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Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup

October 7, 2015

soup 1

Since it is getting cooler outside, people are starting to cozy up and make soups in their crock-pots.  Most soups can be high calorie and make you feel like hibernating after eating them… so here is how we avoid that feeling by boosting the nutrients in our soups!

Most people assume you need noodles, rice, or potatoes to have a soup… but you can actually use quinoa instead!  Find out why quinoa is one of my favorite grains HERE!

So here is my recipe for one of our favorite fall soups made in a crock-pot.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 organic chicken breasts, whole
  • 2 containers of organic chicken broth
  • 3 stalks of organic celery, chopped
  • 1 organic leek, chopped
  • 5 organic carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup organic red quinoa
  • 1 organic lemon, sliced
  • 1/2 tbsp. organic dill weed
  • salt/pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place all chicken and broth into your crock-pot.  Add celery, leek, carrots, lemon, and dill to your crock-pot and let cook on high for 5-6 hours or until chicken is done.

After adding all of your ingredients to your crock-pot, place your quinoa in a bowl of water off to the side to soak as shown below.  I will also add extra water to the crock-pot depending on how much broth I have.  Here I used both containers of broth and about 1 cup of water.

soup 2

After your chicken has finished cooking, take out all chicken and shred chicken with a fork.  The chicken should just fall apart as you scrape it.  Once shredded, put it back into your crock-pot.

Strain water from your quinoa and add quinoa to your crock-pot 30 minutes before you plan to eat.

**Note:  I always use red quinoa because it does not get mushy.

Please feel free to salt/pepper to taste.  And 30 minutes later, voila!  You have a healthy and flavorful soup!

soup 1

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post and please feel free to share using the social media icons below!

 

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Sides

Refreshing Strawberry Apricot Cooler!

August 31, 2015

Apricot Strawberry juice 1

Summer time may be coming to a close, but the heat is still very real in Alabama!

This all-natural beverage is a great way to have a cool refreshing drink without artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners!  So here is what you’ll need:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 oz 100% organic apricot juice
  • 4-6 oz seltzer water (or plain water)
  • 2 sliced strawberries
  • 3 blueberry cubes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Add juice and strawberries to cup.  Let soak 1-2 minutes.  Then add seltzer water and blueberry cubes.

ENJOY!

Please feel free to share this recipe using the social media icons below!

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Red Queen Juice- Health Benefits and Recipe!

August 7, 2015

juice 6

 

I get asked all the time about juicing… is it healthy?  What do you juice?  How often?

So here is my opinion on juicing…

  1. I am NOT a fan of juicing fasts.  I don’t believe in liquid diets for long-term results or cleansing really.  Your body really needs the fiber from these foods because it is not meant to live on liquids forever.  Fiber is so beneficial.  It promotes the movement of material through the digestive system to keep your intestines healthy.
  2. When people think of juicing, they only think of fruits!  Juicing all fruits and 1 kale leaf is not at all ideal.  Fruit juices contain a lot of sugar.  This is what really gives you a blood sugar spike.  It’s mostly veggies in your juice that you want!
  3. Juicing can be a great supplement in addition to your diet.  Kind of used as a blast of nutrients.  Not a meal.
  4. I will ONLY juice organic fruits/veggies.  Our culture uses way too many pesticides in extremely heavy loads.  And now genetically modify foods are grown which means we use even MORE pesticides.  And the last thing I want to do is drink all of those pesticides.  ALWAYS use certified organic!

I came across a book in TJ Max (a store I absolutely LOVE).  They have the most awesome little recipe books.  One day I ended up picking up a book called The Healthy Green Drink Diet by Jason Manheim.  At first I was skeptical because it sounded like a book for a juicing diet only.  But he actually talked about how he used it for supplementation as well.  So I thought “what the heck… why not?”

So as I was trying out the recipes, I fell in LOVE with the Red Queen recipe.  It is so nutrient packed and tastes so great.  And this is really the only recipe from his book I’ve consistently used the past few years.

 

juice 1

 

As you can see in the photo above, all the ingredients are very strong in red/purple tints.  This was prior to washing my ingredients, so definitely wash them thoroughly.  With the beets, I scrub them well with a hard bristled brush.  Just to make sure all dirt is removed.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 medium beet (I leave the chard on)
  • 2 red kale leaves
  • 1/4 head of red cabbage
  • 1 gala apple
  • 1 small bunch red grapes

 

 

 

juice 2

The juicer I use is the Breville 800JEXL Juicer.  It is a beast of a juicer!  There has not been one fruit or veggie it couldn’t handle.  And the mouth opening is wide enough to drop a whole small apple or beet in it.  I would highly recommend this juicer!

The brighter the color of food, the more nutrient dense it is!  Look at that vibrant color!

 

juice 5

 

So we’ll go through this recipe and talk about the health benefits of each food.

BEETS:  Beets are rich in folate, lycopene, anthocyanins, vitamin C, potassium and inorganic nitrate.  They have actually been proven to reduce blood pressure in individuals with hypertenstion, reduce inflammation, improve immunity, and they also have anticancer properties regarding their antioxidant betanin.  It is extremely clear that beets fight very hard against free radicals.  Free radicals can attack DNA and lead to cancer.  Overall, beets are really beneficial.

*Note:  The beet greens (chard) are also extremely nutrient packed.  I would recommend juicing them also.

 

juice 4

 

 

RED KALE:  Red kale is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, B6, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin K, many antioxidants and flavonoids.  Three of these nutrients are really important for eye health.  Kale also has more vitamin C than an orange (100% DV vs 136% DV)!  That means it is great for immunity and fighting free radicals.  And not to forget the potassium content assisting again, in lowering high blood pressure.

RED CABBAGE:  Red cabbage contains large amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, anthocyanins, glucosinolates and flavonoids.  The glucosinolates help fight bacteria and reduce inflammation whereas the flavonoids focus on fighting free radicals in the body. More cancer fighting properties!  A 2012 research study by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that breast cancer survivors who ate more cruciferous vegetables reduced their risk of cancer recurrence by up to 62%!

GALA APPLE:  Gala apples are high in vitamin C and contain lower levels of potassium and B vitamins.  Vitamin C, as we have discussed earlier, is important for immune health and fighting against free radicals.  The apple is what helps reduce some the bitter flavor and add a touch of sweetness to the juice.

RED GRAPES:  Red grapes contain vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamin (B1), vitamin E, vitamin A, B6, folate, pantothenic acid, beta carotene, alpha carotene, potassium, copper, manganese, iron, and last but not least, resveratrol.  Resveratrol is an antioxidant that has been shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce inflammation.  Research in pigs has shown that resveratrol may improve heart function and increase the body’s ability to use insulin.

 

juice 3

 

Normally I try not to waste any of the fiber and will incorporate it into any baked goods that I make.  I will try to post my Superfood Sweet Loaf soon which incorporates some juicing fibers within it.

Once all ingredients have gone through the juicer, I pour all of the juice into a class jar to ensure appropriate mixing of all of the nutrients.

I immediately grab a glass and consume the juice within 10 minutes of juicing.  It is not ideal to try and store freshly made juice because it is not pasteurized.  So it can oxidize quickly.  Plus you want all those yummy health benefits ASAP!

And there you have it… your finished product!!

 

juice 6

 

I hope this post was helpful and educational.  If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section!  Happy juicing!!

 

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Beverages

All Natural- Blueberry Kiwi Lemonade with a Twist of Mint

August 4, 2015

beverage 1

 

I am not a big soda (pop) drinker, so I run out of options a lot of times for flavor within a beverage.  There are the sugar-free flavor packets you can use, but I really like to keep it natural.

Here is a new recipe I really enjoyed today that was different from my usual.

Ingredients:

  • 8 Blueberries
  • 2 slices of kiwi
  • 2 slices of lemon
  • 1 sprig of mint
  • 4 oz organic lemonade
  • 4 oz seltzer water (or plain water)

Directions:

Add blueberries, kiwi, lemon and mint to your glass.  Pour your lemonade then your seltzer (or plain) water last to help with mixing.  Let stand for 5 minutes, and Enjoy!

 

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Beverages

Meal Prepping Fiesta Breakfast Burritos!

July 30, 2015

burrito 1

If there is one thing we all have in common is that we have NO time in the morning for anything!  Whether you are rushing around to get ready, you’ve overslept, the kids are fighting, or the dog needs to go out… we just don’t have time.

So how can we eat healthy without time?

EASY!! MEAL PREP!!

This is a step by step on how to make 20 fiesta breakfast burritos to keep in your freezer.  And how to warm them up like they were just made!  This has saved me over and over for those morning where time is just not an option.

Here is what you’re going to need:

burrito 5

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 dozen organic eggs
  • 1 small bag of shredded cheese (fiesta blend)
  • 2 packs 100% whole wheat tortillas (20 tortillas total)
  • 1 pack of turkey sausage
  • 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
  • 2-3 jalapenos, seeded (from the back deck garden!)
  • 1 box of Ziploc sandwich bags

DIRECTIONS:

First, I start with cooking the turkey sausage with my chopped jalapenos.  For us, we like the heat of about 2 jalapenos.  But add the third if you like that extra kick!

burrito 4

Cooking your turkey sausage first allows the pan to become coated so your eggs don’t get as stuck to the pan.

Once your turkey sausage is finished, place it off to the side in a large mixing bowl.

Next, it is time to cook the eggs.  What I like to do is get a medium sized bowl and crack 6 eggs at a time, scramble them, and add them to the large mixing bowl to join the turkey sausage.

**Here is a little secret with my eggs… I am a HUGE turmeric fan!  Turmeric is SO good for you in so many ways, I try to use it as much as possible.  So as I am whipping my 6 eggs, I will put a dash of turmeric and garlic powder in the mixture.

burrito 3

Once I complete all egg scrambling, I now have a large bowl full of eggs, turkey sausage and jalapenos.  After thoroughly mixing all these ingredients, you are almost ready for burrito rolling!

Make sure to chop your bunch of cilantro and have it in a bowl at your burrito rolling station.  As well as your small bag of fiesta shredded cheese.

Once everything is lined up on your counter, grab your tortillas and begin the filling process!

Your tortilla will include 1/2 cup of your egg/sausage/jalapeno mixture, a sprinkle of your cheese blend, and a pinch of cilantro!  Then you will roll it up and bag it!

Repeat 20 times and BOOM!  You’re done!

burrito 2

Now you can load up the freezer and know you have twenty breakfast options waiting to be eaten!

Lastly, I like to give you an idea how to heat them up so they do not taste soggy.

The night before we plan to have one, we take a burrito each out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator overnight.  Once we get up in the morning, it is defrosted, we put it in the microwave on a plate for 30 seconds, and your burrito is ready to eat!

This is one of my favorite high protein, lower carb ways to eat a fast breakfast.  It is totally worth meal prepping for an hour on Sunday to know my boyfriend and I don’t have to worry about breakfast planning for 2 weeks!

burrito 1

I hope you’ve enjoyed this breakfast meal prepping post!  Please leave questions in the comments section.  And if you know of anyone who could benefit from an easier and healthier morning, please share by using the social media icons below!

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Breakfast

Welcome!

AvatarI’m Tamar, a registered dietitian living in Alabama, fascinated by food, fitness, and travel. My goal for this blog is to help people learn more about how to live a long, healthy, and peaceful life to the fullest. Read More…

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