Healthful Tuna Melt

Most diner versions of this sticky treat are loaded in fat and greasy calories. But no worries you can still enjoy this rich meal without all the guilt!

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat tortilla (La Tortilla Factory 100 calorie)
• ¼- ½ c sliced spicy almond cheese
• 1 can drained albacore tuna
• ¼ c salsa
• ¼ c chopped spinach
• ¼ c chopped baby tomatoes
• 1 chopped green onion

Directions:

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees.
2. Stuff a whole wheat tortilla with almond cheese, tuna, salsa, spinach, baby tomatoes, and green onion.
3. Place in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
4. Cut. Serve with additional salsa for dipping if desired.

Peanut Butter: natural vs originial

The peanut butter question used to be restricted to Jiff or Skippy??  Yet now with a rise in health and nutrition the shelves are literally littered with varieties of these original childhood staples.

What to look for when on the peanut butter hunt:

1. no added sugar (found as the second ingredient in our original Jiff and Skippys)
2. no added salt (we all don't need that extra bloating)
3. no added oils (the natural peanut oils are enough fat on their own)
4. no added preservatives (refrigeration should be the only preservation method; the body never needs unnecessary chemicals)

My cheap recommendations: Trader Joe's Crunchy No Salt Added and Walmart's Adam's 100% All Natural Creamy; both are under $3!  Remember health doesn't have to be expensive.

Some great on the go snack ideas:

• Whole wheat toast with all natural peanut butter and no sugar added apple butter (quick breakfast)
• Apple with peanut butter (afternoon snack)
• Whole wheat tortilla wrapped around a banana and peanut butter (perfect post workout snack)
• Many of my other snack ideas ;)

Rich Chocolate Chewy Brownies

Who doesn’t love a rich chocolate brownie?? But notice how we always feel so guilty after? Now you can enjoy the brownie, hey even two, without the guilt! This recipe contains 3 variations: (1) plain, (2) crunchy, (3) walnuts and coconut dressed.

Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans (15 oz), rinsed (removes some sodium)
• ½ c cocoa powder
• 3 egg whites
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
• ¾ c agave
• 1 tbsp smart balance
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• **optional- ¼ c walnuts, ¼ c shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan with smart balance.
2. In a food processor combine beans, cocoa powder, egg whites, and whole wheat flour. Blend for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add agave, smart balance, vanilla, and (variation 2 add walnuts and coconut now). Blend 2 minutes.
4. Pour batter into prepared baking dish (variation 3 top brownie mix with walnuts and coconut). Bake for 10 minutes, rotate, and bake an additional 10 minutes, rotate, finish for 5-8 minutes (until fully cooked).
5. Remove from oven, allow cool, place in fridge for approximately 2-3 hours or until brownies are set. Cut into bars.

The Power of Positive

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”- Winston Churchill

Have you ever noticed that people who are successful are often very happy and positive? This isn’t just a coincidence.

Your personal self-talk contributes directly to your growth, success, and achievements. You are your own radio tower; emitting negative thinking and negative self talk will bring you just that.

With the fall of today’s economy it is even more important for our personal success to own this way of thinking.

Start training your subconscious in a positive light by first taking control of your conscious thoughts. Try these tools:

1. Make a goal board. Visual images are powerful and become even stronger when they are seen every day; especially those rough days. Make a collage, take pictures, draw, find quotes and place them on a poster board….I know we are all busy but taking the time to do this will lead you to those ultimate goals even sooner.
2. Surround yourself with positive people. Ever notice how negativity can be contagious?
3. End your day by writing down at least one good thing that happened. Use your Facebook or Twitter as your forum… spread the positive energy.
4. Develop a plan of action, “safety net”, for those more difficult days. How are you going to get yourself out of that mind set?....call a friend, look a fun pictures from the past, use your goal board (keeping the big picture in mind), reading a favorite quote or part of an uplifting book. We also face fallbacks; the ones that get up the fastest are those with a plan of action.
5. Fill your home, office, car, and bedroom with positive light. Keeping the areas you spend most of your time positive will remind you to keep your positive attitude during illness, injury, arguments…basically when you face anything challenging you have a place of refuge. Use your favorite fabrics, colors, photos, memories to decorate these areas….it should be hard not to smile when you come to your place of refuge.
6. Read positive books to increase the positive learning transformation….”The Secret”- Rhonda Byrne, “The Power of Positive Thinking”-Norman Peale, “The Power of Self Coaching”-Joseph Luciani, “You Can if You Think You Can”- Norman Peale, “Unlimited Power”-Tony Robbins

Started your positive successful life this evening! Don’t wait any longer! Put the extra training time into the tools now for the next few months and watch your life and happiness change drastically.

Live life well…you only get one!