Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers: a simple(y), stunning meal

If you're having friends or family over for dinner and want to impress them with the insane cooking skills that you may or may not possess, quinoa-stuffed bell peppers make for a superb choice. After picking up far too many vegetables from the grocery store for a meal I was preparing, I wasn't sure what to do with the bell peppers I had left-over. Doing what I always do when in food-related doubt, I turned to Pinterest, where I found a recipe for roasted, stuffed-bell peppers.

I'd never ventured into making a stuffed-dish of any kind before, thinking those recipes were to be left for skilled cooks. Not so, my friends! These bell peppers were incredibly easy to make and were bursting with flavor. A bit of sautéing of the vegetables, boiling of the quinoa, deseeding of the peppers, and you're ready to throw them into the oven! I strayed from the original recipe a bit, using kale, onions, and some garlic powder instead of kale, shallots, and mushrooms to add into my quinoa mix. Since I absolutely hate to waste food, I'm a big advocate of using whatever's on-hand.

(The quinoa on the inside of the peppers was actually
quite fluffy, unlike the crispy outer-layer, pictured) 

For a beautifully presented meal that's deceptively easy to make, whip up some of these peppers and get ready to blow your guests away! For the original recipe and cooking directions, click the link here!

P.S. ~
I'll be out of town for the weekend visiting family, so I'll be taking a short hiatus from the blog. Be sure to check back in on Tuesday!

Workouts: using kettlebells to blast calories

The first time I laid eyes on a rack of kettlebells, I made sure to keep my distance. I'm not exactly sure why, but a black iron ball with an attached handle just looked scary. Don't let that tough appearance frighten you though; after a single strength-training class that incorporated these excellent pieces of equipment, I saw them in a completely new light.

Implementing the kettlebell into your workout routine is a great way to work multiple areas of the body at once. Sarah Laurie, founder of Iron Core Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning in San Diego, explains that kettlebells work to hit all of the major muscle groups simultaneously instead of isolating a single muscle. This is due to the weight being unevenly distributed throughout, unlike the weight distribution of dumbbells. As a result, your muscles have to work harder to keep you balanced, which is key for kettlebell training exercises. Utilizing a range of motion, these moves allow for you to tone while also getting in some heart-pumping cardio. The outcome? Some major calorie-burn and fast results.

If you're thinking about picking up a kettlebell during your next workout session, check out the video below for some ideas on how to put it to good use!

Healthy Weight Gain: higher numbers and smaller sizes

If you're working towards a goal of losing a given amount of weight, you might have picked up on the habit of stepping on the scale each day to track your progress. With healthy eating and regular exercise, you may notice a steady drop in number, but there could come a point when that number refuses to budge or even starts to move back up. All the while, you look noticeably slimmer and more defined, so why doesn't the scale seem to agree?

You might wonder if this is due to you falling back on diet and/or exercise, only to conclude that if anything, both of these have been improving. If this is the case, then weight gain (or lack of weight loss) is most likely due to an increase in muscle mass.

A common misconception is that a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat. One pound cannot weigh more than another pound; what it comes down to is volume.

Muscle is more dense than fat, and therefore weighs more in terms of volume. Think of it like this: five pounds of muscle will take up less space in your body than five pounds of fat. That being said, if there are two people of the same height and weight, it's possible that one could wear a larger pant size than the other. This would be because one of the two carries more fat while the other carries more muscle. So, if you lose three pounds of fat but then gain five pounds of muscle, the scale will read that you're two pounds heavier, but your body may look leaner.

The take-home message here is that as long as you're eating a nutritious and balanced diet and keeping up with your workout regimen, don't be startled by a plateau or rising numbers. If you're healthy and feel great, does the scale really matter anyway? That hunk of metal doesn't have eyes and isn't telling you where the weight placed atop of its cold, flat surface is derived from. Let your signs of progress be based on increased endurance at the gym or a look in the mirror, not on a number.

Chia Seeds: forget the terra-cotta kittens and nourish yourself instead

Centuries ago, the Aztecs used chia seeds as an energy source to prepare them for battle. Flash forward to the present, and we're finally starting to take advantage of this amazing superfood ourselves. Chia seeds are perhaps one of the most nutrient-dense foods we can feed our bodies, being absolutely loaded with magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, fiber, protein, antioxidants, and omega-3s— more so than some of the best natural sources of these components. According to an article by Greatist, per ounce, chia seeds contain roughly 2x more potassium than bananas, 3x more iron than spinach, 6x more calcium than milk, 15x more magnesium than broccoli, more fatty acids than any other plant, and more antioxidants than the power house of antioxidants themselves, blueberries!

Chia seeds come in both ground and whole forms, and unlike flax seeds, you can eat them whole and still derive benefit. However, as mentioned in an article from The New York Times, the Dole Food Company discovered that in milled form, a greater amount of the omega-3s' alpha-linolenic acid hit the bloodstream, converting into a long-chain fatty acid that aids in heart health. The other difference you'll find amongst chia seeds is color. Coming in both white and black, each are equal in nutritional value; therefore, I recommend buying the less expensive option.

How now to go about adding chia seeds into your diet? Being virtually tasteless, you can add chia seeds into just about anything without altering your foods' flavor (if you're not convinced, check out this entertaining YouTube video that was featured on The Huffington Post Canada). Simply add a couple of tablespoons into your morning oatmeal, cereal, or yogurt, and you're good to go!

P.S. ~
If you didn't happen to notice my new instagram button, check out my sidebar! Follow for a look into some of my health and fitness adventures and findings!

Peanut Sauce Noodles: a low-carb, Thai-inspired dish

Of all the recipes I've posted to date, this is by far the one I've been most excited to share. Why? Because it took me three attempts to get it right. Determined to succeed, I ate this same dish on three consecutive nights, making three separate trips to the grocery store to repurchase the main ingredient, tofu shirataki noodles. If you haven't heard of them before and happen to love noodles but are eating a low-carb diet, you're going to be mighty happy you're reading this post.

These noodles contain only 20 calories, 3 grams of carbohydrates, and 15 grams of sodium per 4 oz serving, plus 2 grams of fiber. I'll admit that they do have a funky aroma, but if you follow the directions provided on the packaging in which you're advised to drain, rinse, and either microwave them for a minute or boil them for 2-3 minutes, the smell will go away. After drying them out in a paper towel, you're left with a blank canvas of noodles for which the flavoring possibilities are endless.

I originally decided to experiment with tofu shirataki noodles after two events occurred:
1) a coupon for  tofu shirataki noodles appeared in Sprouts' weekly coupons, and 2) a craving for peanut sauce hit me. My family used to mess around with me whenever we'd go out for Thai food, asking on each visit how my order of peanut sauce with spring rolls was. In times past, I would drench anything I could in the heavy sauce, and don't act like you didn't (or still currently) do the same. What then sounds better than a bowl of peanut sauce-laden noodles?

A quick google search revealed that I wasn't the only one with this ingenious idea, but the majority of the recipes called for far more ingredients than I was willing to purchase (oh, the life of the college student). Improvising, I decided to pull certain aspects from a couple of different takes on the dish and then based the sauce on this lightened-up peanut sauce recipe by Eating Bird Food. For the comparatively minimal amount of ingredients and preparation needed to make this dish, the noodles turned out fantastically!


To make these peanut sauce noodles, you'll need:

For the base:
- One package of tofu shirataki noodles (or non-soy shirataki noodles)
- A piece of lean chicken breast (around a 4 oz serving)

For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

Optional additions:
- A wedge of lime
- Sesame seeds (amount as desired)

To make the base, prepare the noodles following the instructions mentioned above and heat the chicken over a stovetop until fully cooked. As for the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until you have a thick and creamy mixture. After all is prepared, simply combine the noodles, chicken, and sauce into a bowl. You can choose to squeeze on some lime juice for tanginess (this also makes stirring in the sauce much easier without watering everything down... hence where I went wrong in my first two attempts) and sprinkle on some sesame seeds for added crunch. And there you have it! I would have liked to have had an additional taste tester with me when I made the dish, but since my roommate was out of town, I'm interested to hear what you all think!

Sugar in Disguise: the unlikely victims

It's no secret that pre-packaged desserts and decadent, specialty coffee drinks commonly boast high amounts of sugar. These may be obvious culprits, but you might be surprised to hear that many other food products from the opposite spectrum contain similar amounts. Who would've thought that goods such as marinara sauce, granola, and whole-grain cereal would fall victim? It's a sad reality, but even healthy foods can become sabotaged in our tastebuds' pursuit of sweetness.

Sugar is used by many food manufacturers alike to enhance their products' flavor. This is bad news for our waistlines and overall health, for over-consumption of sugar can result in weight gain, increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and sugar addiction. In order to prevent an unintentional sugar overload, I've provided a list of healthy foods gone sugary to look out for on your next trip to the food store, along with a corresponding product to give you an idea of just how much sugar you may find lurking:

- Tomato pasta sauces: Newman's Own Cabernet Marinera Pasta Sauce, 9 grams per 1/2 cup
- Granola: Cascadian Farm Organic Cinnamon Raisin Granola, 16 grams per 2/3 cup
- Bottled tea: AriZona Lemon Tea, 24 grams per 8 oz serving (contains approx. 3 servings per bottle)
- Ketchup: Heinz Tomato Ketchup, 4 grams per tablespoon
- Protein bars: ProMax Cookies and Cream Protein Bar, 30 grams per bar
- Fat-free salad dressing: Ken's Fat-Free Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, 12 grams per 2 tablespoons
- Frozen dinners: Healthy Choice Sesame Chicken, 21 grams per meal
- Whole-grain cereals, breads, and crackers: Special K Multi-Grain Cereal, 6 grams per cup

The American Heart Association's recommended sugar allowance is 6 teaspoons (24 grams) per day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) per day for men. If you eat any of the above items, that allowance can dwindle rapidly if you're not careful. The best way then to keep yourself in good standing is to check nutrition labels, but even this can get confusing.

Food manufacturers aren't required to state whether the included sugars are naturally-occuring (like those found in fruit and milk) or if they're added in (in forms such as table sugar). To find out, some investigating has to be done on our part.

The relative amount of sugar used in a product can be determined by its placement on the ingredient list. If you see a sugar source listed near the top of the list, a good amount of sugar will be present. Conversely, if a sugar source falls towards the bottom of the list, there isn't much to worry about. The Harvard School of Public Health warns us to be watchful of multiple sources of sugar appearing on a given ingredient list, providing a list of commonly used added sugars:

- Agave nectar
- Brown sugar
- Cane crystals
- Cane sugar
- Corn sweetener
- Corn syrup
- Crystalline fructose
- Dextrose
- Evaporated cane juice
- Fructose
- Fruit juice concentrates
- Glucose
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Invert sugar
- Lactose
- Maltose
- Malt syrup
- Molasses
- Raw sugar
- Sucrose
- Sugar
- Syrup

An easy way to avoid taking in too much sugar altogether is by consuming fewer processed foods, but another alternative would be to keep the above list handy when you hit the food store-- perhaps keeping it on your phone for easy access. I'm just about to go on a food run myself, and you bet I've got these jotted down!

Face-off: greek yogurt vs. regular yogurt

Both greek yogurt and regular yogurt offer much nutritional benefit. They both contain probiotics (which aid in digestion), are packed with calcium, provide you with more protein than milk per serving, can boost immunity, and have similar calorie counts, but how do they stack up against each other?

Yes, regular yogurt makes for a great addition in one's diet for all of the reasons listed above, but when it comes to nutritional superiority, greek yogurt takes the win.

Greek yogurt is heavily strained, which in effect cuts out a large portion of sugar, sodium, lactose, and whey. This not only gives the yogurt its creamy consistency, but also decreases the carb-count and increases its protein content considerably. While greek yogurt contains around 15-20 grams of protein and 5-8 grams of carbohydrates, regular yogurt contains around 9 grams of protein and 13-17 grams of carbohydrates, according to U.S. News and World Report. When it comes to calcium content though, regular yogurt gets the point since some of the calcium is lost during greek's straining process. Even so, greek yogurt still provides you with 20% of your daily calcium intake. Not a huge setback, but still worth mentioning.

When buying your yogurt, you'll want to be wary of the fat content. Full-fat yogurt has a high amount of saturated fat (which can raise LDL cholesterol), so I always opt for non-fat, but low-fat is a fine option as well. It's also best to stray from the flavored varieties. The ingredients used to make a yogurt taste like fruit or a specialty dessert add a load of sugar, so if plain yogurt isn't your thing, you can mix it up by adding in fresh fruit, honey, nuts, or cinnamon. While these toppings (sans the nuts and cinnamon) will increase the sugar content, by making these additions yourself with healthy, natural food products, you'll benefit from the nutritional value they offer (for example, while fresh blueberries provide you with a mean dose of antioxidants, artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrups do not).

For a more dessert-like yogurt, check out my previous post on cookie-dough greek yogurt, or try out this pumpkin pie greek yogurt that I fell in love with over the fall season. Even easier, you could simply add in a 100 calorie pack of Blue Diamond's Dark Chocolate Oven Roasted Almonds to some plain yogurt (thanks mom for the suggestion!).

Although greek yogurt is great straight from the cup, it also makes for an awesome substitute for sour cream, oil, cream cheese, mayo, and butter, putting a healthier spin on a plethora of snacks and meals. For some greek yogurt-infused recipes, check out the links provided below:

Avocado Egg Salad

Slender Cilantro Jalapeño Ranch Dressing

Lemon Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes

Skinny Greek Yogurt Chicken

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Creamy Oikos Mashed Potatoes

Spinach-Pesto Dip

Sesame Seed-Crusted Salmon Burger with Yogurt Sauce

Mac and Cheese Lite

Low-Fat Cinnamon Peach Banana Bread

Funfetti Cake Frozen Yogurt