Homemade tzatziki...opa!

It's official...Greek yogurt is about as hard to find in this town as a four leafed clover or a winning lottery ticket. Yes, there are rumours that it exists "everywhere" and I have been so fortunate as to have found it on rare occasion but when you need it, when you crave it, the damn stuff is about as easy to locate as a talking unicorn.

In an attempt to replace my diminished yogurt stock I picked up plain pro-biotic organic yogurt instead of my beloved creamy vanilla flavored deliciousness of the Greek variety. It was an act of sheer desperation I tell you and I paid the price big time at breakfast this morning. Let's face it, regular yogurt is just not as good as Greek yogurt. Its more watery and not as healthy. It's like my taste buds knew they were getting ripped off. Not to mention I got plain, which loosely translated means slightly sour and not at all a good addition to a yogurt parfait.

Monday morning breakfast fail!

Now I am not one to let $6 yogurt go to waste and did the only thing I could think of: I channelled my inner Mediterranean momma and made homemade tzatziki sauce. No biggie though.

Peel a large English cucumber and chop coarsely

Salt the cucumbers and let them strain in a colander for 15 minutes (I highly recommend that you don't skip this step. The salt will help drain the cucumbers of water that will make the sauce runny. I skipped it and I regret it.)

Add 2tsp chopped garlic (if you like garlic use 3), juice from half a lemon and 1 tsp fresh dill, finely chopped.

Throw it all in a blender or a food processor and pulse until mixed (don't over blend..again it will add to the runnyness factor. We aren't making soup here people!!)

Strain the heck out of that mixture. If you are so inclined, use cheese cloth (you professional you!). If you are like me and making this on a whim use paper towels. I use Scott brand but I guess you could get a little Bounty action going if you must.

Pick your yogurt. If you live at the end of a rainbow and can actually get Greek yogurt where you are, go for that. If not, grab plain yogurt and another roll of paper towels and get straining baby!

Once everything is sufficiently de-liquefied, mix it all together and add salt (to taste) and 1/2 a tsp of vinegar (yes, I did just get you to strain it and then ask you to add liquid. Rest assured, the irony is not lost on me)

Let everything sit and do its thing for 1 hour before serving.

And there you have it; fresh, who-cares-if-its-runny, homemade tzatzki. And if you're a big girl like me you'll dip chips in it and call it dinner and not even care if your mom is reading this ...

Mom..if you're reading this I had spinach at lunch I swear!!!

'καλή νύχτα'. Pronounced cahlee-neet-ah. In other words, goodnight!!


So tell me, are you picky about certain foods? When you find something you love will replacements just not do??

Blog Etiquette

My original post for today was meant to be my very first video blog (vlog) but due to infuriating minor technical difficulties that will have to wait for another day.

Another topic that I have wanted to touch on for quite some time is "Blog Etiquette" and a few of the do's and don't of blogging.

As a blogger I believe that I have a personal responsibility to represent myself of a particular way in the public space that is my blog. As I am entitled to determine the content of each and every one of my posts I feel that I have to abide by self-dictated guidelines of what it is that I want to portray for all the world (aka: my small yet wonderful group of readers) to see.

Samantha's Do's and Don't of Blogging

Do portray an image of yourself that you can support. Be honest and candid but be prepared to back-up your opinions when necessary.

Don't assume that the Internet is a valid place for your "honest opinion" if it borders on racist, homophobic or sexist even if you do believe in freedom of speech.

Do use your blog to vent feelings that you might otherwise bottle up. Oftentimes your readers are a good source of advice and support. Just be prepared for negative feedback as well as positive.

Don't use your blog as a space to rant. What might have seemed cathartic after a really bad day at work/date/fight with your sister won't seem so relevant tomorrow and it will probably come back to haunt you.

Do put up lots of funny pictures...of yourself. Remember you get to approve the content before hitting "publish"

Don't put up pictures of other people (embarrassing or not) unless you know that they are comfortable with having them out there in the public domain. Keep in mind that some people prefer to fly under the radar. (This applies to Facebook too people!)



One exception is pet photos. Feel free to embarrass them all you want!!


















Do share your life; the good the bad and the ugly. Your blog is yours for a reason and readers want to know about you.

Don't share details about your friends, family, workplace or even arch-enemies. Only mention first names (or even better, nicknames) and to be safe DON'T blog about work unless absolutely necessary (or you want to get fired and are looking for a good reason. Keep in mind fired could come with a lawsuit so you know what, just don't bother).

Do comment on other blogs and share your thoughts, opinions and feedback in a constructive way.

Don't us the comment section as a way to be mean or rude. Remember, if you wouldn't say it to her face don't say it in her comments.

Do keep in mind that your image is yours to control. The content of your blog should be something you are proud of now and will be proud of in the future.

Don't forget that your grandmother or future employer could stumble upon your blog (hey, it could happen. Grandmas do all kinds of cool stuff these days!) Make sure you'd be able to face either one if they do.

Do blog because you  have something you want to share.

Don't stop blogging until you have nothing left to say!




One more to thoroughly embarrass the poor guy...but only because I love him!




















So tell me, what are your blogging "Rules of Engagement"? Anything I should add to my list?

Ummm...What's a Tabata???

I have rambled talked a lot about Tabata over the last few days and the question keeps coming up:

What IS Tabata???

Answer (as found via a Google search)

“The World's Greatest Fat Burning Workout” source

































Sounds perfect right? Possibly. Also sounds a little too good to be true so let's look at it in a little more detail:
 
Created by Izumi Tabata from Japan, the Tabata Protocol is a supra-aerobic cardio workout created to substantially increase V02max and burn fat. The premise is that a series of short bursts of intense intervals followed by even shorter periods of rest your body pushes past your Target Heart Rate (THR) thereby pushing you into an anaerobic or supra-aerobic zone that torches calories and fat.
 
The original workout was created as follows:

•5 minutes of warm-up



•8 intervals of 20 seconds all-out intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest


•2 minutes cool-down

The recommendation is to slowly work up to this level of intensity by building endurance over time.

Monitoring heart rate is considered vitally important as this workout can push your heart rate well over 200BPM which is unsafe.

Calculating your Maximum Heart Rate in beats per minute:

220-age= MHR

Calculating your Target Heart Rate (bpm)

Your THR is between 60%-80% of your MHR

MHR x .60= 60% THR

MHRx .80= 80% THR

For example: My MHR is 192 which means I should aim for a THR between 115 and 154.

Equipment Required:

You!

Tabata can be performed with exercises that solely rely on body weight resistance, potentially making it a good choice for an at home workout.

Other methods use kettlebells, hand weights, Elliptical trainers, stationary bikes or other cardio equipment.

If you want to conduct this workout on your own you will require a stopwatch or other timing device to keep track of your intervals.

As I mentioned I take (and taught) Tabata at the gym at my office. We use the aforementioned method and typically use handweights and resistance bands for the exercises. Each exercise is meant to engage two major muscle groups (eg. core and legs or arms and legs) for maximum intensity.

 Example of a Tabata workout (this is the one I conducted):

Warmup (5 min):

Jogging, high knees, static squats

Workout:

Squats and should press

Stationary lunge and bicep curl

Clock pushups

Wide squat and oblique rotation

Plank with moguls or jacks (or stationary plank)

Row/tricep kickback

Mountain climbers

Cool down and stretch

The key that I feel I need to emphasize here is that the participants have a lot of choice for how intense this workout is. Each individual goes at her own pace for 20 seconds, she chooses her own weights (or can opt to go weight free) and  is given alternates to increase or decrease the difficulty level. The intructor will contantly monitor for proper form (ie: no using momentum to swing the weights and risk injury) and ensure that the participants are using their breath to power through the exercises.

Reality check:

Tabata is not for everyone. But at the same time Tabata can be a fierce exercise for someone looking to introduce strength training to his/her routine or really shake up his/her existing one.

I'm going to disclaimer this a little more and say this: Please speak to your doctor before starting this (or any) exercise routine, especially if you suffer from a heart condition, are or could be pregnant or have back or knee issues.

I personally endorse this form of exercise but keep in mind that I am not a doctor or a licensed professional of any kind. I'm a woman who likes to work up a good sweat and get her butt kicked every now and again. But I am also in good health, exercise regularily, eat well and get lots of rest which are all vital.

So in conclusion (omigoodness I am back to essay writing 101) check out Tabata if its right for you.Do I think it's the world's greatest exercise? I think to each their own and whatever exercise you will stick to is the greatest for you. I love this one and I hope you will too!

Haven't heard enough about Tabata yet?? Read this (mine) and this (source)

And just in case you thought I was done with this topic for one night, guess who was asked to be a volunteer intructor at her gym and to take over the Thursday Tabata class in the next month??

This girl, that's who!!

Happy Friday everyone!

So tell me, what do you think about Tabata? Have you tried it? If you haven't would you?

4 Things Thursday

Here we are, another Thursday, and you know what that means?? Yup, it's Friday tomorrow! Can I get a collective "hooray!!"? Ok, now that we got that out of our systems we can also celebrate yet another installment of 4 Things Thursday. Perhaps not "hooray" worthy, but exciting nonetheless.

4 Things I Should Have Bought at the Grocery Store Today

1. Spinach (don't act like your shocked!)
2. Greek yogurt
3. Berries
4. Light bulbs

4 Things That Made My Day

1. 7am spin session
2. thinking of my trip to Cuba
3. leading my first Tabata class (O.M.G!!)
4. watching Cynthia try on her wedding dress



Just a sneak peak for you guys



4 Best Picture Nominees That I Have Yet to Watch (But Really Want To)

1. The Fighter
2. 127 Hours
3. Toy Story 3 (cuteness!)
4. The Kids Are All Right

4 Things I Learned Today

1. I don't have the bride gene...yet
2. I love teaching Tabata!!
3. If you put your middle name on your travel reservation make sure its on your passport (oops!)
4. A Starbucks' protein plate is a good in a pinch post workout meal

4 Blogs That I want you to Check Out

I can't pick 4 this week.
Check out every single one of these ladies as soon as possible!

Tabata update: I am very pleased to say that class went really well today. Everyone worked really hard and were sweating buckets (me included, sans weights!). We had some newcomers to the class as the lunch time Pilates session was cancelled and they wandered in to Tabata. I made sure to give lots of alternates for varying levels of strength and ability. When class wrapped up people seemed genuinely grateful for their Sam-style butt kick!! I was so pumped to get a taste of teaching and it completely exceeded my expectations. I kinda want to do it again tomorrow!!!

So tell me, what made your day today? And have you seen all the Oscar nominated films? Who do you think will win this year?

Hola mis amigos!!

Today definitely had its highs and lows.

Waking up late for work? Low

Having a delicious breakfast at work? High

More leg pain at the gym? Low

Delicious lunch after the gym? High

More leg pain throughout the afternoon? Low


New shoes which might just alleviate all this ridiculous pain? High

A trip to the travel agent? High

A trip to Cuba bought and paid for? Super high!!

Those are two excited ladies!!! (That's my BFF Stef on the left)


Why Cuba you ask? Well if you follow Cynthia's Adventures (and you should!) you'll have read all about her upcoming wedding in Santa Clara, Cuba. Well, as can safely assume, I am lucky enough to get to be there and see her marry the love of her life. How cool is that?!! The countdown to April 8th (departure date) and April 13th (wedding day) is on.

Annnnnd...as if all that wasn't exciting enough I am putting together my playlist for the Tabata class I am leading tomorrow. Eeeiiii!!!!!

Way to leave the day on a high note huh?

So tell me, what highs did you have today?

6 Weeks to 6 Pack: Week Two

It;s Tuesday and you know what that means! Time for another 6W26P update...

But before we get into all that I want to take a minute and thank every single one of you for your kind words of encouragement regarding my last post. It's just another affirmation of why I love this community so much. You guys totally rock!

As you know I am now in week 2 of 6W26P. I've been alternating between level one and level two to keep things interesting and in all honesty I am really digging this DVD. Say what you will about Jillian Michaels but she sure gets you moving!

Here's the photo you've all been waiting for:

I think I can safely say that I am starting to see some more definition but even better then that I am starting to feel stronger and strength = sexy in my books!

Workouts Last Week:

Wednesday- Rest
Thursday- Spinning (40 minutes)
Friday- No More Trouble Zones (50 min) and 6W26P (35 min)
Saturday- Yoga Meltdown (35 min)
Sunday- Rest
Monday- Tabata (45 min) 6W26P (35 min)
Tuesday- Jogging (20 min) Elliptical (25 min)

Eats Last Week:

B+

A good mix of whole grains, lean protein, fresh vegetables and fruit, high protein dairy and water.

Overall a very good week except for one thing. As I mentioned in a previous post I took an extra rest day last week to nurse a nagging pain in my leg. Assuming that it was a strain of some sort I figured that I day of rest and a few days off of running would alleviate the pain. Unfortunately I was wrong.

During my light run today (1.5 miles at a 11:26 pace) I felt the pain within minutes and was so bothered by it that I cut the run short (down from 3 miles) and hopped on the lower impact elliptical machine.

I'm just going to put it out there; the thought of an injury scares the shit outta me! I don't want to be hurt. I don't want to be side tracked. I don't want to fall behind. On top of that I am scared that being sidelined will cause me to fall off the band wagon altogether and by the time I'm ready to run again I really won't want to.

On the flip side I don't want to risk a more severe injury. I don't want to exacerbate what may be a minor problem. I don't want to turn what could have been a weeks' rest into a months' or more.

End freak out.

My plan at this point is to have a low impact cardio day tomorrow, ice the trouble spot often and test it out on the treadmill on Friday. If the pain doesn't start to subside within a few days a trip to the physician is in order.

Less running was not what I wanted but perhaps this is a lesson in what you want is not always what you need.

So tell me, any advice for a potentially injured runner?

An annoucement of sorts..

I like to think that I have a lot of interests. From the time I was young I loved to read and write. I created stories about young pre-teen detectives and named them after my friends (where were in search of a stolen jewel and my good friend was the illustrator if you were wondering.) I also loved arts and crafts, drawing and painting. As I got a little older, and arguably less creative, I instead fell in love with dance and movies but continued to read feverishly and write when inspiration struck. I'm pleased to say that many of these interests are still with me today.

But I also have a new interest: Health and Wellness (as a healthy living blogger it kind of comes with the territory right?) I love to talk, read and to some extent write about nutrition, fitness, running and women's health. I could literally sit and chat about these topics for hours on end, and do sometimes, whether the listener is truly engaged or not. There is just something about this topic that I simply can't get enough of. I'm passionately addicted!

Which leads me to my announcement. After serious contemplation for the last 6 months I have decided to get certified as a Fitness Instructor Specialist, with the potential to followup that training and become a Certified Personal Trainer as well as a Nutrition and Wellness Specialist. Look at me go huh?!

My reasoning is this; I love fitness and I love helping other people. When people come to me for assistance or advice I beam from the inside with pride and I truly look at it as an honor to be trusted by that person. I believe that combining the two would give me a sense of accomplishment that I have yet to see in my career. Its also one that I long for...desperately.

I'm not sure if the plan at this point would be to try to make a full time career out of it or not but I think it would be a highly enjoyable way to earn extra money, keep active and meet new people. I have a lot more ideas floating around in my head but for now I need to take the first step and actually enrol.

Depending on my schedule the plan is to register for the class in the next three months. I have already spoken to the coordinator of the gym at my office and he indicated that I could teach classes there in order to gain experience and prepare for my practical exam. In fact, to get a little taste of it I will be leading the group Tabata class on Thursday. How fun is that?!

And I mean c'mon, this is the face of someone you'd trust to help get you in shape and guide you towards a healthier life right????

Total professional if you ask me!


So tell me, anything exciting you want to announce today?

Toronto Blogger Meetup!

Today I had a long awaited opportunity to meet a group of fabulous female bloggers from Toronto and the surrounding area. I've read about these meet-ups in my travels around the blog world and was always enviously of these ladies who shared their personal blogging stories over delicious looking meals. Naturally, it was only a matter of time before I jumped on the chance to do the very same thing!

Thankfully I didn't have to wait too long (I'm not the most patient of creatures after all) and within days of the new year rolling around I came upon a tweet from Morgan over at Life After Bagels announcing a blogger lunch. It didn't take me even a minute to mull it over. Without a doubt I was in!

I've been quite excited the last few weeks but surprisingly not nervous. Even though these women are technically strangers in that I have never met them face-to-face before, I feel like I know so much about them from reading their blogs every day that it only felt natural to sit down to lunch with them.

The location of our meetup was Commensal, which is a neat little vegetarian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Toronto. Inside we found a variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free delights, all available in buffet style and sold by weight. How perfect for a group of women with varied eating habits and tastes!

Enter the obligatory food photo:

Clearly there was a tonne of variety and leave it to me to want to try a little of everything when faced with a spread like this one!

The food was fantastic but what really impressed me was how easily the conversation flowed. Within minutes of arriving I felt like I was sitting with a group a old friends. Conversations ranged from blogging (how could it not have come up!) to the ideas around personal brand, body image, running and fitness and so much more. Its always amazing to sit with intelligent and passionate women and have conversations that really speak to you.

I could probably go on forever about how great this afternoon was. I had high expectations but the experience even exceeded those.

Thank you again to Morgan for making this happen!

Susan, Danielle, Nancy, Angela, Kristin, Meghan, Candice, Tracy, Lily, Claire, Sara, Preena, Callie and Therese is was wonderful to meet you!

Can't wait until next time!!


So tell me, have you ever meet up with people that you met through your blog? If you haven't would you?

When Sports Bras Go AWOL

Nothing, and I mean nothing, makes me more cranky then when I am geared up for a workout and something gets in the way and prevents it from happening. Especially when that "something" may or may not be my fault. Yes, that'll get me every single time!

You see friends, while I aim to be active most days of the week the truth is I don't always want to be active. Some days its a struggle. Some days I want to park my butt on the sofa and stay there. So on the days where I do actually feel like moving and working up a sweat its better if nothing stands in my way.

Like, I dunno, say a missing sports bra.

Now the plan was a 4 mile tempo run on the treadmill. If you're a woman I'm sure you can guess why that got nixed almost immediately. Let me just say that these "ladies" do not run free. Ever. I'd wear a bra in the shower if that were practical. I'll leave it at that.

I was not a happy camper (Ok if I'm being honest, I'm never a happy camper...sleeping in a tent blows!)

There were definitely a few disgruntled F-bombs in there too but thankfully  that moment was not caught on film.

Instead of giving up completely I made the best out of the situation and walked on the treadmill for 2 miles. Not my ideal workout but as a wise woman once said "2 miles is better than no miles"

Workout Attempt One: Fail (well, mostly)

Time for round 2.

Since I had been bitten by the workout bug (and I had indulged at the company bake sale) I decided that getting in a sweat session was a must after work. Enter Jillian Michaels, the double whammy.

On deck first: Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones. I hadn't done this in months and I am pleased to say its not as hard as I remembered. Its hard, just not AS hard. NMTZ was followed up with 6W26P level one, which was also not quite as challenging as the first few times. Either I am getting stronger or totally wussing out and half-assing most of the moves. Let's go with option A for arguments sake ok?

1 hour and 15 minutes later and I had finally gotten in the workout I'd been looking for since lunch time.

Wait a minute...What the hell kinda thumbs up is that? C'mon Sam, you can do better then that!

Now you got it!!


On a completely unrelated note (although also deserving of an excited thumbs up) I am attending my very first Toronto and area blogger meet up tomorrow. I am really excited to meet some of the fabulous ladies that write some of the blogs I read daily. I will definitely be back with a recap for everyone who couldn't make it!

Happy Friday everyone!


So tell me, any fun plans this weekend??

4 Things Thursday

Last week I started 4 Things Thursday and introduced you all to a few new (to me) blogs that I wanted you to check out. In the spirit of sharing both the talent that is out there in blogland and a little about myself I am going to continue 4 Things as a weekly update so we can get to know each other a little better and hopefully discover some new favorite blogs in the process.

So here we go, 4 Things Thursday:

4 Books I Read Recently

1. The Kids Are All Right
2. Unbearable Lightness
3. The Happiness Project
4. The Non Runners Marathon Guide for Women (in progress)

4 Places I Want to Visit

1. New York City, New York
2. Santorini Greece
3. Bali, Indonesia
4. Venice. Italy

4 Songs on My Running Playlist

1. We R Who We R- Kesha
2. Firework- Katy Perry
3. Party in the USA- Miley Cyrus
4. Lose Yourself- Eminem

4 (Not So) Secret Confessions

1. I won't put sugar in my coffee but I will eat 18 sour keys in a row
2. I cry and laugh and cry some more during Idol auditions but don't watch the rest of the season
3. My apartment is a huge mess 90% of the time
4. I'm a crazy cat lady and blame them (yes them. There are 3!) for 70% of the aforementioned mess and assign them 85% if the responsibility to clean it up

4 Blogs I Want You to Read

1. Running with Sass
2. Fit Mama
3. Crazy Running Legs
4. Runner's Cookie

That's it for this Thursday....gotta get back to the Shore before bed!

So tell me, any questions up there that you want to answer for me? Any blogs you want to recommend?

Good Plans Gone Bad

Sometimes even the best laid plans need to be changed.....

Sometimes a nagging pain forces you to skip your workout and cross an errand off your to-do list instead....

Sometimes even a list doesn't mean you'll get everything you needed.....

Sometimes you'll remember these even though you forgot bagels, cream cheese, potatoes AND zucchini....

Sometimes you'll want to do this with them...

Sometimes you'll realize you should add lots (and lots) of them to your cookie dough instead.....

Sometimes you'll realize every baker does a taste test and you should too (and love it!!!)...

Sometimes you should share the recipe of the yummy cookies you are making with your friends....


Super Duper Delicious Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup softened butter
1 egg
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup walnuts
Lots of chocolate chips (don't measure, just pour)

With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).


In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer. Add the egg and beat until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture. Stir in the rolled oats, chocolate chips and walnuts using a wooden spoon.

Spoon onto baking sheet

Bake 1 sheet at a time for about 13 minutes; the centre of the cookie should still be soft. Let cool slightly.




Sometimes you'll be kinda glad it was an unexpected rest day...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sometimes.....
 
 
 
So tell me, any last minute change of plans today?
 
 
Want more Health, Happiness & Skinny Jeans? Follow me on Twitter @HHandSJ

6 Weeks to 6 Pack: Week One

Ok folks, here's your first official update after seven days and four 6W26P workouts later:

Don't I wish!

Alright, enough kidding around, here are the real results:

Changes? Ummm.... perhaps, but let's put it into context. Since starting this challenge last week I have:

• Completed level one 2x
• Completed level two 2x
• Ran 17 miles
• Completed Yoga Meltdown 2x
• Done spinning for 40 minutes
• Eaten healthy food 80% of the time

The reason that I mention this is that I think parts of the fitness industry like us to believe its easy to get 6 pack abs/slimmer thighs/a firmer butt and that one DVD or piece of equipment is all you need to get the body you have always wanted. What I feel that these claims fail to acknowledge is that you need to work and work HARD! You need to push your limits, sweat your ass off and feel uncomfortable, to say the least. And, in addition to all that, you need to eat wholesome and healthy food. No matter how motivating Jillian is during this 30 minute butt-kick  the reality is that you aren't going to get flat abs if you eat half a dozen cheeseburgers every day.

Alright, I'll get off my soap box now (I think I am starting to sound a little like Ms. Michaels don't you??) although I could definitely go on about this. Instead I will once again welcome you to join me in the challenge. Hell, invite your friends too. Better yet, tell them its a 6 Pack Challenge and don't bother to tell them it has nothing to do with beer until they've already committed!!



So tell me, how do you feel about "Get Slim Quick" claims? Let's have a discussion...


Update: Cynthia just joined the challenge. Will you?

Want more Health, Happiness & Skinny Jeans? Follow me on Twitter @HHandSJ

My love affair...with spinach

Thank you for....

Keeping my bones strong (calcium and Vitamin K)...

Helping my eyesight (beta-carotene) because it needs all the help it can get...

Strengthening my heart and other muscles (C0-Q10)....

Stabilizing my blood pressure (high potassium, low sodium)....

Allowing me to concentrate (iron)....

Protecting my skin from harmful UV rays (phytonutrients).....

And all the other wonderful things you do.

You're the best and I love ya!

XOXO
Samantha

So tell me, do you have a food that you eat almost daily that you want to thank?




Source: http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-spinach.html