I Have Been Converted

Hey friends How’s everyone’s week going so far!? I kind of feel lost as to what day of the week it is… I think I was so busy with the guys (and missing a few classes here and there) that I lost track of my days!

The guys left me today, so that means I am alone once again. But it also means that I’m not going to dwell on the fact that they are gone, but dwell on all of the positive things and fun we had throughout their stay That is definitely the best way to handle the situation

So, I have to be honest with all of you…

When I shared my purchases with you guys yesterday, I didn’t share everything…

Will you ever forgive me?

I hope so

Recently, I have made some purchases that have made me laugh a little inside…

I have always been a foodie, but since creating my blog…
things have really got turned up a notch And I am loving it
I have always been adventurous with trying new foods and learning about them as well, but of course, in the blog world, you are able to “experience” and learn about so many other things while following along with your favourite bloggers which brings me back to my comment about purchasing some things that have made me laugh at myself a little…

I would have had to be living in a hole not to have known about pure pumpkin, but before blogging I had no idea of all of the fun you could have with it! My experience with canned pumpkin previous to blogging ended at my Grandma’s homemade pumpkin pie!

Through my blogging journey I have been more adventurous with pumpkin and now realize all of the wonderful things you can do with this stuff

I definitely jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon this fall and created some sensational recipes
If you missed out on my posts here are some of my favourite recipes that I came up with this fall:

Pumpkin Pie Mousse
Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Microwavable Pumpkin Oat Bake
Turkey and Pumpkin Chili

The even funnier thing is that I thought that I was done with pumpkin for the season and would only buy the smaller cans from now on, but I definitely bought this big guy shown above yesterday
I have some recipes up my sleeve yet to come!

I hadn’t heard of psyllium seed husks until getting a hold of April’s blog this summer. I haven’t bought psyllium seed husks until yesterday. I am looking forward to having some fun with these

Even more of a “blogger move” was when I purchased this…

Nutritional yeast is constantly seen throughout the blog world, but I hadn’t been drawn in to the obsession until yesterday.

I’m not much of a follower… I rather lead But I have been quite intrigued of these little flakes lately and think they will make a lovely addition to some of my favourite meals!

Be prepared to see “nooch” on my blog now Oh, I am such a food blogger. Seriously, does anyone else use the term nooch but us?

It’s been a long time of avoiding this, but I new it was only a matter of time until I cracked and made the purchase…

Your eyes are not deceiving you…

It’s coconut oil.

I went against my hatred and fear of the saturated fat in coconut oil (or coconut anything) and bought the goods last night. I am quite excited to test it out

Since I am in a Foods & Nutrition programs I am definitely educated well enough on the different types of fats and how they are metabolized in our body, but I still feared the saturated fat in coconut oil despite knowing they are a type of saturated fat derived from a plant source rather than an animal source which makes them so much “healthier” or a better option. The saturated fat found in coconut oil is predominately medium chain fatty acids which are used in our bodies differently within our bodies than long chain fatty acids which are more commonly found in animal source saturated fat. Medium chain fatty acids are more easily digested and absorbed than long chain fatty acids.

However, the consumption of coconut oil is still a very controversial issue; and in my opinion, needs to be studied much further. Coconut oil is not termed “bad” for you and it is also not stated that you should completely avoid it, but I will definitely use it in moderation

The last thing I must share with you all is a new recipe…
This recipe also has to do with being a food blogger…

As adventurous and spoiled as my taste buds are… I have only had spaghetti squash once in my life prior to this week!

Last Thursday I purchased a spaghetti squash at the weekly farmer’s market that comes to my university I was very excited to roast the beauty up and make some wonderful creations. And I did just that

Today for lunch I had spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce and ground turkey It was absolutely amazing and you should jump on the spaghetti squash bandwagon if you haven’t yet

Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey & Tomato Sauce

1 cup spaghetti squash, roasted

1 tsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 handful fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 TBSP tomato paste

1 cup canned diced tomatoes (try to use a brand with low or no sodium added)

1 serving ground turkey, cooked (I had previously cooked ground turkey. I just cook mine in a pan and drain once cooked)

oregano

thyme

parsley

basil

red chili flakes

garlic powder

Since I already had my spaghetti squash and turkey ready to go, all I had to do was make the sauce!

Begin my sautéing the garlic and mushrooms in a pan on low. Add tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Simmer. Add all spices (season to your liking).

Stir the turkey into the sauce and continue to heat.

Spoon over heated spaghetti squash and enjoy You can even sprinkle some nooch on this if you really wanted to I wanted to, but didn’t think of it until after I ate my entire meal

I’m happy I got to share at least one recipe with you all tonight, but I have some really awful news Despite all of the excitement I received about my waffle maker purchase, I am unable to share a waffle recipe with all of you today

Breakfast was a huge fail this morning.

Let’s just say cooking spray is totally necessary for getting those guys out of the machine The batter was great, but I definitely needed cooking spray! Oops! Next time guys I promise

More kitchen adventures to come!

Have a great night!

Love always,

Meg
xoxoxoxoxo

When did you become a blogger?
What was the best thing you discovered once you started blogging?
What is your favourite way to use nooch?
Have you tried coconut oil yet? Were you concerned about the saturated fat in contained?

Appreciate!

I had food science lab this afternoon and I am super thankful for my awesome lab partner I love how she always does the dishes She is such a sweetheart. Don’t worry. I dry for her I’m not a slacker!

Goals, Changes, and Challenges: Nutrition Focused

Friends! It’s Friday! I seriously don’t know why I am so happy seeing as how I have spent my entire day (literally, since 12 noon) studying for my biochem exam which takes place tomorrow, but knowing that tomorrow is my last midterm out of the six that I had to write within the past two weeks is incredibly relieving and gives me something to look forward to! I am sure I will be incredibly exhausted after my exam tomorrow night which ends at 9:45 pm, but, oh, Sunday will feel so good. I can’t wait for Sunday That’s what I am really looking forward to…

Before I start blabbing about my nutrition goals for the month of November I have to share this new recipe with all of you, so you can all enjoy a dessert-like breakfast tomorrow morning I definitely will be I got me some bananas calling my name and this recipe is too good to be true!

Banana Cream Pie Oatmeal

1/3 cup oat bran

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup almond milk

Toppings:

Greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt

vanilla protein powder or sugar free syrup (I used white chocolate sugar free syrup) – omit if using vanilla yogurt!

banana

Cook oat bran in water and milk combo. Mix greek yogurt with protein powder or sugar free syrup (whichever you have or you don’t have to sweeten the yogurt at all!) Top with greek yogurt and banana slices. This definitely tastes like a little piece of heaven I thought it was very much like a banana cream pie Yum! Tell me how you like it!

So, I hope you guys are not getting bored with goal focused posts already because there are more to come, but after each post I am leaving you with a tip or some piece of advice that I find beneficial and use throughout my own life

Coming up with nutrition goals were a little difficult in a sense… I have adopted healthy eating habits throughout my recovery, so I don’t need to focus on making goals such as eating more whole grains instead of refined grains, eating less fast food, drinking more water, etc. because, personally, I think I already do follow many of your typical healthy eating habits; however, there is always some area to improve in!
Since I already incorporate many healthy eating habits within my life, most of my goals are to continue doing what I am already doing; however, some are new goals that I hope to accomplish throughout the month

Goals

Meet minimum daily water requirements
I love drinking water! From what I have learned in my courses, the minimum daily amount of water for women is 2.7 litres/day. I definitely meet and exceed this minimum requirement, so I have nothing to worry about, but I want to continue doing this through the month (and my life! hehe!)

Limit caffeine intake
Caffeine has never had that “pick me up” affect on me. It does the total opposite to me. I get anxious, stressed, and “blah” feeling. This month I will focus on limiting my caffeine intake. I already do this, but with a Starbucks on nearly every corner (and the new Christmas Blend being out) temptations arise! I love the taste of coffee, but if I need a cup, I will try to opt for decaf. This goal will help me keep in a good mood and not feel so icky. I hate that “blah” feeling.

Listen to my body
It’s so important to listen to your body. In the past, I had no idea what my body was trying to tell me. I was so confused. Sometimes I am still confused because of all of my past confusion! However, I am currently trying really hard to listen to my body. If I am hungry I will eat. This goal will also benefit me with other goals such as muscle gain! If I am hungry and already consumed my “usual”, I will not let that stop me. These muscles need fuel. No deprivation here.

Be creative
Throughout the month of November I will continue to have fun with food and experiment with new ingredients, combinations, and recipes.

Changes
As we all know, I have made some changes in my intake. I have decided to increase my calories due to my hunger cues. Such changes are listed here, but I have been wanting to make a few more, so here they are!

- Maintain increased intake each day including rest days

- On days that I exercise heavier and more intensely (leg days) I want to increase my calorie intake even more by increasing my carbohydrate intake

- Continue having my bedtime snack and not worry about the time I have it. (Exciting news! I have started having a TBSP of almond butter each night for almost two weeks already along with a source of protein – 1 scoop of casein powder usually).

- I stopped having 1/2 – 1 pack of gum a day! I know, insane right. I was an addict. It’s been a month. I thought I should share this with all of you I haven’t had gum in one month. Not one piece. Of course, I am not fearful of having gum now, but if I don’t have it in my purse, on my counter, or in my car, I won’t chew as much as I once did! This is a change I would love to keep.

- I have recently (two Monday’s ago?) I have joined in on Meatless Mondays!

Challenges
Time for specific goals! It’s important to be specific so you have something measureable to work towards

- I will increase my intake by at least 50 calories on leg training days because I usually find myself much hungrier on these days.

- I will increase my calories even more than I already have if my body tells me to do so.

- I will try one new to me ingredient this month and create a meal.

- I will make one recipe out of a cook book this month.

- My Dad and I will make at least on new recipe together when he comes to visit.

- I will recreate my zucchini soup that I created last year (but, of course, I didn’t write down the recipe) and then share the recipe with all of you (and write it down this time!)

It really was an amazing soup…

That Magic Bullet of mine really saved me last year… (I made the soup in my Magic Bullet if you didn’t catch that. My Magic Bullet was and still is my best friend).

So there you have it friends! My nutrition goals for the month of November! I am excited to see what recipes I can come up with and how my new carbohydrate intake changes the ways I have been feeling!

The piece of advice I am going to leave with you all today is:

Don’t fear the fat

Fat, it used to be such a scary word…

Once upon a time I avoided it like the plague, but now I think it may be my favourite macronutrient haha. Alright, everything in moderation. I know, I know. But, fat is essential. We all need it in our diet to function to the best of our ability Fat seriously has so many health benefits it’s unreal. From reducing the risk of depression to lower cholesterol levels, fat is definitely classified a super food in my eyes Personally, I am a happier person when I consume a higher amount of fat than the lower amount that I was consuming last year. Of course, I aim towards consuming the “healthy” fats coming from salmon, nuts, seeds, oils, avocados, etc.

Maybe they should just change the dreaded name of this wonderful macronutrient? I think that is why so many people fear it. Who wouldn’t associate the intake of fat with gaining excess fat?
Think of it as energy instead of fat. Because truthfully (I wouldn’t lie to you guys!) fat doesn’t make you fat!
Consume your healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and keep saturated fats to a minimum while trying to avoid trans fats completely and you will see numerous benefits in your daily functioning

Well, I am off to buy these bad boys now!

Believe it or not I usually eat one avocado per day! Yum

(p.s. I just realized I missed the sale, hahaha! But that won’t stop this girl from testing out a jumbo avo! )

Have you ever feared fat throughout your life?
Did you make any nutrition goals for the month of November?
Have you ever seen jumbo avocado’s before?

Appreciate!
Today I am appreciative for my dishwasher being fixed. For some reason last night, the thing quit working. This afternoon a mister fix it man came over and got it working again! I really don’t mind washing my dishes by hand, but when I am studying so intensely for biochem I really don’t have the time!

Talk to you all tomorrow!

Have a great night and don’t forget your bed time snackage

Love always,
Meg
xoxoxoxoxoxo