Archive for the ‘Lifestyle’ Category

Quinoa, veggies, feta & red wine

I’m not one to cook, but when I do I make this easy & delicious dish! It’s the perfect meal!

Quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, feta, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder & Meiomi red wine.

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Veggie Roll

My absolute favorite go to snack!!!Veggie roll made with rice paper, lettuce, avocado, carrot & cucumber. So healthy and tasty! 😋

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Food, Health, Lifestyle

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Girard Red Wine

When your friends invite you over for a drink…and you get your very own favorite bottle of wine with a straw! 🍷🍷🍷🍷😃😘😉

#ThatsWhatFriendsAreFor

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Entertainment, Lifestyle

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Want to Get Fit? 4 Secrets for a Successful You!

Want to Get Fit? 4 Secrets for a Successful You!
BY PATRICIA KARA

When it comes to health and fitness, I thought I would be the last person to give anybody advice. For years, my bodyweight yo-yoed and I would fluctuate anywhere from 10 to 25 pounds above what was considered healthy. I am a Greek girl from Chicago, so I love food like pizza, burgers, pasta, and sandwiches. Everything was always about food and to a large degree, it still is for me. Thankfully, food is a part of my life in a much different way than it used to; a healthy way.

In addition to my unhealthy eating habits, I have always found it difficult to get into a consistent workout routine. I could sometimes fight my food issues by working my butt off, literally, but it would never last and I could never find a workout that kept me coming back for more. Often times, I would start a regimen and then I would get lazy, disinterested, or a combination and all of my work would go down the drain. Couple that with the food I was eating and my 10 to 25 pound estimate from earlier makes a lot more sense!

The general assumption from people about me is that, because of what I do for a living in the entertainment industry, I am naturally fit. I am always told how easy it must be for me to stay in shape and eat all the right things. Let me tell you all, keeping fit takes work, A LOT of work, but the key is sticking with it and conditioning yourself so that it does not FEEL like work.

1. A few extra steps each day…

As an illustration of what I am talking about, years ago, when I moved to New York City, I started trying my best to walk to everything. The island of Manhattan is pretty dense, so if I gave myself enough time, I could almost always find a way to hoof it. I did whatever I had to in order to avoid taking the bus, the train, or even a cab. I would make it a point to take the stairs instead of the elevator. These types of adjustments to my daily routine changed my approach to exercising and, in turn, changed my life.

Since those days in New York, I have become an avid power walker. But now that I live in Los Angeles, things have gotten a bit more challenging. People in Los Angeles drive everywhere, even if it is only a few blocks away. The automobile is a way of life and leaving my car keys at home takes a lot more dedication. I would have a hard time telling you how often people look at me as though I have two heads when I tell them I walked to meet them. But it is surprising that when you put your mind to it and keep telling yourself that you can do it that habits become instincts.

Just like my adjustments to life in the New York, I have had to adjust to how spread out Los Angeles is geographically. While I have even amazed myself with how far my feet can take me, there are plenty of times where walking is not practical. In those cases when I need to cross town or cover the bulk of the mileage on four tires, I will always park a bit further away to get in some extra steps. When possible, I will park a few blocks away, instead of using the valet or the parking garage. Just read those parking signs, because those tickets can be more expensive than a gym membership if you are not careful!

I had to learn that exercise is different for every individual, and the things that work for others did not mean they would work for me. Just like my instinct to walk, I try to encourage people to find as many ways as possible to keep moving throughout the day. Eventually you will find your thing, and once you do, stick with it. The more you enjoy what you are doing, the more motivated and inclined you will become to keep on doing it.

2. Start with small changes.

After all these years of fighting my bad habits with food and exercise, it became obvious to me that both subjects required the same type of adjustments for me to finally to successfully change. I had to start out slow, make simple changes, and then stick with those basic adjustments until they made way for bigger changes.

I substituted day after day of unhealthy food for one cheat day a week. I started getting up and making sure that I would walk at least 10 minutes and stretch each morning. The next thing I knew, it would be a month in between cheat days and I was walking 5 miles every morning. I got some small hand weights and, in between my post-walk stretches, I would do some simple weight exercises. I found myself forming good habits without even thinking about it and, most importantly, I liked every minute of it!

Now, I do not want to fool anyone into thinking that I never slipped up and got away from my routine. I had my bad days, my sore days, my overindulgent days, my binge days; but the key was that I would always push myself to get back on track. As soon as I would drag myself outside, or push away from the table, I was amazed how much better it made me feel. I started to feel the positive reinforcement that came from a healthy lifestyle and I LOVED IT!

3. Don’t be afraid to mix it up.

One secret that I used to keep myself from falling off the wagon was variety. At first I would make sure that I walked different routes and while I was out, I would find new restaurants to help inspire me to try new healthy foods. I would spend extra time walking the aisles of the grocery store and seeing what foods I could add to my diet for a change. I would vary my stretches and do different weight exercises after my walks. Sometimes, I would add music or check out the scenery to see if there where good spots to take pictures along my route. The key was that I would avoid getting bored or feeling too much like I was in any kind of rut.

Rainy days would give me the opportunity to do jumping jacks or jump rope. The summer would take me to the beach or find a waterfall. The winter would give me a chance to hike in the hills. I would vary my diet with the seasons too and try to keep up with the freshest and healthiest foods depending on the time of year. Eventually these types of changes also became instinctual and now they happen without me even thinking about it.

4. Stop comparing yourself to others. Instead, find what’s right for YOU!

Another secret for me was that I stopped comparing myself to anyone else. If my motivations, habits and interests were my own, there was no way I was going to try and settle for the image someone else created. I wanted to be myself and I wanted to be proud of all my hard work. Getting inspiration from others is one thing, but trying to live up to others is a totally different ballgame.

I would turn to my closet and try on my clothes. If I liked the way that my clothes fit and the way they looked on me in the mirror, then I knew that I was on the right track. When things got tight, or something did not fit the way it did a month ago, I knew it was time to push myself a little harder.

The other problem I found with trying to look like someone else is that results take time. I knew that if I tried to compare myself to someone who may have been more dedicated or working harder and longer was not fair to me. As long as I focused on what made me happy and made me feel good, I knew that I could not go wrong. I had to be dedicated, but I had to be dedicated to me, and only me.

It has been a long road to get to where I am now. I still struggle at times and have my setbacks. But I have been working at this for such a long time and I have enjoyed so many positive moments along the way that it only takes a little time to reflect on those memories to inspire me to get back on track. I know that I will never be perfect, but as long as I keep looking up and pushing myself to be the best me that I can be, I will always be happy, healthy and motivated to keep improving.

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Fitness, Food, Health, Lifestyle

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10 Easy Ways to Eat Better Every Day

BY PATRICIA KARA

My husband used to be a big guy. I mean, a really big guy. He grew up playing football, and after he was done playing and did not need to be so big anymore, he lost over 100 pounds.

I found out a lot of this as we were getting to know each other and I always wondered how he could be so disciplined to lose all that weight, when I have trouble losing 5 to 10 pounds. REALLY, what is up with that???

The first couple of years we were dating, I would eat tons of chocolate, burgers, pizza or steaks while he would eat salads, fish and fruit for dessert. FRUIT FOR DESSERT, are you serious! What is wrong with this picture? Isn’t the guy supposed to eat more than the girl? Come on; he is over twice my size!

I knew I needed to get better about my eating habits, but I also knew I did not want to sacrifice my enjoyment of food. I just did not think there was any joy in eating salads or what would typically be considered “healthy” food. Healthy eating was boring to me and I had made it a habit to eat a certain way. So, I had to learn to break that habit.

I found out it takes discipline, but once you find some different ways to make eating right as enjoyable as eating wrong, it gets easier. There are a lot of ways to make the right choices at home and at restaurants, but here are a few of my favorite tips and examples to change how you eat for the better:

1. Add some variety to your salads

Salads can be pretty boring on their own, so give your taste buds reasons not to focus on the lettuce. Mix in other veggies, spices, and fruits to add textures and some kick to the boring old green stuff. I like a little crunch with some peppers, apples, and carrots. Just stay away from croutons! Another great salad trick: keep the dressing on the side. I like my salads with red wine vinegar, but if you get a more traditional dressing, just dip your fork into it every couple bites and it will do the trick for your taste buds.

2. Watch out for hidden sugar

Stay away from anything cream based and watch out for sugar. Things like soup and granola may seem healthy and good for your diet, but a lot of times they can be packed with tons of empty calories because they are made with heavy cream and lots of sugar.

3. Load up on veggies

Eat as many veggies as you like and do not be afraid to dip them in a little hummus to add some extra flavor. Veggies are great to snack on and carry with you in a plastic bag in case you get the munchies.

4. Water between bites

Drink water between every bite. The water will help hydrate you, fill you up, and the extra time will help your body realize it is getting full. A lot of times, hunger pangs are our body’s way of saying we are thirsty, NOT hungry.

5. Lemon time!

Add lemon or lime to your food to add a little flavor (veggies/chicken/fish)…it does not just make things taste better, it makes you thirsty and keeps you drinking that water while you eat!

6. Spice up your meal

Spices add some kick to your dishes, and the hot ones like cayenne pepper or red paper flakes make you feel full and again, make you want to keep drinking that water.

7. Potato swap

Try eating sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. Baked or roasted, sweet potatoes will make you feel full longer and can be a nice healthy starch to add to your diet.

8. Plan ahead for restaurants

Do not be afraid to ask for what you want when you eat in a restaurant. Asking to make a substitution or to eliminate something you know is not good for you can keep you from feeling guilty and help you enjoy your meal that much more. If you know where you are going to eat, take a look at the menu in advance online. Make game plan for your meal and stick to it. This will keep you from making an unhealthy and impulsive decision at the table.

9. Small portions and snacks

Eat several smaller portion meals and snacks consistently throughout the day. This will help to keep your blood sugar level and fight off those hunger pangs.

10. Give yourself a cheat day!

Do not deprive yourself of your favorites, just do not overindulge. A cheat day can be a good habit to mix into your routine. It is never a bad thing to reward yourself for all your hard work. Just be careful, part of the deal is that you have to get back on track the next day.

On top of these simple adjustments to your diet, another way to adjust your eating habits is to mix in activity and movement. Sometimes taking a break from your work and walking around for a bit will prevent you from going to the fridge or binging on that candy bar. If you are still hungry after your walk, at least you earned your snack with a few calorie burning steps!

It’s amazing how just a few simple changes in what you are eating can make you feel so much better. Trust me ladies, I still have my cravings, especially when I am PMS-ing! But now I choose not to overdo it, and believe it or not, I have gotten myself to the point that when I do lose control, I lose control with something healthy!

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Food, Health, Lifestyle

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Greek Yogurt – Creative Snack Recipes

One of my articles on the Modern Mom website…..

BY PATRICIA KARA

Growing up Greek we always had Mom’s homemade yogurt in the fridge, usually eaten with a bit of honey.

Here are some other variations of yogurt snacks, meals and substitutions:

Sour Cream Switch

Yogurt can be your secret weapon against unnecessary fat and calories. Substitute yogurt for sour cream, whipped cream, and mayonnaise when you are cooking at home. You might not even notice the difference it tastes so good!

Spicy Dip

Mix a couple tablespoons of Greek yogurt, one tablespoon of hummus, a dash or two of cayenne pepper and a tablespoon hot sauce (amounts can vary based on your tolerance). It is a great dip for cold or hot veggies.

Sweet Breakfast

Mix a cup of Greek yogurt or skim milk, a cup of oatmeal, a half cup of bran cereal, a tablespoon of ground flax seed, a dash of cinnamon and a little sugar free sweetener or sugar free maple syrup. It can be a power packed breakfast to start your day or a great dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Craving Chocolate?

To get your chocolate fix, without all the calories of a candy bar, combine one cup of Greek yogurt with two tablespoons of Hershey’s Cocoa powder (amount can vary to taste), add two teaspoons of sugar free sweetener (amount can very to taste), mix it up well and you have some delicious “chocolate pudding”.

Dessert Delight!

If you prefer something a little colder for your sweet tooth…try mixing a cup of Greek yogurt, a cup of berries (any berry frozen or fresh), a half cup bran cereal (for some crunch), a little sugar free sweetener. This will definitely help your ice cream sundae craving!

For a slight variation of my last one and to help out on those warm summer days, try mixing some chopped up fresh fruit with Greek yogurt. Stir it up well, seal the container tight, and put it in your freezer for an hour. You just made a nice scoop-able treat for you and your family!

ENJOY!!!

*Another great addition is almonds to the Sweet Breakfast, Chocolate Yogurt & Dessert Delight.

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