What does 300 Calories look like?

I stole this.

THE FLU.

I was a disaster on Friday and yesterday- BUT today I did pilates and yoga. I can't get over how much better I feel when I push myself.


Mexican Pizza:

Ingredients:
One, can refried-beans
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 flour tortillas (10 inch)
One can diced green chilies (4 ounce)
1 cup jack cheeseshredded
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
2 tomatoes chopped
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
One can sliced black olives (4 ounce)
Salsa

Directions:Heat beans and onion in a skillet. Stir in seasonings. Slightly crisp tortillas in hot oven. Spread beans on tortillas and add green chilies, cheese, tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper and olives. Place under broiler until cheese melts. Serve with salsa.

Tara DOES Health

I've been having an inner battle with carbs all day.

Last night I went out for my girl's birthday and ate more carbs than I have in so long- and I felt GROSS this morning.

Blah. But pilates last night was amazing!


Recipe I am trying this weekend:


Cucumber Layered Salad

About This Recipe: Simply layer the vegetables, mix the dressing, pour over vegetables and refrigerate overnight. Looks great layered in a straight-sided glass bowl.Selection/Storage: Choose cucumbers that are firm, well-shaped and bright green. Store in refrigerator up to a week. Choose celery that is crisp and brigh green. Store in refrigerator in plastic bag for up to a week. Wash cucumbers and celery just before using.
Ingredients
1 can(19oz/540 ml) chick peas, drained1 1/2 cups chopped Go South Cucumber1 1/2 cups chopped tomato1 cup chopped Go South Texas Sweet or Vidalia Onion1 1/2 cups chopped Go South Celery1/2 cup each: mayonaise and sour cream1 clove garlic, minced1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro2tsp each: grated lemon rind and lemon juice1/4 tsp each: salt and pepper
Preparation
In a large 8 cup (2L) serving bowl, layer chick peas, cucmber, tomato, onion and celery, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, cilantro, lemon rind, juice, salt and pepper, pour over top of salad. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Produce
Lemon
Onions (Red, White & Yellow)
Tomato
Cucumber
Celery
Garlic

Stir-Fry is my new fav food. Last night, when my girls stopped by, they witnessed my massive stir-fry spree of yumminess.

Recipe:

A single green, orange, and red bell pepper

2 full zucchinis

Half an onion

A head of broccoli

14-16 pieces of asparagus

2 cloves of garlic

1/2lb of firm tofu

Rice wine

Oregano

Black pepper

Ginger Sesame seeds (optional)

YOGA

Last night I did my first non-beginner class of Yoga. I absolutely recommend it for stretching and relaxation. I have nooo flexibility but am excited to see the progress.I understand why Madonna is so muscular.

YummyYummy- Summer Squash Stir Fry

I'm trying to be creative considering my newfound food change. Amaaaazing- anyone who knows me knows that I'm keeping out the hot sauce though :)


You can all keep your chocolate.



Summer Squash Stir Fry

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
2 yellow or sunburst squash, sliced
2 zucchinis, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash curry powder
1/4 tsp salt
dash Tabasco sauce or 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Preparation:In wok or skillet, sautee onions and garlic in oil until onions are soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add rest of ingredients except hot sauce and nutritional yeast and stir fry until squash is soft, about 8-10 minutes. Turn off heat, add optional ingredients and stir well mixed.

My co-worker Rosalie showed me this today. It's the "Passport to Prana"- a $30 pass that gets you one class at over 30 Yoga studies in Toronto!

Gluten. Gluten. Gluten.

I'm making the very concious effort to avoid gluten. Lots of you have asked what's that means, so here is the information.



What Is It?

Several grains and starch sources are considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet. The most frequently used are maize, potatoes, rice, and tapioca (derived from cassava). Other grains and starch sources generally considered suitable for gluten-free diets include amaranth, arrowroot, millet, montina, lupine, quinoa, sorghum (jowar), sweet potato, taro, teff, chia seed, and yam. Various types of bean, soybean, and nut flours are sometimes used in gluten-free products to add protein and dietary fiber. In spite of its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat; pure buckwheat is considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet, although many commercial buckwheat products are actually mixtures of wheat and buckwheat flours, and thus not acceptable. Gram flour, derived from chickpeas, is also gluten-free.
Gluten is also used in foods in some unexpected ways, for example as a stabilizing agent or thickener in products like ice-cream and ketchup.

What Affect Does It Have On The Body?

abdominal pain, bloating and gas
indigestion/reflux (heartburn)
nausea and vomiting
diarrhea, constipation or both
lactose intolerance
weight loss (CD can occur in obese individuals)
chronic fatigue and weakness
iron, folate and/or vitamin B12 deficiency
other vitamin and mineral deficiencies
bone and/or joint pain
easy bruising of the skin
swelling of hands and feet
migraine headaches
canker sores
menstrual irregularities
recurrent miscarriages
elevated liver enzymes

I have amazing friends

I don't know what I did or how it ended up this way, but I have incredible friends.

On Friday, I had a girls night with Lauren and Christelle (Lauren is in the pic with me). They knew last minute that I had some weird food restrictions and yet, Lauren made the most delicious veggie stir fry that I could eat. I have incredible loyal friends.

FYI- Don't go see "The Women".

New turn of events!

To make a long story short, I went to the doctor after feeling quite ill and found out I have a gluten allgery/acid weirdness reaction. I'm going to Janna's tomorrow night, thank God. She's an expert in this area.

I'm home with my Mom now, we had the chance to talk about what's wrong and where to go from here.

Turns out we need to cut out salt and obvious unhealthy foods. Lifestyle change, here we goooo.

Hoorah! The beginning!

This morning, my Mama went into surgery for black-outs she was having for the last year. These black-outs prevented her to drive, work and live the life of a normal person -- and it turns out these black-outs were caused by blocked arteries.

My family has a crazy history of high cholesterol (hereditary) and while my Mom was averagely healthy & active, her arteries were severley blocked.

The shocker: I have that same gene.

Join me on my journey to figuring out how to handle this and many other adventures on the way!