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!

RAW POWER MUFFINS!!

This perfect tasty combo of healthy fat, protein and carbohydrates leaves the body full of energy, not full and bloated like the typical muffin.


Peanut Butter Cup Ingredients-

• 4 tbsp vanilla protein powder
• 4 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 4 tbsp natural crunchy peanut butter
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 tsp vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 3 tsp cocoa nibs)
• 4 tsp chopped walnuts

Choco-Delite Ingredients-

• 3 tbsp vanilla protein powder
• 3 tbsp whole oats
• 4 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp sweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 tbsp unsweetened crunchy peanut butter
• 4 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions-

1. In a muffin pan line six slots with paper cups.
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
3. Mix all wet ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix evenly.
5. **For Peanut Butter Cup: add semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnuts to the final mix.
6. Portion batter into muffin cups. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
7. Remove and place in individual baggies for the perfect snack on the go!

Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass...we have all seen it at Jamba Juice, Juice It Up, Robecks, and many of our other favorite juice bars.  Grass?  Really?  It truly doesn't taste all that great....is it worth the cost? strange flavor?

Wheatgrass also known as "cereal grass" was discovered by argicultural chemist, Charles Schnabel in Kansas in 1925.  Charles discovered the amazing nutritional benefits stored in this strange form:

• Colon Detox- the chlorophyll in wheatgrass aids in the breakdown on impacted matter.  Having a clean colon also lowers the risk of colon cancer.
• Metal Detox-the natural occurring minerals in wheatgrass aid in the detoxifcation process of lead, mercury, and aluminum.
• Blood Flow- the chlorophyll in wheatgrass mimicks the molecular structure of the body's hemoglobin.  Hemoglobin aids in the transport of oxygen, as does the chlorophyll.
• Immune Support- the high content of vitamins A, B, and E increases the bodies ability to fight infection.
• Amino Acid Supplementation- wheatgrass contains 4 non-essential (made by the body) and 8 essential amino acids (the body needs to obtain from food sources).  Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
• Increased energy- wheatgrass is high in B-12, a supplement many vegetarians utilize to subsitute the natural energy from animal proteins.

Best way to get wheatgrass?  Not too worry you don't have to buy a juicer or make a trip to your local juice store everyday (if you do decide you want the juice verision make sure to ingest right after juicing, it loses its potency upon sitting out).  The most convient way to get your wheatgrass is thru tablets (my fav no strange flavor) or powder form.  Find a brand that contains a pure form of wheatgrass and preferably no preservatives.  For health and energy maintence you want 3.5 grams of wheat grass per day.

A supplement everyone should begin to include!

Grilled Tuna Salad

August has been a very toasty month!  How bout makin a delicious salad that's also pretty enough to serve to guests and fast enough to make after a long day at work??  Try this one!


Ingredients:

• 1 fillet of tuna; clean and pat dry
• 2 c spinach
• ½ c sliced mushrooms
• ½ c chopped cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• ½ c chopped cucumber
• ¼ c crumbled feta
• 2 chopped green onions
• 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white balsamic
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a fry pan on medium high. Once oil is hot add fish. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, depending on thickness and desired cook temp.
2. For dressing, in a small dish mix 2 tbsp olive oil, white balsamic, black pepper, juice of lemon and minced garlic.
3. On a large plate, place spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, feta cheese, pine nuts and finally tuna fillet. Finish with dressing.