Our Jamaican Vacation (Part 2)

      If you missed my last post ( Our Jamaican Vacation Part 1 ) you might want to go back and read it, so this post makes more sense! If you did catch my last post, its great to see you again! Lets continue on my Vacation to Jamaica!

     We left off at day 4-6 in my last post. Like I said, we spent those days at a church convention. It was on an orange and sugar cane orchard. We ate so many oranges while we were there! They were delicious!

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!

 

Follow me on social media and via email to stay up-to-date on the blog and my post! I post every Friday!

 

Twitter- SpinachisGood

 

Tumblr- justrunningforfood

 

Instagram- That_Vegan_Runner

 

Pinterest-Hannah Plunkett

 

Stay healthy, happy and laughing!

H. Banana

Coffee Body Scrub for Mother's Day

    Mother's Day is just a few days away! And while we should celebrate our mother's every day, Mother's Day is a fun holiday to make an extra effort to make them feel special! There are so many ways to spoil our Moms on Mother's Day, but my favorite way is with a delicious homemade dessert and a handmade gift! Handmade gifts are always from the heart, and to me that makes them so meaningful!
    

      Pampering your Mother is a great way to help her relax and make her feel special! Yes, you could send her to the spa for the day, or you could  make her a lovely handmade body scrub so she can pamper herself whenever she wants! This coffee body scrub is the perfect thing to make for anyone who loves coffee, or who loves to feel pampered!

    Before we get into the recipe, let me share with you the health benefits of the amazing body scrub!
Number one would be how exfoliating it is! Your skin will feel amazing after usuing this scrub! The caffeine in coffee can also help to tighten your skin and give it a firmer appearance. The oil in the scrub helps to hydrate and moisturize your skin and give it a dewy look! Why wouldn't you want to use this scrub? :)

Coffee Body Scrub
Ingredients:
1 cup Coconut Oil at room temp.
4 TBS Olive Oil ( This is optional. It will keep your scrub from becoming too solid to use)
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Coffee Grounds (You can use fresh or used)
1 tsp Cinnamon

First, combine your dry ingredients.

 

Next, add in your oils.

 

 

Mix well. If it seems too liquidy, you can add in more sugar or coffee. It just depends on your perfered texture.

 

 

And we're done! How easy was that? There is no excuse fornot making your own body scrubs now, whether you keep them for yourself or give them as a gift!

 

 

     I stored  mine in small glass jars, but a plastic container would work well. Just make sure they are water tight so they don't get filled with water when you use them in the shower. Speaking of using them..... You can use this scrub in the shower or bath. Be careful not to use it if you have any cuts or bug bites because it will sting quite a bit! Also, if you use it on you legs, use it before you shave, not after!

Every Mother deserves to feel special at least one day out of the year, and this coffee body scrub is the perfect thing to show her how much you care for and appreciate her! Let her pamper herself this Mother's Day and many days afterwards, and give her a wonderful handmade gift!

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

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!
H. Banana

Coffee Slushy!

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!

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

Cold Weather, Warm Drinks!

  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

Turkey Trot

  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

Your Body On: Coffee

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

Coffee Cake in a Mug

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

Gingerbread Latte!

This healthy drink came from a pin I found on Pinterest. For the link to the recipe's website see the Recipes page.

First things first, the ingredients.

 1/4 tsp cinnamon
 1/8 tsp ground ginger
 2 tsp molasses (blackstrap or regular) I used sorghum.
 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
 3 tbsp strong coffee
 1 cup milk of choice (almond milk, soymilk, etc.)
 sweetener to taste (sugar, stevia, etc.)

Gather the ingredients:

Then, make the coffee. I used a K-cup on a small cup setting.

In a microwaveable container, combine the ginger and cinnamon.

Then the vanilla

 

Then add the sweetener. I am using one packet of Truvia.

 

 

Next the Coffee. I used a little more than the recipe called for just because I wanted more of the coffee taste.

Then add the molasses or in my case the sorghum.

Then you will add the milk. You can warm it up before you add it to make the finished drink a little frothy, but I just added it cold (btw I used unsweetened Almond Milk)

Whoops! Spilled a little!

 Now, stir it together until its combined. The molasses probably won't mix in completely, but don't worry.

 

To get the molasses or sorghum to melt into the mixture, put it in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until molasses or sorghum is melted.

 

Now, pour into a serving cup and top with either whipped cream or frothed milk and cinnamon.

This drink was so good! I think it rivals the Starbucks Gingerbread latte and its healthier! My little sister rated it a 10 out of 10 and my Mom( Arthur of Tea in the Morning Too ) Rated it an 8 because she wasn't thrilled with the topping (I used a little bit of melted Cool- Whip)
If you make this drink, let me know how it went in the comments and if you did anything differently! Make sure to check back for more recipes!

Stay Healthy and Safe,

H.Banana