***Amanda is guest posting today to tell us about smoothies.****

When it comes to those hot summer days, which will be upon us shortly, many of us want nothing more than a cold beverage or frosty dessert to cool us off and compliment the day. Ice cream is synonymous with summer, and a go to snack for just about everyone. However, ice cream is loaded with fat and calories making it a fairly unhealthy snack for those watching their diets.

For a better way to cool down and enjoy dessert on a warm summer day, consider a fruit smoothie instead. Numerous banana smoothie recipes can be found online, and many can even be meal supplements or great workout recovery drinks. One of my favorite smoothies, is the Banana Berry Smoothie, and whipping this smoothie up is no sweat at all:

Ingredients:

2 whole bananas

2 cups of ice

1 cup of skim or low fat milk

1 ½ cups of frozen mixed berries (preferably a mix of blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)

A couple of whole frozen strawberries

Place all ingredients in a blender, with the ice being the last ingredient you add. To create a creamier smoothie consider freezing your bananas too. To do this, you will need to peel your ripe bananas, and then freeze them overnight.

Once all ingredients are in the blender, blend on high for 30 seconds or until your smoothie is thick and smooth. Milk or water may be added if needed to make the smoothie more shake like.

If you are interested in a more decadent smoothie, consider trying out a banana split smoothie or a Chunky monkey smoothie recipe. Both will give you that sweet tooth fix, and will still be far healthier than even light ice cream.

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Healthy Smoothies that are tasty too

Today’s guest post is courtesy of my real-life niece.     She is now a Registered Dietician and I am so proud of her.  Thanks Kristin for sending me this to post!
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It is important to make conscious decisions about what you put on your plate or into your bowl to consume. Choose a variety of foods from all of the food groups (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein, and plant oils) in order to consume all of the nutrients your body needs.

Here are some tips for Getting Your Plate In Shape!

• Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables
o Dark green, red and orange vegetables plus beans are great choices
o Add fresh fruit to meals and snacks and if you eat canned fruit try to choose fruit in 100% juice.

• Make at least half of your grains whole

o Choose 100% whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, and brown rice
o Include oatmeal for breakfast
o When in doubt, check the food label for an indication of what type of grain

• Switch to fat-free or low fat milk

o Fat-free and low-fat milk have same amount of calcium, protein and other essential ingredients as whole milk without the fat and calories
o If you are lactose intolerant try soy milk or almond milk fortified with calcium

• Vary your protein choices

o Try to consume a variety of protein sources such as lean meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, beans, or seafood
o Make sure protein portions are small and lean

• Cut back on sodium and empty calories from solid fats and added sugars

o Watch for salt/sodium in foods that you buy (food labels)
o Replace processed foods with fresh
o Season foods with spices and herbs instead of adding salt
o Taste foods first before reaching for the salt shaker
o Opt for potassium rich foods (bananas, potatoes, OJ, tomato juice, and milk) which can offset some of the harms of a sodium rich diet
o Make major sources of saturated fats such as desserts, pizza, cheese, sausage, hot dogs special occasion choices instead of everyday foods
o Select lean cuts of meat or poultry, low fat milk and milk products
o Use heart healthy oils when cooking such as olive and canola oils
o Drink water in place of sugary drinks
o Select fruit for dessert and eat sugary desserts less often
o Choose 100% fruit juice instead of fruit flavored drinks

• Enjoy your food but eat less

o Avoid oversized portions; consider using a smaller plate, bowl, and glass to make it look like you are eating more
o Cook more often at home vs. eating out.
o When eating out, choose low calorie options and choose options that include vegetables, fruit and whole grains
o Drink alcohol in moderation

• Be physically active your way

o Select activities that you like and that interest you
o Children and teens should get 60 minutes or more a day
o Adults should get a minimum of 2.5hrs a week of moderate activity

Kristin Blaha, RD, LDN
For more information on healthy eating tips please go to:
www.ChooseMyPlate.gov
www.kidseatright.org
www.eatright.org

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March is National Nutrition month!

Today’s guest post is courtesy of Lisa
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A hectic lifestyle can cause our nutrition to fall to the wayside. It’s an easy thing to ignore when we have toddlers to chase after, babies to soothe, or teenagers to shuttle around!

When pressed for time, we sometimes find ourselves grabbing what’s convenient, or letting our meals be that little bit of indulgence that we allow ourselves. Unfortunately, what’s marketed as quick and convenient is also often loaded with fillers that can wreak havoc on your health, and we all know indulgences are much more special when they’re rare!

If you’re looking to stay energetic, healthy, and strong, protein is very important. A biochemical compound made up of chains of amino acids called polypeptides, protein is an essential part of any animal’s diet, and participates in virtually every cellular process. Protein is available through many dietary sources such as meat, nuts, legumes, and dairy products, as well as certain whole grains and vegetables. It is a highly abundant nutrient, being so important to virtually every living thing, but it is not always easy for us to get just the right amount, and at just the right time.

Protein supplements are a convenient, easy way to ensure that you get the nutrition you need on days when you don’t have time—or the will—to eat a steak! They may even be better than a steak, considering that these power powders contain virtually none of the bad cholesterols and fats that steak and other dietary sources of protein can carry. Also, top shelf protein supplements often include a number of different sources of protein—whey, for example, or beef, egg, soy, or casein—in the same blend, meaning that your body gets diverse strains of this important nutrient. Some of these proteins may act quickly to give you an energetic boost, and some may take longer to digest, leaving you with long-lasting fullness and slow-release nutrition. A high quality protein supplement will also include a complete vitamin and mineral profile, which will work with the other ingredients to provide you with deep sustained energy and convenient whole nutrition.

The market is full of protein supplements of all stripes and qualities. Sites like the up-and-coming NutritionFix.com have assembled long lists of protein supplements for you, thus allowing you to sort through the products based on your goals, your needs, and your tastes! Start browsing your options now, and consider adding a healthful protein supplement to your meals and snacks, anywhere, anytime!

Disclosure: this is a sponsored post

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Protein Supplements (guest post)

We are a smoothie family!

My kids will swear up and down they hate strawberries but they are fine with me dropping 10 of them in a smoothie for them to share.    Vegetables on the other hand, we struggle with.

So when the kind people at Centrum contacted me to try out their  new line of Centrum ProNutrients,  I eagerly said yes.  This new product line hits in all the departments we are lacking when it comes to our nutrition.

This is what I received:

ProNutrients Omega-3: so important for heart health, brain and eye structure.
ProNutrients Fruit & Veggie: each minitab is equal to a serving of a blend of fruits and veggies
ProNutrients Probiotic: a unique blended powder containing two of the most scientifically studied probiotics.
Centrum Multivitamin Energy: enhanced with Ginseng and higher levels of B vitamins.

They also sent me an AWESOME juicer to create my  ProNutrients Probiotic super smoothie.

So I powered that bad boy up and tossed in apples, carrots, strawberries, bananas, blueberries (not my favorite but packed with good stuff!), and a little bit of chocolate milk.     I also added the ProNutrients Probiotic which comes in an individually wrapped package to make sure the bacteria is ready and active to work in the digestive tract.

Not only was it delicious, but it made the perfect snack for me and the boys and I felt good knowing they were getting a cup full of great nutrients plus some probiotics!

Now I just need to work on making sure to take that Energy Multivitamin every day because I could definitely use some more energy!

Centrum has created a website called Nutrition Possible and it has tons of great info about nutrients, supplements, fitness, and more.  Take the assessment to find out if you are lacking in a specific nutrient.  (mine was Omega-3)   

Leave a comment below with your answer and be entered to win one ProNutrients product of your choice!

One winner will be chosen at random on Friday January 20 at 9pm EST.  Open to US addresses only.  Official giveaway rules can be found over here.

Can’t wait to find out if you win?   Here is a $5 off coupon that you can use right now!

Disclosure: I am participating in a Centrum ProNutrients campaign hosted by One2One Network. I received nutritional product and compensation including a gift valued at $150. While all opinions stated are my own, I make no claims about Centrum ProNutrients as a product or it’s effectiveness.

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Smoothies, probiotics and Centrum ProNutrients (giveaway)

I need to have this tattooed on my arms so I am reminded each time I am reaching for some sugary treat.   (which unfortunately happens all too often)

How do you keep yourself on track?

image source

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Reality check

In my opinion and personal experience, absolutely!

I was overweight in my 20s and while it was tough to do, I managed to take the weight off with a lot (too much?) exercise and watching my diet.

Now,  four kids and many years later,  I find myself in the same oversized boat again.   This time however I am unable to exercise those pounds away.  I’ve been running, working out, and watching my diet but those extra pounds sitting on my rear end right now don’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Long story short….I haven’t lost a SINGLE pound since coming home from the hospital with baby #4.
I am beyond frustrated.
Losing weight after age 30 (almost 40)  just plain sucks.

So what can I do?
I’ve started reading The Primal Blueprint and have decided to give that a whirl.   It makes a lot of scientific sense and I love reading all the success stories on Mark’s website.

The downside for me is that not only do I LOVE bread but I don’t really like meat at all.
Oh this should be so much fun!

Now your turn gang, have you found that it’s harder (or maybe easier?) to lose weight as you have gotten older?   Tell me your secrets, ideas, thoughts or just overall “I hear ya!” in the comments below.

I’m off to stare longingly at a loaf of bread…….

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Is it harder to lose weight as you get older?

I am lucky enough to have a husband who does the grocery shopping but unfortunately he doesn’t do much in the ‘label reading’ department.

He went out tonight and bought some macaroni & cheese for the kids. I made a comment about it being poison in a cup and he replied “but it’s organic”! (he has made that same comment about Pop Tarts. sigh)

After going back and forth with him about how any product that you can cook and eat while still in the package cannot in ANY way, shape, or form be considered organic, he told me that I was being too picky.

At this point I decided to examine the food a little closer and realized nowhere on the packaging does it say “organic”. Husband says it was in the organic food aisle at Food Lion, so that is a fail on their part.

The (misleading) label at the top reads “no artificial preservatives or flavors“.

HOW is this possible? The cheese is powdered!

Here are the rest of the ingredients:

Ummmm…..this sounds like it is FULL of artificial crap, doesn’t it?

Am I missing the boat here? How does Back to Nature get away with this type of labeling?

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What exactly does “no artificial preservatives or flavors” mean?

I am so excited for the new season of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution!   Are you watching?

Do your kids eat school lunches?  How are they?  

My kids’ school lunch is catered by the Good Food Company and it is reassuring to know they are focused on healthy made-from-scratch meals.   Sometimes my kids ask me if I can make the things they had for lunch because my food doesn’t taste “as good”!   (sad, but probably very true!)

I hope everyone can tune in for Jamie Oliver’s show because it really is an EYE opener to what is being served to kids in school!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzuf5Ag5Ge8

Picture Source:  abc.com

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Food revolution!

Last year, I wrote about how disappointed I was with all the unhealthy food choices at Disney.     I am super happy to report that Disney has started a new healthy living initiative which includes offering more fruit and veggies for their guests!   I immediately noticed that fruits were being offered around all of the registers I went to and also around the “snack” areas.

I went to Disney for the  Social Media Moms Conference and one of the events we attended was a question and answer session, as part of the Magic of Healthy Living event in Epcot.   I  was excited to see Chef Gary Jones on the panel because I had the pleasure of meeting him when I went down for the Princess 1/2 Marathon.  (which I never got around to blogging about but basically he is the culinary dietary specialist at Disney World and works on providing healthy options, especially choices for kids and those with special dietary needs.)

He is also a runner and triathlete who knows his stuff.  

I was going to type out all my notes, but then I found this fantastic interview that Ricky Brigante did with Chef Gary over the weekend. I am so happy to see that Disney is making these changes,  aren’t you?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUPSPF-VD2c

PS: Despite the info on healthy living, I must confess that I still had a funnel cake this weekend!  Even though I blogged last year about avoiding them, I gave in to my pregnancy cravings in a moment of weakness.  (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!) I think I’m good for the next 10 years because wow, those things are kind of gross after the first few bites!

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Healthy food options at Disney

Life is about choices.

Sometimes we make great ones.

and sometimes we don’t.

So let’s clear the slate and decide that TODAY we are going to make great ones, ok?

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Choices