Advocare 24 Day Challenge

Welcome back to our blog! I have been on a hiatus from posting for the past few years. Life has gotten busier here in San Antonio and it's getting harder and harder to make time for the things I really enjoy doing. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm always on a quest for better health. I see life as one big war and I have to do everything I can be prepared for the next battle. Some sneak attacks can come out of no where, like cancer. Other battles you walk into willingly, see: childbirth. In any case, I need to have my body ready to fight its hardest if and when it needs to!

Gradually, I've grown not to detest running. Do I like it? No way. But I do it. Faithfully. A few times a week because I know my body benefits the vigorous cardio activity. We try to eat as healthy as possible during the week with a few little cheats on the weekends but I still haven't felt like I'm getting enough fuel to really see results from the gym. So, after seeing the awesome before/after photos of my friend Adrianne, I've decided to try the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. (10 day cleanse, 14 days of fat burning and muscle building.) Advocare is  a world-class nutrition company specializing in health and wellness, weight management, vibrant energy and sports performance (www.advocare.com). Essentially, I need to know how to fuel my body properly to get the best performance. I love fruits and vegetables so eating them is not a problem but I needed to understand when and were to to place carbs and fats in my diet so they don't result in a pudgy midsection:)

I'm excited to get started on my challenge tomorrow! I'll be checking in periodically to let y'all know my progress. Day one of the cleanse is supposed to be pretty tough: no working out because you're only consuming fruits and vegetables plus your one gallon of water per day and all the green tea you want. (I'm already drinking a gallon of water a day and aside from a few more trips to the potty, it's no big deal!) After that, you eat a balanced amount of fruits, veggies, fats and (low glycemic) carbs. I'll be posting my before and after photos in 24 days!!

Do you know the signs of a heart attack?

Yesterday, Ricky and I visited a friend's mother who was hospitalized  as a result of a massive heart attack. In speaking to her husband, I found out she had unfortunately been exhibiting signs of a heart attack for days but was misinterpreting them. If you have never reviewed the key warning signs of a heart attack, I have posted them below. It's always good to be informed as good health is promised to no one. Also, I keep 325mg aspirin in our home in the event Ricky, myself, or a guest have a cardiac episode. Administering aspirin at the first signs of a heart attack has been shown to limit the damaged caused by the myocardial infarction. (Make sure you get the non-enteric coated Aspirin and have the patient chew it for the fastest result.)

General Warning Signs for a Heart Attack
(The following information is taken from:  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/WarningSignsofaHeartAttack/Warning-Signs-of-a-Heart-Attack_UCM_002039_Article.jsp)

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

Heart Attack Signs in Women

1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
5. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.

(The above information is taken from http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0505a.shtml)
Image taken from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/images/heart.jpg

White Chicken Chili

I have been using my crock pot more and more to create healthy meals. Last night I made one that Ricky LOVED and will definitely be a staple for our household. If you're trying to eat more lean protein and vegetables and less carbs, you'll love this too. This recipe is my own adaptation of the McCormick's recipe because I wanted more veggies in it!

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
3 medium sized chicken breasts, chopped
one can of sweet corn
one can of white Cannellini beans
one can of black beans (I like Goya)
one chopped fresh jalapeno
one packet of White Chicken Chili seasoning (McCormick's)
3 tbsps diced garlic
onion powder
black pepper
garlic powder

Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Bake in the oven or cook on the stove top with 1 1 tbsp olive oil. Chop chicken breasts. Place all other ingredients in the crock pot and mix with 1 cup of water. Add chicken breasts. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Image compliments of: http://www.mccormick.com/recipes/main-dish/white-chicken-chili.aspx

Pecan Cobbler

After I was gifted a large bag of fresh pecans I decided it was time for me to attempt to re-create the amazing pecan cobbler served at Texas Pride BBQ. I came pretty close and was pleased with the warm, gooey result. I made our dessert on a small scale to prevent Ricky from over eating but I guess you can expand my recipe to serve more than two if you'd like.

You need:

1 cup of chopped pecans
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 cup of sugar, divided
3 tablespoons of melted butter and an additional 1/2 stick melted butter
2 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter flavor
1 cup flour
1 cup of milk
3 eggs
non stick spray
6 x 8 Pyrex dish (or similar size)

In one bowl, combine corn syrup, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tbsp vanilla, two eggs and 1/2 cup sugar. Blend well. Add chopped pecans and set aside.

In a second bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, one egg, 1 tbsp vanilla and 1 tbsp butter flavor. Spray Pyrex dish with non-stick spray. Pour contents of the second bowl into the Pyrex dish. Pour the pecan mixture (from the first bowl) on top of the batter.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until edges look crispy. Allow the cobbler to cool for 20-25 minutes before serving.

Let me know what you think!

...and we're back!

I know our blog has been on hiatus but I'm back and ready to blog for the new year! I hope everyone had a safe and restful holiday season. Ricky and I took a wonderful vacation to Costa Rica in December. It was, by far, the most beautiful place we've ever been; we are already brainstorming a second trip. We stayed at the RIU Guancaste (all inclusive resort) which I highly recommend. There are so many outdoor activities to enjoy in Guancaste that we only scratched the surface with: zip lining in the cloud forest, horse back riding, visiting a volcano and bathing in hot springs. We enjoyed lounging around the resort and eating amazing meals too.

For pictures, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.614976041425.2085190.50401332&type=1&l=37287949a0

As usual, we set goals for the new year. Last year we gave up fast food so we are having a little splurge today before going back to no fast food. I enjoyed Sonic mozzarella sticks and onion rings and Ricky just polished off some Taco Cabana! Tomorrow, though, it's back to the gym, juicing and eating things that grow out of the ground.

As far as vacations go for 2012, I'm going to Florida in February to visit Erin, we are tentatively planning a trip to San Francisco/Napa Valley in October and a beach trip to South Padre. I'll try to do better this year keeping everyone updated!

And the Heat Goes On....

Man, it is HOT here in San Antonio! I love summer, I really do but we have had triple digit heat for almost two months. I never thought that clear blue skies with lots of sunshine could get annoying but I would LOVE to see some rain clouds right about now!

We have had a busy summer, as usual. We took a wonderful trip to Boston with my parents and Erin (pictures to come), did some tubing/"toobing" on the Comal River, and took a great beach vacation with our pals Nathan and Emily. We also visited the San Antonio wildlife park for some up close and personal time with zebras, ostriches, gazelles and tons of other animals. (for pictures: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.584097377515.2078472.50401332&l=5d5c27adc4&type=1). I've been working on decorating more of our house but it's hard to get motivated after fighting the heat all day.

I've been looking for ways to spice up my exercise routine. There's nothing more annoying to me than when someone says, "Oh, you're so skinny! Why do you work out?" First of all, I wouldn't look the way I do if I didn't make fitness and healthy eating a priority. Secondly, why would you discourage someone from doing something that is so beneficial mentally and physically? Thirdly, doesn't skinny imply lack of womanly curves? I think my husband would agree I'm not some pre-adolescent string bean either. Anyway, if you're looking to tone it up and feel great, take a look at these websites. They've got some great suggestions!

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a-complete-body-toning-workout
http://www.shape.com/
http://topexercisevideos.com/

Has anyone tried the Jillian Michaels workout DVDs? I'm thinking of trying that next.

Summer Zucchini Recipes

**from allrecipes.com**


Oh gosh, our garden is producing zucchini out of control! I love them but I had to find new ways of preparing them so that Ricky and I didn't get totally sick of them. I highly recommend the zucchini cake recipe. It was light, delicious and a great way to have veggies in dessert!

3. Zucchini Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 13x9 inch baking pan.
2. Combine eggs, oil, sugar, grated zucchini, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix until just combined. Stir in the chopped nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F(175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

**Compliments of Allrecipes.com

4. Zucchini Scramble (a twist on my grandmother's recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced zucchini
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
coarse ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste
2 eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup feta cheese

Boil zucchini in a large pot until tender. Drain water and season with garlic and onion powders. Add onions. Sautee onions and zucchini together for about three minutes. Crack eggs and scramble in a separate bowl. Add eggs to vegetable mixture and scramble together until eggs are almost done. Add 1/4 of feta cheese and season with salt and pepper. Great for brunch!:)