A Better Fragrance

There are so many times that I debated giving up on fragrances. I know that seems silly, but knowing that your skin absorbs so much of what you put onto it, made me look into what was in my perfumes. Unfortunately the lists of ingredients were mostly unrecognizable to me and after just a little bit of googling what they were, I couldn't be sure that everything was completely safe for me. 

But, I love smelling nice. And unfortunately I did not want to just throw out all of the years of fragrance bottles I had accumulated. So what to do? Well a gift from a friend last year changed it all. She bought me a small glass roller ball vile of a blend of essential oils that gave off a scent just as beautiful as the perfumes filling my cabinets in my bathroom. 

So I left it in my purse for a couple of weeks. If I didn't use it I figured I would just be more careful to spray only my clothes with perfume and move on. If I did end up using it, I would look further into essential oils. 

Well I used it. I used every last drop of it. And, I love it. I ended up going back to where she purchased it and buying another fragrance as well. The company was using therapeutic grade oils and only oil in the mix so I didn't have to worry about any mystery ingredients. 

But that wasn't the last of my research. I first stumbled across oils after a doctor, who writes about nutrition and everyday health, wrote a well researching article on the benefits of essential oils and his own experience with them. I was about to brush over the article with out reading, partly because he doesn't usually write about this and also because I was only concerned about oils from a fragrance perspective, but something drew me back. His entire article was scientifically backed so I decided to bite. 

I'm so happy I did. I learned all about essential oils and what other health benefits they had. I was directed to the oils he used but first did a little more research on the brands. An article written by a wellness mama guru, 7 blogs long, really dived into the companies and their quality. The last article pointed me to Rocky Mountain Oils, and through her research and some more of my own, I decided to go with them for all of my essential oils. They had the best quality, a lot of organic oils and the best price as well.

I am quickly running through my first big box I ordered. Having a diffuser has made my house small amazing as well as made some of the oils quicker to use at night instead of mixing them with other carrier oils and applying them right to my body. 

I am also looking for good book on essential oils. If anyone knows one, then please share. I would like to start mixing the different oils in the diffuser. 

So try them for yourself! I'm sure after reading the article you might be intrigued as well. It's been worth the research and using them has been such a pleasant experience. And of course, the whole reason this started, I'm loving the fragrance aspect of it. So much nicer than even most of my perfume! But I didn't waste any of the old perfumes I had. I just spray them on the outside of my jackets. These never rub against my skin and still let me us the fragrances I bought as not to waste them. 

Here's to helping you, Live Life Lean. 

The Dirty Dozen: Why Bother?

I always heard about going organic and the lists of ways to shop for this type of produce, but never really cared much to spend that much money on it. However, after doing some research I realized there are so many reasons to go organic. Investing a little more money into my diet was worth it because for so long I was saying "why bother?" and now I can't imagine ignoring the facts.

Each year there are so many lists that inform consumers of the "clean 15" and the "dirty dozen."So lets take a look at the dirty dozen, because when we go grocery shopping, these are the most important ones when putting produce into your cart. 

This list contains the heaviest sprayed crops and the produce where the most residue from pesticides were found. Samples of produce on this list contained up to 15 different pesticides per piece of produce. This is a startling amount seeing that you will be ingesting all of these when you eat them later. 

Of course we don't have to list the innumerable amount of reasons you do not want to ingest pesticides. In short these are unnatural chemicals and that equals your body, especially your liver, working overtime to rid your body of these toxins. Pesticides are poison and just because you only ingest a small amount per piece of produce, doesn't mean that over time these don't get backed up into your body. 

So by Live Lean standards, it's best to cut out the pesticides. Live chemical free and buy these top fruits and vegetables organic. 

1. Apples

2. Peaches 

3. Nectarines 

4. Strawberries

5. Grapes

6. Celery 

7. Spinach

8. Sweet Bell Peppers

9. Cucumbers

10. Cherry Tomatoes

11. Snap Peas - Imported

12. Potatoes (All Varieties)

+ Hot Peppers

+ Kale/Collard Greens

The + is the two added pieces of produce that the EWG found to have to frequently have tested positive for insecticides that are toxic to our nervous systems.

I love easy lists like this. These are something you can write down on the back of your grocery pad and bring to the store or just leave saved in a list on your phone. The clean 15 list can be found here. 

One other creative idea is taking a permanent marker and writing them into the inside of your reusable grocery bag. We get ours for around 99 cents a bag at Trader Joe's, and for less than ten dollars we have super sturdy, environmentally friendly, bags to shop with. They are pretty roomy and can handle a lot of weight. We don't splurge on the insulated bags because we don't live super far from our grocery stores. 

On a side note, anything that is coming out of a can, like tomatoes and beans if you need these for convenience because I know not everyone has time to soak beans or make tomato sauce from scratch every time, then always buy organic. Many stores have their own brand that is cheaper than more advertised brands and they come in organic versions too. 

Let me know below if you find it easy to shop for these organic versions at your grocery stores. 

References:

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

For more information please visit their website.

The Incredible Eggs

The incredible egg. This small food is a breakfast favorite and rightly so!

 

 

 

Eggs are an incredibly versatile food that pack a lot of nutrition as well. Eggs can be served by themselves, top salads, bind meatballs, and bake themselves into delicious desserts. How you choose to eat them is what makes them healthy.

Eggs pack healthy protein and relatively low calories. They are filling due to their high protein content and can help satisfy hunger for longer after a meal. They are also known to raise healthy cholesterol levels in our body. Their vitamin A, B2, D, and Zinc content also boost your meals nutritional value.

Eating both the yolk and the white provides protein and healthy fat for your body. However, those who are keeping their fat intake down, one yolk with several egg whites can help keep your dishes low fat while still providing the nutritional value that the yolk offers. Making an omelet with one whole egg and several whites is a great way to make a lower fat version of your favorite breakfast.

When cooking eggs, consider learning to poach eggs (tricky but worth it!) to avoid having to use oil or butter in a pan to help them cook. Also, there are several baking recipes with eggs over potatoes that bake without the use of much oil or butter. Plus, there is always the age old hard boiled on a salad to get your eggs into your meal.

Look for upcoming recipes with eggs including:

Avocado Baked Egg Boats
Eggs in a Basket

Plus, if you like Breakfast hash, look back on our SouthWest Breakfast Hash!

Enjoy your eggs!

Processed Free Beauty

For those of you looking to switch to less processed beauty routine there are so many great choices out there and it's worth looking into it. I did it because all aspects of what you put on and into your body affect you. Even though your skin is a barrier to the outside world, it is still porous and absorbent. So while we focus on making sure we put the least amount of artificial junk into our bodies through what we consume, it's also good to take a look at the chemicals we expose our skin to everyday. For whatever reason you are doing it, don't get discouraged if you do not know where to start.

The world of beauty is a vast array of marking campaigns and beauty products to help us feel good day to day. But further than that, it is our soaps, shampoos,  deodorants and lotions. It is the acne medicine and facial masks we buy to fix skin problems. It is the whitening toothpastes and nail polishes that make us look shiny and new. Now before you think I'm condemning using beauty products, especially soap, I want to say that in no way do I think that you shouldn't use any of these things. Just as I am not here to say if you should eat meat, dairy, or wheat on a daily basis or not. The concept of this blog of course is to help you live a less processed life and in doing so just bring to light some of the things that might be affecting you.

If the focus is to take the chemicals and additives out of our bodies so we can live a healthier life by allowing our bodies to concentrate on the thing it does best, taking care of itself, then it doesn't hurt to look at more than just diet. Whole and natural foods allow our bodies to work at it's best and allows us to work on constantly healing and renewing ourselves. The same goes with things we use on our skin everyday.

Here are my top five trade outs:
Body Lotion
Shampoo/Conditioner
Body Wash
Toothpaste
Perfume

Each of these beauty products have so many natural alternatives that it is easy to find one if you want to look! Body Lotion and the use of unrefined and unprocessed coconut oil will be it's own post because of the many uses and benefits of that product. I will also post on alternatives to all the other beauty products that you can find.

Honey Lemon Tea

 

 

Everyone gets that tickle in their throat or that annoying sneeze that not only won't go away, but seems to always be followed by an annoying cold. Being sick always puts a damper on working out or ever eating right if you don't have the stomach for it. But there are a few things that can boost your immune system and help you fight off a cold. And if you do end up with a full blown cold, here is a recipe for a very soothing drink that has helped me make it through when I'm feeling sick.

First things first. When you feel like you are getting sick the first thing is to make sure what you are putting into your body isn't taking away from your immune system when it should be fighting a virus. Put down the processed foods, the only make your body work harder to get rid of all the junk that they are made of. Alcohol is the same. Even the smallest amount can make your body work harder to fight off sickness. And of course, what everyone always tells you, get some sleep! It's so important for your body to heal itself.

Then if a cold does hit, try this delicious recipe for hot tea.

Ingredients:
Tea of your choice, uncaffinated
Honey, Raw and Unfiltered
1/2 Lemon squeezed

Put 1 tbs. of honey into the bottom of a mug and pour boiling water over it. Then suqeeze half of a lemon into the mug and enjoy. This toasty drink should warm your insides and sooth you.

Progress not Perfection

For those of you who have heard this speech a hundred times. It might be good to sit through it again. I have reminded myself, and written many times about the journey to your fittest self through diet and exercise, as well as striving and doing your best with out striving for perfection.

Every journey looks different. Every end result looks different. One person's idea of perfect is different than another. So striving for the "perfect body," the "perfect diet," or the "perfect workout," can put unnecessary stress on your lifestyle that is an ongoing process. Strive to do your best. Strive for health over a certain look. And strive to get away from wanting to be perfect.

Sometimes you will mess up your diet and have too much pizza. Three days in a row. Sometimes you will skip a work out. For your entire vacation. It's always alright. No one is perfect. But we must never forget that our journey is a series of steps everyday that we take towards our goals. And if we take 10 steps forward one week and one step back, that doesn't bring us back to step one. Set backs don't mean starting over. They are just a few steps on a long path way. Remember that.

Remember to be good to yourself. To forgive yourself.  To believe in yourself. To love yourself. Even when you're not "perfect."

How to Cook Kale

When thinking about cooking for dinner, I often remember ideas I have gotten while watching the food channels. I was inspired by a sundried and bean side dish to make this meal. This meal was a bean and kale salad, pesto chicken thighs and roasted potato and artichokes. 

First in this meal is the bean and kale salad. 

Ingredients:

Fresh Kale

White Kindey Beans

Bruschetta 

Red Bell Pepper

Garlic Cloves 

Vegetable Stock (low sodium)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

First cut both the red bell pepper and the kale into strips. Be sure to cut the stalks out of the kale because they tend to be too tough to cook down in this dish. Start by warming the bruschetta and the white kidney beans in side pan. In a separate pan, on med heat, warm bell pepper strips with 1 tbs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let peppers cook until almost tender. 

When the peppers are almost tender pour the bruschetta and beans into the pan and top with kale. Then place a cover over the pan. Combine 1/2 cup of veggie stock and three cloves of garlic into a food processor and blend until garlic is finely chopped. Pour garlic veggie stock over top of kale in pan and then cover again. Let this cook down for about 7-10 minutes or until kale is tender but not mushy. 

Then we have the potatoes. 

Ingredients:

Marinaded Artichokes (can or jar)

Tri Colored Mini Potatoes

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 375. Cut all of you potatoes into fours. Be sure to leave the skin on. Then place potato chunks in a large baking dish. Drizzle 2 tbs of olive oil over entire dish. Mix around with your hand to make sure all the potatoes are covered evenly with the olive oil and then lay potatoes as flat as possible. Then top with marinated artichokes. Shake salt and pepper over this lightly. Cover potatoes with tin foil. Place in oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until you can slide a fork into potatoes easily 

And lastly we have the pesto chicken.

Ingredients:

Chicken Thighs

Fresh Pesto (jarred with work just as well)

Raw Cheddar Cheese

Place chicken thighs in a baking dish and pour 1/4 - 1/2 cup of pesto on top. Massage pesto under the skin of each thigh. Cover baking dish in foil and place into a 375 degree oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes until chicken is to temperature. Use meat thermometer to check temp and remove from oven when cooked. Then using a slotted spoon take each thigh out of the dish and place on separate plate. This will allow the oils and fats that have cooked off to drain off. Grate a few pinches of cheddar allow to melt on top of chicken. 

Even though I don't eat meat this dish is a hit with my friend that do! Enjoy!

Smoothie Prep

We tend to buy bananas in huge bunches. I guess huge might be an overstatement but I do know that guests to our home are always shocked by the amount of bananas ripening on the counter. 

When the bananas ripen to a perfect spotty brown it is time to peel and freeze them. The first thing we do is take pictures of these beauties. Then we peel them down. After making a mountain of peels we break each of these in half and store two bananas per freezer bag. It makes it easy when using bananas later on in smoothies. I usually makes smoothies with either half, one or two whole bananas. Pre-protioning them makes smoothie making very quick when I'm in a rush. 

After we put all of the bananas in the freezer it's time to break out all the new bananas. And then we just wait for them to ripen into more beautiful bananas! 

Mini Pot Pies

On the first day of the new year that we all decided to head to the pool for some sunshine, I wanted to bring some easy to eat lunch snacks. I have to say, the worse part of this is the crescent rolls that were purchased for this dish. If you have more time, you can make a easy dough with coconut flour that can be found online. But, for a quicker version use a crescent roll.

The three styles.

The Pizza:
Motz Cheese
Bruschetta
Pepperoni

The Green Monster:
Broccoli
Raw Cheddar Cheese

The Quiche:
Egg
Green Peppers

These all get placed in little dough covered muffin tins and baked in the oven at 375 - 400 for about 15-20 minutes depending on your oven. The Quiche tray needed a few minutes longer to make sure the egg cooked all the way through. Be sure to check before eating!

Then we took these babies down to the pool to catch some sun. How wonderful is sunshine, peach ale, and these delicious personal size potpies.

The Dinner

This cooking adventure was fun due to the fact that not even our buddy was following a recipe. Fly by the seat of your pants always tastes good when the person cooking knows what they are doing. Fly by the seat of your pants tastes like char and shame when I'm cooking. Lucky for us, our friend knew what he was doing.

These dishes were made in small batches and it was perfect because those who did not like shrimp did not have to have it, it was perfect. I chose to top my shrimp-less bowl with plenty of parm and pepper.

And of course, a perfect end to a perfect meal. The perfect cigar with friends. Cheers!

Special Prep

Nothing says love like family dinner night with friends. Of course half of the fun is in these pictures. And half of the happiness was that our friend, who is also an amazing chef, was the one doing the cooking.

Look at that plate of heaping veggies! Start with chopped asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and red peppers. For those guests who love seafood we have some chilly shrimp just waiting to get cooked.

Then add Fat Tire, it's worth looking up, and some parmesan cheese. The really good kind. Shred into one giant snowy mountain of savory flakes. (I ate at least a half cup of shredded cheese before dinner even hit my bowl.)

And of course, don't forget the noodles. Prepare the Olive Oil...It's cooking time!

The Grill Night

Grill Night!

Chicken: Simple Secret Marinade. A little pepper and pink salt.

Asparagus: Garlic, Butter ( the real kind, from grass fed cows ), and pink salt

Zucchini: Natural Italian Dressing

Drink: Your choice! We chose a delicious Riesling and then CHEERS!