Tips for a flatter stomach!

Summer's here and so are the holidays, tan lines and bikinis..

But is your body confidence holding you back from wearing that dream swimsuit you've been saving all winter?

Check out the vid below for some fool proof tips on toning that tummy..

World Cup Fever - Bright and Beautiful Fruity Recipes!

Check out these delicious fruity recipes, all inspired by the beauties of vibrant Brazil!

Fresh Fruit Breackfast

Ingredients

2 cups plain yogurt

2 tablespoons good honey

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean, optional

1/2 orange, juiced

1 banana, sliced

1/2 pint fresh blueberries

1/2 pint fresh raspberries

Directions

Combine the yogurt, honey, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds in a bowl and set aside. Combine the orange juice and banana slices in a separate bowl. Add the berries and grapes and gently mix the fruit mixture together. Spoon the fruit into serving bowls and top with the yogurt.

Fruity Honey Salad

Ingredients
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus the juice 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 apple, cored and diced
1 banana, sliced
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions
For the dressing, combine the honey, orange juice, oil, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, and mustard in a jar with a tight lid; cover and shake well. Toss the apple, banana, and avocado with juice from 1 lemon to prevent the fruit from turning brown. Combine the fruit, raisins, and nuts in a glass bowl. Add the dressing and stir gently. Serve on red leaf lettuce.

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients
1 frozen banana, peeled and sliced
2 cups frozen strawberries, raspberries, or cherries
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 to 3 tablespoons honey or to taste


Directions
Put all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Cooks note: For non-dairy smoothies, substitute 1 cup rice milk for the milk and yogurt. Or, use soy yogurt or milk instead of dairy.

Recipes c/o - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/

World Cup Fever - Quick Football Drills!

World Cup getting you in the football spirit but don't know where to start? 

Maybe trying to get the kids to go outside more but don't know how to persuade them?

These easy and fast football drills may be the answer, great for burning calories, improving agility and getting you moving without breaking too much of a sweat!

Healthy Cocktail Recipes!

Cutting the calories doesn't mean you have to completely cut these tasty summery treats from your life!

Faux-jito:
For one serving, you’ll need: three or four mint leaves, a lime wedge, 1 oz. white rum, diet lemon-lime soda (such as Sprite Zero, Diet Sierra Mist, or Diet 7-Up), ice, and sugar (just for the rim of the glass!).

To prepare: Muddle mint leaves with white rum and the juice from lime wedge (1/8 of the lime). Muddling is done by lightly crushing the mint (just until the leaves bruise) using a mortar and pestle or whatever you have on hand. Just don't shred the mint!

Run the squeezed lime wedge around the rim of the glass, and then dip the top of the glass in a shallow plate of granulated sugar to coat the rim. Pour the muddled mixture into your glass, fill with crushed ice, and top off with the diet soda

Vodka Lemonade:

Using a juicer, blend one cucumber, two celery stalks, one head of romaine lettuce, one lemon, one small piece of fresh ginger, and two green apples. Then, add vodka to taste.

Raspberry Lemonade Martini:

To prepare: Mix one shot of vodka, one shot of Triple Sec (leave this out if you’re on a tighter calorie budget), and Tropicana Trop50 Raspberry Lemonade (to fill the martini glass). Shake it all with ice and pour it into a chilled martini glass. Add a twist of lemon and voila!

Cape Codder:

Pour 1 shot of vodka and 2 shots cranberry juice (100 percent juice, no sugar added) over ice. Add 2 shots seltzer water, stir, and garnish with a lime wedge.

Jack Sparrow:

In an 8-ounce glass with ice, combine 1 shot coconut rum and the juice of 1 lime. Fill the rest of the glass withginger ale (about ¾ cup). Garnish with a slice of lime.

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/11-new-healthy-cocktail-recipes

http://greatist.com/health/60-healthier-drinks-boozing

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World Cup Fever - Brazil Nut Recipe!

The world cup is around the corner and everywhere seems to be getting into the Brazilian spirit!

Whether your into football or not, there's always a recipe to be inspired and today that's brazil nuts..

Brazil nuts are actually edible seeds, best enjoyed unsalted for health benefits. You can purchase raw nuts in the shell and boil to soften the shells or purchase dry roasted. Since brazil nuts contain high amounts of fat (though the fats are healthy “unsaturated), limit consumption of brazil nuts to three times/week. One serving of brazil nuts is around eight medium-sized nuts.

Here are some of the health benefits of brazil nuts:

• Selenium- Brazil nuts are especially rich in selenium, which helps your body use the protein found in nuts. This makes them an especially good source of protein for vegetarians. Selenium helps support the immune system and is a very powerful antioxidant. In a recent study, brazil nuts were found to help prevent breast cancer. Selenium is also associated with prostate health.

Keep in mind that unshelled nuts contain four times the amount of selenium. You will have to boil the shells to soften.

• Magnesium- Brazil nuts are rich in magnesium, which is important to nerve and muscle function.
   
• Zinc- The zinc in brazil nuts help strengthen the immune system, as the numerous zinc cold remedies available at your local pharmacy attest.
   
• Vitamin E- Vitamin E, found in brazil nuts, is an important contributor to heart health.

http://www.favehealthyrecipes.com/Healthy-Eating/Health-Benefits-of-Brazil-Nuts-and-Top-Recipe#7qFtDeVytxtUiH8W.99

Below is a recipe for a deliciously simple brazil nut salad; whether it's for a party or a healthy lunch, why not give it a go?

what you need

1

Tbsp.  balsamic vinegar

2

tsp.  GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard

2

tsp.  honey

1

oz.  goat cheese, crumbled

4

oz.  BREAKSTONE'S FREE or KNUDSEN FREE Fat Free Cottage Cheese

2

cups  chopped romaine lettuce

1

 medium red pepper, chopped

3

 Brazil nuts, chopped

 

1

 medium banana

 

1

  On-the-Go packet

1

 bottle of water, 20 fl oz

make it

IN a small bowl mix vinegar, mustard, and honey; season to taste with favourite salt-free seasoning. In a separate small bowl, blend crumbled goat cheese with cottage cheese. Lay lettuce on plate and top with cheese mixture. Arrange chopped red pepper in a circle around salad. Place sliced nuts on top of the cheese and drizzle with vinegar mixture.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/goat-cheese-brazil-nut-salad-58696.aspx