Best in health,
Carol Ann
Creator of My Healthy Friends Fitness Group
myhff.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/myhealthyfriendsfitness/
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Carol's Homemade Peanut Butter Base
Vegan Ice Cream
You scream! I scream! We ALL love ice cream! Am I right? But who wants all that added sugar added to our waistlines? Or all the added preservatives making our bodies sick? I know I dont! Yuck! I have been experimenting with my Ninja again and I have found a vegan ice cream that is not only so simple to make but also quick!!
It requires a little forethought in prep work, but only 5 minutes to actually make it! The following recipe is for 2 servings!
First- place 2 previously frozen bananas in your Ninja or food processor. (peeled, broken into bite size pieces and put in a freezer bag and freeze at least 2 hours). Turn on the chop setting for about 1 minute, stir and push the banana pieces down and add a splash (2-4T) of unsweetened almond or cashew milk.
Turn the processor on blend for about 1 min or until it is a creamy texture. This is now your "base" ice cream! You can add anything you would like at this point from 1/2 cup of blueberries or strawberries, peanut butter, 1T of unsweetened baking cocoa, 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, 1T of pumpkin pie spice...whatever you would like!
For this particular ice cream, I wanted peanut butter/ banana so I added 1T of my homemade peanut butter (see recipes section for Carol's Homemade Peanut Butter). Turn the processor on blend for 30 seconds-1 minute until well blended! Scoop all the ice cream into a freezer Tupperware container and refreeze until desired texture. 30 minutes for gelato texture and up to 1 hour for ice cream texture.
Best in health,
Carol Ann
Creator of My Healthy Friends Fitness Group
myhff.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/myhealthyfriendsfitness/
Friday, September 25, 2015
The Scoop on Protein
Protein has been the "buzz" word and the focus of many dieters and body builders for years. But why should we increase our intake and how much do we really need?
Protein is a macronutrient and our bodies need a good amount of it! We do not store protein in our bodies, so there is no reserve for it to draw upon when needed.
There are several benefits to increasing protein in your diet. Protein can help you to feel fuller longer. This leads to less snacking throughout the day. Protein also has a higher thermic effect, meaning that it requires more energy (calories) to break it down and digest. The key is to choose high quality proteins. These foods include egg whites, lean chicken and turkey, lean beef, salmon, and tuna. For the vegetarians, good sources of protein include quinoa, hempseed, soy, beans, and nuts. But how much protein do we really need?
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein is .08 grams per kilogram of body weight for healthy individuals 19yrs and older. This is the minimum you need to keep from getting sick. This is the amount for a sedentary person. If your goal is to maintain muscle and lose weight or to decrease fat when building muscle, the goal would be to add more protein. Now, each person's body is different in how it processes and utilizes macros, so it is best to experiment in increases in increments. If you are an endurance athlete, recommended protein intake would be 1.0-1.6 g/kg/day. If you strength training or power training, recommended protein intake would be 1.6-2.0/g/kg/day. Again, it is best to increase your protein in modest increments to see how your body reacts. And it is always best to get your protein from whole food sources as much as possible.
Best in health,
Carol Ann
Creator of My Healthy Friends Fitness Group
myhff.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/myhealthyfriendsfitness/
References:
Joint Position Statement: nutrition and athletic performance. American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, and Dietitians of Canada. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000, 32(12):2130-2145
Lemon PW: Protein and amino acid needs of the strength athlete. Int J Sport Nutr 1991, 1(2):127-145.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Let it go
Glass half full or half empty? It doesn't matter! A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.” It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!
@MyHFFFitness
Best in health,
Carol Ann
Creator of My Healthy Friends Fitness Group
myhff.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/myhealthyfriendsfitness/
How to calm "Monkey Mind"
Have you ever experienced "monkey mind"? Sometimes when we close our eyes we have a zillion thoughts race through our heads and we just can not quiet our minds. If you are one of these people, here is a tip. Try visualizing yourself lying on your mat (or in your bed). See yourself as a passive observer of your own body. Tune out any other sound, distraction or thought for just a moment. Distance yourself from your thoughts. See your thoughts as individual clouds floating by in your mind. Acknowledge that you have these thoughts but attach no emotion to them. Just watch them float across the screen in your mind's eye. Without emotion, these thoughts have no power. They become only white puffy clouds....and within a few minutes, you will feel a weight has been lifted from your entire being. And if you are in bed- you will drift off to dreamland!
Best in health,
Carol Ann
Creator of My Healthy Friends Fitness Group
myhff.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/myhealthyfriendsfitness/
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
NO SUGAR-ADDED ICE CREAM
I'm not sure I know anyone who doesn't like a bowl of ice cream from time to time! However, all that added sugar can be challenging to our clean diets. I have tried numerous types of "healthier" ice cream, but I can't pronounce most of the ingredients on the labels, and the tastelessness leaves me saying "what's the point?" I have found the answer to my ice cream dilemma! (this is where the clouds open up and the choir of angels sing "AHHHHH!!") Making my own vegan ice cream is not only simple, but is so delicious that I have no desire to buy ice cream from the store ever again! All you need is a frozen banana and a fruit of your choice, or Carol's Homemade Peanut Butter, unsweetened baking cocoa, nuts, or any other add in of your choice. One frozen banana is the base for 1-2 servings. If you would like a fruit flavored ice cream such as strawberry or blueberry or blackberry- just add 1/2 cup. If you would like chocolate ice cream, just add 1T of unsweetened baking cocoa. If you would like peanut butter ice cream, follow the recipe below. This particular recipe made 3 ice cream dish servings. Be creative- make it your own!
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| Add 2 frozen bananas to Ninja and crush for 1 minute. (Bananas were previously peeled, cut into chunks and put into zip lock freezer bags overnight) |
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| After 1 minute, scrape the sides and push the banana down into mix. Add about 4T of unsweetened almond milk (or cashew milk). Blend for another 30 sec to 1 minute or until creamy. If you need to add another tablespoon of milk to make it creamy, now would be the time. You want the mix to be creamy but not too thin. |
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| Add 1T of Carol's Homemade Peanut Butter per banana used to the mix, and blend just until mixed (about 10-15 sec). Pour mixture into a freezer safe container and place in freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of the container and whether you would prefer a gelato consistency or harder ice cream. Check every 30 min and stir/refreeze until desired consistency). |
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| At this point you can top with nuts, or topping of your choice! I like it just like this! Enjoy! |
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS IN YOUR PEANUT BUTTER?
Do you know what is in your peanut butter? Even most of the "natural" peanut butters have added sugar, salt, and oils. This is not necessary for your health nor that of your family. Making your own peanut butter takes only minutes, and it is less expensive in most cases, not to mention you know what is in it- PEANUTS! I have been making my own peanut butter for a couple years now. It is delicious!
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| One jar of unsalted peanuts |
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| Ingredients: Peanuts |
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| Dump entire jar of peanuts into your Ninja on crush for 3 minutes, stopping every minute to scrape sides. |
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| Pour peanut butter into a clean jar and keep refrigerated. |
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| Compare ingredients to other "natural" peanut butter brands. |
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