Do You Like Green Eggs & Ham?

I am S.A.M...Sustainable, Attainable, Maintainable :) 
I am S.A.M.

S.A.M. I am!

>>That S.A.M. I am, that S.A.M. I am!
>>I want to be that S.A.M. I am!

>>I do!  I like them!  
>>Sustainable, Attainable, Maintainable I am :) 

Green Eggs and "Ham"

• 1 cup Spinach/kale 
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 cup liquid egg whites

      >>Blend ingredients in a blender and set aside. 

• Ham, turkey, or some other meat (I actually used turkey!) 
• Cauliflower (I process mine til it is small and looks almost like rice.  I'm not a huge fan of cauliflower but I don't even notice it!) 
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Any other veggies you like! You can get as creative as you want :) 

    >> Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil, safflower oil, or some other vegetable oil in a frying pan. When hot, add vegetables and meat.  Cook for a few minutes until softened and starting to brown.  

   >>Pour in the egg w/spinach and kale.  Stir with spatula until cooked and eggs are no longer liquid!  

• 1/4 c low-fat cottage cheese

   >>For added protein and creaminess, you can add the cottage cheese.  Add just before the eggs are done and cook it in with the eggs.  Top with Pepper.  (No need for added salt!  There is salt in everything else we eat!  Especially if you top with salsa.) 

Sustainable, Attainable, Maintainable you are! 

These tasted amazing!  I tried blending up the greens because when I just cook them in my eggs, they are kind of stringy and have a not-so-appetizing texture.  Blended up I don't even notice they're in there!  And they turn green...HOW COOL IS THAT!?

Chorizo Egg Burrito

My husband found this little gem at Safeway the other day. Soy Chorizo sausage!  It makes super tasty eggs without even having to use an egg yolk, lowering the fat content even more.

In order to sustain and maintain a healthy lifestyle, I love finding healthier alternatives to foods and meals I already love. My husband and I ate at this little French Cafe by our house and ordered some real Chorizo eggs...oh my they were delicious!  When he found the soy version (for only 89 cents too!) He had to get some! Not only was it a healthy alternative, but a cheaper one too!!

You can use this gem in so many different ways...here's how I used it this morning.

Chorizo Egg Burrito

3/4 C Liquid Egg Whites (organic from Costco)
2 oz Chorizo Soy Sausage
2 C Spinach

Cook in a large skillet and serve in any whole wheat tortilla.

(Be careful when buying wheat that it says whole wheat. When it just says "wheat" it is still refined and a lot of the protein, fiber, and vitamins have been removed).

Nutrition Facts (without tortilla)

Fat: 4 g
Carbs: 7.2 g
  Fiber: 3.3 g
Protein: 26 g
Vitamin A: 122 %

Holy smokes. Talk about simplicity! I'm pretty sure it took me less than 10 minutes to make. Even less time to devour down all the tastiness!

http://mobile.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/cacique/soy-chorizo?showFacts=True

Pumpkin Protein Bars

Instead of spending tons of money on protein bars, I experimented with making my own!  You can eat these in the morning for breakfast, as a midday meal, or a pre-workout meal.  I even eat these protein-filled little treats as a dessert :)

Protein Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein
• 2 tsp cinnamon (or more!)
• A pinch of nutmeg
• A pinch of allspice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 c honey, or other sweetener
• 1/2 c canned pumpkin
• 1/4 c water

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  Mix wet ingredients in a bowl.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Add walnuts or pecans if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes.  *For a moist cake, cover immediately with foil after taking it out of the oven.  It will contain all the moisture.  

Nutrition Facts for 1 Bar without nuts: 

Inspired by Jamie Eason's Carrot Protein Bars.

Prevent Muscle Breakdown with a Protein-filled Breakfast!

Wanna lost fat?? Maintain your muscle! Amino acids (AA's) are the essential building blocks for the muscles. After fasting for 8+ hours, you need to replenish your amino acids or your body will go straight for your muscles to get the AA's it needs for energy.

Here's an idea for a yummy breakfast or midday snack with over 15 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber. The Nutrition Facts posted include a medium sized Fuji apple.

Almond Butter Apple Dip

1/2 Cup Fage 0% Total Plain Greek Yogurt
1Tbsp Almond Butter
Cinnamon to your liking
1 apple

Enjoy :)

You can add bit of honey or other sweetener if you need, but the sweetness of the apple should be enough!
Do you have any other delicious, sustainable dips you like?? Please post!!

My Purpose in Blogging

My husband and I just sat at our kitchen table for 15 minutes shouting out random words that rhymed in order to create a title for my blog.  This is what we came up with - Sustainable, Attainable, Maintainable Health (SAM).  Despite our laughter and spurts of turrets, each of these "-ables" were chosen for a specific reason - to share my goals, progress, and journey in attaining and maintaining a sustainable healthy lifestyle and helping you on that road too.

In setting my own health and fitness goals, I wanted something that would last.  I didn't want to get to my ideal physique, only to have it ruined a month later, then battling again to get it back.  I don't think weight or physique should be a continual struggle in which we are constantly at battle with ourselves.  Synonyms found for sustainable are "endurable, comfortable, cozy, livable, satisfactory, etc.".  In order to attain and maintain my ideal physique, I realized that it must be all of those things.

The number one rule in achieving greatness is visualization.  Rarely do people ever succeed unless they first visualize.  This is the first step in reaching your optimal health - seeing yourself already there and knowing you can attain it.    Make your goals easily seen every day.  Write them on a white board, hang up a picture, or look in the mirror and visualize the better you.  You must have complete confidence that your goals are attainable.

My husband is pretty confident that I have ADD (he was diagnosed and has done loads of research on it) and I'm pretty sure this manifests itself in what I eat and how I exercise.  I am constantly coming up with new ways to cook things or adding/changing ingredients in our meals.  I love discovering new workouts and exercises.  This keeps my healthy lifestyle fresh, fun, and full of exciting adventures...in other words, maintainable.  I will be sharing tips and tricks of this maintainable healthy lifestyle and how to keep it from getting boring and time-consuming.

“If we are creating ourselves all the time, then it is never too late to begin creating the bodies we want instead of the ones we mistakenly assume we are stuck with," (Deepak Chopra).  Visualize your ideal, make goals to get there, and start today.  Sustainable, Attainable, Maintainable health....here I come!!