Stevia Extract

Back in December I wrote about the different artificial/alternative sweeteners.  I included Stevia in the group eventhough it is an all nautral calorie-free sweetener, not artificial.  You can refer back to that blog to learn more about Stevia!

Stevia also comes in an extract form.  This product is great because it can sweeten any dish or drink without added sugar and calories and the serving size is just a few drops. 

My friend Cristina has created many delicious recipes using stevia extract.  So I bought some myself and tested them out and thought I'd share her recipes on my blog.

Now I don't have exact amounts, so I just played around with the recipes and luckily they all turned out great! 

Pumpkin Pie Fruit Dip

0% plain Fage Greek yogurt
Couple drops vanilla stevia extract
Cinnamon
Organic canned pumpkin

* You can dip apple slices in this or top it with granola and enjoy it as a parfait. It is so tasty!

Protein Balls

Chocolate protein powder
Wheatgerm
Flaxseed
Couple drops of stevia extract
Cinnamon
Organic canned pumpkin or all natural peanut butter

* Mix together to form a cake batter consistency and add a little water if needed then roll into balls and freeze.  These are great for after a workout.  I used sweet cream flavored protein powder then added cocoa powder.  I also used pumpkin and peanut butter and didn't need to add water.

Honey Mustard Dressing

Apple cider vinegar
Fresh lemon juice
Mustard
Couple drops of stevia extract

* I used too much vinegar and lemon juice at first so mine was quite tart.  So I added more mustard and stevia until it was at a taste I liked.  I also used an organic dijon mustard.

Breakfast Cookies (recipe from Pinterest but I added Stevia)

3 mashed ripe bananas
2 cups oatmeal
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
Couple drops of vanilla stevia extract

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

* I didn't have raisins so I added the vanilla stevia for sweetness and they are really yummy.  I think 3 bananas might be too much and next time I would probably do 2 instead.  These are so easy to make it is ridiculous and make a perfect on-the-go breakfast.  You can use soy milk instead of almond to boost the protein so you stay satisfied longer too.


You can find liquid stevia extract at health food stores and nutrition shops.  I found the vanilla flavored stevia at The Nugget in Vacaville.  I am sure Whole Foods has it too.

Super Spud

So potatoes have been getting a bad rap for years now.  These super spuds provide us with many important nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, fiber and vitamin B6.  Potatoes should be a part of every diet.  They are so versatile and can but used in many recipes.  Check out the Infographic provided by GoIreland.com to find out more about the potato!


http://www.goireland.com/craic/potato-nutritional-facts.htm

Commercial-cize

Don't "have time" to exercise but make time to watch your favorite show on DVR?  I'm not judging.  I actually do this too sometimes.  Right now I could be exercising but instead I am typing this blog and watching The Weight of the Nation On Demand.  Now this documentary doesn't have commercials but I will be sure to get moving once finished with this blog post.

So what is Commercial-cize?  It is exercise during commercial breaks.  Many of us DVR our favorite shows and watch them after a long day at work.  Then we fast forward during the commercials to save time since our days are jam-packed.  Well how would you like to get a little exercise in while watching your favorite shows.  Well of course you can exercise during the show but if you'd rather just VEG OUT during the show, then you can use the commercial breaks to commercial-cize!

I am going to give you some simple suggestions for getting your body moving during television viewing.  It might only be 3 minutes of activity but if you watch an hour long show with five to ten commercial breaks, that's 15 to 30 minutes of exercise!  And if you watch television for a couple hours then you can actually get the daily recommended 60 minutes of activity in just while watching t.v. 

Also instead of snacking during your favorite television show, you will be engaging in a healthy activity that will be burning calories.

And bringing your heart rate up every ten minutes or so will help to keep your metabolism revved up for a longer period of time.

This is also a great way to get active as a family.  Get the kids involved and get them moving too.  Today many children spend most of their time playing on computers and with video games rather than running outside.

Why is exercise important?

Increases muscle strength and endurance

Protects muscles and joints from injury

May improve performance in a particular sport

A healthy body composition

Stronger bones

Improved self-esteem

Elevated mood (decreased chance of depression)

Maintain a healthy blood pressure

Better heart and lung function

Lower blood cholesterol levels

Overall well being

A good fitness habit that lasts a lifetime

So you can count your moves and aim for 15 repetitions of each move or what I like is to do one move for an entire commercial and switch moves at each commercial.  Then I just repeat those moves by picking up where I left off at the last commercial.  So for example first commercial I do push-ups, second commercial I do squats, third commercial I do sit ups, fourth commercial I do leg lifts, and fifth commercial I do tricep dips.  Then repeat.  If you don't know what a move is, just look it up online!

Commercial-cizing moves without weights or equipment:

PUSH-UPS
SIT-UPS
CRUNCHES
LEG LIFTS - lay on back, lift legs to 45 degree angle then lower to 2 inches above the ground, repeat
SCISSOR LEGS - lay on back, lift legs two inches off the ground and scissor kick them in and out
BICYCLE CRUNCHES
PLANK
RUSSIAN TWISTS
REVERSE CURLS
TRICEP DIPS
SQUATS
LUNGES
BURPEES
JUMPING JACKS
HIGH KNEES
JUMP SQUATS
ICE SKATERS

Commercial-cizing moves with weights or canned goods:

BICEP CURLS
HAMMER CURLS
TRICEP KICK-BACKS
TRICEP EXTENSIONS
SKULL CRUSHERS
LATERAL SHOULDER RAISES
FRONT SHOULDER RAISES
UPPER CUTS
FRONT JABS (ALTERNATING ARMS)
HOOKS

This should be enough to get you started.  For more exercise ideas visit Pinterest.com or BodyRock.tv