*tWenTy-fIVe *

My office smells like latex and roses. This is why...

Today I turn the big 2-5 and an adorable friend of mine surprised me at work.
He's precious..and so are the rest of my friends and fam. Thanks for all the calls, texts, visits. I LOVE YOU!!! 25 is gonna be GOOD. :)

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Hearing Pumpkin Pie and Healthy in the same sentence sounds absurd, I realize that. However, my love for pumpkin pie sent me on a mission to find a healthier version of these fall-ish delight. Now, when I say that I LOVE pumpkin pie it is not a joke. On my 8th birthday I had a pumpkin pie instead of a cake. THAT is how much I love it. After much searching I found a recipe from Hungry Girl that looked like it was worth trying. I am a HUGE fan of the Hungry Girl Recipes. She finds a way to make everything taste so great, so I'm sure it will be delish. Can't wait to try it!

Hungry Girl Healthy Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:

For Crust
2 cups Fiber One bran cereal (original)
1/4 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1 tsp. cinnamon
For Filling
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
One 12-oz. can evaporated fat-free milk
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
Optional Topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip or Cool Whip Free

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine butter with 2 tbsp. water. Microwave until just melted, and set aside. In a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter mixture and crumbs with remaining ingredients for crust. Stir until mixed well.

Spray an oven-safe 9-inch pie dish lightly with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute crust mixture, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust. Press it into the edges and up along the sides of the dish. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix well. Pour mixture into pie crust. The filling may be taller than the crust.

Bake pie in the oven for 45 minutes. Allow pie to cool slightly. Refrigerate for several hours, overnight if possible. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Cut into 8 slices and, if you like, top with Reddi-wip or Cool Whip before serving!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 133
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 236mg
Carbs: 28g
Fiber: 9g
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 6g

My thoughts...The fiber one crust; GENIUS. The nutrition facts; amazing. (A regular piece of pumpkin pie usually has around 400 calories per slice!! YIKES!) I think this is a keeper!!

Have a scare-free Halloween

Candy, donuts, cider, sweets, yep...the gang's all here. With a holiday centered around candy it's hard NOT to get carried away. The usual thought process goes something like this...

"I'm going to start being good after Halloween. This is just too hard."

FALSE. Why?
A. Because you are SO much stronger than that. Give yourself some credit!
and...
B. Because right after Halloween comes Thanksgiving. And let's be honest, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just one big collaborative holiday conglomeration. At that point you'll be saying to yourself...

"It will be my New Years resolution."

There you have it. Right back in the same spot your same excuses got you last January...and most likely, nothing has changed. SO, this year is going to be different. You're going to kick off the holiday season fighting. Looks like the, "trick" is on Halloween this time around.

What to do?
- Buy your candy last minute. Don't stock up on your goodies for the trick-or-treaters until the last second. That way you won't be tempted to eat your way through 1/2 the bag before All Hallows Eve.
-DON'T buy your favorites. If you'd swim across the Atlantic for some Peanut M&M's, don't buy them. Buy the Bit O' Honey's that you can easily say no to. Help yourself resist those temptations.
-Don't leave the leftovers in a giant bowl on your counter. That has, "Disaster Zone" written ALL over it. Take them to work. Take them to church. Heck...wrap them up in a big old darling bag and leave them on your neighbors doorstep. They'll just think you're being sweet. ;)
-Remember that even the "bite sized" treats add up. It may only be small, but lot's of small caloric choices make for big caloric differences.
-Opt out of the candy giving all together. Be the super cool neighbor who gave out fake vampire teeth, slap bracelets, or carrots sticks...ok, maybe the last one wouldn't go over so well, but you get the idea.
-Make your Halloween meal a healthy one. Click HERE for previous posts on all sorts of healthy DELISH recipes to fill your scared lil' bellies.

*A previous reader, Shell, asked if I'd ever done any fitness challenges with my readers. I haven't yet, but have always wanted to. I've got some in the works! If there is anything specific you'd want included in it let me know!! Thanks Shell :) And thanks to all of you who read and give me input. I love it!

Soy-licious Snack

I'm a snacker by nature. It's just who I am. Because of this I'm always on the lookout for healthy snacks that don't break the calorie bank. My new love as of late?....Edamame. If you haven't joined the ranks of the edamame-loving nation, it's about time you do so. These soy beans (which are considered a veggie) are filling, low-calorie, flavorful, high in protien, and extremely delicious. Edamame is sold in the pods, shelled, or mixed in with other veggie varieties.
My favorite way to eat them is the Seapoint Farms individually portioned containers that are sold in the frozen section at Costco.Each packet is only 99 calories and has 8 grams of protien...(amazing)...and they really are filling! Pop them in the microwave for 3 mins, add a little kosher salt, and you'll be sitting pretty. They are so yummy, and super fun to eat! Happy snacking!

Health-i-fied Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

There Is something about the fall that makes me want to bake with pumpkin, and cinnamon, and cloves, and all the things that smell delightfully fall-ish. I've been looking through all my recipes for one that looked delicious and healthy all at the same time, and I came across this one from Cookinglight.com. It received numerous RAVE reviews, and I can't wait to try it out! I think it would be a great recipe to make into muffins as well.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup canola oil (I think you could substitute 1/2 of this for applesauce)
  
• 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla pudding
• 4 large egg whites
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (I'd maybe try using 1/2 whole wheat flour 1/2 white)
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  
• Cooking spray

(Photo from Cookinglight.com)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 152 (30% from fat)

Fat: 5g (sat 1.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 1.1g)

Protein: 2g

Carbohydrate: 26.5g

Fiber: 1.1g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Iron: 1mg

Sodium: 137mg

Calcium: 10mg

Interval Training for Dummies

I have a lot of people ask me about interval training. The answer is YES, it's awesome. What exactly is interval training...well...it involves brief bouts at near maximum amounts of exertion interspersed with periods of lower-intensity activity. Interval training helps you burn a TON of calories, and it boosts your metabolism. Intervals are very efficient. You burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Many people shy away from intervals because they don't want to have to time the segments, and don't want to worry about details of it all. Well, here are intervals made easy.

Here's what you do...grab your Ipod. Make a playlist of SWEET tunes that you can jam to, and push play.
With each song you're going to exercise at a normal, comfortable pace for the melody of the music, then every time the chorus comes on I want you go at it %110. Go crazy...up that intensity. Push yourself...then once the chorus is over, back to normal pace.

The great thing about this is that you can do this with ANY piece of equipment; treadmill, elliptical, or sidewalk.

Go at it!

Working out when under the weather

Being sick is NO fun. It interferes with everything. Trying to keep up your normal routine when you feel awful can be near impossible, especially when it comes to working out. With flu season upon us, I thought some do's and don't were in order.

You are OK to workout if: you have a head cold with no fever, or if you think it's more allergy related. A good rule of thumb to go by, if your symptoms are from the neck up, you should be ok. Just be sure to take it easy, and listen to your body.

You should probably stay home, (and see a Dr.) if: you are contagious, coughing, running a fever, nauseous, vomiting, severely achy, fatigued or have any sort of chest congestion.

Although sometimes working out when you have a slight cold can make you feel better and boost your energy, some people are convinced that it's always best to "sweat out the sickness." This can be very dangerous. If you put too much stress on your immune system it may prolong your illness and make it harder for your body to recuperate. It should be known that if you overdo it you will most likely pay for it. Breaking your routine may be difficult, but it will be worth it if it speeds up your recovery instead of prolongs it.

more songs to sweat to

At this point most of you know my love for music. It is what gets me through those days where you simply just aren't feeling the workout. Here's my most recent loves...

Very Loud - Shout Out Louds

She Wolf - Shakira

Run This Town - Jay-Z feat. Kanye & Rihanna

Say Hey (I Love You) - Michael Franti

Sweet Dreams - Beyonce

Body Language - Jesse McCartney

Blame it on the Girls - Mika

Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

Lazy Eye - Silver Sun Pickups

Please Don't Leave Me - Pink

Starstrukk - 3OH!3 feat. Katy Perry

Take me Back - Tinchy Stryder feat. Taio Cruz

Panic Switch - Silver Sun Pickups

3 - Britney Spears

Party in the U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus

To see previous workout playlists click HERE. Happy jamming!

Secrets to Salad Success

I'll just have a salad...the famous words of the "healthy eater," or so they think. Many people aren't aware of the fact that salads can be the downfall of a healthy diet. The main problems?
-fat filled dressing (creamy dressings can add 200-300 extra calories to your salad)
-croutons, a 1/2 cup of these? about 100 extra calories.
-cheese (this is a KILLER, usually around 225 calories for a 1/2 cup)
-salad bars in general. They can demolish portion control and calorie control...(think about it...potato salads, fat-filled pasta salads, nuts, meats, etc. etc. etc...all slathered in fatty dressing. Yikes!)

The solution? Give your salad a healthy makeover
-Start off with lots of leafy greens...the good ones! Ditch the iceberg, and go for the dark greens such as Romaine & Spinach. These greens contain folic acid, and 1 cup is only 15-20 calories.
-LOAD up on the lo-cal veggies. Some good examples are tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, onions, beets, mushrooms, radish, broccoli, and cauliflower. Stay away from ones covered in mayo, marinades, or dressings of any sort.
-Choose one or two Lean Proteins. YES, lean protein is good! However, if you load up on tons of proteins you'll be adding tons of calories. Go for grilled chicken, low-fat cottage cheese, shrimp, kidney beans, or chickpeas. As with the veggies, avoid anything covered in a heavy sauce, fried, crispy, or covered in mayo.
-Choose only ONE high calorie item. (and this is only if you'd dying for it...)
These includes things such as; croutons, cheese, nuts, raisins, avocado, granola, nuts, etc. Make sure you're not going crazy with your extra item. 1/4 a cup of these items usually adds anywhere from 150-300 calories!
-EASY on the dressing! This is the major downfall, so beware. If possible go for a low fat, low calorie option. If this isn't possible get your dressing on the side and use as small amount as possible.

Salads can be great for you. If you know how to eat them correctly! If you are ordering at a restaurant don't be afraid to ask them to specialize your salad for you. Hold the cheese, no croutons, dressing on the side...you get the picture!