Great Snack Idea from Women's Health Mag

I'm always looking for healthy afternoon snacks that will give me an energy boost and steer me away from the coffee pot. I just ran accross the below Apple w/ Cinnamon Peanut Butter 'recipe' on Women's Health and am so excited to try it out! I always reach for an apple when that 4:00 energy lull stirkes, but adding Cinnamon & Peanut Butter offers such a fun way to kick it up.

This is great also if you have a workout coming up later in the afternoon. You'll get some protein and carbs in your stomach to fuel your workout and keep you on that treadmill longer!



Apples: A favorite of mine since I was a kid, apples are loaded with great health benefits. The thing that stands out the most for apples is their high fiber content. According to the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy, the avg American consumes 15 g of fiber though the RDA is 38g for men & 25g for women. Eating 1 apple a day will get you 15% of your RDA for fiber- it's so easy!
Fiber is important because it helps regulate weight and keeps your digestive system functioning optimally. There are two types of fiber & apples contain both- Soluble & Insoluble. Soluble Fiber helps maintain cholesterol & blood sugar levels while Insoluble Fiber helps with digestion and protects against colon cancer.
Apples also are rich sources for flavonoids. I know, why does that matter?... Flavonoids offer antioxidant protection from free-radicals that seek to damage cells' integrity. Other flavonoids regulate blood pressure and over production of fats in your liver cells- gross right? So grab an apple and do your body some good!

Cinnamon: The dash of cinnamon (or more if you're like me and love this spice) can help with any inflammation you might be experiencing from arthritis or even just inflammation that effects sinuses when you have a cold.

Apples w Cinnamon Peanut Butter

1 Apple cut into thick slices
1 1/2 tbsp Peanut Butter
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

In a bowl combine peanut butter & Cinnamon (you can add more or less as you like but the more you add the greater the health benefits!).
Cut apples into thick slices and serve w/ PB mixture

See super easy, super delicious, and super fast! There's no reason to not try this out :)

www.whfoods.com

Chix w/ Apple, Onion &Brussels Sprouts

I invited a good friend over to cook dinner the other night and using mostly what we found already in the kitchen we were able to put together this great & simple recipe!... Why is it so healthy? Here's a quick over view

Brussels Sprouts- See below recipe for health benefits of this amazing cruciferous veggie!

Apples- Granny Smith apples are packed with anti-oxidants (disease fighting compounds). They are rich in flavonols which can help reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer. Even better apples are packed with fiber (both soluble & insoluble)! This helps keep your digestive system regular and who doesn't love that. Foods high in fiber also help fill you up faster in fewer calories.

Red Onion- Onions belong to the Allium family. They are sulfur-rich and therefore aid in liver detoxification. The liver is one of my favorite organs just given it's hugely important function of processing and eliminating toxins. Eating sulfur rich foods (onions, garlic, cabbage, daikon radish...) helps the liver perform its job more efficiently. Between the fiber in apples & sulfur-rich benefits of Onions this recipe can definitely help your body function maximally :)

Chix w/ Apple, Onion, & Brussels Sprouts:

Olive Oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic, divided
1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger, divided
1 granny smith apple (Jullienned)
1/2 red onion (Julienned)
1/2 cup thinly sliced b. sprouts
2 chicken breasts

Season chicken breasts w/ salt & pepper. Take 1/2 tbsp garlic & 1/2 tbsp ginger and rub evenly into chicken breasts. Cover w/ plastic wrap and let sit in fridge for 20-30 mins

Place brussels sprouts in sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until water evaporates & sprouts are soft. On another burner heat approximately 2 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add 1/2 tbsp garlic & saute 1 minute. Add 1/2 tbsp ginger and saute another minute. Add red onions and saute until soft. Add apples & cook another 10 minutes (Until apples soften). Combine Apple/Onion mixture with cooked brussels sprouts and place to the side.

Take chicken out of fridge. Add 2 more tbsp olive oil to saute pan and bring to med heat. Add chicken breast and cook thoroughly.

Plate chicken w/ Apple, Onion, Sprouts mixture and whatever grain you'd like to pair with (Recommend brown rice or quinoa) and ENJOY!