LOVE IS THE PULSE OF THE UNIVERSE!

LOVE!

Love is the pulse of the Universe. The breath of life. If you don't allow yourself to give and receive love...your spiritual body will suffer. You become anesthetized to life and your light is extinguished. If allowed to live in this state for long, eventually your physical body will deteriorate. Love.  Live.  Allow yourself to be loved. Allow yourself to freely give love. Sprinkle that sh*t EVERYWHERE! 
This is the pulse of the Universe and the doorway to true bliss and enlightened living.

My Creation....Granookie!

Introducing.....the Granookie!

So I think I just may be on to something!  Today I created this recipe and I call it...Granookie! :)

It's a gluten-free granola bar/cookie.  It SO satisfies a sweet tooth but is super healthy and actually good for you!  I need to play around a little more with it to perfect it but...my first creation tastes pretty bomb diggity if I do say so myself ;)  

Here are the ingredients and stats:

• Organic gluten free flour
• Organic oats
• Organic maple syrup
• Sunflower seeds
• Pecans
• Dried blueberries, cherries
• Golden raisins
• Coconut flakes
• and the best part.....Dark chocolate chips

*They're pretty big so one is plenty to satisfy a sweet tooth!

• 125 calories
• 3 grams protein
• 3 grams fiber

Delicious Stuffed Bell Peppers

These are so yummy even my teenagers like them! They're one of those dishes that is different every time I make it but what IS constant with them is that they're low in calories, packed with protein, vitamin C, phytochemicals, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. You can change ingredients and amounts to your liking but here's what I do:

• 4 Bell peppers (I prefer red, orange, and yellow)
• 1lb ground turkey
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa and wild rice
• Chopped onion
• Chopped mushrooms
• Chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup grated cheese 
• And season to taste (I use garlic salt, lemon pepper, and thyme)

Cook and season quinoa and wild rice like you normally would. Sauté onion and garlic. Add mushrooms and any other veggies you choose. Add ground turkey. Season. Once thoroughly cooked add in quinoa/rice mixture. Cut tops off bell peppers and core. Add pinch of sea salt inside. Then small amount of cheese. Add meat mixture and top with cheese. Put in dish filled about 1/4 with water. Place baking dish in 400 degree oven for 30-40minutes. Voila!

Serve with side salad or even garlic bread. Enjoy!!

XO Joy

Fiber Intake and Weight Loss

Another reason to get your daily fiber in!  A recent study showed that those who ate at least 30 grams of fiber a day lose more weight than those who eat less.  Another study found that 'plant based diets lead to weight loss'.  Now weight loss shouldn't be your sole reason for increasing fruits and vegetables...BUT...it's damn good motivator!  One thing to take note on is the 'plant based' phrase.  They didn't differentiate between vegan, vegetarian, ovo-lacto-vegetarian, etc.  because in those diets, you can still eat bad. Chips, cookies, and white stuff are vegetarian. So the focus was on a plant based diet.  Those of us in the nutrition (and health) field are constantly telling clients to increase their fiber intake.  And not just with whole grains.  It has to come from increasing fruits and vegetables as well. "Eat more fiber" doesn't sound sexy or exciting but if you know 'eating more fiber may kick-start my weight loss'...now that sounds exciting!  Of course there are so many benefits to eating more fiber than losing weight so don't get caught up on that. Results vary and it is dependent upon what you do with the rest of your eating habits and your activity level so don't take this new study and consider it a quick 'weight loss trick'.  It's not.  It's just confirming what we already know.  A high fiber diet leads to a healthier body and in more ways than one.  Here are just a few benefits to getting at least 30g/fiber a day in your diet:

• Lowers cholesterol
• Helps to maintain bowel health
• Helps maintain blood sugar levels
• Staves off hunger
• Those who eat a high fiber diet have a 40% lower risk of heart disease
• High fiber diet reduces the risk of kidney stones and gallstones
• Helps maintain skin health
• And much more...

All of these mentioned above are amazing but let's not forget the other benefits these functional foods offer like phytochemicals, antioxidants, and cancer-fighting properties.  So although the idea of losing weight while increasing fiber intake is a great one, try not to overlook the holistic benefits you obtain that go far beyond weight loss.  And remember when increasing your fiber intake, do so slowly and drink plenty of water to avoid irritation, gas, and bloating.
Eat up and enjoy!


XO   Joy