I had no plans of doing a product review today.  But after I polished off an entire jar of Reese Grilled Marinated Artichoke Hearts, I decided that I must write about it.

I'm a fan of keeping healthy things stocked in my pantry that are versatile and aid in getting dinner on the table, like... yesterday (as in ASAP).  I always keep a can of marinated artichokes, marinated mushrooms, roasted red peppers, capers, and a variety of pesto in my cupboard.  All these ingredients throw a huge flavor punch to any dish. They are great add-ins to pasta, rice, quinoa, and salads.

My most recent discovery though is one of my new favorites.  I opened a jar of Reese Grilled and Marinated Artichoke Hearts to put a few on a salad but when I sampled one I decided I wasn't making my salad after-all and I ate the whole jar of artichoke hearts.  The awesome thing is how nutritious artichokes are for you.  Artichokes are a good source of potassium, vitamin C, folate, magnesium and dietary fiber.  They are also a superb source of antioxidants in the form of phytonutrients helping with liver function and maybe even aid in curing hangover.

Give these Reese Grilled Marinated Artichoke Hearts a try.  They have an awesome right-off-the-grill flavor and aren't too sweet or salty.  They are void of added preservatives and other junk I don't allow in my pantry.  They are delicious.

**These opinions are my own.  I have not been paid by anyone to review this product.
Resource: California Artichoke Advisory Board

Tried several diets and none work?  Sick of eating “diet” food?  No worries.  “Diets” don’t work for most people anyway.  The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to make small changes that you can make into new good habits.  By eating fresh fruits and vegetables regularly you’re off to a good start.  Here are a few ideas you might be interested in making into your new healthy habits:

·      Drop out of the “clean plate club”.  Stop eating when you no longer feel hungry.  That’s right.  You are better off being finished with your meal before you actually feel full.  You’ll eat fewer calories this way and feel better too.

·      Stick to zero-calorie, high-quality H2O for your hydration needs.  Liquid calories don’t help you feel satiated.  Besides, wouldn’t you rather eat your calories instead of drink them anyway?  Avoid nutrient-void beverages such as soda or pop, fruit flavored drinks, and Kool-aid.  If you must drink sweetened or flavored beverages stick with 100% fruit juice, not from concentrate, or a glass of wine (that’s one glass not several).

·      Enjoy fruits and vegetables at EVERY meal.  The fiber and fluid in fresh produce will help you stay full and hydrated on hot summer days without making you feel weighed down.  Fruits and vegetables are chock full of important things like vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that help prevent disease and keeps us healthy.  Fruits and veggies are also naturally low in calories so you can enjoy them in larger quantities with less guilt.

Procrastination got the best of me again but hey, I'm here now.  I'm still working on my goals for the year as far as making lasting changes.  Here is what I've done so far in 2012:

• Visited a hoop house - Capella Farm in Scio Township (January).

• Committed to buying more foods in bulk (February).
• Stopped using commercial cleaning products and started making my own laundry detergent, all-purpose sprays, window cleaner etc. This saves so much money and what I'm using now is less toxic to our environment and the things that live in it (March).
• Started attending pilates classes regularly (April).
• Planted a garden (May).
• Committed to getting my home child-proofed since Nathan is scooting all over and will be crawling and walking faster than I can keep up real soon (June)!

    Our garden is growing!  Which kind of surprises me since we don't get what most people would call adequate sunlight.  Our property is basically in the woods.  Please keep your fingers crossed all our hard work gardening pays off!
    Pilates is still going well.  I enjoy it and I feel so good after class.  My instructors are so knowledgeable and friendly.  The Movement Center in Ann Arbor is a great place if you're looking for a good pilates instructor or class.
    My homemade cleaning products are proving to work well.  Only problem is that the spray bottles I bought from Home Depot keep breaking.  I don't know if it's the mixture making them clog or if they are just real cheap.
    Nathan is keeping me busy.  It's the best kind of busy though!  What a fun little dude he is.  Life is NEVER boring.

What are you doing to make lasting, productive changes in your life?