diy dietitian

{ BAR HOPPING…shots included! } 

Have you been bitten by the juice bug? Nashville certainly has! And I had the great privilege of being invited to take a sneak peek & sampling some major slurps from Juice Bar.

Owners & juice meisters of Juice Bar, John & Vui Hunt, have created a warm & welcoming place for all, whether you’re a juice newb or juice pro, in the heart of Brentwood, TN. Be sure to stop in & try one of their unique house blends or have them mix your own creation! (Munchies are also available.) 

I have to admit that this was my first time being exposed to so many juices & after taking back some Grand Slam shots (pictured) I felt like I could run a marathon! (And if you know me at all, you know that I am NOT a runner!) Juices can be a really fun way to taste the rainbow & get more fruits & veggies in your diet. (NOTE: While juices are packed full of vitamins & minerals, they’re also packed full of natural sugars. Incorporate juices into a healthy, balanced diet vs. relying solely on them to to produce super human abilities.) 

Now go get some! 

lj 

P.s. Special thanks to the wonderful Tabitha for making my juice dreams come true! 

{TAKE YOUR PLACE} 

Today’s post is inspired by The Giving Table’s Food Bloggers Against Hunger campaign. The effort was created in response to the new documentary, A Place at the Table, highlighting the struggles of food insecurity in America. 

The sad truth is that millions of Americans live in food deserts without access to healthy ingredients, including fruits & veggies. Even those participants getting assistance from our nation’s food stamp program (which is at risk for severe cuts that would impact millions) are only allocated $4 a day to survive! Can you imagine that? What would you do if you were hungry? 

Please join me & the country’s leading anti-hunger organizations, Share Our Strength, Bread for the World, Feeding America, & The Food and Research Action Center, to help spread the word about hunger by taking the following actions: 

#1) Take a few seconds to send a letter to congress asking them to support anti-hunger legislation. (The more letters we submit, the better!)

#2) Tweet Congress to end hunger. 

#3) Sit back, relax & watch the film!

Also, in honor of today’s post, I decided to recreate a quick + healthy meal I first came across on Greatist in hopes that it would turn out as delicious as it was nutritious & budget-friendly. 

{$2 Veggie Fried Rice} 
Ingredients: 
- 1/2 boil-in-a-bag whole grain brown rice (~1c cooked) = $0.37
- 1/4 zucchini, diced = $0.20
- 1/4c cherry tomatoes, halved = $0.99
- 1/4 can black beans, drained & rinsed = $0.19
- 1/8c broth of choice (I dissolved 1 bouillon cube in 1c of boiling water to make 1c of broth) = $0.07
- 1 large egg = $0.17
- desired spices (garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, etc.) 
- 1/2 Tbsp shredded cheese (optional) 
**Prices do not include sales tax. 

Directions: 
- Cook rice according to package instructions.
- In a medium non-stick pan sauté the cooked rice with the zucchini, cherry tomatoes, black beans, & any desired spices. 
- Add the broth & cook an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Push the rice mixture to outer edges of pan & scramble 1 egg in the center of the pan until cooked.
- Incorporate the rice mixture & scrambled egg & top with shredded cheddar cheese.

How do you enjoy balanced meals without breaking the bank? 

lj 

Starting my wk off w/@retrofitme’s Broccoli, Potato & [Bacon] Skillet! My mods: sautéed in garlic, +1/4c onion, banana, & black pepper. 

Who would have ever thought to have broccoli (which is high in vitamin C & folate, as well as a good source of dietary fiber & potassium!) for breakfast?! Well don’t knock it til you try it because I had this super easy breakfast meal at least 3 more times this week. 

lj 

{TABLE TALK} 

I love learning. I definitely believe that there are infinite things to learn about on this earth & the moment you stop learning, you stop growing. Recently, I was rather intrigued to hear about the findings of Welch’s Kitchen Table Report during my visit to Food Blog South. — Despite the fast-paced nature of our lives today & all the many distractions vying for our attention, families are prioritizing eating meals together, spend quality time with each other, and creating & sharing irreplaceable moments together. Growing up (and even to this day whenever I visit home) dinner time at the kitchen table was a given. I’m so very appreciative that my parents saw these types of moments as valuable time for us to reconnect, whether it was good, bad, or ugly (if you have siblings ya feel me!). 

Be sure to explore all the goodies on Welch’s website (including coupons, recipes, & heart-healthy tips) & Kitchen Table Report before entering my awesome Welch’s Giveaway! 

—> GIVEAWAY TIME <—
Interested in a prize of $50 worth of Welch’s 100% Grape Juice for you & your family? 

Enter my giveaway any of the following ways: 

TUMBLR: reblog OR like this post 

TWEET: “Gimme gimme more, gimme more, gimme gimme more @Welchs via @linZjoeRD! http://bit.ly/1292Qqa #GreatGrapes”

REPIN: this image

Feel free to enter as many times as you like!
**Giveaway ends Friday, March 15, 2013 at 11:59PM CST. Winner will be announced March 16th & I will collect your name, address, phone number & email to get you your goodies. 

Good luck my friends!  

lj 

**UPDATE: This giveaway has ended.**

{FOOD FIND: LeanWay High Fiber Cereal} 

”Let’s talk about fiber, baby
Let’s talk about you and me 
Let’s talk about all the good things 
And the bad things that may be…” 

Like my jig? Thought so. Ok, so FIBER…
- helps keep your plumbing regular
- may help take care of your ticker by lowering your cholesterol (the waxy crud found in animal foods that can plug up your arteries) 
- can be useful for weight management because it keeps you feeling satisfied 

Including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, & seeds in your diet is a great way to increase your fiber intake. It’s recommended that you look for products that contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. Ladies, try to eat 25 grams of fiber per day. Gents, shoot for a little more…38 grams per day. Your fiber needs drop after the ripe old age of 50. 

My latest food find (or should I say fiber find?) is Harris Teeter’s LeanWay High Fiber Cereal (it’s the knock-off of Kashi’s Go Lean Original & yes I know they look like kibbles). Let me tell you, this sucker has 10 GRAMS OF FIBER & 13 GRAMS OF PROTEIN per 1 cup! (Not to mention that it’s also low in fat & sugar.) Winning! As you can see I’m a big fan of mixing my cereal finds with my greek yogurt to give it major crunch factor :) 

How do you get fiber in your diet? 

lj 

{Gourmet Garden + GIVEAWAY!} 

Whilst attending the fabulous Food Blog South this year, I had the opportunity to meet, taste, & test many delectable foods & beverages, including Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices. Admittedly, I hadn’t heard of this fine product until my visit to Birmingham, but man was I impressed! 

Gourmet Garden produces a line of organically grown herbs that have been harvested, washed, chopped, blended & then packed fresh into squeezable tubes. They are refrigerated (vs. heated or dried) so they retain their flavor, aroma & color! 

Here’s what you need to know about Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices: 
+ They’re super convenient! 1 Tbsp of paste = 1 Tbsp of fresh chopped herbs. Period. (Here’s a more detailed chart of fresh herb & spice equivalents to assist with all your cooking endeavors.) 
+ They’re cost effective! These tubes last up to 3 months in your fridge & you can use them just like you would fresh herbs! (P.s. You can refreeze the tube after opened!) 
+ They’re a salt-free way to add delicious spice & flavor to your dishes. 
+ They’re minimally processed! Meaning no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives; genetically modified foods-free (& also MSG free); contain no detectable gluten in most varieties; & are lacto-ovo/lacto-vegetarian - friendly.  

I learned a super simple way to increase my veggie intake at Food Blog South using only Gourmet Garden’s Italian Herbs Blend & Garlic Blend + plain greek yogurt. Just add a couple of dime-sized squirts to a few Tbsp of plain greek yogurt, pair it with your favorite cut raw veggies & you got yourself a healthy snack or party app! Can it get any easier than that?  

These recipes are also on my list to try out: 
- Shrimp with Garlic & Cilantro
- Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Lemon Grass & Ginger
- Greek Tsatsiki 

You can pick up your Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices in the produce section of your local grocery store. 

Now it’s…

—> GIVEAWAY TIME! <—
Wanna score your very own cooler full of Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices? 

{Asians Represent: CHINESE NEW YEAR} 

Happy almost Chinese New Year friends! The official date is this Sunday, February 10th & marks the year of the Snack (hisssss!). I decided to gather up some friends (I sent a Paperless Post & everything!) & ring in the new year with peace, prosperity, & the 55th Annual GRAMMYs of course. 

Here are a few things on my party list: 
1. GOOD FORTUNE CANDY
2. LUCKY CAT
3. SRIRACHA HOT CHILI SAUCE
4. Sriracha Lime Popcorn
5. 5-Spice Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
6. Healthier General Tso’s Chicken
7. Udon Noodle Salad
8. Shrimp & Avocado Summer Rolls
9. A Beginner’s Guide to Superb Stir-Fry
10. Cashew Chicken

So throw on some red, crack open the champagne, & lets get this shindig started! Will you be celebrating the Chinese New Year with me? 

lj 

{Baked Black Bean + Sweet Potato Flautas} 

I’m like most other girls…I don’t care for the SuperBowl. The “Beyonce SuperBowl Half-Time Show” however is something that I can get into!

For this o’ so special occasion our party hosts were holding a ‘Best SuperBowl Dish’ contest (and if there’s anything you need to know about me it’s that I like to win). With the prized trophy in mind, I decided to try out PEASandCRAYONS‘ Baked Black Bean + Sweet Potato Flautas. 

P. to the S. if you haven’t heard of PEASandCRAYONS she is AWESOME! Jenn is also a Registered Dietitian (so it’s a little unfair for me to even put ‘RD tested + approved’ on this recipe) & her witty posts will keep you giggling on top of her uber delicious, veggie-loaded recipes. 

Sadly, I did not win the coveted ‘Best SuperBowl Dish’ trophy, but I did find a must-have recipe to add to my recipe collection. The flautas turned out super flavorful & they process was pretty simple once I set up my assembly line. Couple of notes: 
1. If you used canned beans or mexi-corn, be sure to drain AND rinse the solids to get rid of excess salt (you don’t need it!). 
2. DO NOT SKIP STEAMING THE TORTILLAS! OK, lesson learned. My 1st ‘un-steamed’ tortillas totes fell apart & were not pretty (still tasty, but not pretty)! 15 seconds in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel is all they need :)

Hope y’all give ‘em a try! I think they would freeze & reheat nicely if you wanted to make up a large batch. What were your favorite goodies from the SuperBowl? 

lj 

{LADY CAREER MOVES: Knowing Your Value} 

With the start of this new year, I’ve been given an amazing opportunity to take a BIG step in my career. I’m both excited & scared for what the future holds, but now is not the time to lose my cool! To help me transition into (hopefully) bigger & better things I’ve loaded up my nightstand with wisdom from ladies who…well who kick a$% when it comes to their careers. I figured, who better to know how to navigate all this madness than the women who have it figured out?! 

My 1st read was Mika Brzezinski’s “Knowing Your Value” (inspired by Levo League’s article on “Career Books Every Young Woman Needs to Read”). This book was so empowering & might have been the very thing that pushed me to recognize that I deserve more & should pursue it! Here are just a few of my favorite quotes from Mika & friends. I hope you like ‘em!  

lj 

{DIY WASHI TAPE WALL DIAMONDS} 

Inspired by Objects&Use’s tutorial, these pretty little babies now reside above my bed (before there was just a blank wall of nothingness) & seriously took just a few minutes to complete! 

lj 

{Lets Vine!}

Dunno how to use it but sounds like fun! #letsvine @vineapp

{Throw some glitter, make it rain…} 

Love this line from Ke$ha’s “Blow” so much that I had to fontify it using a pic of my NYE’s skirt ;) enjoy! 

lj 

{B-ham Bound!} 

Friends, I am so excited because I am headed to Birmingham, AL this weekend to attend Food Blog South 2013! This will be the 2nd year I get to go (the 1st time around inspired this very blog!) & I’m on a mission. I want to explore more opportunities to be a contributor on other blogs (there are sooo many good & inspiring ones out there!). I’m a creativity junkie & feel like I owe it to myself to see what else is out there. 

Tanner at Creative Something says, 
“The easiest way to be creative: Try something different, even if you don’t think it will work.” 

Are you feelin’ it? 

lj  

P.s. I crafted up some more Pugly Pixel calling cards for the special occasion. You like?  

{My Fav FREE Fitness Resources} 

I’ve learned a couple of tricks or 2 that I wanted to share to help you achieve optimal fitness without breaking the bank. I hope some of these work for you too! 

1. The Library :: 
Your local public library is full of FREE fitness gems! (As long as you turn them back in by their due date of course.) While they do carry an array of instructional books on fitness, my fav fav fav is their exercise DVD collection! Seriously check out these finds I discovered at my local Nashville Library:
- The Tracy Anderson Method presents Dance Cardio Workout —  Score! THE Tracy Anderson has worked with super celebs get fit & fab and now I can too :D 
- Step Up Revolution Dance Workout — I don’t even need to say more about this one. 
- Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Workout — Now I can yoga my way to my inner Skinnygirl.

2. Smartphones :: 
Before I had the funds to afford a gym membership I used my Nike Training Club iPhone app religiously! It’s challenging, motivating (rewards are involved!), & I love all the ways you can personalize your work outs (including setting your own jams, setting a difficulty level, & choosing a goal). These apps are also on my “to try out” list: Women’s Health Workouts LITE & Women’s Health Hot Yoga Body. 

Ever explored the iTunes store freebies that come out regularly? I’ve collected several Women’s Health Magazine videos (see pictured) that I keep on my MP3 player.  

3. Social Networks :: 
Oh Pinterest, how you influence every facet of my life (fitness included!). Here are some pin-worthy boards you gotta follow: 
- Greatist’s “No Gym? No Problem!“ 
- Health Magazine’s “No Gym Workouts“ 

And I can’t forget about Facebook. Are you fan of any of these pages? Because you totally should be!: 
- VSX by Victoria’s Secret — You can Train Like an Angel, because let’s face it who doesn’t want to rock a bod like the angels do?!  
- Your local Lululemon — I LOVE how our Nashville Lululemon is always offering FREE opportunities to get fit! They’ve informed me via their Facebook Page about all sorts of activities including fireside yoga, running groups, & fitness classes. 

4. Area Gyms :: Most fitness facilities are friendly enough to offer FREE passes to newcomers, you just have to ask nicely. For example, the YMCA of Middle TN is big here in Nashville & they will honor a complimentary one-day pass. (Be sure to take a peak at their group fitness schedule before you try ‘em out. You can find me at Hip Hip Dance Blast on Tuesday nights at the downtown location!) Don’t just look into your big name fitness facilities, but also reach out to smaller gyms, studios, & community centers. 

5. Game Systems :: Know a gamer you can bug, I mean hug? Video games have seriously come a long way since the days of Duck Hunt (who else loved this game?). The Nintendo Wii comes in close 2nd to being awesome at combining tech & fitness (borrow WiiFit, Just Dance or Zumba Fitness which may be offered at your…LOCAL LIBRARY), but my FAVORITE is Xbox 360 + Kinect’s Dance Central. These routines were seriously made for JT’s (yes, Justin Timberlake) next world tour. You can learn the dances at your own pace, practice difficult moves whenever you want, play as a crew, or challenge other individuals & the coolest part is it keeps track of the time you spend gettin’ your groove on as well as the calories you burn (aaand Usher prompts you throughout the game!). 

What kind of FREE FITNESS will you check out to help you get healthier & happier in 2013?

lj  

{A no smudge eye-liner, finally!} 

I use eyeliner daily & have yet to find a product that holds up all day without smudges…until now! I visited Sephora (that place is seriously dangerous ladies) & put total trust in their sales reps to find me my perfect eyeliner. Well lemme tell ya, they know their biznas. I came home with Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero & it. is. legit. (I even worked out & it’s been totally stay-proof!) I’m so excited to find my match :D 

lj