Health & Fitness | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

#LEAN14: a full {sick} day of eats.

17 February, 2014 by Gracie 12 Comments

I hate to be all “woe is me,” buuuuut basically I feel like death. Fever, chills, congestion – the whole nine.

I woke up on Saturday with the worst sore throat of all time and knew right away it was going to be a bad one. Thankfully my parents had come up that day to see my new apartment, and I had already planned on going back to Pennsylvania with them for a few things.

Let’s just say a cozy coach, big screen TV, and doctor Mom definitely help make being sick a bit more bearable.

I’ve been getting a handful of requests for more “full day of eats” posts since starting LEAN14, so I had that scheduled to post today, and even though I’m sick - the blog must go on.

Breakfast - Koala Crisp cereal with sliced banana and coconut milk.

(Yes, Koala Crisp. I’m mature like that.)

Lunch – sandwich of mashed avocado and a fried egg on brown rice bread.

Snack – a big green smoothie.

Dinner – all day I was looking forward to having the slow-cooked pulled pork my mom made, but when dinnertime rolled around the thought of eating meat was just really unappetizing. Regular old rice and beans was all I could seem to stomach Not so pretty, but it did the job.

Dessert – a few squares of dark chocolate.

Oh, and there was tea. Lots and lots and lots of tea.

For the most part, this is pretty standard for what I’ve been eating lately. Normal days usually include more veggies and more protein – both of which seem to be the most unappealing when sick…

What do/can you eat when you’re sick?

#LEAN14: cheesy buffalo chicken dip.

12 February, 2014 by Gracie 9 Comments

Something I wanted to make really clear when I introduced LEAN in 2014 is that it’s not a specific plan – it’s open to every dietary preference, level of fitness, walk of life, etc.

So this one…this is for my low-carbers.

When I try to cut back on carbs, it’s really important to make recipes/meals that don’t make me feel at all deprived. That’s why this is recipe is not Paleo/primal – if I’m going to decrease carbs I at least need cheese!

And oh, is there cheese.

recipe from Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip

ingredients:

2 cups of shredded chicken (I followed this guide to poach/shred chicken)
8 ounces of regular cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of ranch dressing
1/2 cup hot sauce
6 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese *

* you could use bleu cheese instead if you prefer it, or even 1/2 cheddar 1/2 bleu.

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, and cheese. Then add the chicken and combine well. Transfer to a (8 inch) baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes.

If you’re low-carbing it, serve with steamed broccoli, celery, or over a salad. If not, use your favorite chips or crackers for dipping.

…or you could be really classy like me and just eat it straight out of a bowl.

(Once you taste this, you’ll probably do the same.)

Whether I’m watching my carbs or not, I’m personally always a fan of using real, full fats. But if you’re watching your calorie/fat intake, here’s a lower fat version of this recipe.

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Do you ever watch your carb intake? What are your thoughts on eating low carb?

#LEAN14: 5 tips for a perfect smoothie.

11 February, 2014 by Gracie 15 Comments

Over the past couple of months I went from being “eh” about smoothies to drinking at least one every day. To me, smoothies are the best way to get the health benefits of fruits and vegetables while also being, fast, easy, and delicious.

The perfect smoothie, though, requires a few simple techniques that can make all the difference in the world. Here are my 5 tips for a perfect smoothie.

1. if you’re going to use greens, don’t overdo it.

This is the number one mistake I see people do - they assume “the more greens, the better.” While that may be true health-wise, your smoothie is going to taste like crap. If you actually want to enjoy your smoothies and keep up with drinking them, keep the greens to about 1 cup. If you want to cover up the flavor of the greens all together (I always do), add at least 1/2 of a banana to the mix.

2. use a FROZEN banana (and/or berries).

On that same note, I always have at least 1/2 of a frozen banana in my smoothies. Bananas (and berries) add great flavor, but when you use them frozen it makes your smoothie thicker, creamer, and more filling.

3. use almond or coconut milk.

I prefer milk over water as the liquid in my smoothies, but I’ve found that a lighter milk works better to blend everything together without being overbearing. I’m not a fan of skim milk (AKA foggy water), but almond milk and coconut milk are light, creamy, and add great flavor.

4. use a good blender.

For a long time I thought I didn’t like smoothies, but the main reason I wasn’t enjoying them is because I was using a weak smoothie maker. Texture and consistency are KEY when it comes to a tasty smoothie. I’m a huge fan of my NutriBullet and highly recommend it. I’ve also heard great things about VitaMix (although that’s much pricier).

What I love most about the NutriBullet is it doesn’t just blend – it adds air to the smoothie, which makes it creamy and fluffy – almost like a milkshake.

5. keep it simple.

Another reason I didn’t used to love smoothies is because I was overdoing it with the components I added. You’d think that all fruit tastes good when blended together, but that’s not always the case. Now I highlight whatever flavor I’m going for (tropical, banana, berries, dessert-ish), never using more than 2-3 different fruit combinations.

For example, here are my two favorite go-to smoothies:

Simple Morning Energy Smoothie