Tag Archives: avocado

17 Most LOL Food and Fitness Puns, Featuring Michelle Obama

Sure, they’re super cheesy and a little overplayed at times, but you know you can’t help but crack a smile and a you-got-me laugh when the perfect pun comes along. With as heavy a scene as we all try to paint when it comes to our food and fitness, it feels good to look at all of it from the lighter side. And this week, we have first lady Michelle Obama to thank for the cunning reminder that puns, are in fact, fun!

Enjoy our favorite actual laugh out loud puns!

1. FLOTUS throws it down.

She’s nacho average first lady! #turnipforwhat

2. Oh my Quad, Becky!

…It’s like one of those rap guys girlfriends.

oh my quad becky

FitBottomedGirls

3. What the Kale?!

So many kale puns, so little time.

kale yeah (more…)

11 Recipes That Will Convince You to Try the Veggies You Love to Hate

Kids are notorious for it, but there are still plenty of adults who struggle to eat their vegetables. However, the time has come to move on from the idea that vegetables beyond potatoes, carrots and green beans are “yucky,” and expand our palates.

We want to set the record straight for some of the least-loved vegetables (and one fruit) and encourage you to give them a chance. All are packed with nutrients, and are a healthy addition to any diet. We’ll start you down your new vegetable-eating path by providing some recipe suggestions that are so good, you won’t want to pick out the previously-offensive veggies.

Look at this list as your own personal vegetable challenge. Try a new one at least once a week, and you may be surprised which formerly condemned veggies become new favorites!

chicken broccoli

Broccoli

It’s hard to say if the “little trees” nickname helps or hurts broccoli’s appeal. Regardless, the vegetable is packed with vitamin K, important for blood clotting, and can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Ease your way into eating broccoli by combining it with foods you already like.

Try it mixed into your stir-fry for added flavor, fiber, bulk, and color!

 

beets

Beets

A beet’s color may be the prettiest in mother nature’s palette. This nutrient-rich root veggie is also full of carbohydrates, which means they can be a great way of boosting your energy without a sugar crash later. Beets are chock full of many nutrients including calcium, iron and vitamins A and C.

Try it in our amazing Harvest Chopped Salad. (more…)

The 9 Tastiest Ways to Enjoy an Avocado Every Day

avocado a day

Avocados have become almost as synonymous with summer as berries and watermelon, but at least those seem to have a definitive season. Perennial varieties of avocados, like Haas, mean we get our favorite fruit all year long, and we’re not mad about that!

Yes, avocados are a fruit, and they can be categorized as a super food for all the dense nutritional benefit they hold. They have more potassium than the notorious banana, barely any sodium, make a rich, satisfying source of fiber, a touch of protein, and a host of vitamins and minerals. Some balk at the calories and fat, but those aren’t empty like you’d find in french fries, there’s some real nutritional value in every bite.

Maybe the moniker should change to eating an avocado a day keeps the doctor away!

We do actually try to eat an avocado a day, and to mix it up, we keep these nine recipes in the rotation. What’s your favorite way to eat the “alligator pear”?

guacamole

CHUNKY GUACAMOLE WITH SERRANO PEPPERS

avocado pasta

AVOCADO PASTA (more…)

4 Easy Ways to Fight Cellulite at Home

I was perusing the internet recently when I came across something that has been haunting me lately: The C word. You all know it, and you all don’t love it. That’s right: cellulite. Everyone hates cellulite, and as I have gotten older, I have certainly grown to be just like everyone else. Cellulite may be natural, but it is the worst!

Here’s what it looks like up close. Basically, when your fat is pushed up against your skin, it sometimes presses through fibers in your tissue, giving it a wrinkled, dimply appearance. It’s the same fat as anywhere else on your body, but because of these fibers it looks totally different.

cellulite

But there is good news! There are ways to combat cellulite, and it’s not just about exercise. 

AVOID: Alcohol, foods high in sugar, foods high in salt, fried foods, sugary alcohol beverages, and packaged snack foods. I hate to break it to you, guys, but these things that we already know are bad for us really, truly are bad for us. Especially in regards to cellulite. If you don’t want cellulite, don’t give in. (more…)

Go Green! 6 Great Green Foods to Enjoy This St. Patrick’s Day

It is easy being green! At least it is today. St. Patrick’s Day is here again, and with it comes the desire to wear, eat, and drink all things green.

green foods

Though traditional Irish fare can be a little heavy, we think you can still celebrate the spirit of the holiday with green foods worked into some of our favorite healthy, and delicious, recipes.

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This Green Tea Power Smoothie is the Ultimate Power Breakfast

Smoothies are the ultimate power breakfast, in my opinion. In one easy and portable drink, you get multiple servings of fruit and vegetables plus protein so it always lasts you till lunch. And no matter what the ingredients are it always ends up tasting delicious, which makes me think my blender has magical powers.

matcha smoothie

Once I discovered you could add spinach to smoothies without altering the taste, my morning breakfast was forever changed. In this smoothie, we add spinach and green tea powder, or “matcha,” which contains more antioxidants than brewed green tea, raspberries and blueberries combined!

greenTea-smoothie

In other words, this is one of the healthiest smoothies on the block! (more…)

Global Warming Puts Guacamole on Endangered List at Chipotle

Are avocados going the way of the dinosaurs? Probably not. But guacamole (which is the number one reason most of us eat avocados) may soon be nothing more than a memory, at least for fans of Chipotle Mexican Grill fans. According to recent speculation on CNN, global climate change and California’s current drought may make it impossible for the chain’s to serve up that delicious (and healthy!) green goo.

guac

Here’s what’s happening:

  • In its annual report, Chipotle cited global climate change—and its impact on produce pricing—as a potential snag in its current business model. If prices on avocados and other key ingredients go up, the chain has said it might have to “temporarily suspend” its offering of guacamole and some salsas. (more…)

The Skinny on Fat: Why this Nutrient is Essential for Weight Loss

Fat makes you fat, right? Wrong.

For years, all fats have been made out to be a delicious incarnation the devil. As a health and nutrition coach, I get questions all the time from my clients about low-fat diets and avoiding avocados and olive oil in case they cause weight gain. Some have even justified eating an entire bag of Twizzlers because it says, “No Fat”.

healthy fats

Listen up: Fat is not the enemy! At least, not entirely.

Let me be clear in saying that there are many kinds of fats, including the saturated and trans fats found in candy bars, processed foods, and T-bone steaks—these are generally no good. But there are also the natural fats found in whole foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, salmon, coconuts, and olive oil, which are so, so good!

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Tina Paymaster “Eat Clean. Live Green.”

Tina Paymaster is a green-smoothie-loving health coach who strives to eat in a way that’s clean and free of processed foods, but that doesn’t mean she never eats “fun” food or that her diet is limited to kale and carrots. In fact, because of her vast knowledge about the newest NYC restaurants, her friends call her, “The walking Zagat.” Not only does she seek out interesting food when she’s dining out, she creates unique pairings and daring recipes on her blog too.

TinaPaymaster 2

 

More from Tina –  

Why did you start your food blog? I’ve always been inspired by the recipes and photography on healthy food blogs. I used to be a photography major in college so I loved how photos could bring out the flavor and beauty of each dish. Once I started building my business as a health & lifestyle coach, I knew that it was the perfect time for me to show others that cooking clean, nutritious food could be fun, easy and absolutely delicious!

How would you describe your approach to eating/health? First and foremost, health has to be looked at as multi-dimensional. Balance must be achieved in all areas of your life for you to achieve optimal health, not just nutritionally. In terms of eating, I believe in consuming mainly clean, unprocessed, whole foods and cooking at home as much as you can. Although I eat a primarily plant-based, gluten-free diet, I do occasionally have a cheat meal and I think that’s totally fine as long as it’s not a severe compromise to your health and you don’t go overboard.

Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? My interest in healthy eating started when I went to college and began to work out more consistently. I started to pay more attention to how the food I was eating affected the results I was seeing in the gym. After going through years of digestive issues and severe fatigue, I got more interested in the internal effects of food on my body and my interest in health and nutrition just kept climbing from there.

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The Best Club Sandwich Ever is Made with Cleaner, Fresher Ingredients You Can Feel Good About

If I see a club sandwich on a menu, I’m ordering it. End of story. No matter how you stack it, I rarely find a sandwich that has a better combination of ingredients that meld so perfectly together. That first bite through the crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, sweet ham, and salty bacon sends the endorphin center of my brain to the realm of utter satisfaction.

best club sandwich

Eating these sandwiches at a restaurant is anyone’s gamble. It’s all pretty processed, and I know that. The salt is higher than it should be, the meat came from God knows where, and all in all it’s never quite as good as anything I make at home. So I try to take my own sandwich makings to the office to build my own for lunch. It’s always a far better option than what the corner deli is dishing up.

club sandwich cut

That better option, for me, is Applegate. I’ve been a long-time consumer and fan of their cleaner approach to meat products. How could anyone not be? They source humanely-raised animals to craft quality meat products that are organic and hormone free. The sandwich meats are tender,  juicy, and never overwhelmingly salty. For pre-cut sandwich meat, it’s truly as good as it gets. (more…)

2 New Avocado Recipes: Cucumber Avocado Soup and Avocado Spread with Tomatoes

By Team Best Life – TheBestLife.com

Avocados take the starring role in many healthy recipes for a reason—they contain vitamins E and K, folate and fiber. Not to mention, they’re delicious! Don’t be scared off by all the fat; avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, the variety that can help lower cholesterol, especially LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which contributes to heart disease and other health problems. Still, to keep calories in check, you have to limit your intake of all fats, even the healthy kinds, so try using about a quarter of an avocado (about 60 calories of creamy deliciousness) in your favorite recipes.

How to Buy an Avocado

Avocados start green and turn black as they ripen. In the store, you should gently squeeze and examine avocados to find the right one for your needs: If you don’t plan on using it until later in the week, choose one that is green and firm. If you want to eat the avocado immediately, pick one that is dark in color and just slightly soft when you squeeze it.

How to Use an Avocado

To ripen a hard avocado, place it in a brown bag with a banana and it should be ripe in two days or so. If your avocado is ripe but you aren’t ready to use it, stick it in the refrigerator. You can also save parts of an avocado for later—just leave the pit in before wrapping it to help maintain freshness.

Avocado is delicious plain, and also works well in tons of recipes, including salads, wraps, sandwiches and spreads. Or, try one of these tasty Best Life recipes. (more…)