carrots and cucumbers
Protein powder you can add to water
Apples

Remember, making healthier choices at any restaurant is all about balance. It’s okay to indulge occasionally but try to make the majority of your choices focused on nutritious options.

Photo by Ivan Shimko on Unsplash

In What We Eat

What We Do at Home

January 16, 2024 No Comments

A friend asked me how My Rock and I stay in shape when we are Never Home. I have written about our substitutions before but I thought I would share a little bit more of what we do when we are home.

I learned from the best trainer, Bill Lawrence, about how to fuel your body with food. What he preaches works for me and my husband. You can try it and tweak it and make it work for you. If you click on my What We Eat link you will find plenty of recipes of food that we eat and love! A nutritious lifestyle is NOT sustainable IF you don’t like the food you are eating. For us, this is what we do and how we eat. We don’t feel like it’s a diet or that it is hard. It’s just about making choices, and we make the best ones we can wherever we are.

Yes, it may take some time for your body to adjust to not eating as much sugar or seasoning with as much salt, but honestly, after you make a conscious effort to eat better, you will find most of your meals taste better!

When we are home, this is what we do. We like to cook together and eat at home. If we do eat out, we try to make the best choices with the options we have. We rarely order deep-fried food, pasta, wings, or pizza. We usually order salmon and a veggie. Or a salad with protein. (I will write more about what we do when we are on the road this month.) But when we are home, we get up in the morning, have a cup of coffee, and head to the gym. We use MCT oil and Premier or Quest liquid protein as our “creamer”. After we workout, we drink our post-workout protein shake immediately which contains collagen, dextrose, protein, and turmeric. My husband also adds creatine, glutamine, and BCAA’s. It is very important to get protein and carbs into your body after a good workout. During workouts, your muscles are broken down. You need the correct foods to build them back up.

We come home and about an hour later we make breakfast. Usually, we have Ezekiel toast with either a little bit of homemade jelly or nut butter and an egg and egg whites. Sometimes I will make a scramble filled with veggies. Sometimes instead of toast, we have sweet potatoes. Sometimes I will make an egg sandwich on a wrap and use a bit of feta cheese. Other times I will make chicken/turkey apple sausage. As Bill told us this meal should contain a high-energy carb and a good protein to replenish your body within two hours after your workout.

We should eat another high-energy carb and protein meal again another hour later but most of the time we start doing projects, and we don’t eat until lunchtime. Here we usually make a salad. I don’t love lettuce so I use the least amount possible of romaine and spinach. Then we add as many veggies as possible…red onion, tomato, carrots, cucumber, and a healthy fat of avocado, flaxseed, and a touch of dressing made from olive oil. We also add protein to it. Most likely leftover fish or chicken from the night before or we will use canned chicken breast or tuna. Many times we will get a rotisserie chicken from Costco. We take the skin off and peel it. Then we have the meat for the week to snack on, make wraps out of, or use on salads. This is also a great snack to pack along for travel.

In the afternoon, many times my Prince will make a fruit smoothie. We use frozen fruit, a cup of water or almond milk, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. You could also add a handful of spinach here, chia seeds, or a drizzle of honey.

For dinner, we have a protein and a veggie. Our fish is very basic. We love salmon, sea bass, and tuna steak. We spray or rub with olive oil then sprinkle with Nature Seasons. Sometimes we will add a tiny bit of plant-based butter and a little scoop of minced garlic. If we have it in the house we may sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. The same goes for chicken breast or pork chops. A few times a month we will make steaks on the grill with some grilled asparagus. My Valentine has his special recipe for this marinade with olive oil, Worcestershire, and steak seasoning. You will have to bug him for that recipe. Our veggies are very simple as well. Mostly broccoli and cauliflower with olive oil or avocado oil and sprinkled with Nature Seasons. Spread on a baking sheet and back at 400 for 30 minutes. Simple! And they taste amazing!! I love eating the leftovers cold.

If we are hungry at night we will have a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt with a scoop of Podium Peanut Butter Crunch protein powder. Other snacks we keep in the house around include cottage cheese, carrots, cucumbers, and hummus as well as the flavored pistachios. We also have dark chocolate bark thins in case I get a sweet tooth. If you keep chocolate in the house just make sure you don’t overindulge.

So that is our home routine. If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it. Be conscious when you go to the grocery store and fill your cart with fresh meat and veggies. Stay away from packaged food items. If your weeks are busy then take a day to food prep so you are ready for your week.

Remember, there is always room for improvement. We have been living this lifestyle for over six years. We are constantly trying to tweak it to meet our needs and to make better choices. Fresh fish and meat are better than canned. Fresh fruit is better than frozen. Email me with any questions. I’d love to help you on your health journey!

If you start buying fresh food you will realize you may go to the store more than once a week. And that is ok. Here is what our grocery list looks like each week:

salmon
sea bass
chicken breast
ground turkey or chicken
green apple
red onion
sweet onions
mushroom caps
sliced mushrooms
broccoli
cauliflower
asparagus
sometimes brussel sprouts
organic cage-free eggs
egg whites
sweet potatoes
Ezekiel bread
romaine lettuce
spinach
butter lettuce
plant-based butter if we need it

This is what we do at home. There are several recipes out there and books about eating better in this new year! Check out our list of Favorites! Good luck with making better choices in this new year!

In What We Eat

Countdown to Cancun!

April 23, 2021 No Comments

In three weeks we are heading to Cancun, Mexico with some friends. I am very excited. I have never been to Cancun, and I hear it is absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite blogs for traveling is The Blond Abroad. I went to her site and found the top 10 things to do around Cancun. Her blog shows some amazing pictures of snorkeling and scuba diving. I am thinking Jeff and I will get a chance to practice our scuba skills that week. I am excited and terrified at the same time. I am hoping, just like with skiing, the more I do it, the better I will get.

Therefore, three weeks from today, I will be in a swimsuit on boats, at the pool, and at the swim-up bar. I want to feel good and confident in that bathing suit. I know most women think everyone else has a better body than they do, and we’d be happy if we had her body. But you know what? That girl with that body feels just like you do. For some reason, we are never satisfied with what we have.

So I have three weeks to get it together, to eat healthily, not cheat, and make good choices. Overall, Jeff and I eat pretty well as you read in “Eat Better and Move Better”, and we try to have lean protein, healthy fat, and the right carb at every meal (either a “high energy carb” after a workout or a “low energy” later in the day) as we learned from the owner of our gym in Pennsylvania. Of course, life happens and we aren’t as strict as we should be. It’s time to get strict with my nutrition and consistent with my workouts. Today instead of a recipe, I am sharing a sample “day in the life” of Stacy. This is how we try to eat 90% of the time. When big events are coming up we tighten up a bit…less ice cream, less cheese, less alcohol. I hope this helps and gives you a better idea how you could incorporate this lifestyle.

Stacy’s Suggestions for Eating Better

We go to the gym in the morning, therefore, most of our caloric intake is over by 11 am. This lifestyle can be a little bit complicated until you truly understand it. And even then there is always more to learn. If you want to work on your fitness and nutrition, I suggest Bill Lawrence’s Personal Fitness in Pennsylvania. He may work with you virtually as well. (Make sure you tell him I referred you :)) Here is the list of what I eat almost every day.

Pre and Post Workout– 1 scoop BLN Recovery Protein and 1 scoop of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides before and after my workout.
First Breakfast (about an hour after finishing a workout)– 1 egg, 3 egg whites, 1/2-1 cup spinach, scrambled, and Ezekiel toast (a tiny bit of avocado butter or almond butter). The egg yolk is your healthy fat but you can add a little flaxseed to your eggs if you want more. You can also add lots of other veggies here to your scramble. You can also make an egg sandwich or have over easy and skip the veggies. Lots of options with eggs.
Second Breakfast (about an hour after your first breakfast)– 3/4 cup of granola cereal (Ezekiel is the best but harder to find. We use Kashi or Cascadian Farms. We try to find the one with the least amount of added sugars), 1 cup berries (I like blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries), 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (we add 1 scoop of BLN Complete which is vanilla protein powder to it for our protein. If you use another protein, just add a tablespoon of flaxseed as well). If you don’t want to use protein powder you can add homemade turkey or chicken sausage for your protein.
Lunch- salad with lots of veggies and a lean protein (canned tuna, canned chicken, 1 cup of shrimp, or serving of chicken or fish), and homemade dressing.
Snack– 1/2- 1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese, flaxseed, and grape tomatoes (if you like fruit then put fruit in your cottage cheese 1/2-1 cup).
Dinner– lean protein of your choice (I have been doing fish all week seasoned with spray EVOO and Nature Seasons), your choice of veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, asparagus, or cabbage)
Snack– 3/4 cup non-fat, plain, Greek yogurt with one scoop of vanilla BLN Complete Protein. Since you are going to bed soon you don’t really need a carb here. BLN has flaxseed in it but if you don’t use it, add a 1/2- 1 tablespoon. I use the protein powder for extra protein as well as to flavor the disgusting plain Greek yogurt 🙂 You can also use powdered peanut butter for flavor, or a little bit of honey and cinnamon. There are a lot of different flavors of protein powder or collagen that you could add to the yogurt to make it taste pretty delicious!

Generally, this is the plan we try to follow throughout the year. However, sticking to it and not cheating is what I plan to do for the next three weeks until we are off to Cancun! Try to incorporate some kind of physical activity each day whether it’s going for a walk, doing one of the Weekly Wednesday Workouts, or something else you enjoy. I have been doing CrossFit six days a week which includes an active recovery day to give my body two days of “rest”. I also have been doing 8-minute abs and Romwod every day. Try to drink plenty of water and if you drink “pop”, try to give it up or limit it to a day or two a week. I have been trying to drink 50-60 ounces of water a day and only one cup of coffee with Quest liquid protein as creamer. I hope this helps. If you want other ideas for meals or a sample meal plan based on your preferences and needs, just let me know.

In What We Eat

Grilled Chicken Salad

January 22, 2021 No Comments

Ingredients

lettuce
spinach
butter lettuce
tomato
carrots
white or red onion
avocado
black or green olives
artichokes
grilled chicken

Stacy’s Suggestions and Preparation

Cut up lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
Cut up veggies.
Grill chicken on the grill or cut into bite-sized pieces and saute in a frying pan or bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Add your favorite seasoning such as Nature Seasons.
Make homemade salad dressing using this recipe. (I only used a tsp. of honey)
Put salad and veggies in a bowl.
Add chicken.
Add minimal dressing.
To me, the less lettuce and the more veggies and protein you have, the better.
Enjoy!

In What We Eat

Cowboy Caviar

January 15, 2021 No Comments

Because my husband graduated from The Ohio State University, we usually get together with other alumni to watch football games. Usually, we go to the restaurant where the alumni club meets but this year was a bit different and instead of going to the club we rotated watching the games at each other’s houses. One Saturday afternoon, my husband made Cowboy Caviar, and it was delicious. I am not sure where he got the recipe, but this is what we did. Check out other options for Cowboy Caviar here.

Ingredients

1 can of black-eyed peas
1 can of other beans of your choice (we did black beans)
1 can of corn
1 bunch of green onions
1 bunch of cilantro
2 large tomatoes
2 avocados (optional)

DRESSING

1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons salad oil (the recipe said not Olive Oil but we used Olive Oil)
2 Teaspoons garlic salt (we used garlic powder)
Black pepper to taste

Stacy’s Suggestions and Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk tabasco sauce, red wine vinegar, salad oil, garlic salt, and black pepper.
Drain and rinse black-eyed peas and corn kernels.
Chop green onions and cilantro.
Dice tomatoes into 1/2″ cubes.
Add all dressing mixture and gently stir to coat- do not overmix!
We added the avocado right before we served the dish to keep it from getting brown but you can add it to the dressing mixture if you like.
Chill for two hours.
Service with chips of your choice. We like whole-grain Tostitos Scoops.
The next day we put the leftovers into a crockpot with more diced tomatoes and grass-fed ground beef to make a chili of sorts. So good!
Enjoy!

In Fitness and Nutrition

Sub This for That

November 17, 2020 No Comments

As you read in “Eat Better and Move Better“, we try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating whole foods and working out. We try to stick to it about 90% of the time. Yes, we still drink alcohol. Yes, we still go out to eat. Yes, we still have high energy carbs outside of our “window”. But most of the time, we try to be mindful of how and what we are eating. We have found that we can easily sub this item for that item, and we eat foods that are lower in calories and higher in nutritional value.

I wanted to do a post to explain a few things you can do in your kitchen to help yourself if you want to start a nutrition journey. These simple replacements are better for you and will save you some calories. So try to sub this for that and see how you feel!

It may take some time to get used to the new products, but once your palate is used to it, you won’t even notice the difference.

Please note, I am not a nutritionist. These are some things we have learned over the years that work for us so I wanted to share our knowledge.

If it’s in the house, you are going to eat it.
Moderation is key.
You can still eat relatively healthy when you go out to eat (if you make good choices)
Bad food decisions are usually made when you are drinking 🙂
Food prepping helps tremendously.

First of all, you should go through your pantry and refrigerator and get rid of any food that may tempt you -aka that delicious bag of potato chips 🙂 Then plan out your meals for the week for each day. Six small meals a day is ideal. Make your grocery list. Shop and meal prep! If you don’t buy bad foods then you cannot eat bad foods. It all starts at the grocery store. Stay on the outskirts of the store where the fresh food is. Below are a few simple substitutions you can make.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Sub this…… for that

liquid protein flavors for coffee cream/sugar or creamer (We like Quest Salted Caramel or Vanilla) (Premier Protein has some amazing flavors as well)
avocado oil butter for butter
unsalted grass-fed stick butter for salted margarine (Cabot)
unsweetened almond, coconut, or cashew milk for cow milk
Quest protein bars for other snack bars
coconut sugar for white sugar and sugar substitutes such as Sweet and Low
coconut or almond flour for white flour
all-natural peanut, almond, or cashew butter for peanut butter
cage-free, organic brown eggs for eggs (if you can get them straight from a farm or chicken even better)
whole wheat instead of white bread
Ezekiel muffins/bread is even better (made with sprouted wheat)
water, tea, coffee, green tea instead of soda/pop/Coke
extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil for butter or margarine for cooking
dressings made with olive or avocado oil instead of creamy salad dressings (use sparingly)
homemade balsamic even better
avocado oil mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip or mayo
Bragg’s liquid aminos for soy sauce
cauliflower rice for rice
quinoa for rice or noodles
protein, veggie, or edamame noodles for white noodles
vegan cheese for cheese or make your own cheese
homemade Vegan Cheddar Cheese
homemade Mozzarella
low-fat cottage cheese for regular cottage cheese (2-4%)
plain non-fat Greek yogurt (sweeten with honey and a flavored protein powder) for flavored yogurt
cage-free egg whites for eggs beaters
plant-based wraps or wheat wraps for flour tortillas
mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes
sweet potatoes for white potatoes
dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) for milk chocolate (a small piece a day is okay)
kettle-cooked potato chips for chips if you just can’t resist
do not buy and please throw away any products with high fructose corn syrup in them, here’s why

I hope this helps. There is always a good, better, or best option. For example, fries are an option. Choosing sweet potato fries would be better. Subbing a side salad or a vegetable such as broccoli is best. So try to sub this for that and see how it goes. Let us know if you have found any other substitutes that you enjoy.

In What We Eat

Chef Salad

November 6, 2020 No Comments

We like to eat salads, mostly for lunch. Although the prep work takes a while, it is a great way to get in plant-based fruits and vegetables and your proteins. One of my favorite salads is the chef salad. Although we don’t eat a lot of lunchmeat, sometimes it’s a nice treat! We do try to stick to lunchmeats with fewer preservatives and added artificial flavors.

Ingredients

A bowlful of romaine, spinach, and red leaf lettuce.
Half a sweet onion or red onion.
Two slices thinly sliced swiss cheese, ham, turkey, and salami (or lunchmeat of your choice) We prefer Boar’s Head as it is made with natural ingredients.
A handful of sprouts.
One to two cups of tomatoes, cucumbers, and/or peppers.
Half an avocado
Although we didn’t add it in this picture, I do enjoy chef salads with a hard-boiled egg.

Stacy’s Suggestions

Make your salad with as many vegetables as you can. Feel free to add mushrooms, broccoli, or cauliflower.
Add a hard-boiled egg for more protein if you choose.
Lunchmeat isn’t the best protein source but if you use all-natural and only eat it once in a while it can work for you and be delicious.
Remember to use salad dressing sparingly. We usually use a balsamic vinaigrette or homemade salad dressing.

In What We Eat

Tuna, Avocado and Tomato

September 4, 2020 No Comments

We like to have tuna fish, avocado, and tomatoes for lunch. We use a can of albacore tuna fish in water, 1/2 to a whole avocado (depending on if we have used avocados for breakfast that day), and then as many onions and tomatoes that will fit. We also like to add ground flaxseed to get some extra omega 3’s. You can use grape tomatoes, vine tomatoes, or homegrown. It’s that easy and you have your lean protein, healthy fat, and carb. Enjoy! If you feel you cannot have tuna fish without dressing/mayonnaise, then try Sir Kensington’s avocado mayo or Primal Kitchen’s Avocado Oil Dressings. They are both delicious and better for you, but be mindful of how much you are using.

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Tuna, Avocado and Tomato

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