Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Healthy replacements for 4th of July staples

Healthy replacements for 4th of July staples

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Monday, June 28, 2010

Crunching on energy

So yea, while these products are made in Boulder, you can find them at a lot of your health food grocery stores!!! JUMP ON EM!! (Don't forget to leave me comments!)




Crunching on energy

Saturday, June 26, 2010

I MADE IT!

YES, THAT'S RIGHT.



I MADE IT TO 23.



LETS JUST SAY A FEW YEARS AGO WE DIDN'T KNOW IF I WOULD!


THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE AMAZING... I CAN FEEL IT, CAN'T YOU? HA HA.


HOPE YOU'RE ALL CELEBRATING THIS HOLIDAY too!!


(if you didn't catch on, today is my birthday!)

Friday, June 25, 2010

Another Article Posted @ Examiner

Take a look-see, comment, knock your socks off!! ha ha!




USDA plans for a lean future

Monday, June 21, 2010

Cilantro's fighting power

Cilantro's fighting power


Oh so I guess I can link ALL of my articles to my blog... perhaps I will do that!

Something else to put on the resume

Check it out... I'm a "published" writer...


http://www.examiner.com/x-55152-Boulder-Nutrition-Examiner



You should definitely put my link on your favorites!!! ha ha! Oh but don't worry, I won't leave my blog hanging, after all, on here I can say WHATEVER I WANT... in whatever format, etc... So, why not be a fan of both of my sites, RIGHT?!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Things to come...

So here is an update on what's coming up in my life:


1. I am going to start writing for the web site: examiner.com (I will be a nutrition writer, right up my alley for sure!)... When I get my web page, etc I will post a link here to it so you can all follow me there... and spread the word to your friends, etc! I need readers/viewers/comments!!!


2. I will be continuing to intern @ KMGH (ABC) in Denver (Sunday & Tuesday morning shifts... 6am call time on Sunday & 4am call time on Tuesday)


3. I will be going down to Santa Fe for 4th of July... My family has a home there and we just redid our kitchen & constructed an outdoor kitchen... bring on the grilling!!


4. My 23rd Birthday is in ONE WEEK... ew I am getting up there... Any ideas on what I should do?


....


Yea, not too much. You know I would have added one more thing although I think if I mention it I might throw my computer out the window because I am soooo dang angry about it right now! GRRRRR!! These past 2 days have been completely wasted! I will never get them back, EVER!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Whole Foods Albacore Tuna Review





So as I said, I just got back to Boulder, Colorado this past Saturday and of course the FIRST THING I did was... visit my second home, AKA: Whole Foods.


Whole Foods + Me = The love affair of the century, FOR SURE!


Every single person in the store (there are actually 4 of them in the Boulder area, so I am talking about the one located on Pearl Street... along with a Sprouts Market & a Sunflower Market) knows me by my first name or simply: FISH GIRL... Because you guessed it, I am obsessed with their fish; which brings me to today's POST!


After gathering my typical "goods" (Salmon Belly, Hamachi Collars, Eel Fillets and yes, some King Salmon because it looked, THAT GOOD) I ventured over to the frozen seafood section and to my surprise and HAPPINESS there were HUGE frozen loins of sushi grade Albacore Tuna.




I couldn't resist... and at $12.99 a pound, it was a steal.




I sliced is sashimi style that night and wrapped it in nori sheets... dipping it in soy sauce (reduced sodium, wheat free if you MUST know) with every bite.





Pure deliciousness.


The taste was buttery, melt in your mouth good and when I finished my serving I was almost depressed because I wanted more! ha ha.


Well... my depression didn't last long because... I have already bought a second fillet.


So is this going to be a new staple in my diet? YOU BET IT IS!


Oh and another WONDERFUL part about this tuna... IT'S SUSTAINABLE! SICK BUSINESS© (that's one of my phrases...), another fish I am obsessed with is actually sustainable! Go me! No ounce of guilt here about eating over fished or mercury laden tuna! Wooo!!


Now while I ate this succulent piece of fish raw, you can always sear it... Personally I think sesame seared tuna is magnificent... but each to their own!




So if you do happen to stumble upon this tuna, don't hesitate, and pick up a package today! And if you think $12.99 is too expensive, well, splurge a bit and only have a tiny bit at your meal (serving it with some less expensive fish) so you can at least get the taste sensation!


I must mention though... I have officially promised myself that I cannot VENTURE INTO WHOLE FOODS FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER WEEK! OFF LIMITS, NO! ha ha!


(Well now that's a bit extreme... I will only "TRY" to boycott for a week! ha ha)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd think Brad Pitt would have ADDED TO HIS FAMILY but...


Instead, LOOK WHAT HE GOT RID OF!


FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



**Do I sound excited? Hm, not sure why... he's taken first of all, secondly he's way over my age limit and third, yea, I'm not even in Hollywood! ha! Alright, gotta go back to my sexy romance novel, hot tea, bath robe and imagination now!**

Friday, June 11, 2010

Beauty from Around the World!

Just made it back to Boulder, Colorado... and let you tell you, I am a bit of a mess!


I guess it doesn't really help that I rolled out of my hotel bed this morning around 5am to get a work out in before my parents and I decided to hit the road around 8am... Oh and that it decided to DOWN POUR when I went into the grocery store to pick up a few supplies that I needed for my apartment (so with no umbrella or any sort of cover, I braved the torrential rain and got completely drenched... why I have yet to change, I am not quite sure).


Oh and guess what I stumble upon as my internet loads to my Yahoo.com home page... "Beauty Secrets from Around the World"... was that a "hint, hint, nudge, nudge" on the whole, "you look like crap GiGi" thing??!! Well, SCREW YOU YAHOO... but of course I clicked the link because after all... who isn't looking for a new way to primp these days? I even know guys who are looking for a way to better their appearance!


Curious... where here's the list (copy & pasted from the source):


Australia

Australian makeup artist Napoleon Perdis says yarrow extract is used by Australian Aboriginal women to prevent stretch marks, thanks to its moisturizing and hydrating properties. “Yarrow root is also an anti-inflammatory, which soothes the skin.” Calm your complexion with his Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer , which contains the extract as a key ingredient.

Chile

Chilean women credit the antioxidant powers of red grapes for their luminous skin. They create a paste by mashing up a handful of the fruit and adding 2 tablespoons of white flour. They then apply the mask to their face and leave it on for 10 minutes before washing it off. “It wakes up the appearance of tired and fatigued skin to give you an amazing glow,” says Shalini Vadhera, author of Passport to Beauty

Dominican Republic

“If you ever meet a Dominican woman, look at her nails––chances are they’re super-strong,” says Vadhera. What’s their secret? Women in the Dominican Republic swear by garlic to keep their nails tough as…well, nails. They chop up fresh garlic, add it to a bottle of clear nail polish and let it stew for 7 to 10 days. “There will be an initial smell, so if you want to ward off vampires this is a great way to do it,” jokes Vadhera. “But the scent goes away. Garlic has so many strengthening properties and is naturally antibacterial as well.”

Egypt

According to Vadhera, Cleopatra’s beauty secret was taking milk baths to soften her skin and remove dead cells. To try the treatment at home, Vadhera recommends adding 2 cups of powdered milk to your bath. “It will make your skin look absolutely gorgeous and feel so smooth, silky and soft.”

France

“The French woman sticks to a scrupulous and preventive skin and body care routine,” says Shannon Gallogly, lead aesthetician for French beauty brands Decleor and Carita. “This means she has weekly facials, regular massages and religiously takes her makeup off each night.” Gallogly’s recipe for an at-home facial without the price tag of a spa version: Mash up cherries and pomegranate seeds and apply as a mask to the skin for about 6 minutes. “This mask will help brighten skin with natural enzymes while firming at the same time.” Remove the mixture with a warm towel to help boost circulation.

Greece

“Greek women are blessed with Mediterranean skin, which is light in color but has enough melanin to shield and absorb harmful UV rays,” says New York City dermatologist Macrene Alexiades, MD, PhD, who is half Greek. But even if you aren’t genetically blessed, you can still take a cue from the women of Greece. “There are other factors that contribute to their glowing complexion: They eat a Mediterranean diet high in fish, which provides skin-rejuvenating omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as fruits and vegetables, which provide antioxidants and vitamins. They also believe their intake of olive oil contributes to their great skin." So, start reaching for the olive oil instead of butter for better skin.

Israel

Cygalle Dias, owner of New York City’s Cygalle Healing Spa, was born in Israel and believes in the healing powers of sea salt. “When you swim in the Dead Sea, all of the salt helps your body rid itself of toxins, and it has also been known to help cure skin diseases.” To get the detoxifying benefits of sea salt at home, Dias shares her spa’s Lavender Sea Salt Scrub recipe: Mix together ¼ cup sea salt, 1 pinch seaweed powder, ½ cup massage oil and 10 to 15 drops lavender oil. Apply to skin to gently exfoliate.

Italy

How do Italian women maintain their glossy locks? According to Fabio Scalia, Italian hairstylist and owner of Fabio Scalia salon in Brooklyn, New York, the answer is right in your kitchen. Italian women keep their hair shiny by combining yogurt and olive oil and using the mixture as a conditioner. “The protein in the yogurt gently nourishes and conditions.” To whip up the rich treatment at home, Scalia recommends mixing 1 cup of plain whole-milk yogurt with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Then apply the mixture to washed hair, let it sit for 5 minutes and rinse with cool water.

Japan

Titi Branch, the half-Japanese cofounder of Miss Jessie’s hair care line, credits seaweed for Japanese women’s long, silky hair. Nori is a rich source of the trace mineral iodine, which is essential for healthy hair growth. (According to Branch, the iodine added to table salt isn’t the right kind to nourish your hair because your body doesn’t easily absorb it.) Seaweed is also a rich source of other mane-strengthening minerals—including iron, zinc, selenium and copper. “Japanese women either eat nori seaweed or boil it and apply it to dry hair as a nourishing paste.” Head to your local Asian grocer or health food store to pick up sheets of nori. “It’s traditionally used to wrap sushi, but you can use it like a tortilla to wrap up veggies with a dash of soy sauce, or crumble the sheets and sprinkle them on a salad, rice or stir-fry,” advises Branch.

Spain

Spanish women bring out natural, subtle highlights in their hair by rinsing it with cranberry juice, says Vadhera. Try mixing ¼ cup pure juice (not cocktail blends) with ¼ cup water and doing a final rinse with it in the shower. “If you’re going to be in the sun, the cranberry juice brings out the rich hues in your hair,” she says. “It works amazingly on brunettes, but if you’re blonde you’ll want to use lemon juice instead to avoid ending up with pink hair.”

Sweden

Swedish women attribute their glowing, healthy skin to their diet of antioxidant-packed fresh berries and grilled fish, says Petra Strand, Swedish makeup artist and creator of makeup line Pixi, now available at Target. Give yourself a hit of antioxidants by trying Strand’s at-home treatment: Boil mineral water with a green tea or white tea bag, let the tea infuse the water and then freeze it into ice cubes to use instead of a toner. “Saunas are also a big part of Swedish culture,” says Strand. “The dry, clean heat rids your body of toxins.” To get the effect of a sauna at home, Strand says to take a handful of rock salt and add a dash of olive oil and about 10 drops of pure eucalyptus oil. Rub it all over your body and rinse with a blast of cold water.




So which one of these habits do you already do??? None of these say sitting in wet clothes enhances beauty... so while you figure out what habits you might want to start adopting, I'm going to get out of these sopping clothes and make some hot tea! (Hold on, where's the "tip" about drinking green tea & beauty... I know I have read that somewhere!!!)

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Deliciousness... Oh man!





So yea, I am not sure if I have expressed my intense adoration for fish... well... if not here it is now:




I LOVE FISH......




And not just any ol' fish, but FATTY fish!


I'm talking Salmon, Escolar, Chilean sea bass, Sable Fish, Hamachi, Eel, Mackerel, Sardines, Anchovies... you name it, I LOVE IT!


But the purpose of this post is to talk about a specific fish that I am totally LOVING RIGHT NOW (probably because it's one of the only "fresh" fish we can get here in Jackson, Wyoming)...


Oh boy, it's good! I ate about an oozing (from fat, the omega-3 kind... which is so very healthy for you) pound of it last night (plus or minus a few ounces)... had about seven ounces today at lunch and will fish up the rest up tonight (mm mm good!)




Broiling it is most definitely the best way to seal in it's deliciousness! Oh yes, deliciousness is most definitely the WORD of this post...


Alright, I'll stop from keeping you guessing... it's Steelhead Trout!


This trout is actually incredibly similar to salmon and if you saw it at the store without a label as to what it was, you'd probably just think, ahhh Salmon... Perhaps you could consider Salmon and Steelhead Trout fraternal twins?


To all you who are health conscious, here's the nutritional low-down on my current obsession:


Per 3 ounces:
Calories: 144
Fat: 6.1
Protein: 20.6
*Excellent Source of: Niacin/B-3 & Vitamin B 12
*Good Source of: Pantothenic Acid & Selenium


Oh and GUESS WHAT!!! Farmed Steelhead Trout is SUSTAINABLE!!! I finally like a fish that's on the sustainable list, so now I feel even BETTER about eating it! No guilt here! YES! (Wait, I actually don't feel guilty when I eat unsustainable fish, gah, I know, sorry!! But I just love the taste!)


So are you jonesing some Steelhead yet?!?! I mean common, if you LOVE salmon, you will CERTAINLY LOVE this fish... Oh and the best part (other than the taste, texture, health benefits, etc)... it's relatively INEXPENSIVE! I bought mine at $7 a pound!!! PERFECT, now dig in!

Friday, June 4, 2010

So I gotta ask...





So almost on a daily basis I consume the ingredient glycerin... but really have NO CLUE whether or not it's bad for my health (which is weird for me because I know everything and anything about health, nutrition, fitness, etc)...


I have tried to look this ingredient up all over... I mean Dr. Google and RN Yahoo, why in the world have you not given me answers! I understand we are under Obama Care now which means longer waiting... but common, I want to know what the deal is!


So does anyone else have a clue as to what it might be?






This is what I have so far:


Glycerin is an odorless, colorless liquid that can be used for many functions. It comes from vegetable apparently and it is "100 %" safe...


Now do I believe this 100% safe claim? I mean the FDA believes Aspartame is safe but I have read otherwise (although, I won't lie to you, I do chew a far amount of sugar-free gum, whoops! Oh the little vices in life).


But wait a minute, now I am reading that glycerin comes from the soap making process. That's gross, I don't think ingesting soap is all that healthy now is it!?


Oh geeze, look at what else I found...


Glycerin =

1. A Love Potion
2. Paint Brush Cleaner
3. Highly Explosive
4. Heart Disease Drug
5. Safe Sweetener: Glycerin is an alcohol (glycerol) and is used as a preservative in the food industry, as well as a sweetener: it is very sweet, yet it contains no sugar.
6. Health Supplement
7. Plant Preserver
8. Photocopier?!?!?!
9. Moisturizer


GAH!!! So many uses, not sure what to believe... but I think I will go with number 1, 4, 5 and 6! And since I just found out that it's just so healthy... I'm going to go ingest some now! Ha Ha! Wish me luck though because who knows... number 3 might happen!


FYI: I used flavor concentrates, one of the many places glycerin is found.