Everyday Activities = Workouts!

   Sounds crazy right? I mean, who has the time or would even want to workout all day, right? Well, actually, everyday activities can be looked at as low-impact workouts! It kind of cool to see just how many calories you can burn, just doing what you always do!

 

    Let's start things off in the Kitchen! Can you believe that cooking burns about 200 calories an hour? So all that chopping, slicing, stirring, mixing, prepping and moving around the kitchen can really be effective, in more than putting dinner on the table! Another great excuse to get in the kitchen!
   I have a toddler brother, so this next one was exciting for me! You burn about 300-350 calories and hour when playing with kids. Jumping rope, playing ball, a game of tag, pillow fight... all of these things aren't just a fun thing to do with kids, but always a great workout!

     I'm not a huge fan of cleaning house, but when I saw the calorie burn for it, it made cleaning a little more bearable! You burn about 300 calories an hour when house cleaning! Dusting, sweeping, mopping, and so on, are all great ways to burn calories during the day!

     Gardening burns about 300 calories an hour, which is great! We don't have a garden right now, but come spring time I'll have another reason to start one!

       You might already know that walking your dog is great exercise, I mean its walking right? Well, walking a dog at a leisurely pace for an hour burns  about 300 calories! And it gets you outside in the fresh air!

   Take the stairs to burn some killer calories! In just 30 minutes of stair climbing, you can burn about 200-223 calories! Its just another great reason to skip the elevator and take the stairs!

   Go Bowling! You burn around 225 calories and hour when you go bowling! Another great reason to get out with your family or friends( or both!) and do something fun, and burn some calories too!


     So, these are just a few ways you can burn calories without even thinking about it! I know that a lot of people are super busy and have a hard time fitting in a workout, so I hope this post helps you out! I love to think that activities like house cleaning, gardening, and cooking burn a good amount of calories, and all while you are getting things done!

Please share this post and my blog with your friends and family to spread the love of healthy living! You can follow my blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

New post every Friday!

Keep healthy and Safe!
H. Banana

Pico de Gallo

    I think it's safe to say that I'm in love with Mexican food! Being born and raised for a while in Texas probably didn't help either! :) This delicious recipe for fresh and flavorful Pico de Gallo is one to add to your recipe book! It's simple and easy, like any good Pico should be, and packed full of flavor!! Also, Pico is a great healthy and low calorie side item or snack, that's full of fresh veggies and herbs to give your body some nutrients!

Ingredients:

1/2 Yellow or White Onion, finely chopped

4 Roma Tomatoes, finely chopped

1 Bell Pepper, finely chopped

3 TBS Finely chopped Cilantro

Juice from 1 Lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

This recipe is pretty simple, just chopped, juice, dump, stir, season, taste, and devour! But, I'll walk you through it with some pictures, just in case! :)

First, add your finely chopped onions to a bowl.

To this, add your finely chopped tomatoes.

And the finely diced bell pepper. I try to go with a color other than red, since the tomatoes are red, but any color with do!

 

I looks kind of like a heart or a 'Peace' sign, doesn't it?

Next, we need to add the cilantro, lemon juice, and spices.

Now, just give it a stir and a taste, to make sure it is to your liking!

 

All those bright colors make this a delicious and beautiful dish!

When you're happy the dish taste amazing, give it a final stir and then plate it to serve! I love to use our Mexican bowls to serve this Pico because the colors go so well together!

So lovely! I could eat this on anything! We love to put this with tacos, fajitas, salads, tortilla chips, quesadillas, enchiladas, or...... I sometimes eat it with a spoon, its THAT good!

 

I could go on and on with the pictures, but maybe that is enough for this post! :) I hope you try this recipe and discover for yourself the perfection of this Pico de Gallo! If you like it, please share this post and my blog with your friends and family members to encourage them to live a healthier life!

Follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @SpinachisGood , and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett. I would love to hear your feed back on my blog and post! You can do that in the comments, via email @ healthypinner@gmail.com, and on Twitter!

I have recently decided to go from Monday and Friday post to just Friday post. This is because, with school and everyday life, I don't have a lot of time to put into my post! Hopefully going to once-a-week post will allow me to put more into the blog content!

New post every Friday!

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H. Banana

Essential Oils

My mom started using essential oils about a year ago, but I wasn't sold right away. Honesty, I though it was another one of Mom's 'things'! :)But, after using them a few times, I had more faith in them, and now I love to use them!

What are Essential Oils?
Each essential oil company has it's own standards in regards to the way them make their oils. We use a brand called, Young Living , and we love their Seed-to-Seal standards! Essential oils are simply the oils from botanicals. They can be use in so many ways, to promote healthier living in all aspects of life!

Oils I love!
Lavender: I love this one, and it's probably the oil I use the most! Here are a few ways you can use lavender to promote healthier living!

Burns: Appling a few drops to a burned area of skin can help relieve some of the discomfort.

 

Bug Bites and Stings: A few drops on a bug bite or sting can help to relieve some of the pain or itching.

 

Sleep: Smelling the oil or applying some to your sheets and/or pillows can help to calm you and help you sleep!

 

Thieves: This one is probably my Mom's favorite oil, for good reason too! Here are a few ways we love to use this oil!

 

Disinfectant: Thieves can be used to clean anything from the countertop to you hands, and it can help to disinfect the area.

Bug Repellant: Applying a few drops, or spraying it on your skin and clothing can help repel the bugs!

Cold/Canker Sores: My sister has used a few drops of this oil on her canker sores to help relieve the discomfort.

 

 

Purification: This is another one of my favorite oils to use, and I use it quite a bit too!

 

Acne: This is how I use this oil the most- Applying a drop of oil to a skin blemish or acne spot can help to relieve discomfort and some redness.

 

Insect Bites: Much like lavender, purification may used to soothe bug bites.

 

Stinking Shoes: A few drops into your shoes can help to, well, purify them and make them smell nice!

 

 

Lemon: This one smells so nice, I love to use it whenever I can!

 

Energize: A few sniffs of this oil can help to energize you and can be uplifting!

 

Cleaning: Adding a few drops to your cloth to clean, or diluting it in a spray bottle can be a wonderful way to get your house clean, without using harsh ingredients.

 

Essence Water: Add a few drops to your water for a nice, refreshing drink!

 

 

 

Please Note!

I am not making any health claims, but I am sharing with you the  ways some essential oils can be used. They don't work the same for everyone, so some things might work for a certain thing for me, but not for you!

 

 

Obviously there are a ton more essential oils out there, so I encourage you to try a few out and learn as much as you can about them and the way you can use them! Going to a website like, Young Living, can give you some more info!

 

Please share this blog with a friend and family member! You can follow the blog via email, Google, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett and on Twitter @ SpinachisGood.

 

I'm going to change my post schedule from every Monday and Friday to just every Friday! Hopefully this will give me more time to put more into each post!

 

Keep Healthy and Safe!

H.Banana



 

 

 



Fresh Mexican Quinoa Salad

  My family and I love Mexican food! We probably could live off of it, and we do eat it a lot! It can be pretty healthy too, with the fresh or grilled veggies, salsas, and so on. We like to use a lean ground beef or sliced and grilled chicken for our meat, but we have grilled fajita steaks and fish too! There are so many different types of Mexican food that are really good, like south-west, Tex-Mex, Baja and traditional! This fresh, crunchy, and healthy Mexican salad fits into just about all Mexican food types, and is the perfect summer dish to add to your table!

Ingredients:
2 cups Quinoa, cooked and chilled
2 Bell Peppers
1 15 oz. can Black Beans
1 15 oz. can Corn
1/2 large White Onion
3 Tomatoes
1 1/2 Limes
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cumin
Pinch of Cayenne (or more if you like to live dangerously) :)

Start by dicing up your peppers and onions. Since we aren't cooking these veggies, you want them to be chopped really finely. At the Farmer's Market this week we found purple bell peppers, and they were amazing!

Add them to a bowl and mix to combine.

Pour your canned beans on a sieve and rinse well with cold water.

Add the beans and corn to the mix and stir.

Chop your tomatoes and add them to the bowl and combine. Honestly, this mix alone is delicious!
Add in your chilled quinoa and mix.

Now we need to make the dressing. Squeeze the juice from your limes into a bowl and add in your spices. Go by taste, you might need to add more depending on your preference!

 

 

Mix it well and then pour over the salad. Make sure to mix the dressing in well, so you don't get some salad with flavor and some without!

This salad is best after its set in the fridge for a bit, but if you don't have the time, its great right away as well!

 

This salad is delicious! Super fresh, has amazing texture, bright flavors and super healthy as well!
I suggest serving this with tacos, fajitas, taco salad, taco soup, any other Mexican foods you can think of, or even eat it for a light meal on its own!

I you like this recipe, please share it with a friend and family member! Also, please follow the blog via email, Google, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett and on Twitter @ SpinachisGood.

New post every Monday and Friday!

Keep healthy and SAFE!
H. Banana