I have never ever been fond of diets. As a clinical dietitian and now almost to be physician assistant it perplexes me how many medical professionals have no idea about healthy eating and still advice patients wrong when it comes to healthy eating. Very sad to say the least.

Diet are something that have never work and will never work, that is, if you want lose some pounds temporarily and then gaining all back!

There is no diet, pill, trick in the world that you will find that will aid you to lose the weight for ever. Diets are not sustainable, that is why they are called diets. A change in lifestyle is a different story so I hope you come to that realization and know that diets don’t work. A change in lifestyle is 100% the only healthy and sustainable way.

I will tell you the secret and the things that I have seem to work for those that are ready to take the step. I will list a few pointers here but if you are interested in more detail visit my page here and here.

My food philosophy in a NutShell:

• Eat without depriving yourself of anything. (Processed and junk food does not count though). When eating things such as rice, pasta and bread try to eat the whole grain counterparts.
• Eat food of highest quality. EAT REAL FOOD. If you want ice cream, eat real ice cream. If you want a cookie, eat a real cookie, and if you want cake, eat real cake. A cake made with 30 ingredients and fake frosting from the supermarket does not count.
• Eat from scratch. Cooking meals yourself helps you control what it is in your food allowing you to increase its quality to include less sodium, bad fats and tons of sugar.
• Don’t skip any meals, especially breakfast. You need to get your metabolism going and start burning calories!! (If you have any questions about this go to the FAQ section for more info)
• Moderate your servings. This doesn’t mean you have to eat bird portion sizes or gigantic ones either. Use your common sense :-)
• Exercise when ever possible, walk, run, swim, bike etc If you can get a routine even better, what ever works for you.
• Try to avoid fake foods and try to buy organic and natural foods when ever possible. Do what you can.
• Try to avoid soda, even diet versions, and when drinking juices make sure they are 100% juice. Just don’t over drink juice though, 1/2 cup to 1 cup per day is plenty. You don’t want to drink your calories now do you?
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate with H2O and nothing else!!
• This is not food related but it is very important. You need to make sure you get enough sleep. This is crucial to have your body in balance and allow your immune system and hormones to do their job well.
• AVOID trans fat, high fructose corn syrup and olestra at all costs. If you want more detail as to why visit my link.

Well, I hope this information was of some value to some of you. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

I hope you like this power quinoa kale salad. It is fulfilling, easy, healthy and delicious. Note that you can use any type of dressing of your choice, anything goes.

Enjoy!

Power quinoa kale salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 oz fresh kale
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 14 oz cooked white beans
• 1 lb butternut squash, cubed, roasted
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup golden raisins

Dressing

• 1 cup tahini
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbs sesame oil
• 1 inch fresh ginger, cubed

 

Directions:

For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Add the butternut squash to a baking tray with 2 tablespoon of oil. Toss to combine with the oil and bake for about 15-20 minutes. I like my butternut squash on the crunchy side but you can bake it more if you like. (You can also microwave the squash for an easier quicker way).

While the butternut squash roast, in a large pan, add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and kale. Saute for 3-5 minutes just to wilt.

In a large mixing bowl add all the salad ingredients including 1/3 cup of the dressing. Toss to combine and serve.

NOTE: You can use any type of dressing you like.

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For quite sometimes we have been relaying on just vegetables, grains and fish somewhat. Meat and poultry have been rarely consumed in my house. I mean, I probably used chicken and meat before once or twice per month but now I haven’t even used it in over 3 months.

I really don’t know how people manage to eat meat and chicken almost every day and sometimes even for both lunch an dinner. I guess I am not a big meat eater and that is why is sounds kind of weird to me.

Anyways, my family really doesn’t care for meat and poultry much so I guess I am lucky. Even my kids are wanting to stay away from it. It is fine by me because I could really rely on vegetables for ever and ever…

For this carrot quinoa arugula salad you can really use any type of veggies you like. I used what I had on hand plus the multicolor carrots I got at the market. I pretty much just roasted them and added other vegetables to it.

Then I relied on a simple dressing made with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and that was it. The salad was made in a matter of minutes after the carrots roasted.

I am planning on getting in the kitchen more often but with my schedule right now is a bit crazy. I have 2 weeks brake coming soon so I really can’t wait for that. My kitchen is going to be popping with cooking and baking. It is my place to decompress and get the stress out really!

This carrot quinoa arugula salad is something I can eat everyday. I am glad I was able to make extra to take to work next week. I love been able to eat healthy while I am not able to work out as much as I did before so I feel a bit better when my meals are healthy.

Until my next recipe,

Enjoy!

Carrot quinoa arugula salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 16 oz carrots, roasted
• 8 oz arugula
• 4 eggs, boiled
• 4 large tomatoes, quartered
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Dressing

• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp celtic salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425F. Place carrots in a baking tray. Add the olive oil and make sure the carrots are coated lightly with the olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients and set aside.

When the carrots are roasted add the rest of the ingredients to the baking tray and toss in the dressing. Serve.

Note: Sprinkle more pepper if you like or add some nuts for some more crunch and protein content

The post Carrot quinoa arugula salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Salad recipes are one of my favorite things to make over the summer. I normally refrain from using the oven and cook top when hot weather arrives. Today I decided to have a fun outing with my kids so I figured I would make something light like this Cauliflower Quinoa Salad and have it ready upon our return.

We love to hang out in the backyard after coming home from bike riding. Today, because it was raining on and off we decided to just stay in the yard and have some fun on the trampoline instead.  No matter how the weather turns out we always find a way to have fun.

For days like this, I always make sure that I have some light, healthy and refreshing to have later on when the kids get hungry and tired. I served the Cauliflower Quinoa Salad with Santa Cruz Organic beverages, which was perfect for my thirsty kids.

There are actually different flavors to choose from so make sure you pick a favorite of yours. You can find a store near you where Santa Cruz Organic Beverages are sold at this link.

• From the iconic Lemonades to the lightly sweetened Agua Frescas and the new Carbonated Tea Lemonades, Santa Cruz Organic offers the perfect way to refresh your summer with unique flavors.
• Whether you’re spending the day by the pool, or prepping for a family picnic, Santa Cruz Organic’s line of organic, non-GMO lemonades and fruit juices are an easy way to beat the summer heat.
• Made with 100% organic fruit juice, Santa Cruz Organic lemonades are a summertime favorite we can all feel good about drinking.

Staying busy when there is no school and finding fun activities for the kids to enjoy is sometimes a challenge. My trick is to always try to keep it simple. Bike riding, exploring the neighborhood and having fun on the trampoline are always activities that are a success. I always try to emphasize this for my friends that are busy working out of the home and still want to spend quality time with their kids.

Keeping activities simple and getting the kids moving, even if it is just a simple game of basketball they will enjoy for sure. Whatever it is just, finding ways to spend quality time with the kids is always important.

Well, I hope you like this cauliflower Quinoa Salad. Santa Cruz Organic beverages were the perfect combo to keep the kids hydrated and happy. One of our favorites was the Cherry Lemonade – I hope you will like it too.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower quinoa salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked red quinoa
• 12 oz of cauliflower florets
• 9 oz shredded cabbage
• 7 oz fresh arugula
• 2 large cucumbers, cut into small chunks
• 10 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbs sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp celtic salt

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package instructions and set aside.

Microwave the cauliflower florets until they are tender but not super soft and mushy. I do about 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl add the arugula followed by the chopped vegetables, sunflower seeds and cauliflower. Add the vinegar, oil and salt and combine.

Serve.

The post Cauliflower quinoa salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Sometimes when I decide to experiment, especially when it comes to baking and making desserts, my results don’t go accordingly to plan. This time around, while I was preparing these gluten free quinoa blueberry pancakes, I knew they would turn out perfect. Sometimes you can just tell.

This recipe will make about 14 large pancakes, which for us was perfect. I was able to have several servings for my kids for the next few days, since I don’t tend to make pancakes all the time. Whenever I do, whether it would be pancakes or waffles, I always double the batch to have leftovers.

These pancakes are a lot healthier for you than conventional ones. I used quinoa, which is rich in protein, mineral and vitamins, and kept it gluten free by using a mixture of brown rice and almond flour. Normally pancakes call for all-purpose flour, which is refined and empty in any nutritional value.

I also used Silk unsweetened almond milk. It is one of my favorite milks to use not only because of the flavor but the fact that it is unsweetened. This way it allows me to sweetened recipe myself and control the sweetness of them!

These gluten free quinoa blueberry pancakes are a healthier alternative for you and your family. Give them a try, you will surprise as to how fluffy and delicate they are. Also, if you like, you can use any other fruit of your choice. Bananas would work great as well as well as strawberries.

I hope you get to make these awesome gluten free quinoa blueberry pancakes. I think they are going to become one of your favorite pancake recipes of all times.

Enjoy!

Gluten free quinoa blueberry pancakes

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 14 pancakes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup almond flour 
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup Silk unsweetened almond milk
• 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh
• 4 tsp aluminum free baking powder
• 3 tsp Mexican vanilla extract
• pinch of celtic salt

Directions:

In a stand mixer add the milk, eggs and sugar and combine until you obtain a homogenous mixture. Add the flours, cooked quinoa, baking powder, vanilla extract and salt and combine.

With a spatula fold in the blueberries. Place 1/3 cup of the batter onto a nonstick griddle previously greased. Cook until the pancake is puffed and you start to see bubbles forming on the surface. Flip and cook on the other side for about 1-2 minutes.

Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve immediately with some maple syrup.

NOTE: You can store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Gluten free quinoa blueberry pancakes appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love how colorful this Quinoa veggie salad turned out. The orange and purple is so enticing to the eye…or at least it is for me. My kids thought it was very pretty so they ate it at ease.

I have been using quinoa for the longest I can remember. I use it for many different things especially when a recipe calls for rice. Plenty of times I sub the rice for the quinoa and the recipe still turns out great.

I have even used cooked quinoa to make pancakes and the texture is great. Very delicate and tasty to say the least. If you haven’t started using quinoa I urge you too. There are many different uses you can give to this amazing nutritious seed.

You can look under my recipe tab and look for the ” quinoa” ingredient to see all the recipes I have using it. I have quite a few in my blog so I am sure you will find one that you like.

If you are looking to use quinoa more often or are looking for a easy healthy salad recipe idea this one is for you. It is great for a light healthy night meal, lunch or to pair with any type of protein such as grilled chicken.

For the salad recipe visit my friends at Nuts.com Make sure you browse around, as they have many of the ingredients you will need for your healthy cooking and baking. They have a large variety of flours, nuts, dried fruits and much more.

Enjoy!

The post Quinoa veggie salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

My kids totally love pancakes so when I told them I was making quinoa pancakes they were a little bit taken back. That only lasted for so long because the minute they try them they didn’t care anymore.

I love using quinoa when ever possible because it is full of protein, rich in B-vitamins, fiber, and it is gluten free… and lets not forget it tastes great. I also use quinoa for some recipes that call for brown rice. I use quinoa instead and it works like a charm.

Have you tried quinoa before? I have several friends that have never tried it before. To me that is odd but I guess not everyone is into food like I am.

As always, you can serve these quinoa pancakes however you wish. When it comes to toppings pancakes are very versatile so get creative. I used some pecans and plane old maple syrup which in my book is just perfect. Maybe some added fresh fruit will be great as well. I have seen many elaborate pancake toppings but in my house we just keep our pancakes simple.

To get the recipe for this quinoa pancakes visit my friends at Nuts.com. Don’t forget to browse around for any other heath ingredients you may need for your baking and cooking. They have a large variety of healthy flours, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and much more.

Enjoy!

The post Quinoa pancakes appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.