TIP TUESDAY

Living an all around healthy lifestyle may be easy for some, but for most this task is a difficult one.

Many people do not have the time to cook a meal or even go to the grocery store for that matter, so if I am talking about you here are some tips in order to live that healthy lifestyle but with simplicity!

Besides the fact frozen foods can save you tons of money, flash-frozen organic foods such as vegetable mixes and fruits are perfectly acceptable! Go out to Costco or any other fine bulk store and stock your freezer up with these delicious, easy and healthy foods. Of course if you have the time please buy everything fresh but honestly sometimes flash-frozen produce can be better in terms of organic foods and budget. STAY AWAY from those containing cheeses, or additives (salts or seasonings), you can add these yourself!

Smoothies are super easy when all you have to do is throw in your favorite protein powder (still trying to find a new fav), frozen organic fruits and some frozen organic veggies!

Dry goods such as Black Beans, Chick Peas, Lentils, Basmati Brown Rice, Quinoa, Rolled Oats, Barley, and Buckwheat are excellent to have lying around in your pantry! Not only can you buy in bulk (always cost effective) but they work wonders in a soup, salad or side dish. If you get really creative you can turn those frozen veggies and one type of grain into an entire meal.

Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth and Vegetable Broths have a very long shelf life and are the base of most soups and sauces. Having these always on hand and buying in bulk will make your pantry complete and give you a base for all those grains and frozen vegetables.

Oils such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Coconut Oil should in your spices drawer/pantry. Check the quality of these oils as quality matters especially when cooking. Coconut Oil is ideal for high-heat and cooking while Extra Virgin Olive Oil works great as a salad dressing.

Grab some ground pepper, sea salt, cinnamon

Stocking your pantry is one of the main KEYS towards your goal weight, ideal body or just pairing good nutrition with your workouts.

A pantry full of chips, cookies and sodas will lead you to destruction later on! I know the feeling of an empty fridge (with nothing to eat) and the next door is always the pantry which is usually a hole filled with "junk" foods.

Another useful tip is to prepare large batches of soups and stews that store nicely in the fridge and work great as meals to bring to work, school or wherever you may be going. They also work as a wonderful late night dinner after working all day and not wanting to touch a pan.


I made the one above a few days ago and have been enjoying it on top of some chicken I made earlier in the week and just alone! It feels so nice not to have to start chopping up everything and waiting!


What are some tricks you use to stay healthy when on the go or super busy?


What are some new items you will pick up on your next grocery trip to make your life easier?

TIP TUESDAY

You eat all the right foods, 4-6 meals a day and workout and you still seem to be STUCK! No more pounds falling off, fat still sticks there and you just DO NOT GET IT!

Well SISTER, I am here to help you!

There are a few reasons why this is going on but today we are going to focus on one of the larger reasons: PORTION CONTROL..

That's RIGHT...just because you are eating "healthy foods", :ALMOND's, PINENUT'S, SEEDS ETC. (raw, unroasted, unsalted) does not mean you can eat the whole bag.....

And grains like quinoa, barley, brown rice, whole wheat pastas..etc..same thing! YES you are eating quinoa and you know all of the health benefits but does that mean you should have three servings? NO

These foods STILL have calories! Yes, they are better choices compared to what you used to eat so GO YOU! 

But it is NOW time to look into that NEXT STEP...

You have the right formula, the right foods but those portion sizes are out of control! (trust me I am with you on this one...me and nuts are "frienenemies")

Counting on Nutrition Charts that restaurants and the internet are WONDERFUL but remember these estimates are not EXACTLY what you will be served when you go out to that same exact restaurant and order that same exact dish...WHY? Well half the time the chef is not measuring the amount of oils, butters, and gosh knows what else and could give you a larger slab of meat or even a larger serving than what was given the day of testing. Also this number is usually a "mean." A mean is a sum of all the totals divided by the amount which then gives the approximate result. 

I know you most likely don't have a portable food scale, or a nutritional chart on the back of every single thing you eat so here are so "handy" guides for you to control your portion sizes....

TIP TUESDAY

TIP TUESDAY

TIP: Always get ready for date night, it always makes it more fun and exciting and I LOVE trying out new makeup looks :)

Tips for Shoes:

• Make sure your shoes fit you correctly, so you can prevent running injuries and run comfortably. 
• Check out the MIDSOLE, if mostly gray, or dual-density foam, near the arch the more stable the shoe is
• Make sure you have about half an inch of wiggle room between the end of the shoe and your longest toe.
• Check to see if the outsole is carbon or blown rubber, blown rubber is softer and lighter for more flexibility and less weight in your stride while carbon rubber provides more traction
• Shop for workout shoes at the end of the day when feet are semi-swollen since your feet swell up when running
• If you supinate, meaning when walking your feet tend to roll out, you need a shoe with extra cushioning to absorb impact
• If you overpronate, meaning your feet tend to roll inward, you need a shoe with midsole cushioning and stability control
• If you are a neutral runner, meaning your feet don’t roll outward (underpronate) or inward when running (overpronate), you can select pretty much any shoe

My Favorite Running Shoes:

New Balance 1010 ($110.00)

Great for cross training because of its webbing which provides a structured support when training!

Asics Gel 1150 ($74.50)

Rated by Runner’s World as the softest running shoe on the market and provides amazing support for your feet and joints

Nike Airmax Trainer One ($85.00)

Great for all around gym use.

Salomon SpeedCross 2 ($120)

Great for those of you who love running outdoors and hiking on trails. These shoes are 8.6 oz so extremely light but still keep the foot very stable!

*A great place to pick up name brand workout shoes is NORDSTROM RACK! Or you can head to your local footlocker and try on the shoe to get your size and google it to find the best prices!

NO MORE EXCUSES! Get that body you have ALWAYS wanted and look cute doing it :)

WEDDING DRESS HUNT

Searching for the perfect dress can be so much fun and kind of stressful! I mean how many times in your life do you have an excuse to go crazy and try on whatever dress you want? But at the same time how many dresses are there to choose from and you only get one and thats it! 

One thing I learned on my journey is price, designer and who wore the dress means CRAP! I tried on dresses from $99.00 USD-$10,000 USD and what I picked you will be amazed, (sorry) it was not the Monique Lhuillier dress Carrie Underwood wore to her reception but I did LOVE it :) Just not for my special day :) 

The other tip is to try on EVERYTHING, as you can see in my pictures I tried on every style and thats because you never know what will look best on you! That is what matters most :)

Davids Bridal

- Gorgeous dress, I loved how it showed my legs off a bit without being too sexy, I really wanted a classy look!

The Back of that dress

Monique Lhuillier

Dress Carrie Underwood wore to her reception! So much detail and so gorgeous, I kind of fell in love...

Old School Vintage type dress. I really REALLY love the 1940's (I listen to 40's on 4) so I really thought about channeling my inner 40's vixen! Do you like?

Mermaid style, made me look womanly and I LOVED the beading and detailing on this dress!

Alfred Angelo

 Best experience as far as excitement went! I went to the one across from the Beverly Center in LA because they had the biggest selection and we were already out there visiting Monique's!

Felt like a princess in this one, just too large but the detailing was VERY unique which I loved!

The detailing on the Cinderella dress from the Disney Princess Collection. So gorgeous and VERY fairytale! I had fun walking around the store pretending like i was walking on a cloud!

From the Disney Princess Collection. I am pretty sure this one was Ariel. I can tell you trying on dresses that day, I felt like a princess!

My mom designed the guestbook which I LOVE! She is SO creative! I really want her to make these and sell them on etsy! Look at the detail on the pages, all her design! I am SO lucky to have such a creative and loving Mother who took the time out of her busy schedule to do this for us! 

QUESTION: What dress did I choose?

TIP TUESDAY

Today's tip is to start identifying the moods you feel while consuming certain foods. I did this when I started my life long changes and it helped me understand more about my body and myself. Not only was I consuming so much sugar I was on the verge of getting diabetes (not all type 2 diabetes people are obese) I was relying on it as my MAIN food source. That is right all I ate was SUGAR. Fast reliable energy source that can kill you. I noticed it was always a high on the sugar energy and than a huge crash where I would literally fall asleep and than eat more sugar go back up and it just turned into this vicious cycle. I soon learned that I needed to step away from the sugar and start eating REAL foods. When I say real I mean foods that grow in the ground, have a mother (sorry veggies) and are organic and natural sources of food! I can't tell you how much better I feel...healthy, strong and energetic!

I have had clients who eat certain foods when stressed. Its time to look at that and figure out what makes you stressed and why is it that you reach for that salty or sugary snack when those moods/feelings occur. You must IDENTIFY these emotions, deal with them, rid of them and than you can conquer that craving and see results. 

There is also replacing that craving with something else. I used to be a HUGE candy muncher and now I drink herbal tea all day everyday! I love it and it cures my sweet tooth with herbs and low to 0 calories! 

What do you crave? Comment and let me know and feel free to ask questions about your consumption records!

FREE FOOD CONSUMPTION RECORD

TIP TUESDAY

Are you up to the challenge? Its so easy and fun to try new things so go for it! 5 items, easy! 

Try out shiitake mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, chia seeds, maca powder, seaweed, kiwis, grapefruit, brussel sprouts, lima beans, black eyed peas, quinoa, starfruit, blackberries, broccoli spears, asparagus, artichokes...the list is endless. You can even try out new spices! I love paprika, its traditionally used in Hungarian dishes but can be added to chicken, beef, pork, or turkey and give a kick of flavor just by grilling with it! 

It's always nice to acquire new tastes as you get older. I used to hate vegetables and now I eat them at every meal literally EVERY meal! So go for it, try out those broccoli spears you used to hate as a kid! I bet you have new taste buds and they will be super yummy!

Comment and let me know what you picked up! I would love to hear your choices! 

TRAVEL TIPS-HONG KONG EDITION

Traveling is ruthless on your health, well of course if you make it! I have learned along the way some important tips to staying beautiful and staying healthy when traveling. I just landed in Hong Kong yesterday after 23 hours of flying! My fiancé and I are exhausted but so excited to spend time in another continent and see a lifestyle that is so different than anything either of us has ever experienced!

A few important tips in this video I made in the hotel room once we arrived :) Don't laugh to hard, its the FIRST video I have ever made. I plan to make a ton while I am out here so follow me on youtube, FACEBOOK or Twitter @starsystemz

Some quick tips for you:
1. MOISTURIZE
-The plane circulation is very drying to your skin. I always bring chapstick, eye moisturizer, hand moisturizer, and face/neck moisturizer. Go into Sephora or any department store and ask for samples. Most of the time they are travel sized and will fit beautifully in your carry on!

2. BRING HEALTHY SNACKS
-DO NOT expect the airport or plane snacks to be healthy, they rarely ever are even when they provide you with nuts most of the time they are salted and roasted. I brought some fruit, lara bars (vegan) and raw vegetable sticks. This kept me munching and away from the fun snacks the airline provided.

3. Drink TONS of water!
-This will keep you hydrated and healthy. Being on a plane with a ton of germs and other diseases without any ventilation is not good for your health. The least you can do is stay hydrated. Alcohol looks nice on a flight but unless you really need it, alcohol will just dry you out. Drink water and see how you feel after that!

4. ALWAYS DRESS NICE yet COMFORTABLE
-Showing up to the airport in your pajamas is so not cool. I am so over seeing girls look like slobs its not cute. I'm not saying to wear your tightest dress and highest heels just jeans and a nice t-shirt will do just fine. I promise you, people will treat you with respect and who knows who you might meet!

Jeans, cute tank, blazer and comfy wedges

I hope everyone enjoyed an amazing Easter and had lots of chocolate!

TRAVEL/WEDDING LIFE

I am preparing and packing for a trip my finance and I will be taking to Hong Kong! I am so excited not only because I have NEVER been to an Asian country but because I get to experience a whole new culture and lifestyle. Sure I have been to Ireland, Costa Rica and Mexico which have all been amazing experiences but to go somewhere like Hong Kong does not compare!

I thought I would share with my readers a quick tip for packing since this is something I love doing and it works out perfectly! You know all of those samples you get at Sephora or Planet Beauty? Well save them because they will come in handy. What is pictured below is 10 days worth of shampoo, conditioner, styling balm, exfoliator, eye makeup remover, lotion, face wash and toothpaste! Crazy right? The best part is I can carry it on! No more worrying about your stuff being lost in space :)

Star Systemz Travel Tip: Use Samples to Travel

I am also getting married in 30 days! I am so excited and have been working hard with my wedding planner Rachel Hansen of infinity-cabo.com to get it done! We planned everything in less than 5 months :) For a destination wedding, with people flying in I think we did an amazing job!

Here are some tidbit pictures I took so you can get a behind the scenes look of what I worked on:

Glass Heart Wedding Favor handmade at The Glass Factory

Gold Painted Wedding Welcome Baskets for my Out-of-Towners

 I would show you what is inside but I will wait until my guests receive them :)

My crafting table! This is where I view my gorgeous beach and pretend to make things for the wedding :)

 I have also been laying out in my backyard a bit to get a nice base tan for my wedding day, check out my how-to here http://starsystemz.blogspot.mx/2012/04/sunless-sunday.html

Random day my fiancé and I went looking for props for our wedding :) I am a true Irish girl with truly pale/red toned skin so I am proud I have somewhat of a base color here!

I took my very first Louis Vuitton purse which had holes in it and got it turned into a laptop purse! I definitely recommend taking a second look at your damaged clothes or purses because you can change it into something else and make use of it again! I am so happy my laptop has a gorgeous home and that my old purse feels brand new again!

Me laying out pretending to have duck lips...I wish...

SUGAR THE DEVIL

This picture has been all over my Facebook lately, and I thought I would add to the horrible effects of SUGAR. We all love it and studies show that Americans eat 22 teaspoons of sugar a day! 22 teaspoons! Thats horrible especially when you find out why you should avoid that stuff.

Ok..so sugar sucks but what else can replace that awesomely sweet taste? I could say instead of sugar dose your body with artificial sugars but to be honest that is even worse. Things like Splenda, Sweet n Low and Equal just cause cancer and who knows what else.

Its time to look at things like Stevia, all natural honey, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, lime, lemon, fruits anything else just not sugar :) Learn to live without it. I bet you if you cut out that soda or that energy drink you will be surprised at your new abs :)

CINNAMON ALERT

Ceylon Cinnamon=GOOD

I love Cinnamon! I put it in my tea, my oatmeal, and just about everything I used to put sugar on or in. There is only one problem with Cinnamon and something YOU should be alert about. I advise you to get out your spice and see if it has the word, Cassia, if so throw it out NOW. You are harming your liver and other vital organs in your body. Just when you thought you were regulating your blood sugars with your favorite spice you could actually be harming yourself. If not, it should say Ceylon and if you are not sure here are some tips to check it out

Cassia Cinnamon=BAD

-A real cinnamon stick is a light brown color not a dark color
-The aroma of a real cinnamon stick will be light whereas the Cassia version will have a strong aroma
-Ceylon (good) cinnamon looks like a cigar whereas Cassia looks like an empty tube
-Taste test: Ceylon has a sweet taste whereas Cassia has a flat taste
-Saigon Cinnamon is bad (Cassia) whereas Ceylon Cinnamon or Real Cinnamon is a winner


So great information but where can I buy the real deal? The truth about it, is that Real Cinnamon has not been present in America for at least 100 years. There are health food stores that carry the real deal and I found this website http://ceyloncinnamonproducts.com/Statement_Quality.php that has the real deal as well.

Just be aware of what you are putting in your body. Remember that stores and food suppliers must market there foods so ignore the flashy marketing terms and read the fine print!

OUT AND ABOUT

I pull out my Skinny Star tricks all the time when dining out! Right now I am preparing for my wedding day, May 5th which is right around the corner and of course I want to be in tip-top shape! Last night I went out to Edith's in Cabo San Lucas, MX with my fiancé and our friend and it was delicious! The atmosphere there is unbelievable with live music, gorgeous decor and top of the notch service.

A fun video of my fiancé and our friends dessert and not going to lie I took a bite :)

*This was my very first video so don't judge me haha :)

Some quick Skinny Star tricks when dining out:
-1 glass of wine at dinner, 1 glass of wine after (or other drinks work as well, I am just a wino)
-Turn that one glass into 2 with a trick I like to call "The Skinny Sparkler"
-Tea for dessert (freshens breathe and helps you feel even more full)
-If I have to one bite of each persons dessert, savor all the flavors.

"Skinny Sparkler"

1 Glass of Red Malbec Wine (my favorite, any will do)

Sparkling Water

Squeeze of Bar Sized Lime

-Delicious yummy and will last you the entire dinner

The best thing is have FUN! Always enjoy yourself! There is no need to NOT drink because you are trying to lose weight its called not downing 50 margaritas! A HUGE difference! 100-150 calories is not I repeat is NOT going to make you fat the next day. The point of going out is to enjoy yourself so do it!