Ch Ch Ch Chia

I'm hooked on trying to cook/make things with Chia seeds.
I will answer the question that is echoing in everyone's brain;
YES, it is the SAME seeds as you use for Chia Pets.

Weird, I know.
But HEALTHY!
Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, and protein. (Plus they are great for sprouting green hair on your children's rhinoceros herb garden.)

Here are some healthy benefits for people who eat chia seeds often;
-Improves cardiovascular health
-Relief from fatigue/low energy (Can I get an Amen!)
-Supports healthy digestion & detoxification
-Regulates blood pressure
-Reduces cholesterol
-Stabilizes blood sugar
-Reduces pre-menstrual & menopausal symptoms
-Reduces cravings for sweets & carbohydrates (I'll be the judge of that!)

I know you're saying...."Laura, you SOLD me! How can I eat these little buggers?"
Well, I just made 2 things with them last night & this morning.
Now don't think for a second this is some type of recipe blog because you will be very disappointed.

Last night I grabbed plain greek yogurt (Full fat baby!), pomegranate seeds, sliced up strawberries, almonds, & a little scoop of chia seeds. Mix is together. Eat it. Like it!

You could really put any fruit in it that you like, and I recommend draining some extra juice from your fruit into the bowl just for sweetness.

The great part about it?
You don't have someone DUMPING a bunch of sugar that you don't need/want into your yogurt PLUS....you guessed it.......CHIA SEEDS!
You really can't taste them cuz I added so much garbage(I use that word in a loving way), but they just add a little crunch that reminds you how you are enjoying your food while totally healthifiying yourself.....yep, that's I word I want to invent.

Then I woke up this morning with CH CH CH Chia on the brain so I decided to find some ACTUAL recipes. Welp, heaven's gates opened because I found a recipe with less than 5 ingredients & takes 15 minutes. I'm a sucker for easy recipes. If it was for an Alligator Yogurt Parfait I woulda made it. (hmmmm, that sounds creepy).
Even better, I HAD all the ingredients at my house! Done & Done! I'm making it!

So, you warm up a cup of milk then dump the chia seeds in....if you're a meathead like me you will add a small scoop of chocolate protein powder.
I'd add protein powder to the gas I put in my car if I could!
Heat it up. Stir it. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Reheat it. Slice some bananas & drizzle a tiny bit of hunny.
BAM- tasted JUST like Oatmeal.

Only problem is....I don't like Oatmeal.
Well, I ate it & even shoved some down Trav's throat while he was trying to shave for work & he agreed. He did ask if he was going to sprout green hair now.

If you are an oatmeal lover, I suggest you try it.
If you are like me and don't like Oatmeal then first off, you have good taste cuz Oatmeal is just mush but also, stay tuned because there are lots more uses of these crazy seeds to come! (I spotted a pudding recipe I wanna try!)

And if you're wondering where to find these- COSTCO! Or you could have your sweet client Vicki buy them for you if you don't have a Costco card! (ugh elitists!)

Well, Chia later.

Resist the Power

Happy New Year you ol' Building in Loan!

Those of you that don't know the reference were not born in this country.


How was your New Year? (not that you're going to respond.....it's kinda like when you walk by someone & say "Hey, how's it going?"- you don't ACTUALLY want to know "how it's going", you're just being friendly....so don't tell me how you're doing cuz I'm just being polite.)

This week my mind is racing.
The New Year stirs a lot of emotions up about fitness & health. So many people operating under so many misconceptions, no wonder they quit after 2 months.
But it truly makes me sad. They WANT to change & in their way they TRY to change but they don't know who to listen to & what to believe.

There was a sign I saw today that said "Advocare + Zumba = Slamm'in Body".

Really? That's all it takes? And that's all we care about in this society is having a "slamm'in body"?
(Not that I wouldn't take one if they were handing them out!)

But our focus is on the wrong things. We want to get skinny & if that means drinking some "new" shake 2x per day & eating only rice pilaf then we'll do it. (not an actual diet, but I'm sure it'll come out soon!)

We have made such an easy thing into something that is so hard! (not that losing weight is easy, rather what to do is simple).

Look around next time you are out. See how hard it is to get something that is NOT processed to eat?

Yesterday I was checking out in KMart (and yes, I was talking to the clerk so I am following up with my promise), but I noticed the food stand by the exit doors.
Pizza, soft pretzels, Icees, hot dogs, nachos. (I think I just heard Phil lick his lips)
It's not like I don't see this every day- I AM married to a man that ate 2 corn dogs from a gas station- but when you really think about it.....it's sad.

We are poisoning our wonderful bodies & our kids.
It's the truth.
I'm sorry if that sucks to hear.
Just because your kids aren't trying to "lose weight" doesn't mean they should eat it either. (I know you're thinking "Laura, you have no children, how would you know?" but I've witnessed families that feed their kids real food & the kids LIKE it. It's amazing.)

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy treats as well, but I truly believe you can have a delicious dessert without the side of  aspartame.

(Check out;
http://www.lifetime-weightloss.com/blog/2012/2/6/the-dirty-7-7-ingredients-you-dont-want-in-your-food.html & more tips to come!)

This stuff is so artificial you might as well just eat the plastic food that comes with you child's playschool kitchen set.


Where am I going with this? (That was not rhetorical, seriously, I'm not sure how to finish this off.)

I really feel like we can say no to it.

Resist the Power. Stick it to the Man. Fight for Your Right. Just Say No.

This is not a lecture.
This is a call to all of you that care about your health to help US become the majority.
Take charge of our health & be thankful for the bodies that we have.
There are a lot of people with unhealthy bodies that had no say in it, so let's not take ours for granted.

It's the only one we will get so let's make it "Slamm'in".