Homemade Granola!

Good Morning and Happy Monday all!! Looking for a tasty breakfast treat that will last you all week (and beyond)? Look no further - homemade granola recipe below. For breakfast I'll usually do 1/4-1/2 cup of this yummy stuff with some almond milk and a banana, greek yogurt, or coconut ice cream if you're really feeling daring. :)

Homemade Granola

Time: 1.5 hours   Servings: 10
Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats (use old fashioned, NOT quick oats)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins 
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons grassfed butter or Earth Balance
• 4 tablespoons raw, virgin coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

• Preheat over to 250 degrees. Line large, rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with coconut oil cooking spray.
• Mix oats, nuts, dried fruit, salt and spices together in large mixing bowl (using a KitchenAid makes this a breeze).
• Mix butter, coconut oil and honey in small saucepan – heat until butter and coconut oil melt. Add vanilla extract.
• Poor hot liquid over dry ingredients. Stir until combined well.
• Spread granola onto baking sheet into one even layer.
• Cook for 70 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and allow to cook completely before breaking into chunks. Granola will harden as it cools.

Enjoy!! xoxo - AM

Day 3: That's Juice Wrap!

Day 3: I finally made it! This was definitely not a bad day in the cleanse because the end was in sight and I knew it was fast approaching. I juiced very similar to the way I did on Day 2, and had veggies at night. By this point,  I was pretty damn hungry and agitated from not eating for days- so I called it another early night in preparation to consume WHOLE foods the next day- wahoo! Word to the wise- take it SLOW the day after your done cleansing. When I say slow, I also mean simple. You have to understand that your body is not used to eating complex foods (i.e. foods with more than a few fresh ingredients) or rich foods (such as those containing spices, heavy fats, etc.) so be careful and be kind to your body- it has been a through a lot in these past few days! My final thoughts on the cleanse? If you are looking for a way to clear out your system because you feel like you have years of, well...crap in there- then I think this is a great solution! Sticking to my version of the cleanse below helped me to make it through 3 full days of work, and even half of a yoga class. I know that most cleansers will tell you to stick with it- but my belief is to always listen up. If you feel light headed, dizzy, or nauseous, I would eat something. This of course is a personal choice and I highly recommend that you consult with your physician to make sure that your body is healthy enough to endure a cleanse. Also please note that all opinions found on my blog are merely that- my goal is to share my experiences with you in hopes that they assist you in making the best health and wellness decisions for your life. There is NO ONE diet for everyone- please remember that.

If you're looking to take a deeper dive into transforming your everyday life to one of happiness, health, and wellness- this is your time to work with a heath coach...ME! Email me at: amandaalimo@gmail.com to schedule your 1st free health consultation and get those buns in motion to your best life.

GirlInTheHealthyCity Juice Cleanse recipes- inspired by the Blueprint Cleanse. Happy Juicing! :)

1. Green juice:

• ·      5 Ribs of Celery
• ·      1/2 Cucumber
• ·      2 Large Gala Apples or Peaches
• ·      3 large Kale leafs
• ·      1 Ounce of Lemon juice
• ·      1 Handful of Parsley
• ·      3 Romaine leafs
• ·      1 (BIG) Handful of Spinach

2. P.B.M:

• ·      1/2 Pineapple
• ·      1 Large Beet (golden or red!)
• ·      1 Large Gala Apple or Peach
• ·      2 Large Carrots
• ·      1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of Ginger
• ·      A few pinches of Mint, to taste

3. Green juice

4. Spicy lemonade:

• ·      16 ounces of Filtered Water
• ·      3-4 juiced medium Lemons
• ·      A few Dashes of Cayenne Pepper (only if you are feeling daring!)
• ·      2 Tablespoons of Agave Nectar

5. Dinner:

• ·      1 serving of lean protein the size of your closed fist
• ·      OR 1 serving of mixed uncooked veggies, the size of your closed fist

6. Cashew Milk:

• ·      64 ounces of cashew milk
• ·      1 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar
• ·      1 teaspoon of ground Cinnamon
• ·      1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

xoxo AA

Day 2: The Yogi and the Juicer

Day 2 was yesterday- the midway point, the day in the cleanse when you wake up thinking, "Oh I've totally got this." Confidence, though great, sometimes gets me in a ton trouble- this instance being a great example. I woke up without an alarm on juice cleanse day #2 at 5:57AM....frankly because I had gone to bed at 9:30PM the night before from being so exhausted from not eating my normal diet. As I lay awake in my bed I figured, I could either stay laying here or, on my mat at 6:30AM yoga. Feeling confident as ever, I had a few sips of my morning green drink (which was by the way much improved on day 2 thanks to a splash of cashew milk and some ice cubes all blended together) and headed out the door. Again, I got myself caught in thinking I was a total Californian, feeling super earthy as I sat on my mat in the heated room. Little did I know I'd spend most of the class there. About 30 minutes in I realized why the class seemed so hard- my body did not have the energy it normally would to commit to the movements and postures. I thought because it was yoga it would be less intense and therefore an acceptable workout on a cleanse! Needless to say while everyone was doing dancer and tree pose- I was basically sleeping in child's pose. Word to the wise, take a few days off from exercising while on a cleanse. Lesson learned. There were of course residuals effects to my morning yoga over confidence that stuck with me throughout the day. Because I had started my day earlier than normal, I was hungry earlier than normal. I started the juices about 3 hours earlier on day 2 than I did on day 1. And because I worked out, I was twice as hungry after. By 3:30PM I had made it through 4 juices and was feeling hungry but not sure where to turn. I cracked and had carrots and hummus- and don't feel an ounce of guilt about it. I needed those crunchy snacks- and damn they were good! I skipped the dinner smoothie and had a plate of veggies instead and finished the night off again with the delicious cashew milk "juice"- which by the way tastes delicious warmed up. I also made another modification to the juices- because I was skipping the dinner beet juice and replacing it with either a piece of protein or plate of uncooked veggies for dinner, I didn't want to miss out on the nutrients of these beautiful beets. So I modified the pineapple juice (#2) to be half pineapple, half beet. The citrus pineapple taste almost completely overpowered the gardeny beet taste. Also, as you know from my adventures with the beets, I could not let a vegetable that decided to spray itself all of my walls, go to complete waste. And again, recipes to follow tomorrow, I promise. So lessons learned from day 2? Don't try to be superman or superwoman on a juice cleanse. I recommend treating yourself to a few "rest" days from your typical workout routine- or just go take a walk if you really need to circulate the old legs. Another lesson- modification is ok! If you are on a cleanse and cannot get the juices down because your palette so highly disagrees with them, try modifying by mix and matching! At the end of the day, all of those juices are going to the same place anyway. And if your body is screaming at you to eat- I am of the opinion that you need to listen to it. Rules and goals aside, our bodies are very smart and will always find a way to tell us what they need. So if that's protein or veggies- please hear your body out, it is speaking up for a reason. That's all for now- early bed time for this juice queen. Be sure to come back here tomorrow for my final thoughts on the cleanse, how day 3 went, and the recipes you've been waiting to get your grubby little paws on. :)
xoxo AA

Day 1: juice and the EGGS

I have made it through an entire day of juicing! And of course have so many thoughts to share. I will be sure to share the recipes I found online with all of you when this is over so you can juice for yourself if you are interested! I started the day yesterday with juice #1- what I'd like to now call the green monster. I am sure this is an acquired taste (that I may never obtain) but the taste was nothing short of potent and no where near pleasant. The overwhelming taste of parsley and celery (which I do not even enjoy in their whole forms) made me wonder how I was going to get through green juice #2 at lunch! When you're hungry, you'll eat anything (I've now learned) so I got that puppy down and made plans to add almond milk and agave to tomorrow's batch. Juice #2- pineapple and apple, was amazing. I have never been so grateful for the sweet taste of citrus fruit after debacle juice #1. Quickly gulped through green juice #2 shortly thereafter and finished off the afternoon with a nice fresh lemonade "juice." I will say that is 1 thing a juicer is good for- fresh lemonade! You may just need 20 lemons to make 1 whole batch... Anyways, by the time I made it home for dinner, the thought of sitting on my couch with a cup of beet juice seemed less than inspiring, and less than tasty. So I made myself 3 fresh farm eggs...and they were...the best...damn eggs...I've ever had!! I will never again take for granted these little protein packed buddies. Saying no thanks to eggs in the future? NEVER AGAIN! I toasted the night off with a cashew milk "juice" which was like heaven in a glass. My final thoughts on day 1? Not too too hard. I wasn't that hungry most of the day, I was actually pretty full of liquid. The taste was probably the toughest part for me. And something I learned- eating and enjoying meals is such a wonderful life experience for me. Times when I would normally eat, I felt confused, as though I was missing out on a pivotal part of my day. And for me, to come home after a long day at work, the idea of being able to exert my creative energy and love into creating a delicious meal, is something that I truly cherish. Certainly some food for thought. :)
xoxo AA

Shoppin and Choppin- Day 0.5

Day 0.5- the night before the cleanse. I am going to be completely honest with you, at the expense of sounding like the genius author of the recent popular Huffington Post article about her adventures in Whole Foods...I must have been nuts for getting myself into this one. The supermarket shopping wasn't all that bad- I mean I did essentially buy out the entire organic produce section in my local supermarket, which was awesome. And I did learn a lot about different types of produce (for example, I bought a mint plant because the market was out of fresh cut mint!) and how inexpensive it is to do your own cleanse. I left the store with 5 bags of fresh produce and $63 less in my pocket- most 3 days cleanses I have seen are about $199 total. I do however own a juicer which was also an investment. And when I say investment, I mean TOTAL mess producer. Sometimes I really think I have assimilated into the Cali lifestyle, going to yoga and telling myself I am "just going to juice" after. Who the hell was I kidding? Yoga kicked my buns (but was great) and juicing turned into some serious personal time between me and the juicer for almost 2 hours. By about 1130PM when I found myself cleaning beet juice off of the walls (yes, walls) I thought to myself, "this better be freaking worth it." I will say I also did learn a lot about how certain veggies and fruits juice! For example celery and cucumbers yield a ton of liquid whereas ruffage (kale, spinach, mint) doesn't produce much liquid. Another thing I learned, the more time you spend prepping and cutting, the easier your juicing is going to be. I found myself in a real life fruit ninja situation (now is not the time to be jealous) when my knife was not sharp enough to cut through a whole beet. Why not yank the knife out of the beet in mid air? Scored 2 points chopping that beet- and I am now realizing this is likely why I had beet juice on the walls....Anyways- my final thoughts on Day 0.5- have fun with it! I definitely learned a lot and was committed to my cause so I couldn't help but laugh. How will Day 1 go? Stay tuned! The goal of my documentation is that this will help you better decide if a juice cleanse is right for you- yes that's right, I am doing this for all of you! What kind of heath coach has never done a juice cleanse? :)
xoxo AA

Brown Rice Pasta with Chicken Sausage!

Hey there people! Looking for a quick and easy recipe? This dish was super fast, delicious, and loaded with nutritional benefits. Here are the details:

Ingredients:

1 cup of brown rice pasta

2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach

1/2 can of kidney beans

2 links of chicken sausage (can usually be found in your grocers meat section)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Dash of salt/pepper

Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Strain and put aside. In a separate pan, cook bite sized pieces of chopped sausage links in a skillet over medium heat. Be sure to flip each pieces every few minutes to ensure all sides are golden brown. Cook sausage completely through and put aside with pasta. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan and toss in all of the baby spinach over medium-low heat. Stir often and cook until spinach has decreased in size. Then add the kidney beans. Allow the ingredients to cook for an additional minute and add them to the pasta/sausage that was set aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the mix, dashing in salt and pepper. Mix and enjoy!

xoxo AA

Kelp Noodles and Tofu!

Last week, I finally had the opportunity to experiment with the kelp noodles I picked up at the Gluten Free Fair! That's right, kelp noodles, as in sea kelp. Kelp is a type of seaweed that is packed with more than 70 minerals and 21 amino acids. They aid the body in digestion and increase metabolism as well as work to strengthen bones and teeth! They are relatively flavorless and if eaten cold offer a crunch whereas when warm offer a more typical noodle like consistency.
Here is the dish and the quick simple steps/ingredients to success!



Ingredients:
1 bag of kelp noodles
1 whole red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup of kalamata olives
1 container of firm tofu, chopped into eatable pieces
1 can of chickpeas
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoon of tamari

Cooking:
Combine the kelp noodles, chopped red pepper, kalamata olives, and chickpeas in a bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of tamari. Set bowl aside.
In a pan over medium heat, cook pieces of tofu in sesame seeds and remaining rice wine vinegar and tamari until tofu pieces are golden brown around the edges.
Add tofu into the bowl set aside, mix and enjoy!

Hope you find this to be as tasty, nutritious, and delicious as I did :)
xoxo AA

Gluten Free Fair!

This weekend I had the awesome chance to attend a gluten free fair. To me...this was Mecca!! Walking into the rather small banquet hall, I had my reservations. Those reservations completely vanished when I hit up my 1st booth for a free sample. Chocolate chip cookies? I think yes :) Not only was the food delicious, but the people were wonderful, and for me, I think that was the best part. Because I am so new to the vegan/vegetarian/gluten free/dairy free/nutritionally packed world- I was overwhelmed with the friendly feeling and willingness of others to share their experiences. 1 of my goals at the moment is to learn how to make delicious gluten free, dairy free cupcakes. Luckily, many booths were geared towards just that. Each representative gladly shared with me the types of flours they used, what xanthium gum was, and what tasted best- after sharing my goal with them. At 1 booth, I encountered an older couple who had discovered how to make gluten free bread mixes with almost no loss in taste from a typical gluten filled loaf. I immediately supported their efforts after tasting an amazing buckwheat loaf and I am excited to bake my 1st loaf of bread! I was also able to find some kelp noodles- delicious clear noodles made from sea kelp and high in minerals. They are great in salads- and I will be posting a recipe once I am able to use them :) Hint- chickpeas, hot peppers, and tomatoes go best with just a little olive oil and salt! My favorite part of the day- seeing a fellow School of Integrated Nutrition member- on the main stage, teaching a class of people how to cook! Not only was she confident, cool, and collected, but also inspiring and cooking a wonderfully delicious and nutritious meal. I was able to snap a photo of her in action.



She kicked some serious gluten free butt! I will be sure to share my new food learnings and recipes from this fair here soon and encourage all of you to get out there and try something new! I am so grateful for the experience I had today with the wonderful and supportive community within the nutrition world and I so look forward to my many more experiences with others here on the West Coast who have a love for delicious food and a happy life :)
xoxo AA

Poly Italiano

For some reason this weekend, I have been repeatedly reminded of my Italian roots and travels in the beautiful country. On Friday night, me and my man in uniform went to one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I have been to yet here on the West Coast (to be fair, we haven't been to many Italian restaurants in SoCal yet). Caffe Calabria immediately sucks you in as you walk over the threshold. Located in the hip neighborhood of North Park, the restaurant is decked out with fake alley way windows, stringing lights, and legitimate Italian men bantering by the wood burning stove as they pop their fresh made pizzas in. Made to look like an old street in Calabria, the restaurant brought me back to all of my wonderful memories when I was lucky enough to explore 1 of my native country's (technically, I am 25% Sicilian, but who's counting). We ordered ourselves up some of these bad boys and delighted in their savory flavors and delicious toppings.



I will admit, this gluten free girl did indulge in a little gluten filled pizza dough last night- but you will notice that my pie still has no cheese! As we bantered with our Italian waiter, I was brought back to the Italian lifestyle. No reference of time, talking excessively to strangers, and eating for taste not for fullness. The food felt like a delicacy and I felt at home- but I think that is how the Italian culture makes most everyone feel.

In an effort to work off my calories this morning, I hopped on the bike and glided away in spinning class. To my surprise, today's teach just also happened to be straight off the boat. Giuseppe took us on a mild ride, cranking the Italian club jams complete with a disco light show on key...the entire class. Trying to understand his accent over the blaring music was nearly impossible, but I did understand 1 thing he said that I love: "Come on people, love your bodies." Why is it that so many times in our culture that we forget to love our bodies? We've only go one and so many folks in our culture either don't give it enough nutrients, or give it too much fat. It is so easy to get lazy with our workout routines and head straight to the freezer for our favorite jug of ice cream. When we take a moment to think about it- loving our bodies is quite possibly 1 of the most important aspects of life. A- because it's the only one we've got and B- because before anyone or anything can love our bodies, we must love it 1st! In digging up my Italian roots these past 24 hours, I remembered to give my body some love. The Italians have taught us so much about wine, cheese, bread, and olives- but they also have a clear understanding of a lifestyle that enables them to love on their bodies :) Ciao bellas!
xoxo AA