Yes you CAN eat healthier!

Hi guys,

Here is a quick tip to help you eat healthier.

Laying out your workout clothes at night for the next morning is a great visual reminder that you have a commitment to your exercise every day!

Do the same thing with your healthy foods, create visual reminders.

For example, leave a beautiful, colorful bowl of fruit on your counter instead of the fridge will help you achieve eating more fruits.

Research identified that healthy eating habits can be boosted simply by using the acronym CAN:

Convenient: Make your healthy foods easy to see, simple to reach and ready to eat

Attractive: Make your healthy foods look enticing by mixing colors, flavors and types

Normal: Make them the obvious choice in your kitchen

Start today and start eating healthier immediately!

Ciao for now!

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Eat this to kill stomach fat!

Hi guys,

Blasting calories at the gym doing the right combination is imperative and so is a good nutrition plan in order to lose belly fat.

But did you know that adding these foods might help reduce belly fat?

Dark chocolate:

Make sure to choose dark chocolate that has 70% or more cocoa which means less sugar and fat.

The healthy fats on the dark chocolate will prevent blood sugar spikes helping you burn fat more efficiently.

Peanut butter:

Peanut butter contains mononsaturated fats that promotes a healthy cardiovascular system and will keep you full longer. Some studies also suggests that peanut butter is a metabolism booster that keep you burning calories throughout the day.

Omelets:

Eggs have been shown to have important vitamins and minerals that regulate your hormones and are rich in protein. Add some healthy veggies and healthy fats like avocados and stay full longer.

Wild salmon

Salmon has Omega-3 fatty acids that keep your hormones balanced, especially the weight regulating ones.

Omega-3 also contribute to blood sugar balance which keep belly fat away and may help break down the belly fat that you already have, that’s a WINNER.

Berries

According to studies by the University of Michigan, the chemicals (phenolic compounds) that give berries their beautiful colors also do a great job at eliminating belly fat..and they are delicious!

Avocados:

Avocados are rich in healthy fats that will keep you full longer, help regulate hormones and also fight inflammation (therefore higher cortisol levels) that ultimately prevent you from losing weight especially in the midsection.

Cinnamon:

Cinnamon has the ability to burn fat and to help reduce blood sugar levels. Start adding it to your healthy recipes without adding the calories.

Ciao for now, happy belly fat burning!

Homemade granola recipe

Hi guys,

First attempt at homemade granola was quite successful!

Ingredients:

4 cups of oats (use organic if possible)

1 cup of oat bran

1 cup of raw almonds

1 cup of dried cranberries

1/2 cup of buckwheat

1/3 cup of quinoa flakes

2 tablespoons of chia seeds

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 cup pf coconut oil

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of almond extract

1/2 cup of cold black coffee

1 fresh squeezed lemon juice (no seeds please…)

4 tablespoons of honey

4 tablespoons of pancake syrup (all natural of course)

1.Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Toss together all of the dry ingredients in a very large bowl.

2. Combine the oil, honey, and vanilla in a saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring, just until the mixture is fluid. Do not let it come to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir into the dry ingredients. Mix until evenly coated.

3. Spread the granola mixture on the sheet pans in an even layer, leaving a donut hole in the center (for even baking) and bake on the middle and lower racks, without stirring, for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden, rotating the baking pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before breaking up into clumps. Store in well sealed jars, bags or containers.

Delicious!

Mine did not clump to good but it is absolutely delicious and perfect for breakfast or snacking!

Ciao for now!

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Rethink your daily drink!

Hi guys,

We all love our orange juice in the morning!

It is a great way to start you day with a healthy dose of fruit, vitamin and calcium and sugar for so desperately needed energy!

But maybe you should consider the actual fruit instead of the processed juice…Here is why:

We can’t unknow what we know so the more you know!

Happy Friday!

PS: Everything in moderation, one glass a week might be just what you need!

Halloween is over, put down the candy!

Good morning!

Halloween is over and hopefully you are not having leftovers candies for breakfast!

If you are, put down the spoon and read the diagram below, you will be amazed about what sugar actually does to your body!

Happy November!

Ciao for now!

Coconut flour banana bread

Good morning,

Here is an easy recipe for a super moist, awesome tasting healthier banana bread:

You will need:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup organic brown sugar

2 organic eggs

1 cup of unbleached gluten free flour

1 cup of organic coconut flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

4 super ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one a the time beating well after each egg. Stir in the mashed bananas.

In another bowl, stir together the flours and the baking powder. Blend the banana mixture into the flour mixture stirring just to combine.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center of the bread comes out clean.

Let cool and enjoy!

Ciao for now and happy Sunday!

Not losing weight???

Hi guys,

Most of the time when you’re having trouble losing weight, it’s not because you aren’t making good food choices but because you are not eating enough calories.

When most people start living a healthy lifestyle to lose weight , they slash their calories and add a large amount of exercise to their routine.

That’s fine, but they usually cut their calories too low….Add in the extra exercise, and  you have an extreme calorie deficit that is working against you!

Not eating enough calories causes many drastic metabolic changes.

Your body is a smart machine and senses the  decrease in dietary energy. Your large calorie deficit might work for a few  weeks, but eventually your body will wake up and sound alarms that it needs to CONSERVE the available energy.

It doesn’t want to just waste away because it needs that energy (fat) to survive.

So, what does your body do when it senses prolonged energy restriction by not eating enough calories??

• Slows down thyroid production: Your thyroid is responsible for fat, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism. Your body has the ability to slow down thyroid output in an effort to maintain energy balance.
• Decreases muscle mass – Muscle is highly calorie intensive to maintain. In a prolonged calorie deficit, it is one of the first things that your body looks to get rid of. Your body needs the fat and wants the fat, and  muscle can and will be spared. It breaks down the muscle tissue and uses it for energy instead of using the fat! (exactly what you don’t want)
• Lowers testosterone levels – An very important hormone for both men and women, testosterone is  one of many hormones that are affected with severe calorie restriction. Without it, it becomes very hard to maintain muscle tissue and  put on muscle mass.
• Decreases leptin levels – Leptin is one of the energy regulating hormones. It is  a “hunger” hormone that tells you whether to eat or not. High leptin levels signal that it’s OK to stop eating, while low leptin levels signal to eat more energy. Because of this, leptin levels decrease in calorie restricted environments.
• Decreases energy levels – There are many physical actions your body takes when you’re not eating enough calories, but there are also some mental ones. Neurotransmitter production becomes limited and it can lead to a lack of motivation. It’s your body’s way of telling you to “slow down” – conserve your energy.

Bottom line, you need to be mindful of your eating habits and get into the mind set of fueling your body for energy.

Not eating enough and exercising like an insane person is not the answer to a healthier you!

Eat with the purpose of fueling yourself in order to get a great workout in and lose all the weight that you want!

Find out here how many calories you need to eat per day!

Ciao for now!

Amaranth pancakes

Hi guys,

Amaranth is packed with amino acids, fiber, iron, calcium and magnesium.

Ground into a flour, it’s easily worked into a variety of gluten-free foods.

Combined with white whole-wheat flour and blended with honey to balance out amaranth’s grassy notes, it makes textured but light whole-grain pancakes.

First cultivated in Central America, amaranth typically top lists of South American “super foods” alongside quinoa.

With pre-Columbian roots stretching back 5,000+ years, it knows something about going long.

Amaranth Pancakes
Makes 12 4-inch pancakes

1/2 cup amaranth flour
3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 egg, well beaten
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 tablespoons honey
Butter or oil, for greasing

Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.

Separately, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, egg and melted butter. Pour into the flour mixture and stir to combine, do not overmix. Allow batter to rest for 10 minutes.

Heat a pan or cast-iron skillet over medium until hot. Brush lightly with butter or oil. Spoon the batter (about 1/4 cup) onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear along the surface, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, 1-2 additional minutes. The pancakes should be neither too dark nor too pale. Adjust the heat as needed so that they brown evenly. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with honey or syrup and topped with fruit with additional nutritional benefit like blueberries, blackberries or pomegranates.

Courtesy of http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/home.html

Find amaranth flour here 

Have a great breakfast!

Ciao for now!

Healthy breakfast ideas!

Hi guys!

Are you like me getting bored with oatmeal?here is 3 healthy alternatives available at all grocery stores 🙂

Just add fresh fruits on top and you have the perfect health low calorie breakfast that will leave you full for the whole morning!

Ciao for now!

Breakfast swaps that will save you some calories

Do not start your day overloading on unnecessary calories…Use this chart for easy breakfast swaps that will save you some calories and leave you ready for your day!

Happy breakfast!