A Satisfying Smoothie: Step-by-Step!

As many of you may know, I’ve been on a smoothie kick for quite some time now. Smoothies are the perfect summer (& year round!) drink or meal – so filling, refreshing and packed with so many healthy nutrients! They are so versatile and can be made to your liking with any of your favorite ingredients.

Here are the ingredients to one of my favorite smoothies…I normally don’t use measuring cups or tsp/tbsp, so these are rough estimates.

Blend it all together and what do you get…?

1. Chobani 0% Fat Plain Greek Yogurt – 3-4oz, or about 1/2 of a small 6oz container (hello, protein!)

2. Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Original Unsweetened AlmondMilk – about 1/4 cup

3. Spinach – either frozen or fresh – throw in as much as you like…and don’t be afraid! You can’t even taste it! I usually use 2 to 3 big handfuls of fresh spinach.

4. Banana – 1/3 to 1/2 fresh or frozen (TIP: when my bananas are becoming just a tad bit too brown/spotty, I cut them up into small chunks, put them in a ziplock bag and throw them in the freezer to use for a later smoothie.)

5. Strawberries – 3 to 4 fresh or frozen

6. Blueberries – a LOT! (TIP: I always use frozen…much more cost-efficient this time of year – and they do not rot!)

7. Pineapple and/or mango – 3 to 6 small pieces of frozen (TIP: these fruits are high in sugar so I try and keep them to a minimum)

8. Cinnamon – sprinkle in some for flavor. Numerous studies link the intake of cinnamon to a variety of surprising health benefits!

9. Ground Flaxseed sprinkles – about 1 tsp to 1 tbsp. Flaxseed is an omega 3 fatty acid – a (healthy!) type of fat linked to lowering cholesterol levels and decreasing your risk of developing heart disease (+ other benefits!) For more information, click on this link: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-ground-flaxseed-smoothies-5332.html

10. Ice – 3 to 4 large ice cubes

11. BLEND!

(TIP: Depending on the wattage and size of your blender, you may need to mix the ice in AFTER blending the additional ingredients first)

Voilà!

…a (delicious, nutritious, and refreshing) SMOOTHIE!

I absolutely LOVE trying different blends of ingredients! If you have a favorite, email me EasyNutrition4Life@gmail.com, or follow me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HealthyGirlNYC and/or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HealthyGirl_NYC. I’d love to feature one of your recipes in a future blog post!

Until then, happy blending!

A Happy and Healthy Me!

As I’ve mentioned in the blog post titled “Welcome 🙂“, I was not always the person I am today in terms of my health and fitness. Let’s throwback to six or seven years ago (junior and senior year of High School), when I was the picky-as-can-be-non-athletic-brace-face teenager.

In a snapshot, here is a typical day’s diet in the life of 17 year old me:

Breakfast: Eggo Waffles and/or Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Lunch: French fries from the cafeteria and a Twix bar. When we were allowed to leave campus junior and senior year, a donut/muffin from Dunkin Donuts, and/or pizza from the local pizzeria.

After school: Have you ever seen those giant tubs filled with chocolate chip cookie dough? Yeah…enough said!

Dinner: A big bowl full of spaghetti/pasta (and don’t even think about putting in whole wheat!), chicken fingers and fries, pizza, and ok, the occasional vegetable (broccoli, carrots, potato)…

*Please note, that I am in no way blaming my parents for my poor eating habits. There were always healthy options available at all meals (soups, salads, beans, fish, etc). Would I eat (let alone even try) them? No way, Jose!

My sister & I, August 2006 (17 years old)

Now onto physical activity:

I went to school. Came home. Sat on the couch. Did my homework. Ate dinner. Went to sleep. Repeat.

Ok, I took dance for one hour a week. Yes, one hour a week. Junior year, I joined a neighborhood gym, although the membership department probably profited more that I did (if you know what I mean)…

On top of that, all my best friends played sports. I just wasn’t the competitive type and felt more comfortable on the sidelines. I always envied their active and athletic nature.

Like many teenage girls (and boys), I wasn’t happy about the way I looked. I was insecure and self-consicous; the shy one, often too afraid of letting my voice and opinions be heard. I needed to make a change.

Although confidence comes with age and experience, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without making my health a priority.

Fast forward to today:

On most days, I am confident about who I am and the way I look. I’ve grown up. I’ve matured. I made it through my awkward years. FINALLY! 

At 24 years old, I am still the same girl I was seven years ago…I even have the same athletic best friends! My palate changed [and continues to change] drastically. I tried new healthy foods and I ENJOY them. I joined a gym and go consistently. I no longer fear what people think of me, but rather speak my mind and hope for the best. Today, I am physically, mentally, and emotionally stronger.

April 2013 – Still best friends with my high school friends!

2006 –> 2013! A happier, and healthier me.

Now that I’ve told you about me, I’d love to hear about you! Do you have a similar story? Keep in touch 🙂

-Ali

Now THIS is Fast Food!

This meal took me less than 10 minutes to prepare!

1. Stir-fry broccoli, carrots, and peppers – frozen or fresh (I used frozen broccoli and peppers)
2. Boil (already unshelled) edamame for 3-5 minutes
2. Heat up veggie burger* (either in microwave or on skillet) and cut up
3. Throw on top of a bed of spinach (or any lettuce of your liking)
4. Voilà! A protein packed, nutrient rich, DELICIOUS dinner!

I  threw on a little leftover Trader Joe’s Corn and Chili Tomato-Less Salsa for some additional flavor.

A veggies lovers dream salad!

Of course, cooking time varies on whether the veggies are fresh or frozen, as well as how many servings you are preparing!

Next on the list is to learn how to make veggie burgers from scratch!

Hope you enjoy!

-HealthyGirlNYC

Remember to connect with me on Twitter and Facebook 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/HealthyGirlNYC

https://twitter.com/HealthyGirl_NYC

* I used a Morning Star Garden Veggie Patty which is 110 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, and 10 grams of protein according to their website, https://www.morningstarfarms.com/products/burgers/garden-veggie-patties

I think the patties are tasty, but would prefer making my own or using an organic brand in the future. Let me know if you have a recipe or any brand suggestions!

Music Motivation!

So, I recently updated my iPod and boy, what a difference it has made in my running (and walking!) abilities. Whenever I add new music, it seems as though the time on the treadmill flies by. I prefer up-beat, dance music when working out and will share with you all of my current favorites! What genre do you prefer when doing cardio? Do you enjoy listening to music, watching tv, both, or neither?

Warning: Music will make you want to dance. Avoid awkward stares as best as possible.

This mix will give you just about 35 minutes worth of music!

1. “Addicted” – Mohombi ft. DJ Assad, Craig David & Greg Parys (3:35)

2. “Piece Of My Love” – Abel The Kid ft. Julio Iglesias Jr & Snoop Dogg (3:58)

3. “Outta Of My Mind” – B. o. B ft. Dwaine & Nicki Minaj (3:03)

4. “Finally Found You” – Enrique Iglesias ft. Sammy Adams (3:43)

5. “Dancing In London” – Patrick Miller ft. Sophie (3:33)

6. “Turn Up The Love” – Far East Movement ft. Cover Drive (4:26)

7. “Set It Up” – Timomatic (3:20)

8. “I’m All Yours” – Jay Sean ft. Pitbull (3:36)

9. “Echa Palla” – Pitbull (3:20)

10. “You’ll Be Mine” – Havana Brown (4:10)

Check out the songs on YouTube! If you enjoy them and would like the file for your iPod/MP3 player, let me know and I will be happy to send it to you! 🙂

Happy listening!

Ali

“Run” by Flo Rida ft. RedFoo (of LMFAO)

I absolutely love this song. Whether working out or not, this song always pumps me up and makes me want to get up and dance…or go for a run! The fact that the word “run” is continuously said doesn’t hurt either! Let me know what you think…I would love to hear your opinions!

Have a great weekend! 🙂

Ali

My sister got married!

Well, this may not be health related whatsoever…but my sister got married on June 3rd, 2012, and the pictures finally came in! Thought I’d share with you a few 🙂 The ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was out of this world!

I’m to the right of the bride (right next to her!)

Reading my maid-of-honor speech.

Such a proud sister!

Anyone else having a busy wedding season this summer? I’d love to hear about it!

Ali

Welcome :)

Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog. This is something I’ve been wanting to make for quite some time and I’m excited to start it up.

First, let me introduce myself and give you a brief history of where it all began:

My name is Ali, and I’m a 20-something year old female living in the NYC area. I’m currently I’ve completed (!!!) my Dietetic Internship and currently in the process of studying for the Registered Dietitian exam. Growing up, I was not always the most health conscious girl. I played no sports (with the exception of dance class), was extremely picky (think pasta with no sauce, chicken fingers was my favorite meal), and spent very little time thinking about my health. I was by no means overweight, but always considered myself “fat”.

Fast forward a few years:

Freshman year, I was still extremely picky. Although healthy options were available at the dorm dining halls (salad bar, grilled chicken sandwiches, etc), I basically lived off bagels, pizza, and pasta (hello carbohydrates!). I did go to the gym…well fine, I only made it a few times during the year (hey, it was a far walk from the dorm!), but as a nutrition major I felt I must be doing something right. I don’t think I gained the freshman 15, but looking back to pictures, it is possible that I did in fact pack on a few pounds.

Since then I’ve done a complete 180. Each year of college I became more adventurous in trying new (healthy) foods. Exercising became a more regular activity and my health is something I no longer take for granted.

In this blog I’ll share personal health tips, favorite recipes, products that I love, and much more.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy 🙂

Please leave comments and/or questions if you have any!