Happy Fall y'all!

You probably know by now that eating more fruits and vegetables is one of my top tips for healthy weight-loss since they are the lowest calorie-dense foods you can eat and packed full of nutrients. That means you can eat unlimited quantities and still lose weight (just be sure to skip the oil and butter, and flavor with bouillon, garlic, herbs and spices instead!)

I love that the very foods that support our physical health are the same foods that support our mental and emotional health, too!

And now that Fall is here and the weather is turning a bit chillier, I know I, for one, am already starting to crave more comfort food, so it seems like the perfect time to share one of my favorite cold-weather recipes. This stew will warm you up, fill your tummy, slim your waistline and boost those feel-good neurotransmitters, too, woohoo!

Here's the printable recipe, Hearty Vegetable Stew. I hope you give it a try and love it as much as we do.

Health & happiness, V

Let's talk about calorie density and how it can be a total game-changer when it comes to healthy weight-loss!

So we all eat about the same WEIGHT of food every day, around 4lbs on average...

And it's the WEIGHT and VOLUME of food that makes us feel full and satiated (which explains why we eat about the same weight in food every day).

So whether we eat a pound of low-calorie-dense whole foods (like oatmeal, berries, sweet potatoes, squash, broccoli, beans, etc.) for 300-500 calories...

or a pound of high-calorie-dense foods (like cheese, burgers, oil, butter, processed foods) at 800+ calories...

Our bodies feel FULL and SATIATED just the SAME.

This is why portion control, and cutting calories simply by cutting back the amount of food we eat, doesn't work.

This is how we can lose weight without feeling hungry all the time.

This is how to stop the cycle of yo-yo dieting, starving half the time and then bingeing, and ultimately getting nowhere.

This is how to eat as often as you want, until you're full, and still lose weight.

Choose low-calorie-dense whole foods and eat until you're full! Not only will you be filling up to your heart's content for less calories, you will also be getting more nutrients and more fiber (another weight-loss superstar and good-gut-bacteria favorite), so it's a win-win-win-win-win!

Still, it's not always easy to choose low-calorie-density whole foods ALL the time. Life happens. But, it's true that what we do most of the time matters more than what we do sometimes.

So if you love pizza, cheeseburgers and cake... or that's all you can find to eat at a birthday party... don't sweat it.

​Progress, not perfection.

You've got this.

It's HOT here in New England and who doesn't love a nice, cold, sweet treat on a hot summer day? I know I do!

Before you reach for that ice cream, give this de-licious MANGO NICE CREAM a try. It's so simple, so easy, so yummmmm and it's full of all kinds of good stuff (like vitamins and fiber) and non of the bad stuff (like saturated fat and cholesterol).

And because Mango Nice Cream is made completely of whole food, it's low in calories and full of fiber which also makes it a fantastic, healthy for the body & mind, weight-loss supporting, sweet-tooth-satisfying treat! Need I say more?

To make this super quick and easy, I use store-bought frozen mango chunks (I get the family size bag of O Organics and mango is the only ingredient) but you can definitely use fresh mango and just chop it up and freeze it yourself, too.

Besides the fact that I LOVE mango, I also love this this is sooo quick and sooo easy and doesn't require any fresh ingredients, which means I can keep a big bag of frozen mango on hand and whip up a batch of nice ream whenever the mood strikes.

Nice cream is also super versatile so you can really make this with any fruit you like. Here are some additional versions I can personally attest to...

• Frozen Bananas with a drizzle of peanut butter and chocolate chips (so good!)
• Frozen Bananas and Cacao Powder for a super chocolatey treat
• Frozen Strawberries (my husband's favorite, but the berries aren't always sweet enough so I almost always add a banana and/or sweetener)

Grab the printable recipe here, Mango Nice Cream. Enjoy!

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bell peppers, onion and celery with a small amount of water or broth, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp tender, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano (and cayenne, if using), and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, salt and pepper, and stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
​5. Stir in the corn, kidney beans and black beans. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Serve warm with toppings of your choice.

NOTES
This chili will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days or can be stored in the freezer for several months.

DIRECTIONS
​Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart thick-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.

Add the oregano and basil, stir to combine. Add the cabbage, spinach, and zucchini. Add the vegetable stock. Give everything a good stir.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and cooked through.

Add the beans and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I use about 1/4 teaspoon of each). Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 additional minutes. 

This smoothie is one of my favorite go-to breakfasts and THE go-to breakfast when I've veered off course a bit too much, too long, and need to course-correct and feel better fast, for example, after the holidays. It's packed with nutrient-dense, easy-to-prep-ahead ingredients and delicious. It's also a fantastic way to sneak more leafy greens into my diet.

Side note on leafy greens. Leafy greens are a super duper food, they are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber, and low in calories. Ladies with painful menstrual periods, listen up - eating more fiber (30-50g daily) can dramatically reduce or even eliminate the pain associated with your menstrual period. Painful periods are often linked to higher amounts of estrogen in your body and eating fiber helps to naturally usher that estrogen out. I learned this after 20 years of excruciatingly painful periods and I am now living proof that fiber is your friend! I went from sleeping with a heating pad and extra-strength Tylenol (if I could actually even sleep at all due to the pain) to no pain at all, zero. It's life changing to say the least. 

Easy, yummy, and potentially life changing... what else is there to say? Give it a try, I hope you enjoy.

GO-TO GREEN SMOOTHIE

1 medium organic apple, cored, skin on
1 medium frozen banana, cut into pieces (I cut and then freeze, usually a big bunch at a time.)
2 cups (approx. 2 ounces) organic spinach
1/4 (1.5 ounces) avocado 
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 cups filtered water
2 tablespoons chia, hemp or other plant-based, unsweetened, protein powder (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for about 1 minute, until mixture is smooth. For a thinner texture, just add more water. 

TIPS
- I cut my bananas up into quarters first and then freeze them. I also usually do a big bunch at a time.
- I've used both frozen spinach and fresh, and both work just fine. If I do use fresh, I usually portion it out
  and freeze in bags ahead of time to save time in the morning and ensure the spinach doesn't go bad
  before I can use it all.
- If your avocados are always "not quite ripe" or "unusably over ripe", try your freezer section for "just
  right" avocado chunks every time.
- For better digestion and nutrient absorption, soak the chia seeds overnight. 
- Buying organic ingredients is always the best choice but it can get expensive! Check the EWG's dirty
  dozen list (spinach is almost always on there) and try to at least buy these items organic if you can.
  Otherwise, even the non-organic version is better than not eating these nutritious, delicious produce
  items at all. 

If your head feels foggy, your body sluggish, and your clothes a little snug, you probably - like me and the rest of America - had a little more processed food, sugar and alcohol over the holidays then intended. It happens to the best of us. But that was then and this is now, so here are two quick and simple ways to get back on track today: drink more water and eat a salad! That's it, just hydrate and eat your veggies. And then do it again tomorrow and the next day, and the day after that.

Obviously the rest of your food and lifestyle choices matter too, but these two super easy, super simple things will get you back on track and feeling better fast. 

Hydrate: To get (back) in the habit, keep a glass at your desk and a water bottle in your car so it's always handy and will serve as a reminder, too.

Eat Your Veggies: Make your salad big, green (just say NO to iceberg), and full of yummy veggies (like shredded carrot, purple cabbage, cucumbers, organic tomatoes, bell peppers, red or green onion, and avocado). Feel free to add a hard-boiled egg, grilled chicken, salmon, roasted chickpeas, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, good quality cheese, olives or veggie bacon bits. With so much yumminess you may not even want dressing, but if you do, be sure to reach for an OLIVE OIL based dressing whenever you can.

For a super easy, less expensive, healthier, DIY dressing:  in a mason jar, mix 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar (I like red wine vinegar but any will do), and whatever herbs and spices you like (garlic adds a ton of flavor and has great health benefits, oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, and black pepper are all good choices - add them all or just a few), cover, shake, and voila! Enjoy!

DIRECTIONS
In a small glass storage container or mason jar, combine oats, quinoa, chia seeds or ground flaxseed, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.

Add mashed banana and almond milk, stir to incorporate. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight. 

*Add toppings before placing in refrigerator or when you're ready to eat.

TIPS
- I make a bunch of these on Sunday, using 2-cup glass containers with covers, so I have them for the week. I have also used 12oz mason jars, which work great too.
- I usually put my toppings on when I assemble them, to save me time during the week.
- For the milk, I often make my own cashew milk, which is super easy. Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can. I learned how with this recipe from Downshiftology, How to Make Cashew Milk. 
- For added sweetness, try adding a teaspoon of maple syrup or honey, but I find the banana adds quite a bit of sweetness by itself.
- I find this is the perfect portion size for me, but when I make this for my husband, I double it.