Staying on track with your weight loss goals can be difficult at times, but it’s not impossible. Here are ten ways to help you stay motivated and stay on track with your weight loss goals!

Plan Meals

This will help you to stay within your calorie budget each day. Make sure to be prepared and have healthy snacks and meals ready at all times. A good example of this is keeping freshly cut fruit and veggies in the fridge.

Accountability

You will be surprised at how much this can help you.  Build a support system of people who have similar goals and are working towards the same thing. If you surround yourself with people who are also trying to stay on track, you will be less likely to make poor eating choices or skip a workout.

Record Progress

Regularly weighing yourself, tracking your calories, recording your workouts, and taking measurements can help you stay on track. It will also show where you are, how far you’ve come, and how close you are to your goal.

Know Yourself

If you know you can’t resist brownies or you can’t wake up for an early morning workout at the gym, work those things into your plan.  Budget in the brownie and schedule the gym later in the day.  It’s not worth it to lose your control with food or to pass up a workout.

Eat More

It’s amazing what this can do!  If you do not take in enough calories, it doesn’t matter how many miles you run or minutes you spend on the elliptical – you will not lose weight (fat)! If you do see numbers on the scale eventually fall, it could be muscle or bone mass. Your body needs healthy calories to function, so make sure you’re eating enough every day.  This will prevent you from setting yourself up for a binge.

Staying motivated

Sometimes it’s difficult to maintain the excitement you felt when you first made your goals.  When the going gets tough, remember why you set those goals in the first place.  Remember what you are trying to accomplish and remind yourself that what you do today will pay off in six months!

Reward

Okay, I never reward myself with food since I don’t want to look at unhealthy treats as a reward to myself.  It’s easy to get excited when you reward yourself from time to time for all the hard work you’re doing.  Here are a few ideas you can treat yourself to: buy some new workout gear, get a massage, or maybe buy a new book you have wanted.

Exhaust Every Avenue

Don’t ever give up. If you find yourself slipping into a slump, try everything you can to stay on track. Make sure to commit to a minimum amount of exercise each week.  Here are a few ideas that can help you reach your fitness goals:

• Hire a personal trainer

• Find a workout partner

• Try something new like a spin class or particular sport

Lose the Excuses

Think positive thoughts and hold on to what inspires you rather than make excuses for yourself to skip the gym or eat unhealthy. Every day is going to be different; and what motivated you yesterday may not work today.  You may want to try on those pants you’ve been dying to fit into.  Always keep yourself motivated.

Have Consequences

There are consequences to everything in life.  If you skip workouts or practice poor eating habits, you won’t reach your goals.  That’s the hard truth.  Never miss out on what you REALLY want for what you want right now (extra sleep or that greasy cheeseburger, for example).  If you miss a workout or eat unhealthy, there should be a consequence that will hold you accountable.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Health Benefits of Calcium

• Bones and teeth contain 99% of the calcium in the body, which makes it no surprise to know that calcium is a huge factor in maintaining healthy and strong bones.

• There have been studies showing that calcium may help prevent colon cancer.

• Prevents osteoporosis, which is a disease that is characterized by brittle and porous bones.

•  In 1999 a study revealed that calcium was a “sound treatment” for women who experienced symptoms of premenstrual syndrome(PMS).

• Helps with blood clotting, muscle contraction, regulation of enzyme activity, cell membrane and proper nerve function.

• Calcium is heart healthy! In studies, it has been shown to help lower blood pressure.

Top Sources of Calcium

• Yogurt (44%)

• Tofu (39%)

• Sesame Seeds (35%)

• Goat Milk (32%)

• Sardines (31%)

• Milk (29%)

• Collard Greens (26%)

• Spinach (24%)

• Pink Salmon (17%)

• Blackstrap Molasses (16%)

Note: Percentages based on the daily value based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Tips for Absorbing Calcium More Efficiently

• Eat foods containing Vitamin D since it will accelerate the absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal tract.

• If you eat food containing high amounts of potassium, it will reduce the urinary excretion of calcium, which will help you keep your calcium levels at a normal level.

• Calcium and Magnesium “compete” with each other for intestinal absorption. If you are taking supplements of each, you may want to consider taking the supplements at separate times.

•  If you eat a lot of food or drink containing caffeine, sodium, or protein, it will increase the urinary excretion of calcium, which depletes your calcium levels.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: Yogurt

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10 Steps To A Healthier Heart

1. Keep your Cholesterol low, aiming for less than 200 milligrams/deciliter and keep your Blood Pressure below 120/80. Garlic has been shown to reduce both cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

2. If you smoke, it’s time to quit the habit. Three years after a person quits smoking, their chance of having a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked before.

3. Eat more heart healthy fats such as  wild salmon, nuts, avocados, olive oil, and flax seeds. Studies show that consuming two or more servings of fish per week is associated with reducing the risk of developing coronary heart disease by 30 percent.

4.  Reduce the stress in your life. Take a break. Get a massage. Go on vacation. Meditate! Do whatever you need to do to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Stress has a negative affect on your heart and overall health.

5. Exercise! Physical activity is a huge factor when it comes to having a healthy heart. Aim for either 1 hour and 15 minutes each week of vigorous physical activity or 2 1/2 hours each week of moderate intensity exercise.

6. Get to – or maintain – a healthy weight. Those with a healthy BMI were shown to have less risk of heart disease.

7. Avoid fried, fatty, and sugary foods. Yep, they may taste good, but they aren’t doing your heart (or the rest of your body) any favors since these foods have been linked to heart disease, clogged arteries, cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and the list goes on. In the long run, it’s just best to stay away.

8. Keep your glucose levels down.  You should aim to have your fasting blood glucose levels to be less than 100 milligrams/deciliter.

9. Eat more fiber rich foods, such as whole grains, beans, lentils, apples, tomatoes, carrots, pears, and squash (ok, just about all fruits and vegetables).

10. Limit the amount of sodium you consume each day! You should try to have less than 1,500 milligrams a day.

Get Started Today

Choose which step to work on for a healthier heart. You don’t have to try and tackle all of these steps today. Work on steps that are easier for you, and work on them one at a time. You’ll soon realize how good it feels to take care of the little muscle that works so hard to keep you going.

A healthy heart, a healthy you!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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In the news this week, I found out that Hostess (who makes fatty and sugar treat such as Twinkie’s) has filed for Bankruptcy.

“Hostess went through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in 2004 and had trouble regaining its footing afterwards, in spite of investments and loans from private equity firms and hedge funds. The Journal reports that Hostess has lined up financing that would allow it to continue operating while in bankruptcy, so its ovens won’t be shut off just yet.” – TIME Magazine

Your “Vote” Counts

The every day consumer, like you and me, has more power than we realize. Business is all about supply and demand, and with the recent bankruptcy news we realize that there just isn’t a big enough demand for Hostess snacks anymore. Thanks to a more health conscious public, people have been buying less and less of the Hostess brand snacks, resulting in a mountain of debt for the company, rather than sales.

I am not trying to relish on this news (OK, maybe I am…) but I believe this bankruptcy sends a strong message to the consumer. The companies that are going to survive or die are based on the product demand, which is based on what we are willing to buy at the grocery store.

You have a choice on whether you see more health foods at your grocery store compared to junk food. Every time you go grocery shopping, you are making a vote on what you want in that store of yours based on what you consistently buy. Companies are paying attention, and if there is a high demand for healthy food, they will supply more of those types of foods. If there is a demand for junk food, they will provide plenty of unhealthy products to choose from. If nobody buys a certain product, It won’t be in business for long.

I’m happy to say farewell to the Hostess brand company. It shows that enough consumers have voted, and our voices have been heard.

Just remember that every time you go to the grocery store, you vote…with your dollar.

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There are two main sources that you can obtain vitamin A naturally.

1) Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes from animal foods such as calf liver.

2) Vitamin A comes from Carotenoids (alpha-, beta-, and gamma- carotene) which our bodies convert into Vitamin A and comes from many fruits and vegetables.

Check out the many health benefits of Vitamin A and find out how to get more of it in your healthy lifestyle!

Health Benefits of Vitamin A

• Vitamin A has been shown to help fight against age-related ocular diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Vitamin A helps to improve night vision by allowing the eyes to more effectively distinguish between light and dark.

• Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant and can help protect us against skin diseases and some cancers.

• Vitamin A plays an important role with the white blood cells in the body which fights infections and boosts in the immune system.

• Vitamin A prevents urinary stones from forming by producing calcium phosphate in the body.

•Vitamin A is known to be an essential to the reproductive process in both women and men.

• Vitamin A helps keep bones and teeth healthy and strong.

Natural Sources of Vitamin A

• Sweet Potato – 438% DV

• Spinach – 377% DV

• Carrots – 407.6% DV

• Calf Liver – 1,600% DV

• Kale – 354% DV

• Swiss Chard – 214% DV

• Collard Greens – 308% DV

• Winter Squash – 214% DV

Justification to Obtain Vitamins and Minerals Naturally

From what I have studied, it’s best if you can get your vitamins and minerals through natural sources rather than supplements.

Here’s why: Vitamin A works in conjunction with Vitamin D when obtained in the proper amount. You can obtain the proper amounts if you eat a variety of vegetables (Vitamin A) and get the proper amount of daily sun exposure (Vitamin D).

If you have too much Vitamin A (supplments) it can detract from the benefits associated with the Vitamin D and can even be potentially toxic. If you don’t have enough Vitamin A, the Vitamin D cannot function properly within the body.

Percentage Daily Value Sources provided by whfoods.org

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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How Snooki Lost 15 Pounds

Snooki weighs in at 98 pounds (which isn’t bad considering her height) and the rumor mill was in overdrive trying to figure out the secret to her recent weight loss. Luckily, Snooki let her 4 million plus followers on Twitter in on her little weight loss secret.

Snooki wrote on her Twitter page “Glad to hear reports that say I look good =) but it’s not because of HCG! Thanks @Zantrex!”

There you have it! Snooki has had the help of the diet pill Zantrex to help her reach her goal weight. I’ve also read recently that according to recently that Snooki also credits alcohol and becoming a gym rat to her weight loss success. Yikes. While the rest of Hollywood is providing their congrats to Snooki, I’m going to take this opportunity to warn my readers against the dangers of poor diet, alcohol, and dangerous weight loss pills mixed with gym time.

Yes, Snooki lost weight and looks great, but you can do better than that. You can create a healthy lifestyle that will last longer than the latest Hollywood fad diet.

Is Zantrex Safe?

Let’s face it. Zantrex is a diet pill. You know how I feel about those, right? With that aside, is Zantrex any different? Is it safe? I did some research and the short answer is: No, Zantrex is not safe. It may help with quick weight loss but it just doesn’t provide a long term solution to weight loss, which is what you really want, right? Diet pills are just the “easy” way out, so I understand why it seems to appealing.

For long term weight loss and health, focus on healthy eating and drinking habits and avoid those dangerous diet pills, no matter which favorite starlet is promoting the product.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: SkinnyvsCurvy.com

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Happy Holidays from everyone at Skinny Twinkie!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Here’s a list of some common nuts and their nutritional benefits:

Almonds

• Help aids weight loss

• Rich in heart healthy fat which helps lowers cholesterol.

• In every ounce, almonds contain 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of dietary fiber, and 80 micro grams of calcium, and phosphorus and vitamin E.

• Almonds have almost no carbohydrates, which makes them a great snake for diabetics.

Brazil Nuts

• Contain large amounts of selenium, which research has shown has a protective effect fights against many different kinds of cancers, helps with thyroid function, and may even help with men’s fertility.

Cashews

• Contains high amounts of heart healthy (monounsaturated) fat, which has been shown to help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

• Very mineral rich, including potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, and copper.

• Compared to other nuts, cashews are slightly less amount of calories, while containing a slightly higher amount of carbohydrates.

Hazelnuts

• Rich in beta-sitosterol which lowers cholesterol and lessens the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (something men over 40 commonly experience: going to the bathroom multiple times throughout the night).

• Contain vitamin E, phosphorus, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.

Macadamia Nuts

• Boasts the highest amount of monounsaturated fat (about 80% – more than olive oil!) than the other nuts. Monounsaturated fat is great for your heart health and has been associated with lower levels of heart disease and cancer.

• Contains calcium, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, and fiber.

• Very high in calories, so eat in moderation.

Pecans

• Loaded with monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, potassium, phytosterols, and beta-sitosterol.

• May help lower the risk for type 2 Diabetes.

Pistachios

• Improves lipid profiles, decreases coronary risk, decreases oxidative stress and improves both HDL and LDL cholesterol levels.

• Unsalted pistachio nuts have a favorable potassium-to-sodium ratio which is very helpful with normalizing blood pressure and maintaining a healthy water balance in the body.

• Contain magnesium, phosphorus, phytosterols as well as other vitamins and minerals.

Walnuts

• Contains the highest amount of omega-3 fat, compared to other nuts. Omega-3′s are a remarkable brain food, which supports brain function, improves mood, and helps lower triglycerides and reduce plaque.

• Rich in manganese, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.

It’s no surprise that studies show that those who eat nuts consistently have significantly lower risks of having a heart attack or heart disease.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Did you know that you can make exercise fun?  Check out the video below and you’ll understand what I am talking about!

What other fun exercises can you come up with?

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Fruits and 

• Buy canned fruit that is in 100% Juice (or water) rather than heavy syrup or light syrup, which is just canned fruit soaked in corn syrup, sugar, or artificial sweeteners. Buying canned fruit that is in 100% juice allows you to enjoy the fruit without all of the unnecessary sweeteners and extra calories.

Vegetables

• Buy canned vegetables that don’t have any salt added to it. The salt that is usually added to canned goods is common iodized salt, which isn’t good for you, unlike the natural salt that is full of healthy minerals and nutrients.

Meats

• Buy canned meats, like tuna, that contain water or a natural broth, rather than oil. Most meats that are in oil are usually in unhealthy oils that you should consider passing up on.

Soups, Chili’s, Quick Meals

• Most canned meals are unhealthy, even the ones proclaiming better health or a lack of sodium. If you want to enjoy a healthy canned soup, for example, try an organic soup from Amy’s Kitchen since it is low in  calories, sodium, and no MSG or other additives that can be harmful to your health.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Jonah Hill’s Weight Loss Strategy

We’ve heard it all before. If you want to lose weight, you need to eat healthier and start exercising. Guess what? It works.

“I just started eating really healthy and exercising. That’s about it” – Jonah Hill

Jonah Hill knew he needed to lose some weight, so he received the help of a Nutritionist to learn how to eat healthier and also hired a Personal Trainer to learn how to exercise. Jonah admitted that losing weight wasn’t necessarily ”fun”, but it was important for him to change and create a healthier lifestyle. So far, Jonah Hill has lost at least 40 pounds!

It’s Just Hard Work

Like I’ve said before, weight loss can be just plain ‘ol hard work. There’s no secret or magic pill, and Jonah Hill discovered this himself:

 ”I wish there was some amazing book that I found in the center of the Earth that had all the world’s secrets in it, but unfortunately, it was just hard work.” – Jonah Hill

Want to lose weight like Jonah Hill? Eat right and exercise. No secrets.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credits: Getty Images

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My Name Is Twinkie, And I’m A Soda Addict

It all started at an early age. When I was growing up, I only had soda “every once in a while”, such as special occasions like birthdays or holidays. Not all that bad, really, but as I got older, in middle school and high school, I started to drink soda on the weekends. I didn’t stop there.

I remember getting my first job working at a bank and I had access to cheap (sometimes free!) soda thanks to the gas station within walking distance. I started drinking soda every single day, and drank more soda than water. Some days, I don’t think I even drank any water at all! Whenever I was thirsty, I didn’t drink water, I would just drank my soda. I remember waking up in the morning and having a soda. It was a bad path that I was going on and I was spiraling down quickly.

Side Note: In addition to drinking soda, I also ate junk food and I definitely wasn’t working out. Not a good combo, I know…

All of the junk food I was putting into my body eventually caught up with me, and my skinny 5’9″ frame started to faulter and was skinny no more. After about a year into my new bad habits, this nice older gentlemen asked me nicely if I were expecting. Ouch. Double Ouch. I didn’t think I gained that much weight. Apparently, I did. This was the moment when I finally realized that I had a problem. I was addicted to soda, and it needed to stop.

A Brighter Future

I desperately wanted to change my soda drinking habits, so I tried to just cut back. For years I tried to drink soda only “every once in awhile”, but I was always dealing with the intense cravings to have a soda more often than not. I know that soda addiction probably shouldn’t be compared to an alcohol addiction, but you can’t just expect an alcoholic to just drink on the weekend or just have one drink. It just doesn’t work like that. I understood that more than anyone when it came to my soda.

In early 2006 when I was engaged to my husband, I ended up quitting cold turkey. I made that decision because I didn’t want to continue this awful habit and I knew I didn’t want my future kids to be asking for soda and have this awful habit just like me. It was honestly embarrassing how much soda I would drink.

I ended up not drinking any soda for about four months or so. This was a huge feat! In December 2006, I was at a family get together and decided to have a sip of soda for the first time in about four months. It was disgusting! I had my husband try a sip of the same drink and I asked him if it was flat or if something was wrong with it. Nope, there was nothing wrong with the soda. I just didn’t like the taste any more. It tasted like watered down corn syrup, which was something I couldn’t crave. Thank goodness!

I finally decided that I just didn’t want soda anymore and I haven’t had a single sip of soda since December 2006, and I don’t plan on ever drinking it again! Why would I? Soda isn’t healthy and has zero nutritional value.

I swapped my soda for water and began my journey to a much healthier me. It’s amazing how much better I feel since I have stopped drinking soda (and energy drinks, by the way!).

I didn’t realize how unhealthy I was until I became healthy.

Never Too Late To Stop

I am sure that a lot of you can relate to me with my (soda) drinking story. Soda can be quite addicting, since it’s loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners that keep you hooked for as long as you are willing to be.

If you are willing to make the choice to stop drinking soda, you can overcome the addiction. Look at the nutrition label of the soda. You are putting toxins into your body every time you drink soda, which will eventually have negative effects on your body, if it hasn’t already.

In addition to knowing how bad soda was for me, I had a personal look at what soda can cause. Soda is known to cause serious health issues to the kidneys, and this was a huge wake up call when I made that connection. I had a grand parent die of kidney failure. It might not have been from drinking soda, but I decided I wanted to change my own fate for the better. You can too.

It’s never too late to stop drinking soda, and I encourage you to cut back and eventually stop drinking soda completely. Trust me, your body will thank you for it.

How To Stop Drinking Soda in Ten Weeks or Less

Whenever you are thirsty or craving soda, drink water! If you need to add some flavor, just squeeze a slice of lemon or lime into your water for a refreshing beverage.

For me, I had to stop drinking soda cold turkey. If that doesn’t work for you, start cutting your soda habits in half each week until you no longer need or want to drink it.

For example, if you drink four sodas a day…

Week 1: Drink two sodas a day

Week 2: Drink one soda a day

Week 3: Drink one soda every other day

Week 4: Drink one soda twice a week

Week 5 and 6: Drink one soda just once a week

Week 7, 8, 9, and 10: Drink one soda every other week

Week 11: Congratulations! You are no longer drinking soda!

By week 11,  you shouldn’t feel the intense cravings to continue drinking soda anymore, and I suggest never starting the habit again!

If you still drink soda, what is going to motivate you to quit the habit? If you have already stopped drinking soda, what inspired you to make the change?

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Calculating Heart Rate Zones

If you want to reach your goals in the gym, you first need to know what your maximum heart rate is.

Maximum Heart Rate

220 – age = Maximum Heart Rate

For example, if you are 30 years old:

220 – 30 = 190

Now that you know what your maximum heart rate is, you can determine what your heart rate zones are.

Heart Rate Zones

Zone One: 65% – 75% of Maximum Heart Rate

Zone Two: 80% – 85% of Maximum Heart Rate

Zone Three: 86% – 90% of Maximum Heart Rate

For example, if you are 30 years old:

Zone One: Heart Rate of 123.5 – 142.5

Zone Two: Heart Rate of 152 – 161.5

Zone Three: Heart Rate of 163.4 – 171

Advantages Of Each Heart Rate Zone

Zone One

• This is a great zone for your warm up and cool down during the exercise.

• If you are new to working out, this is a great zone to stay in during your entire cardio workout.

• This zone will help improve the blood’s ability to deliver oxygen throughout the body and remove waste which increases blood volume and allows the heart to become stronger.

• This is an Aerobic workout, which uses your muscle glycogen and fatty acids as an energy source.

• An example workout would be walking or even jogging.

Zone Two

• This zone is near the anaerobic threshold, which is when the body is at a point where it can no longer produce enough energy for the muscles with normal oxygen intake. As a result, higher levels of lactic acid is produced. Increase your anaerobic threshold should be one of your cardio goals.

• Exercising at an aerobic level, such as being in Zone Two, will result in more calories being burned with a higher percentage of those calories coming from fat. This is an effective zone for those who want to decrease body fat.

• This is the Aerobic/Anaerobic workout, which uses your muscle glycogen and lactic acid as an energy source.

• An example workout would be jogging, group (cardio) exercise classes.

Zone Three

• This is a high intensity workout that can’t be kept up for a long period of time. You should only stay in this intense zone for 60 seconds or less.

• Once you have worked your way up to this zone, you should only go into this zone about once a week – that’s it! If you go into this zone too much, you will overwork your heart and have less efficient workouts.

• Zone Three should only be used in conjunction with Zones One and Two.

• The benefit of Zone Three is to prevent  plateaus and to continue improving your overall fitness level and boost your metabolism.

• Increases the amount of oxygen burned after the workout, also increasing the number of calories burned after the workout.

• This is an Anaerobic workout, which uses ATP/CP and muscle glycogen as an energy source.

• An example workout would be a fast run or sprinting.

Interval Training

Knowing how to use your heart rate zones to your advantage will help increase the effectiveness of your workouts.

Before you start any exercise program – especially Interval Training – I suggest that you get the approval from your Doctor to make sure your heart can handle the intensity involved in this kind of workout.

Beginners

Zone One: 20-40 minutes (entire workout)

• If you haven’t been exercising consistently, it’s important that you start here. You will still get a good workout in, without causing more harm than good. You need to develop a strong cardio base before you move on to other heart rate zones.

Intermediate

Zone One: 5 minutes (warm up)

Zone Two: 1 minute

Zone One: 5 minutes

Zone Two: 1 minute

Zone One: 5 minutes

Zone Two: 1 minute

Zone One: 5 minutes (cool down)

• You may only end up being in Zone Two for about 15 or 30 seconds, rather than the entire minute. That’s OK and is expected. Once the minute is up, it’s time to go back into Zone One for 5 minutes. If you never reached Zone Two during that minute, your heart may not be ready for Zone Two.

Advanced

Zone One: 10 minutes

Zone Two: 2  minutes

Zone Three: 1 minute

Zone Two: 1 minute

Zone One: 10 minutes

• This Zone should not be used by beginning or intermediate clients, otherwise it could result in a critical health-related injury.

I suggest buying a Heart Rate Monitor that can easily provide you with your heart rate throughout your workout so you can adjust your pace accordingly. You can manage your heart rate while walking, jogging, running, biking, or even on an elliptical machine or group exercise class. Just monitor your heart rate regularly and know which zone you should stay in.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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“It’s all about self-motivation because at the end of the day, you can have all the trainers and all the money in the world, but if you don’t have that mindset, it’s not possible.” – Jennifer Hudson on Oprah

Jennifer Hudson’s Diet

For Jennifer Hudson, it all started with Weight Watchers, which is basically a support group for those who want to calorie count their way into their skinny jeans.

The great thing about Weight Watchers is that you don’t have to buy a specific brand of food to participate in their program (such as the Special K diet or Slim•Fast), though, they do sell their own Weight Watchers products in the grocery stores. Another positive thing about Weight Watchers is that the program doesn’t completely eliminate an entire food group, such as all carbohydrates or all fruit. Other diets are just not as practical.

A couple of concerns about the Weight Watchers program is that dieters are allowed to eat as much fruit as they want. This may sounds like a wonderful thing, but all foods, including fruit, have their limitations. For those who truly want to lose weight, and unlimited amount of sugar is not ideal, even if the sugar is coming from a healthy source such as a piece of fruit.

Weight Watchers is a glorified calorie counting program that costs you money every month. You don’t need to pay a company to find out how many calories you should be eating. It’s common enough that it’s found free throughout the internet. For a free support group, let your family and friends know about your healthy weight loss goals and have them help support you with your efforts. Again, I just don’t think you need to pay for that.

If Jennifer Hudson found success with Weight Watchers, why not you? Something to consider. She was approached by this company and was offered millions of dollars to endorse their product. Trust me, I am sure that would motivate anyone to lose the extra pounds that they wanted to lose anyways.

Jennifer Hudson’s Exercise Routine

In addition to Weight Watchers diet plan, Jennifer Hudson hired a Celebrity Personal Trainer, Harley Pasternak, to help her start an exercise program that would work for her.

Harley started Jennifer with a 25 minute circuit training routine that included cardio, shoulder presses, lunges, sit ups, and ab exercises for five days a week. As Jennifer progressed, she worked her way up to a 50 minute routine. In addition to a traditional style workout with her trainer, Jennifer also gets in at least 25 minutes of cardio every day.

Jennifer tries to keep her cardio workouts fun, so she will enjoy playing some basketball or even jump roping. You don’t have to be in a gym on an exercise machine to burn calories and lose weight!

I am proud of Jennifer Hudson for learning how to eat well and starting an exercise program to help her become healthy. Yeah, she lost weight – but even if you aren’t trying to lose weight, it’s important for your health to eat right and exercise on a regular basis.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credits: jenniferhudsonweightlossx.com

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Tips to Prevent Thanksgiving Weight Gain

• Start your day out with exercise, preferably cardio since you will need to burn as many calories as you can today! I have come to notice that if I start my day out with exercise, I tend to eat healthier throughout the day.

• Eat a light breakfast after your workout. I prefer to drink a healthy low calorie shake that keeps me satisfied without over eating.

• Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your Thanksgiving meal. People usually confuse dehydration with hunger, so drinking water will help prevent overeating.

• If you are in charge of making any of the food, choose healthy recipes that will rival the traditional favorites. You don’t have to add unhealthy fats or sugar to make a dish taste great.

• Don’t eat a dish, just because it’s a holiday “tradition”. If you don’t like sweet potatoes, for example, you don’t need to eat them just because they are on the table or because of it’s holiday tradition status. If you don’t like it, don’t eat it.

• It would be ideal if you can enjoy your Thanksgiving meal in the afternoon rather than at night. Eating a carb-heavy meal right before you go to bed is the perfect recipe for gaining weight, which is why it’s ideal to have the biggest meal of the day for lunch. This way, you have plenty of time to burn off those calories before you go into hibernation.

• Eat in moderation. You can eat all of your favorite dishes, just eat a small amount of each dish. You don’t have to clean up all of the food on the table – that’s what leftovers are for! Just eat until you are satisfied, not full. Go ahead and eat one slice of pie (if you must!), but don’t grab seconds and thirds. It’s all about moderation.

• Wait a little bit after the big meal, but go play a friendly game of football, go skiing, sledding, or playing catch with the kids – the point is, move! You don’t need to be in the gym to burn off those holiday calories!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Image Credit: inhabitat.com

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I love creating new recipes, it’s my way of creating art. As much as I love this creation process, there are few recipes that get me really excited about them. This is one of those recipes that I just can’t stop smiling about. You need to try this recipe out and let me know what you think of it.  Oh yeah, it’s ridiculously healthy too.

Ingredients: 

2 Sweet Potatoes

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground Cloves

1/8 teaspoon All Spice

Cinnamon, garnish

crushed Pecans, garnish

Instructions:

Step 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2) Peel, wash, and cut sweet potatoes into small pieces and place in a baking dish.

Step 3) Mix the maple syrup, nutmeg, cloves, and all spice together.

Step 4) Pour maple syrup mixture over the sweet potatoes.

Step 5) Cover pan with tin foil and bake for one hour or until extremely soft.

Step 6) Put sweet potatoes and maple syrup juices from the baking pan into a bowl. Use a mixer and beat until texture is smooth(similar to that of mashed potatoes).

Step 7) Scoop mixture in a bowl or on a plate and add cinnamon and pecans as garnish.

Notes: 

This recipe is a great new twist to “candied yams” except it’s still healthy once you are done making it and I personally think it tastes better too. The spices give a nice warm flavor to the sweet potatoes, which is unique and something I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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“The American Cancer Society is marking the 36th Great American Smokeout on November 17 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US, yet more than 45 million Americans still smoke cigarettes. However, more than half of these smokers have attempted to quit for at least one day in the past year.

Quitting is hard, but you can increase your chances of success with help. The American Cancer Society can tell you about the steps you can take to quit smoking and provide the resources and support that can increase your chances of quitting successfully. To learn about the available tools, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345. You can also find free tips and tools below.” – American Cancer Society

Kicking a bad habit is hard, but you have all of the reasons in the world to quick the habit of smoking. Even a few cigarettes a day can harm your health. If you currently smoke, quitting the habit is one of the best things you can do for your health.

I am going to discuss the sad statistics that comes along with smoking. Before you get overwhelmed, I do have some good news. Hope. I will give smokers plenty of reasons to be optimistic and help to quit the habit now.

Smoking Statistics

Here’s some startling statistics that make quitting worth your effort:

• Smoking has been linked to chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, emphysema and bronchitis, which affects over 8.5 million Americans.

• The average non-smoker outlives the average smoker by 14 years.

• Smoking causes bladder cancer, cataracts, aging skin, osteoporosis, heartburn, erectile dysfunction, dental and sinusitis disorders.

• 1 out of every 5 deaths in the United States is because of tobacco use, which equates to 435,000 lives lost every year.

Encouraging Statistics For Those Who Quit Smoking

The good news is, the damage caused by smoking isn’t completely irreversible. Here’s some positive changes that happens after you quit smoking:

• Within 24 hours of quitting, your oxygen and carbon monoxide levels return to normal, chance of a heart attack may be lower, and your ability to taste and smell enhances.

• Within 2 months of quitting, lung function increases by 20%.

• Within 9 months of quitting, sinus congestion, coughing, and shortness of breath decreases. Cilia will start to re-grow in the lungs, which increases the lung’s ability to handle mucus, clean lungs and fight infection.

• Within 1 year of quitting, the excess risk of heart disease caused by smoking is cut in half.

• Within 10 years of quitting, the risk of developing lung cancer drops by up to 70% and continues to go down with each year that you are a nonsmoker.

• Within 15 years of quitting, the risk of mouth, throat and esophogeal cancer caused by smoking is cut in half, the risk of a stroke and heart disease is the same as that of a nonsmoker.

Get The Help You Need

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. You have every reason to quit smoking today, or help someone you love to quit smoking. It doesn’t matter how many packs a day you smoke, or for how long you have been smoking: If there’s a will, there’s a way. There’s help, and there’s hope for a brighter, much healthier you. 

Here’s some great resources to help you quit smoking:

www.ffsonline.org

www.cancer.org

www.cdc.gov/tobacco

www.makesmokinghistory.org

www.smokefree.gov

If you have any success stories of quitting the habit of smoking, please share your comments with us!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Losing 70 Pounds 

Mariah Carey had a very difficult pregnancy caring twins and gained excess weight from having edema. The first week after Mariah Carey had her twins, she lost 40 pounds in just water weight. After that, she lost 30 pounds of “baby weight” in three months.

How Mariah Carey Lost 70 Pounds

Mariah stuck to 1,500 calories a day (which is very reasonable) and once she was able, she started to workout three times a week.

Mariah didn’t lose her weight completely by herself. Jenny, formerly known as Jenny Craig, approached Mariah Carey to help her lose weight. Mariah Carey ended up as the new Brand Ambassador of the Jenny diet plan.

After three months of sticking to this regime, Mariah Carey was able to lose “at least 30 pounds”. Mariah doesn’t know how much she weighs exactly, since she is focused more on being more healthy. Now, Mariah boasts a flat stomach, toned legs, and easily fits into her size 6 clothes. Not bad for a 42 year old mother of 6 month old twins!

 ”I’m proud of how hard I worked to get my body back…I had to do this for me.” – Mariah Carey

I am not going to specifically endorse the Jenny diet plan, I’ll leave that to Mariah Carey. The reason I wanted to write about Mariah Carey’s weight loss is because (1) I wanted to give everyone an example that age doesn’t matter (as much as people think it does) when it comes to weight loss. Mariah Carey is in her 40′s, and she was able to lose 30 pounds in 3 months. (2) I also wanted to point out that Mariah was able to lose weight, get back into shape, after having twins! A women’s body gains weight and gets stretched out enough with one baby, but can you imagine trying to get back into shape after having twins?

“The whole point of this is not just like, ‘Oh, hey, look at me and my weight loss, I’m fantastic.’ It’s really health, I learned it when I became helpless and felt so vulnerable like never before in my life.” – Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey was able to lose weight without starving herself or living at the gym.  Mariah focused on creating a healthy lifestyle that would work for her.

Do you need to go on the new Jenny diet plan? Not necessarily. If you are able to, I suggest hiring a Certified Personal Trainer and/or a Licensed Nutritionist to help you reach your goals. Otherwise, you can still figure out how many calories you need to eat each day to lose weight, and start an exercise regime. I suggest looking at our archived articles to find out what to eat and how to start an exercise program.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: PRNewsFoto/Jenny Craig

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Benefits

• Cumin is high in Iron, which helps transport oxygen from the lungs to all cells in the body. Iron also helps with the metabolism and energy production.

• Cumin extract reduced triglycerides, total cholesterol, and pancreatic inflammatory markers, according to a study done in 2002.

• Cumin increases the body’s ability to fight infections, since it is high in vitamins A and C.

• Anti-Cancer properties have been found in Cumin.

• Cumin has high concentrations of antioxidants, which is an anti-aging nutrient. Antioxidants help protect against diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, heart disease – to name a few.

• Cumin may help stimulate the secretion of pancreatic enzymes, which benefits the digestive system and improves the absorption of nutrients throughout the body.

• Cumin is an anti-congestive, which may help with those who suffer from bronchitis or asthma.

• Specifically for new Mothers who are nursing, Cumin has been shown to be helpful in increasing milk supply. Note: It is more beneficial (for nursing) if taken with raw honey.

Intake

Dried – Cumin seeds can be eaten whole or ground (powder) in recipes. They are quite potent, so you don’t need to use a lot in a recipe.

Extract – Cumin’s essential oil can be used orally or externally.

Precautions

If you are pregnant or nursing, consult your doctor first.

If you have sensitive skin, you should avoid using the oil externally since it could cause a bad reaction to your skin.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Ingredients: 

1 bunch of Kale

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Instructions: 

Step 1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees. You don’t want to have it any higher since olive oil is very heat sensitive.

Step 2) Place kale leaves on a baking sheet. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on each kale leaf and sprinkle with sea salt.

Step 3) Bake kale leaves for 40 minutes, or until fully cooked (leaves should be flaky and easy to break).

Notes:

Kale is a nutritionally dense food that is rich in iodine and has about four times the iron found in beef. Most people don’t know how to incorporate this super food into their current dishes, but an easy way to enjoy the health benefits of kale is to try it as a new healthy snack your family will enjoy.

Baked Kale. It’s easy to make, and surprisingly delicious.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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This Halloween, why not enjoy a Halloween themed dinner that is delicious, hearty, easy to make and fun to eat?

You can choose to make either homemade chili or reheat chili from a can. In a hurry, I like to buy Amy’s Organic Chili. It’s tastes a little spicy, full of flavor and totally delicious. When you eat it, you would never know that this hearty chili was Vegetarian.

Go ahead and pour hot chili into individual bowls.

With Halloween themed cookie cutters, cut out fun shapes with slices of cheese! Place a slice of cheese in each warm bowl of soup.

This is a warm meal that’s perfect for a cool Fall night – hassle free!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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We have been taught that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why are millions and millions of people buying and then consuming sugary cereal for ourselves and feeding it to our kids?

Do We REALLY Believe Marketing Campaigns?

We have been told by the big cereal companies such as Kellog’s, Post, and General Mills that their cold cereals are “part of a complete breakfast” and a great way to start the day. But are they really healthy for us? Just in case you weren’t sure, let me help you with the answer to that question. No, these sugary cereals are not healthy for you! I am starting to get these cereal’s nutrition labels confused with a box of candy! So why are these cereals advertised as a healthy breakfast choice?

You might not like what I have to say, but I am telling you the truth. The truth hurts sometimes, but knowing the truth can lead to a much healthier you. That is, if you don’t ignore the facts!

As I have said before, marketers will tell you what you want to hear. You want to hear that buying this cheap cereal that takes five seconds to make for your family is guiltless because it has nutrients in it. The cold cereals do have some nutrients, but more sugar that vitamins and minerals. Most of the cold cereals out there today like “Fruity Pebbles” and “Lucky Charms” are just fortified with vitamins and minerals. Do these added vitamins and minerals make it OK to eat? No. Unfortunately, millions of people are either too ignorant to realize that these sugary cold cereals are unhealthy for them and will believe everything the marketing campaigns tell them, or they are just ignoring what they don’t want to hear, or what I call “selective hearing”.

Sugary Cereal is OK – According to Some Nutritionists

According to the nutritionists from an article posted on the abc NEWS website, sugary cereal is OK since you are consuming milk with it. Really? Apparently, the big cereal companies aren’t the only ones to blame. These nutritionists and “health experts” are trying to please too many people by telling them what they want to hear – or perhaps work for the cereal companies – if they are seriously going to justify eating sugary cereal every day for breakfast and call it good. Are these cereals OK every once in awhile. Maybe. I’ll let you be the judge of that (and let you define what “every once in a while means” to you!). Just don’t start considering the sugary cereals as healthy all of a sudden.

Concerned Parent Fighting Back

In the same article from abc NEWS that I mentioned earlier, a parent by the name of Ron English- who so happens to be a very talented artist – has decided to fight back in his own way.

Check out some of his art work below:

Ron, like many other parents, is fed up with the heavy ad campaigns from the top cereal companies that are geared towards young kids. The loveable frog character from Smacks (used to be called “Sugar Smacks” back in the day) doesn’t look so cute and friendly in the artist’s unwelcoming picture. Let’s face it, the reality of eating an unhealthy breakfast full of sugar isn’t that appealing in real life either.

What can you do?

Did you know that every day you vote. You don’t vote by filling out a ballot, you vote with your dollar. Every time you go to the grocery store you are putting money in someone’s wallet. Who are you giving your money to? If you buy those sugary cereals I have been mentioning in this article, those big cereal companies are using your money to market unhealthy foods to you and your kids. Is that what you want? Of course not. Make sure your vote counts, again and again. Let the big cereal companies know that you aren’t OK with their advertising campaigns that push sugary foods towards the young and innocent (or ignorant!).

What are you voting for at the grocery stores?

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: Popaganda.com 

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Ingredients: 

1 French Baguette

Olive Oil

Fresh Basil

3 sliced Tomatoes

Instructions:

Step 1) Slice the baguette into thin pieces.

Step 2) On each baguette slice, drizzle a small amount of olive oil, add a basil leaf, and then add a sliced tomato on top.

Step 3) Bake for 10 minutes.

Notes:

Bruschetta looks and tastes gourmet, yet it is extremely easy to make!

I suggest using the artisan French baguette from a Target Superstore bakery. This baguette only has about 6 ingredients – all healthy – unlike their whole wheat baguette which has too many ingredients to count, and too many of them too unnatural to consider healthy.

Bon Appétit!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Drink Herbal Tea

Whenever you drink warm beverages, it immediately increases your body’s temperature. I suggest staying away from hot chocolate, since they are (usually) full of sugar and will do more harm than good since sugar suppresses the immune system.

For the last couple of years, I have started to try different caffeine-free herbal teas that have a specific health benefit to them. For example, I love to drink Echinacea Tea to help support the immune system during the colder months. I figure that I could use all the help I can get to stay sick-free!

Exercise

Just because it’s cold outside, it doesn’t mean you can lounge in your sweat pants and forget about exercising. You can do plenty of exercises either outside or indoors, it doesn’t matter which ones you choose, just don’t buy into your own excuses to not workout.

Exercise will not only boost your metabolism to help you burn excess fat, exercise will increase blood circulation which will increase your body’s temperature throughout the day. In my own personal experience, I have found exercise to be very effective in keeping warm throughout the day.

Thermogenesis

When you eat foods that will increase your body temperature, this is known as thermogenesis.

Root vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, and cabbage require more energy to digest and will help create internal heat when eaten.

Hot peppers, such as thai peppers, chili peppers, or other hot peppers, help stimulate the circulatory system which raises the body’s temperature.

Eating warm foods, in general, will temporarily help increase body temperature in the cooler months.

Stay warm and healthy!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Here’s a quick little visual aide to help you understand the power of dish size, and how it will effect the amount you will eat.

Do you see these two bowls? The have the exact same amount of cereal in them.

It’s easy to see how you can add multiple serving sizes of cereal (or whatever else you are eating) in the larger bowl, compared to the smaller bowl, which ultimately leads to eating more than you should.

If you are trying to lose or maintain a healthy goal weight, try to eat using a smaller bowl (or plate!), and the less you are going to eat.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Ingredients:

3 Apples

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Whipped Cream (garnish optional)

Nutmeg (garnish optional)

Instructions:

Step 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2) Cut and core each apple into 8 slices and place in a dish.

Step 3) In a separate container, mix the maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Pour over apples.

Step 4) Cover the apples with aluminum foil and bake for 60 minutes or until apples are soft.

Step 5) Separate apple slices in individual bowls and add a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle nutmeg on top as a garnish.

Notes: 

I love this recipe! It’s extremely easy to make and just hits the sweet spot perfectly! Nobody would know that this recipe was actually healthy, and that’s just how I like it.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Health Benefits of Pumpkins

Check out the abundance of vitamins and minerals that are found in your average Pumpkin!

• Pumpkins are the perfect food this fall for many reasons, including the fact that they are high in fiber and very low in calories and fat. I suggest not ruining it by adding sugar and other additives, which are common with pumpkin cookies and pumpkin pie. Make your own healthier version from scratch.

•Pumpkins are very high in vitamin A, which help boosts the immune system, maintains healthy teeth, bones and eyes, prevents urinary stones, and even fights against some cancers.

• Pumpkins are full of Potassium which lowers blood sugar levels, prevents stroke, and helps keep the heart and kidneys healthy.

•You can find Pantothenic acid (or vitamin B-5) in pumpkins, which help increase skin health, lowers cholesterol levels, help manage stress, and may even help prevent cataracts according to new studies.

•Pumpkins are full of Carotenoids, which are antioxidants that boost the immune system and protect cells from the danger of free radicals. Carotenoids have been shown to fight against heart disease and cancer.

Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

Not only can you benefit from the pumpkins itself, but you can also enjoy the delicious pumpkin seeds too!

• Pumpkin seeds contain high amounts of manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, and even protein!

• Pumpkin seeds contain L-tryptophan, a natural way to fight depression.

• Want to prevent Kidney Stones? According to studies, pumpkin seeds prevent the calcium oxalate kidney stone formation, more commonly known as a “kidney stone”.

• Pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols, which has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels.

• Men can achieve overall prostate health due to the nutrients found in pumpkin seeds.

• Pumpkin seeds are  a natural anti-inflammatory, without the negative side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy the health benefits of Pumpkins and it’s seeds. What are some of your favorite (healthy!) ways to enjoy pumpkin?

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Meet my oatmeal. It’s healthy. It’s incredibly delicious. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to microwaved oatmeal again!

Ingredients:

3 cups Water

1/8 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats

2 tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tbsp chopped Pecans

Instructions:

Step 1) Heat the water and sea salt and bring to a boil.

Step 2) Slowly stir in the steel cut oats.

Step 3) Reduce heat to medium and continue stirring oats until desired texture.

Step 4) Pour cooked oats into individual bowls and drizzle maple syrup and chopped pecans on top.

Notes: 

Oats contain a healthy amount of fiber, and they are great for heart health and lowering cholesterol. Oats have been shown to help obtain (or maintain) a healthy weight and helps reduce high blood pressure.

Go ahead and experiment with different toppings! How do you like to eat your oatmeal?

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As a Certified Personal Trainer, I have learned a thing or two about doing exercises properly, and I have created a list of exercises you need to make sure you are doing correctly.

Exercise Mistake: Lifting Too Fast

If you are going to lift weights, you need to make sure that you make the most out of every single rep that you do. Lift the weights slowly, which will allow for a much more effective workout, prevent injury, and will help allow you to do the exercise correctly.

Weightlifting is not a race.

Exercise Mistake: Overlooking Heart Rates

A lot of people hop on those exercise machines like it’s nobody’s business. The problem is, most people don’t start exercising at the cardiovascular level that they should be. They are usually out of shape and try to keep up with those who have been exercising every day for their entire lives.

The best thing you can do is find out which heart rate zone you should start in, and don’t over do it by skipping to a higher heart rate zone that your heart (and the rest of your body!) just isn’t ready for.

Exercise Mistake: Not Stretching

I would say the exercise mistake is “forgetting to stretch”, but let’s face it. You remember to stretch, but you probably just don’t want to do it. Don’t worry, I’ve been there. Once I started to learn more about the benefits of stretching with my exercise program, I took my stretching a lot more seriously. So why do you need to stretch? It helps prepare your body for your workout. It helps prevent injury. Stretch before and after your workouts.

Exercise Mistake: Never Changing Your Workout

If you want to continue seeing positive results with your workouts, you need to switch things up with your workout routine. Your body needs change on a regular basis, and I think you will need it for your sanity, too!

Exercise Mistake: Forgetting to Check Yourself Out

Wait! Did I just tell you to check yourself out? Yes. Well, not in the way that you think. Check yourself out when you are exercising – especially lifting weights – to ensure that you are using proper form. Proper form will help you have a much more effective workout as well preventing injury. Of course, don’t overdo it when you are checking yourself out, since that could cause a problem too (See guy in picture? Very bad form…not good.).

Exercise Mistake: Overdoing It/Not Doing Enough

We all have workout sessions where we get excited about making a positive change in our lives, and we just over do it with our workout. Try your best not to over do it again and again, since it can have a negative impact on your workout results.

Just as some people have a problem overdoing it, some just don’t do enough in their workouts. If you leave the gym feeling like you didn’t workout at all, you just aren’t doing enough. Remember, it’s perfectly normal to sweat while you are working out. Don’t be afraid to burn some calories!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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We first get slapped with Halloween, which most people are sugar loaded before October 31st even comes. A short couple of weeks later, we get to enjoy Thanksgiving which is a day we consume a single meal that has more calories than what we normally consume in an entire week, not to mention the pies and other treats for dessert. One month later we get to enjoy Christmas, which is full of holiday traditions that are full of sugary hot cocoa, stocking stuffers, and making a whole house made out of candy (and buy extra candy so we can eat as we build)!

It’s no wonder why most people gain so much weight during the holidays. As a society, we don’t have just three days to celebrate – the holidays last a full three months!

I love that the holidays are three months long of celebrations, and no, I am not all “bah-humbug” just because I refuse to make sugar a part of my holiday traditions! Quite the opposite, really. I have actually found a way to not gain weight during the holidays! If you listen to what I have to say, you can even lose weight during the holidays, even with a couple of holiday treats every now and again.

Keep Exercising!

If you’ve been exercising all year (or even just the Summer) long, good for you! Now that it’s the holiday season, it’s time to step things up and keep going!

If you haven’t been exercising at all, now is the time to start! You have three months left until the end of the year, and that’s plenty of time to get moving towards your goals. You might not reach your ultimate health goals within just three months, but you will have gotten a three month head start towards those “New Years Resolutions”! Look at you, so proactive!

Here’s a thought: If you burned 300 calories a day (for example, 30 minutes on an elliptical machine) and eat within your calorie “budget” everyday (use a useful site like Lose It!), you will set yourself up for maintaining or even losing weight – it’s your choice!

Get you Rest

It’s easy to forget how important sleep is to our overall health, including how it can effect your weight loss efforts. With all of the holiday parties coming up, it’s time you take your sleep seriously! I am not one for sleeping in (I am a morning person!), but in times where you just stay up too late (which should be the exception, not the rule!), you really do need to get your rest. Go ahead and sleep in. You can always do your workout when you wake up…whenever that is : )

Drink Water

It’s easy to get dehydrated during the cold Fall and Winter months, so make sure that you track how much water you are drinking so that you know your daily intake.

Why is it so important to drink enough water each day? Water is a great way to stay full for longer periods of time, which helps prevent you from overeating at all of the social gatherings coming up! It also helps with your metabolism and allows for your body to function properly (which helps you lose weight easier).

Whenever possible, opt for water instead of soda or alcohol since they are both full of calories that are quickly consumed and add on the pounds fast.

You Don’t Have to Eat Everything Given to You

A lot of people show their love by giving you sweets. You don’t have to eat everything in sight just because it’s homemade or a special tradition. This is just something I had to tell you, and even give myself the little reminder.

When it’s OK to Induldge…

OK, I get it. The holidays come once a year, and you want to enjoy yourself. If you are going to indulge on your favorite holiday treats, there’s nothing I can do or say to prevent you from eating them, but there is a couple of things you should keep in mind:

1) Don’t eat your favorite candy/dessert/etc. when you are hungry. It’s not supposed to be a meal, and if you eat your favorite holiday treat when you are hungry, you will be more likely to eat a lot of it, and I mean a lot more!

2) Moderation is key! If you have little to no self control, you might want to consider “calorie counting” temporarily during the holidays, to make sure that you don’t overdo it when it comes to eating treats. If you know you don’t have self control, sometimes it’s easier to never start than to try and stop eating the treats later on.

3) Don’t give into temptation all of the time. Don’t make a three month long habit of indulging because “it’s the holidays”, since that phrase is what gets everybody in trouble and regretful come January 1st when they are carrying several extra pounds of holiday weight gain with them that lasts much longer than that holiday party ever did.

Plan out the days you will indulge a little, and adjust your day accordingly. You know yourself and your weaknesses, so put a strategy in place on how you plan on handling the situation and stick to your plan! For example, you can exercise more on the days leading up to the holiday party, or you can eat a big healthy meal before you look over the dessert bar! If it means you skip out on candy/desserts/treats altogether since you know you can’t stop at just one or two, then avoid the junk food and have fun socializing and being the life of the party instead!

Maintain – or Lose! – Weight this Holiday

Follow these steps, and maintain – or even lose! – weight this holiday season! You can achieve whatever you want, and whatever you are willing to work for. And yes, you can enjoy a wonderful holiday season with less (or no) junk food because the food isn’t really what makes the holidays special (I’ll let you think about that one).

Are you ready to take this challenge on?!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Why Broccoli Rocks The Nutritional Charts

• The American Cancer Society recommends eating broccoli since it’s anticancer properties are well established.

• Excellent source of isothiocyanates, which fight cancer! Studies have shown that isothiocyanates actually help prevent esophageal and lung cancer, and can even lower the risk of having other cancers.

• In 2003, The Environmental Working Group named broccoli as one of twelve foods least contaminated with pesticides.

• One cup of broccoli contains:

-288 mg of potassium

-2 g of fiber

-43 mg of calcium

-2 g of protein

-1,277 mcg of lutein and zeaxanthin

-81 mg of vitamin C

-magnesium, phosphorus, folate, beta-caratone, and vitamin A.

• Contains indole-3-carbinol which has been shown to protect the structure of DNA, as well as being a strong antioxidant and stimulates detoxifying enzymes. It also protects against the carcinogenic effect of toxins, including pesticides. Indole-3-carbinol is great for everyone – especially women – since it increases the ratio of benign (“good”) estrogen metabolite levels compared to the potentially harmful ones.

Eating Broccoli…and Enjoying it

You can eat all of broccoli – the leaves, stalk, and the “flower” of the plant, which is what most people are familiar with.

Here’s a couple of suggestions on what you can do with broccoli, to make it a bit more enjoyable to eat.

Broccoli & Raw Cheese

-Steam broccoli and once it is done cooking, sprinkle on some raw cheese to the broccoli and serve one the cheese has melted. This is how my Mom was able to get us kids to eat (and love!) broccoli when we were growing up!

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

- In a frying pan, combine cooked chicken, brown rice, raw broccoli with a healthy teriyaki sauce and/or soy sauce. This is a great way to enjoy broccoli as part of a main dish.

Broccoli Soup

-This recipe is really easy, and Chef Gordon Ramsay made this dish look more than appetizing! Here’s the video with full instructions:

I hope you all will consider eating broccoli and enjoy the many health benefits that are associated with it!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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2. Are carrots good for you?
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Ingredients:

1 cup Pecans

1 cup Walnuts

1 cup dried Apricots (I suggest Unsulfured Apricots)

1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 cup raw Sunflower Seeds

Instructions:

Step 1) Combine all ingredients together in a bowl or a large (zip-lock) bag and mix well.

Notes: 

It’s unbelievable how easy it is to make your own healthy trail mix at home – and it’s a lot cheaper too! This Autumn Trail Mix is a delicious and healthy snack to enjoy during the Fall – or anytime during the year!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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What are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are essential minerals that can be found as a solid, liquid, or gas that contain electrically conducting ions that your body needs to function properly.

Here’s a list of the essential minerals that are considered electrolytes:

• Calcium

• Chloride

• Magnesium

• Potassium

• Sodium

Why you Need Electrolytes

Any time that you sweat, your body loses electrolytes and you need to replenish your body with electrolytes. You can normally replenish your electrolyte levels through the foods you eat, but sometimes you will need more. The more you exert yourself (and sweat), the more you need to replenish your body with electrolytes.

If you exercise for more than one hour at a time, it would be a good idea to drink more than just water and quench your thirst with an electrolyte drink or eat a food that is rich in electrolytes. Of course, you want to make sure that you are getting the best sources of electrolytes and find out which ones to avoid.

Healthy Sources of Electrolytes

• If you want to find healthy sources of calcium, look no further than blackstrap molasses, dark green leafy vegetables, yogurt, raw milk, sardines (canned with bones), tofu, bok choy, bean sprouts, and spinach.

• You will find healthy sources of chloride (aka Sodium Chloride) from seaweed, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, celery, and rye.

• Find plenty of magnesium in spinach, halibut, almonds, quinoa, raw pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds.

• There is plenty of potassium in dried apricots, lima beans, avocado, winter squash, swiss chard, potato, lentils, yogurt, and bananas.

• You can find healthy sources of sodium in raw milk, eggs, and rice. Sodium is probably one of the easiest electrolytes to find, even something to try to limit in one’s diet! When it comes to having a healthy amount of sodium, just remember that the less processed foods you eat, the better.

Electrolyte Sources to Avoid

The first thing people think of when they hear “electrolyte” is a sports drink, since they have been marketed as an “electrolyte drink” for years, and marketed to athletes and anyone who breaks a sweat. Yes, these popular sports drinks contain electrolytes, but they are also loaded with processed sugars or artificial sweeteners, which are extremely bad for your health. There are just too many healthy sources of electrolytes to justify drinking a sports drink when you consider the negative side effects of sugar!

There are plenty of healthy sources for you to get all of the electrolytes your body needs!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Battle of the Bulge 

Kirstie Alley has been known for the last couple of years for her constant battle with her weight. As Kirstie gained weight, she landed her own reality show called Fat Actress and later became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig.

Kirstie didn’t find the success that she wanted to with Jenny Craig, and rumors flew around saying that Kirstie left Jenny Craig because she gained her weight back, and other rumors said that she left due to creating a competing weight loss program. Fast forward a couple of years, Kirstie finally loses 100 pounds, reaches her goal weight and surprises all of us with a new weight loss product. Who knew weight gain and weight loss could be so profitable?

How Kirstie Alley Lost 100 Pounds

Kirstie Alley lost 60 pounds before her stint on Dancing With The Stars,  and during the show she lost a another 30 pounds! So how did she do it?

“I worked with scientists and different experts in the world of organic. I wanted something…there’s actually science behind chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides; all of the “-icides”, causing you to gain weight. So, I worked with these scientists and I said ‘this is what’s wrong with me. This is what keeps happening to me, and let’s solve it’ and we did solve it.” -Kirstie Alley on The View talking about her new company called Organic Liason.

Kirstie started a new company called Organic Liason, which she credits to giving her the energy she needed to participate on Dancing With The Stars and helped her with her weight loss. Kirstie’s new company promotes an Organic and healthy lifestyle – no fad diet!

One of the products that Organic Liason created is called “Rescue Me Weight Loss Elixer”, which is a product to help Kirstie rescue herself from temporary diets that didn’t last.

I am not one for weight loss supplements, but I have to admit…an organic, natural, safe, and healthy weight loss product? Hmm… tempting. Yet, not sure you *have* to have her product to lose weight. Yes, it worked for Kirstie, but she had a lot of money on the line, which would motivate just about anybody to lose weight and keep it off (Biggest Loser, anyone?). Either way, I think it’s great that Kirstie has lost 100 pounds and is determined to live a much healthier life and keep the weight off!

Was plastic surgery ever an option for Kirstie? Not even close!

“I haven’t had plastic surgery, but here’s the reason: People do plastic surgery to make you look younger, I don’t think it makes you look younger … it can make you look weird.” – Kirstie Alley talking to E.T. 

I think we would all agree that Kirstie – even at 60 years old – looks fabulous, and she doesn’t need surgery. I personally don’t believe people should feel like it’s necessary, because it is not!

How to Keep the Weight Off

Something to keep in mind to help motivate you: Maintaining weight is a lot easier than losing the weight. Create a healthy lifestyle, make exercise a habit, and eat withing your calorie budget. Once you reach your goal weight, you can eat some additional calories, but don’t go all out – that’s what caused the weight gain in the first place, right? Still…it’s a lot easier to maintain your weight. Weigh yourself regularly and stay on track! Yes, you can do it!

Good luck with your health goals everyone!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: Kristie Alley Before and After 

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Creating a Yogurt Parfait is a great low calorie treat and delicious way to enjoy Plain Yogurt! It’s the way yogurt was meant to be eaten and enjoyed!

Ingredients: 

3 cups Plain Yogurt

1/2 cup sliced Strawberries

1/2 cup Blueberries

1/2 cup Raspberries

1 tbsp chopped Walnuts

Instructions:

Step 1) Add some yogurt into each container and top with mixed berries. Repeat this step until each container is full.

Step 2) Add chopped walnuts on top of the parfait, as a garnish.

Notes: 

A lot of people have a hard time eating completely plain yogurt – with no added flavors or sugars. I suggest adding fruit or some other healthy toppings to make it more enjoyable. Don’t add processed sugar, since that’s the whole point of buying plain yogurt in the first place, right?!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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“We choose handmade not processed.  Farm fresh not tin-canned.
Flavor and nutrition over fillers and fads.  At Baja Fresh you’ll find eating well is a way of life and a state of mind. We believe in real food made with passion, for real people. Food that’s always prepared by hand from real recipes and real farm fresh ingredients, not pre-packaged. Life should be full of variety, zest and positive energy. Energized by good health and good nutrition.” – BajaFresh.com

Now that we know what Baja Fresh believes in – nutrition and eating well – let’s see how true they are to that philosophy of theirs.

Best Food at Baja Fresh Mexican Grill 

If you are looking for a healthier options at Baja Fresh, I suggest taking a look at their Healthy Choices menu which is organized into three categories; “Trimming the Fat” for those who are looking for low-fat meal options, “Watching Carbs” for low-carb meal options, and “Cutting the Calories” for low-calorie meal options.

Original Baja Taco – Shrimp

Calories: 200

Total Fat: 5 g

Protein: 11 g

Sodium: 280 mg

Carbohydrates: 28 g

Fiber: 2 g

Baja Ensalada® Charbroiled Chicken

Calories: 310

Total Fat: 7 g

Protein: 46 g

Sodium: 1,210 mg

Carbohydrates: 18 g

Fiber: 7 g

Grilled Mahi Mahi

Calories: 230

Total Fat: 9 g

Protein: 12 g

Sodium: 300 mg

Carbohydrates: 26 g

Fiber: 4 g

Worst Food at Baja Fresh Mexican Grill 

When it comes to Mexican Food, there is plenty of traditional foods that are worth giving up on due to their lack of health. Here’s some examples…

Most Sodium: Carnitas with Flour Tortillas Fajitas

Calories: 1,190

Total Fat: 43 g

Protein: 58 g

Sodium: 3,450 mg

Carbohydrates: 150 g

Fiber: 26 g

Most Calories and Most Fat: Charbroiled Steak Nachos

Calories: 2,120

Total Fat: 118 g

Protein: 96 g

Sodium: 2,990 mg

Carbohydrates: 163 g

Fiber: 31 g

Most Deceptive: 5 oz. Side of Corn Tortilla Chips

Do you realize how little 5 ounces of corn chips is? It’s hardly anything at all, and for a side dish, it’s quite the calorie load for such a small amount of food. I wouldn’t be surprised if  a lot of people order this small side dish thinking that they aren’t eating that much more calories and fat, but when you consider the worst foods I just mentioned, enough is enough.

Calories: 740

Total Fat: 34 g

Protein: 10 g

Sodium: 170 mg

Carbohydrates: 90 g

Fiber: 9 g

Eating at Baja Fresh

When eating out at Baja Fresh, it’s all about portion control! Always prepare ahead of time by checking the menu and nutrition information before you eat at Baja Fresh to ensure you don’t over eat or consume too many calories, fat, or sodium in a single meal.

In addition to the “worst foods” that I mentioned, I think it’s important to know that – unless you are sharing – you might want to avoid the Burrito Ultimo® meals, since each of them contain close to 1,000 calories each!

There are plenty of other meals you may want to avoid. I have to admit, it was much easier to find the bad foods than it was to find the healthy foods at Baja Fresh, which means a disaster for anyone trying to eat healthy.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credits and Sources: bajafresh.com

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Pomegranates are full of nutrients that are extremely beneficial for your body. The best part? We’re just scratching the surface…

• Studies have shown an increase of blood flow to the heart, which increases oxygen efficiency to the heart during exercise.

• Rich in Vitamin C and Potassium

• Pomegranates have been shown to help prevent fatty deposits from collecting on the arteries, which prevents heart attacks, stroke, cancer, Alzheimers disease and even premature aging.

• May help lower cholesterol levels

• Study showed that participants had reduced arterial plaque by 30 percent!

• Contains flavonoids. How much? More concentrated amount than what’s found in grapes!

• Full of antioxidants - three times as many antioxidants found in green tea and red wine (but without the caffeine and alcohol!)

Pomegranate Products

Pomegranates are the new cranberry. It’s everywhere! Once all of the research comes out listing all of the health benefits, companies take notice and start providing product to profit from the new health hype. What does that mean for you? Products with Pomegranates are going to be bountiful, but it also means that you will need to do your due diligence to make sure you buy a quality product and get your money’s worth.

If you want to buy Pomegranate juice, for example, be sure to find a product that is 100% Pomegranate juice like this product, rather than have a product that is either watered down like this product or mixed with cheaper juices like this product. If you are going to pay for pomegranate juice, get the good stuff and know what you are paying for!

If you want to benefit from everything Pomegranates have to offer, I suggest buying the fruit itself, and eating it plain or adding it to your recipes. It may take additional time (and perhaps get a little messy!), but it’s the best source of all of the nutrients – no processing required!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Is your Labor Day celebration strategy going to be…

A) Eat whatever you want, and exercise more to burn the extra calories off!

or…

B) Eat like an angel!

or…

C) Other (please explain)

Tell me what you plan on doing to prevent weight gain and still enjoy the holiday!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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I love making this easy, delicious, and healthy chicken salad recipe! This particular recipe makes a big batch, which is great to feed a lot of people at home or to bring to a potluck! You can even make this recipe and enjoy this meal for the rest of the week – and trust me, it’s good enough you’ll want to!

Ingredients:

20-25 baked Chicken Tenderloins, chopped or shredded

1 cup Vegenaise (healthy mayo replacement)

1/2 cup dried Cranberries

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts

1/2 cup chopped Celery

1 cup diced Grapes

1 tsp Poppy Seeds

You can shred it or chop it up, whichever you prefer! You can use canned chicken, but it’s not ideal. I have found that the freshly baked chicken tastes so much better than the canned stuff.

I love this stuff…one of my favorite mayo replacements!

Try to find dried cranberries that don’t have any added sugar, since it’s much healthier that way. If you don’t have dried cranberries or want to try something different, you can use dried cherries (again, no added sugar) in it’s place. Either way, it gives you some added tart flavor that goes a long way!

You can chop up the walnuts as much as you’d like. If you don’t have walnuts on hand, you can chop up some pecans instead. Both will taste delicious and are a softer nut, which is what you want for this type of recipe.

I love adding celery to recipes! Celery is extremely healthy, but something a lot of people don’t enjoy on it’s own. I like to “sneak” it in recipes and enjoy the health benefits (and added crunch!) whenever I can! 

I took each grape and cut it into four small pieces. I thought this was the perfect size, but you can cut them up even smaller, if you prefer.

I love the added color and texture that poppy seeds provide!

Instructions

Step 1) Combine all ingredients and stir together in a large mixing bowl. Keep in fridge until ready to serve.

Notes: 

Pretty easy, huh? Yes! It’s quite delicious, healthy, and the perfect meal when you just don’t feel like cooking.

You can enjoy this Chicken Salad on it’s own (see first picture in this post), on a slice of bread…

…or as a sandwich!

Enjoy!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Wait…what just happened?!

Here’s a scenario that I’m betting 90% of you can relate to: You start exercising and eating less, and you jump on the scale and see that you have lost weight! Yay! You get really excited about your progress, so you start exercising even more and eating less than before (so you can lose even more weight the following week, which brings you closer to your goal weight!). You jump on the scale the following week and you didn’t lose a single pound! Wait…what just happened?! You are now confused and depressed that all of your efforts for the past week have been wasted. Sound familiar? It happens to the best of us…

Starvation Mode? Not Good…

Here’s what’s going on in your body: When you eat too little, especially with the amount of exercise you are now doing, your body goes into “starvation mode”, where it holds on to everything, making it so that you can’t lose weight! You have to provide your body with the nutrients and the calories it needs to be able to function properly, and even lose extra fat.

Track it!

I suggest signing up for a calorie tracking program, such as Lose it!, since you can track what you eat and make sure you are eating enough. Lose it!, for example, adjusts the amount of calories you can eat every day based on your weight loss goals and how much you exercise. First you provide information about yourself, determine how much weight you want to lose each week, and it calculates how many calories you should eat each day and a goal date of when you should reach your goal weight. When you enter in exercise, it calculates how much more food you should be eating each day – and still lose the determined amount of weight you specified to lose each week. The more you exercise, the more you eat. Pretty cool, huh? Just make sure you don’t over do it with the exercise. Find a happy balance and stick with it.

(Please note: The writer does not get paid from promoting Lose it!, though it would be really nice if she did get paid! ;) She just uses the Lose it! app herself, and thought it was an awesome program to share with all of you! You can use any program, just make sure it adjusts your calories based on the amount of exercise you do each day.)

Measure, Measure, Measure!

Just like you don’t want to under eat, you don’t want to over do it either. For those who use a form of calorie counting to stay on track, measuring out your food is more important than many realize.  For example, I like to snack on celery and dip it into almond butter as a snack. I used to guess what I thought two tablespoons should be, and used that as my guide for a serving of almond butter. Finally, one day I decided to measure out two tablespoons of almond butter. I remember thinking “that’s it? That’s two tablespoons of almond butter? Oops…!” As you can tell, my two tablespoons was way more than the actual two tablespoons!

It was a funny moment for me, but an experience that taught be a valuable lesson. Measure everything, because a lot of times your imagination is a lot bigger than reality when you are hungry or trying to calorie count!

Of course, I think that eating healthy foods is the main thing to focus on, but high calorie health foods like almond butter should be measured out when you are trying to lose weight and need to stick to a certain calorie limit each day.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Here’s a few tips to help prevent you from gaining those extra pounds by being in a relationship:

Keep Impressing

Too many men and women get married and totally let themselves go. Don’t let that be you. Remember when you used to care about the way you looked? You used to do things to impress your guy/gal. Just because you’re off the market doesn’t mean you’re done trying! Eating healthy and exercising do much more than just help you with a rockin’ bod, it will help you enjoy a long life together, without pesky health problems.

Start New Hobbies

Keep your relationship fun and exciting – pick up a new (active) hobby together! Maybe you can both learn how to rock climb, take dance lessons, or prepare for a marathon together! Whatever it is, do something that is enjoyable and something you can do together!

Portion Control

This one might be advice geared towards mostly the ladies, but I hope it helps the guys realize how they can help their lady love. When you go out to eat with your spouse, you don’t have to eat the same amount as them! My husband, for example, needs to eat almost double the amount of food that I do! There’s no reason for me to try and catch up with him when it comes to eating. Eat the amount of food you were meant to eat; no more, and no less!

Exercise Together 

Why exercise alone or separately when you can exercise together? I can only tell you how hard it is to get out of bed and wake up early in the morning to wake up and exercise…when your spouse is still cuddled up to the warm and cozy blankets snoozing away. Waking up is enough will power, but when you see what you could be doing, it can be hard to stay motivated at 5:30am (or whenever you have to wake up to go workout). Ask for your spouse to be a workout buddy – it will benefit both of you!

Speak up!

Is your loved one continuously bringing you treats that just aren’t helping you reach your goals? Speak your mind and let them know your goals, and how they can help you reach your goals – even if that means not bringing you certain treats that you used to love getting. Explain that treats are not a healthy “reward” system.

Express your need for encouragement, help, motivation, or any support that you feel that you need in order to be healthy.

If your loved one expresses any of the above mentioned concerns to you, be receptive and help where you can.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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The Sandwich

There’s something special about the simple yet delicious taste of a sandwich. You can make it as healthy as you want, and it doesn’t need to be too complex. I suggest using whole wheat bread, using a brand that doesn’t use a lot of ingredients or any processed sugars. Avoid using white bread at all costs!

Here’s some quick and easy sandwiches that you can make for your kids for their school lunches:

• Deli - Get freshly slices meat from your local deli and add a slice of all natural cheese, romaine lettuce, and use a mayo replacement such as Veganaise. This sandwich will provide your kid with the fiber, protein, dairy, vitamins and minerals from the lettuce and healthy fats from the Veganaise which will help you absorb the nutrients. 

• Peanut Butter and Jelly - There’s nothing wrong with sticking to the classics, it simple yet very delicious and healthy! Use whole wheat bread, organic peanut butter and a jelly or jam that doesn’t have any sugars added to it, such as a Just Fruit™ Spread by Crofter’s. With this sandwich, your kid is going to enjoy the benefits of healthy fiber from the bread, protein from the peanut butter, and glucose from the jelly or jam.

• Sprout and Tomato - Think your kids won’t like sprouts? Think again! Just spread Veganaise (mayo replacement) or mashed avocado to the bread (or whole wheat wrap!), add tomato slices with a few dashes of sea salt and pepper, then generously add the alfalfa or broccoli sprouts. You’d be surprised with how delicious this healthy sandwich is, and you’ll be glad to know your kids will love it too.

• Almond Butter and Honey - This is very similar to the classic PB & J, except the Almond Butter adds a different variety of protein and the honey is an all natural source of glucose. This is a great sandwich for your busy little bee (haha). I like to use almond butter more often than peanut butter, since almond butter doesn’t have any saturated fats. As much as I love peanut butter, I eat it sparingly because of the saturated fats. It’s still good for you, but in moderation (like anything else, really)

• Tuna or Salmon – Mix a can of tuna or salmon with Veganaise (mayo replacement), and put in a small container. Include 2 slices of bread (or occasionally some healthy crackers!) and let your kid add the tuna to the bread once they are ready to eat their tuna (or salmon) sandwich. This will allow for a fresh sandwich, without the soggy bread! Go ahead and add pickles or lettuce if you’d like.

The Snacks

I suggest providing your kids with a wholesome snack to accompany the sandwich, or to snack on in between meals. This is a great way for your kids to learn that when they are hungry and they want a snack, they will learn to reach for a fresh veggie rather than a cookie. Your kids not there yet? That’s ok. It happens one day at a time, and they need their parents to help guide them on what they should be eating when they are hungry. Your kids don’t need chips or cookies. Your kids need vitamins and minerals -you know, nutrients to fuel their body, help them grow up strong and healthy, and help keep their mind alert and ready to learn.

• Fresh Fruit - Give your children a variety of fresh fruits to snack on. Each day (or week), give your kid a different fruit to snack on, such as an apple, orange, watermelon, pear, or a variety of berries. These snacks are delicious, low calorie, and they are easy to pack in a school lunch. Also, your kids will appreciate the variety of different fruits (so they don’t get bored or them), and it’s great way to add a variety of nutrients to their developing body.

• Fresh Vegetables - Give your children a variety of fresh vegetables to snack on. Each day (or week), give your kid a different vegetable to snack on, such as carrots, broccoli, snow or sugar snap peas, sliced cucumbers, celery (with peanut or almond butter to dip in!), or sliced green and red peppers. Remember to provide variety for your kids, and try to coordinate them to go well with the fruit you are giving them.

• Protein - If you would like to give your kids protein (in addition to the sandwich), you can consider giving them a variety of mixed nuts, seeds, or even hard boiled eggs (with shell already removed).

The Friday Snack

It’s always fun to have a special little snack that’s healthy, but something you might not have every day.  For example, fruit leather is delicious, but the real deal (aka, fresh fruit with nothing added or taken away), is always the healthiest choice. Of course, why not have a special little treat every once in awhile, such as every Friday? I think it’s a fun way to celebrate the weekend without destroying one’s health.

The Beverages

• Water - Are your kids drinking enough water throughout the day? Provide your kids with a refillable water bottle that they can use throughout the day. Help your kid figure out how much water they should be drinking every day, and make sure they bring it home on a regular basis so you can have it cleaned.

I don’t think that your kids really need to be drinking juice, since the whole fruit or vegetable is always the healthiest choice. Also, too many juices on the market have added sugars or corn syrup that just isn’t necessary.

Got flavored milk? What about regular milk? I don’t think bringing milk to school is necessary, especially when you consider it really should be kept in the refrigerator.

Important Considerations

Make sure that you include an ice pack in the lunch box to keep the food cool and safe for your kid to eat when the time comes. If you don’t have an ice pack, stick to the foods that will be able to handle room temperature.

OK parents, any other healthy food suggestions you would like to add to this list? I appreciate your input!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Carrie Underwood, along with many contestants who compete on American Idol, gain weight during the show. The contestants gain the weight for several reasons, such as the stress of the competition, bad food given to them, and long bouts of waiting for their vocal coaches to work with them. Carrie ended up gaining a total of 20 pounds!

How Carrie Underwood Lost 20 Pounds

Carrie has a simple yet effective approach to her weight loss. It worked well for her, and maybe it will work for you too! Of course, to make any weight loss program work, you have to just stick to it and be consistent!

• Start a Food Journal - Carrie Underwood bought a spiral notebook (nothing fancy or expensive!) and just started to write down every little thing she ate.

“I discovered that writing down everything I eat makes such a difference, because you never realize how much you’re consuming unless you read it later in the day” – Carrie Underwood

Carrie said the key to the success of a food journal is to check the calorie count for everything she eats and write the details down in her notebook – immediately after a meal, before she forgets. At the end of the day, if she wants to have a snack, she checks her food for the day, how many calories she has eaten, and calculates how much more she can eat.

I think that when you stick to calorie counting, it’s important to know that nutrition and proper balance should be considered.

• Seek Expert Help – Carrie wanted to set up a mini gym in her home, but didn’t quite know what pieces of equipment she would need to help her reach her goals. Carried ended up hiring a Personal Trainer, who helped her pick out simple pieces of equipment to use, taught her for a few weeks on how to use the equipment and come up with a routine, then Carrie was able to continue her weight loss efforts on her own.

So what exercises does Carrie Underwood do? According to the interview in Shape Magazine, she exercises on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes and then follows that with strength training (reps with weights).

“My favorite thing is cardio, it really helps the pounds melt off, and it gives me so much more energy.” -Carrie Underwood

I would like to point out how Carrie used a Personal Trainer for a few weeks to work on a routine. A lot of people don’t realize that a Personal Trainer can really be a temporary thing, and I personally think it should be for most people. I like to work with my clients for a few months and empower them to be able to get to the point where they just don’t need me anymore. It’s a great feeling knowing that you have everything you need to be able to continue on your journey to lose weight.

• Stop Obsessing Over the Numbers on the Scale – Carrie became a popular topic in the tabloids as she became more and more famous. Many of those articles focused on Carrie’s weight, even calling her “chubby”. Now that Carrie is at a much healthier weight, she tries not to focus on the numbers on the scale, but more importantly her health.

“I’m a performer, and yes, being in good shape is part of the package, but I don’t ever want to get neurotic about my weight. I feel healthy and I know I’m a good size for me. And that’s what’s most important.” -Carrie Underwood

I think that Carrie is focusing on what’s most important, her health! Numbers on the scale may help you track progress, but it shouldn’t be the “end all, be all” either. If you focus on exercising regularly and putting healthy, nutritious food in your body, that’s what’s important. Continue to stay motivated and keep moving forward, and you will reach your health goals.

How Carrie Underwood Kept the Weight Off!

Carrie continues to keep the weight off in a very simple approach.

• No Mystery Food – Carrie told the WebMD Magazine (August 2010) , ”if I don’t know what’s in it, I don’t eat it”. Simple rule, yet clearly effective. This one rule prevents her from eating the fatty catered food that’s available to her.

• Grocery Shopping – Due to the unhealthy catered food available to her on bus tours, Carrie has opted to do her own grocery shopping and buy fresh whole food, which also ensures that Carrie keeps up with her Vegetarian lifestyle.

• Regular Exercise – Just because Carrie has reached her goal weight, it doesn’t stop her from exercising on a regular basis. In fact, regular exercise is a big way to keep the weight off!

“If I can wake up and get a good cardio session in a class at a nearby gym or on the treadmill, I’m happier throughout the day” – Carrie Underwood

Once you reach your goal weight, you need to continue eating healthy and exercising. Just like it helped you lose the weight in the first place, now these healthy habits you have created will help you keep the weight off. Remember, it’s easier to maintain the weight than have to lose it again…and again.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: celebritydietdoctor.com

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Gym hop

Gyms of all shapes and sizes are constantly running deals for a free trial week at their location. Take a week or two off from your old gym and take an exercise tour around town. Find different gyms in your area and enjoy a few days of new scenery. Scoping out a new place can introduce you to new trainers, new equipment and new classes which may jumpstart your exercise regimen, or make you appreciate your old digs.

Take a vacation

Finally put your vacation daydreaming to use and cash in on some personal days at work. Vacations that involve skiing, kayaking, hiking or rock climbing can be relaxing and exhilarating all at the same time. Even just a long weekend at a nearby campground can provide lots of opportunity for engaging exercise in a new setting.

Teach an old dog new tricks

Pick a sport that you’ve never tried before and join a league in your area. If you were an all-state lineman in high school, try taking up racquetball. If you set college records in the breaststroke, find a volleyball league. Chances are, if you haven’t played these sports before you haven’t used all of the muscle groups necessary for them. Being part of a team has the added benefit of social encouragement to continue coming out each week.

Pimp your ride

If you live relatively close to your gym, skip the drive and run or jog there. Instead of driving to the gym and getting on a treadmill, enjoy a run outdoors on your way to the gym where you can then enjoy an abbreviated workout. After a nice long warm-up, you’ll be prepped for some toning weightlifting or strength exercises. Walk back home while you cool down, or catch a ride back with a workout buddy.

If you can do, teach!

Instead of taking class after class of monotonous aerobics, design your own fitness class and offer it to friends or coworkers. Host a yoga workshop in your living room or book an empty office space for after-work zumba. Running the class puts you in control to keep things fun and challenging, and having a group of recruits hold you accountable to stay active.

Move to the music

Grab your partner and sign up for a dance class. Not only does a dance class get you some one-on-one time with your spouse, but high-intensity classes such as tango or flamenco can burn just as many calories as an hour spent on the treadmill. Pay up front for 4-8 weeks of classes to give yourself a financial motivation for sticking with it.

Play coach

Break down and volunteer to help coach your kid’s soccer or basketball team. The daily or weekly commitment will get you to lace on some sneakers and chase after rambunctious children for at least an hour at a time. Being surrounded by an overabundance of sugar-induced energy can’t help but inspire you to join in the drills and scrimmages.

Bag the gym

When you simply can’t bring yourself to going to the gym one more time, skip it altogether and build a workout into your daily routine. Park a few blocks away from your office, choose stairs instead of the elevator, swap your desk chair for a yoga ball, and load on up playtime with your kids to burn calories throughout the day.

Set a goal

Instead of just working out for the sake of working out, set a definite goal that you can work towards. Anything from running a marathon, completing a bike race, or even mastering a yoga pose can give you a long-term goal to aim for. Set weekly or monthly mini-goals that will track your progress and celebrate your successes along the way.

Get techy

Hit up a local yard sale or games store for Wii or Kinect workout games. Adding some virtual workout time to your regular routine can provide a bit of variation. Challenge friends or family to a game for some competition while you burn calories.

This guest post was written by Ashley from Long Island Heart Associates. For questions about heart health and exercise, contact a local cardiologist today.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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To help you get started with your Nutrition education, I have reviewed the following two books:

-Nutrition for Dummies (4th Edition) written by Carol Ann Rinzler

-The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition (4th Edition) written by Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.

I have provided a complete list of the table of contents, and my review for each book. In the end, you make the call on which book would be right for you. I’ll also give you my opinion about which one I would choose!

Table Of Contents – Nutrition for Dummies

Introduction

Part 1: The Basic Facts About Nutrition

-What’s Nutrition, Anyway?

-Digestion:The 24-Hour Food Factory

-Calories: The Energizers

-How Much Nutrition Do You Need?

-A Supplemental Story

Part 2: What You Get From Food

-Powerful Protein

-The Lowdown on Fat and Cholesterol

-Carbohydrates: A Complex Story

-Alcohol: Another Form Of Grape And Grain

-Vigorous Vitamins

-Mighty Minerals

-Phabulous Phytochemicals

-Water Works

Chaper 3: Healthy Eating

-Why You Eat When You Eat

-Why You Like The Foods You Like

-What Is A Healthful Diet?

-Making Wise Food Choices

-Eating Smart When Eating Out

Part 4: Food Processing

-What Is Food Processing

-Cooking And Nutrition

-What Happens When Food Is Frozen, Canned, Dried, or Zapped

-Better Eating Through Chemistry

Part 5: Food And Medicine

-When Food Gives You Hives

-Food And Mood

-Food And Drug Interactions

-Using Food as Medicine

Part 6: The Part Of Tens

-Ten Nutrition Web Sites

-Ten (Well, Okay, Twelve) Superstar Foods

-Ten Easy Ways to Cut Calories

Pros

Cons

Table Of Contents -The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition

Part 1: Time For A Nutrition Tune-Up

-The Dietary Guidelines

-A Close-Up On Carbohydrates

-The Profile On Protein

-Chewing The Fat

-Don’t As-salt Your Body

-In And Out With Fiber

-Vitamins And Minerals: The “Micro” Guys

-Mighty Minerals: Calcium And Iron

Part 2: Making Savvy Food Choices

-Decoding A Nutrition Label

-Shopping Smart

-Now You’re Cooking

-Restaurant Survival Guide

-Trimming Down The Holidays

Part 3: The ABC’s of Exercise

-The Gym Scene

-Sports Nutrition

-Going That Extra Mile: Fluids And Supplements

Part 4: Beyond The Basics: Nutrition And Special Needs

-Diet And Cancer

-Managing Diabetes

-Don’t Eat Your Heart Out

-Food Allergies And Other Ailments

-Going Vegetarian

-Herbal Remedies And More

Part 5: Pregnancy And Parenting

-Eating Your Way Through Pregnancy

-Exercising Your Way Through Pregnancy

-Feeding The Younger Folks

Part 6: Weight Management 101

-Come On, Knock It Off

-Adding Some Padding

-Understanding Eating Disorders

Appendixes

A. Recipes For Your Health

B. Nutrition And Health Directory

C. Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

D. A Closer Look At The Foods We Eat

SkinnyTwinkie.com’s Review

Both of these books are great. They both go over things in a fairly simple and easy-to-understand way, even including pictures on some of the topics, or a health related comic strip.

If you want basic Nutrition information, “Nutrition For Dummies” by Carol Ann Rinzler is the book for you. She does a great job of going over the basics of Nutrition, which is a great resource in helping others have a better understanding about what they are putting into their body.

I personally have an extra appreciation for “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition” by Joy Bauer. As the title says, it’s “complete”. Not only does it go over basic nutrition that everyone can benefit from, but it also talks about the importance of exercise, how to specifically lose weight, eat and exercise during pregnancy, how to go Vegetarian (if you choose to do so), and so on.

As always, I want you to decide which book is right for you, but if I had to choose to read just one of these books, I would buy and read “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition” by Joy Bauer. As you can already tell just by the table of contents, these books are packed with valuable information and whichever book you decide to get for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

I Read A Nutrition Book…Now What?

After you read the book, I encourage you to make whatever positive changes you need to make. Stop drinking soda, start eating your fruits and veggies, and stop making excuses about skipping the gym.

Knowledge isn’t power, unless action is taken. Now that you have learned something, act! Today is the best day to better yourself, so don’t wait for tomorrow.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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There as a man by the name of Robert Stickle that was diagnosed with having a malignant melanoma. Surgery was unsuccessful, and he was given only two years left to live. In June 1986, he wrote the following letter to the president of the Society for the Promotion of Dandelions:

” I went on a search for the answer to my mortal problem, and [discovered] that perhaps it was a nutritional dilemma…. To me, cancer is primarily a liver failure manifestation. {Italians are very concerned about problems of the ‘fegato’]. [I discovered that] the cancer rate in native Italians is very low among the farming population (paesanos). When they get affluent and move to the city, its the same as the rest of civilized man. Paesanos eat dandelions, make brew from the roots, and are healthy, often living to over 100 years.”

Robert said that he began eating dandelions every day. It’s interesting to know that the letter was written 18 years after the grim diagnoses from his doctors. Robert’s improvement astonished his doctors, since there had been no recurrence of his melanoma.

It’s amazing what a simple plant can do to heal the body.

Benefits

• Stimulates bile, which helps digest fats, relieve constipation, prevent gallstones, and even alleviates a hangover.

• Contains fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. With that said, all of this helps against diabetes.

• Improves brain function and may help improve memory, since dandelion is rich in choline and lecithin. These nutrients may even help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

• Have a wart? The white milky substance that comes out of the leaves and stems of the dandelion can be applied to your wart to help remove it. Apply daily for just one week.

• Known to help promote weight loss. Controlled studies (on mice) showed that they lost up to 30% of their body weight in 30 days when given dandelion extract with their food. Those eating grass lost much less weight. I just thought that this was an interesting study you might want to know about.

• Disinfection properties can help fight against bacterial infections, pneumonia,  yeast infections, and bronchitis.

• May help reduce blood sugar levels, which is positive news for diabetics.

• Dandelion is considered a diuretic, which means it rids the body of water. This can be a good thing in the sense that it helps the body get rid of certain infections, such as urinary tract (bladder) infections. Just make sure you are drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated.

• Anti-Inflammatory properties shown, which can help with those who have arthritis.

Intake

Fresh – You can eat fresh dandelion leaves, such as in a salad or on a sandwich. The older dandelion leaves are a little bitter, so you might want to try the young leaves for better taste.

Dried – You can buy (or make your own) dandelion tea, which can be made from either the leaves or the root of the dandelion.

Pill – You can buy dandelion herb in a pill form. Just follow the instructions on the manufacture’s label.

Precautions

Since dandelion is a diuretic, long term use could affect the amount of potassium that is in your body. Make sure that you drink plenty of water and eat foods high in potassium. According to research (Hobbs 1985), they have found that eating dandelions are completely safe to consume on a regular basis.

As far as I am aware, this herb is safe for consumption, even if you are pregnant or nursing. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with contacting an herbalist if you have any questions.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credits: Your Cup of Tea; Dandelion

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Please note that all of the nutrition information that is provided in this article may not be 100% accurate, since The Cheesecake Factory doesn’t provide any official nutritional information! Check out their statement below:

At this time, we do not provide nutritional information for our menu selections on our website. We pride ourselves on using only the freshest and finest ingredients available. Everything on our menu is made in-house on a daily basis so that we can maintain the highest food quality standards. – The Cheesecake Factory

So thanks to cheesecakefactorynutrition.com and myfitnesspal.com, here’s my take on the meals at The Cheesecake Factory, and just know they are what I like to call, “guesstimates”!

Best Food at The Cheesecake Factory

I’m sure you have recently heard about The Cheesecake Factory offering a low calorie menu called ”SkinnyLicious” – but are there already low calorie (and healthy?) meals available at The Cheesecake Factory? Let’s see…

Asian Chicken Salad

Calories: 574

Total Fat: 31 g

Protein: n/a

Sodium: n/a

Carbohydrates: 68 g

Fiber: n/a

Weight Management Grilled Chicken

Calories: 580

Total Fat: 13 g

Protein: n/a

Sodium: n/a

Carbohydrates: 28 g

Fiber: 4 g

Ahi Carpaccio

Calories: 260

Total Fat: 2

Protein: n/a

Sodium: 1,223 mg

Carbohydrates: 11 g

Fiber: n/a

Worst Food at The Cheesecake Factory

It’s pretty obvious (I hope it is, anyways…) that the Cheesecakes are something you should skip altogether if you are on a “diet”. Why? Because who could stop at just one or two bites? If you can, that’s fantastic. Go with someone and only take those one or two bites. If you can’t control yourself, I suggestion enjoying the delicious meals I mentioned earlier, and skip the cheesecake. Does this dismiss the whole point of going to The Cheesecake Factory? I don’t think so, but that’s just my opinion and a whole other story!

So what meals should you avoid at The Cheesecake Factory? Here’s my top offenders for the most calories, most fat, most sodium, and I even listed what I feel to be the “most deceptive” meal offered at The Cheesecake Factory!

Most Calories and Most Sodium: Factory Appetizer Favorites

Calories: 3218

Total Fat: 63 g

Protein: n/a

Sodium: 6,703 mg

Carbohydrates: 297 g

Fiber: n/a

Most Deceptive: Avocado Eggroll

The serving size is just one egg roll. Check out how many calories there are in just one egg roll. Yikes!

Calories: 960

Total Fat: This information is “n/a”, but I do know that there is 8 gr of saturated fat.

Protein: n/a

Sodium: 1130 mg

Carbohydrates: 104 g

Fiber: n/a

Most Fat: Pasta Carbonara (with or without Chicken) 

Calories: 2,291

Total Fat: 81 g

Protein: n/a

Sodium: 1,628 mg

Carbohydrates: 144 g

Fiber: n/a

What about the new “SkinnyLicious” Menu? 

The Cheesecake Factory just announced it’s new menu called “SkinnyLicious”, and they will offer 50 new menu items that contain 590 calories or less! The new menu will include new dishes like a low-calorie hamburger, Tuscan Chicken, and even a Mexican Tortilla Salad.

As you can see from the menu items mentions above, this new ”SkinnyLicious” menu at The Cheesecake Factory is long overdue. Of course, I am still waiting for the full nutritional information to be announced. It’s more to a healthy lifestyle than just counting calories!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credits: TheCheeseCakeFactory.com, yuzueats.blogspot.com

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There are some exercises that you can still do – even if you have or had knee pain in the past. Of course, every situation is very different, but typically these are the exercises that should be safe for you and your knees. Check with your doc – or stop immediately if you are feeling any pain.

Keep it Easy on the Knees!

Bicycling - This is a great way to exercise without hurting your knees. Make sure to keep your knees bent and enjoy the bike ride!

Swimming – If you want zero impact on your knees, swimming is a great full body workout for you! I suggest keeping to the freestyle stroke and enjoy the many health benefits that come from this cardiovascular exercise.

Elliptical – If you want a machine that is easy on the knees, the elliptical is it. It’s considered to be very low impact and great for those who are trying to lose weight while recovering from some knee pain.

Treadmill – I don’t suggest that you run on a treadmill, but you may want to consider going from a run or jog to a steady paced walk instead. Walking is a great way to continue exercise, lose weight, and stay in shape- all without all the impact that can come with running.

Step Ups – Anyone with knee pain probably cringes at the thought of doing lunges! For those with sensitive knees, but want to still workout the same muscles as you would with lunges, you may want to consider doing step-ups. You can use stairs or actual step ups, and just go up and back down, allowing for a deep- but not too deep-of a bend to activate those glutes and quads!

No Pain No Gain?

When it comes to recovering from an injury, you want to avoid painful movements. If any of the above exercises are painful, you need to stop immediately. I suggest consulting with your doctor first, before you do any of these exercises, since different knee injuries may prevent you from doing specific exercises, or you might just not be ready yet to exercise yet.

Bottom Line: It’s one thing to feel your muscles burning, and it’s another to feel actual pain. Don’t push through an exercise if you are feeling any pain.

No More Excuses!

Now you know that you can still lose weight or stay in shape – even if you have “bad knees”! Empower yourself to reach your goals and always keep moving forward.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: sxc.hu/photo/391481

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Highlights from McDonald’s®  Press Release

Here’s a quick look at a little piece of the press release:

Menu changes underway include the addition of more nutritionally-balanced choices that meet McDonald’s reputation for great taste and affordability, along with an increased focus on providing nutrition information that enable customers and employees to make simple, informed menu decisions. – McDonald’s®

Main Changes Coming to McDonald’s® 

1) McDonald’s will start to include produce or a low-fat dairy option in every Happy Meal®. The new Happy Meal will automatically include both produce (apple slices, a quarter cup or half serving) and a new smaller size French fries (1.1 ounces) along with the choice of a Hamburger, Cheeseburger or Chicken McNuggets, and choice of beverage, including new fat-free chocolate milk and 1% low fat white milk.

-This is great that they are reducing the amount of fries and replacing them with something that is actually healthy – an apple! Still, I am waiting for the Hamburger, Cheeseburger, and Chicken McNuggets that are made with mystery meat, to be addressed. My take is this: Want a hamburger or cheeseburger? Make it at home with quality meat that you can trust. Want chicken nuggets? You can make those from scratch too. With real chicken! Gasp! Crazy concept, I know!

2) The company will promote nutrition and/or active lifestyle messages in 100 percent of its national kids’ communications, including merchandising, advertising, digital and the Happy Meal packaging.

-This sounds like a confusing and mixed message for kids – and parents alike. Be healthy, but you should still eat a Happy Meal at McDonald’s too- which isn’t all that healthy, except for a couple of slices of an apple. If you add apples to greasy food, does it make the greasy food healthy? No.

3) By 2020, McDonald’s will reduce added sugars, saturated fat and calories through varied portion sizes, reformulations and innovations. Also, by 2015, McDonald’s will reduce sodium an average of 15 percent overall across its national menu of food choices.

-At first glace, this sounds fabulous. But when these initiatives become a reality, I would like to take a better look at the ingredients list. The problem with companies going healthier, is that they take a lot of shortcuts in the process, which actually make it not-so-healthy afterall. For example, the “sugar free” initiative was never a healthier option, since the companies that tout those titles just used artificial sweeteners like aspartame rather than truly healthy options such as honey or molasses. 

4) McDonald’s will expand new in-restaurant, website and mobile communications, and marketing vehicles making access to nutrition information even easier.

-I have good news and bad news. The good news is, studies show that if people know how many calories are in the meals at restaurants, they usually pick the lower calorie or healthier meals. The bad news is, research has been shown that a lot of the calories listed are not all that accurate. If you get the low calorie foods, it may not be 100% accurate, but it’s likely to have fewer calories than the other high calorie choices on the menu. Think “less of two evils” with this one. 

I think it’s great that McDonald’s is trying to be healthier, but I won’t hold my breath for this to be a truly healthy place to eat. When it comes to eating at McDonald’s, I say to eat in moderation…or just not at all!

As always, the choice is yours.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credits: aboutmcdonalds.com

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It’s gettin’ hot outside, so what can you do to prevent, recognize, and recover from Heat Stroke?

Heat stroke is something that can easily be prevented, yet it is something that can just as easily sneak up on someone before they realize what has happened to them. Heat stroke is considered the most serious of all heat related conditions and should be treated as a medical emergency.

It’s so sad to hear about so many heat related deaths this year, so I just had to help educate the Skinny Twinkie community with this life saving information. Find out how to prevent, recognize, and treat heat stroke.

Ways to Prevent Heat Stroke

• Drink lots of water! You should also avoid drinking liquids that will dehydrate you such, such as drinks containing a lot of sugar, caffeine, or any alcohol.

• Unaccustomed to the heat? Don’t overdo yourself, and allow your body time to adjust to the warmer weather. I grew up in Las Vegas where it was common to get well above 100° Fahrenheit. I was completely happy with this very hot temperature. Now that I have moved away, I have noticed that I just don’t handle the heat as well as I used to.

• Stay indoors during the late morning and early afternoon, since this is when the sun’s rays are their strongest. If you want to do anything outdoors, go outside in the morning or evening when it’s cooler outside.

• Wear loose-fitting clothing that won’t add heat to your body temperature.

• Don’t overly exert yourself (exercise, sports, etc) outside on a hot Summer day. Heat stroke can kill young athletes who are very healthy, since they usually ignore the beginning signs of heat stroke and feel that they are too healthy to really be effected by the heat.

• Never leave anyone – child or pet! – in a vehicle. Not for a minute, and not even with the windows rolled down. The vehicle can get very hot inside, much warmer than the outdoors temperature. It’s sad to know that there are still many children who die every Summer because a parent leaves their kid in the car. It’s unacceptable, and not worth the risk.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

• If the body temperature increases too much, it can cause headache, nausea, muscle cramps, and fatigue. At this point, this is considered “heat exhaustion”, but if not taken care of, it can turn into “heat stroke”.

• When the body temperature increases to 105° Fahrenheit (or higher), this is considered “heat stroke”, which potentially life-threatening.

• Develop mental confusion or unconsciousness, due to the cells in the brain getting destroyed by the high temperatures in the body.

How to Treat Heat Stroke

• Reduce body temperature immediately by cooling the body from the outside. You can do this by placing ice packs under the armpits, groin or neck, allow a fan to blow cool air on  the person, or removing any tight or unnecessary clothing.

• Seek emergency help if someone that has been in the heat experiences faintness, hallucinations, confusion, staggering, or goes into a coma. Begin reducing the person’s  body temperature immediately until they can be helped by the emergency personnel.

• It’s important to receive treatment for heat stroke immediately. Procrastinating treatment can lead to liver or kidney damage, coma, congestive heart failure or death.

It’s important that you take heat strokes seriously, and if at all possible…prevent one from happening! Those who have had heat stroke already are more likely to have another one in the future. It’s not because they didn’t learn from it the first time, it’s likely due because their body is more susceptible to it again.

Everyone, please be safe and enjoy the rest of your Summer!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: CBS

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What are the Risks of Eating Raw Sprouts?

In recent news, the media has deemed it unsafe to consume raw or slightly cooked sprouts due to a fairly recent salmonella or E. coli outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory warning consumers of the possible risks of eating raw sprouts. In my opinion, these warnings were created based on misunderstanding and fear rather than logic and reality. Let me explain…

The FDA discovered that the seeds and beans themselves are usually what cause the salmonella or E. coli breakouts in the first place – not the sprouts.  If bacteria is already present on the seed or bean, once they start sprouting the bacteria increases to dangerous levels — even under sanitary conditions. This means that the seeds and beans need to have safer handling, storage and sprouting practices. Since the late 90′s, the FDA has established strict packaging standards of seeds and beans used for sprouting, which I feel is safe and can be trusted. Many sprout growers have taken things to the next step by bleaching their seeds and beans to sanitize them and prevent bacteria growth. This is what I like to call “overkill”. Adding chlorine to your sprouts defeats the whole purpose of eating sprouts, which is to provide nutrients in your body. I recommend buying organic sprouts whenever possible to avoid this chlorine bleaching process so you can enjoy the full amount of nutrients that sprouts were intended to have.

Sprouts are like any other food where bacteria can form if handled improperly. For us as consumers, we need to make sure that we keep our sprouts refrigerated and eaten before they get old. If sprouts are old and rotting, bacteria is growing on them like crazy and you just shouldn’t eat it. This is the same concept as with any other food.

Why you should eat Sprouts

I have been introduced to sprouts at a very young age, and I am quite thankful for that. It turns out, sprouts are a very small version of the entire plant. Each little sprout can have as much – or more – of certain micronutrients as an entire mature plant. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that broccoli sprouts contain anywhere from 30 to 50 times the concentration of protective chemicals found in mature broccoli plants – including many cancer fighting compounds.

Broccoli sprouts are an important nutritional tool for anyone battling cancer, and when combined with other superfoods like chlorella, they can actually reverse cancer and result in the elimination of cancer tumors. - Mike Adams, NaturalNews.com

It’s quite amazing to realize how much nutrition is coming into the body when you eat a single sprout. Of course, you usually won’t eat just one sprout!

How to Use Sprouts with your Meals

Now that you know you should be eating sprouts (and it’s perfectly safe!), how do you incorporate it in your meals? It really depends on you! I love having sprout and tomato sandwiches! I will buy either Organic Alfalfa or Broccoli sprouts and put them in my tomato sandwich. It’s simple, easy, healthy, and extremely delicious! I also enjoy eating Mung bean sprouts by adding them to scrambled eggs, stir fry, or specific dishes like Egg Foo Yung.

Sprouts are delicious. OK, so they might be an acquired taste! I don’t know considering I have been eating sprout sandwiches since I was at least five, and I love them! I made a deli sandwich for my husband and I added Alfalfa sprouts instead of lettuce – he loved it! So, I think you just need to try it out in a couple of different ways. Find out how you enjoy eating sprouts, and I think you will realize that you have been missing out on such a delicious and nutrient dense treat!

How to Make Sprouts

Instead of buying sprouts at the store, you can just buy a sprouting kit and just make your own sprouts at home. It’s ridiculously cheap and easy to grow your own sprouts!

I found this great instructional video that I thought would help you learn more about how you can grow your own sprouts!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Be Confident…No Matter What Size You are

One of the thing that I love about Raven-Symoné is that she has always been very confident about herself. Check out here quote from Vibe Magazine:

“I find it funny that people now come up to me and say, ‘Wow, you are absolutely gorgeous. I’m like, ‘I was beautiful before I lost weight. Egotistically speaking, I thought I was amazing.’” -Raven-Symoné

Let’s face it, carrying excess fat isn’t doing anything good for your health. It’s also not the most attractive thing either (Hey, I’d be lying if I said excess fat looked good on you). I think everyone owes it to themselves to be a healthy weight -not too big, not too thin- but I still think that no matter what size you are, weight shouldn’t be a deciding factor of how others treat you or how beauty is defined. Something I am deeply grateful for, is that I was always reminded that beauty comes from within. As cheesy as it sounds, I know how true this statement really is.

How Do You Handle Stress?

Raven-Symoné learned that stress can be a huge problem when it came to trying to stay fit. I know how much stress could affect your health, so I encourage you to find positive ways to release stress.

“I stopped stressing. You have to realize at 15, there was a whole entire show I had on my shoulders. It was a very big cast and crew and if you’re sick for a day, people lose money and that’s a problem,” she said at the time. “[It wasn't] just over eating because I’ve actually been eating the same. I keep a little bit more smaller portions because I learned that your body has to get rid of that stress some way. Some people break-out, some people lose their hair, some lose weight, some people gain weight, my body just reacted a certain kind of way.” -Raven-Symoné

Here’s a video clip from the Wendy Williams show when she interviewed Raven-Symoné and asked about her weight loss.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: madamenoire.com

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Here’s a list of fun indoor date ideas that will help you burn some extra calories!

Bowling – Enjoy the cool indoors by going bowling and have fun burning about 180 calories an hour! Just be sure to skip the junk food available at the bowling alley and opt for a healthy meal before you go have fun bowling!

Indoor Swimming – As I have said before, swimming is a full body workout, if done properly. You can burn anywhere from 270 to 550 calories an hour - depending on how vigorously you decide to swim.

Yoga DVDs – Do yoga in the comfort of your own home as you watch your favorite yoga DVD. You can expect to burn about 220 calories an hour as you are sculpting your body to perfect form.

Roller Skating – Go to a roller skating rinkThis is a fun way to burn about 465 calories an hour, and that’s just if you are skating on a flat surface. If you roller blade uphill, expect to burn even more calories!

Karate Class – Take a Karate class together and and you could end up burning about 390 calories an hour.

Laser Tag – Ever played laser tag? You get to run around and shoot the opposing team with a plastic (sometimes heavy) laser gun! Play on the same team or opposing one and you can end up burning about 370 calories an hour!

Dancing – Do you and your date love music? Dancing is a great way to have fun while burning lots of calories! Turn up the music to upbeat songs and have fun burning about 160 calories an hour!

Museum – Take your date to an Art Gallery or Museum, and have fun while you do a lot of walking, which you will end up burning about 130 calories an hour.

Wii Sport – You will have loads of fun on your date when you play games on the Wii Sport! You can try out boxing, bowling, or tennis and you can expect to burn an average of 390 calories an hour!

Indoor Rock Climbing – For those of you who are not afraid of heights, this is the perfect activity for you! You can expect to burn approximately 575 calories an hour from Rock Climbing!

Spin Class – You can burn about 320 calories an hour by going to a spin class together!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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I think you will enjoy this easy recipe. It’s so basic, can I really call it a recipe? Hmmm… I’ll let you be the judge of that.

Ingredients:

4 (or more) bunches of ripe Bananas

Spectrum® Coconut Oil Spray

Instructions:

Step 1) Peel the bananas and slice the bananas into 1/8 inch thick slices.

Step 2) Spray the dehydrator sheets with the Spectrum® Coconut Oil Spray. I recommend putting some paper towels underneath the sheets for an easier clean up.

Step 3) Place the banana slices on the dehydrator sheets.

Step 4) Follow the instructions from your dehydrator on how to dehydrate bananas. The dehydrator I used had be use the 135 temperature setting and I turned the machine on for about 8 hours.

Step 5) Remove the banana chips from the dehydrator sheets and enjoy!

Notes:

I suggest making as many banana chips as you can with the dehydrator that  you have access to. Also, you will want to make sure that you use ripe bananas, otherwise it can be a little mushy and I just don’t think that it’s the best texture for banana chips.

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What’s in Energy Drinks?

Here’s a list of common ingredients used in popular energy drinks

Inositol – This has been known to raise phosphorus levels, which results in calcium deficiency if taken in excess.

Niacin/Niacinamide – These are forms of vitamin B3, which you actually don’t want to take too much of since it can cause some serious health concerns (such as vomiting and diarrhea).

Caffeine – This is a common drug which studies have proven that it raises your heart rate and blood pressure. This can be extremely dangerous for those who have high blood pressure already, and for those who drink energy drinks right before exercise, since it will raise your heart rate to dangerously high levels. Caffeine has also been linked to diabetes and may increase the risk of miscarriage. As many of you already know (first hand?!), caffeine is a very addictive drug, and has some horrible side effects when you try to stop consuming it (headache, anyone?). It’s best that you stop and don’t start up again.

Taurine – This is actually a type of amino acid, which sounds like it should be healthy right? Problem is, energy drinks use a synthetic type of taurine and is used in such high concentrations. Studies have shown that Taurine had negative side effects when mixed with caffeine, which is a main ingredient found in energy drinks.

Sodium Citrate – This is a common preservative that is used in soft drinks.

Sugar,Glucose, Sucrose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Acesulfame K and Aspartame – There are a lot of different names for “sugar” or “artificial sweetener”, isn’t there? All forms of sugar that are in energy drinks (including the “sugar-free” kind) are extremely bad for your health, especially when mixed in with caffeine and all of the other ingredients.

Glucuronic Acid (Glucuronolactone) – This is a type of carbohydrate that can be naturally produced in your body. Of course, the Glucuonic Acid/Glucuronolactone in energy drinks isn’t natural by any means. There are even some undocumented reports stating that this drug was given to soldiers in the Vietnam War and was linked to brain tumors – but there are no recent studies or scientific evidence (yet) that proves this side effect is legit. 

Why Energy Drinks are Dangerous

Drinking energy drinks is a vicious cycle. First, when you drink the energy drinks – which are full of sugar, caffeine, gluten, and other harmful ingredients – your body ends up releasing something called opiates. If you stop drinking the energy drinks,  your body has very strong cravings for them telling your brain that you need them more. Then the vicious cycle starts again when you continue to drink the energy drink. The strong cravings and feelings of extreme exhaustion is not a sign that your body needs the energy drink. It’s a sign that your body has created a dependency on it, much like drug abuse. Just because energy drinks are legal, doesn’t mean it’s safe for you to drink it.

Have you ever heard of caffeine intoxication? It’s what happens when someone overdoses on caffeine, which is easy to do with energy drinks since they contain five times the amount of caffeine than a regular cup of coffee. Too much caffeine can cause insomnia, rapid heartbeat, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, tremors, and in rare cases…death.

Healthy Alternatives to Boost your Energy Levels

There are plenty of healthy ways to boost your energy throughout the day to help you stay away through boring meetings or just have the energy to walk up five flights of stairs because the elevator broke. Whatever your reasons to justifying an energy drink in the past, here’s some healthy ways you can boost your energy levels without harming yourself.

Sleep – Get a good night’s rest. I know that this may seem like a “no brainer”, but it’s best to prevent exhaustion than to try to overcome it.

Eat Small Meals – I suggest avoiding heavy meals, or eating too much in just one sitting. Do you notice that you feel most tired after a really big meal, perhaps one that involved a huge meal or sugary dessert? When you eat a lot of food in one sitting, especially if there is high starch or sugar foods, it can create a sugar crash that will leave you feeling lethargic afterwards. Eat 3 small meals and eat snacks in between meals, for a total of six meals a day. By doing this, you won’t over eat and you will be constantly giving your brain and body the energy it needs to function throughout the day.

Eat an Apple – Did you know that it has been shown that an apple is more effective at keeping you awake than a regular cup of coffee? It’s also a lot healthier for you and doesn’t have any dangerous side effects like caffeine does. An apple a day…keeps you awake, apparently!

Drink Water with Citrus – You’d be amazed at how awake and refreshed you can be by drinking a glass of cool water with a bit of freshly squeezed lemon or lime in it. The vitamin C in the citrus fruit is a natural way to boost your energy levels.

Exercise – Don’t have energy to exercise? You’d be surprised to hear that exercise will actually give you more energy! Start small, by just going on a five minute walk or go up and down the stairs a couple of times. The blood pumping through your body will give you a natural boost of energy that will help you get through your day.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: Reason.com

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Ingredients:

2 lbs raw Tiger Prawns

1 tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tbsp Minced Garlic

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1 whole Lime (you will need lime juice and zest)

Instructions:

Step 1) Remove the shells and de-vein the tiger prawns.

Sometimes you will notice a black vein that runs across the back of the shrimp or prawn. I always check for this, and make sure that I remove it before cooking. Just rinse it off with water, and rub it off if needed.

These are edible, but I don’t recommend leaving them on since they have a gritty texture and taste like sand.

This is what a deveined tiger prawn looks like (see below)

Step 2) Add the coconut oil and the tiger prawns to a skillet on medium-high heat.

Step 3) Add minced garlic and sea salt to the tiger prawns once the meat is almost thoroughly cooked.

Cooking Tip: To prevent the minced garlic from being overcooked, wait for the tiger prawns to become mostly cooked before adding it to the hot skillet. Let’s just say, minced garlic burns easily…

Step 4) Squeeze lime juice on tiger prawns once they are almost done cooking.

Step 5) Once tiger prawns are completely cooked (they will be pink, and no gray will be showing on the meat), place the meat on a plate.

Step 6) Use a grater and use lime zest for added taste and as a garnish.

Notes:

Quite honestly, this is one of those dishes that you don’t have to measure out every single ingredient perfectly. This is an easy dish to make, and I am sure you are going to love it! Enjoy!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Strawberry – This berry is full of vitamins C, K, B1, B6 iodine, pantothenic acid, manganese, biotin, and folic acid. Strawberries have been linked to the prevention of coronary heart diseases, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Açaí berry - This berry is full of antioxidants, which helps with the removal of harmful toxins in the body. When you remove toxins from the body, it prevents you from feeling lethargic. If you aren’t feeling lethargic, you’ll be more likely to have the energy you need to exercise.

Huckleberry – This berry is full of antioxidants, vitamins A, B, C, and contains sodium, iron, potassium, and calcium. Huckleberries are also full of iron, which results in healthy red blood cells.

Juniper Berry – This berry contains vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. Juniper berries are a natural stimulant, diuretic, and antiseptic. Juniper berries have also been used to help treat arthritis and open wounds.

Raspberry – This berry is full of antioxidants, flavonoids, and a good source of vitamin C, magnesium, folate, potassium, riboflavin, copper, niacin, and manganese. Raspberries also contain B vitamins and a healthy amount of soluble dietary fiber.

Loganberry – This berry is packed with nutrients and is high in vitamins C, K, copper, fiber, folate, and manganese.

Lingonberry – This berry is full of vitamins A, B, C, and contains phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium. Lingonberries have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihistamineproperties, and helps promote both bone and blood health.

Blueberry – This berry contains carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamins A, C, E, copper, magnesium, manganese, selenium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. Blueberries have anti aging benefits, helps treat urinary tract infections, boosts the immune system, prevent cancer, and heart disease. It’s no wonder this berry is so popular amongst us health geeks.

Dewberry – This berry is packed with vitamins A and C, and have traces of vitamins E, K, and copper, zinc, and magnesium, protein, and fiber.

Cranberry – This berry is a natural antioxidant and is a natural anti-inflammatory. Cranberries can prevent and cure urinary tract infections (also known as bladder infections), and I can tell you that I know that this works first hand. If you want to benefit from cranberries, make sure you don’t add sugar!

Red Currant - This berry is full of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and iron. Red Currants are full of antioxidants and they are full of nutrients that are known to prevent forms of cancer.

Black Currant - This berry is packed with nutrients: More vitamin C than oranges, more potassium than bananas, double the antioxidants of blueberries (wow!), and Currants even have more antioxidants than Açaí berries.

Mulberry - This berry has antioxidants that improve eyesight and contains iron, calcium, carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Black Mulberry – This berry is full of healthy nutrients such as iron, fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Mulberries have been show to help with hair growth and may even prevent premature gray hairs.

Blackberry – This berry is packed with several healthy macronutrients, including vitamins A, C, calcium, and potassium. Blackberries are high in fiber, polyunsaturated fats, and carbohydrates – making blackberries a heart healthy snack.

Elderberry – This berry is full of anthocyanins, which has been shown to have many health benefits, including boosting the immune system and naturally reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

Goji Berry – This berry is full of antioxidants, increases stamina and endurance, prevent cancer, improve memory, and strengthens the heart and your immune system. Gogi berries also stimulate the secretion by the pituitary gland of hGH, which helps you sleep better, restores the libido and helps in the reduction of body fat.

Again, please keep in mind that this is not a complete list of all of the health benefits – it’s only a highlight of some of the many health benefits associated with each berry!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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Happy Independence Day! This 4th of July, I hope you remember to be grateful for the freedoms you have…including the freedoms you (still) have when it comes to your health!

You have the choice of what you can put into your body. Not everyone has this freedom, and I suggest you take advantage of it. If you feel your rights to have healthy food are slowly slipping away…get involved and do something about it! As we all know, freedom isn’t free.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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I am challenging each of you to make exercise a part of your life, and I suggest you check out some of the benefits that are associated with regular exercise.

Define “Regular Exercise”

In order to benefit from regular exercise, you need to start somewhere. What’s considered “regular exercise”? In general, adults need to exercise for about three to five times a week, for 20 – 40 minutes.

Health Benefits of Regular Exercise

There are plenty of reasons why you should take on this challenge of making exercise a part of your life. I will list some of the top benefits of exercise, just to give you some encouragement and to help you get started.

•Increased Energy

Do you notice that you are lethargic and too tired to exercise? If you are already tired, I don’t blame you for dreading exercise. Interestingly enough, if you just push through that first workout,  you will notice an amazing boost of energy!

•Muscle Strength

If you want to burn more fat in any given moment, you need to gain lean muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn which leads to less body fat.

•Live Longer

According to a 20 year study, regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of dying prematurely. This isn’t a surprise considering all of the health benefits associated with exercise.

•Reduce The Risk of Breast Cancer

Studies show that when women exercise, two ovarian hormone (Progesterone and Estradiol) levels are lowered in the body. This is a very good thing, since an excess of these hormones have been linked to breast cancer tumor production. This means that by regular exercise, you can reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 60% – if this isn’t a reason to exercise, I don’t know what is!

•Lose Excess Fat, and Keep it Off

Exercise increases your metabolism which helps you burn more calories throughout the day – long after your morning run (or whatever you decide to do). Exercise will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

•Clears Skin

Exercise is a great way to remove toxins from your body, which occurs when you sweat during exercise. Exercise is a natural detox for your skin, which helps you get rid of acne. Your skin increases the natural production of collagen, which is an all natural anti-aging benefit!

•Increase Cardiovascular Efficiency 

The stronger your heart is, the more blood can be pumped through your heart with less effort.  This is a very good thing since strengthening your heart with regular exercise will decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease in the process.

•Lower Blood Pressure

If you need to reduce your blood pressure, you need to start an exercise program (which this challenge should be the perfect opportunity to start, right?). All forms of exercise has been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure.

•Strengthens Bones

Increase your bone density by choosing an active lifestyle! If you include cardiovascular exercises and weight training (nothing too intense, mind you…), it will help promote bone formation which will delay bone loss. Increase bone mass has been shown to protect against osteoporosis, which is bone loss associated with aging. As you get older, keep on moving!

•Prevent (or cure) Depression

You don’t need (in my opinion) antidepressants to help with your depression. First of all, they don’t fix the problem. Second of all, they are actually harmful to you and your mental health. Thirdly, study after study has proven that exercise reduces the symptoms of depression and promotes mental health. Exercise for 30 minutes just three to five times a week to experience significant improvements. This is something the drug companies don’t want you to know…since we all know how exercise can be cheap or even free.

•Reduce Stress Hormones

Is stress affecting your health? Sounds like you need to exercise (and perhaps resolve the issues causing the stress!) . Sometimes we can’t easily resolve the cause of the stress, but it’s good to know that regular exercise has been prove to reduce the amount of stress hormones in your body. Less stress hormones means lower blood pressure and a healthier you.

• Prevents Illness

Are you sick all of the time? Maybe you need to jump start your immune system, which will help reduce the amount of illness you will have to experience. Regular exercise is a great way to rev up your immune system

•Reduce the Risk of a Stroke

Exercise may reduce the risk of total, hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes – according to research data.

•Better Night’s Rest

Exercise has been shown to help you get to sleep at night. So long sleep apnea!

•Increase New Brain Cells

Did you know that exercise actually stimulates the formation of new brain cells? Research has shown that the area of the brain that forms the new cells is responsible for learning and memory development.

•Lower Cholesterol Levels

Do you have high cholesterol, and need to lower it? Exercise has shown to have a direct effect with influencing blood cholesterol levels by decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.

•Prevent Diabetes

Studies have shown that exercise, combined with a healthy diet, can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by up to 60%! Considering how dangerous diabetes can be, exercise and a healthy lifestyle should be a no brainer.

Ok everyone – it’s time for you to take this challenge seriously. Do this for you. Do this for your own health, and take charge of your life. Make the choice today to make exercise a habit…you won’t regret it.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

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I needed to make sure I used them up before they got old and soft. Blueberry muffins anyone?

Ingredients:

2 cups of GlutenFree All Purpose Baking Flour by Bob’s Red Mill

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

2 tsps Baking Powder

1/2 cup Raw Honey

1/3 cup melted Coconut Oil

1 egg

1/3 cup Rice Milk

2 cups fresh Blueberries

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Instructions:

Step 1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin cups with coconut oil spray (or melted coconut oil).

Step 2) In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, honey, coconut oil, egg and rice milk. Once batter is mixed well, stir in fresh blueberries.

Step 3) Scoop batter evenly into each of the muffin cups.

Step 4) Combine the cinnamon and nutmeg together. Sprinkle over each of the muffin cups.

Step 5) Bake muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until done. You can see if the muffins are done by inserting a toothpick into the muffin; if it’s clean (no batter on it), the muffins are done. You might have blueberry get on the toothpick – If so, use another toothpick and insert it somewhere else on the muffin to check if it’s cooked through.

Notes:

I was thinking of naming these muffins “Blueberry Muffins for the Blueberry Lover”! haha

They are very sweet (for me, anyways) since they are loaded with fresh blueberries and I used raw honey in the batter, instead of a processed sugar. If you would like added sweetness, I suggest that you drizzle some melted creamed honey on top of the muffin. My husband tried this and loved it!

These blueberry muffins are delicious, moist, easy to make, gluten and lactose free!

This batch makes 6 large muffins. Not enough if you ask me…! ;)

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!