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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

I've told you about our weekend ritual of having pizza on one of the weekend nights. It's something my kids look forward to every week and it provides us all with some much needed downtime. Though I love the Cauliflower Pizza Crust, changing things up is a good thing too. That's why I'm so happy I stumbled across this whole wheat pizza dough. It's amazing and sooooo filling. It's my go-to pizza dough and my kids love it too!

*As you're making this, keep in mind, I live in high altitude so you may not require as much flour. You can remedy that by adding more water to the mixture, or cutting down the flour to start. I would recommend adding more water. You can do it slowly and once the mixture makes a ball, you'll be good.*


Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
MAKES 2 MEDIUM PIZZAS (I usually double the recipe and get 3 big pizzas out of it)
PREP: 10 minutes         RISE: 70 minutes          READY IN: 80 minutes + 15-20 minutes cook time


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour 
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons dry instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS


  1. In a mixer, with a flat beater, combine flour, yeast and salt. 
  2. Add 1/2 cup water, olive oil and honey to the mixture.  
  3. On the mixer, switch out the flat beater for the dough hook. 
  4. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of water (and more, if needed). You will know when the dough is ready if all the dough balls up around the dough hook, away from the sides of the bowl, and when you raise the hook, the dough stays on it.
  5. Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic (about 3 minutes).
  6. Place back in the mixing bowl, and let rise for about an hour, or until it's doubled in size.
  7. Cut dough into 2 (or 4 if you want personal size), and knead into small balls. Let rise for another 10 minutes.
  8. At this point, either start prepping your pizza, or freeze dough for later use.
  9. If you're making your pizza now, top with sauce and toppings and place in the oven at 350º and cook for 15-20 minutes.

NUTRITION FACTS


*Does not include toppings, pizza crust only*

    1 slice (8 per pizza)    96 calories   1.1g fat   18.4g carbs    2.6g protein    0g sugar   

Enjoy!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am always trying to perfect different types of cookies in the kitchen. And to help myself not feel to guilty about cooking up goodies, I try to make them as healthy as I can. And great news, I made THE PERFECT HEALTHY COOKIE!!!

I've tried about everything, and I've failed an awful lot. Trying to use no oil or refined sugar really makes things tough! I've tried substituting applesauce for the oil, but it often times makes cookies way too moist. I've tried putting yogurt in cookies, but sometimes it leaves a bad after taste. I've even tried melting down coconut oil and putting it in my cookies, but depending on the flavor I'm going for, it doesn't work all the time. Anyways, I'm here to tell you, I'm made a darn good cookie. I approve, and more importantly, so do my kids (and my husband!). It seriously won all of us over!!! It doesn't have flour, oil or refined sugar (and only a teaspoon of honey!!! so most of the sweetness comes from the natural ingredients). ***Please note that I do live in high altitude so I would suggest starting out with a little less oats than I did, unless you want a more dense cookie.


Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
30 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15-20 minutes            READY IN: 30-35 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 4 cups of rolled oats
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS


  1. Preheat oven to 350º.
  2. Take the rolled oats and grind them up in your food processor (or use oat flour if you want, but the measurement will most likely be different).
  3. In a mixer, combine the ripe bananas, eggs, and milk until combined.
  4. Add the ground rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, peanut butter, and honey. Combine until all mixed together. The dough will not be completely stiff, it's more the consistency of a muffin mix. 
  5. Add the the chocolate chips and mix together.
  6. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper, and place the cookies on the sheet (I used a cookies scooper to put on my cookie sheets).
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, let cool and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 cookie    77 calories   2.3g fat   12.3g carbs    2.2g protein    3.2g sugar   

Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Peach Frozen Yogurt


The past few days in Utah have been so nice and warm that it got me in the mood for a nice, cool treat on the porch with my babe. This is my new favorite summer treat...and I don't even like peaches! It's so fast to make and only 3 ingredients that you will most likely find in your kitchen!

Next time you want to venture to the store for some creamies or go on an ice cream run with your kids, MAKE THIS!

Peach Frozen Yogurt
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 2 minutes           COOK: 1 minutes            READY IN: 3 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 16 oz bag frozen peaches
  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey)
  • 1/2 cup low fat or fat free vanilla yogurt 

DIRECTIONS


  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until combined and creamy! 

NUTRITION FACTS



   1 serving   171 calories  1g fat  41g carbs   2g protein   39g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Eating Well

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Salsa Chicken Casserole


When trying to eat healthy - I usually try to steer clear of the word "casserole." With it usually comes loads of calories and fat - usually. But this particular casserole doesn't have loads of those things in it - just loads of awesome! I pinned this recipe years ago - saving it... and then forgetting about it. But after making it last weekend (and then again last night for dinner!), I'm pretty sure it is going to become a regular in our household.

I made it a little differently than the original recipe does because I wanted shredded chicken instead of the whole chicken option - but either way it worked, and tasted awesome!


Salsa Chicken Casserole
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 30 minutes           COOK: 30 minutes            READY IN: 60 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
  • 1 cup rice, cooked
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can corn, drained
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey cheddar
  • 1/4 cup light sour cream 
  • 1/4 cup cilantro

DIRECTIONS


  1. Preheat oven to 375º.
  2. In 8 x 8-inch pan, mix together shredded chicken, rice, black beans, corn, salsa, and chicken broth.
  3. Add in spices and mix thoroughly. 
  4. Cover pan and bake for 30 minutes (or until liquid is absorbed)
  5. Take rice out of oven and mix in cheese and sour cream.
  6. If desired, bake for additional 5 minutes.
  7. Serve topped with cilantro.

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 serving    406 calories   9.6 g fat  54 g carbs    27 g protein    3 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Baking with Blondie

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Dijon Chicken Salad


This is one of those dishes that I came across online and just HAD to make. This is the perfect make-ahead salad to pack in your lunches for the week, or just for a healthy weeknight dinner.

A little warning, it's a little time consuming with the different steps to prepare, but if you buy pre-grilled chicken and pre-roasted peppers that will save you a lot of time. If you have time to make it by scratch you wont be disappointed! I fed this to my 10-month-old and he loved it! I ended up not adding all the dressing to the salad but I did just enough to coat it and get the flavor.


Dijon Chicken Salad
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 30 minutes            READY IN: 50 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 quart fat free, low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 2 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped)
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or sliced raw almonds (optional)
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1/2 bunch asparagus, roasted and diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 large bell peppers, roasted (or store bought works great too)
  • salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS


  1. To roast your peppers preheat oven to 450º. On a lined baking sheet, spray with coconut oil. Cut peppers into quarters and place skin-side up. Bake peppers for 15-20 minutes, or until the skin begins to blacken (its okay if its black--that's what you want). Once peppers are done transfer them to either a ziploc back or a covered bowl to allow them to steam. 
  2. While peppers are roasting, mix asparagus with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. When peppers have about 10 minutes left, throw asparagus on the baking sheet. Allow them to roast 5-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of asparagus). Allow asparagus to cool before chopping. 
  3. For the salad add chicken broth and bay leaves in a large skillet with a lid and allow it to come to a simmer. 
  4. Add chicken breasts to the skillet and bring broth to a boil. Cover pot. Allow chicken to cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on size of chicken. 
  5. While chicken is cooking you can prepare the other salad ingredients. Chop garlic, onion, asparagus, basil and parsley and place them in a large bowl.
  6. Take your peppers out of the bowl, or whatever you placed it in, and remove the skin. They should just slide right off. Chop peppers and add them to the salad mixture. 
  7. Once chicken is cooked, shred it into bite size pieces and add it to your salad. 
  8. To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a blender until combined. Add dressing to your salad and toss to combine. 

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 serving    120 calories  2g fat  6g carbs   16g protein   4g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from stiritup.me

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

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!

  • 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 :)

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Ranch Roasted Chickpeas

Looking for a nice, healthy snack that even your kids will love? Well, look no further! We've been seeing roasted chickpeas all over Pinterest, but decided to put our own spin on it by trying a ranch flavor. My kids are hooked and now we'll try experimenting with other flavors. I love these as a snack by themselves, but also think they'd make a nice addition to a summer salad. I have yet to try that though, as they get eaten way too quickly around our house to last for dinner time.


Ranch Roasted Chickpeas
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 3 minutes           COOK: 45 minutes            READY IN: 48 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 16 ounce can chickpeas
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning 

DIRECTIONS


  1. Preheat oven to 375º.
  2. Open the can of chickpeas, drain and rinse. Dry off on a towel. 
  3. In a small bowl, toss the chickpeas with the olive oil. Then add the ranch seasoning. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread out the chickpeas. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes, or until chickpeas are crunchy. If they are still soft, cook a little bit longer. 

NUTRITION FACTS



    1/4 cup serving    165 calories   4.8g fat   25.6g carbs    5.6g protein    0g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Modern Parents Messy Kids.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Registration Open for the Two Week Triathlon!

The Two-Week Triathlon begins in just two weeks on Monday, April 28th! We are so excited how many of you have expressed interest in joining us with this fun challenge!

The Two-Week Triathlon will run from April 28-May 12, 2014. You will have two full weeks to complete all the components of the ironman triathlon (or triathlon of your choosing- see below). Registration is free, but we'd love to have you register as we will be sending some information via email and cheer you on through social media - please use the hashtag #PTFtriathlon so everyone else can do the same!

Swim distances can be completed in a pool or in open water.  You will just want to make sure you know the length of the pool you are using so you can track your mileage. The pool that I'll be using is 25 yards with a lap (down and back) being 50 yards.  Approximately 36 full laps (down and back) equals 1 mile. Any stroke is acceptable and paddle board and other floatation devices are okay to use, just nothing motorized.

 If you're looking for a pool in your area, try here or here for an available listing. If you have a gym in your area with a pool, you can also usually get a guest pass to try it out for a few days to a week. Since we are doing this at our own pace, you can decide how you want to split up the mileage, but three days should be sufficient.

Bike distances can be completed on open road or on a stationary bike.  Check the weather and make sure you have an indoor location (stationary bike) as a backup.

Run distances can be completed on open road or on a treadmill. And the mileage can be completed either walking, running, or a mixture of both.

There are some great apps out there to help you track your running and biking distances and that help keep you motived by seeing your progression. Running apps now are great for tracking your route, pace, distance, etc. I've used all three of these and my personal favorite is Runkeeper.

1. Runkeeper (free)

2. Nike+ Running (free)

3. MapMyRun (free)

As for biking apps, I have yet to use one myself, but because we love our readers so much, we did the research for you! Here are a few great bike apps that will track your route and be your personal GPS.

1. Runtastic Road Bike (free)-- this will give you updates at each 1 mile intervals. Pretty cool!

2. Strava (free)

So now's your chance! Fill out this quick registration and you'll be ready to start in a couple weeks-- 2 weeks from today, in fact! We'll send a couple emails giving you tips and tricks along the way, including ways you can break up your mileage, a nice sheet to check off your mileage (which is kind of fun to do), and other fun stuff. Feel free to spread the word and have your friends join in! Email us or comment below with any questions.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich

We have a thing for hard-boiled eggs around our house lately. The kids love them, and I do too. For breakfast, I like to have two eggs every morning. I've finally realized what a great source of protein they are, and they keep me fuller than anything else (i.e. cereal). The only problem is that some mornings just don't allow me to fry up a couple eggs and that's where the boiled eggs enter. They are easy for me to prep before hand, peel, and keep in the refrigerator for a quick snack, breakfast, or even lunch. Though my kids weren't sure of this, I loved it and it was super filling and healthy!


Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich
2 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 2 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1/2 hass avocado (or 1 small avocado)
  • 1 tablespoon greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 4 pieces of whole wheat bread

DIRECTIONS


  1. Peel the hard boiled eggs, and dice them. 
  2. Mash the avocado and mix with the eggs. Add greek yogurt, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the eggs and mix together.
  3. Place on one slice of bread. Feel free to spruce up with any toppings like spinach, tomatoes, onion, or sprouts.

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 serving    256 calories   8.7g fat   27g carbs    17.8g protein    5.4g sugar   

Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Cauliflower Tots - Gluten free, Grain free


I think anyone who has children knows about trying to get kids to "eat their vegetables!" Not only that, but pretty much all of us can benefit from new ways to incorporate more veggies into our diet. It just never hurts to have more! And lately, I've been discovering the joys of incorporating veggies in the form of cauliflower.

I've always appreciated cauliflower on a veggie tray - not like my husband who sticks only to the broccoli, I'm equal opportunity when it comes to the two tree-like veggies for dipping. But recently, I've been discovering the many hidden joys of cauliflower. I'm telling you, the stuff is fantastic! You can mash it, process it, do it up raw or cooked ... there are just so many possibilities. And it can make such a great substitute for carbs such as potatoes or even rice. This recipe uses a method of processing the raw cauliflower in a food processor (I call it "rice" cauliflower because there are tons of recipes out there that then turn the fine pieces into a rice substitute), and then mixing in spices, egg, and some nut and seed meal (instead of bread crumbs like some recipes have) to form a tot that bakes up just like the tater tots that I loved as a kid (and that we've all re-enjoyed with Napoleon Dynamite!) I served these at a potluck and they were a hit with adults and kids alike!


Cauliflower Tots (Gluten free, Grain free)
6 SERVINGS (4-5 tots each serving)
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 20-25 minutes            READY IN: 40 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 2 cups "rice" cauliflower (*see directions)
  • 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced fresh parsley 
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons almond meal
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS


  1. To make the "rice" cauliflower, place about 1/2 head of cauliflower (broken into chunks) into a food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower is ground into small kernels, about the size of rice. 
  2. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray (or coat with a thin layer of oil).
  3. Combine the cauliflower, onion, parsley, and rosemary in a medium bowl. Mix in egg, flaxseed meal, almond meal, parmesan cheese, and salt until well combined. 
  4. Using a tablespoon, form rounds or ovals and place close together on the baking sheet.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top just starts to turn golden and slightly crisp. If the bottoms are starting to look done but the top still looks moist, you can turn them over and continue baking for a few more minutes.
  6. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 serving    53 calories   3.1 g fat   2.9 g carbs    4.0 g protein    1.1 g sugar   

Enjoy!

Friday, April 4, 2014

Crockpot Beef Brisket

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, but my husband is quite the chef. He's the type that can quickly take a gander of everything in the kitchen and whip up a seemingly effortless dish that tastes phenomenal. He doesn't measure anything, and goes strictly with his gut instincts. And more often than not, he comes to the table with an amazingly flavorful dish that leaves me asking, "What was in that...??" And he usually says, "A little bit of this, and a little bit of that." Which makes it so hard for me to replicate! If there's one thing he's has taught me in the kitchen, it's when it comes to cooking, there's a lot of leeway. I bring you one of my husband's wonderful recipes (with measurements!) that will leave you and your man happy at the dinner table. Oh, and let's not forget about the kiddos, they gobbled this up too!


Crockpot Beef Brisket
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes + overnight marinate        COOK: 8 hours         READY IN: 8 hours, 10 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 4 pounds beef brisket
  • 3 tablespoons mesquite seasoning
MARINADE:
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup mustard
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium soy sauce
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced

DIRECTIONS


  1. In a medium to large dish (sized to fit the beef brisket to marinade), mix together the marinade ingredients: ketchup, mustard, olive oil, soy sauce and garlic.
  2. Submerge the brisket in the marinade, and rotate the brisket until all sides have "soaked" in a little of the marinade. 
  3. Rub the mesquite seasoning on the top of the brisket (the part that is exposed, and not submerged in the marinade).
  4. Marinate the brisket overnight.
  5. In the morning, turn on the crockpot to low, place the brisket in the crockpot and discard the marinade, and slow cook the brisket for 8 hours. 

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 serving    152 calories   13.6g fat   6.8g carbs    2.7g protein    3g sugar   

Enjoy!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Chicken Sautéed with Apples

I'm a huge fan of apples. I eat at least one every single day. They are my favorite snack, lunch, or before bedtime treat. So, when I found this recipe for chicken sautéed in apples - I knew I had to try it!

It turns out that apples are good for more than just eating with peanut butter! They added great flavor to the chicken and was a good mixture with the onions.


Chicken Sautéed with Apples
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 20 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 4 chicken breasts, halved 
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 firm apple, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch strips
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 large onion, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS


  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Place chicken breasts over oil and sauté until golden brown. 
  2. Add the apple, juice, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
  3. Remove the chicken, apples, and onions. Bring the sauce to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. 
  4. Whisk in the mustard. Replace the chicken, apples, and onions in sauce.

NUTRITION FACTS



    4 servings    490 calories   15.8 g fat  35 g carbs    51 g protein    26 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Real Simple

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Healthy Habits Challenge April: 7 Keys to a Healthy Life



Hello! Welcome to a brand new month of our Healthy Habits Challenge. We hope you've been able to follow along as we've talked about healthy habits, but if not - click here to look back at all the awesome advice my fellow "Pass the Freshers" have posted!

This month, I want to focus on 7 Keys to a Healthy Lifestyle -
 
WHY?
First off, I want to state the obvious - choosing a healthier lifestyle isn't always easy or convenient. We all hear (or give) the same excuses:

"I don't eat very healthy because who has time for that?"
"By the time I'm done with work everyday, I'm far too exhausted to work out."
"We eat out almost every night because cooking just takes too much time and effort."
"Eating healthy is too expensive!"

Honestly, I probably find myself giving one of these excuses almost everyday.  I used to not enjoy cooking healthy foods because I didn't think they were as yummy or as exciting. Aaaannnddddd I'm pretty much addicted to sugar so that played a key role in my healthy eating journey. But I promise that choosing healthier options, both in the kitchen and at the gym, can be yummy and rewarding. If you don't believe me - just keep reading. You'll see!!

Over the next four weeks of our April Healthy Habits Challenge, I am going to offer 7 keys to creating a healthier lifestyle for yourself and your family. So, let's dive in!

 
Anyone who has ever tried to live a healthier lifestyle knows 99.9% of the time - it starts with nutrition. This is the key ingredient to keeping your body healthy. One important aspect to eating right is remembering the rule "we eat to live NOT live to eat." When we realize this - we understand that those easy to grab, convenience foods aren't going to help us live the way we want. When choosing our foods, we should remember these rules:
  1. Choose lean proteins
  2. Choose complex carbohydrates
  3. Choose healthy fats
  4. Eat often (5-7 small meals per day)
  5. Eat every 2-3 hours (to help keep your metabolism in balance and get rid of those highs and lows we experience throughout the day)

 I don't know how to stress this one more. WATER IS INVALUABLE!!!!! Not only is it important, we really cannot live without it! (Obviously)
WebMD teaches us...

Since increasing my water intake a few months ago - I've noticed a rise in my energy/endurance levels, less headaches, less eating when I'm not hungry, and I just feel better all around!
Drink water people - your body will thank you!!

So, here is the take home mission and goal for this week:
Pay attention to the foods you are eating - and notice how your body reacts to these foods. 
Remember, "we eat to live NOT live to eat." Do good to your body and give it healthy, worthwhile foods! And, don't forget to hydrate!! You can't go wrong with adding more water :)


(Information adapted from Max Muscle.)

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