Healthy Happy and Free

"Megan, party of one." That's me! Though I still live at home (shout out to Mom and Dad), I often cook for me, myself and I. Miss Independent. Miss Self-Sufficient, ya know what I mean?  So I tend to opt for easy, one pan meals that I throw together but that doesn't mean they're not delicious! Make this even simpler by using Cece's Veggie Noodle Co. organic zucchini noodles which are now available at Costco's in Socal! Mushroom Zoodle Dinner for One Getting started and smelling good! Ingredients: 1/2 package Cece's Veggie Noodle Co. zucchini noodles  1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 tsp ghee butter 1/2 tsp minced garlic 2 tbsp bone broth  3 oz precooked shrimp 1/4 cup sliced red onion pink himalayan sea salt to taste Directions: Preheat skillet on medium heat.  Add ghee butter and minced garlic.  Once the ghee butter is melted, add the red onion and mushrooms, saute for 5-6 minutes until tender.  Add bone broth, zucchini ...

There's two types of people in the world: people who love to workout and people who don't know they love to workout.  That's how I feel, anyway. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I sit in my car contemplating if I really want to go in the gym today. You should always listen to your body and rest as needed. However, when I'm in the gym, I love it. I'm not thinking about problems or stresses. It's just me and the weights.  That being said, I do like to have a program to follow. Otherwise, I end up bopping around the entire gym doing a little of this, a little of that and often spend too much time. Following a set program keeps my workouts concise and effective IF you choose a reliable program.  I formerly did the MAPS Anabolic program focused on strength building. I actually did it 3 times through because I was too cheap to buy another program! lol This program is from  Mind Pump Media  - Mind Pump is a podcast hosted by three fitness professionals: Sal...

Slow and steady wins the race, right? I recently had a stress fracture in my right tibia bone (right ankle up the outside of calf). The fix: wearing an orthopedic boot for 4 weeks, no running, no impact. Sounds simple, and relatively fast. However, just because I'm free of the boot doesn't mean I'm ready to hit the pavement. The doctor told me to take it easy, perhaps reduce the support in my running shoes (this shocked me) as the support was putting more pressure on the outside of my leg/ankle. Regarding resuming my activity, he recommended things like the rowing machine, elliptical and stair climbers to keep up my cardio vascular endurance while transitioning to a treadmill and eventually back to the road. My mom's research revealed that returning to running might involve taking shorter, easier runs to start. I was eager to hit the road so I laced up, put on my new compression socks, fully confident that I would feel like my old self. Not so much. I felt awk...

With a million and twelve protein bar companies, it's almost impossible to try them all! One company that I had been eye-balling for some time was Brie's Protein Bars. Brie's makes protein bars and treats that are kid tested and athlete approved meaning that they use high quality protein, low sugar, and taste great! I love that they are made fresh upon ordering and hand made just for me (and you)! I recently had the opportunity to try some of these protein bars and treats! I was so excited! I tried: Sunshine, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Cocoa Beach, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Sea Turtle, and Mellow Yellow along with the Birthday Cake cookie, White Chocolate Cinnamon cookie and Brieballs. Sea Turtle - This was the first bar I tried. It has 135 calories and 19g of protein . It's a chocolate base with a pecan and sugar-free caramel drizzle. I was really impressed with the flavor - it was rich and chocolatey! The caramel drizzle was a perfect sweet pairing for ...

If you are a regular reader, you might remember me saying my mother and I were setting out to do a new hike once each month for 2018. So far, we've accomplished it...technically. I did have a stress fracture of my tibia in February - March and I am still babying it so our hikes haven't been too extreme or exciting. Our March hike was a short trail in nearby Huntersville at Latta Plantation. It didn't excite me too much. Slightly working our way up, our April hike was the South Main Trail at the US National White Water Center in Charlotte, NC. If you're not familiar with the White Water Center, they have so many activities for the adrenaline junkie: rafting, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, ropes courses, zip lines, trails and more. The trails are for mountain biking, hiking and trail running. There is a $6 fee for parking. After paying the fee, we drove down to the Adventure pavilion which has a restroom and is close to the trail head for the South Main trail....

Spring has finally sprung! It was a long time coming, but it seems like warmer temperatures are finally here. That means light and refreshing meals that are totally crave-worthy are on the menu! I love salads, I really do. It's so easy to fall into a salad rut - same spinach, different day. I decided to start shaking up my salad game and utilizing zucchini noodles for the base of this salad was the perfect way to do it! This salad is a rainbow of colors and a fun twist on your average salad. Asian Inspired Zucchini Noodle Salad - Paleo Friendly Serves 2 Ingredients: 1 package Cece's Veggie Noodle Zucchini Noodles (10.7oz) 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots 1 cup purple cabbage, chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced 6 oz extra large shrimp, precooked 2 eggs 1/4 cup sesame ginger vinaigrette (I used Primal Kitchen's brand which is paleo friendly) Directions: Divide the zucchini noodles into two bowls.  Arrange half of each of the chopped veg...

Europe! For a month! Yes, it's true!  I'm jet setting away for an entire month. While this may sound like i'm living a life of luxury, let's delve a little deeper.  I am actually going for three weeks to do volunteer work which I love! Then the final week I will be basically traveling solely for fun. It is going to be very new and different and I am so excited... but...I'm also nervous. I deal with anxiety, an eating disorder, along with repercussions of my spinal cord injury, along with occasional digestive upsets that I have yet to discover the root of. Thinking about all of this has made me a bit apprehensive. However, I'm determined to make the most of this trip! I may never get to have these experiences again! Here's how I plan on minimizing anxiety and nervousness: planning!  becoming familiar with the itinerary. remembering that things will probably go wrong but it's okay! Bringing along some things that will help me transition T...

Within 30 - 60 minutes of a workout, you should consume a balance of carbs and proteins to replenish glycogen stores and for muscle adaptation and recovery. Some good options are blah blah blah. Have you read or heard something like that? I have. Over and over again. It seems to make sense and I believed it! I would come home from a run or a workout and make a protein smoothie ASAP! We don't want to miss the anabolic window, do we? If something slowed me down, I was SURE that my muscles were literally eating themselves. Okay, so it's not a complete lie that carbs and proteins replenish your glycogen (aka stored energy) and aid in muscle growth and recovery. The lie is that this is an urgent matter. There's a good chance that you've already eaten that day so you are most likely not completely depleted. Also, unless you are doing another workout within the next 8 hours, your body can recover even if you eat a meal several hours after your workout. In fact, I'v...

Do I like chocolate or do I like chocolate? Yeah, I like chocolate.  I'm always on the hunt for new chocolate to try and I love finding brands that use high quality ingredients. Introducing: Smart Bark!   Their chocolate bark is Organic, Non-GMO, made with Fair Trade ingredients, Vegan, and Soy-free . They have four varieties featuring nuts, seeds, and apple juice sweetened cranberries! Cranberry Bark   Apple juice infused cranberries are amidst the smooth 70% dark chocolate. They add a nice sweet and tangy chew to the delicious chocolate. The chocolate base is very smooth and pleasing despite having no soy-lecithin which is commonly used as an emulsifier in chocolate. I thought it was great and if you like chocolate coated cranberries, this is the bark for you! Trail Mix This flavor is chock full of fun and nutritious add ins including currants, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and cacao nibs. I love the addition of the seeds for a sweet and ...

Have you ever done something out of obligation? I'm sure you have. There's certain things that we are all obliged to do such as pay taxes, get our cars inspected, etc. However, there are some things we are not obliged to do like go to the gym or eat a certain diet.  So I got to thinking do I exercise because it's a habit, hobby, or obligation? How do these differ? In my personal opinion, a habit is something you do without really thinking about it. It's just become routine. This can be for the good or the bad.  A hobby is something you do in your free time because you enjoy it.  An obligation is something you do because you feel you are supposed to do it, whether you like it or not.  Do what you are obliged to do, but don't create obligations in your mind. This can create an unhealthy relationship with that thing.  Exercise can be a healthy habit, it can be a fun hobby, but don't make it into an obligation. 

Team Always Snacking, where you at? I recently came across Drizzilicious Snacks and was totally intrigued! What are they? They are described as crunchy drizzle bites with rice, chia, quinoa and flax. They come in S'mores and Cinnamon Swirl flavors. They are non-GMO, gluten free, and kosher. They clock in at a mere 90 calories per serving and look like a fantastic snack! So how do they taste? S'mores Up first is S'mores flavor - This flavor is a marshmallow crisp drizzled with chocolate. These are like mini rice cakes but with a sweet flavor and chocolate drizzle. To be honest, I didn't get much of a marshmallow flavor in the small puffed crisp. The actual crisps were very tiny and reminded me of a cereal maybe. I can't quite put my finger on it but it wasn't a bad thing. It could almost verge on bland tasting but the chocolate drizzle saves it and makes it a great choice for a case of the munchies! I actually love the tiny size! Perfect topping for S...

Does anything smell better than homemade banana bread baking in the oven? Ba I haven't discovered it. The smell of banana bread baking is not only delightful but also nostalgic for me. Classic banana bread was a staple as I was growing up. It's pretty simple to make, it's delicious, and it's a great way to use up those spotty bananas sitting in the fruit basket. I took a classic recipe from an old, tattered Betty Crocker cookbook and made a few tweaks. My recipe has: significantly less added sugar probiotics higher protein lower calories* Let's get cooking! Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (sub all purpose gluten free flour if gf) 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional) 1/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda pinch of salt 1/3 cup Sweet Leaf Stevia/Sugar Baking Blend 1 1/2 cups mashed banana 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup Lifeway Blueberry Lavender Kefir (I stirred the blueberry into the plain kefir and then measured) 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp imitatio...