Yummy Soul Food that feeds your soul and your body

When I made my 4 year old french toast the other day, I was recieved w/ so much exuberance.  She absolutely loved them and ate 2-3 of them and not only that but wanted them for bfast, lunch for 3 days straight.  She said they were delicious and I felt good about giving her something she would eat, enjoy, bond w/, and that was nurishing her body.  I do not like to cook.  I don't like spending a lot of time in the kitchen..it brings up a lot of emotion of feeling like I need to domesticate for a man or that I was only born to stand in front of the stove or the sink.  But I do love making food that is healthy and unique.  If I can create something that tastes good and is good for the body as well as the soul, it makes me sing.

So here is my french toast recipe!  Take 1 slc of ezekiel break, whole wheat nan bread, or low carb-high fiber tortilla.  Mix & whip together 2 eggs, 1 egg white/ 1 tsp. vanilla/ 2 tsp. cinnamon.  Heat skillet and cover the bread of choice cover in egg mixture and cook on med. heat for approx. 30 sec. on each side..Top w/ sliced banana & crushed walnuts, drizzle w/ 100 % maple syrup.  So yummp, so good for you!

Ok so on Saturdays when I have my girls, it is pizza and movie night.  I love pizza and there are not very many kids who don't either.  Something about laying a blanket down on the family room floor, popping in a movie and sitting in a circle, eating pizza and watching a movie that bonds you!  I have two homemade pizza ideas for you that are super quick and you can feel good about eating w/ the children.
Creamy Chicken Artichoke Pizza:
Take a premade whole wheat nan bread (usually found in your specility deli section by the hummus and pita chips)
Top w/ 2 Tbsp. low fat alfredo sauce, place non hormone chx breast on top and artichoke hearts.  You can also add kalamato olives to taste if you like.  Sprinkle feta cheese on top and bake it on 375 for approx. 8 min. until cheese is melted and sauce is warm

Cheesey Pinnapple Pizza:  ( my little Sarah's favorite)

Take Nan bread or whole wheat pita bread.  Top w/ marinara sauce (you put it on as thick as you like)  sprinkle \ italian or pizza seasoning.  Then add fresh pinnapple..Top w/ low fat mozz. cheese or feta (most kids do not like feta).  Bake in the oven on 375 for 8 min. until cheese is melted and sauce is warm.

Enjoy your family time together eating soul full food that nurishes your mind, body and your heart!

Does Drinking Diet Drinks really give you energy and help you loose weight?

With claims like "don't waste your work out," "healthy sustained energy," and the promise of a "shake for breakfast and lunch with a sensible dinner will help you loose weight," what diet drink do you choose?
The question to be asked is: Do these diet drinks (EAS, Slim Fast, Atkins, and Muscle Milk) do what they claim? Do they give you sustained energy all while helping you loose weight?
Studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic state that manufacturers of protein shakes may claim that their products decrease body fat or promote weight loss. But there is no evidence that this is true. Eating a source of protein as part of a meal or snack is a good idea. You'll likely feel satisfied longer, which means you're likely to consume fewer calories overall. Occasionally having a protein shake with added vitamins and minerals as a meal supplement is better than skipping a meal. However, these types of shakes — even if the labels shows added nutrients — do not replace all of the benefits of whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

Also, the down fall of these drinks is that nutritional supplements can be marketed without FDA approval of safety or effectiveness. Athletes who choose to ingest these supplements should be concerned with the safety of long-term use. They are low-nutrient, low-fiber, highly-processed, high-calorie "foods," whose consumption reduces the phytochemical density of your diet.

The diet drinks studied contain large amounts of protein. Ingesting more protein than your body needs is not a small matter. It ages you prematurely and can cause significant harm. The excess protein you do not use is not stored by your body as protein; it is converted to fat or eliminated via the kidneys. Eliminating excess nitrogen via your urine leaches calcium and other minerals from your bones and breeds kidney stones
Bottom Line:
By not consuming diet drinks you are saving money, saving your health by eating real foods versus processed foods, and you may cut back on fat/ meal. So if you are going for weight loss and increased energy there are better alternatives. Instead of purchasing a drink, grab a precut fruit bowl, a yogurt, string cheese and an apple, or grab a grilled chicken breast from the deli.
Danette Allen Fitness
www.bodyheartmindsoul.com
"Live Your Best Life!"

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Fitness is not about going to the gym..it is about enjoying LIFE

I decided to go x-country skiing today w/ my 7 yr old and 2 yr. old daughters today.  I have to put Sam (my 2 yr. old) in a chariot, which is basically a sled you tie around your waist and pull.  As I started off, I was thinking to myself how much heavier she has gotten in the past month, as I tried to get up the hill.  Many beginning 6 year olds were passing me!  As I kept pushing along, we finally made it to the top of the hill and what goes up must come down..and we started going really fast...I turned around to see how my daughter was reacting to our speed..She was in utter glee!  Just as if she was on the fastest ride in Disney Land, she put her hands in the air and yelled out the happiest 'Yippee'!  What joy filled my heart.. I can't give her Disney Land, but I gave her what was in her mind, the equivalent... A mother who is confident and fit enough to tie her 2 yr old to her waist, sweat her way to the top of the hill and cruise on down.  I am thankful for fitness in my life..not the kind where I run on the tredmil, but the kind where I get out, enjoy nature and take my kids for a ride!


Danette Allen Fitness
www.bodyheartmindsoul.com
"Live Your Best Life!"

Health & Fitness Retreats, Exercise Workouts, Nutrition, Motivational Tools, Events & More

The Power Parents Can Have on Their Children's Health

THE IMPACT PARENTS HAVE ON THEIR CHILDREN'S HEALTH IS TREMENDOUS!!!

Check out this inpiring video.  What kind of Legacy are YOU leaving for YOUR children?

Danette Allen Fitness
www.bodyheartmindsoul.com
"Live Your Best Life!"

Health & Fitness Retreats, Exercise Workouts, Nutrition, Motivational Tools, Events & More