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

Host a Healthy Superbowl Party

Superbowl Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year. One of the top reasons I love this day so much, aside from being able to watch Peyton Manning play this year :) , is because of all the yummy food you get to eat! However, we all know how notoriously unhealthy game day food can be.
In an attempt to not deny any of us these delicious indulgences, below are a few recipe makeovers to help lighten up the day. Shaving off 20 calories here or there can really add up!

Nachos: Lighten up nachos by cutting out the fatty ground meat, excessive cheese, and calorie-dense sour cream. Instead top with reduced-fat shredded cheddar (I like Weight Watchers brand) to add a calcium boost. Black beans which contains super high fiber content to lower cholesterol and prevent blood sugar levels from spiking. And last throw on some fresh Pico de Gallo- the tomatos in here offer a good deal of Vitamin C to give your immune system a boost!

Pico de Gallo
* 6 medium Tomatoes diced
* 1 medium Onion diced
* 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro chopped.
* 2 to 4 Fresh serrano or jalapeño seeded and minced
* garlic powder just a pinch * Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl add 1/2 cup of cold water, mix well. Let set a few minutes.

Chips & Dip: Greesy potato chips and dairy/cheese based dips will leave you feeling super-gross on Monday morning.. Completely not worth it!! Swap out the greesy chips for some homemade whole grain pita chips. Cut pita bread into triangles, drizzle EVOO over sprinkle some course sea salt and toss into the oven at 400 F until they're crisp. Doing this will cut calories & fat while adding fiber!
As for the dip, why would you eat a creamy dip drenched in calories and fat when you have the option to pair those killer pita chips with yummy hummus! I love all Trader Joe's brands. Chick Peas make up the foundation of this great dip and pack in even more fiber to keep you regular as well as a decent amount of iron which helps blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissue cells which need this to function!

Sweet Tooth: For anyone with a sweet tooth, swap out heavy cakes for some dark chocolate covered strawberries! This way you can satisfy any sweet or chocolate craving while packing in some great antioxidants from both the Strawberries & Dark Chocolate! I mean really, have you every met anyone who DIDN'T like chocolate covered strawberries?

So there you have it! Everything you need to lighten up your game time noshing. Enjoy & go Colts!!