What I've Been Eating & Other Randoms

I had an incredibly busy work week this week so as the weekend starts tomorrow, I'm planning to take naps and just relax and run errands.  Sometimes it's nice to just kick back and do next to nothing.

Here are some of my favorite meals I ate this week:

Berries with Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread and Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter

Garden salad with grilled chicken and balsamic dressing

Chobani Greek yogurt with berries

Salmon with store-bought mango pico de gailo

A Shipley's strawberry-filled donut (YUM!)

an outfit I didn't post this week (um, look at our messy bed!)

Pretty flowers from the hubs

Flower arrangements my co-worker and I made for a party at work!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sunday Snaps: The Workout That Never Happened

I had the laziest Sunday of all time. I got out of bed and then proceeded to lounge around until about 1PM when I realized I had late lunch plans with some of my blogging friends (hi Magen, Mishelle & Bethany!).  I got ready and even threw on my workout clothes so I could head to the gym after our late lunch for a good Sunday workout.

Unfortunately, my body had other plans and towards the end of our lunch I had started to feel like I was getting a migraine and it just got worse and worse and then the nausea kicked in.  I had to go grocery shopping because we had no fresh produce and needed snacks so I went to Kroger and snuck into the medication area and totally opened a bottle of migraine pills and washed the pill down with water from the water fountain there (filtered by my bobble, of course).

Then, I felt guilty and awkwardly explained the entire ordeal to the cashier who was checking me out. The entire time I was sneaking the meds I was picturing some loss prevention dude jumping out from behind me and I had this whole "I SHOP HERE EVERY WEEK I SWEAR" speech prepared. I even tried to look around for the cashier who always checks us out to see if he was there because he would remember me and vouch for me.  Yes people, this is how weird I am. 

I was pretty pleased with today's workout outfit (uh, even if said workout never happened).  If you're in Houston--the tank is from High Fashion Home---there is a boutique in the store and they have these amazing stretchy tanks for $12 a piece in every color of the rainbow. I am totally going back there for more because they are awesome (and long).

The tights are Lululemon wunder unders (with the embossed chevron print) and the jacket is also Lululemon- it's the define jacket in Paris Pink (no longer available, but they have a similar color called "pow pink")

One of my favorite things to do in August is to read the September issues of all of the magazines. In addition to my subscriptions, I also purchase the ones I don't get:

I used to subscribe to In Style and then I didn't re-subscribe but I think I will because it is one of my favorites. People Style Watch is also amazing because they have include a lot of items that come from popular retailers so it's a magazine that's "easy to shop."

It was fun to share what's in my fridge last week, so here are some things I bought this week, both in my fridge and my pantry. Excuse the lack of organization.

Among the newly purchased items: bread, strawberries, peaches, cherries, arugula, fresh basil, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella cheese ball, Chobani greek yogurt.

In my pantry- I got the low glycemic Dreamfileds pasta and pasta sauce and the rest if stuff we already had---beans, canned soups, teriyaki sauce, etc.

For snacks, I got Luna bars, Skinny Cow Heavenly Crisp bars in peanut butter---I buy a ton when they are on sale because they are pricey, walnuts (for salads), Teddy Ghrams, pistachios, etc.

Oh and before I go, someone wants to say HELLO:

HI.

Hope you had a great weekend!

What's in My Fridge This Week?

I get a lot of requests to talk about what I eat, so I thought it would be fun to do a "what's in my fridge" post. I say "this week" because obviously it varies, usually I switch up my fruits based on what's in season.

Please note that this does not include all of the meats and veggies---I freeze most of our meats and we let them thaw out overnight to make the next night for dinner. My freezer is also packed full of frozen veggies (we buy fresh too, but I hate being wasteful and sometimes we don't always use what we buy so frozen is the way to go in those cases). Our freezer currently has chicken tenderloins, salmon and ground turkey.

Level one has:  Chiobani yogurts, canned tuna (in water), cherries, strawberries, pasta sauce, pelegrino water (we don't drink this but I got it at an event and keep it around for guests), a bottle of wine, mozzarella cheese sphere and roasted sun-dried tomatoes.

Second shelf has organic basil leaves (to make salad dressing), baby arugula (my fave for salads), cut up bell peppers (in yellow, red and orange), cut-up strawberries, cut-up peaches, ZICO water for smoothies and 1% milk.

This drawer has turkey bacon, low sodium turkey cold cuts, white American cheese from the deli, cheese sticks and shredded Mexican-style cheese.

The second drawer has a bag of potatoes and a red onion.

 

The fridge door has some mayonnaise (never use it), some Reeces pieces (I later threw them out because they were expired), red bull (don't drink it), some other soda (don't drink it), coffee, basil pesto, balsamic vinaigrette,  salad dressing, ketchup, egg beaters, pre-made tuna packs, freeze dried garlic, spray butter and half & half (I use this at work for my morning coffee). The bottom that's cut off has some beer (my H's).

So that's what's in our fridge this week! I post dinner photos as often as I remember to on my Facebook page, so check it out if you want to see what we eat!

Here is what we made for dinner Tuesday night:

 

Oven-baked chicken tenderloins (made with butter and Mrs. Dash spices) and fire-roasted sundried tomatoes on top.

The side salad is Arugula with strawberries, bell peppers, walnuts and a balsamic dressing. On Monday night we had oven-baked salmon with pesto with potatoes on the side (the small ones that come in 3 colors).

YUM!  What items do you always keep stocked in YOUR fridge?

Motivation Mondays: Define Revolution Spin Class & Erin Stewart Shares Her Favorite Summer Recipes & Nutrition Tips

If you watched my workout DVD review video on my YouTube channel over the weekend, you�ll know that fitness is a huge priority for me right now. So much so that I�ve started to work with a personal trainer again to get back into tip top shape.

One of my struggles has always been getting cardio into my workouts. I love weight lifting and toning workouts but never enjoyed running, the elliptical or pretty much anything else cardio related.

When I was invited to try out Define Studio�s new Define Revolution class at their West U location, I was excited but also nervous because I hadn�t taken a spin class in years. This past May, I purchased an unlimited month long package at Define (River Oaks location) and took barre classes about five days a week so I was familiar with the studio but not with the Revolution classes which are exclusive to the West U location.

I didn�t really know what to expect when I came to class last Wednesday but all I can say is that once the class was over, I felt like I had literally bathed in my own sweat because the workout was that intense.  I forgot how it felt to sweat THAT hard during a workout. Of course I sweat when I do my weight training because I do incorporate cardio elements..but this was a whole new level of sweat (ie: I could only take this class on the nights before I wash my hair because there is no way you can skip washing it after this class). 
   

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Here�s what I loved about the class:

• The room---it�s super dark and has these really pretty lanterns lit. I loved that the workout was almost in the dark---I could see the instructor but it was dark enough to where it really created a great vibe. It felt relaxing and you almost felt more secure because you didn�t have to worry about catching a glimpse of your sweaty-self in the mirrors.
• The music was awesome
• The instructor Erin, was motivational and high energy
• The workout was challenging---as a spinning newbie, I couldn�t put my resistance up as much as some people could but I still got an incredible workout.

The only downside to Define�s West U location is parking, but there is a lot across the street you can use (I got there early and was able to park in the main lot).

I asked Erin from Define if she should share some of her best nutrition tips with my readers and she happily obliged.  Here is a little more information about Erin so you know about her background:

Erin O� Leary Stewart is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City. She has spent time working in the raw food and vegan kitchen at Pure Food and Wine and owned and operated her own healthy cookie and granola company, O�Cookies Wholesome Bites. As DEFINEfoods Head Chef, Erin brings this expertise to DEFINE West University by providing food education and health-supportive cooking classes to further balance healthy lifestyles.

Tell us what you do at Define and how you got started with barre-based workouts.
I am currently a Lead Instructor and Teacher/Trainer for DEFINEbody and DEFINErevolution. I earned a BFA in Dance Performance at Southern Methodist University in Dallas where I also studied kinesiology and spent the subsequent eight years dancing professionally throughout the greater New York area. A desire to stay in shape throughout audition seasons led me to a fitness class inspired by former accomplished ballet dancer Lotte Berk, called Physique 57, where I spent several years as an instructor, before moving here to Houston and discovering DEFINE.

What are some healthy snacks every woman should pack to make good food choices during the workweek?
My 'on-the-go' snacks are Larabars, Justin's Nut Butter packs with an apple or banana, and raw walnuts or almonds.

What are a few of your favorite healthy summer recipes?
My favorite recipes these days take advantage of all of the fresh summer produce (tomatoes, corn, eggplant, peaches, etc.). Here are a few of my latest recipes:

• Tomato, Corn & Okra Soup
• http://juiceboks.com/2012/06/14/tomato-corn-okra-soup/
• Peachy Crumble
• http://juiceboks.com/2012/06/03/peachy-crumble/
• Peach & Green Bean Salad with Hazelnuts and Tarragon Vinaigrette
• http://juiceboks.com/2012/05/14/texas-peach-green-bean-salad-w-hazelnuts-and-tarragon-vinaigrette/
• Roasted Eggplant & Chickpea Quinoa Skillet
• http://juiceboks.com/2012/07/19/quinoa-roasted-chickpeas-w-eggplant-mushrooms-zaatar/ 
• Summer Blueberry Muffins
• http://juiceboks.com/2011/07/09/summer-scrumptious/

How important is nutrition in regards to your overall health and fitness plan?
Physical fitness can only take you to a certain point. For overall health, nutrition starts at the home. What you eat is just as important as any physical movement you give yourself. Your food choices can affect both your mind and your body, and can fully determine how you feel throughout your day.

If you wake up and reach for the big coffee and sugary muffin, you will most likely crash come mid-afternoon, which could then lead to more poor choices in order to keep going. Instead, have a bowl of grounding oatmeal or grains with goji berries and pure maple syrup with green tea. The low-glycemic sweeteners and antioxidants from the goji berries and green tea will help to keep a steady energy and a clear mind.

Having a disciplined outlook on eating, versus a controlled outlook, can make all of the difference as well. If you're truly craving that sugary muffin, there is no need to deprive yourself. Instead, have your muffin this time and have the oatmeal bowl the next. As long as you wake up every morning with the intentions to be the very best person that you can be, knowing that you will probably make some mistakes along the way, you will lead a long, healthy and sustainable life.

How can busy women, moms and wives make healthy eating a priority? What are some tips and tricks to help us stay on track?All it takes is a little bit of prep. Head to your local farmer's market weekly and prep your veggies ahead of time. Sundays and Mondays are my days to lie out meal plans for the week. I'll wash veggies and cut up fruit to have in the fridge ready to go. A big key is to roast off veggies in the oven and make a big pot of quinoa or rice at the start of the week. This makes throwing together one-skillet dinners so quick and easy because you've done the step that takes the longest ahead of time.


Any other tips and tricks to add?     
I never make just enough for one meal. All sauces and dressings that I prep for a dish, I will make enough to keep in the fridge to use throughout the week with other dishes. Trust me, you won't be able to get enough of my tahini dressing (from the Roasted Eggplant & Chickpea Quinoa Skillet recipe)! It goes well on everything from green salads to veggie stir-fries to freshly baked whole grain toast.

I have asked Erin to become a regular contributor on my blog so I'm going to have her answer a couple of questions each month or two related to diet and nutrition so we can all learn to live a healthier lifestyle.  If you have any questions, please leave them below and thank you Erin for motivating us this Monday! You can learn more about Define classes at: http://www.definebody.com/.  Thank you Erin for motivating us this Monday!