bz's blissful bytes

This salad satisfies my sweet tooth with some fruit and citrus flavors. It also has a great crunchy quality with the celery and apples. There are umpteen Waldorf variations and this is the one that I like. 1 apple (your choice...I love Gala and Fuji apples) 2 stalks celery 1 big bunch of red seedless grapes 1 heaping Tbsp of fat free plain regular or Greek yogurt the juice of half a lemon walnuts (about a handful) Chop up your apple and celery stalks into bite size pieces. Slice the grapes in half. Put these all in a bowl together. Add the yogurt and squeeze your lemon. Mix everything together, add your walnuts and cosume!!! Your getting vitamin C with the lemon juice, some protein with the yogurt, healthy fats from the walnuts, negative calories with the celery and tasty apples and grapes. This is basically for one person. Just double, triple, quadruple it up for more people.

I saw a great article today on NYTIMES.com in the wellness section. It was about how the core exercises that are regularly taught could actually harm the spine! I was a little taken aback because these are exercise that I teach most of you on a regular basis. The next time we work out together, I'm going to show you the 4 exercises from Dr. Stuart McGill. 1. The non-crunch Lying face up, with one knee bent and the other leg straight, place both of your hands underneath your low back. Lift your head, neck, and shoulder blades as one unit just until they are off of the floor and go back to start. The prompt they used was, "as if you're lifting them off of a scale and then lower back down." 2. "Stir-the-Pot" Using a Swiss Ball (or resistance ball...whichever lingo you like), get into a face down position with your elbows and forearms on the ball and your legs out straight behind you. You're basically planking on the ball. Now make small circles in on

"What's with the tofu, beez?" is probably what you all are thinking. I know, I know...weird. I had the silken tofu from the Pumpkin Tofu Soup and thought that it would be great to not have to waste what I had left over. I regularly don't like the texture of silken tofu but didn't have any aversion to it being blended in the soup and the tofu in this recipe is mixed with chocolate (yum!) and put through a food processor, so that took care of the texture issue. I've been having a HUGE challenge this week to stay sugar free because Aunt Flow is knocking at my door. This is not a sugar free dessert but it is something that I feel a little bit better about eating, number 1: because I made it myself and number 2: I'm getting protein, too. Yes...I know I'm justifying. Gimme a break...I'm getting my period. Here's the recipe: 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate bars broken into small pieces 12 oz silken tofu brought to room temp 1/2 cu

I ran across this show on BBC America last year. A hollistic nutritionist named Dr. Gillian McKeith http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/273/index.jsp gives people frank insight as to how the food they are eating affects their health. This woman is no bigger than a minute and does not mince her words when letting people know how changing their diet can add years to their lives. I found watching the show addictive. She has all of her clients write down the food they eat for a week and then she actually goes out and purchases all of it, laying it out on a table for them to get a visual of what they have put into their bodies. If you get BBC America, check out the show. I included the link to their website so you can read more about it if interested.

These are so tasty. Finding something to eat on the go can be a chore and a hassle. If you stop at a convenience store, you're at the mercy of what they have on their shelves. If you choose a protein bar, it's a little bit better than if you chose a candy bar. These muffins are moist, yummy, and portable. Since you made them from scratch, you know everything that's in them! 1 cup dry oatmeal 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup milk (you can choose skim, soy, almond, rice, etc) 2 egg whites 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed (easy to grind in a coffee bean grinder) 2 Tbsp and 1 tsp canola oil (I just substitute more applesauce for the canola oil) 1Tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (I only do a 1/4. Nutmeg is a powerful spice) 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, raisins, blueberries, strawberries...) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your muffin tin with liners or use cooking spray. Combine oatmeal, a

We have had a pretty chilly start to the month of June and this soup sounded really yummy to me, even though the word tofu is in the title. I've never cooked with tofu before. The other draw of this recipe, for me, is that I got to use my Braun Hand Mixer. I have used it so rarely, that it really gave me a thrill to have the opportunity. Recipe: 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup leeks; whites only, sliced and rinsed well 4 cups chicken or veggie broth 1 cup pumpkin (the recipe called for fresh but I just used canned...make sure that the ingredients are just pumpkin if it's canned) 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp ginger root 1/2 cup silken tofu sea salt to taste (if you so desire) sautee the leeks in the olive oil until they're soft bring the broth, pumpkin and cooked leeks to a boil reduce heat to a simmer for 30 min add garlic, ginger and tofu continue to simmer for 15 more min puree everything until smooth add salt to taste Yum! I enjoy eating the Monk Bowl luncheon special at Organic Gard