ZZZZZZZ

"Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more. "

True that! I didn't get enough sleep last night, and frankly I want to eat everything in sight...aka. I can't get this particular donut out of my head! You see, when you fall of the sleep wagon, you fall off in soooo many ways, mentally and physically. Not to mention your willpower goes flying out the door! SOOOOO, moral of the story here....GET SOME SLEEP! NO EXCUSES! I know, it's hard, life is busy, BUT hey I just told you, I didn't get enough for various reasons last night, BUT, that does not mean I won't be going to bed early tonight to "catch-up". Heck, I might even take a quick siesta here at my desk....and NO I won't be eating that donut to start off the week on a bad sugar high...but I want to ;)

Once Upon A Time.....

Once upon a time, there was a Princess who was like a size four or something. She could eat and drink whatever she wanted and always stayed really skinny and had flat firm abs even though she never went to the gym. Everytime she tried on jeans, the very first pair fit perfectly and made her butt look amazing. She lived in a great big, beautiful castle with her handsome, multimillionaire, husband, who was busy all the time buying her giant diamonds, and taking her to Hawaii, giving her foot massges, and telling her how beautiful she was. 

One day, she was eaten by a dragon and no one cared.

The End.

Moral of the story.....B-FIT4U!

 

Happy Weekend B-Fitters!~FoodieGIRL

 

Pumpkin FUN!

As we are just about to turn the pages of our September calendars to OCTOBER, let's give thanks for the almighty PUMPKIN! Full of fiber and beta carotene (and a bunch of other great stuff, see below) it's a winner for your B-FIT4U lifestyle! And if it's pumpkin pie, you're craving....try our PUMPKIN PIE IN A GLASS SMOOTHIE! Sure to get your tastebuds dancing, right into Halloween!

 

This healthy pumpkin smoothie is like chilled pumpkin pie in a glass, but without the fat and calories. It's a creamy and thick smoothie that makes a delicious and filling liquid breakfast or an energy-boosting 'snack.' Be sure to use a very ripe banana, preferably frozen, and sweeten your smoothie according to your preference.

 

Pumpkin Pie in a Glass

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 very ripe medium-sized banana
• 3/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt (I used Oikos 0% fat Greek vanilla yogurt)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup crushed ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth, making sure the ice is completely crushed.

Makes two servingsPer 8-10 ounce serving: Calories 167, Calories from Fat 5, Total Fat 0.7g (aat 0.3g), Cholesterol 2mg, Sodium 74mg, Carbohydrate 34g, Fiber 3.1g, Protein 6.6g

Pumpkin Nutrition

The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. In the conversion to vitamin A, beta carotene performs many important functions in overall health.

Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)

Calories 49 Protein 2 grams Carbohydrate 12 grams Dietary Fiber 3 grams Calcium 37 mg Iron 1.4 mg Magnesium 22 mg Potassium 564 mg

Zinc 1 mg Selenium .50 mg Vitamin C 12 mg Niacin 1 mg Folate 21 mcg Vitamin A 2650 IU Vitamin E 3 mg

Start your day off right!

A good breakfast will save you in the long run.....from overeating throughout the day and calorie crunching later! Still not convinced? Try some of our breakfast favorites below for a quick power punch of "get up and GO!" to your day!

BREAKFAST IDEAS FOR UNDER 300 CALORIES

Pancakes
Top two whole wheat blueberry pancakes with 1 tablespoon of light butter and 2 tablespoons of light syrup. Add in a glass of orange juice and you’re still under 300 calories with this awesome breakfast. (Aunt Jemima has a whole wheat pancake mix and you can also find them pre-made in the frozen food section of your local market)

Omelet
Mix one egg and two egg whites together, than add in 2 slices of crumbled turkey bacon and veggies of your choice (onions, peppers, mushrooms). Cook it up in a non-stick pan and even enjoy a slice of whole grain toast with a teaspoon of butter – a great breakfast to start your day, and all under 300 calories. (make things fast by using liguid egg whites or egg beaters in a box)

Oatmeal Plus
Mix a packet of instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of chopped almonds, 2 teaspoons of honey and your favorite sliced fruit. A yummy, crunchy, sweet breakfast for under 300 calories.

Wrap
Microwave two slices of Canadian bacon and ¼ cup of cheddar cheese in a soft tortilla and serve with salsa and a tablespoon of light sour cream. You can also mix in some chopped veggies. A hearty, spicy start to your day for less than 300 calories.

Yogurt
Mix half an apple (diced), a tablespoon of chopped walnuts and a tablespoon of honey into 8 ounces of low-fat French Vanilla yogurt.  This delicious, creamy and crunchy breakfast idea is a wonderfully sweet way to start your morning for under 300 calories.

Subway
Try a Western Egg Breakfast Sandwich, which comes in at 300 calories even and is a delicious low calorie start to your day. Subway actually has a lot of great breakfast choices for under 300 calories, so check out their menu if you are looking for a quick, low calorie jump start. All of their Egg Muffin Melts are about 200 calories, and they make White Egg Muffin Melts as well.  Skip their 6” Double Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich, which has over 500 calories.

Burger King
Order their Croissan’wich with Egg and Cheese, a tasty breakfast that will fill you up without filling you out –350 CALORIES! Stay away from their Pancakes and Sausage Platter, which weighs in at 670 calories.

McDonald’s
Their Egg McMuffin is another 300 calorie even breakfast choice, while their Hash Browns are only 150 calories each – have two! Avoid their Big Breakfast with Hotcakes – 1,090 calories – ouch!

Simply Chicken

We all wonder....what am I going to do with this chicken? And yet there are sooo many beautiful ways to serve your poultry...sometimes we ALL just need a reminder :) This weekend I tried a new recipe out and had to share with you!! Lemon Pepper Chicken over potatoes. It's simple, it's delicious and it makes your B-FIT4U lifetsyle easy!! Now there are a few steps, but don't let it make you nervous. This is virtually a one pot meal, and you'll have leftovers, so if you take the time this week to do this once, you'll have 3 nights worth of meals!
 Here it goes....

Lemon Pepper, Parsley Parmesan Chicken (say that 3times fast!!)

For the Chicken and Potatoes

• 1 whole organic chicken {about 3 1/2 pounds}
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved or cut into thirds if they're large

For the Sauce

• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested {2 teaspoons} and juiced {1 1/2 tablespoons}
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a baking sheet. Rub it with 2 tablespoons of oil; season it generously with salt and pepper. Place the parsley and 1 half of the lemon inside the cavity{such a nice way to say “stuff the chicken”}. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
2. Toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of oil. Drizzle them with the juice from the remaining lemon half. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and scatter the potatoes along the chicken.
3. Roast all of it for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees; cook for 25 minutes. Rotate the pan, toss the potatoes, and cook until the potatoes and chicken are golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken’s thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 25 minutes more. Let the chicken and potatoes stand for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine all of the sauce ingredients. After 10 minutes, brush the sauce on the chicken and drizzle on the potatoes. ENJOY!

A Book and a Recipe

Simply put...plant based lifestyles are going to get you fit and

healthy!

Don't be nervous by the word vegan or vegetarian. No one is telling you to never eat a burger again! BUT how's about trying a few more veggie based deeee-licous dishes to get your metabolism moving, your weight loss in action and your skinny jeans back. Above is one of our favorites! Check it out on Amazon.com. A great read and LOTS of RECIPES to get you started! Oh and here's one of my favorite recipes, too!!

 

VEGAN LASAGNA

(and two more versions below, too!)

Eat it UP, YUM!

 

 

• 12 ounces lasagna noodles (9 to 12 noodles)
• 2 (16-ounce) packages firm tofu
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 (25-ounce) jar or 3 cups homemade marinara sauce
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded vegan mozzarella cheese
• 6 tablespoons vegan parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water (I like to do 6 at a time) about 8 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain the noodles and spread them out to keep them from sticking together. In a food processor, blender, or a bowl, mix and mash the tofu, parsley, salt, and pepper together until smooth.

Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Place noodles in pan, overlapping them slightly to cover the bottom. Spread a thin layer of sauce of the noodles. Cover the sauce with half of the tofu mixture. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the parmesan over the tofu. Cover the layer of noodles, then sauce, remaining tofu mixture, and 2 more tablespoons of the parmesan. Place another layer of noodles over the tofu and cheese and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and the mozzarella.

Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let the lasagna rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing to set.

Makes 9 servings

Variations:

Spinach Lasagna

Saute 6 ounces (about 5 cups) fresh spinach in olive oil until wilted. Chop fine. (Or you can thaw a 10-ounce package frozen, chopped spinach.) Drain the liquid from the spinach and add to the ricotta mixture.

Vegetable Lasagna

In olive oil, saute chopped onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant (and/or any other veggies you desire) until tender. Stir them into the marinara sauce.

Veganomics!

Listen UP! You don't have to be VEGAN (a vegetarian whom also does not consume, dairy or eggs, or any animal products whatsoever) to choose to consume LESS dairy in your life. You may be lactose intolerant, allergic, or just plain want to have less fat and cholesterol in your diet. HEY, we all want that!! So there is nothing wrong with dabbling in a little VEGANONMICS, as we like to call it here at B-FIT4U. Listen, I've never met a vegetable that made me fat yet....SO shouldn't we all be eating a little more of the "rainbow" as they say? AND not just to fit into our fabulous clothes, but to feel good! Your hair, skin, body, heart, mind, ALL LOVE VEGETABLES. So if you're looking to pair down your obsession with dairy, (cheeeeeeese, please) and all that stuff, there are soooo many alternatives, and delicious recipes to help you do just that! Not to mention so many great Vegan and Vegetarian Cookbooks. So whether you're ready to drop you cheeeese obsession or not, why not try to just pair it down. Less cheese, less cholesterol/fat, shopping spree for new clothes because you dropped a dress size. Sounds like an fair trade to me!

SO This is my all-time favorite dairy-free ricotta recipe. Created by author Jo Stepaniak, other excellent cheese alternatives can be found in her cookbook,

The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook.

What You Need:
Tofu Ricotta

• 1-1/2 pounds firm tofu, crumbled
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon sweetener of your choice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules

What You Do:
Combine all ingredients together and mash until the mixture has a fine, grainy texture like ricotta cheese. The cheese should be kept chilled and can be used for lasagna, pizza, or pasta.