A Birthday, a Meal Plan & a Giveaway!

Happy first birthday to Wholesome Bits!

I created this space to unload my ideas and inspiration for living a healthier life. Our family has made changes... drastic changes... over the last 5 years and when you see visible changes with your eyes, it can't be contained. Hence, Wholesome Bits. You can read more about our 3 part journey to health starting here.

I have enjoyed this year's journey with you. I have been humbled by reading some of your emails of how this little blog has helped you in your journey too... Here is a one,

I am almost headache free. I certainly don’t get them every day or even every week but every now and then one creeps up on me. I lost 19 pounds so far. I have more energy. My BM’s are more regular (uh, you’re a nurse, you can handle that, right?), I have more energy. I have more clarity of mind, I can focus and concentrate whereas before, I was unable to even read a simple newspaper article. The other day I noticed another new change, my nails are healthier and stronger for the first time in my life! I’ve always had very thin brittle nails and assumed that was hereditary. Nope. It was lack of proper nutrition! My skin looks healthier and younger. I sleep better at night. I’m not as irritable and cranky. I’ve been enjoying getting out more and socializing. My joint pain is GONE! Ooo, I even convinced my husband to get rid of some of our carpet and install hardwood and ceramic.

And another one writes,

Your Wholesome Bits blog is a big source of encouragement for me... PLEEEESE keep blogging.....I thrive on your posts and links....they keep me motivated.

So this year has been a complete blessing to me to have readers like YOU who have encouraged me along the way as well!

So thank you!

I look forward to another great year of healthy living and hope you will continue to join in the fun too!


Now to this week's meal plan!

This week I am needing to stay within budget and again am trying to force myself to not run to the store. Do you understand the dismay this puts upon a foodie like myself? It's just not natural to not be surrounded by the beautiful fresh foods in my local produce section several times a week. Oh well... I. will. do. it.

Monday
Honey Sesame Chicken
Brown Rice
Roasted Carrots

Tuesday
"Creamy" Tomato Soup from Pretty Delicious Cookbook
Wasa crackers
Blueberry Smoothies

Wednesday
Cinnamon-Oatmeal waffles
Turkey bacon
Homemade applesauce

Thursday
Foil-Baked fish with black beans and corn (thanks to Pinterest for helping me discover this recipe!)
Purple cole slaw

Friday
Grilled chicken sausage pizza with LOTS of veggies! (never tried grilled, but we'll see what happens!)
Spiced pumpkin cookies


Now for the giveaway! I love giving things away and in celebration of Wholesome Bits' first birthday, here's the goodies one person will get!

First, one of my favorite healthy cookbooks is none other than,

Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients.


Written by the editors of Whole Living, this cookbook is organized into chapters on breakfast, snacks, sandwiches, soups, salads, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. The recipes are accompanied by simple instructions and beautiful photographs to keep you inspired to eat well at any time of the day.

The next giveaway is another favorite. A pantry staple I am never without. Great for cooking, baking, frying and even effective in treating eczema, dry skin and much more... 16 oz. jar of extra virgin, organic coconut oil. Here is a more detailed blog post of all the reasons I can't get enough of coconut oil in my life.


And last, how about a bar of shampoo soap?

Its 100% vegetable oil formulation lathers quickly, cleans well, and rinses out and easily, leaving you with healthy, beautiful, and clean hair. It will not strip the natural oils from your hair (there are no detergents) for this reason most people do not need a conditioner! It just smells clean.

So there you have it! Three fun, healthy items just for one person. Please leave one comment saying what healthy thing you will strive do in the year 2012. If you like Wholesome Bits on Facebook, you'll get another entry, just say you do.

Contest will close in just days on Wednesday at midnight.

Due to shipping, entries are limited to those living in the 48 contiguous United States.

Good luck!

The Benefits of 30 Days of Green Smoothies

- Nicholas Sparks, Message in a Bottle -

The green smoothie challenge ended a few days ago and I must say I am a little sad about it. For me, it was definitely a challenge, but I enjoy a challenge. Having some great friends along for the ride made it even easier.

I guess the older you get, the wiser you start to become. I am to the point where I am I realizing the importance of eating foods that really aid in the overall health of my body. That isn't to say it is easy to eat a carrot over a piece of cheesecake... no, it is usually a battle for us all. We know the things that are good for us, but deciding to choose them is really the key.

It is never too late to do your own 30-day (or 10 or 20-day) green smoothie challenge. I would encourage you to go back and read this post on how to do one and why your body needs this challenge. And remember, I am here for you! I love to encourage other people to live and eat well. I have seen and know the benefits of eating well over not. So know that this blog exists to encourage YOU!

Here are just a few snippets of the benefits I saw while doing the GSC.

1. No signs of irritability/moodiness. I guess you could say this was the best benefit I experienced soon into the challenge. I can be a little "up and down" as far as moods go. But I can honestly say, I was very chipper during the 30-day challenge. Now to be honest... I did skip 2 days where we were gone most of the day and I just did not get my smoothie and crazy enough, my moods were wacky those days. Call it coincidental, but it was obviously true! Next day back on the smoothie challenge, things were definitely better.

2. Increased energy. Even on the days that were gloomy and dark out, I was feeling good. I had the energy and motivation to do the things I don't normally want to do. I had the energy to go out for a walk with my toddler and not be dragging later on in the day. The most radical times I was aware of this was in the morning. I woke up feeling very rested and ready to go and this is not normally the case with me.

3. No aches and pains. Sometimes I suffer from joint pain. From my history and doing a few food (allergy) challenges, I have recognized I am gluten/wheat sensitive. I know if I have had a lot of that in my diet, I tend to get very sore joints and sugar usually exacerbates it even more. When I was on the GSC, I had absolutely no aches and pains... anywhere. It was amazing.

4. No sugar cravings. It's really hard to believe this until you have experienced it. No. Sugar. Cravings... seriously. When you are putting into your body the things it truly craves and properly uses, the junk food cravings completely diminish. If you can get past the first 3 or so days, you will start to see what I mean. I was actually wanting a salad, carrots, nuts and apples.

5. No headaches. I do not enjoy drinking water. I know it is so good for me, but it is a huge chore for me to actually consume it. I know I am borderline dehydrated most days. One of the biggest signs your body sends you to say it is dehydrated is headaches. So I tend to suffer from headaches several times a week. Well, on the challenge, I had zero headaches. I know I was well hydrated because my smoothies were no smaller than a quart every day.

6. No bloating. I love salt. And consuming salt brings on water retention and bloating. On the challenge since I was craving mostly fruits and vegetables, I was not eating as much salty foods. Also, the amount of water in all the fruits that I was adding to the smoothie definitely made my fluid intake much, much higher which acted as a diuretic in itself. My rings were quite loose and the numbers of the scale went down as well.

7. Sense of well-being. I just felt well on this challenge. You know when you are on a cycle of eating well it just naturally filters into other areas of your life... it just makes you feel good. I didn't have a brain-fog that I sometimes suffer from and life seemed more optimistic from all angles. I could directly feel the benefits of eating healthy and it usually continued throughout the day.

So there you have it. If you are on the fence about trying a 10, 20 or 30-day challenge, I would encourage you to go for it. Remember that anything worth trying takes some discipline... and remember that nothing worthwhile rarely comes easy. Great health does not come easily, it takes hard work, a focused mindset and a determined will.

If you were along for the ride with me, please share what benefits of the green smoothie challenge you experienced too!