Rolled Chicken With Veggies

Hi everyone!  Back by popular demand is another recipe created in my brain.  I am not a chef or do I claim to be but I am a person with healthy habits and a clean diet.  So here we are with another recipe for you!  This is what I like to call rolled chicken and veggies!  





Ingredients: 

• Chicken breasts (pound these down so they aren't huge breasts ... the bigger they are, the harder it is to roll and longer it takes to cook) 
• Asparagus (for this recipe I used 2 stalks per roll)
• Red onion (I used a few pieces per roll)
• Green pepper (I used a few slices per roll)

• Cheese stick (I used provalone but any kind will work.  Also, if you use a knife to cut the cheese stick in quarters, one quarter will go in each roll) 
• Mushrooms
• And any other veggies you want to saute to add as a side 

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 375.  
Make sure your chicken is pounded down.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper on each side of the chicken.  
Add your cut veggies, asparagus, and cheese to the one end of your chicken.  
Roll it until the chicken is tightly wrapped around the veggies and cheese.  
Place on baking pan or glass dish.  Cook for approximately 30 to 35 minutes or until the juice is clear. 

On the stove, saute the desired veggies with some olive oil and desired spices.  Here I used some oregano and garlic powder.  


Stay tuned for more to come! 


Start A New You Now!

What IS The Cost of Being Healthy? -- Part III: Emotional Costs

The 3rd part of my “Costs of Being Healthy” is going to be emotional costs.  You might be sitting there wondering how emotions can play a part in your road to a healthy lifestyle.  I’m not going to sit here and harp on how you should be a happy person all the time or be someone who’s always giddy or overly excited.  Honestly, that’s NOT me.  However, the way you feel about certain things has a direct impact on how you deal with health, fitness, and overall well-being.  

There are a couple different points that I would like to touch on in this portion with the first one being self-esteem.  Let’s be honest, if you know me at all, you know that I have not always been the most beautiful woman on the planet, the smartest, or the most athletic.  If I were any of those things, I wouldn’t be writing this blog.  There are people who truly believe they can’t do anything because they aren’t good enough.  I felt that way for a long time until I realized that I WAS good enough.  I had the right to be happy and fulfilled.  I always viewed myself as the fat slob that everyone always made me out to be.  I get that.  The way you look at yourself directly affects your attitude.  If you feel like you aren’t good enough, you’re going to feel like you deserve to be alone or in a constant state of self-loathing.  On the flip side, if you feel like you’re worth a million bucks every time you check yourself out in the mirror, you’re going to be confident and excited to start the new day.  

Here is a little story about someone I know.  For years, my friend was angry.  Angry because of life events that didn’t go the way they should have.  Angry because the people who were suppose to be there, weren’t.  For years my friend moped around, bouncing from relationship to relationship, bar to bar, one crash diet to another crash diet.  My friend wasn’t the best person they knew how to be.  They saw themselves as worthless and felt like their life was unfulfilled.  One day, my friend decided to change their life by becoming part of something much bigger than themselves.  This motivated my friend to see things through a clearer pane of glass than before and this encouraged my friend to be the best they could be not just for themselves, but for the future too.  Now my friend has a spouse and a family.  My friend is doing things they never thought possible 7 or 8 years ago.  Granted, everyone has bad days but my friend is no where near that dark, dismal hole they once were in.  What changed?  The vision to be a better version of themselves.  

I tell that story because that friend of mine is very close to me and someone I admire.  Someone that pushes me everyday to be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, niece, and granddaughter.  That person challenges me and makes me think.  I can’t thank them enough.  Without them, I wouldn’t be writing this blog at all!  

So getting back to self-esteem… when you look in the mirror, what do you see?  Do you see someone who’s just going through the motions?  Or do you see someone who’s confident, with their head held high?  I use to be the one going through the motions but now I’m the one who’s confident enough in my ability that I can help someone else!  The best way I know to improve self-esteem is to start by having some positive thoughts everyday.  Instead of focusing on the negative and thinking of anything that can go wrong, think of what can go RIGHT!  You would be amazed at the way you feel when you have positive thoughts.

The second point I’d like to touch on in this portion is the idea that you will fail.  Some people are scared to fail and that’s why they don’t even try.  In life, there are things you’re going to be good at and there are things that you aren’t going to be good at.  Me, personally, I am NOT good at fixing cars or sitting down to make a budget.  I’m not good at arts and crafts.  Before starting my journey, I wasn’t good at working out.  I am good at things like planning and organization, managing people and events, taking care of my children, and swimming.  Since starting my journey in October, I am better at running, circuit training, and using resistance bands.  I didn’t become good at these things overnight.  I didn’t become good at these things in a week or even 2 weeks.  It took at least 3 to 4 weeks of doing the actions to get right.  

I caught on to the 21 Day Fix meal plan pretty quickly but some people don’t catch on as quickly.  Sometimes they feel overwhelmed and under a lot of pressure.  That’s OK to feel that way.  That means you’re making a change.  You can’t worry about it.  You’re starting something new.  You’re not always going to be great at everything and you’re definitely not going to master something new on the first day!  If it takes you time, so be it.  It will get easier and the change will seem further away.  Your body will adapt to new things you’re feeding it and you will learn to love yourself.  

One thing that Beachbody has taught me so far is that you will fail forward.  Failing forward simply put is when you don’t achieve the results you want but you’ve learned something from that experience.  I know that I’m not good at push-ups but that pushes me to try harder and even though I modify the workout, I still try to get 2 or 3 good ones in!  Don’t be afraid all the time.  Take charge of your life and learn from your mistakes.  

In conclusion of this portion, I’d like to recap by asking you to do me a favor.  Go to the mirror and ask yourself these questions: Do you like who you see?  Do you want to be better in some part of your life?  Do you want to learn something new?  Are you ready to make a change in your life?  Let me know the answers to those questions by sending me an email at hstilianidis@gmail.com.  I’m not a therapist or a counselor, but I’d love to hear what your answers are to those questions.  

What IS The Cost Of Being Healthy -- Part II: Time Costs

Now that I have nailed down some questions surrounding the monetary side of being healthy, what about the others that are also contributing factors?  I started thinking outside the box and the next biggest factor is TIME.  This entry is going to be how much time being healthy can cost you.  I will bring up an concern and then address it in the following paragraph.

I have a full time job.  How can I make time to exercise or plan my meals?

A lot of people have full time jobs and still find time to work out.  If you were to go to the gym, you have to take into account the time spent going TO and FROM the facility.  That doesn’t include your actual workout while you’re there.  People do it all the time and often, this time takes away from their family time OR time they could be winding down after work.  However, with a home based program, it has the potential to just be 30 minutes a day.  Who doesn’t have 30 minutes?  This could be 30 minutes before you start getting ready for work in the morning, 30 minutes before bed, 30 minutes as soon as you get home from work, or before dinner.  My husband and I have developed a method that has worked for us for about the last 2 months.  We get our girls down for bed around 9PM and then we go downstairs and work out.  Sometimes we just do 30 minutes and sometimes we do more.  

As far as planning your meals goes… if you are able to know how much you can have of each type of food, it doesn’t take too much brain power to realize that “hey, I can’t have any more healthy fats today, I need to have some more vegetables.”  There are programs that take the guess work out of how much food you can have during the day.  It’s not a diet nor do you have to eat bizarre things.  There are charts designed to keep people on track with their portions.  

I enjoy spending time with my family too much to work out.

Based solely on experience, I have 2 children under the age of 2.  There is NO way I am going to get a workout in while they are present.  While I agree that spending time with your family is important, believe me.  You don’t want to miss those tender years.  However, I have not been able to lose weight by being hammered down by my 2 little girls.  I am a person without my children and I want to be a better person for them.  My rebut to this is basically… Make time.  Period.  You’ve got to make time so that you CAN be around for your children and family members.  

I’m tired and I like to relax.  

Again, this is all about making time.  So you sacrifice a little bit to get a whole lot in return.  You don’t just get to lose weight, have a slimmer, more trim body but you get to give your family a better version of yourself.  A little bit of YOU time goes a long way.  I would personally like to get up early to workout and start my day sooner.  Even I don’t have the motivation to get moving sooner.  Although, I would like that to change.  If someone who loves sleeping as much as I do can get up early and move with a purpose, so can you!

I have hobbies that take up a lot of time.

Speaking as someone who doesn’t really have any hobbies and never did, this one is a little bit tough.  I understand that people have soccer practice, ballet, bowling leagues, community meetings, work related meetings, parent-teacher meetings, etc.  That shouldn’t stop you from being healthy!  Again, a lot of home based programs are only 30 minutes long and you can do them in the comfort of your own home.  Here’s a thought, why not encourage others in your group to participate with you?  Why not involve your family in some way or another?  You’d be amazed at how well a 4 year old can do lunges or jumping jacks! :)  

I hope that I have addressed some of these concerns well enough.  If you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know!  :)  

Mini Meatloaf

So these are mini meat loafs with veggies and sweet potatoes.  Here is what you will need:

1 pound of ground turkey (using a muffin tin to cook)
5 or 6 whole grain crackers or bread crumbs
1 cup of your choice of veggies (diced)
3 plum tomatoes (or more depending on your taste)
1 sweet potato
1 pound of string beans

Spices -- I'll be honest, when it comes to these types of recipes and spices, I just sprinkle a little bit and taste it.  If it's seasoned to my liking, I don't add anymore.  If it needs more, I add more.  For this recipe I used oregano, garlic, black pepper, and cumin.

Cut up your sweet potato however you'd like.  I cut them into fries sometimes and sometime I cut them into chips.  Once they've been cut up, put them into a bowl and add some olive oil and paprika.  Make sure they are evenly coated.  Place them on a cookie/baking sheet and prepare to put them in the oven with the mini meat loafs.

For your string beans -- you can steam them in the microwave or on the stove.  It's up to you.  Sometimes I don't have time to boil them or steam them on the stove so I microwave them.

Directions for your mini meat loafs: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix turkey, egg, bread crumbs/crackers in a bowl.  Add whatever spices you like.  In another bowl (smaller) add your tomatoes (diced) and mash the up into a puree. I like to really get them looking like a sauce so I squish them with my hand.  Once your turkey is mixed thoroughly, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of your mixture into each muffin in.  Put them in the oven with the potatoes and cook for 30 minutes.  Once they are just about cooked, add the tomato puree to the top as a topping.  Place them back in the oven for about 5 to 10 more minutes.

On this plate, I have 4 mini meat loafs, a half cup of potatoes, and a cup of green beans.  Enjoy!

What IS The Cost Of Being Healthy? -- Part I: Monetary Costs

What is the cost of being healthy?  That’s the original question.  Most people only think of the monetary value to being healthy and while that is a major part of being healthy, there are several other factors that I have come up with that are incorporated into the “cost.”  

This article is going to be my personal Q & A of the monetary costs to being healthy.  Starting off by rattling out the numbers might not always be the best way to persuade someone into believing that they can be healthy but I am going to “keep it 100” with my readers.  

How much does it cost to go to the gym?  

Well, I can say from personal experience that I have went to several different gyms and none of them actually made me feel welcome.  I was paying for something that I used from time to time and ended up terminating my membership because it was more of a burden to me than it was helpful.  I am not saying that gym memberships are bad because they do work for some people.  However, speaking as someone who has been overweight their entire life, a gym is not the place for me.  Here are some numbers.

LA Fitness requires you to purchase an initiation fee of approximately $100 and then $30 monthly.  Sometimes they have promotions to get you to join and the initiation fee is less OR their monthly fee is less.  Using what is the regular amount, an initial start up is $160.  They charge you for the initiation fee, first month’s membership, and last month’s membership.  Sometimes those memberships are good for any LA Fitness you want to go to anywhere in the country and sometimes they are only good for that specific LA Fitness.  For 12 months, you’re spending $460. (Information cited from LAfitness.com)

Planet Fitness, another growing gym in the US, offers people a membership for only $10/month and $20/month.  The $20/month membership gets you all the amenities that the gym offers including tanning beds, massage beds, ½ price beverages, and unlimited access to any Planet Fitness in the US.  Both of these memberships require a $10 start up fee followed by a $40 annual fee for the $20/month membership and a $30 annual fee for the $10/month membership.  The $20/month membership fee costs $290/year and the $10/month membership fee costs $160/year.  (Information cited from Planetfitness.com)

Twenty-four (24) Fitness is another very expensive gym that a lot of people have joined.  They have a variety of different memberships and the least expensive one goes a little something like this.  The initiation fee is $100, the annual fee is $40, and the monthly membership is $55.  To start, you’ve got to pay for your first and last month PLUS your initiation fee.  For a whole year, someone would pay $800. (Information cited from 24hourfitness.com)

Let’s be honest, what is the difference?  These are just a few examples but seriously, what IS the difference?  Is it that some gyms have a pool?  Sauna?  Spin classes?  Security cameras?  A cafe?  That is totally up to someone’s opinion.  

Can I get in shape at home?  And if so, which home-based program is right for me?

The answer is Yes.  You can get in shape and be healthy right in your own home.  Which program is dependant on your own fitness level or goals.  From personal experience with home based programs, I am able to help people who have different fitness levels choose the right program for them.  I started off using something called 21 Day Fix.  It was a portion control food program with workouts being 30 minutes a day.  To date, I have lost 25 lbs!  All I had to do was change the amount of food I ate and do a 30 minute workout every day.  There are some programs that are only Monday through Friday with a specific eating plan.  The type of program, again, depends on your fitness level.  These programs cost about the half or less than half the amount you would be paying at a gym.  

Do I have to buy a home-based program?

No.  There are workouts that you can look up online that use your own body weight.  There are circuit training guides on websites such as Pinterest or heck, do a Google search.  You could run outside, at a school or college track, run or walk around your neighborhood, and get creative with your equipment that you would need.  

Do I need equipment?  

Yes & No.  There are some home-based programs that require you to have a resistant band, a heavy set of weights, and a light set of weights.  Some recommend that you use a yoga/gym mat.  Walmart sells resistant bands that work perfectly for $10.  Walmart also sells a 40 lb dumbbell set for $15.  These things could be purchased at Dick’s Sporting Goods for more but if these are items that you don’t want to spend a bunch of money on, Walmart weights weigh the same as Dick’s Sporting Goods weights.  Make sense?  Yoga mats are also sold at Walmart and are anywhere between $8 and $30.  You don’t necessarily need a yoga mat but if you wish to purchase one, again, Walmart has these items.  If you’re not a Walmart fan, Target probably has comparable prices.  

If you choose to do your own circuit training exercises at home, you don’t need any equipment.  You can use your own body weight to get stronger.  You will see more results if you’re using weights in addition, but for those who are just starting, using your own body weight can actually be a pretty tough workout.  I recommend having a pair of comfortable sneakers though.  I am very picky when it comes to sneakers so having something comfortable alleviates the excuse that your feet hurt.  

How much do groceries cost if I am eating healthy?  

So this is one of the biggies that a lot of people say are the reason why they can’t be healthy.  Foods that are NOT processed cost a little bit more than those that are not.  I eat clean MOST of the time.  I say MOST of the time because I do indulge in sweets and processed/fast food every so often.  Not weekly or biweekly but maybe once every 3 weeks.  My husband and I have started eating clean and by doing so, we aren’t spending money on boxed dinners, frozen dinners, canned foods, added sauces, preservatives, or baked goods.  We purchase A LOT of produce.  When I say a lot, I mean that about half of our grocery bill is produce.  When you go to the store, think about the way that you shop for food.  Do you shop around the outside of the store?  Do you go through all the aisles?  Do you choose whole grain over white?  These are the things that you need to ask yourself.  From personal experience I can say that we use to go up and down every aisle.  We would get cookies, icecream, juice, boxed dinners, and food that was just NOT good.  Now we don’t even go down those aisle unless it’s for something for the children.  Please, don’t get it twisted.  Our oldest daughter eats what we eat but she does have graham crackers and some juice every now and then.  

When I made the commitment to eat better, I realized that I was shopping on the outside of the store.  Produce, meat, and dairy are the foods I eat the most.  When you go shopping, look for lean meats such as chicken and turkey.  We don’t eat much red meat anymore and have it as a treat.  We buy a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit.  Sometimes fruit is expensive during the times of the year that it’s not in season so we purchase frozen fruit without any sugar.  We purchase eggs, some cheeses, almond milk, and Greek yogurt.  Over the last 3 months, our grocery bill has been anywhere between $140 and $200.  That is for a family of 4 who purchase diapers in 2 different sizes and formula.  That lasts us approximately a week and a half to 2 weeks.  That comes out to be between $280 to $400 a month in food.  Are we healthy?  Yes.  Are we eating enough?  Yes.  Are the children eating enough? Absolutely YES.  I don’t buy named brand items and I don’t buy organic.  If you really want to be critical, you could say that is my downfall.  Oh well.

What about you?  Do you think you could make it work?  Do you have more people in your family?  Do you have less?   It’s mostly about the concious decision to purchase healthier foods.  It reigns true that if you don’t buy it and take it into your house, you aren’t going to eat it.  I’m not losing weight by temping myself with Oreos and sugary cereals even though I love both of those!  I also want to point out that we are surviving on one income right now.  Money is tight.  A budget is necessary BUT we are still making it work.  If we can do it, so can you!

Can I still eat out and be healthy?

Yes.  When you’re eating out, you might want to look at a menu before you go to that restaurant.  I had a friend recently who emailed me her menu before she was going to the restaurant and asked me what I thought about the food they served.  I gave her my honest opinion.  It’s all about choosing the foods that you know are going to be a good choice.  

Applebee’s, for example, was the first place that my husband and I went to when I started eating clean.  I was nervous at first because I didn’t know what I would get.  I got the steak with a side of mixed vegetables, baked potato, and a salad.  I asked them to hold the onions and mushrooms they toss around in some mystery sauce.  I asked for oil and vinegar as a dressing.  I asked for a box to take half of the baked potato home in after dinner and I asked them to put all the extra shit they put on the salad on the side.  I was able to determine how much cheese I wanted on my salad, bacon bits, and I totally ignored the croutons.  

What about supplements?  Do I need them?

Supplements aren’t exactly in my wheelhouse of things I know about.  I can say that I have used a multi-vitamin and Shakeology.  Even though Shakeology has everything I need, I still take a multivitamin for women.  You can choose to use Shakeology if you wish but you don’t have to.   It has the potential to be pricey but it is worth it.  It comes out to be about $4 a glass and if you think about it, how much do you spend on a meal?  It’s probably more than $4 and it keeps you full longer.  I take a multivitamin because I have had 2 children in 2 years.  It took a lot energy out of me and my health suffered for a little while during my second pregnancy when I gained a lot of weight.  Vitamins aren’t going to kill you.  Whatever you body doesn’t need, it will release it as waste anyway.  As to whether or not you need something like this or not is completely up to you.  Which leads me to my next point.

Should I consult a doctor?

Yes.  Before starting any type of workout plan or eating change, let your doctor know.  Yes, the trip to the office will probably cost you a co-pay but you want to be sure you are healthy enough for physical exercise.  This is the person to ask about supplements too.  You doctor will be able to recommend a vitamin or even prescribe you something.  Your doctor might suggest that you try doing the program and see how you feel.  Again, I am not an expert in the supplement department so I can not advocate FOR or AGAINST anything.  Always consult your doctor! :)  

With these questions answered, I hope that this portion of my “cost of being healthy” has answered a few questions that may have been lingering around in your brains.  If there’s anything relating to this topic that you’d like to discuss further, let me know.  I’m always available to answer any questions that anyone has!