Cheap Raw, Natural, Organic, Vegetarian, Protein Powder - Stop Paying High Prices for "Organic!"

Ever the impure purist, I'm a part-time vegetarian and raw foodist. Ha ha. I do eat meat mostly chicken and turkey but not alot of it and always focus on raw fruits and vegetables in my diet. I married a total meat and potatoes carnivore, so I feel like our household at present is about as healthy as it can get. My hubby has come a looooong way. I don't think I could ask him to give up all meat. Its also an issue of time: its really fast for me to prepare a healthy meal that involves meat and vegetables, whereas vegetarian food does require more preparation  and doesn't meet my protein needs for the kind of training I'm currently doing.

That being said when it comes to my protein I feel that Raw Organic (if possible) Vegetarian Protein is just a cleaner, healthier, more alkaline protein in my opinion. I guess I would consider meat a "dirtier" protein. 

A raw protein like hemp is a complete protein thats really easily digested by your body, ditto for brown rice protein. I love mixing Manitoba Hemp 50 (raw - but not organic)  
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with Growing Naturals Vanilla Raw Organic Brown Rice Protein <iframe src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=naturalbitch-20&o=15&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00CVVG082&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

I have searched high and low and compared ALL natural vegetarian brands across the spectrum (Vega, MRM Veggie Delight, Nutiva, Sunwarrior, etc) and this makes the cheapest, healthiest protein I can muster without breaking the bank (lets face it protein is expensive if you are using alot of it). The Growing Naturals is about $50 for 2 lbs but its still coming in slightly cheaper than Vega which isn't raw (about 30%), or entirely organic, and does list a lot of ingredients outside of the basic protein. They both pack about the same protein punch per serving (24 g). My goals here are raw, organic, natural, vegetarian and high protein. I like to have a little bit of flavor to mix with the hemp as the nutty taste can kill you when you are consuming it 3 times a day and I don't always want to mix it with a banana and juice (especially if you are watching carbs at all). I also feel it is good to get a bit of a variety of protein.

The 2.2 kg. tub of Manitoba Hemp that I buy for $60 off amazon is not technically organic but it is really, really affordable. Interestingly enough their website claims: "Our natural products come from seed that’s grown conventionally. No pesticides or herbicides are licensed for use with hemp, so the plants themselves are not sprayed." 

So to my understanding all hemp products in Canada would technically be organic...as no persticides or herbicides can be used according to the law. Good to know, good to know. When looking at hemp products in Canada I guess you don't have to be picky about paying extra for organic. Now theres a life hack that I love! I challenge you to find a cheaper, raw, vegetarian, natural, organic protein with a bit of flavor to it.  If you do, please let me know!

To check out more of my favourite, natural and healthy protein powders at great prices, check out:
http://astore.amazon.ca/naturalbitch-20

xoxo

The Home and Happy Housewife

30 Days No Sugar for a Full-Fledged Sugar Addict

Home Sweet Home Sweet Home Sweet Sugar. I love me some sugar. Hollarrrrr!

 As long as I can remember I've always had a sweet tooth. My Mom always put like a butter tart or hostess cupcake or one of those awesome fruit pies that you buy at the gas station in my lunch (lets face it she was an awesome Mom but not much of a baker). 

When I lived in Vancouver - serious capital of coffee shops with amazing cinnamon buns and ginormous muffins - I truly put on the like the Freshman 25 due to all the temptation that was before me. I was a twiggy kid so I never had to worry about what I was putting in my body until I hit my 20s (I remember eating a chocolate bar, bag of chips and a Fruitopia for breakfast in High School on a routine basis). Suddenly I was this young girl ready to take on the world but my body was sabotaging me....and I couldn't understand it.

Luckily I was able to learn about true health and I was able to reprogram myself to love the taste of healthy foods and vegetables. However to this day I am still a sugar addict. You wouldn't know it - its balanced by my love of working out and nutritious food like salads and protein shakes but put a bag of cookies in my house or a cheesecake and it will disappear, faster than I'd like to admit. I survive by keeping household sweets to minimum but I would say I definetely eat at least one sweet treat (or two!) each day. 

I don't drink, I am a very healthy eater and currently I'm powerlifting (after a stint of crossfit) which has brought some amazing changes to my body, but I'd really like to see how I look and feel without sugar. Recently I read Cameron Diaz's book "The Body Book" which is fabulous. 

Its really no-nonsense and common sense and just gives you a wake-up call like "Hey I know I'm a Hollywood celebrity but I don't look like this purely due to genetics. I actually don't eat crap. I eat to fuel and respect my body." She eats meat, and whole grains and fruit, but very minimal sugar (no artificial sweetners which skew your sense of what sweetness should actually taste like), lots of vegetables, good fats, lots of protein - but proper portions of meat, no carbs late in the day, fruit for sweet tooth cravings. She packs her own food everywhere so she'll be prepared (like we're talking cold rice and beans in tupperware). I always had this vision of Hollywood celebrities getting to eat at really awesome restaurants all the time and having personal chefs whipping up amazing food, swigging back champagne. 

Not so, not so. They have to work hard and they brown bag it just like the rest of us.

So hey I'm not saying I'll never hork back a ginormous piece of cheesecake again in my day but lets try this and see where it leads. 30 days no sugar for a full-fledged sugar addict (and I’ll throw in no eating after 7:30 just for fun). I'll take before and after pics(did I really just say that?) and keep you posted. If you want to jump on board send me a shout out in the comments. Be prepared: I expect some weak and dire moments. And you know misery loves company.

xoxo

The Home and Happy Housewife.

Quick Recap 

1) No sugar (this includes white breads and pastas as well, because these are immediately turned into sugar when you eat them. I won't exclude fruit because it isn't the same as refined sugar)
 2)No food after 7:30 p.m. in the evening.

Thats it!

WEEK SO FAR

Day 1: No sugar, however piece of late night cheese. Bahahahaha...its true! 
Day 2: No sugar, however ate after 7:30 p.m. - so far the late nite eating is killing me! Tonight I will succeed!

Why Its Time To Check Out Crossfit!

A Better Butt than This! (Freephotos.net)

1) The Butt You've Always Wanted: People who crossfit have the best derrieres. Just Sayin'.

2) Christmas Abbott - be you guy or girl, She's Hot. Nuff said (google it).

3) Get out of Your Cardio Rutt (I don't mean to call you out but we both know its not working). Stop spending hour upon boring hour on the treadmill trying to kill calories and start getting in shape sister!

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4) Personal Training - without paying someone the big bucks; A new challenging workout every day with an entire community to motivate you.

5) Its Addictive. Ever had that problem before....Being addicted to your exercise program?

6) Theres No Excuses. You can do a crossfit workout at home or on the road with little to no equipment. 

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7) Break Through Your Plateaus. You will always make gains with crossfit. You will also almost always be sore (but thats how you know its working).

8) You will Eat Better. You just will. You didn't work that hard doing 150 wall balls to go out and down a double cheeseburger or eat half a cheesecake at 10 p.m.

Freephotos.net

9) You'll stop weighing yourself and start counting how many burpees and double unders you can do

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10) The Group Dynamic: you will always push yourself harder in a crossfit class than you will doing the same workout that you've been doing every day for the last 3 months. I guarantee it.

"Gee Doris I've been doing my workout every day. How come its not working?"(Freephotos.net)

11) You'll do things you never thought possible. You will see a workout written on a board. It will seem impossible. But you will do it. Because it is written (and hey you can't exactly leave halfway through).

Freephotos.net

12) Guy or Girl, It will make you feel powerful to Lift Big

13) You will have the Best "Crossfit High."

14) You will be in the Best Shape of your life (while likely spending less overall time working out!)

Check out Crossfit. It Rocks!

The Home and Happy Housewife

Suck It Up, and Down a Green Smoothie!

Over Christmas we watched a number of documentaries including "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" which I definitely recommend. The star of the film sat on a precipice - he could change his eating habits and live, or continue on his path and die young. What struck me about the film was the sense of entitlement to eat shitty food. Many of those interviewed felt that they would rather eat crappy food and die young leaving behind children and spouses because they were unwilling to change their habits, because it took too much willpower to be healthy and they were somehow ENTITLED to eat crappy food (this sense of entitlement that you see everywhere in the Western world may be at the heart of the obesity epidemic we are battling!)

The overweight man embarked on a 60 day juice fast - pretty extreme but by the same token what he had done to his health was pretty extreme as well and really did call for some drastic measures. Nothing but juice for 60 days! It made me feel appreciative of my own health, and also reminded me that it probably wouldn't be that painful for me to throw in a couple of green smoothies a day - that maybe didn't taste the greatest (by that I mean on par with a booster juice or your favourite protein shake recipe) but that were super-good for me.

I already eat a ton of vegetables but this spot-shot of extra green and protein goodness is a great addition to my diet, very affordable and awesome for the Mom on the run. Plus if I eat a crappy dinner or have an overindulgent day I feel I can redeem myself by upping my green smoothie quota.

Cheap Raw Food Green Protien Smoothie:

Basic Recipe

1 small gala apple
1/2 cup apple juice
2 - 4 TBSP raw pumpkin seeds
3 spears celery 1/2 cucumber
2 cups + of greens of your choice
sprinkle of sea salt

There are many variations on the greens: kale, swiss chard, spinach. I pack as many in as I can fit. I always add a couple of spears of celery and up to a full cucumber if I have it on hand to make it more filling (sometimes I thicken it up with some avocado). Then for sweetness I usually use about a 1/2 cup of flash pasteurized apple juice (not the greatest, but its a conduit for all this other great stuff and it really is super-quick and convenient). The sprinkle of sea salt is key, sounds counterintuitive but it actually acts to sweeten up the whole shake (like a shake of salt in oatmeal).Then I put in about 2 - 4 TBSP of raw pumpkin seeds, or another great source of raw protein.

On a SIDEBAR - RAW PUMPKIN SEEDS - one of the greatest and cheapest sources of raw protein that ever lived. About 18 grams of protein in 200 calories of seeds! That beats even hemp which is also an amazing source of raw protein and super-energizing, chia seeds and flax come next. I think its great to include a range of protein sources - plus all of these seeds have great health benefits. If you are always making the same smoothie with say kale and hemp seeds you are mono-dosing yourself with nutrients. Its like my skin care regimen - some days I use coconut oil other days, olive oil, sometimes argon oil - it pays to mix it up so that you are getting different things from different sources (on a sidebar coming next, my complete, natural, DIY, home skincare regimen!)

Anyways, I hope you enjoy my green smoothie recipe. If you are having trouble motivating yourself remember, at least you don't have to drink nothing but juice for 60 days! Suck it up! Your health will thank you.

Cheers,

The Home and Happy Housewife

My Breakup Letter to Lululemon

Dear Lulu,

I'm breaking up with you. Don't get me wrong, I believe we've had a good run together: those early awkward years in college when the freshman ten were upon me and none of my clothes fit except my old faithful lulus, not to mention how a fresh outfit always got me back to the gym after a bad breakup. I appreciate that in an "Aritizia-esque" way I can go into your store anytime and am basically guaranteed to find something that looks great on me.

"Its Not You, Its Me Lulu...." (FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Understand that "its not you, its me." I still have absolute faith in your product, and love the choice of color and the super-flattering, ultra-functional high-quality designs. But I gotta say Lulu, I no longer love shelling out $100 or $100 plus for a pair of workout pants. Yes I know they last forever - I could literally send them through the dryer for like the next four years (like that chair you see being sat on every 3 seconds at Ikea). I have tops from like 8 years ago that are still totally wearable...

However times have changed, Seeing your logo no longer sends a chill down my spine. I've got a mortgage to pay now. Don't get me wrong I'm a stay-at-home Mom and workout addict so the yoga pant is like a uniform for me. However the days of your competition having nothing to offer but racks of ill-fitting too-tight workout clothing are over. There's now an abundance of online shopping with free shipping. Great workout fashion is now available at an affordable price, oh and I'm not obligated to wear it for the next 8 years because I paid such an exhorborant price for it, or wash my workout gear multiple times a week because I spent so much on a few pivotal pieces that I don't have enough to go around.



"Okay Its You Too, You've Changed Lulu!" (FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

When I say its ENTIRELY me, I'm not ENTIRELY telling the truth. You've changed. You used to be my cool West Coast vice no one knew about. I would return from Vancouver in my hip and unique Lulu Athletica attire and people would ask me where I got it and mispronounce your name when I told them. Then you went West. You opened a flagship store in - gasp - Calgary. Pretty soon everyone in Western Canada was rocking your designs (I won't even mention what happened in the Okanagan), no longer - what felt like - just an ultra cool Pamela Anderson and myself. 

Our relationship just didn't feel special anymore. While still luxury you became mainstream and "common" when EVERYONE started wearing you......(Don't feel bad Lulu, the same tragedy befell Louis Vutton).

But you got SO mainstream I actually see straight men wearing you now.....

I hate to even bring it up Lulu but you must admit we've had some rough patches, there was the whole see-through pant incident we won't speak about, the time you rolled all your sizing back so a six became and 8, a 4 a 6 and so one and so forth (if you don't remember this thats how far back me and Lulu go!), oh and the fact that you used to make all of your clothing in Vancouver Canada before you sold out of your pseudo-spiritual mandate and started mass-producing it all in China, land of no costly human rights regulations (and charging even more for it!)

Its not that I don't still love you Lulu. I will always have a place for you in my heart. I'll pay good money for what is unique and good quality, but I feel like a fool paying $70 for a different color variation of a shirt every girl in my crossfit class owns. When I can shop C9 at Target and buy 10 comparable items for the price of your two, its a total deal-breaker. The other day I complimented my girlfriend on a pair of workout pants and she told me a girl at her gym sewed them custom for her - for $60!!

Bottom line is, you did this to yourself Lulu. You got so huge so fast and you decided to jack up all your prices and forget about all the little people that believed in you and supported you along the way. So I'm on to find the next thing...

Its not that I still don't want to see eachother on occasion, but I will no longer allow myself to pursue you with such single-minded abandon. You ain't my ball and chain no more Lulu! When someone tells me with pride what a "Lulu junkie" they are,| I think to myself: I hope you'll be really happy together, because you and Lulu deserve eachother.

Love,

A Former Lulu Addict

 

(FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

 

Tips Every Fashionista Needs to Follow to Shop Successfully Online

Its January and time for us all to return to the gym. What can be better motivation than brand new workout gear?

More and more people are turning to online shopping. There are some amazing deals to be found out there not to mention that shopping online gives you access to such an array of merchandise and is so convenient for those that live in more rural areas or don't have the flexibility to get to a mall and dedicate a day to shopping (hullo Moms!). With trepidation, I shopped online for workout gear for the first time ever before Christmas and had such a great experience. But I definitely did my homework first. I seriously probably put about 3 hours into making my order come true, being a perfectionist I wanted it to be perfect and it was.

The end result:
Two pairs of workout pants
One workout skirt
Two super-stylish post-workout pullovers
Four workout tops
Equals $150 with shipping.

I was super happy with the quality and fit of all my workout clothes, and let me say for the record I am a recovering Lulu junkie.

So without further ado, here are some great tips to make your online shopping experience a success.

1)Be Resourceful. Don't be afraid to compliment someone and ask them where they got something. Most people will cheerfully volunteer this information. More and more often I find the answer is online.

2) Do your homework. Read, read, read. Google and read some more.

3) Read reviews for each and every item you are thinking of purchasing. Don't ever order anything with less than 4 out of 5 stars. Reviewers will often volunteer information on sizing and fit as well that you don't want to miss.

4)If you aren't sure about the quality of a line or product google it. Someone out there in internetland has an opinion about it. I guarantee it.

5) Give yourself a reality check. Sure it looks great on the model. Will it look great on you(and your problem areas - lets face it we all have them)? Are you ordering 2 because you love the piece or because its just so gosh darn cheap.

6) Put your order together and save it. Look at it the next day, make changes. Keep it in your cart up to 2 weeks while you review and revamp it. This is how you will be most happy with your order. If you impulsively send off your order on the first night you wont put the same thought and care into it. You don't want to have to send things back; you end up paying so much its not worth it. Get things right the first time.

7) If you aren't happy with an item you received, drop your pants a bit on the price and put it up for sale on kijjiji or a local buy and sell facebook page. You are better off selling it a bit cheap to someone than going through the hassle and expense of sending it back.

7) Before checking out, google "coupon code." You can often find an online coupon that will give you an addition 5% + off of your order.

7) Get a U.S. P.O. Box and ship to it. Or use a receiving service in the U.S. Ordering online from the States and having it shipped to Canada will often make a small order run almost double in price. Often times a border guard will just wave you through with your parcel from the States.

8) Wait until you need/want enough clothing to total $50 or $75. You'll likely get free shipping. A smaller order is going to add up with additional shipping charges and probably not be worthwhile unless it is a specific item you are looking for.

9) Make sure you are purchasing from a legit and reputable seller. Seems like a no-brainer but lots of people get bamboozled online. Look at logos and web ips. Do more googling to find a legit seller rating; don't just accept what it says on the site. Also make sure your payment is secure.

Have fun, be safe, and make sure you mention your order to hubby before it arrives (if you'd expect him to do the same): "By the way...." 

Love,

The Home and Happy Housewife

　

Melt-in-your-Mouth Incredible Whipped Shortbread Recipe.

Okay predominantly I mean MELT- IN-MY-MOUTH shortbread, since I pretty much polished off most of a single batch myself and had to go back and make a triple batch to ensure I would have an adequate supply for the holidays.

Prepare youselves. We are going totally old-school. A great shortbread recipe is definetely a kick-back from the eighties when it was totally acceptable to say put lard into your baking. I was looking for some lard - ha ha LARD - for my Moms amazing super-short pasty crust and I realized that they actually dont even sell lard anymore its that politically incorrect.

Anyways when you make shortbread you can't be worried about like being healthy and calories and s$%t like that. You gotta go all the way baby! Think about it like a moment of full frontal nudity in a movie. Yeah. Thats how you want your shortbread. No holding back. We're going for it here folks.

So without further ado, here is a great 4 ingredient whipped shortbread recipe, super easy to make, and absolutely melt-in-your mouth incredible. These are the cookies that make your mother-in-law take a bite and s^&t her pants. Yeah, I said s%&t twice in this posting about shortbread. This shortbread is seriously the s$%t though. It makes me act like I have turrets syndrome. So get ready, without further ado here it is just in time for the holiday (as in about 7 days before Christmas - perfect timing if you are a procrastinator like me!)

Totally Old-School Incredible Whipped Shortbread

1 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Cornstarch

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and cornstarch gradually. Beat continuously until light. Drop by teaspoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 minutes. Tada!