Happy Leap Day & a word about BPA

Hello!  It's snowing here in Connecticut - after being close to 50 degrees yesterday.  I'm longing for the warmer weather!

I recently read a book that I borrowed from the library by my fave Jillian Michaels called Master Your Metabolism.  I highly recommend reading it!

It was a quick read and offered loads and loads of practical advice.  One of which is to rid your diet of chemicals, sugars and other toxins.  We've all heard about unsafe plastics and chemicals such as BPA and how we need to avoid these as much as possible.

Luckily, there are companies and products out there that have hopped on this bandwagon of being BPA free and they are becoming widely available.  I recently ordered from a company called Lock&Lock because I purchased an online promotion from Plum District.  I actually work for Plum District as a District Consultant.  If you haven't heard of Plum District - let me tell you. It.is.Awesome.

Okay - short schpeel :)  Plum District is an online daily deal site whose goal is to "Make Mom's Day" by offering great discounts on restaurants, beauty, clothing, accessories and products both locally and nationally.  Check them out and sign up for your area today.  Trust me, you won't be sorry you did - I promise!  I'm not just saying that because I work for them.  I'm not just an employee, but I'm also a customer :)

So, anyways - back to my Lock&Lock order that arrived today! Check it out!

Here's my order containing: one spatula, one pretty green water bottle and 17 pieces of food storage containers and lids from their Simple & Easy line.

I am seriously blown away at the look, quality and how pretty they actually are!  I love the orange color and it's got this pretty leaf design on the lids, too!

They're easy to clean, use and store.  And, the best part is, they are BPA free and offer a high level of food safety to keep food both fresh and safe.

I cannot wait to use them and get rid of my old containers!  I certainly can't wait to use my new, super pretty green water bottle with leaves on it.

Lock&Lock also has some really awesome home, bath and kitchen products too.  I plan to spend more time on their web site and order a few more things soon!  I really want this EcoMug! (Ahem, hubby if you're reading this) :)

So, here's a few things for you to consider adding to your to-do list:

1.  Get rid of all your BPA products.  If you're not sure use the "when in doubt, throw it out" motto I've come to know and love.  Then, check your local store for some new ones or just check out Lock&Lock.
2.  Next time you're at the library or are browsing on your iPad, nook or kindle - check out Jillian's book.
3.  Sign up for Plum District.

Have a great Leap Day!
~Carly

Pinterest Picks - 2/24/12

Happy Friday!

In lieu of me FINALLY losing 5 pounds (can I get a wooohooo?!?), I wanted to address the importance of non-scale victories.  I was getting quite frustrated with the lack of weight loss despite my efforts to eat well, exercise and do all the "right" things to get that scale to budge!

All kidding aside, these non-scale indicators are indeed huge successes and often are what are seen and felt long before the weight loss shows up on the scale.

So, without further adieu, here's this week's Pinterest Picks:

Once they are all listed out like that, seems like it's kinda worth celebrating a little, huh?  

Before I even saw the 5 pound weight loss, my pants were incredibly looser as were my wedding rings.  I totally had more energy and I feel great!  

So, someone tell me why, oh why, do we put so much darn emphasis on weight as opposed to health?  Muscle weighs more than fat anyways - we all know that!  

I say step away from the scale for a week or two and focus on these non-scale indicators and let me know how it goes!

New Favorite Bread

Hello!  I hope you're having a great week so far - and it's a short one if you had Monday off.  Or it's a long week if the kids are home from school (heh-heh).

Either way, I've got a new favorite food.  And it's a carbohydrate.  And...it's bread! One of my all-time favorite things in this world :)

I had seen it before when grocery shopping and someone has recommended I had tried it awhile back. Like with most things, I quickly forget since I'm easily distracted by the kids - so most of my "conversation information retention" is somewhat low these days.

However, I happily remembered the other day while I was doing the grocery shopping - and boy, am I glad I did!  It's by a company called Food For Life and it's their Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread:

Image from Food For Life web site

 

Here's the product description straight from their web site:

Made from freshly sprouted organically grown grains, naturally flavorful and bursting with nutrients. Rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and natural fiber with no added fat.

100% FLOURLESS • COMPLETE PROTEIN • WHOLE GRAIN BREAD GLYCEMIC INDEX: 36 Ezekiel 4:9® Sprouted Grain Bread is inspired by the Holy Scripture verse: "Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it..."Ez 4:9 We discovered when these six grains and legumes are sprouted and combined, an amazing thing happens. A complete protein is created that closely parallels the protein found in milk and eggs. In fact, the protein quality is so high, that it is 84.3% as efficient as the highest recognized source of protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids. There are 18 amino acids present in this unique bread - from all vegetable sources - naturally balanced in nature. Ezekiel 4:9® Bread is made from freshly sprouted organically grown grains, is naturally flavorful and bursting with nutrients. Rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and natural fiber with no added fat. 

INGREDIENTS: Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Millet, Organic Sprouted Whole Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Lentils, Organic Sprouted Whole Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Whole Spelt, Fresh Yeast, Sea Salt. 

And I must admit - they are correct in the taste is quite flavorful.  Even though it comes frozen, it tastes wonderfully fresh and is delicious toasted as well.  

The best part is that it is SO healthy and good for you with proteins, real "whole grains", amino acids and it's flourless which is great for those looking for long-burning carbs and low on the glycemic index. 

And, you'll notice you can pronounce everything in the ingredient list - no preservatives or weird chemical sounding names.  This is crucial and important on eating clean or clean diets - which I plan to post more on soon!

So, check out their web site and as you'll find they have a wide range of breads, muffins, gluten-free products and more.  

Do you already use this brand of bread?  Do you think you'll try it?

Either way, let me know!

Pinterest Picks - 2/15/12

Hope you had a nice Valentine's Day!

Today's Pinterest Pick is something I need to remind myself of - especially on days like Valentine's Day.

And Mondays.  And Saturdays.  Just kidding.

Instead I will choose better ways to "treat" myself ;)

Recipe Swap: Applebee's Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad

Dining and eating out is often seen as a luxury or a special treat these days. A splurge - if you will. And I'm not necessarily talking financially, but more calorically. (I'm making that a word)

When I was younger, nutritional information was really never considered when I ordered. Chicken fingers, endless bread baskets, fried anything, desserts - you name it and I didn't really think twice about my ordering habits. Why would I? I was young, active and care-free!

Fast forward to just the past few years and now when dining out, I attempt to make more sensible choices. Grilled chicken, fish or lean meats. Baked potato or sweet potato over the choice of fries. Or, if I really feel like being "good", I order salad.

Salad is a safe choice, right? Vegetables. Maybe a few croutons or something crunchy in there that somewhat resembles a carbohydrate.

What could be so bad?

So, one of my last few trips to Applebee's I snuck a peek at their calorie information out of curiosity.

Worst. Choice. Ever.

My favorite salad - the Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad was not as healthy as I had anticipated.

Darn these handy iPhones.

My salad that is so tasty and delicious - that I actually looked forward to eating - was literally most, if not all, my daily calorie allowance. Say whaaaat?

That's right - this one salad consisting of pecan crusted chicken, atop a bed or romaine, with celery, craisins, blue cheese crumbles (which I always had them leave off) and candied pecans with a delicious honey balsamic vinaigrette packs a whopping 1350 calories and 80 grams of fat (17g saturated fat) and 2610 mg of sodium.

Yikes.

So, what's a dieting girl to do?

A-ha.  Make it myself!

So, off to the grocery store I went and compiled the ingredients myself.

Hearts of romaine.  Check!
Celery. Check!
Craisins. Check!
Grilled chicken. Check!
Delicious dressing from Applebee's that I have no clue how to make or what brand it is. Hmmm.

Problem.  That was, until now.

Enter Ken's Chef's Reserve Honey Balsamic dressing.  CHECK!

Did you hear that?  Or was that just Hallelujah music playing only in my head :)

I think if I thought ahead a bit more and got some candied pecans to make it even more similar to the fat-laden pecan crusted chicken, it might have made the salad a bit crunchier.  However, even without that ingredient, this salad is fresh, sweet and filling and most importantly, way less than even half of the calories and fat of the Applebee's version.

Applebee's version: 1350 calories

My version: 300 calories give or take (depending on how much dressing, chicken and craisins you add)

So, what's the lesson here?

Any salad prepared at home is likely a safe choice. One that is ordered at a chain restaurant - not so much.

Do you have a favorite salad at a restaurant?  Would love to hear about it or any favorite salads you have!

Note: I do not have anything against Applebee's.  You may find all of their nutritional information here. They really do have some healthy options to choose from - I just happened to not be choosing those options!

Pinterest Picks - 2/3/12

Happy Friday!

In lieu of the Super Bowl this weekend, I figured I'd make some snack type munchies for the weekend and treat ourselves a bit.

But I'm trying to keep it on the healthy side - veggies and dip, healthier bean/chili dip with whole grain chips, etc.  Going to stay away from the heavy, fried goodies I soooo love - so I digress.

But, if you haven't seen some of the statistics for what the average person consumes in calories at a typical Super Bowl party - it's scary! It can range in the 4,000's!!!

Check out this link with some calorie information from an article from USA today from 2011.

Eeek!

So, here's the Pinterest Pick for today to keep you and me on track as we come upon this weekend:

Celebrity Weight Loss

When I had time to watch TV on a somewhat regular basis, I used to love watching E! Television, Extra, or Access Hollywood to keep up with the celeb gossip.  It was useless crap mindless TV to watch as I relaxed at home from work or had on in the background, etc.

Don't get me wrong - I still like those shows, but now my "obsession" is with celebrities who have lost weight after baby - naturally. 

Yeah, you saw that coming a mile away.  Oh great, I'm predictable already :)

So, I always love reading about the latest - and in case you are in my same boat, here's today's finds on the 'ole celebrity weight loss topic.

A video with Jessica Alba on her "secrets" to slimming down and her new company she created. 

An article on Tiffany Amber Thiessen (Valerie from the original 90210) lost 45 pounds with celeb trainer Kathy Kahler by using a "cook once, eat all week" style of diet.  

If I stumble upon anything else, I'll of course share :)  Same goes for you - if you find anything, let me know!