Yummy Eggs With lots of Veggies

Any of you have a hard time getting back into a normal routine after you've slipped up over break? 
Well.. I feel your pain. Lately I've been going to bed no earlier than 3am and waking up at almost 2pm. THIS IS A BAD HABIT. I've mostly been caught up in this awful sleeping schedule because Joe works during the day and doesn't get off work until close to 11pm, sometimes 1 on the weekends. When he is off work, that is the only time we really get to spend time together, especially since these last two weeks the restaurant has been crazy slammed with tons of events. It is the holidays! I still miss him like crazy. Hopefully by the time classes start, his work will slow down a bit, and I can get back into my usual routine. I try to go to bed by 9 or 10pm and wake up at 7am. I'm more of an evening runner, so I like to schedule my classes and work in the mornings. 

Anyways... Today after Joe went to work, I was craving eggs. I know, at 2pm, I should have already have two meals... breakfast and lunch, right? Well, unfortunately, this was my breakfast. So I made it a hearty one.

You can never go wrong with eggs. I boil them, put them in salads. Fry them (never with butter or salt), and also scramble them with shrimp to mix in a stir fry. I just love these things. If I haven't eaten much protein for the day I eat the egg yolks, but if I am eating them in a salad, or I know I'll be eating a lot throughout the day, I'll use one white and one yolk to balance it out. It is good to eat the yolks, just as long as that is not the only way you are getting your source of protein (which it definitely shouldn't be). Eggs do contain a lot of cholesterol. One large egg contains about 190mg.

Cholesterol is made in the body, primarily the liver, but cholesterol is also found in animal products, palm & coconut oil. Keeping your cholesterol at a healthy level of less than 300mg or 200mg if you are having additional health issues, will keep your body healthy and your heart happy. Of course there are some cases in which your family history has a huge impact, but your diet and physical activity should definitely be your main concern when it comes to cholesterol. 

I really enjoyed my brunch today. I included yellow & red peppers, spinach, and onions.

 I usually try to pair my spinach (my iron) with a vitamin C source. In this case I used peppers and then my kiwi. This is important: 

Iron is absorbed best when consumed with a Vitamin C food. If I am going to eat a Spinach salad, I will try to include strawberries or blueberries in with it. This week I really need to increase my Iron intake, so I've been eating a lot of dark leafy greens such as Kale and Spinach. Then I'll eat them with a fruit or a vegetable that is an excellent source of Vitamin C. 

The reason why Iron found in Spinach is absorbed best with Vitamin C, is because the Spinach is a non-heme iron source (not from animal product like beef). Iron from beans, lentils, Kale, and Spinach absorb best when eaten with Vitamin C. So eat up guys!