Go Diigo...Go!

       Hungry Girl = My new obsession! While paroosing through Fitness Groups on Diigo, I came across a group called  Healthy Choices, which brought me to a website called Hungry Girl. I am now in love! Lisa Lillien aka Hungry Girl, has redefined what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. What if I told you it was possible to loose weight while eating things like hamburgers and mocha shakes. Sounds like a bad infomercial doesn't it? However this is no joke! By making a few calorie conscious nutritional swaps, like switching vanilla ice cream for vanilla soy milk and chocolate fudge for Diet Swiss Miss hot cocoa packets, like in her mocha shake, this hungry girl has transformed healthy food forever. Lisa's website has tons of recipes and recipe swaps like, her recreation of the Taco Bell favorite, the Mexican Pizza. She transformed this sinfully tasty treat from 540 calories and 30 grams of fat to 254 calories and 6.5 grams of fat. And this isn't some yucky impostor version; the pictures look next to identical! I personally am about to go buy the ingredients to recreate her version of Burger King's Mocha Frap. She has transformed this thick and creamy beverage form a fatty 510 calories and 22 grams of fat into a sleek and delicious 143 calories and 2 grams of fat! This hungry girl is making waves all over the place. With her very popular book The Hungry Girl Super Market Survival Guide, and her new show on the Food Network premiering on Saturday mornings, it appears this hungry girl is here to stay. With websites like Hungry Girl around there is no reason not to get our lives moving in a healthier direction. Who says you have to sacrifice taste in order to be healthy?

   






           
         In  Diigo's Groups for Women's Health, I came across Group Wellness, and an article titled Skincare Advice from a Pro. As a woman, I am always on the lookout for new ways to keep my skin soft and silky. This article has tons of  information about taking care of our bodies largest organ. It contained a great tip on how to cheaply exfoliate your whole body and keep your skin velvety soft. You will need a large bottle of lotion (like Johnson's or Aveeno) as well as a bag of white table sugar. While in the shower rise well, turn off the water, and mix equal parts lotion and sugar together. Use the moisturizing scrub all over your body. When spread evenly,  rise off with warm water. When your  shower's complete, follow by applying a creamy moisturizer all over before you go to sleep. You will wake up renewed, refreshed, and silky smooth from head to toe!

          I also found a great article titled Five Foods for Healthier Hair inside the Nutrition Groups on Diigo. I recently have been flirting with the idea of getting my hair trimmed. I am a bit emotionally attached to my hair, as strange as that sounds. Haircuts can sometimes be tragic. I always go in optimistic and excited, I tell the woman what I want exactly, and then an hour later, blah! It's as if I was speaking in another language when I told her the cut I desired. I asked her to cut one inch, she cuts three, I said layers, she gives me side bangs, and well you know the rest. Before I committed to another dreaded haircut, I really wanted to learn a few ways to take better care of my hair, to keep it shiny, fully, and healthy for as long as possible. This article has taught me so much about the connection between the foods I eat and the appearance of my hair. They also discuss the five super foods connected to beautiful flowing locks: whole grain, foods high in vitamin C, such as oranges and tangerines, brown rice, legumes, and foods rich in calcium. I can't wait to put these foods to the test, and achieve beautiful shiny hair.

       P.S. I found this article to be very interesting. A nutrition blog for the New York Times called The Eleven Best Foods You Aren't Eating. Enjoy!

Delicious Inspiration!

   
          I am always on the hunt for blogs that inspire me! While paroosing through some oh so interesting nutritional blogs, on a quest to find the best, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of delicious and nutritious blogs I came across. Mitzi Dulan is a nutritional star! She co-authored The All-Pro Diet: Lose Fat, Build Muscle, and Live Like A Champion with NFL Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez, she has been the nutritionist for several professional teams, like the Kansas City Chiefs Football Team and the Kansas City Royals Baseball Team, and she's a mother of two who travels the country sharing her nutritional knowledge with others. Pretty much, Mitzi Dulan= Wonder Woman! As a nutrition major minoring in physical fitness and a new mother, I find her to be an inspiration. I highly suggest checking out Mitzi's Blog which is chock full of interesting information as well as some tasty recipes.One surprising fact I learned from Mitzi's blog was that you can burn up to one hundred and eighty calories if you vacuum for an hour, and one hundred and sixty if you wash the dishes for 30 minutes! Who knew? I say bring on the chores.


  I know a blog has good recipes when I look at the pictures and salivate! When I visited Jaden Hair's website that's exactly what happened. She's a professional recipe developer, food columnist, and food photographer, who loves creating fast, fresh, and easy recipes anyone can make. What this tells me is, this is a woman who knows her food! Check out Steamy Kitchen if your ready to start creating some healthy simple recipes that everyone will love. Here are a few pictures of Jaden's food to inspire you to get clickin.

     
       After watching Forks Over Knives I was inspired to incorporate some tasty vegetarian recipes into my diet, but where do I begin? When most of us think "vegetarian" images of wet tofu and bland steamed vegetables fill our  heads, yuck. But Michael Natkin, writer of Herbivoracious, says NAY! He has transformed my idea of a vegetarian diet forever. He has created tons of hearty mouth-wateringly delicious recipes that I personally can't wait to try! If saffron and chickpea stew with grilled porcini mushrooms, or green garlic and mint potato salad sound good to you, I highly suggest you check out this herbivores blog. Michael Natkin's Blog

"You’ll be able to build a satisfying, healthful, and most of all, pleasurable meal around these dishes, together with an exciting selection of appetizers, salads, soups and sides. "- Michael Natkin

                                 

Forks Over Knives

         Did you know one million Americans die each year from cancer and heart disease? With 40% of the American public considered obese and half of our country taking prescription drugs on a regular basis,  the health of our country looks quite bleak. But fear not, Dr.'s T. Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn to the rescue! Promoting a nutrient filled plant based diet, these whole foods specialists are equivalent to modern day Super Men.  Their specialized eating plans have the potential to save millions of lives. The documentary "Forks over Knives,"dives deeper into  the new information these highly acclaimed doctors have uncovered about the negative effects of meat and dairy on our bodies, as well as the positive effects of a plant based nutrient dense diet. Throughout this documentary we follow these highly acclaimed doctors on their journey to discover what it means to be truly healthy.

             Many people today believe meat and protein are synonymous. Although meat does provide all nine essential amino proteins, it has also been shown to cause heart disease and benefit the growth of cancer. Complete protein can be found in many unsuspecting non- meat products such as quinoa and soy. You can also combine incomplete proteins like beans, rice, legumes (nuts), and vegetables together to create a complete protein.Dairy has also been shown to be an unsuspecting accomplice. Dr. Campbell discovered a link between the amount of casine (the main protein in dairy) we consume and tumor growth in the liver. The whole foods eating plan also addresses the ever increasing obesity epidemic, and its connection to our consumption of overly rich processed foods. With the average American carrying twenty three extra pounds one question that comes to mind is, why? What has changed in the last fifty years to cause our countries weight and waistlines to expand so drastically? One belief is the consumption of unnaturally dense processed food, such as high fructose corn syrup, is the main reason for our countries sudden and continual weight gain. To learn more about the benefits of  a plant based diet visit t.colinandcampbell.org. With followers like Bill Clinton, who gives credit to these two extraordinary men for his drastic weight loss, and professional athlete Tony Gonzalez on board, whats stopping you?

          Dr. Campbell has published several articles and books about his findings, many of which are controversial. In his article, Fat and Plant Based Diets, he discusses his beliefs on mono-unsaturated fats as well as his questions about the Mediterranean diet. He also discusses soy in, Soy and Your Health, focusing on the health benefits of soy, as well as its positive effects alzheimer's and cancer.The American Institute for Cancer research also supports a plant based diet. In their article Changing Lives to Save Lives they suggest we cover 2/3rd's of our plate in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Even though many believe the plant based diet to be extreme, the success and health benefits are undeniable. 

"Sometimes the most elegant solution is the most simple. Why plant-based nutrition? Why not? Why develop heart disease? Cancer? Diabetes? The epidemic of chronic, degenerative disease that is sweeping the western world can not only be stopped, it can be reversed. The power lies in the hands of the consumer, in the choices we make about what to put on our plates." -Anonymous

                                    This is an example of a holistic plant based food pyramid.

O and p.s. for all the Moms out there this is a great blog! Kim is relatable, fun, and has tons of advice. I highly recommend you take a look at Kim's Blog.

making exercise fun

         Eeeekkk! Did you know only 18% of Americans get the recommended amount of daily physical activity? It's recommended that we get a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, along with two muscle strengthening sessions a week. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am not a gym girl. Between the sweaty men and  the unescapable room stink there's pretty much nothing about the gym that appeals to me. I always end up feeling like I'm in a competition with the person on the treadmill next to me. All of the unnecessary grunting makes me uncomfortable, and I dread that moment when you look up and some unwelcome stranger is watching you get pumped while listening to "play that funky music white boy,"awkward. Plus, at the end of a long day the last thing I want to do is get dolled up to go to the gym. What's a girl to do? Instead of having exercise be a chore we have to make it fun! I can hear the scoffs, but I promise it can be done! My top seven favorite fun ways to exercise are swimming, walking, rock climbing, rollerblading, dancing, biking, and boxing. I'm still waiting to try yoga. For those of you who have never taken a boxing class your missing out! Think of it as a chance to punch every person that has ever pissed you off, broken your heart, or taken your parking spot in the face with no negative repercussions. You have the potential to burn thousands of calories, and release all of your pint up stress. If boxing is a bit too intense, go the opposite route. Try walking outside in a beautiful scenic neighborhood or along the shore if you live near the beach. Walking serves as exercise and therapy in one. When you finally get the chance to put down the phone, step away from your computer, and indulge in a little me time you will be amazed at how much better you feel. Not only is exercise a mental release; the physical benefits are endless! You can increase you ability to  defend against infections, lower your risk for heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Now for those of you who need a little musical inspiration to get yourself up off the couch, heres a couple songs that I know will pump you up!

Arctic Monkeys:
Brainstorm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30w8DyEJ__0
Teddy Picker http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A2XBoxtcUA
(p.s. to open highlight, double click, and click open URL)
Now get moving!