Eating Clean

Health and Nutrition are the two topics that excite and interest me more than anything else. I believe in the power of healing and altering your body for the better through healthy eating and exercise. I get all of my health and nutrition knowledge from reading articles, magazines, books, and documentaries and I try to integrate all of it into our everyday life. My dad can be thanked for my health-minded mentality and awareness and I will be eternally grateful for this amazing gift he has given me. My entire life my dad has lead through example by dedicating himself to exercise and healthy eating everyday. He told me once, that exercise is not something you choose to do or not to do, it's something you choose when to do. Exercise should be viewed like brushing your teeth, not like an event you might get to if you have time. No one would go a week without brushing their teeth, so why do people go months without doing anything to exercise their heart. I understand this mentality might seem extreme to some, it took Stuart a while to understand how important it is and why I was so gung-ho, but if health and nutrition were taught in this way to children from birth, there would be no obesity epidemic in this country.

Although my passion for the subject of health and nutrition seems strong, it does not mean that I am perfect. I LOVE dessert, ice cream, pizza and lots of things that are deemed bad for you, but these are very special treats in my eyes and not something anyone should have every week or even every month. I think everything is about balance and I strive for that daily. I think that I could have an entire blog just about health, nutrition, and exercise but for now I will just weave in a few posts about little things I am doing to constantly improve my health and well being. And...since I have the joy of being married to my best friend, I get to rub off on him a little so we build an extremely healthy lifestyle together.

Tonight I tried a new recipe for a Veggie Lasagna with no noodles! It is made with eggplant, zucchini, fat free ricotta, egg whites, marinara (with NO salt or sugar added-you can find at a local natural foods store), and low fat Mozzarella. I was inspired by this recipe on Dr. Oz's website (Dr. Oz is my hero) but I made my own tweaks such as egg white instead of egg, no Parmesan (it has enough cheese), and added tons of herbs and spices (basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, pepper, minced garlic)- who says super healthy doesn't have super bold flavor. Two things that I ALWAYS eliminate or drastically reduce in any recipe is 1. SALT 2. SUGAR. We get enough of these two ingredients throughout the day eating normal things and they are the leading cause of diabetes and heart disease.

Here are some pictures of the process and finished product. Stuart and I had a square of it tonight and it will be perfect for our lunch and dinner tomorrow. I got 2 thumbs up from my man...so that is good! Stuart and I tend to only eat meat on the weekends and mainly get our protein and vitamins through tons of greens, veggies, whole grains (oatmeal & quinoa), fruit, lentils, beans, and eggs during the week. It really makes us feel great and I believe it is so much better for your heart and the earth. This is a great recipe that gets the weekday seal of approval!