- GREAT RECIPES
- GREAT WORKOUT TIPS
- TIPS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED with all of your goals for the New Year
- AND much, much more!!!
- , and I'm excited to ask you to take this HEALTHY journey with me!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Resolution Time 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
let's BOOST our immune system together!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Holiday Travel with CSN stores!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sponsored Post: CoolSculpting by ZELTIQ Treatment
- So, first visit the CoolSculpting website www.coolsculpting.com to learn more.
- Visit and "like" CoolSculpting by ZELTIQ on facebook www.facebook.com/coolsculpting and tell us in 100 words or less your health and fitness resolutions for the New Year and why CoolSculpting will help you reach those goals
- and lastly, encourage your friends to vote or comment on your entry
You'll find the official rules at http://www.coolsculpting.com/rules
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
just FREEZE it and an upcoming challenge!
Friday, December 3, 2010
a cake from a website I L.O.V.E!
I sprinkled powdered sugar on top to make it look even BETTER!
Friday, November 19, 2010
PEPPERlicious snack!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
EASYand DELICIOUS!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Got SOYmilk?
- It's heart-healthy
- 100% lactose and dairy-free
- 90 Calories per serving
- 6 grams of protein per serving
- Tastes great too!
**Keep in mind, the serving is 1 cup...so if you follow the serving suggestions, this can be a great way to get added nutrients into your diet!
My husband and I have a glass of Silk Light Chocolate after dinner, almost makes you feel as though you're having dessert without the added calories and fat :)
Disclosure: This is 100% my opinion and I was not compensated in any way to share my review of this product!
Monday, November 8, 2010
winner, workout tip AND a recipe!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Funky Monkey Snacks-review and giveaway!
- They are freeze-dried fruit, 100% natural, 100% real fruit
- three servings of fruit in every 1oz bag
- no added colors, flavors, sugars or preservatives
- they use full slices and pieces(not dices) of fresh fruit
- Funky Monkey is made in Brazil and uses tropical fruits at the peak of freshness
- all products are gluten-free, certified Kosher, and certified non-GMO
When we tried the other flavors, we were TOTALLY impressed with the freshness, the tastes, the crunchiness, and I was SO happy that my boys LOVED every bite! Of all the flavors to choose from, my favorite was "bananamon"...which is freeze-dried organic banana and organic cinnamon-YUM! I will definitely be buying these for my boys, especially my picky eater who, thanks to Funky Monkey, now eats FRUIT!
And the generous people at Funky Monkey snacks have offered a sampler pack, which includes 1 bag of each of their 7 flavors to one of YOU, so you can give the "fruit that crunches" a try for yourselves!
Mandatory Entry:
Go to FunkyMonkeySnacks.com and tell me which flavor you'd like to try MOST!
You must be a follower of my blog and tell me that you follow in your comment!
*Leave a valid email address, so that I may contact you if you win!
GOOD LUCK, giveaway ends Monday, 11/8 at midnight!
Funky Monkey is also on facebook and twitter, if you follow both, 2 extra entries! But you must do mandatory entry for extras to count :)
I was given a sampler pack in exchange for my honest review of these products, and therefore the opinions are 100%mine.
Monday, November 1, 2010
SNEAKY mac n cheese!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
drum roll please...
stay tuned...
Saturday, October 23, 2010
a seriously DELICIOUS, healthy creation!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
being featured AND a giveaway!
AND in honor of being featured,
Sunday, October 17, 2010
did someone say, Burrito?!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
be prepared!!!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
fresh OKRA deliciousness!
ENJOY!!
Friday, October 8, 2010
I'm trying this!
What we're doing:
Thursday, September 30, 2010
SO worth a visit to yours...
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Some of our favorites...
Grilled Cheese w/ a TWIST!
*Our boys LOVE these too :)
You'll need:
100% whole wheat sandwich thins
apple slices of your favorite apple!
sliced 2% cheese of your choice
small amount of tub margarine
I use the small amount of margarine to coat the inner side of the sandwich thins, so you don't lose the sprinkled grains on the outside, add my cheese and layer of THIN apple slices
and that's it! It's actually very filling and taste great too!
*Added bonus, I sprinkle 2 tbs. flaxseed meal that I told you about in THIS post
to the top as its grilling...gives added fiber and omega 3's!
Hummus Wrap!
Wow, does this have good flavor and its filling too!
You'll Need:
Whole Wheat, Low Carb Tortillas-we use Mission brand
Romaine lettuce
and my hummus was SOOOOO easy to make!
1 can 15 oz garbanzo(chick peas) drained and rinsed
2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all in food processor in mini-chopper is what I use! Mix until well blended and almost a paste texture! This stuff is G-O-O-D! trust me!!! The garlic adds GREAT flavor!
Ok, later I will share (and hopefully take pics) some of our favorite dinner recipes! As for snacking, my husband and I love a small apple with peanut butter or
grapes with a slice of string cheese!
Eating healthier will help you feel good throughout the day,
have more energy and hopefully start to see results!
Since our weather in Texas has FINALLY cooled down a bit...
a family walk, bike ride or jog is a perfect way for us to be together as a family after dinner!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
guest post with a GREAT recipe!
The Before recipe, found in Family Circle magazine, contained
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast 12 ounces garden pasta 1 medium bell pepper 1 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/4 cup milk 8 ounces pepper jack cheese 3 scallions 2 ounces lime-flavored tortilla chips
for a total of 557 calories and 22g of fat (with 10g sat fats!).
I wanted to keep the basic idea and taste of the recipe, but make it something that I could enjoy without breaking my diet. I thought about what went into a taco, and then went from there. To make this a healthier meal, I did a few things:
· Reduced the amount of chicken to 8 ounces, and added a cup of whole black beans to add fiber.
· Replaced the butter with olive oil. Butter contains a ton of saturated fat (7.3g per Tbsp) and doesn’t add a lot of flavor in this meal.
· Added a medium onion, tomato, jalapeno and lettuce to make the portion size bigger and add much-needed vitamins.
· Added more flavor with spices such as ground coriander (gives a really smoky, citrusy flavor) and garlic powder.
· Changed the cheese to reduced-fat, and lowered the amount (only by 2 ounces) to make the sauce lower in fat.
· Used 1% milk in the sauce. When making a cheese sauce, I’ve found that using 1% works WAY better, because fat free doesn’t contain enough fat to thicken properly and make a creamy sauce.
· Used whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour to add fiber. Every little bit helps!
By making these few easy changes, this lowered the total to 407 calories and 13.3g of fat (with only 4.7g sat fats). That’s 150 calories and 8.7g fat saved! So here’s the new and improved meal – enjoy (guilt-free)!
Laura’s Chicken Taco Mac (serves 6)
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small chunks
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup rinsed and drained black beans
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (feel free to add more if you like it hot!)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp whole-wheat flour
10 ounces pasta
1 large bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/4 cups 1% milk
6 ounces reduced fat, shredded 4 cheese Mexican Blend (I used this cheese because my store doesn’t carry reduced fat pepper-jack. Feel free to substitute for pepper-jack with the same calories)
3 scallions, sliced
2 ounces tortilla chips
3/4 cup chopped tomato
3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
Cooking Spray
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. While you’re waiting for the water, toss the chicken with the ground coriander, garlic powder, pepper, and ½ tsp of salt.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a 1-second spray of cooking spray. Add the chicken and sauté until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
To the water, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to the same pot, along with the tomato and scallions. Set aside.
In the same pan, add the onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Saute until soft and the onions are translucent. Add the black beans and the chicken back to the pan and remove from heat. (This will keep it warm while the rest of your meal cooks.)
In a small pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the flour and whisk for a few minutes until the flour mixture is bubbling. Add the milk and whisk constantly until thickened slightly, about 4-5 minutes. Add the other ½ tsp of salt and the chili powder, and then remove it from heat. Add the cheese and whisk until combined and creamy.
Add the veggie/chicken/black bean mixture to the pasta, and then pour the cheese sauce over the whole mixture. Mix well, and then pour into a non-stick 9x13 baking pan. Crush the tortilla chips and sprinkle over the top of the pasta.
Broil the pasta in the oven until you can smell the tortilla chips, about 2 minutes. This step is mostly to heat everything through again and make sure the tortilla chips are toasty and crispy.
To serve: Spoon portion into bowl and then add ½ cup chopped romaine lettuce to the top. I know what you’re thinking, but don’t knock until you’ve tried it. It really does make it taste like a bowl of taco, and gives a great crunch to the meal. Plus it adds more fiber and greens. But if you’d rather not, no biggie – it still tastes great without!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
did YOU watch?
pepper and a small amount of garlic salt and parmesan cheese-a little goes a long way!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
now THIS is a cool book
eating out? then you need THIS!!!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
an AWESOME guest post...
MYTH DEBUNKING MONDAYS - TARGETING THE LOWER ABS
This is my 13th installment of Myth Debunking Mondays. If you follow me closely you know that I write a lot of health and fitness related articles and have exhausted many topics. So for now, this will be the last Myth Debunking Monday. I am thinking I will start a new theme: The Monday Move which will feature a new exercise every week.
So, without further ado, here is my final installment of Myth Debunking Monday.
The Lower Abs get a lot of hype. Everyone seems to talk about needing to work the lower abs, exercises to do for the lower abs, etc. The truth is, there is no specific lower ab muscle. The rectus abdominis is the main abdominal muscle that runs down the center of stomach. It attaches on both the ribs and the pubic bone and can pull from both directions (the only muscle to do so). Many of the exercises typically considered "lower" ab exercises are actually targeting the hip flexors which act to raise your legs up in front of you, and are not your "lower" abs. We are talking about exercises such as lying leg raises, leg throw downs, etc. These are targeting your hip flexors, not "lower" abs. You are also putting a lot of strain on your back, and if you have weak core muscles you could get injured.
If you want to work your lower abs because there is extra fat on your lower abdomen then you need to burn the fat away with cardio, not try to "crunch" it away. Spot-reduction is a whole other myth. If you are trying to strengthen your "lower" abs, just do crunches, planks and other core exercises, you don't need to try to work the lower portion, it is all one muscle. Hopefully finding out the truth about this myth will prevent you from doing some uncomfortable and unnecessary exercises, and save you some time at the gym from now on.
Check out my previous Myth Debunking Monday posts. If there is something you wonder if it is a myth or not, email or send me a comment. Maybe I will do a surprise Myth Debunking Monday post again.
Thank you!
Meaghan Massenat, MS, CSCS
http://dailydoseoffitness.blogspot.com
http://www.associatedcontent.com/meaghanm
http://www.bellorelbaby.com
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
a MUST TRY recipe and a bike ride!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
SET A GOAL and a motivational story you MUST read...
Friday, September 10, 2010
an award AND a contest...
I have promised to fully accept this award after this weekend :)
*Now for the CONTEST, I am SO happy to have been asked by World Martial Arts to be their "health professional" this weekend for their Biggest Loser contest kick-off!
It is a six week program, designed to help contestants achieve weight-loss goals in a short amount of time and make healthy changes that will last a lifetime! It begins tomorrow, with an introduction of the program and a one-hour bootcamp style workout!
(I will be taking contestants weight, BMI and measurements)
I invite you to join this contest along with us. Make SMALL changes that will give big results. For example, add more veggies and fruit to your diet this week. Make a commitment to exercise at least three days this week, no matter what the exercise may be! Eat on a smaller plate the ENTIRE week and see if you notice a difference in your appetite!
I will share with you the motivational tools I plan on using with the contestants and feel free to ask questions or leave a comment saying you're taking this journey with ME!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
MUSIC = MOTIVATION!
This has become much more difficult with children, because if I'm doing a workout video, I have to listen for the monitor for my youngest, so I can't have the music cranked up quite so loud, and when we're jogging or bike riding, I can't turn it up too loud, because I need to be focused on the things around me for safety reasons...however, when I have a chance to have a good 'ol Mommy workout ALONE, I crank up my iPod and GET MOVIN'!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
diet pills/supplements
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
So, I'm curious...
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Now Playing
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Black Rice?
As of now, this black rice is only available at Whole Foods and other specialty stores but there is talk about trying to get it in ALL local grocery stores.
Why, you ask??
Well, here's a little info about this SUPER FOOD:
Like brown rice, black rice is loaded with antioxidant-rich bran which gets stripped away during milling to create white rice. But this black rice contains anthocyanins, found in blueberries, grapes and acai-which is linked to decreased risk of heart disease and cancer and improvement in memory and other health benefits as well! This has most of the healthy benefits of blueberries without the sugar contained in the berries, so its definitely a healthy alternative to brown rice-which is still a MUCH better choice than white rice. Because it is not widely grown in the U.S., this product when found, can be expensive-but it seems like its worth the price?!
What do you think??
I'm going to find some VERY soon and give it a try...
Let me know if you have tried it, or have found it and are up for giving it a try ??! I'd love to hear what you think?