I don’t know about you, but when I exercise, I need to be watching or listening to something. At the gym that I go to, there are personal TVs attached to all of the cardio equipment which is super nice because then there are around 70 channels and I get to choose what I want to watch. I find that if I can find a show to really get into, the time flies by and it makes exercising seem like less of a chore (and yes, for me, it’ll probably always be a chore!). Usually I watch the news, The Travel Channel, or some classic rerun of Fresh Prince or Everybody Loves Raymond, but lately I’ve gotten into watching something else…

Music Videos! I’ve never been one to sit and watch music videos, but I’m telling you, my workouts fly by when I watch them.  Maybe because there’s some great music playing and something to watch at the same time? I find that it’s so easy to get caught up in video after video, and before I know it, I’m done and I’ve gotten a great workout.

I also found that I’m not the only one that has realized the greatness of watching music videos! A recent article over at the Ultimate Fitness Blog for Women’s Health magazine discussed the same thing – “Exorexic and it’s all Justin’s fault.” The author talked about how she got caught up in Justin Timberlake music videos while she was working out and how the time just flew by – and I could totally relate! She also had a great idea for giving yourself a more intense workout.  You know how they say that it’s not necessarily how long you exercise but the intensity that you do it at? So as you’re watching music videos, up the intensity after each one so that you’ll burn more fat. Nice, huh?

Next time you exercise whether it be in your own living room or at the gym, try watching music videos on a channel like VH1, MTV, or even the Country Music Channel. It may not work for everybody, but for me, watching music videos while I exercise is my new favorite thing!

Yesterday we talked about all of the benefits of eating Apples, so I thought today I’d post some healthy Apple recipes that are super simple and easy to make. If you’re not sure what to do with your apples, give these a try! If you have your own favorite apple recipes, feel free to share…

–Healthy Apple Bran Muffins–

All You’ll Need:

1 1/4 cups bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup butter
1 cup peeled and chopped apple
1 cup raisins

All You’ll Do:

1. In a large bowl combine bran, whole wheat flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.
2. In a small bowl cream together milk, eggs, maple syrup, and butter; fold into flour mixture. Stir in chopped apples and raisins. Pour into greased muffin tins.
3. Bake in a 350*F oven for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the center is set. Remove from oven. Let completely cool on wire rack.

Source

–Healthy Apple Crisp–

 All You’ll Need:

1/4 cup instant oatmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 Tbsp margarine
4 Granny Smith apples
2 cups vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

All you’ll Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
3. In a bowl, thoroughly combine the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and margarine.
4. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
5. Spread the apple slices evenly over the surface of the baking pan.
6. Sprinkle the oatmeal-flour mixture over the apples.
7. Bake in the preheated over for 30 minutes or until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.
8. Serve warm, topping each serving with 1/4 cup frozen yogurt.

Nutrition Information:

142 calories; 63mg sodium; 3g fat; 1g fiber, 20g carbohydrates

Serves 8

Source

It’s Apple season in America right now which means there’s no better time to eat them! Not only do Apples taste good, but they’re good for you too. And with so many varieties to choose from (over 2,500 different kinds), I’m sure there’s at least one kind that you’ll like.There are a TON of health benefits that come from eating Apples, so lets take a look…

1. Helps control weight gain – studies have shown that eating apples regularly will help you control gaining weight
2. Apples contain fiber – fiber helps you feel full
3. Low in calories
4. Great source of certain vitamins and minerals
5. Helps boost your energy
6. Includes disease fighting chemicals that help prevent cancer, heart disease, and more…
7. Helps lower blood cholesterol
8. May prevent wrinkles from forming

What’s listed above is only the start of all the healthful benefits, there are many many more. The more often you eat apples, the better, and that’s why the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is so true. To get the most benefits from an apple, remember to eat the skin. While it may not taste as good as the inside of the apple, it’s the best part for you.

Now that we know the benefits of eating apples, here are a few tips for buying the best apples and keeping them fresh:

• Apples should be hard when you buy them
• If there are any dents in an apple, it’s not a good choice
• One study suggests that red apples have more benefits than green – it’s your call which to buy though…
• Keep your apples refrigerated so that you get the longest life possible out of them
• If you slice apples and they’ll be sitting for a short amount of time before you eat it, squeeze some lemon juice and water over the apples to keep them from turning brown

Each year it seems studies reveal more and more benefits of eating apples, so I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t want to eat them. Find the different kinds of apples that you like, and find different ways to serve them such as slicing them and spreading a little bit of peanut butter on them, or dipping them in a low-fat yogurt or other healthy dips.

And remember, an apple a day… certainly does keep the doctor away. Hmmm… I think it’s time for an Apple!

Most people underestimate the nutritional value (or lack there of) of the fast food that they eat despite the fact that most fast food restaurants make this information readily available online. Perhaps it gets ignored on purpose? If people only realized the amount of calories, fat, and sodium that they were putting into their bodies, they’d likely think twice (at least I’d hope so) about the choices that they made. Below you’ll find nutritional information for some of the most popular items at fast food restaurants. It came from the fast food vendors themselves, and you can easily find this information yourself at www.mcdonalds.com, www.burgerking.com, www.wendys.com, and www.arbys.com.

Amazing, isn’t it? Of course none of the items I listed would be considered a “healthy” choice at these restaurants, but unfortunately, the majority of people choose these types of items over salads or grilled chicken options. The next time you’re thinking about pulling up to a drive-thru, take the time to visit the restaurant’s website so that you can view the nutritional information and get an idea of what you’re putting into your body. And remember, it’s not just the calories that count – it’s the fat, trans fat, and sodium that you should be looking at as well. Keep in mind, eating fast food (unhealthy) regularly is definitely something that could eventually cause you problems with your health.

I’m one of those that often times can’t figure out what else to make with a main entree. It’s easy for me to fall back on sides like a small garden salad or steamed broccoli, and while I enjoy both, it’s always nice to find something different to do.  Today’s Figure Friendly Recipe is a super simple green bean salad that would be great with steak, chicken, or just about anything you could think of, and to boot, it’s healthy!

Recipe: Green Bean Salad

All you need:

• 1 pound green beans washed and stems trimmed off
• 1 cup yellow (or red) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small shallot (substitute onion if necessary) thinly sliced
• 1 medium lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

All you’ll do:

1. Cook green beans in boiling water for about 4 minutes.  Cool in ice water to stop cooking process and to retain color and texture of beans.
2. Mix tomatoes, shallot, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste.  Add green beans and parsley and mix well.  Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.

That’s it! In no time you’ll have a healthy green bean salad to go with any entree you make. They look tasty, don’t they? Enjoy!

Source: Chow.com

There are SO many health benefits of walking. It’s good for the mind, body, and spirit, and helps you feel good. Not only that, but it can also help you out while you’re on your weight loss journey. Even when I’m not able to go to the gym, I still manage to get a walk in each evening which helps me maintain my weight, and I also find that it even helps me sleep better. Walking is probably the easiest form of exercise you could do because it doesn’t take any special equipment, and you can do it just about anywhere you go.

Today we’re going to talk about some of the benefits of walking, but also tips for making your walking experience that much better.

First, the benefits – they truly are amazing:

1. Walking reduces body fat
2. Lowers resting pulse rate
3. Reduces blood cholesterol
4. Reduces blood pressure
5. Increases metabolism – thus helping you to lose weight
6. Increases flexibility and tones muscles
7. Reduces stress
8. Improves problem-solving
9. Improves self-esteem
10. Maintains bone density

–Walking Tips – Make your walk better!–

• Walking Shoes – Buy a pair of comfy walking shoes, you’ll need them!
• Walk with a friend – Find someone that you can walk with – either a friend, family member, or a walking group in your community
• Incorporate walking everywhere – Instead of fighting for that close parking spot, park farther away and walk
• Get those arms movin’ – When you walk, get those arms moving. Elbows should be bent at a 90 degree angle, and they should move with each step you take
• Solve your problems – If you ever feel stressed or have a lot on your mind, take a walk to think things through and sort things out
• Get a pedometer – Count your steps and try to take about 130 steps each minute for a great workout

Sources: MSN Health, UMICH

Wouldn’t it be be nice to get paid to lose weight? I mean, who would turn down a little cash for all the effort it takes to drop the extra pounds? Getting paid to lose weight was the focus of a recent study that found that people who are paid to lose weight actually lose more. Of course it’s not surprising, but it’s still interesting.

For this study, over 200 people were divided up into three different groups. The first group of people were encouraged to lose weight but weren’t offered any type of “reward” for their efforts.  The second group of people were told that if they lost weight, they’d get paid $7 for every percentage point of body weight that they lost.  The third and last group was told they’d get $14 for every percentage point of body weight that they lost. Any guesses which group was the most successful?

Yep, you guessed it, the group getting paid $14 for each percentage lost the most weight. Those in that group averaged a 4.7 pound drop in weight while the group getting paid $7 lost an average of 3 pounds, and the group getting paid nothing at all lost about 2 pounds on average. With more than 64 percent of American adults overweight or obese, perhaps employers should start offering some type of monetary reward to those employees who drop pounds? In the end it could potentially save them money if their employees are healthy, miss less work, and have less visits to the doctor.

This made me wonder if I’d be more motivated to lose weight if there was money involved, although feeling healthier and looking better has been enough of a reward for me, and hopefully it’s enough for you as well.

Source: Reuters

Aspartame is found in so many foods and beverages these days as a way to artificially sweeten them.  In fact, according to this Wikipedia article, it’s used in over 6,000 different products. It’s most commonly known as the artificial sweetener in most diet beverages, and plenty of us drink those beverages. So is it safe?

My argument has always been that it had to be safe, otherwise stores wouldn’t be able to put it out on their shelves. However, when I started to look into the concerns about aspartame several years ago, there was information about how there might be a possible connection between aspartame and brain lesions, brain tumors, headaches, and lymphoma. That was enough for me to stop and think about what I was putting into my body, and whether or not it really was safe. I hadn’t found enough information that proved either way, so since then, I’ve always limited the amount of aspartame I consumed.

With my question never really answered, I was interested in an article on the “I Love to Cheat Diet” blog yesterday titled “Is Aspartame Safe for Weight Loss?” It talked about the results of a study conducted by a panel of experts. What they concluded was that there’s really no evidence that aspartame is bad for our health – it doesn’t cause cancer, there aren’t neurological effects, and it isn’t linked to brain tumors. “Great,” I thought. But then I read that this study was funded by a manufacturer of aspartame and that doesn’t leave me feeling satisfied that this study can be trusted.

With no definite answer, and no answer in sight, I think I’m going to just play it safe and stay away from aspartame. There are too many conflicting reports (like this one) that leave me feeling uneasy about ingesting this substance.  Hopefully one day enough research can be done by a group of people who have nothing to gain from the study other than to simply report the facts so that we’ll know either way if aspartame is safe to use.

While there are more and more obese adults these days, there are also more and more overweight and obese children. It’s gradually turning into an epidemic, and the public is finally starting to pay attention to it and address the issue. Often times, those who weigh more than they should ended up where they are because of unhealthy habits. Healthy habits start in the home which is why it’s important as adults that we set good examples for our children.

A habit is defined as an established custom, or a pattern of behavior acquired through frequent repetition. That frequent repetition part is what gets us in trouble.  Frequent repeated trips to fast food restaurants, frequent repeated hours in front of the computer or TV, frequent repeated over-eating, frequent repeated “lounging” for hours instead of getting up to do something, and the list goes on.  If you’re reading this article, chances are that you frequently repeated behaviors which then turned into unhealthy habits for you and possibly for your children.

It’s in the home where big changes must be made. According to a new study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, the following three factors may put your child at greater risk for being obese:

1. A fat mother
2. Too much TV
3. Rapid weight gain in early childhood

So what can you do? Well to address the first issue, a fat mother, change that as best you can. Start changing your habits now so that you’re healthy! When you start changing your eating habits and how active you are, you’ll likely see a drop in weight. And if you watch a lot of TV in your home, turn it off – it’s as simple as that!

I don’t have children yet, but when I do, I hope to introduce them to a lifestyle of nutritious foods and activity. As more families focus on health in the home, I think we’ll see a rather large drop in the number of obese adults AND children. Remember, healthy habits start in the home!

In my quest to find different ways to cook chicken, I decided to look for a healthy way to cook chicken parmigiana. Both my husband and I love chicken parmigiana, but the problem is that it’s traditionally fried. Luckily there are other ways to cook it, and in this recipe from The Food Network, it’s grilled. If you’re looking for a different way to work with chicken, give this recipe a try. It’s simple, won’t take you much time, and it’s a much better alternative to the traditional fried Chicken Parmigiana.

–Healthy Grilled Chicken Parmigiana Recipe–

All you’ll need:

• 2 pounds thin chicken breast cutlets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling, plus 5 tablespoons
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 20 fresh  basil leaves (1 cup), shredded or torn
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 pound smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced

All you’ll do:

Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and drizzle with EVOO to keep it from sticking to the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side and transfer to a foil-covered platter to hold. If you are using a grill pan, cook the chicken in 2 batches if necessary. While the chicken cooks, make the sauce.

Place a medium pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO (twice around the pan). Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and heat through, 2 minutes. Wilt in the basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Layer the chicken with the tomato sauce in a casserole dish. Top the casserole with Parmigiano and mozzarella. Brown the chicken parm casserole under the broiler for 3 minutes.