I am, however, a fan of measurements.  This can be done not only on the scale, but also with a tape measure and dress size.  Many people get confused about measurements.  Waist and hip measurements seem to be the most difficult.  You want to make sure you have accurate measurements not only for results, but also so that when you return the next week you are measuring the same place.

Here is a photo, and brief description, of what areas of you body you should be measuring.

Speaking of awkward pose…

The blurred out groin area would be my favorite bit.

Okay, Okay… FOCUS!

You want to measure your:

Neck

Shoulders

Chest

Arms (About midway from shoulder blade to elbow… generally the biggest part of the bicep)

Waist (Where your ribs end or the tiniest part between chest and hips)

Hips (This is usually the most difficult one because the majority of us just don’t want to know the truth, but the “hips” are really more of the “bum.”  You want the largest (yes, sadly, the largest) area where your bum is protruding… “protruding” feels like an awkward word.)

Thigh (Just below the bum… again, sadly, the largest area of your thigh.)

Calf (People often recommend measuring this while sitting if you are doing it yourself and standing if someone else is measuring you.)

Hope this helps some of you get the most accurate results.  These measurements can often be far less frustrating than the scale so I think it will be useful for many of you!

1: Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? Closed

2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? Yes, I hoard everything! (I’m a secret kleptomaniac.)

3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? IN!

4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before? A street sign? No.

5: Do you like to use post-it notes? LOVE THEM!!!

6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? No, I don’t coupon in any way.  Although, I’m obsessed with online coupon codes… I refuse to pay shipping.

7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? Hmm… I’m allergic by to bees, so I’ll go with the bear.

8: Do you have freckles? I did when I was younger but they sort of disappeared… strange?

9: Do you always smile for pictures? Yes, I think a nice smile makes you look younger!

10: What is your biggest pet peeve? OMG! I have slight OCD so I have many pet peeves.  I HATE when people microwave something and they take the food out before all the time is up and then don’t press “clear” so the microwave goes back to the clock.  I have many more weird quirky annoyances!

11: Do you ever count your steps when you walk? No, but I can’t step on the grates on the street, especially the big scary ones like in NYC and Chicago.

12: Have you ever peed in the woods? I don’t think I’ve ever really been “in the woods,” so no.

13: What about pooped in the woods? See above.

14: Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing? Yes, in my head I think I am a prima ballerina.

15: Do you chew your pens and pencils? Probably.

16: How many people have you slept with this week? Is this a joke?

17: What size is your bed? It’s a queen.

18: What is your Song of the week? “I’m Glad You Came” by The Wanted.

19: Is it okay for guys to wear pink? Yuppers.

20: Do you still watch cartoons? Only the Pixar movies.

21: Whats your least favorite movie? “The Maltese Falcon” …Shoot me!

22: Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? My closet.  That’s where I keep all my treasures.

23: What do you drink with dinner? Water.

24: What do you dip a chicken nugget in? Honey. Yes, honey. (I am, however, obsessed with dipping.  I also love ranch and honey mustard.)

25: What is your favorite food? Fries and anything with sugar, especially ice cream, frozen yogurt, brownies, macaroons, cookies, and cupcakes from Crumbs.

26: What movies could you watch over and over and still love? “Love Actually”

27: Last person you kissed/kissed you? My mummy

28: Were you ever a boy/girl scout? Yes, I was a girl scout.

29: Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? Maybe if it was for Vogue or something classy, but no, you won’t see me in Playboy anytime soon.

30: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? Probably about two months ago I wrote my friend a “congrats on the new job” card.

31: Can you change the oil on a car? No, but I’ve changed a windshield wiper and the washer fluid… Does that count?

32: Ever gotten a speeding ticket? Nope.

33: Ever ran out of gas? NO! This is one of my biggest phobia’s.  I fill up my tank when it is a quarter of a tank because I freak!

34: Favorite kind of sandwich? I don’t like sandwiches, except for PB&J and grilled cheese.

35: Best thing to eat for breakfast? Eggs! Whenever I eat eggs for breakfast I find that I don’t eat as much throughout the day.

36: What is your usual bedtime? I have insomnia so it depends… Sometimes its 12 am and sometimes its 4 am.

37: Are you lazy? No, I have big dreams, but I work best under pressure so sometimes I procrastinate.

38: When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? The Little Mermaid.

39: What is your Chinese astrological sign? Dragon.

40: How many languages can you speak? Ahh… I obviously speak (try to speak) English.  My second best language would be Spanish, but I am not fluent.  I can also say basic things in French and Afrikaans.

41: Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Yes, Cooking Light, Food Network, Allure, and I have Fitness on my iPad.

42: Which are better legos or lincoln logs? None of the above…BARBIE!!

43: Are you stubborn? Yes, sadly I always have to be right and I am a “tell it like it is” kinda gal…

44: Who is better…Leno or Letterman? Again, none of the above.  I prefer Jimmy Kimmel or Chelsea Handler.

45: Ever watch soap operas? Unfortunately, I’ve seen “All My Children.”

46: Are you afraid of heights? Sometimes.

47: Do you sing in the car? No.

48: Do you sing in the shower? No.

49: Do you dance in the car? No.

50: Ever used a gun? Not yet, but I’d like to go to a shooting range.

51: Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? High school.

52: Do you think musicals are cheesy? No.

53: Is Christmas stressful? No, it’s my favorite holiday!

54: Ever eat a pierogi? I am from Chicago… the homeland of all Polish people outside of Poland.  So, yes, I’ve had many!!

55: Favorite type of fruit pie? I don’t like pie or any warm dessert.

56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? I wanted to be a referee. I think I saw the Superbowl and thought that the microphone and everyone having to listen to you would be a nice gig.

57: Do you believe in ghosts? Yes.

58: Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? Sometimes.

59: Take a vitamin daily? No… eeks!

60: Wear slippers? No.

61: Wear a bath robe? Yes, I have a short one and a longer one, both from Victoria’s Secret and both are pink.

62: What do you wear to bed? Sweats that usually have “Penn State” written all over them… real glam!

63: First concert? Ahh, sadly it was Billy Ray Cyrus (I was 5) …Achy Breaky Heart is AMAZE, don’t lie to yourself.

64: Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? TEAM TARGET!

65: Nike or Adidas? Nike for clothes and Adidas for sneakers.

66: Cheetos Or Fritos? Cheetos, especially the jalepeno ones.

67: Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? Peanuts, but I do love sunflower seeds on salads.

68: Ever hear of the group Tres Bien? No?

69: Ever take dance lessons? Yes, I took a ballet/tumbling class.

70: Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? No.

71: Can you curl your tongue? Yes.

72: Ever won a spelling bee? When I was younger I was terrified of having to stand up in front of everyone at a spelling bee so I would always make it to the final round in class and then throw the competition LOL!

73: Have you ever cried because you were so happy? Yes, I’ve cried when I was surprised by someone or something.

74: Own any record albums? We have some lying around the house somewhere.

75: Own a record player? Personally? No.

76: Regularly burn incense? NO! I hate that kind of stuff because it gives me extreme asthma.

77: Ever been in love? Yes.

78: Who would you like to see in concert? Katy Perry, Train, Michael Buble, The Wanted, The Fray… I’m obsessed with music so I would like to see loads of people!

79: What was the last concert you saw? Backstreet Boys in high school.

80: Hot tea or cold tea? Iced tea.

81: Tea or coffee? STARBUCKS!

82: Sugar or snickerdoodles? Sugar cookies.

83: Can you swim well? I can swim well in a pool, but in fresh water or anything with waves, no.

84: Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? Yes.

85: Are you patient? NO!

86: DJ or band, at a wedding? Both can get extremely corny.

87: Ever won a contest? Yes, I won a contest at a Hello Kitty store in like 7th grade

88: Ever have plastic surgery? No.

89: Which are better black or green olives? Green olives stuffed with blue cheese or garlic. (Just don’t eat this before a date.)

90: Can you knit or crochet? I can knit.

91: Best room for a fireplace? Family room.

92: Do you want to get married? Yes, but I am not one of those girls that DREAMS about all that kind of stuff.

93: If married, how long have you been married? N/A

94: Who was your HS crush? I believe it was Freddie Ljungberg… the soccer player.

95: Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? Sometimes. Okay, okay… often.

96: Do you have kids? No.

97: Do you want kids? Yes.

98: Whats your favorite color? Green.

99: Do you miss anyone right now? My friends.

100: If you think of a question write it down below and maybe I will answer it

Condiments have a bad rap.  People think they are full of nutrition’s biggest nemesis… sugar.  The truth is, many of them are filled will big-time offenders like HFCS, but others will add a punch of flavor to otherwise boring healthy foods… like lettuce.  I’ve compiled this list, that I’ve dubbed “Taylie’s Top 5 Condiments,” to give you an idea of some of my favorite items I ALWAYS have in the cabinet/fridge.  I will probably do a video on this in the future showing you a few specific brands and products that I love, but here are a few general favorites you can use to spice up your foodie life… roar!

1.) Mustard

Mustard can be hit-or-miss for a lot of people.  If you aren’t a major fan, I suggest you experiment with a different variety.  Mustard comes in all shapes and sizes, so don’t be too prejudice… just give it another go!  I love dijon or grainy French mustards for making dressings.  Honey mustard is great for sandwiches!

2.) Oil

Olive oil used to be a dieters best friend, but now there a lot of oil’s on the market that have many added health benefits as well.  If you are bored with the usual EVOO, other great alternatives include coconut oil (really great for baking) and grape seed oil.  I am also obsessed with infused oils… garlic, butter, I’ve even found a pizza oil filled with red pepper flakes!  Flavored oils can enhance any veggie or meat!

3.) Hot Sauce

Sriracha (pictured above) is one of my favorites.  It’s a super spicy Thai sauce that I often add to stir-fry’s.  I also love chili oil, which I add a teaspoon of to rice while it’s cooking…  perfect for spicy fried rice!  Other great hot sauces include: Frank’s Red Hot, blackened type seasonings, and Tapatio (a less vinegary version of Tabasco.)  The best part is that all of these can be found in your local grocery store, just start exploring the Asian and Hispanic aisles.

4.) Honey

Oh honey, this is probably my favorite condiment.  I swear I was a honey bear in a former life.  I primarily rely on this to sweeten food and beverages.  I don’t believe in artificial sweeteners as you all know, I don’t even use Stevia because I have found conflicting research on it.  I stick to honey (or grade b maple syrup) generally.  You don’t need to just use clover honey, raw honey also has many healthy benefits.  Make sure, however, to buy good quality honey because cheaper versions are often fake.

5.) Vinegar’s

As with oil, vinegar’s are often flavored.  I love the usually suspects, balsamic and apple cider, but if you do some exploring around speciality stores, like Crate & Barrel or Sur La Table, you can find more exotic flavors.  I have found this amazing organic serrano vinegar… a little sour and spice goes a long way!  I also love honey vinegar, which is often available at Whole Food’s and Sur La Table.  Do some exploring, not just for pre-made versions, but also for recipes.  Making your own infused vinegars is a great, and often cheaper, alternative.

Vega is a plant-based superfood than can be added to water alone or used it in a variety of shakes, smoothies, and recipes.  It is completely vegan and void of common allergens.  As mentioned in my video, I much prefer this to whey.  I feel it has so many more nutrients than the average protein powder.  The  berry flavor is by far my favorite.  I haven’t had much luck with the vanilla chai as of yet.  It definitely has a different taste than you are used to, but with the recipe below you will barely notice a thing.  I highly recommend this product if you are looking for a quick recovery drink post-workout.

You by no means need to be a vegan or vegetarian to gain the benefits from this product.  I always advise people to lean into a lifestyle.  I am not a vegan or vegetarian myself, but I apply those lifestyles into my nutrition routine.  I don’t eat meat or dairy at every meal or even every day.  It keeps your body guessing and your brain from boredom when you try new flavors.  Plus, I don’t know anyone who would rather feel sluggish and fill their body with artificial ingredients over feeling vibrant and getting extra plant-based foods into their system.

I love this recipe for people that are newbies to adding supplements to your smoothies.  I only added one tablespoon of Vega and you can build up the more you get used to the product.

Berrmelony Smoothie

4 oz. watermelon juice (this is often found in hispanic sections, sometimes labeled as “aguas frescas”)

4 oz. coconut water

1 TBS Vega One – Berry

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup ice

NOTE: You may need to add more liquid or more ice depending on your blender and the consistency you prefer.

Let me know if you’ve tried this product!  Any favorite recipes?

Enjoy xx

INGREDIENTS:

Eggs – I vary the eggs depending on what mood I am in and how many portions I am making.  Usually, I use 2 eggs whites or 1 whole egg + 1 egg white, for about 4-5 smaller pieces of toast or 3 larger ones.

1/4 cup skim milk

1 TBS honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Whole wheat bread (bread that has gone a bit stale works even better with this recipe)

Cinnamon - Use to your own discretion

INSTRUCTIONS:

- Whisk all the ingredients together in tupperware large enough to lay the toast in and not splatter everywhere.

- Dip the bread in the mixture.  Give the bread at least 30 seconds on each side to soak.

- In my recent video, I used the Cuisinart griddle to cook the toast on, but normally I use a frying pan.  I use a bit of unsalted butter, you may have to add more butter as you flip the bread or if you add more pieces.  You don’t want soggy French Toast so allow a good 3-4 minutes each side.  You can take a peak at the toast as it is cooking.  Notice when it starts to turn color and if it gets a bit crisper in texture…. then flip and voila!

** I serve this with Grade B maple syrup, because it has additional nutrients.  I also like the fresh touch of strawberries.  Many people add almond butter and a drizzle of honey for extra protein as well!!

Make it your own… Promise it is DELISH!

For video instructions, you can watch my latest video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB5UrUxueL4

In my recent video, “How to Reduce Muscle Soreness,” I mentioned chocolate milk is a great way to refuel your body post-workout.  I could practically hear the shrieks from all of you behind your computer screen!  This doesn’t mean you need to go out to the grocery store and start guzzling gallons of milk and bottles of chocolate.  After closely inspecting the bottle of Hershey’s syrup we have lying around the house, I found that the first two ingredients were high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup.  That doesn’t work for my lifestyle!

I did some research online and found a few recipes for homemade chocolate syrup and added my own spin to reduce the sugar and boost the flavonoid content.  I like to keep my recipes simple, because I know more of you are willing to follow them if it doesn’t take much time or require a lot of ingredients.

Let the fight for who can lick the spoon begin…

1/2 cup hot water + 2 tsp instant espresso coffee

1/2 cup unsweetented cocoa powder

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 TBS vanilla extract

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (these contain 70% cocoa) 

DIRECTIONS:

- Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan over low heat. I had my electric stovetop set at 3-3.5

(Burning chocolate is not only a crime, but it also tastes horrible… like worse than the popcorn jellybean’s kinda bad!)

- Continuously whisk till the ingredients are nice and smooth.

I store my chocolate sauce in one of these “Ball” glass containers.  It does thicken up when stored in the refrigerator.  You can always place it in the microwave if need be.  Remember, this isn’t the chocolate milk you grew up with as a child.  It has a richer flavor from the dark chocolate.  It also isn’t as sweet because we decreased the sugar content significantly.

Great for post-workout refueling, the kids, and the occasional cheeky bit of ice cream.

Well, slow down there!  There are a few contingencies.  As with any health discovery, you have to read the fine print.  First, this actually isn’t that new of a study.  My Alma Mater, Penn State University, has done a lot of research on this topic.  An entire article was written about it in Shape magazine in October!  (You can read that HERE)

This article states that cocoa extracts impact that activity of an enzyme that aids in digesting fat and carbohydrates.  The more pure the cocoa extract is, the greater the impact it has on the enzyme.  In laymen’s terms, this means the more chocolate you eat the more your body can breakdown fat and carbs.  The less fat and carbs that get absorbed in your digestive track, basically means that it won’t end up in your bloodstream and to eventually get stored as fat!

The most recent article in The New York Times, states that the antioxidants from chocolate may affect our metabolic rate.  Many studies have found that chocolate can lower blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, improve cholesterol and insulin regulation.  Here is where my problem with labeling this “The Chocolate Diet” comes in, this study makes it quite clear that it is not about the amount of chocolate eaten but the frequency.  The study showed that there was a five to seven pound difference between those who didn’t eat chocolate at all and those who ate five servings a week.

People often hear the catchy title and get excited too quickly.  This is not a chocolate free for all.  Notice I mentioned pure cocoa extract.  Unfortunately, many American candy companies remove the flavonoids and antioxidants from their chocolate to make it more addictive.  Don’t think this give you permission to hit the check-out line and start going hog wild.  This is high quality chocolate we are talking about.  The more natural and the higher percentage of cocoa it contains the better.

Did you know that cocoa (particularly, unprocessed cocoa powder) has more antioxidants in it than blueberries, green tea, and red wine?

Do you eat chocolate frequently?  Notice a difference when you restrict yourself? Let me know what you think!

First, I just want to say that it was much easier than I thought.  I am going to fully admit that I am a recovering sugar addict!  That is the main reason I decided to go unprocessed.  It was becoming too much of a good thing.  I have the tendency to get very faint.  I’ve even blacked-out on occasion… scary, I know!  I was tested for hypoglycemia and basically the doctor’s know nothing.  Add that to my 139,383 reasons why I believe in prevention and natural medicine more than I trust those in the medical field.

The second reason I went unprocessed was due to my complexion… vanity rules again ladies!  I’ve always had normal/sensitive skin.  I would have the occasion spot every few months, but nothing major.  Then… a complexion that looks like it belongs on a Proactive commercial hit me like a ton of bricks (ok, slight over exaggeration, but it’s me we are talking to here.)  It will be a year in May that I’ve been dealing with this issue, and let’s just say I am fed up.

I want to make it clear that in no way, shape, or form do I think one week is enough time to give you accurate results.  The human body usually needs about 21 days to sort of reorganize itself.  That is why many detoxing products or programs begin with the words ” 21 days.”  I just want to keep everyone up-t0-date during my journey and here is my feedback…

So far, I am really not that impressed.  My skin has actually gotten worse, but I am telling myself that is because the “toxins” are working their way out of your body (basically… when all else fails, just lie to yourself!)  I did feel quite sluggish this week.  I didn’t workout at all because I needed to deal with one problem at a time.  This should explain why I only lost .4 lbs… yeah, there is a point in front of that 4.  I didn’t intend for this to be a dramatic weight-loss plan.  I did it, as previously stated, to overhaul my body and balance everything from my mind to my skin.

The positive points you ask?  Taking a step back from what you feel dependent on really makes you put things into perspective.  I was the girl that ate a meal and felt I immediately needed something sweet or I would just die! (Stomps feet, tantrum, pandemonium…)  Once I stopped eating packaged foods I realized I don’t need sugar or coffee (I also didn’t have Starbucks, until today) as much as I thought.  I also realized that if I do ever want sugar, that I am REALLY going to have sugar.  By this I mean, so many packaged foods that you would never guess have some form of sugar in them.  For instance, chicken broth has cane sugar in it!  I don’t need to be mindlessly eating whole grain Goldfish washed down with Coke, and I can make due with veggie broth instead of chicken.  By eliminating all the things I don’t really need I would feel less badly about the occasion cupcake.

People always say, including myself, that diet is 80% of being fit, but for me fitness is always first.  I think people really have to listen to their bodies and learn how we each individually work.  Earlier today, I was thinking about what I was going to say in this post, when I realized that it was around the same time I had to stop working out, due to my foot injury, that I also started to see breakouts.  For quite some time I have been blaming poor diet.  Logically, however, it makes sense.  Exercise reduces stress and stress happens to be the largest cause of acne, amongst other things.

There are few other topics of interest regarding this sort of unprocessed lifestyle, but I will save those for another post.  What kind of diet works for you? Answer my poll bellow!