Grocery List for Smoothies

Hey there, SH checking in with my smoothie grocery list. I didn't find a lot of smoothie recipes that I wanted to make to the T. So I used the recipes that I found most intriguing and took ingredients from all of those.

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Basic Stock Up > Flax Seed and Cinnamon are super good for you, so I'm going to add them to every smoothie I make
Peanut Butter
Raw Cacoa Powder
Flax Seed or Flax Oil
Cinnamon
Liquid Basics: Soy Milk, Almond Milk, Coconut Water, Orange Juice

Recipes > I used these recipes are inspiration starters for my own smoothie recipes
http://offbeatandinspired.com/2012/09/29/healthy-cocoa-banana-almond-smoothie/
http://www.allparenting.com/my-table/articles/946149/5-fabulous-kid-friendly-smoothie-recipes
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-superpower-morning-smoothie-recipes-from-the-kitchn-183353
http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2013/02/13/berrylicious-rainbow-smoothie/

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Fruits > Trying out my favs first
Bananas
Strawberries
Blueberries

I will let you know my favorite smoothie mixes I come up with! Have you tried making your own smoothie recipes? Do you add in usuals like flax or cinnamon? What is your favorite liquid base  for smoothies? I'm going to try to keep mine dairy free with soy/almond milks and coconut water and OJ. Any tips for creating my own smoothie recipe?

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Grocery Trip

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One of the most helpful things for me when I first started nutrient-dense eating was seeing other people's grocery list.  It gave me ideas for meals and new ways to prepare the list. The way I prepare my list is like this: I plan all of my meals for the week and look at each recipe. I run down the recipe to see what items I already have and what I need to buy. I only buy exactly what I need. So, if one recipe calls for a green bell pepper and I also know I'll need one for my salads this week, I will only buy two peppers. This way, I'm bringing home exactly what I need and it prevents me from eating too much each day (mid-day snacks) because I know if I do, I won't have enough ingredients for my dinner recipes.

Also, we always buy the same amount of lettuce for the two of us each week: 2 large heads of green leaf lettuce (it's the one with the curly ends), 1 large bag of baby spinach, and 1 head of iceberg. Sometime we finish that a day or 2 before our next trip and if that's the case, I'll make a quick run to the store and grab 1 head of green leaf to get us through the next 2 days.

Look at all of that color!! Now, there are multiples of some items not shown.
Such as, I bought an entire bag of potatoes but could only fit 3 on my island.
Also, a couple things are hidden (like the iceberg, the grapes, etc), but I promise it's all there!
If it's on the list, it's on the island!

THE LIST

Produce Aisle:

2 heads green leaf

1 bag spinach

1 head iceberg

Grapes

1 box Strawberries

Semi-green Bananas

3 apples

2 pears

1 yellow squash

2 green zucchinis

Batch of fresh parsley

1 medium eggplant

1 avocado

2 cucumbers

5 small tomatoes

Bag of russet potatoes

1 pound string beans

Medium bag of carrots

3 onions

3 green bell peppers

1 yellow "

1 red "

Shitake mushrooms

1 bag sun-dried tomatoes

Other Aisles:

Thyme leaves

2 cans kidney beans

1 can black beans

2 cans corn

1 jar of natural tomato sauce (for chili)

1 box natural vegetable broth

Nayonaise (soy based & vegan Mayo used as a base for some of my salad dressings)

1 cup walnuts

1 box Quinoa
Dozen brown eggs (for mike)

(Notice, I only go to three other aisles other than the produce aisle.)

Our meals for this week:

Breakfast: Lacey- oatmeal & piece of fruit and fruit smoothie, Mike- eggs

Lunch: Salad, Soup, Quinoa Tabbouleh, or String Bean & Squash Medley

Dinners: Veggie Pot Pie

            Veggie Chili

            Sushi

            Eggplant Ravioli with Zucchini 'pasta'

            Macadamia nut & Sun-dried Tomato Pesto on Spinach Wrap & veggies

            Leftovers

Happy healthy shopping!

-Lacey

Lacey's Daily Eating Habits

With the wealth of information being thrown at you about what is healthy and not healthy to eat, it is quite difficult to put it all into practice.  The moment I tell someone that I mostly eat fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, beans & the occasional grain I get a look of confusion with the normal response..."So, what exactly do you eat then?".  Then, with a smile on my face, I respond with the same things, "I eat fruits, veggies, nuts/seeds, some grains, and beans." And they still manage to respond, yet again, with a "Yeah, but what do you eat?" as if these categories of food aren't actually food at all.

So, here's what most days look like for me.  I'll give you a few example meals under each category.  Obviously, it can always vary.  We're finding new recipes & trying new meals out constantly.

Breakfast: Between 6 & 7 am
1. 1/2 cup plain oatmeal with some type of fruit jam (mixed in for flavor) & tea. This is what I have most days.
2. Fruit salad & 1 piece of whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter
3. Salad. Yes, you read that right.  If I'm going on a big morning run I need something that is going to be light in my stomach, but that will also help me get the energy I need.  I'll usually top this salad with some protein, like quinoa or nuts.  Oatmeal is way too heavy for me before a run.

This Should TERRIFY You... And Change Your Life Forever

If this doesn't scare the @$#% out of you and make you want to change your life habits for good, I don't know what will.

Educating myself on the benefits of healthy eating and the dangers of chemicals/poisons (as poison is defined as a substance that, when absorbed by the body, causes death or injury...injuries like migraines, thyroid problems, etc) in processed foods has really helped me stay on track with so many lifestyle changes that I've been making in the past 9 months. However, I still crave processed snacks and sodas, and sometimes - mainly when when I'm lazy/tired, I give in.

We're only human, so it's about finding a balance and doing what's best for yourself and your family. If you're going to eat something - at least be aware of what is in it. Usually if I look up ingredients in a product I want to purchase, I end up putting it back on the shelf (and that craving goes away real quick!) For example, I used to snack on Applesauce and Gluten & Dairy Free pudding... until I researched the ingredients and discovered that most of the ingredients were chemically processed, and linked to cancer and weight gain in humans.

Recently, autism and environmental health experts have called for for greater scrutiny of chemicalsfound in the environment, which could potentially lead to autism, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Their studies have found that autism spectrum disorders are being diagnosed at unprecedented rates, partly because of improved diagnostic tools and criteria, but also a host of other factors including what mothers-to-be are exposed and consequently their unborn children too.

Basically everything that is processed has chemicals in it that makes it hard for your body to process and get out of your system. This is especially true for the fetus and growing children (for the love of God please don't feed your kids fast food.). Moreover, many children with autism spectrum disorders have abnormal immune responses. The chemical messengers in the immune system interact with the receptors in the brain, so chemicals that affect immunity could also be implicated in autism. This is also true of thyroid disorders. I had a cyst on my thyroid and had to have surgery to remove the right lobe of my thyroid in 2009 - I would credit the cyst to my years of eating processed foods, as it's difficult for the thyroid to process it.

Be aware that mood swings, kid's temper tantrums, fatigue, headaches, hair loss, depression, etc can all be traced back to additives in processed foods. But instead of telling us to eat healthy and organic - doctors just throw more chemicals/"medicine" at us to counterbalance the other chemicals in our body that are making us sick. For years I felt fatigued and depressed, along with a plethora of other symptoms... doctors offered me ADD medicine and antidepressants. But I didn't want to become a prescription zombie. Instead, I gave up processed foods and just a couple months after I did - those mood swings and symptoms ALL WENT AWAY. I encourage you to give up processed foods in placement of medicine and see what good things happen to your body.

Of course not everything can be blamed on processed foods. There are genetic disorders, air pollution and pesticides in the ground that are hard to avoid. But do the best you can, that is all we can do. Stay educated and be aware of what you put into your body and your family's body. Make gradual changes so you can be healthy for a lifetime. Be aware of the products your family uses, and take the time to cook your own food and snick snacks at home.  By doing this, you can, quite literally, stop poisoning yourself. 

- Stephanie