Live Green Eat Clean

Creating a Healthy Family

15 Bean Stew/Soup

by Filed Under: Blog, CrockPot, Recipes

We had a crazy busy weekend planned which started with a garage sale and ended with  a lot of meals and snacks prepped for the week.  I am about to pass out!  But the week should be a breeze.

Friday night we prepped and set up for our neighborhood bi-annual garage sale.  We like to participate in this, not only is it fun, we make a few extra bucks AND we purge a bunch of stuff we’ve accumulated over the last few months.  I know – if we didn’t buy the stuff we wouldn’t need to purge, but most of the stuff is our son’s old toys and clothes, plus any additional nick nacks or kitchen items we just don’t need anymore.  The bonus is that whatever we make at the garage sale goes towards our son’s birthday or Christmas presents.  Dave Ramsey would be proud!

After the garage sale on Saturday morning, it was off to the grocery store for the weekly shopping, then came all the cleaning and prepping.  I like to wash all the fruits and veggies when I get home from the farmers market or grocery store so that it’s easy to just grab and go or prep for dinners. I made sure to not only prep for the week’s snacks {typical snacks packs below}, but to also prep the veggies for the dinners for the week.

On Sunday, we went to church and a birthday party, then I prepped some meals for the week.  I made 15 Bean Stew {below}, beef enchiladas, turkey meatballs, chicken tenders AND prepped a kale & apple stuffed pork tenderloin {recipe and post to come later this week}.  All I can say is I am BEAT – but this week should be a breeze!  Plus, the extra bonus is we have two meals frozen – I froze 1/2 the enchiladas and 15 Bean Stew!

 

15 Bean Stew/Soup
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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Ingredients
  • 1 Bag Hurst Ham Beans {throw away the seasoning packet}
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 3 cloves of garlic {minced}
  • 1 onion {chopped}
  • 2 lg tomatoes {chopped} or 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 6-9 cups of filtered water
Instructions
  1. Soak beans overnight.
  2. Add all ingredients to crock pot, with enough water to cover at least 1-2 inches above mixture.
  3. Cook on high for 6-8 hours, checking every so often to see if you need to add more water or if beans are cooked.
Notes
You can mix this up by adding veggies like carrots, celery and squash or add meat like chicken, ham and/or sausage. Lots of options.

Why We Choose Shaklee Soy

by Filed Under: Blog, Eat Clean, Shaklee

Why we choose Shaklee Soy:

  • A complete protein containing all of the 9 essential amino acids is essential for long-term human health (Shaklee’s soy contains all 9 essential amino acids). It’s not the protein that is important; it’s the amino acid content of the protein that is important. Further; these Amino Acids are in the same balance as found in the human body.
  • Enzymes are essential for protein utilization (when protein is heated to 110° the enzymes are destroyed. The enzymes are necessary for protein utilization. That is why Shaklee does not go over room temperature when producing the product.
  • Phyto-chemicals and Phyto-estrogen, which are essential for maximum human health, are not found in animal protein. Although they are not nutrients like vitamins and minerals, scientists believe these plant chemicals show much promise in the prevention of cancer.
  • Producing an alkaline condition in the body improves the immune system and reduces the chance of viral and bacterial growth. An acid condition, which is produced when meat and dairy products are eaten, reduces the immune system, increases the level of viral and bacterial growth and will lead to many problems. Soy products are result in an alkaline ash helping to create the alkaline condition essential for long-term health.
  • Extracting the protein isolate from Soy using a water wash to maintain the phyto-chemicals and phyto-estrogens in the soy. Many companies use alcohol to wash their soy. Shaklee uses only water to wash the soy, which is why we have the highest levels of phyto-chemicals and phyto-estrogens in our soy.
  • Shaklee soy does not raise the blood sugar level. When we start the day by increasing our blood sugar levels we will experience blood level swings, which will cause us to be tired and irritable all day long.
  • Animal protein takes too long to digest and as we get older it becomes difficult to properly digest meat, which leaves too much residual acid in the body. Meat contains too much saturated fat and cholesterol.
  • Shaklee soy is very digestible, has only 25 calories per tablespoon, is very low in saturated fat, contains no cholesterol and quickly absorbs into the blood, which is very important in maintaining your blood amino levels.
  • Most proteins take too long to digest to maintain the amino acid and protein level. The body then must attack the muscles. This is why we lose muscle mass during our lifetime. Shaklee soy is readily available to the blood.
  • The lower the carbohydrate ratio to protein, the more valuable the protein is to the body. But, some carbohydrate must be present for the body to metabolize protein.
  • The quality of raw material that goes into soy products depends on the soil in which the soy is grown; the conditions under which soy is grown make a large difference in its value. (Also, Shaklee soy products are made from NON-GMO [genetically modified] soy plants.)
  • Bio-available is a term, which refers to the ability of the body to use the food we eat. Simply, “Is the stuff on the label available to the cells?” All Shaklee products are clinically tested on people, not animals, to prove their components are in the blood stream and available to the cells. Most people can feel the effects of our Soy product within minutes of ingesting it. This feeling is confirmed by tests showing level of amino acids and protein levels in the blood.
  • Blood amino acid levels play a tremendous role in maintaining health in the human body. We tend to eat large volumes of food because low blood amino acid levels are never satisfied by saturated foods which are high in calories, fat, and carbohydrates. These will alter the body’s performance and never bring the body into balance.
  • The storage cells in the body either store fat or protein. Using Shaklee protein daily can help maintain the protein in the storage cells. The body will always have a supply of amino acids stored, reducing muscle loss and fat storage.
  • Protein can’t be utilized in our metabolism with out adequate B3, B6, potassium, phosphates, and carbohydrates. Most meals do not contain adequate amounts of the right levels of B and potassium, phosphates, or carbohydrates to properly utilize the protein we are eating. Our Shaklee soy is completely metabolized by the body for full utilization.
  • Soybeans contain a full spectrum of natural phytochemical compounds that may have health benefits; compounds like phytates, phytosterols, saponins, phenolic acids and protease inhibitors. What really sets soy apart from other plant foods is a class of compounds called isoflavones.
  • Soy is the highest quality protein available from nature. We are what we eat. Our health is going to be affected by the quality of protein we consume. Shaklee soy is the very best money can buy.
  • Shaklee does 26 separate tests on every raw material that is used to insure the highest quality possible. If any one of the tests fails, the raw materials are rejected.
  • Stress is the greatest factor in protein utilization in the body. Under stress the body’s demand for amino acids increases six times. Soy is so readily available to the body; it can help counter these changes. Other proteins just take too long to digest and do not supply an adequate amount of amino acids. So in most cases the body must attack the muscles to try and get the amino acids that are needed.

For more information or to order Shaklee Soy Protein visit our website.

Read my other blogs on Soy:
1. Is Soy Really as Unhealthy as You Think
2. 7 Tips for Choosing a Quality Soy Product

Hatch Green Chile Shrimp Cocktail

by Filed Under: Blog, Recipes

One of our favorite restaurants is Chuy’s in Texas.  Each year they host a Green Chile Festival.  My husband in particular loves this special time, but so do I!  Chuy’s celebrates their love of the Green Chile with three weeks of food, fun and tons of flavor.  They claim to be the first to bring the Green Chiles to Central Texas in the early ’80s and we thank them for that!  Every year they contract with family farmers in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico to grow over a million pounds of the very best Green Chiles on the planet just for them. And all I can say is yum!

I was lucky enough to find a couple Green Chiles in our local grocery store and thought what the heck – we can make something with this.  But then I lost inspiration!  I wanted something different, not just added to rice or tortilla soup. Then this past Sunday was the last day of the Chuy’s Green Chile Festival and I decided to go outside my comfort zone and get somethine new and not typical of what I consider TexMex {aka fajitas or tacos}, so I had the Hatch Chile Shrimp Cocktail!  All I can say is YUM!  I was so happy with my choice.

Then I remembered I had some Green Chiles at home and I could reproduce this tasty treat for later in the week. Here is my version.  I have to say we loved it.  YUMMO!

Hatch Green Chile Shrimp Cocktail
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 
Total time: 
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Ingredients
  • 20 pre-cooked medium shrimp (diced)
  • 2 Tbsp roasted Hatch Green Chile (diced)
  • 2 Tbsp tomatoes (diced)
  • 2 Tbsp avocado (diced)
  • 1 Tbsp cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp homemade cocktail sauce
  • Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
  1. Dice all ingredients and mix together! Serve on a bed of lettuce. YUMMO!

Is Soy Really as Unhealthy as You Think?

by Filed Under: Blog, Eat Clean

Soy is unhealthy, even dangerous!   It’s all over the internet so it must be true, right?  Well NO, the internet can be a great thing, but it can also spread false or misleading information quicker than that dude who just broke the sound barrier crashing down to earth from 25 miles in space!  It’s truly unbelievable the number of people I come across who are so anti-soy.  And based on what?  If you look carefully, most anti-soy stories can be traced back to ONE single group in the US called the Weston A Price Foundation (WAPF).  My personal issue with soy is that it’s 90% GMO not the misleading information of the WAPF. [Read more…]

Overfed and Undernourished – WHAT?

by Filed Under: Blog, Eat Clean, Shaklee

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Image credit: poznyakov / 123RF Stock Photo

How is it that Americans today consume an average of 610 calories a day more than they did 20 years ago—yet are still falling short in getting enough of the most critical nutrients needed for a long and healthy life? Blame it on our superbusy, fast food-packed lifestyles that drive us to make compromises of convenience, which are taking a toll on our nutritional status.

  • More than 80% of Americans have inadequate vitamin D blood levels, and for those over 50, almost 100% do not get the recommended amount of vitamin D from their diet. Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption, and a results in osteomalacia (a softening of bones in adults).
  • About half of adults don’t get enough vitamin C, which plays a role in immune function. One of the first signs of poor vitamin C status is low energy.
  • 86% of men and 93% of women don’t get enough vitamin E. This vitamin also is key to supporting a healthy immune system.
  • 90% of teenage girls, more than 67% of women ages 19–50, and more than 90% of women over 50 fall short in reaching the recommended dietary intake for calcium from diet alone. Calcium is a mineral essential for strong and healthy bones.
  • Iron deficiency is believed to affect up to 16% of premenopausal women in the U.S., primarily because suboptimal iron consumption and menstruation lead to negative iron balance.
  • Two-thirds of adults don’t get enough magnesium, an essential mineral needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps normal heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong.
  • American adults consume only about 15 grams of dietary fiber daily, while dietary guidelines recommend 25 to 35 grams per day. Fiber is important for healthy digestive function and for reducing the risk of heart disease.
There’s no question that NOW is the time to set a goal of eating more healthfully. Start by consuming healthier fast foods: fresh fruits and vegetables for some extra vitamin C, a handful of nuts for the vitamin E and magnesium you may be missing, an extra glass of low-fat or nonfat milk to get more calcium and vitamin D, and replace that white bread with a slice of whole grain toast to help boost your fiber intake. While you’re working toward that goal, take a comprehensive multivitamin/multimineral supplement every day to help fill your nutrient gaps!
 
 
Find out more about the multivitamins we recommend:
 

Image credit: poznyakov / 123RF Stock Photo, photo updated 10-11-13

Ezekiel Chicken Nuggets

by Filed Under: Blog, Recipes

All white meat chicken coated in Ezekiel breadcrumbs then baked.  This is an easy kid friendly recipe your whole family will love. There’s nothing more kid friendly than chicken nuggets, right?  Even really picky eaters usually eat chicken nuggets.  You can serve with BBQ sauce or Coleman’s mustard {our favorite} or any other dipping favs.  Take left overs to work in your lunch the next day in either a salad or just as is.

These are breaded with home made Ezekiel Bread Crumbs.  Please don’t use stale bread  to make your bread crumbs – you’ll just end up with stale tasting bread crumbs.  You can toast your bread in the oven on 350 for about 15 minutes to get super crunch, then use a mini food processor to make your crumbs.

Once you have the bread crumbs place in a separate bowl and combine with seasonings. We used Sea Salt, Pepper, Paprika and Garlic Powder {to taste}.  You can even add some Parmesan cheese if you want {we don’t eat much cheese in our house so we don’t add this}.  Then in another bowl beat one large organic egg.  Cut up organic chicken into small bite size chunks.  Then start your dipping.  First in the egg, then in the bread crumbs and put on an olive oil sprayed baking sheet.

Cook in a 425° preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 5-7 minute or until done {we always cut one in half first to see if it’s done}.  We served the nuggets with organic homemade potato chips and fries.  However, they need a little bit of work, so we’ll be posting instructions on those another day!

The below recipe makes 4 servings so adjust as needed.

Ezekiel Chicken Nuggets
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 4
  • Calories: 206
  • Fat: 3
  • Carbohydrates: 13
  • Protein: 31
Recipe type: Entree
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
Ezekiel Breaded Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
  • 3 slices Food for Life - Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread - Low Sodium
  • 16 oz {about 2 breasts} Organic Boneless & Skinless Chicken Breast
  • 1 organic egg
  • 3 tsp Sea Salt
  • 3 tbsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 3 tsp Paprika
  • 3 tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
  1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 350
  2. Step 2: Toast 3 slices of Ezekiel bread in oven for 15 minutes or until crunchy, but not burned. Cool, then crush into bread crumbs and put in a bowl to the side. Add seasonings to breadcrumb mixture. Then turn over up to 425
  3. Step 3: Beat 1 egg in a separate bowl
  4. Step 4: Cut chicken into small bite size chunks
  5. Step 5: Put a few chunks of chicken at a time into the egg mixture to coat, then add to the breadcrumb mixture, then onto the oiled baking sheet.
  6. Step 5: Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over then cook another 4 - 5 minutes or until cooked though.
Notes
Calories according to MyFitness Pal recipe maker - these could be slightly off.

Enjoy the Nuggets!

Foodie Friends Friday

Tips for Eating “Green”

by Filed Under: Eat Clean, Live Green

Did you know the food choices you make and the way you shop for, prepare, and serve food can negatively impact the environment? Well, that is absolutely true—and it is becoming increasingly important that we all help our environment in every way we can. Here are some great “eating green” tips to help you get started.

Try eating nonmeat meals a couple of times per week. And this is NOT because we are vegetarians {we aren’t we do love a good BBQ}.  We do go meatless a couple time a week because it is now known that the cost to the environment is far greater than the cost to produce vegetarian protein foods such as soybeans, legumes, etc.

Make a shopping list. Take inventory of everything you need for preparing healthy meals before you head out the door. This will prevent multiple trips back and forth to the store. You’ll save on fuel, help reduce gasoline emissions, and save wear and tear on your car.

Got canvas? Neither paper nor plastic bags are a good choice for the environment. It takes gallons of crude oil to make plastic bags, and many trees are sacrificed to make paper bags. Invest in reusable canvas shopping bags—and be sure that you bring them with you!

Say good-bye to plastic water bottles. Americans buy billions of plastic water bottles every year, and every year many of those empty bottles get thrown in the trash. Break the habit—use a neoprene bottle instead and consider a water-filtering system for use at home.

Buy local and organic. Buying locally grown foods cuts down on the environmental costs associated with transporting produce to your community from great distances. In the summer months, farmer’s markets are the ideal place to buy local produce, but certain grocery store chains actually feature local produce! Try to choose organic produce whenever possible as this is an excellent way to reduce exposure to pesticides and help reduce the runoff and pollutants that may contaminate our water, soil, and air. We are completely committed to buying organic produce whenever that option exists.

Cook and clean up efficiently. Save energy and speed up cooking times by covering pots. When it’s time to clean up, make sure the dishwasher is “full” before you run it. If you have a small number of dirty dishes, think about doing them the old-fashioned way: by hand, with no running water, and be sure to use a biodegradable dish detergent.

Get Clean Water Starter Pack

5 Reasons to Pack Your Kids Lunches

by Filed Under: Blog, Eat Clean

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1470042_sMost schools are trying hard to upgrade their lunch programs and offer the best food they can. But not every school cafeteria provides appealing, healthy lunch choices. Educate yourself when it comes to what your kids cafeteria has to offer. For example, did you know chicken nuggets have more fat and calories than a plain burger?

Even if your school provides healthy options, it can be too easy to give in to temptation and pick a less healthy choice when you’re feeling really hungry. How do you take control?  Send your kiddo to school with a healthy and fun packed lunch!

Here are the top 5 reasons to pack your kids lunch — and snacks:

1. Control. Do you want your kiddo to wait in the lunch line only to find when they get to the front they don’t like what they’re serving? So they reach for pizza again. A healthy packed lunch lets your kiddo avoid the lunch line (and any temptations). Bringing their own lunch also lets you control exactly what goes into the food they eat.

2. Variety. It doesn’t hurt to cave in and enjoy the occasional serving of pizza and hot dogs. But if your kids are eating these foods all the time, their bodies probably feel ready for a change. A packed lunch at least a couple of times a week means they can enjoy some favorites that they might not find at school — like a piping hot thermos of your chicken soup; hummus and pita bread; or some crisp, farm-stand apples.

3. Energy. If your kids have a big game or activity after school, plan a lunch and snacks that combine lean proteins with carbohydrates to give them lasting energy and keep them going through the late afternoon. Some ideas: your own “trail” mix of dried fruit and nuts or sunflower seeds, whole-grain pretzels and low-fat cheese, or a bagful of baby carrots and yogurt dip.

4. Cold hard cash. Pack healthy and fun snacks and lunches so your kids don’t wan that cafeteria food or if they are old enough, they won’t be tempted to step off campus for a fast-food lunch, or hit the vending machine or corner store for chocolate and a soda! Put the money you save on such snacks aside for college or a special gift for your kids!

5. That warm and fuzzy feeling. Remember when your mom or dad used to pack your lunch? Pack well these are the memories you will be making with your kids.  Add retro lunch featuring healthy versions of your old faves — such as PB&J on whole-wheat bread.

Whether you pack your kids lunches or they eat in the cafeteria, what’s important is that you make healthy choices. If you’re concerned that the cafeteria doesn’t offer enough healthy choices, get involved in trying to make changes. Ask a teacher or someone in food service for advice on how to get started.

There are some great websites out there with fun lunch box ideas like ThisLunchRox.  Get some fun cookie  and mini cookie cutters to make amazing creations. Here are some ideas:

From http://www.howtolearn.com/HTL/media/school_lunch.bmp

You can also find some fun eco friendly lunch boxes here.

The Shaklee Snack Bars are a staple in our house and my son loves them!  Easy and convenient for on the go options.

More info on these snack bars.

 

Photos updated 10-11-13:
Image credit: dominikhladik / 123RF Stock Photo
Image credit: flippo / 123RF Stock Photo

Black Bean Salad

by Filed Under: Blog, Recipes

This colorful, high fiber, high protein salad makes a great side dish with fish, chicken or BBQ ribs. It also makes for a good appetizer served with chips or a left over lunch inside  fresh tortillas. This salad is low in saturated fat and filled with antioxidants. [Read more…]

Nico’s Clean Sloppy Joes

by Filed Under: Recipes

Here is an easy recipe for Clean Sloppy Joes.  We enjoyed our Sloppy Joes with a yummy green smoothie.  This doesn’t look like a big meal, but it is, you’d be surprised how filling it is.

Nico's Clean Sloppy Joes
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 4
  • Serving size: 330 g
  • Calories: 334
  • Fat: 11.6
  • Saturated fat: 3.4
  • Carbohydrates: 34.6
  • Sugar: 6.1
  • Fiber: 4
  • Protein: 39.4
  • Cholesterol: 101
Recipe type: Entree
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
Clean Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
  • 1 lb organic ground beef
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 10 tbsp tomato paste (1 small can)
  • ½ cup red onion, minced
  • ½ cup bell peppers, minced (orange)
  • 2 tbsp Worcester Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp dry Colmans mustard
  • ½ tbsp chili powder
  • 1¼ cup water
  • 1 Ezekiel 4:9 Buns
Instructions
  1. Step 1: Mince peppers, garlic and onion.
  2. Step 2: Heat olive oil, garlic, onion over medium heat and brown.
  3. Step 3: Add ground beef and cook over medium heat until brown and fully cooked.
  4. Step 4: Add bell pepper, Worcester sauce, chili powder, mustard powder, and water. Cook until thick or desired consistency. You may need to add more water depending on how thick you like your Sloppy Joes {we like them a bit thicker}.
  5. Step 5: Place about ¼ the Sloppy Joe mix over ½ an Ezekiel or whole wheat bun, place the other half on top or leave off and eat open faced with a knife and fork.
Notes
Nutritional content is WITHOUT the bun and estimated based on CalorieCount.com

This recipe is low sodium, high in selenium, high in vitamin B12, high in vitamin C, high in zinc so enjoy!

The nutritional value will vary depending on what bun you use.  We used Ezekiel Buns and I only ate 1/2, while my husband ate the whole bun.  The nutritional value below is based on the whole bun and calculated from CalorieCount.com.

And this is the final version with the Green Shake with all our extra veggies!  And hell yeah we drank it out of wine glass – why not!

I RECOMMEND SHAKLEE

DISCLAIMER

This blog is meant to be a source of informative content about nutrition and health. None of the information on this site is intended to be medical advice. Instead, I hope you find this blog helpful as a learning tool and a thought-provoking information source. It should be noted that I do get paid a small commission for some of the products I talk about and link to from my blog. Your support keeps this blog running and is greatly appreciated.

 

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