Cinnamon Apples and your opinions, please!

How did you do this week? Been drinking much water? I love the great effect water has on my skin, so last week's challenge really helped with that!

This week's challenge: Walk the stairs! Your goal is to use the elevator as little as possible this week - it's a great way to sneak in a little cardio!

This week's recipe:
Cinnamon Apples
*Apples, as many as you think you will eat... I suggest one :)
*Powdered cinnamon - just enough to sprinkle over your apples!

Slice your apples and sprinkle the cinnamon over them - then microwave them for a few seconds (10 to 30 seconds, depending on your microwave). Then enjoy - it's a great dessert or snack!

And now, instead of an "article" from me, I want to hear your opinions - everything and anything health-related, post it in the comments, please!

Stay healthy,
Miss Diorista

Breakfast Cookies, Water and Fibres!

I'm late with the Friday health post - again! Sorry about that, but I actually have a pretty good excuse: I was looking for the recipe that I wanted to share with you this week, which comes from the book Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine. That book teaches you how to sneak healthy food (veggies, fruits, fish, whole-grains, etc.) into your kids' food. However, I found that I actually like to fool myself with those recipes, and my favourite from the book is this one. Enjoy those healthy cookies!

 

Breakfast Cookies

 

* 2 cups whole grain cereal flakes (I use All-Bran)

* 3/4 cup Flour Blend (1/4 cup white flour, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, and 1/4 cup wheat germ)

* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1 large egg

* 1/2 cup brown sugar

* 1/4 cup canola oil (I usually use EVOO though)

* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

* 3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese (I usually use low-fat yogurt instead)

* Cinnamon sugar for dusting (if wanted)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with oil).
Using a rolling pin, gently crush the cereal (in a sealed plastic bag) into coarsely crushed flakes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together Flour Blend, crushed cereal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, and ricotta cheese. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just enough to moisten dry ingredients. Drop single tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch between cookies. Flatten cookies with the back of a fork and then sprinkle tops generously with cinnamon sugar (you can skip this if you don't like it). Bake about 18 to 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and crispy around the edges.
Makes 16 to 18 large cookies.

These make for the best, guilt-free breakfast ever!

This week's challenge: Drink 8-10 glasses of water, every day.
This doesn't sound like a big deal, but drinking enough water is so important, and most of us don't drink more than 5 glasses, which is way too little. And it's also really fun to count your glasses of water throughout the day - believe me! :)

And finally, a few word on fibres.

 Great reasons why you should incorporate more whole-grains into your diet!

* They can possibly reduce the risk of cancer and heart-disease.

* Fibres help reduce the "shock" your body gets from eating sugar - which leads to you not getting the "afternoon snack craving".

* Fibres aid your digestion.

* Fibres help keep you satisfied for longer.

That's it for this week, stay healthy, people!
Love, Miss Diorista

P.S. Picture from http://www.knowledgera-theworld.blogspot.com/
And I have absolutely no idea why half of my post looks bolded - it doesn't look that way in the blogger format... any of you had this problem?

Granola, sleep and weekend-eating!

This post is one day late - sorry about that :)

This week's challenge: Get 6 to 7 hours of sleep every night.

Ough, this one is going to be tough for me! I can easily get away with 4 hours of sleep... but I know it's not good for me. This week, I'm going to try to change my sleeping habits a bit... I'm not really picking the best week, though, it's going to be crazy, and I will be needing those extra few hours to get work done... but I'm going to try to think like Garfield... well, no, not really, then I wouldn't get any work done at all!

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This week's recipe:

Granola (Bars) - slightly adapted from a recipe by Seventeen Magazine (they sometimes have surprisingly good recipes!)

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*0.5 cup butter

*3/4 cup oats

*1 T semolina flour or cornmeal

*1/3 cup packed soft brown sugar

*Nuts and/or dried fruit, if you wish

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Preheat your oven to 190°C or 375°F.

Mix together the dry ingredients, then pour melted butter over them and mix well. Press into a greased baking pan, about 11*7 inches, and bake for at least 15 minutes.

Now, you can either leave to set in the pan, and then cut into bars (about 12 pieces), or you can leave it to set, and then crumble it up for granola. I personally favour the latter option :)

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I know this isn't terribly healthy, and you probably shouldn't be eating tons of this every day (butter and sugar are sadly not good for you... but oats are, however!), but every now and then, this is a great way of getting your fibre!

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Now, I'm pretty sure that we all recognize the following situation: You've been eating healthy all week, then it's Friday... and all of your good intentions seem to fly out the window, never to be seen again. Here are a few tips for dealing with those weekends!

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*Work out - the harder you work out, the less likely you will be to spoil your hard efforts!

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*It's ok to indulge a little - If you constantly tell yourself that you can't have this or that, it will only make you want it more. Allow yourself a little splurge every now and then, and you won't be as likely to binge.

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*Prepare healthy food before - If you already have sliced fruit and veggies, nuts or a vegetable soup just waiting to be heated, then you won't be as likely (I feel like "won't be as likely" is all I'm saying in this post...) to go and buy unhealthy food, or prepare them.

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*When going to parties - Eat healthy a breakfast and lunch, but scale things back a little. And when you get to the party, keep your hands full! If you're holding a low-cal (preferably water) drink, you can't reach for more food so easily ;)

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That's it for this week, hope you liked it and stay healthy!

'

Love,

Miss Diorista

Pancakes, Veggies and How to Get Better Sleep!

I can't believe how fast the past week flew by - I didn't get any posts up and all of a sudden it's Friday again... well, it's technically Saturday, but we'll call it a Friday, ok?
Sure ;)

This week's challenge!
Every day this week (and of course, keep going!), you are going to eat 2.5 cups of veggies.
I actually started this today, and it feels great. One cup is simply one cup, except with leafy veggies, like lettuce, but 1 cup of that counts as 0.5 cup, so 2 cups of lettuce count as 1 cup. Other than that, it's pretty simple!

This week's recipe:
Whole Grain Pancakes with Fruits!
*1 packet pancake mix, OR your favourite pancake recipe. (Remember to use whole grain flour if baking from scratch. To make your mix healthier: Add a bit of whole grain flour, then thin your batter with milk until it is the right consistency.
*Fresh fruits of your choice (I love strawberries and bananas for this!)
*Agave syrup, maple syrup or honey - just make sure it doesn't have anything added to it!
*Fruit spread, if you wish.

Now, simply bake your pancakes, spread some fruit spread on it if you feel like it, fill it with good-for-you sliced fruits, and drizzle a few drops of sweetness over the whole thing - yummy!
And this week's "bits of this and that": Sleep!
I know perfectly well that I should sleep 7 to 8 hours each night... yet somehow, I always end up getting way to little sleep... which is not good. Sleep is so important. Did you know, that once we get into a deep state of sleep, our brains start solving the problems we are dealing with? That is why it is somehow easier to make difficult decisions when you've slept well - your brain has been working on the answer while you were sleeping! So instead of worrying and staying up all night - just go to sleep!
Also, women who get five hours or less of sleep every night, are 32% more likely to gain weight than women who get 7 hours or more - that's a fact that wakes most of us up!
But what if you want to go to sleep... but just can't? We've all been there, just lying and staring at the ceiling... it's not fun. What can you do? Well, try those tips!

*Skip caffeine for at least 4 hours before you go to bed.

*Form your habits and rituals. Always doing the same things before you go to sleep can train your brain into falling asleep faster and more comfortably (the same things applies to your children!).

*Avoid distractions. Things like TVs and computers do not belong in your bedroom, especially not if you are having trouble sleeping.

*If you're stressed out during the day, that stress will stand in your way when you're trying to fall asleep later. Try doing yoga or relaxing breathing exercises during the day (lunchtime is perfect - you don't even have to leave your desk!). You will be more relaxed, which will definitely help you when it comes to sleeping.

*Not too chilly, not too warm. If your bedroom is too warm, you will probably encounter some problems falling asleep. However, make sure that your feet stay warm - it's very difficult to fall asleep when your feet are cold (scientifically proven!). Try some soft and cosy socks!

*Eat carbs! No, not a whole truckload. Sorry :) Just about a half cup of dry cereal, eaten about two hours before you go to bed, will help your brain release serotonin and tryptophan, which will aid when it comes to sleeping.


That's it for this week, I hope you all stay happy and well!
Yours, Miss Diorista

P.S. Please take a minute to vote on the poll, it would mean the world to me ;)

Vitamin D, Tortillas and "The Plank"!

It's Friday again!

How did the last week go for you all? Mine could have gone worse :) I managed to get 1.5 cup fruits a day almost the whole week, but now it's time for a new week, new challenge and a new recipe!

Challenge: The Plank

What you want to do, every day this week (if you're beginning exercising for the first time, or after a long break, you might want to choose every other day), is to get in this position here:

Keep your back straight and squeeze your abs! Stay up like that, on your elbows, for 30 seconds the first two days, then one minute the next three days, and for the last two days, you will try 90 seconds. It's harder than it seems ;) However, if you find this too easy or too hard, simply adjust the time to what you can handle - be careful not to overdo it!

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Recipe of the week: Tortillas!

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This is my favourite way of eating Mexican food - it's yummy, healthy and quick. Plus, you can adjust it to what you like. Enjoy ;)

*Whole Wheat Tortillas, as many as needed (about 1-3 per person)

*1 T olive oil

*500 g ground beef

*Mushrooms - I used about 15 of them

*A teeny tiny bit of butter

*Oregano (didn't measure, sorry! Just add little by little, you can always add but you can't take out!)

*Salt - just a little bit!

*Mexican spice blend, if you like

*Veggies of your choice - I love cucumbers and bell peppers for this

*Salsa Sauce

*Beans - any kind, I used pinto beans

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Heat up the olive oil in a frying pan, and cook the beef. When slightly brown, add your spices, stir and cook until ready.

Chop your mushrooms, and fry them in the butter. Mix those in your beef.

Chop the veggies. You can cook those too, but I prefer them raw.

Now, it's time to put your dinner together :) There are a few ways for folding a tortilla, but I like to gather the filling in the middle (top picture). Then I fold two opposite sides of the tortilla over the filling:

And finally, I fold the other two sides.

It's really easy to hold the tortilla in your hands when you fold it this way.

Yummy!

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And finally, a few words on Vitamin D:

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Why do you need Vitamin D?

Vitamin D helps your body use calcium, which is hugely important for your bones. It also helps your heart muscle perform at its best, thus keeping your heart healthy.

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Where do I get Vitamin D?

Well, Vitamin D isn't called "The Sunshine Vitamin" for nothing. One way of getting this vitamin into your system, is by exposing yourself to sunshine for a short time. However, you don't want too much sunshine because of risk of skin cancer, so you should make sure that you include food like eggs, oatmeal, milk, tuna and sweet potatoes in your diet. You can also take a supplement.

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So, that's it for this week! Good luck with the challenge, and getting your vitamin D!

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Yours,

Miss Diorista

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P.S. The Plank picture is from http://www.runningintherealworld.worldpress.com/. Other pictures are my own (I know because I ate that tortilla myself - it tasted amazing!)

Getting started!

It's the first post of our journey towards better health in 2011! I'm so excited, and I really hope that you are going to be doing this with me - it's so much easier (not to mention way more fun!) to do it together!
In this post we will be discussing how to get started. But first of all, this week's challenge! Drumrolls, please...

Challenge: Eat at least 1.5 cup fruit every day!

One average fruit (1 apple, 1 orange, 1 pear, etc.) is one cup - but if dealing with for example berries or melons, simply fill up one cup. 0.5 cup of dried fruit equals one cup of fresh fruit, and if you like 100% fruit juice, then 8 ounces count as one cup.

Why is this good for me? Well, first of all, we all know that we should eat more fruits and veggies - for most of us, it is somehow easier to fit in the fruits, so that is why we are starting with that one. But when you look at the nutrients, then fruits are packed with good-for-you fibres (fibres help keep you full for longer) and vitamins. Last but not least, when you have to fit this into your diet, you won't have as much room left for the unhealthy stuff!

So of course, this week's recipe compliments the diet challenge. It's nothing too complicated, but I hope you like it. It's perfect for breakfast (I ate the one above for breakfast), since you get in a good load of fruit, calcium and whole grains!

Fruit Salad (for one person)
*About 1 to 1.5 cup of chopped-fruit. I like apples, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, plums and pears. Just use what you have, or use the opportunity to try out something new!
*3 T yogurt (preferably low in fat and sugar - and organic if you like)
*1 T granola - make sure you buy good stuff. Many brands of granola are not so healthy once you look closely!

Simply mix the fruits together in a bowl, put the yogurt on top, and sprinkle your granola over the whole thing. Don't forget to eat up ;)

A quick smoothie: Fruits can be a great snack on the go, and smoothies are a fab way to dress them up a bit. My favourite smoothie is simple: 1 cup blueberry yogurt and 1 chopped up, frozen banana. Mix together in a blender - it's so yummy!

Quick tip: If fruits are getting slightly too mushy for eating them plain (but are still ok), chop them up and put them in the freezer. They'll be great for smoothies!


So, then. We've covered the recipe and the challenge, now it's the rest:

Getting started!

The most important tip I can give you (although of course I am no expert!), is to take care not to go too fast. When we are beginning to make our lifestyles healthier, we sometimes get so excited that we go all out for one week - and then end up quitting because we're already burned out. Start slowly, not only in exercise but also with diet. For example, don't cut out all your sugar at once - you'll just get cranky and end up eating way more than you otherwise would have.

Also, a key factor for beginners is to have some good knowledge about where you're heading. You wouldn't sail across the Atlantic without a map, would you? So here are some of my favourite websites for information and support on healthy lifestyle:

Shape: A great website which gives you information on both diet and exercise.

Prevention: This one also covers diet and exercise :)

SparkPeople: A great website where you can keep track of all kinds of goals, as well your diet and exercise plan. They have a galore of exercises and a huge database of food for you to log. Find out how much you burn when you jog for an hour, read interesting articles and chat with people who have similar goals to yours.

SparkTeens: A version of SparkPeople, but designed to fit teenagers' needs. If you are younger, you might like this one better than the original.


I hope you check out those websites, they are all really great. Also, join the challenge! I will be updating you in the comments on how I will be doing, hope you will do the same!

Love, Miss Diorista

Get Healthy in 2011!

Hi everybody!

I mentioned in my post about my new year's resolutions for this year (read them here), that I wanted to get healthier this year.

And why am I telling you this? Well, because I want you to do it with me!

I will post about this, but only on Fridays, since I don't want to flood you with health-related stuff. After all, Miss Diorista does and will always love her lipsticks and chocolate... not to forget the blushes!

So every Friday this year, I will write a post on this journey. And I would absolutely love for you to join me :) I have chosen Fridays, since most of us are prone to leaving our healthy-eating and exercise scetchual during weekends... maybe a reminder before you plunge into your weekend will help. At least I'm hoping that it will help me :)

Each Friday-post will include:

A challenge - It can be diet or exercise related, but it will always be fun!

A healthy recipe - This can be anything from healthy pizza to healthy cookies (yes, those do exist and they can actually be quite yummy!)

Bits of this and that - This could be an article on something health-related, a few tips and tricks, a possible pitfall, just simply anything that can help us on our journey.

But the most important thing is that you take part in this too. Let's do it together. When we hit a brick wall, we'll talk together. We'll use the comments. We'll use twitter. We can do this!

So, are you ready? I sure am. See you next Friday :)

Love, Miss Diorista

P.S. Picture from www.thesunblog.com

Drink water!

Now when it has been extremely hot here in Iceland, I felt like reminding myself and all of you, about the importance of drinking enough water.



Water is important for every part of your body. Google "importance of drinking water" and you get tons of great reasons for filling your glass. Find your favourite reason to motivate you. What gets me drinking is the fact that is helps keep my skin looking healthy and glowy.



I really like drinking water. However, I also like to mix things up a little bit. Just simple things like decorating your glass (on the picture, I carefully cut a slice into the strawberry, then placed it on my glass), or put a bit of ice into your water, can spice things up, and prevent boredom. Also, I know that some people dislike water, maybe it is the taste... or the lack of taste (I wouldn´t know, since I love water). In that case, try to trick your taste buds into liking it. Infusing your water with fruits and even vegetables can do the trick. The most common thing is slicing lemons and limes for your water, which can be quite nice. Don't be afraid to experiment! Use frozen strawberries instead of ice, it gives you taste and cools your water. Or slice cucumber, or apples, or peaches... just anything you have on hand! Slice it, place it in your water and place your water in the fridge. When you want to drink it, pour in a nice glass and drink it with a bit of ice. Lovely!



My best regards,

Miss Diorista.