My new favorite treat!

For those of you that know me I definitely have a sweet tooth. I'm always on the look out for healthy low calorie options of treats I can have and not feel guilty about eating. A few of my favorites are frozen yogurt, sugar free pudding, fudge pops, yogurt and fruit, and my newest favorite...No Pudge Brownies!!!
The great thing about this stuff is you can make a single serving whenever you want so you don't get tempted to eat the whole pan. You just add two tablespoons brownie mix and one tablespoon sugar free vanilla yogurt. Mix together and microwave for one minute.
Add a scoop of low calorie ice cream and you have yourself a gooey low calorie brownie treat that won't show on your waistline. I found my box at Target and if you check out their website they have tons of recipes and places where they carry the No Pudge Brownie mixes. I hope you enjoy this treat as much as I do.

Are pets good for your health?

I'm a dog owner and I absolutely love it. Gunner is such a great little friend and he brightens my day in so many ways. He's always full of affection and loves even if I've had a rough day or I'm upset about something. He plays with me and loves to follow me around the house and check on what I'm doing. Right now as I'm typing this up he is napping at my feet. What a special little friend he is to me and I never realized the bond a person can have with an animal until I got my very own. This has got me thinking recently about the pet/human connection.
There are so many positive things about being a pet owner. I was very excited to share some of the things I found out...
According to the CDC pets are good for cardiovascular health. Owning a pet can lower your blood pressure, your cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
Studies have also found that pet owners are more likely than people without pets to survive after hospitalization for a heart attack, and that owning a pet lowers anxiety and decreases feelings of loneliness and depression.
Pets also keep their owners fit from walks and chasing them around the house. Owning a pet increases the opportunities for outdoor activities and more exercise. (I know Mike and I like to do certain things outside so we can take Gunner along.)
A pet can give their owner a sense of meaning and purpose, companionship, and protection. This is especially great for empty nesters or older people who feel a void after a loved one passes away or all of their kids have moved away from home.
Take home message...if you're thinking about getting a pet find the one that is best for you and for your lifestyle. (The last thing we need is an impulse buy and more pets in animal shelters.) But hopefully after reading this article you wont just think of pets as annoyances that potty where they shouldn't and leave messes. They will become your best friend and along the way help you become a little more healthy without you even having to lift a finger.

Exercise and Satiety

Do you ever feel more or less hungry after working out? For me it depends on what I'm doing. After running I'm never really hungry just thirsty, but after lifting weights or swimming I am ravenous. I headed to the research to see what I could find on this topic.

The verdict...It looks like the harder you work and the hotter your body gets the less you want to eat. For example if you go for a morning swim you will still feel ready for a big breakfast versus going for a morning run it's more likely that you're not going to be hungry at all. This difference is largely due to the cool water keeping your core body temperature low. Swimming is not the only exercise that seems to not decrease your appetite. If you go work out but you're not working very hard you're likely to not reap the benefits of a decreased appetite either.

Take home message...work out to help trick your stomach into feeling more full and also when working out you'll want to make healthier decisions with your diet so you don't ruin the extra calories that you just burned off.

(click here for more information on this topic. Also I got this post idea from one of my readers. Please feel free to keep throwing questions out there and I'll do my best to answer them!)

Just a little reminder...

junk food takes a toll on your body and the way you react during the day!

The Body of an Olympian

So I'm trying to figure out how do I sign up for a body as lean as Michael Phelps and Darra Torres. Obviously I need to get my butt back into the pool. I heard during the Olympics Michael say he eats close to 10,000 calories a day. This seems a little out of control to me, but at his height and considering the calorie burn he's producing (swimming 4-5 hours a day) it's necessary.

I looked up the average calories burned for a 155 lb person swimming laps for one hour and it was pretty impressive...

freestyle (vigorous) 704
freestyle (light/moderate) 563
butterfly 774
backstroke 563
breaststroke 704

What have I learned? I need to get swimming again and blast some serious calories. Not only is swimming a great calorie burn, but it's low impact and anyone can do it. If you've been struggling with getting bored at the gym and doing the same things head to the pool.

(And for those of you who say I can't swim very well...just grab a kick board and do that for 30 minutes. I guarantee you'll be feeling it by the time you're done!)

Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

If you haven't heard of this book or seen it already I totally recommend it. Low calorie recipes for all sorts of yummy food that we usually get rid of when we are watching our calories. I've been trying recipes from it and I have a new favorite that I had to share. For that sweet tooth it's a PB Fudge recipe that's super easy.

Ingredients:
Betty Crocker 18.3 oz box (Fudge Brownie mix, but you could probably use your favorite)
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 tbsp room temperature Peanut Butter

Mix brownie mix and pumpkin in bowl. Grease pan (9' by 9' is best) and put in mixture. Then mix the PB on top with a knife. Heat at 350 for 35 minutes (it looks like you should keep cooking it but take it out) and then cool in fridge for 2 hours.

This is super yummy and low calories too! I hope you try it and enjoy.

It's been asked if you taste the pumpkin in it? I notice the pumpkin most in the texture not so much the taste. The first bite tastes a little different than normal fudge, but after that I didn't really notice. Everyone will have to tell me what you think when you try it!

Great website...

I found a really fun website that I have to share with everyone. Make sure you check out the 30 second commercials about health listed on the top right of the home page.
Educating and teaching about the importance of health is so important. (It's one of the reasons why I have my blog...to share some of the things I've learned and continue learning.) What a great tool this is to get people moving and make fitness fun!
I hope you take a few minutes and check it out:
intermountainlive link