Motivation Isn’t Constant

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 / ktbuchs87

On the surface, motivation seems to be a simple concept. It is a drive that pushes us towards our goals. It’s good to have motivation. People want it and look for it in many places. There are motivational speakers, videos, books, podcasts, sayings, and workshops. Some blame the lack of motivation for not achieving what they want and some have such an overabundance of it that they want to spread it around to others.

I think motivation is a little more complicated than a simple drive that propels us to what we want.

There are many different kinds of motivation. There is the motivation to get started, to keep going, and even the motivation to stop when we need to. I think this is what can frustrate people when they want to become healthier. They think that all motivation is the same and they look at others who seem to have an endless supply and don’t realize that those people have to work just as hard to be motivated towards their goals.

I can tell you from personal experience that the reasons I am motivated to stay healthy today are vastly different than the reasons I was motivated to start years ago. It’s also a lot of work (and yes, even after all this time it’s still work) for me to stay motivated to keep pushing towards my goals. There are days where I don’t want to workout at all. I think about the run I have planned or the weights I have to lift, and I feel like staying in bed or watching TV instead. There are times when I just want to eat a whole cake by myself instead of the healthy meal that I have planned. I used to worry that those feelings and lack of motivation were a bad thing. I thought that I was giving up or failing and I felt guilty. I tried to shove those feelings aside and convince myself that I was constantly motivated and constantly being healthy.

Over the years I’ve learned that those feelings are just fine and in fact they’re normal.

I’m a human being and I am going to lack motivation at some points in my life. Motivation isn’t in an endless supply for anyone. Even those people who seem to have it day in and day out struggle to keep it going. There are going to be days when being healthy is the last thing on your mind, where working out is going to be at the bottom of your list, and getting whatever food you may find in your belly will be the top priority.

Don’t feel guilty like I did about that.

Motivation is meant to be renewed every day. It is meant to be strengthened as you go along. It’s normal for it to fade every once in awhile and it’s ok for you to have to work to get it back. That’s what makes you a human. I used to feel like everyone in my life would judge me if they knew how I felt on those days that I had zero motivation to do anything healthy. I was suppose to be an example of good health. I put myself on display through this blog and my actions and I didn’t want to let anyone down. I’ve learned that pretending to be perfect is a bigger let down to people than showing them I’m just like everyone else.

I have my good and bad days just like you have your good and bad days. The fact that I pick myself back up and get back at it is what defines me more than my occasional lack of motivation.

If you’re feeling like you’re a failure because you haven’t been as motivated lately, or haven’t had any motivation at all, stop. You’re a human and you are doing the best you can. You get start fresh every single day, so start today and strengthen your motivation for you and your health.

My Favorite Hummus

March 13, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Hummus has almost a cult like following. People can’t get enough of the stuff and will put it on any and everything. I am one of those people. I love the creamy texture and garlicky, smokey taste. I like dipping things into it, spreading it on anything, and adding it to any meal that I can. It’s pretty much amazing.

But there is one problem. I have had a really hard time recreating the texture at home. Store bought hummus is so smooth and creamy and that’s what makes it so addicting. I really like making my own though because it’s cheaper and I control the ingredients. It seemed every time that I made my own the taste would be just fine but I would end up with a dense and thick paste instead of smooth and creamy. Not so good.

After a lot of testing out a ton of recipes and techniques I think I finally found the best method to make the perfect hummus. It’s actually a combination of a few techniques out there to help make that perfect texture. This is a little labor intensive, but I promise it’s worth it. You can make a really big batch so it will last longer and you will always have hummus on hand. Now onto the hummus!

Perfectly Creamy Hummus

You will need at least 24 hours to soak the chickpeas. Don’t skip this step!!

1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 whole cloves garlic
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 tsp cumin (freshly ground if possible)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water, reserved from cooking the chickpeas

1. 24 hours before you want hummus, place chickpeas into a large bowl and cover with water. Stir in the 1/2 tsp of baking soda. Cover and place the bowl into fridge.

2. After 24 hours, drain and rinse chickpeas and place into a large pot. Cover with at least 5 to 6 cups of water. Add in the 4 whole garlic cloves and bring the water to a boil. With a slotted spoon, skim off any foam/skins that floats to the top. Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 3 hours. The chickpeas should be super soft at this point.

3. Drain the chickpeas and garlic, reserving at least 1/2 cup of the water. Now at this point you can remove some of the skins off the chickpeas if you want. I have tried it both ways and haven’t noticed a huge difference. Place chickpeas and garlic into a food processor or blender. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the water. Pulse a few times to start to combine everything.

4. Turn the processor on and slowly add in water. This will turn the hummus into that wonderfully creamy texture. You might need less water, but I have found the full 1/2 cup makes the creamiest version.

Yes, it seems like a lot to make hummus when you can just go to the store and buy some and be on your merry way. But it is really hard to find hummus that doesn’t have weird ingredients or preservatives, and it can get expensive to support a serious hummus addiction with store bought. Take the time to make this and you will be rewarded with a delicious hummus that is half the cost and ready to be used in any way you want!

Have a great Friday and wonderful weekend!

Keep It Simple Series: Freezer Tips

March 11, 2015March 11, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I have a new video for you on the blog today. Many times when people decide to be healthier they focus on all the food in their fridge and forget the freezer. So today I offer some tips on how to use your freezer to create healthier meals.

Now go stock up your freezer and have a great day everyone!

Vegan Fish Nuggets and Dipping Sauce

March 6, 2015March 6, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Before you turn up your nose or totally dismiss this recipe because there is no way you’re eating some vegan meal, give this a try! I promise it isn’t as bad as you’re imagining.

If you’re tapped into the vegan blog world or are a vegan yourself, you’ve probably heard of crab cakes/fish sticks made with hearts of palm. And if you’re like me, you were probably skeptical that a vegetable could transform into a fish dish. Unlike me you probably went about your day and that was the end of it. I on the other hand had to try it out myself and see if it actually worked.

Much to my surprise, it did work. I won’t say that it is exactly like fish and will fool fish eaters, but it does mimic the taste and texture of fish sticks. It was nice and flaky on the inside and crispy, crunchy on the outside. I like being able to make my own substitutes to regular food instead of buying the processed versions and this was really simple to put together.

But what really makes this recipe is the dipping sauce. I could (and sort of did) drink this stuff it’s so good. I used it in scrambled eggs, on top of my lentil loaf, mixed into stir fry, and dipped everything in my fridge into it. I promise I’m only slightly obsessed.

Vegan Fish Nuggets and Dipping Sauce

Nugget ingredients

1 14 oz can hearts of palm (read ingredients to make sure you’re getting just hearts of palm in water)
1/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp soy sauce/liquid or coconut aminos
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup coarsely ground almonds
1 tsp old bay seasoning
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt

1. Drain and rinse hearts of palm and place in blender. Pulse a few times until it’s shredded. Make sure there aren’t any big chunks but don’t totally pulverize it. Place into a medium bowl.

2. Add in almond flour, soy sauce, celery seed, dill weed and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir with a spatula until combined. In a separate bowl mix the rest of the ingredients until well combined.

3. Preheat oven to 375. Take about a 1 tbsp of the wet mix and roll into a ball. Roll this in the dry mix until coated and place on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Continue until all the wet mix is gone.

4. Spray the nuggets with a little olive oil and place into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, remove and turn the nuggets, and bake for another 5 minutes. While the nuggets are cooking, make your sauce.

Dipping sauce– slightly adapted from this recipe

1/2 cup cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours
1/2-2/3 cup water
2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp nutritional yeast (NOT bakers yeast)
1 tbsp roasted garlic
2 tsp soy sauce/liquid or coconut aminos
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt

1. Drain and rinse nuts and place all the ingredients into a blender. Blend until you have a smooth sauce. Place it into the fridge to help it thicken just a little.

I know that many of you will shy away from a vegan recipe, but I think this is a good one to try because it doesn’t really use any weird ingredients. Hearts of Palm are a lot like canned artichokes (that’s where you’ll find them in the store) and they are really tasty. It’s always good to try new things and broaden your eating horizons. And if that still doesn’t convince you try this, at least make the sauce because I promise you will want to put it on everything!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Keep It Simple Series: One Skillet Meal

March 4, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Everyone is looking for a quick and easy meal. Rachael Ray got her start with 30 minute meals and googling quick meals will give you thousands of recipes. Today’s video is my favorite quick and healthy meal and it uses just one pan. I make this at least once a week and it is always a big hit, plus it never gets boring because you can always change things up just a little bit to keep it interesting. So let’s get to it!

Hopefully this video will give you some ideas on how to make your own one skillet meal, just make sure that you are using cooked grains/legumes and meat. Other than that go crazy with your version of this delicious and healthy meal!