Hello, friends! To kick start my day, this morning I was in need of some protein. I am not a breakfast person, and I realize most nutritionists out there preach about how critical it is to have breakfast. I disagree, to an extent. I understand that you must have some sort of caloric intake in order for the wheels to start spinning. Personally, indulging in a huge breakfast does not make sense. However, what does make sense is doing what works best for you, so you can function at your optimum level. I know that if I eat any form of carbohydrates before noon my stomach gets upset, so I refrain. I also know that I can power through most mornings with only having coffee and a banana prior to.

You may ask, what is she getting at? I am here to tell you that once you find your every day niche regarding nutrition, that is what matters most! Many people  listen to what every one else is claiming is right or wrong, but in reality, you need to be listening to your own body. You do you!

When I do have breakfast, I prefer to make a hearty omelet. My omelets are always three eggs but only one yoke. There have been studies published claiming that women who eat an excess of eggs are consequently adding hormones into their bodies. Furthermore, eggs are a controversial matter in general. The stance I have decided to take on this matter is eating them in moderation and when possible, buying them from a local farmer's market in order to guarantee they are free range. First and foremost, my omelets  are always packed full with veggies. Like I said, I am not too keen on breakfast, but if I am going to make an omelet I want it to provide me with a diverse amount of nutrients. So, tip of the day: listen to your body, and do what works for you. If that means make a mean veggie packed omelet, go for it and enjoy!

Veggie omelet:
-saute 1/4 an onion in olive oil, then add in 1 chopped garlic clove, set aside
-in a cup, break one whole egg and 2 egg whites
-transfer to skillet and cook in butter until almost done, then flip.
-add in fresh spinach, chopped tomatoes, chopped peppers, and your favorite cheese.
-fresh chives, salt and pepper to taste, and a side of coffee!

Carpe Diem!

The new craze is all about juicing. I understand if it is hard for you to eat a large amount of raw fruits/veggies, so the easiest option is to obviously throw them into a juicer. However, depending on the quality of the juicer, some of the vital fiber can be potentially lost in the process. Plus, I just recently learned that if you do not drink the juice immediately, it oxidizes and loses nutrients that way too.

Do not get me wrong, I have definitely gone barking up the juicing tree, and I still juice every so often, but I am also back on the smoothie band wagon. So without further ado, let's get to it! I think the perfect concoction consists of the following: at least one leafy green/herb, mix of preferred fruits, almond/coconut milk, nut butter, and one supplement (chia, hemp, psyllium husk, flax, etc) and always, the 'cherries' on top: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raw granola, honey! It is truly scrumptious.

Here is my favorite right now, but it changes daily :)
1/2 ice cubes
1/2 cup almond milk
handful of spinach
1 banana
3 strawberries
1/2 cup of blueberries
1/2 a container of 0% fat vanilla greek yogurt
scoop of flax or other nutritious boost
pumpkin seeds

Fish tacos:
-fish of your choice, I like Tilapia for tacos
-red cabbage, green cabbage, slaw sauce (mayo, Italian dressing, sugar, pickle relish)
-mango salsa (mango, red onion, red pepper, green onions, jalapenos, fresh lime juices, olive oil, cilantro)
-corn tortillas
-fresh cilantro to top

Season fish with olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. In a pan, add of olive oil or coconut oil and saute fish until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes each side. Let cool.
In a bowl combine all the salsa ingredients and set aside.
In another bowl combine all slaw ingredients and set aside.
Put the tortillas in foil and warm in the oven. Then place fish on tortilla, slaw, mango salsa, and top with more fresh cilantro.
Enjoy with your favorite flavored margarita. I particularly like a grapefruit marg. Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, lime juice, triple sec, agave syrup, and tequila :)

Simple dish, but undoubtedly delish!

My dear followers,
I am sorry. I know it has been awhile since my last post, and I don't have any particular reason or excuse, but want you to know I apologize!

Anyways, I am going to shift gears a bit on the blog. In the past, I have mainly focused on sniffing out the new restaurants and then critiquing. Since I have gotten more into cooking, I thought I would share my favorite recipes with you. In the spirit of the new year and my goal to make 2014 my healthiest year yet, I am going to post whole, nutritious dishes that are also not lacking in the flavor department. Please comment and post anything you would like to see or any ideas you might have for my next blog worthy dish. Thanks for your support and back to blogging!

Since recently going through an organic food course, I thought I would fill you in on some secrets. First, I don't know if you have ever noticed at WholeFoods, but next to each price tag for fruits/veggies, there is also a number from 1-1000. This number is called an ANDI score. The ANDI score stands for Aggregate, nutrient, density, index. The highest score is 1000, meaning that particular fruit/veg is extremely nutrient rich. Some of those top ANDI score fruits/veggies are the following: Watercress, bok choy, kale, strawberries. I am going to be putting up dishes with lots of yummy high scoring ANDI ingredients. I am also going to be focusing on a 50/20/20/10 ratio. 50 percent produce, 20 percent grains, 20 percent protein, and 10 percent healthy fats. This is not going to be anything crazy strict, it's just always in the back of my mind when I create dishes.

Eating healthy for me is not to lose weight or 'yoyo' diet. It is not a one-week stand, but on the contrary, an ongoing, consistent, way of life. Sure, I have my splurges here and there, like truffle fries on a Sunday with a bottle of my favorite rose, Charles and Charles. You have to treat yourself every once in awhile. If you constantly restrict yourself of life's little pleasures, you will find yourself one day with no wheels left on your wagon, knee deep in a bag of McDonald's. That is why weekly treats are worth the splurge. We need to remind ourselves that we had a great week of health and we deserve that bit of cherry gelato. Along with treating ourselves, we must maintain portions. I am a firm believer in portion control. There are so many people out there doing everything right, eating healthy, but just eating way too much. In my dishes, I will also go over how much is the correct amount to be eating. No, I am not a Certified Nutritionist, but just someone who is truly passionate about health and feeling my very best. Changing your life style and pledging to eat healthy all the time rather than just sometimes,  is a permanent life change. You will feel your very best, I promise. And when you do have those splurges, like a bottle of wine, it doesn't hurt as near as much because the ground work you have laid down already (the nutrients) are still there to help support your hurting cells.

I am going to go over a few things I incorporate into my daily routine to help me function at a top level and feel my best!
1. Water, water, water. I drink it all through the day.
2. Take a whole food supplement. a whole food supplement is one made from the actual foods where the vitamin is coming from....example, iron comes from spinach so you want a multivitamin made from those actual foods. I love my pre-natal New Chapter ..... I take the pre-natal since I do not eat meat to boost my iron level in my diet....no mom, im not preggers hehe.
3. sweat. a lot of people go on these cleanses to detox...trust me I have been guilty...but the truth is our bodies are perfectly capable of cleansing themselves. sweating in a yoga class or on a run is a great way to get ride of some of those built up toxins. drinking water is another.
4. me time. with our crazy lifestyles, it is important to take time everyday for ourselves. take your dog on a walk, read your favorite magazine, just take at least 20 mins a day for yourself. if not we get tangled in chaos and our minds get bogged down.
5. this one is a new 2014 one for me, healthy skin care. our bodies need to be cleaned from the inside with healthy nutrient rich foods, as well as the outside of our bodies. I started using all natural facial products, and my skin has never looked better. It was quite a change for me, since I have been using the same products for 15 years, but well worth it! There are many natural skin care lines to choose from, but I recommend Acure. They have face and body cleansers/moisturizers/masks and much more. You can find Acure at Whole Foods, Alfalfa's, or Pharmaca. In addition, the products are usually on sale, so please don't hesitate to check it out!

With all that being said, enjoy!
Happy Health,
Ricky and Eddie (Emily)