Going Nutz!!

Everyone knows how good nuts are for us….but why? And which ones do what? It’s always good to know what you are putting in your body! Just be careful these little snacks are too easy to eat and they are loaded with calories! Stay in portion size!

Also nuts have the most nutrients when eaten raw.  This also keeps you away from eating all the extra salt and perservatives...yes I know chipotle flavored pistacios can taste so yummy...but not nearly the same health benefits!

Walnuts:

• 14 halves=185 calories
• Good source of protein, fiber, magnesium, high levels of alpha-linolenic acid (brain boosting omega 3)

Almonds:

• 23 nuts=163 calories
• Help lower cholesterol
• More calcium and fiber than most other nuts
• Vitamin E

Macadamia Nuts:

• 10-12 nuts=204 calories
• High in monounsaturated fat
• Thiamine (helps nervous system)

Pistachios:

• 49 nuts=162 calories
• Lower in calories then most nuts
• Rich in lutein (antioxidant good for vision and skin)
• One serving= potassium in one banana

Cashews:

• 18 nuts= 163 calories
• 10% daily value of iron
• Folate and vitamin K (keeps bones strong and blood clotting normally)

Brazil Nuts:

• 6 nuts=186 calories
• Selenium (thyroid health)

Pecans:

• 19 halves=196 calories
• Rich in beta-sitosterol (lower cholesterol and prostate health)

Pine Nuts:

• 167 nuts=191 calories
• Manganese (maintain proper blood sugar levels and metabolize carbohydrates and protein)
• Fatty acids (boost satiety hormones)

HAVING A STRESSFUL DAY?

Take a few minutes to stop close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Think about the ocean waves, beautiful mountains, or a lush forest. Amazing how this will slow your heart rate and relax your mind.

Also try carrying some peppermint oil. Peppermint oil will help liven you up, feeling fresh and reenergized.

Whatever you do avoid stress eating!!!  Yes this is an impulse of many and yes as shown in the picture above "Stressed" does spell "Desserts" backwards...strange huh?  When you are stressed make sure you are eating because your tummy is hungry not because you are looking to fill that empty feeling/sad feeling/confused feeling with some "feel good" chocolate cake!!!  Best idea: if you are stressed stay away from the kitchen, hands off the fridge...try a walk or the gym.  Pushing yourself thru a sweat sess will calm the mind, activate those feel good endorphins, and give you a confidence boost...as good as it tastes chocolate cake won't do that, plus you will most likely regret it later.

Great BBQ Side Dish: Red Quinoa Salad

A new healthy take on pasta salad!! Great for these hot summer days…

Ingredients:

• ½ cup quinoa
• ½ cup chopped baby tomatoes
• ½ cup chopped spinach
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 chopped scallion

Directions:

1. Bring 1 cup of water and ½ cup of quinoa to a boil. Once boiling cover and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Let quinoa cool.
3. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for one hour.
4. Enjoy!

TRACK YOUR PERFORMANCE

Whether you are a runner, hiker, swimmer or weight lifter start tracking your progress! Tracking your progress electronically and putting you stats into a graph will help motivate you to keep going. Keeping a track record also shows you how far you have come. Think of each line on the chart as your road to your goal!

General Stats to Track:

• Weight
• Circumference measurements
• Blood pressure
• Mentality/Anxiety levels
• BMI

Runners/Swimmer/Hikers/Walkers Track:

• Distance
• Time
• Pace

Weight Lifters Track:

• Weight lifted
• Reps
• Sets

Yum Yum Chocolate!

If you’re a fan of melty-rich oie gooie chocolate; you will love these!!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp of cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp of honey
• 1 tbsp of cocoa nibs
• 2 tbsp of coconut flakes

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Line a ceramic dish with wax paper
3. Put mix in the wax paper covered dish
4. Put in fridge for 3 hours
5. Enjoy!

NOTE: keep in the fridge or it will become liquid!!

Honey Masks!

My girlfriend Christi got me hooked on this last year. Yes at first I was like “no way!! Sticky food on my face!.” But once I tried it I became a devout honey masker!

Honey is a great moisturizer, leaving your skin smooth as a baby’s booty! The hydroxyl acids also help to naturally exfoliate the skin, cleaning surface dirt from the pours. Furthermore the antibacterial properties of honey help fight any current infections on the skin (this is also great for healing any cuts on other areas of the body).

Be sure to purchase raw unprocessed honey (should be whiter in color than normal honey). The best is Manuka Honey, but is a little pricey. I usually just hit up Trader Joes or whole foods for one of their store brands and it does the job!

I usually just apply a light layer of the honey to my face and allow it to sit for approximately 20minutes then rinse with warm water. You can also get fancy and add some ground almonds (for a greater exfoliate) to the honey and apply it that way.

And guys this works great for you as well!

Coconut Oil….what is this stuff??

A health secret of the tropics!!

Many people say “No” to coconut oil because of it’s high content of saturated fat. Yes saturated fats from meat products are bad for you, but think about this is a plant source. Fats from plant sources are much easier for the body to digest. Check out this site for more information about the US campaign for unsaturated fats (look at what crops the US produces and why it makes sense for it to push for unsaturated fats). Check out this site for some detailed research: http://www.coconutoil.com/litalee.htm

Health benefits of coconut oil:

• Hair care
• Skin care
• Increased immunity
• Proper digestion
• Proper metabolism
• Bone strength

Why I decided to go with coconut oil: besides it’s amazing nutty taste, is it’s high content of lauric acid. The only other resource for this much lauric acid is human breast milk! When lauric acid is ingested the body converts it to monolaurin which actually breaks down the bi-lipid layers of bacteria and viruses in the body.

What’s in this stuff?

• Saturated fatty acids: most are medium chain triglycerides, which assimilate well in the body (lauric acid, capric acid, caprylic acid, myristic acid, and palmitic)
• Polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid)
• Monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid)
• Poly-phenols: responsible for the fragrance and taste
• Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and minerals

Uses:

• Hair care: excellent conditioner for damaged hair and helps rid the hair of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs
• Skin care: moisturizes dry skin; treats psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections
• Digestion: the microbial properties help in dealing with bacteria, fungi, and parasites
• Immunity: the lauric, capric, and caprylic acid have antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties
• Healing: helps repair damaged tissues, such a bruise. Treats such viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, and SARS. Also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea. As well as fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, and diaper rash.
• Bones &Teeth : coconut oil helps the body absorb calcium and magnesium.

Coconut oil can be used in all types of food from ice cream to smoothies to bread or just as a butter replacement. Check out these recipes:

http://www.coconut-connections.com/recipes.htm