Spice Up Your Life!

Spices are for seasoning food, right? We use them to change and enhance the flavors of our meals and make them tastier. But, did you know that spices are also health foods? They aren't just tasty, they are also super healthy for you!

 

Turmeric
Turmeric is a yellow root that you can find at most grocery stores. It can help prevent breast cancer, protects against UVA damage and can make your skin look younger and healthier. It also can help lower cholesterol, alleviate allergies and aid in brain health. This little root is more than meets the eye! Add it to your smoothies, salad dressings and so much more!

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a pretty popular spice. It helps to control blood sugar, prevents irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), and it can help to ease a stomach ache. Cinnamon can also help to preserve food and neutralize odors. It can aid in lowering LDL cholesterol, prevent tooth decay and help in weight loss. No wonder this spice is so popular! I'm sure you've used cinnamon before, but I like to add it to oatmeal, smoothies, muffins and bread and even curries!

Ginger
Ginger is another root, but it's not as vibrant as turmeric. It can help to relieve motion sickness, nausea and migraines. Ginger can also ease or prevent heart burn, reduce inflammation and help fight cancer. Ginger isn't just good for making cookies anymore! Add it to your smoothies. salad dressings, rice and so much more!

Cumin
Cumin is a smoky spice, commonly used in chili. Like ginger, cumin aids in digestion. It can also help fight diabetes and treat food poisoning. Cumin can aid in increasing a mother's milk supply and treat skin problems such as eczema and acne.  The  next time you are making chili, tacos, or any other spicy dish, throw some cumin in there!

Cayenne
Cayenne  is a pepper that is made into a spice. It also aids in digestion and can boost the metabolism. Cayenne can relieve migraines, help fight off colds and the flu,  help in weight loss and prevent allergies. It also it a source of vitamin A and E. I love adding cayenne to Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Tacos, and so much more. If you are looking to add some serious spice, cayenne is the one for you!

So these are just a few of the many many spices out there! Hopefully now you look at spices as health foods as well as flavoring and seasonings! Adding just a bit of spice into your diet can help you have a healthier body and life!

I hope you enjoyed this post! Please share it with your friends and family to spread the love of healthy living!

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

5 Healthy Snacking Tips

Snacking is something that just about every does at some point in the day. And, if done right, it is healthy for you. Snacking on good nutritional food helps to keep your metabolism up. But choosing the right things to grab for a snack isn't always easy. I am going to share with you a few tips to snack healthier as well as a few healthy snack ideas!

 

#1
Keep premade snacks handy. Having healthy snacks already made and ready to grab will make it less likely for you to go for an unhealthy option. Cutting up veggies and fruit and portioning them out to keep in the fridge is one idea. You can even portion out fruit and veggie dips( Like nut butters, yogurt or cream cheese) to grab along with your snack. Another idea is to make up healthy treats like these Almond Joy Clusters or Apple Chompers . What ever you chose to do, having ready-to-eat snacks that are healthy will keep you on track!

#2
Water first! Sometimes when you feel hungry, you actually are just thirsty. Because your stomach is empty you body thinks its hungry when really you just need some water. Try drinking a glass of water whenever you feel hungry. If you still feel hungry afterwards, have a snack, if not, you don't need a snack!

#3
Chose the more filling option. When choosing a snack, try and chose the one that will fill you up for the longest time. You don't want to be hungry in a few minutes! A few filling choices are, broccoli, Greek yogurt, nuts of any kind, or oats. The reason these are good choices is because they fill your stomach up, plus they are full of the nutrients your body needs! I love to eat broccoli raw or steamed, and Greek yogurt topped with berries is a amazing treat!

#4
Don't eat mindlessly. When you have a snack, sit down and enjoy it. Eat it slowly and drink water with it. Don't just sit down in front of the computer and chomp away on your snack because before you know it, the food will be gone and you'll ask yourself 'Where did my food go?!". Snack time is a great time to take a break from work, school or whatever and just take a few deep breaths. Eating slowly also helps to keep you from over eating because it takes a while for your body to recognize that it's full.

#5
Eat something you like. This may sound like a no brainer, but its something you need to think about. Don't just eat a snack that you don't like because you know its good for you. There are plenty of healthy options out there, so find the ones you like and have those at the ready. You can try Banana Bread Cookies , Boo-Nanas , Summer in a Smoothie, , Candied Pecans or any of the other recipes on my blog!

I hope these tips help you to stay on track when snacking and that they give you a few ideas for healthy snack options! If you like this post, please share it with a friend!

Thank you for checking out my blog and be sure to check back often for more healthy tips, workouts, recipes and more!

Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana

Follow the blog on Twitter @ Spinachisgood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett

"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!