Senior Health: Ideas to Help You Overcome Your Physical Activity Challenges

I am very excited to share with you another guest blogger, who focused on a topic many of forget about! As we get older phyiscal activity and good nutrition should remain part of our daily routine to ensure a long healthy life.

 

 

Being a senior citizen has many wonderful aspects to it. You are able to look back at
your life, feel pride in your accomplishments and watch your children and
grandchildren develop their own lives. However, you also have to deal with some
new health situations and challenges. What are some ideas you can utilize to
overcome these situations?

A Little Bit

Try to complete a small physical fitness goal every day. For example, some days you
could try to do ten sit-ups, and on other days you can go for a one mile walk
around the track. Eventually, your body will get used to these small amounts of
physical activities, and you might be able to take on more. Never push yourself
though; you do not want to get injured. Speak with a doctor about the type of
activity that you are able to take on.

Try Water Aerobics

Jumping around and dancing might just not be what your body is able to do anymore.
Instead of aggravating yourself and becoming frustrated, look into some water
aerobics classes. Generally, these types of aerobics are a bit easier to do
because you have the water to act as a cushion. In some cases, these types of
activities could actually be therapeutic, so consider all of the benefits that
you can take from it.

Eating Better

So many different components of your health are related to each other, and you need
to consider the foods that you eat as fuel for your body. Now, you do not need
to give up all of your favorite snacks and treats entirely, but you should look
to eating more healthily. First, consider any medical conditions that you have
and the foods that are required to help your body address these problems. Lean
proteins, fruits and vegetables give you the energy that you need to overcome
some of your physical challenges; consuming the correct amounts of dairy helps
to keep your aging bones nice and strong.

Conversations with Doctors

It is so important to talk to your doctor about your desire to overcome the
physical challenges that come with aging. If you just go ahead and do what you
want, you could be putting your body into a serious or even fatal situation. You
need to address your specific concerns with your doctor and find out what you
need to do to resolve them. While you are visiting with your doctor, you should
also ask what the best foods are for you to eat. The doctor might wind up
suggesting that you go to visit other specialists in the field to really tailor
a plan that addresses the specific needs of your body.

Dealing with the side effects of aging is not something that anyone really looks all
that forward to. Getting through these struggles does involve taking care of
your body, participating in activities suited to you and eating better foods.
However, it also involves having a positive mindset and knowing that you can
fight through the struggles.

Author
Pam Johnson is a CNA at a senior center. She obtained her Certified Nursing Assistant Degree Online.

Easiest Plants to Start Your Garden

I am so excited to share our new guest blogger today, her name is Bridget Sandorford. She is a freelance food and culinary writer, where recently she’s been researching international culinary schools. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.

Easiest Plants to Start Your Garden

Gardening is a great way to get a steady supply of fresh, healthy and unadulterated foods for your kitchen. However, many people are intimidated by gardening and all there is to learn when you are just getting started. What seeds do you plant? When do you plant them? What seeds have to be started indoors? What does it even mean to "start" a seed indoors?

There are a number of plants that beginners can grow that don't require a lot of fuss. If you feel like you can't grow a garden, you should consider these easy plant to start your own garden:

Carrots

Plant seeds directly in the ground about three weeks before the last frost. Plant them in loose soil, add a little compost or fertilizer, and water. There are many varieties that you can grow in all types of shades (even purple and red). You can even grow your own mini-carrots in order to replace those store-bought ones that are whittled from larger carrots.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a great addition to summer salads, and they are a cool snack throughout the season. Simply plant the seeds in shallow soil once the last frost has passed and watch them grow. You can plant them near a wall, fence or trellis to give them room to grow up. Otherwise, the vines will curl around your garden.

Radishes

Radishes are fast growers and are among the easiest crops for beginners to grow. The seeds will grow in cold  soils and require very little tending. Just put them in the ground and keep them watered. You'll have a hardy harvest in just over a month.

Greens

All types of salad greens are easy growers for beginners. They require little tending, and they grow up quickly. Choose a wide variety of greens to create hearty and delicious salads, including green and red lettuce, mescaline, arugula, and spinach.

Basil

Homemade pesto can't be beat in the summertime, and basil is a delicious addition to a wide variety of savory dishes and salads. A fresh caprese salad is a summer treat. You can easily grow bushels of basil as a beginner. Check out different varieties for some different flavors and scents.

Growing a garden doesn't have to be hard or intimidating. You just have to start small and find your way. You can start with these easy-to-grow crops, and as you find your confidence and build on your skills, you can explore other, harder selections to fill your table.

What were some of the first crops you decided to grow in your garden? Tell us about it in the comments!

 

Post Holiday Detox Cleanse

Feeling sluggish, stressed out, overweight or overwhelmed by cravings?

 

Join me for a 10 Day Post Holiday Detox Cleanse!
January 14th- 23rd

 

 

What is this cleanse all about? 

• This is a FOOD cleanse so you will be enjoying breakfast, lunch and dinner each day :)
• We will be eliminating all processed foods, animal products, sugar, soy, dairy, gluten, caffeine and alcohol. Not bad right?
• You will eat many of the foods you enjoy now on a daily basis such as rice, lentils, quinoa, beans, fruits, vegetables, hummus, nut butters and steel cut oatmeal. These foods are perfect to warm up our bodies in the winter months. They are also anti-inflammatory so they reduce the chances of age related disease and enhance overall quality of health.
•  I will be supporting you the entire time! I will be here for motivation and coaching throughout the cleanse- starting with a kick off call 4 days before the cleanse starts and post cleanse. I will have open office hours for 1 on 1 calls, and email support daily.
• I also believe group support is the greatest gift! I will be setting up a private Facebook page so we can each support one another to achieve our goals. This tool will provide support, new food ideas, and tips to be successful. Since we are in this together we can share best practices.

What you may experience

• Weight loss 5-10 pounds
• Increase of energy (no afternoon slump!)
• Enhancement of skin appearance
• Decrease of bloating
• Improved mental clarity - able to focus better on daily tasks
• Reduction or elimination of sugar cravings
• Headaches, minor pains may disappear
• Sleeping straight through the night

What the 10 days will look like

• Days 1-3
•  At least once you will ask yourself "Why did I choose to participate in this cleanse again?" The answer is only days away - your body will THANK you at the end of it all!
•  You will get out of this cleanse what you put into it. The closer you stick to the guidelines, the better the results will be, but seriously, you get props for even getting this far, and I want your experience to be as enjoyable as possible!
• These days will be the toughest, especially if you drink lots of caffeine and consume a lot of sugar. It varies for each person but headaches, crankiness and tiredness may occur. This is totally normal and if it happens it means the detox is working! Before we start the cleanse we will discuss how to minimize these symptoms by gradually reducing our consumption of these foods before the cleanse.
• Days 4-7
• You will start to feel positive changes!
• You may experience more energy, weight loss, an elevated mood or less bloat.
• Days 8-10
• You will feel like a NEW YOU!
• Days 11-12 (Post cleanse)
• It is very likely that whatever indulgences you enjoyed only 10 days ago no longer appeal to you. 
• You may even have a new attitude or "swagger" towards the foods that you put into your body. This is wonderful news!!!
• We will also work together to slowly re-introduce our "old" foods back in our diets.

What's included?

• Kick off conference call where we will go over the details of the cleanse, how to prepare and all questions will be answered.
• Program packet- includes over 25 recipes, snack list and daily checklist
• Private Facebook page for community support
• 1 on 1 personal support during and post cleanse.
• Plus! Unlimited email support from myself throughout the program.

I am sure you are all wondering HOW DO I SIGN UP? Click the Paypal link below to get started!

Buy before December 23rd and only pay $75
After December 23rd the cost will be $97






Consult with a physician before starting this cleanse if you have any health/medical concerns. Do not stop taking any medication without approval from your doctor.  If you are pregnant or nursing always check with your doctor before stating this cleanse or any other detox.

Healthy Addiction makes no guarantees regarding the results to be achieved from this 10 day cleanse and results are likely to vary from person to person.

Crunchy Salty Snack!

I am a big pretzel fan, theres something about a crunchy, salty snack that always filled me up! When I was at the store I noticed this new brand Essential Eating Sprouted Whole Grain Pretzel Puffs. I turned over the package to check out the ingredients and was very impressed: sprouted whole grain wheat flour, water, organic extra virgin olive oil, salt, yeast and soda.

I love clean eating snacks where all the ingredients are understandable, limited to around 5 total, and have no additives or preservatives.

When I started to research this brand I found out the sprouted whole grain wheat flour actually digests like a vegetable, so its very easy on our bodies!

This brand also offers a range of pastas too that I can't wait to try.

New treat that is epic!

 

In our household we try to avoid all processed and packaged foods and eat a clean diet. However, I travel a lot for work so making healthy decisions on the road is extremely important.

 

I am sure many of you have heard of the LARABAR "granola like" bar on the market. Each bar "is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Made from whole food, each flavor contains no more than nine ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended". They are not cooked or baked and are perfect to grab as a quick snack to hold you over until your next meal.

 

I recently went to the store and saw a display for UBER LaraBars. I had never heard of this product line but I love anything and everything banana so I thought I would give the Bananas Foster a try.

 

THIS BAR WAS EPIC! Sweet and Salty (prefect for those of us who don't have a sweet tooth but love salty foods) and so dessert like I actually felt guilty after eating this bar. It will seriously take the place of any decadent dessert. It comes in 4 flavors- banana fosters, apple turnover, cherry cobbler and roasted nut roll.

 

 



 

Bananas Foster's Ingredients: almonds, walnuts, brown rice syrup, dates, dried bananas , sea salt, honey, pecans and cinnamon.

This product does not contain refined sugars but still needs to be eaten in moderation as an occasional treat.

Let me know if you love this bar as much as I do!

Homemade ice cream cones!

At the end of dinner do you ever crave a big bowl of ice cream? Here is a simple way to make homemade banana ice cream (which just happens to be my favorite flavor since I was little).

Cut bananas in half and flash freeze on a cookie sheet. Once frozen place in a large zip lock bag for storage. Freezing them first on a cookie sheet prevents them from sticking together in a bag.

 



Remove desired number of bananas and place in a food processor- blend until smooth (feel free to add a little water or almond milk if needed), then pour "soft serve" banana ice cream into a freezable container and refreeze.

 

You can enjoy soft serve ice cream at this point too! Mix agave nectar and cocoa powder together for a simple chocolate syrup topping.

 



Once the banana mix is refrozen scoop with an ice cream scoop and enjoy! 

(Add chopped walnuts or cacoa nibs in place of sprinkles)

 

Copenhagen- Denmark

Do you ever have those moments that you pinch yourself to see if its real? That's what happened to  me this summer when I got a phone call from my husband asking me if I wanted to go to Denmark. His company was sending him abroad for a meeting so I got to tag along for a long weekend.

The only things I knew about Denmark before I left were:

• They are the happiest country in the world.
• They are the most organic country
• They have very low obesity rates

It was almost like Denmark was made for me! I was so excited to absorb their culture and see how everyday people live and eat a healthy life.

The food in Denmark was amazing!!! Each morning I usually had Greek yogurt with a Rhubarb compote and muesli. Fruit was rare but I had to share a photo of the big breakfast we got on the last day, it was amazing.

The cost of food in Denmark is extremely extremely high. From a health perspective this makes me realize that the population makes an investment in their food choices. Where in America we tend to gravitate towards cheap meals and low cost purchases. Its noted that Europeans actually spend 25% of their incomes on food, that's a lot! So the take away here is to make the investment in our food choices!

The people of Denmark ride bikes EVERYWHERE!!! Copenhagen had separate bike lanes and even separate bike traffic lights. They also have walking trails all over the place. Jason and I must have walked 10+ miles a day taking in all the sites, it was exhausting but that is a way of life here. So my take away is find tiny ways to live a more active life- take the stairs, park farther away, take a walk during a conference call etc.

Processed food in Denmark was extremely hard to come by. Even the 7-11 sold fresh croissants and danishes which is a favorite here for breakfast along with a coffee. Unlike here in the US where we eat a big breakfast of pancakes or bacon and eggs. Take away here is to lighten up  our breakfast and eat until your 80% full.

And the last big difference I noticed is that lunch was the big meal of the day and they ate slowly. This was such a new experience for my husband and I. We know we should eat slow but being in a culture that practices this, is truly life changing. So slow down you meal- use chopsticks or hold the fork in your opposite hand, and make lunch your biggest meal of the day.

Overall we had an amazing trip and the best recipe trick we learned was with Edamame. In Denmark they serve it with fresh lemon squeezed over top, instead of soy sauce. We were hesitant at first but were obsessed, its so refreshing and easy! We have made it twice already.

Dirty Apples

When you see the photo above what is your first thought? For me its a delicious sweet apple!

I had an eye opening conversation with a local farmer today that I wanted to share. The farmer was apologizing to his CSA customers for the dirty apples. I asked him what he meant by dirty apples and he showed me the spots and brown/yellow coloring. He said he was in the hospital for 6 weeks and his apple trees did not get sprayed (they use many natural sprays) as much as he would have liked. The farmer was embarrassed by their appearance. My first instinct was who cares they are sweet and delicious!

The farmer said people talk and are upset. They make complaints that the apples aren't perfect (meaning appearance only). To me this is eye opening!!! People would rather have an apple sprayed with more chemicals just so it looks like this????

 

When you go to a grocery store many of the fruits and veggies contain chemical additives and preservatives so the produce ripens on the shelf. This takes away from the taste too!

 

 

Next time you go shopping or stop at a farmers market have a new perspective, just because its not "perfect" to the naked eye doesn't mean its not delicious and great for your health.

Baked Salmon and Carmelized Figs

My husband and I choose to buy all of our local meat from a farm where we know the farmers and can see how the animals are raised. When we moved, we knew we were leaving behind our beloved Springfield Farm and decided it was worth the drive if we couldn't find another place to go. We asked around and checked out Local Harvest before we found an amazing local organic farm called Rumbleway.  This place is a new favorite as we have quickly become regulars! The best part is last time I went to the farm they had Salmon- I am not a huge fish lover (yet) but decided it was something we had to try. 

For dinner we grabbed some veggies from the frig (cherry tomatoes from our CSA and asparagus), lined a tray with parchment paper, cut some fresh basil and topped with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. We rolled the parchment paper into a pouch a baked at 400 degrees for 15+ mins (time varies depending on thickness of the Salmon).

It turned out perfect and we had easy clean up too!

After dinner I laid down reading the latest copy of Whole Living Magazine and as soon as I read the new fig yogurt recipe I jumped up and ran outside. My little brother gave us a mission fig tree as a housewarming gift and I saw a few ripe ones on the tree this morning. I picked two and was back in the kitchen to make a 5 minute dessert that was heavenly.

Cut figs in half. Heat pan to medium, add a TB of honey and place figs cut side down. Wait 5 mins until they caramelize.

In the meantime pour yogurt in a bowl, top with a drizzle of honey, cinnamon and we opted for sliced almonds (you could also use pistachios or walnuts). Then add the cooked figs. That's it!! 

What are your favorite healthy meals?

Sneak peak of my new pantry!

As you all know I moved from a tiny little row home in the city where storage was hard to come by. The cartoon above depicts how tiny our little make shift "pantry" was..... actually it was a storage closet to hide the switch box. So, as a girl who loves cooking I dreamed big of and organized pantry.

In preparation for the move (ok this may have been a year before we even sold our house) I used a gift card and bought all these cool glass jars from Crate & Barrel and broke out my label maker- Best Saturday Night Ever!  Then they were shoved and stacked back into our tiny little pantry just waiting for their own space one day.

Forgive the primed cabinet (we are painting them all) but here is our cool corner cabinet we are using to house our spices and liquids.

Cabinet Must Haves-

• Natural Peanut Butter
• Braggs Liquid Aminos
• Raw Honey
• Nutritional Yeast (gives dishes a "cheesy" flavor)
• Coconut Oil
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Sea Salt

Here is a close up of our tiny little jars- I love it!

Any here is our pantry- each jar has its own space and according to my dad it looks like a "damn health food store" (that just may be the best compliment to date, or at least I am taking it as a compliment... haha!)

We have all our grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruits and flours ready to be used to create a delicious meal.

Pantry Must Haves-

• farro- perfect for any warm breakfast
• buckwheat groats- perfect for muffins or vegan overnights 
• oatmeal
• almonds
• walnuts
• raisins
• chia seeds- perfect to add to yogurt, soups, oatmeal, salads etc.
• hemp granola- perfect topping for my acai bowls
• wheatberries - one of my favorites to mix with roasted or fresh veggies
• quinoa
• chickpeas- I add these to everything
• dates- cut in half with a little sea salt and a pecan pressed inside (its like salted turtle)
• cacao- great to make impromptu hot coco or flavor a pudding or smoothie
• tuna fish
• ground flax
• steel cut oats- love these!
• lentils
• goji berries
• mulberries
• brown rice
• whole wheat flour
• cane sugar

Kitchen before and after pictures coming soon!! :) 

Grilled Vegetable Salad

After a long day of painting and yard work, I came inside hungry and with no plans for dinner. Here is an amazing salad that I quickly made, using whatever I could find in the frig. Whats perfect about this meal is you can use any produce or even top with a whole grain ( like quinoa or wheat berries) or a lean protein (chick peas, chicken, hard boiled eggs etc).

Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce (chopped)
Grilled corn (cut off the cobb)
Grilled zucchini (diced)
Grilled carrots (diced)
Sauteed avocado- this turned out great! Just a little EVOO and sea salt cooked on med heat
Feta cheese
Annie's Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Local CSA

To be honest one of the most exciting parts of moving out of the city was finally being able to join a local CSA. If you have never heard of this before, it is Community Supported Agriculture where you basically buy a share in a farm and reap the benefits of fresh local produce. Not only to you get to build a relationship directly with the farmer but its also a great way to get exposed to new fruits and veggies.

We picked up our first share last Tuesday and were BLOWN AWAY! Look at what we got:

"we opted for a full share since we eat so many fruit and veggies but you can also get a 1/2 share"

Raspberries, bell peppers, eggplant, beets, zucchini, squash, jalapenos, corn, peaches, nectarines, tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh eggs (the eggs were an additional part of the program).

We pick up a basket like shown above from Wilson's Farm each week for 16 weeks (that takes us into October) and receive fresh local eggs every other week.  One of the really cool things about this specific CSA is they have a "trade table", so if you don't like beets for example you can trade it in for more corn or vice versa.

Here are a few breakfast meals I have enjoyed this past week:

 Fresh green juice, nectarine and raspberries

Sliced nectarine and zucchini and squash egg scramble

Check out Local Harvest for a CSA near you!

Green Smoothie

When IIN posted a link of summer smoothies I couldn't wait to try some! First on my list was Beauty That Moves-Green Smoothie.

If you are looking for a refreshing drink or something a little sweeter this smoothie is perfect! (Its great for kids too! They will never taste the Kale)

Plus the added hemp seeds are a great way to increase protein and did you know hemp seeds contain all 10 essential amino acids?

(Sorry for my walls, the backsplash is coming today!)

Recipe (serves 1)

3 kale leaves (destemmed and washed)

1 cup of frozen fruit (I used pineapple, mango and strawberries)

1 frozen banana

1 TB hemp seeds

1 1/4 cup of almond milk

1/2 cup of H2O

1/2 tsp honey or maple syrup to taste

If you haven't tried drinking from a glass straw, you must! Also these glass jars I picked up from Michael's for $1 are perfect for any smoothie or layered salad you pack for lunch.

How to freeze avocados!

This is genius!!!!!!! EatingRichly.com gives step by step instructions on how to freeze avocados. This is a perfect quick trick to save those avocados before they turn brown. 

Our pets are family!

Our two dogs (Bella- 5lb yorkie & Somer- 70lb chocolate lab) are part of our family, so we make sure they live the same nontoxic lifestyle as we do. They enjoy premium organic pet food Orijen that contains fresh regional ingredients and live a healthy active lifestyle.

That being said a friend of mine recently moved Southlake, Texas and opened an Organic Pet Spa. (I am so proud of her but definitely wish she still lived in MD still so we could take advantage of her services).

Southlake Crossing Pet Spa uses all natural and organic products with zero chemicals or preservatives. I think this is fantastic! Many times we are careful with the products we put on/in our bodies but forget about some of the "family" members that fill our hearts each and every day.

If you live in Texas or know someone who does make sure to check out this Pet Spa for all your furry friends.

Farro Porridge

I have a love affair with farro. This tiny grain came into my life and has stolen the #1 spot over steel cut oats, oatmeal, and rice pudding. Farro is a nutrient dense alternative to wheat and is low in gluten. It also has more protein than most traditional grains which helps keep you statisifed longer.

Farro can be used many ways- as porridge, in soups as a side dish, risotto, farro pasta and more. 

This quick farro porridge with berries is a new favorite in our household.

 (Sorry about the poor photos, I just snapped them quick with my camera phone)

Ingredients

1 cup cracked farro

(If you can't find cracked farro, feel free to also buy whole farro and place in a food processor for about 5 minutes or until powdery with some chunky pieces)
3 cups water
a few pinches salt

Add-in:2+ Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup milk or creamer (for pouring over top as desired)
1 cup sliced farmer's market organic berries
1/2 cup crushed raw walnuts
other: additional berried, dried fruits, spices like cinnamon, vanilla..

 Directions

1. Add farro to dry soup pot - over high heat. Allow grains to toast in dry pan for about a minute. Tossing around a bit.
2. Add in water and salt.
3. bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. If you simmer covered with a lid be sure to monitor closely - as farro can bubble quite rapidly - spilling over the pot. NOTE: this method is for cracked farro. Whole grain farro will take longer to cook.
4. When farro has reached a cooked consistency, add ingredients like maple syrup and spices.
5. Serve in a bowl with milk or creamer poured over top - I like a nice amount to loosen the cooked farro.
6. Add berries and walnuts - and anything else. Serve!

This was the final product and it was delicious. I added in maple syrup, crushed walnuts, fresh organic blueberries and a splash of almond milk.

Source: kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

Japanese inspired "hot dogs" & wasabi fries

I am a huge fan of Japanese food, all I need are some cucumber (Maki) rolls, a seaweed salad and some edamame and I am good to go. When I recently read the new issue of VegNews they had a recipe called "Negimiso Veggie Dog & Wasabi Oven Fries" that made my mouth water.

It looks like a strange combination but trust me it was delicious and simple to make.

Veggie Dog
Serves 4
Miso Sauce

• 1/4 cup of hot water
• 2 TB white or yellow miso
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp arrowroot powder

Hot dogs

• 1 tsp vegetable oil (I used EVOO)
• 2 cups of thinly shredded green cabbage (I am not usually a fan but it made the dish)
• 2 long hoagie rolls (use a hearty bun than a hot dog bun)
• 4 large veggie dogs (I used FieldRoast- see comments below)
• 2 scallions (optional)

Directions

1. For the miso sauce, whisk together all ingredients until smooth over medium-low heat, and stir constantly for 3-5 mins until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and cover.
2. For the cabbage, heat oil in a pan and stir fry cabbage until crisp, about 2 mins. Transfer to a bowl and set aside
3. Cook hot dog according to package directions

Wasabi Oven Fries
Serves 4

• 4 cuts of russet potatoes, scrubbed, and sliced 1/2" thick
• 2 TB peanut oil or veg oil
• 1 TB wasabi powder
• 2 TB aonori seaweed flakes (you can also used dulse)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp rice vinegar (I used mirin)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss potato slices with oil and spread in a single layer on the pan. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip fries. Roast for another 4-8 mins until crisp.
2. In a small bowl combine seaweed, wasabi, sugar and salt.
3. Remove fries from the oven and sprinkle with the rice vinegar and toss. Then sprinkle the wasabi mixture above and toss again. Serve immediately.

** I tend to shy away from all "fake" meat and enjoy hearty whole foods instead. When I saw this tasty recipe I decided to go on the hunt for a real substitute and ended up trying Field Roast- frankfurters original (they have many varieties). I am so happy with my choice, they even smelled like hot dogs and were a perfect addition to the recipe above.

Here is a blurb from the company- At Field Roast we believe “real” is better than fake. That’s why our old world-style vegetarian frankfurters are made using the simple tenets of good cooking, real ingredients and uncomplicated techniques. Fresh garlic, fresh onions and our own traditional blend of spices make the difference.

.....I think I may be making this recipe again tomorrow :)

Its official.......

we're moving!!

This has been a long time coming, for those of you who don't know my story, my husband and I put our house on the market in Sept 2009..... ummm now its now May 2012!?! For years we endured living as "tenants" in our own home.. No toaster, no family photos, cleared counter tops, no coffee maker (although I don't drink coffee so no loss for me) and hours I mean hours sitting in the car with the dogs while our house showed. To put it in perspective from this past August we had over 500 showings, sometimes 9am on Saturday - 5pm, in which we couldn't shop or go out and have fun to kill time because we had two dogs. Lets just say I wouldn't wish any of this on anyone! But enough of the past memories because our house sold and we move out in 23 days..... YIKES!!!

So that's why I have been MIA lately. Lots to do especially since we found another home that is perfect for our little family and we will move into at the end of the month. Bear with me while we make this life transition.

In the meantime I will be spending hours on pinterest and lots of daydreaming (huge vegetable gardens that I will plant, waking up to sunshine in the county, building a personal shelf made for my dehydrator, waking up to fresh juice (since we won't have to worry about rushing around to clean for another potential buyer to come through) and cooking incredible healthy meals in our new kitchen). Our new place already feels like home!

Be honest with yourself

(Photo taken from Pinterest, source unknown)

Lots of things have been going on in our household . I am sure you noticed something was up with the lack of blog posts lately.  I promise everything will be back to normal soon and I hope to have some wonderful news to share :)

Stay healthy! Also if you have any questions that you would like answers to, remember you can always email me at gethealthy@healthy-addicton.com or leave a comment post below.

Chai Tea

Lately, I have been loving the sweet and spicy taste of chai tea lattes! Since this little cup is filled with sugar is definitely an occasional treat. That being said I was on a mission to find an option that I could make at home and contained less sugar.

While in whole foods I found Oregon Chai, they have a few options but the slightly sweet was perfect for me. Mix 1/2 cup of chai with 1/2 cup of almond milk and you have the best morning/bedtime sweet treat!