I often get questions about my recipes and dietary choices, so I decided to share with you what I eat in a day! I am a teacher by profession, so while I do eat as healthy as I can throughout the school year, summer time just makes it a lot easier for me to eat as clean as I want. This is a luxury because if you don't know, being a teacher includes not always being able to go to the bathroom when you want, not being able to take a break when you want, difficulty drinking as much water as you want because you can't go to the bathroom frequently, sometimes being too tired to exercise, and of course, the constant temptation to eat sugar and carbs. Whew! 

During the summer, I like to go all out and eat as clean and healthy as I desire. Please note that I don't eat the same thing every day (unless it's apples and peanut butter, of course). I do like variety, but I also like to try to avoid as many processed and sugar-laden foods as I can. I have an affinity towards healthy, natural, non-toxicity foods and products, so not only do I pursue it in my lifestyle, I love to learn and research as much as I can about it. So, here is what I eat in a day!

BREAKFAST
For breakfast, I try to keep it light and nutritious. I like different variations of scrambled eggs which is a great way to get in your proteins, choline, vitamins and omega-3 fats. Often times, I like to season my eggs with salt and pepper and top with paprika. On occasion, I'll do something different like tomato and basil eggs or pepper jack cheesy eggs. I also enjoy boiled eggs. I don't eat eggs every single day because too much of anything can be bad for you. In this case, too much can lead to higher levels of saturated fats and cholesterol.

In addition to eggs, I like to have some sort of fruit or a smoothie/shake. It depends on the day, but I love having a chocolate peanut butter protein shake that I make using chocolate Orgain Protein Powder and PB2. Other days, I'm in the mood for a nice green smoothie full of spinach and fruits like frozen banana and strawberries. If I don't feel like blending a smoothie, I'll just eat the fruit itself. Apples with peanut butter, grapes, a banana or watermelon or my personal go to fruits for breakfast.

Do you see how much variety there is at breakfast? I can have an apple with peanut butter 3 days a week (because this is my favorite!), a chocolate peanut butter protein shake for 2 days, a green smoothie for 2 days and maybe a nice hot breakfast of oatmeal or turkey sausage and whole grain toast. That's a whole week of healthy breakfasts and then I'll pick a couple of those days to have eggs on the side.

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SNACKS
Since breakfast is so light, snacks are often necessary to get me to lunch. Here are some of my favorite healthy snacks:

• A Handful of Mixed Nuts
• A Handful of Raw Almonds
• Popcorn
• Fruit
• A Boiled Egg (If I haven't had one earlier)
• Unsweetened Apple Sauce
• Cucumbers with salt and pepper
• Baby Carrots with Dressing
• 3 ingredient corn chips with natural salsa

Usually, 1 of the above snacks is plenty to get me to lunch and they are still providing me nutrients during the day.

LUNCH
Lunch can be tricky sometimes, but I usually try to go for a salad. Pre-made salads work very well as long as the ingredients are good. However, I most frequently make my own simple salad which consists of spinach, baby carrots, grape tomatoes and cucumbers with dressing. This can be doctored up more with a boiled egg and a can of tuna, but I usually just stick with the veggies with dressing. It's faster, easier and most nutritious because it is all raw with no mercury content or extra added cholesterol since I like my eggs at breakfast. If I don't have a salad, I like to go for a can of sardines. I've come to really like those protein packed tiny fish! If all else fails, I'll sometimes have leftovers if I had more than enough from dinner, but I usually don't do this during the summer. I try to go for a small, nutritious meal with what I have on hand.

If needed, I'll squeeze in another healthy snack from the list above to help get me to dinner. Remember, during the day, I'm also drinking lots of water. I drink about 64-73 ounces of water per day right now and if I drink enough, that alone can fill me up and satisfy me until the next meal. Here is the water bottle that I'm using that holds all the water I need each day.

DINNER
For dinner, I like to cook meals that are quick, simple and nutritious. This usually includes a protein, a veggie and a grain. Some days, I may skip the grain and do 2 veggies with my protein. Feel free to browse some of my recipes here. Note that not every recipe on my site is perfectly nutrient dense because I wanted to provide variety for my readers and I'm a human, so I do have occasional days when I like a cheat meal to splurge on.  I also just recorded a What I Eat in a Day Youtube video which includes a yummy dinner idea. Watch it now!

DESSERT
This has always been my Achilles Heel, so to speak. However, for the past few months, I've been seeking healthier dessert options in effort to kick my artificial sugar cravings and so far, I've been successful with this.

• Apple with Peanut Butter
• Fruit
• Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
• Dark Chocolate (at least 71% with minimal ingredients) with raw almonds
• A Couple Squares of Dark Chocolate (at least 71% with minimal ingredients)
• Tea (Preferably dandelion caramel nut or hibiscus)

Well, there you have it! That is my typical diet and what I eat in a day. Combine a nutritious diet with exercise, proper hydration and adequate sleep and you will feel unstoppable. Feel free to drop a comment and tell me if you implement or plan to implement anything I've mentioned into your own diet and lifestyle!

Talk to you soon!

Love, 

LaRissa J.

Lately, there has been a LOT of talk surrounding the Coronavirus/COVID-19. Many grocery stores are out of stock on products, and in some places, the shelves are completely bare. At the stores that do have products, there have been conversations, pictures and videos taken of long checkout lines that travel into the aisles, store fights for limited products, and abbreviated store hours. People have been so panicked that they've cleared all of the Lysol, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, water, and paper towels off the shelves! It's like the world has gone into hysteria!

Make Sure You Have Enough "Food"
There are many of us who chose not to hesitate in purchasing food and items to stock up in our homes. Don't forget that just like our bodies need the food we've stashed away in preparation, it's even more important to make sure that you store up the Word of God in your heart, so that your spirit is prepared and has what it needs! If you spend time daily reading the Bible and meditating on His Word, your spirit will be full of the Word. No matter what comes your way, you will be able to pull the Word out of your heart and speak, confess & believe what the Bible says.

So, Should We Be Afraid?
Absolutely not! While it is definitely important that we use wisdom and be prepared, we should not be scared. Yes, you want to make sure you wash your hands, make sure you have what you need to take care of your family, and stay up to date with what's going on. However, if you are a Christian, it is important that you stay full of the Word! It's important that you stay prayed up. It's important that you walk by faith and not fear. Meditate on Psalm 91. The God we serve is bigger, mightier, and more powerful than any virus, disease or calamity.  The Bible says so many encouraging things related to the topic of fear. Here are a few of my favorites:

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Psalm 118:6-7 "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?  The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” 

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 





   





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God loves you more than you can fathom,

-LaRissa J.

So, I'm sure you know by now that I am engaged to the love of my life and I give all glory to God because all things are possible with Him! Now, before I get into the details of how my fiancé proposed, I first want to share my testimony that I found to be an encouragement to many people on social media. 
Testimony Time: 
You see this picture (above) which is a beautiful moment of my life. However, what many don’t know is that one year ago, I was completely single. I’d just come out of a very short, self-ordained relationship so I was nursing the wounds of a break up. I remember literally crying out to God and surrendering to Him. I told Him that in the natural, me ever getting married looked almost impossible as at that time I had ZERO prospects. I remember saying “Lord, who in the world is left?! 😩” But I decided to walk by faith and not by sight. I decided to believe what the Bible says. I pursued Jesus with my whole heart because I knew I NEEDED Him. He healed & pruned my heart within days. Less than 3 months later, I met my (now) fiancé! A man who I shared brief exchanges with 5 years earlier & didn’t even realize it. The same man who I spent weeks platonically conversating with in 2016 without even knowing that I was talking to my future husband. So all along, through my occasional tears & frustration, GOD KNEW!! He saw the plans He had for me. He knew what He was about to do in my life. And God sees your whole story too...so trust Him. I promise, it’s worth it! #ItsWorthTheWait
Now for the details! You can clear here: