DIY Wednesday: Turmeric Paste and Golden Milk

February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 / ktbuchs87

If you have been following my blog for any length of time you know two things. I like spices and I’m usually talking about the benefits of turmeric.

Any chance that I can slip turmeric into the conversation, I will. If you’re sore from a really tough lifting session, I’ll probably tell you to use some turmeric in your next meal because it has anti-inflammatory properties. If you’re at a high risk for heart disease, I might mention that turmeric can help lower your risk. If you’re feeling depressed, worried about Alzheimers or cancer, I’m going to tell you that turmeric can help with all of those things.

I’m like the annoying friend who goes on a juice cleanse and it fixes everything from her weight to her crippling debt and she just won’t shut up about it. You’re welcome.

But seriously, turmeric is SO good for you and you should really start including it in your diet. It isn’t that expensive and you can find it in most grocery stores (if you shop at Whole Foods you can get it in their bulk spice section). It’s also really easy to use and slip into a bunch of different meals. But there are a few things you should know to get the most out of your turmeric:

Take it with black pepper
Take it with a fat

Why do you need to add these two things to your turmeric? Turmeric’s main component is curcumin (this is what makes it so potent and beneficial) and curcumin is fat soluble. In simple terms, in order for your body to absorb and use any turmeric you ingest it needs fat to break it down.

Black pepper enhances turmeric’s bioavailability which means it makes it easier for your body to use and distribute. This is a good thing and what you want your body to do with anything that enters your digestive system.

You can use turmeric in so many different things like soups, curries, stir fry, smoothies, and sprinkled over vegetables or meat. One of my favorite ways to use it is to toss some broccoli with a little coconut oil (fat), and then sprinkle garlic powder, turmeric, pepper, and a little sea salt over the broccoli and roast at 400 for 20 minutes.

Another great way to enjoy turmeric is to make Golden Milk which sounds expensive and fancy, but it’s really simple and easy to make yourself. I like to make a turmeric paste and keep it in a jar in my fridge and then scoop out what I need to make the milk.

A few pointers when you’re making your turmeric paste: Don’t use any utensils, pots, or jars that stain easily. Turmeric is amazing for your health but can stain plastic bowls, containers, or utensils. Glass and stainless steel work best and keep your kitchen tools looking nice. Also, turmeric does have a very earthy smell and taste so it might be off-putting at first. Use it in ways that you can sort of mask the taste at first and then start to slowly use it more prominently.

Ok, enough talking about turmeric and how good it is for you, time to actually use it!

Turmeric Paste

1/2 cup turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp black pepper (fresh ground if possible)
5 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup water

Place everything in a pot and whisk until it is completely combined. Heat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until you have a thick paste. Make sure you keep stirring and don’t let it scald.
Pour your paste into a glass jar or container and let it cool completely. You can keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Golden Milk

1 cup coconut milk (or any other non-dairy milk you like)
1/2 tsp turmeric paste
1 tsp cinnamon
honey or maple syrup, optional

Place the coconut milk and turmeric paste into a saucepan and heat over low heat, whisking to combine.
Heat until it is just warm and then remove from oven. Add the cinnamon and honey or maple syrup if you would like it a little sweeter and whisk to combine.
Pour into a mug and let it cool a little before drinking.

You can also use the turmeric paste in other things like soup or curries. It adds a nice shot of turmeric along with the fat and pepper it needs so you can get the most out of it. Along with my jar of roasted garlic, I’ve started keeping this paste on hand for whenever I need it! DIY Wednesday: Turmeric Paste and Golden Milk | Life Healthfully Lived

DIY Wednesday: Sports Drink

February 3, 2016February 1, 2016 / ktbuchs87

DIY Wednesday: Sports Drink | Life Healthfully Lived I would say that sport’s drinks like Gatorade, Propel, and Powerade are some of the most controversial products when it comes to hydration. You have the people who are firmly in the water-is-the-only-hydration-you-need camp and then you have others who are firmly in the you-need-to-replenish-your-electrolytes-after-activity camp. Then you have those in the murky middle ground who believe sometimes you need sports drinks and sometimes you don’t. It can be very confusing.

I am somewhere in the murky middle ground. It all depends on the activity you’ve been doing and how long you’ve been active for. The vast majority of us don’t do enough work or exercise that will require anything other than water to rehydrate. There is no need for a Gatorade after a 20-minute workout or to hand out sports drinks after a kids soccer game. There are a few instances where you do need to replenish your electrolyte levels with something other than just water.

People who run/train for marathons, triathlons, Ironman competitions, or any other grueling endurance sport are probably going to need something more than just water. That is because they are asking their bodies to work at full capacity for a long period of time. Anything more than a 90-minute workout session is going to probably warrant a little extra attention to your hydration levels. DIY Wednesday: Sports Drink | Life Healthfully Lived

Now, here is my other sticking point: I think that commercially sold sports drinks are NOT the way to replenish your fluids and electrolytes. They’re full of sugar and other ingredients that actually make you thirstier than you were before. How else would they sell their product? If one drink made rehydrated you, you wouldn’t need another. Plus you’re getting way more calories than you need from a drink.

Lucky for you, it’s easy to make your own sports drink that will rehydrate you as well as replenish your electrolyte levels without the calories, sugar, or any other possible weird ingredients. You can make these in advance of a tough workout or activity and have them ready to go when you’re done. You can play with the levels of citrus and natural sweetener to suit your tastes.

You can play with the levels of citrus and natural sweetener to suit your tastes and if you don’t want or can’t find coconut water, regular water works just as well. And yes, I know there is salt in here and you’re going to tell me that is ridiculous because we all know that salt makes you thirstier. Yes, BUT, you also need the proper amount of sodium levels in your body to rehydrate and absorb minerals like potassium. If you’ve been sweating like crazy, then you have been losing a lot of sodium as well and need to replenish those stores. So don’t skip the salt (and make sure you use sea salt NOT regular table salt), it won’t make you thirstier and you won’t be choking down a salty drink.

Sports Drink

1 cup coconut water or regular water (make sure it’s just plain coconut water, no added sugars)
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp honey or maple syrup (less or more to suit your taste)
pinch of sea salt

Put everything into a blender and blend for a few seconds. Taste and adjust things as needed.

Keep this drink stored in the fridge up to 2 days before you need it. You can also double or triple this recipe to make sure that you have enough on hand for when it’s needed.

Flashback Friday Recipes

January 29, 2016January 29, 2016 / ktbuchs87

There are two reasons that I’m doing this post:

Winter lighting in my apartment is KILLING me and my ability to get some good pictures

AND

2. I have to relearn picture stuff.

Don’t you hate it when you finally have something down that you used to be really crappy at and then something beyond your control makes you crappy again? Yeah, me too.

Recently I had to get a whole new photo editing program and I feel like I am back at square one with my pictures. I have to go back and relearn everything that I already knew how to do in my old program with this new one. Which is super frustrating because I felt like I had finally gotten into the swing of things when it came to food pictures. Taking good pictures has been a weakness of mine and I keep trying to improve so that my blog can look all pretty for you guys. Now I have to take some time and get back to where I was.

In the same vein, I’m battling some pretty bad light here in my apartment. I live on the interior of my building which means that I have two windows both of which face brick walls and get no direct sunlight. It’s kind of like living in a cave, especially in the winter when the light is already scarce. That means natural light (a food blogger’s best friend) is very hard to come by here at Casa Dawson.

What is the point of all this rambling? To tell you there is no brand new recipe for today. I’m teaching myself some new photo stuff and doing everything I can to get as much good light as I can on the recipes I do have to share. But fear not, I’m not leaving you totally recipe-less. I thought it would be fun to bring back some old recipes from when I first started this blog. It’s kind of fun to see where I came from and where I am now. For the most part, the recipes are delicious and the pictures are horrendous. But it’s all about improving right?

At least I don’t take pictures for the blog with my iPhone anymore….

Anyways, here are some Flashback Friday recipes for you and I promise I’ll be back with more new stuff next week!

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Stir Fry With Spicy Peanut Sauce

Eggplant Lasagna

Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Turmeric Scented Mushrooms and Brown Rice Noodles

Crispy Coconut Avocado Fries

Healthy Brownie Bites

In A Diet State Of Mind

January 25, 2016January 25, 2016 / ktbuchs87

In A Diet State Of Mind | Life Healthfully Lived I debated writing about this topic because I feel it can be a little bit like beating a dead horse, especially if you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time. But I decided to do it anyway because it’s an important message and it’s January.

What does January have to do with eating? Well, turn on your TV and watch any channel. The majority of the commercials are going to be about some diet or weight loss system. January is the month of resolutions and the beginning of many diets. Gyms have major discounts and are usually packed the first few weeks of the new year. Supplements, vitamins, pills, and all other weight loss tools/systems/plans are everywhere you turn. People and companies in the health and fitness realm know that you’re going to spend your money and they want to make sure that you spend it on their plan or product.

There are so many diets to choose from and it can be overwhelming to decide which one you are going to follow. All claim to have amazing results and some even tell you it can be done with minimal effort. It’s hard not to be drawn in with the before and after pictures, hoping that soon you can have your own beautiful after photo. So you dive in and pick a diet that you feel is going to give you the results you want.

I don’t want to rail against all the diets out there. That’s been done and I don’t feel the need to add to that noise. But I do want to tell you one thing that might sound a little contradictive to that sentiment.

Don’t diet.

To be more specific, don’t approach the new year with a diet frame of mind. A diet typically has a starting and an ending point. Once you reach your goal weight, you stop your diet and return to your regularly scheduled program. But if you return to the way you were eating before you lost the weight guess what’s going to happen? You’re going to regain that weight.

Which is why I want you to approach weight loss and this new year not with diet at the top of your list but a lifestyle change instead. If you’re truly serious about losing weight and getting your health on track, this is going to be a life long thing. This isn’t a 30-day program or a two-week transformation. This is going to be your day in and day out. When you look back on what you used to be and do, it should look completely different from the here and now. In A Diet State Of Mind | Life Healthfully Lived

Don’t let this frustrate you or dissuade you. I don’t want this to make you feel defeated before you start. I want you to feel empowered and ready to face what’s ahead. There are going to be tough days and there are going to be easy ones. There are going to be meals where the only thing you want to see on your plate is a Twinkie and there will be meals where you can’t wait to eat a whole heap of vegetables. And you know what? That’s life and that’s how being healthy goes. It’s a balancing act, a yin and yang, give and take. In A Diet State Of Mind | Life Healthfully Lived

So if you are starting this year with the goal of being healthier and losing weight, please don’t think of it as a finite time. Don’t approach your goal in the “diet” frame of mind. Focus on these three little things to help big change:

Small changes. Gradually change your habits so that you aren’t overwhelmed. Once you feel you’ve got one change down add another one. Keep doing this until you have completely turned things around.

Add not subtract. Instead of thinking of all the foods you don’t eat anymore, focus on all the new things you get to eat. New fruits or vegetables you’ve never tried or different recipes than the one you’re used to can make your new lifestyle feel fresh, fun, and exciting.

Know your why. Have a definite reason that you’re doing this and remind yourself of that often. And don’t worry about your reason. If it’s so you look good at your high school reunion this year or in order to fight heart disease, as long as it keeps you motivated, that’s all that matters. In A Diet State Of Mind | Life Healthfully Lived

Those three things can help you when the going gets tough and trust me it will. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up, it just means you need to put in a little more effort until you get to the easy parts again. And those easy parts will come, I promise.

Creamy Avocado Fettuccine

January 22, 2016January 22, 2016 / ktbuchs87

I am really into avocados lately. I buy a big bag at the beginning of the week and add them to my smoothies and soups and anywhere else I can squeeze them in. They make things creamy and delicious. Plus they are full of good for you stuff. Creamy Avocado Fettuccine | Life Healthfully Lived

People sometimes shy away from avocados because of the fat content, even though I think most understand it’s good fat. Fat still scares people because it just makes sense that fat would make you fat. Don’t worry, I get it. You want to eat the best food for your body as possible and you don’t want to gain weight. Don’t fear fat. Trust me, fat is good and it will help you reach your goals all while being super tasty.

Now, don’t go hog wild on fat. Too much of anything, even a good thing like fat is a bad thing. But start including it in your diet and don’t feel guilty or worry. And if you’re looking for a new way to use avocados other than guacamole, try this creamy avocado fettuccine.

It’s a great weeknight dinner because it comes together in less than 20 minutes. And it’s good enough that no one will realize that there is no dairy in the sauce. You can even make it paleo and serve it over vegetable noodles instead of brown rice ones. It tastes good both ways, trust me, I tried it.

Creamy Avocado Fettuccine

2 Hass avocados
2 tbsp cheesy garlic spread
juice of half a lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder OR 3 to 4 fresh chipotle chili’s
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 package brown rice fettuccine OR spiralized vegetable noodles (butternut squash & sweet potato work really well)
2 to 3 tbsp fresh cilantro

Cook the fettuccine according to the directions on the package, drain, and set aside. Or if you’re using vegetable noodles, prepare those by cooking on a large baking sheet at 400 for 8 to 10 minutes or sauteing in a large pan with a lid until soft.
Meanwhile, slice the avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh into a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut milk. Pulse a few times until everything is pretty mixed together.
Add the coconut milk a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency. I ended up using about 1/3 cup for a fairly thick but still pourable sauce.
Once your sauce is at the right consistency and the noodles are done, add them back to the pot they cooked in and pour all the sauce on top. Stir everything together until all the noodles are coated.
Sprinkle in the cilantro and stir just to combine. Serve it up and enjoy!

This recipe is probably going to make it into the regular rotation because it’s quick, healthy, and tastes so darned good! Creamy Avocado Fettuccine | Life Healthfully Lived