29 May

Food Fraud: Breakfast Muffins

Posted by Arlene Miller II in Healthy Alternatives. Tagged: , , , .

Muffins masquerade as a healthy choice for breakfast. They beat doughnuts, they’re still mainly sugary little cakes of refined flour. One store-bought muffin can hit 500 calories with 11 teaspoons of sugar.

Most of us find it very easy to justify something when it has fruit in it or if it says wheat. The truth is, that when you’re looking at pre-made munchies with no nutrition information, it’s easiest to make your mistakes.

Food Fix: Go no larger than 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Or look for 100-calorie muffins at the store.

If you know you’re a muffin lover (like I am) try getting VitaMuffins ahead of time. They taste fantastic, only have 100 calories, packed with vitamins and minerals, plus they keep well in the freezer. They make a fairly regular breakfast for me paired with a little protein powder and water.

27 May

Good Mood Food: Lean Meats

Posted by Arlene Miller II in Healthy Information. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Foods can boost energy in three ways: by providing sufficient calories, by delivering stimulants like caffeine, and by pushing the metabolism to burn fuel more efficiently. As for mood, the best foods are those that stabilize blood sugar and trigger feel-good brain chemicals, such as serotonin.

Lean pork, lean beef, skinless chicken, and turkey are healthy sources of protein, including the amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine boosts levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, brain chemicals that can help you feel more alert and focused. Meats also contain vitamin B-12, which may combat insomnia and depression.

Remember to read the labels to make sure your meats really are lean, though. Most red meats have a percentage of lean meat on the front of the package. White meats and ground meats do not usually. When you buy ground turkey or chicken, look for ground breast meat. If you don’t, you are getting dark meat mixed in and it is far less lean.

Click here to see other Good Mood Foods you may be missing out on

26 May

A Healthy Snack

Posted by jeffwangerin in Visalus Sciences. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

The ViSalus Nutra-Cookie is more than your ordinary protein snack, it is packed with nutrition to help your body support a healthy immune system, a healthy digestive system, a healthy heart, while fueling your body with energizing protein, fiber & other nutrients to keep you feeling full. Ideal for anyone who wants a healthy snack on the go or a boost of energy for the day ahead! Our Nutra-Cookie can also be a nutritious and delicious mini meal the whole family can enjoy.

Great as a Snack:

Eat one Nutra-Cookie for a delicious protein snack with fiber to help keep you from feeling hungry between meals. It’s the perfect on the go snack!

Meal Replacement:

Eat two Nutra-Cookies in place of a meal or have one Nutra-Cookie™ with a delicious Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake mixed with water. For added weight management support add Vi-Slim to help boost your metabolism and Vi-Trim to help you control hunger.

What Makes It Different?

Our cookie has 9 grams of a proprietary Tri-Sorb protein system designed to curb your appetite and control your hunger. A patent pending blend of proteins and branch chain amino acids are helpful for immune support and muscle health; and to support the di-sulfide bridge for cellular protein absorption.

What’s in the ViSalus Nutra-Cookie?

  • 9 grams of our proprietary Tri-Sorb protein system
  • 2.2 Servings of Fruit and Vegetable Antioxidants
  • 5 grams of Fiber with Feeling of Fullness Benefits
  • Prebiotics & Fiber for Digestive Health
  • Non-GMO Soy (cultivated without biotechnology), specially processed to remove isoflavones

Who can eat the cookie?

The Whole Family:
Great for fighting those pre-dinner cravings.

Kids:
They may think its a yummy treat, yet it is healthy and sustaining.

Sports Enthusiasts:
Provides pre-workout fuel, nutrients and protein to sustain your energy levels and post-workout and can speed up recovery time.

Dieters:
Sustain your appetite with a full serving of fiber.

Health Conscious:
Those who want a healthy snack without wasting calories eating empty foods.

24 May

Cinnamon

Posted by Arlene Miller II in Healthy Information. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Cinnamon

Studies suggest cinnamon may have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels. This could curtail appetite, particularly in people with type 2 diabetes. Nearly everyone can benefit from cinnamon in its traditional role.

You don’t have to run out and buy cinnamon pills or supplements though.

  • Try adding some into your coffee or tea to sweeten without adding calories.
  • Sprinkle some in your pancake or waffle batter along with some fresh fruit.
  • Replace 1/4 of the sugar in your baking recipes like cookies or muffins with cinnamon.
  • Try sprinkling some on your beef roast or steaks for an interesting new flavor (trust me, it is delicious).
  • Sprinkle some over nuts in a plastic bag for home-made trail mix to-go.

If you do have issues with blood sugar, pre-diabetes or diabetes, talk to your doctor about adding cinnamon supplements and see if it may help you. In my personal experience, I have suggested it to a handful of people with diabetes and all have come back stating that it made a difference in their overall blood sugar levels.

 

Related articles

 

Where do you use cinnamon? Leave your answer in the comment section below, I always love new ideas.

21 May

Slurpee Lite and SlurpFREE Day

Posted by Arlene Miller II in Product Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , .

7-eleven convenience store chain is launching a brand new line of Slurpee Lite drinks. These flavors are sugar-free and have less than 1/3 the calories of regular Slurpee flavors. They are formulated by Fanta and sweetened with Splenda instead of sugar.

“We are launching ‘Flavors of Summer’ with our first Slurpee Lite sugar-free flavor, and it tastes just as great as the other flavors we have planned for the Slurpee season,” said Laura Gordon, 7-Eleven vice president for brand innovation. “We tested several of our new sugar-free flavors earlier this year, and they all got rave reviews. Now, everyone in the family can enjoy a summer Slurpee drink including those looking for a sugar-free, reduced-calorie option.” 

Slurpee Lite flavors will cycle through the summer offering a new one each month. You can look forward to trying Fanta Sugar-Free Mango for the rest of May and June, Fanta Sugar-Free Strawberry Banana for July and Fanta Sugar-Free Cherry Limeade in August.

Slurpee drinks are still not “good for you”, they’ve just gotten a little closer. They still contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial chemicals for flavoring and colors. So, don’t go overindulging just because they are now lower in calories and sugar-free. However, if you’re up for a refreshing snack once in a while, the new lite option is great to have.

The 8 fl oz serving now only packs in 20 calories as compared to its regular flavors averaging around 65. This is also the first ever frozen drink sold nationwide to be sugar-free from 7-eleven.

In celebration of their new Lite line of Slurpees, 7-eleven is giving away free slurpees on Wednesday, May 23rd from 11am to 7pm! You can stop by any nationwide 7-eleven store and get a free 7.11 oz Slurpee Lite for FREE!

 

« Older Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 58 other followers