Health and Wellness Tips

April 30, 2020August 19, 2020 Red Rose & Honey1 Comment

Hi friends! Today I am talking about health, wellness and a few ways I am incorporating both into my lifestyle again. I have put off getting back on the fitness wagon for way too long. Before getting married, I had a lot of self-discipline when it came to making time for fitness. I never thought there would be a time when fitness was not a part of my regular routine, but a wedding, full home renovation, a puppy and a few years later, here I am. In this post, I am sharing what I plan to focus on to get back into the swing of things.

Please keep in mind, I am not a fitness or health professional. This blog post should not be used in place of professional fitness or medical advice. Always consult with your doctor.

Annual Physical Exam: This is something I can already check-off my list. It had been ages since I had a physical and basic blood work, so I decided it was time. I found a great doctor’s office in my area and a new general physician. I am happy to report all checks out a-okay and now I feel even better having a doctor’s office I really like nearby. Sometimes getting yourself to schedule a doctor appointment, but once it’s done and over with, it is well worth the time and effort.

Drink More Water: Unoriginal, right? Unfortunately, this is something I have struggled with for as long as I can remember. A few things that I have incorporated into my day to help bump-up my water intake are 1) a great water bottle (like this one); 2) drink water when I wake-up and before bed and; 3) drink a glass of water before a second cup of coffee or wine in the evening. For me, the water bottle I have makes all of the difference. I realized I am pretty particular about the opening or spout/straw. This water bottle (click here) has been my favorite. It’s a manageable size, the top unscrews and I love the hourly reminder lines. The only downside is that since it is made of glass, it’s not that practical to carry with me while running errands because its a bit heavy.

Vitamins: I first discovered Olly vitamins and supplements about 2.5 years ago. What drew me to Olly was that the ingredients are limited and simple. My favorite and continually re-purchased vitamins are Flawless Complexion, Active Immunity, Immunity Sleep and the ProbioticPrebiotic. Although I am not sure if gummy vitamins are the best option, I find that I always remember to take these.

Flawless Complexion was one of the first Olly products I tried. It does not contain biotin, which I believe causes my skin to breakout. Along with a good skincare routine, I feel that these vitamins help keep breakouts at bay.

Active Immunity and Immunity Sleep: I started taking these vitamins (not at the same time) last fall after battling a bad cold. I spend a lot of time in the city and on public transportation, so I need my immune system to be strong. I feel like these have definitely given me a needed boost.

Probiotic Preboitic: After our trip to Italy last year, my stomach was all out of sorts. I know digestive changes are common when traveling, but I was not feeling myself at all and could not seem to shake it. These vitamins helped me get back on track.

Men’s Multi: My husband has been taking these for at least a year and has been happy with them. These vitamins are now part of his morning routine.

Walking: At the start of the COVID quarantine I decided to pull the trigger and get a Fitbit. I was on the fence for a while mostly because I did not love the look of it. It seemed bulky and I also didn’t see myself wearing it to work. Once the quarantine went into effect, I figured there was no better time to try it out. I went with rose gold and pink Versa 2 because I though it was pretty and would matched some of rose gold bracelets I wear. When I first put it on, I felt like it was gigantic {and it kind of is}, but after a few days I got use to it. The rubber band is comfortable and I like that I can eventually switch it out for other colors/styles. The Fitbit vibrates every hour to remind me to get moving. Another feature I have liked is the battery life. Mine has lasted a few days at a time. It also changes quickly. My Fitbit has definitely made me more aware of how little I was walking. I can’t wait for warmer weather to keep my steps up! My dog loves going for walks; so much so that we have to spell out w-a-l-k when we’re not actually taking him for one. My new Fitbit is definitely going to benefit Henry too!

SPF: I have been a pretty avid SPF user since high school, but I can’t say I am consistent all year-round. I have been trying to make a better effort to apply SPF daily to my face, under my makeup. Years ago a dermatologist recommended Elta MD SPF. It’s light-weight and a good option for break-out prone skin. During the recent Sephora sale, I purchased a translucent powder SPF that can be applied over makeup. There are a few different brands, but I went with a SuperGoop! product that is labeled “Clean at Sephora.”I think this will be handy to keep in my bag or at my desk {when normal work-life resumes}.

Healthy Snacks: Over the last few months I have found myself reaching for granola bars and other pre-packaged snacks often. I recently made a conscious effort to choose fruits and veggies instead. In my area, I think Costco is the best place to buy fruit. The price and quality are the best, so I have been stocking up on blackberries and raspberries – my favs!

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Healthy Dinner| Zoodles & Chicken Sausage

January 15, 2018 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Working full time sometimes makes cooking dinner tough. When I am researching recipes, it seems as if all of the easy recipes are unhealthy. I am all for comfort meals here and there, but overall I try to cook healthy dinners. In this blog I am sharing an easy and healthy recipe that is perfect for busy nights!

In my house, we love home cooked meals. My husband and I almost always eat dinner together. On the nights that he gets home late I usually don’t cook or go to my parent’s house. Mike is my #1 taste taster and recipe critic. I always joke that his taste buds have come a long way since we started dating in college. These days he will try anything. Today I am sharing one of his hands down favorite and most requested meals.

One of my go-to weeknight dinners is zoodles with chicken sausage and sundried tomatoes. It’s a quick and easy low-carb alternative for pasta. To save time on busy nights, remove the sausage from the casing and slice the tomatoes ahead of time. You can also find pre-made zoodles at the grocery store. I find using the food processor to chop veggies is a great timesaver too. Prep and cook this meal in about 30 minutes, making 2-4 servings.

Ingredients

1 package of organic chicken sausage

5 cups spiraled zucchini (aka zoodles…they shrink, so the more the better!)

1 cup sundried tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 medium yellow onion

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

Remove chicken sausage from casing then brown over medium heat and break sausage into small pieces. I suggest using a sauté pan that is deeper than a regular frying pan.

While sausage is browning, slice sundried tomatoes into thin strips and chop onion. Once sausage is cooked transfer into a bowl. Using the same pan add a swirl of extra virgin olive oil and sauté garlic and onions (5-7 mins) then add the tomatoes (medium/low heat). Sundried tomatoes tend to soak up a lot of oil, so add a bit more to the pan and cook until they soften (5 mins).

Next, add sausage back to the pan to blend flavors together (5-7 mins).

Finally, over medium/low heat add the zoodles to the pan and mix together. I prefer to keep the zoodles on the firm side (they can get very mushy), so I won’t let them cook for more than 10 minutes. If you’re like me and don’t have a very large sauté pan you will probably need to leave the zoodles in a bit longer and may want to add a lid.

Breakfast: My Favorite Meal

January 23, 2016 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day. I never, ever skip break or skimp out. It’s always a meal full of tasty nutrients. I am a huge believer in starting your day with a healthy meal to set the tone for your food choices the rest of the day. I am also the type of person who wakes up starving. If I skipped breakfast I would be miserable. Here are some of my favorite breakfast choices.

Oatmeal

I LOVE oatmeal. I could eat it all day long. There was a point in time where I ate oatmeal for breakfast every day for at least a year. I only eat real oats. None of that instant oatmeal non-sense here. While instant oats are a good attempt at eating a healthy breakfast they are loaded with unnecessary sugars. If you are short on time in the morning and like the efficiency of instant oatmeal opt for the plain kind. I order my gluten-free Bob’s Red Mill Oats from Amazon. They usually cost around $30 for 4 bags and I use about 1 bag per month. It’s the best value I’ve found.

Now, for some gluten-free clarification. Oats technically are gluten-free. If you compare Quaker Oats to Bob’s Red Mill you probably can’t tell them apart. Oats are not gluten-free if they are grown in a field and processed in a factory with wheat, barely and rye gains. If you have a gluten intolerance or allergy make sure you buy gluten-free oats.

I have tried so many different ingredients in my oatmeal, but I always use unsweetened vanilla almond milk, cinnamon and flax seed as my based ingredients. I actually prefer the taste of Almond Breeze almond milk, but have stopped using it because this brand contains carrageenan. I now only use the Silk brand. Cinnamon is good for your metabolism and flax seed is an excellent source of fiber. About 4 months ago I started making overnight oats. I fell in love with oatmeal all over again (overnight oats post coming soon!). Letting the ingredients sit over night really infuses the oats with flavor. Overnight oats are also a time saver in the morning. You can eat them cold or quickly heat them up. I learned from following the Acid Reflux Diet from The 30 Day Heartburn Solution that soaked oats are easier on your body to digest. Right now my go-to combo is banana and almond butter. Here are my other favorite combos:

Banana & walnuts

Blueberry & walnuts

Apple & walnuts

Banana & peanut butter

Eggs

You really can’t go wrong with eggs for breakfast. They are full of awesome nutrients including a good serving of protein. If I am having eggs without toast or a waffle, I always have 2 whole eggs. I like to have my eggs scrambled with a sprinkle of cheese and bacon or breakfast sausage. If I don’t feel like adding meat to my breakfast, I will add spinach, feta and tomatoes to my eggs. I love the runny yolk of an over-easy, but I have to have something to dip in it! Nothing beats a perfectly cooked over-easy egg with a slice of toast. Lately, I have really been enjoying heating up left rice or potatoes and veggies with an egg over easy.

Waffles

Sometimes I like switching up my breakfast and I will have gluten-free frozen waffles. I like to top my waffles with slices of banana, walnuts and organic pure maple syrup. When I buy gluten-free waffles I usually opt for the Van’s or Nature’s Path brands. One of these nutty waffles goes great with scrambled eggs.

Pancakes

When I have a little extra time in the morning I will whip up oatmeal pancakes. They’re pretty easy, filing and of course gluten-free. I like to top them with walnuts or sliced almonds and banana with organic pure maple syrup.

Ingredients

-1/2 cup of dry oats

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1 TBSP flax sead

-1 egg or 2 egg whites

-1/2 medium banana

-1/8 to 1/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

– Dash of baking soda

-Dash of vanilla or almond extract

Directions

Warm your oven on a low heat (my oven actually has a warm setting) and place an oven-safe dish inside. Using a blender (I have a magic bullet) blend the oats and cinnamon into a fine powder, about 10 seconds. Next, add the rest of you ingredients and blend until smooth. Heat a small frying pan on low/medium head and grease with coconut oil or gluten-free cooking spray. Cooking your pancakes 1 at a time just as you would with a normal pancake. You will know it’s time to flip when you see bubbles in your pancake. As you finishing cooking each one, place them on the warm plate in your oven. If you skip this step I find these pancakes cool quickly. Once you’re done, top with your favorite toppings.

xo Miss Alyss