Valentine's

Like I mentioned, I am a complete OFB addict.

Proof?

PINK and RED

YUMM

RED Raspberry JAM in my oatmeal in honor
of VALENTINE'S DAY

What foods are you going to make/eat today that are red or pink?!

Breakfast

Anyone else a complete OFB (Oatmeal For Breakfast) addict?

Hi. My name is Annette. And I am OFB.

yummmmy oatmeal

I adore oatmeal for breakfast!
In this certain bowl of oats:
-1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
-1 cup water
-1/2 cup light vanilla soy milk
-1 Tb almond butter
-pinch of nutmeg
-1 Tb granola (on top)
-crumbles of a black bean brownie

What are YOUR favorite combos for an oatmeal bowl?

Oat Facts:
1. oats contain soluble fiber-this fiber dissolves in water/binds with water that gives a feeling of fullness
2. soluble fiber has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers
3. oats are inexpensive, versatile, and delicious
4. oats can be used for breakfast, in cookies, as a bread crumb alternative to casseroles, in muffin mixes, an addition to protein shakes or smoothies, and eaten raw with milk
5. because of the fiber and protein naturally found in oats, oatmeal for breakfast is the perfect break-your-fast (get it?!) meal. It is also a perfect post-workout meal because of the carbs:protein ratio
6. Oats are portable, drinkable, easy to use, and economical
7. try to avoid the oats in a box--there is a lot of added sugar, chemicals, and additives your bodies don't need
8. old-fahioned oats are unprocessed and allow for a slower digestion and release of sugar into the bloodstream....allowing that feeling of fullness to last! No mid-morning snack needed.

Weekend Eats

Does anyone else tend to eat a tad differently during the week? 

I sometimes do.

When I do, I tend to eat more sweets and less vegetables. Weird, I know!

But, I eat REALLy healthy during the week- so it sort of balances each other out.

Sort of.

Some recent weekend (split between 2 weekends) eats:

Best Salad (with chicken and black beans and whole wheat tortilla)

home made hot cocoa- Deeeelish!

homemade turkey/cheese/spinach panini with a spinach salad (cottage cheese and almonds atop)

Snickerdoodle, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate Frozen yogurt with a black bean brownie and toffee
I. was. in. heaven.

you can go ahead and be jealous.

Now can you see why my husband puts up with me during that special time during the month?
He gets to partake of the goodness also!!


Enjoy your weekend friends!

Viewpoint

Just a few pictures I have taken with my brand new camera lately...

How grateful I am for this earth and the beauty we have ALL around us

Spend some time in nature today and you just might have a totally

new VIEWPOINT on your life

We live in a beautiful, majestic world, my friends.

It is refreshing just walking in the woods 

or seeing the mountains when I step out of work

or running along a snowy trail

or sloshing through the huge puddles

or freeezing my bumm off getting to the gym.....

(okay that is a bit of a stretch as far as beauty goes)

All I am saying is step out, and view this world from a different eye tomorrow,

you just might surprise yourself!

my secret love

is Frozen Yogurt. Ice Cream. Caramel. Almonds. More Caramel.  

Don't tell my husband ;)

I ate this glorious dessert 2 weeks ago with the husband celebrating my sister-in-law's birthday. It was AH-mazing and made me fall in love all over again with the above foods (minus the banana. ick!).

Luckily these foods don't show up often in my diet as I usually eat nutritious foods, or ELSE my husband would think something was competing for his love.....wink wink (I do eat nutritious nuts often though-they were just included because they were atop the dessert) 

Mantras

I have a lot of exercise mantras that keep me going and help me stay motivated. Want to hear some of them?

"You're stronger than you think you are"

"Only ___ minutes left" (and then I say it again and again until I finish

"Think about how good you'll feel after you're done" (to get my butt to the gym)

"If she can run that fast than so I can I!"

"It is only 10 hours out of the whole week!" *in reference to going to the gym and being physically active

"fuel your body right and it will carry you further"

"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can"

"Just one more Lady Gaga song...." :)

"Push through it"

"You get to have breakfast after you finish....." *I love my oatmeal in da mornin'!

I want to hear yours! What are some motivational things YOU tell yourself as you sweat it out at the gym, in the yoga studio, or on the sidewalk? 

Essential

What are your health ESSENTIALs?

homemade butternut squash soup- a MUST have

Here are my must haves:

-cardio DAILY (Zumba, stairs, aerobics, running, swimming, elliptical, etc.)

-weight training at least 2 x /week (usually closer to 4 x) 

-essential oils (COMPLETE PURE grade therapeutic oils) DAILY --seriously changed the way my face/skin, hair look, and healing processes go. let me know if you want more info

-intimacy with the husband daily

-whole foods DAILY: soups, salads, sweet potatoes, otameal

-LOTS of water all day

-piece of chocolate a week (at least)

-an apple or orange at lunch

-8-10 hours sleep PER night

-spiritual meditation, prayer, scripture reading daily

-church weekly

-journal writing, facebooking and planner organizing 2 x /week

These all make me HAPPY, HEALTHY, and in BALANCE. 

these pics are pictures of my latest eats, if you were wondering....

What is YOUR list? I want to hear it! If you have questions about any of these items, let me know!

Happy HOLIDAYS!