Goals

We all have goals throughout life.........make more money, retire early, secure our dream job....BUT if eating healthier and exercising is not part of your goal sheet, then down the road, or even right now, you're going to have a problem.... You see part of your journey has to be TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF! You cannot reach all these other goals you have set for yourself, if you are not taking care of yourself....that is...MIND BODY AND SOUL.

If this is you, STOP NOW, and get a pen and paper, it's time to reevaluate what's important to you in your life. Time to reprioritize your goals, starting with GET SOME SLEEP (depend less on caffeine for your daily wake-up, too) MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! (that is, get some exercise!! dance, run, jump, play with your kids, go to the park and toss a frisbee, but MOVE) EAT BETTER, follow that great 80/20 rule, 80% of the time you are mindfully eating, choosing good for you foods throughout the day, 20% of the time you have a treat now and then, or a french fry or two (oh come on, we all do that!)

Yes you do have time, you must MAKE the time! Because in the long run, it's your health and wellness that is going to help you achieve all those other goals!!!

 

 

Dairy Free ICE CREAM!!

SUMMER=ICE CREAM! But when you're lactose intolerant (an intolerance to dairy), well, it's just no fun to see your friends eating that creamy goodness and you're left out! Well, do we have a solution for YOU! Our VEGAN (no animal products used here!) DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COCONUT CHIP ICE CREAM will have you doing the happy food dance!!! AND if you're watching your fat and cholesterol, this is a great option for you, too!!! AND if you don't think you like coconut milk (the base for this recipe) think again....honestly you're not going to know it's there, you'll think you're eating its full fat cousin ICE CREAM!

(As always ice cream or ice "dream" is a tasty treat and does involve sugar, sooooo still practice your portion control ) ENJOY!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COCONUT CHIP ICE "DREAM"

 

This batch above I made last night!! Dreamy, right?

 

Ingredients

• 2 (13.5 oz) cans of full fat coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• Dairy free dark chocolate bar like CHOCOLATE DREAM (chopped into chunks) http://www.tastethedream.com/products/category/493.php
Yield: About 2 1/2 cups

Instructions

1. In a pot over medium heat, add all the ingredients and stir. Allow to simmer until thickened slightly, about 8 minutes.
2. Place in a container and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours.
3. Add to an ice cream maker and churn until set, about 25minutes. Eat right away or freeze in a tupperware container with lid for a harder consistency is reached
*Note: I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker: churn time was 25 minutes, last 5 minutes I put in the chocolate chips

HEALTHY is not BORING...

Do you have a ton of cookbooks or are you always dowloading the latest recipe from Pinterest?

Great idea!! When eating healthy, you don't want your tastebuds to get bored......that just leads to a slippery slope of bad eating. Healthy is not "steamed" everything with a side of broccoli, it's flavor and whole foods! So let go of your favorite frozen dinner entree, yes it has the calories and fat right there for you, BUT it's loaded with sodium! Every once in awhile when life gets too busy, it's ok, but for most of the time, keep that protein and those fresh veggies on hand for a quick saute.Taste the rainbow of veggies from your local farmer's market. Get those fresh eggs from the local farmer, or raise chickens in your backyard (it's all the rage ;) and when it comes to protein whether you're a meat eater or a meat "free-er" always go lean, reserving red meat for a once in awhile indulgence, and experimenting with tofu, beans, and quinoa (a wonderful grain and protein combo!) .

Have FUN with your food and your tastebuds and waistline will do all your talking for you!

Grilled Chicken Pinapple Sliders

1 lemon, juiced

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

salt and black pepper to taste

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut in half

6 pineapple rings

2 tablespoonsteriyaki sauce

6 Hawaiian bread rolls - split and toasted or mini wheat rolls/buns

6 lettuce leaves - rinsed and dried

6 red onion slices

 

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, lime juice, cider vinegar, salt and pepper in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add the chicken and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes each side, or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. Grill pineapple for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until heated through and grill marks appear.

Spread 1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce on the bottom half of a toasted roll; next add a lettuce leaf, a piece of chicken, a pineapple round, and an onion slice. Replace the top and repeat with the remaining rolls.

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of JULY from B-FIT4U!!

 

Whether headed to a BBQ or Picnic, this crowd pleasing salad is sure to bring some fireworks to your celebration!

 

 

Strawberry Spinach Salad
1 10-oz. bag fresh baby spinach
1/2-1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced (you can peel it first if you want)
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1 c. sliced almonds, toasted
Store bought lowfat balsamic vinagrette or lemon poppy seed vinagrette work best with this salad
1/2 lb. grilled chicken breasts, sliced or diced (optional)
Toss ingredients together and serve immediately. You can also arrange the ingredients on individual plates for serving.

Milkshake FUN!

Is it raining where you are? Seems the weather forecaster here in B-FIT4U world is calling for a very rainy next few days, causing cats and dogs to fall from the sky instead of fireworks for the 4th....oh boo! I love a little rain, but a "Noah's Ark" type downpour that takes away our 4th picnic fun and fireworks, just NOT cool.....what's a B-Fitter to do?

Well, hunker down with good friends, a few cocktails and a picnic in the living room can solve this dilemma! And what's a long holiday weekend without a little indulgence and PIE, B-FIT4U style!! So here's a yummy concoction from our friends at Realistic Nutritionist, guaranteed to take your rainy day and turn it right side up to the SUN!
BANANA CREAM PIE MILKSHAKE

Ingredients:

• 2 large bananas, frozen and peeled
• 3/4 cup nonfat vanilla Chobani
• 1/4 cup low-fat vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 cup graham crackers, broken into pieces (about 1/2 sheet)
• 3 tablespoons – 1/4 cup whipped cream flavored vodka
• 1 tablespoon light cream
• 1/4 cup whipped cream
• Graham cracker crumbs for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the bananas, Greek yogurt, ice cream, vodka and light cream in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add graham crackers and whipped cream and pulse a few times to combine. Add additional vodka for taste (or extra booziness).
2. Pour into mason jars or milkshake glasses and garnish with additional whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs.

Nutritional information per serving (1/2 cup):

Calories: 360
Fat: 2 grams
Carbohydrates: 48 grams
Protein: 11 grams
Fiber: >1 gram

Blueberries

Aaaaah the blueberry, so sweet and juicy and good for you too! A wonderful tool for weight control, with 4g of fiber and 83 calories per 1 cup serving. Substitute blueberries for one of your higher calorie snacks in your day, and your off to a good start towards a healthier you! Full of antioxidants, put those blueberries on your cereal, in your muffins, on your plate and in your mouth! And for a textured treat, freeze them for an instant mini pop of frozen confection, or add to your yogurt smoooooothie eat as is, or make freeeeezie pops with that smoothie. ENJOY!

Low-Fat Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins
courtesy of JOY OF BAKER
Makes 12 muffins
Any oats will work, but use old fashioned or steel cut oats for a heartier texture. Made with whole grains and very little fat, these muffins are a guilt free breakfast treat! Go ahead, eat a second one – they’re good for you :)
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat or non-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray. If you plan on eating them straight out of the oven, give the liners a spritz of cooking spray so the muffins won’t stick.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Combine applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil and egg in a medium bowl. Make a well in dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture, stirring until just moist. (Don’t over mix them! The batter will be thicker than your average muffin batter.) Carefully fold in blueberries.
Spoon the batter into muffin cups. Bake at 375°F for 16-18 minutes


Blueberry Kale Smoothie
2 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1 cup blueberries
1 banana, sliced
3 cups almond milk
Place all ingredients in blender and pulse until preferred consistency!

Swim it out!

With so many exercise crazes out there these days, it's hard to know which one would work best for you without, well, just trying them! And that's ok! Exercise should be fun, keep you moving and be something you look forward to, not loathe....
If you're the outdoors type, grab your bike or take a hike! Love to be social? Join a gym or take a group fitness class. More the do it yourself"er"type, working out at home can be just as beneficial, with a jump rope, an exercise tape, free weights, yoga, your own equipment, the possiblities are endless!!
AND don't forget about a great way to get that exercise in this Summer....THE POOL! When you're at your local pool this morning, sunning yourself on that pool deck and enjoying that latest trashy novel.....jump right in and take a few laps! Swimming is so beneficial to your cardiovascular healthy, not to mention, good on your joints! NO heavy impact means no knees. legs, ankles being pounded into the hard ground like some exercises can do.

Here are some other wonderful facts about swimming from our friends at Swim.org:

Here are a few more health and fitness facts you may not know about swimming:

• Because water is about 800 times denser than air, you can work harder, and burn more calories, in a pool than out of it
• Female swimmers have been shown to experience significantly less tension, depression and anger after exercising than before.
• At least one in six people in Britain suffer from depression at any one time - rhythmic and aerobic forms of exercise such as swimming can improve psychological well being.
• Swimming can support up to 90% of the body’s weight in the water, meaning that those with disabilities, injuries or illnesses such as arthritis can take part in a comfortable and safe environment. It also means you gain a full body workout.
• The support of the water for arthritis sufferers allows less painful movements in affected joints as well as toning up the supporting muscles. Swimming can also reduce the risk of arthritis by helping to retain normal muscle strength and joint structure.
• Taking part in physical activity such as swimming can prevent diseases and conditions that cause loss of function in later life.
• Different swimming strokes challenge different muscles within the body so you can choose where you tone up.
• The pressure of water causes a shift of blood volume from the periphery of the body to the thorax. This increases venal pressure and so leads to a decrease in heart rate of up to 20bpm lower in water than on land. The same intensity of exercise at a lower heart rate. Only in the pool!

DID YOU KNOW?? Many people cycle or run to get fit but don't think of swimming as another major route to a heathlier lifestyle. What a mistake.
Even a gentle swim can burn over 200 Kcal in half an hour and a fast front crawl can burn as many calories as an 8mph run? It is true.

So get out there, get moving and maybe take the plunge into that POOL!!