New Lily

Three Vegetables You Need to be Eating

Don't judge these great veggies by any pre-concieved notions you might have...

Don’t judge these great veggies by any pre-concieved notions you might have…

Kale, Yams, and Beets…if you aren’t eating these veggies on a regular basis, you should be. According to Alan Tyson, physical therapist, athletic trainer, and certified strength and conditioning specialist, if you are an athlete or just want to perform at your best, these veggies should be on your A-List.

We all know that eating vegetables is a good thing to do.  But not all vegetables are created equal.  The more colorful the veggie, the more significant the nutritional potency (Vitamin C and E, carotenoids, polyphenols, etc.).  When we eat a variety of green, yellow, and red vegetables we receive the maximum benefit that vegetables have to offer. Vegetables’ potent qualities are reflected in studies of populations with primary plant-based diets. Over time, people in these cultures are far less likely to be obese; they enjoy a longer lifespan; and they have a decreased risk of developing a number of chronic diseases. The general admonishment to “eat more veggies” is perfectly legitimate, but if you’re looking for a more concrete recommendation, the following are the reasons Alan Tyson says we should really get to know these three great veggies: [Read more…]

13 Great Tips for Healthy Eating

Eating shouldn't be complicated.  It should be as easy as riding a bike!

Eating shouldn’t be complicated. It can be as easy as riding a bike!

My good friend, Alan Tyson, physical therapist and owner of Architech Sports, posted the following healthy tips for athletes.  I believe they make sense for all of us!

Tip #1 Turns out mom was right…EAT BREAKFAST (within one hour of waking up).

Tip #2 EAT OFTEN (about every three hours).

Tip #3 Have a source of PROTEIN at every meal or snack (meat, fish, eggs or egg whites, yogurt, etc.).

Tip #4 Get 20 oz. of PROTEIN after your workout (not the carb-heavy stuff).

Tip #5 Drink H2O!  At least 63 oz. (or more) every day. [Read more…]

Finally a Green Smoothie I Can Handle

Not bad!  That's saying a lot!

Not bad! That’s saying a lot!

My brother-in-law is staying with us.  He decided he wants to start drinking a green smoothie everyday.  Since he had never tried one, he said to me, “How bad can they be?”  Well…pretty bad, actually.  Warm and fuzzy are not emotions that are stirred up in me when the word green smoothie is mentioned.  I’ve tried my share.  When two years ago my husband was diagnosed with cancer, I started making green smoothies for him.  I wanted the healthiest variety.  And he couldn’t eat fruit because his throat was subjected to radiation treatments and was incredibly sore.

We tried many different varieties containing lots of kinds of greens… wheatgrass, kale, spinach, collards, celery, cucumber, etc.  None of them were particularly palatable.  Some people would say it just takes time, that your taste buds get used to things.  Not mine. [Read more…]

Is There a Healthy Way to Lose a Few Pounds In Time for Spring/Summer?

beachesphoto_lg_antiguaandbarbudaThe answer to the question is YES. From what I have learned over a number of years, however,  a slow weight loss is typically the most effective.  Losing weight in the short term can be helpful, though, as a jump start.  If, say, you are heading to the beach for spring break, and you want to lose a few pounds, you can do so in a healthy manner.  You can even keep it off if you play your cards right.  My suggestion is always to take the long term approach, but if you have an event like a wedding or spring break, using that as a goal to help you start the process is fine.

The following are three ways to lose a few pounds in a few weeks:

water glassimages1. Drink more water.  Wake up and drink a glass of water.  Drink a glass of water a few hours later.  Before lunch, drink a glass of water. Drink a water bottle all afternoon.  Drink a glass of water before (or with) dinner.  Drink some herbal tea with lemon an hour before you head to bed. Why is water helpful to losing weight? [Read more…]

You Might Be Surprised What 200 Calories Looks Like!

That's a whole lot of celery!

That’s a whole lot of celery!

In today’s online world, images are everything.  The images in this article, “What 200 Calories Looks Like” (Fast Company) tell a whole lot!  There are many ways to eat 200 calories.  You get a whole lot more when you pick the healthy stuff.

For me, this photo slideshow is an excellent reminder.  I consider myself a fairly healthy eater.  Yet when I see the comparison of food in the 200 calorie range, I realize just how poor my choices really are.  It is a matter of being smart.  When I find time, cutting up veggies such as celery and carrots and putting them in the fridge for quick access.  Boiling water and throwing in eggs to hard boil.  Using ketchup sparingly!  Here is the link…what do you think?

Skip the Beans with this Paleo Chili Recipe!

Ever since my husband’s cancer diagnosis 2 years ago, I have been searching for good nutritional changes for our entire family.  I have yet to settle on one…but the Paleo diet has intrigued me ever since I first heard of it (mainly because it seems to make sense to me). I am a believer in less carbs and more protein, but I don’t like the idea of avoiding fruit (I eat it all the time and who can say no to kids who want to eat fruit?).  Anyway, the Paleo diet encourages fruit and also seems to fit well into my family’s lifestyle.  I recently came across this chili recipe on paleonewbie.com (great website, too), and wanted to try it.  So I am going to… Tonight!  Do you have any good Paleo recipes?

Looks great with all those veggies on top!

Looks great with all those veggies on top….and the beans will likely not be missed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Read more…]

Nine Goals for the New Year

IMG_6186I am goal oriented.  I love new beginnings and the chance to start again.  I like to write goals down. Not that I ever go back and look at what I wrote, but the process seems official in some way.  Here are my nine goals for 2014 …. not all are resolutions because some of them I already do… I want to keep doing them.  What are your goals?

1. Get rid of junk.  That goes for the kind in my bedroom closet and the kind in the kitchen pantry.  We have too much stuff.  I want to go through every closet and gather all clothes, shoes, etc. that I don’t need, that my children don’t need, and that our house doesn’t need…and give it  away (or throw it away in the case of stained, icky, ancient) [Read more…]

Awesome Winter Cannellini Soup

YUM!  And cozy to boot...

YUM! And cozy to boot…

I love white beans so I knew this soup was going to be delicious as soon as I saw this recipe.  December is a wonderful month for getting warm and cozy – this soup will help with both! (Compliments BBC’s GoodFood)

Winter Cannellini Bean Soup [Read more…]

How To Have a Healthy Thanksgiving (And Still Enjoy it)!

Click on picture to see a great recipe for Herbed Turkey

Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving?  Food, family, friends… all the ingredients for a wonderful time.  Some people believe it is a day when we get a pass on gluttony, but it doesn’t have to be this way.  Thanksgiving can be healthy and delicious! There are plenty of great tasting, healthy recipes for the big Turkey Day.  I have created a list of healthy alternatives (borrowed from various sources) to create an awesome menu for a healthy Thanksgiving….  Please share your healthy Thanksgiving recipes, too (there are so many)!

PotatoGratinWinter Curried Vegetables I don’t know about you, but I love anything curried.  This recipe from Elisa Bosley (Delicious Living) looks like it tastes great…I love that it is make-ahead too! [Read more…]

Pear Spice Oatmeal…A Fall Favorite!

IMG_7014

Here is wonderful recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Recipes Remembered....

Oatmeal is a year round breakfast for me, but I especially love it on the cooler days of fall and winter…a perfect comfort food!

Happy Fall, friends.  It’s time for spice, for apples & pears, crisp mornings, boots & comfy sweaters, marathons and so many other lovely – and delicious – things.  This oatmeal is one of the delicious things.  It’s a base of fall spices – cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves – topped with deliciously sweet pears, pecans for crunch and a little drizzle of milk.  I’m a little sad to see summer go but if I can look forward to breakfasts like this one then I think I’ll be ok. [Read more…]