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?

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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

Do you fall victim to the 3pm sugar attack?   (I do!)

Here are 5 ways that have helped me keep those cravings at bay:

1.  Water! Many times are bodies are dehydrated and thirsty,  so fill up your water bottle and start chugging.   Chances are you’ll cure that craving and if not, you’ll be too busy going to the bathroom to worry about it.  :)

2. Gum: I have a pack of sugar free gum that usually satisfies my need for sugar.   Is it the healthiest choice with all the sweeteners?  Probably not but if it keeps me from inhaling a box of donuts then I consider it a win!

3.  Exercise: do some squats, some kettlebell swings, take a walk around the block or just jump up and down.   Make yourself sweat for a few minutes and hopefully that will put you back at #1.

4.   Read the label of what you are about to eat. Ask yourself: honestly, is it worth it?  Can you pronounce most of what is in there? Put it back and go for #5 instead.

5.  Have some fruit! Grab an apple or banana and tame your sugar beast with some natural sugar!

Usually (although not always!) these work for me.

Do you have any to add?

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5 ways to stop sugar cravings

The holidays are upon us and ’tis the season for EATING and DRINKING!

ack!

How are you going to make healthy choices this holiday season to stay on track?   Tell me over on Workout Mommy Reviews and be entered to win a $150 Visa gift card!

Go now!

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Making healthy choices during the holidays *giveaway*

Today’s guest post is courtesy of Amelia, from Eating Made Easy

The next few weeks are filled with parties, feasts, and running around like crazy.  You may feel like trading in your regular trips to the grocery store for treats or meals on-the-go, but resist the temptation!  This is the most important time of year to focus on good meals and snacks at home, because if you can stick to healthy habits between all the celebrating, you’ll avoid having to buy bigger pants come January.

Here are some easy, healthy meals you can make ahead and pull out on a chaotic night.

1.  Homemade Frozen Burritos. Load large whole wheat tortilla with your favorite burrito fixin’s, like chicken breast (perfect time to use a rotisserie chicken–check out the organic ones from Whole Foods), brown rice, beans, corn, salsa, and reduced-fat cheese.  Roll into a burrito and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place burritos in a large Ziploc bag.  When you need a quick lunch or dinner, unwrap and pop a burrito into the microwave.  Add lettuce and a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt or light sour cream after heating.

2.  Shrimp with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta.  This dish takes virtually no time to prepare, can be put directly into the oven from the freezer, and is still ready in 20 minutes.  Plus, it’s low-cal and delicious.  Toss some baby greens in a light vinaigrette to round out the meal.

3.  Enchiladas and Ready-to-Bake Pasta. Any enchilada recipe (like this yummy one) can be prepped in a baking dish, covered with plastic wrap and foil, and frozen right in the dish.  Just remove from the freezer, uncover, and bake until heated through.  The same goes for any pasta in sauce.  Make pasta with marinara sauce and tons of veggies (too busy to saute some up? Just mix a bag of thawed and drained chopped spinach into a jar of sauce), pour into a baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, then cover and freeze.  When you’re ready to enjoy, pop it into a 350 degree oven until the cheese browns and the dish is bubbling.

4.  Soups and stews. Soups are a great go-to, because you can make them out of anything, they last a week in the fridge, and when you get bored of what you made you can freeze single portions for a few months from now.  My favorite healthy recipes are: Chickpea Stew with Chicken Sausage, Mushroom Barley Stew, Healthy Cream of Mushroom Soup, and Barley Stew with Lemon, Fennel, and Dill.  And this Pumpkin Soup is fantastic for fall and winter, plus quick to make.  Remember: soups are hard to mess up–so feel free to improvise and experiment using whatever veggies, meats, herbs, or broth you have on-hand.

5.  Angel Hair with Fresh Tomato Sauce.  The simple flavors of this dish will please everyone in your house, even picky eaters.  And bonus: it only has a few ingredients and takes 10 minutes to prepare, so no need to make ahead of time.

For more healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and other food solutions for your busy life, visit Eating Made Easy or join our bi-weekly newsletter.

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Easy, Healthy Meals for Busy Moms