Simplify

What if your next meal was a recipe that only required one ingredient?

This is a brief introduction to eating mono meals and saving money at the grocery store. A mono meal is a meal consisting of just one food, typically a fruit or vegetable, in its raw, natural state. Mono meals are popular among raw foodists and vegans, but are also a fantastic way for anyone to re-train the brain to have a healthier relationship with food. When we eat only one food, our sensory organs are not overloaded with varying tastes, textures, and smells, and we are therefore, better able to determine when we're still hungry, and when we're completely satisfied. This can be a helpful tool for overcoming eating disorders and emotional eating.

Erin Stanczyk | Lifestyle Design | eatmoverest | SATURDAY MORNING FRUIT HAUL: BENEFITS OF MONO MEALS + BUYING IN BULK

Think to yourself, If I'm not hungry enough to eat an apple, then I'm not really hungry. If you're hungry enough to eat an apple, chances are, you're hungry enough to eat more than one apple--so why not?

Mother Nature

Looking back to the way things used to be, imagine you're all alone, wandering and starving. All of a sudden, you come upon a big peach tree. You pluck a juicy, ripe peach from the tree, and savor every perfect bite--no condiments, no cooking, no processing, just enjoying the fruit as Mother Nature intended. Chances are, you'd still be hungry after one, and go for another. Being that you might not know when or where you'd find food again, I'd venture to guess that you would eat as many peaches as you cared for until you felt satiated! That's all there is to mono meals--it's that simple!

But regardless of any theory of how things "used to be," mono meals can benefit our bodies and minds in a number of ways.

Fruit As Fuel

Our bodies require carbohydrates in order to stay energized--the important part is which type of carbs we're consuming. Fruit is an unrefined carbohydrate that's chock-full of fiber, which helps to slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream and avoid spikes and crashes.

Not only is fruit a great source of carbohydrate energy, it is also packed with vital nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes that help our bodies to thrive. Grab a banana or grab an orange (or any fruit of your choice for that matter!), enjoy each and every sweet, juicy bite, and eat until you feel completely satiated!

*Disclaimer: I am not 100% raw vegan, but I am a total raw food lover and eat about 90% raw foods. I am simply sharing my experience with you because I love how I feel and wish the same for you!

7 Reasons To Try A Mono Meal:

No recipes required.
It's natural.
Eliminates decision fatigue.
Re-trains your brain to know when you're full.
Allows you to enjoy the simplicity of just one food--the taste, texture, smell, etc.
Easier on your digestion and requires less energy.
Can be applied for an extended period of time as a detox or cleanse.

Try It Out

Eat as much melon as you care for, for breakfast.
Make a banana smoothie.
Eat only mangos for lunch.
Drink fresh-squeezed orange juice for an entire day.
Make Banana "Nice Cream" as seen on the Blog & YouTube!

* Check out: The 80/10/10 Diet by Dr. Douglas Graham for more on the benefits of raw foods and mono meals!

A Saturday Morning Plus 105 Valencia Oranges Means It's Time For Fresh-Squeezed OJ

On a recent trip to our local co-op, Open Harvest, Dusty and I decided we would place an order for an entire case of organic bananas and Valencia oranges, (which we got a 15% discount on for buying in bulk)! You might be asking, why would anyone buy 80lbs of fruit?!

We Love Fruit! We eat a lot, so we need a lot!

After counting out a little over 100 Valencia oranges and 100 bananas, we laid out of bananas so they could get ripe and speckled for smoothies and Banana Nice Cream. Bananas are easy to buy in bulk because they can be easily frozen and stored for months in the freezer, and make the perfect base for any smoothie. Citrus is in season, so oranges were a good bet, as well. Especially during cold and flu season, nothing beats a tall glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice! Oranges keep for quite some time in the refrigerator, so they're also easy to buy in bulk.

It has now been about 2 weeks since we got our bananas and oranges, and it feels amazing to be able to enjoy them in abundance! Our frozen bananas are stored away, and we're nearing the end of our orange supply--no fruit has rotted or gone to waste!

Don't stress about depriving yourself, simply crowd out the bad foods with more of the good!

After using my good, old-fashioned citrus juicer for about 10 oranges, I decided it was time to upgrade! I found this awesome, Cuisinart electric citrus juicer at Bed Bath & Beyond for only $29.95 and I can't recommend it enough if you do a lot of citrus-juicing! #lifesaver!

As Seen On YouTube:

Check out our Saturday Morning Fruit Haul on the EatMoveRest YouTube channel and be sure to Subscribe, give it a Thumbs Up, leave a Comment, and Share with friends and family!

Cheers to A Simpler Way Of Life

Don't be afraid to experiment with food--especially fruits and veggies! There are so many complex and restrictive diets, too many processed junk foods, difficult recipes, and time-consuming cooked meals to bother with, and sometimes, our bodies and minds just need something simple!

Go grab your favorite fruit and enjoy each and every juice bite!

Designed For Your Lifestyle,

Erin

Happy For The Holidays

Yesterday it was announced on the J.Crew Instagram feed that I was one of the 5 chosen winners of their #shinyponies shoe photo contest! I took a picture of my all-time favorite pair of shiny, metallic, silver oxfords that are my go-to for parties around the holidays! And, of course, they were accompanied in the photo by a pile of fruit! I guess you can say Fancy Footwear and Fruity Foods are my Forte! A snapshot of my favorite holiday party kicks plus my ideal on-the-go healthy snacks was actually the perfect photo to segway into today's Holiday Hang-up, Tempting Sweets + Treats // Overeating + Overindulging // Regret + Remorse.

If you haven't already, check out Day 1 and Day 2 to get clued in on my Happy For The Holidays series and read some of my other simple solutions to common Holiday Hang-ups! Here goes Day 3!

Erin Stanczyk | Lifestyle Design | eat.move.rest. | J.Crew #shinyponies Contest Winner

Everywhere you go, there are tempting sugar cookies frosted with Santa’s face at checkout stands and holiday parties are filled with rich and indulgent dishes and desserts. You can’t turn down a cocktail with an old friend in town and you’ll have to have a few more in order to make it through that family gathering! It can be tricky figuring out how to make an appearance at all of your social events without overindulging in food and drink, which is all too often followed by regret, remorse, and self-loathing. With these Simple Solutions, you won't need to worry about holiday weight gain or joining a gym after the New Year!

Plan Ahead

Something I can give myself a pat on the back for is finding all of the loopholes to successfully navigating any buffet line on any occasion. My first line of advice is to plan ahead. Get filled in on as many details as you can about the event you're attending—time, place, type of food (if any), and it can also be helpful to decide ahead of time how late you're going to stay and to have an exit strategy. If you plan to drink, try limiting yourself to one drink per hour, or just a couple of drinks for the entire night. Planning ahead can take the guesswork out of what could be an otherwise sticky situation and a rough morning after.

Prepare

If you know what to expect from your own family’s get together, that’s one thing, but when you have no idea what the food and drink situation is going to be like, it’s best to go in mentally prepared. If you've been doing a good job of eating healthy and feeling great, there's no reason to fall off the wagon during the holidays. Go over potential scenarios in your mind, like when someone tries to get you to take a shot but you don't do shots—get tough and get used to standing your ground! When someone passes around the tray of cookies, if you've already decided ahead of time that you aren't going to eat dessert, come up with a polite way of turning them down. Teach yourself to say "no" twice, because others will persist—but if you're confident and firm, people will understand and respect you for being you!

Pre-Eat

The biggest part of being prepared is showing up with your tank at least half full. Now I don't mean stuff yourself before a dinner party, but the biggest no-no is to skip meals beforehand. Pre-eat! Blend up a fruit smoothie, fix a big bowl of fruit, or chop a veggie salad. These are all perfect ways to get some healthy food in before you show up to an event that may only be providing sweets and sugary drinks! If you show up at a party starving, your willpower will be at a minimum, and you’re going to want to devour anything and everything in sight, which will be followed by a stomachache and disappointment in yourself.

Pack

Another thing I like to do is bring a snack that can fit in my purse or one that I can leave in my car. I almost never leave the house without a banana and/or an apple, no matter where I'm going. I also like to carry a whole food energy bar like a Larabar in my purse—they primarily consist of dates blended with other unsweetened dried fruit and nuts, which is perfect to hold you over, and can also make a super healthy and sweet dessert replacement!

Provide

If you’re going to a potluck, don’t show up empty handed—this is the perfect opportunity to shine! I love whipping up one or two of my favorite healthy and delicious plant-based dishes to share, and to enjoy for myself! It's also a great way to ensure that you'll be able to eat something healthy that you enjoy if the other options aren't the greatest.

Pleasure

Sometimes I'll forego unhealthy holiday desserts for my own when I get home, like my dairy-free, refined sugar-free Mint-Chip Banana "Nice" Cream, pictured to the left!

If you do choose to indulge, just have a small slice of pie, or one cookie instead of two. If you followed these steps, you will have already Planned Ahead and Prepared by deciding you were going to enjoy just one dessert, so you won't have to battle with yourself when you're faced with the temptation. Remember to be mindful—eat slowly and use all of your senses to fully enjoy your food. You will get much more out of an indulgence if you savor it rather than mindlessly devouring it. And finally, whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up! When you're done treating yourself, give yourself a pat on the back for sticking to your game plan, and move on with life!

Just remember the Six P's and you'll be golden:

Plan ahead, Prepare, Pre-eat, Pack, Provide, and Pleasure

Holiday Hang-ups Around Our Home

*Each day I'll also be sharing some "holiday hang-ups" around our home—because if there's one thing we love to do, it's decorate for Christmas.

The Mantle

The fireplace mantle is a focal point that sets the tone and can really bring a home to life throughout the seasons—especially at Christmas time! I'm a sucker for hand-lettering, especially when it involves a chalkboard, so when I stumbled upon this cool pine wood slice at Michaels, I decided to turn it into a chalkboard! It's a fun way to change up the mood in a room every couple of months with a new phrase or design! I also took the mirror frame, which used to be a deep red color and used antiquing medium to give it a washed out, neutral tone. Every year I buy some live garland from Trader Joe's to really bring the holiday decor to life! To finish it off, I mixed in some silver and gold Christmas flourishes and strung some wire twinkling lights throughout!

Enjoy Food, Festivities, + Family

Now that you know the Six P's to navigating any holiday gathering, don't get hung-up on the food! Food brings people together to enjoy each other's company. Laugh and engage in meaningful conversation and be fully present and mindful of your surroundings. Look at all of the beautiful holiday decorations, dance to the cheerful music, make your rounds and try to strike up a conversation with someone new, and breathe in all of the Christmas spirit!

Stay tuned for the next installation of my 7 Holiday Hang-ups + 7 Simple Solutions. In No. 4, I'll discuss a biggie: Family (Dys)functions // The In-Laws // Tension + Drama.