Guilt Free Poolside Treats

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The lazy days of summer always include a trip or two each week to our neighborhood pool. We usually take a small cooler to pack our drinks and treats in. This summer one of my goals is to plan ahead and not just end up buying junk food for me or my kids at the concession stand. I was shopping at my local Walgreens the other day, checking out and saw these super cool new Extra® 35-stick pack and was pretty impressed by how they were in their own plastic packaging and thought they would hold up well in my pool bag. I mean, there is nothing worse than opening your purse or pool bag to find 20+ stick of gum dumped out and to top it off, covered by a wet towel. YUCK! We've all been there, am I right?? So I decided to give this bigger pack a chance. 

I quickly realized too that there are 35 sticks in each pack. Which is super nice, because I have some majors gum stealers at my house! Now there is plenty to go around. I thought why not "Give Extra, Get Extra".  I have always been a spearmint girl through and through, but I also bought the Polar Ice® flavor and I really liked it! It definitely have more of a cooling type flavor, which is perfect for summer. 

In addition to bringing gum, I like to cool off with a low calorie drink. I have been obsessed this summer with making my own fruit water using fresh fruit, stevia and a sugar- free coconut syrup. I even have to hide it sometimes from my kids who are always begging for some!

The best part about this recipe it is super easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for the ice cubes to set, which takes about 4 hours. I like to make this the night before we head to the pool, so they are ready to go in the morning. 

Berries happen to be my favorite to use, because I like the taste and they are low on the glycemic index. For this round I used strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and a little mint. Some other good options are cubed mango, basil and even some orange segments. Basically you can use whatever fruit you like, just make sure to cut it up fairly small.

I used some basic ice trays and placed my fruit inside, leaving some room for the water. I have found that using a pitcher of filtered water make it easier to pour. 

Fill up the trays until completely full. Place in the freezer overnight or for at least 4 hours. When they are done, pop out the fruit cubes and add them to your water bottle. Then add:

- 2 drops liquid stevia (or to taste)

-splash of sugar free coconut syrup 

Place the top on and shake up. Your refreshing, guilt free drink is now ready to go!

Another thing I really love about this new packaging, is that it is recyclable! Which we have loved teaching our kids the importance of sustainability. Also having the bigger packs mean less trips to the store (for me) because I go through a lot of gum...and I mean A LOT! Chewing gum is one of my biggest secrets to curbing my chocolate cravings. In fact, I have a pack in my car, my purse, my pool bag, and even my church bag. Gum helps to cleanse the palate, which helps with resetting your taste buds so that if you have a sweet tooth like me, it can curb those cravings. Don't believe me? Try it here for yourself!!

Why I Didn't Gain a Pound

During the month of April I was out of town for ten days. Ten days of not exercising, not eating my regular food, and being at the mercy of someone else's schedule. Yesterday when my life had somewhat returned to normal, I found myself starting at the scale in my bathroom. I mean, I really did not want to get on it. Like....at all.

But first, let me tell you all the things I ate while traveling:

• ice cream sundae ( 3 scoops)
• popcorn
• Disneyland churro
• cheese enchilada platter
• pizza
• bagels
• red licorice
• starburst
• sugar cereal
• root beer float
• french fries
• crackers
• kettle corn

Ok, I know what your are thinking...."That's no too bad." Well considering 90% of my regular diet involves vegetables, it is fairly extreme. I was with my little girls, having a blast and not focusing on how much protein (or lack thereof) was in my churro. However I would say my biggest complaint after eating these foods (trust me, there were no complaints while I was eating them) is how they made me feel. I was uncomfortably full most of the time and my digestive system wasn't happy. 

So, lets get back to how much weight I gained while on vacation... I hardly could believe my eyes, but when I stepped onto the scale, it was EXACTLY the same as before I left....even down to the ounce. So naturally I stepped off and stepped back onto the scale thinking maybe it was a mistake...nope still the same.

As confusing as this is to most people I would like to explain how this can happen. You see, I spend A LOT of time eating healthy and working out. I am at the gym for 2 hours every morning, come home and spend the rest of the day fueling my body with good, nutritious food. When I tell people I eat my weight in protein every day they have a hard time believing it, but I do. If you lift weights, eat your weight in protein, you will lose weight....scouts honor. Some people call this the 80-20 rule of dieting, but that would mean you eat whatever you want 4 times a week, which I think is a little high. I tend to only have one "freebie" meal once a week, sometimes once every two weeks. Also people listen up...vegetables are your friend!! Want to feel full without loading up on calories and unhealthy fats? Vegetables are your answer. They are full of fiber, help flush out water weight, and have tons of vitamins and minerals to keep you fueled for the day. 

Since we are headed into the traveling season, I thought I could give you a few pointers to help you not stress about throwing your diet out the window when you drive off to your destination.

1. Most of the weight gained on vacation is water weight. For every carbohydrate you eat, your body requires 3-4 additional ounces of water to support it. So if you step of that scale post vacation and are up 6 pounds, you most likely didn't gain 6 pounds of fat, but your body is retaining most of that weight in water. 
2. Drink up. Water is your friend. Especially if you are out in the heat, your body is most likely sweating and you need to keep hydrating. Anything with carbonation will more than likely dehydrate you faster.
3. Walk every where you go. I was at both Disneyland and Disneyworld and walked roughly 25k steps a day. Even though I wasn't exercising, I was able to keep moving. 
4. When you get back, get right on track. Looking at this list of food I could say "Oh well, I've blown it" and just keep eating junk. That is where pounds are gained!! In your mind! Instead I came home and jumped right back into my normal routine. This step is crucial when maintaining weight loss. 
5. Relax, you're on vacation, right? At the end of the day, we can count macros or calories all day long, but the truth is you probably don't vacation every month. It is most likely one to two weeks a year where you get to enjoy your loved ones, beautiful scenery and fun activities, so do just that. Enjoy... There is plenty of time to exercise and eat right, in fact 52 other weeks to be exact!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Vegan Cookies

I have been making these cookies for years, and over time have made little tweaks here and there. Vegan cookies can be tough to make and not be dry and crumbly. However, these have a few unique ingredients that make them super moist. Also try to follow the baking steps closely, if you mix the batter too much, the cookies will become dense and dry.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp pink himalayan salt (or 1 tsp regular salt)

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

*mix together in bowl and set aside

*in separate bowl combine

1 cup natural, chunky peanut butter ( I use Adams from Costco)

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Add dry ingredients to wet all at once. Stir until just combined. Wait 5 minutes and then five a few more stirs to the batter. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto parchment or silicone baking sheet. Press down on the top gently to flatten a bit. Bake for 9-10 mins. Do not overbake. Allow to cool on wire rack and store in a ziplock bag or airtight container. These are even healthy and yummy enough to eat for breakfast or take to a cookie exchange

XO,

Veggie Lisa

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