Sweet potatoes are a great addition to any healthy diet so you should definitely try out some of these nutritious recipes from Shape Magazine – 10 Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes.
OhSheGlow’s Fall Detox Salad is a must try – Filled with Brussels Sprouts, carrots, apple, celery, sunflower seeds, and raisins, it’s as nutritious as it is delicious {also check out this salad as part of the Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up}.
Eating well and living a healthy life doesn’t have to mean giving up all sweets and desserts, you just need to make healthier, smarter choices when you want to indulge – Try FitFluential’s Five Healthier Desserts which include amazing choices like Raspberry Chocolate Chips, Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Pretzels, Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits, Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes/Muffins, and Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries.
Finding a great, healthy snack that you love and that’s easy to make is wonderful – One of my favorites recently is Choosing Raw’s Cinnamon Caramelized Cauliflower.
Fashion:
Interested in spicing up your daily makeup routine? It’s always fun to see what other beauty products are out there and the sort of routines that women go through on a daily basis, so let’s check out how blogger Trop Rouge has set up her makeup routine – Makeup Monday.
Ulyana Sergeenko’s dramatic, eye-catching clothes are the perfect pieces for this dreamy Moscow-based photo shoot in the most recent Carine Roitfeld Fashion Book issue – Moscow Walk.
Oxblood is everywhere for Fall 2012 and if you’re not sure whether it’s the trend for you, trying beauty products and nail polish are great choices – 3 Chic Ways To Do Burgundy Beauty.
The Fall 2012 Collection for J.Crew is pretty phenomenal – It’s filled with great outerwear, fun, printed pants, and killer accessories. And none of those accessories are better than the Lulu Frost’s Capsule Collection – Shop It Now: Lulu Frost For J.Crew Holiday.
There’s a new “It” beauty blog in town brought to us by the fashionable French “It” girls the Courtin-Clarins. So if you’re in the mood for some tips, ideas, and/or product reviews head over to Beauty Flash Blog for more!
Project time! Want to create your own chic sunglasses rack? Frassy Life has you covered with this fun and oh-so-easy version that you can do with simple things you’ve probably already got on hand.
Rachel Zoe’s jewelry line is full of fun, funky, retro-inspired pieces that can work with just about any look or destination. Don’t believe me? The stylist put together some killer looks for her pieces just to prove it – Day, Night & Workwear.
I love discovering designers or an exciting new esthetic that suits my personal style to perfection. And with Fashion Week Month just starting, now’s the time to keep your eyes peeled! Check out The Ones To Watch from Harper’s Bazaar or Olivia Palermo’s Lines We Love: Chinti and Parker or Lines We Love: Anndra Neen.
Desserts can be healthy. Or, just not as bad. So why not try something new and exciting like Persian Ice Cream, Sweet Strawberry Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce, or – Go Cuckoo For Coconut Milk Ice Cream.
Snacking is a crucial part of my daily life. Making sure that my blood sugar doesn’t drop so I don’t end up cranky OR binging and falling into a food coma is important. Need some fun new ideas to shake things up? The Hungry Hungry Hippie has you covered – Vegetarian Snack Ideas.
I love going to the farmer’s market but we all know the tragedy of fruits & veggies going bad before we get the chance to use them. Well, it turns out there are some tricks of the trade to help keep your Farmer’s Market fare from turning too quickly! 13 Tricks and Tips For Keeping Produce Fresh Longer.
Getting in shape isn’t just about hitting the gym and getting enough walking in, it’s about how you’re fueling your body. Afterall, you can’t out exercise a bad diet. Don’t believe me? Take it from Bob Harper of The Biggest Loser – Why Nutrition Is Number One For Weight Loss.
If you’re looking for a way to spice up one of your accessories for Summer I have some fabulous ideas for you – DIY: Neon chain handbag from Crimenes de la Moda and/or DIY: Floral Bangles. The end results of both of these Do It Yourself projects are fun and chic – Can you have a better combination?
Are you a fan of maxi dresses? I love the light feel and fun silhouette of maxi skirts and dresses during the warm weather months. See Olivia Palermo’s picks for this summer – Let It Flow.
Are you as sick of skinny jeans as I am these days? I love the silhouette of a slim pant with a tunic, oversized sweater or cropped jacket on top, but the worn-to-death trend of skinny jeans is making me mad! The Stylist is here to help though, with 7 Alternatives to Skinny Blue Jeans.
Ready for Spring shopping? Watch Prada’s new “Real Fantasies” video lookbook staring Jessica Stam, Ginta Lapina, and Lindsey Wixson or H&M’s Spring 2012 campaign featuring the beautiful Sasha Pivovarova, Natasha Poly, Isabeli Fontana, and Anais Mali.
Health/Fitness:
March is National Nutrition Month so take a look at some great articles that will give you new perspective on what eating healthy means to you:
My first meal at least five days a week is a smoothie. It’s a great way to get easily digestible whole foods first thing in the morning and is an especially nutritious way to hydrate after a sweaty AM workout.
As the early morning workers at my office can attest, my smoothies are either green, or not. “Not” encompassing a wide range of colors, from purple to a delightful dirty snow/sludge color, depending on what I add to my own personal Frankenstein’s Monster of a drink.
I never follow a recipe and my ingredients are usually based on my mood and what’s in the immediate vicinity. Below are a variation of my green and my “not” smoothie.
Green Smoothie:
3 cups of spinach
Coconut water as needed
1 scoop of Sun Warrior protein – Vanilla flavor (ridiculously expensive, but after extensive personal research I’ve found that this works best for me, you can obviously substitute the protein powder of your choice)
1 tsp Maca
1 apple (I’m on a Pink Lady kick, even the name is cute!)
Fresh lemon juice
Cinnamon
Ice cubes
“Not” Smoothie:
1 banana or apple
2-3 cups of fresh or frozen mixed berries
1 scoop of Sun Warrior protein
Water as needed (I like the natural tanginess of the berries so I use plain water, but if you prefer a sweeter smoothie feel free to substitute coconut water or aloe vera juice)
Dash of cinnamon & maca
1 tbsp chia seeds
Ginger
Ice cubes
Breakdown of properties in these ingredients:
Spinach: As with many leafy greens, spinach is high in antioxidants, Vitamin A, B2, B6, C, E, K, magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, calcium, folic acid, potassium, protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Spinach is most easily absorbed by the body when consumed simultaneously with a good source of Vitamin C, such as lemon juice or berries. If you’re not a spinach convert, try adding a few leaves of romaine lettuce, collard greens or kale.
Coconut Water: Coconut water provides simple sugars, electrolytes and minerals, naturally replenishing your body’s hydration. It’s tasty, refreshing and perfect after a workout. If you don’t love the taste, popular brands O.N.E., Vita and Zico offer flavors like passionfruit and pineapple. [Note: Coconut water and coconut milk are two VERY different beverages. Coconut water is found inside a coconut, while coconut milk is produced by pressing liquid out of ground coconut meat, which means that it is much higher in fat and calories.]
Maca: Touted as a “superfood” maca is a Peruvian root, usually ground and sold as a powder. Maca contains amino acids, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, iron and Vitamins B1, B2, B12, C & E. Maca affects the endocrine functions of the body and the benefits can range from hormone stabilization to digestion to sexual function and fertility.
Cinnamon: Not only is this spice tasty, it has been used to combat colds, nausea, menstrual pain and digestive distress in eastern medicine for years. It’s also believed to help with circulation and have anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties. Chemically cinnamon contains calcium, iron, fiber and Vitamins C & K.
Apples: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” Well… It can’t hurt, right? Apples are high in antioxidants and fiber and studies show that they may help reduce the risk of various forms of cancer (like prostate, lung & colon).
Berries: Different berries have different nutritional benefits, but across the board they’re high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They’re thought to be beneficial in the fighting of different types of cancer, boost cardiovascular functions and improve vision.
Bananas: In additional to adding great taste and texture to smoothies, bananas add a healthy dose of Vitamins B6, C, manganese and potassium. Similar to the health benefits listed above for apples and berries, bananas contain vitamins and minerals which may help the body ward off various types of cancer.
Chia Seeds: Yes, as in Chia Pets. Consumption of this Aztec superfood is on the rise in the United States with books like Born To Run advertising the unique properties and amazing benefits. Chia seeds contain protein, phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium and sodium, similar to other seeds, but are completely atypical in their reaction to water. Add them to any liquid and leave for 20+ minutes and you’ll return to find a glass full of a gelatinous substance not unlike tapioca. Now imagine adding dry seeds to your stomach. That’s what the ancients are said to have done, subsisting on teaspoons of chia seeds for days at a time. There are some other great recipes that include chia seeds, which I’ll touch on at a later time.
Ginger: To be honest, I can’t stand ginger. But given its rock star benefits, I needed to find a way to get a little ginger in my life. And luckily for me, the tart berries and spices in this smoothie make the ginger barely detectable. Ginger has been used as a natural remedy for a host of ailments, including: ovarian cancer treatment, colon cancer prevention, heartburn, menstrual cramps, inflammation, migraines and relieving digestive/stomach conditions like morning and motion sickness.
Benefits of smoothies:
By blending the fruits & vegetables you’re breaking down the tough outer cells of the plants and making the nutrients more easily accessible to your body, reducing the amount of work your body wastes on digestion
Tasty way to hydrate your body first thing in the morning, especially if gulping down water isn’t your favorite AM activity
If you’re not a fan of breakfast, this is a great way to get in multiple servings of fruits & vegetables in a quick and painless way
Like soup, you can add whatever ingredients you have available: nut butter, strawberries, spirulina, almond milk, frozen veggies, carrots, celery, cashews… Clean out your fridge!
If you don’t love greens and have trouble getting your daily recommended amount, you can add them to a smoothie and just get it over with!
Now go forth MCLV readers, power up your blender,s and make me proud!
