Sparks Life

Hey beautiful, wonderful, amazing, fantastic people reading this,

Just a quick tip for the week…

Do not give up.

Easier said than done, I know. But just like the little engine that could…he believed in himself and then did what he had to do. Have some confidence. Believe in yourself. And do what you have to do. Try your best with things, and if you get a little off track..just get back on..because it happens to everyone..but the greatest people just keep at it and keep trying and never ever give up. 

So, this goes for everything pretty much..in general. School. Work. Whatever. But..since my blog is about food and health…I’ll apply it to healthy things. So remember..its  a lifestyle. This is YOUR life. If you want to live long, be healthy, and be able to do things an obese person can’t (ride roller coasters, go on hikes..)..then you have to eat healthy. And exercise. There are days when you won’t eat as healthy as you should, and days when you won’t work out (well..you need a rest day but I mean like days..like vacation and stuff), but you just can’t give up overall and have to do whats best for you and your body. Don’t give up!

Be happy. Be healthy.

Anonymous asked: Is there a good excersice I can do to get skinnier and tighter legs? Also my arms are a bit chubby, got any advice? - you're really inspiring btw:-)

Wow thank you…that really means so much to me. But, to answer your question, you can’t necessarily “spot train”- where you pick one place you want to lose weight..because every cardio activity will help you burn fat throughout your entire body, which is good because it keeps you proportional. But the best thing for your legs are running, cycling, and jump rope. As for your arms, I would definitely do push ups…even if you have to start on your knees..and maybe do like 10-15 every night before you go to bed. <333

Anonymous asked: What's the best thing to eat at school during lunch break?

Best thing…would be to have something from home. Always pack your lunch. Pretty much anything you bring from home would be better than what most school lunches have to offer, which is kind of sad. But…for what to eat, sandwiches are always a good choice. I’d say turkey on whole wheat is the best. 

One of the best dinners you will ever have..

that happens to be super healthy too

It’s a tofu fry

So you need firm tofu

and…whatever veggies you want.

I used onion and carrots. Cut up.

Soy Sauce (low sodium)

So you put just a bit of olive oil into a frying pan. Add tofu. And add the veggies. And cook it for about 7-10 minutes.

I slightly burned the tofu, because I thought it gave it just a little better taste.

Keep in mind a serving size is about the size of your fist..so eat about that much.

And add some soy sauce for taste..

And with this I had a serving size of smart puffs, which you can get at just about any grocery store. 

and..thats it. quick and easy dinner, eh??

Be happy. Be healthy.

There’s not much food in the house…and you’re not the one responsible for the groceries.

I get a lot of people reading my blog can’t drive or aren’t the ones who does the grocery shopping. And there is nothing wrong with that…be young, enjoy life

First thing first, observe what you do have in the house. There has to be SOMETHING. Try to be quick and think of something that may be good. You’d be surprised of how many foods taste good together, despite what it sounds like. Tomato and light mayo. Crackers with bananas. Anything with mustard. I’m sure the person who first thought of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich got some weird looks.

However, don’t just go for ANYTHING. Make smart choices. There may be some left over cookies from last weeks party. Thinking one cookie usually turns into the box. Just be smart.

Next, it is good to talk to your mom, dad, grandparents, or whoever does the shopping things you would like. Let them know you want to eat healthy. Also let them know you would like their support. Support is one of the greatest things you can have. Hopefully, they can start cooking healthy dinners, and load up on fresh fruit and veggies. Also, a couple cans of soup are good to have because they don’t expire too fast, and the times where “nothing is in the house”, you could observe and find soup. 

Nothing is better than eating at home. If you want a quick meal or don’t have food in the house, try not to resort to fast-food. Have a granola bar to hold you over. And wait for that one day of the week where you can have something with better quality thats a little less healthy than what you normal have. Make smart choices! You’re smart.

Be happy. Be healthy.

Pizza is tasty. And pizza isn’t even that bad for you. It actually can be pretty good. As long as YOU’RE in control and YOU are the one making it. You make it with love. Compared to ordering it from a pizza joint that only cares about making your (or your parents) hard-earned money. They don’t deserve that. But YOU do deserve something healthy.

So…it’s good to eat a big breakfast. It’s good to EAT breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…so let’s fill up..

Bread (maybe the crust of a pumpernickel bread, or even the butt of french bread..or just whole wheat bread, whichever is best for you)

Low fat ricotta

Cut tomatoes (like 3 or 4 slices)

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Spread the low fat ricotta onto the bread and add tomatoes. Drizzle on some olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper.

Have a couple pieces and be sure to have a glass of WATER. stay full.

Be happy. Be healthy.

My friend @SarahElizz15 told me about this salad dish earlier today that sounded really delicious. And really healthy. And as we all know…healthy and delicious is just about the best combination ever.

As always with salads, just be careful with dressing. Use little to none. Make the best dressing choice for your health and your salad.

This is an italian salad…so all you italians (and non italians) will probably enjoy it. Basically..everyone. because it is really good.

You’ll need

Spinach leaves (way healthier and better than iceberg. the darker the lettuce the healthier it is)

Corn

Avocado bits (avocado is good, high in fat, but the good fat, just don’t eat too much of it)

Organic Chicken

Cut up tomato 

Mix it up together. And you’re done. Easy. Be sure to drink water with it. :D 

Be happy. Be healthy.

Hey. Old followers and New followers and everyone else.

It’s been awhile but I hope to start posting more now that I’m all settled in my new home. Been busy with the new puppy and school and just the new house overall. But never too busy for you guys, like I always say if I’m not posting and if you ever have any questions just email me at xokellysparks@gmail.com or twitter @xokellysparks

I hope everyone has been doing good. And when I say good I mean healthy. 2ed month of the year, 5th day of the month. Keep at it! 

It’s the super bowl today too, so I get that this days a little harder than most. Hopefully some of you planned on making this day your once a week not so healthy day, or hopefully some of you been just snacking and plan to get a great workout in tomorrow. Or both?

Anyway…a little off topic, this kitty halftime show thats on right now. It’s so cute.

Ok back to topic. Sunday I usually post a healthy brunch. So here it is::

Healthy French Toast

Whole Wheat Bread (2)

2-3 egg whites (not the yellow part)

Greek Yogurt 

Berries 

Dip the bread into the egg whites and cook in a frying pan until its a golden brown. Put some greek yogurt on top and top that with some berries. Tasty :D and easy. and fun.

Remember:: BREAKFAST IS THE BEST MEAL OF THE DAY. It should be your biggest and greatest. Always eat breakfast! And know you need to eat. Food=Fuel. 

Be happy. Be healthy.

You don’t know if something is healthy or not.

There’s a lot of food out there that many people are unsure if it’s healthy or not. Either it looks healthy, or sounds healthy, or theres no nutrition facts, or…something.

For one, if the food does have nutrition facts, definitely check them out. First thing to look at? Serving Size. Foods like to trick people with this. It’ll say 100 calories…and you’re like…ok thats not a lot, shouldn’t be too bad. But nope. Then you see its like 2.5 servings, so its actually 250 calories. Superrr annoying.

But..sometimes there isn’t any nutrition facts…..and it’s ok to look online for nutrition facts, food information. Anything you need to know. Expand your mind. Learn. Don’t let it scare you…face the facts. Look for what you need, whats good for you. Things high in protein, fiber. Not too high in unnatural sugars. Don’t have to go no carbs or no fat, since you do need those things (look at previous blogs or ask). Look at the ingredients of the food. If theres a lot of things you’ve never even heard of, chances are its not healthy. 

If there aren’t nutrition facts…try and find them online. (http://www.dwlz.com/restaurants.html) or try downloading the app Restaurant Nutrition….or just google it ;)

But also try to have an idea of what foods are bad for you. Basically fried foods, desserts, food from fast food. Try to limit those foods. 

If you’re unsure about something, you can ask me :D 

Be happy. Be healthy.

Eyyyy old and new followers.

Thursday I post a healthy dinner recipe so..here goes..

Chicken and White Bean Salad.
Can’t get much healthier than a salad, eh? Well…kind of. Because if you dress it up with too much dressing, calories can add up super quick and it gets unhealthy. So skip a thick, creamy dressing and make the right choice of getting a light, nice dressing. Like vinaigrette. And using not too much. Or even no dressing at all.

So..to make this salad. you need 2 1/2 cups of cooked chicken chicken. and 1 15 ounce can of white beans. and you’re done. haha jk theres more to a salad. like this..::

spinach lettuce pack

2 cups diced zucchini

1 1/2 cups diced celery

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 cup chopped basil

pinch of salt and pepper

mix all that in a large bowl and thennnn you’re done.

Enjoy! 

Be happy. Be healthy.