Wellness Wednesday

Here is a great template for Summer Rules to ensure your kiddos aren't over-consumed with TV, IPads, gaming systems, etc.

Tasty Tuesday

Here are some awesome ways to flavor your water.  These yummy combos are refreshing and healthy!

Motivation Monday

Let's make this a GOOD week!!!

Fit Friday

Here is an awesome at-home workout that will get you super sweaty! :-)

Topic Thursday

A great reminder to focus only on today!

Wellness Wednesday

Would you be able to check all the boxes today and most days?  See how many days you can do these 6 things?

Tasty Tuesday

Here is a light, fresh salad that is perfect to serve with any lean protein or is great just on its own!

CORN, AVOCADO, AND TOMATO SALAD

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked corn, fresh or frozen (see Note)
• 1-2 avocados, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup finely diced red onion
• Dressing:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Combine the corn, avocado, tomatoes and onion in a large glass bowl. Mix together the dressing ingredients in another bowl, pour over the salad, and gently toss to mix. Chill salad for an hour or two to let flavors blend.

Notes

Fresh corn is really best to use here. Cut it off the ear and boil it for 3-4 minutes to cook it and for even more flavor grill it and get those nice toasty kernels!

Motivation Monday

Are you working for what you want?

Fit Friday

I know this says it's a Core HIIT workout for women, but it's for everyone!  Try this circuit at home for a great workout!!

Topic Thursday

Here are 50 AWESOME reasons to put those sneakers on and get in some activity---no matter what type you enjoy, just move!!

Wellness Wednesday

Let's talk Emotional eating...when those hunger 'pains' or cravings hit, take a moment and think if you are truly hungry or if you are reaching for food to help you feel better in that moment...if you feel it's an emotional response, try finding an alternative way to fill that urge...take a walk, drink some water, do some yoga, or simply make yourself busy!

Tasty Tuesday

With warmer temps, it's time to break out that grill!!  Here is a twist on basic grilled chicken...so delicious!!  No need for a store-bought marinade, this one is better and super easy!

GRILLED HONEY LIME CILANTRO CHICKEN

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or thighs
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ½ cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

1. Put chicken in a ziplock bag. In a small bowl combine lime juice, honey, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and seal the bag and let marinade for 3 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Grill each side of the chicken for about 3-4 minutes or until cooked throughout and no longer pink.

Source:  http://therecipecritic.com/2016/05/grilled-honey-lime-cilantro-chicken/

Motivation Monday

I love this statement!  If we restrict ourselves, we become rebellious.  Focus on health and how you feel and the rest will fall in to place!

Fit Friday

Bored with the same old treadmill or the same old tired running route? Des Moines has a great trail system to bike, roller blade, or run on. You can run all the way south to Cumming, or past Adel to the west.  Here's the link to get you to the Des Moines trail system/parks website. Enjoy the great outdoors! 

https://www.dmgov.org/Departments/Parks/Pages/Trails.aspx?Tab=Trail+Maps

Park and Recreation - Des Moines Trails www.dmgov.org Trail Maps . Trail Maps Access the most current versions of Central Iowa Trail Maps, provided by the Des Moines Bike Collective. This map provides a mileage map of ...

Topic Thursday

How often do you brush your teeth? Or go to the dentist? Is skipping flossing that bad for you? Here's a chart detailing oral hygiene.

Wellness Wednesday

What do you see when you look at someone you consider successful? Did they make it to the top on their good looks and charm? Did they magically get to where they are? Can you achieve the same goals you set for yourself? Success is more than just being at the top, it takes persistence, tenacity (I love that word), and dedication. There will be doubt, there will be setbacks, but you can and you will achieve anything you set your mind to. Believe in yourself, you have good ideas.

Tasty Tuesday

Here is a great change-up from your regular tator-tots!!


Baked Cauli-Tots

Makes 24 tots       
Cheesy, crispy, so amazingly good that they'll easily replace those other tots as your family's favorite side dish.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (about half of a head) shredded cauliflower (do NOT cook cauliflower beforehand)
• 4 oz. (about 1 cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cornmeal (bread crumbs or ground oats also work)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• a few grinds black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard    

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a mini muffin tin with oil or coking spray.
2. Place the shredded cauliflower in a kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess moisture (very important!).
3. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix together thoroughly. I like to use a fork.
4. Using a spoon or scoop, divide the mixture between the muffin cups and press down firmly into the cups.
5. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Allow to cool slightly before running a knife around the edge to pop the tots out of the muffin tin.

Motivation Monday

It may be a Monday, but by golly, it is MY Monday. I can and I will succeed! Make every day count!

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." -- Arthur Ashe

Fit Friday

Everyone's #1 favorite workout: burpees. I think I just heard about half you of reading this groan and the other half wonder what a burpee is.  A burpee is an exercise that works the abs, glutes, hamstrings, quads, chest, arms, and shoulders. It's intense and can be done without weight wherever you are. Have fun!

Topic Thursday

Tanning. Everyone wants that "healthy," just got back from Cancun glow, right?  Well... a tanning bed gives off 15x more UV radiation than the sun. Still wants that glow? Keep reading. You can get the vitamin D you need by being outside for a while each day.

1. The World Health Organization has determined that UV rays from tanning beds cause cancer.
2. The increased risk of melanoma associated with tanning bed use is 59% for people whose first exposure to artificial UV rays in a tanning bed occurred before age 35 years.  That risk increases with the number of tanning bed sessions per year.
3. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, kills one person every 50 minutes.  It is the second most common cancer for young adults aged 15-29 years old. Rates for melanoma are increasing faster than nearly all other cancers.
4. It doesn’t take a sunburn – tan skin is damaged skin
5. For most people, 5-10 minutes of unprotected sun 2-3 times a week is enough to help your skin make Vitamin D, which is essential for your health. Getting more sun won’t increase your Vitamin D level, but it will increase your risk of skin cancer. Vitamin D also comes from orange juice, milk, fish, and supplements.

http://mfne.org/prevent-melanoma/dangers-of-tanning/

-Kelli

Wellness Wednesday

Today may not be a great day. I spilt coffee all over the kitchen, I stepped on the cat, I lost my keys, I was late to work, etc. What can you find in your life that's positive? I have a coffee maker, or even a kitchen to make meals( and COFFEE in), I have a pet who unconditionally loves me (or he just wants kitty treats), I have a safe, reliable vehicle to get me places I need to go, I have a job that provides a steady income. Find the positive in your life.  Be thankful for the little things, make a choice to be happy and see the good wherever you go.  In my Health Psychology class, there was a man who was training himself to see the positive in life - starting with pictures of people smiling. If you see the positive in a bad situation, it helps you overcome that situation and sets you up for more positive results. When I'm stuck behind an insanely slow car, I can either throw a temper tantrum because not everyone wants to go as fast as I do, or I can take a breath and be thankful I don't have to be in a rush. I can take time to have me time while following this very traffic law minded individual. I tell myself there is always a reason things happen. Find the positivity in that situation. 

-Kelli

Tasty Tuesday

I found a one pan dish with minimal effort and maximum taste.  If you don't like salmon, chicken would be easy to sub for it. You can sub out the veggies with others as well!


Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon and Rainbow Veggies

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow squash, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 2 1/2 cups bite size broccoli florets
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced into 1 inch chunks
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard mustard
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 (5 - 6 oz) skinless salmon fillets
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 4 lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with parchment. Place squash on baking sheet on upper third portion of baking sheet then place broccoli in the middle portion and red onion on bottom portion*. Drizzle veggies with 4 tsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss while keeping veggies separated in each section. Roast in preheated oven 8 minutes. Meanwhile in small bowl stir together mustard, honey, 1 tsp of the olive oil, 1 minced clove garlic and lemon juice, set aside.
• Remove baking sheet from oven. Move veggies down a little ways to fit tomato layer and salmon (as pictured in photos above). Place salmon on baking sheet next to squash layer (bottom side facing up), brush of salmon fillets with half of the mustard mixture and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper, then flip each portion and brush tops with remaining mustard mixture and season with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes on baking sheet in the top portion of the baking sheet, drizzle with last 1 tsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining 2 cloves garlic evenly over the vegetables and tomatoes. Return to oven and roast until salmon has cooked through and vegetables have softened, about 12 - 15 minutes longer. Serve immediately with lemon wedges for spritzing over salmon and vegetables.

*if doing chicken instead of salmon, put the chicken and veggies on the pan at the same time to get the chicken cooked all the way through.

Motivation Monday

It is a beautiful Monday at that! The grass is growing, the flowers are almost blooming (or are). Today is a great day. And you are going to have a great day as well. Choose to have a good day, and you will. Keep up the good work! If you haven't gotten a workout in yet, that's alright, there's still plenty of daylight left. Happy Monday!