GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING & recipes
The Tumblr Guide to Healthy Living
a compilation of resources to help you eat right, exercise, and be happy!
How to Start a Healthier LifestyleNutrition
Eating Clean Principles
Non-Dieters Diet
Your Flat Belly Day 1 meal plan by Women’s Health Magazine
Your Flat Belly Day 2 meal plan by Women’s Health Magazine
Your Flat Belly Day 2 Meal Plan by Women’s Health Magazine
Eating Low Carb
What is Paleo
Portion Size Guide
Get lean grocery list
80 Healthiest Foods
100 Foods that Dr.Oz wants on your Shopping List
Shirataki Noodles
Tips to Snack Better
10-Calorie Sweet and Crunch Snacks
Why Eat Raw Foods?
10 Commandments of Dieting
Tips for Staying Healthy in School
The Happier way to Diet Menu
Food that makes You Prettier
Look Better Naked One Week Meal Plan Part 1
Look Better Naked One Week Meal Plan Part 2
Portions
Dr.Poon Diet
The Best New Superfoods
12 Best Foods for your Abs
Clear Skin Diet
Foods that Melt Flab Away
Raw Food for the Rest of Us
Quick Combos
5 Ingredient Eating Clean Recipes
Herbs that Heal
What to Eat When You’re Craving…
Eating Clean vs. Junk examples
Transition to Healthy Living
Eating Clean VideoRecipes
Eating Clean Recipes
Healthy Meal Ideas for Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerBefore and After Workout Snack Ideas
Super 8-Step Salad Wraps
Not-Quite-Unnecessary Raving about Broccoli Slaw
Grocery List
Foods that Cause Bloating
Eat Breakfast, Here’s Why
Making Conscious Health Choices: Who Decides?
Not eating enough…but not hungry either?
Sunshine Oatmeal Recipe
Oatmeal from The Pea Pod
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie-In-A-Bowl
An Overwhelming Amount of Oatmeal Recipes
More Recipes
Starbucks Drinks Under 200 Calories
Snack Attack
SmoothiesHealthy Desserts
Healthy Dessert Blog
Banana Bites
Grapefruit & Strawberry Popsicles (make them without alcohol)
Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwiches
Frozen Yogurt Blackberries
Skinny Coconut Cupcake
Nutella Fudge Pops
Banana Split Cheesecake Bites
Frozen Fruit Pops
Watermelon Tart
Healthy Banana Almond Chocolate Ice Cream
Banana Split Cheesecake Bites
Fruit Ice Cubes
Banana Ice Cream
Frozen Yogurt Strawberries
Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream
More Frozen Banana Bites
Apple Cupcakes
Raw Tropical Ice Cream
Cucumber Melon Popsicles
Chocolate Covered Bananas
Jello Skies
Apple Peanut Butter Slices
Frozen Banana Popsicles
Banana Berry Soft Serve
Volume Ice CreamCleanse/Detox
3 Day Detox
The Look Better Naked 2 Day Cleanse
Jillian Michaels Detox
Detox Recipes
Detox Essentials
Lean Green Smoothie
Detox SmoothieVeganism/Vegetarianism
Free Vegetarian Starter Kit by Peta
Vegetarian 101
Making the Transition
Recipes by Peta
Shopping guide by Peta
Easy Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with Avocado
Shirataki Noodles
Onehappyvegan
VeganYumYum
TheVeganStonerWeight Loss
How to Determine Your Ideal Weight
How to Overcome A Plateau
Beat a Weight Loss Plateau
Why You Aren’t Losing Weight
How to Burn Fat Fastest
Metabolism Boosters
5 Metabolism Boosters
How to Conquer Cravings
20 Secrets of Very Fit People
Fighting Belly Fat
How Do I Lose Weight
Thinking of Giving Up?
The 2 Minute Visualization
How to Keep Yourself Full for Longer
Lose Weight without Dieting
Flat Tummy Tips
Commit to Fit
10 Ways to Get Your Diet Back On Track
Constructing A PlanCalculators
Body Type/Frame Size Calculator
Calorie Calculator
Ideal Weight Calculator
How Much Weight You Can Lose By Prom/Summer/Your Wedding/This Thursday/TonightEBooks
Winning by Losing - Jillian MichaelsExercise
Lift Weights to Help You Lose Weight
How to Start Running [Couch to 5k]
How to Tone Any Area of Your Body
Building Lean Muscle vs. Bulky Muscle
But I Don’t Want to Get Bulky!
Abdominal Exercises for Beginners
Running for Weight Loss
Gym Cheat Sheet
The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Interval Training
Archive of Online Work Outs
Top 30 Free YouTube Work Out Channels
100 Best Workout Songs
Workout Basics
Insanity Workout Videos and Calender
Tone Every Inch
Top 10 Calorie Burning Cardio
More Links to Online Workouts
Workout Finder
Victoria Secret Angel’s Workouts
30 Day Shred Printable Chart and Videos
BodyRock inspired Workouts
Yoga: The Basics and How to Get Started
77 Reasons To Do Yoga
YouTube Yoga for Beginners
YouTube Yoga Routine
YouTube by Body Part
Bye Bye Arm Jiggle
The Workout MovesLunge 101
Lean Thighs - No Lunges
Target Workouts
Yes, You Can Yoga!Mind
Feeling good
10 Ways to be Happy
How to be Confident
Gandhi’s Top 10 Fundamentals
Focus
Happiness Manifesto
3 Simple Rules in Life
Zen Flow Chart
Karma Cleanse
You Don’t Have to Be a Size 0 to Be Beautiful
Fine Bauer
Mary
Christina Hendricks
Lexi Placourakis
Kasia Pilewicz
More beautiful girlsBattling Eating Disorders
The Minnesota Starvation Study
Why Starving Seems to Work
Stop the ED Hate
How Bulimia Affects Your Body
“The Binge” and Why You Should Eat When You’re Hungry
What to do After a Binge by MatchStickMolly
What is Intuitive Eating?
After a Binge
Tips to Control Binging
Help with Eating Disorders
National Eating Disorders
Dealing with Eating Disorders
National Center for Eating Disorders UKInspiration
HEALTHY LUNCH
This salad is by far the favorite of our family. It was one salad I could count on my boys eating, even when they were little. We enjoyed it for years at a local St. Louis restaurant, The Pasta House Company. Once I figured out how to make it at home, it became a regular on our dinner menus. It’s great paired with just about anything—not just Italian food. It’s healthy, wholesome ingredients make it a winner. I almost always make it when we entertain. Everyone seems to love it.
The salad dressing used in this recipe is explained in a separate post,Everyday Vinaigrette. It’s a simple, essential dressing for this salad.
Step-by-step photos for making Everyday Italian Salad.
Step 1. Assemble the ingredients: romaine lettuce, quartered artichoke hearts, red onion, diced pimentos or roasted red peppers, grated Parmesan cheese, Everyday Vinaigrette. (Pasta House uses part iceberg lettuce, part romaine lettuce; I prefer all romaine for it’s taste and higher nutritional value.)
Here’s the vinaigrette recipe, in case you need it:
Click to view & print Everyday Vinaigrette recipe
Step 2. Cut each artichoke quarter in half.
Step 3. Thinly slice the red onion. Make them paper thin—they’re so much better that way. I use this mandoline.
Step 4. Put the lettuce in a large bowl.
Step 5. Add the artichokes.
Step 6. Add the pimentos.
Step 7. Add the onions.
Step 8. Add the Parmesan cheese.
Step 9. Pour on the Everyday Vinaigrette.
Step 10. Toss it all together.
Oh man, does that look good!?!
Serve it up. (It’s good with toasted pine nuts sprinkled on top, too.)
Eat and enjoy!
Make it a yummy day!
Do you ever crave Ramen, then not have it because you know it’s so bad for you?
Well, I came up with a healthier* version tonight.
Ingredients:
- bouillon concentrate in the flavor of your choice (enough for 2 cups of broth)
- 1 cup of water
- 1 jumbo egg
- 1 package of thin miracle noodles or tofu noodles
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 green onion and/or any number of veggies you want to toss in.
Methods:
- boil water and add bouillon (remember, you want it to be double strength)
- once bouillon is dissolved, add soy sauce, chili powder and any vegetables you want
- lightly beat egg and slowly pour it in, stirring as you go (as if you were making egg drop soup)
- rinse your no-carb, calorie free noodles and put them into your broth.
- Nom nom nom with some chop sticks.
Calories: Less than 100
Carbs: less than 3
Fat: 7g
Protein: 9+ (depending on noodles used.)*Notes: I said healthier, not healthy. There is still a good deal of sodium in this dish, but all the “last until the apocalypse” preservatives and unpronounceable mumbo-jumbo is gone.
** Picture is not mine.Make-Ahead Oatmeal Smoothies
Healthy & delicious with grab-and-go convenience; 6 varieties, plus how to invent your own
A complete meal in a glass. The combination of oatmeal, chia seeds, yogurt, and fruit makes these well rounded nutrition. Every smoothie will differ some in nutrition according to the exact ingredients used. Here is the nutritional breakdown for one 2-cup serving of my Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie. The other 5 recipes should be in this ballpark, too.
- 286 calories, 4.8g fat, 53.8g carbs, 12.6g protein, 7g fiber
- High in antioxidants, fiber, protein, potassium, calcium, folate, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, riboflavin, and Vitamins A, B12, B6, C, D
- Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 6-8 points (I didn’t get consistent results using the WW calculator, but this gives you a general idea)
Step 1. Assemble these ingredients and supplies.
- Oats. I recommend old fashioned rolled oats over instant or quick oats—they’re less processed and better for you. But, instant or quick oats will work, if that’s what you have on hand. Steel-cut oats aren’t recommended for these smoothies, because they don’t blend and soften well.
- Chia seeds. I bought mine at Whole Foods; available on Amazon, click here. I used whole chia seeds (they blend and soften perfectly in these smoothies); but you can also buy ground chia seeds, if you prefer.
- Yogurt. You can use any kind of yogurt (including non-dairy yogurts). I prefer low-fat Greek yogurt for it’s creamy consistency and high protein; read my post for easy instructions for straining regular yogurt to make Greek yogurt.
- Milk. I used skim cow’s milk, unsweetened coconut milk, and unsweetened almond milk in these recipes. You can substitute any type of milk you prefer.
- Fruit juice. This is optional. You can use all milk for the smoothie liquid, or a combination of milk and juice. You’ll see in my 6 recipes that I did it both ways. Fruit juices can vary a lot in their flavor, nutrition and sweetness.
- Blender. They can vary in power and effectiveness. The better blenders produce a smoother consistency. A smoothie blender is particularly convenient, if you have one. They come with multiple containers for blending/storing/drinking. I bought mine on Amazon,click here.
- Pint (2 cup) mason jars. You can use any 2 cup container, but mason jars are the perfect size for storing, serving, and grab-and-go convenience. They stack and store easily in the fridge and freezer.
Find pint mason jars at Walmart and grocery stores; available on Amazon, click here.
- Fruit. You can use fruit in any form. I prefer fresh or frozen. Sometimes frozen fruit has better flavor and nutrition, since it’s picked and frozen at the peak of ripeness. I used dried fruit in two recipes (cherries and apricots). Delicious! If using dried fruit, use half as much as fresh fruit, and add more liquid since the dried fruit rehydrates and absorbs some liquid as it soaks.
- Jams, preserves, spreads. These are optional add-ins. They provide both flavor and sweetness. Read the labels to find no or low-sugar options.
- Fruit sauces, purees, and butters. These can be substituted for fresh or frozen fruit, or used to supplement the flavor. Applesauce is one of my favorites.
- Sweet spices, extracts, flavors. Also optional add-ins. My favorites: cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste (or extract) and almond extract.
- Sweeteners. Optional, depending on how sweet you like your smoothies and the sweetness of other ingredients. Some of the fruits and juices may add enough sweetness without additional sweeteners. I like the flavor of honey, maple syrup, and agave syrup in smoothies but there are many options. Use whatever suits you. Even sugar isn’t all that evil in small quantities—only 15 calories per teaspoon. I recommend first blending all of the other ingredients and tasting the smoothie to see if it needs added sweetener.
Specific amounts of each ingredient are listed with the recipes of each flavored smoothie; they are further down in this post. Click on the big purple bar below each flavor and that links to the recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions. There’s also a printable recipe of the general formula to follow for creating your own flavor combinations.
Step 2. Add oats and chia seeds to blender container. Blend on high until you have the consistency of a flour. (It only takes a few seconds in my blender, but blender power varies so much that I can’t tell you exactly how long it will take.) This helps the oats and chias blend into the smoothie without a chucky texture. The finer your grind them, the smoother your smoothie will be!
Step 3. Add the liquids (milk/juice) to the blender container. It helps to use a long spoon or spatula to mix in the ground oats/chias from the bottom; otherwise they can get stuck and blend in poorly.
Step 4. Add the yogurt, fruit, and any spices or additional flavors.
Step 5. Blend until ingredients are pulverized and smoothie has a consistency you like. I like mine with some texture; but you can keep blending it until it’s smooth if you prefer it that way.
- If you are using dried fruit, it may not blend as well as fresh fruit. I like it with the texture of some bits of dried fruit. If you want yours smoother,You can rehydrate the fruit first by soaking it in juice, milk, or yogurt before making the smoothie. Or, blend the smoothie again after it has it’s overnight fridge soak—the fruit will have softened and should blend in better.
Step 6. Put the lid on the individual blender jar container (if your blender has one) or transfer smoothie to a 2 cup container. Refrigerate. Pint size mason jars are the perfect serving size for a full recipe. If you prefer a smaller, snack-size serving, half-pint mason jars work well. I like to use white plastic jar lids sized to fit canning jars—they last longer than the metal tops and rims that come with the jars, and they are easier to screw on and off. (Available at Walmart, grocery stores, & Amazon)
- Click here for Amazon link to pint (2 cup) jars.
- Click here for Amazon link to half-pint (1 cup) jars.
- Click here for Amazon link to white plastic lids for mason jars (fits all regular mouth canning jars).
Step 7. Put the jars or containers of smoothies in the fridge overnight or a minimum of 4 hours. They need this soak time so the oats, chias, & dried fruit (if using) can soften and expand. This gives the smoothie a thicker texture, too.
TO FREEZE your smoothies, first put them in the fridge for their soak time (minimum 4 hours); then transfer to the freezer. Frozen smoothies can be moved to the fridge a day ahead so they can gradually thaw for drinking the next day. Or, place them in a bowl of cold water on the counter to thaw them the same day; it will take 1-2 hours to thaw this way.
have some fruits!
Omelette with broccoli, filled with feta cheese, olives and parsley + salad with bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, red beans and more parsley
