healthy

The FDA has approved irradiating lettuce and spinach. There's a 30 day public comment period. Learn more, then Tell the FDA you don't want your fresh produce altered and it's nutritional value destroyed.

Get more nutrition from your food with organic.

Learn more about healthy food.

Historically agave nectar was made from the aguamiel of the agave plant. It contains minerals and amino acids and has been used therapeutically. It is healthy as a sweetener.

However, the agave nectar on the health food store shelves today is not really agave nectar, but agave syrup. It is highly processed and many of the nutrients are removed. These sweeteners are very high in fructose. Too much fructose contributes to elevated triglycerides, which is a risk factor for heart disease.

So what sweeteners are healthy to use?

Raw honey has about half the fructose as the agave syrup and pure maple syrup has very little fructose at all. Both of these sweeteners are preferable to the highly processed agave products you find on the grocery store and health food store shelves. Another option is stevia, the Paraguayan variety rather than the Chinese.

Of course, even healthy sweeteners should be used in moderation.

Here are some recipes to treat yourself to healthy sweets.

This post will be super-quick! I had my first day of my last semester of classes today (God help me) and have tons to do. I figured I'd post a little run down- also known as "Ashley is emptying her camera to prepare for her cruise this weekend!"

Does anyone else think the cost of education is ridiculous these days? My textbooks for one class alone came to $250. And that's just Spanish! Geesh.


I tried the Starbucks Vivanno in Banana Chocolate- sub soy. It was okay. It tastes like a bland protein/cocoa smoothie I'd make at home. Just okay. It did keep me full.


YUM! I found this great frozen yogurt place called Caliyogurt in South Tampa. They feature three kinds of frozen yogurt: plain, green tea and mango. They have more fresh fruit toppings than candies!


Last Friday I told you all about the dinner I was making for David. For the best sauce, spinach, sliced shrooms, fake ground beef and garlic- simmer, add in jarred sauce and a big splat of low-fat ricotta, stir in pepper, basil, garlic salt. So good! We ate it with spinach fettucine and grilled eggplant.


This is my friend Rob and I at Coldstone Creamery. I realized I take way more pictures of food than people, so we took a picture (thanks, David!)

This stuff from Coldstone is GROSS! The guy behind the counter warned I wouldn't like the sample. He was right. I wanted to gag. I guess this NrGize product is Coldstone's attempt at "healthy". Don't go for it, people- for your tastebuds sake!


This past weekend was stuffed with family events and food. I love seeing most of my family within two days- but it was exhausting! Here David and me at Nana and Grandpa's for breakfast. <3
David's adorable family celebrates a few birthdays at a time with a big Italian celebration. Every year they include me, too (see my name at the bottom of the white cake??). It was a wonderful time.

The end!

Come in today and grab some Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence ($13.99/750mL). Unless you don't like chocolate, but I find that hard to believe.

cheers!

dave

The trans fats found in processed foods have received a lot of negative publicity lately and are being removed from many of the packaged foods on the market.

Trans fats are typically found in foods as partially hydrogenated fats and oils. Recent research has shown trans fats to be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, non-agressive prostate tumors and infertility in women.

Beware of labels that say "No Trans Fats!" Read the ingredients to make sure there really are no partially hydrogenated fats or oils. Manufacturers are legally allowed to say no trans fats if there is less than .5 grams per serving.

The food industry's solution to the trans fat fiasco is to replace them with what are called interesterified fats, or fully hydrogenated fats. Not only are these fats not a solution, but they may cause your HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, to drop even more than the trans fats. In addition, they may raise blood sugar, contributing to diabetes.

Again read the label to make sure there are no hydrogenated or interesterified fats in the product.

There is one kind of trans fat that is good for you. It's the natural trans fat found in meat and butter. The natural trans fats have been found to lower your risk for diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Enjoy your butter and know that animal fats are not the bad guys they have been made out to be! The best animal fats are from organic raw milk and dairy products and organic grass fed meat.

Read more about healthy food.

I've mentioned Walk Score before, but I want to put it out there again for new readers. Walk Score is a great free tool that takes an address and calculates how "walkable" the address is based on how close it is to grocery stores, parks, entertainment, bars, libraries, etc. It's incredibly accurate, too.

When I was looking for an apartment, one of my top concerns was having a home that I could leave my car behind for an entire day and still get around. So I entered every possible place into this site to see if it was a place I'd like to consider. My old house had a score of 13.. the one I got has a 77!

Just remember that a "walkable" area doesn't mean a safe one. I made that mistake a few times when looking at possible apartments!!

NEW RELEASES THIS WEEK

1. AVERY "ALE TO THE CHIEF" (8.75% Imperial Pale with sweet pineapple notes)-$8.99+tx

2. AVERY "THE KAISER" (10.03% Imperial Oktoberfest Lager-$8.99+tx

3. AVERY "THE BEAST"(16% Imperial Grand Cru made w/blackstrap molasses)-$9.99+tx

COMING SOON

OMMEGANG "CHOCOLATE INDULGENCE-Expected on Tuesday 08/26

Watch the video.

Read more about healthy food.

Wooohooo! It's Friday!

This is making me happy.

Tonight David's coming over after work. I'm cooking spinach fettuccine with homemade tomato-ricotta sauce (does it count as homemade if I mix a jar of sauce with a tub of ricotta? I hope so!) with TONS of veggies! Then we're off to meet my good friend Rob (from Texas!) at Coldstones! I've been trying to be a good girl lately, so I think I'm going to get a Sinless Sans Fat Sweet Cream with fresh Blackberries! YUM!

And for Erica, I took my first cycling class at my new gym last night! Man, it was tough! The class was 1 hour long, but I had to stick to an easy level to keep from falling off my bike! Next time I definitely need to work harder- I'm not sore at all today!

Whether you're lounging around the house or partying like a Rockstar, have a great weekend everyone!

The FDA has just approved the secret irradiation of lettuce and spinach before it gets to your grocery store. The nutrients in irradiated food are destroyed. Eating irradiated food will cause you to be nutritionally deficient and your health will suffer greatly.

Read the article here.

Protect your health by growing your own food, buying locally grown food from farmer's markets and buy organic. Organic food cannot be irradiated according to the National Organic Standards.

If you're not buying organic, ask your grocer if they buy irradiated food. If they don't know, don't buy until they find out and make sure it's not irradiated.

Learn more about healthy eating.

***I found this stuck in my Drafts from back in March. It was yummy, so I figured I'd still publish it. Enjoy!***

Here's to my attempt at posting a recipe :)

I have been inspired my the wonderful Dani Spies.

When I saw the bright purple color of the Red (even though it is purple..) Cabbage, I just couldn't resist!

I have a tendency to never follow recipes. It's my little form of rebellion and hope for some creativity! Take a look at Dani's recipe, though. hers has ingredients I totally didn't think of adding (I was in a rush, okay!).

Anyway, what I did:

It's bad enough that factory farmed animals are kept in inhumane, congested conditions and fed grain which is not their normal diet. Now, because of the rising cost of corn, factory farms have stooped to feeding the cattle junk food. They're mixing potato chips and M&Ms in with the corn to reduce the cost of feeding these animals, making an unhealthy meat even less healthy.

Grass fed cattle eat what nature intended and give you the healthiest meat. However it will cost more BUT it is better for your health.

Watch the video here.

Learn more about healthy food here.

Omega-3's are vitally important to your health. The average American diet is low in Omega-3's and high in Omega-6's. This imbalance is a major contributing factor to many of the diseases rampant in this country today.

When you decide to add Omega-3's to your diet, it's important to eat the right kind of Omega-3's in the right balance.

The food industry has jumped onto the Omega-3 bandwagon to get their piece of the Omega-3 pie. However, there are a lot of products that have been mislabeled as to their Omega-3 content, thanks to an FDA loophole.

There's a good e-book that explains about Omega-3's in easy-to-understand language so that you can determine for yourself whether foods advertised as Omega-3 rich and heart healthy really do live up to the claims.

The Food Industry's Greed: How Misleading Labeling of Omega-3 Foods Undermines American Health with Lois Smithers gives you the facts. You won't find words in this book that say how you should eat, what to buy or how to shop. What you will read is information that will help you make the best choices possible.

Read more...

Step Brothers.
THE BEST. This is the funniest movie, hands down. I want to see it again tomorrow. And every day after that. No other words necessary. See it. Seriously, come to Florida and I will see it with you.

Tropic Thunder.
Since I love comedies, I was really looking forward to this one. It stunk. It was baaaaadddd. I laughed maybe 3 times- and those 3 times were kind of forced. I spent most of the time thinking of how I could run home and post about how disastrous this film was to spare you all the waste of time. Ugh.

David recently settled into his new apartment last weekend and was ready to get a new cat. (I swear he's like the freaking Cat Whisperer!)

We are all about adopting pets. With adoption we save the life of an animal while avoiding possibly cruel breeding systems. (I know most breeders aren't "cruel"- my Buster and Sabrina are from breeders.) Also, pet adoptions are cheaper- and the pets are usually examined and up-to-date on their shots. More information on adopting pets here here and here.

After playing with many kittens, David came across a 6-year-old female who had been left by her owners just the day before. She was terrified of all the noise and her lonely cage but she was a little bunch of love the moment we started to pet her.

She had such a sweet demeanor and we realized that she had less of a chance of being adopted compared to th playful kittens in the next cage. So we took her home.
She looks (and was) slightly terrified here. Now she's much better. The two of them are in love! We call her Kitty... or Cat if she's been a bad girl. We're so creative.

While David was playing with the different cats I fell in love with a special puppy. This puppy is 18-months-old and has a paralyzed bottom-half from birth. He's doing well... but still without a home. I wish I was able to take him home. He was the sweetest and most lovable puppy there.

Earlier this week I was at a film shoot for a great politician when his gorgeous, slightly intimidating wife walked on set in a beautiful red dress. Since we previously shared a moment where her over-the-top question left me looking like an idiot, I approached her with what was sure to redeem me.

me: "I love your dress. It's J. Crew, right?" (insert smug face here)

her: "No. Actually, it's Dolce and Gabbana."

I just got in a few very interesting, limited edition beers I thought you all might want to know about.



1. MIKKELLER BLACK-17.5% Russian Imperial Stout-$18.99+tx *Limited Quantities*



2. MIKKELLER "IT'S ALIVE!"-Flemish Wild Ale-$16.99+tx *Limited Quantities*



3. MIKKELLER MONK'S BREW- Dark Belgian Ale-$16.99+tx *Limited Quantities*



4. JOPEN KOYT-Gruit-style ale-$15.99+tx



5. DE PROEF FLEMISH PRIMITIVE #'s 3,4, and 6-$15.99+tx



We also have STONE VERTICAL EPIC 08/08/08 for $6.99 a bottle. It is also available for purchase by the case.



Cheers!



dave

There seems to be a broad consensus that kids don't like healthy foods. If you go into a restaurant and look at the kids menu, it's usually about as far from healthy as you can get.

The truth of the matter is that kids like to eat what they're taught to eat. So when kids don't like healthy food, it's because they were given the sugary, processed and junk foods as small children and that's what they learned to like to eat.

I was appalled when my daughter was a toddler and I went to Mommy & Me gymnastics classes with her. There was a mom who gave her little girl, less than a year old, sitting in a stroller, red licorice to keep her quiet while the mom and her 3-year old son were on the gym floor.

Giving kids cookies, crackers, sugary processed cereals, candy, ice cream and other processed foods is what teaches kids to like junk foods. It's not in their genes.

Kids will like vegetables, fruit, whole and healthy foods if that's what they're given. If you give your kids only healthy foods, they may not like them all, but they'll choose their favorite foods from among the healthy foods they're given.

The best way to get kids to eat healthfully is to start when they're infants. However, you can teach older kids to learn to like healthy foods too. Here's a tool for the whole family to have fun with while you're learning to eat healthier.

Thanks to Love of Oats and Meals from the Girl in the LBD for tagging me to share six things about myself! (Make sure to check out their blogs- they are super healthy, fun people!)

Here are 6 things you might not have known about me:

1. I swish. Pudding, smoothies, juice, yogurt... I swish it in my mouth before I'll swallow. My family hates the sound!

2. I love dogs. Really, I love all animals, but I absolutely love dogs. Not all people understand the bond you can have with a dog.

3. I still wear my retainer two or three times a week :)

4. I had my first kiss on a New Years Eve. I was 17. It was as unromantic as you can get. (Wait, I don't stick my tongue straight out!?) Poor guy.

5. A few years ago my family was driving from dinner to an ice cream shop. On the drive over, my grandmother applied her lip liner in the back seat. I guess she couldn't see which piece of makeup she grabbed because it was dark, but her lips were lined in dark blue when she entered the shop!

Nana, Mom, me. <3

6. My heart breaks for homeless people. I detest the scammers (the ones wearing a tacky suit with a "Please help poor children" bucket. Yeah, sure.), but I really feel for the genuine people. Usually I will stop to have lunch with them and hear their story. If not, I carry granola bars in my car to pass out to them.

When i was younger my mom stopped to talk to a lady wandering the streets. We learned "Jeanine" had mental issues and lost her home years ago. She couldn't afford any clothes... including a bra and needed orthopedic shoes. We got Jeanine hooked up with an ALF. She came to all family functions.

We have just recieved a small shipment of Hitachino Nest XH, an ale aged in Shochu barrels. This beer is very hard to come by, and so sales will be limited to one bottle per customer per visit at $6.99+tax.

HOPS
Chinook, Styrian Goldings

MALTS
Pale, Caramel, Munich, Chocolate

ORIGINAL GRAVITY
1079

ALCOHOL BY VOLUME
7.00%

STYLE
Strong Belgian brown ale matured in distilled sake barrels for three months


CHEERS!

-Dave

...to be a more consistent blogger.

photo

-classes up the ying yang
-cardio.. gosh, 3x the amount of the Y
-Strength!! Three sections! The two sections with machines include 4
different brands. You use your favorite!
-Flat screen TVs with full cable in front of cardio machines (I go just to catch the cable!)
-TVs EVERYWHERE!
-Awesome friendly personal trainers- just about all of them have at
least a BA in fitness
-Personal dressing rooms
-SAUNAS in the mens and women's bathrooms!!!!
-3 free personal training sessions
-(This is awesome!!)*** This little booth (there are a few of them in
the facility) that takes your weight, body fat percentage and other
stats and keeps track of the numbers (you swipe your card so it knows
who you are). You can them log online and view all of your progress! Here you can also set goals and sign up for classes.
-Complete unlimited access to ANY other Lifestyles.

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Motivation/Intimidation:

South Tampa is this really cool, trendy area right next to the city. Most of the people in this area are wealthy. Yesterday I parked between a Bentley and a Porsche when running into Publix. Also, these people are gorgeous. They go grocery shopping in outfits straight from Glamour. Just about everyone is a size 4. I swear. I know these people work for their shape because the streets are constantly flooded with runners and the gyms are plentiful. To give you an even better idea of what I'm talking about, the Tampa Bay Bucs Cheerleaders rehearse at my new gym.

While having people at their very best all around me all the time is often quite encouraging (go for that extra 10 minutes on the stair climber!), it is also quite intimidating. Usually I'm all about the "I think it's cool if I don't look just like everyone else" attitude... but sometimes I want to be an insecure girl. But really, what better motivation is there than standing next to women with these bodies on the gym room floor?

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I'm not completely "back" yet. I weigh 5 pounds more than I am comfortable with and 13 pounds more than my goal. Too much jiggle in my wiggle.

But I am back in the exercise swing- I love this. Exercise is such a stress-reliever and mood-booster... and I'm addicted! (Cheesy, I know!) The eating is beyond bad. My increase in exercise has shot my appetite up. There was a binge. I have made very unhealthy choices. Bad, bad, bad.

But tomorrow (seriously- in 2 hours), I am starting new. David is going to hold me accountable and I'm doing 9 days of clean food. Tomorrow I might be grouchy because of this, but I will feel so much better in a few days. I'll report back!!