Tuna Artichoke Pitas

My husband is a great cook. He made these for the family and our kids loved them. I bet you will too. We made home made whole wheat pita, but you could also purchase those.

In a small bowl mix together:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp. sesame seed oil

1 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 Tbsp fresh basil finely chopped 

3 Tbsp pine nuts (either toasted or not)

Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Add to that:

1 large green onion finely chopped

1 1/2 cup red cabbage chopped

1 artichoke heart finely chopped

1/4 cup kalamata olives sliced

3 single serve tuna in water (or 1 can)

Fill each pita with 1/2 cup of the filling. Top with diced tomatoes. 

The Places Where You Belong

There have been quite a few times in the last couple of months where I have wondered where I really belong. I have felt lonely even when the kids are all around. Sometimes I start to wonder what my purpose really is. I know deep in my heart that I am a child of God, but in those moments of loneliness I do need comfort.

A few weeks ago I was asked to teach a lesson in our Sunday women's meeting. I was looking for a song to go along with the lesson when I came across the song Glorious by David Archuleta. It is found in the movie Meet the Mormons. At the time I was feeling lost and needed comfort. I

I know I was directed to this song because there I found comfort! I felt the love of my Savior Jesus Christ for me. I do have a purpose and so do you!

If you haven't listened to the song please do! (http://meetthemormons.com/glorious)

Veggie Photo Challenge

What a Halloween! I'm so ready to get focused and back on track nutrition wise. Would you like to join me for a veggie photo challenge? The goal is for the next 30 days that every day you take a picture of some of the veggies that you ate that day with the hashtag #veggiestoday.

Share this post with your friends to invite them to join. Let's see how many people we can get in on this challenge!

Pumpkin Spice Greek Yogurt Dip

Each fall I like to make this dip for my kids as an alternative to caramel apple dip. They LOVE it!

Pumpkin Spice Greek Yogurt Dip

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

Combine in a bowl and mix well. Serve with sliced apples, grapes, bananas, pears, etc.

Utah Food Bank Donations Being Matched 2 to 1 Right Now!

There are only so many places that you can choose to give. One of my favorites is the Utah Food Bank. Usually we wait to donate until my husband's work matches donations so that we make more of an impact. However, I just found out that right now Bank of America is matching donations 2 to 1. You don't even have to be a Bank of America account holder. 

This is so great!  If you donate $25, Bank of America will donate $75.  How amazing is that!  If you can afford to contribute right now, it is an excellent time to do so.


Did you know that one in five kids in Utah doesn't know where they will get their next meal? The Food Bank distributes food across all counties in Utah by partnering with 134 agencies to help them meet their goals.

*Source: utahfoodbank.org

For more information on how to contribute during the campaign go HERE: https://www.utahfoodbank.org/bank-of-america

Conquer the Zombies

Halloween and CANDY are coming! But you are trying so hard to be healthy. Well, I've got a group starting September 28th that's going to keep you accountable this October to eating right, breaking that sugar addiction, and helping you out run all of those zombies on Halloween night!

I started my health journey in October last year by joining a group like mine and it has been one of the best decisions ever! To date I've lost 15 lbs by holding myself accountable with these groups.

Email me (lewisfortefitness at gmail.com) or comment below if you'd like more information on my group!

Avocados Can Help You Absorb Nutrients

Avocados... do you love them? I do!  Well, I didn't used to, but I do now. It's a good thing too!
Avocados have more fat than carbohydrate which is unusual for a fruit. In fact, 77% of the calories come from the fat. The majority of the fats in avocados are oleic acid which is a monounsaturated fat. Oleic acid has been shown to reduce inflammation and have positive effects on lowering bad cholesterol (LDL), raising good cholesterol (HDL), and lower triglycerides.

                            Source: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1844/2

The fats are also beneficial because you need fat in your diet in order to absorb fat soluble vitamins. This means that you need to combine certain vitamins with fats in order for them to be utilized. This includes vitamins A, D, E, and K along with antioxidants like cartenoids.Some of my favorite ways to eat avocados is in salads or with salsa. One study showed that adding avocado or avocado oil to either of these things can increase your antioxidant absorption by 2.6 to 15 fold (Source).

Avocados are also excellent sources of antioxidants themselves. They contain lutein and zeaxanthin which are important for eye health.

Here are a few recipe ideas for avocados:

Tuna sandwich- use mashed avocado instead of mayonaise
Avocado Hummus 
Avocado Quesadilla
Avocado Salsa
Ways to eat avocados for breakfast

What do you like to do with avocados?

How the Light Gets In

Are you feeling a little broken today? Did your day not go as planned? Maybe God wants you to see a little more than you were seeing before. Look in the cracks and you can see God in your life! He loves you.

Minutes Not Miles

You need to have big goals! You need to believe that you can achieve your dreams- whether those dreams are financial, spiritual, family, health or fitness.

However, sometimes we get discouraged when those dreams seem so unreachable. Step back and think about the small steps you need to accomplish those goals. Think- what can I I do now that will get me one step closer to that big goal? Then go after that today.

Think in minutes, not miles today!

Carrot Fries

Have you ever had carrot fries before? No!? Well, you are missing out! We tried these the other week and my kids LOVED them. They are definitely making their way onto our plates again in the very near future!

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Carrot Fries
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
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Preheat oven to 425. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss carrot sticks with olive oil and spices. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until carrots are tender and beginning to crisp.

The 21 Day Fix breakdown: 1 Green, 1/4 tsp
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Recipe-courtesy of Beachbody. Photo credit-alagraham.com

Strawberry Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Do you need a new, healthy breakfast idea that will leave you satisfied? I could eat this 5 days a week!

Strawberry PB Oatmeal:

1 cup water
1/4 cup oats
1 tsp all natural peanut butter without sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup sliced strawberries

Boil water, add oats and cook, stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add peanut butter, milk, and sliced strawberries.

21 Day Fix Breakdown: 1 Yellow, 1/2 purple, 1 tsp

Recipe from the 21 Day Fix Extreme Food Guide

Variations: blueberries with almond butter
blackberries with cashew butter
raspberries with almond butter

Straight or Curly?

About a month ago I was sent the L'Oreal Smooth Intense line to try for free. I have fine, curly hair that I straighten quite often. My hair straightens pretty easily, but tends to get super dry even with a heat protection balm.

There were three products to try use in the shower. A shampoo, a Straightening Shampoo, a Boosting Pre-Conditioner and the Straightening Conditioner.  I frequently forgot to use the second step Straight boosting pre-conditioner because I'm so used to just two steps in the shower. I didn't seem to notice a difference from the times I used and the times I didn't.

I loved the Staight Perfecting Balm though!  You apply it before you dry your hair and it is supposed to give you protection up to 450 degrees. With frequent straightening my hair becomes dry and has a lot of static. I haven't had any problems with static since starting to use the Smooth Intense Straight Perfecting Balm.  It goes on easily and doesn't leave my hair sticky or weighed down like some products have. The bottle is going to last me at least the whole year which I am excited about because I usually forget to pick some up once I run out!

Overall I liked the products, but I'm not sure if I would spend more than what I usually spend on hair care products for this line. I will be buying the Straight Perfecting Balm again though!

Accomplish Something Today!

With 4 kids 7 and under so often I find myself doing the same things over and over and over again. At times I will get to the end of the day and wonder what I did all day! I read somewhere that if you feel like you can't accomplish anything you should do one thing that can't be undone- dishes and laundry don't count! 

I tried this out and it really works! Monday I finished a wreath that had been sitting unfinished for 3 years! I felt accomplished and it only took me 15 minutes. Every time I've walked past that wreath this week I think "Wow! I did something!" Today I exercised- that can't be undone my two little toddlers!

What are you going to do today that can't be undone?