zen_mama

there are days where I get that hungry feeling within an hour after I've eaten. If i drink a full glass of water or iced herbal tea and the feeling still lingers, I allow myself to have a snack, but I aim for something 100 calories or less. I have discovered the beauty of steamed veggies. I take up to 2 cups of frozen…

I get a lot of my recipes from www.vegetariantimes.com or my favorite website for veggies and vegans- vegweb.com

Well, I've been a vegetarian for over 4 years and have a 10 year old who is mostly vegetarian (she eats meat only at restaurants and at big family dinners). She chose to give up meat and dairy for a full 7 months and I can guarantee you that she did not miss out on the fast food burgers or chicken nuggets or pepperoni…

you could try doing some yoga- lots of poses that could be modified to protect your knee and still help you burn calories and strengthen and tone muscles which will help you burn fat. Also you could try arm pedaling- using one of those compact pedaling machines that sits on the floor, except you set it on a table instead…

I can barely fill out a B as it is so I'm thinking I'll be flat as a board by the time I shed all of my weight. Depressing really, but the whole "not needing a bra" thing might be kinda nice, LOL

90 pounds in a year- that is phenominal! You look great!

organic baby spinach leaves, soymilk, fat free greek yogurt, an assortment of canned beans, several varieties of frozen veggies (2 minutes in the microwave for steamed veggies is awesome!), frozen berries and mangos for smoothies, flax seed meal, whole wheat flour, agave syrup, natural organic unsalted peanut butter, lots…

I tend not to use it. I've tried many brands over the years and whenever I use it and sweat heavily- I just end up stinking! I find that as long as I drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day and don't consume a lot of garlic (that stuff REALLY sweats through your pores!), I can sweat like crazy doing landscape work and…

Yes! I share a house with my mother and my daughter and seems like they are always taking my leftovers. I solve this by putting my second (and/or third portions) into single serving ziplock containers and placing in the freezer. They will not go to the trouble of searching the freezer for leftovers.

I find staying well hydrated helps me to avoid a lot of the sweet cravings. I also chew peppermint gum when I know I'll be around tempting foods. I try not to deprive myself of sweets entirely, just really pay attention to portion control. If I tell myself I can't have something, it sometimes backfires to the extent of…

I have back and neck issues as well and have found the exercise ball to be very beneficial. I lay on it on my back and slowly roll backwards til just my hips are supported on the ball (knees bent and feet flat on the ground) and my head is tilted back and hanging a few inches off the floor, then I lift my shoulders and…

As far as your iron levels go...have you considered taking alfalfa tablets? My mom suffered for years from anemia induced exhaustion and a homeopathic healer put her on the alfalfa tablets. Also eating more dark leafy greens and making sure to get enough vitamin C (aids in absorbtion of iron) will really help boost your…

I often use silken tofu (the kind in the shelf stable packaging) and puree it first then add it to baked goods. It still has a few grams of fat, but adds good protein and a host of micro nutrients.

When it comes to peanut butter, I always keep it as natural as possible. I only eat Adams organic natural peanut butter with nothing added, not even salt. That or I grind it fresh at the grocery store. If i'm gonna eat the fat, I'd much rather it be all from the nuts rather than hydrogenated vegetable oil that is added to…

Red Star nutritional yeast sprinkled on eggs or mixed with mayo and spread on sour dough bread. So yummy and cheesy tasting I love it! My family are not fans though... Double stuffed oreos and chunky natural peanut butter- for those days when the diet has already gone to Hell. LOL

I have made this many times and my family loves it! I cut the bananas into chunks before freezing them, freeze about 2 hours, then toss them in the food processor with a couple tablespoons of vanilla soymilk and a drizzle of blue agave syrup. Sometimes I top it off with a few shavings of dark chocolate. Such a tasty treat…

I have experience with both sides of this issue. I grew up raising livestock, was married to an avid hunter and ran a meat counter in a grocery store for years. I ate a diet that was heavy in animal proteins and would say that dairy or meat were consumed in our household 2-4 times a day. Just over 4 years ago, I decided to…

I've always been a big water drinker, but find sometimes i just get tired of drinking it or, if the water is very flat (distilled- no minerals) it does not always quench my thirst. I solve this by brewing up a gallon of weak tea- usually decaf green tea (great for boosting metabolism) with a flavored tea bag such as mint…