With all the holiday treats being made at my house this week it has been hard to resist just gorging myself on them! I myself have made cookies, fudge, caramels and other sweets (Yes, I know.. I'm being a hypocrite!) but that doesn't mean I have to eat it all! I allow myself to have a small portion of a treat, and I make sure that I get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day! But, I do find it hard to stop at just one cookie, one small piece of fudge or a small bite of caramel, so what do you do? How do you resist the urge to replace every meal with sugary sweets? Here are a few tips that I use and have found helpful!
#1 Portion control.
As stated before, keeping an eye on the size and amount of treats you consume is important. Its also important that you don't feel deprived from your favorite foods. Let yourself have a small bite or serving, but stop there. Your future self will thank you!
#2 Drinking Water.
I have stressed this in other post, but I will say it again! Not drinking enough water can make you feel hungry and can cause you to have a little more than you planned, food-wise. I try to have a large glass of water with every meal and one every hour or so. If you are out and about, carry water with you either in a water bottle or a cute cup!
#3 Activity!
Getting moving for at least 30 minutes a day is a must. It will keep you from eating because you are bored and it can be made fun!
#4 Healthy Foods.
Make sure there is a large variety of healthy foods for you to snack on instead of the sugary ones! I love to have fresh fruit and veggies already to enjoy any time!
#5 Enjoy
Make sure you aren't mindlessly eating your treats as you do something else. Keep your mind on the item you are eating and make sure to enjoy it so you don't have to get another one!
#6 Creativity
You can get so creative with the different healthy winter treat! I have made several cookies, treats and drinks that are healthy but delicious. Let me know what healthy winter treats you enjoy!
Well that it! I know it is similar to other post I have posted, but this is a struggle that I almost constantly have during the winter and I wanted to share with you ways that I have found of over coming it!
I won't be posting anymore for a few days because I am on vacation! Yay! So don't expect a post for a little bit (Not too long though)
Keep it healthy and safe!
H.Banana
More Motivation
December 30, 2014
I've done a motivational post before, and I wanted to do another one! Motivation is key (I can't stress that enough!) and it can be found several places! I like to read motivation quotes and I want to share a few of my favorites with you!
Losing weight is hard. Being fat is hard. Pick your hard.
Suck is up so one day you don't have to suck it in.
It is not about 'having' time, it is about making time
It's not always easy, but it's always worth it
Workout like your life depends on it......because it does.
These came from Pinterest, which is my favorite place to get motivation of all kinds. Remember, motivation isn't something you do here and there, but its an every day thing that you need to succeed in anything!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Losing weight is hard. Being fat is hard. Pick your hard.
Suck is up so one day you don't have to suck it in.
It is not about 'having' time, it is about making time
It's not always easy, but it's always worth it
Workout like your life depends on it......because it does.
These came from Pinterest, which is my favorite place to get motivation of all kinds. Remember, motivation isn't something you do here and there, but its an every day thing that you need to succeed in anything!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Chia Seeds
December 28, 2014
Chia seeds have so many health benefits! You can get half the amount of fiber you need in a day in just one ounce of Chia seeds! They also will give you an energy boost, help control your food cravings, lose excess weight, lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels, improves digestion, reduces inflammation, improves hydration, lower blood pressure, improves sleep, lower risk of heart attack and much more! ( Info from Chia Seeds Health ) .
With all those benefits, adding them to our diets is a must! But, how do you do that? Its not all that pleasant to just have a spoon full of Chia seeds in the morning. Here are a few ways to add Chia seeds into your diet!
Mix them into oatmeal, yogurt and granola or cereal. You can hardly tell they are there!
I add them to my smoothies and shakes! They blend right up and you can't even see them!
Add to soup to thicken the broth.
You can even use them as an egg substitute! 1 tablespoon Chia seeds to 1/4 cup of water for 1 egg.
Sprinkle on a salad. Rodale News suggest toasting the Chia seeds to give them a nutter flavor!
With all those benefits, adding them to our diets is a must! But, how do you do that? Its not all that pleasant to just have a spoon full of Chia seeds in the morning. Here are a few ways to add Chia seeds into your diet!
Mix them into oatmeal, yogurt and granola or cereal. You can hardly tell they are there!
I add them to my smoothies and shakes! They blend right up and you can't even see them!
Add to soup to thicken the broth.
You can even use them as an egg substitute! 1 tablespoon Chia seeds to 1/4 cup of water for 1 egg.
Sprinkle on a salad. Rodale News suggest toasting the Chia seeds to give them a nutter flavor!
New Years
December 26, 2014
So, New Years is just around the corner and a lot of us are thinking about our New Year's resolutions. Its a great time to 'turn over a new leaf' start fresh or begin something total new! I know for me that there will be several things on that list that were on there last year. I know that's is sort of a joke about how crowed the gyms are the week after New Years and then the crowd slowly goes away. Its just the thought that a lot of people have trouble sticking to their resolutions no matter what they are! Stay motivated to succeed in what ever your resolutions are and you will have a better chance of sticking to it. For me, this time last year I had the resolution to become healthier, and now looking back I know that I more or less stuck to that. I kept motivated, my family had similar resolutions and I was able to get a lot of information, motivation and inspiration on Pinterest! What are my resolutions? I don't have any 'real' resolutions like 'lose weight', 'go to the gym more', 'get active' or 'save more money' but I do know that I will continue to become healthier, learn more about the health and wellness field, work harder in school , and take the best care of my body that I can!
This post really isn't informational but I just wanted to share a personal post with you guys! I don't know if this will be motivation to any of you, but I wish you all success in this up coming year!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
happy holidays!
H.Banana
This post really isn't informational but I just wanted to share a personal post with you guys! I don't know if this will be motivation to any of you, but I wish you all success in this up coming year!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
happy holidays!
H.Banana
Music!
December 24, 2014
I've done a music post before and here is another one! Music is one of my number one motivators, so I listen to it a lot! Here are a few of my favorite songs to listen to while I workout!
All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
Peppermint Winter by Owl City
Warm Me Up by Elliot Yamen
Santa Baby by Taylor Swift
Silent Night by Celtic Woman
Let it Snow by Michele Buble
Ding Don Merrily on High by Celtic Woman
Hark the Herald Angles Sing by Celtic Woman
So these are a few basic, traditional songs but there are a few new ones in there too! Let me know what song is your favorite and what gets you motivated to stay active! Please share my blog with a friend and have a happy holiday!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
Peppermint Winter by Owl City
Warm Me Up by Elliot Yamen
Santa Baby by Taylor Swift
Silent Night by Celtic Woman
Let it Snow by Michele Buble
Ding Don Merrily on High by Celtic Woman
Hark the Herald Angles Sing by Celtic Woman
So these are a few basic, traditional songs but there are a few new ones in there too! Let me know what song is your favorite and what gets you motivated to stay active! Please share my blog with a friend and have a happy holiday!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Staying healthy during the holidays
December 22, 2014
Lets be honest, its can be hard to stay healthy during the holidays! There is the almost constant temptation of sugary and high calorie foods and then its seems so hard to stay motivated to workout! Here are a few tips that I hope will help us all stay healthy during the holidays!
#1 WATER!
There is often so much going on during the holidays that we forget to drink enough water! Not drinking enough water can cause you to become dehydrated which will make you feel lazy and sluggish. Drinking water ( and the water in hot cocoa, coffee, etc. doesn't count!) will help you feel more energized, give you clearer skin and keep you hydrated!
#2 WORKOUT
Its hard to find time to workout when its cold outside and there is a warm fire to sit by and drink hot cocoa, but its important that you make time! Play some Christmas tunes while you workout, find some Christmas-themed workout moves or find a workout buddy! If you have company and you don't feel like you can leave them to workout, maybe go to the mall ( Shopping is Cardio!) and walk around for an hour or two. Its important that you get moving! Lying around all day will make you feel lazy and lower your motivation level.
#3 INDULGE
Are all those Christmas treats tempting you? Well, live a little and enjoy them...in moderation! Not letting yourself enjoy your favorite treats will make you feel discouraged and deprived. Enjoy those yummy treats a little at a time. Eating one sugar cookie, one candy cane, a cup of cocoa or a piece of fudge won't set you back or make you gain a ton a weight, but loads and loads of them will! Enjoy in moderation and don't worry about it!
#4 VEGGIE-UP!
When is comes to your diet during the holidays, make sure that veggies are present at every meal. As long as they aren't coated in butter, cheese or grease, make sure that at least half of your plate is full of veggies. You can have the other food items like, ham, bread, scalloped potatoes and cranberry sauce, just make sure your giving some love to the veggies too!
#5 SLEEP
It can be tempting to stay up 'way past your bed time' but its so much better for your body if you make sure you get enough sleep! Sleeping in is a great feeling and, if you stayed up late the night before, let yourself have more sleep, your body will thank you! You will have more energy and motivation if you give your body the rest it needs! Bring on the Zzzzzzzzzs!
I hope these tips can help us all stay healthy and motivated during the holidays! Let me know if these tips help you and if you have any to add to the list! If you have enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
Happy Holidays!
H.Banana
#1 WATER!
There is often so much going on during the holidays that we forget to drink enough water! Not drinking enough water can cause you to become dehydrated which will make you feel lazy and sluggish. Drinking water ( and the water in hot cocoa, coffee, etc. doesn't count!) will help you feel more energized, give you clearer skin and keep you hydrated!
#2 WORKOUT
Its hard to find time to workout when its cold outside and there is a warm fire to sit by and drink hot cocoa, but its important that you make time! Play some Christmas tunes while you workout, find some Christmas-themed workout moves or find a workout buddy! If you have company and you don't feel like you can leave them to workout, maybe go to the mall ( Shopping is Cardio!) and walk around for an hour or two. Its important that you get moving! Lying around all day will make you feel lazy and lower your motivation level.
#3 INDULGE
Are all those Christmas treats tempting you? Well, live a little and enjoy them...in moderation! Not letting yourself enjoy your favorite treats will make you feel discouraged and deprived. Enjoy those yummy treats a little at a time. Eating one sugar cookie, one candy cane, a cup of cocoa or a piece of fudge won't set you back or make you gain a ton a weight, but loads and loads of them will! Enjoy in moderation and don't worry about it!
#4 VEGGIE-UP!
When is comes to your diet during the holidays, make sure that veggies are present at every meal. As long as they aren't coated in butter, cheese or grease, make sure that at least half of your plate is full of veggies. You can have the other food items like, ham, bread, scalloped potatoes and cranberry sauce, just make sure your giving some love to the veggies too!
#5 SLEEP
It can be tempting to stay up 'way past your bed time' but its so much better for your body if you make sure you get enough sleep! Sleeping in is a great feeling and, if you stayed up late the night before, let yourself have more sleep, your body will thank you! You will have more energy and motivation if you give your body the rest it needs! Bring on the Zzzzzzzzzs!
I hope these tips can help us all stay healthy and motivated during the holidays! Let me know if these tips help you and if you have any to add to the list! If you have enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
Happy Holidays!
H.Banana
Sunshine Slushy!
December 20, 2014
This slushy is delicious and healthy at the same time! Its just the right blend of sweet and sour! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Ingredients!
Two clementine oranges (I used the 'cuties' )
Two tbs Lemon Juice
1/2 cup coconut water
Two packets of Truvia
Ice
Peel your oranges and blend them up. If you want to get rid of the pulp, just press them through a strainer.
You can enjoy it now, or place it in the freezer to firm up and bit! This is so refreshing and delicious that I want to have it everyday! Let me know what you think and please share it with a friend!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Ingredients!
Two clementine oranges (I used the 'cuties' )
Two tbs Lemon Juice
1/2 cup coconut water
Two packets of Truvia
Ice
Then, add the orange juice, lemon juice, truvia and coconut water to the blender and blend together. Don't over blend on this, just enough for it all to get combined!
Then add the ice and blend up until the ice is all crushed and everything is mixed nicely!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Coffee Slushy!
December 18, 2014
I love coffee, but after my workout I don't want a hot cup of coffee...I want a coffee slushy! This recipe is super easy and only uses a few ingredients!
Ingredients:
Coffee(Brewed and chilled.) about 1 and a half cup.
Coconut Milk (Or any milk you prefer. Got to your desired taste with this one!)
Truvia (If you want it to be sweet, add this, if not, leave it out!)
Add Truvia and Milk to the coffee and mix together.
Then, add ice and blend away!
Ingredients:
Coffee(Brewed and chilled.) about 1 and a half cup.
Coconut Milk (Or any milk you prefer. Got to your desired taste with this one!)
Truvia (If you want it to be sweet, add this, if not, leave it out!)
Add Truvia and Milk to the coffee and mix together.
Then, add ice and blend away!
Once blended, you can enjoy it right away or pop it in the freezer to get firmer.
I hope you enjoyed this super simple, easy and delicious coffee slushy! Its a great way to have a sweet energy boost, with out the sugary calories!
Please share with a friend if you have enjoyed this post!
Keep healthy and SAFE
H.Banana
"Candied" Pecans
December 16, 2014
I love candied pecans but all the recipes I found had sugar in it. So, I decided to create my own recipe and share it with you!
Ingredients:
Pecans(Mine had been stored in the freezer)
Truvia (I used 7 packets)
Cinnamon (I used about a tablespoon)
Warm the pecans in a skillet
The, whisk together the cinnamon and Truvia and add it to the skillet
You've got to be quick, they will burn easily!
Place them on a paper-towel and let them cool and dry.
Ingredients:
Pecans(Mine had been stored in the freezer)
Truvia (I used 7 packets)
Cinnamon (I used about a tablespoon)
Warm the pecans in a skillet
The, whisk together the cinnamon and Truvia and add it to the skillet
You've got to be quick, they will burn easily!
(Mine got a little crispy!)
When they are cooled they are ready to enjoy! A handful of these yummy pecans makes a great snack!
Let me know what you thought and please share my blog with a friend!
Keep healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Ginger!
December 14, 2014
I have been using Ginger a lot lately in my smoothies as well as baking. I knew it was good for me, but I didn't know exactly why or how good it was for me! Here is some of the benefits of Ginger that I found interesting!
This info came from Bembu .
#1.
Ginger is know to help fight many different cancers. Research has shown that ginger can act to literally obliterate cancer's cells.
#2
IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Ginger is known to spell relief for those suffering from IBS. Adding ginger to your diet can have a calming effect on the bowels and digestive system.
#3
Alzheimer's Disease. Research has shown that ginger helps to slow down the loss of brain cells, which typically is a precursor to Alzheimer's. By protecting the brain cells you are protecting yourself from getting Alzheimer's.
#4
Weight Loss. Ginger works as a fat burner in your body and helps to make sure that the weight you are losing is from fat. It also helps to keep you feeling full longer which will keep you from over eating.
The website mentioned earlier has a few more health facts about ginger, so if you are interested in learning more about ginger, I would suggest checking it out.
So, if ginger is so good for you, how do you add it to your diet? There are a lot of ways to do that! I have been adding a chunk of fresh ginger to my fruit smoothies and it is so delicious. It really gives the drink a festive flavor! Ginger-Lemon tea is also a really great way to get ginger in your body. Its refreshing and great for you! Cooking and baking with ginger is great too! Search around and I am sure you will find many recipes with ginger listed in the ingredient's list!
I hope this post has encouraged you to take steps to better health! If you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend!
Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
This info came from Bembu .
#1.
Ginger is know to help fight many different cancers. Research has shown that ginger can act to literally obliterate cancer's cells.
#2
IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Ginger is known to spell relief for those suffering from IBS. Adding ginger to your diet can have a calming effect on the bowels and digestive system.
#3
Alzheimer's Disease. Research has shown that ginger helps to slow down the loss of brain cells, which typically is a precursor to Alzheimer's. By protecting the brain cells you are protecting yourself from getting Alzheimer's.
#4
Weight Loss. Ginger works as a fat burner in your body and helps to make sure that the weight you are losing is from fat. It also helps to keep you feeling full longer which will keep you from over eating.
The website mentioned earlier has a few more health facts about ginger, so if you are interested in learning more about ginger, I would suggest checking it out.
So, if ginger is so good for you, how do you add it to your diet? There are a lot of ways to do that! I have been adding a chunk of fresh ginger to my fruit smoothies and it is so delicious. It really gives the drink a festive flavor! Ginger-Lemon tea is also a really great way to get ginger in your body. Its refreshing and great for you! Cooking and baking with ginger is great too! Search around and I am sure you will find many recipes with ginger listed in the ingredient's list!
I hope this post has encouraged you to take steps to better health! If you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend!
Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Delicious Cinnamon Baked Apples
December 12, 2014
Ingredients:
2 tsp. cinnamon
5 packets of Truvia
5 Apples
1 stick of Butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. Maple Flavoring
1 cup of oats.
Lemon Juice.
Once you have cored them, place them in a bowl and splash a little lemon juice on them, to keep them from going brown while we make the filling.
To make the filling, first melt your butter in a microwavable bowl. Once melted, add Truvia and Vanilla to the bowl and mix well.
Then, add maple flavoring and cinnamon. I suggest using a whisk to mix this together.
Now, just add your oats and mix it till combined and the oats are coated with the liquid.
Take a pan (I am using a 9x13 pan) and cover the bottom and sides with tin foil. Then place the apples in the pan, making sure there is plenty of space between them. Fill the middle of the apples with the filling. Try to get as much as you can in them because it will cook down. You can just sprinkle any leftovers in the bottom of the pan.
They are done when you can push a fork through them easily. Take them out of the oven when they are done and let them cool a bit before serving them.
See all that lovely sauce in the bottom of the pan? Save that to drizzle over the top of the apples.
To serve, place an apple on a plate and spoon some of the sauce from the bottom of the pan over the top of the apple. We drizzled a little half-and-half over ours and my little sister added Whip Cream.
These are so good! I made them for a mid-day snack and everyone loved them! The fact that they are delicious and fairly healthy for you is awesome! Try these yummy treats and let me know what you think! I hope you all love them as much as we did!
Remember to follow me on Pinterest and tell a friend about my blog!
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
Cold Weather, Warm Drinks!
December 10, 2014
Now that is cold outside I want to have something warm to drink inside! I usually don't like anything that is too complicated or has a bunch of ingredients! Here are a few of my favorite warm drinks to have on those cold days!
#1. Hot Lemon Water. A lot of detoxes and cleanses that I have looked in to have suggested drinking hot lemon water every morning! I like to drink it in the morning and sometimes in the evening. To make it is simple: Just heat some water to boiling(Or just warm, depending on how hot you like your drink to be!) and add a few drops of lemon juice!
#2 Coffee! I love coffee, and if you read a previous post of mine (Your Body on Coffee) you will know that coffee has a lot of health benefits for us! I usually have a cup of coffee with a dash of cream in the morning and then maybe another cup in the afternoon or if I go walking outside I will have a cup. I rarely ever had decaf coffee just because I usually need the caffeine, so I have to make sure not to drink in right before bedtime! How do you like your coffee? What are some of your favorite coffee brands or shops? Let me know!
#3 Apple Cider! I like to drink this hot and cold! We have found an apple cider that doesn't have any added sugars(Which is a plus!) at Costco . I like to heat it in the microwave or have it cold. Spiced apple cider is also amazing, but I rarely have time to make it! Maybe I will have time over the holidays!
#4 Tea! Tea of any kind is great for warming you up on cold winter days! A few of my favorites are, any kind of Green Tea ( To learn more about Green Tea, see a previous post of mine!) Black teas, spiced and herbal teas. Too make it is simple, heat water to boiling and add a tea bag. You can also use lose leaf tea and a strainer. You can check out my Mom's blog( Tea in the Morning Too ) to learn more about tea as well as other things!
#6 Lattes! Lattes have a lot of milk in them and they are usually pretty sweet, but there are plenty of healthier recipes out there to try! I have made a Gingerbread Latte on my blog(See a previous post).
A few favorite flavors are, Gingerbread, Pumpkin, Peppermint, and Caramel. Let me know what flavor of Lattes you like and whether you prefer to make them yourself or get them at a shop!
Well those are just a few of my favorite hot holiday drinks. Let me know what is your favorite holiday drinks! I hope to get a few more holiday drink recipes up in the near future so be on a look out for those!
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
#1. Hot Lemon Water. A lot of detoxes and cleanses that I have looked in to have suggested drinking hot lemon water every morning! I like to drink it in the morning and sometimes in the evening. To make it is simple: Just heat some water to boiling(Or just warm, depending on how hot you like your drink to be!) and add a few drops of lemon juice!
#2 Coffee! I love coffee, and if you read a previous post of mine (Your Body on Coffee) you will know that coffee has a lot of health benefits for us! I usually have a cup of coffee with a dash of cream in the morning and then maybe another cup in the afternoon or if I go walking outside I will have a cup. I rarely ever had decaf coffee just because I usually need the caffeine, so I have to make sure not to drink in right before bedtime! How do you like your coffee? What are some of your favorite coffee brands or shops? Let me know!
#3 Apple Cider! I like to drink this hot and cold! We have found an apple cider that doesn't have any added sugars(Which is a plus!) at Costco . I like to heat it in the microwave or have it cold. Spiced apple cider is also amazing, but I rarely have time to make it! Maybe I will have time over the holidays!
#4 Tea! Tea of any kind is great for warming you up on cold winter days! A few of my favorites are, any kind of Green Tea ( To learn more about Green Tea, see a previous post of mine!) Black teas, spiced and herbal teas. Too make it is simple, heat water to boiling and add a tea bag. You can also use lose leaf tea and a strainer. You can check out my Mom's blog( Tea in the Morning Too ) to learn more about tea as well as other things!
#6 Lattes! Lattes have a lot of milk in them and they are usually pretty sweet, but there are plenty of healthier recipes out there to try! I have made a Gingerbread Latte on my blog(See a previous post).
A few favorite flavors are, Gingerbread, Pumpkin, Peppermint, and Caramel. Let me know what flavor of Lattes you like and whether you prefer to make them yourself or get them at a shop!
Well those are just a few of my favorite hot holiday drinks. Let me know what is your favorite holiday drinks! I hope to get a few more holiday drink recipes up in the near future so be on a look out for those!
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
Ab Burning Workout
December 8, 2014
This is a workout that I made a few days ago and I wanted to share it with you! It is made to target mainly the abs but it also works several other body parts. I did it in about 30-40 minutes so its not a really long workout. I was sweaty when I finished, which to me, means it was a good workout!
Get ready to burn those abs!
100 Jumping Jacks
50 Crunches
50 Squats
25 Push-ups
15 Tricep Dips
20 Vertical Toe Touches
20 Bicycle Crunches
30 Genie Abs
100 Jumping Jacks
50 Sit-ups
50 Squats
25 Push-ups (or to change it up you can do V-Push-ups)
50 Plank Runs
40 sec. Side Plank (Per side)
5 Burpees
20 Plank Punches
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Crunches
20 Plié Squats
10 Push-ups
10 Leg Lifts
10 Lunges (Per Leg)
20 Leg Pulses
50 sec. Low Plank
Child's Pose
Downward Facing Dog
Ankle Holds
Deep Breaths.
And that's the Ab Burning Workout! Just as a reminder, make sure that you are capable of doing all the exercises in this workout. I don't want anyone getting hurt! If you tried this workout, let me know what you thought! If you have any questions about the workout or a particular exercise in it, let me know in the comments below!
Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Get ready to burn those abs!
100 Jumping Jacks
50 Crunches
50 Squats
25 Push-ups
15 Tricep Dips
20 Vertical Toe Touches
20 Bicycle Crunches
30 Genie Abs
100 Jumping Jacks
50 Sit-ups
50 Squats
25 Push-ups (or to change it up you can do V-Push-ups)
50 Plank Runs
40 sec. Side Plank (Per side)
5 Burpees
20 Plank Punches
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Crunches
20 Plié Squats
10 Push-ups
10 Leg Lifts
10 Lunges (Per Leg)
20 Leg Pulses
50 sec. Low Plank
Child's Pose
Downward Facing Dog
Ankle Holds
Deep Breaths.
And that's the Ab Burning Workout! Just as a reminder, make sure that you are capable of doing all the exercises in this workout. I don't want anyone getting hurt! If you tried this workout, let me know what you thought! If you have any questions about the workout or a particular exercise in it, let me know in the comments below!
Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Food Facts
December 6, 2014
Here are a few facts about food that will hopefully get you motivated to become healthier! I know that I was pretty 'wowed' by a few of them!
#1
This fact came from Style Craze
Eating an Apple is a more reliable way to stay awake than drinking coffee. The natural sugars in apples are more potent than the caffeine in coffee.
#2
This fact (and a few of the following) are from paleo-diet-menu
Cherries help calm your nervous system.
#3
Grapes relax your blood vessels.
#4
Apples help your body develop resistance against infection.
#5
Watermelons help control your heart rate.
#6
Oranges help maintain great skin and vision.
#7
Blueberries help protect your heart.
#8
Kiwis increases bone mass.
#9
These next few facts are from Relax Deco
Bell Peppers are full of Vitamin A which contributes to healthy, glowing skin.
#10
Green Tea is rich in antioxidants to help fight off wrinkles and ageing.
#11
Water keeps your skin hydrated and glowing!
Well, that's a few facts about food. Let me know if you didn't know any of these! Now, when I eat any of these foods, I will think about the benefits they have!
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
#1
This fact came from Style Craze
Eating an Apple is a more reliable way to stay awake than drinking coffee. The natural sugars in apples are more potent than the caffeine in coffee.
#2
This fact (and a few of the following) are from paleo-diet-menu
Cherries help calm your nervous system.
#3
Grapes relax your blood vessels.
#4
Apples help your body develop resistance against infection.
#5
Watermelons help control your heart rate.
#6
Oranges help maintain great skin and vision.
#7
Blueberries help protect your heart.
#8
Kiwis increases bone mass.
#9
These next few facts are from Relax Deco
Bell Peppers are full of Vitamin A which contributes to healthy, glowing skin.
#10
Green Tea is rich in antioxidants to help fight off wrinkles and ageing.
#11
Water keeps your skin hydrated and glowing!
Well, that's a few facts about food. Let me know if you didn't know any of these! Now, when I eat any of these foods, I will think about the benefits they have!
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
FitBit
December 4, 2014
On Black Friday I got a FitBit Flex . Its a fitness tracker that tracks your steps, calorie burn, active minutes, your sleep and you can log your food, workouts and water intake. I had been wanting one for a while and I am so excited that I finally have one!
Why I wanted a FitBit
I wanted a FitBit because I wanted to be able to track my activity and calorie burn more accurately. My Dad had owned a Jawbone in the past but he hadn't had too much luck with them working well for a long time. And, since I don't own an Apple device I needed a fitness tracker that had an app for the Samsung devices. FitBit fulfilled all those requirements!
What do I think so far?
I love my FitBit! I wear it all the time, except for in the shower. It is waterproof but I don't want to take any chances! I love getting up in the morning and seeing how well I slept that night and during the day I can check my calorie burn and number of steps! I am much more aware of the need to move more now because I want to reach by daily goals! I also love the fact that I can set silent alarms to go off to wake me up! The FiBit on my wrist just vibrates enough to wake me up! Its much nicer than an annoying alarm clock!
What does a FitBit do?
Well, for starters, its a fitness tracker. It tracks your movement, calorie burn and activity level as well as your sleep and number of steps. You can program it to wake you up in the morning, remind you during the day to get moving and you can check it with a tap of the finger to the device to see how close you are to reaching your goal! It so motivating to check it during the day and see your progress. It also tell you how many calories to eat based on your needs. As you log your food during the day it tells you how many more calories you need to eat! There are also challenges you can try to compete against other FitBit owners.
I didn't do any research into other brands of fitness trackers, besides the Jawbone because I knew which one I wanted for my needs. My Dad has ordered a fitness tracker from WiThings and I am excited to see how this one is different from my FitBit.
Let me know if you have a FitBit or other fitness tracker and how you like it, what all it does and how long you've had it!
Please share my blog with a friend if you have enjoyed my posts! Also, follow be on Pinterest under Hannah Plunkett!
Keep it Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Why I wanted a FitBit
I wanted a FitBit because I wanted to be able to track my activity and calorie burn more accurately. My Dad had owned a Jawbone in the past but he hadn't had too much luck with them working well for a long time. And, since I don't own an Apple device I needed a fitness tracker that had an app for the Samsung devices. FitBit fulfilled all those requirements!
What do I think so far?
I love my FitBit! I wear it all the time, except for in the shower. It is waterproof but I don't want to take any chances! I love getting up in the morning and seeing how well I slept that night and during the day I can check my calorie burn and number of steps! I am much more aware of the need to move more now because I want to reach by daily goals! I also love the fact that I can set silent alarms to go off to wake me up! The FiBit on my wrist just vibrates enough to wake me up! Its much nicer than an annoying alarm clock!
What does a FitBit do?
Well, for starters, its a fitness tracker. It tracks your movement, calorie burn and activity level as well as your sleep and number of steps. You can program it to wake you up in the morning, remind you during the day to get moving and you can check it with a tap of the finger to the device to see how close you are to reaching your goal! It so motivating to check it during the day and see your progress. It also tell you how many calories to eat based on your needs. As you log your food during the day it tells you how many more calories you need to eat! There are also challenges you can try to compete against other FitBit owners.
I didn't do any research into other brands of fitness trackers, besides the Jawbone because I knew which one I wanted for my needs. My Dad has ordered a fitness tracker from WiThings and I am excited to see how this one is different from my FitBit.
Let me know if you have a FitBit or other fitness tracker and how you like it, what all it does and how long you've had it!
Please share my blog with a friend if you have enjoyed my posts! Also, follow be on Pinterest under Hannah Plunkett!
Keep it Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Turkey Trot
December 2, 2014
Thanksgiving day my family and I went to run in the Turkey Trot 8k. The Turkey Trot is a 8k run that benefits the Kidney Foundation. For most of us it was our first race ever! We had to get up really early and spend the start of the day freezing outside. Not a typically start to a Thanksgiving day right? But, the excitement of the people around us kept our thoughts away from the cold! My Mom, little brother and little sisters did the 5k fun run/walk while my older brother, Dad and I ran in the 8k. I had been training for this since we signed up, but I didn't realize how different running by yourself and running among so many other people was! I loved the energy that running with other runners gave me! My Dad and I kept together and I am proud to say that we ran more than we walked!
Here is us getting ready for the run! My toes and legs were freezing....all until I started running! Then I wanted to take my jacket off because I was getting so warm!
Mom and my little brother. He wasn't too happy about getting woke up so early, but he was great through the whole thing!
The morning of the race we didn't have much to eat for breakfast, just something that would give us energy but not make our stomachs too full. I had a yogurt and coffee and I wasn't hungry or anything until after the race.
So since this was my first ever race, I learned a few things. Firstly, make sure that your layers are easy to take off while running. I made the mistake of pinning my race number over the zipper of my jacket so I couldn't take it off too easily. Second, Covering up my ears and hands was a great choice! Like I said in a previous post, its important to keep your ears, face, hands and feet warm!
The race was a mix of downhill, uphill, through neighborhoods and on highways. I was a little unprepared for this because I had been training going up and down my drive way and on the treadmill. I have made a mental note to change up my training for future races. The race started and the runners were let out in burst, so as to not crowd the running space. I was thankful for this because going around people is not always easy. As we ran through the neighborhoods there were people in front of their houses cheering us on and blasting music to keep us going! There were volunteers who handed us water and called out our times as we past the mile makers. I was very thankful for those people, and for the running community. Every one was so nice and encouraging no matter what their abilities were!
Like I said before, this was my first race so obviously I didn't win or finish in very good time. I started out slow and from start to about mile 2 I was still getting warm and I was a little uncomfortable. Once I got warm though I was feeling great and I was able to push a lot harder than normal for me! Running with my Dad was a lot of fun too! We were able to stay together and talk while we ran! We finished in just under an hour ( My older brother's time was 45 or 46 minutes) and afterwards the feeling of relief and pride was wonderful! I had just completed my first race and I was so proud of myself! No, I didn't have great time, but I finished and that in its self is something to be proud of!
After the race we went on to have thanksgiving dinner and I felt at liberty to stuff myself and not worry about it! After all, its thanksgiving!
This post really isn't informational or a healthy tips or anything, its just my take and story from my first race! I hope it inspires you to go out and try something new, run your first race like me or something else! Let me know if you have ever done the Turkey Trot or any other race! What did you think and how long was the race?
Remember to follow me on Pinterest and Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
The morning of the race we didn't have much to eat for breakfast, just something that would give us energy but not make our stomachs too full. I had a yogurt and coffee and I wasn't hungry or anything until after the race.
So since this was my first ever race, I learned a few things. Firstly, make sure that your layers are easy to take off while running. I made the mistake of pinning my race number over the zipper of my jacket so I couldn't take it off too easily. Second, Covering up my ears and hands was a great choice! Like I said in a previous post, its important to keep your ears, face, hands and feet warm!
The race was a mix of downhill, uphill, through neighborhoods and on highways. I was a little unprepared for this because I had been training going up and down my drive way and on the treadmill. I have made a mental note to change up my training for future races. The race started and the runners were let out in burst, so as to not crowd the running space. I was thankful for this because going around people is not always easy. As we ran through the neighborhoods there were people in front of their houses cheering us on and blasting music to keep us going! There were volunteers who handed us water and called out our times as we past the mile makers. I was very thankful for those people, and for the running community. Every one was so nice and encouraging no matter what their abilities were!
Like I said before, this was my first race so obviously I didn't win or finish in very good time. I started out slow and from start to about mile 2 I was still getting warm and I was a little uncomfortable. Once I got warm though I was feeling great and I was able to push a lot harder than normal for me! Running with my Dad was a lot of fun too! We were able to stay together and talk while we ran! We finished in just under an hour ( My older brother's time was 45 or 46 minutes) and afterwards the feeling of relief and pride was wonderful! I had just completed my first race and I was so proud of myself! No, I didn't have great time, but I finished and that in its self is something to be proud of!
After the race we went on to have thanksgiving dinner and I felt at liberty to stuff myself and not worry about it! After all, its thanksgiving!
This post really isn't informational or a healthy tips or anything, its just my take and story from my first race! I hope it inspires you to go out and try something new, run your first race like me or something else! Let me know if you have ever done the Turkey Trot or any other race! What did you think and how long was the race?
Remember to follow me on Pinterest and Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
The 'Wear Yourself Out and Feel Good About it' Workout
November 30, 2014
A few days ago I wrote down a workout which combined a few parts from several workouts that I have been doing. I was wore out at the end of it, but proud too because when I read over it I was amazed that I was able to do all of this in a short amount of time! Before I go on, I want to say that this workout may not work for every one. Please be careful and stay with in your means to avoid injury. Make sure you can do these exercises without harming yourself.
Here is the workout, get ready!
*
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Crunches
20 Squats
10 Push-Up
* (Repeat from * to * 5 times)
15 Super-mans
20 Donkey Kicks per leg
20 Lunges per leg
15 Dips ( I call then Bridges dips....)
10 Squat Jumps
30 Kettle Bell Swings
#
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Sit-Ups
20 Plie Squats
10 Push-Ups
# (Repeat from # to # 2 times)
50 Flutter Kicks
20 Burpees
15 Bicycle Crunches
10 Plank Knee to Elbow per leg
10 Single leg dips per leg
10 Shoulder (Or V) push-ups
*
12 Lunges per leg
15 Squats
12 Step-ups per leg
5o second plank
* (Repeat from * to * 2 times)
Garb you ankles and hold for 20 seconds.
Bring knees to chest and hold for 20 seconds per leg.
Take 10 really deep breaths.
Well that it! I was sweating up a storm when I finished this, but I also have new workout to add to my collection! Let me know if you try and it and what you think! If you have any questions, leave it in the comments or email the blog at healthypinner@gmail.com . Please be careful and stay within your abilities.
If you liked this post, let me know and share it with a friend.
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
Here is the workout, get ready!
*
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Crunches
20 Squats
10 Push-Up
* (Repeat from * to * 5 times)
15 Super-mans
20 Donkey Kicks per leg
20 Lunges per leg
15 Dips ( I call then Bridges dips....)
10 Squat Jumps
30 Kettle Bell Swings
#
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Sit-Ups
20 Plie Squats
10 Push-Ups
# (Repeat from # to # 2 times)
50 Flutter Kicks
20 Burpees
15 Bicycle Crunches
10 Plank Knee to Elbow per leg
10 Single leg dips per leg
10 Shoulder (Or V) push-ups
*
12 Lunges per leg
15 Squats
12 Step-ups per leg
5o second plank
* (Repeat from * to * 2 times)
Garb you ankles and hold for 20 seconds.
Bring knees to chest and hold for 20 seconds per leg.
Take 10 really deep breaths.
Well that it! I was sweating up a storm when I finished this, but I also have new workout to add to my collection! Let me know if you try and it and what you think! If you have any questions, leave it in the comments or email the blog at healthypinner@gmail.com . Please be careful and stay within your abilities.
If you liked this post, let me know and share it with a friend.
Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
Turkey Burner
November 28, 2014
So, Thanksgiving was yesterday and you probably had a typical Thanksgiving dinner right? With the turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and so on. So now its time to get back on track again! Here is a great workout to help you jump start you workouts after Thanksgiving. Its called the Turkey Burner from Spark People .
Get ready, 'cause here is its!
The Turkey Burner Workout:
50 Jumping Jacks
40 Plie Squats
30 Burpees (Groan..!)
20 1-leg push-ups
10 bicycle crunches.
Sounds easy enough right? LOL, that's what I thought too! Man, I really don't like burpees... But I felt it work and I worked up a sweat and that's what I was going for anyways! Try this workout even if its not after Thanksgiving. Use it in your daily workouts!
Let me know what you think about this post and please share it with a friend!
Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Ps. Remember to keep you health in mind and never do a workout that you aren't capable of.
Get ready, 'cause here is its!
The Turkey Burner Workout:
50 Jumping Jacks
40 Plie Squats
30 Burpees (Groan..!)
20 1-leg push-ups
10 bicycle crunches.
Sounds easy enough right? LOL, that's what I thought too! Man, I really don't like burpees... But I felt it work and I worked up a sweat and that's what I was going for anyways! Try this workout even if its not after Thanksgiving. Use it in your daily workouts!
Let me know what you think about this post and please share it with a friend!
Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Ps. Remember to keep you health in mind and never do a workout that you aren't capable of.
Calorie Saving Holiday Food Swaps.
November 26, 2014
Have you ever wondered whether there was a healthier way to make your favorite holiday treats? Well, there are so many healthier recipes out there from pumpkin pie to turkey dressing, but what about just tweaking the recipe you already love? Here are a few food swaps that might help you. Now, just be clear not all of these will taste good in everything. Use your imagination and have fun with it!
Oil:
Oil can be substituted with applesauce 1 for 1. So, if you use a 1/2 cup of oil you can use a 1/2 cup of applesauce instead. This is a great tip for things like muffins and sweet breads!
Sugar:
Sugar can be substituted with Stevia 1 to 3/4. So if you use a cup of sugar you can use 3/4 a cup of stevia. Stevia can be found in almost any grocery store now, but if you can't find it in your local store try Whole Foods or Fresh Market. The brand of stevia my family uses is Truvia.
Butter:
Butter can be substituted with coconut oil 1 to 3/4. So, like the sugar and stevia, if you use a cup of butter you can use 3/4 of a cup coconut oil. Now, I must say this taste better in some things than others. It does give a slight coconut flavor, which is great in chocolate cookie but maybe not so much in sweet potato casserole. Have fun with it though! Maybe sweet potato and coconut with become the next popular flavor combination!
Cow's Milk:
Cow's milk can be substituted with unsweetened almond milk 1 to 1. So, if the recipe calls for a cup of cow's milk, you can use a cup of unsweetened almond milk. I have used this tip a lot and I have never tasted an almond flavor as a result from it.
Milk Chocolate:
Milk chocolate can be substituted with 70% dark chocolate 1 to 1. So, if you use a cup of milk chocolate, just use a cup of 70% dark chocolate instead. This gives anything a richer and darker chocolate flavor and I love this tip because of it!
Heavy Cream:
Heavy cream can be substituted 1 to 3/4 with Raw Cashew Cream. So for a cup of heavy cream just use 3/4 of a cup of raw cashew cream. I have never used cashew cream so I can't tell you how it will taste, but if you use it I would be interested in knowing what you think about it!
These tips came from HeandSheeatclean.com
I hope these tips inspire you to try new things and hopefully make your holidays a little healthier! Let me know if you try any of these and what you thought!
Keep healthy and Safe.
H.Banana
Oil:
Oil can be substituted with applesauce 1 for 1. So, if you use a 1/2 cup of oil you can use a 1/2 cup of applesauce instead. This is a great tip for things like muffins and sweet breads!
Sugar:
Sugar can be substituted with Stevia 1 to 3/4. So if you use a cup of sugar you can use 3/4 a cup of stevia. Stevia can be found in almost any grocery store now, but if you can't find it in your local store try Whole Foods or Fresh Market. The brand of stevia my family uses is Truvia.
Butter:
Butter can be substituted with coconut oil 1 to 3/4. So, like the sugar and stevia, if you use a cup of butter you can use 3/4 of a cup coconut oil. Now, I must say this taste better in some things than others. It does give a slight coconut flavor, which is great in chocolate cookie but maybe not so much in sweet potato casserole. Have fun with it though! Maybe sweet potato and coconut with become the next popular flavor combination!
Cow's Milk:
Cow's milk can be substituted with unsweetened almond milk 1 to 1. So, if the recipe calls for a cup of cow's milk, you can use a cup of unsweetened almond milk. I have used this tip a lot and I have never tasted an almond flavor as a result from it.
Milk Chocolate:
Milk chocolate can be substituted with 70% dark chocolate 1 to 1. So, if you use a cup of milk chocolate, just use a cup of 70% dark chocolate instead. This gives anything a richer and darker chocolate flavor and I love this tip because of it!
Heavy Cream:
Heavy cream can be substituted 1 to 3/4 with Raw Cashew Cream. So for a cup of heavy cream just use 3/4 of a cup of raw cashew cream. I have never used cashew cream so I can't tell you how it will taste, but if you use it I would be interested in knowing what you think about it!
These tips came from HeandSheeatclean.com
I hope these tips inspire you to try new things and hopefully make your holidays a little healthier! Let me know if you try any of these and what you thought!
Keep healthy and Safe.
H.Banana
Your Body On: Diet Soda
November 24, 2014
Diet soda may seem like a good option to some. You get the soda you love without the calories right? But, what you don't know is that Diet Soda is so terrible for you! I did some research and I found out a lot! Here are the reason you should never drink diet soda again!
Teeth:
Drinking 3 or more diet sodas a day increases your risk of tooth decay due to the super high acidity level.
Mood:
Drinking 4 or more cans of diet soda makes you 30% more likely to develop depression.
Metabolic Syndrome:
Consuming diet soda daily can cause your risk of metabolic syndrome to increase by 36%. Not sure what Metabolic Syndrome is? Well, WebMD has a great article explaining everything you need to know! I encourage you to check it out!
Heart:
A study in 2012 found that drinking diet soda daily can increase the risk of a heart attack by 43%.
Kidneys:
Drinking 2 or more diet sodas a day has been linked to double the risk of kidney disease. The information came from a study of 3,000 women.
Weight:
A daily serving of diet soda increases the risk of obesity by 41%.
Diabetes:
Drinking at least one diet soda a day can increase the risk of type2 diabetes by 67%.
This information came from Prevention.com
So, now that you know what diet soda will do to you, are you going to give it up? What about just regular soda? Are you going to give that up too? You should. I gave it up several months ago and I am so glad I did. I am healthier because of it, I know. And, to tell the honest truth, I don't miss it at all! I have tried to have a sip or two here and there but it doesn't taste the same and I don't enjoy it. I encourage you to try to give up soda. Maybe you feel like you can't live without your daily soda, but start with a week and then two until you're going months without it. I know it can be done, because I did it! Not just diet soda, but every sugary soda out there needs to be cut from your diet!
Let me know if you are trying to cut soda from your diet and how you are doing it! I hope this post has given you some proof that diet soda isn't good for you and encourages you to take another step to becoming a healthier you!
Keep healthy and Safe
H.Banana
Teeth:
Drinking 3 or more diet sodas a day increases your risk of tooth decay due to the super high acidity level.
Mood:
Drinking 4 or more cans of diet soda makes you 30% more likely to develop depression.
Metabolic Syndrome:
Consuming diet soda daily can cause your risk of metabolic syndrome to increase by 36%. Not sure what Metabolic Syndrome is? Well, WebMD has a great article explaining everything you need to know! I encourage you to check it out!
Heart:
A study in 2012 found that drinking diet soda daily can increase the risk of a heart attack by 43%.
Kidneys:
Drinking 2 or more diet sodas a day has been linked to double the risk of kidney disease. The information came from a study of 3,000 women.
Weight:
A daily serving of diet soda increases the risk of obesity by 41%.
Diabetes:
Drinking at least one diet soda a day can increase the risk of type2 diabetes by 67%.
This information came from Prevention.com
So, now that you know what diet soda will do to you, are you going to give it up? What about just regular soda? Are you going to give that up too? You should. I gave it up several months ago and I am so glad I did. I am healthier because of it, I know. And, to tell the honest truth, I don't miss it at all! I have tried to have a sip or two here and there but it doesn't taste the same and I don't enjoy it. I encourage you to try to give up soda. Maybe you feel like you can't live without your daily soda, but start with a week and then two until you're going months without it. I know it can be done, because I did it! Not just diet soda, but every sugary soda out there needs to be cut from your diet!
Let me know if you are trying to cut soda from your diet and how you are doing it! I hope this post has given you some proof that diet soda isn't good for you and encourages you to take another step to becoming a healthier you!
Keep healthy and Safe
H.Banana
Rest Day
November 22, 2014
You should set aside one day out of the week to take a break from exercise and just give your body the rest it needs. Today, normally for me would be a workout day but because I'm sick I am going to take the day off. Don't ever feel guilty for taking a day off even if its an unplanned rest day. Rest is important for your body to grow and remain healthy, so make sure you are giving yourself those rest days.
On a normal rest day for me I usually have a normal day without exercise. I might take my little brother for a walk or do some yoga. Your rest day is a great day to get in some stretches or yoga. The important thing is to rest your body and prepare it for a week full of workouts. Let me know how you like to relax and take your rest days.
Some restful activities!
1. Take a walk by yourself or with a friend. Its amazing how much talking you can get done while walking!
2. Craft or bake! Find a craft you've been wanting to try or a recipe ( preferably a healthy one right? ) you've been wanting to make.
3. Yoga, stretching or breathing exercises. Soothe your sore muscles with some yoga and stretches and try some breathing exercises. You'll be surprised about how good you feel afterwards. I know I am!
4. Read a book with a cup or tea or coffee. Cuddling up with a good book is one of my favorite pastimes! What books do you like to read? Do you prefer coffee or tea?
Now, like I said earlier, today I'm a little under the weather so my rest day is a little different. I'm drinking alot of tea and laying around alot. I don't feel guilty about that because my body needs to rest more that ever because I'm sick. My sister and I will watch a movie and I will more that likely crochet! Let me know what things make you feel better!
I hope the post encourages you to take a rest day and treat your body well. I love my rest days and I hope you do too!
Keep it healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
On a normal rest day for me I usually have a normal day without exercise. I might take my little brother for a walk or do some yoga. Your rest day is a great day to get in some stretches or yoga. The important thing is to rest your body and prepare it for a week full of workouts. Let me know how you like to relax and take your rest days.
Some restful activities!
1. Take a walk by yourself or with a friend. Its amazing how much talking you can get done while walking!
2. Craft or bake! Find a craft you've been wanting to try or a recipe ( preferably a healthy one right? ) you've been wanting to make.
3. Yoga, stretching or breathing exercises. Soothe your sore muscles with some yoga and stretches and try some breathing exercises. You'll be surprised about how good you feel afterwards. I know I am!
4. Read a book with a cup or tea or coffee. Cuddling up with a good book is one of my favorite pastimes! What books do you like to read? Do you prefer coffee or tea?
Now, like I said earlier, today I'm a little under the weather so my rest day is a little different. I'm drinking alot of tea and laying around alot. I don't feel guilty about that because my body needs to rest more that ever because I'm sick. My sister and I will watch a movie and I will more that likely crochet! Let me know what things make you feel better!
I hope the post encourages you to take a rest day and treat your body well. I love my rest days and I hope you do too!
Keep it healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
Motivation!
November 20, 2014
Staying motivated is key to success in everything with no exception for working out and staying healthy! I know for myself motivation isn't something I get done one day out of the week, but its a daily thing that we need to do in order to have success. But sometimes we can't find the right things to motivate us or we can't seem to get motivated at all! What do we do about that? How do we get motivated? Here are a few tips that hopefully will help us all get motivated and stay motivated!
Set a goal and reward for yourself! Having a goal to work to, even if its only a little one, is a great way to motivate yourself. And reaching that goal is a great and motivating feeling in itself! Reward yourself when you reach your goal, even if only in a little way like doing a yoga session instead of a tough cardio workout, or doing something you enjoy! Let me know what kind of goals and rewards get you motivated to workout and stay healthy!
Workout with friends or family. You can keep each other in line and remind each other of what you are working for. Family and friends can motivate you so much, so use it as much as you can! I have been working out with my sisters lately and I have found a whole new joy in working out because I get to spend time with them when other wise I would have been by myself. Do you like working out with friends and family? How do you keep each other in line?
Pinterest is a wonderful place to find motivational quotes! I love going on in the mornings while I eat my breakfast and ready all the amazing motivational sayings and quotes. Here are a few that I love and hope that you do to!
"You get what you work for, not what you wish for. "
Dear stomach, you bored not hungry. Shut up.
When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.
The only bad workout is the one you didn't do.
and finally....
One hour workout is only 4% of your day. No excuses.
Another thing that motivates me is watching weight-loss stories on you-tube, The Biggest Loser and Extreme Makeover Weightloss addition .
Let me know what motivates you! Hopefully I will be doing more of these kind of post in the future so if you enjoyed it please check back and share it with a friend.
Follow me on Pinterest!
Keep it healthy and Safe
H.Banana
Set a goal and reward for yourself! Having a goal to work to, even if its only a little one, is a great way to motivate yourself. And reaching that goal is a great and motivating feeling in itself! Reward yourself when you reach your goal, even if only in a little way like doing a yoga session instead of a tough cardio workout, or doing something you enjoy! Let me know what kind of goals and rewards get you motivated to workout and stay healthy!
Workout with friends or family. You can keep each other in line and remind each other of what you are working for. Family and friends can motivate you so much, so use it as much as you can! I have been working out with my sisters lately and I have found a whole new joy in working out because I get to spend time with them when other wise I would have been by myself. Do you like working out with friends and family? How do you keep each other in line?
Pinterest is a wonderful place to find motivational quotes! I love going on in the mornings while I eat my breakfast and ready all the amazing motivational sayings and quotes. Here are a few that I love and hope that you do to!
"You get what you work for, not what you wish for. "
Dear stomach, you bored not hungry. Shut up.
When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.
The only bad workout is the one you didn't do.
and finally....
One hour workout is only 4% of your day. No excuses.
Another thing that motivates me is watching weight-loss stories on you-tube, The Biggest Loser and Extreme Makeover Weightloss addition .
Let me know what motivates you! Hopefully I will be doing more of these kind of post in the future so if you enjoyed it please check back and share it with a friend.
Follow me on Pinterest!
Keep it healthy and Safe
H.Banana
Winter Workout Tips
November 18, 2014
As the weather gets colder I begin to dread going outside for the run that I know I need. I kept asking myself that surely there had to be a way to make this easier! Well, thankfully I found several post on Pinterest that have given be helpful tips for working out in the winter. And today, I'm going to share them with you!
The first tip is to dress for the weather! But you need to be careful because you don't want to be in the middle of your run and want to take all your layers off! A tip from EatPrayRunDC suggest to dress like its 20 degrees warmer outside than it really is, that way when you start to get warm from the workout you don't start roasting in your clothes! Here is a Winter Guide to Layering Clothes .
While we are on the topic of dressing, here are a few tips that I found various places.
Keep your feet, toes and ears warm! You don't want freezing body parts to slow you down!
Where clothes that allow you to move freely and don't weigh you down.
Make sure your shoes aren't mesh or too thin. You might even need to get a pair of shoes just for winter workouts!
I have a few favorite Winter must have for my workouts. They are: Ear warmers (Nice toasting ears instead of frozen ones!) Thick socks! (No more frozen toes!) Neck warmer or Cowl ( I don't suggest running in a scarf because that can cause difficulties. Cowls are shorter, kind of like a short infinity scarf.) What are your favorite winter workout must? Share them in the comments!
The second tip is that you need to drink water! Just because its cold outside doesn't mean that you need to drink less water than you did in the summer! Fill your water bottle up just as full as you did in the summer!
Stay motivated! Sometimes trying to get yourself to leave your cozy place by the fire can be so hard! Find some friends to workout with or set a goal of your self (Or both!) Let me know how you stay motivated!
Lotion up! I hate chapped lips, cheeks and hands and they can be so uncomfortable! Applying lotion and lip butters can help relive and even prevent chapped skin. Several places have suggested using coconut oil to treat the chapped areas.
Now, I can't lie, I sometimes just hang up the idea of going outside for a workout. I either run on the treadmill or do something different for the workout that day. I don't want to run in below-freezing weather or when its snowing outside, so here are a few indoor workouts that I like to do instead!
Pop Sugar's 9 workouts to try this winter
Indoor HIIT workout for the winter
Indoor Cardio Crusher for the Winter
There are so many other workouts out there so feel free to search around for yourself! Let me know what you like to do for a winter workout and if you workout outside!
I hope this post helped you and if it did please share it with a friend!
Keep it healthy and Safe
H.Banana
ps. Follow be on Pinterest! I am under Hannah Plunkett!
Healthy Chocolate Cookies!
November 16, 2014
I love-love-love chocolate cookies and I was so excited to find a healthy recipe for them! When I found this recipe on Pinterest I tried it and fell in love! We have made them several times and the whole family enjoys them. To see the original recipe please go to my recipe's page. I took a recipe and added things to it to make it fit my tastes. I hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients:
1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup Chocolate chips
2 medium ripe bananas
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 tsp of cinnamon (Or for a fall-ish twist, pumpkin pie spice!)
Start with peeling your bananas and placing them in a bowl. Blend them until they are creamy and smooth.
Add the oats, coconut and cinnamon. Blend till combined.
Next add the vanilla and chocolate chips and stir it all together.
I took a bit of coconut oil to grease my pan, but you can use butter or parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking. Use a spoon to scoop out the cookies on to the pan. They don't spread much so make them the sixe you want them to finish with.
Please let me know what you think about these cookies! I love that they taste to good and they don't have any sugar or flour! If you enjoy this post and the cookies please share it with a friend!
Keep it healthy and Safe
H.Banana
Ingredients:
1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup Chocolate chips
2 medium ripe bananas
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 tsp of cinnamon (Or for a fall-ish twist, pumpkin pie spice!)
Set the oven to 350 degrees F and bake them for 20 mins. They smell heavenly as they bake. I think it smells like banana bread baking!
When they come out of the oven they should be firm and starting to brown on the edges.
My goodness they smell amazing! Let them cool a bit and then remove them and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
Keep it healthy and Safe
H.Banana
Your Body On: Coffee
November 14, 2014
I love coffee is almost every way and I was glad to find that its actually helpful to our health! Coffee isn't just great at giving us caffeine, but it can help us in other ways, (Info from prevention.com )
So here are a few of the benefits of coffee!!
#1
A study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that the risk of depression was 20% lowerin women who drank 4, 8oz cups of coffee daily. The caffeine in coffee may affect brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.
#2
A recent study found that drinking 200 mg (which is about 2 8oz cups) of coffee improves long term memory.
#3
Drinking 200 to 300 mg of caffeine daily may make your heart preform better by improving blood flow while you are resting.
#4
A study in 2012 found that women who consumed more that 3 cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of basal carcinoma.
#5
Drinking more than 2 cups of coffee a day appears to protect against liver diseases such as cirrhosis.
#6
A PLoS One study finds that drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee a hour prior to a workout and you'll go for longer.
#7
According to a Harvard review of 28 different studies, drinking six 8oz cups daily was linked to a 33% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
#8
6 cups of coffee daily reduces the risk of gout for men by 59%. Coffee lowers the levels of uric acid in the blood.
I personally was super excited to know that my morning coffee could do more for me than just get me awake! Do you drink coffee? Since reading this, are you going to start drinking coffee? How do you like to have your coffee? Let me know in the comments! Some of my favorites are, hot with 1/2 and 1/2, iced with a little Truvia and cream, and hot mixed in with a little cocoa.
Thank you for visiting my blog and be sure to check back for more post!
Keep it healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
So here are a few of the benefits of coffee!!
#1
A study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that the risk of depression was 20% lowerin women who drank 4, 8oz cups of coffee daily. The caffeine in coffee may affect brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.
#2
A recent study found that drinking 200 mg (which is about 2 8oz cups) of coffee improves long term memory.
#3
Drinking 200 to 300 mg of caffeine daily may make your heart preform better by improving blood flow while you are resting.
#4
A study in 2012 found that women who consumed more that 3 cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of basal carcinoma.
#5
Drinking more than 2 cups of coffee a day appears to protect against liver diseases such as cirrhosis.
#6
A PLoS One study finds that drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee a hour prior to a workout and you'll go for longer.
#7
According to a Harvard review of 28 different studies, drinking six 8oz cups daily was linked to a 33% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
#8
6 cups of coffee daily reduces the risk of gout for men by 59%. Coffee lowers the levels of uric acid in the blood.
I personally was super excited to know that my morning coffee could do more for me than just get me awake! Do you drink coffee? Since reading this, are you going to start drinking coffee? How do you like to have your coffee? Let me know in the comments! Some of my favorites are, hot with 1/2 and 1/2, iced with a little Truvia and cream, and hot mixed in with a little cocoa.
Thank you for visiting my blog and be sure to check back for more post!
Keep it healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana
Your Body On: Sugar
November 13, 2014
Sugar is in almost everything! My family and I have been trying to stay off of sugar since we watched a film called Fed Up and we have found it incredibly hard! You might be wondering, why is it important to stay away from sugar? I encourage you to watch the film mentioned earlier to get a bigger picture, but here are a few things that will happen if you eat too much sugar ( 24g and day for woman and 36g for men)
#1:
Sugar can rewire the brains pathways. If your diets contains too much sugar this can increase the risk of depression by 58%!
#2:
Sugar will inflame the linings of the arteries to the heart. This will increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks!
#3
Sugar can age the way you look, causing wrinkles! When you bombard you body with sugar, proteins incorporate it as a part of their structure which leads to aging of the skin and wrinkles.
#4
Kidneys have a delicate filtration system and sugar over load and damage that. Diabetes is one of the main causes of kidney failure.
#5
Being on a high sugar diet will affect your joints! High sugar diets pump inflammatory cytokines into your bloodstream which will exacerbate arthritis.
This information came from Prevention
So, now that you know a few reason to get off of sugar, what will you do about it? If you are like my family and you want to try to be on a sugar free diet, here are a few things that might help you.
What is your Sugar IQ? This is a fun quiz designed to show you just how much you don't know about sugar. I found it very helpful. I got 6 out of 10 my first go, but my favorite part is that the website explains the answer so well! If you want to learn more about sugar, I encourage you to complete this quiz! If you do, share your score in the comment section and let me know if you learned anything new!
Added Sugar This website explains why added sugar is so very bad for you. I enjoyed reading through this article and I hope you will too. It list several other things sugar will do to harm your body. Let me know what you think about this article!
Sugar Free Shopping List This is a list of things to buy that are sugar free and there are also a few snack ideas and things like that.
Sugar Addicts Listen Up! Here are a few tips and tricks for the sugar addicts out there who are ready to leave a sugar-high diet in the past! Let me know if they are helpful.
Pinterest is also a great place to find recipes and snack ideas that are sugar free. I have found so many and a few of them I have shared with you on my blog. Be sure to check back for more recipes soon!
Like I said, my family is trying to get rid of sugar for good, but its hard. I'm sure you will find that to be true if you take the plunge. We often have to go without things that we really enjoy. A few months ago I liked nothing better than a nice cold Coke-A-Cola or Sprite, but I decided to play a game when I started my healthy adventure. How long could I go without a soda? It started with a few days, then weeks and now, I can't remember the last time I had a sugary soda. I can honestly say that I don't even like the taste of soda anymore. Now, when I need a fizzy fix I head to the fridge to get a ever present bubbly-water. Here is the brand my family loves: La Croix. I am trying to get the rest of my family completely off soda, and we are getting there! Let me know how long you can go without a soda!
I hope this post encourages you to start and have a sugar free diet and to help others as well! Spread the word about the truth about sugar and let me know some of the things you are doing to get off of sugar!
Keep it Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
#1:
Sugar can rewire the brains pathways. If your diets contains too much sugar this can increase the risk of depression by 58%!
#2:
Sugar will inflame the linings of the arteries to the heart. This will increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks!
#3
Sugar can age the way you look, causing wrinkles! When you bombard you body with sugar, proteins incorporate it as a part of their structure which leads to aging of the skin and wrinkles.
#4
Kidneys have a delicate filtration system and sugar over load and damage that. Diabetes is one of the main causes of kidney failure.
#5
Being on a high sugar diet will affect your joints! High sugar diets pump inflammatory cytokines into your bloodstream which will exacerbate arthritis.
This information came from Prevention
So, now that you know a few reason to get off of sugar, what will you do about it? If you are like my family and you want to try to be on a sugar free diet, here are a few things that might help you.
What is your Sugar IQ? This is a fun quiz designed to show you just how much you don't know about sugar. I found it very helpful. I got 6 out of 10 my first go, but my favorite part is that the website explains the answer so well! If you want to learn more about sugar, I encourage you to complete this quiz! If you do, share your score in the comment section and let me know if you learned anything new!
Added Sugar This website explains why added sugar is so very bad for you. I enjoyed reading through this article and I hope you will too. It list several other things sugar will do to harm your body. Let me know what you think about this article!
Sugar Free Shopping List This is a list of things to buy that are sugar free and there are also a few snack ideas and things like that.
Sugar Addicts Listen Up! Here are a few tips and tricks for the sugar addicts out there who are ready to leave a sugar-high diet in the past! Let me know if they are helpful.
Pinterest is also a great place to find recipes and snack ideas that are sugar free. I have found so many and a few of them I have shared with you on my blog. Be sure to check back for more recipes soon!
Like I said, my family is trying to get rid of sugar for good, but its hard. I'm sure you will find that to be true if you take the plunge. We often have to go without things that we really enjoy. A few months ago I liked nothing better than a nice cold Coke-A-Cola or Sprite, but I decided to play a game when I started my healthy adventure. How long could I go without a soda? It started with a few days, then weeks and now, I can't remember the last time I had a sugary soda. I can honestly say that I don't even like the taste of soda anymore. Now, when I need a fizzy fix I head to the fridge to get a ever present bubbly-water. Here is the brand my family loves: La Croix. I am trying to get the rest of my family completely off soda, and we are getting there! Let me know how long you can go without a soda!
I hope this post encourages you to start and have a sugar free diet and to help others as well! Spread the word about the truth about sugar and let me know some of the things you are doing to get off of sugar!
Keep it Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
Quick and Easy Sweet Potato
November 11, 2014
I love sweet potatoes but if I want to have one for lunch, I have to plan it out at breakfast so they are done by lunch time! Not anymore though! With this new recipe, that I found on Pinterest, I can have a sweet potato at short notice! For the original recipe, see my recipe page.
You will need:
1 potato per serving
Butter
Parmesan Cheese(Shredded)
Cinnamon
Honey
Salt and Pepper
To start with, wash and dry your potatoes and use a fork to poke holes in them. Place them in a paper plate and microwave them for about 10 minutes (If your potatoes are smaller you might not need that long. I did two at a time and they took about 12-13 minutes)
When the potatoes are soft to the touch, take them out of the microwave. Slice them in half and then make little slits along the cut side. Don't cut all the way down though, just half way.
Cut up the butter into little squares.
Add them to the tops of the potatoes
Now, decide whether you want to do cheese or cinnamon. If cinnamon, add cinnamon and honey to the potatoes. If cheese, add salt and pepper along with the cheese to the potatoes.
I did some of both. Now, set your oven to broil and place the potatoes in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the butter and cinnamon start to bubble. Take them out and allow them to cool for a bit before trying to eat them!
They smelled so good at this point!
Place them on a plate and enjoy!
I made these for my family for lunch and we all loved them! My personal favorite was the cheese one but the cinnamon/honey ones were really tasty too! If you try these let me know what you think!
Keep it Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
You will need:
1 potato per serving
Butter
Parmesan Cheese(Shredded)
Cinnamon
Honey
Salt and Pepper
Place them on a plate and enjoy!
Keep it Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
Get Ready for Ski/Snowboarding Season
November 9, 2014
Sure, it is still fall right now, but its never to early to start getting ready for the ski/snowboarding season. If you are planning to go to the slopes this year, or you just want to get in shape for winter, Listen Up!
My family and I are going on a ski trip this holiday season, and I don't want to come off the slopes sore, so I am going to start getting ready them now! I have been searching Pinterest for a while now, and I have found several workout and tips for getting ready for the ski/snowboarding season. Here are a few of them:
Yoga for Snowboarding
Exercises Every Snow Boarder Should Do
Get ready for the ski season
And lastly my favorite : Prepare for the winter ski season
I will be trying Snowboarding for the first time this year, and I'm super excited. Have you ever snowboarded? Which do you like better, snowboarding or skiing? Let me know!
I believe that its important to be in good shape for any sport to avoid injury and soreness. I hope that these workouts keep me from getting too sore, and help me preform better on the slopes! Sometimes I just do the exercises alone (Depends on which ones) and sometimes I pair them with a cardio session or something like that! Remember to have fun with it, Stay Safe and within you abilities, and that progress is progress no matter how small or big!
Keep it Healthy and Safe, and let me know if you found this post helpful!
H.Banana
My family and I are going on a ski trip this holiday season, and I don't want to come off the slopes sore, so I am going to start getting ready them now! I have been searching Pinterest for a while now, and I have found several workout and tips for getting ready for the ski/snowboarding season. Here are a few of them:
Yoga for Snowboarding
Exercises Every Snow Boarder Should Do
Get ready for the ski season
And lastly my favorite : Prepare for the winter ski season
I will be trying Snowboarding for the first time this year, and I'm super excited. Have you ever snowboarded? Which do you like better, snowboarding or skiing? Let me know!
I believe that its important to be in good shape for any sport to avoid injury and soreness. I hope that these workouts keep me from getting too sore, and help me preform better on the slopes! Sometimes I just do the exercises alone (Depends on which ones) and sometimes I pair them with a cardio session or something like that! Remember to have fun with it, Stay Safe and within you abilities, and that progress is progress no matter how small or big!
Keep it Healthy and Safe, and let me know if you found this post helpful!
H.Banana
Coffee Cake in a Mug
November 7, 2014
Some times I get the cravings for something sweet, but I don't all ways have time to make a whole batch of something, so why not make a single serving in a mug??!
This recipe I found on Pinterest, and for the link to the website see my recipes page.
Ingredients:
1tbsp butter softened but not melted
1tbsp truvia
1 egg
1/8 tsp baking powder
A few drops of vanilla
2tbsp almond milk or heavy cream
1/4 cup almond flour
(I added a dash of cinnamon to mine)
For the topping:
1tbsp butter softened
1tsp truvia
2tbsp almond flour
Dash of cinnamon
Cream the butter and Truvia together in your mug. Then add the egg and mix well.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the ingredients for the topping) and mix it all together.
Now, mix up the topping.
Add the topping to the top of the mix and pop it in the microwave. The recipe called for 1 and a half minutes but I had to add another minute.
I must say that it doesn't look anything like the picture on the website, but I have never made a mug recipe and it turn out exactly the same.
My little brother loved this little coffee cake! He kept asking for more!
Let me know what you think it you try this recipe!
Keep it healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
This recipe I found on Pinterest, and for the link to the website see my recipes page.
Ingredients:
1tbsp butter softened but not melted
1tbsp truvia
1 egg
1/8 tsp baking powder
A few drops of vanilla
2tbsp almond milk or heavy cream
1/4 cup almond flour
(I added a dash of cinnamon to mine)
For the topping:
1tbsp butter softened
1tsp truvia
2tbsp almond flour
Dash of cinnamon
My little brother loved this little coffee cake! He kept asking for more!
Let me know what you think it you try this recipe!
Keep it healthy and Safe!
H.Banana
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