Chocolate and Peanut Butter Muffins

Chocolate and peanut butter is a match made in heaven in these muffins! They are the perfect blend of the rich cocoa and nutty peanut butter flavors. Even though they have bold flavors, the muffins are light and fluffy for a great, healthy breakfast, snack or dessert!

The other day Mom was wanting some muffins for breakfast the following morning, and like usual I jumped to make some for her! They problem was that there are so many flavor combos to chose from! How do you chose between apple and cinnamon, lemon and blueberry, oatmeal raisin, etc. ? My family loves chocolate  no matter what, and peanut butter is a great partner for it, so I went with that and the result was pretty delicious , if I do say so myself!

So, let's get on with the recipe, shall we?

Ingredients:
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Honey
1 Egg
1/2 cup Unsweetened Greek Yogurt
1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1/3 cup PB2 ( You can also just use regular peanut butter and use a little less coconut oil.)

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Beat together the honey and coconut oil. You want the oil to be soft but not liquid. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Next, add the yogurt, almond milk, vanilla and flours. Mix until combined. Add in the baking powder, salt, and baking soda along with the cocoa powder and PB2(or regular peanut butter if that is what you're using). Mix this together until the mixture is lump free and smooth.  Grease or line a muffin tin and spoon in the batter. I filled mine about 3/4 of the way full. This is enough for 12 muffins. Bake for 15 mins. or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for 10 mins. and then remove them and let them completely cool on a wire rack.

These muffins smell so good while baking and they taste just as delicious! Enjoy them for breakfast with some fresh fruit, as a snack or even a dessert! They are the perfect thing to grab for a quick bite to eat, or enjoying with a nice cup of coffee!

You can also make a pile of mini muffins like I did here! They are perfect for little hands and they're super cute!

I hope you enjoy this post, and if you make these muffins, please let me know what you think! Share this post with a friend and don't forget to check back for more healthy recipes like this one!

Keep healthy and Safe!
H.Banana

Follow the blog on Twitter @ Spinachisgood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett. Also, please give the blog a follow to stay up to date on my post!

21 Day Cleanse

Three weeks ago my sister and I decided to go on a 21 day cleanse. I had been wanting to do one for a while, and I was glad my sister wanted to join me! At first I thought 21 days was a long time, but as we got going with the cleanse, time flew by!

The Plan
So, how did we chose, out of tons of programs, which cleanse we were going to go on? I decided to combine a few of the programs I found, into one suited to our needs. The most inspiration came from the book Clean by Dr. Junger. I had done a shorter version of this cleanse before, so I was familiar with the program.
To sum it up, we cut out all processed foods, refined sugars, wheat, dairy products, soy products, corn products(all but a little fresh corn), deli meats, condiments, and stuck to a very fruit and vegetable based diet. We had at least two liquid meals a day, drank a lot of water, and practiced portion control.

Week 1
We started the cleanse on a Monday and by that next Thursday I was already seeing and feeling the effects! One of the first things I noticed was I wasn't bloated at all! I never realized how bloated I had been until then. My skin also started to clear and I was sleeping better at night.
There were, of course, struggles too. I couldn't have cream, so if I wanted coffee I had to drink it black. This has since become my preferred way to drink coffee. I also had to watch my family eat things I couldn't eat(but wanted to!). I was glad to have my sister there so we could keep each other on track!

Week 2
By week two I was feeling great and surprised at how fast the time had flown by! By this time we had had a birthday in the family as well as it being Easter Sunday, so we had 'cheated' a few times because of that. But, for the most part, we had stayed on track. I had already lost some weight and was feeling 'cleaner' (if that makes sense!)
Over Easter I made a few healthy things to keep my sister and I on track. First I made some healthy Carrot Cupcakes when my family had regular Carrot Cupcakes, and second I made my Honey Roasted Carrots which were amazing! I have to say, it wasn't as hard as I thought with healthy options  to chose over the 'unhealthy' ones!

Week 3
By this time we were counting the days to the end. When we could go back to a still healthy, but more normal diet! I have to say that by this last week by weight-loss stopped, but that's fairly normal for people who don't have a ton to lose anyway! My sister(who doesn't drink coffee black) was craving some coffee! We had another birthday in our family so we had to 'cheat' a little for that. Sadly the result of that was a stomach ache!
I was still feeling great and energized and 'clean' even if I didn't lose weight in the last week.

Results
The results of the cleanse were visual as well as nonvisual. I did lose weight, not a whole lot, but enough. In total I lost 5 pounds but, because of the strength training I added to my workout schedule ,I gained some muscle weight. Losing weight wasn't even half of it though! I felt so much better, my skin was clearer, I wasn't bloated, I slept better at night, and I had the satisfaction of knowing my body was healthier! Would I do it again? YES! I am already thinking of doing one later this summer, but let me enjoy my cheese, chocolate and biscuits first!

Main Diet
We had a few things that we ate a lot! Fruits and veggies had a place in every meal(which is something I will continue to do),  we made a lot of salads some with meat( normally grilled chicken) and some without and we got really creative with our smoothies. Thankfully we fixed a lot of 'cleanse approved' meals as a family.  A few things I learned to love were, black coffee, avocado( I put it in everything from smoothie to salad!), nuts(by themselves for a snack or in a smoothie.) and steamed broccoli!

I hope this post as given you a few ideas on what to expect, should you go on a cleanse yourself. This, of course, was my personally experience, and every one is different so your experience will more than likely be different that mine!
Please make sure that you are in a position health-wise to complete a cleanse, if you should chose to do a cleanse.

Please share this post with a friend and give the blog a follow. You can also follow the blog on Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

Keep healthy and SAFE
H.Banana

Getting Ready for Spring Part 2

  

With Spring just around the corner, its time to start getting ready for the warmer weather! Soon(hopefully!) we will be getting out the spring clothes, planting our garden and watching the grass and trees turn green!

My last post (Getting Ready for Spring Part 1) was all about cleaning out the fridge and pantry and getting rid of food you don't need or want and making sure that what you do have in your fridge and pantry matches your healthy lifestyle!
This post is going to be about cleaning up your diet and making some changes! It is so important to examine you diet every once in a while to make sure that you aren't missing something!

#1
Detox or Cleanses. Spring is a great time to do a bit of deep cleaning for your body. Its a fresh start for the trees, grass and animals, so why not for you? Going on a Cleanse or Detox is a great way to do this. They focus on flushing out the toxins that have built up in your body and allows your body to heal it's self. My family and I went on a week long cleanse roughly based on the book Clean and I saw some great changes! There are of course plenty of cleanses and detoxes out there so look around to find one that works for you! Going on a detox or cleanse can seem a bit complicated, but it is all worth it when you feel and look so much healthier! The first 2 days are the hardest in my opinion because you aren't used to it yet, but after that it is pretty smooth sailing! I encourage you to try a cleanse or detox( 3 days is even enough to get started!) and do some Spring Cleaning for your body!

 

#2
Making a Plan, Setting Goals. While Cleanses and Detoxes are a great way to jump start your healthy diet, maintaining can be a task in itself! Making a meal plan is a great way to stay on track because, with a meal planned, you are less likely to grab for an unhealthy option! It doesn't have to be all cooking at home, but making your own food is the best way to eat healthy. Having premade snacks and meals is perfect for those who eat most of their meals away from the house. Pick a day to make all the meals you need for the week. Setting goals is a great motivator to eat healthy because you want to reach your goals. A few goals of mine this season are; Participate in Meatless Monday, complete a cleanse program and add yoga to my workout routine. Once you make a meal plan  and set goals for yourself, you will see the effect they have on your health and you will feel so much better! Make it a goal to do some Spring Cleaning for your diet!


I hope this encourages you to do some Spring Cleaning for your diet and body. Once you experience the benefits of a healthy diet you will never go back! Please share this with a friend and look for 'Getting Ready for Spring Part 3'!

Keep  Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana

Pictures from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

"Newbie" Tips

"Every pro was once an amateur. Every expert was once a beginner. So dream big and start now."

You can't become 'good' at something unless you try! You can't just say "I won't be good at it". How do you know? Why not give it a try and see? Of course, I am talking about heath and fitness, but this applies to every aspect of life. Maybe you are a little afraid to try becoming healthier because you don't know what to do and you don't want to fail. I've felt like that, and sometimes I still do! But I have learned that you have to start small and work your way up from there. So, lets get started.

Start Off Slow
When you start down the 'healthy living' road you need to make changes gradually. Start with cutting things out of your diet like soda and sugary sweets, and add in the healthier options like carbonated water, fruits and veggies and so on. This way you slowly get used to the changes and you don't miss the things you used to like. I remember when I used to love soda, but once I cut it out I never looked back. I don't remember the last time I craved a soda.
The same goes for exercise. When workout for the first time you are going to be a little sore afterwards because you body isn't used to it. Start with something easy and work your way up. It isn't 'weak' to start out slow, you are taking care of your body, that's something to be proud of!

Working Out
So, what do you do, when starting out? Well, there are several different types and areas of exercises you can try. And, you don't have to go to the gym to do them either, unless of course you want to. I don't go to a gym, I use a home gym (Treadmill, elliptical and weights) as well as just body weight work. What's body weight work?  Its where you use your body as a weight instead of actual weights. An example would be push-ups, planks, squats and so on. I personally like Body Weighted workouts a lot better than weighted ones. Below I will share with you a few of my favorites and I hope you will try them!

Squats. This exercise it pretty basic, but there are plenty of variations out there. They focus on working your thigh and core area. You can find a how to on You Beauty . To start with, I would try 20 squats the first day and add 10 every day!

Plank. This exercise is a totally body move, with the focus on your arm and core area. They also have several variations but the basic one is great! You can find a how to on The Berry . To start with, try a 30 sec. plank and add 10 sec. every day!

Jumping Jacks. Now these you have more than likely done before. They are pretty straight forward, but, if you need a how to you can go to Prevention . Try starting with 30 and add 10 each day!

Push-Ups. These are a bit tougher than the others. They work and practice to get good at them, but that shouldn't stop you. I still can't do a full one, but there are several variations you can do to work your way up. To see some of those go to Greatist . I would suggest starting with the one on your knees and going from there. Do 20 to start with and add as many as you can each day!

Cleaning Up Your Diet
Now, let's talk about the food part of this. Where do you start? Like I said earlier, cut a few things out and add a few things in. Cook more at home, so that you know exactly what you are eating. Here are a few tips and tricks to kick off your healthy diet!

Cut out soda. This is so important! Soda is full of sugar and its horrible for you. Sure, it can be refreshing but there are plenty of healthier options out there! Try carbonated water, iced unsweet tea, or lemon water instead!

Add in Veggies and Fruit. Maybe you already eat a lot of fruit and veggies, that's wonderful. But are you eating enough and in the right form? Your plate should be half full of fruits and veggies, and as close to there natural state as possible. Grill some veggies, have a salad or make a fruit salad. Another tip, eat the color of the rainbow!

Water, Water, Water! I cannot stress this enough! You need water to be healthy and feel your best. Instead of reaching for a soda, have a glass of water. You should drink half your body weight in water a day, so drink up!

Limit Sugar. In our house, we try to only have sweets on the weekend, or if we want a sweet in the middle of the week we make a healthy one. We loved to use Honey instead of sugar (Make sure your recipe calls for honey, don't add honey instead of sugar to a normal recipe.) Look around for recipes using honey (I have a few on this blog!)

I hope these tips can help you in becoming healthier. I hope they inspire you to get moving and healthy. Let me know if they helped you and how!

Keep healthy and SAFE
H.Banana
Remember, don't do anything (Workouts or Food-wise) unless you are able for them. I don't want anyone getting hurt!