YOU HAVE NO EXCUSES NOT TO EAT HEALTHY EVERYDAY #THANKYOUSOCIALMEDIA
The North American lifestyle is one of the most fast pace lifestyles in the world. People often have excuses for not having enough time to exercise, sleep enough, eat healthy, or simply just take care of themselves period! The one thing that I think people really overestimate is how easy it is to cook a quick and healthy meal every day.
It is 2015 and the sources for this information are endless. Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and just googling the World Wide Web will suffice. Social media has had a huge impact over the years on how people find information. This also includes great information like healthy recipes anyone can easily find on any social media outlet. Here are a few quick ideas you can look up online.
If you’re the type of person who loves to snack and has a sweet tooth, a great idea found on Pinterest is frozen yogurt-covered blueberry bites. Dip Blueberries in Greek yogurt then lay them out on a cookie sheet. Put it in the freezer for 15 minutes (it is recommended to keep them in there for 1 hour to insure they are all frozen) then pop them off the cookie sheet and put them in a container or baggie for easier access to snack on next time.
An idea found on Instagram or Pinterest, and often posted through links on Facebook, would be lasagna made with zucchini instead of pasta. It probably only cuts the time by a little bit, but its most definitely a healthier option. Slice the zucchini lengthwise about ¼ inch thick and place them lengthwise across the bottom of the pan them pour the filling and repeat layers of zucchini 2 to 3 times.
And who doesn’t love pizza??? Well this is a pretty simple way to make pizza healthier. Exchange your Flat bread for a cauliflower crust. The cooking instruction can easily be found online in any social media outlets such as Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook. Essentially the ingredients are 1 small cauliflower, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan, 1/4 cup of grated mozzarella, 1 egg, 1 big clove of crushed garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper. This is a much better option than a highly inflammatory flat bread filled with gluten, preservatives and is high in sodium.
Recently there have been many studies coming out that processed as well as red meats are carcinogenic to humans (read my last blog on the subject or research the article provided by the World Health Organization). A great way to replace those hamburgers could be with delicious spinach burgers. These ingredients consist of 1 bad of thawed and well drained chopped spinach , 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1/4 cup diced onions, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 tsp red flakes, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Mix ingredients in a bowl, form patties, cook patties on a skillet over medium high heat until the patties are golden and firm (about 4-6 minutes) and VOILA!
The last easy meal I want to share with you is the Mexican quinoa stuffed peppers. Really, you can put whatever you would like in a bell pepper. The point is that it does not take time to make and it’s a really healthy meal option for dinner time. This could be a vegetarian meal or not (I would recommend added protein like shredded chicken or turkey or even black beans to the mix). Make sure you cook the quinoa before mixing all your ingredients together. Great ingredients to add to the mix would be cubes of avocados, tomatoes, onions and salsa. Top it off the a little bit of cheese, either shredded pepper jack cheese or mozzarella, and bake in the oven.
You see, it’s actually quite easy to prepare healthy meals. If you find it hard to make these changes, start small. Replace your pastas by vegetables like zucchini or even just gluten free pasta or rice. Make your own tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and spices. In this day and age it is important for people to take advantage of the free information that you can find on social media. The ideas you will find take just as much time for preparation as anything that is less healthy. These outlets can provide you with healthy meal ideas that could help you and your family live life optimally so NO MORE EXCUSES!
Do you have a favourite recipe that you’ve found on line? Please share the link with us!
Dr. Lydia Ouldchikh,
Chiropractor
