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5 Tips FOR KEEPING YOUR RESOLUTIONS

12/28/2018

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In less than a week, we’ll be ringing in the New Year. And with that comes the things we want to start doing (and maybe some things we want to stop doing) in the year to come. Here are some tips that can help keep you on the road to success:

  1. Be Realistic - Having high expectations for yourself is great, but most goals require behavioral changes, and if they need too much change too fast, it’s going to be hard to stick with. Think baby steps and make small changes.

  2. Don’t Let Setbacks Shut You Down - So you had a resolution relapse - that isn’t a reason to give up. Think about your forward momentum and remember that even if you’re taking two steps forward, one step back, that’s still further than you were before.

  3. Get a Friend or Group Involved - If your resolution is exercise related, a workout buddy or group can help you keep commitments. Other types of resolutions can benefit from a support system too, whether it’s friends that ask about your progress or a doctor or medical professional helping to guide you and provide check-ins.

  4. Celebrate Small Victories - Setting milestones helps gauge success and keeps your action plan moving along. You’ll know how far you have to go still but can also see how far you’ve come!

  5. Imagine What Success Looks/Feels Like - Picture how your life will be when you keep your resolution and let that drive you. Think of how you’ll feel and what people will say when you succeed. Remember how you felt along the way every time you stuck to your plan and strive for continuing that feeling.
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The Tradition of wassail

12/21/2018

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It’s the time of year that you’re likely to hear songs of people proclaiming “here we come a-wassailing”, but if you aren’t sure what that means, we’re here to help.

Wassail is a hot, mulled cider drink whose name comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase “waes hael” which means “good health”. Getting your hands on this beverage was the goal of “wassailing”, which was an English tradition that dates back to the 1600’s.

During wassailing, the less fortunate would travel the streets while singing songs of good cheer and good fortune in the hopes that someone would open up their home to them momentarily for a bite of food, warmth from their hearth, or a hot drink of wassail from their large, silver communal wassail bowl.

Traditional wassail was made of:
• mulled ale
• curdled cream
• roasted apples
• eggs
• cloves
• ginger
• nutmeg
• sugar

Most modern recipes include (but can vary quite a bit):
• apple cider
• orange juice
• pineapple juice
• lemon juice
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• ginger
• cloves
• optional alcohol (brandy, sherry, whiskey, rum)

The modern version of the drink is typically warmed in a crockpot and shared among guests at holiday gatherings, mimicking the large wassail bowls of old but keeping the same spirit of generosity.

SOURCES
https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/wassailing.shtml
http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Holiday06/wassail.cfm

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Benefits of peppermint

12/19/2018

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It’s the time of year where peppermint shows up in food, drinks, and even floating through the air to freshen a room. But is there something more to peppermint’s leaves than minty and festive refreshment? Below are some benefits that can come from peppermint tea and extracts:

  • Digestive upset relief - Peppermint relaxes your digestive system and reduces smooth muscle contraction, which could help avoid gut spasms.
  • Headache and migraine relief - Menthol in peppermint increases bloodflow and relaxes muscles. One study found peppermint oil applied to the forehead and temples helped reduce pain as well.
  • Fresh breath - Peppermint smells nice but also helps kill bacteria like the kinds that cause dental plaque and bad breath.
  • Opens up sinuses - Peppermint’s anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties can help fight clogged sinuses due to allergies or a cold.
  • May improve energy - Peppermint oil was found to improve cognitive abilities and also reduce daytime sleepiness.

SOURCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16767798
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30087294
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30166188
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20931070
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/peppermint-tea

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What's in eggnog?

12/14/2018

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Among all of the “once a year” foods that show during the holidays, festive drinks are a thing too. One of those drinks is eggnog. It’s been around since colonial times (George Washington had a recipe) but today you can buy it premade in a carton. So what’s in eggnog? Here’s what’s in traditional eggnog or what you’ll need if making it yourself:

  1. Egg yolks - the number of yolks varies between recipes, but they’re always there and usually left raw (store-bought eggnog has been pasteurized)
  2. Sugar - usually around a cup for a batch
  3. Whole Milk - one pint of rich whole milk is the foundation for eggnog
  4. Heavy Cream - adding to the richness of the drink even more, heavy cream is added
  5. Bourbon/Rum/Cognac - the choice of liquor, or none at all, is personal preference but a brown spirit of some kind is usually acceptable
  6. Nutmeg - best when freshly ground, nutmeg is added to a glass of eggnog before serving
*Optional - some recipes call for whipped egg whites to be added in, as it opens the drink up a bit and utilizes the whites you have left from separating the yolks

Store-bought eggnog usually swaps the sugar for corn syrup and reduces the amount of egg yolks due to government regulations. There are also additional stabilizers like guar gum and carrageenan added. As you could probably guess, either kind of eggnog is high in calories and fat. A typical 1-cup serving with no alcohol has 343 calories and 19g fat (11g saturated) as well as 50% of your daily value of cholesterol, so enjoy in moderation.

SOURCES
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/eggnog-recipe2-2013745
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-eggnog-made-out-of_n_5a2aaf0ae4b069ec48acbf03
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/55/2

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chestnuts roasting on an open fire

12/12/2018

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If the Christmas spirit has you in the mood to get some chestnuts roasting on an open fire, we’re here to help. The best way to roast chestnuts is actually in your oven and it can make for a fun and delicious holiday tradition.

Be sure that the chestnuts you’re using come to a point on the end - those are called sweet chestnuts and that’s what stores will sell. The round ones you may have seen on the ground outside are horse chestnuts and they’re toxic and don’t taste good. Here are the basic steps needed to get the holiday treat going:

  1. Slice - Slice into the rounded side of the chestnut and go from one end to the other, making sure to go deep enough to cut the shell and the inner skin right under that.
  2. Simmer - Place all of your cut chestnuts into a saucepan and cover with water and bring to a boil.
  3. Roast - Remove the chestnuts from the water once they start to boil. Then put the chestnuts in the oven for around 15 minutes at 425 degrees. The shells should start peeling back.
  4. Steam - Place the now-roasted nuts into a bowl and cover with a towel for 15 minutes. This make them easier to peel.
  5. Peel - Pull on the shell while they’re still warm and the nut inside should break free.
  6. Enjoy!

Chestnuts are high in fiber, copper, B Vitamins, manganese, folate, and thiamin so they're definitely a holiday tradition to feel good about!

SOURCES
https://toriavey.com/how-to/how-to-roast-and-peel-chestnuts/
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3143/2

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Benefits of Green Tea

12/7/2018

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Green tea is one of the few superfoods you can drink and its popularity continues to rise. You can either drink it or take a supplement to reap its benefits. But what are those benefits? Let’s take a look:

  1. Polyphenols reduce inflammation and reduce chances of cancer
  2. Fat burning by increasing fat oxidation, but results vary person-to-person
  3. Kills bacteria such as influenza and can lead to a cleaner mouth and fresher breath
  4. Lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing blood sugar
  5. Reduce risk of cardiovascular disease by improving cholesterol and improving antioxidants in blood
  6. Reduced risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s due to neuron-protecting compounds called catechin
  7. Caffeine and L-theanine increase alertness and have anti-anxiety properties

SOURCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855614/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28864169
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16840650
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23235664

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WHAT ARE CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES?

12/5/2018

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The group of vegetables known as “cruciferous” are named after the Latin word for “crucifix” because of the cross-like shape of their flowers. The term has been gaining popularity because the group’s members are some of the biggest nutritional powerhouses. Here are some of the most popular ones:

Arugula
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collard greens
Kale
Mustard greens
Radishes
Turnips
Watercress

Top Benefits of Cruciferous Vegetables:
  1. Contain cancer-fighting phytonutrients and glucosinolates
  2. Reduce inflammation due to Vitamin K
  3. Regulate blood sugar
  4. Promote weight loss by feeling full longer
  5. Enhance heart health
  6. Promote estrogen balance

SOURCES:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11110848
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11789487
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5408160/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14525683

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    Author

    Amanda is a mother of three (10, 7, and 5) and has been married for 14 years.   My weight loss journey started July 17, 2008, one day after my daughter's first birthday.  Tipping the scales at 235 pounds at 5'3, being an over weight, over tired, out of shape role model no longer appealed to me and I knew it was time for a change.   Three pregnancies later, I had lost a total of 105 pounds.  I had run 2 marathons and dozens of half marathons.  Something was missing.  I was thin, but I wasn't fit.  I wasn't healthy.  I could feel it in my insides.  I was 136 pounds and a size 8.  Something didn't add up.   I got my certification in personal training, nutrition, weight management, and dove into supplementation and whole foods.  90 days later, I gained 10 pounds and lost two pants sizes (8 to a 4). 
     
    Continuing on this path, all of my clients wanted to know how I was doing it.  I always dreamed of creating a business that truly added value to people and improved their health.  My husband, Grant, and I decided it was time to take that leap.

    December 9, 2016, Simply Prepped Meals was born.  Based around the mission of providing whole food based nutrition to people's doorsteps, we set out to create a new idea that fast food didn't have to be expensive or bad for you.   Six months later, we built our permanent location in Cynthiana, IN.  Then, January 2, 2018, we entered into a partnership with the YMCA of Southern Indiana to continue spreading the word of meal prep and eating with purpose. 

    Amanda coaches individually as well as continues to drive their business.  Any questions about personal coaching can be directed to her at amanda@simplypreppedmeals.com

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