healthy eating

Change Bites: Change Your Plate, Change Your Life (Review)

December 21, 2018 By Joi Sigers

I was recently sent a review copy of Change Bites: Change Your Plate Change Your Life in exchange for telling you about this exciting new book. Before I get to the actual book review, itself, I wanted to give a few quick thoughts as well as a brief personal story.

A Few Quick Thoughts

I love that the book is relatively short, totally uncomplicated, and very easy and fast to read. Let’s face it, most of us simply don’t have the luxury of sitting and reading for hours each day – especially around Christmas and New Year’s! The fact that this book reads fast is a huge bonus.
I love that the book, while using the author’s experiences as examples, focuses on the reader. This is YOUR story about YOUR health and it has the power to help a lot of people.
I love that the book is interactive. There are numerous places for you to jot down your symptoms, your goals, your plan of attacks, etc. Books that serve as workbooks keep the reader engaged and the change they seek is infinitely more likely to happen because they are taking an active part.
When doing book reviews on my various blogs, I often like to include a “Who Needs this Book” section. I’m not doing it this time simply because everyone needs this book! Whether you’re trying to transition to a vegetarian diet, trying to add more healthy foods into your daily meals, or suspect you may have an intolerance to dairy, gluten, and/or wheat, this book will help you tremendously. What’s more, if you simply want to take a proactive approach to your health and give yourself a good “once over,” this book will prove invaluable.
I have multiple blogs and joyfully do book reviews on each. This year (seems to be a boon on great books!), I allowed myself to become swamped in books. I honestly had to struggle to keep up. Around October, I stopped taking in new books (for the rest of the year). Then the e-mail about this particular book came through. I knew, from the introductory e-mail, alone, that this was a very special book – one that could give people their lives back.. a book that could, in fact, even save lives. As you can see, I made an exception.

I’t a lot easier to take a leap of faith if your current state of “pain” is worse than the pain of changing. – page 21, Change BITES

My Personal Journey

Years ago, I began experiencing a number of health problems that I chalked up to a number of things: allergies, aging (after all, when you get on this side of 40, a lot of interesting things happen!), thyroid, etc. I had digestive issues that, honestly, became so commonplace that they didn’t even register with me. I was taking Benadryl daily – in fact, I averaged two or three a day.

The tiredness, lethargy, and overall feeling that I had to fight to make myself exert energy? That was attributed to the Benadryl – which, I’m certain didn’t help matters.

Worst of all, however, was the fact that I LITERALLY kept at least one mouth sore or mouth ulcer for over a year. That’s right… for over a year, each and every day I had at least one mouth sore. The doctors would prescribe medicines, I’d swish with salt water.. it was a nightmare that I cringe over to this day. Those things are painful!

Around this time, my oldest daughter, Emily, began to have a few health problems. She had to have her gallbladder removed and, just when we thought she was returning to normal, her health seemed to get worse. After reading everything I could get my hands on, I told her that I thought she should do an elimination diet with gluten/wheat because it sounded like she was either Celiac or extremely gluten-intolerant.

I told her that I’d do it with her – to help her out and give her support. We researched food, restaurants, and armed ourselves with all the information we needed for the journey. I’m an avid cook, so I knew that I’d be able to come up with gluten-free dishes for us to eat. What could have and maybe should have been frightening and depressing was actually kind of exciting and fun. Having someone with you on the journey, in my experience helps a lot.

We decided we’d give it a month and see if her symptoms improved. Not only did they improve – they improved after just two weeks of totally eliminating gluten/wheat from her diet.

But there’s more.

My mouth sores and mouth ulcers disappeared and, over the years, have only returned when I’ve accidentally eaten wheat/gluten. My energy returned, I slept better, my digestive issues improved, and I was able to stop buying two boxes of Benadryl each week.

We’ve, needless to say, avoided gluten entirely since doing so put us squarely back in the game of life.

Change Bites: Change Your Plate, Change Your Life

Change Bites was written by Marissa S. Costonis, H.C., who had her own personal journey with her health and the way her body was responding to food.

It makes sense, when you think about. So much so that I’m amazed it takes most of us so long to make the food and body connection.

Imagine if a new experimental drug came onto the market. If you’re like me, there’s no way on earth you’d take even one, let alone a daily dose, if you weren’t certain of the effects it’d have on your body. Yet, we put bite after bite after bite of food into our mouths each day without a second thought.

Some of this food may be doing as much harm to your body as the drug would be.

One of the interactive exercises in this book involves taking a close look at your health. You’re asked questions you probably had not considered before and are given an opportunity to uncover clues your body has been leaving for you – clues that something is wrong. If my daughter and I had had this book years ago, we would have saved ourselves a lot of pain and sickness. What’s more, we’d have been able to STOP eating something that was causing damage to our bodies.

About the Author: Marissa S. Costonis spent over a decade in change management consulting leading a variety of business transformation initiatives around the world. After developing neuropathy and a host of other health problems began to pile up, Marissa decided to break down the change process one bite at a time to transform her health with great success. She became a Certified Health Coach and launched her business, Change Bites, LLC.

From the Back Cover:

Finally, a step by step process for how to change your eating habits and transform your health!

Are you inspired or even forced to try a new eating strategy, but not sure how to get started?
Do you have a good sense of what to eat, but not sure how to to make lasting changes to your eating habits?
Want to improve your health, but don’t want to give up all the foods you love today?
Have a growing list of health problems, but afraid to admit that food could be the culprit and the cure?

New Year, New You?

My husband and I frequently talk about the important role food plays in health. I love how, on the back of Change BITES, the author says food can be the culprit and the cure. Profound and so very true. Whatever the condition my daughter and I have, I’ve often thought of people in our family and wondered if they, too, had this condition and suffered needlessly. Perhaps, because their problem wasn’t caught early enough, they did lasting damage to their bodies.

I hope you’ll read more about Change Bites: Change Your Plate Change Your Life – if you recognize yourself in any of the following, this could be your first step to making 2019 the year you begin feeling better than you have in years!

Do you feel more tired than usual? It is NOT always a sign of the aging process. Your body could be maxed out simply trying to digest food that it’s having difficulty digesting.
Are you, for health or other reasons, thinking about becoming a vegetarian or vegan? This book can help you overcome any initial setbacks and help strengthen your mind and resolve.
Do you suspect that you have a food intolerance? Does dairy seem to make you bloat or do you feel unusually gassy after something as simple as a sandwich? Food you eat each and every day could be doing more harm than good. This book can help you know for sure.
Do you want 2019 to be the year you and your family eat healthier… and not just for the first two weeks of January?! The reason resolutions usually don’t stick is because we don’t have the “glue” to make them stick. This “glue” is how we react to change and the various challenges it presents. Again, this book could prove invaluable.
How about your moods? Food intolerances don’t just effect how we feel – they often effect how we behave. If you suspect you’ve been crankier or more emotional than you used to be (undoubtedly loved ones will let you know if this is the case), the cause may be in the kitchen and not the person in front of you. I read an article written by a man with a severe gluten-intolerance. He said that the first (and most profound) symptom he had when he had been accidentally glutened (when gluten or wheat passes your lips without you realizing it) was a severe shift in mood. In fact… and I found this kind of fascinating… his wife and children usually realized it before he did. They’d basically tell him to go to his man cave for a week or two until the symptoms passed!

Basically, if you aren’t the same person you were a few years ago (or even a few months ago), it may be what you’re putting into your mouth. The self-assessment exercises and golden advice given in this book can help you get back to the person you remember. Again, I really, really, really hope you read more about Change Bites: Change Your Plate Change Your Life and consider grabbing a copy for you and/or anyone in your life who could benefit.

~ Joi (“Joy”)

How to Start Eating Healthy

June 26, 2017 By Joi Sigers

Healthy eating: we all think about doing it, just not now. Realistically speaking, no one goes from eating fried chicken and tacos one day to broccoli and carrots the following day. Diet is very difficult to change, especially when most of us are addicted to eating certain types of foods. But don’t worry; healthy eating begins gradually. First, you have to make a mental commitment to start eating more healthy foods. Don’t start a crash diet, and don’t suddenly give up your favorite junk food either. The goal is to sustain healthy eating as a long-term habit. With that in mind, here are several suggestions that will help you eat better and avoid diseases:

Replace Chocolate with Dark Chocolate

Most of us love chocolate and eat a chocolate at least once a week. Unfortunately, chocolate is packed with sugar, which is really bad for health overall. If you are a choco lover you cannot live without its addictive sweetness, here’s a solution: eat dark chocolate. Let’s be realistic; you probably won’t be able to give up your chocolate habit overnight. So the next best solution is to make chocolate less unhealthy. Chocolate itself is not unhealthy. It’s the sugar and corn syrup in chocolaty snacks that ruin your health. Dark chocolate contains more cocoa and less sugar, and is thus a better option.

Buy a Smoothie Blender

Do you find yourself hydrating with soda? Soda contains more sugar than you think, so you should try to avoid drinking sodas daily. A healthier alternative is a tall glass of smoothie. You can make fruit smoothies, veggie smoothies, or a combination of the two. Smoothies are packed with vitamins and minerals that are not present in everyday junk food. If making smoothing is easy, you will find yourself depending less on soda drinks. So, go buy yourself a good smoothie maker. You don’t have to spend a lot on a product like Magic Bullet that is easy to use and also clean.

Replace a Junk Food Snack with a Healthy Alternative

Can’t stop munching on Doritos? Next time you watch a movie, munch on a healthy snack like baby carrots or pumpkin seeds. People rarely taste the food when they are eating in front of the TV. So, try this tactic to give your body healthier nutrients and fewer excessive calories.

Eat Out at Healthy Restaurants

Eating out at a good restaurant is one of the most enjoyable experiences in life. Next time you decide to go out for dinner, pick a restaurant that promotes healthy meals, and avoid the local junk food joint. You may have to spend a tad bit more, but your body will thank you for it later.

Include a Veggie with Every Meal

If you are not used to eating vegetables or are averse to it in any way, learn to have your veggies gradually. Include a single vegetable with every meal to get used to the idea. You don’t even have to eat much. If you keep up with this habit, you will be able to include more veggies and less sugary and fatty foods in meals.

Keep in mind that healthy eating doesn’t happen overnight. Train yourself with the above suggestions and you will be able to consume higher quality ingredients that do not contribute to devastating conditions like chronic heart disease.

Pictured at the top: Roasted Sweet Potato Pancakes

An Even HEALTHIER New Focus Coming to Get Cooking

February 6, 2017 By Joi Sigers

New year.. new goals!
New year… new habits!
New year… new life!

Or so it goes, right? And then something crazy happens… it’s called February. Right around the second week of February, we pack up our resolutions the way we packed up our Christmas decorations. Then, like the tinsel, they aren’t thought about until 12 months later.

The sad thing is, when it comes to our health, breaking healthy resolutions is as dangerous as driving without a seat belt or rollerskating on a sheet of ice.

Very often, the average person has to have an “eye-opening experience” – something that causes them to evaluate and re-evaluate how they eat and how they feed their family. My number one goal in this post is to either keep you from having such an experience or to remind you of one you had.

A Personal Eye-Opening Moment

A few years ago, a much-loved (and young!) family member had to have a stent put in. Sitting in the heart hospital’s waiting room was an eye-opening experience in many ways. Naturally, I was scared for my loved on and very distressed that he was going through the very unpleasant experience. I was also very moved by the other families (many with teary eyes and clutched tissues). I was especially caught off guard by the number of patients I saw and heard about who were under 60.

I remember when the phrase “heart patient” immediately conjured up an image of a man or woman who was 70 years old or beyond. Not today. Heart patients are all ages and the whole prospect is horrifying.

As a nation, we eat an unbelievably unhealthy diet and we’re paying for it. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s – some of the worst monsters of our time can be avoided simply by eating healthier.

While raising our three daughters, I always tried to cook as healthy as I thought was possible. Today, when the majority of my cooking is for me, my husband, and our cats (they really fancy my baked cod, let me tell you) – healthy food is in the forefront of my mind.

Even with my food blog, I’ve always tried to provide healthy recipes, food reviews, and tips.

So what you’ll see isn’t so much a huge transition on the blog, but more of a renewed devotion to finding the healthiest foods, drinks, and meals possible.

Below are just a few examples.

I am not as big on “avoid this, avoid that” as I am on “eat plenty of vegetables, drink green tea, fall in love with chia seeds…” that sort of thing. HOWEVER, there are absolutely foods that we should all cut back on – some even WAY back on. Sugar is one such food. And it’s not about calories – it’s about the unhealthy things sugar does to our bodies. Am I saying to avoid it completely? Heck, I know I can’t even do that, so I’m not about to tell anyone else to! I’m saying we should all cut way back on it. Read labels. It’ll knock the wind out of you when you see how much sugar is added where it has no business being. Look for foods with little to no sugar added.
I am fanatical about vegetables. FANATICAL. They are delicious, beautiful, and the healthiest thing for our bodies and minds imaginable. I’m a huge component of getting as many vegetables in, daily, as possible. I slip them into soups, omelets, cheese quesadillas, tacos, salads (hello, obsession of all obsessions), meatloaf, stews, burgers, and so on. The more the better! I ‘ll be adding recipes and tips that have one thing in mind: getting more vegetables on your plate!
I’m trying out lots of healthy foods and drinks and will be reviewing them on the food blog. There are some phenomenal products out there and I can’t wait to tell you about them.
I’ve read quite a few wonderful books about eating healthier and will be reviewing them either here or on my Self Help Blog.
I’ll be having a Healthy Food of the Week beginning this week actually (which reminds me, I’d better get cracking!). We’ll see why we need to eat more of this particular food, along with some ways to work it into more meals.
If you haven’t already made a vow to eat healthier and feed your family the healthiest meals possible, I hope you’ll do so today.

It’s not about wearing a smaller size of jeans, flattening a belly or de-jiggling this, that, or the other. It’s about being healthy, feeling great, living a long life, and keeping your loved ones out of waiting rooms and yourself out of hospital gowns that open in the back.

Monday’s Call To Action!

Ready for a Call to Action before we end? Here goes! THINK about what you DRINK….

If you (as of right this minute) drink soft drinks or diet soft drinks, give them up. If you have a 24 pack in the refrigerator, throw it out! These drinks are absolutely horrible for your health and the sooner you give them up, the better.
If you add sugar to your coffee and/or tea, stop. It’s unnecessary and not even remotely good for you. Did you know that sugar has even been linked to pre-mature aging?! Yikes, right?! See: Ideas for Giving Up Sweet Tea for Unsweet Tea (it’s my own personal account because sweet tea had a hold on me for many, many years).

Chickpeas, Kale, and Garlic.. Oh My!

February 6, 2014 By Joi Sigers

Chickpeas, Kale, and Red (Purple) Onion Salad

A few days ago, my stomach let me know that it was time for a quick lunch break. Since I work from home, I have the luxury of setting my lunch clock internally. I knew I wanted something fresh, healthy, filling, and (since I had plans for a big supper) light in the calorie department.

I came up with a Chickpea and Kale Salad that was as delicious and filling as it was healthy. I added a little red onion. Little secret: when no one else is around, I call them purple onions because… well, they aren’t red anymore than I am. They are, however purple. The fact that this is something I take issue with probably tells you everything you need to ever know about me.

I’m certifiable… I’ve just yet to be certified.

Let your love for each ingredient – and your own personal taste – guide you with the amounts of each ingredient. For that matter, feel free to add to the list.

I chose the following:

Fresh Kale, cut into small pieces
Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
The juice of one lemon, along with a little lemon zest to keep things pretty
A couple of red onion rings
Very finely minced garlic
Freshly ground pepper
A tiny amount of sea salt
A splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

It was darn good, which I pretty much expected because I love each ingredient with a particular passion. However, I honestly didn’t expect it to be so filling. I couldn’t even eat my entire salad. I put a lid on the leftovers and saved it for later.

The combination of chickpeas and kale was out of this world. The splash of lemon made it all come together beautifully.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas

Chickpeas are more than just a cute face – although they are pretty darn cute at that. They’re filling, fun to cook with, and have a great flavor. But there’s more. Garbanzo Beans (or Chickpeas) are a great source of fiber and are known to help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. Just 3/4 cup of chickpeas daily can reduce your risk of heart disease by helping to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

Throw chickpeas into tossed, bean, or pasta salads and soups for extra nutritional value, texture, and flavor. Making hummus is another perfect way to enjoy chickpeas.

I may be an extreme chickpea fanatic, but I enjoy them as a snack all by themselves. I drain them, rinse them, and pop them in my mouth like popcorn. So good!

Health Benefits of Kale

Kale comes with its own list of health benefits. One cup of kale has zero fat and only about 36 calories, making it a great choice for calorie counters. Best of all, its high in vitamins and antioxidants.

Kale is something of a super food. Just look at its benefits:

The fiber in kale fills you up and lowers cholesterol.
The Vitamin C in Kale can help ward off diseases and infections as it strengthens your immune system.
The Vitamin C in Kale is also essential for healthy joints.
Kale also has Vitamin A which can keep your eyes healthy as you age.
Kale actually has more iron than beef!
Kale is excellent for healthy skin, hair, and nails – making it a delicious beauty secret.

So, Kale can help you lose weight and/or keep it off, fight off diseases, protect your eyesight and joints, build stronger bones AND make you pretty so pretty? What’s not to love?

Enjoy Kale in green smoothies, in salads, and soups. One of my favorite ways to prepare kale is a baked kale recipe I found on the Cooking Channel’s website. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s awesome.

Health Benefits of Red Onions

Red.. .ahem… onions (and yellow onions, for that matter) have an impressive list of health benefits, but the one that jumps out at me is their antioxidant power. These onions are some of the best natural sources of quercetin. All you really need to know about quercetin is that it’s a scavenger when it comes to free radicals.

Red onions also have cancer-fighting properties which is, all by itself, more than reason enough to include them in as many meals as possible. I love the versatility of red onions, as well as their bright color. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a bad red onion. They’re always just perfect for whatever I ask them to do.

You’re probably already familiar with the heart healthy benefits of olive oil and garlic, so I won’t get into their nutritional value right now. Quite frankly, I could be here all day talking about their health benefits because they seemingly go on forever.

A final word about eating healthy: When you eat healthy foods regularly, you’ll find that your “junk food” cravings will decrease significantly. I actually find myself craving great salads, soups, vegetables, and fresh fruit these days.. instead of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, doughnuts, and fries. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen.

It just makes good sense to eat healthier, doesn’t it?

Chickpeas, Kale, and Red (Purple) Onion Salad

Paderno Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer (Review)

October 22, 2013 By Joi Sigers

Like everyone these days, I’m always on the look out for ways to add more vegetables and fruits to my family’s diet. The recommended daily amount is higher than most people realize PLUS most experts recommend we go even higher than the recommended number for optimum health. See the Recommended Daily Fruit and Vegetable Calculator to find your own personal recommendations.

My family also likes to cut back on unnecessary carbs whenever possible, too. We’ve found a pretty cool way to accomplish both of these goals (while providing me with another fun kitchen gadget in the process). We bought the Paderno World Cuisine Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer off Amazon a few weeks ago and I love it even more each time I use it.

The first meal I used this cool slicer for was a Zucchini “Pasta” Salad. I made long, spiral noodles (pictured above) from a couple of zucchinis and combined them with chopped grape tomatoes, diced red onion and chopped red, yellow, and green bell peppers. I mixed up the always delicious dressing recipe on the back of all Hidden Valley Italian Dressing Mixes and covered the vegetables. After about 30 minutes in the fridge, it made an absolutely delicious cold salad. I mean, reallllly delicious.

I’ve also used the Spiral Vegetable Slicer for salads and soups. It’s faster and easier than traditional shredders and slicers. This walking accident-waiting-to-happen has found it to be much safer for the fingers and hands as well. And, trust me, if it’s safe for this accident prone clutz, it’s safe for just about anyone.

One night, I was craving Italian, so I pulled out the spiral vegetable slicer. I had read, online, that A LOT of people enjoyed their spiral cut zucchini (raw) with hot spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce over it. I was anxious to give it a try, so I grabbed a few zucchinis. I had cans of Italian Style Diced Tomatoes on hand, so I simply warmed them up – adding fresh basil, oregano, chopped garlic, and salt. We put the tomato mixture on top of our raw zucchini and were SHOCKED at how great it was. I didn’t peel my zucchini but a lot of people prefer it peeled. Most of the time, I hate to peel veggies because it seems kind of wasteful to me.

Besides, I like the colors. 🙂

About the Paderno Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer:

Make quick work of fancy vegetable peeling with the spiral vegetable slicer – it’s incredibly fast, easy, and even fun to use.
Suction cups on the legs hold the slicer in place beautifully while you work your mojo. I read a review once that said the suction cups didn’t work – all I can say is they must have been trying to use them on a wet surface or something because I’ve had less than zero problems getting it to stick.
Clean up couldn’t be any easier. I hate, loathe, and despise contraptions that have 101 parts to clean after each use. This spiral slicer is a cinch to clean.
Includes 3 sets of blades: 1/8-inch spacing, 1/4-inch spacing, and straight blade for ribbon cuts.
This VERY affordable plastic spiral vegetable slicer would make a great gift idea for foodies, vegetarians, and anyone who enjoys good food!
Simply place vegetable or fruit on prongs, turn wheel while pushing base toward blade.
Made of durable plastic.
Backed by a 1-year warranty.

Even one of the biggest pasta lovers in the world (that would be me) thought the zucchini noodles, tomatoes, and shredded Parmesan made a delicious meal. Served with a colorful tossed salad, this meal is an excellent way to get your daily vegetable serving count up.

I haven’t used the slicer for coleslaw yet, but it occurs to me how much it’ll simplify the process – cabbage, peppers, carrots.. all sliced in one place for an especially lovely coleslaw.

The spiral slicer isn’t, of course, just limited to vegetables. Just look at the cute apple strips above. You don’t even have to core the apple before using the spiral slicer. Just cut off the top of the apple, place it on the spiral slicer and push it through the blade. In seconds, you have cool little rings for fruit salads, oatmeal, pastries, or snacks. Honestly, I could sit a bowl of apples on the end of the counter and my bunch will walk right past them 100 times a day. But if I put a dish with spirals or strips out… BAM! They disappear.

I’ll be using the spiral slicer regularly and can’t wait to find exciting and cool new ways to get the most out of it. See Paderno World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer for more information. I highly, highly recommend this slicer.

Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake Mix Review

July 17, 2013 By Joi Sigers

I have a new obsession I’m anxious to tell you about – very anxious, in fact, because it meets several important criteria:

Healthy
Delicious
Simple

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get healthier, or maintain your weight, Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake Mix is something you’ll want to read up on. This shake mix is so incredibly versatile and delicious, you’ll have a lot of fun discovering new ways to enjoy it.

My favorite ways to enjoy Vi-Shape Mix:

Smoothies: Simply add 2 scoops of Vi-Shape to 8 – 12 oz of nonfat milk, whole milk, 2 % milk, or even Almond Milk. By adding fun extras like fruit juice, chia seeds, flax seeds, frozen fruit, or powdered coffee – you could conceivably come up with a different smoothie every day of the month!
Add Vi-Shape Mix to your favorite green smoothies for a little more flavor and nutritional bang. It even makes the harshest greens more agreeable.
For a flavorful, healthy “pick-me-up,” mix a scoop of Vi-Shape Mix with cold water and stir. Add a little fresh fruit and you have a pretty little mid-day pick-me-up (pictured above).
I’ve even used Vi-Shape Nutritional Mix in baking. I’m minutes from posting a cookie recipe I recently came up with: Muesli Chocolate Banana Cookies.

Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake Mix comes with AMAZING flavor pouches that give you even more variety and possibilities. When trying the different flavors, I kept trying to decide which one was my favorite and I kept coming up with the same answer, “Whichever one I was drinking at the time!” Seriously, they are fantastic.

Oddly enough, though, I think I may prefer the Vi-Shape all by itself. There’s an eerily (and ironic) flavor of vanilla cake that makes my taste buds happy. While my brain calculates the nutritional value and fantastic calorie budgeting, my taste buds are convinced it must be somebody’s birthday.

Nutritional Benefits

Two shakes a day help melt the pounds away
Provides healthy vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber
Supports lean muscle mass

I strongly recommend Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake Mix. Click the link for more nutritional facts, informative videos, and ordering information.

Kodiak Cakes Flapjack and Waffle Mix: A Perfect 10 Out of 10

June 14, 2013 By Joi Sigers

Kodiak Cakes Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix: Perfectly Delicious

A quick reminder about my food reviews (and other reviews) on the Get Cooking food blog: I am sent products to review. I am not paid for these reviews nor encouraged what to say in the least. Over the years I’ve learned this, If someone has a product that’s great, they don’t mind sending it out into the blogosphere to be reviewed. They have confidence in the quality of their product and, it’s been my experience that it’s for a very good reason! All of my reviews are written entirely by me, with all of my own opinions and rambling. I respect you too much to ever be anything but completely honest with you – so if I encourage you to try something, you can rest assured that you should do just that.

I take this stuff almost as seriously as I take my morning coffee!

A recent product I was sent to review is pictured here: Kodiak Cakes 100% Whole Grain Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix (Buttermilk & Honey). I was sent two boxes and only one remains… and it’s almost half gone. Yes, it’s that good.

The first thing I noticed was the cool box. Though I wouldn’t care to meet one face to chest, I have a STRONG fascination with bears so I was smitten by the guy on the front right off the bat. Leave it to me to be impressed by a box, but this is one cool box. Don’t judge me, please.

Naturally, I had to make some flapjacks right away. I grabbed my bottle of Log Cabin Syrup and didn’t waste a minute. I made some with blueberries and some without and every single flapjack was fantastic. I even gave the flapjacks the old “How do you taste without butter and syrup” test and they passed with flying colors.

To be honest, I really wasn’t expecting flapjacks from a mix to taste this good. Seriously, how could anything that’s so easy and so fast to make actually taste great? Fortunately, they taste fantastic!

Kodiak Cakes Flapjacks have SO much flavor!

Most people today need their meals to be fast, easy, and accomplished in as few steps as possible. With Kodiak Cakes Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix, the steps couldn’t be simpler:

Add water
Cook
Eat

Kodiak Cakes has a great tutorial called 10 Tips to the Perfect Flapjack that’ll serve you well. Normally, I make my pancakes as thick as possible, but (in my strange little mind) I envision flapjacks thinner than pancakes, so I made them thinner on my first batch. The next time I made flapjacks, I made them thicker. I wanted to see how a mix would hold up to the normal way I make pancakes.

It held up like a champ!

Kodiak Cakes 100% Whole Grain Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix (Buttermilk & Honey) scores a perfect 10 on my chart for packaging, nutrition, price, and taste. As a bonus, they’re easy and convenient to find. Nothing’s quite as frustrating as trying and loving a product, then being unable to find it anywhere. You can order Kodiak Cakes online or find them in a store near you. They’re available in Target, which is like a home away from home for me, so I’m set. They’re also available in other stores around the country. (See: Where to Buy Kodiak Cakes for stores near you!)

Some people mix their fruit into the batter, I just place them on top as they begin to cook. Less chances of getting blue pancakes that way.

About Kodiak Cakes 100% Whole Grain Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix (Buttermilk & Honey):

Our new Buttermilk & Honey Flapjack & Waffle Mix contains the same grains and honey as the original flapjack mix, but is made with non-fat sweet cream buttermilk with a hint of vanilla. Also, no added fat, sugar or cholesterol and all you do is add water.

Ingredients: 100% whole grain wheat flour, 100% whole grain oat flour, non-fat sweet cream buttermilk, dry honey (honey, wheat starch), leavening (sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), egg whites, salt. Just add water. – from Kodiak Cakes

Also available from Kodiak Cakes:

Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix – Whole Wheat Oat and Honey
Big Bear Brownies
Bear Country Cookies
Kodiak Berry Syrups
Kodiak gifts (Suffice to say, I want them all – the book, the bowls…)

I didn’t see the other products in Target yet, but I’ll be all over them as soon as I do. Just call me a fan girl. I’m ok with that.

One of the best ways to tell if I’m blown away by a product I review is whether or not I buy it when left to my own devices. Kodiak Cakes is a product I’ll buy loyally and faithfully again and again. I’ll let you know about their other products as soon as I try them. Until then, be sure to give their Flapjack and Waffle Mix a try. Fast, easy, delicious. JUST what you need in the morning (or noon, or night…).

Told you the box was uncommonly cool!

Eating Healthier Meals Has Never Been Easier… Or More Important

June 10, 2013 By Joi Sigers

Roasted Carrots, Red Potatoes, and Sweet Potatoes

I was in a heart care center recently and, even though I wasn’t the patient, I got a real wake up call. In fact, every member of my family got a wake up call. We were at the heart care center for a family member who was having a procedure done (I’m guessing his beautiful blue eyes got a wake up call, too). My daughters and I kept looking around the waiting room. We were blown away by the number of young people (in their 40’s and 50’s) who were patients. I kept seeing people who I automatically assumed were with a parent or even grandparent, only to look down and see a hospital bracelet on their arm.

I have to tell you, it was alarming!

The American diet – fast food, in particular – isn’t just killing us, it’s roughing us up before it finishes us off. It’s robbing people of the quality of life they deserve and desire. Granted, when it comes to most health issues, a lot of things are hereditary. But the best shot we have against diseases (hereditary or not) is good old fashioned common sense. As a whole, we just all have to start eating healthier.

Heart disease and high blood pressure runs in my family as well as in my husband’s (which is why I was all the more relieved for my daughters to experience the wake up call as well). Add the fact that diabetes and a few other undesirables run through our family trees, and you’ll understand why I harp on healthy food so much.

One of the changes I’ve recently made is one that you may or may not feel comfortable doing, yourself. One”meatless” day a week has been a tradition in our home for a long time now. Thanks to a lot of great products out there (Morningstar Farms, Boca…) and a personal passion for vegetables, this one day a week often produced the best meals of the week. Since the one day a week was going so well, I added two more meatless days.

How’s it going? No one but me seems to have noticed!

Yes, it can be done. No, it’s not overly expensive. Yes, it is as filling. No, you won’t miss the meat.

Roasted Asparagus, Cauliflower, and Corn on the Cob

A few other healthy changes I’ve made:

I’ve started using healthier choices for butter on and in most dishes and recipes. If you read the labels, you’ll be pretty shocked.
I roast vegetables instead of frying them. Roasted potatoes (red, gold, or sweet potatoes), corn on the cob, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, and tomatoes are SO delicious you’ll find yourself craving them. Something about the roasting process even takes away the need (or desire) for butter. Seriously. I had the butter out, ready to use on roasted corn, but after one bite, I thought, “I’m not going to mess this up with butter!” The amazing, fresh, delicious flavor is really something else.
When I crave a burger, I make it a Boca burger or Morningstar Farms burger. Spray Olive Oil in a skillet, fry the Boca buger, add a little garlic salt and pepper for seasoning – then assemble your burger. It fixes the craving and you don’t miss the meat whatsoever.
I’ve started keeping healthier, smarter snacks on hand. Veggies with hummus, baked chips (sparingly), fruit, yogurt, and nuts are just as delicious and pack an added nutritional punch.
I’ve always been a HUGE fan of cooking magazines and regularly buy Taste of Home, Food Network Magazine, and Rachael Ray’s. I’ve also started grabbing a few “healthy” cooking magazines, such as Cooking Light each month. The recipes, tips, and ideas are priceless.
I browse through the Health Food sections in my favorite stores and grab something new each trip. I’ve found a few wonderful (and I mean wonderful!) foods I’ll be reviewing over the coming days. I’m really excited about the different health foods I’ve fallen in love with and look forward to telling you all about them.

If you look at eating healthier – and feeding your family healthier meals – as a challenge, you’ll rise to the occasion. Get creative and have fun with it. Whether it’s replacing meat with Boca Crumbles in tacos, chili (pictured below), or spaghetti or finding just how many different places you can sneak fruit into meals – it’s more than just doable, it’s deliciously doable.

Chili with Boca Crumbles – delicious and you’ll never miss the meat!

One of the coolest things about eating healthier foods is a really unexpected one: The healthier your diet, the healthier your cravings. Seriously, if you stick with making healthy food choices, you’ll find your cravings switch gears. Whereas I once got the occasional craving for a fast food cheeseburger (intense cravings, at that!) – I find that one of my most frequent cravings these days is for a Veggie Sub from Subway or a Boca Burger (or Morningstar Farms) dressed to the nines with tomatoes, sweet onion, pickles, and mustard.

A Healthy Cookbook You’re Going to Love: My Crazy Sexy Kitchen Review

April 3, 2013 By Joi Sigers

A while back my husband ordered me a few cookbooks off of Amazon – just because he’s cool like that. One of these cookbooks was the one you see pictured above, Crazy Sexy Kitchen: 150 Plant-Empowered Recipes to Ignite a Mouthwatering Revolution.

As I’ve mentioned (as in over and over and over..) on the food blog, I’m a firm believer that we should all try to feed our families, and ourselves, the healthiest meals possible. Author Kris Carr has a great quote on page 28 of Crazy Sexy Kitchen, “… some foods have the power to heal, while others have the power to harm.” I love that so much, I’m trying to think of an artsy way to put these very words in our kitchen. Near the refrigerator. But, you know, something short of red markers on a poster board.

I do have a little class, after all.

There are a great number of “Raw Food,” “Vegan,” “Green Smoothie,” “Cruelty-Free Eating,” etc cookbooks on the market. I’ve even reviewed a few excellent ones right here. It’s a great sign that there’s a proliferation of these cookbooks – it shows that all of us finally GET that we have to break the chain of unhealthy eating. As diabetes and obesity rates soar, we realize that if we’re going to protect ourselves and the ones we love, we have to wage our battle in the kitchen.

Crazy Sexy Kitchen is one of the best Plans of Attack I’ve come across. Not only are the recipes outstanding (what would you expect when chefs are in charge of recipes?), the sound advice and wonderfully written health information could stand on their own even if there weren’t 150 recipes tagging along.

Book Description

The woman who made prevention hot is now making it delicious! Crazy Sexy Kitchen, the follow-up to Kris Carr’s New York Times bestseller Crazy Sexy Diet, is a

Veggie Manifesto for plant-empowered gourmands and novices alike, and it’s filled with inspiration, education, cooking tips, and over 150 nourishing, nosh-worthy recipes. Infused with her signature humor, style, and personal stories, Crazy Sexy Kitchen redefines the kitchen as headquarters for America’s wellness revolution. The goodness born in the Crazy Sexy Kitchen will reach deep into the rest of your life—enriching your health, your home, your heart, and the planet.

Crazy Sexy Kitchen gives readers all the tools and know-how needed to adopt a joyful and vibrant Crazy Sexy Diet and Lifestyle. What is the Crazy Sexy Diet and Lifestyle, you ask? A nutrient-dense, plant-happy approach to eating and living that harmonizes your beautiful body at the cellular level. It’s a celebratory way of life that’s deeply connected, healthy, awake and engaged. Now that’s SEXY!

Like a long, luxurious meal, Crazy Sexy Kitchen is laid out in courses. You’ll start with a detailed review of the Crazy Sexy Diet. Next you’ll learn how to stock your culinary arsenal. Kris will show you how to find the best kitchen tools and equipment, and prep you with basic culinary skills and lingo. Handy symbols like, gluten-free, soy-free, kid-friendly—and for the time pressed—Crazy Sexy Quickies, help you to easily identify the recipes that are perfect for your dietary needs. Not sure how to put a whole meal together? No problem. Crazy Sexy Kitchen covers that, too—with a hearty dose of menu plans and recipes to inspire and delight.

Joined by Whole Foods chef, Chad Sarno, Crazy Sexy Kitchen offers over 150 delicious, nutrient-dense recipes designed to nourish the mind, body, and soul. From juicing to planning a three-course meal, Crazy Sexy Kitchen has all the essentials to fill your kitchen (and life!) with health, happiness, family, friends, and good times.

While I love the information (including fascinating FAQs with a dietician) and am as excited by the recipes as any foodie would be – a few of my favorite things about this book are the beautiful photographs and the personal history Kris Carr shares with her readers. Pictures of her lovely grandmother and her stories of growing up in her grandmother’s restaurant are extra special. I could have read an entire book about the author’s grandmother!

Why Should You Listen to Kris Carr When it Comes to Healthy and Healing Foods?

One look at the cover, and you can tell that the author is a beauty. Slender, radiant, and sporting a smile that could light up a room. At the risk of judging a book by its cover (see what I did there?), I’d have taken her foodie advice without knowing a thing about her. However, when I read about the strong woman behind the smile, I was even more committed to hanging on her every word. In 2003 (ten years ago, if we’re keeping count), Kris was handed the news that she had a “rare and incurable stage IV sarcoma.”

The big C.

Her cancer diagnosis was the worst kind possible – the one that came with a warranty. Kris wasn’t given long to live, but apparently that arrangement didn’t set well with her.

I knew in my gut that I needed to fully participate in my well-being. That’s when I went back to my roots – food. I discovered I loved being an artist in the kitchen, just like Grandma. Except I added a revolutionary twist to her culinary foundation: cooking consciously and compassionately for the health and happiness of my body and the world around me.

Since that time I’ve not only been surviving, I’ve been thriving – with cancer. In fact, thanks in part to a healthy and active lifestyle, I actually feel better with the disease than I did without it. If I can feel healthy and happy while living with a life-threatening condition, just imagine how great you can feel! – Kris Carr, Page 15, Crazy Sexy Kitchen

Ten years – way past the “shelf life” her doctors gave her. Now just try and tell me it doesn’t matter what we put into our bodies!

As Kris Carr points out in the book, you don’t have to dive in to the deep end with the changes you make in your diet. You don’t have to swear off all red meat and there’s no need to pinkie swear to drink only green smoothies for breakfast for the rest of your life. Just make healthy steps in the right direction – the more the better. I couldn’t possibly recommend Crazy Sexy Kitchen any more than I do. On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s so past 10 it can’t even see it in its rear view mirror.

Some of the recipes in Crazy Sexy Kitchen:

Juices such as Iron Machine, The Sicilian, and Morning Glorious…
Smoothies that include Crazy Sexy Goddess Smoothie, Chai Latte, and Vanilla Mystic…
Tofu Country Scramble
French Toast with Amaretto Creme
Cornmeal Banana Walnut Pancakes
Chickpea Crepe with Mushrooms and Artichokes
Mediterranean Wrap with Cashew Cream Cheese
Fruit and Almond Sandwiches
Hummus Pinwheels
Crazy Sexy Veggie Quesadilla
Pita Pizzas
Crazy Sexy Kale
Tomatoes and Herbs
Chile Rellenos with Red and Green Sauces
Garlicky Mushrooms
Sage Polenta with Nana’s Marinara
Dijon Vinaigrette
Tomato Relish
Fiery Pistachios
Sea Salt and Pepper Almonds
Raw Apple Spiced-Rum Shortcake with Maple Vanilla Glaze
Plus MANY, MANY more healthy, creative, and beautiful recipes!

These recipes will allow you to feel really good about the food you’re feeding your family (as well as yourself). They’ll also allow you to show off with great looking and delicious dishes that’ll probably earn you standing ovations.

Seriously, don’t wait another minute. Order Crazy Sexy Kitchen today.

A Healthier Way to Fry Eggs

January 26, 2013 By Joi Sigers

I was shopping for Olive Oil a few days ago (EVOO is one of those things I never, ever let myself run out of) when a bright and beautiful bottle caught my eye. It was Pompeian’s new 100 percent Grapeseed Oil.

After I put my EVOO in the cart and turned it to look the other way, I didn’t want it to see me checking out another oil’s backside, I read the back of the Grapeseed Oil:

Pompeian imports 100% of its Grapeseed Oil from France. Grapeseed Oil is an all-natural cooking oil known for its high smoke point, a characteristic that makes it an ideal choice for stir-frying, deep frying, and sauteing. Its light flavor preserves the natural flavors of food. Grapeseed oil is a rich source of Vitamin E, an antioxidant.

Pompeian Grapeseed Oil is made from the seeds of wine grapes and the flavor is extra-special and delicate. I think of it as Olive Oil’s very laid back cousin.

I made a Rosemary White Bean Spread yesterday and used a combination of Grapeseed Oil and Olive Oil rather than all Olive Oil. I thought the flavor would be smooth and delicious (it was) while giving my loved ones a nice extra kick of antioxidants.

This morning, I used Pompeian Grapeseed Oil in my skillet before frying my egg for breakfast. The flavor was subtle and outstanding. Truth be told, I think what I enjoyed most was the fact that the Grapeseed oil just complimented the egg’s flavor instead of competing with it for attention like butter and even Olive Oil do. Although I have to admit, I do enjoy the heck out of an egg fried in a combo of butter and Olive Oil.

Look for Pompeian Grapeseed Oil in your favorite grocery store. I give it a 10 out of 10. Click here for more information (there’s even a coupon for $1 off!).