Epcot's Food & Wine Festival

Bonjour! I just returned from three trips around the world in one day.  Amazing!  Last week I was lucky enough to get a free ticket to Epcot's Food & Wine Festival from Shelly Ballestero.  She was sweet to think of the T-Tapp staffers and all the hard work we put in at the last two Retreats this year, and thought we needed a day to enjoy and have fun together.  Teresa gave us a 1/2 day off paid, and we took a quick trip over to Orlando for the day. Thank you Shelly and Teresa!

Forgive me for the delay in blog posts.  I had about 275 photos from my day at Epcot.  Lots of editing!  And I've been feeling under the weather these past few days too...

I was starving by the time we arrived.  First stop for me was Greece where I picked up this yummy chicken soulvaki.

Hola, Puerto Rico!  My next stop...

This was the most amazing Chicken and Rice Soup!  Perfect for a cool rainy day.

Then on to Mexico...

I spotted the Day of the Dead skulls pretty quickly.  Would have bought one if they weren't $30.00 each!

And more Day of the Dead skeletons on the Mexico ride...

Here's Norway...

 And France...

I ate this cheese ravioli in Italy.

And drank some South African wine.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Blue Cheese from America... just about the ONLY veggies in the whole place.

And a Purple Haze beer.

Epcot was celebrating 15 years of their Food & Wine Festival.

Soda from China is TOO sweet.

I had a few bites of Jen's sweet pretzel.

Epcot is beautiful at night...

I got home just before midnight with soggy feet and frizzy hair.  We walked about 5+ miles and my legs were feeling it.  What a great day with the T-Tapp staffers!

Au revoir!

Nature's Food Patch Makeover

Since I was a little girl I've been going to Nature's Food Patch with my mom.  I remember when the store was on Cleveland closer to Highland Avenue in a much smaller location.  Then they moved to their current spot years ago and have recently done a total store-wide makeover!  This place is truly amazing now and really competes on the same level as The Fresh Market and Whole Foods Market.

Nature's Food Patch
1225 Cleveland Street
Clearwater, FL 33755-4908
(727) 443-6703

I stopped at NFP after my morning appointment for a quick bite to eat.  As soon as I walked through the door I was blown away with how different the store looked!  Love the floors, colors and large variety of delicious, healthy foods.

I could literally LIVE in this store!  Give me a sleeping bag, tent and lock me in... I'll stay for days, weeks even!

I'm lucky that I only stopped for lunch because I could seriously do some damage to my bank account in that store.  Their hot and salad bars are amazing, and I love their deli section with freshly made personal servings -- great for lunch!

I picked out a cup of sweet potato and veggie soup, California Surprise Wrap (on whole wheat - 100% veggie), roasted sweet potatoes, tabbouleh (mine is way better), a few Emergen-C packets and a bottle of eVamor alkaline water.


So far this week...
I have not worked out this since Saturday, have lots of house work to do, blogging to catch up on and sleep that my body craves.  For the past two days we ate homemade mac and cheese -- made with brown rice gluten-free macaroni, Cabot extra sharp cheddar and organic milk.  I'm back drinking coffee too... homemade and Starbucks.  Although I do not like the SB workers around here -- only the employees at the Clearwater Mall location are nice and happy to serve customers, so I'll be making more coffee at home instead.  I plan to get back on track with my workouts and healthy habits this week.  T'appy Holidays starts on November 7th!

Off to bed...

Au revoir!

Ezekiel Whole Grain Flourless Tortillas

Have you heard of Ezekiel Whole Grain Flourless Tortillas?  Now you have!  These things are amazing.  They may look like ordinary soft tortilla shells, but are SO much better!!  The nutrition is incredible -- each shell is only 130 calories, but is a complete protein with fiber and no added fat.  Plus since they're flourless AND sprouted, it's like eating a whole food... almost like a veggie!  Ezekiel products can be found in the freezer section, and it's recommended to keep them frozen at home until you're ready to use them too.  The wraps are especially easy and filling, great for any meal!

Inspired by the Holy Scripture verse "Take also unto thee Wheat and Barley and Beans and Lentils and Millet and Spelt and put them in one vessel and make bread of it." - EZEKIEL 4:9

INGREDIENTS: Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Unhulled Sesame Seeds, Organic Sprouted Whole Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Whole Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Millet, Organic Sprouted Whole Lentils, Organic Sprouted Whole Spelt, Sea Salt.

= YUMMY!






Here are a few ways I like to eat Ezekiel Wraps...

Tonight's Giant Turkey Taco.

Breakfast Wrap with Eggs, Bacon, Cheese and Veggies.

Another Giant Turkey Taco.

Quick Boiled Egg, Cheese and Romaine Wrap.

Hummus and Veggie Wrap.

Another Hummus, Cheese and Veggie Wrap.

 

I highly recommend you try these instead of regular tortillas or wraps. They really rock!

As for my eats... a failed green apple smoothie for brekkie (way too tart!), yummy leftover roasted squash soup for lunch, snacked on some raw almonds, a few dried cherries and 3/4 brownie (from T-Tapper Carrie Ann), then made that giant taco for dinner!  Plus I drank 2.5 Lifefactory bottles full of Kangen water 8.5 pH.

Today's T-Tapp exercises:

• Primary Back Stretch and Body Brushing at 7am
• 2 sets of Hoe Downs at 11am
• 2 sets of Hoe Downs at 3pm
• And now I'm going to do the Basic Workout Plus...

Still need to soak my feet in magnesium oil tonight too.  Oh, and I'm going to make some pumpkin puree tonight for my Pumpkin Pie Kale Smoothie in the morning.  And plan on trying out a new recipe for Quinoa Veggie Burgers that don't fall apart for dinner!

Au revoir!

October is Non-GMO Month

NonGMOProject.Org

You may be asking yourself, "What does GMO stand for? And why is October now Non-GMO Month?" 

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms.  Sounds pretty scientific, huh?  What if I told you that you've been eating GMOs daily, and have been for years, without even knowing what a GMO is.  For the majority of us, that's the truth.  These days I'm seeing more about saying No to GMOs in the media.  It could be that I read up on health and food related topics for my own personal research, but I can spot the Non-GMO labels on more and more products these days.

NonGMOProject.Org is a wonderful research tool that will help educate and empower consumers to make intelligent decisions.  Instead of trying to re-write the fantastic information on their site, I've included some FAQ's below.  Get the full listing at http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/about-gmos/.

What are GMOs?
GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are organisms that have been created through the gene-splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be injected into another species in a laboratory, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Are GMOs safe?
In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe. In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale. Many health-conscious shoppers find the lack of rigorous, independent, scientific examination on the impact of consuming GM foods to be cause for concern.

How common are GMOs?
According to the USDA, in 2009, 93% of soy, 93% of cotton, and 86% of corn grown in the U.S. were GMO. It is estimated that over 90% of canola grown is GMO, and there are also commercially produced GM varieties of sugar beets, squash and Hawaiian Papaya. As a result, it is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 80% of packaged products in the average U.S. or Canadian grocery store.

It's your right to choose Non-GMO.  This brings a new meaning to "you are what you eat" if you're not really sure what you're eating.  Right?  Read the labels, ask questions, and look for the Non-GMO seal on products.

After the Retreat, Lauren went to the grocery store determined to find a canned tuna without the ingredient of soy.  She had the stock boys helping her read labels and they were unsuccessful in the search for tuna without soy.  As shown above 93% of all soy is GMO; unless the label says otherwise assume GMO.

I'm not saying to throw away every food product in your household, but start small and make better choices when you are replacing your staples.  I don't know about you, but I enjoy eating food the way nature intended it to be eaten, in a whole unaltered state as much as possible.  Look for Organic and Non-GMO labels on products; produce stickers that start with #9 are organically grown.

Resources

Non-GMO Shopping Guide: http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/search-participating-products/print-shopping-guide/

Non-GMO iPhone App: http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/search-participating-products/iphone-app-shopping-guide/

Pledge to choose Non-GMO Project Verified the producers, manufacturers and retailers: http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/consumer-pledge/

By voting with my dollars, I will do my part to help preserve a non-GMO food supply for generations to come!

Read your labels!
 

{ weekend } Sister Time

Bonjour!  I'm a bit late on my weekend blog entry.  My sister is here!  Was too busy on Sunday hanging with Abbie to get it done.  After I scooped her from the airport, we went food shopping with my Groupon at the Village Health Market in South Tampa.  I'd never heard of the place, but figured why not when I saw their Groupon since it was a health food store.   The place was really larger than I expected with a huge vitamin/supplement/herb department, hot and cold prepared foods, salad bar, and all the regular natural food store supplies.  Great place, wish I found when I was actually living in Tampa.


Saturday's Eats

Brekkie

Green Smoothie:

• 1 cup frozen mango, blueberries and raspberries
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 cups fresh organic herb greens mix

Plus Organic Applesauce and a Toasted WW English Muffin with Peanut Butter.

Lunch

Jason's Deli Garden Veggie Wrap with Steamed Veggies.

 Found my new favorite!

And a few sips of this Chick-fil-a Lemonade.

Dinner

Ranch Turkey Burger on WW English Muffin with Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb and Organic Tomatoes.

And a Beach Bum Beer.

Dessert

Roasted Almond Chocolate... so yum!

Healthy Habits

Body Care
Body Brushing: check!
Exercise: nada

Nourishment
Fruits: 1.5 servings
Veggies: 4 servings
Water: 2 liters

Supplements
Alfalfa: 6 caps
B-12 Plus: 8 sprays
Fibertox: 1 cap
Pyruvyl Glycine: 12 sprays
Vitamin D3: 8 sprays

Sunday's Eats

Brekkie

Green Smoothie:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries and raspberries
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 cups fresh organic herb mixed greens

Snacks

Ginger Snap Larabar.

Lunch

Ezekiel Egg and Veggie Wrap with Laughing Cow Cheese, Broccoli Sprouts, Green Onion, Boiled and Sliced Egg, Romaine and BVI Seasoning.

Plus this Coconut Water.

Tea

Starbucks Iced Grande Passion Tea (unsweet).

Dinner

Crustless Spinach Quiche.  Recipe Review coming soon!

It was so light I had seconds.

Healthy Habits

Body Care
Exercise: After lunch Abbie and I went to Enterprise Dog Park with Dog to get some exercise.  We warmed up with Primary Back Stretch first, and used T-Tapp walking techniques on the trails in the park.  It sprinkled a little on us and was still pretty hot, so we only made a few laps. Oh, and we did 10 Triceps Dips on the bench twice.

Nourishment
Fruits: 2 servings
Veggies: 6 servings
Water: 2 liters

Supplements
Alfalfa: 6 caps
B-12 Plus: 8 sprays
Fibertox: 2 caps
Pyruvyl Glycine: 12 sprays
Vitamin D3: 8 sprays


My sister is here all week, but traveling north to see my mom for a few days.   We have plans for a dinner and drinks out with my dad on Thursday in Dunedin... Cafe Al Fresco and Dunedin Brewery!  And Marcel is playing acoustic songs on Friday at O'Houston's in Largo and I plan to get everyone together for Abbie's last night here. Should be a fun week with Abbie in town. ♥

Au revoir!