Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

Last night I was in the mood for something kind of tropical and exotic.  I read a few recipes for Teriyaki Turkey Burgers and I picked out the best ideas from each one.   I made this for 8, so for simplicity sake ill try to cut everything in half to make for 4, but i apologize if the proportions done come out quite right.

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers
Yeilds: 4

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey
4-5 Scallions, chopped
1-2 tsp Cilantro (to taste)
Teriyaki Marinade (low sodium)
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 Pineapple, sliced
4 Whole Wheat Buns

In a bowl, put ground meat, egg scallions cilantro and Teriyaki sauce.  Mix well.  Divide evenly into 4 patties.  Grill the patties and pineapple and serve with pineapple slice on top of the patty.  If desired can serve with other condiments, but i found this had so much flavor nothing more was needed.
I served mine with Spicy Sweet potato Fries.  :-)

Buttermilk Flax Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I was experimenting around with an old pancake recipe and decided to switch it up a bit.  The result was delicious!  So I’m sharing it with you all. :-)

Elyse’s Buttermilk Pancakes

1 C Flour

¼ C Ground Flax Seeds

1 Tbs Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 C Light Buttermilk

1 Egg

1 tbs Oil

1Tbs Agave Nectar

½ C Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl, add in everything except the chocolate chips and mix until just combined.  Then add in chocolate chips and stir a few more times.  Pour desired amount onto a nonstick pan over medium high heat.  Enjoy!

Natural Antidepressants

·         Water

o   Although it seems so simple, most people do not get enough hydration throughout the day.  Keeping hydrated and drinking proper amounts of water helps you body stay refreshed and energized.  When your body is up to par then everything it produces will maintain normalized and be produced/recycled at normal rates.  Sometimes this slow down can cause waste back up which can make us feel sluggish and depressed.

·         Leafy Greens

o   Spinach and kale especially.  That whole fad with the green smoothies now, well, although they don’t look so appetizing they are actually great for your body and also your brain.  The folic acid and iron in kale and spinach help to power your brain to keep everything up to speed.

·         Wheat breads and Pastas

o   The brain loves carbs, which is partly why when you feel sad you want sugar.  But you have to be careful with this one.  White breads and pasta have refined bleached wheat which get digested rapidly by the body creating a good feeling but then it quickly crashes leaving you right back or even worse than before.  Whole grains and whole wheat bread products are best because it takes the body longer to digest them leaving you with a longer feeling of satisfaction.  With that said.  Carbs are probably the quickest food antidepressant because carbohydrates drive serotonin production.

·         Fish

o   Especially oily fish.  The omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil is sooo good for your brain cells.  . Dietary fats and cholesterol can clog up cell membranes causing them to block the flow of fluids and chemicals in and out of the cell.   Omega-3s help to unclog this junk and allow the cells to function properly. 

There are so many products out there with pills to take or something, but just try to keep it natural.  Usually if you are feeling blue or depressed its most likely because something in your body is out of sync.  Just try to eat right and exercise and unless it’s a clinical diagnosis, you will probably start feeling better sooner than you think!

Strawberry Banana Muffins

So I have been trying to eat Healthier and cut down on sweet things.  My problem is that I LOVE baking!  So I decided that I was going to experiment with a bunch of recipes and try out substitutions for a healthier version.  This one came out really well the first try so I don’t see any need to change it.  The nice thing about this recipe is that you can substitute the strawberries with almost any fruit.  So depending on what you are in the mood for or what is in season where you live, you can make these muffins year round!  I use all purpose flour but you can mix in some whole wheat flour if you want, just remember when adding whole wheat flour that it will fall apart unless you keep the ration under 1/2.. Ex: for 2 cups flour use 1 c whole wheat and 1 c white.  Also whole wheat flour makes them denser.

Strawberry Banana Muffins:

	1 tsp baking powder
	1/2 tsp table salt
	1 tsp ground cinnamon
	2 medium banana(s), really ripe, (black skin)
	3/4 cup(s) fat free skim milk
	1 tsp vanilla extract
	2 cup(s) all purpose flour
	2 item(s) egg(s)
	1/3 cup(s) agave nectar
	2 cup(s) (raw) strawberries, chopped
	1 Tbsp baking powder
	1/2 tsp baking soda
	1 Tbsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground cloves

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 spray muffin pan with Pam. In a bowl of a stand mixer add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. mix to combine. In a small bowl add milk, eggs, and vanilla and whisk lightly until egg yolks are broken. Add milk mixture to mixing bowl with flour and stir a few times only until combined, it is important not to overmix. Add strawberries and banana, stir until just combined. Divide batter evenly among cups and bake for 25-30 mins. Let muffins cool in pan on wire rack for about 10 mins then remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.
  

These muffins are really moist because of the fruit in them so keep them in the fridge or else they will mold!!!

Your at Home Spa

How to set up and enjoy a Spa experience at home!

·         First thing you need to do is dedicate a space for  you  this will be your personal sanctuary where you feel calm and just thinking about it will help you to feel less stressed.  Everyone needs a place like this in their home.  Mine is in my bathroom.  I love taking relaxing baths to help release tension and sooth muscles.

o   You want this space to have nice soft colors so use colorful towels or a throw rug to add in some soothing colors if painting is not an option for you.  Earthy colors are the best but if you are a colorful person go with some pastel cool colors like light purple or light green.  Try to stay away from bright warm colors like reds, and yellows because these colors alert your senses, counteracting your relaxation. 

o   Buy some candles.  If you are lucky enough to have a nice bathtub try to buy some tea light candles.  They are inexpensive and the small light is very calming.  (They run you around $10-$15 for 100) and buy one candle with scents like lavender or vanilla.  Something rich that will fill the room.  Keep this candle on the counter or somewhere a little further from the tub to give a reflective light.

o   Make sure you have some nice bath salts, oils or even milk bath products.  If you don’t or you are trying to keep with a budget there are tons of things you can buy at a local grocery market and make some yourself.

§  Milk Bath:
This one is pretty simple and is so good and relaxing for your skin. 

·         2 C Powder Milk

·         1 C Epsom Salts

·         Few drops of Rose Water
(optional but rose water is great for you skin)

·         ½ C Oats
Mix together and add under running water of bath.  If you have a larger bath tub you might want to double these ingredients.

§  Salt Bath:

·         Equal parts Epsom Salts and Sea Salt

o   If you have some add in a few drops of essential oil to add a nice smell to your bath. 

§  Oil Bath:

·         ½ C Olive Oil

·         1 tbs Sesame Oil

·         ¼ C Coconut Oil

·         Pour into bath under running water.

o   If you have speakers or an ipod player you can bring into your bathroom do so and play some soothing music, it will help you clear your mind and relax.

·         The most important thing about reducing stress is that you need to make time for it.  You won’t always magically find an hour in your day with nothing to do.  You need to make time for your self.

Honey: Sweet Health Benefits

Honey is made by bees. Well everyone knows that!  But what you might not have known is that there are about 60,000 bees in a beehive, and they travel about 55,000 miles visiting more than two million flowers to gather enough nectar to make just a pound of honey!  How cool!  Those little creatures that we sometimes fear and are annoyed by, are venturing out into the great unknown to gather ingredients for one of nature’s sweetest health compounds!

People today are always talking about how bad white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners are for your health.  But people keep forgetting about honey.  Not only is it a great sweetener, but honey has so many health benefits.

Antioxidants:

Honey contains tons of vitamins and minerals.  But it also has a unique, substance called Pinostrobin.  In 2002, Fahey and Stephenson showed that Pinostrobin is a flavonoid inducer of chemoprotective and antioxidant enzymes.  In other words it supports and promotes healthy enzyme activity and cancer fighting cells.

Immune Health:

Honey contains anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties through an enzyme in it which makes hydrogen peroxide.  It has also been shown to help in some cases with ulcers but the data on this is unclear. 

Sore Throat Remedies:

Honey is a great alternative to cough syrup.  Honey is thick and viscous leaving a sort of ‘sticky’ coating on your throat which helps sooth sore throats and stop coughing. 

These are just a few of the benefits of Honey.  It is also to remember when shopping for honey that there are different grades and colors of honey.  Some are lighter, others are darker.  A general rule of thumb is that the darker the better its antibacterial and antioxidant power.  Also organic Raw honey will be the best because they have been processed less and most likely have stronger health benefits.  

for more information on Honey check out The National Honey Board's website!

Hello & Welcome

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately and it has inspired me to blog again.  I, like most people, have been trying to lead a healthier life style.  So i decided to dedicate my blog to healthy recipes, easy exercise routines and just anything that can help with a healthy stress free lifestyle <3

I have suffered from anxiety and depression in the past and by making certain changes to my daily routines and life choices, I have realized that there are so many ways to be healthier, happier, more zen, and centered just by some self reflection and attitude changes and by fixing up your diet.  The brain is such an amazing organ.  We need to take care of it.  There are certain foods we crave in times of stress that help temporarily but actually in the long term can start to become harmful for your well-being.  (Please note: these are merely suggestions to  help accompany and are NOT replacements for any medication or health care/mental health care professional advise.)