All Hallows Eve.

Have a fun, safe and spooky Halloween!

image found -myspace.com

Top 10 Healthiest Halloween Candy.

Note: (This list is based on macro-nutrient amounts. The lower choices have higher sugar and less calories, but the higher choices having more protein.)

#10 3 Musketeers
1/2 a bar
100 calories, 3g fat, 17.5g carbs, 15g sugar, .5g protein

#9 Heath Bar
1/2 a bar
110 calories, 6.5g fat, 12g carbs, 12g sugar, .5g protein

#8 Butter Finger
1/2 a bar
115 calories, 4.5g fat, 19g carbs, 12g sugar, 1.5g protein

#7 Kit Kat
1 two-piece bar
115 calories, 6g fat, 14.5g carbs, 11g sugar, 1.5g protein

#6 Hershey Bar1/2 a bar
115 calories, 6.5g fat, 12.5g carbs, 11g sugar, 1.5g protein

#5 Almond Joy
1/2 a bar
135 calories, 8g fat, 16g carbs, 12.5g sugar, 1g protein

#4 Snickers
1/2 a bar
140 calories, 7g fat, 17.5g carbs, 15g sugar, 3g protein

#3 Baby Ruth
1/2 a bar
140 calories, 6g fat, 16.5g carbs, 13.5g sugar, 2g protein

#2 Peanut M&M’s
1/2 a bag
120 calories, 6g fat, 14g carbs, 11.5g sugar, 2g protein

#1 Pay Day
1/2 a bar
155 calories, 8g fat, 17.5g carbs, 15g sugar, 3g protein

ref madefit.com, image found - cdn.sheknows.com

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Muffins.

~Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or vegetable oil, if you're not calorie counting)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

~Directions

Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

Sift together flours, baking powder and soda, and salt. Stir in spices.

In a separate bowl, beat egg with brown sugar until well combined. Mix in egg and combine. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, applesauce and pumpkin puree.

Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in nuts and raisins.

Pour mixture into muffin cups and bake approximately 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Add a little spice to your day!

Nutrition Info, per muffin: Calories: 143 / Fat: 3g / Carbs: 27g / Dietary Fiber: 2.4g / Sugar: 2.2g / Protein: 3.8g

Image found - i.ehow.com, recipe bakespace.com

stress management.

With all the ways music affects your body, you can probably already see how music can be used as an effective relaxation and stress management tool. Music can promote relaxation of tense muscles, enabling you to easily release some of the tension you carry in your body from a stressful day (or week).

Music can help your brain get into a meditative state which carries marvelous stress relief benefits with it. Music, especially upbeat tunes, can take your mind off what stresses you, and help you feel more optimistic and positive. This helps release anxiety and can even help you keep from getting as stressed over life’s little frustrations in the future.

Put on your head phones, turn on your favorite music depending on your mood and feel your worries disappear.

image found - exoticindiaart.com

motivation.

Exercising with a friend or a group of people can help make it more fun, interesting, and keep you motivated to continue with a regular exercise routine.

I dig on the pants..LOL

image found - google.com

A Flower For Barbara.

Barbara here is a purple rose for you in celebration of the life you lived and in sorrow of the dear relative and friend we will all miss. We all know purple was your favorite color and whenever I see it from this point on I will think of you. Thank you for the talks we had and for always caring about me and being part of my life. Until we meet again someday, rest in peace and watch over all your loved ones and protect them like you always have.

I will miss you and love you always!

Karen~

image found - photobucket.com

Deep-Dish Apple Pie.

With all that delicious fruit an apple pie should be healthy, but the truth is a slice can have as much as 750 calories and 30 grams of fat. The biggest culprit is the crust. This recipe uses a whole-wheat pastry flour to add fiber and lower the saturated fat by replacing some of the butter with canola oil. The brown sugar-sweetened filling in this pie is made with two kinds of apples for the perfect balance. A slice has half the calories of a typical version and only 10 grams of fat—sweet!

10 servings

Active Time: 1 1/4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours (including cooling time)

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling

• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled McIntosh apples, (about 2 pounds)
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples, (about 2 pounds)
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground allspice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing

Preparation

1. To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and, with your fingers, quickly rub them into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller but still visible. Add sour cream and oil; toss with a fork to combine with the dry ingredients. Sprinkle water over the mixture. Toss with a fork until evenly moist. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl a few times"the mixture will still be a little crumbly. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead a few more times, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough in half and shape into 5-inch-wide disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make filling: Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and pinch of salt in a large bowl. Reserving 4 cups, transfer the rest of the apple mixture to a Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the apples are tender and beginning to break down, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved apples and 2 tablespoons flour; let cool for about 30 minutes.
3. To assemble & bake pie: Position a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand for 5 minutes to warm slightly. Roll one portion between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Scrape the filling into the crust. Roll the remaining portion of dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into another 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet of paper and invert the dough onto the fruit. Peel off the remaining paper. Trim the crust so it overhangs evenly. Tuck the top crust under the bottom crust, sealing the two together and making a plump edge. Flute the edge with your fingers. Combine 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the crust with egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Cut 6 steam vents in the top crust.
5. Bake the pie on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack for about 1 1/2 hours before serving.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the crust (Step 1), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 6 months. | Equipment: 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan

Save a slice for me! :)

info/recipe found eatingwell.com

Pumpkin Spectacular.

Of course we all love pumpkins in the fall. We have a ball carving them and lighting them up at night to show off to our neighbors and friends. We tend to forget that pumpkins canned or fresh actually are a superfood and a good source of potassium, magnesium, fiber, and antioxidant vitamins C and E. This squash is especially good for your ticker because it's chock-full of carotenoids that are known to reduce heart disease risk.

Remember when you carve your pumpkin to make sure you don't throw out all the yummy nutrients inside.

Here are a few great pumpkin recipes....

"Patty's Pumpkin Pudding"

Ingredients

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
2 to 4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, optional
2 large eggs (the SuperFoods authors recommend eggs with extra omega-3s)
One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
One 12-ounce can evaporated nonfat milk (or evaporated 2% milk)

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and pour the mixture into an 8-by-8-inch casserole. Bake it in a preheated (350 degrees Fahrenheit) oven for about 30 minutes. Don't overbake; the center should be slightly wiggly. Cool and enjoy, or refrigerate for later use.

"Toasted Pumpkin Seeds"

Ingredients

• One medium sized pumpkin
• Salt
• Olive oil

Method

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut open the pumpkin and use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the insides. Separate the seeds from the stringy core. Rinse the seeds.

2 In a small saucepan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to every half cup of seeds. Add a half tablespoon of salt for every cup of water (more if you like your seeds saltier). Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

3 Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan. Spread the seeds out over the roasting pan, all in one layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 10-20 minutes. When browned to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack. Let the seeds cool all the way down before eating. Either crack to remove the inner seed (a lot of work and in my opinion, unnecessary) or eat whole.

Gotta love Fall!

image found - media.timeoutchicago.com, ref/recipe realage.com, recipe2 - simplyrecipes.com

Friday Fun Facts.

Here are a few fun health facts that you may say to yourself no way that's true---BUT they say it is. You can make you're own judgments. Enjoy!

• A man once sued his doctor because he survived his cancer longer than the doctor predicted.
• A sneeze can travel as fast as 100 miles per hour.
• An average adult produces about half a liter of flatulent gas per day, resulting in an average of about fourteen occurrences of flatulence a day. Ewww!
  
• At age 70, more than 70 percent of men are still potent!
  
• By the age of 60, most people have lost 50% of their taste buds.
• Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails!
• Flu shots only work about 70% of the time.
• Gardening is said to be one of the best exercises for maintaining healthy bones.
• Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete!
• If your stomach didn't produce a new layer of mucous every two weeks, it would digest itself.

Don't you just love fun facts? I do!

Have a great weekend!

image found - topnews.in.com

Fitness Antiques.

I found these fabulous vintage fitness pictures online. I find them so interesting when looking at the construction of each one. I can't figure out what they were exactly doing in the photos, but hey at least they were still trying to stay in shape even back in those days. Not sure the outfits were the best exercise attire though..lol

I wonder where these machines are now. We sure have come a long way!

images found - lumq.com

simply hilarious.

I came across a few websites that people have created that have the most original, maybe even a bit outrageous of names. They certainly get their point across.

Check them out, maybe you will find one you just can't live without reading.

3 Fat Chicks on a Diet - http://www.3fatchicks.com/
ScaleWhore - http://www.scalewhore.com/
The Diet Naked Blog - http://www.dietnakedblog.com/
Skinny Kat - http://www.skinnykat.com/litter/
FatLadySingz - http://fatladysingz.com/
Former Fat Guy - http://www.formerfatguy.com/
The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl - http://www.dietgirl.org/dietgirl/

Gotta love the creativity!

Monday's Obsession.

Steaz Ice Teaz are one of my favorite drinks to grab with my lunch. They use only organically sourced ingredients to help ensure the tea is both delicious and pure. Steaz tea is NOT grown with any insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers, which are known to be cancer causing.

This tea is the perfect nutritious, chemical free drink. Plus the taste is mild and delightful.

My favorite is the lightly sweetened White Tea with Lime and Pomegranate.

Give it a try, I know you will love it too!

image found - popsop.com

Musaac Galore.

Get up and out of the house this weekend. How about seeing a rockin live band? It is always a great time, you get to hang with friends, laugh and dance. Great for exercise and to de-stress from the chaotic week.

Here's who's playing in our neck of the woods this weekend.

Music Calendar here

Have a great "harmonious" weekend!

image found - static.flickr.com

Brussels Sprouts.

Even though these veggies get a bad rap, they are one of my favorites. They have a mild, somewhat bitter taste, so they taste great combined with tangy and savory sauces, like balsamic vinaigrette.

• 1/2 cup contains more than your DRI of vitamin K
• Very good source of folate
• Good source of iron

Give this recipe a try, I think it will make you become a "Brussels Sprouts" fan... :)

Prep: 5 minutes; Cook: 10 minutes; Bake: 25 minutes.

~Ingrediants

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed Brussels sprouts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, excess fat trimmed and removed

~Preperation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toast walnuts on baking sheet for 8–10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove and cool to room temperature. Increase oven temperature to 425°.

2. Slice large sprouts in half, if needed, so all are about the same size. Toss sprouts in large bowl with remaining ingredients. Spread on rimmed baking sheet in even layer.

3. Roast for 25–30 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until browned and tender. Toss with toasted walnuts, and serve warm.

Bon Appetit!

image/recipe found health.com

Lots O'Apples.

Apple picking anyone?

Trick is to select firm, bruise-free apples. The color can be anything from dark green, to yellow, pink, orange, bright red, dark red or even a combination. It all depends on the variety. And color is not really how you tell when an apple is ripe. Apples should be crisp and firm.

Tip: The key will be to ask the farmer which are ripe. He will know because it is calculated from the number of days since the trees flowered. And he will track that date carefully .

• Nutrition and miscellaneous facts: One-half cup of apples is only 42 calories. Apples contain no cholesterol or fat and are also low in calories. Apples are high in dietary fiber, Vitamin A and niacin. They contain iron and other trace minerals and are a fair source of Vitamin C.
• Apples are ranked No. 1 in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other commercially available fruits and vegetables. That means a serving of apples has more of the antioxidant power you need to fight aging, cancer and heart disease.

Bake a yummy pie for your friends or family, follow Johnny Appleseed's lead and share..... :)

image found - esquire.com, ref pickyourown.com

good or bad egg?

What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells. It's an important part of a healthy body because it's used to form cell membranes, some hormones and is needed for other functions. But a high level of cholesterol in the blood — hypercholesterolemia — is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.

Bad Cholesterol - LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is "bad" cholesterol, which carries mostly fat and only a small amount of protein from the liver to other parts of the body. A high LDL cholesterol level is considered a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) because, under certain conditions, it can cause hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

Good Cholesterol - HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is sometimes called "good" cholesterol because it helps prevent cholesterol from building up in the arteries. HDL, which is made mostly of protein and only a small amount of fat, helps clear LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or “bad,” cholesterol from the body.

High levels of HDL appear to help protect against heart disease. A person who is at risk for heart disease may be advised to raise his or her HDL levels by eating a balanced diet, exercising and losing weight, and stopping tobacco use. In addition, medicines may be used to raise HDL levels.

How do we prevent high cholesterol?

1.) Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are just a few of the delicious foods that you can eat on a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet. There are also many low-fat diet plans out there, just in case you need a helping hand to assist you in eating low fat. In any case, eating low fat can help you to prevent high cholesterol.

2.) Exercise has many heart healthy benefits - including helping you to prevent high cholesterol and heart disease. The good news is that, in order to see the benefits of exercise, you don't have to be a star athlete. There are many types of exercises you can do - from low-impact exercises to aerobic exercises - and all have shown some benefit in keeping your body limber and your cholesterol levels low. If you already have high cholesterol levels, exercise can be very helpful in preventing your cholesterol levels from increasing further.

3.) Quit smoking - When most people think of smoking, they mostly think about the lung diseases that go along with it. However, the damage that smoking can do goes much deeper. In fact, smoking can increase your cholesterol levels and cause heart disease. If you quit smoking now, you can prevent this from occurring, and reverse the damage that you have done if you quit now.

4.) Reduce stress - Although stress is important in helping us escape from bad situations, persistent stress could lead to heart disease. Recent research is indicating that recurrent stress could also have a an affect on your cholesterol levels. Learning how to cope with stress in your life could help keep your cholesterol levels in check and your heart healthy.

5.) What else? - There are many other ways you can prevent high cholesterol, too. Losing weight and paying attention to medications that can raise cholesterol are a few more of the important ways you can prevent your cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease from increasing.

Egg whites anyone?

info found - about.com