Those who know me or get to know me find out earlier on that I am a complete nut when it comes to all things medicine. I don’t know why but I really don’t like putting anything into my body that is unnecessary. I try to let my body repair itself and do what it’s supposed to do naturally. Headache? I drink more water and complain. Stomach Ache? I’m brewing ginger tea. Muscle Pain? I’m jumping into a hot, steamy shower. The flu becoming an epidemic? Freak. Panic. Overdose on vitamins. Avoid Subway.

Oh Airborne, You Will Never Leave My Side

In an effort to stay far, far, FAR away from those threatening “droplets” that cause the flu ( as WebMD calls them) I have been eating healthy, sweating at the gym, and taking my vitamins. Will it work? Time will tell.

I’ve been trying to incorporate vegetables and fruits with every meal because they’re obviously full of vitamins. Here are a few meals from the week that you can easily make at home. They’re healthy, filling, and delicious.

Brown Rice Pasta Primavera

I purchased some Gluten- Free Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta from Trader Joe’s. I know many are into this new fad of everything being gluten-free but I am not–I just love the taste of this pasta. It’s chewier in texture and has a nutty taste. I tossed the cooked pasta with grape tomatoes, broccoli florets, a dash of EVOO, 1tbsp. parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, red chili flakes (for a kick) and basil. It was amazing and only around 280-300 calories. Vitamins? Check!

Baked Sweet Potato with a side salad

I wrapped a baked sweet potato in aluminum foil and let it cook for an hour in the oven at 350. I sprinkled it with cinnamon and salt for a sweet & savory twist with a side salad: romaine lettuce, 1/2 avocado, shredded carrots and tossed in a homemade sesame garlic salad dressing. This meal is also around 300 calories. Vitamins? Check!

Baked Sweet Potato

Dijon Salmon with a side salad

My Favorite! I spread Dijon mustard on 5 oz of salmon, top with lemon slices and baked at 350 for 22 minutes. It was so succulent, flavorful and perfectly complemented the flavors in my side salad. I tossed romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, and shredded carrots with a homemade sesame garlic dressing. This meal, like the others,  is also around 300 calories. Vitamins? Check!

I hope that eating healthy meals, working out, getting sleep, and drinking plenty of water will all contribute to avoiding this nasty flu season.

Along with healthy eating I’ve really been into healthy drinking–juice . I stopped at The Juice Press the other day and picked up a bottle of “Glo” as my afternoon snack. The Juice Press in NYC’s Upper East Side specializes in juice cleanses but also has smoothies and prepared foods. I’m hoping to try my very first cleanse in the near future . I don’t intend on doing it for weight-loss but more for the detoxifying benefits. Juice Cleanses have really been gaining popularity and I can already name a handful of people that I know who have experimented with one.

The Juice Press: Glo

Yes, that bottle says $7.99 :-\ . This bottle was loaded with vitamin C and was very refreshing. The Juice Press has 26 juices that are lettered A-Z. Different letter combinations create different cleansing programs–interesting.

Here’s to hoping! Stay Healthy!