Barrier Buster - I Deserve To Celebrate Like Everyone Else

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2018 Most Loved Livliga Live Vibrant Blogs

As we look forward to the New Year it is always a healthy act to look back and reflect on the happenings of the past year. As a blogger it is interesting and enlightening to review what I wrote and what resonated with people on our blog as they searched for information, resources or advice.

Here are our Top Ten Live Vibrant blogs for 2018. Enjoy and share!

1. 10 Reasons Why LivSpoons Make Your Life Easier

2. 5 Reasons Why We Overeat

3. Summertime Diabetic-Friendly Meal: Shrimp, Broccoli Slaw, and Southwestern Potatoes

4. 6 Ways Livliga Helps us eat a Balanced Diet

5. Cloud Bread—Light & Airy—Savory & Sweet

6. Guest Blog: Turning 50 after Gastric By-pass Surgery—Happy Healthy Birthday to Me!

7. Carrot Hummus with Turmeric—Bright and Flavorful!

8. 8 Great Tips for Right Sizing Your Food Environment

9. Product Review & Healthy Recipe: Cuisinart Waffle Maker

10. 2018 Healthy Lifestyle Gift Guide

It is an extraordinary journey we are all on looking for ways to embrace a healthier lifestyle in order to live life as our healthiest selves. Livliga and our Live Vibrant blog are committed to supporting you on this journey.

Here’s to a Happy and Healthy 2019! Not sure where to start?

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Barrier Buster - Holiday Traditions Can't Be Changed

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Low Carb, Kid-Friendly Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is one of those classic comfort foods. When the weather is cooler or we just need a cozy meal to feed our soul, this is a classic go-to. 

The challenge is the recipe for Mac & Cheese is traditionally loaded with carbs and calories. My quest was to figure out how to offer a lower carb and lower calorie version of this classic that could qualify as diabetes-friendly, kid-friendly and gluten free. A tall order.

To be considered diabetes-friendly I wanted to have the overall carb count 45 grams or lower. This recipe came out at 44.25 grams.

To make it creamy and thick without adding flour I used butternut squash and Greek yogurt. Below is my new version of Macaroni and Cheese that met the necessary requirements AND the thumbs up from my family.

Luscious Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 3 cups cubed butternut squash
• 1 ¼ cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups nonfat milk
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ¼ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 cup pecorino Romano cheese, grated
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided
• 16 ounces Banza® chickpea elbow pasta
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Cooking spray, olive oil flavor
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Put water on to boil for cooking the pasta.
2. Combine squash, broth, milk and garlic in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Place the squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center cap in the blender lid to allow the steam to escape. Blend until smooth.
4. Place blended mixture in a bowl. Stir in the Gruyere, Romano and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Stir until combined.
5. Cook pasta according to the package directions omitting any salt or fat. Once cooked, drain well.
6. Add pasta to the squash mixture. Spread the mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle top with remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan.
7. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Next turn on the broiler for 5 minutes to brown the top a nice golden color.
8. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Serves: 8     Serving size: 1⅓ cups     Calories: 406

Fat .14.44g     Sodium 754mg     Carbs 44.25g     Protein 30g

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Barrier Buster - I Hate Seeing Myself in Pictures

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Barrier Buster - There is Too Much Stress In My Life

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Tips on Holiday Health After Bariatric Surgery

Being our own Bariatric Success story is all about being true to ourselves and the life we want to live. This is not easy. We live in a super-sized world that tries to trick us to respond to unhealthy choices constantly. We have our own triggers and “old” coping mechanisms around food that even after years of controlling them, come back to tempt us when we are at our most vulnerable.

In order to succeed we have to be our own best buddy. We have to create a living environment for ourselves that sets us up for success through the easy as well as the harder times in our lives. We have to truly embrace that, not only do we want to live life as our healthiest selves, but we really and truly deserve it!

Keeping on track during the holidays is especially challenging. Here are 5 tips for being your own best buddy:

1. Listen to yourself. 

2. Give yourself a real hug and smile each day...at the beginning and end of every day.

3. Talk through the challenges of the events, parties and food for each day and make a plan that supports you as you navigate each one.

4. Make a list of why you want and deserve to be your healthiest self, put it up on your mirror, carry it in your purse, and stick it up on your refrigerator. Review it out loud every day.

5. Share a cup of your favorite tea, put your favorite music on, and breath in the moment with yourself as your best buddy...enjoying your well deserved respite...make it a frequent ritual!

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Wishing You A Healthy & Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to reflect on all the things we're grateful for. Here at Livliga we're grateful for you, our amazing community of people, working towards living your happiest and healthiest life!

We hope you and your family have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! If you're not sure what to do with all of your delicious thanksgiving leftovers take a look at our blog full of fun and healthy ideas for all that turkey!

PSST...keep your eyes peeled all weekend for our BIGGEST sale of the year!

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Diabetes Living Tips for Your Mental Well Being During the Holidays

We all know that our mental well being and physical health are inextricably intertwined. If we ignore one it affects the other. Conversely, when we nurture our well being, we can directly affect our health. This is particularly true during busy, hectic times like the holidays. To stay in control, keep on track with managing our diabetes, and avoid the pitfalls of feeling overwhelmed, here are some mental health tips to practice:

1. Work to be and stay present each day, especially around food.
2. Think ahead; know your personal fire drill to avoid making unhealthy decisions and make sure to review it before heading out to a party or holiday event.

3. Plan ahead; make sure to build in balance not only with your food but also with building in time to care for yourself.
4. Take time to meditate...and just...breathe.

5. Start and end the day with gratitude; think of one thing that will make your day a better day and work towards it...at the end of the day make sure to find and ponder a few moments in the day that made you feel good.

Make a commitment to yourself to follow these tips up until the New Year. Next think about how to make them part of your daily routine throughout the year. You deserve it!

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Livliga has been Recognized Nationally for the Caliber of Our Product

Livliga product is unique. We often point out that our products have three utility patents. What is less known are the awards and recognition we have received because of our unique, innovative, and stylish designs. We currently have three awards to share.


Gourmet Retailer Editor’s Pick—2016 Best New Product   

We were thrilled to receive the Best New Product designation for our LivSpoon®.  As they said…”We picked it because: Measuring spoons that double as attention getting serving spoons…creates a world where portion control…just got a whole lot more fun”.

Martha Stewart Made In America—2014 Finalist for Design

Livliga was recognized as a finalist in design for our American-made Aveq wine glass. To be picked as a Finalist among thousands of products submitted for consideration and then judged as part of the Martha Stewart’s American Made nationally recognized awards program, celebrating rising stars of the growing maker culture, is a dream come true.  To have this health and wellness company be recognized for its design is indeed an honor.

Moonbeam Children’s Book Award—2013 Bronze Medal Winner

It takes a team to create a nationally recognized children’s book. Sammie & Sax in the Land of Quinoa: the Search for a Balanced Meal is an original book with illustrations that helps kids learn about a balanced meal, eating healthy, and how to do it as a family. To have this first book, of a series to be written, recognized among multi-thousands of entries is truly humbling. The adventure book is given to every child that receives a set of Kidliga dishware and can also be bought separately. Now this special book has been translated into Spanish. The book is available both in hard back, in English, and electronically, in Spanish.  This is part of the Livliga dream to be available to all ages and accessible to everyone.

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Barrier Buster - People Expect Me to Fix the Foods I Do That Aren't Necessarily Healthy

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2018 Healthy Lifestyle Gift Guide

Below are Livliga’s 2018 picks for Gifts of Health to give yourself or the ones you love this holiday season. Most of these gifts have been reviewed by Livliga or are offered by Livliga so click on any of these gift ideas to find out more!

Children’s Healthy Lifestyle Gifts

These are wonderful gifts to give together for young children to enjoy!

(Ideal ages: 4-8)

NEW! Sammie and Sax In The Land of Quinoa Adventure Story in Spanish--ebook version

Kidliga Sammie & Sax dish set and hardback book in English

Bariatric Healthy Living Gifts

These two are wonderful gifts to give together to give to yourself or a bariatric BFF! 

NEW! "Viva" Just Right Set® Bariatric Flatware (Set of 3 Utensils: Knife, Fork & Spoon) in colorful Livliga Carrying Case

Just Right Set® bariatric 2 piece dish set

Diabetes Healthy Living Gifts

These are wonderful gifts to give together to give to yourself or a diabetes sister or brother!

The Pocket Carbohydrate Counter Guide for Diabetes by Shelby Kinnaird

Livliga “Go-to” 9-inch Portion Control Dishes for Diabetes

Kitchen Gadgets Fun For All

Food Savers—Food Huggers

Cuisinart Waffle Maker

Livliga LivSpoons

Best Healthy Living Books for 2018

Your Amazing Itty Bitty Diet FREE Weight Loss Book by Liz Bull

When Food is Your Frenemy by Jacob Bustos

The Pocket Carbohydrate Counter Guide for Diabetes by Shelby Kinnaird

Other Healthy Lifestyle Gift Ideas

These are wonderful gifts to give together to give to yourself or a special person you care about to add health and beauty to their home!

Livliga Home Holiday Gift Ideas

CookingLightDiet.com subscription

Not only can we give you great Healthy Lifestyle Gift Ideas for the Holidays, we can also give you great deals to make those wishes come true! Keep a look out for our upcoming, once a year, super savings during Black Friday through Cyber Monday this November!

Happy Healthy Holidays! May you Get and Give the Gifts of Health!

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Barrier Buster - I Don't Have Time to Fit in Exercise

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