DIY Healthy Chocolate Easter Treats!

---

This week we celebrate the Easter holidays. A joy-filled couple of days where we give
 thanks, spend quality time with our loved ones, and indulge in all the foods that Easter
 brings. Chocolate eggs and Hot Cross Buns anyone? (eeek). Not a great situation for
 those sporty sisters who have been busy getting active, and eating clean all week. 
Sure, all in moderation is fine, but we much prefer to nourish our beautiful body 
with the good stuff and keeping things au naturale. So, if some of you are shaking in your
 boots over facing the big bad bunny, never fear… we have conjured up a super healthy
 DIY chocolate treat that will fill the void of the Cadbury bunny.

Ok this is what you will need for the chocolate…3 ingredients. Yep, that’s it! You can find all 
these ingredients at your local health food store – so hop to it (pun intended).

Grab your mould for the chocolate. We found this super cute mould at our local Aldi store
. Using your paint brush, brush a layer of chocolate into the mould, and then pop it into the fridge
 to set while you make the filling (this was our favourite part).

Did someone say bounty & cherry ripe? Why yes, yes we did. And we don’t mean the ‘bad’ kind. 
This is 100% legitimate healthy goodness. If you’re thinking… “That’s too good to be true”, well 
we would have to agree with you. But the proof is in the pudding (or the filling we should say), 
we loved this spread way more than the naughty variety. WARNING: Try not to eat straight 
out of the jar, otherwise you won’t have any left for Easter.

Fill each individual mould with ½ tsp. of your chosen filling and press into mould. Now brush your 
remaining chocolate over the top and pop in fridge to set. Now the hardest part is waiting for them to set!

http://www.movenourishbelieve.com/recipes/diy-healthy-chocolate-treats-for-easter/

10 Top Foods to Boost Metabolism!

While there are no short-cuts to losing weight, there are a few things you can do to boost your metabolism. Exercising regularly and getting plenty of sleep are two of the best things you can do. However, there are also plenty of foods that speed metabolism, so adding them to your diet may give you the extra edge to lose more weight.

Below is a list of eleven foods that help speed up metabolism. Think of these foods as support mechanisms on your path towards fat loss, as any diet that keeps the pounds off requires sustained effort and exercise.

1. Hot Peppers

Jalapeno, habanero, cayenne and other forms of spicy peppers directly boost metabolism and circulation. In fact, eating hot peppers not only speeds up your metabolism, it also reduces cravings. This is related to its capsaicin content, a compound that stimulates the body’s pain receptors, temporarily increasing blood circulation and metabolic rate. If you have ever experienced a bout of intense sweating after eating a particularly hot tamale, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, studies have shown that eating hot peppers can boost the metabolism by up to 25%, with the spike lasting for up to 3 hours.

2. Whole Grains: Oatmeal and Brown Rice

Whole grains are full of nutrients and complex carbohydrates that speed up metabolism by stabilizing our insulin levels. Slow-release carbs, such as oatmeal, brown rice and quinoa offer long-lasting energy, without the spikes associated with other sugar-rich foods. We want to keep our insulin levels low, as spikes in this chemical tell the body that it needs to begin storing extra fat.

3. Broccoli

High in calcium (a known weight-reducer), broccoli is also extraordinarily high in vitamins C, K and A. One serving of broccoli will also provide you with plenty of folate and dietary fiber, plus a variety of antioxidants. Broccoli is also one of the best detox foods you can add to your diet.

4. Soups

One study on soup done at Penn State University found that the liquid goodness offered an appetite reducing combination of liquids and solids that reduced intake of excess foods, speeding up the metabolism and burning fat. In the study, women chose one of three 270-calorie snacks before lunch.

5. Green Tea

It is now a well-known fact, through multiple scientific studies, that green tea extract can significantly boost the metabolism, as well as provide a variety of other health benefits. Green tea is delicious and it’s also rich in antioxidants that actively fight harmful free radicals!

6. Apples and Pears

Studies show that these two fruits help boost metabolism and speed up weight loss. Research performed by the State University of Rio de Janeiro found that women eating three small apples or pears daily lost more weight than women who did not. Organic apples are one of the most widely available organic fruits and pears aren’t too hard to find either, great news!

7. Spices

From cayenne to garlic to cinnamon, spices are one of the best ways you can keep your metabolic rates high. Especially speedy are the more pungent spices such as black pepper, mustard seeds, powdered onion and ginger. A Canadian study found that using spices enabled people to burn up to 1,000 more calories daily than those not incorporating spices into their diet.

8. Citrus Fruits

Fruits like grapefruit have been shown to help us burn fat and keep our metabolism high. This could be related to the fruits’ high amount of vitamin C, a helpful and healthful component that reduces insulin spikes.

9. Foods High in Calcium

A study done at the University of Tennessee found that people who consumed 1,200-1,300 milligrams of calcium a day lost almost double the amount of weight as those who were not getting enough calcium in their diet. To help boost your metabolism, eat plenty of foods high in calcium. If you are unable to get enough of these foods, then you should consider taking a calcium supplement. There are many types of calcium and I recommend calcium orotate for maximum efficacy.

10. Foods High in Omega-3′s

Eating foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids is a great way to boost your metabolism. These acids reduce the production of a hormone called leptin, a natural chemical that lowers your metabolism. Animal studies done at the University of Wisconsin found that lab mice with low leptin levels produced faster metabolic rates than mice with higher levels of the hormone.

A Mayo Clinic study found that African tribes with a heavy fish-based diet had leptin levels up to five times lower than tribes that did not consume fish. Please keep in mind that there are many other nutritional sources of omega-3 fatty acids, besides fish. These foods include many nuts and seeds. Hemp oil and flax seed oil are both great additions to your diet because they are naturally high in essential fatty acids.

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/foods-that-speed-metabolism/

Ten Tips to a Healthy Lifestyle!

These keys will enable you to become motivated and focused, as well as condition yourself to live a healthy and fit lifestyle. Notice that I did not say "ways to diet". These are ways to realising a healthy lifestyle.

The first key to keep in mind is making sure you have a daily plan. If you have your daily plan written down with all of the details of your day, including the snacks you will carry with you and your meals for the day, you will be much more inclined to avoid the unhealthy foods and actions that may throw you off track.

If you can plan the activities, the errands and all the tasks you will be doing each day - from the time you get up until the time you go to bed - you will be keeping yourself busy accomplishing what’s on your daily planner, rather than spending time worrying about your weight or other things that may reduce productivity.

This can be one of the most powerful steps to living a healthy lifestyle because you’ll be constantly looking at what you want to get done, instead of what you didn’t do in the past.

The second key is to have written goals. These may be the dreams you have, the things you want to do in life that you may have forgotten about. Many people have resigned to just living the same monotonous daily routine.

Start by writing down your goals; no matter how outrageous they may seem, write them down. You need goals and dreams that could take you a lifetime to accomplish. Make sure they are meaningful so that when you read them and ponder their reality, you feel the motivation to get there. When you can get to that point, you have created significant goals and dreams for yourself.

The third key is to be sure your daily plan includes at least one action that moves you closer to your long-term goals. If you don’t add to your current activities you will comtuine to stay as you are.

It’s time to broaden your horizons by moving outside of your current comfort zone and doing something new, something different. By the end of the week, you should feel that you have moved a little closer to your dreams.

It may not seem like much in the beginning, but if you just focus on doing a little each day, then in only one year, you will feel more and more compelled to see your dreams become a reality. So be sure you are writing down and doing at least one task each day toward that reality.

The fourth key Don’t look back at where you’ve been, only where you want to go! This complements having a daily plan. There’s no time to look back at any tragedies, mishaps or unhappy times. There’s only time to create new memories, new experiences and happy times. With your plan, you are creating those things and not leaving yourself time to ponder the "what ifs" of the past.

Instead of asking, "How can I improve my job? How can I be a better spouse? How can I reach my goals? How can I achieve world peace?" just ask yourself, "How can I?" Look at what contributions you can make for yourself and for others, today and tomorrow. In this way, you will keep looking ahead. Remember, no matter how tarnished your past, your future is spotless.

The fifth key is to leave excuses behind. There are many reasons we have for not having what we want in life. It’s not hard to find someone who can talk about the tough times, how rough things are or how difficult the boss is, but guess what? Everyone has hurdles to overcome.

These hurdles can be the excuses that hold you back or the obstacle that you have to overcome to become stronger and more prepared for the next one. This goes along with leaving the past behind you, where it will always stay. Excuses are nothing more than seeing the difficulty ahead, instead of seeing beyond it to where you would rather be. The hurdle has to be there for you to gain a sense of fulfillment, for having overcome it to reach your goal.

The sixth key to a healthy lifestyle is to take full responsibility. When it comes down to it, ultimately, you are the only one who can make things happen for you. That means you are the one who has to make the plan; you are the one who needs to perform the exercises each day; and you are the one who will overcome the hurdles to reach your goals.

Many people will be a cheerleader or a coach, to try and steer you in the right direction and cheer you on, but it is your game. If you’re not playing the game, you may just be in the stands watching others as they try to achieve their goals. If you find yourself always looking to others who have what you want, you may be living in the stands. Start taking responsibility by taking action toward achieving those things you want.

The seventh key is to be aware of people or things that can divert your focus from your goals. Does this mean ignore others and the help they may need? Certainly not, but realise that very often someone may approach you or want you to do something that is not really in the best interest of your health and your goals.

Sometimes when we say no, we are really just saying yes to "sticking to" what’s good and healthy. You not only will be empowering yourself to make the right decision, but also letting others know that your focus on living a healthy lifestyle is in their best interest, too, and maybe it will rub off on them.

Say no to the so-called "water-cooler" conversations at work that don’t provide any productive outcome, just harm to those participating. Say no to the box of doughnuts that seem to show up at work in the morning, for what seems to be harmless socialising and eating with co-workers. Ask yourself if it’s taking your attention away from building a healthy lifestyle or making a contribution to such lifestyle.

Be like the race horses with blinkers on that can only see ahead and choose only to see what’s healthy - healthy for you, for your family or for your company. It may seem like you are alienating yourself, and you are, from what’s not healthy. It’s not easy taking the high road, but you’ll be much happier in the long run.

Key number eight: Decide where you would like to be 20 years from now. Are you doing what you are doing now, only older? Can you see from the goals and dreams you have written that you are carving out a new person who has had many new experiences?

If you can visualise what your life will be in 20 years - where you will live, the places you will have visited, the people you have come to know, the knowledge that you have gained, the positive changes that you have made for yourself and others - you will really begin to see the potential that the years ahead can bring.

Now, I’m not suggesting that everything will be exactly as you may envision, but it will give you a sense of what you truly are capable of and what you can look forward to. Both things will motivate you to keep moving in the right direction.

Key number nine: Surround yourself with other positive people. It’s great to belong to a support group for weight loss as long as you’re not around the people who only want to talk about how hard it is. You want positive energy on your side, and the more you have, and the more positive energy you give, the stronger you will be.

You see, being around someone who shares the same desire to live healthy does not increase the amount of good twofold; it increases it tenfold. You will feed off of each other’s similar goals and desires and share things that have helped each of you. My husband used to compete in triathlons - where they swim a few hundred yards, then ride their bikes several miles, then run a few miles. Some people actually find this pleasurable.

I asked him how he managed to complete such an event. His response was, "If it wasn’t for all those other people pushing to get to the finish line, I may not have." If we are around people who push to reach their long-term goals, then we are more apt to reach ours. Find those people and stick with them.

The 10th key is to learn to love exercise and all physical activities. There are so many forms of exercise and physical activity and so many ways to enjoy them that you should not have any reason not to do so.

How many different places are there to enjoy taking a walk? The park, a museum, downtown, window-shopping, in your neighbourhood and many more. How about the different types of exercise besides walking? There’s riding a bike, playing tennis, football, lifting weights, jogging, kickboxing, aerobics, yoga, jazzercising, dancing, gardening, cutting the grass and painting the fence.

If you have trouble exercising, try riding a stationary bike if you can. It’s the easiest piece of equipment that you can use. Try different activities and exercises and find what you can really enjoy. Remember, these are the things that you want to be doing for the rest of your life.

Finally, the BONUS key to a healthy and fit lifestyle - Don’t ever stop believing that you are capable of more than what and who you are now! Your potential is limitless. With this attitude, you will constantly be able to improve upon your health in some way. If your mind can perceive it, and you can truly believe it in your heart, then you can achieve whatever you set out to accomplish.

http://www.guardianeatright.co.uk/news/article.cfm?code=27139&article_id=1563

Will changing my diet help me to sleep better?

We are what we eat, and now researchers are saying that our diet affects how we sleep. A study, published in the journal Appetite, found differences in the diets of people who slept for seven to eight hours a night compared with those snoozing for five. Since less sleep is associated with high blood pressure, poorer blood-glucose control (increasing the risk of diabetes) and obesity (as is more sleep in some studies), shouldn't we eat the foods that are most likely to help us sleep a healthy amount? And does anyone know what foods these are?

The solution

The study in Appetite used data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found that those who slept the standard seven to eight hours ate the greatest variety of foods. Those who slept the least (less than five hours) drank less water, took in less vitamin C, had less selenium (found in nuts, meat and shellfish) but ate more green, leafy vegetables. Longer sleep was associated with more carbohydrates, alcohol and less choline (found in eggs and fatty meats) and less theorbomine (found in chocolate and tea). The researchers took into account other factors such as obesity, physical activity and income, and still found these differences in diet.

They concluded that both long (nine hours-plus) and short sleep are associated with less varied diets but say they don't know if changing diet would affect how long we sleep for. The study shows only an association, although the link with short and long sleep both being "unhealthy" holds true with a 2011 review of evidence about the length of sleep and risk of heart disease.

The evidence on what diet would help us sleep best isn't clear. It is also not evident how much individual preferences for sleep – some like to sleep longer than others – affect these results. But there is more research on the relationship between sleep and weight, with studies showing the shorter the amount of sleep a person has, the hungrier they feel.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/feb/18/can-diet-help-sleep-better

Run for charity or for yourself?

It's spring marathon buildup time, and, like tens of thousands of others, I'm clocking up the miles, getting the long runs in, and thinking about pacing. Friends and colleagues notice, and soon enough, I'm asked: "So, Jon, who are you running for?"

There's a slight pause. The answer, in my case, is either a) Phoenix AC(my club) or b) no one, or maybe, if I'm honest, c) me. That's to say, I'm not running for a charity, I'm not raising money for a good cause, there's no personal tragic story to tell. I'm training hard, and I'm going for a time (one that starts with a two). And I'm troubled, both by these possible answers, but also by the question itself.

Don't get me wrong: I've run for and raised money for charities in the past, and I applaud those who do. And it's not a matter of compassion fatigue; I'm just putting a bit of space between my running and my wider moral obligations; and fulfilling those obligations in different ways, not through my running.

The worry about the question is that it seems to assume that running itself, and in particular, training for a marathon, is a futile, pointless or self-indulgent exercise. Because it's pointless and self-indulgent, it needs justification. And this, I think, is wrong – and a little unfair. Suppose the conversation at work on a Friday turns to what people are doing at the weekend. Fred says: "Oh I'm playing football for my Sunday league team." Clare says: "Oh, I'm practising the cello for an upcoming concert." Mary says: "Oh, I'm planning to curl up in front of the fire, with a good book." Jon says: "Oh, I'm running in my local half marathon." In the normal course of events, only one of these replies will invite the further question: "Who are you raising money for?" But does running – racing, even – really need any more justification than any of those other activities?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2013/feb/27/not-running-for-charity

5 steps to protect your heart

http://www.guardianeatright.co.uk/news/article.cfm?code=27000&article_id=1349

 If you have been working on losing weight, those extra lumps and bumps are really nothing more than a stored form of energy known to most of us as fat. What we affectionately call fat is really just a friendly term for what scientists call triglycerides.

Besides being stored as body fat, triglycerides can also be found floating freely in our blood stream. As you might expect, triglycerides can wreak havoc with your health if blood levels become too high.

Controlling triglycerides is an important part of protecting yourself from heart or other circulatory diseases. For people with diabetes, high triglycerides are even more risky since heart disease is 2 to 4 times more likely to occur when diabetes is present.

Although prescription medications are available, the first line of treatment for high triglycerides should be a lifestyle change. Often, changes in diet and exercise can lower triglyceride levels significantly and therefore reduce one’s risk of heart disease.

1. Cut calories
   
   One of the easiest ways to make an impact on your triglycerides is to reduce your calorie intake. By following a reduced-calorie diet you reduce not only your body fat, but also your blood fats.


2. Lower your blood glucose
   
   If blood glucose levels are high, extra glucose in the blood may eventually convert into fat, therefore raising triglyceride levels. If you have been experiencing high blood glucose levels, the best way to lower your triglycerides is to get your diabetes under control.


3. Exercise
   
   Fat is a source of fuel which is burned during exercise. Regular exercise will not only help your weight-loss efforts, but lower triglyceride levels. Even those who are not overweight can see the tremendous benefits exercise can have on lowering blood triglycerides.


4. Eat moderate amounts of the right kind of carbs
   
   Although it may seem ironic, lowering fat intake is not the most effective way to lower triglycerides. Dietary carbohydrates have a much stronger impact on triglyceride levels. High carbohydrate diets have been shown to worsen triglyceride levels, especially when the carbohydrates consumed are sugary or refined.
   
   Moderate amounts of slower-digesting carbohydrates such as porridge, beans, vegetables, yoghurt and most fruits have been shown to lower triglycerides when compared to equal amounts of rapidly digested carbohydrates from fizzy drinks, sugary cereal, or other highly processed starches. With regard to triglycerides, attention should be placed on choosing good quality carbohydrates in moderate portions.


5. Consume fish and fish oil
   
   The benefits of consuming two to three oily fish meals each week from salmon, rainbow trout, sardines, mackerel or herring are clearly beneficial for promoting a healthy heart. Oily fish contain a type of fat rarely found in other foods called omega-3 fatty acids.
   
   Omega-3s are the primary reason why fish is so good for us. Higher intakes of omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil supplements have been clinically proven to lower the risk for heart disease and lower triglyceride levels. Try to include 2 portions of oily fish in your diet each week or if you don’t like fish, you can buy omega-3 supplements from any health food store.
   
   You have the power to reduce your risk of heart disease. Start today by asking your doctor about your triglyceride levels. Often, with effort and persistence, triglycerides can be lowered naturally.