Grind Your Own Flax Seeds

I am the self-crowned Smoothie Queen, and personally, I think that no smoothie is complete without the addition of a scoop of omega-3 packed, smoothie-thickening seeds.  Typically I stick with chia seeds as a personal preference, but I’m tightening my belt, so-to-speak, and for a while I’m going to be sticking to the much less expensive, but still incredibly nutritious, flax seeds.

My main issue with flax seeds is that in order to obtain their full nutritional value, they must be ground before they are consumed.  I’m a bit too lazy to bust out my trusty coffee grinder every time that I make a smoothie, so I decided to come up with a streamlined option.  As seems to be the trick with much of vegan/healthy cooking, 15 minutes of prep work one day, can make everyday for a month or more a bit easier.

Today, I decided to pick up a giant bag of flax seeds from the bulk section of my grocery store and prep my own ground flax seeds to be frozen for future use.  So easy, and now I have a couple pounds of ground flax on my hands, and all it took was $2.50 and 15 minutes.

The only tool that grinding flax requires is a coffee grinder.  If you don’t drink coffee, you can pick up a cheap one for $10-$15 that should suit you just fine.

With my little grinder, I added about 1/4 cup of flax seeds at a time.

I ground the seeds for about 20-25 seconds, and then transferred them to a large plastic Ziploc.

After all of my seeds were ground and transferred, I closed the bag, squeezing out all the air in the process, labelled it with the product and date, and placed it in the freezer for future use.

Freezing the ground flax will keep the oils from going rancid, and will protect the general integrity of the seeds.  It should keep in the freezer for about three months.

 

I just finished running 9 miles (still training for the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon on June 23rd!), so I’m going to go relax in a nice hot Epsom salt bath.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

<3 Lindsay

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Nutrition 101: Vitamin B1

I love sharing nutrition info with you guys.  I know that, for me at least, I have a greater appreciation for me food when I know what exactly I’m getting out of it.  However, even I was getting kind of bored of reading (writing) big long posts on nutrition, so I figured out a way to make nutrition a bit more reader-friendly by using fun graphics!

Today, I’m continuing my Nutrition 101 series by teaching you a bit about vitamin B1, also called thiamine.  I was originally going to go over all the B-vitamins at once, but decided that I’d rather break it down for you a bit more.

Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that it is not stored in the body.  This means that you should be consuming or supplementing thiamine on a daily basis, or you may be at risk for deficiency.

I also want to mention that I do not recommend supplementing individual B-vitamins.  Most of the B-vitamins are reliant on each other during certain metabolic processes, so supplementing only one of them can lead to deficiency in the others.

Now get out there and make a spinach salad with some raw sunflower seeds on top with a side of beans! ;)

TGIF!

<3 Lindsay

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Mason Jar Herb Garden: Week Two

Guess what, friends!!!  We have life!!!

I noticed about five little cilantro sprouts poking their heads up on Sunday morning, and since then those sprouts have continued to shoot up, and at least half a dozen more have joined them!

As of this morning, I’m finally getting some action from the parsley, as well!  According to the seed packet, parsley doesn’t usually show it’s face until 2-3 weeks after planting, so I’m surprised that they showed up so quickly!

My basil is now the only one that I’m waiting on.  I was getting a bit worried, but I can see some little shoots growing on the side of the jar, so apparently I just need a tad bit more patience.  Tomorrow, maybe?

Okay, so want to hear how much of a weirdo I am?  I’m so excited about my little tiny garden, that I actually go out on the balcony every once in a while and talk to my little sprouts.  I tell them how thrilled I am to have them growing, and I encourage them to grow up big and strong so that I can have lots of fresh herbs this summer.  Yeah, crazy lady over here!

I also move them around every once in a while, to try to get the best light for that time of day.  There isn’t much light on my balcony after noon, since it faces east and has a cover over it, so after mid-morning I move my jars to the corner that gets light the longest.

The only other maintenance work I’ve done on them is giving them a bit of water every couple of days.  It’s all pretty simple.

How’s your garden looking this week??

<3 Lindsay

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Sesame Ginger Green Beans

Confession: I’m not sure if I’ve ever actually bought fresh green beans before this week!  I know, shocking, right?  They are so much tastier and crispier than the frozen kind.  I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to go back after this!

Despite my inexperience with the fresh beans, I still managed to come up with an amazing recipe to enjoy them with!  It’s a bit Asian-inspired, with some of my favorite flavors, like ginger, garlic, and sesame.  Can’t beat that, right?

Besides tasting good, green beans are great for your bod as well!  They are chock full of chlorophyll (“more like bore-ophyll!” -name that movie) and antioxidants, as well as being a good source of vitamins A,  C, and K!  Not to mention, sesame seeds are a great source of calcium!  Munch up!

Sesame Ginger Green Beans

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb fresh green beans
  • 3 T sesame oil
  • 1 T rice vinegar
  • 1/2 t garlic powder
  • 1/2 t ground ginger
  • sesame seeds as garnish

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 425F.  Trim the ends off of the green beans, and set the beans aside.

2.  In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and ground ginger.

3.  Add the green beans to the oil mixture.  Mix thoroughly, until the green beans are fully coated.

4.  Line a baking sheet with foil, and lay the green beans on the sheet so that none of them are overlapping.

5.  Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring about halfway through.

I plan on munching these with some baked tofu and buckwheat to make a complete meal!

How do you like to prep green beans?

Like most of you, I’ll be enjoying my green beans at work today, but make sure you get a chance to get out and enjoy the sunshine today, even if it’s only during your lunch break!  The vitamin D will do your body good!

<3 Lindsay

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Filed under Dinner, Lunch, Meatless Monday

Positivity Matters

One thing that I have struggled with in my healthy living journey, and my life in general, is staying positive.  Positivity is so incredibly important in your daily life and health, even as much as eating well and exercising, but it isn’t something that always comes naturally to everyone.

We all know those people who seem to always have a smile on their face, telling you how awesome their day is, and seem to have the sun shining out of their butt.  I’d be willing to bet that their life isn’t a thousand times better than yours.  Heck, for all you know, that person could have more issues going on than you do!  The only real difference is perspective.

I’m gonna get honest here.  I spent the majority of my life with a crappy outlook on life.  All I could see were all of my problems piled up in front of me.  You know how it goes: that guy doesn’t like me, I didn’t get an A on that test, I don’t have enough money, she’s prettier than me, I have be in class/work on ALL the sunny days, my neighbors are annoying… Boo hoo hoo.

Finally, about a year ago, I told myself that enough was enough, and I went to work trying to change my perspective by altering the way that I think about things.  It was a long, hard journey, and I definitely still have times when negativity gets the best of me, but I feel SO much better every single day!

The first step that I took was actually quite simple.  At the end of each night, I would look back over the day and write down three things that made me happy.  Even if the only thing I could come up with that day was “snuggles from my puppy”, it was enough to at least remind me of those good feelings, and that they did indeed exist.  Slowly, I began to appreciate the little things as they were happening, rather than just in retrospect.

While you’re appreciating the good things, quit complaining about the bad stuff!  The more you talk about it, the more you acknowledge the negativity of the situation, and the more that negativity is spread around.  You may think that complaining makes you feel better about what’s going on, but in reality, it’s probably making you feel worse!  Not only that, but you’re spreading that negativity to those around you!  Hopefully the person you’re complaining to is a stiff optimist, otherwise you may have just turned your own bad day into a bad day for both of you!  No fun!

Another thing that made a huge difference in my outlook was finding my faith in God.  I know that many of you may not believe in God, so take it as you will, place your faith in the universe, or whatever it is that you’re most comfortable with.  For me, knowing that God has a plan, that I am a part of his plan, and that he has my best intentions in mind, is a huge weight off of my shoulders.

Looking back at my life, every time that I have been discouraged or stressed about a situation, it has always turned out alright in the end.  Chances are that situations in the future will turn out the same way.  Even when I didn’t always get what I wanted, there was always a good reason for me.  Real life: I was rejected from nursing school…twice!  If that hadn’t happened, I never would have found my true passion in nutrition!  I was also rejected from the dietetic internship that I applied to.  But if that hadn’t happened, I never would have gotten the job that I have now, and if that hadn’t happened, I never would have run back into Keenan and begun our beautiful relationship!

There are so many situations in our lives that are out of our control.  Being able to willingly give up that control, breathe, and acknowledge that everything will work out alright, brings an incredible feeling of peace!  At first it might be very difficult to relinquish control over your life, but the more you practice, the easier it becomes, and the better you feel.

Practicing meditation can be another great way to learn positivity.  I grew up thinking that meditation was some weirdo religious practice, but come to find out, it’s nothing of the sort!  Meditation teaches you to focus your mind, to relax, and let go of all of the busy-ness going on in your head.  I’ve found that practicing meditation, even minimally, has helped me to take a breath, analyze a situation, and then decide how to react to it, rather than reacting without meaning.  I have a difficult time explaining the effect of meditation, but I find myself to be in a much more relaxed, aware, and positive state after meditating.

I discovered a wonderful website called Headspace that will take you through ten- 10 minute guided meditations for free.  I highly recommend giving it a shot.  After trying it, if you decide that meditation isn’t for you, then so be it.

Yoga and other forms of exercise can be beneficial for your mental state, as well.  They all cause you to stop focusing on your problems and stresses, and commit to the moment that you’re in.  I have found that for me, real happiness is being in the present, enjoying the little things about that moment.  Right now, on this lovely Sunday morning, my bliss is found by sitting here, writing a blog post for all of my wonderful readers, sipping on hot water with lemon, and enjoying the sun streaming through the window into our living room.

I remember when I was a kid, my mom used to have a sign in her kitchen that said “Don’t do whatever you like, Like whatever you do!”  I never understood it back then.  It didn’t make sense to me that you could just choose to like something.  Like, yeah right am I ever going to enjoy doing dishes!  Now I realize it was incredible advice.  Doing the dishes may not be the most fun thing you could be doing with your time, but if you reframe your thoughts to tell yourself that you’re doing these dishes to make your house pretty and clean for yourself and your family, then maybe the task at hand won’t seem quite so obnoxious.

Speaking of my mom, I want to send out a big Happy Mother’s Day in her direction!  My mom is my biggest fan.  She’s the reason I’m alive, and probably a big part of the reason that I somehow managed to make it to the age of 25.  She’s forever generous, forgiving, and supportive, and I really don’t know what I would do without her, even though I often times take it for granted.  Unfortunately, I don’t get to see my mom today, but I’m sure she’s having a great day wherever she is.  I love you, mama!  Happy Mother’s Day!!!

I hope you enjoy this beautiful Sunday!

<3 Lindsay

 

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Vegan Style BBQ

We are having such a beautifully amazing day up here in Seattle!  I hope it’s just as nice of day wherever you are!

If you are blessed with sunshine, why not take advantage and enjoy a bbq with your loved ones- vegan style!

Just because you aren’t including the typical burgers, hot dogs and steaks, doesn’t mean that it can’t be fabulously delicious!

There are all sorts of options for veg cookouts, including kabobs, veggie burgers, portabellos, etc.  This time around, I chose to go with Field Roast vegan apple sage sausages (pretty much my favorite faux meat product ever, and local here in Seattle!), corn on the cob, and asparagus.

All piled on the grill.

Please ignore my boyfriend’s big ol’ hunk of meat.

We put the asparagus on too soon, so it was done cooking before everything else.  Didn’t bother us though!  We took full advantage, topping them with sea salt, and scarfing them down like French fries, dipping them in BBQ sauce and dijon mustard!

By we were done gobbling down the asparagus, the rest of the food was done!

We had the record player going the whole time.  Good food, good tunes, and good people make for a fantastic night!

Speaking of tunes, one of the records we picked up the other day was the single from Oberhofer (native of Tacoma, Wa!) called Away Frm U.  Well, we ended up liking the B-side more than the A-side, because the other song on the record was a cover of Runaway by Kanye West!  Honestly, the cover is better than the original.  Even Keenan’s brother, who’s definitely more into rap than indie, agreed.  Check it out!

Have a great weekend!

<3 Lindsay

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Nutrition 101: Vitamin A

A few weeks ago, I finally got around to finishing up the last of the macronutrients in my new series Nutrition 101.  In the past couple of months I’ve gone into detail about carbs, protein, and fat.  Now that you’re a pro on those, I figured I’d give you some info about some important micronutrients (aka vitamins and minerals).  Where better place to start than at the beginning of the alphabet with good ol’ Vitamin A!
What is Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be found in two forms.  The first form is called retinol, or pre-formed vitamin A, which is found in animal products, most specifically in animal fat.  The second is provitamin A, which includes alpha- and beta-carotene, which is found in colorful fruits and veggies.  I will be focusing on provitamin A.

Provitamin A interacts with an enzyme in the body, which converts it to retinal, which is used to perform many functions within the body.

The most commonly known function of vitamin A is the promotion of eye health.  Vitamin A helps to build your retinas, which helps your eyes adjust to light, prevents night blindness, prevents cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (two of the leading causes of blindness), and helps to keep your eyes lubricated.

Vitamin A is also great for building up your skin, the lining of your organs, and mucus membranes!  This is a major benefit for your immune system, since these are your first line of defense against infections.  Vitamin A helps them to stay moist and resist damage, keeping pathogens out!

It also helps out your immune system by contributing to the development of lymphocytes, one of the types of cells that fights off intruders in your body, by stimulating the thymus gland, where the cells are formed.

Vitamin A, especially in the form of beta-carotene, may also help to prevent cancer and heart disease, although it is not proven, since studies have shown mixed results.  It has been shown to be especially helpful in the prevention of prostate cancer.  Strange fact, though: high amounts of beta-carotene has actually been shown to increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers!  Time to kick the habit!

Beta-carotene’s free-radical fighting power doesn’t stop at cancer prevention, it might also be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.  Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have been shown to typically have lower blood levels of the provitamin, and high amounts of free-radicals in the region of their affected joints.

 

What are the best sources of vitamin A?

Orange veggies

  • butternut squash
  • carrots
  • pumpkin
  • sweet potatoes
  • red peppers

Dark leafy greens

  • beet greens
  • cabbage
  • collard greens
  • green leaf lettuce
  • kale
  • mustard greens
  • red leaf lettuce
  • spinach
  • turnip greens

Orange fruits

  • apricots
  • cantaloupe
  • mango
  • papaya

 

How much vitamin A should I be consuming?

According to the National Institutes of Health, females should be consuming about 2310 IUs of vitamin A each day, and males should be consuming about 3000 IUs each day.

Personally, I wouldn’t waste the time and energy stressing over numbers.  Just eat a couple of items from the list of good sources each day and you should be set.  The majority of the foods on that list contain many times the amount vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) that the body requires.

You may be worrying about toxicity when eating so far beyond the requirements of a nutrient, but don’t.  High levels of vitamin A are only toxic in the form found in animal products.  I remember a professor telling us once that polar bear liver can be quite toxic because of the high levels of vitamin A that it contains!  Beta-carotene, on the other hand, can be consumed freely, without concern for toxicity.

 

I hope I didn’t bore you too much with the science-y stuff!  I just love sharing with you all just why it is that good foods make your body work better.  Nutrition really is a magical, amazing process!  As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask anything!

I hope you have an amazing day, and start to your weekend!

<3 Lindsay

 

 


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Almond Joy Green Smoothie

The only thing better than a green smoothie, is a green smoothie with chocolate.  Today’s Thirsty Thursday smoothie is inspired by one of my formerly favorite candy bars, the Almond Joy!  That combo of coconut, almond, and chocolate is absolutely mouth-watering!

Almond Joy Green Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dark chocolate almond milk
  • 1/4 cup coconut flakes or coconut butter
  • 2 T almond butter
  • 1 T chocolate or vanilla brown rice protein powder
  • 1 T ground flax seeds
  • 1 banana
  • 2 handfuls kale
  • 4-5 ice cubes

Directions

1.  Put the coconut flakes in the blender, and blend on high for a few seconds to transform some of the coconut into coconut butter.  This makes for a smoother smoothie.  Or use coconut butter in its place.

2.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and blend on high for 30-60 seconds.


The candy bar translates amazingly to smoothie form!  Not to mention that it’s packed with healthy fats, protein, and antioxidants!

I enjoyed this smoothie after my 4 mile run this morning, and followed it up with a slice of Ezekiel bread toast with avocado and sea sat.  So delicious and full of nutrients!

Happy almost-Friday!

<3 Lindsay

 

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What I Ate Wednesday #10

Hey!  It’s What I Ate Wednesday over here again today!!  Here it goes!

 

As usual, I started the day off with a nice cleansing mug of hot water with half of a lemon.

Followed up with a delicious berry green smoothie!

Coconut water, vanilla brown rice protein powder, chia seeds, banana, kale, frozen strawberries, and frozen blueberries.

Lunch at work was a big bowl of quinoa with edamame, broccoli, carrot, dulse powder, hemp seeds, and Braggs liquid aminos.

The quinoa bowl was followed by a salad of arugula and carrot with an agave dijon dressing.

Keenan brought me dinner from his restaurant (Vino at the Landing in Renton).

Pasta with red sauce, tomatoes, and basil, along with some of their delicious bread.

Overall, a pretty awesome day of eats!

What was your favorite thing that you ate yesterday?

<3 Lindsay

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Mason Jar Herb Garden: Week One

Hey friends!  I hope you enjoyed all of our pix from our weekend in Port Townsend last night!  It was an incredible getaway!

Today, I would like to show you a simple little project I’ve been working on latelyI’ve been wanting my own garden for as long as I’ve been a foodie.  Unfortunately, I have never had a yard available to me in an capacity, so a garden has been out of the question… or so I thought!

After spending countless hours on Pinterest this winter and spring, I have finally found a solution to my problem:  a Mason Jar Herb Garden! 

I could have made a more elaborate veggie garden out of planters and such, but I’d prefer to save my balcony space for living.   A few Mason jars, on the other hand, take up next to no room, and will give me fresh herbs all summer!

It’s so easy!  Just pick up some potting soil, which you can find in the garden department of just about anywhere, some seeds for your favorite herbs (I chose basil, cilantro, and parsley), and a few Mason jars.  I also chose to pick up some clothespins to use as markers for my jars.  I got a pack of 36 at the Dollar Tree for $1.  This whole project should cost you less than $10, and can be kept on your balcony or patio, or near a window that gets plenty of sun!

Follow the instructions on your seed packets, give them a little water, light, and love, and within a few months you should have a beautiful, functional little herb garden!

My babies are less than a week old, so no signs of life above the surface as of yet.  I’ll be sure to keep you updated on their progress in the weeks to come!

Have you ever had an herb garden before?  Conventional or unconventional?

Have an awesome Tuesday!

<3 Lindsay

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