The Pursuit of Healthiness

The Pursuit of Healthiness
Your Guide to Getting Healthy

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Healthy Recipe of the Week: Apple Peanut Butter Pancakes

Apple Peanut Butter Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
.25 tsp salt
1.25 baking powder
2 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter
.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fat free milk
.5 large apple

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Mix the peanut butter in a smaller bowl with the vanilla and milk until creamy. Next pour the liquid into the dry mixture and blend until creamy. Chop up the apple but do not add to mixture. Take a heaping tablespoon of the mixture and cook the pancake, pushing some pieces of the apple into each tablespoon. Cook on both sides until golden brown.

Makes about 3 servings (three panckes per serving)
Nutrition Information
Calories: 250
Fat: 7 g.
Cholesterol: 1.6 mg.
Sodium: 492 mg.
Potassium: 340 mg.
Carbohydrates: 41 g.
Fiber: 6.5 g.
Sugar: 9 g.
Protein: 11 g.

Workout Playlist of the Week

Hit List Workout

1. Take Care- Drake and Rhianna

2. You Make Me Feel- Cobra Starship

3. I Like It Like That- Hot Chille Rae

4. Stronger- Kelly Clarkson

5. Set Fire to the Rain- Adele (especially good for a ballet/pilates/yoga class)

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Tip #26: Tech Triumphs

Usually when you're looking to lose weight, technology is not the greatest thing to turn to. Television turns you into a couch potato and you get so sucked into the Internet you forget about your workouts. However, a new idea has found its way on to the internet and it just might be exactly what those of us who can't stick to a diet are looking for.

Tweet What You Eat. It's exactly how it sounds. No matter how big or small a meal is, you just type it into Twitter, send it to Tweet What You Eat and they track it down in a Food Diary for you. Bonus: if you are too lazy or too busy to look up the calories for each item, select "CrowdCal" and Tweet What You Eat will find the calories for you. It's an easy and simple way to track your daily calorie intake. Plus, you can have them send you an email consisting of all of your food diaries for the past week, which is a great way to see what your weaknesses and strengths are.

I just started this recently and I'm already loving it. You really think about what you are eating when you know that other people are able to see it too.  It's the perfect way to get back on track in the New Year.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Workout #15: New Year, New Workout

Last year, I did pretty much all the same workouts: biking, swimming, walking, Zumba. This year I'm in the mood to try something different. I'd go on Exercise TV, find a workout, and follow the trainer for the 20+ minutes. Well, today I discovered that Exercise TV is no longer on my cable package. After getting so used to it, I panicked a little to find out my safe and comfy routine was gone.

But I didn't panic for long. I got a pair of Piloxing gloves for Christmas and I put them to good use. I made my own routine, setting it to music, and was surprised to discover that my heart was pounding and I was sweating bullets by the end of the half hour set. It got me thinking, what else was I missing while I was caught in my rut?

My goal this year is try as many new workouts as I can. I'm trying out hot yoga, hip hop classes, ballroom dancing, and whatever other classes I can find! But the workout doesn't just have to be a class. You can try plenty of workouts straight out of your home, like using Piloxing gloves or a kettlebell. Or try the new Beach Body workout, Les Mills Pump Workout, on sale this week, which you can order here. The workout is based on the globally famous BodyPump classes, taught at 14,000 clubs in 80 countries. I hate lifting heavy weights, so this works for me because it is based on using light weights and higher repetition. It can tone muscle and came burn up to 1000 calories per workout!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!

Happy 2012 everybody! My post today is going to be a little different. Recently, I was asked what I could remember that was good about 2011 and I realized I couldn't come up with much on the spot. My year was plagued with a lot of negatives, but I always seem to forget the positives. So this holiday may be New Year's Day, but I'm treating it a bit more like Thanksgiving and reflecting on all the good that came out of this year and everything I'm thankful for.

My New Year's Resolutions are usually things like tone-up, lose weight, have a long-term relationship, and publish my writing. This year is a little different. My resolution is to forget the bad and remember the good. I have friends that care about me and want me to be happy. I have the greatest best friend, who is like a sister to me and will do whatever she can to support me. I also have a sister, who is there for me and willing to dole out advice whenever I need it. I have parents who will do whatever, whenever to help me. I even have aunts, uncles, and cousins to help me. I should have been able to say all this on the spot when the question was asked what was good about 2011. Truth is, I'm pretty lucky.

So here is my question to you: When you are asked how 2011 was, what will your answer be?
Start the new year out right and remember that healthiness is not just about the body; its about the mind-set.