The Chard Monster

Good morning health lovers!

Well, I did it. I made my first ever Swiss Chard Green Monster this morning!

I was a bit scared of Swiss Chard to be honest with you. I had always seen it in the grocery store, but was intimidated by it (same with kale). But I figured since I had had such success with kale, swiss chard would probably be the same!

Of course the health benefits appealed to me:

• Same family as spinach and beets
• In Season: June-August
• Bitter, pungent, slightly salty
• White, red, and yellow colours
• White stems are most tender
• Prevents Digestive Tract Cancers (like colon)
• High in Vitamin K, A, C, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Iron, E, Fiber, copper, calcium, B2, B6, protein, phosphorus, B1, Zinc, Folate, Biotin, Niacin, etc!
• HOLY MOLY BATMAN! I’ve stumbled across a super food here for sure!

Obtained from World’s Healthiest Foods.

And off I went…

I started off intending to only use 1 large leaf since they are so huge.

I decided to taste the stem that everyone warned me about!

And man was it bitter and salty!

I decided to leave out the bottom half of the stem and set it aside. Because I did this I actually used 2 chard leaves for more greens.

I put the stem away in the kitchen and I am going to sauté it with dinner. Maybe tomorrow I will see what it tastes like in a GM!

Going in..

The stems I put in the fridge:

Ta-Da:

The taste?

• Very similar to my green monsters with kale!
• I could detect the chard in there, but ever so slightly
• It did have a saltier taste, which would go well with fruit
• I will definitely be buying this on a regular basis!

It is a great way to mix up your greens. They all provide us with different levels of nutrients so it makes sense to mix them up like any other veggie.

You may have noticed the new OSG BBBC page that I created last night! A reader suggested that I create one and I thought it was a fabulous idea.

I also created a clickable image on the left sidebar for your BBBC viewing pleasure!

Each day I will log the daily challenge on this page. I am also going to try to post the next’s days challenge the night before because I know many of you workout first thing in the morning and you’d like to know what the challenge is.

I’ve had over a 100 of you sign up to participate..probably about 125-150 or so? I need to do a tally! The response has been amazing!

Remember you can still sign up! You don’t have to send me a picture or measurements. I know many of you aren’t comfortable with that, and I respect that. Participate in a way that makes you feel GOOD and go from there! Please email me [email protected] if you are going to join in on the fun!

OSG BBBC Challenge Day 4: If you are doing cardio today try to break one bad habit that you have. Do you hold onto the handles or bars on the machines? Don’t do this today. Do you have bad form when running? Stand up straight and perfect your stride. When we get tired our bodies often find ways to burn less calories without us even knowing it. Let’s end it here! For the triceps: do 3 sets of tricep dips for as many reps as you can handle.

Quote of the Day

“Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.”  ~Margaret Young

Today’s question: Are you being true to yourself and being who you really are? Why or why not? What holds you back? Or, what was the catalyst for setting you free?

For so long I ignored that little voice inside my head. It tried to tell me what my passions were in life, but I ignored it and did what I thought was ‘the proper thing to do’. If I go to grad school, I will get a good job, and make good money. However, ignoring this voice leads to unhappiness and unfulfillment. Once I started listening to that voice my whole life changed. When you do what you love and are passionate about you feel like your life’s purpose is being created. I love the saying “Do what you love and eventually when you get good enough at it, people will pay you for it.” So true, eh?