healthy living Archives - Her Modern Kitchen

That I’m a Jamba Juice Ambassador.

Yes, it’s an official title.

Sadly, this Ambassador-ship doesn’t grant me global amnesty but it does grant me the opportunity to live a long and fruitful life (#LiveFruitfully).

Now let me share how my Ambassador title came to be….

My little po-dunk hometown in upstate New York doesn’t have a Jamba Juice within a 1,000 miles of it which means I had never even experienced Jamba Juice until two years ago when I moved to Austin, Texas. Thankfully, Jamba has a vibrant, fun logo and a brand name I was simply just drawn to and that, paired with my overwhelming love for smoothies, made us instant buddies.

My new Austin gym was conveniently located around the corner to a Jamba Juice which meant that after waking up at the crack of dawn to sweat it out before heading to work, I could reward myself with a protein packed, healthy treat. I loved that Jamba listed all its ingredients, provide nutritional facts that were easily accessible in the store and online, and everyone could customize their smoothie with add-ins like Energy Boots, Daily Vitamins, extra Protein, or a Metabolizer. My love for Jamba was sealed upon the first sip! I’d even talk <3M into grabbing “Special Drinks” with me on Saturday mornings. It just became habit!

When we moved from Austin to NYC, I thought I’d have to scrounge around to find a Jamba Juice for breakfast in the morning but to my surprise, Jamba followed me! On my way to work in the morning while living in NYC I walked by TWO Jamba Juice stores. Oh, the smoothie possibilities were endless. I could grab a smoothie for breakfast or make a quick trip there during the work day for an afternoon treat and so, our courtship continued in NYC.

Finally, after bidding a-due to my NYC life and making the move back to Austin, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that my new office was located a mere 3 blocks from a downtown Jamba Juice! (Can you hear the Smoothie gods singing?) We were meant to be. When the call for Jamba Juice Ambassadors arose, I knew I had to apply and proclaim my love for Jamba Juice to the world!

After hearing about my love for smoothies, my new profound love for running, and my overall active, health conscious lifestyle, Jamba chose me! (I already knew you loved me back Jamba Juice but now it’s official!) So from now on, be prepared for an increased outpour of smoothie pictures & Jamba love as I spread Jamba’s #LiveFruitfully message!

To start you off – here’s two of my favorite nutrient and protein packed smoothie options.

Post-Workout Smoothie
Vibrant Blueberry: It already comes packed with nutrients as a Pro-Biotic smoothie but add in a whey protein boost anyway!
Order a 16oz and you’ll end up with 280 calories, .5g fat, and a whopping 20g of protein!

Mid-Day Snack
Caribbean Passion: It’s a classic smoothie so order the 16oz and ask them to “Make It Light!” This will cut the calories, carbs and sugars by a third.
Again, throw in some added protein (soy this time) to increase the staying power along with a 3G Charger boost to help push through the afternoon slump.
Order a 16oz and you’ll end up with 195 calories, 0g fat, and 12g of protein!

If you happen to grab one of my favorite smoothies, Tweet me @hermodkitchena pic and don’t forget to tag @JambaJuice & #LiveFruitfully

Healthified: The act of taking a healthy recipe
and making it even healthier.

It’s a well known fact that I’m a healthier eater – a healthier eater that likes GOOD food and sweets. In fact, at times I could most definitely pass up a real meal in place of a dessert buffet.

Yes, I’m a vegetarian, technically a pescatarian, yet very few know the definition of this word.

Pescatarian: Used to define those who abstain from eating all animal flesh with the exception of sea-based creatures.

It seems to be that my pescatarian-ism has become less and less a part of my regular diet, usually only coming into play when I am out to dinner and a scrumptious, reasonably priced salmon dish screams out to me.

As a result of my continuous broadcast about healthy eating, a few friends both near and far, have requested an assortment of my healthy recipes. After giving it some thought I believed might be easiest if I list the recipes here on my blog that I myself have taste tested and approved and also throw in some healthy lifestyle tips and tricks I use.

Some of these recipes are modifications of recipes I have found on other blogs, magazines, or cookbooks and I promise to give credit where credit is due when I post these recipes but please know, a lot of the recipes I’ll post were used as a base for inspiration, which were then healthified.

I plan to post recipes for breakfasts, lunch, dinners, and of course sweets. For most recipes, I’ll include nutritional information for reference. I’ll also add in some information about transitioning to a healthier diet without deny yourself completely of all the good food in life. I love wine, chocolate, and crave the comfort foods of my Mom’s kitchen. I’ll also be sure to post modifications or substitutes for every day foods and how to navigate social outings and restaurants to stick to the healthy eating mantra. I feel that I myself have weeded through the majority of healthy living articles published to now know the best recipes, foods, and tips, so hopefully this will be a compilation of what I’ve discovered.

Lastly, as I said, I am vegetarian so these recipes will be vegetarian. This does not mean they can’t be made with meat – simply substitute cooked chicken, shrimp, or ground turkey where you see fit (I’ll also try to note substitutions). Just remember, these changes will effect the nutrition of the recipe. I may also use ingredients, spices or herbs that are foreign to you – these ingredients key and are used because of the nutritional value and added taste element. The key to making good-tasting, healthy food is flavor – leaving out these spices will greatly effect your likelihood of enjoying the recipes.

To start things off, tomorrow I’ll post an overview that I had sent someone last year who had wanted to clean up their diet. It goes over meal options, how to eat, and even some exercise ideas.

And, if you have any specific requests for a healthified recipe, please let me know because it’s more than likely that I have one.

healthy living

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