4 Things Friday (September 6, 2019)

Happy first Friday in September! It’s the start of my favorite time of year! Bring on all the fall things, especially the cooler weather! Here’s this week’s recap of Amy’s podcast, 4 Things with Amy Brown. Amy had nutritionist Kelly LeVeque on and she covered four different topics. Go listen to the full episode if you haven’t already, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast!

1. Four days with no food. Amy talked about the time her sister and friend joined Kelly on a four-day fast in which they had nothing to eat! Kelly shared the benefits of doing a fast like this, but emphasized that it needs to be guided by a professional and done the right way.
2. What you should have on every plate. Kelly is a strong proponent of the “fab four” and feels that each meal should contain protein, fat, fiber, and leafy greens. She explained each one and why we need it.
3. Eat to balance out your hormones. Kelly said that what we eat affects mood swings, cravings, and how we feel. She gave some recommendations on things we can eat to help with this.
4. On-the-go snacks. When you’re busy or traveling, it can be difficult to grab convenient snacks that are healthy. Kelly went through some options that included nuts/trail mixes, protein powder packets that can be mixed into drinks, tuna packets, avocados, and protein bars.

Here are the 4 things I’m loving most this week.

• Grilled vegetable caprese salad. I’ve been wanting to make this recipe from Pretty in the Pines all summer, and finally got around to it! I pretty much cut the recipe in half and just grilled 1 small zucchini, 1 small yellow squash, half an onion, and a small yellow bell pepper. Once those were done, I just layered them with a sliced tomato and some fresh mozzarella and basil, then topped with olive oil, salt and pepper, and balsamic glaze. This is going to be a regular for me now — I made an entire meal out of it! So good!

• Grill pan/panini press. To make the recipe above, I used this pan, which I love. My parents got it for my birthday a few years ago, and I’ve gotten a lot of use out of it. I don’t have a regular grill, so it comes in really handy and my veggies taste just like they came off a grill. If you use the lid, it also doubles as a panini press, so it’s 2-in-1!

• Safety from Hurricane Dorian. I feel very blessed because earlier last week it looked like we were going to be affected by Hurricane Dorian. I had to wait in line to get gas last Friday, and everyone was in preparation mode. I’m so thankful we didn’t have anything at all really, but my heart goes out to the people in the Bahamas. My friend, Jessica from Frapps and Frills, has a friend who has organized a relief effort with her husband, and they’ll be flying and chartering supplies to the Bahamas for the next four weeks. I sent some items through Amazon, and if anyone would like to help, just place an Amazon order for any basic camping type supplies, and send them to Florida Captain Services, 222 E Ann St, Punta Gorda, FL 33950.

• Taylor Swift’s Lover album. I like Taylor Swift, but preferred her older music up until recently when her Lover album came out. I’ve been listening to it on repeat and it’s upbeat and fun — even good to work out to!

That’s it for this week. I want to pull out my fall decorations this weekend and put some things out, but I’m not going to go too crazy with it. I hope everyone has a great weekend! Thanks for reading!