Tips and Tricks for Healthier Living

We asked and you answered! As a long-time advocate of healthy eating and natural living, I sometimes feel like I live in my own little world. Living the way I do is natural to me after all my years doing so; I can’t imagine any other way.

 

Every day I meet people who are taking to the path of living well and thinking creatively to smooth their way. I love learning new things and discovering new ideas that can be shared and implemented by us all.

 

Here’s the best of the best of your tips and trick to living well!

 

You were all over this on Facebook (christinacooks)!

 

Teri Steiger says she makes “carrot cake cupcakes sweetened with dates and coconut.”

 

What a yummy and healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth, Teri!

 

Hope Woitazek Cochrane posted she “sources dried cranberries: Made by Nature. They are USDA Organic, Non-Gmo Project certified. No sugar added.”

 

This is a great tip as so often we can’t find unsweetened dried cranberries and who wants extra added sugar?

 

Miranda Murray Barthmus gave us this great idea: “Lentil ‘meatloaf’ and roasted asparagus! Best foods on this icy evening.”

 

Sounds yummy. My dinner invite must have been lost in the mail!

 

Linda McKinley says: “Go vegan for 30 days! I guarantee it will change your life……I bet it becomes a lifestyle!!! My husband a 5 year cancer survivor, who was given a poor prognosis, is cancer free! We took control of our health, 5 years ago and never looked back!!”

 

All I can say is, yeah, man!

 

Cherryl Huffenberger advises to: “Plan ahead. Do as much prep work on the weekend for the week ahead as possible. If you don’t like leftovers during the week, freeze them if possible. Easy to pull out in a pinch when you don’t feel like cooking or are in a rush. Stock up on basics.”

 

Great ideas for eating well when time is short. Cherryl has left you with no excuses!

 

Leslie Ann Brock reveals: “My new fave way to drink more water…..I put 2 frozen strawberries & one thick slice lemon….pour sparkling water over….& keep refilling. Amazing how much I’m drinking now….refreshing & pretty!”  

 

What a great idea! This will be fabulous as the weather warms and we need interesting ways to stay hydrated! And our wise Leslie adds, “make your own sparkling water…cuts down on sodium!” not to mention plastic bottles!

 

Doreen Pasquarella tells us: “I always make more than I need when I cook. Leftovers are always welcome. Brown rice I always double the amount. Then I can make rice pudding with cashew milk.”

 

What a yummy way to use up leftover rice. I love rice pudding!

 

Carin Rowell give us a great breakfast tip: “When making breakfast smoothies in the winter, when I don’t have garden greens, I add frozen broccoli (and frozen bananas)–mix with Greek yogurt, almond milk and whatever else we have, and we have frosty smoothies that are so yummy!”

 

And if you’re vegan, switch up the Greek yogurt to be soy yogurt and you are good to go!

 

Suzanne Akins states simply: “I just stick with my macrobiotic regimen, as I have for 7 years.”

 

Good advice, Suzanne. Me, too.

 

Jackie Fishbeck Koenig advises the non-vegans among us who want to make healthier choices: “I make a batch of egg white veggie crustless quiches in my muffin pan. Then freeze them, wrapped individually… As I leave for work I grab one from the freezer and heat up at the office. I keep a jar of salsa at the office and plop a spoonful on top. Delish!”

 

Great advice. These sound yummy.

 

Rose Wershow advises: “Don’t go to the grocery store hungry!!!” Amen, sister!

 

Kim Allen: “Meditation. I can do almost anything when I have time — from meditating.”

 

Meditation rocked my world and changed my perspective on life!

 

Donna Marie Laino tweeted @christinacooks: “Tip for staying healthy while enjoying comfort food: Start off the day with millet porridge for warming the middle organs and creating lots of soups & stews with fresh produce!”

 

My favorite breakfast porridge, Donna Marie!

 

Candice Tripp posted this delightful idea to Instagram (christinacooks): “To satisfy sweet tooth in a healthy way: A frozen banana, almond milk and cocoa powder blended shake! Yummmm :)”

 

Sounds decadently healthy, Candice.

 

@chernohio posted this amazing-sounding treat on Instagram: “Frozen dark cherries soft serve. Put frozen cherries in food processor with a little almond milk, raw cacao powder, pure organic vanilla. Process to soft serve consistency.”

 

Anything that tastes like soft-serve and is healthy wins my vote!

 

@acfein answered the question about making healthier choices in response to my ‘carbonara’ sauce post on Instagram: ”Tip for going meatless: I like to crumble tempeh and sauté with a little oil, garlic, sage, fennel seeds, soy sauce and lemon for a sausage-style side dish or accompaniment to pasta and tomato sauce.”

 

Oh, man, I want that now!

 

And in response to the same post, @rheathevword advised: “Use the same seasonings and flavors as the original dishes. That’s what we like most anyway, not the actual meat.”

 

Truer words have not been spoken. The seasonings make the dish!

 

I wanted more…more ideas, more tips and tricks so my pals on Instagram satisfied my desires with these posts:

 

@thirdsister03: “This past Sunday I made pasta with kale, white beans & tomatoes. I sautéed the kale, some onions & garlic in a bit of homemade veggie broth then added the beans and diced tomatoes. I finished cooking the pasta in the kale & veggies. Yum!”

 

Oh, that sounds so good!

 

@chernohio: “I’ve made ahead a raw kale salad myself. Massages with lemon juice. Added nutritional yeast, raw walnuts, Goji berries, raw pumpkin and raw sunflower seeds. Will be roasting artichoke, Brussels and steaming broccoli. As well making black bean burgers. That’s on my menu this week @christinacooks!”

 

That’s a dish that should be on every menu!

 

And finally, @seleynd: “I made a delicious green lentil dish. Sautéed a baby Stella blue squash, carrots, ginger, red onion, garlic in cumin seeds, turmeric and garam masala. Then added cooked lentils and brown wild rice medley then topped it off with a bit of coconut milk and curry cashews! It rocked!”

 

What time is dinner, seleynd?

 

So there you have them, the best of the tips and tricks to play across my social media playgrounds. I love how you all talk to me, ask me questions and give me your 2 cents when I ask (and even when I don’t).

 

Here’s to more sharing!