Life is Better With You

Unfortunately, we live in a time where relationships are constantly in flux - divorces are common, friends break-up, childhood friends get demoted to Facebook friend, dating is casual, ghosting is common, & even family members struggle to stay in contact. That's why it is so important to celebrate the relationships that do survive through thick & thin.

Today, I celebrate my Best Friend-iversary with this beautiful soul & our friendship is something to celebrate.

In my opinion, friend-iversaries are the most important anniversaries in your life. Yes, marriage is great, working somewhere for a long time is commendable, births are wonderful, & getting someone to date you for any significant amount of time deserves a celebration. But, friends are the unsung heroes of our lives.

Your friends are always there for you, providing you with brutal honesty or a supportive shoulder, based on what you need - & trust me, they know which one you need. They hear you complain about your crazy parents, your untrained dog, your bratty children, your psycho boss, your forgetful boyfriend, and that rude bitch on the elevator.

Let's face it, we put ourselves through a lot of crap with relationships…crushes, ex-boyfriends, friends with benefits, dating, falling in love, breaking up…the least we could do is hold a higher standard to the true loves of our lives who stand by us through it all.

Your loyal sidekick has been by your side through new jobs, breakups, family drama, deaths, dates, injuries, moving, embarrassing moments, friend breakups, illnesses, births, etc. Their family is your family. Their kids/pets think your their cool aunt…and, to be honest, you are. They support your weird interests. They support your work accomplishments, even if they don't understand the industry you work in. They have seen you at your worst - both physically & emotionally. They know all of your dark secrets & they still love you.

Cheers to you & your friend - honor your relationship - take the time to celebrate the best thing that ever happened to you, your bestie.

Her & I…we've gone through everything together - from going blind to battling cancer, from divorces to friend breakups, from new family members to family dinners. She's the one that makes my family question my sexuality. We even have a song (Michael Franti - Life is Better With You), it's a love song, but it also adequately describes our feelings for each other. I know, no matter how often we  disagree, the friendship won't end. & that is something I'll cheers to, year after year.

Chicken Salad Recipe

I'll be the first to admit that the Paleo lifestyle is a struggle. The food seems less than satisfying to me…until I created this little concoction! Even if you aren't Paleo, I highly suggest trying this Chicken Salad Recipe, it's healthy (obviously), delicious, & very easy to make.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2 hard boiled eggs
1 avocado
2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
15 grapes, cut into fourths
3 slices of bacon, finely chopped

Directions:
Cook & shred the chicken - I marinated mine in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic salt, & pepper; grilled; & shredded in my stand mixer (shred chicken in a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed)

Add the hardboiled eggs, avocado, sliced almonds, cut up grapes, & bacon to the mixer & mix on medium speed until blended together

That's it! You can eat it straight, dip celery in it, add it to salad, make a lettuce wrap, or however else you enjoy chicken salad.


Happy eating :)

First Week of Paleo

Mo Goes Paleo currently sounds like the stupidest thing I have ever done.

I've completed my first week & it was a rough one. I decided to do this 30-day challenge because I wasn't feeling my best; I thought I needed a little extra something to support my already weak immune system, jumpstart my metabolism, & get me back into my healthy eating routines after a few weeks of travel. 

Here's what I went through, socially, physically & emotionally...

Socially:

I kept all of my social events - I had lunch with friends, I went to an amazing Bull's playoff game (D Rose scored a game winning buzzer beater) with my parents, I watched the Blackhawks playoff games, I went on dates, I celebrated Mother's Day with a lovely brunch out, I went out with friends - basically I kept my life as normal as possible.

Lunch with friends, meant going to Freshii (my favorite healthy fast-food restaurant) & ordering a salad with olive oil dressing & a green juice - each ingredient was Paleo!

Watching sporting events without beer was a challenge, but I did it. I thought the Bull's game would suck with all of the concession food temptations, but the United Center has great healthy food options (section 117), so I was able to get sweet potato fries & a few bottles of water. The date was more of a challenge - I'm far more cute when I have a few drinks in me, but I was still charming. He respected my Paleo challenge & it was a good conversational topic. I ordered water & a salad. The thing about ordering salads at a bar is you have to remove a lot of items to make it Paleo - no croutons, no cheese, no dressing, & a little olive oil on the side, please!

The whole point of Mother's Day is to not be an asspain to your mom, right? So I decided that I would not be a Paleo asspain for my mom - when she told me she wanted to go to Chipotle for lunch I wasn't going to object. My step-dad insisted we celebrate Mother's Day at a little bit nicer place than Chipotle, so we went to The Dawson (great restaurant!). We got a flight of bacon as an appetizer & I had a Waldorf Salad, with a vinaigrette dressing - it was delicious!

Now, here's where I failed on Mother's Day. After brunch, we went to see The Avengers: Age of Ultron (yes, my mom wanted to go to Chipotle & see the Avengers on Mother's Day - she's that cool). I did end up eating some popcorn at the movie theater. Not a lot, but I was instantly sick to my stomach.

Physically:

I had migraines or headaches all week long. I get chronic ocular migraines regularly, so I'm not sure if it was a normal migraine, or sugar detox, or Paleo was killing me, or it was allergies; but, it was painful, & I never had migraines/headaches last that long. When it was just a headache, I didn't take any painkillers; but, the migraines were too unbearable, so I did pop some Advil - that's totally Paleo, right?

I was weak all week long. My gym performance felt off, somehow I passed my Krav Maga test, but during my workouts I felt like I had to lower my weights/reps; cardio caused me to gasp for air instantly; adding resistance to my cardio intervals seemed impossible. 

There were a few times a day, everyday where my resting heart rate seemed to double. I never  measured my heart rate, so I'm not sure what it actually was - but it felt terrible. Perhaps this is a mixture of being weak & my fast heart rate, but I was faint & lightheaded about once a day.

I'm a huge fan of drinking water - I drink a gallon of water every day. This week, I had at least 2 gallons of water each day. That's a lot of water, I thought I might drown. 

I got canker sores galore! Usually I get a canker sore once every few months - I currently have seven in my mouth. Seven!
Finally, I never got a good night's sleep & I'm a girl who needs her sleep. Mornings are hard for me, mornings without much sleep seemed impossible to deal with. I even took medicine to help me sleep at night & still…bad nights. 

Emotionally: 

With almost every person you come into contact with questioning why you are doing something that is important to you, doubting you can do it for a month, thinking your crazy for doing it, telling you the health detriments of doing Paleo, of not understanding what it is like to take any measure to feel (& be) healthy - it gets to your head. Instead of self-doubt, I got extremely frustrated & agitated with people. I also felt like my connections with people were off. 

Constantly having a headache turned me into a huge bitch. I wasn't pleasant to be around. I mainly just wanted to be a in a dark, quiet room.

I never thought about food more than I did this week - I was thinking about my next 3 meals, or what food I needed to buy at the grocery store, or how much I was craving a non-Paleo food, or what I would make next, or I would be reading a Paleo cookbook. I became obsessed with food, in what I believe to be an unhealthy way. I was constantly hungry & never satisfied. I ate enough food each day, I ate enough protein, I ate well balanced meals, Lord knows I drank enough water, but I was always hungry. The whole time. It seemed like my tastebuds and belly were never satisfied with whatever I ate. 

This week totally tested myself, in ways I wasn't expecting. I normally don't eat processed foods, so all Paleo was doing was cutting out grains & dairy. I didn't think it would be that hard, but it was. It was also very expensive, I'm not sure my bank account can support these eating habits. 

I failed once by eating popcorn. I supposed you could count the Advil & unknown secret additives of restaurant food as failing, too. But it was one time, I haven't fallen off the wagon completely.

I don't feel better, in fact I feel worse. I'm not ready to blame feeling terrible on Paleo - it could be anything, maybe Mercury was in retrograde, maybe my immune system is getting worse, maybe it was normal migraines, maybe I have allergies, maybe I have the Plague, who knows; I'll give it another week & reassess how I'm feeling.

Check out my Paleo Meal Plan, One Pan Paleo Recipes, & Smoothie Recipes

Paleo Meal Plans

A lot of people asked me what a typical day of eating Paleo looked like. Here you go! I will have more recipes coming soon, but this is a good starter

Breakfast: choose one of the following, or mix & match

-2 hard boiled eggs, 1 apple, 10 almonds

-egg & spinach omelet*, 1/2 avocado, 1 pear

-4 egg whites scrambled with 1 tbsp coconut oil, 4 pieces of bacon, 1/4 cup berries

-2 egg whites + 1 full egg scrambled, kale sautéed with coconut oil, grilled steak

-1 cup of mixed berries, 10 almonds, 1 apple

-green smoothie**

Snack: choose one of the following

-1 apple (add 1 tbsp of almond butter, if really hungry)

-1 pear

-2 celery stalks (add 1 tbsp of almond butter, if really hungry)

-1/4 cup of berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)

-1 pomegranate

Lunch: choose one of the following, or mix & match

-1 grilled chicken, 7 grilled asparagus stalks, 1/4 cup mixed berries

-spinach salad with sliced almonds, blueberries, avocado, hard boiled egg, lemon juice, olive oil (add grilled chicken, if really hungry)

-1 baked sweet potato flavored with coconut oil, 1/4 cup mixed berries

-1 grilled chicken, 1 avocado, 10 grapes, 15 almonds (chop everything up & mix it together for a healthy chicken salad)

-fruit smoothie**

Snack: choose one of the following

-2 carrots, or 10 baby carrots

-10 almonds

-2 pieces of bacon (add a little avocado, if really hungry)

-1 hardboiled egg

-1 mango

Dinner: choose one of the following, or mix & match

-sweet chicken & brussel sprouts*

-spaghetti squash, chicken, & veggies*

-grilled kabobs (your choice of meat & veggies)

-kale salad with sliced almonds, hard boiled egg, pomegranate seeds, strawberries, olive oil (add chicken if really hungry)

-1 grilled steak, roasted butternut squash, grilled zucchini 

*One Pan Paleo recipes 

**Smoothie recipes 

Smoothie Recipes

I am a huge smoothie lover. I would have a smoothie for every single meal if I could. Places like Freshii, Whole Foods, & Mariano's have made it easy to just stop in & get a fresh juice or smoothie, but that can cost you a pretty penny. Below are some of my favorite recipes to make at home!

It's fun to throw fruits in a blender & see what comes out. If you're into experimenting, just remember to choose a base (coconut water, almond milk, coconut milk, real apple juice, real orange juice); add your fruits & veggies, even the ones you don't like - mixed together the tastes may be more palpable; add pineapple, if you can - this seems to make each smoothie taste better; & if you're feeling really experimental, add a little extra boost with chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, wheatgrass, almond butter, turmeric, ginger, etc.

Green Smoothie
1 cup almond milk
1 cup kale
1 cup spinach
1 banana
1/2 apple
3-5 pineapple chunks
2 tbsp chia seeds
ginger

Banana Berry Smoothie
1 cup coconut water
1 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
1/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup blueberries

Tropical Smoothie
1 cup coconut water
1/2 cup spinach
1 banana
1 mango
1 kiwi
7-10 pineapple chunks

Beet Smoothie
1 cup almond milk
1 beet
1 banana
1 apple
1 carrot
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup spinach

Apple Ginger Smoothie
1 cup real apple juice
1 apple
1/4 cup grapes
1/4 cup strawberries
3-5 pineapple chunks
1/2 lemon
ginger


Happy blending! :)

One Pan Paleo Recipes

Spinach Omelet 

Ingredients:
3 eggs (2 egg whites + 1 full egg)
1 tbsp coconut oil*
1 cup spinach
1/2 avocado
Salt & Pepper to taste






Directions:
Sautee the spinach in the coconut oil for about a minute
Scramble the egg & egg whites
Add eggs to pan with spinach & coconut oil
Make omelet…or if your egg folding skills aren't that good, just scramble them :)
When ready to eat, top with avocado

*Side note: if you're making bacon (real bacon, not turkey bacon), make the bacon in the pan first. Use the left over bacon grease  as a substitute for the coconut oil. Tastes delicious!


Sweet Chicken & Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 cups brussel sprouts, chopped
1 cup spinach
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp raw honey
Salt & pepper to taste





Directions:
Heat the coconut oil in a pan, until melted
Add the chicken cubes
After the chicken has been cooking for a few minutes, add the brussel sprouts, spinach, & honey
Cover the pan, stirring occasionally, until completely cooked


Spaghetti Squash, Chicken, & Veggies

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 cup asparagus, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup spinach
1 egg white
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp olive oil, separated
Salt & pepper to taste


Directions:
Cook the spaghetti squash - heat oven to 350F; drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil in a pyrex/oven safe dish; cut spaghetti squash in half, the long way; stab the outer shell with a fork; place in a pyrex/oven safe dish; cook in oven 45-60 min, until thoroughly cooked

After the spaghetti squash has cooked for 30 min, start cooking the chicken & veggies.
In a pan, cook the chicken in the coconut oil
Add the asparagus, zucchini, garlic, & egg white, stirring occasionally
For the last minute of cooking, add the spinach & cover the pan

Once the spaghetti squash is cooked, scrape the guts out with a fork, turning it into "spaghetti"
Add the chicken, veggies, 1 tbsp olive oil, & salt/pepper

Mo Goes…Paleo

Between my trips to Miami & DC, the convenience of eating out, working long hours, dating, & skipping the gym because I'm busy, my body has changed, both inside & out. I've decided I need to do something drastic so I could get back on track. I have some autoimmune diseases & my body heals faster when I am healthy & eating clean. Also, I like eating healthy - I like how it tastes, I like how I feel, I like how I look, I like that people come to me for healthy tips.

Now that I am not traveling for a month-ish, I've decided to kick-start my healthy eating habits by going Paleo for 30 days, the month of May. I'm not one to try fad diets for the hell of it, but my friend talked me into it - it's purely for health reasons & it's only 30 days.

Paleo is also known as the "Caveman Diet"…basically, if a caveman would have eaten it, it's Paleo. Things that you can eat while on a Paleo diet are: lean meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, some nuts, seeds, & healthy fats. Things that you cannot eat while on a Paleo diet are: dairy, legumes, grains, processed foods & sugars, starches, & alcohol.

This will make socializing hard.

Bye bye truffle fries, diet cokes, Chipotle burrito bowls, booze, cheese, & chocolate. Hello unique dates, well planned meals, feeling my best & being an asspain when friends want to go out to eat!

Stay tuned to see how my Paleo journey goes - I'll be writing a blog post each week sharing what I ate, how I felt, & how it went. This will keep me accountable :)

Side note: there are a lot of differing opinions & good arguments on if you should or should not take vitamins/supplements while on a Paleo diet. After some research, I've decided, I will continue to take my vitamins/supplements. These include: 2 Women's Multivitamins, 1 Biotin pill, 1 Iron pill, 1 Fish Oil pill, 2 CLA pills before each meal, & 1 Melatonin pill before bed.