Favorite Healthy Finds

Hi everyone! I am so sorry for the lack of posts. Things have been picking up at work and with Riley here the last month, I've been busy busy busy. We're headed to Vancouver this weekend and I'm super excited to check out the city, have some oysters and bop around.

Over the last few months I've accumulated quite a few healthy finds that I absolutely LOVE. I generally try to eat a diet that is high in veggies and grass feed meats and sustainable seafood but sometimes you just want to have the feel of bread or a wrap, etc. Luckily, I live in one of the healthiest cities in the world so the grocery stores stock a bunch of the things below (if you live in LA and haven't been to Erewhon grocery store, put it on your list immediately but be ready to drop a pretty penny). If your grocery store doesn't have any of the things below and you want to try anything, I recommend going to your local grocer's website and requesting that they order some. Below are the best of the best. 

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Siete Almond Flour tortillas - These tortillas taste like the real deal. Yes, I've tried paleo coconut wraps. No, they haven't done it for me. These taste authentic and savory and are perfect for a lunchtime concoction. Apparently siete is also making grain free chips now too! Can't wait to try!! Siete sells on Amazon and on their site and they are starting to spread to a bunch of Whole Foods. 

Barely Bread Grain Free Loaf - The is bread is what I've been looking for. Barely bread makes grain free sliced bread, bagels and dinner rolls and they are actually good. I love making my own grain free bread but it really takes forever. I buy a couple loaves of this and stock it in my freezer. It's super light and great for avocado toast, egg sandwiches, etc. 

Cauliflour Foods Cauliflower Pizza Crust - Finally, pre-made non-processed cauliflower pizza crust. I like the plant-based one best since it has no dairy but it's still delicious and creamy because of the nutritional yeast. Store these in your freezer for pizza night.

Capello's Grain Free pizza, pasta and cookies:  Okay, everything I've listed is a healthier version of something not healthy but it's still better than the alternative. I obviously try to stay away from all of these things in favor of more "whole foods" (veggies, meat, fruit - sparingly, etc.) but it's hard to live fully that way and I am a foodie and need options! Capello's makes grain free pasta, pizza and cookie dough and I have to say, the slice and bake cookies are some of the best I've had, grain free or not. 

Ghee - I don't have a brand that I lstick to but ghee, in general, is pretty awesome. Don't pay attention to the weird name, it's just clarified butter. I use this to cook my eggs to get that buttery taste. It's lactose free and is commonly used in Ayurveda medicine. I've totally swapped my butter. 

Avocado Oil - speaking of cooking oils and condiments, I've become a convert to avocado oil. Did you know that you're not supposed to cook with olive oil at high heats? Well I didn't. I've totally swapped to Avocado oil, coconut oil or ghee for cooking and I definitely don't feel like I've sacrificed on taste. Avocado oil is also great in salads. I use La Tourangelle brand but there are a bunch of great ones out there. 

Primal Kitchen Mayos - The Chipotle lime primal mayo with avocado oil is absolutely bomb and the regular primal mayo does not sacrifice taste. I actually hate the idea of traditional mayo. It's always grossed me out. I prefer to call it aoli, even though it's the same damn thing. Don't ask me why...

Non-processed, no sugar added Almond Milk - Non-processed and no sugar added almond milk is actually a lot harder to find (and more expensive) than you think. I usually will pick up a bottle from our local Farmer's market on Sunday but if I miss it, I like Pop & Bottle vanilla bean almond milk and Malk unsweetened almond milk. They both promise no artificial anything.

The Honest Stand "Cheese" - While I haven't tried this vegan cheese/dip yet, I've heard amazing things and it looks SO good. They use all organic ingredients and pack them in BPA free, eco-friendly containers. 

Simple Mills Grain Free Crackers - Because any respected dip needs a decent cracker. 

Simple Mills Almond Flour Pancake and Waffle Mix - Another from Simple Mills - to be honest, their whole line is great. I use this for extra special Sundays. 

Pea Protein for Smoothies and Shakes - I've switched my protein powder routine to an all-plant based one that uses pea protein instead of whey. I'm still trying to determine which tastes the best so I got a bunch of single serving ones at the grocery store. I'll update you when the winner is declared :) 

Bulletproof coffee pods - The pods are 100% recyclable and delicious. They feature as few toxins as you can get in coffee (they do rigorous testing) and they taste great.

Anything from Tessamae's - Tessamae's started as a natural salad dressing company and have grown to include condiments, marinades, salad toppers, dips, etc. It is one of the few brands that is Whole30 approved and everything I've tasted is delicious. I love their Basamic, Lemon Garlic and creamy ranch dressings and I'm dying to try some of their new ones like green goddess, honey poppyseed and habanero ranch. 

Do you have any healthy favorites? Please share! It's getting so much easier to eat healthy. I can't wait to see what pops up next!

A Couple of Whole 30 Things

I'm not sure I've mentioned it on here, which is weird because I literally mention it to every person who comes near me around meal time, but I've been doing the Whole 30 program for the last 25 days.  For those of you who don't know, Whole 30 is basically a 30 day reset where you forgo grains (no bread, pasta, quinoa, oats, etc. no gluten free anything, nada), dairy, soy, beans, legumes (no peanut butter), added sugar (no honey, stevia, maple syrup - this one was hard because sugar is literally in everything...), alcohol, processed anything and treats even if they are made with approved ingredients (no paleo pancakes or primal cupcakes). So far I've cheated twice, once at our company outing where I had two glasses of wine and then the night after when we had friends over and I had 2 then. Other than that, I've completely stayed the course. In whole 30 land, if you cheat once, you have to start over, but I don't think I'd be able to do another 30 days in a row so I'm staying with it. 

So, what do I eat, you ask? Lots of grass fed beef, chicken, wild caught fish, LOTS of eggs, veggies, fruit and nuts. I've had to cut down on the amount of fruit and nuts I was eating because I cheated and weighed myself(you're not supposed to take any measurements until the end) and I had only lost about 2 pounds halfway through (most people lose around 8-15 during the whole program).

I wanted to write about a few things that helped me stay on track for the past 25 days to help any other whole 30 wannabes who are looking for tips. Also, a few of my favorite whole 30 approved things.

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Meal Delivery: I would have had an extremely hard time without Model Meals and Sunbasket. Sun basket is a food delivery service that sends you ingredients that you then prepare. They have a paleo option and, for the most part, it's all been Whole 30 approved. I am definitely going to keep my subscription past my W30 time period. The box is delivered on Tuesday morning with 3 meals (2 servings), which I cook on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then I eat the leftovers the following day. I've really loved practicing my cooking skills and having high quality ingredients to work with. Plus, no creativity needed. Model Meals is a southern California company that makes Whole 30 meals and delivers them to your door. The box arrives on Monday morning with your pre-made meals and it is completely a la carte, which I love, because some weeks you just can't commit to a food delivery service! The food has been delicious and is obviously MUCH healthier than the food delivery I was doing before. Both Sunbasket and Model Meals are pricey but no more so than my Postmates habit... You can get 3 meals free from sun basket by clicking this link and I get $25 towards my meals! Plus, they deliver nationwide. No deal on this link for Model Meals, but it is seriously amazing, so if you are in SoCal, check it out!

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Restaurants: I didn't eat out much but when I did, I asked if I could pick the restaurant. I stuck to Mexican, American and meat-focused restaurants and avoided Italian like the plague. 

Supplements: I'm not a doctor so make sure you consult with yours before taking my advice but the following are Whole30 approved supplements that I've really loved. Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides: From their site, "Replenish naturally with 100% pure collagen peptides. This natural anti-aging protein supports youthful skin, strong bones, reduces joint pain, and provides deeper, more restorative sleep. Collagen peptides are short chain amino acids naturally derived from pasture-raised, grass-fed collagen protein." They also sell on Amazon. WS03 Fish Oil: From their site "All natural concentrated Omega- 3 oil, each teaspoon delivers 1000IU of Vitamin D3 and 150% RDA of Vitamins A, K2, B6, B12 and folic acid." Not too fishy - I take the women's one. Nutrafol: From their website, "introducing “hair nutraceuticals”. These are not just simple vitamins. These powerful botanicals act as plant medicines able to target many more causes at the root of compromised hair health than hair nourishment formulations could ever imagine. New technologies exist today to harmlessly extract the most therapeutic-active plant parts and concentrate them to achieve unprecedented efficacy in addressing many more underlying causes at the root of poor hair health." My hair has been looking awesome! I was reading that a bunch of models take this because of all the damage they do to their hair so obviously I tried it... Flora adults probiotic : With no yogurt and less fiber, I was all-in on taking a probiotic.

Emergency Snacks: RX Bars were my emergency on the go snack. I really liked the chocolate sea salt and the blueberry. The only one not approved is the peanut butter one. They sell them on Amazon and at Whole Foods, so grab a sample pack.

Kombucha and La Croix: La Croix is W30 approved and my fave #whitegirlproblems. I particularly like the grapefruit flavor. I have been LOVING Better Booch Kombucha. Kombucha is tricky because to make kombucha, sugar has to be added so that the bacteria has something to "eat" and grow from but lots of companies add sugar after the fact and don't call it out (can't wait for those food label changes in summer 2018 where they will have to call out added sugar...) but Better Booch specifically calls out that they do not add sugar and it is the tastiest Kombucha in the land. Golden Pear and Morning Glory are my favorites.

Recipes: Pinterest is a treasure trove of W30 recipes so definitely start there but beyond that, I love Juli Bauer's new book (try the buffalo chicken spaghetti squash casserole - yum!) and all of Danielle  Walker's books ( I just bought her newest, "Celebrations"). While these aren't necessarily Whole30 recipes, most can be tinkered so they are and they're great resources for after you are finished and want to keep up with your healthy eating.

So that's about it. 5 days left. Feeling okay, sleeping fantastically, don't feel like I've lost much weight but I definitely have a better understanding of food and have cooked more in the last 25 days than in the last 2 years so that is a huge plus. Have any of you done the Whole 30 or stick to a paleo lifestyle? Were your results different than mine? Let me know in the comments below!

Salad Happy

On Sunday I decided to turn over a new leaf after an unbelievably indulgent holiday (think cocktails and champagne and appetizers every night mixed in with a few nights of pizza and caviar). Oh yeah, we did it up at the Berner household. My favorite diet to date to feel tighter and lighter in just a few days is paleo. It's a lot of eggs and protein and veggies. I  like to focus on the things I can eat rather than the things I can't (dairy, gluten, grains, beans, soy, added sugar, corn, alcohol...). Yeah, it's a lot but I swear it works and my skin is better, my bloat goes away and I sleep like a baby. Well, I always sleep like a baby but the other stuff is good! I'm going to the Turks and Caicos in 2 weeks with Riley (I know, tough life) so I want to look extra trim. To jump start my health kick, I went with a meal delivery program called paleo delivers. It's expensive but I'm on the second day and so far so good. Next week I'll continue my diet but I needed to ease into the cooking after a long vacay with my mom prepping every meal (thanks mom!).

 

For those of you wanting a complete lifestyle change, check out the Whole 30 program. It's a little stricter than paleo as it doesn't allow you to make things that are "subs" for things like paleo pancakes and treats. There are some absolutely amazing transformation stories on their site.

 

Anyways, no matter what diet you're on, I bet you salad is allowed (unless you're doing phase 1 of dukan or atkins). I am extremely uncreative when it comes to prepping my greens so I turn to pinterest for help. Below are a few that look amazinggg that I am definitely going to try. I also found a line of salad dressings, sauces and marinades called Tessamae that is approved for Whole 30, which basically means it's good stuff and very natural and healthy. And they taste delicious! (link) I got the southwest ranch to make a take on chicken salad. I'd love to hear about your new year's resolutions, diet tips and favorite salads!
 

 Kale, Avocado, Tangerine and Sesame Salad



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Kale Rainbow Detox Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberries & Toasted Almonds

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Bistro Salad with Roasted Vegetables

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Triple Berry Kale Salad with Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette

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Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls with Lime Quinoa

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Kale and Fig Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing and Hemp Seeds

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Honey Crisp Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts and Cider Vinaigrette 

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Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Tahini-Maple Dressing

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Tuesday Treats: Paleo Pancakes

As many of you know, I go through paleo phases where I'll go a week here or there or a day here or there following the paleo diet guidelines. I am a huge foodie so paleo for life just doesn't work for me. Burrata and fresh baguette is just too delicious to give up forever! I came across this recipe for paleo pancakes the other day and am hooked! They are so easy to make and require few ingredients. They are the perfect, balanced breakfast or snack. I like to put almond butter on mine for a meal complete with protein (eggs, almond butter), good fat, omegas and carbs (banana). I'd love to hear from you guys about your favorite healthy recipes too!

 

 

 

Makes 4 (I usually cut this recipe in half and make one big pancake)

- 1 banana

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 teaspoon of chia seeds

- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

- 1 pinch of sea salt

 

1. In a medium bowl, mash the banana to a smooth texture. Add the eggs and whisk thoroughly until the "batter" is fully combined. Add chia seeds, cinnamon and sea salt

 

2. Heat a pan over medium flame and grease with coconut oil or other paleo approved method. Ladle the batter into the pan and cook for approximately 60 seconds per side ( I like to keep them on a little longer)

 

3. Serve with almond butter or vanilla agave syrup and berries

 

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Tuesday Treats - Day 2 of 30 Day Paleo Challenge

Day 1 of my Paleo challenge in the bag and I feel great. I've done gluten free/low carb diets before but the extra discipline of no processed food, no dairy, no corn and no legumes will definitely be a challenge. Some things I'm excited for:

This Book

Is phenomenal - like, best gluten/dairy free cookbook I've ever read. Danielle Walker has really hit the nail on the head with this one. All of her recipes look delicious and not too too hard to make. I bought it on my iPad and it was worth every penny. She also has a fantastic blog also named Against All Grain.

Some recipes I'm dying to try

Carmel Glazed Donuts

Crepes…or Tortillas…or Lasagna noodles

Paleo Fish Tacos

Other things I'm excited about (going with the paleo theme...)

Steve's Paleo Goods Sauce Sampler - I'm a hugeee condiments girl so one of the hardest parts about Paleo is giving up my ketchup! These are Paleo, look delicious and have awesome reviews. The sampler comes with Ketchup, Steak Sauce, Wing Sauce, and Sriracha. YUM! They also have awesome salad dressings on the site. 

 Other helpful sites:

Nom Nom Paleo

Whole30 (not a paleo website per se but very similar concepts)

The Paleo List

and, of course, Pinterest! There are awesome recipes on there. 

These 30 days are going to be a breeze (fingers crossed...)! Have you guys tried Paleo or any similar diets? Any helpful hints for me??

P.S. This made me happy : )