Name: From My Recipe Box to Yours: Sweet Potato Fries
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 6-8 Sweet Potatoes, medium; 4 T Coconut Oil; 1-2 T Sea Salt; 2-3 T Dried Rosemary

November 16, 2015

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Sweet Potato Fries

November 16, 2015

“As if being one of the top vegetable sources of beta-carotene weren’t enough, sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamins C and E. These are potent antioxidant vitamins that play an important role in disease prevention and longevity.”

– Danna Norek, naturalnews.com

Sweet potatoes are one of those foods that many people eat exclusively around the holidays, when they really should be eating them much more often! Incorporating sweet potatoes into your regular diet might be a bit of a challenge because most of us only know one way to prepare this delicious and incredibly healthy vegetable….covered in marshmallows. I don’t know about you, but I usually only feel like eating this dish around Thanksgiving or Christmas.

While eating at a foodie restaurant in Los Angeles, I discovered a genius and conventional way to prepare sweet potatoes…in fry form! Top these babies with a little bit of sea salt and rosemary and you’ll get your new favorite side dish! I also recommend coating the sliced sweet potatoes in Coconut Oil before sticking them in the oven for the full 30 minutes.

Just remember to pull the fries out at the 15 minute mark and flip them with a spatula so that one side does not get well done while the opposite side is only slightly done. You can cook the fries on a baking sheet or in a glass pan, just be sure to spread them out evenly over multiple pans. The fries won’t cook right if they’re all crammed together in one pan.

Fries blackened on one side (Oops!)…Good thing I like them crispy!

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Sweet Potato Fries

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Category: Recipes

Ingredients

6-8 Sweet Potatoes, medium
4 T Coconut Oil
1-2 T Sea Salt
2-3 T Dried Rosemary

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F. Wash potatoes, slice into your desired shape and set aside in a large bowl.
Drizzle coconut oil over sweet potato fries and toss to coat. Spread evenly over multiple glass pans or baking sheets.
Once your fries are evenly dispersed, sprinkle half of the sea salt and rosemary to season.
Place in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, take all pans out of the oven (fries should be about halfway done at this point) and use a spatula to flip the fries. Once all the fries have been flipped, place pans back into the oven for another 15 minutes.
Your sweet potato fries should cook for a total of 30 minutes. They should be soft with slightly crispy edges. Add the other half of sea salt and rosemary. You may need to add more to taste.
Serve with ketchup, ranch or blue cheese dressings, or BBQ sauce.

https://www.seizethedayblog.com/2015/11/from-my-recipe-box-to-yours-sweet-potato-fries/

The final product!

Sources:

www.naturalnews.com/035739_sweet_potatoes_beta-carotene_nutrients.html

November 16, 2015

It’s Fall Y’all! The Seasons are Changing, Why Not Change Your Nutritional Lifestyle, too?

November 16, 2015

As the autumnal season continues to progress, it brings with it a multitude of changes like the various shades of red and yellow most leaves seem to be turning this time of year.

With the season so vibrantly changing all around us, I am reminded that while many of the changes taking place this time of year are imminent, we must not forget to stop and consider the changes that require a bit of a spark. You know, the ones that many of us tend to put on the back burner until life gets less hectic. More specifically, the changes that need to take place in the lives of most people and are concerning the quality of their nutritional lifestyle.

Take a moment and think about your nutritional lifestyle…would you consider your “lifestyle” to be a healthy one? Or, do you need to make some much-needed changes in your life before you’re even close to that neighborhood? If you do, that’s okay! I have an excellent way for you to kick-start your new “healthy” nutritional lifestyle and all you need to do is add a new product to your diet/cooking routine! What is this product, you may be asking? Well, drumroll, please…it’s Coconut Oil! Not only is it extremely healthy for the human body, but it’s fantastic for those with brain disorders (like epilepsy), as well! Read more about the health benefits of Coconut Oil here!

Coconut Oil is a saturated fat, something that has been marketed as “unhealthy,” but it is actually a major brain food! Yep, saturated fats are actually really great for your body! Click here to read more about the benefits of saturated fats and why everyone desiring healthy brain function should incorporate them into their diet. In addition to the saturated fats, the human brain also operates on protein (Want to learn more about protein? Click here to read my article, “Protein: It’s Kind of Important“).

And guess what coconuts happen to be full of…Yep, protein! It is this very component of coconuts that also makes the oil ideal for weight loss. With the holiday season fast approaching, now is the time to make the switch to Coconut Oil. If you’re cooking your holiday meal in Coconut Oil, you’ll be able to eat all the delicious food you’ve spent hours making without any of the regret or weight gain that it is typical for this time of year. Unlike normal holiday meals, you’ll be cooking your foods in oil that is both free of trans-fats and incredibly healthy for your body!

Many people fail to realize the important connection between nutrition and total body health. Albeit, more and more people are realizing the connection between vegetable oils like Canola and various cancers affecting adults, which is yet another reason why YOU should be cooking with Coconut Oil!

***Side Note: Please remember everything in moderation! Just because you’re using Coconut Oil does not mean you’re now allowed to eat an entire plate of stuffing all by yourself! It is simply a healthy alternative to existing cooking oils and should, therefore, still be considered come serving time.

So, hopefully, by now, I have convinced you of your need for Coconut Oil in your life! If you still need some convincing then let me just present you with a delightful fact….did you know that Coconut Oil can even make fried foods healthy? Who knew coconuts were such a total super fruit??? I first discovered this quality thanks to my Catamenial Epilepsy. As an epileptic, the current state of my brain health has become a prominent focus for me. Coconut Oil can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders (such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, depression, etc.) and reducing seizures is included in that long list of beneficial effects.

I can use all the help I can get when it comes to my brain health, so I now drink a tablespoon of melted Coconut Oil in the morning with breakfast. Drinking oil might sound completely disgusting, but believe me when I say it’s totally worth it! Coconut Oil is such an amazing supporter of brain health; you’ll be giving your brain a boost and promoting healthy long-term brain function simultaneously!

***Side Note: I recommend taking the oil with a glass of orange juice; it makes swallowing without gagging much easier!

The simplest adjustment in your daily regime truly can make a world of difference for your health! After discovering my allergy to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in 2010, I immediately stopped using cooking oils like Canola, Palm, Safflower and Sunflower…oils that are also commonly known to contain hidden forms of MSG. It was this allergy that prompted me to make the switch to Coconut Oil, but it is the endless list of health benefits offered by this product that have now made it a key component of my nutritional lifestyle.

Some of you might be concerned about the flavor of the oil affecting flavors you might be cooking with, but Tropical Traditions (a reputable Coconut Oil vendor) has already solved this problem for you! The company offers both flavored and unflavored oils.

While speeding up your metabolism, you will also find the Coconut Oil successfully working to reduce your hunger. So, ladies and gentlemen, seize the day, ditch the Canola oil and jump on the Coconut Oil bandwagon already!

P.S. Once you’ve got your Coconut Oil, click here for a delicious and simple recipe for Sweet Potato Fries! Or check out this delicious recipe from Jen Reviews Blog for Water Spinach Crepes with Coconut Cream Sauce where they use Coconut Oil to cook with instead of an unhealthy option. I’m always a fan of that cooking style!

October 21, 2015

Attitude Is Everything

October 21, 2015

Attitude Is Everything…

…when it comes to dealing with any type of health issue, whether it’s cancer, an injury, or Catamenial Epilepsy. Having a positive attitude through these kinds of circumstances can be incredibly challenging because, let’s be honest, being sick is no ride on the merry-go-round. If you or someone you know is struggling with their health at the moment, I would like you to do something for me…think about the task of maintaining a positive attitude despite the negative circumstances. Does this “challenge” seem worth the effort? I hope you answered “Yes” to this question because the truth is, having a positive perspective on your situation and life, as a whole, is the key to living with any health condition.

I feel like this is such a valuable piece of information because it has helped me to not lose myself in the middle of what can sometimes be a pretty chaotic environment. Having this positive outlook has also allowed me to actually improve upon my overall health. Any neurologist will present epilepsy as a long-term condition that you will have to deal with for the rest of your life. Now, if you decide to take the path suggested by the neurologist then, yes, you are going to deal with epilepsy for the rest of your life because the medication does NOT treat the cause of your seizures; it only treats the symptoms.

But, for argument’s sake, what if you made a change in your reasoning and began treating your epilepsy with the #1 objective being to cure the cause? Whenever I think long and hard about this question, I always come to the same conclusion: by treating and healing the main cause, recovery is inevitable because you are fixing the problem. Modern medicine may try to squash this hypothesis by pushing more pills our way, but it will always continue to reappear, sparking curiosity amongst various groups of people. Why, you might ask, is the dismissal of this hypothesis seemingly impossible despite the numerous efforts put forth by modern medicine? Simple, because it is a logical theory. This postulation doesn’t require you to blindly trust the pharmaceutical companies; it simply requests that you let logic be your guide when making decisions for your health.

I, unfortunately, never had anyone explain this to me after I was first diagnosed with Catamenial Epilepsy in 2009. Everything in this article (and on this whole blog, really) I learned firsthand through a continual process of trial and error. I may not be a doctor, but I can guarantee that I have the experience necessary to write about the topics you’ll find on Seize the Day Blog. But, that is also the beauty of this blog…when I write about the importance of keeping a positive attitude during both the ups and the downs of your medical condition, it isn’t because I read about this as a successful method somewhere on the Internet…it’s because I have had to live through those same ups and downs for the past 6 almost 7 years and I have learned firsthand that it is a very beneficial approach!

I see so many people dealing with conditions similar to my own, but never experiencing the same improvements, because instead of aiming to fix the cause they are merely treating the symptoms with who knows how many different medications. It is always very tempting to blurt out my entire medical story with the hope that something I learned along the way could also be helpful to this particular person, but it can be so hard to do so without coming off like I know best. The truth is, I don’t know best, but I have learned what medicinal methods are more successful than others for epileptics…will it actually help anyone? I certainly hope so!

For those of you struggling to deal with your epilepsy, my advice is to reassess your methods for handling your circumstances. Could you maybe approach your condition with a more positive attitude? It can be so easy to get caught up in the struggles that are associated with epilepsy. For me, I know that this can hinder my ability to maintain a positive perspective and, therefore, attitude, which is why I think a second piece of advice is also necessary: try to take life one day at a time. There is no reason to start concerning yourself with tomorrow, next week, next month, or a few years from now. Whenever you start to get ahead of yourself, take a deep breath and remind yourself that you only need to be concerned about things that require your attention today. You’ll find it’s much easier to have a more positive attitude when you’re not completely overwhelmed and/or stressed.

Life can be overwhelming and crazy when the hand you’ve been dealt includes a serious medical condition, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. Beyond those rare and unpredictable moments that pop up from time to time, life can be more of a blessing than a burden if you have the right recipe for success. It has been my experience that this recipe consists of three ingredients: a positive attitude, taking life one day at a time, and striving to cure the main cause of your health condition.

So, whether you have Catamenial Epilepsy, regular epilepsy or some other type of health condition…seize the day and take advantage of this recipe for success!

Quote Sources:

Quote #1- www.amazon.com/How-Do-You-Eat-Elephant/dp/159526040

Quote #2- FamousQuotesAbout.com

Quote #3- Biblehub/com/Matthew/6-34.htm

Images:

All images found in this article were photographed or created by Seize the Day Blog and are, therefore, property of Seize the Day Blog.

October 19, 2015

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Spiced Cauliflower Cheese with Crunchy Topping Recipe

October 19, 2015

I didn’t actually realize my love for cooking until I began having seizures (there is an up side to everything!). I was home ALL the time and sometimes things would get a tad boring, presenting me with the perfect opportunity to try my hand at cooking. My absolute favorite time to cook is when I’m trying a new recipe for the first time. There’s something thrilling about the mysterious quality the final product possesses until the moment of truth finally arrives and it’s time to taste test it!

This week, I had the opportunity to try a recipe from my new favorite cookbook “WHAT KATIE ATE on the weekend.” I highly recommend this cookbook to everyone whether you are an experienced chef or a complete novice in the kitchen!

I’m not a vegetarian, but the picture for Katie Quinn Davies’ Spiced Cauliflower Cheese with Crunchy Topping recipe looked too delicious not to try! So, Tuesday night my family and I ate like vegetarians and we LOVED it!!!! Using cauliflower as the centerpiece for this dish yields an absolutely spectacular final product! The layers of baked cheese both inside and on top of the casserole-like entrée will challenge every person sitting at your dining table to wait for your approval to “dig in.”

This recipe can also be used as a side dish! It is a much healthier alternative to something like potatoes al gratin, for example, supplying you with less starch and more greens. However, if you prepare the Spice Cauliflower as the main course, I recommend pairing it with a simple side salad and warm French baguette (sliced & buttered).

**Side note: The French baguette (baked fresh daily) from Le Pain Quotidian is my personal favorite!

These neutral sides compliment the flavor of the Cauliflower quite nicely.

So, if you’re looking to add some healthier meals to your weekly menu, eat more veggies, or you just really love cauliflower…this is the perfect recipe for you! Also, for those of you who are skeptical about the quality of flavor (or lack thereof) typically associated with healthy foods, I urge you to give this dish a try! You will be shocked at how tasty “healthy” food can be if you’re preparing it correctly! Continue scrolling down the page to see the full recipe, complete with pictures! To check out more of Katie’s recipes, click here, to visit her blog!

Spiced Cauliflower Cheese with Crunchy Topping

Ingredients:

2 lbs 4 oz cauliflower, broken into florets (about 2 heads)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

4 tsps black sesame seeds

4 tsps white sesame seeds

2 1/2 tbls chia seeds

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 1/2 tbls olive oil

2 cups course fresh bread crumbs, mixed with a little olive oil

1 handful very finely chopped flat leaf parsley

2/3 cup shredded cheddar

Cheese Sauce:

5 tbls unsalted butter

4 tbls all-purpose flour

29 3/4 fl oz milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Serves 2 as a main. 6 as a side.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Place the cauliflower in a large saucepan of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until a knife can just be inserted into the florets. Drain well and set aside to cool.

2. Place the cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat and fry for 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Transfer to a mortar and grind to a fine powder with the pestle, then place in a medium sized baking dish along with the sesame seeds and half the chia seeds. Season with salt and pepper, then add the olive oil and cauliflower and toss to coat.

Bread crumb, parsley & chia seed topping

3. For the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and combine with a wooden spoon to form a thick paste. Reduce the heat to low-medium, then gradually add the milk, whisking well after each addition to incorporate and remove any lumps. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth, then season well and pour over the cauliflower in the baking dish.

Cauliflower topped with remaining cheese

4. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, remaining chia seeds and 3 tablespoons of the cheese in a bowl, then scatter this mixture over the cauliflower. Top with the remaining cheese and season. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crisp. Serve hot.

The finished product!

October 7, 2015

Calendars & Journals: The Key to Managing Your Catamenial Epilepsy

October 7, 2015

“Catamenial epilepsy is a menstrual cycle-related seizure disorder that affects up to 70% of women with epilepsy.”¹

-Advanced Biomedical Research Journal

As part of that 70% of epileptic women with Catamenial Epilepsy, I prefer not to sugar coat the truth about my condition. Living with Catamenial Epilepsy can be quite the grueling task! Uncontrollable seizures are no walk in the park and I think all epileptics will agree with me when I say that they’re a very inconvenient interruption in daily life.

So, ladies, when your hormones start playing a role in your epilepsy and the obstacles connected with these circumstances are immediately amplified…what do you do? You have been extended an exclusive invitation into that 70% category of women, an invitation no woman wants, but, unfortunately is one that does not give one the option to decline (so unfair, I know)…how do you accept this unexpected life change, but continue living a somewhat normal lifestyle?

Vintage Blossoms Notebook Set ($14)

Due to the fact that no woman is the same, there are obviously many different answers to this question. Living with Catamenial Epilepsy for close to 6+ years has allowed me to develop my own answer to these questions based upon my own personal experience. Over the years, I have learned what lifestyle choices work well if you happen to be living with this condition. Therefore, I would like to share with you the tried and true methods used by yours truly, with the hopes that it will help every woman to adjust to, and improve upon this crazy lifestyle.

I do not know the extent of your experience with the disease, but if you’re anything like me, then building a solid foundation of understanding of your body is the best place to start. So, how does one go about building this type of foundation? By getting organized, of course! Dealing with any type of health issue can be incredibly overwhelming. For me, it was like trying to navigate the unknown with little to no help from my neurologists. In order to successfully achieve this task without having a panic attack (or more seizures), I adopted a system of organization through keeping a journal. I found it to be the simplest way to keep all of my health related details, both big and small, together in one easily accessible location.

Tapestry Everyday Memoir Notebook ($15)

It still amazes me how something as simple as a journal has made such a tremendous difference in the quality of my condition. Hands down, it is by far the best decision I made for my health because it allowed me to finally make progress with Catamenial Epilepsy, which felt like quite the impossible task at the time.

Due to my inexperience with the disease in the beginning, I kept things broad and analyzed everything I suspected could be contributing to the frequency of my seizures. So, I kept my main focus on four potential contributing factors: diet/nutrition, sleep, stress levels and my menstrual cycles.

In addition to the journal, I also recommend purchasing a wall or desk calendar to use for recording information. I have found it very helpful to be able to look back on an entire year of seizures and menstrual cycles in a monthly format. The journal works best for recording your diet/nutrition and sleep information because you have plenty of space for every detail (big or small) you feel is absolutely essential to include. The calendar provides a much more convenient layout for recording information on menstrual cycles, seizures occurrences and stressful behavior. I’ll further explain my reasoning behind this when I go into detail about what information you should be recording in each resource.

Let’s start with the journal, all you really need is a simple notebook, but I’m a huge Rifle Paper Company fan so I like any excuse to buy a super cute journal. If you’re like me in this way, I have provided examples of a few absolutely adorable journals and calendars throughout this article to give you some ideas. If you find that you absolutely cannot live without one (or more!), I have provided links to the seller websites where you can purchase them!

***Note: I am not affiliated with any of the companies that sell the calendars/journals I am recommending nor do I receive any kickback for advertising, I simply wanted to share with my readers some of my favorite products!

In my own journal, I record a detailed breakdown of each of my meals for the day. Food allergies can significantly contribute to the number of seizures your body has, so it is extremely important to determine if you have any food sensitivities that may be seizure triggers (external factors that can provoke seizures). The sooner you find them, the sooner you can eliminate them, so be sure to keep an eye out for patterns in your diet and seizure activity. Soon after I began doing this for myself, I discovered a sensitivity of my own to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). Once I eliminated this food ingredient completely from my diet, my seizure activity immediately decreased. It has been my experience that, by putting good into your body, you are actually healing yourself from the inside out.

2016 Appointment Everyday Wall Calendar ($26)

In addition to sensitivities, monitoring your diet also allows you to see whether or not you’re getting the correct nutrition necessary for your body to be healthy. Your brain needs brain food, feed it properly so that it can function properly. Altering my diet allowed me to stabilize and improve my Catamenial Epilepsy, which is why I highly recommend every woman with the same circumstance to consider doing the same.

***Here’s a quick tip I learned while keeping my journal: Having a protein rich diet improves brain health. When I say “protein” I mean naturally occurring protein found in fish, chicken and red meats. These foods act as major energy sources for your brain, promoting optimal brain function.

Secondly, keeping track of your sleep patterns can be helpful because lack of sleep is a notorious trigger for seizures. Instead of giving a detailed description of each night’s sleeping pattern (let’s be honest, that would get monotonous), simply record the number of hours you slept the night before. It’s always good to be aware of all the factors (even the potential ones!) whenever you have a seizure. Being tired makes your body susceptible to more seizures, so be sure to maintain a healthy sleep schedule! Hopefully keeping track of your sleep patterns in the journal will help you to determine whether or not your current sleep schedule could be improved upon.

New York-Paris Everyday Memoir Notebook ($15)

Here’s what one of my typical journal entries looks like:

Monday, October 5th 2015

Breakfast: 1 egg, whole-wheat toast, watermelon, OJ

Lunch: Yogurt (Plain, Greek), granola, strawberries, water

Dinner: Chili, cornbread, water

Sleep: 8 hours

Moving onto the calendar, I like using this to keep track of the other information because it is convenient for looking at recorded data over a large span of time. If I put it in the journal I would need to refer to a calendar at some point anyway, so for the sake of efficiency I combined the two.

2015-2016 Chalkboard Calendar ($26.95)

***Side note: It was the very first calendar I used to keep track of my seizures and menstrual cycles that inspired the name of this blog! It happened to be brand new and just lying around the house so I figured, “hey perfect!” After using it for a few months, I realized the humor in the title of the calendar in comparison to my circumstance. And it’s still serving a purpose six years later! What better calendar to record seizures in than one named “SEIZE THE DAY”?

The calendar that inspired the name for this blog!

Because I’m recording 3 different types of information in the calendar, I like to color coat everything so that I don’t get confused and mix things up, thereby defeating the purpose of the calendar. So, for a seizure, I mark a blue star in the box of the day it occurred. For my menstrual cycle, I write my initial in the upper right hand corner of each date with a pink sharpie.

***Side note #2: Have you ever heard about the possibility of women’s menstrual cycles becoming synced if they spend a lot of time around each other? This is not a myth! Your own hormones can substantially impact the hormones of other women around you and vice versa, which is why I like to keep track of the menstrual cycles of the other women living in my house, as well. By doing this, I have discovered that my mom’s and sister’s menstrual cycles have occasionally contributed to a few of my seizures. Marking menstrual cycles with an initial instead of a star, for example, also makes it very easy to distinguish between cycles (i.e. “K” for me, “E” for my mom and “L” for my sister).

As for emotional details (stress, PMS, etc.), I like to use a yellow highlighter and highlight the date number in the upper left hand corner of each individual box. So far, this method of color coating has worked exceedingly well at keeping everything clear and concise. Because Catamenial Epilepsy is caused by the menstrual cycle, it is so helpful to continually record even the smallest of details in a calendar, which is why I recommend for every Catamenial Epileptic to adopt this method.

Thanks to every calendar and journal I have kept for the past 6+ years, I can look back over the extent of my condition and actually see every bit of progress I have made. This is why making the time to keep track of my Catamenial Epilepsy has been worth every bit of effort made on my end. The truth is, possessing extensive records such as these has been nothing but helpful over the years. Most importantly, both the calendar and the journal have allowed me to see the improvement I have made up to this point while dealing with my condition. When dealing with something like epilepsy, it can be so easy to become discouraged and throw in the towel. For those of us with Catamenial Epilepsy, we’re probably PMS-ing anyway, so giving up will seem like the most convenient choice regardless of the long-term effects.

2016 Paper Source Art Grid Calendar ($24.95)

Keeping a journal and calendar is also a great decision to make because it helps you to kick both discouragement and hormones to the curb. How can you get discouraged when you have every detail record that will, no doubt, display more improvement than you actually realize? Thanks to my calendar, I know the exact number of seizures I’ve had annually since 2009 (when I was first diagnosed). Therefore, I also know that each year my total number of seizures decreases. Even when I don’t feel like things are improving, my calendar and journal provide me with concrete proof of the exact opposite. So, for all you ladies out there striving to keep a positive perspective while living with Catamenial Epilepsy, simply Seize the Day and buy yourselves a calendar//journal!

References:

¹Najafi, Mohammadreza et al. “Progesterone Therapy in Women with Intractable Catamenial Epilepsy.” Advanced Biomedical Research 2(2013): 8. PMC. Web. 4 Oct. 2015.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3732888/

Image Sources:

***I do not own any of the images above advertising Paper Source or Rifle Paper Co. notebook & calendar products. According to the order in which the images appear in this blog post, I have provided the image source and owner information below.

“Vintage Blossoms Notebook Set” image: Rifle Paper Co. (www.riflepaperco.com)

“Tapestry Everyday Memoir Notebook” image: Rifle Paper Co. (www.riflepaperco.com)

“2016 Appointment Everyday Wall Calendar” image: Rifle Paper Co. (www.riflepaperco.com)

“New York-Paris Everyday Memoir Notebook image: Rifle Paper Co. (www.riflepaperco.com)

“2015-2016 Chalkboard Calendar” image: Paper Source (www.papersource.com)

“2016 Paper Source Art Grid Calendar” image: Paper Source (www.papersource.com)

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.

September 14, 2015

What Katie Reads: New Cookbook!

September 14, 2015

I’ve been stuck in a cooking rut lately, weary of my usual meals and particularly eager to spice things up! Reinventing my recipe repertoire seemed like the obvious solution, but accomplishing the task is much more challenging than one would think. Yes, the Internet provides plenty of options for recipes, in general, but they are severely lacking in the “Healthy, Toxic Ingredient Free” recipe department.

The truth is, it’s difficult finding yummy dishes that do not require some amount of unhealthy ingredients and can actually be made by someone other than Julia Child. If you have been feeling the same way lately, fear not! While shopping at Anthropologie last week I stumbled upon a cookbook called “What Katie Ate on the weekend…” It was love at first sight, but I hesitated to buy it because of its price…$40 for a cookbook? Let’s be realistic here, if I’m in Anthropologie and I have an extra $40 to spend, it’s going toward another piece of clothing.

It turns out that waiting to buy this beauty of a cookbook actually paid off big time because I found it for $25 on Amazon instead! Whoo hoo!!! Anyway, I’m writing an entire post on this because it is filled with tons of amazing recipes and the compilation is supplemented with photographs from all over the world, making it absolutely beautiful! The author, Katie Quinn Davies, also includes vegan and vegetarian friendly dishes. If you’re gluten intolerant, no need to worry! Katie conveniently provides a gluten free substitute whenever necessary.

I finally had time today to sit down and go through the entire book, marking (what I found to be) eye catching recipes with neon sticky notes. Long story short, my cookbook now has A LOT of sticky notes peeking out along the tops of the pages and I am super excited to begin tackling every single one of these recipes! I will be sure to post any progress that I make (Hopefully it will be good progress 😉 )!

The author of this charming publication also has a blog that displays many of the same recipes found within the cookbook, itself. So, you do have the option to look up individual recipes online. I, personally, prefer a hard copy of the cookbook so that I have all of the recipes in front of me all the time. There’s food, there’s photography, and there’s even a little bit of an exotic quality present throughout the it’s 310 pages. I recommend checking out both the book and the associated blog, <WhatKatieEats.com>. Every recipe looks mouth watering good, so be prepared for a growling stomach after you’re done flipping or scrolling through Katie’s recipes.

Who’d a thought I’d find my new favorite cookbook in a clothing store? Thank you, life, for these unexpected, yet lovely happenings.

September 13, 2015

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Mango Protein Shake

September 13, 2015

I know this is my third protein shake related post, but figuring out the right ingredient combinations can be a tad challenging. So, since I’ve got plenty of firsthand experience with these protein shakes, I figured, why not share it all with you? After all, it could be helpful (at least I hope it will be!). Any information I might have left out in the first two posts is guaranteed to be in this one! I hope it helps with your own protein shake assembly process!

First, it’s important to consider the homemade protein powder when you’re deciding which fruit to add to your shake (if you’re using the recipe). The quinoa and brown rice have a very mild flavor, but the dried oats are a bit stronger. The flavor isn’t overpowering, so there’s no need to worry about that ruining the taste of your protein shake, but it is present.

If you would like to add some vanilla flavor to your powder, cut a whole vanilla bean in half and scrape the vanilla beans from only one side into the powder. Another option is to cut the it in half longways and stick the entire whole vanilla bean into your powder. This will allow the bean to gradually flavor the entire batch. Both ways work very well so it’s about personal preference if you choose to add flavoring.

Another piece of advice when creating your protein shake masterpiece is to go easy on the blueberries. I learned the hard way that blueberries and homemade protein powder do not mix well. For some reason the two flavors together produce one funky aftertaste! Everyone has different tastes, of course, but in case your taste is similar to mine, consider yourself warned.

Okay, now that I’ve covered all the important tid bits I might have missed in previous posts, I would like to share one more recipe. It’s a little more on the tropical side with the main ingredient being mango. If you would like to upgrade the tropical quality of your shake to Hawaii status, I recommend reducing the 1 cup of mango to 1/2 cup instead and replacing the other half with 1/2 cup of pineapple. It’s healthy and bursting with flavor!! And who doesn’t want to try a healthy protein shake that is basically Hawaii in a cup??

Here is the recipe, bon appetit and good luck with your own personal shake making!!

MANGO PROTEIN SHAKE

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Mango Protein Shake

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Category: Recipes

Servings: 1 smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup Frozen Mango
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup Protein Powder
1 T Honey
1 T Vanilla

Instructions

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend for about 60 seconds or until smooth.

https://www.seizethedayblog.com/2015/09/from-my-recipe-box-to-yours-mango-protein-shake/

The Final Product!

September 10, 2015

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Strawberry Protein Shake

September 10, 2015

I’ve recently added protein shakes to my diet and while I’m loving all of the nutritional value this meal gives me, it can sometimes be challenging to get my shake to the right consistency. I prefer my protein shakes to have a milkshake-like texture, you know, nice and creamy. But, many recipes give tend to give a watery final product…yuck.

This morning, I skipped the recipes I previously found on the Internet and created one of my own instead. To my delight (and surprise) it actually turned out really good! The shake was packed with flavor, but was also mild enough to enjoy for breakfast.

The best part? You only need 5 ingredients to make this deliciously creamy shake!

Want to avoid the toxic ingredients typically found in store bought protein powder? Here’s a tried and true recipe for homemade protein powder!

STRAWBERRY PROTEIN SHAKE RECIPE

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Strawberry Protein Shake

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Category: Recipes

Servings: 1 Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup Organic Frozen Strawberries
1 cup Organic Milk
1/4 cup Protein Powder
1 T Vanilla
1 T Honey

Instructions

Put all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth (about 60 seconds).

https://www.seizethedayblog.com/2015/09/from-my-recipe-box-to-yours-strawberry-protein-shake/

Bon Appetit!

September 10, 2015

Drink This to Calm Your Crazy Hormones!

September 10, 2015

Okay, ladies, how do you deal with your crazy hormones? Whether you’re menstruating or just happen to be having one of those months where your emotional stability can become compromised over the most minute situations (like your inability to find your sunglasses whilst they sit comfortably atop your head), how do you, as Bernadette from The Big Bang Theory would say, “ride the dragon”?

Pharmaceutical companies happily push pills like Midol and birth control our direction, but from my experience these “magic” pills really aren’t very magical at all. If anything, they make things worse by pumping synthetic hormones into our bodies and screwing up our hormones even more (not very “magical” in my opinion)! I’m not even going to mention the side effects that also come along with these so-called “solutions” because they’re atrocious. It’s exhausting to research drugs like these because once I’m finished reading the warning section of the box, I can’t decide if it is good or bad! It’s incredible how contradicting the claims on the front of the box are from those on the back. This may explain why they now print the negative information in such small font…the pharmaceutical companies are crossing their fingers that, if it is borderline microscopic, we’ll just give up and buy it with the hope that we won’t die after taking it.

This is why I propose you skip the pharmaceuticals altogether! My experience with Catamenial Epilepsy and, therefore, a severe hormone imbalance, has helped me find alternative solutions to things like taming my hormones. In this case, one of the solutions I have discovered and would like to share with my fellow ladies is an herbal tea called Raspberry Leaf Tea. This may be the first time you’re hearing about this natural herb, but it has actually been around for years! Our ancestors used it to heal multiple health problems including the flu, diarrhea, headaches, menstrual cramps, hormone related problems, and many other illnesses!

Please remember, I am not a doctor nor am I any type of healthcare professional, so be sure to take into consideration any allergies you might have to the tea before drinking it. I have simply experienced, firsthand, the beneficial effects this tea can have on hormones and the female system as a whole.

I recommend the Traditional Medicinals brand of Raspberry Leaf Tea because it is both Organic and non-GMO verified. It is a very good quality product and you can easily find this brand of tea at a multitude of locations including Target, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Market, and various supermarkets. I also suggest drinking it like you would regular iced tea, it is much more delicious at a cold temperature! My mom, my sister and I all drink the tea so we typically make large batch of tea, large enough to fill a two quart pitcher and store it in the fridge. If you would also like to prepare a larger batch, 8-9 tea bags give it the perfect amount of flavor.

This tea is also naturally caffeine free so you can drink it anytime during the day or night without having to worry about how it will affect your night’s sleep. Although this tea does conveniently support the female reproductive system, it is a naturally occurring herb therefore there are zero hormonal additives. No need to worry about synthetic hormones tampering with your current hormone levels!

In my house, my dad and brother avoid it because we call it “Woman Tea” (Let’s be honest “Raspberry Leaf Tea” is a bit of a mouthful), but men can drink this tea, too! They’ve got to be dramatic about it so now they’re missing out on a really healthy and tasty beverage! But, hey it’s their loss…plus, there’s more for us girls, right?

September 9, 2015

Protein, It’s Kind of Important

September 9, 2015

Do you frequently visit the gym? Are you seriously into lifting weights? Are you a health nut? If you answered “no” to all three of those questions, guess what? Protein is still crucial for your diet and overall wellbeing! I feel like the word “protein” has become associated with a very specific stereotype, you know who I’m talking about…the kind of people whose ultimate fitness goal is looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. I have absolutely nothing against this stereotype; if I could say one thing to these people it would be “more power to you!” However, I am frustrated with how often people walk around with the misconception that protein, in general, is limited to this group of people. As if the only purpose in consuming protein is to build muscle (Ha!). I’m here to tell you that protein is a seriously misunderstood food group and is actually a fantastic source for the nutrients your body desperately needs to remain in a healthy state.

How big of a role does protein play in your daily diet? If you consume any protein at all, how good is the quality of that protein? The fact of the matter is, if your source of protein lies within meats, you’re only consuming a healthy android quality protein if you are eating Organic meats free of antibiotics and GMOs. So, stop and reevaluate your current source of protein…is it 100% healthy or does it come with some not so great chemical and/or hormonal additives?

For those of you who are vegetarians or vegans, how do you make protein a key part of your diet? It is challenging enough for those of us who do eat meat and dairy products to find acceptable protein. Unfortunately, it is all too common for food companies to automatically add preservatives and chemical ingredients instead of using the real thing. Our food industry has developed a habit that severely hurts us, the consumers, in the long run. You see more and more people developing serious health disorders these days. Autism is becoming too common among children, as is epilepsy.

I developed epilepsy as a teen and I thought I was perfectly healthy at the time! The saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover” is very appropriate for my situation because my insides would have told a VERY different story from my “healthy” exterior! My poor brain was struggling and I had no idea. It’s going on 7 years since I was first diagnosed and I’ve learned quite a bit about the cause of my epilepsy during that time. While I started out thinking it was simply my brain “misfiring,” I’ve come to learn that the human body rarely “misfires.” No, there is always an underlying cause that is to blame for one’s poor state of health. This underlying cause could be a multitude of things including deficiencies, diet, lifestyle, environment, etc. (the list goes on and on).

Discovering the cause of my seizures to be a hormone imbalance was my first step toward figuring out how to return to a state of good health. Some people are content to simply take their medication and listen to everything their doctors have to say. I don’t know about you, but I refuse to be one of those people. I don’t want to take my medication forever and I certainly don’t plan on dealing with seizures for the rest of my life. I have found that considering all factors as a cause of poor health is the best way to think beyond doctors and actually get to the root of the problem.

It was this very thinking that led me to consider my diet as a contributing factor to my hormone imbalance and my seizures. Once I began my own research on the quality of those foods I frequently ate, it was no longer a mystery why my hormones were so unstable and why I had multiple deficiencies.

From the nasty preservatives to the synthetic ingredients, I was basically eating junk on a daily basis. Processed foods may taste good, but they certainly aren’t doing your body any favors. None of these foods have any nutritional value (despite what the box says!). The fruits and veggies I typically bought were not organic; therefore I was filling my body with pesticides. All the meat and dairy products I consumed were treated with antibiotics, hormones, and who knows what else because they also were not Organic.

After learning about all of the horribly toxic ingredients I was consuming during every meal, it’s a shock I hadn’t started growing an extra limb. After switching completely to Organic foods and carefully looking over every ingredient label before buying anything, my health improved immensely. However, I realized that one challenge still remained: providing my body with the appropriate amount of protein.

I’ve had people tell me to use protein powder, such as whey or pea, to solve this problem, but it is nearly impossible to find a product without toxic ingredients and harmful preservatives. So, do I carry on being deficient in protein or do I consume a healthy amount of protein and compromise my health by also pumping it full of toxins??? It sounds like quite the dilemma, I know, but I can happily answer this question with an alternative solution…make your own protein powder instead! Thanks to a brilliant recipe from Back to Her Roots, you only need three ingredients and a coffee grinder to do this! Here is a breakdown of the protein powder recipe:

PROTEIN POWDER RECIPE

Homemade Protein Powder

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Category: Articles, Recipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats
1/2 cup Quinoa
1/3 cup Brown Rice (or Basmati)

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl then ground in a coffee grinder about 1/3 cup at a time until your mixture resembles a fine powder.
To up the protein level, add more quinoa. To reduce carb count, decrease the amount of steel cut oats and rice. Will keep for up to 1 month when stored in refrigerator.

https://www.seizethedayblog.com/2015/09/protein-its-kind-of-important/

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Homemade Protein Powder (per 1/4 cup of powder):

-130 calories

-8g protein

-1g fat

-24g carbs

Store Bought Protein Powder (per 1/4 cup of powder):

-80 calories

-14g protein

-0g fat

-5g carbs

(Recipe and nutritional information courtesy of Back to Her Roots)

I know that the levels of calories, fat and carbs are a bit higher in the homemade powder, but it is also free of toxic ingredients, artificial flavorings and preservatives, so this truly is the better option. Thanks to the brilliant resources available on the Internet, you will have no trouble finding recipe ideas for protein shakes! Here’s a link I have found helpful: 48 Delicious Protein Shake Recipes. You will be shocked at how delicious and filling these shakes are (I certainly was!). Protein shakes, in particular, tend to be thought of as exclusively for weight lifters, but they truly are an excellent way to get protein into your diet and to start your day off right! Plus, they’re great for vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters!

If you could use some more protein in your diet, seize the day and implement more of it into your diet whether your source is (Organic, antibiotic-free) meats and dairy, protein rich grains (like Chia seeds and Quinoa), or protein shakes.

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