Healthy Guide to Life: Lunch

I would like to start by saying how pleased I was to hear that my series has already helped someone! Jillian, I was sooo excited to hear that you were looking for this kind of article!
So here comes the second most important meal of the day: Lunch!

So here is a basic list of what you body needs about 1/3 of the way through your day;

• Greens! I can't express how crucial natural greens are for you body! And there are so many fun ways to eat them every day!
• Veggies! I will list some veggies that not only contain a great source of fiber but also some extremely beneficial nutrients for your inner and outer self!
• Power fruits! Fruit isn't just great at breakfast! For a list of power fruits, check out my last post (Healthy Guide to Life: Breakfast).
• Whole Wheats! If you didn't have a breakfast that contained your whole wheats, lunch is the best time to make up for it!
• Essential Fatty Acids and Omega-3's! You may be saying "What on earth are those!" Don't worry, I will explain!

Now that you know what you need to eat, I will break down different ways for you to enjoy these foods in simple and healthy ways!

• Lets start with greens. So if you have ever read a health magazine or had a conversation with a health nut like me, you will know that greens are a term for, well, green vegetables! Greens can be any veggie that is green and the reason why they are so important is that greens are one of the healthiest veggies for you and you can get them in so many ways! The easiest way is a big bowl of salad! Now don't you dare grab that ceasar salad bag mix! That stuff is not what I am talking about! I mean the deep dark greens like romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, cucumbers, broccoli, uncooked green beans, snap peas, etc... If you are going to eat a salad, you want it to have as many health benefits as possible! Here is my recipe for one of the most simple and healthy salads ever:

What you'll need is:

1. Romain Lettuce (the greenest you can find in your local grocery store)
2. Uncooked Spinach (you can get this in a bag if you like)
3. Cucumbers *Note: Cucumbers lose their nutrients in a matter of hours after being cut into! So try to use the whole cucumber in two days!)*
4. Uncooked snap peas or green beans.
5. Berries: You can use strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or any other berry you enjoy! All make your salad have an extra sweet tangy flavor!
6. Essential Fatty Acids! You are probably thinking that I made this term up but here is one essential fatty acid that everyone will recognize: Extra Virgin Olive Oil! Adding one tablespoon to a meal every day is great for your skins moisture and for your hair! Not to mention its great benefit in preventing heart disease!
7. Omega-3's are found in walnuts!
8. Antioxidants (look at the list of high antioxidant foods a few paragraphs down).

Now you know how to make an extremely healthy salad that contains everything you should eat at lunch! If you are still hungry after eating this salad (which is more likely if you are a growing guy) then make yourself a great whole wheat sandwich with some lean meats like chicken or turkey! Here is my fave sandwich:

1. Whole Wheat high fiber bread
2. Chicken or Turkey lunch meat (sometimes ham if its Boar's Head Meats)
3. Mucky Duck Mustard (soooo yummy!!!!)
4. Two leaves of Romaine Lettuce
5. One Slice of monterey jack or colby jack cheese

This sandwich will keep you full and happy throughout the afternoon and when you eat my fave salad and sandwich, you will be filled with joy and health knowing you ate an incredibly healthy lunch!

Now if you don't have much time at lunch, here is a quick little meal you can throw together in a matter of two minutes:

1. 1 cup of carrots
2. 2 ounces of almonds
3. 1 medium sized apple (health benefits are in my last post Healthy Guide to Life: Breakfast)
4. 1/2 -1 cup Sun Chips, healthy Potato Chips, or Sweet Potato Chips (if you have none of these in your pantry, grab some next time your at the grocers because they are great snack items!)
5. 1-2 leaves of romaine lettuce or 1 cup of spinach with honey mustard or ranch dressing
6. 1 cup of lunch meat

This is easy to throw together into lunch baggies for a healthy and fun lunch that is full of nutrition! You can take this with you to a picnic, a car ride, or to eat at home!

Now for antioxidants!

Best Sources of High Antioxidants Foods:

1. Fruits: Berries (Cherry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, blueberry, bilberry/wild blueberry, black currant), pomegranate, grape, orange, plum, pineapple, kiwi fruit, grapefruit.
2. Vegetables: Kale, chili pepper, red cabbage, peppers, parsley, artichoke, brussel sprouts, spinach, lemon, ginger, red beets.
3. Dry Fruits high in antioxidants: Apricots, prunes, dates.
4. Legumes: beans, pinto beans, soybeans.
5. Nuts and seeds: Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, ground nut, sunflower seeds.
6. Cereals: Barley, millet, oats, corn.
7. Spices: cloves, cinnamon, oregano

Another great way to get your antioxidants is by drinking them! Green Tea is not only delicious but also high in antioxidants! I drink a 1-3 cups of green tea at least 2-3 times a week! Try drinking green tea with flavors like honey, berry, or if you have a green tea that is strong, add 1 tbsp of natural honey.

Well I can't wait to hear from you all! The next post in this series is Healthy Guide to Life: Snacking!

See you all soon,

Butterfly

Healthy Guide to Life: Breakfast

So I think the title explains rather well my subject for this post. I will be sharing some incredibly healthy ways to start your day (and no, McDonald's breakfast burrito is NOT on the list!)!

Here are some key things to include in your breakfast that will give your body a great start to the day:

• At least 8 grams of fiber (I try to get 10-12)
• 2 Fruits
• Protein
• A healthy glass of lemon water (at least 8 oz.)

Now I will explain the simple ways to have this eating diet incorporated into your life! Doesn't it sound great!

I think the hardest thing to get your daily value of is fiber. So few foods contain the much needed fiber for our body's metabolism and digestion. Fiber helps you feel fit because it fills you up and keeps you going; helps you feel fuller longer so you reduce snacking; and fiber boosts your metabolism so its a great tool to help you keep your happy place on your weight scale! My scale happy place is between 105-108 lbs and it hasn't changed in the last few years so that is proof that this lifestyle does work! Now I do tend to have a higher metabolism but what you eat plays a big role in the area of your weight!

So here is the best way to get your fiber in the morning:

1. High Fiber Whole Wheat Bread. It doesn't cost much more than any other loaf of bread but the nutrients and fiber you need in the morning is in there! You want each individual slice of bread to have AT THE VERY LEAST 3 grams of FIBER! I prefer 5 grams of fiber in each slice and I normally top my toast with a natural jelly, peanut/almond butter, or my fave option is natural honey (no preservative filled junk) with cinnamon sprinkled on top!
2. If you don't want toast in the morning, reach for a box of high fiber cereal! Tons of your favorite cereals have a OK amount of fiber but the really good stuff is going to have at least 6 grams of fiber in 1 cup of cereal
3. Bran cereal; 1 cup = 19 grams of fiber (on average)
   
4. Natural Oats, rolled dry; 1 cup = 12 grams of fiber (on average)

Here is a list of great fruits that not only have vitamin nutrients but also have a great natural source of fiber:

• 1 medium apple with skin usually contains 5 grams of fiber!
• 1 normal sized banana contains 3-4 grams of fiber
• 1 cup of blueberries contains 4 grams of fiber (and is also a great source of antioxidants!)
• 1 cup of cantaloupe contains approximately 2 grams of fiber
• 1/2 of a medium grapefruit = 5-6 grams of fiber
• a medium sized orange = 3-4 grams of fiber
• 1 medium pear = 5 grams of fiber
• 1 cup of raspberries = 8-9 grams of fiber!!!
• 1 cup of strawberries = 3.5-4 grams of fiber

So as you can see, eating two of these fruits could add up to as much as 14 grams of fiber! Your daily intake from all three meals should be at least 24 for ages 16 and under and at least 30 for ages 18 and older.

Next on the list of important things to eat with breakfast is protein! The best source of protein in the morning is eggs! Scrambled, fried, hard boiled; however you like them, try to eat 1-2 eggs at least every other day.

Finally, lemon water! I can't express how healthy it is for you to consume a tall glass of lemon water every morning. It isn't expensive either! Lemons are rich in cleansing properties so when you have a 8-12 oz glass of water in the morning, you are starting the day by cleaning out any impurities that may be inside your digestive track and its proven that lemon water can keep you healthier and less likely to catch colds and the flu! I drink lemon water nearly every morning and it is so easy. You simply take a glass of filtered water, cut a medium sized lemon in half, and squeeze the half lemon into your glass (yes, you use the whole half inside one glass of water!). It averages out to about 20-25 cents a day per person (if you purchase the half dozen bag for $3).

I hope my Healthy Guide to Breakfast will help you have a great jump start to every morning and that you will remember that you are what you eat! lol I know it sounds cheesy but it is so true!

I will be continuing my Healthy Guide to Life series with Lunch in a couple days!

Bless and be Blessed,

Butterfly

Prayer Request

Dear friends,
I have a very important prayer request for you all. My mom's sister's husband's brother(my uncle's brother) is in the hospital slowly passing away. He had a serious liver problem and is currently on life support. Last night they almost lost him in a last minute surgery (which sadly didn't work)and he is slowly bleeding to death. His heart won't except the blood they are putting in him so his heartbeat is very low and the doctors plan to take him off life support very soon because they know he won't get through this. This will be so hard on my dear uncle because his brother was extremely close to him. I have only met my uncle's brother a few times but he has such a fun personality and he was so full of life and joy. I am unsure whether or not he was saved but from what I have heard; I believe he is. If you could pray that God will bring an amazing peace on my uncle and his family, that would be great. I can't imagine losing someone so close to me and I know it will be really hard for the family to get through this.

Thanks for your prayers,
Butterfly

Today is....*drumroll*

............MY 18TH BIRTHDAY! I can't believe how fast the year has gone by.
I will legally be an adult in less than an hour (the exact time I was born) and its unbelievable how many blessings I have received this year!
God has been so good to me and I know that as my relationship grows with my Savior, my blessings will become all the more precious to me!

I just want to say thanks for everything to my dearly loved family, my amazing friends (you know who ya'll are!), and my sweet neighbor friends, you all have played a role in my childhood and upbringing.
I have been so blessed to be surrounded constantly by people who love me, know me, and accept me as I am, a child of God! Life couldn't be more sweet (unless more chocolate gifts were given!)! lol
Always remember to count your blessings but be forewarned; it could take a while!

Blessings,
Butterfly <3