You Are Beautiful

Today, I set myself free. As I looked in the mirror this morning, before the usual parade of negative thought and self hate made its way through my brain, I made a decision. Today, I am going to love myself. Today, I am beautiful. We need to learn to make this decision every morning of every day for the rest of our lives. We need to learn to overcome those false accusations put upon us by our overly critical brains. We need to love ourselves for all the wonderful things that we are. Be grateful for every breath that you take. You are lucky to have this life, this body. Don't take it for granted. You need to look in the mirror and believe that you are beautiful every single morning. Because you are. You are so unbelievably beautiful. There is no one in the world like you. Let your unique qualities shine through. Show the world who you are.



I've always felt that I didn't belong. I struggled to find people that I truly connected with and felt
similar to. So, I started acting differently around people so that I would fit in. Changing my interests and opinions to be like all my friends, dulling my shine. I was afraid to stand out. It's like I was a daisy standing in a field of pebbles. I was terrified that the wind would blow and show off my petals, revealing my secret, screaming "I'm not like you!" Now, I'm beginning to see that the real reason I'm afraid of the wind, is because I'm scared that my petals will fall off, turning me to stone like all of my neighbors. Never be afraid to be YOU and to love yourself for every bit of who YOU are. Relish in those little things that make you different from everyone else. Show off. Sparkle. You are a flower in a field of stones. You are a light in the dark. You are beautiful. Love yourself. Respect yourself. You deserve it, you beautiful flower. 

Holiday Goodies without the Guilt

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I don't know about you, but my holidays, especially ones filled with family gatherings, BBQs and picnics, are usually also filled with unhealthy foods, too many cookies, and overindulgence. If that was you this weekend (like it was me), don't panic. Today is a new day. Start fresh and make healthy choices. A few days and a few too many cookies are not the end of the world. Don't get down on yourself. Just keep going.

I didn't actually go to any parties yesterday. My boyfriend and I went grocery shopping and spent the day spending time together at home. However, the holiday spirit was in the air, and I couldn't help myself. I had to make at least SOME kind of dessert, right? I mean, it IS a holiday. At least that's what I kept telling myself. I did want to keep the desserts on the healthier side, though, so this is what I came up with. I thought I'd share these healthy desserts so that maybe on your next holiday, you can eat as much dessert as you want without feeling that guilt creep up on you.

First, I found a recipe for a guilt-free peanut butter pie. Um, yes please. It looked amazing, and I had all the ingredients. I was sold. (I found the original recipe at http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/09/no-bake-peanut-butter-pie/. I also suggest checking out some of her other recipes. She's amazing!)

I'll also break down the recipe here as well, with a few minor changes by me. It was very simple.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used half all natural peanut butter with no salt added and half JIF, so mine wasn't completely guilt free, but I ran out of my natural PB! You can also use any other nut butter or sunflower seed butter.)
4 large bananas
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. sea salt (or table salt)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted 
(or you can sub with an additional 1/4 cup PB)
5 Tbsp. raw honey (I actually used about 2 Tbsp. With the added sugar in the JIF peanut butter, I didn't need the extra sweetness, so you can just add sweetener to taste. You can use pure maple syrup if you want your pie to be vegan! You can also use powdered sugar, agave nectar, or stevia extract. The honey worked great for me!)

Combine all ingredients into a high powered blender. Mine struggled with this a little bit, because it got clogged up with all the peanut butter (I just have a yard sale blender.), so just be careful of that and stir frequently. You could probably use a food processor as well. Anyway, combine all ingredients until very smooth. Mine was still a little lumpy because my blender was getting real sluggish, but it really didn't matter.

After blending, pour the mixture into a prepared pie crust (You can make your own, use a store-bought, or go crustless! I went crustless. I also didn't have a spring form pie pan, so I just poured mine into a glass baking dish, and it worked just fine. You can also check out this healthy pie crust at: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/05/13/ridiculously-easy-chocolate-pie-crust/).

After pouring, you can put it straight in the freezer to set (if you used PB instead of coconut oil, you can just put it in the fridge). Before putting mine in the freezer, I decided to top mine with some shredded coconut, crushed pecans, and melted dark chocolate. You can use whatever toppings you want or no toppings at all. Trust me, the peanut butter filling is delicious enough on its own. I may or may not have licked the entire blender clean :)

So there you have it. I have been keeping mine in the freezer, then I just take it out and let it thaw a bit before eating. (Or I just take a fork right to the dish for a few frozen bites.) A guilt-free dessert that can be raw, vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free depending on the ingredients you choose. And it is so delicious. My boyfriend gave it two big thumbs up! And I can't stay away from it either! :)

The second dessert I made is even healthier, a bit less sweet and rich, and a lot more simple. A watermelon pie. All I did was slice a watermelon in half (I had a baby seedless watermelon, so my pie was teeny tiny), and cut off a slice. Then, you just simply spread Greek yogurt on top of the center of the watermelon, and add berries, nuts, spices, or whatever else you want. And ta-da! You have a watermelon pie. I added berries, pecan, and cinnamon to mine. What would you add to yours? You can slice it up into triangles or serve however you wish (I ate mine with a fork!).

So, there you have it. Two simple, healthy, and delicious desserts that would be a hit at any holiday party. Try them out and ENJOY! :)

Please tell me in the comments if you have tried any of my recipes. I'd like to know what you thought of them! Also, feel free to email me with other questions or recipe suggestions at wellnessbynicky@gmail.com. Thanks everyone! :)

Yoga: Where It All Began

A lot of people have been asking me how I got into doing yoga and what tips I have for getting started. I thought I would talk about it a little bit on here. To be honest, the reason I decided to give yoga a try might sound a little weird. I have a huge girl crush on Jennifer Aniston. I like to watch and read interviews that she's done, and she couldn't stop raving about this yoga thing. How it changed her body and her life. How she went from being unhappy and feeling kind of lost, to loving herself and knowing exactly who she is. I was feeling these same feelings: lost, confused about who I was and who I wanted to be. I didn't love myself as much as I should have. I didn't feel happy and comfortable in my own skin, and I was stressing myself out all the time about the future. I needed a change. Desperately. Jen inspired me. I decided that I was going to devote a little bit of time to myself every single day through yoga. I wanted to get to know myself from the inside out, and maybe, just maybe, I would fall in love with "me" along the way.

I had tried a few yoga videos months before, but it never really stuck. This time, I decided to start with Jen's main inspiration: Mandy Ingber. Mandy is Jen's personal yoga instructor, and she has a DVD/book out called Yogalosophy (You can find the book and DVD here: http://mandyingber.shop.sportstoday.com). It's a wonderful routine that combines traditional yoga poses with toning exercises to create a kind of hybrid workout. I thought it was the perfect transition into yoga. And it kicked my BUTT. I started doing the video a few times a week, and I was hooked. I wanted to start to explore what else was out there. I wanted to learn everything there was to learn about yoga.

I read a book called "Yoga and the Quest for the True Self" by Stephen Cope. It was more about the spiritual side of yoga and how it's a lifestyle, not just a workout. The book gave me a wonderful foundation for the yoga practice I was about to create for myself. Then, I became obsessed. I started following dozens of yogis on social media, and I was constantly typing "yoga" into my Pinterest search bar. I read article after article about the foundations of yoga, the benefits, the different types. I bookmarked dozens of videos. I studied the poses and practiced them over and over, memorizing the name and perfecting the shape. I bought a mat (I found a cheap one at TJ Maxx), and I rolled it out every day. I could see myself getting stronger and more flexible as the days went on.

After doing several videos from several different instructors, I found my favorites. I keep them on my computer so I can go back to them whenever I want. Here are some of my favorite full-length routines that I like to do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUVZAMbGtDg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSG7PsdZG04

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnDmN2IkSPo

https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=kHEAgEzPK_E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85s6X5hO780

http://www.fitsugar.com/Bikini-Body-Yoga-Workout-34707417

Some of these are more advanced than others. Some are longer. Some are shorter. Find what you like. All yoga instructors have different styles of teaching. You just have to get out there, try out a bunch of different types and teachers and get a feel for what you like. Along with these videos, I also like to do anything by Yoga with Adriene (Adriene Mishler), Tara Stiles, Mandy Ingber, and Rachel Brathen. These are my four go-to yogis. There are others, too, of course. But these are the YouTube channels that I subscribe to. I still search YouTube for different videos according to my specific needs at that time. That's what I love about having a home practice. You are in complete control, and there are so many videos out there that you can find in a click. I originally wanted to attend a studio, but when I saw the prices, I knew it wasn't going to be possible for awhile. Now that I've gotten deeper into my home practice, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I was originally nervous about going to a studio, because I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't feel comfortable with my body, and I didn't want others judging me. As I get deeper into my understanding of yoga, that fear has completely vanished. Yoga is about loving yourself and finding ease and movement in your body. It's about syncing your body and your mind and finding your inner light. It's not about how flexible you are, how defined your muscles are, how far you can go into a pose. It's not about whether or not you can touch your toes or stand on your hands. It's about you. It's about cultivating a loving, supporting relationship with yourself. It's about loving yourself for exactly who you are at this exact moment. It's about spending time with yourself, doing what's best for your body. It's about using your breath and your body to quiet your mind, to ignore all the stress and nagging thoughts and to-do lists. It's about love and light and adventure. Yoga is so much more than a workout. It's a bonding experience with yourself.

You may think that all of that sounds a little out there. But I promise, once you get into a regular yoga practice of your own, all of these things will start to make sense. Don't be afraid to start. Don't ever think you aren't flexible enough. That's what yoga is for: it helps you BECOME flexible. Flexibility isn't a prerequisite. Also, yoga is for everyone. Boys, girls, old, young, overweight, thin, in shape, out of shape. Everybody. Give it a try.

Also, don't leave out the restorative yoga practices. There are tons of videos for these as well. Yoga for bedtime, yoga for when you are sick, yoga for your time of the month, yoga to relieve stress, yoga for depression, yin yoga. These are just as beneficial for your body as the fast moving, sweaty, flowing routines. Don't leave them out! I like to do a little restorative yoga every night before bed with a nice cup of hot tea, and I've found that it's my favorite part of the day. I just can't wait to get on my mat.

Yoga has changed my body, my mind, and my outlook on so many things. It has opened me up to things I've never even thought about. It makes me feel wonderful to see progress. And it has made me more aware of the food I was putting into my body as well. My yoga practice was what made me decide to change my eating habits. When feeling so great in your body after yoga, it makes zero sense to fill your body with food that is not good for you. It makes you want to do the best things for your body in every possible way.

This is when I started researching the best kinds of foods for your body. I was reading about what to eat, when to eat it, and how much to eat. I read "The Body Book" by Cameron Diaz, and I loved it. She talks about the science behind food and nutrition, and she gives information on a diet consisting of whole foods only. She also talks about fitness and what it does for your body. I became obsessed with finding recipes using these super foods I've learned so much about through my research and finding new fitness routines to do on top of my yoga. Day by day I could see myself changing. I didn't only feel good about how I looked, but I felt amazing physically. I was having trouble with constant stomachaches before, but after changing my diet, I rarely have stomachaches or headaches. I feel wonderful. I feel healthy. I feel strong. I feel centered. I feel beautiful.

If you are serious about changing your life, all of the information you need is right at your fingertips. People always ask me to give them tips on losing weight and changing my diet. They want to know if it's easy. My answer is always: "yes and no." It's easy because there are no complicated tricks or methods to it. It's easy, because all you need to do is eat foods that are natural. Not processed. Whole foods. Natural sugars, as in fruit, honey, and maple syrup; no artificial sweeteners. Drink more water and tea. Less soda and sugary drinks. More whole grains, less refined white flour. And move your body. Stay active. Stretch. Take walks. Dance. Sweat. It's easy. It's hard because changing your lifestyle takes a lot of hard work. You're gonna crave foods that are bad for you. You're gonna want to overeat. You're gonna have to work your muscles hard. You're gonna put in a lot of time researching and preparing meals. It's hard to break any bad habits. So, yes. You will have to put in the work. There are no quick tips or tricks. You're gonna work your butt off. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Not only will you see the progress on your body right in front of you, but you will feel so proud that you did this. YOU did it. No one else. So, what are you waiting for? Change your life.

Here are a few more links that you should check out if you are interested in starting your own journey with yoga:

What is Yoga? http://www.youbeauty.com/body-fitness/yoga-for-beginners

Types of Yoga: http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/yoga-and-their-benefits/?ref=pin

List of Yoga Poses for Beginners (With Pictures!): http://blog.codyapp.com/yoga-for-beginners/

Rachel Brathen (my favorite yogi!): http://rachelbrathen.com

Tara Stiles: http://tarastiles.com

Yoga With Adriene (YouTube channel): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFKE7WVJfvaHW5q283SxchA


Beautiful Article on How Yoga Helps You Love Your Body: http://yogainternational.com/article/view/how-yoga-helps-you-love-your-body


Now get out there, do your research, and find some videos that you love! Let me know how it goes or if you have any other questions! Feel free to message me on Facebook: (www.facebook.com/wellnessbynicky) or email me at wellnessbynicky@gmail.com.

LOVE YOU ALL. Namaste :)

Get Out & Grill: Chicken Burgers, Grilled Fruit, and Guilt-Free Blondies!

I was a busy, busy girl today, and I loved every minute of it. While on a nice long walk, my brain was busy thinking of something yummy to make for dinner. As the sun hit my face, it was only natural for my thoughts to drift to our grill. Whatever I decided to make, it HAD to be grilled. It was a perfect day to grill out!

I had some ground chicken in my refrigerator that I needed to use up, so that made my decision easy. Chicken burgers & grilled veggies. Off to the grocery store I went to pick up some yummy fixins'. :)

Like I said before, something about Sundays feels like the perfect day to spend some time in the kitchen. I cooked some lentils to prepare for weekly meals. Then, it was baking time. I wanted to make something sweet and delicious to snack on throughout my week, but I also wanted it to be completely guilt-free. I came across the idea for chickpea blondies that really caught my attention. Flourless, vegan, and gluten-free. Perfect! Chickpeas in a dessert may sound a little weird, but I promise they are so yummy!

Here's the blondies recipe:

1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

1/2 cup almond butter (you could also use natural peanut butter!)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar (I actually used raw honey in mine, so that's another option if you aren't vegan!)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate chips)
(If you want your blondies to have more of a cake-like texture and less fudgy, you can also add one egg. This will obviously make it not vegan, though.)


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and spray an 8x8 baking dish with your favorite cooking spray. Combine all ingredients, except for the chocolate chips into a food processor. I actually don't have a food processor (I'm planning on investing in one soon!), so I used my blender and that worked just fine. After blending or processing the ingredients into a smooth batter, fold in the chocolate chips.






Spread the batter into your baking dish, and sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The edges should look a golden brown color. Be careful not to cook too long. They might seem a little underdone, but you don't want them to dry out. With no raw eggs, it's fine if they are a little gooey!


Cool for 20 minutes, then sprinkle some sea salt on top, cut into squares, and ENJOY your guilt-free blondies!


http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/04/flourless-chocolate-chip-chickpea-blondies-with-sea-salt-vegan-gluten-free-healthy/ (original recipe)

Next, it was time to start to prepare our dinner.

My boyfriend is the grill master, but I usually do the preparing. He decided to have some good ol' hot dogs while I opted for chicken and spinach burgers. We also grilled up some zucchini coins (tossed in olive oil, salt, & pepper) and corn on the cob. We were saving the fruit for dessert.

Here's the recipe for the chicken & spinach burgers! 

1 lb. ground chicken (you could also use turkey!)

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 

2 Tbs. barbecue sauce of your choice

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients and form into patties. Grill for about ten minutes (make sure to oil your grill surface first so your burgers won't stick!) or until thermometer reads 165 degrees and the meat is no longer pink. I noticed that the spinach part of the burgers was starting to get overdone before the chicken was completely cooked, so I actually finished them off in the oven. But just see how it works for you. Try turning your grill to a lower heat. I actually used a bit more than 10 oz. of spinach, so that might've been my problem. 

Anyway, once fully cooked, you can eat your burger anyway you choose. I just ate mine with a fork alongside my veggies, but you can also put it on a bun like a regular burger along with your favorite toppings. I like to put my burgers on a whole wheat English muffin. I'm excited to have leftover chicken burgers for the rest of the week. It was delicious! 

Now, it was time for dessert. The sun was still shining, so we were gonna take full advantage of that grill. Our dessert consisted of grilled nectarine and pineapple. Yum!

Just cut a nectarine in half and remove the pit. Place inside down on the grill and cook until grill lines appear (a few minutes). Cut your pineapple however you like and place it on the grill (if you cut into chunks, using a skewer would be the way to go! I sliced mine into rings.). Cook until grill lines appear. I sprinkled cinnamon on my fruit before grilling. After grilling, I stacked my fruit and topped it with some Greek yogurt, more cinnamon, pecans, flaxseeds, and a drizzle of raw honey. You could also top with ice cream or whatever you like. 

DELICIOUS. :)

Single Serving Whole Wheat Pancakes with Berry Glaze

Today for breakfast, all I wanted was some yummy pancakes. But since we were on the road back home from Pittsburgh, I was stuck with a banana and some coconut water. Also yummy, but did not even come close to satisfying my pancake craving.

We got home around lunchtime, and I was starving. I usually eat a lot more than just a banana for breakfast, so I couldn't wait to get home and fill my belly. My pancake craving was still going pretty strong, so I thought, why not have pancakes for lunch? 

I wanted to attempt to make my own whole wheat pancakes, so I searched for a recipe. Most recipes I found also included white flour and sugar, so I kept searching to find a more healthy option. Then I landed on the winner. It was a single serving recipe for whole wheat pancakes  (and vegan!) with a blueberry glaze. My belly knew this was the one. Here's the recipe! 

Ingredients:

Pancakes:

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed 

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup old fashioned oats (optional)

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup milk of your choice (I used unsweetened almond milk.)

1 1/2 tsp. sweetener of your choice (I used raw honey.)

1 tsp. coconut oil

Glaze:

1 cup frozen berries (I used organic strawberries and blueberries.)

1 Tbsp. sweetener of your choice (I used agave nectar for this, but only used a teaspoon.)

Directions:

Mix together whole wheat flour, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, oats, and salt. Add in milk and sweetener. Mix together into a batter. Mine was a little thin, but they turned out fine. If you want a thicker batter, you can add a bit more flour or oats. 

Heat up coconut oil in a medium skillet. Pour about half the batter in. When bubbles start to form on top and the edges start to solidify, flip the pancake to the other side. Cook for about a minute. My pancakes were pretty thin, so it was a little hard to flip, but after working with some spatulas, I flipped it over and finished cooking. Then, I just poured the rest of the batter in to make the second pancake. The pancakes weren't perfectly round or smooth (I still haven't mastered the art of flipping pancakes), but I didn't mind. As long as they taste good, I'm happy. 

To make the glaze, mix frozen berries and sweetener of your choice in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for one minute. Stir. Microwave for another minute, stir, and done. 

I topped my pancakes with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Then I poured the heavenly berry glaze on top and added a few pecans. BEAUTIFUL and YUMMY. 

Quick, easy, and perfect for a pancake craving. ENJOY :)

Broccoli, Kale, & Cheese Quesadilla

I am constantly making wraps with my ancient grains tortillas, and they are delicious. Today, I decided to try making a quesadilla to switch it up a bit. Verdict: also delicious. 

Here's the recipe for a quick and easy broccoli, kale, & cheese quesadilla.

What you'll need: 

Whole grain wrap (I used ancient grain.)

Hummus (I used roasted red pepper.)

Broccoli

Kale

Cheese of your choice (I chose shredded mozzarella.)

Panini press (you could probably use a George Foreman grill or even make it in a skillet if you don't have a panini press.)

First, I cut up the broccoli into small pieces so the quesadilla wouldn't be too thick. You need to boil or steam the broccoli until tender. Then, it's time to put it all together. Spread the hummus on the wrap, covering half of it. Top the hummus with the kale and broccoli, and sprinkle with your cheese.

Fold in half and place on the panini press. I let it cook for probably about 3-5 minutes until slightly crispy. I used two spatulas to remove the quesadilla from the press onto a plate. It was a little flimsy, so be careful.

Once it cooled a bit, I cut it into four small triangles, and enjoyed with a few strawberries. I told you it was easy! What a perfect Spring lunch :) 

A Day in the Life of Nicky's Belly

Today, I thought I'd share everything I ate from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. Some people have asked me about how many meals I eat a day, what kinds of snacks I have, etc. I thought this would be a good way to show a typical day. Today has been a little different, but not much.

Breakfast (8:00am)

Last night, I had a few too many cookies, so this morning I wanted to have a detoxifying breakfast. I found a detox smoothie recipe (http://www.chefscatalog.com/recipe/detail/910-detoxifying-breakfast-smoothie.aspx?sourcecode=FW1EM1175) that I wanted to try. 

I did change it up a bit. Instead of hemp seeds, I used chia seeds. Instead of protein powder, I used almond butter. Instead of water, I used almond milk. I also added a few grapes, some raw honey, vanilla, and shredded coconut. (Don't forget to alter any recipe to your own taste. This is one aspect of your life that can be all about YOU.) :)

I topped it with granola and some blueberries. Delicious. And it turned out to be very filling! 

Then, it was time to go to my internship. I was feeling pretty full, so I decided to just pack a snack instead of my usual lunch, hoping it would be enough to last me through my gym session.

Snack (12:30pm)

I made sure to pack some protein (almonds) and some carbs (whole grain flaxseed flatbread crackers). I threw in some berries and grapes, too.

Surprisingly, I was only a little hungry by 12:30. (I'll have to remember how long that smoothie kept me satisfied!) This snack was perfect.

Off to the gym I went for my cardio session. I spent about an hour and fifteen minutes of time on cardio, dividing my time between different machines. I get bored if I spend too much time on one machine. Today, I combined the treadmill, stationary bike, arc trainer, and elliptical. Sometimes I do a combination of two, sometimes three, sometimes four. It all depends on how I'm feeling.

I got home around 2:45, and began to feel hungry again. Time for another snack!

Snack (2:45pm)

I made a ancient grains wrap with roasted red pepper hummus, black beans, a little bit of mozzarella, and spinach, and threw it on the panini press. Delicious! I also paired this with some green tea.

Usually I eat a snack a little earlier (around 10 or 11), eat lunch around 12:30 - 1:30, and then another snack around 3:30-4. But since my smoothie was so filling, I only needed two small meals in the afternoon instead of three. Listen to your body and see how you feel. There's no need to eat if you aren't feeling hungry. Just because it's lunch time, doesn't mean you HAVE to eat lunch. Listen to your body; it knows more than you think.

Yoga time. Today, I did the Yoga-X video from the P90X program. An hour an a half of yoga combining a nice flow, some balancing poses, abs, and stretching. A great way to get sweating. 

My second snack (and glass after glass of water) kept me satisfied until about 6:45. I usually eat dinner anywhere from 5:30 - 6:30.

Dinner (6:45pm)

I didn't feel nearly as hungry as I usually do by this time, so I decided just have some leftover black beans mixed with lima beans. Weird combination? Maybe, but I love it. I also had a few pieces of broccoli with hummus. Sometimes I have a really hard time deciding what I'm in the mood for, so I go for more of an a la carte style dinner. (Just be mindful that you aren't eating too much! You don't want to feel miserable.)

Snack (7:30pm)

I started feeling a little hungry again soon after, so I made a little yogurt parfait as a snack and dessert. Greek yogurt with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, red grapes, and granola. So yummy and one of my favorite go-to snacks.  I also paired this with some more green tea. I may or may not have also had two chocolate peanut butter cookies (oops) :) 

So, there you have it. A day in the life of Nicky's belly. Today was a little strange, but I just wanted to show you that it's okay (even better) to split your meals into much smaller portions more often throughout the day. Again, listen to your body. Eat when you're hungry. Note: If you are constantly feeling hungry, you want to be careful not to overeat. So try filling up on water instead. Sometimes your mind thinks you're hungry, when you're really just thirsty. 

Your body wants to be healthy, so changing your routine into a more healthy one will be a lot easier than you think. It may take some time to break your bad habits, but you'll get there. Have a good night everyone! I think another cup of green tea is in my very near future :)

Green Smoothie: OBSESSED

Tonight I decided to make another green smoothie. I swear, I crave them multiple times a week; they're just so tasty! And I love the cool, creamy texture. Anyway, I switched up my ingredients a little tonight, so I thought I'd share.

I started off with almond milk, avocado, apple, kale, cucumber, ginger, and (here's where it gets a little weird) sprouts and chickpeas. Blend.

I wanted to find way to add more protein, so I thought: why not try chickpeas? And it worked out great. I didn't really taste them (or the sprouts), but this smoothie did have a more vegetal taste, which I don't mind.

However, I still wanted some more sweetness, so that's when I added a few frozen mango chunks, some shredded coconut, a teaspoon of raw honey, pecans, a little vanilla, and cinnamon. Blend again. Much better. :)

For some extra yumminess, I made a layer of chia seeds, blueberries, and pecans in the center. And I topped it with cinnamon, flaxseeds, shredded coconut, and two raspberries.

Yum, yum, yum! This is just a reminder to not be afraid to throw different veggies and fruit in. You might be pleasantly surprised!

Here is an approximate list of ingredients and their amounts. (Again, I never measure, but this will just give you an idea!)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 avocado

1 apple (I used McIntosh - my favorite!)

1 large handful of kale

1/3 inch piece of ginger root (peeled)

1 small handful of alfalfa sprouts

1 handful of chickpeas (I used canned)

4 cucumber slices

5 frozen mango chunks 

1 tsp. raw honey

1 Tbs. shredded coconut

1 dash of cinnamon

5 pecans

1 dash of vanilla extract

Middle layer:

8 blueberries

1 tsp. chia seeds

6 pecans

Topping:

1 dash of cinnamon

1 sprinkle of flaxseeds

1 sprinkle of shredded coconut

2 raspberries

ENJOY!!! :)

Grilling Season & Brussel Sprouts

I've been meaning to try Brussels sprouts for awhile. I've had them twice before when I was younger, and I remember hating them once and liking them once. So, I decided it was time to try them again because they're so great for you. Since the weather was so beautiful today, I thought it would be a great day for grilling. And why not try grilling Brussel sprouts?

I've never cooked Brussels sprouts before, so I looked up grilling recipes. They all showed using skewers, which I didn't have. So, I made a little basket out of foil to hold the sprouts. While perusing my refrigerator, I decided to chop up some onions, broccoli, and green peppers and make a little veggie medley. Yum!


I wasn't sure how to cut up Brussels sprouts, or if I should just leave them whole, so I cut the bigger ones and left the smaller ones alone. (This proves that I really don't know what I'm doing. Trial and error all the way. Not knowing kind of makes it more fun. Frustrating at times, but fun. It's an adventure!)

I tossed the veggies in olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and garlic & herb seasoning (my go-to spices), and threw them in my makeshift foil basket. After heating up the grill, I put the veggies on.
















After five minutes, I gave them a stir, and then let them cook for another 15-20 minutes or until they reach desired tenderness. Man, did they smell good. They looked pretty yummy, too.

Then I needed to add in some protein. Hmm. I looked in the fridge, found black beans and rice, and decided to add that as a little side. I had no idea if the flavors would blend well, but I gave it a try. My boyfriend was also cooking bacon for his burger, so I couldn't resist crumbling half a piece up with my veggies.

After trying a few bites, I decided the flavors blended really well, so I mixed it all up. Veggies, bacon, rice, and black beans. It turned into a nice little grilled veggie stir-fry kind of dish. And I loved it.

Have fun trying new dishes, and get creative! They might not turn out as good as you had hoped, they might even be a complete disaster. But then you know not to do it that way next time. It's all a learning experience. And your body benefits from all the nutrition along the way. :)

I've found that with cooking and healthy living, simplicity is key. When dealing with veggies, keep it simple. Use minimal spices. Veggies are naturally delicious, so as long as you don't add too much (or burn them), they are going to turn out just fine. But it all depends on your taste. Find what you love and go from there!