The Fit List: 5

Welcome to The Fit List!  

Every week I give you a "Top 5" list of what's on my mind when it comes to health, fitness, food and sometimes even fashion! Come visit me weekly for The Fit List.

1. Have a sweet tooth? Satisfy your craving with a date! Medjool dates are my favorite, loaded with vitamins and minerals with the sweetness to satisfy any craving. 

2. I went to a Korean restaurant with a friend yesterday and there was an awesome pickled cucumber side dish. Check THIS side dish out. Looks so easy to make! I will be trying this.

3.Nutritional Yeast. The name doesn't sound so hot, but yes people eat this stuff! I haved cooked with it before too, and it could be a vegan's best friend. Read more here. 

4. My latest YouTube video. It's really good. Its all about the upper body. No mat needed, just weights. 

5. I love fall. And every fall I get my Pumpkin Butter from Trader Joe's. It goes so well with Ezekiel bread and almond butter. 

What's on your mind this week? Comment below or email me! Maybe it will make The Fit List.

Like what you read? Share the Fit List and spread the love! 

The Fit List: 4

Welcome to The Fit List!  

Every week I give you a "Top 5" list of what's on my mind when it comes to health, fitness, food and sometimes even fashion! Come visit me weekly for The Fit List.

1. Easy way to make an at home tapenade. You can use the tapenade on top of homemade pizza, fish, or just spread on top of crackers! 

• 2 Cups pitted Olives (I used green and black)
• spoonful of capers
• 2 TBS of EVOO (you can put more if you wish - slowly add some in and see what consistency you like)
• herbs of your choice: rosemary, tarragon, basil, thyme! 
• 1-2 cloves garlic

Directions: 

• put olives, herbs, and garlic in a food processor
• blend until a paste forms
• add in EVOO and blend more
• enjoy!

here is another tapenade recipe

2. I take off my makeup and wash my face with coconut oil. I then remove it with a hot wash cloth. When I am in the shower I wash my face, arms, and chest with raw honey! Check out the video below on my coconut oil face wash routine. (If you are reading this on your phone I do not think the video will show up... sadly.)

3, Yoga Tune Up Balls are the best! Not too hard- not too soft. I use them all them time to roll out any tightness or soreness. I love to use them on my back, neck and feet. They are perfect for travel too!

4. Now that fall is coming around I'll be drinking this tea a lot! Who loves ginger and turmeric!? 

5. Simple tip: Preheat your pan BEFORE roasting vegetables. Read more here. 

What's on your mind this week? Comment below or email me! Maybe it will make The Fit List.

Like what you read? Share the Fit List and spread the love! 

The Fit List: 3

Welcome to The Fit List!  

Every week I give you a "Top 5" list of what's on my mind when it comes to health, fitness, food and sometimes even fashion! Come visit me weekly for The Fit List.

1. Ever eat spinach and it makes your teeth feel all funny? That gritty/dry feeling comes from oxalate crystals that leak out of the spinach as you chew. Oxalic acid can also prevent your body from absorbing iron. So next time you eat spinach squeeze some lemon juice on it (Vitamin C!) to help with absorption. Oxalate acid can also be found in other foods like kale, beets, rhubarb, almonds, cashews and coffee. 

2. Yoga Design Lab sent me a mat to test out, and its great! Its durable, made form natural rubber and microfiber, free from latex silicone and phthalates. It is also machine washable. The mat is thin, however it is heavier than I would have liked. The mat worked better after I sprayed it with a little water (it is designed to grab better with sweat). The colors and designs of the mats are AWESOME! If you buy a mat -  wait until Thursday September 17th for 15 % off! 

My client is using the mat in this video.

3. My favorite dessert smoothie I can't stop thinking about:

I call it a dessert smoothie because it tastes so darn good, but in reality you can have it any time of the day!

• 1 FROZEN banana
• 1 tbs any kind of nut butter
• 1 tbs chia seeds
• 2 cups any kind of milk
• 1 date (if you need more sweetness)
• optional: cinnamon- nutmeg- vanilla extract - 1/2 TBS of coconut oil
• blend and enjoy (add spinach to make it more green!)

4. I use this oil almost everyday to protect my skin from the sun. It is moisturizing, smells good, and I actually look forward to putting it on! Chemical free, toxic free.

5. Stop throwing away your vegetable peels. Make it into a crunchy yummy snack. I found this on LifeHacker a while back. 

What's on your mind this week? Comment below or email me! Maybe it will make The Fit List.

Like what you read? Share the Fit List and spread the love! 

The Fit List: 2

Welcome to The Fit List!  

Every week I give you a "Top 5" list of what's on my mind when it comes to health, fitness, food and sometimes even fashion! Come visit me weekly for The Fit List.

1. Homemade dressings are the best! They save you money, taste better than store bought, and you KNOW WHATS IN IT!  Here is an easy to follow dressing formula.

2. Gogi berries. I love them!

Why are they good for you?

• They have a great amount of protein! Yes you read right, protein! Gogi berries have about one gram of protein per tablespoon.
• High in Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• low in calories (one tablespoon has only 18 calories!)
• high in fiber
• antioxidants
• some people have said it helps their eye sight, hair and nails!

How do I eat them? 

• in salads
• with nuts
• right out of the jar (I store them in a mason jar and buy them at Whole Foods from the bulk section)
• mixed in oatmeal or yogurt
• I put about 1-2tbs in water let them soak and drink the water throughout the day. I refill my water bottle and by the end of the day I have eaten all the yummy berries.

3. I had a reader ask for places she could find the best smoothies/juices in Boston. Then this article was published in The Boston Globe. How fitting.

4. I always rotate between 3-4 natural deodorants. This is what I am using right now. It is cream based so you have to use your finger to apply, but It feels nice. is not sticky and works!

5. Make cutting cherry tomatoes easier! (this link was sent to me by a reader! Thanks B!)

What's on your mind this week? Comment below or email me! Maybe it will make The Fit List.

Like what you read? Share the Fit List and spread the love!  

Roasted Carrot Hummus

This has got to be one of my favorite homemade hummuses. The roasted carrots make it SO special! The roasting of the carrots does make this hummus a bit longer to prep, but it is worth it! I used FRESH chickpeas with this recipe, but if you do not have time to cook the chickpeas or do not have fresh chickpeas on hand, 2 boxes will do just fine.

This recipe makes a good amount of hummus. You can eat it all, give some to a friend, or store it in the fridge for the week and eat it with pita chips, cucumbers, celery and carrots.. is that weird to eat carrot hummus with carrots?

You will need some kind of bender for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 large sized carrots - roughly chopped
• EVOO for roasting carrots
• 2 tbs EVOO to put in HUMMUS while mixing
• salt (you will add salt to the carrots and then more to the hummus while mixing)
• pepper
• 1 cup raw dried chick peas (you will be cooking these, I did it in a crockpot just add water and cook for a couple hours on high) OR 2 Boxes/BPA free cans of chickpeas
•  1/4 cup tahini
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• Juice of 1/2 large lemon or 1 small lemon
• 1/2 cup-2/3 cup water - depends on how thick your hummus ends up being. Add water as needed.

Directions: 

* If using fresh chickpeas cook them according to package,

• preheat oven to 400 degrees
• place roughly chopped carrots coated with EVOO, salt and pepper in the oven for about 20 minutes or until tender. 
• While carrots are cooking squeeze your lemon, measure out your 2 tbs of EVOO, 1/2 C tahini and all of your spices (cumin, paprika, turmeric and salt). 
• Dump the chickpeas, cooked carrots and all your mise en place (aka all the food you prepped) in the blender- don't forget your garlic clove.
• Blend and slowly add in water. You will need to pause and scrape down the sides and then start to blend again.
• Your hummus is done when it is smooth and all mixed. It will be a beautiful orange color and will taste AWESOME! You can serve it in a bowl and add a bit of EVOO to the top if you wish.

ENOY! XO