Roasted Veggies?

Roasted Veggies?

Roasting is a tasty option for cooking a bunch of veggies at once. Yellow squash, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts are sweet and delicious when prepared this way. Just chop, toss with a little olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and roast until tender and golden.

I generally roast at 425 degrees F. The high temperature ensures that the veggies will cook quickly; they'll brown on the outside, but stay tender on the inside.

Quantity Tip: veggies shrink when roasted so be sure to plan this when considering quantities for your hungry family!

I love to cook them as a side dish as well as an option to go IN recipes such as in pastas, on pizzas, or even in casseroles.

It's not all sunshine and roses...

I struggle with depression. There. I said it. It always seemed so crazy to me that a happy person could be depressed. I didn't recognize it as depression for a long time but now that I do, I do everything in my power to repress it through my own means. It finally made sense to me when someone described depression as no longer finding joy in the things you used to love to the point of giving some/all of them up.

Wow. I had done that. And was feeling that.

Here are a few tips that I regularly use to combat the signs of depression when they creep in and try to steal my satisfaction, happiness, hope, and productivity.

1. I've given the love of my life permission to tell me if he recognizes it in me before I do.

2. I workout! Post-workout endorphins lift me up.

3. I eat clean. The medicinal powers of nutrients and vitamins are proven to keep mild depression at bay but help all severity ratings naturally. Processed food is full of artificial ingredients, sugars, and chemicals that our bodies don't know how to deal with and our bodies do not react well.

4. I turn music UP (and sometimes I dance)! It feels good. Even sad songs help pull emotion out.

5. Fresh flowers bring me happiness! They are beautiful and just put a smile on my face.

6. I open the blinds and let the light in! Light is a natural form of anti-depressant.

7. I open the windows (when I can) to let fresh air IN! The sound of chirping birds, the smells of fresh-cut grass, the natural sunlight... Ah!

8. I journal with a pen and paper. No computer journaling for me! I prefer to put the pen to the paper and enjoy the act of actually hand-writing my way through it.

9. I organize. Something feels good about things having their own place in my home or office. I'm also much more productive!

10. If I've tried all of this and I'm not feeling the weight lifted off of me, I talk to my doctor. There's no shame in it.

If you had diabetes, would you take medication for it? Depression is not in your head. It's a mental illness and if you have it and need medication, don't be too proud to take it.

I am not a doctor and am only giving personal advice from personal experience. I am NOT giving medical advice. This is what has worked for me and I share it with you in an effort to help others like me.

Do you have tips that could help someone?

3 Day Refresh Cleanse Day 1 Review

3 Day Refresh Day 1 Review

I needed a FRESH START! I needed a cleanse. I ate more than I told myself I was going to this Christmas break, especially SUGAR! Arg!!!! I was not good about drinking my shakes because I was not at home and just could not get into a routine. That got my energy off, my cravings off, and worst of all - my digestion off.

Yea - like 3 days without going...er...you know! Ugh... Welcome to my world of IBS! I've suffered with it for 7 years and beat it for almost 2 by the blessings of Shakeology. After trying it three days in a row, I was finally, er... going, every single day. HALLELUJAH!!!!

But because I was off and my diet had sucked, I asked Nick if he would join me in doing a 3-Day Refresh by Beachbody. It's a gentle cleanse so you are NOT going to the bathroom every day. Day 1 is over. It was not easy but it wasn't awful.

I started the morning off with a 45 minute walk with a friend and a huge glass of water. We had Shakeology and a fruit for breakfast. Yum! I love chocolate! Easy - no worries. We later had herbal tea (peach, yum) and then a morning Fiber Sweep. I have to drink it FAST and COLD as the consistency leaves plenty to be desired. But I tell myself to drink as much as I can and that I only have to do it for 3 days. I can do anything for 3 days, right?

Lunch was a Vanilla Refresh shake. I hate vanilla so I added some pure coffee extract and that helped a lot! I also had half a banana along with peppers and onions sauteed in EVOO. Afternoon snack was celery and almond butter followed by a dinner of Vanilla Refresh (again) and broccoli with almonds, EVOO, and balsamic vinegar. Yum!!!

Around 10pm, the headache set in. I sat around wondering if I could do another day. I took some ibuprofen and a Zyrtec-D and hoped for the best. (I also ate 5 junior mints because I was thinking it was a sugar withdrawal headache. Last time I did the cleanse I cut out sugar and soda a week before I started. I did not do that this time and was paying for it. I highly recommend it.) I woke up feeling fine! Thank goodness! I didn't want to let myself down or any of my followers. I know they are counting on me.

Day 1 in the books and the next morning = DOWN 4 pounds already! Woah!!!! Now that's motivatioin to complete another day!