Chocolate Shakeology Mudslide

Love the taste of a Mudslide but not all the sugar and calories that go along with it?  Here is a great recipe that is not only healthy, but DELICIOUS!!

Chocolate Shakeology Mudslide

Ingredients:

  • 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
  • 8-10oz Vanilla Almond Milk
  • 1 Tbspn Cool Whip
  • 1 tsp of caramel syrup
  • 1 Tbspn of cold coffee

Mix all ingredients and blend.  Drizzle a little Sugar-Free chocolate syrup on the inside of a glass then pour in the Shakeology mixture.  Yum!

 

Mother’s Day Brunch

Mother’s Day Brunch is a great way to show Mom your appreciation and love, but can do serious damage to your waistline and your wallet. This year, instead of taking Mom out to a crowded restaurant and overloading on calories, why not opt for a healthy brunch at home?

 

Baked Eggs with Canadian Bacon

Ingredients

  • 6 (1 oz) slices of Canadian Bacon
  • 2 Tbspns reduced-fat shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
  • 6 large eggs
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.  Coat large muffin tin with cooking spray and place 1 Canadian Bacon slice in each muffin cup.  Crack one egg over each muffin cup; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake 350 for 20 minutes or until set.  Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese over each muffin cup.

Serves 6; Cals 126, Fat 6.5g, Prot 12.7g, Carb 2g

Variation:  scramble eggs with a splash of fat-free milk and pour over Canadian bacon.

 

 

 

Baked French Toast With Fresh Berry Medley
Serves 8

Ingredients
8 slices organic whole wheat bread
6 large eggs
8 egg whites
2 cups 1 percent milk
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
4 tbsp honey

Preparation
-Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish and arrange bread in a single layer.
-Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk and vanilla.
-Pour mixture over bread; cover and refrigerate for several hours.
-Bring to room temperature before baking.
-Heat oven to 350 degrees.
-Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
-While baking the french toast.
-Mix together the berries and honey.
-Remove from oven and add a spoonful of the berry mixture to each piece of french toast.

Nutrition Information Per Serving
270 Calories
6.7g Fat grams
295mg Sodium
39.4g Carbohydrates
4g Dietary Fiber
13.7g Sugar
14.9g Protein

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.
  3. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

 

Easy Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint strawberries – cleaned, hulled and sliced
  • 1 pound seedless grapes, halved
  • 3 kiwis, peeled and sliced
  • 3 bananas, sliced

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, grapes, kiwis, and bananas. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

 

Total Body Fitness & Nutrition

Healthy Cinco De Mayo

To help you celebrate Cinco De Mayo, I have posted a healthy Mexican-inspired menu–complete with margaritas.  So grab your friends and family along with some great music and enjoy this holiday the healthy way!

Healthy Chicken Fajita

Makes 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 Low Fat, whole wheat flour tortillas (8″ diameter)
  • 2 tsp Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning or Mrs Dash Extra Spicy
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Olive Oil Cooking Spray
  • 2 peppers, red, green, yellow – your choice
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 1/2 cup salsa, divided into 4

1. Preheat oven to 400, stack torillas on a large piece of foil. Roll into a tube to encase tortillas. Seal one end. Set aside.

2. Sprikle Mrs Dash evenly over chicken strips. Season with salt to taste and toss well.

3. Place a large nonstick-skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly mist skilet with cooking spray. Add peppers and cook 1-2 minutes, or until peppers begin to soften. Add onion and continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until tender. Remove and place in a covered dish to keep warm.

4. Place tortillas in oven.

5. Re-spray pan and place over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer, working in batches if necessary and cook 4-6 minutes or until lightly brown. Transfer peppers and onions back into the pan and toss w/ chicken until everything is warmed through.

6. Remove tortillas from oven and unroll. Place 1 on a plate. Spoon 1/4 chicken and veggie mix on top, followed by 2 Tbspn salsa. Repeat with remainng tortillas. Serve immediately.

 

Avocado Fruit Salad - recipe adapted from SouthernLiving.com

Makes (6) 1 cup servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups peeled orange sections
  • 2 cups peeled grapefruit sections
  • 1 cup cubed pineapple
  • 1 cup cubed pear
  • 2 cups cubed fresh cantaloupe
  • 1 medium-size ripe avocado, halved and cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • Garnishes: light sour cream, crushed pistachios – optional

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl and cover.  Chill for 1 hour.  Garnish if desired.

 

Fresh Squash Chips -courtesy of SouthernLiving.com

Ingredients:

  • 2 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • 2 yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

Combine all ingredients and 4 cups cold water in a large bowl. Cover and chill 30 minutes; drain and pat dry with paper towels.  Serve with your favorite vegetable dip.

 

 

SkinnyWatermelon Margaritas – recipe adapted from www.myrecipes.com

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 packets of Truvia
  • 1 lime wedge
  • 3 1/2 cups cubed seeded watermelon
  • 1/2 cup tequila
  • 2 additional packets of Truvia sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
  • Lime wedges or watermelon balls (optional)

1. Place 1-2 packets of Truvia in a saucer. Rub the rims of 6 glasses with 1 lime wedge; spin rim of each glass in Truvia to coat. Set prepared glasses aside.

2. Combine watermelon and next 4 ingredients (through Triple Sec) in a blender; process until smooth. Fill each prepared glass with 1/2 cup crushed ice. Add 1/2 cup margarita to each glass. Garnish with lime wedges or melon balls, if desired.

Enjoy!

Total Body Fitness & Nutrition

 

Healthy French Toast

This delicious recipe for French Toast is a much healthier version of the old butter-saturated favorite. This healthier version will satisfy your taste buds while going easy on your waistline.

The secret to an enjoyable, healthy French Toast breakfast lies in choosing nutrient-dense ingredients over traditional ingredients and using low-fat cooking methods.

Healthy French Toast

Makes 1 Serving

  • 2 slices Ezekiel 4:9 bread (or whole wheat bread)
  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • Strawberries
  • Sugar free syrup
  • Cooking spray

Whisk egg whites in bowl, add cinnamon and vanilla. Put bread in and let soak for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat fry pan or griddle and spray with cooking spray. Then place soaked bread on griddle and pour remaining egg whites on top. Cook until well browned on both sides. Serve with chopped berries & sugar-free syrup!  Enjoy!

Healthy Pita Pizza

Love pizza, but not all the fat and calories that go along with it?  Try this healthy version of your all-time favorite…

Healthy Pita Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbspn low-fat marinara or tomato-basil sauce
  • 1 whole grain pita (5″ diameter)
  • 2 Tbspn low-fat shredded mozzerella cheese
  • 1/2 oz lean turkey pepperoni

Direction:

  1. Spread suauce on pita. Sprinkle with cheese and add pepperoni on top.
  2. Bake at 350 in toaster oven for 2-5 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Variation: Add chopped veggies such as tomato, spinach, onion, green pepper, etc.

Serves 1. Calories 200, Protein 14g, Carbs 26g, Fiber 3g, Fat 6g.

 

 

Tired of Starting Over?

Have you been on and off the wagon so many times you don’t know if you are coming or going? Are you tired of starting over?

THEN STOP QUITTING!

To set yourself up to be successful, you need to do something different.  Here are a few ideas to stop giving up on yourself.

  1. Get Support.  There is no reason for you to do this alone.  Grab a friend or family member to help you stay accountable.  Don’t have someone?  Find a social support group like the Total Body Fitness Fan Page to help you get through the tough times.
  2. Have a Blueprint.  You know what you WANT, but do you know HOW to get there?  It is too hard to try and do it all on your own if you don’t have an idea of where to start.  So seek advice or a proper plan of action to keep yourself going.
  3. Reflect.  Take some time to look back at what has both worked and not worked for you in the past.  Once you identify issues that throw you off track, you can find solutions so these situations will not continue to derail your efforts.

Just remember, results CAN happen as long as you have the tools to get you there.  So stop giving up and just GET IT DONE!

Total Body Fitness & Nutriiton

Biggest Fat Loss Secret

Everyone is looking for the Biggest Fat Loss Secret.  Is it in a pill?  Is it your diet?  Or maybe it’s the amount of exercise you perform each week.  Not one of these are the answer.  The Biggest Fat Loss Secret is actually to incorporate High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) into your workout routine.  It is one of the most effective ways to burn body fat.  It also increases the amount of fat and calories burned for hours after your workout.  Efficient workouts, a clean/nutritious diet and an overall healthy lifestyle will ensure you start seeing the results you are looking for.

 

 Total Body Fitness & Nutrition

 

Say Yes to Yolks!

Egg yolks are not only rich in protein and Vitamin D, they have alos been found to contain as much disease-fighting power as certain red fruits.  A study published in the journal Food Chemistry found that two egg yolks (even when cooked) mimic the antioxidant properties found in an apple or one-half serving of cranberries.  So at your next breakfast, don’t forget to Say Yes to Yolks!

Easter Candy


Picture courtesy of CandyBaskets.com

 

As I boil the eggs and prepare for the Easter Bunny, I start to think about all the candy and sugar the kids around the world will be getting in their Easter baskets.  Although the Easter Bunny doesn’t give much candy at our house, my children do get to indulge in some.  My family’s favorite is chocolate peanut butter eggs.  But do they really know how much sugar, calories and fat are in them?  I doubt it so of course I had to look it up….

 

Easter Candy Calories Fat (g) Carbs (g) Sugar (g)
4 Peeps Marshmallow Bunnies 130 0 33 29
1 Peeps Hollow Milk Chocolate Egg 420 24 54 52
5 Mars Mini Chocolate Eggs 179 10 20.4 17.6
1 Cadbury Solid Milk Chocolate Easter Bunny 890 48.6 101.2 97.1
1 Cadbury Creme Egg 150 6 24 20
12 Cadbury Chocolate Eggs 190 8 28 27
1 Dove Solid Chocolate Easter Bunny 230 13 25 24
1 Nestle’s Crunch Nest Egg 180 9 25 20
1 Snickers Cream Sports Egg 140 6 18 16
1 Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg 180 10 18 16
1 Reese’s Reester Bunny 760 40 88 72
1 Brachs Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Egg 43 1.3 7.8 6
9 Brachs Malted Easter Eggs 200 8 32 23
35 Jelly Belly Assorted Jellybeans 140 0 35 32

Wow!  It’s amazing to see that one Cadbury Solid Milk Chocolate Easter Bunny or one Reese’s Resster bunny is worth almost half the daily recommended calories!!  At least my family’s favorite peanut butter egg is only 180 calories!

So what will you be indulging in this weekend?  I would love to hear so please leave a comment!

 

 

Losing body fat

The key to losing body fat instead of muscle is to have the right combination of weight training, cardiovascular exercise and diet. That is why the phrase” slow and steady wins the race” is so important when it comes to losing fat. Overdoing any of these factors will lead your body to use the energy stored in your muscles instead of unwanted body fat.  Remember… The more active you are, the more calories you need, even if you are looking to drop a few pounds.

Total Body Fitness and Nutrition