Drink More Water | How I Turned My Tasteless Hate Into Love

Hola!!! I have a question for you. Have you always been told that drinking more water is good for you? I can recall for years that of my mother telling me the same thing over and over and over again. I can honestly say that I never really enjoyed drinking water.... EVER! It never had taste and I was already addicted to sweetened juices and sodas. Terrible right?

Well, growing older, my water drinking habit begin to grow. I live in Georgia so it tends to get quite hot during the summer months. Since I've been trying to better my health, I figured adding more water to my system would help. Here's the problem though, I despise drinking tap water.


Every time I have the urge to drink water when nothing else is available, the faucet is where I end up having to go. I've heard do many disgusting things about tap water. From formaldehyde to killer microorganisms just having a good ol' time swimming through our water supply.

Like many, I thought boiling tap water would help get rid of most of those germs and such. I've learned a lot since then. I was researching ways to make tap water taste better and stumbled upon filtered water bottles. Now, I've heard of them before but didn't quite care about them. I figured that the only way I was going to consume more water in my daily life was to have it filtered for me on the go. I recently purchased the Brita Bottle Water Filtration System along with their bottle replacement filters just to have them on hand.

One filter replaces 300 plastic bottles of water. This is great because one filter in these bottles last for two months or 40 gallons. So you will only need to replace your filters after every 40 gallons of use. PERFECTION! Note that it's not intended to "purify" your water but cleaner water through a filter is MUCH better than free flowing water from God knows where right? It rids your water of chlorine and organic contaminants. I also plan to purchase a few more filtered water bottles in the future. Check out Water Bobble, Hydros Filtering Water Bottle, Camelbak Eddy Bottles, and Rubbermaid Filter Fresh Bottles. The exciting thing about these filter products is that they are BPA-free and many offer fun styles for your little ones as well. Drink up!!

I've actually consumed a lot moe water since making my purchase. Goal complete! No more buying plastic water bottles for me. This documentary was one of the reasons why I decided to change things up. If you're anything like me, you may want to add some mint leaves or lemon to your water. Fruits are always great ways to give your water some UMMPH! Check out these awesome delicious water recipes. Enjoy!

Have you switched to filtering your water on the go or at home lately? If not, will you soon? Share your thoughts and comments below. I'd love to hear form you. Be sure to share this post with your friends. 

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Guilty Pleasures| Rainbow Chard and Spinach Salad

The delicious taste of fresh produce. Like many, I'm a Pinterest addict. Every time I log on, I immediately want to get married, become a fashion blogger, and bake amazing cakes that resemble 7 wonders of the world. 

I'm a huge fan of making salads. Before starting my journey to becoming more aware of what I put into my body, I would make monstrous salads drained in killer condiments. 

Remember the recipe I shared with you for my signature Hulk Detox Green Juice? Well, I had tons of greens left over so I decided to take some of that and create a nice little garden salad. Well... something like that. 

If you're not a big fan of chard or spinach, why not? You should be. Spinach gives you awesome pecks and chard is quite delicious once you get over the "plant" taste (lol). Allow me to share with you how I created my new mini-specialty. It's quite delicious. 

Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared much so I used what I could that was organic ingredient. Of course the rainbow chard and spinach were bought through my local farmer's market, as well as the onion. 

Items Used:

-- Cup of Spinach
-- Cup of Rainbow Chard
-- Fresh Onion (sliced rings or diced)
-- Turkey Bacon Bits (store-bought)
-- Italian Dressing (store-bought)

The bacon bits I'm sure were not real, organic bits. The Italian dressing for sure wasn't the best option but I needed a little drizzle. Next time, I'll make sure to have something a bit more healthy. I hear making your own organic dressing saves tons of cash! I will surly try my best to make couple of bottles. 

Before making your salad, BE SURE to prep the produce accordingly. WASH, WASH, SIT, RINSE, WASH, and REPEAT those greens. Simply running your lettuce through water will not make them "clean". This is especially important if you're using bagged lettuce. Scary things live on produce so it's best to be safe.  I personally washed and allowed the produce to sit for the usual 10-20 minutes before rinsing and serving. 

I threw my cups of lettuce together, topped it with my sliced onions, and added a few crumbs of turkey bacon bits. To avoid consuming too much horror, I only used a small amount of Italian dressing to give the salad a little more bang. 

Easy peasy, eh? Give it a try with your selected items. It's soooo good. Enjoy!

What are your favorite salad items? Leave your comment s explaining below. Don;t forget to share with others :)

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Hulk Green Juice, Signature Detox For Overall Vitality

Hey!

I wanted to share my kick-starter green juice detox recipe with you. Note that I'm still very much a newbie to my growing health journey, so be patient. I created this concoction a few months ago one random day after surfing the web for weeks gathering information on the best ways to start juicing in your diet. 

After visiting my local farmer's market, which happens to be pretty convenient street-market, I decided to dive into the world of juicing. My inspiration for beginning my juicing journey came from watching "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead" by Joe Cross. Awesome guy! It really opened my eyes up to more possibilities. I even attempted to share the documentary with a few of my family members who would appreciate it more if they actually were serious about bettering their health. 

Yeah... people just enjoy complaining, I guess. 

I was so excited to work my mixology magic in the kitchen so prepping was a breeze, along with some shake-a-tailfeather music in my ears. What's so great about green juices is that there are TONS of recipes out on them. You can literally create something tailored to your tastebuds. For my Hulk Green Juice I purchased bananas, rainbow chard, green apples, and spinach. The following information about their health benefits are:

• Bananas- Their naturally fat and cholesterol free. Filled with nutrients like Vitamin C (boosts immune system) and Vitamin B-6 ( new cell growth). Along with other goodness including fiber. It's also very good for digestibility. 
• Rainbow Chard- Sometimes sold under the name "Bright Lights," is a mixture of chard varieties with red, orange, yellow or white colored stalks. It's low in fats ad calories and contains love nutrients such as Vitamin A (protects you from infection & promotes healthy skin/eyes), Vitamin C, Iron (essential for oxygen in lungs), Fiber, and Calcium. 
• Green Apples- "An apple a day, keeps you know who away." We may all know the actual saying but did you know that apples have a great source of fiber, helps reduce blood pressure, helps to prevent liver problems, high in protein, and helps stabilize blood sugar? That's not even all of it. It's the perfect fruit to add to many detox smoothies and juices. 
• Spinach- Known to be one of the most nutrient-dense foods in existence  It's rich in over 20 measurable nutrients including calcium and protein. It helps to improve cardiovascular (heart) health, improvs brain functions, protects against physical aging, and includes cancer-fighting antioxidants. Known to also combat ovarian and prostate cancers.

Talk about delicious goodness! I first began my preparation rinsing the rainbow chard and spinach. I always say, "If it has dirt on it, it must be good." Rinsing your veggies is a great practice because anything can be lurking on your produce. Dead or alive. This is especially true if you're an avid fan of bagged lettuce. 

I rinse and allow it to soak for about 15-20 minutes while I go do other things. Allowing it to soak in kosher salt is also a good idea. If using store-bought lettuce and such, it may look good in the store BUT you'll be amazed at how much mold, fungus gnats, and aphids you'll see floating in the water once you remove and THOUROUGHLY rinse your produce again. YUCK! 

After cleansing the chard and spinach, I cleanse the fruits. I haven't graduated to making use of a power juicer just yet but my handy dandy blender has been doing quite well for me and my juices. I use the Hamilton Beach Wavemaker 10-Speed Blender. 

Proportions Used:

- 2 whole banana halves
- 2 sliced apples
- cup of rainbow chard
- cup of spinach
- 6 to 8 oz. of water (Mineral or Filtered is best)

I allowed it to blend for about 40-60 seconds in 2 to 3 intervals. Or until it was at a juice consistency that I desired. If you need to, you can add more water depending on the liquidation you're going for. 

Now, this happens every time when you juice. You have pulp. When you juice something–fruits, veggies, whatever, unless you're using a blender like me, your juicer separates the juice from the fiber. The juice goes into one bowl and the fiber, the juice pulp, goes into another. When using a blender there is no separation so you could easily strain your juice to separate it from the pulp or not.
I prefer to keep the pulp. It's just more added fiber to my diet. All the leftover juice, I empty into the fancy glass jars you see. If you're a frugal person, you may enjoy using your leftover fiber in a few recipes. 

NOTE: It's best to make juice that you will drink immediately after to get all of its nutrients at its best. Many of the nutrients begin to dissipate after have been made. If you plan to refrigerate, I prefer no longer than 8 hours. I try to drink my juice right after to avoid storage. It's also best to store your juice in glass containers or mason jars. 

Have you tried my Hulk juice recipe? What is your signature green juice? If you never tried a green recipe, will you? Leave your comments below. Don't forget to share with others :)

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Chipotle GMO Free? | First US Chain To Label Their GMO Foods On Menu

“Our goal is to eliminate GMOs from Chipotle’s ingredients, and we’re working hard to meet this challenge…For example, we recently switched our fryers from soybean oil to sunflower oil. Soybean oil is almost always made from genetically modified soybeans, while there is no commercially available GMO sunflower oil. Where our food contains currently unavoidable GM ingredients, it is only in the form of corn or soy.” via (Chipotle.com) Looks like an overhaul is approaching! Although in the past, many have shamed the chain for promoting "natural mexican food" that including ingredients that many organic eaters stay away from like demon seeds. Thanks to consumer activism, Chipotle Mexican Grill has become the first US restaurant chains to go take charge and label all GMOs sold on the menu. Unlike Whole Foods and other grocers, who are making similar strides but are actually years away from inception, Chipotle has already launched the labeling initiative into existence.

Chipotle once had an investment in fast-food giant, McDonalds back in 1998 but it wasn't until 2006 when they broke away from that monster that the "natural Mexican cuisine chain" began to expand! Creating as of now, over 1,400 restaurant locations worth over 278 MILLION dollars.

Chipotle has officially announced that it will not only be labeling GMOs on the ingredients list of food products, but they will also be phasing out all GMOs on the menu. The chain has already made steps in removing additives in dairy and other items, but the new announcement signals a major recognition of the growing movement against Monsanto and GMOs at large. 

(Photo Credit: EatPlayLove)

Don't you just love industry leaders? The Chipotle Mexican Grill chain has surely won the hearts of many in the health seekers community thanks to Chipotle founder and CEO, Steve Ells. Overall the announcement made by Chipotle is one of the many results we are now beginning to see through spreading the word about Monsanto and GMOs, partaking in key activism movements, and deciding to purchase GMO-free organic foods. 

What do you think about the decision made by Chipotle? Will you continue to support the chain or will you later become a new customer once they are indeed 100% GMO-free? Share your comments below. Don't forget to share with others :)

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Homemade Turkey Sandwich | A Killer Snack, Literally.

So tonight I had an epiphany. 

Yes. One of those moments where you get a vision into the future. Well, mines didn't occur until I got hungry. I've become more aware of the foods in which I partake in indulging and it makes me sick each time its the only thing I have on hand to eat (that's quick). 

Quick being the reason why so many Americans prefer instant gratification in all parts of life. Instant coffee, fast-food drive throughs, flavor packs for water, etc. 

As I chose to make a turkey sandwich, the thought of, "What's really in this stuff?" came to mind. I needed answers. It's bad enough that I've gone years, like many, not knowing what half of the ingredients listed on foods REALLY were or where they came from. Time to investigate.... 

My sandwich consisted of three items I had in the kitchen. 

1. Oscar Myer's Oven Roasted White Turkey Slices
2. Great Value White Sandwich Bread
3. Duke's Real Mayonnaise

I'll be the first to say that reading the nutrition labels threw me for a loop. You would think that growing up and learning the nutritional calendar of foods would keep your eyes open but things like "Ammonium Sulfate" and "Bleached Flour" was surely nowhere on the nutritional guide in pre-school.  

Here are a few TOP ingredients you SHOULD WANT to avoid, found in the products above. 

If you don't know by now, Oscar Myer's products are manufactured by Kraft Foods North American, Inc. You also may have read that Kraft is under some fire for using artificial dyes in the mac and cheese. Protesters are surely making moves to have them remove the dyes. So... do you still feed you kids their mac and cheese? In their Turkey slices, you should avoid:

• Modified Corn Starch- A derivative of corn, chemically altered to dissolve quickly and serve as a thickener. People who have wheat and gluten allergies should avoid products with this ingredient.
• Sodium Lactate- One of the Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) constituents of skin, required in the maintenance of natural hydration. It is a superior moisturizer, increasing the moisture content of skin by up to 84%. Also has been used for decades in the meat-packing industry because it effectively forces cells to hold water. I guess eating ingredients found in lotion earns this product a brownie point, eh? 
• Sodium Phosphate- Salt derivative of phosphates. There's been great debate over whether this is good or bad. The medical sodium phosphate is used to clear out the colon. But the "food" additive of sodium phosphate is said to be safe to consume. It keeps the meat moist. You decide. 

The good old, cheap Great Value Walmart bread. You can buy it for under three bucks but at what cost will you be putting towards your health? Find out why I'll be de-consuming this product much more now. 

• High Fructose Corn Syrup- A common sweetener often found in sodas, condiments, and fruit-flavored drinks. Corn syrup (fructose) when eaten in excess causes negative metabolic effects including excess weight gain with accumulation of fat and insulin resistance, which leads to diabetes. As consumption of HFCS has increased, so has obesity and other health-related problems. 
  
• Azodicarbonamide- A flour bleaching agent and improving agent linked to causing asthma. It has been known to cause allergic reactions in those sensitive to other azo compounds, such as food dyes. The consumption of azodicarbonamide may also heighten an allergic reaction to other ingredients in a food. This stuff is also used to make foamed plastics as an additive, such as gym mats. 
  

We all have grown to love a few condiments here and there. Including but surely not limited to ketchup, jam, salad dressing, etc. Unfortunately, Duke's Mayo is in the dog pound. 

• Soybean Oil- Also known as hydrogenated soybean oil. It's too unstable to be consumed as a whole compound so its hydrogenated. Still considered to be a VERY unhealthy oil mostly because majority of soy grown in the US is genetically engineered, which may have additional health consequences. When taken together, partially hydrogenated GE soybean oil becomes one of the absolute worst types of oils you can consume. Nice to know this sucker is apart of Monsanto's list of Round-Up ready crops. *sarcasm*. Soybean oil has been linked to cause cancer, autism, and other devastating health problems. 

Needless to say, we as Americans consume killer ingredients on a regular basis. Educate yourselves on what you consume and what your family consumes. It'll be hard for me to say goodbye to the products above but I have to start somewhere, right? 

Healthier Alternatives for a Homemade Turkey Sandwich:

- Organic Roasted Turkey Breast 

- Healthy Homemade Bread Recipes

- Organic, Homemade Mayonnaise by Halle

What other ingredients did you find daunting and what healthier alternatives are as delicious to you? Share your comments below. Don't forget to share with others :)

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