OneMileOneMeal

Welcome To The Debut Of The One Mile One Meal Mobile App

I'm thrilled to announce that a dream has come true, and the One Mile One Meal app is now available on not one put three mobile platforms, iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, and Android.

We're trailblazing as one of the first publishers/authors to launch a book and mobile app on three platforms concurrently!

The One Mile One Meal app is a complement to my new digital book, Back in Skinny Jeans: How this woman got back into her skinny jeans through tiny acts of healthiness and found inner peace along the way," based on this blog is available for purchase at Amazon to help you get back in your skinny jeans. Woo-hoo!

In the book, I share how I dropped 40 pounds and have kept that weight off almost five years, and now live a life of healthiness in my skinny jeans with inner peace. 

I dropped the weight through tiny acts of healthiness based on following the Four Doables each day: one mile, one meal, one feeling, and one day which gave me left-brain flexibility and creativity but some left-brain structure. The Four Doables were based on the One Mile One Meal blog. The tiny actions were broken into two categories, Awareness and Action, taking care of the inside and the outside.

(that graphic was designed to be pinned on Pinterest, and reblogged on Tumblr so share away!)

Five days a week you get a visual nudge around fitness, food and feelings along with two weekly audio clips of yours truly sharing more healthiness tips.

The book is the awareness. The app is the action.

I think books and apps are wonderful complements to each other. Reading a weight loss book is great, but what will actually get you back into those skinny jeans is action, the work. 

In Back in Skinny Jeans, you can read about my philosophy about healthy living and expand your awareness, and then the app puts that philosophy into daily action. Weight loss in particular is a great topic for book/app combos.

If you love what I'm doing, my connection to you doesn't end when you're done reading the book. The One Mile One Meal app will give you the ability to carry me in your pocket or purse literally, so you have aid in those critical moments when you're about to make an unhealthy choice like emo eat a whole pint of ice cream by yourself.

Thank you to all our readers for your kindness and support as we transition from a blog to a mobile app. This blog stream will convert more into news about the app and the company. All healthiness tips going forward will be on the app.

I'm so excited that I'm able to continue our healthiness journey together with this book and mobile app.

There will be plenty of acitivities and promos around the book and app to help you lose weight, and create a life of healthiness back in your skinny jeans, so stay tuned.

As usual, I'm open to any comments, ideas, and suggestions you may have. Please share!

*****

Buy Back in Skinny Jeans for $4.99 at Amazon.

Buy the One Mile One Meal app for $1.99 on iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, and coming next week on Android.

 

 

Soup Idea: Quinoa, Sweet Potato, Carrot and Kale Soup With a Ciabatta Roll

When I was in Boulder a couple weeks ago, BFF @jenmyronuk took me to this grocery store called Alfalfa's Market and in their hot foods soup section, they had this Quinoa, sweet potato, carrot, and kale soup that is one of the best soups I have ever had. I ripped off pieces of my ciabatta roll and dunked it in the soup.

Seriously, I'm not ashamed to admit that I licked my paper bowl clean after eating this soup!

I couldn't find a recipe online. If you know of one, do let me know. If you are in Boulder, go to Alfalfa's and buy the biggest container of this soup. It is divine!

One Of The Many Reasons Why People Hate Vegetables And How To Fix That

I had dinner at a hotel restaurant last week and I ordered the vegan plate and this is what I got, a plate of steamed vegetables that had zero flavor because basically they boiled all the flavor away and didn't bother to add any kind of seasoning whatsoever.

This is a perfect example of why people start to hate vegetables because they associate it with this kind of bland unexciting experience. I don't blame you. My dish here tasted like "diet food." It's awful and gives veggies a bad rap!

Now let's take a look at vegetables from another perspective. This is my vegan plate at another dinner function, but this time at a Whole Foods.

On the plate is seasoned grilled sweet potatoes, tofu rolls wrapped in bok choy, a slice of pear and caramelized onions pizza on whole wheat crust, tempeh on top of polenta with roasted red peppers, and butter lettuce cups in a cucumber bowl drizzled with a Green Goddess dressing.

Here is a close-up of those butter lettuce cups which were my favorite of the evening. What is amazing about these cups is that it's basically just lettuce, tomato, radishes, purple cabbage, and cucumber, on their own nothing exciting...but how tantalizing do those veggies look now when arranged in a cup versus flat on a plate and boiled to death? This setup is way more fun and oh tasty!

This is one of the many reasons I love Whole Foods, they make vegetables look and taste exciting and fun. And Whole Foods isn't the only place that can make vegetables look fantastical. Check out some of the vegetarian and vegan places in town kind of like a vegetable field trip. You will be amazed at how good veggies can taste when made in simple yet creative ways.

Healthier Burger: Grass Fed Bison Burger With Side of Sweet Potato Hash And Tuscan Kale

Burgers are an American past time and I believe you can have your burgers and skinny jeans too! Here is one of my favorite healthier burger options which I get at True Food Kitchen, one of my fave restaurants in Phoenix : Grass fed bison with arugula, grilled umami mushrooms and onions on a flax seed bun.

As a side option, True Food serves their signature Tuscan Kale salad or a sweet potato mash, or a combo of the two which I always get because kale and sweet potatoes are two of my favorite foods, and kale is a nutrient packed food. Consider a veggie as a side versus french fries the next time you get a burger.

Here's some of the health benefits of bison meat. The big thing to point out is that bison meat is a healthier option over beef mainly because bison is much lower in fat. For example, for a 3oz cut, bison has 2.4g of fat and lean beef has 10g of fat...significant difference! And bison burgers taste good. For me, I almost cannot tell the difference.

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato and Avocado Salad With Asian Dressing and Three Bean Chili

If you live in Phoenix or come to visit, Nourish is a place we highly recommend especially for those with food allergies and intolerances, or those with specific food needs you normally won't find in restaurants because at Nourish they pretty much have good coverage for all the 8 major food allergens. There is plenty to eat there if you're like me with food allergies.

And better yet, those who can eat anything will find plenty to enjoy as well. Nourish serves some vibrant and very healthy foods. Say Hi to owner Kirsten! She is one of the friendliest people you'll ever meet.

On Saturday, for a special Gluten-Free luncheon organized by @SustainableKen, I noshed on my favorite sweet potato and avocado salad with their special Asian dressing which is soy and gluten free. You could easily make a simialr dish at home. Just cut up some avocados and a sweet potato that was boiled so it's slightly soft, and then mix in one of your favorite bottled Asian dressings.

Paired with the salad, I got the Three Bean chili made with black, red, and white beans. I enjoy the tomatoey flavor in this chili. The cool thing about Nourish's chili is that you can add on cheese and ground beef for those who want that. Gotta love multi-purpose foods!

Looking Good and Doing Good: My Before & After. Let's Party With Aveda Summer Solutions

Since people love "Before & After" shots, here's me before a Summer Solutions pampering at the Aveda store in Chandler Fashion Mall with the fabulous Octavio, and me after. Notice the glow!

My skin felt so dewy afterward and my hair had this nice sheen to it. Had I known I'd be this glowy after my Aveda treatments, I would have scheduled a date night with some lucky guy :-D

And guess what, I am not the only who gets to be all glowy, you my readers can too! There are 2 ways:

Way #1: Open to all my readers in the U.S, I will be doing a giveaway here on the blog where you can enter to win a Summer Essentials gift pack. Stay tuned for details on that in the next week.

Way #2: If you live in Phoenix metro, I will be hosting an Aveda Summer Solutions party on June 18th, 2011 from 10:30am-noon at the Chandler Fashion mall. Please register at EventBrite here.

There will be fun music, sweet treats to nosh on, bubbly drinks, swag bags (for the first 25 who arrive, and say, "I'm here for the @skinnyjeans party!) and mini-treatments for you to experience.

Oh yes! Here are the four treatments you can try out:

• Mini-facial with a cleanse, tone, masque, and SPF moisturize.

• Summer make-up featuring summer bronzers and re-hydrating lip glaze. See just like this, the way Octavio here is making me look pretty.

• Stress relief with aromatherapy and a neck and shoulder rub. You pick a scent based on the chakra number calling out to you. I picked Chakra #2 the sacral chakra which made total sense because it represents things pressing to me right now like a relationship and my business. Chakra 2 governs: physically = reproduction, mentally = creativity, emotionally = joy, and spiritually = enthusiasm.

• Hair consultation featuring tips and summer products to help make your hair look fierce. I like how my hair got this glowy sheen to it. Here in Phoenix it is now getting Africa hot and dry, and so these summer products designed for the heat are such a wonderful help.

The party part with the food and drinks, and me mingling with you all will go on from 11am-noon, but the folks at the Aveda Chandler store will be there all day to continue with the mini-treatments so come in whenever you can! And again, the swag bags will be available for the first 25 guests who arrive.

In the world of beauty, I adore Aveda because not only do I love the fact that everything is plant-based and smells really good, but the company has a deep commitment to being a good corporate citizen by being environmentally and socially conscious. You know I'm all into the circle of life thing. Aveda's mission:

To care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society.

And that care is evindent in everything they do and make. So, when I was approached to be a part of Aveda's Summer Solutions campaign and help spread the word, I'm like, "Heck yeah! When do we start!"

Open disclousre: I am being financially compensated for my participation in this campaign, and am very grateful to take part.

There are other Aveda Summer Essentials going on around the U.S. If you're on Twitter, do a search for the hashtag #AvedaSS. For those in Phoenix, I will see you on June 18th! Please register at EventBrite here.

You can LIKE Aveda on Facebook and follow @Aveda on Twitter.

My Box Lunch at Urban Picnic

 
I just had to post a photo of my box lunch today at Urban Picnic...more later about my sammich on Monday. I'm having too much fun with my new iPhone4 and the apps!

And here is one of the walls in the place. Love the grass mural.

iPhone HDR Antics: Where I Get All Dramatic With Post Rain Sky And Glaring Intersection

Okay, I sure am having a creative blast with the HDR features on my iPhone 4. For those of you new to HDR photography it stands for high dynamic range imaging which basically creates surreal even painting like effects.

I love how HDR over dramatizes scenes to make them seem like places you'd see in a dream or Tim Burton movie. This shot is taken from the stairs of my complex right after a rain shower in 70 degree temperatures and right as the sun was starting to set. The balcony to the right is my pad.

Here is a Flickr group of some pretty amazing HDR photos....which are mostly shot from fancy DSLRs. It's getting pretty amazing what you can do on an iPhone.

And what does this HDR stuff have to do with tiny actions and healthiness? Well, a few things actually like:

• Imagine the photos you could take of outdoor bike rides and runs. You could make scenes from a marathon look surreal because uh running 26 miles in itself is surreal.
• Expressing creativity and having fun with it is heart-healthy and soul-strengthening.
• And hello iPhone is tiny compared to a Nikon or Canon DSLR! Like I always say, never under-estimate the power of small. I shot and did all the post editing of these two photos on my iPhone...in the palm of my hand! Just 2 years ago that would have seemed impossible.

To create these photos, I shot both pictures using the HDR option on the iPhone camera. Then I brought the images into the Camera+ app, used the Clarity Scene, then used the HDR in the Special category of Effects. I saved the image, then brought them into Photoshop Express and added some contrast and saturation, and a little sharpening. Easy and fun!

For this shot, I was at an intersection waiting for the light to turn green. I stuck my phone outside my window and shot the sun. I turned it into black and white for an Ansel Adamsy look. The mundane just got a little more exciting!

Here is the original shot in color. The clouds look so dramatic.

Roach Coach Tales: Organic Vegan Dish From a Filipino Food Truck. Yes Joe!

There is a Filipino Food Truck here in Phoenix called Hey Joe Truck which I have been wanting to try for ages and recently I got the chance when they were parked at the Wednesday night open market held at the Phoenix Public Market downtown.

What I didn't expect was to find something organic OR vegan on their menu because well Filipino food is not really geared towards vegan options. In fact, often the vegetable dishes call for patis which is fish sauce, so technically that makes the dish pesco vegetarian.

This is their Mung or Mungo beans (as many Filipinos call it with the O) with spinach and coconut milk vegan dish on top of white rice. When my mom makes mungo beans she uses patis and pork, so definitely not vegetarian but mighty tasty.

I liked Hey Joe's vegan version. Yes Joe! Impressed I was...to be Yoda.

What's fantastic about this dish is that it opens up people's perception of what vegan foods can be, and that we can get global here, it's not all Americanized. Open up the palate I say!

Over at Yummy, I found a recipe that uses chard versus spinach, but you can just swap that out. As well, mung beans are gluten-free, and if you use a gluten-free soy sauce, this dish can also be made gluten-free...more win!

Follow @HeyJoeTruck on Twitter

Oatmeal For Lunch. Who Knew It Could Look This Pretty

It's amazing what beautiful shots my iPhone4 can take. Doesn't that bowl look vibrant?

At the Forks Over Knives pre-screening event, the local Whole Foods stores who sponsored the event gave all us attendees a free container of organic Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats. Nice gift!

Today, I cooked some oats for lunch...in a pot...on the stove...yeah, like how my mom did it in the old days before microwaves existed.

I poured in some rice milk and sprinkled a Superfood trail mix which has acai berries, mulberries, coconut, cashews, and cocoa nibs in it. It was a fibery lunch!