#StyleMeJuly Instagram Challenge: Keeping Cool Trick

Ok.  Here goes.  Day 3 of the challenge.  Day 1 for me. 

My keeping cool trick

Instagram awesomeness by Micah B. Rubin

Healthy Tip: If you're like me in the kitchen, the occasional stove burn happens from time to time.  (Whoops!)  Lemon is a cooling agent and lemon water, if applied on the area of the burn reduces the burning sensation on the skin.   It's also a nice boost of refreshing Vitamin C on a hot day.

Fashionista Wannabe: It's hot as Hades out there.  Shorts are a must...but, I get cold on the subway, hence the sweater.  BF brought home the shirt as a gift the other day and I teamed it up with the cute owl necklace my favorite 6yr old picked out for me last week.  A sweet $1.99 score! 

In summer cool health,

Joanie

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311

Healthy Fashionista Challenge

I'm a health coach.  I eat and work out really well.  I'm a dancer.  I can touch my toes and bust a move in heels.  I work with kids.  I can create fun games at the drop of a hat and run circles around the fastest 3 yr old in the room.  I'm a fitness instructor.  I can rock my hot pink Nikes as I jump rope and do crunches into oblivion.

What I'm not, is a fashionista.  My boyfriend, who used to work in fashion magazines is constantly offering gentle suggestions on how I might alter my outfits before leaving the house.  Ok, it's not usually gentle.  It's usually delivered in the form of, "Uhhhh...are you really wearing that!"

Since we've gotten back from our 7 1/2 months of travel (You missed our travel blog?  Where have you been? http://bucketbath.travellerspoint.com/ ) and wearing the same 3 outfits for that amount of time (don't worry EVERYTHING was given away before we even boarded the plane home from India) I find myself longing for an amazing New Yorker wardrobe.  Unfortunately, 90% of my clothing is STILL in storage and I've been forced to get creative while I run around the city as my fabulous, health coaching, dancing, kid wrangling, fitness instructing self. 

This has all lead me to become obsessed with the fashion advice of fellow Brooklyn-ite, Hilary Rushford and her blog, Bow Ties & Bettys.  I'm waiting for the day I can afford (or be given the awesome gift...anyone?) to have her over to do a wardrobe edit.  Until then, I'm taking her July Instagram photo challenge.  I'm hoping it brings out the fashionista that is hidden under all the workout clothes and sweat every day.

As and added challenge, I'm going to try to accessorize it with some healthy advice, work-out move or recipe.  

Wish me luck!  Better yet, join in and take the challenge with me!  Check it out here:

Was this your weekend?

Was this your weekend? 

It's already midday and you spent a few too many hours lounging around, noshing on bagels and catching up on Facebook.  You're officially late to your friend's afternoon BBQ.  You know, the you've been looking forward to all week?  Where did your lazy morning go?!  To make the panic worse, you realize you forgot to prepare anything to bring.

Pack that 6-pack of Trader Joe's Lager from the fridge and whip up this delicious (and easy) chickpea, tomato and cucumber salad.  I don't know how long it's going to take you to shower, but I've done my part.  You're out the door in 10 min flat.  

FYI:  I'm Betty Crocker's nightmare.  I don't measure ANYTHING and NEVER have all the ingredients.  Don't stress!  Use what you have, TASTE TEST it first and go.  It's a BBQ.  It's more important to have a fun, relaxing day with your friends. 

Chickpea, Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 medium coarsely chopped tomatoes 
• 1-15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 large cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced
• 1 cup snipped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped 
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp coarse kosher salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or a few shakes of garlic powder)
• 1/8 tsp maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a very large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix like crazy.  
2. Cover and chill while you finish getting ready! 

What's your go-to BBQ recipe?  Please share!



Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutriton.net

814-442-5311

New Yorkers Fight against General Junk and his army of Sugar Soldiers

Last Friday, I held a workshop at PS261 in Brooklyn leading the 1st graders into battle against General Junk and his evil army of Sugar Soldiers.  (Yes, my job IS awesome!)  We learned all about the detrimental effects of sugar on our bodies and how much healthier, stronger and more energetic we are without it.  After 45 min, they were able to tell me that they wanted to drink more water, less soda and wanted their bodies to be healthy and strong.  Ok, so there may have been a little bit of prompting on my part, but they are 7 and able to grasp the basic fundamentals of healthy nutrition. 

My question is, why can't adults do the same?  There has a lot of controversy in the media over Bloomberg's proposed sugar war this week in NYC.  (Read about it here.)  Intelligent adults are in an uproar that he is trying to ban sugary drinks over 16oz.  Do you realize how much sugar is in a 16oz Coke?  7 teaspoons.  Just in case you can't put that into perspective, I measured out 7 tsp for you in the glass above.  The new AHA guidelines recommend a daily maximum of 5 tsp for women, 9 tsp for men, and 3tsp for children.  Maybe the new sugary drink ban should be lowered to 8oz instead of 16. 

Bloomberg is asking New Yorkers to take into consideration the amount of sugar we are putting into our bodies...something we have trouble comprehending on our own.  He also banned smoking in NYC restaurants and put calorie counts on our menus.  Are you going to tell me those were bad ideas?  

When did you last think to yourself upon ordering a "biggie" sized anything, "Oh my!  That's a lot of sugar!"  You didn't.  You won't.  And the ban isn't proposing a limit on how many 16oz sugar loaded drinks you can order.  Most places will probably still give you as many refills as your chemically overloaded body desires.  It just means you have to get up from the table and exercise while walking to the refill station.  Guess what?  When you order a water, they hand you an 8oz cup.  You don't get the option to upgrade.  Ironically the healthier water drinkers take MANY walks back and forth to the refill station while watching all the sugar guzzlers happily gulp away in their zombie-like state.

I'm ranting now.

When a 7yr old can make healthier choices after 45 minutes of battling General Junk's Sugar Soldiers than an adult can make after YEARS of being educated, it tells me we can no longer use the excuse we don't know any better.  The media warns us everyday about the effects of sugar, fat, high calories, etc.  Granted, they are enticing us with high fructose corn syrup dripping from an over sized bacon burger during the commercial break, but it doesn't give us the right to play the victim.  Our society just doesn't want someone else telling us our lifestyle choices are wrong.  

You can be angry and spout sugar comma induced comments, but I'm fighting for your well-being! Instead of complaining against Bloomberg's new ban because it's an "infringement" of human rights, remember that you can still drink as many 16oz bottles of sugary soda as you please.  There's no harm in bringing an awareness to the public. 

Now stop being angry and go drink a glass of water!  

Healthy hugs,

Joanie

Joanie Johnson, CHC

www.motivatednutrition.net

joanie@motivatednutrition.net

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Cheese and Apple Omelet ='s why didn't I think of this before?

I'm dog sitting for the weekend and have access to the most tripped out, organic, vegetarian kitchen EVER!  We're talking not a single name brand package in sight.  Mason jars filled to the brim with grains, beans, spices, and teas for as far as the eye can see.  There's a garden in the back with more greens than even I can consume in a year, including edible flowers.  I haven't even gotten to the best part-an entire library of vegetarian cookbooks!  

(Cue cherub singing "Awwwww" soundtrack please)

I didn't even care that the dogs woke me up at 4:45am to be let outside.  I started browsing cookbooks and dreaming of breakfast while I waited for their perky arrival.   The result?  Cream cheese and apple omelets with a side of apple topped garden greens. I know. I know. You are thinking, "Really Joanie? Who has time for that?"  It took me 15 min.  If your knife skills are better than mine, you can probably knock an additional 4 min off that.  I took my first bite and said to the dogs, "Why didn't I think of this before?"

I've included all the directions, assuming you've never made an omelet before.  This isn't an insult to your intelligence, I happen to make really terrible, burnt omelets and found the cookbook instructions helpful.  I had a few "Ah ha!" moments along the way.  

Cheese and Apple Omelet

adapted from

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

• 4-5 eggs (makes 2)
• 2 Tbsp milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp cream cheese, sliced in strips or pulled
• Leafy greens
• 3/4 of small apple, cored and chopped
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Honey or agave nectar, to drizzle

- Combine apple, cinnamon together, top with a small drizzle of honey or agave and set aside

- Beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together in a bowl

- Put a med sized skillet over med-high heat and wait 1 min

- Melt butter, swirl until it foams, then pour in egg mixture

- Cook undisturbed for 30 secs, then use rubber spatula to push edges toward center.  As you do this, tip the pan to allow the uncooked eggs in the center to reach the perimeter

- Continue the process until the omelet is mostly cooked but a little runny in the center

- Add apple mixture and strips of cream cheese

- Hold pan at 45-degree angle so omelet begins to slide, fold in half

- Cook for about 1 min on each side

- Serve with a side of delicious greens topped with a few leftover apple pieces, drizzled olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste

Nerd alert photoshoot in the garden.  

Enjoy!

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311

The symptoms?  Disgusting nose dripping, excessive impolite sniffling, post-nasal drip induced coughing, headaches and all around miserableness.  Gross, right?!

The culprit?  Seasonal allergies.

Ugh.  Need I say more?

While the good ol' American way of treatment involves an armory of over the counter anti-hystimines on a regimented schedule of swallow pills, get drowsy, block symptoms, repeat, I encourage you to find a more natural way of coping.

Hypocrites, the father of modern medicine, wisely stated, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."  He figured it all out two and a half thousand years ago- we should listen.  


Here are a few quick tips to help fight those annoying allergies.


Vamp it up!  
Not the blue eyeshadow kind of vamping.  I'm talking vampires!  Onions and garlic are nature's natural anti-hystimine.  They are packed full of quercetin which helps alleviate symptoms of pollinosis.  Say what?!  In other words, quercetin's help put a stop to the gross nose stuff that pollen in the air causes.

Eat your greens
No brainer.  Fresh produce, especially GREENS are full of carotenoids.   A study in Public Health Nutrition (2006; 9:4) 472-9) showed that more carotenoids ='s less allergy suffering.  Green up!

Be a C student
I'm giving you the ok to be average.  Vitamin C is an antioxidant that fights free radicals.  Allergies occur when free radicals attack your cellular membranes and antioxidants put a stop to these radical dudes before the damage occurs.  Chow down on lots of citrus fruits, kiwi, and strawberries.  And while your at it sneak in some more vitamin C rich greens like cabbage, spinach, broccoli, and kale.  I told you to eat your greens!


Fight hard and eat well,


Joanie

Joanie Johnson, CHC
Motivated Nutrition
www.motivatednutrition.net
joanie@motivatednutrition.net

Sore Thumbs

Week 4 at the Thai Massage School of Chiang Mai intensifies.  Real the full blog post on my travel site, Bucketbath, and book your discounted Thai massage today!

Be well,

Joanie