Guilt Free Poolside Treats

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GIVEEXTRAGETEXTRA #CollectiveBias #Walgreens

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!

Black Bean Burger with Cilantro Greek Yogurt

When you hear the word veggie burger, what comes to mind? Probably a gummy, disgusting looking soy patty. Textured soy protein is used often in "veggie burgers' because it is 1-cheap and 2-has some protein and 3-the burgers stick together . Now, there are technically little to no vegetables in your typical veggie burger. True but sad. Many folks shy away from making their own patties because they can be slightly intimidating to make. But after years and years of trial and error, I am so excited to share the best....most flavorful black bean burger recipe with you! So many people love this recipe...even meat eaters! I also like to make the batter, shape into patties and freeze. Then when I am needing lunch in a hurry, I can pop one out, place it on the stove and have a delicious veggie burger with lots of vegetables! Also the Cilantro Greek Yogurt is awesome to have on hand as a topping to salad, soups and even veggies.

Black Bean Burgers

2 pieces toasted whole wheat bread

2 TBSP olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBSP seeded and deveined jalapeno pepper, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ¼ c cooked brown rice

1 tsp fresh lime juice

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ c chopped cilantro

·      In food processor, pulse bread to form crumbs. Set aside

·      Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin. Sauté for 2 minutes

·      Pour mixture in food processor and add: black beans, brown rice, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until beans are chopped, but do not puree. Scrape mixture into bowl and add half of the breadcrumbs and all of the cilantro. Stir until combined.

·      Form patties ( I like to make a big ball about the size of a small baseball and flatten out). Place patties on parchment lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.

·      Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in pan and fry patties on 4-5 minutes each side.

·      Top burger with cilantro greek yogurt, avocado, tomato and wrap in a lettuce cup

Cilantro Greek Yogurt

½ c plain Greek Yogurt

2 tsp fresh lime juice

2 TBSP finely chopped cilantro

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground black pepper

·      Combine yogurt, lime juice, cumin, cilantro and pepper. Stir well and allow to sit in fridge for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

The best kale salad...ever

"I hate kale" is an expression I hear often. Here's the thing about kale, its fibrous, earthy, and does not taste like bacon or chocolate. Therefore people are against it. Even blending it in smoothies doesn't really hide its crunchy texture. The secret to making kale taste great is making it flavorful while also softening the texture. When I make a kale salad, I usually pour the dressing on the night before, or even a few hours before serving it. This helps break down the fibers in the kale and soften the texture. This recipe is hands-down the best kale salad that is a crowd pleaser! Even those who "hate kale" love this salad, and even beg me for the recipe after they taste it.

Kale Sweet Potato Salad

Salad:

2 sweet potatoes, diced

2 TBSP olive oil

salt and freshly cracked pepper

1 cup (dry) Israeli couscous, cooked according to package directions (also called pearl)

3 cups finely chopped kale leaves

1/3 cup dried low sugar cranberries

1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

2 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP orange juice

salt and pepper to taste

·      Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potato in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in on baking sheet for 20 minutes or until browned. Cool

·      Place kale, couscous, cranberries, almonds, feta, dressing, and potato in bowl. Toss well

·      Serve chilled or warm. Will keep in fridge for up to 3 days

Nektar Honey Crystal Doughnuts

Can you keep a secret? There is such thing as a healthy doughnut my friends. It's not a Krispy Kreme or a Duncan, but this mini version packs protein and whole grains. I love making these with my kids, there is just something so great about a mini version of food! Not to mention the folks over at Nektar have created these drop-dead yummy honey dusted pretzels. And hello, anything with dark chocolate is always my fav! You can find these yummy pretzels on Amazon. These are perfect for you Valentine!!

Nektar Honey Crystal Doughnuts

3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 c cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 TBSP coconut oil, melted

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 c maple syrup

1/4 c plain greek yogurt

1/4 c almond milk, unsweetened

glaze:

1/4 c plain Greek yogurt

1 TBSP cocoa powder

1 TBSP melted coconut oil

2 TBSP Trivia baking blend

2 crushed Nektar Honey Crystal Dusted Pretzels (topping)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a mini donut pan (i use the Wilton Mini Doughnut Pan ) with non stick spray. Set aside
2. Blend together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a small bowl.
3. In a larger bowl add coconut oil, egg and vanilla extract. Stir in maple syrup and yogurt.
4. Add in flour mixture slowly to wet ingredients. Then add in almond milk.
5. Transfer  bater to Ziplock baggie and snip off corner
6. Pipe in batter into donut cavities, filling them full.
7. Tap pan on counter to get rid of air bubbles. Bake for 5-7 minutes and allow to cool in pan for a few minutes. Transfer to wiring baking rack to cool entirely. Repeat with remaining batter.
8. Once mini doughnuts are cooled, mix together glaze ingredients. Place doughnuts face up on rack and dip top into glaze one by one. Add Nektar crushed pretzels on top.
9. Enjoy!

The Best Breakfast Smoothie....Ever

A few years ago my husband and I stayed at a super swanky hotel in Southern California. After our spa treatments, I ordered a Blueberry Chia and Lemon Smoothie from the spa menu. Let me tell you, it was life changing. I feel like blueberry and lemon are an obvious flavor combo, but chia? Genius. Here is my version of this delicious concoction.

Lemon Blueberry Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened almond milk 

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

handful of frozen blueberries

1 tsp chia seeds

¼ lemon diced (with peel on but remove seeds)

½ frozen banana

5 ice cubes

1. Blend!

 XO,

Veggie Lisa

A Supplement To Swear By

The supplement world is a tricky place. So many herbs, amino acids, and powders to make your mind spin. Plus the FDA basically allows free reign to companies without any responsibility to back up their products claims. On a daily basis, I take 6 supplements, that's it. They are ones I have studied, used for years, and know they are worth the money. The first one I would like to talk about is the one I love the most. I have been taking this supplement on and off for six years. I have found that it works best in conjunction with diet and exercise (as most supplements do) and can be very beneficial for those looking for some extra helping the fat loss department. Here are the following benefits to L-Carnitine

Pros:

• KEEPS YOU LEAN

If you are looking to get lean, then this is the amino acid you need. L-carnitine transfers long-chain fatty acids, such as triglycerides into mitochondria, where they may be oxidized to produce energy. Carnitine has also been shown to reduce fatigue and serve as an appetite suppressant as well.  It not only will help keep your body from storing fat, but it will increase your aerobic capacity to help you burn more calories. 

• FIGHTS VISCERAL BELLY FAT

Visceral belly fat can be very hard to lose once you've got it. It can cause numerous health problems, mainly increased risk for heart attacks. Visceral belly fat can lead to fat gain around the organs such as the liver and heart, thus decreasing the functions of both of these organs. Raising carnation levels can help combat this by burning fat, which has the effect of taking triglycerides and low density lipoproteins out of the bloodstream so they don't build up causing high cholesterol.

• CAN IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
• CAN INCREASE RECOVERY TIME
• IMPROVES MUSCLE MASS
• RAISES SPERM COUNT
• HELPS NURSING MOTHERS LOSE BABY WEIGHT FASTER
• IT IS AN ANTI-OXIDENT 
• HELPS PROTECT BRAIN FROM AGE RELATED DAMAGE
• INCREASING GLUCOSE FUNCTION IN TYPE II DIABETES PATIENT                                                                                                        As you can see, this supplement has many benefits, but the one that I have really noticed is the decrease in thigh fat. My body really likes to store fat in my thigh area, and I have had to work very hard to lose fat in that area. I started noticing a big difference about two monthI take a half a teaspoon  a day. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Power Muesli

From the first time I tried muesli, I feel deeply, deeply in love. But most of the time this breakfast staple can be loaded with sugar. Here is a great make ahead, superfood muesli that will keep your tummy and your tastebuds happy.

Power Muesli

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/4 cup chopped cashew pieces

1/4 cup pepitas

3 TBSP chia seeds

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 1/2 cups nondairy milk

1 TBSP maple syrup

Mix all the ingredients until combined. Cover and refrigerate. Top with blackberries (or any of your choice) cashews and unsweetened coconut. Serves 6

*adapted from Food 52 

Marathon Mama

"If you want to win something run 100 meters...
                                                                           if you want to experience something, run a marathon."
                                                                                                                                -Emil Zatopek

Shortly after the birth of my second baby, I decided I would try to go run around the block. I have been an active person my whole life, starting dance at the age of 3, competitive cheer in the 7th grade and then majoring in Dance at college, I figured..."I got this." I searched my closet for the few exercise clothes that would fit me at the time, dusted off my running shoes and set out to conquer the block. About a quarter of a mile in, I was toast. I couldn't catch my breath, my legs were burning and I felt utter defeat. I had just had a baby and thought I could run all the baby weight off. I came home and vowed to never put myself through that again.

A year later, a friend in my neighborhood had invited me out on a run. I instantly thought "Oh man, what if I look like a total idiot again?" I voiced my fears to her and she said to not worry about it and we could go slow. And that we did. Until I got faster. It took me a few months of running every other day to even say I had a 10 minute/mile pace. For me, that was an accomplishment.

The years went by and I had a few opportunities come up. I ran a half marathon, which up until this point was the longest I had ever run. I even joined a Ragnar team and spent two days running and sleeping on gym floors (no thanks!). But my running game became stale. And I wasn't getting any faster. So I decided to hang up my running shoes and venture into the weight room with sweaty and stinky men.

I love lifting weights. It has changed my body like nothing else has. After a year of working out hard, eating better, and getting my "pre babies" body back, I was in a rut. An exercise rut. Nothing really got me excited and going to the gym became a chore. If you have ever experienced this (many of you probably have) the best way to get out of an workout rut is to change gears, try something new. So in March of this year, I thought I would sign up for another half marathon again. I had enjoyed the first one, training was doable and I felt accomplished when it was over. However, I had not run longer than 25 minutes in a very very long time. I thought it would be just like riding a bike. But the funny thing is, cardiovascular endurance isn't like that. You have to work for it. Put in the time, sweat and miles and then it is like riding a bike.

I began by running 3 miles. It was hard. I barely made it to the 3 mile mark and I thought to myself "How in the world will I run 13.1 miles?" But every week I increase my long run by a mile and when race day came, I was prepared. I ran a 8:23 pace for 13 miles. I was in disbelief that my body was capable of running that fast. You see, there are just some body types built for running. Tall and lean with long strides are those best built for  high cardiovasular endurance. Well, not one of those adjectives describes me, so I was pleasantly surprised that I could run that fast.

A few days after my half marathon, my husband whisked me away to Las Vegas for a few days. During this time I was able to reflect on how I felt after the race and what I still wanted to accomplish. Marathon was definitely on my bucket list. So I decided to bite the bullet and sign up for a  race in my area in a few months. I needed those extra months to train, get the miles in, and allow my body to prepare for such a big event.

First thing I did was print out a 'beginner marathon training schedule." If you google it, many free programs come up. I chose to go with Hal Higdon's schedule. This allowed me to run a few smaller runs, one big-ish run (about half of my long run) and then the long run which was usually saved for Saturdays.

I quickly learned that running anything over 13 miles was pretty boring. Even with some good tunes, I got bored. My mind would wander and it was nice to have extra time to think about things. But on my longest training run I knew that I needed a partner. Since none of my friends were raising their hands to run 20 miles with me, I enlisted my brother to ride his bike alongside me. He downloaded an audio book and we ran/rode bike for over 3 1/2 hours. He pretty much deserves a medal for that one. But it was so nice to not feel so alone and also he brought along a backpack to carry my water...what a guy!!

During my long runs is when I would test out food/supplements to see what 1.) could replace carbs and sugar 2.) would make me full, but not to full 3.) wouldn't make my stomach feel worse
4.) something quick and portable that didn't take too much time to eat. I quickly fell in love with Stinger Goo in vanilla or chocolate (chocolate was my favorite) but I knew these were just for quick jolts of energy, and maybe not super sustaining. After spending hours trying different things and reading lots of labels my race nutrition of choice was Snickers. Yes, just plain ol' Snickers candy bar. The nutritional stats were very similar if not better than all the more expensive bars and waffles. I could put one in my flip belt, eat it half way through my long runs and was good to go!

Race day was quickly approaching and I knew that I needed to be prepared not only physically but mentally. Although looking back I don't know how someone can prepare themselves mentally for a marathon. The only way to know what it is like is to experince it.

About 6 days before the race I began to carb load. For the first few days it was around 5g of carbs per kilogram of body weight. Then as the race got closer I did 10g of carbs per kilo of body weight. I'm not going to lie, this was very hard for me, mentally.  But I did the best I could. If I could go back and re-do, I would definitely pay more attention to eating the recommended amount of carbs. Around mile 22 of my race, I knew I hadn't eaten enough. I also tapered my runs starting 6 days out with 10 miles and doing a little less everyday and resting the day before. Water is super important too. About 3 days before hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Also drinks containing electrolytes is important. My two favorites are Smartwater and Vitamin Water Zero (Squeezed flavor). Both have minimal calories and a great way to load up on electrolytes, which will quickly get depleted during a marathon.

The morning of the race, I woke up about 3:15am and made sure to have a breakfast packed with carbs. I had a bowl of steel cut oats, banana, with some honey and almond butter. I took a bottle of water with me, but didn't eat anything else before the race, which started at 6am. I wanted my body to have time to use and store the carbs but not weight me down.

The race that I ran was down a very steep canyon. The first mile was the steepest and I ran it in under seven minutes. But the second mile was uphill (at 10,000 ft) and less than fun. My lungs were on fire,  but I tried to stay with my pace group. I have to say that I love pace groups. For the first 20 miles I stayed with the 3:40 pace group, which would have given me a BQ time. But this was much faster than my normal pace so I just tried to keep up as long as I could. Many people say to not go fast right at the first, but I don't know that I totally agree with this. In the races I have run, I always go fast and usually hit a point and know when to back off. I think very rarely can runners go fast at the end, unless they are genetically built that way. For the next 18 miles, I tried to navigate the downhill slopes as much as I could. I had trained a little bit of downhill but not nearly enough. I wish I had run the course (or at least this part) before race day. I think I could have been better prepared in that sense. By the time I arrived at the mouth of the canyon, my calves were on fire. The downhill had shredded my legs. But I knew that 6 more miles I would be done.

The next 4 miles were rolling hills, which sounds nice, but after running straight downhill for the previous 20 miles, rolling hills is not what I wanted to run. It was hard. I actually hated these 4 miles. Many times I asked myself what the heck I was thinking running a marathon. Well, here it was, mile 22 and I wanted to die, or walk , or something other than run. I just tried to make it to the next aid station, drink as much water as I could, dump some down my shirt and on my head, and run to the next one. The last two miles seemed like an eternity. Everyone I passed was walking. They had had it too. The only difference between me and them is that I'm stubborn. I wanted to be done, and the fastest way to do that was to run. I didn't run these miles very fast at all, but I ran, until I could see my cute family waiting there for me. As I passed them I made sure to give them each a high five and say hello. When I crossed the finish line, my lungs felt like they had stopped working. I tried to catch my breath but I was overheated. They have volunteers at the finish line who ask if you are okay and then give you a medal. A sweet volunteer came up to me and grabbed my arm to ask if I was ok, and then noticed I was having a hard time breathing and she said I was super hot. So under the medical tent I went, medal and all. After a few bottles of cold water and some cool towels, I found my husband and immediately began to cry. "Why did I just do that? That was the dumbest thing I have ever done! Never let me do that again!" He just hugged me and laughed, knowing that I had done it to myself.

After some reflection on this experience, I have to say I'm glad I did it. It was something I will never forget. I want to say one day that I lived my life, not standing on the sidelines, but really experiencing all this world has to offer. I will never do it again, that is for sure. But everyone has different goals and dreams. Life is to short to watch other people chase their rainbows. What's your rainbow?

Healthy Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Before I got married, I had never even heard of a No Bake Cookie. When I started dating my husband, he would ask me every Sunday night to make a batch. For almost 14 years I have been making him No Bake Cookies. Recently I went to make them and thought how they could be made healthy. Then I ran across this recipe on another blog and really like them but thought they could be made with less honey and a little more salt. I'm totally a salty and sweet kind of girl:) I have spent a few weeks making different variations of these and I finally found the perfect combination.

*Veggie Lisa's Healthy Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Mix in large bowl:

3 cups quick cooking oats 

1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

3 tablespoon cocoa powder

Set aside

Melt in Small Saucepan:

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup natural peanut butter (I use Adams chunky) or almond butter would work too

stir together until combined and melted

Then remove from heat and add the following:

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt (i use pink himalayan)

Once everything is combined then add 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips and stir (off the heat) until the chips are melted. Then pour over the oat mixture and stir all the oats are covered in the chocolate sauce. 

Lay out mini muffin papers onto larger cookie sheet. Use a small cookie scoop and scoop into each paper. Then I like to sprinkle some mini semi sweet chocolate chips on top.

 Allow to set up in fridge. Be sure to store in fridge or they will become soft set and harder to eat.  Makes about 40 

*adapted from Mels Kitchen Cafe

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. My kids actually beg me to put them in their lunches instead of Oreos. Take that Nabisco!

                                                                                    XOXO,
                                                                                          Veggie Lisa

Killer Deals from Jane

*this post may contain affiliate links

It's no secret that I like to shop. Well maybe we can throw love in there, yes I love to shop. Its actually my favorite thing to do when I have a minute by myself. But I'm totally a sale girl. Who doesn't love a good sale, right? Well my favorite online deal site Jane, has just released these amazing sales on their website and they let me tell all of you about them! These deals will go fast and only online until they sell out (which is usually within 48 hours!) Check out all these cute clothes!! Love that necklace!

Autumn Floral Kimono

                                      

$19.99

Suede Patch Plaid Cardigan

$29.99

Perfect Fall Tunic

$18.99

Boho Necklace Blowout

$5.99

Cashmere Touch Screen Gloves

$12.99

Teething Bangle Bracelet

$6.99

Happy Shopping!!

XO,

Veggie Lisa

Healthiest Fast Food Options for Road Trips and Travel

Healthiest Fast Food Options for Road Trips and Travel

Welcome!

Let's talk about how I am really bad at a few things, such as
 1. writing
 2. taking pictures.

 I'm pretty sure those might be two very important qualities to have, especially if you are starting a   blog. However I am really good at
 1. knowing how to eat healthy
2. making veggies taste AMAZING
3. enjoying the things I love to eat, while keeping my waistline in check

 There ya go. Three pros, two cons...hey that's a reason to start a blog right there. You see, I have been a vegetarian practically my WHOLE life. One bad experience with a Wendy's hamburger at age 8, and BAM!, I was done with meat eating forever. Throughout the years of not eating meat, I tended to eat more starchy carbs, such as pasta, bread, rice, and an obscene amount of cheese. This was not a good formula for feeling and looking my best. The pounds starting creeping on and four kids later, I had a weight issue. It sucked. I was unhappy and drowned my sorrows in Birthday Cake Oreos, literally for an entire summer. I think we all hope that baby weight just 'falls' off after we give birth, but unfortunately our bodies have other plans.

 This is when I got serious and hired an online trainer. He helped me learn the proper combination of foods to help me shed the pounds. Slowly, my body began to change, and so did my mind. Eating well was no longer a luxury for me, it was a necessity. If I wanted to change my body from the inside out, it took hard work, dedication, and A LOT of trial and error. Throughout this process I became a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist and thought I could help instill my love of veggies to others. I have some pretty great things planned for the future and can't wait to share them with you!!

 XO,
  Veggie Lisa