Archive | Food

Tips for Healthy Living

August 23, 2012

Over the years I have become healthier by choice, not because of some grave diagnosis, but because I wanted to feel good on a regular basis. Plain and simple. When I look back, I smile at my evolution and it continues to surprise me.

Here are a few tips for healthy living that I have learned over the year. Perhaps you will find one or two of these ideas useful.

Behave in ways that feel good. If it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it.
Sleep 8 hours each night. Minimum 7 hours. Do an experiment and pay attention to how you feel after six hours of sleep vs. eight hours. See if your mood and energy level improve with more sleep.
Meditate. Take time each day, even if it’s only for five minutes, to be quiet and still. Just sit and breath.
Get organized. Clear out the crap in your life. Even if you live with someone who is messy, you can get your own stuff organized. Do what you can.
Eat mostly whole foods.
Minimize alcohol and caffeine.
Get active. Don’t just exercise. Find a physical activity you truly enjoy. (Turn off the TV. At first you might miss it, but that will pass.)
Stretch your body regularly. Call it yoga or just plain stretching. Either way, just do it. You will be thankful when you are old.
A few close friends is better than a lot of kinda-close friends.
Simple moments make me happier. For instance, a picnic is better than a fancy restaurant. I can focus more on who I’m with rather than get caught up in all the fanciness.
Drink a lot of water.
Smile more. Notice how you feel when you smile. It feels good, right?
Dress for the weather and bring layers. You can be fashionable and comfortable. (Wear a hat when it’s cold and mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves.)

I often think of healthy living as taking care of my body, but it’s more than that. Be sure to take good care of your mind too.

What tips do you have for healthy living? Share in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

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Quick and Easy Breakfast

August 22, 2012

Oatmeal is a breakfast staple in my home. I usually cook two cups of rolled oats at a time which yields five large servings. I store the leftovers in individual glass containers that we can reheat and eat quickly the next day. This makes breakfast really simple and healthy. I typically eat it with fresh, chopped fruit. It tastes good and keeps me full until lunch time. If you want to start your day on a healthy note, give it a try!

A Simple Oatmeal Breakfast

1 small peach or nectarine, chopped

1 cup rolled oats, cooked

1/3 cup unsweetened, vanilla-flavored almond milk

Chopped pecans, optional

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Dear Omnivores, Cooking for Vegans is Easy!

August 15, 2012

This page originally appeared last Fall. I was inspired to write it after a conversation with my boyfriend. As I have mentioned, I left my corporate job recently and on my last day, my team had a going away lunch for me. As the only vegan at the table, the topic of cooking for vegetarians and vegans came up. I think it is fitting to repost this as the It’s Easy Being Vegan audience has grown quite a bit since Fall.

When do you think “so and so” is going to invite us for dinner, B asked while cooking vegan mac & cheese.

You’re going to have to get a new girlfriend before that’s going to happen, I said.

Continue Reading →

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Recipe of the Week: Old Fashioned (Tofu) Chicken Salad

July 12, 2012

Great salad for a summer picnic.

I’m in love with this tofu salad from fatfreevegan.com. It’s an easy recipe and tastes great. The baked tofu by itself is good too. Next time I make it I plan to double the tofu and marinade — saving half the baked tofu to use on salads, wraps and sandwiches. Give it a try!

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How Tare You

June 22, 2012

Dear Christine,

I was just wondering, if you take your own containers for bulk buying at the market, how will the check-out person know the weight allowance for the containers? Would you provide the weights and expect them to trust your numbers? Would you go through the line and give them to a check-out person to weigh before filling them, and then hope the same person is there when you are ready to check out? Would you first use the plastic or paper bags provided, pay for your purchase, and then empty the bags into your containers?

Thank you,
Alex

Hi Alex,

Great question! I assume this came up after reading last Saturday’s tip of the day: Practice BYOC or Bring Your Own Containers when shopping in the bulk section of the grocery store.

All empty containers have a weight allowance including bags and boxes. This is called a tare. When you pop some apples into a plastic bag (which I don’t suggest you do), the cashier will punch in the bag’s tare when weighing them. This prevents the weight of the bag from being included in the price you pay for the apples. The same concept applies to other containers you bring to the store. You must have your containers weighed before you fill them with food. We take our containers to the customer service desk when we get to the store and write the tare directly on the boxes with a permanent marker, then we shop.