Clean EatingTag:

Posted on by Caryn Sullivan Posted in As Seen On, YouTube, Wellness Wednesday

Premiere of Pretty Wellness TV: Health Minute

Welcome to Pretty Wellness TV – our YouTube channel highlighting clean living for the whole family. We’ll talk about health, happiness and being beautiful organically. Yesterday, to honor “Wellness Wednesday,” we spoke about the first healthy habit that we embraced.

Please send us in ideas and questions that you want us to cover on how we make clean living easy for our family. We will air weekly on Wednesdays or Thursdays with 2-minute health or wellness makeover tips.

Click the title above or link here for our premiere episode.

Clean Living Connecticut
Posted on by Caryn Sullivan Posted in Clean Living CT, Features

Clean Living Connecticut

A year ago, today, it was Friday the 13th. Waiting for my biopsy results, the phone rang at 7:30 p.m. and my superstitious self knew it wasn’t good news. The doc revealed my cancer was back. Shaken with the diagnosis of stage IV metastatic disease, I needed to find a way to cope. I’ve always fed off of positive energy. Finding success stories of those living and thriving with cancer was key. Public Figure Kris Carr and the wife of a former colleague became role models illustrating how to tweak my lifestyle for better overall health. So, to honor, my anniversary living clean, I’ve launched a new category on the blog, “Clean Living Connecticut.” This is both a resource for those living in Connecticut, as well as a promise to myself to keep living a clean lifestyle.

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Easy Recipe: Kale Chips
Posted on by Caryn Sullivan Posted in Clean Eating, Recipes

Easy Recipe: Kale Chips

After any health scare, it’s fairly easy to adopt new healthy habits. Now 11 months into my plant-based eating diet, I continue to stay focused because I understand the health benefits and feel vibrant within my own body. While I’ve found some new nutritious cravings, it’s not necessarily easy to entice my family to drink green juice, veggie-packed smoothies or daily salads. My family eats a lot cleaner than it did a year ago, but I’m still working on adding more vegetables to their meals without them kicking and screaming. So when I stumbled upon the #ONENEWFOOD initiative, I jumped on the bandwagon. The goal is to introduce kids to one new food a week with the hopes of finding a few favorites. This week, I reintroduced kale by making these kale chips. It was a grand slam … so much so, in fact, that we’ve eaten them the past few nights.

For those who don’t like to cook, this is easy to prepare and takes only a few minutes. If I’m in a rush, I take bagged (and washed) kale salad, throw it on a baking sheet, drizzle oil and salt to taste. Oftentimes, I just put it in the oven at whatever temperature my main dish is cooking. For higher temperatures, I cook for about 6-8 minutes each side flipping once. The best kale chips, however, follow this recipe.

Easy Recipe: Kale Chips
 
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Kale chips are really easy to make with little prep time and few steps.
Author:
Recipe type: Snacks
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch curly kale
  • 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
Instructions
  1. Wash and dry kale, then remove the stems and rip into pieces
  2. Spread kale in a single layer on a baking sheet (I use a 9x16 baking sheet)
  3. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes
  4. Take out, flip and drizzle 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and add 1 tsp of salt
  5. Bake (at 300 degrees) for another 10-15 minutes
  6. Take out and cool for 2 minutes

Join in the #ONENEWFOOD initiative. Please comment and let us know what new foods you plan to share with your kids.

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What I’m Drinking Now: Maple Water
Posted on by Caryn Sullivan Posted in Clean Eating, Tips

What I’m Drinking Now: Maple Water

It wasn’t that long ago that my beverage intake consisted mainly of Diet Dr. Pepper, powdered fruit punch and low-calorie sports drinks. I seldom even sipped water because it was tasteless and boring. I didn’t understand the importance of good hydration to help detoxify my system. Now that I’m eating clean, water is a staple in my diet. Though sometimes, a new drink is exciting after a long workout. Recently, I stumbled upon my new favorite beverage, maple water.

I don’t find maple syrup all that appealing, so I wasn’t initially drawn to the product. But after regularly seeing it in health food markets and continually hearing its claim of being a natural way to hydrate, I broke down and gave it a try. And to my surprise, I really liked it. And on the plus side, it’s low in sugar and calories, unlike coconut water.

While I no longer count calories, I do try to limit my sugar intake. I found the sweetness of maple water to be subtle and thankfully, not as rich and heavy like maple syrup. The light taste grew on me, too. Like coconut water, I also felt replenished after drinking a 10-ounce bottle post workout. The price is a tad bit higher than raw coconut water, but the few extra pennies won’t prevent me from buying maple water regularly in the future.

If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to sports drinks without the artificial ingredients, colors or added sugars, I strongly recommend maple water. Try my favorite kind: Happy Tree. However, I’m not sure if I will jump on the bandwagon for its health benefits alone. Since it’s such a new product, there is no proof of the claim that their vitamins, nutrients and polyphenols promote bone and thyroid health. Stay tuned. I’m sure the media will inquire more if maple water becomes a mainstream drink.

What is your favorite post-workout treat?

 

Easy Recipe: Chickpea Miso Soup
Posted on by Caryn Sullivan Posted in Recipes, Clean Eating

Easy Recipe: Chickpea Miso Soup

The northern girl in me loves big sweaters, high boots and soup. All bring comfort and put a smile on my face. So, whether it’s January or July, finding a great soup recipe is not only exciting, it’s practical. As a meal, it’s easy to prepare. It’s also hearty enough to curb cravings, while packing in many nutrients.

I prefer bean-based soups because when defrosting, it maintains its fresh taste. So when I stumbled upon chickpea miso, I started to play around with some additional ingredients. I found this one super easy and filling.

Easy Recipe: Chickpea Miso Soup
 
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This is an easy soy-free miso recipe: Chickpea Miso Soup.
Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 medium leek
  • 2 cups carrots
  • 2 cups chickpeas
  • 1 quart water
  • 4 tbsp. chickpea miso
  • Optional: fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Wash and cut vegetables. Add all ingredients in a saucepan and boil for 45-minutes.
  2. Turn off heat and let cool for 15-minutes.
  3. Blend 5-seconds for a chunky smooth consistency, blend longer for a smooth liquified soup. (I use my Vitamix, but a hand blender works, too.)
  4. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.

 

Images courtesy of Grant Cochrane/ m_bartosch/ Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Small Steps Toward Better Eating
Posted on by Caryn Sullivan Posted in Clean Eating, Tips

Small Steps Toward Better Eating

Learning from experience, when I wanted to see changes in my life, making small efforts daily resulted in progress. This held true for bettering my health. When I started reading wellness articles ranging from medical journals to fan favorite authors like Kris Carr and Dr. Fuhrman, I noticed some trends and started my adventure there. If it was a simple health tip about adding more fruits and vegetables, I just tried it, then consulted with my doctors. If the recommendation included adding herbs, vitamins or other natural remedies, I held off until my I could speak to a medical professional.

Yes, eliminating pre-packaged foods, added sugars, cheese, big ol’ bagels, apple martinis, soda-pop, granola bars, turkey sandwiches, pizza and succulent steaks can be hard. But taking it slow, one step at a time and staying committed, can be much easier than the anticipation of “quitting” it all.

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