Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by admin.

In a society where some restaurants conceal their nutrition information, or outright lie about it, Panera is a stand-out where you can be sure that the information you read is accurate and complete.  Well, they’ve improved upon perfection!

Panera’s new nutrition calculator is fantastic.   You can choose different food items from a drop down menu, and add them to your meal.  You can also go into a sandwich and choose toppings, changing the caloric and fat content results.  This is a wonderful tool for all people wishing to eat healthier, or lose weight.

Posted in Fabulous Finds, Restaurants, Favorite Things | Print | No Comments »

Saturday, September 19, 2009 by Dea.

I have always wanted to do yoga and pilates, but have felt like there are no classes for people like me.  I’m somewhat clumsy, and I have really bad core strength.  Pilates and yoga are great for getting that core strength, but much like searching for a job, it seems like all the classes I’ve seen offered are “some experience required,” types of things.  It was getting very frustrating, to be honest.

Our new gym room is great.  It does not, however, have a television.  So videos are a bit of a hassle, since I’d have to move furniture every time I want to do one.

I found the solution, though.  Two great books.  One is on yoga, and one is pilates.

First, there’s Yoga for Wimps: Poses for the Flexibly Impaired.   This is a complete book of poses, shown with fantastic modifications for those of us who would fall over if we tried to do Downward Facing Dog during our first stab at it.  All of the modifications are done using things around the house - chairs, towels, books, and old ties, for example.  The instructions are clear, concise, and I was able to do yoga within minutes.  It’s nice to have this ultra beginner instruction.  I highly recommend this book!

Second, there’s The Book of Pilates.   This is also a very good beginner book.  There are a lot of instructions, including how to breathe, how to position your body, and when to inhale or exhale.  There are also three levels of exercises, which is very nice.  There’s Introductory Level exercises (where I am right now) and it shows modifications for doing these exercises without having the balance and strength necessary to do advanced moves.  The next level is Beginner Level, which shows slightly harder moves and different modifications for this level of strength and stability.  Finally, there’s Advanced Pilates.  These are the moves you see in classes and on a lot of videos.

These gradual progressions of both of these types of exercise help to build the core strength and balance required to do the advanced moves.  The modifications are a nice touch, as sometimes, people just can’t figure out how to do a move in an easier way.  This leads to feelings of failure - which obviously leads to quitting the exercise.  These are both such important and beneficial exercises.  These books really help get you to your goals.

Posted in Health, Fabulous Finds, Favorite Things, Exercise | Print | 1 Comment »

Saturday, August 15, 2009 by Dea.

A Mexican/South American dish, it’s typically fried tortilla pieces covered in a salsa stew.  I made this up after tasting it at a restaurant, and figured it was perfect for the crockpot.  This is a great use for leftover chicken and stale tortilla chips.  You can also use stale tortillas, which will cut down the calories/fat.

Crockpot Chicken Chilaquiles

• 1 lb chicken breast, cubed or shredded (this is approximate, I usually use leftover chicken from grilling or roasting)
• 2 - 24oz jars Salsa (I use Casa Mamita Thick and Chunky from Aldi - $1.49 a jar, can’t go wrong!)
• 24oz water (I fill the salsa jar with water)
• 5 servings stale tortilla chips (that’s about 100 chips)

Pour the salsa into your crockpot, then fill one salsa jar with water and pour into crockpot.  Stir in cubed or shredded chicken meat.  Set this to simmer on low for about 4 hours.  About 10 minutes before serving, hand-crumble the chips into the stew.  Stir, and serve.

This makes about 10 servings.  Each serving is 158 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and .5 grams of fiber, based on basic white corn tortilla chip rounds from Aldi (99 cents a bag!).  You can increase your fiber using a whole grain chip.

We top this with a sprinkle of cheddar and sour cream.  It’s also delicious as a leftover.  I love that I’m getting my Mexican flavor in such a low calorie option.  Not to mention, if you use leftover chicken and the Aldi brands I mentioned, this costs $4 total.

Posted in Favorite Things, Deceptively Delicious, Money Saving Tips, Aldi, Healthy Eating | Print | 1 Comment »

Friday, August 14, 2009 by Dea.

At Aldi, they have some amazing deals.  Unfortunately, sometimes they’re limited time offers.  This summer, they’ve had a different selection of Sundae Shoppe frozen treats each week.  All of them have been delicious.  This week, they have Swirl Stix (green box on the right).  They’re Italian Ice done up on a stick, like a popsicle.  It’s a box of 12 for $1.99.  The best part, though, is that they’re only 48 calories each!  No fat, no cholesterol.  They are very yummy, making them my favorite treat right now.  For a bare blip in my daily caloric intake, I get to eat Italian ice for dessert.  SWEET.  If you find them at your Aldi, grab a few!  They are, unfortunately, a limited time thing.  If you see other Sundae Shop items - check them out.  I’ve tried most of them, and they’re all very good.  Check the calories, though, because some are more than others.

Posted in Fabulous Finds, Favorite Things, Deceptively Delicious, Money Saving Tips, Aldi | Print | No Comments »

Monday, August 10, 2009 by Becca.

Fiber One’s newest food additions are awesome.  If you don’t already eat them, you definitely should try them.  Their chocolatey chewy bars are way better than a regular granola bar and actually satisfy my candy bar cravings.  I would suggest starting off slow, though, especially if your body isn’t used to a whole lot of fiber!

Recently Fiber One introduced single serve yogurts.  I’m not usually a huge fan of yogurt since it tends to be fairly high in sugar, but these are totally worth it.  Each cup of yogurt has 50 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 5 grams of fiber.  As my Weight Watchers friends know, this means they are 0 points.  That’s right, 0 points.  As if this wasn’t enough, they are available in Key Lime Pie flavor.  I stuck one in the freezer on a hunch and sure enough, it was yummy!  Fiber One yogurt may be a little pricey, but I definitely recommend you pick some up next time they are on sale!

Posted in Fabulous Finds, Favorite Things, Deceptively Delicious, Healthy Eating | Print | No Comments »

Friday, August 7, 2009 by Dea.

These are DELICIOUS.  Becca told me about Arnold Select Sandwich Thins about a week ago.  They have 100 calories, and 5 grams of fiber, and if you follow the Weight Watchers Points system, these are around 2 points.  I bought the 100% Whole Wheat and the Multigrain to try, and Becca swears by the Whole Grain White.  I love these.  I’ve had a sandwich on one, and toasted another for breakfast so far.  Think English-Muffin-Only-Better for the toasted one.  I’m thinking of trying them with burgers, as a base for a mini pizza, and for peanut butter and jelly toast.  Unlike a lot of whole wheat, high fiber bread products, these are moist.  They have a nutty flavor and stayed moist when toasted.  If you can find these, try them.  They’re a great way to add fiber to your diet.

Posted in Fabulous Finds, Favorite Things, Deceptively Delicious, Healthy Eating | Print | No Comments »