- For the Love of Wellness -

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not." - The Once-ler (Dr. Seuss' The Lorax)

[spireside]

🎉NEW RELEASE!! Introducing: Beauty Sleep!!👸🏼 SHOP IT HERE: http://bit.ly/2F7J9ss

🏰Every Princess needs her Beauty Sleep! Inspired by everyone’s favorite Sleeping Beauty, Beauty Sleep is a soothing and sophisticated blend of Pink Sugar (which contains notes of Sweet Berries, Fresh Fig Leaves, and Orange Peel), and French Lavender to help you drift off and enjoy sweetly-scented dreams.

🎨Our latest collab with our incredible artist @jeffgranitodesigns is also available as a full sized print in his Etsy shop (link in his bio)! It’s truly stunning in person, y’all!!

[fortheloveofwellness]

More is not better. Let you muscles recover or risk a permanent injury.

Arguing against exercising doesn’t happen often. But there are instances when skipping the intense workout program you have scheduled for the day is a good idea. Sometimes the “less is more” expression perfectly describes the way to your ultimate fitness goal. The body needs rest. Your joints, tendons and central nervous system need it too.

[fortheloveofwellness]

M.I.A....

SO, I haven’t posted in awhile and I apologize!

It’s been a crazy few months for my fiance and myself. We’re relocating in March, which has been extremely stressful. 

I’ll try my darnedest to start posting on a more regular basis!

You guys rock! 

Be Well,

Katie

[fortheloveofwellness]

Study Finds E-Cigarettes Contain Chemical Tied to ‘Popcorn Lung’

A new Harvard University study has cast doubts about the safety of flavored e-cigarettes, many of which have been found to contain a chemical tied to a respiratory disease commonly known as “popcorn lung.”

Exactly why e-cigarettes are not a healthy option for tobacco cessation.

I have a hard time understanding why people are willing to use e-cigs when there is no or very little information regarding long-term health affects (or even short-term!)

Which leads me to this other thought:

If someone started smoking tobacco in the first place, with all the information out there saying it’s terrible for you, why would a lack of evidence deter them from using e-cigs? Information or no information, that doesn’t seem to matter to the addiction. 

To those that truly want to quit, e-cigs are not the right direction. 

Talk with your doctor about a healthier way to do so.

[fortheloveofwellness]

We compiled a list of bright, nutritious foods for you to enjoy during the fall and winter, when SAD hits hard. These foods may not treat the disorder but the nutritional benefits will leave you feeling healthy and happy.

© VIKTOR HANACEK / Picjumbo

[fortheloveofwellness]

Leave these scary sugar bowls on the shelf.

© Photo courtesy of Eat This, Not That  

[fortheloveofwellness]

October means pumpkins are here -- and they are perfect for roasting, making pies, and, of course, carving. But don’t [...]

[fortheloveofwellness]

These days it’s hard to know what’s really healthy—versus foods just marketed as "good-for-you." With slick ad campaigns, healthy sounding [...]

[fortheloveofwellness]

Tomato PepperJack Open-Faced Tuna Melt

This is pretty similar to my original Greek Yogurt Tuna Melt, but with a slight change-up. 

This version has a little more spice, due to the PepperJack cheese. 

YUM!

Check-out this super easy and delicious recipe for for Roasted Delicata Squash!

1 (5 oz.) can of low-sodium or 50% less sodium tuna in water, drained

½ small sweet onion, diced

1 (14.5 oz.) can of no added salt diced tomatoes, drained OR 2 fresh romas diced

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

½ tsp. ground red pepper

½ tsp. garlic powder

Dash of black pepper

Your choice of bread; I used Brownberry Oatnut

1. Preheat your oven’s broiler.

2. Combine drained tuna, diced onion, yogurt, tomatoes, and spices in a small mixing bowl. 

3. Toast the bread slices until slightly crispy, i.e. not burnt or too crispy where the bread begins to fall apart. A toaster works well for this!

4. Place the toast on a cookie sheet and spread the tuna mixture lightly over the toast covering it evenly. Put 1/2 slice of pepperjack cheese on top of each bread slice and place in the oven for about 2-3 minutes, while keeping an eye on it to prevent burning. 

Once the cheese begins to melt or bubble, remove from the oven.

5. Enjoy!

Estimated Nutrition Facts: (based off of 2,000 calorie diet)

1 serving (~2-3 servings total), with 3 slices of bread

Calories: 225   Total Fat: 3 g     Sat. Fat: 0 g       Trans Fat: 0 g    

Mono. Fat:  1 g       Poly. Fat: 1 g       Sodium: 521 g    Total Carbs: 42 g

Potassium: 431 mg     Cholesterol: 3 mg     Protein: 11 g    

Vitamin A: 18%     Vitamin C: 38%     Calcium: 25%     Iron: 12%

[fortheloveofwellness]

Roasted Delicata Squash

Found @ allrecipes.com

So there’s spaghetti, butternut, and acorn. We’re all familiar with these three squash, but what about delicata?

Well, let me tell you...it’s delicious! 

This recipes is super simple and low-key. 

Give it a try and check-out the Tomato PepperJack Open-Faced Tuna Melt, which is shown below in a lot of the photos.

2 medium delicata squash (about 2 lbs.)

1 Tbsp. olive oil or as needed

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut the squash in halves lengthwise (I did one in quarters and one just in half...both ways worked just fine). Scoop the seeds out and either toss or save. Here’s an easy recipe for Roasted Delicata Seeds. And FYI, you can definitely eat the skin of the squash!

3. Spread aluminum foil on the bottom of a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil evenly, coating the foil. Place the squash on the pan and use a basting brush to spread some oil from the pan, onto the squash. Sprinkle pepper and salt on each piece of squash and turn face down.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Flip squash and roast an additional 5 minutes. 

5. Enjoy!!! 

Estimated Nutrition Facts: (based off of 2,000 calorie diet)

1 serving (about 4 servings)

Calories: 107   Total Fat:  3 g    

Sat. Fat: 0 g        Mono. Fat: 2 g       Poly. Fat: 0 g      Trans Fat: 0 g    

Sodium: 305 mg    Total Carbs: 20 g     Sugars: 6 g

Potassium: 7 mg     Cholesterol: 0 mg        Protein: 2 g    

Vitamin A: 63%     Vitamin C: 6%     Calcium: 47%    Iron: 9%

[fortheloveofwellness]

What 200 calories of Thanksgiving dinner looks like

Business Insider created an infographic that captures what 200 calories of each Thanksgiving staple will look like on your plate. As you can see, some portions—like turkey—can be generous, while others—like pecan pie—are downright skimpy.

[living-fitness]

[fortheloveofwellness]

Do you wear a fitness tracker daily?!? If so, you better be using FitStudio.

If you are, then good for you. You’re reaping most, if not all, the extra little benefits of being active and healthy.

If you’re not, there’s a good chance you have no idea what I’m even talking about. FitStudio? What’s that?

Well, let me explain.

First off, you would connect your fitness tracking device to your profile. Very simple stuff.

Next, you choose which way you’d like to accumulate points: miles or calories. Your accumulation period is in terms of 5,000 points per week, so choose whichever you know you can easily reach (or choose which one is challenging for you, to help push you to reach your goals!).

And then of course, you get to redeem your points. 

5,000 points = $5.00

If you so happen to live near a Kmart or Sears, you can redeem them in store, but if you’re like me, you could just use them on their Shop Your Way website, which has thousands of items from a ton of different stores.

So that’s the basics, but what are there any specific, super awesome reasons to join or what about any negatives??

Well, it is a completely free program, which is definitely a positive, but with that comes a negative: points do expire. This means you aren’t able to accumulate 10′s of 1000′s of points. The most I’ve reached is about $16, with the help of some bonus points <--- another positive. FitStuido/Shop Your Way Rewards sometimes like handing out random bonus points. Not always sure why, but why ask questions? They’re handing out free points (a.k.a. free money).

Here is a much longer and easier to read list of positives and negatives:

Positives:

It’s a  completely FREE program

They  give you fair warning to use before you lose.

Random  handouts of bonus points a.k.a. FREE MONEY.

When  you purchase items on Shop Your Way website, you typically earn points back.  I’m not saying a ton, but usually $0.20-$0.70 depending on the items (200-700  points).

Some  items on the Shop Your Way website offer FREE shipping. Score!

FitStudio  offers an area to record your Fitness goals, the Goal Center. This is  a great spot to keep track of your progress.

FitStudio  also provides the Workout Tracker, a list showing all the synced  exercise between your device and the website. It’s all ordered by date, shows  the distance, duration, and even calorie burn. Just remember that this may  not be 100% accurate. If you have issues with this, please refer back to the  first item on this list.

FitStudio has a “Getting Fit” drop-down list containing different exercise programs, workouts, challenges, exercises, fitness and nutrition articles, and even ways to help you find a personal trainer. 

Negatives:

Point do expire, but they have a calendar  that shows their expiration date. So there’s a positive...            

Occasionally my device gets disconnected  from the site. I’m guessing they had a software glitch, because it was  working within the next week.    

Bottom line: there’s obviously a lot more positives than negatives, and let’s be realistic - the negatives are really not that bad.

Using this free program has allowed me to get roughly $15-$20 worth of free stuff each month. I have gotten:

Vitafusion vitamins (typically buy them for $12, got them for $1) 

Neutrogena and Almay makeup (typically purchase for anywhere between $6-$16, got the more expensive for about $2)

Swiffer duster refills (weird purchase, but I needed them and ended up only paying about $1)

Himilayan salt lamp for setting the mood on my desk at wok (was on sale for $20, I paid only $5). 

I could keep going about how awesome this program is, but instead, I’ll refer you to this link to go sign-up:  

click this link ---> FitStudio 

Enjoy =)

All images were directly from the FitStudio website. 

[fortheloveofwellness]

52 Best and Worst Halloween Candies—Ranked for Nutrition

© Eat This, Not That!

[fortheloveofwellness]

Let’s start off by setting one thing straight: While thinking about candy in terms of calories and the amount of exercise it takes to burn said amount of calories can certainly help you remain mindful about consuming sugary treats, it doesn’t mean you need to immediately drop down and pump out 20 push-ups every time you eat a piece of chocolate. After all, candy is a treat meant to be enjoyed. When eaten in moderation there’s really no need to stress over calories and how you’ll burn them off.

© Radu Bercan / Shutterstock.com

[fortheloveofwellness]

Similar to any other junk food, there are certain candies that are better for you than others. We analyzed the nutrition information of the popular Halloween candies and selected the best options in terms of calories, fat, and sugar. We also spoke with Timothy Chase, DMD, cosmetic dentist and practicing partner at SmilesNY about the best and worst candies for your child’s pearly whites.

[fortheloveofwellness]

Banana Oat Pancakes

Simple, delicious, and nutritious. 

The trifecta, if you will.

I’m not a huge pancake fan, but I’ve now made these (just for myself) two weekends in a row. In other words, I’m a huge fan of these pancakes...

1 ripe banana (fresh)

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup applesauce (no sugar added or natural)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup oats (quick or old-fashioned, doesn’t really matter)

1 tsp. cinnamon

Optional: pure maple syrup, chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts (walnuts or pecans would be delish), ground flaxseed meal

1. Preheat a large skillet on the stove-top, at a medium heat. Spray with cooking spray.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, mash bananas until smooth and add eggs, yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Mix well.

3. With small food processor (such as a Bullet or Ninja), blend oats and cinnamon together, to create an oat “flour” (very fine, smooth texture).

 Add the oat and cinnamon mix to the wet ingredients. Mix well.

4. With a large serving spoon (or whatever you typically use to pour pancake batter), place the batter in small amounts, on the hot skillet. 

Just like normal pancakes, wait for little bubbles to appear on top of pancake. 

After a few bubbles appear, flip the pancake and let sit for another minute or two. 

Feel free to continue flipping until you reach the desired color (they can sometimes be very pale or dark brown).

5. Top with some real maple syrup and enjoy!!!! 

Be Well =)

Estimated Nutrition Facts: (based off of 2,000 calorie diet)

1 serving (2 servings), original recipe without an optional ingredients

Calories: 212   Total Fat:  6 g    

Sat. Fat: 2 g        Mono. Fat: 2 g       Poly. Fat: 1 g      Trans Fat: 0 g    

Sodium: 74 mg    Total Carbs: 27 g     Sugars: 8 g

Potassium: 279 mg     Cholesterol: 212 mg      Protein: 10 g    

Vitamin A: 5%     Vitamin C: 10%     Calcium: 5%    Iron: 13%