No video this time, but I did want to share a delicious meal I made for the family, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. I had gotten the idea for zucchini boats from a Paleo Chef I follow (Paleo Nick). His actual recipe was a little different but I did follow the cooking instructions he listed. If you like shrimp and pesto, give this one a shot!
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees 2. Cut 3 zucchini (or more depending how much you want) in half lengthwise, then spoon out the seeds leaving a "boat" to put your filling in. Drizzle the boats with olive oil, and sprinkle with some salt and pepper and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. 3. While zucchini is in the oven, prepare your filling. forgive me for lack of measurements, but I used about a half bag of large peeled and deveined shrimp chopped into pieces. I mixed the shrimp with some chopped tomatoes, one egg, and a 6.7 oz. jar of basil pesto. 4. Remove the zucchini from the oven and evenly distribute the filling mixture into the zucchini boats, then put back in the oven for another 15 minutes. 5. This step is optional, but I sprinkled some shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese on top of each boat, and placed back in the oven for a few more minutes for it to melt. Once this is done to your liking, plate and enjoy! Zucchini is an extremely versatile vegetable, and can pretty much be added to anything for some additional nutritional value and vegetable content. The boats are an interesting way to go, if for no other reason than it's just different. I like shrimp and LOVE pesto, so this idea just kind of fell into my head. I wish I would have thought to snap a picture of the finished product at the time, but just picturing it in your head should make your mouth water. Again, this is my rendition. I'm sure you can find other iterations of this out there, and if you have one of your own I encourage you to share! Thanks, and enjoy!
0 Comments
When we think about investing it’s best to think long-term. Also, when we think about investing we picture putting money away in some account, or tying money up into different stocks, bonds, property, etc. I am by no means a financial planner, or an expert when it comes to saving money. So, in this post I’m not going to talk about saving money for retirement, stocks, or other financial investments that most people do to plan for the future. However, there are other ways to "invest" in your future than I can help with.
Investing is typically perceived as saving and (hopefully) growing your money. But, imagine saving all this money your entire career so you have it when you retire. Now imagine having to spend so much of that money that you saved on healthcare costs, and medications to treat conditions created by your lack of attention to your health while you were younger. I previously wrote about preventative maintenance with your health, similar to the maintenance you would perform on your car. Spending the time, money, and energy upfront can save you lots of time and money down the road. Obviously you still have to put money aside to ensure you can support yourself down the road. I'm not saying you need to stop doing that. What I am saying is that this shouldn't be the only investment(s) you make. Tons of money is spent on health and fitness every year. The number actually ranges in the billions of dollars. Much of this money is spent on supposed quick fixes, fad diets, and the latest and greatest gadgets claiming to have paramount health, fitness, and overall wellness benefits. People are more apt to spend their hard earned money on a pill or a specific diet plan to yield quick results than they are to spend their time exercising, grocery shopping, and meal planning for proper fitness and nutrition. Then, when it's suggested to begin an exercise routine or adopt healthier nutrition habits, people say they can’t afford it, or there just isn't enough time in the day. This tends to lead to a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting, inconsistent exercise routines, and more and more money spent on the next hot item to make you fit and healthy. Relying on medication or treatment to make you healthy or even alive, can be an astronomical consumption of your time and money. Adopting a healthier lifestyle sooner rather than later seems far easier and less expensive to me. It is much easier to keep yourself healthy then to try and make yourself healthy after you you’re already “sick.” The argument for time is no longer a valid excuse. Everyone has the same 24 hours in each day. Some have more "free" time than others for one reason or another, though hours are not lost due to work, kids, social obligations, etc. Ensuring you have enough time in your day to focus on you and your health is simply a matter of planning, and of course execution. Investing your time on things such as binge-watching Netflix and playing video games, as opposed to exercise, sleeping, or spending quality time with your family, are not the highest yielding investments you can make. I also question investing your money on a diet pill, fast food, and alcohol as opposed to high quality food choices like vegetables, lean proteins, and I'll even throw in Shakeology. Lastly, I would like to weigh in on one "excuse" I hear a lot. People who tell me the reason they don't have time to focus on their health because of having kids seems backwards to me. Having kids should be THE BIGGEST motivator for you to ensure you're staying healthy. I would hope you want to be around long enough to see your kids turn into adults, and perhaps eventually have kids of their own. Hours do not have to be spent on exercise and nutrition. You can get sufficient exercise in as little as 15 minutes per day, and spend an hour or two on the weekend planning your meals for the week. It is easy to sprinkle physical activity throughout your day as well. Especially if you have kids. My kids are always asking me to go on bike rides, play basketball, baseball, tag, you name it. And this way you do not have to take time away from your kids to sneak in a little more exercise! So, how well are you investing? Are you investing your time and money upfront for the long term? Are you taking the necessary steps to ensure that when you’re older you will be able to live the way you want? Are you focusing on keeping yourself healthy now, rather than relying on medicine and treatments to keep you alive later? Investing money takes some knowledge, and I am one to leave that to the professionals. Investing in your health also takes knowledge. If you seek professional guidance with that, I am always eager to help. I could love to chat about some strategies to help make your investments pay off in the future. Take care, and happy investing! Just like any relationship in your life, your relationship with food can either be healthy or unhealthy. Proper nutrition is imperative to achieving desired health and fitness goals. You've probably heard the saying that you cannot out-exercise a bad diet. Though I am not a nutrition expert, I know enough that if someone were to ask me if they should focus on exercise or nutrition first, I always tell them nutrition. Though both are important and necessary, you need to be fueling your body properly to ensure exercise is most effective. That being said, proper nutrition isn't just about what you eat, but also how, why, and when. Hence the intent of this week's post. Now, as I said I am not a nutrition expert, so I am going to "cheat" this week and share a post in the Beachbody Blog. As you read, think about yourself and if you tend to exhibit some of the characteristics discussed in the article. If you do, and are looking for help breaking the cycle, I would love to have a conversation on how we can get you started down the best path for your health. Enjoy! Traits of People Who Have a Healthy Relationship With Food |
Our FocusTo educate and inspire others so they can acheive their own personal success. Create Goals That MatterNot sure where to start? Click below to get your free guide on how to start creating, and accomplishing goals that really matter!
CoachingLooking for support to get you where you want to go? Need guidance on what actions might be right for you? Do you just need hlep knowing how to get started? If so, you need a Coach! Find out more about this opportunity by clicking "Learn More" below, and begin taking steps down the path to your success.
Archives
January 2021
Categories |