No Bake Power Protein Bars

One of my besties sent me this easy, delicious and healthy protein bar recipe. It's so easy that I don't think I'll ever buy granola bars ever again. Plus, I know exactly what's going in it. I recently read the ingredients on several granola bar boxes and let me tell you, they are not healthy! Shame on you food industry for wrongly claiming your granola bars are healthy when they are not. Tsk tsk.

No Bake Power Protein Bars

Recipe Cred Dailyhiit.com

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup unsweetened thick cut coconut
1/3 cup raw honey, real maple syrup or blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup nut butter
1/2 cup ground flax meal
1/2 cup dark/bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tsp unrefined coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a baking dish and press down firmly. Let sit for 30 minutes. Cut into bar shape and enjoy!
  
Julia's Notes: I used peanut butter and ground my own flaxseed. I am excited to try this again with a different nut butter and maybe throw in almonds.

Oil Pulling

I'm a girl who loves to try anything once. There's no exception when it comes to healthy living. Earlier this year, I learned about oil pulling. It sounded so odd and weird, but noticed several celebrities who swore by it. I had coconut oil in the pantry and gave it a go.

What is oil pulling?

It's an ancient Indian practice that consists of swishing oil (vegetable-based like coconut, sesame and olive) around your mouth for 20 minutes. The swishing helps pull the bad bacteria and traps it in the oil. Timing is important as 20 minutes is long enough to pull the toxins, yet short enough that the toxins don't go back into your body. Then, you spit it out in the trash and rinse your mouth with warm water (do not spit it out in the sink as it can clog your pipes).

Benefits

• Whiter teeth
• Reduce plaque/gingivitis
• Get rid of bad breath
• Strengthen teeth and gums
• Helps with allergies, asthma, eczema

Final verdict? 
I tried it for 3 months and re-started it recently.  Whiter teeth, shinier teeth, fresh breath and helped with digestion. I don't know if bacteria really is being pulled into the oil, but it's not harmful. I may not do this every day, but I'll definitely be continuing this.


Resources:
http://www.oilpulling.com/

http://wellnessmama.com/7866/oil-pulling-for-oral-health/

Love Thy Freckles

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Fall is here! I love the changing of the leaves and smell of cinnamon in the air. Warm, comforting foods are all I want. Last night, I had a strong craving for McDonald's apple pie. They are so so good, but so so bad. I found an easy recipe and had most of the ingredients. Success! My apple pie craving was satisfied. I will most definitely be making this again.

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Recipe cred Familyfeedbag.com

Ingredients:

1 apple cored and chopped (skin on)
1 cup water
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions:

Bring water to a boil, then add all the ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle brown sugar or your choice of sweetner. Pour a little bit of milk. Enjoy!

Lemon Water Benefits

I've been reading a lot about food and health lately. The foods we eat directly affect our health. Most foods we eat are acidic and an acidic environment is where viruses and illnesses thrive. Ideally, we want our bodies to be in an alkaline state.  Healthy foods don't cure illnesses. They simply nourish our bodies and strengthen our immune system to do what it does best: attack the bad stuff.

Believe it or not, lemons help keep our bodies alkaline. Counterintuitive, right? Lemons themselves are acidic, but once ingested, they become alkaline. The easiest way for me to get in my daily dose of lemons: LEMON WATER!

We're supposed to drink 6-8 glasses of water, so why not hit two birds with one stone. Hydrate and get our bodies alkaline! They say room temperature water is the best and cold water isn't good for you, but in my opinion, too many rules deter people from living a healthy lifestyle. Do what works for you!

There are so many other benefits: improved digestion, good for the skin, boosts immune system...CHEERS!

Fitness Motivation

This is what I tell myself on the days I need a little push. Legs sore and feel like jello from this morning's workout. Tired, but I feel great. Happy Friday!

30 Day Plank Challenge

This 30 Day Plank Challenge was a no-brainer for me to try. I won't lie though. It gets tough once you get to 2 minutes and up to 4 minutes. I had to take micro breaks and went straight back into plank position. I'm going to try this again soon...hopefully with less/no breaks!

Audrey Hepburn on Happiness

Audrey Hepburn...the epitome of timeless elegance. Oh, Audrey, how I love thee and this quote!

Stir-fried Dried Anchovies (Myul Chi Bokkeum)

I love myul chi bokkeum. I can eat it by itself or with a bowl of rice, seaweed paper and kimchi. Easy meal, done. In fact, I had it today for breakfast instead of my usual cottage cheese with flaxseed oil sprinkled with granola, which I've been eating every morning for the past month.

I've tried several different recipes from family members and from recipes I've found online. Truthfully, they all taste good and it's pretty versatile. If I'm in the mood for more of a sweet taste, I'll add in more sugar or honey. If I want something more salty, I'll add in some soy sauce. Generally speaking, I do prefer simple ingredients and I definitely try to cook in a way so food isn't salty.

The basis of this recipe is from Maangchi. I added the almonds and walnuts to give it extra nutritional value and bulk it up.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup small dried anchovies
• half a handful almonds and and half a handful of walnuts roughly chopped
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon of water
• 1/4 teaspoon of Stevia or 1 Tablespoon of sugar or 1 Tablespoon of honey
• olive oil

Instructions:

Mix garlic, water, sugar in a bowl
Set aside.

In a heated pan on medium high heat, fry the anchovies for 1-2 minutes.

Push anchovies to the side of the pan and throw in the chopped almonds and walnuts. Toast for 1-2 minutes. Be sure to keep the anchovies side of the pan off the heat.

Drizzle olive oil into the pan. I do 2 swirls around the pan. Stir for 1 minute more.

Add the sauce previously mixed in a bowl.

Mix everything in the pan and turn off the heat immediately. Remove the anchovies from the pan immediately and serve!


Julia's Notes: I think anchovies are salty enough as is, so I prefer not to use soy sauce. You can add in chili peppers for a kick, sesame seeds and sesame oil. You can also add in 1 Tablespoon of hot pepper paste for a spicier version. They all taste great to me!

Auntie Fee Makes Me Laugh

This woman makes me cry laughing. Happy Friday! Sit back and enjoy the show.

30-Minute, No-Gym Bodyweight Workout

There are times when I do NOT want to drive to the gym and workout. The mere thought of grabbing the keys, getting into my car and driving seems so difficult. Some days, I will make every excuse under the sun not to workout. I am tired. It's raining. I will eat less today. I don't feel like it.

On days like these, I tell myself to do something really easy like 10 jumping jacks or 10 leg lifts. Once I do that, I push myself to go ahead and workout a few minutes at home. This is when I look up at-home workouts online. God bless the internet.

This is one workout I do quite often. It gets the heart pumping and I sweat. A bonus is that Christopher likes to sit and watch me jump up and down. He thinks it's hilarious. Sure, kid. If you're gonna stay somewhat still while I work up a sweat, I ain't complaining.


Get health and fitness tips at Greatist.com.

Attitude

Last weekend, we were at a Honda dealership. I recently purchased a white Honda Pilot with black trim. I've named my car Panda. Oh, yes I did. Panda was getting a roof rack, all-weather mats and running boards with LED lights. She's all pimped out now or as my father-in-law said...she looks like a real car now. Anyways, I was bored in the waiting room thumbing through magazines and walking around in circles. I passed by someone's desk and in plain sight for all to see was this thought-provoking quote about attitude.  The person sitting behind the desk smiled at me, reached for the frame and gave me a copy of the quote. How unexpectedly nice! Apparently, so many people stop to read it, he made several copies of it to pass out to people. How thoughtful! This is his little contribution to make the world a better place. World Peace!

I've read it a few times already. It is a reminder to always keep a good attitude about everything in life, even when I don't want to and even when it's so so so hard to do so. This is a must-share.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

 - Charles R. Swindoll

Peanut-Sesame Slaw with Soba Noodles

For the past two weeks, CJ and I have been eating healthy. I'm talking about cottage cheese, flaxseeds, ginger tea, salads, veggie patties, fish, chicken, quinoa, walnuts, brazilian nuts...doesn't sound too appetizing, right? I can see you scrunching your face saying "ewww". Get it out of your system. Done? Great. Read on.

CJ is a meats and potatoes type of guy. I know this is a huge transition for him (I love you for riding along with minimal complaints). Healthy eating can be quite tasty with some research and creativity. We are both learning that once your body gets used to eating healthy, your body craves it and your tummy aches when you eat crap food.

Though we're buying a lot of organic foods, we're actually saving money because I'm not buying chips, soda, bacon, hot dogs, and red meat. I've been more focused on veggies, tuna, salmon, brown rice, fruit, and the list goes on. 

A few nights ago, I needed to whip up a quick dinner. Where else would I go, but Pinterest for inspiration and ideas! Gawd, I love Pinterest.

I came across a tasty looking photo and clicked on it and discovered this recipe. If you're not a peanut butter fan, move on and just know you're no longer my friend. i...love...PEANUT...BUTTERRRRR!! I really want to go on and on about it, but really, I should just stop yapping and post the recipe already. Crunch, crunch, chomp, chomp...enjoy!

PEANUT-SESAME SLAW WITH SOBA NOODLES

Recipe cred goes to Cookie+Kate

Ingredients

Slaw

• 4 ounces soba noodles (omit if you want it to be gluten-free, unless it's gluten-free soba...duh)
• 1 small purple or green cabbage, sliced into quarters and core removed
• ½ pound (about 12) Brussels sprouts, optional
• 4 carrots, peeled
• 1 bunch green onions, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds

Peanut-sesame dressing

• ½ cup peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or other soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

Garnish

• Sprinkle of coarsely chopped peanuts
• Handful of cilantro, coarsely torn
• 1 lime, sliced into wedges

Instructions

1. Cook the soba noodles: bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water before returning to pot.
2. Prepare the vegetables: This is easier in a food processor than by hand. If using a food processor, shred the cabbage and sprouts with the slicing disk, then grate the carrots using the grating disk. Or use a chef's knife to chop the cabbage and sprouts into thin strips, then coarsely grate the carrots.
3. Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.
4. In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked soba noodles, shredded cabbage and sprouts, grated carrots, and chopped green onions. Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat (you may or may not need all of the dressing). For best flavor, let the slaw marinate for 20 minutes before serving.
5. Serve slaw with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts, torn cilantro and a lime wedge.

Julia's Notes: I didn't use brussel sprouts, green onions or chopped peanuts because I didn't have them on hand.  Tasted just fine, but I bet it'll be tastier with them. The photo above doesn't have soba noodles, but I did add it later...yummo. If you want a lighter fare, omit the soba noodles.

Let's do this! Healthy Lifestyle Makeover.

My dad practices what he preaches. He is the most healthiest person I know. He exercises 5-6 days a week for 2 hours each session. He tries not to eat too much red meat, stays away from white rice and avoids salty foods like the plague. At age 64, the man has a six pack, dresses GQ and looks young! I am a proud daughter.

Needless to say, my father has influenced me heavily when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. I must admit, I haven't exhibited the same amount of discipline as he has. I'll read about some detox program in a magazine or a new fad diet and I'll be super motivated to hit the ground running. The excitement and high will last for maybe a week or two and then...bam! One cheat meal is all it takes for me to go spiraling back to my old ways, albeit healthier than most people.

Recently, I have been reminded that life without health is nothing. My grandfather is 92 years old and tells me this every single time I see him without fail. Money, fame, power...it's all meaningless without health.

Instead of a diet to lose weight, I am embarking on a journey to live healthier - with food, my body and my soul.

This blog is my personal diary to preserve family recipes, test out new recipes, share workouts and anything else that my little heart desires.