Jalapeno Hummus

 Hummus is something I find myself using in my everyday life, I use it on crackers, veggies, sandwiches  chips, etc. So I decided to recreate my own version of one of my favorites... jalapeno hummus. Making your own hummus may sound like a daunting task if you haven't tried it before, but in reality it is so simple to make. Besides the ingredients, the only tool you need is a food processor.

First open a can of chickpeas and add them to the food processor.

 After that you can add the remaining ingredients into the food processor and blend them until creamy. It's as simple as that!

If you refrigerate the hummus it can last for up to a week, try it on veggies or crackers, or whatever else you want to try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 1/2 jalapenos seeded (you can always do less if you don't like it too spicy)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbls olive oil
• juice from 1 lime
• 3/4 cup of cilantro
• sea salt to taste

Justine's Weightless Journey

Good Morning!
Today I wanted to talk a bit about my weightloss over the past year and a half. I'm sure I will mention little plugs about it here and there and I wanted to share more here. In 2011 I decided It was time to lose weight. I was topping the scale at 230 and started to really notice how much I hated my body. Up to a certain point you see yourself as normal looking into the mirror, as if it's totally fine. For me there was a distinct time that I realized what I had grown into. I was at the Mcdonalds on Harbor, (across from Disneyland) going to the bathroom. When I sat in the stall I thought to myself, "Wow, they sure are making these stalls smaller..." but then it hit me... No... they were not making the stalls smaller. I was just getting WAY bigger. That was one of the defining moments that made me start thinking before I ate something.

(thats little Campfire Kam to my left in that top left photo)

The first thing I did was try the HCG diet. I know I know, its crazy dangerous and was a bad idea probably. But..  I was desperate. I wanted fast results. On this diet you take drops under your tongue and you eat 500 calories a day. Thinking about it now I want to slap myself, but something good happened! I lost 10 lbs in the first week and got inspired! I didn't last the 21 days and gave up an gained it all back, but I saw how fast I could lose weight if I tried.
I really recommend the GM diet. I have done it a few times to clean my system and kickstart me, and it's worked WONDERS. You will love your results.

Next step: Treadmill. I was housesitting a house that had a treadmill and I decided to get on it. Everyday I did 10-12 minutes. That's it. I paired that with eating lean cuisines and no sweets. What happened? I lost 20 lbs in my first month. My body was so shocked at the exercise that it dropped crazy fast. If you are over 200 lbs and you are reading this, YOU CAN DO IT. That is, if you want to.

Now: Now I am around 165 lbs give or take a couple in either direction. My body has stayed here for awhile and doesn't want that second number to be a 5. I know it's my eating because I work out way too much to not be losing. I am part of a small gym in our city Riverside that provides you with as much personal training as you'd like. You can go 3 times a day or stay for 5 hours at a time. Since your weight is really determined by what you put into your body I need to really hone in my calorie intake. I am by no means eating terrible, but I am eating enough calories to maintain my weight and not lose it.

Next: I am trying to run. I have tried for so long to be good and I am not. Running outside makes me want to fall on the ground and I know its so much better for you than the treadmill but on the treadmill I can run 30-40 minutes where outside I want to die after 5! Tips please anyone?!
-I also have fallen in love with Climbing at our local rock climbing gym!! It's so fun and challenging but in a way that you don't realize you are working out! It's so important to find a workout that doesn't make you hate your life, (read:burpees and kettle-bell swings)

Paleo Diet- Rebecca and I are going to try out the Paleo diet and record it here. I have read so many things about it helping your mood (even when your PMSing! I need this), sleep and general happiness. Let alone it's a great diet. Have you ever tried the Paleo Diet? Any good results?


My goal weight is to be in my 140's by August. So, I'd like to lose  around 25 lbs in 4.5 months, seems reasonable right?! I need to get cracking!

I will post more on this subject with some specific things that changed my habits/life that hopefully change yours!

Healthy Trail Mix

The other night my husband and I decided to make our own version of a healthier trail mix. By making your own trail mix you can skip out on so much added sugar, have a fresher taste, and its delicious! Start by preheating the oven to 325 and placing 1 cup of almonds in a bowl.

Add 1 Tablespoon of Agave or Honey and the zest of 1 large orange

Add half a cup of unsweetened coconut and stir until all the almonds are coated completely.

Place the mixture on a foil lined baking sheet and place the almonds in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through to prevent burning. While the almonds are in the oven you can mix together the rest of your trail mix. You can basically use whatever you want in your trail mix as long as all your choices are measured out equally. I used one cup of unsweetened dried fruit (blueberries and raisins) one cup of sunflower seeds, and one cup of yogurt chips. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and when the almonds are done, add them to your other choices!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 Tbls agave 
• zest from 1 large orange
• 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup dried fruit (blueberries, cherries, raisins, etc.)
• 1 cup additional nuts or seeds
• 1 cup yogurt chips or chocolate