Healthy Homemade Bread

I love bread! I love all kinds of bread, but my favorite is the kind with a crunchy crust and soft insides! Whenever we make bread at home, it fills the house with a lovely smell, and I just can't wait for it to come out of the oven!
    Fall is here and we are already having some cooler weather, which has put me in the mood for some delicious homemade bread!

    This bread recipe is super simple, easy to make, and super healthy! I don't use any oil in making my bread, so its pretty much fat-free, and you can choose whether you add a sweetner or not to make it sugar-free!

     Another thing I love about making bread at home is that you can add whatever you want to it! I added herbs and oats to my bread today, but there are a million other things you can add! Here are a few of my favorites!

     Cinnamon and Maple Syrup

     Cinnamon and Raisins

     Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds and Cracked Wheat

     Herbs and Sundried Tomatoes


Ingredients:

1 cup Warm Water

2 tbs Dry Active Yeast

3 tbs Sweetener (optional)(I used Organic Raw Sugar here, but I also love to use Maple Syrup, or you can use Agave, Honey, or any other form of sweetner you like! )

2 cups Flour (I like to use a 1/2 and 1/2 ratio of whole wheat and white flour, but you can do all one or the other as well!)

2 tsp Salt

Flavoring of Choice (Here I used 1/3 cup crushed oats and 2 tbs of herbs)

     Start by adding your water, yeast and sugar to you mixing bowl. I suggest using a electric mixer for this! Mix your yeast and sugar into the water for a few seconds and then let it rest for a minute or two.

     Then, add in the flour, salt and flavorings. Make sure not to put the salt directly into the yeast mixture or it will kill the yeast. Once its mixed with the flour, its fine!

 

     Mix together until a dough ball has formed and the bowl of your mixer is fairly clean. You may need to add in extra flour.

 

     Knead the dough for 10 minutes in your mixer or 15 minutes by hand. Keep and eye on it, you might need more flour during the kneading process.

 

     After you have kneaded your dough, for it into a ball and allow it to rise for 30-35 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. It will rise better in a warm place, covered with a tea towel.

     Once it has risen, it's time to form your loaves. You can use bread pans, muffin tins, or do free-form as I did. I did two differnt loaves, one with herbs and oats and one with just oats. Make whatever shape you like, just remember they are going to rise again.

     Place themon a floured baking sheet or greased bread/muffin pan in your oven with the temps. set at the lowest setting. Mine goes down to 170 F. Let the bread rise for 25-30 minutes.

     If you want, you can take a sharp knife and gently make slices across the top, for a rustic look! Bake at 350 F for 24-30 minutes, or until the top goes golden brown and the bread comes off the pan easily.

     Allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and enjoying! Your house should smell amazing and you should feel all warm and cozy!

     I sliced mine for supper and ate it along with some delicious vegetable soup! It was the perfect fall supper!

     How ever you choose to enjoy your bread, and what ever you like to put in your bread, I know that you will love this recipe just as much as I do! I love the simplicity of the recipe and the deliciousness of the bread! I just know that, once you make it, you won't go back to store bought ever again! :)

     If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it with your friends and family memebers!

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Boost Your Metabolism- Foods That Boost Your Metabolism

My last post way all about boosting your immune system. This post is going to be all about boosting your metabolism! Boosting your overall health is a great way to start your Fall season off right!

 

 

Why would you want to boost your metabolism? Well, boosting your metabolism helps you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight a lot easier! Having a high metabolism is key to having a healthy and trim body!

 

When you work out, you increase your metabolism. Eating certain foods can also increase your metabolism! In this post, I am going to share with you a few of those metabolism boosting foods!

 

Green Tea is the number one thing I think about when I think about boosting your metabolism! It is very popular in the health and fitness world, and for good reason! Green tea contains and antioxidant called catechins, which helps increase your metabolism. It also increases energy production, when can also increase your metabolism!

 

Beans are full of fiber and protein, which not only gives your metabolism a boost, but helps to lower cholesterol levels! Plus, they are super cheap and easy to make!

 

Coffee and other caffeinated drinks have been shown to stimulate the metabolism. A small amount a day boost your metabolism by stimulating the central nervous system! Coffee drinkers rejoice! Yet another reason to enjoy coffee everyday!

 

Water is simply just so important for a healthy body, but its key in having a high metabolism! You can't completely extract nutrients from food without consuming water. If you can't have all the nutrients you need, you can't have a healthy metabolism.

 

Spicy Foods such as chilis, peppers, and spices have been shown to give your metabolism a boost! Eating spicy food on a regular basis will help you maintain a healthy and high metabolism!

 

Magnesium is another thing that can help boost your metabolism! Green vegetables like spinach, soy beans, and legumes are full of magnesium and are great for keep your metabolism working double time!

 

These are just a few of the many foods that help you keep a healthy metabolism! Other things like Iron rich foods, foods high in Protein and making sure to always eat Breakfast can aid in keeping a high metabolism!

 

 

I hope this post has been helpful to you! Learning how to take care of our bodies and keep them healthy is so important! Boosting metabolism and keeping it high is just one way of helping your body become and stay as healthy as possible!

 

Please share this post with your friends and family members to spread the word and help others live healthier lives!

 

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Boost Your Immune System

     Fall is approching and with it comes cooler weather, leaves changing color and shorter days. I love Fall and I look forward to it all year long! But, Fall and Winter are usually the time when people get sick the most! The cold and flu seem to be every where and it never fails that my family and I get sick at least once (usually more than that) a season!
    

     Being sick doesn't have to become your reality! With just a few simple tips and facts, you can boost your immune system and stay well all year long! Instead of having a running nose, headache, cough or sore throat, you can enjoy all the lovely things Fall has to offer!

What Causes a Weak Immune System?

     There are many things that can lead to having a weak immune system, but there are a few basic culprits.
      Sugar competes with Vitamin C, which is good for the immune system. If you are consuming alot of sugar, than that can lead to a weaker immune system.

     Fatty Foods or having high cholesterol levels makes your immune cells lazy and inactive.

     Alcohol causes your immune cells to become disorientated and confused so they can't do their job!

     Lack of Sleep lowers your immune function. Your body needs at least 7 hours of sleep to maintain healthy immune functions.

    Other things like Under Eating, Stress, and Smoking can lead to having a weak immune system. If you have a weak immune system, you are going to get sick more often and alot easier!

     No one likes to be sick, and learning how to boost and strengthen your immune system will help you stay well and healthy all year long!

How Do You Boost Your Immune System?

     Simply staying healthy is one sure way to have a healthy immune system! There are a few specific ways to strengthen your immune system,and adding these things to your life can insure that your immune system is in tip-top shape!

Green Tea is richin many chemicals that have been shown to have health protective properties called phytochemicals! Drinking a cup or two a day can aid in boosting your immune system!

Echinacea is an herb known to aid the body in its fight against the cold and flu. Supplements of echinacea helps support the immune system and maintain the body's resistance to disease.

Eating your vegetables is very helpful in maintaining and boosting your immune system. One serving of vegetables contain over a hundred differnt phytochemicals!

Exercise has also been shown to help boost your immune system. Be careful, though, doing too much can tire your body out and make your immune system weak! Swimming, walking, running or biking for half and hour a day can be very beneficial in supporting a healthy immune system.

Medatation has been shown to boost energy levels and help the body cope with the stresses of the world around it. It is incorporated into cancer patient programmes in Germany and helps with the recovery process.

     These are just a few of the many ways to boost your immune system. Using these tips will help you strengthen and boost your immune system, so that you can stay healthy and well this Fall and Winter as well as the rest of the year!

     Taking care of your body not only helps you stay well and healthy, but also helps the people around you too! If you aren't sick, then you can't get anyone else sick! Having a healthy immune system is the key to not getting sick, even if the cold and flu are 'going around'!

I hope these tips help you stay well this Fall and Winter! Share them with your friends and family members to help them stay well too! Share this post so that more people can learn how to become the healthiet verison of themselves!

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Homeamde Peanut Butter Granola

     I love peanut butter and I love granola, so it was really a no-brainer to put the two together! Peanut butter granola, homemade, in your own kitchen for you to enjoy and share with your friends and family! I've always said that making food at home is the best choice, and often, the yummier choice! Homemade granola is delicious, but adding peanut butter to it makes it irresistible!

     This peanut butter granola is really easy to make and only takes a few ingredients! You will never believe that this delicious granola is vegan, refined sugar free, and ( if you use certified gluten free oats) gluten free!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Oats
1/3 cup Peanut Butter (or any nut butter of choice)
1/3 cup Maple Syrup ( Or honey if you aren't vegan)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla


 See how simple the recipe is!? You probably already have these ingredients in your house, so you have no reason not to make homemade granola! Lets get started!

     First, mix your peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and vanilla together. It may help to warm the peanut butter up, to make it easier to mix. Resist the urge to eat this straight out of the bowl! :)

 

     Doesn't it look like caramel? Hmm.....Caramel granola, I'll have to try that one out! :) But, back to the peanut butter granola....

Add in your oats and mix until all the oats are covered.

     Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle the raw granola on the pan. Make sure to break up any large clumps, but small clumps are okay!

     Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, or until all the oats are toasty brown and your house smells like peanut butter cookies! Be sure to stir the granola every 10 minutes, to prevent burning and to help evenly toast everything!

     When they are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving or storing. When storing granola, I like to use a air-tight container or zip-lock bag to keep it fresh. It can also go in the freezer to make your granola last even longer! :)

 

     Isn't it beautiful! I love to eat it by the handful as a snack, or on smoothie bowls for breakfast! My family likes granola on yogurt and its delicious on oatmeal. I even think it would be good on some chocolate coconut ice cream!

    Peanut butter granola is the perfect thing to make if you want something satisfying and sweet, yet still healthy and full of protein and fiber! Eating healthy doesn't have to taste bland and boring, it can be delicious and exciting!

If you enjoyed this recipe, please let me know and share it with your friends and family! Everyone needs this recipe in their life!

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H. Banana

How to be an Early Riser

    Waking up early can seem hard or impossible for some people, but, getting a few extra hours in your day is never a bad thing! Those extra hours could mean the difference between getting a good grade, turning in a test on time, getting to work on time, or simply, just getting stuff done! At first, it might not seem worth it, but trust me, waking up early can, and should be, a part of your day!

I wake up early 6 days out of the week. Why? Getting up early allows me to get in my run before we have to start school. Just because I am homeschooled, doesn't mean we get to do whatever we want whenever we want! We have to do our school work just like everyone else, we just have the choice of whether we want to wear our pjs all day or not!
     So, I get up early and get my run done before I shower and get on with my day! I find it puts me in a good mood and helps me to fell energized all day long!

Make a Plan

    Waking up early just for the sake of waking up early is a bad idea. You need something to motivate you, to excite you, so that you don't just hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. Sometimes I make a list of everything I need to do the next day. Its also a good idea to write down some goals you have for the next day, or even the next week. Planning something fun for breakfast, or setting your coffee maker to go off is a great motivator to get up in the morning!  Having these things written and planned  makes them more real, and you are more likely to stick to them than if they were just in your head.

Lay it Out

     The night before, lay out the clothes, bags, shoes and anything else that you need for the next day. If you plan to workout first thing in the morning, lay out your workout clothes and shoes, so that you have no excuses! Waking up and seeing the things you have layed out, makes you WANT to get out of bed! If you have a fun day planned, the things you lay out in preparation for it, gets you excited and ready to go in the morning!

Set an Alarm

     I know, I know, typical for this kind of post, but its so true! Setting an alarm gets you planning for the next day and hearing the alarm gets you AWAKE in the morning, which is key to getting up earlier. Maybe the sound of a blaring alarm in the morning isn't the best wake-up call, but you can kind an alarm that sounds nice ( your phone probaly has several to choose from) and will be great to wake up to!
     As to setting your alarm, I like to do 2 alarms. One for 15 minutes before I want to be up and one for when I want to get up! That way, if you roll over and go back to sleep after the first one, you have the next one to wake you back up!
     Another great tip for your alarm is, Move It! Move your alarm clock, phone or whatever you are using as an alarm to the other side of your room. Having it right next to your bed makes it too easy for you to hit the snooze button! Put it in a place where you have to get out of bed to turn it off, but not too far away that you don't here it! :)

Go to Bed

     You have to actually be in bed alseep before you can wake up early. Going to bed at a reasonable time if the first step to waking up earlier. I know, it doesn't sound super fun, but if you want a more productive and longer day, you have to go to bed early. Start by going to bed half an hour before you usually do and see how it feels! I bet you will like it!

Relax

     So, you've made a plan, you layed out your clothes, you've set your alarm and you're in bed....now you have to go to sleep! For so many people, getting enough sleep is hard. Whether its stress, kids, or going to bed too late, people get robbed of their sleep. Heres by tip- RELAX! It might just be 10 minutes before you go to bed, but take that time to sit down and do something that relaxes you. Read a book, drink some tea, do a craft or write in a journal, whatever relaxes you. Not only will it help you feel better and sleep better, but it will help you get the sleep you need AND wake up early!

 

 

I hope these tips have helped you and you can use them to become and earlier riser! If you have found this post helpful, please share it with your friends and family!

 

Check back every Friday for a new post! You can also follow the blog via email and social media so you never miss a post!

 

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H. Banana