Hearty, cold weather breakfast

This morning I really felt like eating something hearty and comforting for breakfast. I didn't want a smoothie, I didn't feel like oatmeal or cereal, so I came up with this quick and easy Mexican inspired breakfast or lunch meal.


Ingredients
2 small slices of whole wheat sourdough bread

1/4 cup black beans
1tsp onion, chopped
half a handful of corn
2 tbsp salsa
2 slices avocado
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Toast the bread until crispy and set aside
Sautee the onions in water until slightly browned
Drain and rinse the black beans and add to the onions
Add corn and heat everything through
Put bean mixture on bread and top with salsa, avocado and salt and pepper

Bon Appetit

Love and Cookies

Jen

Sugar!!!!

Sugar- sweet, delicious, evil friend. A delightful minute on the tongue in exchange for what feels like a lifetime on the hips. But weight gain isn't the only think of eating too much sugar!

Over consumption of processed sugar can contribute to a number of conditions, including tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, hormonal imbalances, overgrowth of candida yeast, chronic fatigue, more severe PMS symptoms, anxiety and even wrinkles. On the other hand, if you start to cut sugar out of your diet, you can shed excess weight, increase your energy, improve your concentration, improve your moods, and possibly steer clear of diabetes. To help you out, I'll let you in on some reasons why we get addicted, and how to read food labels for hidden sugars. I'll also give you some tips on how to start your sugar detox so you'll have a much better chance at living a long, vibrant, and disease-free life.
 
 Say No to processed Sugar!


Sweets trigger an increase in the hormone serotonin—a mood-elevating hormone. The body and brain get used to this higher level of serotonin and even depend on it for a sense of feeling good. So when our serotonin level dips, we wanna kill the donut. Candy also trigger the release of endorphins, the brain's natural narcotics, helping you to relax when stressed.
Ever noticed that you get ''high'' when u had a dose of sugar, that is caused by a rapid spike in your blood sugar, after a while you just feel like taking a nap and the only way to avoid that is to eat some more of the white sweet stuff. Sugar takes away more energy than it gives. Eventually, you find yourself exhausted, anxious, and moody. Yes, I eat way too much sugar and I cannot stand the way I feel after.

You not only gain pounds, but sugar also has some serious side effects.

Suppresses the immune system's defenses against bacterial infections
Increases the risk of blood clots and strokes
Contributes to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating
Can lead to hypoglycemia, kidney damage, an elevation in harmful cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and tooth decay
Helps speed the aging process, including wrinkles and gray hair


So how do we get rid of the sugary cravings!?
The first step in breaking a sugar addiction is making the decision to stop eating it completely for at least a few days to start to get it out of your system. While it's usually best to make dietary changes gradually, sugar has the unique ability to inspire cravings that are refueled every time you give in to them. The only way to break the cycle is to stop feeding the sweet monster in you. Then the cravings will fade.. Continue to resist large amounts of sugar and actively avoid situations that cue you to eat sweets. Don't buy ice cream, candy and cookie, don't have it in your house.You know you cannot resist it, so don't buy it.

Are you eating out of habit? Because of circumstance? For a special occasion? Because everyone else is? Journaling can be helpful preparation for stomping out your sugar habit by making you aware of why you're eating it.

 
 Say Yes to Fruit!


For thousands of years, people ate whatever sugar occurred naturally in their diets, and it didn't seem to be a problem, it was a treat. The typical American now eats the equivalent of about 31 teaspoons of added sugar every day. Our bodies simply weren't designed to handle this massive load. The American Heart Association recommends that added sugar should be limited to no more than 6 to 7 percent of your total calories. Cut out foods with sugar, white flour, and high fructose corn syrup—including cakes, cookies, pastries, and most desserts. It's okay to have a dessert or sugary snack on occasion, but make sure it's not your main dish. Although sugar is generally found in desserts, added sugar can also be found in your main and side dishes, and even sauces. Look closely at the labels of processed foods, cereals, and sauces—like ketchup, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, and dressings. 


These sugar substitutes are all still sugar!

• Agave nectar/syrup
• Cane juice crystals
• Cane sugar
• Caramel
• Corn syrup
• Corn syrup solids
• Carob syrup
• Dextrin
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate (apple, grape, or pear)
• Galactose
• Glucose
• High fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Malt syrup
• Molasses
• Sorbitol
• Sucrose

Trick your taste buds. Using spices and herbs can trick your taste buds into thinking you're eating something sinfully sweet. Try adding cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, or other sugar-free flavors and spices to your coffee, cereals, or other dishes and drinks that could use an extra kick.

Eat a healthy breakfast. What you eat for breakfast will actually influence your food choices for the next 12 to 15 hours,and influence your energy levels, moods, and overall sense of well-being.  Typically, your blood sugar is at fasting levels when you wake up in the morning. If you start the day off with a muffin and a latte, you're choosing to ride the roller coaster for the rest of the day. If, on the other hand, you begin your day with a tofu omelet and fruit or some oatmeal, you're opting for a balance of foods that will be absorbed at a slower rate. Then you'll have a steadier flow of blood sugar that's far easier to keep balanced than if it were fueled by a muffin, a bagel, or a cup of coffee dosed with sugar and cream.

Eat throughout the day. The best way to avoid impulse eating when you're overly hungry is to eat several small meals, spaced throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar more stable than eating the traditional two or three large meals spaced farther apart from one another. Schedule your meals around your body's needs rather than around your to-do list if you can. You'll find it much easier to stop eating once you're full; to make smart food choices from a rational, calm place; and to maintain even moods and energy levels. Eating balanced meals is essential for getting real satisfaction from what you eat and leaving cravings behind.
High-fiber foods fill you up—yet they bring less fat to the table.Plus eating high-fiber foods allows you to eat a higher volume of food while ingesting fewer calories. Some examples of energy-dense foods are: apples and bananas, avocados, flax meal, and kidney beans.

Happy Sugar Detox

Love and Cookies

Jen

Easy-Peasy Vegan Potato Salad

Happy Superbowl Sunday!

Just made this super easy vegan potato salad. I will top it of with some veg barbecue wings and I am ready to go to my friends super bowl party and indulge in cruelty free junk food.
Go Bears, awww too bad they were out a long time ago, I guess lets vote for the 49ers then.

You all have fun and be save.


Easy-peasy Vegan Potato Salad

5-7 potatoes ( medium size)
1/2 onion chopped
4 stalks organic celery
1/2 cup veganaise
2tbsp apple cider vinegar
2tbsp mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes until soft, drain and set aside.
Chop celery and onions.

Mix the veganaise with vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.

Add all the ingredients together in a big bowl and let sit in the fridge for a couple of hours.


Love and Cookies

Jen

LOVE,LOVE,LOVE

Look at who you really are, the authentic, true you. If no one else accepts you for who you truly are, at least you accept yourself. That is all you need, because, in the end, you are born alone and will die alone. There is no need to try to improve yourself to other people, but improve for yourself. We frustrate ourselves when we try to prove to others that we are deserving of their attention, love, kindness and respect. This is when we start compromising and adapting to our illusory patterns of ourselves. Instead simply say, This is who I am. Like me and respect me because I know myself. I honor myself and everyone else.

-Gary Null-





Powerful words and so true. Have you ever tried to be somebody else just because someone didn't accept the real you. Ever tried to change because you feel like you didn't quiet fit in?!
You know what, screw them, screw other people. Who actually says what is right or wrong?
Why are people so hung up on the typical American dream. Go to college, make money, get married, buy a big house. two cars and live happily ever after... Don't we all wanna live that dream? Not really!
People are more depressed than ever, 1 out of 10 Americans shows signs of depression. More than 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce, more than 42 percent of people are obese in this country and all over the western civilization.

What would you do if you had no fear and would just follow your heart. What if you would really listen to your inner voice and what it tells you, without any doubts or the little voice in your head telling you that you can't do it.
Maybe your goal is not to get rich and get married.!
Maybe you want to just be you and see where life takes you and live in the moment.
Why do people always wait for tomorrow or later until they can lose weight, go travel, find love or whatever else they think would make their lives perfect.How much time do we really waste just waiting for a better life.

Your life is now, you live now and you are perfect exactly as you are, right now.
We should constantly try to improve ourselves, just be a nice girl or a nice guy, treat people with respect and love, because at the end of the day, we are all equal, we are all the same. Just because you are richer or more beautiful doesn't make you anything special.
Your heart and your soul is what counts. That is who you are!!

Stop comparing yourself to the life of the rich, famous or people that seem to have it all. Because you know what, most of the time, they don't have it all. What goes on behind closed doors is sometimes far worse than you would have ever thought. You know when someone is truly happy and when someone is just pretending.

Wake up, we really do only live once, just in case nobody ever told you yet, your house, car, clothes, shoes and jewelry won't make you a happy person. And it doesn't define you neither.
I mean why do we all waste our times on jobs and in relationships that we can't stand. Because it is convenient, because it pays the bills. Really!? Pretty bad, isn't it. When you are 90 and you are in your rocking chair, what do you want to look back on! Do you really wanna have regrets.

So sad that in today's world we rather work to pay off a big mortgage, three cars and spend money on junk foods instead of spending time with our kids or just truly living. Who needs all that material crap!!! Ever shopped at thrift stores, they are pretty awesome and support a good cause 2.

For the people that still don't believe that it does matter what you eat. Do you really think that eating chemicals won't affect you. Do you think eating foods that have ingredients like bleach, wash detergent and many other scary additives won't have an affect on your mood. Are you not worth it to eat the best possible foods?! I think you are. enjoy your chocolate, but let it a good one not one that taste like it has been on the shelf for the last 5 years( Hershey's yuck!!).

It all comes back to loving yourself. If you truly, blissfully and honestly love yourself everything else will fall into place. You won't deal with people that treat you like crap. When you love you, you will give love to other people. When you love you, you will treat your body like it is your temple and not a garbage disposal, because you know you are worth it. You will go for your dreams, you will travel, open up your business, start a non-profit organisation, lose weight, exercise or leave the full of shit relationship you wasted to much time on already. You will always be a better mom, friend, wife, sister or daughter if you love yourself. The same goes for the guys by the way!!

Love doesn't need binge eating, alcohol, cigarettes, coffee or drugs to thrive. It just needs nurturing and acceptance. Your acceptance!





Love Tips


1.Begin your day with love (not technology). Remind yourself of your worthiness before getting out of bed. Breathe in love and breathe out love. Enfold yourself in light. Saturate your being in love.

 2. Take time to relax( meditate) and journal. Spend time focusing inward daily. Begin with 5 minutes of breathing and 5 minutes of journaling each morning. 

3. Talk yourself happy. Use affirmations to train your mind to become more positive Put a wrist band on your right wrist. When you’re participating in self-abuse of any form, move the band to your left wrist.

4. Get emotionally honest. Let of go of numbing your feelings. Shopping, eating, and drinking are examples of avoiding discomfort, sadness, and pain. Mindfully breathe your way through your feelings and emotions.

5. Expand your interests. Try something new. Learn a language. Go places you’ve never been. Do things you haven’t done before. You have a right to an awesome life.

6. Enjoy life enhancing activities. Find exercise you like. Discover real, healthy foods that are good for you. Turn off technology for a day and spend time doing things that make you feel alive.

7. Become willing to surrender. Breathe, relax, and let go. You can never see the whole picture. You don’t know what anything is for. Stop fighting against yourself by thinking and desiring people and events in your life should be different. God has a plan, just be excited and enjoy the journey.

8. Work on personal and spiritual development. Be willing to surrender and grow. Life is a journey. We are here to learn and love on a deeper level. Take penguin steps and life becomes difficult. One step at a time is enough to proceed forward.

9. Own your potential. Love yourself enough to believe in the limitless opportunities available to you. Take action and create a beautiful life for yourself.

10. Be patient with yourself. Let go of urgency and fear. Relax and transform striving into thriving. Trust in yourself, do good work, and the Universe will reward you.

11. Live in appreciation. Train your mind to be grateful. Appreciate your talents, beauty, and brilliance. Love your imperfect perfect self.

12. Be guided by your intuition. All answers come from within. Look for signs and pay attention to your gut feelings. You’ll hear two inner voices when you need to make a decision. The quiet voice is your higher self; the loud voice is your ego. Always go with the quieter voice.

13. Do what honors and respects you. Don’t participate in activities that bring you down. Don’t allow toxic people in your life. Love everyone, but be discerning on who you allow into your life.

14. Let the past go. Suffering comes from living in the pain of the past or the fear of the future. Put your attention on the present moment and be at peace.

15. Forgive yourself. Learn from your mistakes and go forward. The past is done and you can't change it. Move on.

16. Discover the power of fun. Self-love requires time to relax, play, and create face-to-face interaction with others. Our fast-paced world creates a goal setting, competitive craziness that doesn’t leave room for play. So go play and be a kid again. Who cares what other people think.

17. Be real. Speak up and speak out. Allow yourself to be seen, known, and heard. Get comfortable with intimacy. 

18. Focus on the positive. Go to your heart and dwell on and praise yourself for what you get right in all areas.

19. Become aware of self neglect and rejection. Become conscious of your choices. Ask yourself several times throughout the day, “Does this choice honor me?”

20. Imagine what your life would look like if you believed in your worth. Dedicate your life to loving you. Make it your main event.

21. Seek professional help. Self-rejection and neglect is painful. You deserve to be happy. You have a right to be accepted and loved. If necessary, seek help from a support group, counselor, or coach. It’s the best investment you can make.


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Curry Sweet Potato Skins

I am in love with this recipe. The curry sauce is from Trader Joe's but you can also make your own if you prefer. I don't like sweet potatoes the traditional way, with sugar, butter and cinnamon, so this savory dish is right up my alley and sweet potatoes have amazing health benefits like:


1.  They are high in vitamin B6.  Vitamin B6 helps reduce the chemical homocysteine in our bodies.  Homocysteine has been linked with degenerative diseases, including the prevention of heart attacks.

2. They are a good source of vitamin C.  While most people know that vitamin C is important to help ward off cold and flu viruses, few people are aware that this crucial vitamin plays an important role in bone and tooth formation, digestion, and blood cell formation. It helps accelerate wound healing, produces collagen which helps maintain skin’s youthful elasticity, and is essen­tial to helping us cope with stress. It even appears to help protect our body against toxins that may be linked to cancer.

3.  They contain Vitamin D which is critical for immune system and overall health at this time of year.  Both a vitamin and a hormone, vitamin D is primarily made in our bodies as a result of getting adequate sunlight. You may have heard about seasonal affective disorder (or SAD, as it is also called), which is linked to inadequate sunlight and therefore a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D plays an important role in our energy levels, moods, and helps to build healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth, and it supports the thyroid gland.

4.  Sweet potatoes contain iron. Most people are aware that we need the mineral iron to have adequate energy, but iron plays other important roles in our body, including red and white blood cell production, resistance to stress, proper im­mune functioning, and the metabolizing of protein, among other things.

5.  Sweet potatoes are a good source of mag­nesium, which is the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Magnesium is necessary for healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function, yet experts estimate that approximately 80 percent of the popula­tion in North America may be deficient in this important mineral.

Recipe

Curry Sweet Potato Skins

2 large sweet potatoes

1/2 cup peas

3 tomatoes, chopped

1/8 cup onions or less, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 jar Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce

Preheat oven to 375

Bake sweet potatoes in oven for about 45min or until soft.

Set aside to cool.

Saute onions for about 4 min, add tomatoes, bell peppers and peas.

Add curry sauce to mixture and let simmer for about 3-4min. Remove from heat

After sweet potatoes have cooled down, scoop out the inner sweet potato, leaving nothing but the skin.

Mash sweet potatoes in a bowl and  add curry mixture.

Fill potato skins with mixture and put back in oven for about 15-20 min.

Serve hot.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Just Live a Little...

Happy Fall, I guess Summer is officially over.

I gotta say, I never paid so much attention to the beautiful colors of fall, the changing leaves and trees are sparkling in the sunshine and right now the weather in Chicago is perfect. I don't even mind the fall and that comes from a girl who loves 90 degree weather.

It is weird how many things changed for me in a year, last year around this time I was at a totally different stage in my life. 2012 is the first year I really realized what I want, what I love, who I am and that I actually have dreams that I can achieve.

Everything really happens for a reason! You gotta take life as it is and always be the best you can be, never make excuses and never have any regrets. You learn from your mistakes, just be better, a little better every day.


So when I say you gotta live a little, it is specific towards everyone who beat themselves up over stupid things that don't matter. Life is really to short, we are all getting older and time goes by so fast, we have to stop waisting our time with bullshit.
So what is bullshit?!

A bad relationship, a partner that doesn't treat you how you deserve to be treated.
A friend that is only there when he or she needs something, that is constantly complaining or always brings you in bad situations. Can't stand the drama anymore. Whatever the bullshit is in your life, get rid of it or change it!

Food can be bullshit too, especially if it has control over your life. You know how I am all about eating healthy and my vegan diet will never change. I believe that a plant based diet can save a lot of lives, it saves the animals, the planet and it makes you feel amazing.
But I am done being super restrictive on the way I eat. If I am out with friends and I wanna have a bite of some chocolate dessert, I will go for it, even if it contains dairy. And if there is a cookie that is full of sugar and maybe even egg I will still eat it sometimes.
Why?! Because it keeps me sane.
I have been fighting with this for a long time, and I am tired of beating myself up, if I eat something that is not vegan or perfectly healthy I will still be fine. Life is so short and it no fun if we get obsessed with the way we eat.

Yeah I might never have a six pack or I might never be a 100 % raw vegan nor vegan, but you know what  I don't care anymore, because it works for me. I would love the world to be vegan, but it is not and will never be, at least not in my lifetime. So as of right now, I still live in the real world, where we are surrounded by meat, dairy and eggs, sugar and lots of processed foods. Instead of me going crazy I just have a bite and that's that!

I will never go back to the way I used to eat, there is no way I could ever eat a SAD diet again, it is a big part of my life, it is what I do and who I am. It is one of my core believes, but I have friends and family that don't believe in the way I eat, but I love them more than anything. It is really hard for me to connect with some "Vegans". Don't get me wrong, I think it is amazing everything vegans do, just for the animals sake, but you know what though- I am not a hippie and I love fashion and make-up, traveling, movies and motorcycles, I love to dance all night long and get tipsy every once in a while.
Because you just gotta live a little! I can't change who I am and what I like, because of the way I eat.
My lifestyle alone won't keep me healthy-my happiness combined with beautiful plant foods will.

Just do whatever works for you, whatever diet, whatever lifestyle, your relationship, your life!
But be completely honest with yourself, listen to your thoughts and to your body. How does it make you feel, do you feel healthy, happy, at peace? Don't listen to anyone but yourself, take advice from trusted sources, I sure did and I will be forever thankful!

Our society has stupid standard on lifestyle and happiness, jobs, money, cars and houses. It doesn't matter what you do, who your with or not with, how old, small, big, rich or poor you are,all that matters is that YOU ARE HAPPY!!!
If you don't have your happiness, you have nothing.
Health is part of it, friends are, family is and love is. Money will never make you happy. Whatever makes you happy, find it and never let it go!!!

Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Almost Raw Granola Recipe

Just made this granola recipe for the farmers market. It is super easy to make and way more nutritious than the sugary version from the store.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

2 cups oats
3/4 cups almonds
3/4 cups cashews
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup maple syrup
1tbsp cinnamon
1tsp salt
4-5 large dates, chopped
2tbsp coconut oil

Chop nuts into pieces or grind in food processor. Mix with all other ingredients until it all sticks together. Oil baking sheet with one tbsp coconut oil and bake at 200 degrees for about 40min.
Let it cool and serve with almond milk and fresh berries!

Yum I am excited for breakfast.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer