Take A Look Into My Pantry [Lolli's Pantry Staples]!

People ask me all the time, what I eat to stay healthy and lean.

This is a simple post, but I am hoping a very informative one.

This is a great list to help people who are looking to get healthy, but aren't sure what to eat.

These are things that I keep in my home for my healthy lifestyle.

Lolli's Grocery Staples:

Things I eat frequently-

Bananas

Apples

Oranges

Strawberries

Raspberries

Lemons

Pineapple

Sweet Potatoes

Carrots

Beets

Red Onions

Spinach

Kale

Asparagus

Broccoli

Zucchini

Butternut Squash 

Acorn Squash

Mushrooms

Tomatoes (for Hubby not me)

Black Olives

Black Beans

Garbanzo Beans

Hemp Seeds

Chia Seeds

Almonds

Peanut Butter ( 100% peanuts, nothing else!)

Quinoa
Unsalted Rice Cakes ( Brown Rice)

Brown Rice Pasta

Stevia
Eggs

Chicken Breasts ( boneless skinless)

Chicken Thighs (bone in, skin removed)

Ground Turkey

Coconut Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Spirulina
Hot Sauce ( read ingredients, all are not equal!)

Coconut Water

Unsweetened Almond/Coconut Milk

Spring Water/Filtered Water

Apple Cider Vinegar w the Mother

Sunwarrior Protein Powder
Redmond Clay

Things I eat sparingly/less frequently-

Peaches

Plums

Mango

Avocados

Daiya Vegan "Cheese"

Brown Rice Flour

Almond Meal

Flax Seed

Walnuts

Raisins

Dates

Organic Honey

Pure Maple Syrup

Cocoa Powder

Vanilla Extract

Salmon

Salsa ( with pure ingredients, read labels, Hubby only not me)

Blue Corn Chips (non-GMO)

Tahini ( I make homemade hummus)

Pomegranate Juice

Earth Balance Spread (rarely ever use, coconut oil replaces this 90% of the time)

Baking Soda

Baking Powder

White Vinegar

Seasonings I use:

Cayenne Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Black Pepper

Turmeric

Dill Weed
Cilantro

Oregano

Cumin

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Cinnamon

Ginger

Sea Salt

will be switching to a different chia brand when this container runs out,
one that is more of a pure brand.

***I buy most of my food organic! It is a rarity that we buy something not organic.***

We also use vitamins and sports supplements, but I did not include those all on this list.

This list includes all the ingredients I use to make my desserts too! Your desserts can be decadent AND healthy.

I am sure that  I am forgetting something on this list, but this is what we use in our home right now.

We have to go to 4 stores for all of this.

Speaking of groceries....today is grocery day for us.

What are some of your must haves?

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli


If you like what you read please vote, just one click and done!

An Easter Without Candy :) {With Linky}

not my photo, image googled from around the web.

We are having an Easter without store bought candy. 

Kids get enough candy on Halloween to last them a lifetime, and then Christmas rolls around, and Valentine's Day, then Easter....

My question to you is....

Do your kids REALLY need all that candy?

The honest answer is NO.

So what do you do if you don't give your kids candy for Easter?

• Make dinner time special. Let the kids help plan a special Easter dinner.
• Fill their Easter baskets with toys or educational items or things they need ( or skip the basket all together).
• Have a coloring fest with your childen. Print out these pages here.
• If it is nice outside where you live, do an Easter egg hunt, but don't fill  with candy....fill the eggs with point values that they can redeem for little prizes ( stuffed animals, key chains, etc).
• Have them give back. Give away previous years Easter bunnies to a charity or family in need. Or shop for new ones the share with those in need. There are children who would love to have what your kids have, even just once in their lives.
• If you must have candy, make it at home .....without sugar. I will post a recipe on here this week for you and link it to this post.
• Hardboil and dye Easter eggs with your kids, pick natural dye options for an extra eco friendly Easter.

Mostly, make sure to spend quality time with your kids on Easter.

What are we doing for Baby A?

I am making her my special home made peanut butter cups that are 100% clean. She will only get 2 ( they are made in ice cube trays).

We are getting her a stuffed bunny. We also got her a toy that she really wants.

We skipped buying the extra basket ( it only goes in the trash any way). Try instead setting up a display table for your childrens Easter gifts, without the baskets.

We also printed out the free Easter Bunny letter. Please see this post for the link.

What are you doing for Easter?

How are you keeping your Easter healthy?

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Are you a blogger who wrote a post on Easter without Candy?
Not a blogger, but saw an awesome candy free Easter post...Link up above~!

Baby A's Birthday Cake with a surprise.{Recipe}

Birthday cake doesn't have to be unhealthy. It doesn't have to taste bad if it is healthy. Birthday cake can be delicious and healthy.

This is why I made this birthday cake for Baby A's 1st birthday. It was delicious, fluffy, moist, and chocolate-y.

I have seen a lot of different black bean cakes online, but this is what I chose to make for Baby A.

You must give it a try! 

This is the first practice cake I made. It turned out perfect!

This is Baby A's actual birthday cake that was frozen and transported across several states and defrosted the day of the party. It turned out great! 

We really enjoyed this cake. 

For the birthday cake I used the Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan. This recipe size is based on that. ( Cut recipe in half for a single layer cake).

This cake is Gluten free, Casein free,Dairy free, Flourless, refined Sugar free.
Warning: Recipe does contain eggs & coconuts.

Makes 1 giant birthday cupcake.

Black Bean Birthday Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting.

Ingredients:

2 cans of low sodium (or sodium free) black beans
10 medium/large eggs
2 tablespoons of gluten free vanilla extract
12 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 cup organic honey
6 packets of stevia in the raw
12 tablespoons of cocoa powder ( unsweetened)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder ( I used Clabbergirl)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl mix together the baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and stevia. Set aside.

Rinse and drain your 2 cans of black beans.  Place beans, 6 eggs,  vanilla, and sea salt in the food processor. Blend in food processor until smooth ( no lumps).

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the honey and coconut oil together. Add in the remaining 4 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing for 1 minute after each egg.

Once all eggs are added and mixed in, pour your bean mixture from the food processor, into your honey & coconut oil mixture.  Then add in the dry ingredient mixture ( cocoa powder and baking powder mixture), and blend with your mixer until smooth.

Grease your pan with olive oil spray, and then pour the cake batter into the pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until done.

Let cool for approximately 20 minutes.


While the cake is baking you can mix up your avocado frosting.

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado
1 1/2 tablespoons organic honey
3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 packet stevia
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Place all ingredients in a bowl.
Blend with hand mixer until there are no lumps.

Place in fridge for 20 min.

You need to make sure to use a really ripe avocado for this recipe. In addition, get the frosting out of the fridge 10 minutes before icing the cake so it is not too hard.
You may need to double to frosting recipe if you like a lot of frosting on your cake.

Enjoy your cake with out the guilt!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Please do not copy this recipe, I have worked hard on it. Thank you. If you would like to post this recipe please email me for written permission. 

Easy, Healthy, Gluten free Pumpkin Pie!

What is Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, right?

Well, after looking at several recipes online, it was discouraging to see so many with a ton of questionable, unhealthy ingredients & loads of sugar!

So I decided that I was going to make a healthy pumpkin pie with no gluten, dairy, or refined sugar.

Pie Filling Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 (15 oz) can of pure pumpkin 

6 packets of stevia

2/3 cup organic honey

3 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 capful gluten free vanilla

1 can coconut milk ( full fat, organic)( I used Thai Kitchen)

Preheat oven to 400.

Beat eggs lightly, then add all remaining ingredients including pumpkin. Mix thoroughly.

Add coconut milk & blend lightly until mixed in.

Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 55 min or until done.

Pie Crust Ingredients:

1 cup of Brown Rice flour

1/2 cup of Garabanzo/Fava Bean Flour 

( I used Bob's Red Mill for both my flours)

** Pretty much any gluten free flours would work, I just like how the flavor turned out with this mix!

1 packet stevia

1/2 tsp  sea salt

1/2 cup earth balance

Mix together all ingredients except the earth balance ( in food processor)

Add in earth balance and pulse until it is lump looking.

Add in 1/3 cup water and mix until it becomes a dough.

Remove the dough and roll out into pie pan.

Coconut "Whipped Topping":

Leave one can of coconut milk in the fridge for several hours.

Drain out the excess liquid.

In a chilled bowl add the coconut ( thick part), 1 capful of gluten free vanilla, and 1 packet of stevia. 

Whip until resembles whipped topping.

ENJOY!

Be Happy Healthy and Strong,

Lolli

Warning: Whipped topping contains coconut, do not make if you are allergic to coconut.

See my disclaimer page. Make all recipes at your own risk. Do not copy or use my recipe for profit, you do not have permission to do so. If you post my recipe on your blog/site/book please give me credit by linking back to this post. I spent many hours in the kitchen coming up with this recipe on my own. You saw it on Re-Inventing Lolli blog first.

Remember you saw these recipes first here on ReInventing Lolli blog :) If you use one of my recipes, please give me credit, as I work hard to come up with all of my recipes.

Always check labels for gluten free status before using any ingredients.

ASK ME MONDAY #5

"If  I were to only want to change one thing about myself to make myself healthy. What would you suggest?

It seems like getting healthy is complicated, maybe picking one thing would help me get started?"

First, I want to say Congrats on the decision to get healthy. Yes, it can be a tough road at first, especially when trying to figure out where to start. However, it can be very rewarding and gets easier with time.

I would like to tell anyone looking to start out on a healthy journey to talk to their physician, a nutritionist, or a personal trainer. I am not an expert, I am just sharing my opinions and what works for me. 

All that being said. If I were to suggest any change, it would be....

Get rid of Sugar.
(this includes high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, corn sugar, molasses, and evaporated cane juice as well)

This is huge. Read all your labels, if sugar is an ingredient, then don't buy it & don't eat it. 

This eliminates a large percent of junk food. Most junk food has some form of sugar in it. 

I had mentioned in my "Where Sugar Lurks" series that I even saw sugar in ketchup!

If you make a cake or snack at home, use Stevia or honey instead. Don't use sugar.

A lot of people start their journey with exercise which is a great thing, but I honestly believe that nourishing your body first is important, then finding a exercise you love can be the next step. If someone is eating junk food and exercising, it is my belief that they aren't doing their body much good because they are not giving it the fuel it needs.

Best wishes and good luck!

Please use this as a stepping stone to a healthier life, don't let the change stop at just one thing.

Be Happy Healthy and Strong,

Lolli

Make Healthier Choices This Labor Day!

It's great to get together with family and friends on this 3 days holiday weekend. 

Unfortunately for many people that can mean lots of bad calories and junk foods.

Here are some tips for staying healthier this labor day!

1. Swap the hamburgers for lean turkey burgers

2. Skip the mayo and the BBQ sauces ( or make your own BBQ sauce). A lot of BBQ sauces are loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup and other sugars, it's best to avoid these. Mayo is full of unhealthy fats, it is best to skip this all together.

Opt instead for hummus and ketchup or mustard on your burger, but keep these in limited amounts ( check the sugar content on the ketchup before you use it)

3. Ditch the chips and opt for celery instead. It has a nice crunch with out the grease. Maybe even dip your celery in some hummus.

4. Instead of a sugary dessert, look for fresh fruit instead, maybe a fruit salad or some watermelon slices!

5. Go light on the alcohol. Limit the number of alcoholic beverages as alcohol turns to straight sugar in the blood stream, and doesn't do anything to help your liver or your waist line.  Red Wine would be a better choice than many.

6. Drink a lot of water! Water helps to flush out toxins from the body, and keeps you hydrated when you are outside grilling all day.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Just remember to take care of your body while you are having fun!

Be Happy Healthy and Strong,

Lolli

These are my personal opinions and are not intended as advice of any kind. Alcohol is an adult beverage and to be consumed only by those of legal age. Please consult your Dr. before starting any diet.

What is "Healthy"? Are you really healthy or are you just "dieting"?

Many people think that they eat " healthy " when in my opinion, it is no where close to healthy. 

I don't count drinking soda or eating sugary desserts as healthy.

Yet those on fad diets say they are eating healthy, when in fact they are just as unhealthy as they would be if they didn't go on the "diet".

All soda is unhealthy let alone diet soda. I know a woman who claims to be healthy, yet every other drink in her hand is a diet soda.

I also know a few other people who claim to be healthy, yet they eat sugary cupcakes as dessert, almost every night.

And yet again, a friend who has fast food 3 times a week, yet claims to be healthy.

I am not being hard on these people, for in my opinion they are only starting their journey. They are simply misguided in what the word " healthy" means.

Why are so many people misguided about health?

Because of fad diets, and marketing.

That diet cola or chicken sandwich are marketed to be "healthier alternatives" when in fact they are not much better than if these people ate some deep fried chicken and downed a regular soda.

So what is healthy to me?

I started my journey in January 2007, very misguided like many people. Instead of getting stuck in the fad diets though, I started my journey with small steps and changes.

These changes continued until where I am now. 

I didn't get defensive about my flaws in my diet, only stayed optimistic as I knew that each month I was making a new goal to eat healthier & live healthier.

This year my most recent step was to remove ALL refined sugar ( white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and evaporated cane juice) from my life. Every single drop. I instead chose honey and stevia ( primarily stevia) as my sweeteners for cooking/ baking.

I even went so far this year as to make my own ketchup with stevia instead of sugar. It was delicious, and tasted nearly identical to the one I had bought previously.

Junk food lurks in the most hidden places. Sugar and other additives can be found in simple things like ketchup, pasta sauce, yogurts ( sugar is a HUGE culprit here!), etc.

not my photo. image googled from around the web.

"Healthy" to me is a CLEAN diet that consists of :

• veggies ( preferably organic)
• fruits ( preferably organic)
• lean protein ( chicken, lean turkey, fish)
• gluten free "grains" ( brown rice, quinoa)
• beans ( black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, etc)
• nuts ( raw, unsalted)
• seeds ( unsalted, plain ) 
•  (filtered) water
• green tea (100% tea, no additives)
• healthy oils ( coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil... none of that canola crap!)
• pure seasonings ( ex: oregano, basil, turmeric, etc)
• anything that grows in the ground on a tree or bush, any poultry or fish ( low mercury). 
• additive free food
• preservative free food
• labels with 5 ingredients or less are preferable!
• only buy things with ingredients I can read

If it has chemicals or artificial colorings it is out! Artificial sweeteners and sugars are out.

Now for me personally I have gluten & casein allergies, meaning I cannot consume wheat, barley, rye, or oats ( not even gf ones for me), milk, cheese, or anything with gluten or dairy derivatives. 

This does make it difficult when looking for stir fry sauces, and the like, so I have taken to making those as well.

My first attempt at making a stir fry with homemade sauce was a success :) 

This is a HEALTHY diet to me. 

There is no room for the traditional cupcake in this diet, nope, not even occasionally.

There is no room for chinese takeout. Msg is not allowed.

However, I have learned to make new versions of my favorite meals! 100% clean!! 

You can do it too. It takes time, dedication, creativity, and perserverance. 

It has taken me these last 5 years to get to where I am today, and it feels wonderful.

I am still not done making changes in my life.

You will see in my recipe section, various recipes from through out my journey, some of them from before I gave up sugar, and others from the new me. There should be recipes for people on various paths on their journey on my site. Take a look around! 

I am planning on adding more clean foods content, and sharing more about my healthy journey with you!

Are you on a healthy journey?

What is "healthy" to you?

We all start somewhere, and I know there are people out there who probably eat even cleaner than what I described ( raw foodists for example...I applaud you by the way).

We are all on a journey, just don't forget to  keep taking yours to the next level.

Be Happy Healthy and Strong,

Lolli 

See the disclaimer tab at the top of my page. 

These are my own personal opinions and not intended as advice.

Christians: Your Body Is A Temple.

Ok, so I have been thinking this a long time. Anyone who knows me, knows that I always bring my points across with the best of intentions. 

Also anyone who knows me, knows that I am passionate about health.

What I am about to write is in NO way an attack on anyone, only merely my personal opinion and feelings on an issue. I hope that it will be taken as that. 

We are all entitled to our own opinions, and this is mine.

With the sugar series being posted on this blog recently, and then reading this blog post here. I could not keep my thoughts to myself any longer.

Growing up in churches my whole childhood, and coming from a convserative protestant family, I have seen a lot of church events... and a lot of food. A LOT OF FOOD.

The church events that I have been to could put a Superbowl party to shame with the amount of garbage food spread across the table. 

The amount of soda makes me shudder. The fruit salad that no longer has nutritional value because of the sugary syrups and junk mixed in .... is a staple at almost every church event.

The cakes, cookies, ice creams, lasagnas, wings, pizza, etc. Oh, how the church loves their soda and greasy pizza...and they love to feed it to kids and teenagers. Yuck.

I was the kid that grew up in the church, I was the kid addicted to food.

Isn't gluttony a sin????

The church preaches against addictions, yet they cater to the largest addiction in the country ( in my opinion ).
Gluttony.
 The addiction to food.

The church may be a building where people fellowship, but there doesn't seem to be much fellowship without potato chips, popcorn, cupcakes, etc.

What about the food God created? The kind that doesn't come in a box or can. The kind WITHOUT man made chemicals.

Let me elaborate and tell you that I don't eat junk food anymore. I am not a church goer anymore ( for different reasons). Yet I love God with all my heart, I worship in my home and in God's creation, and I consume food God created. 

I am happy. I treat my body like a temple. I am a physically healthy Christian.

Let me further elaborate.

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)says:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;"

Ezekial 16:49 (NLT) says:

"Sodom's sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door."

Proverbs 23:20-21 says:

"Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags."

My point is this: The church is a building where Christians fellowship. A building that humans created. God built and created our bodies with love to be temples for His Holy Spirit. Shouldn't we take care of those bodies?

I find it HIGHLY hypocritical to be a protestant Christian who gorges themselves on bad food to the point of obesity, and justifies it all in the name of Christian fellowship.

Yet, I have been judged for no longer going to church, although I have a clean and healthy temple, and worship God and spend plenty of time in prayer.

How can it be that it has become acceptable to be this way?

It is my opinion that God would not want his children hypocrites, sickly, and addicts of food. 

Much less judgemental of each other.

I am not saying this to judge in any way, in fact I am posting this to bring to light the biggest sin I have seen in the churches I have been to.

It is sad. 

So, why not gather in fellowship over some yummy leafy greens, some fresh veggies and water to drink. Maybe even eat some grilled chicken without the sauces, and some brown rice. For dessert, some delicious berries and fresh fruit. 

Yum.

Guess what?

God created those foods, and they are good.

My beliefs.

You may share your thoughts below.

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Fit At Any Age :)

This woman is truly an inspiration to me. 

As someone who lifts regularly at the gym & eats clean, I have a lot of respect for her.

I love that she treats her body right & gives God the glory  for it.

I hope that you were inspired too!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Where Sugar Lurks & Avoiding Sweet Chemical Soup Part 3

What can you eat then?

In our home we like to substitute with honey & stevia.

Some people also like to use agave nectar & pure maple syrup.

These natural sugars ( as well as fruit ) are considered the "good sugars".

Here's the low down on these:

• Honey is sweeter than sugar, meaning you can use less of it to get a sweet taste. Honey also contains vitamins & minerals, and may even help with digestion! Honey is also less processed and is natural.
• Stevia appears to have no effect on blood glucose levels. It is also heat stable. It is natural. It has 0 calories. There are still studies being done on stevia, however it has been used for a long time in Japan and Brazil.
• Agave is derived from a plant in Mexico. Some agave is highly processed and other agave is not, it is best to go with agave that has little processing. There is still ongoing research on agave. 
• Maple Syrup is a good source of Manganese. It can also be a good support to the heart and the immune system. Must be 100% pure maple syrup though.

Whatever you use, whether it be honey or stevia, or any of the other natural sweeteners...it is important to know that even though "good sugar", they are still a form of sugar, and are best used in moderation.

As for white sugar, brown sugar, HFCS, and chemical sugar substitutes, I would like to see these eliminated from your diet. 

It can be hard, but there are alternatives to the sugar laden products.

A conversion chart for sugar & stevia.

Eventually after removing bad sugars from your life, you will slowly stop craving them. It takes time, but our bodies have been conditioned over the years to crave the unhealthy sugars.

Here are some great products that don't contain bad sugar:

• Organic Cucina Antica Low Fat Italiano dressing (GF): sweetened with honey!
• Frank's Red Hot Sauce Original : No sweeteners
• Krema Natural Smooth & Creamy peanut butter: The only ingredient is peanuts!
• Del Grosso Hot Salsa Chunky Style (GF): No sweeteners!
• Dei Fratelli  Petite Diced Tomatoes (GF): All natural and no sweeteners! Be sure to read labels though because a couple of their products do contain sugar.
• OrganicVille Pomegranate Organic Vinaigrette (GF) : sweetened with agave! 
• Pacific Natural Foods Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (GF): no sweeteners! Do read labels however because I did see sugar in some of their other broths.
• Organicville Organic Ketchup (GF/VEGAN): sweetened with agave.

Just say NO to sugar.

Want to know more about sugar? Please read the sites below. These are some of the sites I used as resources for the entire series.

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Resources:
http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/how-sugar-affects-your-body.aspx
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/artificial-sweeteners/MY00073
http://www.everydiet.org/1001/sugar-and-artificial-sugar-facts
http://www.theironyou.com/2012/01/stevia-good-or-bad.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=115
http://bodyecology.com/articles/25_reasons_to_avoid_sugar.php
http://www.alive.com/articles/view/16577/good_sugars_bad_sugars
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html?pagewanted=all
http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/stevia.aspx
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-effects-of-sugar?page=3
http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/honeyhistory.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/023085_sugar_fat_fats.html
http://rippedfitlife.com/content/6-foods-hidden-sugar
http://dailyrightsweet.blogspot.com/
..and more. I did a lot of reading!

If you would like to watch a video about sugar & why it's bad, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM (Sugar: The Bitter Truth)

( it's 1 hr 37 min long)

Disclaimer here.

Where Sugar Lurks & Avoiding Sweet Chemical Soup Part 2

In my last post I mentioned many places where refined sugar lurks.

I also mentioned that it is usually replaced by chemical artificial sweeteners.

So why is refined sugar bad for you?

Here's what constant sugar intake can do to the human body:

• Lowers good cholesterol & raises triglycerides
• Can lead to heart disease
• Can cause obesity
• Can lead to diabetes
• It can suppress the immune system leaving you more susceptible to a host of diseases

I am talking about sugar made from sugar cane. I am not talking about natural sugars aka. "good sugars" from honey, maple syrup, or fruit.

It's not just white sugar that's bad though.

Brown sugar & molasses are no different. Molasses is basically "leftovers" from the processing of white sugar, and brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added back in.

Why are chemical sweeteners bad for you?

• They are chemical, not natural
• They are suspected to possibly cause cancer
• Aspartame contains methanol and can be metbolized by your body into formaldehyde
• can cause headaches/migraines
• may affect thyroid function

None of these sound good. 
It is also possible that artificial sweeteners can cause weight gain because they can cause the body to crave more food.

 Maybe this is making you re-think the diet cola you may have drank this morning?

So what can you eat?

What can you do?

Read more in part 3.

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

~Resources can be found in Part 3

~Disclaimer here.

Where Sugar Lurks & Avoiding Sweet Chemical Soup Part 1

Sugar.

It's everywhere.

Hubby and I switched to natural and organic foods a long time ago. We used honey and stevia to sweeten our homemade desserts and didn't buy the sugary ones in the store.

We were doing well, or so we thought. 

Then we watched Hungry for Change, and it made us think. What about all of our other food? Is there sugar there?

We had avoided HFCS in all of our foods. We refused to touch High Fructose Corn Syrup. However, we never thought to check the labels for sugar.

Guess what....?

Recently we went through our cabinets & started pulling things off the shelves. Re-reading the labels. As a label reader, I couldn't believe I had some how overlooked this!

We found sugar in all of these items:

• Salad dressing ( yep, even italian!)
• Worchestershire sauce
• Steak sauce
• Dijon Mustard
• Pizza sauce
• and other items.

We were shocked.

On our next shopping trip we decided to find alternative brands without sugar. Believe it or not, we could not find a worchestershire or steak sauce without sugar. Not one. Not even the natural organic kinds. There was nothing.

We had stopped buying BBQ sauce a while ago due to the fact we couldn't find one without junk in it.

This is sad.

Other places where sugar lurked as we browsed the grocery shelves:

• Tortilla chips
• BBQ sauce
• Ketchup ( even the organic & natural varieties)
• canned diced tomatoes
• canned corn
• yogurts

I always knew that there was sugar in a lot of foods. HFCS I knew lurked in many places (we discovered that when we eliminated it from our diet). Hubby and I didn't eat sweets for the simple reason of avoiding sugar, but we found refined white sugar in nearly everything as we walked through the store.

There are the obvious places where sugar lurks:

• Ice cream
• Cakes
• Cookies
• Pie
• Brownies
• Fudge
• Breads
• Cupcakes
• Streusel
• Soda
• Juice boxes
• Sweet tea

But it doesn't end there.

Sugar is bad for you. 
But so are artificial sweeteners.

Some of the artificial sweeteners are:

• Aspartame
• Acesulfame potassium 
• Neotame
• Saccharin
• Sucralose
• ...and others

You may see these as Equal, Splenda, Sweet N Low, NutraSweet, etc. 

These are no good either.
It seems that the items touting "sugar free" labels, contained chemicals.
Great......{sarcasm}

I don't want to consume those either. 

More on why I don't like artificial sweeteners & why to avoid sugar in Part 2

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

~Resources can be found in Part 3.

~Disclaimer here.

All About Avocados.

You may have had guacamole at one point, but is that where your knowledge ( and consumption ) of avocados ends?

Don't worry. 

That's why I am posting this. 

Here are some things you might like to know about Avocados:

• The 2 main places where avocados come from are California & Florida
• Avocados are great for heart & eye health
• Great source of fiber
• Avocados are also full of potassium and vitamin k!
• They are full of healthy fats
• Avocados are also good for regulating blood sugar
• A great source of  vitamin E, Glutathione and monounsaturated fat

Want to know how to use Avocados?

You can add them to salads!

Or you can make tons of tasty treats with them!

Avocado is in a few of my recipes coming up soon!

Add some avocado to your diet!

While you are thinking about avocados, check out these links:

Resources-

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/8-healthy-facts-about-avocados

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-avocados.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Food Revolution Day!!

Today we celebrate Food Revolution Day! 

http://foodrevolutionday.com

Please post your healthy recipes  in the comments section below this post.
 ( & links to healthy recipes in the widget )

Let's celebrate good, healthy, clean food!! 

Want to learn more about the revolution & sign the petition?
Go Here!

Here are a few of my healthy recipes and some from other places I think look great!

• Gluten Free/ Dairy Free Meatloaf
• GF/DF/DF/VEGAN Peanut Butter "Ice Cream" 
• Gazpacho
• Huevos Rancheros

Add your HEALTHY recipe links:

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

My Relationship with [Fast] Food (Part 3)

The bigger changes in my life...

My relationship with Fast Food had dwindled drastically. Hubby and I were only eating out occasionally now, and had given up soda all together. 

Our snacks were still junky and I was addicted to bread. I loved anything baked....bread, brownies, donuts, you name it. I also couldn't pass up a York Peppermint Pattie or a 3 Musketeers bar. 

Hubby had said " No way am I ever going to eat that bird seed sh*t" in the beginning, but this was all about to change for him too.

While getting healthier and moving more toward clean eating, I was getting sicker. Fast food made me sick, but healthy food made me sicker. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I felt like maybe I should give up on clean eating, seeing as how I was eating everything in sight and still losing weight. I weighed 89 lbs. I was exercising and not gaining muscle.

Then I saw a video on bodybuilding.com ( my new favorite site at the time), it was about a female bodybuilder who had Celiac. 

I didn't know what gluten was before this. So I decided to cut gluten & dairy out of my diet...on Thanksgiving 2009.

And long story short. I felt better. Actually, I felt the best I had ever felt in my life. I ate less, I gained weight ( I weighed 98 lbs. after being gluten free only a couple months). If you want to know more, then please click here. 

Around the same time, Hubby had revelations in his own life that caused him to start to look at what he was eating too. 

We started following the Eat Clean Diet. We ate more brown rice & only gluten free breads on occasion. Our snacks started to clean up too. We allowed ourselves 1 cheat snack a week. Just ONE!  We even started taking vitamins and supplements.

So now we were eating clean :) 

It felt good.

And guess what we still made more changes to our diet.

What? Could you get any healthier? 

YES.

And we did. 

Going to the "extremes" with healthy eating & feeling the best we ever had !! 

Part 4....Where we are now.

And then be sure to come back for Part 5, of how YOU can change your life!! 

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

GF/DF/SF/VEGAN Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Topping!

Do you crave ice cream, yet wish it were healthy?

Now you can have the best of both worlds. 

This is mine & my Hubby's favorite snack.

The crackle coat in the middle of hardening.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tblspns Natural Peanut Butter ( ours contains only peanuts!!)

2 tblspns Almond Milk or water ( this is for mixability)

2 frozen bananas

* Break bananas into chunks ( throw away peel), put in freezer safe container and freeze for 6 hours or longer. *

Directions:

1. Put water/ almond milk into food processor ( or blender that has ice cube setting).

2. Add bananas.

3. Add peanut butter. 

4. Place lid on blender/ food processor and blend or process until smooth.

It will get chunky, then smaller chunks, then fluff out into ice cream.

Topping:

There are 2 topping options.

1. Crackle Coat: Mix 1 tblspn coconut oil, 1 tblspn honey, and 1 1/2 tblspns pure cocoa powder. Mix until liquid. Pour on top of ice cream, instant crackled chocolate coat. Magic!! 

2. Chocolate Syrup: Mix 1 tblspn honey & 1 tblspn cocoa powder until it turns into a syrup ( it gets lumpy before it thins out, so keep mixing). 

If you are a VEGAN who doesn't eat honey, then use Agave Nectar instead. Adjust measurements accordingly.  If you want more or less syrup adjust accordingly. 

To make plain ice cream, just mix the water/almond mix with the bananas. That's it!! 

I hope you enjoy! 

As always if you have gluten/dairy or other allergies, please read the labels on the back of every ingredient used. This recipe contains nuts so do not make if you have a nut allergy.

In addition, please be safe in the kitchen and use care when handling sharp objects.

I worked really hard to come up with this recipe from scratch. Please give ReInventing Lolli credit if you use this recipe, if you repost, please ask permission. Remember you saw GF/DF/SF/VEGAN Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Topping first on ReInventing Lolli!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli