Hello Lovely
Did you know that Vitamin D is SO GOOD for you?
Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make.
Vitamin D is a nutrient your body needs for building and maintaining healthy bones.
I'm from not-so-sunny Michigan, so I have to find all kinds of creative ways to get my vitamin D in. In the Wintertime, I have to supplement with vitamin D and I eat tuna, fatty fish, egg yolks, and spinach quite often to get some vitamin D into my diet.
Fun fact!
Did you know that if you leave your mushrooms out in the sun for a few hours before cooking, they will soak up Vitamin D?
If you cook them straight out of the fridge, they will have a Vitamin D count of 0.
But if you leave them out in the sun for a while that count can go up to 800 - 1000.
Mushrooms were not a favorite of mine, but when I heard about their benefits, I knew I needed to give them a try! I started out with just a little in spaghetti sauce, omelets, on top of salads, and the veggie hack recipe (see below!)
I'm working my way to enjoying something I couldn't stand before.
Take a look at these amazing benefits of mushrooms!
Biking is my favorite thing to do this Summer and the timing of high gas prices has stepped up my biking to a whole new level. I ride my bike to do my errands and my favorite spot to bike is the farmer's market by the lake where they have fresh mushrooms. Can I just say the dose of vitamin D I get from riding in the sun, buying local mushrooms, and sunning them in my bike basket while listening to the Trim Healthy Mama poddy on the way home has brought me to a whole new level of feeling accomplished, joyful and healthy! Yes, I tell my family all the time now, do you know I rode my bike to get this dinner? It makes the food taste so much better!
I'm saving money on gas.
I'm soaking up the sun's rays.
I'm buying healthy, local fresh fruits and veggies.
I'm getting fresh air.
I'm taking in nature.
I'm getting exercise.
I'm spending time with my family (when they ride with me)
I'm learning from podcasts!
It's been a fantastic addition to my lifestyle and it's something I would highly recommend!
If you dislike mushrooms, here is a mushroom hack recipe and video for you:
Do you like mushrooms? How do you use them in your cooking? I do hope you find this information helpful!
Remember to sun your mushrooms before cooking!
Do you have any questions or need help on your THM journey?
Please feel free to reach out and contact me.
I'd love to help you become the very best version of yourself!
Blessings,
Charity
Hello, Lovely!
Ketchup is a firm family favorite out of all the condiments, so it's important to find an on-plan alternative!
Ketchup has some natural sugar from the tomatoes and that’s fine to use.
What we’re avoiding is the ADDED sugar many brands contain.
Here are some great examples of on-plan ketchup:
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Primal Kitchen | Yo Mama's |
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Heinz | Heinz, with Stevia | Simple Truth Organic | Hellmann's |
If ketchup is sweetened with honey (like the Heinz above), it's not ideal for weight loss.
But, if you stick to a small amount and keep it infrequent, it's a better choice than ketchup sweetened with regular sugar.
The Heinz No Sugar Added ketchup has 2 options. One with stevia (on plan) and one with Sucralose (not on plan).
Our Walmarts have both in store, so it could be easy to grab the wrong one.
Look for the green circle that says "Sweetness from plants" and grab that one!
Most kinds of ketchup are laden with sugar. We don’t get too worried if you order a lettuce-wrapped burger with ketchup at a drive-thru here and there, but it’s a great idea to keep a healthier ketchup on hand at home.
THM Homemade Ketchup FP
THM homemade ketchup is awesome, easy and quick to make, and tastes even better!
Click on this link for the recipe:
You can also find this recipe on page 411 of the Original Trim Healthy Mama book and page 482 of the Trim Healthy Cookbook!
Will you be trying this great recipe? Or are you more of a store-bought kind of person? I'd love to know what you think!
Please remember that I am always available if you have any questions or concerns.
My goal is to help you succeed on your THM journey!
Blessings,
Charity
Hello, Lovely!
Staying on the THM eating plan can sometimes be challenging, especially if you don’t have the time to make everything from scratch.
Bread is a particularly difficult pitfall for most because it’s so easy to grab and make a quick sandwich.
Have no fear though, I am always here to help!
When it comes to bread, you need to look for Sprouted or Soured bread, as it’s easier on the digestive system.
Sprouted bread:
With sprouted bread, it has to meet two requirements:
Sourdough:
The requirements for Sourdough are slightly different:
For sprouted the first ingredient needs to be sprouted flour of whatever the bread is made of.
For sourdough, the first ingredient needs to be whole wheat, or any flour in the whole form, and they cannot use yeast in the ingredients as most of the time when they do it’s not soured properly. Sourdough needs to ferment at room temp for at least 7 hours or fridge ferment for at least 24 hours!
An on-plan sourdough needs to be made primarily from whole grain flour, such as whole wheat flour.
While yeast is not off-plan, we use it as a "clue" in sourdough bread. To fit plan guidelines, a sourdough needs to ferment at room temperature for a minimum of 7 hours. So when we find yeast in store-bought sourdough, it's typically used to speed up the fermenting process. Abbreviating the fermenting process makes it fall outside of the 7-hour minimum guideline.
A couple of times, we have encountered true sourdoughs that have a small amount of yeast added to a loaf for the extra rise and better crumb. In these rare cases, yeast is one of the last ingredients because it's such a tiny amount.
When in doubt, it's a good idea to send the bread manufacturer an email to inquire how long they ferment their sourdough.
To summarize, take note of the requirements for each:
Where Can I buy this bread?
There are a number of options to choose from when it comes to store-bought bread, you just need to know which brands to look for.
I’ve compiled a list of On-Plan bread below.
Click on each picture for the link to purchase.
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How to Eat (& Like) Sprouted Bread
If you have not eaten sprouted bread before, it does take a little adjusting to.
Especially if you are coming from a super soft white bread.
So what is the key to liking sprouted bread?
Try toasting the bread!
Let's make a sandwich together HERE!
Use code fhc to view.
If you DO want to bake your own bread, you can’t go wrong with THM’s Fuel Pull No Carb Easy Bread.
I do hope you found this blog helpful!
Remember I am here to empower you to make healthy, on-plan, choices that will boost your overall health and help you reach your THM goals!
Please feel free to reach out and contact me if you need any extra help and support!
Blessings,
Charity
Hello, Lovely!
Have you ever wanted to throw a party that was Trim Healthy Mama approved?
My son's graduation open house was almost ALL on-plan and went very well.
The best part was that we could eat all the leftovers!!
My son's favorite color has always been green, and his school colors were green and gold and he enjoys his green vegetables.
I will never forget the day I gave him peas for the first time and how much he loved them and ate the whole bag!
If you have to throw an on-plan green food party, I have some great ideas for you!
To give you some context, here is a video of my graduate giving a favorite memory:
What I served at the party
Drinks
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I served the Bird of Paradise sipper from the Trim Healthy Future recipe book.
It's one of the easiest sippers to make, matched our green theme, and is DELICIOUS!
So delicious that we went through eight gallons and got a lot of compliments on it from all ages.
I served cucumber water as my graduate also loves cucumbers!
Food
The food spread was all green and white with the protein sources being cottage cheese, turkey, and chicken sandwich meat.
The only thing on the food table that was off-plan was the buns.
There was mustard, mayo, lettuce, and cheese for the sandwiches.
I also had Wasa Crackers and lettuce for wraps available for those who couldn't have buns.
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Green olives and pickles are loved by my graduate, so those were served in abundance!
Swiss, mozzarella, and muenster cheese were served because they were white matching the theme.
The vegetables served were lettuce, snow peas, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and green peppers.
I served that with guacamole and cream cheese or Greek yogurt vegetable dip.
The green fruit served was honeydew melon, pears, green apples, green grapes, and kiwi.
The fruit was served with cream cheese or greek yogurt sweetened with stevia for a fruit dip.
My family all wore green to continue with the green theme.
Decor
Decor
Centerpieces:
The centerpieces were bowls of green fruit, like green apples, pears, and limes.
I got gold foil balloons that spell congrats and hung those on the wall.
For all my graduate's decor, I take pictures off our walls of them throughout the years and make picture displays.
This has worked well and gets lots of compliments.
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Overall it was an amazing party with great food and special company!
The beautiful thing about The Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle is that they make parties like this accessible to you.
You don't have to sacrifice your lifestyle to be able to throw a party.
You can serve food that is delicious, nutritious, on-plan, and FUN!
There were quite a few vegetables left over, so my favorite sippers and drinks to use up the cucumbers and celery are Spa Sip and Hydrated Hummingbird from Trim Healthy Future and Bloat Be Gone Smoothie from Trim Healthy Table. Of course, it's wonderful to have prepped veggies and salads for the week after the party, also.
If you'd like any more tips and advice on how to serve on-plan food at an event, please reach out and let me know!
I'd love to help you succeed on your THM journey!
Blessings,
Charity
Hello, Lovely!
Today we are talking all about Amazing Mayonnaise!
Any store-bought mayonnaise that has 0g carbs can be used on-plan for Drive-Thru Sue's. Duke's doesn't have added sugar, but it still contains less than ideal ingredients.
Basically, all store-bought mayonnaise can be used on-plan, even with the less than ideal ingredients, because you use so little at a time, so it's negligible.
If you want a cleaner option with 100% on plan ingredients, you can look for:
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Primal Kitchen | Tessemae's | Sir Kensington's | Better Body Foods | Chosen Foods |
These all have varieties that have 100% on-plan ingredients.
It's also super simple to make your own!
Click on this link for the easiest mayonnaise S recipe in the world!You can also find this recipe in the "Sauces, Dressings, Dips & Other Odds and Ends" Chapter of Trim Healthy Table, page 517.
A note from our Founders
Here are some thoughts on mayonnaise from Serene, one of the THM founders:
"Store-bought mayo is on-plan, but as the purist of our sister team, I have to point out that while it can be included, it is far from optimum. If you want my frank opinion, I’d say most store-bought mayo is a horrible GMO cocktail of hydrogenated soybean oil. Pearl would argue and go on about how although not a super food, it doesn’t raise blood sugar." - Serene
Well, there you have it!
Whether you buy sugar-free from the store, or you make your own from scratch, Mayonnaise is an excellent addition to any meal!
Please remember that I am always available if you have any questions or concerns.
My goal is to help you succeed on your THM journey!
Blessings,
Charity
