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Dawna Stone

Warming Navy Bean and Corn Soup

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When cooler temperatures hit, I find myself craving a bowl of hot soup for lunch or dinner. This healthy Navy Bean and Corn soup is one of my favorites. The addition of brown rice pasta not only makes the soup hearty and delicious, but also entirely wheat-free. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and it’s also 100% vegan. If you’re looking for a meal that will warm you up and satisfy your craving for something rich and savory—then I encourage you to give this healthy recipe a try!

P.S. If you're interested in getting healthy and/or losing a few pounds, join me for  a quick and simple 5-Day Detox


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Navy Bean & Corn Soup
Servings
4
Servings
4
Navy Bean & Corn Soup
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. In a large pot heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, carrots and garlic and sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until onions are translucent and carrots are tender.
  2. Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes and corn and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add navy beans and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Use a soup ladle to remove two cups of soup and transfer to a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth. Reserve blended soup.
  3. Add pasta to pot with remaining soup, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add reserved blended soup to the pot and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes or until pasta is al dente (take care not to over cook the pasta). Add salt and pepper. Divide into 4 bowl, garnish with chives and serve.
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Clean Eating Helped Me Lose 40 Pounds and Keep it off!

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I originally wrote this piece for MindBodyGreen.com and when it received such an enthusiastic response, I decided that I also wanted to share it with you here. Read my weight loss story below and how I achieved my goal through clean eating. And if you're ready, take The Healthy You Challenge with me! Starting January 1st, I will be hosting a New Year’s Healthy You Challenge and will personally guide you step-by-step through the program that changed my life and my weight! Read my story…

I was fat, exhausted and desperate to lose weight. Clean eating changed my life and my weight!

I know being overweight is unhealthy but when I was in my 20’s and 40 pounds overweight my health wasn’t my main concern. I was more concerned with fitting into the clothes in the closet than I was about the health consequences of being overweight. My minuscule clothes budget couldn’t keep up with my ever-expanding waistline. My closet became a war between my “fat” clothes and my “skinny” clothes and unfortunately my fat clothes were winning the battle.

I went from being an extremely fit teenager to being a somewhat fit college student to a 40-pound overweight working-woman in my 20’s.

I still remember turning down company get-togethers and blind dates because I was so uncomfortable with my weight. I was fat, tired and unhappy. I was desperate to lose weight and I tried just about every diet available.

As a true lover of food, none of the fad diets satisfied my craving for good food. On each weight loss attempt, I would lose a few pounds only to give up and gain all the weight back and then some.

It wasn’t until I realized that the media-hyped fad diets weren’t a viable solution for me that I started to work on a solution. After years of failed attempts to lose weight, I finally found a way to drop all 40 pounds and keep it off for good—I’ve been at or near my goal weight for nearly 20 years!

The solution wasn’t about depriving myself of good food or starving myself in order to see the number on the scale drop. The solution was simple—the solution was clean eating.

Eliminating excess sugar, processed foods and artificial sweeteners, chemicals and preservatives was just the start. When I finally found a way of eating that had me dropping the pounds quickly and allowed me to eat good food (like Fish Taco’s with Mango and Avocado Salsa, Chicken Skewers with Chile-Lime Sauce, Kale and Maple Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, Wild Rice and Spinach Soup, Three Bean Chili and even wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free triple chocolate brownies) I knew I found my weight loss silver bullet.

I know what it feels like to be overweight and unhappy but I also know what if feels like to finally fit into a smaller size pair of pants and smile when you step on the scale. I wish everyone who is struggling with their weight and feeling hopeless, like I felt, could know what it feels like to finally lose all the excess weight.

That’s why I wrote The Healthy You Diet: The 14-Day Plan for Weight Loss with 100 Delicious Recipes for Clean Eating. I know what it’s like to lie in bed and cry—thinking you’ll never lose weight. I know what it’s like to turn down invitations because you have no clothes that fit. But I also know how great it feels when the weight starts melting off.

Nearly twelve thousand people have already found success with my 14-Day Healthy You Challenge—the jump-start to clean eating.

If you’ve just about given up on ever reaching your goal weight, if your tired of depriving yourself of good food and if you’re tired of seeing the number on the scale creep up rather than down, clean eating may be just what you need to jump start your weight loss and once and for all reach your goal weight.

Now that I’m in my 40’s, I believe the most important benefit of being a healthy weight and eating a clean diet is countering disease and keeping your body working well/healthy. But I can’t lie; I also love the feeling of fitting into my skinny jeans!

Whether you join me for The Healthy You Challenge or embark on another clean eating program, I hope you’ll give clean eating a try. You have nothing to lose but your excess weight!

To your health!

Dawna

Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

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This ginger chicken stir-fry recipe with brown rice is a perfect combination of fresh vegetables and protein and provides everything you need for a truly healthy and satisfying meal—not to mention it’s delicious! Want to make it vegan? Just sub tofu for the chicken.

P.S. Looking to jump start your healthy eating? Join me for a quick and simple 5-Day-Detox.

Chicken Stir Fry 2015

Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Rice
Stir-Fry
Servings:
Instructions
  1. In a medium pot with steamer tray, steam broccoli just until tender and set aside.
  2. To make brown rice: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the brown rice, water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Set aside, covered, to steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Set aside.
  3. To make the stir-fry: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and swirl the pan to coat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until onions start to become translucent. Add chicken and tamari and cook for 4 to 6 minutes. Add carrots, peppers, snow peas and chicken broth. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Add broccoli, spinach and ginger and cook until spinach is wilted approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is done.
  4. Fluff the reserved rice with a fork and divide among 4 bowls. Spoon the stir-fry mixture over the rice and serve.
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Want To Lose Weight? Eat More Of This Food

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Everyone's looking for a magic weight-loss pill, but maybe we should be looking for the one food that can help us lose or manage our weight instead.

Want to lose weight? Here’s a quick tip – eat more leafy greens. Not only are they packed with vitamins A, C, E and K but they’re also loaded with fiber to control your hunger and keep you feeling full longer. Use leafy greens as the base for your salads or toss in soups, stews, stir-fry or omelets. Check out four leafy greens worht trying below.

P.S. If you want to jump start your healthy eating, join me for a quick and simple 5-Day Detox! It's the perfect way to clean up your eating, lose weight and improve your health.

4 Leafy Green Worth Trying!

Swiss Chard

Not only is Swiss chard beautiful (I used it on the cover of my new cookbook), but it is packed with vitamin A and C. Swiss Chard is often sautéed but I also find it great for juicing.

Kale

Kale has become today’s most talked about leafy green for good reason. It’s loaded with vitamin A, C, K and B6. It’s also rich in folate, potassium and calcium. Kale is extremely versatile and can be used in everything from soups and stews to salads and omelets.

Spinach

This leafy green isn’t just for Popeye! Raw or cooked, spinach is rich in vitamin A and C. Use it as a healthy pizza topping or add it to soups, pasta sauce or smoothies.

Collards

Collard greens are a great source of calcium and are rich in vitamin A, C and K. Looking for another great way to incorporate collard greens into your diet? Take your favorite lettuce wrap recipe, and try swapping out the lettuce leaves for nutrient-packed collard greens.

Other great leafy greens include, broccoli, red or green romaine, endive and cabbage.

If you haven’t already, check out my quick and simple 5-Day Detox! It's the perfect way to clean up your eating, lose weight and improve your health.

Dawna

 

6 Foods To Keep In Your House To Help You Lose Weight

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As a health coach and cookbook author, I provide weight loss and healthy eating tips every day. When someone is struggling to lose weight, it’s very common for me to suggest removing his or her “trigger” foods from the house.

For me, that’s anything that contains chocolate — chocolate chip cookies, ice cream bars, etc. I believe in the saying “out of sight, out of mind” when it comes to junk food.

What people often forget is that “out of sight, out of mind” can also work against us. If your healthiest food is hidden in the back of the pantry or refrigerator, or isn't even in your house, you’re less likely to eat it.

Having healthy options in your refrigerator or pantry and having them readily available can help you make better choices.

Join me for a quick and simple 5-Day Detox

Losing weight isn’t always easy, but keeping your pantry and refrigerator stocked with these six foods can help:

1. Leafy greens

Leafy greens like spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and collards provide an abundance of vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, C, K, and B6. They're also rich in foliate, potassium, and calcium. A salad loaded with leafy greens and other fresh vegetables is a great way to fill up without a lot of calories.

Keep it interesting and find other healthy ways to incorporate leafy greens into your diet like juicing, adding them to soups and omelets, or topping a healthy flatbread. Try making your own kale chips for a savory and healthy snack.

2. Nuts

People often steer clear of nuts when they’re trying to lose weight due to their high-calorie and -fat count. However, adding a small amount of nuts to my diet actually keeps me satisfied longer and allows me to eat less overall.

Enjoy a small handful every day for a dose of healthy fat. Try adding walnuts to a healthy cookie recipe, use almond meal in your muffin or bread recipes, or sprinkle pistachios over your afternoon salad.

3. Seeds

Seeds such as pumpkin, flax, sunflower, chia, and sesame are not only rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fat, but they also provide a satisfying crunch to salads, cereal, oatmeal, and yogurt.

Join me for a quick and simple 5-Day Detox 

4. Fresh fruit

Fresh fruit is a healthy and natural way to curb your sweet tooth. I love kiwi, watermelon, and just about any type of berry: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

Try adding berries to your morning oatmeal or using them in baked goods. Does that midafternoon lull have you searching for a candy bar or cookie?

Have one piece of fruit or a half-cup of berries instead — it’s sure to keep you satisfied.

5. Dried fruit

Dried fruit, although high in sugar, can find its way into a healthy diet. In fact, I’ve found that it can help when trying to lose weight, as it can be a great alternative to other sugary treats.

A small handful of dried cherries or a sprinkle of plump raisins on your salad or mixed into some plain yogurt can help keep you from feeling deprived when on a weight-loss diet.

6. Eggs

With their abundance of high-quality protein, eggs can keep you full longer, helping you reduce your overall food intake. Although an omelet or scramble is a great way to start the morning, eggs can also be added to lunch or dinner.

Try adding a hard-boiled egg to a salad, or make healthy cookies with egg whites, banana, and oat flour as your base.

Want to jump start your healthy eating? Join me for a quick and simple 5-Day Detox 

FreshMarket_still2

Blueberry Banana Smoothie Bowl

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I get excited about breakfast. I get even more excited when I have a delicious and nutritious breakfast that is really fast and simple to make like this Blueberry Banana Smoothie Bowl.

I usually add almond milk when I drink smoothies, but for a smoothie bowl, I leave out the almond milk and use yogurt so it's thicker and easier to eat with a spoon. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

P.S. If you're looking to jump start your healthy eating or even lose a few pounds, check out my quick and simple 5-Day Detox!

Blueberry Smoothie Bowl Far

Blueberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
Servings
1
Servings
1
Blueberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
Servings
1
Servings
1
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. In a blender, blend together yogurt and blueberries. Place smoothie in desired bowl and top with banana, coconut, and almonds.
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