Every vacation, we all try to dial back using our phones and enjoy wherever we traveled to, be it a favorite city, your hometown or a totally new spot.
- Not having my phone around during any meal time (breakfast and lunch mainly since dinner I normally don’t)
- Not taking it to every room I go to
- Focusing on posting 3-4 times a week, instead of everyday
- Taking a break from posting on stories at least once a week
- Not looking at my phone right before I sleep (this one will be hard)
Made this recipe on a whim for a friend of mine when she was sick and it turned out so good, so of course I had to share it during this year’s soup season!
Ingredients:
Half chicken with bone
2 tbsp garlic ginger paste
2 garlic
1/2 purple onion finely chopped
1 small zucchini
2 small russet potatoes/1 large one
1-2 carrots, sliced and halved
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp coriander powder
Persian rice noodle (broken into smaller pieces)
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp cornstarch
Directions:
Boil chicken with garlic ginger paste till cooked. Put aside broth and shred chicken.
In the pot, add garlic and onion and sauté. Add spices and veggies and allow to cook for a few minutes. Add in the chicken and noodles.
Slowly add broth until it covers the soup and let it cook on low to medium heat. As it’s boiling, take broth and mix it with 2tbsp cornstarch. Whisk this mixture back in the soup to thicken the soup. Let it cook on low till all the veggies and noodles are cooked. Add salt according to taste.
Spicy Chicken Wheels
These are a must make! So easy and so flavorful! They’re perfect for a party at home or to keep for pita sandwiches for the week!
Ingredients:
Chicken Mix:
- 1 chicken breast, boiled and shredded
- 1/3 cup Mayo
- 1.5 tbsp harisa paste
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- 3 tbsp purple onion, finely chopped
- (Good) Squeeze of lemon
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
To make the pinwheel you need:
- Large burrito size tortillas
- Thinly sliced Persian cucumber and red/yellow bell pepper
- Mix all the ingredients in the bowl.
- Place the large burrito tortilla and evenly spread the chicken mix on the tortilla.
- Place the thinly sliced red bell pepper and cucumber in the middle of the wrap. Slowly wrap nice and tight and then cut into 1-inch pinwheels.
4 INGREDIENT COCONUT CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM BITES
Is it just me or is it hot?
As the heat picks up, make sure you stay hydrated, eat plenty of water based fruits and veggies but most of all, make these delicious little ice cream bites!
Ingredients:
Directions:
1/2 cup coconut cream (I used kara)
1 cup coconut shreds
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
In a blender, grind coconut shreds to make them more fine.
Next add coconut cream and blend mixture together
Use any type of molding you have (I used my muffin cups) and place a little bit in each cup. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate and remove from freezer, covering it in chocolate and placing back in the mold. (Optional: add chopped nuts on top). Allow 15 minutes to harden and store in freezer for about a week.
Pumpkin pie bars that even my not so crazy pumping lovers will enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 can chickpeas (skin removed)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (additional for the top)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In food processor, blend chickpeas by themselves.
- Next, add in all the ingredients except chocolate chips.
- Blend until mixture is completely smooth. (Blend, take a flat spatula and clean off the sides and then blend again, and repeat).
- Remove blade and mix in chocolate chips.
- (Optional) Spray 9 – inch pan, and scoop in mixture. Add some more chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 15 – 17 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes, cut into 9 pieces and enjoy for dessert or a snack!
Ugh, I know. You want to skip this post and move onto information you'll actually use, like a leg day workout or how to make guilt free brownies.
(Also, did this title make anyone else think of In & Out?)
But, hear me out okay? I know you’ve been struggling with wanting to lose that stubborn weight or you’ve been wanting to tone up and feel stronger and you’ve tried and tried again, but nothing has been working.
And yes, if I ask you “have you tried calorie counting?”
You’ll probably say “yeah I even tried that!” When in reality, you probably tried for 5 days and was over it.
Yeah, I've been there too, trust me!
But, like anything else in life, if you really want something, you have to put in the work!
Let's discuss the 5 things to help lose weight or get in better shape:
- Calorie deficit: consuming less energy than the energy you burn/use.
- Strength training: resistance towards muscles allowing them to grow & burn calories while you rest, but also increases bone density as well.
- Cardio: always a goodie, and important to get your heart strong by building that endurance.
- Sleep: to allow your body to digest and rest while you snooze.
- Stress: because added stress cause your hormone levels to increase/decrease and that effects your ability to lose weight
Why is calorie counting critical to weight loss? Simple math, really.
In order to lose weight, you need to be burning more calories than you’re consuming. And usually, we end up burning less calories than we think we are. For instance, when you go for an hour long run, you think burned 500 cal, but you burned probably 250. And you’re probably thinking, “wow 250? That’s still really good!” Which yes, it is. But then, you end up eating a sandwhich, greek yogurt, a granola bar, fruit, some coffee (with creamer), and that was just lunch. Not to mention the snacking on choco chips or goldfish here and there when you pass the kitchen.
So, without calorie counting (or any other way of understanding how many calories you’re consuming), you’re truly not going to know how much you’re intaking.
Do you have to calorie count forever? No you don’t have to. But, I promise you, some of the fitness influencers you follow STILL calorie count. Why? Because they have goals they want to achieve and they know that understanding how much they’re consuming holds them accountable and allows them to get there.
Is there any way to not calorie count?
I believe so if you eat a certain way, and that way is: very limited of processed foods, dairy, meat, and more filled with complex carbs and plants (veggies) and fruits.
Alright, so here is calorie counting in a nutshell:
- If you’re trying to one pound a week, your calorie deficit will range from 100-300 calories.
- On AVERAGE, women need to eat 1500 calories a day to lose 1 lb a week, and men need to eat 2,000 calories a day in order to lose 1 lb a week.
- Figuring out your deficit takes in numerous factors: gender, height, weight, and level of activity. if you would like to calculate your deficit, use this calculator: https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html
- Calorie deficit should be something you can sustain. For instance, 1,200 calories a day is not sustainable.
- Calories are calories, in the end no matter where they come from. But eating chips all day versus eating fiber/nutrient rich foods like brown rice, salmon, and veggies will definitely effect how to maintain that calorie deficit because with chips you will feel more hungry sooner (causing you to go into a surplus) and with the fiber rich foods, you will feel more full and satiated for a longer period of time.
- What about macros? Why do people count those? People like to see where majority of their source of energy is coming from. Is it coming from fats, proteins, carbs or sugars? This is a personal preference, but if I am already in a calorie deficit, I don’t find it necessary to count macros, as long as I’m being conscious how I’m eating (AKA eating a pretty clean and wholesome diet).
- To maintain your weight, on AVERAGE women need to eat 2,000 calories and men need to eat 2,500 calories. (Remember, this is an average and takes into the factors of height, weight, gender and level of activity).
In the end, if you’re someone that’s trying to be more active and energetic, do you HAVE to calorie count? No, most definitely not. Does that mean you should have cereal for breakfast, fast food for lunch, a burger for dinner and dessert? Most definitely not.
But, if you are someone that is just starting the weight loss journey, or is tired of yo-yoing with their weight loss journey, then I HIGHLY recommend giving calorie counting a proper chance.
Now, where do you start if you want to calorie count?
- You will need measuring cups and spoons (Measuring cups & Measuring spoons)
- A food scale ( food scale I use)
- Start reading labels & serving sizes
- Download the app myFitnesspal
- Have your meals planned out for the week (5 days at least), that way calorie counting gets easier.
I hope this post was useful and provided a little more insight on how calorie counting works and how to get started!
Don’t forget to follow me on IG @fskshealthyway for more recipes and workout videos!
Summer Chicken Salad Sandwhich
This sandwich has summer tastebuds all over it. Whether it’s going to the park, beach, or for a road trip (IF there was no Covid), this would be the perfect lunch to pack! Of course paired with some crunchy chips, and juicy sweet fruit like watermelon or cherries. This sandwich is packed with protein, fresh herbs, healthy fats, and just straight up deliciousness!
Serving Size: 6 – 8
Time to Cook: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, shredded
1 cup purple cabbage, finely chopped
5-6 sprigs of spring onion
1.5 tbsp fresh dill
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
5 tbsp mayo
6 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tbsp lemon juice, squeezed
1.5 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
Directions:
- First, chop all herbs, veggies, and shred chicken after being boiled.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the chicken, spring onion and purple cabbage and mix them together
3. Next, make the sauce by adding mayo, greek yogurt, chives, dill, black pepper, salt, lemon juice, and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Mix all the ingredients till well combined.
4. Once the “sauce” is made, mix it in the large bowl so all is evenly covered with the sauce mixture. Taste test and see if it needs more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
And there was a bottle of ICE ( 0 calorie flavored sparkling water). My friend grabs the bottle and reads the nutrition label and ingredients, and tries to prove a point to me – because she can read the ingredients, this drink (ICE) must be healthy. Plus, it had 0 grams of sugar, 0 calories, and 0 grams of sodium – AKA “healthy”.
Whenever I talk to clients or individuals about nutrition labeling and what to look for, I usually say that if you can’t read it, then it isn’t good for you. But, what if you can read it? Does that make it good for you?
I put myself in a corner when she had said that and realized that it wasn’t about whether or not you can read the ingredient out loud, but it’s about whether you can RECOGNIZE the ingredient.
Are you familiar with it? Do you normally notice it in your foods. What I mean is, can you tell me how sodium benzoate is helpful to your body? But you know how vitamin C is good for you, don’t you?
Can you tell me how acesulfame potassium is helpful to your body? Is it an ingredient that you read and automatically go, “Oh! I recognize that!”
More than likely…not. And that usually goes for A LOT of the ingredients in packaged products.
Now, am I saying to never eat packaged products and stay away from them forever? No, I understand that’s difficult, because yeah unfortunately they are the foods that majority of us have grown up with and gotten accustomed to, so we do enjoy a bag of lay’s chips or Hot Cheetos once in a while.
And for my parents out there, I get it. It’s a lot of work to prepare all the food your family eats from home, so of course you opt out for packaged products because it’s easier and quicker. I totally get it…but, because we care for our families and should care for ourselves, we need to be cautious of what we are putting in our body.
The easiest way to make grocery shopping simple is to:
- Stay closer to the outer rims of the grocery store, where the produce is.
- Limit your packaged products purchase.
- When reading the ingredients, try to look for products that have 10 ingredients or less and make sure you can recognize most of them.
- Just because it says it’s organic, does not mean it’s “healthy”
- Often people make this mistake, where they purchase organic products and feel like they’re making the right choice, and yes maybe there are in comparison to what they could’ve picked up, but it’s certainly not the best choice. The best choice is to go with something that has no additives, no preservatives, the least amount of processing – WHOLE foods!
- Look for a product this is both non-GMO and 100% Organic!
Attached below are a list of ingredients to avoid and be aware of when doing your grocery shopping.
But, what about packaged products that are considered cleaner and a better packaged product option?
Some products you can check out are:
- Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter
- Banza Chickpea Pasta
- Siggi’s Yogurt
- Ezekeil Sprouted Bread
- Dave’s Killer Bread
- Skinny Dipped Almonds
- Mary’s Gone Crackers
- Thrive Market Organic Coconut Flakes
- Hippeas
- Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt with ZERO Artificial Sweeteners
I also know that trying to eat cleaner products can be more expensive, which is why some of us may opt for the cheaper products. Do the best you can to eat more whole foods, like fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds and have not as much packaged products in your pantry.
Hope you found this post resourceful!
Don’t forget to subscribe to get a new recipe and my answers to daily healthy struggles every week!
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INGREDIENTS:
- 2 medium zucchinis, chopped finely
- 2 1/2 cup homemade bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 1/2 tbsp. sea salt
- Spices: pepper, paprika, garlic powder & onion powder
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a food processor, throw chopped zucchini and blend till finely chopped.
- In a big bowl, mix chopped zucchini, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, and spices (accordingly to your liking).
- Scoop out a (large) spoonful of mixture and shape how you like and place on a baking tray.
- Place in oven for 20 – 22 minutes and allow to cool. Serve with ketchup, guac, or salsa and enjoy!