Easy Overnight Oats

Sometimes making breakfast in the morning is hard. I don't always have time for cooking. It really is important though to eat a good breakfast because it sets up your metabolism for the day. So, one of my favorite grab and go recipes is Overnight Oats. I can make it the night before and it's ready in the morning. I will often make five of them to set me up for the week.

Overnight Oats

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup unsweetened plain greek yogurt 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds

 Mix everything all together and store in the refrigerator. You can add diced apple, or top with blackberries or strawberries (one of my favorites!) You can also add unsweetened shredded coconut and use unsweetened coconut milk in place of the almond milk. A scoop of protein powder can be added for extra protein. The possibilities are really endless for variations! ☺

Ways to Drink More Water

We all hear that we need to be drinking more water. That fact is constantly surrounding us- in health magazines, online, etc. However, we seem to turn a deaf ear to that fact. We get busy, and don't think to drink water until we are thirsty. Even then, we seem to turn to other alternatives such as soda.

Our bodies are made of 70% water! Every cell in our body is made of water-organs, cells, blood, even our brains! If we don't drink enough water, our bodies can't function properly. Drinking more water can make us more alert and have more energy throughout the day.

Here are some ways that might be helpful in helping to hydrate a little more easily.

~ Drink some water as soon as you get up. I used to immediately reach for coffee the moment I got out of bed. When I was trying to get healthier, I tried drinking at least a cup as soon as I hopped out of bed while the coffee is brewing. 

~ Maybe drink one cup every hour on the hour. You could set an alarm to remind you. One cup every hour will definitely add up by the end of the day!

~ Every time you come out from the restroom, drink a cup of water. What a good reminder!

~ You could make it a habit to drink water every time you------. You fill in that blank. Could it be while checking emails? Waiting for coffee to brew? Waiting for the kids to get in the car in the morning?

~ Buy yourself a pretty water bottle that you can carry around with you all day. Maybe pink and sparkly? (Or is that just me?)

~ Drink water before your workout, during your workout, and after your workout. What happens when we work out? We sweat, and that is our bodies losing more water. If you want to get the most out your workouts- to go hard and really rock those workouts....make sure you drink your water!

~ Drink water instead of ------. Again, you fill in that blank. I gave up diet soda, and started drinking water instead. With my meals, I realized that I didn't miss it at all.

~ Sometimes our bodies are telling us that we are hungry. Then we wonder why, because we ate not too long ago. The same part of our brains that tell us that we are hungry, also control our thirst. So we sometimes get our signals crossed. Try drinking a glass of water and wait 20 minutes. If you are still feeling hungry, then it is true hunger.

~ You could try drinking it hot, with some lemon slices. Treat it like a treat, and you might find you really enjoy it.

~ Sometimes we have other ailments that we don't even think of as being caused by not drinking enough water. Such as constipation and  headaches.

Hopefully you will be able to incorporate a few of these ideas into your daily life to help increase you water consumption effortlessly. Watch your energy rise and your skin glow!

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

This recipe is so simple. It is one of my go to recipes when I know that I am going to have a busy day and I will be so grateful to have dinner done!

3 pounds frozen chicken breasts
2 cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 package of taco seasoning

Combine tomatoes and seasoning in a bowl and pour over chicken breasts in the crockpot. Set to high for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken with two forks.

Serve in taco shells, tortillas,, ets. I use this recipe to make chicken taco salads, and burritos with whole wheat tortillas, beans and veggies. This is one of my family's favorites. I hope it becomes on of yours!

Pasta Florentine Sauce

Quick and easy pasta sauce for the family that tastes like it took more time than it really did. Freeing your time to look at pinterest a little longer. Or help your kids with homework. Whichever.

2 cans diced tomatoes
1 lb ground turkey
1 onion
1/2 diced red bell pepper
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried basil
1 package frozen spinach

Brown ground turkey with diced onion and bell pepper. Add the rest of ingredients and let simmer 20 minutes or so, breaking up the spinach and stirring well. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Confused about food packaging?

Words that companies use on their packaging to describe their foods can be confusing sometimes. The FDA regulates the specific descriptive wording, but it can still be confusing to us- the consumers. For example, when you see a bag of jelly beans labeled "fat free". You wonder "did they change the formula?" Nope. The jelly beans are pretty much pure sugar- and always have been. The package isn't lying. There isn't any fat in them. However, they have NEVER contained fat. Just sugar. The change in packaging was just done to confuse us as consumers into thinking that those jelly beans are now a healthier food.

Most people looking to lose weight try to read labels and all the packaging labeled "light", "low-fat", "non-fat", or "reduced calorie" all sound very appealing. So how do we know which is right for us to choose?

Here is a list of FDA regulated food descriptions with the criteria that companies are required to meet to include these descriptions on their packaging.

Free: is often associated with fat free or sugar free. It meant that the product contains no amount of, or only trivial quantities of the said components. Less than 0.5 g per serving or less 5 calories per serving.

Low: can be used if the foods can be consumed regularly without causing excessive intakes of said component it is referring to.

Low Calorie: less than 40 calories per serving.

Low fat: less than 3 grams of fat per serving.

Low sodium: less than 140 mg of sodium per serving.

Light: This one has 3 possible meanings. 1.) It has 1/3 fewer calories or half the fat. 2.) the sodium content of a low calorie, low fat food has been reduced by 50%. 3.) the term describes the color, texture or other property as long as it explains it's meaning.

Reduced: the contents contain at least 25% less of the component than the original.

Lean: less than 10 grams fat, 4.5 grams or less saturated fat, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving per 100 grams.

Extra lean: less than 5 grams fat, less than 2 grams of saturated fat, less than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving.

Good Source: 10-19% of the daily value of said item.

High In: 20% or more of daily value of said item

Extra: at 10% more than the daily value in the referenced food.

Very low sodium: 35 mg or less soium

Sodium free: less than 5 mg per serving

High Fiber: 5g or more of fiber per serving

We all want to be healthy. I hope this helps a little when food shopping in reading food labels, so you can make the best decisions for you in your food purchases and not be tricked by the food companies packaging.

Lunch today---lentils

Mmmmmm....... Lunch. I started eating lentils on a daily basis about a month ago. I have dicovered that lentils have really helped me to curb my appetite and control cravings. I feel more satisfied with my daily food. I believe it is because their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal and balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy.Their are so many ways to prepare them, google it and try something new! Leave me a comment below sharing your favorite way to prepare lentils!