A little bit about Lauren

I just wanted to take a short post to give some background information about myself (Lauren). I have lived in Orlando my whole life, mostly in the same house up until about a year ago. I graduated from Boone High School (Go Braves!) in 2008 where I played on the varsity softball and weightlifting teams. After high school I went to the University of Central Florida where I majored in Health Science. During college I had a fantastic job at Florida Hospital in the Cancer Center. I worked as a phlebotomist in the lab, I would take vitals and draw blood in the oncology office. I had always been interested in healthcare, but this job really solidified my love for helping, serving, and taking care of others. During my time there I was so set on continuing my education to one day becoming a Physician Assistant, but the universe had other plans for me. I was ultimately denied acceptance into the programs I applied to. After this happened I kind of went into a little funk, I was down on myself and not confident in my skills or intelligence. My journey to chiropractic was tough on me personally, I had actually never thought about it as a career for me. I had gone to a chiropractor many years prior, but never actually considered it. After seeing what Bo did in school and learning more about it, I started speaking to counselors and people around me about it. Let me tell you, I have never made a better decision in my life. Even though I felt lost with being denied from PA school, I found my home at Palmer College of Chiropractic. I feel that when I began school at Palmer, I blossomed. I became confident in myself without relying on others, and I broke out of my shy shell I was in. I just want anyone to know that if you are struggling with anything, just look inside and find out what will really fulfill you, and for myself it is the beauty of taking care of others as a whole person, from the inside out through adjustments, nutrition, wellness, and active care.

If your are on your own journey somewhere and hit a few speed bumps, just try to remember its all part of His plan, and there is something to learn from each obstacle. It's extremely frustrating and somewhat devastating at the time, but once you get past it, you will be a stronger person.

 

~Lauren



Cheat Healthy

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers

 

Bo loves burgers, like really loves them. However, he needed a healthier option. After hearing him ask for a blue cheese burger, we decided to step it up in the kitchen and make these bad boys.

 

This recipe is super simple too!

 

 

 

For the burger:

• 1 lb. Extra-lean ground grass-fed beef
• 1/4 cup really good blue cheese
• salt and pepper

To make the stuffed  burger you first want to score and separate your meat into 8 equal disks, and make a tiny little well in the middle, this is where you will add 1 tbs. of blue cheese into 4 of the holes. Next, top each stuffed half with one of the empty disks. Slightly pinch around the edges to seal the blue cheese inside. Season the outside with salt and pepper. We seared ours in a little olive oil on the stove for about 4 minutes on each side, but grilling them would be awesome too! It was like a monsoon outside so we had to stay indoors.

For the toppings we chose to omit the bun and wrap with lettuce (Bo likes it protein style). We also used some No Fructose Corn syrup ketchup, 0% Fage Greek yogurt, avocado, and tomatoes!

 

 

Enjoy,

Lauren

Chili Cook Off

Turkey Chili

 

I love making chili. Thank goodness I do because by now I'd be ready to throw it out of the window. I make this chili every week. Bo requests it every week for dinner, and he has yet to get sick of it after 6 months. This chili is not heavy and fatty like most chili's are. This one is made with lean ground turkey, yummy veggies, and warm spices. It is probably one of the easiest chili's to make, just throw it all together and let it simmer! This recipe makes a ton of chili, you can either cut the recipe in half or make the whole thing and freeze what you aren't going to eat for the week. Also, if you don't want to use turkey feel free to use lean ground chicken or beef. You can also use your slow cooker for the whole thing, just make sure to brown off the turkey first. Okay here it goes...

• 2.25 lbs. Lean Ground Turkey Breast
• 2 Yellow Onions diced
• 3 Bell Peppers diced,  your choice of color
• 2 tbs. Chili Powder
• 1 tbsp. Cumin
• 1 tbsp. Paprika
• 2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flake
• 1/4 cup Ketchup
• 2 Cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• 2 Cans Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (I use Rotel)
• 1 Small Can Tomato Sauce
• 2 Cans Small White Beans drained and rinsed
• Salt and Pepper to season
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil

 

First, sauté onions and bell peppers in the oil on medium heat until translucent. When peppers and onions are soft add all of the spices (chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, brown sugar, red pepper flake) and cook for about a minute. Next, add the ground turkey and sauté until turkey is all brown and cooked through. Then add the ketchup and cook for a minute. Lastly, pour in all of the cans of tomatoes and beans. Stir to combine. Now cook on low for about 2-2 1/2 hours stirring every 15-20 minutes!

 

 

 

I serve my chili with a dollop of 0% Greek Yogurt, instead of sour cream, and a few dashes of hot sauce. I like a spicy chili, but when cooking for Bo with little baby mouth I can only add it to my own bowl, but feel free to add as much spice as you want!

 

 Enjoy,

Lauren

Crispy Chick

Almond & Oat Crusted Chicken Fingers

 



Who doesn't love a nice piece of crispy chicken? No one. But, usually they are always fried and oil soaked, just all around not good for you. Alas! I have found a way to make these little delights healthy and tasty! By cooking the chicken in a really hot oven and drizzling it with healthy oil, it creates a crunchy texture on the outside of the chicken as well as keeping the inside moist. The coconut oil also helps reinforce that nutty flavor of the almonds. Did you know coconut oil is extremely healthy, studies have even shown that its helps decrease fat around the midsection; I don't know about you, but I will take that! This recipe is enough for a week of chicken fingers, if you want just dinner one night, you will have to scale back on the proportions.

 

• 18 Chicken Tenderloins
• 3 Cups Sliced Almonds untoasted
• 3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats ( I use Quaker)
• 1 1/2 Cups Liquid Egg Whites or you can use 5 whole eggs and a little water to thin it out
• 2 tbsp. Paprika
• 2 tbsp. Salt divided
• 1 tbsp. Pepper
• 2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tbsp. Coconut Oil melted

 

 

Preheat oven to 425* and spray two large baking sheets with PAM. First, put all of the almonds and oats in a food processor or blender and grind to almost flour consistency, its ok if there are still little bits of almonds or oats that haven't been ground down al the way. Toss into a large bowl and season the dry mixture with one tablespoon of salt and half a tablespoon of pepper. Next, combine egg whites, paprika, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder and add chicken. Let the chicken sit in the egg white mixture for about 30 minutes so it can soak up some of the flavors.

 

To bread the chicken, add two tenderloins to the dry ingredients at a time, toss and press dry ingredients into the chicken. By pressing/flattening the chicken as you bread it helps the almonds and oats stick better as well as creating more surface area for some crunch. As you bread just keep dropping the coated chicken on the baking sheets. Before putting the chicken in the oven lightly drizzle the coconut oil over the coated chicken. Bake at 425* for 12-15 minutes then flip and continue cooking until its done, about 10-12 minutes on the second side.

 

I serve mine with Honey Mustard!

 

Enjoy,

Lauren

Jazzed Up Black Beans

Black Beans

Let me just say, I love any kind of Hispanic food. You name it, I love it: tostones, pernil, mofongo, or pulpo, its all good. But let's be honest, its not the most health conscious cuisine out there. So when my uncle came to visit last week, I picked his brain for his recipes, because well ,I could eat everything he makes everyday for the rest of my life. The beans stuck out as probably the easiest and cheapest to make, and let me tell you there is no lacking in flavor even though this is a health conscious recipe. For this recipe you make your own kind of sofrito, the Latin flavor enhancer. My uncle uses Calabaza Pumpkin, but its hard for me to find so I replaced it with Butternut Squash, pretty much the same flavor, color, and texture.

 

Ingredients:

• 4 cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups Butternut Squash, cubed
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 Red Onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
• 1 small can No Salt Added Plain Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 tsp. Salt, divided
• 1 tsp. Pepper
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Green Olives (optional)

 

Directions:

 

Sauté bell pepper, red onion, garlic, and cilantro in the olive oil on medium heat until tender, about 5-8 minutes.  Season with cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt.  Add in the tomato sauce and cook together for about 3 minutes, until the color deepens a little to a brick red color. Add in beans and cubed squash and season with remaining salt and pepper. Cover the mixture with water until there is 1/2 inch of water above everything. Cook on medium heat for about 30-40 minutes, until squash is tender and the liquid has reduced. Stir in the green olives at the end if you choose to add them.  

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Basic Healthy Foods

Here is a great general list a healthy foods to shop for. You can never go wrong with fresh fruits and veggies. Try to stick with lean meats like chicken, turkey, and fish. For carbs I stick with sweet potatoes, brown rice, and oatmeal. We will be posting a lot more about nutrition and what foods to eat in the future.

Lifestyle Changes (Bo)

Over the years I have seen so many people try and later fail at achieving their health goals. Why are some people successful while others are not? Is it because of good genetics or better willpower? Heck no! The main reason why people fail at achieving their health goals is because they fail to change their lifestyle. The classic example is the New Years resolutions. Someone will decide to lose weight and motivation is at a all time high. They hit the gate running by eating healthy and exercising like a mad man. Then real life starts to set in. The healthy food your choking down gets boring and tastes like cardboard. You start to realize that you don't have time in your busy schedule to exercise and you can't spare the little energy you have in the gym. That person then throws in the towel and goes back to their old unhealthy lifestyle. Something needs to change or this vicious cycle will happen again and again.

Nutrition: We need to get rid of the word "diet" when it comes to eating correctly. I think of a diet as being a temporary change in your eating habits to obtain quick results. Diets are usually too extreme and can't be maintained for long periods of time without health problems. My lifestyle change for nutrition came from slowly cutting out processed foods. I try not eat anything that comes from a box or has more then 3 ingredients on the label. I prep all my meals for the week on Sunday so I have all my food ready to go. My main goal is muscle building so I will shoot for eating 5 meals a day. I'm at a point now where meal prep and eating all the time is not even a chore for me anymore. It has become such a habit that I don't even think about it. Once you get to this point eating healthy really becomes so easy. The hard point is adopting these habit. Just remember it takes time and effort.

Exercising: Lets face it! Finding time to exercise can be hard. Especially if you hate to exercise. But why do something you hate? You have to enjoy your type of working out or your will never do it long-term. If you hate the gym then go outside and go bike riding, or jogging, or walking. The key is to just get your body moving. Everyone has to start somewhere. You need to get to the point where you look forward to your type of physical activity. It needs to become your stress reliever and high point of your day. This is only done by enjoying your type of exercise and by forcing this time in your busy schedule.

To keep it short and simple: You will not see permanent results until you make eating healthy and exercising a main part of your lifestyle. It will be very hard in the beginning but once it becomes a habit it becomes very easy.