New Years Resolutions…New Year, New You?

Every year countless people begin the new year with a resolution to Get Fit or Get Healthy or Lose Weight or some other variation of that…For the last 5 years or so I have been on a journey of healthier living and to be honest it’s not the gym memberships or activity that gets me off track. It’s the KITCHEN!! Yep, I have problems with FOOD! I love food, but food doesn’t love me. So, I’m on this journey of eating to live instead of living to eat and eating clean instead of the highly processed junk that I’ve been so used to calling food.

My first step was learning to make 2 different consistencies of an avocado spread to use in place of mayo (or in my case miracle whip). A small change, but change has to start somewhere…Right? Both included avocado (the chunky spread was made with an avocado mashed with a fork and the creamy spread was made with an avocado blended in the food processor), splash of lemon juice to keep the avocado from turning brown, and salt & pepper to taste. I’ve already used the chunky avocado spread on bread for sandwiches and the creamy avocado spread to make turkey salad…a green turkey salad has to be healthier than the regular one…Right?

I have 3 more goals that I’m working on next.

My FIRST goal is to get back to eating my oats! I’m running away from that instant stuff filled with sugar and various preservatives and going back to the good old fashion Quaker Quick Oats (I’ll upgrade to the steel cut oats a little later). I’m into quick preps so overnight oats work better for me since I know my mornings with be hectic once I go back to work. I prepared a Strawberry chia oatmeal last night for today’s breakfast (and forgot to take pics, oh well!). Anyway, I put 1 cup of water (I use my almond milk for my protein shakes), 1/2 cup of oats, some frozen strawberries (about 6-8 or so), and about 1 TBSP or so of chia seeds in a storage container with a lid and stuck it in the frig last night. This morning I warmed it for about 2 min in the microwave (1min at a time) and added 2tsp of sugar. I can’t wait to try out the recipes that I discovered on Pinterest!

My SECOND goal is to get back to adding chia seeds to everything. You already know I added them to my oatmeal, but soon I’ll be learning to grind them because I don’t like the seed taste in my food. Chia seeds are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, and they are a plant-based source of complete proteins. Oh and if you’ve ever used them you know that they like to absorb water and swell up much bigger than their tiny size and even form into a gelatin-like texture…think about that in your tummy!! Some people say chia seeds help with weight loss because they help you feel full due to this swelling phenomenon. And honestly, I barely got through that one serving of oatmeal this morning…usually I eat one serving and start looking for something else to eat.

My THIRD goal is to get back to consuming my right amount of water! Yeah I know all about my body being made up of mostly water…and that I need to stay hydrated and such…but the holidays on the islands with all of these fresh fruit juices and teas and messed up my water intake. I aim for 1 gallon (128 ounces=oz) of water per day or at least 80 oz. We are supposed to drink at least half of our body weight of water in oz, which means you can follow this chart (not exactly 1/2 body weight but close enough).

So basically, these aren’t really resolutions because I stepped away from making those empty promises a long time ago, but rather small steps that I am taking for a healthier me!

Slimming down,

Stassi Nicole