Happy Hump day! Half way done with this work week which makes me pretty happy. Time has been flying by lately, what do you think. I always feel like that during this time of the year. My goal is to slow down a bit during this holiday season to appreciate the time spent with my friends and family.
But, for now, my focus is still on getting back into shape! I follow a ton of awesome health and fitness blogs to keep me motivated and today A Doctor in the House talks about some scary sugar facts. It is no surprise that sugar is addicting (just ask me when I am craving some chocolate!) but there are some really shocking (and disturbing) statistics here:
via The Daily Infographic
This is enough to make me reconsider my sugar consumption. Lately, it has been pretty pathetic. I have some left over Halloween candy still and think that it is my “free pass” to indulge in M&Ms and Reese’s all night! I have already been feeling pretty crummy about it and realizing that sugar not only contributes to obesity, but I personally know it leaves me tired, depressed/anxious without it, and of course the scare of type 2 diabetes! Anyway, I like to give myself little goals and milestones to work towards, so for the next two weeks (until Thanksgiving) I am going to cut out processed sugar.
I will eat fruit and some naturally sweetened foods, but cut out all overly processed cookies, candies, ice cream, cereals, etc. I have done this before (in college when I was doing a kick-start for weight loss) and I know that I will feel better and more clear after these two weeks. Then I can indulge in a piece of pumpkin pie :).
In honor of WIAW here are a few recipes I’ve tried this past week:
Lemon Pepper Shrimp Orzo (via Cooking Light)- this was a quick and easy weeknight meal that I threw together with a simple salad. I loved it, it was almost like an indulgent shrimp scampi. Ed didn’t dig the orzo pasta, but I would make again and sub in whole wheat penne or a different pasta.
Banana Pancakes (via Iowa Girl Eats)- a new Sunday morning favorite! These were just as easy to whip up as my regular cakes, but the chunky bananas and fluffy batter were a hit. I also added chia seeds.
Apple Bran Muffins (via Cooking Light)- pretty good, I like to sub apple sauce in recipes like this. Added a lot of extra cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to enhance the fall flavors!
I am heading to Austin, TX tomorrow for a short trip so I need to get prepared (I am going to pack some healthy snacks for travel again, and found a yoga class for Friday morning!). Any recommendations for where to go/what to see in Austin?
jules health rules 