Continuing the Journey and A Super Healthy & Filling Salad

These past few months life has been super busy, making it hard to find time to blog.  I'm still on my journey to better health...a nibble at a time. ;)  I must admit it was hard to keep at it this winter.  It was such a long, cold and dreary one and there were times that all I cared about was eating for pure enjoyment! :)  Not that eating healthy is not enjoyable. ;)  I will say I did better than I have in winters past...just not as good as I feel I should have.  Now that the sun is shinning I feel energized and motivated to do better.  I want to do everything I can to be healthy for myself and my family. 

Aside from eating healthy I want to start monitoring my daily steps.  I'm not one that loves to exercise, but I love to take walks and breath in the fresh air and sunshine.  They saying walking is just as good for your health as other forms of exercise and that you should shoot for 10,000 steps a day.  Since I have no idea if I'm even close to that I decided to order a fitbit zip to track it for me.  I've wanted one for a while, but couldn't decide if I should get the zip or the fitbit one?  After reading I decided to get the zip.  Besides, the one doesn't come in all the fun colors as the zip. ;)  I also ordered one for my daughter Kara ...so we can track our way to better health together!  If you're interested in learning more about the fitbit you can read about it Here.  If it's as good as they say... I think I will love it.  It monitors your number of steps, distance and calories burned.  It will be interesting to see how I rate on a typical day.  It might be scary! :/  

Now on to a super salad!  I love salads because you can customize with what you like and have on hand.  Salads can be so filling, nutritious, and delicious.  Funny thing is...I used to think of salads as rabbit food... not filling, that they should be fat free or at least low fat.  If you were eating salads for health or weight that's just how they had to be...WRONG!  I'm so glad to learn that that way of thinking is completely wrong.  Now when I think of a salad I think of filling and loaded with healthy fat.  We need fat to keep us going and feeling full.  No more rabbit food! ;)

For this salad I added mixed greens including baby spinach, avocado, tomato, blueberries, raw pumpkin and raw sunflower seeds, black pepper, a sprinkling of turmeric, a squeeze of lemon and a good drizzle of macadamia nut oil.  Normally, I would add a boiled egg, but I didn't have one ready to go.  

  The avocado, seeds and oil are loaded with healthy fats to keep me feeling full.  Blueberries are a good source of antioxidants.  Turmeric is a super spice with many health benefits.  I try to incorporate it as much as I can.  I rate macadamia nut oil high on my list of healthy oils.  Coconut is one of my favorite.  However, unlike coconut oil, macadamia nut oil does not solidify when cool so it's perfect to drizzle on your salad.  

I really need to work on some healthy salad dressing recipes.  My problem with most bottled dressing at the store is... all the unhealthy ingredients added to them.  It's the unhealthy oils such as canola and the high fructose corn syrup, etc.  If you have a favorite healthy salad dressing recipe...please share. :)

I hope to find some extra time to blog and will try to get some recipes posted, soon!