After sharing yesterday's recipe (and dealing with July's heatwave), I couldn't resist sharing another recipe that I have lying around.  I wanted to share a nice healthy summer beverage option, but I couldn't resist selecting this one instead!  Ingredients 1 cup Non-Fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt ½ cup milk ½ tsp ground vanilla beans ⅓ cup strawberries, chopped ⅓ cup shortcake, crumbled Instructions Mix the yogurt, milk, and ground vanilla beans together until completely smooth. Gently mix in the strawberries and shortcake. Divide among popsicle molds, and place in the freezer. After 1 hour, insert popsicle sticks. Let freeze completely, 3-4 hours.   (Because many of my recipes have been printed out ages ago, I don't have the authorship I should.  If I ever track down the source, I will update accordingly.  Thanks for understanding!) 

I consider myself fortunate that while I was growing up, my parents rarely had processed food, soda, or junk food in the house.  (Our snack of choice was popcorn which was easy to make and less fattening than a bag of chips).  Because we didn't have an over abundance of packaged-ready-to-microwave meals, we spent a lot of time in the kitchen making our meals.  I think this is also where I learned to love to cook.  This also may explain the multitude of cookbooks in my house and pages of printed out recipes from online, but I digress... For today, I wanted to share with you a simple, easy-to-make, and healthy-for-you recipe from Cooking Light : Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted petite diced tomatoes, undrained 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 8 ounces whole-grain spaghetti or linguine 1/2 teaspoon salt 10 ounce fresh spinach 1 ounce parmesan c...

One of the hardest parts of starting a new fitness regimen is setting goals.  Many people set their goals based solely on their weight and, without realizing it, they are also setting themselves up for failure and disappointment.  We are not simply numbers on a scale.  Everyone is different, and putting a flat figure isn't necessarily a good indicator of what is or isn't healthy for you.  Determining your BMI is the best indicator of where you stand with your weight vs height.  But trying to determine a goal based solely on your BMI can be tricky, and down right difficult to predict.  Instead, set simple, realistic goals that will ultimately affect your overall health and well being. Here's how I look at it.  When a person is trying to quit smoking, often times cold turkey just isn't an option.  What smokers do is ultimately reduce their consumption.  If they are currently smoking a pack a day, they may set a goal to cut back to half a p...

I don't know about you, but if there were a competition with prizes for making excuses, I would be the winner hands down every time.  Especially when it comes to changing my lifestyle (no matter how large or small).  I set a deadline, yet as it draws nearer, I come up with multiple excuses to get out of it.  The timing isn't right, I don't have the right footwear, the stars aren't properly aligned...No matter how strange, I will think of it and try to use it to my advantage to not do what I'm supposed to do. I am stubborn, plain and simple. To overcome this, I needed to change my thinking and use my stubbornness to my advantage.  When I set my sights on something now, nothing can stop me - I will always find a way.  When it comes to dieting and trying to cook with a very busy schedule, I will dedicate an entire day, if I have to, to cook for an entire week.  This is beneficial in its own right because on the days when I am tired and too stressed out...

The excuse we tell ourselves most often is that it is too late to make changes in our lives.  We are too old, too out of shape, too set in our ways...No matter how you spell it out, this is an excuse - and an unproductive one at that.  When it comes to fitness, it is never too late to begin making changes.  Eating healthier and getting exercise on a daily basis will not only make you look better, it will make you feel better.  But change is difficult.  It takes time and dedication.  It requires effort when you first begin.  But, as with all habits, once you begin a routine (and stick with it), it will become second nature and you will no longer have to work at it - it will come naturally to you. We are only given one life to live.  Thankfully, we have many chances to get it right.  Start today.  It is never too late to change your life.

In order to kick off this Fitness blog right, I thought that I would try to highlight one of my favorite recipes at least once a week.  I absolutely love to cook, but I often don't have the time, so I try to limit my recipes to those that are 30 minutes or less (or I devote at least one day to cooking meals that can be split up and saved for multiple meals throughout the week).  Today's recipe is brought to you by one of my favorite websites: Eatingwell.com . Broccoli & Feta Pasta Salad 6 servings | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients Dressing 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar Pasta Salad 8 ounces (about 3 cups) whole-wheat fusilli 2 cups chopped broccoli 1 3/4 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes ...

I think I may have covered this in another blog post, but I felt it worth mentioning again.  Anytime I talk to someone about my fitness and diet, they somehow automatically assume that I am eating only salads and fruits and somehow, "good" food isn't allowed.  This always gives me pause because when I decide to "go on a diet," this means eating more food than I would eat on a regular basis.  See, my problem isn't that I load up on a lot of chocolate (really just don't like it), or cakes and cookies (I can pass easily).  Salt does me in.  Plus the fact that my life is currently so busy there are times when I forget to eat.  Yes, it happens.  I'm a writer and an artist, and when I get "into the zone," hours pass without my noticing (that is until my stomach feels as though it is going to jump out of my skin and eat everything in sight).  This leads me to overeat and also eat at all the wrong times.  My metabolism is wonky to begin with,...