5 Resons to Go Vegan!

     A vegan or plant based diet might seem unnecessary, difficult, or ( to some) even an unhealthy diet. I have been vegan for almost 2 years and I am here to tell you that it is far from that! Eating a vegan diet is healthy, delicious and super easy!

Happy 2016!- New Year Resolutions+ Life Update!

     2015 has come and gone, making room for a brand new year! It seems like this past year just flew by so fast! So much happened, a lot has changed, I learned a lot, and had a lot of amazing experiences in 2015! I just can't believe the year is already over!

 

Looking Back

 

     In 2015, so much happened and changed, more so than the years before! For one, we moved from our 30 acre farm in Memphis to a neighborhood outside of Nashville. That was a huge change for all of us! It did take a while to get used to, but we are enjoying our new house and area, and I don't think any of us are regretting the move! We get to spend more time as a family, and that is really all that matters!
     I started babysitting a ton after we moved in to our neighborhood! It has not only kept me busy, but is a great way for me to make money, for shopping or saving for college! :)
     My sisters and I started taking music lessons again after we moved. Our music teacher comes to our house, which is so nice! We all take piano and I also take the violin! It is such a wonderful privilege to learn to play an instrument, and we are all very thankful for it!
     Of course there has been lots of little and big things, that all add together, to make up the year! My little brother has grown so much, my older brother starting college, my Dad went to school(which really is a big deal!), and  we took some great trips, some little and some bigger! Of course our recent trip to Washington D.C was a big highlight!
      My little brother had a trip to the ER room, which was the first trip we've ever had to take there as a family!
     We took an amazing trip to Canada, which is another huge highlight for this year!
      Even further back, last New Years we were in Colorado spending some time with friends and skiing!
Looking  back has really brought back great memories, and made me so thankful for a lot of things! I can't wait to see what this next year holds for me!:)

New Year Resolutions

     Around this time of year, most people make their New Year Resolutions, promises, and set goals, all in the hope that the next year will be better than the previous one. Most of the time, these resolutions have to do with losing weight, health, family, jobs, traveling...... depending on the person, they can be about anything! :)
While I don't have many(if any) regrets, looking back over 2015, I have made a few New Year Resolutions. They aren't really because last year was bad( because it wasn't) but because I have goals I want to accomplish!
No matter what your resolutions are, or why you make them, I do believe they can be a great motivator to accomplish goals in the year to come!

My New Year Resolutions

1. Read More Books- I tend to spend so much time watching cooking videos on YouTube, working on the computer, and Pinterest! I want to read more this next year!
2. Drink More Water! I am terrible about drinking enough water! I want to change that this year!
3. Do More Yoga and Stretching- I love cardio and running, but I don't do enough yoga and stretching! Hopefully that will be different this year!
4. Continue to Eat Healthy- Just keep going with what I am doing, as well as improving as I go!
5. Cook More from my Cook Books- Pinterest recipes are great, but we have so many cook books at home! I want to cook more from them this year!
6. Spend More Time Outside- I am terrible about staying cooped up inside all day, even if it is a pretty day, reading, on the computer, etc.. I want to change that!
7. Put More into my School and Music- Not that I didn't this past year, but there is always room for improvement! :)
8.  Grow my Knowledge of Health and Nutrition- I want to make a career out of it in the future, so the more I learn now, the easy it will be later!
9. Continue to Write Post and Make Recipes for the Blog- because, if anything, I really enjoy it!
10. Do More of What Makes Me Happy- After all, happiness is contagious!

Goals for the New Year

1. Run a Marathon
2. Learn to Drive
3. Read every book on my list
4. Do a Color Run
5. Become a better version of myself, everyday! :)
6. Have as much fun as I did in 2015

     I know that New Year Resolutions can get a bad rap, and people don't tend to stick to them long term! If you have a true passion behind your resolutions, you will go far with it! I hope that, in this next year, I can do a better job of sticking to my resolutions and continue to improve everyday! After all, we are always changing and there is always room for improvements( for myself anyways!)

Life Update

 

 

I Have Gone Vegan!

You might have noticed lately that my recipe posts have all been vegan or vegan friendly. This is because I have decided to change my diet and become a vegan. It is a big change from my diet before, but I haven't regretted the change one bit!

There are several reasons I went vegan! The biggest one is health! I have never felt healthier, better, or fitter before! I don't have anymore annoying stomach aches, and I have more energy!

Obviously there is a lot more to the story, and I hope to share more about Veganism and me going vegan in a later post!

 

You can expect a post about Veganism in the future! Also, most(if not all) of my recipes from here on out will be vegan or vegan friendly!

 

If you are not vegan, don't worry! You can still enjoy my blog! I hope my decision to change my diet won't turn you away from my blog! :)

 

 



I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a great New Years Day! I can't wait to get started on great things to come in this new year!

Happy 2016!

Please share this post with your friend and family to help them accomplish their health-related New Year Resolutions, and over all become healthier!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett. Its a great way to stay up to date on the blog!

I post every Friday!

Happy New Year!

Hannah Banana

I Moved!

My life has changed quite a bit these past few weeks! Some of the changes are exciting, some bittersweet and others are going to take some getting used to!

 

A few weeks ago we got a contract to sell our 30 acres+ house. We had been trying to sell for about a year and a half, so to finally have a serious offer was exciting! After we accepted the offer, we starting packing. It wasn't until we starting packing that we realized how much stuff we had! We took countless loads to Goodwill and a local thrift shop!

 

As we got closer to the moving date, I realized more and more how much I was going to miss our home and land.

 

Our blueberry bushes were loaded this year, and we would miss picking them!

Our fruit tress promised to have a great yield this year!

 

I was going to miss having the garden to pick fresh veggies from!

 

 

Even though I was sad to leave our old home, I was excited for the changes ahead! On moving week, we rent a U-Haul truck and, with help from some friends and family, we loaded it full with things to take to our new house!

 

My little brother was quite impressed with the dinosaur on the side of the truck!

I'm not sure we could fit one more thing on that truck! After we had loaded the truck, we spent a few nights in our empty house to do some last minute cleaning.

I was kind of fun, camping out in my room, but I missed my bed!

 

Finally, on Moving Day, we loaded up in our vehicles( A U-Haul and a suburban pulling my Dad's FJ Cruiser) and left our old house! It was sad to know that we were leaving that house for the last time, but exciting to know what was ahead!

When we got to our new house, it was raining! Thankfully we had some great help and we got the truck unloaded in under two hours!

 

Our new dining room was full of boxes!

I was glad to sleep in my bed again! So much better than the floor!

 

One of the first things I unpacked were the coffee and tea pots! Gotta have my coffee in the mornings!

 

Mom even took some plants from the garden with us! We now have tomato plants, raspberry bush and some basil in pots!

 

My view went from a pond, some trees and space to houses, neighbors, and empty lots!

 

We bought a house outside Nashville, TN in a nice neighborhood. I haven't lived in a neighborhood for a while, so it will take some getting used to!

 

Now that we have moved, we are closer to a lot of things like shopping, groceries, and so on. Before we lived 45 mins to anything and now we can be to a Lowe's in under 10 mins! Its crazy :)

Also, we will get to spend more time together as a family since my Dad has to be in Nashville for work quite a bit and before he was travelling back and forth and now he can come home at night!

 

We still have a few boxes to unpack, beds to put together and organizing to do, but we have officially  moved in and are adjusting to suburban life! Hopefully now that we are more or less settled, I can get back to regular healthy lifestyle posts!

 

Please follow the blog, share it with a friend, follow on Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett!

Stay tuned for more post, coming soon!

 

Keep healthy and SAFE!

H.Banana

 

Clean Eating

Having a clean diet is a sure way to have a healthy body! A clean diet is, in my opinion, the best way to eat a healthy, balanced diet!

  What does it mean to eat clean? To eat clean is simply to eat foods that aren't highly processed or sprayed with chemicals, free of refined flour and sugars and saturated and trans fat. Sugar loaded drinks like sodas and juices, along with high-calorie foods with little or no nutritional value are to be avoided.  Instead you eat 6 meals a day (Three small snacks and three medium sized meals), always eat breakfast, eat foods that contain healthy fats, proteins and carbs, rely on fruits and veggies for fiber, vitamins and enzymes, drink plenty of water and practice portion control!

Eating clean isn't really a 'diet' with an end date. Its a complete lifestyle change! It needs to be done gradually so you can get used to the changes that will happen when you change to a cleaner way of eating. There aren't really 'rules' to follow, just use common sense and remember a few key things!

Key Things to Clean Eating:
- Buy Organic, Locally Grown and Non-Sprayed fruits and veggies whenever you can
- Avoid processed and packaged foods
- Cook at home whenever you can
- Buy Organic and Non-GMO whenever you can
- Drinks lots of Water!
- Stay away from Refined sugars and flours
- Practice Portion Control
- Have three balanced meals a day with three light snacks throughout the day

So, now that you know the basics, how do you get started? How do you start to convert to a cleaner diet?  Well, like I said earlier, it is best to do it gradually. I suggest starting by cleaning out your fridge and pantry of the foods that aren't 'clean'. Then, start practicing portion control and a balanced plate. Next, find out where you can buy organic, Non-GMO, locally grown, etc. foods. A farmer's market can be a great place to go as well! Make small changes in your meals at first. Start by cutting out sodas and juices one week, then the next week cut out processed sugars and carbs. The next week maybe start cooking and pre-making your meals and always remember to drink a lot of water! Go at your own speed and make the changes in the order that works for you!

 

To make eat clean easier, I want to share with you a few tips and tricks to eating clean and having a healthy lifestyle!

 

Always eat breakfast! When you wake up, your body has been without food for at least eight hours, so you need to eat!

Try to not eat within an hour of going to bed. While you sleep your body does some cleaning and detoxing that can't really be done if there is a ton of food in your stomach.

Eat snacks. Eating small snacks in between meals keeps you metabolism going.

Fill up on fruits and veggies. Not only to they contain great nutritional value, but they are low in calories!

Cook at home. I can't stress this enough! Making your own meals is the best way to know exactly what goes into your food! For those who don't have a ton of time, pre-make your meals a head of time!

Always keep a snack with you. Having an apple, handful of nuts, or any other healthy snack on hand is a great way to keep you from eating the unhealthy un-'clean' foods.

Always serve veggies with a meal. Having a salad, sautéed veggies, or raw veggies with a meal makes the meal more filling without being too calorie dense.

Go with what works for you. Don't feel like you have to follow every clean eating rule out there! You will find ways that work for you and some that don't! Remember, its a lifestyle change, so you have time to grow used to it and make it perfect for your life!

 

 

You can find plenty of healthy and clean recipes here on my blog! There are recipes for breakfast like, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Muffins , Smoothies  , and Pumpkin Muffins  . Recipes of Lunch and Dinner like Oven Roasted Peppers and Onions and Honey Roasted Carrots . Also there are tons of dessert and snack recipes like, Guacamole  , Cherry and Chocolate Icecream  , and Frozen Hot Chocolate  ! Look around and let me know which one you like best!

I hope this post helps you and encourages you to convert to a cleaner way of eating and living! Follow the blog for more healthy post! Also, follow the blog on Twitter @ Spinachisgood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett

Thank you for visiting my blog and please check back for more post on all things healthy, and share with a friend!

Keep healthy and Safe!
H. Banana