Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. – John Ruskin

A snowy night calls for homemade soup.

This recipe was inspired by Tara Stile’s Veggie Detox Soup…mine just has a bit of a kick!

-1/2 onion chopped
-2 cloves of garlic
-Handful of Kale
-Handful of Spinach
-Celery
-Shredded cabbage
-Carrots
-4 cups no salt added chicken/veggie stock
-1 cup water
-1.5 cup almond milk
-Juice of 1 lime
-Italian seasoning, salt & cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown garlic and onions in pot. Add stock, water, almond milk and let boil. Add in all veggies and seasonings. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Enjoy and watch the snow fall. Store the excess in a container for the rest of the week!

Ignoring the bigger issue

In a recent Huffington Post article, the writer discusses how “Jennifer Lawrence body-shames you more than you realize.” She writes how J-Law can get away with bashing diets because she is already slender while Melissa McCarthy, an overweight actress, could not.

When Jennifer Lawrence says it’s “dumb” to go hungry to make other people happy, she’s saying it with the carefree attitude of a woman who probably will never have to make that choice to conform. Yes, she’ll be asked to diet for a role, and she feels the same pressure to meet cultural expectations as everyone else. But a woman who looks like Jennifer Lawrence doesn’t have to shop for her clothes in online stores because no physical storefronts carry her size. A woman who looks like Jennifer Lawrence probably isn’t going to have a stranger try to stage an impromptu intervention in a Pizza Hut because they’re so, so concerned for her “health.”

Click to read the full article

Here is my response:

While I do agree the double standard that Jennifer Lawrence gets praised for eating McDonald’s while Melissa McCarthy would get shamed is wrong, I think there is a bigger issue here. The issue is that we are ignoring the problem of health. Of course all women are real women whether they have curves or no curves, boobs or flat chested, short or tall, wide or slim. But by ignoring the issue of being overweight or obese, we are encouraging extreme health problems. That issue cannot be ignored, it must be addressed.

One thing that someone told me when I began to lose weight was “you might be a little hungry at times.” A little hunger is okay as long as you’re not starving yourself. You shouldn’t be starving yourself to lose weight, you should be adjusting your food intake and adding exercise to your daily routine.

I do agree that all women are beautiful in their own way and it is very important to recognize all body types as beautiful. However, it is also very important to recognize that if you need to shop for clothes online because they are not available in store, some changes should probably be made to achieve weight loss. Being that overweight will lead to health problems if you do not already have them.

Everybody is built differently and is beautiful in their own way. The important thing to focus on is not how one looks but on their health.

ValedFITorians – Ma & Dave

This week we have 2 ValedFITorians…my mom & Dave!

They were cooking up a Fit U approved dinner of sauteed escarole & Dave’s famous salmon. Escarole provides dietary fiber, vitamins A & C, and plenty of antioxidants. Salmon provides tons of protein and most importantly, omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential fats that help reduce inflammation, reduce risk of heart disease, and boosts brain productivity, among many other benefits. So when you eat salmon, you get 100% of the benefits with 110% of the flavor!

What are you cooking for dinner tonight?

Chocolate protein waffle strawberry sandwich

Using my 5 ingredients that will change your life,  add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Pour batter into waffle maker and cook until ready (maybe 5 minutes). Slice up some strawberries (maybe throw in some bananas!), fold waffle over, and enjoy!