Raisin French Toast Protein Breakfast Bakes

I had never heard of a french toast flavored protein powder until I had the opportunity to try some of the Primera French Toast Protein Powder and I am sure glad I did! First of all, this line of protein powder is different because it is a hydrolyzed protein powder which uses an egg white & whey blend (hydrolyzed: this means it is fast digesting). Secondly, I am around a lot of researchers who are doing work with egg protein and its amazing impact on satiation (feeling full) which could be a great strategy for weight management, but I have also learned that the whey & egg protein blend is also looking very promising in the research world- in respect to fat tissue breakdown and muscle protein synthesis. Lastly, but certainly not least, was the joyful smell of these baking in the oven. It was unbelievably delightful. My husband ate these this morning for breakfast and loved them.

Fodmap Sweet Potato & Parsnip Cakes

I have always loved sweet potatoes.  We often try to eat low-FODMAP foods because both my husband and I have happier GI tracts when we do. I had some parsnips that I needed to use and thought I would try out some Fodmap Friendly Sweet Potato & Parsnip cakes to accompany my balsamic herb-encrusted salmon and really enjoyed what came together. I know that olive oil has a high smoke point (around 405 degrees F) but on medium heat I was seeing a bit of smoke coming from the oil, so I just turned the heat down a number (from 6 to 5 on my stovetop) and didn't have as much burning the second time around. 

Sweet potato & parsnip cakes make a great side dish!

Ingredients: 

2 large sweet potatoes (baked at 350 degrees F in foil for 45 minutes & then peeled and mashed*) 

2 parsnips (peeled and chopped) 

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

~5 TBSP olive oil

Budget-friendly Tips for Smart & Healthy Meal Planning

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I really think that one of the best ways to keep your menu in check with your health goals is to make a shopping list before you head to the grocery store. Usually on Sunday mornings, my husband and I will sit down together (and solicit input from the kids) to plan our meals for the week before we buy our groceries. We know that on a couple of the evenings, time is hectic due to soccer practice and other activities and these are the nights when we plan to utilize the crockpot, have a freezer meal thawed and ready to be cooked, or we plan to grab a meal out. This really saves us time figuring out what to make for dinner at the last minute and gives us the opportunity to budget our meals based on what is on sale in the ad at our preferred grocery store.  Planning ahead really does reduce a lot of stress associated with last-minute meal decisions (which can often end up in a drive-thru line that costs more and is less nutritious than what could have been planned in advance).

Here are some budget-friendly tips for smart & healthy meal planning:

Health is Wealth Toolkit- Tracking Your Intake

One of the most useful tools for someone who is looking at making improvements to their current diet is to keep an accurate record of what they are actually eating. I can’t tell you how many times I have been tracking my diet and found that I was not getting enough Calcium, Vitamin A, and especially Potassium in my diet. I value variety in my diet and am always trying new recipes and dishes, but not everyone is like me. When working with clients who want to lose weight, 99.9% of the time they have already tried some type of calorie-restricting diet that has major deficiencies in important vitamins and minerals. There really is no reason for this! Granted, there are many, many factors that play into a person’s ability to lose weight but there are many nutrient-dense foods that one can incorporate into their diet that promote more than healthy weight loss. Nutrient-dense foods can prevent and treat many nutrition-related chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and so on. (Not familiar with the term nutrient-dense foods? Nutrient-dense foods are foods that have a lot of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, but not a lot of calories. Think of fruits, vegetables, or complex carbohydrates like quinoa, oatmeal, and beans/lentils)

Five Ingredient Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

I Love Apple Season! Maybe it is the Michigander in me, but once football season starts, I sure do get a hankering to make cobblers, stews, and casseroles. Granted, it is still in the 80's right now in North Carolina but I did see a few leaves in my pool so that counts, right? I have never used a boxed cake mix before with my cobblers but I had a box of Glutino Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Yellow Cake Mix in my pantry and a bunch of gala apples and decided to give it a try. It was a big hit in the house! I will definitely be making this recipe again:

Ingredients:

Is Magnesium the answer to preventing migraines?

I have been a migraine sufferer for over twenty years. Anyone who has experience with migraines knows that over time you can get better at identifying the triggers for these debilitating and painful headaches, but sometimes they just happen for what seems like no reason at all. I was having some horrible allergies a couple of years ago and decided to go to an allergist and have the skin-prick allergy testing done. Afterwards when the allergist was reviewing my results with me, he asked me “do you suffer from migraines” and I said “yes”. He then circled a recommendation on my instructions form that stated: 500mg Magnesium Oxide BID (BID- twice a day in medical terminology). Then, he circled some additional recommendations for some expensive pillows, air purifier, etc., which I really did not need and sent me on my way with about four different medication prescriptions that I really did not need either.

Ring the bell! School is in...and so are these items...

It is back to school time and travel soccer season for my household. There are some products out there that I have really been enjoying lately: