Homemade mac and cheese!

I love cheese. I love carbs and I love fresh herbs. So I set out on a mission to make a healthier version of Mac and Cheese. I think it's difficult to make anything with cheese too healthy, but I certainly believe that fresh cheese from the deli is much healthier than that powder cheese that comes in the mac and cheese boxes. 

Ingredients:

Block(s) of cheese

Pasta *I used gluten free quiona*

1 cup of milk

1-2 tbsp of flour

Choice of herb

pinch of salt and pepper

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

So the first thing I did was put a pot with a cup of milk on the stove top at a medium heat and then I chose my 3 favorite cheeses and cut them up into small cubes that would be easy to melt (grating the cheese is also an option!).

Next step is getting the cheese to melt, so keep stirring with the milk. I added a tbsp of gluten free flour to thicken the mixture and to help combine the cheese and milk. Gage what amount of cheese you want, but I used about 1/4 of each block. I also put a dash of salt and pepper as I was stirring

While I got the cheese to a consistency I liked I also started boiling up the pasta! When the cheese reached the creaminess I liked I just switched the heat to a very low setting and kept stirring periodically to keep the cheese creamy. I added fresh oregano through-out the process and sprinkled a few leaves on the final product.

Lastly I added fresh oregano from my herb garden. My herb garden is small, but it is one of the best investments you could EVER make. I have had an herb garden for about 1 year and I rarely season anything because fresh herbs are the bomb. We have our herbs in a partially shaded part of the porch for a good portion of the day, and we water the plants at most 5 times  a week. Keeping the herbs alive is easier than you would think, and some of ours survived the winter!

All of my herbs cost about 5-6 dollars to start, and besides a pot and soil I haven't had to put any other money into it. I think it's a fun hobby and really adds excitement to cooking!

The result was FABULOUS. It was much simpler than I thought and tasted really good! If you aren't used to gluten-free noodles then it won't taste as good as noodles with gluten, but for someone like me gluten-free is the only option and I wouldn't have it any other way!

This totally fit my meal plan for the fitness program I am doing too! You don't have to avoid carbs or fats to be healthy, it's all about moderation and balance.

Enjoy!

xoxo

How to Get Started on a Life Change!

Ok so you know what health goals you have and you know what it is going to take to achieve them, but you still think to yourself ,"But how do I actually do that?"

I am hoping this post helps clarify that fuzzy part in your mind. First thing to know is to take baby steps. Changing your workout regime overnight and going from 1 day a week to 7 is a bit extreme and you WILL get burnt out! So if your goal is to lose 15 pounds, and you know that working out is needed to achieve that goal first thing to realize is that habits aren't created overnight. Your body didn't become what it is today just over one night, it was over the spans of MANY nights. That is key to remember!

When I was struggling to get past my gluten issues I had to realize my digestion system took years of abuse and so I wasn't going to immediately experience healthier digestion just from eliminating gluten for 1 day, it was going to take several.

So I am a type a personality and so that means I LOVE lists. So I recommend writing a list or making a "dream" board of your goals. Next write the general necessities of achieving that goal, for instance working out. THEN drill down further!

EX:
Goal: Lose 15 pounds, gain muscle too
How: Working out
Plan: For week 1 I will go to the gym 3 times for 30 minutes
Workout plan: 30 minutes of HIIT one day, 30 minutes of heavy weights the next, 30 minutes of Yoga

See how specific that is? It makes it easier for you to actually get started. It is easier to visualize actually accomplishing that. Ok what about diet?

EX:
Goal: Lose 15 pounds
How: Eating healthier
Plan: Eat clean (all natural, no processed) 80% of the time, and have 3 cheats this week.
Eating plan: Buy natural snacks, eat every 2 hours, meal prep the night before, drink 8 oz of water

If you miss your targets that's OK too. You are definitely closer to your goal by trying to hit something instead of giving a half-hearted effort. Big changes happen through an accumulation of little ones, and so set goals that you can hit, and take those goals week by week. Every week you cut out a soda, or run for 10 minutes or drink tea without sugar is one step closer to transforming your life.

These principles can apply to all aspects of your life. My goal in the past year was to work on my analytical skills and it took small steps to get my thinking to change. I just kept setting new and ATTAINABLE targets for myself, such as reading a new economic article every week. It helped me re-train my brain without burning myself out.

I hope this post has inspired you to go pick up a cork board, write some new goals down and figure out a plan. I am happy to help with meal planning or fitness tips! Reach out to my email if you need any help with your new goals for 2015!

-xoxoxo
kkgen


*picture source: http://fitbeliever.tumblr.com/post/46788287572

Introduction to Karen Gentry!

4 years ago my grandmother had a massive heart attack and underwent a triple bypass. That same year my great aunt died of pancreatic cancer. 3 years ago I became very ill for several months with digestion issues that not a single doctor could help me with.

Health issues are nothing new in my family, especially ones that are partially self inflicted. Before my grandmother had her heart-attack we ate fried foods, made everything with lots of butter, and drank sodas without worry. My great-aunt that passed away drank soda and wine everyday, as well as smoked. My digestion issues seemed to be caused by my over-consumption of bread!

I cut back on bread, lost weight, felt much better and carried on with life. I still ate fried foods, I still drank sodas as I pleased and worst of all I still ate bread (just not 12 cupcakes at one time). I hadn't really made the connection between poor decisions and poor health.

2 years ago my knees hurt so bad we actually moved apartments because I couldn't get down the stairs. It seemed that my knees hurt out of nowhere! I cut out working out, I didn't run so it wasn't that, and I basically became a potato while I waited to hear what the doctors had to say. They came back with nothing, but my pain still limited my ability to move around without cringing. I was 23 years old and felt like an 80 year old.

1 year ago, my wrists started to feel the same way! I actually struggled carrying my purse anywhere and couldn't put my wrists on the ground without feeling sharp pain shooting up my arm. At that time I had started to eat healthier because my husband liked to eat all natural food, but I was still eating breaded items.

After several doctor visits and several hundred dollars later, one doctor asked me if I had a gluten sensitivity. I told him I had been tested for celiac and had come back negative, but that my stomach was bothered if I ate too much bread. He told me that a lot of his patients that are young with joint issues seem to be intolerant of gluten.

Seeing as my diet was 80% gluten I wasn't too happy to hear this but my joints were severely inflamed and I had nothing else to go off of. I made the commitment to take anti-inflammatory medicine for a month while also eliminating gluten 100%.

After a month, my knees and wrists felt better. My gums, which had always bled when I brushed, actually stopped being puffy and stopped bleeding! I got off the medicine and still kept gluten out of the picture to see what was really taking away my symptoms. After 3 months of being gluten-free I never felt better. My whole body came back to life! There were a few times I accidentally got exposed (who knew meatballs had gluten?!) and my body reacted immediately with a bloated tummy, swollen gums and achy wrists.

After that, it became all too clear to me: I needed to treat my body with respect and put healthier foods into it if I wanted to live a long life that didn't include pain and discomfort.

Today I am 100% gluten-free except for the occasional surprise of food that has gluten hidden in it. I also work out 3-6 times a week without joint discomfort!

I started to realize that skinny does NOT mean healthy. Healthy is fueling your body with the right foods, keeping yourself active and having inner peace. This blog if dedicated to my journey as a girl who loves deserts, is a BeachBody coach, is an outdoors junkie, who can't have gluten, and who can help others.

My intention is to provide my story, my family's story as a starting point to help others CHANGE their lives for the better. Not a 30 day diet, not a quick fix to looking good and feeling good, but recipes, workouts, and coaching to help others achieve a healthy life that is filled with simple, healthy habits.