Eat Healthy, Be Happy. (If it can go bad ,it's good for you. If it can't-- It's bad for you!)

So, for those of you who don't know. I no longer live in the city. 1) I was no longer truly happy there. 2) I could no longer afford it. However, I love New York with all my heart and have a half a year's worth of experience living there.

One thing I loved about it , was the food. Not because the top chefs in the nation (or world for that matter) cook and live there, but because everything is healthy, organic, and fresh. I say this, because I know for a fact! Each bodega, office, and grocer order from a place called fresh direct http://www.freshdirect.com/about/index.jsp;jsessionid=2LyHPGtYcySpkgfbqMg8hJCz1b7qKqyTTTnWp8hhvtDfmSFYppj1!-1320995938!-1018207326?siteAccessPage=aboutus&successPage=/index.jsp

Fresh Direct is huge warehouse that stores organic: fruits, fresh meats, and so on from local farms in Pennsylvania, New york, Jersey, and Connecticut. If you're driving from Manhattan to the LGA airport, you'll be sure to see the ginormous warehouse. Here is a picture of one side of it, up close.

This may sound dumb, or rude, or both. but that has been the largest adjustment moving back to the south, is the food. Yes, I was born and raised in Tennessee. But living in the north opened my eyes . And I want to carry the eating habits and health I picked up with me. I also want to inspire / teach you to do the same! It is easy, and affordable.

I had never really eaten organic food before 1) because I couldn't afford it. 2) because unless you shop at the fresh market in Knoxville, or local produce markets it's not that easily accessible.

But in a society such as New York, that is all that was available. That was nearly my only option. Most of you asked how I lost so much weight and toned up-- yes, it's true that sadly I could only afford one meal a day (lol). And I walked nearly a mile everyday. Even with riding the subway, you still have to walk to the nearest subway stops.

But the REAL secret was that I was constantly eating healthy, and organic foods.

For example-- In nearly 6 months I had fried chicken/ food in general, one time. At Brooklyn bowl to be exact. (side note, not only is a great place to go-- it's know for it's chicken and oyster appetiser. you must try if you're ever in Williambsurg, Brooklyn!) If you want fried foods, you have to seek out the restaurants that serve them, or offer them as their specialty.

I'm not bashing my culture of the south, or my grandmother's cooking-- but the reality is, It's NOT HEALTHY. here is a quick poll of the states with the highest obesity and type 2 diabetic rate . It was taken in 2010, so it has most likely changed since then. And you guessed it, Tennessee/ southern states rank top ten each year.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/122405/Obesity-Diabetes-Across-States-Clear-Relationship.aspx

It's not because we're lazy, and don't work out or know what a gym is. It's because that is what's readily available in southern states. This blog is not a rant to bash any culture or anyone. It's to vent, and to help show you how to lose weight, and live a healthier life style like I am trying to do.

This milk is what I drank the entire time I was in New York. It is only, 4 bucks. I say ONLY because I'm still use to the absurd prices/ cost of living in the north. Drinking this, or using it with your cereal will make the difference, and I promise you can even taste the difference. Call me crazy, or judge me. But the cost of being healthy now-- is a lot less inexpensive than the medical bills you'll have to pay in the future. (If you have unhealthy habits and don't change them.)

Yes, sometimes I go a little crazy and like to snack on kale chips, seaweed and things like that. But if those aren't practical snack/meal replacements for you. Try these. These are my favorite,(below) and they are delicious. You can get them at publix or any grocery. Especially the fage 0% Greek yogurt with Blueberry. It's so sweet, sometimes I use it as a dessert, and only 120 calories for the whole serving!

For some reason, I can't post the rest of the pictures. but you get the point! Fresh Salsa, vegetable straws, sliced avocados, Greek yogurt, and organic blue tortilla chips truly make the best snacks. They fill you up-- and they're inexpensive. Ditch the Doritos you're eating and use these... you'll be good to go ;)

I'm not saying I'll never eat some good ole' banana pudding again, or a slice of cake. I am simply saying that I do not want to put anything into my body unless I know it's fresh and where it came from.

Recently, when I first moved back to the south, I ate a strawberry from walmart. Moments from biting into the abnormally large, chemincally growth induced strawberry...It had a strange, zingy, horrible flavor. I could literally taste the chemicals. Five months prior to living in the city I would have never known, or tasted the difference. But after eating organic fruits -- now I can. If I could taste the chemicals from one strawberry.... enough to make me spit it out like a crazy person, imagine what that 's doing to people's bodies? Imagine how unhealthy these chemicals must be!

PS here is a list of the lowest calorie fruits http://pinterest.com/pin/36802921924689035/

As a trainer once told me, If you can't pronounce the ingredients on the label.... It's probably not good for you. And your body can't recognize it either! This is most comonly known for sugar and butter subsititues.

So this blog is to help you and I learn how to eat fresh, home made, and home grown meals! I'd love to hear your ideas for healthier dinner recipes. Grilled chicken becomes old :)

Also if you know of great farmers markets that are year round in your area, I'd love to hear about it!