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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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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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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Watermelon Health Benefits

1) Watermelon is rich in a carotenoid antioxidant in it called lycopene, which is something tomatoes are famous for. Something you may not know, watermelon has more lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable -including tomatoes -which are known to help reduce the risk of several types of cancers.

2) Watermelons are very low in calories, about 46 calories per cup. This is one of the many reasons that makes watermelon a great snack to have throughout the day, especially if you have a weight loss goal.

3) Watermelon contains arginine which is an amino acids that can help maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.

4) When you eat watermelon, you consume zero grams of fat and cholesterol.

5) Watermelons are high in vitamin A which is an antioxidant and promotes eye health (just like carrots!)

6) Watermelons are rich in potassium, which may help control blood pressure and possibly prevent strokes.

7) Watermelon is fairly high in vitamin C, which is a great way to build up your immune system, prevent cellular damage, heal wounds, and even promotes healthy teeth and gums.

8) Watermelon is one of nature’s natural sources of some important electrolytes – sodium and potassium- which we lose when we sweat. This concept alone reminds me why watermelon is a great fruit to snack on during the hot Summer months.

9) I thought this was an obvious thing, but it’s important to realize that we can get water intake from the foods we eat. Some foods contain more water than others, and you guessed it – watermelon is full of water! With it’s high water concentration, eating watermelons is a great way to prevent dehydration.

10) If you want to avoid Genetically Modified (GM) foods, stay away from seedless watermelons. A side-effect of GM seedless watermelons is that there is a much higher sugar content in them, which isn’t always a good thing.

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

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1) Mediterranean Portobello Burger

Who needs a greasy hamburger when you can make this? This burger is so packed with flavor that any meat lover wouldn’t feel deprived eating it. With only 301 calories, this burger is sure to become a new summer time tradition! You will find this recipe at delish.com – Enjoy!

2) Grilled Rosemary Salmon Skewers

When you combine salmon, tomatoes, and rosemary, you are going to enjoy a super healthy and delicious treat from the grill with very few calories – 246 calories to be exact! Find this easy to make recipe at EatingWell.com and start that grill up!

3) Chicken Salad with Almonds

You thought salad was just a bunch of boring leafy greens put together? Think again! This is a delicious salad that can serve as a main or as a side dish – you decide! This recipe can be found at ElenaPantry.com, along with plenty more mouth watering (and healthy!) meals.

4) Grilled Shrimp

I love seafood – it’s a delicious form of protein, healthy fats, with (usually) less calories! This delicious dish is no exception, with only 156 calories per serving,  you can enjoy this guilt-free! Find the recipe at Self.com and try to leave some for others to enjoy, will ya? ; )

5) Farro Salad with Grilled Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Onion

I love trying new things, such as Farro, and this is a great way to try Farro and still use the grill! You will find the recipe at FoodNetwork.com, along with very positive reviews!

6) Berry-Banana Smoothie

Try a refreshing drink that doesn’t hold the guilt – this only has 126 calories and it’s full of healthy fruit and a touch of honey for sweetness! That’s right, no processed sugar or artificial sweeteners added! What a treat! Find this ridiculously easy recipe at EatingWell.com and make a toast to your good health!

7) Berries and Goat Cheese Mini Pizzas

Just because you eat healthy, doesn’t mean you can’t have dessert! You just need to learn how to make and/or find healthy desserts that are yummy and don’t ask  you to add in sugar and other not-so-healthy ingredients. Find this fairly easy recipe at FamilyFreshCooking.com and you won’t be disappointed!

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

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Health Benefits of Fiber

• Helps lower the risk of heart diseases and some cancers

• Fiber aides in digestion

•Fiber encourages hydration

• Increases Satiety

•Helps lower overall cholesterol levels

Different Types of Fiber

Soluble Fiber - This type of fiber binds with fatty acids in your stomach and as it travels down the GI tract. The soluble fiber prolongs digestion, slows the absorption of sugars and fats, and helps regulate blood sugar. Studies also show that soluble fiber can help lower LDL cholesterol (harmful type of cholesterol) and reduces the overall cholesterol count.

Prebiotic Soluble Fiber – This type of fiber feeds the protective bacteria in your colon and stimulates immune-cell production, which promotes a healthy immune system.

Insoluble Fiber - This type of fiber adsorbs a lot of water as it travels down the GI tract, which prevents constipation and increases the frequency of stools. Insoluble fiber helps remove toxins from your colon, balances intestine acidity, and helps move waste through the intestines and the bowel.

Dietary Fiber – This type of fiber has been shown to help ease the symptoms of certain digestive disorders.

Recommended Intake of Fiber

The average adult needs anywhere from 25 grams to 40 grams of fiber on a daily basis. Most adults get less than half of the recommended daily amount, which can cause a lot of negative health effects.

Foods High in Fiber

Avocado – 11 grams for one (medium)

Kidney Beans – 8.2 grams per serving

Wheat bran – 8 grams per serving

Pear – 5.5 grams for one (medium)

Lentils – 5 grams per serving

Prunes – 4.5 grams per serving

Split Peas – 4.4 grams per serving

Raspberries – 4 grams per serving

Apples -3.1 grams for one (medium)

Oranges – 3.1 grams for one (medium)

Butternut Squash – 3 grams per serving

Flax seeds – 2.7 grams per tablespoon

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

Image Credit: thenutritionpost.com

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I made these baked beans from scratch, and they were pretty easy and delicious! Now my husband prefers this over the canned stuff – yay!

Ingredients:

2 cups dried Navy Beans

15.5 oz Turkey Bacon, cut into small pieces.

1/2 onion, chopped

3 tbsp Molasses

2 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 tsp dried Mustard

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup Maple Syrup

1/2 cup Ketchup

Instructions:

Step 1) Cook beans on a pot with at least 10 cups of water. Boil for about 4 hours, or until tender.

Step 2) Preheat over to 325. Add all of the ingredients together in the pot and stir.

Step 3) Pour pot of all ingredients into a casserole dish. Cover with tin foil

Step 4) Bake for 1 hour. Let cool and enjoy!

Notes:

When cooking the beans, there should be very little – if any – water left in the pot by the time the beans are done cooking. If there is a lot of water in the pot, drain the water out. If there is a very little amount  of water in the pot with the beans (like 1/2 cup or less), go ahead and leave the water in there.

This recipe is super easy and delicious! It may take time to cook the beans, but you can definitely multi task. I would encourage you to check up on the beans to make sure that there is enough water in the pot for the beans to cook.

You won’t feel guilty about eating these Baked Beans, and it’s a recipe that you can show off at the next potluck!

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

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The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease. – Thomas Edison

The more I think about it, the more I realize that the common medicine used today is not “Traditional” by any means. I urge you to study and understand the importance of natural medicine, the only “traditional” medicine that allows your body to heal without harmful side effects. The more I study nutrition, the more I realize that you can heal your body with herbs, spices, and the healthy whole foods you can choose to eat.

What is your favorite natural remedy?

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

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1. Turmeric

Ingredients: 

3 tsp Chili Powder

1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

3 tsp dried minced Onion

1 tsp Cornstarch

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp ground Cumin

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients and use in replace of taco seasoning mix.

Notes:

You can add this healthy seasoning to tacos, burritos, or anything else that you would normally use a typical taco seasoning mix with.  You can make it in bulk and store the mix in a air tight container in the fridge for up to a year.

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Traditionally, people like to include a lot of candy in their Easter baskets. Some of the most common treats for an Easter basket is Marshmallow PEEPS®, Cadbury Cream Eggs®, Robin’s Eggs, and Jelly Beans. These may taste great, but they are full of sugar and extremely bad for your health.

Since I didn’t want an Easter basket full of junk food, I decided to come up with some healthy ideas for those looking for new Easter basket traditions.

Ideas for an Easter Basket

• Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies or Bunny Grahams.

• Bubbles

• Trail mix

• Easter themed coloring book and crayons

• Natural nail polish – bright colors!

• Tonka plush Easter Basket

• Earthbound Farm® Mini Peeled Carrots

• Sidewalk Chalk

• Coloring kit for hard boiled eggs

• Carrot Cake flavored LÄRABAR®

• Jump rope

• Dried fruit

• Easter themed stickers

• Seed packets for favorite fruit or vegetable.

If you have any additional ideas, please feel free to add your ideas in the comments!

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

Image Credits: bolthouse.com;

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Why we Sweat

Your body has a natural process that it goes through to help cool and regulate the body’s temperature. The heart pumps more to increase circulation, which improves your cardiovascular system. This process is known as perspiration, or sweating.

Benefits of Sweating

Our bodies are full of toxins! You obviously don’t want to have toxins in  your body, since it can cause damage to your body’s cells. The toxins could be excess sodium, pesticides, heavy metals (like lead and mercury), nicotine, and alcohol.

These toxins get in your body because of the foods you eat, the liquids you drink, and the environment you live in. You can’t completely avoid toxins, because environment is a huge factor that we can’t completely avoid. You can prevent a lot of toxins from getting in your body, since what you eat and what you drink is your choice. You can remove these toxins in a natural and effective way by sweating.

When your sweat comes from exercise, one of the benefits is an increase of endorphins.

Like I mentioned before, the body’s natural way of cooling itself down is through sweating. This is a great benefit, especially with endurance exercises, such as marathon running. I remember running my first marathon, and I wasn’t used to running outside with steep inclines and the sun glaring down at me. Sweating was my body’s way of cooling myself down, which helped me finish the race.

When your body’s temperature increases, it mimics a fever and helps boost your immune system. Sweating is a natural way for your body to heal.

Sweating is also a great way to cleanse your skin, which could help get rid of acne.

Sweat More

There are multiple ways to sweat:

• Sauna’s and Jacuzzi’s

• Heat

• Exercise

It would be best for you to sweat because of a really good workout. Exercise is more beneficial than going outside and sweating because it’s hot outside. Exercise is more beneficial than sitting down in a sauna or jacuzzi. I encourage you to go to the gym, hit the dance floor, play a sport, or enjoy a nice long swim. Just remember to keep moving and enjoy the many benefits that sweating – and exercise – has to offer you.

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

Image Credit: sweatblock.com

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One moment we are told that carrots are healthy for us, and the next moment we are told that carrots are bad for you. They both can’t be true, so which is it?

Why some ditch the Carrot

When the low carb diets became more popular, carrots were an avoided vegetable because of their high glycemic index. The important thing to know is the glycemic load – not the glycemic index – is only 4 grams of carbohydrates per serving.  This means that the glycemic load is only a 3 out of 40, which means you would have to eat a lot of carrots to get any significant rise in blood sugar. This also means that “carrots are full of sugar” is an inaccurate statement. Some diabetics will still have their doctor advise them against eating carrots, which is up to you if you decide to listen to your doctor in that case. For everyone else, you should be just fine eating carrots, and enjoying their many health benefits.

Carrot’s Health Benefits

Carrots are full of carotenoids, which have been associated with a decrease of up to 50% in bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophageal cancer. In addition to this, carotenoids have also shown a 20% decrease in post-menopausal breast cancer.

Recent studies have shown that as little as one carrot a day could possibly cut the rate of lung cancer in half.

Carrots contain alpha-carotene, which is a type of carotenoid, where recent studies have shown benefits that may lead to inhibiting tumor growth.

Carrots are a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, both are types of carotenoids, and when these two nutrients work together, they have shown that they protect the eyes and help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.

The alpha-carotene and beta-carotene in carrots convert in the body into Vitamin A, which raises the effectiveness of the light-sensitive area of the retina, which can help with night blindness.

Eating Carrots

You can enjoy the health benefits of carrots , either raw or cooked. If you want to get the most of the carotenoids in the carrots, eat them with a little bit of healthy fat, which helps you absorb the nutrients better since carrots are a fat-soluble vegetable.

I prefer not to have carrots juiced. When juicing, you use a lot of carrots and end up removing the natural fiber in the process, which makes for an increase in sugar concentration in the juice.

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

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It’s time you start benefiting from fresh fruits and vegetables that are in Season! Not only will you enjoy a more delicious and fresh flavor from your produce, but you will also be able to save money when you buy fruits and vegetables that are in Season.

This list I have provided shows which fruits and vegetables are in Season throughout the year. It will depend upon where you live, but this list is general enough to give you an idea of when produce is typically available.

Spring (March – May)

• Broccoli
• Lettuce
• Mangoes
• Pineapple
• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Rhubarb
• Peas
• Zucchini
• Apricot
• Cherries

Summer (June – August)

• Watermelon
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Beets
• Cantaloupe
• Corn
• Cherries
• Lettuce
• Peaches
• Apricots
• Cucumbers
• Figs
• Limes
• Green Beans
• Kiwi
• Summer Squash
• Tomato
• Eggplant
• Plums

Fall (September – November)

• Pomegranate
• Apples
• Cranberries
• Grapes
• Coconut
• Lettuce
• Persimmon
• Beets
• Eggplants
• Pumpkins
• Spinach
• Tomato
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts
• Limes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Pears
• Winter Squash
• Mushrooms
• Oranges
• Tangerines

Winter (December – February)

• Cranberries
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Oranges
• Papayas
• Pears
• Coconut
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Mushrooms
• Pomegranate
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tangelos
• Tangerines
• Cabbage
• Leeks

In Season All Year

• Avocados
• Banana
• Celery
• Carrots
• Onions
• Peppers
• Potatoes

Feel free to use this list as a reference guide throughout the year to help you buy fruits and vegetables in Season.

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

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Pasteurized Milk versus Raw Milk

The pasteurization process is when the milk is heated to 150 degrees for at least a half hour and then reducing the temperature. This process accomplishes two things; First, it kills the bacteria and nutrients out of the milk, and secondly, it transforms the physical structure of the milk protein to prevent the milk from souring.

The pasteurization process destroys good bacteria and digestive enzymes. Because the important nutrients are gone, companies fortify their milk with vitamins and minerals.

Another effect of the pasteurization process, is that the milk’s natural sugar, called lactose, turns into beta-lactose. Ever heard of “lactose intolerance”? Someone who is lactose intolerant is unable to digest the beta-lactose found in milk products. Interestingly enough, someone who is lactose intolerant is able to drink raw milk without any adverse effects.

I have personally read about this “theory” for years, but I wanted to find out for myself whether this was actually true. I had my husband, who is lactose intolerant, drink a cup of raw milk. He was admittedly nervous about a possible reaction, but drank the raw milk anyways. To his surprise, he had no issue with drinking the raw milk! The next day, he had another cup of raw milk. Still no problems! The reason he had no issues is because the natural digestive enzymes in raw milk weren’t heated out of the milk, and he was able to digest it just fine.

Raw Milk for consumption comes from grass fed cows (no grains) that are not given any hormones of any kind. The milk from these cows do not go through pasteurization or homogenization processes, and all of the beneficial bacteria, enzymes, amino acids, and vitamins are present.

Is Raw Milk Safe?

Almost any food source poses a possible risk of getting someone sick, so there is a possibility of becoming sick from drinking contaminated raw milk. Fortunately, the risk of getting sick from raw milk is very small. Let me explain the two types of raw milk to understand the risk.

The dairy cows used to produce the pasteurized milk sold in the United States are fed grains, given hormones, and are raised in very unsanitary conditions. These conditions affect the cow’s health and the quality of their milk. These factory farming conditions are the reasons why the milk has to be pasteurized in the first place. If this milk wasn’t pasteurized, it wouldn’t be safe to drink.

Organic farms that allow their cows to roam freely and eat grass (which is much healthier for them), they produce milk that is safe to drink without the pasteurization process. In addition to this, the milk coming from these cows must meet or exceed pasteurized milk standards without ever pasteurizing the milk.

The FDA is trying to ban raw milk, saying that it is unsafe for consumption, yet their is no evidence to back this claim up. I have heard about more salmonella outbreaks coming from peanut butter than I ever have from raw milk.

Here is an excerpt from the Weston A. Price Foundation website, which further explains my point:

Except for a brief hiatus in 1990, raw milk has always been for sale commercially in California, usually in health food stores, although I can remember a period when it was even sold in grocery stores. Millions of people consumed commercial raw milk during that period and although the health department kept an eagle eye open for any possible evidence of harm, not a single incidence was reported. During the same period, there were many instances of contamination in pasteurized milk, some of which resulted in death.

Why Raw Milk is Illegal in some states

Public health officials have warned consumers that raw milk poses the risk of transmitting bacteria, such as salmonella. Their concern has given them their rationalization for pasteurizing the milk. The pasteurization process extends the milk’s shelf life, making it much more profitable for the dairy industry.

As more consumers are realizing the benefits of raw milk over pasteurized, one would think the dairy industry would follow suit and meet the new demands. Unfortunately, because of the conditions of their farms, they simply cannot produce raw milk that would be safe for consumption. They would have to have more land for their cows to roam freely. They would have to allow the cows to develop naturally rather than giving them growth hormones to speed up the process of milk production. The factory farms would have to make a lot of changes. They rely a lot on the pasteurization process, since it allows them to produce more milk in less amount of time, which means more money.

It all comes down to this: The reason for the ban is based on profit rather than safety.

Campaign for Real (Raw) Milk

Protect your right to choose raw dairy! You can help by joining the Raw Milk Campaign, which is a project created by the Weston A. Price Foundation.

If you would like to benefit from raw milk, you can find raw milk that is from healthy and clean cows that are grass fed.

Everyday you are voting. How? You vote with your pocket book.

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

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You can buy your own 72 hour backpack that has most everything in it, but a lot of them come with unhealthy food (lots of sodium, sugar, etc.), so I have come up with a list of items you may want to include for you and your family.

The items listed below are meant for one adult.

Water

This is one of the most important things you can have in any emergency kit. You can survive up to three weeks without food, but you can only survive three days without water. Because you never know what you will need your 72 hour backpack for, it’s important that you prepare the best you can.

Plan on needing at least 8 cups (64 ounces) of water each day. Since this is for a 72 hour backpack (3 days), you should pack 24 cups (192 ounces) of water. If you can carry more water, that would be ideal.

Food

In the event of an emergency, you need to provide your body with as much nutrients as possible, versus loading up on sugar and sodium. Here are some ideas on what you may want to consider packing in your own 72 Hour Backpack.

• Fruit such as Raisins and Fruit Leathers that have no added sugars.

• Food Bars such as LaraBar® or CLIF® Bar

• Protein such as Jerky, Nutrition Bites, or unsalted mixed Nuts or seeds.

• Gum and/or Mints.

I have a reminder set for every six months so that I can rotate my food out before it expires. Buy food that you already eat and enjoy!

First Aid

You never know what you will need, so plan for the worst and hope for the very best. In addition to supplies, it would be helpful to have safety instruction as well, such as CPR training.

• Standard First Aid Kit

• Prescription Medications and Vitamins

Helpful Supplies

In addition to having a sturdy backpack that can carry everything, there are some supplies that you may want to consider packing in your 72 Hour Backpack, depending on space available and how heavy the items are.

• Flashlight

• Radio (battery operated )

• Batteries

• Flares

• Water-Proof Matches

• Whistle

• Dust mask

• Swiss Army knife

• Toothbrush and toothpaste

• Sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, and a warm hat

• Emergency Blanket

• Extra prescription eye glasses, hearing aid, or other vital personal items

Special Circumstances

If you have a child that is too young to carry their own backpack, make sure you include their food and water in your own 72 hour backpack.

Very young baby’s may need a formula and a bottle, or baby food available to them in case of an emergency. Plan ahead, and update your backpack to fit the needs of your families.

Get Started Today

You can start putting your 72 Hour Backpack together today. There are plenty of resources that can help you learn about what additional items you will want to add to your 72 Hour Backpacks. I just touched on mainly the food and water portion of the backpack, but there is so much more than is involved with putting your backpack together. Start small, and work your way up.

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

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Check out Kelly’s realistic approach to weight loss.

Emotional Eating

Kelly Osbourne faced drug addictions in the past, and when she cleaned up her life, she ended replacing drugs with food.

When people get upset or overly stressed, a common “solution” is eating. Emotional eating is a big reason why people gain weight, and once recognized, can be resolved.

When Kelly was on Dancing With The Stars, she realized she needed to change her diet so she can have the energy she needed to rehearse the dance moves for the show.

“The three things I did to really change my diet were: Start eating breakfast, drink water instead of soda, and always have a snack in the evening.” -Kelly Osbourne

Find the Exercises you enjoy

Just from making healthy changes to her diet mixed in with dancing, Kelly lost 20 pounds. So when the show was over, she knew she needed to do something to keep the momentum.

Kelly began taking long hikes several times a week, and soon started going to the gym. She found that she enjoys group exercise classes with her friends, and discovered Plyometrics. She says it’s a “killer” workout, but it’s worth it since she is seeing the results.

Since combining a healthier diet with her regular exercise, Kelly lost another 30 pounds, and is quite happy with her size 2 figure.

Weight loss: Permanent or Temporary?

When you lose weight, do you ever wonder if it is going to be permanent or temporary? You don’t have to wonder anymore!

Make sure that you maintain the healthy lifestyle you have created for yourself when you were trying to lose weight.

“It was never just about the weight loss.” – Kelly Osbourne

I love that Kelly Osbourne said that she isn’t dieting. She eats a healthy breakfasts, exercises daily, and avoids soda and candy. Kelly still allows herself to enjoy an occasional pizza or cookie, but doesn’t overdo it.

What do you think of Kelly’s weight loss success?

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

Image Credits: exposay.com

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It’s easy to be healthy while you “go green” for St. Patrick’s day! I suggest you stay away from the cupcakes with green frosting and stick to the food that is naturally green.

Green Snacks: Raw Fruits & Vegetables

kiwi

cucumber

green grapes

avocado

pear

broccoli

green apple

sugar snap peas

Green Meal or Snack Ideas

•Make hard boiled eggs and then dye them green.

•Celery with spinach dip.

•Add Isagenix Greens!™ to your IsaLean® Shake for a deliciously green beverage.

•Guacamole with green vegetable chips.

•Try the Spinach Pancakes by Dr. Praeger’s, which doesn’t taste like spinach. Either way, it tastes better than it looks!

•Avocado sandwich

•Zucchini Bread

What other healthy green foods do you like to enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day?

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

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You can start by ditching the Lucky Charms®, and make yourself a very easy and very green breakfast that your taste buds are sure to love!

Ingredients: 

•10 large eggs: 2 whole, 8 egg whites

•1 cup of fresh spinach

•1 teaspoon coconut oil

•Pinch of salt and/or pepper

Instructions:

Step 1) In a blender, mix the eggs and spinach until spinach is blended in thoroughly.

Step 2) Warm skillet, and add coconut oil to pan. Spread the oil to evenly distribute on the pan.

Step 3) Add egg and spinach mixture along with desired salt and pepper to the warmed skillet. Cook as you would normally cook scrambled eggs.

Notes:

The reason I choose spinach is because it’s easy to puree and it makes all of the eggs green. This recipe serves two adults.

This is a great way to add vegetables to your breakfast, and great for any time of the year – not just St. Patrick’s day!

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

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Gweneth Paltrow, who is a 38 year old mother of two, was asked in a recent interview what her secret is for staying in such great shape.

“Exercise, Exercise, Exercise” -Gweneth Paltrow

That’s right! There is no magical formula or “secret” to having a great body. In addition to eating healthy, it takes making exercise a regular routine rather than just a one time event.

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

Image Credit: Country Strong Premiere

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When Low Calorie doesn’t mean Healthy

I went searching for what consumers thought was a great low calorie snack for weight loss. Here are some of the most common low calorie snacks consumers suggested to others, and my suggestions of healthy alternatives.

•JELL-O Brand Gelatin and Pudding Snacks- The low calorie snack packs make this product easy to consume on a daily basis, which is concerning once you read the label and see what ingredients are listed in the product. They may be labeled as sugar-free and fat-free, but there are tons of artificial sweeteners and unhealthy ingredients you just shouldn’t be putting into your body.

Alternative- You can make your own Pudding using Dr. Oetker’s Organic Pudding mix. You can make a small batch and divide it into small serving size containers to enjoy throughout the week. This product still contains sugar, but I think this is a better alternative than the snack packs mentioned above, but still should be used only in moderation.

•Quaker® Rice Cakes - What’s not healthy about a low calorie snack that is gluten free containing 9 grams of whole grains in it? Lots of sugar and corn syrup. Once you add the sugar and corn syrup (among other things) to the healthy ingredients, it’s no longer healthy.

Alternative- If you are looking for a yummy whole grain, check out Arrowhead Mills® Organic Puff cereals. You will find that there is only one ingredient in this product, just how it should be! They taste fantastic plain or with your choice of milk.

•Popcorn- These are usually full of ingredients that are anything but real butter. Lots of chemically altered ingredients and additives.

Alternative- Buy popcorn with nothing added or make it yourself.

•Frozen Desserts- Consumers recommended Sugar-Free Fudgsicles, Low-Fat Ice Cream Bars from The Skinny Cow®, and Sugar-Free Ice Pops. Notice a common theme here? Companies are selling frozen desserts in small quantities and replace the sugar and/or fat with even more harmful artificial ingredients and tell you that they are now healthy because they have fewer amounts of calories. Sadly, a lot of consumers fall for this gimmick.

Alternative- I love Organic Blackberry Sorbet Bars by Julie’s Organic. Natural ingredients with no sugar or artificial sweeteners added. You can also try making your own healthy desserts, such as frozen grapes!

•Dannon Light ‘n Fit Non-Fat Yogurt- This is made with Splenda®, and goes along the same line as the gelatin and pudding snacks.

Alternative- All Natural Yogurt or Greek Yogurt with no added ingredients.

•100 Calorie Snack Packs- These low calorie snack packs were highly suggested by consumers, mainly due to taste and because it’s a “mindless alternative”. You can choose from cookies, crackers, and chips. Low calorie? Yes. Healthy? Not one bit. The company just provided small portions that are prepackaged and sold as low calorie. These products are full of sugar, which creates fat in your midsection. Not something you should do for fat loss, right?

Alternative- There are plenty of healthy crackers or other snacks to much on, without all of the processed ingredients, additives, and preservatives.

•Fiber One® Chewy Bars- Consumers suggested this low calorie snack because they taste like a candy bar. Not surprised, considering these snacks contain a lot of sugar and high maltose corn syrup (a sneaky way of adding a cousin of “high fructose corn syrup” into products).

Alternative- Looking for a chewy bar that tastes delicious? Check out all of the Fruit and Nut Bars by LÄRABAR®. Most of the flavors are made with healthy ingredients, with only six ingredients or less. The Pecan Pie flavor, for example, only has three ingredients; dates, pecans, and almonds. You wouldn’t believe these are healthy and low calorie once you taste how delicious these bars are.

•Campbell’s® Healthy Request® Soup- The soup may only have 90 calories per serving, but with two servings per can, most people are going to eat more than one serving. 180 calories still isn’t all that bad, but considering there are 410 mg of sodium per serving, that means you would be consuming 820 mg of sodium in just one serving. This soup may be marketed as “Heart Healthy”, but that still doesn’t make this soup healthy for you. It’s crazy how marketing works sometimes.

Alternative- Make your own homemade soup. Even if you buy an Organic or All Natural Soup with very few ingredients (think Amy’s Kitchen soups), you are still going to find more sodium than you bargained for.

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

Image Credits: arrowheadmills.com; larabarstore.com

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Meet Three Inspirational Women

I interviewed three women who are Moms that have successfully lost weight after giving birth. They are an inspiration to others by proving that you can skip the crazy diet pills and actually lose the extra “baby weight” in a healthy way.

You will learn a lot from these women, from relating to their weight loss battles and you will find strength in their ability to succeed.

Postnatal Exercise

As a new Mom, it’s important for you to realize that you need to rest and let your body properly heal after having your baby. Your body just went through a lot!

Depending on the type of delivery you had, you may need extra time to heal. Some Moms wait six weeks, while others wait several months before they start to exercise again. Wait for your Doctor to tell you when it’s safe to exercise, as well as listening to your own body’s needs.

There are a lot of exercises for you to choose from, so which types of exercises will work best for you?

For Brenda, who was preparing for a marathon before she got pregnant, she decided to go back to her roots and start running again.

“I love to run! So I started running again and that was great! Running has always been a stress reliever for me, so it felt great to run and leave the stress of having a newborn out on the road.” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.

I think a great way to workout is to involve your baby! Katie talks about how she took her daughter in the stroller and went on walks. It’s a great way to burn some extra calories while letting your little one explore the world outside!

“I took my daughter on walks. I also did a walk at home exercise DVD. It is great!” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.

Are you ready to workout? If you have ever been on bed rest, you can relate to Genine. She had a high risk pregnancy and spent most of it on bed rest. Once she started her exercises, she started with small steps and worked her way up, which is a great way to start a new exercise program.

“…since I was on bed rest for so long I was struggling to even move – so I started with Pilates – twice a week. From there I moved into cardio – and then onto weights – now I maintain cardio 5 days a week, Pilates twice a week and weights twice a week.” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

Genine lost a total of 140 pounds since she had her twin boys! She lost the extra weight in a very healthy way, and said that she is in better shape and more balanced now than before she was pregnant!

Biggest contributing factor in your weight loss success

I understand that with a small child, it can be hard to get your exercise routine back. I asked these wonderful Moms what helped them most with their weight loss success.

Brenda realized that exercise wasn’t the only factor that led to her weight loss. You can’t focus on the reasons why you shouldn’t start eating healthy or exercising again. There’s plenty of reasons to hold you back, but all you need is one to move forward in the right direction.

Katie S. from Draper, UT.

“It is so easy to come up with a million excuses (most of them extremely valid!), but with motivation; nothing stops me!” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.

Be sure to surround yourself with those that are able to support you with your goals. Katie found that having a workout partner is very helpful in succeeding. If someone else is working with you towards the same goals, is seems to help ease the burden of trying to do it yourself.

“My husband worked out with me, and was very encouraging.” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.

Are your thoughts in the right mindset to help you succeed? You need to decide if eating right and exercising is a temporary change or a permanent one. Once you make the decision that this is a lifestyle change, you will start to incorporate healthier habits into your life that will help you reach your health goals.

“Consistency and Patience – this was going to be a lifestyle change and a marathon not a sprint – so even when I didn’t want to workout i did. When I wanted to eat bad, I would stop and think if I still want it after a glass of water 10 minutes from now then I will have it, most of the time I forgot.” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

Time to Motivate Yourself!

Everyone has their reason why they want to lose weight after their baby is born.

What motivated you to get back into shape after giving birth? Losing the extra weight is healthy for you and helps you feel good on multiple levels.

I have to say, I just love what Genine had to say when I asked her what motivated her to lose weight after she gave birth to her twin boys!

“Honestly – I often joke that I wanted someone to think I was the nanny to the twins” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

Every Mom deserves to feel good about the way they look.

Becoming healthy is a journey that doesn’t end with a single decision. Health starts before your pregnancy, during your pregnancy, and a long time afterwards!

Weight Loss: Challenges and Success

Trying to lose weight can be quite the challenge, especially when balancing the hectic schedule of having a little one around the home!

“It was hard to find the time to strength train at home because most workout videos that give good enough workouts are 45-60 minutes! I just don’t have that kind of time. Once I found Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred, it became a whole lot easier! Her workouts are only 20 minutes (almost 30 with warm-up and stretching), but they really kicked my butt! It was perfect!” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.

Everyone faces the challenge of trying to get started, and the first step to losing weight is just making the decision to do something about it. Once you have made the decision to change, you need to create a plan and take action immediately. Don’t wait any longer, and you will reap the many rewards of a healthy lifestyle.

“I sometimes lacked motivation to lose the weight. Then one day I just got really motivated, and started working out everyday, and eating even better.” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.

If you run into a brick wall where you seem to stop losing weight, does this  mean that you have reached your goal weight? Without measuring your body fat ratios, I can’t give you an answer. No matter what the situation, you still have every reason to continue to eat healthy and exercise. Perhaps you can evaluate your current situation and see if there is something you can improve.

“The biggest challenge that I have found is that I would plateau every few months – and would have to go back to the drawing board and change some things up… there are also days when I just don’t feel like working out or being healthy but I have pushed through…” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

Great Advice for You!

These three Moms did it. Now it’s your turn to get back into shape! Here is some practical advice to help you lose the extra weight in a healthy way that will be beneficial for your body.

“Just do something! Even if it small, it is a step in the right direction! Want to eat healthier? Try adding just one extra serving of vegetables to your intake for a week or two, then add another and so on! Also, always eat your vegetables first! Filling up on the healthier options first will cut calories and provide you with more nutrients! Want to be more active? Try taking the kiddos with you for a short walk or go to the park and be active with them! You don’t have to start with long workout hours! Just adding more active minutes into your day will help burn calories! Remember that you don’t have to be active and eat healthy on your own! Your whole family will benefit from it, so include them too!” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.

“It may seem hard to lose weight after your baby is born, but you can do it! Just take one day at a time, and before you know it the weight will be gone!” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.

“Don’t look at the immediate – look at the long term goal!” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

I would like to thank all of them for their willingness to share their story and inspire women to get back into shape after giving birth – in a healthy and safe way.

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

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Meet Crystal Renn.  She is a beautiful woman who is 5’9″, and when she was 16 years old she entered the world of Modeling.

To fit into the Modeling Industry’s standard, she developed an eating disorder by starving herself and exercising up to 8 hours a day in the gym. She weighed only 95 pounds, and could have killed herself. Crystal was told at castings that she still wasn’t thin enough. When she was 18, she stopped exercising and starving herself and finally started to eat…and began eating some more. She ended up fitting into a size 14 and became a very successful plus-size model.

Was becoming a plus-size model better, or just as unhealthy as before?

Right now, Crystal is 24 years old and her main focus is being healthy. This last year she reintroduced a healthy amount of exercise into her life, and started eating better. Because of her healthier lifestyle, Crystal started to lose weight, and she now wears a size 8.

Because of Crystal’s weight loss, the Modeling Industry and critics are giving her a hard time because now she is “too thin” for plus-size modeling, yet still “too big” for traditional modeling.

The End or New Boost of a Modeling Career?

The big question now is, will Crystal’s career as a model be over now that she doesn’t fit into either mold of the Modeling Industry?

Crystal Renn is getting more jobs than ever before! Below is a more recent picture of Crystal, who looks absolutely stunning.

I hope that Crystal will maintain her healthy lifestyle, and allow for us all to see models who focus on being healthy rather than trying to fit into a specific size – big or small. It shouldn’t be about fitting into a specific standard. If you starve yourself and over exercise, it’s not healthy. If you binge eat just so you can stay bigger to remain a plus model, that’s not healthy either. Either extreme isn’t healthy, and with proper nutrition and exercise, Crystal Renn is finally coming to terms with how her body should really look. Not too thin, not too big…just right.

I want to make it clear that there are women who exercise and eat healthy that are a size 2. This doesn’t mean that they are unhealthy because they actually do fit into the Modeling Industry’s standard. Again, it’s all about how you became a size 2 that matters. It’s about taking care of your body and being healthy.

Change starts with You

The Modeling Industry is quite picky. You are either too big or too thin. I am hoping that someday, the Modeling Industry will allow women, like Crystal Renn, to just focus on being healthy.

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

Image Credits: letmeget.com and Harper’s Bazaar shoot for the December  2010 issue

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How it all started…

Cancer survivor David Luks developed deluxe honeydrop™ during cancer treatments at Sloan Kettering two years ago where he learned about the benefits of an organic lifestyle. With that knowledge, he decided to create a drink from the land, not the lab.

I got the idea for honeydrop in the wake of having survived cancer. One day, my nutritionist handed me an article about honey and honey’s many health benefits. The article explained that honey is a naturally sweet byproduct of pollination that contains antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.

Like many of us, David realized that the brands that were promoting their use of honey in products were actually using mostly refined (white) sugar. This of course, defeats the purpose of trying to have a healthy beverage.

Luckily for you and me, David decided to create these healthy and delicious beverages for us – without adding sugar, corn syrup, or artificial products.

Healthy Beverages

Currently, deluxe honeydrop™ includes two organic honey infused organic juices and one organic tea. These beverages are comparable to drinks like Vitamin Water – except these are actually good for you. The beverages contain only 40 calories per serving (2 servings per 16.9 oz PBA-free, recycleable bottle) and each bottle has a spoonful of real honey from Brazil.

The flavors include:

Bee Calm – Chamomile, Tea & Honey

Bee Strong – Blueberry & Honey

Bee Alive –    Blood Orange & Honey

Benefits of Honey

Honey protects against obesity and hypertension; it is lower on the glycemic index (64) relative to sugar (100), making it a more ideal sweetener for diabetics.

Honey is also a great alternative for athletes since it contains glucose and fructose; glucose burns slowly for lasting energy, and fructose burns fast for instant energy and performance.

Honey also naturally helps alleviate sore throats, and contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

I seriously wonder why anyone would anyone want to use processed sugar over honey!

Where to Buy

This is still a relatively new product, so you will want to make sure that you find or request honeydrop™ beverages at your local grocery or health food store!

Right now,  there are 125 Whole Foods stores across the country carrying deluxe honeydrop™ beverages,  with more expansion planned in 2011.

Enjoy the delicious low calorie beverages, and let me know which one is your favorite – I know, hard to choose which one, right?!

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

Image credits: honeydrop.com

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Here’s something you don’t hear very often in Hollywood: “Gain Weight!”

Yes, occasionally, there will be a role in Hollywood where the actor or actress is asked to gain weight for the part, rather than loosing weight. As this may be viewed by some as a positive move within the Entertainment Industry, is it a step in the right direction?

Becoming “Wolverine”

Among the actors who are gaining weight for a movie role, Hugh Jackman is one of them.

In 2009 Hugh Jackman, who is 6’3″, weighed 190 pounds when he filmed X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The Director asked Hugh Jackman to add muscle to his frame, since he wasn’t muscular enough to really be the “Wolverine” we all know in the comics. He needed to look more “thick” and was asked to ”bulk up” for the upcoming film.

“Bulk up”

In a recent interview, Hugh Jackman stated that he now eats 6,000 calories a day, which he states is “rough” do keep up.

In addition to eating more, he had to ramp up his exercise routine as well.

“I do an hour and a half a day in the gym and eat a thousand calories more a day than I would normally. And I train really hard.” -Hugh Jackman

Is this Healthy?

First, are those 6,000 calories a day coming from healthy sources or from sugar and processed junk food? Not all calories are created equal. If the calories are from healthier sources, it won’t have a negative impact on his health like the junk food will.

Second, is Hugh over training himself to add muscle? A huge concern with trying to gain weight in such a limited amount of time is the possibility to injure yourself! I hope he is working with a Certified Personal Trainer (which I am sure he is), which would be able to help him workout effectively, prevent injury, and allow for proper recovery.

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

Image Credit: Examiner.com

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Becoming healthier  is a process…a Journey. We can’t let one weak moment ruin our efforts.

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Jenna Fischer, who is one of the star’s of the hit comedy show The Office, explains that Hollywood’s focus on weight is no laughing matter.

Hollywood’s Pressure to be Thin

When the average person gains a couple of pounds, nobody seems to notice. You get to take your time working off the extra weight, right? What about when you are a famous Hollywood star? Apparently, when you are in Hollywood, gaining a couple of pounds ends up being a pretty big deal.

“In a normal job, if you gain or lose a few pounds, it’s no big deal. But in my business you have to tell someone so that the next time you go to a fitting, the clothes are the right size. It’s really embarrassing to have to say to your manager, ‘I’m now a 6 pant instead of a 4.’ Emails go out, and they CC the agents: ‘Jenna would like everyone to know that she’s now a 6 pant.’ This is why actresses obsess about their weight. It’s not a private affair.” -Jenna Fischer

Would you Obsess too?

If you were in Jenna’s situation (and ever other actress/singer/performer in Hollywood), would you obsess over your weight too? I have a couple of thoughts about Jenna’s comment.

In Jenna’s situation, someone has to provide her with a wardrobe for the TV series. They have to know what her new size is so they can appropriately dress her, right?

I think that women shouldn’t be only concerned about what size they are, especially someone who is at a healthy weight like Jenna Fischer. No matter what size you are, the focus shouldn’t be a number on the scale or a jean size – they can certainly help motivate you if you need it – but the focus should be about eating healthy and regularly exercising.

Being thin doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy”. Those who are anorexic or bulimic are thin, yet they are extremely unhealthy! As you can see, we don’t want to kill ourselves over being thin, since that shouldn’t be our goal anyways. I believe that if the focus is on being healthy,  we will all eventually end up at our ideal weight. Some people need to lose weight. Some people should maintain their weight. And yes, some people should gain weight. It’s about taking care of our bodies in the best way we know how.

Eat healthy more often than not. Exercise, but don’t over do it. Live your life to the fullest.

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

Image Credit: Redbookmag.com

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Why Just Fruit™ Spreads?

Besides the fact that these delicious spreads aren’t full of processed sugars, they are delicious and only made with the most simple of ingredients.

My favorite is the Strawberry Just Fruit™ Spread, which only has 5 ingredients: Concentrated Organic grape juice, Organic Strawberries, Apple pectin, Ascorbic acid, and Citric acid.

The Fruit spreads come in Strawberry, Wild Blueberry, Superfruit, Raspberry, Black  Currant, Blackberry, and Apricot.

Be sure to check out all of the delicious flavors that are available, and make sure you always choose the jams that don’t need processed sugar to taste wonderful.

There’s no need to sacrifice flavor for your health, right?

Serving Size: 1 tablespoon

Calories: 35

More information at: Crofter’s Organic

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

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Natural Birth

She may be known as being a petite supermodel, but I recently learned that Miranda Kerr is one tough woman! Miranda made the decision to have a natural birth, which means that she didn’t use any pain medication while she gave birth to her son, Flynn.

Miranda explains that she had a long and “difficult labour”, but with the help and encouragement from her supportive husband, Orlando Bloom, she was able to make it through the entire birthing process just fine. The happy couple welcomed their baby boy on January 6th 2011, who weighed a healthy 9 pounds and 12 ounces.

Wow! I just keep thinking that if this petite supermodel can do a natural birth to a 9 pound baby, we all can have a natural birth if we decide to have one!

Breastfeeding

The first photo released to the public of little Flynn is that of an intimate moment showing Miranda Kerr breastfeeding her newborn. When woman see celebrities like Miranda choose to breastfeed their own baby, it really helps other woman with breastfeeding awareness and helps to promote the many health benefits that come with it.

Healthy Living

As an expecting or new Mom, it’s all about eating healthy, exercising, and taking care of your body. Miranda Kerr is a supporter of eating healthy, including organic foods, which is not a surprise since she studied Nutrition and Health Psychology at the Academy of Natural Living before she became a professional model. Miranda really takes care of her body in a natural and healthy way, which is something we can all strive to do.

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

Image Source: koraorganics.com

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Big-Boned or Overweight?

At her heaviest, Ricki weighed a total of 260 pounds. She managed to lose 110 pounds when she started to host her own TV show, and she maintained her weight of 150 pounds for 15 years.  Due to her weight, Ricki always thought she was just a big-boned girl. After her final pounds dropped, she realized she wasn’t the big-boned girl she once thought she was.

“I’ve realized that my bones are a lot smaller than I thought.” -Ricki Lake

How Ricki Lake lost the last 30 pounds

You don’t need surgery, you just need to adopt healthy eating habits and an exercise routine!

When Ricki Lake first lost her 110 pounds, she admitted that she didn’t lose it in the healthiest way. She said she felt like she was starving herself, and was absolutely miserable. Yes, she lost the weight, but it wasn’t in the healthiest way.

To lose the last 30 pounds, Ricki started to eat healthier by eating a more balanced diet consisting of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. She didn’t starve herself either, by eating a healthy amount of calories, which was anywhere from 1,200-1,400 calories a day.

In addition to healthier eating habits, Ricki Lake started working out with a personal trainer three times a week to shed her last 30 pounds, which resulted in Ricki Lake’s current weight of 120 pounds and fitting into a slimming size 4.

Weight loss Reward

I am always up for rewarding yourself for achieving healthy weight loss, and it looks like Ricki Lake believes in the same splurge as I do: Shopping! Ricki Lake has said that since her weight loss, she plans on indulging in a whole new wardrobe to show off her newly slimmed body. Want to reward yourself too? Don’t reward yourself with food! You don’t want to train your brain to thinking that candy or junk food is a reward, because you will teach yourself to want it and will try to find ways to treat yourself to it. Find healthier ways to reward yourself, such as a new outfit, painting class, or another hobby you are interested in.

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

Sources: People.com; QuickandSimple.com

Image Source: Getty; Wire Image

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Tummy Time

This helps your baby build a strong core, which strengthens your baby’s stomach, back, and neck muscles.

Why it’s Important: It’s important that your baby’s core muscles are strengthened so that if your baby is ever in a dangerous situation (such as face down and not getting enough oxygen), your baby will have the ability to roll over.

Lifting

Let your baby learn how to lift objects with varying weight and size,  such a baby’s rattle, toy keys, or Alphabet blocks. It will be a fun way for your baby to learn how to hold objects as well as build strength in the arms.

Why it’s Important: Building strength in the arms is an important step for your baby, which helps your little one push up and eventually crawl!

Kicks and Swatting

This is a fun way for your baby to build flexibility and coordination. Babies are naturally flexible, but it still takes work to build dexterity and stability. Kicking a targeted object is a good way to help your baby understand depth perception as well as cause and effect.

Why it’s Important: Kicking and swatting helps to increase leg strength and muscle control which eventually leads to crawling.

Twisting and Bending

Allow your baby to gently stretch since this is a great way for baby to gain flexibility and coordination which helps provide precise movement.

Why it’s Important: This will help your baby roll over from one side to the other.

Sources: Parenting.com

Your baby is just like you when it comes to getting bored with the same workouts. Switch things up and keep it interesting and fun for your baby!

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

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Drew Carey’s feet were hurting so much while hosting for The Price Is Right, he sometimes had to resort to using a cane. Carey weighed 260 pounds and confessed that at one point he was afraid to step on the scale. Carey stated that he didn’t want to live trying to reach a certain number on the scale, but he wants to live to be healthy.

Carey has the right idea, by saying he is choosing to “live to be healthy”. I couldn’t agree with him more!

Motivated to Make a Change

Drew Carey admitted to Parade, ”I always thought I was going to die before I was 60″, which is no surprise Carey thought this since his father died of a heart attack when he was just in his 40′s.

Carey decided he needed to make some big changes in order to save his own life and not fall under his father’s footsteps. Carey ended up trading his daily greasy hamburgers for healthier foods in moderation and picked up an active lifestyle.

After creating a healthier lifestyle, Carey ended up losing more than 85 pounds!

Noticeable Difference

Drew Carey said that he has “tons more energy now” since he has lost his extra weight. You can just tell from recent interviews with Drew Carey that he is so much happier with himself now. One thing I know for sure, it just feels good to be healthy!

What do you think of Drew Carey’s weight loss success? I appreciate Drew Carey for showing us that it’s never too late to start eating healthy and exercising – Thank you Drew!

Image Credit: WENN, PicApp

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Small Changes = Big Results

Kourtney focuses on eating small, healthy meals every 2 hours such as Salmon and Brown Rice. Eating every couple of hours is a great way to stay healthy without feeling hungry all of the time. It’s how I personally maintain, or even lose, my weight!

Kourtney does admit though, that she does have a daily splurge of a cookie or a mini doughnut. She now knows that it’s all about having one or two rather than eating the whole box!

Kourtney now weighs 95 pounds, which is not an unhealthy weight considering how short she is!

“It’s about being a healthy mom, not a certain weight.” -Kourtney Kardashian

I believe Kourtney was focused on the right things, such as being healthy and being a good mom, rather than obessessing about what’s on the scale. A great example for us all, don’t you think?

Workout Partner

Kourtney went to the gym with her sister, Khloe Kardashian, which helped her stay motivated and coming back to the gym every week. Kourtney was motivated to go to the gym knowing that her sister was waiting for her. I am happy for Kourtney who had such a great sister to workout with, which helped her reach her goals.

Strange how it’s easier to bail on ourselves rather than other people. If this is you, find yourself a dedicated workout partner and hit the gym together.

Quick-Trim

I am not too surprised about this, but just like her sister Kim Kardashian, Kourtney is promoting a specific product in her featured weight loss article in OK! Magazine. As you may have already guessed (or known),  Kourtney Kardashian, along with her sisters Kim and Khloe, are the official spokespersons for Quick-Trim. It shows by how often Quick-Trim is mentioned in Kourtney’s interview, where she says little blurbs like, “Quick-Trim Fast Shakes are a fave”. Well, for how much money she is getting from Quick-Trim, I bet they are her “fave”!

The question remains, do you need to buy Quick-Trim to have the same weight loss success as Kourtney Kardashian? The answer is “no”. I find that the main reason Kourtney lost weight, by eating healthy and exercising, is all you need to experience the same weight loss success as she did.

What do you think is the biggest contributor to your weight loss success?

Image Credit: Kourtney Kardashian

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During Kendra’s pregnancy, her diet became a “free for all”.

” I had no boundaries. I just ate, ate, ate. I just said, ‘This is my time, these are my nine months, I can just have fun, how big can I really get?’ Sixty pounds! I gained 60 pounds!”  -Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett

After giving birth to her son in December 2009, Kendra soon tried to lose the extra weight.

Kendra, at only 5’4″, went from weighing only 105 pounds to reaching her maximum weight of 165 pounds after pregnancy. For someone with such a petite frame, it was no wonder that Kendra was shocked that she had gained so much extra weight in just 9 months.

Kendra’s “After” Photo:

How Kendra lost 40 Pounds

Kendra credits her weight loss to the following:

Eating Healthy – Kendra has cut out almost all junk food from her regular diet! She eats healthier foods, including healthy smoothies and she sometimes nibbles on her baby’s food.  Of course, you can make your own pureed foods for you and your baby!

Abdominal Cuts – Of course Kendra is crediting Abdominal Cuts for her weight loss! Why? Kendra promotes the company (also known as “Abcuts”)and gets paid for it. Actually, Kendra gets paid a lot for saying she credits this for her weight loss. Did Kendra actually use this to help her lose weight? Maybe. We will never know. What I do know is this: This fat burning pill is not the answer to your weight loss. If you really want to lose weight, do it the healthy way and you will keep it off!

Exercise - Kendra gets her exercise by taking regular walks and hitting the gym.

Kendra’s real weight loss “secret”?

Kendra said she stopped obsessing about her weight and the number on the scale.

Kendra said “The second I stopped obsessing  was the second I started to see results. I started to look good and feel good.”

It’s all about making the decision and focusing on what you really want, which is being healthy. Kendra credits a lot of her motivation for getting back into shape to her husband, Hank Baskett.

Congratulations to Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett for losing 40 pounds and making her health a priority again!

Image Credit: Kendra Wilkinson

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

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Kim Kardashian goes Old School

She was able to lose the extra weight by some good old fashioned exercise! She kicked up her routine by doing lots of cardio, weight lifting, and even an intense boot camp routine.

Kim Kardashian said “My mom always taught us, like, no matter if you’re skinny, no matter if you’re fit, you always need cardio. Go on walks. Walk on the treadmill. Run. You need stuff to get your heart healthy.”

I am proud of Kim for hitting the gym to shed her extra weight!

Kim Kardashian’s Diet

Kim is sticking to a strict diet from Sunfare, which is a food delivery service that provides portion controlled meals that are only 1,100 calories a day.

Kim said “It’s the only diet I can stick to”.

Pros: The concept of Sunfare is pretty nice; No thinking about what you are going to eat and no trips to the grocery store where you can get tempted to buy (and then later eat) unhealthy foods.

Cons: If you wanted to buy your 6 meals a day (3 meals and 3 snacks) from Sunfare, it would cost you $68.20 a day! This is an extremely expensive diet for prepackaged meals that aren’t as healthy as food you could be making yourself at home.

Solution: Come up with a healthy meal plan and stick to your list when you go grocery shopping. Instead of buying junk food for your snacks in-between meals, buy fruits and vegetables!

Tip: An organic apple or a little bag of organic baby carrots is a lot cheaper and healthier than any prepackaged snack.

Image Credit: WENN; Splash

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

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In the modeling industry where the pressure to be thin is so intense, models have become obsessed on the idea of becoming skinny.  It all started when Isabelle Caro was 13 years old, when a fashion designer told her that she needed to lose weight if she wanted to be in the fashion industry.  Isabelle said that she started to stop eating in order to lose weight to become a model. This was the beginning of the end of Isabelle Caro.

Wake up Call

Isabelle had a rude awakening as to how Anorexia was slowly killing her when she ended up in the hospital  with a Coma in 2005. It was a wake up call for her, and she said  ”I have to do something” about her Anorexia. Isabelle decided to move to Southern France to seek medical help and start her road to recovery.

Anti-Anorexia Campaign

Isabelle gained international fame in 2007 when she first starred in an Italian anti-anorexia campaigns, which showed pictures of her emaciated body only weighing in at around 62 pounds. She participated in these shocking ads to bring awareness of the ugly side of Anorexia. Isabelle knew how unhealthy she was, how unhealthy she looked and felt. Isabelle was too weak and frail, and she knew that she had to do something to educate women across the world about the dangers of anorexia.

Effects of Anorexia

Anorexia can cause many harmful things to the body. When the body doesn’t get enough food, it goes into starvation mode. The body ends up consuming itself which leads to many medical and painful complications.

In late November of 2010, French model Isabelle Caro died of Anorexia. She was only 28 years old.

Where to get Help

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Image Credits: Isabelle’sBlog; WomensHealth.gov

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All of the buzz these days seem to be about the soon-to-be Princess Kate Middleton and her family. The questions from the public are “Who is she?” and “What’s her family like?”.

The newest question that everyone wants to know is how Kate’s mom, Carole Middleton, will get camera-ready for her daughter’s big Wedding day. According to People.com, Carol Middleton has been doing The Dukan Diet by Dr. Pierre Dukan.

The Dukan diet consists of four stages which dieters are able to select from a total of 100 foods; 72 foods which are high in protein, and the other 28 foods are different types of vegetables you can choose from.

The Dukan Diet’s Celeb Status

Carole Middleton is not the only one who is crediting the Dukan Diet to their weight loss. The Dukan Diet is becoming a bit of a celebrity itself as it becomes a bestseller in Britain in addition to selling more than 2 million copies in France. Who else has used The Dukan Diet for weight loss? Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Supermodel Gisele Bündchen have been on The Dukan Diet to help them lose weight.

Not sure if you have learned this yet, but not all Celebrity diets are healthy or even right for you. Before you jump on this new diet craze, let’s educate ourselves a little bit more about this diet.

Should you do The Dukan Diet?

Just because Kate Middleton’s Mom, Carole Middleton, is doing the Diet, should you too? Not surprisingly, a lot of woman will try the new diet out, just because of the Celebrities associated with the Diet. Of course, this is not a reason to try it out.

Here’s some facts about The Dukan Diet that you should take into consideration:

• Encourages very high protein intake, much more than the daily recommended amounts.

• In different stages of the diet, followers lack important nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Fiber, and even healthy fats. In other stages of the diet, followers are consuming too much of one nutrient, such as sodium. An excess of sodium can actually hurt a dieter’s plan to lose weight.

• According to researches at the Institut Pasteur in Lille France, the diet upsets the body’s natural metabolism which can lead to nutritional imbalances.

• Your body needs healthy carbohydrates to function. The lack of carbohydrates causes you to become weak and lethargic. This results in losing your ability to exercise. If you really want to lose weight, exercise is key to your success.

To do, or not to do The Dukan Diet?

Skip The Dukan Diet if you want to lose weight and actually keep it off. Nutritionally speaking, this diet is lacking in a lot of areas. Where it lacks in nutrition it tries to make up for with excessive amounts of protein and salt. While protein and salt is good for you, not in too excessive of amounts. I don’t believe in “no-carb” diets, since our bodies need healthy forms of carbohydrates. Diets like The Dukan Diet are known for temporary weight loss, and usually their followers regain their weight- and then some.

If you want to lose weight, eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly. Weight loss isn’t a temporary fix. It’s called a “Life Change” for a reason! It’s something you work on your entire life, but if you lose weight in a healthy way, it’s a lot easier to maintain your weight since you have changed your lifestyle. I have learned that temporary fixes mean temporary results.

Tell me in the comments: How did you reach (and maintain) your healthy weight?

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

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I hope everyone enjoys their Holiday!

♥,

Twinkie

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Heart Rate Monitor

Everyone seems to like the tech gadgets, so why leave the Health nut in your life wanting? Heart Rate monitors are a great way to stay on track with your health goals.

Gum

Everyone can use Gum, and a healthy gum like Xylitol gum by Epic™ is a perfect stocking stuffer.

Jump Rope

A mini gym in your Christmas stocking? Yes, that is exactly what a jump rope is! This is a great gift for all ages, and something you can do indoors and out (just be careful of who and what is around you!).

Protein

Healthy Trail mix or Organic Beef or Turkey Jerky. The overly sweet stocking stuffers are so overrated!

Book

Everyone could use a great read during the Winter months, and there are plenty of healthy books to choose from. There are Healthy Cook books or great motivational books that help you get moving in the right direction.

Dried Fruit

A healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth is dried fruit. Try to make your own, or buy a bunch that doesn’t have sugar or preservatives added.

Weekend Passes

A unique stocking stuffer for the young at heart: Weekend ski or snowboarding passes! Perfect for any gym rat to get out of the gym this Holiday season. Enjoy your time together!

An Orange

Getting an Orange (not the chocolate kind!) is a family tradition! Every year that I can remember, my Mom would always put an Orange at the bottom of our Christmas stocking. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer since the Orange is in season, it’s delicious and healthy. It’s a Christmas tradition that I  intend to keep!

What’s your favorite Christmas Stocking Stuffer?

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

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Start doing these easy tricks to be on your way to beautiful and sexy hair:

1) Don’t wash your hair every day.

We’ve all seen someone with very oily and dirty hair. We so badly want to avoid this situation, and have been advised to wash our hair every day to avoid such a hair disaster.

How often should you wash your hair?  Everybody’s hair is different, so there isn’t a single answer for everyone.

Your hair has natural oils that are very healthy for your hair. If you over wash your hair, you end up stripping your hair of it’s natural and healthy oils, which your hair needs in order to have a healthy ph balance and moisture.

2) Deep Condition and Moisturize

Most people need some extra help to condition their hair, especially if you opt to dye your hair. For dyed hair, it would be ideal to treat your hair once every two weeks with a deep conditioner like Damage Remedy™ Intensive Restructuring Treatment by Aveda.

To strengthen weak or dry hair, especially during the Winter months, try adding a leave-in conditioner like Fortifying Leave-In Treatment by Biolage.

Another simple trick to add moisture to your hair is having a Humidifier on at night. This helps keep the moisture in the air and helps to prevent your hair from getting too dry.

3) Get the proper Nutrition

If you have a nutrition deficiency, it will have a negative effect on your hair (among other things). A nutrition deficiency, such as not getting enough iron, can cause excessive hair loss.

Have a healthy and well-balanced diet to enjoy beautiful hair. Avoid fad diets…they do nothing good for your hair.

4) When Dying your Hair…

If you decide to dye your hair, there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind.

First of all, don’t dye your hair too often. If you dye your hair more frequently than every 8 weeks, you will be causing serious damage to your hair. The less dying you do, the better.

Second, don’t be cheap. If you buy cheap dye, it’s going to show in your hair. Personally, I go to an Aveda salon to get my hair dyed since their dye is superior and less damaging to my hair.

5) Avoid Heat!

If at all possible, avoid heating your hair. Nothing will damage and dry out your hair like adding heat to your hair on a regular basis. When possible, try to avoid blow dryers (cool air is OK), curling irons, flat irons, hot curlers, etc.

No blow dryers? No curling irons? I know what you are thinking! One of my favorite hair styles is when I curl my hair into big wavy curls (see photo). To keep my hair looking it’s best, I still curl my hair -just sparingly. I try to save my curly hair-do for a hott date with my husband or some other special occasion. Because I curl my hair sparingly, my hair looks fabulous straight or curled.

6) Just say “No” to Alcohol

Stay away from products that have alcohol in them. Once you put hair products that have alcohol in them, it dries out your hair and ends up causing damage to your hair. Usually, you will find alcohol in cheap products you find at the supermarket. Look for high quality products that are all natural.

7) Brush Properly

Like  you’ve probably already heard before, don’t try to brush your hair when it’s wet.

Find the right brush for you. A brush with natural (boar) bristles are a healthy way of distributing your scalps natural oils.

8) Regular Hair Cuts

Getting your hair cut is a great way to get rid of those pesky split ends and keep your hair looking it’s best.

If you are growing out your hair, you should still get your hair trimmed. Be sure that your stylists cuts just enough to get rid of the split ends without compromising any hair growth. If you are following all of these healthy hair steps, you shouldn’t have to have too much of your hair cut off.

Do you have any additional healthy hair tips? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!

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

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Exercise

A great way to start your Thanksgiving day is to exercise. If you plan on consuming more calories because of this traditional high calorie meal, a hearty workout will be very beneficial for you, including your waistline.

Exercise is a great way to start your day, which can also help you maintain healthy choices throughout the day.

You may want to focus on an cardiovascular workout, such as swimming, jogging, or using an elliptical machine. All would be great ways to burn a lot of calories for the day.

Drink Water

Just like any other day, it is important to drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. A benefit to drinking enough water is that you eat less than you would if you were dehydrated, which helps keep you full so you don’t overeat.

Healthy Snacks

Snacking throughout the day is great – only if you munch on healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Remember that Pumpkin pie is a dessert, not a healthy snack to curb your appetite.

Portion Control

Did you know that the average Thanksgiving meal can be 2,000 calories or more? The reason for this isn’t necessarily for what is being eaten, but how much of it is eaten. Be sure to eat a healthy breakfast and snacks before your Thanksgiving Lunch or Dinner. This way, it won’t feel like this is the first and only meal you have had all week.

Healthy Thanksgiving Meal…Mostly!

Be sure to fill your plate with mostly healthy foods rather than piling it with high calorie, fattening, or sugary foods. This way you still get to enjoy some of your favorite traditional food without over indulging.

Remember that treats like candied yams should remain a treat and not become the main course.

Satisfied, not Full

Thanksgiving meal isn’t a race to see who can eat the most in the shortest amount of time. Like any other meal, you shouldn’t continue eating after you are satisfied.

To avoid this painful scenario, be sure to follow these tips:

• Start with just a small amount of food on your plate. If you put a lot of food on your plate from the start, you are more likely to finish your plate, even if you are completely satisfied or full. If you finish your small plate of food and you are still hungry, go ahead and add more food to your plate. It’s easier to add food to your plate later than to test your self control.

• Eat slowly!  It takes about 15 to 20 minutes before your stomach realizes that it is “full”.  At that point, the sick feeling of overeating is unavoidable. It’s Thanksgiving, and it’s OK to eat slowly and enjoy your family and friends.

• Stop eating once you are “Satisfied”. This is a signal that your body gives you letting you know that you have enough food.

Enjoy your family and friends, and have a Healthy Thanksgiving!

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

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Acupressure- This technique is different from Acupuncture. A huge plus is that there are no needles involved. Acupressure involves working with specific pressure points to relieve the morning sickness. Women who put pressure on the area above the wrist on the inside of the forearm (it’s called the Neiguan or “P6″ point) have been shown to help with Morning Sickness. Try this technique several times a day to help with the nausea.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) - This technique has some similarities with Acupressure, where you end up tapping on different pressure points on your face, upper body, and hands while saying specific affirmations aloud. You don’t have to understand exactly how or why this works – just know that it does.

Natural Remedies – There are plenty of proven Natural remedies that you can take for your Morning sickness. You can choose among Ginger, Raspberry Leaves, Chamomile, Peppermint, and Vitamin B6.  You can also try taking Vitamin K  - just be sure to take Vitamin C with it.

Eating Habits – Sometimes a pregnant woman just needs to eat on a more regular basis. Instead of 3 regular sized meals a day, perhaps 6 small meals a day can help relieve some of that morning sickness.

Some pregnant woman try to go on a “diet” – you shouldn’t be on a diet while you are pregnant, but you should focus on eating healthy foods that will provide nutrients to your baby’s body as well as your own.

Sources: The Journal of Reproductive Medicine September 2001; 46:811-814, 835-839

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

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Here’s a simple outline on how I eat every day…

7:30AM – Breakfast

•Ionix Supreme by Isagenix®

•IsaLean Shake (Vanilla) by Isagenix®

-With my shake, I will include IsaPro (whey protein), Greens!, and FiberPro by Isagenix®)

10:00 AM – Snack

•Fruit

-I will try to pick out a different fruit every week. One week I may have an apple, while another week I will have grapes, watermelon or strawberries.

12:00PM – Lunch

•Sandwich

-I always use Ezekiel bread, and I either make an almond butter and honey sandwich, a tuna or salmon sandwich (with mayo replacement) or sometimes a deli sandwich with fresh tomatoes and sprouts. Easy and delicious!

2:00PM – Snack

•Vegetable

-I will have either sliced cucumbers, baby carrots, or some butternut squash.

4:00PM- Snack

•Protein

-I like to have some hardboiled egg whites (4-6) with a dash of sea salt, or a small amount of nuts, like almonds or pecans.

6:00PM – Dinner

•Protein and Vegetable(s)

-I enjoy a healthy dinner like baked Tilapia and steamed Asparagus. I try to make sure I have a small amount of protein joined with a delicious vegetable.

As you can see, I eat small amounts of healthy food all throughout the day.  I am never starving. I don’t allow myself to get to that point. I eat a lot of food…just not all at once.

Also, I make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day!

This outline works for me, and I believe it will work for you too.

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

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Healthy and Tasty Alternative

I was looking for a healthy alternative to Cheddar Cheese slices, and I came across the Cheddar flavored Veggie Slices by Galaxy Nutritional Foods. I have tried them cold in deli sandwiches and warm in grilled cheese sandwiches and even on top of eggs. Every time I use these Veggie slices, nobody can tell the difference between them and real cheddar cheese slices!

More good news…

•Only 40 calories per slice (compared to 60-80 calories per slice)

•No Cholesterol

•Lactose Free

•Gluten Free

•Comes in a variety of flavors: Cheddar, Pepper Jack, American, Swiss, Smoked Provolone, and Cheddar with Jalapeños.

Wow! These Veggie Slices are delicious and a lot healthier for you than regular cheese!

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

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Which is healthier;  Breast milk or Formula?

Research shows that Breast milk is the healthiest option for your small baby. Even though formula has come along way, it still doesn’t quite compare to what Mother Nature has to provide.

Baby’s Benefits

• Perfect balance of Nutrients, which also evolves to meet your baby’s needs throughout development.

• Easy to digest.

• Helps prevent sickness, including Ear Infections, Stomach Flu, Pneumonia, and Digestive Tract Disorders.

• Protection against Diabetes, Heart Disease, Respiratory Infections, and Allergies.

• Improves brain function.

A healthy baby is a happy baby!

Mom’s Benefits

• Helps Mom burn calories! Also, breastfeeding reduces fat stores, which helps you return to your normal weight before you even got pregnant.

• Studies have shown that woman who breastfeed have reduced risks of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

• Breast milk is free. I know this shouldn’t be your reason the breast feeding, but it’s a nice advantage to it!

Formula

Some woman are not able to breastfeed, so choosing the right formula is an important decision to make. Not all formula is created equal.

• Stay away from Soy based formulas. These may be “Lactose Free” and marketed as a healthier choice, but in reality they compromise the health of your baby in many ways. Soy formulas affect the baby’s hormone levels, impair thyroid function, and will expose your baby to dangerously high estrogen levels.

• The average baby formula is based on pasteurized milk. This type of formula can compromise your baby’s digestive system, but still better for your baby when you compare it to Soy formulas.

Interesting thought

For someone who makes a profit from selling formula, what does a company like Gerber® have to say about breastfeeding?

“Breast milk is best for babies and provides the nutrition for cognitive development and physical growth”

If you have the choice, breast milk is the healthiest option for your baby and you!

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

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Regular Exercise

Working out on a regular basis helps with many things. I will briefly discuss some of the many health benefits of working out on a regular basis:

•Drops  Insulin levels -High Insulin levels are dangerous since it is the root cause of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, etc. Cardiovascular Exercise is a natural way to lower your Insulin levels.

•Treats Type 2 Diabetes - A couple of the possible side-effects of Diabetes is Heart Disease and Kidney Disease. Both are very serious conditions, and exercising on a regular basis (including a healthy diet) can greatly reduce the chances of having Diabetes.

•Lowers Blood Pressure – If you have High Blood Pressure, you are at risk for Heart Attacks, Strokes and even Kidney failure. High Blood Pressure can be caused by poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and abundant amounts of stress. To help lower your Blood Pressure, it is important to eat healthy (every day, not temporary!) and Exercise on a regular basis. I have personally found that when I am stressed, I need to have a good work out or else it will negatively effect my health.

•Lowers Cholesterol – High Cholesterol is dangerous because it is something that is seen after many years of poor eating and the effects can be quite serious. High Cholesterol causes a plaque buildup in your arteries which can lead to Heart Disease, Heart Attack, and Stroke. It was once believed that only those who were overweight suffered from High Cholesterol levels, but you can be “skinny” and still have high cholesterol. Like I have said many times before…the whole point of eating healthy and exercising is to be Healthy, not necessarily “Skinny”, because “Skinny” doesn’t always mean “Healthy”. Focus on what’s important here!

•Prevents Obesity – Being overweight and obese causes some serious health concerns. Many people suffer from Impaired Immune Systems, Liver Disease, Arthritis, Heart Disease, Back or Shoulder Pain, Stroke, Sleep Apnea, High Cholesterol, Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, and the list goes on. These are all very serious issues that are all very preventable. Eat well and Exercise on a Regular basis!

•Treats Depression – You would be amazed how much exercising can help prevent and treat Depression! When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are a natural feel-good hormone. Ever heard of a “Runner’s High”? Go out for a run (or walk!) and notice how much better you feel! Bottom line: If you want to be Happy, go Exercise!

“I don’t necessarily believe that you need to take expensive medications to solve many health issues.  The root of the problems are usually because your body is lacking proper nutrition and exercise. Your body needs regular exercise, and most people don’t make the time to exercise as often as their body needs it. ”

~Twinkie

Where to Start?

You may not be able to run, but what about walking? If you can’t walk,  what about clapping your hands or moving your feet? You have got to start somewhere.  Stay consistent, and you will notice the results!

The best way to maximize your exercise regime is to have healthy, well-balanced meals. Your body doesn’t want or need processed sugars, fattening or fried foods- no matter how much you are craving them!

Now it’s time to go out and exercise!

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

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Benefits

•Anti-inflammatory properties

•May help with respiratory problems

•Helps with digestion; Soothe stomach aches and stops diarrhea

•Can help lower blood pressure

•Relieves stress

•May help increase blood circulation

•May help dissolve kidney stones

•Can help treat arthritis

Intake

Spice- Nutmeg is commonly found in the spice isle already grounded and ready to be added to your favorite recipes. Nutmeg is a great way to add flavor and health benefits to any dish. Nutmeg has a strong flavor, so you don’t need to add a lot to your recipe.

Oil- Nutmeg oil can be used to rub or massage onto your skin to help relieve muscle or joint pain. Nutmeg oil has also been known to help detoxify your kidneys (dissolve kidney stones and treat kidney infections).

Precautions

Too much nutmeg can be toxic. You shouldn’t consume more than 3 tablespoons a day, which is actually a lot considering how strong this spice is.

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

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I’ll give you some reasons why a proper warm up and cool down are important.

Warm up

Warm ups should be easy and short. Having a proper warm up helps provide blood flow to your heart and muscles. With the increased blood flow, the lactic acid in the muscles is minimized, which increases the overall performance of the workout. Synovial fluid is released into the joints which allows increased elasticity in the muscles and increased flexibility for the tendons and ligaments. A good warm up also helps activate the nervous system before your workout.

To prevent injury during your workout, be sure to properly stretch after your warm up. Do not stretch before your warm up, since this can cause injury.

Cool down

After your workout, it is very important to allow your heart rate to return back to a normal rate. You should do this by decreasing your pace, slowly by slowly until your heart rate has decreased. You should focus on breathing in slowly as you continue to decrease the intensity of your workout. This should take about 5 minutes, longer if you had a more intense workout.

Stretching after your cool down is important to prevent injury, help relax your muscles, and quite honestly – just feels great to stretch your muscles after you have had a good workout.

Sum it all up…

Here’s the bottom line when it comes to a warm up and cool down: Both help to prevent injury, and help maximize your exercise experience. What good is getting injured when you are trying to lose or maintain weight? It’s important to stay healthy, which includes staying injury-free.

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Want a dessert? Try fresh Organic strawberries! Put Organic whipped cream on top if you are feeling naughty ; )

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I have picked this salad apart with the ingredients involved, and I give you some pretty good estimates on how many calories are in this salad – the Half and Large size.

Nuts about Berries: Half Size

4 cups Romaine Lettuce  = 32 calories

1/2 cup Mixed Berries = 50 calories

1 scoop Cinnamon Honey Almonds = 38 calories

1/4 cup Poppyseed Dressing = 254 calories

Total Calories: 374 calories

———————————————————————————————————————————-

Nuts about Berries: Large Size

5 cups Romaine Lettuce = 40 calories

1 cup Mixed Berries = 100 calories

2 scoops Cinnamon Honey Almonds = 75 calories

1/2 cup Poppyseed Dressing = 507 calories

Total Calories: 722 calories

Now that you know how many calories are in your salad, you can be sure to make a wise choice with your next trip to Cafe Zupas. My main concern comes from the Poppyseed Dressing. Something I have done to help with the calories in the Poppyseed Dressing is to use only half of the amount of  Dressing provided. Soon,  I hope to master a healthier (homemade) version of the Poppyseed Dressing to add to my salad.

Take it easy with the amount of Dressing you use, and enjoy your Nuts about Berries Salad!

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

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Visit your Doctor or Midwife

It’s a good idea to visit with your Doctor or midwife before you try to get pregnant to discuss relevant medical concerns, your pregnancy plan, and answer any questions you may have. If there is any health concerns, they will be able to help you prepare your body for Pregnancy.

Healthy eating habits

You shouldn’t be on a “diet” per se while you are pregnant, but before, during, and after your pregnancy you should have a healthy, balanced diet. If you are eating a lot of fried or sugary foods, you should start eliminating them out of your regular eating habits as soon as possible. You should focus on eating healthy food, not only fuel for your own body, but nutrients that will help develop a healthy baby too.

Prenatal Vitamins

During your pregnancy it’s crucial to have the right amount of vitamins and minerals in your body so that your baby gets the nutrients he/she needs in order to develop. Ideally, you should take Prenatal vitamins at least 6 weeks before you get pregnant. doing this,  you will be able to build up what your own body may be lacking in vitamins and minerals, and may help prepare your body for your developing baby. Folic acid is one of the many nutrients you will need which is found in Prenatal vitamins, and is  crucial to take – especially in the early stages of pregnancy – to prevent birth defects.

Work out

It’s healthy for you and for your baby to be fit before you get pregnant and to stay fit during your pregnancy. Of course,  you will want to make sure you aren’t doing anything too intense while you are pregnant because you don’t want to compromise your baby’s health. It’s not a bad idea to speak with your Doctor or Midwife about what type of exercise is appropriate for you.

Quit those bad habits!

Before you even try to get pregnant, you should stop smoking and drinking alcohol. You don’t want to wait until you have a confirmation that you are pregnant because in most cases, you don’t know you are pregnant until you are 4 weeks along already. As you may already know, consuming alcohol and smoking are extremely harmful to your baby during pregnancy and even after they are born – ever heard of second-hand smoke? Don’t allow your baby to suffer from something they have no control over.

I know it will be hard to stop drinking alcohol and/or stop smoking…but it will benefit you and your family in the long run, and I promise that you won’t regret it when your healthy baby comes!

Labor and Delivery

It’s always good to start with a plan of how you are going to have your baby delivered. Educated yourself on what to expect, what your choices are, and what’s best for you and your baby. If you are planning to get pregnant, or are already pregnant, I recommend watching a documentary called “The Business of Being Born“. It’s controversial and I love it because it will at least give you the other side of the story when it comes to having a baby. I feel that all soon-to-be Moms should at least know about natural births and the benefit that comes from them.

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

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A lot of people wonder why I am even trying to be healthier.  People will actually wonder why I am making a conscious effort to change some bad eating habits of mine. Hey, I am not perfect with my eating and exercising habits.  I am not claiming to be perfect, but I DO want to try my hardest to improve my overall Health.  My question to those who question my motives is “Why not?” There really isn’t anything to lose by improving your health, except for maybe a couple of things you just don’t want anyways.

“Living a healthy lifestyle will only deprive you of poor health, lethargy, and fat.”

-Jill Johnson

I want to be deprived of Poor Health, Lethargy, and excess Fat!

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From my own observations, here are a couple of things you can get in the habit of, to help you become more healthy.

1) Replace your Soda with Water

The average 12 oz can of regular Soda has about 150 calories in it. Multiply that by how many cans of soda you drink aday, and it adds up. Even if you are drinking “diet” soda with 0 calories, that doesn’t make it healthy for you. Swap the Soda and other sugary drinks like juice for water. Your body will thank you.

2) Park your car far away from the store

Get some more walking in your day! Europeans are known for walking a lot, and Americans need to get in this habit as well. Walking is easy on the knees and body, so if you are physically able to, try to make excuses to walk more. Make sure with your added walking, you are wearing comfortable shoes that support your feet. This will not only be better for your body and it’s posture, it will help prevent aches and pains with your added walking and will help encourage more walking.  Every extra step counts!

3) Eat out less or not at all

Practically all fast food and restraunts are breeding ground to loads of saturated fats, oils, excessive sugars, and unhealthy sized portions. When you prepare food at home, you get to have more control on what you are putting into your body. Try to use Coconut oil rather than Vegetable Oil, use Honey or Agave to sweeten your foods rather than using  Sugar or Aspartame, and try to eat plenty of vegetables and smaller portions of meat on your plate.

You can start small. Start with these 3 simple steps that can help you in a big way.

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

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Marketing campaigns know that we are all trying to be healthier, and they are doing everything they can to sell you their product in an angle that makes you think their product makes the cut. They aren’t trying to make their products healthier. What does this all boil down to? The companies just want to make money, and the only way to make money is if you buy their product –whether it’s good for you or not.

Read the labels and ingredients and start learning how to understand what they really mean. It’s almost guaranteed that if something it marketed as “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free”, they are using dangerous replacements which usually end up being worse for you than the actual fat or sugar.

Most people still buy into this marketing scam – don’t let it be you.

2) You don’t get enough sleep

Sleep is underrated – by far. You should get the recommended 8 hours each night, and you will notice some very positive effects from this. Your body will feel rested and better through out the day. You will be more likely to exercise (you have the energy to make it happen), and you have a better chance of overcoming any junk food cravings you may have during the day. When you are more tired, you are more likely to “give in” to temptations. A lack of sleep negatively effects your immune system, which can make you sick. When you are sick, the chances of you keeping up (or wanting to) your work out routine is unlikely. You should consider sleep as being mandatory.

3) You like to try new “Diets”

I have already said in previous posts why I don’t like to “Diet”, but I will briefly say it again here. “Diets” tend to be short term! Make your healthy eating habits a Life style change, and you will see lasting results, which is what you want anyways? No one wants to just gain it all back again and again…so don’t! Lose it and keep it off for good.

4) You think having the occasional treat doesn’t really add up

This one almost makes me laugh, but it’s a reality check for most of us. Just one Oreo cookie is about 60 calories.

And let’s be honest…who only has one Oreo cookie? In my not-so-healthy days, I remember easily eating 10 Oreo cookies (or more), which is half of my daily calorie count. What’s worst is that I find myself still craving more cookies, and I am still hungry!

Check the calories. If your little treat is high in calories and you won’t be able to stop at just one, move on. Find something that will satisfy your hunger. A great alternative is finding a Fruit or veggie that you love and won’t resent when it becomes snack time.

5) You think you are “Naturally this Big” or “Big Boned”

That’s what happened to me too. I thought I was naturally a size 10 or 12. According to all the “medical” and “scientific” charts out there that tell you what your healthy weight range is for your age and height, I was supposed to be around 170 pounds. I don’t know who made up that bull, but if I were 170 pounds, I would not be close to healthy unless I was some body builder. As we all know, most of us aren’t body builders, so I consider those little “healthy weight charts” a piece of trash.

Once I started to get my act together and start taking my health more seriously, and listening to my body’s needs, I got down to 130 pounds and fit nicely into my size 2 jeans. Find your true healthy weight.

6) You think Skinny people don’t need to exercise

This one gets me every time. I hate how I will mention that I went to the gym and someone has to make the statement “You’re skinny, you don’t need to go to the gym”. Yes, someone really did say that to me, and No, I did not listen to them!

Just because you are Skinny, doesn’t mean you are privileged and somehow don’t need to exercise. I don’t care what size you are – Skinny or Overweight, you can benefit from exercising on a regular basis, and quite frankly, your body needs it.

For those who think Skinny people don’t need to exercise: How do you think thin people got to be thin in the first place? The answer is that the thin people exercise and eat healthy regularly. I didn’t become a size 2 by accident and neither did they.

7) You are (still!) skipping Breakfast

Ok, so this one I still don’t get. We have all been told how Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and people are still skipping it! It may be for many reasons. You are “too busy”. Not a good enough excuse people! I wake up at 4:00 AM to go work out, make a healthy breakfast and lunch, work for 8 hours or more, make dinner, clean up, work some more, etc.

We all live a crazy and busy schedule. That’s life, and I get that. But there just isn’t an excuse anymore for skipping breakfast.

Be sure to eat something healthy – anything with processed sugar should be completely avoided.

8) You think you will reach your Goal Weight in 30 days or less

Guess what? You didn’t gain your weight overnight, and you won’t lose it all overnight either! Just because you aren’t seeing huge results your first month, doesn’t mean you should give up and say exercising and eating healthy doesn’t work. Just like you were consistently unhealthy and gained weight, you now need to work on consistently being healthy and exercising.

You will eventually lose the weight, and before you know it, you will be able to fit back into those skinny jeans!

9) You drink Energy Drinks and Sodas that are “0 Calorie” and think it’s a Healthy choice

Zero calories do not mean that the drink is Healthy. Energy Drinks and Sodas with Zero calories are another marketing tool to make these drinks seem “healthier” or “not as bad” for you. Reality is this: Energy Drinks and Sodas have zero nutrition, and there is absolutely nothing good in there for you. Nothing! Doesn’t matter if it has 300 or no calories, it’s just not good for you, regardless of the number of calories it says on the back. Your best bet is to just drink water.

10) You keep saying you are “Fat”

The way you feel about yourself plays a huge role in whether or not you will succeed with your weight loss and overall health goals. Ever heard of the popular Movie “The Secret”? Well, the Law of Attraction is real. Your mind is very advanced and sophisticated, and if you keep telling yourself that you are “fat” and “overweight”, then your brain keeps telling you to do things that will keep you in that state of being.

Start thinking “healthy” and “thin”, and your brain will start programming your thoughts and actions to lead you to a lifestyle that will help you become healthier.

It’s not all about wishful thinking, because action is involved. You need to do your part. Bottom line: Believe you will succeed and continue to exercise and eat healthy. Know that you will get there!

Good luck with your Health goals!

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

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I recently had a poll on my site asking others what they thought was the healthiest oil for them. To my shock, Coconut Oil was quite underrated for it’s many health benefits. Apparently The marketers of Olive Oil are doing a better job, but still, I must set the record straight.

Let’s first begin with going over the different types of coconut oil. I want to be sure when you are using Coconut Oil, you are getting only the good stuff, and using only the best.

Refined Coconut Oil

This is the most common way to mass-produce Coconut Oil. Refined Coconut Oil is RBD, which means it is Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized. When you deodorize the oil, very high heat is used to do so. Sometimes the RBD oil is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated.  Sodium hydroxide is usually used to get rid of the free fatty acids, which helps prolong it’s shelf life. Due to the refinement process, the taste and smell is bland, and does not keep to the taste and smell of an actual coconut. You may think you want a bland taste rather than a coconut flavored oil…but trust me, you don’t want the refined oil. Please read on..

Virgin Coconut Oil

The only way to extract Virgin Coconut Oil is by using fresh coconut meat. No chemicals or high heating is used in further refining since it’s natural pure coconut oil is naturally able to have a long shelf life (why the processing is done in the first place, I will never know). Virgin Coconut Oil retains the taste and smell of coconuts.

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Unlike the Olive Oil Industry, there is actually no difference between “Virgin” and “Extra Virgin” Coconut Oil. When it comes to Coconut Oil, “Virgin” is just as good as “Extra Virgin”.

Coconut Oil Heated

One of the wonderful benefits of Coconut Oil, is that it isn’t damaged by heat. Because Coconut Oil can be cooked without worrying the nutritional benefits will be cooked out, Coconut Oil is great for cooking and baking. Not only is it still good for you, but it taste great too.

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is the richest form of Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT), which the body burns for energy (unlike other oils which have Long Chained Triglycerides which actually store as fat – Not good!). Coconut Oil contains Lauric Acid (form of MCT), which is a predominant fatty acid that has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties. The medium chain fats in Coconut Oil is similar to the fats found in breast milk, and even have some of the same health effects, and have a great healing power.

Coconut Oil shows evidence of killing yeast infections (think Candida), increased energy, better immune system, helps with memory, protects the liver, reduced risk of heart disease, normalizes blood sugar levels (also reduces cravings of foods that would raise blood sugar levels), aids digestion, helps with the absorption of nutrients into the body, lowers cholesterol levels, and even helps with Weight Loss.

There are many health benefits of Coconut Oil – even more than what I have already mentioned! Nice.

How Coconut Oil effects Weight Loss

Just as I already mentioned, Coconut Oil has MCT, which helps your body burn fat, thus helping you lose weight. Coconut Oil also helps your body have the ability to control hungry and cravings, which again, helps you lose weight. Does everyone who consumes Coconut Oil lose weight? No, not always. There have been reports of people not losing weight, but they noticed their pants fit better. Apparently Coconut Oil also helps with muscle mass while trimming fat.

Research shows that an under active Thyroid may be to blame for weight problems. That is a pretty intense claim considering that 65% of the US population is overweight, and 27% is clinically obese. Wow. Good news, Coconut Oil is also known to help with an under active Thyroid. Diet seems to play a major role in Thyroid health (for good or bad), and considering their is a choice in the matter, I would do what I can to naturally have great thyroid health.

Cooking with Coconut Oil

Personally, I have thrown out all of my oils (Shortening, Vegetable Oil or any other “cooking oils”), and I have replaced them all with Virgin Coconut Oil (USDA Organic). I have to admit, I was a little worried how the Coconut Oil would effect the taste of my food. Come to find out, it has only made the flavor of whatever I was cooking- even better! You can use Coconut Oil as a replacement for all other oils whether it be for baking desserts, adding to smoothies, or to cook with your meats- you won’t be disappointed.

Coconut Oil has a melting point of 76 degrees, so if it is colder than 76 degrees, the Coconut Oil is going to be more of a solid texture. For measuring purposes, you might want to warm up the Coconut Oil by either running warm or hot water on the jar, or just taking a couple of spoonfuls and baking them for a couple of a minute or two. At this point, it will be a liquid, and easy to measure for recipes.

I love this wonderful oil, and believe you will too!

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

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Drinking enough water helps curb cravings, hydrates your body, and helps you with your weight loss. Water is SO good for you!

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Health Benefits

There are many benefits to yoghurt, and it is important that you get it from the right source. What I mean by that, is that there are plenty of yoghurts out there being marketed as “healthy” or a “weight loss food”. Be sure that you are not being fooled by marketing campaigns, and actually reading the back of the label for the truth.

The yoghurt from Mountain High is  labeled as “All Natural”. That wasn’t what sold me on it. What attracted me to this yoghurt was the ingredients: No sugar added! What a lot of people don’t know is, the added sugars takes away from the health benefits you would have otherwise received from the yoghurt, which is the good bacteria such as live, active, and probiotic cultures (acidophilus is the most commonly known, which is said to help lower cholesterol). Those who are lactose intolerant should actually be able to eat yoghurt, but because of the added sugars in most yoghurts, they will have a hard time digesting it. If you are lactose intolerant and want to eat yoghurt, you might want to get a plain yoghurt with nothing added. And when I mean nothing added, No artificial growth hormones, no sugar, aspartame, etc.

This yoghurt is also high in calcium and protein. As stated on the Mountain High Yoghurt website, “Adequate daily dietary calcium intake over a lifetime can prevent osteoporosis. New research also indicates calcium may help in the prevention of heart attacks, PMS (premenstrual syndrome), and colon cancer.”

Taste

As far as taste goes, the plain flavor is a little bit of a mix between bland and tart all at the same time. Not quite sure how to explain this one. If you are used to the fruity and sugary yoghurts, it may take you a while to get used to the taste, but I can’t say it tastes bad necessarily, just different

Preparation

No preparation needed. You can eat this yoghurt as-is. If the taste is a little too bitter for you, you can try adding fresh fruit, agave, or even honey. You can also just add yoghurt with frozen berries and make a shake out of it. Use this yoghurt in any recipe that calls for yoghurt as one of the ingredients.

Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories: 120

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Image Credit: mountainhighyoghurt.com

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Not only is Oregano a wonderful herb used to spice up a bland recipe, but it also has many wonderful health benefits you may not know about.

Benefits

•Strong antibacterial properties

•Contains antioxidant vitamins, which may play a role with anti-aging and cancer prevention.

•Contain Carvacrol and Thymol, which have been found to aid digestion, calm upset stomachs,  and  inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

•Contains Fiber.

•When fresh (not dried), Oregano contains Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Iron, Manganese, Calcium, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

•Helps maintain respiratory health.

•Can help treat skin infections and itchy skin.

Uses

You can use Oregano fresh or dried in recipes or as an oil topically. Oregano fresh is less flavorful than dried oregano, but both still have their health benefits.

Precautions

•Oregano oil can reduce the body’s ability to absorb iron. If you are already iron deficient or pregnant, you should limit your consumption of Oregano oil. The volatile oil can be harmful for your unborn child if you are pregnant.

•Children who are less than two years of age and those with very sensitive skin should not use the Oregano oil topically.

•Bottom line:  Yes, Oregano is good for you but too much of a good thing, can be bad.

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

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Walk

Walking is a lot easier on your body than jogging or running, and if you have been out of the gym for awhile, walking is an excellent place to start. Walking is also a great cardiovascular exercise, and should not be looked at as an inferior workout to either jogging or running. Try to keep a steady brisk walk, and this is a great way for you to burn calories and lose weight.

Focus on walking correctly, get good comfortable shoes, breathe correctly, and work your way up to speed walking. If you have ever had a knee injury, you might want to stick to walking until you have fully recovered from your injury. Never feel like you have to go faster than what your body is ready for, or capable of.

With any other workout that you do, walking is also a great cool down.

Jog

If you like a short and intense workout, jogging might just be for you. Jogging takes less time for the same calorie burn and cardiovascular benefits compared to walking. Be sure that you have great shoes, and that you are jogging correctly. Jogging can be really hard on the knees and shins if you jog “wrong”, jog for a prolonged amount of time, or even if you didn’t properly stretch before or after your workout. Something important to also keep in mind, is to breathe correctly. It is important that you breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. If you need help practicing this, try walking until you can get the hang of things.

Run

Most people who say then went “running” actually went “jogging” instead.  Running is faster than jogging, and if you are on pace to finish a mile in less than 9 minutes, you are “running”. Just like walking and jogging, running is a great cardiovascular exercise, but takes much faster to burn the same amount of calories as it does for walking or jogging. Just know that this is an intense workout, and not for those just trying to get back to the gym. This is something you should work up to, but you don’t have to reach this point.

Which one is for me?

Do what is best for your body. Because I have had a knee injury in the past, I am not pushing myself to run, and I even limit the amount of jogging that I do. Am I depriving myself of anything? No. Whether you walk, jog, or run,  you are having a cardiovascular workout, burning calories, and getting a great exercise in. As long as you are properly warmed up and prepared, whether you walk for an hour, jog for 15 minutes, or run for 3 minutes, your body will thank you.

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

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