Category Archives: Organic

May 24, 2012 · 10:04 am

What I’m Loving Right Now

Quite a bit! That’s the short answer. But I can’t write a blogpost with a short answer because that would just be silly.

Now, I should tell you that I am very happy these days. Very busy. But very happy. I recognize that I have so much to be grateful for. So I’m loving quite a bit at the moment.

In addition to having lots of wonderful people in my life and lots of wonderful things going on, I have some foods that are really hitting the spot. Yes, that’s right. I’m giving a shout out to the foods I’m loving right now.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Goji berries

These little fruits are really getting to the point of being addictive for me. And that is, of course, when I know I need to scale back. They’re like little chewy candies and it’s the chew, more than anything, that keeps me coming back for more. Admittedly, they’re not for everyone, but I recommend them for more than just their chew. This Himalayan superfood is loaded with vitamins A and C, a good dose of protein, fiber, iron, and amino acids.

I will confess, our relationship started off pretty rocky. I didn’t see the love affair coming. It was about 7 years ago when I first tried a goji at work, and then the phone rang, and the goji lodged itself in my throat, and I choked my way through the entire call. Horrified, I vowed never to eat goji berries again. Until a couple weeks ago. Someone recommended them to me and I decided to give them one more go. Now, my second bag of them is nearly gone. Buy online, at Whole Foods, or your local health foods store. And eat carefully. 😉

2. Organic Peanut Butter

You probably saw this rec making an appearance in yesterday’s post. It’s such an integral part of my day that it’s starring in it’s second post…in two days! This is good stuff, people. Nut cravings are a sign that you’re in need of fun and with all the work I’ve been doing lately, I believe it. But if this satisfies my need for fun and then I can get back to work, that sounds pretty good to me!

3. Yogi DeTox Tea 


On the front of the box, it says this tea supports liver and kidney function. Okay…so? Well, the liver and kidneys help get the junk out of our bodies. And this tea helps them do that better…all the while tasting amazing. It’s spicy, it’s sweet, it’s complex. Gonna go make a cup now!

4. Baby carrots

This is just the easiest snack in the world. I buy the organic peeled baby carrots, leave them on a shelf in my fridge, and grab a couple every time I get a little hunger. So refreshing. So sweet. A perfect little snack for warm days.

So there you have it. My favorite foods right now. That being said, it’s important to remember that health isn’t just about food. It’s also about the people and the things that make your life incredible.

Give some thought to who and what those are. Take a moment to be grateful. And feel free to share below!

Leave a comment

Filed under Organic, Snacks, Superfoods

Tagged as , , , , ,

May 23, 2012 · 12:30 pm

Got the Munchies?

Seems some of you liked the looks of that superfood oatmeal from yesterday’s post. Thanks for the great feedback – I hope you got to give it a go today!

So now that I’ve established that I’ve got some hungry readers, I wanted to give you some snack ideas. I should tell you that back in the day, I was known for my “afterschool munchies.” I know this sounds like I was into some recreational drugs, but it was actually just the name for a bag full of snacks that I would dive into at the end of the school day. Seems I’ve been a lifelong snacker!

Okay, folks, here we go. My top 5 quick, easy, super healthy snacks:

1. An apple with peanut butter

A perfect pairing. Make sure to buy organic apples, as conventional apples are on the list for highest pesticide residue. I’m loving Honeycrisp these days. Also make sure to choose organic peanut butter without added sugar or preservatives. You can even sprinkle some cinnamon on for extra flavor. (Cinnamon is great for you – I promise that post is coming soon!)

2. Avocado on bread

Get a good dose of fiber, heart healthy fats, and protein here. Sprinkle on spices like cayenne pepper, turmeric, and coriander for an extra boost of flavor and health benefits. Add some romaine or cucumber slices on top for  crunch. Choose a bread that is low in sugar and doesn’t have too many ingredients.

3. Seaweed with avocado, cucumber, and cheese

Fill a sheet of nori with avocado, cucumber, and your choice of cheese – preferably organic cheese! For those who don’t eat dairy, it tastes just as good without the cheese. Or sub in dairy-free cheese. Either way you’re getting the heart healthy fats from the avocado and lots of vitamins and nutrients from the seaweed. And a good, refreshing crunch from the cucumbers.

4. Steamed asparagus

Ready in 5 minutes, steamed asparagus is a delicious snack all on it’s own or with a squeeze of lemon and/or olive oil drizzled on top. As far as veggies go, asparagus has a good amount of protein – 1 cup has only 30 calories but 4 grams of protein! Additionally, it is not a vegetable you have to buy organic, although you can if you want. Cook it al dente and you get a nice little crunch. Easy to make and easy to eat.

5. Bell pepper

It seems people either love ’em or hate ’em, but this time of year a red or orange bell pepper couldn’t be sweeter, crunchier, or more delicious. Cut one up  or just bite right in. Great when you’re on the go. Make sure to buy these organic, though, as they are on the list of dirtiest produce, which means they have the highest pesticide residue.

1 Comment

Filed under Organic, Raw, Snacks, Spices, Vegetables

Tagged as , , , , , ,

May 22, 2012 · 11:01 am

Get In My Belly!

Ah, breakfast. Most important meal of the day. Ever feel like a monster in the morning? So hungry you could devour everything in your kitchen? In a matter of seconds? Get in my belly, you grumble!

I know I have those days. But even when it’s just a normal day and hunger isn’t off the charts, I like my breakfast to be easy because it’s best to eat within the first hour of waking.

Why is that, you ask?

Pretty simple. Because you haven’t eaten for about 10 hours, give or take. And your body needs fuel to take on the day.

While there are several components to this, there is no cooking required, so it’s just a matter of how quickly you can get it all into the bowl (but take your time getting it into your belly)!

Banana Raspberry Oatmeal

1/2 cup of organic quick oats
1 cup of organic almond milk
1/2 banana
25 frozen organic raspberries
1/2 tbsp of chia seeds
1.5 tbsp of hemp seeds
1 tbsp of chopped walnuts
1 tsp of raw cacao nibs
liberal shakes of cinnamon*

1. Get a bowl.

2. Put everything in the bowl.

3. Mix it all up and mash up the bananas and the raspberries.

4. Eat slowly and chew.

5. Be grateful for every bite.

*There’s a post on the benefits of cinnamon coming your way soon!

Now, you can absolutely play with the proportions. Use 1/4 cup of oats, increase chia to 1 tbsp, increase walnuts, leave out the banana, etc. Make it tasty for you. But here are the nutrition facts as is. With a good dose of healthy fats, omegas, protein, carbs and calories, this puppy will take you right through the morning.

2 Comments

Filed under One Pot Dish, Organic, Recipe, Superfoods

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

May 15, 2012 · 10:47 am

Victory

The hubby announced this morning:

“My weight is down again. It keeps dropping! It just feels better to eat real food. It just does. You can put that in your blog.”

Well, hon, I will. Because it’s a victory for the hubby! And a victory for Health Coach Jillian!

Here’s a little background for you followers who don’t know the hubby. He is from Ohio. Land of meat and potatoes. (No offense, Ohio ;). ) When I met him, he had cabinets full of Pop Tarts and a fridge full of diet soda. Vegetables were not in abundance.

Now he puts chia seeds in his cereal. He eats organic meat and organic lettuce on whole wheat bread. He eats salads with organic, gmo-free dressing. He eats organic peanut butter and organic jelly. He had an 18 Rabbits granola bar for the first time today. And liked it. And that was on the heels of celery and pistachios. For breakfast. He now eats most of his meals at home. He has come a long way. But I want to stress that this was no overnight change – he is where he is now after making many small changes over time. And that is the best way to do it. Remember the baby steps?

These days, if he eats something not so healthy, he deals with the aftermath. He tastes those cheap ingredients and artificial flavors for the rest of the day. I helped to lay the groundwork and now he’s devoted to being healthier because he sees how much better he feels. It’s not like he’ll never eat Chinese food again because that’s his favorite. But he’ll think twice before he eats it. It’s a rare occurrence. And that’s the key.

I am proud of him and for anyone who makes positive changes. If you do it, you reap the rewards. If you don’t, you will suffer the consequences, which may look a bit like fatigue or acid reflux, bloating or a bad taste in your mouth, stomach problems or something much worse. This isn’t meant to scare you. This is meant to show you that taking control of your health can have such a positive impact on your daily living. And when your wife is also happy with what you’ve done…well, you can’t put a price on that! 😉

Question of the Day:
What great news did you get this week?

Leave a comment

Filed under Artificial Flavors, Baby Steps, GMO-free, Organic

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

May 14, 2012 · 3:08 pm

No Monday Blues Here

Happy Monday, everyone!

As some of you smirk at that, I must tell you what a happy Monday it has been for me. What I assumed would be a routine trip to Whole Foods turned into a Health Coach moment for me and I got to revel in how much I love what I do.

So here’s what happened…

I was shooting up and down the aisles, snatching everything I needed at lightening speed so I could get back to work. (I’m very speedy these days.) Then I sort of got in the way of a woman while I was grabbing for the hemp seeds and I apologized and she just sort of looked at me and then looked up at the hemp seeds on the shelf and then back at me and back at the hemp seeds.

I felt a question coming on so I lingered there for a moment, taking the opportunity to make sure I had all the superfoods I needed. You know, you never want to leave Whole Foods without all your superfoods.

(Superfood = food that is exceptionally good for you.)

And finally she spoke. “So does that give you a ton of energy or something?”

Well, folks, I wanted to share with you all exactly what I shared with this nice lady at Whole Foods because this really is good information.

“I guess so! It’s a great source of protein,” I said. “It’s actually a perfect plant protein.”

“So it’s not a bad protein?”

“No! Not a bad protein. It’s an excellent protein!” I said. “And it’s great because you can put it on cereal or oatmeal, or sprinkle it on salads. It has a nutty flavor and a slightly chewy texture. It tastes kind of like quinoa but you have to cook quinoa and this you just sprinkle on. Easy!”

I like the Navitas brand. The hemp seeds are certified organic, raw, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, fair trade, sustainably grown, and tasty. Some of you might only care about that last part. That’s cool.

But hemp seeds are one of the best sources of plant protein, as they have a high protein content and are a complete protein with all the essential amino acids. If you don’t know what that means, all you really have to know is that it’s the healthiest kind of protein.

In addition to protein, hemp is a great source of magnesium and zinc, and also a good source of potassium and iron. Additionally, hemp seeds have omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the ideal ratio. That might also be confusing, but what you really need to know here is that most of us are getting way too much omega-6, and the balance of the two is key.

I then grabbed a bag and handed it to her. She was excited to try it. I love spreading the superfood love!

And that brings me to my final point here on a Monday. This is a reminder to do what you love. There was a time when I dreaded a Monday as much as the next gal. But these days, Mondays are just another day to do what makes me happy.

Question of the day:
What makes YOU happy? Now, I know we all have answers to that so let’s hear from you below!!

5 Comments

Filed under Gluten-free, Organic, Product Review, Raw, Superfoods, Vegan

Tagged as , , , , , , ,