Delicious Find

Recently I was introduced to this delicious and healthy salad dressing and I knew I had to blog about it. Basically my sister's friend told her, she told me, and now I am telling you. This stuff is delicious and even better, healthy! Galeos' dressings are all natural, Gluten Free (if you're into that), and made with organic ingredients. It's creamy texture comes from miso and I love that instead of sugar this dressing uses pure honey to add sweetness.

If you want to give these dressings a try, check out your local health food store. Luckily, it has also started to arrive in more popular supermarkets, like Vons (Woohoo). I love, love, love the Miso Toasted Sesame Seed Dressing and Marinade. For 1 Tbsp you are looking at 2g Fat (remember the ingredients make this good fat), 22 calories, 35mg sodium, and 0.5g sugar.

I'm yet to try it as a marinade, but I'm sure it would be delish! Hope you enjoy!

**I almost forgot the ringing endorsement! The week after my sister had told me about this dressing, I was watching "The Biggest Loser." Contestants went to trainer Bob's house and what was sitting right there in his refrigerator? Two Galeos dressings, the Toasted Sesame and the Caeser. If that's not enough, Jillian Michael's recommends this Galeos Miso dressings on her website. If it's good enough for these two, it's good enough for me :)

It's Go Time

Six weeks have passed. I got the OK from the doc so now all there is to do is to lose this lovely baby weight. Okay, so it's not lovely at all. I feel like it's this flab that isn't even mine, but has come from some foreign place or something. I can't be too mad about it though, it did help keep the little guy healthy, safe and happy :)

But now that I have the green light, I can't wait to get started losing said flab. As of yesterday (the last time I weighed myself), I have 12 pounds to lose to be back to where I was when I got pregnant. I could stand to lose a little more than that, but for now, I'll just focus on getting back into pre-Landon shape. One goal at a time, right?

Here's the reality check.. I need to lose weight and get back into shape, and I need to do it all with a newborn to take care of. There is always something in life that makes working out seem impossible whether it be a job, kids, etc. etc. But I'm not going to use Landon as an excuse. I can be a good mother and still fit in working out. To be honest, I'll probably be a better mother because nothing keeps me more positive mentally than working out. I'll try and do whatever work-outs I can with Landon, and when I can slip away and go to the gym or go for a run, I will (Fortunately, I have an awesome husband who is all for taking over baby duties when he is able). Today, Nate's gone all day for work and it's raining outside so I did a yoga video. I just have to do what I can, when I can :)

I'm hoping to be better at updating this blog now that I am back. I'll probably use this to update my progress, express frustrations, and, as always, share any tips I pick up along the way. Stay tuned for more!

My Snacking Must-Haves

There are a few items that can always be found in my kitchen. Because I'm someone who usually has at least one snack a day, I like to be prepared by having snacks that help me feel good and healthy (no one likes an afternoon guilt trip). The 6 items below are kind of my go-to snacks. I always have them on hand and they help give me energy to make it to my next meal. Also, I added a bonus summer item (for a little hot weather indulgence).

Without further ado, here are my snacking must-haves:
1) Almonds - These always help suppress my mid-afternoon hunger and are a deliciously nutritious item that can easily be kept in an office desk.

2) Light and Fit Yogurt - Love, love, love this yogurt. Vanilla, especially, is delicious enough to feel like you are sneaking sweets. Luckily, these yogurts are only 80 calories. If you are wondering, after vanilla my favorite is peach :)

3) Soy beans - I ALWAYS have soy beans in the freezer waiting to be cooked up and eaten. I love to buy the box of Peggy's Premium Edamame at Costco. Three minutes in the microwave and they are ready to go. Such a great source of protein and for those pregos out there looking for natural sources of folic acid, your search is over.

4) String Cheese - Again, this is an item I get at Costco. What else can I say other than it is low cal, delicious, cheap, and easy. I can honestly say I had one string cheese every day I taught last semester.

5) Reduced Fat Wheat Thins - I'm not a huge advocate of "diet food," but these delicious crackers are a different story. Sixteen crackers for 130 calories is totally worth it in my book. And sometimes you want some carbs.. When that happens I grab for these. They can easily be paired with string cheese or our next snack...

6) Hummus - Sooo delicious. Naturally low in fat, this is another protein-rich snack. Usually I make my own, but if you have to buy hummus just be sure to check labels.


Alright, as promised.. your summertime treat:
Skinny Cow Truffle Bars - These things are delicious! I was sure that there must be something secretly wrong with these bars, but after seeing them talked about on the Today show, I have put my worries to rest. They are 100 calories and perfect for a little summertime indulgence. Chocolate or caramel are our favorites.

These are my snacking must-haves and while I do have others, these stay most consistently in my fridge or cabinet. Anybody have any snacks they want to share?

Happy Snacking!!

Looking Forward

As I'm getting closer and closer to the end of this pregnancy, I've noticed this little excitement growing. Yes, I can't wait to meet our little man and to watch our family grow from 2 to 3, but the other source of excitement is the chance to get back into my active lifestyle. This nine month break has left me with a renewed desire to be fit and healthy in my life.

I've thoroughly enjoyed all of my walking throughout the pregnancy, but I'm looking forward to quickening the pace a bit. I'm already contemplating signing up for the Carlsbad Half Marathon in January '11. I love that half and like the idea of having a goal set even before Baby B makes his debut. Over-ambitious? Not really sure.

Although I have more than two months to take it easy, I can't wait for my upcoming challenge of losing this baby weight. So far I've gained around 25-28 lbs, so to get back to my "fighting weight" will definitely be my biggest weight loss challenge yet. I plan on taking it one day at a time. It's always healthiest to be realistic in goals and I would never go on some crash diet to lose the weight. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Spicy Shrimp Pasta

This pasta has become a staple in our house. The recipe is straight out of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. The edition I have is for Breast Cancer and there is a recipe section in the back called "Recipes for Life." This healthy recipe is delicious and easy. If possible, the leftovers are even better than the initial dinner. Try it out!

12 oz. fresh or frozen large shrimp
8 oz. dried whole wheat linguine (I use spaghetti)
2 Tb olive oil
1 or 2 fresh jalepeno chile pepper, finely chopped (as you can see in the pic, I didn't "finely" chop. Nate and I like it a little spicier)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
2 cups chopped tomatoes (4 medium)
shredded Parmesan (optional)

** As with all recipes, I add more garlic and more freshly ground black pepper, cause that's the way I roll

1. Thaw shrimp if frozen. Peel and devein (if needed). Rinse shrimp; pat dry. Set aside. Cook linguine according to package directions; drain. Keep warm.

2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add jalepeno pepper, garlic, salt, and black pepper; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add shrimp; cook about 3 minutes more or until shrimp turn opaque. Stir in tomatoes; heat through.

3. Toss linguine with shrimp mixture. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

To make it easy, I use frozen shrimp I get from Costco, they are deveined and peeled for you. If you want to make it real easy on yourself, use already cooked shrimp. Make sure not to burn your garlic. Oh, and if you're worried about the spiciness, don't be. It's nothing you can't handle, believe me. Hope you enjoy!

Walk On!

I realize I haven't been updating.. It's a little hard to write about my fitness when I'm continuously getting larger and it's a good thing. My main exercise throughout the pregnancy has been walking. I walk just about every day and do weights 2 or 3 times a week (just 5 pounders). I am by no means over-exerting myself; I do enough to stay healthy and keep the baby healthy. All the books say that you should exercise so that you feel invigorated when you are done, not exhausted, and I happily comply.

Recently, a celebrity Mama talked about how she watched her weight while she was pregnant. She has received a lot of flack for this, and many say what she was doing was unhealthy. My doctor and the books I have would completely disagree with such put-downs. My doctor monitors all of her pregnant patients' weight closely. The idea is that if you gain too much too fast, you are putting your baby at risk for things such as diabetes and other complications in their lifetime. The famous "Pregnancy Bible", What to Expect When you are Expecting, claims that exercising while pregnant helps you in numerous ways, such as benefiting your health, mood, sleep, back, labor and postpartum recovery. How does it help baby? Many ways, by benefiting baby's fitness, sleep, and even intelligence (yep, there is research that shows that working out during pregnancy even helps baby's brain power). So while I don't over-do exercise, I do keep it a regular part of my schedule. The way I see it, only good can come from it!

All in all, I love pregnancy. It's such a happy and exciting time. I continue to try and keep my body in it's best health (not an easy task when your craving cheesy goodness and ice cream). And while I do slip-up here and there, I always just try and continue to make healthy choices.

Here I am at 27 weeks in my walking gear (this is for you, JuJu):

A Recent Find

One of the staple meals in our household is a good ol' fashion stir-fry. Growing up, my mom always made our stir-fry using a pork tenderloin. I've always done the same, sometimes I substituted with chicken, but it always tasted best with pork. Recently, however, I've discovered a healthier (and more cost efficient) substitute. Turkey breast tenderloin:

Turkey breast is one of our leanest proteins and is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and others. The best part about it, at least according to my husband, is it tastes great! You will not lose any flavor with this substitution.

Speaking of stir-fry this is what I do. Add a little oil to your pan/wok and heat for just a second. Add your chopped meat and cook until meat is completely cooked through. Add veggies (to make it easy on yourself grab a stir-fry bag in the vegetable aisle) and saute until softened, but still have a little bite.


Pour on your favorite, healthy teriyaki sauce (watch for high sugar). Stir. If your sauce is too thin you can always add a little corn starch to thicken and better coat your meat and veggies.

Serve over brown rice. Enjoy!