Getting Protein as a Vegan

     Vegans hear it all the time- "Where do you get your protein?", "Are you getting enough protein?" "How do you get protein when you don't eat meat?".... These questions are mostly asked out of concern, probaly from someone who truly cares about your welfare. Which is wonderful, we should all care about the health of our loved ones, but when it comes to vegan protein, there really is nothing to worry about!

     First, let's talk about protein. What is it? What do we use it for and how much do we need?

     Proteins are molecules made up of amino acids. They are important for many reasons like: Helping your hair grow and stay healthy, they make up part of our DNA, keep our bones strong, and helping us stay as healthy as possible!
     So you can see that it is important to get protein in your diet, but how much? The recommended amount of protein for adults is 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men. Depending on a person's level of activity, they might need more than that.
    What happens if you get too much protein, or too little? If you are low in protein you might have brittle hair and nails, fatigue, constipation, skin rashes, and muscle weakness. Over abundance of protein migh cause weight gain, stomach irritation, dehydration, and kidney problems. Like everything, protein needs to be comsumed in moderation. Not too much, but not too little either!

     Most people get their protein from animal products like meat, fish and eggs. However, this tends to lead to an over dose of protein. A 6 oz steak as about 42 grams of protein, a chicken breast has around 30 grams, tuna has 40 grams per 6 oz, one egg has 6 grams and one cup of milk has around 8 grams. By the time you have eggs and milk for breakfast, chicken or tuna for lunch and a steak or hamburger for dinner, you've gotten way more protein than you need!

Vegans don't eat any animal products, so how do we get our protein? Or how does someone who wants to limit their meat intake get enough protein to stay healthy? Its actually very simple!

1. Nut Butters- 8 grams of protein per 2 TBS
2. Oatmeal- 6 grams per cup
3.Beans- 15 grams per 180 gram serving
4. Nuts and Seeds- 6 grams per handful
5. Spinach- 5 grams per 180 gram serving
6. Cauliflower and Broccoli- 5 grams per 180 gram serving
7. Quinoa- 8 grams per cup
8. Peas- 8 grams per cup
9. Tofu- 25 grams per serving
10. Nutritional Yeast- 12 grams per 3 TBS

     There are also things like Vegan Protein Powders, Portein Bars and Cookies, and other more processed foods that contain added protein. If you are interested in finding a vegan option, make sure that it doesn't contain Whey Protein or just Whey. This is a product made from milk.

     Those are just 10 of the thousands of options we have for non-meat sources of protein. Think about it for a minute. If you had oatmeal with peanut butter for breakfast, a quinoa and bean salad for lunch, a handful of nuts for a snack, and roasted cauliflower and broccoli with some tofu and spinach for dinner thats more than enough protein for an adult man! ( the total comes into around 78 grams of protein). See how easy that was? You don't have to try hard at all to get in enough protein to keep your body fit and healthy!


     I challenge you to try it for yourself and see how easy it really is to get in protein and not comsume so many(if any) animal products! It can be a fun and healthy challenge to change the way you look at protein forever!

I hope this post has been helpful to you! I hope to be in the kitchen this week and create some more recipe post for you, so be on the look out for those!

Please share this post with your friends and family and over social media to help the whole world become a healthier place!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!

H. Banana

Cancer Prevention

    Cancer is scary, I think we can all agree on that. Sadly though, more and more people have their lives totally changed every day because of cancer affecting them or their loved ones. No one whats to go through cancer treatmeants or see their friends and family do so. If that is true, and for the most part it is, why aren't more people doing everything they can to prevent it? If you knew you could help prevent yourself and your friends and family from being effected by cancer, wouldn't you want to do everything you could? Of course you would! So why not start today?

Your Diet Matters

Like many diseases and health issues, your diet plays a big role. A healthy diet can be your shield against so many illnesses, including many types of cancer. But an unhealthy diet can be just as harmful as a healthy diet is helpful! Here are a few foods that aid in cancer prevention!

Garlic helps to slow the growth of tumor cells because of the allyl sulphur compounds they contain.
Broccoli is helpful in cancer prevention because of the high concentration of antioxidants, fiber and flavanoids!
Brazilian Nuts, if eaten daily, can be benefitial and healthy for the body as a whole! Overall body health is a great way to prevent cancer!
Mushrooms are great for boosting your immune system and helping your body fight against cancer! !
Artichokes contain an antioxidant called silymarin, which helps to prevent epidermis cancer.

Just like some foods are helpful in cancer prevention, there are other foods that aren't. To have the healthiest, cancer prevention diet, stay away from GMOs, Processed Meats, Hydrogenated Oils, Refined Sugars and Flours, Canned Goods, and Highly Processed Foods. Its sad to think that 5% of cancer diagnoses are realted to poor diet! Do what you can today to make sure your diet is a healthy one!

Stay Active

Just like your diet is important, so is your daily activity level. Getting at least 30 minutes of light exercise every day can be so helpful in cancer prevention! It keeps your body healthy in so many ways that it isn't something you should over look! 5% of cancer diagnoses are due to the lack of physical activity! Don't let your lack of exercise keep your from living a long healthy life!

Your Enviroment

Having a clean enviroment is key in cancer prevention. Make sure you aren't using products with tons of chemicals to clean your home. A lot of air-fresheners, furniture cleaners, and basic house-hold cleaners are full of harmful chemicals that do nothing to help promote a healthy enviroment! Go for a natural choice instead! Choose a natural cleaner brand or even make your own cleaners and air-fresheners with basic, healthier ingredients!

Obviously there is alot more to Cancer prevention than I can pack into one post, so I encourge you to do your own research to find more ways to help prevent cancer in your life and the lives of the ones you love!

In searching for articals to read for this post, I found a very helpful one from the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer Center. Their focus is on Mesothelioma, which is a rare type of cancer caused by asbestos. I wanted to share a graphic from their website that I found helpful and I hope you do as well!

 

 

If you want more information about Mesothelioma, please visit the website linked above!

I know this is a very large topic and could never do it justice, but I hope I given you a few tips and tricks that will help you add cancer prevention to your life!

Cancer has affected and changed too many people's lives! Do what you can today to prevent cancer in your life and the lives of those close to you! Spread the word and help others learn about cancer and how to prevent it!

I hope you have found this post helpful! If you have, please share it with your friends and family!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett!

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!
H. Banana

Rise and Shine: Morning Rountine

         Good Morning! Rise and Shine! Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed! Up and At 'Em!

Everyone has a morning routine, even if you don't realize it. We build habits for getting ready for bed, and that becomes are routine.

 

 Building and having a healthy morning routine will set you up for a healthier and better day! Getting up and starting your day with a healthy habit will help you stay on track and motivated the rest of the
day!
Here are a few habits that I have in my Morning Routine!

Morning Walk: I like to get up around 5:30-45 and go on a hour long walk around our neighborhood!
Large Glass of Lemon Water: I pour myself a big glass of water and add lemon juice to it. This helps jump start the metabolism for the day!
Coffee!: I have to have my coffee after my lemon water. I take it strong and black!
Wake Up: Funny this comes at the bottom of the list! I love to sit and wake up slowly after I come in from my walk and drink my water and coffee!

So there you are! These are a few things that I do just about every morning! But, there are several habits that are great to have to maintain a healthy body, that I haven't manages to build yet! I am working on a few, but here are a few Healthy Morning Habits that we can all try to build!

Morning Exercise
Getting up and moving at the start of your day gets you awake, blood flowing, and energy levels up for the rest of the day! I like to take a brisk walk, but some yoga, stretches or simple exercises work just fine!

Lemon Water
Lemon water, as I said before, helps boost your metabolism for the day. Make you have this as the first thing you drink/eat in the day. Its great over ice in the summer and perfect warm in the winter!

Make a List
This is one I find helpful, I just don't do it enough! Making a list in the morning, of everything you need to get done in the day, helps get it off your chest and you don't have to worry about forgetting anything! Also, checking those things off the list throughout the day is a great feeling!

Lotion Up!
Moisturizing your body at the beginning of the day helps it stay hydrated throughout the day. I like to use a lotion with SPF on my face to protect my skin from the sun's rays. Apply lotion all over the body to keep it healthy, bright and beautiful!

Breakfast
We've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and its true! Breakfast should be the biggest meal of your day, and it should be packed full of protein, fiber, vitamins and plenty of fruit and veggies!

Fill a Glass up With Water
Get a large glass, water bottle or cup and fill it with water. Set it on your counter or in your purse/car. Every time you see it, take a sip. You'll be surprised how much water you drink throughout the day by filling up the glass and drinking out of it every time you see it!

Think Happy Thoughts!
Starting the day with happy thoughts will boost your mood and keep you happy the rest of the day! I like to find a motivational quote or inspiration Bible verse to read and think about through the day!

Well, those are just a few of some Healthy Morning Habits that help build a healthy morning routine! If you found this helpful, please let me know and share it with friends and family!

You can follow the blog via email and Google, on Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

Keep healthy and safe!
H.Banana

 

Healthy Habits

Habits take 21 days to make or break them. Creating healthy habits is a great way to make healthy living effortless!

I have a few habits(good and bad!) and I'm sure we all do! Having healthy habits make it easier to have a healthy lifestyle! After 21 days or so, it becomes like second nature! Here are a few habits that we should all create to make living healthy easier!

1.  Keep a Journal. Maybe you aren't the diary/journal type, and that's okay! Just get a note book and spend a few minutes every night writing down what you did, what you ate and how you felt during the day. This is a great way to keep track of what works for you and what doesn't!

2. Bedtime Routine! Having a bedtime routine helps your body calm down to go to sleep. Start a hour before going to bed by turning off the electronics, maybe read a 'real' book instead. Drinking something warm is great too! If you are going to keep a journal, add that to your bedtime routine.

3. Breakfast! Always eat breakfast within 30 to a hour from waking up! This keeps your metabolism up and running! Breakfast should be the most important, nutritious and filling meals since its the first meal you eat after fasting for at least hours over night! Also, eating breakfast helps you get going in the morning and keeps you from wanting to snack all morning long!

4. Water! Chugging water throughout the day is such a great habit to make! I try so hard to drink a lot of water, but it's still a working progress for me! I like to keep a full water bottle of cup near me so that whenever I see it, I am reminded to take a drink!

5. Keep Fruit and Veggies on Hand! Having fruit and veggies in your fridge is great when cooking at home! I love to just grab several veggies to add to a dish! Not only does this bulk the dish up,  but adds nutritional benefits as well!

6. Stay Active! Being active is so important to a healthy body! Getting 30 minutes of activity is plenty to maintain a healthy body, and it doesn't have to happen in the gym! A brisk walk, playing with the kids, walking the dog or even working in the garden is a perfect form of exercise!

7. Practice Portion Control! This is so hard for me! But, having balanced portions ensures that you don't over eat and become too stuffed! Start with having a little bit so that if you want more later, you can!

8.  More Veggies and Fruit/Less Meat and Carbs. You see Low-Carb, Low-Fat and No-Carb and No-Fat diets out there, but that isn't what I mean. What I mean is, the majority of you plate should be filled with veggies and then rest with your meats and carbs! This also helps out the pocket book!

9.  Cook at Home. I say this a lot, I know, but that is because it really is so important! Cooking at home ensure that you know exactly what goes into your meal, how big the portions are and how balanced the plates are!

10. Keep Snacks with you. Having healthy options for snacks with you and easy to grab during the day keeps you from grabbing the less-healthy options. I like to carry nuts, apples or pears, or a home-made trail mix with me when I am out and about!

These are just a few habits that can make a healthy lifestyle easier. Of course you will create your own and I would love for you to share those with me! You can do that in the comments section here, and on Twitter @ Spinachisgood ! Also follow the blog and follow on Twitter and Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett!

I hope you can use these tips to become a healthier version of you! Please share this blog with a friend and check back often for more post about all things healthy!

Keep healthy and safe!
H. Banana

5 Healthy Snacking Tips

Snacking is something that just about every does at some point in the day. And, if done right, it is healthy for you. Snacking on good nutritional food helps to keep your metabolism up. But choosing the right things to grab for a snack isn't always easy. I am going to share with you a few tips to snack healthier as well as a few healthy snack ideas!

 

#1
Keep premade snacks handy. Having healthy snacks already made and ready to grab will make it less likely for you to go for an unhealthy option. Cutting up veggies and fruit and portioning them out to keep in the fridge is one idea. You can even portion out fruit and veggie dips( Like nut butters, yogurt or cream cheese) to grab along with your snack. Another idea is to make up healthy treats like these Almond Joy Clusters or Apple Chompers . What ever you chose to do, having ready-to-eat snacks that are healthy will keep you on track!

#2
Water first! Sometimes when you feel hungry, you actually are just thirsty. Because your stomach is empty you body thinks its hungry when really you just need some water. Try drinking a glass of water whenever you feel hungry. If you still feel hungry afterwards, have a snack, if not, you don't need a snack!

#3
Chose the more filling option. When choosing a snack, try and chose the one that will fill you up for the longest time. You don't want to be hungry in a few minutes! A few filling choices are, broccoli, Greek yogurt, nuts of any kind, or oats. The reason these are good choices is because they fill your stomach up, plus they are full of the nutrients your body needs! I love to eat broccoli raw or steamed, and Greek yogurt topped with berries is a amazing treat!

#4
Don't eat mindlessly. When you have a snack, sit down and enjoy it. Eat it slowly and drink water with it. Don't just sit down in front of the computer and chomp away on your snack because before you know it, the food will be gone and you'll ask yourself 'Where did my food go?!". Snack time is a great time to take a break from work, school or whatever and just take a few deep breaths. Eating slowly also helps to keep you from over eating because it takes a while for your body to recognize that it's full.

#5
Eat something you like. This may sound like a no brainer, but its something you need to think about. Don't just eat a snack that you don't like because you know its good for you. There are plenty of healthy options out there, so find the ones you like and have those at the ready. You can try Banana Bread Cookies , Boo-Nanas , Summer in a Smoothie, , Candied Pecans or any of the other recipes on my blog!

I hope these tips help you to stay on track when snacking and that they give you a few ideas for healthy snack options! If you like this post, please share it with a friend!

Thank you for checking out my blog and be sure to check back often for more healthy tips, workouts, recipes and more!

Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana

Follow the blog on Twitter @ Spinachisgood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett

Pilates

 To be honest, I had never done Pilates or even given it much thought until a few weeks ago. My sister had been doing some Pilates videos for her workouts and she finally got me to do one. Believe me, after the first 5 minutes I was dying! I now have a new-found respect for Pilates and those who practice it!
  Now I try to do a Pilates workout everyday in addition to my daily workouts. I have found a wonderful YOUTUBE channel called, Blogilates , where the host, Cassey Ho, teaches Pilates! I love her videos because they are easy to follow, fun to do and super effective! She also has clean-eating videos, motivational videos and she even has her own active-wear clothing line!
The great thing about Cassey's videos is that you don't need any thing  but your body and a good attitude for most of her videos. She chats during her videos which is very entertaining and helps keep your mind off your burning body parts!:)
  Aside from her YOUTUBE channel, Cassey has a great blog where you can find her latest videos, calendars, meal plans and etc. I just printed off some of her 30 day challenges and I hope to complete them this month. I encourage you to go to her website or her channel and check her out. Maybe try a video or a challenge and see what you think. It works more that you would think and if you stick with it, I am sure you will see results!
Alright, so you might be wondering, what exactly is Pilates? Here is what Wikipedia had to say about it.
"........ the art of controlled movements, which should look and feel like a workout (not a therapy) when properly manifested. If practiced with consistency, Pilates improves flexibility, builds strength and develops control and endurance in the whole human body. It puts emphasis on alignment, breathing, developing a strong powerhouse, and improving coordination and balance. Pilates' system allows for different exercises to be modified in range of difficulty from beginner to advanced or to any other level, and also in terms of the instructor and practitioner's specific goals and/or limitations. Intensity can be increased over time as the body conditions and adapts to the exercises...."

Pilates was actually developed in Germany by a man named Joseph Pilates.

   Pilates is a great form of exercise for anyone to try! It is great for those who don't want to do a whole lot of bouncing around, running or jogging. You can do it almost anywhere with little or no equipment. I really hope you will give it a try and let me know what you think!

As always,
Keep it Healthy and SAFE!
H. Banana
    

New Years

  So, New Years is just around the corner and a lot of us are thinking about our New Year's resolutions. Its a great time to 'turn over a new leaf' start fresh or begin something total new! I know for me that there will be several things on that list that were on there last year. I  know that's is sort of a joke about how crowed the gyms are the week after New Years and then the crowd slowly goes away. Its just the thought that a lot of people have trouble sticking to their resolutions no matter what they are! Stay motivated to succeed in what ever your resolutions are and you will have a better chance of sticking to it. For me, this time last year I had the resolution to become healthier, and now looking back I know that I more or less stuck to that. I kept motivated, my family had similar resolutions and I was able to get a lot of information, motivation and inspiration on Pinterest! What are my resolutions? I don't have any 'real' resolutions like 'lose weight', 'go to the gym more', 'get active' or 'save more money' but I do know that I will continue to become healthier, learn more about the health and wellness field, work harder in school , and take the best care of my body that I can!

This post really isn't informational but I just wanted to share a personal post with you guys! I don't know if this will be motivation to any of you, but I wish you all success in this up coming year!

Keep healthy and SAFE!
happy holidays!
H.Banana