Nudge Nudge :)

One more reminder that I'll no longer be posting here! Check out the new site munchercruncher.com for new posts from here on out! xoxoxo Megs

Muncher Cruncher Is Growing Up :)

On February 17, 2008 I decided I wanted to create a place where I could send my friends and clients in regards to healthy tips, recipes, workouts and such. Little did I know that almost five years later I would still be at it. Funny enough, my second post was the recipe for my favorite Zucchini Cookies, a post that has remained one of my most popular posts since I've been blogging.

(FYI...it's because those cookies are soooooo good. If you haven't tried them yet, you should.)
Blogger has been good to me, but the time has come to move on to bigger and better things. I'll be taking up residence at munchercruncher.com In the next few days I'll be redirecting this blogspot address to the new site, but until then feel free to add the new site to your reader :)

With the new site I will be able to facilitate my blogging and your reading in a better way, and I definitely look forward to  the future.

Thanks for sticking with me, and being such great readers. I really do love your emails, questions, and comments so please keep them coming! xoxoxo Megs

Tips to Staying Healthy This Cold & Flu Season

I hate being sick. Don't you? I was listening to the news the other day, and they were saying that instances of cold and flu viruses hitting people are much worse and coming on much earlier for some reason. I haven't been feeling so great the past week or so, which isn't a big surprise to me because I think everyone I know is either sick right now or has been in the past few weeks. It is no fun! I thought I might offer some tips to how you can try and stay as healthy as possible despite all the germs that may be surrounding you!

1. Wash your hands. This is so simple, and it's something that we've been taught since we were tiny, but it is the best thing that you can do to fend off germs from others. If you aren't able to wash your hands all the time, keep some hand sanitizer on you.

2. Beware of gym germs! If there is one place where the germs are swimming, it is the gym. Sweaty people touching all sorts of machines, dumbbells, mats, and equipment can foster a whole lot of germ spreading. Some gyms will offer sanitary wipes to wipe down equipment. USE THEM. Avoid touching your eyes/nose/mouth while you are at the gym. You may also want to wipe down your water bottle, mp3 player, and cell phone or whatever else you may be touching while you are working out.

3. Get some sleep! Our bodies tend to get sick when our immune systems are weakened and we are worn down. This usually happens when we are running low on sleep.

4. Eat right. Along with a lack of sleep, eating poorly can also leave our bodies feeling nutrient-less and run down. On the flip side, getting in an adequate amount of foods that are filled with nutrients can keep our immune systems strong. This means LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies. Tis the season for delicious citrus. Take advantage of that fresh vitamin C! It is also beneficial to take your vitamins to make certain you are getting all of the nutrients possible.

5. Keep moving! Exercise can help boost your body's defense against cold and flu viruses. Keeping your body strong and healthy by eating right and exercising is always a good idea, especially during sick seasons. However, it should be noted that exercising to the point that your body is run down can make it hard for it to fend of sickness.

6. Let's all quarantine! If you are feeling sick, avoid going out and spreading your germs to others. If you know others are sick, avoid contact with them. The same goes for your kiddos. You aren't doing much for anyone if you are sending sick kiddies to school or wherever they may be spreading germs.

7. Stay hydrated! Drinking lots of water can help to keep your body flushed free of toxins, can help to replace water lost through fevers, and can help to keep your body fluids balanced properly.

I hope your these tips will help you and your family to stay healthy this season!!

Cardio Interval Training for Move it Monday

Well, we are almost half-way through January. How are you doing on those goals, resolutions, and lifestyle changes? I hope well! I know many of you are wanting to make exercise a big priority, and so I hope to keep on helping with that! I am such a fan of interval training, as you very well know. It is beneficial on so many levels. If you are looking for weight loss, a decrease in body fat, and an overal better physique, it is more effective for you to put in a short high intensity workouts than long arduous ones.

Interval training allows you to push yourself as much as you can for a period of time followed by recovering for a period of time. This is repeated, and allows you to maximize your caloric burn. It is also FAR more interesting. I will agree that cardio can be BOOOOring. The remedy? Do your cardio right with interval training! This interval cardio workout format can be done on any piece of equipment, with a jump rope, on a hill in your neighborhood, around a track, or even on a stair in your home. It is the format that is important, you can plug in your own intensity and exercise method!

CARDIO INTERVAL TRAINING FORMAT
5 minute warm up
2 minutes medium-high intensity (heart rate up, a good workout, but able to talk)
2 minutes high intensity (heart rate as high as you can go, pushing it, difficult to talk)
1 minute recovery (low intensity, easy preparing for the next interval)
*repeat this as many times as you'd like*
I would recommend 5-6 times and finish with a five minute cool down. You should be sweaty and tired!

This cardio format will allow you to get a maximum caloric burn as well as a maximum burn of calories from fat which is what you want! Include these types of cardio workouts with circuit training resistance workouts, and a healthy diet and you will be certain to see fantastic results!

Food For Thought: Nutrition Facts

As you know, I am all about eating clean. I firmly believe that anyone who is looking to improve their health, lose weight, achieve fitness goals, or even just feel better should make the focus of their food based on the principle of clean eating. One who is eating clean should seek to avoid processed foods, decrease their sugar intake, and eat as many foods in their whole and natural form as possible. Individuals who are striving to eat this way often question where they stand with packaged foods. After all, sometimes broccoli comes in a package? There are definitely some healthy and nutritious foods that come packaged, the trick to knowing which packaged items are better than others lies in knowing how to read the nutriton labels.

A few things to look for:
1) The fewer ingredients the better
2) The ingredients are listed in sequential order of the amounts used (largest amounts first)
3) You should be able to identify the names of the ingredients
4) It is also smart to check the serving size

Let me explain a little further with some pics...
Nutrition Label #1

The ingredients are very simple; Dates, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cashews, and extra virgin coconut oil. You know by looking at this that dates are the first ingredient so they are used in the largest amount, and then on down the line with the rest of the ingredients. All of these ingredients are recognizable, and the serving size is one bar. This is a clean and healthy choice for sure. 

Nutrition Label #2

The ingredients are NOT so simple here. I have no idea what isomalto-oligosaccharides are? I don't think you can pick those up at the local farmers market. AKA - processed. The first listed ingredient is the items that make up the coating of the bar...that scares me a little? Again, words I don't recognize. Lastly, there are actually two servings in this one bar. Most people would assume that if it is one bar, the nutrition information would be for one serving. Not so. This is definitely something that throws people off with vending machine food, soda, ice cream, etc. Portion control gets tricky with scenarios like this. 

So, clearly we would go with bar #1 if we were choosing which ingredients were better. My challenge to you is to be more aware of the food you are putting in your body. Look to see if you are eating an apple...or an isomalto-olgiosaccharide...whatever that is? 

Rotisserie Chicken - Make Eating Healthy Easier!

A great deal of the questions I get have to do with making healthy eating easier. Everyone has busy schedules, and finding ways to make healthy meals quickly can be a huge help in making positive food choices. One of the biggest problems that I have when it comes to quick food prep is protein, especially when it comes to making healthy choices. Whipping up some protein usually takes time...that and I HATE touching raw meat. It really is not my favorite. So, what's a healthy, in a hurry, meat-a-phobe to do? The answer...rotisserie chicken! 

All you have to do is bring it home, take off the skin, peel the chicken off the bones, put it in a tupperware, and throw it in the fridge. It is fantastically easy and can be used for so many different things! I just recently used it in my Greek Chopped Chicken Salad. You could put it in a stir fry, put it in a wrap, make a sandwich, throw it in a casserole, or just eat it as a snack. EASY. 

The "Baby It's Cold Outside" At Home Circuit

Mother Nature decided to play this awesome trick on me. It looks a little something like this.

Does that look/feel familiar to you? Yowza. Not my favorite kind of joke. With temperatures that make your breath freeze in mid air the second you step outside, it can be MUCH easier to get your sweat on indoors. My mom and sis and I did this workout when I was visiting in Texas. It takes about 25 minutes. Quick, sweaty, and to the point. Just the way we like it! Hopefully this at-home circuit workout will help you out!

The "Baby It's Cold Outside" At Home Circuit Workout

30 burpees
30 deep air squats
30 pushups
30 plyometric lunges


20 burpees
20 deep air squats
20 pushups
20 plyometric lunges


10 burpees
10 deep air squats
10 pushups
10 plyometric lunges

*If you get to this point and you are feeling like you wanna push it some more, go through and do 10 again, or drop down to 5 of each!*

1 minute plank hold
10 walkouts to a pushup
1 minute plank hold
10 walkouts to a pushup

*for the walkouts to a pushup you start standing, bend over with straight legs, walk your body out to a pushup position with your hands (feet stay in place) do a pushup, walk your hands back to your feet with straight legs, and stand back up.

You can do this workout anywhere! If you want to add some intensity, do your burpees, air squats, and plyo lunges holding weights, increase your plank time, or add more reps. Speaking of Texas...here are some of my favorite pics from the trip...

Yep. It was a blast!