A friend of mine has three daughters and a couple of them have pretty strong allergies to the typical allergens we find ourselves dealing with these days.  Gluten, dairy, eggs and nuts.  Well that sounds like a fun cupcake...   Taste-free since 93' as my hubby would say. 

Well, I was up for the challenge.  Believe me, trying to make a cupcake recipe from scratch is not easy.  Where does one start?  I'll tell you, you start with a cupcake recipe.   I always rave about Caroline Dupont, author of Enlightened Eating.  She has taught me a lot about healthy eating and how to cook/bake food using simple holistic ingredients.  This Tasty allergen-free cupcake recipe was born and then adapted from one of her recipes.  The only thing about the ones I made is that I used no name brand chocolate chips which included milk ingredients.  You can buy soy and dairy free chocolate chips, but I'll admit, I've never tried them so if you have, your feedback on them is welcome.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup dairy free cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
A dash sea salt
One large banana
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions:

Prepare mini-cupcake pan with the mini cupcake papers.
Set oven to 350F.  Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl (first four ingredients).  Use a food processor to blend banana and maple syrup until smooth.  Mix dry and wet ingredients together until the cupcake batter is formed.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the batter into each mini muffin paper.  Bake for 17 minutes, remove from oven and then let stand for 20 minutes.  This extra time will help the cupcakes finish cooking and once they cool down, will more easily peel off the papers.  Makes approximately 32 mini muffins.

Enjoy!

It's that time of year again. The beginning.  What are you doing to celebrate? 

Well, for me, and everyone else on the planet, it's a time to reflect on the crappy habits we developed by the end of the calendar year and commit to new ones that make us healthy.  "Be healthy, eat this, don't eat that, go jogging, lift weights, get outside, don't eat processed food, be strong, don't be weak, breathe deeper, bla bla bla."  Aren't you tired of hearing and reading all that?  Me too, but too bad, I'm going to be that annoying "healthy cheerleader" anyway. Why you ask? Because I've been studying this stuff for a while and it turns out, all this stuff "they" say, is good for you, is ACTUALLY good for you.  If you care about yourself, want to live a long life, and want to be able to go up the stairs without panting heavily like a dog excited on Christmas morning, you should follow what I say.

I did, as mentioned above, commit to doing something to contrast what happened over the month of December. Since I literally could not stop eating chocolate over the holidays and ate everything in sight until 11:59, December 31st, I have decided to cleanse my body and detox so I can get back to optimal health.   I welcome you to join me on this venture.

As the title of this post suggests, everything is new in the New Year.  For me this is extremely true. I just went back to my office job in Human Resources on Monday, January 7th after being off for 13 months (maternity leave) (tear).  I also just started working at the Yorkville Health Clinic as a nutrition consultant.  I'm very excited to work down town in the nutrition field so, it's kind of like starting school again in the fall, NEW, different and refreshing.

As a nutritionist, although I fall off the wagon here and there, I think it's important to practice what I preach.  Do you want to get some practice with me?

Personally, I chose to do a two week wheat free detox with NO sweets. I'm going wheat free because I know I have a sensitivity to it and I've been feeling puffy, bloated and lethargic lately which is a very obvious reminder I need to stop eating it.  In general, it's good to avoid wheat as much as possible because it's over eaten, over processed and EVERYWHERE.  Great if you want to do that, but if you are the type who can only stick to one change at a time, I recommend getting rid of sugar for a while. Consuming too much sugar creates a spiraling effect because our body then starts to crave it.  Since it's post holiday season, many of us need to cut out the sugar so we can teach our bodies to stop the cravings.  

After removing wheat and sugar for two straight weeks, I will then continue my commitment to whole foods, allowing the occasional homemade sweet treat and itty bit of wheat to "pass the goalie" as the husband would say. I will also focus on the 80/20 rule where I aim for clean eating 80% of the time and don't stress about the other 20%. This is so I can actually enjoy my life by indulging on a glass of wine and perhaps a piece of birthday cake here and there.  Remember, the stress that can come from worrying about eating badly CAN be worse for you than the actual indulge.

For two weeks:
EAT MORE VEG (as many as you can - potatoes do not count here)
Fruit
100% Whole, wheat free grains only (no white, even if wheat-free)
Healthy proteins (know where you get your meat from, eggs, fish, beans, lentils, nuts/seeds)
Good, healthy fats (from avocados, good oils, nuts and seeds)
DRINK MORE WATER
No coffee
No cow's dairy
No treats/sugar (if needing sugar, 1 - 2 tbsps of maple syrup or honey would be okay once or twice a week).

Doing this for two weeks will clean your intestines of all the built up sugar and processed shinanigans from the holiday parties. If your digestion cleans up, your liver will detoxify because it won't be constantly bombarded with more toxins from crappy food, therefore leading to smoother functioning.  This will create a domino effect helping the rest of your organs detoxify and function optimally.  

Side note: If you decide to start your New Year with a similar detox, you may notice a few withdrawal like symptoms.  Headaches, fatigue, brain fog, irritability, skin blemishes and trouble sleeping can appear since the toxins are being excreted through your body and can cause disruption.  This is why you need to be patient and get through the first three days, sometimes longer, depending on how toxic your body is.

Continued commitment:
EAT MORE VEG (As many as you can - doesn't include potatoes)
Fruit
100% Whole grains only (no white stuff, does not have to be wheat-free (unless you are allergic or intolerant),
Healthy proteins (know where you get your meat from, eggs, fish, beans, lentils, nuts/seeds)
Good, healthy fats (from avocados, good oils, nuts and seeds)
DRINK MORE WATER
Keep cow's dairy to a minimum (cheese, milk, yogurt)
Keep caffeine to a minimum
Eat treats occasionally so you don't go crazy trying to stay away from them. (Avoid processed treats from a box or bag.  Indulge in treats that are homemade using natural sugars such as fruit, dried fruit, maple syrup or honey or dark chocolate)

Now, how do you commit to this without falling off the wagon? 
Here are a few tips to sticking to the game plan.

1. What is your goal? If you don't have a goal, you need one, otherwise you are aiming for nothing which makes it easier to cheat. Signing up for a physical activity event such as a 5 or 10k helps get the ball rolling. If that doesn't float your boat, sign up for a class of something you've always wanted to try. i.e. belly dancing, fencing or the common "learn how to be a clown" class.  When you exercise, you feel better and want to eat healthier.  Another good goal could be to fit into a certain pair of jeans by a certain date. Putting a picture of your former, slimmer or more muscular self on the fridge might also kick start your new lifestyle.  

2. Pick a date to start the detox and write down that you are committing to two weeks.  When you accomplish something like this, you feel empowered to do more. 

3. Shop and chop. Pick a day of the week (Sundays for most), to spend time shopping and chopping. Chop VEG, cook the starch (brown rice, quinoa, and other grains) and proteins for your meals (chicken, bean salads). Also, leafy greens should be a staple every day.   One meal should be a big salad with as many fun VEG as you want.  To make this a reality, while you are chopping the other VEG, chop those leafy greens, put them in a bag or big tupperware container in the fridge. When it's prepped, you are more inclined to eat it.  

4. On the go snack. Put those veggies, nuts or fresh or dried fruit in some containers so you can grab them on your way out the door.  Great for snacks and they don't cause your blood sugar to plummet causing you to drop too (like processed sugary treats).

5. Water baby water. Carry a water bottle around with you so you can fill it up every time you pee. Did I really have to say that?  Yes. Yes I did.  Water is important in flushing out the crap and the extra toxins that will be floating around your body while you detox. Drink the water and then pee and poop them out!

6. Keep calm and carry on.  I love this saying.  If you screw up, don't agonize over it because the stress caused by can be worse for you (as previously mentioned).  Acknowledge the screw up and move on.  It is important to stay grounded and keep your shoulders low.  When you are stressed about anything, your shoulders can suddenly end up right beside your ears. What??  That's not right, so take deep breaths whenever you feel like your upper body is higher than your head.  My favorite is this:

Breathe in for 4 seconds.
Hold the breath in for 4 seconds.
Exhale for 6 seconds. 
Hold 2 more seconds at the end. 
Repeat for 3 - 5 minutes or until your shoulders have relaxed back to normal position. 
Then, grab and eat a carrot for good measure. 

I've laid out some options, now it's up to you to decide if you are going to commit to it. 

If you need more specific information regarding the detox, portion sizes and meal plans, please contact me anytime to book an appointment. 

I've been doing the detox since January 2nd and I had a headache for 3 days.  I know it's because of how much sugar I had over the holidays.  If you feel like you went overboard, do your body the favour by getting rid of the sugary build up in your intestines. It's not easy, it's not a quick fix, but you definitely come out of it feeling energized, motivated, more confident, healthier and ready for more challenges.  Bring on 2013, bring on your life. Don't waste anymore time and energy on what happened in 2012.  It's a New Year, why not make it a NEW Everything. Don't forget... you are in charge of the choices you make which means You decide your health. Be that annoying "healthy cheerleader, you deserve it. 

 

Thank you for visiting the YDYH website.  If you are looking for my latest blog post, it's best to check out the EAT MORE VEG movement site since much of my blogging time is spent there.

YDYH is the main business, but I really feel that what most of us lack the most of is vegetables. Vegetables are very healing to the body and increasing your intake can really reverse/improve the havoc processed food has been wreaking on our bodies all these years. 

We've all heard a million times to EAT MORE VEG from our parents or elders, but I really feel that an attitude shift towards VEG needs to occur before we "get it'.  By "getting it", I mean, focusing most meals around the VEG and not the protein and starch.  Yes, protein and complex carbs are EXTREMELY important in getting into the diet, but most of us eat too much protein (especially the meat kind) and starch (rice, potatoes, pasta).   I created this movement with that goal in mind.  I'm trying to make EATING MORE VEG cool, exciting and different and I want you to repeat "EAT MORE VEG" in your head (or out loud) until it sticks.  And by "sticks" I mean, EATING MORE VEG.

Please join the movement by subscribing to the site and feel free to send me your favorite VEG recipes. 

Talk soon.

Michelle 

As I write this post, I'm listening to the kids channel and a song about the Billy Goat's Gruff is on and since this recipe is topped with goat cheese, I thought it was appropriate. 

This was a delicious and filling breakfast and of course it's easy,which is important these days. .


Ingredients:

- One piece of your favorite whole grain bread
- 1 tbsp of hummus
- 1 mini tomato cut up into slices
- 2 tbsp of fresh cilantro cut up
- Goat cheddar cheese slices (enough to cover bread)
- Dash of cumin and sea salt (optional)

Directions:
Heat oven on the broil position.
Layer the hummus, tomato, cilantro, cheese and if desired, salt and cumin
Stick in the oven for a few minutes until cheese is slightly browned.
Enjoy

It's been a long time since I last posted something.  Well, that's because I've been busy.  And, well, maybe I used the "having a baby thing" as an excuse.... just a little. 

I've also lacked motivation and inspiration for blogging and have been annoyed with the pressure I put on  myself.  You know that knawing feeling you have when you know you "should" be doing something, but you aren't doing it?  Well, I'm sick of feeling that way - so... the point of this post is to tell you that I will post only when I have the time AND the inspiration.  Thanks to my friend Rebecca for the tip and reminder. Check out her blog - Home & Hoareticulture. 

So, here's a recap of what I've been doing and thinking about over the last few months:

December 1st, 2011, I gave birth to our daughter Aven Mae Bagelman at home at 4:00am.  What a wonderful experience!  Yes, the home birth was wonderful, but I must say, the biggest motivation for having her at home was to avoid the epidural.  The thought of that big needle turned me off way more than I could picture the pain of labour to be and I didn't want to be tempted by being in the hospital!  The labour was long and I was tired, but it was obviously so worth it in the end. The moment they put her on my chest was such an exilerating feeling.  I was so pumped with excitement that I felt as high as a kite! We ended up having to go to the hospital after because she swallowd meconium and was having a little trouble breathing.  All was well at Sunnybrook hospital so after two nights, we were able to take our sweet pea home.  I know a P.S. doesn't go here, but P.S. the midwives I had, Bianca, Kristen and Jen (back up - Sarah and Andrea) of the Community midwives of Toronto were so great and caring.

The next few weeks with little Aven were amazing, but tough!  As many of you know, the hardest thing about babies is when they are screaming their heads off and you have no idea why and feel so helpless.  Other than that, we've been enjoying our little bundle and Jesse has proven to be such a wicked dad.  I love watching him with her. 

Since the beginning, Aven has been very sensitive.  She had very bad gas and then experienced reflux after every meal.  I've had to be VERY careful about what I eat because if I eat crap - the baby eats crap, and believe me, she doesn't hesitate to remind me.  If she eats processed food ridden breast milk, she will be so off kilter.  Way more whiny than normal, way more upset and all around harder to deal with. 

For example, after I ate a lot of cow's cheese (very processed, usually containing growth hormones and antibiotics) over a weekend, Aven could not be settled.  She woke up from naps pissy, was pissy after meals, and was pissy during and after a diaper change. I decided to do a 3 day detox including as many fruit and veg as I wanted along with one meal with good meat/fish protein and whole grains for dinner.  After one day of the detox, Aven was a different person - a charm to be around and at one point lasted 45 minutes playing on her own in the exersaucer.   It is common that a baby will react to foods that make the mother gassy and since cow's dairy is a common allergen in general, it is best to stay away from it while breastfeeding.  This is why you will notice everything I've been posting lately on FB includes sheep or goat cheese because it is easier to digest than cow's dairy and doesn't cause similar reactions in people.

That's all I have to report on for now. Stay tuned.  Since I haven't been blogging lately, my brain has been buzzing with tons of ideas to write about and now that I've gotten into a better groove with the "mom" thing, I should be able to balance things a little better. No promises though.

Remember, eat more veg.

I start by apologizing to Chef Michael Smith for not knowing the exact name of this dish.  I saw him briefly do it on the "Chef at Home" show and couldn't believe how easy the concept was.  And as you know, I love all the tricks that involve eating more vegetables in easy and fun ways. This recipe is both of those things.

I made it last night with two girlfriends (also nutritionists) Christine Nicholls of Purely U Nutritional Consulting and Sarah Maughan - Empower your body with Food and we made it together and gobbled it up together... within minutes.

Ingredients:
- One head of cauliflower with the greens chopped from bottom
- 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of organic butter
- one medium sized onion chopped into tiny chunks
- two minced/chopped finely garlic cloves
- sea salt to taste (or Herbamare)

Directions:
Fill a big pot (big enough for the cauliflower head) with about one inch of water.   Stick the cauliflower directly in the pot on the water. Bring to a boil between medium/high heat, then reduce to medium and cover.  Let the cauliflower steam itself until you are happy with the softness of the vegetable.  I'm not sure of the time, but it was most likely 15 minutes.  Watch it though, as the heat you choose may be different from the one we chose and I can pretty much guarantee your stove is not the exact same one we used. ;)

In the mean time, sautae the onion, garlic and a tablespoon of the butter on medium heat.  You basically want to caramalize the onions so wait until they are nice and brown (10 minutes or so).  Add the rest of the butter and the sea salt to taste.  We used spicy Herbamare, which was fabulous as always, but sea salt will do JUST fine.  Continue until all is melted and mixed well.

Once the cauliflower is done, place it on a serving dish and then pour the yummy, buttery sauce over the cauliflower until it's fully covered in yummyness. Put it in the centre of a dinner table, and watch everyone try and cut a piece off. That part is quite entertaining.

Yes, there is butter in this recipe.  But I bet the taste of the cauliflower will get you to eat half of the head, and as far as I'm concerned, a little butter (from a good dairy source) never hurt anyone (as long as you don't have dairy issue), but lack of vegetables did.  So don't beat yourself up over a little butter and fill your gut with this vegetable flower.  Want to know more about cauliflower?  Well, here you go:

Cauliflower: 
- is really a little head of thousands of compact flowers.
- low in calories
- is rich in potassium, folic acid and vitamin C.
- is about 25% protein and is one of the cancer-preventive cruciferous vegetables
- has the following phytonutrients (plant nutrients): glucobrassin, glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, alpha-carotene, beta-sitosterol, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, glucoraphamin, indole-3-carbinol and quericetin. 

Ok, from my point of view, the last point sounds very scientific and boring, but basically, phytonutrients, or plant nutrients are the other things in plant based food that provide health benefits. They are the components that do not include vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs and fats. They involve the way vegetables look and smell.  The parts of food you get from eating whole foods that you would lose from eating boxed and processed food. Click here for more information and facts about phytonutrients.  Thank you to Elson M. Haas for the cauliflower info and to Michael Smith for inspiring me with an easy recipe that doesn't involve chopping veg! 

Enjoy!

So, just by the title of this post you will know what’s been going on in my life.  I AM pregnant!  Yep. 24 weeks today (or 5 months).  I can’t believe how fast it’s going.  I have been truly lucky in my pregnancy.  No morning sickness or weird symptoms, just really tired from week 5 – 10 and the odd feeling of nausea which goes away when I eat.  It’s more like an extreme hunger pain, but comes on really quickly.  So, what have I been doing? That’s right. Eating.  What else is there to do when you are pregnant?  Get up and pee, eat. Shower, eat. Get to work, eat. Free food, eat.  Eat lunch, and then eat again.  It’s been terribly awesome. 

I must admit that the extreme hunger trumps my ability to eat as healthy as I’d like, but I’m ok with that.  Sometimes this involved the odd trip to subway (wheat, I know, and quite tasteless might I add) and only once did I ask Jesse to get me a cheeseburger (more wheat) and fries from McDonald’s at 11pm. I really wanted a poutine, but McDonald’s was the only place he could find (apparently) on his way home from lacrosse.  Well, I can tell you, it tasted pretty good and greasy, just like how I remember it after a long night out on the town.  But, it was a good reminder why I avoid that crap because I had a migraine for 3 days after.

Usually, the biggest thing I try to avoid is wheat (bread, pasta, pastries, cakes, cookies – which are all usually made from wheat), and for some reason, I’m eating all of that and more.  My face has broken out in a little rash/eczema and I’ve been very bloated and gassy, but if I need to eat, those things are the last thing on my mind.  It bothers me a little as I am normally pretty committed, but I can’t seem to stop. 

I went to my naturopath and she wanted me to write down what I’ve been eating so she could see what I was feeding the baby.  Uh oh.  I ask my clients to do the same for me.  “Write down what you’re eating, portion size, and how you feel after you eat – mentally and physically…”  So I’ve been writing it all down trying to eat as many vegetables as possible to ensure the baby is getting at least some of the proper vitamins and minerals it deserves.   Most of the plant based food I’ve been craving is fruit which is fine with me.  Fruit salads, apples, oranges, blueberries, raspberries, mangoes, watermelon, cantaloupe and kumquats.  Gawd, I love fruit. 

Leafy green vegetables, which are one of the best things for the baby, have fallen to the wayside. I’m really trying to eat them when I can, but I’m sorry, they are not as exciting as the big bowl of pasta Jesse always makes or the chocolate chunk cookies he buys from Costco that tempt me every time I walk through the kitchen.

I’m trying to drink a smoothy at least once a week.  The best and easiest one is:

- ½ to ¾ cup frozen blueberries

- a banana

- ¾ cup of water

- a handful of spinach.

Put the spinach in first to be sure it blends up nicely.  The frozen berries make it cold, but if you don’t have them, add some ice.  This is a great way to get some of those leafy greens without having to crunch on them.

I'm also trying to eat plenty of protein for the growth of the baby.  You are supposed to increase this by 50% of your normal intake (about 70-85g/day) so good quality meat, eggs, beans and lentils have luckily wiggled their way into my meals.  Increased intake of additional nutrients during pregnancy is also important such as calcium, iron, zinc, and B vitamins and believe me, and I'm working on these.  

Cravings have not been overbearing, but the odd urge comes over me and may or may not stick around to the point that I must have it.  However, within the last week I have been craving pancakes and crunchy cheesies.

My belly is getting big. It’s so cool!  I am truly enjoying being pregnant. I think it’s the neatest thing to have a mini human inside.  The baby has been moving quite a bit for the last few weeks and Jesse has been able to feel it.  I feel most of the movement when I lie on my back because I don’t think the baby likes that position.  They say that it’s better to sleep on your side, but the back seems to be the most comfortable for me.  A lot of tossing and turning at night makes for a very tired day, but I assume the body is just getting me ready for a lot of sleepless nights.   

Other things that are going on in my life that have been preventing me from blogging as much as I’d like:

- A house we bought:  Start the renos or don’t start the renos… that is the question.  Move in or don’t move in?  Hmmm… too much to explain here, but nonetheless, an unnecessary stress.

- A university course I’m doing through correspondence – Psychology of child development. Great timing I know, but still, I didn’t realize university courses involved so much reading! Learning a lot about how the little humans develop into bigger humans is pretty neat. Did you know that the stepping reflex seen in babies goes away and then re-appears at the time they are ready to walk?

- J B Stonework Inc. The husband's company of which I'm the office administrator became extremely busy these past summer months.  Busy is not a bad thing, but hey, that took a toll.  Let alone on me. My poor husband worked his ass off so I'm glad a little of that has subsided.

Things that I think are taking up my time, but I’m not sure I’m really doing them:

- Exercise. Trying, but there has been a lack of motivation.

- Cleaning?  Who has time to clean when they’re pregnant?  Let alone when the baby comes.  Seriously, this is going to be a challenge for me.

To wrap up this post, things are going as well as they could be.  Due date is November 27th so I’m hoping to eat more vegetables than I have been from now until then.  Hoping to be prepared in time for a new human to raise.  Yikes! That sounds scary.   Well, ready or not, it will be born and whether I’m tired or not, it will need to eat.  Lucky for me, increased calories are still necessary when you're breastfeeding, but hopefully my motivation to eat healthy will surpass the temptations that always seem to find there way onto my plate.

You have to try this.  If you are trying to lose weight or keep your vegetable intake up, this is the way to go. You will be exposed to a whole new way of living - or eating. However you want to look at it.

For those of you who know I try to get my hubby Jesse to eat more like me (meh), you will be happy to hear that he was so pumped about this pasta that he ate half the plate before he went out to eat!  He gave it a 10 out of 10. Can you believe it?   

I'm not going to lie though, I don't have exact amounts. They are just approximate so you are going to have to tune into your intuitive side here and make it happen no matter what.  And heh, there are only 5 ingredients. How can you not try it?

Ingredients:

- 2 cups Brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp of butter (preferably organic)
- About 10 shakes of the herbamare salt or to taste (see pic below)
- About 1/4 cup of feta cheese
- 1 - 2 cups of cooked brown rice pasta (or any whole grain pasta will work)

Instructions:

While your pasta is cooking, chop the ends/roots off the Brussels sprouts, cut them in half and then steam them until they are soft (use your common sense here). I'm not sure of the exact steaming time, but it was between 10 to 15 minutes.

Once done, place them in a bowl and add the butter and salt to taste.

Blend Brussels sprouts in a food processor and then place the mix back in the bowl.  Add the feta. Add the pasta. Done.  P.S. Aim for a "more green than pasta" ratio as per the above picture.

So easy. Now think of all the other vegetables you can make things like this with.

Enjoy!

I made these up this morning and man were they good.  I used these gluten free wraps I bought from The Healthy Butcher near Yonge and Eglinton in Toronto.  I'm sorry, I threw out the package and now I can't remember what they were called, but I do remember there were only 3 ingredients. I think it was organic corn, oil and sea salt.  Wow, three things I recognize.  What a concept!

This would make a great after workout meal to replenish the protein and complex carbohydrates in your body. 

You'll notice I have slices of oranges on the plate, but it's just for decoration.  If you bloat easily or even if you want to prevent wreaking havoc in your intestines in the future, fruit is best eaten on it's own and at least half an hour before a meal. It's not good to mix fruit with meat because fruit digests very fast and meat doesn't, so when you put the two together, they ferment in your gut, causing gas or bloating.  Just a little tip for you before you make the wraps. ;)

So back to the wraps, here is the quick and easy recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 2 - 3 gluten free wraps (or any other whole grain wraps)
- 1 - 2 eggs
- 1 tsp of olive oil
- 2 tbsp of hummus
- 2 tbsp of organic shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 a small tomato chopped into small chunks
- half a small avocado chopped into small pieces
- a pinch of sea salt

Directions:
Set your oven to 200 degrees F. Place the wraps in the oven to warm them up. It shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes, but if you want them a little harder/crispier, keep them in longer and watch them until they brown slightly. This will also depend on the type of wrap you have. Use your common sense on this one.  I trust you to figure it out according to what you like. 

Meanwhile, scramble the eggs on low to medium heat with the olive oil.

Once ready, place your wraps on your plate, spread a little hummus on each one, add the egg, cheese, avocado and tomato to each one. Finish with a dash of sea salt and enjoy!

So easy, so tasty.

My hubby was away for 9 days! He went skiing out west with a buddy and I missed him.  A lot.  Last Friday, his last night away, I decided to have a little date night with me, myself and I. My night was awesome, but logistically, it was a little different than I had imagined.

Earlier in the day, I had a meeting at a lawyer's office to sign some papers. Don't worry, I wasn't defending myself in a lawsuit or anything, but Jesse and I bought a house and I had to sign some documents. Yes, very exciting, but I'll save the story about the house for another post. 

So at the lawyer's office, my hands were SOOOO dry so I asked the receptionist if she had any lotion. She replied with a "Yes, but it's perfumed."  This should have been my first sign, but my annoyance with the dry hands far outweighed the worry of a little perfume, although I NEVER wear perfume because I find it WAY too strong and full of toxins. This should have been my second sign.  I used the lotion and found myself having to explain to the lawyer why I smelled so much like my grandma's bathroom.  As I mentioned on my facebook page, the lawyer went on to say "Yes, I was wondering why you got all dolled up to sign papers...". I was quite embarassed, but this was the least of my problems. 

I arrived home and COULD NOT get the overwhelming smell of cheap perfume off my hands.  It was as if someone soaked my hands in a mini tub of that perfume that comes with "Perfume Pretty Barbie". 

I tried everything from soaking it in the cooking water from beets I had made earlier, rubbing a cut potato on my hands, a baking soda paste, lemon juice, mouth wash, the list goes on and on.  I didn't even want to make any food because I was afraid to touch any vegetables, and that's a first!  So as a part of my solo date night, I decided on sushi, two girlie movies and one of those mini bottles of wine.  P.S. Which are amazing if you are only planning on having 1 - 2 glasses and are alone.

I may have also bought a large bag of smart food popcorn.

So I get home, eat my sushi and put the movie on.  For those of you who are reading this for the nutritional info, I got one sweet potato and avocado roll (white rice), a salad and miso soup.  There wasn't much protein except the tofu in the soup.  I try to avoid regular tofu at restaurants because it's most likely not made from organic soy and you can bet that if it's not organic, the soy was probably genetically modified. 

I usually try to get my sushi with brown rice, so make sure you ask the server at your next sushi meal (some restaurants don't offer it). It is much better for balancing your blood sugar and will keep you full longer. Brown rice is way more nutrient dense because during the process of making white rice, it loses the germ and inner husk (bran), where the nutrients reside.  What's the sense in that?  For more info: white rice versus brown rice.

So, since the white rice from the sushi didn't fill me up properly, I start making eye contact with one of my dates... the smart food popcorn. 

But, how do you eat popcorn with smelly hands?  That's right, I used chopstix.  I know. I'm so clever.  What a great way to eat popcorn if you are trying to cut back on snack foods containing unhealthy parts (the powder made from who knows what in this case).  What a great way to eat ANY snack food!  You will eat less, you will eat only one piece at a time, and you will tire out from all the back and forth bicep curls.

Mid-movie, I can't take it anymore.  The smell from my hands I mean.  Oatmeal pops into my mind. Oatmeal, because it has soluble fiber and the wicked ability to soak up the crap in my intestines.  I'm already patting myself on the back before trying it.  I make the oatmeal and then add cold water to cool it down. Once it's cool, I strain it so it's thick again.  I stick the oatmeal, and my hands, into some dish gloves. I watch the rest of the movie, and start another one.

My bright idea, if it were to work, was for the oatmeal to soak up the crappy perfume from my hands.   After about an hour and a half, it became the best solution yet!  The smell from the lotion was barely there. Yes, thank you, thank you.

So, if the lesson for you here wasn't to avoid cheap perfumed lotion, you now know a good way to get soluble fiber into your diet. Yes, oatmeal is a great breakfast and in addition to soaking up the crap in your intestines, it will also prolong your fullness providing energy a lot longer than something like cereal made from sugar and white flour. 

Wow, this post about smelly hands is also somehow providing a lot of nutritional tips.  Happy snacking!

On the YES list:

- Brown rice
- Non GMO soy/tofu
- Oatmeal
- Chopstix for snack foods.

On the NO list:

- White rice
- Perfumed lotion
- Smart food popcorn (I can't help it, this seems to be my achilles heel... see my post from thanksgiving weekend)