Healthy Habits Challenge: 7 Keys to a Healthy Life

Welcome back for another week of our Healthy Habits Challenge. We sincerely hope that our words help to increase motivation and desire to live a healthier (and happier) lifestyle.

This week I'm going to cover Keys 3 and 4 to our

7 Keys to a Healthy Life

If you missed the first two keys, click here!

To live a healthier lifestyle and see improvement in our physical endurance and strength, resistance training is a huge factor. It helps the body build and maintain strong healthy bones and burns excess fat by building healthy lean muscles. Who doesn't want that?! A good resistance training program usually includes 3-5 days a week - but you can alter your workout depending on your goals.

So what is resistance training you ask? Let me tell you! The most common form is weight training - but don't let that scare you away. If weights work for you - great. Do it! But if you are like me, I feel a little silly going to the gym and picking up any sort of weight - let alone actually doing a full on workout with them. Sooooo a great resource is to design your very own program, catered to your needs. When I started to research this more, I came across this AMAZING resource from the McKinley Health Center in Illinois. They give you a step by step guide to creating a program that works for you, including defining your fitness goals, planning how much and what kind of resistance training you need to meet your goals, and then identifying which exercises to do. Check it out, it will definitely help you figure out how to do the whole strength training thing!

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  I have to admit something to you - I used to dread this type of workout. It demanded so much, and I was a little intimidated by it. BUT for the past few months I've been trying to do more cardiovascular training and I feel like I've taken a complete 180 - I love it!!!
  
  
  To get your cardio on, remember that the goal is to get your heart rate a-movin. In order to keep your heart happy and body lean, it's recommended that we do 4-6 days per week (20-45 minutes per session) of cardio. 
  Want some good exercise plans?? Below are some that I have found work me hard - and get my heart rate soaring. 
  
  
   
   This straight forward workout has been my go to for the past few months. You don't need any equipment, and boy do you feel the burn! 
  
  
  
  Another great, quick workout to burn those extra calories you snuck in after work. And it only takes 9 minutes!! Do this 3 times and you have one heart raisin' workout. 
  
  
  
  Another great workout, designed by our very own Deb, is this 60 minute HIIT workout. For more workouts like this one, click here.
  
  
  So where do we go from now?? So far we've talked about nutrition, hydration, resistance training, and cardiovascular training. All very simple things -  but all necessary to make the impact we want to see in our healthy habits. Work hard this week to organize a workout plan that works for YOU. Because let's be honest, if we aren't doing this for ourselves... it's pretty hard to stay motivated, right? 
  
  
  Next week, come back for keys 5 and 6 of our Healthy Lifestyle Challenge! I'll look forward to sharing more about this shtuff :)

Berry Chia Shake

You may be hearing about chia seeds a lot lately, and maybe you've even tried them. I recently gave them a try when I spotted them in the bulk foods section of my grocery store. Instead of committing to an entire bag, I wanted to give them a test run first. Chia seeds are full of omega-3s, antioxidants, and fiber. It's been called a superfood and it's great for our bodies!

For my first spin with the chia seeds, I made this shake. It was delicious and I've found myself drinking it at lunch, adding a little protein for an after workout shake, or a mid-afternoon snack. It's easy to make and my kids even love it! Now if I can just figure out a way to freeze it and send it in my son's lunch. The chia seeds tend to get a little soggy. I recommend making this fresh, and drinking it fresh. :)

Berry Chia Shake
2 SERVINGS 
PREP: 1 minute           BLEND: 1 minute            READY IN: 2 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup frozen berries (I used a mixture of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, but you can use whatever you have on hand.)
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a blender add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. 
2. Serve in a glass and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup serving    75 calories   2.8g fat   13.4g carbs    1.7g protein    7.9g sugar   

Healthy Breakfast Burritos

Keeping with the theme of this month's Healthy Habits Challenge, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite pre-workout meals. Since I work out in the mornings, I like to make sure that my breakfast is packed with carbohydrates as this will give me the energy to make it through my workout and make sure I'm burning fat rather than muscle.

Since I like to eat about 90 minutes before a workout and my mornings can be a tad crazy getting kiddos ready and all loaded in the car so we're on time for school drop off, I make these ahead of time and freeze them individually, wrapped in foil. All I have to do is heat them up (take off the foil first), wrapped in a wet paper towel, for about 45 seconds on a reduced power (I do 7). I drizzle salsa over it and within minutes, I've eaten a healthy and nutritious meal.

Even if you're not headed to the gym in the mornings, this is a great on-the-go breakfast for those busy mornings. Instead of drizzling the salsa on top, feel free to put it in the burrito to make it more transportable. :)

Healthy Breakfast Burritos
15 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 15 eggs
• 1 lb. ground chicken sausage
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 15 whole wheat tortillas
• Salsa for topping

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage. Stir occasionally until cooked all the way through.
3. Add whisked eggs to the skillet and mix with the sausage.
4. Once eggs are cooked, add the peppers and black pepper. Mix together.
5. Lay out one tortilla, and put the egg and sausage mixture in it. Roll up and drizzle salsa on the top, if desired.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    219 calories   7.5g fat   23.2g carbs    15g protein    .7g sugar   

Enjoy!

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Quest Bars

After yesterday's post kicking off our Healthy Habits Challenge, I thought I would share my favorite after workout snack. I've had my best results at the gym if I eat 30-45 minutes after a hard workout and fill my belly with a high protein mixed with carbohydrates to help build muscle and replenish glycogen stores (or energy). Quest bars are fit this in just about every way.  They are low in sugar (advertised at around 3g per protein bar!) and they taste incredible. Though I do love the bars, I try to replicate everything at home as best I can so I know exactly what is going in them. Here is my version of the protein bar.

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Quest Bars
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           REFRIGERATE: 30 minutes            READY IN: 40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1/3 cup vanilla protein powder (I use Plant Fusion)
• 1/4 cup organic creamy peanut butter (you could also use sun butter, cashew butter, or almond butter)
• 1/2 cup of agave nectar (honey would work too, or a few tsp of stevia -if you choose to use stevia, you will need more water)
• 1/4 cup Oat Flour (or ground flax seed)
• 2 tablespoons water (depending on what sweetener you use, you will need more or less water)
• 1/4 cup 60% cacao chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a medium sized bowl, mixed together protein powder, peanut butter, agave nectar, oat flour. Mix together
2. Add in water. Mix.
3. Add in cacao chips. Mix.
4. Line 9x9-inch pan with parchment paper. Press down mixture evenly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Cut into 6 equal size bars. Wrap in tin foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 bar    232 calories   7.7g fat   29.4g carbs    13.9g protein    23.4g sugar   

Though the sugar content isn't exactly the same as the real deal, using all real ingredients in my very own kitchen should count for something. :) I think this amount could be reduced by using Stevia, or a different natural sweetener. Let me know if you try different varieties that work and let's see if they come out better with the nutrition facts.

Recipe from Sweet Cheetah.

Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus

'Tis the season for appetizers and dips, yes? I feel like all I've been doing for the last two weeks is snacking. With New Years this week, let's cheers to one more week of snacking and then get back to meals and less eating. Who's with me? You will love this zippy hummus recipe if you like a little kick to your dips. It would even be delicious on a sandwich.

Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus
MAKES: 1 1/2 cups
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

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1. Place all ingredients, except for the salt and pepper, into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
3. Serve with pita chips, crackers, veggies, or bread.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1/4 cup serving    53 calories   2.7g fat   6.5g carbs    2g protein    1.2g sugar   

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Homemade Larabars

My go-to energy boost before and/or after a workout is a Larabar. Have you ever tasted of their awesomeness? They are soooooo yummy! My favorite flavor is (you probably already guessed...) Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. My fitness instructor always says to eat 30-45 minutes after a good workout, so I keep a handful of these in my car for a quick snack. I have wanted to try making them myself to see if I can reproduce the real thing, and the good news is they only have four ingredients . You'll notice that one of the ingredients is dates but don't you dare let that deter you. Trust me, when you mix dates with peanuts and chocolate it's like a magical explosion in your mouth. My oldest son loves these and requests them all the time for school lunches.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabars
14 SERVINGS 
PREP: 8 minutes           FREEZE: 30 minutes            READY IN: 38 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
• 16 ounces pitted dates
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• pinch sea salt
 

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a food processor, pulse the peanuts until they are in fine pieces (the size of little Nerds candies, or a little smaller)
2. Add the dates and pulse until they are in smaller pieces (about half the size they were originally).
3. Add in the chocolate chips and sea salt and pulse until everything is mixed nicely together.
4. Pour the mixture into a 9x9 pan, firmly press the bar mixture down with your hand.
5. Place into the freezer for 30 minutes to make cutting easier.
6. After 30 minutes cut bars into 14 even pieces and wrap individually for later use. Place them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving (1 bar)    129 calories   3.1g fat   26g carbs    2.2g protein    21.5g sugar   

These are much cheaper to make yourself. I can buy them at the store on sale for $1 per bar or I can make them for under $.50 per bar. In full disclosure, I keep both on hand (yes, we eat that many of them!) I like the wrapping that Larabar uses. For some reason it prevents the chocolate from melting so they are better kept in the car, or in a backpack for hiking. I use the homemade larabars for my son's lunch and when I'm going directly home after a workout, or need a mid-day pick me up. They are also wonderful for filling that sweet tooth craving!

Enjoy!
Recipe Adapted from Lauren's Latest.