My new sugar substitute
Coconut palm sugar has a lower glycemic index. It tastes really good! You won't miss real sugar. I use it in my tea and in my morning coffee. This 1 lb bag was about $5. It is almost equally as sweet a cane sugar. 

the Queen City Style: New Hair--Ombre or Color Streaks?

This is a beautiful color/highlight that I did in the salon last thursday.

She needed new hair for her Charlote BOB award for best new blog

Reposted from Whitley's fashion blog.

Check out theQueencitystyle.com

the Queen City Style: New Hair--Ombre or Color Streaks?: I got some new hair yesterday, and I am so excited! I could do back flips right now! Well, maybe cartwheels.  I think I might be too ol...

PALEOKIT

These are fantastic. 300 calorie or less meals/snacks. High protein. This one in particular is 180 calories. It has beef jerky, coconut flakes and strawberries. It's delish.
Its great not thinking about what to eat. I just keep one around just incase. 
Goto stevesoriginal.com and see what else they've got.

These are NOT tomatoes. 
The picture here actually makes them look a little redder but I assure you they were probably the palest tomatoes I've ever seen!!
I just stared at them the whole time I was eating in bewilderment, wondering how a tomato can grow this way. Why doesn't it have more color? Why do restaurants serve these when even the tomatoes at the grocery store look and taste better? What is wrong with people? I took this picture because the thought crossed my mind to send it to the restaurant HQ and say something to them (hickory tavern in case you were wondering)

small baby update

Just started to feel the baby move a couple of days ago which is so incredibly cool and a large comfort knowing it's moving around in there.
Right now it's few and far between but mostly at night when I'm just sitting still and relaxing.
My belly is definitely growing and taking on it's pregnant shape. I won't be able to hide it much longer...i'm already getting looks from people especially at the gym when my clothes are tight. I  look like I just ate a really big meal all the time now. Like I should work out a little more or eat less, one or the other.
I don't care though. What is going on inside of me is so amazing. I feel so lucky.
I have only gained 4 lbs so far and I'll be 16 weeks on friday. I think that it's key to not over gain during pregnancy for optimal energy. I'm right on track so far.
Trying to go mostly paleo with this pregnancy and stay active. I really don't believe that we are supposed to sit around and do nothing and eat the whole 9 months. This only does us a disservice. We owe it to ourselves to stay in shape and stay full of energy to be able to take care of this new life that will be arriving. ok...blah blah blah.

We will be finding out the gender of the baby 3 fridays from now..............can hardly stand it.

Breakfast today

Breakfast


Banana, strawberries, chia seeds, ice and filtered water.

Not really sweet but it will work as a first meal of the day.
I really like to drink my breakfast....haha...(not like alcoholics do) but blend it all up so your body doesn't have to work so hard to digest and you are also adding enzymes by using raw fruit and or greens! Win win.

Homemade "Paleo kit"

Today I decided to mimic a "Steve's original paleo kit"(check out their website)
It's basically a 300 or less calorie, nutritionally balanced , unprocessed meal that you can take with you on the go. For days you don't have time to think about what to eat and to make sure it's healthy and good for you too. It takes out the guess work and any chance you may have to blow your valiant efforts of eating well. It follows the paleolithic diet which is basically a hunter gatherer diet of early man.
No Grains, No sugar, nothing processed etc. Google Paleo diet for more specifics..........

The picture above is the first step of the "meal".
It's basically a Trek mix from trader joes soaked in pomegranate,strawberry and blueberries that I juiced earlier in the week. Added some sea salt, paprika and a little maple syrup that a friend just brought back from up north last weekend. It's the real deal! So insane that it's from a tree. ...Anyways......

Next step I cut up strawberries and dehydrated them for about 4 hours in the excaliber.
Then added them to the trail mix.
Next I purchased Organic Turkey Jerky cut them up into smaller pieces and added them to the strawberry juice.
Now it's sitting on my counter melding together awaiting the next step.
I haven't decided if i want to dehydrate all of it for just a little while longer to dry up some of the moisture from the juice or to just stick it into individual ziploc bags for snacks.
Ideally I think that this mixture is a little high on the fruit/sweet side if you are sedentary but good to fuel you for a workout.

Strawberry and coconut water breakfast. Pre-workout.Ingredients: 
Fresh thai coconut water 
7 medium strawberries
Blend until smooth

I've been buying coconuts by the case at a local asian market. 9 coconuts might last 1/2 a week between me and my husband:) we eat them for dessert! 
They are loaded with electrolytes, calcium, iron,protein.
Great for hydration and energy. 

Tap tap tap.... Is this thing on?
I've been drinking the hell out of juices lately. Both green and fruit, plus coconut in between. I really feel quite amazing.
One quick add i'd like to say is that i made a brazil nut milk a couple days ago  after work pre-dinner snack , mixed it with a banana in the vitamix and i was so freakin full that I could barely eat my dinner. I split it with my sister and she noted the same really full feeling. I thought to myself, i need to remember this next time i'm needing something to satiate but not a full meal.
Also, i've been eating a young thai coconut for dessert after dinner for that terrible sweet tooth that i have now that im pregnant and it totally does the trick.
I love watching Mimi Kirk  uncooking on you tube! She's 72 years old I believe and you really just have to go see her for yourself...
She's really inspiring i love her. I ordered her book through her website youngonrawfood.com. Haven't gotten it yet but i cant wait.
My newest recipe idea is for a mint chocolate pudding. I'm soaking some cashews now for it...ill also add some young coconut meat, frizen bananas.sweetening it with pureed dates and adding an all natural  peppermint extract. Ill post a picture of it when its done:)

Eating for two

   Yes, I'm preggers, and yes I did it on purpose.
I'm 13 weeks now almost 14 weeks along and
this will be #3 for me the other 2 are a lot older, with the youngest being 13.
I didn't exercise with either pregnancy before or even care about what I ate, so I am challenging myself to eat ridiculously healthy this time.
I had really bad nausea for about a month. It was hell, all I wanted to eat was "hangover food" and the thought of eating any sort of vegetable was out of the question.(insert extra 5 LBS right here)
So, started out really healthy up until about 8 weeks and the sickness set in until around 12 weeks to the day. Now I feel very energetic most of the day and excited about life again. I am motivated to eat well, in fact, it's all that I crave any more is fruit and veg. The extra weight has easily just about disappeared I think.
Diet now: lean proteins,lots of eggs, some beans (like really only garbanzos and edamame), avocados, greens (kale and arugula). I try and go to the farmers market every saturday since it's right around the corner from our house. I get local eggs, tomatoes,local cheese, greens,carrots,beets,milk pasteurized at the lowest legal temp because in NC it's the law. However in SC which is 10 mins away we can get the real deal milk, which tastes completely different. It's the difference between store bought tomatoes and homegrown. The smoked bacon is for the weekends really when we make breakfast as a family.

I really really wanna talk about how obsessed I am with pressed juice though right now!!
I more than anything want to buy a Norwalk juice press. My husband asked me how much it was and then he said, "no F#*ing way, we have a hole in our bathroom floor, theres no way we are buying a juicer that's $2,500 dollars!" I still want one and I will find a way, I don't care.

Just look at how beautiful this thing is!!

http://www.norwalkjuicers.com/